Bhagavat Sandarbha, Part 10
BY: SUN STAFF
Mar 26, 2019 — CANADA (SUN) — Sad Sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Goswami
Bhagavat Sandarbha
by Srila Jiva Goswami
SECTION TEN – Part Three
The four energies mentioned in the verse (2.9.17) beginning with adhyarhaniya, are religion and likewise and not the external qualities such as irreligion, because only they are described in the yogapitha in the Uttara khanda of Padma Purana such as: "The Yoga-pitha of the Lord is supported by the four legs of the Vedas, Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana representing religion, knowledge, opulence, and renunciation." (Padma.P.Uttar. 91.100). In this verse, having the word tatha inside a compound word is against the rules of grammar, but it is accepted on the authority of the sage Vyasa.
The sixteen potencies referred to in verse 2.9.16 are Canda, Pracanda, and so on. As stated in the Padma Purana, "It is protected by the gate-keepers, like Canda and the direction-keepers, like Kumuda." (P.P. Uttar 91.90). That they protect the city of Vaikuntha is understood from the previous verse. They are named in the following verses (P.P.Uttara 91.91, 92):
Canda and Pracanda are the keepers of the east gate, Bhadra and Subhadra keepers of the south, Jaya and Vijaya of the west, and Dhatri and Vidhatri are the protectors of the Northern gate. Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Pundarika, Vamana, Sankukarna, Sarvanetra, Sumukha and Supratisthita are the protectors of the directions of this city, O beautiful faced one.
The couples beginning with Kumuda and Kumudaksha are protectors of the intermediate directions beginning from south-east. The five energies refer to kurma and so on mentioned in the Padma Purana, Uttar Khanda, 91.102, "Kurma, Nagaraja, Vainateya the Lord of three Vedas, Chandas, and all the Mantras are the pedestal of the Vaikuntha." Here Tryisvara (the Lord of three Vedas) is an adjective of Vainateya (Garuda) due to his being a personification of Vedic Chandas. Although this description in the Padma Purana is in relation to Vaikuntha, owing to its similarity and well known descriptions in the Agamas (scriptures), the Yoga-pitha of Lord Krishna should be understood in the same way.
Or these sixteen energies are directly in Sri Krishna and this will be explained in Sri Krishna Sandarbha, with quotations from the Prabhasa Khanda of the Padma Purana. These are known as Sruti, Alambini, and so on. Svaih (S.B.2.9.17), or by his own, means the Lord is endowed with opulence inherent in His own nature. When these opulences are seen in yogis (itaratra), they are impermanent, incidental, perishable and are a semblance of the Lord's opulences acquired by His grace alone. Sve (2.9.17) means in His own self. Dhaman means in Vaikuntha. He was enjoying these and thus He is the Supreme controller, not depending on anyone else. The statement, "who is known by the path followed by the paramahamsas "in the verse beginning with tad-darsana (2.4.18), implies that the Lord's form is the personification of eternal knowledge and bliss (sat-cit-ananda-ghana). The meaning of the statement "unto him who was full of love" tam priyamanam (2.9.20) means that the Lord spoke to Brahma. He was accepted as qualified to engage in the act of creating living beings and remain under the control of Lord Krishna's purusha expansion, Lord Vishnu.
Objection: Because Lord Krishna is situated in spiritual realm, He has no contact with the creator of the material world, so why not accept that it was Lord Vishnu who blessed Brahma?
Answer: The reason for Lord Krishna's appearance is His excessive love for His devotee, indicated by the word priyam which means that Brahma was having love for Krishna. Therefore the Lord is controlled by His devotee's love. Moreover the adjectives priyamanam (who is engaged in loving devotion) and pritamanah (who possesses love) indicate excessive delight in the Lord owing to the loving feelings. Because Brahma was full of loving symptoms, Lord also manifested with excessive love for him which is indicated by His radiant smile, His loving words, and the shaking of hands. That Brahma is a worshiper of Lord Krishna is shown in the statements of Gopal Tapani Upanishad and confirmed in the Brahma Samhita (5.22-26):
Lord Brahma who had four faces, the knower of the four Vedas took birth from that lotus.
"On coming out of the lotus, Brahma, being guided by the Divine potency turned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see only darkness in every direction"
"At that time, a divine voice spoke in front of him, "O Brahman, this mantra viz., krishnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya svaha" will assuredly fulfill your heart's desire."
"I Brahman, practice penance by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be fulfilled."
"Brahma, being desirous of satisfying the imperishable Govinda, practiced the penance for long time."
COMMENTARY
In the previous text Lord Brahma said that Bhagavan appears in the heart of the devotee who is purified by bhakti-yoga. Now Srila Jiva Gosvami quotes ten and a half verses where Sri Suka describes Lord Brahma's experience of Bhagavan realization. Thus he gives a practical example after explaining the process and qualifications for realizing Bhagavan.
In this text he shows that Vaikuntha is transcendental and that Maya has no influence there. The Supreme Lord and the devotees in Vaikuntha are eternal and free from material miseries and they continuously serve the Lord out of love. Vaikuntha is a manifestation of visuddha sattva, which is comprised of the Lords internal potency. These ten and a half verses give a description of a) the Lord's abode, b) the residents of Vaikuntha, c) Laksmi Devi, the eternal consort of the Lord, d) the activities of the devotees and, e) the loving dealings between the Lord and His devotees.
The experience of Brahma was not a dream or hallucination as is evident from the last two verses, which describe his direct meeting with the Lord, shaking of hands, and conversation. The Lord gave Brahma a vision of Vaikuntha as if to prevent him from becoming proud while creating the material world.
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains these verses lucidly. After being born, Brahma deliberated on the process of creation and heard a voice say two times, "engage in penance." This order came from the Supreme Lord. Brahma thus controlled his mind and senses for one thousand celestial years (S.B.2.9.8). At that time Lord Vishnu was lying on the Garbhodaka ocean being served by His devotees and the universe was vacant. Since the Lord was pleased that Brahma took His order seriously, He blessed him with a vision of Himself in Vaikuntha.
The words param na yatparam (S.B.2.9.9) indicate that no planets are higher than the one seen by Brahma. This implies that Vaikuntha is outside this material universe, wherein Satyaloka, the planet of Brahma, is considered topmost. This phrase can also mean that Brahman is not superior to Vaikuntha as impersonalists wrongly propose. Vaikuntha is free from the five miseries (vyapapeta-sanklesa) namely ignorance (avidya), egotism (asmita), attachment (raga), hatred (dvesa) and bodily consciousness (abhinivesa). Misery sprouts and fructifies in the soil of ignorance (avidya). Since avidya is absent in Vaikuntha, so is misery. Maharshi Patanjali defines avidya, anityasuci-duhkhanatmasu nitya-suci-sukh atmakhyatiravidya (Yoga Sutra 2.5). "To consider the impermanent to be eternal, the impure as pure, the painful as blissful, and the inert as conscious, is called ignorance." To mistake an object or quality when it is not so is the basic definition of ignorance. The material world and everything within, including the material body, are temporary. To consider them eternal is the beginning of avidya. Everyone has the knowledge that body becomes old and dies and sometimes even without becoming old. Yet people make plans to enjoy this body as if they are immortal or they foolishly try to make the body eternal. According to Yudhishthira Maharaja this is one of the greatest wonders of all time. (MB Vana Parva 313.116):
"Everyday people die and attain the abode of Yama. But those who are remaining wish to live forever. What could be a greater wonder than this!"
The body is full of impurities such as stool, urine, blood, mucus and so on. Yet people out of ignorance consider the body as pure and lovable and try to enjoy it. If one touches these, he must bathe to purify himself. Similarly, irreligious acts, like theft and violence, are impure, and to perform them to earn one's livelihood demonstrates ignorance.
The material body is a reservoir of misery. The amount of pain any part can inflict is incalculable. Lord Krishna says this body is a full of misery--duhkhalayam (B.g. 8.15), and devoid of happiness--asukham (B.g. 9.33). Yet owing to ignorance people take this body as a source of pleasure.
The fourth type of ignorance is to consider the inert body, senses, and mind as conscious. An ignorant person cannot distinguish the conscious self from the inert mind, body, and senses. Vimudha nanupasyanti pasyanti jnanacakshushah (B.g. 15.10). People in the bodily concept of life have no idea that the self is distinct from the body, mind, and senses.
These are the four types of ignorance and a person inflicted with them is like a dumb animal. Dharmena hinah pashubhih samanah, (Hitopadesa 1.25) "People devoid of transcendental knowledge are no better than animals". He repeatedly undergoes birth, death, old age, and disease. As Sri Sankaracarya sings--
Owing to ignorance the living entity loses his ability to discriminate between the self and the inert mind, or citta. This gives rise to the next misery called asmita, or egotism. Drig darsan asaktyorek atmtev asmita (Yoga sutra 2.6). "To consider the seer (drik-sakti), and the instrument for seeing, the citta (darsana-sakti), as one, is called asmita, egotism." The living entity perceives material objects through the citta-vrittis, the mental states that result when the senses come in contact with sense objects. The citta-vritti is instrumental (karana), but it is not the perceiver. The soul is the perceiver, but due to ignorance the living entity considers the citta, which is merely the instrument for seeing, as himself and the citta-vritti as a transformation in himself. Feeling of happiness and distress are nothing but transformations in the citta. Lord Krishna says in (B.g. 13.6,7):
"The five great elements, egoism, the intellect, the unmanifest, the ten senses, the mind, the five sense objects, desire, aversion, happiness, distress, the body, intelligence and patience--these are, in brief, the field of activities along with their interactions."
A conditioned soul identifies with these mental states and thus considers himself to be happy or miserable. This misidentification is known as hridaya-granthi--the knot in the heart--and is cut when one realizes the Lord within and without. Sri Suta Gosvami states (S.B. 1.2.21):
"Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master."
Since the Lord is always directly present in Vaikuntha, the devotees do not experience this knot within the heart.
The natural sequel to asmita is raga and dvesha, attachment and hatred. Sukhanusayi ragah (Yoga Sutra 2.7). After experiencing happiness, attachment (raga) to enjoying the sense objects arises. And duhkhanusayi dvesah, after suffering misery, hatred (dvesha) arises.
Owing to asmita within the mind, body, and senses, the living entity develops concepts of "I" and "mine." When he experiences objects or activities that are pleasurable, certain impressions are created within his heart that urge him on to other sense objects. This desire, or attachment, is called raga, which further gives rise to greed. Similarly, miserable experiences leave impressions, and the desire to avoid them is called dvesa, which further gives rise to anger and fear. Lord Krishna says, therefore, that one should not become controlled by raga and dvesha (B.g. 3.34),"Attachment and repulsion are in all sense objects. One should not come under their sway, for they are impediments."
Actually attachment and repulsion reside in the person not in the sense objects. One's attachment and repulsion, however, become rooted in the sense objects and thus the Lord says that attachment and repulsion are located in them. Otherwise a particular sense object would either attract or repulse everyone, but this is never the case. When devotees hear someone singing a song about the Lord they feel attracted but non-devotees take it for a disturbance.
Because of raga and dvesha related to material objects one is naturally entangled in the bodily conception of life. This results in constant attempts to protect the body from destruction and always being fearful of death. Svarasavahi vidusho'pi tatha- rudho'bhiniveshah (Yoga Sutra 2.9) - "Fear of death, which is found even among the learned, is called abhinivesa" The impressions of fear of death are carried from previous lives. Thus even animals have the survival instinct.
The word vidusha or learned here refer to those who only have scholarship with realization. A self realized soul does not fear death because he is free from bodily concept of life. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah sthitadhirmunirucyate (BG.2.56)
Self-realized souls glorify the abode of the Lord, which is called Vaikuntha because it is free from misery. In this connection Srila Jiva Gosvami cites the example of the Kumaras cursing the gate keepers of Vaikuntha. Later, when the Kumaras realized the opulence of Vaikuntha and the exalted position of the devotees they recited prayers of glorification (samsanto vaishnvim sriyam 3.16.18).
The next verse (S.B. 2.9.10) explicitly establishes that Vaikuntha is free from the three modes of material nature. The modes and their source, Maya, are both absent in Vaikuntha and thus time has no influence. Time influences material nature and thus all material objects undergo some or all of the following transformations: coming into being (jayate), existing for some time (asti), increasing (varddhate), changing (parinamate), dwindling (apaksiyate), and finally annihilation (nasyati). At the beginning of creation the modes are in a balanced state (pradhana), but time disturbs them and various transformations result. In Vaikuntha, however, pradhana is absent, hence there is no creation or destruction. Everything is sat, cit, and ananda.
Additionally, the Visva Prakasa dictionary defines maya as cheating--maya dambhe kripayanca--but in this verse (S.B. 2.9.10), maya refers to the material energy. When it is stated that rajas and tamas are absent in Vaikuntha, it naturally follows that there is no cheating. If maya only refers to cheating, then it would be redundant to say there is no maya, na yatra maya.
When the verse says that Vaikuntha is a manifestation of pure goodness, visuddha sattva, it should not be mistaken to mean mundane goodness free from passion and ignorance, because the modes of nature are always mixed. Unmixed goodness cannot be found. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (18.40):
"There is no being existing, either here or among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, who is free from the three modes born of material nature."
When it is said, for instance, that cow's milk is in the mode of goodness, it means that the mode of goodness predominates. Moreover this is also relative. If one consumes more milk than he is able to digest or drinks stale milk it will be rajasic or tamasim. None of the modes are found in a pure state anywhere in the material world. Lord Brahma states this explicitly to Narada in Devi Bhagavata Purana (3.8.14)
"It is not possible to find only goodness or only passion or only ignorance anywhere. They are always mixed with each other and thus they are called mutually dependent."
Secondly, the material modes are inert, therefore even if it is assumed that Vaikuntha is comprised of unmixed mundane sattva guna, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, this would contradict the scriptural injunctions, which state that Vaikuntha is conscious and self-luminous like the Lord (S.B. 3.16.28). If Vaikuntha was made of inert matter, self-realized souls who have transcended the mode of goodness would not take interest in glorifying it--sva drishtavadbhirvibudhair abhishtutama (S.B. 2.9.9). Thus the monistic theory that the Vaikuntha planets are a manifestation of mundane goodness is untenable.
The word sura-asurarcitah means "worshipable by both demigods and demons." This implies that devotees are superior to those in the mode of goodness (demigods) and to those in modes of passion and ignorance (demons).
Srila Jiva Gosvami cites many verses from different scriptures as evidence that Vaikuntha and the form of the Lord are visuddha sattva and within the internal potency. The Lord and His abode have nothing to do with the material mode of goodness, which is a feature of the external potency. Jiva Gosvami does this to uproot the impersonalists theory that the ultimate reality is impersonal Brahman‚ and that when Brahman is superimposed onto the knowledge potency of Maya, or sattva guna, the Vaikuntha planets and various forms of the Lord are manifests. This is tantamount to saying that Vaikuntha and the Lord's forms are material.
But this theory does not hold in light of verses that clearly explain that the Lord is beyond the material modes and that those who worship Him also become free from the material modes (V.P.1.9.43, Bg.14.26).
The reason material goodness (sattva) and transcendental goodness (visuddha sattva) have the same name is because of their common functions. Material goodness is instrumental for acquiring knowledge and the understanding of material objects. Lord Krishna states (B.g 14.17), sattvat sanjayate jnanam--"From the mode of goodness knowledge arises " Similarly, transcendental goodness is instrumental in giving direct realization of transcendental objects. Just as sattva is a manifestation of the material energy, maya, visuddha sattva is a special manifestation of the internal conscious potency, cit-sakti.
Material goodness cannot give direct realization of the transcendental Lord and His abode, but it can help one infer the existence of the Lord. Just as when it is dawn one can guess that very soon there will be sunrise but he cannot know anything more about sun from the dawn. This inference is of two types. An insentient object, such as a chair, is meant for a sentient being. Insentient objects do not exist for the service of another insentient object. Similarly the modes of material nature are inert, so they must be owned and used by a sentient being. Then the questions arises, which sentient being are the modes meant for?
The living entity, although sentient, does not control the modes and thus it cannot be the owner, independent user, or controller of the modes. We must then infer the existence of a supra-human who controls and utilizes the modes. This process, however, although perfectly valid, cannot give us direct realization of that supreme being.
The second type of inference is to understand that every inert or insentient object is illumined or activated by a sentient being. Knowledge of a chair cannot be attained by any other insentient object, nor can the chair move by itself. One can similarly understand that the modes are inert and are activated by the energy of a sentient being who is the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna explains that He impregnates material nature by His energy and after that the function of creation begins (B.g 14.3):
"I impregnate the primordial material nature, which is known as the great Brahman (prakrti). It is the womb that gives birth to all beings O descendent of Bharata".
It is not possible for the material modes to create the universe without the input of a conscious being. That conscious being is the Supreme Person and not the individual living entity. In this way one can only infer the existence of a supreme person from material sattva. But material sattva cannot give any further enlightenment about this Supreme Person. This is possible however through visuddha sattva. It is thus concluded that visuddha sattva is not material goodness, otherwise Lord Brahma could not have had direct realization of the Supreme Lord and His abode.
If the material modes are absent in the Lord's abode, does it mean that Vaikuntha is void? Or is it uniformly pervaded with visuddha sattva with no variegatedness? (This second question is unclear, it seems to echo the first one, yes or no?) No, Vaikuntha is full of variety and thus Sri Suka describes the residents and their activities in verses 2.9.11-13 of the Srimad Bhagavatam:
The devotees there are exquisitely beautiful and full of splendor. Their bodies are dazzling and decorated with fine clothes, sparkling gems and jewels. Those who have attained sarupya mukti have the same bodily hue and appearance as the Lord. The ladies are ravishingly beautiful and effulgent like lightening. Their bodies have natural fragrance, thus they do not need artificial perfumes, scents, or other cosmetics. There are clusters of shining airplanes in the sky with which devotees commute. These airplanes appear like clouds and the ladies sitting within, like lightning. The airships are conscious and thus do not require gas nor do they pollute.
The goddess of fortune, who personifies all opulence, renders direct service to the Personality of Godhead. Her beauty and bodily fragrance is so wonderful that bumblebees become intoxicated and in ecstasy sing her glories.
These descriptions give us an inkling of the opulence found in Vaikuntha. Next Brahma saw the Personality of Godhead who was being served by His dear most devotees. The Lord and His devotees are full of love for each other and His glance makes them rapturous. Sri Suka then describes the mood, ornaments, and bodily features of the Lord. He is surrounded by various personified energies appearing as gate keepers, protectors or support for His throne, and so on.
The Lords opulences are part of his essential nature and they naturally exist in Him. He did not perform penance to acquire them nor will He ever be without them. On the other hand, the opulence of the demigods and mahatmas only amounts to a fraction of the Lord's opulence and is acquired by His mercy.
When Lord Brahma saw His worshipable Lord, his heart overflowed with loving feelings and ecstatic symptoms erupted on his body. The Lord is realized by the path followed by transcendentalists--paramahamsa yena patha'dhigamyate (S.B.2.9.17). There are two types of paramahansas, or transcendentalists--the jnani and the bhagavata. Only the bhagavata paramahansas realize the Lord as He is.
The Lord's heart melted when He saw Brahma so full of loving feelings and He came forward to shake hands with him to express His love. He knew that Brahma was able to perform the work of creation. Brahma had proven his mettle by following the Lord's instruction for one thousand celestial years, without having Him met personally. The Lord was convinced that Brahma was obedient and would not deviate from His instructions. These are the basic qualities which inspire the Lord to invest responsibility in His devotee for any task and He intended Brahma to do the work of secondary creation.
Were Brahma to use his personal skills to perform the work of creation, the world would not function so meticulously. The Sruti states, therefore, surya-candramasau dhata yatha purvamakalpayati (Rik 10 Manda 190 Sukta 3rd Mantra). Lord Brahma created the sun, moon and other planets as before. It means He did not fancy a new design. The best design was already conceived by the Supreme Lord and Brahma just followed His instructions. The Lord gave him brief instructions, ishat-smita-socisha gira. By nature, great people are not garrulous. As the saying goes--mahanto hi prakritya mitabhashinah.
After this, the Supreme Lord spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam in four verses to Lord Brahma (S.B.2.9.32-35). Srila Vyasadeva later expanded these four into the present 18,000 verses. Srila Jiva Gosvami identifies this Supreme Lord as Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja.
According to Srimad Bhagavatam Brahma was first ordered to perform penance (tapa) (S.B.2.9.6). Brahma Samhita (5.22-26) states that he was actually initiated into the eighteen syllable Gopala Mantra, which he chanted to please Govinda (B.S 5.26). Since the presiding deity of the mantra is Gopala, or Krishna the cowherd boy, and since Brahma performed tapa to please Him, it follows that it was Lord Krishna who appeared to him and not a Vishnu form. For this reason Lord Brahma prays to Lord Govinda in the Brahma Samhita--govindam adi purusham tamaham bhajami. This is confirmed by the Gopala Tapani Upanishad (Purva 29) wherein Brahma says that the Supreme Lord dressed as a cowherd boy appeared before him--gopaveso me purastadavirbabhuva. And furthermore Lord Krishna told Uddhava that He spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam in four verses to Brahma (S.B. 3.14.13). Because Brahma heard the Srimad Bhagavatam after he saw the Lord and His abode it is clear that he heard Srimad Bhagavatam from Lord Krishna. Sri Suta Gosvami also confirmed this while concluding his description of the Srimad Bhagavatam (12.13.19) kasma yen vibhasito'yam... satya param dhimahi---I meditate on the Supreme Absolute Truth who enlightened Brahma in Srimad Bhagavatam. This satya param is none other than Lord Krishna who is the subject matter of Srimad Bhagavatam. This was explained in Tattva Sandarbha Text 63.
In this section Srila Jiva Gosvami has given an example of Bhagavan realization. Simultaneously he established that (a) The personal form of the Lord is realized only by devotees; (b) Vaikuntha is a manifestation of pure goodness; (c) Pure goodness is transcendental, conscious, and the internal energy of the Lord; (d) the material modes are always mixed and thus pure unmixed mundane goodness free of rajas and tamas does not exist; (e) Vaikuntha is full of transcendental variety (f) Lord Krishna spoke the Srimad Bhagavatam in four verses to Brahma.
