Sri Paramatma Sandarbha, Part 82
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 27, 2021 — CANADA (SUN) — Sad Sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami
Sri Paramatma-sandarbha
Volume Five
by Srila Jiva Goswami
Anuccheda 91
punar api jivasya vastutah sviya-tat-tad-avasthatvabhave 'pi bhagavan-mayayaiva tat-tat-pratitir iti sa-drstantam upapadayati
The conditioned soul in the material world who, bewildered by the Supreme Lord's illusory potency maya, does not understand his true nature, is also described in these words of srimad- Bhagavatam (3.7.10):
Text 2
yad arthena vinamusya
pumsa atma-viparyayah pratiyata upadrastuh
sva-siras-chedanadibhih
"The living entity is in distress regarding his self-identity. He has no factual background, like a man who dreams that he sees his head cut off."
Text 3
yad yasya mayaya hetur arthena vinapi. yadyapi tasya tri- kalam eva so 'rtho nasti. tathapy atma-viparyaya atma-vismrti- purvaka-parabhimanenaham eva tad-dharmity evam-rupah so 'rthah syat.
Here "yad" means "of maya" and "arthena vina" mean "without a purpose". Although he is eternal, always existing in the three phases of time (past, present, and future), the individual soul does not know this truth about himself. Here the word "atma-viparyayah" indicates that the conditioned soul has forgotten his true identity.
Text 4
tatha hi upadrastur jivasya. trtiyarthe sasthi. svapnavasthayam jivena sva-siras-chedanadiko 'tiva-sambhavo 'rthah pratiyate.
Here the word "upadrastuh" refers to the individual spirit soul. Although this word is in the genitive case, it has the force of the instrumental. "Sva-siras-cedanadibhih" means "in a dream he believes that his head has been cut off".
Text 5
na hi tasya siras chinnam. na tu va sva-siras-chedam ko 'pi pasyet. kintu bhagavan-mayaivanyatra siddham tad-rupam artham tasminn aropayatiti. maya-matram tu kartsnyenanabhivyakta- svarupatvat iti nyayena.
In truth the head is not really cut off. Indeed, it is not possible for anyone to sit in one place and see his own head being cut off in another place. The sight of this is only an illusion created by the Lord's maya potency. This is described in the following words of Vedanta-sutra (3.2.3):
"It is like a dream created by the maya potency."
Anuccheda 92
Text 1
ata eva suddhasyapi sato jivasyaupadhikenaiva rupenopadhi- dharmapattir iti
drstantantarenopapadayati
In this way the pure spirit soul misidentifies with the material body. This is shown by another example given in srimad- Bhagavatam (3.7.11):
Text 2
yatha jale candramasah
kampadis tat-krto gunah drsyate 'sann api drastur
atmano 'natmano gunah
"As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter."
Text 3
yatha jale pratibimbitasyaiva candramaso jalopadhi-krtah kampadi-guno dharmo drsyate. na tv akasa-sthitasya tadvad anatmanah prakrti-rupopadher dharma atmanah suddhasyasann api aham eva so 'yam ity avesan mayayopadhi-tad- atmyapannahankarabhasasya pratibimba-sthaniyasya tasya drastur adhyatmikavasthasyaiva yadyapi syat tathapi suddho 'sau tad- abhedabhimanena tam pasyatity arthah.
This verse explains: "As the moon reflected on water appears to the seer to tremble due to being associated with the quality of the water, so the self associated with matter appears to be qualified as matter." The soul then thinks: "I am this material body". Although what he is sees is only a false-ego reflection, the pure soul thinks he sees his actual self.
Text 4
tad uktam ekadase sri-bhagavata
nrtyato gayatah pasyan
yathaivanukaroti tan evam buddhi-gunan pasyann
aniho 'py anukaryate. iti.
The conditioned soul's misidentification with the material body is also described in these words (srimad-Bhagavatam 11.12.53) spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself:
"As one may imitate singers and dancers, so the inactive spirit soul imitates the activities of the material intelligence."
Text 5
tathaivoktam suddho vicaste hy avisuddha-kartuh iti.
A liberated soul does not mistakenly identify with the material body. This is described in the following words (srimad- Bhagavatam 5.11.12):
"A person who is liberated in this life (jivan- mukta) can see all these things vividly."
Text 6
vi-sabdasya catra tad-avesa eva tatparyam. tasmad bhagavato 'cintya-svarupantaranga-maha-prabala-saktitvad bahirangaya prabalayapy acintyayapi mayayapi na sprstih. jivasya tu taya sprstir iti siddhantitam. sri-sukah.
Here the prefix "vi" means "entering that". This means that because he is protected by the Lord's inconceivable internal potency, the liberated soul is not touched by the inconceivable external potency maya. That is the conclusion. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Srila sukadeva Gosvami.
