Sri Priti-Sandarbha
BY: SUN STAFF
Srila Jiva Goswami
Jun 24, CANADA (SUN) —
Sri Priti-sandarbha
Volume One
by Srila Jiva Goswami
Anuccheda 31
Similar verses are seen in many different places in the scriptures. That devotional service is the highest attainment is also confirmed in the following words from the Brihat-tantra, words quoted by Srila Madhvacarya in his commentary:
yatha shrir nitya-muktapi
prapta-kamapi sarvada
upaste nityasho vishnum
evam bhakto bhaved api
"Even though she is eternally liberated, and even though her every desire is at once fulfilled, Goddess Lakshmi still worships Lord Vishnu eternally. The devotees also act in that way."
In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is said:
na hraso na ca vriddhir va
muktanam vidyate kvacit
vidvat-pratyaksha-siddhatvat
karanabhavato 'numa
"For the liberated souls there is not improvement and no diminution. Because their knowledge is perfect, they are free from cause and effect.
harer upasana catra
sadaiva sukha-rupini
na ca sadhana-bhuta sa
siddhir evatra sa yatah
"In the spiritual world they have forms of bliss. There they worship Lord Hari eternally. They do not make gradual advancement in devotional service, for their devotion is always perfect."
In the Sauparna-shruti it is said:
sarvadaitam upasita, yavad vimuktir mukta hy etam upasate
"The liberated souls worship Lord Hari eternally. The goddess of liberation herself worships Lord Hari."
In his Bharata-tatparya commentary on Mahabharata, Srila Madhvacarya quotes these words from another place in the Sruti-shastra:
muktanam pai bhaktir hi
paramananda-rupini
"The liberated souls also engage in devotional service. It brings them great bliss."
This truth is also confirmed by the following words of the Gautamiya Tantra:
evam diksham cared yas tu
purusho vita-kalmashah
sa loke vartamano 'pi
jivan-muktah pramodate
"A sinless person initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master becomes liberated. Even as he lives in the material world he is both liberated and happy.
uditakritir anandah
sarvatra sama-darshakah
purnahanta-mayi sakshad
bhaktih syat prema-lakshana
"He becomes bliss personified. He sees with equal vision. Retaining his individual identity, he serves the Lord with great love and devotion."
The equal vision mentioned here means that the devotees are equal in both loss and gain. In the Gautamiya Tantra the sages ask this question:
katham bhaktir bhavet premna
jivan-muktasya narada
jivan-mukta-shariranam
cit-satta-nihspriha yatah
virakteh karanam bhaktih
sa tu muktes tu sadhanam
"Why would a soul liberated in this life serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion? The souls already liberated in this life have already attained eternal liberated life. Therefore they have no material desires. Devotional service is only a means to attain an end, to attain renunciation, or to attain liberation."
To this question Sri Narada gives the following answer:
bhadra-muktam bhavadbhish ca
muktis turya parat para
niraham yatra cit-satta
turya sa muktir ucyate
"You are all perfectly liberated. Liberation is beyond the material world. It is higher than the highest. Spiritual existence where individual identity no longer exists is called liberation.
purnahanta-mayi bhaktis
turyatita nigadyate
krishna-dhamamayam brahma
kvacit kutrapi bhasate
"However, individual identity continues to exist in devotional service, which is said to be above even liberation. The impersonal Brahman effulgence that is the goal of liberation is only the effulgence of Lord Krishna's limbs.
nirvijendriya-gam tat tu
atma-stham kevalam sukham
krishnas tu paripurnatma
sarvatra sukha-rupakah
bhakti-vritti-kritabhyasat
tat-kshanad gocari-kritah
"Spiritual bliss is perceived only by spiritual senses. Lord Krishna is the original form of the Supreme. He is always full of bliss. By regularly serving Him with devotion one can come to see Him directly."
Even the impersonalist philosophers accept the supreme position of the Lord's personal form. In the Nrisimha-tapani Upanishad (2.4) it is said:
yam vai sarve deva amananti mumukshavo brahma-vadinash ca
"The demigods, the brahmavadis, and the jnanis who long for liberation all bow down before the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In his commentary on that verse Sri Shankaracarya says:
yatha mukta api lilaya vigraham kritva bhagavantam bhajante
"The liberated souls attain spiritual bodies, worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and participate in His pastimes."
The word "brahma-vadinah" here means "liberated souls". This is supported by these words of Panini (Ashtadhyayi 7.2.7):
vada sthairye
That the impersonalist jnanis eventually become devotees is also confirmed by these words (Bhagavad-gita 7.17):
tesham jnani nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir vishishyate
"Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the best."*
That the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest attainment is confirmed by the following words of the Narada-pancaratra, Jitanta-stotra:
moksha-salokya-sarupyan
prarthaye na dharadhara
icchami hi maha-bhaga
karunyam tava suvrata
"O Lord, O maintainer of the worlds, I do not pray for liberation, or to live on Your planet, or to have a from like Your form. I wish only for Your mercy."
That devotional service eclipses all other goals of life is confirmed by these words of Sri Hayashirsha-pancaratra, Sri Narayana-vyuha-stava:
na dharmam kamam artham va
moksham va varadeshvara
prarthaye tava padabje
dasyam evabhikamaye
"O Supreme Personality of Godhead, O giver of boons, I do not pray for piety, sense pleasure, or wealth. I wish only service to Your feet.
punah punar varan ditsur
vishnur muktim na yacitah
bhaktir eva vrita yena
prahladam tam namamy aham
"I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Prahlada. Even though Lord Vishnu again and again offered boons to him, he never asked for liberation. The boons he chose were only devotional service.
yadricchaya labdham api
vishnor dasharathes tu yah
naicchan moksam vina dasyam
tasmai hanumate namah
"I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Hanuman. Even though Lord Ramacandra offered him liberation, he would not accept it without devotional service."
In the Jitanta-stotra it is also said:
dharmartha-kama-moksheshu
neccha mama kadacana
tvat-pada-pankajasyadho
jivitam diyatam mama
"O Lord, never I will wish for material piety, sense pleasure, or money. Please give me only a place under Your lotus feet."
It is not surprising that love for the Supreme Lord eclipses all other goals of life. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.18.12) it is said:
yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
"All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge, and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva."*
Devotional service brings the virtue of compassion. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.21.12) King Rantideva says:
na kamaye 'ham gatim ishvarat param
ashtarddhi-yuktam apunar-bhavam va
artim prapadye 'khila-deha-bhajam
antah-sthito yena bhavanty aduhkhah
"I do not pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the eight perfections of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and death. I want only to stay among all the living entities and suffer all distresses on their behalf, so that they may be freed from suffering."*
The meaning of this verse is clear. Because he was a great hero of compassion (daya-vira), King Rantideva would not abandon the people in general. Neither did he consider who was worthy and who was not worthy to receive charity from him. In the same way, persons who are heroes of charity (dana-vira), persons who, because of their earnest love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, have renounced even liberation, have nothing to fear. Such persons, persons like Srila Shukadeva Gosvami, persons who know the truth, persons who have faith that love for the Supreme Lord is the highest goal of life, are described in this verse. Such persons choose love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead over any kind of liberation. This verse was spoken by King Rantideva.
Return to Anuccheda 30
