C/i H

i-s
p C/3
S P^
CO
•CO >
p -p
S! i2!
o
> p- §
p
C/)v
R?
r+ h—
n O W s.
o H— r+
O fD
I B
I B tp
a>

> s
p
o"
i
C/5 i n
2§ >
> ^

r~i ■ c/2
^ B- 3- ^
^ §• ss K- £ 2. H
3" <S O
e «^ »~3 O
52 3
^51.^5 g w

D" CO
§ n 3- s S. a.
™gI-I"&S"
g S , ° K S-l S- X
13 00
O > p )
a H". 2
td o-
s : III rD tn f
g-1
Q-* j^i " CD S3-
I I"h SI I i
g- s ^
1 :»
" t § Si §
CD 1-3
§ ^
a> <T>
a >
^g- o rt>
^ ^
>
f ™ B- e- a. "•
C
» t iO

s, § a 1 "
g sL §- S
I • —t r-^

zr.
r^ n
11 ti- 3"
CD
s-
O
a> O
CL-OQ
^ S' " a S
is iI
OA l>
C O
C A
a- U
S Si- n > ^ K'
C D
{3 S2
§ o 3. S- - i - l ^o '5"5 a" ^r
^ ° § e g- 1 & ■ C/5
S J: 5 rt

B
i-h {=I20Q W E" a 3 B B S
d- o
0 ^ 1 ^ 1=
a
»
r i: § I ^ ^ a
•-1
 Introduction

Summary of Tattva Sandarbha

Of the Six Sandarbhas, Tattva Sandarbha is the smallest in size, but
not in importance. As its name suggests, it discusses the Reality
(tattva) that is the ultimate subject to be understood and realized.
Tattva also means "essence," and thus Tattva Sandarbha provides
the essence of what is to be elaborated upon in the rest of the
Sandarbhas. Thus, it serves as an introduction to them.
Tattva Sandarbha has 63 sections (anucchedas) that fit within
three divisions. The first eight anucchedas are invocatory, the next
twenty form the division on epistemology (pramdna), and the last *
thirty-five comprise the division on ontology (prameya).

Invocations (Anucchedas 1-8)

Jiva Gosvami opens the book with a verse from the Bhdgavata Parana
in which sage Karabhajana describes the avatdra for Kaliyuga. Jiva
Gosvami follows this with a verse of his own (Anuccheda 2), in which /
he identifies this avatdra as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and further clari
fies the meaning of the opening verse. He then prays to Sri Rupa and
hastamalakavat-tattvaih srimad-bhagavatasya yah
Sanatana, his uncles and mentors, at whose behest he composed the
Sandarbhas (Anuccheda 3). darsaydmdsajlvebhyas tarn srl-jlva-prabhurh numah
At the beginning of each Sandarbha, Sri Jiva acknowledges that We bow down to Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhupada who revealed the
his own composition is based upon the work of Sri Gopala Bhatta essential meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam to the people of the world
Gosvami and expresses his indebtedness to him (Anucchedas 4-5).^° just as plainly as one would display an amalaki fruit kept on one's
Sri Jiva explicitly states that he undertakes this work only for those palm.
who aspire to worship the feet of Sri Krsna and warns all others as to
the implications of such a consummate investigation. The commen sandarbha yena nddhltds tasya bhdgavate sramah
tary on this particular anuccheda is especially helpful to the reader sandarbha yena cadhlta ndsti bhdgavate bhramah
to determine the criteria of eligibility for entering the spirit of the
One who has not undergone comprehensive study of Sat Sandarbhas
text (Anuccheda 6).
must struggle to assimilate the message of Srimad Bhdgavatam. One
It is unknown whether or not Gopala Bhatta's work was ever completed. No such who has studied Sat Sandarbhas, however, will have no misgivings
work is currently available, but from Jiva's statements it seems clear that it was about the essential meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam.
incomplete in scope and not methodically arranged. Though Sri Jiva credits
Gopala Bhatta with the inceptive idea and for first taking up the challenge of
creating a systematic theology based on the Bhdgavatam, there is little doubt that
he himself did the bulk of the work on the Sandarbhas.

X X X

Sat Sandarbha
Ta t t v a S a n d a r b h a
Bhagavat Sandarbha
Paramdtma Sandarbha
Krsna Sandarbha
Bhakti Sandarbha
Prlti Sandarbha
Introduction
School a distinct identity of its own, contributing to Vedanta a
unique take on theistic nonduality. He drew freely from the entire
heritage of Vaisnava philosophical thought available to him. With
out exception, all the important insights Sri Jiva brought to light
were supported with scriptural references; yet, his conclusions are
not mere repetitions, but bear the mark of originality and deserve
independent consideration.
Sri Jiva Gosvami labored meticulously to present this wonder
ful analysis of the "spotless Purana' for those serious students who
truly aspire to attain pure devotion for Sri Krsna. Without earnestly
studying the Sandarbhas, one would find it difficult to ascertain the
essential theological principles found in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Since Sri Jiva Gosvami writes specifically for the devotees of
Krsna, as he clearly states in the beginning of Tattva Sandarbha,
he does presume a prior disposition of faith as a given in those for
whom his exposition is being made. This does not indicate a lack
of scholarship or realization on his part, as some critics suggest. It
signifies, rather, that his method and purpose lay beyond the range
of what is accessible through dry scholarship alone, devoid of the
unmediated awareness of unalloyed devotion. Scholarship for him
is relevant only in the sense of earnest investigative inquiry into
truth leading to immediate realization. His erudition, however,
is clearly evident from the range of original books and commen
taries he wrote for the Vaisnava community, including a Sanskrit
grammar. Disregarding the significance of his statement in the
beginning of Tattva Sandarbha concerning eligibility, many mod
ern scholars have severely criticized his description of epistemol-
ogy. It seems that his establishing the Bhdgavata Purdna as a book
par excellence has irked their sensibilities.^
^ I have addressed some of these criticisms in my commentary on Jiva Gosvami's
anucchedas, but did not do so exhaustively as I wished to avoid diverting the
reader from the flow of the original text, which is meant for Krsna bhaktas.
Nevertheless, since 1 feel strongly that these criticisms are based on improper
understanding of the text, 1 will respond to them in a separate book for those who
are interested in the topic.
x x i x
 Introduction

2. Bhagavat Sandarbha describes Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, as

the most complete manifestation of nondual Reality, inclusive of
Brahman and Paramatma. It also describes His diverse energies,
qualities, name, form, associates, and abode as intrinsic aspects
of His essential being.
3. Paramatma Sandarbha describes the specific manifestation of
Bhagavan called Paramatma, or the Immanent Self present
SRi TATTVA SANDARBHA
within everything. He is both the source of creation, as con
scious ground of awareness and being, and the ingredients of Vaisnava Epistemology and Ontology
creation, in the form of His extrinsic power of phenomenal being.
His regulation of the cosmos occurs automatically or as a mere
by-product of His entrance therein out of His own llld, which is
concerned instead with His devotees. This Sandarbha also elabo Srila Jiva Gosvami
rates the ontology of the living beings and primordial nature as
distinct potencies belonging to Paramatma.
4. Krsna Sandarbha identifies Sri Krsna not only as Bhagavan but Sanskrit Text with English Translation
as Svayarh Bhagavan, the Supreme Person in His own original
form and essential being. In technical terms, Svayaih Bhagavan,
and Jiva-tosani Commentary
or "God as He is in Himself," signifies the nondual personal Abso
lute in His own original, complete, and all-encompassing form as S AT YA N A R AYA N A D A S A
the source of all other manifestations of Godhood.

5. Bhakti Sandarbha delineates the intrinsic nature of unalloyed

bhakti, the means of its reception, how it is distinguished from
adulterated devotion, and the various methods by which it is
executed. Jiva Gosvami demonstrates how pure bhakti fulfills
the criteria as the ultimate means to realize the Absolute in Its
most complete identity as Bhagavan. By showing conclusively
that bhakti alone is the essential and effective ingredient in all
methods of realization, it is evident that without it, no other
process can yield even its own professed result.
6. Priti Sandarbha illustrates that love of Bhagavan, priti, is the ulti
mate goal attainable by conscious beings. After an elaborate anal
ysis of the fundamental nature and constitution of priti, Sri Jiva
Gosvami concludes that only priti can lead to the complete fulfill
ment of the self's potential, fully disclosing the state of supreme
bliss (paramananda).
# J I VA
Jiva Institute of
Vaishnava Studies
Through his exhaustive and clear exposition of metaphysics in
the Sat Sandarbhas, Sri Jiva Gosvami provided the Gaudiya Vaisnava Vr i n d a v a n

X X V l l l
 Introduction

Tattva Sandarbha: Vaisnava Epistemology and Ontology. Translation and Commentary
Satyanarayana Dasa
This book is published and distributed by Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies.
For further information on Jiva books, please contact
Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies
Sheetal Chaya i, Raman Reti
Vrindavan, up 281121
India
or visit www.jiva.org
To learn more about Sat Sandarbha, please go to sandarbhas.jiva.org
To report errors, please send a note to contact@jiva.org
Copyright © 2015 by Satyanarayana Dasa
Print Kosel GmbH & Co. KG, Altusried-Krugzell
Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. For in
formation on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact contact@jiva.org.
Proponents of the earlier Vaisnava schools had refuted the
Advaitavada doctrine of Sahkaracarya, showing it to be but a one
sided and prejudicial view of the Upanisadic revelation. They com
mented on the prasthdna-trayi and explained them to establish that
Ultimate Reality is not without form and attributes. Even though
Sri Jiva GosvamI also did not agree with Sahkaracarya's radical
interpretation of Advaita, he did not directly refute his views by
commenting on the prasthdna-trayl, as had been done by senior
Vaisnava dcdryas, such as Sri Ramtouja and Madhvacarya.
Instead, Jiva Gosvami adopted a novel approach to establish his
conclusion about Ultimate Reality. On the basis of the descriptions
found in Bhdgavata Purdna, he analyzed the precise nature of the
truth disclosed in Vyasa's trance as well as the direct testimony
and realization of its highly enlightened speakers, and showed that
all of these "truth-knowers" directly realized the personal form
of Bhagavan as being the support and shelter of Brahman as well
as Its final completion. Sri Jiva concluded that the Ultimate Real
ity alluded to in Veddnta-sutra could not be different from that
depicted in Bhdgavata Purdna, since both were written by Vyasa.
For this reason, he analyzed Bhdgavata Purdna to ascertain the Ulti
mate Reality, the means of Its realization, and the supreme goal
to be attained in relation to that Reality. He adopted this unique
strategy, because the meaning of Veddnta-sutra, which is liable
to contradictory interpretations, is explicitly found in Bhdgavata
Purdna.

The Sat Sandarbhas are the outcome of that analysis. The princi
pal theme of each volume of the Sandarbhas may be summarized as
follows:

1. Tattva Sandarbha, besides establishing the authority of the

Bhdgavata as epistemological means (pramdna), also determines
the knowable (prameya), offering a brief overview of Gaudlya
isBN-13: 978-81-87153-00-9
isBN-10: 81-87153-00-8 Vaisnava ontology, on which its theology is based.

Second revised edition, 2015

is in explaining the Bhdgavatam" (vidyavatam bhdgavate pariksd). Consequently,
many great scholars in the past wrote commentaries and essays on Srimad
Printed in Germany on non-aging, acid-free, rsc-certified wood-free book paper
Bhdgavatam.

X X V l l
 Introduction

sandarbha. Sri Jiva GosvamI called his work Bhdgavata Sandarbha,

it being an independent essay and elaborate analysis of the subject
of the Bhdgavata Purdna. It is not a running commentary on Bhdga
vata Purdna but an explanation of selected verses to illustrate its
essential message. Jiva Gosvami also wrote a commentary on the
complete Purdna, called Krama-sandarbha. Contents at a Glance
Bhdgavata Sandarbha is popularly called the Sat Sandarbhas,
because it consists of six (sat) books, namely Tattva, Bhagavat, Para-
mdtma, Krsna, Bhakti, and Priti Sandarbha. Another book, Sarva-
sarhvddini, is a self-commentary and a supplement to the first four
of the Sat Sandarbhas. It elaborates on some topics that were either Prefac(

not explained clearly or left out completely in the original work.

Introduction xxiii

Dedication.
Importance of the Sat Sandarbhas
I Mangalacarana
The sage Sri Vyasa, a Visnu avatdra who is celebrated as one of
Anucchedas 1-8 . .
the greatest sages in India, organized the original Vedas into four
works and wrote eighteen Puranas, Veddnta-sutra, and Mahdbhd-
II Pramana
rata. Even after accomplishing all this. He remained dissatisfied,
feeling as though something was lacking in His mission of provid Anucchedas 9-28
ing knowledge to humanity for their spiritual upliftment. While
Vyasa was thus affected by despondency. His teacher Sri Narada III Prameya
appeared at His dsrama. Following Sri Narada's instruction, Vyasa Anucchedas 29-63
meditated to the point of samddhi, and while in that state of spiritual
trance, the original Supreme Person, Bhagavan, self-manifested to References
Him. Based on this experience. He produced Srimad Bhdgavatam,
His ultimate work. Editors' Notes

According to Vyasa, Srimad Bhdgavatam is an exposition of Abso The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and
lute Reality and the essence of the Vedas (sb 1.1.3). This is also cor Concepts 449
roborated by Suta GosvamI (sb 1.3.42 and 12.13.15). The Sat Sanda
Ta t t v a Sandarbha at a Glance 463
rbhas are the most thorough and systematic presentation of the phi
losophy and theology of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Before their composi Glossary and Abbreviations 465
tion, many works were written on Srimad Bhdgavatam, but none is
as exhaustive and in tune with its spirit.® Subject Index, Verse Index, and Bibliography 487
® There is a popular saying among Sanskrit scholars, "The test of one's scholarship Acknowledgements 568
 Introduction

Bhagavata Purana — The Basis of Gaudiya Vaisnava

Theology

The traditional criteria by which a Vedantic School came to be rec

ognized as authentic was that it had to establish its philosophical
Table of Contents tenets on the basis of the prasthana-trayi (lit., "the three great high
ways"), which consists of the ten principal Upanisads, the Veddnta-
sutra, and the Bhagavad Gitd. Every sampraddya^ had to deduce its
basic tenets, or siddhdnta, from these works.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, placed utmost importance
Preface on Srlmad Bhdgavata Purdna, which He called the flawless Purana.
He proclaimed it as an explanation of the Veddnta-su.tra written by
Introduction . .
the author Himself, Sri Vyasa. Since Srlmad Bhdgavatam fully repre
Dedication sents Sri Caitanya's own doctrine,^ His followers did not attempt to
write commentaries on the prasthdna-trayi, but instead wrote com
mentaries, essays, and independent works on Srlmad Bhdgavata
I Mangalacarana Purdna.

Sri Vallabhacarya was the first to include the Bhdgavata Purdna,

Invocations
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahkirtana . .
2 Homage to Sri Krsna Caitanya
3 Homage to Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis
4 The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas
5 Homage to Sri Gop^a Bhatta Gosvami ....
6 Eligibility of the Reader
7 Homage to the Teachers
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
which was self-revealed in the samddhi of Vyasa, as part of sabda-
pramdna, or Vedic testimony, along with the prasthdna-traylJ Jiva
Gosvami, however, went a step further, declaring: "So it is that we
shall focus our investigation exclusively on Srlmad Bhdgavatam to
determine, free from any inconsistency between preceding and fol
lowing statements, the ultimate value for human beings" (Tattva
Sandarbha, Anuccheda 27).
A literary work that discloses the confidential meaning of a
subject or book, incorporates its essence, explains the superior
ity of the subject, and elaborates its various meanings, is called a
® The word sampraddya is used here in the sense of a preceptorial line that forms a
distinctive sub-branch of a particular wisdom school, in this case the Vedantic
School. The sub-branches (sampradayas) of the latter are primarily the Sahkara
School of radical Vedanta and the Vaisnava schools of theistic Vedanta.
^ bhdgavate kahe mora tattva abhimata
Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-llla 11.17
^ vedah sri-krsna-vdkydni vydsa-sutrdni caiva hi
samadhi-bhasa-vyasasya pramdnam tac catustayam
Tattvartha-dlpa-nibandha 1.7

v i i i X X V
 Introduction

Vedanta is the most widely studied and practiced. Within Vedanta II Pramana
are various sub-schools, with the most well-known being the
Advaita Vedanta School popularized by Sri Sahkaracarya. Another
sub-school is that of Vaisnavism, of which the youngest denom Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and
ination is Gaudiya Vaisnavism (also known as Caitanya or Ben Puranas Culminating in Srlmad Bhagavatam
gali Vaisnavism), which has drawn a great deal of attention from 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity ...
Western scholars in modern times.
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
Every school has its own distinctive tenets and practices. and Transphenomenal Knowing
Gaudiya Vaisnavism marks a significant development in the the
ology and praxis of divine love. This development is not the out 11 The Authority of the Vedas .
come of a single persons work, but resulted from the concerted 12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas. .
effort of a group of scholars who were followers of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), the founder of the school. Of these, the 13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, namely, Sanatana, Rupa, Raghunatha 14 The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Veda
Dasa, Gopala Bhatta, Raghunatha Bhatta, and JIva Gosvami, were
the most prominent. Among them, only Raghunatha Bhatta didn't 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas
Is the Same
compose written works. The rest wrote books concerning devotion
to Sri Krsna. 16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas. .
Jiva Gosvami (1513-1608),"^ the youngest of the six, was the most
prolific. He wrote a number of works, some of them voluminous, 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas
dealing with almost all branches of Vaisnava literature. It is he
who systematized the teachings of Sri Caitanya and gave shape to 18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
the Gaudiya Vaisnava School on a par with other Vaisnava schools, Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth.
such as those founded by Sri Ramanujacarya, Nimbarkacarya, Mad-
hvacarya, and Vallabhacarya. Of all his works, the Sat Sandarbhas,
along with his own commentary Sarva-saifivadini, are well known The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam That
for their deep analysis and systematic elaboration of the entire the Establish Its Epistemological Validity
ology and philosophy of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. The original name
of the Sat Sandarbhas was Bhdgavata Sandarbha, indicating that it 19 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary
on Vedanta-sutra and the Essence of Gayatrl. . .
is an exposition and analysis of the essential message of Srlmad
Bhdgavata Purdna. 20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam

Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning

ofMahabharata
Sri JIva's exact birth year is unknown, though his father's death in 1516 is taken as
the latest possible date. His death in 1608 is established by the evidence of his last 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence
will and testament, which is signed and dated. o f A l l Ve d i c L i t e r a t u r e
 23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun. . . .
24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas....
25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami, Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages . . Introduction
26 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas The will to know is one of the most powerful and sustaining
27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived instincts in human beings. It begins at birth and continues as one
from Srimad Bhagavatam develops self- and then external awareness. Every normal human
being is equipped with the impetus to expand his or her experience
28 The Sources of Reference.
and insight.
The basic instinct for cognition is crucial to our survival as well
as to achieve happiness. The urge to know manifests in all aspects
Ill Prameya
of life. In modern times, an individual requires knowledge in many
areas in order to make informed decisions about what food to eat,
1 Determination of Sambandha, Abhidheya, where to live, who to vote for, how to manage finances, how to lead a
and Prayojana spiritual life, and so on. Cumulative knowledge resulting from this
fundamental instinct results in many fields of study, such as biol
Anucchedas 29-49
ogy, sociology, environmental science, political science, economics,
psychology, and philosophy.
T h e Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n o f C o n s c i o u s n e s s
Although the instinct to know is universal and not limited to any
of Sri Sukadeva particular country or race, different fields of knowledge develop in
different societies, depending on the inclination and correspond
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That
of the Self ing needs and interest of the people. India has traditionally been
a fertile ground for various schools of theology and philosophy. The
Vedas, the world s oldest scriptures, contain the seeds of numer
The Supracognitive Samadhi of Vyasa ous systems of thought that later developed into specific and well-
defined schools. As a whole, the Indian wisdom schools can be
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva divided into two groups, those that accept the authority of the Vedas
in Unmediated Gnosis and those that don't. This division is not based on belief in God.

31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-Inclusive, The six schools that accept the authority of the Vedas are Nyaya,
All-Transcending Reality Vaisesika, Sahkhya, Yoga, Purva-mimaihsa, and Vedanta. Of these.

X X X l l l
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious,
and Subject to Self-Ignorance 237

33 Bhagavan s Paradoxical Potency, Maya 246

34 The Jiva Is Conscious and Distinct from Isvara . . . , 255

35 Essential Distinction between the Jiva

and Isvara 259

36 The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product

of an Upadhi of Brahman 264

37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada . . . 268

38 Refutations of Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada 275

39 Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada

and Pariccheda-vada 282

4 0 Inconsistencies in Radical

Nondualism, Advaitavada 2 8 6

41 Srila Vyasadeva s Direct Experience Does

Not Support Absolute Nondistinction 2 9 4

42 The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada

and Pariccheda-vada 297

43 Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction as

Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction 302

44 Acausal Devotion Is the Abhidheya 3 0 7

45 Love of God Is the State of Ultimate

Completion, Prayojana 310

46 Direct Apperception of Abhidheya

from the State of Samadhi 315

4 7 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out

of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means 3 2 0

x i
 Prefac

in the first edition. This determination is a key topic that mediates

48 Love ofGod Transcends the Bliss of Brahman .... 327 between epistemology and the elaboration of ontology proper. It
informs us that the knowable (prameya), like the means of know
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas ... 332
ing itself (pramdna), is self-revealed and not a matter of mere
metaphysical speculation or logical thought construction.
The new revised edition of Tattva Sandarbha is indispensable to
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
grasp the methodology of Jiva Cosvami and the map of Reality he
Anucchedas 50-63 341 has provided throughout the Sat Sandarbha. JIva Cosvami's anthol
ogy offers the most systematic and complete synthesis of Vedanta.
Intuition of the Subject through Reference Consequently, the highest benefit to the reader can be had by follow
to the Individual 341 ing the order intended by him. This new Tattva Sandarbha will thus
greatly facilitate the understanding of the Bhagavat Sandarbha and
50 Srimad Bhagavatam Identifies Its Subject 343 the volumes that follow, enabling the direct knowing of Bhagavan
on His own terms.
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness 346
Sri Jiva Cosvami has rendered tremendous service to the world
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from community of devotional transcendentalists by writing the Sat
Its Content — Identity and Distinction Sandarbhas. His exposition takes a beginner by the hand, guiding
of the JIva and Brahman 352 him or her to the ultimate goal of priti, or divine love. He wrote
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis it specifically for those who aspire to enter the relation of tran
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self 363 scendental service in love. My commentaries have been written
keeping that goal in mind. I have relished working on them. Doing
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witness 369 so has also deepened my understanding and intuition about the
55 Summary of Sri Pippalayana s Teachings 376 subject. Thus, if the reader is similarly benefited, I would consider
my endeavor doubly successful.

Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the

Universal — The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam 379

The Ten Topics as per the Second Canto 381

56 The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter 381

57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth . 387

58 The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified

as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter 396

x i i x x i
 Preface

In this edition special attention has been given to the topic of

epistemology, which is the beginning point and foundation of Sri 59 The Independent Asraya and the Three
Jivas exposition. In particular, the significance of sabda, or the Interdependent Divisions of Embodied Selfhood . .
Vedic sound revelation, has been brought to light, not as mere
60 The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter
scriptural or canonical authority, but as transhuman (apauruseya), and Thus the Shelter of All
self-revealing sound, identical with the truth that it signifies. This
insight is of tremendous importance not only for the correct under
standing of this volume and the others in the series, but to access The Ten Topics as per the Twelfth Canto 409
immediate knowing of Bhagavan, which leads to the self-revelation
of the means of His worship and the goal of divine love. 61 The Second List of the Bhagavatam s Ten Topics Also
Identifies Its Subject as the Ultimate Shelter 409
Many of the original commentaries on the anucchedas of Jiva
Gosvami have been enlarged or rewritten to accommodate the 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
refinement in understanding. In translating and commenting upon Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1 417
the text of Tattva Sandarbha, I have followed the Sanskrit text from
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
the edition of my guru, Sri Sri 108 Sri Srotriya Bhagavad-nistha
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2 430
Srimad Haridasa Sastri Maharaja Nava-tirtha. I also consulted the
editions of Puri Dasa, Sitanatha Gosvami, and Nityasvarupa Brah-
macari to establish the proper reading. I have provided detailed References
explanations of each anuccheda based on my study of the Tattva
Editors' Notes
Sandarbha and the rest of the Sandarbhas with my guru, as well as
on the basis of Jiva Gosvami s own commentary, Sarva-samvadinl, The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and
and the commentaries of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Radha Concepts 449
Mohana Gosvami.
Ta t t v a Sandarbha at a Glance 4^3
In addition to the above, the entire book has been reorganized
into topical divisions in exact accordance with Jiva Gosvami s over Glossary 465
all view. This master plan can be readily accessed from the Contents, Abbreviations 486
which serves as a map to help guide the reader through the book,
as well as from a chart included in the references entitled Tattva Subject Index 487
Sandarbha at a Glance, The divisions of the book have been titled to Verse Index 539
help the reader grasp the topics under discussion. In the main body
Bibliography 559
of the book, explanatory texts have been inserted to introduce the
subject of each division. Acknowledgments 568
In particular, the determination of sambandha, abhidheya, and
prayojana from the transcognitive state of awareness of Srila Vyasa
and Sri Suka, has been given the place of prominence that it
deserves — an observation that went almost entirely unnoticed

X X x i i i
 Preface
Then there are others who opine that there is no need to study
sdstra, because bhakti itself, such as chanting the divine Names of
Krsna, will reveal everything. But how is this conclusion arrived
at? Either it is known from sdstra or from somewhere else. If the lat
ter option is the case, then such an understanding cannot be taken
as authentic. If it is known from sdstra, such protagonists must
accept the importance of sastric knowledge and concur with the
perspective that discloses its central importance. Furthermore, the
idea that all knowledge is revealed through chanting of the Name
is itself a scriptural teaching on the Name meant to emphasize its
extraordinary power, not to minimize the importance of scripture.
Moreover, it is from sdstra itself that the very process of authentic
chanting is to be learned. Indeed, sdstra provides a complete view
(darsana) of the Supreme Reality and of the means of Its attainment
through bhakti. It is this vision alone that can make possible gen
uine devotion in any of its forms. So why would any serious aspirant
to true knowledge of and love for God neglect to study the sdstra as
a whole?
Another question that must be addressed in response to sddha-
kas who argue that scriptural knowledge is irrelevant to bhakti is
this: Without authentic scriptural knowledge, how can a practi
tioner truly know what bhakti is and how to execute it properly?
Authentic knowledge of bhakti can be known only from sdstra.
One s practice must be aligned with the true understanding of the
goal. On the yoga path, faulty practice of dsanas (physical postures)
or incorrect prdndydma (breathing exercises) is likely to damage
one s body or vital system over the course of time. In the same
way, on the bhakti path, a perspective that is not recognized as
valid and not aligned with the goal will not yield the desired result,
but can cause mental and spiritual complications. Regular prac
tice improperly performed may be slow to deliver its detrimental
consequences, but in the long run the cumulative repercussions
are significant. It is comparable to making use of a powerful and
appropriate medicine, yet doing so in an unprescribed manner.
Millions of people pursue the path of bhakti; yet, even after
decades of practice, only a few of them are observed to have arrived
xviii
Preface
For thousands of years, India has been the land where people
have molded their lifestyle in pursuit of spiritual realization. Many
types of spiritual practices and theologies were developed, experi
mented with by religious specialists, and taken up by the masses.
It was generally accepted that the ultimate goal of human life was
to access direct experience of Absolute Reality. Every aspect of
human life, be it economic, social, political, moral, or religious, was
designed to facilitate this ultimate aim. It is for this reason that
knowledge systems or schools of thought were called darsana (lit..
Today the word darsana is often translated as "philosophy"
or "school of thought," but that fails to capture its true meaning.
Darsana signifies the vision of Reality. A darsana is a system that
explains Reality, both empirical and transempirical, how it relates
to the conscious self, and also provides a map of the path one can
adopt to actualize moment to moment direct visioning capacity of
that Reality.^
^ Absolute Reality is self-luminous and self-revealing, meaning that It cannot be
revealed by any external effort or agency whatsoever. It cannot be "accessed"
other than by Its own independent will. But when It self-discloses Itself, It is then
knowable only by a conscious subject, one with an intrinsic capacity to know. The
conscious self's capacity to know the transphenomenal Reality, however, is a
potential that is actualized only through the pervasion of the intrinsic potency
(svarupa-sakti) in the form of bhakti. So, "the actualization of direct visioning
capacity" implies the discovery of a higher faculty of cognition or of knowing
that becomes a stable structure of consciousness when illuminated by the
X V
 Preface
Books like the Sat Sandarbhas were written to help religious
practitioners gain intuitive insight into Absolute Reality. In aca
demic circles, however, there is a tacit consensus on remaining
objective about religious studies. This "knowledge for its own sake"
acts as a barrier preventing the investigator from directly accessing
the interior states disclosed by realized authors of religious works.
Such studies may serve academic goals without touching the spirit
of the book or conveying the true intent of the author.^
In presenting the Sat Sandarbhas, written by Jiva Gosvami, I have
not been tied to any such constrictions. Being a practitioner of
Gaudiya Vaisnavism, my comments represent the viewpoint of an
insider who was educated in the Gaudiya tradition. I have tried to
preserve the intention and spirit of Jiva Gosvami. My commentaries
are written primarily for adherents of Gaudiya Vaisnavism to help
them fully comprehend its basic tenets so they may follow the path
properly and achieve success. Correct understanding fortifies a per-
sons faith and supports effective practice. Improper understand
ing leads to wrong practice and a failure to achieve the desired out
come. It therefore behooves every practitioner of Gaudiya Vaisnav
ism to study the Sandarbhas carefully. It makes a world of difference
when practice is undertaken with an accurate understanding of the
subject.
Our human life is limited; time elapsed does not return. There
fore, we have to use it judiciously. In Srlmad Bhdgavatam (11.29.22),
Sri Krsna teaches that the real intelligence of the intelligent and
the wisdom of the wise is to utilize the temporary material body to
attain the Eternal. Thus, it is of utmost importance to gain a clear
understanding of the darsana, so that one may walk with unfailing
vision toward the destination.
To give an example, even if you have a superb car in perfect con
dition, are a trained driver, driving on an excellent highway, and
are alert, you will still end up in the wrong place if you have taken
intrinsic potency of devotion. Such a stratum of knowing, seeing, or
experiencing becomes a moment to6 moment
of Tattva enabled capacity.
^ This is made evident in Anuccheda Sandarbha, which specifies the
eligibility of the reader.
X V I X V l l
Preface
a wrong turn. Alternatively, even if you are walking leisurely on
a dirt road, you will reach your goal sooner or later, as long as you
are walking in the right direction. Every step you take brings you
closer to the destination. Thus, the proper orientation to Reality is
necessary for a sincere and serious seeker and practitioner.
Spirituality is the path of enlightenment. To be successful one
must have a clear picture of the path as well as the goal. As it is said
in Maitraydni Upanisad 6.22, "One who is adept in the sound rev
elation of Brahman (sabda-brahma) attains the Supreme Brahman
(para-brahma)." A practice that is not based on and not aligned with
the proper meaning of sdstra (scripture) will not yield the desired
result:
One who, casting aside the ordinances of scripture, acts instead
according to the impulse of material desire, attains neither per
fection, nor contentment, nor the supreme goal. Therefore, scrip
tural revelation is the means of authentic knowing available to
you in ascertaining what is to be done and what is to be avoided.
You should perform action in this world only after knowing the
prescriptions of scripture, (gita 16.23-24)^
Some sddhakas (those who undertake a specific spiritual prac
tice) argue that the emphasis on discriminating scriptural knowl
edge is relevant only to the path of jndna (knowledge) and has noth
ing to do with bhakti (devotion). This is a gross misconception. If
such were the case, Jiva Gosvami and other dcdryas would not have
labored so rigorously to write an abundance of literature. They
were certainly not confused about the difference between bhakti
and jndna. Knowledge related to bhakti is also an integral part
of bhakti and has nothing to do with jndna-marga, the purpose of
which is quite different. In fact, hearing (sravana), which includes
studying sdstra via the faculty of human rationality (manana), is
t h e fi r s t l i m b o f b h a k t i .
^ yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kdma-kdratah
na sa siddhim avdpnoti na sukharh na pardrh gatim
tasmdc chdstram pramdnarh te kdrydkdrya-vyavasthitau
jfidtvd sdstra-vidhdnoktam karma kartum ihdrhasi
 Preface
Books like the Sat Sandarbhas were written to help religious
practitioners gain intuitive insight into Absolute Reality. In aca
demic circles, however, there is a tacit consensus on remaining
objective about religious studies. This "knowledge for its own sake"
acts as a barrier preventing the investigator from directly accessing
the interior states disclosed by realized authors of religious works.
Such studies may serve academic goals without touching the spirit
of the book or conveying the true intent of the author.^
In presenting the Sat Sandarbhas, written by Jiva Gosvami, I have
not been tied to any such constrictions. Being a practitioner of
Gaudiya Vaisnavism, my comments represent the viewpoint of an
insider who was educated in the Gaudiya tradition. I have tried to
preserve the intention and spirit of Jiva Gosvami. My commentaries
are written primarily for adherents of Gaudiya Vaisnavism to help
them fully comprehend its basic tenets so they may follow the path
properly and achieve success. Correct understanding fortifies a per-
sons faith and supports effective practice. Improper understand
ing leads to wrong practice and a failure to achieve the desired out
come. It therefore behooves every practitioner of Gaudiya Vaisnav
ism to study the Sandarbhas carefully. It makes a world of difference
when practice is undertaken with an accurate understanding of the
subject.
Our human life is limited; time elapsed does not return. There
fore, we have to use it judiciously. In Srlmad Bhdgavatam (11.29.22),
Sri Krsna teaches that the real intelligence of the intelligent and
the wisdom of the wise is to utilize the temporary material body to
attain the Eternal. Thus, it is of utmost importance to gain a clear
understanding of the darsana, so that one may walk with unfailing
vision toward the destination.
To give an example, even if you have a superb car in perfect con
dition, are a trained driver, driving on an excellent highway, and
are alert, you will still end up in the wrong place if you have taken
intrinsic potency of devotion. Such a stratum of knowing, seeing, or
experiencing becomes a moment to6 moment
of Tattva enabled capacity.
^ This is made evident in Anuccheda Sandarbha, which specifies the
eligibility of the reader.
X V I X V l l
Preface
a wrong turn. Alternatively, even if you are walking leisurely on
a dirt road, you will reach your goal sooner or later, as long as you
are walking in the right direction. Every step you take brings you
closer to the destination. Thus, the proper orientation to Reality is
necessary for a sincere and serious seeker and practitioner.
Spirituality is the path of enlightenment. To be successful one
must have a clear picture of the path as well as the goal. As it is said
in Maitraydni Upanisad 6.22, "One who is adept in the sound rev
elation of Brahman (sabda-brahma) attains the Supreme Brahman
(para-brahma)." A practice that is not based on and not aligned with
the proper meaning of sdstra (scripture) will not yield the desired
result:
One who, casting aside the ordinances of scripture, acts instead
according to the impulse of material desire, attains neither per
fection, nor contentment, nor the supreme goal. Therefore, scrip
tural revelation is the means of authentic knowing available to
you in ascertaining what is to be done and what is to be avoided.
You should perform action in this world only after knowing the
prescriptions of scripture, (gita 16.23-24)^
Some sddhakas (those who undertake a specific spiritual prac
tice) argue that the emphasis on discriminating scriptural knowl
edge is relevant only to the path of jndna (knowledge) and has noth
ing to do with bhakti (devotion). This is a gross misconception. If
such were the case, Jiva Gosvami and other dcdryas would not have
labored so rigorously to write an abundance of literature. They
were certainly not confused about the difference between bhakti
and jndna. Knowledge related to bhakti is also an integral part
of bhakti and has nothing to do with jndna-marga, the purpose of
which is quite different. In fact, hearing (sravana), which includes
studying sdstra via the faculty of human rationality (manana), is
t h e fi r s t l i m b o f b h a k t i .
^ yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kdma-kdratah
na sa siddhim avdpnoti na sukharh na pardrh gatim
tasmdc chdstram pramdnarh te kdrydkdrya-vyavasthitau
jfidtvd sdstra-vidhdnoktam karma kartum ihdrhasi
 Preface
Then there are others who opine that there is no need to study
sdstra, because bhakti itself, such as chanting the divine Names of
Krsna, will reveal everything. But how is this conclusion arrived
at? Either it is known from sdstra or from somewhere else. If the lat
ter option is the case, then such an understanding cannot be taken
as authentic. If it is known from sdstra, such protagonists must
accept the importance of sastric knowledge and concur with the
perspective that discloses its central importance. Furthermore, the
idea that all knowledge is revealed through chanting of the Name
is itself a scriptural teaching on the Name meant to emphasize its
extraordinary power, not to minimize the importance of scripture.
Moreover, it is from sdstra itself that the very process of authentic
chanting is to be learned. Indeed, sdstra provides a complete view
(darsana) of the Supreme Reality and of the means of Its attainment
through bhakti. It is this vision alone that can make possible gen
uine devotion in any of its forms. So why would any serious aspirant
to true knowledge of and love for God neglect to study the sdstra as
a whole?
Another question that must be addressed in response to sddha-
kas who argue that scriptural knowledge is irrelevant to bhakti is
this: Without authentic scriptural knowledge, how can a practi
tioner truly know what bhakti is and how to execute it properly?
Authentic knowledge of bhakti can be known only from sdstra.
One s practice must be aligned with the true understanding of the
goal. On the yoga path, faulty practice of dsanas (physical postures)
or incorrect prdndydma (breathing exercises) is likely to damage
one s body or vital system over the course of time. In the same
way, on the bhakti path, a perspective that is not recognized as
valid and not aligned with the goal will not yield the desired result,
but can cause mental and spiritual complications. Regular prac
tice improperly performed may be slow to deliver its detrimental
consequences, but in the long run the cumulative repercussions
are significant. It is comparable to making use of a powerful and
appropriate medicine, yet doing so in an unprescribed manner.
Millions of people pursue the path of bhakti; yet, even after
decades of practice, only a few of them are observed to have arrived
xviii
Preface
For thousands of years, India has been the land where people
have molded their lifestyle in pursuit of spiritual realization. Many
types of spiritual practices and theologies were developed, experi
mented with by religious specialists, and taken up by the masses.
It was generally accepted that the ultimate goal of human life was
to access direct experience of Absolute Reality. Every aspect of
human life, be it economic, social, political, moral, or religious, was
designed to facilitate this ultimate aim. It is for this reason that
knowledge systems or schools of thought were called darsana (lit..
Today the word darsana is often translated as "philosophy"
or "school of thought," but that fails to capture its true meaning.
Darsana signifies the vision of Reality. A darsana is a system that
explains Reality, both empirical and transempirical, how it relates
to the conscious self, and also provides a map of the path one can
adopt to actualize moment to moment direct visioning capacity of
that Reality.^
^ Absolute Reality is self-luminous and self-revealing, meaning that It cannot be
revealed by any external effort or agency whatsoever. It cannot be "accessed"
other than by Its own independent will. But when It self-discloses Itself, It is then
knowable only by a conscious subject, one with an intrinsic capacity to know. The
conscious self's capacity to know the transphenomenal Reality, however, is a
potential that is actualized only through the pervasion of the intrinsic potency
(svarupa-sakti) in the form of bhakti. So, "the actualization of direct visioning
capacity" implies the discovery of a higher faculty of cognition or of knowing
that becomes a stable structure of consciousness when illuminated by the
X V
 Preface

at or near the goal. If an astute business person is not gaining

success, or a dedicated athlete is failing to achieve his desired
goal, then that person will analyze the cause and look to correct
himself. He will consult an expert or a coach in his field. Simi
larly, it behooves a sincere seeker of Reality to do the same thing
and investigate the cause behind one s lack of progress. The most
likely reason is either deficiency in, or incompleteness of, one's root
understanding and outlook, which inform and pattern every detail
regarding self-concept, God-concept, life-view, and the practice of
devotion. Authenticity of practice can arise only from a genuine
understanding of Reality, process, and goal.
Since Sri Jiva composed the Sat Sandarbhas to make both the
process and the goal crystal clear, there is a great need to study
these texts. They have served practitioners for centuries and repre
sent a thoroughly tested and validated body of evidence. Previously
this knowledge was locked in Sanskrit and not many had access to
it. Now it is available in English and a sincere seeker should take
advantage of it. If one is dedicating time and energy in pursuit of
one's goal, one will fare better if one clearly understands the pro
cess as well as the goal. The Sat Sandarbhas award this knowledge,
dispelling all doubts.

A Word on the Second Edition

In 1995 the Jiva Institute published its first edition of Tattva Sanda-
rbha, which is the first book of Jiva Gosvaml's Sat Sandarbhas, This
new edition has been completely revised from start to finish. The
entire text has been re-translated from the Sanskrit, employing
vastly updated language to better represent the subtlety, depth, and
complexity of Jiva Gosvami's thought. Some of the most important
terms introduced in this new translation have been explained in the
article entitled. The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Con
cepts, found in the references at the back of the book. The reader is
recommended to go through this essay first before reading the main
body of the book, as it will greatly facilitate accurate understanding
of the text.

X I X
 Preface

In this edition special attention has been given to the topic of

epistemology, which is the beginning point and foundation of Sri 59 The Independent Asraya and the Three
Jivas exposition. In particular, the significance of sabda, or the Interdependent Divisions of Embodied Selfhood . .
Vedic sound revelation, has been brought to light, not as mere
60 The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter
scriptural or canonical authority, but as transhuman (apauruseya), and Thus the Shelter of All
self-revealing sound, identical with the truth that it signifies. This
insight is of tremendous importance not only for the correct under
standing of this volume and the others in the series, but to access The Ten Topics as per the Twelfth Canto 409
immediate knowing of Bhagavan, which leads to the self-revelation
of the means of His worship and the goal of divine love. 61 The Second List of the Bhagavatam s Ten Topics Also
Identifies Its Subject as the Ultimate Shelter 409
Many of the original commentaries on the anucchedas of Jiva
Gosvami have been enlarged or rewritten to accommodate the 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
refinement in understanding. In translating and commenting upon Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1 417
the text of Tattva Sandarbha, I have followed the Sanskrit text from
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
the edition of my guru, Sri Sri 108 Sri Srotriya Bhagavad-nistha
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2 430
Srimad Haridasa Sastri Maharaja Nava-tirtha. I also consulted the
editions of Puri Dasa, Sitanatha Gosvami, and Nityasvarupa Brah-
macari to establish the proper reading. I have provided detailed References
explanations of each anuccheda based on my study of the Tattva
Editors' Notes
Sandarbha and the rest of the Sandarbhas with my guru, as well as
on the basis of Jiva Gosvami s own commentary, Sarva-samvadinl, The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and
and the commentaries of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Radha Concepts 449
Mohana Gosvami.
Ta t t v a Sandarbha at a Glance 4^3
In addition to the above, the entire book has been reorganized
into topical divisions in exact accordance with Jiva Gosvami s over Glossary 465
all view. This master plan can be readily accessed from the Contents, Abbreviations 486
which serves as a map to help guide the reader through the book,
as well as from a chart included in the references entitled Tattva Subject Index 487
Sandarbha at a Glance, The divisions of the book have been titled to Verse Index 539
help the reader grasp the topics under discussion. In the main body
Bibliography 559
of the book, explanatory texts have been inserted to introduce the
subject of each division. Acknowledgments 568
In particular, the determination of sambandha, abhidheya, and
prayojana from the transcognitive state of awareness of Srila Vyasa
and Sri Suka, has been given the place of prominence that it
deserves — an observation that went almost entirely unnoticed

X X x i i i
 Prefac

in the first edition. This determination is a key topic that mediates

48 Love ofGod Transcends the Bliss of Brahman .... 327 between epistemology and the elaboration of ontology proper. It
informs us that the knowable (prameya), like the means of know
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas ... 332
ing itself (pramdna), is self-revealed and not a matter of mere
metaphysical speculation or logical thought construction.
The new revised edition of Tattva Sandarbha is indispensable to
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
grasp the methodology of Jiva Cosvami and the map of Reality he
Anucchedas 50-63 341 has provided throughout the Sat Sandarbha. JIva Cosvami's anthol
ogy offers the most systematic and complete synthesis of Vedanta.
Intuition of the Subject through Reference Consequently, the highest benefit to the reader can be had by follow
to the Individual 341 ing the order intended by him. This new Tattva Sandarbha will thus
greatly facilitate the understanding of the Bhagavat Sandarbha and
50 Srimad Bhagavatam Identifies Its Subject 343 the volumes that follow, enabling the direct knowing of Bhagavan
on His own terms.
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness 346
Sri Jiva Cosvami has rendered tremendous service to the world
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from community of devotional transcendentalists by writing the Sat
Its Content — Identity and Distinction Sandarbhas. His exposition takes a beginner by the hand, guiding
of the JIva and Brahman 352 him or her to the ultimate goal of priti, or divine love. He wrote
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis it specifically for those who aspire to enter the relation of tran
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self 363 scendental service in love. My commentaries have been written
keeping that goal in mind. I have relished working on them. Doing
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witness 369 so has also deepened my understanding and intuition about the
55 Summary of Sri Pippalayana s Teachings 376 subject. Thus, if the reader is similarly benefited, I would consider
my endeavor doubly successful.

Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the

Universal — The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam 379

The Ten Topics as per the Second Canto 381

56 The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter 381

57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth . 387

58 The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified

as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter 396

x i i x x i
 23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun. . . .
24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas....
25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami, Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages . . Introduction
26 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas The will to know is one of the most powerful and sustaining
27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived instincts in human beings. It begins at birth and continues as one
from Srimad Bhagavatam develops self- and then external awareness. Every normal human
being is equipped with the impetus to expand his or her experience
28 The Sources of Reference.
and insight.
The basic instinct for cognition is crucial to our survival as well
as to achieve happiness. The urge to know manifests in all aspects
Ill Prameya
of life. In modern times, an individual requires knowledge in many
areas in order to make informed decisions about what food to eat,
1 Determination of Sambandha, Abhidheya, where to live, who to vote for, how to manage finances, how to lead a
and Prayojana spiritual life, and so on. Cumulative knowledge resulting from this
fundamental instinct results in many fields of study, such as biol
Anucchedas 29-49
ogy, sociology, environmental science, political science, economics,
psychology, and philosophy.
T h e Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n o f C o n s c i o u s n e s s
Although the instinct to know is universal and not limited to any
of Sri Sukadeva particular country or race, different fields of knowledge develop in
different societies, depending on the inclination and correspond
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That
of the Self ing needs and interest of the people. India has traditionally been
a fertile ground for various schools of theology and philosophy. The
Vedas, the world s oldest scriptures, contain the seeds of numer
The Supracognitive Samadhi of Vyasa ous systems of thought that later developed into specific and well-
defined schools. As a whole, the Indian wisdom schools can be
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva divided into two groups, those that accept the authority of the Vedas
in Unmediated Gnosis and those that don't. This division is not based on belief in God.

31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-Inclusive, The six schools that accept the authority of the Vedas are Nyaya,
All-Transcending Reality Vaisesika, Sahkhya, Yoga, Purva-mimaihsa, and Vedanta. Of these.

X X X l l l
 Introduction

Vedanta is the most widely studied and practiced. Within Vedanta II Pramana
are various sub-schools, with the most well-known being the
Advaita Vedanta School popularized by Sri Sahkaracarya. Another
sub-school is that of Vaisnavism, of which the youngest denom Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and
ination is Gaudiya Vaisnavism (also known as Caitanya or Ben Puranas Culminating in Srlmad Bhagavatam
gali Vaisnavism), which has drawn a great deal of attention from 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity ...
Western scholars in modern times.
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
Every school has its own distinctive tenets and practices. and Transphenomenal Knowing
Gaudiya Vaisnavism marks a significant development in the the
ology and praxis of divine love. This development is not the out 11 The Authority of the Vedas .
come of a single persons work, but resulted from the concerted 12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas. .
effort of a group of scholars who were followers of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu (1486-1534), the founder of the school. Of these, the 13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, namely, Sanatana, Rupa, Raghunatha 14 The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Veda
Dasa, Gopala Bhatta, Raghunatha Bhatta, and JIva Gosvami, were
the most prominent. Among them, only Raghunatha Bhatta didn't 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas
Is the Same
compose written works. The rest wrote books concerning devotion
to Sri Krsna. 16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas. .
Jiva Gosvami (1513-1608),"^ the youngest of the six, was the most
prolific. He wrote a number of works, some of them voluminous, 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas
dealing with almost all branches of Vaisnava literature. It is he
who systematized the teachings of Sri Caitanya and gave shape to 18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
the Gaudiya Vaisnava School on a par with other Vaisnava schools, Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth.
such as those founded by Sri Ramanujacarya, Nimbarkacarya, Mad-
hvacarya, and Vallabhacarya. Of all his works, the Sat Sandarbhas,
along with his own commentary Sarva-saifivadini, are well known The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam That
for their deep analysis and systematic elaboration of the entire the Establish Its Epistemological Validity
ology and philosophy of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. The original name
of the Sat Sandarbhas was Bhdgavata Sandarbha, indicating that it 19 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary
on Vedanta-sutra and the Essence of Gayatrl. . .
is an exposition and analysis of the essential message of Srlmad
Bhdgavata Purdna. 20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam

Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning

ofMahabharata
Sri JIva's exact birth year is unknown, though his father's death in 1516 is taken as
the latest possible date. His death in 1608 is established by the evidence of his last 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence
will and testament, which is signed and dated. o f A l l Ve d i c L i t e r a t u r e
 Introduction

Bhagavata Purana — The Basis of Gaudiya Vaisnava

Theology

The traditional criteria by which a Vedantic School came to be rec

ognized as authentic was that it had to establish its philosophical
Table of Contents tenets on the basis of the prasthana-trayi (lit., "the three great high
ways"), which consists of the ten principal Upanisads, the Veddnta-
sutra, and the Bhagavad Gitd. Every sampraddya^ had to deduce its
basic tenets, or siddhdnta, from these works.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, placed utmost importance
Preface on Srlmad Bhdgavata Purdna, which He called the flawless Purana.
He proclaimed it as an explanation of the Veddnta-su.tra written by
Introduction . .
the author Himself, Sri Vyasa. Since Srlmad Bhdgavatam fully repre
Dedication sents Sri Caitanya's own doctrine,^ His followers did not attempt to
write commentaries on the prasthdna-trayi, but instead wrote com
mentaries, essays, and independent works on Srlmad Bhdgavata
I Mangalacarana Purdna.

Sri Vallabhacarya was the first to include the Bhdgavata Purdna,

Invocations
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahkirtana . .
2 Homage to Sri Krsna Caitanya
3 Homage to Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis
4 The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas
5 Homage to Sri Gop^a Bhatta Gosvami ....
6 Eligibility of the Reader
7 Homage to the Teachers
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
which was self-revealed in the samddhi of Vyasa, as part of sabda-
pramdna, or Vedic testimony, along with the prasthdna-traylJ Jiva
Gosvami, however, went a step further, declaring: "So it is that we
shall focus our investigation exclusively on Srlmad Bhdgavatam to
determine, free from any inconsistency between preceding and fol
lowing statements, the ultimate value for human beings" (Tattva
Sandarbha, Anuccheda 27).
A literary work that discloses the confidential meaning of a
subject or book, incorporates its essence, explains the superior
ity of the subject, and elaborates its various meanings, is called a
® The word sampraddya is used here in the sense of a preceptorial line that forms a
distinctive sub-branch of a particular wisdom school, in this case the Vedantic
School. The sub-branches (sampradayas) of the latter are primarily the Sahkara
School of radical Vedanta and the Vaisnava schools of theistic Vedanta.
^ bhdgavate kahe mora tattva abhimata
Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-llla 11.17
^ vedah sri-krsna-vdkydni vydsa-sutrdni caiva hi
samadhi-bhasa-vyasasya pramdnam tac catustayam
Tattvartha-dlpa-nibandha 1.7

v i i i X X V
 Introduction

sandarbha. Sri Jiva GosvamI called his work Bhdgavata Sandarbha,

it being an independent essay and elaborate analysis of the subject
of the Bhdgavata Purdna. It is not a running commentary on Bhdga
vata Purdna but an explanation of selected verses to illustrate its
essential message. Jiva Gosvami also wrote a commentary on the
complete Purdna, called Krama-sandarbha. Contents at a Glance
Bhdgavata Sandarbha is popularly called the Sat Sandarbhas,
because it consists of six (sat) books, namely Tattva, Bhagavat, Para-
mdtma, Krsna, Bhakti, and Priti Sandarbha. Another book, Sarva-
sarhvddini, is a self-commentary and a supplement to the first four
of the Sat Sandarbhas. It elaborates on some topics that were either Prefac(

not explained clearly or left out completely in the original work.

Introduction xxiii

Dedication.
Importance of the Sat Sandarbhas
I Mangalacarana
The sage Sri Vyasa, a Visnu avatdra who is celebrated as one of
Anucchedas 1-8 . .
the greatest sages in India, organized the original Vedas into four
works and wrote eighteen Puranas, Veddnta-sutra, and Mahdbhd-
II Pramana
rata. Even after accomplishing all this. He remained dissatisfied,
feeling as though something was lacking in His mission of provid Anucchedas 9-28
ing knowledge to humanity for their spiritual upliftment. While
Vyasa was thus affected by despondency. His teacher Sri Narada III Prameya
appeared at His dsrama. Following Sri Narada's instruction, Vyasa Anucchedas 29-63
meditated to the point of samddhi, and while in that state of spiritual
trance, the original Supreme Person, Bhagavan, self-manifested to References
Him. Based on this experience. He produced Srimad Bhdgavatam,
His ultimate work. Editors' Notes

According to Vyasa, Srimad Bhdgavatam is an exposition of Abso The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and
lute Reality and the essence of the Vedas (sb 1.1.3). This is also cor Concepts 449
roborated by Suta GosvamI (sb 1.3.42 and 12.13.15). The Sat Sanda
Ta t t v a Sandarbha at a Glance 463
rbhas are the most thorough and systematic presentation of the phi
losophy and theology of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Before their composi Glossary and Abbreviations 465
tion, many works were written on Srimad Bhdgavatam, but none is
as exhaustive and in tune with its spirit.® Subject Index, Verse Index, and Bibliography 487
® There is a popular saying among Sanskrit scholars, "The test of one's scholarship Acknowledgements 568
 Introduction

Tattva Sandarbha: Vaisnava Epistemology and Ontology. Translation and Commentary
Satyanarayana Dasa
This book is published and distributed by Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies.
For further information on Jiva books, please contact
Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies
Sheetal Chaya i, Raman Reti
Vrindavan, up 281121
India
or visit www.jiva.org
To learn more about Sat Sandarbha, please go to sandarbhas.jiva.org
To report errors, please send a note to contact@jiva.org
Copyright © 2015 by Satyanarayana Dasa
Print Kosel GmbH & Co. KG, Altusried-Krugzell
Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. For in
formation on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact contact@jiva.org.
Proponents of the earlier Vaisnava schools had refuted the
Advaitavada doctrine of Sahkaracarya, showing it to be but a one
sided and prejudicial view of the Upanisadic revelation. They com
mented on the prasthdna-trayi and explained them to establish that
Ultimate Reality is not without form and attributes. Even though
Sri Jiva GosvamI also did not agree with Sahkaracarya's radical
interpretation of Advaita, he did not directly refute his views by
commenting on the prasthdna-trayl, as had been done by senior
Vaisnava dcdryas, such as Sri Ramtouja and Madhvacarya.
Instead, Jiva Gosvami adopted a novel approach to establish his
conclusion about Ultimate Reality. On the basis of the descriptions
found in Bhdgavata Purdna, he analyzed the precise nature of the
truth disclosed in Vyasa's trance as well as the direct testimony
and realization of its highly enlightened speakers, and showed that
all of these "truth-knowers" directly realized the personal form
of Bhagavan as being the support and shelter of Brahman as well
as Its final completion. Sri Jiva concluded that the Ultimate Real
ity alluded to in Veddnta-sutra could not be different from that
depicted in Bhdgavata Purdna, since both were written by Vyasa.
For this reason, he analyzed Bhdgavata Purdna to ascertain the Ulti
mate Reality, the means of Its realization, and the supreme goal
to be attained in relation to that Reality. He adopted this unique
strategy, because the meaning of Veddnta-sutra, which is liable
to contradictory interpretations, is explicitly found in Bhdgavata
Purdna.

The Sat Sandarbhas are the outcome of that analysis. The princi
pal theme of each volume of the Sandarbhas may be summarized as
follows:

1. Tattva Sandarbha, besides establishing the authority of the

Bhdgavata as epistemological means (pramdna), also determines
the knowable (prameya), offering a brief overview of Gaudlya
isBN-13: 978-81-87153-00-9
isBN-10: 81-87153-00-8 Vaisnava ontology, on which its theology is based.

Second revised edition, 2015

is in explaining the Bhdgavatam" (vidyavatam bhdgavate pariksd). Consequently,
many great scholars in the past wrote commentaries and essays on Srimad
Printed in Germany on non-aging, acid-free, rsc-certified wood-free book paper
Bhdgavatam.

X X V l l
 Introduction

2. Bhagavat Sandarbha describes Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, as

the most complete manifestation of nondual Reality, inclusive of
Brahman and Paramatma. It also describes His diverse energies,
qualities, name, form, associates, and abode as intrinsic aspects
of His essential being.
3. Paramatma Sandarbha describes the specific manifestation of
Bhagavan called Paramatma, or the Immanent Self present
SRi TATTVA SANDARBHA
within everything. He is both the source of creation, as con
scious ground of awareness and being, and the ingredients of Vaisnava Epistemology and Ontology
creation, in the form of His extrinsic power of phenomenal being.
His regulation of the cosmos occurs automatically or as a mere
by-product of His entrance therein out of His own llld, which is
concerned instead with His devotees. This Sandarbha also elabo Srila Jiva Gosvami
rates the ontology of the living beings and primordial nature as
distinct potencies belonging to Paramatma.
4. Krsna Sandarbha identifies Sri Krsna not only as Bhagavan but Sanskrit Text with English Translation
as Svayarh Bhagavan, the Supreme Person in His own original
form and essential being. In technical terms, Svayaih Bhagavan,
and Jiva-tosani Commentary
or "God as He is in Himself," signifies the nondual personal Abso
lute in His own original, complete, and all-encompassing form as S AT YA N A R AYA N A D A S A
the source of all other manifestations of Godhood.

5. Bhakti Sandarbha delineates the intrinsic nature of unalloyed

bhakti, the means of its reception, how it is distinguished from
adulterated devotion, and the various methods by which it is
executed. Jiva Gosvami demonstrates how pure bhakti fulfills
the criteria as the ultimate means to realize the Absolute in Its
most complete identity as Bhagavan. By showing conclusively
that bhakti alone is the essential and effective ingredient in all
methods of realization, it is evident that without it, no other
process can yield even its own professed result.
6. Priti Sandarbha illustrates that love of Bhagavan, priti, is the ulti
mate goal attainable by conscious beings. After an elaborate anal
ysis of the fundamental nature and constitution of priti, Sri Jiva
Gosvami concludes that only priti can lead to the complete fulfill
ment of the self's potential, fully disclosing the state of supreme
bliss (paramananda).
# J I VA
Jiva Institute of
Vaishnava Studies
Through his exhaustive and clear exposition of metaphysics in
the Sat Sandarbhas, Sri Jiva Gosvami provided the Gaudiya Vaisnava Vr i n d a v a n

X X V l l l

Sat Sandarbha
Ta t t v a S a n d a r b h a
Bhagavat Sandarbha
Paramdtma Sandarbha
Krsna Sandarbha
Bhakti Sandarbha
Prlti Sandarbha
Introduction
School a distinct identity of its own, contributing to Vedanta a
unique take on theistic nonduality. He drew freely from the entire
heritage of Vaisnava philosophical thought available to him. With
out exception, all the important insights Sri Jiva brought to light
were supported with scriptural references; yet, his conclusions are
not mere repetitions, but bear the mark of originality and deserve
independent consideration.
Sri Jiva Gosvami labored meticulously to present this wonder
ful analysis of the "spotless Purana' for those serious students who
truly aspire to attain pure devotion for Sri Krsna. Without earnestly
studying the Sandarbhas, one would find it difficult to ascertain the
essential theological principles found in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Since Sri Jiva Gosvami writes specifically for the devotees of
Krsna, as he clearly states in the beginning of Tattva Sandarbha,
he does presume a prior disposition of faith as a given in those for
whom his exposition is being made. This does not indicate a lack
of scholarship or realization on his part, as some critics suggest. It
signifies, rather, that his method and purpose lay beyond the range
of what is accessible through dry scholarship alone, devoid of the
unmediated awareness of unalloyed devotion. Scholarship for him
is relevant only in the sense of earnest investigative inquiry into
truth leading to immediate realization. His erudition, however,
is clearly evident from the range of original books and commen
taries he wrote for the Vaisnava community, including a Sanskrit
grammar. Disregarding the significance of his statement in the
beginning of Tattva Sandarbha concerning eligibility, many mod
ern scholars have severely criticized his description of epistemol-
ogy. It seems that his establishing the Bhdgavata Purdna as a book
par excellence has irked their sensibilities.^
^ I have addressed some of these criticisms in my commentary on Jiva Gosvami's
anucchedas, but did not do so exhaustively as I wished to avoid diverting the
reader from the flow of the original text, which is meant for Krsna bhaktas.
Nevertheless, since 1 feel strongly that these criticisms are based on improper
understanding of the text, 1 will respond to them in a separate book for those who
are interested in the topic.
x x i x
 Introduction

• V
Summary of Tattva Sandarbha 'V—

Of the Six Sandarbhas, Tattva Sandarbha is the smallest in size, but

not in importance. As its name suggests, it discusses the Reality
(tattva) that is the ultimate subject to be understood and realized.
Tattva also means "essence," and thus Tattva Sandarbha provides
the essence of what is to be elaborated upon in the rest of the
Sandarbhas, Thus, it serves as an introduction to them.
Tattva Sandarbha has 63 sections (anucchedas) that fit within
three divisions. The first eight anucchedas are invocatory, the next
twenty form the division on epistemology (pramdna), and the last
thirty-five comprise the division on ontology (prameya).

Invocations (Anucchedas 1-8)

Jiva Gosvami opens the book with a verse from the Bhdgavata Parana
in which sage Karabhajana describes the avatdra for Kaliyuga. Jiva
Gosvami follows this with a verse of his own (Anuccheda 2), in which
he identifies this avatdra as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and further clari
fies the meaning of the opening verse. He then prays to Sri Rupa and
hastdmalakavat-tattvam snmad-bhagavatasya yah
Sanatana, his uncles and mentors, at whose behest he composed the
Sandarbhas (Anuccheda 3). darsaydmdsajlvehhyas tarn srl-jlva-prabhurh numah

At the beginning of each Sandarbha, Sri Jiva acknowledges that We bow down to Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhupada who revealed the
his own composition is based upon the work of Sri Gopala Bhatta essential meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam to the people of the world
Gosvami and expresses his indebtedness to him (Anucchedas 4-5)-^° just as plainly as one would display an dmalaki fruit kept on one's
Sri Jiva explicitly states that he undertakes this work only for those palm.
who aspire to worship the feet of Sri Krsna and warns all others as to
the implications of such a consummate investigation. The commen sandarbha yena nadhltas tasya bhdgavate sramah
tary on this particular anuccheda is especially helpful to the reader sandarbha yena cadhlta ndsti bhdgavate bhramah
to determine the criteria of eligibility for entering the spirit of the
One who has not undergone comprehensive study of Sat Sandarbhas
text (Anuccheda 6).
must struggle to assimilate the message of Srimad Bhdgavatam. One
It is unknown whether or not Gopala Bhatta's work was ever completed. No such who has studied Sat Sandarbhas, however, will have no misgivings
work is currently available, but from JIva's statements it seems clear that it was about the essential meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam.
incomplete in scope and not methodically arranged. Though Sri Jiva credits
Gopala Bhatta with the inceptive idea and for first taking up the challenge of
creating a systematic theology based on the Bhdgavatam, there is little doubt that
he himself did the bulk of the work on the Sandarbhas.

X X X
 ntroduction

Next, Jiva Gosvami declares his gratitude to his mantra-guru and

to those spiritual teachers who helped him understand the meaning
of the BhagavataPurdna (Anuccheday). In Sarva-sarhvadini, he iden
tifies these teachers as Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Sridhara
SvamI, and others.
The final verse of the invocation before Jiva begins his deliber
ation on epistemology is addressed to Sri Krsna. This verse con
tains the seed-conception of all the major themes to be unpacked
and elaborated throughout the Sandarbhas (Anuccheda 8). It is an
amplification of the famous vadanti verse of the Bhdgavata Purana
(sB 1.2.11), which is the definitive statement on which Jiva Gosvami
bases his understanding of Absolute Reality. The first three Sanda
rbhas are an exposition of Jiva Gosvami s seminal verse, and the
fourth is also directly related to it. It is from this verse that each of
the first four Sandarbhas derives its name. The subjects of the fifth
and sixth Sandarbhas are also alluded to in this verse.

Epistemology (Anucchedas 9-28)

Jivas treatment of epistemology begins with a discussion of the

four criteria (anubandha-catustaya) considered indispensable at the
beginning of any such analysis.

1. The subject (visaya) of the book is the tattva mentioned above and
is identified as Sri Krsna.
2. The relation (sambandha) of the book to its subject involves the
correlation of signified and signifier (vacya-vacaka-sambandha),
implying that the signified Reality, Sri Krsna, is self-evidently
disclosed through the power of the signifying word in the form
of the Bhdgavata Parana.
3. The means (abhidheya) that self-discloses the subject is bhakti.
4. The end state (prayojana), which is the completion stage of the
means, is prema, or divine love for Krsna.

Usually adhikdrl, or the eligibility of the reader, is included in

these four criteria in place of abhidheya, but Jiva has covered this
previouslv, as mentioned above (Anuccheda 6).

V W 1
 Introduction

Next, Jiva sets out to determine the means that alone is suit
able for intuiting the transphenomenal Reality (Anuccheda lo). He
points out that sense-perception (pratyaksa), inference (anumdna),
and other such conventional methods of knowing are limited
and deficient in regard to the direct cognition of truth (tattva),
which lies entirely beyond the scope of empiricism. For this rea
son, he accepts only the revealed word, sabda, which for him
means the Vedas, as the means of valid truth-cognition, since
they are devoid of human deficiencies {Anuccheda ii). But, Sri
Jiva argues, the Vedas are difficult to understand, because they
are only partially available and there are no reliable traditions to
make clear their highly esoteric meaning (Anuccheda 12.1). He there
fore suggests that the Itihasas and Puranas now provide greater
understanding (Anuccheda 12.2). He argues that the Itihasas and
Puranas have the same source, meaning, and authority as the Vedas
(Anuccheda 12.3-4).
Taking pains to establish the authority of the Puranas and Iti
hasas (Anucchedas 12-16), Sri Jiva demonstrates that the Puranas are
a superior source for the knowing of Reality because they are easier
to comprehend, are fully available, and are suitable for the present
age. He does not reject the authority of the Vedas, as some have
wrongly accused him, but simply considers them to be impractical
for his undertaking.
Sri Jiva claims on the authority of Matsya Parana that the
Puranas are grouped according to three dispositional psychoses
(the gunas);^^ namely, sdttvika (illuminating), rdjasika (activating),
and tdmasika (restraining) (Anuccheda 17). It is only the sdttvika
Puranas, embodying illumination, that are suitable to disclose the
" The word "psychoses" as a translation of the gunas is not meant in the
conventional sense of mental disorders, but in its original psychological sense of
"the total mental condition of a person at a specific moment." A person's
individual mental condition is influenced by, or corresponds to, the three
archetypal patterning psychoses of illumination, activation, and restraint. The
Puranas are grouped into three to accommodate all three psychological
dispositions. In doing so, they adopt one of the three perspectives as primary to
address those with the corresponding psychosis or "total mental condition."
Naturally, the Puranas that embody "illumination" will carry the greatest
authority in the disclosure of Ultimate Reality.

X X X l l
 Introduction

knowledge of Ultimate Reality. Among them, he argues for the

preeminent position of the Bhdgavata Purana. In Anucchedas 19-
26, Jiva points out some of the precise criteria that affirm the
Bhdgavata Purdnas epistemological validity, doing so with plentiful
references from other Puranas.

The Bhdgavata Purdna is asserted as the elaboration of Gaya-

tri, and as the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra written by
Vyasa Himself. It also explains the essential meaning of Mahd-
bhdrata and the original four Vedas. To support this contention,
Jiva GosvamI cites verses from Garuda Purdna, likely taking them
from Madhvacaryas Bhdgavata-tdtparya on sb 1.1.1, one of Sri Jiva's
important sources. This becomes evident in Anuccheda 28, where
Jiva writes that he has quoted some verses from secondary sources
like Madhvas work, which he has not seen in the original source.^^
Embodying all the above characteristics, Bhdgavata Purdna is
shown to be the supreme authority in conveying the linguistic
cognition of truth (tattva) and concomitantly the immediate real
ization thereof. Jiva Gosvami offers an elaborate explanation of
the verses from Garuda Purdna. He quotes Bhdgavata Purdna itself,
in which its appearance is compared to the sun for the people of
Kali, the present age, after Krsna s departure from the earth for His
own abode (Anuccheda 23). Sri Jiva points out the popularity of the
Purdna by listing a number of available commentaries and essays
on it, surpassing those on any other Purana.
Sri Jiva Gosvami writes that Sri Sahkaracarya^^ recognized the
true import and greatness of the Bhdgavata, and that the truth that
it disclosed was superior to the radical Advaitavada propounded
by him. Therefore, out of respect for the Bhdgavata Purdna and

The status of Madhvacaryas pramanas has been challenged by opponents since

the beginning of his mission. See Roque Mesquita's excellent study, Madhva's
Unknown Literary Sources: Some Observations (Mesquita 2000). Sri Jiva is practical:
He accepts whatever verses confirm his point of view without entering into a
debate about their authenticity. It may be observed, however, that such verses
are provided only in a supporting role; so in no way does Jiva's argument hinge
solely on Madhva's testimony.
Sahkaracarya is popularly accepted as an avatdra of Lord Siva, who, according to
Bhdgavata Purdna, is a gundvatdra of Visnu and a great devotee of Visnu or Krsna.

X X X l l l
 Introduction

to not distort its meaning, he did not write any commentary on it.
According to Jiva Gosvami, Sahkaracarya propagated Advaitavada
to delude the masses in this age who were predisposed to deny the
Absolute as a qualified entity. Some of his followers, not discern
ing Sahkara's inner disposition, wrote distorted commentaries on
the Bhdgavata Purana. Seeing this, Sri Madhvacarya, who was ini
tiated in the Sahkaracarya sampraddya, wrote a gloss (Bhdgavata-
tdtparya) to substantiate the actual import of the Bhdgavata Purdna.
It is on the basis of this epistemological evaluation that Sri Jiva
has elected to analyze the Bhdgavata Purdna to ascertain its sub
ject, the means prescribed for its realization, and the end state to be
arrived at through maturation of the prescribed means. In Anucche-
das 27-28, Jiva explains the methodology of his analysis throughout
the Sandarbhas and enumerates the various sources from which he
draws guidance and support.

Ontology of the Bhagavata Purana (Anucchedas 29-63)

In Anucchedas 29 to 49, Sri Jiva begins an analysis to determine from

a transcognitive perspective the subject, the means, and the goal
of Bhdgavata Purdna. In doing so, he adopts a unique approach
in which the subject, means, and goal are shown to be not logical
propositions but directly cognized truths from the transempirical
states of awareness of Sri Suka and Sri Vyasa. Sukas experience
involved a transformation of consciousness from the living liber
ated state of Brahman awareness to immersion in prema for Bha-
gavan, brought about simply by hearing a few select verses from
Bhdgavata Purdna. Vyasa s experience was from the supracognitive
state of samddhi. Both experiences were shown to be in perfect har
mony, because in both there was a self-disclosure of the subject as
Sri Krsna, the means as devotion to Him, and the goal as love for
Him. This same determination was additionally confirmed by Sri
Suta, who intuited its meaning from the immediate experience of
Sri Suka, as expressed in the former's prayers to his teacher. Con
sequently, these self-disclosed truths form the essential message of

X X X I V
 I Mangalacarana
evidenced by the studies in the field of quantum mechanics. There
too, it had to be admitted that subjectivity, or the mere act of con
scious observation, tends to exert an influence on the phenomena
observed. Sri Jiva indirectly seems to presage this.
In Bhagavad Gltd, Sri Krsna imposed a similar restriction on
Arjuna:
This confidential knowledge is never to be explained to one who is
not prepared to undergo spiritual discipline, or to one who is devoid
of devotion, or to one who is not wholeheartedly inquisitive, or to
one who is envious of Me. (gIta is.evY
As a further specification of the criteria of eligibility to enter
this study, Jiva GosvamI uses the word eka (solely) as a qualifier of
the word bhajana, the devotional turning of consciousness in whole-
bodied^ worship. In his Sarva-samvadini, he glosses this word eka
as "primary." This means that this study is to be taken up only by
one whose prime aspiration is for bhajana (loving service) alone
and nothing else. All other desires are subservient to this primary
intention. If one side of Jiva Gosvami s warning is directed toward
those who would approach his work as mere intellectual exercise,
the corresponding admonition is directed toward practitioners who
presume themselves to be already surrendered but who still har
bor egoic self-reference and self-interest. In this case, the appar
ent outward allegiance to exoteric religion is the cloak with which
^ idam te ndtapaskdya ndbhaktdya kaddcana
na cdsusrusave vdcyarh na ca mdm yo'bhyasuyati
^ The term "whole-bodied" worship implies that all faculties of being, including
the physical body (anna-maya-kosa), the vital-emotional body (prdna-maya-kosa),
the mental body (mano-maya-kosa), and ultimately consciousness itself
(vijndna-maya-kosa), should be turned toward Bhagavan in worship. Essentially
worship, if it is not just superficial, is an act of consciousness, a devotional
turning of consciousness (sdmmukhya); yet, for it to be complete, it should
involve and translate into all aspects of individual selfhood, and hence, it should
be "whole-bodied" worship.
Note: In Vaisnava siddhdnta, vijndna-maya-kosa refers to the dtmd (consciousness
itself) and dnanda-maya-kosa refers to Paramatma (see Govinda-bhdsya 3.13.12-15).
This view is distinguished from that of Advaita Vedanta wherein
vijndna-maya-kosa refers to the intellectual or wisdom body and
dnanda-maya-kosa to the causal or bliss body, or to Brahman itself.
2 2
Introduction
the book and are meant to be the guiding principles for the correct
interpretation of Bhdgavata Purdna.
Before composing Bhdgavata Purdna, Vyasa entered the uncon
ditional awareness of devotional samddhi, and in that state Sri Krsna
along with His energies were self-revealed to Him. Vyasa directly
perceived Krsnas extrinsic energy called mdyd, which was apart
from, yet supported by Him. He also saw that the individual living
being, suffering due to the influence of mdyd, can obtain release
by complete absorption in the yoga of devotion, bhakti-yoga, to Sri
Krsna. Equipped with this direct vision, Vyasa then composed
Bhdgavata Purdna to make this knowledge available to suffering
humanity (Anucchedas 32-48).
In the midst of this exposition, Sri Jiva refutes the Advaita-
vada doctrines of pratibimba-vdda (the theory of reflection) and
pariccheda-vdda (the theory of limitation), which argue that an indi
vidual living being is nothing but Brahman conditioned by mdyd.
According to Bhdgavata theology, the individual living beings are
real and eternal integrated parts of the conscious energy of the
Supreme Person, just as a ray of sunlight is part of the sun s energy.
Vyasa first taught Bhdgavata Purdna to His son, Suka. Even
though Suka was indifferent to material life from his very birth,
being absorbed in the bliss of Brahman, the Bhdgavata drew his
consciousness out of and beyond immersion in the Self, disclosing
the still more rarefied state of prema. It was due to this transforma
tion that Suka studied the Bhdgavata from his father. This incident
demonstrates the excellence of the Bhdgavata — that it discloses a
Reality (i.e., Bhagavan) that both includes and transcends Brahman
(Anuccheda 49). In this way, Sri Jiva verifies that the realization
of Vyasa, the author, and of Sukadeva, its primary speaker, is one
and the same. Therefore, the meaning of Bhdgavata Purdna should
be ascertained in the light of their common understanding. This is
the litmus test: Any meaning contrary to this will be improper and
misleading.
After determining the core truths of sambandha, abhidheya,
and prayojana from the viewing frame of immediate perception
(aparoksa-anubhava), Sri Jiva begins the elaboration of ontology
X X X V
 Introduction
proper. He first cites the second verse of the Bhdgavata, which
states that the truth to be investigated in the Bhagavata is the
Immutable Reality, vdstava-vastu^"^ (Anuccheda 50). The nature of
this Reality is outlined in the vadanti verse (sb 1.2.11) from which
this Sandarbha derives its name. This Reality, tattva, is specified as
nondual consciousness (advaya-jfidna) and is known by the names
of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan.
To help the reader directly intuit this transrational truth, Jiva
Gosvami first portrays it through reference to the individual, or
vyasti, point of view, and then from the aggregate, or samasti, point
of view. This strategy is adopted because in the investigation of
anything unknown, knowledge systems generally begin with ref
erence to what is already known or available to conscious exami
nation. The first thing available to the examiner is his or her own
consciousness (vyasti-nirdesa). From the careful inspection of indi
vidual consciousness through the self-illuminating light of Srlmad
Bhdgavatam, the nature of the Supreme or Source Consciousness is
made evident (Anucchedas 50-55).
The next thing available to the examiner is the cosmos, or in
other words, phenomena. This involves the operation of the laws
that determine the cosmic order. Ultimate Reality may also be intu
ited with reference to these universals (samasti-nirdesa), as being
their ultimate Source and Shelter (Anucchedas 56-63).
This ultimate Shelter, or dsraya, is the foundation and support
of both the individual living beings as well as the aggregate order
in the form of cosmic and supracosmic energies. This dsraya is the
tattva with which Bhdgavata Purdna is solely concerned. There are
ten primary topics described in Bhdgavata Purdna, The first nine
items are discussed simply to elucidate the tenth, which is dsraya.
Sri Jiva describes all the ten items as listed by Sukadeva in the Sec
ond Canto, and by Suta in the Twelfth Canto, identifying the tenth
i t e m a s S r i K r s n a . O n t h i s n o t e h e c o n c l u d e s h i s fi r s t S a n d a r b h a .
There are two types of vastu (reality), namely, vdstava and avdstava. Vdstava is the 15
unchanging Reality (Bhagavan), whereas avdstava is the changing reality (jagat).
x x x v i
6 Eligibility of the Reader
shows that this work is meant to serve for the highest kind of meta
physical consideration. By presenting Bhagavan and bhakti in the
broadest possible philosophical context throughout the Sandarbhas,
he has made possible the turning of consciousness toward that Real
ity for those not already predisposed in that way. This would seem
to contradict his own admonition.
So, Jiva Cosvami's statement is not to be interpreted in a dog
matic or absolutistic sense. Rather, it is intended to signal to
the reader in no uncertain terms that what is at stake here is the
entirety of being and not armchair philosophy. It is not for mere
intellectual stimulation, nor is it a presentation of ideas to be appro
priated or rejected through ratiocination. The entire being must be
available to the investigation; otherwise, the Truth that it intends
to disclose will remain hidden, since that Truth lies beyond the
knowing capacity of the mind alone. So the reader is alerted as to
the seriousness of the study.
Furthermore, the statement specifies that the Truth to be self-
disclosed through submission of consciousness to the investigation
is Bhagavan. Consequently, even the beginning of the inquiry is
based upon a prior devotional turning of consciousness toward its
Source, so that the inquiry itself becomes nondifferent in function
and essence from the completed realized state. In other words, the
inquiry itself should be rooted in a trans-egoic view; otherwise,
one need not bother. Therefore, the admonition can indirectly be
taken as an invitation to the sensitive reader to suspend the ego-
referencing function that predisposes one to forgetfulness of one's
true Self and the sense of independence or separation from one's
Source. The reader is thus alerted that this book is not simply to be
read from a detached or non-participatory stance; rather, it must be
entered into and received from the core of being, or consciousness
itself, beyond the conventional egoic reference.
In other words, the author is implying that Ultimate Reality can
not be investigated from a purely objective perspective, divorced
from the subjectivity of the researcher, as is the custom of the sci
entific community. The effort of science to unravel and encompass
reality in an entirely objective manner has reached a dead-end, as
2 1

Anuccheda 6
Eligibility of the Reader
This book may be studied only by one whose sole aspiration is
to worship the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. All others are forewarned
as to the implications of this investigation.
Commentary
Here Srila Jiva GosvamI defines the adhikari, the person eligible
to read the Sri Sat Sandarbhas. It is clear from this statement that Sri
Jiva is writing specifically for those whose sole, or primary, desire
is to serve Sri Krsna. To all others a warning is extended. From the
perspective of the modern objective reader, this appears to be quite
a daunting statement. If taken at face value, it would demand from
the very outset a view of Reality that is meant to be elicited only
through final assimilation of the teaching. Such an uncompromis
ing assertion would effectively rule out the relevance of impartial
philosophical investigation or study of the text for the purpose of
comparative evaluation. In other words, it would deny the possibil
ity of its own message having any bearing on consciousness save for
those whose consciousness is already so turned.
If such were the case, there would have been no need for Jiva
GosvamI to explain his metaphysics in relation to the other major
systems of Indian philosophy. That he did so consistently clearly
2 0
Introduction
A Few Points To Be Gleaned from Tattva Sandarbha
(1) Sri Jiva Gosvami takes a bold step in assigning Bhdgavata Parana
as the highest pramdna for his study of tattva. Jiva Gosvami, follow
ing Gaitanya Mahaprabhu, recognizes Bhdgavata Purdna as the
natural explanation of Veddnta-sutra by Vyasa Himself. There
fore, he does not attempt to comment on Veddnta-sutra. In Krama-
sandarbha and Paramdtma Sandarbha, Sri Jiva traces the meaning of
some of the seminal sutras that he finds embedded in the first verse.
He does this to corroborate his view that Bhdgavata Purdna explains
Veddnta-sutra. When Jiva Gosvami says that Bhdgavata Purdna is a
commentary on Veddnta-sutra, he obviously does not mean that it
is a traditional commentary, but that it contains the meaning of the
sutras}^
(2) The first verse of Bhdgavata Purdna is an explanation of the
Gayatri mantra.
(3) Bhdgavata Purdna is the sonic representation of Sri Krsna
Himself and thus intrinsically endowed with the power to reveal
Him. It was, therefore, able to attract the consciousness of a
Brahman-realized sage like Suka, establishing him at once in the
yet deeper state of devotional love. In other words, for Jiva Gosvami,
Bhdgavata Purdna is not just another book, but the Supreme Person
Himself in the form of sound, sabda.
(4) Bhdgavata Purdna is eternal, meaning that it is without orig
ination. It was not composed by Vyasa but only manifested to Him
in the state of samddhi.
(5) It has 335 chapters, a fact which is significant primarily in
terms of authenticating three important chapters considered by
some as interpolated.
(6) All ten subjects of Bhdgavata Purdna can be found in every
one of its cantos.
(7) Prema (divine love) and not mukti (release from the cycle of
Sri Haridasa Sastrl Maharaja compiled a book entitled Vedanta-darsana in which
jr he identifies which Bhdgavata Purdna verses correspond to each of the sutras of
Ve d d n t a - s u t r a .
X X X V l l
 Introduction
birth and death) is the ultimate goal, enabling the highest degree of
completion of the conscious self.
(8) The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda.
(9) It is not possible to understand the true meaning of the
Vedas without studying the Itihasas and Puranas.
(10) Absolute Reality is realized by conscious attunement of
one's heart with that of one's spiritual teacher.
(11) Sri Sahkaracarya, who is Siva and thus a devotee of Sri
Krsna, did not comment on Bhdgavata Purdna lest it displease
Bhagavan.
(12) Sridhara Svami wrote his famous commentary, Bhdvdrtha-
dipikd, with an Advaitic slant to attract the followers of Advaitavada
to Bhdgavata Purdna and to the path of bhakti.
In conclusion, it may be said that Tattva Sandarbha lays the
foundation for entry into the subject matter of Bhdgavata Purdna,
a detailed analysis of which follows in the rest of the Sandarbhas.
It does so particularly by providing the epistemological viewing
frame through which Bhagavan is directly intuited, devotionally
served, and established ultimately as the supreme object of divine
love.
X X X V l l l
Homage to Sri GopMa Bhatta GosvamI
here in the third person. The suffix kan is used in this context in a
diminutive sense, to indicate that a humble being is writing.
As jivdnugas (followers) of Srila Jiva GosvamI, we may prefer to
interpret jivaka in other ways. We may, for example, apply the def
inition, "One who induces living beings to emit ecstatic sounds by
supplying them with the esoteric meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam
[through his Sat Sandarbhas] is known as jlvaka" {jlvdn kdpayati
bhdgavatdrtha-praddndndenetijivakah). Or, alternatively, "One who
explains the inherent nature of the jiva, his unconditional relation
with Bhagavan, the process by which such a relation can be actual
ized, and the completion stage of such actualization, is known as
jivaka" (jiva-svarupa-sambandhabhidheya-prayojandn kdyati varna-
yatitijivakah). Or even, "One who infuses life into living beings by
giving them love of Krsna is known as jiva or, equivalently, jivafca"
(jivayatijivdn krsna-prema-praddnenetijivo,jiva eva jivaka iti svdrthe
kan). Finally, the word jivaka may also be formed by applying to the
root Vjiv the suffix -aka in the sense of "blessing." In this case, jivaka
means "the person who confers blessings on the living entities."
19
Anuccheda 5
Homage to Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
Some parts of this first book by Gopala Bbatta Gosvami were in
order, some were out of order, while other parts were incom
plete or missing. After thorough deliberation, Sri Jiva now
rewrites this book in the appropriate order.
Commentary
The question may arise, "If Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had already
composed a work on this subject, why would Rupa and Sanatana
have engaged Jiva Gosvami in compiling a similar work?" Jiva
Gosvami replies in this verse: His mission is to complete the task
that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami began and to set the material in proper
order. In the previous two verses, Jiva Gosvami has already estab
lished that his work is not a product of his imagination but is based
on the authority of the scriptures and previous dcdryas. From this
verse it appears that the work of Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami did
not take the final shape of a book, but was in the form of notes,
technically called kadacd, and so was not arranged systematically.
By using the word jivaka, Jiva Gosvami makes a pun on his own
name. Jivaka means "a petty being," or else it can be taken as the
name of the author. Out of humility the author refers to himself
Dedication
vraja-bhaktireva veddntah sri-gaura eva radhakantah
prakhydpito yena rdddhdntah rdtvidam mudarh tasya svdntah
Loving service to Bhagavan Sri Krsna in the mood of the Vraja gopis
is the ultimate conclusion of all the Vedas and Vedic literature. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is indeed Krsna, the beloved of Radha. May
this book delight the heart of my guru, who clearly disclosed this
unequivocal truth unto me.
This book is dedicated to my guru Sri Sri 108 Sri Srotriya
Bhagavad-nistha Srimad Haridasa Sastri Maharaja Nava-tirtha,
an ideal example of a devotee and dcdrya.
I bow down at the holy feet of my Gurudeva. He taught me with
great love most of the works of Sri Rupa, Sanatana and Jiva Gosvami,
and other Gaudiya dcdryas. The Sat Sandarbhas were the first works
I studied under him. He was a great admirer of the Gosvamis, not
only through words but by being a strict adherent of their teachings.
He was a living example of Gaudiya Vaisnava theology and philoso
phy. Thus, I learned from him not only during his discourses, but
also through being with him, seeing him deal with various life situa
tions, and serving in the gosdld and elsewhere. It is he who inspired
me to propagate this knowledge by making it available in English.
 Introductioi]
Special Gratitude
My spiritual journey began with iskcon at the Detroit temple.
It was through the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Srila Prabhupada that I became acquainted with Sri Jiva
Gosvami and his works. When I read about the Sat Sandarbhas, it
awakened in me an intense desire to study them. It was a long
journey over many years before this desire could be actualized. I
want to acknowledge my gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for leading
me to the study of the works of Sri Jiva Gosvami, especially the Sat
Sandarbhas. I shall remain indebted to him forever.
x l
4 The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas
As we shall learn further on, the venerable Vaisnavas that Srila
Jiva Gosvami refers to here as sources for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
include Sri Ramanujacarya, Sri Madhvacarya, and Sridhara Svami.
Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami culled the essence from the works
of these previous dcdryas and Vaisnava scholars, and then com
posed a book explaining the essential truths about Krsna, the Sup
reme Person. That book is the basis for the present work. In this
way, Jiva Gosvami hints at the authenticity of his work, for by
basing it on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami s book, he implies that
the work is authoritative, free of concocted ideas. Unfortunately,
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami s book, which formed the basis of the Sat
Sandarbhas, is no longer extant.
17
Anuccheda 4

The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas

Sr! Gopala Bhatta GosvAmi, a friend of Sri Rupa and Sri Sana- I Mahgalacarana
tana, born in a South Indian brdhmana family, compiled the orig
inal version of this book after extracting the essence from the
works of ancient Vaisnava masters.

Commentary

SrIla Gopala Bhatta GosvamI was the son of Vyehkata Bhatta,

the head priest of the Rahganatha Temple in Srirangam, where
the Sri Vaisnava sect has its headquarters. It was in Vyehkata's
home that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed for four months of the
rainy season during His tour of South India in 1513. There, He and
Vyehkata discussed philosophy, as is known from the Caitanya-
caritdmrta, Madhya-lild, Chapter 9, and the Bhakti-ratndkara, First
Wave. At that time, Gopala Bhatta was a young boy, and he learned
the intricacies of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy directly from Sri
Caitanya. Later he studied the writings of the eminent Vaisnavas
of the Sri-sampradaya. On Sri Caitanyas order, Gopala Bhatta
later moved to Vrndavana, where he established the temple of Sri
Radha-Ramana. He is one of the great authorities on Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu s teachings.

16
Anuccheda 3
Homage to Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis
All glories to Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis who reside in
the land of Mathura. They have engaged me in writing this book
to broadcast the essential truth (tattva) regarding Bhagavan.
Commentary
Here Srila JIva GosvAMi explains his reason for composing the
Sat Sandarbhas. He is doing it at the behest of his spiritual teachers,
Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, who are also his uncles. Jiva Gosvami
studied under them, and they asked him to compile their teachings
into a book for the benefit of all. This request is indicated by the
word jndpakau, which literally means "those who are inspired to
teach others."
Previously Rupa and Sanatana were famous in Bengal as minis
ters of Hussein Shah. Now they are glorious in the land of Math
ura, which is itself glorious, being the place of Sri Krsna's pastimes.
To be glorious in this land means to be endowed with the wealth of
krsna-prema, love of God, which is the rarest attainment. To distin
guish this opulence, Jiva Gosvami adds the honorific "Srila" before
their names. "Srila" signifies that Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis are
endowed with transcendental knowledge, non-attachment, devo
tion, and love of God. Srila Jiva Gosvami prays that through the Sat
14
Invocations
Anucchedas i-y
An undertaking such as the composition of the Sat Sandarbhas,
which are a systematic elaboration of theistic Vedanta, cannot be
simply a function of the dialectical mind. In this enterprise, ratio
nal mind is merely an instrument for the linguistic revelation of
truth. Without immediate apperception of the truth (aparoksa-
anubhuti), metaphysical speculation, however thorough and pen
etrating, must remain within the sphere of intellectual thought
construction (kalpand). It is in recognition of this fact that enlight
ened sages and authors of the past realized the need to first attune
their awareness to the conscious source before initiating the writ
ing process. In this way, the truth that was intended to be disclosed
would shine through their psyche of its own accord, with no per
sonal sense of "doership" or egoic self-appropriation on the part of
t h e a u t h o r.
The composition of a mangaldcarana, or "auspicious invoca
tions," at the beginning of philosophical works, is a method by
which the author s consciousness is linked with his or her worship
ful deity and the line of masters. In the deeper sense, it is thus
self-surrender, or dying to the separate self-sense, which allows
for the self-revelation and pervasion of the light of the Absolute.
In this way, mangaldcarana is to be understood not as mere eulogy,
but as a conscious process by which illumination, or a higher cog
nitive mode of knowing, becomes available to the writer. Manga
ldcarana is thus a key to transpersonal authorship (apauruseyatva),
discussed later in the text.
3
Anuccheda 2
Homage to Sri Krsna Caitanya
II ? II
In Kaliyuga we take shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya through full
participation of the self in complete kirtana [sarh-kirtana] and
other forms of devotion. He is golden without, while conceal
ing His blackish complexion within, and He has revealed the
transcendental majesty of His bodily limbs and of His integral
associates.
Commentary
Here Srila Jiva GosvamI explains the meaning of the opening
verse. Sri Krsna, whose complexion is blackish, covered Himself
with the golden complexion of Srimati Radharani to appear in Kali
yuga as Krsna Caitanya. He is the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan,
but His purpose is to model how devotion is to be enacted by per
fectly embodying it in His own being. For this reason it is not readily
apparent that He is Bhagavan, and so Srlmad Bhagavatam describes
Him as "the hidden avatdra" Alternatively, the words antah krsnam
bahir gauram may be taken to mean not that Sri Caitanya is black
ish within and golden without, but that He is Krsna within though
outwardly appearing as Caura, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila JIva
Cosvami also indicates here that one can be devotionally attuned to
1 2
Anuccheda 1
Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahkirtana
In the Age of Kali, the Supreme Absolute [Bhagavan] appears
within this world with a non-blackish complexion and con
stantly sings or describes the names of Krsna, accompanied
by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential compan
ions. Those endowed with discriminating wisdom worship the
Absolute in this form primarily through sacrifice of the self in
complete [samyak] kirtana (singing the names of God), involving
the totality of one s being, (sb 11.5.32)^
Commentary
In Vedic culture every undertaking begins with an invocation,
technically called mangaldcarana. The purpose is to invoke the
blessings of one's worshipful deity for the removal of all obstacles
to the completion of the work. The Sri Sat Sandarhhas are a detailed
treatise on the Complete Absolute known as Bhagavan, making
evident the transcendental nature of His name, form, qualities,
abode, divine acts, and associates and pure devotion to Him. As
such, it is already all-auspicious by nature, and hence needs no
^ krsna-varnam tvisdkrsnam sangopdngdstra-pdrsadam
yajnaih safikirtana-prdyair yajanti hi sumedhasah
5
 I Mangalacarana
invocation. Srila Jiva GosvamI nonetheless performs mangalaca
rana, following in the footsteps of the previous dcdryas, and setting
an ideal example for his readers.
Mangaldcarana is of three types and may have one or more
verses. The three types are:
1. Namas-kriydtmaka, offering obeisances to ones teacher(s) or
worshipful deity, or to both.
2. Aslr-vdddtmaka, invoking Bhagavan's blessings upon the work or
upon the readers, or exclaiming simply "All glories to the Lord!"
3. Vastu-nirdesatmaka, identifying the books primary subject.
The mangaldcarana also points out four essential elements of a
book, called anubandha-catustaya:
In the beginning of an educational text, four elements must cer
tainly be enumerated: the criteria of eligibility for study of the book
(adhikari), the relation between the book [as signifier of its subject]
and the subject itself [as the signified] (samhandha), the subject to
be known through the investigative inquiry (visaya or abhidheya),
and the books purpose (prayojana) [i.e., the value to be actualized
by the reader / inquirer through assimilation of the teaching].^
The purpose of delineating these four items is to inspire interest
in the mind of the reader, as Sri Kumarila Bhatta states in his Sloka-
vdrttika:
Only upon acquaintance with a book's explicit intent (siddhartha)
and its specific relation (samhandha) with that intent, does a reader
undertake to study the book. Therefore, samhandha and prayojana
must be stated at the beginning of an educational text. (Sloka-
vdrttika 1.1.17)^
A sensitive reader will not take interest in studying a book
unless he or she clearly knows the subject described in the book
^ adhikari ca sambandho visayas ca prayojanam
avasyam eva vaktavyam sastradau tu catustayam
^ siddhdrtharhjhata-sambandham sroturh srotd pravartate
sastradau tena vaktavyah samhandha sa-prayojanah
6 11
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sankirtana
which begins with cooperation. That also is the implied meaning
of sankirtana, since true sankirtana is not possible without the coop
eration and surrender of the individual egos of the participants for
the pleasure of the Supreme Person.
The fact that sankirtana is primary means that even if one wor
ships the Lord by another process, it must be accompanied by the
chanting of His names. Sri Caitanya inaugurated this process and
is thus called the father of the sankirtana movement. The word su-
medhasah means "those endowed with discriminating wisdom." The
implication is that those of lesser discrimination will worship Bha-
gavan in other ways, while those altogether bereft of discrimina
tion will oppose the validity of sankirtana. Sankirtana is very dear
to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He Himself was always absorbed in
sankirtana, and He enjoined all others to participate, declaring it the
universal remedy for the defects of Kaliyuga. Sukadeva GosvamI
c o n fi r m s t h i s :
My dear King, although Kaliyuga is an ocean of faults, it has one
supreme virtue: Simply by chanting the names of Krsna one can
become free from material identification and attain the transcen
dental state. Whatever result was obtained in Satyayuga by med
itating on Visnu, in Tretayuga by performing sacrifices, and in
Dvaparayuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet, can be obtained in
Kaliyuga simply by kirtana of Sri Hari. (sb 12.3.51-52)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami s worshipful Deity is Sri Caitanya Mahapra
bhu. Therefore, he begins his comprehensive literary undertaking
by quoting a verse about Sri Caitanya from Srimad Bhdgavatam, the
supreme scriptural authority in the matter of the Complete Reality,
Svayaih Bhagavan. This mangaldcarana verse is thus of the vastu-
nirdesdtmaka variety, identifying the book's primary subject.
^ kaler dosa-nidhe rdjann asti hy eko mahdn gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-safigah param vrajet
krte yad dhydyato visnurh tretdydm yajato makhaih
dvdpare paricarydydm kalau tad dhari-kirtandt
 I Mangalacarana
companions are Gadadhara, Govinda, and the many other devotees
who stayed with Him in Jagannatha Puri.
Safigopdngdstra-pdrsada may also refer to Sri Caitanya's form as
Sri Krsna, which He showed to His intimate devotees. This form has
beautiful limbs decorated with ornaments, such as the Kaustubha
gem, which function like weapons because they cut the knot of egoic
identity by attracting one s attention toward Sri Krsna. The Lord's
ornaments are also associates; they are persons and naturally, of
course, devotees.
The sentence yajnaih safikirtana-prdyair yajanti hi su-medhasah
means that although the Vedas recommend many processes for wor
shiping the Supreme Lord, in Kaliyuga the wise worship Him pri
marily through sacrifice of the self in complete [sam] kirtana of His
Holy Names. The prefix sam carries the sense of "altogether" and
"completion." Thus, it can imply both congregational chanting and
chanting in which the self is completely offered.
The main point is that such chanting should not be enacted from
the egoic position of independent doership. When consciousness
is fully turned toward its Source, the name self-manifests to con
sciousness as identical with Bhagavan. In such complete kirtana,
the devotee transcends all sense of being a "chanter of the name;"
rather, it is the Absolute Consciousness that manifests to the indi
vidual consciousness in the form of the Name. The power of kirtana
to transport one beyond egoic identity or egoic chanting is gener
ally enhanced by the congregational experience, and hence, the two
meanings of the prefix are complementary. Egoic chanting, how
ever, can be held to, or sometimes even strengthened, in a group
setting, such as when it is undertaken simply as a form of enter
tainment or to impress others with one's musicianship. Therefore,
whether alone or in a group, kirtana should involve the complete
offering of the self, including the totality of awareness, feeling, vital
force, and intent. This is the true import of sahkirtana.
The present age is called Kali, or the age of strife, quarrel, dis
sension, contention, deception, and war. Such characteristics are
prevalent at present whether within a family or among neighbors,
co-workers, or states. The antidote to such a temperament is love.
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahklr
and the purpose to be achieved by understanding it. Different peo
ple have different goals, and different qualifications are needed
to achieve those goals. Therefore, the book must also describe the
qualifications required to study it. Sambandha refers to the relation
between the book and the subject it intends to elucidate. In modern
books this discussion is usually covered in the introduction.
Srila Jiva Gosvami begins his mahgaldcarana with a quotation
from Srimad Bhdgavatam and not with a verse of his own composi
tion. By doing so, he shows his reverence for Srimad Bhdgavatam
and his surrender to the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
for whom Srimad Bhdgavatam was the supreme scriptural authority.
Srila Jiva Gosvami also implies that in the SatSandarbhas he will ana
lyze the Bhdgavatam and show it to be the culmination of all other
scriptures. In addition, this verse establishes that his worshipable
Deity is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Karabhajana Rsi speaks this verse in response to Maharaja
Nimi's question about Bhagavan's color and name and the pre
scribed methods for His worship in the various yugas. He describes
Bhagavan's avatdra in Kaliyuga, and in so doing, he indirectly
reveals that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krsna, the original
complete Absolute Truth, Bhagavan.
Krsna-varna indicates one who describes the pastimes of Sri
Krsna to others, or who always chants "Krsna, Krsna." Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu certainly meets this criterion for being krsna-varna.
Varna also means "class" or "category." So, krsna-varna may also
refer to one who is of the same class as Krsna. Sri Krsna Caitanya
Mahaprabhu is krsna-varna in this sense too, because He is non-
different from Sri Krsna. Varna also means "letter" or "word," and
thus krsna-varna also indicates one whose name has the word Krsna
in it — in this case, Sri Krsna Caitanya.
Other meanings of varna are "fame," "form," "outward appear
ance," "quality," and "ritual." One may apply all these meanings
to the phrase krsna-varna, and in all cases the meanings point to
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For example, krsna-varna may be
understood as one whose fame is identical to that of Krsna's, or one
whose form is of the same constitution as Krsna's.
 I Mangalacarana
In Sarva-sarhvadini, the supplementary commentary to the Sri
Sat Sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Gosvami, he explains that Sri Caitanya
is referred to as krsna-varna, because people were reminded of Sri
Krsna just by seeing Him. Another reason is that although Sri Cai
tanya displayed a golden complexion in outward society, to His inti
mate associates He sometimes appeared as blackish. Finally, krsna-
varna also means one who is blackish like Krsna, but in the case of
Sri Caitanya, this meaning could refer only to His inner complexion.
Srila Jiva Cosvami explains this in the next anuccheda.
The compound word tvisdkrsnam may be broken as tvisd akrsnam,
giving the meaning "whose bodily hue is not blackish." In Srimad
Bhagavatam, Carga Muni tells Nanda Maharaja:
Your son, Krsna, appears as an avatdra in every millennium. In the
past He assumed three different colors — white, red, and yellow —
and now He has appeared in a blackish color, (sb lo.s.is)"^
According to Srimad Bhdgavatam, Bhagavan manifested a
white complexion when He appeared in Satyayuga, a red one in
Tretayuga, and a blackish one in Dvaparayuga. Hence, by the pro
cess of elimination, the word akrsna (non-blackish) must indicate
the avatdra with a yellow complexion — that is, the golden avatdra,
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Carga Muni s mention of His yellow
color "in previous yugas" may refer either to Sri Caitanyas previ
ous appearances or to His future appearances, but Carga Muni uses
the past tense, because he is mentioning the yellow avatdra along
with other avatdras who had appeared in the past.
This usage is an instance of "overarching description," wherein
a statement that applies to the majority of members in a group over
looks any single distinct member to whom it is not relevant. The
stock example provided in Indian Poetics to illustrate this linguis
tic device is as follows: On a rainy day one may observe a crowd
of people, most of whom are carrying umbrellas, and exclaim
" H e r e c o m e t h e u m b r e l l a - b e a r e r s . " Ye t a n o t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n i s
that Cargacarya may have used the past tense to hide Krsna's future
dsan varnds trayo hy asya grhnato'nu-yugam tanuh
suklo raktas tathd pita iddnlrh krsnatdrh gatah
8 9
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahklrtana
avatdra as Sri Caitanya. Carga Muni s purpose would have been to
avoid confusing Nanda Maharaja and to play along with Bhagavans
plan to appear in Kaliyuga as the channa-avatdra (hidden avatdra).
This last reason is why the Vedic scriptures only indirectly refer to
Sri Caitanyas avatdra.
In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says, "Because 1 veil Myself through
the agency of My yogamdyd potency, 1 am not manifest to everyone
as 1 am" {ndham prakdsah sarvasyayoga-mdyd-samdvrtah, gita 7.25).
This declaration specifically applies to the Lord's appearance in Kali
yuga as Sri Krsna Caitanya, not as the Supreme Lord but as a devo
tee. Prahlada Maharaja also refers to Sri Caitanya when he says
in Srimad Bhdgavatam, "0 Lord, Your appearance in Kaliyuga is
hidden, or confidential, and therefore You are called Triyuga, one
who appears in three yugas [namely Satya, Treta, and Dvapara]"
(channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo'tha sa tvam, sb 7.9.38). Here the
word channa (covered) also signifies that Sri Caitanya is Sri Krsna
covered by the transcendental affects and complexion of Sri Rad-
hika. Ndradiya Purdna also foretells Bhagavan's appearance as a
devotee:
The Lord said: "Concealing My real identity, 0 vipra [Markandeya
Rsi], 1 appear in Kaliyuga in the garb of a devotee and always protect
My devotees." (Ndradiya Purdna 5.47)^
Tvisdkrsnam may also be broken as tvisd krsnam, meaning "one
whose complexion is blackish." Although Sri Caitanyas complexion
was golden. He is Sri Krsna Himself, and thus the words tvisd krsnam
indicate His original form as Sri Krsna, which He revealed only to
certain devotees, such as Ramananda Raya.
Sdngopdngdstra-pdrsada means "with His limbs, ornaments,
weapons, and confidential companions." According to Srila Baladeva
Vidyabhusana, Sri Caitanyas limbs [associates] are Sri Nityananda
Prabhu and Advaita Acarya; His ornaments [servants] are Srivasa
Thakura, Srila Haridasa Thakura, and others; His weapons are
the Holy Names, which dispel ignorance; and His confidential
^ aham eva kalau vipra nityarh pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokdn raksdmi sarvadd
 I Mangalacarana
In Sarva-sarhvadini, the supplementary commentary to the Sri
Sat Sandarbhas by Srila Jiva Gosvami, he explains that Sri Caitanya
is referred to as krsna-varna, because people were reminded of Sri
Krsna just by seeing Him. Another reason is that although Sri Cai
tanya displayed a golden complexion in outward society, to His inti
mate associates He sometimes appeared as blackish. Finally, krsna-
varna also means one who is blackish like Krsna, but in the case of
Sri Caitanya, this meaning could refer only to His inner complexion.
Srila Jiva Cosvami explains this in the next anuccheda.
The compound word tvisdkrsnam may be broken as tvisd akrsnam,
giving the meaning "whose bodily hue is not blackish." In Srimad
Bhagavatam, Carga Muni tells Nanda Maharaja:
Your son, Krsna, appears as an avatdra in every millennium. In the
past He assumed three different colors — white, red, and yellow —
and now He has appeared in a blackish color, (sb lo.s.is)"^
According to Srimad Bhdgavatam, Bhagavan manifested a
white complexion when He appeared in Satyayuga, a red one in
Tretayuga, and a blackish one in Dvaparayuga. Hence, by the pro
cess of elimination, the word akrsna (non-blackish) must indicate
the avatdra with a yellow complexion — that is, the golden avatdra,
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Carga Muni s mention of His yellow
color "in previous yugas" may refer either to Sri Caitanyas previ
ous appearances or to His future appearances, but Carga Muni uses
the past tense, because he is mentioning the yellow avatdra along
with other avatdras who had appeared in the past.
This usage is an instance of "overarching description," wherein
a statement that applies to the majority of members in a group over
looks any single distinct member to whom it is not relevant. The
stock example provided in Indian Poetics to illustrate this linguis
tic device is as follows: On a rainy day one may observe a crowd
of people, most of whom are carrying umbrellas, and exclaim
" H e r e c o m e t h e u m b r e l l a - b e a r e r s . " Ye t a n o t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n i s
that Cargacarya may have used the past tense to hide Krsna's future
dsan varnds trayo hy asya grhnato'nu-yugam tanuh
suklo raktas tathd pita iddnlrh krsnatdrh gatah
8 9
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahklrtana
avatdra as Sri Caitanya. Carga Muni s purpose would have been to
avoid confusing Nanda Maharaja and to play along with Bhagavans
plan to appear in Kaliyuga as the channa-avatdra (hidden avatdra).
This last reason is why the Vedic scriptures only indirectly refer to
Sri Caitanyas avatdra.
In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says, "Because 1 veil Myself through
the agency of My yogamdyd potency, 1 am not manifest to everyone
as 1 am" {ndham prakdsah sarvasyayoga-mdyd-samdvrtah, gita 7.25).
This declaration specifically applies to the Lord's appearance in Kali
yuga as Sri Krsna Caitanya, not as the Supreme Lord but as a devo
tee. Prahlada Maharaja also refers to Sri Caitanya when he says
in Srimad Bhdgavatam, "0 Lord, Your appearance in Kaliyuga is
hidden, or confidential, and therefore You are called Triyuga, one
who appears in three yugas [namely Satya, Treta, and Dvapara]"
(channah kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo'tha sa tvam, sb 7.9.38). Here the
word channa (covered) also signifies that Sri Caitanya is Sri Krsna
covered by the transcendental affects and complexion of Sri Rad-
hika. Ndradiya Purdna also foretells Bhagavan's appearance as a
devotee:
The Lord said: "Concealing My real identity, 0 vipra [Markandeya
Rsi], 1 appear in Kaliyuga in the garb of a devotee and always protect
My devotees." (Ndradiya Purdna 5.47)^
Tvisdkrsnam may also be broken as tvisd krsnam, meaning "one
whose complexion is blackish." Although Sri Caitanyas complexion
was golden. He is Sri Krsna Himself, and thus the words tvisd krsnam
indicate His original form as Sri Krsna, which He revealed only to
certain devotees, such as Ramananda Raya.
Sdngopdngdstra-pdrsada means "with His limbs, ornaments,
weapons, and confidential companions." According to Srila Baladeva
Vidyabhusana, Sri Caitanyas limbs [associates] are Sri Nityananda
Prabhu and Advaita Acarya; His ornaments [servants] are Srivasa
Thakura, Srila Haridasa Thakura, and others; His weapons are
the Holy Names, which dispel ignorance; and His confidential
^ aham eva kalau vipra nityarh pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokdn raksdmi sarvadd
 I Mangalacarana
companions are Gadadhara, Govinda, and the many other devotees
who stayed with Him in Jagannatha Puri.
Safigopdngdstra-pdrsada may also refer to Sri Caitanya's form as
Sri Krsna, which He showed to His intimate devotees. This form has
beautiful limbs decorated with ornaments, such as the Kaustubha
gem, which function like weapons because they cut the knot of egoic
identity by attracting one s attention toward Sri Krsna. The Lord's
ornaments are also associates; they are persons and naturally, of
course, devotees.
The sentence yajnaih safikirtana-prdyair yajanti hi su-medhasah
means that although the Vedas recommend many processes for wor
shiping the Supreme Lord, in Kaliyuga the wise worship Him pri
marily through sacrifice of the self in complete [sam] kirtana of His
Holy Names. The prefix sam carries the sense of "altogether" and
"completion." Thus, it can imply both congregational chanting and
chanting in which the self is completely offered.
The main point is that such chanting should not be enacted from
the egoic position of independent doership. When consciousness
is fully turned toward its Source, the name self-manifests to con
sciousness as identical with Bhagavan. In such complete kirtana,
the devotee transcends all sense of being a "chanter of the name;"
rather, it is the Absolute Consciousness that manifests to the indi
vidual consciousness in the form of the Name. The power of kirtana
to transport one beyond egoic identity or egoic chanting is gener
ally enhanced by the congregational experience, and hence, the two
meanings of the prefix are complementary. Egoic chanting, how
ever, can be held to, or sometimes even strengthened, in a group
setting, such as when it is undertaken simply as a form of enter
tainment or to impress others with one's musicianship. Therefore,
whether alone or in a group, kirtana should involve the complete
offering of the self, including the totality of awareness, feeling, vital
force, and intent. This is the true import of sahkirtana.
The present age is called Kali, or the age of strife, quarrel, dis
sension, contention, deception, and war. Such characteristics are
prevalent at present whether within a family or among neighbors,
co-workers, or states. The antidote to such a temperament is love.
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahklr
and the purpose to be achieved by understanding it. Different peo
ple have different goals, and different qualifications are needed
to achieve those goals. Therefore, the book must also describe the
qualifications required to study it. Sambandha refers to the relation
between the book and the subject it intends to elucidate. In modern
books this discussion is usually covered in the introduction.
Srila Jiva Gosvami begins his mahgaldcarana with a quotation
from Srimad Bhdgavatam and not with a verse of his own composi
tion. By doing so, he shows his reverence for Srimad Bhdgavatam
and his surrender to the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
for whom Srimad Bhdgavatam was the supreme scriptural authority.
Srila Jiva Gosvami also implies that in the SatSandarbhas he will ana
lyze the Bhdgavatam and show it to be the culmination of all other
scriptures. In addition, this verse establishes that his worshipable
Deity is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Karabhajana Rsi speaks this verse in response to Maharaja
Nimi's question about Bhagavan's color and name and the pre
scribed methods for His worship in the various yugas. He describes
Bhagavan's avatdra in Kaliyuga, and in so doing, he indirectly
reveals that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krsna, the original
complete Absolute Truth, Bhagavan.
Krsna-varna indicates one who describes the pastimes of Sri
Krsna to others, or who always chants "Krsna, Krsna." Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu certainly meets this criterion for being krsna-varna.
Varna also means "class" or "category." So, krsna-varna may also
refer to one who is of the same class as Krsna. Sri Krsna Caitanya
Mahaprabhu is krsna-varna in this sense too, because He is non-
different from Sri Krsna. Varna also means "letter" or "word," and
thus krsna-varna also indicates one whose name has the word Krsna
in it — in this case, Sri Krsna Caitanya.
Other meanings of varna are "fame," "form," "outward appear
ance," "quality," and "ritual." One may apply all these meanings
to the phrase krsna-varna, and in all cases the meanings point to
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For example, krsna-varna may be
understood as one whose fame is identical to that of Krsna's, or one
whose form is of the same constitution as Krsna's.
 I Mangalacarana
invocation. Srila Jiva GosvamI nonetheless performs mangalaca
rana, following in the footsteps of the previous dcdryas, and setting
an ideal example for his readers.
Mangaldcarana is of three types and may have one or more
verses. The three types are:
1. Namas-kriydtmaka, offering obeisances to ones teacher(s) or
worshipful deity, or to both.
2. Aslr-vdddtmaka, invoking Bhagavan's blessings upon the work or
upon the readers, or exclaiming simply "All glories to the Lord!"
3. Vastu-nirdesatmaka, identifying the books primary subject.
The mangaldcarana also points out four essential elements of a
book, called anubandha-catustaya:
In the beginning of an educational text, four elements must cer
tainly be enumerated: the criteria of eligibility for study of the book
(adhikari), the relation between the book [as signifier of its subject]
and the subject itself [as the signified] (samhandha), the subject to
be known through the investigative inquiry (visaya or abhidheya),
and the books purpose (prayojana) [i.e., the value to be actualized
by the reader / inquirer through assimilation of the teaching].^
The purpose of delineating these four items is to inspire interest
in the mind of the reader, as Sri Kumarila Bhatta states in his Sloka-
vdrttika:
Only upon acquaintance with a book's explicit intent (siddhartha)
and its specific relation (samhandha) with that intent, does a reader
undertake to study the book. Therefore, samhandha and prayojana
must be stated at the beginning of an educational text. (Sloka-
vdrttika 1.1.17)^
A sensitive reader will not take interest in studying a book
unless he or she clearly knows the subject described in the book
^ adhikari ca sambandho visayas ca prayojanam
avasyam eva vaktavyam sastradau tu catustayam
^ siddhdrtharhjhata-sambandham sroturh srotd pravartate
sastradau tena vaktavyah samhandha sa-prayojanah
6 11
1 Homage to the Inaugurator of Sankirtana
which begins with cooperation. That also is the implied meaning
of sankirtana, since true sankirtana is not possible without the coop
eration and surrender of the individual egos of the participants for
the pleasure of the Supreme Person.
The fact that sankirtana is primary means that even if one wor
ships the Lord by another process, it must be accompanied by the
chanting of His names. Sri Caitanya inaugurated this process and
is thus called the father of the sankirtana movement. The word su-
medhasah means "those endowed with discriminating wisdom." The
implication is that those of lesser discrimination will worship Bha-
gavan in other ways, while those altogether bereft of discrimina
tion will oppose the validity of sankirtana. Sankirtana is very dear
to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He Himself was always absorbed in
sankirtana, and He enjoined all others to participate, declaring it the
universal remedy for the defects of Kaliyuga. Sukadeva GosvamI
c o n fi r m s t h i s :
My dear King, although Kaliyuga is an ocean of faults, it has one
supreme virtue: Simply by chanting the names of Krsna one can
become free from material identification and attain the transcen
dental state. Whatever result was obtained in Satyayuga by med
itating on Visnu, in Tretayuga by performing sacrifices, and in
Dvaparayuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet, can be obtained in
Kaliyuga simply by kirtana of Sri Hari. (sb 12.3.51-52)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami s worshipful Deity is Sri Caitanya Mahapra
bhu. Therefore, he begins his comprehensive literary undertaking
by quoting a verse about Sri Caitanya from Srimad Bhdgavatam, the
supreme scriptural authority in the matter of the Complete Reality,
Svayaih Bhagavan. This mangaldcarana verse is thus of the vastu-
nirdesdtmaka variety, identifying the book's primary subject.
^ kaler dosa-nidhe rdjann asti hy eko mahdn gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-safigah param vrajet
krte yad dhydyato visnurh tretdydm yajato makhaih
dvdpare paricarydydm kalau tad dhari-kirtandt
Anuccheda 2
Homage to Sri Krsna Caitanya
II ? II
In Kaliyuga we take shelter of Sri Krsna Caitanya through full
participation of the self in complete kirtana [sarh-kirtana] and
other forms of devotion. He is golden without, while conceal
ing His blackish complexion within, and He has revealed the
transcendental majesty of His bodily limbs and of His integral
associates.
Commentary
Here Srila Jiva GosvamI explains the meaning of the opening
verse. Sri Krsna, whose complexion is blackish, covered Himself
with the golden complexion of Srimati Radharani to appear in Kali
yuga as Krsna Caitanya. He is the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan,
but His purpose is to model how devotion is to be enacted by per
fectly embodying it in His own being. For this reason it is not readily
apparent that He is Bhagavan, and so Srlmad Bhagavatam describes
Him as "the hidden avatdra" Alternatively, the words antah krsnam
bahir gauram may be taken to mean not that Sri Caitanya is black
ish within and golden without, but that He is Krsna within though
outwardly appearing as Caura, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila JIva
Cosvami also indicates here that one can be devotionally attuned to
1 2
Anuccheda 1
Homage to the Inaugurator of Sahkirtana
In the Age of Kali, the Supreme Absolute [Bhagavan] appears
within this world with a non-blackish complexion and con
stantly sings or describes the names of Krsna, accompanied
by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential compan
ions. Those endowed with discriminating wisdom worship the
Absolute in this form primarily through sacrifice of the self in
complete [samyak] kirtana (singing the names of God), involving
the totality of one s being, (sb 11.5.32)^
Commentary
In Vedic culture every undertaking begins with an invocation,
technically called mangaldcarana. The purpose is to invoke the
blessings of one's worshipful deity for the removal of all obstacles
to the completion of the work. The Sri Sat Sandarhhas are a detailed
treatise on the Complete Absolute known as Bhagavan, making
evident the transcendental nature of His name, form, qualities,
abode, divine acts, and associates and pure devotion to Him. As
such, it is already all-auspicious by nature, and hence needs no
^ krsna-varnam tvisdkrsnam sangopdngdstra-pdrsadam
yajnaih safikirtana-prdyair yajanti hi sumedhasah
5
 2 Homage to Sri Krsna Caitanya

Sri Krsna Caitanya through full participation of the self in complete

klrtana (sarh-kirtana).
Darsitangadi-vaibhava means that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
manifested His opulence through His limbs and integral associates.
His body was so beautiful that just by seeing Him, people would
be inspired to surrender to Him. He also manifested His majesty
through Nityananda Prabhu and other associates, who preached
the chanting of the Holy Name. This phrase can also mean that Sri
Caitanya manifested the greatness of His associates by engaging
them in distributing love of God.
By using the plural pronoun in the clause "we take shelter of
Sri Krsna Caitanya," Srila Jiva Gosvami includes the readers of the
Sri Sat Sandarhhas. He invites them to join him in taking shelter
of Sri Caitanya by full participation in sankirtana, the transcenden
tal means that self-discloses Bhagavan and establishes the integral
self in the permanent state of unconditional love. By using the plu
ral form, Sri Jiva also implies that Sri Caitanyas teachings are not
limited to a particular sect or nationality.
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami has described his wor-
shipable Deity, which is a vastu-nirdesdtmaka-mangaldcarana.
Additionally, the author says that he takes shelter, which is an
act of namaskdra. So in this sense, it is also a namas-kriydtmaka-
mangaldcarana. Next, he performs dslrvdddtmaka-mafigaldcarana,
invoking auspiciousness by declaring the glories of his spiritual
teachers.

13
Anuccheda 3
Homage to Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis
All glories to Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis who reside in
the land of Mathura. They have engaged me in writing this book
to broadcast the essential truth (tattva) regarding Bhagavan.
Commentary
Here Srila JIva GosvAMi explains his reason for composing the
Sat Sandarbhas. He is doing it at the behest of his spiritual teachers,
Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, who are also his uncles. Jiva Gosvami
studied under them, and they asked him to compile their teachings
into a book for the benefit of all. This request is indicated by the
word jndpakau, which literally means "those who are inspired to
teach others."
Previously Rupa and Sanatana were famous in Bengal as minis
ters of Hussein Shah. Now they are glorious in the land of Math
ura, which is itself glorious, being the place of Sri Krsna's pastimes.
To be glorious in this land means to be endowed with the wealth of
krsna-prema, love of God, which is the rarest attainment. To distin
guish this opulence, Jiva Gosvami adds the honorific "Srila" before
their names. "Srila" signifies that Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis are
endowed with transcendental knowledge, non-attachment, devo
tion, and love of God. Srila Jiva Gosvami prays that through the Sat
14
Invocations
Anucchedas i-y
An undertaking such as the composition of the Sat Sandarbhas,
which are a systematic elaboration of theistic Vedanta, cannot be
simply a function of the dialectical mind. In this enterprise, ratio
nal mind is merely an instrument for the linguistic revelation of
truth. Without immediate apperception of the truth (aparoksa-
anubhuti), metaphysical speculation, however thorough and pen
etrating, must remain within the sphere of intellectual thought
construction (kalpand). It is in recognition of this fact that enlight
ened sages and authors of the past realized the need to first attune
their awareness to the conscious source before initiating the writ
ing process. In this way, the truth that was intended to be disclosed
would shine through their psyche of its own accord, with no per
sonal sense of "doership" or egoic self-appropriation on the part of
t h e a u t h o r.
The composition of a mangaldcarana, or "auspicious invoca
tions," at the beginning of philosophical works, is a method by
which the author s consciousness is linked with his or her worship
ful deity and the line of masters. In the deeper sense, it is thus
self-surrender, or dying to the separate self-sense, which allows
for the self-revelation and pervasion of the light of the Absolute.
In this way, mangaldcarana is to be understood not as mere eulogy,
but as a conscious process by which illumination, or a higher cog
nitive mode of knowing, becomes available to the writer. Manga
ldcarana is thus a key to transpersonal authorship (apauruseyatva),
discussed later in the text.
3
 t d a
M
•T* Si- f D
f D
P
r - f
p - fD O*
<
l-J
CD P

a. <
C/5 f D
r-t- P - i - i
0 ) f D
P - p i
c r O
1-+^
g. 13-
CO
p i - a P o
•C/5 p
p r - f
P «✓» a
CO
• a a . "fD*
p a -
fD ft
n g: CO K
o f t
o 2 P a OQ
f D

12 f D p 3
f D P i f t i-S

a P
3
3 o a
(—h f t
W i - h a
p
a r f t
a - p
o 11^ n*
r V P

. ,
c r a*
o OQ 3
f D o

a " a*
r + fD eils,
n
|D- f D
P a •Co f t
r-t- a r
p P p
• f t f D
c r f t
f D CO
o C/5 r +
p
f D 1-1
P a
f D
a o
P p - CO* a
w >—>
3 p
f D o
-•<
r-t- a - P
P 2.
a r a
f D P - P a
(✓) f t
c r f D

o 3
( V P i
o n
a r <
j-t CO* p a
Anuccheda 4

The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas

Sr! Gopala Bhatta GosvAmi, a friend of Sri Rupa and Sri Sana- I Mahgalacarana
tana, born in a South Indian brdhmana family, compiled the orig
inal version of this book after extracting the essence from the
works of ancient Vaisnava masters.

Commentary

SrIla Gopala Bhatta GosvamI was the son of Vyehkata Bhatta,

the head priest of the Rahganatha Temple in Srirangam, where
the Sri Vaisnava sect has its headquarters. It was in Vyehkata's
home that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed for four months of the
rainy season during His tour of South India in 1513. There, He and
Vyehkata discussed philosophy, as is known from the Caitanya-
caritdmrta, Madhya-lild, Chapter 9, and the Bhakti-ratndkara, First
Wave. At that time, Gopala Bhatta was a young boy, and he learned
the intricacies of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy directly from Sri
Caitanya. Later he studied the writings of the eminent Vaisnavas
of the Sri-sampradaya. On Sri Caitanyas order, Gopala Bhatta
later moved to Vrndavana, where he established the temple of Sri
Radha-Ramana. He is one of the great authorities on Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu s teachings.

16
 Introductioi]
Special Gratitude
My spiritual journey began with iskcon at the Detroit temple.
It was through the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Srila Prabhupada that I became acquainted with Sri Jiva
Gosvami and his works. When I read about the Sat Sandarbhas, it
awakened in me an intense desire to study them. It was a long
journey over many years before this desire could be actualized. I
want to acknowledge my gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for leading
me to the study of the works of Sri Jiva Gosvami, especially the Sat
Sandarbhas. I shall remain indebted to him forever.
x l
4 The Source of the Sri Sat Sandarbhas
As we shall learn further on, the venerable Vaisnavas that Srila
Jiva Gosvami refers to here as sources for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
include Sri Ramanujacarya, Sri Madhvacarya, and Sridhara Svami.
Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami culled the essence from the works
of these previous dcdryas and Vaisnava scholars, and then com
posed a book explaining the essential truths about Krsna, the Sup
reme Person. That book is the basis for the present work. In this
way, Jiva Gosvami hints at the authenticity of his work, for by
basing it on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami s book, he implies that
the work is authoritative, free of concocted ideas. Unfortunately,
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami s book, which formed the basis of the Sat
Sandarbhas, is no longer extant.
17
Anuccheda 5
Homage to Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami
Some parts of this first book by Gopala Bbatta Gosvami were in
order, some were out of order, while other parts were incom
plete or missing. After thorough deliberation, Sri Jiva now
rewrites this book in the appropriate order.
Commentary
The question may arise, "If Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had already
composed a work on this subject, why would Rupa and Sanatana
have engaged Jiva Gosvami in compiling a similar work?" Jiva
Gosvami replies in this verse: His mission is to complete the task
that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami began and to set the material in proper
order. In the previous two verses, Jiva Gosvami has already estab
lished that his work is not a product of his imagination but is based
on the authority of the scriptures and previous dcdryas. From this
verse it appears that the work of Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami did
not take the final shape of a book, but was in the form of notes,
technically called kadacd, and so was not arranged systematically.
By using the word jivaka, Jiva Gosvami makes a pun on his own
name. Jivaka means "a petty being," or else it can be taken as the
name of the author. Out of humility the author refers to himself
Dedication
vraja-bhaktireva veddntah sri-gaura eva radhakantah
prakhydpito yena rdddhdntah rdtvidam mudarh tasya svdntah
Loving service to Bhagavan Sri Krsna in the mood of the Vraja gopis
is the ultimate conclusion of all the Vedas and Vedic literature. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is indeed Krsna, the beloved of Radha. May
this book delight the heart of my guru, who clearly disclosed this
unequivocal truth unto me.
This book is dedicated to my guru Sri Sri 108 Sri Srotriya
Bhagavad-nistha Srimad Haridasa Sastri Maharaja Nava-tirtha,
an ideal example of a devotee and dcdrya.
I bow down at the holy feet of my Gurudeva. He taught me with
great love most of the works of Sri Rupa, Sanatana and Jiva Gosvami,
and other Gaudiya dcdryas. The Sat Sandarbhas were the first works
I studied under him. He was a great admirer of the Gosvamis, not
only through words but by being a strict adherent of their teachings.
He was a living example of Gaudiya Vaisnava theology and philoso
phy. Thus, I learned from him not only during his discourses, but
also through being with him, seeing him deal with various life situa
tions, and serving in the gosdld and elsewhere. It is he who inspired
me to propagate this knowledge by making it available in English.
 Introduction
birth and death) is the ultimate goal, enabling the highest degree of
completion of the conscious self.
(8) The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda.
(9) It is not possible to understand the true meaning of the
Vedas without studying the Itihasas and Puranas.
(10) Absolute Reality is realized by conscious attunement of
one's heart with that of one's spiritual teacher.
(11) Sri Sahkaracarya, who is Siva and thus a devotee of Sri
Krsna, did not comment on Bhdgavata Purdna lest it displease
Bhagavan.
(12) Sridhara Svami wrote his famous commentary, Bhdvdrtha-
dipikd, with an Advaitic slant to attract the followers of Advaitavada
to Bhdgavata Purdna and to the path of bhakti.
In conclusion, it may be said that Tattva Sandarbha lays the
foundation for entry into the subject matter of Bhdgavata Purdna,
a detailed analysis of which follows in the rest of the Sandarbhas.
It does so particularly by providing the epistemological viewing
frame through which Bhagavan is directly intuited, devotionally
served, and established ultimately as the supreme object of divine
love.
X X X V l l l
Homage to Sri GopMa Bhatta GosvamI
here in the third person. The suffix kan is used in this context in a
diminutive sense, to indicate that a humble being is writing.
As jivdnugas (followers) of Srila Jiva GosvamI, we may prefer to
interpret jivaka in other ways. We may, for example, apply the def
inition, "One who induces living beings to emit ecstatic sounds by
supplying them with the esoteric meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam
[through his Sat Sandarbhas] is known as jlvaka" {jlvdn kdpayati
bhdgavatdrtha-praddndndenetijivakah). Or, alternatively, "One who
explains the inherent nature of the jiva, his unconditional relation
with Bhagavan, the process by which such a relation can be actual
ized, and the completion stage of such actualization, is known as
jivaka" (jiva-svarupa-sambandhabhidheya-prayojandn kdyati varna-
yatitijivakah). Or even, "One who infuses life into living beings by
giving them love of Krsna is known as jiva or, equivalently, jivafca"
(jivayatijivdn krsna-prema-praddnenetijivo,jiva eva jivaka iti svdrthe
kan). Finally, the word jivaka may also be formed by applying to the
root Vjiv the suffix -aka in the sense of "blessing." In this case, jivaka
means "the person who confers blessings on the living entities."
19

Anuccheda 6
Eligibility of the Reader
This book may be studied only by one whose sole aspiration is
to worship the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. All others are forewarned
as to the implications of this investigation.
Commentary
Here Srila Jiva GosvamI defines the adhikari, the person eligible
to read the Sri Sat Sandarbhas. It is clear from this statement that Sri
Jiva is writing specifically for those whose sole, or primary, desire
is to serve Sri Krsna. To all others a warning is extended. From the
perspective of the modern objective reader, this appears to be quite
a daunting statement. If taken at face value, it would demand from
the very outset a view of Reality that is meant to be elicited only
through final assimilation of the teaching. Such an uncompromis
ing assertion would effectively rule out the relevance of impartial
philosophical investigation or study of the text for the purpose of
comparative evaluation. In other words, it would deny the possibil
ity of its own message having any bearing on consciousness save for
those whose consciousness is already so turned.
If such were the case, there would have been no need for Jiva
GosvamI to explain his metaphysics in relation to the other major
systems of Indian philosophy. That he did so consistently clearly
2 0
Introduction
A Few Points To Be Gleaned from Tattva Sandarbha
(1) Sri Jiva Gosvami takes a bold step in assigning Bhdgavata Parana
as the highest pramdna for his study of tattva. Jiva Gosvami, follow
ing Gaitanya Mahaprabhu, recognizes Bhdgavata Purdna as the
natural explanation of Veddnta-sutra by Vyasa Himself. There
fore, he does not attempt to comment on Veddnta-sutra. In Krama-
sandarbha and Paramdtma Sandarbha, Sri Jiva traces the meaning of
some of the seminal sutras that he finds embedded in the first verse.
He does this to corroborate his view that Bhdgavata Purdna explains
Veddnta-sutra. When Jiva Gosvami says that Bhdgavata Purdna is a
commentary on Veddnta-sutra, he obviously does not mean that it
is a traditional commentary, but that it contains the meaning of the
sutras}^
(2) The first verse of Bhdgavata Purdna is an explanation of the
Gayatri mantra.
(3) Bhdgavata Purdna is the sonic representation of Sri Krsna
Himself and thus intrinsically endowed with the power to reveal
Him. It was, therefore, able to attract the consciousness of a
Brahman-realized sage like Suka, establishing him at once in the
yet deeper state of devotional love. In other words, for Jiva Gosvami,
Bhdgavata Purdna is not just another book, but the Supreme Person
Himself in the form of sound, sabda.
(4) Bhdgavata Purdna is eternal, meaning that it is without orig
ination. It was not composed by Vyasa but only manifested to Him
in the state of samddhi.
(5) It has 335 chapters, a fact which is significant primarily in
terms of authenticating three important chapters considered by
some as interpolated.
(6) All ten subjects of Bhdgavata Purdna can be found in every
one of its cantos.
(7) Prema (divine love) and not mukti (release from the cycle of
Sri Haridasa Sastrl Maharaja compiled a book entitled Vedanta-darsana in which
jr he identifies which Bhdgavata Purdna verses correspond to each of the sutras of
Ve d d n t a - s u t r a .
X X X V l l
 Introduction
proper. He first cites the second verse of the Bhdgavata, which
states that the truth to be investigated in the Bhagavata is the
Immutable Reality, vdstava-vastu^"^ (Anuccheda 50). The nature of
this Reality is outlined in the vadanti verse (sb 1.2.11) from which
this Sandarbha derives its name. This Reality, tattva, is specified as
nondual consciousness (advaya-jfidna) and is known by the names
of Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan.
To help the reader directly intuit this transrational truth, Jiva
Gosvami first portrays it through reference to the individual, or
vyasti, point of view, and then from the aggregate, or samasti, point
of view. This strategy is adopted because in the investigation of
anything unknown, knowledge systems generally begin with ref
erence to what is already known or available to conscious exami
nation. The first thing available to the examiner is his or her own
consciousness (vyasti-nirdesa). From the careful inspection of indi
vidual consciousness through the self-illuminating light of Srlmad
Bhdgavatam, the nature of the Supreme or Source Consciousness is
made evident (Anucchedas 50-55).
The next thing available to the examiner is the cosmos, or in
other words, phenomena. This involves the operation of the laws
that determine the cosmic order. Ultimate Reality may also be intu
ited with reference to these universals (samasti-nirdesa), as being
their ultimate Source and Shelter (Anucchedas 56-63).
This ultimate Shelter, or dsraya, is the foundation and support
of both the individual living beings as well as the aggregate order
in the form of cosmic and supracosmic energies. This dsraya is the
tattva with which Bhdgavata Purdna is solely concerned. There are
ten primary topics described in Bhdgavata Purdna, The first nine
items are discussed simply to elucidate the tenth, which is dsraya.
Sri Jiva describes all the ten items as listed by Sukadeva in the Sec
ond Canto, and by Suta in the Twelfth Canto, identifying the tenth
i t e m a s S r i K r s n a . O n t h i s n o t e h e c o n c l u d e s h i s fi r s t S a n d a r b h a .
There are two types of vastu (reality), namely, vdstava and avdstava. Vdstava is the 15
unchanging Reality (Bhagavan), whereas avdstava is the changing reality (jagat).
x x x v i
6 Eligibility of the Reader
shows that this work is meant to serve for the highest kind of meta
physical consideration. By presenting Bhagavan and bhakti in the
broadest possible philosophical context throughout the Sandarbhas,
he has made possible the turning of consciousness toward that Real
ity for those not already predisposed in that way. This would seem
to contradict his own admonition.
So, Jiva Cosvami's statement is not to be interpreted in a dog
matic or absolutistic sense. Rather, it is intended to signal to
the reader in no uncertain terms that what is at stake here is the
entirety of being and not armchair philosophy. It is not for mere
intellectual stimulation, nor is it a presentation of ideas to be appro
priated or rejected through ratiocination. The entire being must be
available to the investigation; otherwise, the Truth that it intends
to disclose will remain hidden, since that Truth lies beyond the
knowing capacity of the mind alone. So the reader is alerted as to
the seriousness of the study.
Furthermore, the statement specifies that the Truth to be self-
disclosed through submission of consciousness to the investigation
is Bhagavan. Consequently, even the beginning of the inquiry is
based upon a prior devotional turning of consciousness toward its
Source, so that the inquiry itself becomes nondifferent in function
and essence from the completed realized state. In other words, the
inquiry itself should be rooted in a trans-egoic view; otherwise,
one need not bother. Therefore, the admonition can indirectly be
taken as an invitation to the sensitive reader to suspend the ego-
referencing function that predisposes one to forgetfulness of one's
true Self and the sense of independence or separation from one's
Source. The reader is thus alerted that this book is not simply to be
read from a detached or non-participatory stance; rather, it must be
entered into and received from the core of being, or consciousness
itself, beyond the conventional egoic reference.
In other words, the author is implying that Ultimate Reality can
not be investigated from a purely objective perspective, divorced
from the subjectivity of the researcher, as is the custom of the sci
entific community. The effort of science to unravel and encompass
reality in an entirely objective manner has reached a dead-end, as
2 1
 I Mangalacarana
evidenced by the studies in the field of quantum mechanics. There
too, it had to be admitted that subjectivity, or the mere act of con
scious observation, tends to exert an influence on the phenomena
observed. Sri Jiva indirectly seems to presage this.
In Bhagavad Gltd, Sri Krsna imposed a similar restriction on
Arjuna:
This confidential knowledge is never to be explained to one who is
not prepared to undergo spiritual discipline, or to one who is devoid
of devotion, or to one who is not wholeheartedly inquisitive, or to
one who is envious of Me. (gIta is.evY
As a further specification of the criteria of eligibility to enter
this study, Jiva GosvamI uses the word eka (solely) as a qualifier of
the word bhajana, the devotional turning of consciousness in whole-
bodied^ worship. In his Sarva-samvadini, he glosses this word eka
as "primary." This means that this study is to be taken up only by
one whose prime aspiration is for bhajana (loving service) alone
and nothing else. All other desires are subservient to this primary
intention. If one side of Jiva Gosvami s warning is directed toward
those who would approach his work as mere intellectual exercise,
the corresponding admonition is directed toward practitioners who
presume themselves to be already surrendered but who still har
bor egoic self-reference and self-interest. In this case, the appar
ent outward allegiance to exoteric religion is the cloak with which
^ idam te ndtapaskdya ndbhaktdya kaddcana
na cdsusrusave vdcyarh na ca mdm yo'bhyasuyati
^ The term "whole-bodied" worship implies that all faculties of being, including
the physical body (anna-maya-kosa), the vital-emotional body (prdna-maya-kosa),
the mental body (mano-maya-kosa), and ultimately consciousness itself
(vijndna-maya-kosa), should be turned toward Bhagavan in worship. Essentially
worship, if it is not just superficial, is an act of consciousness, a devotional
turning of consciousness (sdmmukhya); yet, for it to be complete, it should
involve and translate into all aspects of individual selfhood, and hence, it should
be "whole-bodied" worship.
Note: In Vaisnava siddhdnta, vijndna-maya-kosa refers to the dtmd (consciousness
itself) and dnanda-maya-kosa refers to Paramatma (see Govinda-bhdsya 3.13.12-15).
This view is distinguished from that of Advaita Vedanta wherein
vijndna-maya-kosa refers to the intellectual or wisdom body and
dnanda-maya-kosa to the causal or bliss body, or to Brahman itself.
2 2
Introduction
the book and are meant to be the guiding principles for the correct
interpretation of Bhdgavata Purdna.
Before composing Bhdgavata Purdna, Vyasa entered the uncon
ditional awareness of devotional samddhi, and in that state Sri Krsna
along with His energies were self-revealed to Him. Vyasa directly
perceived Krsnas extrinsic energy called mdyd, which was apart
from, yet supported by Him. He also saw that the individual living
being, suffering due to the influence of mdyd, can obtain release
by complete absorption in the yoga of devotion, bhakti-yoga, to Sri
Krsna. Equipped with this direct vision, Vyasa then composed
Bhdgavata Purdna to make this knowledge available to suffering
humanity (Anucchedas 32-48).
In the midst of this exposition, Sri Jiva refutes the Advaita-
vada doctrines of pratibimba-vdda (the theory of reflection) and
pariccheda-vdda (the theory of limitation), which argue that an indi
vidual living being is nothing but Brahman conditioned by mdyd.
According to Bhdgavata theology, the individual living beings are
real and eternal integrated parts of the conscious energy of the
Supreme Person, just as a ray of sunlight is part of the sun s energy.
Vyasa first taught Bhdgavata Purdna to His son, Suka. Even
though Suka was indifferent to material life from his very birth,
being absorbed in the bliss of Brahman, the Bhdgavata drew his
consciousness out of and beyond immersion in the Self, disclosing
the still more rarefied state of prema. It was due to this transforma
tion that Suka studied the Bhdgavata from his father. This incident
demonstrates the excellence of the Bhdgavata — that it discloses a
Reality (i.e., Bhagavan) that both includes and transcends Brahman
(Anuccheda 49). In this way, Sri Jiva verifies that the realization
of Vyasa, the author, and of Sukadeva, its primary speaker, is one
and the same. Therefore, the meaning of Bhdgavata Purdna should
be ascertained in the light of their common understanding. This is
the litmus test: Any meaning contrary to this will be improper and
misleading.
After determining the core truths of sambandha, abhidheya,
and prayojana from the viewing frame of immediate perception
(aparoksa-anubhava), Sri Jiva begins the elaboration of ontology
X X X V
 6 Eligibility of the Reader

such practitioners hide from themselves the internal state of non-

surrender and contraction away from God.
So, the warning is extended even to those who are merely
egoically oriented toward the service of Sri Krsna, appropriating
devotion for personal ambition. Such individuals also need not
bother to take up the study, because the ego-reference will from the
very outset prevent any possibility of immediate and true knowing.
But again, as suggested above, the admonition may serve to alert
the sensitive practitioner to see through their own ego-patterning
and identity as a prerequisite for undertaking this study. Simply
stated, the prior devotional turning of consciousness toward its
Source, Sri Krsna, is the precondition for the self-revelation and
immediate knowing of that Reality.
At the same time, Srila Jiva Gosvami hints that in the Sri Sat
Sandarbhas, he will establish unconditional devotion to Sri Krsna
as the supreme goal of life.

23
Anuccheda 7

Homage to the Teachers

After offering obeisances to my initiating guru and to those

spiritual teachers who taught me the meaning of Srimad Bhdga-
vatam, I wish to write this book called Sri Bhdgavata Sandarbha.

Commentary

After extending reverence to his teachers, Srila Jiva Gosva-

mi names his book. He calls it Sri Bhdgavata Sandarbha, because
he intends to explain the essential meanings of the Bhdgavata
Parana (Srimad Bhdgavatam). To explain the term sandarbha, Srila
Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes a well-known verse of unknown
origin:

A literary work that discloses the confidential meaning of a sub

ject, incorporates its essence, explains the superiority of the sub
ject, elaborates its various meanings, and is inherently worthy of
study is called a sandarbha by learned scholars.^

The Bhdgavata Sandarbha is also called Sat Sandarbha because

it contains six books — the Tattva, Bhagavat, Paramdtma, Krsna,
^ gudharthasya prakdsas ca sdroktih syesthatd tathd
ndndrtha-vattvarh vedyatvarh sandarbhah kathyate budhaih

24
 7 Homage to the Teachers

Bhakti, and Priti Sandarbhas. Each Sandarbha is an analysis of the

subject stated in the title, and each is based on Srlmad Bhdgava-
tam. Srila Jiva Gosvami also wrote a verse-by-verse commentary on
Srimad Bhdgavatam called Krama Sandarbha, and this is sometimes
referred to as the seventh Sandarbha.
Vaisnava scholars and others have written many essays and trea
tises on Srimad Bhdgavatam, but these six works stand among them
as the most exhaustive exposition of its theology and philosophy.
Thus, it is clear that Srila Jiva Gosvami is perfectly justified in giving
the title Sandarbha to his work.

In the next anuccheda, while invoking blessings upon his read

ers, Jiva Gosvami implicitly suggests the subject matter of the Sat
Sandarbhas, the means presented in the book for actualization of the
goal, and the goal itself, which is the end-state to be actualized.
 II Pramana

for acquiring transcendental knowledge. It must be stated that

the basis of sabda is divine perception, known as vaidusa-pratyaksa,
wherein the vaidusa, or "trans-egoic perceiver" includes both God
and the realized perfected beings. Thus, when sabda is determined
as superior to perception, it means superior to avaidusa-pratyaksa,
or sensuous perception, and it specifically relates to the field of the
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas
transempirical.
Like other adherents of India's orthodox philosophical tradi
tions, Srila Jiva Gosvami equates sabda-pramana with the Vedas. Anuccheda 8
The Vedas alone can disclose knowledge of the spiritual Reality,
which lies beyond our sensory perception. As explained in the next
anuccheda, the Vedas are not human constructs; they are a direct A seed-conception is a concise statement, generally expressed in
manifestation of the Supreme Sri Narayana {vedo ndrdyanah sdksdt, poetic, aphoristic, or benedictory form that encapsulates the nature
SB 6.1.40), who is free from all defects. of the Reality to be realized. Implicit in the seed-formulation are
In Sarva-sarhvddini, while discussing the principle of sabda- the core truths regarding that Reality, that are to be made explicit
pramdna, Srila Jiva Gosvami writes: through the elaboration of the text. Jiva Gosvami s verse here in
Anuccheda 8 represents the seed-conception for the Sandarbhas.
Although there are ten means of acquiring knowledge, sabda, We will learn in the next anuccheda that this verse suggests four
which is of the nature of authoritative speech, is primary, because primary topics — visaya, sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana —
it is free from the four human defects. All other means are prone to which are the reality principles (tattva) to be investigated by the
the four human defects and are thus observed to be unreliable. For
author. Thus, upon careful analysis of the ensuing text, it can
this reason an ordinary person is unable to determine whether or
be seen that the theological and philosophical unfoldment of this
not the knowledge gained through them is valid, due to the absence
entire book, and indeed, even of all Six Sandarbhas taken as a unit,
of ultimate validity of those means.^
proceeds from this initial poetic affirmation. It is for this reason
that this verse, which completes the mahgaldcarana, has been set
He further clarifies that sometimes sabda is supremely indepen
dent, sometimes it may be assisted by perception and sometimes apart here from the rest of the invocatory verses because of its
it overrides perception. But perception has no power to contradict unique distinction.
sabda. The seed-formula does not merely describe Reality, but serves to
Arsa. This primarily refers to the statements of authoritative turn or attune consciousness to that Reality directly. In so doing, it
discloses that Reality along with the core truths that are implicit in
sages. There are many exceptional sages, such as Kapila, Gautama,
its meaning. In this case, Jiva Gosvami s utterance is in the form
and Patanjali, who all founded wisdom schools (darsanas). Natu
of a benediction, for the self-revelation of consciousness as love,
rally, their philosophical views differ in accordance with the nature
upon all who are devotionally turned toward the very source of their
^ tathdpi bhrama-pramada-vipralipsd-karandpatava-dosa-rahita-vacandtmakah
being.
sabda eva mulam pramdnam. anyesdm prdyah purusa-bhramddi-dosa-
mayataydnyathd-pratiti-darsanena pramdnam vd tad-dbhdso veti purusair nirnetum
asakyatvdt tasya tad-abhdvdt.

54 27
 II Pramana

existing and self-revealing sound that is transhuman in origin. It

originated from and is identical to the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan.
That it originated from Him means that it eternally exists within
Him as His own self-revealing sound potency, and not that it has a
beginning in time. It is received in disciplic succession through a
realized teacher, who initiates and mirrors the way of its immediate Anuccheda 8

realization. Apauruseya-sabda is, therefore, the definitive pramana

because it is free from the four defects. Homage to Sri Krsna
Some schools of rational or empirical philosophy reject even
the possibility of a transempirical mode of knowing, and hence,
they categorically deny the authority of apauruseya-sabda-pramana.
Those influenced by such views doubt the very existence of a tran
scendental Reality beyond the empirical world. Then there are oth
ers who intuit the existence of such a Reality and may even accept
the principle of hearing apauruseya-sabda-pramana as a means of HIK II

knowing about it. But as long as the root problem of egoic self-
reference remains, they unwittingly endeavor to know the transra-
tional Reality in the same way that they strive to know all phenome
nal objects, through the limited categories of rationality and empiri
cism. This egoic self-reference is so deeply ingrained in the way we
view ourselves and the world that even when a person approaches
the apauruseya-sabda-pramana, he or she unconsciously subjects
it to the limited viewing lens of rational or empirical constructs.
This amounts to the acceptance of one or more pauruseya sources
of sabda-pramana as apauruseya.
Both of these types of individuals are lacking the appropriate
epistemological view that can make possible the direct knowing of
Absolute Reality. Those who doubt any reality beyond the empir
ical world usually favor knowledge gained through their sensory
experience. Yet, they also constantly rely on knowledge imparted
to them through authoritative sound agencies. In our practical day-
to-day life, everyone depends on knowledge transmitted by parents,
teachers, books, magazines, tv, radio, the internet, and numerous
experts.
Hearing from authorities enhances the extent of our learning,
and if we were to dispense with it, we could not function in our
In one feature, Sri Krsna exists as pure consciousness, with
out any manifest characteristics, and is referred to as Brahman
in some portions of the Vedas. In another feature. He expands as
the Purusa, who regulates the extrinsic potency (mayd) by His
many plenary portions. In yet another of His principal forms. He
is Narayana, resplendent in the spiritual sky, VaikunAa. May
that Sri Krsna, the original complete Absolute Truth (Svayaih
Bhagavan), bestow love for Himself on those who worship His
lotus feet in this world.
Commentary
In this statement, Srila Jiva Gosvami has set forth the seed-
conception that enfolds the essential truths of Srlmad Bhdgavatam
that he intends to make explicit in his Sat Sandarbhas, The seed top
ics are clearly spelled out in the next anucccheda as visaya, samba-
ndha, abhidheya, and prayojana. We may consider these briefly
here. The visaya (subject) of the Sat Sandarbhas is stated here to
be none other than the original complete Absolute Truth, Svayaih
Bhagavan, identified as Sri Krsna. Sambandha refers to the integral

52 2 9
 Mangalacarana
relationship that words share with their meaning or reference. In
Sanskrit linguistics, this is called vacya-vacaka-sambandha, the rela
tion between the signified and its signifier. The idea here is that the
signifying words carry an inherent power to turn consciousness i
toward, or in other words, to reveal, that which they signify. By j
the words sa sri-krsnah, Jiva Gosvami clearly identifies Sri Krsna as ^
the signified Reality of which his book is the linguistic symbol or vj
signifier.
Abhidheya (lit., "that which is to be enacted") refers to the means
for realizing the signified Reality, Sri Krsna. In this case, the words I
tat-pada-bhajam indicate the means as pure devotional worship of '
His lotus feet. Prayojana refers to the end-state, or the stage of com
pletion, to be brought about through its actualizing means. In this
case, it refers to transcendental love of God, as indicated by the word I
prema. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami alludes to the four intro
ductory topics indicated in Anuccheda i — the subject of the book,
the book s relation with its purpose, the means of actualizing that
purpose, and the final purpose itself. In the next anuccheda, he
explicitly identifies these four topics as the core truths to be ascer
tained in the text. This then initiates an epistemic inquiry into the
means of valid knowing (pramdna) by which these core truths can n
be definitely determined.
In addition to the above, Sri Jiva Gosvami s statement also con
tains the seed ideas that will be elaborated later in regard to the sub- ^
ject of the text, namely Sri Krsna. The term Svayarh Bhagavan has
been assigned directly to Him. This term is applicable only to the
original and complete Absolute Truth, and not to any partial mani
festation thereof. At the same time, the term implies that the inte- 1^
grated unity that He alone is, includes infinite parts and expansions.
A few of His principal aspects are mentioned here.
In one feature of Sri Krsna, He is manifest as the dazzling self-
effulgence of consciousness alone, without form, qualities, or opu
lences, and is called Brahman in some sections of the Vedas. Some
transcendentalists are drawn to realize the Absolute in this indivisi
ble, formless impersonal aspect, considering It the Ultimate Reality.
This feature of Bhagavan is described in the Taittirlya Upanisad:
3 0
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
1. Proposition (pratijnd): There is a fire on the mountain.
2. Reason (hetu): Because there is smoke.
3. General principle and example (vydpti and drstdnta): Wherever
there is smoke, there is fire, as in the kitchen.
4. Application (upanaya): There is smoke over the mountain.
5. Conclusion (nigamana): Therefore, there is a fire on the
mountain.
Vydpti, the invariable concomitance of the middle term with the
major term, is the key factor in inference. It is called the heart of
anumdna. An object is inferred through its mark, or valid middle
term, which is invariably connected with the major term. The pres
ence of the middle term in the minor term (paksa) is called paksa-
dharmatd. If the observer mistakes clouds over the mountain for
smoke or sees the smoke just after rain has extinguished the fire, his
inference that a fire is burning on the mountain would be wrong.
If there is any error in perceiving the reason or any deviation in
the universal generalization, the inference will be faulty and its
conclusion unreliable. Like pratyaksa, therefore, anumdna is not a
foolproof means of acquiring knowledge. All the limitations that
apply to pratyaksa naturally mar inference as well because of its
dependence on the former.
Sabda. In conventional usage, the word sabda means sound, but
as a pramdna it refers to meaningful articulate sound spoken or writ
ten by an dpta-purusa, a trustworthy person, who is an authority
on the matter in question. In its ultimate sense, the term sabda
refers to the power of self-revealing sound, identical to the tran
scendental Reality that it signifies. By its very nature it is reliable
and free from defects. This kind of sabda differs from ordinary
language, which is rooted in the convention of apparent and sub
stantial separation between subject and object, and which involves
abstractions away from the actual objects signified by the words.
Such ordinary speech is called pauruseya-sabda, speech as a deriva
tive human thought-construct, which is necessarily limited in its
reliability, being based on pratyaksa.
For Srila Jiva Gosvami, sabda-pramdna is restricted to the
revealed knowledge of the Vedas. It is called apauruseya-sabda, self-
51
 II Pramana
such as, "Am I seeing a plane or a bird?" or succumb to illusion, such
as mistaking a rope for a snake.
Anumana. Inference is based on generalized experience. The
word anumana literally means "that which follows (anu) consequen
tially from some other previously established knowledge (mdna),"
Based on repeated experience or authoritative verbal testimony,
one arrives at some general principle, called vydpti (invariable con
comitance). This is the relation between a known object, called
hetu or lifiga, and an unknown object, called sddhya, the object to
be inferred. For example, by seeing smoke, one can infer the pres
ence of fire on the basis of prior knowledge of the invariable con
comitance (vydpti) between smoke and fire. Inference includes the
following three components:
1. Vydpti, knowledge of universal concomitance between the per
ceived mark (lingo) or reason (hetu) and the object to be inferred
(sddhya).
2. Hetu, the perception of the mark or reason in the vicinity.
3. Sddhya, inference of the object in the place indicated by the
mark.
In terms of Western logic, vydpti corresponds to the universal
major premise, hetu to the middle term, sddhya to the major term,
and paksa, or the location where the sddhya is inferred to be, to the
minor term.
Inference is of two kinds: to know for oneself and to facilitate
knowing for others. An example of inference for oneself is the pro
cess of reasoning a person undergoes when he repeatedly observes,
in the kitchen and elsewhere, the concomitance between smoke and
fire and arrives at the general principle, "Wherever there is smoke,
there is fire." Then if he sees smoke issuing from a mountain in the
distance, he may recall the principle and conclude, "There is a fire
on the mountain."
Inference for others employs a five-step syllogistic formula.
After arriving at an inferred conclusion for oneself, a person uses
this method to enable others to infer the same conclusion. The
syllogistic format is as follows:
5 0
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
"Brahman is eternal, conscious, and unlimited" (satyam jhdnam
anantam brahma, tu 2.1.1).
Another aspect of Sri Krsna is His feature of interior regulation,
or immanence, called the Purusa. There are three such Purusa
expansions corresponding to the metacosmic (the causal), the
macrocosmic (the subtle or universal), and the microcosmic (the
^ gross or individual) dimensions of being, respectively. The first
Purusa is Karanodakasayi Visnu, meaning He who lies upon (with
out actually ever touching) the Ocean of Causality. This symbolism
is highly significant, for it indicates that although He is the sup
port for primordial creation. He never actually contacts it directly.
Furthermore, He is the uncaused Source Condition that makes pos
sible the unfolding of the chain of causal events. As such He is the
i Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, of the total material creation. At
this level, the immanent, or regulatory, function is concerned with
the primal or causal cosmic factors that set in motion the evolution
of all forms from out of the sea of infinite possibility. This refers
to the Immanent Self as witness of primordial nature taken as an
integrated whole in its as yet unmanifest condition, i.e., the witness
o f t h e m e t a c o s m i c o r d e r.
1 Of necessity, therefore, there can be only one Karanodakasayi
Visnu expansion, who is thus called Mahavisnu. He is the reser
voir of all living beings who are sheltered in Him. At the outset
of a new creation cycle. He impregnates the material energy with
dtmds, simply through His glance, or in other words, through His
conscious intent, and thus activates the otherwise inert material
energy. The Causal Ocean is considered the boundary between the
/ material and spiritual manifestations. It implies that the spiritual
existence is beyond any material cause and thus unapproachable by
any material means.
The second Purusa is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, meaning "He who
lies within the oceanic womb of universal being." This refers to the
Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, within each of the innumerable
universes. The immanent, or regulatory, function at this level is
concerned with the subtle creative principles that make possible
the development of the individual universes in accordance with the
31
 I Mangalacarana
prior causal matrix that governs their unfolding. This refers to the
Immanent Self as witness of the individual universes, each taken
as an integrated whole, i.e., the witness of the macrocosmic order.
Lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean signifies that He is the seed of the
individual universe.
Garbhodakasayi Visnu is also the source of the various lild-
avatdras who appear within the universe. The word lild-avatdra
literally means a descent of God for the sake of divine play. Through
these divine descents, grace is made available to living beings to
access the true purpose of the universe s unfolding. Like Karano-
dakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu is not directly in contact
with materiality. Rather, He inspires Brahma, who was born from
the lotus flower growing from His own lotus navel, with the knowl
edge and will of how to create. This involves the revelation of
the subtle creative ideation in accordance with which individual
concrete forms come into being.
The third Purusa is Ksirodakasayi Visnu, meaning He who lies
upon the ocean of thickened milk, which symbolically refers to
inner essence, consciousness, and creativity. This implies that He is
the conscious substratum even of consciousness itself. This refers
to the Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, within each and every
life form and indeed within every atom. The immanent, or regula
tory, function at this level involves being the conscious support for
the transmutation of concrete forms, or the evolution of individual
beings. This refers to the Immanent Self as witness of individual
being, i.e., the witness of the microcosmic order.
These three purusdvatdras are also called Sankarsana, Pradyu-
mna, and Aniruddha, respectively. Krsna regulates material nature
through the agency of His purusdvatdras, A summary description of
these three Purusa manifestations is given in Sdtvata-tantra:
Sri Visnu has three forms called Purusas, or the Immanent Self.
The first, Mahavisnu, is He who sets in motion the total material
energy [mahat-tattva], the second is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who
is situated within each egg-like [or womb-like] universe, and the
third is Ksirodakasayi, who is immanent within the heart of every
32
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
of valid knowing because the seer is established in his primordial
Source.^
Sri Krsna refers to pratyaksa in this sense in gita 9.2, when He
says that "this most confidential knowledge is known only through
direct realization in the form of unmediated perception (pratya-
ksdvagama)." And in gita 6.21, Krsna likewise assures Arjuna that
in the state of transcendental trance (samddhi), the yogi comes to
know with utter assurance through supracognitive intellection
and transcendental senses (buddhi-grdhyam atindriyarh vetti). This
supracognitive mode of knowing of enlightened Vaisnavas is called
vaidusa-pratyaksa, divine or realized perception, and it is flawless.
Patanjali refers to it as rtambhard-prajnd, or truth-bearing wisdom,
in Yoga-sutra 1.48.
Perception is of two types, namely, indeterminate (nirvikalpaka)
and determinate (savikalpaka). When a proficient sense faculty
comes in contact with a perceivable object under favorable con
ditions, it relays the sensation to the mind. At the first instance,
the mind is unable to decipher the sensation and only perceives it
as something without any distinction of the object qualified by its
attributes. In this micro instant one knows that there is something
without any clear determination of the object. This is what is meant
by indeterminate knowledge of the object.
The intellect (buddhi) then carries this message to the citta, the
storehouse of all impressions from past experiences, and tries to
match the present perception with a similar impression. It is on
the basis of impressions from the citta that the object is cognized or
rather "re-cognized," giving rise to its determinate knowledge. If,
however, the person is under the influence of the gunas of either
rajas or tamas, then instead of obtaining valid determinate knowl
edge of the object, one acquires doubt or illusory knowledge, respec
tively. Thus, depending upon the influence of sattva, rajas, and
tamas, one can perceive an object accurately, be subjected to doubt,
^ For a furtTier discussion on this topic, read "When Stones Float and Mud Speaks:
Scriptural Authority and Personal Experience in JIva Gosvamin's
Sarva-samvadini," Jonathan Edelmann and Satyanarayana Dasa, Journal of Hindu
Studies, Oxford 2014; p. 1-28.
4 9
 II Pramana
Thus, while the word pratyaksa is generally used to denote ordi
nary perception, it is sometimes used to refer to the actualization
of the direct mode of knowing through conscious identity. For this
reason, in his Sarva-sarhvadinl commentary on this anuccheda, Sri
Jiva Gosvami makes two divisions of pratyaksa, namely, vaidusa or
"divine perception," meaning skilled, flawless, and of the nature of
unconditioned knowing through all-embracing intuition; and avai-
dusa or "sensory perception," meaning unskilled, flawed, and of the
nature of conditioned knowing determined by its objects. Vaidusa-
pratyaksa belongs to God, His associates, and the perfected beings,
while avaidusa-pratyaksa belongs to ordinary humanity. It is the
divine perception that is free of any defects and that forms the basis
of sabda.
Srila Jiva Gosvami will demonstrate later (Anucchedas 29-30)
that both Sri Sukadeva and Srila Vyasadeva were established in
this higher mode of knowing, technically called samadhi. Conse
quently, they directly perceived the complete Reality known as
Bhagavan, along with His abode and associates. For such realized
devotional transcendentalists, even the ordinary sense faculties
are refined and transmuted because of being grounded in transem-
pirical seership. This enables such realizers to transcend the four
defects associated with perception from the conventional viewing
frame of subject-object dualism.
With the exclusion of God and His associates, who have tran
scendental bodies and senses and are thus beyond all duality or delu
sion, the perfected beings are of various types and can be estab
lished in differing levels of perceptual awareness. The topmost tran-
scendentalist (the uttama-bhagavata) sees the world with the eye of
pure devotion. According to gIta e.so and 7.19 and sb 11.2.45, such
a person sees everything as God, or within God, or as a manifesta
tion of God. The next level of transcendentalist sees things exactly
as they are presented to awareness, but knows them as integrated
parts of the complete Whole. He is like a person who sees the sky
as blue, but knows that it is not blue. Pratyaksa in the higher sense
of unmediated knowing can, in some cases, enable direct knowing
even of past or future events. For such persons, pratyaksa is a source
48
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
living being. One who intuitively knows these three is liberated
from conditional existence. (Satvata-tantra 1.30)^
The above discussion concerns the Absolute in Its feature of
immanence. In other words, it shows the Absolute s "in-volvement"
with phenomenal existence, being the conscious context in which
and through which all conditional forms arise and pass away. But
this is to consider the Absolute only in relation to materiality, and
to consider Unity or Nonduality only in contradistinction to phe
nomenal diversity. So the question must be asked, what about the
Absolute in Its feature of transcendence? In other words, what
about the Absolute in Its own inherent being, distinct from the
material world and distinct from our referential power of percep
tion? And concomitantly, if the Absolute is considered in Its own
essence, would that not also imply the possibility of a transphenom-
enal diversity that is simultaneously and inconceivably of the same
nondual nature? This is exactly what is indicated in the next line of
Jiva Gosvaml's statement.
Beyond the material creation is the spiritual sky (para-vyoma),
which contains the various spiritual planets (Vaikunthas). The
chief deity in the spiritual sky is Sri Narayana, a vildsa expansion
of Sri Krsna. Laghu-bhdgavatdmrta defines a vildsa form as follows:
For the purpose of His own divine play, God in His original complete
form self-expands as His own integrated forms [that are essentially
nondifferent from Him]. When a particular self-expansion appears
somewhat different in form from His original form but is virtu
ally identical in quality and potency, it is called a vildsa expansion.
(lbhi.I.IS)^
Sri Krsna in His two-handed form is Svayaih Bhagavan, God
in His original and Absolute completion. This svayarh-rupa is
described in Laghu-bhdgavatdmrta, "That form of God which is
^ visnos tu tfini rupdni purusdkhydny atho viduh
ekam tu mahatah srastr dvitiyaTh tv anda-sarhsthitam
trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stharh tdnijndtvd vimucyate
^ tasya bhdti vildsatah
prdyendtma-samarh saktyd sa vildso nigadyate
33
 I Mangalac:
absolutely independent of all other forms or expansions is called
svayarh-rupa, the original self-existent form" {ananydpeksi yad
ruparh svayarh-rupah sa ucyate, lbh 1.1.12). Bhagavans svayarh-rupa
is grounded in its own inherent being and is the basis of all other
forms. It is completely independent, second to no other form. In
Sri Krsna Sandarbha, Srlla Jiva GosvamI will discuss in great detail
the nature of God in His own absolute transcendence.
llr
34
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
as pain, pleasure, love, and hate. In GITA15.7, Sri Krsna lists the
mind as the sixth sense {manah-sasthdnindriyani).
Because of the defect of inadvertence (pramdda), and because
our senses are prone to delusion (hhrama) and limitation (karand-
pdtava), pratyaksa is not a consistently reliable means of acquiring
valid knowledge. Besides these defects, the scope of pratyaksa is lim
ited only to the present, since perceptions by definition cannot be
of past or future events. Moreover, it is limited only to external or
internal phenomena.
An interesting point to consider here is that the word pratya
ksa literally means "before the eyes." Hence, it carries the mean
ing not only of the faculty of perception in general, but also of that
which is direct and unmediated. Some knowledge systems may of
course argue that ordinary perception is in fact an unmediated act.
From the perspective presented above, however, the inbuilt limita
tions of conditional seership would tend to deny or severely limit
the directness of knowing available through pratyaksa. From the
perspective of scientific materialism, perception may be considered
as direct knowing, but from the view of some idealist schools of phi
losophy, perception is itself a mediated event and hence cannot be
direct knowing.
It was suggested in the discussion on epistemology from the Pro
logue to this division (Anucchedas 9-18) that sabda in the sense of
revealed sound implies the existence of a corresponding transphe-
nomenal mode of knowing, beyond perception and inference,
involving a turning of consciousness upon its Source. The recon
stituting of attention back into its Source actualizes the latent
potential within consciousness to know or perceive directly. In
this unconditioned state of being. Reality is known not in the dual-
istic way of a subject knowing an object, but in the way of recogni
tion through conscious identity. The knowing occurs exclusively
through Reality's own self-revelation and not through any indepen
dent seeing power of the subject. This transempirical mode of know
ing fulfills the higher sense of pratyaksa as "direct or unmediated
perception." In contrast with this, ordinary perception is mediated
through the organic events of embodied selfhood.
47
 II Pramana

acknowledging these four defects, one will find the quest for a
reliable pramana to be an exacting challenge.
Different schools of Indian philosophy and theology accept dif
ferent pramdnas as valid. According to Jiva Gosvami, there are a
total of ten pramdnas, or means of valid knowledge, which he lists
in his Sarva-sarhvddini commentary on this anuccheda. Each school
recognizes a certain number of these as valid independent means, <
and either rejects the rest or subsumes them under the accepted
pramdnas. Each school presents arguments to support its opin
ion. These ten traditional pramdnas, with the three most important i
listed first, are as follows:

1. Pratyaksa, perception.
2. Anumdna, inference.

3. Sabda, revealed sound-knowledge.

4. Arsa, the statements of an authoritative sage, rsi, or deva. II Pramana
5. Upamdna, comparison.
6. Arthdpatti, presumption.
7. Anupalabdhi, non-cognition of being, or cognition of the absence
ofbeing.
8. Sambhava, inclusion.
9. Aitihya, tradition.
10. Cesta, gesture.

Pratyaksa. when a sense organ comes in contact with a per

ceivable object under favorable conditions, and provided the sense
faculty is internally linked with the mind, then knowledge of the
perceived object arises in the mind. This is known as perception.
Perception can be a means to either valid or invalid knowledge. But
only those sense perceptions that lead to valid knowledge should be
considered as pramdna.
Sense perception is the principal means of acquiring knowledge
in material life. Both theistic and atheistic philosophers accept
pratyaksa-pramdna as one of the means to valid knowledge. Percep
tion is of two types — external and internal. An external perception
occurs when we acquire knowledge of quantifiable objects through
the external senses. In an internal perception we acquire knowl
edge directly through the mind, as when we perceive emotions such

46
 II Pramana
apprehended, one no longer mistakes it for something else, as in
the case of mistaking a rope for a snake.
Pramada, the second defect, is the tendency to make mistakes,
either because of inattention or due to mistaking a limited and par
tial perspective for complete and final truth. In the first case, if
the mind is not focused on a particular sense — the eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, or skin — one is unable to sufficiently access the knowledge
it can supply. This leads to errors in judgement or incomplete appre
hension. In the second case, the a priori partial perspective of the
subject determines the limits of how the perceived object may be
interpreted. For example, from the mechanistic world view of New
tonian science, the quantum world view would seem absurd. Due
to perspectivity, observable phenomena may be misinterpreted
because they are made to correspond to the narrow preset view of
the subject.
The third defect is vipralipsd, which literally means "the propen
sity to deceive." It must be remembered that in the present context,
we are discussing the four defects in terms of the epistemological
obstacles that they present for the valid knowing of the perceptual
field by a witness of that field. A purposeful intent to deceive others
would certainly alter the perception of events. Even the perpetra
tor of deception would necessarily view the perceptual field, or the
arising of phenomena, from a deceitful, malefic, and self-serving
attitude, rather than from an integrated, benign, and wholistic per
spective. Yet, perhaps an even more basic manifestation of vipra
lipsd is in the non-intentional or unconscious operation of decep
tion. This may be termed as misrepresentational bias. In this case,
the individuals unknowingly holding to a bias deceive themselves
first by believing their view to be perfectly objective. They then
misrepresent facts or events of consciousness by forcing them to fit
their theory rather than adjusting their theory to fit the facts. This
problem is pervasive in the conditioned way that we generally view
the world, and hence, it sets serious limits on the validity of our
knowledge of the known.
In the world of scientific materialism that we now inhabit,
people generally place tremendous faith in scientists and their
4 4
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas,
Itihasas, and Puranas Culminating
in Srimad Bhagavatam
Anucchedas 9-18
The topic of epistemology is indispensable to an investigation of
truth,^ for how can we claim to know anything in truth if our means
for knowing it be flawed or uncertain? It would remain at best an
approximation, subject to further review. So, before embarking on
a deliberation of the core truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana, it is crucial that a valid pramdna, or means of valid knowing, be
ascertained.
At the time of Jiva Gosvami s writing, the orthodox schools of
Indian philosophy (darsanas) based their metaphysics primarily on
the authority of the Vedas, considering them to be divine sound rev
elation (Sruti or sabda). So, the subject of epistemology comes to
focus solely on the discussion of a scriptural line of authority stem
ming from the Vedas. Jiva Gosvami extends the discussion a step
further by logically and scripturally propounding Srimad Bhdgava-
tam as the definitive portion of the fifth Veda, which reveals the
inner meaning of the Vedas. Apparently, on this foundation alone,
the epistemological inquiry is determined to be complete.
But if this is the case, then of what relevance can such an
apparent epistemological reduction be to the disciplines of modern
philosophy, psychology, phenomenology, consciousness studies,
^ manddhlnd meyasiddhih
Prameya-vivarana-sangraha 1.1
37
 II Pramana
quantum physics, and so on? Indeed, of what relevance is it
for any modern reader / enquirer outside of an insular group of
believers? The answer to these questions will lead us into deeper
epistemological evaluation.
First of all, looking beyond the apparent reduction, one that
would seemingly require a transempirical leap of faith, a more
profound and certain means of knowing is implied in the concept '
of revealed sound (sabda). Other pramanas, such as perception
and inference, are possible means of valid knowing within the
range of operations that define their respective limits, effectively,
the quantifiable and the thinkable. Sabda, on the other hand, sig
nifies a supracognitive sound potency, or logos, that is transhu-
man (apauruseya) and thus beyond the limitations of language and
thought; that is self-existing and self-revealing (svayarh-prakdsa)
and thus transempirical; and that is disclosed to consciousness
directly (saksat-upalabdha), without mediation through any other
conditional mode of knowing.
Understood in this sense, sabda implies an innate potency of Pri
mordial Consciousness Itself, the Supreme Conscious foundation
and Source. It not only signifies Reality, in the manner of concep
tual or logical formulation, but is identical with that Reality. It is
thus one specific Reality potency through which Consciousness dis
closes Itself. So sabda points to an epistemological mode of know
ing that transcends perception and inference. This mode of know
ing does not so much involve an effort or intent to know any sort
of object, internal or external, on the part of a subject; rather, it is
an inturning of consciousness toward its own Source, prior to any
conditional subject-object divide.
So, by its own self-revelatory power, sabda, which effectuates
the turning of consciousness, becomes identical with such turning.
It may thus be understood as knowledge through conscious iden
tity and not conceptual knowledge about. The existence of such a
direct mode of knowing has been the common experience reported
by realized mystics of all traditions throughout recorded history.
This adds weight to the argument that this mode of knowing cannot
be reduced merely to the subjective experience of a limited knower;
38
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
inherent defects found in all ordinary humans. Without excep
tion every ordinary human being may be subject either to funda
mental or circumstantial delusion (bhrama), may commit mistakes
(pramada), may be given to misrepresentational bias (vipralipsd),
and is restricted by the limited functional capacity of the senses
(karandpdtava).
Bhrama, or mistaken identification, is of two kinds. The first
is the fundamental ignorance about one's true self, which leads
to identification with the body-mind complex as the self. This is
the primordial illusion that perpetuates phenomenal existence and
conditional identity. But how completely one identifies with the
body depends on the degree of attachment to it, which is in direct
correspondence with the degree of intensity of ignorance. This
defect is of the nature of a fundamental epistemological error,
because in this case, the knower (pramdtd), or in other words,
the empirical self, is itself conditional and relative. Whatever is
observed or known from the relative reference of empirical self
hood is itself necessarily relative. While such empirical knowing
may still carry pragmatic value, nature, or the thing in itself as an
integrated part of an indivisible whole, is never actually known. On
the basis of this error we mistake what is temporary and misery-
bound for being permanent and enjoyable. All of our decisions and
actions in life become colored by this fundamental illusion.
The second kind of illusion is circumstantial. This occurs when
we think we perceive something that is not in fact present, as in the
case of a mirage or hallucination. While fundamental delusion is a
categorical error that skews every act of perception through the lens
of egoity, circumstantial delusion is no more than a structural lim
itation of the perceptual instrument, coming into play only under
the influence of certain necessary extraneous conditions. In such
circumstances too, however, valid knowing is impaired.
This latter defect has two further divisions. In the first case, even
when a person has proper knowledge of the object perceived, he
continues to see the illusion, such as the perception of the sky as
blue. Both the knowledgeable and the ignorant see the sky as blue.
In the second case, once veridical knowledge of the true object is
43
 II Pramana
Commentary
Without knowing the purpose of a book, a prospective reader
is unlikely to develop an interest in it. Therefore, in the previ
ous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami outlines his subject and purpose.
Now, with the phrase tad-bhajana-laksana-vidheya, he states that
the devotional turning of all faculties to Sri Krsna (bhajana), as
explained in the Vedic scriptures, is the means for actualizing the
final goal, prema-bhakti. But before undertaking any transforma
tive practice, and for it to actually be transformative in nature, it
is essential that one is first established in a valid epistemological
view. One s actions are based upon one's understanding of the sub
ject, and thus for proper practice to begin, one must have a clear
understanding of the subject free of all doubts.
In this matter the doubts that may arise are chiefly of three
varieties: regarding one's own ability to follow the process and suc
ceed, about the validity and efficacy of the process prescribed, or
about the reality and worthiness of the goal to be achieved. Thus,
the need arises for discerning the various means of valid know
ing. This portion of Tattva Sandarbha, therefore, deals with Vedic
epistemology. Before analyzing the four topics specified above,
Jiva Gosvami first establishes the validity of the transphenomenal
mode of knowing through self-revealing sound (sabda). In English,
the word "knowledge" implies valid knowledge. In Sanskrit, valid
knowledge is called pramd, the knower of such valid knowledge
is called pramdtd, and the means by which it is validly known is
called pramdna. Pramdna can also mean "proof," "evidence," or
"authority."
Jiva Gosvami is concerned with establishing an infallible means
of knowing Absolute Reality. His interest is not in discussing epis
temology in general, which has been exhaustively considered by
philosophical schools such as Nyaya and Purva-mimaihsa. He
assumes that the reader is familiar with the topic and thus avoids
defining the various pramdnas. Human beings in general, he
avers, employ various means to acquire knowledge, but none of
them, except sabda, are infallible. This fallibility is due to the four
42
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and
Puranas Culminating in Srimad Bhagavatam
rather, it has been recognized by those who have known it as pri
mordial subjectivity itself, prior to identification or involvement
with any conditional knower and known.
It must be noted, however, that for this higher epistemological
capacity to be activated, one must rise above belief and disbelief. In
the true sense of the term, belief can have application only when
Reality is not directly known through identity in pure conscious
ness; only when the believing subject is the phenomenal self, iden
tified with perceptions, cognitions, affects, and conation.'* For the
conventional practitioner or worshiper, however dedicated, devo
tion is enacted still from the separate self-sense (prthak-bhdva) of
a conditional subject trying to know some ultimate object through
willful efforts of the mind and body. For such a person, sabda then,
even though believed in as divine revelation, is reduced to the level
of knowledge about Reality.
It can just as easily be disbelieved, because it is unknowable and
hence unprovable through logic and perception. It must be known
directly in consciousness, which is to say that by the turning of con
sciousness upon its Source, sabda is enabled to self-manifest the
Reality with which it is identical. What is suggested here for epis
temological consideration is merely the allowance for the possibil
ity of such a transphenomenal mode of knowing, for its actual exis
tence can be known for certain only by one in whom it is awakened.
The elaboration of the entire process is intended precisely to actual
ize this possibility. Therefore, sabda as pramdna implies far more
than mere belief in scriptural authority; it refers, rather, to the
direct experience of a person transcending the conventional lim
its and defects of the human perceptual instruments. Thus, sabda
entails a superior grade of direct perception conveyed in linguistic
form for the cognition of one who is eligible and available to such
an experience.
Conation refers to that aspect of the mental processes having to do with
volition, striving, and willing. In that sense, it involves the potencies of both
willing (icchd-sakti) and acting (kriya-sakti). It is a term used widely in
psychology and represents a basic mental faculty along with cognition and
affection.
3 9
 II Pramana

The significance of sabda as pramana, implying the activation

of the transmental mode of knowing, will be brought out later
both in the case of Sri Sukadeva and Srila Vyasadeva, the speaker
and author of Srimad Bhdgavatam, respectively. Both of them had
effected this turning of consciousness upon its Source, and hence
to both of them Reality self-manifested through the self-revealing Anuccheda 9
power of sabda. If the significance of this is rightly understood,
then the reader is invited to rise beyond belief and disbelief, and the The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
source of both, which is egoic identification. We are invited to know
Reality immediately, apprehending it in perfect identity with the
mode of knowing of the Bhdgavatas original speaker and author.
When received in this way, sabda becomes not epistemological
reduction, but epistemological transmutation and expansion.

Four topics were suggested in the verse from the previous

anuccheda: Sri Krsna is the subject (visaya) of this book; the
book's relation (sambandha) to Him is that of signifier (vdcaka)
to the signified (vdcya); devotional turning of all the faculties
to Him (hhajana) is what is meant to be enacted in all circum
stances (vidheya) [lit., "that which is to be done," or "duty"], also
known as abhidheya, and unconditional love for Him is the ulti
mate completion of such devotional turning (prayojana). Now, in
order to investigate these four topics, we should first determine
a means of valid knowing (pramana) [by which these topics can
be ascertained].
In this regard, perception, inference, and other such methods
are deficient, because human beings are prone to four defects:
They are subject to delusion, they make mistakes, they are liable
to misrepresentational bias, and their senses are limited in
functional capacity. Furthermore, these methods of acquiring
knowledge are not at all suited to approach the transcendental
Entity, whose nature is inherently inconceivable and beyond
phenomenality.

4 0 41
 II Pramana

The significance of sabda as pramana, implying the activation

of the transmental mode of knowing, will be brought out later
both in the case of Sri Sukadeva and Srila Vyasadeva, the speaker
and author of Srimad Bhdgavatam, respectively. Both of them had
effected this turning of consciousness upon its Source, and hence
to both of them Reality self-manifested through the self-revealing Anuccheda 9
power of sabda. If the significance of this is rightly understood,
then the reader is invited to rise beyond belief and disbelief, and the The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
source of both, which is egoic identification. We are invited to know
Reality immediately, apprehending it in perfect identity with the
mode of knowing of the Bhdgavatas original speaker and author.
When received in this way, sabda becomes not epistemological
reduction, but epistemological transmutation and expansion.

Four topics were suggested in the verse from the previous

anuccheda: Sri Krsna is the subject (visaya) of this book; the
book's relation (sambandha) to Him is that of signifier (vdcaka)
to the signified (vdcya); devotional turning of all the faculties
to Him (hhajana) is what is meant to be enacted in all circum
stances (vidheya) [lit., "that which is to be done," or "duty"], also
known as abhidheya, and unconditional love for Him is the ulti
mate completion of such devotional turning (prayojana). Now, in
order to investigate these four topics, we should first determine
a means of valid knowing (pramana) [by which these topics can
be ascertained].
In this regard, perception, inference, and other such methods
are deficient, because human beings are prone to four defects:
They are subject to delusion, they make mistakes, they are liable
to misrepresentational bias, and their senses are limited in
functional capacity. Furthermore, these methods of acquiring
knowledge are not at all suited to approach the transcendental
Entity, whose nature is inherently inconceivable and beyond
phenomenality.

4 0 41
 II Pramana
Commentary
Without knowing the purpose of a book, a prospective reader
is unlikely to develop an interest in it. Therefore, in the previ
ous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami outlines his subject and purpose.
Now, with the phrase tad-bhajana-laksana-vidheya, he states that
the devotional turning of all faculties to Sri Krsna (bhajana), as
explained in the Vedic scriptures, is the means for actualizing the
final goal, prema-bhakti. But before undertaking any transforma
tive practice, and for it to actually be transformative in nature, it
is essential that one is first established in a valid epistemological
view. One s actions are based upon one's understanding of the sub
ject, and thus for proper practice to begin, one must have a clear
understanding of the subject free of all doubts.
In this matter the doubts that may arise are chiefly of three
varieties: regarding one's own ability to follow the process and suc
ceed, about the validity and efficacy of the process prescribed, or
about the reality and worthiness of the goal to be achieved. Thus,
the need arises for discerning the various means of valid know
ing. This portion of Tattva Sandarbha, therefore, deals with Vedic
epistemology. Before analyzing the four topics specified above,
Jiva Gosvami first establishes the validity of the transphenomenal
mode of knowing through self-revealing sound (sabda). In English,
the word "knowledge" implies valid knowledge. In Sanskrit, valid
knowledge is called pramd, the knower of such valid knowledge
is called pramdtd, and the means by which it is validly known is
called pramdna. Pramdna can also mean "proof," "evidence," or
"authority."
Jiva Gosvami is concerned with establishing an infallible means
of knowing Absolute Reality. His interest is not in discussing epis
temology in general, which has been exhaustively considered by
philosophical schools such as Nyaya and Purva-mimaihsa. He
assumes that the reader is familiar with the topic and thus avoids
defining the various pramdnas. Human beings in general, he
avers, employ various means to acquire knowledge, but none of
them, except sabda, are infallible. This fallibility is due to the four
42
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and
Puranas Culminating in Srimad Bhagavatam
rather, it has been recognized by those who have known it as pri
mordial subjectivity itself, prior to identification or involvement
with any conditional knower and known.
It must be noted, however, that for this higher epistemological
capacity to be activated, one must rise above belief and disbelief. In
the true sense of the term, belief can have application only when
Reality is not directly known through identity in pure conscious
ness; only when the believing subject is the phenomenal self, iden
tified with perceptions, cognitions, affects, and conation.'* For the
conventional practitioner or worshiper, however dedicated, devo
tion is enacted still from the separate self-sense (prthak-bhdva) of
a conditional subject trying to know some ultimate object through
willful efforts of the mind and body. For such a person, sabda then,
even though believed in as divine revelation, is reduced to the level
of knowledge about Reality.
It can just as easily be disbelieved, because it is unknowable and
hence unprovable through logic and perception. It must be known
directly in consciousness, which is to say that by the turning of con
sciousness upon its Source, sabda is enabled to self-manifest the
Reality with which it is identical. What is suggested here for epis
temological consideration is merely the allowance for the possibil
ity of such a transphenomenal mode of knowing, for its actual exis
tence can be known for certain only by one in whom it is awakened.
The elaboration of the entire process is intended precisely to actual
ize this possibility. Therefore, sabda as pramdna implies far more
than mere belief in scriptural authority; it refers, rather, to the
direct experience of a person transcending the conventional lim
its and defects of the human perceptual instruments. Thus, sabda
entails a superior grade of direct perception conveyed in linguistic
form for the cognition of one who is eligible and available to such
an experience.
Conation refers to that aspect of the mental processes having to do with
volition, striving, and willing. In that sense, it involves the potencies of both
willing (icchd-sakti) and acting (kriya-sakti). It is a term used widely in
psychology and represents a basic mental faculty along with cognition and
affection.
3 9
 II Pramana
quantum physics, and so on? Indeed, of what relevance is it
for any modern reader / enquirer outside of an insular group of
believers? The answer to these questions will lead us into deeper
epistemological evaluation.
First of all, looking beyond the apparent reduction, one that
would seemingly require a transempirical leap of faith, a more
profound and certain means of knowing is implied in the concept '
of revealed sound (sabda). Other pramanas, such as perception
and inference, are possible means of valid knowing within the
range of operations that define their respective limits, effectively,
the quantifiable and the thinkable. Sabda, on the other hand, sig
nifies a supracognitive sound potency, or logos, that is transhu-
man (apauruseya) and thus beyond the limitations of language and
thought; that is self-existing and self-revealing (svayarh-prakdsa)
and thus transempirical; and that is disclosed to consciousness
directly (saksat-upalabdha), without mediation through any other
conditional mode of knowing.
Understood in this sense, sabda implies an innate potency of Pri
mordial Consciousness Itself, the Supreme Conscious foundation
and Source. It not only signifies Reality, in the manner of concep
tual or logical formulation, but is identical with that Reality. It is
thus one specific Reality potency through which Consciousness dis
closes Itself. So sabda points to an epistemological mode of know
ing that transcends perception and inference. This mode of know
ing does not so much involve an effort or intent to know any sort
of object, internal or external, on the part of a subject; rather, it is
an inturning of consciousness toward its own Source, prior to any
conditional subject-object divide.
So, by its own self-revelatory power, sabda, which effectuates
the turning of consciousness, becomes identical with such turning.
It may thus be understood as knowledge through conscious iden
tity and not conceptual knowledge about. The existence of such a
direct mode of knowing has been the common experience reported
by realized mystics of all traditions throughout recorded history.
This adds weight to the argument that this mode of knowing cannot
be reduced merely to the subjective experience of a limited knower;
38
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
inherent defects found in all ordinary humans. Without excep
tion every ordinary human being may be subject either to funda
mental or circumstantial delusion (bhrama), may commit mistakes
(pramada), may be given to misrepresentational bias (vipralipsd),
and is restricted by the limited functional capacity of the senses
(karandpdtava).
Bhrama, or mistaken identification, is of two kinds. The first
is the fundamental ignorance about one's true self, which leads
to identification with the body-mind complex as the self. This is
the primordial illusion that perpetuates phenomenal existence and
conditional identity. But how completely one identifies with the
body depends on the degree of attachment to it, which is in direct
correspondence with the degree of intensity of ignorance. This
defect is of the nature of a fundamental epistemological error,
because in this case, the knower (pramdtd), or in other words,
the empirical self, is itself conditional and relative. Whatever is
observed or known from the relative reference of empirical self
hood is itself necessarily relative. While such empirical knowing
may still carry pragmatic value, nature, or the thing in itself as an
integrated part of an indivisible whole, is never actually known. On
the basis of this error we mistake what is temporary and misery-
bound for being permanent and enjoyable. All of our decisions and
actions in life become colored by this fundamental illusion.
The second kind of illusion is circumstantial. This occurs when
we think we perceive something that is not in fact present, as in the
case of a mirage or hallucination. While fundamental delusion is a
categorical error that skews every act of perception through the lens
of egoity, circumstantial delusion is no more than a structural lim
itation of the perceptual instrument, coming into play only under
the influence of certain necessary extraneous conditions. In such
circumstances too, however, valid knowing is impaired.
This latter defect has two further divisions. In the first case, even
when a person has proper knowledge of the object perceived, he
continues to see the illusion, such as the perception of the sky as
blue. Both the knowledgeable and the ignorant see the sky as blue.
In the second case, once veridical knowledge of the true object is
43
 II Pramana
apprehended, one no longer mistakes it for something else, as in
the case of mistaking a rope for a snake.
Pramada, the second defect, is the tendency to make mistakes,
either because of inattention or due to mistaking a limited and par
tial perspective for complete and final truth. In the first case, if
the mind is not focused on a particular sense — the eyes, ears, nose,
tongue, or skin — one is unable to sufficiently access the knowledge
it can supply. This leads to errors in judgement or incomplete appre
hension. In the second case, the a priori partial perspective of the
subject determines the limits of how the perceived object may be
interpreted. For example, from the mechanistic world view of New
tonian science, the quantum world view would seem absurd. Due
to perspectivity, observable phenomena may be misinterpreted
because they are made to correspond to the narrow preset view of
the subject.
The third defect is vipralipsd, which literally means "the propen
sity to deceive." It must be remembered that in the present context,
we are discussing the four defects in terms of the epistemological
obstacles that they present for the valid knowing of the perceptual
field by a witness of that field. A purposeful intent to deceive others
would certainly alter the perception of events. Even the perpetra
tor of deception would necessarily view the perceptual field, or the
arising of phenomena, from a deceitful, malefic, and self-serving
attitude, rather than from an integrated, benign, and wholistic per
spective. Yet, perhaps an even more basic manifestation of vipra
lipsd is in the non-intentional or unconscious operation of decep
tion. This may be termed as misrepresentational bias. In this case,
the individuals unknowingly holding to a bias deceive themselves
first by believing their view to be perfectly objective. They then
misrepresent facts or events of consciousness by forcing them to fit
their theory rather than adjusting their theory to fit the facts. This
problem is pervasive in the conditioned way that we generally view
the world, and hence, it sets serious limits on the validity of our
knowledge of the known.
In the world of scientific materialism that we now inhabit,
people generally place tremendous faith in scientists and their
4 4
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas,
Itihasas, and Puranas Culminating
in Srimad Bhagavatam
Anucchedas 9-18
The topic of epistemology is indispensable to an investigation of
truth,^ for how can we claim to know anything in truth if our means
for knowing it be flawed or uncertain? It would remain at best an
approximation, subject to further review. So, before embarking on
a deliberation of the core truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana, it is crucial that a valid pramdna, or means of valid knowing, be
ascertained.
At the time of Jiva Gosvami s writing, the orthodox schools of
Indian philosophy (darsanas) based their metaphysics primarily on
the authority of the Vedas, considering them to be divine sound rev
elation (Sruti or sabda). So, the subject of epistemology comes to
focus solely on the discussion of a scriptural line of authority stem
ming from the Vedas. Jiva Gosvami extends the discussion a step
further by logically and scripturally propounding Srimad Bhdgava-
tam as the definitive portion of the fifth Veda, which reveals the
inner meaning of the Vedas. Apparently, on this foundation alone,
the epistemological inquiry is determined to be complete.
But if this is the case, then of what relevance can such an
apparent epistemological reduction be to the disciplines of modern
philosophy, psychology, phenomenology, consciousness studies,
^ manddhlnd meyasiddhih
Prameya-vivarana-sangraha 1.1
37
 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity

discoveries, treating scientists almost as modern sages or even as

gods while accepting their discoveries as revelations. However,
Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, a well-known biologist, writes in his book
Science Set Free, "Through studying scientists in action, sociologists
of science have revealed that scientists are indeed like other people.
They are subject to social forces and peer-group pressures, and they
need acceptance, funding and, if possible, political influence. Their
success does not depend simply on the ingenuity of their theories
or the facts they discover. The facts do not speak for themselves."
He goes on to write, "Phenomena that do not fit — anomalies — are
routinely dismissed or explained away. They usually ignore what
they do not want to deal with."^
The fourth defect is karandpdtava, the functional limitation of
the senses. We have five cognitive senses — seeing, hearing, tasting,
smelling, and touching — which operate through the organs of the
eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin, respectively. These senses func
tion only within a limited range. The human eye, for instance, can
see light between infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths, but there
are many other wavelengths the eye cannot discern — radio waves,
x-rays, and so on. Even within the visible range, our eyes cannot
see clearly if the light is too bright or too dim, if the object is too far
or too close, or if the eyes themselves are diseased. Upon analysis,
each sense reveals a similar built-in limitation.

These four defects are imperfections related to the perceiver, but

they also influence the perception. Bhrama, pramdda, and karandpd
tava are imperfections that impair perception and other pramdnas,
such as anumdna, or inference, that depend on perception. Vipra-
lipsd, however, impedes unmediated knowing through revealed
sound, sabda-pramdna.
The conclusion is that since these four defects make perfectly
reliable knowledge about even material objects a rare achieve
ment, valid knowledge about the realm beyond our sensory inspec
tion is altogether impossible through percepts and precepts. This
premise is the cornerstone of Vedic epistemology. Of course, after

^ Rupert sheldrake, Science Set Free, p. 297

45
 II Pramana

acknowledging these four defects, one will find the quest for a
reliable pramana to be an exacting challenge.
Different schools of Indian philosophy and theology accept dif
ferent pramdnas as valid. According to Jiva Gosvami, there are a
total of ten pramdnas, or means of valid knowledge, which he lists
in his Sarva-sarhvddini commentary on this anuccheda. Each school
recognizes a certain number of these as valid independent means, <
and either rejects the rest or subsumes them under the accepted
pramdnas. Each school presents arguments to support its opin
ion. These ten traditional pramdnas, with the three most important i
listed first, are as follows:

1. Pratyaksa, perception.
2. Anumdna, inference.

3. Sabda, revealed sound-knowledge.

4. Arsa, the statements of an authoritative sage, rsi, or deva. II Pramana
5. Upamdna, comparison.
6. Arthdpatti, presumption.
7. Anupalabdhi, non-cognition of being, or cognition of the absence
ofbeing.
8. Sambhava, inclusion.
9. Aitihya, tradition.
10. Cesta, gesture.

Pratyaksa. when a sense organ comes in contact with a per

ceivable object under favorable conditions, and provided the sense
faculty is internally linked with the mind, then knowledge of the
perceived object arises in the mind. This is known as perception.
Perception can be a means to either valid or invalid knowledge. But
only those sense perceptions that lead to valid knowledge should be
considered as pramdna.
Sense perception is the principal means of acquiring knowledge
in material life. Both theistic and atheistic philosophers accept
pratyaksa-pramdna as one of the means to valid knowledge. Percep
tion is of two types — external and internal. An external perception
occurs when we acquire knowledge of quantifiable objects through
the external senses. In an internal perception we acquire knowl
edge directly through the mind, as when we perceive emotions such

46
 I Mangalac:
absolutely independent of all other forms or expansions is called
svayarh-rupa, the original self-existent form" {ananydpeksi yad
ruparh svayarh-rupah sa ucyate, lbh 1.1.12). Bhagavans svayarh-rupa
is grounded in its own inherent being and is the basis of all other
forms. It is completely independent, second to no other form. In
Sri Krsna Sandarbha, Srlla Jiva GosvamI will discuss in great detail
the nature of God in His own absolute transcendence.
llr
34
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
as pain, pleasure, love, and hate. In GITA15.7, Sri Krsna lists the
mind as the sixth sense {manah-sasthdnindriyani).
Because of the defect of inadvertence (pramdda), and because
our senses are prone to delusion (hhrama) and limitation (karand-
pdtava), pratyaksa is not a consistently reliable means of acquiring
valid knowledge. Besides these defects, the scope of pratyaksa is lim
ited only to the present, since perceptions by definition cannot be
of past or future events. Moreover, it is limited only to external or
internal phenomena.
An interesting point to consider here is that the word pratya
ksa literally means "before the eyes." Hence, it carries the mean
ing not only of the faculty of perception in general, but also of that
which is direct and unmediated. Some knowledge systems may of
course argue that ordinary perception is in fact an unmediated act.
From the perspective presented above, however, the inbuilt limita
tions of conditional seership would tend to deny or severely limit
the directness of knowing available through pratyaksa. From the
perspective of scientific materialism, perception may be considered
as direct knowing, but from the view of some idealist schools of phi
losophy, perception is itself a mediated event and hence cannot be
direct knowing.
It was suggested in the discussion on epistemology from the Pro
logue to this division (Anucchedas 9-18) that sabda in the sense of
revealed sound implies the existence of a corresponding transphe-
nomenal mode of knowing, beyond perception and inference,
involving a turning of consciousness upon its Source. The recon
stituting of attention back into its Source actualizes the latent
potential within consciousness to know or perceive directly. In
this unconditioned state of being. Reality is known not in the dual-
istic way of a subject knowing an object, but in the way of recogni
tion through conscious identity. The knowing occurs exclusively
through Reality's own self-revelation and not through any indepen
dent seeing power of the subject. This transempirical mode of know
ing fulfills the higher sense of pratyaksa as "direct or unmediated
perception." In contrast with this, ordinary perception is mediated
through the organic events of embodied selfhood.
47
 II Pramana
Thus, while the word pratyaksa is generally used to denote ordi
nary perception, it is sometimes used to refer to the actualization
of the direct mode of knowing through conscious identity. For this
reason, in his Sarva-sarhvadinl commentary on this anuccheda, Sri
Jiva Gosvami makes two divisions of pratyaksa, namely, vaidusa or
"divine perception," meaning skilled, flawless, and of the nature of
unconditioned knowing through all-embracing intuition; and avai-
dusa or "sensory perception," meaning unskilled, flawed, and of the
nature of conditioned knowing determined by its objects. Vaidusa-
pratyaksa belongs to God, His associates, and the perfected beings,
while avaidusa-pratyaksa belongs to ordinary humanity. It is the
divine perception that is free of any defects and that forms the basis
of sabda.
Srila Jiva Gosvami will demonstrate later (Anucchedas 29-30)
that both Sri Sukadeva and Srila Vyasadeva were established in
this higher mode of knowing, technically called samadhi. Conse
quently, they directly perceived the complete Reality known as
Bhagavan, along with His abode and associates. For such realized
devotional transcendentalists, even the ordinary sense faculties
are refined and transmuted because of being grounded in transem-
pirical seership. This enables such realizers to transcend the four
defects associated with perception from the conventional viewing
frame of subject-object dualism.
With the exclusion of God and His associates, who have tran
scendental bodies and senses and are thus beyond all duality or delu
sion, the perfected beings are of various types and can be estab
lished in differing levels of perceptual awareness. The topmost tran-
scendentalist (the uttama-bhagavata) sees the world with the eye of
pure devotion. According to gIta e.so and 7.19 and sb 11.2.45, such
a person sees everything as God, or within God, or as a manifesta
tion of God. The next level of transcendentalist sees things exactly
as they are presented to awareness, but knows them as integrated
parts of the complete Whole. He is like a person who sees the sky
as blue, but knows that it is not blue. Pratyaksa in the higher sense
of unmediated knowing can, in some cases, enable direct knowing
even of past or future events. For such persons, pratyaksa is a source
48
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
living being. One who intuitively knows these three is liberated
from conditional existence. (Satvata-tantra 1.30)^
The above discussion concerns the Absolute in Its feature of
immanence. In other words, it shows the Absolute s "in-volvement"
with phenomenal existence, being the conscious context in which
and through which all conditional forms arise and pass away. But
this is to consider the Absolute only in relation to materiality, and
to consider Unity or Nonduality only in contradistinction to phe
nomenal diversity. So the question must be asked, what about the
Absolute in Its feature of transcendence? In other words, what
about the Absolute in Its own inherent being, distinct from the
material world and distinct from our referential power of percep
tion? And concomitantly, if the Absolute is considered in Its own
essence, would that not also imply the possibility of a transphenom-
enal diversity that is simultaneously and inconceivably of the same
nondual nature? This is exactly what is indicated in the next line of
Jiva Gosvaml's statement.
Beyond the material creation is the spiritual sky (para-vyoma),
which contains the various spiritual planets (Vaikunthas). The
chief deity in the spiritual sky is Sri Narayana, a vildsa expansion
of Sri Krsna. Laghu-bhdgavatdmrta defines a vildsa form as follows:
For the purpose of His own divine play, God in His original complete
form self-expands as His own integrated forms [that are essentially
nondifferent from Him]. When a particular self-expansion appears
somewhat different in form from His original form but is virtu
ally identical in quality and potency, it is called a vildsa expansion.
(lbhi.I.IS)^
Sri Krsna in His two-handed form is Svayaih Bhagavan, God
in His original and Absolute completion. This svayarh-rupa is
described in Laghu-bhdgavatdmrta, "That form of God which is
^ visnos tu tfini rupdni purusdkhydny atho viduh
ekam tu mahatah srastr dvitiyaTh tv anda-sarhsthitam
trtiyam sarva-bhuta-stharh tdnijndtvd vimucyate
^ tasya bhdti vildsatah
prdyendtma-samarh saktyd sa vildso nigadyate
33
 I Mangalacarana
prior causal matrix that governs their unfolding. This refers to the
Immanent Self as witness of the individual universes, each taken
as an integrated whole, i.e., the witness of the macrocosmic order.
Lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean signifies that He is the seed of the
individual universe.
Garbhodakasayi Visnu is also the source of the various lild-
avatdras who appear within the universe. The word lild-avatdra
literally means a descent of God for the sake of divine play. Through
these divine descents, grace is made available to living beings to
access the true purpose of the universe s unfolding. Like Karano-
dakasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu is not directly in contact
with materiality. Rather, He inspires Brahma, who was born from
the lotus flower growing from His own lotus navel, with the knowl
edge and will of how to create. This involves the revelation of
the subtle creative ideation in accordance with which individual
concrete forms come into being.
The third Purusa is Ksirodakasayi Visnu, meaning He who lies
upon the ocean of thickened milk, which symbolically refers to
inner essence, consciousness, and creativity. This implies that He is
the conscious substratum even of consciousness itself. This refers
to the Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, within each and every
life form and indeed within every atom. The immanent, or regula
tory, function at this level involves being the conscious support for
the transmutation of concrete forms, or the evolution of individual
beings. This refers to the Immanent Self as witness of individual
being, i.e., the witness of the microcosmic order.
These three purusdvatdras are also called Sankarsana, Pradyu-
mna, and Aniruddha, respectively. Krsna regulates material nature
through the agency of His purusdvatdras, A summary description of
these three Purusa manifestations is given in Sdtvata-tantra:
Sri Visnu has three forms called Purusas, or the Immanent Self.
The first, Mahavisnu, is He who sets in motion the total material
energy [mahat-tattva], the second is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who
is situated within each egg-like [or womb-like] universe, and the
third is Ksirodakasayi, who is immanent within the heart of every
32
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
of valid knowing because the seer is established in his primordial
Source.^
Sri Krsna refers to pratyaksa in this sense in gita 9.2, when He
says that "this most confidential knowledge is known only through
direct realization in the form of unmediated perception (pratya-
ksdvagama)." And in gita 6.21, Krsna likewise assures Arjuna that
in the state of transcendental trance (samddhi), the yogi comes to
know with utter assurance through supracognitive intellection
and transcendental senses (buddhi-grdhyam atindriyarh vetti). This
supracognitive mode of knowing of enlightened Vaisnavas is called
vaidusa-pratyaksa, divine or realized perception, and it is flawless.
Patanjali refers to it as rtambhard-prajnd, or truth-bearing wisdom,
in Yoga-sutra 1.48.
Perception is of two types, namely, indeterminate (nirvikalpaka)
and determinate (savikalpaka). When a proficient sense faculty
comes in contact with a perceivable object under favorable con
ditions, it relays the sensation to the mind. At the first instance,
the mind is unable to decipher the sensation and only perceives it
as something without any distinction of the object qualified by its
attributes. In this micro instant one knows that there is something
without any clear determination of the object. This is what is meant
by indeterminate knowledge of the object.
The intellect (buddhi) then carries this message to the citta, the
storehouse of all impressions from past experiences, and tries to
match the present perception with a similar impression. It is on
the basis of impressions from the citta that the object is cognized or
rather "re-cognized," giving rise to its determinate knowledge. If,
however, the person is under the influence of the gunas of either
rajas or tamas, then instead of obtaining valid determinate knowl
edge of the object, one acquires doubt or illusory knowledge, respec
tively. Thus, depending upon the influence of sattva, rajas, and
tamas, one can perceive an object accurately, be subjected to doubt,
^ For a furtTier discussion on this topic, read "When Stones Float and Mud Speaks:
Scriptural Authority and Personal Experience in JIva Gosvamin's
Sarva-samvadini," Jonathan Edelmann and Satyanarayana Dasa, Journal of Hindu
Studies, Oxford 2014; p. 1-28.
4 9
 II Pramana
such as, "Am I seeing a plane or a bird?" or succumb to illusion, such
as mistaking a rope for a snake.
Anumana. Inference is based on generalized experience. The
word anumana literally means "that which follows (anu) consequen
tially from some other previously established knowledge (mdna),"
Based on repeated experience or authoritative verbal testimony,
one arrives at some general principle, called vydpti (invariable con
comitance). This is the relation between a known object, called
hetu or lifiga, and an unknown object, called sddhya, the object to
be inferred. For example, by seeing smoke, one can infer the pres
ence of fire on the basis of prior knowledge of the invariable con
comitance (vydpti) between smoke and fire. Inference includes the
following three components:
1. Vydpti, knowledge of universal concomitance between the per
ceived mark (lingo) or reason (hetu) and the object to be inferred
(sddhya).
2. Hetu, the perception of the mark or reason in the vicinity.
3. Sddhya, inference of the object in the place indicated by the
mark.
In terms of Western logic, vydpti corresponds to the universal
major premise, hetu to the middle term, sddhya to the major term,
and paksa, or the location where the sddhya is inferred to be, to the
minor term.
Inference is of two kinds: to know for oneself and to facilitate
knowing for others. An example of inference for oneself is the pro
cess of reasoning a person undergoes when he repeatedly observes,
in the kitchen and elsewhere, the concomitance between smoke and
fire and arrives at the general principle, "Wherever there is smoke,
there is fire." Then if he sees smoke issuing from a mountain in the
distance, he may recall the principle and conclude, "There is a fire
on the mountain."
Inference for others employs a five-step syllogistic formula.
After arriving at an inferred conclusion for oneself, a person uses
this method to enable others to infer the same conclusion. The
syllogistic format is as follows:
5 0
8 Homage to Sri Krsna
"Brahman is eternal, conscious, and unlimited" (satyam jhdnam
anantam brahma, tu 2.1.1).
Another aspect of Sri Krsna is His feature of interior regulation,
or immanence, called the Purusa. There are three such Purusa
expansions corresponding to the metacosmic (the causal), the
macrocosmic (the subtle or universal), and the microcosmic (the
^ gross or individual) dimensions of being, respectively. The first
Purusa is Karanodakasayi Visnu, meaning He who lies upon (with
out actually ever touching) the Ocean of Causality. This symbolism
is highly significant, for it indicates that although He is the sup
port for primordial creation. He never actually contacts it directly.
Furthermore, He is the uncaused Source Condition that makes pos
sible the unfolding of the chain of causal events. As such He is the
i Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, of the total material creation. At
this level, the immanent, or regulatory, function is concerned with
the primal or causal cosmic factors that set in motion the evolution
of all forms from out of the sea of infinite possibility. This refers
to the Immanent Self as witness of primordial nature taken as an
integrated whole in its as yet unmanifest condition, i.e., the witness
o f t h e m e t a c o s m i c o r d e r.
1 Of necessity, therefore, there can be only one Karanodakasayi
Visnu expansion, who is thus called Mahavisnu. He is the reser
voir of all living beings who are sheltered in Him. At the outset
of a new creation cycle. He impregnates the material energy with
dtmds, simply through His glance, or in other words, through His
conscious intent, and thus activates the otherwise inert material
energy. The Causal Ocean is considered the boundary between the
/ material and spiritual manifestations. It implies that the spiritual
existence is beyond any material cause and thus unapproachable by
any material means.
The second Purusa is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, meaning "He who
lies within the oceanic womb of universal being." This refers to the
Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, within each of the innumerable
universes. The immanent, or regulatory, function at this level is
concerned with the subtle creative principles that make possible
the development of the individual universes in accordance with the
31
 Mangalacarana
relationship that words share with their meaning or reference. In
Sanskrit linguistics, this is called vacya-vacaka-sambandha, the rela
tion between the signified and its signifier. The idea here is that the
signifying words carry an inherent power to turn consciousness i
toward, or in other words, to reveal, that which they signify. By j
the words sa sri-krsnah, Jiva Gosvami clearly identifies Sri Krsna as ^
the signified Reality of which his book is the linguistic symbol or vj
signifier.
Abhidheya (lit., "that which is to be enacted") refers to the means
for realizing the signified Reality, Sri Krsna. In this case, the words I
tat-pada-bhajam indicate the means as pure devotional worship of '
His lotus feet. Prayojana refers to the end-state, or the stage of com
pletion, to be brought about through its actualizing means. In this
case, it refers to transcendental love of God, as indicated by the word I
prema. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami alludes to the four intro
ductory topics indicated in Anuccheda i — the subject of the book,
the book s relation with its purpose, the means of actualizing that
purpose, and the final purpose itself. In the next anuccheda, he
explicitly identifies these four topics as the core truths to be ascer
tained in the text. This then initiates an epistemic inquiry into the
means of valid knowing (pramdna) by which these core truths can n
be definitely determined.
In addition to the above, Sri Jiva Gosvami s statement also con
tains the seed ideas that will be elaborated later in regard to the sub- ^
ject of the text, namely Sri Krsna. The term Svayarh Bhagavan has
been assigned directly to Him. This term is applicable only to the
original and complete Absolute Truth, and not to any partial mani
festation thereof. At the same time, the term implies that the inte- 1^
grated unity that He alone is, includes infinite parts and expansions.
A few of His principal aspects are mentioned here.
In one feature of Sri Krsna, He is manifest as the dazzling self-
effulgence of consciousness alone, without form, qualities, or opu
lences, and is called Brahman in some sections of the Vedas. Some
transcendentalists are drawn to realize the Absolute in this indivisi
ble, formless impersonal aspect, considering It the Ultimate Reality.
This feature of Bhagavan is described in the Taittirlya Upanisad:
3 0
9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity
1. Proposition (pratijnd): There is a fire on the mountain.
2. Reason (hetu): Because there is smoke.
3. General principle and example (vydpti and drstdnta): Wherever
there is smoke, there is fire, as in the kitchen.
4. Application (upanaya): There is smoke over the mountain.
5. Conclusion (nigamana): Therefore, there is a fire on the
mountain.
Vydpti, the invariable concomitance of the middle term with the
major term, is the key factor in inference. It is called the heart of
anumdna. An object is inferred through its mark, or valid middle
term, which is invariably connected with the major term. The pres
ence of the middle term in the minor term (paksa) is called paksa-
dharmatd. If the observer mistakes clouds over the mountain for
smoke or sees the smoke just after rain has extinguished the fire, his
inference that a fire is burning on the mountain would be wrong.
If there is any error in perceiving the reason or any deviation in
the universal generalization, the inference will be faulty and its
conclusion unreliable. Like pratyaksa, therefore, anumdna is not a
foolproof means of acquiring knowledge. All the limitations that
apply to pratyaksa naturally mar inference as well because of its
dependence on the former.
Sabda. In conventional usage, the word sabda means sound, but
as a pramdna it refers to meaningful articulate sound spoken or writ
ten by an dpta-purusa, a trustworthy person, who is an authority
on the matter in question. In its ultimate sense, the term sabda
refers to the power of self-revealing sound, identical to the tran
scendental Reality that it signifies. By its very nature it is reliable
and free from defects. This kind of sabda differs from ordinary
language, which is rooted in the convention of apparent and sub
stantial separation between subject and object, and which involves
abstractions away from the actual objects signified by the words.
Such ordinary speech is called pauruseya-sabda, speech as a deriva
tive human thought-construct, which is necessarily limited in its
reliability, being based on pratyaksa.
For Srila Jiva Gosvami, sabda-pramdna is restricted to the
revealed knowledge of the Vedas. It is called apauruseya-sabda, self-
51
 II Pramana

existing and self-revealing sound that is transhuman in origin. It

originated from and is identical to the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan.
That it originated from Him means that it eternally exists within
Him as His own self-revealing sound potency, and not that it has a
beginning in time. It is received in disciplic succession through a
realized teacher, who initiates and mirrors the way of its immediate Anuccheda 8

realization. Apauruseya-sabda is, therefore, the definitive pramana

because it is free from the four defects. Homage to Sri Krsna
Some schools of rational or empirical philosophy reject even
the possibility of a transempirical mode of knowing, and hence,
they categorically deny the authority of apauruseya-sabda-pramana.
Those influenced by such views doubt the very existence of a tran
scendental Reality beyond the empirical world. Then there are oth
ers who intuit the existence of such a Reality and may even accept
the principle of hearing apauruseya-sabda-pramana as a means of HIK II

knowing about it. But as long as the root problem of egoic self-
reference remains, they unwittingly endeavor to know the transra-
tional Reality in the same way that they strive to know all phenome
nal objects, through the limited categories of rationality and empiri
cism. This egoic self-reference is so deeply ingrained in the way we
view ourselves and the world that even when a person approaches
the apauruseya-sabda-pramana, he or she unconsciously subjects
it to the limited viewing lens of rational or empirical constructs.
This amounts to the acceptance of one or more pauruseya sources
of sabda-pramana as apauruseya.
Both of these types of individuals are lacking the appropriate
epistemological view that can make possible the direct knowing of
Absolute Reality. Those who doubt any reality beyond the empir
ical world usually favor knowledge gained through their sensory
experience. Yet, they also constantly rely on knowledge imparted
to them through authoritative sound agencies. In our practical day-
to-day life, everyone depends on knowledge transmitted by parents,
teachers, books, magazines, tv, radio, the internet, and numerous
experts.
Hearing from authorities enhances the extent of our learning,
and if we were to dispense with it, we could not function in our
In one feature, Sri Krsna exists as pure consciousness, with
out any manifest characteristics, and is referred to as Brahman
in some portions of the Vedas. In another feature. He expands as
the Purusa, who regulates the extrinsic potency (mayd) by His
many plenary portions. In yet another of His principal forms. He
is Narayana, resplendent in the spiritual sky, VaikunAa. May
that Sri Krsna, the original complete Absolute Truth (Svayaih
Bhagavan), bestow love for Himself on those who worship His
lotus feet in this world.
Commentary
In this statement, Srila Jiva Gosvami has set forth the seed-
conception that enfolds the essential truths of Srlmad Bhdgavatam
that he intends to make explicit in his Sat Sandarbhas, The seed top
ics are clearly spelled out in the next anucccheda as visaya, samba-
ndha, abhidheya, and prayojana. We may consider these briefly
here. The visaya (subject) of the Sat Sandarbhas is stated here to
be none other than the original complete Absolute Truth, Svayaih
Bhagavan, identified as Sri Krsna. Sambandha refers to the integral

52 2 9
 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity

complex modern society. Those who consider sensory experience

superior to sabda tend to forget that we gain most of our knowledge
by hearing or reading, not by immediate perception. Direct expe
rience is a great teacher, but it is nonetheless severely vitiated by
the four human defects, and also by the great expenditure of time it
takes to acquire it.
Moreover, we cannot directly perceive past or future events,
because the sense faculties are not presently in contact with the
objects of past or future experience. So, on a pragmatic level, even
empiricists (those in the first group above) certainly employ and
thus condone the principle of sabda. Yet, because the sabda they
1 accept as authoritative imparts to them only empirical knowledge
and is therefore a derivative thought-construct (pauruseya), they
I remain skeptical about the existence of transcendental Reality. Ulti
mately, no amount of raw sensory experience, or pauruseya-sabda,
can ever give us access to the transcendent spiritual Reality, for it is
a simple fact that neither of these means is at all designed for such
transphenomenal knowing. For that, apauruseya-sabda-pramana is
expressly the means because of its self-revealing nature.

|\ This brinthe
gsexistence
us to the second group — those who accept both
of a transcendental Reality and the principle of hear
ing from apauruseya-sabda-pramana to learn about it. For them,
Srila Jiva Gosvami elaborately explains in the next anucchedas
^ what constitutes genuine apauruseya-sabda-pramana. It is clear
that he has not overexerted himself to convince the first group of
' people because they are not his target audience, as expressed in
Anuccheda 6. Therefore, this lack of rigor on his part should not be
I misunderstood as a lacuna in his work.
Unlike pratyaksa, sabda is not limited in scope only to the present
time. It extends into the past and future as well. It is the most
powerful tool for conveying knowledge from one person to another,
especially when it involves transcending the conventional limits of
time, space, and causality, which is almost always the case when
one aspires to know the transphenomenal. For all these reasons,
i philosophers and theologians in virtually all of India's orthodox
traditions accept apauruseya-sabda-pramana as the flawless means

53
 II Pramana

for acquiring transcendental knowledge. It must be stated that

the basis of sabda is divine perception, known as vaidusa-pratyaksa,
wherein the vaidusa, or "trans-egoic perceiver" includes both God
and the realized perfected beings. Thus, when sabda is determined
as superior to perception, it means superior to avaidusa-pratyaksa,
or sensuous perception, and it specifically relates to the field of the
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas
transempirical.
Like other adherents of India's orthodox philosophical tradi
tions, Srila Jiva Gosvami equates sabda-pramana with the Vedas. Anuccheda 8
The Vedas alone can disclose knowledge of the spiritual Reality,
which lies beyond our sensory perception. As explained in the next
anuccheda, the Vedas are not human constructs; they are a direct A seed-conception is a concise statement, generally expressed in
manifestation of the Supreme Sri Narayana {vedo ndrdyanah sdksdt, poetic, aphoristic, or benedictory form that encapsulates the nature
SB 6.1.40), who is free from all defects. of the Reality to be realized. Implicit in the seed-formulation are
In Sarva-sarhvddini, while discussing the principle of sabda- the core truths regarding that Reality, that are to be made explicit
pramdna, Srila Jiva Gosvami writes: through the elaboration of the text. Jiva Gosvami s verse here in
Anuccheda 8 represents the seed-conception for the Sandarbhas.
Although there are ten means of acquiring knowledge, sabda, We will learn in the next anuccheda that this verse suggests four
which is of the nature of authoritative speech, is primary, because primary topics — visaya, sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana —
it is free from the four human defects. All other means are prone to which are the reality principles (tattva) to be investigated by the
the four human defects and are thus observed to be unreliable. For
author. Thus, upon careful analysis of the ensuing text, it can
this reason an ordinary person is unable to determine whether or
be seen that the theological and philosophical unfoldment of this
not the knowledge gained through them is valid, due to the absence
entire book, and indeed, even of all Six Sandarbhas taken as a unit,
of ultimate validity of those means.^
proceeds from this initial poetic affirmation. It is for this reason
that this verse, which completes the mahgaldcarana, has been set
He further clarifies that sometimes sabda is supremely indepen
dent, sometimes it may be assisted by perception and sometimes apart here from the rest of the invocatory verses because of its
it overrides perception. But perception has no power to contradict unique distinction.
sabda. The seed-formula does not merely describe Reality, but serves to
Arsa. This primarily refers to the statements of authoritative turn or attune consciousness to that Reality directly. In so doing, it
discloses that Reality along with the core truths that are implicit in
sages. There are many exceptional sages, such as Kapila, Gautama,
its meaning. In this case, Jiva Gosvami s utterance is in the form
and Patanjali, who all founded wisdom schools (darsanas). Natu
of a benediction, for the self-revelation of consciousness as love,
rally, their philosophical views differ in accordance with the nature
upon all who are devotionally turned toward the very source of their
^ tathdpi bhrama-pramada-vipralipsd-karandpatava-dosa-rahita-vacandtmakah
being.
sabda eva mulam pramdnam. anyesdm prdyah purusa-bhramddi-dosa-
mayataydnyathd-pratiti-darsanena pramdnam vd tad-dbhdso veti purusair nirnetum
asakyatvdt tasya tad-abhdvdt.

54 27
 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity

of their direct apprehension of Reality, and therefore Mahdbhdrata

says, "One is not considered a seer if his view is not original and
hence different from that of other seers" (ndsdv rsir yasya matarfi
na bhinnam, Vana-parva 313.117). Since these sages are all profound
thinkers, we take their utterances seriously, but an ordinary person
can hardly determine which sage's afKrmation is conclusive. For
Vaisnavas, the criterion for determining the degree of validity of a
particular drsa afRrmation is the extent of its conformity to sabda-
pramdna,
UpamAna. Comparison serves as a basis of identifying some
thing about an object with which we have no prior knowledge by
collating it with a familiar object. In this context the similarity
between the objects is made known to us by a reliable person. Sup
pose we have seen an ordinary cow but never a gavaya (a forest
quadruped that resembles a cow), and a person living in the for
est tells us that a gavaya resembles a cow. Then, if we go to the
forest and see an animal that looks similar to a cow, we may recall
that a gavaya resembles a cow and thus recognize the animal to be
a gavaya.

Another example of upamdna can be evidenced in the case of a

person who had never seen a saxophone. The person may be told by
a musician that it is a musical instrument resembling a u-shaped
trumpet. Later on, the person happens to see a saxophone in a sym
phony and recognizes it as such on remembrance of the musician's
statement. Upamdna provides knowledge of the relation between a
word, such as gavaya, and the object it corresponds to on the basis
of resemblance.

Arthapatti. Presumption refers to the reasoned probability

of an eventuality posited as the only possible reconciliation of two
apparently inconsistent perceived facts. If a man named Devadatta
is known to be alive, and it is also known that he is absent from
his home, we must presume that he is elsewhere. "Being alive" and
"being absent from home" are two perceived facts that cannot be rec
onciled without presuming Devadatta's existence somewhere out
side the house. Similarly, if we know that Devadatta is robust in
stature and yet does not eat during the day, we can safely assume
 II Pramana

that he must eat at night. Otherwise, his stoutness is inexplicable.

We regularly employ this type of presumption in daily life, though
we are not always aware of it. For example, if some words are miss
ing from a sentence, we presume them to complete the meaning.
Otherwise the sentence may not make sense. If our host invites us
to the dinner table and says, "Let us eat," we understand the host to
mean, "Let us eat the dinner."
Anupalabdhi. This may be understood either as the non-
cognition of being or as the cognition of the absence of being. The
non-perception of an object by an appropriate, functioning sense
organ is instrumental in the knowledge of the absence of that object.
For example, a book is a visually perceivable object, and the eye is
the appropriate organ of sight. Thus, when one looks for a book
on a table and notices in that instant that the table is empty, the
non-cognition of the book makes one aware of the book's absence
(abhdva) on the table. How is the book's non-existence on the table
known? It cannot be a direct perception through the eyes, because
non-existence is a negative fact that cannot stimulate any sense fac
ulty, as an existing object on the table does. The non-existence of
the book on the table is known from its non-cognition. Anupalabdhi
is classified as a separate category of perception, because there is
no actual contact between the sense instrument and the object, as
there would be in ordinary sensory perception. What is perceived
is the object's non-cognition.
Sambhava. Inclusion is based on the common experience that
a larger quantity encompasses a smaller quantity. For example, if
we know that someone has one hundred dollars, we automatically
know that he has one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars, and so on.
This kind of reasoning, based on the principle of inclusion, is called
sambhava.

Aitihya. Tradition refers to the handing down of information,

beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one
generation to another without knowledge of the original source of
such facts. For instance, there is a popular belief that the Pandavas
built the Old Fort in New Delhi. There is no written proof or
scriptural authority to support this belief, but it has been passed

"i6
 9 The Necessity for Epistemological Validity

down for generations to the present day and is widely accepted as

corresponding to fact.
Cesta. Gesture refers to the apprehension of ideas, infor
mation, or sentiments conveyed through a qualified individuals
movements of the body, or through his application of symbols. For
instance, we may make a "v" sign with our fingers to indicate vic
tory, or a pujari (a priest of the devotional path who worships a
deity) may display various mudrds (symbolic hand gestures) before
the deity to convey specific messages.
Different schools of Indian philosophy accept various combi
nations of the ten pramdnas, Carvakas, who are atheistic empiri
cists, accept only pratyaksa. The Buddhists and Vaisesikas accept
anumdna along with pratyaksa. The Sahkhya and Yoga schools
add sabda to the above two pramdnas. Naiyayikas accept upamdna
along with the above three. The followers of Prabhakara, a sect of
Mimaihsakas, accept arthdpatti as the fifth pramdna. The followers
of Kumarila Bhatta, a branch of Mimaihsakas, and the adherents of
Advaita Vedanta add anupalahdhi to the above five pramdnas. Pau-
ranikas add samhhava and aitihya to the above six. Tantrikas accept
cestd and drsa along with the above eight.
Although Srila Jiva Gosvami accepts all ten pramdnas, he sub
sumes them into the three categories of pratyaksa, anumdna, and
sabda. By acknowledging only three of the ten pramdnas, Jiva
Gosvami does not exclude the other seven. His opinion is that
pratyaksa, anumdna, and sabda include the other seven pramdnas,
as follows: comparison, presumption, inclusion, and gesture are
varieties of anumdna; non-cognition of being is a kind of pratyaksa;
and the statements of sages as well as tradition are kinds of sabda.
Out of these, sabda is the only independent pramdna capable of
disclosing knowledge of the Absolute. Pratyaksa and anumdna can
serve as assistants to sabda, but whenever pratyaksa and anumdna
exhaust the limits of their validity, it is to sabda-pramdna that we
must resort to access certain and ultimate knowing.
Here are two scriptural references showing the importance of
the first three pramdnas:

57
 II Pramana

A person intent on fulfilling the responsibility of human life should

be well acquainted with the three means of valid knowing, namely,
perception, inference, and hearing the various Vedic scriptures.
(manu 12.105)'^

[SrI Krsna said:] By perception, inference, scriptural testimony,

and personal experience one should know that this world has a
beginning and an end, and so it is devoid of ultimate substantial
ity (asat). Thus, one should live in this world without attachment.
(sB 11.28.9)^

In SB 11.19.17,^ Sri Krsna includes aitihya (tradition) with sense

perception, inference, and sabda as a distinct means of acquiring
knowledge, but in fact aitihya is usually considered as a kind of
sabda, although not necessarily apauruseya-sabda.
Next, Srila Jlva Gosvami specifies the appropriate epistemologi-
cal means by which the reality principles (tattva) he wishes to make
explicit can be definitely determined. This refers to visaya (the sub
ject) , sambandha (the relation between the visaya and the words that
signify it), abhidheya (the means of attainment), and prayojana (the
final goal).

pratyaksam canumanarh ca sdstram ca vividhagamam

trayarh su-viditam kdryarh dharma-suddhim abhipsatd
^ pratyaksendnumdnena nigamendtma-sarhvidd

ddy-anta-vad asajjndtvd nihsango vicared iha

^ srutih pratyaksam aitihyam anumdnam catustayam

pramdnesv anavasthdndd vikalpdt sa virajyate

58
 Indeed, Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva are the names of the four
Vedas. The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda, (chu 7.1.4)^^
One who thoroughly studies the Vedas along with their six limbs
and the Itihasas and Puranas becomes a true knower of the Vedas.
(Vydsa-smrti 4.45)^"^
All these references show that the Itihasas and Puranas have the
same source and subject as the Vedas. In the next anuccheda, Srila
Jiva Gosvami explains why the Itihasas and Puranas are counted as
t h e fi f t h Ve d a .
nama vd rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-veda dtharvanas caturtha itihdsa-puranah
pancamo veddndm vedah
mimdmsate ca yo vedan sadbhir angaih sa-vistaraih
itihdsa-purdndni sa bhaved veda-pdra-gah
8 6
Anuccheda 10
The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing
Consequently, for us, who are inquisitive about that Entity
who is beyond everything, yet is the ground and support of every
thing — who is fully inconceivable and wondrous in nature —
perception, inference, and so on are not suitable means of valid
knowing. For this purpose the only means of valid knowing is
the Veda, the transphenomenal [aprakrta] words that eternally
self-exist without beginning.^ They are the source of all phenom
enal and transcendental knowledge that have been passed down
intact through all authentic lines of succession [parampard].
From the Sanskrit text it would appear that the compound anddi-siddha is an
adjective of sarva-purusa-parampardsu, which would translate as "the authentic
lines of succession eternally self-exist without beginning." Yet, in JIva Gosvaml's
Sarva-sarhvddinl commentary, he analyses the word as an adjective of the Veda.
Following his own example, we have translated it accordingly, as an adjective of
the Veda, which has the effect of further emphasizing the Vedas' epistemological
validity.
5 9
 II Pramana
Commentary
As ALREADY NOTED, both perception and inference depend on per
cepts, which are limited only to empirical objects and vitiated by
the four human defects. Thus, perception and inference are inade
quate in and of themselves for accurately understanding anything
beyond our senses. By tracing the chain of causes in material ere- i
ation, we can infer that something exists beyond our sense percep
tion, but inference can take us no further, leaving us unable to iden
tify it; nor can inference yield valid knowledge about abhidheya, the
means for realizing it. Here it must be noted that Srila Jiva Gosvami
is not rejecting altogether perception and inference as means of
valid knowledge, but only in relation to the Absolute Reality. He is
also not saying that they are completely ineffective. They can assist
sabda, as was stated before.
We can access knowledge of the Absolute only from revealed
scripture, the Vedas, which are identical to or directly uttered by
Bhagavan Narayana (vedo ndrdyanah sdksdt) and so are free from
the four defects of human beings. The Vedas appeared from the Sup
reme Lord at the dawn of creation, a fact confirmed in the Svetdsva-
tara Upanisad: "That Supreme Deity created Brahma at the begin- I
ning of creation and delivered the Vedas to him" (yo brahmdnarh
vidadhdti purvarhyo vai veddrhs ca prahinoti tasmai, su e.is).
In the above anuccheda, the adjective anddi-siddha means that
the Vedas are not created but exist without a beginning. As used
in this anuccheda, it means that the Vedas were not written at a
particular date but exist eternally, like Bhagavan. They first man- (
ifested in this universe within the heart of Brahma, the first cre
ated being: tene brahma hrdd ya ddi-kavaye (sb i.i.i); then they were
handed down through disciplic succession. The Vedas provide both '
material and spiritual knowledge. Knowledge about such common
phenomena as the trees, water, land, and sky originally came from
the Vedas, along with knowledge of the divisions of duties for var
ious people according to their psycho-physical natures. As Manu-
sarhhitd (1.21) states: "Brahma learned the names of all objects and
the duties of various classes of people exclusively from the words
6 0
13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
of the Vedas, not independent books, and therefore, it is incorrect
to conclude that they are the fifth Veda. This is the MImarhsakas'
argument.
Srila Jiva Gosvami refutes this argument with references from
the Vedas as well as the Itihasas and Puranas themselves. These cita
tions confirm the status of the Itihasas and Puranas as the fifth Veda
on the grounds that they emanated separately from Sri Brahmas
mouths. If they were only parts of the Vedas, there would be no rea
son for these authoritative scriptures to call them the fifth Veda.
Moreover, there are many statements about the transpersonal
{apauruseya) and Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas in the
Vedic Saihhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanisads, Kalpa-sutras,
Dharma-sutras, and Grhya-sutras, as well as in the Puranas, Itihasas,
and other Smrti texts. Here are a few of these statements:
The Rg, Sdma, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas appeared from the mouth of
Bhagavan along with the Puranas and all the devas residing in the
celestial planets. (Atharva Veda 11.7.24)^°
He approached the Brhati meter, and thus the Itihasas, Puranas,
Gathas, and Narasaihsis became favorable to him. One who knows
this verily becomes the beloved abode of the Itihasas, Puranas,
Gathas, and Narasaihsis. (Atharva Veda 15.6.10-12)"
In this way, all the Vedas were manifested along with the Kalpas,
Rahasyas, Brahmanas, Upanisads, Itihasas, Anvakhyatas, and
Puranas. (GopathaBrdhmana, Purva 2.10)^^
rcah samdni chanddmsi
puranam yajusd saha
ucchistdjjajfiire sarve
divi devd divi-sritdh
" sa brhatirh disam anu vyacalat
tarn itihdsas ca purdnam ca gdthds ca
itihdsasya ca sa vai purdnasya ca gdthdndrh. ca ndrdsarfislndm ca priyam dhdma
bhavati ya evarh veda
evam ime sarve vedd nirmitdh sa-kalpdh sa-rahasydh sa-brdhmandh sopanisatkdh
setihdsdh sdnvdkhydtdh sa-purdndh
85

II Pramana
"Brahma Parana is the first of the Puranas that emanated from
the mouth of Brahma [after he first brought forth the Vedas]"
(Skanda Parana, Prahhasa-khanda 2.5).^
Commentary
To SUBSTANTIATE the Statement from bau 2.4.10 that establishes
the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas, Srila Jiva GosvamI cites
more evidence from the Puranas, Itihasas, and Upanisads. From
these references, the following is clear: The Puranas and Itihasas
have the same source as the four Vedas and are in fact called the
fi f t h V e d a .
Srila Jiva Gosvami refers to the frequent objection that the Iti
hasas and Puranas cannot be called the fifth Veda because they are
part of the four Vedas. While explaining the above-mentioned state
ment from the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, Radhamohana Gosvami
comments that some followers of the Mimaihsaka School claim
that the words itihdsa and purdna refer to historical passages found
in some parts of the Vedas and not to separate works. Exam
ples of Sruti statements sometimes considered Puranic are, "He
from whom these beings take birth" (yato vd imdni bhutdni jdya-
nte, Tu 3.1) and "Lord Hari creates through Brahma and destroys
through Rudra, but He Himself is the beginningless Source of all"
(sa brahmand srjati rudrena vildpayati harir ddir anddih). These and
similar passages are referred to as Purana because they deal with
creation and destruction, which are among the subjects treated in
the Puranas.
The Mimaihsakas further argue that over an immense span of
time, many of these original Puranic portions of the Vedas were lost,
and those that remained became difficult to understand. Therefore,
the Mimaihsakas propose that Srila Vyasa mercifully wrote new Iti
hasas and Puranas for the benefit of the unintelligent people of Kali-
yuga, and this is what is described in sb 1.4.25. Hence, the Itihasas
and Puranas mentioned in the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad are part
^ brahmyam puranarh prathamam
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenome:
and Transphenomenal Knowing
of the Vedas, and thus in the beginning of creation he could bring
forth the numerous manifest forms to which the names and duties
correspond."^
At the beginning of creation, knowledge about various arts,
such as music, dance, singing, sculpture, science, engineering, and
medicine, was obtained from the Vedas. The whole human culture
,f was based on Vedic knowledge. Over time, different cultures and
languages developed that obscured the original Vedic culture.
The Vedas (i.e., sabda-pramdna) are the only effective means for
acquiring knowledge of the positive dimension of transcendence.
The Vedas inform us about topics beyond empiricism, such as the
dtmas existence beyond the body, about the planets of the spiritual
domain, and about the Supreme Lord, His pastimes, and other mat-
i ters. All these subjects are beyond the reach of our sensory and
mental faculties.
Philosophers such as the Buddhists reject the Vedas on princi
ple, implying that they reject all authority on principle. This pre
determination in their epistemological makeup orients them exclu
sively toward the negation of substance (andtta), and thus they can
not justifiably say anything regarding the positivity (i.e., the sub
stantiality) of transcendence. For this reason their preoccupation
is necessarily with the emptiness of phenomena. Sabda-pramdna is
so essential that although Vaisnavas count Lord Buddha among the
avatdras of Bhagavan on the strength of Vedic testimony, they take
issue with His philosophy because it is not consistent with sabda-
pramdna.
All orthodox schools of Indian philosophy, whether dualistic or
nondualistic, consider the Vedas to be transhuman in nature (apau-
ruseya)? Many modern scholars, however, dispute the divine ori
gin of the Vedas. They suggest various dates for the composition
I of the Vedas, and while most of them agree that the Vedas were
I
^ ^ sarvesarfi tu sa namdni karmdni ca prthak prthak
veda-sabdebhya evadau(lit.,
prthak-samsthds
"non-human")cahas
nirmame
^ The word apauruseya two meanings. Purva-mlmaihsakas
take it to mean that the Vedas are not written or created by anyone, including
God. They are eternal and independent of God. Other orthodox schools consider
it to mean that the Vedas are composed or spoken by God.
 II Pramana 13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic

composed before 1500 bce, they disagree about the exact time of
their composition. They have yet to arrive at a definitive conclusion.
Here Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the Vedas are beginningless
and the source of various kinds of knowledge coming down through
many schools of thought since time immemorial. The phrase sarva-
purusa, "all persons/' indicates that the knowledge was passed on
"He taught the Vedas along with the fifUi of their number,
Mahdbhdrata" (mb 12.340.21).®
If the Itihasas and Puranas were not Vedic, it would have been
inappropriate for the preceding verses to include them as the
fifth Veda, since normally one counts together only items of the
same kind.

not only by human beings but also by superhuman beings, such

as the devas and divine sages. These traditions of thought all origi
nate with the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan, who is infallible in all
respects and thus completely untainted by the four human defects.
Moreover, Srila Jiva Gosvami has already shown (in Anuccheda 9)
how unreliable are the alternatives to the Vedic authority. If, as
he has established, only apauruseya-sabda can provide access to
transcendental Reality, how could the Vedas then have been writ
Also, Bhavisya Purdna states, "The fifth Veda, written by Sri
ten or compiled by human beings? If Jiva Gosvami allowed that
Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, is called Mahdhhdrata"^
human authors composed the Vedas, he would be contradicting his
Another reference is found in the Chdndogya Upanisad of the
previous dismissal of human knowledge as imperfect.
Kauthumiya School of the Sdma Veda: "Venerable Sir, I have stud
One may argue that the names of the authors of the Vedas have ied the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas, and also the Itihasas
been forgotten over time, and thus it is not logical to demand that and Puranas, which are the fifth Veda" (Kauthumiya Chdndogya
the Vedas are of divine origin. This argument is weak, because the
Upanisad 7.1.2).^
Vedas have been handed down through the system of disciplic suc
cession from antiquity to the present. In India the members of the
first three classes, called dvijas, traditionally belong to a particu
lar branch of the Vedas. When studying their own branch, they
would learn the historical data specifically related to it. Even today, 3^ (fo R 1^ Ro) ^c^lcilRfd^mMiluitLTl^dUlWcllMi-
though the study of the Vedas has declined, many people in India %1rc|cbvMHq| I II
still know the details about their sdkhd (branch) of the Vedas, the
name of the sage originally in charge of it, and so on. Thus, if the These statements refute the frequently raised objection that the
Vedas had human authors, their names would have been handed Itihasas and Puranas, which in the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad
down and remembered. (2.4.10) are said to emanate from the breathing of the Supreme
On the contrary, from the works of philosophers like Kumarila Being, are included in the four Vedas and therefore have no sep
arate existence.® The same distinction is expressed in the words,
Bhatta, it is understood that the Vedas are not human composi
tions. Indologists accept that Kumarila lived in the sixth century ^ vedan adhydpayamasa mahdbhdrata-pancamdn
® kdrsnarh ca pancamam vedam yan mahdbhdratam smrtam
CE. At that time Vedic culture still flourished in India, along with ^ rgvedarh bhagavo'dhyemi yajurvedam sdmavedam dtharvanam caturtham itihdsam
the system of disciplic succession. But even then, no author was purdnarh pancamam veddndm vedam
® asya mahato bhutasya
ascribed to the Vedas. Before him, Sahara Svami (first century ce).

6 2 83
 10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing

who wrote a commentary on the Jaimini-sutra of Purva-mimaihsa,

and Patanjali (second century bce), the famous author of the Mahd-
bhdsya on Pdnini-sutra of Sanskrit grammar, accepted the Vedas as
<oqH ("^o ^ I^vs) | ^ (mo 1^9,) — apauruseya.
One may again argue that the author of the Vedas has been for
The figure one billion, cited above, refers to the number of verses
gotten because it served no purpose to remember him. This is also
existing in Brahmas domain. The Third Canto of Srimad Bhdga- a weak argument, since remembering the author of the Vedas is
vatam (3.12.37) offers a similar description in the passage start not without value. As stated above, while engaged in Vedic stud
ing with the words "Brahma manifested the four Vedas — Rg, ies or sacrifices, one recites the names of his sdkhd (branch), gotra
Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva — from his four mouths, facing the (lineage), pravara (subdivision), rsi (sage), and so on. If the sages
east, south, west, and north, respectively."^ In this passage we who propounded the various branches are remembered, why then
fi n d t h e s t a t e m e n t :
neglect to remember the author? Of course, the author is not at
all forgotten because all orthodox Vedic scholars know Him to be
Bhagavan.
II II ^ I
Those scholars who contest the apauruseya origin of the Vedas,
Then the all-seeing Lord Brahma brought forth the fifth Veda — claiming that they are human compilations, also have no conclusive
the Puranas and the Itihasas — from all his mouths, (sb 3.12.39)® proof to back up their claim. Refusing to consider the Vedas' own
statements about their origin and purpose, these scholars merely
assume that the Vedas are not authoritative and speculate about
their true origin. Indeed, the theory that the Vedas have a human
The word veda is directly applied here in reference to the Itihasas author is a recent development advocated by persons who do not
and Puranas. come in disciplic succession. They were mostly proponents of Euro-
centrism or Western Universalism who refused to believe that India
had anything important to offer the world in the realm of philoso
phy and who had their own motives for minimizing the Vedic tradi
■ I " i f n W R T: ^ 3^" (mo tions. They certainly were not impartial judges of the Vedas' origin.
For lack of any definitive proof, therefore, and in light of
?IXRo) I"i wi^rnmr^No^rmr" (TTOmo i^vo m) 1 the many reasonable arguments for the Vedas' divine origin, an
inquirer may find it useful to provisionally accept the transhuman
nature of the Vedas to investigate the epistemic possibilities that
And elsewhere it is said, "The Puranas are the fifth Veda," "The are thereby opened up. One can then experience directly what that
Itihasas and Puranas are called the fifth Veda" (sBi.4.20),'^ and particular frame of reference can disclose. It is suggested here that
what is gained thereby is an "all-perspectival" view, inclusive of
^ rg-yoj^h-sdmdtharvdkhydn veddn purvddibhir mukhaih
^ itihdsa-purdndni pancamarh vedam isvarah the human and the phenomenal, yet transhuman and transphe
nomenal in essence. As demonstrated in the previous anuccheda,
sarvebhya eva vaktrebhyah sasrje
^ itihdsah purdnam ca pancamo vedasarva-darsanah
ucyate a human being's perceptions and cognitions cannot approach that

8 2 63
 II Pramana

which is imperceptible and inconceivable, and thus if the Vedic rev

elation is indeed valid, it is not even theoretically possible that the
Vedas could have been composed by human beings.
In addition, great scholars and saints like Patanjali, Gautama,
Kanada, Kapila, Sahara Svami, Sahkaracarya, Madhvacarya, Rama-
nujacarya, Kumarila Bhatta, and Rupa Gosvami accepted the Vedas Anuccheda 13
as apauruseya and eternal. These exalted authorities are famed for
their non-attachment, wisdom, and selflessness. The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
Another consideration, and an important one, is that the Vedas
themselves repeatedly enjoin that one who aspires to know the
13.1
wisdom of transcendence must first approach a guru in disciplic
succession. Vedic knowledge is verifiable; it is not just a collection
of abstract ideas. But to realize the truth of Vedic knowledge, one I 3IcT qci (^1-^ ^ l?-k) —
must approach a genuine teacher. Modern scholars, however, flout
this requirement, all the while considering themselves authori Therefore, Skanda Purana states:
ties on Vedic knowledge. In reality, by not applying themselves to
this knowledge in the prescribed way, they ensure that the door
to its mysteries will ever remain locked for them. The attempts of
these hapless scholars to understand the Vedas without a profound
personal commitment to an authorized teacher and discipline is
like the effort to reproduce a scientific experiment while willfully Pidcl c|ct?|id cT^ I
neglecting the key steps in the procedure. Their labor is futile, and II II ^r4lf< I
their analysis and appraisals are inconclusive.
To believe that one can know reality by studying it objectively Long ago, Brahma, the grandsire of the devas, performed severe
is a myth. This myth was propagated by science and has lost its penances, and as a result the Vedas appeared along with their six
steam in the field of quantum mechanics. Dr. Rupert Sheldrake puts supplements and their pada and krama texts. Then the entire
it aptly, "Sciences are human activities. The assumption that the sci Purana emanated from his mouth. Composed of eternal sound
ences are uniquely objective not only distorts the public perception and consisting of one billion verses, it is the unchanging, sacred
of scientists, but affects scientists' perception of themselves. The embodiment of all scriptures. You should know that of the var
illusion of objectivity makes scientists prone to deception and self- ious divisions of this Purana, the Brahma Parana is the first.
(Prahhasa-khanda 2.3-5)^
deception. It works against the noble ideal of seeking truth.
By contrast, the great Vaisnava dcdryas all became Vedic author pura tapas cacdrogram amardndrh pitdmahah
ities by virtue of their scrupulously following the injunction to dvirbhutds tato veddh sa-sad-anga-pada-kramdh
submit to a teacher coming in disciplic succession. As far as motive tatah purdnam akhilarfi sarva-sdstra-mayarh dhruvam
and character, therefore, the evidence weighs heavily in favor of nitya-sabda-mayam puny am sata-koti-pravistaram
nirgatam brahmano vaktrdt tasya bheddn nibodhata
Op. cit., p. 292 brdhmyam purdnam prathamam

the Vedas, then they must also be Vedic in nature. Skanda Purdna
indicates the equally transcendental status of the Puranas, Itihasas,
and Vedas as follows:
In the Vedas, Rdmdyana, the Puranas, and Mahdbhdrata, Sri Hari is
glorified everywhere — in the beginning, middle, and end. (Skanda
Purdna 4.95.12)^
The conclusion is that because the Itihasas and Puranas emanate
from the same source as the four Vedas and delineate the same
specific truth, they are equally authoritative.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains further how the Itihasas and
P u r a n a s a r e n o t i n f e r i o r t o t h e Ve d a s .
^ vede ramayane caiva purdne bhdrate tathd
adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra glyate
8 0
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomena
and Transphenomenal Knowing
the saintly dcdryas. In any case, a seriously interested person can
always take up the Vedic process himself and personally verify
the Vedic conclusions. Granted, this requires some effort, and
it is of course much easier to offer glib speculations denying the
Vedas' authority than to discipline oneself and follow their instruc
tions. Ultimately, however, the Vedas' scholarly detractors can
never prove their claims.
Even if someone proposes that just as modern science is evolv
ing, the Vedas also evolved over a period of time, then the question
arises, why in recorded history have people stopped making fur
t h e r r e fi n e m e n t s i n t h e Ve d a s ? I f t h e Ve d a s i n d e e d h a v e a h u m a n
source, they should have been revised and improved over time, and
new, improved versions should be available; but this is not the case.
Rather, North or South, East or West, the same standard readings
of the Vedas are found, and no older or newer versions are seen any
where. The Vedic saints have developed a meticulous system for pro
tecting the word order of the Vedic texts. Changing even a single
syllable is considered criminal. Thus, the Vedas are rightly called
Sruti, i.e., that which is heard from a guru unchanged, with proper
intonation and accent of the syllables.
The Vedas are unique. Can one imagine that in a particular field
of science or art, we could reach an apex in knowledge and produce
one standard book accepted by all, making all other books in that
field obsolete? Is it conceivable that no one would make any fur
ther changes or additions to such a book, and that this book would
become worshipable for the people interested in that field? The rea
sonable, unbiased answer is "no," and yet this is precisely the case
with the Vedas, for they are free of defects, having emanated from
the perfect source, Bhagavan. And if someone were to reply "yes,"
there could be no basis for debate over the authority of the Vedas.
In addition to the spiritual knowledge they contain, the Vedic
literature has references to many modern scientific achievements.
The Vedas have sections on astronomy, medicine, yoga, music,
drama, dance, algebra, civil engineering, and so on. The list is long
indeed. These are all arts and sciences that were practiced in India
centuries before the dawn of their modern counterparts. There are
65
 II Praman;
practical examples of Vedic knowledge being authoritative even in
the empirical field. For example, cow urine and cow dung, which
might well be thought of as impure waste, are stated to be pure
objects in the Vedas. All Hindus accept them as such and use them
for medicine, worship, and even as a kind of low-conductivity insu
lating material with which they smear the floor and walls of their
mud houses. Now it has been proven by scientific experiment that
cow dung and cow urine are antiseptic and medicinal.
The same is true of various herbal formulae prescribed in
Ayurveda. These formulae, which are thousands in number, were
not arrived at after research in a laboratory and testing on mice
and rabbits. They were revealed directly to sages like Bharadvaja,
Atreya, Punarvasu, and Caraka. It would be simplistic, therefore,
to brush aside the Vedas as man-made. Had this been the case,
renowned thinkers and powerful logicians like Srila Jiva Gosvami
and Srila Madhvacarya would have taken no stock in them.
Still one may question the eternal nature of the Vedas, since
the only supporting evidence comes from the Vedas themselves. In
logic, citing evidence that relies on itself for proof of legitimacy
is called self-dependent (svdsraya) reasoning and is unacceptable.
The Vedas may thus appear tainted with this defect of svdsraya, or
begging the question, relying on themselves to establish their own
authority.
Circular reasoning would be a serious defect, but a closer look
shows that the Vedas are an exception to this fallacy. That the Vedas
establish their own authority is not a defect; rather, it is logical and
sensible. It simply affirms their absolute, transcendental nature,
since if some other source were needed to confirm the authority of
the Vedas, the authority of that new source would surpass that of
the Vedas. In such a case, an inquisitive person would be obliged
to discard the Vedas and begin all over again, analyzing the new
source s authenticity. Before long this new source would need con
firmation from yet another source. This could go on ad infinitum.
But the absence of such a superior source for confirmation shows
that the authority of the Vedas as apauruseya-sabda-pramdna is final.
Logically, therefore, no other pramdna can substantiate the Vedas.
6 6
12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
jatd-pdtha, for keeping the word order intact. No rewording or
rearrangement of words is allowed in the Vedas. By contrast, the
Itihasas and Puranas need not be so rigidly preserved; their exact
wordings are allowed to vary in different yuga cycles. Because no
special techniques are used to keep the word order of the Puranas
and Itihasas intact, we find slight differences in various editions.
Srila Vyasa compiled the Itihasa called Mahdbhdrata specifically
for people of this age because they are not qualified to understand
the Vedas. This is explained in Srimad Bhdgavatam:
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great
sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great histori
cal narration called Mahdbhdrata so that those who were unaware
of how to act for ultimate good might also attain auspiciousness.
(sB 1.4.25)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the Puranas are so-named because
they complete the Vedas.^ Does he mean by this that the Vedas
are incomplete? No, but the Puranas are a form of explanatory,
supplementary literature that help us understand the terse, cryp
tic message of the Vedas. Like the Vedas, they convey knowledge of
the Absolute Truth, and to do so, they must be transcendental like
t h e Ve d a s .
To prove the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas, he offers
the example of completing a golden bracelet. If a golden bracelet
is incomplete, it can be completed by gold and not by lead. In
other words, the metal used to complete the bracelet must also be
gold. Similarly, if the Itihasas and Puranas complete or supplement
^ strl-sudra-dvija-bandhunam
trayi na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdnam
sreya eva bhaved iha
iti hhdratam dkhydnarh
krpayd munind krtam
^ The word purdna should not be confused with the word purana, which means
"completing." Jiva Gosvami derives the word purdna from the verbal root ^/pur,
which means "to fill" or "to complete." Thus, etymologically purdna means "that
which completes."
7 9

II Prama
the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. To solve this
dilemma, Srila Jiva Gosvami proposes an alternative: study of the
Itihasas and Puranas.
The Itihasas and Puranas are easier to understand than the
Vedas because they are written in laukika Sanskrit, which is spo
ken, rather than Vedic Sanskrit, which is not. Furthermore, the
esoteric meanings of the Vedas are more accessible in the Itihasas
and Puranas, because these works are narrated in story form. And
whereas only the dvijas (the twice-born Vedic initiates) are meant to
study the Vedas, this restriction does not apply to the study of the
Itihasas and Puranas; anyone may read them. Even the Puranas'
original speaker, Suta Gosvami, was not a twice-born brdhmana.
The Itihasas and Puranas convey the same conclusions as the Vedas,
and since they come from the same source, Sri Bhagavan, they are
also free from the four human defects and thus qualify as defini
tive sabda-pramdna. The Itihasas and Puranas should therefore be
considered as reliable as the four Vedas.
But although the Itihasas and Puranas are one with the Vedas,
this does not mean that they are literally identical with them. Oth
erwise, the words Itihdsa and Purdna would simply be names for
certain special parts of the Vedas. The Vedas are written in Vedic
Sanskrit, which necessarily involves three different tonal accents:
uddtta (high), svarita (intermediate), and anuddtta (low). In the
Vedic language, the meaning of a word can be changed if the accent
is changed. We see an example of this in the history of the demon
Vrtra, who was generated by the chanting of a mantra (indra-satro
vivardhasva) during a sacrifice. This demon was supposed to kill
Indra, but during the sacrifice the priests pronounced the mantra
with the wrong accent. The result was just the opposite of what was
i n t e n d e d — I n d r a k i l l e d Vr t r a s u r a .
Another significant difference between the four Vedas and the
Itihasas and Puranas is the sequence of particular words. In the
Vedas the sequence is rigidly fixed. No one should change even one
syllable of the texts, which have maintained their primeval arrange
ment of words since the beginning of creation. Techniques have
been devised, such as pada-pdtha, krama-pdtha, ghana-pdtha, and
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing
And that is why the Vedas are traditionally regarded as "mother."
When a person wants to know who his father is, he cannot find out
by direct perception, inference, or deduction. To know the identity
of one's father, one has to accept his mother's testimony. We sim
ilarly have to accept the revealed knowledge of the Vedas to learn
about the Reality beyond our sensory and intellectual power.
The theories advanced by scholars who surmise the Vedas to
be of mundane origin are unreliable and untenable, because such
scholars have not committed themselves to the necessary precon
ditions specified by the Vedas themselves, by which their inherent
truths become self-revealing and self-evident. This is like consum
ing Ayurvedic medicine while ignoring the guidelines required for
its efficacy and then concluding it to be ineffective. Scholars who
are plagued by the four human defects and impelled by ulterior
motives — desires for degrees, reputation, research funding, and
the like — are checked by their own ego strategies from accessing
direct intuitive insight into the Vedas. These scholars will readily
admit that to understand any complex material subject, one needs
the help of experts in that field, but somehow they reject the neces
sity of a genuine guru for understanding the Vedas. They do not
know that in the case of Vedic literature, submission to a realized
teacher is an absolute requirement.
The Mundaka Upanisad states that to know the Absolute, one
must approach a qualified guru {tad-vijndndrtharh sa gurum evdbhi-
gacchet, muu 1.2.12). The Chdndogya Upanisad says that one who
has accepted a teacher can know the Truth (dcdryavdn puruso veda,
CHU 6.14.2). Similarly, the Katha Upanisad says that this knowl
edge is not available by mere logic, but only through study from
a teacher (naisd tarkena matir dpaneyd proktdnyenaiva sujndndya
prestha, ku 1.2.9). The Svetdsvatara Upanisad says that the true
meaning of the Veda is revealed to a student who is devoted to his
or her teacher (su 6.23).® This prerequisite serves as a kind of pass
word, protecting the Vedas from insincere persons. In Bhagavad
Gitd, Sri Bhagavan affirms:
® yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tathd gurau
tasyaite kathitd hy arthdh prakdsante mahdtmanah
 II Pramana
Veiled by My divine potency (yogamdyd), I am not manifest to all.
Therefore, the deluded world does not know Me, the unborn and
imperishable. (GiTA7.25)^
This statement is relevant both when Bhagavan appears in this
world via divine descent and when He reveals Himself through
scripture. He has provided conditioned beings with the method by
which they can approach Him, and that method begins with the
culture of knowledge from a genuine disciplic succession. Those
unwilling to accept this can have no real access to that Divine Real
ity, even if they study the Vedas on their own for many lifetimes.
Nobody can become a surgeon merely by studying books on the
subject.
In summary, it is to be admitted that there is an absence of any
conclusive proof of the Vedas' being authored by a mortal being. So,
by the logic known as the law of the remainder (pdrisesya-nydya),
the authority of the great deary as and saints coming in authentic dis
ciplic successions, and ultimately the testimony of the Vedas them
selves, lead us to conclude that the Vedas exist eternally and are an
infallible source of knowledge.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that inference cannot be an
independent means for understanding the Absolute Truth.
^ ndharh prakdsah sarvasya yoga-mdyd-samdvji:ah
mudho'yam ndbhijdndti loko mdm ajam avyayam
6 8
12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
the first of these is found in the Vedas. A scholar of ordinary San
skrit must learn extra vocabulary and rules of grammar, which
require years of study, in order to understand Vedic Sanskrit. And
even when the language of the Vedic verses is fathomed, their cryp
tic nature makes them impossible to decipher without hearing
them explained by a realized teacher in disciplic succession.
Another difficulty: Even before studying the Vedas, one must
study their six "limbs," called Vedahgas. These six limbs are siksd
(science of pronunciation), kalpa (the process of performing sacri
fice), vydkarana (the rules of grammar), nirukta (the meanings of
difficult words used in the Vedas and their derivations), jyotisa (a
branch of astronomy that deals with the influence of luminaries
on human actions related to dharma), and chandas (Vedic meters).
Each of these limbs is extensive and requires serious study.
To further complicate matters, with the advent of Kaliyuga,
human memory has grown weaker. In former times, there were no
books — a student could assimilate all knowledge from his teacher
simply by hearing and remembering. But this is no longer possible.
In this age the food, water, air, and even the very ether are all pol
luted, and all these factors have taken their toll on human memory,
making it difficult to study even the available 6 % of the Vedic texts,
not to speak of the entire four Vedas and their branches. Srila Jiva
Gosvami concludes, therefore, that although the four Vedas are the
ideal sabda-pramana, in the present age it is impractical to study
them thoroughly and thereby ascertain the Absolute Truth.
As an alternative, someone may suggest that since only a few
of the Vedas are available and even they are difficult to under
stand, why not simply study Vedanta-sutra, the definitive summary
of the Vedic conclusions? To this, Jiva Gosvami replies that var
ious thinkers differ about the meaning of Vedanta-sutra, and so
this method will likely lead to confusion. Furthermore, important
thinkers like Gautama, Kapila, and Jaimini adhere to other philoso
phies, so why should we accept only the Vedanta-sutra of Vyasa
rather than one of their theories?
For all these reasons we must admit that even with the help
of the Vedas and Vedanta, we will not be able to clearly ascertain
77
 II Pramana

the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas, as well as the Itihasas and
Puranas, all appear from the breathing of the Supreme Being"
(bau 2.4.10)?

Commentary A n u c c h e d a 11

In the previous anucchedas, Srila JIva GosvamI has established

that the Vedas — Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva — constitute the
The Authority of the Vedas
means of valid knowing of the Absolute. Here he points out the
practical difficulties involved in studying them nowadays. The first
difficulty is the unavailability of the complete text of the Vedas.
Originally the Veda was one, but at the advent of the current age, n I era; "debiyfriaMid" (^o^o r K "ar^rar: %
Kaliyuga, Srila Vyasadeva divided it into four (vyadadhad yajha- ^rrar ^ diw3>ui (TTO mo ^ m R?) "■?rre?rarf^raTci;" (wo■^o
santatyai vedam ekarh catur-vidham, sb 1.4.19). Then, as explained ? R I?) i!K*irtrc|ldJ' (WoRvs)
in Kurma Parana, Vyasadeva's followers further divided the four
Vedas into 1,130 branches:

Formerly the Rg Veda was divided into 21 branches, the Yajur Veda
into 100 branches, the Sdma Veda into 1,000 branches, and the Atha
rva Veda into 9 branches. {Kurma Parana, Purva 52.19-20)'^
Each of these branches has four subdivisions, called Saihhita,
Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanisad. So, all together the Vedas con
sist of 1,130 Sarhhitas, 1,130 Brahmanas, 1,130 Aranyakas, and 1,130
Upanisads — a total of 4,520 titles. By the influence of time, how
ever, many texts have been lost. At present only about 11 Saihhitas,
18 Brahmanas, 7 Aranyakas, and 220 Upanisads are available. This
constitutes less than 6 % of the original Vedas.
The second difficulty one faces in trying to study the Vedas con
cerns their language. There are two varieties of Sanskrit — vaidika
(Vedic) and laukika (current in the world, or ordinary) — and only
^ evarh vd are'sya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad
yad rgvedo yajurvedah samavedo'tharvangirasa itihdsah purdnam
eka-vimsati-bhedena rg-vedam krtavdn purd
sdkhdndrh tu satenaiva yajur-vedam athdkarot
sdma-vedam sahasrena sdkhdndrh prabibheda sah
atharvdnam atho vedarh bibheda navakena tu
The fact that the Vedas are a valid source for ascertaining Ulti
mate Truth is confirmed by the following scriptural statements:
"Logic in and of itself is inconclusive" (vs 2.1.11);^ "One should not
strive to apprehend that which is inconceivable through reason
or logic [alone]" (mb 6.5.22);^ "Scriptures are the [only] source of
valid knowledge of the Absolute Truth" (vs 1.1.3):® "Ihis is con
firmed by the Vedas because they are the source of knowledge of
the Absolute Truth" (vs 2.1.27);* and "O Lord, in the matter of per
ceiving subtle realities that lie beyond the range of sense percep
tion, and in the matter of determining ultimate purpose and the
means for realizing it. Your Veda is the supreme guiding vision
for the forefathers, devas, and human beings" (sb 11.20.4).®
' tarkdpratisthdndt
' acintydh khalu ye bhdvd na tdrhs tarkena yojayet
' sdstra-yonitvdt
" srutes tu sabda-mulatvdt
° pitr-deva-manusydndm vedas caksus tavesvara
sreyas tv anupalabdhe'rthe sddhya-sddhanayor api

69
76
 II Pramana 12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas

Commentary of the Vedas by means of the Itihasas and Puranas."^ And else
where it is stated, "The Puranas are so-called because they com
Using scriptural evidence, Srlla Jiva Gosvami here confirms the plete [purana]." It is not possible to expand the meaning of the
conclusion about inferential knowledge he reached in the previous Vedas by means of a non-Vedic source, just as one would certainly
anuccheda. Having argued that logic is not the most reliable means not employ lead to finish an incomplete gold bracelet.
of acquiring knowledge and having used logic to establish this con
clusion, he now presents appropriate Vedic references as the final
proof. Again, one should not think that JIva Gosvami is guilty of self-
dependent reasoning because he resorts to the Vedas themselves to
confirm an assertion about the Vedas. The Vedas are self-luminous
^ I i
like the sun. Just as the sun illuminates itself, independent of any
other source of light, so only the Vedas can establish themselves as
infallible pramana. But, one might object, if the sound revelation known as the
As explained in the previous anuccheda, this self-confirmation Vedas includes the Puranas and Itihasas within its fold, there
is not a defect in the process of sabda-pramana (sound revelation), must exist other Puranas that are yet distinct from the Vedas;
because if the Vedas indeed convey knowledge of the Absolute otherwise, the literature we call Itihasas and Puranas could not
Truth, we can justifiably look to the Vedas themselves to confirm logically be spoken of as nondifferent from the Vedas.
their own authority. Those who have approached Vedic knowledge To this we reply that the Itihasas and Puranas are nondiffer
in the prescribed way have corroborated by their own realization ent from the Vedas inasmuch as both categories of literature are
that the Vedas do describe the Absolute Truth. without human origin [apauruseya] and delineate the same spe
Another consideration is that our objective is to know the incon cific truth. Nonetheless, a distinction between them is also indi
ceivable Reality, and after analyzing all sources of knowledge, we cated by virtue of the difference in intonation and fixity of word
find that no source but the Vedas affords us the appropriate medium order [i.e., the Vedas are intrinsically connected to intonation
to actualize this possibility. If all the best logicians, scientists, and and a fixed word order, but the Puranas and Itihasas are not].
philosophers of the past, present, and future, were to assemble and
deliberate together, they would be unable to shed any light on the
specific nature of transcendence. Any theory this assembly might
propose would amount to no more than a rational construct, liable
to endless refutations and counter-refutations. Understanding the
futility of such a speculative approach, Srila Jiva Gosvami has gone
directly to the heart of the matter by citing Vedic authority. (^o3TToR|Vl^o)
Srila Vyasadeva presented the conclusion of all the Vedas in
concise aphorisms called Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra. vs 2.1.11 Madhyandina-sruti implies the oneness of the Itihasas and
Puranas with the Rg and other Vedas in terms of the transhuman
states, "Logic in and of itself is inconclusive," tarkdpratisthdnat. In
other words, logic has no absolute stance because its results are [apauruseya] nature all these works share: "My dear Maitreyi,
^ itihdsa-purdndhhydm vedam samupabrrhhayet
always subject to revision. Both deductive and inductive reasoning

75
7 0

Anuccheda 12
Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
Because at present it is difficult to study the Vedas in their
entirety, and because their meaning is highly abstruse — and
further yet, because even the great thinkers who have com
mented on the meaning of the Vedas interpret them in contra
dictory ways, we should study only the Itihasas and Puranas,
since they are Vedic in nature and are conclusive in determining
the meaning of the Vedas. Moreover, with the help of the Iti
hasas and Puranas we can infer the meaning of the unavailable
portions of the Vedas. Thus, at present, only the Itihasas and
Puranas are the appropriate sources of valid knowledge.
IT ^ ( i To T T To
This is why Mahdbharata (Adi-parva 1.267) and Manu-samhita^
state, "One should comprehensively fortify one s understanding
^ This verse is not found in the current version of Manu-samhitd.
74
11 The Authority of the Vedas
are based on human perception and cognition, which are both unre
liable owing to the four inherent human defects mentioned earlier.
And since different people have varying capacities and types of
intelligence, the opinions they derive from their own intelligence
also vary. Logical reasoning, therefore, has its limitations; it is
inconclusive in transcendental matters except when supported by
scriptural evidence. In Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami
quotes a verse from Bhartrhari s Vakya-padiya (1.34) to this effect:
A position that is asserted even with meticulous attention by expert
logicians can be shown to be otherwise by those who are even more
clever. (brsi.i.46)^
T h e t r u t h o f t h i s s t a t e m e n t i s c o n fi r m e d i n t h e fi e l d s o f m o d e r n
science and philosophy, where there is endless theorizing about the
origins of the universe and the meaning of life. Among the orthodox
schools the Naiyayikas offer logical proofs of God s existence. The
Vedantists, however, do not give much importance to such proofs
because they are liable to be refuted.
Srila Jiva Gosvami also cites the Mahdbharata s statement that
because logic is limited, one should not depend exclusively on it
to try to understand inconceivable realities. For example, by mere
logic one will certainly fail to understand the childhood pastimes
of Sri Krsna, such as His dama-handhana-lila, in which His mother
bound Him with rope. When Mother Yasoda tried to tie Krsna to a
grinding mortar, her rope was too short. She was amazed to find
that even when she joined together all the ropes she could find in
her home, the cumulative length was still too short. Yet, the black
sash around Krsna's waist did not break, nor did His waist become
i n fl a t e d .
Such inconceivable behavior by the Absolute Person is entirely
beyond the reach of all logical faculties; one can understand it
only by accepting the authority of Vedic testimony, sabda-pramana.
In this case, the narration is meant to demonstrate, among other
things, the nature of Bhagavan s transphenomenal form, that it is
^ yatnenapadito'py arthah kusalair anumdtrbhih
abhiyuktatarair anyair anyathaivopapadyate
71
simultaneously and inconceivably both localized and all-pervading.
To be more precise, because His form transcends space and time
altogether, it is not subject to the logical categories derived from
space-time considerations.
Still, although logical reasoning is not a reliable independent
method in the quest for knowledge of the Absolute, this does not
mean that all logic is useless. The very idea that logic is not fully
reliable is itself known through the use of logic supported by scrip
tural references. We should certainly use reason in trying to under
stand the statements of the Vedas. The Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad
thus states, "The Self, my dear Maitreyi, is to be realized, and so
it should be heard about, reflected on, and deeply meditated upon"
(dtmd vd are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhydsitavyo maitreyi,
BAU 2.4.5). Here the word mantavya refers to logical reflection. We
should apply logic to properly understand the Vedic injunctions,
but we should reject logic that runs counter to their conclusions.
Mere logic can never supersede the opinions of the Vedas, which
are free of human defects.
The point is, as indicated in the Upanisadic statement above, that
appropriate logical reflection (manana) upon scriptural truths leads
to intuitive insight, which becomes the basis for deep meditation
(nidhidhydsana). Thus, logic that is consistent with scriptural reve
lation serves to turn consciousness toward the direct apprehension
of Reality as signified by Its sound revelation.
While discussing this topic in Sarva-sarhvddinl, Srila Jiva
Gosvami quotes an untraceable verse from Kurma Purdna:
The logical thought process by which the meaning of a scriptural
passage is understood without contradicting the statements pre
ceding and following it is known as the "primal," or highest, order
of deliberated logic. Dry logic, however, should be abandoned.^
Dry logic refers to arguments contrary to scriptures or not sup
ported by scriptural statements. Mere logic can deliver no ultimacy
in the field of metaphysics. Dry speculative philosophical musings
purvaparavirodhena ko'nv artho'bhimato bhavet
ity adyam uhanarfi tarkah suska-tarkarh tu varjayet
72
amount to no more than a futile mental exercise with no tangi
ble result. No matter how profound and mesmerizing one s logic,
it is inevitable that some other powerful logician will eventually
refute it. The Vedas enjoin, therefore, that those who seek the Abso
lute Truth should abandon dry logic, but not all logic. Indeed, in
gIta 10.32, Sri Krsna Himself declares that logic aimed at under
standing the Absolute as it is presented in scripture is one of His
opulences: "Among logicians, I am that reasoning which estab
lishes the Absolute Truth" (vddah pravadatdm aham). Thus, Srila
Jiva Gosvami is right in accepting anumdna as one of the principal
means of gaining valid knowledge.
Jiva Gosvami next cites two more sutras (vs 1.1.3 and 2.1.27)
which state emphatically that one can understand the Absolute
Truth only from the revealed scriptures. He then concludes by
quoting Srimad Bhdgavatam to show that not only human beings
but even superhumans like the devas require the transempirical
vision provided by the Vedas. Thus, he emphasizes the need for
everyone — humans, subhumans, and superhumans — to avail
themselves of the guiding light of the Vedas, as the flawless means
for understanding the Absolute Truth.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins his demonstra
tion that the Puranas are even more important for us than the Vedas.
73
simultaneously and inconceivably both localized and all-pervading.
To be more precise, because His form transcends space and time
altogether, it is not subject to the logical categories derived from
space-time considerations.
Still, although logical reasoning is not a reliable independent
method in the quest for knowledge of the Absolute, this does not
mean that all logic is useless. The very idea that logic is not fully
reliable is itself known through the use of logic supported by scrip
tural references. We should certainly use reason in trying to under
stand the statements of the Vedas. The Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad
thus states, "The Self, my dear Maitreyi, is to be realized, and so
it should be heard about, reflected on, and deeply meditated upon"
(dtmd vd are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhydsitavyo maitreyi,
BAU 2.4.5). Here the word mantavya refers to logical reflection. We
should apply logic to properly understand the Vedic injunctions,
but we should reject logic that runs counter to their conclusions.
Mere logic can never supersede the opinions of the Vedas, which
are free of human defects.
The point is, as indicated in the Upanisadic statement above, that
appropriate logical reflection (manana) upon scriptural truths leads
to intuitive insight, which becomes the basis for deep meditation
(nidhidhydsana). Thus, logic that is consistent with scriptural reve
lation serves to turn consciousness toward the direct apprehension
of Reality as signified by Its sound revelation.
While discussing this topic in Sarva-sarhvddinl, Srila Jiva
Gosvami quotes an untraceable verse from Kurma Purdna:
The logical thought process by which the meaning of a scriptural
passage is understood without contradicting the statements pre
ceding and following it is known as the "primal," or highest, order
of deliberated logic. Dry logic, however, should be abandoned.^
Dry logic refers to arguments contrary to scriptures or not sup
ported by scriptural statements. Mere logic can deliver no ultimacy
in the field of metaphysics. Dry speculative philosophical musings
purvaparavirodhena ko'nv artho'bhimato bhavet
ity adyam uhanarfi tarkah suska-tarkarh tu varjayet
72
amount to no more than a futile mental exercise with no tangi
ble result. No matter how profound and mesmerizing one s logic,
it is inevitable that some other powerful logician will eventually
refute it. The Vedas enjoin, therefore, that those who seek the Abso
lute Truth should abandon dry logic, but not all logic. Indeed, in
gIta 10.32, Sri Krsna Himself declares that logic aimed at under
standing the Absolute as it is presented in scripture is one of His
opulences: "Among logicians, I am that reasoning which estab
lishes the Absolute Truth" (vddah pravadatdm aham). Thus, Srila
Jiva Gosvami is right in accepting anumdna as one of the principal
means of gaining valid knowledge.
Jiva Gosvami next cites two more sutras (vs 1.1.3 and 2.1.27)
which state emphatically that one can understand the Absolute
Truth only from the revealed scriptures. He then concludes by
quoting Srimad Bhdgavatam to show that not only human beings
but even superhumans like the devas require the transempirical
vision provided by the Vedas. Thus, he emphasizes the need for
everyone — humans, subhumans, and superhumans — to avail
themselves of the guiding light of the Vedas, as the flawless means
for understanding the Absolute Truth.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins his demonstra
tion that the Puranas are even more important for us than the Vedas.
73

Anuccheda 12
Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
Because at present it is difficult to study the Vedas in their
entirety, and because their meaning is highly abstruse — and
further yet, because even the great thinkers who have com
mented on the meaning of the Vedas interpret them in contra
dictory ways, we should study only the Itihasas and Puranas,
since they are Vedic in nature and are conclusive in determining
the meaning of the Vedas. Moreover, with the help of the Iti
hasas and Puranas we can infer the meaning of the unavailable
portions of the Vedas. Thus, at present, only the Itihasas and
Puranas are the appropriate sources of valid knowledge.
IT ^ ( i To T T To
This is why Mahdbharata (Adi-parva 1.267) and Manu-samhita^
state, "One should comprehensively fortify one s understanding
^ This verse is not found in the current version of Manu-samhitd.
74
11 The Authority of the Vedas
are based on human perception and cognition, which are both unre
liable owing to the four inherent human defects mentioned earlier.
And since different people have varying capacities and types of
intelligence, the opinions they derive from their own intelligence
also vary. Logical reasoning, therefore, has its limitations; it is
inconclusive in transcendental matters except when supported by
scriptural evidence. In Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami
quotes a verse from Bhartrhari s Vakya-padiya (1.34) to this effect:
A position that is asserted even with meticulous attention by expert
logicians can be shown to be otherwise by those who are even more
clever. (brsi.i.46)^
T h e t r u t h o f t h i s s t a t e m e n t i s c o n fi r m e d i n t h e fi e l d s o f m o d e r n
science and philosophy, where there is endless theorizing about the
origins of the universe and the meaning of life. Among the orthodox
schools the Naiyayikas offer logical proofs of God s existence. The
Vedantists, however, do not give much importance to such proofs
because they are liable to be refuted.
Srila Jiva Gosvami also cites the Mahdbharata s statement that
because logic is limited, one should not depend exclusively on it
to try to understand inconceivable realities. For example, by mere
logic one will certainly fail to understand the childhood pastimes
of Sri Krsna, such as His dama-handhana-lila, in which His mother
bound Him with rope. When Mother Yasoda tried to tie Krsna to a
grinding mortar, her rope was too short. She was amazed to find
that even when she joined together all the ropes she could find in
her home, the cumulative length was still too short. Yet, the black
sash around Krsna's waist did not break, nor did His waist become
i n fl a t e d .
Such inconceivable behavior by the Absolute Person is entirely
beyond the reach of all logical faculties; one can understand it
only by accepting the authority of Vedic testimony, sabda-pramana.
In this case, the narration is meant to demonstrate, among other
things, the nature of Bhagavan s transphenomenal form, that it is
^ yatnenapadito'py arthah kusalair anumdtrbhih
abhiyuktatarair anyair anyathaivopapadyate
71
 II Pramana 12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas

Commentary of the Vedas by means of the Itihasas and Puranas."^ And else
where it is stated, "The Puranas are so-called because they com
Using scriptural evidence, Srlla Jiva Gosvami here confirms the plete [purana]." It is not possible to expand the meaning of the
conclusion about inferential knowledge he reached in the previous Vedas by means of a non-Vedic source, just as one would certainly
anuccheda. Having argued that logic is not the most reliable means not employ lead to finish an incomplete gold bracelet.
of acquiring knowledge and having used logic to establish this con
clusion, he now presents appropriate Vedic references as the final
proof. Again, one should not think that JIva Gosvami is guilty of self-
dependent reasoning because he resorts to the Vedas themselves to
confirm an assertion about the Vedas. The Vedas are self-luminous
^ I i
like the sun. Just as the sun illuminates itself, independent of any
other source of light, so only the Vedas can establish themselves as
infallible pramana. But, one might object, if the sound revelation known as the
As explained in the previous anuccheda, this self-confirmation Vedas includes the Puranas and Itihasas within its fold, there
is not a defect in the process of sabda-pramana (sound revelation), must exist other Puranas that are yet distinct from the Vedas;
because if the Vedas indeed convey knowledge of the Absolute otherwise, the literature we call Itihasas and Puranas could not
Truth, we can justifiably look to the Vedas themselves to confirm logically be spoken of as nondifferent from the Vedas.
their own authority. Those who have approached Vedic knowledge To this we reply that the Itihasas and Puranas are nondiffer
in the prescribed way have corroborated by their own realization ent from the Vedas inasmuch as both categories of literature are
that the Vedas do describe the Absolute Truth. without human origin [apauruseya] and delineate the same spe
Another consideration is that our objective is to know the incon cific truth. Nonetheless, a distinction between them is also indi
ceivable Reality, and after analyzing all sources of knowledge, we cated by virtue of the difference in intonation and fixity of word
find that no source but the Vedas affords us the appropriate medium order [i.e., the Vedas are intrinsically connected to intonation
to actualize this possibility. If all the best logicians, scientists, and and a fixed word order, but the Puranas and Itihasas are not].
philosophers of the past, present, and future, were to assemble and
deliberate together, they would be unable to shed any light on the
specific nature of transcendence. Any theory this assembly might
propose would amount to no more than a rational construct, liable
to endless refutations and counter-refutations. Understanding the
futility of such a speculative approach, Srila Jiva Gosvami has gone
directly to the heart of the matter by citing Vedic authority. (^o3TToR|Vl^o)
Srila Vyasadeva presented the conclusion of all the Vedas in
concise aphorisms called Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra. vs 2.1.11 Madhyandina-sruti implies the oneness of the Itihasas and
Puranas with the Rg and other Vedas in terms of the transhuman
states, "Logic in and of itself is inconclusive," tarkdpratisthdnat. In
other words, logic has no absolute stance because its results are [apauruseya] nature all these works share: "My dear Maitreyi,
^ itihdsa-purdndhhydm vedam samupabrrhhayet
always subject to revision. Both deductive and inductive reasoning

75
7 0
 II Pramana

the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas, as well as the Itihasas and
Puranas, all appear from the breathing of the Supreme Being"
(bau 2.4.10)?

Commentary A n u c c h e d a 11

In the previous anucchedas, Srila JIva GosvamI has established

that the Vedas — Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva — constitute the
The Authority of the Vedas
means of valid knowing of the Absolute. Here he points out the
practical difficulties involved in studying them nowadays. The first
difficulty is the unavailability of the complete text of the Vedas.
Originally the Veda was one, but at the advent of the current age, n I era; "debiyfriaMid" (^o^o r K "ar^rar: %
Kaliyuga, Srila Vyasadeva divided it into four (vyadadhad yajha- ^rrar ^ diw3>ui (TTO mo ^ m R?) "■?rre?rarf^raTci;" (wo■^o
santatyai vedam ekarh catur-vidham, sb 1.4.19). Then, as explained ? R I?) i!K*irtrc|ldJ' (WoRvs)
in Kurma Parana, Vyasadeva's followers further divided the four
Vedas into 1,130 branches:

Formerly the Rg Veda was divided into 21 branches, the Yajur Veda
into 100 branches, the Sdma Veda into 1,000 branches, and the Atha
rva Veda into 9 branches. {Kurma Parana, Purva 52.19-20)'^
Each of these branches has four subdivisions, called Saihhita,
Brahmana, Aranyaka, and Upanisad. So, all together the Vedas con
sist of 1,130 Sarhhitas, 1,130 Brahmanas, 1,130 Aranyakas, and 1,130
Upanisads — a total of 4,520 titles. By the influence of time, how
ever, many texts have been lost. At present only about 11 Saihhitas,
18 Brahmanas, 7 Aranyakas, and 220 Upanisads are available. This
constitutes less than 6 % of the original Vedas.
The second difficulty one faces in trying to study the Vedas con
cerns their language. There are two varieties of Sanskrit — vaidika
(Vedic) and laukika (current in the world, or ordinary) — and only
^ evarh vd are'sya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad
yad rgvedo yajurvedah samavedo'tharvangirasa itihdsah purdnam
eka-vimsati-bhedena rg-vedam krtavdn purd
sdkhdndrh tu satenaiva yajur-vedam athdkarot
sdma-vedam sahasrena sdkhdndrh prabibheda sah
atharvdnam atho vedarh bibheda navakena tu
The fact that the Vedas are a valid source for ascertaining Ulti
mate Truth is confirmed by the following scriptural statements:
"Logic in and of itself is inconclusive" (vs 2.1.11);^ "One should not
strive to apprehend that which is inconceivable through reason
or logic [alone]" (mb 6.5.22);^ "Scriptures are the [only] source of
valid knowledge of the Absolute Truth" (vs 1.1.3):® "Ihis is con
firmed by the Vedas because they are the source of knowledge of
the Absolute Truth" (vs 2.1.27);* and "O Lord, in the matter of per
ceiving subtle realities that lie beyond the range of sense percep
tion, and in the matter of determining ultimate purpose and the
means for realizing it. Your Veda is the supreme guiding vision
for the forefathers, devas, and human beings" (sb 11.20.4).®
' tarkdpratisthdndt
' acintydh khalu ye bhdvd na tdrhs tarkena yojayet
' sdstra-yonitvdt
" srutes tu sabda-mulatvdt
° pitr-deva-manusydndm vedas caksus tavesvara
sreyas tv anupalabdhe'rthe sddhya-sddhanayor api

69
76
 II Pramana
Veiled by My divine potency (yogamdyd), I am not manifest to all.
Therefore, the deluded world does not know Me, the unborn and
imperishable. (GiTA7.25)^
This statement is relevant both when Bhagavan appears in this
world via divine descent and when He reveals Himself through
scripture. He has provided conditioned beings with the method by
which they can approach Him, and that method begins with the
culture of knowledge from a genuine disciplic succession. Those
unwilling to accept this can have no real access to that Divine Real
ity, even if they study the Vedas on their own for many lifetimes.
Nobody can become a surgeon merely by studying books on the
subject.
In summary, it is to be admitted that there is an absence of any
conclusive proof of the Vedas' being authored by a mortal being. So,
by the logic known as the law of the remainder (pdrisesya-nydya),
the authority of the great deary as and saints coming in authentic dis
ciplic successions, and ultimately the testimony of the Vedas them
selves, lead us to conclude that the Vedas exist eternally and are an
infallible source of knowledge.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that inference cannot be an
independent means for understanding the Absolute Truth.
^ ndharh prakdsah sarvasya yoga-mdyd-samdvji:ah
mudho'yam ndbhijdndti loko mdm ajam avyayam
6 8
12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
the first of these is found in the Vedas. A scholar of ordinary San
skrit must learn extra vocabulary and rules of grammar, which
require years of study, in order to understand Vedic Sanskrit. And
even when the language of the Vedic verses is fathomed, their cryp
tic nature makes them impossible to decipher without hearing
them explained by a realized teacher in disciplic succession.
Another difficulty: Even before studying the Vedas, one must
study their six "limbs," called Vedahgas. These six limbs are siksd
(science of pronunciation), kalpa (the process of performing sacri
fice), vydkarana (the rules of grammar), nirukta (the meanings of
difficult words used in the Vedas and their derivations), jyotisa (a
branch of astronomy that deals with the influence of luminaries
on human actions related to dharma), and chandas (Vedic meters).
Each of these limbs is extensive and requires serious study.
To further complicate matters, with the advent of Kaliyuga,
human memory has grown weaker. In former times, there were no
books — a student could assimilate all knowledge from his teacher
simply by hearing and remembering. But this is no longer possible.
In this age the food, water, air, and even the very ether are all pol
luted, and all these factors have taken their toll on human memory,
making it difficult to study even the available 6 % of the Vedic texts,
not to speak of the entire four Vedas and their branches. Srila Jiva
Gosvami concludes, therefore, that although the four Vedas are the
ideal sabda-pramana, in the present age it is impractical to study
them thoroughly and thereby ascertain the Absolute Truth.
As an alternative, someone may suggest that since only a few
of the Vedas are available and even they are difficult to under
stand, why not simply study Vedanta-sutra, the definitive summary
of the Vedic conclusions? To this, Jiva Gosvami replies that var
ious thinkers differ about the meaning of Vedanta-sutra, and so
this method will likely lead to confusion. Furthermore, important
thinkers like Gautama, Kapila, and Jaimini adhere to other philoso
phies, so why should we accept only the Vedanta-sutra of Vyasa
rather than one of their theories?
For all these reasons we must admit that even with the help
of the Vedas and Vedanta, we will not be able to clearly ascertain
77

II Prama
the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. To solve this
dilemma, Srila Jiva Gosvami proposes an alternative: study of the
Itihasas and Puranas.
The Itihasas and Puranas are easier to understand than the
Vedas because they are written in laukika Sanskrit, which is spo
ken, rather than Vedic Sanskrit, which is not. Furthermore, the
esoteric meanings of the Vedas are more accessible in the Itihasas
and Puranas, because these works are narrated in story form. And
whereas only the dvijas (the twice-born Vedic initiates) are meant to
study the Vedas, this restriction does not apply to the study of the
Itihasas and Puranas; anyone may read them. Even the Puranas'
original speaker, Suta Gosvami, was not a twice-born brdhmana.
The Itihasas and Puranas convey the same conclusions as the Vedas,
and since they come from the same source, Sri Bhagavan, they are
also free from the four human defects and thus qualify as defini
tive sabda-pramdna. The Itihasas and Puranas should therefore be
considered as reliable as the four Vedas.
But although the Itihasas and Puranas are one with the Vedas,
this does not mean that they are literally identical with them. Oth
erwise, the words Itihdsa and Purdna would simply be names for
certain special parts of the Vedas. The Vedas are written in Vedic
Sanskrit, which necessarily involves three different tonal accents:
uddtta (high), svarita (intermediate), and anuddtta (low). In the
Vedic language, the meaning of a word can be changed if the accent
is changed. We see an example of this in the history of the demon
Vrtra, who was generated by the chanting of a mantra (indra-satro
vivardhasva) during a sacrifice. This demon was supposed to kill
Indra, but during the sacrifice the priests pronounced the mantra
with the wrong accent. The result was just the opposite of what was
i n t e n d e d — I n d r a k i l l e d Vr t r a s u r a .
Another significant difference between the four Vedas and the
Itihasas and Puranas is the sequence of particular words. In the
Vedas the sequence is rigidly fixed. No one should change even one
syllable of the texts, which have maintained their primeval arrange
ment of words since the beginning of creation. Techniques have
been devised, such as pada-pdtha, krama-pdtha, ghana-pdtha, and
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing
And that is why the Vedas are traditionally regarded as "mother."
When a person wants to know who his father is, he cannot find out
by direct perception, inference, or deduction. To know the identity
of one's father, one has to accept his mother's testimony. We sim
ilarly have to accept the revealed knowledge of the Vedas to learn
about the Reality beyond our sensory and intellectual power.
The theories advanced by scholars who surmise the Vedas to
be of mundane origin are unreliable and untenable, because such
scholars have not committed themselves to the necessary precon
ditions specified by the Vedas themselves, by which their inherent
truths become self-revealing and self-evident. This is like consum
ing Ayurvedic medicine while ignoring the guidelines required for
its efficacy and then concluding it to be ineffective. Scholars who
are plagued by the four human defects and impelled by ulterior
motives — desires for degrees, reputation, research funding, and
the like — are checked by their own ego strategies from accessing
direct intuitive insight into the Vedas. These scholars will readily
admit that to understand any complex material subject, one needs
the help of experts in that field, but somehow they reject the neces
sity of a genuine guru for understanding the Vedas. They do not
know that in the case of Vedic literature, submission to a realized
teacher is an absolute requirement.
The Mundaka Upanisad states that to know the Absolute, one
must approach a qualified guru {tad-vijndndrtharh sa gurum evdbhi-
gacchet, muu 1.2.12). The Chdndogya Upanisad says that one who
has accepted a teacher can know the Truth (dcdryavdn puruso veda,
CHU 6.14.2). Similarly, the Katha Upanisad says that this knowl
edge is not available by mere logic, but only through study from
a teacher (naisd tarkena matir dpaneyd proktdnyenaiva sujndndya
prestha, ku 1.2.9). The Svetdsvatara Upanisad says that the true
meaning of the Veda is revealed to a student who is devoted to his
or her teacher (su 6.23).® This prerequisite serves as a kind of pass
word, protecting the Vedas from insincere persons. In Bhagavad
Gitd, Sri Bhagavan affirms:
® yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tathd gurau
tasyaite kathitd hy arthdh prakdsante mahdtmanah
 II Praman;
practical examples of Vedic knowledge being authoritative even in
the empirical field. For example, cow urine and cow dung, which
might well be thought of as impure waste, are stated to be pure
objects in the Vedas. All Hindus accept them as such and use them
for medicine, worship, and even as a kind of low-conductivity insu
lating material with which they smear the floor and walls of their
mud houses. Now it has been proven by scientific experiment that
cow dung and cow urine are antiseptic and medicinal.
The same is true of various herbal formulae prescribed in
Ayurveda. These formulae, which are thousands in number, were
not arrived at after research in a laboratory and testing on mice
and rabbits. They were revealed directly to sages like Bharadvaja,
Atreya, Punarvasu, and Caraka. It would be simplistic, therefore,
to brush aside the Vedas as man-made. Had this been the case,
renowned thinkers and powerful logicians like Srila Jiva Gosvami
and Srila Madhvacarya would have taken no stock in them.
Still one may question the eternal nature of the Vedas, since
the only supporting evidence comes from the Vedas themselves. In
logic, citing evidence that relies on itself for proof of legitimacy
is called self-dependent (svdsraya) reasoning and is unacceptable.
The Vedas may thus appear tainted with this defect of svdsraya, or
begging the question, relying on themselves to establish their own
authority.
Circular reasoning would be a serious defect, but a closer look
shows that the Vedas are an exception to this fallacy. That the Vedas
establish their own authority is not a defect; rather, it is logical and
sensible. It simply affirms their absolute, transcendental nature,
since if some other source were needed to confirm the authority of
the Vedas, the authority of that new source would surpass that of
the Vedas. In such a case, an inquisitive person would be obliged
to discard the Vedas and begin all over again, analyzing the new
source s authenticity. Before long this new source would need con
firmation from yet another source. This could go on ad infinitum.
But the absence of such a superior source for confirmation shows
that the authority of the Vedas as apauruseya-sabda-pramdna is final.
Logically, therefore, no other pramdna can substantiate the Vedas.
6 6
12 Difficulties in Studying the Vedas
jatd-pdtha, for keeping the word order intact. No rewording or
rearrangement of words is allowed in the Vedas. By contrast, the
Itihasas and Puranas need not be so rigidly preserved; their exact
wordings are allowed to vary in different yuga cycles. Because no
special techniques are used to keep the word order of the Puranas
and Itihasas intact, we find slight differences in various editions.
Srila Vyasa compiled the Itihasa called Mahdbhdrata specifically
for people of this age because they are not qualified to understand
the Vedas. This is explained in Srimad Bhdgavatam:
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great
sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great histori
cal narration called Mahdbhdrata so that those who were unaware
of how to act for ultimate good might also attain auspiciousness.
(sB 1.4.25)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the Puranas are so-named because
they complete the Vedas.^ Does he mean by this that the Vedas
are incomplete? No, but the Puranas are a form of explanatory,
supplementary literature that help us understand the terse, cryp
tic message of the Vedas. Like the Vedas, they convey knowledge of
the Absolute Truth, and to do so, they must be transcendental like
t h e Ve d a s .
To prove the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas, he offers
the example of completing a golden bracelet. If a golden bracelet
is incomplete, it can be completed by gold and not by lead. In
other words, the metal used to complete the bracelet must also be
gold. Similarly, if the Itihasas and Puranas complete or supplement
^ strl-sudra-dvija-bandhunam
trayi na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdnam
sreya eva bhaved iha
iti hhdratam dkhydnarh
krpayd munind krtam
^ The word purdna should not be confused with the word purana, which means
"completing." Jiva Gosvami derives the word purdna from the verbal root ^/pur,
which means "to fill" or "to complete." Thus, etymologically purdna means "that
which completes."
7 9

the Vedas, then they must also be Vedic in nature. Skanda Purdna
indicates the equally transcendental status of the Puranas, Itihasas,
and Vedas as follows:
In the Vedas, Rdmdyana, the Puranas, and Mahdbhdrata, Sri Hari is
glorified everywhere — in the beginning, middle, and end. (Skanda
Purdna 4.95.12)^
The conclusion is that because the Itihasas and Puranas emanate
from the same source as the four Vedas and delineate the same
specific truth, they are equally authoritative.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains further how the Itihasas and
P u r a n a s a r e n o t i n f e r i o r t o t h e Ve d a s .
^ vede ramayane caiva purdne bhdrate tathd
adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra glyate
8 0
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomena
and Transphenomenal Knowing
the saintly dcdryas. In any case, a seriously interested person can
always take up the Vedic process himself and personally verify
the Vedic conclusions. Granted, this requires some effort, and
it is of course much easier to offer glib speculations denying the
Vedas' authority than to discipline oneself and follow their instruc
tions. Ultimately, however, the Vedas' scholarly detractors can
never prove their claims.
Even if someone proposes that just as modern science is evolv
ing, the Vedas also evolved over a period of time, then the question
arises, why in recorded history have people stopped making fur
t h e r r e fi n e m e n t s i n t h e Ve d a s ? I f t h e Ve d a s i n d e e d h a v e a h u m a n
source, they should have been revised and improved over time, and
new, improved versions should be available; but this is not the case.
Rather, North or South, East or West, the same standard readings
of the Vedas are found, and no older or newer versions are seen any
where. The Vedic saints have developed a meticulous system for pro
tecting the word order of the Vedic texts. Changing even a single
syllable is considered criminal. Thus, the Vedas are rightly called
Sruti, i.e., that which is heard from a guru unchanged, with proper
intonation and accent of the syllables.
The Vedas are unique. Can one imagine that in a particular field
of science or art, we could reach an apex in knowledge and produce
one standard book accepted by all, making all other books in that
field obsolete? Is it conceivable that no one would make any fur
ther changes or additions to such a book, and that this book would
become worshipable for the people interested in that field? The rea
sonable, unbiased answer is "no," and yet this is precisely the case
with the Vedas, for they are free of defects, having emanated from
the perfect source, Bhagavan. And if someone were to reply "yes,"
there could be no basis for debate over the authority of the Vedas.
In addition to the spiritual knowledge they contain, the Vedic
literature has references to many modern scientific achievements.
The Vedas have sections on astronomy, medicine, yoga, music,
drama, dance, algebra, civil engineering, and so on. The list is long
indeed. These are all arts and sciences that were practiced in India
centuries before the dawn of their modern counterparts. There are
65
 II Pramana

which is imperceptible and inconceivable, and thus if the Vedic rev

elation is indeed valid, it is not even theoretically possible that the
Vedas could have been composed by human beings.
In addition, great scholars and saints like Patanjali, Gautama,
Kanada, Kapila, Sahara Svami, Sahkaracarya, Madhvacarya, Rama-
nujacarya, Kumarila Bhatta, and Rupa Gosvami accepted the Vedas Anuccheda 13
as apauruseya and eternal. These exalted authorities are famed for
their non-attachment, wisdom, and selflessness. The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
Another consideration, and an important one, is that the Vedas
themselves repeatedly enjoin that one who aspires to know the
13.1
wisdom of transcendence must first approach a guru in disciplic
succession. Vedic knowledge is verifiable; it is not just a collection
of abstract ideas. But to realize the truth of Vedic knowledge, one I 3IcT qci (^1-^ ^ l?-k) —
must approach a genuine teacher. Modern scholars, however, flout
this requirement, all the while considering themselves authori Therefore, Skanda Purana states:
ties on Vedic knowledge. In reality, by not applying themselves to
this knowledge in the prescribed way, they ensure that the door
to its mysteries will ever remain locked for them. The attempts of
these hapless scholars to understand the Vedas without a profound
personal commitment to an authorized teacher and discipline is
like the effort to reproduce a scientific experiment while willfully Pidcl c|ct?|id cT^ I
neglecting the key steps in the procedure. Their labor is futile, and II II ^r4lf< I
their analysis and appraisals are inconclusive.
To believe that one can know reality by studying it objectively Long ago, Brahma, the grandsire of the devas, performed severe
is a myth. This myth was propagated by science and has lost its penances, and as a result the Vedas appeared along with their six
steam in the field of quantum mechanics. Dr. Rupert Sheldrake puts supplements and their pada and krama texts. Then the entire
it aptly, "Sciences are human activities. The assumption that the sci Purana emanated from his mouth. Composed of eternal sound
ences are uniquely objective not only distorts the public perception and consisting of one billion verses, it is the unchanging, sacred
of scientists, but affects scientists' perception of themselves. The embodiment of all scriptures. You should know that of the var
illusion of objectivity makes scientists prone to deception and self- ious divisions of this Purana, the Brahma Parana is the first.
(Prahhasa-khanda 2.3-5)^
deception. It works against the noble ideal of seeking truth.
By contrast, the great Vaisnava dcdryas all became Vedic author pura tapas cacdrogram amardndrh pitdmahah
ities by virtue of their scrupulously following the injunction to dvirbhutds tato veddh sa-sad-anga-pada-kramdh
submit to a teacher coming in disciplic succession. As far as motive tatah purdnam akhilarfi sarva-sdstra-mayarh dhruvam
and character, therefore, the evidence weighs heavily in favor of nitya-sabda-mayam puny am sata-koti-pravistaram
nirgatam brahmano vaktrdt tasya bheddn nibodhata
Op. cit., p. 292 brdhmyam purdnam prathamam
 10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing

who wrote a commentary on the Jaimini-sutra of Purva-mimaihsa,

and Patanjali (second century bce), the famous author of the Mahd-
bhdsya on Pdnini-sutra of Sanskrit grammar, accepted the Vedas as
<oqH ("^o ^ I^vs) | ^ (mo 1^9,) — apauruseya.
One may again argue that the author of the Vedas has been for
The figure one billion, cited above, refers to the number of verses
gotten because it served no purpose to remember him. This is also
existing in Brahmas domain. The Third Canto of Srimad Bhdga- a weak argument, since remembering the author of the Vedas is
vatam (3.12.37) offers a similar description in the passage start not without value. As stated above, while engaged in Vedic stud
ing with the words "Brahma manifested the four Vedas — Rg, ies or sacrifices, one recites the names of his sdkhd (branch), gotra
Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva — from his four mouths, facing the (lineage), pravara (subdivision), rsi (sage), and so on. If the sages
east, south, west, and north, respectively."^ In this passage we who propounded the various branches are remembered, why then
fi n d t h e s t a t e m e n t :
neglect to remember the author? Of course, the author is not at
all forgotten because all orthodox Vedic scholars know Him to be
Bhagavan.
II II ^ I
Those scholars who contest the apauruseya origin of the Vedas,
Then the all-seeing Lord Brahma brought forth the fifth Veda — claiming that they are human compilations, also have no conclusive
the Puranas and the Itihasas — from all his mouths, (sb 3.12.39)® proof to back up their claim. Refusing to consider the Vedas' own
statements about their origin and purpose, these scholars merely
assume that the Vedas are not authoritative and speculate about
their true origin. Indeed, the theory that the Vedas have a human
The word veda is directly applied here in reference to the Itihasas author is a recent development advocated by persons who do not
and Puranas. come in disciplic succession. They were mostly proponents of Euro-
centrism or Western Universalism who refused to believe that India
had anything important to offer the world in the realm of philoso
phy and who had their own motives for minimizing the Vedic tradi
■ I " i f n W R T: ^ 3^" (mo tions. They certainly were not impartial judges of the Vedas' origin.
For lack of any definitive proof, therefore, and in light of
?IXRo) I"i wi^rnmr^No^rmr" (TTOmo i^vo m) 1 the many reasonable arguments for the Vedas' divine origin, an
inquirer may find it useful to provisionally accept the transhuman
nature of the Vedas to investigate the epistemic possibilities that
And elsewhere it is said, "The Puranas are the fifth Veda," "The are thereby opened up. One can then experience directly what that
Itihasas and Puranas are called the fifth Veda" (sBi.4.20),'^ and particular frame of reference can disclose. It is suggested here that
what is gained thereby is an "all-perspectival" view, inclusive of
^ rg-yoj^h-sdmdtharvdkhydn veddn purvddibhir mukhaih
^ itihdsa-purdndni pancamarh vedam isvarah the human and the phenomenal, yet transhuman and transphe
nomenal in essence. As demonstrated in the previous anuccheda,
sarvebhya eva vaktrebhyah sasrje
^ itihdsah purdnam ca pancamo vedasarva-darsanah
ucyate a human being's perceptions and cognitions cannot approach that

8 2 63
 II Pramana 13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic

composed before 1500 bce, they disagree about the exact time of
their composition. They have yet to arrive at a definitive conclusion.
Here Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the Vedas are beginningless
and the source of various kinds of knowledge coming down through
many schools of thought since time immemorial. The phrase sarva-
purusa, "all persons/' indicates that the knowledge was passed on
"He taught the Vedas along with the fifUi of their number,
Mahdbhdrata" (mb 12.340.21).®
If the Itihasas and Puranas were not Vedic, it would have been
inappropriate for the preceding verses to include them as the
fifth Veda, since normally one counts together only items of the
same kind.

not only by human beings but also by superhuman beings, such

as the devas and divine sages. These traditions of thought all origi
nate with the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan, who is infallible in all
respects and thus completely untainted by the four human defects.
Moreover, Srila Jiva Gosvami has already shown (in Anuccheda 9)
how unreliable are the alternatives to the Vedic authority. If, as
he has established, only apauruseya-sabda can provide access to
transcendental Reality, how could the Vedas then have been writ
Also, Bhavisya Purdna states, "The fifth Veda, written by Sri
ten or compiled by human beings? If Jiva Gosvami allowed that
Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, is called Mahdhhdrata"^
human authors composed the Vedas, he would be contradicting his
Another reference is found in the Chdndogya Upanisad of the
previous dismissal of human knowledge as imperfect.
Kauthumiya School of the Sdma Veda: "Venerable Sir, I have stud
One may argue that the names of the authors of the Vedas have ied the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas, and also the Itihasas
been forgotten over time, and thus it is not logical to demand that and Puranas, which are the fifth Veda" (Kauthumiya Chdndogya
the Vedas are of divine origin. This argument is weak, because the
Upanisad 7.1.2).^
Vedas have been handed down through the system of disciplic suc
cession from antiquity to the present. In India the members of the
first three classes, called dvijas, traditionally belong to a particu
lar branch of the Vedas. When studying their own branch, they
would learn the historical data specifically related to it. Even today, 3^ (fo R 1^ Ro) ^c^lcilRfd^mMiluitLTl^dUlWcllMi-
though the study of the Vedas has declined, many people in India %1rc|cbvMHq| I II
still know the details about their sdkhd (branch) of the Vedas, the
name of the sage originally in charge of it, and so on. Thus, if the These statements refute the frequently raised objection that the
Vedas had human authors, their names would have been handed Itihasas and Puranas, which in the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad
down and remembered. (2.4.10) are said to emanate from the breathing of the Supreme
On the contrary, from the works of philosophers like Kumarila Being, are included in the four Vedas and therefore have no sep
arate existence.® The same distinction is expressed in the words,
Bhatta, it is understood that the Vedas are not human composi
tions. Indologists accept that Kumarila lived in the sixth century ^ vedan adhydpayamasa mahdbhdrata-pancamdn
® kdrsnarh ca pancamam vedam yan mahdbhdratam smrtam
CE. At that time Vedic culture still flourished in India, along with ^ rgvedarh bhagavo'dhyemi yajurvedam sdmavedam dtharvanam caturtham itihdsam
the system of disciplic succession. But even then, no author was purdnarh pancamam veddndm vedam
® asya mahato bhutasya
ascribed to the Vedas. Before him, Sahara Svami (first century ce).

6 2 83

II Pramana
"Brahma Parana is the first of the Puranas that emanated from
the mouth of Brahma [after he first brought forth the Vedas]"
(Skanda Parana, Prahhasa-khanda 2.5).^
Commentary
To SUBSTANTIATE the Statement from bau 2.4.10 that establishes
the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas, Srila Jiva GosvamI cites
more evidence from the Puranas, Itihasas, and Upanisads. From
these references, the following is clear: The Puranas and Itihasas
have the same source as the four Vedas and are in fact called the
fi f t h V e d a .
Srila Jiva Gosvami refers to the frequent objection that the Iti
hasas and Puranas cannot be called the fifth Veda because they are
part of the four Vedas. While explaining the above-mentioned state
ment from the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, Radhamohana Gosvami
comments that some followers of the Mimaihsaka School claim
that the words itihdsa and purdna refer to historical passages found
in some parts of the Vedas and not to separate works. Exam
ples of Sruti statements sometimes considered Puranic are, "He
from whom these beings take birth" (yato vd imdni bhutdni jdya-
nte, Tu 3.1) and "Lord Hari creates through Brahma and destroys
through Rudra, but He Himself is the beginningless Source of all"
(sa brahmand srjati rudrena vildpayati harir ddir anddih). These and
similar passages are referred to as Purana because they deal with
creation and destruction, which are among the subjects treated in
the Puranas.
The Mimaihsakas further argue that over an immense span of
time, many of these original Puranic portions of the Vedas were lost,
and those that remained became difficult to understand. Therefore,
the Mimaihsakas propose that Srila Vyasa mercifully wrote new Iti
hasas and Puranas for the benefit of the unintelligent people of Kali-
yuga, and this is what is described in sb 1.4.25. Hence, the Itihasas
and Puranas mentioned in the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad are part
^ brahmyam puranarh prathamam
10 The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenome:
and Transphenomenal Knowing
of the Vedas, and thus in the beginning of creation he could bring
forth the numerous manifest forms to which the names and duties
correspond."^
At the beginning of creation, knowledge about various arts,
such as music, dance, singing, sculpture, science, engineering, and
medicine, was obtained from the Vedas. The whole human culture
,f was based on Vedic knowledge. Over time, different cultures and
languages developed that obscured the original Vedic culture.
The Vedas (i.e., sabda-pramdna) are the only effective means for
acquiring knowledge of the positive dimension of transcendence.
The Vedas inform us about topics beyond empiricism, such as the
dtmas existence beyond the body, about the planets of the spiritual
domain, and about the Supreme Lord, His pastimes, and other mat-
i ters. All these subjects are beyond the reach of our sensory and
mental faculties.
Philosophers such as the Buddhists reject the Vedas on princi
ple, implying that they reject all authority on principle. This pre
determination in their epistemological makeup orients them exclu
sively toward the negation of substance (andtta), and thus they can
not justifiably say anything regarding the positivity (i.e., the sub
stantiality) of transcendence. For this reason their preoccupation
is necessarily with the emptiness of phenomena. Sabda-pramdna is
so essential that although Vaisnavas count Lord Buddha among the
avatdras of Bhagavan on the strength of Vedic testimony, they take
issue with His philosophy because it is not consistent with sabda-
pramdna.
All orthodox schools of Indian philosophy, whether dualistic or
nondualistic, consider the Vedas to be transhuman in nature (apau-
ruseya)? Many modern scholars, however, dispute the divine ori
gin of the Vedas. They suggest various dates for the composition
I of the Vedas, and while most of them agree that the Vedas were
I
^ ^ sarvesarfi tu sa namdni karmdni ca prthak prthak
veda-sabdebhya evadau(lit.,
prthak-samsthds
"non-human")cahas
nirmame
^ The word apauruseya two meanings. Purva-mlmaihsakas
take it to mean that the Vedas are not written or created by anyone, including
God. They are eternal and independent of God. Other orthodox schools consider
it to mean that the Vedas are composed or spoken by God.
 II Pramana
Commentary
As ALREADY NOTED, both perception and inference depend on per
cepts, which are limited only to empirical objects and vitiated by
the four human defects. Thus, perception and inference are inade
quate in and of themselves for accurately understanding anything
beyond our senses. By tracing the chain of causes in material ere- i
ation, we can infer that something exists beyond our sense percep
tion, but inference can take us no further, leaving us unable to iden
tify it; nor can inference yield valid knowledge about abhidheya, the
means for realizing it. Here it must be noted that Srila Jiva Gosvami
is not rejecting altogether perception and inference as means of
valid knowledge, but only in relation to the Absolute Reality. He is
also not saying that they are completely ineffective. They can assist
sabda, as was stated before.
We can access knowledge of the Absolute only from revealed
scripture, the Vedas, which are identical to or directly uttered by
Bhagavan Narayana (vedo ndrdyanah sdksdt) and so are free from
the four defects of human beings. The Vedas appeared from the Sup
reme Lord at the dawn of creation, a fact confirmed in the Svetdsva-
tara Upanisad: "That Supreme Deity created Brahma at the begin- I
ning of creation and delivered the Vedas to him" (yo brahmdnarh
vidadhdti purvarhyo vai veddrhs ca prahinoti tasmai, su e.is).
In the above anuccheda, the adjective anddi-siddha means that
the Vedas are not created but exist without a beginning. As used
in this anuccheda, it means that the Vedas were not written at a
particular date but exist eternally, like Bhagavan. They first man- (
ifested in this universe within the heart of Brahma, the first cre
ated being: tene brahma hrdd ya ddi-kavaye (sb i.i.i); then they were
handed down through disciplic succession. The Vedas provide both '
material and spiritual knowledge. Knowledge about such common
phenomena as the trees, water, land, and sky originally came from
the Vedas, along with knowledge of the divisions of duties for var
ious people according to their psycho-physical natures. As Manu-
sarhhitd (1.21) states: "Brahma learned the names of all objects and
the duties of various classes of people exclusively from the words
6 0
13 The Itihasas and Puranas Are Vedic
of the Vedas, not independent books, and therefore, it is incorrect
to conclude that they are the fifth Veda. This is the MImarhsakas'
argument.
Srila Jiva Gosvami refutes this argument with references from
the Vedas as well as the Itihasas and Puranas themselves. These cita
tions confirm the status of the Itihasas and Puranas as the fifth Veda
on the grounds that they emanated separately from Sri Brahmas
mouths. If they were only parts of the Vedas, there would be no rea
son for these authoritative scriptures to call them the fifth Veda.
Moreover, there are many statements about the transpersonal
{apauruseya) and Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas in the
Vedic Saihhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanisads, Kalpa-sutras,
Dharma-sutras, and Grhya-sutras, as well as in the Puranas, Itihasas,
and other Smrti texts. Here are a few of these statements:
The Rg, Sdma, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas appeared from the mouth of
Bhagavan along with the Puranas and all the devas residing in the
celestial planets. (Atharva Veda 11.7.24)^°
He approached the Brhati meter, and thus the Itihasas, Puranas,
Gathas, and Narasaihsis became favorable to him. One who knows
this verily becomes the beloved abode of the Itihasas, Puranas,
Gathas, and Narasaihsis. (Atharva Veda 15.6.10-12)"
In this way, all the Vedas were manifested along with the Kalpas,
Rahasyas, Brahmanas, Upanisads, Itihasas, Anvakhyatas, and
Puranas. (GopathaBrdhmana, Purva 2.10)^^
rcah samdni chanddmsi
puranam yajusd saha
ucchistdjjajfiire sarve
divi devd divi-sritdh
" sa brhatirh disam anu vyacalat
tarn itihdsas ca purdnam ca gdthds ca
itihdsasya ca sa vai purdnasya ca gdthdndrh. ca ndrdsarfislndm ca priyam dhdma
bhavati ya evarh veda
evam ime sarve vedd nirmitdh sa-kalpdh sa-rahasydh sa-brdhmandh sopanisatkdh
setihdsdh sdnvdkhydtdh sa-purdndh
85
 Indeed, Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva are the names of the four
Vedas. The Itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda, (chu 7.1.4)^^
One who thoroughly studies the Vedas along with their six limbs
and the Itihasas and Puranas becomes a true knower of the Vedas.
(Vydsa-smrti 4.45)^"^
All these references show that the Itihasas and Puranas have the
same source and subject as the Vedas. In the next anuccheda, Srila
Jiva Gosvami explains why the Itihasas and Puranas are counted as
t h e fi f t h Ve d a .
nama vd rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-veda dtharvanas caturtha itihdsa-puranah
pancamo veddndm vedah
mimdmsate ca yo vedan sadbhir angaih sa-vistaraih
itihdsa-purdndni sa bhaved veda-pdra-gah
8 6
Anuccheda 10
The Vedas Are a Valid Means of Phenomenal
and Transphenomenal Knowing
Consequently, for us, who are inquisitive about that Entity
who is beyond everything, yet is the ground and support of every
thing — who is fully inconceivable and wondrous in nature —
perception, inference, and so on are not suitable means of valid
knowing. For this purpose the only means of valid knowing is
the Veda, the transphenomenal [aprakrta] words that eternally
self-exist without beginning.^ They are the source of all phenom
enal and transcendental knowledge that have been passed down
intact through all authentic lines of succession [parampard].
From the Sanskrit text it would appear that the compound anddi-siddha is an
adjective of sarva-purusa-parampardsu, which would translate as "the authentic
lines of succession eternally self-exist without beginning." Yet, in JIva Gosvaml's
Sarva-sarhvddinl commentary, he analyses the word as an adjective of the Veda.
Following his own example, we have translated it accordingly, as an adjective of
the Veda, which has the effect of further emphasizing the Vedas' epistemological
validity.
5 9
Anuccheda 14

The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Veda

In Vayu Purana, Suta Gosvami explains why the Itihasas and

Puranas are considered the fifth Veda:

^ y l d v 3 i T H T: 11 ^ ? II

3%R 11 11

II ^\9 II ^

Srila Vyasadeva, the almighty Supreme Lord, accepted me [Suta

Gosvami] as the qualified speaker of the Itihasas and Puranas.
In the beginning there was only one Veda, the Yajur Veda, which
Srila Vyasa divided into four parts. These gave rise to the four
sacerdotal functions called cdtur-hotra, by means of which Srila
Vyasa arranged for the performance of sacrifice.
The adhvaryu priests perform all their assigned functions with
yajur-mantras, the hotd priests with rg-mantras, the udgdtd
priests with sdma-mantras, and the brahmd priests with atharva-

87
 Pramana

[Stita Gosvami further states:] O best of the twice-born, there

after Srila Vyasa, master of the meaning of the Puranas, com
piled the Puranas and the Sarhhitd [MahdhhdrataY by combin
ing various types of narrations and songs, known as dkhydnas,
updkhydnas, and gdthds.
That which remained after Vyasa had divided the Vedas into
four parts was also the Yajur Veda. This is the conclusion of the
scriptures. {VdyuPurdna 1.60.16-18, 21-22)^

14.2

|TTTH^r(^?k-
^)-

The Puranas and Itihasas are also used in the formal study of
the Vedas called brahma-yajna — a practice validated by state
ments such as, "The Itihasas and Puranas are Vedas" (Taittiriya
Aranyaka 2.9).^ So, the fact that the Puranas and Itihasas are used
in the brahma-yajna means that it is impossible for them to be
n o n - Ve d i c .

^ Baladeva Vidyabhusana comments that the word samhitd here refers to

Mahdbhdrata. Radhamohan Gosvami, however, interprets purdna-sarhhitd as a
singular compound. This would then refer to the Purana as a single compilation
that became the basis for the eighteen Puranas, as supported by the quote from
MatsyaPurdna (53-8-9), citedsamyag
in Anuccheda
^ itihdsa-purdndndrh vaktdram eva hi 14.2.
mdih caiva pratijagrdha bhagavdn isvarah prabhuh
eka dsld yajur vedas tarn caturdhd vyakalpayat
cdturhotram abhut tasmirhs tena yajnam akalpayat
ddhvaryavarh yajurbhis tu rgbhir hotrarh tathaiva ca
audgdtrarh sdmabhis caiva brahmatvarh cdpy atharvabhih
dkhydnais cdpy updkhydnair gdthdbhir dvija-sattamdh
purdna-sarhhitds cakre purdndrtha-visdradah
yac chistarh tu yajurvede iti sdstrdrtha-nirnayah
Alternate reading of VdyuPurdna 1.60.22:
yac chistarh tu yajurveda tena yajhamathdyujat
yuhjdnah sa yajurvede iti sdstra-viniscayah
^ yad brdhmandnmhdsa-purdndni

88
 14 The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Veda

Therefore, in Matsya Purana the Supreme Lord says:

II II

r^rit^ II ii?fw

O best of the twice-born, foreseeing that the Purana will gradu

ally be neglected, I assume the form of Vyasa and abridge it in
every age. (mp 53.8-9)'*

^<|U| C T ^ ? T: I

In other words, Srila Vyasa condenses the pre-existing Purana so

that people can easily comprehend it.

14.3

IV??)

Matsya Purana further states:

ii ?o ii

cK?Tfs3rg^^: in^fyid: II ?? II ^ I

The Purana consisting of four hundred thousand verses is

divided into eighteen parts; then, it is passed on by oral recita
tion in every Dvaparayuga here on earth. Even today the original
Purana of one billion verses exists in the abode of the immortals
[devos]. The essential meaning of that Purana is contained in the
abridged version of four hundred thousand verses, (mp 53.9-11)®
kdlendgrahanam matvd purdnasya dvijottamdh
vydsa-rupam aharh krtvd sarhhardmi yuge yuge
® caturlaksa-pramdnena dvdpare dvdpare sadd
tad-astddasadhd krtvd hhur-lokesmin prabhdsyate
adydpy amartya-loke tu sata-koti-pravistaram
tad-artho'tra catur-laksah safiksevena nivesitah

8 q
 II Pramana

14.4

Suta s statement, "that which remained after Vyasa had divided

the Vedas into four parts was also the Yajur Veda/'^ indicates that
the remaining portion of the Yajur Veda, which is the prime por
tion (abhidheya-bhaga), forms the abridged version of the orig
inal Parana, containing its essence, and it consists of four hun
dred thousand verses in the world of mortals. It is not a different

composition.

Commentary

T h e I t i h a s a s a n d P u r a n a s a r e c a l l e d t h e fi f t h V e d a b e c a u s e

they are derived from the original Veda, the Yajur Veda. This is
explained in the section of the Vdyu Purana that describes the cdtur-
hotra priests. There are four kinds of rtviks (priests) needed to per
form a Vedic sacrifice, and their duties were originally all known
from the Yajur Veda. But later on, the Veda was divided into four
parts for easy understanding and application. The duties of the four
priests — adhvaryu, udgata, hotd, and brahmd — are known from
these four corresponding divisions. The adhvaryu priest is associ
ated with the Yajur Veda, and his duties include sanctifying the sac
rificial paraphernalia and measuring the shape and size of the sac
rificial arena. The udgdtd priest studies the Sdma Veda and chants
hymns during the sacrifice to propitiate the Lord. The hotd priest
decorates the altar, invokes the devas, pours oblations, and chants
the Rg Veda. The brahmd priest is an expert in the Atharva Veda and
acts as the supervisor and coordinator of sacrificial ceremonies.
After Srila Vyasa compiled the four Vedas, there still remained
one billion verses from the original Yajur Veda. These verses became
the original Purana, which is still available in the celestial plan
ets. Out of compassion for the people of Kaliyuga, Vyasadeva
® yac chistarh tu yajurvede

9 0
 II Pramana
including the Advaitavadis; it is the most popular of the Puranas;
it has an intact tradition of Vaisnava commentaries; and it is the
culmination of Srila Vedavyasas literary output, being composed
in His maturity.
By establishing Srimad Bhdgavatam as the last word among Vedic
scriptures, Srila Jiva Gosvami fulfills the will of Sri Caitanya Maha-
prabhu, who accepted the Bhdgavatam as the "spotless Purana," the
supremely authoritative text.
In the next anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami explains that Srimad
Bhdgavatam has not been composed by a mortal and that it is the
natural commentary on the Veddnta-sutra.
11 8
14 The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Vei
extracted five hundred thousand essential verses from this origi
nal Purana. Four hundred thousand of these he divided into the
eighteen Puranas. The remaining verses formed the Itihasa called
Mahdbhdrata, The Itihasas and Puranas are therefore called the fifth
Veda because they were produced from the original Veda. Another
reason the Itihasas and Puranas are considered the fifth Veda, dis
tinct from the other four, is that the priests of the four Vedas do not
use the Itihasas and Puranas in sacrificial ceremonies, even though
these works are studied along with the Vedas, which places them in
the category of the Vedas.
In his commentary on vp 3.6.1, Srldhara Svami defines the terms
dkhydna, updkhydna, and gdthd:
The learned define an dkhydna as the narration of an event wit
nessed by the speaker, while an updkhydna is the narration of an
event that is heard about but not witnessed by the speaker. Gdthds
are songs about the forefathers and earthly beings.^
The statement "that which remained was also called Yajur Veda"
(yac chistarh tu yajur-vedah, Anuccheda 14.4) indicates that the Iti
hasas and Puranas are apauruseya, without human origin; thus,
they share the same authority as the Vedas, having been compiled
by Srila Vyasa from Bhagavans very breath. While compiling the
Itihasas and Puranas, He included some of His own statements to
make the narration more easily comprehensible. For example, in
Bhagavad Gitd, the words "Arjuna said" and "Krsna said" are added
by Srila Vyasa to help the reader understand. But we should not con
sider even these added statements to have been written by a mortal
being, since Vyasa is an avatdra of Bhagavan. This is evident from
the verse of Matsya Purdna quoted in Anuccheda 14.2.
Someone might raise the objection that from the Brhad-dranyaka
Upanisad (2.4.10), cited in Anuccheda 12.4, it is clear that the four
Vedas individually appeared from Bhagavan. Why, then, is it said
that Vyasadeva divided the one Veda into four parts? To this we
reply that while it is true that each Veda individually emanated
' svayarh-drstdrtha-kathanarh prdhur dkhydnakarh budhdh srutasydrthasya
kathanam updkhydnam pracaksate. gdthds tu pitr-p]i:hivy-ddi-gltayah.
91

II Pramana
from the Lord, originally all four Vedas were collectively called the
Yajur Veda, because that Veda is much bigger than the other three.
Generally, the largest member of a set can represent the whole set.
In Sanskrit this is called adhikyena vyapadesa bhavanti, or the law
that the largest constituent represents the whole. A herd of cows
with just a few buffaloes in it is still referred to as a herd of cows,
and the four fingers combined with the thumb are still called five
fingers. Because the four Vedas had become disordered, Sri Vyasa
rearranged the Vedic texts to help clearly define the duties of the
four sacrificial priests. How the Vedas became mixed up by the
curse of Gautama Rsi will be elaborated in Anuccheda 16.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami further substantiates
his conclusion about the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas,
and he also explains the meaning of the name "Vedavyasa."
9 2
18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
award liberation." But even these sdttvika Puranas have been under
stood in many different ways by great thinkers. Some interpreters
have found that they glorify the path of yoga as ultimate, others have
concluded that they recommend hhakti as the highest path, and yet
others have found that they promote the path of jhdna (knowledge)
as supreme.
For this reason Srila Jiva Gosvami proposes the Vedanta-sutra as
a possible basis of reconciliation. As stated earlier, there are four
Vedas divided into four parts, the Upanisads being the fourth of
these. The Upanisads encompass the essential meaning of the Vedas.
They are considered as the cream of the Vedas and are thus called
Vedanta. The Upanisads, however, also apparently contain contra
dictions. To solve this problem, Vyasadeva wrote the Vedanta-sutra,
also called the Brahma-sutra, in which he incorporates the essential
understanding of the Vedas and the principal Upanisads.
But we must also consider that the dedicated followers of other
sages who wrote philosophical sutras, such as Gautama and Patafi-
jali, might not accept the conclusions of Vedanta-sutra. Even if
the followers of other philosophers could be somehow convinced
to enlarge their stance by logical proof of the greater authority
of Vedanta-sutra, the situation is still problematic: The sutras of
Vedanta are terse and esoteric, and dcdryas of various persuasions
have commented on them in such a way that it is difBcult to decide
whose opinion agrees with that of Srila Vedavyasa, the author.
The main contenders are the adherents of Advaitavada and the
Vaisnavas. The debate between these two groups has continued for
more than a thousand years.
For the seeker who has come this far along the way but finds him
self sinking in the swampy confusion created by the various scrip
tures and their myriad commentators, Srila Jiva Gosvami finally
points out the high ground of Srlmad Bhdgavatam. The Bhdgava-
tam has the ten characteristics of a major Purana (discussed in
Anuccheda 56); it is transhuman in nature (apauruseya); it is the
natural commentary on the Veddnta-sutra and thus constitutes the
purport of all the Vedas, Itihasas, and Puranas; it is available in its
entirety; it is respected by all Vaisnava dcdryas and many others
11 7
 II Pramana

material stasis, which do not address the ultimate concern of life,

related to eternal or timeless being. For example, in Linga Purdna,
the sages at Naimisaranya ask Suta Gosvami to narrate the glories
of Linga, Lord Siva. Although Suta Gosvami has fully realized the
Absolute Truth and is perfectly competent to explain it, the ques
tions here restrict him to speaking on the particular topic of Linga. Anuccheda 15
He is not requested to explain the deeper meaning of life. Since
all rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas share this inherent shortcoming, The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas
they cannot be reliable sources of knowledge about the essential Is the Same
topics of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana.
The Puranas were arranged according to the different gums in
correspondence with the various desires and psychological dispo
sitions of conditioned human beings. Nevertheless, every Purana
somewhere contains glorification of Sri Hari, the Absolute Truth.
Srila Vedavyasa included this glorification so that, while hearing or
Similarly, the Vdyaviya-samhitd of Siva Purdna indicates the
reading the tdmasika and rdjasika Puranas, even persons situated Vedic nature of the Puranas by mentioning their appearance
in the lower material gums could be offered the possibility of hav
along with the Vedas:
ing their consciousness turned toward its ultimate complete source,
Bhagavan. TO I
Someone might object that the statement cited above concern
ing the classification of the Puranas according to the gums does
not itself come from a sdttvika Purana and so should not be taken
I RX ll?t
as authoritative. We reply that this classification is supported by
numerous other statements as well, including some from sdttvika The ingenious Lord abridged the Veda and then divided it
scriptures such as Padma Purdna, which we have already cited in [vyosta] into four. Therefore, He became known as Vedavyasa.
the previous anuccheda. Nor is it true that the Puranas in the lower He also condensed the Puranas into 400,000 verses, which
gums contain no valid knowledge at all; rather, they provide some still number one billion verses in the immortal realm. (Siva
insight into Absolute Reality, what to speak of the insights they Purdna 7.1.1.37-38)^
give into lesser topics. In addition, no statement in the Vedic liter
ature specifically contradicts the verses cited here classifying the
Puranas according to the gums of nature, and so we are left with no
Here the word sanksipta (condensed) implies "condensed by
compelling reason to doubt the authenticity of this classification. Him."
From this analysis we can conclude that in our quest for the ulti ^ sanksipya caturo vedarhs caturdha vyabhajat prabhuh
mate sabda-pramdna we need to consider only the sdttvika Puranas.
vyasta-vedataya khydto veda-vyasa iti smrtah
As Padma Purdna states, sdttvikd moksa-ddh proktdh: "The Puranas purdnam api sanksiptam caturlaksa-pramdnatah
that embody the gum of perpetual being (sattva) are said to directly adydpy amartya-loke tu sata-koti-pravistaram

11 6 9 3
 II Pramana
c+,|6cbll^c|d
I rfWcT^ IT Id^cjfjHfd^l-
The names of the various Puranas — Skanda, Agni, and so on —
refer to their original speakers, as with the Katha Upanisad,
which was promulgated by the sage Katha. Alternatively,
the name may refer to the person who arranged the Puranas
contents. The reason the Puranas are occasionally described
as impermanent is that they are sometimes manifest and
sometimes not.
In this way, by the arguments and evidence provided in
Anucchedas 13, 14, and 15.1-2, the Vedic nature of the Itihasas
and Puranas is established.
In spite of this fact, Suta and others [who are not twice-born] are
eligible to recite the Puranas in the same way that every person is
eligible to chant Sri Krsnas Holy Name, the transcendental fruit
of the creeper of all the Vedas. As stated in the Prabhasa-khanda
of Skanda Purdna:
MRjlld dk^ld^^fUHm II II
O best of the Bhrgu dynasty, the Holy Name of Krsna is the sweet
est of the sweet and the most auspicious of the auspicious. It is
the transcendental fruit of the creeper of all the Vedas and is
purely of the nature of consciousness [eternally self-manifest
and self-existing and hence prior to phenomenal existence].
9 4
18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
Srimad Bhagavatam also states:
Conditional becoming is superior to stasis, but perpetual being is
better yet, because it can lead to direct unmediated vision of the
Absolute Truth, (sb 1.2.24)'^
This verse follows a passage (sb 1.2.23) in which Suta Gosvami
is explaining which form of worship yields the ultimate good. His
opinion is that one can achieve the ultimate good only by worship
ing Sri Krsna, the complete personification of unadulterated being
(visuddha-sattva).
The citation from Matsya Purdna in the previous anuccheda
states that the sdttvika Puranas glorify Lord Hari, Krsna. By con
trast, the rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas recommend worship of
other deities. Such worship embodies the perspectives of the lower
gunas of nature, and hence is not by its inherent nature directed
toward immediate realization of the Absolute Truth.
Thus, one can tell which guna a Purana embodies by taking note
of the deity it recommends for worship. Another way to tell is
by how it commences. In the sdttvika Puranas, a questioner will
approach a learned speaker and inquire from him about the Abso
lute Truth. The questioner may ask the speaker to elaborate on
the nature of Ultimate Reality, the supreme path of transcendence
for all, the ultimate benefit a human being can aspire for, how one
should prepare for death, or similar topics. Such questions then
allow the speaker of the Purana full freedom to explain these topics.
The speaker who is self-realized, free from all gross and subtle mate
rial desires, and concerned only with the welfare of the inquirer and
those who will hear the discourse either in the present or in the
future, then replies with answers that are specific and unambigu
ous, leaving no room for misinterpretation or confusion. Examples
of such sdttvika Puranas include Padma Purdna, Visnu Purdna, and,
most prominently, Bhdgavata Purdna, or Srimad Bhdgavatam.
In the rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas, however, the questioners
inquire about limited topics related to conditional becoming and
tamasas tu rajas tasmdt sattvam yad brahma-darsanam
11 5
 II Pramana 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same

Bhdgavatam, the emperor of all pramdnas [because it fulfills the Whoever chants it but once, whether as an intentional act born
said criteria]." of faith or inadvertently, is liberated.^

Commentary

Matsya Purana, Chapter 53, specifies the number of verses in $fci I "cTiTt) -
each Purana and describes the benefits of donating each of the
Visnu-dharma Purana states:
Puranas on special days. In that same chapter Suta Gosvami speaks
two and a half verses containing a formula for dividing the Puranas
into three classes, according to which one of the three gunas of pri
mordial nature they predominantly embody. These three classes of
Purana glorify various deities, and commentators often try to estab A person who chants the two syllables ha-ri has already completed
lish their own favorite among these deities as supreme, arguing on the study of the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas?
the basis of logic and apparently conclusive scriptural references.
One consequence of this partiality is that commentators tend to 3TeT%^2jPiU|jqcbrci —
denigrate Puranas belonging to a category different from their A n d V i s n u P u r d n a a f fi r m s t h a t t h e P u r a n a s a n d I t i h a s a s e s t a b l i s h
own: Proponents of tdmasika Puranas tend to reject the authority the meaning of the Vedas:
of the rdjasika and sdttvika Puranas, and proponents of rdjasika and
sdttvika Puranas likewise reject the Puranas outside their group.
But there cannot actually be several Absolute Truths; therefore, the II ^V9 ll???TT^ I
question of which Puranic deity is the one Supreme Truth remains
to be settled. On the pretext of writing Mahdbhdrata, Srila Vyasa has explained
the meaning of the Vedas. Without doubt, all of the Vedas are
For the unbiased seeker of truth, Srila Jiva Gosvami demon
firmly established in the Puranas.'*
strates how to resolve the matter. He explains that the perspec
tive disclosed through the guna of luminosity and perpetual being
(sattva) is clearly superior to that presented through the gunas of
conditional becoming (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), as Sri Krsna
confirms in Bhagavad Gitd:

From the guna of perpetual being (sattva), real knowledge develops;

from the guna of conditional becoming (rajas) only greed develops;
and from the guna of material stasis (tamas) develop negligence,
delusion, and ignorance. (ciTA 14.17)^
sattvdt sanjdyatejndnaTfi rajaso lobha eva ca
pramdda-mohau tamaso hhavatojndnam eva ca
sakala-nigama-valll-sat-phalarh dt-svarupam
sakrd api parigltam sraddhayd helayd vd
bhrgu-vara nara-mdtrarn tdrayet krsna-ndma
rgvedo'tha yajurvedah sdmavedo'pyatharvanah
adhitdstena yenoktam harirityaksaradvayam
bhdrata-vyapadesena hy dmndydrthah pradarsitah
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra sarhsayah

11 4 95

II Pramana
Moreover, even if we count the Itihasas and Puranas among the
revealed texts that illuminate the meaning of the Vedas, they are
still unique because of the extraordinary distinction of the one
who manifested them [i.e., Vyasa]. Padma Purdna says:
^6 11^
Brahma and others are unaware of what Bhagavan Vedavyasa
knows. Indeed, He knows everything known to others as well
as that which is beyond everyone else s grasp.®
Commentary
The word sanksipta in the verse cited here from Siva Purdna
7.1.1.37 is significant. It means "condensed," not "composed." Srlla
Vedavyasa, who is a divine descent of God (avatdra) condensed
the already existing Vedas. Then He took unused verses from that
abridged portion and compiled them into the Puranas. Thus, He
did not formulate the Puranas as an original composition. This con
firms that the Puranas, by virtue of their transcendental origin, are
equal to the four Vedas. They are eternal and apauruseya.
One may protest that since the Puranas have names, such as
Skanda and Agni, they must have been composed by these persons,
and so they are neither eternal nor apauruseya. But if this were the
case, the Vedas themselves would have to be considered non-eternal
compositions, since some parts have names like Kapha Upanisad and
Aitareya Brdhmana, which refer to the sages Katha and Aitareya.
The explanation is that portions of the Vedas are named afler certain
sages not because they wrote those portions, but because they were
the main exponents of those portions. Since persons with names
like Katha and Aitareya appear in every millennium, one should not
® dvaipayanena yad buddharh brahmadyais tan na budhyate
sarva-buddham sa vai veda tad buddharh ndnya-gocarah
This verse is not found in the printed version of Padma Purdna.
96
18 Srimad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria ol
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
FTliV ^fhnJiqcll clclcj^l-
r cRT: chrKf^cii^ ?
But even then, how can we reconcile the different inconclusive
views put forward regarding the Absolute Truth? Someone may
propose study of Veddnta-sutra as the solution, claiming that
Bhagavan Vyasadeva compiled Veddnta-sutra to present the deci
sive conclusion of both the Vedas and the Puranas concerning
the Absolute Truth. But then the followers of sages who wrote
other sutras may not concur. Moreover, since the aphorisms of
Vedanta are terse and extremely esoteric, and since they are also
subject to varying interpretations, a contrary conclusion of the
sutras is always likely to be expressed. What, then, can resolve
disputes concerning the meaning of Veddnta-sutra?
TTTMHT-
[jiva Gosvami employs a literary device here of introducing an
apparent objective witness, who responds to the question as fol
lows.] "This problem could be solved if there were one scrip
ture that had the characteristics of a Purana, that was without
human origin, that presented the essence of all the Vedas, Iti
hasas, and Puranas, that was based on Veddnta-sutra, and that
was available on earth in its complete form."
[To this Jiva responds:] "My dear sir, what you have said is
an accurate statement of truth, and the specific criteria men
tioned by you particularly brings to mind our revered Srimad
11 3

Anuccheda 18
Srimad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
18.1
fTTftcIT I cmxTDT ^ ^
"yTmcTy35TTq^5lTTO" (HTO^RRX)
flH^I-tJI-Uld yil^cbilci i<|U||f^ci,gini?l5iMMydrtfiHciJ|i|ldH I
This being the case [that the Puranas emhody different gunas
of primordial nature], Matsya Purana classifies the various well-
known Puranas into three divisions based specifically on the
descriptions that they contain. But how can we determine the
relative importance of the Puranas so that we can then learn
about the other subjects under discussion [namely, sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana]? If we use the three gunas of nature
as the basis for categorizing the Puranas, depending on such
statements as, "knowledge is horn of sattva-guna" [gita 14.17]*
and "sattva-guna leads to realization of the Absolute Truth"
[sB 1.2.24],^ we must conclude that the Puranas and other lit
erature in sattva-guna are more authentic sources of knowledge
of the Absolute Truth.
' sattvdt sadjdyatejnanam
^ sattvam yad brahma-darsanam
15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same
think that before the appearance of the known Katha and Aitareya,
these names were meaningless words in the Vedas.
In the same way, several of the Puranas are named either after
their original expounder or the person who rearranged them. It
sometimes happens that over the course of time, a certain Vedic
work becomes less popular or is completely forgotten on this planet.
Eventually, some sage or deva again speaks it, and after that it
becomes known by his name. An example of this is given in Srimad
Bhagavatam, where sage Yajnavalkya is described as receiving the
Vajasaneyl-samhitd of the Yajur Veda from the sun god:
Pleased by such glorification, the illustrious sun god assumed the
form of a horse (vdji) and delivered to the sage Yajnavalkya the
yajur-mantras previously unknown in human society, (sb 12.6.73)^
Just as the Lord seems to take birth and disappear like a mor
^ tal being, the Vedic literature similarly seems to become manifest
and unmanifest. According to traditional sources, Srimad Bhaga
vatam had become unmanifest at the end of Dvaparayuga, five
thousand years ago. At that time Narada Muni instructed Vyasa
to again reveal the Bhagavatam, If the Bhagavatam had not existed
before, Puranas older than the Bhagavatam could not refer to it by
name. In Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, Gautama advises Ambarisa
Maharaja, who reigned in Satyayuga, to study Srimad Bhagavatam.
Thus, the Puranas are eternal, but they are sometimes manifest
and sometimes unmanifest in human society. As Bhagavan is inde
pendent in His appearance and disappearance, so by His free will
He speaks the revealed scriptures through the medium of various
sages and gives them various names.
Another objection to the Vedic status of the Itihasas and Puranas
may be stated as follows:
[in Srimad Bhagavatam, Suta Gosvami says:] Seeing that women,
sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-born classes were
prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great sage [Vyasa],
^ evarh stutah sa bhagavdn vdji-rupa-dharo ravih
yajuTTisy aydta-ydmdni munaye'ddt prasdditah
 II Pramana 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas

moved by compassion, compiled the great historical narration Srila Jiva Gosvami offers a solution to this problem in the next
called Mahdbhdrata. (sb 1.4.25)^ anuccheda.

Since Mahdbhdrata, the foremost of the Itihasas, was written

specifically for women and others with no access to the Vedas, how
can the Itihasas be a part of the Vedas? Moreover, in the same
chapter of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Saunaka Rsi says to Suta GosvamI:

We consider you to be thoroughly versed in all subjects implicit

within the complete range of sacred speech, except for the Vedas.
(sB 1.4.13)®

So, if Suta Gosvami was not exposed to the Vedic speech, yet
was being requested to narrate the Puranas (specifically Bhdgavata
Purdna), how can the Puranas be part of the Vedas?
Anticipating these objections, Srila Jiva Gosvami compares the
privilege of studying the Itihasas and Puranas to that of chant
ing Krsna's Holy Name, the choicest fruit of the Vedas. The Holy
Name of Krsna is purely Vedic, and yet anyone may chant it, includ
ing those who are denied access to study of the Vedas. Similarly,
although the Itihasas and Puranas are also purely Vedic, even a
sincere sudra (outcaste) can approach them, just as he or she may
chant the Holy Name of the Lord. In fact, by study of the Vedas
alone, one may not comprehend the Ultimate Reality, even if one
is a dvija. It is for this reason only that the Itihasas and Puranas
are said to complete the Vedas, and Srila Jiva Gosvami is arguing
in favor of studying them rather than the Vedas. So, even if one
is eligible to study the Vedas, one should not neglect to study the
Itihasas and Puranas for proper understanding of Ultimate Reality.
As one can gain all perfection simply by chanting Sri Krsnas
Holy Name, which is the ultimate fruit of the Vedas, so by study
ing the Itihasas and Puranas, one can learn the essence of the
Vedas, even without studying the Vedas themselves. If one could
not do so, then knowledge of how to attain ultimate value would
^ strl-sudra-dvija-bandhundTTi trayi na sruti-gocard
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
® manye tvdrh visaye vdcdrh sndtam anyatra chdndasdt
 II Pramana 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same

This statement makes it exceedingly clear that it is the Puranas be inaccessible to those who are barred from studying the Vedas
that are predominantly established in particular gunas. The verses because they are not twice-born.
Srila Jiva cites from Skanda Purana imply that the Puranas are as Finally, even if one were to include the Itihasas and Puranas
good as the Vedas and should be accepted as such by anyone who among other Smrti scriptures written by saintly sages to explain
accepts the authority of the Vedas. There are many commentaries the meaning of the Vedas, the Itihasas and Puranas occupy a unique
on the Vedas written by Vedic scholars, but the Puranas are the nat place because of the eminence of their propounder, Srila Vyasa-
ural commentary, because they were compiled by the very person deva, an avatdra of Bhagavan.
who compiled the Vedas themselves, Srila Vyasa. Therefore, even In the next anaccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami elaborates on how the
without directly studying the Vedas, one can understand their mes Itihasas and Puranas are exceptional by virtue of their compiler s
sage by studying the Puranas alone. On the other hand, study of divinity.
the Vedas in this age is incomplete without study of the Puranas;
therefore, studying the Puranas is even more appropriate and prac
tical for us than studying the Vedas. Furthermore, the statement
from Skanda Parana quoted in Anuccheda 17.1 (i.e., that no one can
be considered learned without studying the Puranas) suggests that
the Puranas are also more important than the Itihasas.
But just as we meet with difficulties in studying the Vedas in
this age, we also encounter difficulties in studying the Puranas.
The eighteen major and eighteen minor Puranas constitute a vast
body of literature, and there are no current disciplic successions or
authentic commentaries for most of these works. Portions of some
Puranas are not available, and other Puranas have variant readings
and interpolations. As with the Vedas, independent study of the
Puranas yields no clear conclusion, because each Purana seems to
establish a different deity as Supreme. Siva Parana proclaims Lord
Siva supreme, Visna Parana proclaims Sri Visnu, and so on. For one
who studies them without proper guidance, the result is confusion.
Such a student will not know the distinctions between the worship
of Siva, Visnu, Devi, or some other deity.

garudarh ca tathd padmarh varaharh subha-darsane

sdttvikdni purdndni vijneydni subhdni vai
brahmdndam brahma-vaivartam mdrkandeyam tathaiva ca
bhavisyarh vdmanam brdhmam rdjasdni nibodha me
matsyarh kaurmarh tathd laingam saivam skdndam tathaiva ca
dgneyarh ca sad etdni tdmasdni nibodha me

1 1 0 9 9
 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas

The five subjects that characterize a Purana are creation, dissolu

tion, genealogy, the period of reign of the Manus, and the activi
ties of illustrious kings and enlightened sages appearing within the
great dynasties, (mp ss.es)"^

Anuccheda 16 Anucchedas 57 and 61 of Sri Tattva Sandarbha discuss these five

subjects in detail. In the verses cited in the text from Matsya Purana
The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa, (Anuccheda 17.3), the word kalpa could mean a day of Brahma, or it
could refer to a "scripture" or "Purana." The various meanings of
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas this word are listed in the Medini Sanskrit dictionary:

Kalpa means "scripture," "rule," "logic," "dissolution," and "a day of

Brahma." (Medini 1.21.2Y

The word kalpa is translated here as Purana based upon the gloss
Skanda Purana states:
of this word given by Sri Radhamohana Gosvami. Although the
meaning of kalpa as "a day of Brahma" seems natural, it would be
illogical to consider that some days of Brahma could be exclusively
II II I in sattva, rajas, or tamas. According to lbh 1.4.30, all avataras appear
in every day of Brahma, and it seems that kalpas are similar in
Just as a person picks up items from his own house and uses them, nature.

many people have taken knowledge from the sky of Vyasa s heart The Puranas are divided according to the gunas of material
for their own useJ
nature that they embody. The list of the Puranas belonging to each
guna is given in Padma Purana:

We also find this statement by Parasara Rsi in Visnu Purana:
[Lord Siva said:] 0 beautiful lady, know that the Visnu, Narada,
Bhdgavata, Garuda, Padma, and Vardha Purdnas embody the per
spective born of sattva-guna (luminosity and being); the Brahmd-
nda, Brahma-vaivarta, Mdrkandeya, Bhavisya, Vdmana, and Brahma
Purdnas embody the perspective born of rajo-guna (dynamism
and conditional becoming); and the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva,
Skanda, and Agni Purdnas embody the perspective born of tamo-
guna (ignorance and stasis). (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 236.18-

dc^^^ci oqmHi I sargas ca pratisargas ca varhso manvantardni ca

vamsydnucaritarh caiva purdnam panca-laksanam
vydsa-citta-sthitdkasad avacchinndni kdnicit ^ kalpa sdstre vidhau nydye samvarte brdhmane dine
^ vaisnavarh ndradiyarh ca tathd hhdgavatarh suhham ->
anye vyavaharanty etdny urlkrtya grhdd iva

1 0 0 109
 II Pramana
Durga, along with Agni. The Puranas in the mixed gunas glorify
Goddess Sarasvati and the forefathers (pitrs), (mp 53.64, ey-es)^
— ^ ^ T RT "
f^clNI 'TFTT^
In the above statement, the word agni (fire) refers to the Vedic
sacrifices performed by offering oblations into various sacred
fires. The conjunction ca (and) in the phrase sivasya ca implies
the wife of Lord Siva [Goddess Durga]. Sankirnesu (in the mixed)
means "in the various Puranas in the mixed gunas of sattva, rajas,
and tamas" Here sarasvatydh (of Sarasvati) means "of the presid
ing deity of speech" and, by implication, "of the various deities
referred to in the numerous scriptural texts she embodies."
The Sruti affirms: "By ritualistic result-oriented action, one
can attain the abode of the forefathers" (sAui.s.ie).^ According
to this statement, the word pitfndm (of the forefathers) refers to
the result-oriented rituals (Vedic karma) meant for attaining the
planet of the forefathers.
Commentary
The verse from Matsya Purana cited inAnuccheda 17.3 mentions
five subjects that characterize a Purana. Another verse of Matsya
Parana lists those subjects:
^ pancdrigatvam puranarfi sydd dkhydnam itarat smrtam
sdttvikesu ca kalpesu mdhdimyam adhikarh hareh
rdjasesu ca mdhdtmyam adhikarh hrahmario viduh
tadvad agues ca mdhdtmyarh tdmasesu sivasya ca
sarikirnesu sarasvatydh pitmdrh ca nigadyate
^ karmand pitr-lokah
16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas
oilKH I
II ?? II ^ I
Thereafter, during the twenty-eighth manvantara, Bhagavan in
the form of my son, Vyasa, took the one Veda, consisting of four
sections, and divided it into four separate parts. Just as this
illuminated Vyasa divided the Veda, previously all other Vyasas,
including myself, also divided it. O best of the twice-born, under
stand that it is precisely in this manner that a Vyasa comes in
every cycle of four yugas and arranges the Veda into various
branches. But know, O Maitreya, that Sri Krsna-dvaipayana
Vyasa is Sri Narayana Himself. Who else in this world could have
brought forth the great epic Mahdbhdrata? (vp 3.4.2-5)^
Skanda Purdna further states:
cT^^TT^nct 5|cliqi •'
"FT II
II ?V311^
tato'tra mat-suto vydsa astdvirhsatime'ntare
vedam ekarh catuspddarh caturdhd vyabhajat prabhuh
yathdtra tena vai vyastd veda-vydsena dhimatd
vedas tathd samastais tair vydsair anyais tathd mayd
tad anenaiva vydsdndrh sdkhdbheddn dvijottama
caturyugesu racitdn samastesv avadhdraya
krma-dvaipdyanarh vydsarh viddhi ndrdyanarh prabhum
ko'nyo hi bhuvi maitreya mahdbhdrata-krd bhavet
 In Satyayuga the knowledge that emanated from Sri Narayana
remained pure. It became somewhat distorted in Tretayuga and
completely so in Dvaparayuga. When ignorance had covered
that knowledge because of Gautama Rsi s curse, the devas became
perplexed. Led by Brahma and Rudra, they approached Sri Nara
yana, the Supreme Person and ultimate shelter for those seek
ing refuge, and told Him why they had come. On the request of
the devas, Sri Hari then descended as the great yogi Vyasa, son of
Satyavati and Parasara, and re-established the forgotten Vedas.^
IT I d^llM jiRHI
Here the word veda also includes the Itihasas and Puranas. Thus,
it is established that only the study of the Itihasas and Puranas
is supremely beneficial, and of these two, the Puranas are more
excellent.
Lord Siva confirms this in Naradiya Purana:
II II
O lovely one, 1 consider the Puranas more important than the
Vedas, because the Puranas firmly establish all the Vedic mean
ings. There is no doubt of this. One who disregards the Puranas
narayanad vinispannarhjfidnam krta-yuge sthitam
kincit tad anyathdjdtam tretdydm dvdpare'khilam
gautamasya rseh sdpdjjfidne tv ajndnatdrh gate
sanklrna-buddhayo devd brahma-rudra-purahsardh
saranyam saranamjagmur ndrdyanam andmayam
tair vijndpita-kdryas tu bhagavdn purusottamah
avatlrno mahdyogi satyavatydrh pardsardt
utsanndn bhagavdn veddn ujjahdra harih svayam
1 0 2
ymiuil ^fRT ^cldiyfd-
Although the authority of the Puranas has been established [in
the previous anucchedas], still it is difficult for modern human
beings of impoverished intellect to comprehend their ultimate
meaning. The reasons for this difficulty are that the Puranas,
like the Vedas, are only partially available and that the Puranas
generally tend to establish the supremacy of various deities.
Thus, the same doubt [that was encountered with the Vedas]
remains in the case of the Puranas.
((A? ^v3-^d) —
As stated in Matsya Parana:
ytWoMI: lU^ II
A history is called a Purana if it has the five defining character
istics: otherwise, it is called an akhyana. The sattvika Puranas
(kalpas) primarily glorify Sri Hari; the rajasika Puranas, Lord
Brahma: and the tdmasika Puranas, Lord Siva and Goddess
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra samsayah
bibhety alpa-srutdd vedo mdm ayam cdlayisyati
itihdsa-purdnais tu niscalo'yarh krtah purd
yan na drstam hi vedesu tad drstam smrtisu dvijdh
ubhayor yan na drstam hi tat purdnaih praglyate
yo veda caturo veddn sdngopanisado dvijdh
purdnarh naivajdndti na ca sa sydd vicaksanah
107

Anuccheda 17
Three Divisions of the Puranas
Furthermore, Skanda Purana states:
yfdfadi: M<|Ul ^ WT: lUo ||
yJilqrl II
II X? II ^ I
O best of the twice-born, I consider the meaning of the Puranas
to be as immutable as that of the Vedas. Without doubt, all of
the Vedas are firmly established in the Puranas. Long ago, the
personified Veda became apprehensive of those whose acquain
tance with her is insufficient, and she thought, "This sort of per
son will distort my meaning." But then the Itihasas and Puranas
helped the Veda by firmly establishing her meaning. What can
not be found in the Vedas, O brdhmanas, is found in the Smrti,
and what cannot be found in either is clearly explained in the
Puranas. O learned brdhmanas, even if a person has studied the
four Vedas along with the Vedangas and Upanisads, he is not con
sidered learned unless he knows the Puranas. (Skanda Purdna,
Prabhdsa-khanda 5.3.121-124)^
^ vedavan niscalam manye purdndrtharh dvijottamdh
i6 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas
will take birth as a subhuman; even if his senses are under full
control and his mind firmly established in peace, he cannot
attain an auspicious destination.^*
Commentary
One can know a products quality by assessing the status of
its manufacturer. By this criterion the Puranas and Itihasas are
supremely excellent, since they were compiled by Sri Narayana
Himself in the form of Srila Vyasadeva.
Here Srila Vyasas heart (citta, i.e., the seat of consciousness)
is compared to the unlimited sky, indicating that just as the sky
accommodates all objects, so Vyasas heart contains all knowledge.
Another significance of comparing Vyasas awareness to the sky
is that both are the medium for sound, which is the basis of all
kinds of knowledge. All other thinkers, both on this planet and on
higher planets, simply appropriate the knowledge Srila Vyasa has
given. This estimation is in accordance with the Sanskrit saying,
"The whole world tastes the remnants of Vyasa's knowledge" (vydso-
cchistamjagat sarvam). Any "new" idea one may find or conceive of
already exists in His compilations.
According to Parasara Muni, at the beginning of each Kaliyuga
in the cycle of four yugas, a vyasa, or "compiler," arranges the
Vedas. In the present reign of Manu, Parasara himself was the
twenty-sixth vyasa and Sri Krsna-dvaipayana is the twenty-eighth.
Of the twenty-eight vyasas who have appeared until now, Krsna-
dvaipayana is special because He is an avatdra of Sri Narayana. He
appeared on the request of the devas at the end of Dvaparayuga,
after a curse by Gautama Muni caused ignorance to cover the Vedic
knowledge.
Chapter 171 of the Vardha Parana relates how during a famine
Gautama Muni underwent severe austerities to please Sri Brahma.
veddrthdd adhikam manye purdndrtharh vardnane
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra sarhsayah
purdnam anyathd krtvd tiryag-yonim avdpnuydt
suddnto'pi susdnto'pi na gatirh kvacid dpnuydt
 16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
II Pramana
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas

When Brahma offered Gautama a boon, the sage asked to be able to come to realize the Absolute as Bhagavan, who is not only iden
feed all his guests. The boon was granted, and the benevolent Gau tical to Brahman but vastly beyond. And it is only by intuition
tama fed his many brdhmana guests for the duration of the famine. of the Absolute as Bhagavan that one can become situated in the
When rains finally came, the brahmanas wanted to leave his her inherently ego-transcending condition of devotional turning to
mitage. As is the custom, however, Gautama asked them to stay a Bhagavan, known as causeless devotion (the uttama-bhakti path).
little longer, and they agreed. After some time they again wished The failure of modern-day students of the Vedas to understand this
to leave, but once again Gautama prevailed on them to stay a while conclusion is proof that this message is not easy to discern in the
longer. This happened a few times. present age. As Sri Krsna says in sb 11.3.44, "The Vedas speak indi
Determined to leave, the brahmanas devised a plan. They cre rectly" {paroksa-vddo vedoyam). Therefore, if we wish to learn the
ated an artificial cow and left it near Gautamas dsrama. In the early true conclusion of the Vedas in this age, it is more practical to study
the Puranas.
morning, when the sage was going to bathe, the animal blocked his
path, and to drive her away, he threw a few drops of water at her. A serious student who seeks to understand the conclusion of the
At the first touch of the water, the cow fell down dead. The brdhma- Puranas must still approach a qualified teacher in disciplic succes
nas immediately raised a hue and cry, denouncing Gautama as a sion. This basic prerequisite of Vedic study is not waived when one
cow-killer. They declared, "We cannot stay here and accept food approaches the Puranas. Indeed, Srlmad Bhdgavatam emphatically
from a cow-killer," and then they left for their respective residences. declares:
Later, Gautama performed atonement, but then by his supernatu
ral power he could understand that he had been tricked. He then A person who is profoundly inquisitive about the ultimate good
must take shelter of a realized spiritual teacher, (sb 11.3.21)^
angrily cursed the brdhmanas that they would lose all their Vedic
knowledge. In this way Vedic knowledge became covered by igno Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the three divisions of the
rance during Dvaparayuga, and thus it was necessary for Vyasa to
Puranas.
bring forth the Vedas again.
Lord Siva stated that the Puranas are more important than the
Vedas since they explain the Vedas; yet, we should not conclude
that absolutely no one should study the Vedas. Still, Vyasadevas
verdict^ is that people in Kaliyuga are not intelligent enough to
understand the true message of the Vedas, especially since there
exists no authentic disciplic succession through which to acquire
this understanding.
We find, in fact, that nowadays those who attempt to study
only the Vedas and Upanisads most often take up either ritual-
based, result-oriented action (the karma path) or meditation aimed
at absolute identity with unqualified Brahman (the jndna path).
Without the distinct vision provided by the Puranas, which com
pletes the Vedic meaning, it is virtually impossible for a person to
^ In the First Canto, Fourth Chapter of the Bhdgavatam. tasmad gururfi prapadyetajijnasuh sreya uttamam

104 105
 16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
II Pramana
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas

When Brahma offered Gautama a boon, the sage asked to be able to come to realize the Absolute as Bhagavan, who is not only iden
feed all his guests. The boon was granted, and the benevolent Gau tical to Brahman but vastly beyond. And it is only by intuition
tama fed his many brdhmana guests for the duration of the famine. of the Absolute as Bhagavan that one can become situated in the
When rains finally came, the brahmanas wanted to leave his her inherently ego-transcending condition of devotional turning to
mitage. As is the custom, however, Gautama asked them to stay a Bhagavan, known as causeless devotion (the uttama-bhakti path).
little longer, and they agreed. After some time they again wished The failure of modern-day students of the Vedas to understand this
to leave, but once again Gautama prevailed on them to stay a while conclusion is proof that this message is not easy to discern in the
longer. This happened a few times. present age. As Sri Krsna says in sb 11.3.44, "The Vedas speak indi
Determined to leave, the brahmanas devised a plan. They cre rectly" {paroksa-vddo vedoyam). Therefore, if we wish to learn the
ated an artificial cow and left it near Gautamas dsrama. In the early true conclusion of the Vedas in this age, it is more practical to study
the Puranas.
morning, when the sage was going to bathe, the animal blocked his
path, and to drive her away, he threw a few drops of water at her. A serious student who seeks to understand the conclusion of the
At the first touch of the water, the cow fell down dead. The brdhma- Puranas must still approach a qualified teacher in disciplic succes
nas immediately raised a hue and cry, denouncing Gautama as a sion. This basic prerequisite of Vedic study is not waived when one
cow-killer. They declared, "We cannot stay here and accept food approaches the Puranas. Indeed, Srlmad Bhdgavatam emphatically
from a cow-killer," and then they left for their respective residences. declares:
Later, Gautama performed atonement, but then by his supernatu
ral power he could understand that he had been tricked. He then A person who is profoundly inquisitive about the ultimate good
must take shelter of a realized spiritual teacher, (sb 11.3.21)^
angrily cursed the brdhmanas that they would lose all their Vedic
knowledge. In this way Vedic knowledge became covered by igno Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the three divisions of the
rance during Dvaparayuga, and thus it was necessary for Vyasa to
Puranas.
bring forth the Vedas again.
Lord Siva stated that the Puranas are more important than the
Vedas since they explain the Vedas; yet, we should not conclude
that absolutely no one should study the Vedas. Still, Vyasadevas
verdict^ is that people in Kaliyuga are not intelligent enough to
understand the true message of the Vedas, especially since there
exists no authentic disciplic succession through which to acquire
this understanding.
We find, in fact, that nowadays those who attempt to study
only the Vedas and Upanisads most often take up either ritual-
based, result-oriented action (the karma path) or meditation aimed
at absolute identity with unqualified Brahman (the jndna path).
Without the distinct vision provided by the Puranas, which com
pletes the Vedic meaning, it is virtually impossible for a person to
^ In the First Canto, Fourth Chapter of the Bhdgavatam. tasmad gururfi prapadyetajijnasuh sreya uttamam

104 105

Anuccheda 17
Three Divisions of the Puranas
Furthermore, Skanda Purana states:
yfdfadi: M<|Ul ^ WT: lUo ||
yJilqrl II
II X? II ^ I
O best of the twice-born, I consider the meaning of the Puranas
to be as immutable as that of the Vedas. Without doubt, all of
the Vedas are firmly established in the Puranas. Long ago, the
personified Veda became apprehensive of those whose acquain
tance with her is insufficient, and she thought, "This sort of per
son will distort my meaning." But then the Itihasas and Puranas
helped the Veda by firmly establishing her meaning. What can
not be found in the Vedas, O brdhmanas, is found in the Smrti,
and what cannot be found in either is clearly explained in the
Puranas. O learned brdhmanas, even if a person has studied the
four Vedas along with the Vedangas and Upanisads, he is not con
sidered learned unless he knows the Puranas. (Skanda Purdna,
Prabhdsa-khanda 5.3.121-124)^
^ vedavan niscalam manye purdndrtharh dvijottamdh
i6 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas
will take birth as a subhuman; even if his senses are under full
control and his mind firmly established in peace, he cannot
attain an auspicious destination.^*
Commentary
One can know a products quality by assessing the status of
its manufacturer. By this criterion the Puranas and Itihasas are
supremely excellent, since they were compiled by Sri Narayana
Himself in the form of Srila Vyasadeva.
Here Srila Vyasas heart (citta, i.e., the seat of consciousness)
is compared to the unlimited sky, indicating that just as the sky
accommodates all objects, so Vyasas heart contains all knowledge.
Another significance of comparing Vyasas awareness to the sky
is that both are the medium for sound, which is the basis of all
kinds of knowledge. All other thinkers, both on this planet and on
higher planets, simply appropriate the knowledge Srila Vyasa has
given. This estimation is in accordance with the Sanskrit saying,
"The whole world tastes the remnants of Vyasa's knowledge" (vydso-
cchistamjagat sarvam). Any "new" idea one may find or conceive of
already exists in His compilations.
According to Parasara Muni, at the beginning of each Kaliyuga
in the cycle of four yugas, a vyasa, or "compiler," arranges the
Vedas. In the present reign of Manu, Parasara himself was the
twenty-sixth vyasa and Sri Krsna-dvaipayana is the twenty-eighth.
Of the twenty-eight vyasas who have appeared until now, Krsna-
dvaipayana is special because He is an avatdra of Sri Narayana. He
appeared on the request of the devas at the end of Dvaparayuga,
after a curse by Gautama Muni caused ignorance to cover the Vedic
knowledge.
Chapter 171 of the Vardha Parana relates how during a famine
Gautama Muni underwent severe austerities to please Sri Brahma.
veddrthdd adhikam manye purdndrtharh vardnane
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra sarhsayah
purdnam anyathd krtvd tiryag-yonim avdpnuydt
suddnto'pi susdnto'pi na gatirh kvacid dpnuydt
 In Satyayuga the knowledge that emanated from Sri Narayana
remained pure. It became somewhat distorted in Tretayuga and
completely so in Dvaparayuga. When ignorance had covered
that knowledge because of Gautama Rsi s curse, the devas became
perplexed. Led by Brahma and Rudra, they approached Sri Nara
yana, the Supreme Person and ultimate shelter for those seek
ing refuge, and told Him why they had come. On the request of
the devas, Sri Hari then descended as the great yogi Vyasa, son of
Satyavati and Parasara, and re-established the forgotten Vedas.^
IT I d^llM jiRHI
Here the word veda also includes the Itihasas and Puranas. Thus,
it is established that only the study of the Itihasas and Puranas
is supremely beneficial, and of these two, the Puranas are more
excellent.
Lord Siva confirms this in Naradiya Purana:
II II
O lovely one, 1 consider the Puranas more important than the
Vedas, because the Puranas firmly establish all the Vedic mean
ings. There is no doubt of this. One who disregards the Puranas
narayanad vinispannarhjfidnam krta-yuge sthitam
kincit tad anyathdjdtam tretdydm dvdpare'khilam
gautamasya rseh sdpdjjfidne tv ajndnatdrh gate
sanklrna-buddhayo devd brahma-rudra-purahsardh
saranyam saranamjagmur ndrdyanam andmayam
tair vijndpita-kdryas tu bhagavdn purusottamah
avatlrno mahdyogi satyavatydrh pardsardt
utsanndn bhagavdn veddn ujjahdra harih svayam
1 0 2
ymiuil ^fRT ^cldiyfd-
Although the authority of the Puranas has been established [in
the previous anucchedas], still it is difficult for modern human
beings of impoverished intellect to comprehend their ultimate
meaning. The reasons for this difficulty are that the Puranas,
like the Vedas, are only partially available and that the Puranas
generally tend to establish the supremacy of various deities.
Thus, the same doubt [that was encountered with the Vedas]
remains in the case of the Puranas.
((A? ^v3-^d) —
As stated in Matsya Parana:
ytWoMI: lU^ II
A history is called a Purana if it has the five defining character
istics: otherwise, it is called an akhyana. The sattvika Puranas
(kalpas) primarily glorify Sri Hari; the rajasika Puranas, Lord
Brahma: and the tdmasika Puranas, Lord Siva and Goddess
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra samsayah
bibhety alpa-srutdd vedo mdm ayam cdlayisyati
itihdsa-purdnais tu niscalo'yarh krtah purd
yan na drstam hi vedesu tad drstam smrtisu dvijdh
ubhayor yan na drstam hi tat purdnaih praglyate
yo veda caturo veddn sdngopanisado dvijdh
purdnarh naivajdndti na ca sa sydd vicaksanah
107
 II Pramana
Durga, along with Agni. The Puranas in the mixed gunas glorify
Goddess Sarasvati and the forefathers (pitrs), (mp 53.64, ey-es)^
— ^ ^ T RT "
f^clNI 'TFTT^
In the above statement, the word agni (fire) refers to the Vedic
sacrifices performed by offering oblations into various sacred
fires. The conjunction ca (and) in the phrase sivasya ca implies
the wife of Lord Siva [Goddess Durga]. Sankirnesu (in the mixed)
means "in the various Puranas in the mixed gunas of sattva, rajas,
and tamas" Here sarasvatydh (of Sarasvati) means "of the presid
ing deity of speech" and, by implication, "of the various deities
referred to in the numerous scriptural texts she embodies."
The Sruti affirms: "By ritualistic result-oriented action, one
can attain the abode of the forefathers" (sAui.s.ie).^ According
to this statement, the word pitfndm (of the forefathers) refers to
the result-oriented rituals (Vedic karma) meant for attaining the
planet of the forefathers.
Commentary
The verse from Matsya Purana cited inAnuccheda 17.3 mentions
five subjects that characterize a Purana. Another verse of Matsya
Parana lists those subjects:
^ pancdrigatvam puranarfi sydd dkhydnam itarat smrtam
sdttvikesu ca kalpesu mdhdimyam adhikarh hareh
rdjasesu ca mdhdtmyam adhikarh hrahmario viduh
tadvad agues ca mdhdtmyarh tdmasesu sivasya ca
sarikirnesu sarasvatydh pitmdrh ca nigadyate
^ karmand pitr-lokah
16 The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa,
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas
oilKH I
II ?? II ^ I
Thereafter, during the twenty-eighth manvantara, Bhagavan in
the form of my son, Vyasa, took the one Veda, consisting of four
sections, and divided it into four separate parts. Just as this
illuminated Vyasa divided the Veda, previously all other Vyasas,
including myself, also divided it. O best of the twice-born, under
stand that it is precisely in this manner that a Vyasa comes in
every cycle of four yugas and arranges the Veda into various
branches. But know, O Maitreya, that Sri Krsna-dvaipayana
Vyasa is Sri Narayana Himself. Who else in this world could have
brought forth the great epic Mahdbhdrata? (vp 3.4.2-5)^
Skanda Purdna further states:
cT^^TT^nct 5|cliqi •'
"FT II
II ?V311^
tato'tra mat-suto vydsa astdvirhsatime'ntare
vedam ekarh catuspddarh caturdhd vyabhajat prabhuh
yathdtra tena vai vyastd veda-vydsena dhimatd
vedas tathd samastais tair vydsair anyais tathd mayd
tad anenaiva vydsdndrh sdkhdbheddn dvijottama
caturyugesu racitdn samastesv avadhdraya
krma-dvaipdyanarh vydsarh viddhi ndrdyanarh prabhum
ko'nyo hi bhuvi maitreya mahdbhdrata-krd bhavet
 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas

The five subjects that characterize a Purana are creation, dissolu

tion, genealogy, the period of reign of the Manus, and the activi
ties of illustrious kings and enlightened sages appearing within the
great dynasties, (mp ss.es)"^

Anuccheda 16 Anucchedas 57 and 61 of Sri Tattva Sandarbha discuss these five

subjects in detail. In the verses cited in the text from Matsya Purana
The Distinctive Illumination of Vyasa, (Anuccheda 17.3), the word kalpa could mean a day of Brahma, or it
could refer to a "scripture" or "Purana." The various meanings of
Revealer of the Itihasas and Puranas this word are listed in the Medini Sanskrit dictionary:

Kalpa means "scripture," "rule," "logic," "dissolution," and "a day of

Brahma." (Medini 1.21.2Y

The word kalpa is translated here as Purana based upon the gloss
Skanda Purana states:
of this word given by Sri Radhamohana Gosvami. Although the
meaning of kalpa as "a day of Brahma" seems natural, it would be
illogical to consider that some days of Brahma could be exclusively
II II I in sattva, rajas, or tamas. According to lbh 1.4.30, all avataras appear
in every day of Brahma, and it seems that kalpas are similar in
Just as a person picks up items from his own house and uses them, nature.

many people have taken knowledge from the sky of Vyasa s heart The Puranas are divided according to the gunas of material
for their own useJ
nature that they embody. The list of the Puranas belonging to each
guna is given in Padma Purana:

We also find this statement by Parasara Rsi in Visnu Purana:
[Lord Siva said:] 0 beautiful lady, know that the Visnu, Narada,
Bhdgavata, Garuda, Padma, and Vardha Purdnas embody the per
spective born of sattva-guna (luminosity and being); the Brahmd-
nda, Brahma-vaivarta, Mdrkandeya, Bhavisya, Vdmana, and Brahma
Purdnas embody the perspective born of rajo-guna (dynamism
and conditional becoming); and the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva,
Skanda, and Agni Purdnas embody the perspective born of tamo-
guna (ignorance and stasis). (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 236.18-

dc^^^ci oqmHi I sargas ca pratisargas ca varhso manvantardni ca

vamsydnucaritarh caiva purdnam panca-laksanam
vydsa-citta-sthitdkasad avacchinndni kdnicit ^ kalpa sdstre vidhau nydye samvarte brdhmane dine
^ vaisnavarh ndradiyarh ca tathd hhdgavatarh suhham ->
anye vyavaharanty etdny urlkrtya grhdd iva

1 0 0 109
 II Pramana 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same

This statement makes it exceedingly clear that it is the Puranas be inaccessible to those who are barred from studying the Vedas
that are predominantly established in particular gunas. The verses because they are not twice-born.
Srila Jiva cites from Skanda Purana imply that the Puranas are as Finally, even if one were to include the Itihasas and Puranas
good as the Vedas and should be accepted as such by anyone who among other Smrti scriptures written by saintly sages to explain
accepts the authority of the Vedas. There are many commentaries the meaning of the Vedas, the Itihasas and Puranas occupy a unique
on the Vedas written by Vedic scholars, but the Puranas are the nat place because of the eminence of their propounder, Srila Vyasa-
ural commentary, because they were compiled by the very person deva, an avatdra of Bhagavan.
who compiled the Vedas themselves, Srila Vyasa. Therefore, even In the next anaccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami elaborates on how the
without directly studying the Vedas, one can understand their mes Itihasas and Puranas are exceptional by virtue of their compiler s
sage by studying the Puranas alone. On the other hand, study of divinity.
the Vedas in this age is incomplete without study of the Puranas;
therefore, studying the Puranas is even more appropriate and prac
tical for us than studying the Vedas. Furthermore, the statement
from Skanda Parana quoted in Anuccheda 17.1 (i.e., that no one can
be considered learned without studying the Puranas) suggests that
the Puranas are also more important than the Itihasas.
But just as we meet with difficulties in studying the Vedas in
this age, we also encounter difficulties in studying the Puranas.
The eighteen major and eighteen minor Puranas constitute a vast
body of literature, and there are no current disciplic successions or
authentic commentaries for most of these works. Portions of some
Puranas are not available, and other Puranas have variant readings
and interpolations. As with the Vedas, independent study of the
Puranas yields no clear conclusion, because each Purana seems to
establish a different deity as Supreme. Siva Parana proclaims Lord
Siva supreme, Visna Parana proclaims Sri Visnu, and so on. For one
who studies them without proper guidance, the result is confusion.
Such a student will not know the distinctions between the worship
of Siva, Visnu, Devi, or some other deity.

garudarh ca tathd padmarh varaharh subha-darsane

sdttvikdni purdndni vijneydni subhdni vai
brahmdndam brahma-vaivartam mdrkandeyam tathaiva ca
bhavisyarh vdmanam brdhmam rdjasdni nibodha me
matsyarh kaurmarh tathd laingam saivam skdndam tathaiva ca
dgneyarh ca sad etdni tdmasdni nibodha me

1 1 0 9 9
 II Pramana 17 Three Divisions of the Puranas

moved by compassion, compiled the great historical narration Srila Jiva Gosvami offers a solution to this problem in the next
called Mahdbhdrata. (sb 1.4.25)^ anuccheda.

Since Mahdbhdrata, the foremost of the Itihasas, was written

specifically for women and others with no access to the Vedas, how
can the Itihasas be a part of the Vedas? Moreover, in the same
chapter of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Saunaka Rsi says to Suta GosvamI:

We consider you to be thoroughly versed in all subjects implicit

within the complete range of sacred speech, except for the Vedas.
(sB 1.4.13)®

So, if Suta Gosvami was not exposed to the Vedic speech, yet
was being requested to narrate the Puranas (specifically Bhdgavata
Purdna), how can the Puranas be part of the Vedas?
Anticipating these objections, Srila Jiva Gosvami compares the
privilege of studying the Itihasas and Puranas to that of chant
ing Krsna's Holy Name, the choicest fruit of the Vedas. The Holy
Name of Krsna is purely Vedic, and yet anyone may chant it, includ
ing those who are denied access to study of the Vedas. Similarly,
although the Itihasas and Puranas are also purely Vedic, even a
sincere sudra (outcaste) can approach them, just as he or she may
chant the Holy Name of the Lord. In fact, by study of the Vedas
alone, one may not comprehend the Ultimate Reality, even if one
is a dvija. It is for this reason only that the Itihasas and Puranas
are said to complete the Vedas, and Srila Jiva Gosvami is arguing
in favor of studying them rather than the Vedas. So, even if one
is eligible to study the Vedas, one should not neglect to study the
Itihasas and Puranas for proper understanding of Ultimate Reality.
As one can gain all perfection simply by chanting Sri Krsnas
Holy Name, which is the ultimate fruit of the Vedas, so by study
ing the Itihasas and Puranas, one can learn the essence of the
Vedas, even without studying the Vedas themselves. If one could
not do so, then knowledge of how to attain ultimate value would
^ strl-sudra-dvija-bandhundTTi trayi na sruti-gocard
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
® manye tvdrh visaye vdcdrh sndtam anyatra chdndasdt

Anuccheda 18
Srimad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
18.1
fTTftcIT I cmxTDT ^ ^
"yTmcTy35TTq^5lTTO" (HTO^RRX)
flH^I-tJI-Uld yil^cbilci i<|U||f^ci,gini?l5iMMydrtfiHciJ|i|ldH I
This being the case [that the Puranas emhody different gunas
of primordial nature], Matsya Purana classifies the various well-
known Puranas into three divisions based specifically on the
descriptions that they contain. But how can we determine the
relative importance of the Puranas so that we can then learn
about the other subjects under discussion [namely, sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana]? If we use the three gunas of nature
as the basis for categorizing the Puranas, depending on such
statements as, "knowledge is horn of sattva-guna" [gita 14.17]*
and "sattva-guna leads to realization of the Absolute Truth"
[sB 1.2.24],^ we must conclude that the Puranas and other lit
erature in sattva-guna are more authentic sources of knowledge
of the Absolute Truth.
' sattvdt sadjdyatejnanam
^ sattvam yad brahma-darsanam
15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same
think that before the appearance of the known Katha and Aitareya,
these names were meaningless words in the Vedas.
In the same way, several of the Puranas are named either after
their original expounder or the person who rearranged them. It
sometimes happens that over the course of time, a certain Vedic
work becomes less popular or is completely forgotten on this planet.
Eventually, some sage or deva again speaks it, and after that it
becomes known by his name. An example of this is given in Srimad
Bhagavatam, where sage Yajnavalkya is described as receiving the
Vajasaneyl-samhitd of the Yajur Veda from the sun god:
Pleased by such glorification, the illustrious sun god assumed the
form of a horse (vdji) and delivered to the sage Yajnavalkya the
yajur-mantras previously unknown in human society, (sb 12.6.73)^
Just as the Lord seems to take birth and disappear like a mor
^ tal being, the Vedic literature similarly seems to become manifest
and unmanifest. According to traditional sources, Srimad Bhaga
vatam had become unmanifest at the end of Dvaparayuga, five
thousand years ago. At that time Narada Muni instructed Vyasa
to again reveal the Bhagavatam, If the Bhagavatam had not existed
before, Puranas older than the Bhagavatam could not refer to it by
name. In Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, Gautama advises Ambarisa
Maharaja, who reigned in Satyayuga, to study Srimad Bhagavatam.
Thus, the Puranas are eternal, but they are sometimes manifest
and sometimes unmanifest in human society. As Bhagavan is inde
pendent in His appearance and disappearance, so by His free will
He speaks the revealed scriptures through the medium of various
sages and gives them various names.
Another objection to the Vedic status of the Itihasas and Puranas
may be stated as follows:
[in Srimad Bhagavatam, Suta Gosvami says:] Seeing that women,
sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-born classes were
prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great sage [Vyasa],
^ evarh stutah sa bhagavdn vdji-rupa-dharo ravih
yajuTTisy aydta-ydmdni munaye'ddt prasdditah

II Pramana
Moreover, even if we count the Itihasas and Puranas among the
revealed texts that illuminate the meaning of the Vedas, they are
still unique because of the extraordinary distinction of the one
who manifested them [i.e., Vyasa]. Padma Purdna says:
^6 11^
Brahma and others are unaware of what Bhagavan Vedavyasa
knows. Indeed, He knows everything known to others as well
as that which is beyond everyone else s grasp.®
Commentary
The word sanksipta in the verse cited here from Siva Purdna
7.1.1.37 is significant. It means "condensed," not "composed." Srlla
Vedavyasa, who is a divine descent of God (avatdra) condensed
the already existing Vedas. Then He took unused verses from that
abridged portion and compiled them into the Puranas. Thus, He
did not formulate the Puranas as an original composition. This con
firms that the Puranas, by virtue of their transcendental origin, are
equal to the four Vedas. They are eternal and apauruseya.
One may protest that since the Puranas have names, such as
Skanda and Agni, they must have been composed by these persons,
and so they are neither eternal nor apauruseya. But if this were the
case, the Vedas themselves would have to be considered non-eternal
compositions, since some parts have names like Kapha Upanisad and
Aitareya Brdhmana, which refer to the sages Katha and Aitareya.
The explanation is that portions of the Vedas are named afler certain
sages not because they wrote those portions, but because they were
the main exponents of those portions. Since persons with names
like Katha and Aitareya appear in every millennium, one should not
® dvaipayanena yad buddharh brahmadyais tan na budhyate
sarva-buddham sa vai veda tad buddharh ndnya-gocarah
This verse is not found in the printed version of Padma Purdna.
96
18 Srimad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria ol
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
FTliV ^fhnJiqcll clclcj^l-
r cRT: chrKf^cii^ ?
But even then, how can we reconcile the different inconclusive
views put forward regarding the Absolute Truth? Someone may
propose study of Veddnta-sutra as the solution, claiming that
Bhagavan Vyasadeva compiled Veddnta-sutra to present the deci
sive conclusion of both the Vedas and the Puranas concerning
the Absolute Truth. But then the followers of sages who wrote
other sutras may not concur. Moreover, since the aphorisms of
Vedanta are terse and extremely esoteric, and since they are also
subject to varying interpretations, a contrary conclusion of the
sutras is always likely to be expressed. What, then, can resolve
disputes concerning the meaning of Veddnta-sutra?
TTTMHT-
[jiva Gosvami employs a literary device here of introducing an
apparent objective witness, who responds to the question as fol
lows.] "This problem could be solved if there were one scrip
ture that had the characteristics of a Purana, that was without
human origin, that presented the essence of all the Vedas, Iti
hasas, and Puranas, that was based on Veddnta-sutra, and that
was available on earth in its complete form."
[To this Jiva responds:] "My dear sir, what you have said is
an accurate statement of truth, and the specific criteria men
tioned by you particularly brings to mind our revered Srimad
11 3
 II Pramana 15 The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas Is the Same

Bhdgavatam, the emperor of all pramdnas [because it fulfills the Whoever chants it but once, whether as an intentional act born
said criteria]." of faith or inadvertently, is liberated.^

Commentary

Matsya Purana, Chapter 53, specifies the number of verses in $fci I "cTiTt) -
each Purana and describes the benefits of donating each of the
Visnu-dharma Purana states:
Puranas on special days. In that same chapter Suta Gosvami speaks
two and a half verses containing a formula for dividing the Puranas
into three classes, according to which one of the three gunas of pri
mordial nature they predominantly embody. These three classes of
Purana glorify various deities, and commentators often try to estab A person who chants the two syllables ha-ri has already completed
lish their own favorite among these deities as supreme, arguing on the study of the Rg, Yajur, Sdma, and Atharva Vedas?
the basis of logic and apparently conclusive scriptural references.
One consequence of this partiality is that commentators tend to 3TeT%^2jPiU|jqcbrci —
denigrate Puranas belonging to a category different from their A n d V i s n u P u r d n a a f fi r m s t h a t t h e P u r a n a s a n d I t i h a s a s e s t a b l i s h
own: Proponents of tdmasika Puranas tend to reject the authority the meaning of the Vedas:
of the rdjasika and sdttvika Puranas, and proponents of rdjasika and
sdttvika Puranas likewise reject the Puranas outside their group.
But there cannot actually be several Absolute Truths; therefore, the II ^V9 ll???TT^ I
question of which Puranic deity is the one Supreme Truth remains
to be settled. On the pretext of writing Mahdbhdrata, Srila Vyasa has explained
the meaning of the Vedas. Without doubt, all of the Vedas are
For the unbiased seeker of truth, Srila Jiva Gosvami demon
firmly established in the Puranas.'*
strates how to resolve the matter. He explains that the perspec
tive disclosed through the guna of luminosity and perpetual being
(sattva) is clearly superior to that presented through the gunas of
conditional becoming (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), as Sri Krsna
confirms in Bhagavad Gitd:

From the guna of perpetual being (sattva), real knowledge develops;

from the guna of conditional becoming (rajas) only greed develops;
and from the guna of material stasis (tamas) develop negligence,
delusion, and ignorance. (ciTA 14.17)^
sattvdt sanjdyatejndnaTfi rajaso lobha eva ca
pramdda-mohau tamaso hhavatojndnam eva ca
sakala-nigama-valll-sat-phalarh dt-svarupam
sakrd api parigltam sraddhayd helayd vd
bhrgu-vara nara-mdtrarn tdrayet krsna-ndma
rgvedo'tha yajurvedah sdmavedo'pyatharvanah
adhitdstena yenoktam harirityaksaradvayam
bhdrata-vyapadesena hy dmndydrthah pradarsitah
veddh pratisthitdh sarve purdne ndtra sarhsayah

11 4 95
 II Pramana
c+,|6cbll^c|d
I rfWcT^ IT Id^cjfjHfd^l-
The names of the various Puranas — Skanda, Agni, and so on —
refer to their original speakers, as with the Katha Upanisad,
which was promulgated by the sage Katha. Alternatively,
the name may refer to the person who arranged the Puranas
contents. The reason the Puranas are occasionally described
as impermanent is that they are sometimes manifest and
sometimes not.
In this way, by the arguments and evidence provided in
Anucchedas 13, 14, and 15.1-2, the Vedic nature of the Itihasas
and Puranas is established.
In spite of this fact, Suta and others [who are not twice-born] are
eligible to recite the Puranas in the same way that every person is
eligible to chant Sri Krsnas Holy Name, the transcendental fruit
of the creeper of all the Vedas. As stated in the Prabhasa-khanda
of Skanda Purdna:
MRjlld dk^ld^^fUHm II II
O best of the Bhrgu dynasty, the Holy Name of Krsna is the sweet
est of the sweet and the most auspicious of the auspicious. It is
the transcendental fruit of the creeper of all the Vedas and is
purely of the nature of consciousness [eternally self-manifest
and self-existing and hence prior to phenomenal existence].
9 4
18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
Srimad Bhagavatam also states:
Conditional becoming is superior to stasis, but perpetual being is
better yet, because it can lead to direct unmediated vision of the
Absolute Truth, (sb 1.2.24)'^
This verse follows a passage (sb 1.2.23) in which Suta Gosvami
is explaining which form of worship yields the ultimate good. His
opinion is that one can achieve the ultimate good only by worship
ing Sri Krsna, the complete personification of unadulterated being
(visuddha-sattva).
The citation from Matsya Purdna in the previous anuccheda
states that the sdttvika Puranas glorify Lord Hari, Krsna. By con
trast, the rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas recommend worship of
other deities. Such worship embodies the perspectives of the lower
gunas of nature, and hence is not by its inherent nature directed
toward immediate realization of the Absolute Truth.
Thus, one can tell which guna a Purana embodies by taking note
of the deity it recommends for worship. Another way to tell is
by how it commences. In the sdttvika Puranas, a questioner will
approach a learned speaker and inquire from him about the Abso
lute Truth. The questioner may ask the speaker to elaborate on
the nature of Ultimate Reality, the supreme path of transcendence
for all, the ultimate benefit a human being can aspire for, how one
should prepare for death, or similar topics. Such questions then
allow the speaker of the Purana full freedom to explain these topics.
The speaker who is self-realized, free from all gross and subtle mate
rial desires, and concerned only with the welfare of the inquirer and
those who will hear the discourse either in the present or in the
future, then replies with answers that are specific and unambigu
ous, leaving no room for misinterpretation or confusion. Examples
of such sdttvika Puranas include Padma Purdna, Visnu Purdna, and,
most prominently, Bhdgavata Purdna, or Srimad Bhdgavatam.
In the rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas, however, the questioners
inquire about limited topics related to conditional becoming and
tamasas tu rajas tasmdt sattvam yad brahma-darsanam
11 5
 II Pramana

material stasis, which do not address the ultimate concern of life,

related to eternal or timeless being. For example, in Linga Purdna,
the sages at Naimisaranya ask Suta Gosvami to narrate the glories
of Linga, Lord Siva. Although Suta Gosvami has fully realized the
Absolute Truth and is perfectly competent to explain it, the ques
tions here restrict him to speaking on the particular topic of Linga. Anuccheda 15
He is not requested to explain the deeper meaning of life. Since
all rdjasika and tdmasika Puranas share this inherent shortcoming, The Origin of the Itihasas, Puranas, and Vedas
they cannot be reliable sources of knowledge about the essential Is the Same
topics of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana.
The Puranas were arranged according to the different gums in
correspondence with the various desires and psychological dispo
sitions of conditioned human beings. Nevertheless, every Purana
somewhere contains glorification of Sri Hari, the Absolute Truth.
Srila Vedavyasa included this glorification so that, while hearing or
Similarly, the Vdyaviya-samhitd of Siva Purdna indicates the
reading the tdmasika and rdjasika Puranas, even persons situated Vedic nature of the Puranas by mentioning their appearance
in the lower material gums could be offered the possibility of hav
along with the Vedas:
ing their consciousness turned toward its ultimate complete source,
Bhagavan. TO I
Someone might object that the statement cited above concern
ing the classification of the Puranas according to the gums does
not itself come from a sdttvika Purana and so should not be taken
I RX ll?t
as authoritative. We reply that this classification is supported by
numerous other statements as well, including some from sdttvika The ingenious Lord abridged the Veda and then divided it
scriptures such as Padma Purdna, which we have already cited in [vyosta] into four. Therefore, He became known as Vedavyasa.
the previous anuccheda. Nor is it true that the Puranas in the lower He also condensed the Puranas into 400,000 verses, which
gums contain no valid knowledge at all; rather, they provide some still number one billion verses in the immortal realm. (Siva
insight into Absolute Reality, what to speak of the insights they Purdna 7.1.1.37-38)^
give into lesser topics. In addition, no statement in the Vedic liter
ature specifically contradicts the verses cited here classifying the
Puranas according to the gums of nature, and so we are left with no
Here the word sanksipta (condensed) implies "condensed by
compelling reason to doubt the authenticity of this classification. Him."
From this analysis we can conclude that in our quest for the ulti ^ sanksipya caturo vedarhs caturdha vyabhajat prabhuh
mate sabda-pramdna we need to consider only the sdttvika Puranas.
vyasta-vedataya khydto veda-vyasa iti smrtah
As Padma Purdna states, sdttvikd moksa-ddh proktdh: "The Puranas purdnam api sanksiptam caturlaksa-pramdnatah
that embody the gum of perpetual being (sattva) are said to directly adydpy amartya-loke tu sata-koti-pravistaram

11 6 9 3

II Pramana
from the Lord, originally all four Vedas were collectively called the
Yajur Veda, because that Veda is much bigger than the other three.
Generally, the largest member of a set can represent the whole set.
In Sanskrit this is called adhikyena vyapadesa bhavanti, or the law
that the largest constituent represents the whole. A herd of cows
with just a few buffaloes in it is still referred to as a herd of cows,
and the four fingers combined with the thumb are still called five
fingers. Because the four Vedas had become disordered, Sri Vyasa
rearranged the Vedic texts to help clearly define the duties of the
four sacrificial priests. How the Vedas became mixed up by the
curse of Gautama Rsi will be elaborated in Anuccheda 16.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami further substantiates
his conclusion about the Vedic nature of the Itihasas and Puranas,
and he also explains the meaning of the name "Vedavyasa."
9 2
18 Srlmad Bhagavatam Fulfills the Criteria of
Authority in the Matter of Ultimate Truth
award liberation." But even these sdttvika Puranas have been under
stood in many different ways by great thinkers. Some interpreters
have found that they glorify the path of yoga as ultimate, others have
concluded that they recommend hhakti as the highest path, and yet
others have found that they promote the path of jhdna (knowledge)
as supreme.
For this reason Srila Jiva Gosvami proposes the Vedanta-sutra as
a possible basis of reconciliation. As stated earlier, there are four
Vedas divided into four parts, the Upanisads being the fourth of
these. The Upanisads encompass the essential meaning of the Vedas.
They are considered as the cream of the Vedas and are thus called
Vedanta. The Upanisads, however, also apparently contain contra
dictions. To solve this problem, Vyasadeva wrote the Vedanta-sutra,
also called the Brahma-sutra, in which he incorporates the essential
understanding of the Vedas and the principal Upanisads.
But we must also consider that the dedicated followers of other
sages who wrote philosophical sutras, such as Gautama and Patafi-
jali, might not accept the conclusions of Vedanta-sutra. Even if
the followers of other philosophers could be somehow convinced
to enlarge their stance by logical proof of the greater authority
of Vedanta-sutra, the situation is still problematic: The sutras of
Vedanta are terse and esoteric, and dcdryas of various persuasions
have commented on them in such a way that it is difBcult to decide
whose opinion agrees with that of Srila Vedavyasa, the author.
The main contenders are the adherents of Advaitavada and the
Vaisnavas. The debate between these two groups has continued for
more than a thousand years.
For the seeker who has come this far along the way but finds him
self sinking in the swampy confusion created by the various scrip
tures and their myriad commentators, Srila Jiva Gosvami finally
points out the high ground of Srlmad Bhdgavatam. The Bhdgava-
tam has the ten characteristics of a major Purana (discussed in
Anuccheda 56); it is transhuman in nature (apauruseya); it is the
natural commentary on the Veddnta-sutra and thus constitutes the
purport of all the Vedas, Itihasas, and Puranas; it is available in its
entirety; it is respected by all Vaisnava dcdryas and many others
11 7
 II Pramana
including the Advaitavadis; it is the most popular of the Puranas;
it has an intact tradition of Vaisnava commentaries; and it is the
culmination of Srila Vedavyasas literary output, being composed
in His maturity.
By establishing Srimad Bhdgavatam as the last word among Vedic
scriptures, Srila Jiva Gosvami fulfills the will of Sri Caitanya Maha-
prabhu, who accepted the Bhdgavatam as the "spotless Purana," the
supremely authoritative text.
In the next anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami explains that Srimad
Bhdgavatam has not been composed by a mortal and that it is the
natural commentary on the Veddnta-sutra.
11 8
14 The Itihasas and Puranas Are the Fifth Vei
extracted five hundred thousand essential verses from this origi
nal Purana. Four hundred thousand of these he divided into the
eighteen Puranas. The remaining verses formed the Itihasa called
Mahdbhdrata, The Itihasas and Puranas are therefore called the fifth
Veda because they were produced from the original Veda. Another
reason the Itihasas and Puranas are considered the fifth Veda, dis
tinct from the other four, is that the priests of the four Vedas do not
use the Itihasas and Puranas in sacrificial ceremonies, even though
these works are studied along with the Vedas, which places them in
the category of the Vedas.
In his commentary on vp 3.6.1, Srldhara Svami defines the terms
dkhydna, updkhydna, and gdthd:
The learned define an dkhydna as the narration of an event wit
nessed by the speaker, while an updkhydna is the narration of an
event that is heard about but not witnessed by the speaker. Gdthds
are songs about the forefathers and earthly beings.^
The statement "that which remained was also called Yajur Veda"
(yac chistarh tu yajur-vedah, Anuccheda 14.4) indicates that the Iti
hasas and Puranas are apauruseya, without human origin; thus,
they share the same authority as the Vedas, having been compiled
by Srila Vyasa from Bhagavans very breath. While compiling the
Itihasas and Puranas, He included some of His own statements to
make the narration more easily comprehensible. For example, in
Bhagavad Gitd, the words "Arjuna said" and "Krsna said" are added
by Srila Vyasa to help the reader understand. But we should not con
sider even these added statements to have been written by a mortal
being, since Vyasa is an avatdra of Bhagavan. This is evident from
the verse of Matsya Purdna quoted in Anuccheda 14.2.
Someone might raise the objection that from the Brhad-dranyaka
Upanisad (2.4.10), cited in Anuccheda 12.4, it is clear that the four
Vedas individually appeared from Bhagavan. Why, then, is it said
that Vyasadeva divided the one Veda into four parts? To this we
reply that while it is true that each Veda individually emanated
' svayarh-drstdrtha-kathanarh prdhur dkhydnakarh budhdh srutasydrthasya
kathanam updkhydnam pracaksate. gdthds tu pitr-p]i:hivy-ddi-gltayah.
91
The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
That Establish Its Epistemological Validity

Anucchedas 19-26

In the previous anucchedas, Srimad Bhagavatam has been shown to

be Vedic in origin, meaning that it is of the same transhuman, and
thus transconceptual, nature. Furthermore, it has been shown to
embody the essence of the Vedas, containing their innermost mean
ing. As such, it is to be approached in the same manner as the Vedas,
that is, as sabda. As discussed already in the previous division
on epistemology, this implies the activation of a transphenomenal
mode of knowing in consciousness, in which Reality discloses itself
through its self-revealing power of sound. In this case, because
Srimad Bhagavatam embodies not only Reality devoid of phenome
nal distinction, but Reality complete with its own interior plenum,
the transcendental knowing that it self-reveals is identical with this
complete Reality, known as Bhagavan.
The anucchedas in this division delineate a few of the primary
characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam that further specify its episte
mological validity. But again, this is not merely to convince us of
the Bhdgavatas authority as a discursive reference text about Real
ity. The intent, rather, is to actualize the possibility of the direct
knowing of that Reality. So the primary characteristics enumer
ated, such as "Srimad Bhagavatam is the Natural Commentary on
Vedanta-sutra and the Essence of Gayatri," function more as sutras
or keys that turn or unlock consciousness to disclose their own
meaning, identical with the Realitv thev signifv.

H Q
Anuccheda 19

Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Natural

Commentary on Vedanta-sutra
and the Essence of Gayatri

19.1

Indeed, Lord Vyasa was not satisfied even after compiling all
the Puranas and the Vedanta-sutra. He therefore brought forth
Srimad Bhagavatam, which was revealed to Him in trance, as
the natural commentary on His own sutras. In Srimad Bhaga
vatam we find the consistent reconciliation of all scriptures, as
understood from the fact that the Bhdgavatam's truth revelation
unfolds directly from the Gayatri mantra, the embodiment of the
essential meaning of all the Vedas.

This characteristic of Srimad Bhagavatam is described in Matsya

"Piirnnn-

-I 01
 ^Bqw^MinWF^qxTTTTTf^ II )ic n

That Purana is known as Srimad Bhdgavatam which delineates

the path of Ultimate Truth (dharma-vistara) with reference to
the Gayatri mantra and tells of the killing of the demon Vrtra.
Whoever writes out a copy of Srimad Bhdgavatam, places it on
a golden lion-throne, and presents it to a worthy person on
the full-moon day of the month of Bhadra (August-September)
will attain the supreme destination. This Purana has eighteen
thousand verses, (mp 53.20-22V

3T^ I

I cT^^fcTT'^'^5f^TTiWFT^:'' ("iTTo
^ R 1^) W ^ ^4c^|cbl^'Mct:ldl4^Rl?l<cbcdlfd^l^ld^ I ^4fd\d<
I Mlf^d^ddlS^T WT:" (^o ^ R 1^)

Here the word gayatri specifically indicates the meaning of

the Gayatri mantra, which is connected to the word dhlmahi,
Dhimahi is a signifier of Gayatri, implying without exception
the complete mantra. Because Gayatri is the origin of all Vedic
mantras, it would have been improper to utter it directly. The
first verse of Srimad Bhdgavatam (sb 1.1.1) alludes to the meaning
of Gayatri by the phrases janmddy asya yatah ("by Him this uni
verse is created, maintained, and destroyed") and tene hrahma
hrda ("He revealed the Vedic truth [to Lord Brahma] within the
heart"). These phrases express the same meaning as Gayatri by
describing Bhagavan as the basis of all the universes and as He
who inspires everyone's wisdom faculty.
^ yatradhikrtya gdyatrirh varnyate dharma-vistarah
vrtrdsura-vadhopetam tad-bhagavatam isyate
likhitva tac ca yo dadyad dhema-simha-samanvitam
praustha-padyarh paurnamdsydrh sa ydti paramdm gatim
astddasa-sahasrdni vurdnam tat nrakirtitam

1 T 5
 II Pramana
present, and future. That this abode is ever-auspicious means
that it is utterly devoid of misfortune. The eternality and all-
auspiciousness of Sri Visnu s abode are due to the fact that it is
directly the Absolute Truth, Brahman.
I cTWRT —
After explaining Gayatri in this way, Agni Purdna further elabo
rates on Gayatri in the section dealing with the characteristics of
the Puranas, which contains the verse beginning yatradhikjiya
gdyatrim. Thus, we say:
Agni Purdna explains that the Gayatri mantra is intent exclu
sively upon Bhagavan, therein understood as the non-condi
tional source of cosmic creation, maintenance, and dissolution.
Srimad Bhagavatam, characterized hy the phrase, "which delin
eates the path of Ultimate Truth with reference to the Gayatri
mantra," is thus ever-glorious all over the earth.^®
And so we have shown that the unfoldment of this scripture
[Srimad Bhdgavatam] proceeds with reference to Gayatri.
agneh purdnarh gdyatrim sametya bhagavat-pardm
bhagavantarh tatra matvdjagaj-janmddi-kdranam
yatrddhikrtya gdyatrim iti laksana-purvakam
srimad-bhdgavatarh sasvat prthvydmjayati sarvatah
150
19 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary on Vedanta-sutra
and the Essence of Gayatrl
The word dharma in the compound dharma-vistara [from the
same Matsya Purdna verse] refers to the path of Ultimate Truth
(parama-dharma), as expressed in the Bhdgavatam by the words
dharmah projjhita-kaitavo'tra paramah (sb 1.1.2): "The Bhdgava
tam propounds the way of Ultimate Truth, devoid of all forms
of deceit and compromise."^ And, as will become clear in the
upcoming anucchedas, this dharma is indeed characterized by
meditation on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhagavan.
Commentary
Srimad Bhagavatam contains the story of its own appearance
as the crowning achievement of Srila Vyasadevas literary efforts.
First, Srila Vyasadeva arranged the four Vedas, and then He com
posed the great epic Mahdbhdrata for the benefit of women, sudras,
and others who are ineligible to study the Vedas, because they do
not undergo the sacred thread ceremony (upanayana-sarhskdra),
which is considered a prerequisite for the study of the Veda. Next,
He compiled the Puranas, the natural commentaries on the Vedas,
and then He provided the essence of the Vedas and Puranas in the
Vedanta-sutra. But even after all this literary output, Vedavyasa felt
discontented, although He did not know why. Then His spiritual
teacher, Narada Muni, approached Him and identified what was
still lacking in His exposition of Ultimate Truth:
You have composed a great and extraordinary work, Mahdbhd
rata, which elaborately explains the various goals of life. Thus, the
investigation of Immanent Truth undertaken by you has been fully
realized, (sb 1.5.3)^
You have also inquired into and realized the eternal transcendent
Absolute, Brahman. Yet, in spite of all this, 0 illustrious One, you
^ dharmah projjhita-kaitavo'tra paramah
^ jijndsitaTh susampannam apt te mahad adbhutam
krtavdn bhdratam yas tvam sarvdrtha-paribrmhitam
123
 II Pramana
lament your condition as ifyour efforts have been in vain, (sb 1.5.4)'^
0 best of sages, you have not elaborated the glories of the Sup
reme Personal Absolute, Vasudeva, to the same extent as you have
repeatedly described the four human goals beginning with dharma.
(sB 1.5.9)^
On Narada Muni s instruction, Srila Vyasa ascended the path of
meditation, and while in the state of supracognitive trance, Srimad
Bhdgavatam was revealed to Him. Thus, it is clear that Srimad Bhdga-
vatam, which provided final solace to Vyasadeva, is knowledge
descended from the transcendental realm. In upcoming anucche-
das, Sri JIva will show that it is also the natural commentary on
Ve d a n t a - s u t r a .
Various Puranas mention the relationship between Srimad
Bhdgavatam and the Gayatri mantra. Gayatrl is considered the
essence of the Vedas and is supposed to be recited at dawn, noon,
and dusk by every twice-born person (brdhmana, ksatriya, or
vaisya). According to Sridhara SvamI in Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, Srimad
Bhdgavatam begins with the Gayatri mantra. Commenting on the
first verse of the Bhdgavatam, he writes:
That the Gayatri phrase indicated by the word dhimahi begins this
Purana, shows that this work embodies the revealed knowledge
of the Absolute (brahma-vidyd), known as Gayatri. (Bhdvdrtha-
dipikd 1.1.1)^
Because Srimad Bhdgavatam is based on Gayatri, the cream of
the Vedas, it delineates the path of Ultimate Truth. The Bhdgavatam
thus calls itself "the ripened fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of the
Vedas" (nigama-kalpa-tarorgalitam phalam, sb 1.1.3).
The recitation of Gayatri and other Vedic mantras is governed
by strict rules regarding the person, time, place, and purification
jijndsitam adhltam ca yat tad-brahma sandtanam
athdpi socasydtmdnam akrtdrtha iva prabho
^ yathd dharmddayas cdrthd muni-varydnukirtitdh
na tathd vdsudevasya mahimd hy anuvarnitah
^ dhlmahiti gdyatryd prdrambhena ca gdyatry-dkhyd-brahma-vidyd-rupam etat
purdnam iti darsitam.
124
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Bhdgavatam verses cited above [sb 1.1.1 and 12.13.19] have both
been shown to refer ultimately to the transcendental opulence
of the Supreme.
Agni Parana similarly states:
<Hc^lR|ci ^ fqwj?l4d VUi CO 11^
This Primordial Person (Purusa), who is immanent within the
sun, is to be directly self-apperceived (drastavya) through the
faculty of meditation, but the supreme destination is the tran
scendental abode of Sri Visnu, which alone is eternal and ever-
auspicious, being the Absolute Truth, Brahman, (ap 216.I6)'
—dMiRldoii: I yyg w '
I
The meaning of this verse is as follows: This Primordial Per
son (Purusa), who Self-manifests as the Supreme Immanent
Self (antarydmi) within the sun globe, is to be directly self-
apperceived (drastavya) through the faculty of meditation. The
word drastavya (to be seen) means that the Purusa is to be imme
diately devotionally recognized (updsitavya) through medita
tion. The Purusas self-manifestation within the sun globe is
t o a ff o r d t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f t h e t h r e e d i v i s i o n s o f t h e c o s m o s
the opportunity to worship Him. This sun globe is destroyed
at the time of dissolution, whereas the transcendental abode of
Sri Visnu, Maha-vaikunAa, is eternal, meaning that it is invari
able, being beyond the three phases of conditional time — past,
^ dhydnena purusoyarh ca drastavyah surya-mandale
satyarh sadd-sivarh brahma visnoryat paramarh padam
149
 II Pramana
According to this view, however, the [uninflected] word bharga
that appears even in the Gayatri mantra is specifically that which
terminates with the vowel a [since it has an alternate unin-
fiected stem terminating with the consonant s, i.e., bhargas].
The irregular accusative declension of bharga [in the mantra] as
bhargas where bhargam might be expected can be explained as
an instance of the type given in panini 7.1.39, which is intended
for the analysis of Vedic texts. The sutra is supdm su-luk-purva-
savamdcche-yd-dd-dyd-yajalah, "by which the accusative suffix
am may be replaced by the nominative su [from which the vowel
u is dropped]."
In the prose section of the Twelfth Canto of the Bhdgava-
tam (12.6.67-72), beginning cm namas te, the sun is praised as
the object of worship in Gayatri. We should understand that
this passage refers to Paramatma (the Supreme Self), who is
immanent within the sun, rather than to the sun independently.
Understood in this way, the statement is faultless.
; ^ it:" (^o Rd)
Later in the Bhdgavatam, Saunaka Rsi confirms this: "O Suta,
kindly narrate to us, who are firmly established in faith, the
glory of Sri Hari s expansion as the Primal Self immanent within
the sun" (sb 12.11.23).®
Similarly, one should not think that the word bharga (efful
gence) in Gayatri refers only to the presiding deity of the sun
globe [i.e., Surya-deva], since the word varenya (transcenden
tal) in the Gayatri mantra and the word para (supreme) in the
® bruhi nah sraddadhandnam vyuharfi surydtmano hareh
148
19 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary on Vedanta-sutra
and the Essence of Gayatrl
rites incumbent on the chanter, but such restrictions do not apply
to Srimad Bhdgavatam. Since anyone may read the Bhdgavatam,
strictly speaking it would be improper for the Gayatri mantra to
appear there in its original form. Gayatri is considered the most
important among the Vedic mantras, but only the twice-born are
allowed to chant them. That is why Srila Vyasadeva enfolded the
form and idea of Gayatri in the Bhdgavatam without quoting the
actual words of the mantra. Only one word from Gayatri, dhlmahi,
has been kept to indicate his intention because it is a compulsory
word in the mantra and carries its essence.
Another reason Vyasa did not write the original Gayatri in
Srimad Bhdgavatam is that doing so would have invited misinter
pretation. Various schools of thought have explained Gayatri dif
ferently — as a meditation on unqualified Brahman, on the sun, on
the fire god, on Lord Siva, and so forth. Only rarely is it understood
as a meditation on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Vasudeva. But
in Srimad Bhdgavatam, Srila Vyasadevas own commentary on the
Veddnta-sutra, Vyasadeva delivers the complete and unambiguous
meaning of Gayatri in the opening verse. He reveals that Gayatri
is a meditation on the original Supreme Person, Sri Krsna, and His
eternal consort, Sri Radhika. This meditation is indeed the highest
dharma.
In Anuccheda 105 of Sri Paramdtma Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami
will explain the Gayatri mantra in detail, and in Krsna Sandarbha,
he will give a thorough analysis of the Bhdgavatam's first verse as a
meditation on Sri Sri Radha Krsna.
Here, in the next anuccheda of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila Jiva
Gosvami further introduces Srimad Bhdgavatam, describing its dis
tinguishing features and supporting his statements with scriptural
references.
125
 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

on Gayatri. Also, in one of the concluding verses of the Bhdga

vatam (sB 12.13.19), we find the adjectives pure (suddha), spot
less (vimala), free from grief (visoka), and immortal (amrta),
qualifying the Supreme Truth (param satyam) [identified in the
subsequent verse as Bhagavan Vasudeva] upon whom we are to
Anuccheda 20 meditate (dhimahi). This description exactly echoes the ensuing
statement from Agni Purdna, which is itself an explanation of
The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam Gayatri. This uniformity of description further substantiates
the view that the Bhdgavatam is a commentary on Gayatri. The
verse from Agni Purdna is as follows:

I" I? I? IVo-X?) " ' T t 1 % 11 v s ^ I I ^ I d I

In Skanda Purana we find a description of Srimad Bhagavatam
To awake to the post-liberated status, let us meditate (dhyd-
similar to the one in Matsya Parana:^
yema) on the Supreme Brahman (param hrahma), who is eternal
(nitya), pure (suddha), transcendental (para), ever-effulgent
II ko II (nitya-bharga), and the final repository of inherent controlling
agency (adhisvara). As we meditate, let us contemplate, "1 am
that light, the Supreme Truth." (ap 216.6)^
y 1 y M « ^ i ^ i j | f d I I 11
TOT II II

The Purana known as Srimad Bhagavatam recounts the deeds

of humans and devas in the Sarasvata-kalpa, explains the way Here, the contemplation of oneself as identical to Brahman is
of Supreme Truth in terms of Gayatri, and narrates the slay meant to help the meditator attain fitness to worship the com
ing of Vrtrasura. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever plete Truth, Bhagavan, following the principle, "One who is not
writes out a copy of the Bhagavatam, places it on a golden lion-
of the nature of the Divine cannot worship the Divine." The verb
throne, and presents it to a worthy person on the full-moon day
form dhydyema (let us meditate) signifies that "not only 1, but all
of the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination.
of us are implored to meditate."
(Prabhasa-khanda 7.1.2.40-42)^
MP 53.20-22 quoted in Anuccheda 19.2.
sdrasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syur nardmardh
tad-vrttdntodbhavarh lake tac ca bhdgavatam smrtam
likhitvd tac ca yo dadydd dhema-simha-samanvitam
paurnamdsydm praustha-padydm sa ydti paramdm gatim ^ V? ^^ncT I ( T T T fi
astddasa-sahasrdni purdnam tat prakirtitam
Alternate reading of Skanda Purdna 7.1.2.40:
^ nityarh suddharh pararh brahma nitya-bhargam adhlsvaram
sdrasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syur nardmardh
tad-vrttdntodbhavarh punyarh puriyodvdha-samanvitam aharhjyotih pararh brahma dhydyema hi vimuktaye

126 147
 E 5
J? 2
3. tS
35 ff. ^
§ fS
3 <» 5 S 3 3.
" , p

2. » ®2. rt-* 5* Q
o 5- 3 ^d ^ PP >o ;iti
3 S o
3 ™ 2, w n>^ P
(T> ft) a* I g. o r' CAv "
2 ^ ^ I
iu
<1 p 3 ?" ? w !S fii
1*4' i.
•"* 3 5
^ OA g) W O S"
5- § §-
» M P
f ^

^ -3 dl
= - ^
<o —

I5' "p i §D
ii 1 !? S 3 % =
^ ^ s-
11 §■
h— S M
5 3 §
« 3 o o s-■
p ■• ^
o < '
S-? ^
< B
S "• S!
1 ^1- s iz
3 e & >? fT fD

a
t o p - Co c r COv P
P I p
%
ft)
N i P p "31 2i
M
P p P p p "Pi P
ft)
p - c n < OA
o p p c j
M l
P i 3 c«>§
;on^ 1 O
r » <
2" §- n> o o 3i o
P i
P
I'
C3-
P P - M P
O n S. O cT & H
P P
§- • P g. OA tU
P - P P fi
3 p' a>
P i 3 a n hi E
p
3 p p
P i ft) f B
P
P ' P o
<
3 *-i
p - p1 8 Ci>
P- Si B' < p t
o
n 3.
p - w
o
"< p
p P i B p CO
erf ii
M
J X n|>i n ^
P "H- P i r-i-. r h
fT O ^ -t
2. p ' P
•g P^
c r
•s
H- O n r i -
3 ^ g
P -
P s-
*-i (T) 0)
eg' P C/3
p p P - B ON P
P - o ^ n I
p
p p - g" o
I
S- P *-i
g
a
§
P C O
3- p P
P 3 8 o
p ^ 3^ 3. p" p
P i ft) ID
p ft)
p C/) o
• p -
• p - ET l-h
a
 II Pramana
varma)^ since it is narrated in the same context as the killing of
Vrtra. The name haya-griva here refers to Dadhici, the sage with
a horse s head. He taught the knowledge of Brahman known
as ndrdyana-varma. His accepting a horse s head and receiving
the fitting name Asvasira are mentioned in the Sixth Canto of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, where these words are spoken: "he who has
the name Asvasira" [...]. The Ndrdyana-varma is in fact a teach
ing regarding the Absolute (brahma-vidyd), as indicated in the
following statement:
"Upon hearing this and feeling honored, Dadhici, anxious not to
break his promise, instructed the twin Asvini-kumaras in the
knowledge of the Pravargya sacrifice and brahma-vidyd/'^ This
verse is cited from Sridhara Svami s commentary on the above
text of the Bhdgavatam (6.9.52).
k ^ M<H4HllTc|cbccjii I
yfci — Since the book named Srimad Bhdgavatam, characterized as
Since SrimadBhdgavatam is the beloved of Bhagavan and is cease
lessly longed for by His devotees, it is the scripture of supreme
transcendence (parama-sdttvika). The Bhdgavatam's dearness
to Bhagavan and His devotees is indicated in Padma Purdna, in
Gautama Rsi s question to Maharaja Ambarisa:
® The entire chapter (sb e.s) is devoted to this topic. Varma means armor or a
protective shield. It is synonymous with the word kavaca. Specific mantras
dedicated to a particular deity that are intended as protective spells are generally
given these names. They are meant to be recited at times of danger or carried on
the body to ward off negative energies.
^ etac chrutvd tathovdca dadhyan dtharvanas tayoh
pravargyam hrahma-vidydrh ca sat-krto'satya-sankitah
128
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the
great sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great
historical narration called Mahdhhdrata so that those who
were unaware of how to act for ultimate good might also attain
auspiciousness. (sb 1.4.25)"^
c1 H<H I Piulq)
I
Hemadri uses this verse to demonstrate that Mahdhhdrata is as
valuable as the Vedas, and the phrase bhdratdrtha-vinirnayah
(Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdhhdrata)
should be explained in accordance with this view as indicating
that SrimadBhdgavatam is the book in which Mahdhhdrata s mes
sage is conclusively defined and shown to be equal to that of the
Ve d a s .
22.6
^TFTTTn^: ^J|c|cL|<ldl Jlld^l I JllddlH"
I cfWo«4Kod|^ yfclMlfdcl: I
"a delineation of Ultimate Truth with reference to the Gayatri
mantra," is exclusively focused upon Bhagavan, it serves as a
commentary on Gayatri, which is also intent solely upon Bhaga
van. This same point — that Srimad Bhdgavatam is a commen
tary on the Gayatri mantra — is made in such statements as "The
Bhdgavatam delineates the path of Ultimate Truth with refer
ence to the Gayatri mantra" (Anuccheda 19.2). Furthermore, Agni
Purdna describes Bhagavan alone in the course of its exposition
of the Gayatri mantra.
* stri-sudra-dvija-bandhundrh trayl na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdndm sreya eva bhaved iha
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
145
 II Pramana
is a learned brdhmana, such a person should be considered lower
than a dog-eater. O learned brdhmana Narada, wherever Srimad
Bhdgavatam is present in Kaliyuga, the Supreme Lord arrives
there along with the devas. A person who faithfully recites one
verse of Srimad Bhdgavatam every day, 0 sage, attains the fruit
of reading the eighteen Puranas. (Visnu-khanda 5.16.40-42, 44,
33)®
The phrase sata-viccheda-samyutah (having hundreds of divi
sions) means that the Bhdgavatam has three hundred and thirty-
five chapters. The meaning of the rest of the passage [quoted in
Anuccheda 21.1] is obvious. Thus, we conclude that at the present
time, those who aspire to know the highest goal of life should
deliberate on Srimad Bhdgavatam alone.
^ (^o ^ IX -
In Catur-varga-cintdmani, Vrata-khanda 1.28, Hemadri cites the
following verse and attributes it to Srimad Bhdgavatam:
$fci ^TRcnTRp^FTII V38i II
^ sataso'tha sahasrais ca kim anyaih sdstra-saiigrahaih
na yasya tisthate gehe sdstram bhdgavataTfi kalau
katharh sa vaisnavojneyah sdstram bhdgavatam kalau
grhe na tisthate yasya sa viprah svapacddhamah
yatra yatra bhaved vipra sdstram bhdgavatam kalau
tatra tatra harir ydti tridasaih saha ndrada
yah pathet prayato nityam slokam bhdgavatam mune
astddasa-purdndndm phalam prdpnoti mdnavah
144
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
*^<1*^1 "^iJicjcl M<c?l I
II II
0 lord of the earth, do you recite Bhdgavata Purdna before
the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the history of the king of
the demons, [the great devotee] Prahlada Maharaja? (Uttara-
khanda 22.115)^
Again, in the section of Padma Purdna glorifying the vow of
Vanjuli Maha-dvadasi, Gautama further instructs Ambarisa:
II II
Middoil || ||
One should keep vigil throughout that ceremonial night, lending
full oral reception to the scriptural narrations of Sri Visnu and
His devotees — especially, Bhagavad Gitd, the thousand names of
Sri Visnu, and the Purana narrated by Sukadeva [Srimad Bhdga
vatam], One should recite these with care and attention for they
bring delight to Sri Hari.®
[And the Bhdgavatam's being a scripture that embodies and
hence awards supreme transcendence (parama-sdttvika), trans
porting one beyond material existence, is indicated in the next
two references.] Elsewhere in Padma Purdna we find this
statement:
purdnam tvam bhdgavatam pathase purato hareh
caritam daitya-rdjasya prahlddasya ca bhupate
rdtrau tujdgarah kdryah srotavyd vaisnavi kathd
gitdndm asahasram ca purdnam suka-bhdsitam
pathitavyarh prayatnena hareh santosa-kdranam
This verse is not found in the printed version of Padma Purdna.
129

Jychylxt) Pio4 'i^|J|clc1 I
M6W ijc^T^Esfy II k% II
O Ambarisa, if you wish to bring to a close your material exis
tence, then every day you should hear the Bhagavatam that was
narrated by Sukadeva and let it be uttered too from your very
own mouthf
Finally, we find the following statement in the Prahldda-sarhhitd
of Skanda Purdna, in the section describing the glories of
Dvaraka:
A person who keeps vigil [on the night of Ekadasi] and recites
Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion before the Deity of Sri Hari is
transported to the Lord s abode along with his entire family.^®
Commentary
In this anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami gives special attention to iden
tifying Srimad Bhagavatam. He does this because some scholars of
his time held that Devi Bhagavatam, rather than Srimad Bhagava
tam, was actually the Bhagavatam glorified in the Puranas. Like
Srimad Bhagavatam, Devi Bhagavatam is a Purana with twelve can
tos, eighteen thousand verses, and an account of Vrtrasuras death,
although its account of how Vrtra was killed differs from the one
in Srimad Bhagavatam. Also, when some traditional scholars read
in the Puranas that on the full-moon day of the month of Bhadra
one should donate the Bhagavatam mounted on a golden lion (hema-
sirhha), they take this to mean Devi Bhagavatam. This seems quite
^ ambarisa suka-proktam nityam bhagavatam srnu
pathasva sva-mukhenaiva yadicchasi bhava-ksayam
srimad-bhagavatarh bhaktya pathate hari-sannidhau
jdgare tat-padam yati kula-vrnda-samanvitah
130
22 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Srimad Bhdgavatam is a commentary on Gayatri is shown in
Visnu-dharmottara Purdna, which elaborately demonstrates, in
its explanation of the Gayatri mantra (Prathama-khanda 165),
that the object of meditation in the Gayatri is Sri Bhagavan. We
shall provide similar evidence that Srimad Bhdgavatam is a com
mentary on Gayatri when we comment on the Bhdgavatam's first
WT1?T I era;
TTFMWWl^ IXo-x:?. XX. ??) -
The words veddrtha-parihrmhitah mean that Srimad Bhdgavatam
explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas, as indicated
in Mahdhhdrata (Adi-parva 1.267): "One should supplement the
Vedas with the Itihasas and Puranas."
The phrase purdndndm sdma-rupah (Srimad Bhdgavatam is
the Sdma among the Puranas) means that just as the Sdma Veda is
supreme among the Vedas, so Srimad Bhdgavatam is paramount
among the Puranas. Therefore, Skanda Purdna says:
II \9^ II
^ ^ "^TTTd" ^Mlcicl cbc^ 11 V9^ II
11 vs? 11
cl^ cfT Trra 11 ^ ^ II
"Q^cT Tracft f^TT 1
In Kaliyuga, what is the value of collecting hundreds of thou
sands of other scriptures if one does not keep Srimad Bhdgava
tam at home? How can a person be considered a Vaisnava in Kali
yuga if SrimadBhagavatam finds no place in his house? Even if he
As in Paramdtma Sandarbha 105.
143

Anuccheda 22
Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence
of All Vedic Literature
Similarly, the Third Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam confirms that
Srimad Bhagavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdhhdrata:
II vso 11^
Your friend, the great sage Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, composed
his great work, Mahdhhdrata, with the intention of describing
the transcendental qualities of Sri Bhagavan. In this work, he
has drawn the attention of the mass of people to the descrip
tions of Sri Hari by embedding them within the framework of
mundane topics, (sb 3.5.12)^
[Now the explanation of the remaining part of the verse from
Garuda Purdna, cited in Anuccheda 21.1, is being given.] That
^ munir vivaksur bhagavad-gunandm sakhdpi te bhdratam dha krsnah
yasmin nrndm grdmya-sukhdnuvddair matir grhitd nu hareh kathdydm
142
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
fitting, since Devi, or Durga, rides on a lion. In the case of Srimad
Bhagavatam, hema-sirhha is understood to mean "a golden lion-
throne."
Srila Jiva Gosvami solves the controversy by citing references
that list distinctive features of Srimad Bhagavatam: It begins with
the Gayatri mantra, it contains the hayagriva-brahma-vidya, the
events it narrates happened in the Sarasvata-kalpa, and it was first
spoken by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami to Pariksit Maharaja. Jiva Gosvami
further supports his opinion by quoting from the Bhavartha-dipika,
Sridhara Svami s commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam,
Devi Bhagavatam opens with a statement that appears to be
based on Gayatri: om sarva-caitanya-rupdrh tdm adyarh vidyarh ca
dhimahi, buddhim yd nah pracodayat. There are two reasons this
statement should not be equated with Gayatri: First, nothing in
it corresponds to the words savituh, varenyam, and bhargas from
Gayatri, whereas such a correspondence can be shown in sb 1.1.1.
Second, this statement is a meditation on Devi, but as Sri Jiva will
show in the next anuccheda, the object of meditation in Gayatri is
the Supreme Personal Absolute, Sri Visnu.
Like Srimad Bhagavatam, Devi Bhagavatam also narrates the
killing of Vi:trasura, but in that account, Indra kills Vrtra with
ocean foam empowered by Devi. Vrtrasura performed severe pen
ances for hundreds of years to please Lord Brahma. When Brahma
appeared before him and offered a boon, Vrtra asked to not be
slain by any weapon made of iron or wood, dry or wet. After Lord
Brahma granted this boon, Vrtra attacked Indra and defeated him.
Indra subsequently took help from Sri Visnu, who entered Indras
thunderbolt and advised him to take the help of Devi and make a
truce with Vrtra. Indra then apparently befriended Vrtrasura. But
one day at dusk Indra surprised Vrtrasura on a beach and slew him
with his thunderbolt, which is not a weapon of iron or wood, and
was covered with foam, which is neither wet nor dry.
Devi Bhagavatam also makes no mention of the hayagriva-
brahma-vidya, i.e., the ndrdyana-varma. For all these reasons it is
clear that the Bhagavatam referred to in the verse cited by Sridhara
Svami is not Devi Bhagavatam.
131
 II Pramana
Hemadrl, Ballalasena, Govindananda, Raghunandana, Gopala
Bhatta Gosvami, and Sanatana Gosvami have each written note
worthy dharma-sdstras, or books and essays on religious duties, in
which they quote frequently from Srimad Bhdgavatam but never
from Devi Bhdgavatam, Ballalasena states in Ddna-sdgara that only a
few verses of the Bhdgavatam specifically recommend acts of char
ity. In contrast, the entire thirtieth chapter of Devi Bhdgavatam's
Ninth Canto deals exclusively with the glories of various kinds of
charitable giving. In addition, with the exceptions of Ramanujaca-
rya and Nilakanthacarya, all the great saintly commentators on
prasthdna-trayi either wrote about Srimad Bhdgavatam directly or at
least cited it as a standard reference in their books. By contrast, nei
ther Sahkara, Madhvacarya, Vallabhacarya, Sri Caitanyadeva, nor
any other notable dcdrya has ever cited Devi Bhdgavatam to support
or prove any of their important statements.
Chapter 96 of the first part of Ndradiya Purdna lists the topics of
all twelve cantos of the Bhdgavatam in order. This list fits Srimad
Bhdgavatam, not Devi Bhdgavatam. Padma Purdna states:
Among all the Puranas, Srimad Bhdgavatam is ultimate. In every
line great sages sing the glories of Sri Krsna in various ways.
(Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 193.3)"
All this leaves no doubt that the Bhdgavatam mentioned in the
quoted Puranic verses is Srimad Bhdgavatam. Srimad Bhdgavatam
and other Puranas mention an asura named Hayagriva, and there
is also an avatdra of Sri Visnu called Hayagriva, who had a horse s
head. But because the Hayagriva mentioned in this section of Tattva
Sandarbha is connected with the slaying of the asura Vrtra, Srila Jiva
Gosvami has identified him as the sage Dadhici. As recounted in
the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhdgavatam, after Vrtra had conquered
the devas, they approached Sri Visnu for help. The Lord advised
the chief of the devas, Indra, to approach Dadhici and ask him for
purdnesu tu sarvesu
srimad-bhagavatam param
yatra prati-padam krsno
glyate bahudharsibhih
132
21 Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata
of the Gandharvas. The remaining one hundred thousand verses
are available among human beings. (Mahabharata, Adi-parva 1.106-
107)®
Although abridged, the version of Mahdbhdrata on this planet
is the longest epic ever written. So, due to the profundity of its
topics (mahattva) and its great weight (bhdravattva), it is known as
Mahdbhdrata.
The Mahdbhdrata is more versatile than the Vedas, because the
restrictions that apply to studying the Vedas are omitted in its case.
Anyone may read and enjoy Mahdbhdrata, regardless of social posi
tion or gender. However, only the Moksa-dharma and a few other
sections of Mahdbhdrata directly glorify Sri Narayana as supreme.
Other sections mainly deal with a mixture of topics, such as routine
religious rituals, politics, and charity. By contrast, Srimad Bhdgava
tam avoids all topics not related to the glories of the Supreme Lord.
The entire Bhdgavatam speaks only of this, and this exclusive focus
is what makes it superior to Mahdbhdrata. Thus, it has been said,
"Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdbhdrata."
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami cites further proof that
the Bhdgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature and the topmost
pramdna.
sastim sata-sahasrdni cakdrdnydrh sa sarhhitdm
trimsac chata-sahasrarh ca deva-loke pratisthitam
pitrye pancadasa proktam gandharvesu caturdasa
ekarh sata-sahasram tu mdnusesu pratisthitam
141
 Pramana
Suta Gosvami alludes to Vedavyasas composing two editions of
Srimad Bhagavatam:
The great sage Vyasadeva, after composing Srimad Bhagavatam
and then revising it, taught it to His own son, the sage Sri Suka-
deva Gosvami, who delighted in the state of utter non-attachment.
(sB 1.7.8)^
Commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
writes, "The word anukramya in this verse means that Vedavyasa
compiled a new (or revised) edition of the already existing Srimad
Bhagavatam."^
Anuccheda 21.3 relates how Mahdbhdrata was once shown to be
literally heavier than the Vedas. This came about because Mahd
bhdrata, using simple narrations, elaborated upon and lucidly
explained the concise and cryptic subject matter of the Vedas.
Vyasadeva makes this point in Mahdbhdrata:
Lord Brahma, in this great work [Mahdbhdrata] I have included the
secret essence of all the Vedas and of all other scriptures as well. It
explains in detail the Upanisads, the six corollaries, and the Vedas.
(Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.62)^
Originally, Mahdbhdrata had six million verses, but at present
only one hundred thousand are available on earth. The rest can
be found on planets of a higher dimension, where people have life
spans and memories suitable for absorbing such large amounts of
information. The distribution of Mahdbhdrata s verses is mentioned
in Mahdbhdrata itself:
Then Srila Vyasadeva compiled another sarhhitd [Mahdbhdrata],
containing six million verses. Of these, three million are present
in the celestial planets, one and a half million on the planet of the
forefathers, and one million four hundred thousand on the planet
® sa samhitdm hhdgavatlrh krtvdnukramya cdtmajam
sukam adhydpaydm dsa nivrtti-niratam munih
^ atas tadaiva purva-nirmitasyaiva sn-bhdgavatasydnukramanam
^ brahman veda-rahasyarh ca yac cdnyat sthdpitam
mayd sangopanisadarh ca vedanam vistara-kriyd
140
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
his body, which had been rendered adamantine by vows, penances,
and knowledge of Brahman. The Lord told Indra to fashion from
Dadhici s bones a thunderbolt strong enough to kill Vrtrasura.
Dadhici had previously taught knowledge of Brahman to the
Asvini-kumara twins, although Indra had earlier forbidden him to
teach them transcendental knowledge on the grounds that their
profession as physicians disqualified them. Indra had threatened to
behead Dadhici if he disobeyed, but Dadhici had already promised
to teach the twins. The Asvini-kumaras solved Dadhici s dilemma
surgically: They severed his head and grafted a horse s head in its
place, knowing that Indra would eventually cut off that head, after
which they could restore the original one. Dadhici then instructed
them straight from the horse s mouth. Because of this, Dadhici
also became known as Hayagriva (horse-necked) or Asvasira (horse-
headed), and the transcendental knowledge he imparted became
famous as the hayagriva-brahma-vidyd.
As anticipated, Indra did indeed sever Dadhici s horse head, and
the Asvini-kumaras restored the original one. Then, on the request
of the devas, Dadhici offered his body to Indra, who used his bones
to fashion the thunderbolt with which he was to kill Vrtrasura.
Dadhici taught the same knowledge he had given to the Asvini-
kumaras to Tvasta, who in turn taught it to his son Visvarupa.
Visvarupa then taught it to Lord Indra as the "Narayana Armor,"
which was instrumental in helping him defeat Vrtrasura. Thus, the
Hayagriva referred to here is Dadhici, and the brahma-vidyd is the
Narayana Armor. This is all described in the Sixth Canto of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, along with the commentaries of the Vaisnava dcdryas.
Anuccheda 20.5 contains the term suka-prokta, or "narrated by Sri
Suka." From this we should not infer that all verses not spoken by
Sukadeva Gosvami, such as the First Canto, are not part of Srimad
Bhdgavatam. The Bhdgavatam Vyasa revealed was complete, includ
ing future events and future statements by Suta and Saunaka. Since
Srimad Bhdgavatam has been identified as having eighteen thou
sand verses and opening with a verse based on the Gayatri mantra,
it must be that its first verse begins janmddy asya yatah and its last
one ends with tarn namdmi harirh param.
133
 II Pramana
Of the eighteen Puranas, six are meant for human beings
predominantly influenced by the guna of inertia {tamas), six are for
those influenced by the gum of conditional becoming (rajas), and
six are for those influenced by the guna of perpetual being (sattva);
but Srimad Bhagavatam occupies a place of honor even among the
sdttvika Puranas. It is considered nondifferent from Krsna, the
Supreme Personal Absolute, and therefore, it is parama-sdttvika, a
manifestation of supreme transcendental being without any tinge
of the material gunas.
Srimad Bhdgavatam is pleasing to Bhagavan Hari (hareh santosa-
kdranam), the transcendental Lord, who cannot be pleased by any
thing material. It is relished by His devotees, who scoff at the bliss of
liberation, not to speak of the pleasure derived from reading some
thing mundane. For this reason, the sage Gautama recommends
reciting Srimad Bhdgavatam on EkadasI, which is also called Hari-
vasara, the day of Lord Hari. As Skanda Purdna states:
Srimad Bhdgavatam and the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhaga
van, are always exclusively of one inherent nature — that of eternal
being, primordial consciousness, and transcendental bliss. (Skanda
Purdna, Visnu-khanda 6.4.3)^^
P a d m a P u r d n a c o n fi r m s t h i s :
Without a doubt, this Srimad Bhdgavatam is directly Sri Krsna.
(Uttara-khanda 198.30)^^
That Srimad Bhdgavatam is nondifferent from Sri Krsna is
confirmed in the Bhdgavatam itself, where Suta Gosvami states
that after Bhagavahs disappearance, the Bhdgavatam appeared as
His representative to enlighten the ignorant people of Kaliyuga
(sB 1.3.43). Padma Purdna also confirms the oneness of the Bhdga
vatam and Bhagavan by comparing the various cantos with Krsna s
limbs:
srimad-bkagavatasyatha srimad-bhagavatah sadd
svarupam ekam evdsti sac-cid-ananda-laksanam
srimad-bhdgavatdkhyo'yarh pratyaksah krsna eva hi
134
21 Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata
so by your churning the ocean of the highest knowledge with
the rod of your discriminating wisdom, this Ndrdyaniya has
been extracted from the hundred thousand verses of Mahabha
rata, This Ndrdyaniya, spoken by you, is the repository of the
topics of Sri Narayana, which are the nectar of immortality.
(Moksa-dharma 343.11-14)'^
Commentary
SRiMAD Bhagavatam is one of the eighteen Puranas, but Srila Vya-
sadeva wrote it after compiling the essence of the Vedas in Veddnta-
sutra and after composing Mahdbhdrata and the Puranas. But if the
eighteen Puranas had already been compiled, does this make Srimad
Bhdgavatam the nineteenth?
In Anuccheda 21.2, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that this is not the
case. Srimad Bhdgavatam appeared first to Srila Vyasa in a concise
form, as one of the eighteen Puranas, and he composed Veddnta-
sutra on the basis of this first edition of the Bhdgavatam. Later,
when He was absorbed in supracognitive trance in pursuance of
Narada Muni s order, the expanded form of Srimad Bhdgavatam
was revealed to Him as the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra.
Srimad Bhdgavatam and Veddnta-sutra share the same subject, the
Absolute Truth, and they describe the same principles of samba-
ndha (the whole-part existential relation between the Supreme Self
and the individual self), abhidheya (the means of ultimate attain
ment), and prayojana (the completion stage of the means, uncon
ditional love of God). Many dcdryas and scholars later wrote com
mentaries on Veddnta-sutra, but only those that accord with Srimad
Bhdgavatam — such as those of Ramanujacarya, Nimbarkacarya,
Madhvacarya, Vallabhacarya, and Baladeva Vidyabhusana — are
authoritative.
idarh satasahasrad dhi bhdratdkhydna vistarat
dmathya matimanthenajndnodadhim anuttamam
nava nitarh yathd dadhno malaydc candanam yathd
dranyakam ca vedebhya osadhibhyo'mrtam yathd
samuddhrtam idarh brahman kathdmrtam anuttamam
tapo-nidhe tvayoktarh hi ndrdyaria-kathdsrayam
139

sages and placed Mahdbhdrata on one side of a scale and the
entire Vedas on the other. As it turned out, Mahdbhdrata out
weighed all of the Vedas. Because of its greatness (mahattva)
and heaviness (bhdra-vattva), it is called Maha-bharata. (Adi-
parva 1.272-274)®
It [the Bhdgavata] is to be understood as that composition in
which the meaning of Mahdbhdrata, characterized in the latter
verses, is made evident.
is the natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra and that it also
elucidates the meaning of Mahdbhdrata.
Another reason why Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the mean
ing of Mahdbhdrata is that the message of both culminates in Sri
Bhagavan atlone. That this is true of Mahdbhdrata is evinced in
the Ndrdyaniya section of Mahdbhdrata sMoksa-dharma portion,
where Janamejaya says to Srila Vyasadeva:
3TRT?Zr II ^\9 II
II 11
dMlR^rddlTbi%HKIdU|cbqT8raTT II II ^ II
O brdhmana, abode of austerities, just as butter can be extracted
from yogurt, sandalwood from the Malaya Mountains, the
Upanisads from all the Vedas, and life-giving nectar from herbs,
nirnayah sarva-sdstrdndm bhdratarh pariklrtitam
bharatarh sarva-vedds ca tuldm dropitdh purd
devair brahmddibhih sarvair rsibhis ca samanvitaih
vydsasyaivdjnayd tatra tvatyaricyata bhdratam
mahattvdd bhdravattvdc ca mahdbhdratam ucyate
138
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
0 King, the First and Second Cantos of the Bhdgavatam are Sri
Krsna's feet, and the Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The
Fifth Canto is His navel, the Sixth Canto is His chest, and the Sev
enth and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat,
the Tenth His blooming lotus face, the Eleventh His forehead, and
t h e Tw e l f t h H i s h e a d .
1 bow down to that Lord, the ocean of mercy, whose color is like that
of a tamdla tree and who appears in this world for the welfare of all.
I worship Him as the bridge for crossing the unfathomable ocean
of material existence. Srimad Bhdgavatam has appeared as His very
self.^^
Next, Srila Jiva GosvamI points out that Srimad Bhdgavatam
pddau yadiyau prathama-dvitiyau trtiya-turyau kathitau yad-uru
ndbhis tathd pancama eva sastho bhujdntararh dor-yugalarh tathdnyau
kanthas tu rdjan navamo yadlyo mukhdravindam dasamarh praphullam
ekddaso yas ca laldta-pattam siropi yad dvddasa eva bhdti
namdmi devarh karund-nidhdnarh tamdla-varnam suhitdvatdram
apdra-sarhsdra-samudra-setum bhajdmahe bhdgavata-svarupam
135
 21 Srlmad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata

Anuccheda 21

Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning Inthe above statement, the phrase "[SrimadBhagavatam] embod
ies the essential meaning of Veddnta-sutra" (brahma-sutrdndm
of Mahabharata
arthah) means that it is tantamount to being a natural commen
tary {akrtrima-bhdsya) on Veddnta-sutra. The Bhdgavatam first
self-manifested in a subtle form to the awareness of Sri Vya-
sadeva, who then summarized it in the form of Veddnta-sutra
and later expanded it into Srimad Bhdgavatam as we know it.
Therefore, since Srimad Bhdgavatam self-evidently embodies
Garuda Purana states; the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra, all other recent
commentaries, sprung from the fertile imagination of their
authors, should be honored as authoritative only when they
TO II
are in resonance with Srimad Bhdgavatam.
JII-U^I'^ITO^MlSTOqTO^Mk'ilgci: I

q5TOTOTOf^: II iiffa
•iTRcTT^RPlulq: —
This [Bhagavatam] is the most complete of the Puranas. It embod
ies the essential meaning of Veddnta-sutra; it establishes the Concerning the phrase bhdratdrtha-vinirnaya (Srimad Bhdga
meaning of Mahabharata; it is a commentary on Gayatri; it vatam establishes the meaning of Mahdbhdrata), the following
explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas; it is the Sdma verses may be cited:
Veda of the Puranas, and it is the direct utterance of the Sup
reme Absolute, Sri Bhagavan. It has twelve cantos, hundreds
of chapters, and eighteen thousand verses; it is called Srimad
Bhagavatam.^ II ||
^ Cited in Bhdgavata-tatparya 1.1.1 by Sri Madhvacarya.
^ purnah soyam atisayah
arthoyaTh brahma-sutrdndrfi bhdratdrtha-vinirnayah
gdyatrl-bhdsya-rupo'sau veddrtha-paribrrhhitah Mahdbhdrata is glorified because it contains the conclusions of
purdndndrh sdma-rupah sdksdd-hhagavatoditah
dvddasa-skandha-yuktoyamsata-viccheda-samyutah all scriptures. Long ago, on the request of Srila Vyasa, Lord
grantho'stddasa-sdhasrahsrimad-bhdgavatdbhidhah Brahma and the other devas gathered together with all the great

136 137
 21 Srlmad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata

Anuccheda 21

Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning Inthe above statement, the phrase "[SrimadBhagavatam] embod
ies the essential meaning of Veddnta-sutra" (brahma-sutrdndm
of Mahabharata
arthah) means that it is tantamount to being a natural commen
tary {akrtrima-bhdsya) on Veddnta-sutra. The Bhdgavatam first
self-manifested in a subtle form to the awareness of Sri Vya-
sadeva, who then summarized it in the form of Veddnta-sutra
and later expanded it into Srimad Bhdgavatam as we know it.
Therefore, since Srimad Bhdgavatam self-evidently embodies
Garuda Purana states; the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra, all other recent
commentaries, sprung from the fertile imagination of their
authors, should be honored as authoritative only when they
TO II
are in resonance with Srimad Bhdgavatam.
JII-U^I'^ITO^MlSTOqTO^Mk'ilgci: I

q5TOTOTOf^: II iiffa
•iTRcTT^RPlulq: —
This [Bhagavatam] is the most complete of the Puranas. It embod
ies the essential meaning of Veddnta-sutra; it establishes the Concerning the phrase bhdratdrtha-vinirnaya (Srimad Bhdga
meaning of Mahabharata; it is a commentary on Gayatri; it vatam establishes the meaning of Mahdbhdrata), the following
explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas; it is the Sdma verses may be cited:
Veda of the Puranas, and it is the direct utterance of the Sup
reme Absolute, Sri Bhagavan. It has twelve cantos, hundreds
of chapters, and eighteen thousand verses; it is called Srimad
Bhagavatam.^ II ||
^ Cited in Bhdgavata-tatparya 1.1.1 by Sri Madhvacarya.
^ purnah soyam atisayah
arthoyaTh brahma-sutrdndrfi bhdratdrtha-vinirnayah
gdyatrl-bhdsya-rupo'sau veddrtha-paribrrhhitah Mahdbhdrata is glorified because it contains the conclusions of
purdndndrh sdma-rupah sdksdd-hhagavatoditah
dvddasa-skandha-yuktoyamsata-viccheda-samyutah all scriptures. Long ago, on the request of Srila Vyasa, Lord
grantho'stddasa-sdhasrahsrimad-bhdgavatdbhidhah Brahma and the other devas gathered together with all the great

136 137

sages and placed Mahdbhdrata on one side of a scale and the
entire Vedas on the other. As it turned out, Mahdbhdrata out
weighed all of the Vedas. Because of its greatness (mahattva)
and heaviness (bhdra-vattva), it is called Maha-bharata. (Adi-
parva 1.272-274)®
It [the Bhdgavata] is to be understood as that composition in
which the meaning of Mahdbhdrata, characterized in the latter
verses, is made evident.
is the natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra and that it also
elucidates the meaning of Mahdbhdrata.
Another reason why Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the mean
ing of Mahdbhdrata is that the message of both culminates in Sri
Bhagavan atlone. That this is true of Mahdbhdrata is evinced in
the Ndrdyaniya section of Mahdbhdrata sMoksa-dharma portion,
where Janamejaya says to Srila Vyasadeva:
3TRT?Zr II ^\9 II
II 11
dMlR^rddlTbi%HKIdU|cbqT8raTT II II ^ II
O brdhmana, abode of austerities, just as butter can be extracted
from yogurt, sandalwood from the Malaya Mountains, the
Upanisads from all the Vedas, and life-giving nectar from herbs,
nirnayah sarva-sdstrdndm bhdratarh pariklrtitam
bharatarh sarva-vedds ca tuldm dropitdh purd
devair brahmddibhih sarvair rsibhis ca samanvitaih
vydsasyaivdjnayd tatra tvatyaricyata bhdratam
mahattvdd bhdravattvdc ca mahdbhdratam ucyate
138
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
0 King, the First and Second Cantos of the Bhdgavatam are Sri
Krsna's feet, and the Third and Fourth Cantos are His thighs. The
Fifth Canto is His navel, the Sixth Canto is His chest, and the Sev
enth and Eighth Cantos are His arms. The Ninth Canto is His throat,
the Tenth His blooming lotus face, the Eleventh His forehead, and
t h e Tw e l f t h H i s h e a d .
1 bow down to that Lord, the ocean of mercy, whose color is like that
of a tamdla tree and who appears in this world for the welfare of all.
I worship Him as the bridge for crossing the unfathomable ocean
of material existence. Srimad Bhdgavatam has appeared as His very
self.^^
Next, Srila Jiva GosvamI points out that Srimad Bhdgavatam
pddau yadiyau prathama-dvitiyau trtiya-turyau kathitau yad-uru
ndbhis tathd pancama eva sastho bhujdntararh dor-yugalarh tathdnyau
kanthas tu rdjan navamo yadlyo mukhdravindam dasamarh praphullam
ekddaso yas ca laldta-pattam siropi yad dvddasa eva bhdti
namdmi devarh karund-nidhdnarh tamdla-varnam suhitdvatdram
apdra-sarhsdra-samudra-setum bhajdmahe bhdgavata-svarupam
135
 II Pramana
Of the eighteen Puranas, six are meant for human beings
predominantly influenced by the guna of inertia {tamas), six are for
those influenced by the gum of conditional becoming (rajas), and
six are for those influenced by the guna of perpetual being (sattva);
but Srimad Bhagavatam occupies a place of honor even among the
sdttvika Puranas. It is considered nondifferent from Krsna, the
Supreme Personal Absolute, and therefore, it is parama-sdttvika, a
manifestation of supreme transcendental being without any tinge
of the material gunas.
Srimad Bhdgavatam is pleasing to Bhagavan Hari (hareh santosa-
kdranam), the transcendental Lord, who cannot be pleased by any
thing material. It is relished by His devotees, who scoff at the bliss of
liberation, not to speak of the pleasure derived from reading some
thing mundane. For this reason, the sage Gautama recommends
reciting Srimad Bhdgavatam on EkadasI, which is also called Hari-
vasara, the day of Lord Hari. As Skanda Purdna states:
Srimad Bhdgavatam and the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhaga
van, are always exclusively of one inherent nature — that of eternal
being, primordial consciousness, and transcendental bliss. (Skanda
Purdna, Visnu-khanda 6.4.3)^^
P a d m a P u r d n a c o n fi r m s t h i s :
Without a doubt, this Srimad Bhdgavatam is directly Sri Krsna.
(Uttara-khanda 198.30)^^
That Srimad Bhdgavatam is nondifferent from Sri Krsna is
confirmed in the Bhdgavatam itself, where Suta Gosvami states
that after Bhagavahs disappearance, the Bhdgavatam appeared as
His representative to enlighten the ignorant people of Kaliyuga
(sB 1.3.43). Padma Purdna also confirms the oneness of the Bhdga
vatam and Bhagavan by comparing the various cantos with Krsna s
limbs:
srimad-bkagavatasyatha srimad-bhagavatah sadd
svarupam ekam evdsti sac-cid-ananda-laksanam
srimad-bhdgavatdkhyo'yarh pratyaksah krsna eva hi
134
21 Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata
so by your churning the ocean of the highest knowledge with
the rod of your discriminating wisdom, this Ndrdyaniya has
been extracted from the hundred thousand verses of Mahabha
rata, This Ndrdyaniya, spoken by you, is the repository of the
topics of Sri Narayana, which are the nectar of immortality.
(Moksa-dharma 343.11-14)'^
Commentary
SRiMAD Bhagavatam is one of the eighteen Puranas, but Srila Vya-
sadeva wrote it after compiling the essence of the Vedas in Veddnta-
sutra and after composing Mahdbhdrata and the Puranas. But if the
eighteen Puranas had already been compiled, does this make Srimad
Bhdgavatam the nineteenth?
In Anuccheda 21.2, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that this is not the
case. Srimad Bhdgavatam appeared first to Srila Vyasa in a concise
form, as one of the eighteen Puranas, and he composed Veddnta-
sutra on the basis of this first edition of the Bhdgavatam. Later,
when He was absorbed in supracognitive trance in pursuance of
Narada Muni s order, the expanded form of Srimad Bhdgavatam
was revealed to Him as the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra.
Srimad Bhdgavatam and Veddnta-sutra share the same subject, the
Absolute Truth, and they describe the same principles of samba-
ndha (the whole-part existential relation between the Supreme Self
and the individual self), abhidheya (the means of ultimate attain
ment), and prayojana (the completion stage of the means, uncon
ditional love of God). Many dcdryas and scholars later wrote com
mentaries on Veddnta-sutra, but only those that accord with Srimad
Bhdgavatam — such as those of Ramanujacarya, Nimbarkacarya,
Madhvacarya, Vallabhacarya, and Baladeva Vidyabhusana — are
authoritative.
idarh satasahasrad dhi bhdratdkhydna vistarat
dmathya matimanthenajndnodadhim anuttamam
nava nitarh yathd dadhno malaydc candanam yathd
dranyakam ca vedebhya osadhibhyo'mrtam yathd
samuddhrtam idarh brahman kathdmrtam anuttamam
tapo-nidhe tvayoktarh hi ndrdyaria-kathdsrayam
139
 Pramana
Suta Gosvami alludes to Vedavyasas composing two editions of
Srimad Bhagavatam:
The great sage Vyasadeva, after composing Srimad Bhagavatam
and then revising it, taught it to His own son, the sage Sri Suka-
deva Gosvami, who delighted in the state of utter non-attachment.
(sB 1.7.8)^
Commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
writes, "The word anukramya in this verse means that Vedavyasa
compiled a new (or revised) edition of the already existing Srimad
Bhagavatam."^
Anuccheda 21.3 relates how Mahdbhdrata was once shown to be
literally heavier than the Vedas. This came about because Mahd
bhdrata, using simple narrations, elaborated upon and lucidly
explained the concise and cryptic subject matter of the Vedas.
Vyasadeva makes this point in Mahdbhdrata:
Lord Brahma, in this great work [Mahdbhdrata] I have included the
secret essence of all the Vedas and of all other scriptures as well. It
explains in detail the Upanisads, the six corollaries, and the Vedas.
(Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.62)^
Originally, Mahdbhdrata had six million verses, but at present
only one hundred thousand are available on earth. The rest can
be found on planets of a higher dimension, where people have life
spans and memories suitable for absorbing such large amounts of
information. The distribution of Mahdbhdrata s verses is mentioned
in Mahdbhdrata itself:
Then Srila Vyasadeva compiled another sarhhitd [Mahdbhdrata],
containing six million verses. Of these, three million are present
in the celestial planets, one and a half million on the planet of the
forefathers, and one million four hundred thousand on the planet
® sa samhitdm hhdgavatlrh krtvdnukramya cdtmajam
sukam adhydpaydm dsa nivrtti-niratam munih
^ atas tadaiva purva-nirmitasyaiva sn-bhdgavatasydnukramanam
^ brahman veda-rahasyarh ca yac cdnyat sthdpitam
mayd sangopanisadarh ca vedanam vistara-kriyd
140
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
his body, which had been rendered adamantine by vows, penances,
and knowledge of Brahman. The Lord told Indra to fashion from
Dadhici s bones a thunderbolt strong enough to kill Vrtrasura.
Dadhici had previously taught knowledge of Brahman to the
Asvini-kumara twins, although Indra had earlier forbidden him to
teach them transcendental knowledge on the grounds that their
profession as physicians disqualified them. Indra had threatened to
behead Dadhici if he disobeyed, but Dadhici had already promised
to teach the twins. The Asvini-kumaras solved Dadhici s dilemma
surgically: They severed his head and grafted a horse s head in its
place, knowing that Indra would eventually cut off that head, after
which they could restore the original one. Dadhici then instructed
them straight from the horse s mouth. Because of this, Dadhici
also became known as Hayagriva (horse-necked) or Asvasira (horse-
headed), and the transcendental knowledge he imparted became
famous as the hayagriva-brahma-vidyd.
As anticipated, Indra did indeed sever Dadhici s horse head, and
the Asvini-kumaras restored the original one. Then, on the request
of the devas, Dadhici offered his body to Indra, who used his bones
to fashion the thunderbolt with which he was to kill Vrtrasura.
Dadhici taught the same knowledge he had given to the Asvini-
kumaras to Tvasta, who in turn taught it to his son Visvarupa.
Visvarupa then taught it to Lord Indra as the "Narayana Armor,"
which was instrumental in helping him defeat Vrtrasura. Thus, the
Hayagriva referred to here is Dadhici, and the brahma-vidyd is the
Narayana Armor. This is all described in the Sixth Canto of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, along with the commentaries of the Vaisnava dcdryas.
Anuccheda 20.5 contains the term suka-prokta, or "narrated by Sri
Suka." From this we should not infer that all verses not spoken by
Sukadeva Gosvami, such as the First Canto, are not part of Srimad
Bhdgavatam. The Bhdgavatam Vyasa revealed was complete, includ
ing future events and future statements by Suta and Saunaka. Since
Srimad Bhdgavatam has been identified as having eighteen thou
sand verses and opening with a verse based on the Gayatri mantra,
it must be that its first verse begins janmddy asya yatah and its last
one ends with tarn namdmi harirh param.
133
 II Pramana
Hemadrl, Ballalasena, Govindananda, Raghunandana, Gopala
Bhatta Gosvami, and Sanatana Gosvami have each written note
worthy dharma-sdstras, or books and essays on religious duties, in
which they quote frequently from Srimad Bhdgavatam but never
from Devi Bhdgavatam, Ballalasena states in Ddna-sdgara that only a
few verses of the Bhdgavatam specifically recommend acts of char
ity. In contrast, the entire thirtieth chapter of Devi Bhdgavatam's
Ninth Canto deals exclusively with the glories of various kinds of
charitable giving. In addition, with the exceptions of Ramanujaca-
rya and Nilakanthacarya, all the great saintly commentators on
prasthdna-trayi either wrote about Srimad Bhdgavatam directly or at
least cited it as a standard reference in their books. By contrast, nei
ther Sahkara, Madhvacarya, Vallabhacarya, Sri Caitanyadeva, nor
any other notable dcdrya has ever cited Devi Bhdgavatam to support
or prove any of their important statements.
Chapter 96 of the first part of Ndradiya Purdna lists the topics of
all twelve cantos of the Bhdgavatam in order. This list fits Srimad
Bhdgavatam, not Devi Bhdgavatam. Padma Purdna states:
Among all the Puranas, Srimad Bhdgavatam is ultimate. In every
line great sages sing the glories of Sri Krsna in various ways.
(Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 193.3)"
All this leaves no doubt that the Bhdgavatam mentioned in the
quoted Puranic verses is Srimad Bhdgavatam. Srimad Bhdgavatam
and other Puranas mention an asura named Hayagriva, and there
is also an avatdra of Sri Visnu called Hayagriva, who had a horse s
head. But because the Hayagriva mentioned in this section of Tattva
Sandarbha is connected with the slaying of the asura Vrtra, Srila Jiva
Gosvami has identified him as the sage Dadhici. As recounted in
the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhdgavatam, after Vrtra had conquered
the devas, they approached Sri Visnu for help. The Lord advised
the chief of the devas, Indra, to approach Dadhici and ask him for
purdnesu tu sarvesu
srimad-bhagavatam param
yatra prati-padam krsno
glyate bahudharsibhih
132
21 Srimad Bhagavatam Establishes the Meaning of Mahabharata
of the Gandharvas. The remaining one hundred thousand verses
are available among human beings. (Mahabharata, Adi-parva 1.106-
107)®
Although abridged, the version of Mahdbhdrata on this planet
is the longest epic ever written. So, due to the profundity of its
topics (mahattva) and its great weight (bhdravattva), it is known as
Mahdbhdrata.
The Mahdbhdrata is more versatile than the Vedas, because the
restrictions that apply to studying the Vedas are omitted in its case.
Anyone may read and enjoy Mahdbhdrata, regardless of social posi
tion or gender. However, only the Moksa-dharma and a few other
sections of Mahdbhdrata directly glorify Sri Narayana as supreme.
Other sections mainly deal with a mixture of topics, such as routine
religious rituals, politics, and charity. By contrast, Srimad Bhdgava
tam avoids all topics not related to the glories of the Supreme Lord.
The entire Bhdgavatam speaks only of this, and this exclusive focus
is what makes it superior to Mahdbhdrata. Thus, it has been said,
"Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdbhdrata."
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami cites further proof that
the Bhdgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature and the topmost
pramdna.
sastim sata-sahasrdni cakdrdnydrh sa sarhhitdm
trimsac chata-sahasrarh ca deva-loke pratisthitam
pitrye pancadasa proktam gandharvesu caturdasa
ekarh sata-sahasram tu mdnusesu pratisthitam
141

Anuccheda 22
Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence
of All Vedic Literature
Similarly, the Third Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam confirms that
Srimad Bhagavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdhhdrata:
II vso 11^
Your friend, the great sage Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, composed
his great work, Mahdhhdrata, with the intention of describing
the transcendental qualities of Sri Bhagavan. In this work, he
has drawn the attention of the mass of people to the descrip
tions of Sri Hari by embedding them within the framework of
mundane topics, (sb 3.5.12)^
[Now the explanation of the remaining part of the verse from
Garuda Purdna, cited in Anuccheda 21.1, is being given.] That
^ munir vivaksur bhagavad-gunandm sakhdpi te bhdratam dha krsnah
yasmin nrndm grdmya-sukhdnuvddair matir grhitd nu hareh kathdydm
142
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
fitting, since Devi, or Durga, rides on a lion. In the case of Srimad
Bhagavatam, hema-sirhha is understood to mean "a golden lion-
throne."
Srila Jiva Gosvami solves the controversy by citing references
that list distinctive features of Srimad Bhagavatam: It begins with
the Gayatri mantra, it contains the hayagriva-brahma-vidya, the
events it narrates happened in the Sarasvata-kalpa, and it was first
spoken by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami to Pariksit Maharaja. Jiva Gosvami
further supports his opinion by quoting from the Bhavartha-dipika,
Sridhara Svami s commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam,
Devi Bhagavatam opens with a statement that appears to be
based on Gayatri: om sarva-caitanya-rupdrh tdm adyarh vidyarh ca
dhimahi, buddhim yd nah pracodayat. There are two reasons this
statement should not be equated with Gayatri: First, nothing in
it corresponds to the words savituh, varenyam, and bhargas from
Gayatri, whereas such a correspondence can be shown in sb 1.1.1.
Second, this statement is a meditation on Devi, but as Sri Jiva will
show in the next anuccheda, the object of meditation in Gayatri is
the Supreme Personal Absolute, Sri Visnu.
Like Srimad Bhagavatam, Devi Bhagavatam also narrates the
killing of Vi:trasura, but in that account, Indra kills Vrtra with
ocean foam empowered by Devi. Vrtrasura performed severe pen
ances for hundreds of years to please Lord Brahma. When Brahma
appeared before him and offered a boon, Vrtra asked to not be
slain by any weapon made of iron or wood, dry or wet. After Lord
Brahma granted this boon, Vrtra attacked Indra and defeated him.
Indra subsequently took help from Sri Visnu, who entered Indras
thunderbolt and advised him to take the help of Devi and make a
truce with Vrtra. Indra then apparently befriended Vrtrasura. But
one day at dusk Indra surprised Vrtrasura on a beach and slew him
with his thunderbolt, which is not a weapon of iron or wood, and
was covered with foam, which is neither wet nor dry.
Devi Bhagavatam also makes no mention of the hayagriva-
brahma-vidya, i.e., the ndrdyana-varma. For all these reasons it is
clear that the Bhagavatam referred to in the verse cited by Sridhara
Svami is not Devi Bhagavatam.
131

Jychylxt) Pio4 'i^|J|clc1 I
M6W ijc^T^Esfy II k% II
O Ambarisa, if you wish to bring to a close your material exis
tence, then every day you should hear the Bhagavatam that was
narrated by Sukadeva and let it be uttered too from your very
own mouthf
Finally, we find the following statement in the Prahldda-sarhhitd
of Skanda Purdna, in the section describing the glories of
Dvaraka:
A person who keeps vigil [on the night of Ekadasi] and recites
Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion before the Deity of Sri Hari is
transported to the Lord s abode along with his entire family.^®
Commentary
In this anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami gives special attention to iden
tifying Srimad Bhagavatam. He does this because some scholars of
his time held that Devi Bhagavatam, rather than Srimad Bhagava
tam, was actually the Bhagavatam glorified in the Puranas. Like
Srimad Bhagavatam, Devi Bhagavatam is a Purana with twelve can
tos, eighteen thousand verses, and an account of Vrtrasuras death,
although its account of how Vrtra was killed differs from the one
in Srimad Bhagavatam. Also, when some traditional scholars read
in the Puranas that on the full-moon day of the month of Bhadra
one should donate the Bhagavatam mounted on a golden lion (hema-
sirhha), they take this to mean Devi Bhagavatam. This seems quite
^ ambarisa suka-proktam nityam bhagavatam srnu
pathasva sva-mukhenaiva yadicchasi bhava-ksayam
srimad-bhagavatarh bhaktya pathate hari-sannidhau
jdgare tat-padam yati kula-vrnda-samanvitah
130
22 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Srimad Bhdgavatam is a commentary on Gayatri is shown in
Visnu-dharmottara Purdna, which elaborately demonstrates, in
its explanation of the Gayatri mantra (Prathama-khanda 165),
that the object of meditation in the Gayatri is Sri Bhagavan. We
shall provide similar evidence that Srimad Bhdgavatam is a com
mentary on Gayatri when we comment on the Bhdgavatam's first
WT1?T I era;
TTFMWWl^ IXo-x:?. XX. ??) -
The words veddrtha-parihrmhitah mean that Srimad Bhdgavatam
explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas, as indicated
in Mahdhhdrata (Adi-parva 1.267): "One should supplement the
Vedas with the Itihasas and Puranas."
The phrase purdndndm sdma-rupah (Srimad Bhdgavatam is
the Sdma among the Puranas) means that just as the Sdma Veda is
supreme among the Vedas, so Srimad Bhdgavatam is paramount
among the Puranas. Therefore, Skanda Purdna says:
II \9^ II
^ ^ "^TTTd" ^Mlcicl cbc^ 11 V9^ II
11 vs? 11
cl^ cfT Trra 11 ^ ^ II
"Q^cT Tracft f^TT 1
In Kaliyuga, what is the value of collecting hundreds of thou
sands of other scriptures if one does not keep Srimad Bhdgava
tam at home? How can a person be considered a Vaisnava in Kali
yuga if SrimadBhagavatam finds no place in his house? Even if he
As in Paramdtma Sandarbha 105.
143
 II Pramana
is a learned brdhmana, such a person should be considered lower
than a dog-eater. O learned brdhmana Narada, wherever Srimad
Bhdgavatam is present in Kaliyuga, the Supreme Lord arrives
there along with the devas. A person who faithfully recites one
verse of Srimad Bhdgavatam every day, 0 sage, attains the fruit
of reading the eighteen Puranas. (Visnu-khanda 5.16.40-42, 44,
33)®
The phrase sata-viccheda-samyutah (having hundreds of divi
sions) means that the Bhdgavatam has three hundred and thirty-
five chapters. The meaning of the rest of the passage [quoted in
Anuccheda 21.1] is obvious. Thus, we conclude that at the present
time, those who aspire to know the highest goal of life should
deliberate on Srimad Bhdgavatam alone.
^ (^o ^ IX -
In Catur-varga-cintdmani, Vrata-khanda 1.28, Hemadri cites the
following verse and attributes it to Srimad Bhdgavatam:
$fci ^TRcnTRp^FTII V38i II
^ sataso'tha sahasrais ca kim anyaih sdstra-saiigrahaih
na yasya tisthate gehe sdstram bhdgavataTfi kalau
katharh sa vaisnavojneyah sdstram bhdgavatam kalau
grhe na tisthate yasya sa viprah svapacddhamah
yatra yatra bhaved vipra sdstram bhdgavatam kalau
tatra tatra harir ydti tridasaih saha ndrada
yah pathet prayato nityam slokam bhdgavatam mune
astddasa-purdndndm phalam prdpnoti mdnavah
144
20 The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam
*^<1*^1 "^iJicjcl M<c?l I
II II
0 lord of the earth, do you recite Bhdgavata Purdna before
the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the history of the king of
the demons, [the great devotee] Prahlada Maharaja? (Uttara-
khanda 22.115)^
Again, in the section of Padma Purdna glorifying the vow of
Vanjuli Maha-dvadasi, Gautama further instructs Ambarisa:
II II
Middoil || ||
One should keep vigil throughout that ceremonial night, lending
full oral reception to the scriptural narrations of Sri Visnu and
His devotees — especially, Bhagavad Gitd, the thousand names of
Sri Visnu, and the Purana narrated by Sukadeva [Srimad Bhdga
vatam], One should recite these with care and attention for they
bring delight to Sri Hari.®
[And the Bhdgavatam's being a scripture that embodies and
hence awards supreme transcendence (parama-sdttvika), trans
porting one beyond material existence, is indicated in the next
two references.] Elsewhere in Padma Purdna we find this
statement:
purdnam tvam bhdgavatam pathase purato hareh
caritam daitya-rdjasya prahlddasya ca bhupate
rdtrau tujdgarah kdryah srotavyd vaisnavi kathd
gitdndm asahasram ca purdnam suka-bhdsitam
pathitavyarh prayatnena hareh santosa-kdranam
This verse is not found in the printed version of Padma Purdna.
129
 II Pramana
varma)^ since it is narrated in the same context as the killing of
Vrtra. The name haya-griva here refers to Dadhici, the sage with
a horse s head. He taught the knowledge of Brahman known
as ndrdyana-varma. His accepting a horse s head and receiving
the fitting name Asvasira are mentioned in the Sixth Canto of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, where these words are spoken: "he who has
the name Asvasira" [...]. The Ndrdyana-varma is in fact a teach
ing regarding the Absolute (brahma-vidyd), as indicated in the
following statement:
"Upon hearing this and feeling honored, Dadhici, anxious not to
break his promise, instructed the twin Asvini-kumaras in the
knowledge of the Pravargya sacrifice and brahma-vidyd/'^ This
verse is cited from Sridhara Svami s commentary on the above
text of the Bhdgavatam (6.9.52).
k ^ M<H4HllTc|cbccjii I
yfci — Since the book named Srimad Bhdgavatam, characterized as
Since SrimadBhdgavatam is the beloved of Bhagavan and is cease
lessly longed for by His devotees, it is the scripture of supreme
transcendence (parama-sdttvika). The Bhdgavatam's dearness
to Bhagavan and His devotees is indicated in Padma Purdna, in
Gautama Rsi s question to Maharaja Ambarisa:
® The entire chapter (sb e.s) is devoted to this topic. Varma means armor or a
protective shield. It is synonymous with the word kavaca. Specific mantras
dedicated to a particular deity that are intended as protective spells are generally
given these names. They are meant to be recited at times of danger or carried on
the body to ward off negative energies.
^ etac chrutvd tathovdca dadhyan dtharvanas tayoh
pravargyam hrahma-vidydrh ca sat-krto'satya-sankitah
128
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the
great sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great
historical narration called Mahdhhdrata so that those who
were unaware of how to act for ultimate good might also attain
auspiciousness. (sb 1.4.25)"^
c1 H<H I Piulq)
I
Hemadri uses this verse to demonstrate that Mahdhhdrata is as
valuable as the Vedas, and the phrase bhdratdrtha-vinirnayah
(Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the meaning of Mahdhhdrata)
should be explained in accordance with this view as indicating
that SrimadBhdgavatam is the book in which Mahdhhdrata s mes
sage is conclusively defined and shown to be equal to that of the
Ve d a s .
22.6
^TFTTTn^: ^J|c|cL|<ldl Jlld^l I JllddlH"
I cfWo«4Kod|^ yfclMlfdcl: I
"a delineation of Ultimate Truth with reference to the Gayatri
mantra," is exclusively focused upon Bhagavan, it serves as a
commentary on Gayatri, which is also intent solely upon Bhaga
van. This same point — that Srimad Bhdgavatam is a commen
tary on the Gayatri mantra — is made in such statements as "The
Bhdgavatam delineates the path of Ultimate Truth with refer
ence to the Gayatri mantra" (Anuccheda 19.2). Furthermore, Agni
Purdna describes Bhagavan alone in the course of its exposition
of the Gayatri mantra.
* stri-sudra-dvija-bandhundrh trayl na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdndm sreya eva bhaved iha
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
145
 E 5
J? 2
3. tS
35 ff. ^
§ fS
3 <» 5 S 3 3.
" , p

2. » ®2. rt-* 5* Q
o 5- 3 ^d ^ PP >o ;iti
3 S o
3 ™ 2, w n>^ P
(T> ft) a* I g. o r' CAv "
2 ^ ^ I
iu
<1 p 3 ?" ? w !S fii
1*4' i.
•"* 3 5
^ OA g) W O S"
5- § §-
» M P
f ^

^ -3 dl
= - ^
<o —

I5' "p i §D
ii 1 !? S 3 % =
^ ^ s-
11 §■
h— S M
5 3 §
« 3 o o s-■
p ■• ^
o < '
S-? ^
< B
S "• S!
1 ^1- s iz
3 e & >? fT fD

a
t o p - Co c r COv P
P I p
%
ft)
N i P p "31 2i
M
P p P p p "Pi P
ft)
p - c n < OA
o p p c j
M l
P i 3 c«>§
;on^ 1 O
r » <
2" §- n> o o 3i o
P i
P
I'
C3-
P P - M P
O n S. O cT & H
P P
§- • P g. OA tU
P - P P fi
3 p' a>
P i 3 a n hi E
p
3 p p
P i ft) f B
P
P ' P o
<
3 *-i
p - p1 8 Ci>
P- Si B' < p t
o
n 3.
p - w
o
"< p
p P i B p CO
erf ii
M
J X n|>i n ^
P "H- P i r-i-. r h
fT O ^ -t
2. p ' P
•g P^
c r
•s
H- O n r i -
3 ^ g
P -
P s-
*-i (T) 0)
eg' P C/3
p p P - B ON P
P - o ^ n I
p
p p - g" o
I
S- P *-i
g
a
§
P C O
3- p P
P 3 8 o
p ^ 3^ 3. p" p
P i ft) ID
p ft)
p C/) o
• p -
• p - ET l-h
a
 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

on Gayatri. Also, in one of the concluding verses of the Bhdga

vatam (sB 12.13.19), we find the adjectives pure (suddha), spot
less (vimala), free from grief (visoka), and immortal (amrta),
qualifying the Supreme Truth (param satyam) [identified in the
subsequent verse as Bhagavan Vasudeva] upon whom we are to
Anuccheda 20 meditate (dhimahi). This description exactly echoes the ensuing
statement from Agni Purdna, which is itself an explanation of
The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam Gayatri. This uniformity of description further substantiates
the view that the Bhdgavatam is a commentary on Gayatri. The
verse from Agni Purdna is as follows:

I" I? I? IVo-X?) " ' T t 1 % 11 v s ^ I I ^ I d I

In Skanda Purana we find a description of Srimad Bhagavatam
To awake to the post-liberated status, let us meditate (dhyd-
similar to the one in Matsya Parana:^
yema) on the Supreme Brahman (param hrahma), who is eternal
(nitya), pure (suddha), transcendental (para), ever-effulgent
II ko II (nitya-bharga), and the final repository of inherent controlling
agency (adhisvara). As we meditate, let us contemplate, "1 am
that light, the Supreme Truth." (ap 216.6)^
y 1 y M « ^ i ^ i j | f d I I 11
TOT II II

The Purana known as Srimad Bhagavatam recounts the deeds

of humans and devas in the Sarasvata-kalpa, explains the way Here, the contemplation of oneself as identical to Brahman is
of Supreme Truth in terms of Gayatri, and narrates the slay meant to help the meditator attain fitness to worship the com
ing of Vrtrasura. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever plete Truth, Bhagavan, following the principle, "One who is not
writes out a copy of the Bhagavatam, places it on a golden lion-
of the nature of the Divine cannot worship the Divine." The verb
throne, and presents it to a worthy person on the full-moon day
form dhydyema (let us meditate) signifies that "not only 1, but all
of the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination.
of us are implored to meditate."
(Prabhasa-khanda 7.1.2.40-42)^
MP 53.20-22 quoted in Anuccheda 19.2.
sdrasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syur nardmardh
tad-vrttdntodbhavarh lake tac ca bhdgavatam smrtam
likhitvd tac ca yo dadydd dhema-simha-samanvitam
paurnamdsydm praustha-padydm sa ydti paramdm gatim ^ V? ^^ncT I ( T T T fi
astddasa-sahasrdni purdnam tat prakirtitam
Alternate reading of Skanda Purdna 7.1.2.40:
^ nityarh suddharh pararh brahma nitya-bhargam adhlsvaram
sdrasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syur nardmardh
tad-vrttdntodbhavarh punyarh puriyodvdha-samanvitam aharhjyotih pararh brahma dhydyema hi vimuktaye

126 147
 II Pramana
According to this view, however, the [uninflected] word bharga
that appears even in the Gayatri mantra is specifically that which
terminates with the vowel a [since it has an alternate unin-
fiected stem terminating with the consonant s, i.e., bhargas].
The irregular accusative declension of bharga [in the mantra] as
bhargas where bhargam might be expected can be explained as
an instance of the type given in panini 7.1.39, which is intended
for the analysis of Vedic texts. The sutra is supdm su-luk-purva-
savamdcche-yd-dd-dyd-yajalah, "by which the accusative suffix
am may be replaced by the nominative su [from which the vowel
u is dropped]."
In the prose section of the Twelfth Canto of the Bhdgava-
tam (12.6.67-72), beginning cm namas te, the sun is praised as
the object of worship in Gayatri. We should understand that
this passage refers to Paramatma (the Supreme Self), who is
immanent within the sun, rather than to the sun independently.
Understood in this way, the statement is faultless.
; ^ it:" (^o Rd)
Later in the Bhdgavatam, Saunaka Rsi confirms this: "O Suta,
kindly narrate to us, who are firmly established in faith, the
glory of Sri Hari s expansion as the Primal Self immanent within
the sun" (sb 12.11.23).®
Similarly, one should not think that the word bharga (efful
gence) in Gayatri refers only to the presiding deity of the sun
globe [i.e., Surya-deva], since the word varenya (transcenden
tal) in the Gayatri mantra and the word para (supreme) in the
® bruhi nah sraddadhandnam vyuharfi surydtmano hareh
148
19 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary on Vedanta-sutra
and the Essence of Gayatrl
rites incumbent on the chanter, but such restrictions do not apply
to Srimad Bhdgavatam. Since anyone may read the Bhdgavatam,
strictly speaking it would be improper for the Gayatri mantra to
appear there in its original form. Gayatri is considered the most
important among the Vedic mantras, but only the twice-born are
allowed to chant them. That is why Srila Vyasadeva enfolded the
form and idea of Gayatri in the Bhdgavatam without quoting the
actual words of the mantra. Only one word from Gayatri, dhlmahi,
has been kept to indicate his intention because it is a compulsory
word in the mantra and carries its essence.
Another reason Vyasa did not write the original Gayatri in
Srimad Bhdgavatam is that doing so would have invited misinter
pretation. Various schools of thought have explained Gayatri dif
ferently — as a meditation on unqualified Brahman, on the sun, on
the fire god, on Lord Siva, and so forth. Only rarely is it understood
as a meditation on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Vasudeva. But
in Srimad Bhdgavatam, Srila Vyasadevas own commentary on the
Veddnta-sutra, Vyasadeva delivers the complete and unambiguous
meaning of Gayatri in the opening verse. He reveals that Gayatri
is a meditation on the original Supreme Person, Sri Krsna, and His
eternal consort, Sri Radhika. This meditation is indeed the highest
dharma.
In Anuccheda 105 of Sri Paramdtma Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami
will explain the Gayatri mantra in detail, and in Krsna Sandarbha,
he will give a thorough analysis of the Bhdgavatam's first verse as a
meditation on Sri Sri Radha Krsna.
Here, in the next anuccheda of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila Jiva
Gosvami further introduces Srimad Bhdgavatam, describing its dis
tinguishing features and supporting his statements with scriptural
references.
125
 II Pramana
lament your condition as ifyour efforts have been in vain, (sb 1.5.4)'^
0 best of sages, you have not elaborated the glories of the Sup
reme Personal Absolute, Vasudeva, to the same extent as you have
repeatedly described the four human goals beginning with dharma.
(sB 1.5.9)^
On Narada Muni s instruction, Srila Vyasa ascended the path of
meditation, and while in the state of supracognitive trance, Srimad
Bhdgavatam was revealed to Him. Thus, it is clear that Srimad Bhdga-
vatam, which provided final solace to Vyasadeva, is knowledge
descended from the transcendental realm. In upcoming anucche-
das, Sri JIva will show that it is also the natural commentary on
Ve d a n t a - s u t r a .
Various Puranas mention the relationship between Srimad
Bhdgavatam and the Gayatri mantra. Gayatrl is considered the
essence of the Vedas and is supposed to be recited at dawn, noon,
and dusk by every twice-born person (brdhmana, ksatriya, or
vaisya). According to Sridhara SvamI in Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, Srimad
Bhdgavatam begins with the Gayatri mantra. Commenting on the
first verse of the Bhdgavatam, he writes:
That the Gayatri phrase indicated by the word dhimahi begins this
Purana, shows that this work embodies the revealed knowledge
of the Absolute (brahma-vidyd), known as Gayatri. (Bhdvdrtha-
dipikd 1.1.1)^
Because Srimad Bhdgavatam is based on Gayatri, the cream of
the Vedas, it delineates the path of Ultimate Truth. The Bhdgavatam
thus calls itself "the ripened fruit of the wish-fulfilling tree of the
Vedas" (nigama-kalpa-tarorgalitam phalam, sb 1.1.3).
The recitation of Gayatri and other Vedic mantras is governed
by strict rules regarding the person, time, place, and purification
jijndsitam adhltam ca yat tad-brahma sandtanam
athdpi socasydtmdnam akrtdrtha iva prabho
^ yathd dharmddayas cdrthd muni-varydnukirtitdh
na tathd vdsudevasya mahimd hy anuvarnitah
^ dhlmahiti gdyatryd prdrambhena ca gdyatry-dkhyd-brahma-vidyd-rupam etat
purdnam iti darsitam.
124
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Bhdgavatam verses cited above [sb 1.1.1 and 12.13.19] have both
been shown to refer ultimately to the transcendental opulence
of the Supreme.
Agni Parana similarly states:
<Hc^lR|ci ^ fqwj?l4d VUi CO 11^
This Primordial Person (Purusa), who is immanent within the
sun, is to be directly self-apperceived (drastavya) through the
faculty of meditation, but the supreme destination is the tran
scendental abode of Sri Visnu, which alone is eternal and ever-
auspicious, being the Absolute Truth, Brahman, (ap 216.I6)'
—dMiRldoii: I yyg w '
I
The meaning of this verse is as follows: This Primordial Per
son (Purusa), who Self-manifests as the Supreme Immanent
Self (antarydmi) within the sun globe, is to be directly self-
apperceived (drastavya) through the faculty of meditation. The
word drastavya (to be seen) means that the Purusa is to be imme
diately devotionally recognized (updsitavya) through medita
tion. The Purusas self-manifestation within the sun globe is
t o a ff o r d t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f t h e t h r e e d i v i s i o n s o f t h e c o s m o s
the opportunity to worship Him. This sun globe is destroyed
at the time of dissolution, whereas the transcendental abode of
Sri Visnu, Maha-vaikunAa, is eternal, meaning that it is invari
able, being beyond the three phases of conditional time — past,
^ dhydnena purusoyarh ca drastavyah surya-mandale
satyarh sadd-sivarh brahma visnoryat paramarh padam
149
 II Pramana
present, and future. That this abode is ever-auspicious means
that it is utterly devoid of misfortune. The eternality and all-
auspiciousness of Sri Visnu s abode are due to the fact that it is
directly the Absolute Truth, Brahman.
I cTWRT —
After explaining Gayatri in this way, Agni Purdna further elabo
rates on Gayatri in the section dealing with the characteristics of
the Puranas, which contains the verse beginning yatradhikjiya
gdyatrim. Thus, we say:
Agni Purdna explains that the Gayatri mantra is intent exclu
sively upon Bhagavan, therein understood as the non-condi
tional source of cosmic creation, maintenance, and dissolution.
Srimad Bhagavatam, characterized hy the phrase, "which delin
eates the path of Ultimate Truth with reference to the Gayatri
mantra," is thus ever-glorious all over the earth.^®
And so we have shown that the unfoldment of this scripture
[Srimad Bhdgavatam] proceeds with reference to Gayatri.
agneh purdnarh gdyatrim sametya bhagavat-pardm
bhagavantarh tatra matvdjagaj-janmddi-kdranam
yatrddhikrtya gdyatrim iti laksana-purvakam
srimad-bhdgavatarh sasvat prthvydmjayati sarvatah
150
19 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Natural Commentary on Vedanta-sutra
and the Essence of Gayatrl
The word dharma in the compound dharma-vistara [from the
same Matsya Purdna verse] refers to the path of Ultimate Truth
(parama-dharma), as expressed in the Bhdgavatam by the words
dharmah projjhita-kaitavo'tra paramah (sb 1.1.2): "The Bhdgava
tam propounds the way of Ultimate Truth, devoid of all forms
of deceit and compromise."^ And, as will become clear in the
upcoming anucchedas, this dharma is indeed characterized by
meditation on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhagavan.
Commentary
Srimad Bhagavatam contains the story of its own appearance
as the crowning achievement of Srila Vyasadevas literary efforts.
First, Srila Vyasadeva arranged the four Vedas, and then He com
posed the great epic Mahdbhdrata for the benefit of women, sudras,
and others who are ineligible to study the Vedas, because they do
not undergo the sacred thread ceremony (upanayana-sarhskdra),
which is considered a prerequisite for the study of the Veda. Next,
He compiled the Puranas, the natural commentaries on the Vedas,
and then He provided the essence of the Vedas and Puranas in the
Vedanta-sutra. But even after all this literary output, Vedavyasa felt
discontented, although He did not know why. Then His spiritual
teacher, Narada Muni, approached Him and identified what was
still lacking in His exposition of Ultimate Truth:
You have composed a great and extraordinary work, Mahdbhd
rata, which elaborately explains the various goals of life. Thus, the
investigation of Immanent Truth undertaken by you has been fully
realized, (sb 1.5.3)^
You have also inquired into and realized the eternal transcendent
Absolute, Brahman. Yet, in spite of all this, 0 illustrious One, you
^ dharmah projjhita-kaitavo'tra paramah
^ jijndsitaTh susampannam apt te mahad adbhutam
krtavdn bhdratam yas tvam sarvdrtha-paribrmhitam
123
 22 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

anr(wR-^)-

Still, the statement made earlier [in Anuccheda 20.1] — that

the subject of the Bhagavatam is the Sdrasvata-kalpa [a day of
Brahma, or the scripture related to Sarasvati] — is appropriate,
because Gayatri is a manifestation of Sarasvati, as a special ver
bal expression establishing the truth of Bhagavan. Thus, Agni
Purdna says about Gayatri:

v o

This mantra is called Gayatri [the singer], because it sings about

(gdyati) [or delineates] the Vedic mantras, the scriptures, the
effulgent One [the Self-existing and Self-illuminated Lord], and
the vital life system. It is called Savitri [the vivifier], because it
reveals Sri Savita, the animator of all life. And it is called Saras
vati [constituting the flow of speech], because it is the essence of
speech. (AP216.1-2)"

3T?T omw il^ld I ^

c%sf^5ciMicb|U^dildlcl^cbcilcKldldi^^WTcrmM#M|J|c|^HyfdMI^
i^HjJIdrild uJdWMflifH 'mu: I FTTTFEIT 3 1^3? —

Now we will resume our sequential explanation of the terms in

the passage quoted above from Garuda Purdna [Anuccheda 21.1]:
gdyatry-ukthdni sdstrdni bhargarh prdndrhs tathaiva ca
tatah smr1:eyam gdyatri sdvitrl yata eva ca
vrakdsini sd savitur vda-ruvatvdt sarasvati

m i
 II Pramana

The phrase vedartha-paribrrhhitah, which means that Srimad

Bhdgavatam explains and expands the meaning of the Vedas,
is supported by the following statement from Mahdhhdrata (Adi-
parva 1.267) ^ "One should supplement the Vedas with the Itihasas
and Puranas."

The phrase purdndndrh sdma-rupah means that just as the

Sdma Veda is supreme among the Vedas, so Srimad Bhdgavatam
is paramount among the Puranas.
The idea here is as follows: Although each division of
the Vedas — karma-kdnda, jndna-kdnda, and updsand-kdnda —
propounds its respective path, the Sdma Veda reconciles the
statements of these apparently conflicting divisions by show
ing that their message is one. Similarly, although some of the
Puranas appear to be tainted with the gunas of conditional
becoming (rajas) and stasis (tamas) and hence don t seem to pro
pound Ultimate Truth, Srimad Bhdgavatam demonstrates that
all of the Puranas culminate in Sri Bhagavan alone, upon whom
the Bhdgavatam is exclusively fixed. Thus, it is said:

^ <HNul ^ cT^TT I
II ll?f^ I

Throughout the Vedas, Rdmdyana, the Puranas, and Mahdhhd

rata, Sri Hari is glorified everywhere, in the beginning, middle,
and end. (Hari-varhsa Purdna 3.132.95)^^

This we will demonstrate later, in Paramdtma Sandarhha}^

vede rdmdyane caiva purdne bhdrate tathd

dddv ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra glyate
Anuccheda 104

152
 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

cilcb|cbll4d oLIKoiild ^TbH I

The next phrase from the GarudaPurdna verse [Anuccheda 21.1] is
"Srimad Bhagavatam is the direct utterance of the Supreme Abso
lute, Sri Bhagavan" (saksad-hhagavatoditah). This is confirmed
in the verse near the end of the Bhagavatam, wherein it is said,
"We meditate upon the Supreme Lord, who spoke this Srimad
Bhagavatam to Brahma' (sb 12.13.19).
We will not elaborate here on the phrase "Srimad Bhagava
tam contains hundreds of divisions" (sata-viccheda-samyutah)
because its discussion may unnecessarily increase the size of this
book.

In this way, it has been shown that Srimad Bhagavatam is the

emperor of all scriptures. It is thus highly appropriate that Sri-
dhara Svami has interpreted the phrase hema-simha-samanvita
[in his commentary to sb 12.13.13] to mean "mounted on a golden
throne" [although literally it would mean "along with a golden
linn"l.

IVo) I WTT^-

Therefore, concluding that Srimad Bhagavatam is the preem

inent scripture and the only one that is imperative for us to
study, Skanda Purdna states, "What need is there of accumu
lating hundreds and thousands of other scriptures" (Visnu-
khanda 5.16.40)?^'^
It is thus established without any doubt that at present those
who aspire to know the Absolute Truth should deliberate on
Srimad Bhdgavatam alone. [This is a reconfirmation of the same
statement made in Anuccheda 22.4.]
sataso'tha sahasrais ca kim anvaih sdstra-safiarahaih
 Pramana

Commentary

In the previous anuccheda, Srila JIva Gosvami quoted three

verses from Garuda Purdna. The first of the three was explained in
that anuccheda, and here he goes on to explain the other two. He first
quotes a Bhdgavatam verse (sb 3.5.12) and then another (sb 1.4.25),
which also appears in Hemadri s Catur-varga-cintdmani, an authori
tative thirteenth century work on Dharma-sdstra dealing with such
subjects as vratas (vows), ddna (charity), srdddha (memorial ritu
als), and kdla (sacred time). Jiva Gosvami's intention in quoting
these verses is to show that Mahdbhdrata is equal to the Vedas.
In this part of Catur-varga-cintdmani, Hemadri raises a question
about the liberation of those who are not twice-born: Since they do
not have access to the Vedas, which bestow knowledge of Brahman,
and since knowledge of Brahman is required for liberation, how can
they attain final release? To resolve this question, he quotes the
stri-sudra-dvijabandhundm verse (sb 1.4.25), which describes how
Vedavyasa wrote Mahdbhdrata to address this very problem. The
first of the two Bhdgavatam verses cited also states that Srila Vyasa
compiled Mahdbhdrata for the benefit of humanity in general:

Your friend, the great sage Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasa, composed

His great work, Mahdbhdrata, with the intention of describing the
transcendental qualities of Sri Bhagavan. In this work. He has
drawn the attention of the mass of people to the descriptions of
Lord Hari by embedding them within the framework of mundane
topics, (sb 3.5.12)^^

To fulfill His intention, Vyasa included Bhagavad Gitd in the

Mahdbhdrata. Since Mahdbhdrata is considered equal to the Vedas
in purpose — as is evident from the second verse (sb 1.4.25), and as
corroborated by Hemadri — we can deduce that the Vedas also aim
at glorifying Bhagavan.
This being the case, the Gayatri mantra, which embodies the
essence of the Vedas, should also refer to the Supreme Personal
munir vivaksur bhagavad-gundndm sakhdpi te bhdratam aha krsnah
yasmin nrndm gramya-sukhdnuvadair matir grhltd nu hareh kathdydm

154
 II Pramana
^cifd I 3M cTW I Absolute, Sri Krsna. It is with this understanding that Skanda
('^To^lXlvs) —
Consequently, while some scholars conclude that other Puranas
are dependent upon the Vedas to derive their authority, Srimad
Bhagavatam explicitly refutes the possibility that it may be
dependent in this way; rather, the Bhagavatam stands on its own
authority. For this reason it is in fact the highest manifestation
of Sruti [the original Vedas]. As it is said:
<Hc|lc^:^WJ^cTTcT ^Icclcfl || ^oo || |
How did King Pariksit happen to converse with this great sage,
as a result of which this Vedic text (sruti) for the pure Vaisnavas
(sdtvati) became available? (sb 1.4.7)"^
cTcT^VeJJ^^AgJ|d8flo^T-
<H'iKq^c1|y q II
That Srimad Bhagavatam was compiled after the other Puranas,
as mentioned earlier (Anuccheda 19), is known from the dialogue
between Sri Vyasa and Narada Muni in the First Canto.
Commentary
Vedic tradition recognizes three ways of teaching — like a
ruler, like a friend, and like a lover. The Vedas speak in the imper
ative voice, like an overlord: "Speak the truth and uphold dharma"
(satyam vada dharmam cara, tu 1.11). The Vedas do not need to offer
logical reasons for following their instructions. One is expected to
obey without question. The Puranas instruct like a friend, narrat
ing stories with moral conclusions and providing reasoned expla
nations when required. Kdvya, or poetic literature, offers counsel
in the way of a lover, speaking sweetly but indirectly. Instructions
^ katharh vd pandaveyasya rdjarser munind saha
samvddah samabhut tdta yatraisd sdtvati srutih
182
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Purana says that Srimad Bhagavatam, which glorifies Bhagavan at
every step, is based on Gayatri. Indeed, this is one of the distinctive
characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam.
In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 104), Srila Jiva Gosvami
will analyze the first verse of Srimad Bhagavatam in terms of its
being an explanation of the Gayatri mantra. Gayatri is explained
in one of the concluding verses of the Bhagavatam (sb 12.13.19, as
elaborated in Paramdtma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 105) as well. This
combination of indications from the beginning and ending verses
makes it indisputably clear that the purpose of Srimad Bhagavatam
is to delineate the truth of Bhagavan.
The prevalent understanding among traditional Vedic scholars
is that Gayatri is meant for worshiping either the sun god or unqual
ified Brahman. Srila Jiva Gosvami here establishes, however, that
the real meaning of Gayatri is the worship of Sri Visnu, who is non-
different from Sri Krsna. To support his view, he cites Agni Parana,
which gives Srila Vyasa s opinion on the meaning of Gayatri.
In Visnu-dharmottara Parana, King Vajra asks Markandeya Rsi
why Gayatri is chanted in Vaisnava rituals if its presiding deity is
the sun god. Markandeya replies that Gayatri refers to Sri Visnu
and then proceedes to show how each word of Gayatri is related to
Him. He concludes with this verse:
By chanting Gayatri, a person desirous of material gain achieves
the phenomenal object of his desire, while a person aspiring for
liberation attains to that essential state. But the worshiper who is
devoid of desires attains the supreme abode of Sri Visnu. (Visnu-
dharmottara Parana, Prathama-khanda)^^
It would not be possible to attain the Lord s abode by meditat
ing on Gayatri if it did not in fact imply the worship of Sri Visnu;
this accords with Bhagavans statement in GiTA9.25 that "Only
My worshiper attains Me." Thus, Gayatri and the first verse of
kdma-kdmo labhet kdmam gati-kdmas tu sad-gatim
akdmas tu tad avdpnoti yad visnoh paramarh padam
155
 II Pramana 26 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

the Bhagavatam are in complete agreement, because they are both This is stated in the First Canto:
meditations on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhagavan.
The verse cited from Agni Parana in Anuccheda 22.8, advising us
to meditate on the self as nondifferent from Brahman, is also in
agreement with the Bhagavatam and Gayatri. The verse is meant After Krsnas departure to His own abode, accompanied by reli
to impress upon us our true spiritual identity and to teach us a
gion, knowledge, and so on, this Parana [Srimad Bhagavatam]
meditational process that establishes us in that identity, beyond has risen like the sun for those bereft of sight in the age of Kali.
the empiric or egoic self-reference. This kind of meditation, there (SB 1.3.43)^
fore, is simply to elicit the fitness, or in other words, the funda
mental state of being, that alone makes possible the true worship 3T?T 1?:^ ^ (^o ^ R R)
of the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan. Later in Tattva Sandarhha
(Anucchedas 53 and 60), Srila JIva Gosvami will discuss in greater In this way, it is observed that Srimad Bhagavatam alone is inher
detail the qualitative oneness of the jiva-brahman with the Supreme
Brahman.
ently endowed with all virtues, as stated in the second verse
of the First Canto: "This Srimad Bhagavatam reveals the sup
In Anucchedas 22.9-11, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses the relation
reme dharma, utterly devoid of all deception or compromise"
ship between Gayatri and the sun. Srimad Bhagavatam (12.6.67-72) (sB 1.1.2).^
records sage Yajfiavalkyas prayers in praise of the sun or sun god,
and texts 67-69 explain the three legs of the Gayatri mantra. From
these prayers it may seem that Gayatri is also meant for glorifying
the sun god, but Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that Yajfiavalkya is not
worshiping the sun god independently; rather, he is worshiping the
Supreme Immanent Self (Paramatma) dwelling within the sun god. The supremacy of the Bhagavatam is also confirmed by the
Generally, people hail a taxi driver by calling out "Taxi!" not "Taxi words of bothMuktd-phala [of Vopadeva] and Hemadri, its com
driver!" for they regard the driver and his taxi as one unit. Similarly, mentator: "The Vedas, Puranas, and poetic works instruct one
Yajfiavalkya worships the sun god while considering the "vehicle" like a master, friend, and beloved, respectively, but Srimad
(the sun god) and the "driver" (Paramatma) as one. This explana Bhagavatam enlightens in all three capacities."^
tion by Jiva Gosvami finds confirmation in Sri Saunakas question
to Suta Gosvami that led to the recitation of Yajfiavalkyas prayers.
Saunaka explicitly requests "to hear about Sri Hari, the Supreme 26.3
Self (Paramatma) immanent within the sun" (sb 12.11.28).
Brdhmanas customarily chant Gayatri at dawn and at dusk while d^lH ^ ^
^ krsne sva-dhdmopagate dharma-jnanadibhih saha
facing the sun. In this way they meditate on the Supreme Lord
kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
through His energies. The logical principle at work here is called ^ dharmah prqjjhita-kaitavo'tra
candra-sakha-nyaya, or "the example of the branch and the moon." ^ veddh purdnam kdvyarh ca prabhur mitram priyeva ca
The idea is that to show someone the moon, you may first ask him to bodhayantiti hi prdhus trivrd bhdgavatam punah
look at a tree branch, from which you may then draw his attention This verse is found in Hari-lildmrta (1.9) of Vopadeva and not in Muktd-phala.
 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

to the moon beyond the branch. Similarly, the process of meditat

ing on Bhagavan may include allowing one's attention to be drawn
to Bhagavan through His energies, such as the sun. It is not always
practical or advisable for a twice-born brdhmana to carry an actual
image of God, but he must still perform his daily duty of meditat
Anuccheda 26 ing on Him at dawn and dusk. So, the Vedas enjoin that he should
meditate on Bhagavan through the medium of the ever-present sun,
Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative always remembering that beyond the effulgent sun is Sri Visnu.
This is called pratikopdsana (symbolic worship).
Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes his discussion of the relation
ship of Srimad Bhdgavatam with Gayatri in Anuccheda 22.13, where
d^|[M cT^TTf^
he quotes a statement from Agni Purdna that Gayatri is so-called
because it sings (gdyati) or illuminates the glories of the Supreme
■g F T: I Ic^i^d^^ 1^ I?) I ^ Lord and protects (trdyate) the chanter by fixing his mind on the
J|c|d<^q <HdIR|cKiH cTcT cdl^^f^chlHld Lord. Gayatri is also related with the sun, because one of the words
used in Gayatri is Savita, a name for the sun god meaning one who
3T^f^dgdi ? efi^Ta] animates all life. Moreover, another name for Gayatri is Savitri,
Sri Vyasadeva and Narada Muni were present in that assem the daughter of the sun god. Additionally, Gayatri is also Saras-
bly. Although these two sages were Sri Sukas guru and grand- vati, the presiding deity of speech, because it is the sound repre
guru, respectively, when they heard Srimad Bhagavatam issuing sentation of Bhagavan. Skanda Purdna therefore states (quoted in
from his lips, they felt as if they had never heard it before. For Anuccheda 20.1) that the Bhdgavatam is based on Gayatri (Saras-
this reason it is said here that he taught this most significant vati); it is the sound representation of Krsna, and it recounts events
wisdom even to them. As mentioned earlier, "The Bhagavatam is that occurred during the Sarasvata-kalpa. This implies that the
enriched with immortal nectar, having issued from the mouth of Bhdgavatam's narrations glorify only Krsna.
Sri Suka" (suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam, sb 1.1.3). Thus, In Anuccheda 22.14, Srila Jiva Gosvami resumes his analy
in this sense also Srimad Bhagavatam surpasses all other scrip sis of each phrase of the verses from Garuda Purdna quoted in
tures. Statements about the superiority of other Puranas, such Anuccheda 21. In these verses, Srimad Bhdgavatam is described as
as the Matsya Parana, are relative in scope. What more need be the Sdma Veda among the Puranas. In gIta 10.22, Sri Krsna says,
said? Srimad Bhagavatam is indeed the very representation of "Of all the Vedas, I am the Sdma Veda," Here, Krsna indicates that
Sri Krsna.
since the Sdma Veda is the best of all the Vedas, containing beautiful
prayers glorifying the Supreme Lord, it therefore represents Him.
Such glorification of the Lord is, after all, the ultimate purpose of
the Vedas, as sb 1.2.28 states: vdsudeva-pard veddh. Like the Vedas,
the Puranas also glorify various deities, although their underlying
purpose is the glorification of Krsna, and Srimad Bhdgavatam is the
^ (mo ? 1^ IVk) — Sdma Veda among the Puranas because it focuses exclusively on

180 157
 II Pramana 25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami,
Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages

Krsna. The Bhdgavatam reconciles the other Puranas. Thus, Skanda Ganges. At that time, sages of all classes and orders came from
Purdna declares that by studying Srimad Bhdgavatam, one derives various parts of the universe and assembled there. Among them
the benefit of studying all the Puranas. were even avatdras of the Lord, like Parasurama and Vyasadeva.
The very name Srimad Bhdgavatam indicates its paramount posi When Pariksit Maharaja inquired from them about the duties of a
tion. Srimat means "endowed with beauty, luster, and opulence," human being, especially one who is about to die, no one was able
and bhdgavata means "related to (or, of the nature of) Bhagavan." to give him a definitive answer. At that time, the most noble Suka
Srimad Bhdgavatam is thus the most beautiful literary creation deva Gosvami arrived, and he was unanimously chosen as the right
because it describes the beautiful pastimes of the Supreme Person. person to answer Maharaja Pariksit's query.
Srimat also means "opulent." Srimad Bhdgavatam is most opulent In the previous anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami said that all the sages
because it is identical with Bhagavan, the original Supreme Person, accepted Sukadeva as guru. In this section, Jiva Gosvami cites the
who is replete with all opulences. references to support his claim. Since the sages accepted Sukadeva
Sata-viccheda-sarhyuta literally means that the Bhdgavatam "has as guru, and it was Srimad Bhdgavatam that he spoke in response
hundreds of sections." Although Srila Jiva Gosvami does not com to Pariksit Maharaja's questions, we should understand that the
ment in detail upon this phrase here, we may point out that most Bhdgavatam's philosophy was accepted by all the assembled sages,
editions of the Bhdgavatam have 335 chapters, divided into twelve who included systematizers and adherents of various other philoso
cantos, but some commentators acknowledge only 332 chapters. phies. Just as Srila Sukadeva Gosvami is like an effulgent moon
They claim that chapters 12 to 14 of the Tenth Canto are interpo among the starlike sages, so is Srimad Bhdgavatam among all other
lations. However, great authorities such as Sridhara Svami and scriptures.
Vopadeva have accepted these three chapters and commented on Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Srimad Bhdgavatam is the
them, and Srila JIva Gosvami has done so as well. representation of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute.
The three chapters in question describe the killing of Aghasura
and Sri Brahmas bewilderment by Krsna. In Chapter 12 of the
Twelfth Canto, Suta Gosvami gives a list of the lilds of Bhagavan,
and in the twenty-eighth text of that list, he mentions the killing
of Aghasura and Sri Brahma s bewilderment. The inclusion of the
pastimes from the three disputed chapters clearly indicates that
these chapters have a place in the Bhdgavatam. Thus, in the opinion
of Srila Jiva Gosvami, the Bhdgavatam contains 335 chapters, since
it would otherwise fall short of eighteen thousand verses.
Commenting on the phrase hema-sirhha-samanvita}'' which lit
erally means "together with a golden lion," Srila Sridhara Svami
says that simha (lion) indicates a sirhha-dsana (a deity's throne in the
shape of a lion). In other words, Srimad Bhdgavatam recommends
The same phrase is found both in the Matsya Purdna verses quoted in
Anuccheda 19.2 as well as in sb 12.13.13. Sridhara Svaml's gloss is found in the
Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd to the latter verse.

158 179
 II Pramana 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

that one mount the Bhagavatam on a lion-shaped golden throne and

P|v3tc<>rHd^ <s|l9><cj'tKl5'^: \\%^ II
At that moment appeared the venerable son of Vyasadeva, who
traveled the earth at will, disinterested in the world and sat
isfied in the self alone. He bore no marks of belonging to any
social order or status of life. He was surrounded by women and
children, and he appeared like an avadhuta, an ascetic beyond
the bounds of conventional moral [or cultural] sensibilities.
then donate it. A golden throne is not recommended for any other
Parana. Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes, therefore, that just as the lion
is the emperor of all animals, Srimad Bhagavatam is the emperor of
all scriptures. Consequently, it is also the sovereign ruler among all
pramanas, and, as Skanda Parana recommends, a person wishing to
know the Absolute Reality need not study any other scripture.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami describes how all the great dcdryas and
scholars of the past held Srimad Bhdgavatam in the highest esteem.

After this: "The sages all rose from their seats to honor him"
(sB 1.19.28).^ And finally:

JH^IH I

The eminent Sukadeva Gosvami, greatest among the great, was

then surrounded by brdhmana sages, royal sages, and celes
tial sages. He thus appeared extraordinarily resplendent, just
like the moon surrounded by planets, constellations, and stars.

Commentary

After Srngi cursed Maharaja Pariksit, the king renounced

his kingdom and took a vow to fast until death on the bank of the
^ tatrabhavad bhagavdn vyasa-putro yadrcchaya gam atamdno'napeksah
alaksya-lingo nija-ldbha-tusto vrtas ca bdlair avadhuta-vesah
pratyutthitds te munayah
^ sa sarhvrtas tatra mahdn svdsanebhyas
mahlyasdm brahmarsi-rdjarsi-devarsi-sanghaih

vyarocatdlam bhagavdn yathendur graharksa-tdrd-nikaraih paritah

178 159

Anuccheda 23
Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
Jifuid d-^'^iJicidiPWcF^ I
Thus, while there are many authoritative scriptures, it is specif
ically Srimad Bhagavatam that has been singled out with the
statement, "For those in Kaliyuga whose vision is impaired, this
Parana has now arisen like the sun" (sb 1.3.43).^ This comparison
of the Bhagavatam to the sun indicates that without its light,
other scriptures cannot fully illuminate the Absolute Truth.
The Hayasirsa-pahcardtra, in its chapter classifying vari
ous scriptures, describes the Tantra-bhdgavata as essentially
a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam. Among the direct com
mentaries on the Bhagavatam are the Hanumad-bhasya, Vdsand-
bhdsya, Sambandhokti, Vidvat-kamadhenu, Tattva-dipika, Bhdvd-
rtha-dipikdy Paramahamsa-priyd, and Suka-hrdaya^ There are
also many essays written about Srimad Bhagavatam, such as
Muktd-phala, Hari-lild, and Bhakti-ratndvali. All these works
^ kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
^ None of these commentaries are available at present except for Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd
of Sridhara Svami.
25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva GosvamI,
Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages
Bharadvaja, Gautama, Pippalada, Maitreya, Aurva, Kavasa,
Kumbhayoni (Agastya), Dvaipayana, and the great personality
Narada. There were also many other celestial sages, hrdhmana
sages, royal sages, as well as sages who preside over particu
lar branches of the Vedas, such as Aruna. When the emperor
[Pariksit] beheld all the various orders of great sages assembled
there, he received them with due honor and bowed his head to
the ground. After all the rsis were comfortably seated, the king,
humbly standing before them with palms joined in supplication,
offered obeisance to them once again and informed them of his
intention to fast until death, (sb 1.19.8-12)^
(TTTo ^ RX) -
Then the king inquired:
II II
Therefore, O hrdhmanas, reposing my faith in you, I ask you
about that alone which is worthy of inquiry in the matter of ulti
mate duty. 0 learned sages, please tell me, after due delibera
tion, of the unalloyed duty of everyone in all circumstances, and
specifically of those who are just about to die. (sb 1.19.24)^
^ (mo ^ m R(A)—
Then, after the king's query:
tatropajagmur bhuvanam pundnd mahdnubhdvd munayah sa-sisydh
prdyena tirthdbhigamdpadesaih svayarh hi tirthdni punanti santah
atrir vasisthas cyavanah saradvdn aristanemir bhrgur angirds ca
pardsaro gddhi-suto'tha rdma utathya indmpramadedhmavdhau
medhdtithir devala drstiseno bhdradvdjo gautamah pippalddah
maitreya aurvah kavasah kumbhayonir dvaipdyano bhagavdn ndradas ca
anye ca devarsi-brahmarsi-varyd rdjarsi-varyd arunddayas ca
ndndrseya-pravardn sametdn abhyarcya rdjd sirasd vavande
sukhopavistesv atha tesu bhuyah kna-prandmah sva-cikirsitam yat
vijndpaydm dsa vivikta-cetd upasthito'gre'bhigrhlta-pdnih
tatas ca vah prcchyam imam viprcche visrabhya viprd iti krtyatdydm
sarvdtmand mriyamdnais ca kjiyam suddham ca tatrdmrsatdbhiyuktdh

Anuccheda 25
The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami, Is the Crest-Jewel
of Illuminated Sages
Thus, it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam:
J^TRT g R Z T: I kalim sabhdjayanty dryd (sBii.s.se). In this way he recognizes
mPd^RT: IKo
IcTTS?IUTr3rTezT:
i f t c U T: I
^
At that time, the sages endowed with extraordinary spiritual
power, who purify the earth, arrived there, accompanied by
their disciples. On the plea of making a pilgrims journey, such
sages verily sanctify the places of pilgrimage simply by their
presence. From different parts of the universe, there arrived
great sages like Atri, Vasistha, Cyavana, Saradvan, Aristanemi,
Bhrgu, Ahgira, Parasara, Visvamitra, Parasurama, Utathya,
Indrapramada, Idhmabahu, Medhatithi, Devala, Arstisena,
176
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
have been produced by the most eminent thinkers of their
respective philosophical schools.
f cbirtlnuiil xi cbjrtijjm4Rura "
■ cbrtlci^-
f5cT: I
Srimad Bhagavatam is also glorified in the Dana-khanda section
of Hemadri's Catur-varga-cintdmani. His chapter entitled "Giv
ing Puranas in Charity" praises Srimad Bhagavatam by noting
that it possesses the defining characteristics specified in Matsya
Parana 53.20-22.
In the Parisesa-khanda of the same book, in the Kala-nirnaya
section, where Hemadri ascertains the appropriate dharmic
path for Kalijmga, he quotes the Bhagavatam verse beginning
as appropriate for this age only that dharmic path that is
established in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
3T2I ^dcoLinujIdsbUj
itrt4 ^
It is widely acknowledged that Sri Sahkaracarya is a divine
descent (avatdra) of Lord Siva. In Srimad Bhdgavatam it is
revealed that the bliss of [self-radiant unconditional acausal]
devotion surpasses even the joy of pure consciousness liberated
from subject-object dualism (kaivalya). Based on such indica
tions, Sahkaracarya considered Srimad Bhdgavatam to embody
161
 II Pramana 24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas

a truth far beyond even his own doctrine. Consequently, he sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami fur
dared not interpret the Bhagavatam, for he recognized it as ther highlights the importance of the Bhdgavatas primary speaker,
an exposition of Vedanta that is beyond human origin. As we Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.
shall explain later, Sri Bhagavan, in order to conceal His own
identity, ordered Sahkaracarya to propagate his doctrine of rad
ical nondualism (Advaitavada). Yet, to make his own words
fruitful [by way of reference to Srimad Bhagavatam], Sahkaraca
rya touched on it indirectly, describing in his Govindastaka and
other hymns certain pastimes of Sri Krsna that are related only
in the Bhagavatam. These include mother Yasodas amazement
at seeing Krsnas universal form and His stealing the clothes of
the young damsels of Vraja.

Commentary

Although there are numerous works of Vedic literature, when

Saunaka Rsi questioned Sri Suta Gosvami about where dharma
would take shelter now that Sri Krsna had returned to His own
abode (sb 1.1.23), Suta compared Srimad Bhagavatam to the sun,
because it self-reveals the illuminating Absolute Truth that can
dissipate the dense darkness of Kaliyuga. The analogy here is as fol
lows: When the sun rises, rogues and thieves hide, while ordinary
people are relieved of fear and become active. Similarly, when con
sciousness is turned in full aural reception toward Srimad Bhagava
tam, lust and greed, which plunder one's opportunity to realize the
self, find no more standing in the heart, and one becomes qualified
to participate in the service of the Supreme Lord.
It is because of this self-illuminating power of Srimad Bhagava
tam that it is held in reverence by great saints and thinkers who
have written commentaries and essays on it. Most of these com
mentaries listed in this anuccheda are not available at present, likely
because they were eclipsed by the most popular commentary, the
Bhavartha-dipika of Sridhara Svami, written probably in the four
teenth century. Vopadeva wrote Paramaharhsa-priyd, Muktd-phala,
and Hari-lild. Bhakti-ratndvali was compiled by Visnu Puri. These
latter works are all still available for interested readers today.

162
175
 II Pramana
lost. Srila Madhvacarya, wanting to protect Vaisnavas from being
misled, wrote a gloss called Bhdgavata-tatparya.
Since JIva GosvamI has already shown that Srimad Bhagavatam
is the topmost pramana, he can now cite it directly to demonstrate
its own stature. Such citations serve only to increase a sincere
reader s faith in the Bhagavatam, and so from this point on, Srila Jiva
GosvamI relies on the Bhagavatam itself as the principal source for
his analysis. Here, he also reveals the eminence that Srimad Bhaga
vatam enjoys by virtue of the status of its self-realized speaker,
Sukadeva GosvamI. Vyasadeva taught the Bhagavatam to Suka-
deva. His most brilliant student, and Sukadeva chose to study the
Bhagavatam, because the reality it discloses supersedes even that of
Brahman.
Although Srila Vyasadeva had many disciples. He gave the
Bhagavatam only to Sukadeva. Vyasa did this not because He was
partial toward His son, but because Sukadeva was "the best of those
established in direct realization of the Self" (dtmavatdm varam). In
other words, Sukadeva had no ulterior material motives, and could
therefore understand the true purport of the Bhdgavatam, which is
the essence of the Vedas, Vedanta, and Itihasas.
The most important part of a tree is its sweet juicy fruit, and so
Srimad Bhdgavatam has been compared to the succulent fruit of the
tree of Vedic literature. And this Bhdgavatam fruit is even more
exceptional because it has no skin or pit. In other words, there is
nothing to discard in the Bhdgavatam,
In this anuccheda, Srlla JIva GosvamI quotes two texts from the
Bhdgavatam, sb 1.1.3 and 1.2.3, to show its importance both for lib
erated devotees and for conditioned human beings, respectively.
Because Sukadeva was completely free of selfish motives, he fully
realized the Bhdgavatam's significance and so was elected to speak,
even in an assembly of learned sages that included his guru and
his guru s guru. The choice of Sukadeva as speaker implies that
his qualifications for reciting Srimad Bhdgavatam made him supe
rior to all the other assembled sages. This is one more indication
that Srimad Bhdgavatam is the foremost of scriptures and that it
alone should be analyzed to determine the reality principles of
174
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Su:
Srila JIva GosvamI again refers to the Catur-varga-cintdmani
(Ddna-khanda 7) of Hemadri, who recommends that one donate
Srimad Bhdgavatam after mounting it on a golden throne, and who
glorifies it for having the defining characteristics described in the
Matsya Purdna (see Anuccheda 19). While determining the dharmic
path for this age in the fourteenth chapter of Catur-varga-cintdmani,
Parisesa-khanda, verse 8, Hemadri quotes Srimad Bhdgavatam:
Those who are cultured in spiritual wisdom, who can perceive
virtue within everything, and who thus extract the essence of all
things, extol the essential value of this Age of Kali, in which one
can attain all goals aspired for by human beings simply by the
performance of sankirtana. (sb 11.5.36)^
Commenting on the word sankirtana, Hemadri declares that
hari-sahkirtana is the only way to reach perfection. Then he quotes
the next verse:
Indeed, for human beings wandering in this material world, there
is no benefit higher than the singing of Bhagavan's Names, by which
one attains supreme peace and cessation of the cycle of birth and
death, (sb 11.5.37)"*
In this way, Hemadri recognizes the authority of Srimad Bhdga
vatam in the matter of establishing the principles of dharma for
Kaliyuga.
Sahkaracarya respected Srimad Bhdgavatam both by not com
menting on it and by composing prayers based on its narrations.
One such prayer is his Govinddstaka:
satyarhjndnam anantarh nityam andkdsam paramdkdsam
gostha-prdngana-ringana-lolam andydsarfi paramdydsam
mdyd-kalpita-ndnd-kdram andkdram bhuvandkdram
ksamdyd ndtham andtham pranamata govindam paramdnandam
^ kalim sabhdjayanty dryd guna-jfidh sdra-bhdginah
yatra sanklrtanenaiva sarvah svdrtho'bhilabhyate
" na hy atah paramo Idbho dehinarh bhrdmyatdm iha
yato vindeta paramdm sdntirh nasyati samsrtih
163
 II Pramana
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is primordial
being, consciousness devoid of limit, and eternal. Though beyond
the limitations of space. He is the transcendental space of all-
accomodation. Though His rolling and frolicking in the courtyards
of Vraja involved no exertion at all, it was the transcendental exer
tion of self-manifested play. Though formless. He manifests vari
ous forms fashioned by mdyd, including the form of the universe.
Though fully competent as the shelter of all existence. He appears
to need [His mother s] shelter. {Govindastaka 1)
mrtsndm atsiheti yasodd-tddana-saisava-santrdsam
vyddita-vaktrdlokita-lokdloka-caturdasa-lokdlim
loka-traya-pura-mula-stambham lokdlokam andlokarh
lokesarh paramesam pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. Though He is the sup
reme master of the universe. He seemed to become frightened like
an ordinary infant when Mother Yasoda chastised Him for eating a
clump of earth. When she asked, "Have You been eating mud?" He
opened His mouth to prove He had not — and showed her that He
encompassed the fourteen planetary systems, including Lokaloka
Mountain. He is the supporting pillar for this city-like universe
of the three worlds. Though He is beyond all vision. He is the
transcendental source of everyone's vision. (Govinddstaka 2)
trai-vistapa-ripu-vira-ghnarfi ksiti-hhdra-ghnam hhava-roga-ghnam
kaivalyarfi navanitdhdram andhdrarh bhuvandhdram
vaimalya-sphuta-ceto-vrtti-visesdbhdsam andbhdsam
saivarh kevala-sdntarh pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He relieves the earth
of its burden by killing the demonic heroes who are enemies of
the devas. He is liberation itself, because He terminates the dis
ease of material existence. Though He is altogether beyond the
need to eat, still He eats butter, and He also devours the whole uni
verse at the time of cosmic dissolution. Though distinct from all the
shadow manifestations of this world. He manifests in the supracog-
nitive functions of pure consciousness, free from material taint. He
164
24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas
3TcT rifg (mo ? RI ?) —
Also in the same canto:
"rro^RRT^
I take refuge of Sri Sukadeva, the teacher of all sages, the son
of Vyasadeva, who, out of compassion for those entangled in
the cycle of birth and death and who aspire to cross over the
dense darkness of material existence, spoke this most confi
dential Purana [Srimad Bhagavatam], which is self-endowed
with supramundane power, being the essence of all the Vedas,
one without compare and the light of supreme transcendence.
^fci I CT w r m w T -
These verses imply that the conclusion about reality embodied
in Srimad Bhagavatam presides over all other philosophies. They
also clearly indicate that Sri Sukadeva, by taking the speaker s
seat amidst the assembled sages as the Bhdgavatam's preceptor,
became the guru of everyone present.
Commentary
Here, Srila Jiva GosvamI explains Madhvacaryas reason for com
menting on Srimad Bhagavatam. Sankaracarya wrote poems glori
fying Sri Krsnas pastimes as depicted in the Bhagavatam, but some
of his followers, not understanding his true intention, took this as
a license to try to include the Bhagavatam as part of the Advaita-
vada canon. Some of them even wrote commentaries on the Bhaga
vatam and somehow managed to extract an impersonal interpreta
tion. One such commentary was that of Punyaranya, which is now
^ yah svdnubhdvam akhila-sruti-sdram ekam
adhyatma-dipam atititirsatdm tamo'ndham
sarhsdrindrh karunaydha purdna-guhyam
tarn vydsa-sunum upaydmi gurum munindm
173
 II Pramana
After extracting the cream of all the Vedas and Itihasas, Sri Vya-
sadeva imparted this Srimad Bhagavatam to His son Sukadeva,
the best of those established in direct realization of the self.
(sB 1.3.41)^
A n d i n t h e Tw e l f t h C a n t o :
Srimad Bhagavatam is indeed the essence of all Vedanta philos
ophy. He who is satiated by the nectar of its unprecedented
taste (rasa) experiences no interest in any other literature.
(SB 12.13.15)
And in the First Canto:
f^^^lJIdd <Rlchl II 66 II
O you devotees, who are able to relish divine taste (rasikas) and
who are able to experience transcendental states of awareness
and love (bhdvukas), drink again and again up to liberation
and beyond the divine rasa known as Srimad Bhagavatam, the
mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literature. Being fully
ripened and overflowing with immortcd nectar, it descended
upon the earth [unbroken], issuing from the lips of Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami. (sb i.i.s)'*
tad idam grdhaydmdsa sutam dtmavatdrfi varam
sarva-vedetihdsdndm sdrarh sdrarh sumuddhrtam
sarva-veddnta-sdrarh hi sn-bhdgavatam isyate
tad-rasdmrta-trptasya ndnyatra sydd ratih kvacit
nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam suka-mukhdd amrta-drava-sarhyutam
pibata bhdgavatam rasam dlayarh muhur aho rasikd bhuvi bhdvukdh
172
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
is all-auspicious and the unalterable peace of liberated existence.
(Govinddstaka 3)
gopdlarh bhu-lild-vigraha-gopdlam kula-gopdlam
gopl-khelana-govardhana-dhrta-lild-ldlita-gopdlam
gobhir nigadita-govinda-sphuta-ndmdnarh bahu-ndmdnarh
gopi-go-cara-duram pranamata govindam paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is Gopala, the pro
tector of the cows, who appeared in the form of a cowherd boy to
enact His pastimes on earth, and who thus lived as one amongst
the cowherd clan. He is Gopala who enacts sublime pastimes, such
as His amorous dalliances with the youthful cowherd women and
His lifting Govardhana Hill to protect the cowherd people. Even
the cows called Him by the name Govinda, and so He has unlimited
names. He is distinct among the cowherd boys and is beyond sense
perception. (Govinddstaka 4)
gopi-mandala-gosthi-bhedam bheddvastham abheddbham
sasvad go-khura-nirdhutodgat-dhull-dhusara-saubhdgyam
sraddhd-bhakti-grhitdnandam acintyam cintita-sad-bhdvarh
cintdmani-mahimdnarh pranamata govindam paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. For His divine lild He
becomes the source of the gopis' division (bheda) into different
groups. So, although He is one without distinction (abheda), He
is simultaneously the source of all distinction (bheddvastha). He
considers it His good fortune to be always smeared with the dust
raised by the cows' hooves. He experiences bliss derived from the
intuitive faith and unconditional devotion of His devotees. Though
He is beyond the power of cognition, His pastimes are the object
of pure contemplation, and so His glories are of the nature of a
transcendental thought-gem.^ (Govinddstaka 5)
sndna-vydkula-yosid-vastram updddydgam updrudharh
vydditsantiratha dig-vastrd hy updddtum updkarsantam
A gem that yields whatever desire is held in thought.
165
 II Pramana

nirdhuta dvaya-soka-vimohaTh buddharh buddher antah-stham

sattd-matra-sarlrarfi pranamata govindam paramdnandam

May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher

ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He stole the bathing
damsels' clothes and climbed a tree with them, and when the naked
Anuccheda 24
maidens asked for their clothes back, He told them to come closer.
He dispels the diad of lamentation and delusion. He is wisdom as
well as He who is realized through the wisdom faculty. He is the Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas
embodiment of pure existence. (Govinddstaka 6)
24.1
kdntarh kdrana-kdranam ddim anddirfi kdlam andbhdsam

kdlindl-gata-kdllya-sirasi muhur muhuh sunrtyantam

kdlarfi kdla-kaldtltarfi kalitdsesam kali-dosa-ghnarh
kdla-traya-gati-hetum pranamata govindam paramdnandam
I

May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher

ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is all-attracting
beauty. He is the transcendental source condition that makes pos
sible the chain of causal arising. He is the beginning, yet is without
beginning, for He is altogether free from the superimposition of
time. He danced wonderfully on the hoods of the Kaliya serpent
in the Yamuna. Though He is time. He is beyond all divisions of
time, because the calculation of Him in terms of a single unit of
experience is impossible, being without end or limit. He destroys
the defects of Kaliyuga, and He is the source of the passage of time
as past, present, and future. (Govinddstaka 7)
Devotees of Sri Visnu recount that Sri Madhvacarya-carana,^
seeing that [Sri Sahkaracarya did not comment on Bhagava
tam out of respect for it] wrote Bhdgavata-tdtparya, a gloss on
Srimad Bhdgavatam that specifies the true nature of the path of
pure devotion, because he was concerned that other Vaisnavas
might be influenced by the commentaries of other disciplic
descendants of Sahkara, such as that of Punyaranya.
24.2

vrndavana-bhuvi vrndaraka-gana-vrndarddhyarh vandeharh

kunddbhdmala-manda-smera-sudhdnandarhsuhrd-dnandam
vandydsesa-mahd-muni-mdnasa-vandydnanda-pada-dvandvarh
vandydsesa-gunddbhirh pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. I bow down to Him, who
is worshiped in the land of Vrndavana by all the devas and by Srl-
matl Vrndadevi. His pure and beautiful smile emanates bliss like
a kunda flower pouring forth nectar. He is the source of transcen
dental ecstasy for His cowherd friends. Unlimited venerable great
sages worship His blissful lotus feet within their hearts, for He is
(^TTo? I? —
For all these reasons, therefore, the following statements in the
Bhdgavatam are appropriate, as in the First Canto:
II a II
^ Some editions have added sdksdt tac-chisyatajfi prdptair api after yad eva kila
drstva. This reading is supported by Sri Radhamohana Gosvami, one of the
commentators on Tattva Sandarbha. The followers of Madhvacarya, however, do
not accept this view. Thus, we have opted for the present reading.

166 171
 Pramana 23 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Su

In later anucchedas, Srila Jiva GosvamI will point out many incon
sistencies between Sankara's teachings and the actual conclusion of
the Vedas. In the next anuccheda, he shows us the glories of Srimad
Bhagavatam as the Bhagavatam itself reveals them.
the reservoir of endless worshipable qualities. (Govindastaka 8)
govindastakam etad adhlte govindarpita-ceta yah
govinddcyuta madhava visno gokula-ndyaka krsneti
govinddnghri-saroja-dhydna-sudhd-jala-dhauta-samastdghah
govindarh paramdnandamrtam antah-sthah sa tamabhyeti

A person who has fully imbibed this Govinddstaka [through regular

recitation and reflection], whose consciousness has been devo-
tionally offered to Govinda, and who sweetly chants, "0 Govinda,
Acyuta, Madhava, Visnu, Gokula-nayaka, Krsna," thus cleansing
away all his sins with the ambrosial water of meditation on the
lotus feet of Sri Govinda — such a person certainly attains Sri
Govinda, the supreme everlasting bliss, present as interior even
to consciousness itself. (Govinddstaka 9)

Sri Govinda ordered Siva to descend as Sahkara to propagate

radical nondualism. Consequently, Sahkaracarya wrote Advaita-
vada commentaries on Vedanta-sutra, on eleven of the principal
Upanisads, on Bhagavad Gitd, and on Sri Visnu-sahasra-ndma. He did
not interpret Srimad Bhagavatam, however, because he considered
it very dear to Bhagavan and His devotees, and also nondifferent
from Bhagavan. There can be no doubt about Lord Siva s apprecia
tion of the Bhagavatam, since in the Twelfth Canto he is described
as the greatest Vaisnava (sb 12.13.I6). As such, he must have been
fully aware that it is the supreme pramana, and so out of respect he
did not interpret it.
From Padma Parana we learn how Sri Visnu ordered Siva to
propagate a radical version of nondualism (i.e., a version that can
accommodate oneness only and not distinction):

0 Siva, by formulating your own speculative scriptures, you must

turn people's attention away from Me to keep Me concealed from
their view. By doing so, this creation may be perpetuated on and on.
(Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 71.107)^

® svdgamaih kalpitais tvarfi cajandn mad-vimukhdn kuru

mam ca gopaya yena sydt srstir esottarottard

170 167
 II Pramana
The import of this order is as follows: When Lord Buddha's teach
ings were predominant in India, people grew contemptuous of the
Vedas and Vedic rituals. They became sunya-vadis, voidists or non-
essentialists, and Vedic religious practices decreased almost to nil.
In this condition, people were not prepared to hear seriously about
the Absolute as a personal God, about His transcendental eternal
blissful form, or His variegated abode. They would have simply dis
missed these teachings and thus been deprived of the means to real
ize the self in its true relation with the totality. So, the first task in
bridging the wide gap between voidism and theism was to reawaken
people's faith in the Vedas. It was for this purpose that Sahkaraca-
rya introduced Advaitavada, a version of nondualism that made it
possible to bridge this gap.
Going from the Buddhist ndsti to the Advaitavada neti neti is a
simple, incremental move from the categorical negation of the onto-
logical or eternal substance underlying momentary appearances
(there is no self-existent) to the negation of the ontological reality
of individual appearances (the self-existent is not this, not this, not
any of this). The difference between these two ideas is hardly notice
able. Still, because Sahkara based his philosophy on the Upanisads,
Veddnta-sutra, and other Vedic works, that one step was critical in
bringing the populace back to accepting the authority of the Vedas.
Later in Padma Purdna, Lord Siva himself describes Advaitavada
as veiled Buddhism:
Advaitavada philosophy is a scriptural interpretation devoid of
essentiality [or devoid of the essential existent]; indeed, it is veiled
Buddhism. (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 236.7)^
Sahkaracarya's propounding of Advaitavada philosophy was
intended by his Lord, the Supreme Person, who recognized that
until conditioned human beings regained access to the Vedas,
they could only speculate about transcendent reality and would
be without a self-revealed means of deliverance from material
existence.
^ mayd-vadam asac-chdstrarh pracchanam bauddham ucyate
168
23 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
Once Advaita Vedanta had supplanted Buddhism, and faith in
the Vedas had been re-established, people could be brought further
along the path of knowledge to an appreciation for the glories of
the Personal Absolute. This would be accomplished by counter
acting non-theism with true Vaisnava philosophy. Thus, stalwart
Vaisnava dcdryas like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Vallab-
hacarya came one after another to demonstrate the lack of ultimate
completion of, and the limitations inherent within, Advaitavada.
In its place they re-established the principles of pure devotional
service as the true spirit and intent of the Vedas and its corollary
scriptures. For his part, Sridhara SvamI made it possible for non-
theistic Vedantists to awaken a taste for Srlmad Bhdgavatam by
writing a commentary that also appealed to them.
Still later, the original Complete Person Himself came in the
garb of a devotee, as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and extended
the discussion even further. He taught that even more advanced
than vaidhi-bhakti, the path of regulated devotional service, is
rdga-bhakti, the path of the direct infusion of self-existing and self-
radiant devotion to Krsna into the core of being (the dtmd), which
is made accessible by following in the footsteps of Vrndavana's resi
dents. He taught that rdga-bhakti, which is elaborately explained in
the Tenth Canto of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, is the ultimate expression
of prema, love of God.
Since Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the original Supreme Absolute,
who can contest His siddhdnta? Rather, the gradual progression
from voidism to radical nondualism to theistic nondualism and
finally to rdga-bhakti was precisely Bhagavan's intention for the
evolutionary unfolding of the Ultimate Truth of His own being.
Through this unfolding, conditioned human beings are offered the
possibility not only of liberation, but of participating with Bha-
gavan as He is, in His own completion and in His own essential
being. Without a doubt, therefore, the Lord was not acting cruelly
or capriciously when He instructed Lord Siva to appear as Sahkara
and spread the misleading doctrine of the individual dtmas abso
lute oneness with the Supreme. To the contrary. He did so out of
His limitless mercy.
169
 II Pramana
The import of this order is as follows: When Lord Buddha's teach
ings were predominant in India, people grew contemptuous of the
Vedas and Vedic rituals. They became sunya-vadis, voidists or non-
essentialists, and Vedic religious practices decreased almost to nil.
In this condition, people were not prepared to hear seriously about
the Absolute as a personal God, about His transcendental eternal
blissful form, or His variegated abode. They would have simply dis
missed these teachings and thus been deprived of the means to real
ize the self in its true relation with the totality. So, the first task in
bridging the wide gap between voidism and theism was to reawaken
people's faith in the Vedas. It was for this purpose that Sahkaraca-
rya introduced Advaitavada, a version of nondualism that made it
possible to bridge this gap.
Going from the Buddhist ndsti to the Advaitavada neti neti is a
simple, incremental move from the categorical negation of the onto-
logical or eternal substance underlying momentary appearances
(there is no self-existent) to the negation of the ontological reality
of individual appearances (the self-existent is not this, not this, not
any of this). The difference between these two ideas is hardly notice
able. Still, because Sahkara based his philosophy on the Upanisads,
Veddnta-sutra, and other Vedic works, that one step was critical in
bringing the populace back to accepting the authority of the Vedas.
Later in Padma Purdna, Lord Siva himself describes Advaitavada
as veiled Buddhism:
Advaitavada philosophy is a scriptural interpretation devoid of
essentiality [or devoid of the essential existent]; indeed, it is veiled
Buddhism. (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 236.7)^
Sahkaracarya's propounding of Advaitavada philosophy was
intended by his Lord, the Supreme Person, who recognized that
until conditioned human beings regained access to the Vedas,
they could only speculate about transcendent reality and would
be without a self-revealed means of deliverance from material
existence.
^ mayd-vadam asac-chdstrarh pracchanam bauddham ucyate
168
23 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
Once Advaita Vedanta had supplanted Buddhism, and faith in
the Vedas had been re-established, people could be brought further
along the path of knowledge to an appreciation for the glories of
the Personal Absolute. This would be accomplished by counter
acting non-theism with true Vaisnava philosophy. Thus, stalwart
Vaisnava dcdryas like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, and Vallab-
hacarya came one after another to demonstrate the lack of ultimate
completion of, and the limitations inherent within, Advaitavada.
In its place they re-established the principles of pure devotional
service as the true spirit and intent of the Vedas and its corollary
scriptures. For his part, Sridhara SvamI made it possible for non-
theistic Vedantists to awaken a taste for Srlmad Bhdgavatam by
writing a commentary that also appealed to them.
Still later, the original Complete Person Himself came in the
garb of a devotee, as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and extended
the discussion even further. He taught that even more advanced
than vaidhi-bhakti, the path of regulated devotional service, is
rdga-bhakti, the path of the direct infusion of self-existing and self-
radiant devotion to Krsna into the core of being (the dtmd), which
is made accessible by following in the footsteps of Vrndavana's resi
dents. He taught that rdga-bhakti, which is elaborately explained in
the Tenth Canto of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, is the ultimate expression
of prema, love of God.
Since Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the original Supreme Absolute,
who can contest His siddhdnta? Rather, the gradual progression
from voidism to radical nondualism to theistic nondualism and
finally to rdga-bhakti was precisely Bhagavan's intention for the
evolutionary unfolding of the Ultimate Truth of His own being.
Through this unfolding, conditioned human beings are offered the
possibility not only of liberation, but of participating with Bha-
gavan as He is, in His own completion and in His own essential
being. Without a doubt, therefore, the Lord was not acting cruelly
or capriciously when He instructed Lord Siva to appear as Sahkara
and spread the misleading doctrine of the individual dtmas abso
lute oneness with the Supreme. To the contrary. He did so out of
His limitless mercy.
169
 Pramana 23 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Su

In later anucchedas, Srila Jiva GosvamI will point out many incon
sistencies between Sankara's teachings and the actual conclusion of
the Vedas. In the next anuccheda, he shows us the glories of Srimad
Bhagavatam as the Bhagavatam itself reveals them.
the reservoir of endless worshipable qualities. (Govindastaka 8)
govindastakam etad adhlte govindarpita-ceta yah
govinddcyuta madhava visno gokula-ndyaka krsneti
govinddnghri-saroja-dhydna-sudhd-jala-dhauta-samastdghah
govindarh paramdnandamrtam antah-sthah sa tamabhyeti

A person who has fully imbibed this Govinddstaka [through regular

recitation and reflection], whose consciousness has been devo-
tionally offered to Govinda, and who sweetly chants, "0 Govinda,
Acyuta, Madhava, Visnu, Gokula-nayaka, Krsna," thus cleansing
away all his sins with the ambrosial water of meditation on the
lotus feet of Sri Govinda — such a person certainly attains Sri
Govinda, the supreme everlasting bliss, present as interior even
to consciousness itself. (Govinddstaka 9)

Sri Govinda ordered Siva to descend as Sahkara to propagate

radical nondualism. Consequently, Sahkaracarya wrote Advaita-
vada commentaries on Vedanta-sutra, on eleven of the principal
Upanisads, on Bhagavad Gitd, and on Sri Visnu-sahasra-ndma. He did
not interpret Srimad Bhagavatam, however, because he considered
it very dear to Bhagavan and His devotees, and also nondifferent
from Bhagavan. There can be no doubt about Lord Siva s apprecia
tion of the Bhagavatam, since in the Twelfth Canto he is described
as the greatest Vaisnava (sb 12.13.I6). As such, he must have been
fully aware that it is the supreme pramana, and so out of respect he
did not interpret it.
From Padma Parana we learn how Sri Visnu ordered Siva to
propagate a radical version of nondualism (i.e., a version that can
accommodate oneness only and not distinction):

0 Siva, by formulating your own speculative scriptures, you must

turn people's attention away from Me to keep Me concealed from
their view. By doing so, this creation may be perpetuated on and on.
(Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 71.107)^

® svdgamaih kalpitais tvarfi cajandn mad-vimukhdn kuru

mam ca gopaya yena sydt srstir esottarottard

170 167
 II Pramana

nirdhuta dvaya-soka-vimohaTh buddharh buddher antah-stham

sattd-matra-sarlrarfi pranamata govindam paramdnandam

May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher

ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He stole the bathing
damsels' clothes and climbed a tree with them, and when the naked
Anuccheda 24
maidens asked for their clothes back, He told them to come closer.
He dispels the diad of lamentation and delusion. He is wisdom as
well as He who is realized through the wisdom faculty. He is the Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas
embodiment of pure existence. (Govinddstaka 6)
24.1
kdntarh kdrana-kdranam ddim anddirfi kdlam andbhdsam

kdlindl-gata-kdllya-sirasi muhur muhuh sunrtyantam

kdlarfi kdla-kaldtltarfi kalitdsesam kali-dosa-ghnarh
kdla-traya-gati-hetum pranamata govindam paramdnandam
I

May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher

ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is all-attracting
beauty. He is the transcendental source condition that makes pos
sible the chain of causal arising. He is the beginning, yet is without
beginning, for He is altogether free from the superimposition of
time. He danced wonderfully on the hoods of the Kaliya serpent
in the Yamuna. Though He is time. He is beyond all divisions of
time, because the calculation of Him in terms of a single unit of
experience is impossible, being without end or limit. He destroys
the defects of Kaliyuga, and He is the source of the passage of time
as past, present, and future. (Govinddstaka 7)
Devotees of Sri Visnu recount that Sri Madhvacarya-carana,^
seeing that [Sri Sahkaracarya did not comment on Bhagava
tam out of respect for it] wrote Bhdgavata-tdtparya, a gloss on
Srimad Bhdgavatam that specifies the true nature of the path of
pure devotion, because he was concerned that other Vaisnavas
might be influenced by the commentaries of other disciplic
descendants of Sahkara, such as that of Punyaranya.
24.2

vrndavana-bhuvi vrndaraka-gana-vrndarddhyarh vandeharh

kunddbhdmala-manda-smera-sudhdnandarhsuhrd-dnandam
vandydsesa-mahd-muni-mdnasa-vandydnanda-pada-dvandvarh
vandydsesa-gunddbhirh pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. I bow down to Him, who
is worshiped in the land of Vrndavana by all the devas and by Srl-
matl Vrndadevi. His pure and beautiful smile emanates bliss like
a kunda flower pouring forth nectar. He is the source of transcen
dental ecstasy for His cowherd friends. Unlimited venerable great
sages worship His blissful lotus feet within their hearts, for He is
(^TTo? I? —
For all these reasons, therefore, the following statements in the
Bhdgavatam are appropriate, as in the First Canto:
II a II
^ Some editions have added sdksdt tac-chisyatajfi prdptair api after yad eva kila
drstva. This reading is supported by Sri Radhamohana Gosvami, one of the
commentators on Tattva Sandarbha. The followers of Madhvacarya, however, do
not accept this view. Thus, we have opted for the present reading.

166 171
 II Pramana
After extracting the cream of all the Vedas and Itihasas, Sri Vya-
sadeva imparted this Srimad Bhagavatam to His son Sukadeva,
the best of those established in direct realization of the self.
(sB 1.3.41)^
A n d i n t h e Tw e l f t h C a n t o :
Srimad Bhagavatam is indeed the essence of all Vedanta philos
ophy. He who is satiated by the nectar of its unprecedented
taste (rasa) experiences no interest in any other literature.
(SB 12.13.15)
And in the First Canto:
f^^^lJIdd <Rlchl II 66 II
O you devotees, who are able to relish divine taste (rasikas) and
who are able to experience transcendental states of awareness
and love (bhdvukas), drink again and again up to liberation
and beyond the divine rasa known as Srimad Bhagavatam, the
mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literature. Being fully
ripened and overflowing with immortcd nectar, it descended
upon the earth [unbroken], issuing from the lips of Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami. (sb i.i.s)'*
tad idam grdhaydmdsa sutam dtmavatdrfi varam
sarva-vedetihdsdndm sdrarh sdrarh sumuddhrtam
sarva-veddnta-sdrarh hi sn-bhdgavatam isyate
tad-rasdmrta-trptasya ndnyatra sydd ratih kvacit
nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam suka-mukhdd amrta-drava-sarhyutam
pibata bhdgavatam rasam dlayarh muhur aho rasikd bhuvi bhdvukdh
172
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
is all-auspicious and the unalterable peace of liberated existence.
(Govinddstaka 3)
gopdlarh bhu-lild-vigraha-gopdlam kula-gopdlam
gopl-khelana-govardhana-dhrta-lild-ldlita-gopdlam
gobhir nigadita-govinda-sphuta-ndmdnarh bahu-ndmdnarh
gopi-go-cara-duram pranamata govindam paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is Gopala, the pro
tector of the cows, who appeared in the form of a cowherd boy to
enact His pastimes on earth, and who thus lived as one amongst
the cowherd clan. He is Gopala who enacts sublime pastimes, such
as His amorous dalliances with the youthful cowherd women and
His lifting Govardhana Hill to protect the cowherd people. Even
the cows called Him by the name Govinda, and so He has unlimited
names. He is distinct among the cowherd boys and is beyond sense
perception. (Govinddstaka 4)
gopi-mandala-gosthi-bhedam bheddvastham abheddbham
sasvad go-khura-nirdhutodgat-dhull-dhusara-saubhdgyam
sraddhd-bhakti-grhitdnandam acintyam cintita-sad-bhdvarh
cintdmani-mahimdnarh pranamata govindam paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. For His divine lild He
becomes the source of the gopis' division (bheda) into different
groups. So, although He is one without distinction (abheda), He
is simultaneously the source of all distinction (bheddvastha). He
considers it His good fortune to be always smeared with the dust
raised by the cows' hooves. He experiences bliss derived from the
intuitive faith and unconditional devotion of His devotees. Though
He is beyond the power of cognition, His pastimes are the object
of pure contemplation, and so His glories are of the nature of a
transcendental thought-gem.^ (Govinddstaka 5)
sndna-vydkula-yosid-vastram updddydgam updrudharh
vydditsantiratha dig-vastrd hy updddtum updkarsantam
A gem that yields whatever desire is held in thought.
165
 II Pramana
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He is primordial
being, consciousness devoid of limit, and eternal. Though beyond
the limitations of space. He is the transcendental space of all-
accomodation. Though His rolling and frolicking in the courtyards
of Vraja involved no exertion at all, it was the transcendental exer
tion of self-manifested play. Though formless. He manifests vari
ous forms fashioned by mdyd, including the form of the universe.
Though fully competent as the shelter of all existence. He appears
to need [His mother s] shelter. {Govindastaka 1)
mrtsndm atsiheti yasodd-tddana-saisava-santrdsam
vyddita-vaktrdlokita-lokdloka-caturdasa-lokdlim
loka-traya-pura-mula-stambham lokdlokam andlokarh
lokesarh paramesam pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. Though He is the sup
reme master of the universe. He seemed to become frightened like
an ordinary infant when Mother Yasoda chastised Him for eating a
clump of earth. When she asked, "Have You been eating mud?" He
opened His mouth to prove He had not — and showed her that He
encompassed the fourteen planetary systems, including Lokaloka
Mountain. He is the supporting pillar for this city-like universe
of the three worlds. Though He is beyond all vision. He is the
transcendental source of everyone's vision. (Govinddstaka 2)
trai-vistapa-ripu-vira-ghnarfi ksiti-hhdra-ghnam hhava-roga-ghnam
kaivalyarfi navanitdhdram andhdrarh bhuvandhdram
vaimalya-sphuta-ceto-vrtti-visesdbhdsam andbhdsam
saivarh kevala-sdntarh pranamata govindarh paramdnandam
May the self be devotionally offered to Sri Govinda, who is inher
ently of the nature of transcendental bliss. He relieves the earth
of its burden by killing the demonic heroes who are enemies of
the devas. He is liberation itself, because He terminates the dis
ease of material existence. Though He is altogether beyond the
need to eat, still He eats butter, and He also devours the whole uni
verse at the time of cosmic dissolution. Though distinct from all the
shadow manifestations of this world. He manifests in the supracog-
nitive functions of pure consciousness, free from material taint. He
164
24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas
3TcT rifg (mo ? RI ?) —
Also in the same canto:
"rro^RRT^
I take refuge of Sri Sukadeva, the teacher of all sages, the son
of Vyasadeva, who, out of compassion for those entangled in
the cycle of birth and death and who aspire to cross over the
dense darkness of material existence, spoke this most confi
dential Purana [Srimad Bhagavatam], which is self-endowed
with supramundane power, being the essence of all the Vedas,
one without compare and the light of supreme transcendence.
^fci I CT w r m w T -
These verses imply that the conclusion about reality embodied
in Srimad Bhagavatam presides over all other philosophies. They
also clearly indicate that Sri Sukadeva, by taking the speaker s
seat amidst the assembled sages as the Bhdgavatam's preceptor,
became the guru of everyone present.
Commentary
Here, Srila Jiva GosvamI explains Madhvacaryas reason for com
menting on Srimad Bhagavatam. Sankaracarya wrote poems glori
fying Sri Krsnas pastimes as depicted in the Bhagavatam, but some
of his followers, not understanding his true intention, took this as
a license to try to include the Bhagavatam as part of the Advaita-
vada canon. Some of them even wrote commentaries on the Bhaga
vatam and somehow managed to extract an impersonal interpreta
tion. One such commentary was that of Punyaranya, which is now
^ yah svdnubhdvam akhila-sruti-sdram ekam
adhyatma-dipam atititirsatdm tamo'ndham
sarhsdrindrh karunaydha purdna-guhyam
tarn vydsa-sunum upaydmi gurum munindm
173
 II Pramana
lost. Srila Madhvacarya, wanting to protect Vaisnavas from being
misled, wrote a gloss called Bhdgavata-tatparya.
Since JIva GosvamI has already shown that Srimad Bhagavatam
is the topmost pramana, he can now cite it directly to demonstrate
its own stature. Such citations serve only to increase a sincere
reader s faith in the Bhagavatam, and so from this point on, Srila Jiva
GosvamI relies on the Bhagavatam itself as the principal source for
his analysis. Here, he also reveals the eminence that Srimad Bhaga
vatam enjoys by virtue of the status of its self-realized speaker,
Sukadeva GosvamI. Vyasadeva taught the Bhagavatam to Suka-
deva. His most brilliant student, and Sukadeva chose to study the
Bhagavatam, because the reality it discloses supersedes even that of
Brahman.
Although Srila Vyasadeva had many disciples. He gave the
Bhagavatam only to Sukadeva. Vyasa did this not because He was
partial toward His son, but because Sukadeva was "the best of those
established in direct realization of the Self" (dtmavatdm varam). In
other words, Sukadeva had no ulterior material motives, and could
therefore understand the true purport of the Bhdgavatam, which is
the essence of the Vedas, Vedanta, and Itihasas.
The most important part of a tree is its sweet juicy fruit, and so
Srimad Bhdgavatam has been compared to the succulent fruit of the
tree of Vedic literature. And this Bhdgavatam fruit is even more
exceptional because it has no skin or pit. In other words, there is
nothing to discard in the Bhdgavatam,
In this anuccheda, Srlla JIva GosvamI quotes two texts from the
Bhdgavatam, sb 1.1.3 and 1.2.3, to show its importance both for lib
erated devotees and for conditioned human beings, respectively.
Because Sukadeva was completely free of selfish motives, he fully
realized the Bhdgavatam's significance and so was elected to speak,
even in an assembly of learned sages that included his guru and
his guru s guru. The choice of Sukadeva as speaker implies that
his qualifications for reciting Srimad Bhdgavatam made him supe
rior to all the other assembled sages. This is one more indication
that Srimad Bhdgavatam is the foremost of scriptures and that it
alone should be analyzed to determine the reality principles of
174
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Su:
Srila JIva GosvamI again refers to the Catur-varga-cintdmani
(Ddna-khanda 7) of Hemadri, who recommends that one donate
Srimad Bhdgavatam after mounting it on a golden throne, and who
glorifies it for having the defining characteristics described in the
Matsya Purdna (see Anuccheda 19). While determining the dharmic
path for this age in the fourteenth chapter of Catur-varga-cintdmani,
Parisesa-khanda, verse 8, Hemadri quotes Srimad Bhdgavatam:
Those who are cultured in spiritual wisdom, who can perceive
virtue within everything, and who thus extract the essence of all
things, extol the essential value of this Age of Kali, in which one
can attain all goals aspired for by human beings simply by the
performance of sankirtana. (sb 11.5.36)^
Commenting on the word sankirtana, Hemadri declares that
hari-sahkirtana is the only way to reach perfection. Then he quotes
the next verse:
Indeed, for human beings wandering in this material world, there
is no benefit higher than the singing of Bhagavan's Names, by which
one attains supreme peace and cessation of the cycle of birth and
death, (sb 11.5.37)"*
In this way, Hemadri recognizes the authority of Srimad Bhdga
vatam in the matter of establishing the principles of dharma for
Kaliyuga.
Sahkaracarya respected Srimad Bhdgavatam both by not com
menting on it and by composing prayers based on its narrations.
One such prayer is his Govinddstaka:
satyarhjndnam anantarh nityam andkdsam paramdkdsam
gostha-prdngana-ringana-lolam andydsarfi paramdydsam
mdyd-kalpita-ndnd-kdram andkdram bhuvandkdram
ksamdyd ndtham andtham pranamata govindam paramdnandam
^ kalim sabhdjayanty dryd guna-jfidh sdra-bhdginah
yatra sanklrtanenaiva sarvah svdrtho'bhilabhyate
" na hy atah paramo Idbho dehinarh bhrdmyatdm iha
yato vindeta paramdm sdntirh nasyati samsrtih
163
 II Pramana 24 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Cream of the Vedas

a truth far beyond even his own doctrine. Consequently, he sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami fur
dared not interpret the Bhagavatam, for he recognized it as ther highlights the importance of the Bhdgavatas primary speaker,
an exposition of Vedanta that is beyond human origin. As we Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.
shall explain later, Sri Bhagavan, in order to conceal His own
identity, ordered Sahkaracarya to propagate his doctrine of rad
ical nondualism (Advaitavada). Yet, to make his own words
fruitful [by way of reference to Srimad Bhagavatam], Sahkaraca
rya touched on it indirectly, describing in his Govindastaka and
other hymns certain pastimes of Sri Krsna that are related only
in the Bhagavatam. These include mother Yasodas amazement
at seeing Krsnas universal form and His stealing the clothes of
the young damsels of Vraja.

Commentary

Although there are numerous works of Vedic literature, when

Saunaka Rsi questioned Sri Suta Gosvami about where dharma
would take shelter now that Sri Krsna had returned to His own
abode (sb 1.1.23), Suta compared Srimad Bhagavatam to the sun,
because it self-reveals the illuminating Absolute Truth that can
dissipate the dense darkness of Kaliyuga. The analogy here is as fol
lows: When the sun rises, rogues and thieves hide, while ordinary
people are relieved of fear and become active. Similarly, when con
sciousness is turned in full aural reception toward Srimad Bhagava
tam, lust and greed, which plunder one's opportunity to realize the
self, find no more standing in the heart, and one becomes qualified
to participate in the service of the Supreme Lord.
It is because of this self-illuminating power of Srimad Bhagava
tam that it is held in reverence by great saints and thinkers who
have written commentaries and essays on it. Most of these com
mentaries listed in this anuccheda are not available at present, likely
because they were eclipsed by the most popular commentary, the
Bhavartha-dipika of Sridhara Svami, written probably in the four
teenth century. Vopadeva wrote Paramaharhsa-priyd, Muktd-phala,
and Hari-lild. Bhakti-ratndvali was compiled by Visnu Puri. These
latter works are all still available for interested readers today.

162
175

Anuccheda 25
The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri
Sukadeva Gosvami, Is the Crest-Jewel
of Illuminated Sages
Thus, it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam:
J^TRT g R Z T: I kalim sabhdjayanty dryd (sBii.s.se). In this way he recognizes
mPd^RT: IKo
IcTTS?IUTr3rTezT:
i f t c U T: I
^
At that time, the sages endowed with extraordinary spiritual
power, who purify the earth, arrived there, accompanied by
their disciples. On the plea of making a pilgrims journey, such
sages verily sanctify the places of pilgrimage simply by their
presence. From different parts of the universe, there arrived
great sages like Atri, Vasistha, Cyavana, Saradvan, Aristanemi,
Bhrgu, Ahgira, Parasara, Visvamitra, Parasurama, Utathya,
Indrapramada, Idhmabahu, Medhatithi, Devala, Arstisena,
176
23 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
have been produced by the most eminent thinkers of their
respective philosophical schools.
f cbirtlnuiil xi cbjrtijjm4Rura "
■ cbrtlci^-
f5cT: I
Srimad Bhagavatam is also glorified in the Dana-khanda section
of Hemadri's Catur-varga-cintdmani. His chapter entitled "Giv
ing Puranas in Charity" praises Srimad Bhagavatam by noting
that it possesses the defining characteristics specified in Matsya
Parana 53.20-22.
In the Parisesa-khanda of the same book, in the Kala-nirnaya
section, where Hemadri ascertains the appropriate dharmic
path for Kalijmga, he quotes the Bhagavatam verse beginning
as appropriate for this age only that dharmic path that is
established in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
3T2I ^dcoLinujIdsbUj
itrt4 ^
It is widely acknowledged that Sri Sahkaracarya is a divine
descent (avatdra) of Lord Siva. In Srimad Bhdgavatam it is
revealed that the bliss of [self-radiant unconditional acausal]
devotion surpasses even the joy of pure consciousness liberated
from subject-object dualism (kaivalya). Based on such indica
tions, Sahkaracarya considered Srimad Bhdgavatam to embody
161

Anuccheda 23
Srimad Bhagavatam Is Luminous Like the Sun
Jifuid d-^'^iJicidiPWcF^ I
Thus, while there are many authoritative scriptures, it is specif
ically Srimad Bhagavatam that has been singled out with the
statement, "For those in Kaliyuga whose vision is impaired, this
Parana has now arisen like the sun" (sb 1.3.43).^ This comparison
of the Bhagavatam to the sun indicates that without its light,
other scriptures cannot fully illuminate the Absolute Truth.
The Hayasirsa-pahcardtra, in its chapter classifying vari
ous scriptures, describes the Tantra-bhdgavata as essentially
a commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam. Among the direct com
mentaries on the Bhagavatam are the Hanumad-bhasya, Vdsand-
bhdsya, Sambandhokti, Vidvat-kamadhenu, Tattva-dipika, Bhdvd-
rtha-dipikdy Paramahamsa-priyd, and Suka-hrdaya^ There are
also many essays written about Srimad Bhagavatam, such as
Muktd-phala, Hari-lild, and Bhakti-ratndvali. All these works
^ kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
^ None of these commentaries are available at present except for Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd
of Sridhara Svami.
25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva GosvamI,
Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages
Bharadvaja, Gautama, Pippalada, Maitreya, Aurva, Kavasa,
Kumbhayoni (Agastya), Dvaipayana, and the great personality
Narada. There were also many other celestial sages, hrdhmana
sages, royal sages, as well as sages who preside over particu
lar branches of the Vedas, such as Aruna. When the emperor
[Pariksit] beheld all the various orders of great sages assembled
there, he received them with due honor and bowed his head to
the ground. After all the rsis were comfortably seated, the king,
humbly standing before them with palms joined in supplication,
offered obeisance to them once again and informed them of his
intention to fast until death, (sb 1.19.8-12)^
(TTTo ^ RX) -
Then the king inquired:
II II
Therefore, O hrdhmanas, reposing my faith in you, I ask you
about that alone which is worthy of inquiry in the matter of ulti
mate duty. 0 learned sages, please tell me, after due delibera
tion, of the unalloyed duty of everyone in all circumstances, and
specifically of those who are just about to die. (sb 1.19.24)^
^ (mo ^ m R(A)—
Then, after the king's query:
tatropajagmur bhuvanam pundnd mahdnubhdvd munayah sa-sisydh
prdyena tirthdbhigamdpadesaih svayarh hi tirthdni punanti santah
atrir vasisthas cyavanah saradvdn aristanemir bhrgur angirds ca
pardsaro gddhi-suto'tha rdma utathya indmpramadedhmavdhau
medhdtithir devala drstiseno bhdradvdjo gautamah pippalddah
maitreya aurvah kavasah kumbhayonir dvaipdyano bhagavdn ndradas ca
anye ca devarsi-brahmarsi-varyd rdjarsi-varyd arunddayas ca
ndndrseya-pravardn sametdn abhyarcya rdjd sirasd vavande
sukhopavistesv atha tesu bhuyah kna-prandmah sva-cikirsitam yat
vijndpaydm dsa vivikta-cetd upasthito'gre'bhigrhlta-pdnih
tatas ca vah prcchyam imam viprcche visrabhya viprd iti krtyatdydm
sarvdtmand mriyamdnais ca kjiyam suddham ca tatrdmrsatdbhiyuktdh
 II Pramana 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

that one mount the Bhagavatam on a lion-shaped golden throne and

P|v3tc<>rHd^ <s|l9><cj'tKl5'^: \\%^ II
At that moment appeared the venerable son of Vyasadeva, who
traveled the earth at will, disinterested in the world and sat
isfied in the self alone. He bore no marks of belonging to any
social order or status of life. He was surrounded by women and
children, and he appeared like an avadhuta, an ascetic beyond
the bounds of conventional moral [or cultural] sensibilities.
then donate it. A golden throne is not recommended for any other
Parana. Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes, therefore, that just as the lion
is the emperor of all animals, Srimad Bhagavatam is the emperor of
all scriptures. Consequently, it is also the sovereign ruler among all
pramanas, and, as Skanda Parana recommends, a person wishing to
know the Absolute Reality need not study any other scripture.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami describes how all the great dcdryas and
scholars of the past held Srimad Bhdgavatam in the highest esteem.

After this: "The sages all rose from their seats to honor him"
(sB 1.19.28).^ And finally:

JH^IH I

The eminent Sukadeva Gosvami, greatest among the great, was

then surrounded by brdhmana sages, royal sages, and celes
tial sages. He thus appeared extraordinarily resplendent, just
like the moon surrounded by planets, constellations, and stars.

Commentary

After Srngi cursed Maharaja Pariksit, the king renounced

his kingdom and took a vow to fast until death on the bank of the
^ tatrabhavad bhagavdn vyasa-putro yadrcchaya gam atamdno'napeksah
alaksya-lingo nija-ldbha-tusto vrtas ca bdlair avadhuta-vesah
pratyutthitds te munayah
^ sa sarhvrtas tatra mahdn svdsanebhyas
mahlyasdm brahmarsi-rdjarsi-devarsi-sanghaih

vyarocatdlam bhagavdn yathendur graharksa-tdrd-nikaraih paritah

178 159
 II Pramana 25 The Speaker of Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami,
Is the Crest-Jewel of Illuminated Sages

Krsna. The Bhdgavatam reconciles the other Puranas. Thus, Skanda Ganges. At that time, sages of all classes and orders came from
Purdna declares that by studying Srimad Bhdgavatam, one derives various parts of the universe and assembled there. Among them
the benefit of studying all the Puranas. were even avatdras of the Lord, like Parasurama and Vyasadeva.
The very name Srimad Bhdgavatam indicates its paramount posi When Pariksit Maharaja inquired from them about the duties of a
tion. Srimat means "endowed with beauty, luster, and opulence," human being, especially one who is about to die, no one was able
and bhdgavata means "related to (or, of the nature of) Bhagavan." to give him a definitive answer. At that time, the most noble Suka
Srimad Bhdgavatam is thus the most beautiful literary creation deva Gosvami arrived, and he was unanimously chosen as the right
because it describes the beautiful pastimes of the Supreme Person. person to answer Maharaja Pariksit's query.
Srimat also means "opulent." Srimad Bhdgavatam is most opulent In the previous anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami said that all the sages
because it is identical with Bhagavan, the original Supreme Person, accepted Sukadeva as guru. In this section, Jiva Gosvami cites the
who is replete with all opulences. references to support his claim. Since the sages accepted Sukadeva
Sata-viccheda-sarhyuta literally means that the Bhdgavatam "has as guru, and it was Srimad Bhdgavatam that he spoke in response
hundreds of sections." Although Srila Jiva Gosvami does not com to Pariksit Maharaja's questions, we should understand that the
ment in detail upon this phrase here, we may point out that most Bhdgavatam's philosophy was accepted by all the assembled sages,
editions of the Bhdgavatam have 335 chapters, divided into twelve who included systematizers and adherents of various other philoso
cantos, but some commentators acknowledge only 332 chapters. phies. Just as Srila Sukadeva Gosvami is like an effulgent moon
They claim that chapters 12 to 14 of the Tenth Canto are interpo among the starlike sages, so is Srimad Bhdgavatam among all other
lations. However, great authorities such as Sridhara Svami and scriptures.
Vopadeva have accepted these three chapters and commented on Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Srimad Bhdgavatam is the
them, and Srila JIva Gosvami has done so as well. representation of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute.
The three chapters in question describe the killing of Aghasura
and Sri Brahmas bewilderment by Krsna. In Chapter 12 of the
Twelfth Canto, Suta Gosvami gives a list of the lilds of Bhagavan,
and in the twenty-eighth text of that list, he mentions the killing
of Aghasura and Sri Brahma s bewilderment. The inclusion of the
pastimes from the three disputed chapters clearly indicates that
these chapters have a place in the Bhdgavatam. Thus, in the opinion
of Srila Jiva Gosvami, the Bhdgavatam contains 335 chapters, since
it would otherwise fall short of eighteen thousand verses.
Commenting on the phrase hema-sirhha-samanvita}'' which lit
erally means "together with a golden lion," Srila Sridhara Svami
says that simha (lion) indicates a sirhha-dsana (a deity's throne in the
shape of a lion). In other words, Srimad Bhdgavatam recommends
The same phrase is found both in the Matsya Purdna verses quoted in
Anuccheda 19.2 as well as in sb 12.13.13. Sridhara Svaml's gloss is found in the
Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd to the latter verse.

158 179
 22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature

to the moon beyond the branch. Similarly, the process of meditat

ing on Bhagavan may include allowing one's attention to be drawn
to Bhagavan through His energies, such as the sun. It is not always
practical or advisable for a twice-born brdhmana to carry an actual
image of God, but he must still perform his daily duty of meditat
Anuccheda 26 ing on Him at dawn and dusk. So, the Vedas enjoin that he should
meditate on Bhagavan through the medium of the ever-present sun,
Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative always remembering that beyond the effulgent sun is Sri Visnu.
This is called pratikopdsana (symbolic worship).
Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes his discussion of the relation
ship of Srimad Bhdgavatam with Gayatri in Anuccheda 22.13, where
d^|[M cT^TTf^
he quotes a statement from Agni Purdna that Gayatri is so-called
because it sings (gdyati) or illuminates the glories of the Supreme
■g F T: I Ic^i^d^^ 1^ I?) I ^ Lord and protects (trdyate) the chanter by fixing his mind on the
J|c|d<^q <HdIR|cKiH cTcT cdl^^f^chlHld Lord. Gayatri is also related with the sun, because one of the words
used in Gayatri is Savita, a name for the sun god meaning one who
3T^f^dgdi ? efi^Ta] animates all life. Moreover, another name for Gayatri is Savitri,
Sri Vyasadeva and Narada Muni were present in that assem the daughter of the sun god. Additionally, Gayatri is also Saras-
bly. Although these two sages were Sri Sukas guru and grand- vati, the presiding deity of speech, because it is the sound repre
guru, respectively, when they heard Srimad Bhagavatam issuing sentation of Bhagavan. Skanda Purdna therefore states (quoted in
from his lips, they felt as if they had never heard it before. For Anuccheda 20.1) that the Bhdgavatam is based on Gayatri (Saras-
this reason it is said here that he taught this most significant vati); it is the sound representation of Krsna, and it recounts events
wisdom even to them. As mentioned earlier, "The Bhagavatam is that occurred during the Sarasvata-kalpa. This implies that the
enriched with immortal nectar, having issued from the mouth of Bhdgavatam's narrations glorify only Krsna.
Sri Suka" (suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam, sb 1.1.3). Thus, In Anuccheda 22.14, Srila Jiva Gosvami resumes his analy
in this sense also Srimad Bhagavatam surpasses all other scrip sis of each phrase of the verses from Garuda Purdna quoted in
tures. Statements about the superiority of other Puranas, such Anuccheda 21. In these verses, Srimad Bhdgavatam is described as
as the Matsya Parana, are relative in scope. What more need be the Sdma Veda among the Puranas. In gIta 10.22, Sri Krsna says,
said? Srimad Bhagavatam is indeed the very representation of "Of all the Vedas, I am the Sdma Veda," Here, Krsna indicates that
Sri Krsna.
since the Sdma Veda is the best of all the Vedas, containing beautiful
prayers glorifying the Supreme Lord, it therefore represents Him.
Such glorification of the Lord is, after all, the ultimate purpose of
the Vedas, as sb 1.2.28 states: vdsudeva-pard veddh. Like the Vedas,
the Puranas also glorify various deities, although their underlying
purpose is the glorification of Krsna, and Srimad Bhdgavatam is the
^ (mo ? 1^ IVk) — Sdma Veda among the Puranas because it focuses exclusively on

180 157
 II Pramana 26 Srlmad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

the Bhagavatam are in complete agreement, because they are both This is stated in the First Canto:
meditations on the Supreme Personal Absolute, Bhagavan.
The verse cited from Agni Parana in Anuccheda 22.8, advising us
to meditate on the self as nondifferent from Brahman, is also in
agreement with the Bhagavatam and Gayatri. The verse is meant After Krsnas departure to His own abode, accompanied by reli
to impress upon us our true spiritual identity and to teach us a
gion, knowledge, and so on, this Parana [Srimad Bhagavatam]
meditational process that establishes us in that identity, beyond has risen like the sun for those bereft of sight in the age of Kali.
the empiric or egoic self-reference. This kind of meditation, there (SB 1.3.43)^
fore, is simply to elicit the fitness, or in other words, the funda
mental state of being, that alone makes possible the true worship 3T?T 1?:^ ^ (^o ^ R R)
of the Supreme Absolute, Bhagavan. Later in Tattva Sandarhha
(Anucchedas 53 and 60), Srila JIva Gosvami will discuss in greater In this way, it is observed that Srimad Bhagavatam alone is inher
detail the qualitative oneness of the jiva-brahman with the Supreme
Brahman.
ently endowed with all virtues, as stated in the second verse
of the First Canto: "This Srimad Bhagavatam reveals the sup
In Anucchedas 22.9-11, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses the relation
reme dharma, utterly devoid of all deception or compromise"
ship between Gayatri and the sun. Srimad Bhagavatam (12.6.67-72) (sB 1.1.2).^
records sage Yajfiavalkyas prayers in praise of the sun or sun god,
and texts 67-69 explain the three legs of the Gayatri mantra. From
these prayers it may seem that Gayatri is also meant for glorifying
the sun god, but Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that Yajfiavalkya is not
worshiping the sun god independently; rather, he is worshiping the
Supreme Immanent Self (Paramatma) dwelling within the sun god. The supremacy of the Bhagavatam is also confirmed by the
Generally, people hail a taxi driver by calling out "Taxi!" not "Taxi words of bothMuktd-phala [of Vopadeva] and Hemadri, its com
driver!" for they regard the driver and his taxi as one unit. Similarly, mentator: "The Vedas, Puranas, and poetic works instruct one
Yajfiavalkya worships the sun god while considering the "vehicle" like a master, friend, and beloved, respectively, but Srimad
(the sun god) and the "driver" (Paramatma) as one. This explana Bhagavatam enlightens in all three capacities."^
tion by Jiva Gosvami finds confirmation in Sri Saunakas question
to Suta Gosvami that led to the recitation of Yajfiavalkyas prayers.
Saunaka explicitly requests "to hear about Sri Hari, the Supreme 26.3
Self (Paramatma) immanent within the sun" (sb 12.11.28).
Brdhmanas customarily chant Gayatri at dawn and at dusk while d^lH ^ ^
^ krsne sva-dhdmopagate dharma-jnanadibhih saha
facing the sun. In this way they meditate on the Supreme Lord
kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
through His energies. The logical principle at work here is called ^ dharmah prqjjhita-kaitavo'tra
candra-sakha-nyaya, or "the example of the branch and the moon." ^ veddh purdnam kdvyarh ca prabhur mitram priyeva ca
The idea is that to show someone the moon, you may first ask him to bodhayantiti hi prdhus trivrd bhdgavatam punah
look at a tree branch, from which you may then draw his attention This verse is found in Hari-lildmrta (1.9) of Vopadeva and not in Muktd-phala.
 II Pramana
^cifd I 3M cTW I Absolute, Sri Krsna. It is with this understanding that Skanda
('^To^lXlvs) —
Consequently, while some scholars conclude that other Puranas
are dependent upon the Vedas to derive their authority, Srimad
Bhagavatam explicitly refutes the possibility that it may be
dependent in this way; rather, the Bhagavatam stands on its own
authority. For this reason it is in fact the highest manifestation
of Sruti [the original Vedas]. As it is said:
<Hc|lc^:^WJ^cTTcT ^Icclcfl || ^oo || |
How did King Pariksit happen to converse with this great sage,
as a result of which this Vedic text (sruti) for the pure Vaisnavas
(sdtvati) became available? (sb 1.4.7)"^
cTcT^VeJJ^^AgJ|d8flo^T-
<H'iKq^c1|y q II
That Srimad Bhagavatam was compiled after the other Puranas,
as mentioned earlier (Anuccheda 19), is known from the dialogue
between Sri Vyasa and Narada Muni in the First Canto.
Commentary
Vedic tradition recognizes three ways of teaching — like a
ruler, like a friend, and like a lover. The Vedas speak in the imper
ative voice, like an overlord: "Speak the truth and uphold dharma"
(satyam vada dharmam cara, tu 1.11). The Vedas do not need to offer
logical reasons for following their instructions. One is expected to
obey without question. The Puranas instruct like a friend, narrat
ing stories with moral conclusions and providing reasoned expla
nations when required. Kdvya, or poetic literature, offers counsel
in the way of a lover, speaking sweetly but indirectly. Instructions
^ katharh vd pandaveyasya rdjarser munind saha
samvddah samabhut tdta yatraisd sdtvati srutih
182
22 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Essence of All Vedic Literature
Purana says that Srimad Bhagavatam, which glorifies Bhagavan at
every step, is based on Gayatri. Indeed, this is one of the distinctive
characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam.
In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 104), Srila Jiva Gosvami
will analyze the first verse of Srimad Bhagavatam in terms of its
being an explanation of the Gayatri mantra. Gayatri is explained
in one of the concluding verses of the Bhagavatam (sb 12.13.19, as
elaborated in Paramdtma Sandarbha, Anuccheda 105) as well. This
combination of indications from the beginning and ending verses
makes it indisputably clear that the purpose of Srimad Bhagavatam
is to delineate the truth of Bhagavan.
The prevalent understanding among traditional Vedic scholars
is that Gayatri is meant for worshiping either the sun god or unqual
ified Brahman. Srila Jiva Gosvami here establishes, however, that
the real meaning of Gayatri is the worship of Sri Visnu, who is non-
different from Sri Krsna. To support his view, he cites Agni Parana,
which gives Srila Vyasa s opinion on the meaning of Gayatri.
In Visnu-dharmottara Parana, King Vajra asks Markandeya Rsi
why Gayatri is chanted in Vaisnava rituals if its presiding deity is
the sun god. Markandeya replies that Gayatri refers to Sri Visnu
and then proceedes to show how each word of Gayatri is related to
Him. He concludes with this verse:
By chanting Gayatri, a person desirous of material gain achieves
the phenomenal object of his desire, while a person aspiring for
liberation attains to that essential state. But the worshiper who is
devoid of desires attains the supreme abode of Sri Visnu. (Visnu-
dharmottara Parana, Prathama-khanda)^^
It would not be possible to attain the Lord s abode by meditat
ing on Gayatri if it did not in fact imply the worship of Sri Visnu;
this accords with Bhagavans statement in GiTA9.25 that "Only
My worshiper attains Me." Thus, Gayatri and the first verse of
kdma-kdmo labhet kdmam gati-kdmas tu sad-gatim
akdmas tu tad avdpnoti yad visnoh paramarh padam
155
 26 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

are expressed in an aesthetically pleasing way to attract the reader

or hearer. Srimad Bhagavatam uses all three of these methods to
convey its teachings.
Just as a phrase or song becomes more significant when an
eminent person quotes or sings it, so the Bhagavatam has been
increased in distinction because the eminent Sukadeva Gosvami
recited it. He narrated the Bhagavatam in such a marvelous way
that both his guru, Srila Vyasadeva, and his pararh guru (the guru of
his guru), Sri Narada Muni, were amazed. They felt as if they had
never heard it before.
The customary etiquette is that a disciple should neither accept a
higher seat than his teachers nor instruct others as an authority in
their presence. Sukadeva Gosvami s speaking Srimad Bhagavatam
in the presence of his gurus is one of the rare exceptions. Because
his gurus consented to it, however, Sri Suka is faultless, as Srila
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura points out in his commentary on
SB 1.17.29, which describes Sukas accepting the speaker's seat.
From the narrations of the Mahdbhdrata, we learn that Narada
and Vyasa were often called upon to address various audiences on
the subjects of karma, yoga, andjudna. They rarely had an oppor
tunity to hear such an extraordinarily pure Bhdgavata discourse.
So, they were moved to great ecstasy when the nectarlike juice of
topics concerning Bhagavan issued from the lips of Sri Suka, their
qualified disciple.
Srimad Bhdgavatam's special greatness is thus due to its unpar
alleled author, its eminent speaker, and its elevated audience. No
other scripture in recorded history has ever had such an audience,
except perhaps when Grandfather Bhisma, after the Kuruksetra
War, instructed King Yudhisthira from his bed of arrows. Bhisma's
main purpose, however, was to convince Yudhisthira to begin
managing his kingdom.
By contrast, Srimad Bhdgavatam was spoken in just the oppo
site context: King Pariksit, having renounced his kingdom, simply
wanted to hear krsna-kathd and in this way discharge the only duty
of a dying man. Sri Sukadeva thus had no need to dilute his nar
ration with talk of lower religious principles. Therefore, Srimad

183
 II Pramana

Bhdgavatam is the most perfect and complete transcendental

scripture. It does not even depend on the support of the Vedas.
Indeed, the sunlike Srimad Bhdgavatam is the very representa
tion of Sri Krsna. In the opening chapter of the Bhdgavata Purdna,
Sri Saunaka asked Suta Gosvami:

Since Sri Krsna, the master of yoga, the well-wisher of the brdhma-
nas, and the protector of dharma has departed for His own abode,
please tell us where dharma is now sheltered, (sb 1.1.23)^

In response to this, Suta Gosvami spoke verse sb 1.3.44, cited in

the text above. The fact that the Bhdgavata Purdna has arisen like the
sun in the absence of Sri Krsna indicates that it embodies the same
essential quality of being as Krsna. This fact is confirmed in the
Skanda Purdna {Visnu-khanda 6.4.3) and the Padma Purdna (Uttara-
khanda 198.30). Bhagavan possesses all supreme qualities, as Srila
Rupa Gosvami confirms in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:

Sri Krsna, who is the original complete Absolute Truth, Svayaih

Bhagavan, is the crest jewel of all heroes. All wonderful qualities
are eternally present in Him. (brs 2.1.17)^

Since Srimad Bhdgavatam is nondifferent from Krsna, it is also

a reservoir of all auspicious qualities. When Sri Krsna appeared.
He killed many powerful miscreants of demonic nature and pro
tected His saintly devotees. In the same way, the Bhdgavata Purdna
uproots the material ungodly desires from the heart and there
instills devotion to the Lord through its ambrosial narrations.
Other scriptures focus on conventional morality, dualistic or result-
oriented religiosity, liberation as merging in unqualified Brahman,
or yoga, and they may or may not say something about the transcen
dental path of love of God. But the Bhdgavatam kicks out, like refuse,
all types of inferior, selfishly motivated, or partial manifestations
^ bruhi yogesvare krsne brahmanye dharma-varmani
svdrh kdsthdm adhunopete dharmah kam saranam gatah
^ ndyakdndrh siro-ratnarh krsnas tu bhagavdn svayam

yatra nityatayd sarve virdjante mahd-gundh

184
 26 Srimad Bhagavatam Is Self-Authoritative

of the religious urge. Only depictions and explanations of the

Absolute Reality find a place in its pages.
Having established the Bhagavatam as the supreme pramdna,
in the next anuccheda Srila Jiva Gosvami explains his method of
analyzing it.

185
 Prameya

O King Pariksit, those sages who are beyond the rules and prohibi
tions of scripture and situated on the nirguna platform, free from
material influence, generally relish reciting the virtues of Sri Hari.
At the end of Dvaparayuga, I studied the Purana known as Srimad
Bhdgavatam, which is equal to the Vedas, from my father, Srila
Dvaipayana Vyasadeva. 0 sage among kings, although I was firmly
situated in Brahman, which is beyond the three gunas of primor Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas
dial nature, my consciousness became captivated by the enchant
ing pastimes of the glorious Lord. Therefore, I studied this Purana.
(sB 2.1.7-9)^ Anucchedas 27-28

This incident from Sukadevas life demonstrates the wonderful

potency of Srimad Bhdgavatam — that it was able to captivate the
heart of a Brahman-realized sage.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins analyzing the
heart of Srila Vyasadeva.
This brief section, consisting of just two short anucchedas, is imper
ative for understanding Srila Jiva Gosvami s strategy for analyz
ing Srimad Bhdgavatam, which he has already established as his
pramdna in the matter of the self-disclosure of Ultimate Reality.
It informs us of the manner by which the author has arrived at
his conclusions throughout the Sat Sandarbhas, The specific meth
ods employed by him in this work serve to further validate his
assertions. If Jiva Gosvami s schema is born in mind as we pro
ceed through all six volumes of his anthology, what emerges is a
systematic self-revelation of the methaphysics of the Bhdgavata.
This master plan is evidently what Jiva Gosvami had in mind, and
the methodology stated here is the set of techniques by which he
intends to bring this vision into clear view.

® prdyena munayo rdjan nivrttd vidhi-sedhatah

nairgunya-sthd ramante sma gundnukathane hareh

idaifi bhdgavatam ndma purdnam brahma-sammitam
adhltavdn dvdparddau pitur dvaipayandd aham
parinisthitopi nairgunya uttama-sloka-lilayd
grhlta-cetd rdjarse dkhydnam yad adhitavdn

214 187
 II Prameya

means of its attainment and the goal to be attained in relation to it

follow as a natural consequence. For example, if the ultimate Real
is determined to be Brahman, then the goal in relation to It can
be nothing other than identity in Brahman (brahma-sayujya), and
the means, therefore, can only be the direct intuition of the self as
identical to Brahman (i.e., the path of Jndna). If, however, the ulti Anuccheda 27
mate Real is determined to be Bhagavan, then the goal in relation
to Him is transcendental love (prema), and the means is the direct Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived
turning of awareness and all faculties to Him in devotional worship
(i.e., the path of bhakti). Similarly, if we examine any other path,
from Srimad Bhagavatam
such as karma or yoga, the intrinsic connection between sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana is inevitable.
From the above analysis of Sri Sukas transformation in con
sciousness, it was concluded that Bhagavan includes and tran
scends Brahman. So although they are identical in essence, it has
to be said that Bhagavan exceeds Brahman in vastitude, complete gcimwT I g ynifd oijiLdH^dcuRnl ^
ness, substantiality, beauty, and bliss. It is in this sense that we say
that Bhagavans degree of inherent aesthetic value or ontological
completion exceeds that of Brahman. As a further clarification of
So IT IS THAT WE SHALL FOCUS OUT investigation specifically on
the topic, it may be relevant to specify exactly what is meant here
Srimad Bhdgavatam to determine, free from any inconsistency
by inherent aesthetic value and to distinguish it from the idea of between preceding and following statements, the ultimate value
ontological completion. for human beings. In these Six Sandarbhas, the statements with
Absolute Reality is inherently self-endowed with value (artha). which we introduce our explanation of the Bhdgavatam verses
It is not simply that value belongs to the complete personal Absolute, will serve as the sutras, the Bhdgavatam verses themselves will
Bhagavan, but it inheres in Him as His very nature. He is identical serve as the scriptural text to be analyzed, and the commentary
with value and hence is sometimes implicitly indicated by the word on the verses will be the explanations of those verses given by
artha, as in the second of the four seed verses of Srimad Bhdgavatam the great Vaisnava Sridhara Svami. Sometimes he inserted rad
(sB 2.9.33). In addition, the value with which He is coextensive is of ical nondualistic (Advaitavada) conceptions into his writings
the highest possible intensity, meaning the ultimate degree of com to immerse the non-theists, who are now quite prevalent, espe
pletion (param-artham). And although He is immutable (avyaya). cially in central India, in the glories of the Personal Absolute,
His completion ever unfolds in infinitely new waves of possibility.
Bhagavan. When Sridhara Svami s commentary accords with
His inherent value is not only of the nature of being and exis the conclusions of pure Vaisnavism, we shall quote it verbatim.
tence (sat), as well as truth and consciousness (cit), but also and
most significantly of the nature of beauty and bliss (dnanda). In
this sense, it is quite fitting to describe Absolute Reality's inherent
value as being primarily aesthetic in nature. Furthermore, when we

2 1 2 189
 II Pramana
27.2
Sometimes we shall follow the views Sridhara Svami has stated
in writings other than his Bhdgavatam commentary. In other
cases, we shall base our explanations on the authoritative
opinions of the venerable Sri Ramanujacarya Bhagavatpada,
expressed in such works as Srl-bhasya. He is the renowned
leader of the Vaisnavas of the Sri-sampradaya, which origi
nated directly from Goddess Laksmi. These great devotees are
famous throughout India's southern region (Dravida-desa) and
elsewhere.
Srimad Bhdgavatam itself states that they are well known
as devotees of Visnu in the south: "0 King, a few Vaisnavas
can be seen here and there in this age, but they can be found
in abundance in the land of Dravida" (sb 11.5.39).'
We shall also proffer alternative explanations [from those
mentioned above] as per the intrinsic intent of the original book
[i.e., the Bhdgavata Parana].
Since the concepts of Advaitavada are already well known, we
shall not discuss them at length.
Commentary
Here, SrIla JivA GosvamI explains his method of analyzing
Srimad Bhdgavatam. He plans to follow a format similar to the one
Srila Vyasadeva uses in the Veddnta-sutra. The Veddnta-sutra is
divided into adhikaranas (topics). Each adhikarana is based upon
certain statements from the Upanisads. The Upanisadic statements
^ kvacit kvacin mahdrdja dravidesu ca bhurisah
190
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
was established in impersonal Brahman realization even before his
birth, he must have remained fixed in this ideal. Therefore, they
conclude, Srimad Bhdgavatam in fact promotes impersonalism. The
prayer of Suta Gosvami quoted here refutes this belief.
This brings us to the second point. Once Sukadeva Gosvami s
transformation in consciousness is rightly understood, the essen
tial truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana become self-
evident. Sri Suka s immediate knowing of Bhagavan as including
and transcending Brahman was direct revelation of the sambandhi-
tattva, the subject to be realized. The overpowering spiritual attrac
tion for Bhagavan that self-manifested from within his heart was
revelation of the ultimate goal (prayojana) as prema. Since this con
dition was effected in him by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam, he again
directly realized that such practices, involving the whole-bodied
turning of awareness"^ toward Bhagavan (i.e., bhajana), were the
means of ultimate attainment (abhidheya).
In the case of Sukadeva Gosvami, these truths were inevitable
conclusions drawn from his grounding in direct experience, mean
ing that his experience was primary. So these truths were not oper
ative in the sense of theoretical constructs, leading him into such
experience. For sddhakas (practitioners) following in his footsteps,
however, clarification and enlargement of metaphysical view sup
ports the shift in consciousness to direct knowing. Ultimately, any
one can achieve the same realization through submission of con
sciousness to the Bhdgavata s truth revelation. This is the meaning
of its being the pramdna in the matter of the direct knowing of the
Supreme Reality.
It should be noted here that the principles of sambandha, abhi
dheya, and prayojana are intrinsically related, and as such the exis
tential status or the degree of inherent aesthetic value of the means
and goal are exactly proportional to that of the subject. This means,
first of all, that when the subject (i.e., the Real) is ascertained, the
The v^hole-bodied turning of awareness implies a devotional turning of
consciousness that is inclusive of all these modes of awareness. It is a complete
turning toward Bhagavan with the body, the vital force, the mind, feeling, and
intellect, all grounded in the self's own root submission.
211
 Ill Prameya
that he wanted to stay there to avoid being distracted by Maya. He
left the womb only when Sri Krsna personally came to him and
assured him that Maya would not capture him. Being established
in this liberated state, one might well imagine that he had arrived
at the final destination. Certainly it was impossible for him to be
drawn out of this state by any phenomenal experience. Nonethe
less, the verse goes on to say that his essence (sdra) was irresistibly
drawn by the beautiful pastimes of Sri Ajita, Krsna, as disclosed by
Srimad Bhagavatam.
As we learn from Chapter 7 of Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto,
as well as sb 1.2.2, and from the texts that Srila Jiva Gosvami will
quote below, as soon as Sukadeva took birth, he left his father s
hermitage for the forest. Later, when he heard a few of Vyasa-
devas disciples reciting selected Bhagavatam verses, his conscious
ness became so enthralled that he abandoned his impersonal medi
tation on Brahman and began studying the Bhagavatam under his
great father. This extraordinary event was not prompted by an
initial shift in conceptual understanding, because Sukadeva was
already beyond all reflective ideation. Rather, a new conceptual
view ensued as a consequence of the direct transformation in con
sciousness that occurred through the self-revelation of Bhagavan in
the form of Srimad Bhagavatam. This new disclosure from a deeper
dimension of being was the awakening to the post-liberated sta
tus, beyond identity in Brahman. This transformative potential of
the words of the Bhagavatam is stated by Vyasa Himself in the very
beginning of the book:
As soon as a person free of any offenses (krtibhih) simply wishes
to hear the Bhagavatam, the Absolute Reality becomes manifest
within his heart immediately, (sb 1.1.2)
From the analysis of the disposition of Sukadeva s heart, there
fore, it can be definitely concluded that his being drawn out of the
liberated state could only be possible if the post-liberated condi
tion was oriented to a more substantial and all-encompassing Real
ity, namely Bhagavan. Despite all this, however, some radical non-
dualists (Advaitavadis) insist that because Srila Sukadeva Gosvami
2 1 0
27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived from Srimad Bhagavatam
are called visaya-vdkya (the statements to be discussed). In the
Sandarbhas, the introductory statements are like the sutras in the
Vedanta-sutra, the statements of Srimad Bhagavatam constitute the
subject to be analyzed, and Srila Jiva Gosvami s comments on the
Bhagavatam's statements are like the commentary (hhdsya) on the
sutras. Jiva Gosvami also indicates that his explanations are not
his personal opinion or products of his imagination. He presented
the principles of the Bhdgavatam supported by the opinions of the
previous Vaisnava dcdryas, such as Ramanujacarya and Sridhara
Svami.
Although Sridhara Svami accepted the renounced order of life
in Sankaras sampraddya, which opposes the ontological realism of
Bhagavan that is the cornerstone of theistic Vedanta, his commen
taries on Srimad Bhdgavatam, Bhagavad Gitd, and Visnu Purdna make
it obvious that he was a great Vaisnava. He clearly states in his
commentaries that Bhagavans form, qualities, abode, associates,
and names are all transcendental and eternal, and that devotion
to Bhagavan continues even after liberation. These key philosoph
ical points stand in opposition to radical nondualism and reveal
Sridhara Svami s true stance.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also accepted sannydsa in Sankaras
line, but from the beginning. His teachings refuted the Advaita-
vada doctrine. Hence, Sri Caitanya's great respect for Sridhara
Svami and his Bhdgavatam commentary is proof enough that Sri
dhara Svami was not an Advaitavada sannydsi at heart any more
than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was. Because Advaitavadis deny
the essential reality of Bhagavan as He is in His own existence, Cai
tanya Mahaprabhu considered all of them to be offenders at the
lotus feet of Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute, and yet. He
would not tolerate even mild or indirect criticism of Srila Sridhara
Svami. We can also be certain that Jiva Gosvami, as a loyal follower
of Sri Caitanya, held Sridhara Svami s Bhdgavatam commentary,
Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, in high esteem. Thus, Srila Jiva Gosvami refers to
Sridhara as parama-vaisnava, a devotee of the highest order.
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains why Sridhara
Svami inserted some Advaitavada ideas into Bhdvdrtha-dipikd.
191
 II Pramana
Some of Sankara s followers developed an interest in Srimad Bhdga-
vatam after reading his devotional poems based on the Bhagavatam,
but they still maintained their overall non-theistic outlook. To
attract these sannydsis toward the path of devotion, Sridhara Svami
wrote a mixed commentary on the spotless Purdna. Just as a fish
erman uses bait to catch fish, occasionally Sridhara Svami would
present monistic opinions about some Bhdgavatam verses in order
to attract the Advaitavadis who were drawn to read the Bhdgavatam.
This was merely part of his teaching strategy; it doesnt make him
an Advaitavadi.
Nevertheless, although Jiva Gosvami understands Sridhara
Svami s motives, in the Sandarbhas he chooses not to cite the rad
ical nondualistic explanations found in the Bhdvdrtha-dipikd. In
fact, throughout the Sandarbhas, Srila Jiva Gosvami takes every
opportunity to dismantle the Advaitavada view. Clearly, he does
not consider the Advaitavadis his primary audience, as Sridhara
Svami must have when he wrote his commentary. Jiva Gosvami s
intended audience is apparent from his declaration in Anuccheda 6
of the Tattva Sandarbha, where he says that no one who is averse to
serving Sri Krsna s lotus feet should read this book.
Jiva Gosvamis intended audience are those persons already
on the path of unconditional devotion to Sri Krsna, or who are
at least open to its consideration. Naturally, therefore, he says
here that he will quote Sridhara Svami s explanations "only when
they accord with the conclusions of pure Vaisnavism." This state
ment has caused some modern scholars to criticize Jiva Gosvami
for not respecting the liberal sentiments of Sri Caitanya Mahapra-
bhu, but this criticism arises from a superficial understanding of
Sri Caitanya s real attitude.
Sridhara Svami was not a radical monist, although he did
present a monistic slant to some parts of his Bhdgavatam commen
tary. Taking into consideration the reason why Sridhara Svami
included such views in his Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, why should Srila Jiva
Gosvami, in an entirely different work meant for an entirely differ
ent audience, cite those explanations that oppose the true conclu
sion of the Bhdgavatam and even Sridhara Svami's own convictions?
192
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
speaker, as immediately intuited realities. This also confirms that
sabda is perceptual in character and is based upon, or coextensive
with, the divine perception (vaidusa-pratyaksa) of God or a realized
person.
In Jiva Gosvami s prefatory statement to Anuccheda 29.1, he says
that in the verse quoted (sb 12.12.68), Suta Gosvami defines the
essential message (tdtparya) of Srimad Bhdgavatam by careful exam
ination of the disposition of the heart of its speaker. The essential
message of Srimad Bhdgavatam here refers to the self-disclosure
of its own truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. The two
questions that naturally arise here are, "what was the disposition of
heart of the speaker, Sri Suka?" and "how does the suchness' of his
heart (i.e., consciousness) self-evidently disclose the true nature of
sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana?"
In answer to the first question, it must be pointed out that the
verse refers to two distinct levels of awakening operative in Sri
Suka — one prior to hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam and the other after
its reception in consciousness. His prior condition was that of utter
fixity in the true Self and in the bliss that such awareness implicitly
entails. To leave no doubt in our minds that his condition was fully
transcendental, beyond any trace of conditional self-reference, the
verse also states he had consequently given up all other fluctuat
ing states of the body-mind complex, including thoughts, affects,
and desires. This was direct realization of, or identity with, Atman
or Brahman. Such too was his permanent or natural condition,
meaning that whatever was perceived or cognized by him was
known directly in the openness of consciousness. For this reason,
he is described by the following adjectival phrases: "who perceives
everything as equal, without any qualitative distinction" (sama-drh
nirvikalpakah, sb 1.4.4) and "whose vision is pure and hence beyond
the distinction of gender" (vivikta-drsteh, sb 1.4.5).
We learn elsewhere^ that Sukadeva was self-realized even while
in the womb. Indeed, he was so absorbed in the bliss of Brahman
^ Srila Jiva Gosvami informs us that this description is found in the
Brahma-vaivarta Purdna. We have not been able to find it, however, in any of the
printed versions of this Purana.
209
 Ill Prameya 27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived from Srimad Bhagavatam

Bhagavatam as revealed sound implies a higher perceptual mode of
knowing, and not mere scriptural or canonical authority, is shown
here by citing the example of Sukadeva Gosvami.
As the topics of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana are to be
found throughout the Bhagavatam, Srila Jiva Gosvami could have
cited a passage from just about anywhere in the book to illustrate
Sri Jiva has already established Srimad Bhagavatam as the supreme
authority, and from this point on, he will not deal with any opinions
that contradict it. He makes his policy explicit: He respects the pur
ports of Sridhara insofar as they follow the spirit and intent of the
Srimad Bhagavatam itself. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami remains
true to the Vaisnavism of Srila Sridhara Svami and also to his own

these three topics. Clearly, he had something specific in mind in Gaudiya-sampradaya.

selecting the examples of Sri Suka's transformation in conscious
ness treated in this anuccheda and Srila Vyasadevas samadhi, dealt
with in Anucchedas 30-49. What stands out in both these exam
ples is that the sound-revelation of Srimad Bhagavatam was directly
known, or self-disclosed, to both of them from a transempirical
dimension of knowing. Thus, in its highest sense, sabda-pramana
At the end of this anuccheda, when Jiva Gosvami says that he
is not going to describe the details of the radical nondualistic doc
trine because they are already well known, he implies that Advaita-
vada, though popular, only apparently explains the meaning of the
sdstras and is not really worthy of discussion. He also implies that
he intends to refute it.

implies, or is coextensive with, this supracognitive mode of know Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami describes the sources of evidence other
ing. Furthermore, since the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and than Srimad Bhagavatam that he plans to cite in the Sat Sandarbhas.
prayojana were disclosed to them directly in consciousness, they
were not determined as logical constructs but as immediately aes
thetically felt and known realities. There exists an inherent relation
between the words (sabda) of the Bhagavatam and their meaning
(prameya). Thus, there can be no doubt as to their validity.
So, although this anuccheda marks the beginning of the discus
sion of ontology (prameya, i.e., the knowable), the examples given
serve to reconfirm the significance of the epistemological view thus
far presented. For what is known and to what depth of profundity
it is known is intrinsically related to the means or faculty by which
it is known. The passages chosen by Jiva Gosvami demonstrate the
operation of the self-revealing power of sabda-pramana, as well as
the transempiric mode of knowing in which it is received, as fully
actualized potentials in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa.
Therefore, as stated in Anuccheda 49.3, Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa,
the original speaker and author of Srimad Bhagavatam, respectively,
shared an absolute identity of heart in the matter of the direct know
ing of the essential truths of Srimad Bhagavatam. So, to know these
truths in the higher epistemic sense implied is not simply a mat
ter of correct theoretical or conceptual understanding; rather, they
must be known in perfect accord with the heart of the author and

208 193

Anuccheda 28
The Sources of Reference
28.1
Here, in the Sat Sandarbhas, I will quote from the Vedas,
Puranas, and other such scriptures, just as I have seen them.
1 will quote these passages to verify my own interpretations, not
the statements of SrimadBhagavatam. Some of the verses quoted
here I have not seen in their original texts but have gleaned
from citations in the Bhdgavata-tdtparya, Bhdrata-tdtparya,
Brahma-sutra-bhdsya, and other works by the venerable Sri Ma-
dhvacarya, the prolific teacher of the distinct Vaisnava philoso
phy of Tattvavada. In his line, such disciples and grand-disciples
as Vijayadhvaja Tirtha and Vyasa Tirtha have appeared; very
famous in the south, they are most eminent scholars of the Vedic
literature and its interpretation.
28.2
In Bhdrata-tdtparya, Sri Madhvacarya states:
194
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
understand that the words akhila-vrjina (all inauspicious things)
indicate everything contrary or irrelevant to pure devotion.
Therefore, the subject of this book (samhandhi-tattva) is
Sriman Ajita, who transcends even the ecstasy of Brahman real
ization and is distinguished by His enchanting divine play (lild).
Later, in the context of our discussion of Srila Vyasa s trance, it
will be made clear that in His fullest manifestation, this Sri Ajita
is primarily named Sri Krsna.
Similarly, the ultimate attainment for conscious beings
(purusdrtha), which is known as the stage of final completion
(prayojana-tattva), is the ecstasy of love for Krsna, which leads
to the sort of spiritual attraction for Him that Sri Suka expe
rienced. And thus, our means (ahhidheya) too is specifically
the devotional turning of awareness and all faculties to Him
(bhajana), characterized by such practices as hearing His divine
pastimes. Such engagement effectuates the self-manifestation
of love for Him, as it did in the case of Sri Suka.
The phrase vydsa-sunu (the son of Sri Vyasa) [in sb 12.12.68]
reminds us that, according to the Brahma-vaivarta Purdna, Suka-
deva remained untouched by mdyd from his very birth as a result
of Sri Krsna s benediction.
The verse under discussion was spoken by Sri Suta to Sri
Saunaka.
Commentary
In the preceding anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami compared and
contrasted the Vedas, Vedanta, Itihasas, and Puranas to show that
Srimad Bhdgavatam is the most authoritative pramdna in the mat
ter of the direct knowing of Ultimate Reality. From this point for
ward, it is possible to shift the focus of the investigation to the know-
able (prameya), or in other words, to the truths self-evidently dis
closed from the dimension of direct knowing, coextensive with the
self-disclosure of Srimad Bhdgavatam. In this case, the truths to
be known are sambandha, ahhidheya, and prayojana. That Srimad
207
 Ill Prameya
fwr^T: ldTc|({lMTl
^ c T ^ S F T t fi N T
Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary: "Suta Gosvami
offers obeisances to his teacher (Sri Suka), whose consciousness
was completely filled only with the bliss of the Self, and who had
consequently cast off all other feelings and thoughts. Yet, even
in that exalted state, his essence was drawn to the enchanting
pastimes of Sri Ajita. The word 'essence' (sura) here refers to his
utter fixity in the bliss of the Self. I offer my obeisances unto
him, who delineated Srimad Bhdgavatam, which illumines the
Supreme Reality."
t^d1^ iM-V' (^o ? I? Ivs)
^ I I Whlrf-
d4i!ld<mRh>«Hd> dc^ril^dUllfdrt^ d^^H^lSrdldldH I aiTfomH-
sfhifrigilT II
Similarly worth examining are the three verses Sri Suka speaks
in the Second Canto that begin with prayena munayo rajan
(sB 2.1.7-9).^ In the verse under discussion (sb 12.12.68), we should
^ prayena munayo rajan nivrttd vidhi-sedhatah
nairgunya-sthd ramante sma gundnukathane hareh
idam bhdgavatarh ndma purdnarh brahma-sammitam
adhitavdn dvdparddau pitur dvaipdyandd aham
parinisthitopi nairgunya uttama-sloka-lilayd
grhlta-cetd rdjarse dkhydnarh yad adhitavd
206
28 The Sources of Reference
II II
zrqT^"^J|c||H I
I I 11 ^ I
Having understood other scriptures along with the Vedas by the
grace of the Lord, and having examined various kinds of scrip
ture in different parts of the country, I shall offer my explana
tion in accordance with what Sri Vyasadeva, who is none other
than the Supreme Lord Narayana, has spoken in Mahdbhdrata
and other works. In this description I will carefully adhere to
his viewpoint. (Bhdrata-tdtparya 2.7-8)^
"^d-^^^NIcldlfdcb^i^dc
The texts we will cite from the works of Sri Madhvacarya will
include portions from such Vedic Srutis as the Catur-veda-sikhd,
Puranic texts from unavailable parts of the Garuda Purdna and
other works, Saihhita texts from the Mahd-samhitd and similar
works, and Tantra texts from the Tantra-bhdgavatam, Brahma-
tarka, and so on.
Commentary
Since SrIla Jiva Gosvami has established Srimad Bhdgavatam as
the supreme pramdna for the purpose of his investigation, it needs
no further validation. Therefore, from this point onward, he will
quote scripture only to support his explanation. He will cite sources
he has read in his own library and elsewhere, and he will also bor
row references from the writings of Sri Madhvacarya, who lived a
^ sdstrdntardni sanjdnan veddntasya prasddatah
dese dese tathd granthdn drstvd caiva prthag-vidhdn
yathd sa bhagavdn vydsah sdksdn ndrdyanah prabhuh
jagdda bhdratddyesu tathd vaksye tad-lksayd
The current edition of Bhdrata-tdtparya (Udupi, 1971) reads veddn ca asya, instead
of veddntasya ("Having understood other scriptures and the Vedas by the grace of
the Lord").
195
 Pramana

few centuries before Jiva. Madhvacarya often quotes from books

that by Sri Jiva s time had already been lost.
In Madhvacarya's time (13^ century ce), there were no printing
presses. He traveled the length and breadth of India collecting scrip
tures and philosophical books and copying them by hand at the var
ious temples and libraries he visited. He was renowned for his pho Anuccheda 29

tographic memory, so when he was not allowed to copy the books

he found, he read them and later reproduced them from memory. Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That
In this way, he amassed an immense library at his headquarters in
of the Self
Udupi, in Karnataka. Some say that his library had no equal. Unfor
tunately, it was destroyed by fire, and many of the books he refers
to in his writings were lost forever. In several places in the Sanda-
rbhas, Srila Jiva Gosvami has to make do with the references from
lost works cited from the books of Madhvacarya. I arer- rcT?irqcrwi

Sri Baladeva comments that Madhvacarya's metaphysical view, «I?? 1^'^) -

known as Tattvavada, is by definition the philosophy that "every
While offering obeisances to the speaker of Srimad Bhdga-
thing is real" (sarvarh vastu satyam iti tattva-vadah). The radical vatam, the significance of which has been elaborated above,
monists say that only Brahman is real, while everything else is a
Suta Gosvami concisely defines its essential message (tdtparya)
manifestation of mdyd. Both, in his writings and in public debates
with the leading Advaitavadis of his time, Madhvacarya soundly by careful examination of the disposition of the heart of the
speaker:
defeated the radical Advaitavada philosophy with his Tattvavada.
By relying on books by Srila Madhvacarya and his eminent
■ WT cirrr
followers as a principal source of evidence, Jiva Gosvami shows
his indebtedness to them. Jiva Gosvami is, however, a follower of
Sri Caitanya, whose teachings differ from those of Madhvacarya
on certain points. In his Sandarbhas, Sri Jiva plans to draw from I offer my obeisances unto Srila Vyasadeva's son, Sri Suka, who
those ideas of Madhvacarya that agree with Sri Krsna Caitanya destroys all sins. Although his consciousness was completely
filled with the bliss of self-realization, and though he had conse
Mahaprabhu's philosophy of acintya-bheda-abheda (the transra-
tional coexistence of distinction that interpenetrates the integrated quently cast off all other feelings and thoughts, his essence (sdra)
was irresistibly drawn by the beautiful pastimes of Lord Ajita,
indivisible Whole). The essential point of difference between the
Krsna. Out of compassion he thus delineated this Purana, which
two views is that Sri Madhvacarya's philosophy is devotional dual
illumines Reality, (sb 12.12.68)^
ism, whereas Sri Caitanya's philosophy is devotional nondualism.
These two overarching views lead to both differences and common
sva-sukha-nibhrta-cetds tad-vyudastany abhdvo
ality on specific doctrinal details. A few points of variance are that
'py ajita-rucira-llldkrsta-sdras tadlyam
Madhvacarya advocates that only brdhmana devotees can attain vyatanuta krpayd yas tattva-dlparfi purdnarh
moksa, the devas are held as the topmost devotees, only Brahma can tarn akhila-vrjina-ghnam vydsa-sunum nato'smi

196 205
 28 The Sources of Reference

attain sayujya-mukti, and LaksmI is also placed in the category of a

jiva.
The points of agreement are that Sri Visnu is supreme among the
trinity of Brahma, Visnu, and Siva; He has various transcendental
qualities; primordial nature (prakrti) is eternal; the world is a trans
formation of prakrti and thus real; and the jiva is an integrated part
of Visnu and distinct from Him.

Having established sabda-pramdna as the only independent

means of valid knowing, and having established Srimad Bhdga-
vatam as the topmost form of sabda-pramdna, here the pramdna
(epistemological) section of Sri Tattva Sandarbha ends.
In the next section, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins discussing
prameya (ontology), or the knowable, referring to the categories,
constitutions, and interrelations of true existents to be ascer
tained from the ultimate dimension of transphenomenal knowing,
through the self-disclosure of revealed sound in the form of Srimad
Bhdgavatam.

197
 Ill Prameya

the author (or revealer) of the Srimad Bhdgavatam, respectively. In

both the passages he selects, the operation of the supracognitive
mode of knowing is unmistakable. To illustrate this point, since the
experience of Vyasa is dealt with in the next section, we will briefly
consider here only the experience of Sri Suka.
From SB 12.12.68 and Sridhara Svami s commentary, it is under
stood that Sri Suka's consciousness (cetas) was completely filled
with the bliss of the Self, and for this reason only (tena eva), all other
thoughts and feelings (bhdva) were unequivocally dropped {vyuda-
sta). The word cetas here should be interpreted as consciousness
and not mind, because all thoughts were cast aside. Furthermore,
the word bhdva implies not only thoughts (cognition), but all fluctu
ating states of the body-mind, including feelings (affect) and desires
(conation). So, Sri Suka was established in consciousness of the Self,
or in other words, in perfect identity with the conscious Source in
III Prameya
which even the pure witness self arises. Such was his permanent
condition, and so his is an example of open-eyes samddhi.
The verse goes on to say that Suka's essence (sdra) was his utter
fixity in the bliss of the Self {sva-sukha-gatarh dhairyam). Conse
quently, he could not be moved by thoughts, feelings, or percep
tions. The only thing that could possibly move him would be a
deeper and more profound self-revelation of Consciousness Itself,
superseding the direct apprehension of Atman or Brahman. This
is exactly what occurred in Suka's case. His being drawn out of
his exclusive fixity on the bliss of the Self implies that Bhagavan's
lilds embody a deeper and more profound state of illumination,
superseding even the realization of Self.
On hearing a few select verses from Srimad Bhdgavatam, Sri
Suka directly realized the Reality (Sri Bhagavan) that is identical
with the sound that reveals It. This was direct revelation of the
sambandhi-tattva from a dimension of reality (i.e., consciousness)
that includes and transcends Brahman. Prema also self-manifested
to him at that time, and thus he recognized it directly as the ulti
mate completion (prayojana) of the potential of the self. He also
immediately intuited that the direct turning of consciousness to
Bhagavan in devotional recognition and worship (bhajana) was the

2 0 2
1 Determination of Sambandha, Abhidheya,
and Prayojana

The Transformation of Consciousness of Sri Sukadeva

Anuccheda29

InAnuccheda 9, it was stated that the reality principles of sambandha,

abhidheya, and prayojana could be determined only if a means of
valid knowing could first be ascertained. So, Jiva Gosvami s expo
sition until now has been to establish Srimad Bhdgavatam as bis
pramdna, understood in the sense of sabda. With this step com
pleted, the determination of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana
would appear to be straightforward. It must be noted, however,
that if sabda is interpreted in its weaker sense, as denoting nothing
more than scriptural authority, it would be sufficient to cite any pas
sage of Srimad Bhdgavatam that logically identifies the principles to
be investigated. On that level, the scriptural argument would be
directed merely to the cognitive operation of rational mind, to con
vince rather than elicit direct self-transcending awareness. Such
a view is relevant to the stage of practice prompted primarily by
scriptural injunction, i.e., vaidhi-bhakti.
If, however, sabda is understood in its stronger sense, as imply
ing a transempirical mode of knowing, it would be imperative
for Jiva Gosvami to cite specific examples in which this is clearly
demonstrated. This is precisely what he will now do in presenting
the examples of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa, the original speaker and

2 0 1
 Ill Prameya

the author (or revealer) of the Srimad Bhdgavatam, respectively. In

both the passages he selects, the operation of the supracognitive
mode of knowing is unmistakable. To illustrate this point, since the
experience of Vyasa is dealt with in the next section, we will briefly
consider here only the experience of Sri Suka.
From SB 12.12.68 and Sridhara Svami s commentary, it is under
stood that Sri Suka's consciousness (cetas) was completely filled
with the bliss of the Self, and for this reason only (tena eva), all other
thoughts and feelings (bhdva) were unequivocally dropped {vyuda-
sta). The word cetas here should be interpreted as consciousness
and not mind, because all thoughts were cast aside. Furthermore,
the word bhdva implies not only thoughts (cognition), but all fluctu
ating states of the body-mind, including feelings (affect) and desires
(conation). So, Sri Suka was established in consciousness of the Self,
or in other words, in perfect identity with the conscious Source in
III Prameya
which even the pure witness self arises. Such was his permanent
condition, and so his is an example of open-eyes samddhi.
The verse goes on to say that Suka's essence (sdra) was his utter
fixity in the bliss of the Self {sva-sukha-gatarh dhairyam). Conse
quently, he could not be moved by thoughts, feelings, or percep
tions. The only thing that could possibly move him would be a
deeper and more profound self-revelation of Consciousness Itself,
superseding the direct apprehension of Atman or Brahman. This
is exactly what occurred in Suka's case. His being drawn out of
his exclusive fixity on the bliss of the Self implies that Bhagavan's
lilds embody a deeper and more profound state of illumination,
superseding even the realization of Self.
On hearing a few select verses from Srimad Bhdgavatam, Sri
Suka directly realized the Reality (Sri Bhagavan) that is identical
with the sound that reveals It. This was direct revelation of the
sambandhi-tattva from a dimension of reality (i.e., consciousness)
that includes and transcends Brahman. Prema also self-manifested
to him at that time, and thus he recognized it directly as the ulti
mate completion (prayojana) of the potential of the self. He also
immediately intuited that the direct turning of consciousness to
Bhagavan in devotional recognition and worship (bhajana) was the

2 0 2
 Pramana

few centuries before Jiva. Madhvacarya often quotes from books

that by Sri Jiva s time had already been lost.
In Madhvacarya's time (13^ century ce), there were no printing
presses. He traveled the length and breadth of India collecting scrip
tures and philosophical books and copying them by hand at the var
ious temples and libraries he visited. He was renowned for his pho Anuccheda 29

tographic memory, so when he was not allowed to copy the books

he found, he read them and later reproduced them from memory. Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That
In this way, he amassed an immense library at his headquarters in
of the Self
Udupi, in Karnataka. Some say that his library had no equal. Unfor
tunately, it was destroyed by fire, and many of the books he refers
to in his writings were lost forever. In several places in the Sanda-
rbhas, Srila Jiva Gosvami has to make do with the references from
lost works cited from the books of Madhvacarya. I arer- rcT?irqcrwi

Sri Baladeva comments that Madhvacarya's metaphysical view, «I?? 1^'^) -

known as Tattvavada, is by definition the philosophy that "every
While offering obeisances to the speaker of Srimad Bhdga-
thing is real" (sarvarh vastu satyam iti tattva-vadah). The radical vatam, the significance of which has been elaborated above,
monists say that only Brahman is real, while everything else is a
Suta Gosvami concisely defines its essential message (tdtparya)
manifestation of mdyd. Both, in his writings and in public debates
with the leading Advaitavadis of his time, Madhvacarya soundly by careful examination of the disposition of the heart of the
speaker:
defeated the radical Advaitavada philosophy with his Tattvavada.
By relying on books by Srila Madhvacarya and his eminent
■ WT cirrr
followers as a principal source of evidence, Jiva Gosvami shows
his indebtedness to them. Jiva Gosvami is, however, a follower of
Sri Caitanya, whose teachings differ from those of Madhvacarya
on certain points. In his Sandarbhas, Sri Jiva plans to draw from I offer my obeisances unto Srila Vyasadeva's son, Sri Suka, who
those ideas of Madhvacarya that agree with Sri Krsna Caitanya destroys all sins. Although his consciousness was completely
filled with the bliss of self-realization, and though he had conse
Mahaprabhu's philosophy of acintya-bheda-abheda (the transra-
tional coexistence of distinction that interpenetrates the integrated quently cast off all other feelings and thoughts, his essence (sdra)
was irresistibly drawn by the beautiful pastimes of Lord Ajita,
indivisible Whole). The essential point of difference between the
Krsna. Out of compassion he thus delineated this Purana, which
two views is that Sri Madhvacarya's philosophy is devotional dual
illumines Reality, (sb 12.12.68)^
ism, whereas Sri Caitanya's philosophy is devotional nondualism.
These two overarching views lead to both differences and common
sva-sukha-nibhrta-cetds tad-vyudastany abhdvo
ality on specific doctrinal details. A few points of variance are that
'py ajita-rucira-llldkrsta-sdras tadlyam
Madhvacarya advocates that only brdhmana devotees can attain vyatanuta krpayd yas tattva-dlparfi purdnarh
moksa, the devas are held as the topmost devotees, only Brahma can tarn akhila-vrjina-ghnam vydsa-sunum nato'smi

196 205
 Ill Prameya
fwr^T: ldTc|({lMTl
^ c T ^ S F T t fi N T
Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary: "Suta Gosvami
offers obeisances to his teacher (Sri Suka), whose consciousness
was completely filled only with the bliss of the Self, and who had
consequently cast off all other feelings and thoughts. Yet, even
in that exalted state, his essence was drawn to the enchanting
pastimes of Sri Ajita. The word 'essence' (sura) here refers to his
utter fixity in the bliss of the Self. I offer my obeisances unto
him, who delineated Srimad Bhdgavatam, which illumines the
Supreme Reality."
t^d1^ iM-V' (^o ? I? Ivs)
^ I I Whlrf-
d4i!ld<mRh>«Hd> dc^ril^dUllfdrt^ d^^H^lSrdldldH I aiTfomH-
sfhifrigilT II
Similarly worth examining are the three verses Sri Suka speaks
in the Second Canto that begin with prayena munayo rajan
(sB 2.1.7-9).^ In the verse under discussion (sb 12.12.68), we should
^ prayena munayo rajan nivrttd vidhi-sedhatah
nairgunya-sthd ramante sma gundnukathane hareh
idam bhdgavatarh ndma purdnarh brahma-sammitam
adhitavdn dvdparddau pitur dvaipdyandd aham
parinisthitopi nairgunya uttama-sloka-lilayd
grhlta-cetd rdjarse dkhydnarh yad adhitavd
206
28 The Sources of Reference
II II
zrqT^"^J|c||H I
I I 11 ^ I
Having understood other scriptures along with the Vedas by the
grace of the Lord, and having examined various kinds of scrip
ture in different parts of the country, I shall offer my explana
tion in accordance with what Sri Vyasadeva, who is none other
than the Supreme Lord Narayana, has spoken in Mahdbhdrata
and other works. In this description I will carefully adhere to
his viewpoint. (Bhdrata-tdtparya 2.7-8)^
"^d-^^^NIcldlfdcb^i^dc
The texts we will cite from the works of Sri Madhvacarya will
include portions from such Vedic Srutis as the Catur-veda-sikhd,
Puranic texts from unavailable parts of the Garuda Purdna and
other works, Saihhita texts from the Mahd-samhitd and similar
works, and Tantra texts from the Tantra-bhdgavatam, Brahma-
tarka, and so on.
Commentary
Since SrIla Jiva Gosvami has established Srimad Bhdgavatam as
the supreme pramdna for the purpose of his investigation, it needs
no further validation. Therefore, from this point onward, he will
quote scripture only to support his explanation. He will cite sources
he has read in his own library and elsewhere, and he will also bor
row references from the writings of Sri Madhvacarya, who lived a
^ sdstrdntardni sanjdnan veddntasya prasddatah
dese dese tathd granthdn drstvd caiva prthag-vidhdn
yathd sa bhagavdn vydsah sdksdn ndrdyanah prabhuh
jagdda bhdratddyesu tathd vaksye tad-lksayd
The current edition of Bhdrata-tdtparya (Udupi, 1971) reads veddn ca asya, instead
of veddntasya ("Having understood other scriptures and the Vedas by the grace of
the Lord").
195

Anuccheda 28
The Sources of Reference
28.1
Here, in the Sat Sandarbhas, I will quote from the Vedas,
Puranas, and other such scriptures, just as I have seen them.
1 will quote these passages to verify my own interpretations, not
the statements of SrimadBhagavatam. Some of the verses quoted
here I have not seen in their original texts but have gleaned
from citations in the Bhdgavata-tdtparya, Bhdrata-tdtparya,
Brahma-sutra-bhdsya, and other works by the venerable Sri Ma-
dhvacarya, the prolific teacher of the distinct Vaisnava philoso
phy of Tattvavada. In his line, such disciples and grand-disciples
as Vijayadhvaja Tirtha and Vyasa Tirtha have appeared; very
famous in the south, they are most eminent scholars of the Vedic
literature and its interpretation.
28.2
In Bhdrata-tdtparya, Sri Madhvacarya states:
194
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
understand that the words akhila-vrjina (all inauspicious things)
indicate everything contrary or irrelevant to pure devotion.
Therefore, the subject of this book (samhandhi-tattva) is
Sriman Ajita, who transcends even the ecstasy of Brahman real
ization and is distinguished by His enchanting divine play (lild).
Later, in the context of our discussion of Srila Vyasa s trance, it
will be made clear that in His fullest manifestation, this Sri Ajita
is primarily named Sri Krsna.
Similarly, the ultimate attainment for conscious beings
(purusdrtha), which is known as the stage of final completion
(prayojana-tattva), is the ecstasy of love for Krsna, which leads
to the sort of spiritual attraction for Him that Sri Suka expe
rienced. And thus, our means (ahhidheya) too is specifically
the devotional turning of awareness and all faculties to Him
(bhajana), characterized by such practices as hearing His divine
pastimes. Such engagement effectuates the self-manifestation
of love for Him, as it did in the case of Sri Suka.
The phrase vydsa-sunu (the son of Sri Vyasa) [in sb 12.12.68]
reminds us that, according to the Brahma-vaivarta Purdna, Suka-
deva remained untouched by mdyd from his very birth as a result
of Sri Krsna s benediction.
The verse under discussion was spoken by Sri Suta to Sri
Saunaka.
Commentary
In the preceding anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami compared and
contrasted the Vedas, Vedanta, Itihasas, and Puranas to show that
Srimad Bhdgavatam is the most authoritative pramdna in the mat
ter of the direct knowing of Ultimate Reality. From this point for
ward, it is possible to shift the focus of the investigation to the know-
able (prameya), or in other words, to the truths self-evidently dis
closed from the dimension of direct knowing, coextensive with the
self-disclosure of Srimad Bhdgavatam. In this case, the truths to
be known are sambandha, ahhidheya, and prayojana. That Srimad
207
 Ill Prameya 27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived from Srimad Bhagavatam

Bhagavatam as revealed sound implies a higher perceptual mode of
knowing, and not mere scriptural or canonical authority, is shown
here by citing the example of Sukadeva Gosvami.
As the topics of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana are to be
found throughout the Bhagavatam, Srila Jiva Gosvami could have
cited a passage from just about anywhere in the book to illustrate
Sri Jiva has already established Srimad Bhagavatam as the supreme
authority, and from this point on, he will not deal with any opinions
that contradict it. He makes his policy explicit: He respects the pur
ports of Sridhara insofar as they follow the spirit and intent of the
Srimad Bhagavatam itself. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami remains
true to the Vaisnavism of Srila Sridhara Svami and also to his own

these three topics. Clearly, he had something specific in mind in Gaudiya-sampradaya.

selecting the examples of Sri Suka's transformation in conscious
ness treated in this anuccheda and Srila Vyasadevas samadhi, dealt
with in Anucchedas 30-49. What stands out in both these exam
ples is that the sound-revelation of Srimad Bhagavatam was directly
known, or self-disclosed, to both of them from a transempirical
dimension of knowing. Thus, in its highest sense, sabda-pramana
At the end of this anuccheda, when Jiva Gosvami says that he
is not going to describe the details of the radical nondualistic doc
trine because they are already well known, he implies that Advaita-
vada, though popular, only apparently explains the meaning of the
sdstras and is not really worthy of discussion. He also implies that
he intends to refute it.

implies, or is coextensive with, this supracognitive mode of know Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami describes the sources of evidence other
ing. Furthermore, since the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and than Srimad Bhagavatam that he plans to cite in the Sat Sandarbhas.
prayojana were disclosed to them directly in consciousness, they
were not determined as logical constructs but as immediately aes
thetically felt and known realities. There exists an inherent relation
between the words (sabda) of the Bhagavatam and their meaning
(prameya). Thus, there can be no doubt as to their validity.
So, although this anuccheda marks the beginning of the discus
sion of ontology (prameya, i.e., the knowable), the examples given
serve to reconfirm the significance of the epistemological view thus
far presented. For what is known and to what depth of profundity
it is known is intrinsically related to the means or faculty by which
it is known. The passages chosen by Jiva Gosvami demonstrate the
operation of the self-revealing power of sabda-pramana, as well as
the transempiric mode of knowing in which it is received, as fully
actualized potentials in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa.
Therefore, as stated in Anuccheda 49.3, Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa,
the original speaker and author of Srimad Bhagavatam, respectively,
shared an absolute identity of heart in the matter of the direct know
ing of the essential truths of Srimad Bhagavatam. So, to know these
truths in the higher epistemic sense implied is not simply a mat
ter of correct theoretical or conceptual understanding; rather, they
must be known in perfect accord with the heart of the author and

208 193
 II Pramana
Some of Sankara s followers developed an interest in Srimad Bhdga-
vatam after reading his devotional poems based on the Bhagavatam,
but they still maintained their overall non-theistic outlook. To
attract these sannydsis toward the path of devotion, Sridhara Svami
wrote a mixed commentary on the spotless Purdna. Just as a fish
erman uses bait to catch fish, occasionally Sridhara Svami would
present monistic opinions about some Bhdgavatam verses in order
to attract the Advaitavadis who were drawn to read the Bhdgavatam.
This was merely part of his teaching strategy; it doesnt make him
an Advaitavadi.
Nevertheless, although Jiva Gosvami understands Sridhara
Svami s motives, in the Sandarbhas he chooses not to cite the rad
ical nondualistic explanations found in the Bhdvdrtha-dipikd. In
fact, throughout the Sandarbhas, Srila Jiva Gosvami takes every
opportunity to dismantle the Advaitavada view. Clearly, he does
not consider the Advaitavadis his primary audience, as Sridhara
Svami must have when he wrote his commentary. Jiva Gosvami s
intended audience is apparent from his declaration in Anuccheda 6
of the Tattva Sandarbha, where he says that no one who is averse to
serving Sri Krsna s lotus feet should read this book.
Jiva Gosvamis intended audience are those persons already
on the path of unconditional devotion to Sri Krsna, or who are
at least open to its consideration. Naturally, therefore, he says
here that he will quote Sridhara Svami s explanations "only when
they accord with the conclusions of pure Vaisnavism." This state
ment has caused some modern scholars to criticize Jiva Gosvami
for not respecting the liberal sentiments of Sri Caitanya Mahapra-
bhu, but this criticism arises from a superficial understanding of
Sri Caitanya s real attitude.
Sridhara Svami was not a radical monist, although he did
present a monistic slant to some parts of his Bhdgavatam commen
tary. Taking into consideration the reason why Sridhara Svami
included such views in his Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, why should Srila Jiva
Gosvami, in an entirely different work meant for an entirely differ
ent audience, cite those explanations that oppose the true conclu
sion of the Bhdgavatam and even Sridhara Svami's own convictions?
192
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
speaker, as immediately intuited realities. This also confirms that
sabda is perceptual in character and is based upon, or coextensive
with, the divine perception (vaidusa-pratyaksa) of God or a realized
person.
In Jiva Gosvami s prefatory statement to Anuccheda 29.1, he says
that in the verse quoted (sb 12.12.68), Suta Gosvami defines the
essential message (tdtparya) of Srimad Bhdgavatam by careful exam
ination of the disposition of the heart of its speaker. The essential
message of Srimad Bhdgavatam here refers to the self-disclosure
of its own truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. The two
questions that naturally arise here are, "what was the disposition of
heart of the speaker, Sri Suka?" and "how does the suchness' of his
heart (i.e., consciousness) self-evidently disclose the true nature of
sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana?"
In answer to the first question, it must be pointed out that the
verse refers to two distinct levels of awakening operative in Sri
Suka — one prior to hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam and the other after
its reception in consciousness. His prior condition was that of utter
fixity in the true Self and in the bliss that such awareness implicitly
entails. To leave no doubt in our minds that his condition was fully
transcendental, beyond any trace of conditional self-reference, the
verse also states he had consequently given up all other fluctuat
ing states of the body-mind complex, including thoughts, affects,
and desires. This was direct realization of, or identity with, Atman
or Brahman. Such too was his permanent or natural condition,
meaning that whatever was perceived or cognized by him was
known directly in the openness of consciousness. For this reason,
he is described by the following adjectival phrases: "who perceives
everything as equal, without any qualitative distinction" (sama-drh
nirvikalpakah, sb 1.4.4) and "whose vision is pure and hence beyond
the distinction of gender" (vivikta-drsteh, sb 1.4.5).
We learn elsewhere^ that Sukadeva was self-realized even while
in the womb. Indeed, he was so absorbed in the bliss of Brahman
^ Srila Jiva Gosvami informs us that this description is found in the
Brahma-vaivarta Purdna. We have not been able to find it, however, in any of the
printed versions of this Purana.
209
 Ill Prameya
that he wanted to stay there to avoid being distracted by Maya. He
left the womb only when Sri Krsna personally came to him and
assured him that Maya would not capture him. Being established
in this liberated state, one might well imagine that he had arrived
at the final destination. Certainly it was impossible for him to be
drawn out of this state by any phenomenal experience. Nonethe
less, the verse goes on to say that his essence (sdra) was irresistibly
drawn by the beautiful pastimes of Sri Ajita, Krsna, as disclosed by
Srimad Bhagavatam.
As we learn from Chapter 7 of Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto,
as well as sb 1.2.2, and from the texts that Srila Jiva Gosvami will
quote below, as soon as Sukadeva took birth, he left his father s
hermitage for the forest. Later, when he heard a few of Vyasa-
devas disciples reciting selected Bhagavatam verses, his conscious
ness became so enthralled that he abandoned his impersonal medi
tation on Brahman and began studying the Bhagavatam under his
great father. This extraordinary event was not prompted by an
initial shift in conceptual understanding, because Sukadeva was
already beyond all reflective ideation. Rather, a new conceptual
view ensued as a consequence of the direct transformation in con
sciousness that occurred through the self-revelation of Bhagavan in
the form of Srimad Bhagavatam. This new disclosure from a deeper
dimension of being was the awakening to the post-liberated sta
tus, beyond identity in Brahman. This transformative potential of
the words of the Bhagavatam is stated by Vyasa Himself in the very
beginning of the book:
As soon as a person free of any offenses (krtibhih) simply wishes
to hear the Bhagavatam, the Absolute Reality becomes manifest
within his heart immediately, (sb 1.1.2)
From the analysis of the disposition of Sukadeva s heart, there
fore, it can be definitely concluded that his being drawn out of the
liberated state could only be possible if the post-liberated condi
tion was oriented to a more substantial and all-encompassing Real
ity, namely Bhagavan. Despite all this, however, some radical non-
dualists (Advaitavadis) insist that because Srila Sukadeva Gosvami
2 1 0
27 Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived from Srimad Bhagavatam
are called visaya-vdkya (the statements to be discussed). In the
Sandarbhas, the introductory statements are like the sutras in the
Vedanta-sutra, the statements of Srimad Bhagavatam constitute the
subject to be analyzed, and Srila Jiva Gosvami s comments on the
Bhagavatam's statements are like the commentary (hhdsya) on the
sutras. Jiva Gosvami also indicates that his explanations are not
his personal opinion or products of his imagination. He presented
the principles of the Bhdgavatam supported by the opinions of the
previous Vaisnava dcdryas, such as Ramanujacarya and Sridhara
Svami.
Although Sridhara Svami accepted the renounced order of life
in Sankaras sampraddya, which opposes the ontological realism of
Bhagavan that is the cornerstone of theistic Vedanta, his commen
taries on Srimad Bhdgavatam, Bhagavad Gitd, and Visnu Purdna make
it obvious that he was a great Vaisnava. He clearly states in his
commentaries that Bhagavans form, qualities, abode, associates,
and names are all transcendental and eternal, and that devotion
to Bhagavan continues even after liberation. These key philosoph
ical points stand in opposition to radical nondualism and reveal
Sridhara Svami s true stance.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also accepted sannydsa in Sankaras
line, but from the beginning. His teachings refuted the Advaita-
vada doctrine. Hence, Sri Caitanya's great respect for Sridhara
Svami and his Bhdgavatam commentary is proof enough that Sri
dhara Svami was not an Advaitavada sannydsi at heart any more
than Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was. Because Advaitavadis deny
the essential reality of Bhagavan as He is in His own existence, Cai
tanya Mahaprabhu considered all of them to be offenders at the
lotus feet of Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute, and yet. He
would not tolerate even mild or indirect criticism of Srila Sridhara
Svami. We can also be certain that Jiva Gosvami, as a loyal follower
of Sri Caitanya, held Sridhara Svami s Bhdgavatam commentary,
Bhdvdrtha-dipikd, in high esteem. Thus, Srila Jiva Gosvami refers to
Sridhara as parama-vaisnava, a devotee of the highest order.
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains why Sridhara
Svami inserted some Advaitavada ideas into Bhdvdrtha-dipikd.
191
 II Pramana
27.2
Sometimes we shall follow the views Sridhara Svami has stated
in writings other than his Bhdgavatam commentary. In other
cases, we shall base our explanations on the authoritative
opinions of the venerable Sri Ramanujacarya Bhagavatpada,
expressed in such works as Srl-bhasya. He is the renowned
leader of the Vaisnavas of the Sri-sampradaya, which origi
nated directly from Goddess Laksmi. These great devotees are
famous throughout India's southern region (Dravida-desa) and
elsewhere.
Srimad Bhdgavatam itself states that they are well known
as devotees of Visnu in the south: "0 King, a few Vaisnavas
can be seen here and there in this age, but they can be found
in abundance in the land of Dravida" (sb 11.5.39).'
We shall also proffer alternative explanations [from those
mentioned above] as per the intrinsic intent of the original book
[i.e., the Bhdgavata Parana].
Since the concepts of Advaitavada are already well known, we
shall not discuss them at length.
Commentary
Here, SrIla JivA GosvamI explains his method of analyzing
Srimad Bhdgavatam. He plans to follow a format similar to the one
Srila Vyasadeva uses in the Veddnta-sutra. The Veddnta-sutra is
divided into adhikaranas (topics). Each adhikarana is based upon
certain statements from the Upanisads. The Upanisadic statements
^ kvacit kvacin mahdrdja dravidesu ca bhurisah
190
29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self
was established in impersonal Brahman realization even before his
birth, he must have remained fixed in this ideal. Therefore, they
conclude, Srimad Bhdgavatam in fact promotes impersonalism. The
prayer of Suta Gosvami quoted here refutes this belief.
This brings us to the second point. Once Sukadeva Gosvami s
transformation in consciousness is rightly understood, the essen
tial truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana become self-
evident. Sri Suka s immediate knowing of Bhagavan as including
and transcending Brahman was direct revelation of the sambandhi-
tattva, the subject to be realized. The overpowering spiritual attrac
tion for Bhagavan that self-manifested from within his heart was
revelation of the ultimate goal (prayojana) as prema. Since this con
dition was effected in him by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam, he again
directly realized that such practices, involving the whole-bodied
turning of awareness"^ toward Bhagavan (i.e., bhajana), were the
means of ultimate attainment (abhidheya).
In the case of Sukadeva Gosvami, these truths were inevitable
conclusions drawn from his grounding in direct experience, mean
ing that his experience was primary. So these truths were not oper
ative in the sense of theoretical constructs, leading him into such
experience. For sddhakas (practitioners) following in his footsteps,
however, clarification and enlargement of metaphysical view sup
ports the shift in consciousness to direct knowing. Ultimately, any
one can achieve the same realization through submission of con
sciousness to the Bhdgavata s truth revelation. This is the meaning
of its being the pramdna in the matter of the direct knowing of the
Supreme Reality.
It should be noted here that the principles of sambandha, abhi
dheya, and prayojana are intrinsically related, and as such the exis
tential status or the degree of inherent aesthetic value of the means
and goal are exactly proportional to that of the subject. This means,
first of all, that when the subject (i.e., the Real) is ascertained, the
The v^hole-bodied turning of awareness implies a devotional turning of
consciousness that is inclusive of all these modes of awareness. It is a complete
turning toward Bhagavan with the body, the vital force, the mind, feeling, and
intellect, all grounded in the self's own root submission.
211
 II Prameya

means of its attainment and the goal to be attained in relation to it

follow as a natural consequence. For example, if the ultimate Real
is determined to be Brahman, then the goal in relation to It can
be nothing other than identity in Brahman (brahma-sayujya), and
the means, therefore, can only be the direct intuition of the self as
identical to Brahman (i.e., the path of Jndna). If, however, the ulti Anuccheda 27
mate Real is determined to be Bhagavan, then the goal in relation
to Him is transcendental love (prema), and the means is the direct Theoretical Formulations to Be Derived
turning of awareness and all faculties to Him in devotional worship
(i.e., the path of bhakti). Similarly, if we examine any other path,
from Srimad Bhagavatam
such as karma or yoga, the intrinsic connection between sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana is inevitable.
From the above analysis of Sri Sukas transformation in con
sciousness, it was concluded that Bhagavan includes and tran
scends Brahman. So although they are identical in essence, it has
to be said that Bhagavan exceeds Brahman in vastitude, complete gcimwT I g ynifd oijiLdH^dcuRnl ^
ness, substantiality, beauty, and bliss. It is in this sense that we say
that Bhagavans degree of inherent aesthetic value or ontological
completion exceeds that of Brahman. As a further clarification of
So IT IS THAT WE SHALL FOCUS OUT investigation specifically on
the topic, it may be relevant to specify exactly what is meant here
Srimad Bhdgavatam to determine, free from any inconsistency
by inherent aesthetic value and to distinguish it from the idea of between preceding and following statements, the ultimate value
ontological completion. for human beings. In these Six Sandarbhas, the statements with
Absolute Reality is inherently self-endowed with value (artha). which we introduce our explanation of the Bhdgavatam verses
It is not simply that value belongs to the complete personal Absolute, will serve as the sutras, the Bhdgavatam verses themselves will
Bhagavan, but it inheres in Him as His very nature. He is identical serve as the scriptural text to be analyzed, and the commentary
with value and hence is sometimes implicitly indicated by the word on the verses will be the explanations of those verses given by
artha, as in the second of the four seed verses of Srimad Bhdgavatam the great Vaisnava Sridhara Svami. Sometimes he inserted rad
(sB 2.9.33). In addition, the value with which He is coextensive is of ical nondualistic (Advaitavada) conceptions into his writings
the highest possible intensity, meaning the ultimate degree of com to immerse the non-theists, who are now quite prevalent, espe
pletion (param-artham). And although He is immutable (avyaya). cially in central India, in the glories of the Personal Absolute,
His completion ever unfolds in infinitely new waves of possibility.
Bhagavan. When Sridhara Svami s commentary accords with
His inherent value is not only of the nature of being and exis the conclusions of pure Vaisnavism, we shall quote it verbatim.
tence (sat), as well as truth and consciousness (cit), but also and
most significantly of the nature of beauty and bliss (dnanda). In
this sense, it is quite fitting to describe Absolute Reality's inherent
value as being primarily aesthetic in nature. Furthermore, when we

2 1 2 189
 29 Realization of Bhagavan Supersedes That of the Self

speak of Bhagavan s aesthetic value, we are referring to something

transphenomenal in nature {aprdkrta), and hence, it is identical
with His own intrinsic force (svarupa-sakti), It is only the Absolute
that is found to embody the ultimate degree of inherent aesthetic
value, both in kind and measure. So the degree of inherent aes
thetic value can be spoken of as the highest possible criterion by
which the Absolute can be evaluated. On this assessment, Bhaga
van is found to far exceed Brahman, because Brahman, as defined in
Advaitavada, is essentially Bhagavan divested of His own intrinsic
force, which is to say Bhagavan deprived of His inherent aesthetic
value.

The degree of ontological completion is primarily a measure of

being (sat). Similarly, existential status is essentially in relation to
being. The degree of truth-revelation, on the other hand, is chiefly
a measure of consciousness (cit). In contra-distinction to these, the
completeness of aesthetic value is a measure of beauty and bliss
(dnanda). Moreover, the dnanda potency being referred to is one
that naturally encompasses both being and consciousness within
its fold. It is in this sense too that the completeness of aesthetic
value (artha-purnatd) can be held as the most comprehensive mea
sure of the Absolute. In terms of this discussion, it could be said that
it was the profusion of Bhagavans inherent aesthetic value, self-
revealed through Srlmad Bhdgavatam, that drew Sri Suka out of his
absorption in Brahman and established him in prema for Bhagavan.
So from the internal connectedness of sambandha, abhidheya,
and prayojana discussed earlier, it must therefore be concluded that
the means that discloses Bhagavan (i.e., bhakti) carries greater com
pletion than that which discloses Brahman (i.e., jndna). Similarly,
the goal in relation to Bhagavan (i.e., prema) must carry greater
aesthetic value than the goal in relation to Brahman (i.e., brahma-
sayujya). Indeed, Suta's prayer makes it evident that the bliss of
transcendental devotion to Bhagavan surpasses all other kinds of
bliss, including that experienced through perfect identity in Brah
man. In the Second Canto, Sukadeva Gosvami himself confirms the
superiority of the bliss of bhakti:

213
 Prameya

O King Pariksit, those sages who are beyond the rules and prohibi
tions of scripture and situated on the nirguna platform, free from
material influence, generally relish reciting the virtues of Sri Hari.
At the end of Dvaparayuga, I studied the Purana known as Srimad
Bhdgavatam, which is equal to the Vedas, from my father, Srila
Dvaipayana Vyasadeva. 0 sage among kings, although I was firmly
situated in Brahman, which is beyond the three gunas of primor Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas
dial nature, my consciousness became captivated by the enchant
ing pastimes of the glorious Lord. Therefore, I studied this Purana.
(sB 2.1.7-9)^ Anucchedas 27-28

This incident from Sukadevas life demonstrates the wonderful

potency of Srimad Bhdgavatam — that it was able to captivate the
heart of a Brahman-realized sage.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins analyzing the
heart of Srila Vyasadeva.
This brief section, consisting of just two short anucchedas, is imper
ative for understanding Srila Jiva Gosvami s strategy for analyz
ing Srimad Bhdgavatam, which he has already established as his
pramdna in the matter of the self-disclosure of Ultimate Reality.
It informs us of the manner by which the author has arrived at
his conclusions throughout the Sat Sandarbhas, The specific meth
ods employed by him in this work serve to further validate his
assertions. If Jiva Gosvami s schema is born in mind as we pro
ceed through all six volumes of his anthology, what emerges is a
systematic self-revelation of the methaphysics of the Bhdgavata.
This master plan is evidently what Jiva Gosvami had in mind, and
the methodology stated here is the set of techniques by which he
intends to bring this vision into clear view.

® prdyena munayo rdjan nivrttd vidhi-sedhatah

nairgunya-sthd ramante sma gundnukathane hareh

idaifi bhdgavatam ndma purdnam brahma-sammitam
adhltavdn dvdparddau pitur dvaipayandd aham
parinisthitopi nairgunya uttama-sloka-lilayd
grhlta-cetd rdjarse dkhydnam yad adhitavdn

214 187
The Supracognitive Samadhi of Vyasa

Anucchedas 30-49

Because this division deals with the samadhi of Vyasa, it implicitly

denotes a transmental mode of knowing. In fact, samadhi, as out
lined in the classical yoga system of Patanjali, is the precise term
given to designate the supracognitive state. Thus, samadhi implies
not only an additional faculty of knowing, distinct from perception
and inference, but a dimension of knowing that is direct and hence
undoubtable. It is not arrived at through perceptions of objects or
the inferences drawn from them. Neither is it mediated through
cognitions. It is unmediated knowing, or knowing through iden
tity. Whatever is disclosed in that state is known not in the way
of conceptual understanding but as direct feeling-awareness of,
or identity with, what is known. So, as in the case of Sri Suka,
Srila Vyasa s apprehension of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana
was a self-disclosure of Consciousness Itself, from the transempir-
ical dimension of knowing. The elaboration of these principles,
self-manifested to Vyasa, is the subject of extended analysis in the
following division.

215
Anuccheda 30

ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva

in Unmediated Gnosis

(^Tro?i\siv-i)-

Again, Sri Suta Gosvami concisely defines the Bhagavatam's

essential message (tatparya) in precisely the same terms, this
time by examining the supracognitive trance (samadhi) of its
author, Srila Vyasadeva. Prior to the writing of Srimad Bhdgava-
tam, the Ultimate Truth that it intends to elucidate was directly
experienced by Vyasadeva in this state of samadhi, as expressed
in the following verses:

II jj

dc^d II II

U#|cTTl||J|c|d1>cdH5b«J dIoHvdH I
Pi<^rdR<d II ?o<: n

In His pure heart, which was established in perfect fixity

through the yoga of unalloyed devotion. He saw the original

217
 Ill Prameya

Complete Person {purusarh purnam) along with His extrinsic

potency, mdyd, which was apart from and yet supported by
H i m .

Bewildered by this extrinsic potency, the individual self,

although transcendental to the three gunas of primordial
nature, thinks of itself as consisting of the three gunas and thus
undergoes the misery resulting from this identification.

Srila Vyasadeva also saw that the yoga of unalloyed devotion to

Bhagavan, who is beyond sense-perception, is the direct means
to extinguish this misery. Knowing all this, the wise Vyasa
deva composed this Satvata-sarhhitd [Srlmad Bhdgavatam] for
the people in general who are unaware of this fact.

Indeed, in the very act of receptively and attentively hearing this

Srlmad Bhdgavatam, hhakti to Sri Krsna, the Supreme Person,
self-manifests in a persons heart, dispelling lamentation, illu
sion, and fear. [Bhakti here refers to devotion in its completional
stage, as prema, see Anuccheda 47-1-]
After composing and revising Srlmad Bhdgavatam, Srila Vyasa
deva taught it to His son, the great sage Sri Sukadeva Gosvami,
who delighted in the state of utter non-attachment, (sb 1.7.4-8)^

30.2

^ ("mo ^ i\91%) —

Saunaka Rsi then inquires:

^ bhakti-yogena manasi samyak pranihite'male

apasyat purusarh purnarh mdydrh ca tad-apdsrayam
yayd sammohitojiva dtmdnarh tri-gundtmakam
paro'pi manute'nartharh tat-krtarh cdbhipadyate
anarthopasamarn sdksdd bhakti-yogam adhoksaje
lokasydjdnato vidvdrhs cakre sdtvata-sarhhitdm
yasydrh vai sruyamdndydrh krsne parama-puruse
bhaktir utpadyate purhsah soka-moha-bhaydpahd
sa sarhhitdrh bhdgavatirh krtvdnukramya cdtma-jam
sukam adhydpaydm dsa nivrtti-niratarh munih

218

Anuccheda 33
Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
?? I emrngtwHiWr ^
For His part, Sri Bhagavan cannot withdraw His favor from
Maya, whom He has delegated as the controlling agent of the
material creation and who has been His devotee from time with
out beginning. Still, He wills that the jivas direct their awareness
[attention, feeling, and action] toward Him [sva-sdmmukhya],
even if they happen to do so out of fear of Maya. Therefore, He
instructs them in Bhagavad Gitd:
TTTTwrr^<c^iii 1
HMiildiii ii
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three gunas of pri
mordial nature, is certainly difficult to overcome. Yet, those
who have become fully and exclusively sheltered in Me are able
to cross beyond it. (gIta 7.14)^
daivl hy esd guna-mayi mama mdyd duratyayd
mdm eva ye prapadyante mdydm etdrh taranti te
246
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
II W II
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami delighted in the state of utter non-
attachment and was thus indifferent toward everjrthing. He
was a sage enraptured in the Self alone, so why did he take the
trouble to undergo the study of such a vast book? (sb 1.7.9)^
^ ^ (^o ^ |\9 —
Suta Gosvami replies:
II II
^"^jJuiif^LclHld Ajlcl^ <si|<:^<|<L|Pl: I
II II
The sages, though freed from the knot of egoic identity, and
though delighting in the Self alone, engage in causeless devo
tion to Sri Krsna, the majestic player (Urukrama). Such are the
entrancing qualities of Sri Hari (Krsna). His consciousness cap
tivated by Lord Hari's qualities, Sukadeva, the powerful son of
Vyasadeva and ever-beloved of the Lord s devotees, underwent
the study of this great book, Srimad Bhdgavatam. (sb 1.7.10-11)®
vrrr^
(moqi^kd)
The phrase bhakti-yogena (through the yoga of unalloyed devo
tion) [in SB 1.7.4] means "through transcendental love of God,"
because it is well established in the following statement [that the
^ sa vai nivrtti-niratah sarvatropeksako munih
kasya vd brhatlm etdm dtmdrdmah samabhyasat
^ dtmdrdmds ca munayo nirgranthd apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaituklrh bhaktim ittham-bhuta-guno harih
barer gundksipta-matir bhagavdn bddardyanih
adhyagdn mahad dkhydnarh nityarh visnu-jana-priyah
219
 Ill Prameya
compound bhakti-yoga means prema]: "My dear King, the Sup
reme Person, Mukunda, sometimes grants liberation to those
engaged in His worship, but He rarely grants bhakti-yoga, pure
love for Him" (sb s.e.is).'*
The word pranihite (fixed) means "established in supracognitive
trance {samadhi)" This is corroborated by the fact that Narada
Muni had previously instructed Vyasadeva, "You are to experi
ence the supramundane pastimes of Sri Krsna in the state of
samadhr (sb 1.5.13).®
The word purna (complete) when understood in its full, unre
stricted sense [indicates Svayarii Bhagavan, Sri Krsna], since
this conclusion is validated by the following statement of Padma
Purdna: "The words bhagavan and purusa, when free from lim
iting modifiers (upadhis), refer to Sri Vasudeva [Krsna], the
Supreme Self of all" (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 226.68).®
crm (^oRi^iv^o) —
The same conclusion is drawn from the following two verses:
astv evam anga bhagavan bhajatdm mukundo
muktirh dadati karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
samadhinanusmara tad-vicestitam
bhagavan iti sabdo'yam tathd purusa ity api
vartate nirupadhis ca vasudeve'khilatmani
2 2 0
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
capacity to know Bhagavan is made possible, like the illumination
that is enabled when a light bulb is connected to a power source.
This is why the jlva is described as an eternal servant of
Krsna, "nityah krsna-ddsah." When conditioned, the jlva's con
stitutional eternal servitorship (dasatva) remains in a potential
state. This potential is actualized when Krsnas intrinsic potency
descends to the jiva, dissolving the empirical conditioning through
unconditional devotion.
In the conditioned state, however, the jiva misdirects root atten
tion into phenomenal identity and appearance. Thus, the self s
instruments of knowing — the mind and senses — are misapplied
in service of a separative ego point of reference. In this condition,
the self s inherent potential of consciousness to be devotionally
whole-bodily attuned to its Source remains undiscovered, causing
the jiva to suffer.
But when the jiva redirects the mind and senses to repose in
their conscious Source, effected through the transmutational power
of sadhana-bhakti, then through the descent or pervasion of divine
power, the self's true potential becomes actualized. If one perse
veres on the path ofhhakti, he becomes aware of his original identity
and is established in the unending bliss of prema-bhakti. In Paramd-
tma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 19-47). Srila Jiva GosvamI discusses this
and other aspects of the jiva s nature in greater detail.
One may ask why the all-powerful Bhagavan does not stop
Maya from bewildering the jiva. Srila Jiva Gosvami addresses this
question in the next anuccheda.
245
 Ill Prameya
Beginningless karmic imprinting and patterning is the nature of
the bondage of the beginningless jiva.
Srila Jiva Gosvami will explain all this in greater detail in Para-
mdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 47). He will show that, according to
the precise criteria pertaining to definitions in the nydya system
of logic, the word anddi is to be taken literally. We should note,
however, that the subject at hand transcends conventional logical
faculties. Srimad Bhdgavatam confirms:
The living entity, who is transcendental and liberated, is yet
subject to misery and bondage. Such indeed is Bhagavan's extrinsic
potency (mdyd), which defies logic, (sb 3.7.9)^
We are advised not to employ empirical logic to comprehend the
beginningless bondage of the jiva. Rather, through open receptivity
to the verdict of sdstra, accompanied by profound contemplation on
the truth therein disclosed, there arises immediate intuitive insight
of this enigma. This is the way of the self-disclosure of sastric truth,
and it is, therefore, the means to resolve this riddle of beginning
less bondage. To not avail of this transempirical mode of knowing is
to risk failure in completing life's essential purpose. Bhagavad Gltd
c o n fi r m s :
One who rejects sdstra attains neither completion, nor content
ment, nor the supreme destination, (gita 16.23)^°
Although the jiva is beginninglessly deluded, it eternally retains
the inherent capacity to know Bhagavan. This capacity is an unactu-
alized potential, comparable to the illuminating power of an unused
light bulb. Even when unused, a light bulb retains the capacity to
illuminate, but cannot do so until connected to a power source. Sim
ilarly, the conditioned jiva's capacity to know Bhagavan is unactual-
ized, but is ever present as an inherent potential of consciousness
itself. When consciousness is attuned to its Source, the inherent
^ seyarh bhagavato mdyd yan nayena virudhyate
Isvarasya vimuktasya kdrpanyam uta bandhanam
na sa siddhim avdpnoti na sukham na pardrh gatim
244
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
II II
One who seeks gratification of desire should worship the pre
siding deity of the moon, whereas one who is without material
desire should worship the Supreme Person (param purusam).
A person of discriminating insight, whether desireless, full
of desire, or desiring liberation, should worship the Supreme
Person (param purusam) with fervent devotion, (sb 2.3.9-10)^
cllcKl^ilW M^4c||CK| "-5^""5^
In his commentary, Srila Sridhara Svami states that the word
purusa in the first of these two verses indicates Paramatma, the
Supreme Self immanent within all beings and the cosmos, whose
upadhi (apparently limiting qualification) is primordial nature
(prakrti). The same word in the second verse, however, indicates
the Complete Person (Purna Purusa), who is free from all upadhis.
Thus, according to Sridhara Svami, the phrase purna-purusah
[in SB 1.7.4, quoted in Anuccheda 30.1] refers specifically to the
original Complete Person (Svayaih Bhagavan).
Commentary
This section, dealing with the samddhi of Vyasa, exactly paral
lels the previous anuccheda. Whereas the previous section was
concerning the determination of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana from the perspective of the transphenomenal experience of
the original speaker of Srimad Bhdgavatam, this section deals with
the same determination but from the supracognitive experience
of the author. What the two experiences share in common is that
they both involved direct knowing from a state of higher cognitive
^ kdma-kdmo yajet somam akdmah purusam param
akdmah sarva-kdmo vd moksa-kdma uddra-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param
2 2 1
 Ill Prameya
awareness. Even though the section dealing with Sri Suka is cov
ered in just one verse and one anuccheda, whereas the section on
Vyasa covers five verses in twenty anucchedas, the two experiences
are essentially of the same value and confirm the exact same truth.
By presenting the experience of both the speaker and author of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, Jiva GosvamI offers a full circle view of both
the essential truths of Srimad Bhdgavatam and the precise mode
in which they are to be known. This also demonstrates that the
experience of the author is verifiable, and this is what affirms the
Bhdgavatam as the pramdna in the matter of the subjective Real
ity whose nature is transphenomenal and inconceivable, alaukika-
acintya-svabhdva-vastu, as referred to in Anuccheda 9.
By employing the adjective "subjective" here as a qualifier of
Reality, it should not be taken to mean that Reality itself is sub
jective, in the sense of that which is merely arbitrary or mentally
perceived to be the case, because how could it then be determined
as real? Rather, the adjective implies that Reality is the supreme
Subject, purely of the nature of consciousness. In addition, it is
subjectivity itself, or the source condition that is inclusive of, and
makes possible, the powers of cognition, will, affect, experience,
and action. "Subjective" further implies that the Supreme Reality is
not objective, because it can never be reduced to an object of percep
tion or thought (a percept or a precept). Consequently, it is beyond
the conventional range of subjectivity of the human mind. It is,
however, knowable through pure subjectivity, through the higher
cognitive mode of knowing made possible only through its own self-
revelation, as seen in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasadeva.
Jiva Gosvami introduces this section by saying that the essen
tial message of Srimad Bhdgavatam is defined again in precisely the
same terms, this time by examining the supracognitive trance of
Srila Vyasadeva. This again refers to the determination of samha-
ndha, abhidheya, and prayojana. So what was known as well as
the transperceptual means by which it was known, were in perfect
correspondence in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa.
Jiva Gosvami further states that the Ultimate Truth that Srimad
Bhdgavatam intends to elucidate was directly experienced by
2 2 2
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
Visvanatha is employing the nydya principle that the qualities or
potencies of anddi substances are also anddi. Naturally, a begin-
ningless substance or entity cannot have a prior state of existence,
for it could not be said to be beginningless. In this case, the sub
jects — primordial nature and the jivas — are understood as anddi,
and thus their shared quality of apparent separation from Krsna, is
also anddi
In fact, in the beginning of his comment on the Gitd verse, Vis
vanatha says, "In this verse, Sri Krsna is answering two questions —
why or how did the conjunction of the jiva and mdyd occur? And
when did it occur?" He says that both of these are answered by
the word anddi. In regard to the first question, anddi implies na
vidyate ddi kdranam yayoh, "the conjunction of mdyd and the jiva
is without prior cause" [and hence there is in fact no "why" as to
how it occurred]. The answer to the second question — when? — is
also anddi It has no beginning, and hence, it did not occur at any
moment in time.
Baladeva Vidyabhusana, commenting on this same verse,
writes, "In this way, the conjunction between primordial nature
and the living being, who have distinct natures and are both begin
ningless, relates to a period of time that is without beginning."®
He uses the adjectival compound anadi-kalikatva, "a period of time
without beginning," to qualify the phrase prakrti-jivayoh samsargah,
the conjunction of the jiva with prakrtl
From this we understand that the jivas and primordial nature
are both eternal, although sometimes manifest and sometimes
wound up within Mahavisnu. Being eternal, they are beginning-
less, and the nature of their conjunction is also beginningless. Just
as there was no prior state of existence for material nature, there
was also no prior condition of existence for the bound jivas. The com
mon example given is that of a spider, which expands its energy in
the form of its web and sometimes withdraws the web back into
its body. Similarly, primordial nature and the bound jivas are man
ifested and unmanifested in a cycle that is anddi, beginningless.
® evarh mitho vivikta-svabhdvayor anddyoh prakrti-jivayoh
sarhsargasydnddi-kalikatvam.
243
 II Prameya
Supreme Lord, due to beginningless ignorance. She thus covers the
knowledge of the jivas' true ontological identity and binds them to
empiric identification. Maya s principal functions are to punish and
rectify the jivas who have turned away from Bhagavan. Her motive
is not to inflict suffering, but to encourage the ignorant jivas to
seek rectification by inquiring into transcendental knowledge. Sri
Krsna therefore says in GiTA4.37 that transcendental knowledge
burns all the bonds of karma in the same way that fire burns fuel,
because once a person attains transcendental knowledge, Maya
need no longer restrain him.
According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, mdyas conditioning of the jiva
has no beginning; it is anadi. Although statements such as, "she cov
ers the real nature of the jiva" seemingly imply a beginning, in fact
there is no beginning to the jiva s bondage. Sri Krsna confirms this:
Primordial nature and the living beings should both be understood
to be beginningless. Their transformations and the gunas of nature
are phenomenal arisings out of primordial nature, (gita 13.20)^
Commenting on this verse, both Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
and Baladeva Vidyabhusana confirm that the conditioning of the
jiva is beginningless. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura states:
"[Sri Bhagavan says] 'Because both may a and the jiva are My poten
cies, they both are beginningless. Thus their conjunction is also
without beginning.' This is the sense of Sri Krsnas words.Here
capacity to know — whether through bodily awareness, vital feeling, emotional
sensitivity, cognitive perception, logical inference, intellectual determination, or
immediate intuition. In the conditioned state, the self's root attention is
misdirected (vimukhya) away from its conscious Source, Bhagavan, becoming f-
identified with and as the phenomenal self. When this occurs, the self's
subsidiary modes of knowing become involved with their corresponding objects,
be they external phenomena or internal states. The solution to this dilemma
involves the inverse process (sdmukhya). Attention, whether it be bodily, vital,
emotional, mental, or intellectual, should be traced back to its root, the inherent
knowing capacity of the self, and that capacity should be redirected toward its
conscious Source, Bhagavan.
^ prakrtiih purusam caiva viddhy anadi ubhav apt
vikdrdms ca gundms caiva viddhi prakrti-sambhavdn
^ mdya-jivayor api mac-chaktitvena andditvdt tayoh sarfisleso'py anddir iti bhdvah.
242
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
Vyasadeva in this state of samadhi. This again confirms that Srimad
Bhdgavatam was self-revealed to Srila Vyasa in the state of pure
consciousness, prior to His compilation of the text. To fathom the
meaning of a book as profound as Srimad Bhdgavatam, it is crucial
to understand the author s experience and His internal faith struc
ture, meaning the vision of life in which He is grounded. These two
factors guide His writing, and, as in this case, if the subsequent
speaker of the book shares the author s faith and experience, then
the author s ideas will be accurately conveyed.
To understand the mind or heart of Srila Vyasadeva, Srila Jiva
Cosvami analyzes Vyasas trance, which is the source of Srimad
Bhdgavatam and reveals its essential idea. With this analysis accom
plished, Jiva makes it the basis for his explanation of the whole
Bhdgavatam. He therefore used twenty anucchedas of the Tattva
Sandarhha (30-49) just to explore the inner purpose of Srila Vyasa-
devas heart and to show how Sukadeva Cosvami s heart perfectly
r e fl e c t s i t .
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Cosvami examined Suka-
devas heart even before beginning to analyze that of Srila Vya
sadeva. Jiva did this to invoke the blessings of Sri Suka, from
whom even Srila Vyasadeva was eager to hear the Bhdgavatam. The
description of Sukadeva in the previous anuccheda, moreover, was
based on a single verse Suta Cosvami spoke in glorification of his
guru. By contrast, Vyasadevas trance is described in five verses. It
was thus also more convenient for Jiva Cosvami to discuss the state
of consciousness of Sukadeva before that of Vyasadeva. In doing so,
he follows the "principle of the needle and the kettle" (suci-katdha-
nydya)^ which means that when faced with a complex undertaking,
o n e s h o u l d e x e c u t e t h e s m a l l e r t a s k s fi r s t .
In SB 1.7.4 (quoted in Anuccheda 30.1), the term bhakti-yogena
means "by prema (pure love of Cod)," because only in the state
of pure love of Cod can one see the original Complete Person
along with His potencies. That bhakti-yogena means "by prema"
® The basis of this principle is that a task that takes less time to complete is taken
* up first to get it out of the way. A metal worker who is given the job to make a
kettle and a needle works on the needle first.
223
 II Prameya
is confirmed by the word amala, meaning "pure," referring to the
condition of Srila Vyasadevas heart. So in this verse, there is clear
reference to Vyasa s unmediated experience of prema as prayojana,
or the ultimate completion, because prema alone is coextensive
with the self-disclosure of Bhagavan.
According to Srila Rupa Gosvami, in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu
there are three varieties of bhakti: "Bhakti is said to be of three
types — sadhana, bhdva, and prema" (sd bhaktih sddhanarh bhdvah
premd ceti tridhoditd, brs 1.2.1). One who attains prema-bhakti real
izes Krsna both as immanence and as transcendence, and this real
ization vanquishes both his ignorance about the self and his mate
rial miseries. Srila Rupa Gosvami further defines prema-bhakti
as follows: "[Prema-bhakti] is of the nature of an altogether unique
quality of concentrated bliss and it attracts Sri Krsna" {sdndrdnanda-
visesdtmd sri-krsndkarsini ca sd, brs 1.1.17).
Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes, therefore, that it was by the influ
ence of prema-bhakti alone that Srila Vyasa, while in the state of
supracognitive trance, was enabled to directly apperceive bhagavat-
tattva along with mdyd-tattva, jlva-tattva, and bhakti-tattva. In
other words, prema-bhakti is the self-manifested liberated condi
tion in which the self-disclosure of Bhagavan becomes possible.
In that self-illuminated state of being. He saw the original Com
plete Person, Sri Krsna, along with His extrinsic, intermediary,
and intrinsic potencies. As in the case of Sri Suka, this was direct
revelation and hence determination of the subject to be realized
(sambandhi-tattva), Bhagavan, who is inclusive of a multitude of
potencies. Primordial nature is a manifestation of Sri Krsnas
extrinsic potency, and the living beings constitute His interme
diary potency. The significance of the classification of living beings
as intermediary (lit., "situated on the dividing line," tatastha), is
that consciousness in every arising moment is capable of being
drawn toward, attuned to, or identified with, either the extrinsic or
the intrinsic potency.
In its pure state, the self is consciousness alone, prior to any
conditional subject-object divide and completely free from the
influence of the extrinsic potency. When, however, consciousness
224
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
the power of illusion. Apart from these appearances, arising from
Brahman's proximity to mdyd, neither Isvara nor the jivas exist.
Concerning the jivas, featureless Brahman enters into delusion
and displays a masquerade of forms and personalities birth after
birth — and all for no reason other than Brahman's delimitation by
mdyd. And this same deluded Brahman will be redeemed when he
simply gives up his false designations on the strength of acquired
knowledge of Brahman.
All this contradicts what was directly self-disclosed to Vyasa-
deva in the state of enlightened perceptivity (i.e., samddhi). He
saw that the Jivas are intrinsically eternal spiritual entities, sepa
rate individuals in their own right. He further saw that Maya over
comes only the jivas, not Brahman or Isvara, the Supreme Lord of
Creation; not to speak of her overcoming Bhagavan, Vyasa saw that
Maya could not even bear to face Him. He also saw that God Him
self is not directly involved in deluding the jivas. In sum, Vyasadeva
realized that Bhagavan, the jivas, and Maya are all eternal, and that
the Lord supports the other two.
In SB 1.7.5, the words sammohitah (becoming deluded) and
manute (he thinks) are applied to the jiva, indicating that delusion
and its effects — ignorance and misery — are not part of its origi
nal nature. These two words also indicate that although the jiva is
essentially nothing other than consciousness, it is also a conscious
knower. As a light bulb, which is nothing other than illumination,
simultaneously illuminates itself and the objects in its vicinity, so
the jiva is simultaneously conscious of itself and the objects that
are presented to consciousness. In other words, cognitive aware
ness is an intrinsic aspect of its nature, not a temporarily acquired
capacity, which is what the radical Advaitavada doctrine implies
by positing that the jiva s attributes are only apparently real (as is
the jiva himself), and that to gain liberation, he has to intuit the
knowledge of his oneness with Brahman.
The theistic understanding of the jivas' situation in this world,
gleaned from analyzing Srila Vyasadeva's trance, is that Maya can
not tolerate the jivas' perversion of root attention® away from the
® The term 'Toot attention" refers to the root of awareness, or the root of the ^
241
 Ill Prameya
through to Anuccheda 43. Thus, Anucchedas 31-43 can be taken as
a subdivision of Vyasa's samadhi dealing with the elaboration of
sambandha. The truths of abhidheya and prayojana, which are in per
fect correspondence with the nature of the subject herein revealed,
are dealt with in Anucchedas 44-48.
The direct witnessing of the distinction between the Supreme
Self and the individual self by Srila Vyasa was part of what made
this revelation so complete. Metaphysically speaking, the vision of
the jivas as conscious integrated parts of Bhagavan forms part of the
elaboration of the subject. In other words, the jivas themselves are
not the subject, but they are one of the conscious energies of the sub
ject. It is precisely this distinction that defines the aesthetic nature
of the intrinsic relation between the individual self and the Sup
reme Self, pragmatically enacted as the abhidheya and perfectly real
ized to completion as prayojana. Since love of God is eternal, the Sup
reme Self and the individual self must be eternally distinct, because
wherever there is service or love, some particular kind of distinc
tion must be admitted between the server and served or the lover
and beloved. As specified earlier, the exact nature of this relation
is one of inconceivable unity in diversity (acintya-bheda-abheda),
which is the basis of theistic nonduality.
According to the Advaitavadis, this distinction of individual
selves is admitted to have empirical reality only (vydvahdrika-sattd).
From the perspective of ontological reality (pdramdrthika-sattd),
all such distinctions have no basis whatsoever, because from that
dimension. Brahman alone exists. Radical monists (Advaitavadis)
insist that since Brahman and the living being are absolutely one
and the same, there can be no distinction of identities in the reality
of Brahman. They say that when Brahman contacts mdyd, mdyd acts
as an upddhi, superimposing empirical selfhood on Brahman. When
the upddhi is of the nature of the sdttvika aspect of mdyd. Brahman
is then known as Isvara (God), and when the upddhi is of the nature
of rajas and tamas, then Brahman becomes the jivas.'*
This state of existence is ultimately false (mithyd), because Brah
man is the only reality. Isvara and the jivas only appear to exist by
'* Pancadasi 1.16.17, Sankara-bhdsya 2.1.14
240
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
becomes identified with mdyas potency, there is non-recognition
of original nature and assumption of phenomenal empiric identity.
This superimposition of conditional identity upon the self compels
it to suffer the repetition of birth and death, an unnatural non-
integral disease-like condition for the living being. This state has no
beginning. Vyasadeva witnessed in His trance the solution to this
predicament — bhakti-yoga, or the devotional turning, or attuning,
of consciousness to Sri Adhoksaja, in all-dimensional service and
worship, beginning with hearing about Him. This is a reference
to Vyasa's direct apperception^ of bhakti as the means (abhidheya-
tattva). Since most of human society is unaware of this solution,
Vyasadeva composed Srimad Bhdgavatam to make it available.
In contrast to its usage in sb 1.7.4, the term bhakti-yoga men
tioned in SB 1.7.6 refers rather to sddhana-bhakti, or devotion in the
stage of regulated practice, because this is the stage that is rele
vant to bhakti as the means (abhidheya). This stage is character
ized by strict adherence to devotional theory and praxis. In prema-
bhakti, or the completion stage of bhakti-yoga, because the self is
free of all material identification, one surely and steadily engages
in devotional service with natural affection.
The term "natural affection" here should not be misinterpreted
as meaning related to, or arising out of, phenomenal or conditional
nature. Rather, it implies the existence of transcendental affect, as a
manifestation of the potency of bliss, which is the natural condition
of consciousness itself, when imbued with the intrinsic potency.
The devotee who has reached this stage of realization generally
still enacts the sddhana principles, not as a means to an end, but
because they are found to accord with his fully awakened internal
^ In psychology, the term apperception refers to the general process or a particular
act of mental assimilation of new experience into the totality of one's past
experience. In philosophy, especially in terms of Immanuel Kant's
transcendental apperception, it refers to the perception of an object as involving
the consciousness of the pure self as the necessary condition of experience and
the ultimate foundation of the unity of experience. In this sense, it signifies the
mind's perception of itself as the subject of its own states, unifying past and
present experiences. This amounts to self-consciousness, or perception that
reflects back upon itself.
225
 Ill Prameya
State of being. Srila Vyasadeva composed the Sdtvata-saThhitd^^
Srimad Bhdgavatam, to explain the principles of bhakti-yoga in the
sddhana and prema phases, along with the intermediate phase of
bhdva-bhakti, "devotion in the stage of awakening to transcendental
feeling-awareness" (brs 1.2.2).
As in the case of sb 1.7.4, bhakti in the next verse (sb 1.7.7) means
prema-bhakti, because, as the verse states, only at that stage is one
completely free from lamentation, delusion, and fear. The verb
utpadyate (lit., "to fly up," "jump up," or "arise") is usually trans
lated as "is generated," but here it means "becomes manifest,"
because prema-bhakti, being an eternal aspect of the intrinsic
potency of Bhagavan, is self-existing and hence cannot be gener
ated; rather, it appears within the heart of an advancing devotee by
the blessings of Bhagavan and His pure devotee. The mention here
of bhakti as prema is again a reference to prayojana-tattva.
In clarification of the subject to be realized (sambandhi-tattva),
Srila JIva Gosvami goes on to explain that although there are vari
ous purusdvatdras of Bhagavan who are involved, as Immanent Self,
in cosmic creation, maintenance, and dissolution, the term puru-
sarh purnam in sb 1.7.4 specifically indicates the original Complete
Person, Sri Krsna. Every word in a language has its own potency
by which it conveys meaning. Words can take on varied mean
ings depending on whether they exhibit their primary or secondary
potencies. Each word has one primary meaning and may have sev
eral secondary meanings. When a word is not restricted by its con
text, one should accept its primary meaning. With the words puru-
sarfi purnam in sb 1.7.4, the unrestricted meaning (mukhya-vrtti) of
the word purna (lit., "complete" or "perfect") indicates Sri Krsna,
who alone is free of all limitations.
Sri Visnu s purusdvatdras are also supreme and perfect, but they
appear limited in some ways, and these limitations distinguish
them from the Purna Purusa. This distinction is implied in the
Bhdgavatam statement, "All of the above-mentioned avatdras [listed
in the preceding verses] are either plenary portions or portions of
The term sdtvata has the same meaning as Bhdgavata. Sarhhitd means a
compilation.
226
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
I offer obeisance to Sri Bhagavan, before whom the external
energy is ashamed to stand. Being bewildered by her, those
devoid of insight boast of "1" and "Mine." (sb 2.5.13)^
(^oIR l^vs) ^W^MId-
Here, we can infer from the phrase "being ashamed" (vilajjamd-
nayd) that although Maya knows that her work of bewildering
the living beings does not please Sri Bhagavan, still she cannot
tolerate their perversion of attention (vaimukhya) in the form
of beginningless ignorance of Him. sb 11.2.37 illustrates this con
dition: "When the living beings assume a position of separate-
ness from Bhagavan, they succumb to forgetfulness, misappre
hension, and fear arising out of identification with that which is
secondary to Him [i.e., the external energy]."^
As a consequence, Maya covers their real nature and entices
them to identify with that which they are not (asvarupa).
Commentary
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami continues to specify the
subject (sambandhi-tattva) so that the means and goal are thereby
rendered transparent. As explained earlier (particularly in the com
mentary to Anuccheda 29), the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and
prayojana share an intrinsic connection, and as such the essential
nature of the means and goal must be in full correspondence with
that of the subject. That is why Jiva Gosvami begins this anuccheda
by stating that "the abhidheya and prayojana, as we have defined
them, are based on the essential distinction between the Supreme
Self and the individual self." Srila Jiva Gosvami examines this dis
tinction at length beginning in this anuccheda and continuing right
^ vilajjamdnayd yasya sthdtum iksd-pathe'muyd
vimohitd vikatthante mamdham iti durdhiyah
^ bhayarfi dvitiydbhinivesatah sydd
239
 Ill Prameya
ft LiRgdciH I 3T3r "w ■ ■X 3 : ^ d ^
Furthermore, although the living being consists purely of con
sciousness (cid-rupa), it is also inherently conscious (svarupa-
bhuta-jndna-sdli), as implied [in sb 1.7.5] by the words yayd
sammohitah (deluded by that [mdyd]) and manute (he considers).
That the living being is nothing other than consciousness, yet
also inherently conscious, is comparable to light, which consists
of nothing but illumination, yet also has the capacity to illumine
itself and other objects. The living being s inherent capacity to
be conscious [of reality or illusion] is also confirmed by the fol
lowing words from gita s.is-ie: "Living beings are bewildered,
because their consciousness is covered by ignorance. [But for
those whose ignorance has been destroyed by the direct appre
hension of the Self, their consciousness, like the sun, illuminates
the Supreme Reality (Sri Bhagavan)]."^ It is precisely this inher
ent capacity of the living being to be conscious that refutes the
contrary opinion that the jiva exists only as an upddhi of Brah
man and that liberation is simply the elimination of this upddhi.
Here [in sb 1.7.5], the phrase yayd sammohitah indicates
that mdyd alone is instrumental in deluding the living being;
Bhagavan remains uninvolved.
Later, Srimad Bhdgavatam states:
ajnanenavrtajfijiidnam tena muhyantijantavah
jndnena tu tad ajndnam yesdrh ndsitam dtmanah
tesdm ddityavajjndnarh prakdsayati tat-param
238
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
the plenary portions of Bhagavan, but Sri Krsna is the original Sup
reme Person" {ete cdrhsa-kaldh purhsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam,
SB 1.3.28).
In BRS 2.1.43, Srila Rupa GosvamI explains that Sri Krsna is inher
ently self-endowed with four extraordinary qualities that none of
His expansions possess, namely. His astonishing divine play, the
unsurpassed love inhering in His dear associates, His enchanting
flute-playing, and His unique all-exceeding beauty.
This explanation of the word purna is further supported by the
use of the phrase krsne parama-puruse in sb 1.7.7. Here, parama-
puruse is in apposition to the name Krsna, clearly indicating equiv
alence. Commenting on the use of a virtually identical term —
purusamparam — in the Second Canto of the Bhdgavatam (sb 2.3.10),
Sridhara Svami says that it refers to the Purna Purusa, or the
Complete Person.
Etymologically, purusa means "one who lies down in the city,"
the city here being a metaphor for the body. Thus, the word purusa
indicates Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, present as interior to
every embodied form and interior to consciousness itself. Param
atma is the regulator of the material energy, but He is never influ
enced by it. Sri Krsna, on the other hand, is never directly involved
with material nature at all, though He controls it through His
Purusa expansions.^^
Sridhara SvamI uses the word nirupadhi (free from all limiting
adjuncts) in reference to Krsna, who is not the mere Purusa but the
Purna Purusa. Unlike Paramatma, who is seemingly limited by the
upddhi of involvement with the material energy, Krsna is free from
all upddhis. The term upddhi is difficult to render into English. It
is variously translated as "conditioning," "identification," "limita
tion or limiting adjunct," "false designation," or "modifier." In its
strict philosophical usage, it means "limiting adjunct," because an
upddhis effect is to apparently modify the natural state of an object
by its proximity or association, though in fact it has no integral or
natural relationship with the object.
" This is explained in great detail in Paramdtma Sandarbha.
227
 Ill Prameya

For example, a naturally colorless crystal will appear reddish

when held before a red flower. The reddish tinge is not part of the
crystals nature; rather, because the crystal is near the red flower,
the flower "conditions" the crystal to appear reddish. In this way,
the crystal's redness is an upadhi, or limiting adjunct, superimposed
by the flower. Similarly, the material body is an upadhi superim Anuccheda 32
posed on the dtmd. The dtmd is like a crystal in that it is essentially
neutral and hence easily influenced, or "colored," by its association The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious,
with the external energy in the form of the body. Thus, the dtmas
and Subject to Self-Ignorance
proximity to the material body causes it to become mired in mate
rial existence and conditioned by the gunas of primordial nature. In
reality, both the dtmd and Paramatma are nirupddhi, without any
limiting adjuncts, just like Bhagavan.
One might conclude that this nirupddhi condition of the dtmd I 3T?T

implies its absolute identity with the unqualified Absolute, or Brah

man. This conclusion is negated by the word yajeta (should wor
ship) in the statement yajeta purusarfi param, "One should worship
the Supreme Person" (sb 2.3.10). The root yaj means "to worship a
The method (abhidheya) [that facilitates ultimate attain
deity." It would be absurd to advise someone to worship a deity who
is an impersonal entity devoid of attributes. Therefore, the mean ment] and the stage of completion to be attained (prayojana),
as we have defined them, are based on the essential distinction
ing of purusam purnam is clear without resorting to the impersonal
between the Supreme Self and the individual self. That Sri Vyasa
conception of the Supreme to try to explain it.
saw this distinction is demonstrated by the verse beginning yayd
When Sridhara SvamI says that Paramatma, the Purusa, has pri
[sb 1.7.5]. Although the living being is by nature pure conscious
mordial nature as His upddhi, one should not take this statement ness (cid-rupa), transcendental to the three inert material gunas,
to mean that primordial nature conditions Paramatma as it does when deluded by mdyd, he considers himself as consisting of
the jiva. The intended meaning is that although He regulates pri those three gunas, or in other words, as a conglomeration of the
mordial nature without being influenced by or coming in contact
inert material body, [mind], and so on, which are products of
with it. His very involvement with primordial nature seems to be
the three gunas. This delusion causes the living being to suffer
an upddhi. He does not manifest the full transcendental majesty
unwanted consequences, namely, the miseries of repeated birth
of His intrinsic being because it is not required for the mere play
and death.
of cosmic creation. Paramatma is always transcendental to primor
dial nature, even though immanent within it, just as a head of state
always remains a free person, even when he or she visits the state
prison.
In his comment on sb 2.3.10, Sridhara Svami explains that
the word purusa means the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, and not

228 237
 Ill Prameya
My direction, bringing forth all moving and non-moving beings"
(mayddhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-cardcaram). Here, the pronoun
"My" means "My expansion as Paramatma," since it is through His
Paramatma feature that Sri Krsna regulates the workings of the
material world. Srila Jiva Gosvami points out that since Paramatma
expands from Krsna and is entirely enveloped by Him, Paramatma
was seen by Vyasa to exist within the original Complete Person.
Hence, there was no need to mention Paramatma separately.
The same holds true for Brahman, which is nothing but the
effulgence emanating from Bhagavans transcendental body. This
will be elaborated in Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 1-2) and
Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anucchedas 1-4), respectively. Like Param
atma, Brahman has no existence independent of Bhagavan. Krsna
confirms this in gIta 14.27: "I am the basis of unqualified Brahman"
(brahmano hi pratisthdham). According to the Nirukti dictionary,
"pratisthd means shelter or 'basis'" (pratisthlyate asmin iti prati-
sthd). Just as the sun globe is the basis of sunshine, so Krsna is the
basis of the Brahman effulgence.
From this analysis of Vedavyasa's trance, it is clear that the pri
mary subject (sambandhi-tattva) of Srlmad Bhdgavatam is Svayarii
Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, and that the means for attaining Him is bhakti-
yoga. Brahman and Paramatma, being holarchically embedded
manifestations of Bhagavan, cannot be separated from Him, but
these two features are not the integral Whole, self-disclosed to
Vyasadeva in the state of trance, and so they cannot be the central
subjects of His greatest work, Srlmad Bhdgavatam. We should thus
conclude that one who realizes Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, automatically
realizes Brahman and Paramatma, in the same way that one who
acquires a million dollars automatically possesses all smaller sums.
In the next section, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses how the living
entity comes to be bound up by mdyd.
236
30 ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
Paramatma (purusam purnam nirupddhim), because that Supreme
Person is worshiped by highly self-realized sages desiring to enter
the spiritual abode beyond the jurisdiction of even Paramatma.
Thus, Srila Jiva Gosvami s analysis of the significance of the term
purusam purnam, the Complete Person, as well as Sridhara Svami s
comments on a parallel term, make it perfectly evident that the
sambandhi-tattva (the subject to be realized) self-disclosed to Srila
Vyasa was Svayaih Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, and not Paramatma.
The word adhoksaja in sb 1.7.6 also refers to Sri Krsna. Etymolog-
ically this word means "one who is beyond sense perception," but
it is also a name of Sri Krsna, received after killing the demoness
P u t a n a . H a r i - v a r h s a P u r d n a c o n fi r m s t h i s :
When baby Krsna was sleeping in a cradle under the axle of a cart,
a demoness came as the flying witch called Putana to kill Him. She
offered her poisoned breasts to baby Krsna, but Krsna killed her.
The residents of Vraja saw Putana, who was gigantic, powerful, and
terrible to look at, lying dead in the forest. But Krsna was found per
fectly safe, and the people therefore called Him Adhoksaja, "He who
has been awarded new life (lit., another birth') from under a cart's
axle." (Hari-varhsa Purdna, Visnu-parva 101.30-32)^^
The verses describing Vedavyasa's trance (sb 1.7.4-7) briefly
present the quintessence of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, and with it the
main elements of Gaudiya Vaisnava theology. As in the case of Sri
Suka's transformation in pure consciousness, Srila Vyasa's samddhi
clearly contains the radical self-disclosure of sambandha, abhidheya,
and prayojana from the transempiric dimension of knowing. There
fore, Srila Jiva Gosvami will analyze these verses in greater detail
in the upcoming anucchedas.
adho'nena saydnena sakatdntara-cdrind
rdksasl nihatd raudrd sakuni-vesa-dhdrinl
putand-ndma ghord sd mahd-kdyd mahd-bald
visddigdharh stanarh raudrarh prayacchantijandrdane
dadrsur nihatdrh tatra rdksasirh vana-gocardh
punarjdto'yam ity dhur uktas tasmdd adhoksajah
229

Anuccheda 31
The Purna Purusa Is the All-Inclusive,
All-Transcending Reality
31.1
I rWWRT^ft^^oJrraff^^g'Fq^TfTCT^rT^-
In a variant reading [of sb 1.7.4 quoted above], we find the
word purvam (primeval) in place of purnam (complete). Yet,
even in this instance, it is the exact same reality [the original
Complete Person] that is spoken of, as corroborated by the state
ments of Vedic Sruti: "[Sri Bhagavan said,] I existed here prior
(purvam) to everything else,"^ and "That [i.e., existence prior to
everything else] is the essential characteristic of the Supreme
Being [lit., the 'Supreme-Beingness' (purusatva) of the Supreme
Being (purusa)]."^
When it is said that Sri Vyasa saw the original Complete
Person, it should be self-evident that he saw Him as being self-
endowed with His own intrinsic potency (svarupa-sakti), just as
when it is said that a person sees the full moon, the implication
is that he sees it accompanied by its effulgence.
^ purvam evaham ihdsam
^ tat-purusasya purusatvam
Taittirlya Aranyaka 1.23.4
230
31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality
Although both the individual dtmd and Paramatma are conscious by
nature and dwell in the same material body, only the jiva is bewil
dered by Maya and suffers material miseries. Maya cannot affect
Bhagavan because He is her master; by His inconceivable power, He
remains forever beyond her influence.
In g!ta7.5, Sri Krsna informs Arjuna that His intermediary
potency, the Jiva, is transcendental to His differentiated, mate
rial potency, mdyd. One may then ask, how does the superior jiva
come under the control of the inferior nature, mdyd? The answer is
twofold: because the jiva is infinitesimal, and also because Maya^
can transcend logic in her actions. In the Third Canto of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Maitreya Muni responds to a question from Vidura as
follows:
The extrinsic potency of Bhagavan acts contrary to logic [i.e., her
behavior cannot be understood simply through logic]; otherwise,
how is it possible that the living entity, who is the ruler of [i.e., supe
rior to] prakrti, being conscious and liberated, becomes bound and
miserable? (sb 3.7.9)®
Commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
provides an analogy: Although the sun is powerfully effulgent, still
a cloud, generated from the sun's own potency, can cover the sun
from the vision of a person on earth. Similarly, although the jiva is
by nature transcendental to Maya, she still has the power to cover
his vision of Bhagavan.
Another important point made in this section is that in the
description of Vyasa s samddhi, there is no explicit mention either
of Paramatma or of Brahman. Paramatma is the expansion of Bha
gavan who presides over the affairs of the material energy. In
GiTA 9.10, Sri Krsna says, "This primordial nature is working under
' Throughout the Sandarbhas, the word mdyd is spelled using lower case and italics
when referring to mdyd as the unconscious extrinsic potency. It is capitalized and
not in italics when referring to the same as a conscious personified entity,
overseeing such power. In general cases, when this distinction is not clearly
discernible from the sentence meaning, the former usage has been applied.
® seyarh bhagavato mdyd yan nayena virudhyate
Isvarasya vimuktasya kdrpanyam uta bandhanam
235
 Ill Prameya 31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality

but they also have distinct personal forms as His associates. Srila
JIva Gosvami will establish (in Anuccheda 47) that the form of Bhaga-
van witnessed by Srila Vyasadeva was Krsna in Vrndavana, where
Bhagavan is always present with His most intimate devotees. Srl-
mati Radhika is Sri Krsna's personified potency of transcendental Thus, it is said:

bliss, and with Her, Sri Krsna performs His most intimate pastimes.
It should be understood that in his trance, Srila Vyasa also saw
Srimati Radhika along with Her associates, for Bhagavan is never
separated from His intrinsic potencies.
Besides these three aspects of Bhagavans intrinsic potency,
Vyasa also saw His extrinsic potency (mdyd) and His intermediary
potency (the jivas). Maya is not part of the Lord's svarupa. She is
personally present in His entourage, but she chooses to remain out
of His sight. This implies that she can never influence Bhagavan
or His intrinsic potencies. Generally, a female influences a male
by appearing before him, but Mayadevi, the feminine extrinsic
energy of the Supreme, cannot influence the Lord. Therefore it is
said that she remains out of His view. As it is said, "Maya, feeling
ashamed to stand before Bhagavan, flees from His direct presence"
(mdyd paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamdnd, sb 2.7.47). Srila Baladeva
Vidyabhusana compares Maya to a maidservant who discharges
her duties outside the king's inner quarters. She does not have the
same privileges as his queens, who are comparable to the intrinsic
potencies of Bhagavan, since they can directly associate with their
master at all times.
iTFit ItpEssgRyr II m ii^ryyyr
You are directly the original Person, the controller, witness, and
regulator of everything, beyond the material energy. By dint of
Your conscious potency (cit-sakti), You have cast away the effects
of the material energy and are always situated in Your own Self,
the state of absolute transcendence (kaivalya), (sb 1.7.23)®
df^HM 3iqf^3TT^ WTT:
dcciilqfd ^
f^^5WTRT" (mo |V9 IXvs) ^ I
Therefore, we understand the phrase, "He also saw Bhagavans
extrinsic potency, which was apart from and yet supported by
Him" [in sb 1.7.4]'* to mean that Maya is sheltered by the Lord
from a position of subordination, remaining concealed from
His sight; thus she does not constitute His svarupa, or essential
nature. As said later on, "Maya, feeling ashamed to stand before
the Lord, flees from His direct presence" (sb 2.7.47).

Maya, Bhagavan's extrinsic energy, is inferior to both His

svarupa-sakti and His intermediary energy, the jivas. Still, she can
subdue the jivas. The jiva's vulnerability to illusion is described in
the Bhdgavatam: ? i\91^) "sTRmTim^i" (mo ^ i\91^0) ^ "i
Bev\^ildered by this extrinsic potency, the individual self, although
transcendental to the three gunas of primordial nature, thinks of l^lcl|^-dlfd I HW ?T^-
itself as consisting of the three gunas and thus undergoes the misery
aicftsq" <HJ-s|Pt|rlTol Pl^lRclH II
resulting from this identification, (sb 1.7.5)^
® tvam ddyah purusah sdksdd Isvarah prakrteh parah
yayd sammohitojiva dtmdnam tri-gundtmakam mdydm vyudasya cic-chaktyd kaivalye sthita dtmani
paro'pi manutenartham tat-krtam cdbhipadyate mdydm ca tad-apdsrayam

234 231
 Ill Prameya
We shall explain Bhagavans svarupa-sakti [in Anucchedas 48-49]
when we discuss the two verses beginning with anarthopasamam
saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje and dtmdrdmas ca [sb 1.7.6 and
1.7.10, respectively]. From the statement in the first of these two
verses, that the yoga of unalloyed devotion can subdue the mate-
ritfd energy (mdyd), we can infer that the power of pure devotion
is specifically a function of Bhagavans intrinsic potency. The
second verse implies that the qualities of Sri Hari constitute the
svarupa-saktis highest function, superior even to the bliss of
Brahman.
It is to be noted that in the verse under consideration (sb 1.7.4),
there is no separate mention of Paramatma, Bhagavans ple
nary portion who oversees mdyd, or of Brahman, Bhagavans
nondifferentiated aspect. The reason for this omission is that
Paramatma and Brahman were seen to exist within the origi
nal Complete Person (Purna Purusa) and not separately, a fact
we will thoroughly demonstrate later, in the second and third
Sandarhhas. Thus here, as before, the sambandhi-tattva, or the
essential topic of discussion in Srimad Bhdgavatam, has been
d e fi n e d .
Commentary
This anuccheda involves a further specification of the subject
(sambandhi-tattva), which is signified in its essentiality, as the Com
plete Person, in the second line of sb 1.7.4. Some editions of Srimad
Bhdgavatam offer an alternate reading of this verse, with the word
purvam (prior existence) appearing in place of purnam; this substi
tution does not alter the import of the verse. The word purusa can
also mean, "He who existed prior to the creation" (purd dsit iti puru-
sah). This phrase refers to the Supreme Self as the source of every
thing. And this Supreme Self is Sri Krsna, as He Himself confirms
in Bhagavad Gitd: "I am the source of everything" (aham sarvasya
prabhavah, gItaio.s).
This prior existence as the source is the essential characteris
tic of the Purusa. Since the adjective purvam conveys the idea of
31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality
"existing prior to everything else," the phrase purusam purvam is
equivalent to purusam purnam, insofar as both indicate the original
Supreme Person, Sri Krsna. This conclusion is also confirmed by the
four seed-verses of the Bhdgavatam (Catuh-sloki), which will be dis
cussed in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 96). It will also be shown
there that these verses were spoken directly by Krsna.
In the state of unmediated awareness, Sri Vyasa directly apper-
ceived the original Complete Person self-endowed with (or inher
ently inclusive of) His own potencies, just as one always sees the
full moon along with its effulgent light. The energies of Bhagavan
are always present along with Him, inasmuch as the attributes of
a substance are always present along with that substance. In Visnu
Parana, the primary attributes of Bhagavan, the Supreme Person,
are enumerated:
The word bhagavan indicates that in which there is intrinsic inher
ence, to an unlimited extent, of consciousness, power, strength,
opulence, prowess, and valor — with no trace of any portion to be
discarded and completely devoid of the material gunas and their
effects, (vp 6.5.79)^
The Supreme Person has variegated potencies, of which three
are primary. As Visnu Parana states, "The potencies of transcen
dental bliss (hladini), eternal being (sandhini), and consciousness
(samvit) inhere only in You [Bhagavan], who are the shelter of every
thing" (hladini sandhini samvit tvayy ekd sarva-samsraye, vp 1.12.59).
Hladini is the potency of Bhagavan that makes possible the expe
rience of bliss, sandhini is His potency of being and underlying sup
port, and samvit is His potency of consciousness and enlightened
cognitive knowing. These three potencies constitute Bhagavans
svarupa (essential or intrinsic nature). Srila Jiva Gosvami will give
a detailed explanation of these potencies in Bhagavat Sandarbha.
In the state of samadhi, Srila Vyasadeva witnessed the Complete
Person, Bhagavan, self-endowed with these potencies. In the spir
itual sky, these potencies are inherent in Bhagavans own person,
^ jndna-sakti-balaisvarya-virya-tejdmsy asesatah
bhagavac-chabda-vdcydni vind heyair gunddibhih
 Ill Prameya
We shall explain Bhagavans svarupa-sakti [in Anucchedas 48-49]
when we discuss the two verses beginning with anarthopasamam
saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje and dtmdrdmas ca [sb 1.7.6 and
1.7.10, respectively]. From the statement in the first of these two
verses, that the yoga of unalloyed devotion can subdue the mate-
ritfd energy (mdyd), we can infer that the power of pure devotion
is specifically a function of Bhagavans intrinsic potency. The
second verse implies that the qualities of Sri Hari constitute the
svarupa-saktis highest function, superior even to the bliss of
Brahman.
It is to be noted that in the verse under consideration (sb 1.7.4),
there is no separate mention of Paramatma, Bhagavans ple
nary portion who oversees mdyd, or of Brahman, Bhagavans
nondifferentiated aspect. The reason for this omission is that
Paramatma and Brahman were seen to exist within the origi
nal Complete Person (Purna Purusa) and not separately, a fact
we will thoroughly demonstrate later, in the second and third
Sandarhhas. Thus here, as before, the sambandhi-tattva, or the
essential topic of discussion in Srimad Bhdgavatam, has been
d e fi n e d .
Commentary
This anuccheda involves a further specification of the subject
(sambandhi-tattva), which is signified in its essentiality, as the Com
plete Person, in the second line of sb 1.7.4. Some editions of Srimad
Bhdgavatam offer an alternate reading of this verse, with the word
purvam (prior existence) appearing in place of purnam; this substi
tution does not alter the import of the verse. The word purusa can
also mean, "He who existed prior to the creation" (purd dsit iti puru-
sah). This phrase refers to the Supreme Self as the source of every
thing. And this Supreme Self is Sri Krsna, as He Himself confirms
in Bhagavad Gitd: "I am the source of everything" (aham sarvasya
prabhavah, gItaio.s).
This prior existence as the source is the essential characteris
tic of the Purusa. Since the adjective purvam conveys the idea of
31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality
"existing prior to everything else," the phrase purusam purvam is
equivalent to purusam purnam, insofar as both indicate the original
Supreme Person, Sri Krsna. This conclusion is also confirmed by the
four seed-verses of the Bhdgavatam (Catuh-sloki), which will be dis
cussed in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 96). It will also be shown
there that these verses were spoken directly by Krsna.
In the state of unmediated awareness, Sri Vyasa directly apper-
ceived the original Complete Person self-endowed with (or inher
ently inclusive of) His own potencies, just as one always sees the
full moon along with its effulgent light. The energies of Bhagavan
are always present along with Him, inasmuch as the attributes of
a substance are always present along with that substance. In Visnu
Parana, the primary attributes of Bhagavan, the Supreme Person,
are enumerated:
The word bhagavan indicates that in which there is intrinsic inher
ence, to an unlimited extent, of consciousness, power, strength,
opulence, prowess, and valor — with no trace of any portion to be
discarded and completely devoid of the material gunas and their
effects, (vp 6.5.79)^
The Supreme Person has variegated potencies, of which three
are primary. As Visnu Parana states, "The potencies of transcen
dental bliss (hladini), eternal being (sandhini), and consciousness
(samvit) inhere only in You [Bhagavan], who are the shelter of every
thing" (hladini sandhini samvit tvayy ekd sarva-samsraye, vp 1.12.59).
Hladini is the potency of Bhagavan that makes possible the expe
rience of bliss, sandhini is His potency of being and underlying sup
port, and samvit is His potency of consciousness and enlightened
cognitive knowing. These three potencies constitute Bhagavans
svarupa (essential or intrinsic nature). Srila Jiva Gosvami will give
a detailed explanation of these potencies in Bhagavat Sandarbha.
In the state of samadhi, Srila Vyasadeva witnessed the Complete
Person, Bhagavan, self-endowed with these potencies. In the spir
itual sky, these potencies are inherent in Bhagavans own person,
^ jndna-sakti-balaisvarya-virya-tejdmsy asesatah
bhagavac-chabda-vdcydni vind heyair gunddibhih
 Ill Prameya 31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality

but they also have distinct personal forms as His associates. Srila
JIva Gosvami will establish (in Anuccheda 47) that the form of Bhaga-
van witnessed by Srila Vyasadeva was Krsna in Vrndavana, where
Bhagavan is always present with His most intimate devotees. Srl-
mati Radhika is Sri Krsna's personified potency of transcendental Thus, it is said:

bliss, and with Her, Sri Krsna performs His most intimate pastimes.
It should be understood that in his trance, Srila Vyasa also saw
Srimati Radhika along with Her associates, for Bhagavan is never
separated from His intrinsic potencies.
Besides these three aspects of Bhagavans intrinsic potency,
Vyasa also saw His extrinsic potency (mdyd) and His intermediary
potency (the jivas). Maya is not part of the Lord's svarupa. She is
personally present in His entourage, but she chooses to remain out
of His sight. This implies that she can never influence Bhagavan
or His intrinsic potencies. Generally, a female influences a male
by appearing before him, but Mayadevi, the feminine extrinsic
energy of the Supreme, cannot influence the Lord. Therefore it is
said that she remains out of His view. As it is said, "Maya, feeling
ashamed to stand before Bhagavan, flees from His direct presence"
(mdyd paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamdnd, sb 2.7.47). Srila Baladeva
Vidyabhusana compares Maya to a maidservant who discharges
her duties outside the king's inner quarters. She does not have the
same privileges as his queens, who are comparable to the intrinsic
potencies of Bhagavan, since they can directly associate with their
master at all times.
iTFit ItpEssgRyr II m ii^ryyyr
You are directly the original Person, the controller, witness, and
regulator of everything, beyond the material energy. By dint of
Your conscious potency (cit-sakti), You have cast away the effects
of the material energy and are always situated in Your own Self,
the state of absolute transcendence (kaivalya), (sb 1.7.23)®
df^HM 3iqf^3TT^ WTT:
dcciilqfd ^
f^^5WTRT" (mo |V9 IXvs) ^ I
Therefore, we understand the phrase, "He also saw Bhagavans
extrinsic potency, which was apart from and yet supported by
Him" [in sb 1.7.4]'* to mean that Maya is sheltered by the Lord
from a position of subordination, remaining concealed from
His sight; thus she does not constitute His svarupa, or essential
nature. As said later on, "Maya, feeling ashamed to stand before
the Lord, flees from His direct presence" (sb 2.7.47).

Maya, Bhagavan's extrinsic energy, is inferior to both His

svarupa-sakti and His intermediary energy, the jivas. Still, she can
subdue the jivas. The jiva's vulnerability to illusion is described in
the Bhdgavatam: ? i\91^) "sTRmTim^i" (mo ^ i\91^0) ^ "i
Bev\^ildered by this extrinsic potency, the individual self, although
transcendental to the three gunas of primordial nature, thinks of l^lcl|^-dlfd I HW ?T^-
itself as consisting of the three gunas and thus undergoes the misery
aicftsq" <HJ-s|Pt|rlTol Pl^lRclH II
resulting from this identification, (sb 1.7.5)^
® tvam ddyah purusah sdksdd Isvarah prakrteh parah
yayd sammohitojiva dtmdnam tri-gundtmakam mdydm vyudasya cic-chaktyd kaivalye sthita dtmani
paro'pi manutenartham tat-krtam cdbhipadyate mdydm ca tad-apdsrayam

234 231

Anuccheda 31
The Purna Purusa Is the All-Inclusive,
All-Transcending Reality
31.1
I rWWRT^ft^^oJrraff^^g'Fq^TfTCT^rT^-
In a variant reading [of sb 1.7.4 quoted above], we find the
word purvam (primeval) in place of purnam (complete). Yet,
even in this instance, it is the exact same reality [the original
Complete Person] that is spoken of, as corroborated by the state
ments of Vedic Sruti: "[Sri Bhagavan said,] I existed here prior
(purvam) to everything else,"^ and "That [i.e., existence prior to
everything else] is the essential characteristic of the Supreme
Being [lit., the 'Supreme-Beingness' (purusatva) of the Supreme
Being (purusa)]."^
When it is said that Sri Vyasa saw the original Complete
Person, it should be self-evident that he saw Him as being self-
endowed with His own intrinsic potency (svarupa-sakti), just as
when it is said that a person sees the full moon, the implication
is that he sees it accompanied by its effulgence.
^ purvam evaham ihdsam
^ tat-purusasya purusatvam
Taittirlya Aranyaka 1.23.4
230
31 The Purna Purusa Is the All-inclusive, All-Transcending Reality
Although both the individual dtmd and Paramatma are conscious by
nature and dwell in the same material body, only the jiva is bewil
dered by Maya and suffers material miseries. Maya cannot affect
Bhagavan because He is her master; by His inconceivable power, He
remains forever beyond her influence.
In g!ta7.5, Sri Krsna informs Arjuna that His intermediary
potency, the Jiva, is transcendental to His differentiated, mate
rial potency, mdyd. One may then ask, how does the superior jiva
come under the control of the inferior nature, mdyd? The answer is
twofold: because the jiva is infinitesimal, and also because Maya^
can transcend logic in her actions. In the Third Canto of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Maitreya Muni responds to a question from Vidura as
follows:
The extrinsic potency of Bhagavan acts contrary to logic [i.e., her
behavior cannot be understood simply through logic]; otherwise,
how is it possible that the living entity, who is the ruler of [i.e., supe
rior to] prakrti, being conscious and liberated, becomes bound and
miserable? (sb 3.7.9)®
Commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
provides an analogy: Although the sun is powerfully effulgent, still
a cloud, generated from the sun's own potency, can cover the sun
from the vision of a person on earth. Similarly, although the jiva is
by nature transcendental to Maya, she still has the power to cover
his vision of Bhagavan.
Another important point made in this section is that in the
description of Vyasa s samddhi, there is no explicit mention either
of Paramatma or of Brahman. Paramatma is the expansion of Bha
gavan who presides over the affairs of the material energy. In
GiTA 9.10, Sri Krsna says, "This primordial nature is working under
' Throughout the Sandarbhas, the word mdyd is spelled using lower case and italics
when referring to mdyd as the unconscious extrinsic potency. It is capitalized and
not in italics when referring to the same as a conscious personified entity,
overseeing such power. In general cases, when this distinction is not clearly
discernible from the sentence meaning, the former usage has been applied.
® seyarh bhagavato mdyd yan nayena virudhyate
Isvarasya vimuktasya kdrpanyam uta bandhanam
235
 Ill Prameya
My direction, bringing forth all moving and non-moving beings"
(mayddhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-cardcaram). Here, the pronoun
"My" means "My expansion as Paramatma," since it is through His
Paramatma feature that Sri Krsna regulates the workings of the
material world. Srila Jiva Gosvami points out that since Paramatma
expands from Krsna and is entirely enveloped by Him, Paramatma
was seen by Vyasa to exist within the original Complete Person.
Hence, there was no need to mention Paramatma separately.
The same holds true for Brahman, which is nothing but the
effulgence emanating from Bhagavans transcendental body. This
will be elaborated in Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 1-2) and
Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anucchedas 1-4), respectively. Like Param
atma, Brahman has no existence independent of Bhagavan. Krsna
confirms this in gIta 14.27: "I am the basis of unqualified Brahman"
(brahmano hi pratisthdham). According to the Nirukti dictionary,
"pratisthd means shelter or 'basis'" (pratisthlyate asmin iti prati-
sthd). Just as the sun globe is the basis of sunshine, so Krsna is the
basis of the Brahman effulgence.
From this analysis of Vedavyasa's trance, it is clear that the pri
mary subject (sambandhi-tattva) of Srlmad Bhdgavatam is Svayarii
Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, and that the means for attaining Him is bhakti-
yoga. Brahman and Paramatma, being holarchically embedded
manifestations of Bhagavan, cannot be separated from Him, but
these two features are not the integral Whole, self-disclosed to
Vyasadeva in the state of trance, and so they cannot be the central
subjects of His greatest work, Srlmad Bhdgavatam. We should thus
conclude that one who realizes Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, automatically
realizes Brahman and Paramatma, in the same way that one who
acquires a million dollars automatically possesses all smaller sums.
In the next section, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses how the living
entity comes to be bound up by mdyd.
236
30 ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
Paramatma (purusam purnam nirupddhim), because that Supreme
Person is worshiped by highly self-realized sages desiring to enter
the spiritual abode beyond the jurisdiction of even Paramatma.
Thus, Srila Jiva Gosvami s analysis of the significance of the term
purusam purnam, the Complete Person, as well as Sridhara Svami s
comments on a parallel term, make it perfectly evident that the
sambandhi-tattva (the subject to be realized) self-disclosed to Srila
Vyasa was Svayaih Bhagavan, Sri Krsna, and not Paramatma.
The word adhoksaja in sb 1.7.6 also refers to Sri Krsna. Etymolog-
ically this word means "one who is beyond sense perception," but
it is also a name of Sri Krsna, received after killing the demoness
P u t a n a . H a r i - v a r h s a P u r d n a c o n fi r m s t h i s :
When baby Krsna was sleeping in a cradle under the axle of a cart,
a demoness came as the flying witch called Putana to kill Him. She
offered her poisoned breasts to baby Krsna, but Krsna killed her.
The residents of Vraja saw Putana, who was gigantic, powerful, and
terrible to look at, lying dead in the forest. But Krsna was found per
fectly safe, and the people therefore called Him Adhoksaja, "He who
has been awarded new life (lit., another birth') from under a cart's
axle." (Hari-varhsa Purdna, Visnu-parva 101.30-32)^^
The verses describing Vedavyasa's trance (sb 1.7.4-7) briefly
present the quintessence of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, and with it the
main elements of Gaudiya Vaisnava theology. As in the case of Sri
Suka's transformation in pure consciousness, Srila Vyasa's samddhi
clearly contains the radical self-disclosure of sambandha, abhidheya,
and prayojana from the transempiric dimension of knowing. There
fore, Srila Jiva Gosvami will analyze these verses in greater detail
in the upcoming anucchedas.
adho'nena saydnena sakatdntara-cdrind
rdksasl nihatd raudrd sakuni-vesa-dhdrinl
putand-ndma ghord sd mahd-kdyd mahd-bald
visddigdharh stanarh raudrarh prayacchantijandrdane
dadrsur nihatdrh tatra rdksasirh vana-gocardh
punarjdto'yam ity dhur uktas tasmdd adhoksajah
229
 Ill Prameya

For example, a naturally colorless crystal will appear reddish

when held before a red flower. The reddish tinge is not part of the
crystals nature; rather, because the crystal is near the red flower,
the flower "conditions" the crystal to appear reddish. In this way,
the crystal's redness is an upadhi, or limiting adjunct, superimposed
by the flower. Similarly, the material body is an upadhi superim Anuccheda 32
posed on the dtmd. The dtmd is like a crystal in that it is essentially
neutral and hence easily influenced, or "colored," by its association The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious,
with the external energy in the form of the body. Thus, the dtmas
and Subject to Self-Ignorance
proximity to the material body causes it to become mired in mate
rial existence and conditioned by the gunas of primordial nature. In
reality, both the dtmd and Paramatma are nirupddhi, without any
limiting adjuncts, just like Bhagavan.
One might conclude that this nirupddhi condition of the dtmd I 3T?T

implies its absolute identity with the unqualified Absolute, or Brah

man. This conclusion is negated by the word yajeta (should wor
ship) in the statement yajeta purusarfi param, "One should worship
the Supreme Person" (sb 2.3.10). The root yaj means "to worship a
The method (abhidheya) [that facilitates ultimate attain
deity." It would be absurd to advise someone to worship a deity who
is an impersonal entity devoid of attributes. Therefore, the mean ment] and the stage of completion to be attained (prayojana),
as we have defined them, are based on the essential distinction
ing of purusam purnam is clear without resorting to the impersonal
between the Supreme Self and the individual self. That Sri Vyasa
conception of the Supreme to try to explain it.
saw this distinction is demonstrated by the verse beginning yayd
When Sridhara SvamI says that Paramatma, the Purusa, has pri
[sb 1.7.5]. Although the living being is by nature pure conscious
mordial nature as His upddhi, one should not take this statement ness (cid-rupa), transcendental to the three inert material gunas,
to mean that primordial nature conditions Paramatma as it does when deluded by mdyd, he considers himself as consisting of
the jiva. The intended meaning is that although He regulates pri those three gunas, or in other words, as a conglomeration of the
mordial nature without being influenced by or coming in contact
inert material body, [mind], and so on, which are products of
with it. His very involvement with primordial nature seems to be
the three gunas. This delusion causes the living being to suffer
an upddhi. He does not manifest the full transcendental majesty
unwanted consequences, namely, the miseries of repeated birth
of His intrinsic being because it is not required for the mere play
and death.
of cosmic creation. Paramatma is always transcendental to primor
dial nature, even though immanent within it, just as a head of state
always remains a free person, even when he or she visits the state
prison.
In his comment on sb 2.3.10, Sridhara Svami explains that
the word purusa means the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, and not

228 237
 Ill Prameya
ft LiRgdciH I 3T3r "w ■ ■X 3 : ^ d ^
Furthermore, although the living being consists purely of con
sciousness (cid-rupa), it is also inherently conscious (svarupa-
bhuta-jndna-sdli), as implied [in sb 1.7.5] by the words yayd
sammohitah (deluded by that [mdyd]) and manute (he considers).
That the living being is nothing other than consciousness, yet
also inherently conscious, is comparable to light, which consists
of nothing but illumination, yet also has the capacity to illumine
itself and other objects. The living being s inherent capacity to
be conscious [of reality or illusion] is also confirmed by the fol
lowing words from gita s.is-ie: "Living beings are bewildered,
because their consciousness is covered by ignorance. [But for
those whose ignorance has been destroyed by the direct appre
hension of the Self, their consciousness, like the sun, illuminates
the Supreme Reality (Sri Bhagavan)]."^ It is precisely this inher
ent capacity of the living being to be conscious that refutes the
contrary opinion that the jiva exists only as an upddhi of Brah
man and that liberation is simply the elimination of this upddhi.
Here [in sb 1.7.5], the phrase yayd sammohitah indicates
that mdyd alone is instrumental in deluding the living being;
Bhagavan remains uninvolved.
Later, Srimad Bhdgavatam states:
ajnanenavrtajfijiidnam tena muhyantijantavah
jndnena tu tad ajndnam yesdrh ndsitam dtmanah
tesdm ddityavajjndnarh prakdsayati tat-param
238
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
the plenary portions of Bhagavan, but Sri Krsna is the original Sup
reme Person" {ete cdrhsa-kaldh purhsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam,
SB 1.3.28).
In BRS 2.1.43, Srila Rupa GosvamI explains that Sri Krsna is inher
ently self-endowed with four extraordinary qualities that none of
His expansions possess, namely. His astonishing divine play, the
unsurpassed love inhering in His dear associates, His enchanting
flute-playing, and His unique all-exceeding beauty.
This explanation of the word purna is further supported by the
use of the phrase krsne parama-puruse in sb 1.7.7. Here, parama-
puruse is in apposition to the name Krsna, clearly indicating equiv
alence. Commenting on the use of a virtually identical term —
purusamparam — in the Second Canto of the Bhdgavatam (sb 2.3.10),
Sridhara Svami says that it refers to the Purna Purusa, or the
Complete Person.
Etymologically, purusa means "one who lies down in the city,"
the city here being a metaphor for the body. Thus, the word purusa
indicates Paramatma, or the Immanent Self, present as interior to
every embodied form and interior to consciousness itself. Param
atma is the regulator of the material energy, but He is never influ
enced by it. Sri Krsna, on the other hand, is never directly involved
with material nature at all, though He controls it through His
Purusa expansions.^^
Sridhara SvamI uses the word nirupadhi (free from all limiting
adjuncts) in reference to Krsna, who is not the mere Purusa but the
Purna Purusa. Unlike Paramatma, who is seemingly limited by the
upddhi of involvement with the material energy, Krsna is free from
all upddhis. The term upddhi is difficult to render into English. It
is variously translated as "conditioning," "identification," "limita
tion or limiting adjunct," "false designation," or "modifier." In its
strict philosophical usage, it means "limiting adjunct," because an
upddhis effect is to apparently modify the natural state of an object
by its proximity or association, though in fact it has no integral or
natural relationship with the object.
" This is explained in great detail in Paramdtma Sandarbha.
227
 Ill Prameya
State of being. Srila Vyasadeva composed the Sdtvata-saThhitd^^
Srimad Bhdgavatam, to explain the principles of bhakti-yoga in the
sddhana and prema phases, along with the intermediate phase of
bhdva-bhakti, "devotion in the stage of awakening to transcendental
feeling-awareness" (brs 1.2.2).
As in the case of sb 1.7.4, bhakti in the next verse (sb 1.7.7) means
prema-bhakti, because, as the verse states, only at that stage is one
completely free from lamentation, delusion, and fear. The verb
utpadyate (lit., "to fly up," "jump up," or "arise") is usually trans
lated as "is generated," but here it means "becomes manifest,"
because prema-bhakti, being an eternal aspect of the intrinsic
potency of Bhagavan, is self-existing and hence cannot be gener
ated; rather, it appears within the heart of an advancing devotee by
the blessings of Bhagavan and His pure devotee. The mention here
of bhakti as prema is again a reference to prayojana-tattva.
In clarification of the subject to be realized (sambandhi-tattva),
Srila JIva Gosvami goes on to explain that although there are vari
ous purusdvatdras of Bhagavan who are involved, as Immanent Self,
in cosmic creation, maintenance, and dissolution, the term puru-
sarh purnam in sb 1.7.4 specifically indicates the original Complete
Person, Sri Krsna. Every word in a language has its own potency
by which it conveys meaning. Words can take on varied mean
ings depending on whether they exhibit their primary or secondary
potencies. Each word has one primary meaning and may have sev
eral secondary meanings. When a word is not restricted by its con
text, one should accept its primary meaning. With the words puru-
sarfi purnam in sb 1.7.4, the unrestricted meaning (mukhya-vrtti) of
the word purna (lit., "complete" or "perfect") indicates Sri Krsna,
who alone is free of all limitations.
Sri Visnu s purusdvatdras are also supreme and perfect, but they
appear limited in some ways, and these limitations distinguish
them from the Purna Purusa. This distinction is implied in the
Bhdgavatam statement, "All of the above-mentioned avatdras [listed
in the preceding verses] are either plenary portions or portions of
The term sdtvata has the same meaning as Bhdgavata. Sarhhitd means a
compilation.
226
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
I offer obeisance to Sri Bhagavan, before whom the external
energy is ashamed to stand. Being bewildered by her, those
devoid of insight boast of "1" and "Mine." (sb 2.5.13)^
(^oIR l^vs) ^W^MId-
Here, we can infer from the phrase "being ashamed" (vilajjamd-
nayd) that although Maya knows that her work of bewildering
the living beings does not please Sri Bhagavan, still she cannot
tolerate their perversion of attention (vaimukhya) in the form
of beginningless ignorance of Him. sb 11.2.37 illustrates this con
dition: "When the living beings assume a position of separate-
ness from Bhagavan, they succumb to forgetfulness, misappre
hension, and fear arising out of identification with that which is
secondary to Him [i.e., the external energy]."^
As a consequence, Maya covers their real nature and entices
them to identify with that which they are not (asvarupa).
Commentary
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami continues to specify the
subject (sambandhi-tattva) so that the means and goal are thereby
rendered transparent. As explained earlier (particularly in the com
mentary to Anuccheda 29), the truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and
prayojana share an intrinsic connection, and as such the essential
nature of the means and goal must be in full correspondence with
that of the subject. That is why Jiva Gosvami begins this anuccheda
by stating that "the abhidheya and prayojana, as we have defined
them, are based on the essential distinction between the Supreme
Self and the individual self." Srila Jiva Gosvami examines this dis
tinction at length beginning in this anuccheda and continuing right
^ vilajjamdnayd yasya sthdtum iksd-pathe'muyd
vimohitd vikatthante mamdham iti durdhiyah
^ bhayarfi dvitiydbhinivesatah sydd
239
 Ill Prameya
through to Anuccheda 43. Thus, Anucchedas 31-43 can be taken as
a subdivision of Vyasa's samadhi dealing with the elaboration of
sambandha. The truths of abhidheya and prayojana, which are in per
fect correspondence with the nature of the subject herein revealed,
are dealt with in Anucchedas 44-48.
The direct witnessing of the distinction between the Supreme
Self and the individual self by Srila Vyasa was part of what made
this revelation so complete. Metaphysically speaking, the vision of
the jivas as conscious integrated parts of Bhagavan forms part of the
elaboration of the subject. In other words, the jivas themselves are
not the subject, but they are one of the conscious energies of the sub
ject. It is precisely this distinction that defines the aesthetic nature
of the intrinsic relation between the individual self and the Sup
reme Self, pragmatically enacted as the abhidheya and perfectly real
ized to completion as prayojana. Since love of God is eternal, the Sup
reme Self and the individual self must be eternally distinct, because
wherever there is service or love, some particular kind of distinc
tion must be admitted between the server and served or the lover
and beloved. As specified earlier, the exact nature of this relation
is one of inconceivable unity in diversity (acintya-bheda-abheda),
which is the basis of theistic nonduality.
According to the Advaitavadis, this distinction of individual
selves is admitted to have empirical reality only (vydvahdrika-sattd).
From the perspective of ontological reality (pdramdrthika-sattd),
all such distinctions have no basis whatsoever, because from that
dimension. Brahman alone exists. Radical monists (Advaitavadis)
insist that since Brahman and the living being are absolutely one
and the same, there can be no distinction of identities in the reality
of Brahman. They say that when Brahman contacts mdyd, mdyd acts
as an upddhi, superimposing empirical selfhood on Brahman. When
the upddhi is of the nature of the sdttvika aspect of mdyd. Brahman
is then known as Isvara (God), and when the upddhi is of the nature
of rajas and tamas, then Brahman becomes the jivas.'*
This state of existence is ultimately false (mithyd), because Brah
man is the only reality. Isvara and the jivas only appear to exist by
'* Pancadasi 1.16.17, Sankara-bhdsya 2.1.14
240
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
becomes identified with mdyas potency, there is non-recognition
of original nature and assumption of phenomenal empiric identity.
This superimposition of conditional identity upon the self compels
it to suffer the repetition of birth and death, an unnatural non-
integral disease-like condition for the living being. This state has no
beginning. Vyasadeva witnessed in His trance the solution to this
predicament — bhakti-yoga, or the devotional turning, or attuning,
of consciousness to Sri Adhoksaja, in all-dimensional service and
worship, beginning with hearing about Him. This is a reference
to Vyasa's direct apperception^ of bhakti as the means (abhidheya-
tattva). Since most of human society is unaware of this solution,
Vyasadeva composed Srimad Bhdgavatam to make it available.
In contrast to its usage in sb 1.7.4, the term bhakti-yoga men
tioned in SB 1.7.6 refers rather to sddhana-bhakti, or devotion in the
stage of regulated practice, because this is the stage that is rele
vant to bhakti as the means (abhidheya). This stage is character
ized by strict adherence to devotional theory and praxis. In prema-
bhakti, or the completion stage of bhakti-yoga, because the self is
free of all material identification, one surely and steadily engages
in devotional service with natural affection.
The term "natural affection" here should not be misinterpreted
as meaning related to, or arising out of, phenomenal or conditional
nature. Rather, it implies the existence of transcendental affect, as a
manifestation of the potency of bliss, which is the natural condition
of consciousness itself, when imbued with the intrinsic potency.
The devotee who has reached this stage of realization generally
still enacts the sddhana principles, not as a means to an end, but
because they are found to accord with his fully awakened internal
^ In psychology, the term apperception refers to the general process or a particular
act of mental assimilation of new experience into the totality of one's past
experience. In philosophy, especially in terms of Immanuel Kant's
transcendental apperception, it refers to the perception of an object as involving
the consciousness of the pure self as the necessary condition of experience and
the ultimate foundation of the unity of experience. In this sense, it signifies the
mind's perception of itself as the subject of its own states, unifying past and
present experiences. This amounts to self-consciousness, or perception that
reflects back upon itself.
225
 II Prameya
is confirmed by the word amala, meaning "pure," referring to the
condition of Srila Vyasadevas heart. So in this verse, there is clear
reference to Vyasa s unmediated experience of prema as prayojana,
or the ultimate completion, because prema alone is coextensive
with the self-disclosure of Bhagavan.
According to Srila Rupa Gosvami, in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu
there are three varieties of bhakti: "Bhakti is said to be of three
types — sadhana, bhdva, and prema" (sd bhaktih sddhanarh bhdvah
premd ceti tridhoditd, brs 1.2.1). One who attains prema-bhakti real
izes Krsna both as immanence and as transcendence, and this real
ization vanquishes both his ignorance about the self and his mate
rial miseries. Srila Rupa Gosvami further defines prema-bhakti
as follows: "[Prema-bhakti] is of the nature of an altogether unique
quality of concentrated bliss and it attracts Sri Krsna" {sdndrdnanda-
visesdtmd sri-krsndkarsini ca sd, brs 1.1.17).
Srila Jiva Gosvami concludes, therefore, that it was by the influ
ence of prema-bhakti alone that Srila Vyasa, while in the state of
supracognitive trance, was enabled to directly apperceive bhagavat-
tattva along with mdyd-tattva, jlva-tattva, and bhakti-tattva. In
other words, prema-bhakti is the self-manifested liberated condi
tion in which the self-disclosure of Bhagavan becomes possible.
In that self-illuminated state of being. He saw the original Com
plete Person, Sri Krsna, along with His extrinsic, intermediary,
and intrinsic potencies. As in the case of Sri Suka, this was direct
revelation and hence determination of the subject to be realized
(sambandhi-tattva), Bhagavan, who is inclusive of a multitude of
potencies. Primordial nature is a manifestation of Sri Krsnas
extrinsic potency, and the living beings constitute His interme
diary potency. The significance of the classification of living beings
as intermediary (lit., "situated on the dividing line," tatastha), is
that consciousness in every arising moment is capable of being
drawn toward, attuned to, or identified with, either the extrinsic or
the intrinsic potency.
In its pure state, the self is consciousness alone, prior to any
conditional subject-object divide and completely free from the
influence of the extrinsic potency. When, however, consciousness
224
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
the power of illusion. Apart from these appearances, arising from
Brahman's proximity to mdyd, neither Isvara nor the jivas exist.
Concerning the jivas, featureless Brahman enters into delusion
and displays a masquerade of forms and personalities birth after
birth — and all for no reason other than Brahman's delimitation by
mdyd. And this same deluded Brahman will be redeemed when he
simply gives up his false designations on the strength of acquired
knowledge of Brahman.
All this contradicts what was directly self-disclosed to Vyasa-
deva in the state of enlightened perceptivity (i.e., samddhi). He
saw that the Jivas are intrinsically eternal spiritual entities, sepa
rate individuals in their own right. He further saw that Maya over
comes only the jivas, not Brahman or Isvara, the Supreme Lord of
Creation; not to speak of her overcoming Bhagavan, Vyasa saw that
Maya could not even bear to face Him. He also saw that God Him
self is not directly involved in deluding the jivas. In sum, Vyasadeva
realized that Bhagavan, the jivas, and Maya are all eternal, and that
the Lord supports the other two.
In SB 1.7.5, the words sammohitah (becoming deluded) and
manute (he thinks) are applied to the jiva, indicating that delusion
and its effects — ignorance and misery — are not part of its origi
nal nature. These two words also indicate that although the jiva is
essentially nothing other than consciousness, it is also a conscious
knower. As a light bulb, which is nothing other than illumination,
simultaneously illuminates itself and the objects in its vicinity, so
the jiva is simultaneously conscious of itself and the objects that
are presented to consciousness. In other words, cognitive aware
ness is an intrinsic aspect of its nature, not a temporarily acquired
capacity, which is what the radical Advaitavada doctrine implies
by positing that the jiva s attributes are only apparently real (as is
the jiva himself), and that to gain liberation, he has to intuit the
knowledge of his oneness with Brahman.
The theistic understanding of the jivas' situation in this world,
gleaned from analyzing Srila Vyasadeva's trance, is that Maya can
not tolerate the jivas' perversion of root attention® away from the
® The term 'Toot attention" refers to the root of awareness, or the root of the ^
241
 II Prameya
Supreme Lord, due to beginningless ignorance. She thus covers the
knowledge of the jivas' true ontological identity and binds them to
empiric identification. Maya s principal functions are to punish and
rectify the jivas who have turned away from Bhagavan. Her motive
is not to inflict suffering, but to encourage the ignorant jivas to
seek rectification by inquiring into transcendental knowledge. Sri
Krsna therefore says in GiTA4.37 that transcendental knowledge
burns all the bonds of karma in the same way that fire burns fuel,
because once a person attains transcendental knowledge, Maya
need no longer restrain him.
According to Srila Jiva Gosvami, mdyas conditioning of the jiva
has no beginning; it is anadi. Although statements such as, "she cov
ers the real nature of the jiva" seemingly imply a beginning, in fact
there is no beginning to the jiva s bondage. Sri Krsna confirms this:
Primordial nature and the living beings should both be understood
to be beginningless. Their transformations and the gunas of nature
are phenomenal arisings out of primordial nature, (gita 13.20)^
Commenting on this verse, both Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
and Baladeva Vidyabhusana confirm that the conditioning of the
jiva is beginningless. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura states:
"[Sri Bhagavan says] 'Because both may a and the jiva are My poten
cies, they both are beginningless. Thus their conjunction is also
without beginning.' This is the sense of Sri Krsnas words.Here
capacity to know — whether through bodily awareness, vital feeling, emotional
sensitivity, cognitive perception, logical inference, intellectual determination, or
immediate intuition. In the conditioned state, the self's root attention is
misdirected (vimukhya) away from its conscious Source, Bhagavan, becoming f-
identified with and as the phenomenal self. When this occurs, the self's
subsidiary modes of knowing become involved with their corresponding objects,
be they external phenomena or internal states. The solution to this dilemma
involves the inverse process (sdmukhya). Attention, whether it be bodily, vital,
emotional, mental, or intellectual, should be traced back to its root, the inherent
knowing capacity of the self, and that capacity should be redirected toward its
conscious Source, Bhagavan.
^ prakrtiih purusam caiva viddhy anadi ubhav apt
vikdrdms ca gundms caiva viddhi prakrti-sambhavdn
^ mdya-jivayor api mac-chaktitvena andditvdt tayoh sarfisleso'py anddir iti bhdvah.
242
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
Vyasadeva in this state of samadhi. This again confirms that Srimad
Bhdgavatam was self-revealed to Srila Vyasa in the state of pure
consciousness, prior to His compilation of the text. To fathom the
meaning of a book as profound as Srimad Bhdgavatam, it is crucial
to understand the author s experience and His internal faith struc
ture, meaning the vision of life in which He is grounded. These two
factors guide His writing, and, as in this case, if the subsequent
speaker of the book shares the author s faith and experience, then
the author s ideas will be accurately conveyed.
To understand the mind or heart of Srila Vyasadeva, Srila Jiva
Cosvami analyzes Vyasas trance, which is the source of Srimad
Bhdgavatam and reveals its essential idea. With this analysis accom
plished, Jiva makes it the basis for his explanation of the whole
Bhdgavatam. He therefore used twenty anucchedas of the Tattva
Sandarhha (30-49) just to explore the inner purpose of Srila Vyasa-
devas heart and to show how Sukadeva Cosvami s heart perfectly
r e fl e c t s i t .
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Cosvami examined Suka-
devas heart even before beginning to analyze that of Srila Vya
sadeva. Jiva did this to invoke the blessings of Sri Suka, from
whom even Srila Vyasadeva was eager to hear the Bhdgavatam. The
description of Sukadeva in the previous anuccheda, moreover, was
based on a single verse Suta Cosvami spoke in glorification of his
guru. By contrast, Vyasadevas trance is described in five verses. It
was thus also more convenient for Jiva Cosvami to discuss the state
of consciousness of Sukadeva before that of Vyasadeva. In doing so,
he follows the "principle of the needle and the kettle" (suci-katdha-
nydya)^ which means that when faced with a complex undertaking,
o n e s h o u l d e x e c u t e t h e s m a l l e r t a s k s fi r s t .
In SB 1.7.4 (quoted in Anuccheda 30.1), the term bhakti-yogena
means "by prema (pure love of Cod)," because only in the state
of pure love of Cod can one see the original Complete Person
along with His potencies. That bhakti-yogena means "by prema"
® The basis of this principle is that a task that takes less time to complete is taken
* up first to get it out of the way. A metal worker who is given the job to make a
kettle and a needle works on the needle first.
223
 Ill Prameya
awareness. Even though the section dealing with Sri Suka is cov
ered in just one verse and one anuccheda, whereas the section on
Vyasa covers five verses in twenty anucchedas, the two experiences
are essentially of the same value and confirm the exact same truth.
By presenting the experience of both the speaker and author of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, Jiva GosvamI offers a full circle view of both
the essential truths of Srimad Bhdgavatam and the precise mode
in which they are to be known. This also demonstrates that the
experience of the author is verifiable, and this is what affirms the
Bhdgavatam as the pramdna in the matter of the subjective Real
ity whose nature is transphenomenal and inconceivable, alaukika-
acintya-svabhdva-vastu, as referred to in Anuccheda 9.
By employing the adjective "subjective" here as a qualifier of
Reality, it should not be taken to mean that Reality itself is sub
jective, in the sense of that which is merely arbitrary or mentally
perceived to be the case, because how could it then be determined
as real? Rather, the adjective implies that Reality is the supreme
Subject, purely of the nature of consciousness. In addition, it is
subjectivity itself, or the source condition that is inclusive of, and
makes possible, the powers of cognition, will, affect, experience,
and action. "Subjective" further implies that the Supreme Reality is
not objective, because it can never be reduced to an object of percep
tion or thought (a percept or a precept). Consequently, it is beyond
the conventional range of subjectivity of the human mind. It is,
however, knowable through pure subjectivity, through the higher
cognitive mode of knowing made possible only through its own self-
revelation, as seen in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasadeva.
Jiva Gosvami introduces this section by saying that the essen
tial message of Srimad Bhdgavatam is defined again in precisely the
same terms, this time by examining the supracognitive trance of
Srila Vyasadeva. This again refers to the determination of samha-
ndha, abhidheya, and prayojana. So what was known as well as
the transperceptual means by which it was known, were in perfect
correspondence in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa.
Jiva Gosvami further states that the Ultimate Truth that Srimad
Bhdgavatam intends to elucidate was directly experienced by
2 2 2
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
Visvanatha is employing the nydya principle that the qualities or
potencies of anddi substances are also anddi. Naturally, a begin-
ningless substance or entity cannot have a prior state of existence,
for it could not be said to be beginningless. In this case, the sub
jects — primordial nature and the jivas — are understood as anddi,
and thus their shared quality of apparent separation from Krsna, is
also anddi
In fact, in the beginning of his comment on the Gitd verse, Vis
vanatha says, "In this verse, Sri Krsna is answering two questions —
why or how did the conjunction of the jiva and mdyd occur? And
when did it occur?" He says that both of these are answered by
the word anddi. In regard to the first question, anddi implies na
vidyate ddi kdranam yayoh, "the conjunction of mdyd and the jiva
is without prior cause" [and hence there is in fact no "why" as to
how it occurred]. The answer to the second question — when? — is
also anddi It has no beginning, and hence, it did not occur at any
moment in time.
Baladeva Vidyabhusana, commenting on this same verse,
writes, "In this way, the conjunction between primordial nature
and the living being, who have distinct natures and are both begin
ningless, relates to a period of time that is without beginning."®
He uses the adjectival compound anadi-kalikatva, "a period of time
without beginning," to qualify the phrase prakrti-jivayoh samsargah,
the conjunction of the jiva with prakrtl
From this we understand that the jivas and primordial nature
are both eternal, although sometimes manifest and sometimes
wound up within Mahavisnu. Being eternal, they are beginning-
less, and the nature of their conjunction is also beginningless. Just
as there was no prior state of existence for material nature, there
was also no prior condition of existence for the bound jivas. The com
mon example given is that of a spider, which expands its energy in
the form of its web and sometimes withdraws the web back into
its body. Similarly, primordial nature and the bound jivas are man
ifested and unmanifested in a cycle that is anddi, beginningless.
® evarh mitho vivikta-svabhdvayor anddyoh prakrti-jivayoh
sarhsargasydnddi-kalikatvam.
243
 Ill Prameya
Beginningless karmic imprinting and patterning is the nature of
the bondage of the beginningless jiva.
Srila Jiva Gosvami will explain all this in greater detail in Para-
mdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 47). He will show that, according to
the precise criteria pertaining to definitions in the nydya system
of logic, the word anddi is to be taken literally. We should note,
however, that the subject at hand transcends conventional logical
faculties. Srimad Bhdgavatam confirms:
The living entity, who is transcendental and liberated, is yet
subject to misery and bondage. Such indeed is Bhagavan's extrinsic
potency (mdyd), which defies logic, (sb 3.7.9)^
We are advised not to employ empirical logic to comprehend the
beginningless bondage of the jiva. Rather, through open receptivity
to the verdict of sdstra, accompanied by profound contemplation on
the truth therein disclosed, there arises immediate intuitive insight
of this enigma. This is the way of the self-disclosure of sastric truth,
and it is, therefore, the means to resolve this riddle of beginning
less bondage. To not avail of this transempirical mode of knowing is
to risk failure in completing life's essential purpose. Bhagavad Gltd
c o n fi r m s :
One who rejects sdstra attains neither completion, nor content
ment, nor the supreme destination, (gita 16.23)^°
Although the jiva is beginninglessly deluded, it eternally retains
the inherent capacity to know Bhagavan. This capacity is an unactu-
alized potential, comparable to the illuminating power of an unused
light bulb. Even when unused, a light bulb retains the capacity to
illuminate, but cannot do so until connected to a power source. Sim
ilarly, the conditioned jiva's capacity to know Bhagavan is unactual-
ized, but is ever present as an inherent potential of consciousness
itself. When consciousness is attuned to its Source, the inherent
^ seyarh bhagavato mdyd yan nayena virudhyate
Isvarasya vimuktasya kdrpanyam uta bandhanam
na sa siddhim avdpnoti na sukham na pardrh gatim
244
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
II II
One who seeks gratification of desire should worship the pre
siding deity of the moon, whereas one who is without material
desire should worship the Supreme Person (param purusam).
A person of discriminating insight, whether desireless, full
of desire, or desiring liberation, should worship the Supreme
Person (param purusam) with fervent devotion, (sb 2.3.9-10)^
cllcKl^ilW M^4c||CK| "-5^""5^
In his commentary, Srila Sridhara Svami states that the word
purusa in the first of these two verses indicates Paramatma, the
Supreme Self immanent within all beings and the cosmos, whose
upadhi (apparently limiting qualification) is primordial nature
(prakrti). The same word in the second verse, however, indicates
the Complete Person (Purna Purusa), who is free from all upadhis.
Thus, according to Sridhara Svami, the phrase purna-purusah
[in SB 1.7.4, quoted in Anuccheda 30.1] refers specifically to the
original Complete Person (Svayaih Bhagavan).
Commentary
This section, dealing with the samddhi of Vyasa, exactly paral
lels the previous anuccheda. Whereas the previous section was
concerning the determination of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana from the perspective of the transphenomenal experience of
the original speaker of Srimad Bhdgavatam, this section deals with
the same determination but from the supracognitive experience
of the author. What the two experiences share in common is that
they both involved direct knowing from a state of higher cognitive
^ kdma-kdmo yajet somam akdmah purusam param
akdmah sarva-kdmo vd moksa-kdma uddra-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param
2 2 1
 Ill Prameya
compound bhakti-yoga means prema]: "My dear King, the Sup
reme Person, Mukunda, sometimes grants liberation to those
engaged in His worship, but He rarely grants bhakti-yoga, pure
love for Him" (sb s.e.is).'*
The word pranihite (fixed) means "established in supracognitive
trance {samadhi)" This is corroborated by the fact that Narada
Muni had previously instructed Vyasadeva, "You are to experi
ence the supramundane pastimes of Sri Krsna in the state of
samadhr (sb 1.5.13).®
The word purna (complete) when understood in its full, unre
stricted sense [indicates Svayarii Bhagavan, Sri Krsna], since
this conclusion is validated by the following statement of Padma
Purdna: "The words bhagavan and purusa, when free from lim
iting modifiers (upadhis), refer to Sri Vasudeva [Krsna], the
Supreme Self of all" (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 226.68).®
crm (^oRi^iv^o) —
The same conclusion is drawn from the following two verses:
astv evam anga bhagavan bhajatdm mukundo
muktirh dadati karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam
samadhinanusmara tad-vicestitam
bhagavan iti sabdo'yam tathd purusa ity api
vartate nirupadhis ca vasudeve'khilatmani
2 2 0
32 The Individual Self Is Distinct, Conscious, and Subject to Self-Ignorance
capacity to know Bhagavan is made possible, like the illumination
that is enabled when a light bulb is connected to a power source.
This is why the jlva is described as an eternal servant of
Krsna, "nityah krsna-ddsah." When conditioned, the jlva's con
stitutional eternal servitorship (dasatva) remains in a potential
state. This potential is actualized when Krsnas intrinsic potency
descends to the jiva, dissolving the empirical conditioning through
unconditional devotion.
In the conditioned state, however, the jiva misdirects root atten
tion into phenomenal identity and appearance. Thus, the self s
instruments of knowing — the mind and senses — are misapplied
in service of a separative ego point of reference. In this condition,
the self s inherent potential of consciousness to be devotionally
whole-bodily attuned to its Source remains undiscovered, causing
the jiva to suffer.
But when the jiva redirects the mind and senses to repose in
their conscious Source, effected through the transmutational power
of sadhana-bhakti, then through the descent or pervasion of divine
power, the self's true potential becomes actualized. If one perse
veres on the path ofhhakti, he becomes aware of his original identity
and is established in the unending bliss of prema-bhakti. In Paramd-
tma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 19-47). Srila Jiva GosvamI discusses this
and other aspects of the jiva s nature in greater detail.
One may ask why the all-powerful Bhagavan does not stop
Maya from bewildering the jiva. Srila Jiva Gosvami addresses this
question in the next anuccheda.
245

Anuccheda 33
Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
?? I emrngtwHiWr ^
For His part, Sri Bhagavan cannot withdraw His favor from
Maya, whom He has delegated as the controlling agent of the
material creation and who has been His devotee from time with
out beginning. Still, He wills that the jivas direct their awareness
[attention, feeling, and action] toward Him [sva-sdmmukhya],
even if they happen to do so out of fear of Maya. Therefore, He
instructs them in Bhagavad Gitd:
TTTTwrr^<c^iii 1
HMiildiii ii
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three gunas of pri
mordial nature, is certainly difficult to overcome. Yet, those
who have become fully and exclusively sheltered in Me are able
to cross beyond it. (gIta 7.14)^
daivl hy esd guna-mayi mama mdyd duratyayd
mdm eva ye prapadyante mdydm etdrh taranti te
246
30 Ultimate Reality Disclosed to Srila Vyasadeva in Unmediated Gnosis
II W II
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami delighted in the state of utter non-
attachment and was thus indifferent toward everjrthing. He
was a sage enraptured in the Self alone, so why did he take the
trouble to undergo the study of such a vast book? (sb 1.7.9)^
^ ^ (^o ^ |\9 —
Suta Gosvami replies:
II II
^"^jJuiif^LclHld Ajlcl^ <si|<:^<|<L|Pl: I
II II
The sages, though freed from the knot of egoic identity, and
though delighting in the Self alone, engage in causeless devo
tion to Sri Krsna, the majestic player (Urukrama). Such are the
entrancing qualities of Sri Hari (Krsna). His consciousness cap
tivated by Lord Hari's qualities, Sukadeva, the powerful son of
Vyasadeva and ever-beloved of the Lord s devotees, underwent
the study of this great book, Srimad Bhdgavatam. (sb 1.7.10-11)®
vrrr^
(moqi^kd)
The phrase bhakti-yogena (through the yoga of unalloyed devo
tion) [in SB 1.7.4] means "through transcendental love of God,"
because it is well established in the following statement [that the
^ sa vai nivrtti-niratah sarvatropeksako munih
kasya vd brhatlm etdm dtmdrdmah samabhyasat
^ dtmdrdmds ca munayo nirgranthd apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaituklrh bhaktim ittham-bhuta-guno harih
barer gundksipta-matir bhagavdn bddardyanih
adhyagdn mahad dkhydnarh nityarh visnu-jana-priyah
219
 33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya

In the association of pure devotees, the discussions (hatha) nat

urally come to focus upon Me [Bhagavan], Such discussions
are not only laden with full awareness of My unlimited majesty
but they serve too as inebriating tonic for both the ear and the
heart. By service and attention to such discussions, faith, spiri
tual attraction, and divine love quickly and successively unfold
for Me [Bhagavan Hari], the very embodiment of the path of
liberation, (sb 3.25.25)^

I cKrHIc; cTcT cTcl fzfTT I ^ WTT ^ I

I ^ I ? 3^ —

In His divine play in the form of Sri Vyasa, the Lord has very
explicitly instructed the living beings in this way [i.e., that
surrender unto Him enables the transcendence of may a]. This
we shall see shortly [in Anuccheda 46] in our discussion of the
verse beginning anarthopasamarh saksad (sb 1.7.6). Thus, it is to
be understood that both Bhagavan and Maya have each acted
appropriately.
One may, however, object that mdyd is but a potency, and as a
potency it is tied to its functional capacity and its characteristic
nature {dharma-visesa) [which belongs to and is wielded by its
conscious Source (dharmi)]. How then can mdyd feel shame or
other similar sentiments?

The answer is that although mdyd is in fact a potency, we do

hear from the Vedic scriptures about goddesses who preside over
potencies residing in the Supreme Lord [and, hence, such poten
cies display not only functional capacity but cognitive awareness
and affect]. We find an instance of this in the dialogue between
^ satdrh prasangdn mama virya-sarhvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasdyandh kathdh
taj-josandd dsv apavarga-vartmani sraddhd ratir bhaktir anukramisyati

247
 Ill Prameya

Lord Indra and Maya in the Kena Upanisad. In any case, we shall
now let this matter stand and return to the main topic of our
discussion.

Commentary

As SrIla JivA GosvamI explained in the previous anuccheda, Bha-

gavto is not contented that Maya has to delude the jivas; therefore,
Maya feels ashamed to face the Lord. One may ask, "If the Lord is all-
powerful, why does He not intervene?" From scripture it is under
stood that Bhagavan empowers Maya as the agent of the material
creation, and she has been performing this service faithfully with
out a beginning point in time. Because she is a devotee of Bhagavan,
He respectfully does not interfere with her service.
But this reply may lead to a further doubt: Besides being all-
powerful, the Supreme Lord is said to be unlimitedly merciful,
always disposed to everyone's welfare. Why then does He fail to
intercede in Mayas apparent harassment of the jivas? The deeper
implications of this question involve the existential issues of free
dom and choice, and hence of the inevitability of conditional life as
the play of finite existence. Suffice it to say here that for the Abso
lute to be truly complete, finitude must be accommodated no less
than infinity, relativity no less than absoluteness, sarfisdra no less
than moksa.

Jiva Gosvami points out, however, that even though Bhagavan

does not prevent Maya from fulfilling her role within the divine
plan. He compassionately instructs the jivas on how to get free
from her clutches by withdrawing attention from phenomenal
appearance and returning it in devotional surrender to Him. Maya
no longer has the power to influence any jiva who has reposed
consciousness fully in Bhagavan.
Still, a puzzle remains: Why does Bhagavan allow Maya to cre
ate obstacles even for a jiva in whom the desire to surrender to
Him has been born? Why does He allow her to repeatedly present
various allurements that prevent the jiva from discriminating

248
 33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya

between proper and improper action and in this way baffle his
or her attempts to surrender?
Srila Jiva Gosvami answers this question by citing the verse
beginning satdrh prasafigdn mama vlrya-samvidah, which was spo
ken by Sri Kapila in sb 3.25.25. This verse explains that devotees of
Bhagavan associate favorably with one another and always relish
speaking about the Lord s pastimes, which are a tonic for the hearts
and ears of the sick and weak jivas. This tonic immunizes them
against the disease of material illusion and gradually brings them
back to a healthy condition of life, namely, establishment in their
constitutional identity of service to Bhagavan.
Bhagavan's only occupation in the spiritual world is relish
ing pure loving exchanges with His unconditional devotees, and
this enjoyment would be subject to disruption by the intrusion
of unhealthy jivas — i.e., living beings still caught in egoic self-
reference and pursuit of self-serving desire, and consequently in
whom the pervasion of trans-egoic love for Bhagavan has not yet
occurred. Maya therefore employs stringent means to ensure that
no unfit beings are allotted even the possibility of intrusion upon
the Lord. Because this is her assigned service. He does not inter
fere. On the other hand, because of the obstacles she presents,
the jiva becomes reflective, attentive, and insightful, and this sup
ports the fervent turning of attention toward Bhagavan. In this
way, one quickly attains the Lord's feet. Obstacles make one strong,
although they seem unpalatable when faced. Obstacles develop
one's character and sharpen intelligence.
Bhagavan has not, however, employed Maya just to inflict mis
eries on the jivas. She does that, but as mentioned earlier, her real
purpose is to chasten the jivas, to encourage them to turn to Bha
gavan. The punishment she metes out serves three purposes: to
administer reactions to the living beings for their unwholesome
deeds, to deter them from further transgressions, and to impel them
to seek a solution to this world of suffering. Since this punishment
ultimately benefits the jivas by uniting them with God, He gener
ally does not choose to come between the jiva and Maya. The gov
ernor of a state will usually not interfere when the court system

2 A Q
 Ill Frame

sends a criminal to prison. On the contrary, he may commend the

policemen who captured the wrongdoer. People do not think the
governor is cruel to employ such able policemen, and in the end, if
the criminal is truly rehabilitated and freed on parole, the former
lawbreaker himself may thank the governor.
So, misery is in the very nature of material existence, and its
inevitability is meant to induce the jivas to seek out their source,
Bhagavan, and direct attention skillfully in His loving service.
Only in this way can they gain liberation from Mayas clutches.
In Srimad Bhdgavatam, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami confirms that this is
the purpose of the creation:

The Lord created the intellect, the senses, the mind, and the vital
force of the living beings for the purpose of apprehending sense
objects (mdtrd), for taking birth (bhava), for providing a range of
experience for the self (dtmane), and [ultimately] for transcend
ing the act of filtering experience through the screen of prior
assumptions (akalpandya, i.e., for liberation), (sb 10.87.2)^

One may still object that even if the Supreme Lord is not inten
tionally cruel. He is yet indifferent to the plight of the jivas. This
is another mistaken notion. Far from being indifferent to the jivas'
suffering, Bhagavan provided Vedic knowledge at the very begin
ning of the creation cycle. Moreover, He frequently appears in
this world to enlighten the fallen populace on the pretext of edu
cating His intimate associates, such as Arjuna and Uddhava. Some
times He descends as Vedavyasa or as another enlightened instruc
tor to make available the message of bhakti and uplift the suffering
jivas. All this He does out of His causeless mercy, because, as we
have learned from the pramdna portion of Sri Tattva Sandarbha, the
jivas can never directly know anything beyond the empiric range
of experience merely by their own self-referencing endeavors. He
alone is instrumental in the direct descent of His own intrinsic

potency into the dtmd that is devotionally turned toward Him, mak
ing possible His own self-revelation as Bhagavan and the pervasion
^ buddhlndriya-manah-prdndnjandndm asrjat prabhuh
mdtrdrtham ca bhavdrtham ca atmane'kalvandva ca

2 q o
 Ill Prameya
men. Arjuna is not a tiger. But to call him a tiger implies that he
has some characteristics of a tiger, such as bravery. But he does not
have other qualities, such as ferociousness. Thus, one can realize
the true identity of Brahman and the jiva only when one sets aside
the upadhi that limits Brahman into becoming ajiva. To support this
realization, the guru instructs the disciple, "You are that." Since the
Sruti statements cannot be meaningless, Sahkara contends, this is
the only way to understand this mahd-vdkya.
Srila Jiva Gosvami answers this whole argument by pointing
out that even when a jiva is absorbed in hearing the Vedic sound
conveying the knowledge that he is one with Brahman, the upddhi
covering the jiva, which is empirically real, will not magically dis
solve. A man bound by chains will not become free just by med
itating that his fetters are cut. A rabbit will not turn into an ele
phant just by meditating, "I am an elephant, 1 am an elephant."
Such achievements would be possible only if the upddhis were
merely apparent. An intoxicated office clerk may think he is the
President of the United States, but when he becomes sober, he
understands that he is just an office clerk. If the upddhis cover
ing Brahman are real, the task of removing them is not so easy.
Mere knowledge is not sufficient to liberate the jiva from mdyd. If
knowledge alone were actually sufficient for liberation, why do the
scriptures recommend various austerities, penances, and rituals
for self-purification?
The Advaitavadis can only maintain that these are preliminary
steps for purifying the heart, which qualifies a candidate to under
stand the meaning of the Srutis' mahd-vdkyas. But according to the
sdstras accepted by them, knowledge (vidyd) and ignorance (avidyd)
are both products of mdyd. So, even if a jiva, by studying Vedic texts,
surmounts his avidyd with the help of vidyd, he will still be bound by
vidyd. How will he do away with this other upddhi, vidyd? Until he is
free from all upddhis, he cannot realize Brahman, which is beyond
both vidyd and avidyd. Sri Krsna discusses this point with Uddhava
in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhdgavatam:
278
33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
of unprecedented love for Him. In His appearance as Sri Caitanya,
He delivers krsna-prema, which is not available even to the residents
o f Va i k u n t h a .
The miseries of the material world are meant to prompt the jivas
to direct their consciousness toward their supreme source, and
therefore, suffering is recognized as bearing intrinsic value by the
far-sighted. It is like a wake-up call for the sleeping self. In this
sense, misery can be seen as an aspect of Bhagavan's inconceivable
mercy. Out of His causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord offers the
entrapped jivas access to spiritual knowledge through the Vedas.
As Kaliyuga began and the jivas all but lost their ability to compre
hend spiritual knowledge. He further helped them by explaining
the same message in the Itihasas and Puranas. Finally, He revealed
the essence of all knowledge in the form of Srimad Bhdgavatam. So
it can hardly be said that Bhagavan is indifferent to the plight of the
jivas.
Once a jiva takes advantage of Bhagavan's arrangement for spir
itual education and comes to the point of transcendental realiza
tion, he need not fear any punishment for his previous misdeeds,
no matter how dreadful they were. As Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad
Gitd:
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the
fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
Thus, Bhagavan confirms that the jivas' punishment is meant
not for inflicting suffering on them, but for awakening them to the
knowledge that will lead them to freedom from all suffering and
eternal life in the spiritual world.
Yet, another doubt may be raised: If the punishment inflicted on
the jivas is for their ultimate good, why are they also allowed to enjoy
in this world? If they were simply thrown into an ocean of cease
less misery, they would have no choice but to quickly take complete
shelter of God.
yathaidharhsi samiddho'gnir bhasma-sdt kurute'rjuna
jndndgnih sarva-karmdni bhasma-sdt kurute tathd
251
 Ill Prameva 38 Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

This may be answered as follows: First, ceaseless misery is not Another example: A person forgets that he put his watch in his
possible. Material misery and material pleasure are correlative con- pocket and searches for hours without any luck. Finally, a friend
ditions. If one suffers continuously, any decrease in pain will be comes along and sees the watch strap sticking out of his pocket and
experienced as pleasure. Moreover, ceaseless misery is not con- tells him, "Your watch is in your pocket." At once the person realizes
ducive to development of transcendental awareness, because the that he has the watch and his anxiety is gone. Knowledge alone was
mind then becomes too disturbed to contemplate scriptural truths. sufRcient to relieve his distress.
Second, ceaseless misery is not necessary because any jiva with Similarly, the Advaitavadis say, the jiva is nothing but deluded
even a little rudimentary transcendental insight will realize that Brahman. As soon as he realizes this by properly hearing and
there is no real happiness in this material world. Without such reflecting upon the Vedic instructions, he becomes liberated. He
knowledge, misery alone is insufficient to awaken a person to real- then understands that Brahman is not distant from him, for in fact
ity. Without knowledge, one simply becomes acclimatized to mis- ' he himself is Brahman. His only obstacle was ignorance, which
ery. Such knowledge is available from sastra. In the Yoga-sutra was subsequently removed by hearing the Vedas. Of course, for
(2.15), Patafijali says that every phenomenal experience is miserable the process to be effective one's heart must be pure, and to achieve
to a wise person. this p u r i t y, Sripada Sahkaracarya recommends the "fourfold prac-
In GiTA 9.33, Sri Krsna characterizes this world as temporary tice" (sadhana-catustaya) consisting of discriminative insight, dis-
and devoid of real happiness: unity am asukharhlokam. The so-called passion, "the six accomplishments,"^ and a fervent urge toward
happiness one experiences here is nothing but a temporary cessa- liberation.
tion or diminution of misery. It is like the pleasure felt by a man According to Sahkara, one of the four mahd-vdkyas (essential
who is repeatedly dunked in water and then brought to the surface statements of all Vedic instructions) is tat tvam asi: "You are that
just before drowning. Upon taking in the life-giving air, he feels [Brahman]." This statement underlines the oneness of the jiva with
great relief and joy, but such happiness is really only the tempo- Brahman. But, we have to ask, since Brahman is all-pervading and
rary absence of continual misery. Sri Krsna therefore advises us all-knowing while the jiva is atomic and limited in knowledge, how
not to strive for the so-called happiness of this material world: "A can they be identical? To this, the Advaitavadis reply that tat tvam
wise person who remains equipoised in both misery and happiness, asi should not be understood in its primary literal sense but only in
considering them to be of the same nature, is eligible for liberation" a secondary sense. One can recognize the actual oneness between
(sama-duhkha-sukhaThdhirarhsomrtatvdyakalpate, gitaz.is). Only the jiva and Brahman only when one sets aside their contrasting
such a person can taste real happiness; others experience only the qualities — omnipresence and omniscience versus atomic size and
illusion of happiness. ^ limited knowledge — and recognizes only their mutual quality of
In conclusion, therefore, Bhagavan has designed a two-part consciousness,
program for both chastening and rehabilitating the jlvas: On This process is called bhdga-tydga-laksand, or applying a meta-
the one hand, Maya punishes them, and on the other, the Lord phorical meaning to a phrase by discarding part of a word's literal
instructs them through various avatdras, the Vedic scriptures, and meaning or some of its qualifications. This is used in Bhagavad Gltd
His pure devotees. Thus, Maya's and Bhagavan's actions perfectly when Sri Krsna addresses Arjuna as purusa-vydghra, a tiger among
complement each other. ^ are control of the mind (sama),
^ The six accomplishments ^ restraint of the senses
Although mdyd is Bhagavan's material energy, she also exists (dama), dispassion (uparati), forbearance (titiksa), fixity of mind (samadhana),
in her personal form. All the energies of Bhagavan have personal and faith in scriptures (sraddha).

252 277
 Ill Prameya
The means to liberation is direct intuitive insight arising from
dictums such as, "Thou art that." (Brhan-naradlya Purana 35-68)^
He who knows Brahman verily becomes Brahman, (muu 3.2.9Y
The knower of the Self transcends grief, (chu 7.1.3)^
Thus, with the apparent support of Vedic scripture, the Advaita-
vada School claims that liberation is achieved through knowledge.
Indeed, the Sruti says, "By knowing that [Brahman] alone, one tran
scends death; there is no other way to cross over" (tarn eva viditva
ati mrtyum eti, ndnyah panthd vidyateyandya, su 3.8, 5.15). And in
Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says:
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the
fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
(GiTA4.37)^
Continuing this idea in the next two verses, Sri Krsna says,
"There is nothing as purifying as direct knowing" (na hi jndnena
sadrsam pavitram iha vidyate) and "Having come upon the state
of direct knowing, one quickly attains supreme peace" {jftdnam
labdhvd pardrh sdntim acirenddhigacchati, gIta 4.33-39).
In effect, the Advaitavadis think that the jiva is like an infant
from a wealthy family who has gotten lost in a busy public place
and is then found and raised by some poor man. As a result of this
misfortune, compounded by ignorance of his true identity, the baby
grows up in a humble setting as the child of the poor man. Later,
the child may be recognized by a servant of his father. As soon as he
comes to realize that he is the son of a wealthy man, all his poverty
vanishes. He does not have to toil hard to get rid of this poverty. In
fact, he was never really poor, just unaware of his actual state, and
thus simply coming to a proper understanding of his real identity
w a s s u f fi c i e n t t o r e v e r s e t h e s i t u a t i o n .
^ tat tvam asy-ddi-vdkyebhyahjndnarh moksasya sddhanam
brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati
^ tarati sokam dtma-vit
^ yathaiddrhsi samiddho'gnir bhasma-sdt kurute'rjuna
jndndgnih sarva-karmdni bhasma-sdt kurute tathd
33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
forms with corresponding identity, will, affect, and sphere of action.
(Srila JIva Gosvami will discuss this point in greater detail in Bhaga-
vat Sandarbha, Anuccheda 99.) That Maya has a personal form is evi
dent from a dialogue between Lord Indra and Mayadevi narrated in
the Third Chapter of the Kena Upanisad.
Once there was a war between the devas and the asuras. After
a long struggle, the devas prevailed by the Supreme Lord s mercy,
but they mistakenly ascribed their victory to their own valor and
became proud. To humble them, the Lord appeared before them in
the guise of a yaksa. Unable to identify the yaksa, they appointed
Agni, the fire god, to find out who He was. When Agni asked the
yaksa to identify Himself, He placed a straw in front of Agni and
said, "Burn it." With all his power Agni could not burn the straw.
Then Vayu, the air god, was sent to identify the yaksa, but he could
not blow the straw away. Next, Lord Indra approached the yaksa,
but the mysterious personality disappeared. Finally, Mayadevi
appeared to Indra in the form of Uma and told him that the yaksa
was in fact Bhagavan.
Many similar accounts in the Vedas and Puranas demonstrate
that mdyd and other energies of Bhagavan have their own personal
forms. Thus, the description of how Vyasa saw Maya standing
behind the Lord out of embarrassment is not figurative. Maya expe
rienced shame before Bhagavan due to the nature of her actions.
Yet, another question might be asked: If Maya, the predom
inating deity of the material energy, can manage all her affairs,
what need is there for Paramatma to regulate this world? Sri Krsna
answers this in Bhagavad Gitd:
O son of Kunti, whatever forms appear in the various species of life,
primordial nature {mahad brahma) is their womb and I am the seed-
giving father. (GiTA14.4)^
Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without the help of a
potent man, Maya cannot manage the material world without the
help of Paramatma. Maya has her innate potencies for serving the
^ sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti ydh
tdsdrh brahma mahad yonir aharh bija-pradah pita
 Ill Prameya

Supreme Lord, but still she needs His help in carrying out her duties.
For this reason, Vyasa saw that she was dependent on Bhagavan,
a fact Krsna confirms in gita 9.10 when He says that this material
nature, which is one of His energies, is ultimately working under
His direction.

The next anuccheda continues to explain the distinction between Anuccheda 38

the jivas and Bhagavan, as witnessed by Sri Vyasa in the state of

samadhi. Refutations of Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada

If, however, there were real upadhis delimiting Brahman (pari-

ccheda) or acting as the medium of Its reflection (pratibimba), a
person could not get rid of them simply by intuitive knowledge of
his essential oneness with the Supreme. And if the radical non-
dualists propose that freedom from upadhis is due to the influ
ence of the Supreme Entity, referred to by the pronoun tat, then
they are in agreement with our own view!

Commentary

Srila JivA Gosvam! here exposes further complications that arise

from accepting Brahman's upadhis as empirically real. The radical
nondualists advocate that a jiva can become free from the bondage
of his upadhis by intuition of his identity with Brahman, assimilated
from the Srutis. Their idea was based on these Sruti statements:

Thou art that, (chu 6.8.7)^

It [the primal Self] knew only Itself as, "I am Brahman." (bau 1.4,10)^

^ tat tvam asi

^ tad atmanam eva vedaham brahmdsmi

254 275
 Ill Prameya
SO it is possible for Brahman to be reflected in Its upadhis. But this
is a faulty argument. The red color in this analogy belongs to the
flower, which projects its image through the crystal; thus, we per
ceive only the flower s color in the crystal. The color exists simply
as the flower's attribute and cannot sustain itself independently. A
flower, moreover, has shape, parts, and attributes. In sum, neither
the color nor the flower compares adequately to Brahman. There
fore, like the analogy of the reflected sky, the Advaitavadls have also
applied this analogy incongruously.
The Sruti says, "Brahman is free from any relation or associ
ation" (asango hy ayam purusah, bau 4.3.15). Therefore, Brahman
cannot participate in any relationship with a reflecting medium.
The Advaitavadls, however, would interpret the word asanga here
as meaning "devoid of real relations." This implies that Brahman
can have non-real relations or associations, created by mdyd. As
already shown, however, formless Brahman has no ability to mani
fest a reflection in an empirically real medium or to have any other
relation with such a medium. This impossibility is even more defi
nite with respect to unreal relations with unreal mediums. Prasna
Upanisad 4.10 confirms this, when it states, "That Brahman casts
no shadow, has no body, and is colorless" (tad acchdyam asariram
alohitam). We can thus conclude that upadhis — whether real or
unreal — can never impose themselves on pure Brahman. They
affect only the deluded jivas.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami presents more argu
ments against the Advaitavada doctrine, hypothetically considering
Brahman's upadhis as real.
274
Anuccheda 34
The Jiva Is Conscious and Distinct from Isvara
II
Although the jivA is purely conscious (cid-rupa) just like the
Supreme Being, it is yet distinct from the Supreme Being. This
distinction is clearly shown, on the one hand, by the words,
"Maya is apart from and yet supported by Him — the Supreme
Being" (tad-apdsraya, sb 1.7.4) and, on the other hand, by the
phrase, "the jiva is deluded by mdyd" {yayd sammohito jiva,
SB 1.7.5).
Commentary
In SB 1.7.4, the words used to describe Maya's relationship with Bha-
gavan are tad-apasraya. This phrase indicates that in the state of
trance, Srila Vyasadeva saw that Bhagavan supports Maya and that
she has no influence over Him. The prefix apa implies "separate"
and "inferior." Maya is separate from Bhagavan in the sense that
she does not belong to the category of His intrinsic potency. Her
separateness, however, in no way implies independence from Him.
That she is ashamed to appear in front of the Lord indicates that she
is inferior both to Him and His intrinsic potencies. For this reason,
she cannot influence Him and is fully subordinate to Him. There
fore, as mentioned earlier, she is compared to a maidservant who
works outside the inner apartments of a king.
255
 Ill Prameya
While unable to influence Bhagavan or His intrinsic potency,
Maya can influence the jiva, as the words yayd sammohitah indicate.
Being part of God s intermediary potency, which is conscious, the
jiva is also conscious by nature; yet, it is not all-powerful like God.
God's power is unlimited, while the jiva s potency is limited. Bhaga
van controls Maya, but she controls the limited jivas when they are
not united with Him in bhakti-yoga. Just as sparks separated from a
fire lose their brilliance but not their existence, so the living beings
who are psychologically separated from Bhagavan are forgetful of
their nature and are absorbed in illusion. Bhagavan, however, is
never affected by illusion. Thus, the jivas are distinct from the Lord,
even though they share qualitative identity, inasmuch as both are
purely of the nature of consciousness (cit-svarupa).
Commenting on sb 1.7.4, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana points out
that besides witnessing the self-revelation of Bhagavan, Maya, and
the jiva, Srila Vyasa also saw the time energy, as indicated by such
verbs as apasyat (he saw), sammohitah (the jiva is bewildered), and
manute (the jiva considers). How is this? Because all these verbs
indicate action, which in turn implies the influence of time. He fur
ther specifies that Vyasa perceived four items in samadhi, i.e., Bha
gavan, the individual living being, Maya, and time. These four are
eternal, as confirmed in the Bhdllaveya-sruti: "The Supreme Lord,
primordial nature, the individual conscious being, and time are cer
tainly all eternal" (atha ha vdva nitydni purusah prakrtir dtmd kdlah).
Time's eternality is also mentioned in the Visnu Purdna:
[Parasara Muni said] 0 twice-born Maitreya, supremely power
ful time has no beginning or end. Thus, the cycle of creation,
maintenance, and dissolution continues perpetually, (vp 1.2.25)^
And in Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says:
Primordial nature and the living beings should be understood to be
beginningless. Their transformations and the gunas of nature are
phenomenal arisings out of primordial nature, (gita 13.20)^
^ anddir bhagavan kdlo ndnto'sya dvija vidyate
avyucchinnds tatas tv ete sarga-sthity-anta-samyamdh
^ prakrtim purusarii caiva viddhy anadl ubhdv api
37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
sky could cast a reflection, then the wind, direction, and time would
also be able to do so. Air would certainly be able to cast a reflec
tion, because according to Sahkhya metaphysics, the air element
is denser than the sky element. According to modern science, the
bluish background seen behind the visible bodies in the firmament
is an optical illusion created by refracted sunlight passing through
the atmosphere. No concrete underlying object is there to cast a
reflection, only the invisible firmament. Hence, the analogy com
paring Brahman to the sky being reflected in water is inappropriate.
Furthermore, it was already shown that, according to the
Mayavadis, Brahman is beyond empirical existence and non
existence and thus also beyond sensory perception. It is nonsen
sical to then propose that Brahman reflects as the jivas. But Srila
Jiva Gosvami is willing to grant the opposition a respite and hypo-
thetically accept their premise that Brahman can reflect in upddhis,
in which case all-pervading Brahman must also exist in the upddhis,
in which It supposedly reflects.
But if the reflected object. Brahman, is already present in the
reflecting medium, the upddhis, how will It reflect there? As a mir
ror cannot reflect in itself, so Brahman cannot reflect in Itself. Even
if somehow It manages to reflect in Itself, how will it be possible
to distinguish the reflected Brahman from the original Brahman
already present in the upddhis? How can the reflected Brahman be
singled out to be termed jiva and made to suffer? What was His
offense? Why is it that the reflected Brahman becomes affected by
upddhis and not the original Brahman, although the reflection is no
different from the original? The Advaitavadis have no consistent
reply to these questions.
Brahman has no internal parts: "Brahman contains no limbs or
parts. It is inactive and of the nature of unalterable peace" (niskalam
niskriyarh sdntam, SU6.79). But a formless, indivisible object can
not have a relation with any upddhi, real or imaginary, and thus it
cannot reflect in any medium.
In response, the Advaitavadis cite the analogy of a clear crystal
that appears red when placed in front of a red flower. Just as the red
color, which is formless and indivisible, is reflected in the crystal.
 Ill Prameya
conception. One such discrepancy is as follows: The jivas and Isvara
move from one place to another, but Brahman is all-pervading.
Somehow portions of Brahman become limited by upadhis to mani
fest as the jivas. When a given jiva moves from one place to another,
either Brahman also moves along with it or It does not. But Brah
man's moving from place to place is impossible, because when
something moves, it leaves one location and then occupies another,
where it was absent before. It is absurd to propose this situation for
Brahman, since Brahman is always present everywhere.
On the other hand, if Brahman does not move with the Jivas,
we must assume that when a jiva is moving from place to place,
its upadhi constantly delimits new portions of Brahman, simulta
neously releasing the previously delimited portions. This reduces
Brahman, the Absolute Reality, to a toy in the hands of Its upadhis,
a proposal that is also absurd.
If it is instead proposed that all of Brahman is grasped by Its
upadhis, the problem of movement can be solved, but then there
remains no Brahman free from upadhis, meaning that there is no
chance for the jivas' liberation or for useful discussion of philoso
phy; all of existence would consist of deluded Brahman, and there
would be no liberated domain to aspire for.
If it is countered that Brahman is not the basis for Its upadhis
and thus jivas can move independently of Brahman, this means that
even at the liberated level these independent upadhis would con
tinue to exist. Srila Jiva GosvamI concludes that the interpretation
of pariccheda-vada in terms of Brahman's upadhis being empirically
real is invalid.
He then goes on to refute pratibimba-vada, the theory of reflec
tion. Brahman, Srila Jiva states, can cast no reflection in Its
upadhis — here referring to the subtle or psychical bodies of the
jivas — because Brahman is devoid of all attributes. Only an object
possessing attributes like form and color can cast a reflection. If an
object is invisible, how can it be reflected in anything?
If it is countered that the sky, although invisible, casts a reflec
tion in water, Jiva Gosvami replies that it is in fact the stars and plan
ets in the sky that cast reflections in water, not the sky itself. If the
272
34 The JIva Is Conscious and Distinct from Isvara
In commenting on this verse in Sdrdrtha-varsini, Srila Vis-
vanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, "[Sri Krsna says] Because both
mdyd and the jiva are My potencies, they both are beginningless.
Thus, their conjunction is also without beginning" (mdyd-jivayor
api mac-chaktitvena andditvdt tayoh sarhsleso'py anddir iti bhdvah). It
follows from this that the jiva's karma has been operative without a
beginning as well.
Srila Vyasadeva acknowledges in Veddnta-sutra that this is the
nature of karma:
One might object that the law of karma cannot explain the inequal
ity observed in life, because prior to creation there could have been
no karmic inheritance that could result in such differentiation. But
this objection is not valid, since the cycle of creation has no begin
ning. Inasmuch as creation has no beginning, karma also has no
beginning, (vs 2.1.35)^
Apart from karma, which has an end, the other four entities
that Srila Vyasa saw — Bhagavan, the jiva, primordial nature, and
time — are all eternal, without beginning or end. Of these four, Bha
gavan and the jiva are both purely of the nature of consciousness,
but the Lord is infinite, whereas the jiva is infinitesimal. Time
is not conscious, but it is free from the control of the material
gunas. It is the basis of the threefold division of past, present, and
future. Primordial nature is inert and is composed of three gunas —
authentic being, conditional becoming, and stasis (or illumination,
dynamism, and ignorance). Matter thus undergoes transforma
tions in time and is the medium through which we infer the three
divisions of time. In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 99), Sri Jiva
Gosvami explains that there are two categories of time. One is a
manifestation of mdyd, and the other is the will of Bhagavan. The
t i m e r e f e r r e d t o h e r e i s t h e f o r m e r.
Although karma has been subconsciously imprinting and influ
encing every conditioned being without beginning, it can be termi
nated for jivas who become perfectly established in transcendental
vikdrdms ca gundms caiva viddhi prakrti-sambhavdn
^ na karmdvibhdgdd iti cen ndndditvdt
257
 Ill Prameya 37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

devotion to Bhagavan, Sri Krsna. This too was revealed to Srlla beginningless, supreme Brahman, which is said to be neither being
Vyasadeva, and to enlighten the conditioned jivas about these nor non-being." Commenting on this verse, Sahkara writes:
all-important topics. He compiled the Sdtvata-sarhhitd, Srlmad
B h d g a v a t a m B r a .h _m_a _n ,_ .w_h ti hcehs e inss e st, oa n bd eh e nkcne .o Iw n, lies beyond the reach of
t can be known only by Its direct intuition
In the next eight anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Sri revelation. Therefore, unlike a clay pot
Vyasa's transcognitive experience contradicts the popular radical or other such objects. It is not subject to discriminative analysis and
monistic (Advaitavada) view of Sri Sahkaracarya. thus cannot be determined either to exist or to not exist. For this
reason. It can never be called sat or asat.

Objection: But what you said about Brahman, that which is

to be known — that It is neither existent nor non-existent — is

contradictory.

Reply: It is not contradictory, because the Sruti states: "That [Brah

man] is other than the known and the unknown, for It is beyond
both [kena 1.3]." (Bhagavad Gltd, Sankara-bhdsya 13.13^

So, according to the Advaitavadis' own version. Brahman is

beyond sense perception and beyond empirical existence and non
existence. Such being the case, if the upddhis of Brahman are
empirically real, they can never limit the undivided and indivis
ible Brahman to produce the jivas. Therefore, the Vedas say, "The
indiscernible [Brahman] cannot be perceived" {agrhyo na grhyate,
BAU9.26). Brahman, being indivisible, cannot be separated or
delimited into jivas the way one might break a large stone into
pebbles.
If we hypothetically grant that upddhis can divide Brahman into
Jivas, then neither the jivas nor Brahman Itself should be called
eternal. But the Bhagavad Gitd, which the Advaitavadis accept as
authoritative, describes both the jiva and Brahman as eternal. In
GiTA 13.20, Sri Krsna says that the jiva is anddi, beginningless. The
same is stated in texts 20-24 of the Second Chapter.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana states that even if the above point
is overlooked, other inconsistencies abound in the Advaitavada
" idarh tujneyam atlndriyatvena sabdaika-pramana-gamyatvan na ghatadi-vad

ubhaya-buddhy-anugata-pratyaya-visayam ity ato na san na asad ity ucyate. yat tv

^ uktam viruddham ucyate jneyam tan na sat tan na asad ucyate iti. na viruddham.
anyad eva tad viditad atho aviditad adhi iti srute.

258 271
 Ill Prameya

authority. Brahman, however, is negated by neither. Just as dreams

cease when one wakes, the material world will cease to exist when
one becomes Brahman-realized.^ There is no higher reality than
absolute Brahman, no higher existence that can negate the real exis- ^
tence of Brahman in the past, present, or future. On the level of
Brahman existence, there is no distinction between knowledge, the Anuccheda 35
knower, and the object of knowledge. It is as if all three fuse into
one absolute reality. The two lower grades of reality, prdtibhdsika Essential Distinction between the Jiva
and vydvahdrika, are not perceived on this level of consciousness.
and Isvara
Srila Jiva Gosvami refutes both pariccheda-vdda (the theory of
division) and pratibimba-vdda (the theory of reflection) by consid
ering the Sahkarites' explanation of the upddhis covering Brahman
as pertaining to the two lower grades of reality: These upddhis can
never be real aspects of the absolute or ontological reality, since
that would introduce duality on the nondual plane. In the case of
pariccheda-vdda, the upddhis can be either empirically real (andvi-
dyaka), considered in Anucchedas 37-38, or only apparently real
[According to the Advaitavada doctrine of Sankaracarya] In
(dvidyaka), considered in Anuccheda 39. Srila Jiva Gosvami shows ^ the very moment that the one indivisible Brahman, whose
the fault in both of these alternatives.
nature is pure consciousness, becomes the support of mdyd and
If the upddhis are empirically real. Brahman still cannot be lim the embodiment of knowledge [as Isvara], It simultaneously
ited by them, because pure Brahman is unconditioned by anything falls under mdyas influence and is overcome by ignorance [as
else, empirical or otherwise. In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna confirms the jiva]. Yet, this is illogical. Thus, we can understand that the
this:
jiva and the Supreme Lord are distinct entities. Moreover, since
I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste their inherent capabilities are different [Isvara as the controller
the eternal. Brahman, beginningless and subordinate to Me, lies of mdyd and the jiva as subordinated by mdyd], the jiva and the
Lord are distinct in their essential natures.
beyond the cause and effect of this material world. (cixA 13.13)^

Thus, no upddhis can limit Brahman. But in the opinion of ^

Sahkaracarya, this Gitd verse says, "I shall tell you of that which Commentary
is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; it is the
^ From the Advaitic point of view, it is technically wrong to say that one becomes SrIla JivA Gosvami has carefully analyzed Srila Vyasadevas
Brahman-realized, because there is no distinction between oneself and Brahman. trance, and now, on the basis of that analysis, he presents argu
There is no proper or exact way to express the final state of Advaitavada. ments opposing the Advaitavada theory of the absolute oneness of
^ jneyaifi yat tat pravaksydmi
the Supreme Self (Paramatma) and the individual self (jivdtma).
yajjndtvamrtam asnute
The ideas of the Advaitavadls are antithetical to devotion and are
anadi mat-pararh brahma ,
na sat tan nasad ucyate therefore one of the greatest obstacles on the path of the self-

270 259
 Ill Prameya
disclosure of Bhagavan and prema-bhakti, Srila Raghunatha dasa
Gosvami compared impersonal liberation to a tigress that devours
the self: "My dear mind, never listen to talk about impersonal liber
ation, which is like a tigress that swallows everything, including the
self" (kathdh mukti-vyaghrya na srnu kila sarvdtma-gilanih, Manah-
siksa 4).
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also sternly warned those who aspire
to know Bhagavan in truth: "If one hears the Advaitavada inter
pretation everything comes to ruin" (Caitanya-caritdmrta, Madhya-
lild 6.153).^ Ultimately, He explained, because the Advaitavadis strip
Absolute Reality of its inherent aesthetic value, distinctiveness, and
power, they are the greatest offenders against Svayaih Bhagavan,
Sri Krsna.
Sri Madhvacarya presented forceful refutations of the Advaita
vada theory in a similar vein. One of his most impressive efforts in
this line was his Mdydvdda-khandana, In this and other works, he
exposed the Mayavadis' misuse of grammatical analysis and their
faulty logic, which they resort to in their vain attempt to prove the
absolute nondifference between Brahman and the jiva. In the same
spirit, Srila Jiva Gosvami will refute the Advaitavada theory in the
next few anucchedas and conclude by exhorting his readers to fur
ther scrutinize the Mayavadis' "incoherent speculations" {asama-
njasd kalpand). The impersonalists headed by Sri Sahkaracarya base
their tenets on Veddnta-sutra and the eleven principal Upanisads,
and they also try to support their arguments with the statements
of Bhagavad Gltd. Jiva Gosvami contends, however, that their inter
pretations contradict what Srila Vyasadeva directly experienced in
trance, which is narrated in Srimad Bhdgavatam, the essence of the
Upanisads, the Veddnta-sutra, and the Puranas.
Advaitavadis claim that Ultimate Reality is radically nondual
pure consciousness alone, without form or attributes. They try
to define Ultimate Reality only in negative terms, and so they
repeat the aphorism neti neti^ "not this, not that." To support
^ mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-ndsa
^ The real sense of neti neti is that Bhagavan is not limited to this phenomenal
world but also exists beyond it. A description of this is given in sb 2.2.is.
2 6 0
37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
(ontological existence). Prdtibhdsika existence is perceived in such
states as dreams and illusions but ceases when normal conscious
ness returns. One may, for example, mistake a rope for a snake in
semidarkness, but this misperception ceases as soon as light is shed
on the rope. Therefore, the rope perceived as a snake was merely
an illusory appearance of reality, prdtibhdsika-sattd. It is not an
empirical reality because it is entirely subjective and lasts only as
long as the misperception is not sublated by an ensuing valid per
ception. It is negated by a valid means of knowledge, and thus it
is not executable, meaning that it is incapable of being the basis of
practical effects. The rope misperceived as a snake, for example,
poses no real threat to the viewer.
According to the Mayavada conception, empirical reality (vydva-
hdrika-sattd) refers to our perception of the material world in ordi
nary waking consciousness, which is executable, meaning that the
objects perceived are the support for practical action. Ontological
reality, pdramdrthika-sattd, is immanent in all objects of the mate
rial world, pervading them as the conscious, blissful source of all
manifest varieties. In Drg-drsya-viveka, Sahkaracarya writes:
Objects in the material world have five characteristics — existence,
perceivability, attractiveness, form, and name. Of these, the first
three belong to Brahman and the other two to the world. (Drg-drsya-
viveka 20)^
The last two items, form and name, are products of mdyd and
thus constitute only the empirical reality; they do not exist on the
absolute or ontological level. They are manifest only as long as one
has not realized Brahman. The other three are Brahman Itself as
perceived from the standpoint of empirical reality.
The Advaitavadis claim that the pdramdrthika-sattd (ontological
reality) is unqualified Brahman, which, unlike the other two reali
ties, cannot be negated either by valid perception or by scriptural
authority. Illusions are sublated by subsequent valid perceptions,
and empirical objects are negated as ontologically real by scriptural
^ asti bhdti priyajfi ruparh ndma cety arhsa-pancakam
ddya-trayam brahma-rupamjagad-rupam tato dvayam
269

Anuccheda 37
Flaws in Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada
I cT^r cHWdrcj cR^T dR^^Idddrcliy-
If we assume that these upadhis are real (vdstava) because of
their empirical validity (anavidyaka), still, because Brahman
is not subject to any influence. It cannot be delimited by them.
Moreover, Brahman can cast no reflection because It is devoid
of attributes, all-pervading, and indivisible [i.e., without parts].
Since Brahman has no attributes. It can have no relation with
upadhis; since It is all-pervading. It cannot be divided into an
object and its reflection; and since It is indivisible and uniform.
It cannot be seen. Brahman resembles the sky in this respect:
Because the sky is invisible, reflections are cast not by the sky
itself but by the heavenly bodies, which are luminous portions
of the demarcated sky.
Commentary
In Sankaracarya's radical nondualism, existence (sattd) is
understood to be of three different grades — prdtibhdsika (illusory
existence), vydvahdrika (empirical existence), and pdramdrthika
268
35 Essential Distinction between the JIva and Isvara
their arguments, they cite Vedic declarations: "Indeed, all this is
Brahman" (sarvarh khalv idam brahma, chu 3.14.1); "Brahman is one
alone, without a second" (ekam evddvitiyam, chu 6.2.1); "Brahman
is consciousness and bliss," {vijndnam dnandam brahma, bau 3.9.28);
and "Ultimately no variety whatsoever exists in this world" (neha
ndndsti kihcana, bau 4.4.19).
But then, to account for the inevitable variety in this world, the
Advaitavadis are forced to introduce the idea of some beginning-
less entity called mdyd, or illusion. The Advaitavadis claim that this
mdyd cannot be defined as either existing or not existing. They fur
ther say that mdyd has two aspects — vidyd (knowledge) and avidyd
(ignorance). Somehow or other, some part of Brahman comes in
contact with mdyd, and the result is illusion for that portion of Brah
man. Brahman contacts both vidyd and avidyd. When the totality of
Brahman contacts vidyd, Isvara, the personal God of creation, comes
into being. And when small parts of Brahman contact avidyd, they
become the jivas (Pancadasl 1.16,1.236).
According to the Advaitavada doctrine, the difference between
Isvara and the jiva is not intrinsic or eternal; it is due only to upddhis,
or the apparent limitations of Brahman by mdyas vidyd and avidyd
potencies. When a jiva develops spiritual knowledge and thus tran
scends these upddhis, he realizes himself to be the unlimited, non-
variegated Brahman. This attainment is supposed to be the perfec
tion of spiritual life. In support of this concept, the Sahkarites quote
the Vedic statement, "There is no liberation without direct intuitive
insight" (rtejhdndn na muktih).
A favorite analogy the Advaitavadis use to explain how the one
unlimited Brahman becomes manifold and limited in the form of
the jivas is that of open space (dkdsa)^ and clay pots. Just as a por
tion of the indivisible all-pervading space seems to become delim
ited by a pot and is then known as "the space within a pot," so the
unlimited Brahman seems to become limited by the jivas' subtle and
gross material bodies. When a pot is broken, there is no longer
^ The word dkasa signifies open space, the ether, the sky, and the atmosphere. So, it
refers not only to the sky above us, but to that which surrounds and pervades
everything, that in which all things stand and through which living beings move.
261
 Ill Prameya 36 The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product of an Upadhi of Brahman

a distinction between the space in the pot and the all-pervading Srlla Jiva Gosvami, following in Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhus foot-
space, and similarly when a jiva s false identity is dissolved, he no steps, contends that Sri Vyasadeva's experience in trance contra-
longer appears different from Brahman. Actually, the Advaitavadis diets both of these Advaitavada doctrines — pratibimba-vada and
explain, the apparent distinction between the space in the pot and pariccheda-vada. This contradiction is evident from the analysis Jiva
the all-pervading space did not really exist even when the pot was Gosvami has already presented, but in the upcoming anucchedas, he
intact, and in the same way, the difference between the individual will further point out the specific defects in these doctrines,
self and Brahman is always illusory. The monists even detect confir
mation for all this in Srimad Bhdgavatam, as in the final instructions
from Sukadeva to Pariksit Maharaja:

When a pot is broken, the portion of open space that was delimited
by the pot becomes simply open space, just as it was prior to delim
itation. In the same way, when the gross and subtle bodies perish,
the living entity within again becomes Brahman, (sb 12.5.5^

Later in the same set of instructions, Sukadeva says:

"I am Brahman, the supreme abode, and I am Brahman, the sup

reme destination." Meditating in this way, merge the individual
self into the indivisible Absolute Self, (sb 12.5.11)®

These statements require proper explanation, but when the

Mayavadis interpret them, they do so without regard for the actual
context. In fact, it is only by taking them out of context that they
seem to support the absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brah
man, as alluded to above. In Anuccheda 52 of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila
Jiva Gosvami will briefly discuss why such verses seem to have an
impersonal slant, and in Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 72-84),
he will give a more detailed discussion.
Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins countering the Advaitavada phi
losophy by establishing the essential distinction between the jiva
and Isvara. His first point is, as we have learned from the account
of Vyasadevas trance, that mdyd controls only the jiva and not the
Supreme Lord. Indeed, mdyd is dependent upon Bhagavan and
ghate bhinne yathdkdsa dkdsah sydd yathd purd
evarfi dehe mrtejivo hrahma sampadyate punah
^ a h a r h h r a h m a p a r a r h d h d m a b r a h m d h a T fi p a r a m a m p a r a m a n d n o n d i f F e r e n t f r o m H i m , b e c a u s e i t h a s n o i n d e p e n d e n t e x i s t e n c e w i t h o u t
evarh samlksann dtmdnam dtmany ddhdya niskale Him.

262 267
 Ill Prameya 35 Essential Distinction between the JIva and Isvara

resulting from Brahman combining with mdyd's vidyd potency. completely controlled by Him. The same Brahman cannot be the
Like the jivas, such personal manifestations of God have subtle and controller as well as the controlled, as propounded by Mayavada,
gross bodies, but unlike the jivas, they neither acquire their bodies because ignorance and knowledge cannot exist simultaneously in
because of past karma nor are they bound by the reactions of their * the one undivided Reality, just as light and darkness cannot occupy
activities. Thus, the jiva and Isvara are distinct. Padmapadacarya, a the same point in space.
disciple of Sahkaracarya, is the proponent of pratibimba-vdda in his The jivas capabilities and qualities are different from those of
Panca-pddikd commentary onthe Sankara-bhdsya ofVeddnta-sutra? Bhagavan. This difference, moreover, is not a product of illusion.
The Advaitavadis attempt to support their ideas by citing scrip- By constitution, the jiva is atomic in size, and thus he is vulnerable
ture. For example, from Suka-rahasya Upanisad 2.12, they quote, to mdyds inconceivable influence when disassociated from the Sup-
"Brahman apparently modified as mdyas effect is known as the jiva, reme Lord. But by surrendering to Bhagavan, he can free himself
whereas the same Brahman apparently modified as mdyas cause is ' from the shackles of mdyd. Srila Vyasa witnessed all of this in His
known as Isvara" (kdryopddhir ayaThjivah kdranopddhir Isvarah) ? trance.
Another statement they are fond of quoting is as follows: "Just as In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami states that the differ-
the one effulgent sun appears as many when reflected in many pots ence between the jiva and Isvara is ontologically real and not just
of water, so the one unborn Atma, Brahman, appears to be many empirical,
beings when reflected in many bodies" {yathd hy ayarhjyotir dtmd
vivasvdn dpo bhittvd bahudhaikonugacchan upddhind kriyate bheda-
rupo devah ksetresv evam ajo'yam dtmd)^ This is quoted by Baladeva *
Vidyabhusana in his Tattva Sandarbha commentary.
Some radical nondualists also cite Srimad Bhdgavatam in
support of their pratibimba-vdda and pariccheda-vdda: ^

There is indeed no distinction in the Absolute Truth. If an igno

rant person considers phenomenal difference as ultimately real, his
understanding is just like thinking there is a difference between all-
pervasive space and the space contained in a pot, or between the
sun and its reflection in water, or between the air that surrounds
the body and the air within, (sb 12.4.30)^
r

^ References to pratibimba-vdda can be seen in Sahkara's commentary on vs 3.2.20,

2.3.46, and on bau 2.1.9.
^ The real meaning of this statement is that the jiva is conditioned by the material

body, which is a product (kdrya) of mdyd, whereas Isvara has mdyd (kdrana) as
His upddhi, or sphere of action, but she never influences Him.
" For the real meaning of this verse, see Anuccheda 44.
® na hi satyasya ndndtvam avidvdn yadi manyate
ndndtvam chidrayor yadvajjyotisor vdtayor iva
The implication of this verse is that there is only one Absolute Reality that f
encompasses all variety within its fold. The manifested world is, however, real

266 263

Anuccheda 36
The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product
of an Upadhi of Brahman
F T: ^ ? n ? T
Also, the radical nondualist position [of Sri Sahkara] cannot
explain away this difference between the jiva and the Supreme
Being as no more than a division or a reflection of Brahman into
a hierarchy of upadhis.
Commentary
The Advaitavada philosophers hold that there is only one
reality — the formless, attributeless, indivisible, non-variegated,
impersonal Brahman — and they have various theories for explain
ing the apparent separate existence of the jiva and Isvara. The two
theories mentioned in this section — pariccheda-vada (the delim
itation of Brahman) and pratibimba-vada (the reflection of Brah
man) — are the most prevalent, and both have been expressed in
several modified forms. According to pariccheda-vada, the one
indivisible Brahman appears divided into many embodied jivas
because of various upadhis, just as the inseparable vast open space
(mahdkdsa) appears divided by being contained in various pots
(ghatdkdsa).
This theory advocates that no real difference exists between the
space inside a pot and the space outside. The distinction is assumed
264
36 The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product of an Upadhi of Brahman
only for practical purposes. Once the pot is broken, the space for
merly contained within becomes one with the vast open space,
removing the apparent distinction. Similarly, the proponents of
pariccheda-vdda claim that there is no difference between Brahman
and the embodied jiva. The jivas limiting adjunct, the subtle (or
psychical) body, is actually a false covering superimposed on the
jiva after coming into contact with mdyas avidyd potency. It is this
material covering alone that makes the jiva appear to be separate
from Brahman. Thus, when Brahman is limited by subtle bodies, it
becomes the jivas. When, however, it is limited by vidyd, it is called
Isvara. This doctrine of the delimitation of Brahman (pariccheda-
vdda) was formulated by Vacaspati Misra, the ninth-century author
of the Bhdmati commentary on Sahkara's Veddnta-sutra-bhdsya}
The second of the two aforesaid theories, pratibimba-vdda, states
that when the formless indivisible Brahman is reflected in the var
ious subtle bodies made of avidyd, it appears to be many, just as
the one sun reflected in various receptacles of water appears to be
many. In this analogy, the sun is unaffected by any displacement
of the water in which it is reflected, although the reflection is influ
enced. Similarly, Brahman is never affected by the modifications
undergone by its reflections, the jivas. Indeed, the happiness and
distress experienced by the jivas are merely illusions resulting from
their conditioned, or reflected, state. When the jiva is freed from
illusion and established in liberation, he reverts to his original Brah
man consciousness. This is one Advaitavada theory to account for
the jivas' apparent individuated existence.
According to the proponents of pratibimba-vdda, the same Brah
man that becomes the jivas when reflected in mdyas avidyd potency,
also becomes Isvara, the creator God, when reflected in her vidyd
potency. By virtue of this contact with mdyd. Brahman assumes
a personal but temporary form that, unlike the jiva, is immune to
ignorance. Nonetheless, Brahman's manifestation in the personal
feature of Isvara is a function of mdyd and is inferior to the all-
pervading Brahman. The pratibimba-vddis say that all the avatdras
of God described in the Vedic literature are manifestations of Isvara,
^ This theory can be seen in the commentary of Sahkara on vs 1.1.5,1.2.6, and 1.2.20.
265

Anuccheda 36
The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product
of an Upadhi of Brahman
F T: ^ ? n ? T
Also, the radical nondualist position [of Sri Sahkara] cannot
explain away this difference between the jiva and the Supreme
Being as no more than a division or a reflection of Brahman into
a hierarchy of upadhis.
Commentary
The Advaitavada philosophers hold that there is only one
reality — the formless, attributeless, indivisible, non-variegated,
impersonal Brahman — and they have various theories for explain
ing the apparent separate existence of the jiva and Isvara. The two
theories mentioned in this section — pariccheda-vada (the delim
itation of Brahman) and pratibimba-vada (the reflection of Brah
man) — are the most prevalent, and both have been expressed in
several modified forms. According to pariccheda-vada, the one
indivisible Brahman appears divided into many embodied jivas
because of various upadhis, just as the inseparable vast open space
(mahdkdsa) appears divided by being contained in various pots
(ghatdkdsa).
This theory advocates that no real difference exists between the
space inside a pot and the space outside. The distinction is assumed
264
36 The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product of an Upadhi of Brahman
only for practical purposes. Once the pot is broken, the space for
merly contained within becomes one with the vast open space,
removing the apparent distinction. Similarly, the proponents of
pariccheda-vdda claim that there is no difference between Brahman
and the embodied jiva. The jivas limiting adjunct, the subtle (or
psychical) body, is actually a false covering superimposed on the
jiva after coming into contact with mdyas avidyd potency. It is this
material covering alone that makes the jiva appear to be separate
from Brahman. Thus, when Brahman is limited by subtle bodies, it
becomes the jivas. When, however, it is limited by vidyd, it is called
Isvara. This doctrine of the delimitation of Brahman (pariccheda-
vdda) was formulated by Vacaspati Misra, the ninth-century author
of the Bhdmati commentary on Sahkara's Veddnta-sutra-bhdsya}
The second of the two aforesaid theories, pratibimba-vdda, states
that when the formless indivisible Brahman is reflected in the var
ious subtle bodies made of avidyd, it appears to be many, just as
the one sun reflected in various receptacles of water appears to be
many. In this analogy, the sun is unaffected by any displacement
of the water in which it is reflected, although the reflection is influ
enced. Similarly, Brahman is never affected by the modifications
undergone by its reflections, the jivas. Indeed, the happiness and
distress experienced by the jivas are merely illusions resulting from
their conditioned, or reflected, state. When the jiva is freed from
illusion and established in liberation, he reverts to his original Brah
man consciousness. This is one Advaitavada theory to account for
the jivas' apparent individuated existence.
According to the proponents of pratibimba-vdda, the same Brah
man that becomes the jivas when reflected in mdyas avidyd potency,
also becomes Isvara, the creator God, when reflected in her vidyd
potency. By virtue of this contact with mdyd. Brahman assumes
a personal but temporary form that, unlike the jiva, is immune to
ignorance. Nonetheless, Brahman's manifestation in the personal
feature of Isvara is a function of mdyd and is inferior to the all-
pervading Brahman. The pratibimba-vddis say that all the avatdras
of God described in the Vedic literature are manifestations of Isvara,
^ This theory can be seen in the commentary of Sahkara on vs 1.1.5,1.2.6, and 1.2.20.
265
 Ill Prameya 35 Essential Distinction between the JIva and Isvara

resulting from Brahman combining with mdyd's vidyd potency. completely controlled by Him. The same Brahman cannot be the
Like the jivas, such personal manifestations of God have subtle and controller as well as the controlled, as propounded by Mayavada,
gross bodies, but unlike the jivas, they neither acquire their bodies because ignorance and knowledge cannot exist simultaneously in
because of past karma nor are they bound by the reactions of their * the one undivided Reality, just as light and darkness cannot occupy
activities. Thus, the jiva and Isvara are distinct. Padmapadacarya, a the same point in space.
disciple of Sahkaracarya, is the proponent of pratibimba-vdda in his The jivas capabilities and qualities are different from those of
Panca-pddikd commentary onthe Sankara-bhdsya ofVeddnta-sutra? Bhagavan. This difference, moreover, is not a product of illusion.
The Advaitavadis attempt to support their ideas by citing scrip- By constitution, the jiva is atomic in size, and thus he is vulnerable
ture. For example, from Suka-rahasya Upanisad 2.12, they quote, to mdyds inconceivable influence when disassociated from the Sup-
"Brahman apparently modified as mdyas effect is known as the jiva, reme Lord. But by surrendering to Bhagavan, he can free himself
whereas the same Brahman apparently modified as mdyas cause is ' from the shackles of mdyd. Srila Vyasa witnessed all of this in His
known as Isvara" (kdryopddhir ayaThjivah kdranopddhir Isvarah) ? trance.
Another statement they are fond of quoting is as follows: "Just as In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami states that the differ-
the one effulgent sun appears as many when reflected in many pots ence between the jiva and Isvara is ontologically real and not just
of water, so the one unborn Atma, Brahman, appears to be many empirical,
beings when reflected in many bodies" {yathd hy ayarhjyotir dtmd
vivasvdn dpo bhittvd bahudhaikonugacchan upddhind kriyate bheda-
rupo devah ksetresv evam ajo'yam dtmd)^ This is quoted by Baladeva *
Vidyabhusana in his Tattva Sandarbha commentary.
Some radical nondualists also cite Srimad Bhdgavatam in
support of their pratibimba-vdda and pariccheda-vdda: ^

There is indeed no distinction in the Absolute Truth. If an igno

rant person considers phenomenal difference as ultimately real, his
understanding is just like thinking there is a difference between all-
pervasive space and the space contained in a pot, or between the
sun and its reflection in water, or between the air that surrounds
the body and the air within, (sb 12.4.30)^
r

^ References to pratibimba-vdda can be seen in Sahkara's commentary on vs 3.2.20,

2.3.46, and on bau 2.1.9.
^ The real meaning of this statement is that the jiva is conditioned by the material

body, which is a product (kdrya) of mdyd, whereas Isvara has mdyd (kdrana) as
His upddhi, or sphere of action, but she never influences Him.
" For the real meaning of this verse, see Anuccheda 44.
® na hi satyasya ndndtvam avidvdn yadi manyate
ndndtvam chidrayor yadvajjyotisor vdtayor iva
The implication of this verse is that there is only one Absolute Reality that f
encompasses all variety within its fold. The manifested world is, however, real

266 263
 Ill Prameya 36 The Jiva Is Not Merely the Product of an Upadhi of Brahman

a distinction between the space in the pot and the all-pervading Srlla Jiva Gosvami, following in Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhus foot-
space, and similarly when a jiva s false identity is dissolved, he no steps, contends that Sri Vyasadeva's experience in trance contra-
longer appears different from Brahman. Actually, the Advaitavadis diets both of these Advaitavada doctrines — pratibimba-vada and
explain, the apparent distinction between the space in the pot and pariccheda-vada. This contradiction is evident from the analysis Jiva
the all-pervading space did not really exist even when the pot was Gosvami has already presented, but in the upcoming anucchedas, he
intact, and in the same way, the difference between the individual will further point out the specific defects in these doctrines,
self and Brahman is always illusory. The monists even detect confir
mation for all this in Srimad Bhdgavatam, as in the final instructions
from Sukadeva to Pariksit Maharaja:

When a pot is broken, the portion of open space that was delimited
by the pot becomes simply open space, just as it was prior to delim
itation. In the same way, when the gross and subtle bodies perish,
the living entity within again becomes Brahman, (sb 12.5.5^

Later in the same set of instructions, Sukadeva says:

"I am Brahman, the supreme abode, and I am Brahman, the sup

reme destination." Meditating in this way, merge the individual
self into the indivisible Absolute Self, (sb 12.5.11)®

These statements require proper explanation, but when the

Mayavadis interpret them, they do so without regard for the actual
context. In fact, it is only by taking them out of context that they
seem to support the absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brah
man, as alluded to above. In Anuccheda 52 of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila
Jiva Gosvami will briefly discuss why such verses seem to have an
impersonal slant, and in Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucchedas 72-84),
he will give a more detailed discussion.
Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins countering the Advaitavada phi
losophy by establishing the essential distinction between the jiva
and Isvara. His first point is, as we have learned from the account
of Vyasadevas trance, that mdyd controls only the jiva and not the
Supreme Lord. Indeed, mdyd is dependent upon Bhagavan and
ghate bhinne yathdkdsa dkdsah sydd yathd purd
evarfi dehe mrtejivo hrahma sampadyate punah
^ a h a r h h r a h m a p a r a r h d h d m a b r a h m d h a T fi p a r a m a m p a r a m a n d n o n d i f F e r e n t f r o m H i m , b e c a u s e i t h a s n o i n d e p e n d e n t e x i s t e n c e w i t h o u t
evarh samlksann dtmdnam dtmany ddhdya niskale Him.

262 267

Anuccheda 37
Flaws in Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada
I cT^r cHWdrcj cR^T dR^^Idddrcliy-
If we assume that these upadhis are real (vdstava) because of
their empirical validity (anavidyaka), still, because Brahman
is not subject to any influence. It cannot be delimited by them.
Moreover, Brahman can cast no reflection because It is devoid
of attributes, all-pervading, and indivisible [i.e., without parts].
Since Brahman has no attributes. It can have no relation with
upadhis; since It is all-pervading. It cannot be divided into an
object and its reflection; and since It is indivisible and uniform.
It cannot be seen. Brahman resembles the sky in this respect:
Because the sky is invisible, reflections are cast not by the sky
itself but by the heavenly bodies, which are luminous portions
of the demarcated sky.
Commentary
In Sankaracarya's radical nondualism, existence (sattd) is
understood to be of three different grades — prdtibhdsika (illusory
existence), vydvahdrika (empirical existence), and pdramdrthika
268
35 Essential Distinction between the JIva and Isvara
their arguments, they cite Vedic declarations: "Indeed, all this is
Brahman" (sarvarh khalv idam brahma, chu 3.14.1); "Brahman is one
alone, without a second" (ekam evddvitiyam, chu 6.2.1); "Brahman
is consciousness and bliss," {vijndnam dnandam brahma, bau 3.9.28);
and "Ultimately no variety whatsoever exists in this world" (neha
ndndsti kihcana, bau 4.4.19).
But then, to account for the inevitable variety in this world, the
Advaitavadis are forced to introduce the idea of some beginning-
less entity called mdyd, or illusion. The Advaitavadis claim that this
mdyd cannot be defined as either existing or not existing. They fur
ther say that mdyd has two aspects — vidyd (knowledge) and avidyd
(ignorance). Somehow or other, some part of Brahman comes in
contact with mdyd, and the result is illusion for that portion of Brah
man. Brahman contacts both vidyd and avidyd. When the totality of
Brahman contacts vidyd, Isvara, the personal God of creation, comes
into being. And when small parts of Brahman contact avidyd, they
become the jivas (Pancadasl 1.16,1.236).
According to the Advaitavada doctrine, the difference between
Isvara and the jiva is not intrinsic or eternal; it is due only to upddhis,
or the apparent limitations of Brahman by mdyas vidyd and avidyd
potencies. When a jiva develops spiritual knowledge and thus tran
scends these upddhis, he realizes himself to be the unlimited, non-
variegated Brahman. This attainment is supposed to be the perfec
tion of spiritual life. In support of this concept, the Sahkarites quote
the Vedic statement, "There is no liberation without direct intuitive
insight" (rtejhdndn na muktih).
A favorite analogy the Advaitavadis use to explain how the one
unlimited Brahman becomes manifold and limited in the form of
the jivas is that of open space (dkdsa)^ and clay pots. Just as a por
tion of the indivisible all-pervading space seems to become delim
ited by a pot and is then known as "the space within a pot," so the
unlimited Brahman seems to become limited by the jivas' subtle and
gross material bodies. When a pot is broken, there is no longer
^ The word dkasa signifies open space, the ether, the sky, and the atmosphere. So, it
refers not only to the sky above us, but to that which surrounds and pervades
everything, that in which all things stand and through which living beings move.
261
 Ill Prameya
disclosure of Bhagavan and prema-bhakti, Srila Raghunatha dasa
Gosvami compared impersonal liberation to a tigress that devours
the self: "My dear mind, never listen to talk about impersonal liber
ation, which is like a tigress that swallows everything, including the
self" (kathdh mukti-vyaghrya na srnu kila sarvdtma-gilanih, Manah-
siksa 4).
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also sternly warned those who aspire
to know Bhagavan in truth: "If one hears the Advaitavada inter
pretation everything comes to ruin" (Caitanya-caritdmrta, Madhya-
lild 6.153).^ Ultimately, He explained, because the Advaitavadis strip
Absolute Reality of its inherent aesthetic value, distinctiveness, and
power, they are the greatest offenders against Svayaih Bhagavan,
Sri Krsna.
Sri Madhvacarya presented forceful refutations of the Advaita
vada theory in a similar vein. One of his most impressive efforts in
this line was his Mdydvdda-khandana, In this and other works, he
exposed the Mayavadis' misuse of grammatical analysis and their
faulty logic, which they resort to in their vain attempt to prove the
absolute nondifference between Brahman and the jiva. In the same
spirit, Srila Jiva Gosvami will refute the Advaitavada theory in the
next few anucchedas and conclude by exhorting his readers to fur
ther scrutinize the Mayavadis' "incoherent speculations" {asama-
njasd kalpand). The impersonalists headed by Sri Sahkaracarya base
their tenets on Veddnta-sutra and the eleven principal Upanisads,
and they also try to support their arguments with the statements
of Bhagavad Gltd. Jiva Gosvami contends, however, that their inter
pretations contradict what Srila Vyasadeva directly experienced in
trance, which is narrated in Srimad Bhdgavatam, the essence of the
Upanisads, the Veddnta-sutra, and the Puranas.
Advaitavadis claim that Ultimate Reality is radically nondual
pure consciousness alone, without form or attributes. They try
to define Ultimate Reality only in negative terms, and so they
repeat the aphorism neti neti^ "not this, not that." To support
^ mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-ndsa
^ The real sense of neti neti is that Bhagavan is not limited to this phenomenal
world but also exists beyond it. A description of this is given in sb 2.2.is.
2 6 0
37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
(ontological existence). Prdtibhdsika existence is perceived in such
states as dreams and illusions but ceases when normal conscious
ness returns. One may, for example, mistake a rope for a snake in
semidarkness, but this misperception ceases as soon as light is shed
on the rope. Therefore, the rope perceived as a snake was merely
an illusory appearance of reality, prdtibhdsika-sattd. It is not an
empirical reality because it is entirely subjective and lasts only as
long as the misperception is not sublated by an ensuing valid per
ception. It is negated by a valid means of knowledge, and thus it
is not executable, meaning that it is incapable of being the basis of
practical effects. The rope misperceived as a snake, for example,
poses no real threat to the viewer.
According to the Mayavada conception, empirical reality (vydva-
hdrika-sattd) refers to our perception of the material world in ordi
nary waking consciousness, which is executable, meaning that the
objects perceived are the support for practical action. Ontological
reality, pdramdrthika-sattd, is immanent in all objects of the mate
rial world, pervading them as the conscious, blissful source of all
manifest varieties. In Drg-drsya-viveka, Sahkaracarya writes:
Objects in the material world have five characteristics — existence,
perceivability, attractiveness, form, and name. Of these, the first
three belong to Brahman and the other two to the world. (Drg-drsya-
viveka 20)^
The last two items, form and name, are products of mdyd and
thus constitute only the empirical reality; they do not exist on the
absolute or ontological level. They are manifest only as long as one
has not realized Brahman. The other three are Brahman Itself as
perceived from the standpoint of empirical reality.
The Advaitavadis claim that the pdramdrthika-sattd (ontological
reality) is unqualified Brahman, which, unlike the other two reali
ties, cannot be negated either by valid perception or by scriptural
authority. Illusions are sublated by subsequent valid perceptions,
and empirical objects are negated as ontologically real by scriptural
^ asti bhdti priyajfi ruparh ndma cety arhsa-pancakam
ddya-trayam brahma-rupamjagad-rupam tato dvayam
269
 Ill Prameya

authority. Brahman, however, is negated by neither. Just as dreams

cease when one wakes, the material world will cease to exist when
one becomes Brahman-realized.^ There is no higher reality than
absolute Brahman, no higher existence that can negate the real exis- ^
tence of Brahman in the past, present, or future. On the level of
Brahman existence, there is no distinction between knowledge, the Anuccheda 35
knower, and the object of knowledge. It is as if all three fuse into
one absolute reality. The two lower grades of reality, prdtibhdsika Essential Distinction between the Jiva
and vydvahdrika, are not perceived on this level of consciousness.
and Isvara
Srila Jiva Gosvami refutes both pariccheda-vdda (the theory of
division) and pratibimba-vdda (the theory of reflection) by consid
ering the Sahkarites' explanation of the upddhis covering Brahman
as pertaining to the two lower grades of reality: These upddhis can
never be real aspects of the absolute or ontological reality, since
that would introduce duality on the nondual plane. In the case of
pariccheda-vdda, the upddhis can be either empirically real (andvi-
dyaka), considered in Anucchedas 37-38, or only apparently real
[According to the Advaitavada doctrine of Sankaracarya] In
(dvidyaka), considered in Anuccheda 39. Srila Jiva Gosvami shows ^ the very moment that the one indivisible Brahman, whose
the fault in both of these alternatives.
nature is pure consciousness, becomes the support of mdyd and
If the upddhis are empirically real. Brahman still cannot be lim the embodiment of knowledge [as Isvara], It simultaneously
ited by them, because pure Brahman is unconditioned by anything falls under mdyas influence and is overcome by ignorance [as
else, empirical or otherwise. In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna confirms the jiva]. Yet, this is illogical. Thus, we can understand that the
this:
jiva and the Supreme Lord are distinct entities. Moreover, since
I shall now explain the knowable, knowing which you will taste their inherent capabilities are different [Isvara as the controller
the eternal. Brahman, beginningless and subordinate to Me, lies of mdyd and the jiva as subordinated by mdyd], the jiva and the
Lord are distinct in their essential natures.
beyond the cause and effect of this material world. (cixA 13.13)^

Thus, no upddhis can limit Brahman. But in the opinion of ^

Sahkaracarya, this Gitd verse says, "I shall tell you of that which Commentary
is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality; it is the
^ From the Advaitic point of view, it is technically wrong to say that one becomes SrIla JivA Gosvami has carefully analyzed Srila Vyasadevas
Brahman-realized, because there is no distinction between oneself and Brahman. trance, and now, on the basis of that analysis, he presents argu
There is no proper or exact way to express the final state of Advaitavada. ments opposing the Advaitavada theory of the absolute oneness of
^ jneyaifi yat tat pravaksydmi
the Supreme Self (Paramatma) and the individual self (jivdtma).
yajjndtvamrtam asnute
The ideas of the Advaitavadls are antithetical to devotion and are
anadi mat-pararh brahma ,
na sat tan nasad ucyate therefore one of the greatest obstacles on the path of the self-

270 259
 Ill Prameya 37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

devotion to Bhagavan, Sri Krsna. This too was revealed to Srlla beginningless, supreme Brahman, which is said to be neither being
Vyasadeva, and to enlighten the conditioned jivas about these nor non-being." Commenting on this verse, Sahkara writes:
all-important topics. He compiled the Sdtvata-sarhhitd, Srlmad
B h d g a v a t a m B r a .h _m_a _n ,_ .w_h ti hcehs e inss e st, oa n bd eh e nkcne .o Iw n, lies beyond the reach of
t can be known only by Its direct intuition
In the next eight anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Sri revelation. Therefore, unlike a clay pot
Vyasa's transcognitive experience contradicts the popular radical or other such objects. It is not subject to discriminative analysis and
monistic (Advaitavada) view of Sri Sahkaracarya. thus cannot be determined either to exist or to not exist. For this
reason. It can never be called sat or asat.

Objection: But what you said about Brahman, that which is

to be known — that It is neither existent nor non-existent — is

contradictory.

Reply: It is not contradictory, because the Sruti states: "That [Brah

man] is other than the known and the unknown, for It is beyond
both [kena 1.3]." (Bhagavad Gltd, Sankara-bhdsya 13.13^

So, according to the Advaitavadis' own version. Brahman is

beyond sense perception and beyond empirical existence and non
existence. Such being the case, if the upddhis of Brahman are
empirically real, they can never limit the undivided and indivis
ible Brahman to produce the jivas. Therefore, the Vedas say, "The
indiscernible [Brahman] cannot be perceived" {agrhyo na grhyate,
BAU9.26). Brahman, being indivisible, cannot be separated or
delimited into jivas the way one might break a large stone into
pebbles.
If we hypothetically grant that upddhis can divide Brahman into
Jivas, then neither the jivas nor Brahman Itself should be called
eternal. But the Bhagavad Gitd, which the Advaitavadis accept as
authoritative, describes both the jiva and Brahman as eternal. In
GiTA 13.20, Sri Krsna says that the jiva is anddi, beginningless. The
same is stated in texts 20-24 of the Second Chapter.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana states that even if the above point
is overlooked, other inconsistencies abound in the Advaitavada
" idarh tujneyam atlndriyatvena sabdaika-pramana-gamyatvan na ghatadi-vad

ubhaya-buddhy-anugata-pratyaya-visayam ity ato na san na asad ity ucyate. yat tv

^ uktam viruddham ucyate jneyam tan na sat tan na asad ucyate iti. na viruddham.
anyad eva tad viditad atho aviditad adhi iti srute.

258 271
 Ill Prameya
conception. One such discrepancy is as follows: The jivas and Isvara
move from one place to another, but Brahman is all-pervading.
Somehow portions of Brahman become limited by upadhis to mani
fest as the jivas. When a given jiva moves from one place to another,
either Brahman also moves along with it or It does not. But Brah
man's moving from place to place is impossible, because when
something moves, it leaves one location and then occupies another,
where it was absent before. It is absurd to propose this situation for
Brahman, since Brahman is always present everywhere.
On the other hand, if Brahman does not move with the Jivas,
we must assume that when a jiva is moving from place to place,
its upadhi constantly delimits new portions of Brahman, simulta
neously releasing the previously delimited portions. This reduces
Brahman, the Absolute Reality, to a toy in the hands of Its upadhis,
a proposal that is also absurd.
If it is instead proposed that all of Brahman is grasped by Its
upadhis, the problem of movement can be solved, but then there
remains no Brahman free from upadhis, meaning that there is no
chance for the jivas' liberation or for useful discussion of philoso
phy; all of existence would consist of deluded Brahman, and there
would be no liberated domain to aspire for.
If it is countered that Brahman is not the basis for Its upadhis
and thus jivas can move independently of Brahman, this means that
even at the liberated level these independent upadhis would con
tinue to exist. Srila Jiva GosvamI concludes that the interpretation
of pariccheda-vada in terms of Brahman's upadhis being empirically
real is invalid.
He then goes on to refute pratibimba-vada, the theory of reflec
tion. Brahman, Srila Jiva states, can cast no reflection in Its
upadhis — here referring to the subtle or psychical bodies of the
jivas — because Brahman is devoid of all attributes. Only an object
possessing attributes like form and color can cast a reflection. If an
object is invisible, how can it be reflected in anything?
If it is countered that the sky, although invisible, casts a reflec
tion in water, Jiva Gosvami replies that it is in fact the stars and plan
ets in the sky that cast reflections in water, not the sky itself. If the
272
34 The JIva Is Conscious and Distinct from Isvara
In commenting on this verse in Sdrdrtha-varsini, Srila Vis-
vanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, "[Sri Krsna says] Because both
mdyd and the jiva are My potencies, they both are beginningless.
Thus, their conjunction is also without beginning" (mdyd-jivayor
api mac-chaktitvena andditvdt tayoh sarhsleso'py anddir iti bhdvah). It
follows from this that the jiva's karma has been operative without a
beginning as well.
Srila Vyasadeva acknowledges in Veddnta-sutra that this is the
nature of karma:
One might object that the law of karma cannot explain the inequal
ity observed in life, because prior to creation there could have been
no karmic inheritance that could result in such differentiation. But
this objection is not valid, since the cycle of creation has no begin
ning. Inasmuch as creation has no beginning, karma also has no
beginning, (vs 2.1.35)^
Apart from karma, which has an end, the other four entities
that Srila Vyasa saw — Bhagavan, the jiva, primordial nature, and
time — are all eternal, without beginning or end. Of these four, Bha
gavan and the jiva are both purely of the nature of consciousness,
but the Lord is infinite, whereas the jiva is infinitesimal. Time
is not conscious, but it is free from the control of the material
gunas. It is the basis of the threefold division of past, present, and
future. Primordial nature is inert and is composed of three gunas —
authentic being, conditional becoming, and stasis (or illumination,
dynamism, and ignorance). Matter thus undergoes transforma
tions in time and is the medium through which we infer the three
divisions of time. In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anuccheda 99), Sri Jiva
Gosvami explains that there are two categories of time. One is a
manifestation of mdyd, and the other is the will of Bhagavan. The
t i m e r e f e r r e d t o h e r e i s t h e f o r m e r.
Although karma has been subconsciously imprinting and influ
encing every conditioned being without beginning, it can be termi
nated for jivas who become perfectly established in transcendental
vikdrdms ca gundms caiva viddhi prakrti-sambhavdn
^ na karmdvibhdgdd iti cen ndndditvdt
257
 Ill Prameya
While unable to influence Bhagavan or His intrinsic potency,
Maya can influence the jiva, as the words yayd sammohitah indicate.
Being part of God s intermediary potency, which is conscious, the
jiva is also conscious by nature; yet, it is not all-powerful like God.
God's power is unlimited, while the jiva s potency is limited. Bhaga
van controls Maya, but she controls the limited jivas when they are
not united with Him in bhakti-yoga. Just as sparks separated from a
fire lose their brilliance but not their existence, so the living beings
who are psychologically separated from Bhagavan are forgetful of
their nature and are absorbed in illusion. Bhagavan, however, is
never affected by illusion. Thus, the jivas are distinct from the Lord,
even though they share qualitative identity, inasmuch as both are
purely of the nature of consciousness (cit-svarupa).
Commenting on sb 1.7.4, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana points out
that besides witnessing the self-revelation of Bhagavan, Maya, and
the jiva, Srila Vyasa also saw the time energy, as indicated by such
verbs as apasyat (he saw), sammohitah (the jiva is bewildered), and
manute (the jiva considers). How is this? Because all these verbs
indicate action, which in turn implies the influence of time. He fur
ther specifies that Vyasa perceived four items in samadhi, i.e., Bha
gavan, the individual living being, Maya, and time. These four are
eternal, as confirmed in the Bhdllaveya-sruti: "The Supreme Lord,
primordial nature, the individual conscious being, and time are cer
tainly all eternal" (atha ha vdva nitydni purusah prakrtir dtmd kdlah).
Time's eternality is also mentioned in the Visnu Purdna:
[Parasara Muni said] 0 twice-born Maitreya, supremely power
ful time has no beginning or end. Thus, the cycle of creation,
maintenance, and dissolution continues perpetually, (vp 1.2.25)^
And in Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says:
Primordial nature and the living beings should be understood to be
beginningless. Their transformations and the gunas of nature are
phenomenal arisings out of primordial nature, (gita 13.20)^
^ anddir bhagavan kdlo ndnto'sya dvija vidyate
avyucchinnds tatas tv ete sarga-sthity-anta-samyamdh
^ prakrtim purusarii caiva viddhy anadl ubhdv api
37 Flaws in Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
sky could cast a reflection, then the wind, direction, and time would
also be able to do so. Air would certainly be able to cast a reflec
tion, because according to Sahkhya metaphysics, the air element
is denser than the sky element. According to modern science, the
bluish background seen behind the visible bodies in the firmament
is an optical illusion created by refracted sunlight passing through
the atmosphere. No concrete underlying object is there to cast a
reflection, only the invisible firmament. Hence, the analogy com
paring Brahman to the sky being reflected in water is inappropriate.
Furthermore, it was already shown that, according to the
Mayavadis, Brahman is beyond empirical existence and non
existence and thus also beyond sensory perception. It is nonsen
sical to then propose that Brahman reflects as the jivas. But Srila
Jiva Gosvami is willing to grant the opposition a respite and hypo-
thetically accept their premise that Brahman can reflect in upddhis,
in which case all-pervading Brahman must also exist in the upddhis,
in which It supposedly reflects.
But if the reflected object. Brahman, is already present in the
reflecting medium, the upddhis, how will It reflect there? As a mir
ror cannot reflect in itself, so Brahman cannot reflect in Itself. Even
if somehow It manages to reflect in Itself, how will it be possible
to distinguish the reflected Brahman from the original Brahman
already present in the upddhis? How can the reflected Brahman be
singled out to be termed jiva and made to suffer? What was His
offense? Why is it that the reflected Brahman becomes affected by
upddhis and not the original Brahman, although the reflection is no
different from the original? The Advaitavadis have no consistent
reply to these questions.
Brahman has no internal parts: "Brahman contains no limbs or
parts. It is inactive and of the nature of unalterable peace" (niskalam
niskriyarh sdntam, SU6.79). But a formless, indivisible object can
not have a relation with any upddhi, real or imaginary, and thus it
cannot reflect in any medium.
In response, the Advaitavadis cite the analogy of a clear crystal
that appears red when placed in front of a red flower. Just as the red
color, which is formless and indivisible, is reflected in the crystal.
 Ill Prameya
SO it is possible for Brahman to be reflected in Its upadhis. But this
is a faulty argument. The red color in this analogy belongs to the
flower, which projects its image through the crystal; thus, we per
ceive only the flower s color in the crystal. The color exists simply
as the flower's attribute and cannot sustain itself independently. A
flower, moreover, has shape, parts, and attributes. In sum, neither
the color nor the flower compares adequately to Brahman. There
fore, like the analogy of the reflected sky, the Advaitavadls have also
applied this analogy incongruously.
The Sruti says, "Brahman is free from any relation or associ
ation" (asango hy ayam purusah, bau 4.3.15). Therefore, Brahman
cannot participate in any relationship with a reflecting medium.
The Advaitavadls, however, would interpret the word asanga here
as meaning "devoid of real relations." This implies that Brahman
can have non-real relations or associations, created by mdyd. As
already shown, however, formless Brahman has no ability to mani
fest a reflection in an empirically real medium or to have any other
relation with such a medium. This impossibility is even more defi
nite with respect to unreal relations with unreal mediums. Prasna
Upanisad 4.10 confirms this, when it states, "That Brahman casts
no shadow, has no body, and is colorless" (tad acchdyam asariram
alohitam). We can thus conclude that upadhis — whether real or
unreal — can never impose themselves on pure Brahman. They
affect only the deluded jivas.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami presents more argu
ments against the Advaitavada doctrine, hypothetically considering
Brahman's upadhis as real.
274
Anuccheda 34
The Jiva Is Conscious and Distinct from Isvara
II
Although the jivA is purely conscious (cid-rupa) just like the
Supreme Being, it is yet distinct from the Supreme Being. This
distinction is clearly shown, on the one hand, by the words,
"Maya is apart from and yet supported by Him — the Supreme
Being" (tad-apdsraya, sb 1.7.4) and, on the other hand, by the
phrase, "the jiva is deluded by mdyd" {yayd sammohito jiva,
SB 1.7.5).
Commentary
In SB 1.7.4, the words used to describe Maya's relationship with Bha-
gavan are tad-apasraya. This phrase indicates that in the state of
trance, Srila Vyasadeva saw that Bhagavan supports Maya and that
she has no influence over Him. The prefix apa implies "separate"
and "inferior." Maya is separate from Bhagavan in the sense that
she does not belong to the category of His intrinsic potency. Her
separateness, however, in no way implies independence from Him.
That she is ashamed to appear in front of the Lord indicates that she
is inferior both to Him and His intrinsic potencies. For this reason,
she cannot influence Him and is fully subordinate to Him. There
fore, as mentioned earlier, she is compared to a maidservant who
works outside the inner apartments of a king.
255
 Ill Prameya

Supreme Lord, but still she needs His help in carrying out her duties.
For this reason, Vyasa saw that she was dependent on Bhagavan,
a fact Krsna confirms in gita 9.10 when He says that this material
nature, which is one of His energies, is ultimately working under
His direction.

The next anuccheda continues to explain the distinction between Anuccheda 38

the jivas and Bhagavan, as witnessed by Sri Vyasa in the state of

samadhi. Refutations of Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada

If, however, there were real upadhis delimiting Brahman (pari-

ccheda) or acting as the medium of Its reflection (pratibimba), a
person could not get rid of them simply by intuitive knowledge of
his essential oneness with the Supreme. And if the radical non-
dualists propose that freedom from upadhis is due to the influ
ence of the Supreme Entity, referred to by the pronoun tat, then
they are in agreement with our own view!

Commentary

Srila JivA Gosvam! here exposes further complications that arise

from accepting Brahman's upadhis as empirically real. The radical
nondualists advocate that a jiva can become free from the bondage
of his upadhis by intuition of his identity with Brahman, assimilated
from the Srutis. Their idea was based on these Sruti statements:

Thou art that, (chu 6.8.7)^

It [the primal Self] knew only Itself as, "I am Brahman." (bau 1.4,10)^

^ tat tvam asi

^ tad atmanam eva vedaham brahmdsmi

254 275
 Ill Prameya
The means to liberation is direct intuitive insight arising from
dictums such as, "Thou art that." (Brhan-naradlya Purana 35-68)^
He who knows Brahman verily becomes Brahman, (muu 3.2.9Y
The knower of the Self transcends grief, (chu 7.1.3)^
Thus, with the apparent support of Vedic scripture, the Advaita-
vada School claims that liberation is achieved through knowledge.
Indeed, the Sruti says, "By knowing that [Brahman] alone, one tran
scends death; there is no other way to cross over" (tarn eva viditva
ati mrtyum eti, ndnyah panthd vidyateyandya, su 3.8, 5.15). And in
Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna says:
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the
fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
(GiTA4.37)^
Continuing this idea in the next two verses, Sri Krsna says,
"There is nothing as purifying as direct knowing" (na hi jndnena
sadrsam pavitram iha vidyate) and "Having come upon the state
of direct knowing, one quickly attains supreme peace" {jftdnam
labdhvd pardrh sdntim acirenddhigacchati, gIta 4.33-39).
In effect, the Advaitavadis think that the jiva is like an infant
from a wealthy family who has gotten lost in a busy public place
and is then found and raised by some poor man. As a result of this
misfortune, compounded by ignorance of his true identity, the baby
grows up in a humble setting as the child of the poor man. Later,
the child may be recognized by a servant of his father. As soon as he
comes to realize that he is the son of a wealthy man, all his poverty
vanishes. He does not have to toil hard to get rid of this poverty. In
fact, he was never really poor, just unaware of his actual state, and
thus simply coming to a proper understanding of his real identity
w a s s u f fi c i e n t t o r e v e r s e t h e s i t u a t i o n .
^ tat tvam asy-ddi-vdkyebhyahjndnarh moksasya sddhanam
brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati
^ tarati sokam dtma-vit
^ yathaiddrhsi samiddho'gnir bhasma-sdt kurute'rjuna
jndndgnih sarva-karmdni bhasma-sdt kurute tathd
33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
forms with corresponding identity, will, affect, and sphere of action.
(Srila JIva Gosvami will discuss this point in greater detail in Bhaga-
vat Sandarbha, Anuccheda 99.) That Maya has a personal form is evi
dent from a dialogue between Lord Indra and Mayadevi narrated in
the Third Chapter of the Kena Upanisad.
Once there was a war between the devas and the asuras. After
a long struggle, the devas prevailed by the Supreme Lord s mercy,
but they mistakenly ascribed their victory to their own valor and
became proud. To humble them, the Lord appeared before them in
the guise of a yaksa. Unable to identify the yaksa, they appointed
Agni, the fire god, to find out who He was. When Agni asked the
yaksa to identify Himself, He placed a straw in front of Agni and
said, "Burn it." With all his power Agni could not burn the straw.
Then Vayu, the air god, was sent to identify the yaksa, but he could
not blow the straw away. Next, Lord Indra approached the yaksa,
but the mysterious personality disappeared. Finally, Mayadevi
appeared to Indra in the form of Uma and told him that the yaksa
was in fact Bhagavan.
Many similar accounts in the Vedas and Puranas demonstrate
that mdyd and other energies of Bhagavan have their own personal
forms. Thus, the description of how Vyasa saw Maya standing
behind the Lord out of embarrassment is not figurative. Maya expe
rienced shame before Bhagavan due to the nature of her actions.
Yet, another question might be asked: If Maya, the predom
inating deity of the material energy, can manage all her affairs,
what need is there for Paramatma to regulate this world? Sri Krsna
answers this in Bhagavad Gitd:
O son of Kunti, whatever forms appear in the various species of life,
primordial nature {mahad brahma) is their womb and I am the seed-
giving father. (GiTA14.4)^
Just as a woman cannot conceive a child without the help of a
potent man, Maya cannot manage the material world without the
help of Paramatma. Maya has her innate potencies for serving the
^ sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti ydh
tdsdrh brahma mahad yonir aharh bija-pradah pita
 Ill Prameva 38 Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

This may be answered as follows: First, ceaseless misery is not Another example: A person forgets that he put his watch in his
possible. Material misery and material pleasure are correlative con- pocket and searches for hours without any luck. Finally, a friend
ditions. If one suffers continuously, any decrease in pain will be comes along and sees the watch strap sticking out of his pocket and
experienced as pleasure. Moreover, ceaseless misery is not con- tells him, "Your watch is in your pocket." At once the person realizes
ducive to development of transcendental awareness, because the that he has the watch and his anxiety is gone. Knowledge alone was
mind then becomes too disturbed to contemplate scriptural truths. sufRcient to relieve his distress.
Second, ceaseless misery is not necessary because any jiva with Similarly, the Advaitavadis say, the jiva is nothing but deluded
even a little rudimentary transcendental insight will realize that Brahman. As soon as he realizes this by properly hearing and
there is no real happiness in this material world. Without such reflecting upon the Vedic instructions, he becomes liberated. He
knowledge, misery alone is insufficient to awaken a person to real- then understands that Brahman is not distant from him, for in fact
ity. Without knowledge, one simply becomes acclimatized to mis- ' he himself is Brahman. His only obstacle was ignorance, which
ery. Such knowledge is available from sastra. In the Yoga-sutra was subsequently removed by hearing the Vedas. Of course, for
(2.15), Patafijali says that every phenomenal experience is miserable the process to be effective one's heart must be pure, and to achieve
to a wise person. this p u r i t y, Sripada Sahkaracarya recommends the "fourfold prac-
In GiTA 9.33, Sri Krsna characterizes this world as temporary tice" (sadhana-catustaya) consisting of discriminative insight, dis-
and devoid of real happiness: unity am asukharhlokam. The so-called passion, "the six accomplishments,"^ and a fervent urge toward
happiness one experiences here is nothing but a temporary cessa- liberation.
tion or diminution of misery. It is like the pleasure felt by a man According to Sahkara, one of the four mahd-vdkyas (essential
who is repeatedly dunked in water and then brought to the surface statements of all Vedic instructions) is tat tvam asi: "You are that
just before drowning. Upon taking in the life-giving air, he feels [Brahman]." This statement underlines the oneness of the jiva with
great relief and joy, but such happiness is really only the tempo- Brahman. But, we have to ask, since Brahman is all-pervading and
rary absence of continual misery. Sri Krsna therefore advises us all-knowing while the jiva is atomic and limited in knowledge, how
not to strive for the so-called happiness of this material world: "A can they be identical? To this, the Advaitavadis reply that tat tvam
wise person who remains equipoised in both misery and happiness, asi should not be understood in its primary literal sense but only in
considering them to be of the same nature, is eligible for liberation" a secondary sense. One can recognize the actual oneness between
(sama-duhkha-sukhaThdhirarhsomrtatvdyakalpate, gitaz.is). Only the jiva and Brahman only when one sets aside their contrasting
such a person can taste real happiness; others experience only the qualities — omnipresence and omniscience versus atomic size and
illusion of happiness. ^ limited knowledge — and recognizes only their mutual quality of
In conclusion, therefore, Bhagavan has designed a two-part consciousness,
program for both chastening and rehabilitating the jlvas: On This process is called bhdga-tydga-laksand, or applying a meta-
the one hand, Maya punishes them, and on the other, the Lord phorical meaning to a phrase by discarding part of a word's literal
instructs them through various avatdras, the Vedic scriptures, and meaning or some of its qualifications. This is used in Bhagavad Gltd
His pure devotees. Thus, Maya's and Bhagavan's actions perfectly when Sri Krsna addresses Arjuna as purusa-vydghra, a tiger among
complement each other. ^ are control of the mind (sama),
^ The six accomplishments ^ restraint of the senses
Although mdyd is Bhagavan's material energy, she also exists (dama), dispassion (uparati), forbearance (titiksa), fixity of mind (samadhana),
in her personal form. All the energies of Bhagavan have personal and faith in scriptures (sraddha).

252 277
 Ill Prameya
men. Arjuna is not a tiger. But to call him a tiger implies that he
has some characteristics of a tiger, such as bravery. But he does not
have other qualities, such as ferociousness. Thus, one can realize
the true identity of Brahman and the jiva only when one sets aside
the upadhi that limits Brahman into becoming ajiva. To support this
realization, the guru instructs the disciple, "You are that." Since the
Sruti statements cannot be meaningless, Sahkara contends, this is
the only way to understand this mahd-vdkya.
Srila Jiva Gosvami answers this whole argument by pointing
out that even when a jiva is absorbed in hearing the Vedic sound
conveying the knowledge that he is one with Brahman, the upddhi
covering the jiva, which is empirically real, will not magically dis
solve. A man bound by chains will not become free just by med
itating that his fetters are cut. A rabbit will not turn into an ele
phant just by meditating, "I am an elephant, 1 am an elephant."
Such achievements would be possible only if the upddhis were
merely apparent. An intoxicated office clerk may think he is the
President of the United States, but when he becomes sober, he
understands that he is just an office clerk. If the upddhis cover
ing Brahman are real, the task of removing them is not so easy.
Mere knowledge is not sufficient to liberate the jiva from mdyd. If
knowledge alone were actually sufficient for liberation, why do the
scriptures recommend various austerities, penances, and rituals
for self-purification?
The Advaitavadis can only maintain that these are preliminary
steps for purifying the heart, which qualifies a candidate to under
stand the meaning of the Srutis' mahd-vdkyas. But according to the
sdstras accepted by them, knowledge (vidyd) and ignorance (avidyd)
are both products of mdyd. So, even if a jiva, by studying Vedic texts,
surmounts his avidyd with the help of vidyd, he will still be bound by
vidyd. How will he do away with this other upddhi, vidyd? Until he is
free from all upddhis, he cannot realize Brahman, which is beyond
both vidyd and avidyd. Sri Krsna discusses this point with Uddhava
in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhdgavatam:
278
33 Bhagavan's Paradoxical Potency, Maya
of unprecedented love for Him. In His appearance as Sri Caitanya,
He delivers krsna-prema, which is not available even to the residents
o f Va i k u n t h a .
The miseries of the material world are meant to prompt the jivas
to direct their consciousness toward their supreme source, and
therefore, suffering is recognized as bearing intrinsic value by the
far-sighted. It is like a wake-up call for the sleeping self. In this
sense, misery can be seen as an aspect of Bhagavan's inconceivable
mercy. Out of His causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord offers the
entrapped jivas access to spiritual knowledge through the Vedas.
As Kaliyuga began and the jivas all but lost their ability to compre
hend spiritual knowledge. He further helped them by explaining
the same message in the Itihasas and Puranas. Finally, He revealed
the essence of all knowledge in the form of Srimad Bhdgavatam. So
it can hardly be said that Bhagavan is indifferent to the plight of the
jivas.
Once a jiva takes advantage of Bhagavan's arrangement for spir
itual education and comes to the point of transcendental realiza
tion, he need not fear any punishment for his previous misdeeds,
no matter how dreadful they were. As Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad
Gitd:
As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the
fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.
Thus, Bhagavan confirms that the jivas' punishment is meant
not for inflicting suffering on them, but for awakening them to the
knowledge that will lead them to freedom from all suffering and
eternal life in the spiritual world.
Yet, another doubt may be raised: If the punishment inflicted on
the jivas is for their ultimate good, why are they also allowed to enjoy
in this world? If they were simply thrown into an ocean of cease
less misery, they would have no choice but to quickly take complete
shelter of God.
yathaidharhsi samiddho'gnir bhasma-sdt kurute'rjuna
jndndgnih sarva-karmdni bhasma-sdt kurute tathd
251
 38 Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

0 Uddhava, understand that both knowledge {vidya) and ignorance

[avidya), which lead to liberation and bondage [respectively] for
embodied beings, are two primordial energies of Mine, generated
byMymdyd. (sb 11.11.3)®

Here, Bhagavan explicitly states that vidya is also a product of

mdyd. When He says that vidyd leads to liberation, He does not
mean that vidyd alone can grant it, because no one can become free
from mdyd without the unequivocal submission of consciousness to
its original source, Sri Bhagavan. He emphatically declares this to
Arjuna:

This divine energy of Mine, mdyd, consisting of the three gunas of

primordial nature, is certainly difficult to overcome. Yet, those who
have become fully and exclusively sheltered in Me are able to cross
beyond it. (GiTA7.i4)^

The term vidyd means "knowledge" and also "aesthetic knowing

in the form of devotion." In Upanisadic statements, such as "having
known [Him alone]" (tam eva viditvd ati mrtyum eti), the word vidi-
tvd really means "by devotionally recognizing Him, unmediatedly
knowing His essence." It does not mean having knowledge devoid
o f d e v o t i o n . S r i K r s n a c o n fi r m s t h i s :

0 Arjuna, My birth and activities are transcendental. One who

knows them in reality is not reborn after giving up the body, but
comes to Me. (gita 4.9)^°

Here, the same root, ^/vid (to know), is being used, and in
this context it means "knowing that is of the nature of devotion."
Empirical knowledge is a feature of mdyd, whereas transcendental
knowledge of Bhagavan is manifested by the illuminating power of
bhakti, an aspect of Bhagavan's intrinsic potency. Spiritual knowl
edge is inseparable from bhakti. The process of hearing — or, in
® vidyavidye mama tanu viddhy uddhava sarlrindm
moksa-bandha-kari adye mdyayd me vinirmite
^ daivl hy esd guna-mayi mama mdyd duratyayd
mdm eva ye prapadyante mdydm etdih taranti te
janma karma ca me divyam evarh yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktvd deham punar janma naiti mdm eti so'rjuna

279
 II Prameya

Other words, receiving knowledge — is in fact listed first among

the nine primary means of devotion. A passage from the Brhad-
dranyaka Upanisad bears out the conclusion that vidya indicates
knowledge coextensive with devotion: "Upon knowing, wisdom
is to be enacted" {vijndya prajnam kurvita, bau 4.4.21). Here, the
word used for wisdom, prajnd (enlightened perspectivity), conveys
the same meaning as vidya, and so the sentence indicates, "Upon
knowing Him, devotion is to be enacted."
Also, in GiTA 9.2, the Lord says, "This is the king of knowledge,"
raja-vidya. From the context it is evident that here vidya means
"devotion." Thus, it is devotion and not mere knowledge that cuts
the bonds ofmdyd, as stated in gita 7.14 (daivl hy esd guna-mayi) and
c o n fi r m e d l a t e r o n :

I cannot be seen in the manner that you are now seeing Me, by
studying the Vedas, by undergoing penances, by charity, or by wor
ship. 0 conqueror of enemies, Arjuna, it is only by complete and
unalloyed devotion that I can be authentically known, directly per
ceived, and taken shelter of, exactly as I am. (gita 11.53-54)"

If the Advaitavadis respond by suggesting that it is possible for

the jiva to remove all upadhis and become Brahman by the mercy of
the all-powerful and benign Brahman, Srila Jiva Gosvami is glad to
accept this idea, since it amounts to acquiescence to the Vaisnava
view. The radical nondualists insist that Brahman is devoid of all
attributes and potencies, but if that same Brahman is now required
to bless the jiva, then It has to have some potency, namely, mercy.
By allowing featureless Brahman to have any potency at all, the
Advaitavadis conform to the Vaisnava definition of Parabrahman
as Bhagavan, the Supreme Personal Absolute. In that case, Srila
Jiva Gosvami says, "Their view then agrees with ours" (asmakam eva
mata-sammatam).

ndham vedair na tapasd na ddnena na cejyayd

sakya evarh-vidho drastum drstavdn asi mdrfi yathd
bhaktyd tv ananyayd sakya aham evarh-vidho'rjuna
jndtUTTi drastum ca tattvena pravesturh ca parantapa

280
 38 Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

In Bhagavat Sandarbha, Srlla JIva Gosvami will establish that

even for Brahman realization, one must take shelter of Bhaga-
van. Next, Srlla Jiva Gosvami exposes the fallacies of the second
alternative, that Brahman's upadhis are unreal (avidyaka).

281
Anuccheda 39

Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada

and Pariccheda-vada

t l d J H H N d i H M d l : I c Tc T ^ M ? R T c Tc T

CoNVERSELY, if the upadhis are only apparently real (avidyaka),

then Brahmans delimitation (pariccheda-vada) and reflection
(pratibimba-vada) are also only apparently real, since these pro
cesses do not in fact occur. Since the Advaitavadis' doctrine is
based on the analogy of an unreal dream state, such analogies
as that of the pot and open space (dkdsa), which involve real
upddhis, cannot serve to establish it. No proper analogy can be
drawn between real and unreal things. Therefore, the Advaita-
vadis' theories of division and reflection are nothing but the play
of illusion, unprovable due to their inherently faulty application
of analogies.

Commentary

In the previous two anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami has shown

that if Brahmans upddhis are understood as empirically real (vydva-
hdrika), one cannot satisfactorily explain the existence of either the
jivas or Isvara. Now he considers the Sahkarites' second option,

282

Anuccheda 45
Love of God Is the State of Ultimate
Completion, Prayojana
From the above discussion it is definitely concluded that Sri
Bhagavan, the original Complete Person, is the most deserving
recipient of supreme transcendental love, because He instructs
all people about their ultimate welfare, because He removes all
sorrows, because He is the Supreme Self of everyone like the sun
in relation to its rays, and because He is perfectly endowed with
all wonderful qualities. This being the case, it naturally also
follows that love for Him is the final attainment (prayojana).
Commentary
The Vedas provide education in socio-religious integrity {dharma),
prosperity (artha), wholesome fulfillment of desire (kdma), and ulti
mately liberation from the cycle of birth and death (moksa). These
four are known as the purusdrthas, or aims of human life (deontol
ogy)? On the basis of logic or scriptural authority, every school of
^ The purusdrthas are human aims not merely because they bring about beneficial
consequences for human beings but, more primarily, because there is a moral
imperative to perform them. On this account, the purusdrthas can be classed as
deontology, which has been summarized in these words: "The term denotes an
310
39 Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
that Brahman s upddhis are only apparent (prdtibhdsika). In this
anuccheda, the upddhis are called dvidyaka, or "illusory," a specific
reference to the prdtibhdsika grade of reality as defined in Advai-
tavada theory. In this context, the Sahkarites do not intend "illu
sory" to mean altogether non-existent, for non-existence can never
give rise either to the jiva or to Isvara. Rather, they say. Brahman s
upddhis are "illusory," in the sense that they exist on neither the
empirical nor the ontological level. They are an intangible apparent
reality, akin to dreams, misperceptions, and hallucinations.
The objects one perceives in dreams, misperceptions, or hallu
cinations are intangible. In a dream, one may eat a big feast, for
example, but upon waking up, one will still feel hungry; the feast
appears real only while dreaming. Sublation (bddhaka) and support
(sddhaka) of prior perceptions are possible between things belong
ing to the same grade of reality. Thus, hunger on the vydvahdrika
level cannot be appeased by eating a feast on the prdtibhdsika level.
Similarly, intangible, misperceived, or imagined objects, such as a
"snake" that is in fact a rope, will cause fear, but that fear of the
snake will persist only as long as the misperception or hallucination
continues. This kind of illusory reality (prdtibhdsika-sattd) is infe
rior to both empirical existence and ontological existence. Nonethe
less, the Advaitavadis may posit that such apparent upddhis can
cause Brahman to take on the characteristics of the jivas and Isvara.
The first step in refuting this erroneous theory is to point out
that an effect is always dependent on its cause and that specific
effects arise from specific causes. For example, one cannot make
water taste sweet by adding salt. It follows, therefore, that if the
upddhis imposed on Brahman are only apparent realities, then they
cannot produce empirical reality. A daydream may be a pleasant
reverie, but no one gains any real benefit by imagining he has
been crowned emperor of the world. Instead, as the daydreamer
whiles away the time, he may lose an opportunity for gaining some
practical benefit in the real world. However much he dreams, his
apparent reality will never become empirically real.
In the context of discussing real upddhis, Srila Jiva Gosvami
has already refuted the two analogies the Advaitavadis use to
283
 Ill Prameya 44 Acausal Devotion Is the Abhidheya

explain pratibimba-vada and pariccheda-vada — the analogy of the
sun reflecting in many water pots and that of open space (akdsa)
becoming delimited by a pot. These analogies are also inappropri
ate here. The Advaitavadis may justiflably presume open space to
be empirically real and thus delimitable by such an upadhi as a pot.
But Brahman is neither empirical nor divisible, and therefore, it
is impossible for empirical upadhis to delimit It. Any delimitation
of Brahman can occur only on the level of mere appearance, not in
empirical reality. Such a prdtibhdsika delimitation, unreal in the
makes him loathe the very idea of surrendering to God. Indeed,
this tendency to control remains a great peril even for those actively
engaged in bhakti-yoga, because the jivas' desire to control is deep-
rooted and can sprout forth whenever circumstances are conducive
to it, choking off the tender creeper of devotion. Unless a candidate
for unalloyed bhakti vigilantly guards against residual desires to
be the master of all, these desires will likely manifest themselves
and slow his progress toward pure awareness of and devotion to Sri
Krsna.

empirical sense, will not help explain how the jivas and Isvara come In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva GosvamI concludes this part of
into being on the empirical plane. This leaves no consistent expla his discussion with a reference to the prayojana, or final goal, of
nation of how indivisible formless Brahman can be divided into the
prema-bhakti-yoga.
Jivas and Isvara, either by empirical or apparent upadhis.
An adequate analogy must be as similar as possible to what it
illustrates — the greater the correspondence, the more pertinent
the analogy. But in the analogy of all-pervading space and the pot,
there is insufficient correspondence to the actuality depicted by
the Mayavadis: While all-pervading space and Brahman are simi
lar, the former s upddhi, the pot, is empirical, whereas Brahmans
upddhis must be merely apparent.
The impersonalists compare this world to a dream to show its
illusory nature, that it does not really exist. But it is unjustifiable to
equate the dream world (apparent reality) with the external world
(empirical reality) in order to reach this conclusion. Dreams are pri
vate. No one can enter into and participate in another's dream. The
empirical world, on the other hand, is a shared reality. After wak
ing from a dream, we cannot go back into it. But after dreaming, we
wake up to the same empirical reality experienced prior to enter
ing the dream state. So, it is improper to say that the world is just a
dream.

Virtuous and unwholesome deeds, which purify or pollute the

heart of an agent, are not applicable to acts performed in dreams;
they deliver their bitter and sweet fruits only in the empirical world.
A crime committed in a dream is not punishable in the waking state
grade of empirical reality. The analogy of a dream, therefore, is not
adequate for explaining the appearance of the material world from

284 309
 Ill Prameya 39 Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

In this anuccheda, the word eva in the phrase tad bhajanasya eva
means "only" and indicates that no process other than bhakti-yoga
(i.e., bhajana) can cut the bonds of mdyd. No other method, not even
Jndna-yoga or astdnga-yoga, is potent enough to permanently relieve
the jivas' miseries. As Sri Krsna declares in Bhagavad Gitd:
This divine energy of Mine, mdyd, consisting of the three gunas of
primordial nature, is certainly difficult to overcome. Yet, those who
have become fully and exclusively sheltered in Me are able to cross
beyond it. (GiTA7.i4)^
Other paths may at best elevate a person to sattva-guna by puri
fying his heart of the lower gunas of rajas and tamas, but they can
not elevate him to full transcendence without the merciful help of
bhakti. Narada Muni confirms this in his teachings to Yudhisthira
Maharaja:
The sole purpose of all the injunctions in the scriptures is to conquer
the six enemies in the form of lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride,
and envy, or to control the five senses along with the mind. Yet,
even afler accomplishing this, if one does not engage in the yoga of
devotion [to Bhagavan], then all his endeavors are merely labor and
thus fruitless, (sb 7.15.28)^
Brahman. The Vedic scriptures present the dream analogy only to
illustrate the temporary nature of this world, and thus inspire a
sense of detachment from phenomenality in those desiring to walk
the path of transcendence.
The Advaitavadis' only other alternative is to assign Brahman to
empirical (vydvahdrika) reality by placing It in the same class as all-
pervading space, to which the Vedas compare It. But that leaves us
with no ontological reality, in which case, the whole idea becomes
absurd. Logically, ontological reality must exist, and the Vedas and
numerous sages and enlightened mystics confirm this.
All these arguments fail to establish the doctrines of pariccheda
and pratibimba, which are thus left as nothing more than men
tal exercises for impersonal speculators. They provide no sound
explanation of how pure Brahman, by adulteration with upddhis,
manifests as many, namely, as Isvara and the jivas.
Srila Jiva Gosvami offers still more refutations of impersonalism
in the next anuccheda.

Sage Camasa declares that without devotional worship of Bha

gavan one will fall down from one s position (na bhajanty avajdna-
nti sthdndd bhrastdh patanty adhah, sb 11.5.3). In this anuccheda, the
word bhede (difference) is also significant. By using it, Srila Jiva
Gosvami emphasizes that unless the jiva clearly understands that
he is both distinct from and subordinate to Bhagavan, he will not
become interested in pursuing devotional service. This conviction
is essential for advancement in spiritual life.
The natural tendency of a conditioned being is to think him
self the controller, the lord of all he surveys, and this delusion
^ daivl hy esa guna-mayi mama mdyd duratyayd
mdm eva ye prapadyante mdydm etdrh taranti te
^ sad-varga-sarfiyamaikdntdh sarvd niyama-codandh
tad-antd yadi no yogdn dvaheyuh sramdvahdh
Anuccheda 40
Inconsistencies in Radical
Nondualism, Advaitavada
c | | ^ < c c | | T d I M H W ^ c l v d l d l f d t l l c b f ^ ^ J d J H I i l i a P T-
rc|l4l^«rd4d \d|c| ^Id^ I d^ d"
^T^[FTT FdoMfd^l I dc;fd^|chfc^dlMI>^ cTCTRTt^RRodT^T fdilfd cT^ fd^ld-
T^sf^r 4^l^4cbcd^^l^M^J^o.d^l II
In this way, by basing their ideas on Brahman and avidya (igno
rance) alone, the Advaitavadis contradict themselves when they
say that the one undivided Brahman, pure by virtue of being
unadulterated consciousness and thus altogether free from con
tact with avidya, is nonetheless polluted by contacting avidya
and thus becomes the jiva. Then again, the Advaitavadis claim
that the same Braihman becomes the Supreme Being (Isvara)
owing to His being the shelter of mdyd [the phenomenal world
appearance], which is itself a fabrication from the jiva s avidyd.
And yet, that very Brahman supposedly again becomes the jiva
due to the influence of Isvara s mdyd. These two states, however,
are clearly incompatible. The inevitable contradictions implicit
in this view are that avidyd is able to infiltrate pure conscious
ness [Brahman], that vidyd (knowledge) is present within Isvara,
who is nonetheless an upddhi [upon Brahman] fabricated out of
that avidyd, and that although Isvara is the proprietor of vidyd.
He is yet illusory in nature. We should carefully analyze how
these and other speculative ideas are simply incoherent.
286
Anuccheda 44
Acausal Devotion Is the Abhidheya
Since the Supreme Being and the individual being thus have
distinct identities, the Supreme Being as the foundation and sup
port of mdyd and the individual being as deluded by her, it is con
cluded that devotional worship (bhajana) of the Supreme Being
is specifically the means (abhidheya) that effectuates the stage of
ultimate attainment.
Commentary
After refuting radical nondualism, SrilaJiva GosvamI contin
ues to analyze Srila Vyasadevas trance. Srila Vyasadeva saw that
the original Supreme Person, Svayaih Bhagavan, is the foundation
of mdyd (mdydm ca tad-apasrayam, sb 1.7.4). He also saw that only
the living entity is deluded by mdyd (yayd sammohitojlvah, sb 1.7.5).
Thus, Bhagavan and the jiva are naturally distinct, for Bhagavan
never comes under mdyas spell. God can never turn into a jiva,
and the jiva can never turn into God. In correspondence with this
directly perceived distinction, Srila Vyasadeva also saw that the
means for the jiva s release from bondage is the unconditional devo
tional turning of awareness to Bhagavan (bhakti-yogam adhoksaje,
SB 1.7.6).
307
 Ill Prameya
In summary, what follows are the ideas underlying the Vedic
statements that speak of the oneness of Brahman and the jivas,
employing the analogies of reflection and delimitation:
1. The jiva, like Brahman, is by nature purely conscious.
2. The jiva, like Brahman, is distinct from phenomena.
3. The jiva is one of Brahman's energies.
4. The jiva is eternally dependent on Brahman.
5. The jiva can never be absolutely one with Brahman.
6. The jiva is constitutionally an eternal servitor of Brahman.
7. The analogies of reflection and delimitation help us understand
the purely spiritual nature of Brahman.
In the Paramdtma Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami will further
describe the living being and its relationship with Bhagavan. In the
next anuccheda, he summarizes the facts concerning abhidheya, the
means for directly realizing the subjective Reality, Bhagavan.
306
4 0 I n c o n s i s t e n c i e in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
Commentary
In the previous anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami has refuted
the two main theories of radical nondualism, pariccheda-vada and
pratibimba-vada. He showed that neither of these consistently
explain the empirical world and the presence of the jivas and God
within it. Now, Srila Jiva Gosvami points out in greater detail the
fallacies in these theories. He argues that even if we accept either
pariccheda-vada or pratibimba-vada as a description of how Brah
man becomes divided into the many jivas, still the contradiction
between Brahmans utter transcendence and the superimposition
of avidya will remain unresolved.
How can Brahman, which is indivisible pure consciousness,
have portions that fall under the sway of mdyd and think of them
selves as jivas? How can knowledge and delusion share the same
location? How can light and darkness coexist in one place? Being
indivisible. Brahman cannot become fragmented to manifest
the jivas. Moreover, ontological existence cannot include mdyd
(avidyd), only Brahman. For mdyd to be involved with Brahman,
either Brahman would have to be downgraded to mdyas empirical
level so It could be adulterated by upddhis, or else mdyd would have
to be upgraded to the ontological level of Brahman so that she could
influence It. The first of these alternatives is impossible, because
Brahman is without attributes and cannot change. The second alter
native amounts to dualism, because then mdyd and Brahman would
have equal status on the plane of ontological reality. This, of course,
contradicts the basic principles of nondualism.
Under pressure of these arguments, the impersonalists may try
to placate us with the claim that the vital issue at hand is not pre
cisely how the jiva came under the influence of mdyd, but simply
that he is now suffering in illusion. The house of material existence
is now on fire; we do not have time to search out mdyas origin but
should try to escape the fire quickly before it devours us, before we
lose the opportunity of human life.
Even if we grant this point, the Advaitavadis must still convince
us that the end they would have us seek, impersonal liberation, is
287
 Ill Prameya
in our best interest. This they cannot do. Our house may be on fire,
but it does not follow that we should panic and jump out the nearest
window to our certain death.
As Srila Jiva Gosvami indicates here, the Advaitavadis say that
after Brahman comes under the influence of avidya, it is called jiva.
Then this jiva creates mdyd by his imagination. A portion of Brah
man next gives shelter to mdyd and becomes known as Isvara, the
Supreme Lord. From that point on, mdyd follows Isvara s dictates
and controls the jiva, who is Brahman covered by mdyd. So, Isvara
is the basis of mdyd, and the jiva is her visaya, or object of action.
This is self-contradictory. This explanation is plagued with
the logical fault called anyonydsraya-dosa, or "the defect of mutual
dependence." Mdyas existence supposedly originates from the jiva,
and the jiva s existence also originates from mdyd. This means that
without mdyd there is no Jiva and without jiva there is no mdyd. In
addition, a part of Brahman supposedly becomes Isvara by contact
ing mdyd, but then mdyd becomes subordinate to this Isvara. In this
view, even God cannot come into existence without the involve
ment of the finite living beings, who are themselves dependent
manifestations of mdyd. So, ultimately Isvara is dependent on mdyd
for His existence and yet is her controller.
Another absurdity in the pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda
presentations is the claim that mdyd has two features — vidyd and
avidyd. The upddhi delimiting Brahman as Isvara is supposedly
mdyas vidyd portion, which is predominantly of the nature of sattva-
guna (illumination), while the upddhis limiting Brahman as thejivas
constitute her avidyd portion. In this way, Isvara is the basis of the
Jivas' illusion despite His being the embodiment of perfect knowl
edge, but the Advaitavadis cannot explain how mdyas division into
vidyd and avidyd comes into existence. Certainly, Brahman, being
devoid of qualities, cannot create this division. The gunas of pri
mordial nature are always mixed with each other. There are no
pure (i.e., unmixed) gunas anywhere. This is confirmed in Sdnkhya-
kdrikd:
288
43 Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction as
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
understand acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva: Two brdhmana boys, one
fair-skinned and one dark-skinned, share an identity in terms of
class but are different as individuals. Similarly, Bhagavan and the
jiva are one in that both are essentially of the nature of conscious
ness, but they are different in that Bhagavan is all-pervading, all-
knowing, independent, and the controller of mdyd, whereas the
jiva, in the state of conditional identification, is localized, ignorant,
dependent, and subservient to mdyd.
Sometimes the Vedas equate the jiva with Brahman because he
is subordinate to Brahman. The principle behind this idea is not
unfamiliar. An ambassador, for example, is in one sense equal to
the chief of state he represents, and because of this, any respect or
disrespect shown to him reflects upon his chief of state. The rea
son people accept a rough equivalence between the two is that the
ambassador has some of the chief of state s power, but no one would
ever foolishly consider them identical in all respects. The Advai
tavadis err by choosing to acknowledge only one side of the Inte
grated Whole and emphasizing only the nondifference between the
jiva and Brahman. This is why their version of nonduality may be
termed as radical, because they accept only the subject. Brahman,
denying Its inherent potencies, qualities, and attributes to the very
root (from the Latin radix).
One should not treat the Vedas according to the logic of ardha-
kukkuti^ accepting only statements favorable to one s viewpoint and
rejecting opposing ones. The Vedas contain statements declaring
both the difference and the nondifference between Brahman and
the jiva. These seemingly contradictory views can most naturally be
reconciled by application of the acintya-bheda-abheda metaphysics.
This theistic view does not contradict any Vedic scripture or authen
tic point of view; rather, it resolves the apparent contradictions in
the Vedic literature in accordance with the Vedas' final conclusions.
It is the natural and direct explanation of the Vedic literature.
^ Ardha-kukkuti-nyaya refers to the logic of a foolish farmer who cut his hen in two
parts and kept only the back part. He thought that in so doing, he would not have
to bear the expense of feeding her but would still get the eggs that she laid from
the hind part.
305
 Ill Prameya
from Bhagavan. The Vedas' descriptions of nondifference refer to
the qualitative oneness of Bhagavan and the jivas (i.e., their shared
essential identity of consciousness), and the Vedas' descriptions
of difference refer to their quantitative difference. The Brhad-
dranyaka Upanisad offers an analogy to help us understand:
Just as sparks emanate from a fire, so all these vital airs, plan
ets, devas, and living beings issue forth from the Supreme Self.
(bau 2.1.20)^
Sparks are obviously different from the fire that manifests them,
but because they possess in minute quantity such fiery qualities as
heat and light, they can be said to be "one with" the fire as well.
In the same way, the jivas can be said to be simultaneously differ
ent from and one with the Supreme Self, Bhagavan. Any appar
ent inconsistency in this relationship is resolved by the inconceiv
able creative energy of Bhagavan, which can render the seemingly
impossible possible.
One should not confuse this inconceivable nature of Bhagavan
with the inexplicable (anirvacanlya) nature that the Advaitavadis
ascribe to mdyd. They claim that mdyd is neither sat (real) nor asat
(unreal) and is, hence, indescribable. Vaisnavas, however, do not
say that Bhagavan and His energies are indescribable, for the scrip
tures clearly describe the nature of both. Instead, Vaisnavas empha
size that because Bhagavan s nature and qualities are inconceivable
to our limited mind and intellect. He can be understood and known
only through sabda-pramdna. Some of Bhagavans inconceivable
features are mentioned in Isa Upanisad:
The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away but is
very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of
everything. (iSAs)^
Srlla Baladeva Vidyabhusana gives us another analogy to help us
^ yathdgneh visphulingd vyuccaranti evam eva asmad dtmanah
sarve prdndh sarve lokdh sarve devdh sarvdni bhutdni vyuccaranti
^ tad ejati tan naijati tad dure tad v antike
tad antarasya sarvasya tad u sarvasydsya bdhyatah
304
40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
The gunas have the nature to subdue each other, to support each
other, to produce material objects by combining with each other,
and to remain mixed with each other. (Sdnkhya-kdrikd 12)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami advises us to carefully analyze other incon
sistencies like these in Advaitavada philosophy. For example, we
should consider the following questions: If originally only feature
less Brahman and nothing else exists, where does avidyd come
from? Or, if avidyd can bind Brahman, isn't it more powerful than
Brahman? The Advaitavadis compare Brahman to a spider that
weaves its own web and somehow gets bound by it, but this analogy
presents Brahman as possessing attributes and potencies, reveal
ing a tacit acceptance of the Vaisnava theistic nondualism, i.e., a
transrational wholism inclusive of transphenomenal distinction.
We should also consider the following conundrums:
1. Since Brahman is unlimited and devoid of parts. It cannot
possibly cast a reflection.
2. Brahman is described as pure awareness, but in order to func
tion, awareness needs an object apart from Itself. There is no
meaning to knowledge without a known object. And when there
is an object, absolute oneness is negated, because then there is
the multiplicity of knower, knowledge, and known.
3. Brahman's existence proves that It is potent, because anything
that exists necessarily has some kind of energy or attributes.
Thus, if nondualism is to be maintained, it cannot be of the rad
ical variety that acknowledges the ontological existence only of
the subject, Brahman, devoid of all attributes. It can only be a
wholistic nondualism or even a "holarchism" (involving a hierar
chy of nested holons), in which the subject, Bhagavan, includes
and transcends His holarchically embedded parts, which are
then understood as one with yet distinct from Him.
From Sankhya philosophy we understand that the primeval
pradhdna generates the mahat-tattva, which then gives rise to the
empirical ego. Granted that, as the Advaitavadis say, a jiva can dis
solve his empirical ego by cultivating spiritual knowledge, but even
^ anyonydbhibhavdsraya-janana-mithuna-vrttayah
289
 Ill Prameya
SO, the other two basic elements of primordial nature — mahat-
tattva and pradhdna — will remain undissolved. How will the ego
less jiva transcend the mahat-tattva and pradhdna to realize Brah
man? The absence of material ego is not automatically equivalent
to liberation, since at the time of cosmic dissolution, when the con
ditioned jivas merge into the body of Mahavisnu, they are devoid of
material ego but still bound by their karma. Absence of empiric ego
will make one ajivan-mukta, liberated while living, but not award
atyantika-mukti, the ultimate and final liberation.
A word has an inherent relationship with its meaning. Accord
ing to Srila Jiva Gosvami in Hari-ndmdmrta-vydkarana 2.1, a word
that refers to something denotes either a substance, a quality, a
class, or an activity. Certainly the word brahma represents neither
a class nor an activity. If Brahman were a quality, there would
have to be another substance which possessed that quality, since
no quality can exist without belonging to some substance. If, as the
last alternative. Brahman is a substance, then It must possess quali
ties, because an eternal substance cannot exist without qualities. In
either case. Brahman becomes involved in dualism.
To circumvent this problem, the radical nondualists reply that
Brahman is not the primary or direct meaning of the word brahma,
but It is the laksya (indicative meaning). But such an occurrence
is not possible. No word can have a laksya-artha without having
a mukhya-artha (primary meaning). Laksya-artha comes into play
only when the primary meaning is not appropriate. For example,
the word gangd refers to the famous holy river in India, but in the
phrase gahgdydrh ghosah (lit., "a hamlet in the river Ganga"), the
primary meaning of the word gangd is dropped and the indicative
meaning, "on the bank of the Ganga," is accepted.
Advaitavadis explain this material world on the basis of mdyd,
which is neither sat (real) nor asat (unreal). They say that mdyd is
thus inexplicable (anirvacaniya). But in Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna
recognizes only two categories, sat and asat:
The unreal (asat) has no existence and the real (sat) has no non
existence. The definite conclusion regarding these two grades
2 9 0
43 Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction a
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
this common trait that the Vedic literature refers to when it speaks
about their nondistinction. The purpose of these statements is to
provide us a reference to understand the Supreme Personal Abso
lute, who is otherwise beyond our experience. Through simple
reflection we know that we are conscious, so to give us some idea
of the nature of Bhagavan, the Vedas employ various analogies and
metaphors to illustrate that the Lord is conscious like us. Thus, in
these descriptions, the jivas are sometimes depicted as nondifferent
from Him.
We should never misunderstand the Vedic statements about
identity to mean that Bhagavan and the jiva are absolutely one in all
respects. When we read, "He was a tiger in battle," we do not think
that a man actually turned into a tiger. Rather, we acknowledge
a secondary meaning and understand that in battle the man was
as ferocious as a tiger. We must accept similar secondary mean
ings for the statements in the Vedic literature about the oneness of
the jiva and Brahman. Our conclusion must be consistent with the
principles self-evidently revealed in Srila Vyasadeva s trance.
Srila Jiva Gosvami is an advocate of Srimad Bhdgavatam's philos
ophy of acintya-bheda-abheda, which he alludes to in the last sen
tence of this anuccheda. Acintya-bheda-abheda means "inconceiv
able simultaneous oneness and difference" between Bhagavan and
the living being, or in other words, between the conscious energetic
Source and Its conscious energy. Energy cannot exist without the
energetic and is thus in one sense identical to it. At the same time,
energy can be said to be different from its energetic source, because
energy is dependent on the energetic and because its actions are per
ceived to be separate from the energetic. Logically, such a relation
of simultaneous oneness and distinction is ultimately inconceivable
or transrational.
The jivas are like atomic particles of light in relation to Bhaga
van, who is like the sun. As the Svetdsvatara Upanisad states, "The
Supreme Lord is inherently self-endowed with manifold energies"
(pardsya saktir vividhaiva sruyate, sue.s). Just as the rays of sun
light are neither completely different from nor exactly the same
as the sun, so the jivas are simultaneously one with and different
303

Anuccheda 43
Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction as
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
^ II
Therefore, scriptural statements referring to the jivas as non-
different from Brahman should be consistently reconciled so as
to concur with the conclusions Vyasa came to in the state of samd-
dhi. This is accomplished by first removing the apparent contra
diction in the jivas' being both different and nondifferent from
Brahman. We should understand from the statements teaching
nondifference that the jivas are one with Brahman in that both
are pure consciousness (cid-rupa); yet, by Brahman's inherent
inconceivable potency, which renders possible even the [other
wise] impossible, the jivas are also innately distinct from Brah
man in terms of their being His parts, like the infinitesimal rays
of the suns light.
Commentary
Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami gives his definitive opinion about the rela
tion between the jivas and Bhagavan. Both Bhagavan and the jivas
are inherently of the nature of consciousness, and it is primarily
302
40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
of being has been directly apperceived by seers of the truth.
(GiTA2.16)^
There is no mention here or in any other genuine scripture of
an inexplicable third category of being. Thus, there is no founda
tion for the Mayavadis' concept that mdyd and the material world
generated from it belong to some inexplicable third category.
To prove their contention that the material world is inexplicable
(anirvacaniya or mithyd), neither real nor unreal, the Sahkarites cite
the well-known example of the rope and the snake. In semidark-
ness, a rope may be mistaken for a snake. They say that if the snake
perceived in the rope were completely non-existent (asat), no one
would ever mistake a rope for a snake in semidarkness, because an
utterly non-existent thing can never be perceived. So, the "snake"
is not non-existent, but still it cannot be considered real (sat) either,
because in sufficient light no snake will be seen. Thus, there must be
a third category of being, separate from both sat and asat. This third
category is anirvacaniya, or inexplicable, and to it the Sahkarites
assign mdyd.
The truth, however, is that one need not resort to the Advaita
vada philosophy to explain the rope being mistaken for a snake. The
snake and the rope are both real. A person who mistakes a rope for a
snake must have previously experienced a real snake, or known of
it from reading, hearing, seeing a photo, or watching a video, and
the environmental conditions must be insufficient for correct per
ception. The persons prior experience of snakes, therefore, will
cause the mind to superimpose the impression of a snake on the
rope in semidarkness. By contrast, someone who has no experi
ence of snakes will never mistake a rope for a snake. An infant, for
example, will never mistake a rope for a snake.
Thus, there is no inexplicable third category of being in material
existence, as the Advaitavadis claim. Moreover, it is not only that a
rope is mistaken for a snake. Sometimes a snake can also be mis
taken for a rope. So, in keeping with this analogy, it should not be
^ nasato vidyate bhdvo ndbhdvo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto'ntas tv anayos tattva-darsibhih
291
 Ill Prameya
evidenced only that Brahman is mistaken for the world; rather, it
should also be seen at times that one mistakes the world for Brah
man. But that never happens. One mistakes a rope for a snake
because of the existence of some identifiable similarity between
them, i.e., they both are long, slender, and curving. But there is no
similarity between the world and Brahman. Thus, it is impossible
to mistake Brahman for the world or to superimpose Brahman upon
the world.
Since Advaitavadis accept Brahman alone as the ontological real
ity, they say that even scriptures that teach such statements as tat
tvam asi ("You are that") are true only empirically. Although such
declarations have the power to uplifl: those who hear them, they
are not absolutely true in the ontological sense. In this way, the
Sahkarites reveal yet another inconsistency in their system. If the
scriptures are only empirically real, how can they elevate anyone
beyond mdyd? By this logic, even the enlightened writings of such
liberated sages as Yajnavalkya and Sankara are unable to liberate
their readers, for, not being ontologically real, they must be full of
relative imperfections.
In truth the jiva is not, as the Advaitavadis claim, merely an adul
terated version of Brahman. As Sri Krsna states in Bhagavad Gitd,
"The living being (jiva) in this conditional world is an eternal inte
grated part of Me alone" (mamaivdrhso jiva-loke Jiva-bhutah sandta-
nah, GiTAis.y). Thus, the jiva can never lose his eternal inherent
identity of being an integrated part encompassed by the conscious
Whole by merging back into the Brahman it supposedly really is.
When wheat berries and rice grains are mixed, they do not merge
into one another and lose their separate identities. We can easily
distinguish the wheat from the rice. If, however, we mix papaya
seeds with similar-looking black peppercorns, we may have diffi
culty distinguishing between them. Still, this does not mean that
they have lost their distinct identities.
Likewise, when water and ink are mixed, each substance retains
its separate identity. Only because it is difficult for us to distinguish
between them do the two liquids appear to have merged. The water
molecules and the ink molecules have not merged to become all ink.
292
42 The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
the scriptural passages, and thus there is appropriateness of the
thing illustrated [i.e.. Brahman] and the illustration [the increase
or decrease of the suns reflection, depending on the increase or
decrease of water].
Other valid meanings of this analogy are as follows:
1. The jlvas' pains and pleasures do not affect Brahman, just as
disturbances in a reflection of the sun do not affect the sun itself.
2. As a reflection of the sun is dependent on the sun, so the jivas are
dependent on Brahman.
3. The jivas are localized like the sun's reflections, while Brahman
extends everywhere, just as the sun pervades space through its
heat and light.
If we were to similarly analyze the remaining Brahma-sutras, as
well as the Vedas and Puranas, we would discover that all the scrip
tural statements indicating nondifference between God and the liv
ing entity, when understood in such a secondary sense, prove to
be based on some common attributes between the analogy and its
subject, and are faithful to the conclusion of the Vedas. The Vedic
texts never propose absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brah
man. Such a proposal would make the whole body of Vedic scripture
self-contradictory; it would reduce the Vedas to babble, a waste of
time for anyone wanting to study them for spiritual enlightenment.
One may here raise the objection, "Instead of rejecting the pri
mary sense of the monistic statements found in sdstra, why not
accept them and instead reinterpret those statements that support
theistic nonduality (i.e., a transrational nonduality that accom
modates ontological distinction within the nondual Whole)?" The
answer is that the understanding derived from such an approach
would contradict Sri Vyasa s direct experience, which is the nucleus
for the Srimad Bhdgavatam, the topmost pramdna.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the nondifference of Bhaga-
van and the jiva from the Vaisnava point of view, i.e., from the
perspective of theistic nonduality.
301
 Ill Prameya 40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada

The next sutra (vs 3.2.19) answers this doubt. It establishes that
there is no "suchness" of Brahman that could make possible Its
reflection. This means that it is contrary to Brahmans very nature
to be capable of reflection. Furthermore, even if Brahman could
be reflected, Its reflecting medium would have to be remote from
It, just as water is remote from the sun. While commenting on
this sutra in Govinda-bhasya, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains
that since Brahman is all-pervading, no object can possibly be dis
tant from It. Therefore, while the sun can cast a reflection in water
because it is distant from the water. Brahman can cast no reflection
in anything because It is all-pervading. Therefore, the jiva cannot
be a reflection of Brahman.
Although the claim of this sutra is valid, it does not support those
scriptural statements that seem to indicate that the jiva is but a
reflection of Brahman. It is in this sense that Srila Jiva Gosvami calls
this sutra a purva-paksa, an opponent s argument. But if Brahman
does not reflect as the jiva the way the sun reflects on water, what do
the Sruti statements to that effect actually mean? They must have
some reasonable purpose. In vs 3.2.20, Vyasadeva responds with
the siddhanta (conclusion).
Although the comparison of the sun and its reflection with Brah
man and the jiva is inaccurate when interpreted literally, it is valid
in regard to the secondary characteristics of the analogy: The sun
is comparable to Brahman, because they both share the quality of
immensity, whereas the sun's reflection is comparable to the jiva
because of the shared quality of minuteness. Why is it necessary to
supply this secondary meaning? It is necessary in order to uphold
the scripture s conclusions, the overarching consistent message of
the Vedas and corollary literature. Taking all this into considera
tion, the two sutras of this anuccheda could be rendered as follows,
when considered in reference to the theory of reflection:
all water, or something else. One indication that the substances do
not merge is that when a glass of ink is poured into a pail of water,
the total volume of liquid increases by one glass, and the same hap
pens when a glass of water is poured into a pail of ink. In neither
case do the substances merge, which would require that the final
volume be identical to the prior one.
Similarly, the jivas cannot merge into Brahman and lose their
identity. Of course, if a jiva aspires for absolute identity in Brahman
and undergoes the appropriate spiritual discipline directed toward
that end, the all-merciful Bhagavan will self-manifest to that jiva
merely as unqualified Brahman and support the imaginal experi
ence of attaining literal oneness with Him. In reality, God and the
jivas are always distinct, and Bhagavan and His pure devotees are
always aware of this distinction.
Having established that the Advaitavadis' conclusions are
opposed to the truths directly revealed in Vyasadevas supracogni-
tive samadhi, and having highlighted some of the prominent defects
in their logic, Srila Jiva Gosvami next argues that the monistic con
clusion also contradicts the experience of Sukadeva Gosvami, the
principal speaker of Srimad Bhdgavatam.

The comparison of Brahman to the sun is appropriate not in its

primary sense [of something capable of reflection] but in its sec
ondary sense, that of Brahman apparently participating in increase
or decrease due only to the greatness or smallness of the adjuncts
in which It is reflected. This interpretation fulfills the purpose of

300 293

Anuccheda 41
Srila Vyasadeva s Direct Experience Does
Not Support Absolute Nondistinction
i^5n^cTcT??T
IMtocT irq I crqr
Furthermore, if the absolute oneness of the jivas with Brah
man were the actual purport of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Suta
Gosvami would have reported that what Srila Vyasadeva wit
nessed in the state of samadhi was how the one Brahman becomes
divided due to ignorance, and how knowledge dispels the suffer
ing caused by this duality. And if Bhagavans divine play and
qualities were unreal, it would contradict what Sri Sukadeva
experienced in his heart.
Commentary
Having presented his logical refutations of radical nondualism,
Srila Jiva Gosvami now proceeds to disprove it by reference to sabda-
pramdna, or divine sound revelation. This is the Vedic system. Logic
by itself cannot self-evidently disclose the Absolute Truth, Bhaga-
van. In transcendental matters such as this, the final authority is
always self-authoritative scripture. Scriptural evidence is so deci
sive that even if a certain claim defies conventional logic but is sup
ported by sabda-pramdna, it should be accepted as conclusively true.
294
42 The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
In the same way, Vedic texts that appear to support the radi
cal nondualist view should not be abandoned as ambiguous bab
blings just because their primary meaning contradicts the con
clusion of Srila Vyasas trance. Rather, we should interpret these
statements in a way consistent with the underlying purport of the
Vedas. Accepting them literally would lead to confusion and con
tradiction, while rejecting them outright may lead to contempt for
the apauruseya-sabda. In the opinion of Srila Jiva Gosvami, one
must explore secondary meanings that agree with Srila Vyasas
experience.
To support this judgment, Srila Jiva Gosvami refers us to
vs 3.2.19-20. Veddnta-sutra is divided into four chapters (adhydyas),
each having four sections (pddas). These are further divided into
adhikaranas (topics). Each adhikarana includes a topic statement
from the Upanisads, followed by a doubt concerning that statement,
then an opponents position (purva-paksa), then the right conclu
sion (siddhdnta), and finally sangati, a demonstration of how the
adhikarana relates to the preceding and the succeeding adhikara
nas. Some sutras are simply antitheses that represent the opinions
of various sages and philosophers. These are always followed by
siddhdnta-sutras.
Sutra eighteen of Chapter Three, second pdda, establishes that
the intent of referring to the jiva as a reflection of Paramatma is
not to show that Paramatma becomes the jiva by reflection, but to
show that Paramatma is distinct from the jiva, just as any real object
is different from its reflection. If an object and its reflection were
absolutely nondifferent, they could not be distinguished from each
other. Thus, the metaphor of the sun and its reflection in water is
used to establish not the oneness of Paramatma and jivdtmd, but just
the opposite. Veddnta-sutra states, "And for that very reason [i.e.,
because the jiva is distinct from Brahman], the analogy is upheld,
just like the sun and its reflection" (ata eva copamd suryakddi-vat,
vs 3.2.18).
A doubt may then be raised: "This very analogy proves that
Paramatma reflects in avidyd and appears to become the jiva. Where
is the fault in this interpretation?"
299
 Ill Prameya
opponents objection (purva-paksa), and the second replies to j
that objection (uttara-paksa).
I
Commentary
The AdvaitavadIs accept the Vedas as the supreme author-
ity and cite them profusely in support of their opinions. Indeed,
many of the Vedic references they quote may seem to support their
theories, but here Srila Jiva Gosvami explains how to correctly
understand the apparently monistic statements in the Vedas.
In Sanskrit, words have two kinds of meaning — primary, called
mukhyd-vrtti, and secondary, called gaunl-vrtti. Vedic scholars say
that each word has some particular potency, which creates a spe
cific relationship between the word and its meaning. For example,
the word "cow" has a potency by which it refers to a particular entity
having four legs, a tail, two eyes, a dewlap, an udder, and other
features. Sometimes, however, in a particular context, a word s
primary meaning fails to convey a relevant sense. In such cases we
should conclude that the expression is figurative and accept some
appropriate secondary meaning. Whenever the primary meaning «
of a scriptural statement is inappropriate, there must be a sec
ondary meaning intended, because scriptural statements, being
apauruseya and thus free of defects, cannot be meaningless.
In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna addresses Arjuna as "a tiger among
men" (purusa-vydghra). In its primary sense, the word "tiger" refers
to a ferocious animal with claws and fangs. Arjuna was certainly
not such an animal, but since Sri Krsna's words cannot be mean- i
ingless, the need arises for a figurative interpretation of purusa-
vydghra. Here, the phrase is a metaphor, in which Krsna is calling
Arjuna a tiger only to indicate his courage and prowess as a warrior.
The word "tiger" in this phrase applies to these two characteristics
that the tiger and Arjuna have in common, not to the primary sense
of a tiger's form, nature, and so forth.
vrddhi-hrasa-bhaktvam antar-bhavad ubhaya-sdmanjasyddevam
298
41 SrIla Vyasadeva's Direct Experience Does
Not Support Absolute Nondistinction
Any standard of truth lower than this would be inconsistent with
Vedantic epistemology, which is based on the axiom that the Vedas
emanate from the Absolute and are thus infallible.
Earlier, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated that Srimad Bhdgava-
tam is the supreme pramdna in the matter of the direct knowing of
Reality. Now, he subjects the radical nondualist view to the author
itative criteria established by Srimad Bhdgavatam's disclosure. The
essential message of the Bhdgavatam, or in other words, the self-
disclosure of its essential truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana, is found in the verses narrating what Srila Vyasa witnessed in
the state of unmediated trance — beginning with the supreme sub
ject, Bhagavan, who was seen to be inclusive of His own intrinsic
potency as well as His subordinate extrinsic potency, mdyd.
What was disclosed to Vyasa was not a nondifferentiated Brah
man being overpowered by mdyd and turning into many jlvas.
Rather, He saw that the jiva is distinct from Bhagavan and is capti
vated by mdyd because of misidentifying the self as independent of
the Lord. Vyasadeva thus saw that the cause of the jiva s suffering is
this false sense of independence born of misplaced identity. In one
and the same vision, the means corresponding to the inherent dis
tinction between the jiva and Bhagavan was revealed to Vyasa. He
saw that the solution to the jiva s predicament is the total offering of
the self in devotion to the Supreme Person (bhakti-yogam adhoksaje),
not imagining a state of oneness with Him.
Suta Gosvami's prayers to Sukadeva Gosvami, his spiritual
teacher, confirm that identity in unqualified Brahman involves
a state of lesser ontological completion or a lesser intensity of aes
thetic value. While speaking Srimad Bhdgavatam to the sages at
Naimisaranya, Suta Gosvami specifically mentions that originally
Sukadeva was firmly established in the bliss of Brahman. Later,
when he heard selected Srimad Bhdgavatam verses describing the
divine play and attributes of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personal Abso
lute, his heart was irresistibly drawn out of this fixity in Brahman
and captivated by Bhagavan. Sukadeva was so entranced by this
all-exceeding self-disclosure of Reality that he thoroughly studied
the description of Bhagavan's lild in Srimad Bhdgavatam, and later
295
 Ill Prameya
he excelled at narrating the Bhdgavatam. Therefore, it is said that
the Bhagavatam, which is the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic lit
erature, became even more relishable when it emanated from the
mouth of Sukadeva. Suka means "parrot," and Sukadevas name
alludes to the poetic symbolism that fruits become sweeter after
being pecked by parrots. When the fruit of the Bhdgavatam was
touched by Sukadeva Gosvami s lips and then tasted by Pariksit
Maharaja, it became sweeter than ever.
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami s attraction to the Bhdgavatam indicates
that the divine play and attributes of Bhagavan are both real and
completely transcendental (beyond even Brahman); otherwise, a
liberated sage like Sukadeva, who was beyond all mundane desires,
would have never taken an interest in them. Sukadeva Gosvami, the
most eminent of all Brahman-realized transcendentalists, demon
strated by his own experience and behavior the falsity of the idea of
absolute oneness between Bhagavan and the jivas.
Thus, we can conclude that the keys to the doctrine of radi
cal nondualism — pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda — are sup
ported neither by logic nor by the scriptures, at least not by the sup
reme scriptural pramdna, Srlmad Bhdgavatam. Advaitavadis derive
their opinions only from misinterpretations of scriptural truths,
with the result that the innocent who hear their explanations
become confused.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the purpose of the monistic
statements found in the Vedic scriptures.
296
Anuccheda 42
The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada
"3Hi^c|<^4j^u||d g ^ cTqTcgrj;" (^o? R l?'^)
(^0^0 ? R Ro)
zimrnT
Therefore, scriptural passages that appear to support such doc
trines as pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda must be under
stood in a secondary sense — that is, as describing Brahman in
terms of Its partial correspondence with the ordinary processes
of division (pariccheda) and reflection (pratibimba).
Ve d d n t a - s u t r a c o n fi r m s t h i s i d e a : " B u t t h e r e i s n o s u c h -
ness' (tathdtva) [of Brahman, i.e., no state of Brahman being
like the reflected sun or the demarcated earth], because of the
non-apprehension (agrahandt) [of Brahman's remoteness from
the reflecting medium or delimitability by any circumscrip
tion], as in the case of water [which is remote from the sun or
which demarcates the earth]. There is, however, participation
in [apparent] increase and decrease on account of [Brahman's]
immanence [within everything], because there is then compati
bility between both [i.e., the thing illustrated (Brahman) and the
illustration (the increase or decrease of the sun's reflection or of
demarcated land)] and thus [the purport of scripture is thereby
fulfilled]" (vs 3.2.19-20).^ The first of these sutras presents the
^ ambuvad aqrahandt tu na tathatvam
297
 Ill Prameya
he excelled at narrating the Bhdgavatam. Therefore, it is said that
the Bhagavatam, which is the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic lit
erature, became even more relishable when it emanated from the
mouth of Sukadeva. Suka means "parrot," and Sukadevas name
alludes to the poetic symbolism that fruits become sweeter after
being pecked by parrots. When the fruit of the Bhdgavatam was
touched by Sukadeva Gosvami s lips and then tasted by Pariksit
Maharaja, it became sweeter than ever.
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami s attraction to the Bhdgavatam indicates
that the divine play and attributes of Bhagavan are both real and
completely transcendental (beyond even Brahman); otherwise, a
liberated sage like Sukadeva, who was beyond all mundane desires,
would have never taken an interest in them. Sukadeva Gosvami, the
most eminent of all Brahman-realized transcendentalists, demon
strated by his own experience and behavior the falsity of the idea of
absolute oneness between Bhagavan and the jivas.
Thus, we can conclude that the keys to the doctrine of radi
cal nondualism — pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda — are sup
ported neither by logic nor by the scriptures, at least not by the sup
reme scriptural pramdna, Srlmad Bhdgavatam. Advaitavadis derive
their opinions only from misinterpretations of scriptural truths,
with the result that the innocent who hear their explanations
become confused.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the purpose of the monistic
statements found in the Vedic scriptures.
296
Anuccheda 42
The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada
and Pariccheda-vada
"3Hi^c|<^4j^u||d g ^ cTqTcgrj;" (^o? R l?'^)
(^0^0 ? R Ro)
zimrnT
Therefore, scriptural passages that appear to support such doc
trines as pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda must be under
stood in a secondary sense — that is, as describing Brahman in
terms of Its partial correspondence with the ordinary processes
of division (pariccheda) and reflection (pratibimba).
Ve d d n t a - s u t r a c o n fi r m s t h i s i d e a : " B u t t h e r e i s n o s u c h -
ness' (tathdtva) [of Brahman, i.e., no state of Brahman being
like the reflected sun or the demarcated earth], because of the
non-apprehension (agrahandt) [of Brahman's remoteness from
the reflecting medium or delimitability by any circumscrip
tion], as in the case of water [which is remote from the sun or
which demarcates the earth]. There is, however, participation
in [apparent] increase and decrease on account of [Brahman's]
immanence [within everything], because there is then compati
bility between both [i.e., the thing illustrated (Brahman) and the
illustration (the increase or decrease of the sun's reflection or of
demarcated land)] and thus [the purport of scripture is thereby
fulfilled]" (vs 3.2.19-20).^ The first of these sutras presents the
^ ambuvad aqrahandt tu na tathatvam
297
 Ill Prameya
opponents objection (purva-paksa), and the second replies to j
that objection (uttara-paksa).
I
Commentary
The AdvaitavadIs accept the Vedas as the supreme author-
ity and cite them profusely in support of their opinions. Indeed,
many of the Vedic references they quote may seem to support their
theories, but here Srila Jiva Gosvami explains how to correctly
understand the apparently monistic statements in the Vedas.
In Sanskrit, words have two kinds of meaning — primary, called
mukhyd-vrtti, and secondary, called gaunl-vrtti. Vedic scholars say
that each word has some particular potency, which creates a spe
cific relationship between the word and its meaning. For example,
the word "cow" has a potency by which it refers to a particular entity
having four legs, a tail, two eyes, a dewlap, an udder, and other
features. Sometimes, however, in a particular context, a word s
primary meaning fails to convey a relevant sense. In such cases we
should conclude that the expression is figurative and accept some
appropriate secondary meaning. Whenever the primary meaning «
of a scriptural statement is inappropriate, there must be a sec
ondary meaning intended, because scriptural statements, being
apauruseya and thus free of defects, cannot be meaningless.
In Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna addresses Arjuna as "a tiger among
men" (purusa-vydghra). In its primary sense, the word "tiger" refers
to a ferocious animal with claws and fangs. Arjuna was certainly
not such an animal, but since Sri Krsna's words cannot be mean- i
ingless, the need arises for a figurative interpretation of purusa-
vydghra. Here, the phrase is a metaphor, in which Krsna is calling
Arjuna a tiger only to indicate his courage and prowess as a warrior.
The word "tiger" in this phrase applies to these two characteristics
that the tiger and Arjuna have in common, not to the primary sense
of a tiger's form, nature, and so forth.
vrddhi-hrasa-bhaktvam antar-bhavad ubhaya-sdmanjasyddevam
298
41 SrIla Vyasadeva's Direct Experience Does
Not Support Absolute Nondistinction
Any standard of truth lower than this would be inconsistent with
Vedantic epistemology, which is based on the axiom that the Vedas
emanate from the Absolute and are thus infallible.
Earlier, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated that Srimad Bhdgava-
tam is the supreme pramdna in the matter of the direct knowing of
Reality. Now, he subjects the radical nondualist view to the author
itative criteria established by Srimad Bhdgavatam's disclosure. The
essential message of the Bhdgavatam, or in other words, the self-
disclosure of its essential truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayo-
jana, is found in the verses narrating what Srila Vyasa witnessed in
the state of unmediated trance — beginning with the supreme sub
ject, Bhagavan, who was seen to be inclusive of His own intrinsic
potency as well as His subordinate extrinsic potency, mdyd.
What was disclosed to Vyasa was not a nondifferentiated Brah
man being overpowered by mdyd and turning into many jlvas.
Rather, He saw that the jiva is distinct from Bhagavan and is capti
vated by mdyd because of misidentifying the self as independent of
the Lord. Vyasadeva thus saw that the cause of the jiva s suffering is
this false sense of independence born of misplaced identity. In one
and the same vision, the means corresponding to the inherent dis
tinction between the jiva and Bhagavan was revealed to Vyasa. He
saw that the solution to the jiva s predicament is the total offering of
the self in devotion to the Supreme Person (bhakti-yogam adhoksaje),
not imagining a state of oneness with Him.
Suta Gosvami's prayers to Sukadeva Gosvami, his spiritual
teacher, confirm that identity in unqualified Brahman involves
a state of lesser ontological completion or a lesser intensity of aes
thetic value. While speaking Srimad Bhdgavatam to the sages at
Naimisaranya, Suta Gosvami specifically mentions that originally
Sukadeva was firmly established in the bliss of Brahman. Later,
when he heard selected Srimad Bhdgavatam verses describing the
divine play and attributes of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personal Abso
lute, his heart was irresistibly drawn out of this fixity in Brahman
and captivated by Bhagavan. Sukadeva was so entranced by this
all-exceeding self-disclosure of Reality that he thoroughly studied
the description of Bhagavan's lild in Srimad Bhdgavatam, and later
295

Anuccheda 41
Srila Vyasadeva s Direct Experience Does
Not Support Absolute Nondistinction
i^5n^cTcT??T
IMtocT irq I crqr
Furthermore, if the absolute oneness of the jivas with Brah
man were the actual purport of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Suta
Gosvami would have reported that what Srila Vyasadeva wit
nessed in the state of samadhi was how the one Brahman becomes
divided due to ignorance, and how knowledge dispels the suffer
ing caused by this duality. And if Bhagavans divine play and
qualities were unreal, it would contradict what Sri Sukadeva
experienced in his heart.
Commentary
Having presented his logical refutations of radical nondualism,
Srila Jiva Gosvami now proceeds to disprove it by reference to sabda-
pramdna, or divine sound revelation. This is the Vedic system. Logic
by itself cannot self-evidently disclose the Absolute Truth, Bhaga-
van. In transcendental matters such as this, the final authority is
always self-authoritative scripture. Scriptural evidence is so deci
sive that even if a certain claim defies conventional logic but is sup
ported by sabda-pramdna, it should be accepted as conclusively true.
294
42 The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
In the same way, Vedic texts that appear to support the radi
cal nondualist view should not be abandoned as ambiguous bab
blings just because their primary meaning contradicts the con
clusion of Srila Vyasas trance. Rather, we should interpret these
statements in a way consistent with the underlying purport of the
Vedas. Accepting them literally would lead to confusion and con
tradiction, while rejecting them outright may lead to contempt for
the apauruseya-sabda. In the opinion of Srila Jiva Gosvami, one
must explore secondary meanings that agree with Srila Vyasas
experience.
To support this judgment, Srila Jiva Gosvami refers us to
vs 3.2.19-20. Veddnta-sutra is divided into four chapters (adhydyas),
each having four sections (pddas). These are further divided into
adhikaranas (topics). Each adhikarana includes a topic statement
from the Upanisads, followed by a doubt concerning that statement,
then an opponents position (purva-paksa), then the right conclu
sion (siddhdnta), and finally sangati, a demonstration of how the
adhikarana relates to the preceding and the succeeding adhikara
nas. Some sutras are simply antitheses that represent the opinions
of various sages and philosophers. These are always followed by
siddhdnta-sutras.
Sutra eighteen of Chapter Three, second pdda, establishes that
the intent of referring to the jiva as a reflection of Paramatma is
not to show that Paramatma becomes the jiva by reflection, but to
show that Paramatma is distinct from the jiva, just as any real object
is different from its reflection. If an object and its reflection were
absolutely nondifferent, they could not be distinguished from each
other. Thus, the metaphor of the sun and its reflection in water is
used to establish not the oneness of Paramatma and jivdtmd, but just
the opposite. Veddnta-sutra states, "And for that very reason [i.e.,
because the jiva is distinct from Brahman], the analogy is upheld,
just like the sun and its reflection" (ata eva copamd suryakddi-vat,
vs 3.2.18).
A doubt may then be raised: "This very analogy proves that
Paramatma reflects in avidyd and appears to become the jiva. Where
is the fault in this interpretation?"
299
 Ill Prameya 40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada

The next sutra (vs 3.2.19) answers this doubt. It establishes that
there is no "suchness" of Brahman that could make possible Its
reflection. This means that it is contrary to Brahmans very nature
to be capable of reflection. Furthermore, even if Brahman could
be reflected, Its reflecting medium would have to be remote from
It, just as water is remote from the sun. While commenting on
this sutra in Govinda-bhasya, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains
that since Brahman is all-pervading, no object can possibly be dis
tant from It. Therefore, while the sun can cast a reflection in water
because it is distant from the water. Brahman can cast no reflection
in anything because It is all-pervading. Therefore, the jiva cannot
be a reflection of Brahman.
Although the claim of this sutra is valid, it does not support those
scriptural statements that seem to indicate that the jiva is but a
reflection of Brahman. It is in this sense that Srila Jiva Gosvami calls
this sutra a purva-paksa, an opponent s argument. But if Brahman
does not reflect as the jiva the way the sun reflects on water, what do
the Sruti statements to that effect actually mean? They must have
some reasonable purpose. In vs 3.2.20, Vyasadeva responds with
the siddhanta (conclusion).
Although the comparison of the sun and its reflection with Brah
man and the jiva is inaccurate when interpreted literally, it is valid
in regard to the secondary characteristics of the analogy: The sun
is comparable to Brahman, because they both share the quality of
immensity, whereas the sun's reflection is comparable to the jiva
because of the shared quality of minuteness. Why is it necessary to
supply this secondary meaning? It is necessary in order to uphold
the scripture s conclusions, the overarching consistent message of
the Vedas and corollary literature. Taking all this into considera
tion, the two sutras of this anuccheda could be rendered as follows,
when considered in reference to the theory of reflection:
all water, or something else. One indication that the substances do
not merge is that when a glass of ink is poured into a pail of water,
the total volume of liquid increases by one glass, and the same hap
pens when a glass of water is poured into a pail of ink. In neither
case do the substances merge, which would require that the final
volume be identical to the prior one.
Similarly, the jivas cannot merge into Brahman and lose their
identity. Of course, if a jiva aspires for absolute identity in Brahman
and undergoes the appropriate spiritual discipline directed toward
that end, the all-merciful Bhagavan will self-manifest to that jiva
merely as unqualified Brahman and support the imaginal experi
ence of attaining literal oneness with Him. In reality, God and the
jivas are always distinct, and Bhagavan and His pure devotees are
always aware of this distinction.
Having established that the Advaitavadis' conclusions are
opposed to the truths directly revealed in Vyasadevas supracogni-
tive samadhi, and having highlighted some of the prominent defects
in their logic, Srila Jiva Gosvami next argues that the monistic con
clusion also contradicts the experience of Sukadeva Gosvami, the
principal speaker of Srimad Bhdgavatam.

The comparison of Brahman to the sun is appropriate not in its

primary sense [of something capable of reflection] but in its sec
ondary sense, that of Brahman apparently participating in increase
or decrease due only to the greatness or smallness of the adjuncts
in which It is reflected. This interpretation fulfills the purpose of

300 293
 Ill Prameya
evidenced only that Brahman is mistaken for the world; rather, it
should also be seen at times that one mistakes the world for Brah
man. But that never happens. One mistakes a rope for a snake
because of the existence of some identifiable similarity between
them, i.e., they both are long, slender, and curving. But there is no
similarity between the world and Brahman. Thus, it is impossible
to mistake Brahman for the world or to superimpose Brahman upon
the world.
Since Advaitavadis accept Brahman alone as the ontological real
ity, they say that even scriptures that teach such statements as tat
tvam asi ("You are that") are true only empirically. Although such
declarations have the power to uplifl: those who hear them, they
are not absolutely true in the ontological sense. In this way, the
Sahkarites reveal yet another inconsistency in their system. If the
scriptures are only empirically real, how can they elevate anyone
beyond mdyd? By this logic, even the enlightened writings of such
liberated sages as Yajnavalkya and Sankara are unable to liberate
their readers, for, not being ontologically real, they must be full of
relative imperfections.
In truth the jiva is not, as the Advaitavadis claim, merely an adul
terated version of Brahman. As Sri Krsna states in Bhagavad Gitd,
"The living being (jiva) in this conditional world is an eternal inte
grated part of Me alone" (mamaivdrhso jiva-loke Jiva-bhutah sandta-
nah, GiTAis.y). Thus, the jiva can never lose his eternal inherent
identity of being an integrated part encompassed by the conscious
Whole by merging back into the Brahman it supposedly really is.
When wheat berries and rice grains are mixed, they do not merge
into one another and lose their separate identities. We can easily
distinguish the wheat from the rice. If, however, we mix papaya
seeds with similar-looking black peppercorns, we may have diffi
culty distinguishing between them. Still, this does not mean that
they have lost their distinct identities.
Likewise, when water and ink are mixed, each substance retains
its separate identity. Only because it is difficult for us to distinguish
between them do the two liquids appear to have merged. The water
molecules and the ink molecules have not merged to become all ink.
292
42 The Valid Interpretation of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
the scriptural passages, and thus there is appropriateness of the
thing illustrated [i.e.. Brahman] and the illustration [the increase
or decrease of the suns reflection, depending on the increase or
decrease of water].
Other valid meanings of this analogy are as follows:
1. The jlvas' pains and pleasures do not affect Brahman, just as
disturbances in a reflection of the sun do not affect the sun itself.
2. As a reflection of the sun is dependent on the sun, so the jivas are
dependent on Brahman.
3. The jivas are localized like the sun's reflections, while Brahman
extends everywhere, just as the sun pervades space through its
heat and light.
If we were to similarly analyze the remaining Brahma-sutras, as
well as the Vedas and Puranas, we would discover that all the scrip
tural statements indicating nondifference between God and the liv
ing entity, when understood in such a secondary sense, prove to
be based on some common attributes between the analogy and its
subject, and are faithful to the conclusion of the Vedas. The Vedic
texts never propose absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brah
man. Such a proposal would make the whole body of Vedic scripture
self-contradictory; it would reduce the Vedas to babble, a waste of
time for anyone wanting to study them for spiritual enlightenment.
One may here raise the objection, "Instead of rejecting the pri
mary sense of the monistic statements found in sdstra, why not
accept them and instead reinterpret those statements that support
theistic nonduality (i.e., a transrational nonduality that accom
modates ontological distinction within the nondual Whole)?" The
answer is that the understanding derived from such an approach
would contradict Sri Vyasa s direct experience, which is the nucleus
for the Srimad Bhdgavatam, the topmost pramdna.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the nondifference of Bhaga-
van and the jiva from the Vaisnava point of view, i.e., from the
perspective of theistic nonduality.
301

Anuccheda 43
Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction as
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
^ II
Therefore, scriptural statements referring to the jivas as non-
different from Brahman should be consistently reconciled so as
to concur with the conclusions Vyasa came to in the state of samd-
dhi. This is accomplished by first removing the apparent contra
diction in the jivas' being both different and nondifferent from
Brahman. We should understand from the statements teaching
nondifference that the jivas are one with Brahman in that both
are pure consciousness (cid-rupa); yet, by Brahman's inherent
inconceivable potency, which renders possible even the [other
wise] impossible, the jivas are also innately distinct from Brah
man in terms of their being His parts, like the infinitesimal rays
of the suns light.
Commentary
Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami gives his definitive opinion about the rela
tion between the jivas and Bhagavan. Both Bhagavan and the jivas
are inherently of the nature of consciousness, and it is primarily
302
40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
of being has been directly apperceived by seers of the truth.
(GiTA2.16)^
There is no mention here or in any other genuine scripture of
an inexplicable third category of being. Thus, there is no founda
tion for the Mayavadis' concept that mdyd and the material world
generated from it belong to some inexplicable third category.
To prove their contention that the material world is inexplicable
(anirvacaniya or mithyd), neither real nor unreal, the Sahkarites cite
the well-known example of the rope and the snake. In semidark-
ness, a rope may be mistaken for a snake. They say that if the snake
perceived in the rope were completely non-existent (asat), no one
would ever mistake a rope for a snake in semidarkness, because an
utterly non-existent thing can never be perceived. So, the "snake"
is not non-existent, but still it cannot be considered real (sat) either,
because in sufficient light no snake will be seen. Thus, there must be
a third category of being, separate from both sat and asat. This third
category is anirvacaniya, or inexplicable, and to it the Sahkarites
assign mdyd.
The truth, however, is that one need not resort to the Advaita
vada philosophy to explain the rope being mistaken for a snake. The
snake and the rope are both real. A person who mistakes a rope for a
snake must have previously experienced a real snake, or known of
it from reading, hearing, seeing a photo, or watching a video, and
the environmental conditions must be insufficient for correct per
ception. The persons prior experience of snakes, therefore, will
cause the mind to superimpose the impression of a snake on the
rope in semidarkness. By contrast, someone who has no experi
ence of snakes will never mistake a rope for a snake. An infant, for
example, will never mistake a rope for a snake.
Thus, there is no inexplicable third category of being in material
existence, as the Advaitavadis claim. Moreover, it is not only that a
rope is mistaken for a snake. Sometimes a snake can also be mis
taken for a rope. So, in keeping with this analogy, it should not be
^ nasato vidyate bhdvo ndbhdvo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto'ntas tv anayos tattva-darsibhih
291
 Ill Prameya
SO, the other two basic elements of primordial nature — mahat-
tattva and pradhdna — will remain undissolved. How will the ego
less jiva transcend the mahat-tattva and pradhdna to realize Brah
man? The absence of material ego is not automatically equivalent
to liberation, since at the time of cosmic dissolution, when the con
ditioned jivas merge into the body of Mahavisnu, they are devoid of
material ego but still bound by their karma. Absence of empiric ego
will make one ajivan-mukta, liberated while living, but not award
atyantika-mukti, the ultimate and final liberation.
A word has an inherent relationship with its meaning. Accord
ing to Srila Jiva Gosvami in Hari-ndmdmrta-vydkarana 2.1, a word
that refers to something denotes either a substance, a quality, a
class, or an activity. Certainly the word brahma represents neither
a class nor an activity. If Brahman were a quality, there would
have to be another substance which possessed that quality, since
no quality can exist without belonging to some substance. If, as the
last alternative. Brahman is a substance, then It must possess quali
ties, because an eternal substance cannot exist without qualities. In
either case. Brahman becomes involved in dualism.
To circumvent this problem, the radical nondualists reply that
Brahman is not the primary or direct meaning of the word brahma,
but It is the laksya (indicative meaning). But such an occurrence
is not possible. No word can have a laksya-artha without having
a mukhya-artha (primary meaning). Laksya-artha comes into play
only when the primary meaning is not appropriate. For example,
the word gangd refers to the famous holy river in India, but in the
phrase gahgdydrh ghosah (lit., "a hamlet in the river Ganga"), the
primary meaning of the word gangd is dropped and the indicative
meaning, "on the bank of the Ganga," is accepted.
Advaitavadis explain this material world on the basis of mdyd,
which is neither sat (real) nor asat (unreal). They say that mdyd is
thus inexplicable (anirvacaniya). But in Bhagavad Gitd, Sri Krsna
recognizes only two categories, sat and asat:
The unreal (asat) has no existence and the real (sat) has no non
existence. The definite conclusion regarding these two grades
2 9 0
43 Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction a
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
this common trait that the Vedic literature refers to when it speaks
about their nondistinction. The purpose of these statements is to
provide us a reference to understand the Supreme Personal Abso
lute, who is otherwise beyond our experience. Through simple
reflection we know that we are conscious, so to give us some idea
of the nature of Bhagavan, the Vedas employ various analogies and
metaphors to illustrate that the Lord is conscious like us. Thus, in
these descriptions, the jivas are sometimes depicted as nondifferent
from Him.
We should never misunderstand the Vedic statements about
identity to mean that Bhagavan and the jiva are absolutely one in all
respects. When we read, "He was a tiger in battle," we do not think
that a man actually turned into a tiger. Rather, we acknowledge
a secondary meaning and understand that in battle the man was
as ferocious as a tiger. We must accept similar secondary mean
ings for the statements in the Vedic literature about the oneness of
the jiva and Brahman. Our conclusion must be consistent with the
principles self-evidently revealed in Srila Vyasadeva s trance.
Srila Jiva Gosvami is an advocate of Srimad Bhdgavatam's philos
ophy of acintya-bheda-abheda, which he alludes to in the last sen
tence of this anuccheda. Acintya-bheda-abheda means "inconceiv
able simultaneous oneness and difference" between Bhagavan and
the living being, or in other words, between the conscious energetic
Source and Its conscious energy. Energy cannot exist without the
energetic and is thus in one sense identical to it. At the same time,
energy can be said to be different from its energetic source, because
energy is dependent on the energetic and because its actions are per
ceived to be separate from the energetic. Logically, such a relation
of simultaneous oneness and distinction is ultimately inconceivable
or transrational.
The jivas are like atomic particles of light in relation to Bhaga
van, who is like the sun. As the Svetdsvatara Upanisad states, "The
Supreme Lord is inherently self-endowed with manifold energies"
(pardsya saktir vividhaiva sruyate, sue.s). Just as the rays of sun
light are neither completely different from nor exactly the same
as the sun, so the jivas are simultaneously one with and different
303
 Ill Prameya
from Bhagavan. The Vedas' descriptions of nondifference refer to
the qualitative oneness of Bhagavan and the jivas (i.e., their shared
essential identity of consciousness), and the Vedas' descriptions
of difference refer to their quantitative difference. The Brhad-
dranyaka Upanisad offers an analogy to help us understand:
Just as sparks emanate from a fire, so all these vital airs, plan
ets, devas, and living beings issue forth from the Supreme Self.
(bau 2.1.20)^
Sparks are obviously different from the fire that manifests them,
but because they possess in minute quantity such fiery qualities as
heat and light, they can be said to be "one with" the fire as well.
In the same way, the jivas can be said to be simultaneously differ
ent from and one with the Supreme Self, Bhagavan. Any appar
ent inconsistency in this relationship is resolved by the inconceiv
able creative energy of Bhagavan, which can render the seemingly
impossible possible.
One should not confuse this inconceivable nature of Bhagavan
with the inexplicable (anirvacanlya) nature that the Advaitavadis
ascribe to mdyd. They claim that mdyd is neither sat (real) nor asat
(unreal) and is, hence, indescribable. Vaisnavas, however, do not
say that Bhagavan and His energies are indescribable, for the scrip
tures clearly describe the nature of both. Instead, Vaisnavas empha
size that because Bhagavan s nature and qualities are inconceivable
to our limited mind and intellect. He can be understood and known
only through sabda-pramdna. Some of Bhagavans inconceivable
features are mentioned in Isa Upanisad:
The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away but is
very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of
everything. (iSAs)^
Srlla Baladeva Vidyabhusana gives us another analogy to help us
^ yathdgneh visphulingd vyuccaranti evam eva asmad dtmanah
sarve prdndh sarve lokdh sarve devdh sarvdni bhutdni vyuccaranti
^ tad ejati tan naijati tad dure tad v antike
tad antarasya sarvasya tad u sarvasydsya bdhyatah
304
40 Inconsistencies in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
The gunas have the nature to subdue each other, to support each
other, to produce material objects by combining with each other,
and to remain mixed with each other. (Sdnkhya-kdrikd 12)^
Srila Jiva Gosvami advises us to carefully analyze other incon
sistencies like these in Advaitavada philosophy. For example, we
should consider the following questions: If originally only feature
less Brahman and nothing else exists, where does avidyd come
from? Or, if avidyd can bind Brahman, isn't it more powerful than
Brahman? The Advaitavadis compare Brahman to a spider that
weaves its own web and somehow gets bound by it, but this analogy
presents Brahman as possessing attributes and potencies, reveal
ing a tacit acceptance of the Vaisnava theistic nondualism, i.e., a
transrational wholism inclusive of transphenomenal distinction.
We should also consider the following conundrums:
1. Since Brahman is unlimited and devoid of parts. It cannot
possibly cast a reflection.
2. Brahman is described as pure awareness, but in order to func
tion, awareness needs an object apart from Itself. There is no
meaning to knowledge without a known object. And when there
is an object, absolute oneness is negated, because then there is
the multiplicity of knower, knowledge, and known.
3. Brahman's existence proves that It is potent, because anything
that exists necessarily has some kind of energy or attributes.
Thus, if nondualism is to be maintained, it cannot be of the rad
ical variety that acknowledges the ontological existence only of
the subject, Brahman, devoid of all attributes. It can only be a
wholistic nondualism or even a "holarchism" (involving a hierar
chy of nested holons), in which the subject, Bhagavan, includes
and transcends His holarchically embedded parts, which are
then understood as one with yet distinct from Him.
From Sankhya philosophy we understand that the primeval
pradhdna generates the mahat-tattva, which then gives rise to the
empirical ego. Granted that, as the Advaitavadis say, a jiva can dis
solve his empirical ego by cultivating spiritual knowledge, but even
^ anyonydbhibhavdsraya-janana-mithuna-vrttayah
289
 Ill Prameya
in our best interest. This they cannot do. Our house may be on fire,
but it does not follow that we should panic and jump out the nearest
window to our certain death.
As Srila Jiva Gosvami indicates here, the Advaitavadis say that
after Brahman comes under the influence of avidya, it is called jiva.
Then this jiva creates mdyd by his imagination. A portion of Brah
man next gives shelter to mdyd and becomes known as Isvara, the
Supreme Lord. From that point on, mdyd follows Isvara s dictates
and controls the jiva, who is Brahman covered by mdyd. So, Isvara
is the basis of mdyd, and the jiva is her visaya, or object of action.
This is self-contradictory. This explanation is plagued with
the logical fault called anyonydsraya-dosa, or "the defect of mutual
dependence." Mdyas existence supposedly originates from the jiva,
and the jiva s existence also originates from mdyd. This means that
without mdyd there is no Jiva and without jiva there is no mdyd. In
addition, a part of Brahman supposedly becomes Isvara by contact
ing mdyd, but then mdyd becomes subordinate to this Isvara. In this
view, even God cannot come into existence without the involve
ment of the finite living beings, who are themselves dependent
manifestations of mdyd. So, ultimately Isvara is dependent on mdyd
for His existence and yet is her controller.
Another absurdity in the pariccheda-vdda and pratibimba-vdda
presentations is the claim that mdyd has two features — vidyd and
avidyd. The upddhi delimiting Brahman as Isvara is supposedly
mdyas vidyd portion, which is predominantly of the nature of sattva-
guna (illumination), while the upddhis limiting Brahman as thejivas
constitute her avidyd portion. In this way, Isvara is the basis of the
Jivas' illusion despite His being the embodiment of perfect knowl
edge, but the Advaitavadis cannot explain how mdyas division into
vidyd and avidyd comes into existence. Certainly, Brahman, being
devoid of qualities, cannot create this division. The gunas of pri
mordial nature are always mixed with each other. There are no
pure (i.e., unmixed) gunas anywhere. This is confirmed in Sdnkhya-
kdrikd:
288
43 Valid Interpretation of Nondistinction as
Inconceivable Oneness and Distinction
understand acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva: Two brdhmana boys, one
fair-skinned and one dark-skinned, share an identity in terms of
class but are different as individuals. Similarly, Bhagavan and the
jiva are one in that both are essentially of the nature of conscious
ness, but they are different in that Bhagavan is all-pervading, all-
knowing, independent, and the controller of mdyd, whereas the
jiva, in the state of conditional identification, is localized, ignorant,
dependent, and subservient to mdyd.
Sometimes the Vedas equate the jiva with Brahman because he
is subordinate to Brahman. The principle behind this idea is not
unfamiliar. An ambassador, for example, is in one sense equal to
the chief of state he represents, and because of this, any respect or
disrespect shown to him reflects upon his chief of state. The rea
son people accept a rough equivalence between the two is that the
ambassador has some of the chief of state s power, but no one would
ever foolishly consider them identical in all respects. The Advai
tavadis err by choosing to acknowledge only one side of the Inte
grated Whole and emphasizing only the nondifference between the
jiva and Brahman. This is why their version of nonduality may be
termed as radical, because they accept only the subject. Brahman,
denying Its inherent potencies, qualities, and attributes to the very
root (from the Latin radix).
One should not treat the Vedas according to the logic of ardha-
kukkuti^ accepting only statements favorable to one s viewpoint and
rejecting opposing ones. The Vedas contain statements declaring
both the difference and the nondifference between Brahman and
the jiva. These seemingly contradictory views can most naturally be
reconciled by application of the acintya-bheda-abheda metaphysics.
This theistic view does not contradict any Vedic scripture or authen
tic point of view; rather, it resolves the apparent contradictions in
the Vedic literature in accordance with the Vedas' final conclusions.
It is the natural and direct explanation of the Vedic literature.
^ Ardha-kukkuti-nyaya refers to the logic of a foolish farmer who cut his hen in two
parts and kept only the back part. He thought that in so doing, he would not have
to bear the expense of feeding her but would still get the eggs that she laid from
the hind part.
305
 Ill Prameya
In summary, what follows are the ideas underlying the Vedic
statements that speak of the oneness of Brahman and the jivas,
employing the analogies of reflection and delimitation:
1. The jiva, like Brahman, is by nature purely conscious.
2. The jiva, like Brahman, is distinct from phenomena.
3. The jiva is one of Brahman's energies.
4. The jiva is eternally dependent on Brahman.
5. The jiva can never be absolutely one with Brahman.
6. The jiva is constitutionally an eternal servitor of Brahman.
7. The analogies of reflection and delimitation help us understand
the purely spiritual nature of Brahman.
In the Paramdtma Sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami will further
describe the living being and its relationship with Bhagavan. In the
next anuccheda, he summarizes the facts concerning abhidheya, the
means for directly realizing the subjective Reality, Bhagavan.
306
4 0 I n c o n s i s t e n c i e in Radical Nondualism, Advaitavada
Commentary
In the previous anucchedas, Srila Jiva Gosvami has refuted
the two main theories of radical nondualism, pariccheda-vada and
pratibimba-vada. He showed that neither of these consistently
explain the empirical world and the presence of the jivas and God
within it. Now, Srila Jiva Gosvami points out in greater detail the
fallacies in these theories. He argues that even if we accept either
pariccheda-vada or pratibimba-vada as a description of how Brah
man becomes divided into the many jivas, still the contradiction
between Brahmans utter transcendence and the superimposition
of avidya will remain unresolved.
How can Brahman, which is indivisible pure consciousness,
have portions that fall under the sway of mdyd and think of them
selves as jivas? How can knowledge and delusion share the same
location? How can light and darkness coexist in one place? Being
indivisible. Brahman cannot become fragmented to manifest
the jivas. Moreover, ontological existence cannot include mdyd
(avidyd), only Brahman. For mdyd to be involved with Brahman,
either Brahman would have to be downgraded to mdyas empirical
level so It could be adulterated by upddhis, or else mdyd would have
to be upgraded to the ontological level of Brahman so that she could
influence It. The first of these alternatives is impossible, because
Brahman is without attributes and cannot change. The second alter
native amounts to dualism, because then mdyd and Brahman would
have equal status on the plane of ontological reality. This, of course,
contradicts the basic principles of nondualism.
Under pressure of these arguments, the impersonalists may try
to placate us with the claim that the vital issue at hand is not pre
cisely how the jiva came under the influence of mdyd, but simply
that he is now suffering in illusion. The house of material existence
is now on fire; we do not have time to search out mdyas origin but
should try to escape the fire quickly before it devours us, before we
lose the opportunity of human life.
Even if we grant this point, the Advaitavadis must still convince
us that the end they would have us seek, impersonal liberation, is
287
Anuccheda 40
Inconsistencies in Radical
Nondualism, Advaitavada
c | | ^ < c c | | T d I M H W ^ c l v d l d l f d t l l c b f ^ ^ J d J H I i l i a P T-
rc|l4l^«rd4d \d|c| ^Id^ I d^ d"
^T^[FTT FdoMfd^l I dc;fd^|chfc^dlMI>^ cTCTRTt^RRodT^T fdilfd cT^ fd^ld-
T^sf^r 4^l^4cbcd^^l^M^J^o.d^l II
In this way, by basing their ideas on Brahman and avidya (igno
rance) alone, the Advaitavadis contradict themselves when they
say that the one undivided Brahman, pure by virtue of being
unadulterated consciousness and thus altogether free from con
tact with avidya, is nonetheless polluted by contacting avidya
and thus becomes the jiva. Then again, the Advaitavadis claim
that the same Braihman becomes the Supreme Being (Isvara)
owing to His being the shelter of mdyd [the phenomenal world
appearance], which is itself a fabrication from the jiva s avidyd.
And yet, that very Brahman supposedly again becomes the jiva
due to the influence of Isvara s mdyd. These two states, however,
are clearly incompatible. The inevitable contradictions implicit
in this view are that avidyd is able to infiltrate pure conscious
ness [Brahman], that vidyd (knowledge) is present within Isvara,
who is nonetheless an upddhi [upon Brahman] fabricated out of
that avidyd, and that although Isvara is the proprietor of vidyd.
He is yet illusory in nature. We should carefully analyze how
these and other speculative ideas are simply incoherent.
286
Anuccheda 44
Acausal Devotion Is the Abhidheya
Since the Supreme Being and the individual being thus have
distinct identities, the Supreme Being as the foundation and sup
port of mdyd and the individual being as deluded by her, it is con
cluded that devotional worship (bhajana) of the Supreme Being
is specifically the means (abhidheya) that effectuates the stage of
ultimate attainment.
Commentary
After refuting radical nondualism, SrilaJiva GosvamI contin
ues to analyze Srila Vyasadevas trance. Srila Vyasadeva saw that
the original Supreme Person, Svayaih Bhagavan, is the foundation
of mdyd (mdydm ca tad-apasrayam, sb 1.7.4). He also saw that only
the living entity is deluded by mdyd (yayd sammohitojlvah, sb 1.7.5).
Thus, Bhagavan and the jiva are naturally distinct, for Bhagavan
never comes under mdyas spell. God can never turn into a jiva,
and the jiva can never turn into God. In correspondence with this
directly perceived distinction, Srila Vyasadeva also saw that the
means for the jiva s release from bondage is the unconditional devo
tional turning of awareness to Bhagavan (bhakti-yogam adhoksaje,
SB 1.7.6).
307
 Ill Prameya 39 Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada

In this anuccheda, the word eva in the phrase tad bhajanasya eva
means "only" and indicates that no process other than bhakti-yoga
(i.e., bhajana) can cut the bonds of mdyd. No other method, not even
Jndna-yoga or astdnga-yoga, is potent enough to permanently relieve
the jivas' miseries. As Sri Krsna declares in Bhagavad Gitd:
This divine energy of Mine, mdyd, consisting of the three gunas of
primordial nature, is certainly difficult to overcome. Yet, those who
have become fully and exclusively sheltered in Me are able to cross
beyond it. (GiTA7.i4)^
Other paths may at best elevate a person to sattva-guna by puri
fying his heart of the lower gunas of rajas and tamas, but they can
not elevate him to full transcendence without the merciful help of
bhakti. Narada Muni confirms this in his teachings to Yudhisthira
Maharaja:
The sole purpose of all the injunctions in the scriptures is to conquer
the six enemies in the form of lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride,
and envy, or to control the five senses along with the mind. Yet,
even afler accomplishing this, if one does not engage in the yoga of
devotion [to Bhagavan], then all his endeavors are merely labor and
thus fruitless, (sb 7.15.28)^
Brahman. The Vedic scriptures present the dream analogy only to
illustrate the temporary nature of this world, and thus inspire a
sense of detachment from phenomenality in those desiring to walk
the path of transcendence.
The Advaitavadis' only other alternative is to assign Brahman to
empirical (vydvahdrika) reality by placing It in the same class as all-
pervading space, to which the Vedas compare It. But that leaves us
with no ontological reality, in which case, the whole idea becomes
absurd. Logically, ontological reality must exist, and the Vedas and
numerous sages and enlightened mystics confirm this.
All these arguments fail to establish the doctrines of pariccheda
and pratibimba, which are thus left as nothing more than men
tal exercises for impersonal speculators. They provide no sound
explanation of how pure Brahman, by adulteration with upddhis,
manifests as many, namely, as Isvara and the jivas.
Srila Jiva Gosvami offers still more refutations of impersonalism
in the next anuccheda.

Sage Camasa declares that without devotional worship of Bha

gavan one will fall down from one s position (na bhajanty avajdna-
nti sthdndd bhrastdh patanty adhah, sb 11.5.3). In this anuccheda, the
word bhede (difference) is also significant. By using it, Srila Jiva
Gosvami emphasizes that unless the jiva clearly understands that
he is both distinct from and subordinate to Bhagavan, he will not
become interested in pursuing devotional service. This conviction
is essential for advancement in spiritual life.
The natural tendency of a conditioned being is to think him
self the controller, the lord of all he surveys, and this delusion
^ daivl hy esa guna-mayi mama mdyd duratyayd
mdm eva ye prapadyante mdydm etdrh taranti te
^ sad-varga-sarfiyamaikdntdh sarvd niyama-codandh
tad-antd yadi no yogdn dvaheyuh sramdvahdh
 Ill Prameya 44 Acausal Devotion Is the Abhidheya

explain pratibimba-vada and pariccheda-vada — the analogy of the
sun reflecting in many water pots and that of open space (akdsa)
becoming delimited by a pot. These analogies are also inappropri
ate here. The Advaitavadis may justiflably presume open space to
be empirically real and thus delimitable by such an upadhi as a pot.
But Brahman is neither empirical nor divisible, and therefore, it
is impossible for empirical upadhis to delimit It. Any delimitation
of Brahman can occur only on the level of mere appearance, not in
empirical reality. Such a prdtibhdsika delimitation, unreal in the
makes him loathe the very idea of surrendering to God. Indeed,
this tendency to control remains a great peril even for those actively
engaged in bhakti-yoga, because the jivas' desire to control is deep-
rooted and can sprout forth whenever circumstances are conducive
to it, choking off the tender creeper of devotion. Unless a candidate
for unalloyed bhakti vigilantly guards against residual desires to
be the master of all, these desires will likely manifest themselves
and slow his progress toward pure awareness of and devotion to Sri
Krsna.

empirical sense, will not help explain how the jivas and Isvara come In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva GosvamI concludes this part of
into being on the empirical plane. This leaves no consistent expla his discussion with a reference to the prayojana, or final goal, of
nation of how indivisible formless Brahman can be divided into the
prema-bhakti-yoga.
Jivas and Isvara, either by empirical or apparent upadhis.
An adequate analogy must be as similar as possible to what it
illustrates — the greater the correspondence, the more pertinent
the analogy. But in the analogy of all-pervading space and the pot,
there is insufficient correspondence to the actuality depicted by
the Mayavadis: While all-pervading space and Brahman are simi
lar, the former s upddhi, the pot, is empirical, whereas Brahmans
upddhis must be merely apparent.
The impersonalists compare this world to a dream to show its
illusory nature, that it does not really exist. But it is unjustifiable to
equate the dream world (apparent reality) with the external world
(empirical reality) in order to reach this conclusion. Dreams are pri
vate. No one can enter into and participate in another's dream. The
empirical world, on the other hand, is a shared reality. After wak
ing from a dream, we cannot go back into it. But after dreaming, we
wake up to the same empirical reality experienced prior to enter
ing the dream state. So, it is improper to say that the world is just a
dream.

Virtuous and unwholesome deeds, which purify or pollute the

heart of an agent, are not applicable to acts performed in dreams;
they deliver their bitter and sweet fruits only in the empirical world.
A crime committed in a dream is not punishable in the waking state
grade of empirical reality. The analogy of a dream, therefore, is not
adequate for explaining the appearance of the material world from

284 309

Anuccheda 45
Love of God Is the State of Ultimate
Completion, Prayojana
From the above discussion it is definitely concluded that Sri
Bhagavan, the original Complete Person, is the most deserving
recipient of supreme transcendental love, because He instructs
all people about their ultimate welfare, because He removes all
sorrows, because He is the Supreme Self of everyone like the sun
in relation to its rays, and because He is perfectly endowed with
all wonderful qualities. This being the case, it naturally also
follows that love for Him is the final attainment (prayojana).
Commentary
The Vedas provide education in socio-religious integrity {dharma),
prosperity (artha), wholesome fulfillment of desire (kdma), and ulti
mately liberation from the cycle of birth and death (moksa). These
four are known as the purusdrthas, or aims of human life (deontol
ogy)? On the basis of logic or scriptural authority, every school of
^ The purusdrthas are human aims not merely because they bring about beneficial
consequences for human beings but, more primarily, because there is a moral
imperative to perform them. On this account, the purusdrthas can be classed as
deontology, which has been summarized in these words: "The term denotes an
310
39 Further Refutations of Pratibimba-vada and Pariccheda-vada
that Brahman s upddhis are only apparent (prdtibhdsika). In this
anuccheda, the upddhis are called dvidyaka, or "illusory," a specific
reference to the prdtibhdsika grade of reality as defined in Advai-
tavada theory. In this context, the Sahkarites do not intend "illu
sory" to mean altogether non-existent, for non-existence can never
give rise either to the jiva or to Isvara. Rather, they say. Brahman s
upddhis are "illusory," in the sense that they exist on neither the
empirical nor the ontological level. They are an intangible apparent
reality, akin to dreams, misperceptions, and hallucinations.
The objects one perceives in dreams, misperceptions, or hallu
cinations are intangible. In a dream, one may eat a big feast, for
example, but upon waking up, one will still feel hungry; the feast
appears real only while dreaming. Sublation (bddhaka) and support
(sddhaka) of prior perceptions are possible between things belong
ing to the same grade of reality. Thus, hunger on the vydvahdrika
level cannot be appeased by eating a feast on the prdtibhdsika level.
Similarly, intangible, misperceived, or imagined objects, such as a
"snake" that is in fact a rope, will cause fear, but that fear of the
snake will persist only as long as the misperception or hallucination
continues. This kind of illusory reality (prdtibhdsika-sattd) is infe
rior to both empirical existence and ontological existence. Nonethe
less, the Advaitavadis may posit that such apparent upddhis can
cause Brahman to take on the characteristics of the jivas and Isvara.
The first step in refuting this erroneous theory is to point out
that an effect is always dependent on its cause and that specific
effects arise from specific causes. For example, one cannot make
water taste sweet by adding salt. It follows, therefore, that if the
upddhis imposed on Brahman are only apparent realities, then they
cannot produce empirical reality. A daydream may be a pleasant
reverie, but no one gains any real benefit by imagining he has
been crowned emperor of the world. Instead, as the daydreamer
whiles away the time, he may lose an opportunity for gaining some
practical benefit in the real world. However much he dreams, his
apparent reality will never become empirically real.
In the context of discussing real upddhis, Srila Jiva Gosvami
has already refuted the two analogies the Advaitavadis use to
283
 45 Love of God Is the State of Ultimate Completion, Prayojana

Indian philosophy and theology intends to direct the jivas toward

liberation, which puts an end to all miseries.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings, however, lead beyond
liberation. When Sanatana GosvamI approached Sri Caitanya to
inquire about the spiritual path, his first question was, "What is my
duty after liberation?" This question was revolutionary. Before this,
almost no one would even have thought to inquire about a fifth puru-
sdrtha; liberation was considered the ultimate aim. But Sri Caitanya
explained to Sanatana that prema, love of Cod, is the fifth and all-
transcending aim of life (pancama-purusdrtha): premdn pum-artho
mahdn. That prema is described as the fifth purusdrtha indicates
that it belongs to an altogether distinct category of intrinsic value
(artha), beyond the four traditional human aims.
Sri Caitanya established this purusdrtha with reference to the
Vedas, and in the course of doing so. He relied especially on "the
spotless Purana," Srimad Bhdgavatam, propounding it as the ulti
mate scriptural authority. Along with the final goal of pure love of
Cod, Sri Caitanya also established that Sri Krsna is the most com
plete manifestation of Absolute Reality and, therefore, the most
worthy recipient of loving devotional service.
Prior to Sri Caitanya, Vaisnavas generally rendered reverential
devotion to Bhagavan in His majestic form of Visnu. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, however, revealed to all His followers the fifth aim —
love of Cod. If a person realizes prema as the ultimate purpose of
life, he will not deny the world s reality, as radical nondualists are
prone to do, because he will recognize the world as the real phe
nomenal power of his beloved Lord. A devotee perceives everything
in this world in relation to Cod and uses whatever is available in
His devotional service, directly or indirectly. One who adopts this
integral outlook will quickly be endowed with the luminous qual
ities of Spirit. The egoic traits of lust, greed, envy, and so on will
depart from him. Treating every living being as part of Cod, he will

understanding of Ethics in which an ethics of duty or obligation is primary. The

agent of moral decision and moral action is motivated by a duty to do what is
right, in contrast to consequentialism, or an ethic based on the calculation pf
optimum consequences" (Thiselton 2005).

3 11
 Ill Prameya

become a well-wishing friend to all beings and not think of harming

or exploiting anyone.
These teachings are the most sublime, practical, and versatile of
all spiritual philosophies. Although these teachings seem to empha
size transcendence of this world and ascension to the post-liberated
spiritual domain, their real essence is to give up the misidentifica-
tion with self and world as independent of God. Thus, by aligning
awareness to the eternal consciousness that is prema, all aspects
of ordinary life are radically transformed, revealing their intrin
sic value as manifestations of Divinity. Sri Caitanyas teachings are
thus suitable for all people to study and practice, regardless of caste,
creed, or nationality.
By contrast, when a spiritual practitioner s final objective is lib
eration, he will almost never develop a loving relationship with Bha-
gavan. Rather, he is likely to reduce Bhagavan to a mere instru
ment for achieving his goal. Spiritual aspirants who are intent
solely on liberation, such as the radical monists, may at first wor
ship the deity forms of Radha-Krsna and then discard these forms
at a supposedly higher stage when they imagine they have advanced
to the level of Brahman realization. They think that because they
have achieved oneness with the Supreme, they no longer require
the deity forms.
To such spiritualists, God is nothing more than a means to lib
eration, just as one uses a boat to cross a river and then leaves the
boat on the river bank and walks away. From the perspective of the-
istic Vedanta, such a view is in the ultimate sense a form of selfish
ness, and a denial of relationship with the Supreme Personal Divin
ity. Based on detachment and introversion, their doctrine doesn't
readily lend itself to the extension of warmth, sympathy, compas
sion, and serenity in human society. It tends, rather, to deperson
alize human life. A pure devotee advancing on the path of loving
devotional service is not inclined to demand anything of his Lord,
not even liberation. He desires only to please his worshipable Lord
eternally. To that end he cheerfully tolerates any tribulation. Such
unconditional love is in fact the prayojana, or goal of life, promoted
by Srlmad Bhdgavatam.

312
 45 Love of God Is the State of Ultimate Completion, Prayojana

Although in the previous anuccheda Srila Jiva Gosvami pro

posed that a jiva should worship Bhagavan as the means to get
free from the clutches of mdyd, here he proceeds a step further: He
rejects liberation as the prayojana and hints at a higher purpose —
unconditional love of God, prema-bhakti. Sri Jiva will present a full
discussion on prema-bhakti in Priti Sandarbha.
In this anuccheda, Jiva offers four reasons why Svayaih Bhaga
van is the most worthy recipient of love. First of all, Bhagavan is
always concerned for the welfare of all sentient beings. Therefore,
He repeatedly offers teaching both for the relative and ultimate ben
efit of conditioned beings. He personally avatarically descends to
offer direct instruction, as He did when He taught Arjuna on the
Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and, as Vedavyasa, He compiled the Vedic
literature. To make known the inherent mystery of being. He also
sends His devotees to this material world as good-will ambassadors.
Even on the material level, Bhagavan takes care of all living beings
by impartially supplying them with such essentials as light, air,
water, and food. Even atheists and agnostics are provided for.
The second reason is that He relieves the miseries of the con
ditioned beings by helping to liberate them from illusion. To take
advantage of this help, however, the jivas must surrender to Him:

Abandon [dependence on] all forms of dharma and just surrender

unto Me alone. I shall free you from all suffering. Do not grieve.
(GITA 18.66)^

The third reason is that Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personal Abso
lute, is the ultimate svarupa, or Self, of all beings, just as the ulti
mate basis of the suns rays is the sun globe. The suns rays always
depend on the sun, and they are glorious only in relation to the
sun. In the same way, the jivas perpetually depend on God and
become glorious only when established in inherent relatedness to
Him through bhakti-yoga. Just as rivers naturally seek the ocean
and become finally calm when they reach that destination, or as an
^ sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekarh saranam vraja
aharh tvdm sarva-pdpebhyo moksayisydmi md sucah

313
 I l l Prameya

object thrown into the air will spontaneously return to the earth, so
Krsna is the ideal person in whom all jivas may repose their love.
The fourth reason is that Krsna is inherently self-endowed with
all wonderful matchless qualities to their fullest extent. Of all
the Supreme Lord s own direct manifestations, His original two-
handed form as a cowherd boy is the most beautiful and attractive.
Thus, Srila Rupa Gosvami writes in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:

Although from an ontological perspective, there is no difference in

the essential nature of Sri Krsna and Lord Narayana, the husband of
the Goddess of Fortune, still from the perspective of aesthetic relish
or completion (rasa), Sri Krsna's form is unparalleled. This, indeed,
is the law of rasas, (brs 1.2.59)^

This same Sri Krsna, along with all His personal attributes and
potencies, self-manifested to Srila Vyasa in the state of supracogni-
tive awareness. Vyasa also saw that love of Krsna is the ultimate
completion of life (krsne parama-puruse bhaktih, sb 1.7.7). Thus, Sri
Jiva concludes through logic and scriptural analysis that Sri Krsna
is the supreme object of love. He is the prayojana, the ultimate goal
of life.

Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the importance of sadhana-

bhakti, devotion in the stage of regulated practice.

^ siddhantatas tv abhede'pi krsna-srisa-svarupayoh

rasenotkrsyate krsna-rupam esa rasa-sthitih

314
 Ill Prameya

In the investigation of anything unknown, knowledge systems

generally begin with reference to what is already known or avail
able to conscious examination. The first thing available to the exam
iner is his or her own consciousness. So this division deals with the
intuition of the Totality (i.e., Nondual Consciousness) with refer
ence to individual consciousness. This is known as vyasti-nirdesa, as Anuccheda 46
stated by Jiva Gosvami in the beginning ofAnuccheda 56, his conclud
ing remark about this division. From the careful inspection of indi Direct Apperception of Abhidheya
vidual consciousness through the self-illuminating light of Srimad
from the State of Samadhi
Bhdgavatam, the nature of the Supreme or Source Consciousness is
made evident.

Looking ahead for a moment, the next thing available to the

examiner is the cosmos, or in other words, phenomenality. This
involves the operation of universals, or the laws that determine the
cosmic order. So, Ultimate Reality may also be intuited with refer
ence to these universals (samasti-nirdesa), as being their ultimate I T rT

Source and Shelter. This perspective will be explored in the final

division of Tattva Sandarbha (Anucchedas 56-63), which delineates
the ten topics (universals) of Srimad Bhagavatam.
In the state of samadhi, Srila Vyasadeva also directly per
ceived the means of ultimate attainment (abhidheya), as depicted
above (in Anuccheda 44). Then, in order to propagate it. He com
posed this scripture called Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is meant
for those on the path of Ultimate Truth [the sdtvatas, or in other
words, the true Vaisnavas]. Sri Suta Gosvami describes all this
in the verse beginning with the word anartha (sb 1.7.6). In this
verse, the word hhakti-yoga refers to sadhana-hhakti, devotion in
the stage of regulated practice, which is characterized by hear
ing, chanting, and other forms of worship, and not to prema-
bhakti, devotion in the perfected stage of pure love of God. This is
concluded because devotion as a practice depends on instruction,
while love of God depends solely on the grace of Bhagavan.

46.2

I Cb4f5i4d cTW (^o Ro |^:?)

I (^o 1^0 I??) l|TFn-

342
315
 Ill Prameya
^ (^o ^O m iv) I 3T?T^
Even so, sadhana-bhakti, being the means for gaining Bhagavahs
grace, has love of God implicit within it as its mature fruit. Thus,
it is said that sadhana-bhakti directly removes the jivas miseries
(anarthopasamam saksad), without dependence on anything
else.
As Bhagavan states in Srimad Bhdgavatam: "Whatever may
be attained by execution of prescribed duties, penances, culti
vation of wisdom, renunciation, practice of yoga, offering of
charity in accordance with scripture, or any other means of ulti
mate welfare, is easily attained by My devotee through engage
ment in bhakti-yoga to Me. If at any time My devotee should
desire heaven, liberation, or My abode, he can also attain these"
(sB 11.20.32-33).^
By contrast, methods such as the intuition of the self's iden
tity with Brahman (jndna) depend on bhakti for their fulfillment,
as shown in such statements as the following: "O almighty Lord,
those who undergo pains to attain realization of oneness with
the Absolute, giving up the most beneficial path of bhakti, gain
only labor and nothing else, like those engaged in threshing
coarse husk devoid of grain" (sb 10.14.4).^
Another meaning of anarthopasamam saksad is that sadhana-
bhakti directly counteracts the miseries of material existence,
meaning that it does so without obstruction or without any
intervening agent. However, it is only pure love of God, the
mature fruit of sadhana-bhakti, that can counteract the two
f u n d a m e n t a l f a u l t s o f b e w i l d e r m e n t a n d m i s i d e n t i fi c a t i o n
[bewilderment being forgetfulness of inherent self-identity, and
^ yat karmabhir yat tapasd jndna-vairdgyatas ca yat
yogena ddma-dharmena sreyobhir itarair api
sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhatenjasd
svargdpavargam mad-dhdma kathancid yadi vdfichati
^ sreyah-sji:im bhaktim udasya te vibho klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
tesdm asau klesala eva sisyate ndnyad yathd sthula-tusdvaghdtindm
316
3^
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
Intuition of the Subject through Reference
to the Individual
Anucchedas 50-55
The previous two divisions have dealt with the determination of
sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana in general terms. These were
said to have been directly apprehended through a transempirical
mode of knowing in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa. This means
that they were not arrived at through philosophical reasoning or
any sort of logical cognitive process. They were immediately known
in consciousness. From this point forward, Jiva Gosvami begins the
elaboration of sambandha based on Srimad Bhdgavatam, which con
tinues right through to the end of Krsna Sandarbha, the fourth book
of the series. Abhidheya is discussed in book five, Bhakti Sandarbha,
and prayojana in book six, Priti Sandarbha.
The first thing to note about sambandha is that it involves the
relation between the Reality to be known (the signified, vdcya)
and the sound revelation that discloses it (the signifier, vdcaka),
in this case, Srimad Bhdgavatam. Out of the entire text of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Jiva Gosvami identifies verse sb 1.2.11 as the defini
tive statement that specifies the fundamental nature of that Reality
as Nondual Consciousness (advaya-jndna). But how can Nondual
Consciousness be intuited for those who have not had the direct
experience of Sri Suka and Sri Vyasa?
341
 Ill Prameya 46 Direct Apperception of Abhidheya from the State of Samadh

Sandarbha, as well as the following three books in the anthology misidentification being the assumption of a phenomenal self tied
(Sri Sat Sandarbha), deal exclusively with the topic of sambandha. to the material body]. Thus, abhidheya is expressed here (sb i.y.e)
Abhidheya and prayojana are examined in Bhakti Sandarbha and Priti as it was before [in Anucchedas 32 and 44].
Sandarbha, respectively.

Commentary

In Anuccheda 44, Jiva Gosvami concluded from his analysis of

Srila Vyasa's trance that Srimad Bhdgavatam's abhidheya-tattva is
unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord. Vyasadeva also saw in His
trance that the miseries of the jivas can be vanquished by bhakti-
yoga alone, and this culture of bhakti-yoga will further lead to pure
love of God, which is the transcendental state in which direct real
ization of Bhagavan is brought into being. To make this reality-
insight available, Vyasadeva compiled the beautiful Bhdgavatam
and taught it to His son, Sukadeva Gosvami. The compound bhakti-
yoga is used twice in the Bhdgavatam verses describing Srila Vya
sadeva s trance. Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the first occurrence of
this word (sb 1.7.4) refers to devotion as the natural display of God s
own inherent potency in full realization of prema, because it is only
in the state of transcendental awareness as pure love that direct
personal realization of Bhagavan is self-effectuated.
The second occurrence (sb i.y.e) refers to devotion in the stage of
regulated practice, sddhana-bhakti. Unlike prema-bhakti, sddhana-
bhakti must be imbibed systematically from scriptural revelation
and by aligning the self in full correspondence with realized devo
tional transcendentalists. Sddhana-bhakti, being the stage in which
empirical selfhood is not yet fully transcended, is prompted primar
ily by the authority of scriptural injunctions. As the devotee enacts
the regulated practice of bhakti, the heart is gradually purified of
egoic identification, and as the pure self emerges, it attains fitness
to receive the self-revelation of devotion of the nature of love of
God. Only in this sense can it be said that sddhana-bhakti matures
into prema-bhakti. But in fact, prema, the inherent potency of God,
self-manifests in the aspiring devotee s heart only by the grace of
Bhagavan and His pure devotee.

340 317
 Ill Prameya
In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami states that devo
tional service, which is enacted through the senses and which
matures into bhdva-bhakti, is called sadhana-bhakti:
Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads
to the self-manifestation of bhdva-bhakti, is called sadhana-bhakti.
The self-manifestation within the heart [of the practitioner] of
the eternally existing transcendental affect of devotion (bhdva) is
known as the completion stage of devotion, (brs 1.2.2)^
When bhdva-bhakti intensifies, it is called prema-bhakti. The
only difference between the two is in the degree of intensity: Bhdva-
bhakti is the state of the initial onset of prema-bhakti. For this rea
son, bhdva-bhakti is compared to the dawn, whereas prema-bhakti
is like high noon. Thus, Srila Rupa Gosvami defines prema-bhakti as
follows:
When bhdva attains to the very essence of intensity, completely
melting the devotee's heart and marked by a profusion of the trans-
egoic sense of "Myness" [in relation to one's beloved Lord], it is
called prema by the wise, (brs 1.4.1)'^
Because devotion belongs to the intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti) of God, it is as potent as He is and can certainly fulfill all
aspirations for which it is undertaken. A pure devotee, of course,
has no desire except to render service to Bhagavan, but if some
how some other desire may arise, no process other than bhakti is
required to fulfill it. This is the supreme independence of the intrin
sic potency of pure devotion. On the other hand, other processes,
such as jndna-yoga or astdnga-yoga, depend on the grace of bhakti
for success. Without the merciful glance of devotion, none of these
processes can ever award the practitioner the goal for which they
aspire, not to speak of love of God. Just as the body and senses
remain lifeless without the dtmd, so these paths are empty of effec
tuating essence without devotion. After listing various devas who
^ krti-sddhya bhavet sadhya-bhava sd sddhandbhidhd
nitya-siddhasya bhdvasya
svdnto prdkatyaTfi hrdi sddhyatd
'* samyan-masrnitah mamatvdtisaydnkitah
bhdvah sa eva sdndrdtmd budhaih premd nigadyate
318
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
0 King, the most confidential glory of that personality [Sri Krsna]
whom you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear
friend and your well-wisher, and whom out of affection you made
your counselor, messenger, and charioteer [is known only to
Lord Siva, the celestial sage Narada, and Lord Kapila Himself].
(sB 1.9.20)^
How astonishing indeed! Although the unvirtuous demoness
Putana, the sister of the demon Baka, applied deadly poison to
her breast and suckled Sri Krsna with the intent of killing Him, she
was granted the position appropriate for a foster-mother. Conse
quently, could there be anyone more merciful than Him, whom we
should approach for shelter? (sb 3.2.23)"*
Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, a blue
Karnikara flower on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold,
and a Vaijayanti garland, Sri Krsna exhibited His transcendental
form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrnda-
vana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the
holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys
sang His glories, (sb 10.21.5)®
These verses describe Sri Krsnas intimate love for His devotees.
His mercy even toward His enemies, and His incomparable charm
and beauty. The history of Sukadeva Gosvami described in the
Mahdbhdrata differs from that narrated above. Baladeva Vidyabhu-
sana explains that the two accounts describe events from different
days of Sri Brahma.
Having ascertained the prameya of Srimad Bhdgavatam — that
is, the truths to be directly known from it — Srila Jiva Gosvami
next introduces the elaboration of those truths, beginning with
sambandha-tattva, the subjective Reality. The remainder of Tattva
^ yam manyase mdtuleyam priyarh mitram suhrt-tamam
akaroh sacivam dutam sauhrddd atha sdrathim
aho baki yam stana-kdla-kutaTfijighdmsaydpdyayad apy asddhvl
lebhe gatim dhdtry-ucitdrh tato'nyarfi kam vd daydlum saranam vrdjema
^ barhdpidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikdram
bibhrad vdsah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantirh ca mdldm
randhrdn venor adhara-sudhaydpurayan gopa-vrndair
vrnddranyam sva-pada-ramanam prdvisad gita-kirtih
339
 Ill Prameya
the viewpoint of Sri Vyasa and Sukadeva Gosvami. Because Srila
Jiva Gosvami realized the significance of this point and gave special
attention to its development here in Tattva Sandarbha, he is a true
past master of the Bhdgavatam and a genuine follower of Sri Cai-
tanya, who desired to see the Bhdgavatam established as the final
word in theology and philosophy throughout the world.
We learn from Srimad Bhdgavatam that Sukadeva Gosvami left
his fathers house immediately after his birth (sb 1.2.2). Accord
ing to the Brahma-vaivarta Purdna, when Sukadeva was still in his
mother s womb, he could understand the peril of material existence
and the risk of being captivated by mdyd. He also knew that Krsna
can counter mdyas charms, and, therefore, he had his father bring
Sri Krsna from Dvaraka. He agreed to take birth only when the Lord
Himself promised to protect Sukadeva from mdyd, and even then he
immediately left home to enter the forest. Out of natural affection,
Srila Vyasadeva followed him, calling him to come back, but Suka
deva was completely unattached to material life and paid his father
no heed.
Vyasadeva was deeply disappointed, since He had hoped to
teach Sukadeva Srimad Bhdgavatam. This was the only reason He
wanted Sukadeva back, not that He was attached to him as His son.
Sri Vyasa knew that only a person like Suka, who is completely
detached from sense enjoyment, is qualified to understand the true
message of Srimad Bhdgavatam and would not misuse it for mate
rial gain. To entice him to return home, Vyasa had some of His
disciples recite verses from the Bhdgavatam whenever they went to
the forest to collect firewood. Once, when they were singing these
verses, Sukadeva Gosvami heard them. At once his heart was capti
vated, and he followed the students back to Sri Vyasa s dsrama. Then
Sukadeva, who had already transcended his former absorption in
unqualified Brahman, learned the complete Srimad Bhdgavatam
from Srila Vyasadeva.
At present, there is no clear scriptural reference indicating
which verses captivated Sri Sukadeva, but some Vaisnava scholars
have singled out the following three:
338
46 Direct Apperception of Abhidheya from the State of Samadhi
may be worshiped to fulfill material desires, Srimad Bhagavatam
concludes:
A wise person, whether desireless, full of desire, or desirous of lib
eration, should worship the Supreme Person with fervent devotion.
(sB 2.3.10)^
This statement reveals that bhakti-yoga is the key to fulfilling
all aspirations, whether spiritual or mundane. Srila Rupa Gosvami
c o n fi r m s t h i s i n B h a k t i - r a s d m r t a - s i n d h u :
On the other hand, the goals to be attained through the paths of
intuitive insight (jndna), dispassion (virakti), and so on, are in fact
effectuated only through devotion, (brs 1.2.251)^
The intuitive insight and dispassion mentioned here are not
those related with Bhagavan and His devotion. Indeed, sb 10.14.4,
quoted in this anuccheda, makes it explicit that realization of iden
tity with Brahman is certainly among those items not directly
related to Bhagavan and His devotion.
Srimad Bhdgavatam states, ''Bhakti-yoga directly mitigates the
miseries of the conditioned beings" (anarthopasamam sdksdd bhakti-
yogam, sb i.y.e). Srila Jiva Gosvami offers two explanations of the
word sdksdt (direct) in this context. He says that sddhana-bhakti
unaided by any other process directly removes all worldly miseries
such as mental and physical disturbances caused by the dualities
of heat and cold. In the second sense, he says that sddhana-bhakti
directly removes material miseries, because it naturally matures
into prema-bhakti without external aid. Thus, it is not wrong to say
that sddhana-bhakti directly mitigates all miseries.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses the prayojana-
tattva as Vyasadeva realized it.
^ akdmah sarva-kdmo vd moksa-kdma uddra-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param
^ kintujndna-virakty-ddi-sddhyam bhaktyaiva sidhyati
319

Anuccheda 47
Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
VIHI ^c|U|^qq| <Hl^rc|ld I I clWR-
cTT^" (mo ^ IcKIId I
Next, to make evident the ultimate attainment (prayojana), as
discussed previously [in Anuccheda 45], and to affirm that the
Purna Purusa mentioned above [in sb 1.7.4] is in fact Sri Krsna,
Suta Gosvami reveals another of Srila Vyasadevas direct percep
tions in the state of samadhi, which is specified by Suta as the
ultimate fruit of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. This is spoken of
in the verse beginning yasydm (sb 1.7.7). In this verse, the word
bhakti refers to pure love of God, because it is the final attain
ment (sadhya) to be brought about through its effecting means
(sadhana), the devotional practice of hearing. The verb utpadyate
(is generated) here means "[love of God] self-manifests."
Suta Gosvami also describes a concomitant consequence of
the appearance of divine love, namely, that it destroys all lamen
tation, illusion, and fear, the implication being that even the sub
conscious psychic imprints (sarhskdras) of these mind states are
destroyed.
That this is so is implied in the statement of Sri Rsabha-
deva: "Therefore, until one has love for Me, Sri Vasudeva, he
320
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
anyone who knows that He was the leading opponent of imperson-
alism. In debate He refuted two of the leading Advaitavadis of His
time, Prakasananda Sarasvati and Vasudeva Sarvabhauma. He fre
quently condemned the Advaitavada interpretation of the Veddnta-
sutra. In light of His teachings and example, for Him to embrace an
Advaitavadi commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam is unlikely and not
at all credible.
Sri Caitanya revered Sridhara SvamI as a great Vaisnava and
considered his commentary preeminent, because he maintained
the natural sense of the Bhagavatam and his conclusions support
the Vaisnava siddhanta. Therefore, it should be obvious to anyone
who reads Sridhara Svami s commentary that whatever impersonal
explanations were given by him did not express his true heart.
For example, while commenting on the first verse of the Bhaga
vatam, he states, ''Srimad Bhagavatam is a scriptural revelation on
Bhagavan in which prominence is given to the descriptions of His
qualities" (srimad-bhagavad-gunanuvarnana-pradhanam bhdgavata-
sdstram). In the next verse, while commenting on the word vdstava
(ontologically real), he writes:
The word vastava indicates that the jiva is an integrated part of the
substantive Reality (vastu), may a is the potency of the substantive
Reality, and the cosmos is the manifested creation of the substan
tive Reality. All of this is nothing other than the substantive Real
ity [meaning that the ontological Reality is inclusive of all this].
(Bhavartha-dipika 1.1.2)^
This and many similar statements throughout Sridhara Svami s
Bhagavatam commentary dispel any doubt about his status as a pure
Vaisnava. It is important to note that what an author says in the
opening and concluding parts of his book or commentary plays a
significant role in understanding what his intention is. Thus, it is
inappropriate to criticize Srila Jiva Gosvami for not using the imper
sonal portions of Sridhara s commentary here in the Sat Sandarbhas,
One can fathom the true essence of Srimad Bhagavatam only from
^ vastava-sabdena vastuno'rhsojlvah. vastunah saktir maya ca. vastunah kdryamjagat.
tat sarvarh vastv eva.
337
 Ill Prameya 47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means

to Sri Krsna. Then he mentions Sukadeva Gosvami as a specific is certainly not delivered from identification with material
instance of a realized sage in whom this principle was clearly evi embodiment" (sb s.s.e)}
dent. Thus, Suta Gosvami establishes that Sukadeva Gosvami was
not the only liberated person in whom unconditional devotion
to God superseded the realization of Brahman. On the contrary, 47.2

Sukadeva's experience is corroborated by many other atmaramas,

demonstrating that the only reason an enlightened sage could be
drawn out of the bliss of Brahman realization and take up causeless
devotion to God must be that the wonderful all-attractive attributes
of Lord Hari embody a profounder, more substantial dimension of d<|cbK^?J: I 3TTfaj ^TFT^-
being than that of unqualified Brahman. JHdlchkl: ikd^fui
II
By this explanation, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows conclusively that
Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Vyasadeva, and Suta Gosvami shared the
same realizations, or in other words, the same direct unmediated
In this verse [sb 1.7.7], the words parama-puruse (unto the Sup
reme Person) refer to the same Purna Purusa (the Complete Per
experience. Therefore, these realizations should form the basis of
any genuine study and explanation of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Inter son) mentioned earlier [in sb 1.7.4]. And what is the specific form
or identity of the Purna Purusa? Anticipating this question, Sri
pretations that do not accord with this direct experience must be
Suta Gosvami replies, "He is Krsna." In other words, the Com
considered a departure from the scripture s intended meaning. Pre
plete Person is expressly identified as Sri Krsna, as He who is
viously, in Anuccheda 27, Srila Jiva Gosvami disclosed that Sridhara
Svami had inserted some monistic ideas into his commentary on immediately present interior to consciousness for particular
individuals as soon as they simply hear His name; and also as He
Srimad Bhdgavatam, Sridhara Svami did this as a teaching strat
whose attention is immediately drawn to the same individuals as
egy to attract the Advaitavadis to the Bhdgavata philosophy. Jiva
Gosvami said there that in such instances, he would present his own soon as they utter the first syllable of His name in mantra-yoga.
Those for whom Sri Krsna is immediately present, or drawn
explanations.
Some scholars have critized Srila Jiva Gosvami for this policy, to, through such hearing or chanting of His name include
those [great souls, like Suta Gosvami] whose psyches have been
labeling him an opportunist who accepted only those statements of
Sridhara Svami that supported his opinion and belittled other state imprinted with, and transformed by, thousands of scriptural
ments by declaring that they were made with ulterior motives and statements, such as krsnas tu bhagavdn svayam ("Krsna is the
were not actually the Svami's own opinion. These scholars suggest original Complete Person," sb 1.3.23), and also those innumer
able celebrated [and highly realized] individuals, descending in
that Jiva Gosvami is not a true follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
an authorized line of disciplic succession.
who highly revered Sridhara Svami s Bhdvdrtha-dipikd.
So again, to the question what is the identity of the Complete
In this anuccheda, however, Srila Jiva Gosvami further clarifies
his policy: He accepts any explanation that complements the real Person, it is said, "He is Sri Krsna, having the characteristics
ization of Srila Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Suta Gosvami — described above" [which are implied in the statement of the verse
that Krsna is the one for whom divine love becomes established
that pure devotion to Sri Krsna is the ultimate goal of life. That this
policy reflects the real desire of Sri Caitanya will be recognized by ^ pritir na ydvan mayi vasudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tdvat

336 321
 Ill Prameya
in certain individuals simply by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam].
That Sri Krsna is specified in this way is made evident by the
author of Ndma-kaumudi: "The conventional meanings of the
name Krsna are 'He who is black like a tamdla tree/ 'He who was
breast-fed by Sri Yasoda/ and 'the Supreme Brahman/"
Commentary
In Anucgheda 45, Srila Jiva Gosvami summarized Srila Vyasa-
deva s realizations concerning prayojana-tattva. Suta Gosvami reaf
firms these realizations in sb 1.7.7, wherein he states that simply
by attentively hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam, love of God (i.e., bhakti)
self-manifests in a persons heart. The word bhakti here can refer
only to prema-bhakti and not sadhana-bhakti, devotion in the stage
of practice, since hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam is itself the sddhana.
In this verse, the verb utpadyate (is generated) does not mean
that love of God is created anew, but that it becomes manifest in the
heart. Because prema is an aspect of God s intrinsic potency, it exists
eternally in the heart of perfected devotees, siddha-bhaktas, and,
hence, it is never created. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritdmrta
(Madhya-lild 22.107), "Krsna-prema is eternally existent. It is never
a generated event."^ For the same reason, prema does not stand in
a causal relation with sddhana, meaning that sddhana does not pro
duce prema. If sddhana were the cause of the appearance of prema,
then prema would not be a prior existing, self-manifested condition.
Rather, being a conscious potency of Bhagavan, prema manifests of
its own accord in the heart which is devotionally turned to Bhaga
van through the medium of sddhana. Thus, sddhana is not the cause
of prema; yet, it is normally the prior condition for prema s own self-
manifestation.
Sddhana is itself the same conscious intrinsic potency of Bhaga
van in its immature aspect, revealing itself but partially in corre
spondence to the eligibility of the performer. In that sense, sddhana
is not something distinct from or exterior to prema that causes its
^ nitya-siddha krsna-prema'sddhyakahhu naya
322
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
4. The finite living beings are distinct from Bhagavan inasmuch as
they are integrated conscious parts of Bhagavan; they can never
be one with Him in an absolute sense.
5. Mdyd is the extrinsic potency of God, deluding those living
beings whose attention is turned away from Him.
6. Maya is a devotee of Bhagavan and is always subservient to Him.
7. Maya cannot influence Bhagavan and His intrinsic potencies.
8. The jivas can become free from the bondage of mdyd only by sur
rendering to Bhagavan and engaging in His devotional service.
9. Hearing the Srimad Bhdgavatam is devotional service to Bhaga
van and can thus end the jivas' miseries.
10. The bliss inherent within pure devotion to God is so superior to
the happiness innate to Brahman realization that even highly
self-realized sages (atmaramas) become attracted to the Lord's
attributes and pastimes.
11. The ultimate purpose of human life is to attain love of God, the
mature fruit of devotional service in practice (sadhana-bhakti).
12. Devotion is supremely independent, just like Bhagavan, and,
hence, it does not require the support of any other method.
When Suta Gosvami finished describing Srila Vyasadevas
trance, Saunaka Rsi asked him, "If Sukadeva Gosvami was com
pletely devoid of attachment, having no interest in anything by
virtue of being absorbed in the bliss of the Self, what caused him to
study this lengthy Bhdgavata Purdna?" Suta Gosvami replied with
these two verses:
The sages, though freed from the knot of egoic identity, and though
delighting in the Self alone (atmaramas), engage in causeless devo
tion to Sri Krsna, the majestic player (Urukrama). Such are the
entrancing qualities of Sri Hari (Krsna). His consciousness capti
vated by Lord Hari's qualities, Sukadeva, the powerful son of Vyasa-
deva, and ever-beloved of the Lord's devotees, underwent the study
of this great book, Srimad Bhdgavatam. (sb 1.7.10-11)
With this answer, Suta Gosvami confirms all the realizations of
Srila Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami. First, Suta states a general
principle, that many self-realized sages, although liberated from
material bondage, are still drawn to engage in causeless devotion
335
 Ill Prameya
49.3
g I cTW^g^i^-
ciiim4 ^TF^T^TT I ^^RT CT? cft
From the above it is clearly evident that the speaker of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Sri Sukadeva, and [its author] Srila Vyasadeva
shared an absolute identity of heart. Consequently, one should
thoroughly investigate the essential truth (tdtparya) of Srimad
Bhdgavatam that is in perfect accordance with the heart of its
speaker and not otherwise. By implication, all explanations that
do not accord with the speaker s heart simply lead one astray
from the proper conclusion.
The verses under discussion (sb 1.7.4-11) were spoken by Sri
Suta Gosvami.
Commentary
In Anuccheda 29, to explain the essence of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
JIva Gosvami first analyzed Sukadevas heart as described in the
Bhdgavatam. In the next anuccheda, he analyzed Srila Vyasadevas
experience in trance, on the basis of which Vyasa wrote Srimad
Bhdgavatam. Jiva Gosvami concludes the discussion of the present
anuccheda by confirming the outcome of these analyses with the
words of Sri Suta Gosvami in sb 1.7.10, the famous dtmdrdmd verse.
What follows is a list of the major points to be derived from his
analysis:
1. Bhagavan is eternally self-endowed with variegated potencies in
three categories — intrinsic, extrinsic, and intermediary.
2. The primary and original form of God (Svayaih Bhagavan) is Sri
Krsna, but Krsna also manifests countless other expansions.
3. Neither Bhagavan's Paramatma manifestations nor unqualified
Brahman are independent of Him.
334
47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
appearance. Rather, there is but one essential potency of bhakti
revealing itself in two different stages of completion. Hence, the
relevance of the statement, "Bhakti [in the form of prema] is born of
bhakti [in the form of sddhana]" (sb 11.3.31).^
As a concomitant effect of love of God, the devotee is freed
from all lamentation, delusion, and fear. Indeed, even the sub
conscious psychic imprints (sarhskdras) of these conditional states
are destroyed, so powerful is love of Krsna. The root cause of a jiva s
misery is forgetfulness of the Lord, but when love of God is wholly
submitted to, i.e., when it is unobstructed and, hence, self-revealed,
forgetfulness of the Lord becomes impossible.
One who attains love for Krsna loses interest in all other kinds
of pleasure, including even the bliss of impersonal realization. For
such a person, all doubts are vanquished and all aspirations are com
pletely fulfilled. Nothing can disturb him or deviate his mind from
devotional service. In this regard, Srila Rupa Gosvami writes in
Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:
Even among the single-minded devotees of Sri Hari, the best are
those whose hearts have been captured by Sri Govinda. Indeed,
even the favor of Sri Narayana, the husband of the supreme Goddess
of Fortune, cannot steal away their hearts, (brs i.2.5sY
A concomitant result of such pure love of Krsna, as Srila
Jiva Gosvami mentions in Anuccheda 47.1, is that even the seeds
(samskdras) of lamentation, delusion, and fear are destroyed. These
seeds are rooted deeply in the soil of bodily attachment, and by
quoting Sri Rsabhadeva here, Srila Jiva Gosvami emphasizes that
there is no way to eradicate this bodily attachment other than by
the self-manifestation of love for Sri Krsna. One easily attains
this prayojana of love for Krsna by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Vyasadeva witnessed all this in the state of samddhi.
Sri Krsna, referred to in sb 1.7.7 as Parama Purusa, the Sup
reme Person, is identical with the Purna Purusa, the Complete
^ bhaktyd sanjdtayd bhaktyd
tatrdpy ekdntindm sresthd govinda-hrta-mdnasdh
yesdm srisa-prasddo'pi mano harturh na saknuydt
323
 Ill Prameya
Person, whom Vyasa saw along with His potencies. In Anuccheda 30,
Srila Jiva Gosvami has already explained that this Purna Purusa
is the original Complete Person. Now he identifies that Complete
Person as Bhagavan Sri Krsna. Immediately following this, Srila
Jiva Gosvami specifies who that Krsna is, because history records
various Krsnas.
For example, Arjuna was also called Krsna, as shown in sb 1.8.43,
where Srimati Kuntidevi addresses Sri Krsna as Krsna-sakha, "the
friend of Krsna [Arjuna]." And Vyasadeva was also sometimes
called Krsna. Nonetheless, as soon as Vaisnavas coming in the
authorized lines of disciplic succession hear the name "Krsna," the
form that immediately comes to mind is Sri Krsnas, not Arjuna's
or Vyasa's or that of any other person or object of the same name.
According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, this is the spontaneous
experience of eminent sages like Suta Gosvami, Saunaka Rsi, and
Jayadeva Gosvami. Thus, the conventional meaning of the name
Krsna is the two-handed Sri Krsna who appeared as a cowherd in
Vraja.
As described earlier, words may have various secondary mean
ings in addition to their primary ones. The primary meaning of a
word is the image that springs to mind upon first hearing or read
ing the word, before any related thought or analysis can modify its
meaning. Thus, the primary meaning of the name "Krsna" is Lord
Sri Krsna, the Supreme Person.
Sri Laksmidhara Pandita, while commenting on the meanings
of various names of Bhagavan in Ndma-kaumudl, defines Krsna as,
"He who is black like a tamdla tree." In Vaisnava literature, Krsnas
bodily hue is often likened to the color of the tamdla tree, which is
commonly found in the Vrndavana area.
Just defining Krsna in terms of His complexion, however, leaves
open the possibility that the Krsna referred to could be the son of
Devaki in Mathura and Dvaraka. Therefore, Laksmidhara further
specifies the meaning as, "He who was suckled by Srimati Yasoda."
This fixes the primary meaning of Krsna as the young cowherd
son of Yasoda in Vrndavana, since the grown-up Krsna of Mathura
does not drink mother Yasodas breast milk. If doubts still linger
324
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
<Hlci I
clRccll ^ ^rc|| cl^ci ipf
ylxt): I
In the next verse (sb 1.7.11, beginning harer gund), Suta reiter
ates this same point by relating Sukadeva Gosvami s experi
ence. First, after hearing from Srila Vyasadeva a few select
Bhagavatam verses describing Lord Hari s attributes, Sukadeva
Gosvami s attention was drawn away from and beyond the bliss
of Brahman and his heart was captivated. Later, Sukadeva stud
ied the complete Bhagavatam, despite its vast size. Thereafter,
because Sukadeva daily relished discussing Bhagavans entranc
ing qualities [and divine play] with Sri Visnus devotees, they
became very dear to him. Alternatively, the compound visnu-
jana-priya can be taken to mean that he himself became dear to
them.
The purport is as follows: The Brahma-vaivarta Purdna^
relates how previously, even in the prenatal state within the
womb, Sri Sukadeva realized Sri Krsna as the dispeller of mdyd
by virtue of His absolute independence. Subsequently, on Suka-
devas request, Vyasadeva brought Sri Krsna to His hermitage,
and when Sukadeva saw Sri Krsna before him, even from within
the womb, he became free from mdyd s influence. Considering
his life perfectly fulfilled, Sukadeva at once emerged from his
mother s womb and departed alone. Thereaffer, Srila Vyasadeva,
knowing that Sukadeva could be subdued by Srimad Bhdgava-
tam alone and not by any other means, somehow induced him
to hear a few select Bhdgavatam verses depicting Sri Krsnas all-
exceeding qualities. In this way He caused Sukadeva s heart to
become captivated, and later He taught him the entire narrative.
This episode speaks of the supreme glory of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
^ This story is not found in the printed editions of this Parana.
333

Anuccheda 49
Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
- 3TT?iTRJRT^ I
STTcTTRTt
In reply to a question posed by Sri Saunaka (sb 1.7.9), Suta
Gosvami speaks the verse beginning dtmdrdmas ca (sb 1.7.10),
further expanding the meaning of what Srila Vyasadeva experi
enced in samddhi and demonstrating its logical consistency with
the direct experience of all dtmdrdmas, the sages who delight in
the Self alone. In this verse, the word nirgranthdh (free from
bonds) means either "beyond the stipulations and prohibitions
of scripture" or "free from the knot of egoic identity." The adjec
tive ahaituki (causeless) [qualifying bhakti] means "devoid of
seeking or anticipating any particular outcome or result." And
to put an end to all doubts, Sri Suta declares, "Indeed, the nature
of Lord Hari is such that even dtmdrdmas feel attracted to Him."
I cTcT^ cloiHg;^-
elide;<4 T^^^ITRWT
I dcT: ^JloiJiyS^HinldW dWI-dcJijiHid diddKu)
332
47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
that this Krsna is Bhagavan — since there could always be someone
else named Krsna from Vrndavana who has a blackish complexion
and a mother named Yasoda — Laksmidhara further distinguishes
the meaning of Krsna as "the Supreme Brahman," the Complete
Personal Absolute Reality.
In Sanskrit, words have a derived, or etymological meaning
(yaugika), which may sometimes differ from its conventional usage
(rudhi). The rudhi, or conventional meaning, is always the pri
mary meaning. In cases where the primary meaning differs from
the derived meaning, the former always takes precedence over
the latter: yogad rudhirbaliyasL In the case of the name "Krsna,"
the derived meaning is also the Supreme Person, as Mahdbhdrata
explains:
The syllable krs denotes existence, and the syllable na denotes bliss.
When affiliated with these two meanings, the name "Visnu" signi
fies the eternal Sri Krsna. (Mahdbhdrata, Udyoga-parva 70.5)^
The Amara-kosa Sanskrit dictionary (i.iS) states, "The names
Visnu, Narayana, Krsna, and Vaikuntha are synonymous" (visnur
ndrdyanah krsno vaikuntha vistara-sravah). One may claim that
these are names of Visnu, but after listing thirty-nine such names,
the Amara-kosa states, "His father is Vasudeva" (vasudevo'syajana-
kah). By way of further confirmation that Krsna is Supreme, the
author then immediately lists the names of Sri Balarama, Krsnas
b r o t h e r.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes the following verse in his
commentary on Sri Visnu-sahasra-ndma 20, while defining the name
"Krsna":
The syllable krs means "existence," and the syllable na means
"bliss." The combination of these two is krsna, the name of the
Supreme Personal Absolute.^
krsir bhu-vdcakah sabdo nas ca nirvrti-vdcakah
visnus tad-bhava-yogac ca krsno bhavati sdsvatah
krsir bhu-vacakah sabdo nas ca nirvrti-safijfiakah
tayor aikyaTfi pararfi brahma krsna ity abhidhlyate
325

In this way, both the conventional and the derived meanings
of the name "Krsna" are identical — the two-handed cowherd boy
who is the son of mother Yasoda and the Supreme Personal Abso
lute Truth. Since Vyasadeva directly perceived this specific form of
Krsna in the supracognitive state of samadhi, the ultimate goal of
life is self-evidently disclosed as unconditional love for Krsna.
The next point Srila Jiva Gosvami makes is that when the word
krsna is uttered in a mantra, as in the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra, this
sound attracts the attention of Sri Krsna Himself the very moment
the first syllable is vibrated. This is so because the name "Krsna" is
identical with the person Krsna, the Supreme Person. This is veri
fied by the experience of many realized devotees who attained per
fection by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. The Visnudutas stated
t h i s t o t h e Ya m a d u t a s :
When a person chants the name of Sri Visnu, the Lord's attention is
drawn toward the chanter, (sb 6.2.10)^
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that the bliss
inherent within love of God far exceeds that innate to Brahman
realization.
ndma-vydharanarh visnor yatas tad visayd matih
326
48 Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
hundred thousand verses in eighteen sections after compiling the
eighteen Puranas. In Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 10.5, it is said that
Srila Vyasa compiled a sarhhitd with six million verses, of which
He gave one hundred thousand to human beings. This Mahdbhd
rata was first recited by the sage Vaisampayana to King Janamejaya,
Pariksit's son.
Another reference traditional scholars give to support their
contention that there were two versions of the Mahdbhdrata is the
Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad verse cited in Anuccheda 12 (bau 2.4.10).
This verse mentions the scriptures that appeared from the breath
of the Supreme Lord, including the Itihasas, which are listed before
the Puranas. If this version is accepted, then the reconciliation
would be that although the Mahdbhdrata was compiled before the
Puranas, it was made popular after them. This is known from the
Mahdbhdrata itself. Janamejaya was the first to hear Mahdbhdrata
from Vaisampayana. The Puranas were recited much before this.
Sri Balarama killed Roma-harsana Suta while he was reciting the
Puranas at Naimisaranya. This happened even before Janamejaya s
father was born.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Srila Vyasadeva s realization
in samddhi constitutes the epitome of all philosophies, as confirmed
by Suta Gosvami.
331
 Prameya

expanded edition of Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is the one currently

available.

Moreover, from sb 1.3.43, quoted below, we can understand that

this later edition was composed after Sri Krsnas disappearance
from the earth. Earlier Vyasa had composed the Mahdbhdrata for
the welfare of people in the grip of Kali. Pariksit Maharajas chas Anuccheda 48
tisement of Kali occurred after the dialogue between Narada Muni
and Srila Vyasadeva, since it was the spread of Kali s influence that Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
had saddened Vyasa. Prior to Kali s appearance Vyasadeva had no
reason to feel dissatisfied, since Sri Krsna was still present along
with all religious principles. The Bhdgavatam confirms that this
later edition of Srimad Bhdgavatam manifested before the brdhmana I 3T?T
boy Srhgl had cursed Maharaja Pariksit, an event that occurred
after the disappearance of Sri Krsna:

After Krsna s departure to His own abode, accompanied by dharma,

knowledge, and so on, this Parana [Srimad Bhdgavatam] has risen
like the sun for those bereft of sight in the age of Kali, (sb 1.3.43)"^

In this connection, by referring to the statements of Suta
Gosvami in the First Canto, Chapter 4, one can summarize the
chronology of the Vedic literature in Kaliyuga as follows: First,
Srila Vyasadeva edited the one Veda, the original Yajur Veda, into
four Vedas. He then abridged the one billion verses of the Puranas
into eighteen Puranas consisting of a total of about four hundred
thousand verses. These included Srimad Bhdgavatam in its original
abbreviated form. Then Vyasa composed His epic work, Mahdbhd
rata, after which He distilled its essence along with that of the Vedas
and Puranas into Veddnta-sutra. Finally, He composed His most sig
nificant work, the full Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is Vyasadevas
own commentary on Veddnta-sutra. This He witnessed in the state
of samddhi through bhakti-yoga.
Some traditional scholars believe there were two versions of
Mahdbhdrata. They say that it was first compiled soon after the
Vedas in one hundred sections, and later Vedavyasa reduced it to a
krsne sva-dhdmopagate dharma-jmnadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
Srila Vyasadeva experienced the preeminence of this ulti
mate attainment [the bliss of pure love of God] — that it includes
yet transcends even brahmdnanda, the bliss of Brahman aware
ness. This we know because Vyasadeva taught Sukadeva Gosvami
Srimad Bhdgavatam so that the unique bliss inherent in love of
God could be made available to him, even though Sukadeva was
already absorbed in brahmdnanda. Suta Gosvami states this in
the verse beginning sa sarhhitdm (sb 1.7.8).
In this verse, the phrase krtvdnukramya (after composing
and revising) indicates that Vyasadeva first wrote Srimad Bhdga
vatam in an abbreviated form and that later on, after being
instructed by Sri Narada Muni, He expanded and rearranged
it. Thus, two apparently contradictory statements are recon
ciled—one found here (in the Bhdgavatam) saying that the
Bhdgavatam was composed after Mahdbhdrata, and the other
found elsewhere (in SkandaPurdna, Prabhdsa-khanda 2.94), stat
ing that Mahdbhdrata was compiled after the eighteen Puranas.
The compound nivri:ti-nirata (delighting in the state of utter

330 327
 Ill Prameya
non-attachment) implies that because of his absorption in the
bliss of Brahman, Sri Sukadeva was deeply established in the
total absence of attachment for anything whatsoever, and that
was his perpetual state, without the slightest interruption or
intervention.
Commentary
One of Srila Vyasadeva s most profound realizations described
in Srimad Bhdgavatam was that bhakty-dnanda, the bliss inherent
within divine love for Sri Krsna, is superior to brahmdnanda, the
bliss innate to Brahman realization. Srila Rupa Gosvami confirms
this superiority in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:
Even if the inherent joy of Brahman realization were multiplied tril
lions of times, it would not equal even a single drop of the ocean of
the bliss of pure devotion, (brs 1.1.ss)^
Indeed, the bliss of pure devotion always diminishes the joy
of Brahman realization. A father is naturally inclined to offer his
child the best thing he has. Thus, Srila Vyasadeva taught Srimad
Bhdgavatam to Sukadeva Gosvami. But being Vyasadevas son was
not Sukadevas only qualification. Perfectly established in the state
of utter non-attachment, he had no material desires (nivrtti-nirata).
In other words, he had no ulterior motive that would have led him
to misconstrue the meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam for material
gain, either gross or subtle. It is for this reason that Srila Vyasa
deva regarded Sukadeva as the most qualified of His disciples to
hear the Bhdgavatam, and by choosing him for this great honor,
Vyasadeva set the standard for all future students and speakers
of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Only such a person can truly grasp the
real message of Srimad Bhdgavatam. This episode also implies that
one who truly understands the essence of Srimad Bhdgavatam will
become unattached to material pleasures.
^ hrahmanando bhaved esa cet pardrdha-guni-krtah
naiti bhakti-sukhdmbhodheh paramdnu-tuldm api
328
48 Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami also resolves a controversy
concerning the order in which Srimad Bhdgavatam and the Mahd-
bhdrata were composed. In the passage beginning with the follow
ing two verses, the Bhdgavatam itself states that it was composed
after the Mahdbhdrata:
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great
sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great historical
narration called the Mahdbhdrata so that those who were unaware
of how to act for ultimate good might also attain auspiciousness. 0
dvijas, although Srila Vyasa was always engaged in this way, endeav
oring even with the entirety of the self for the welfare of all living
beings. His heart was still not satisfied, (sb 1.4.25-25)^
When Vyasa was thus feeling dissatisfied, Narada Muni visited
Him and requested Him to compose Srimad Bhdgavatam. Elsewhere,
however, it is stated that the Mahdbhdrata was spoken after all eigh
teen Puranas. Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, commenting on this
anuccheda, cites the Matsya Purdna:
After compiling the eighteen Puranas, Vyasadeva, the son of Satya-
vati, composed the great history called the Mahdbhdrata, which
serves as a commentary on the Vedas. (mp 53.70)^
To resolve this apparent contradiction in the chronology, Srila
Jiva Gosvami explains that Srila Vyasadeva originally composed the
Bhdgavatam in an abbreviated form. Later He compiled the Mahd
bhdrata out of compassion for those who cannot study the Vedas.
But even after completing this great epic, Vyasa still felt a void in His
heart. Thereafter, Narada Muni instructed Him to produce a new
^ stri-sudra-dvija-bandhundm trayi na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdndrh sreya evarfi bhaved iha
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
evam pravrttasya sadd bhutandrh sreyasi dvijdh
sarvdtmakendpi yadd ndtusyad dhrdayam tatah
^ astddasa-purdndni krtvd satyavati-sutah
cakre bhdratam dkhydnarn veddrthair upabrrfihitam
329
 Ill Prameya
non-attachment) implies that because of his absorption in the
bliss of Brahman, Sri Sukadeva was deeply established in the
total absence of attachment for anything whatsoever, and that
was his perpetual state, without the slightest interruption or
intervention.
Commentary
One of Srila Vyasadeva s most profound realizations described
in Srimad Bhdgavatam was that bhakty-dnanda, the bliss inherent
within divine love for Sri Krsna, is superior to brahmdnanda, the
bliss innate to Brahman realization. Srila Rupa Gosvami confirms
this superiority in Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:
Even if the inherent joy of Brahman realization were multiplied tril
lions of times, it would not equal even a single drop of the ocean of
the bliss of pure devotion, (brs 1.1.ss)^
Indeed, the bliss of pure devotion always diminishes the joy
of Brahman realization. A father is naturally inclined to offer his
child the best thing he has. Thus, Srila Vyasadeva taught Srimad
Bhdgavatam to Sukadeva Gosvami. But being Vyasadevas son was
not Sukadevas only qualification. Perfectly established in the state
of utter non-attachment, he had no material desires (nivrtti-nirata).
In other words, he had no ulterior motive that would have led him
to misconstrue the meaning of Srimad Bhdgavatam for material
gain, either gross or subtle. It is for this reason that Srila Vyasa
deva regarded Sukadeva as the most qualified of His disciples to
hear the Bhdgavatam, and by choosing him for this great honor,
Vyasadeva set the standard for all future students and speakers
of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Only such a person can truly grasp the
real message of Srimad Bhdgavatam. This episode also implies that
one who truly understands the essence of Srimad Bhdgavatam will
become unattached to material pleasures.
^ hrahmanando bhaved esa cet pardrdha-guni-krtah
naiti bhakti-sukhdmbhodheh paramdnu-tuldm api
328
48 Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami also resolves a controversy
concerning the order in which Srimad Bhdgavatam and the Mahd-
bhdrata were composed. In the passage beginning with the follow
ing two verses, the Bhdgavatam itself states that it was composed
after the Mahdbhdrata:
Seeing that women, sudras, and the unqualified among the twice-
born classes were prevented even from hearing the Vedas, the great
sage [Vyasa], moved by compassion, compiled the great historical
narration called the Mahdbhdrata so that those who were unaware
of how to act for ultimate good might also attain auspiciousness. 0
dvijas, although Srila Vyasa was always engaged in this way, endeav
oring even with the entirety of the self for the welfare of all living
beings. His heart was still not satisfied, (sb 1.4.25-25)^
When Vyasa was thus feeling dissatisfied, Narada Muni visited
Him and requested Him to compose Srimad Bhdgavatam. Elsewhere,
however, it is stated that the Mahdbhdrata was spoken after all eigh
teen Puranas. Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana, commenting on this
anuccheda, cites the Matsya Purdna:
After compiling the eighteen Puranas, Vyasadeva, the son of Satya-
vati, composed the great history called the Mahdbhdrata, which
serves as a commentary on the Vedas. (mp 53.70)^
To resolve this apparent contradiction in the chronology, Srila
Jiva Gosvami explains that Srila Vyasadeva originally composed the
Bhdgavatam in an abbreviated form. Later He compiled the Mahd
bhdrata out of compassion for those who cannot study the Vedas.
But even after completing this great epic, Vyasa still felt a void in His
heart. Thereafter, Narada Muni instructed Him to produce a new
^ stri-sudra-dvija-bandhundm trayi na sruti-gocard
karma-sreyasi mudhdndrh sreya evarfi bhaved iha
iti bhdratam dkhydnam krpayd munind krtam
evam pravrttasya sadd bhutandrh sreyasi dvijdh
sarvdtmakendpi yadd ndtusyad dhrdayam tatah
^ astddasa-purdndni krtvd satyavati-sutah
cakre bhdratam dkhydnarn veddrthair upabrrfihitam
329
 Prameya

expanded edition of Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is the one currently

available.

Moreover, from sb 1.3.43, quoted below, we can understand that

this later edition was composed after Sri Krsnas disappearance
from the earth. Earlier Vyasa had composed the Mahdbhdrata for
the welfare of people in the grip of Kali. Pariksit Maharajas chas Anuccheda 48
tisement of Kali occurred after the dialogue between Narada Muni
and Srila Vyasadeva, since it was the spread of Kali s influence that Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
had saddened Vyasa. Prior to Kali s appearance Vyasadeva had no
reason to feel dissatisfied, since Sri Krsna was still present along
with all religious principles. The Bhdgavatam confirms that this
later edition of Srimad Bhdgavatam manifested before the brdhmana I 3T?T
boy Srhgl had cursed Maharaja Pariksit, an event that occurred
after the disappearance of Sri Krsna:

After Krsna s departure to His own abode, accompanied by dharma,

knowledge, and so on, this Parana [Srimad Bhdgavatam] has risen
like the sun for those bereft of sight in the age of Kali, (sb 1.3.43)"^

In this connection, by referring to the statements of Suta
Gosvami in the First Canto, Chapter 4, one can summarize the
chronology of the Vedic literature in Kaliyuga as follows: First,
Srila Vyasadeva edited the one Veda, the original Yajur Veda, into
four Vedas. He then abridged the one billion verses of the Puranas
into eighteen Puranas consisting of a total of about four hundred
thousand verses. These included Srimad Bhdgavatam in its original
abbreviated form. Then Vyasa composed His epic work, Mahdbhd
rata, after which He distilled its essence along with that of the Vedas
and Puranas into Veddnta-sutra. Finally, He composed His most sig
nificant work, the full Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is Vyasadevas
own commentary on Veddnta-sutra. This He witnessed in the state
of samddhi through bhakti-yoga.
Some traditional scholars believe there were two versions of
Mahdbhdrata. They say that it was first compiled soon after the
Vedas in one hundred sections, and later Vedavyasa reduced it to a
krsne sva-dhdmopagate dharma-jmnadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa puranarko'dhunoditah
Srila Vyasadeva experienced the preeminence of this ulti
mate attainment [the bliss of pure love of God] — that it includes
yet transcends even brahmdnanda, the bliss of Brahman aware
ness. This we know because Vyasadeva taught Sukadeva Gosvami
Srimad Bhdgavatam so that the unique bliss inherent in love of
God could be made available to him, even though Sukadeva was
already absorbed in brahmdnanda. Suta Gosvami states this in
the verse beginning sa sarhhitdm (sb 1.7.8).
In this verse, the phrase krtvdnukramya (after composing
and revising) indicates that Vyasadeva first wrote Srimad Bhdga
vatam in an abbreviated form and that later on, after being
instructed by Sri Narada Muni, He expanded and rearranged
it. Thus, two apparently contradictory statements are recon
ciled—one found here (in the Bhdgavatam) saying that the
Bhdgavatam was composed after Mahdbhdrata, and the other
found elsewhere (in SkandaPurdna, Prabhdsa-khanda 2.94), stat
ing that Mahdbhdrata was compiled after the eighteen Puranas.
The compound nivri:ti-nirata (delighting in the state of utter

330 327

In this way, both the conventional and the derived meanings
of the name "Krsna" are identical — the two-handed cowherd boy
who is the son of mother Yasoda and the Supreme Personal Abso
lute Truth. Since Vyasadeva directly perceived this specific form of
Krsna in the supracognitive state of samadhi, the ultimate goal of
life is self-evidently disclosed as unconditional love for Krsna.
The next point Srila Jiva Gosvami makes is that when the word
krsna is uttered in a mantra, as in the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra, this
sound attracts the attention of Sri Krsna Himself the very moment
the first syllable is vibrated. This is so because the name "Krsna" is
identical with the person Krsna, the Supreme Person. This is veri
fied by the experience of many realized devotees who attained per
fection by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. The Visnudutas stated
t h i s t o t h e Ya m a d u t a s :
When a person chants the name of Sri Visnu, the Lord's attention is
drawn toward the chanter, (sb 6.2.10)^
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that the bliss
inherent within love of God far exceeds that innate to Brahman
realization.
ndma-vydharanarh visnor yatas tad visayd matih
326
48 Love of God Transcends the Bliss of Brahman
hundred thousand verses in eighteen sections after compiling the
eighteen Puranas. In Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 10.5, it is said that
Srila Vyasa compiled a sarhhitd with six million verses, of which
He gave one hundred thousand to human beings. This Mahdbhd
rata was first recited by the sage Vaisampayana to King Janamejaya,
Pariksit's son.
Another reference traditional scholars give to support their
contention that there were two versions of the Mahdbhdrata is the
Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad verse cited in Anuccheda 12 (bau 2.4.10).
This verse mentions the scriptures that appeared from the breath
of the Supreme Lord, including the Itihasas, which are listed before
the Puranas. If this version is accepted, then the reconciliation
would be that although the Mahdbhdrata was compiled before the
Puranas, it was made popular after them. This is known from the
Mahdbhdrata itself. Janamejaya was the first to hear Mahdbhdrata
from Vaisampayana. The Puranas were recited much before this.
Sri Balarama killed Roma-harsana Suta while he was reciting the
Puranas at Naimisaranya. This happened even before Janamejaya s
father was born.
Next, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that Srila Vyasadeva s realization
in samddhi constitutes the epitome of all philosophies, as confirmed
by Suta Gosvami.
331

Anuccheda 49
Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
- 3TT?iTRJRT^ I
STTcTTRTt
In reply to a question posed by Sri Saunaka (sb 1.7.9), Suta
Gosvami speaks the verse beginning dtmdrdmas ca (sb 1.7.10),
further expanding the meaning of what Srila Vyasadeva experi
enced in samddhi and demonstrating its logical consistency with
the direct experience of all dtmdrdmas, the sages who delight in
the Self alone. In this verse, the word nirgranthdh (free from
bonds) means either "beyond the stipulations and prohibitions
of scripture" or "free from the knot of egoic identity." The adjec
tive ahaituki (causeless) [qualifying bhakti] means "devoid of
seeking or anticipating any particular outcome or result." And
to put an end to all doubts, Sri Suta declares, "Indeed, the nature
of Lord Hari is such that even dtmdrdmas feel attracted to Him."
I cTcT^ cloiHg;^-
elide;<4 T^^^ITRWT
I dcT: ^JloiJiyS^HinldW dWI-dcJijiHid diddKu)
332
47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
that this Krsna is Bhagavan — since there could always be someone
else named Krsna from Vrndavana who has a blackish complexion
and a mother named Yasoda — Laksmidhara further distinguishes
the meaning of Krsna as "the Supreme Brahman," the Complete
Personal Absolute Reality.
In Sanskrit, words have a derived, or etymological meaning
(yaugika), which may sometimes differ from its conventional usage
(rudhi). The rudhi, or conventional meaning, is always the pri
mary meaning. In cases where the primary meaning differs from
the derived meaning, the former always takes precedence over
the latter: yogad rudhirbaliyasL In the case of the name "Krsna,"
the derived meaning is also the Supreme Person, as Mahdbhdrata
explains:
The syllable krs denotes existence, and the syllable na denotes bliss.
When affiliated with these two meanings, the name "Visnu" signi
fies the eternal Sri Krsna. (Mahdbhdrata, Udyoga-parva 70.5)^
The Amara-kosa Sanskrit dictionary (i.iS) states, "The names
Visnu, Narayana, Krsna, and Vaikuntha are synonymous" (visnur
ndrdyanah krsno vaikuntha vistara-sravah). One may claim that
these are names of Visnu, but after listing thirty-nine such names,
the Amara-kosa states, "His father is Vasudeva" (vasudevo'syajana-
kah). By way of further confirmation that Krsna is Supreme, the
author then immediately lists the names of Sri Balarama, Krsnas
b r o t h e r.
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes the following verse in his
commentary on Sri Visnu-sahasra-ndma 20, while defining the name
"Krsna":
The syllable krs means "existence," and the syllable na means
"bliss." The combination of these two is krsna, the name of the
Supreme Personal Absolute.^
krsir bhu-vdcakah sabdo nas ca nirvrti-vdcakah
visnus tad-bhava-yogac ca krsno bhavati sdsvatah
krsir bhu-vacakah sabdo nas ca nirvrti-safijfiakah
tayor aikyaTfi pararfi brahma krsna ity abhidhlyate
325
 Ill Prameya
Person, whom Vyasa saw along with His potencies. In Anuccheda 30,
Srila Jiva Gosvami has already explained that this Purna Purusa
is the original Complete Person. Now he identifies that Complete
Person as Bhagavan Sri Krsna. Immediately following this, Srila
Jiva Gosvami specifies who that Krsna is, because history records
various Krsnas.
For example, Arjuna was also called Krsna, as shown in sb 1.8.43,
where Srimati Kuntidevi addresses Sri Krsna as Krsna-sakha, "the
friend of Krsna [Arjuna]." And Vyasadeva was also sometimes
called Krsna. Nonetheless, as soon as Vaisnavas coming in the
authorized lines of disciplic succession hear the name "Krsna," the
form that immediately comes to mind is Sri Krsnas, not Arjuna's
or Vyasa's or that of any other person or object of the same name.
According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, this is the spontaneous
experience of eminent sages like Suta Gosvami, Saunaka Rsi, and
Jayadeva Gosvami. Thus, the conventional meaning of the name
Krsna is the two-handed Sri Krsna who appeared as a cowherd in
Vraja.
As described earlier, words may have various secondary mean
ings in addition to their primary ones. The primary meaning of a
word is the image that springs to mind upon first hearing or read
ing the word, before any related thought or analysis can modify its
meaning. Thus, the primary meaning of the name "Krsna" is Lord
Sri Krsna, the Supreme Person.
Sri Laksmidhara Pandita, while commenting on the meanings
of various names of Bhagavan in Ndma-kaumudl, defines Krsna as,
"He who is black like a tamdla tree." In Vaisnava literature, Krsnas
bodily hue is often likened to the color of the tamdla tree, which is
commonly found in the Vrndavana area.
Just defining Krsna in terms of His complexion, however, leaves
open the possibility that the Krsna referred to could be the son of
Devaki in Mathura and Dvaraka. Therefore, Laksmidhara further
specifies the meaning as, "He who was suckled by Srimati Yasoda."
This fixes the primary meaning of Krsna as the young cowherd
son of Yasoda in Vrndavana, since the grown-up Krsna of Mathura
does not drink mother Yasodas breast milk. If doubts still linger
324
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
<Hlci I
clRccll ^ ^rc|| cl^ci ipf
ylxt): I
In the next verse (sb 1.7.11, beginning harer gund), Suta reiter
ates this same point by relating Sukadeva Gosvami s experi
ence. First, after hearing from Srila Vyasadeva a few select
Bhagavatam verses describing Lord Hari s attributes, Sukadeva
Gosvami s attention was drawn away from and beyond the bliss
of Brahman and his heart was captivated. Later, Sukadeva stud
ied the complete Bhagavatam, despite its vast size. Thereafter,
because Sukadeva daily relished discussing Bhagavans entranc
ing qualities [and divine play] with Sri Visnus devotees, they
became very dear to him. Alternatively, the compound visnu-
jana-priya can be taken to mean that he himself became dear to
them.
The purport is as follows: The Brahma-vaivarta Purdna^
relates how previously, even in the prenatal state within the
womb, Sri Sukadeva realized Sri Krsna as the dispeller of mdyd
by virtue of His absolute independence. Subsequently, on Suka-
devas request, Vyasadeva brought Sri Krsna to His hermitage,
and when Sukadeva saw Sri Krsna before him, even from within
the womb, he became free from mdyd s influence. Considering
his life perfectly fulfilled, Sukadeva at once emerged from his
mother s womb and departed alone. Thereaffer, Srila Vyasadeva,
knowing that Sukadeva could be subdued by Srimad Bhdgava-
tam alone and not by any other means, somehow induced him
to hear a few select Bhdgavatam verses depicting Sri Krsnas all-
exceeding qualities. In this way He caused Sukadeva s heart to
become captivated, and later He taught him the entire narrative.
This episode speaks of the supreme glory of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
^ This story is not found in the printed editions of this Parana.
333
 Ill Prameya
49.3
g I cTW^g^i^-
ciiim4 ^TF^T^TT I ^^RT CT? cft
From the above it is clearly evident that the speaker of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Sri Sukadeva, and [its author] Srila Vyasadeva
shared an absolute identity of heart. Consequently, one should
thoroughly investigate the essential truth (tdtparya) of Srimad
Bhdgavatam that is in perfect accordance with the heart of its
speaker and not otherwise. By implication, all explanations that
do not accord with the speaker s heart simply lead one astray
from the proper conclusion.
The verses under discussion (sb 1.7.4-11) were spoken by Sri
Suta Gosvami.
Commentary
In Anuccheda 29, to explain the essence of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
JIva Gosvami first analyzed Sukadevas heart as described in the
Bhdgavatam. In the next anuccheda, he analyzed Srila Vyasadevas
experience in trance, on the basis of which Vyasa wrote Srimad
Bhdgavatam. Jiva Gosvami concludes the discussion of the present
anuccheda by confirming the outcome of these analyses with the
words of Sri Suta Gosvami in sb 1.7.10, the famous dtmdrdmd verse.
What follows is a list of the major points to be derived from his
analysis:
1. Bhagavan is eternally self-endowed with variegated potencies in
three categories — intrinsic, extrinsic, and intermediary.
2. The primary and original form of God (Svayaih Bhagavan) is Sri
Krsna, but Krsna also manifests countless other expansions.
3. Neither Bhagavan's Paramatma manifestations nor unqualified
Brahman are independent of Him.
334
47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
appearance. Rather, there is but one essential potency of bhakti
revealing itself in two different stages of completion. Hence, the
relevance of the statement, "Bhakti [in the form of prema] is born of
bhakti [in the form of sddhana]" (sb 11.3.31).^
As a concomitant effect of love of God, the devotee is freed
from all lamentation, delusion, and fear. Indeed, even the sub
conscious psychic imprints (sarhskdras) of these conditional states
are destroyed, so powerful is love of Krsna. The root cause of a jiva s
misery is forgetfulness of the Lord, but when love of God is wholly
submitted to, i.e., when it is unobstructed and, hence, self-revealed,
forgetfulness of the Lord becomes impossible.
One who attains love for Krsna loses interest in all other kinds
of pleasure, including even the bliss of impersonal realization. For
such a person, all doubts are vanquished and all aspirations are com
pletely fulfilled. Nothing can disturb him or deviate his mind from
devotional service. In this regard, Srila Rupa Gosvami writes in
Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu:
Even among the single-minded devotees of Sri Hari, the best are
those whose hearts have been captured by Sri Govinda. Indeed,
even the favor of Sri Narayana, the husband of the supreme Goddess
of Fortune, cannot steal away their hearts, (brs i.2.5sY
A concomitant result of such pure love of Krsna, as Srila
Jiva Gosvami mentions in Anuccheda 47.1, is that even the seeds
(samskdras) of lamentation, delusion, and fear are destroyed. These
seeds are rooted deeply in the soil of bodily attachment, and by
quoting Sri Rsabhadeva here, Srila Jiva Gosvami emphasizes that
there is no way to eradicate this bodily attachment other than by
the self-manifestation of love for Sri Krsna. One easily attains
this prayojana of love for Krsna by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Vyasadeva witnessed all this in the state of samddhi.
Sri Krsna, referred to in sb 1.7.7 as Parama Purusa, the Sup
reme Person, is identical with the Purna Purusa, the Complete
^ bhaktyd sanjdtayd bhaktyd
tatrdpy ekdntindm sresthd govinda-hrta-mdnasdh
yesdm srisa-prasddo'pi mano harturh na saknuydt
323
 Ill Prameya
in certain individuals simply by hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam].
That Sri Krsna is specified in this way is made evident by the
author of Ndma-kaumudi: "The conventional meanings of the
name Krsna are 'He who is black like a tamdla tree/ 'He who was
breast-fed by Sri Yasoda/ and 'the Supreme Brahman/"
Commentary
In Anucgheda 45, Srila Jiva Gosvami summarized Srila Vyasa-
deva s realizations concerning prayojana-tattva. Suta Gosvami reaf
firms these realizations in sb 1.7.7, wherein he states that simply
by attentively hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam, love of God (i.e., bhakti)
self-manifests in a persons heart. The word bhakti here can refer
only to prema-bhakti and not sadhana-bhakti, devotion in the stage
of practice, since hearing Srimad Bhdgavatam is itself the sddhana.
In this verse, the verb utpadyate (is generated) does not mean
that love of God is created anew, but that it becomes manifest in the
heart. Because prema is an aspect of God s intrinsic potency, it exists
eternally in the heart of perfected devotees, siddha-bhaktas, and,
hence, it is never created. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritdmrta
(Madhya-lild 22.107), "Krsna-prema is eternally existent. It is never
a generated event."^ For the same reason, prema does not stand in
a causal relation with sddhana, meaning that sddhana does not pro
duce prema. If sddhana were the cause of the appearance of prema,
then prema would not be a prior existing, self-manifested condition.
Rather, being a conscious potency of Bhagavan, prema manifests of
its own accord in the heart which is devotionally turned to Bhaga
van through the medium of sddhana. Thus, sddhana is not the cause
of prema; yet, it is normally the prior condition for prema s own self-
manifestation.
Sddhana is itself the same conscious intrinsic potency of Bhaga
van in its immature aspect, revealing itself but partially in corre
spondence to the eligibility of the performer. In that sense, sddhana
is not something distinct from or exterior to prema that causes its
^ nitya-siddha krsna-prema'sddhyakahhu naya
322
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
4. The finite living beings are distinct from Bhagavan inasmuch as
they are integrated conscious parts of Bhagavan; they can never
be one with Him in an absolute sense.
5. Mdyd is the extrinsic potency of God, deluding those living
beings whose attention is turned away from Him.
6. Maya is a devotee of Bhagavan and is always subservient to Him.
7. Maya cannot influence Bhagavan and His intrinsic potencies.
8. The jivas can become free from the bondage of mdyd only by sur
rendering to Bhagavan and engaging in His devotional service.
9. Hearing the Srimad Bhdgavatam is devotional service to Bhaga
van and can thus end the jivas' miseries.
10. The bliss inherent within pure devotion to God is so superior to
the happiness innate to Brahman realization that even highly
self-realized sages (atmaramas) become attracted to the Lord's
attributes and pastimes.
11. The ultimate purpose of human life is to attain love of God, the
mature fruit of devotional service in practice (sadhana-bhakti).
12. Devotion is supremely independent, just like Bhagavan, and,
hence, it does not require the support of any other method.
When Suta Gosvami finished describing Srila Vyasadevas
trance, Saunaka Rsi asked him, "If Sukadeva Gosvami was com
pletely devoid of attachment, having no interest in anything by
virtue of being absorbed in the bliss of the Self, what caused him to
study this lengthy Bhdgavata Purdna?" Suta Gosvami replied with
these two verses:
The sages, though freed from the knot of egoic identity, and though
delighting in the Self alone (atmaramas), engage in causeless devo
tion to Sri Krsna, the majestic player (Urukrama). Such are the
entrancing qualities of Sri Hari (Krsna). His consciousness capti
vated by Lord Hari's qualities, Sukadeva, the powerful son of Vyasa-
deva, and ever-beloved of the Lord's devotees, underwent the study
of this great book, Srimad Bhdgavatam. (sb 1.7.10-11)
With this answer, Suta Gosvami confirms all the realizations of
Srila Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami. First, Suta states a general
principle, that many self-realized sages, although liberated from
material bondage, are still drawn to engage in causeless devotion
335
 Ill Prameya 47 Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means

to Sri Krsna. Then he mentions Sukadeva Gosvami as a specific is certainly not delivered from identification with material
instance of a realized sage in whom this principle was clearly evi embodiment" (sb s.s.e)}
dent. Thus, Suta Gosvami establishes that Sukadeva Gosvami was
not the only liberated person in whom unconditional devotion
to God superseded the realization of Brahman. On the contrary, 47.2

Sukadeva's experience is corroborated by many other atmaramas,

demonstrating that the only reason an enlightened sage could be
drawn out of the bliss of Brahman realization and take up causeless
devotion to God must be that the wonderful all-attractive attributes
of Lord Hari embody a profounder, more substantial dimension of d<|cbK^?J: I 3TTfaj ^TFT^-
being than that of unqualified Brahman. JHdlchkl: ikd^fui
II
By this explanation, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows conclusively that
Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Vyasadeva, and Suta Gosvami shared the
same realizations, or in other words, the same direct unmediated
In this verse [sb 1.7.7], the words parama-puruse (unto the Sup
reme Person) refer to the same Purna Purusa (the Complete Per
experience. Therefore, these realizations should form the basis of
any genuine study and explanation of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Inter son) mentioned earlier [in sb 1.7.4]. And what is the specific form
or identity of the Purna Purusa? Anticipating this question, Sri
pretations that do not accord with this direct experience must be
Suta Gosvami replies, "He is Krsna." In other words, the Com
considered a departure from the scripture s intended meaning. Pre
plete Person is expressly identified as Sri Krsna, as He who is
viously, in Anuccheda 27, Srila Jiva Gosvami disclosed that Sridhara
Svami had inserted some monistic ideas into his commentary on immediately present interior to consciousness for particular
individuals as soon as they simply hear His name; and also as He
Srimad Bhdgavatam, Sridhara Svami did this as a teaching strat
whose attention is immediately drawn to the same individuals as
egy to attract the Advaitavadis to the Bhdgavata philosophy. Jiva
Gosvami said there that in such instances, he would present his own soon as they utter the first syllable of His name in mantra-yoga.
Those for whom Sri Krsna is immediately present, or drawn
explanations.
Some scholars have critized Srila Jiva Gosvami for this policy, to, through such hearing or chanting of His name include
those [great souls, like Suta Gosvami] whose psyches have been
labeling him an opportunist who accepted only those statements of
Sridhara Svami that supported his opinion and belittled other state imprinted with, and transformed by, thousands of scriptural
ments by declaring that they were made with ulterior motives and statements, such as krsnas tu bhagavdn svayam ("Krsna is the
were not actually the Svami's own opinion. These scholars suggest original Complete Person," sb 1.3.23), and also those innumer
able celebrated [and highly realized] individuals, descending in
that Jiva Gosvami is not a true follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
an authorized line of disciplic succession.
who highly revered Sridhara Svami s Bhdvdrtha-dipikd.
So again, to the question what is the identity of the Complete
In this anuccheda, however, Srila Jiva Gosvami further clarifies
his policy: He accepts any explanation that complements the real Person, it is said, "He is Sri Krsna, having the characteristics
ization of Srila Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Gosvami, and Suta Gosvami — described above" [which are implied in the statement of the verse
that Krsna is the one for whom divine love becomes established
that pure devotion to Sri Krsna is the ultimate goal of life. That this
policy reflects the real desire of Sri Caitanya will be recognized by ^ pritir na ydvan mayi vasudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tdvat

336 321

Anuccheda 47
Prema for the Purna Purusa Self-Manifests Out
of Its Own Prior State as Effecting Means
VIHI ^c|U|^qq| <Hl^rc|ld I I clWR-
cTT^" (mo ^ IcKIId I
Next, to make evident the ultimate attainment (prayojana), as
discussed previously [in Anuccheda 45], and to affirm that the
Purna Purusa mentioned above [in sb 1.7.4] is in fact Sri Krsna,
Suta Gosvami reveals another of Srila Vyasadevas direct percep
tions in the state of samadhi, which is specified by Suta as the
ultimate fruit of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam. This is spoken of
in the verse beginning yasydm (sb 1.7.7). In this verse, the word
bhakti refers to pure love of God, because it is the final attain
ment (sadhya) to be brought about through its effecting means
(sadhana), the devotional practice of hearing. The verb utpadyate
(is generated) here means "[love of God] self-manifests."
Suta Gosvami also describes a concomitant consequence of
the appearance of divine love, namely, that it destroys all lamen
tation, illusion, and fear, the implication being that even the sub
conscious psychic imprints (sarhskdras) of these mind states are
destroyed.
That this is so is implied in the statement of Sri Rsabha-
deva: "Therefore, until one has love for Me, Sri Vasudeva, he
320
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
anyone who knows that He was the leading opponent of imperson-
alism. In debate He refuted two of the leading Advaitavadis of His
time, Prakasananda Sarasvati and Vasudeva Sarvabhauma. He fre
quently condemned the Advaitavada interpretation of the Veddnta-
sutra. In light of His teachings and example, for Him to embrace an
Advaitavadi commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam is unlikely and not
at all credible.
Sri Caitanya revered Sridhara SvamI as a great Vaisnava and
considered his commentary preeminent, because he maintained
the natural sense of the Bhagavatam and his conclusions support
the Vaisnava siddhanta. Therefore, it should be obvious to anyone
who reads Sridhara Svami s commentary that whatever impersonal
explanations were given by him did not express his true heart.
For example, while commenting on the first verse of the Bhaga
vatam, he states, ''Srimad Bhagavatam is a scriptural revelation on
Bhagavan in which prominence is given to the descriptions of His
qualities" (srimad-bhagavad-gunanuvarnana-pradhanam bhdgavata-
sdstram). In the next verse, while commenting on the word vdstava
(ontologically real), he writes:
The word vastava indicates that the jiva is an integrated part of the
substantive Reality (vastu), may a is the potency of the substantive
Reality, and the cosmos is the manifested creation of the substan
tive Reality. All of this is nothing other than the substantive Real
ity [meaning that the ontological Reality is inclusive of all this].
(Bhavartha-dipika 1.1.2)^
This and many similar statements throughout Sridhara Svami s
Bhagavatam commentary dispel any doubt about his status as a pure
Vaisnava. It is important to note that what an author says in the
opening and concluding parts of his book or commentary plays a
significant role in understanding what his intention is. Thus, it is
inappropriate to criticize Srila Jiva Gosvami for not using the imper
sonal portions of Sridhara s commentary here in the Sat Sandarbhas,
One can fathom the true essence of Srimad Bhagavatam only from
^ vastava-sabdena vastuno'rhsojlvah. vastunah saktir maya ca. vastunah kdryamjagat.
tat sarvarh vastv eva.
337
 Ill Prameya
the viewpoint of Sri Vyasa and Sukadeva Gosvami. Because Srila
Jiva Gosvami realized the significance of this point and gave special
attention to its development here in Tattva Sandarbha, he is a true
past master of the Bhdgavatam and a genuine follower of Sri Cai-
tanya, who desired to see the Bhdgavatam established as the final
word in theology and philosophy throughout the world.
We learn from Srimad Bhdgavatam that Sukadeva Gosvami left
his fathers house immediately after his birth (sb 1.2.2). Accord
ing to the Brahma-vaivarta Purdna, when Sukadeva was still in his
mother s womb, he could understand the peril of material existence
and the risk of being captivated by mdyd. He also knew that Krsna
can counter mdyas charms, and, therefore, he had his father bring
Sri Krsna from Dvaraka. He agreed to take birth only when the Lord
Himself promised to protect Sukadeva from mdyd, and even then he
immediately left home to enter the forest. Out of natural affection,
Srila Vyasadeva followed him, calling him to come back, but Suka
deva was completely unattached to material life and paid his father
no heed.
Vyasadeva was deeply disappointed, since He had hoped to
teach Sukadeva Srimad Bhdgavatam. This was the only reason He
wanted Sukadeva back, not that He was attached to him as His son.
Sri Vyasa knew that only a person like Suka, who is completely
detached from sense enjoyment, is qualified to understand the true
message of Srimad Bhdgavatam and would not misuse it for mate
rial gain. To entice him to return home, Vyasa had some of His
disciples recite verses from the Bhdgavatam whenever they went to
the forest to collect firewood. Once, when they were singing these
verses, Sukadeva Gosvami heard them. At once his heart was capti
vated, and he followed the students back to Sri Vyasa s dsrama. Then
Sukadeva, who had already transcended his former absorption in
unqualified Brahman, learned the complete Srimad Bhdgavatam
from Srila Vyasadeva.
At present, there is no clear scriptural reference indicating
which verses captivated Sri Sukadeva, but some Vaisnava scholars
have singled out the following three:
338
46 Direct Apperception of Abhidheya from the State of Samadhi
may be worshiped to fulfill material desires, Srimad Bhagavatam
concludes:
A wise person, whether desireless, full of desire, or desirous of lib
eration, should worship the Supreme Person with fervent devotion.
(sB 2.3.10)^
This statement reveals that bhakti-yoga is the key to fulfilling
all aspirations, whether spiritual or mundane. Srila Rupa Gosvami
c o n fi r m s t h i s i n B h a k t i - r a s d m r t a - s i n d h u :
On the other hand, the goals to be attained through the paths of
intuitive insight (jndna), dispassion (virakti), and so on, are in fact
effectuated only through devotion, (brs 1.2.251)^
The intuitive insight and dispassion mentioned here are not
those related with Bhagavan and His devotion. Indeed, sb 10.14.4,
quoted in this anuccheda, makes it explicit that realization of iden
tity with Brahman is certainly among those items not directly
related to Bhagavan and His devotion.
Srimad Bhdgavatam states, ''Bhakti-yoga directly mitigates the
miseries of the conditioned beings" (anarthopasamam sdksdd bhakti-
yogam, sb i.y.e). Srila Jiva Gosvami offers two explanations of the
word sdksdt (direct) in this context. He says that sddhana-bhakti
unaided by any other process directly removes all worldly miseries
such as mental and physical disturbances caused by the dualities
of heat and cold. In the second sense, he says that sddhana-bhakti
directly removes material miseries, because it naturally matures
into prema-bhakti without external aid. Thus, it is not wrong to say
that sddhana-bhakti directly mitigates all miseries.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami discusses the prayojana-
tattva as Vyasadeva realized it.
^ akdmah sarva-kdmo vd moksa-kdma uddra-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param
^ kintujndna-virakty-ddi-sddhyam bhaktyaiva sidhyati
319
 Ill Prameya
In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami states that devo
tional service, which is enacted through the senses and which
matures into bhdva-bhakti, is called sadhana-bhakti:
Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads
to the self-manifestation of bhdva-bhakti, is called sadhana-bhakti.
The self-manifestation within the heart [of the practitioner] of
the eternally existing transcendental affect of devotion (bhdva) is
known as the completion stage of devotion, (brs 1.2.2)^
When bhdva-bhakti intensifies, it is called prema-bhakti. The
only difference between the two is in the degree of intensity: Bhdva-
bhakti is the state of the initial onset of prema-bhakti. For this rea
son, bhdva-bhakti is compared to the dawn, whereas prema-bhakti
is like high noon. Thus, Srila Rupa Gosvami defines prema-bhakti as
follows:
When bhdva attains to the very essence of intensity, completely
melting the devotee's heart and marked by a profusion of the trans-
egoic sense of "Myness" [in relation to one's beloved Lord], it is
called prema by the wise, (brs 1.4.1)'^
Because devotion belongs to the intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti) of God, it is as potent as He is and can certainly fulfill all
aspirations for which it is undertaken. A pure devotee, of course,
has no desire except to render service to Bhagavan, but if some
how some other desire may arise, no process other than bhakti is
required to fulfill it. This is the supreme independence of the intrin
sic potency of pure devotion. On the other hand, other processes,
such as jndna-yoga or astdnga-yoga, depend on the grace of bhakti
for success. Without the merciful glance of devotion, none of these
processes can ever award the practitioner the goal for which they
aspire, not to speak of love of God. Just as the body and senses
remain lifeless without the dtmd, so these paths are empty of effec
tuating essence without devotion. After listing various devas who
^ krti-sddhya bhavet sadhya-bhava sd sddhandbhidhd
nitya-siddhasya bhdvasya
svdnto prdkatyaTfi hrdi sddhyatd
'* samyan-masrnitah mamatvdtisaydnkitah
bhdvah sa eva sdndrdtmd budhaih premd nigadyate
318
49 Srimad Bhagavatam Attracts Even Atmaramas
0 King, the most confidential glory of that personality [Sri Krsna]
whom you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear
friend and your well-wisher, and whom out of affection you made
your counselor, messenger, and charioteer [is known only to
Lord Siva, the celestial sage Narada, and Lord Kapila Himself].
(sB 1.9.20)^
How astonishing indeed! Although the unvirtuous demoness
Putana, the sister of the demon Baka, applied deadly poison to
her breast and suckled Sri Krsna with the intent of killing Him, she
was granted the position appropriate for a foster-mother. Conse
quently, could there be anyone more merciful than Him, whom we
should approach for shelter? (sb 3.2.23)"*
Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, a blue
Karnikara flower on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold,
and a Vaijayanti garland, Sri Krsna exhibited His transcendental
form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrnda-
vana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the
holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys
sang His glories, (sb 10.21.5)®
These verses describe Sri Krsnas intimate love for His devotees.
His mercy even toward His enemies, and His incomparable charm
and beauty. The history of Sukadeva Gosvami described in the
Mahdbhdrata differs from that narrated above. Baladeva Vidyabhu-
sana explains that the two accounts describe events from different
days of Sri Brahma.
Having ascertained the prameya of Srimad Bhdgavatam — that
is, the truths to be directly known from it — Srila Jiva Gosvami
next introduces the elaboration of those truths, beginning with
sambandha-tattva, the subjective Reality. The remainder of Tattva
^ yam manyase mdtuleyam priyarh mitram suhrt-tamam
akaroh sacivam dutam sauhrddd atha sdrathim
aho baki yam stana-kdla-kutaTfijighdmsaydpdyayad apy asddhvl
lebhe gatim dhdtry-ucitdrh tato'nyarfi kam vd daydlum saranam vrdjema
^ barhdpidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikdram
bibhrad vdsah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantirh ca mdldm
randhrdn venor adhara-sudhaydpurayan gopa-vrndair
vrnddranyam sva-pada-ramanam prdvisad gita-kirtih
339
 Ill Prameya 46 Direct Apperception of Abhidheya from the State of Samadh

Sandarbha, as well as the following three books in the anthology misidentification being the assumption of a phenomenal self tied
(Sri Sat Sandarbha), deal exclusively with the topic of sambandha. to the material body]. Thus, abhidheya is expressed here (sb i.y.e)
Abhidheya and prayojana are examined in Bhakti Sandarbha and Priti as it was before [in Anucchedas 32 and 44].
Sandarbha, respectively.

Commentary

In Anuccheda 44, Jiva Gosvami concluded from his analysis of

Srila Vyasa's trance that Srimad Bhdgavatam's abhidheya-tattva is
unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord. Vyasadeva also saw in His
trance that the miseries of the jivas can be vanquished by bhakti-
yoga alone, and this culture of bhakti-yoga will further lead to pure
love of God, which is the transcendental state in which direct real
ization of Bhagavan is brought into being. To make this reality-
insight available, Vyasadeva compiled the beautiful Bhdgavatam
and taught it to His son, Sukadeva Gosvami. The compound bhakti-
yoga is used twice in the Bhdgavatam verses describing Srila Vya
sadeva s trance. Srila Jiva Gosvami says that the first occurrence of
this word (sb 1.7.4) refers to devotion as the natural display of God s
own inherent potency in full realization of prema, because it is only
in the state of transcendental awareness as pure love that direct
personal realization of Bhagavan is self-effectuated.
The second occurrence (sb i.y.e) refers to devotion in the stage of
regulated practice, sddhana-bhakti. Unlike prema-bhakti, sddhana-
bhakti must be imbibed systematically from scriptural revelation
and by aligning the self in full correspondence with realized devo
tional transcendentalists. Sddhana-bhakti, being the stage in which
empirical selfhood is not yet fully transcended, is prompted primar
ily by the authority of scriptural injunctions. As the devotee enacts
the regulated practice of bhakti, the heart is gradually purified of
egoic identification, and as the pure self emerges, it attains fitness
to receive the self-revelation of devotion of the nature of love of
God. Only in this sense can it be said that sddhana-bhakti matures
into prema-bhakti. But in fact, prema, the inherent potency of God,
self-manifests in the aspiring devotee s heart only by the grace of
Bhagavan and His pure devotee.

340 317
 Ill Prameya
^ (^o ^O m iv) I 3T?T^
Even so, sadhana-bhakti, being the means for gaining Bhagavahs
grace, has love of God implicit within it as its mature fruit. Thus,
it is said that sadhana-bhakti directly removes the jivas miseries
(anarthopasamam saksad), without dependence on anything
else.
As Bhagavan states in Srimad Bhdgavatam: "Whatever may
be attained by execution of prescribed duties, penances, culti
vation of wisdom, renunciation, practice of yoga, offering of
charity in accordance with scripture, or any other means of ulti
mate welfare, is easily attained by My devotee through engage
ment in bhakti-yoga to Me. If at any time My devotee should
desire heaven, liberation, or My abode, he can also attain these"
(sB 11.20.32-33).^
By contrast, methods such as the intuition of the self's iden
tity with Brahman (jndna) depend on bhakti for their fulfillment,
as shown in such statements as the following: "O almighty Lord,
those who undergo pains to attain realization of oneness with
the Absolute, giving up the most beneficial path of bhakti, gain
only labor and nothing else, like those engaged in threshing
coarse husk devoid of grain" (sb 10.14.4).^
Another meaning of anarthopasamam saksad is that sadhana-
bhakti directly counteracts the miseries of material existence,
meaning that it does so without obstruction or without any
intervening agent. However, it is only pure love of God, the
mature fruit of sadhana-bhakti, that can counteract the two
f u n d a m e n t a l f a u l t s o f b e w i l d e r m e n t a n d m i s i d e n t i fi c a t i o n
[bewilderment being forgetfulness of inherent self-identity, and
^ yat karmabhir yat tapasd jndna-vairdgyatas ca yat
yogena ddma-dharmena sreyobhir itarair api
sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhatenjasd
svargdpavargam mad-dhdma kathancid yadi vdfichati
^ sreyah-sji:im bhaktim udasya te vibho klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
tesdm asau klesala eva sisyate ndnyad yathd sthula-tusdvaghdtindm
316
3^
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
Intuition of the Subject through Reference
to the Individual
Anucchedas 50-55
The previous two divisions have dealt with the determination of
sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana in general terms. These were
said to have been directly apprehended through a transempirical
mode of knowing in the case of Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa. This means
that they were not arrived at through philosophical reasoning or
any sort of logical cognitive process. They were immediately known
in consciousness. From this point forward, Jiva Gosvami begins the
elaboration of sambandha based on Srimad Bhdgavatam, which con
tinues right through to the end of Krsna Sandarbha, the fourth book
of the series. Abhidheya is discussed in book five, Bhakti Sandarbha,
and prayojana in book six, Priti Sandarbha.
The first thing to note about sambandha is that it involves the
relation between the Reality to be known (the signified, vdcya)
and the sound revelation that discloses it (the signifier, vdcaka),
in this case, Srimad Bhdgavatam. Out of the entire text of Srimad
Bhdgavatam, Jiva Gosvami identifies verse sb 1.2.11 as the defini
tive statement that specifies the fundamental nature of that Reality
as Nondual Consciousness (advaya-jndna). But how can Nondual
Consciousness be intuited for those who have not had the direct
experience of Sri Suka and Sri Vyasa?
341
 Ill Prameya

In the investigation of anything unknown, knowledge systems

generally begin with reference to what is already known or avail
able to conscious examination. The first thing available to the exam
iner is his or her own consciousness. So this division deals with the
intuition of the Totality (i.e., Nondual Consciousness) with refer
ence to individual consciousness. This is known as vyasti-nirdesa, as Anuccheda 46
stated by Jiva Gosvami in the beginning ofAnuccheda 56, his conclud
ing remark about this division. From the careful inspection of indi Direct Apperception of Abhidheya
vidual consciousness through the self-illuminating light of Srimad
from the State of Samadhi
Bhdgavatam, the nature of the Supreme or Source Consciousness is
made evident.

Looking ahead for a moment, the next thing available to the

examiner is the cosmos, or in other words, phenomenality. This
involves the operation of universals, or the laws that determine the
cosmic order. So, Ultimate Reality may also be intuited with refer
ence to these universals (samasti-nirdesa), as being their ultimate I T rT

Source and Shelter. This perspective will be explored in the final

division of Tattva Sandarbha (Anucchedas 56-63), which delineates
the ten topics (universals) of Srimad Bhagavatam.
In the state of samadhi, Srila Vyasadeva also directly per
ceived the means of ultimate attainment (abhidheya), as depicted
above (in Anuccheda 44). Then, in order to propagate it. He com
posed this scripture called Srimad Bhdgavatam, which is meant
for those on the path of Ultimate Truth [the sdtvatas, or in other
words, the true Vaisnavas]. Sri Suta Gosvami describes all this
in the verse beginning with the word anartha (sb 1.7.6). In this
verse, the word hhakti-yoga refers to sadhana-hhakti, devotion in
the stage of regulated practice, which is characterized by hear
ing, chanting, and other forms of worship, and not to prema-
bhakti, devotion in the perfected stage of pure love of God. This is
concluded because devotion as a practice depends on instruction,
while love of God depends solely on the grace of Bhagavan.

46.2

I Cb4f5i4d cTW (^o Ro |^:?)

I (^o 1^0 I??) l|TFn-

342
315
Anuccheda 50

Srimad Bhagavatam Identifies Its Subject

"gerTTZJ^ c||-oiJd cT^ "enf: yli^d^dd:"

[T? dlWcWd (mo?l?R) I
diwd tRfrrehiH ^ ^ g 3ylRlcbi-

Hereafter, to systematically and thoroughly delineate this

same essential truth (tatparya) of Srimad Bhagavatam, we shall
explain in these Six Sandarhhas the principles of sambandha,
ahhidheya, and prayojana, one after the other. The first of these
three refers to that [subjective Reality] of which the relation
(sambandha) of signified and signifier pertains. The signified
(vdcya) is the subject to be described (sambandhi-tattva), and
the signifier is the text describing it (this scripture). The object
of this relation is mentioned in general terms in sb 1.1.2 in the
statement vedyam vastavam atra vastu: "The one truly-abiding
Substantive is the truth to be investigated [i.e., the knowable]
here [in Srimad Bhagavatam]."
Commenting on this part of the verse, Srila Sridhara Svami
writes, "Here in this beautiful Bhagavatam, reality is to be
known in its supreme transcendent capacity, not reality reduced
merely to the categories of material substance (dravya), quality
(guna), and the like, as taught by the Vaisesikas and others." This
verse (sb 1.1.2) is spoken bv Sri Vedawasa.
 in Prameya

Commentary

Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami informs us that in the Six Sandarbhas, he

will explain in detail the very same reality principles of sambandha-,
abhidheya-, and prayojana-tattvas directly realized by Sri Vyasadeva
and Sukadeva Gosvami in the transempirical mode of knowing. He
briefly mentioned these principles in Anucchedas 8 and 9 as the
truths to be ascertained through a means of valid knowing. He then
established Srlmad Bhdgavatam as the most authoritative pramdna
in regard to the direct knowing of Ultimate Reality. So, after clearly
determining these principles, he will now elaborate on them on
the basis of Srimad Bhdgavatam. The Tattva, Bhagavat, Paramdtma,
and Krsna Sandarbhas treat sambandha-tattva. Bhakti Sandarbha dis
cusses abhidheya-tattva, and Priti Sandarbha deals with prayojana-
tattva. From here on through to the end of Tattva Sandarbha, the
discussion is exclusively focused on sambandha.
Tattva Sandarbha introduces the subject matter of the Six Sanda
rbhas by first establishing the authority of Srimad Bhdgavatam as
the valid epistemological means by which Ultimate Truth can be
directly ascertained. As mentioned earlier, the relationship of a
subject with its signifler is technically called the vdcya-vdcakatd-
sambandha.

The subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam is revealed in its very second

verse: "The one truly-abiding Substantive is the truth to be inves
tigated [i.e., the knowable] here [in Srimad Bhdgavatam]" (vedyam
vdstavam atra vastu). As we have discussed already, reality man
ifests on various dimensions of being, but Srimad Bhdgavatam is
specifically concerned only with the self-disclosure of the Ultimate
Reality, Sri Krsna, who encompasses and reconciles all other grades
of reality.
In contrast to Srila Vyasadeva's presentation in the Bhdgava
tam, the philosophies formulated by other ancient sages, such as
Gautama and Kanada, describe reality from a partial perspective.
Gautama, in his system of Nyaya philosophy, says that by under
standing the empirical means and objects of knowledge, one can be

344
 50 Srlmad Bhagavatam Identifies Its Subject

freed from material miseries (Nydya-sutra 1.1,1)} And Kanada, in

his system of Vaisesika philosophy, which was briefly alluded to at
the end of this anuccheda, recognizes seven ontological categories:
dravya (substance), guna (attribute), karma (motion or action),
sdmdnya (generality), visesa (particularity), samavdya (inherence),
andabhdva (non-existence) (Vaisesika-sutra 1.1.4)^
The Vaisesikas attempt to explain all of reality in terms of these
seven categories. But although the scientific study embodied in
philosophies like Nyaya and Vaisesika may lead to realization of the
underlying principles of phenomenal existence, this is far differ
ent from realization of the Absolute Reality that Srimad Bhdgava-
tam makes available. Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the nature of this
Reality in the next anuccheda.

^ pramdna-prameya-samsaya-prayojana-drstanta-siddhdntavayava-tarka-nirnaya
vada-jalpa-vitanda-hetvabhasa-cchala-jati-nigraha-sthdndndrh tattva-jndndn
nihsreya-sadhigamah
^ dhaTTna-visesa-prasutdddravya-guna-karma-sdmanya-visesa-samavdydndTh
paddrthdndTfi sddharmya-vaidharmdbhvdm tattva-indndn nihsrevasam
Anuccheda 51

Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness

I arer w CTH dx^fdc^wid ^

(^O ^ 1:? m) ^ I "ifHlT" Rl^cb^gil I Wdf^l^dl^lldl^i^l-
dTdl-d<r^|c|ld^ Wi^lck^lch^^ldcdld^ I TOHW ?t dl^mR^^cdld ^ I
" a r ^ " W r g W ^ J c n ^ f t r F P T T c T ^ I 3 Tc f c T ^
PloUctii^t^RldH II II

"What is the nature of this Substantive {vastu), which is the

Absolute Reality (tattva)?" This is disclosed in the following state
ment: "All those who have realized Absolute Reality (tattva)
refer to that Reality as nondual consciousness {advaya-jMnaY'
(sB 1.2.11).
Here the word jndna indicates that the Absolute is purely of
the nature of consciousness. Additionally, the nondual nature of
this Reality is established on the following grounds: (1) There is
no other Reality (tattva), either similar or dissimilar, that is self-
existent; (2) The nondual Absolute is supported only by its own
inherent potencies; (3) These potencies can have no existence
without it as their absolute foundation.

The term tattva, implying here the ultimate good of all that
may be attained by human beings, makes it apparent that this
tattva, or Absolute Reality, is the embodiment of supreme bliss
and is, therefore, also eternal. Sri Suta spoke the verse under
discussion.

346
 Ill Prameya
upon awakening, but this recollection is indistinct because dur
ing deep sleep the link with the mind and senses is temporarily
dissolved.
The implication here is that although the material ego is not
present during deep sleep, the dtmas inherent authentic selfhood
remains, for this is its true and inseparable identity. So, there is
no possibility of voidness during deep sleep, as the Buddhists claim,
or that the dtmd remains as mere consciousness without individual
ity, as the radical nondualists claim. Jiva Gosvami s argument estab
lishes that the dtmas inherent capacity of cognition is an essential
aspect of its nature. Thus, it is not true that the dtmd acquires cog
nition only when conditioned, nor is it true that it remains solely as
pure consciousness in the unconditioned state.
As the sun illuminates both itself and other objects as well,
the dtmd is always capable of self-knowing and the cognition of
objects within the presentational field. The dtmd does not need
help from the gross external senses to know itself, just as one does
not need a lamp to see the sun. This quality of cognition is intrinsic
to the dtmd throughout all states of existence, even when it inhab
its lower species, just as a light bulb continues to emit light even
when enveloped by a nearly opaque covering. The covering simply
limits and distorts the light s diffusion. Of course, it is the Supreme
Self, or Paramatma, who is the source of the dtmas self-luminous
nature, and so we should not wrongly consider the jiva a completely
independent entity.
The passage from the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad quoted in this
anuccheda states, "He [the dtmd] certainly does not see." This state
ment refers to the dtmd in the state of deep sleep. At that time, the
dtmd does not perceive anything because it is disconnected from the
mind and senses. This does not mean, however, that its power of
perception is lost. Thus, the passage further says, "Although see
ing, he does not perceive the observables [i.e., the objects of exter
nal or internal awareness]." This means that he retains the ability to
perceive but there is nothing to witness except his own existence.
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated that
the dtmd is distinct from the body. He substantiated this conclusion
374
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousnes;
Commentary
In the last anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami stated that the Abso
lute Reality is to be known from Srimad Bhdgavatam. This natu
rally raises the question, "What is the essential nature of this Abso
lute Reality?" In reply, Jiva Gosvami quotes sb 1.2.11, which declares
that Absolute Reality is nondual (advaya), or in other words, "one
without a second." There cannot be more than one Absolute Real
ity, because if there were a second, the first would no longer be
Absolute, since hypothetically speaking, the second reality could
be determined as inferior, equal, or superior to the first one. If it
were either superior or inferior to the first, then only one of them
would be Absolute. If both of them were equal, they would com
pete for supremacy, unless they were found to be always in agree
ment, which would then make them effectively one for all practical
purposes.
That the Absolute Reality is nondual, however, does not mean
that nothing else exists. Rather, the word "nondual" indicates two
things: First, the Absolute Reality is self-existent, meaning that
it is grounded in itself and depends on no external support; sec
ond, nothing else can exist independent of this nondual Reality's
support.
In Vedantic logic, an object is considered nondual if it is free of
three kinds of difference — that among objects of the same class,
that among objects of different classes, and that between an object
and its parts. A difference between objects of the same class is called
sajdtlya-bheda. Even though two chairs may look the same, have the
same function, and belong to the class called "chair," they still dif
fer as individual chairs. A change in one will not directly affect the
o t h e r.
A difference between objects of different classes is called
vijdtiya-bheda. For example, a chair is different from a table in its
appearance and function. Finally, a difference between an object
and its parts is called svagata-bheda. If all the parts of a chair are
scattered, the chair no longer exists. For example, the various parts
of a chair can be removed and replaced without changing the chair s
347
 II Prameya
identity. Thus, the parts are independent from each other and from
the object, the chair. In this way, it is evident that the chair is not
self-existent.
These three kinds of difference give rise to the duality we
observe throughout material nature. They do not exist, however,
on the absolute plane; thus, Suta Gosvami defines the Absolute
Reality (tattva) as nondual consciousness {jndnam advayam). The
Lord s body and its limbs are each fully conscious and potent, and,
therefore, nondifferent from Him. For this reason it is said that in
Sri Krsna there exists no difference of the svagata-bheda type.
Even when the original Supreme Lord (Svayaih Bhagavan)
expands into forms such as Ramacandra and Balarama, these
svarhsa (selfsame) expansions remain nondifferent from Bhaga
van s original Self. Still, while He is not dependent on Them, They
are dependent on Him. Since Bhagavan and His svarhsa expansions
belong to the same class, no difference of the sajatiya-bheda type is
found in Him.
Material nature, being inert, belongs to a class of existence dif
ferent from that of the transcendent Personal Absolute. This might
lead one to conclude that there is vijatlya-bheda between Him and
material nature. Nevertheless, since material nature's existence
is not independent or separate from Him, there is ultimately no
difference of vijatlya-bheda between Him and His material expan
sions. Energy cannot exist without its source, nor is it completely
different from its source.
The finite living beings belong to the intermediary potency of
Bhagavan. Thus, one may view them in two ways, as belonging
to the same class as Bhagavan, because they are conscious like
Him, or as belonging to a different class, because their magni
tude and potency are infinitesimal. From both viewpoints, the
Jivas are fully dependent on Bhagavan, so there exists none of the
three types of difference between them and the Lord. Srila Jiva
Gosvami concludes, therefore, that although Bhagavan's energies
serve Him in various ways, they have no existence separate from
Him (tarn vind tdsdm asiddhatvat). Just as a spider weaves a web with
a special substance it produces from its mouth and then makes the
348
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witnesi
According to Sruti, in dreamless sleep the mind enters into the
puritat-nddl (the psychosomatic flow channel in the region of the
pericardium) in the heart:
When fast asleep, the dtmd does not know anything. At that time
the mind removes itself from the seventy-two thousand nadis,
known as hitd (beneficial), which extend from the heart, and enters
into the nadi called puritat, where it rests, (bau 2.1.19)^
Feelings of happiness and distress are modes of the mind and,
therefore, part of the subtle body. This is described in Bhagavad Gitd:
Desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate [the phys
ical body], mentation, and will — all these, along with their
fluctuations, constitute the field. (gIta 13.eY
As mentioned above, in deep sleep the dtmd is disconnected
from the mind and feels no material happiness or distress, no
desires or hatred. It is then submerged only in the bliss of the
self. But this does not mean that the dtmd becomes liberated in
deep sleep. It is still bound by its subtle desires, which propel it to
return to the dreaming and wakeful states.
The Buddhists object that the dtmd cannot exist in deep sleep.
When there is no experience of the senses or the mind, why not
assume that only "void" remains during deep sleep? The answer
is, "because we recollect the experience of deep sleep." After wak
ing from deep sleep, a person may declare, "1 have slept happily
and wasn't aware of anything." Since no one can recollect anything
without having experienced it, the person who perceived himself
in deep sleep and the person who remembers this experience must
be identical. Thus, the happiness of deep sleep along with the igno
rance of all else is experienced by the same person who recalls it
^ atha yadd susupto bhavati
yadd na kasyacana veda
hitd ndma nddyo dvd-saptatih sahasrdni hrdaydt puritatam abhipratisthante
tdbhih pratyavasrpya puritati sete
icchd dvesah sukham dukhaih saiighdtas cetand dhrtih
etat ksetram samdsena sa-vikdram uddhrtam
373
 Ill Prameya
the individual dtmd] is based on the distinction between the wit
ness and that which is witnessed. A fourth argument is also to
be understood based on the distinction between the entities who
undergo suffering [the jivos] and the entity who is the exclusive
object of transcendental love [Bhagavan].
Commentary
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami cited the anal
ogy of the vital force (prdna) given in sb 11.3.38 to show the change
less nature of the dtmd. The following verse (sb 11.3.39) develops the
analogy further. Here, Pippalayana explains that the vital force per
petually accompanies the dtmd into various species of life, which
fall into four categories based on their source of birth. The vital
force enters the various bodies and seems to undergo transforma
tions, but in fact, it remains unchanged. For example, the vital
force may occupy the body of an ant in one life and that of an ele
phant in a different life, and yet all the while the vital force remains
unchanged. Similarly, the dtmd appears to undergo changes in asso
ciation with the many states and shapes of its successive bodies, but
in fact it remains unchanged.
The dtmd experiences three states of consciousness while in the
body — the waking state, the dream state, and the state of deep
dreamless sleep. During the waking state a jiva is conscious of his
gross body, the gross instruments of the senses (golaka), and the
mind, and his consciousness seems divided and channeled by the
mind and outward senses. In the dream state, the gross instruments
of the senses become inactive, or, to be more precise, the mind is
disconnected from them, and thus the jiva is also not aware of the
outward senses or the body. Through dreams, the jiva perceives var
ious impressions imprinted upon the subconscious mind during the
waking state, and because of the jiva s attachment to these impres
sions, his consciousness seems to undergo transformation. In the
state of deep dreamless sleep, the dtmd loses contact even with the
mind, and thus it is not conscious of either the gross or subtle body.
372
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness
web its home, so Sri Krsna, the personal nondual Absolute Reality,
employs His own energies to manifest the spiritual realm, where
He resides. These energies are part of His intrinsic nature and have
no independent existence.
In the Bhdgavatam verse under discussion (sb 1.2.11), the word
Jndna, which ordinarily means "knowledge," refers to "conscious
ness." Here, however, consciousness does not imply devoid of con
tent, i.e., without the divisions of subject and object. Its significance
here is that Nondual Reality is purely of the nature of consciousness
and is also conscious, just as the sun is entirely of the nature of light
and is also luminous. Because the word jnana refers to Absolute
Reality, this nondual consciousness must have perpetual existence
(sat) as a characteristic. And because the word tattva indicates the
supreme objective of life, it follows that this Nondual Reality must
also be characterized by bliss (dnanda), since all living beings seek
pleasure, whether they know it or not.
From direct perception, logical analysis, and scriptural author
ity, we can understand that the ultimate motivation in all activi
ties is the pursuit of joy. This is the basic purpose underlying cre
ative and destructive processes and all personal relationships. As
the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad states, "My dear, the husband is not
loved for his own sake, but for the sake of the Self" (na vd are patyuh
kdmdya patih priyo bhavaty dtmanas tu kdmdya patih priyo bhavati,
BAU 2.4.5).
Here the word "Self" refers either to the individual self (the
dtmd) or to the Supreme Self (Paramatma). The verse is saying that
in reality it is the Self alone that is dear. In the conditioned state, the
self we perceive is the empirical self, the jiva. We become attached
to someone or something not primarily because of their own dear-
ness, but because we derive happiness from loving that person or
thing. This feeling of happiness comes from our egoic sense of self-
appropriation — the notion that the object of love is "ours" — not
from the person or the object itself. The truth of this principle is
shown by the common sense observation that the intensity of plea
sure derived through material experience naturally decreases as
the degree of identity with those experiences diminishes.
349
 Ill Prameya
By contrast, in the liberated state, one realizes the true self as a
servant of Bhagavan. When we act solely on the basis of this under
standing, we become pure devotees of Bhagavan, and then we ren
der service only for His pleasure, desiring nothing in return. Even
if the all-attractive Lord treats us roughly, we remain established
in devotion, abandoning all fears and cares in our loving relation
ship with Him. Sri Caitanya demonstrated this standard when He
prayed:
Krsna may embrace me or trample me under His feet, or He may
break my heart by being away from me. He, a debauchee, may treat
me as He likes, yet He alone is my very life and no one else. (Siksd-
staka sy
In conditioned life, we do not know that Krsna is the supreme
object of love and the source of all bliss. Rather, we mistake our
selves for the source of bliss. To enlighten us about Himself, Krsna
instructs us in Bhagavad Gitd:
I am the source of everything. All things and actions emanate from
Me. Knowing this, the wise, full of love for Me, worship Me. With
their attention focused exclusively on Me and their lives entirely
submitted to Me, they derive great satisfaction and relish always
enlightening one another and conversing about Me. (gita 10.8-9)^
Thus, there is an inherent relationship between jndna (con
sciousness), sat (eternal existence), and ananda (bliss). This
relationship is clearly indicated in such Sruti statements as,
"Brahman is pure consciousness and bliss" (vijndnam anandarh
brahma, bau 3.9.34). Thus, the nature of the nondual consciousness
described in this verse has been designated sat-cit-dnanda, "eternal
being, consciousness, and bliss."
^ dslisya vd pdda-ratdm pinastu mdm adarsandn marma-hatdm karotu vd
yathd tathd vd vidadhdtu lampato mat-prdna-ndthas tu sa eva ndparah
^ aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matvd bhajante mdm budhd bhdva-samanvitdh
mac-cittd mad-gata-prdnd bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mdm nityarh tusyanti ca ramanti ca
350
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witness
But, one may object, when everything up to and including the
ego is dissolved, only emptiness (sunya) remains. So how can
you conclude that the changeless self is present at that time? Pip-
palayana answers, "Because the remembrance comes to us" (tad-
anusmrtir nab). Upon awakening from deep sleep, the remem
brance comes to us [i.e., the observer in waking state conscious
ness]: "I slept peacefully for so long without awareness of any
thing." [This amounts to remembrance of the indivisible dtmd as
pure witness in the state of deep sleep.] Since there can be no
remembrance of that which has not first been experienced, the
dtmd must be present then as witness to perceive the experience
of deep sleep, though this experience is indistinct because of the
absence of contact with any content or object of awareness.
54.4
^ Hfw (^o3TTOXI^R^)^ 1
We can, therefore, conclude that just as a self-luminous entity
like the sun, which is in essence nothing other than light, also
naturally contains the power of illumination, so the dtmd,
though nothing other than consciousness, is also the ground of
consciousness [by virtue of its own essential nature]. We find the
following confirmation in Sruti, "It is true that he [the dtmd in
the state of deep sleep] does not see — or rather, although seeing,
he does not perceive the observables [i.e., the objects of exter
nal or internal awareness]. Furthermore, it is never possible to
remove the seer s sight altogether" (bau 4.3.23).^
So, the third logical argument [presented to distinguish the
dtmd from the body, as well as to distinguish Paramatma from
^ yad vai tan na pasyati pasyan vai drastavydn
na pasyati na hi drastur drstervipari-lopo vidyate
371
 Ill Prameya 51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness

Here, andesu means "among those born from eggs/' pesisu means
"among those born from wombs," tarusu means "among those
born from the seeds of plants," and aviniscitesu means "among
those born from perspiration or beat." The verb upadhdvati
[which has the vital force as its subject and the jiva as its object]
means "accompanying repeatedly."
In this anuccheda, Jiva GosvamI presented his thesis that jndna
is eternal. In the next anuccheda, he will state the purva-paksa, or
the opponent s objection that consciousness is momentary. He will
then present the rebuttal to this view.

54.2

cT^ I I ? Pif^cjoK tryicyr 1 ^ci: ?

Having thus illustrated through simile the changeless nature of

the vital force, sage Pippalayana points out that the self (dtmd)
is also changeless, by mentioning it as analogous to the vital
force. How so? The self appears as if subject to change during
the waking state when in contact with the senses and during the
dream state when in contact with the ego, which is filled with
subconscious impressions from the waking state. But when the
dtmd is in deep sleep, the senses and ego become temporarily
submerged or deactivated, and so the dtmd alone is present, free
from all transformation. How is it free from transformation in
this state? Asayam rte: "Because it is without its vessel of contain
ment," which here refers to the limiting or conditioning adjunct
(upadhi) of the subtle body. That is to say, the dtmd is then free
from the specific upadhi that is the cause of all transformation.

54.3

^ | ^ arw ? 3I?r
3m"d<H^fd4:" I d^KclU^loMH: —
I M^dld-d I ar^tsHd^A^d^
dHll^<u||c;^c| dlcJ4|lci^l^^4R: | ^ ^ ^
"my: I

f
370 351
Anuccheda 52
Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from
Its Content — Identity and Distinction
of the Jiva and Brahman
K41|U|chHc| MPlc^ 5IM
One may question: But events of consciousness (jndna) are
seen to exist for just an instant, taking the shape, say, of a blue
object one moment and a yellow object the next. How then can
consciousness (jndna) be characterized as nondual and eternal,
which is the subject of this scripture [SrimadBhdgavatam]? Suta
Gosvami replies:
II II ^ I
This Bhdgavatam is the essence of all Vedanta philosophy,
because its subject matter is the Absolute Truth, which is one
without a second, as characterized by the oneness [in love] of
the individual living being with Brahman. The one ultimate
attainment (prayojana) proclaimed in this book is kaivalya [lit.,
"aloneness," which here implies pure devotion alone unto that
Supreme Truth, devoid of any extraneous element], (sb 12.13.12)^
sarva-veddnta-sdraTTi yad brahmdtmaikatva-laksanam
vastv advitiyam tan-nistharh kaivalyaika-prayojanam
I
352
Anuccheda 54
The Changeless Self Is the Witness
I iHRcbKlciflMc^I^ Id (mo I? I^'^) —
Taking this example of the invariable prdna within the vari
able body [discussed in Anuccheda 53.3] a step further, Pip-
palayana Rsi points out that the changeless self (nirvikdra-dtmd)
can be intuited from the state of deep sleep in which the senses
and mind have been deactivated [and, hence, have no bearing on
the dtmd at that time]:
Just as the vital force (prdna) remains unchanging as it accom
panies the individual living being (jiva) in whichever different
species it may appear, whether born from eggs, wombs, seeds, or
perspiration, the dtmd is unchanging in the state of deep sleep
when the senses and ego are deactivated and there is freedom
from the subtle body, which is the cause of transformation. Yet,
upon awakening, the remembrance comes to us that we slept
peacefully without awareness of anything [and this indicates
that in deep sleep the self is present as pure witness devoid of
the content of sensory, mental, or egoic awareness], (sb 11.3.39)^
^ andesu pesisu tarusv avinikitesu prdno hijivam upadhdvati tatra tatra
sanne yad indriya-gane'hami ca prasupte kutastha dsayam rte tad anusmrtir nah
369

Prameya
for real consciousness, which is the invariable context in which the
fluctuating content arises.
This point is further clarified with the analogy of the vital force
(prana). Universal prdna is one, but the prdna within the body has
various names, such as prdna, apdna, and samdna, according to the
function it performs. Similarly, the dtmd is one, but while in the
body, it manifests consciousness, which appears many-branched
and ever-changing. For example, sweetened cow s milk gives rise
to different mental modes when perceived through the different
senses: to the eyes it is white, to the tongue sweet, and so on.
So, it is only the mental modes, affected by varieties of sense
perception, that appear and disappear. The living entity is an inte
grated part of the intermediary potency of Paramatma, which is
conscious and eternal, and so the living entity must have these qual
ities as well, in as much as a gold nugget shares the qualities of the
mother lode. The purpose of explaining the conscious and eternal
quality of the dtmd through logic and direct experience is to help us
intuit the true nature of Paramatma.
Srila Jiva Gosvami derives two arguments from the words of Pip-
palayana (sbii.s.ss), both of which serve to distinguish the dtmd
from the material body. The first argument is based on the changes
occurring in the material body. We notice these changes as time pro
gresses, but upon reflection we can understand that we ourselves
(i.e., the conscious self) have not changed. We know ourselves to be
the same person. Since the attributes of changelessness and trans
formation cannot simultaneously be attributed to the same object,
the unchanging dtmd must be distinct from the changing body.
The second argument is based on the distinction between the
seer and the seen. The body and mind cannot be the seer, because
they are objects of perception. Thus, the perceiver, the dtmd, must
be different from them.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami gives further logical
arguments to help distinguish the self from the body.
368
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content —
Identity and Distinction of the Jiva and Brahman
(^o 9 1^ 1^) (^o
^ I yfd^idH I smfkr'' (mo
RRdc^vjiJl^cbcbKUicil I (mo^RI?) ^-
dkf^dW I vdlcHdHdl (mo^klvs) cT^-
^ilMlcbKdl I cT^ ^ I
The Sruti has defined the nature (svarupa) of this Absolute Truth
(Brahman): "Brahman is truth, consciousness, and without end
or limit" (tu 2.1.1). It is said to be that by knowing which all
knowledge becomes known in statements like, "By hearing about
[Brahman] the unheard of becomes heard" (chu 6.1.3). That It
is the sole foundation of the entire creation is established in
such Sruti statements as, "My dear boy, prior to all this, there
was only sat, the eternal reality" (chu 6.2.1). That It is endowed
with infallible will (satya-sankalpa) [i.e., that He accomplishes
everything through His mere intention] is indicated by the state
ment, "He glanced [with the intention], 'Let Me become many!'"
(cHU 6.2.3).
In the statement, "Entering primordial nature along with
this individual living being, I shall manifest names and forms"
(cHU 6.3.2), the living being (jiva) is mentioned along with this
selfsame Brahman, which exceeds all, both in essence (svarupa)
and potency (sakti). This amounts to saying that the jiva belongs
to Brahman. Here, although the demonstrative pronoun idam
(this) [qualifying the word jiva] differentiates the jiva from
Brahman, the word dtmand (self) indicates that the jiva is an
integrated part of the Complete Whole that is Brahman. From
the logic of what was revealed in the samadhi of Srila Vyasadeva,
the oneness of the living being with Brahman in no way implies
absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brahman.
Rather, Sruti statements, such as tat tvam asi ("You are that,"
353
 Ill Prameya
CHU 6.8.7) disclose that the jivas oneness with Brahman consists
of its partaking of the same identity as Brahman, by virtue of
being pure consciousness and an integrated part thereof. This
particular understanding is helpful in precipitating preliminary
knowledge of the Supreme Brahman.
The entity thus designated as the Supreme Brahman, who
is the essence of all the Upanisads and is one without a second,
is the focus of interest and the exclusive subject of this Srimad
Bhdgavatam. This verse [sb 12.13.12] shows a clear connection to
another statement from another verse [sb 1.1.2] that we looked at
above [Anuccheda 50].^
The following analogy may help to clarify the purpose of describ
ing the jiva's oneness with Brahman, referred to above. Suppose
a person is kept in a dark room from birth without ever seeing
the sun. When curiosity is aroused in that person to know what
the sun is, another person may point to a ray of sunlight pass
ing through a window grating and say, "This is the sun." In other
words, the ray is but a tiny portion of the sun. That which the
person must come to know is an immense orb of light, having
the same basic constitution. In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucche-
das 18-46), we will establish that the jiva is similarly an inte
grated portion of the Supreme Brahman, manifested by one of
His inconceivable potencies.
^ The earlier verse stated that the one truly-abiding Substantive (vdstavam vastu) is
the truth to be investigated in Srimad Bhdgavatam, while this verse states that the
Bhdgavatam's subject is the nondual Absolute (advitiyam vastu). Thus, the
connection between the verses is evident, and together they affirm that the
nondual consciousness (advaya-jndna) that is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam
does not refer to momentary consciousness in the form of successive cognitions.
354
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
the jiva who has attained perfection by acquiring transcendental
knowledge of Bhagavan.
This raises an obvious doubt: Why is the jiva mentioned in the
midst of this description of the dahara, dealing with meditation
on Paramatma? To answer this doubt, the above sutra supplies
the answer, "The reference to the jiva in the dahara-vidya is not
simply to convey knowledge about the jiva, but to lead to knowl
edge of Paramatma, for by knowing Paramatma, the jiva attains his
real nature" {anydrthas ca pardmarsah, vs 1.3.20). In sb 11.3.33, Pip-
palayana Yogendra similarly instructs King Nimi about the jiva to
educate him about the nature of the Lord. The purpose of the verse
by Pippalayana is to distinguish the self from the body.
The body undergoes six types of change. These are listed in Niru-
kta 1.1.2, "The body takes birth, subsists for some time, grows, under
goes changes, dwindles, and finally dies" (jdyate'sti vardhate vipari-
namatepaksiyate nasyati ca). The dtmd, however, does not undergo
any of these changes, as Sri Krsna confirms in Chapter Two ofBhaga-
vad Gitd. Pippalayanas argument for the dtmas not undergoing the
six changes is that it is the constant witness of all these changes.
A person sitting in a moving airplane and unable to look out the
window cannot fathom its speed, but someone on the ground can
observe it.
The objection of the Ksanika-vijnana-vadis discussed in the
previous anuccheda — namely, that consciousness is only momen
tary — is repeated here (in Anuccheda 53.3) and answered differ
ently. The momentary consciousness of which they speak actu
ally consists of changes in a persons mental modes (vrttis), or
in other words, in the content of consciousness, not primordial
consciousness itself. This variation in the content of conscious
ness is produced by the senses interacting with the external world.
Consciousness itself remains constant.
The Vedanta explains that when a person observes an object,
there arises a particular mental mode, called a vrtti, which the dtmd
perceives. The mental mode itself is not the perceiver. But the Bud
dhists, who deny the existence of an eternal conscious being, mis
construe this temporary ever-changing vrtti, which is non-eternal.
367
 Ill Prameya
Commentary
The Vedic statements that imply the nondifFerence between the
jiva and Brahman do so in reference to the common attributes of
both. One popular example of such a statement is "You are that"
(tat tvam asi). Here the pronouns tat and tvam signify Brahman
and the jlva, respectively, both of whom possess the attribute of
consciousness.
The idea is that if the jiva s spiritual nature is understood, then
the nature of Brahman is easily grasped. This is the idea behind
the analogy that Srila Jiva Gosvami gave in the previous anuccheda,
in which the man in the cave learns about the nature of the sun
by being instructed about the suns ray. This technique of intu
iting transcendent truth through similarity has also been used in
Vedanta-sutra, "The deliberation upon the jiva is in order to know
the other [Paramatma]" (anydrthas ca pardmarsah, vs 1.3.20).
In his commentary on this section of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila
Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes:
This sutra refers to the dahara-vidya portion of the Chandogya Upani-
sad (cHu 8.1), which describes meditation on Paramatma within the
tiny space (dahara) in the inner recess of the heart. The body of
the worshiper is considered to be the city of Brahman, within the
dahara of which lies Paramatma. The worshiper is meant to med
itate on the eight qualities belonging to Paramatma. These eight
qualities are listed in chu 8.7.1, "Paramatma is free from sin, old
age, death, sorrow, hunger, and thirst. He has infallible desires and
infallible will."^ But further along (chu 8.12.3),^ mention is made of
"a blissful one who rises up out of the body, attains to the divine
light, and becomes established in his own real nature. He is called
the uttamah purusah, the most exalted person."
This uttamah purusah, according to Baladeva Vidyabhusana, is
^ dtmdpahata-pdpmd vijaro vimrtyur visoko vijighatso'pipdsah satya-kdmah
satya-sankalpah
^ evam evaisa samprasddo'smdc charirdt samutthdya
paramjyotir upasampadya svena rupendbhinispadyate
sa uttamapurusah
366
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Cont
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
Thus, the Upanisads sometimes teach that Brahman is also an
Integrated Whole inclusive of parts, specifically because He is
endowed with parts, such as the living beings and other poten
cies. Conversely, when the Srutis speak of Him as devoid of
parts, they are focusing on His unqualified essence. In the fourth
line of SB 12.13.12, namely, kaivalyaika-prayojana, the word kaiva-
lya (aloneness) [proclaimed in the verse as the ultimate attain
ment of Srimad Bhdgavatam] means "establishment in the state
of utterly pure existence [devoid of all material adjuncts]." By
extension of understanding, the state of utterly pure existence
finds its culmination in the state of utterly pure devotion. This
will be shown later in Priti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 1).
The verse under discussion (sb 12.13.12) was spoken by Sri Suta
Gosvami.
Commentary
In the last anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami established that
the Absolute Truth is eternal nondual consciousness. One sect
of Buddhists, the Ksanika-vijfiana-vadis, raise an objection to this
conclusion. Their doctrine states that there is only one reality, con
sciousness, which is changing at every moment, and that there is no
difference between knowledge and the object of knowledge. Exter
nal objects have no existence outside of cognitions. Consciousness
is like a river whose water is always flowing, or it is like the flame of
a candle that is changing at every moment. A new flame succeeds
the previous one as the old wick and wax are consumed. There is
nothing in this world that is not transitory. An object, like a flame.
355
 Ill Prameya
appears unchanging only because of the similarity between our
prior and successive cognitions of it.
Just as the objects we see in our dreams do not exist outside
our consciousness, so the distinctions between knowledge and the
object of knowledge in our waking life do not exist. When we see
a blue object, our consciousness is blue. If we next see a yellow
object, the blue consciousness is dissolved and replaced by yellow
consciousness. How, then, can consciousness be called eternal?
This is their objection to Jiva Gosvami s conclusion that the Absolute
Truth is eternal. The Vijfiana-vadis reason that an eternal object
cannot be the cause of anything since a cause generally transforms
into its effect. For example, since milk transforms into yogurt, it
cannot be eternal.
Similarly, nondual consciousness, being the cause of every
thing, must undergo transformation and, therefore, cannot be eter
nal. Further, they say, everything is changing at every moment,
although we may not notice the moment-by-moment change, just
as we do not notice the moment-by-moment growth of plants or of
our bodies.
To the Vijnana-vadls' argument, Srila JIva Gosvami replies not
with a logical refutation but by quoting Srimad Bhdgavatam, the
supreme pramdna. The Bhdgavatam verse given here (sb 12.13.12)
explains that the nondual Reality is characterized by the oneness of
the individual self with the Supreme Self, Brahman. This oneness of
Reality is not the Buddhists' oneness of momentary consciousness
and its objects. This Reality is advaya-jndna, nondual conscious
ness, which is the essence of the Upanisads and the subject matter
of Srimad Bhdgavatam; it is not momentary, but eternal, conscious,
and blissful by nature.
In the technical philosophical sense, nondual consciousness is
not the immediate cause of creation, which would imply its entan
glement in cause-effect conditionality. Rather, it is the source con
dition that makes possible the actualization of everything in the cos
mos out of the field of infinite possibility. This is the actual signif
icance of its being often referred to as sarva-kdrana-kdranam (lit.,
"the ultimate cause of all causes"). In this respect, it can accomplish
356
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
How does it exist? "It is present everywhere (sarvatra), mean
ing that it pervades the body, and it is eternal (sdsvat), meaning
that it is present at every moment."
^ ^ Mld^M vdidfCild ycftM ? cT^ —
cbRAIdH I 4telW[cFRT gWT
■g i T j f l " I I
"But how can consciousness be considered invariable {anapdyi),
since conventional experience dictates that upon the disap
pearance of the cognition of something blue, there arises the
cognition of something yellow?"
Pippalayana answers, "by the power of the senses" (indriya-
balena), indicating that although consciousness is one and ever-
present, the influence of the senses [of sense perceptions and cog
nitions] makes it appear variegated. In other words, it is not
consciousness itself that appears and disappears; rather, what
appears and disappears are the various mental modes (vrttis)
assuming the forms of cognitions of something blue and so on
[i.e., it is only the content of consciousness that is variable and
not primordial consciousness itself].
Thus, the first logical argument [presented to help distin
guish the dtmd from the body] is based on the difference between
that which appears and disappears and that which is beyond
such transformations. The second argument [presented to dis
tinguish consciousness from cognitions] is based on the differ
ence between the seer and the seen. The example of the vital
force (prdna) shows how something unchanging can exist in the
midst of ever-changing phenomena.
365

Ill Prameya
(prdna) within the body, although one, appears as if many in
contact with the various senses, (sb ii.s.ss)^
53.2
Idcbi<)sf^ ^rrfer 1 ^ 1 fdMRuimlsft" 1 "f|"
WTTcT I "oqf^idlUuilH"atlJmiMlRHlH 1 ^c|Hd5>MI^|cbl<^-
14HcHfdd^dTlcthld)^^l l^gjcl^lddi ddd^^ddVief: if^-
^:^5^|c|lcill ? 3 Tc T 3 T T ^ — I
The word dtmd here refers to "the pure self," and the clause na
jajdna means "the pure self was never born." Since it is with
out birth, the self is also free from the ensuing transformation,
namely, subsistence (astitd) [i.e., sustained existence]. The verb
naidhate means "the self does not increase." Since it is without
increase, it does not undergo transformation. The word hi means
"because" [with its conjoining clause supplying the reason why
the self is free from the above transformations, as explained
hereafter].
Vyahhicdrindm means "of everything that undergoes appear
ance and disappearance," namely, the various states of the phys
ical body, such as childhood, adolescence, and so on, or alter
natively the various forms of bodies [temporarily inhabited],
such as celestial (dcva), human, and others. [The reason for the
self's freedom from transformation is now specified.] The self
is savana-vit, the witness of each of these different bodily states
or forms. What this signifies is that the witness is certainly not
subject to the varying conditions which it merely observes. To
the question "What is the nature of this unchanging self?" Pip-
palayana says, "It is exclusively of the nature of consciousness
{upalahdhi-mdtram)"
^ ndtma jajdna na marisyati naidhate'sau na ksiyate savana-vid vyabhicdrindrh hi
sarvatra sasvad anapdyy upalabdhi-mdtram prdno yathendriya-balena vikalpitam sat
364
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content —
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
everything simply by its will, which is to say — in the language of
quantum physics — that by mere intention, it precipitates the col
lapse of the wave function that leads from potentiality to actuality.
All this implies that the advaya-jnana is inherently self-endowed
with variegated potencies. That very Brahman is to be understood
as Supreme, because It is the ultimate vastitude, and because It
propels others into the vastness of being (brhattvad brrhhanatvdc ca
yad brahma paramam viduh, vp 3.3.21). The various Sruti statements
cited in this anuccheda describe all these characteristics of Brahman.
So, the theory of consciousness of the Ksanika-vijnana-vadls does
not agree either with Sruti or with Srimad Bhdgavatam.
The Vijnana-vadis' theory of reality is based on their assump
tion that there is no absolute pure consciousness. The Vijnana-
vadis do not know that the Absolute Reality in Its innermost essence
is personal, possessing inconceivable potencies (acintya-sakti) by
virtue of which It is the support and shelter of everything, while
yet remaining unaffected. As Devahuti said in her prayers, "You,
who are the Supreme Regulator (Isvara) of all living beings, have
countless inconceivable powers" (dtmesvaro'tarkya-sahasra-saktih,
SB 3.33.3).
The Vijnana-vadis' view is based on a material conception of
changing consciousness. They adopt momentariness a priori as the
reference frame through which to view subject and object, and
hence, what is disclosed to them is how subject and object appear
from that limited perspective. Their understanding does not apply
to the absolute realm of being. While in our ordinary experience,
material energy is in a constant state of flux, the Lord and His
intrinsic energies are not under the same system of natural laws
that govern material nature. The example of the spider cited in
the previous anuccheda also applies here: The spider produces a
special substance within itself, weaves its web with it, and later
draws the substance back into itself, all without undergoing any
transformation.
It was already established in the beginning of this book that
knowledge of the Absolute can be accessed only through its own self-
disclosure in the form of revealed sound (i.e., scriptural revelation).
357
 Ill Prameya

To understand the Absolute Truth, we must first shed all our pre
conceived notions based on material conditioning and simply hear
from authentic spiritual authorities in disciplic succession. This
is to say that knowingness of the Absolute is not in reality some
thing to be obtained but rather something to be wholeheartedly
submitted to. Anuccheda 53
The Vijnana-vadls, being followers of Lord Buddha, reject the
Vedas. Buddha s own rejection of the Vedas was primarily a reaction Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
to the misuse of Vedic authority by the brdhmanas. The Vedas were
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
never meant to serve merely as dictums of God to be blindly carried
out or used for personal gain, but as self-revealing truths identical
with Reality. In others words, they are meant to support the direct 53-1

knowing of that Reality as seen in the case of Sri Vyasadeva and

Sukadeva Gosvami. But by rejecting the Vedic authority outright,
the Buddhists have no alternative other than striving to understand cl^ dl^kllcci I
the inconceivable with their own minds. They thus end up with a (^0^0 ? I? Ro) (mo i? i?<:) -
hopelessly muddled explanation of transcendental reality.
The jivA is designated by the pronoun tvam (you) in the state
They say that consciousness is momentary. If this were true,
then consciousness could not be the cause of anything, because ment tat tvam asi ("You are that"). If it is first grasped through
proper deliberation that the jivdtma is conscious and eternal,
according to the Nyaya school of logic, a cause has to exist for at least one can easily understand that the Supreme Brahman, des
t w o m o m e n t s . I t m u s t e x i s t a s t h e c a u s e f o r t h e fi r s t m o m e n t a n d
then transform or produce the result in the next moment. And if our ignated by the pronoun tat, is of the same essential nature,
vs 1.3.20 states: "The deliberation upon the jiva is in order to
consciousness existed for only one moment at a time, we could not
remember our past experiences, since there would be no continuity know the other [the Supreme Brahman]." So, to impart an under
from one moment s consciousness to another moment s conscious standing of the Supreme (tat) in accordance with this reasoning,
ness. A person who has experienced an activity can recall it later Pippalayana Yogendra describes the jiva as being of the same
nature as the Supreme when he says to King Nimi:
on, but if consciousness is momentary, there is nothing to recall in
the next moment s consciousness. Indeed, there is no one to recall
•ilcHI VJIVJIM ^ oqR-ci|f<u|| |
it. This is certainly contrary to everyone's experience.
Nor can the Vijfiana-vadls' idea of the external world with
stand the test of logic. They say that the external world is a
Because it is the witness of the different states [childhood, youth,
manifestation of momentary consciousness. Here, the question and so on] of the transient material body, this dtmd is without
may be asked whether things perceived as external are one with birth, growth, decay, or death. Although the dtmd is exclusively
momentary consciousness or different from it? If they say that of the nature of consciousness, present everywhere, eternal, and
external objects are separately real, then they are agreeing with the invariable, it appears to assume various forms under the influ
Vaisnava opinion and are contradicting their own statement that ence of sense perception and cognition, just as the vital force

358 363
 II Prameya
properly implies "pure devotion." Although impersonalists com
monly use this term to mean final emancipation, or merging into
Brahman, their usage is absurd, because there is no real merging
into impersonal Brahman. Kaivalya means liberation, but the real
mark of liberation is the final and complete establishment of the
pure self in the intrinsic potency of pure devotion, not merging
into Brahman. Srlla Jiva GosvamI will explain this more fully in 1
Priti Sandarbha, Anucchedas 1 ff.
To summarize, statements in the Vedic scriptures describing the
oneness of Brahman and the jivas serve one or more of the following
purposes:
1. To distinguish both Brahman and the jivas from inert matter by
pointing to consciousness as their common quality.
2. To show that thejivas are integrated parts of Paramatma. ^
3. To teach that the jivas are dependent on Paramatma.
4. To indicate that by becoming an unalloyed devotee, a jiva actual
izes his ultimate potential, becoming in a sense as powerful as
the Supreme Lord.
5. To show that conditional life in the material world under the
influence of a separatist view and ego is not the natural, healthy
condition of the jiva.
6. To show that the jiva, whether in conditioned life or in liberation,
has no independence from God.
7. To establish that Brahman is the only self-existent Reality.
No statements in the Vedic scriptures about the oneness of Brah
man and the jivas assert absolute oneness between them. To know
Paramatma, one must first understand the nature of the individual
self, the jiva. Thus, in the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins
explaining the characteristics of the self.
362
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
the apparently external objects are only manifestations of internal
consciousness. If they say that the external objects are one with
internal consciousness, in practice there would be no way to dis
tinguish between the momentary internal consciousness and the
objects it perceives. Also, there would be no standard to separate,
say, blue consciousness from yellow consciousness, and thus there
would be rampant confusion in our perceptions. And why would a
j common reality be perceived at all? As in dreams, which are private
in nature, there would be no common or simultaneous experience
of objects since no two individuals' consciousness or cognitions are
the same.
As is known from both reason and direct experience, conscious
ness always has a subject (one who is conscious) and an object (what
one is conscious of). If momentary consciousness alone is real,
where are its subject and object? To this the Vijnana-vadls offer
no satisfactory answer. If neither external objects nor the inter
nally perceived objects, such as happiness and distress, are differ
ent from the perceiver, then who is the subject of the act of per
ception? Everyone's common experience is that the perceiver, the
perceived, and the perception are distinct.
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami again clarifies that the one
ness of the jiva and Brahman spoken of in the Sruti is not meant to
be understood as absolute oneness. After all, Sruti contains such
statements as, "Entering primordial nature as Paramatma along
«
with this jiva, I shall manifest names and forms" (anenajlvendtma-
ndnupravisya ndma-rupe vydkaravdni, chu 6.3.2). Here the pronoun
anena (this) implies that the jiva is different from "I," the speaker,
Paramatma. Nonetheless, the jiva is described elsewhere as an inte
grated part of Brahman, a conclusion confirmed by Srila Vyasa's
trance. The reconciliation of this apparent contradiction is, as we
have discussed before, that the jiva and Brahman are one in the
sense of their sharing the common characteristic of consciousness,
but are different in their individual identities and potencies. If a
person says that Texans and New Yorkers are one, we understand
him to mean that they are from the same country, not that they have
no separate identities.
359
 Ill Prameya
The jivas are integrated parts of Brahman, the Complete Whole.
This is the oneness of Brahman with Its parts, or in other words,
with Its energies, which is the fundamental teaching of the
Upanisads and Srimad Bhdgavatam, The idea is that in general, the
part is dependent on the whole and supports its function. When
separated from the whole, the part becomes as useless as a finger
lopped off the hand. In the same way, the relation between the jivas
and Bhagavan, who is known as Brahman in the Upanisads, is that
of the servants and the served. The jivas have no independent exis
tence. All their problems arise from their misconstrued sense of
independence and separation from God.
Correctly understanding the oneness between Brahman and
the jivas is a fundamental step in intuiting the nature of Brahman.
Every jiva directly experiences his own consciousness, and the
Upanisads, on the basis of the oneness of Brahman and the jivas,
instruct the jivas to extrapolate from that experience some idea of
the nature of Brahman. To illustrate this, Srila Jiva GosvamI offers
the analogy of a man born and brought up in a cavelike room who
has never seen the sun. To educate this man about the sun, someone
may point to a ray of sunlight seeping into his dark room through a
tiny opening and tell him, "This single ray of light is from the sun,
an enormous sphere that emanates countless similar rays." From
this information the man can get some idea of what the sun is like.
The Upanisads use this same method to instruct the jivas about
Brahman s status as pure consciousness. Indeed, the jivas are like
infinitesimal rays of light emanating from the sunlike Brahman.
The suns rays are not completely different from the sun because
they originate from it; but they are also not absolutely one with
the sun, because they can be seen apart from it and because they
do not have its complete potency. Similarly, the jivas are neither
completely one with Brahman nor completely different from Brah
man. In Sarva-samvadini, Srlla Jiva Gosvami calls this relation
ship between the jiva and Brahman acintya-bheda-abheda, "incon
ceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference." Owing to this
relationship. Brahman is described as advaya-jnana, or nondual
consciousness, which is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
360
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content
Identity and Distinction of the Jiva and Brahman
Thus, the word brahma — as used in the Upanisads and Srimad
Bhdgavatam — should not be misunderstood as meaning Brahman
utterly devoid of qualities. The Advaitavadis insist on such an
understanding. But logically such an impersonal Brahman can
not exist, because to exist would require the attribute of existence,
which implies potency, which in turn implies duality — Brahman
plus attributes. So, in spite of their abhorrence of duality in the
absolute realm, Mayavadis cannot escape it without acknowledg
ing the nonduality of the Absolute and Its potencies. From this
understanding it is evident that nowhere in Vedic literature does
the word brahma mean impersonal Brahman in the sense that they
intend.
To clarify this, Suta Gosvami says, "This nondual consciousness
is called Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan" (brahmeti paramd-
tmeti bhagavdn iti sabdyate, sb 1.2.11). Here Suta Gosvami does not
say that the Absolute Truth is also called jiva. He includes only
these three names of that nondual consciousness, which Srimad
Bhdgavatam identifies as Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute.
The one Absolute Truth manifests differently to the adherents of dif
ferent spiritual processes in accordance with their core disposition
of faith, but the Absolute Truth Itself does not change. This is the
significance of the word sabdyate (it is designated). The Brahman
described in the Vedic scriptures is Bhagavan, the Supreme Person,
Sri Krsna.
In the Sruti we find two types of statements concerning the rela
tionship between the jivas and Brahman: those designating the jiva
as part of Brahman and those that indicate his oneness with Brah
man. The real distinction between these two kinds of statements is
only one of emphasis on either difference (bheda) or nondifference
(abheda). Statements in the Vedic scripture, such as, "That one
eternal conscious being is the support for the many eternal con
scious beings" (nityo nitydndm cetanas cetandndm, ku 2.2.13) belong
to the bheda class. Statements such as, "Indeed, all this is Brahman"
(sarvarh khalv idarh brahma) belong to the abheda class.
The word kaivalya (lit., "aloneness," or in other words, con
sciousness alone, freed of all limiting adjuncts) in sb 12.13.12
361
 Ill Prameya
The jivas are integrated parts of Brahman, the Complete Whole.
This is the oneness of Brahman with Its parts, or in other words,
with Its energies, which is the fundamental teaching of the
Upanisads and Srimad Bhdgavatam, The idea is that in general, the
part is dependent on the whole and supports its function. When
separated from the whole, the part becomes as useless as a finger
lopped off the hand. In the same way, the relation between the jivas
and Bhagavan, who is known as Brahman in the Upanisads, is that
of the servants and the served. The jivas have no independent exis
tence. All their problems arise from their misconstrued sense of
independence and separation from God.
Correctly understanding the oneness between Brahman and
the jivas is a fundamental step in intuiting the nature of Brahman.
Every jiva directly experiences his own consciousness, and the
Upanisads, on the basis of the oneness of Brahman and the jivas,
instruct the jivas to extrapolate from that experience some idea of
the nature of Brahman. To illustrate this, Srila Jiva GosvamI offers
the analogy of a man born and brought up in a cavelike room who
has never seen the sun. To educate this man about the sun, someone
may point to a ray of sunlight seeping into his dark room through a
tiny opening and tell him, "This single ray of light is from the sun,
an enormous sphere that emanates countless similar rays." From
this information the man can get some idea of what the sun is like.
The Upanisads use this same method to instruct the jivas about
Brahman s status as pure consciousness. Indeed, the jivas are like
infinitesimal rays of light emanating from the sunlike Brahman.
The suns rays are not completely different from the sun because
they originate from it; but they are also not absolutely one with
the sun, because they can be seen apart from it and because they
do not have its complete potency. Similarly, the jivas are neither
completely one with Brahman nor completely different from Brah
man. In Sarva-samvadini, Srlla Jiva Gosvami calls this relation
ship between the jiva and Brahman acintya-bheda-abheda, "incon
ceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference." Owing to this
relationship. Brahman is described as advaya-jnana, or nondual
consciousness, which is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam,
360
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content
Identity and Distinction of the Jiva and Brahman
Thus, the word brahma — as used in the Upanisads and Srimad
Bhdgavatam — should not be misunderstood as meaning Brahman
utterly devoid of qualities. The Advaitavadis insist on such an
understanding. But logically such an impersonal Brahman can
not exist, because to exist would require the attribute of existence,
which implies potency, which in turn implies duality — Brahman
plus attributes. So, in spite of their abhorrence of duality in the
absolute realm, Mayavadis cannot escape it without acknowledg
ing the nonduality of the Absolute and Its potencies. From this
understanding it is evident that nowhere in Vedic literature does
the word brahma mean impersonal Brahman in the sense that they
intend.
To clarify this, Suta Gosvami says, "This nondual consciousness
is called Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan" (brahmeti paramd-
tmeti bhagavdn iti sabdyate, sb 1.2.11). Here Suta Gosvami does not
say that the Absolute Truth is also called jiva. He includes only
these three names of that nondual consciousness, which Srimad
Bhdgavatam identifies as Krsna, the Supreme Personal Absolute.
The one Absolute Truth manifests differently to the adherents of dif
ferent spiritual processes in accordance with their core disposition
of faith, but the Absolute Truth Itself does not change. This is the
significance of the word sabdyate (it is designated). The Brahman
described in the Vedic scriptures is Bhagavan, the Supreme Person,
Sri Krsna.
In the Sruti we find two types of statements concerning the rela
tionship between the jivas and Brahman: those designating the jiva
as part of Brahman and those that indicate his oneness with Brah
man. The real distinction between these two kinds of statements is
only one of emphasis on either difference (bheda) or nondifference
(abheda). Statements in the Vedic scripture, such as, "That one
eternal conscious being is the support for the many eternal con
scious beings" (nityo nitydndm cetanas cetandndm, ku 2.2.13) belong
to the bheda class. Statements such as, "Indeed, all this is Brahman"
(sarvarh khalv idarh brahma) belong to the abheda class.
The word kaivalya (lit., "aloneness," or in other words, con
sciousness alone, freed of all limiting adjuncts) in sb 12.13.12
361
 II Prameya
properly implies "pure devotion." Although impersonalists com
monly use this term to mean final emancipation, or merging into
Brahman, their usage is absurd, because there is no real merging
into impersonal Brahman. Kaivalya means liberation, but the real
mark of liberation is the final and complete establishment of the
pure self in the intrinsic potency of pure devotion, not merging
into Brahman. Srlla Jiva GosvamI will explain this more fully in 1
Priti Sandarbha, Anucchedas 1 ff.
To summarize, statements in the Vedic scriptures describing the
oneness of Brahman and the jivas serve one or more of the following
purposes:
1. To distinguish both Brahman and the jivas from inert matter by
pointing to consciousness as their common quality.
2. To show that thejivas are integrated parts of Paramatma. ^
3. To teach that the jivas are dependent on Paramatma.
4. To indicate that by becoming an unalloyed devotee, a jiva actual
izes his ultimate potential, becoming in a sense as powerful as
the Supreme Lord.
5. To show that conditional life in the material world under the
influence of a separatist view and ego is not the natural, healthy
condition of the jiva.
6. To show that the jiva, whether in conditioned life or in liberation,
has no independence from God.
7. To establish that Brahman is the only self-existent Reality.
No statements in the Vedic scriptures about the oneness of Brah
man and the jivas assert absolute oneness between them. To know
Paramatma, one must first understand the nature of the individual
self, the jiva. Thus, in the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami begins
explaining the characteristics of the self.
362
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
the apparently external objects are only manifestations of internal
consciousness. If they say that the external objects are one with
internal consciousness, in practice there would be no way to dis
tinguish between the momentary internal consciousness and the
objects it perceives. Also, there would be no standard to separate,
say, blue consciousness from yellow consciousness, and thus there
would be rampant confusion in our perceptions. And why would a
j common reality be perceived at all? As in dreams, which are private
in nature, there would be no common or simultaneous experience
of objects since no two individuals' consciousness or cognitions are
the same.
As is known from both reason and direct experience, conscious
ness always has a subject (one who is conscious) and an object (what
one is conscious of). If momentary consciousness alone is real,
where are its subject and object? To this the Vijnana-vadls offer
no satisfactory answer. If neither external objects nor the inter
nally perceived objects, such as happiness and distress, are differ
ent from the perceiver, then who is the subject of the act of per
ception? Everyone's common experience is that the perceiver, the
perceived, and the perception are distinct.
In this anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami again clarifies that the one
ness of the jiva and Brahman spoken of in the Sruti is not meant to
be understood as absolute oneness. After all, Sruti contains such
statements as, "Entering primordial nature as Paramatma along
«
with this jiva, I shall manifest names and forms" (anenajlvendtma-
ndnupravisya ndma-rupe vydkaravdni, chu 6.3.2). Here the pronoun
anena (this) implies that the jiva is different from "I," the speaker,
Paramatma. Nonetheless, the jiva is described elsewhere as an inte
grated part of Brahman, a conclusion confirmed by Srila Vyasa's
trance. The reconciliation of this apparent contradiction is, as we
have discussed before, that the jiva and Brahman are one in the
sense of their sharing the common characteristic of consciousness,
but are different in their individual identities and potencies. If a
person says that Texans and New Yorkers are one, we understand
him to mean that they are from the same country, not that they have
no separate identities.
359
 Ill Prameya

To understand the Absolute Truth, we must first shed all our pre
conceived notions based on material conditioning and simply hear
from authentic spiritual authorities in disciplic succession. This
is to say that knowingness of the Absolute is not in reality some
thing to be obtained but rather something to be wholeheartedly
submitted to. Anuccheda 53
The Vijnana-vadls, being followers of Lord Buddha, reject the
Vedas. Buddha s own rejection of the Vedas was primarily a reaction Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
to the misuse of Vedic authority by the brdhmanas. The Vedas were
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
never meant to serve merely as dictums of God to be blindly carried
out or used for personal gain, but as self-revealing truths identical
with Reality. In others words, they are meant to support the direct 53-1

knowing of that Reality as seen in the case of Sri Vyasadeva and

Sukadeva Gosvami. But by rejecting the Vedic authority outright,
the Buddhists have no alternative other than striving to understand cl^ dl^kllcci I
the inconceivable with their own minds. They thus end up with a (^0^0 ? I? Ro) (mo i? i?<:) -
hopelessly muddled explanation of transcendental reality.
The jivA is designated by the pronoun tvam (you) in the state
They say that consciousness is momentary. If this were true,
then consciousness could not be the cause of anything, because ment tat tvam asi ("You are that"). If it is first grasped through
proper deliberation that the jivdtma is conscious and eternal,
according to the Nyaya school of logic, a cause has to exist for at least one can easily understand that the Supreme Brahman, des
t w o m o m e n t s . I t m u s t e x i s t a s t h e c a u s e f o r t h e fi r s t m o m e n t a n d
then transform or produce the result in the next moment. And if our ignated by the pronoun tat, is of the same essential nature,
vs 1.3.20 states: "The deliberation upon the jiva is in order to
consciousness existed for only one moment at a time, we could not
remember our past experiences, since there would be no continuity know the other [the Supreme Brahman]." So, to impart an under
from one moment s consciousness to another moment s conscious standing of the Supreme (tat) in accordance with this reasoning,
ness. A person who has experienced an activity can recall it later Pippalayana Yogendra describes the jiva as being of the same
nature as the Supreme when he says to King Nimi:
on, but if consciousness is momentary, there is nothing to recall in
the next moment s consciousness. Indeed, there is no one to recall
•ilcHI VJIVJIM ^ oqR-ci|f<u|| |
it. This is certainly contrary to everyone's experience.
Nor can the Vijfiana-vadls' idea of the external world with
stand the test of logic. They say that the external world is a
Because it is the witness of the different states [childhood, youth,
manifestation of momentary consciousness. Here, the question and so on] of the transient material body, this dtmd is without
may be asked whether things perceived as external are one with birth, growth, decay, or death. Although the dtmd is exclusively
momentary consciousness or different from it? If they say that of the nature of consciousness, present everywhere, eternal, and
external objects are separately real, then they are agreeing with the invariable, it appears to assume various forms under the influ
Vaisnava opinion and are contradicting their own statement that ence of sense perception and cognition, just as the vital force

358 363

Ill Prameya
(prdna) within the body, although one, appears as if many in
contact with the various senses, (sb ii.s.ss)^
53.2
Idcbi<)sf^ ^rrfer 1 ^ 1 fdMRuimlsft" 1 "f|"
WTTcT I "oqf^idlUuilH"atlJmiMlRHlH 1 ^c|Hd5>MI^|cbl<^-
14HcHfdd^dTlcthld)^^l l^gjcl^lddi ddd^^ddVief: if^-
^:^5^|c|lcill ? 3 Tc T 3 T T ^ — I
The word dtmd here refers to "the pure self," and the clause na
jajdna means "the pure self was never born." Since it is with
out birth, the self is also free from the ensuing transformation,
namely, subsistence (astitd) [i.e., sustained existence]. The verb
naidhate means "the self does not increase." Since it is without
increase, it does not undergo transformation. The word hi means
"because" [with its conjoining clause supplying the reason why
the self is free from the above transformations, as explained
hereafter].
Vyahhicdrindm means "of everything that undergoes appear
ance and disappearance," namely, the various states of the phys
ical body, such as childhood, adolescence, and so on, or alter
natively the various forms of bodies [temporarily inhabited],
such as celestial (dcva), human, and others. [The reason for the
self's freedom from transformation is now specified.] The self
is savana-vit, the witness of each of these different bodily states
or forms. What this signifies is that the witness is certainly not
subject to the varying conditions which it merely observes. To
the question "What is the nature of this unchanging self?" Pip-
palayana says, "It is exclusively of the nature of consciousness
{upalahdhi-mdtram)"
^ ndtma jajdna na marisyati naidhate'sau na ksiyate savana-vid vyabhicdrindrh hi
sarvatra sasvad anapdyy upalabdhi-mdtram prdno yathendriya-balena vikalpitam sat
364
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content —
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
everything simply by its will, which is to say — in the language of
quantum physics — that by mere intention, it precipitates the col
lapse of the wave function that leads from potentiality to actuality.
All this implies that the advaya-jnana is inherently self-endowed
with variegated potencies. That very Brahman is to be understood
as Supreme, because It is the ultimate vastitude, and because It
propels others into the vastness of being (brhattvad brrhhanatvdc ca
yad brahma paramam viduh, vp 3.3.21). The various Sruti statements
cited in this anuccheda describe all these characteristics of Brahman.
So, the theory of consciousness of the Ksanika-vijnana-vadls does
not agree either with Sruti or with Srimad Bhdgavatam.
The Vijnana-vadis' theory of reality is based on their assump
tion that there is no absolute pure consciousness. The Vijnana-
vadis do not know that the Absolute Reality in Its innermost essence
is personal, possessing inconceivable potencies (acintya-sakti) by
virtue of which It is the support and shelter of everything, while
yet remaining unaffected. As Devahuti said in her prayers, "You,
who are the Supreme Regulator (Isvara) of all living beings, have
countless inconceivable powers" (dtmesvaro'tarkya-sahasra-saktih,
SB 3.33.3).
The Vijnana-vadis' view is based on a material conception of
changing consciousness. They adopt momentariness a priori as the
reference frame through which to view subject and object, and
hence, what is disclosed to them is how subject and object appear
from that limited perspective. Their understanding does not apply
to the absolute realm of being. While in our ordinary experience,
material energy is in a constant state of flux, the Lord and His
intrinsic energies are not under the same system of natural laws
that govern material nature. The example of the spider cited in
the previous anuccheda also applies here: The spider produces a
special substance within itself, weaves its web with it, and later
draws the substance back into itself, all without undergoing any
transformation.
It was already established in the beginning of this book that
knowledge of the Absolute can be accessed only through its own self-
disclosure in the form of revealed sound (i.e., scriptural revelation).
357
 Ill Prameya
appears unchanging only because of the similarity between our
prior and successive cognitions of it.
Just as the objects we see in our dreams do not exist outside
our consciousness, so the distinctions between knowledge and the
object of knowledge in our waking life do not exist. When we see
a blue object, our consciousness is blue. If we next see a yellow
object, the blue consciousness is dissolved and replaced by yellow
consciousness. How, then, can consciousness be called eternal?
This is their objection to Jiva Gosvami s conclusion that the Absolute
Truth is eternal. The Vijfiana-vadis reason that an eternal object
cannot be the cause of anything since a cause generally transforms
into its effect. For example, since milk transforms into yogurt, it
cannot be eternal.
Similarly, nondual consciousness, being the cause of every
thing, must undergo transformation and, therefore, cannot be eter
nal. Further, they say, everything is changing at every moment,
although we may not notice the moment-by-moment change, just
as we do not notice the moment-by-moment growth of plants or of
our bodies.
To the Vijnana-vadls' argument, Srila JIva Gosvami replies not
with a logical refutation but by quoting Srimad Bhdgavatam, the
supreme pramdna. The Bhdgavatam verse given here (sb 12.13.12)
explains that the nondual Reality is characterized by the oneness of
the individual self with the Supreme Self, Brahman. This oneness of
Reality is not the Buddhists' oneness of momentary consciousness
and its objects. This Reality is advaya-jndna, nondual conscious
ness, which is the essence of the Upanisads and the subject matter
of Srimad Bhdgavatam; it is not momentary, but eternal, conscious,
and blissful by nature.
In the technical philosophical sense, nondual consciousness is
not the immediate cause of creation, which would imply its entan
glement in cause-effect conditionality. Rather, it is the source con
dition that makes possible the actualization of everything in the cos
mos out of the field of infinite possibility. This is the actual signif
icance of its being often referred to as sarva-kdrana-kdranam (lit.,
"the ultimate cause of all causes"). In this respect, it can accomplish
356
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
How does it exist? "It is present everywhere (sarvatra), mean
ing that it pervades the body, and it is eternal (sdsvat), meaning
that it is present at every moment."
^ ^ Mld^M vdidfCild ycftM ? cT^ —
cbRAIdH I 4telW[cFRT gWT
■g i T j f l " I I
"But how can consciousness be considered invariable {anapdyi),
since conventional experience dictates that upon the disap
pearance of the cognition of something blue, there arises the
cognition of something yellow?"
Pippalayana answers, "by the power of the senses" (indriya-
balena), indicating that although consciousness is one and ever-
present, the influence of the senses [of sense perceptions and cog
nitions] makes it appear variegated. In other words, it is not
consciousness itself that appears and disappears; rather, what
appears and disappears are the various mental modes (vrttis)
assuming the forms of cognitions of something blue and so on
[i.e., it is only the content of consciousness that is variable and
not primordial consciousness itself].
Thus, the first logical argument [presented to help distin
guish the dtmd from the body] is based on the difference between
that which appears and disappears and that which is beyond
such transformations. The second argument [presented to dis
tinguish consciousness from cognitions] is based on the differ
ence between the seer and the seen. The example of the vital
force (prdna) shows how something unchanging can exist in the
midst of ever-changing phenomena.
365
 Ill Prameya
Commentary
The Vedic statements that imply the nondifFerence between the
jiva and Brahman do so in reference to the common attributes of
both. One popular example of such a statement is "You are that"
(tat tvam asi). Here the pronouns tat and tvam signify Brahman
and the jlva, respectively, both of whom possess the attribute of
consciousness.
The idea is that if the jiva s spiritual nature is understood, then
the nature of Brahman is easily grasped. This is the idea behind
the analogy that Srila Jiva Gosvami gave in the previous anuccheda,
in which the man in the cave learns about the nature of the sun
by being instructed about the suns ray. This technique of intu
iting transcendent truth through similarity has also been used in
Vedanta-sutra, "The deliberation upon the jiva is in order to know
the other [Paramatma]" (anydrthas ca pardmarsah, vs 1.3.20).
In his commentary on this section of Tattva Sandarbha, Srila
Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes:
This sutra refers to the dahara-vidya portion of the Chandogya Upani-
sad (cHu 8.1), which describes meditation on Paramatma within the
tiny space (dahara) in the inner recess of the heart. The body of
the worshiper is considered to be the city of Brahman, within the
dahara of which lies Paramatma. The worshiper is meant to med
itate on the eight qualities belonging to Paramatma. These eight
qualities are listed in chu 8.7.1, "Paramatma is free from sin, old
age, death, sorrow, hunger, and thirst. He has infallible desires and
infallible will."^ But further along (chu 8.12.3),^ mention is made of
"a blissful one who rises up out of the body, attains to the divine
light, and becomes established in his own real nature. He is called
the uttamah purusah, the most exalted person."
This uttamah purusah, according to Baladeva Vidyabhusana, is
^ dtmdpahata-pdpmd vijaro vimrtyur visoko vijighatso'pipdsah satya-kdmah
satya-sankalpah
^ evam evaisa samprasddo'smdc charirdt samutthdya
paramjyotir upasampadya svena rupendbhinispadyate
sa uttamapurusah
366
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Cont
Identity and Distinction of the JIva and Brahman
Thus, the Upanisads sometimes teach that Brahman is also an
Integrated Whole inclusive of parts, specifically because He is
endowed with parts, such as the living beings and other poten
cies. Conversely, when the Srutis speak of Him as devoid of
parts, they are focusing on His unqualified essence. In the fourth
line of SB 12.13.12, namely, kaivalyaika-prayojana, the word kaiva-
lya (aloneness) [proclaimed in the verse as the ultimate attain
ment of Srimad Bhdgavatam] means "establishment in the state
of utterly pure existence [devoid of all material adjuncts]." By
extension of understanding, the state of utterly pure existence
finds its culmination in the state of utterly pure devotion. This
will be shown later in Priti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 1).
The verse under discussion (sb 12.13.12) was spoken by Sri Suta
Gosvami.
Commentary
In the last anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami established that
the Absolute Truth is eternal nondual consciousness. One sect
of Buddhists, the Ksanika-vijfiana-vadis, raise an objection to this
conclusion. Their doctrine states that there is only one reality, con
sciousness, which is changing at every moment, and that there is no
difference between knowledge and the object of knowledge. Exter
nal objects have no existence outside of cognitions. Consciousness
is like a river whose water is always flowing, or it is like the flame of
a candle that is changing at every moment. A new flame succeeds
the previous one as the old wick and wax are consumed. There is
nothing in this world that is not transitory. An object, like a flame.
355
 Ill Prameya
CHU 6.8.7) disclose that the jivas oneness with Brahman consists
of its partaking of the same identity as Brahman, by virtue of
being pure consciousness and an integrated part thereof. This
particular understanding is helpful in precipitating preliminary
knowledge of the Supreme Brahman.
The entity thus designated as the Supreme Brahman, who
is the essence of all the Upanisads and is one without a second,
is the focus of interest and the exclusive subject of this Srimad
Bhdgavatam. This verse [sb 12.13.12] shows a clear connection to
another statement from another verse [sb 1.1.2] that we looked at
above [Anuccheda 50].^
The following analogy may help to clarify the purpose of describ
ing the jiva's oneness with Brahman, referred to above. Suppose
a person is kept in a dark room from birth without ever seeing
the sun. When curiosity is aroused in that person to know what
the sun is, another person may point to a ray of sunlight pass
ing through a window grating and say, "This is the sun." In other
words, the ray is but a tiny portion of the sun. That which the
person must come to know is an immense orb of light, having
the same basic constitution. In Paramdtma Sandarbha (Anucche-
das 18-46), we will establish that the jiva is similarly an inte
grated portion of the Supreme Brahman, manifested by one of
His inconceivable potencies.
^ The earlier verse stated that the one truly-abiding Substantive (vdstavam vastu) is
the truth to be investigated in Srimad Bhdgavatam, while this verse states that the
Bhdgavatam's subject is the nondual Absolute (advitiyam vastu). Thus, the
connection between the verses is evident, and together they affirm that the
nondual consciousness (advaya-jndna) that is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam
does not refer to momentary consciousness in the form of successive cognitions.
354
53 Intuition of the Supreme Self through Analysis
of the Characteristics of the Individual Self
the jiva who has attained perfection by acquiring transcendental
knowledge of Bhagavan.
This raises an obvious doubt: Why is the jiva mentioned in the
midst of this description of the dahara, dealing with meditation
on Paramatma? To answer this doubt, the above sutra supplies
the answer, "The reference to the jiva in the dahara-vidya is not
simply to convey knowledge about the jiva, but to lead to knowl
edge of Paramatma, for by knowing Paramatma, the jiva attains his
real nature" {anydrthas ca pardmarsah, vs 1.3.20). In sb 11.3.33, Pip-
palayana Yogendra similarly instructs King Nimi about the jiva to
educate him about the nature of the Lord. The purpose of the verse
by Pippalayana is to distinguish the self from the body.
The body undergoes six types of change. These are listed in Niru-
kta 1.1.2, "The body takes birth, subsists for some time, grows, under
goes changes, dwindles, and finally dies" (jdyate'sti vardhate vipari-
namatepaksiyate nasyati ca). The dtmd, however, does not undergo
any of these changes, as Sri Krsna confirms in Chapter Two ofBhaga-
vad Gitd. Pippalayanas argument for the dtmas not undergoing the
six changes is that it is the constant witness of all these changes.
A person sitting in a moving airplane and unable to look out the
window cannot fathom its speed, but someone on the ground can
observe it.
The objection of the Ksanika-vijnana-vadis discussed in the
previous anuccheda — namely, that consciousness is only momen
tary — is repeated here (in Anuccheda 53.3) and answered differ
ently. The momentary consciousness of which they speak actu
ally consists of changes in a persons mental modes (vrttis), or
in other words, in the content of consciousness, not primordial
consciousness itself. This variation in the content of conscious
ness is produced by the senses interacting with the external world.
Consciousness itself remains constant.
The Vedanta explains that when a person observes an object,
there arises a particular mental mode, called a vrtti, which the dtmd
perceives. The mental mode itself is not the perceiver. But the Bud
dhists, who deny the existence of an eternal conscious being, mis
construe this temporary ever-changing vrtti, which is non-eternal.
367

Prameya
for real consciousness, which is the invariable context in which the
fluctuating content arises.
This point is further clarified with the analogy of the vital force
(prana). Universal prdna is one, but the prdna within the body has
various names, such as prdna, apdna, and samdna, according to the
function it performs. Similarly, the dtmd is one, but while in the
body, it manifests consciousness, which appears many-branched
and ever-changing. For example, sweetened cow s milk gives rise
to different mental modes when perceived through the different
senses: to the eyes it is white, to the tongue sweet, and so on.
So, it is only the mental modes, affected by varieties of sense
perception, that appear and disappear. The living entity is an inte
grated part of the intermediary potency of Paramatma, which is
conscious and eternal, and so the living entity must have these qual
ities as well, in as much as a gold nugget shares the qualities of the
mother lode. The purpose of explaining the conscious and eternal
quality of the dtmd through logic and direct experience is to help us
intuit the true nature of Paramatma.
Srila Jiva Gosvami derives two arguments from the words of Pip-
palayana (sbii.s.ss), both of which serve to distinguish the dtmd
from the material body. The first argument is based on the changes
occurring in the material body. We notice these changes as time pro
gresses, but upon reflection we can understand that we ourselves
(i.e., the conscious self) have not changed. We know ourselves to be
the same person. Since the attributes of changelessness and trans
formation cannot simultaneously be attributed to the same object,
the unchanging dtmd must be distinct from the changing body.
The second argument is based on the distinction between the
seer and the seen. The body and mind cannot be the seer, because
they are objects of perception. Thus, the perceiver, the dtmd, must
be different from them.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami gives further logical
arguments to help distinguish the self from the body.
368
52 Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from Its Content —
Identity and Distinction of the Jiva and Brahman
(^o 9 1^ 1^) (^o
^ I yfd^idH I smfkr'' (mo
RRdc^vjiJl^cbcbKUicil I (mo^RI?) ^-
dkf^dW I vdlcHdHdl (mo^klvs) cT^-
^ilMlcbKdl I cT^ ^ I
The Sruti has defined the nature (svarupa) of this Absolute Truth
(Brahman): "Brahman is truth, consciousness, and without end
or limit" (tu 2.1.1). It is said to be that by knowing which all
knowledge becomes known in statements like, "By hearing about
[Brahman] the unheard of becomes heard" (chu 6.1.3). That It
is the sole foundation of the entire creation is established in
such Sruti statements as, "My dear boy, prior to all this, there
was only sat, the eternal reality" (chu 6.2.1). That It is endowed
with infallible will (satya-sankalpa) [i.e., that He accomplishes
everything through His mere intention] is indicated by the state
ment, "He glanced [with the intention], 'Let Me become many!'"
(cHU 6.2.3).
In the statement, "Entering primordial nature along with
this individual living being, I shall manifest names and forms"
(cHU 6.3.2), the living being (jiva) is mentioned along with this
selfsame Brahman, which exceeds all, both in essence (svarupa)
and potency (sakti). This amounts to saying that the jiva belongs
to Brahman. Here, although the demonstrative pronoun idam
(this) [qualifying the word jiva] differentiates the jiva from
Brahman, the word dtmand (self) indicates that the jiva is an
integrated part of the Complete Whole that is Brahman. From
the logic of what was revealed in the samadhi of Srila Vyasadeva,
the oneness of the living being with Brahman in no way implies
absolute nondistinction of the jiva and Brahman.
Rather, Sruti statements, such as tat tvam asi ("You are that,"
353
Anuccheda 52
Consciousness Is Primary and Distinct from
Its Content — Identity and Distinction
of the Jiva and Brahman
K41|U|chHc| MPlc^ 5IM
One may question: But events of consciousness (jndna) are
seen to exist for just an instant, taking the shape, say, of a blue
object one moment and a yellow object the next. How then can
consciousness (jndna) be characterized as nondual and eternal,
which is the subject of this scripture [SrimadBhdgavatam]? Suta
Gosvami replies:
II II ^ I
This Bhdgavatam is the essence of all Vedanta philosophy,
because its subject matter is the Absolute Truth, which is one
without a second, as characterized by the oneness [in love] of
the individual living being with Brahman. The one ultimate
attainment (prayojana) proclaimed in this book is kaivalya [lit.,
"aloneness," which here implies pure devotion alone unto that
Supreme Truth, devoid of any extraneous element], (sb 12.13.12)^
sarva-veddnta-sdraTTi yad brahmdtmaikatva-laksanam
vastv advitiyam tan-nistharh kaivalyaika-prayojanam
I
352
Anuccheda 54
The Changeless Self Is the Witness
I iHRcbKlciflMc^I^ Id (mo I? I^'^) —
Taking this example of the invariable prdna within the vari
able body [discussed in Anuccheda 53.3] a step further, Pip-
palayana Rsi points out that the changeless self (nirvikdra-dtmd)
can be intuited from the state of deep sleep in which the senses
and mind have been deactivated [and, hence, have no bearing on
the dtmd at that time]:
Just as the vital force (prdna) remains unchanging as it accom
panies the individual living being (jiva) in whichever different
species it may appear, whether born from eggs, wombs, seeds, or
perspiration, the dtmd is unchanging in the state of deep sleep
when the senses and ego are deactivated and there is freedom
from the subtle body, which is the cause of transformation. Yet,
upon awakening, the remembrance comes to us that we slept
peacefully without awareness of anything [and this indicates
that in deep sleep the self is present as pure witness devoid of
the content of sensory, mental, or egoic awareness], (sb 11.3.39)^
^ andesu pesisu tarusv avinikitesu prdno hijivam upadhdvati tatra tatra
sanne yad indriya-gane'hami ca prasupte kutastha dsayam rte tad anusmrtir nah
369
 Ill Prameya 51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness

Here, andesu means "among those born from eggs/' pesisu means
"among those born from wombs," tarusu means "among those
born from the seeds of plants," and aviniscitesu means "among
those born from perspiration or beat." The verb upadhdvati
[which has the vital force as its subject and the jiva as its object]
means "accompanying repeatedly."
In this anuccheda, Jiva GosvamI presented his thesis that jndna
is eternal. In the next anuccheda, he will state the purva-paksa, or
the opponent s objection that consciousness is momentary. He will
then present the rebuttal to this view.

54.2

cT^ I I ? Pif^cjoK tryicyr 1 ^ci: ?

Having thus illustrated through simile the changeless nature of

the vital force, sage Pippalayana points out that the self (dtmd)
is also changeless, by mentioning it as analogous to the vital
force. How so? The self appears as if subject to change during
the waking state when in contact with the senses and during the
dream state when in contact with the ego, which is filled with
subconscious impressions from the waking state. But when the
dtmd is in deep sleep, the senses and ego become temporarily
submerged or deactivated, and so the dtmd alone is present, free
from all transformation. How is it free from transformation in
this state? Asayam rte: "Because it is without its vessel of contain
ment," which here refers to the limiting or conditioning adjunct
(upadhi) of the subtle body. That is to say, the dtmd is then free
from the specific upadhi that is the cause of all transformation.

54.3

^ | ^ arw ? 3I?r
3m"d<H^fd4:" I d^KclU^loMH: —
I M^dld-d I ar^tsHd^A^d^
dHll^<u||c;^c| dlcJ4|lci^l^^4R: | ^ ^ ^
"my: I

f
370 351
 Ill Prameya
By contrast, in the liberated state, one realizes the true self as a
servant of Bhagavan. When we act solely on the basis of this under
standing, we become pure devotees of Bhagavan, and then we ren
der service only for His pleasure, desiring nothing in return. Even
if the all-attractive Lord treats us roughly, we remain established
in devotion, abandoning all fears and cares in our loving relation
ship with Him. Sri Caitanya demonstrated this standard when He
prayed:
Krsna may embrace me or trample me under His feet, or He may
break my heart by being away from me. He, a debauchee, may treat
me as He likes, yet He alone is my very life and no one else. (Siksd-
staka sy
In conditioned life, we do not know that Krsna is the supreme
object of love and the source of all bliss. Rather, we mistake our
selves for the source of bliss. To enlighten us about Himself, Krsna
instructs us in Bhagavad Gitd:
I am the source of everything. All things and actions emanate from
Me. Knowing this, the wise, full of love for Me, worship Me. With
their attention focused exclusively on Me and their lives entirely
submitted to Me, they derive great satisfaction and relish always
enlightening one another and conversing about Me. (gita 10.8-9)^
Thus, there is an inherent relationship between jndna (con
sciousness), sat (eternal existence), and ananda (bliss). This
relationship is clearly indicated in such Sruti statements as,
"Brahman is pure consciousness and bliss" (vijndnam anandarh
brahma, bau 3.9.34). Thus, the nature of the nondual consciousness
described in this verse has been designated sat-cit-dnanda, "eternal
being, consciousness, and bliss."
^ dslisya vd pdda-ratdm pinastu mdm adarsandn marma-hatdm karotu vd
yathd tathd vd vidadhdtu lampato mat-prdna-ndthas tu sa eva ndparah
^ aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matvd bhajante mdm budhd bhdva-samanvitdh
mac-cittd mad-gata-prdnd bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mdm nityarh tusyanti ca ramanti ca
350
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witness
But, one may object, when everything up to and including the
ego is dissolved, only emptiness (sunya) remains. So how can
you conclude that the changeless self is present at that time? Pip-
palayana answers, "Because the remembrance comes to us" (tad-
anusmrtir nab). Upon awakening from deep sleep, the remem
brance comes to us [i.e., the observer in waking state conscious
ness]: "I slept peacefully for so long without awareness of any
thing." [This amounts to remembrance of the indivisible dtmd as
pure witness in the state of deep sleep.] Since there can be no
remembrance of that which has not first been experienced, the
dtmd must be present then as witness to perceive the experience
of deep sleep, though this experience is indistinct because of the
absence of contact with any content or object of awareness.
54.4
^ Hfw (^o3TTOXI^R^)^ 1
We can, therefore, conclude that just as a self-luminous entity
like the sun, which is in essence nothing other than light, also
naturally contains the power of illumination, so the dtmd,
though nothing other than consciousness, is also the ground of
consciousness [by virtue of its own essential nature]. We find the
following confirmation in Sruti, "It is true that he [the dtmd in
the state of deep sleep] does not see — or rather, although seeing,
he does not perceive the observables [i.e., the objects of exter
nal or internal awareness]. Furthermore, it is never possible to
remove the seer s sight altogether" (bau 4.3.23).^
So, the third logical argument [presented to distinguish the
dtmd from the body, as well as to distinguish Paramatma from
^ yad vai tan na pasyati pasyan vai drastavydn
na pasyati na hi drastur drstervipari-lopo vidyate
371
 Ill Prameya
the individual dtmd] is based on the distinction between the wit
ness and that which is witnessed. A fourth argument is also to
be understood based on the distinction between the entities who
undergo suffering [the jivos] and the entity who is the exclusive
object of transcendental love [Bhagavan].
Commentary
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami cited the anal
ogy of the vital force (prdna) given in sb 11.3.38 to show the change
less nature of the dtmd. The following verse (sb 11.3.39) develops the
analogy further. Here, Pippalayana explains that the vital force per
petually accompanies the dtmd into various species of life, which
fall into four categories based on their source of birth. The vital
force enters the various bodies and seems to undergo transforma
tions, but in fact, it remains unchanged. For example, the vital
force may occupy the body of an ant in one life and that of an ele
phant in a different life, and yet all the while the vital force remains
unchanged. Similarly, the dtmd appears to undergo changes in asso
ciation with the many states and shapes of its successive bodies, but
in fact it remains unchanged.
The dtmd experiences three states of consciousness while in the
body — the waking state, the dream state, and the state of deep
dreamless sleep. During the waking state a jiva is conscious of his
gross body, the gross instruments of the senses (golaka), and the
mind, and his consciousness seems divided and channeled by the
mind and outward senses. In the dream state, the gross instruments
of the senses become inactive, or, to be more precise, the mind is
disconnected from them, and thus the jiva is also not aware of the
outward senses or the body. Through dreams, the jiva perceives var
ious impressions imprinted upon the subconscious mind during the
waking state, and because of the jiva s attachment to these impres
sions, his consciousness seems to undergo transformation. In the
state of deep dreamless sleep, the dtmd loses contact even with the
mind, and thus it is not conscious of either the gross or subtle body.
372
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousness
web its home, so Sri Krsna, the personal nondual Absolute Reality,
employs His own energies to manifest the spiritual realm, where
He resides. These energies are part of His intrinsic nature and have
no independent existence.
In the Bhdgavatam verse under discussion (sb 1.2.11), the word
Jndna, which ordinarily means "knowledge," refers to "conscious
ness." Here, however, consciousness does not imply devoid of con
tent, i.e., without the divisions of subject and object. Its significance
here is that Nondual Reality is purely of the nature of consciousness
and is also conscious, just as the sun is entirely of the nature of light
and is also luminous. Because the word jnana refers to Absolute
Reality, this nondual consciousness must have perpetual existence
(sat) as a characteristic. And because the word tattva indicates the
supreme objective of life, it follows that this Nondual Reality must
also be characterized by bliss (dnanda), since all living beings seek
pleasure, whether they know it or not.
From direct perception, logical analysis, and scriptural author
ity, we can understand that the ultimate motivation in all activi
ties is the pursuit of joy. This is the basic purpose underlying cre
ative and destructive processes and all personal relationships. As
the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad states, "My dear, the husband is not
loved for his own sake, but for the sake of the Self" (na vd are patyuh
kdmdya patih priyo bhavaty dtmanas tu kdmdya patih priyo bhavati,
BAU 2.4.5).
Here the word "Self" refers either to the individual self (the
dtmd) or to the Supreme Self (Paramatma). The verse is saying that
in reality it is the Self alone that is dear. In the conditioned state, the
self we perceive is the empirical self, the jiva. We become attached
to someone or something not primarily because of their own dear-
ness, but because we derive happiness from loving that person or
thing. This feeling of happiness comes from our egoic sense of self-
appropriation — the notion that the object of love is "ours" — not
from the person or the object itself. The truth of this principle is
shown by the common sense observation that the intensity of plea
sure derived through material experience naturally decreases as
the degree of identity with those experiences diminishes.
349
 II Prameya
identity. Thus, the parts are independent from each other and from
the object, the chair. In this way, it is evident that the chair is not
self-existent.
These three kinds of difference give rise to the duality we
observe throughout material nature. They do not exist, however,
on the absolute plane; thus, Suta Gosvami defines the Absolute
Reality (tattva) as nondual consciousness {jndnam advayam). The
Lord s body and its limbs are each fully conscious and potent, and,
therefore, nondifferent from Him. For this reason it is said that in
Sri Krsna there exists no difference of the svagata-bheda type.
Even when the original Supreme Lord (Svayaih Bhagavan)
expands into forms such as Ramacandra and Balarama, these
svarhsa (selfsame) expansions remain nondifferent from Bhaga
van s original Self. Still, while He is not dependent on Them, They
are dependent on Him. Since Bhagavan and His svarhsa expansions
belong to the same class, no difference of the sajatiya-bheda type is
found in Him.
Material nature, being inert, belongs to a class of existence dif
ferent from that of the transcendent Personal Absolute. This might
lead one to conclude that there is vijatlya-bheda between Him and
material nature. Nevertheless, since material nature's existence
is not independent or separate from Him, there is ultimately no
difference of vijatlya-bheda between Him and His material expan
sions. Energy cannot exist without its source, nor is it completely
different from its source.
The finite living beings belong to the intermediary potency of
Bhagavan. Thus, one may view them in two ways, as belonging
to the same class as Bhagavan, because they are conscious like
Him, or as belonging to a different class, because their magni
tude and potency are infinitesimal. From both viewpoints, the
Jivas are fully dependent on Bhagavan, so there exists none of the
three types of difference between them and the Lord. Srila Jiva
Gosvami concludes, therefore, that although Bhagavan's energies
serve Him in various ways, they have no existence separate from
Him (tarn vind tdsdm asiddhatvat). Just as a spider weaves a web with
a special substance it produces from its mouth and then makes the
348
54 The Changeless Self Is the Witnesi
According to Sruti, in dreamless sleep the mind enters into the
puritat-nddl (the psychosomatic flow channel in the region of the
pericardium) in the heart:
When fast asleep, the dtmd does not know anything. At that time
the mind removes itself from the seventy-two thousand nadis,
known as hitd (beneficial), which extend from the heart, and enters
into the nadi called puritat, where it rests, (bau 2.1.19)^
Feelings of happiness and distress are modes of the mind and,
therefore, part of the subtle body. This is described in Bhagavad Gitd:
Desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate [the phys
ical body], mentation, and will — all these, along with their
fluctuations, constitute the field. (gIta 13.eY
As mentioned above, in deep sleep the dtmd is disconnected
from the mind and feels no material happiness or distress, no
desires or hatred. It is then submerged only in the bliss of the
self. But this does not mean that the dtmd becomes liberated in
deep sleep. It is still bound by its subtle desires, which propel it to
return to the dreaming and wakeful states.
The Buddhists object that the dtmd cannot exist in deep sleep.
When there is no experience of the senses or the mind, why not
assume that only "void" remains during deep sleep? The answer
is, "because we recollect the experience of deep sleep." After wak
ing from deep sleep, a person may declare, "1 have slept happily
and wasn't aware of anything." Since no one can recollect anything
without having experienced it, the person who perceived himself
in deep sleep and the person who remembers this experience must
be identical. Thus, the happiness of deep sleep along with the igno
rance of all else is experienced by the same person who recalls it
^ atha yadd susupto bhavati
yadd na kasyacana veda
hitd ndma nddyo dvd-saptatih sahasrdni hrdaydt puritatam abhipratisthante
tdbhih pratyavasrpya puritati sete
icchd dvesah sukham dukhaih saiighdtas cetand dhrtih
etat ksetram samdsena sa-vikdram uddhrtam
373
 Ill Prameya
upon awakening, but this recollection is indistinct because dur
ing deep sleep the link with the mind and senses is temporarily
dissolved.
The implication here is that although the material ego is not
present during deep sleep, the dtmas inherent authentic selfhood
remains, for this is its true and inseparable identity. So, there is
no possibility of voidness during deep sleep, as the Buddhists claim,
or that the dtmd remains as mere consciousness without individual
ity, as the radical nondualists claim. Jiva Gosvami s argument estab
lishes that the dtmas inherent capacity of cognition is an essential
aspect of its nature. Thus, it is not true that the dtmd acquires cog
nition only when conditioned, nor is it true that it remains solely as
pure consciousness in the unconditioned state.
As the sun illuminates both itself and other objects as well,
the dtmd is always capable of self-knowing and the cognition of
objects within the presentational field. The dtmd does not need
help from the gross external senses to know itself, just as one does
not need a lamp to see the sun. This quality of cognition is intrinsic
to the dtmd throughout all states of existence, even when it inhab
its lower species, just as a light bulb continues to emit light even
when enveloped by a nearly opaque covering. The covering simply
limits and distorts the light s diffusion. Of course, it is the Supreme
Self, or Paramatma, who is the source of the dtmas self-luminous
nature, and so we should not wrongly consider the jiva a completely
independent entity.
The passage from the Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad quoted in this
anuccheda states, "He [the dtmd] certainly does not see." This state
ment refers to the dtmd in the state of deep sleep. At that time, the
dtmd does not perceive anything because it is disconnected from the
mind and senses. This does not mean, however, that its power of
perception is lost. Thus, the passage further says, "Although see
ing, he does not perceive the observables [i.e., the objects of exter
nal or internal awareness]." This means that he retains the ability to
perceive but there is nothing to witness except his own existence.
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated that
the dtmd is distinct from the body. He substantiated this conclusion
374
51 Absolute Reality Is Nondual Consciousnes;
Commentary
In the last anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami stated that the Abso
lute Reality is to be known from Srimad Bhdgavatam. This natu
rally raises the question, "What is the essential nature of this Abso
lute Reality?" In reply, Jiva Gosvami quotes sb 1.2.11, which declares
that Absolute Reality is nondual (advaya), or in other words, "one
without a second." There cannot be more than one Absolute Real
ity, because if there were a second, the first would no longer be
Absolute, since hypothetically speaking, the second reality could
be determined as inferior, equal, or superior to the first one. If it
were either superior or inferior to the first, then only one of them
would be Absolute. If both of them were equal, they would com
pete for supremacy, unless they were found to be always in agree
ment, which would then make them effectively one for all practical
purposes.
That the Absolute Reality is nondual, however, does not mean
that nothing else exists. Rather, the word "nondual" indicates two
things: First, the Absolute Reality is self-existent, meaning that
it is grounded in itself and depends on no external support; sec
ond, nothing else can exist independent of this nondual Reality's
support.
In Vedantic logic, an object is considered nondual if it is free of
three kinds of difference — that among objects of the same class,
that among objects of different classes, and that between an object
and its parts. A difference between objects of the same class is called
sajdtlya-bheda. Even though two chairs may look the same, have the
same function, and belong to the class called "chair," they still dif
fer as individual chairs. A change in one will not directly affect the
o t h e r.
A difference between objects of different classes is called
vijdtiya-bheda. For example, a chair is different from a table in its
appearance and function. Finally, a difference between an object
and its parts is called svagata-bheda. If all the parts of a chair are
scattered, the chair no longer exists. For example, the various parts
of a chair can be removed and replaced without changing the chair s
347
 54 The Changeless Self Is the Witness

by citing the analogy of the vital force. Here he has further shown
that the dtmd is distinct both from the body and from Paramatma.
So, altogether he has presented four arguments, the first two of
which were discussed in the commentary to Anuccheda 53. The third
argument is based on the difference between the witness and the
witnessed. During deep sleep, when the dtmd ceases to identify
with the mind and senses, he witnesses his own self and the non
occurrence of any empirical perceptions. He can recollect this expe
rience of his own sustained existence upon awakening. This phe
nomenon proves the changeless nature of the dtmd by showing that
it is distinct from the ever-changing body and senses. It may be
noted, however, that the dtmd is not independent even in this state
of deep sleep. Its existence and functions depend upon the support
of Paramatma, as stated, "All this functions by His potency" (tasya
bhdsd sarvam idam vibhdti, muu 2.2.10).
The fourth argument is based on the fact that it is not Paramatma
but the jiva who suffers material tribulations, although both dwell
in the same body. Paramatma is the witness of both the dtmd and
the functions of the material body in which the dtmd resides. As we
have pointed out, in the state of dreamless sleep, the dtmd becomes
temporarily dissociated from its subtle and gross bodies, but still
the body does not die. This indicates that the breathing, heartbeat,
blood circulation, and other vital functions continue by the grace
and supervision of Paramatma.
Another inference we can draw is that the dtmd is dependent
on Paramatma, because if the dtmd were completely independent,
he would never choose to revert to a state beset with suffering; but
in fact he cannot stop this reversion, being caught up in the states
of material existence — waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. There
fore, Srila Jiva GosvamI concludes, Bhagavan is the sole entity truly
worthy of transcendental love, since He is totally free from mate
rial bondage. In the next anuccheda, Srlla Jiva Gosvami summarizes
these points.

375
Anuccheda 55

Summary of Sri Pippalayana s Teachings

These arguments can be summed up as follows:

II

The logic presented here, which is known as positive and neg

ative concomitance (anvaya-vyatireka) [i.e., affirmation and
negation], is fourfold in nature. The first argument is based on
the difference between that which appears and disappears and
that which is beyond such transformations. The second is based
on the difference between the seer and the seen [i.e., between
primordial consciousness and its phenomenal content]. The
t h i r d i s b a s e d o n t h e d i ff e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e w i t n e s s a n d t h e
witnessed. The fourth argument, given as an aid to understand
ing, is based on the difference between the entities who undergo
suffering [the jivos] and the entity who is the exclusive object of
transcendental love [Bhagavan].

The verses under discussion [sb 11.3.38-39, cited in Anucchedas

ST.i and S4.il were spoken by Sri Pippalayana to King Nimi.

*^76
 55 Summary of Sri Pippalayana's Teachings

Commentary

Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami summarizes the conclusions of the last

two anucchedas. According to Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, in this
anuccheda, the word tarka (lit., "reasoning" or "logical argument")
means "inference," which is one of the sources of valid epistemo-
logical knowing. In the reasoning presented in this anuccheda, Jiva
Gosvami uses inference both affirmatively and negatively. From
the logic of affirmation, there is the general principle that when the
atmd is in the conditional state of association with a material body,
changes occur that the dtmd perceives while the dtma itself remains
changeless. From the logic of negation, one never perceives either
alterations in the dtmd or changelessness in the body. Thus, by both
affirmative and negative analysis, we can infer that the body and
the dtmd are distinct.

We can apply a similar analysis to the other three arguments set

forth in this anuccheda. Here we use logic to infer the difference
between the body and the dtmd. Understanding this difference is
the first rung on the ladder of transcendental realization. We can
also use logic to infer the difference between the dtmd and Param-
atma, which is the necessary foundation of bhakti-yoga. In this case,
we are not employing linear logic, which is based on limited human
perception, but rather nonlinear, or transcendental logic, which is
founded on the authority of SrimadBhdgavatam. The scripture and
sages encourage sincere seekers to distinguish reality from illusion
by utilization of the intellect in accordance with revealed truth.
Only the body takes birth, grows old, becomes diseased, and dies.
The dtmd sees all these changes, and when identified with the body,
it experiences them as miseries. Although distinct from the body,
the jiva, because of egoic identification, becomes attached to the
body and its by-products and thus experiences the body's happiness
and distress. Paramatma witnesses the embodied being's miseries
but does not experience them Himself. Unperturbed by the actions
and reactions of material bodies, Paramatma is always distinct from
the jivas and is thus the entity truly worthy of their love. We can
infer the existence of Paramatma from the fact that the dtmd does

377
 Ill Prameya

not create the elements needed for the maintenance of the body, and
that material nature, being inert, cannot create anything without
the help of a sentient being. What's more, the dtmd takes no part in
maintaining the material body during deep sleep, when completely
aloof from it.

In this way, knowing the characteristics of the jiva and its rela
tionship to the body can help us understand something of Param-
atma and Brahman. Moreover, taking into account the common
quality of consciousness shared by the jiva and Brahman, the lat
ter can be identified as the nondual Reality, the subject of Srimad
Bhdgavatam,
All these conclusions regarding the Ultimate Reality are based
on an analysis of the individual jiva's situation (i.e., the intuition of
Reality from the microcosm). Now Srila Jiva Gosvami begins a new
analysis, based on the consideration of the cosmic order (i.e., the
intuition of Reality from the macrocosm).

•?78
 Ill Prameya
material nature. The individual living being has been ascer
tained to be distinct from these states, due to its being their
witness. (sB 11.13.27)
The pure jiva [situated in the liberated position], who is the
knower of the field of the psycho-physical organism, merely
witnesses the transformations of the impure agent, the mind.
i ci3rT«rqcn%g??T-
^<oild-4l HcbfHid I
So, although the pure jiva is designated as a witness [a word gen
erally used for Paramatma] in these statements, he should not be
considered as the dsraya.
Alternatively, the verse may be explained as follows: It may
be questioned, "Is it then to be admitted that the three aspects of
embodied selfhood (adhyatmika and so on) also possess the qual
ity of being foundational supports (asrayas)?" We answer that
this is true, but since they are dependent on each other, none
of them are the exclusive dsraya; as the verse beginning ekam
(sB 2.10.9) confirms, it is not in the direct primary sense that they
are referred to as dsrayas.
rrff ^TT%Jrij,c|lwmi8RRgTT TcT^TT?—QdilHifd I aTW iTT# ^T:
(^o^|xR^) ^ i dtnid
"arnqrosf" (mo R I?O I\S) II ii
"So, then the existential condition of being an dsraya must belong
to the witness alone [i.e., to the pure jiva]?" The answer to this
^ jdgrat-svapna-susuptaTh ca gunato buddhi-vrttayah
tdsdrh vilaksanojlvah sdksitvena vivaksitah
^ ksetrajna etd manaso vibhutirjlvasya mdyd-racitasya nitydh
dvirhitdh kvdpi tirohitds ca suddho vicaste hy avisuddha-kartuh
406
Intuition of the Subject through Reference
to the Universal — The Ten Topics
of Srimad Bhagavatam
Anucchedas ^6-63
In the previous division, the Source Consciousness (tattva) was
intuited with reference to individual consciousness. Now, in this
division, the same Source Consciousness is intuited with reference
to the universal order, as being its ultimate foundation and shel
ter. This discussion addresses such fundamental problems as the
world and creation, causality, and the nature of the living being
in both its conditioned and liberated statuses. Through such anal
ysis, we come to know how the Absolute is both the ground and
support of creation without undergoing transformation and with
out becoming implicated in cause-effect conditionality. We learn
that "creation" is in reality evolutionary unfolding, from its most
subtle principle of mahat-tattva, or cosmic intellect, right down to
the mahd-bhutas, or the gross physical elements. From an alternate
perspective, this can be described as the involution of Spirit into
phenomenality.
The sustenance and regulation of the world order implies Bha-
gavans immanence in the form of the interior Self as well as the
underlying pervasion of His intrinsic potency. The discussion of
the conscious beings includes both the psychic matrices by which
they are tied to material nature and the conditioned life of saihsdra,
and the sad-dharma of integral relation with the nondual Personal
Whole (Bhagavan). As creation is disclosed as nothing more than
379
 Ill Prameya
"manifestation" from out of the womb of eternal being, dissolution
amounts to no more than "concealment" or reabsorption into the
conscious Source, Paramatma. Liberation is understood as ulti
mate dissolution or permanent establishment in authentic being.
The delineation of all these topics self-evidently discloses the tenth
topic — the Ultimate Shelter, asraya.
This division contains two subdivisions, the first (Anucchedas 56-
60) being an analysis of the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam from
the Second Canto, and the second (Anucchedas 61-63), an analysis
of the same from the Twelfth Canto. Although the two lists include
different terminology, they are shown to be identical both in spirit
and content. With some allowance for poetic license, the ten univer-
sals may be expressed as follows: Primordial creation, cosmic cre
ation, sustenance of life-systems, the operation of Grace, the matrix
of phenomenality, the enactment of dharma for rational (thought-
based) beings, the power of the self-revealing word (coextensive
with the Reality it signifies), dissolution of life-systems, liberation,
and the Ultimate Shelter of all.
380
60 The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter and Thus the Shelter of A!
purusas], the other two cannot be ascertained. Such being the
case, the one who knows these three, by virtue of the immedi
ate apprehension of them from the witness position, is indeed
the Supreme Immanent Self (Paramatma) and the actual shelter
(asraya).
To distinguish Paramatma, the actual shelter of all, from the
three purusas, who are also shelters for each other but in a mutu
ally interdependent sense, Paramatma is specifically character
ized as svdsraya, His own independent shelter, meaning that He
has no other shelter and is, consequently, the shelter of all oth
ers. In this context, both the pure living entity as well as Param
atma are referred to as asraya, but strictly from the perspective
that focuses specifically on the aspect of nondifference between
the pure jiva and Paramatma, who are related as part and whole,
respectively.
60.2
31?r:-
Therefore [the jiva is not an independent asraya, in spite of the
following verses]:
<A<A\ 3ilcHH f5jUU||ciHchH I
II II
vjIIowyki ^I
I I 11 ^ I
Although transcendental to the three gunas of material nature,
the living being thinks of itself as consisting of the three gunas.
(sB 1.7.5)^
Wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep are conditional states
(vTiiis) of the mental faculty (buddhi), caused by the gunas of
^ yayd sammohitojiva dtmdnam tri-gundtmakam
paro'pi manutenartharh tat-krtarh cdbhipadyate
405
 \
Anuccheda 60
The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter
and Thus the Shelter of All
I ^cbftcbd^rirra" c^vidfd—%
^ dcVI^ ^ I ^ ^ ^ ^ cT^cb|U|y<jrHH-
^<J<^(^RiBldl I ^ ct yclclcl I <JJ^<^fHr2icbd-
JH|c| I d^—cT^ dIr?ld<^HIc^-c|dldH^d I ^
FTfyd^XT^dfd^^WdTTSTT^: I dg^^c^^-
1MWT I 3Td^^: I H I ddi^liRldl:
dM<HIcHdli^Itdlcb 1^u)ciI^3TTj: I
The second verse under consideration, beginning ekam
ekatardbhdve (sb 2.10.9), clearly establishes the mutual interde
pendence of these [purusas], by which it is concluded that none
of them can be the independent shelter of all being (dsraya). The
reasoning is as follows: In the absence of perceivable objects, the
sense faculties, whose existence is merely inferred from tangi
ble perceptions of visible objects, remain unsubstantiated. And
in the absence of sense perceptions, there can be no limited seer
[as appropriator of the acts of perception]. Then again, without
the seer, the higher order directives {devas) who oversee sense
functioning, such as the presiding deity of the sun, whose exis
tence too is merely inferred from the fact of the senses engage
ment with their objects, are also without basis. Without the
directives of sense operations (devas), the senses cannot act, and
without the senses, the visible world cannot become an object
of perception. Thus, in the absence of any one [of these three
4 0 4
Anuccheda 56
The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
I v 3 i l c | M I 1 ^ 1 c l 3 c | l ^ r M I d c ; f ? l r 5 d ^ Tc T
^^d (^o R Ro |^-R) —
Thus, by describing the essential nature of the living beings
(jivas), which is pure consciousness, the Absolute Truth (tattva)
that is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam has also been described
through individual reference (vyasti-nirdesa) [i.e., by intuiting
the totality from the individual]. This is so because the Sup
reme Brahman is nondifferent from the dtmd, partaking of the
same [conscious] aspect (dkrti), and being the Complete Whole
that encompasses all of its integrated parts (arhsitvena). Indeed,
He is called the dsraya, the source and shelter of all existence.
The same nondual Reality, Brahman, is defined in universal
terms (samasti-nirdesa) as well through the ten topics that form
the characteristics of a major Purdna, beginning with primary
creation. These ten topics are mentioned in the following two
3?^ wrf
T: II m
ddMIIH^ I
" F T: II
381
 59 The Independent Asraya and the Three Interdependent Divisions
Ill Prameya
of Embodied Selfhood

In this book, Srimad Bhdgavatam, ten subjects are discussed: as "short," "tall," "American," "Indian," "boy," and "girl," are based
sarga [the original setting in motion of primordial nature by the on the jivas misidentification with the material body. The Upanisad
Lord, i.e., primary creation], visarga [the secondary creation statement that Srila Jiva Gosvami quoted in this anuccheda confirms
of the primal cosmic being, Brabma], sthdna [the sustenance of the usage of the term purusa for the body.
living beings], posana [the mercy displayed by the Lord in nur In the next anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami explains the second of the
turing His devotees], uti [the subconscious imprints and desires two Bhdgavatam verses (sb 2.10.9) that he quoted in Anuccheda 59.1.
that promote engagement in goal-oriented action], manvantara
[the religious path enacted by the Manus], isdnukathd [narra
tions of the Lord and His devotees], nirodha [dissolution of the
creation], mukti (liberation), and dsraya [the substratum, or
ultimate shelter, of individual and collective being], (sb 2.10.1)^

To clarify the meaning of the tenth subject depicted here, the

highly elevated souls [mentioned in this book, such as Vidura
and Maitreya] describe the characteristics of the first nine sub
jects — sometimes directly, by offering prayers of glorification,
using words that graphically depict their intended object, and
sometimes indirectly, by pointing out the intended meaning
(artha) [i.e., tdtparya] implicit in various narrations, (sb 2.10.2)^

Hc(M| (

^ ? 31rr 3Tr^ —cbUcSldr^cl iq

ciujijpd 1 II

The compound manvantaresdnukathdh is formed from the sin

gle words manvantara (the period of reign of the Manus) and
isdnukathdh (narrations of the Lord s pastimes).

atra sargo visargas ca

sthanam posanam utayah
manvantaresdnukathd
nirodho muktir dsrayah
dasamasya visuddhy-artham
navdndm iha laksanam

varnayanti mahdtmdnah
srutendrthena cdnjasd

382 403
 Ill Prameya
along with the sense objects, is called the adhibhautika-purusa, the
physical self as the locus of the senses. The adhibhautika-purusa
makes possible the differentiation of the adhyatmika-purusa from
the adhidaivika-purusa.
Prior to physical birth, one cannot distinguish the latter two
purusas, because they are merged as if they were the same jiva. In
this regard, Srlpada Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes, "Even prior
to the generation of the physical body, the senses and their pre
siding deities are present with the Jiva" (dehotpatteh purvam api
jivena sardham indriyani tad-devatas ca santy eva). They constitute
the subtle psychic body (suksma-deha).
At this stage, the cosmic potentiators of the senses (the devas)
and the empirical self (jiva) are as yet undifferentiated, because no
physical body exists that could allow for the actualization of their
respective potentials. When the physical body comes into existence,
the senses take their appropriate seats within it, and their respec
tive presiding deities take charge of them. At that time, one can
distinctly perceive the functions of the presiding deities. The eyes,
nose, and other senses that we observe in the physical body are
not the real senses; rather, they are the seats for the actual senses,
which are interior, belonging to the subtle psychic matrix. These
interior senses function through the external seats, or instruments
(golaka).
Sr! Krsna confirms this in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad
Gitd. After asserting that the living entity is His eternal inte
grated part. He states that the Jiva draws forth the mind and five
senses, which are situated in material nature, meaning that the jiva
egoically appropriates them as his own. Krsna then says that when
the dtmd quits the body, it carries the five senses and the mind from
their seats into the next body, just as the air carries aromas.
Obviously, at the time of death the visible nose and eyes do not
disappear. Rather, the subtle senses situated interior to the physi
cal seats, along with the mind, are carried away by the dtmd. The
physical body is also called purusa, or "person" because the dtmd
is identified with it. This illusion prompts a person to say, "1 am
sick," when actually the body is sick. All bodily designations, such
402
56 The Ten Topics of Srlmad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
The Srimad Bhagavatam discusses ten topics, beginning with
primary creation, but the sages' real purpose in describing the
characteristics of the first nine is to provide us systematic lucid
knowledge of the tenth item, the ultimate shelter of all being.
One might object here that it is not apparent exactly how the dis
cussion of the other nine topics elucidates the tenth. To this we
reply that in the Bhagavatam, the sages describe the tenth topic
both directly, by the explicit utterance of prayers and other state
ments, and indirectly, through the implied purport (tdtparya) of
various historicsd accounts.
Commentary
In previous anucchedas, Srila Jiva GosvamI defined the cen
tral topics to be known from Srimad Bhagavatam by examining the
disposition of the heart and transrational cognition of Sukadeva
Gosvami and Srila Vyasadeva. In the course of this exposition, he
explained the nature of the jiva to clarify its distinction from the
subjective Reality. He then went on to analyze the second verse of
Srimad Bhagavatam, which declares that the Absolute Reality is the
subject to be realized in Srimad Bhagavatam. To further define that
Reality, he also referred to the Bhagavatam verse beginning with
vadanti tat tattva-vidah (sb 1.2.11), which identifies the three main
aspects of the one nondual supreme consciousness (advaya-Jnana).
He proposed that the intuition of this nondual consciousness could
be made available through reference to individual consciousness,
and, therefore, he discussed the Jiva's nature on the basis of two
Bhagavatam verses (sb 11.3.38-39) by Pippalayana Rsi.
The basic axioms established so far concerning the jiva are that
it is conscious, capable of self-knowledge and knowledge of objects
other than the self; it is distinct from the material energy and free
of the six types of physical transformation. This analysis is from
the individual perspective (vyasti-nirdesa), which sheds light on
the nature of the totality, or in other words, the subjective Reality
(tattva) known as nondual consciousness.
383

I l l
Ta m e y a
Now, Jiva Gosvami begins explaining the Absolute Reality,
tattva, from the viewpoint of the aggregate (samasti-nirdesa). In
doing so, he bases his explanation on the ten primary topics treated
in the Bhdgavatam's twelve cantos. First, he quotes two verses by
Sukadeva Gosvami (sb 2.10.1-2), the second of which states that the
reason scripture describes such topics as creation, maintenance,
dissolution, and liberation is to help us understand the ultimate
topic, Bhagavan, who is the substratum (asraya) of individual and
collective being. Indeed, these other topics are but descriptions
of Bhagavans manifold potencies. He is the fountainhead of all
these phenomena, and Srimad Bhdgavatam explains them just to
illustrate His special characteristics.
In some places, the Bhdgavatam introduces prayers to Bhaga
van in the course of describing one or more of the other nine top
ics, and in these prayers, the Supreme Person Himself is the object
of description. In other places, Bhagavan is described directly, as
in the dialogues between Vidura and Maitreya and between Kapila
and Devahuti. In yet other places, the Bhdgavatam glorifies Bhaga
van indirectly through historical episodes, such as the accounts of
how Sri Krsna saved Pariksit Maharaja from Asvatthama and of how
Sukadeva Gosvami was transcendentally captivated when he heard
verses about Sri Krsna's attributes. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami
shows that the purpose of the nine preliminary subjects discussed
in the Bhdgavatam is to explain the tenth, the advaya-jndna, which
is also called the dsraya, the fountainhead of all existence.
Every individual has two types of characteristics — svarupa
(intrinsic) and tatastha (extrinsic) — and the original Supreme Per
son is no exception. The intrinsic characteristics are permanent,
whereas the extrinsic features are incidental. In our present con
ditioned state, we have no experience of God s personal attributes.
If we hear these described without proper commentary, we may
misunderstand them owing to our stringent material conditioning.
But we can more easily understand — either from the aggregate
or the individual viewpoint — God s extrinsic features manifested
within material nature, for they are within the scope of our personal
experience.
384
59 The Independent Asraya and the Three Interdependent Divisions
of Embodied Selfhood
undifferentiated, existing as mere potentials within the generic
"beingness" [or essence] of embodied selfhood (jivatva-mdtra).
This absence of differentiation is due to the fact that their indi
vidualized and distinct functions have not yet emerged, [in the
case of the adhyatmika self, the distinguishing function (as lim
ited seer) is the sense of proprietorship over the senses by which
one appropriates the acts of perception. In the case of the adhi-
daivika self, the distinguishing function (as potentiating force)
is to be a support for the empirical self's sense of seership by
facilitating the engagement of the senses with their respective
objects.]
That by which these two separate functions — of sense pro
prietor and cosmic directive of sensory operations — become dif
ferentiated is known as the adhibhautika self, the visible body
in which are found the physical seats of the senses, such as the
eyeball and other sense organs. The visible body is said to be
a "self," because it is an artificial designation (upadhi) superim
posed upon the actual self, the conscious being (jiva). The phys
ical body has been referred to as a self (purusa) in the Sruti:
"This [adhibhautika] self (purusa) consists offood and vital fluids"
(TU 2.1.1).^
Commentary
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated
from the macrocosmic viewpoint that the Supreme Absolute Truth,
Bhagavan, is the dsraya-tattva, the support of all existence. Now, he
further explains that Bhagavan is the support of each individual in
their day-to-day sensory experiences.
The originally pure living being who misidentifies with the body,
mind, and senses is called the ddhydtmika-purusa, the empirical self
as limited seer. The presiding deities (devas) of the senses are called
the ddhidaivika-purusa, the potentiators of the self, who facilitate
the power of seeing of the limited seer. The visible physical body,
^ sa vd esa purusonna-rasa-mayah
401
 Ill Prameya
[Prior to the generation of the body] that which is known as the
adhydtmika-purusa [the empirical self (jlva) identified with the
senses as limited seer] is indistinguishable from the adhidaivika-
purusa [the cosmic potentiators (devas) of the self, who facili
tate the power of seeing of the limited seer]. That which permits
these two divisions within a single entity to become differenti
ated is called the adhibhautika-purusa [the physical self, or the
visible body as physical seat of the senses]. In the absence of
any one of these, the other two cannot be ascertained. Whereas,
He who knows these three from the witness position is the Sup
reme Self (dtmd) and His own independent shelter (sva-dsraya).
(SB 2.10.8-9)
I ^ cb<U|yc+,|!^|cb4c^|f^-
cb<u||^^^4^|^^dc^^?lyl<^^c|dl^M1 WnH I ^
mm:" (to R 1^1^) ||
The adhydtmika-purusa (the empirical self) refers to the jiva as
limited seer, identified as the owner of the power of sight and
the other sense faculties. He indeed is also [indistinguishable
from] the adhidaivika-purusa (the cosmic potentiators of the
self), which here refers to the higher-order directives, like the
presiding deity of the sun (surya), [who facilitate the power of
sight and the other sense faculties].
Before the body is generated, the senses are without physical
seats in which to reside and so their functional capacities remain
unactualized. Because of the incapacitation of the senses at
this time, the adhyatmika self and the adhidaivika self are as yet
^ yo'dhydtmiko'yam purusah so'sdv evddhidaivikah
yas tatrobhaya-vicchedah puruso hy ddhibhautikah
ekam ekatardbhdve yadd nopalabhdmahe
tritayarh tatra yo veda sa dtmd svdsraydsrayah
4 0 0
56 The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
Srila Vyasadeva uses the same approach in Veddnta-sutra. After
designating Brahman as the subject of the book in the first sutra —
"Now, therefore, inquiry should be made into Brahman" (athdto
brahma-jijndsd) — he begins discussing Bhagavan's extrinsic char
acteristics in the next sutra — "From Him proceed the creation,
maintenance, and dissolution of the universe" (janmady asya
yatah). Because God creates within specified time cycles and
because the creation takes place exterior to Him or His intrinsic
nature, the characteristic of world creation is considered as tatastha
(extrinsic).
Srimad Bhagavatam discusses the ten topics in a similar way; the
first nine — Bhagavan s extrinsic characteristics — are presented to
help us understand the tenth, the dsraya. This dsraya will be iden
tified as Sri Krsna later in the Sandarbhas. The first nine topics of
Srimad Bhagavatam deal with various potencies of Bhagavan, such
as His creative potency (sarga-sakti). Understanding these topics
helps us fathom the Supreme Lord as the possessor of these poten
cies. This foundational understanding helps us to properly com
prehend His personal features and pastimes, which are narrated
in the Tenth Canto. Without studying the nine preliminary topics
of the Bhagavatam, we run the risk of viewing His form and pas
times superficially and concluding that Krsna is an ordinary human
being endowed with some extraordinary powers. But this is far
from the truth. Sri Krsna, therefore, says in Bhagavad Gitd: "Being
unacquainted with My ontological identity as the Supreme Ruler of
all existence, the bewildered misconceive Me as having accepted a
[perishable and limited] human body" (gIta 9.11).^
Therefore, with the intent of leading us to the highest plane
of transcendence through a proper understanding of the Bhaga
vatam's tenth subject, the summum bonum, Sukadeva Gosvami
explains the first nine items. We should study the Bhagavatam
in the order Sukadeva Gosvami presented it — from the first verse
avajdnanti mdm mudhd mdnuslrh tanum dsritam
param bhdvam ajdnanto mama bhuta-mahesvaram
385
 Ill Prameya

In the next anuccheda, Srila JIva Gosvami begins explaining

each of the ten topics by quoting their definitions from Srimad
Bhagavatam.

Anuccheda 59

The Independent Asraya and the Three

Interdependent Divisions
of Embodied Selfhood

59-1

WTOTTW (^O ^ 1^-'^) —

[In the previous verse, the asraya was described as the source
of creation and dissolution.] Now, Sukadeva Gosvami demon
strates that during the period of cosmic sustenance (sthiti) as
well, the essential nature of the asraya can be clearly ascertained
through immediate intuitive insight (aparoksdnubhava) by sim
ple reference to the microcosm of the individual living being.
In order to make this evident, he discusses three divisions of
embodied selfhood: adhyatmika [the empirical self as limited
cognizer of the visible world through the senses], adhidaivika
[the potentiators of the self's perceptual faculties, or in other
words, the higher-order cosmic directives {devas) who preside
over and thus facilitate the functions of the cognitive senses],
and adhibhautika [the physical self as the visible body, which is
the locus of the senses, thus enabling the powers of perception to
be actualized]. Sri Suka says:

386 399
 Ill Prameya

His grace and eventually attain mukti, or liberation, which entails

becoming situated in one s own svarupa, or original nature, giving
up all material identification. This is possible only by Bhagavans
mercy, which in turn is available to one who understands in truth
the dsraya-tattva described in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Anuccheda 57
Thus, it is rightly said that the purpose of the other nine topics
is to explain the tenth, the dsraya, who is the source of creation and
dissolution. The dsraya is called Brahman by the adherents ofjndna- The First Nine Universals Culminate
yoga and Paramatma by the adherents of astdnga-yoga. in the Tenth
The word ca (and) in this verse (sb 2.10.7) indicates the topics
of the Bhdgavatam not explicitly mentioned in the verse, such as
57-1
posana. The word iti indicates Bhagavan, the term that the adher
ents of bhakti-yoga use to designate the dsraya. Thus, this verse
(avs I ^5TJT M ^^TFTt o^ccnf^ (mo
echoes the verse quoted earlier, vadanti tat (sb 1.2.11), which states
that the nondual Supreme Consciousness is called Brahman, Param
atma, and Bhagavan. In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami sup To ELUCIDATE THE TENTH SUBJECT, Sri Sukadcva Gosvami
plies further arguments to support the proposition that Bhagavan speaks seven verses that define each of the ten subjects [show
is the dsraya, or shelter of everything. ing how they culminate in the tenth], [The first four of the
seven verses, covering the first nine topics, are presented in
Anucchedas 57-1-3. beginning with this verse:]

The topic of sarga (primary creation) deals with the generation

of the five gross elements (bhutas), the five subtle sense objects
(mdtras), the five cognitive senses (indriyas), the universal or
collective wisdom faculty (dhi or mahat-tattva), and the ego
[ahahkdra, the "1" principle, or the principle of individuation],
resulting from the displacement of the equilibrium of the three
gunas [i.e., primordial nature's three interdependent consti
tuting principles of psychic and physical force], brought about
through the intent of the Supreme Controller (Paramesvara).
The topic of visarga (secondary creation) is about the creative
act (paurusa) of the primal cosmic being (purusa), Brahma [who,
being but an intermediary, implies a transcendent source, i.e.
Bhagavan]. (sb 2.10.3)^
^ hhuta-matrendriya-dhiydrfijanma sarga udahrtah ->

398 387
 Ill Prameya
"^guTHt liSTRfM" MRuimid I "^UT:" XRirmicT ^
The bhutas mentioned here are the five gross material elements,
beginning with ether. The mdtras are the subtle aspects of the
materitfil elements — sound and so on. The indriyas are the cogni
tive senses (the eyes, ears, and so on). The word dhi (the faculty
or instrument of knowing) refers to mahat-tattva, the collective
wisdom faculty, and ahankdra, the principle of individuation.
All of this is brought about through displacement of the equilib
rium of the three gunas leading to transformations. So, the gen
eration of these physical elements and psychic faculties, a pro
cess set in motion by the Supreme Controller (Paramesvara), is
called sarga (primary creation). The word purusa (the primal cos
mic being) refers to Vairaja, or Brahma. Since the word paurusa
literally means "derived from the purusa" the creation effected
by him is appropriately czdled paurusa. This specifically refers
to the sending forth of moving and non-moving living beings
known as visarga (secondary creation).
Suka continues:
f3^:cb4c|mHI: II W
T: II
The topic of sthiti [the support of life and existence] deals, rather,
with the supreme excellence of the Lord of Vaikuntha [Bhaga-
van], in His sustenance of all created beings. The topic of posana
brahmano guna-vaisamyad visargah paurusah smrtah
388
58 The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter
jivas' cognitive senses (adhyavasiyate). That renowned source
and shelter of all existence — the dsraya — is known as Brahman
(the Supreme Transcendent Absolute) and as Paramatma (the
Supreme Immanent Self).
Here the word iti [carrying the sense of "so-named," i.e., "the
dsraya is 'named as' Parabrahman and Paramatma"] expresses
the idea of a complete set of terms pertaining to the entity being
described [the dsraya]. This implies that to this sentence must
be added: "The dsraya is also known as Bhagavan (the Nondual
Supreme Person)^ [in order to complete the given set of terms]."
That the ultimate shelter is Bhagavan will be explained later in
detail [in BhagavatSandarbha].
Commentary
The Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the aforementioned
ten subjects culminates in the description of the dsraya-tattva. A
book that treats too many subjects will bewilder the reader and
make it difficult for him to ascertain its ultimate purpose. This is
clearly not the case with the Bhdgavatam, however, for as stated
here, the shelter of all the topics is Bhagavan. None of the other sub
jects can be described without reference to Bhagavan, and indeed,
the whole reason why Srila Vyasadeva included them was to shed
light on Bhagavan's energies and activities. In other words, Srimad
Bhdgavatam is really about only one topic — the Supreme Personal
Absolute.
God is the ultimate source underlying the world's creation. He
also maintains it through His feature as divine immanence (Param
atma), and supplies the living beings with the senses and intelli
gence to perceive it. He blesses these suffering jivas with the Vedic
instructions, so that the seriously inquisitive can understand Him.
He also blesses them with the association of His devotees. Despite
these blessings, most jivas remain engaged in material activities,
but some develop a desire to know Him. The latter can receive
^ bhaqavaniti
397

Anuccheda 58
The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified
as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter
imoRi^oivs-
SuKA continues:
That entity from whom creation proceeds, into whom it is dis
solved, and by whom both creation and dissolution are made
perceivable, is the asraya, the ultimate source and shelter of
all being, and He is known as Parabrahman (the Supreme Tran
scendent Absolute) and as Paramatma (the Supreme Immanent
Self)." (sB 2.10.7)^
" 3 T ^ c | ^ q c i " v j fl c i M l
^ I yc^l-
In this verse, the word dbhdsa (appearance) stands for cosmic
creation, and nirodha (cessation) for cosmic dissolution. The
relative pronoun yatah (from whom) refers to the entity from
whom the creation emanates, into whom it is dissolved, and by
whom both creation and dissolution are made perceivable to the
^ dbhdsas ca nirodhas ca yato'sty adhyavaslyate
sa dsrayah param brahma paramdtmeti sabdyate
396
57 Ihe First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
[the nurturing of living beings] deals with the grace that Bhaga-
van bestows on His devotees who are in the midst of life within
the world. The topic of manvantara is about the path of true reli
gion (sad-dharma) [or the religious path of "the true"], while uti
is about the subconscious imprints and desires (karma-vdsands)
that promote engagement in result-oriented action.
Udnukathd deals with the descriptions of the Lord s pastimes,
expanded with various stories, in His different avatdras and also
the narrations of those devotees who are in perfect attunement
with Him (tad'anuvartinam), (sb 2.10.4-5)^
TTTT^ —dxl-Milidr I I
cTWRTJ^: "-qWw" I
fddMmdkod: I clt^
HMIcb4dmHI "3KT^:" I
The topic of sthiti (the support of life and existence) is actually
about vaikuntha-vijaya, "the victory of the Lord of Vaikuntha,"
Bhagavan. In other words, sthiti, which is a synonym for sthdna,
indicates the supreme excellence of Bhagavan in His preserva
tion of the universal laws that govern the fundamental natures
of all created beings and of all creation [all of which He effort
lessly accomplishes from the transcendent realm of Vaikuntha].
The topic of posana (the nurturing of living beings) is specifically
about the grace that Bhagavan bestows upon His devotees who
are in the midst of life in the world.
The topic of manvantardni (the period of reign of the Manus)
deals with the histories of the Manus [and other saintly kings
who ruled during the Manus' reigns] and also the histories of
enlightened beings who lived during those periods and were
blessed in some unique way by the Supreme Lord. Whatever was
enacted by all of them is itself dharma [the fundamental way of
^ sthitir vaikuntha-vijayah posanarh tad-anugrahah
manvantardni sad-dharma utayah karma-vdsandh
avatdrdnucaritam hares cdsydnuvartindm
pumsdm Isa-kathdh proktd ndndkhydnopabrmhitdh
389
 Ill Prameya 57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth

being in perfect harmony with the whole]. So, the topic here is all occur by His potency; indeed, the very reason why the Srimad
true dharma known as worship of Bhagavan, as exhibited by the Bhdgavatam describes these topics is to help us come to know
enlightened Manus, kings, and sages. Bhagavan, for a person is known by his works and attributes.
The topic of uti (the impetus for action) deals with the sub In the next anuccheda, Srlla Jiva Gosvami defines the dsraya-
conscious imprints and desires (karma-vdsands) that promote tattva, the fountainhead of all existence, who is the Supreme
engagement in result-oriented action for living beings who exist Personal Absolute Truth.
within the world. The topic of isdnukathdh (narrations about
God) covers historical accounts of Bhagavan s pastimes in His
various avatdras who appeared within the world, as well as nar
rations of those devotees who are in perfect attunement with
Him (tad-anuvartindm).

m o R R o i ^ -

Suka continues:

The topic of nirodha (the dissolution of the manifest cosmos) is

actually about the reabsorption of the living beings, along with
their psycho-energetic matrices of unconscious impressions and
complexes, into their conscious source, Paramatma, at the time
of His lying down in yogic sleep. The topic of mukti (liberation) is
about the establishment of the living being in its true essential
nature (svarupa), after abandoning identification with all that
it is not [i.e., the body, mind, and other evolutes of primordial
nature], (sna.io.e)®

I rra"^: ytd I

oqcjR^fd: — nRh: II
^ nirodho'sydnusayanam dtmanah saha saktibhih
muktir hitvdnyathd ruparh sva-rupena vyavasthitih

390 395
 Ill Prameya
The eighth topic is known as nirodha, or dissolution. The cre
ation cycle begins when the Lord glances at material nature: "He
glanced with the intention, T shall create the various divisions
of the world of living beings.' Indeed, He created them."® Conse
quently, when it is time for dissolution, the Lord turns His eyes
away from the creation, and this turning away is called His sleep, or
cosmic rest. At that time, all the material elements become unman-
ifest in the reverse order in which they appeared, and primordial
nature then reverts to the state of equilibrium. Concurrently, the
jlvas give up their gross bodies, but they remain conditioned by
their causal bodies, which consist of their karmic impressions in an
unmanifest state. This inactive state of the jivas is called sleep, cor
responding to the Lord's sleep, and this phase of existence is called
nirodha. When the time comes for the next creation cycle, the jivas
receive bodies according to the karma they accrued in the previous
cycle.
The ninth topic is called mukti, or liberation. During the main
tenance period, if a living being fully transcends the concept of his
material identity, which leads to the sense of separateness, by offer
ing the pure self in unalloyed devotion to Bhagavan, he is freed
from both his subtle and gross bodies and becomes established in
his original nature. This condition is called mukti, which is also a
type of nirodha; but, in contrast to the nirodha that occurs at the
time of cosmic dissolution, when the Jiva attains mukti, he is not
compelled to take birth again in the material world. Rather, all his
miseries come to an end and he enters the spiritual planets, where
he resides in his eternal spiritual form. One can attain this state of
eternal liberation only by experientially embodying unconditional
devotion to Sri Krsna, as Srila Vyasadeva witnessed in the state of
supracognitive trance.
The Supreme Absolute Truth, Bhagavan, who is the tenth topic
discussed in Srimad Bhdgavatam, is the foundation of the other
nine topics. The underlying principles implicit in the cosmic order,
which are made explicit through elaboration of the first nine topics,
^ sa iksata lokan nu srjeti sa imal lokdn asrjata
Aitareya Upanisad i.i
394
57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
After the period of cosmic subsistence is completed, Lord Hari
lies down [in supraconscious yogic sleep]. So, the laying down
[i.e., reabsorption] of the living beings, along with their psycho-
energetic matrices of unconscious impressions and complexes,
that occurs in immediate and direct response to the lying down
of the Lord is known as nirodha (dissolution). The "sleep" of Lord
Hari consists of His closing His eyes to the material creation,
whereas the "sleep" of the jivas consists of their reabsorption
into Lord Hari.
Mukti (liberation) is the establishment of the living being
in its true essential nature, occurring at the time of dissolu
tion (nirodha), after first abandoning all identification with
its false acquired nature (anyathd-rupa) — in other words, the
superimposition of inauthentic identity (adhyasta), absence of
real knowing (ajhatva), and so on, that arise out of ignorance
(avidya).
Commentary
Comprehensive knowing of the Supreme Lord means to know
Him along with His potencies, just as understanding the sun means
to know it along with its potency, sunshine. So, in this anuccheda,
the first nine topics of Srimad Bhdgavatam are being explained to
elucidate the nature of Ultimate Reality, the tenth topic. The first
topic is called sarga, or primary creation. According to the Sec
ond Canto of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Tenth Chapter, the material world
is a creation of God and thus a signifier of His personhood. This
world perpetually undergoes cycles of creation, maintenance, and
dissolution. During the period of dissolution, all the material ele
ments are unmanifest, because they have been reabsorbed back into
the original dormant state of primordial nature, called prakTl:i, or
pradhdna. In this phase the three gunas of nature are in balance and
thus inactive.
At the end of the period of dissolution, the Supreme Lord dis
places the equilibrium of the gunas by glancing upon them, and
then the first phase of creation begins. The first emergence from
391
 Ill Prameya
the destabilization of the gunas is called the mahat-tattva, the cos
mic intellect, or collective wisdom principle. When further acti
vated by the time factor, the mahat-tattva gives rise to material ego,
ahankara, or the empirical "I" principle. From ahankara comes the
five subtle elements (smell, taste, form, tactility, and sound), the
five gross material elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether), and
the five cognitive senses (the senses of smell, taste, vision, touch,
and hearing). This phase of creation is called sarga, or the primary
creation. The subsequent creation is conducted by Lord Brahma
and is called visarga, or the secondary creation. This involves the
sending forth of moving and non-moving beings in accordance with
prior karmic inheritance. Brahma is also called Purusa, the primal
cosmic being, or Vairaja, the secondary creator.
The third topic is called sthiti, the sustenance of living beings.
Sri Visnu oversees the maintenance of the archetypal laws and
structural design codes governing universal affairs, and this main
tenance is known as sthiti or sthdna. The maintenance function
shows Visnu s preeminence over Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who
are in charge of the secondary creation and dissolution, respec
tively. For the purpose of sthiti, God appears in the manifest world
in every millennium, as He states in Bhagavad Gitd:
To protect those who are dedicated to the path of truth and to
destroy those addicted to the perpetuation of evil, as well as to
maintain the integrous social and cosmic order (dharma), I appear
regularly in each yuga. (gIta 4.8)"^
The fourth topic is called posana, the nurturing of living beings.
Although God is impartial in this regard, being equally disposed to
all, those who are indifferent or antithetical to Him severely limit
the quality and extent of nurturing that can be received. For nur
turing to take place, as in the natural loving relation between par
ent and child, there must be the gracious offering of unconditional
love by the one who nurtures and the open receptivity on the part
of the one who receives. For this reason, posana is here defined as
paritrdndya sddhundrh vindsdya ca duskrtdm
dharma-samsthdpandrthdy a sambhavdmi yuge yuge
392
The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
the grace God showers on His own devotees who are in the midst of
life in the world.
The fifth topic is called uti, the impetus for action. Impelled by
their karma, living beings perform various material activities dur
ing the period in which the creation is being maintained (i.e., sthiti),
and these activities give rise to various desires for further material
activities. These desires, in the form of subconscious impressions
within the mind, are called uti. They form a kind of matrix of phe-
nomenality for the individual perceiver, because they determine
how the world is perceived and how it is subsequently acted upon.
With the growth of consciousness through the stages of evolution
ary unfolding, desire, perception, and action are all significantly
altered.
The sixth topic is called manvantara. Each day of Lord Brahma
contains fourteen periods, each of which is ruled over by a differ
ent Manu. The Manus are godly persons empowered to look after
the welfare of all human beings. The activities of each Manu, along
with the deeds enacted by sages and enlightened beings during the
Manu s reign, constitute manvantara. How these self- and God-
realized persons behave and worship is called sad-dharma, or the
integrous way of being in relation to the all-encompassing Whole.
Manu literally means "the thinker," and human beings are similarly
known as manusya, mind- or thought-dominated beings. Thus, the
dharma established by Manu and the sages is specifically intended
for human beings, in which thinking is a dominant feature.
The seventh topic is called isdnukathd. The descriptions of Bha-
gavans pastimes with His associates during His avataric descents
in the material world are known as isdnukathd. As discussed earlier
in regard to sabda, these descriptions are not mere creation tales or
myths about God. In this sense, they both include and transcend lit
eral and symbolic meaning. Their main purpose is to effect the devo
tional turning of consciousness toward the Reality with which they
are identical. In this regard, they are self-revealing of that Reality
to one whose consciousness is singularly interested and available.
When Reality is known directly, as in the case of Sri Suka and Srila
Vyasa, the question of literal or symbolic becomes irrelevant.
393
 Ill Prameya
the destabilization of the gunas is called the mahat-tattva, the cos
mic intellect, or collective wisdom principle. When further acti
vated by the time factor, the mahat-tattva gives rise to material ego,
ahankara, or the empirical "I" principle. From ahankara comes the
five subtle elements (smell, taste, form, tactility, and sound), the
five gross material elements (earth, water, fire, air, and ether), and
the five cognitive senses (the senses of smell, taste, vision, touch,
and hearing). This phase of creation is called sarga, or the primary
creation. The subsequent creation is conducted by Lord Brahma
and is called visarga, or the secondary creation. This involves the
sending forth of moving and non-moving beings in accordance with
prior karmic inheritance. Brahma is also called Purusa, the primal
cosmic being, or Vairaja, the secondary creator.
The third topic is called sthiti, the sustenance of living beings.
Sri Visnu oversees the maintenance of the archetypal laws and
structural design codes governing universal affairs, and this main
tenance is known as sthiti or sthdna. The maintenance function
shows Visnu s preeminence over Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who
are in charge of the secondary creation and dissolution, respec
tively. For the purpose of sthiti, God appears in the manifest world
in every millennium, as He states in Bhagavad Gitd:
To protect those who are dedicated to the path of truth and to
destroy those addicted to the perpetuation of evil, as well as to
maintain the integrous social and cosmic order (dharma), I appear
regularly in each yuga. (gIta 4.8)"^
The fourth topic is called posana, the nurturing of living beings.
Although God is impartial in this regard, being equally disposed to
all, those who are indifferent or antithetical to Him severely limit
the quality and extent of nurturing that can be received. For nur
turing to take place, as in the natural loving relation between par
ent and child, there must be the gracious offering of unconditional
love by the one who nurtures and the open receptivity on the part
of the one who receives. For this reason, posana is here defined as
paritrdndya sddhundrh vindsdya ca duskrtdm
dharma-samsthdpandrthdy a sambhavdmi yuge yuge
392
The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
the grace God showers on His own devotees who are in the midst of
life in the world.
The fifth topic is called uti, the impetus for action. Impelled by
their karma, living beings perform various material activities dur
ing the period in which the creation is being maintained (i.e., sthiti),
and these activities give rise to various desires for further material
activities. These desires, in the form of subconscious impressions
within the mind, are called uti. They form a kind of matrix of phe-
nomenality for the individual perceiver, because they determine
how the world is perceived and how it is subsequently acted upon.
With the growth of consciousness through the stages of evolution
ary unfolding, desire, perception, and action are all significantly
altered.
The sixth topic is called manvantara. Each day of Lord Brahma
contains fourteen periods, each of which is ruled over by a differ
ent Manu. The Manus are godly persons empowered to look after
the welfare of all human beings. The activities of each Manu, along
with the deeds enacted by sages and enlightened beings during the
Manu s reign, constitute manvantara. How these self- and God-
realized persons behave and worship is called sad-dharma, or the
integrous way of being in relation to the all-encompassing Whole.
Manu literally means "the thinker," and human beings are similarly
known as manusya, mind- or thought-dominated beings. Thus, the
dharma established by Manu and the sages is specifically intended
for human beings, in which thinking is a dominant feature.
The seventh topic is called isdnukathd. The descriptions of Bha-
gavans pastimes with His associates during His avataric descents
in the material world are known as isdnukathd. As discussed earlier
in regard to sabda, these descriptions are not mere creation tales or
myths about God. In this sense, they both include and transcend lit
eral and symbolic meaning. Their main purpose is to effect the devo
tional turning of consciousness toward the Reality with which they
are identical. In this regard, they are self-revealing of that Reality
to one whose consciousness is singularly interested and available.
When Reality is known directly, as in the case of Sri Suka and Srila
Vyasa, the question of literal or symbolic becomes irrelevant.
393
 Ill Prameya
The eighth topic is known as nirodha, or dissolution. The cre
ation cycle begins when the Lord glances at material nature: "He
glanced with the intention, T shall create the various divisions
of the world of living beings.' Indeed, He created them."® Conse
quently, when it is time for dissolution, the Lord turns His eyes
away from the creation, and this turning away is called His sleep, or
cosmic rest. At that time, all the material elements become unman-
ifest in the reverse order in which they appeared, and primordial
nature then reverts to the state of equilibrium. Concurrently, the
jlvas give up their gross bodies, but they remain conditioned by
their causal bodies, which consist of their karmic impressions in an
unmanifest state. This inactive state of the jivas is called sleep, cor
responding to the Lord's sleep, and this phase of existence is called
nirodha. When the time comes for the next creation cycle, the jivas
receive bodies according to the karma they accrued in the previous
cycle.
The ninth topic is called mukti, or liberation. During the main
tenance period, if a living being fully transcends the concept of his
material identity, which leads to the sense of separateness, by offer
ing the pure self in unalloyed devotion to Bhagavan, he is freed
from both his subtle and gross bodies and becomes established in
his original nature. This condition is called mukti, which is also a
type of nirodha; but, in contrast to the nirodha that occurs at the
time of cosmic dissolution, when the Jiva attains mukti, he is not
compelled to take birth again in the material world. Rather, all his
miseries come to an end and he enters the spiritual planets, where
he resides in his eternal spiritual form. One can attain this state of
eternal liberation only by experientially embodying unconditional
devotion to Sri Krsna, as Srila Vyasadeva witnessed in the state of
supracognitive trance.
The Supreme Absolute Truth, Bhagavan, who is the tenth topic
discussed in Srimad Bhdgavatam, is the foundation of the other
nine topics. The underlying principles implicit in the cosmic order,
which are made explicit through elaboration of the first nine topics,
^ sa iksata lokan nu srjeti sa imal lokdn asrjata
Aitareya Upanisad i.i
394
57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
After the period of cosmic subsistence is completed, Lord Hari
lies down [in supraconscious yogic sleep]. So, the laying down
[i.e., reabsorption] of the living beings, along with their psycho-
energetic matrices of unconscious impressions and complexes,
that occurs in immediate and direct response to the lying down
of the Lord is known as nirodha (dissolution). The "sleep" of Lord
Hari consists of His closing His eyes to the material creation,
whereas the "sleep" of the jivas consists of their reabsorption
into Lord Hari.
Mukti (liberation) is the establishment of the living being
in its true essential nature, occurring at the time of dissolu
tion (nirodha), after first abandoning all identification with
its false acquired nature (anyathd-rupa) — in other words, the
superimposition of inauthentic identity (adhyasta), absence of
real knowing (ajhatva), and so on, that arise out of ignorance
(avidya).
Commentary
Comprehensive knowing of the Supreme Lord means to know
Him along with His potencies, just as understanding the sun means
to know it along with its potency, sunshine. So, in this anuccheda,
the first nine topics of Srimad Bhdgavatam are being explained to
elucidate the nature of Ultimate Reality, the tenth topic. The first
topic is called sarga, or primary creation. According to the Sec
ond Canto of Srimad Bhdgavatam, Tenth Chapter, the material world
is a creation of God and thus a signifier of His personhood. This
world perpetually undergoes cycles of creation, maintenance, and
dissolution. During the period of dissolution, all the material ele
ments are unmanifest, because they have been reabsorbed back into
the original dormant state of primordial nature, called prakTl:i, or
pradhdna. In this phase the three gunas of nature are in balance and
thus inactive.
At the end of the period of dissolution, the Supreme Lord dis
places the equilibrium of the gunas by glancing upon them, and
then the first phase of creation begins. The first emergence from
391
 Ill Prameya 57 The First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth

being in perfect harmony with the whole]. So, the topic here is all occur by His potency; indeed, the very reason why the Srimad
true dharma known as worship of Bhagavan, as exhibited by the Bhdgavatam describes these topics is to help us come to know
enlightened Manus, kings, and sages. Bhagavan, for a person is known by his works and attributes.
The topic of uti (the impetus for action) deals with the sub In the next anuccheda, Srlla Jiva Gosvami defines the dsraya-
conscious imprints and desires (karma-vdsands) that promote tattva, the fountainhead of all existence, who is the Supreme
engagement in result-oriented action for living beings who exist Personal Absolute Truth.
within the world. The topic of isdnukathdh (narrations about
God) covers historical accounts of Bhagavan s pastimes in His
various avatdras who appeared within the world, as well as nar
rations of those devotees who are in perfect attunement with
Him (tad-anuvartindm).

m o R R o i ^ -

Suka continues:

The topic of nirodha (the dissolution of the manifest cosmos) is

actually about the reabsorption of the living beings, along with
their psycho-energetic matrices of unconscious impressions and
complexes, into their conscious source, Paramatma, at the time
of His lying down in yogic sleep. The topic of mukti (liberation) is
about the establishment of the living being in its true essential
nature (svarupa), after abandoning identification with all that
it is not [i.e., the body, mind, and other evolutes of primordial
nature], (sna.io.e)®

I rra"^: ytd I

oqcjR^fd: — nRh: II
^ nirodho'sydnusayanam dtmanah saha saktibhih
muktir hitvdnyathd ruparh sva-rupena vyavasthitih

390 395

Anuccheda 58
The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified
as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter
imoRi^oivs-
SuKA continues:
That entity from whom creation proceeds, into whom it is dis
solved, and by whom both creation and dissolution are made
perceivable, is the asraya, the ultimate source and shelter of
all being, and He is known as Parabrahman (the Supreme Tran
scendent Absolute) and as Paramatma (the Supreme Immanent
Self)." (sB 2.10.7)^
" 3 T ^ c | ^ q c i " v j fl c i M l
^ I yc^l-
In this verse, the word dbhdsa (appearance) stands for cosmic
creation, and nirodha (cessation) for cosmic dissolution. The
relative pronoun yatah (from whom) refers to the entity from
whom the creation emanates, into whom it is dissolved, and by
whom both creation and dissolution are made perceivable to the
^ dbhdsas ca nirodhas ca yato'sty adhyavaslyate
sa dsrayah param brahma paramdtmeti sabdyate
396
57 Ihe First Nine Universals Culminate in the Tenth
[the nurturing of living beings] deals with the grace that Bhaga-
van bestows on His devotees who are in the midst of life within
the world. The topic of manvantara is about the path of true reli
gion (sad-dharma) [or the religious path of "the true"], while uti
is about the subconscious imprints and desires (karma-vdsands)
that promote engagement in result-oriented action.
Udnukathd deals with the descriptions of the Lord s pastimes,
expanded with various stories, in His different avatdras and also
the narrations of those devotees who are in perfect attunement
with Him (tad'anuvartinam), (sb 2.10.4-5)^
TTTT^ —dxl-Milidr I I
cTWRTJ^: "-qWw" I
fddMmdkod: I clt^
HMIcb4dmHI "3KT^:" I
The topic of sthiti (the support of life and existence) is actually
about vaikuntha-vijaya, "the victory of the Lord of Vaikuntha,"
Bhagavan. In other words, sthiti, which is a synonym for sthdna,
indicates the supreme excellence of Bhagavan in His preserva
tion of the universal laws that govern the fundamental natures
of all created beings and of all creation [all of which He effort
lessly accomplishes from the transcendent realm of Vaikuntha].
The topic of posana (the nurturing of living beings) is specifically
about the grace that Bhagavan bestows upon His devotees who
are in the midst of life in the world.
The topic of manvantardni (the period of reign of the Manus)
deals with the histories of the Manus [and other saintly kings
who ruled during the Manus' reigns] and also the histories of
enlightened beings who lived during those periods and were
blessed in some unique way by the Supreme Lord. Whatever was
enacted by all of them is itself dharma [the fundamental way of
^ sthitir vaikuntha-vijayah posanarh tad-anugrahah
manvantardni sad-dharma utayah karma-vdsandh
avatdrdnucaritam hares cdsydnuvartindm
pumsdm Isa-kathdh proktd ndndkhydnopabrmhitdh
389
 Ill Prameya
"^guTHt liSTRfM" MRuimid I "^UT:" XRirmicT ^
The bhutas mentioned here are the five gross material elements,
beginning with ether. The mdtras are the subtle aspects of the
materitfil elements — sound and so on. The indriyas are the cogni
tive senses (the eyes, ears, and so on). The word dhi (the faculty
or instrument of knowing) refers to mahat-tattva, the collective
wisdom faculty, and ahankdra, the principle of individuation.
All of this is brought about through displacement of the equilib
rium of the three gunas leading to transformations. So, the gen
eration of these physical elements and psychic faculties, a pro
cess set in motion by the Supreme Controller (Paramesvara), is
called sarga (primary creation). The word purusa (the primal cos
mic being) refers to Vairaja, or Brahma. Since the word paurusa
literally means "derived from the purusa" the creation effected
by him is appropriately czdled paurusa. This specifically refers
to the sending forth of moving and non-moving living beings
known as visarga (secondary creation).
Suka continues:
f3^:cb4c|mHI: II W
T: II
The topic of sthiti [the support of life and existence] deals, rather,
with the supreme excellence of the Lord of Vaikuntha [Bhaga-
van], in His sustenance of all created beings. The topic of posana
brahmano guna-vaisamyad visargah paurusah smrtah
388
58 The All-inclusive Tenth Universal Specified as Asraya, the Ultimate Shelter
jivas' cognitive senses (adhyavasiyate). That renowned source
and shelter of all existence — the dsraya — is known as Brahman
(the Supreme Transcendent Absolute) and as Paramatma (the
Supreme Immanent Self).
Here the word iti [carrying the sense of "so-named," i.e., "the
dsraya is 'named as' Parabrahman and Paramatma"] expresses
the idea of a complete set of terms pertaining to the entity being
described [the dsraya]. This implies that to this sentence must
be added: "The dsraya is also known as Bhagavan (the Nondual
Supreme Person)^ [in order to complete the given set of terms]."
That the ultimate shelter is Bhagavan will be explained later in
detail [in BhagavatSandarbha].
Commentary
The Srimad Bhagavatam's description of the aforementioned
ten subjects culminates in the description of the dsraya-tattva. A
book that treats too many subjects will bewilder the reader and
make it difficult for him to ascertain its ultimate purpose. This is
clearly not the case with the Bhdgavatam, however, for as stated
here, the shelter of all the topics is Bhagavan. None of the other sub
jects can be described without reference to Bhagavan, and indeed,
the whole reason why Srila Vyasadeva included them was to shed
light on Bhagavan's energies and activities. In other words, Srimad
Bhdgavatam is really about only one topic — the Supreme Personal
Absolute.
God is the ultimate source underlying the world's creation. He
also maintains it through His feature as divine immanence (Param
atma), and supplies the living beings with the senses and intelli
gence to perceive it. He blesses these suffering jivas with the Vedic
instructions, so that the seriously inquisitive can understand Him.
He also blesses them with the association of His devotees. Despite
these blessings, most jivas remain engaged in material activities,
but some develop a desire to know Him. The latter can receive
^ bhaqavaniti
397
 Ill Prameya

His grace and eventually attain mukti, or liberation, which entails

becoming situated in one s own svarupa, or original nature, giving
up all material identification. This is possible only by Bhagavans
mercy, which in turn is available to one who understands in truth
the dsraya-tattva described in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Anuccheda 57
Thus, it is rightly said that the purpose of the other nine topics
is to explain the tenth, the dsraya, who is the source of creation and
dissolution. The dsraya is called Brahman by the adherents ofjndna- The First Nine Universals Culminate
yoga and Paramatma by the adherents of astdnga-yoga. in the Tenth
The word ca (and) in this verse (sb 2.10.7) indicates the topics
of the Bhdgavatam not explicitly mentioned in the verse, such as
57-1
posana. The word iti indicates Bhagavan, the term that the adher
ents of bhakti-yoga use to designate the dsraya. Thus, this verse
(avs I ^5TJT M ^^TFTt o^ccnf^ (mo
echoes the verse quoted earlier, vadanti tat (sb 1.2.11), which states
that the nondual Supreme Consciousness is called Brahman, Param
atma, and Bhagavan. In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami sup To ELUCIDATE THE TENTH SUBJECT, Sri Sukadcva Gosvami
plies further arguments to support the proposition that Bhagavan speaks seven verses that define each of the ten subjects [show
is the dsraya, or shelter of everything. ing how they culminate in the tenth], [The first four of the
seven verses, covering the first nine topics, are presented in
Anucchedas 57-1-3. beginning with this verse:]

The topic of sarga (primary creation) deals with the generation

of the five gross elements (bhutas), the five subtle sense objects
(mdtras), the five cognitive senses (indriyas), the universal or
collective wisdom faculty (dhi or mahat-tattva), and the ego
[ahahkdra, the "1" principle, or the principle of individuation],
resulting from the displacement of the equilibrium of the three
gunas [i.e., primordial nature's three interdependent consti
tuting principles of psychic and physical force], brought about
through the intent of the Supreme Controller (Paramesvara).
The topic of visarga (secondary creation) is about the creative
act (paurusa) of the primal cosmic being (purusa), Brahma [who,
being but an intermediary, implies a transcendent source, i.e.
Bhagavan]. (sb 2.10.3)^
^ hhuta-matrendriya-dhiydrfijanma sarga udahrtah ->

398 387
 Ill Prameya

In the next anuccheda, Srila JIva Gosvami begins explaining

each of the ten topics by quoting their definitions from Srimad
Bhagavatam.

Anuccheda 59

The Independent Asraya and the Three

Interdependent Divisions
of Embodied Selfhood

59-1

WTOTTW (^O ^ 1^-'^) —

[In the previous verse, the asraya was described as the source
of creation and dissolution.] Now, Sukadeva Gosvami demon
strates that during the period of cosmic sustenance (sthiti) as
well, the essential nature of the asraya can be clearly ascertained
through immediate intuitive insight (aparoksdnubhava) by sim
ple reference to the microcosm of the individual living being.
In order to make this evident, he discusses three divisions of
embodied selfhood: adhyatmika [the empirical self as limited
cognizer of the visible world through the senses], adhidaivika
[the potentiators of the self's perceptual faculties, or in other
words, the higher-order cosmic directives {devas) who preside
over and thus facilitate the functions of the cognitive senses],
and adhibhautika [the physical self as the visible body, which is
the locus of the senses, thus enabling the powers of perception to
be actualized]. Sri Suka says:

386 399
 Ill Prameya
[Prior to the generation of the body] that which is known as the
adhydtmika-purusa [the empirical self (jlva) identified with the
senses as limited seer] is indistinguishable from the adhidaivika-
purusa [the cosmic potentiators (devas) of the self, who facili
tate the power of seeing of the limited seer]. That which permits
these two divisions within a single entity to become differenti
ated is called the adhibhautika-purusa [the physical self, or the
visible body as physical seat of the senses]. In the absence of
any one of these, the other two cannot be ascertained. Whereas,
He who knows these three from the witness position is the Sup
reme Self (dtmd) and His own independent shelter (sva-dsraya).
(SB 2.10.8-9)
I ^ cb<U|yc+,|!^|cb4c^|f^-
cb<u||^^^4^|^^dc^^?lyl<^^c|dl^M1 WnH I ^
mm:" (to R 1^1^) ||
The adhydtmika-purusa (the empirical self) refers to the jiva as
limited seer, identified as the owner of the power of sight and
the other sense faculties. He indeed is also [indistinguishable
from] the adhidaivika-purusa (the cosmic potentiators of the
self), which here refers to the higher-order directives, like the
presiding deity of the sun (surya), [who facilitate the power of
sight and the other sense faculties].
Before the body is generated, the senses are without physical
seats in which to reside and so their functional capacities remain
unactualized. Because of the incapacitation of the senses at
this time, the adhyatmika self and the adhidaivika self are as yet
^ yo'dhydtmiko'yam purusah so'sdv evddhidaivikah
yas tatrobhaya-vicchedah puruso hy ddhibhautikah
ekam ekatardbhdve yadd nopalabhdmahe
tritayarh tatra yo veda sa dtmd svdsraydsrayah
4 0 0
56 The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
Srila Vyasadeva uses the same approach in Veddnta-sutra. After
designating Brahman as the subject of the book in the first sutra —
"Now, therefore, inquiry should be made into Brahman" (athdto
brahma-jijndsd) — he begins discussing Bhagavan's extrinsic char
acteristics in the next sutra — "From Him proceed the creation,
maintenance, and dissolution of the universe" (janmady asya
yatah). Because God creates within specified time cycles and
because the creation takes place exterior to Him or His intrinsic
nature, the characteristic of world creation is considered as tatastha
(extrinsic).
Srimad Bhagavatam discusses the ten topics in a similar way; the
first nine — Bhagavan s extrinsic characteristics — are presented to
help us understand the tenth, the dsraya. This dsraya will be iden
tified as Sri Krsna later in the Sandarbhas. The first nine topics of
Srimad Bhagavatam deal with various potencies of Bhagavan, such
as His creative potency (sarga-sakti). Understanding these topics
helps us fathom the Supreme Lord as the possessor of these poten
cies. This foundational understanding helps us to properly com
prehend His personal features and pastimes, which are narrated
in the Tenth Canto. Without studying the nine preliminary topics
of the Bhagavatam, we run the risk of viewing His form and pas
times superficially and concluding that Krsna is an ordinary human
being endowed with some extraordinary powers. But this is far
from the truth. Sri Krsna, therefore, says in Bhagavad Gitd: "Being
unacquainted with My ontological identity as the Supreme Ruler of
all existence, the bewildered misconceive Me as having accepted a
[perishable and limited] human body" (gIta 9.11).^
Therefore, with the intent of leading us to the highest plane
of transcendence through a proper understanding of the Bhaga
vatam's tenth subject, the summum bonum, Sukadeva Gosvami
explains the first nine items. We should study the Bhagavatam
in the order Sukadeva Gosvami presented it — from the first verse
avajdnanti mdm mudhd mdnuslrh tanum dsritam
param bhdvam ajdnanto mama bhuta-mahesvaram
385

I l l
Ta m e y a
Now, Jiva Gosvami begins explaining the Absolute Reality,
tattva, from the viewpoint of the aggregate (samasti-nirdesa). In
doing so, he bases his explanation on the ten primary topics treated
in the Bhdgavatam's twelve cantos. First, he quotes two verses by
Sukadeva Gosvami (sb 2.10.1-2), the second of which states that the
reason scripture describes such topics as creation, maintenance,
dissolution, and liberation is to help us understand the ultimate
topic, Bhagavan, who is the substratum (asraya) of individual and
collective being. Indeed, these other topics are but descriptions
of Bhagavans manifold potencies. He is the fountainhead of all
these phenomena, and Srimad Bhdgavatam explains them just to
illustrate His special characteristics.
In some places, the Bhdgavatam introduces prayers to Bhaga
van in the course of describing one or more of the other nine top
ics, and in these prayers, the Supreme Person Himself is the object
of description. In other places, Bhagavan is described directly, as
in the dialogues between Vidura and Maitreya and between Kapila
and Devahuti. In yet other places, the Bhdgavatam glorifies Bhaga
van indirectly through historical episodes, such as the accounts of
how Sri Krsna saved Pariksit Maharaja from Asvatthama and of how
Sukadeva Gosvami was transcendentally captivated when he heard
verses about Sri Krsna's attributes. In this way, Srila Jiva Gosvami
shows that the purpose of the nine preliminary subjects discussed
in the Bhdgavatam is to explain the tenth, the advaya-jndna, which
is also called the dsraya, the fountainhead of all existence.
Every individual has two types of characteristics — svarupa
(intrinsic) and tatastha (extrinsic) — and the original Supreme Per
son is no exception. The intrinsic characteristics are permanent,
whereas the extrinsic features are incidental. In our present con
ditioned state, we have no experience of God s personal attributes.
If we hear these described without proper commentary, we may
misunderstand them owing to our stringent material conditioning.
But we can more easily understand — either from the aggregate
or the individual viewpoint — God s extrinsic features manifested
within material nature, for they are within the scope of our personal
experience.
384
59 The Independent Asraya and the Three Interdependent Divisions
of Embodied Selfhood
undifferentiated, existing as mere potentials within the generic
"beingness" [or essence] of embodied selfhood (jivatva-mdtra).
This absence of differentiation is due to the fact that their indi
vidualized and distinct functions have not yet emerged, [in the
case of the adhyatmika self, the distinguishing function (as lim
ited seer) is the sense of proprietorship over the senses by which
one appropriates the acts of perception. In the case of the adhi-
daivika self, the distinguishing function (as potentiating force)
is to be a support for the empirical self's sense of seership by
facilitating the engagement of the senses with their respective
objects.]
That by which these two separate functions — of sense pro
prietor and cosmic directive of sensory operations — become dif
ferentiated is known as the adhibhautika self, the visible body
in which are found the physical seats of the senses, such as the
eyeball and other sense organs. The visible body is said to be
a "self," because it is an artificial designation (upadhi) superim
posed upon the actual self, the conscious being (jiva). The phys
ical body has been referred to as a self (purusa) in the Sruti:
"This [adhibhautika] self (purusa) consists offood and vital fluids"
(TU 2.1.1).^
Commentary
In the previous anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami demonstrated
from the macrocosmic viewpoint that the Supreme Absolute Truth,
Bhagavan, is the dsraya-tattva, the support of all existence. Now, he
further explains that Bhagavan is the support of each individual in
their day-to-day sensory experiences.
The originally pure living being who misidentifies with the body,
mind, and senses is called the ddhydtmika-purusa, the empirical self
as limited seer. The presiding deities (devas) of the senses are called
the ddhidaivika-purusa, the potentiators of the self, who facilitate
the power of seeing of the limited seer. The visible physical body,
^ sa vd esa purusonna-rasa-mayah
401
 Ill Prameya
along with the sense objects, is called the adhibhautika-purusa, the
physical self as the locus of the senses. The adhibhautika-purusa
makes possible the differentiation of the adhyatmika-purusa from
the adhidaivika-purusa.
Prior to physical birth, one cannot distinguish the latter two
purusas, because they are merged as if they were the same jiva. In
this regard, Srlpada Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes, "Even prior
to the generation of the physical body, the senses and their pre
siding deities are present with the Jiva" (dehotpatteh purvam api
jivena sardham indriyani tad-devatas ca santy eva). They constitute
the subtle psychic body (suksma-deha).
At this stage, the cosmic potentiators of the senses (the devas)
and the empirical self (jiva) are as yet undifferentiated, because no
physical body exists that could allow for the actualization of their
respective potentials. When the physical body comes into existence,
the senses take their appropriate seats within it, and their respec
tive presiding deities take charge of them. At that time, one can
distinctly perceive the functions of the presiding deities. The eyes,
nose, and other senses that we observe in the physical body are
not the real senses; rather, they are the seats for the actual senses,
which are interior, belonging to the subtle psychic matrix. These
interior senses function through the external seats, or instruments
(golaka).
Sr! Krsna confirms this in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad
Gitd. After asserting that the living entity is His eternal inte
grated part. He states that the Jiva draws forth the mind and five
senses, which are situated in material nature, meaning that the jiva
egoically appropriates them as his own. Krsna then says that when
the dtmd quits the body, it carries the five senses and the mind from
their seats into the next body, just as the air carries aromas.
Obviously, at the time of death the visible nose and eyes do not
disappear. Rather, the subtle senses situated interior to the physi
cal seats, along with the mind, are carried away by the dtmd. The
physical body is also called purusa, or "person" because the dtmd
is identified with it. This illusion prompts a person to say, "1 am
sick," when actually the body is sick. All bodily designations, such
402
56 The Ten Topics of Srlmad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
The Srimad Bhagavatam discusses ten topics, beginning with
primary creation, but the sages' real purpose in describing the
characteristics of the first nine is to provide us systematic lucid
knowledge of the tenth item, the ultimate shelter of all being.
One might object here that it is not apparent exactly how the dis
cussion of the other nine topics elucidates the tenth. To this we
reply that in the Bhagavatam, the sages describe the tenth topic
both directly, by the explicit utterance of prayers and other state
ments, and indirectly, through the implied purport (tdtparya) of
various historicsd accounts.
Commentary
In previous anucchedas, Srila Jiva GosvamI defined the cen
tral topics to be known from Srimad Bhagavatam by examining the
disposition of the heart and transrational cognition of Sukadeva
Gosvami and Srila Vyasadeva. In the course of this exposition, he
explained the nature of the jiva to clarify its distinction from the
subjective Reality. He then went on to analyze the second verse of
Srimad Bhagavatam, which declares that the Absolute Reality is the
subject to be realized in Srimad Bhagavatam. To further define that
Reality, he also referred to the Bhagavatam verse beginning with
vadanti tat tattva-vidah (sb 1.2.11), which identifies the three main
aspects of the one nondual supreme consciousness (advaya-Jnana).
He proposed that the intuition of this nondual consciousness could
be made available through reference to individual consciousness,
and, therefore, he discussed the Jiva's nature on the basis of two
Bhagavatam verses (sb 11.3.38-39) by Pippalayana Rsi.
The basic axioms established so far concerning the jiva are that
it is conscious, capable of self-knowledge and knowledge of objects
other than the self; it is distinct from the material energy and free
of the six types of physical transformation. This analysis is from
the individual perspective (vyasti-nirdesa), which sheds light on
the nature of the totality, or in other words, the subjective Reality
(tattva) known as nondual consciousness.
383
 59 The Independent Asraya and the Three Interdependent Divisions
Ill Prameya
of Embodied Selfhood

In this book, Srimad Bhdgavatam, ten subjects are discussed: as "short," "tall," "American," "Indian," "boy," and "girl," are based
sarga [the original setting in motion of primordial nature by the on the jivas misidentification with the material body. The Upanisad
Lord, i.e., primary creation], visarga [the secondary creation statement that Srila Jiva Gosvami quoted in this anuccheda confirms
of the primal cosmic being, Brabma], sthdna [the sustenance of the usage of the term purusa for the body.
living beings], posana [the mercy displayed by the Lord in nur In the next anuccheda, Jiva Gosvami explains the second of the
turing His devotees], uti [the subconscious imprints and desires two Bhdgavatam verses (sb 2.10.9) that he quoted in Anuccheda 59.1.
that promote engagement in goal-oriented action], manvantara
[the religious path enacted by the Manus], isdnukathd [narra
tions of the Lord and His devotees], nirodha [dissolution of the
creation], mukti (liberation), and dsraya [the substratum, or
ultimate shelter, of individual and collective being], (sb 2.10.1)^

To clarify the meaning of the tenth subject depicted here, the

highly elevated souls [mentioned in this book, such as Vidura
and Maitreya] describe the characteristics of the first nine sub
jects — sometimes directly, by offering prayers of glorification,
using words that graphically depict their intended object, and
sometimes indirectly, by pointing out the intended meaning
(artha) [i.e., tdtparya] implicit in various narrations, (sb 2.10.2)^

Hc(M| (

^ ? 31rr 3Tr^ —cbUcSldr^cl iq

ciujijpd 1 II

The compound manvantaresdnukathdh is formed from the sin

gle words manvantara (the period of reign of the Manus) and
isdnukathdh (narrations of the Lord s pastimes).

atra sargo visargas ca

sthanam posanam utayah
manvantaresdnukathd
nirodho muktir dsrayah
dasamasya visuddhy-artham
navdndm iha laksanam

varnayanti mahdtmdnah
srutendrthena cdnjasd

382 403
 \
Anuccheda 60
The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter
and Thus the Shelter of All
I ^cbftcbd^rirra" c^vidfd—%
^ dcVI^ ^ I ^ ^ ^ ^ cT^cb|U|y<jrHH-
^<J<^(^RiBldl I ^ ct yclclcl I <JJ^<^fHr2icbd-
JH|c| I d^—cT^ dIr?ld<^HIc^-c|dldH^d I ^
FTfyd^XT^dfd^^WdTTSTT^: I dg^^c^^-
1MWT I 3Td^^: I H I ddi^liRldl:
dM<HIcHdli^Itdlcb 1^u)ciI^3TTj: I
The second verse under consideration, beginning ekam
ekatardbhdve (sb 2.10.9), clearly establishes the mutual interde
pendence of these [purusas], by which it is concluded that none
of them can be the independent shelter of all being (dsraya). The
reasoning is as follows: In the absence of perceivable objects, the
sense faculties, whose existence is merely inferred from tangi
ble perceptions of visible objects, remain unsubstantiated. And
in the absence of sense perceptions, there can be no limited seer
[as appropriator of the acts of perception]. Then again, without
the seer, the higher order directives {devas) who oversee sense
functioning, such as the presiding deity of the sun, whose exis
tence too is merely inferred from the fact of the senses engage
ment with their objects, are also without basis. Without the
directives of sense operations (devas), the senses cannot act, and
without the senses, the visible world cannot become an object
of perception. Thus, in the absence of any one [of these three
4 0 4
Anuccheda 56
The Ten Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam Identify
Their Subject as the Ultimate Shelter
I v 3 i l c | M I 1 ^ 1 c l 3 c | l ^ r M I d c ; f ? l r 5 d ^ Tc T
^^d (^o R Ro |^-R) —
Thus, by describing the essential nature of the living beings
(jivas), which is pure consciousness, the Absolute Truth (tattva)
that is the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam has also been described
through individual reference (vyasti-nirdesa) [i.e., by intuiting
the totality from the individual]. This is so because the Sup
reme Brahman is nondifferent from the dtmd, partaking of the
same [conscious] aspect (dkrti), and being the Complete Whole
that encompasses all of its integrated parts (arhsitvena). Indeed,
He is called the dsraya, the source and shelter of all existence.
The same nondual Reality, Brahman, is defined in universal
terms (samasti-nirdesa) as well through the ten topics that form
the characteristics of a major Purdna, beginning with primary
creation. These ten topics are mentioned in the following two
3?^ wrf
T: II m
ddMIIH^ I
" F T: II
381
 Ill Prameya
"manifestation" from out of the womb of eternal being, dissolution
amounts to no more than "concealment" or reabsorption into the
conscious Source, Paramatma. Liberation is understood as ulti
mate dissolution or permanent establishment in authentic being.
The delineation of all these topics self-evidently discloses the tenth
topic — the Ultimate Shelter, asraya.
This division contains two subdivisions, the first (Anucchedas 56-
60) being an analysis of the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam from
the Second Canto, and the second (Anucchedas 61-63), an analysis
of the same from the Twelfth Canto. Although the two lists include
different terminology, they are shown to be identical both in spirit
and content. With some allowance for poetic license, the ten univer-
sals may be expressed as follows: Primordial creation, cosmic cre
ation, sustenance of life-systems, the operation of Grace, the matrix
of phenomenality, the enactment of dharma for rational (thought-
based) beings, the power of the self-revealing word (coextensive
with the Reality it signifies), dissolution of life-systems, liberation,
and the Ultimate Shelter of all.
380
60 The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter and Thus the Shelter of A!
purusas], the other two cannot be ascertained. Such being the
case, the one who knows these three, by virtue of the immedi
ate apprehension of them from the witness position, is indeed
the Supreme Immanent Self (Paramatma) and the actual shelter
(asraya).
To distinguish Paramatma, the actual shelter of all, from the
three purusas, who are also shelters for each other but in a mutu
ally interdependent sense, Paramatma is specifically character
ized as svdsraya, His own independent shelter, meaning that He
has no other shelter and is, consequently, the shelter of all oth
ers. In this context, both the pure living entity as well as Param
atma are referred to as asraya, but strictly from the perspective
that focuses specifically on the aspect of nondifference between
the pure jiva and Paramatma, who are related as part and whole,
respectively.
60.2
31?r:-
Therefore [the jiva is not an independent asraya, in spite of the
following verses]:
<A<A\ 3ilcHH f5jUU||ciHchH I
II II
vjIIowyki ^I
I I 11 ^ I
Although transcendental to the three gunas of material nature,
the living being thinks of itself as consisting of the three gunas.
(sB 1.7.5)^
Wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep are conditional states
(vTiiis) of the mental faculty (buddhi), caused by the gunas of
^ yayd sammohitojiva dtmdnam tri-gundtmakam
paro'pi manutenartharh tat-krtarh cdbhipadyate
405
 Ill Prameya
material nature. The individual living being has been ascer
tained to be distinct from these states, due to its being their
witness. (sB 11.13.27)
The pure jiva [situated in the liberated position], who is the
knower of the field of the psycho-physical organism, merely
witnesses the transformations of the impure agent, the mind.
i ci3rT«rqcn%g??T-
^<oild-4l HcbfHid I
So, although the pure jiva is designated as a witness [a word gen
erally used for Paramatma] in these statements, he should not be
considered as the dsraya.
Alternatively, the verse may be explained as follows: It may
be questioned, "Is it then to be admitted that the three aspects of
embodied selfhood (adhyatmika and so on) also possess the qual
ity of being foundational supports (asrayas)?" We answer that
this is true, but since they are dependent on each other, none
of them are the exclusive dsraya; as the verse beginning ekam
(sB 2.10.9) confirms, it is not in the direct primary sense that they
are referred to as dsrayas.
rrff ^TT%Jrij,c|lwmi8RRgTT TcT^TT?—QdilHifd I aTW iTT# ^T:
(^o^|xR^) ^ i dtnid
"arnqrosf" (mo R I?O I\S) II ii
"So, then the existential condition of being an dsraya must belong
to the witness alone [i.e., to the pure jiva]?" The answer to this
^ jdgrat-svapna-susuptaTh ca gunato buddhi-vrttayah
tdsdrh vilaksanojlvah sdksitvena vivaksitah
^ ksetrajna etd manaso vibhutirjlvasya mdyd-racitasya nitydh
dvirhitdh kvdpi tirohitds ca suddho vicaste hy avisuddha-kartuh
406
Intuition of the Subject through Reference
to the Universal — The Ten Topics
of Srimad Bhagavatam
Anucchedas ^6-63
In the previous division, the Source Consciousness (tattva) was
intuited with reference to individual consciousness. Now, in this
division, the same Source Consciousness is intuited with reference
to the universal order, as being its ultimate foundation and shel
ter. This discussion addresses such fundamental problems as the
world and creation, causality, and the nature of the living being
in both its conditioned and liberated statuses. Through such anal
ysis, we come to know how the Absolute is both the ground and
support of creation without undergoing transformation and with
out becoming implicated in cause-effect conditionality. We learn
that "creation" is in reality evolutionary unfolding, from its most
subtle principle of mahat-tattva, or cosmic intellect, right down to
the mahd-bhutas, or the gross physical elements. From an alternate
perspective, this can be described as the involution of Spirit into
phenomenality.
The sustenance and regulation of the world order implies Bha-
gavans immanence in the form of the interior Self as well as the
underlying pervasion of His intrinsic potency. The discussion of
the conscious beings includes both the psychic matrices by which
they are tied to material nature and the conditioned life of saihsdra,
and the sad-dharma of integral relation with the nondual Personal
Whole (Bhagavan). As creation is disclosed as nothing more than
379
 6o The Asraya Is Its Own Independent Shelter and Thus the Shelter of All

is provided in the last line of the verse, beginning with tritayam:

The dtmd, or self, is a witness, as an individual unit of conscious
ness (jlva), but he too is sheltered exclusively by that entity
who is His own independent shelter (svdsraya), meaning He who
has no other shelter, Paramatma. This point is clearly stated
in a verse from the Bhdgavatam section known as the Hariisa-
guhya prayers (sb 6.4.25), "The conscious being knows all these
transformations of material nature as well as the gunas, which
are their source. Yet, in spite of knowing all this, he does not
know the all-knowing one. I worship that unlimited Lord.""^ So,
in conclusion, Paramatma, described in such statements as the
one beginning dbhdsas ca (sb 2.10.7, Anuccheda 58), is alone the
dsraya.
The verses under discussion [sb 2.10.1-9, Anucchedas 56.1-
60.1] were spoken by Sri Suka.

Commentary

Srila JivA Gosvami shows here that except for Bhagavan, none
can be the independent dsraya, which is the tenth topic of Srlmad
Bhdgavatam. From a cursory look, the jivas and the presiding deities
(adhi-devas) of the senses appear to be the dsrayas. Thejiva, or the
empirical self, is the dsraya for the physical body it inhabits, and the
presiding deities are the dsraya for the senses. But none of them can
be independent dsrayas. For example, without a physical body, the
conditionedjiva would be unable to see a flower, because the distinc
tion between the presiding deity of the eyes and the jiva would then
not be manifest. On the other hand, if the body is manifest, then
the senses take up their respective seats and are presided over by
their respective devas. Still, if the devas do not provide support, the
senses cannot perceive.
The presiding deity of the eye, for example, is the sun. Without
the suns light, the eye cannot perceive visible objects, even with
the jiva s support. For proper perception, all three supports must
sarvam vuman veda aunams ca tai-jfio na veda sarvajfiam anantam ide

a . 0 1
 Ill Prameya

be present: the empirical self, or jiva (the adhyatmika-purusa), the

physical body (the adhibhautika-purusa), and the potentiators of the
senses, or devas (the adhidaivika-purusa). The one who witnesses all
the activities of these three purusas is Paramatma, who is His own
independent dsraya as well as the asraya of the jiva. He is the ulti
mate dsraya. Although the jiva witnesses his own various mental
states, he is not their ultimate basis. Sometimes the jiva is referred
to as the dsraya in consideration of his being a minute fraction of
Paramatma and thus nondifferent from Him, but the jiva is never
the dsraya in the primary sense.
The jiva is the intermediary energy of Paramatma, who is the
energetic Source, and as such, the jiva is always dependent on Him.
Still, because the jiva is an integrated part of Paramatma, he has
some of His characteristics in very minute degree, just as a drop of
ocean water has some of the ocean's qualities. It must be empha
sized that the drop does not have all of the qualities of the ocean —
the ocean has waves, tides, and storms, none of which a single
drop can accommodate. Also, unlike the drop of ocean water, the
ocean shelters the whole oceanic world and is suitable for sailing or
surfing.
Similarly, Bhagavan is the shelter and source of well-being of
all existence, a position no jiva can claim. Thus, the jiva, although
one with Bhagavan in some respects, should not be considered
the object of worship independent of the Lord, who is the basis
of all existence. Bhagavan is the supreme substratum or shel
ter for Himself as well as others. This is the import of Sukadeva
Gosvami's statements explaining the various topics treated in
Srimad Bhdgavatam. Srila Suta GosvamI will now draw the same
conclusion from a slightly different angle of vision while explaining
the characteristics of a Maha-purana.

408
Anuccheda 6i

The Second List of the Bhagavatam's

Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
as the Ultimate Shelter

61.1

I 3TFT^|J|c|dW 4^^N<|U|cc|oilo^31cbe:>^y4>KWiU|
I (^o 1^91 V^o) —

In the following two verses, although Sri Suta Gosvami

describes the characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam that qualify
it as a Maha-purana in a different manner, he yet afHrms that
Paramatma alone is the dsraya:

II II

M<|U| clf^cjl I

O brdhmana, learned authorities on the Puranas identify a

Purana as containing ten standard topics: sarga [the destabiliza-
tion of the gunas of primordial nature bringing forth the causal
cosmic principles of creation]; visarga [the subsequent creation
of the individual forms of living beings in accordance with their
residual bank of subconscious impressions and desires]; vrtti
[the sustenance of living beings]; raksd [the protection and nur
turing of living beings]; antardni [the period of reign of the
Manus]; vamsa [the dynasties of great kings]; varhsdnucarita
[the activities of such kings]; samsthd [dissolution of the cre
ation]; hetu [the living beings as instrumental cause behind

409
 Ill Prameya

creation]; and apasraya [the ultimate shelter of all states of

awareness, of all phenomena, and of all beings].
Other authorities, however, claim that a Purana consists of just
five topics. This difference of opinion is accounted for by virtue
of the difference in topics that characterize the Maha-puranas
[which deal with these ten topics] and the minor Puranas [which
deal with only five], (sb 12.7.9-10)^

Here, the word antarani refers to manvantarani, the period of

reign of the Manus.

Some authorities define a Purana as that which discusses five

topics, as expressed in the following verse: "A Purana is char
acterized by the following five topics — sarga (creation), pratisa-
rga (dissolution), varhsa (genealogy), manvantarani (the period
of reign of the Manus), and vamsdnucarita (the activities of illus
trious kings and enlightened sages appearing within the great
dynasties)."^

sargo'sydtha visargas ca vrtti raksdntardni ca

vuTTiso vamsdnucaritaTfi sarhsthd hetur apdsrayah
dasabhir laksanair yuktarh purdnam tad-vido viduh
kecit panca-vidham brahman mahad-alpa-vyavasthayd
sargas ca pratisargas ca varhso manvantardni ca
vamsdnucaritam ceti vurdnam vafica-laksanam

d l O
 6i The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
Ill Prameya
as the Ultimate Shelter

that the real intention of God in manifesting the universe is to pro This difference of opinion applies to different Puranas due to the
vide an opportunity to His devotees who were unable to achieve difference in the number of topics that they treat [either ten or
perfection in the previous cycle of creation, so that their devotion five], characterizing them either as a Maha-purana or an Alpa-
may be brought to the completion stage. From this, we can clearly purana (a major or a minor Purana). Although Puranas such as
see that the jiva is certainly not the dsraya of the cosmos. Accord the Visnu Purdna discuss all ten topics, these Puranas are still
ing to Srila Vyasadevas realization in the higher cognitive state of classified as minor, because they discuss only five of the topics
samadhi, that position belongs to Bhagavan. in depth.
This brings us to the final topic, apdsraya, the transcendental
shelter of all existence. If God is the dsraya of this material world,
wouldn't He also necessarily be in contact with mdyd and her cre
ation? In answer to this, Sri Suta Gosvami replies that Bhagavan
is apdsraya, the transcendental shelter. In other words. He is the
dsraya, but He is apart from (apa) mdyd. In gIta 7.4, Sri Krsna
describes His own material nature as bhinnd prakrtih (His separated
energy). In His original transcendental form, Bhagavan is com In Srimad Bhdgavatam, it is not the author s intention to sug
pletely aloof from the material manifestation, but as Paramatma, gest that the ten topics appear consecutively, in one canto after
He witnesses and regulates the activities of both the jivas and mdyd. another; after all, the Bhdgavatam has twelve cantos [i.e., two
Thus, by His inconceivable potency. He is both "in-volved" with more than necessary to cover the ten topics]. Nor should one sup
the creation and simultaneously transcendental to it. This too is pose that because the ten topics are listed at the end of the Second
confirmed by Him in Bhagavad Gitd: Canto, they can be found one after another from Cantos Three to
Twelve. This cannot be the case, because the three topics of niro-
This entire cosmos is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All
dha, mukti, and dsraya can all be found in the Tenth, Eleventh,
living beings are situated in Me, but I am not in them, (gita 9.4)^ and Twelfth Cantos. Nor will one find the remaining topics in
order in the other cantos, with the exception of the Eighth Canto
Yet, even though Bhagavan, as Paramatma, pervades the cos
mos and controls it. He is neither in physical contact with it nor [which deals primarily with the sixth topic, manvantara].
influenced by it.
In Anuccheda 53, Srila Jiva Gosvami showed that knowledge of
the pure nature of the jiva is the first step in the science of God-
realization. Here in Anuccheda 63, he substantiates this statement
with two verses by Sri Suta Gosvami (quoted in Anuccheda 63.4).
This absence of a strict correspondence between the topics
In SB 11.22.46, Sri Krsna mentions the nine states of bodily exis
and cantos of the Bhdgavatam has also been indicated by Srila
tence experienced by the jiva: conception, gestation, birth, infancy,
Sridhara Svami:
childhood, youth, maturity, old age, and death. Although in the con
ditioned state, the jiva seems to be implicated in these nine states,
^ mayd tatam idarh sarvamjagad avyakta-murtind
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caharfi tesv avasthitah II W 11^

438 4 11

Ill Prameya
In the Tenth Canto, the topic of nirodha [dissolution or destruc
tion] is discussed specifically to spread Sri Krsna s transcenden
tal glories, and in this context, it refers instead to the destruc
tion of the unrighteous rulers due to their deviating from the
path of religious truth (dharma). The four types of dissolution
(nirodha) of primordial nature, on the other hand, were already
described earlier in the Bhdgavatam, (Bhavdrtha-dipika lo.i.i)®
Here, Sridhara Svamis intention is to show that the Tenth
Canto is primarily concerned with elucidation of the dsraya,
who is none other than Sri Krsna. As Sridhara Svami himself
states, "The subject of the Tenth Canto is the tenth topic: how
the dsraya-vigraha, the transcendental personhood of God, is
the ultimate shelter (dsraya) for His fully surrendered devo
tees (dsrita)" (Bhdvdrtha-dipikd lo.i.i).'* We can draw similar
conclusions about the other cantos.
3T^: ^ ^
T T fi r o m I (^o R I^o R) ^4^ dxirH-
Thus, in Sridhara Svami s view, virtually all ten topics are dis
cussed in every canto, either directly or indirectly. It is in the
same light that we should understand the statement, "These
topics are described here either directly, by straightforward
statements, or indirectly, by disclosing the implied meaning"
(sB 2.10.2), since we do actually find these topics discussed in
both these manners throughout the Bhdgavatam. And for the
^ dasame krsna-sat-klrti-vitdndyopavarnyate
dharma-gldni-nimittas tu nirodho dusta-bhuhhujdm
prdkrtddi-caturdhd yo nirodhah sa tu varnitah
dasame dasamam laksyam dsritdsraya-vigraham
412
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2
any sort of necessity to create. He has no purpose of His own to
achieve by creating this material world. He is eternally established
in His own transcendental self-existence and self-abode, which is
the ground of the play of His divinity. The word "creation" is in fact
misleading, since primordial nature is one of His eternal potencies.
As such, creation is nothing other than the emergence of concrete
forms out of the undifferentiated matrix of pure potentiality. Simi
larly, dissolution is nothing other than reabsorption of the evolutes
of nature back into their primordial state. So, in this sense, Bha-
gavan does not create the world. He simply supplies the conscious
intention in the form of His glance that precipitates the unfolding
of the implicit order. This too He does for the welfare of those liv
ing beings who are diverted from His devotional service. He thus
provides the jivas with the opportunity to fulfill their desires and
ultimately to attain liberation.
By contrast, the Jlvas are known as avidyd-karma-kdraka, act
ing out of ignorance and sustaining the universe. In that sense,
the jivas are the efficient cause of the creation, even though they
neither design nor produce it. As Sri Krsna states in Bhagavad
Gitd, "0 mighty-armed Arjuna, the living beings are that by which
this entire cosmos is sustained" (jiva-bhutdm mahd-bdho yayedam
dhdryatejagat, gitav.s).
Bhagavans ultimate purpose in facilitating the emergence of the
material world is to enable the jivas to attain bhakti and thus access
liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death. Sukadeva
Gosvami states this explicitly in the Tenth Canto:
The Lord created the intellect, the senses, the mind, and the vital
force of the living beings for the purpose of apprehending sense
objects (mdtrd), for taking birth (hhava), for providing a range of
experience for the self (dtmane), and [ultimately] for transcend
ing the act of filtering experience through the screen of prior
assumptions (akalpandya, i.e., for liberation). (sb 10.87.2)^
InParamdtmaSandarbha (Anuccheda 93), Srilajiva Gosvami explains
® huddhlndriya-manah-prdndnjandndm asrjat prahhuh
mdtrdrtham ca bhavdrtham ca dtmane' kalpandya ca
437

Ill Prameya
not take birth again in the material world. Thus, Srila JIva Gosvami
says that dtyantika-laya includes mukti, the ninth among the ten
topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam enumerated by Sukadeva Gosvami in
Anuccheda 56.
In Sarva-sarnvadini, Srila Jiva Gosvami states that, in addition
to the dissolutions mentioned above, there is also a partial dissolu
tion at the end of each manvantara. To substantiate this statement,
he cites the Visnu-dharmottara Purana, Srlmad Bhdgavatam, and the
Bhdrata-tdtparya of Sri Madhvacarya. Part of the reference from the
Visnu-dharmottara Purdna states:
King Vajra asked, "0 greatly fortunate brdhmana, what is the state
of the world when a manvantara ends? Please explain this to me."
Markandeya replied, "At the end of a manvantara, the devas
appointed for that particular manvantara, being free from sins,
attain to Maharloka and reside there." (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna
1.75.1-2)'
Markandeya goes on to explain that the seven sages, Manu,
and Indra go to Brahmaloka, while the earthly sphere becomes
submerged in a deluge. This description of the general annihila
tion at the end of each manvantara is similar to the one given in the
Twenty-fourth Chapter of the Bhdgavatam's Eighth Canto. Srila Jiva
Gosvami comments that the existence of a dissolution at the end of
each manvantara is further substantiated by Hari-vamsa Purdna and
commentaries on its chapters dealing with the subject of universal
dissolution. Thus, the dissolution at the end of a manvantara can be
categorized as naimittika (occasional), because it occurs repeatedly
with the changes of Manus.
The ninth topic is called hetu, which refers to the jiva as the effi
cient cause of creation. Bhagavan is not causal in the sense of having
^ vajra uvdca
manvantare pariksine yadrsl dvijajayate
samavasthd mahd-bhdga tddrsim vaktum arhasi
mdrkandeya uvdca
manvantare pariksine deva manvantaresvardh
mahar-lokam athdsddya tisthanti gata-kalmasdh
436
61 The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
as the Ultimate Shelter
same reason, we should recognize that the First and Second Can
tos also belong to this Maha-purana. Therefore, the idea that
these topics are discussed in a strict sequence is unacceptable.
Commentary
Previously, Srila Jiva Gosvami showed that Suta Gosvami, Suka
deva Gosvami, and Srila Vyasadeva all agreed about what is the
essential message of Srlmad Bhdgavatam. Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami
reiterates this conclusion by citing Suta Gosvami s statements
regarding the characteristics of a Maha-purana. Although the ten
topics described by Sri Suta seem to differ from those mentioned by
Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that in essence they
are the same.
In Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd, while commenting on sb 12.7.9, Sridhara
SvamI offers the following reconciliation between Sukadevas list
and Sutas list: "Sarga and visarga are found in both lists. Sthdna
in the first list is called vrtti in the second; posana is called raksd.
Uti, implying the psychic imprints sheltered in the jiva, is called
hetu. Manvantara is called antara, and Isdnukathd is called vamsa
and vamsdnucarita. Nirodha is called samsthd in the second list, and
by use of the latter word, mukti in the form of ultimate dissolu
tion is also stated."® [Mukti as one of the four types of dissolution
is discussed in Anuccheda 63.] See Figure 61.1, for a comparison of
the two lists.
A major, or Maha-purana, deals extensively with these ten top
ics, while a minor Purana deals with only five — sarga (creation),
pratisarga (dissolution), vamsa (the genealogies of kings or sages),
manvantaras (the reigns of Manus), and vamsdnucarita (the histo
ries of various sages, kings, and avatdras). In the course of dis
cussing these five topics, a minor Purana will touch upon all ten
' asya visvasya atra sargo visargas ca sthdnarh posanam utayah. manvantaresdnukathd
nirodho muktir dsrayah. ity atrokte sthdna-posane vrtti-raksd-sabddbhydm ucyete.
antardni manvantardni varhso varhsydnucaritam itisdnukathdh. sarhsthd nirodhah.
anenaivdtyantika-laya-rupd muktir apy uktd. hetu-sabdena
jivdsraya-vdsand-sabda-vdcyd utayo grhitdh.
413
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

topics of a Maha-purana, but its primary focus is only upon the five the relation between Srimad Bhdgavatam and the subject it
topics listed above. This difference in how extensively the ten top expounds.
ics are treated constitutes the principal distinction between a Maha-
purana and a minor Purana. Figure 61.2 illustrates in what context 63.6
a minor Purana would discuss the ten characteristics of a Maha-
purana.

S U K A D E VA Suta

G O S VA M i Gosvami Thus ends Tattva Sandarbha, the first book of the Bhdgavata
Sandarbha, which was written under the instruction of Srila
1 . Sarga Sarga Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the revered lead
2 . Visarga Visarga ers of the royal assembly of world Vaisnavas. They are unal
Sthdna Vrtti
3. loyed servants of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna
Posana Raksd
4. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the purifier of the jivas in Kaliyuga, who
5. Uti Hetu descended to distribute the benediction of His own devotional
6. Manvantara Va r h s a
worship.
7. Isdnukathd Va r h s d n u c a r i t a

8. Nirodha Samsthd

9- Mukti Samsthd

. 0 . Asraya Apdsraya Here ends Ta t t v a Sandarbha.

Figure 61.1: Ten Topics in the Bhagavatam

Commentary

Srimad Bhdgavatam contains twelve cantos, but the list of a
Maha-purana s topics is found at the end of the Second Canto. From
this, plus the fact that the first two cantos seem in some ways intro
ductory, some scholars conclude that the Bhdgavatam treats these
ten topics successively in each canto from the Third onwards. Srila
Jiva Gosvami has no regard for this theory. Since a Maha-purana
deals with ten topics, if the first two cantos of the Bhdgavatam
described none of these, then the Bhdgavatam proper would have
only ten cantos. It is obvious enough, however, that the First and
Second Cantos discuss at least sarga, visarga, and raksd.
Earlier, Srila Jiva Gosvami listed the defining characteristics of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, and among these were its having eighteen
This anuccheda completes the explanation of the ten topics
mentioned by Sri Suta Gosvami. The eighth topic is called samsthd,
the dissolution of the material creation, of which there are four
kinds — naimittika, prdkrtika, nitya, and dtyantika. The dissolu
tion that occurs at the end of a day of Brahma is called naimittika
(occasional). The final dissolution of the cosmos at the end of Lord
Brahmas life is called prdkrtika (total). The inexorable moment-by-
moment progression of everything in the material world toward
annihilation is called nitya (constant). And when an individual jiva
attains final release from both his subtle and gross bodies and enters
the spiritual sky, that dissolution is called dtyantika (ultimate dis
solution, namely, liberation). Having attained this state, one does

435
414
 Ill Prameya
1% I ?reTT ^ ^ TT^Mlf<Mo:ddl-
'iqtc|^q<:^l<:C|fq^c|| ^ dtrci^c1 Ihfd 5<I.SHIdHMfHc4
^ddlc^l^ — fd^ildfd I vd|J>irWy^^-
ferWT I "3TTOT^"^OTT^^TrTO I "WTU" d m^d I^Rd
^ci^cqi^Rdl^fBrld I UU^"46ldl:" dd^^rie^doqldRxh^l^ldl: II#-
ll#^:^51T^: II
Elemental substances, such as earth, water, and so on, inhere in
their products, such as pots, having specific names and forms.
Yet, at the same time, they do not inhere in these products, as
they are seen to exist separate from them. In the same way,
the pure jiva, though exclusively of the nature of consciousness,
becomes involved with the nine stages of life from conception till
death due to ignorance. By its constitutional nature, however,
the jiva remains always distinct from these fiuctuating states of
awareness. By thus knowing itself as pure consciousness, the liv
ing being awakens detachment and becomes eligible to focus its
investigation upon the transcendental source and shelter of all
(apasraya). This is the purport of the second of the two verses
quoted above, beginning virameta (sb 12.7.21).
The compound vriti-traya (the three fiuctuating states) refers
to the states of wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep. The
word atmdnam (the Self) here means Paramatma, the Supreme
Immanent Self. The word svayam (by self-study) means [that the
identification with the three fiuctuating states may be given up]
by carefully examining their illusory nature, as demonstrated
by the sage Vamadeva and others. The phrase yogena vd (or by
yoga) indicates that alternatively one may give up this identifica
tion by disciplined spiritual practice, as undertaken by Srimati
Devahuti and others. Ihdydh nivartate (he withdraws from all
actions) means that he refrains from all activities other than
the culture of God-realization. These verses were spoken by
Suta Gosvami. This completes our explanation of sambandha,
434
6i The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
as the Ultimate Shelter
thousand verses and twelve cantos, and its beginning with a
reference to the Gayatri mantra. If the first two cantos are not
really part of the Bhagavatam, then what remains would no longer
fit the definition. Other scholars say that because Sukadeva speaks
only from the Second Canto on, the First Canto is not part of the
Bhagavatam proper. But their opinion is countered by the same
reply.
F i v e To p i c s Te n To p i c s
1. Sarga Sarga, visarga, dsraya
2. Pratisarga Nirodha, mukti
3 . Va r h s a Isdnukathd
4. Manvantara Manvantara, sthdna
5. Varfisdnucarita Isdnukathd, posana, uti, dsraya
Figure 61.2: Five Topics of a Minor Purana in Relation to the Ten Topics
Srila Jiva Gosvami additionally argues that the ten items of
Srlmad Bhagavatam are not described in strict sequence, one per
canto. First of all, there are twelve cantos and only ten topics. If we
try to resolve this dilemma by excluding two of the cantos, Srimad
Bhagavatam will be reduced to less than the stipulated eighteen
thousand verses. Srila Jiva Gosvami further says that although
nirodha is the eighth item, it is discussed profusely in the Tenth,
Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos.
This opinion is confirmed by Sridhara Svami, one of the earliest
and most respected authorities on Srimad Bhagavatam. According
to the adherents of a successive description of the ten topics begin
ning from the Third Canto, the Tenth Canto should describe the
eighth item, nirodha, and the Twelfth Canto the tenth item, dsraya.
Undoubtedly, the Tenth Canto discusses nirodha, but its principal
topic is the dsraya, whom it establishes to be Krsna, the Supreme
Personal Absolute.
In Srila Jiva Gosvami s opinion, which finds support from the
commentary of Sridhara Svami, all twelve cantos of the Bhdgavatam
415
 Ill Prameya 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

describe all ten topics, though some cantos place more emphasis on foundation of everything (asraya), He also transcends every
certain topics and less on others. In Sarva-sarhvadini, Srila Jiva thing (apa). The prefix apa signifies "exclusion," which here
Gosvami specifies which topics are covered extensively in each amounts to the idea of transcending.
canto, as seen in Figure 61.3.

To p i c s Primarily Discusse:

IN Cantos

1 . Sarga Two, Three

2 . Visarga Two, Three, Four Thus, in the next two verses, Suta Gosvami expounds knowledge
3. Vrtti Three, Seven, Eleven of the pure nature of the jiva, who has been designated above
4. Raksd Throughout by the word hetu, the cause of material existence, because such
5. Manvantara Eight knowledge leads to realization of the apdsraya, the transcenden
6. Va r h s a Four, Nine tal fountainhead of existence:
7. Va r h s d n u c a r i t a Four, Nine
8. Samsthd Eleven, Twelve
9. Hetu Three, Eleven
. 0 . Apdsraya Te n <^(^\ RitI Ficcll I
PldJrl II II
Figure 61.3: Discussion of the Ten Topics in the Cantos
As elemental substances [such as earth, water, and so on] inhere
As mentioned before, the ultimate purpose of Srimad Bhdgava- in their products [such as pots], having specific names and forms
tam is to explain the tenth item, the asraya, the original Supreme and yet also exist separate from them, the pure jiva, who is exclu
Person, Bhagavan. From the very beginning of Tattva Sandarbha, sively of the nature of consciousness, is associated with the var
Srila Jiva Gosvami has proposed that Srimad Bhdgavatam focuses ious phases of existence from conception till death and yet is
distinct from them.
entirely on Sri Krsna, the supreme shelter of all existence. The
Bhdgavatam describes Sri Krsna in its beginning, middle, and end, When the conscious being abandons its identification with
and not just in the last canto. Sri Jiva will explain this matter in the three phenomenal states of wakefulness, dreaming, and
greater detail in Krsna Sandarbha. deep sleep, either through self-study or through regulated spir
In the next anuccheda, he presents Suta Gosvami s definitions of itual practice, it then becomes aware of the Supreme Imma
the first seven of the ten topics. nent Self [Paramatma] and withdraws from material endeavor.
(sB 12.7.20-21)'*
virameta yada cittam hitvd vrtti-trayarfi svayam
yogena vd tad-atmanam vedehaya nivartate
paddrthesu yathd dravyam tan-mdtrarh rupa-ndmasu
bijadi-paficatdrh tdsu hy avasthdsu yutdyutam

416 433
 Ill Prameya
Suta continues:
oijfd>cbl-c|in^TWv3l|JJKc
II
He who is present [as witness] throughout all states of aware
ness — wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep — in all the phe
nomena manifested by the external energy and within the func
tions of all living beings, yet who also exists separate from all
this [being situated alone in His own essential nature], is the
Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman, and the ultimate shelter.
"37XT" ^c^dd^W^^^^dlfd9bit M^dHldlfd I
It cannot be proposed that the jiva is the dsraya, even in its pure
state, since that would contradict the truth directly experienced
by Srila Vyasadeva in the state of samadhi. Rather, the only cor
rect understanding is as follows: The Supreme Brahman, being
situated alone in His own essential nature, is always distinct
from [vyatireka] the states of awareness known as wakefulness,
dreaming, and deep sleep, and from all phenomena generated by
the extrinsic potency, beginning with the mahat-tattva. While
remaining aloof from these manifestations. He is simultane
ously involved with them [anvaya] as their supreme witness.
Therefore, He is the ultimate support (apdsraya) for the jivas
activities in both the pure state and that conditioned by upddhis.
In other words, the term apdsraya indicates that while He is the
^ vyatirekdnvayo yasyajdgrat-svapna-susuptisu
mdydmayesu tad brahmajlva-vrttisv apdsrayah
432
Anuccheda 62
Descriptions of the First Nine Topics
Intuitively Signify the Tenth,
the Asraya — Part i
I 3T?T (mo I??) —
Suta GosvamI then describes the characteristics of the ten
topics, beginning with primary creation (sarga):
The primary creation (sarga) refers to the destahilization of the
neutralized gunas of unmanifest primordial nature, giving rise
to the first evolute mahat, from which evolve successively the
threefold principle of individuation [ahahkdra, the "I" principle,
or ego], the subtle aspect of the elements [sound and so on], the
senses, and the gross sense objects." (sb 12.7.11)^
I cKrHId 1%
cTW^WTT^TMT'
1 ^
I
When the neutralized force of the gunas of unmanifest primor
dial nature (pradhdna) is destabilized, it gives rise to the first evo
lute, mahat-tattva, and from mahat evolves the ego (ahankdra),
^ avydkrta-guna-ksobhdn mahatas trivrto'hamah
bhuta-rndtrendriydrthdndm sambhavah sarga ucyate
417

Ill Frameya
which has three aspects corresponding to the three gunas of
nature. From this threefold ego successively evolve the subtle
aspect of the elements [sound and so on], the senses, and the
physical elements. The unfolding of the subtle elements, the
senses, and the physical elements implies the coming into being
of their presiding deities as well. So, the consecutive generation
of all these phenomenological existents [brought about by the
destabilization of the gunas of unmanifest primordial nature]
is known as sarga (primary creation). In other words, sarga
refers to the generation of the causal cosmic principles [by which
phenomenal existence is brought forth].
Suta Gosvami continues:
The secondary creation (visarga) refers to this aggregate of the
world of both moving and non-moving beings, which stream
forth like the emergence of one seed from another. This aggre
gate is derived from the totality of all these evolutes of primor
dial nature [beginning with mahat, the cosmic wisdom princi
ple], which have been facilitated [lit., "graced"] by the Primor
dial Person (purusa), and brought forth in accordance with the
unconscious complex of desires of the living beings, (sb 12.7.12)^
"■5^:" -TO
Here, the word purusa (the Primordial Person) refers to Param-
atma, and the pronoun etesdm (of these) indicates the evolutes of
^ purusdnugrhitdndm etesdm vdsandmayah
visargo'yam samdhdro bijdd bijam cardcaram
418
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2
Suta continues:
Out of ignorance the living being (jiva) becomes identified as
the performer of action, and in this sense is the cause (hetu) of
the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. In
this regard, some authorities refer to the jiva as anusdyi [the
empirical self having consequences attached to its acts from
which it is temporarily disconnected during the period of dis
solution], while others refer to it as avydkr^a [the same empir
ical self no longer disconnected from its self-imposed desig
nations (upadhis) at the inception of creation, thus becoming
instrumental in bringing forth the creation], (sb 12.7.18)^
" 1 ^ : " P l f fi fi H I I c b 4 c b k c b : I ^
The word hetu (cause) here refers to the efRcient cause (nimitta).
The pronoun asya (of this) refers to this universe, the existence
of which is due in one sense to the jivas who, out of ignorance,
become identified as performers of action. Some refer to this
same cause [the jiva] as anusdyi [the empirical self, temporarily
divested of its upddhis during the period of dissolution], when
emphasizing the jiva s identity as pure consciousness [prior to
the overlay of phenomenality], while others refer to it as avyd-
krta [the empirical self no longer disconnected from its upddhis
at the inception of creation], when emphasizing the jiva s self-
appropriated upddhis.
^ heturjivo'sya sargdder avidyd-karma-kdrakah
yaTh cdnusayinam prdhur avydkrtam utdpare
431

Anuccheda 63
Descriptions of the First Nine Topics
Intuitively Signify the Tenth,
the Asraya — Part 2
S u TA continues:
^iHlricb:Plr^ 3Hlr<4pr|cbl 0^: I
II II
There are four types of cosmic dissolution — naimittika (occa
sional), prdkr^ika (total), nitya (constant), and dtyantika (ulti
mate). Learned authorities refer to these four types of dissolu
tion, which occur under the influence of the Lord s own inher
ent potency [svabhdva], as samsthd (dissolution of the creation).
"3^" I ^I%rr: | "3^lrMpdch:"
In this verse, the pronoun asya (His) refers to Paramesvara,
the Supreme Lord, while svabhdvatah [due to His innate self-
condition] means "by His potency." By the term dtyantikah (ulti
mate), it is implied that the topic of mukti (liberation) too is
included in the discussion of ultimate dissolution.
^ naimittikah prdkrtiko nitya dtyantiko layah
sarhstheti kavibhih proktas caturdhdsya svabhdvatah
430
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part i
primordial nature, beginning with the first evolute, mahat (the
cosmic wisdom principle). So, visarga refers to this totality [of
manifest evolutes], brought forth primarily by the living being s
past desires for action as the end effect [in a chain of causality],
exhibiting itself as the incessant streaming forth of moving and
non-moving beings, like the emergence of one seed from another.
In other words, visarga refers to the creation of the individual
organisms, and thus, by this discussion of visarga, the topic of
uti (the impetus for action in living beings) is also touched upon.
Tno^:?|v3R^ —
Suta continues:
c^Fd^^dlPl "iJcTFTtT^^luimT^^lfui ^ |
^^^ciycbmN TjldHiiifg^ ii m
Vrtti in general refers to the process of sustenance, by which
moving beings live upon the non-moving [and sometimes upon
other moving beings as well]. For the humans among such mov
ing beings, vrtti specifically refers to prescribed patterns of life-
sustaining action in accordance with individual nature, which
may be impelled either by personal desire or by the guiding light
of scriptural injunction, (sb 12.7.13)^
yt- ■ yr yr fyycTT cjfdvjTffdcbl ^ I HT
I
Mobile living beings generally subsist on immobile beings, but
they may also subsist on other moving beings as well, as indi
cated by the word ca (and) in this verse. The impetus for such
life-sustenance in these [less evolved forms of] moving beings is
^ vrttir bhutdni bhutdndm cardndm acardni ca
krtd svena nfndm tatra kdmdc codanaydpi vd
419
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

desire. For humans, however, among all such moving beings, the
actions performed in pursuit of livelihood are prescribed accord
ing to individual nature, impelled either by personsd desire or by
scriptural injunction. So, vrtti more specifically refers to these
prescribed patterns of life-sustaining action in human beings.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the definitions
of the remainder of the Bhagavatam's ten topics and concludes Sri
Tattva Sandarbha by explaining their purpose.

62.4

T r To ^ : ? | \ 9 l ^ V -

Suta continues:

II m II

The activities of the various avatdras of Bhagavan Acyuta (the

infallible Lord), who appear in this world in each age among
the animals, human beings, sages, and celestial beings (devas),
by which those inimical to the message of the three Vedas
[the daityas] are undone, is known as protection (raksd) of the
universe, (sb 12.7.14)'^

131^—I "dWjT ^I

Here, the pronoun yaih (by whom) means by the avatdras.

This definition of "protection" (raksd) also incorporates the
three topics isa-kathd (narrations about the Supreme Lord),
sthdna (the sustenance of living beings), and posana (the mercy
displayed by Bhagavan in nurturing His devotees).

62.5

T r To ^ R j v s R k —

Suta continues:

raksdcyutdvatdrehd visvasydnuyuge yuge

tiryan-martyarsidevesu hanyante yais trayl-dvisah

420 429
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

At present, we are in the period of the seventh Manu, Vaivasva- I

ta Manu, or more precisely, in the 5,112^ year of Kaliyuga, in
the twenty-eighth yuga cycle of the day of Brahma, called the
Sveta-varaha-kalpa, during his fifly-first year. Srimad Bhagava- The period of reign presided over by the ruling Manu, the gen
tam names the fourteen Manus, the corresponding avatdras who eral devas, the sons of Manu, the ruling devas [such as Indra],
are contemporaneous with them, and the names of the individuals the great sages, and the partial avatdras of Lord Hari is known
as manvantara, consisting of six elements, (sb 12.7.15)®
occupying the post of Indra in their respective periods, as shown in
Figure 62.3.

From the mention here of the activities of the Manus and others,
M a n u Manu's Name of the I n d r a
it is to be understood that the true intention in describing them is
F a t h e r A v a t a r a solely to delineate the nature of sad-dharma (the path of true reli
gion). Consequently, the ten topics of Srimad Bhdgavatam listed
1. Svayambhuva Brahma Yajna Yajna here are identical in meaning to those mentioned earlier in the
Svarocisa Vibhu
2 .
Agni Rocana Bhdgavatam [in the Second Canto, see Anuccheda 56.1].
Uttama Priyavrata
3- Satyasena Satyajit
4- Ta m a s a Hari Trisikha
Priyavrata
Raivata Va i k u n t h a Vibhu
5- Priyavrata
6. Caksusa Caksu Mantradrum;
Ajita
7. Va i v a s v a t a Vivasvan Va m a n a Purandara mo^^lvsl?^ —

(Sraddhadeva)
8. Savarni Vivasvan Sarvabhauma Bali Suta continues:

9. Daksa-savarni Va r u n a Rsabha Adbhuta

1 0 . Brahma-savarni Upasloka Visvaksena Sambhu
11. Dharma-savarni Upasloka Dharmasetu Va i d h r t a

1 2 . Rudra-savarni Upasloka Svadhama Rtadhama

13- Deva-savarni Upasloka Yogesvara Divaspati The succession of kings of pure descent originating from Brahma
14- Indra-savarni Upasloka Brhadbhanu Suci and extending continuously throughout the past, present, and
future is known as varhsa (the dynasties of great kings). The
Figure 62.3: Fourteen Manus accounts of such dynastic kings and especially of their most
prominent descendants, who upheld the sanctity of the line,
constitute the subject of dynastic history (vaThsydnucarita).
Two prominent dynasties of kings come from Lord Brahma — (sB 12.7.16)®
the sun dynasty and the moon dynasty. The enumeration of these
manvantaram manur deva manu-putrah suresvardh
dynasties is known as varfisa, the sixth topic. The description of
rsayo'rhsdvatdrds ca hareh sad-vidham ucyate
the deeds performed by the prominent kings appearing in these
rdjndm brahma-prasutdndrh vamsas traikdliko'nvayah
dynasties is called varhsydnucarita, the seventh topic. vamsydnucaritam tesdrh vrttaTfi vamsadhards ca ye

428 421
 Ill Prameya
Among these kings, the vamsa-dharah are those prominent
descendants who upheld the sanctity of the dynastic lines. The
accounts of their actions are what constitute vamsdnucarita
(dynastic history).
Commentary
At the end of the Second Canto, Sukadeva Gosvami lists and
defines the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam, and in the Twelfth
Canto Suta Gosvami does the same. The first topic is called sarga
(primary creation). During the total dissolution everything in the
cosmos becomes unmanifest, a state called prakrti or pradhdna. In
this state, the three gunas of primordial nature remain in a state of
equilibrium. Not until the gunas are destabilized and thrown out
of balance can creation begin again. This same principle applies to
human beings: When a person is satisfied, peaceful, and equipoised,
he will not initiate some new activity; some stimulus must unsettle
his equilibrium and motivate him to act. One engages in sex, for
example, when one's mind and body are stimulated by lust or the
desire to procreate.
The original perturbation in pradhdna is caused by the glance
of the Supreme Lord, with which He impregnates prakrti (primor
dial nature), with the conditioned jivas. Sri Krsna confirms this
in Bhagavad Gitd, "The vast material nature, called Brahman, is
My womb, into which I sow the seed of living beings" (mama yonir
mahad brahma tasmin garbham daddmy aham, gita 14.3). Here, the
word brahma means prakrti, not Bhagavan's feature as absolute
unqualified being.
The first emergence from the impregnated, or destabilized, state
of prakrti is called mahat-tattva (the cosmic intellect). On the level
of individuated being, mahat-tattva is known as citta (the faculty
of pure intellection, prior to the emergence of ego). It should be
noted that in the traditional Sahkhya ontology (as presented in the
Sdhkhya-pravacana Sutra of Kapila), the faculty here referred to as
422
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1
Usually, immovable beings are food for those that move, but
some moving beings, such as tigers, prey on other moving beings.
Human beings are unique in this regard, because they can choose
what kind of food they eat. In this matter they can be guided either
by their own desires or by Vedic scriptural injunction. Those who
eat according to whim, glide down to lower species, while those who
follow scripture, progress toward liberation.
The fourth topic is called raksd (protection of living beings).
Since Sri Visnu accepts the responsibility of upholding Vedic cul
ture in the universe. He appears in every millennium (yuga) to
protect His devotees and to curb the evil-doers. This function is
called raksd (protection). Bhagavan does not restrict His appear
ances only to the human species. As Prahlada Maharaja says in his
prayers to Sri Nrsiihha:
0 Supreme Person, in this way You appear in various avatdras in the
form of human beings [such as Sri Krsna], animals [such as Varaha],
sages [such as Nara-Narayana], devas [such as Vamana], or aquatics
[such as Matsya] to protect the different worlds and to destroy the
enemies of creation, (sb 7.9.38)^^
The fifth topic is called antardni (the period of reign of the
Manus). The cosmos exists for the duration of Sri Brahma's life,
one hundred years according to his time scale, in which one day
lasts for one thousand cycles of the four yugas — Satya, Treta, Dva-
para, and Kali. By human calculation, therefore, a day of Brahma
lasts 4,320,000,000 years. For managerial purposes he divides each
of his days into fourteen periods, called manvantaras.
The person who rules during each of these periods is called
Manu, who is assisted by the devas, such as Candra and Varuna;
his sons; Lord Indra; the seven great sages, called sapta-rsis; and a
special partial expansion of the Supreme Lord who incarnates for
each particular manvantara. The devas and sages are all appointed
for the period of one manvantara, and the activities of these great
persons constitute sad-dharma (the path of true religion).
" ittham nr-tiryag-rsi-deva-jhasdvatarair
lokdn vibhdvayasi hamsijagat pratlpdn
427
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

ratio. Then Lord Brahma, using these mixed elements, proceeds
with the secondary phase of creation (visarga). He creates the bod
ies of the myriad living beings according to the stored-up karmic
impressions of their previous lives. Visarga includes the manifes
tation of Brahma's mind-born sons — Atri, Vasistha, Daksa, Manu,
and others. Some of these sons are Prajapatis (progenitors), whose
offspring populate the universe. The phases of creation continue in
cycles, one phase giving rise to the next, like one seed giving rise
to another seed. The seeds in this creative process are the living
entities' fruit-bearing activities.
Ta n - m a t r a Elements Seats c
Sound Sky Ears
To u c h A i r Skin
Form Fire Eyes
Ta s t e Water Tongue
Smell Earth Nose
Figure 62.2: Interrelation of the Tan-matras with the Elements
After sarga and visarga comes vrtti (the sustenance of living
beings), which is the third topic. As stated in the First Canto, one
living being is generally sustained by eating others:
Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands,
while those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak
are the subsistence of the strong. Indeed, one living being is food
for another, (sb 1.13.47)^°
being enfolded within the subtle elements (tan-matras). The theory holds that in
the evolution of the gross elements, the five subtle elements are first divided into
two halves, one of which is further divided into four parts. The first half of each
subtle element is then combined with the one-eighth part of each of the other
elements. Thus, each gross element is made up of one-half of itself and
one-eighth of each of the other four elements.
ahastdni sa-hastdndm apaddni catus-paddm
phalguni tatra mahatdrhjivojivasyajivanam
citta is instead called buddhi. In either case, this faculty of pure
intellection or pure reason is understood as the highest aspect of
the human psyche. This is made clear by the characteristics of citta
as described in Srlmad Bhdgavatam (sb 3.26.21). It is of the nature
of sattva, transparent (svaccha), free from perturbation (sdnta),
and the locus wherein direct realization of Bhagavan is actualized
(bhagavatah padam). In the succeeding verse (sb 3.26.22), it is com
pared to pure water prior to contact with the earth. All these char
acteristics, together with the fact that ahankdra is a subsequent
emergence, demonstrate that citta, as defined in the Bhdgavatam, is
a trans-egoic faculty of knowing.
When further impelled by kdla, Bhagavan's time potency, the
mahat-tattva or citta gives rise to the three kinds of ahankdra
(empirical ego). These include vaikdrika-ahankdra (sdttvika ego),
which is a modification (vikdra) of cosmic or individual intel
lect (mahat or citta) into the generalized principle of individua
tion; taijasa-ahankdra (rdjasika ego), which is the active force pro
pelling both conscious (sattva) and unconscious (tamas) capacities;
and bhutddi-ahankdra (tdmasika ego), which encompasses the five
subtle elements (tan-mdtras).
Vaikdrika-ahahkdra gives rise to manas, the elemental substance
of mind, and also to the presiding deities of material creation.
Taijasa-ahankdra gives rise to buddhi (intellect), the faculty of dis
crimination or ascertainment, and also to the senses, which are of
two types, the five cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tast
ing, and smelling), and the five conative senses (speaking, grasping,
locomotion, evacuation, and procreation).
Once again, it should be noted that the faculty of buddhi men
tioned above as a derivative of the rdjasika-ahahkdra is not identical
in all respects to the buddhi of the traditional Sankhya, which in the
Bhagavatam is referred to as citta. The characteristics of the buddhi
that is subsumed under the rdjasika ego are primarily the ascertain
ment of the nature of objects that are presented to awareness and
helping the senses in their work of perceiving objects. So, whereas
citta is evidently a trans-egoic faculty of knowing, buddhi is a faculty
of knowing operative within the jurisdiction of ego. This distinction

426 423

Ill Prameya
between citta and buddhi is unique to the Sahkhya metaphysics of
the Bhdgavatam. Citta is also the seat of beginningless ignorance
(anddi-avidya).
Bhutddi-ahankdra gives rise to the five subtle aspects of the mate
rial elements (tan-mdtras — sound, touch, form, taste, and smell).
When the kdla potency acts on the tdmasika-ahankdra, the subtle
element (tan-mdtra) of sound comes into being, followed by ether
(dkdsa) and the auditory organ. Under the impulse of time, ether
then gives rise to the tan-mdtra of touch, and then air and the tac
tile organ evolve. Similarly, air gives rise to the tan-mdtra of form,
after which fire and the visual organ evolve; fire gives rise to the
tan-mdtra of taste, and then water and the gustatory organ evolve;
and, finally, water gives rise to the tan-mdtra of smell, after which
earth and the olfactory organ evolve. Paramatma Himself is the pri
mordial agent of this primary phase of emergent creation (sarga),
which includes the manifesting of the above elements' presiding
deities. The latter have been indicated here (in sb 12.7.11) by the
word artha. See Figure 62.1 for the stages of evolutionary unfolding
in its primary phase (sarga).
It should be noted that the Bhdgavatam distinguishes between
the cognitive senses and the physical sense organs, which are the
seats or instruments of the cognitive senses. Figure 62.1 shows that
the empirical ego in its rdjasika aspect gives rise to buddhi (intellect,
or the faculty of discrimination and ascertainment) and the senses.
These senses are not the sense organs but rather the subtle sense
faculties, which accompany the jiva from body to body. The physical
sense organs are, of course, dissolved along with the rest of the gross
body at death.
Each of the five tan-mdtras (sound, touch, form, taste, and
smell), which are subtle aspects of the material elements, become
mixed with the time energy of Paramatma and give rise to its
corresponding gross element (mahdbhuta) and the seat of the
corresponding sense organ, as in Figure 62.2.
The mahat-tattva or citta (illuminated perceptivity), ahahkdra
(the "I" principle), manas (mind), and buddhi (intellect) are con
sidered internal senses. These four, plus the five conative senses
424
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1
(speaking, grasping, walking, excreting, and procreating), the five
cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling),
the five gross material elements (sky, air, fire, water, and earth),
and the five subtle elements (sound, tactility, form, taste, and smell)
total twenty-four elements (tattva)J and the jiva and Paramatma
can be counted as the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth. Time (kdla)
is not counted separately, being a potency of Paramatma.®
Prakrti
or pradhdna (equilibrated state of nature)
I
Glance of Paramatma (kdla)
I
Mahat-tattva
or citta (pradhdna becomes disequilibrated)
I
Ahahkdra (empirical ego)
I ^ I
Vaikdrika (beingness) Taijasa (dynamism) Tdmasa (inertia)
I I
Mind and presiding deities Intellect and ten senses mdtras and
fi v e m a t e r i a l e l e m e n t s
Figure 62.1: Evolutionary Unfolding of Prakrti
The second topic is called visarga (secondary creation). Because
pure elements cannot be employed in the process of creation, the
five mahdbhutas listed above must be further combined by the pro
cess called pahci-karana (quintuplication).^ In this process, each of
the mahdbhutas is mixed with the other four according to a certain
^ "Element" is not an exact translation of the word tattva. It should not be confused
with the elements of the Periodic Table of chemistry. It is an ontological category
and literally means "thatness."
® The glance of Paramatma (kdla) is not produced by prakrti or pradhdna but is
included in Figure 62.1 to show the sequence of events.
^ Pahci-karana is the theory that explains how gross elements are produced from
subtle elements through quintuplication, or "five part compounding." At the
time of creation the five gross elements remain in an uncompounded state,
425

Ill Prameya
between citta and buddhi is unique to the Sahkhya metaphysics of
the Bhdgavatam. Citta is also the seat of beginningless ignorance
(anddi-avidya).
Bhutddi-ahankdra gives rise to the five subtle aspects of the mate
rial elements (tan-mdtras — sound, touch, form, taste, and smell).
When the kdla potency acts on the tdmasika-ahankdra, the subtle
element (tan-mdtra) of sound comes into being, followed by ether
(dkdsa) and the auditory organ. Under the impulse of time, ether
then gives rise to the tan-mdtra of touch, and then air and the tac
tile organ evolve. Similarly, air gives rise to the tan-mdtra of form,
after which fire and the visual organ evolve; fire gives rise to the
tan-mdtra of taste, and then water and the gustatory organ evolve;
and, finally, water gives rise to the tan-mdtra of smell, after which
earth and the olfactory organ evolve. Paramatma Himself is the pri
mordial agent of this primary phase of emergent creation (sarga),
which includes the manifesting of the above elements' presiding
deities. The latter have been indicated here (in sb 12.7.11) by the
word artha. See Figure 62.1 for the stages of evolutionary unfolding
in its primary phase (sarga).
It should be noted that the Bhdgavatam distinguishes between
the cognitive senses and the physical sense organs, which are the
seats or instruments of the cognitive senses. Figure 62.1 shows that
the empirical ego in its rdjasika aspect gives rise to buddhi (intellect,
or the faculty of discrimination and ascertainment) and the senses.
These senses are not the sense organs but rather the subtle sense
faculties, which accompany the jiva from body to body. The physical
sense organs are, of course, dissolved along with the rest of the gross
body at death.
Each of the five tan-mdtras (sound, touch, form, taste, and
smell), which are subtle aspects of the material elements, become
mixed with the time energy of Paramatma and give rise to its
corresponding gross element (mahdbhuta) and the seat of the
corresponding sense organ, as in Figure 62.2.
The mahat-tattva or citta (illuminated perceptivity), ahahkdra
(the "I" principle), manas (mind), and buddhi (intellect) are con
sidered internal senses. These four, plus the five conative senses
424
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1
(speaking, grasping, walking, excreting, and procreating), the five
cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling),
the five gross material elements (sky, air, fire, water, and earth),
and the five subtle elements (sound, tactility, form, taste, and smell)
total twenty-four elements (tattva)J and the jiva and Paramatma
can be counted as the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth. Time (kdla)
is not counted separately, being a potency of Paramatma.®
Prakrti
or pradhdna (equilibrated state of nature)
I
Glance of Paramatma (kdla)
I
Mahat-tattva
or citta (pradhdna becomes disequilibrated)
I
Ahahkdra (empirical ego)
I ^ I
Vaikdrika (beingness) Taijasa (dynamism) Tdmasa (inertia)
I I
Mind and presiding deities Intellect and ten senses mdtras and
fi v e m a t e r i a l e l e m e n t s
Figure 62.1: Evolutionary Unfolding of Prakrti
The second topic is called visarga (secondary creation). Because
pure elements cannot be employed in the process of creation, the
five mahdbhutas listed above must be further combined by the pro
cess called pahci-karana (quintuplication).^ In this process, each of
the mahdbhutas is mixed with the other four according to a certain
^ "Element" is not an exact translation of the word tattva. It should not be confused
with the elements of the Periodic Table of chemistry. It is an ontological category
and literally means "thatness."
® The glance of Paramatma (kdla) is not produced by prakrti or pradhdna but is
included in Figure 62.1 to show the sequence of events.
^ Pahci-karana is the theory that explains how gross elements are produced from
subtle elements through quintuplication, or "five part compounding." At the
time of creation the five gross elements remain in an uncompounded state,
425
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

ratio. Then Lord Brahma, using these mixed elements, proceeds
with the secondary phase of creation (visarga). He creates the bod
ies of the myriad living beings according to the stored-up karmic
impressions of their previous lives. Visarga includes the manifes
tation of Brahma's mind-born sons — Atri, Vasistha, Daksa, Manu,
and others. Some of these sons are Prajapatis (progenitors), whose
offspring populate the universe. The phases of creation continue in
cycles, one phase giving rise to the next, like one seed giving rise
to another seed. The seeds in this creative process are the living
entities' fruit-bearing activities.
Ta n - m a t r a Elements Seats c
Sound Sky Ears
To u c h A i r Skin
Form Fire Eyes
Ta s t e Water Tongue
Smell Earth Nose
Figure 62.2: Interrelation of the Tan-matras with the Elements
After sarga and visarga comes vrtti (the sustenance of living
beings), which is the third topic. As stated in the First Canto, one
living being is generally sustained by eating others:
Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands,
while those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak
are the subsistence of the strong. Indeed, one living being is food
for another, (sb 1.13.47)^°
being enfolded within the subtle elements (tan-matras). The theory holds that in
the evolution of the gross elements, the five subtle elements are first divided into
two halves, one of which is further divided into four parts. The first half of each
subtle element is then combined with the one-eighth part of each of the other
elements. Thus, each gross element is made up of one-half of itself and
one-eighth of each of the other four elements.
ahastdni sa-hastdndm apaddni catus-paddm
phalguni tatra mahatdrhjivojivasyajivanam
citta is instead called buddhi. In either case, this faculty of pure
intellection or pure reason is understood as the highest aspect of
the human psyche. This is made clear by the characteristics of citta
as described in Srlmad Bhdgavatam (sb 3.26.21). It is of the nature
of sattva, transparent (svaccha), free from perturbation (sdnta),
and the locus wherein direct realization of Bhagavan is actualized
(bhagavatah padam). In the succeeding verse (sb 3.26.22), it is com
pared to pure water prior to contact with the earth. All these char
acteristics, together with the fact that ahankdra is a subsequent
emergence, demonstrate that citta, as defined in the Bhdgavatam, is
a trans-egoic faculty of knowing.
When further impelled by kdla, Bhagavan's time potency, the
mahat-tattva or citta gives rise to the three kinds of ahankdra
(empirical ego). These include vaikdrika-ahankdra (sdttvika ego),
which is a modification (vikdra) of cosmic or individual intel
lect (mahat or citta) into the generalized principle of individua
tion; taijasa-ahankdra (rdjasika ego), which is the active force pro
pelling both conscious (sattva) and unconscious (tamas) capacities;
and bhutddi-ahankdra (tdmasika ego), which encompasses the five
subtle elements (tan-mdtras).
Vaikdrika-ahahkdra gives rise to manas, the elemental substance
of mind, and also to the presiding deities of material creation.
Taijasa-ahankdra gives rise to buddhi (intellect), the faculty of dis
crimination or ascertainment, and also to the senses, which are of
two types, the five cognitive senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tast
ing, and smelling), and the five conative senses (speaking, grasping,
locomotion, evacuation, and procreation).
Once again, it should be noted that the faculty of buddhi men
tioned above as a derivative of the rdjasika-ahahkdra is not identical
in all respects to the buddhi of the traditional Sankhya, which in the
Bhagavatam is referred to as citta. The characteristics of the buddhi
that is subsumed under the rdjasika ego are primarily the ascertain
ment of the nature of objects that are presented to awareness and
helping the senses in their work of perceiving objects. So, whereas
citta is evidently a trans-egoic faculty of knowing, buddhi is a faculty
of knowing operative within the jurisdiction of ego. This distinction

426 423
 Ill Prameya
Among these kings, the vamsa-dharah are those prominent
descendants who upheld the sanctity of the dynastic lines. The
accounts of their actions are what constitute vamsdnucarita
(dynastic history).
Commentary
At the end of the Second Canto, Sukadeva Gosvami lists and
defines the ten topics of Srimad Bhagavatam, and in the Twelfth
Canto Suta Gosvami does the same. The first topic is called sarga
(primary creation). During the total dissolution everything in the
cosmos becomes unmanifest, a state called prakrti or pradhdna. In
this state, the three gunas of primordial nature remain in a state of
equilibrium. Not until the gunas are destabilized and thrown out
of balance can creation begin again. This same principle applies to
human beings: When a person is satisfied, peaceful, and equipoised,
he will not initiate some new activity; some stimulus must unsettle
his equilibrium and motivate him to act. One engages in sex, for
example, when one's mind and body are stimulated by lust or the
desire to procreate.
The original perturbation in pradhdna is caused by the glance
of the Supreme Lord, with which He impregnates prakrti (primor
dial nature), with the conditioned jivas. Sri Krsna confirms this
in Bhagavad Gitd, "The vast material nature, called Brahman, is
My womb, into which I sow the seed of living beings" (mama yonir
mahad brahma tasmin garbham daddmy aham, gita 14.3). Here, the
word brahma means prakrti, not Bhagavan's feature as absolute
unqualified being.
The first emergence from the impregnated, or destabilized, state
of prakrti is called mahat-tattva (the cosmic intellect). On the level
of individuated being, mahat-tattva is known as citta (the faculty
of pure intellection, prior to the emergence of ego). It should be
noted that in the traditional Sahkhya ontology (as presented in the
Sdhkhya-pravacana Sutra of Kapila), the faculty here referred to as
422
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1
Usually, immovable beings are food for those that move, but
some moving beings, such as tigers, prey on other moving beings.
Human beings are unique in this regard, because they can choose
what kind of food they eat. In this matter they can be guided either
by their own desires or by Vedic scriptural injunction. Those who
eat according to whim, glide down to lower species, while those who
follow scripture, progress toward liberation.
The fourth topic is called raksd (protection of living beings).
Since Sri Visnu accepts the responsibility of upholding Vedic cul
ture in the universe. He appears in every millennium (yuga) to
protect His devotees and to curb the evil-doers. This function is
called raksd (protection). Bhagavan does not restrict His appear
ances only to the human species. As Prahlada Maharaja says in his
prayers to Sri Nrsiihha:
0 Supreme Person, in this way You appear in various avatdras in the
form of human beings [such as Sri Krsna], animals [such as Varaha],
sages [such as Nara-Narayana], devas [such as Vamana], or aquatics
[such as Matsya] to protect the different worlds and to destroy the
enemies of creation, (sb 7.9.38)^^
The fifth topic is called antardni (the period of reign of the
Manus). The cosmos exists for the duration of Sri Brahma's life,
one hundred years according to his time scale, in which one day
lasts for one thousand cycles of the four yugas — Satya, Treta, Dva-
para, and Kali. By human calculation, therefore, a day of Brahma
lasts 4,320,000,000 years. For managerial purposes he divides each
of his days into fourteen periods, called manvantaras.
The person who rules during each of these periods is called
Manu, who is assisted by the devas, such as Candra and Varuna;
his sons; Lord Indra; the seven great sages, called sapta-rsis; and a
special partial expansion of the Supreme Lord who incarnates for
each particular manvantara. The devas and sages are all appointed
for the period of one manvantara, and the activities of these great
persons constitute sad-dharma (the path of true religion).
" ittham nr-tiryag-rsi-deva-jhasdvatarair
lokdn vibhdvayasi hamsijagat pratlpdn
427
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

At present, we are in the period of the seventh Manu, Vaivasva- I

ta Manu, or more precisely, in the 5,112^ year of Kaliyuga, in
the twenty-eighth yuga cycle of the day of Brahma, called the
Sveta-varaha-kalpa, during his fifly-first year. Srimad Bhagava- The period of reign presided over by the ruling Manu, the gen
tam names the fourteen Manus, the corresponding avatdras who eral devas, the sons of Manu, the ruling devas [such as Indra],
are contemporaneous with them, and the names of the individuals the great sages, and the partial avatdras of Lord Hari is known
as manvantara, consisting of six elements, (sb 12.7.15)®
occupying the post of Indra in their respective periods, as shown in
Figure 62.3.

From the mention here of the activities of the Manus and others,
M a n u Manu's Name of the I n d r a
it is to be understood that the true intention in describing them is
F a t h e r A v a t a r a solely to delineate the nature of sad-dharma (the path of true reli
gion). Consequently, the ten topics of Srimad Bhdgavatam listed
1. Svayambhuva Brahma Yajna Yajna here are identical in meaning to those mentioned earlier in the
Svarocisa Vibhu
2 .
Agni Rocana Bhdgavatam [in the Second Canto, see Anuccheda 56.1].
Uttama Priyavrata
3- Satyasena Satyajit
4- Ta m a s a Hari Trisikha
Priyavrata
Raivata Va i k u n t h a Vibhu
5- Priyavrata
6. Caksusa Caksu Mantradrum;
Ajita
7. Va i v a s v a t a Vivasvan Va m a n a Purandara mo^^lvsl?^ —

(Sraddhadeva)
8. Savarni Vivasvan Sarvabhauma Bali Suta continues:

9. Daksa-savarni Va r u n a Rsabha Adbhuta

1 0 . Brahma-savarni Upasloka Visvaksena Sambhu
11. Dharma-savarni Upasloka Dharmasetu Va i d h r t a

1 2 . Rudra-savarni Upasloka Svadhama Rtadhama

13- Deva-savarni Upasloka Yogesvara Divaspati The succession of kings of pure descent originating from Brahma
14- Indra-savarni Upasloka Brhadbhanu Suci and extending continuously throughout the past, present, and
future is known as varhsa (the dynasties of great kings). The
Figure 62.3: Fourteen Manus accounts of such dynastic kings and especially of their most
prominent descendants, who upheld the sanctity of the line,
constitute the subject of dynastic history (vaThsydnucarita).
Two prominent dynasties of kings come from Lord Brahma — (sB 12.7.16)®
the sun dynasty and the moon dynasty. The enumeration of these
manvantaram manur deva manu-putrah suresvardh
dynasties is known as varfisa, the sixth topic. The description of
rsayo'rhsdvatdrds ca hareh sad-vidham ucyate
the deeds performed by the prominent kings appearing in these
rdjndm brahma-prasutdndrh vamsas traikdliko'nvayah
dynasties is called varhsydnucarita, the seventh topic. vamsydnucaritam tesdrh vrttaTfi vamsadhards ca ye

428 421
 62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 1

desire. For humans, however, among all such moving beings, the
actions performed in pursuit of livelihood are prescribed accord
ing to individual nature, impelled either by personsd desire or by
scriptural injunction. So, vrtti more specifically refers to these
prescribed patterns of life-sustaining action in human beings.
In the next anuccheda, Srila Jiva Gosvami explains the definitions
of the remainder of the Bhagavatam's ten topics and concludes Sri
Tattva Sandarbha by explaining their purpose.

62.4

T r To ^ : ? | \ 9 l ^ V -

Suta continues:

II m II

The activities of the various avatdras of Bhagavan Acyuta (the

infallible Lord), who appear in this world in each age among
the animals, human beings, sages, and celestial beings (devas),
by which those inimical to the message of the three Vedas
[the daityas] are undone, is known as protection (raksd) of the
universe, (sb 12.7.14)'^

131^—I "dWjT ^I

Here, the pronoun yaih (by whom) means by the avatdras.

This definition of "protection" (raksd) also incorporates the
three topics isa-kathd (narrations about the Supreme Lord),
sthdna (the sustenance of living beings), and posana (the mercy
displayed by Bhagavan in nurturing His devotees).

62.5

T r To ^ R j v s R k —

Suta continues:

raksdcyutdvatdrehd visvasydnuyuge yuge

tiryan-martyarsidevesu hanyante yais trayl-dvisah

420 429

Anuccheda 63
Descriptions of the First Nine Topics
Intuitively Signify the Tenth,
the Asraya — Part 2
S u TA continues:
^iHlricb:Plr^ 3Hlr<4pr|cbl 0^: I
II II
There are four types of cosmic dissolution — naimittika (occa
sional), prdkr^ika (total), nitya (constant), and dtyantika (ulti
mate). Learned authorities refer to these four types of dissolu
tion, which occur under the influence of the Lord s own inher
ent potency [svabhdva], as samsthd (dissolution of the creation).
"3^" I ^I%rr: | "3^lrMpdch:"
In this verse, the pronoun asya (His) refers to Paramesvara,
the Supreme Lord, while svabhdvatah [due to His innate self-
condition] means "by His potency." By the term dtyantikah (ulti
mate), it is implied that the topic of mukti (liberation) too is
included in the discussion of ultimate dissolution.
^ naimittikah prdkrtiko nitya dtyantiko layah
sarhstheti kavibhih proktas caturdhdsya svabhdvatah
430
62 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part i
primordial nature, beginning with the first evolute, mahat (the
cosmic wisdom principle). So, visarga refers to this totality [of
manifest evolutes], brought forth primarily by the living being s
past desires for action as the end effect [in a chain of causality],
exhibiting itself as the incessant streaming forth of moving and
non-moving beings, like the emergence of one seed from another.
In other words, visarga refers to the creation of the individual
organisms, and thus, by this discussion of visarga, the topic of
uti (the impetus for action in living beings) is also touched upon.
Tno^:?|v3R^ —
Suta continues:
c^Fd^^dlPl "iJcTFTtT^^luimT^^lfui ^ |
^^^ciycbmN TjldHiiifg^ ii m
Vrtti in general refers to the process of sustenance, by which
moving beings live upon the non-moving [and sometimes upon
other moving beings as well]. For the humans among such mov
ing beings, vrtti specifically refers to prescribed patterns of life-
sustaining action in accordance with individual nature, which
may be impelled either by personal desire or by the guiding light
of scriptural injunction, (sb 12.7.13)^
yt- ■ yr yr fyycTT cjfdvjTffdcbl ^ I HT
I
Mobile living beings generally subsist on immobile beings, but
they may also subsist on other moving beings as well, as indi
cated by the word ca (and) in this verse. The impetus for such
life-sustenance in these [less evolved forms of] moving beings is
^ vrttir bhutdni bhutdndm cardndm acardni ca
krtd svena nfndm tatra kdmdc codanaydpi vd
419

Ill Frameya
which has three aspects corresponding to the three gunas of
nature. From this threefold ego successively evolve the subtle
aspect of the elements [sound and so on], the senses, and the
physical elements. The unfolding of the subtle elements, the
senses, and the physical elements implies the coming into being
of their presiding deities as well. So, the consecutive generation
of all these phenomenological existents [brought about by the
destabilization of the gunas of unmanifest primordial nature]
is known as sarga (primary creation). In other words, sarga
refers to the generation of the causal cosmic principles [by which
phenomenal existence is brought forth].
Suta Gosvami continues:
The secondary creation (visarga) refers to this aggregate of the
world of both moving and non-moving beings, which stream
forth like the emergence of one seed from another. This aggre
gate is derived from the totality of all these evolutes of primor
dial nature [beginning with mahat, the cosmic wisdom princi
ple], which have been facilitated [lit., "graced"] by the Primor
dial Person (purusa), and brought forth in accordance with the
unconscious complex of desires of the living beings, (sb 12.7.12)^
"■5^:" -TO
Here, the word purusa (the Primordial Person) refers to Param-
atma, and the pronoun etesdm (of these) indicates the evolutes of
^ purusdnugrhitdndm etesdm vdsandmayah
visargo'yam samdhdro bijdd bijam cardcaram
418
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2
Suta continues:
Out of ignorance the living being (jiva) becomes identified as
the performer of action, and in this sense is the cause (hetu) of
the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. In
this regard, some authorities refer to the jiva as anusdyi [the
empirical self having consequences attached to its acts from
which it is temporarily disconnected during the period of dis
solution], while others refer to it as avydkr^a [the same empir
ical self no longer disconnected from its self-imposed desig
nations (upadhis) at the inception of creation, thus becoming
instrumental in bringing forth the creation], (sb 12.7.18)^
" 1 ^ : " P l f fi fi H I I c b 4 c b k c b : I ^
The word hetu (cause) here refers to the efRcient cause (nimitta).
The pronoun asya (of this) refers to this universe, the existence
of which is due in one sense to the jivas who, out of ignorance,
become identified as performers of action. Some refer to this
same cause [the jiva] as anusdyi [the empirical self, temporarily
divested of its upddhis during the period of dissolution], when
emphasizing the jiva s identity as pure consciousness [prior to
the overlay of phenomenality], while others refer to it as avyd-
krta [the empirical self no longer disconnected from its upddhis
at the inception of creation], when emphasizing the jiva s self-
appropriated upddhis.
^ heturjivo'sya sargdder avidyd-karma-kdrakah
yaTh cdnusayinam prdhur avydkrtam utdpare
431
 Ill Prameya
Suta continues:
oijfd>cbl-c|in^TWv3l|JJKc
II
He who is present [as witness] throughout all states of aware
ness — wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep — in all the phe
nomena manifested by the external energy and within the func
tions of all living beings, yet who also exists separate from all
this [being situated alone in His own essential nature], is the
Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman, and the ultimate shelter.
"37XT" ^c^dd^W^^^^dlfd9bit M^dHldlfd I
It cannot be proposed that the jiva is the dsraya, even in its pure
state, since that would contradict the truth directly experienced
by Srila Vyasadeva in the state of samadhi. Rather, the only cor
rect understanding is as follows: The Supreme Brahman, being
situated alone in His own essential nature, is always distinct
from [vyatireka] the states of awareness known as wakefulness,
dreaming, and deep sleep, and from all phenomena generated by
the extrinsic potency, beginning with the mahat-tattva. While
remaining aloof from these manifestations. He is simultane
ously involved with them [anvaya] as their supreme witness.
Therefore, He is the ultimate support (apdsraya) for the jivas
activities in both the pure state and that conditioned by upddhis.
In other words, the term apdsraya indicates that while He is the
^ vyatirekdnvayo yasyajdgrat-svapna-susuptisu
mdydmayesu tad brahmajlva-vrttisv apdsrayah
432
Anuccheda 62
Descriptions of the First Nine Topics
Intuitively Signify the Tenth,
the Asraya — Part i
I 3T?T (mo I??) —
Suta GosvamI then describes the characteristics of the ten
topics, beginning with primary creation (sarga):
The primary creation (sarga) refers to the destahilization of the
neutralized gunas of unmanifest primordial nature, giving rise
to the first evolute mahat, from which evolve successively the
threefold principle of individuation [ahahkdra, the "I" principle,
or ego], the subtle aspect of the elements [sound and so on], the
senses, and the gross sense objects." (sb 12.7.11)^
I cKrHId 1%
cTW^WTT^TMT'
1 ^
I
When the neutralized force of the gunas of unmanifest primor
dial nature (pradhdna) is destabilized, it gives rise to the first evo
lute, mahat-tattva, and from mahat evolves the ego (ahankdra),
^ avydkrta-guna-ksobhdn mahatas trivrto'hamah
bhuta-rndtrendriydrthdndm sambhavah sarga ucyate
417
 Ill Prameya 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

describe all ten topics, though some cantos place more emphasis on foundation of everything (asraya), He also transcends every
certain topics and less on others. In Sarva-sarhvadini, Srila Jiva thing (apa). The prefix apa signifies "exclusion," which here
Gosvami specifies which topics are covered extensively in each amounts to the idea of transcending.
canto, as seen in Figure 61.3.

To p i c s Primarily Discusse:

IN Cantos

1 . Sarga Two, Three

2 . Visarga Two, Three, Four Thus, in the next two verses, Suta Gosvami expounds knowledge
3. Vrtti Three, Seven, Eleven of the pure nature of the jiva, who has been designated above
4. Raksd Throughout by the word hetu, the cause of material existence, because such
5. Manvantara Eight knowledge leads to realization of the apdsraya, the transcenden
6. Va r h s a Four, Nine tal fountainhead of existence:
7. Va r h s d n u c a r i t a Four, Nine
8. Samsthd Eleven, Twelve
9. Hetu Three, Eleven
. 0 . Apdsraya Te n <^(^\ RitI Ficcll I
PldJrl II II
Figure 61.3: Discussion of the Ten Topics in the Cantos
As elemental substances [such as earth, water, and so on] inhere
As mentioned before, the ultimate purpose of Srimad Bhdgava- in their products [such as pots], having specific names and forms
tam is to explain the tenth item, the asraya, the original Supreme and yet also exist separate from them, the pure jiva, who is exclu
Person, Bhagavan. From the very beginning of Tattva Sandarbha, sively of the nature of consciousness, is associated with the var
Srila Jiva Gosvami has proposed that Srimad Bhdgavatam focuses ious phases of existence from conception till death and yet is
distinct from them.
entirely on Sri Krsna, the supreme shelter of all existence. The
Bhdgavatam describes Sri Krsna in its beginning, middle, and end, When the conscious being abandons its identification with
and not just in the last canto. Sri Jiva will explain this matter in the three phenomenal states of wakefulness, dreaming, and
greater detail in Krsna Sandarbha. deep sleep, either through self-study or through regulated spir
In the next anuccheda, he presents Suta Gosvami s definitions of itual practice, it then becomes aware of the Supreme Imma
the first seven of the ten topics. nent Self [Paramatma] and withdraws from material endeavor.
(sB 12.7.20-21)'*
virameta yada cittam hitvd vrtti-trayarfi svayam
yogena vd tad-atmanam vedehaya nivartate
paddrthesu yathd dravyam tan-mdtrarh rupa-ndmasu
bijadi-paficatdrh tdsu hy avasthdsu yutdyutam

416 433
 Ill Prameya
1% I ?reTT ^ ^ TT^Mlf<Mo:ddl-
'iqtc|^q<:^l<:C|fq^c|| ^ dtrci^c1 Ihfd 5<I.SHIdHMfHc4
^ddlc^l^ — fd^ildfd I vd|J>irWy^^-
ferWT I "3TTOT^"^OTT^^TrTO I "WTU" d m^d I^Rd
^ci^cqi^Rdl^fBrld I UU^"46ldl:" dd^^rie^doqldRxh^l^ldl: II#-
ll#^:^51T^: II
Elemental substances, such as earth, water, and so on, inhere in
their products, such as pots, having specific names and forms.
Yet, at the same time, they do not inhere in these products, as
they are seen to exist separate from them. In the same way,
the pure jiva, though exclusively of the nature of consciousness,
becomes involved with the nine stages of life from conception till
death due to ignorance. By its constitutional nature, however,
the jiva remains always distinct from these fiuctuating states of
awareness. By thus knowing itself as pure consciousness, the liv
ing being awakens detachment and becomes eligible to focus its
investigation upon the transcendental source and shelter of all
(apasraya). This is the purport of the second of the two verses
quoted above, beginning virameta (sb 12.7.21).
The compound vriti-traya (the three fiuctuating states) refers
to the states of wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep. The
word atmdnam (the Self) here means Paramatma, the Supreme
Immanent Self. The word svayam (by self-study) means [that the
identification with the three fiuctuating states may be given up]
by carefully examining their illusory nature, as demonstrated
by the sage Vamadeva and others. The phrase yogena vd (or by
yoga) indicates that alternatively one may give up this identifica
tion by disciplined spiritual practice, as undertaken by Srimati
Devahuti and others. Ihdydh nivartate (he withdraws from all
actions) means that he refrains from all activities other than
the culture of God-realization. These verses were spoken by
Suta Gosvami. This completes our explanation of sambandha,
434
6i The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
as the Ultimate Shelter
thousand verses and twelve cantos, and its beginning with a
reference to the Gayatri mantra. If the first two cantos are not
really part of the Bhagavatam, then what remains would no longer
fit the definition. Other scholars say that because Sukadeva speaks
only from the Second Canto on, the First Canto is not part of the
Bhagavatam proper. But their opinion is countered by the same
reply.
F i v e To p i c s Te n To p i c s
1. Sarga Sarga, visarga, dsraya
2. Pratisarga Nirodha, mukti
3 . Va r h s a Isdnukathd
4. Manvantara Manvantara, sthdna
5. Varfisdnucarita Isdnukathd, posana, uti, dsraya
Figure 61.2: Five Topics of a Minor Purana in Relation to the Ten Topics
Srila Jiva Gosvami additionally argues that the ten items of
Srlmad Bhagavatam are not described in strict sequence, one per
canto. First of all, there are twelve cantos and only ten topics. If we
try to resolve this dilemma by excluding two of the cantos, Srimad
Bhagavatam will be reduced to less than the stipulated eighteen
thousand verses. Srila Jiva Gosvami further says that although
nirodha is the eighth item, it is discussed profusely in the Tenth,
Eleventh, and Twelfth Cantos.
This opinion is confirmed by Sridhara Svami, one of the earliest
and most respected authorities on Srimad Bhagavatam. According
to the adherents of a successive description of the ten topics begin
ning from the Third Canto, the Tenth Canto should describe the
eighth item, nirodha, and the Twelfth Canto the tenth item, dsraya.
Undoubtedly, the Tenth Canto discusses nirodha, but its principal
topic is the dsraya, whom it establishes to be Krsna, the Supreme
Personal Absolute.
In Srila Jiva Gosvami s opinion, which finds support from the
commentary of Sridhara Svami, all twelve cantos of the Bhdgavatam
415
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Ill Prameya
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

topics of a Maha-purana, but its primary focus is only upon the five the relation between Srimad Bhdgavatam and the subject it
topics listed above. This difference in how extensively the ten top expounds.
ics are treated constitutes the principal distinction between a Maha-
purana and a minor Purana. Figure 61.2 illustrates in what context 63.6
a minor Purana would discuss the ten characteristics of a Maha-
purana.

S U K A D E VA Suta

G O S VA M i Gosvami Thus ends Tattva Sandarbha, the first book of the Bhdgavata
Sandarbha, which was written under the instruction of Srila
1 . Sarga Sarga Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the revered lead
2 . Visarga Visarga ers of the royal assembly of world Vaisnavas. They are unal
Sthdna Vrtti
3. loyed servants of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna
Posana Raksd
4. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the purifier of the jivas in Kaliyuga, who
5. Uti Hetu descended to distribute the benediction of His own devotional
6. Manvantara Va r h s a
worship.
7. Isdnukathd Va r h s d n u c a r i t a

8. Nirodha Samsthd

9- Mukti Samsthd

. 0 . Asraya Apdsraya Here ends Ta t t v a Sandarbha.

Figure 61.1: Ten Topics in the Bhagavatam

Commentary

Srimad Bhdgavatam contains twelve cantos, but the list of a
Maha-purana s topics is found at the end of the Second Canto. From
this, plus the fact that the first two cantos seem in some ways intro
ductory, some scholars conclude that the Bhdgavatam treats these
ten topics successively in each canto from the Third onwards. Srila
Jiva Gosvami has no regard for this theory. Since a Maha-purana
deals with ten topics, if the first two cantos of the Bhdgavatam
described none of these, then the Bhdgavatam proper would have
only ten cantos. It is obvious enough, however, that the First and
Second Cantos discuss at least sarga, visarga, and raksd.
Earlier, Srila Jiva Gosvami listed the defining characteristics of
Srimad Bhdgavatam, and among these were its having eighteen
This anuccheda completes the explanation of the ten topics
mentioned by Sri Suta Gosvami. The eighth topic is called samsthd,
the dissolution of the material creation, of which there are four
kinds — naimittika, prdkrtika, nitya, and dtyantika. The dissolu
tion that occurs at the end of a day of Brahma is called naimittika
(occasional). The final dissolution of the cosmos at the end of Lord
Brahmas life is called prdkrtika (total). The inexorable moment-by-
moment progression of everything in the material world toward
annihilation is called nitya (constant). And when an individual jiva
attains final release from both his subtle and gross bodies and enters
the spiritual sky, that dissolution is called dtyantika (ultimate dis
solution, namely, liberation). Having attained this state, one does

435
414

Ill Prameya
not take birth again in the material world. Thus, Srila JIva Gosvami
says that dtyantika-laya includes mukti, the ninth among the ten
topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam enumerated by Sukadeva Gosvami in
Anuccheda 56.
In Sarva-sarnvadini, Srila Jiva Gosvami states that, in addition
to the dissolutions mentioned above, there is also a partial dissolu
tion at the end of each manvantara. To substantiate this statement,
he cites the Visnu-dharmottara Purana, Srlmad Bhdgavatam, and the
Bhdrata-tdtparya of Sri Madhvacarya. Part of the reference from the
Visnu-dharmottara Purdna states:
King Vajra asked, "0 greatly fortunate brdhmana, what is the state
of the world when a manvantara ends? Please explain this to me."
Markandeya replied, "At the end of a manvantara, the devas
appointed for that particular manvantara, being free from sins,
attain to Maharloka and reside there." (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna
1.75.1-2)'
Markandeya goes on to explain that the seven sages, Manu,
and Indra go to Brahmaloka, while the earthly sphere becomes
submerged in a deluge. This description of the general annihila
tion at the end of each manvantara is similar to the one given in the
Twenty-fourth Chapter of the Bhdgavatam's Eighth Canto. Srila Jiva
Gosvami comments that the existence of a dissolution at the end of
each manvantara is further substantiated by Hari-vamsa Purdna and
commentaries on its chapters dealing with the subject of universal
dissolution. Thus, the dissolution at the end of a manvantara can be
categorized as naimittika (occasional), because it occurs repeatedly
with the changes of Manus.
The ninth topic is called hetu, which refers to the jiva as the effi
cient cause of creation. Bhagavan is not causal in the sense of having
^ vajra uvdca
manvantare pariksine yadrsl dvijajayate
samavasthd mahd-bhdga tddrsim vaktum arhasi
mdrkandeya uvdca
manvantare pariksine deva manvantaresvardh
mahar-lokam athdsddya tisthanti gata-kalmasdh
436
61 The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
as the Ultimate Shelter
same reason, we should recognize that the First and Second Can
tos also belong to this Maha-purana. Therefore, the idea that
these topics are discussed in a strict sequence is unacceptable.
Commentary
Previously, Srila Jiva Gosvami showed that Suta Gosvami, Suka
deva Gosvami, and Srila Vyasadeva all agreed about what is the
essential message of Srlmad Bhdgavatam. Here, Srila Jiva Gosvami
reiterates this conclusion by citing Suta Gosvami s statements
regarding the characteristics of a Maha-purana. Although the ten
topics described by Sri Suta seem to differ from those mentioned by
Sukadeva Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami shows that in essence they
are the same.
In Bhdvdrtha-dlpikd, while commenting on sb 12.7.9, Sridhara
SvamI offers the following reconciliation between Sukadevas list
and Sutas list: "Sarga and visarga are found in both lists. Sthdna
in the first list is called vrtti in the second; posana is called raksd.
Uti, implying the psychic imprints sheltered in the jiva, is called
hetu. Manvantara is called antara, and Isdnukathd is called vamsa
and vamsdnucarita. Nirodha is called samsthd in the second list, and
by use of the latter word, mukti in the form of ultimate dissolu
tion is also stated."® [Mukti as one of the four types of dissolution
is discussed in Anuccheda 63.] See Figure 61.1, for a comparison of
the two lists.
A major, or Maha-purana, deals extensively with these ten top
ics, while a minor Purana deals with only five — sarga (creation),
pratisarga (dissolution), vamsa (the genealogies of kings or sages),
manvantaras (the reigns of Manus), and vamsdnucarita (the histo
ries of various sages, kings, and avatdras). In the course of dis
cussing these five topics, a minor Purana will touch upon all ten
' asya visvasya atra sargo visargas ca sthdnarh posanam utayah. manvantaresdnukathd
nirodho muktir dsrayah. ity atrokte sthdna-posane vrtti-raksd-sabddbhydm ucyete.
antardni manvantardni varhso varhsydnucaritam itisdnukathdh. sarhsthd nirodhah.
anenaivdtyantika-laya-rupd muktir apy uktd. hetu-sabdena
jivdsraya-vdsand-sabda-vdcyd utayo grhitdh.
413

Ill Prameya
In the Tenth Canto, the topic of nirodha [dissolution or destruc
tion] is discussed specifically to spread Sri Krsna s transcenden
tal glories, and in this context, it refers instead to the destruc
tion of the unrighteous rulers due to their deviating from the
path of religious truth (dharma). The four types of dissolution
(nirodha) of primordial nature, on the other hand, were already
described earlier in the Bhdgavatam, (Bhavdrtha-dipika lo.i.i)®
Here, Sridhara Svamis intention is to show that the Tenth
Canto is primarily concerned with elucidation of the dsraya,
who is none other than Sri Krsna. As Sridhara Svami himself
states, "The subject of the Tenth Canto is the tenth topic: how
the dsraya-vigraha, the transcendental personhood of God, is
the ultimate shelter (dsraya) for His fully surrendered devo
tees (dsrita)" (Bhdvdrtha-dipikd lo.i.i).'* We can draw similar
conclusions about the other cantos.
3T^: ^ ^
T T fi r o m I (^o R I^o R) ^4^ dxirH-
Thus, in Sridhara Svami s view, virtually all ten topics are dis
cussed in every canto, either directly or indirectly. It is in the
same light that we should understand the statement, "These
topics are described here either directly, by straightforward
statements, or indirectly, by disclosing the implied meaning"
(sB 2.10.2), since we do actually find these topics discussed in
both these manners throughout the Bhdgavatam. And for the
^ dasame krsna-sat-klrti-vitdndyopavarnyate
dharma-gldni-nimittas tu nirodho dusta-bhuhhujdm
prdkrtddi-caturdhd yo nirodhah sa tu varnitah
dasame dasamam laksyam dsritdsraya-vigraham
412
63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2
any sort of necessity to create. He has no purpose of His own to
achieve by creating this material world. He is eternally established
in His own transcendental self-existence and self-abode, which is
the ground of the play of His divinity. The word "creation" is in fact
misleading, since primordial nature is one of His eternal potencies.
As such, creation is nothing other than the emergence of concrete
forms out of the undifferentiated matrix of pure potentiality. Simi
larly, dissolution is nothing other than reabsorption of the evolutes
of nature back into their primordial state. So, in this sense, Bha-
gavan does not create the world. He simply supplies the conscious
intention in the form of His glance that precipitates the unfolding
of the implicit order. This too He does for the welfare of those liv
ing beings who are diverted from His devotional service. He thus
provides the jivas with the opportunity to fulfill their desires and
ultimately to attain liberation.
By contrast, the Jlvas are known as avidyd-karma-kdraka, act
ing out of ignorance and sustaining the universe. In that sense,
the jivas are the efficient cause of the creation, even though they
neither design nor produce it. As Sri Krsna states in Bhagavad
Gitd, "0 mighty-armed Arjuna, the living beings are that by which
this entire cosmos is sustained" (jiva-bhutdm mahd-bdho yayedam
dhdryatejagat, gitav.s).
Bhagavans ultimate purpose in facilitating the emergence of the
material world is to enable the jivas to attain bhakti and thus access
liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death. Sukadeva
Gosvami states this explicitly in the Tenth Canto:
The Lord created the intellect, the senses, the mind, and the vital
force of the living beings for the purpose of apprehending sense
objects (mdtrd), for taking birth (hhava), for providing a range of
experience for the self (dtmane), and [ultimately] for transcend
ing the act of filtering experience through the screen of prior
assumptions (akalpandya, i.e., for liberation). (sb 10.87.2)^
InParamdtmaSandarbha (Anuccheda 93), Srilajiva Gosvami explains
® huddhlndriya-manah-prdndnjandndm asrjat prahhuh
mdtrdrtham ca bhavdrtham ca dtmane' kalpandya ca
437
 6i The Second List of the Bhagavatam's Ten Topics Also Identifies Its Subject
Ill Prameya
as the Ultimate Shelter

that the real intention of God in manifesting the universe is to pro This difference of opinion applies to different Puranas due to the
vide an opportunity to His devotees who were unable to achieve difference in the number of topics that they treat [either ten or
perfection in the previous cycle of creation, so that their devotion five], characterizing them either as a Maha-purana or an Alpa-
may be brought to the completion stage. From this, we can clearly purana (a major or a minor Purana). Although Puranas such as
see that the jiva is certainly not the dsraya of the cosmos. Accord the Visnu Purdna discuss all ten topics, these Puranas are still
ing to Srila Vyasadevas realization in the higher cognitive state of classified as minor, because they discuss only five of the topics
samadhi, that position belongs to Bhagavan. in depth.
This brings us to the final topic, apdsraya, the transcendental
shelter of all existence. If God is the dsraya of this material world,
wouldn't He also necessarily be in contact with mdyd and her cre
ation? In answer to this, Sri Suta Gosvami replies that Bhagavan
is apdsraya, the transcendental shelter. In other words. He is the
dsraya, but He is apart from (apa) mdyd. In gIta 7.4, Sri Krsna
describes His own material nature as bhinnd prakrtih (His separated
energy). In His original transcendental form, Bhagavan is com In Srimad Bhdgavatam, it is not the author s intention to sug
pletely aloof from the material manifestation, but as Paramatma, gest that the ten topics appear consecutively, in one canto after
He witnesses and regulates the activities of both the jivas and mdyd. another; after all, the Bhdgavatam has twelve cantos [i.e., two
Thus, by His inconceivable potency. He is both "in-volved" with more than necessary to cover the ten topics]. Nor should one sup
the creation and simultaneously transcendental to it. This too is pose that because the ten topics are listed at the end of the Second
confirmed by Him in Bhagavad Gitd: Canto, they can be found one after another from Cantos Three to
Twelve. This cannot be the case, because the three topics of niro-
This entire cosmos is pervaded by Me in My unmanifest form. All
dha, mukti, and dsraya can all be found in the Tenth, Eleventh,
living beings are situated in Me, but I am not in them, (gita 9.4)^ and Twelfth Cantos. Nor will one find the remaining topics in
order in the other cantos, with the exception of the Eighth Canto
Yet, even though Bhagavan, as Paramatma, pervades the cos
mos and controls it. He is neither in physical contact with it nor [which deals primarily with the sixth topic, manvantara].
influenced by it.
In Anuccheda 53, Srila Jiva Gosvami showed that knowledge of
the pure nature of the jiva is the first step in the science of God-
realization. Here in Anuccheda 63, he substantiates this statement
with two verses by Sri Suta Gosvami (quoted in Anuccheda 63.4).
This absence of a strict correspondence between the topics
In SB 11.22.46, Sri Krsna mentions the nine states of bodily exis
and cantos of the Bhdgavatam has also been indicated by Srila
tence experienced by the jiva: conception, gestation, birth, infancy,
Sridhara Svami:
childhood, youth, maturity, old age, and death. Although in the con
ditioned state, the jiva seems to be implicated in these nine states,
^ mayd tatam idarh sarvamjagad avyakta-murtind
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caharfi tesv avasthitah II W 11^

438 4 11
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

he never actually is. The Jiva animates the body, yet still exists
independent of the body and its nine states.
When a person comes to know that he remains ever distinct
from the body's nine states — whether in the condition of wakeful
ness, dreaming, or merged in deep sleep — he becomes qualified
to walk on the path of God-realization. That is the stage of athdto
brahma-jijndsd — one who knows that he is distinct from the body is
eligible to inquire into the Absolute Truth (vs 1.1.1). This anuccheda
offers two processes for self-realization. The word svayam (by one
self, or in other words, by self-study) implies the path ofjndna, in
which one meditates on the self as distinct from everything else in
the realm of mdyd. The Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad relates the his
tory of a sage named Vamadeva who followed this path (bau 1.4.10),
and the Eleventh Canto (Chapters 7-9) of Srimad Bhdgavatam tells
of another practitioner, a brdhmana identified as Dattatreya.
The second process is indicated by the word yogena, which
points to the path of bhakti. On this path, one considers the self
as distinct from the three states of existence — the waking state,
the dreaming state, and the state of deep sleep — and meditates
on the Supreme Self, Paramatma. This path is exemplified by Lord
Kapiladeva's mother, Srimati Devahuti, whose story is narrated
in the Third Canto of Srimad Bhdgavatam. Srila Jiva Cosvami con
cludes that the dsraya of everything is Sri Krsna, the Supreme Per
sonal Absolute Truth. He alone is the subject (sambandhi-tattva) of
Srimad Bhdgavatam.

Summary of Sri Tattva Sandarbha

The first eight anucchedas, which are in verse form, make up the
invocation (mahgaldcarana). In these verses, Srila Jiva Cosvami
offers homage to his teachers and to his worshipful Deity. In addi
tion, he explains why he is writing the book and defines its subject
as well as the criteria of eligibility for its readers.
In Anucchedas 9 through 18, Jiva Cosvami discusses Vedic epis-
temology. This he does in order to determine a means of valid

439
 II Prameya

knowing by which the core truths of sambandha, abhidheya, and

prayojana can be definitely determined. He first points out that all
human beings are subject to four defects that prevent them from
acquiring valid knowledge independently. Of the ten means of
valid knowing, Srila Jiva accepts sabda (sacred sound revelation)
as supreme, for, being identical with the Absolute Reality that it
signifies, it alone can bestow perfect knowledge of that Reality. He
also accepts perception and inference as valid means of knowledge
when they are in accord with sabda-pramdna.
Since the Vedas are sabda-brahma (knowledge revealed by Bha-
gavan), they are the highest authority. But because they are now
unavailable in their complete form, because they are cryptic, and
because they can no longer be learned from representatives of
an authorized disciplic succession of teachers, SrIla Jiva GosvamI
recommends the Puranas, which, along with the Rdmdyana and
Mahdbhdrata, are the fifth Veda.
Next, Srila Jiva shows that the Puranas have the same source,
authority, and nature as the Vedas, and that, for people in this
age, their simple language and universal accessibility render them
an even better source of knowledge than the four Vedas. But the
Puranas seem to contradict one another in various ways — for
example, by glorifying different deities as most worshipable — and
most of them lack a proper disciplic succession. By the process of
elimination, therefore, in Anuccheda 18, Srila Jiva Gosvami proposes
Srimad Bhdgavatam as the most suitable Purana for investigation.
From Anucchedas 19 to 26, Srila Jiva reveals the supreme quali
ties of Srimad Bhdgavatam that establish its epistemological validity.
He argues that it is the most authoritative Vedic scripture, being
the ripened fruit of the desire tree of Vedic knowledge. Addition
ally, the Bhdgavatam is based on Gayatri, which is the essence of the
Vedas, and it is the natural commentary on Veddnta-sutra, Then in
Anucchedas 27 and 28, Srila Jiva describes the basic scheme of the
Sandarbhas, what sources he plans to refer to, and his method of
analysis.
Having established Srimad Bhdgavatam as the most authorita
tive pramdna in the matter of the direct knowing of Ultimate Reality,

440
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

Jiva Gosvami proceeds with the determination of sambandha, abhi-

dheya, and prayojana in two parallel sections. The first concerns the
self-disclosure of these truths from the transcendental experience
of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, the original speaker of Srimad Bhdgava-
tam. Although this analysis is covered in just one anuccheda (29),
it is highly significant, because it clearly demonstrates that realiza
tion of Bhagavan supersedes that of Brahman. The second section
concerns the self-disclosure of the same truths from the supracog-
nitive samadhi of Srila Vyasadeva, the author of Srimad Bhdgavatam.
This is dealt with in Anucchedas 30-49. The main principles derived
from these two sections are as follows:

1. The subject to be realized (sambandhi-tattva) in Srimad Bhdgava

tam is Sri Krsna.

2. The subjective Reality, Sri Krsna, is the original Supreme Person,

Svayaih Bhagavan.
3. He is inherently self-endowed with variegated potencies, which
are divided into three main categories — intrinsic, extrinsic, and
intermediary.
4. Maya, His extrinsic potency, functions under His direction, but
cannot control Him.

5. Thejivas, although integrated conscious parts of Paramatma, are

causelessly and beginninglessly bound by mdyd.
6. The jivas cannot transcend mdyd by their own initiative.
7. Unconditional turning of awareness in devotional surrender
to Bhagavan is the jiva's only means (abhidheya) of ultimate
attainment.

8. The ultimate completion (prayojana) of such devotional turning

culminates in the pervasion of prema, divine love of Krsna.

The first six of these eight principles are elaborations on the

nature of the sambandhi-tattva, whereas principles seven and eight
concern abhidheya and prayojana, respectively. While describ
ing Vyasa's samddhi, Srila Jiva Gosvami uses logic and scriptural
reference in Anucchedas 34 to 43 to decisively refute the two pri
mary doctrines (of the reflection and delimitation of Brahman)
of the Advaitavadis. He also explains the real meaning and pur
pose behind the statements in scriptures describing the oneness

A A l
 Ill Prameya

between the jiva and Brahman. This distinction was necessary in

order to self-evidently disclose the true nature of abhidheya and
prayojana.
After ascertaining in general terms the core truths of samba-
ndha, abhidheya, and prayojana from the transempirical experi
ences of both Sri Suka and Srila Vyasa, Jiva Gosvami begins the
elaboration of sambandha from Anuccheda 50 right through to the
end of Tattva Sandarbha. The description of the subjective Reality
is divided into two primary sections. In the first (Anucchedas 50-
55), Jiva Gosvami demonstrates how that Supreme Reality can be
intuited in relation to the microcosm of the individual conscious

being. In Anucchedas 50 to 52, he first shows that the subject of

Srlmad Bhdgavatam is the nondual Supreme Reality by analyzing a
line from the second verse of its first chapter. In Anucchedas 53 to
55, he explains the nature of the jiva — namely that the jiva, being
an integrated part of Brahman, is conscious like Brahman but can
never be equal to Brahman. Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that under
standing this conscious identity between the jiva and Brahman is
the initial step toward realizing the Absolute Truth.
From Anuccheda 56 on, he examines the nature of the subjective
Reality in relation to the macrocosmic or universal order. To do
so, he analyzes the ten topics of the Bhdgavatam, citing Sukadeva
Gosvami s list in the Second Canto and Suta Gosvami s list in the
Twelfth Canto. He shows that there is no clash of either spirit or
content between these two great Bhdgavatam authorities. In their
descriptions of the first nine topics, both Sukadeva and Suta convey
an understanding of the multifarious potencies and activities of the
tenth item, the shelter of all, Bhagavan Sri Krsna.
Thus, from various angles, Jiva Gosvami has established that
Srimad Bhdgavatam is the ultimate scriptural authority and that it
teaches the following: Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personal Absolute
Truth, unconditional devotion is the means of ultimate attainment,
and the ultimate attainment is pure unalloyed love of the Supreme
Pprsnn;:il AK<jnlntp Trnt-B

A A 2
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

characterized by celibacy, study of the Vedas from a teacher, and In the next three Sandarhhas, Srila Jiva GosvamI will further
practice of austerities. elaborate on sambandhi-tattva.
Brahmajyoti The peripheral effulgence (tanu-bha) emanating from the
transphenomenal body of Bhagavan.
HARI OM TAT sat
Brahman The Nondual Absolute, divested of all form, quality, and action;
the indeterminate aspect of the Supreme Truth; the effulgence ema
nating from Bhagavan, the Complete Whole, who is the core of non- asddhasya site pakse dvitlydydm rathotsave
dual awareness, just as heat and light radiate from the sun. Brahman
grahe vede randhre netre tlkeyam purnatdm gatd
is thus said to be a generic feature of God, devoid of distinguishing
mukhdbjdc chrl-guror chrutvd sri-hariddsa-chdstrinah
characteristics.
yathd-matih krtd tlkd satdm esd prasldatdm
Brahmana One of the four varnas, or social divisions, in the vamdsrama
system; a priest or teacher. Their specific duties are study and teach
ing of scriptures, charity, performance of sacrifice for themselves T h u s e n d s t h e S r ! J i v A To s a n I c o m m e n t a r y o n S r I Ta t t v a
and others, and acceptance of gifts. When used in reference to the S a n d a r b h a , t h e fi r s t b o o k o f S r I S a t S a n d a r b h a , b y S r i l a
body of sacred literature, the Brahmanas refer to one of the four Jiva GosvamI Prabhupada.
divisions of the Vedas that provide details about the proper execu
tion of yajna. Every sdkhd (a branch or school of the Vedas) has its
own Brahmana literature. At present a total of 19 Brahmanas are
available.
Buddhi Intellect, perception, comprehension, understanding, discrimi
nation, judgment, discernment; the highest faculty of the psyche,
which consists of intellect, ego (i.e., the "I-principle"), and mind; the
second of the twenty-five elements of Sankhya in its microcosmic or
individuated aspect. Its macrocosmic counterpart is mahat, cosmic
intellect, or the collective wisdom principle.

CiTTA Mind, heart, thought, intention; in Patanjali's astdnga-yoga sys

tem, citta specifically refers to mind, which has three components:
intellect (buddhi), ego (ahankdra), and mind (manas); the individual
consciousness in contrast to mahat, or universal consciousness.
CiTTA-VRTTi Mental modifications. According to Advaita Vedanta, when
the luminous mind is projected outward through the sense organs,
it reaches the objects and is modified into their forms. This men
tal modification is called citta-vrtti. According to the classical Yoga
tradition of Patanjali, the mental modifications are of five types:
pramdna (true cognition), viparyaya (erroneous knowledge), vikalpa
(imagination), nidrd (sleep), and smrti (memory).
Deva a celestial being; devas are gods residing in the heavenly planets
who are endowed with great piety, tremendous life spans, and

470 443
 References

forms of God, who do not "in-carnate" in the etymological sense of I

becoming invested with a human or phenomenal form. Rather, their
"descent" or manifestation amounts to a self-revelation of their own
eternal intrinsic forms. ^
Avidya Ignorance; an aspect of mdya that covers a person's true self-
a w a r e n e s s .

Bhagavan The supreme personal manifestation of God; that Supreme

Entity who is complete to an unlimited degree in six opulences:
beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation; the
Complete Whole, encompassing even Brahman and Paramatma;
nondual awareness inherently self-endowed with transphenome-
nal form, personhood, and limitless transcendental attributes that
invite participation in the infinite play of divine love.
Bhajana In its primary sense, the devotional turning of consciousness
(sdmmukhya) toward Bhagavan in love and service. This includes
actions such as hearing narrations of Bhagavan, chanting His name, j
remembering Him, serving His deity form, and so on.
Bhakti Devotion to God; a unique potency of God, stemming from His ,
own intrinsic nature and endowed with consciousness and bliss.
When this same eternal potency infuses the individual awareness ^
I

of the living being, it takes the shape of love and flows back to its
original source, Bhagavan, causing the waves of His own ecstasy to i
swell. The word bhakti comes from the root -s/bhaj, which means to
serve. Hence, the primary meaning of bhakti is to render service
with full participation of one's being, without cause or motive, with
out adulteration of any partial pursuit, for the exclusive pleasure of
and communion with the Complete Whole, Bhagavan. i
Bhasya a commentary, especially a commentary that systematically and |
contextually explains the meanings of the aphorisms (sutras) or
verses (slokas) of a traditional philosophical text.
Bhava Being, existence, presence; contemplation, awareness, medita- |
tion; feeling, emotion, love; a stage of bhakti; the first sprout of I
prema, or pure love of God (see bhdva-bhakti).
Bhava-bhakti The initial stage of perfection in devotion. A stage of
bhakti in which suddha-sattva, or the essence of Bhagavan's intrinsic
potency, consisting of consciousness and bliss, is transmitted into
the heart of the practicing devotee from the heart of one of Bhaga- i
van's eternal associates and which softens the heart by different

468
 References

for subduing adversaries, and four divisions of meditation (dhydna-

yoga). The Agamas may be divided into two: Vedic and non-Vedic.
The Vedic Agamas are further divided into three: Saiva, Sakta, and
Vaisnava. The Vaisnava Agamas deal primarily with the rules and
procedures for worship of deities and uttering of mantras. The Brhad-
gautamiya, Krama-dipika, and Narada Pancardtra are among the chief
Vaisnava Agamas. Editors' Notes
Anadi Beginningless; that which is without beginning but which can
come to an end, such as the bondage and ignorance of the living
beings.
Ananda Spiritual bliss or ecstasy; the potency of Bhagavan that relates to
His aspect of bliss. This corresponds to the hlddinl potency.
Anirvacaniya Lit., "ineffable.'' This is a term used specifically in Advaita-
vada in reference to Brahman, the Absolute Reality, when perceived
as devoid of qualities, form, or actions. According to them, language, Each anuccheda of Tattva Sandarbha with commentary is
being a thought construct, cannot touch that Reality, and hence It is presented as a chapter. If an anuccheda has more than one main
ineffable. This term is also used in reference to mdyd, which is con verse, each verse has usually been placed in a separate section
ceived by them to be indefinable either in terms of being existent within the chapter.
(sat) or non-existent (asat). It cannot be said to be sat; otherwise,
Normally, the Sandarbhas have been composed according to a
the existence of two ontological realities. Brahman and mdyd, would
formula where ideas are coalesced around principal verses of the
compromise nonduality. Yet, it cannot be defined as asat; otherwise,
the world could never become an object of our perception. Hence, it Bhdgavatam, each one illustrating a particular theological point.
Each anuccheda is defined and numbered by the Bhdgavata verse
is indescribable.
itself. The numbering system being used for the Tattva Sandarbha,
Antaranga-sakti The intrinsic potency of God (see svarupa-sakti).
Anuccheda Sri JIva GosvamI divides each Sandarbha into sections called however, follows a different pattern, primarily because of the com
anucchedas. These anucchedas are organized around one prominent mentary of Baladeva, which cuts the long passage into smaller,
verse from Srlmad Bhdgavatam and conclude with the name of the more manageable portions.
speaker and hearer of that principal verse. In this translation, we The pramdna section, in fact, constitutes an introduction since
sometimes refer to the anucchedas using the Sanskrit word, and its purpose is to set the stage for this method of organizing the
sometimes as "text" or "section."
Sandarbhas. This is stated clearly in Anuccheda 28, and the Sanda
A n v a y a P o s i t i v e c o n c o m i t a n c e ; a n a f fi r m a t i o n u s e d t o s u b s t a n t i a t e t h e
rbha proper really only begins with Anuccheda 29, with sb 12.12.68
validity of an assertion; used in connection with vyatireka, or neg
ative concomitance, which further corroborates the original asser forming the principal verse.
tion by demonstrating the defect that results from non-application The much longer section, Anucchedas 30-49, contains as its core
of that assertion. the eight verses surrounding Srila Vedavyasas vision. It is indeed
Apasiddhanta Metaphysical propositions that are not validated by a an appropriate beginning to the entire Six Sandarbha series. In Puri
school of philosophy. Dasa's critical edition, therefore, these are numbered as Anucche
Apauruseya That which is not a product of the human mind; transhuman; das 1 and 2. This edition follows the tradition that accords with
the self-revealed Vedic scriptures. Baladeva.

466 447
 References

The numbering of anucchedas follows the edition of Sri Haridasa

Sastri. The numbering of verses from Srimad Bhdgavatam and
Bhagavad Gitd follows the edition of Gita Press. The numbering
of verses from Mahdbhdrata and Padma Purdna follows the edition
of Nag Publishers. There are numerous verses cited by Jiva Gosvami
throughout the Sandarbhas that are not to be found in the printed
versions of the particular books referenced by him. In all such cases, Glossary
no number is provided after the verse cited.
Within the Sanskrit text, sandhi is sometimes broken into
compound words, e.g., sat-cit-dnanda instead of sacciddnanda, or In this glossary, word meanings are separated by commas when the words in a
acintya-bheda-abheda instead of acintya-bheddbheda. series are nearly synonymous or when they serve to amplify the meaning of the
other words with which they are correlated. They are separated by semicolons when
they represent a sufficiently distinct variation in meaning from the previous word
or group of words. Periods are used to mark off definitions that are expressed as
complete sentences.

Abhidheya The means by v^hich the ultimate goal is actualized; a method

that enables the radical shift in awareness from absorption in mat
ter to immersion in the one Absolute Reality. According to Sri Jiva
Gosvami, bhakti is the means prescribed in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Acarya a spiritual preceptor also called a guru; one who teaches scrip
tural conclusions, embodies them in life, and also guides his students
to follow by his example.
Adhikari a person who has the requisite eligibility for studying a book
or undertaking a particular spiritual practice.
Adhyaropa Another word for adhydsa.
Adhyasa Superimposing one object or its qualities onto another. This
implies wrong knowledge, such as mistaking a rope for a snake in
semi-darkness.

Advaita Nonduality; the metaphysical view based on the Upanisads that

Absolute Reality is nondual in nature.
Advaya-jnana Nondual consciousness; the supreme nondual conscious
source as defined in the Bhdgavata (1.2.11).
Agama Tantra-sdstra. According to the Vdrdhl Tantra, the Agamas deal
primarily with seven topics: creation, dissolution, worship of deva-
tds, sadhana practices, preparatory rites (purakarana), six practices

448 465
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms
and Concepts

by Navadvip Das (Bruce Martin)

In the work of translating the Sandarbhas, careful atten

tion has been given to the language used to convey specific terms
and concepts. The emphasis has been on maintaining consistency
with the overall theme of the work and, in particular, with the spe
cific vision developed by Sri Jiva Gosvami. The Sat Sandarbha, also
known as Bhdgavata Sandarbha, is no ordinary exposition of theism,
for it defines Bhagavan in terms of nondual consciousness (advaya-
jndna). By so doing, it opens the field of investigation of nondual
reality to new insights, and so creates a basis for interface with
other wisdom schools, as well as with the fields of transpersonal
psychology, transcendental phenomenology, and the leading edge
of quantum physics, cosmology, and consciousness studies. Jiva
Gosvami s treatise certainly took into account the most important
philosophical views of his day, and there is much in his writing that
can be of great value to modern fields of knowledge as well. So the
language used in translating his work has been chosen to facilitate
such correspondence.
To assist the reader we have supplied below an explanation of
key terms that appear throughout the text so that the underlying
meaning that has informed them can be clearly understood. In
this regard, three terms in particular require special attention
so that their sense may be correctly understood by the reader:
"nondual devotion" as a translation (in select passages) for uttama-
bhakti, the "Nondual Personal Absolute" and the "Complete Whole"

4 4 9
 References

as translations for Bhagavan, and "Radical Nondualism" for the

A b s o l u t e I d e a l i s m o f S a h k a r a s A d v a i t a Ve d a n t a .

In going through this vital introduction to the language of the

Sandarbhas, we hope you will discover that this is not merely a glos
sary of terms, but an interconnected framework of revelatory con
cepts. With this in mind, the selection begins with acintya, the Tattva Sandarbha at a Glance
transrational, because it contains a discussion of sabdyate, how the
Absolute is describable in words.

Acintya (Transrational) This term refers to that which is

beyond conventional logic or reason, yet not altogether inexpress
ible through language and thought. The Nondual Absolute is not
altogether inconceivable because it can be conceived, but only
through transrational logic. Sridhara Svami as well as Jiva Gosvami
define it is tarka-asaham — beyond the range of conventional or
linear logic. Just as there exist higher order laws operating within
the quantum domain that don't conform to mechanistic science, so
also there are higher order dynamics existing within the transper-
sonal domain that surpass conventional logic. It is these tran
srational dynamics that make possible transcendent variety and
distinction within the nondual whole while still preserving per
I Mahgalacarana
Invocations (Anucchedas 1-7)
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas (Anuccheda 8)
II Pramana
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and Puranas
Culminating in Srimad Bhagavatam {Anucchedas 9-18)
The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam That Establish
Its Epistemological Validity (Anucchedas 19-26)

fectly intact its nondual nature. So although acintya literally means
"beyond thought," or "inconceivable," it actually points to the realm
of transconventional being, which is nonetheless describable in
words.
The transpersonal reality is, of course, beyond mind and thought
and is incapable of being grasped merely by mental striving; yet
being of the nature of self-luminosity, or self-revelation, it can
nonetheless disclose itself even through thought and language. So
acintya, rendered as inconceivable, does not imply incapability of
being expressed in words. Bearing this in mind, acintya should
not be equated with Sahkara's notion of anirvacanlya, or inexpress-
ibility through words. If Brahman is no more than unqualified
being, devoid of characteristics or potencies, then nothing more
can be said about It, because any description would ultimately be
an imposition of a thought construct upon inscrutable reality.
Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas (Anucchedas 27-28)
III Prameya
1 Determination of Sambandha, Abhidheya, and Prayojana
The Transformation of Consciousness of Sri Sukadeva (Anuccheda 29)
The Supracognitive Samadhi of Vyasa (Anucchedas 30-49)
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the Individual
(Anucchedas 50-55)
Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the Universal — The Ten
Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam (Anucchedas 56-63)
The Ten Topics as per the Second Canto (Anucchedas 56-60)

If, however, as the Bhdgavata maintains, the Absolute is replete The Ten Topics as per the Twelfth Canto (Anucchedas 61-63)

450 463
 References
world, "being" culminates moment to moment in death alone. Fear
and inauspiciousness, which are the material counterparts of the
other two spiritual characteristics, are subsumed within the simple
inescapable fact of mortality. So it is clear from this analysis that
we are speaking about dimensions or aspects of being and not about
mathematical ratios.
Further, a parallel can be drawn between the three qualitative
dimensions of transcendental being and the well-known descrip
tion of Spirit as sat-cit-dnanda. Immortality can be equated with sat,
because it signifies eternal existence. Fearlessness can be equated
with cit, because it is a state of awareness, and auspiciousness can
be equated with ananda, because it is a state of beatitude and, hence,
bliss. Jiva Gosvami goes on to explain that ksema, or auspiciousness,
specifically refers to all-auspicious devotion, which culminates in
prema (i.e., ananda).
462
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
with unlimited potency, then unlimited words, which are them
selves potencies emanating from that source, can appropriately
describe that Reality. This is exactly the point that Jiva Gosvami
makes in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 98). The Vedas are trans-
human words emanating from the divine source that accurately
depict its true inherent nature, because the Vedas are infused with
the self-revelatory power of the intrinsic potency. Jiva goes a step
further by saying that even human speech that is similarly infused
with the intrinsic potency and thus in correspondence with the
divine source can also describe the Absolute. This is the final pur
pose for which the intellect, mind, and senses were created in the
first place. In the words of the Bhdgavata (10.87.2), these material
instruments were created "ultimately to transcend the act of filter
ing experience through the screen of prior assumptions {akalpa-
ndya), or in other words, for liberation." So in answer to the ques
tion, "how can thought and language describe the Absolute?" it can
simply be said, "because they were created specifically to do so."
Hence, the word sabdyate, "describable in words," is used in
reference to the Nondual Absolute, mentioned in the Bhdgavata s
seminal verse (1.2.11). It is for this reason that the knowers of truth
(tattva-vit) refer to it as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. It
is in this light too that Sri Jiva defines acintya as sdstraika-gamya-
tvam — that which is knowable only through the revealed word of
God or of realized devotees. He did not conclude it to be ineffable.
Brahman (The Unqualified Absolute) This refers to the
Nondual Absolute (advaya-Jndna), devoid of all distinctions, such
as names, forms, qualities, and action, and hence devoid of inher
ent potency (svarupa-sakti). Such distinctions (bheda) are perceived
through conventional logic to be limiting adjuncts (upddhis) that
would confine the Absolute, leading to the inevitable dualism of
subject and object (i.e., the name is different from the named and
potency different from "the potent"). Thus Brahman is sometimes
conceived as that which remains upon negation of the sum total of
the phenomenal.
Such conventional logic, of course, presupposes all distinction
as "phenomenal distinction." It cannot at all account even for the
451
 References
possibility of transphenomenal distinction (acintya bheda) because
that is necessarily beyond the predetermined range of its own inves
tigative validity. It cannot make any claims whatsoever in regard to
possibilities lying beyond this limit. So, in effect, all that can be def
initely concluded by this method is that for the Absolute to be non-
dual, it cannot have material names, material forms, and so on. If
there are such things as transphenomenal names, forms, qualities,
action, and personhood that are inherently nondual, or that exist as
inherent potencies of the Nondual Absolute, an altogether different
method and logic, transrational in nature, is required to apprehend
them. Hence, to be precise. Brahman is not so much the Absolute
devoid of all distinction as the indistinct vision of the Absolute. In
other words, it is the indistinct view of Reality as disclosed by the
path of jnana. It is not the distinct view of Reality inclusive of a
transphenomenal interiority, as disclosed by the path of nondual
devotion (see uttama bhakti and svarupa-sakti below).
Paramatma (The Supreme Indwelling Self or, simply,
THE Supreme Self) This refers to the immanent feature of the
Absolute, pervading the cosmos and the individual living beings as
the Supreme witness, internal guide, and regulator. Paramatma is
the Supreme Self of all individual selves (dtmd), and so He may also
be referred to as the Supreme Immanent or the Supreme Immanent
Self. Though Paramatma remains uninvolved with prakrti and the
living beings as impartial witness. He is, nonetheless, their origina
tor and the facilitator of their operations. As such He is Isvara, the
Supreme Controller, Master, Source, and Foundation. Yet, Param
atma should not be equated with "the Creator God" because primor
dial nature and the living beings are His eternal potencies. Hence,
Paramatma is the Nondual Absolute in His feature of immanence.
In contrast with Brahman, Paramatma is replete with transphe
nomenal distinction, including name, form, qualities, action, and
personhood, all of which are inherent in Him. While yet nondif-
ferent from Bhagavan, He is but a portion of a portion of the orig
inal Complete Person (Svayarii Bhagavan). So while He Himself in
His own self-effulgent nature is fully transcendent. His sphere of
influence is tied to the perpetual play of creation, known as srsti-
452
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
conceived as unqualified and devoid of potency. It is known as
Brahman. When the same Nondual Absolute is conceived as inher
ently self-endowed with all potency. It is known as Bhagavan. The
ontological entity is one and the same, yet, a higher order, or, in
other words, transrational, logic is required to understand how dis
tinction (bheda) can be possible without violating the basic nature
of nonduality (abheda). This is worked out in detail in the Bhdgavata
and the Sat Sandarbha. In short, the inherent nature of the Nondual
Absolute cannot be other than nondual. And it is the inherent
nature or intrinsic potency of the Nondual Absolute that discloses
its interiority, that discloses its variegated display of transcendent
being, awareness, and bliss. So it is the intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti), particularly in the form of nondual devotion (uttama bhakti),
that discloses the interiority of nondual awareness.
Ekapada & Tripada Vibhuti (Onefold and Threefold
Dimensionality of Being) These terms are commonly ren
dered as "the one-quarter manifestation of Reality" (i.e., the mate
rial realm) and "the three-quarter manifestation of Reality" (i.e.,
the spiritual realm). Strictly speaking, however, this has nothing
to do with any sort of mathematical ratio between the material and
spiritual domains. If the spiritual realm is infinite, should it not
be infinitely more vast than the material world? (in fact, even the
material realm is infinite, and conventional mathematics fails at
the level of infinity, infinity being transrational.) Moreover, if the
3:1 ratio is merely symbolic to indicate the magnitude of Spirit in
relation to matter, why then express it by such a paltry ratio as 3:1
instead of, say, a million to one? After all, we are speaking about
infinity and 3:1 just doesn t seem to cut it.
As Jiva Gosvami demonstrates in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anu-
ccheda 67), 3:1 refers to something quite specific. Tripad vibhuti,
which is another name for the spiritual realm, refers to three
qualities or dimensions of transcendental being, namely immortal
ity (amrtatva), fearlessness (abhaya), and auspiciousness (ksema).
These are three qualities woven into the fabric of transcendence.
Ekapada vibhuti, on the other hand, which is a name for the
material world, refers to mortality alone. Thus, in the material
461
 References
In this view, like that of Sahkara, there is only one vdstava vastu, or
ontological existent that is nondual in nature, yet unlike Sahkara, it
is admitted that unlimited potency of different categories inheres
in this one existent. Though the inherence of distinction appar
ently contradicts its nonduality from the point of view of conven
tional reason or logic, from the transrational perspective (acintya),
it is perfectly in keeping with the higher internal laws (or consti
tuting nature) that govern the transphenomenal reality. To take
it a step further, nondualism that can accommodate oneness only
and not distinction remains impoverished and hence can hardly be
admitted as the Complete Whole.
Therefore, theistic nondualism extends far beyond Sahkaras
view. Yet, if Bhagavan is wrongly interpreted merely as the creator
or regulator God, then this would seem to advocate dualism. This
is a gross error that has allowed nondual devotion to be reduced
to dualistic worship. Theism in general is almost automatically
equated with dualism and is thus conceived to be inferior by the
schools of nondualism that advocate either Brahman or nirvana
as ultimate. The highest state of the transpersonal is concluded
through conventional logic to be non-personal. But this is exactly
the point at which conventional logic breaks down. The logic that
exhausts itself at the doorway of Brahman or nirvana becomes the
barrier to the hidden interior of nondual awareness, an expanded
nonduality that accommodates distinction in oneness.
This is why it is imperative to begin the discussion of reality at
the point of advaya-jnana and to correspondingly understand Bha
gavan as the Nondual Personal Absolute. In this way, we eliminate
the possibility of the misplaced reduction and force the investiga
tion of reality to proceed beyond its general limit, that of unqual
ified, indistinct, monolithic Brahman. That is the real purpose of
the Bhdgavata and JIva Gosvami's presentation of the Bhdgavata
Sandarbha — to lead the discussion into the interiority of nondual
a w a r e n e s s .
SVARUPA-SAKTI (THE INTERIORITY OF NONDUAL AWARE-
NESs) This refers to the inherent potency with which the Nondual
Absolute is eternally self-endowed. When the Nondual Absolute is
460
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
lild. Thus, He does not manifest the full extension of transcendental
variegatedness as in the case of Bhagavan. So Paramatma is Bhaga
van with the limited role of sheltering the modifications of prakrti
and the jivas who are involved with her.
Bhagavan (The Nondual Personal Absolute) Etymo-
logically, the word bhagavdn is composed of bhaga + vat, endowed
with or encompassing all opulence (bhaga). That which encom
passes everything is the Complete Whole, implying that it includes
and yet transcends everything. Bhagavan may also be rendered as
the Complete Person (Purna Purusa) when emphasizing that the
Complete Whole is inherently personal in nature. The former term
may be more appropriate, or universally applicable, when stress
ing simply Bhagavan's general characteristic of all-inclusivity. In
the most generic sense Bhagavan may be referred to simply as the
Supreme Person or the Supreme Being.
When speaking of the Absolute as nondual awareness (advaya-
jnana) and Bhagavan as the complete distinct vision of nondual
awareness, it may be appropriate to refer to Bhagavan as the Non-
dual Personal Absolute in keeping with the context. In contrast
with Brahman, Bhagavan is the distinct vision of the Nondual
Absolute, inherently self-endowed with intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti), and hence eternally replete with transcendental name, form,
qualities, action, and personhood. As discussed above, though all of
these distinct characteristics inhere in Him, He is yet one and non-
dual in nature, which is made possible through His unprecedented
transrational power (acintya-sakti). So the metaphysical system
that depicts this state of being is known as acintya-bheda-abheda.
In contrast with Paramatma, who is but a portion of the Complete
Whole, Bhagavan's variegatedness is entirely beyond the realm of
creation, being exclusively the play of divinity, known as divya-llld.
Hence, Bhagavan may be understood as the Nondual Absolute in
His feature of supreme transcendence.
The Nondual Personal Absolute, Bhagavan, is not just the Com
plete Whole, but an integrated whole. He is not whole because
of being devoid of distinct parts that might otherwise contradict
His undifferentiated unity. Rather, He is inherently inclusive of
453
 References
varieties of distinct energies as their supreme source and refuge.
These energies have no existence apart from Bhagavan and thus in
this sense are nondifferent from Him. Yet, while these energies
exist as distinct aspects of His inherent nature, He is more than the
sum total of them. He thus includes and yet transcends them. He is
therefore an integrated whole having individual parts that are dis
tinct from, and yet one with. Him. There is nothing which exists
independent of Bhagavan.
The JivA (The Individual Living Being) This refers to
the conscious self (dtmd) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego
(ahankdra), the mind (manas), the senses, and the physical body.
In this sense, the jiva is known as the embodied self or the empiri
cal self. Yet, the jiva s individual selfhood (i.e., its supra-empirical
selfhood rooted in the very identity of the dtmd) is not a product of
mere illusion that vanishes on the awakening of its identity with
Brahman. Though the jiva is one in identity with Brahman, this
does not signify absolute non-distinction as advocated by Sahkara.
The jiva is in fact a conscious part of Paramatma. By this it is not
meant that the jiva is a broken-off part but an integrated part of the
Complete Whole.
The jiva eternally partakes of identity with Paramatma and can
never be ontologically separated from Paramatma, even in the so-
called state of bondage. The jiva, as conscious or integrated part
(cid-aThsa), is never truly bound. The jiva, however, is sometimes
referred to as vihhinndrfisa, a separated part. This separation is
purely psychological, owing to beginningless ignorance. Even in
this state of psychological or self-imposed bondage, the jiva is no
other than an integrated part of the integrated whole. This is due
to the fact that the jiva is an eternal distinct potency of Param
atma known as tatastha-sakti, the intermediary potency. It is so-
called because it belongs neither to the intrinsic spiritual potency
(svarupa-sakti) nor to the extrinsic material potency (mdyd-sakti),
but can be influenced by both. So the jiva is eternally distinct from
and yet one with Paramatma, by virtue of the transrational potency
(acintya-sakti) of the one Nondual Absolute.
454
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
accommodate inherent potency (svarupa-sakti) within the Nondual
Whole.
An alternate meaning of radical is "that which is a departure
f r o m t r a d i t i o n . " S a h k a r a s Ve d a n t a o r N o n d u a l i s m i s r a d i c a l i n
this sense too because it is a departure from the traditional or
mainstream Vedantic view that acknowledges the ontological real
ity of prakrti, Isvara, and the living being. Sahkara may have
thought it necessary to reinterpret this view in order to legitimize
and stress the nondual nature of the Absolute, but in doing so, he
introduced a strategic error that ultimately undermined his own
system, that of Brahmans becoming overwhelmed by mdyd. It is
for this reason that his doctrine is sometimes rightly referred to as
Mayavada, because mdyd, which is said by him to be devoid of onto
logical reality, is yet able to overcome Brahman, the one and only
real. Because of this mutation of mainstream Vedantic thought, his
system may appropriately be referred to as "Radical Nondualism."
Again, Sahkaras attempt to establish nonduality by denial of
the object proves to be inadequate and unsatisfactory. His contri
bution is significant in what it attempts to accomplish, but it begs
a more comprehensive and far-reaching understanding of nondu
ality. In a way, Sahkaras view can be seen as a reaction to, and
the counterpart of, the Buddhist doctrine of andtta (or andtma),
which by contrast establishes nonduality by denial of the subject.
Both of these views, though establishing nondualism from opposite
starting points, stop short of a truly authentic transrational meta
physics, resorting to conventional logic to establish a limited and
hence morphed nonduality. Still, both are useful in urging conven
tional devotion out of its tendency to get stuck in dualism. It is
finally the acintya-bheda-abheda metaphysics of the Bhdgavata and
Jiva Gosvami that completes and surpasses the limited nondualistic
views of Sahkara and the Buddha.
Nonduality of the Bhagavata (Theistic Nondualism)
By comparison, the nonduality of the Bhdgavata may be referred to
as theistic nondualism, which finds its most complete expression
in the visionary view known as acintya-bheda-abheda, the transra
tional inherence of distinction within the integral Nondual Whole.
459
 References
as Radical Nondualism, from the Latin radix, or "connected to the
root," implying that his view denies all distinction to the very core.
It is absolute in its denial of distinction.
Sahkaras doctrine claims to represent the quintessence of the
Upanisads. Yet, in the Upanisads we find two types of statements,
i.e., those that accommodate transphenomenal variety within unity
and those that emphasize oneness and nondistinction. Examples of
the first type are svabhdvikijndna bala kriyd ca, "The Supreme Person
has multifarious potencies that are intrinsic to His being, includ
ing knowledge, will power, and action" (Svetdsvatara Upanisad 6.8),
and, nityo nitydndrh cetanas cetandndm eko, "There is one supreme
eternal amongst all the eternal living beings and one supreme con
scious source amongst the multitude of conscious entities" (Katha
Upanisad 2.2.13). Examples of the second type are sarvarh khalv idarfi
brahma, "All this is indeed Brahman" (Chdndogya Upanisad 3.14.1),
and, neha ndnd 'sti kincana, "There is no diversity here whatsoever"
{Katha Upanisad 2.1.11). Sahkara has given importance only to those
statements that emphasize oneness alone and treated the state
ments advocating unity in variety as secondary, denying primary
meaning to them without giving any satisfactory explanation or
r e a s o n .
The question may be asked, how can nondualism be put forth as
the most valid description of reality when it is practically observed
that there is a distinction between subject and object, between
Spirit (Brahman) and the world (Jagat or prakrti), between con
scious beings (jivas) and insentient matter? Sahkaras solution
is to advocate nondualism (lit. "not two") by denial of the object:
brahma satyarh Jagan mithyd (the world is unreal, only Brahman
is real), so that in effect there is only Brahman, there is only the
subject and no object, there is only one. So, because Sahkaras
nondualism denies the object to the very root (radix), it may be
referred to as Radical Nondualism. That is to say that it can account
for oneness only (abheda) and not for distinction. Distinction is
admitted only in an empirical sense (as mithyd) but without fun
damental ontological existence. He can in no way accommodate
transphenomenal distinction (acintya-bheda), because he cannot
458
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
Uttama Bhakti (Pure or Unalloyed Devotion) First of
all, because the entire discussion of Bhdgavata Sandarbha proceeds
on the basis of the definition of Ultimate Reality as nondual
consciousness (advaya-jndna), and because Bhagavan is shown
to be nondual consciousness in its highest completion, it seems
only appropriate to consider bhakti, which is the means of realizing
the Nondual Personal Whole, Bhagavan, as being of the nature of
nonduality. In light of this consideration, nondual devotion does
not refer to devotion merely as a means of realizing the unqual
ified Nondual Absolute (i.e.. Brahman). Such a notion would be
more appropriately rendered as devotional nonduality, wherein
nonduality is the subject and devotion merely a qualifier. Rather,
nondual devotion is meant in the sense of the inherent potency of
the complete Nondual Absolute, Bhagavan, which reveals Him as
the unity that upholds all distinction. It is the devotion opened
to when all separative and dualistic self-concepts operating under
the influence of the gunas have been transcended. The purity of
uttama bhakti signifies that it is altogether beyond the influence of
the gunas of primordial nature, and thus it is also known as nirguna
bhakti (see the discussion that follows below).
Devotion Mixed with the Gunas (Dualistic Devotion)
Correspondingly, if nondual devotion is the means that discloses
the Nondual Absolute as Bhagavan, then devotion mixed with the
gunas must necessarily be dualistic in nature. This is exactly what
Kapiladeva states in the Bhdgavata (3.29.8-10). He uses the terms
bhinna-drg-bhdva (of separatist vision) and prthak-bhdva (a sepa
ratist) to describe the performers of devotion mixed with any one
of the three gunas. In Bhakti Sandarbha, after the description of
dropa-siddha bhakti (attributive devotion) and sahga-siddha bhakti
(associative devotion), there follows the explanation of uttama
bhakti (i.e., svarupa-siddha bhakti). But the delineation of uttama
bhakti proper is preceded by a discussion of bhakti in the gunas,
which is marked by these three types of separatist or dualistic
visions. The key point is that the performer is still rooted in dual
ism, considering him or herself separate from Bhagavan. Sddhana
is thus performed with this dualistic mentality, as a means only to
455
 Referenc
an end and therefore causal in nature, rather than as an end unto
itself, acausal in nature, as immediate and present connection with
Bhagavan, here and now.
Nirguna Bhakti (Devotion Free from the Gunas) By
contrast with mixed devotion, devotion free from the gunas is com
pared (sB 3.29.11) to the natural, continuous, unobstructed flow of
the Gahga to the sea, because the Gahga, while distinct from the
ocean, is nonetheless in no way disconnected from the ocean, which
is its final refuge. Jiva Gosvami states in Tattva Sandarbha that the
oneness of the jiva and Brahman is in terms of identity of being,
yet he clarifies that this oneness in no way implies absolute non-
distinction. It could also be stated the other way, that the distinc
tion between the jiva and Paramatma in no way implies absolute
or categorical separation. In fact, as an integrated part of the Com
plete Whole, the jiva can never be separated from Paramatma, even
in the state of bondage. The sense of separation is merely psycholog
ical, having no ontological reality whatsoever. Hence, devotion in
which the performer holds to the egoistic position of being a doer
or subject separate from the ultimate "object" (Bhagavan) is most
appropriately referred to as dualistic devotion.
By placing this discussion as a preface to uttama bhakti, Jiva
Gosvami clearly recognizes this mentality as a significant and
prominent pitfall among those who presume themselves to be on
the path of pure devotion. So the terms nondual devotion and dual
istic devotion are helpful in clarifying this most important distinc
tion. And what does this distinction imply in practical terms for
the practitioner? It is not we who perform devotion, rather it is
devotion that performs us. That is to say that devotion enacts itself
through its own power of self-revelation, and in so doing it reveals
the living being in its true identity, lending its inherent nature of
awareness and bliss to the instrument of its manifestation.
Beginning from the sense organs, the tongue, ears, eyes, hands,
and so on, it works its ways inward, pervading the internal organs,
the vital system, the emotions and the mental quantum of mind, ego,
and intellect, till it reaches at last to the dtmd, making the dtmd one
with its essential nature. In what sense then can the practitioner
456
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
truly be said to be a practitioner or a performer of devotion? One
who holds to the egoistic and separatist conception of being a per
former of devotion, a chanter of the name, a doer of acts of good to
others and God, and so on, is caught in dualistic devotion, impeding
this transcendental flow. When we abandon this separatist identity,
we become but instruments through which devotion itself flows
unimpeded, the interactive screen upon which the divine name
arises, the playground in which the drama of worship unfolds.
Karma (Dualistic Action) In the same light, karma, even
in its niskdma form in which the desire for the fruit of action is relin
quished, is necessarily dualistic because the performer holds to the
notion of being separate from the object and the result of action. It
is for this reason that Jiva Gosvami as well as Sanatana Gosvami dis
agree with Sridhara Svami in not accepting karma offered to Bhaga
van as bhakti. Even when the desire for fruit is given up, the sense
of doership remains. So, when the discussion again carries refer
ence to the Absolute as nondual awareness, karma is appropriately
referred to as dualistic action. In a more general context, it may
be rendered as goal-oriented or result-oriented action. This is just
another way of saying the same thing because all dualistic action
is carried out by a performer seeking some particular result that
is separated both from the performer and the act itself in time and
place and is therefore causal in nature.
Sankara s Advaita Vedanta (Radical Nondualism) This
i s b u t o n e s c h o o l o f Ve d a n t a a n d h e n c e b u t o n e s c h o o l o f n o n d u a l
ism. From the Bhdgavata (1.2.11) and from Jiva Gosvami s analysis
throughout the Sat Sandarbha, it is clear that there is also theistic or
devotional nondualism. In fact, Jiva Gosvami's entire vision devel
ops from his understanding of the Absolute as nondual awareness,
and from his recognition of nonduality as the common ground and
the lowest common denominator from which a discussion of the
Absolute can proceed. Thus, the Bhdgavata s vision of nonduality,
which Jiva seeks to bring forth, is a unique one, far exceeding the
generic oneness of Sankara.
So it is essential to speak of different schools of nonduality with
different emphasis. It is in this light that we refer to Sankara s view
457
 Referenc
an end and therefore causal in nature, rather than as an end unto
itself, acausal in nature, as immediate and present connection with
Bhagavan, here and now.
Nirguna Bhakti (Devotion Free from the Gunas) By
contrast with mixed devotion, devotion free from the gunas is com
pared (sB 3.29.11) to the natural, continuous, unobstructed flow of
the Gahga to the sea, because the Gahga, while distinct from the
ocean, is nonetheless in no way disconnected from the ocean, which
is its final refuge. Jiva Gosvami states in Tattva Sandarbha that the
oneness of the jiva and Brahman is in terms of identity of being,
yet he clarifies that this oneness in no way implies absolute non-
distinction. It could also be stated the other way, that the distinc
tion between the jiva and Paramatma in no way implies absolute
or categorical separation. In fact, as an integrated part of the Com
plete Whole, the jiva can never be separated from Paramatma, even
in the state of bondage. The sense of separation is merely psycholog
ical, having no ontological reality whatsoever. Hence, devotion in
which the performer holds to the egoistic position of being a doer
or subject separate from the ultimate "object" (Bhagavan) is most
appropriately referred to as dualistic devotion.
By placing this discussion as a preface to uttama bhakti, Jiva
Gosvami clearly recognizes this mentality as a significant and
prominent pitfall among those who presume themselves to be on
the path of pure devotion. So the terms nondual devotion and dual
istic devotion are helpful in clarifying this most important distinc
tion. And what does this distinction imply in practical terms for
the practitioner? It is not we who perform devotion, rather it is
devotion that performs us. That is to say that devotion enacts itself
through its own power of self-revelation, and in so doing it reveals
the living being in its true identity, lending its inherent nature of
awareness and bliss to the instrument of its manifestation.
Beginning from the sense organs, the tongue, ears, eyes, hands,
and so on, it works its ways inward, pervading the internal organs,
the vital system, the emotions and the mental quantum of mind, ego,
and intellect, till it reaches at last to the dtmd, making the dtmd one
with its essential nature. In what sense then can the practitioner
456
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
truly be said to be a practitioner or a performer of devotion? One
who holds to the egoistic and separatist conception of being a per
former of devotion, a chanter of the name, a doer of acts of good to
others and God, and so on, is caught in dualistic devotion, impeding
this transcendental flow. When we abandon this separatist identity,
we become but instruments through which devotion itself flows
unimpeded, the interactive screen upon which the divine name
arises, the playground in which the drama of worship unfolds.
Karma (Dualistic Action) In the same light, karma, even
in its niskdma form in which the desire for the fruit of action is relin
quished, is necessarily dualistic because the performer holds to the
notion of being separate from the object and the result of action. It
is for this reason that Jiva Gosvami as well as Sanatana Gosvami dis
agree with Sridhara Svami in not accepting karma offered to Bhaga
van as bhakti. Even when the desire for fruit is given up, the sense
of doership remains. So, when the discussion again carries refer
ence to the Absolute as nondual awareness, karma is appropriately
referred to as dualistic action. In a more general context, it may
be rendered as goal-oriented or result-oriented action. This is just
another way of saying the same thing because all dualistic action
is carried out by a performer seeking some particular result that
is separated both from the performer and the act itself in time and
place and is therefore causal in nature.
Sankara s Advaita Vedanta (Radical Nondualism) This
i s b u t o n e s c h o o l o f Ve d a n t a a n d h e n c e b u t o n e s c h o o l o f n o n d u a l
ism. From the Bhdgavata (1.2.11) and from Jiva Gosvami s analysis
throughout the Sat Sandarbha, it is clear that there is also theistic or
devotional nondualism. In fact, Jiva Gosvami's entire vision devel
ops from his understanding of the Absolute as nondual awareness,
and from his recognition of nonduality as the common ground and
the lowest common denominator from which a discussion of the
Absolute can proceed. Thus, the Bhdgavata s vision of nonduality,
which Jiva seeks to bring forth, is a unique one, far exceeding the
generic oneness of Sankara.
So it is essential to speak of different schools of nonduality with
different emphasis. It is in this light that we refer to Sankara s view
457
 References
as Radical Nondualism, from the Latin radix, or "connected to the
root," implying that his view denies all distinction to the very core.
It is absolute in its denial of distinction.
Sahkaras doctrine claims to represent the quintessence of the
Upanisads. Yet, in the Upanisads we find two types of statements,
i.e., those that accommodate transphenomenal variety within unity
and those that emphasize oneness and nondistinction. Examples of
the first type are svabhdvikijndna bala kriyd ca, "The Supreme Person
has multifarious potencies that are intrinsic to His being, includ
ing knowledge, will power, and action" (Svetdsvatara Upanisad 6.8),
and, nityo nitydndrh cetanas cetandndm eko, "There is one supreme
eternal amongst all the eternal living beings and one supreme con
scious source amongst the multitude of conscious entities" (Katha
Upanisad 2.2.13). Examples of the second type are sarvarh khalv idarfi
brahma, "All this is indeed Brahman" (Chdndogya Upanisad 3.14.1),
and, neha ndnd 'sti kincana, "There is no diversity here whatsoever"
{Katha Upanisad 2.1.11). Sahkara has given importance only to those
statements that emphasize oneness alone and treated the state
ments advocating unity in variety as secondary, denying primary
meaning to them without giving any satisfactory explanation or
r e a s o n .
The question may be asked, how can nondualism be put forth as
the most valid description of reality when it is practically observed
that there is a distinction between subject and object, between
Spirit (Brahman) and the world (Jagat or prakrti), between con
scious beings (jivas) and insentient matter? Sahkaras solution
is to advocate nondualism (lit. "not two") by denial of the object:
brahma satyarh Jagan mithyd (the world is unreal, only Brahman
is real), so that in effect there is only Brahman, there is only the
subject and no object, there is only one. So, because Sahkaras
nondualism denies the object to the very root (radix), it may be
referred to as Radical Nondualism. That is to say that it can account
for oneness only (abheda) and not for distinction. Distinction is
admitted only in an empirical sense (as mithyd) but without fun
damental ontological existence. He can in no way accommodate
transphenomenal distinction (acintya-bheda), because he cannot
458
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
Uttama Bhakti (Pure or Unalloyed Devotion) First of
all, because the entire discussion of Bhdgavata Sandarbha proceeds
on the basis of the definition of Ultimate Reality as nondual
consciousness (advaya-jndna), and because Bhagavan is shown
to be nondual consciousness in its highest completion, it seems
only appropriate to consider bhakti, which is the means of realizing
the Nondual Personal Whole, Bhagavan, as being of the nature of
nonduality. In light of this consideration, nondual devotion does
not refer to devotion merely as a means of realizing the unqual
ified Nondual Absolute (i.e.. Brahman). Such a notion would be
more appropriately rendered as devotional nonduality, wherein
nonduality is the subject and devotion merely a qualifier. Rather,
nondual devotion is meant in the sense of the inherent potency of
the complete Nondual Absolute, Bhagavan, which reveals Him as
the unity that upholds all distinction. It is the devotion opened
to when all separative and dualistic self-concepts operating under
the influence of the gunas have been transcended. The purity of
uttama bhakti signifies that it is altogether beyond the influence of
the gunas of primordial nature, and thus it is also known as nirguna
bhakti (see the discussion that follows below).
Devotion Mixed with the Gunas (Dualistic Devotion)
Correspondingly, if nondual devotion is the means that discloses
the Nondual Absolute as Bhagavan, then devotion mixed with the
gunas must necessarily be dualistic in nature. This is exactly what
Kapiladeva states in the Bhdgavata (3.29.8-10). He uses the terms
bhinna-drg-bhdva (of separatist vision) and prthak-bhdva (a sepa
ratist) to describe the performers of devotion mixed with any one
of the three gunas. In Bhakti Sandarbha, after the description of
dropa-siddha bhakti (attributive devotion) and sahga-siddha bhakti
(associative devotion), there follows the explanation of uttama
bhakti (i.e., svarupa-siddha bhakti). But the delineation of uttama
bhakti proper is preceded by a discussion of bhakti in the gunas,
which is marked by these three types of separatist or dualistic
visions. The key point is that the performer is still rooted in dual
ism, considering him or herself separate from Bhagavan. Sddhana
is thus performed with this dualistic mentality, as a means only to
455
 References
varieties of distinct energies as their supreme source and refuge.
These energies have no existence apart from Bhagavan and thus in
this sense are nondifferent from Him. Yet, while these energies
exist as distinct aspects of His inherent nature, He is more than the
sum total of them. He thus includes and yet transcends them. He is
therefore an integrated whole having individual parts that are dis
tinct from, and yet one with. Him. There is nothing which exists
independent of Bhagavan.
The JivA (The Individual Living Being) This refers to
the conscious self (dtmd) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego
(ahankdra), the mind (manas), the senses, and the physical body.
In this sense, the jiva is known as the embodied self or the empiri
cal self. Yet, the jiva s individual selfhood (i.e., its supra-empirical
selfhood rooted in the very identity of the dtmd) is not a product of
mere illusion that vanishes on the awakening of its identity with
Brahman. Though the jiva is one in identity with Brahman, this
does not signify absolute non-distinction as advocated by Sahkara.
The jiva is in fact a conscious part of Paramatma. By this it is not
meant that the jiva is a broken-off part but an integrated part of the
Complete Whole.
The jiva eternally partakes of identity with Paramatma and can
never be ontologically separated from Paramatma, even in the so-
called state of bondage. The jiva, as conscious or integrated part
(cid-aThsa), is never truly bound. The jiva, however, is sometimes
referred to as vihhinndrfisa, a separated part. This separation is
purely psychological, owing to beginningless ignorance. Even in
this state of psychological or self-imposed bondage, the jiva is no
other than an integrated part of the integrated whole. This is due
to the fact that the jiva is an eternal distinct potency of Param
atma known as tatastha-sakti, the intermediary potency. It is so-
called because it belongs neither to the intrinsic spiritual potency
(svarupa-sakti) nor to the extrinsic material potency (mdyd-sakti),
but can be influenced by both. So the jiva is eternally distinct from
and yet one with Paramatma, by virtue of the transrational potency
(acintya-sakti) of the one Nondual Absolute.
454
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
accommodate inherent potency (svarupa-sakti) within the Nondual
Whole.
An alternate meaning of radical is "that which is a departure
f r o m t r a d i t i o n . " S a h k a r a s Ve d a n t a o r N o n d u a l i s m i s r a d i c a l i n
this sense too because it is a departure from the traditional or
mainstream Vedantic view that acknowledges the ontological real
ity of prakrti, Isvara, and the living being. Sahkara may have
thought it necessary to reinterpret this view in order to legitimize
and stress the nondual nature of the Absolute, but in doing so, he
introduced a strategic error that ultimately undermined his own
system, that of Brahmans becoming overwhelmed by mdyd. It is
for this reason that his doctrine is sometimes rightly referred to as
Mayavada, because mdyd, which is said by him to be devoid of onto
logical reality, is yet able to overcome Brahman, the one and only
real. Because of this mutation of mainstream Vedantic thought, his
system may appropriately be referred to as "Radical Nondualism."
Again, Sahkaras attempt to establish nonduality by denial of
the object proves to be inadequate and unsatisfactory. His contri
bution is significant in what it attempts to accomplish, but it begs
a more comprehensive and far-reaching understanding of nondu
ality. In a way, Sahkaras view can be seen as a reaction to, and
the counterpart of, the Buddhist doctrine of andtta (or andtma),
which by contrast establishes nonduality by denial of the subject.
Both of these views, though establishing nondualism from opposite
starting points, stop short of a truly authentic transrational meta
physics, resorting to conventional logic to establish a limited and
hence morphed nonduality. Still, both are useful in urging conven
tional devotion out of its tendency to get stuck in dualism. It is
finally the acintya-bheda-abheda metaphysics of the Bhdgavata and
Jiva Gosvami that completes and surpasses the limited nondualistic
views of Sahkara and the Buddha.
Nonduality of the Bhagavata (Theistic Nondualism)
By comparison, the nonduality of the Bhdgavata may be referred to
as theistic nondualism, which finds its most complete expression
in the visionary view known as acintya-bheda-abheda, the transra
tional inherence of distinction within the integral Nondual Whole.
459
 References
In this view, like that of Sahkara, there is only one vdstava vastu, or
ontological existent that is nondual in nature, yet unlike Sahkara, it
is admitted that unlimited potency of different categories inheres
in this one existent. Though the inherence of distinction appar
ently contradicts its nonduality from the point of view of conven
tional reason or logic, from the transrational perspective (acintya),
it is perfectly in keeping with the higher internal laws (or consti
tuting nature) that govern the transphenomenal reality. To take
it a step further, nondualism that can accommodate oneness only
and not distinction remains impoverished and hence can hardly be
admitted as the Complete Whole.
Therefore, theistic nondualism extends far beyond Sahkaras
view. Yet, if Bhagavan is wrongly interpreted merely as the creator
or regulator God, then this would seem to advocate dualism. This
is a gross error that has allowed nondual devotion to be reduced
to dualistic worship. Theism in general is almost automatically
equated with dualism and is thus conceived to be inferior by the
schools of nondualism that advocate either Brahman or nirvana
as ultimate. The highest state of the transpersonal is concluded
through conventional logic to be non-personal. But this is exactly
the point at which conventional logic breaks down. The logic that
exhausts itself at the doorway of Brahman or nirvana becomes the
barrier to the hidden interior of nondual awareness, an expanded
nonduality that accommodates distinction in oneness.
This is why it is imperative to begin the discussion of reality at
the point of advaya-jnana and to correspondingly understand Bha
gavan as the Nondual Personal Absolute. In this way, we eliminate
the possibility of the misplaced reduction and force the investiga
tion of reality to proceed beyond its general limit, that of unqual
ified, indistinct, monolithic Brahman. That is the real purpose of
the Bhdgavata and JIva Gosvami's presentation of the Bhdgavata
Sandarbha — to lead the discussion into the interiority of nondual
a w a r e n e s s .
SVARUPA-SAKTI (THE INTERIORITY OF NONDUAL AWARE-
NESs) This refers to the inherent potency with which the Nondual
Absolute is eternally self-endowed. When the Nondual Absolute is
460
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
lild. Thus, He does not manifest the full extension of transcendental
variegatedness as in the case of Bhagavan. So Paramatma is Bhaga
van with the limited role of sheltering the modifications of prakrti
and the jivas who are involved with her.
Bhagavan (The Nondual Personal Absolute) Etymo-
logically, the word bhagavdn is composed of bhaga + vat, endowed
with or encompassing all opulence (bhaga). That which encom
passes everything is the Complete Whole, implying that it includes
and yet transcends everything. Bhagavan may also be rendered as
the Complete Person (Purna Purusa) when emphasizing that the
Complete Whole is inherently personal in nature. The former term
may be more appropriate, or universally applicable, when stress
ing simply Bhagavan's general characteristic of all-inclusivity. In
the most generic sense Bhagavan may be referred to simply as the
Supreme Person or the Supreme Being.
When speaking of the Absolute as nondual awareness (advaya-
jnana) and Bhagavan as the complete distinct vision of nondual
awareness, it may be appropriate to refer to Bhagavan as the Non-
dual Personal Absolute in keeping with the context. In contrast
with Brahman, Bhagavan is the distinct vision of the Nondual
Absolute, inherently self-endowed with intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti), and hence eternally replete with transcendental name, form,
qualities, action, and personhood. As discussed above, though all of
these distinct characteristics inhere in Him, He is yet one and non-
dual in nature, which is made possible through His unprecedented
transrational power (acintya-sakti). So the metaphysical system
that depicts this state of being is known as acintya-bheda-abheda.
In contrast with Paramatma, who is but a portion of the Complete
Whole, Bhagavan's variegatedness is entirely beyond the realm of
creation, being exclusively the play of divinity, known as divya-llld.
Hence, Bhagavan may be understood as the Nondual Absolute in
His feature of supreme transcendence.
The Nondual Personal Absolute, Bhagavan, is not just the Com
plete Whole, but an integrated whole. He is not whole because
of being devoid of distinct parts that might otherwise contradict
His undifferentiated unity. Rather, He is inherently inclusive of
453
 References
possibility of transphenomenal distinction (acintya bheda) because
that is necessarily beyond the predetermined range of its own inves
tigative validity. It cannot make any claims whatsoever in regard to
possibilities lying beyond this limit. So, in effect, all that can be def
initely concluded by this method is that for the Absolute to be non-
dual, it cannot have material names, material forms, and so on. If
there are such things as transphenomenal names, forms, qualities,
action, and personhood that are inherently nondual, or that exist as
inherent potencies of the Nondual Absolute, an altogether different
method and logic, transrational in nature, is required to apprehend
them. Hence, to be precise. Brahman is not so much the Absolute
devoid of all distinction as the indistinct vision of the Absolute. In
other words, it is the indistinct view of Reality as disclosed by the
path of jnana. It is not the distinct view of Reality inclusive of a
transphenomenal interiority, as disclosed by the path of nondual
devotion (see uttama bhakti and svarupa-sakti below).
Paramatma (The Supreme Indwelling Self or, simply,
THE Supreme Self) This refers to the immanent feature of the
Absolute, pervading the cosmos and the individual living beings as
the Supreme witness, internal guide, and regulator. Paramatma is
the Supreme Self of all individual selves (dtmd), and so He may also
be referred to as the Supreme Immanent or the Supreme Immanent
Self. Though Paramatma remains uninvolved with prakrti and the
living beings as impartial witness. He is, nonetheless, their origina
tor and the facilitator of their operations. As such He is Isvara, the
Supreme Controller, Master, Source, and Foundation. Yet, Param
atma should not be equated with "the Creator God" because primor
dial nature and the living beings are His eternal potencies. Hence,
Paramatma is the Nondual Absolute in His feature of immanence.
In contrast with Brahman, Paramatma is replete with transphe
nomenal distinction, including name, form, qualities, action, and
personhood, all of which are inherent in Him. While yet nondif-
ferent from Bhagavan, He is but a portion of a portion of the orig
inal Complete Person (Svayarii Bhagavan). So while He Himself in
His own self-effulgent nature is fully transcendent. His sphere of
influence is tied to the perpetual play of creation, known as srsti-
452
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
conceived as unqualified and devoid of potency. It is known as
Brahman. When the same Nondual Absolute is conceived as inher
ently self-endowed with all potency. It is known as Bhagavan. The
ontological entity is one and the same, yet, a higher order, or, in
other words, transrational, logic is required to understand how dis
tinction (bheda) can be possible without violating the basic nature
of nonduality (abheda). This is worked out in detail in the Bhdgavata
and the Sat Sandarbha. In short, the inherent nature of the Nondual
Absolute cannot be other than nondual. And it is the inherent
nature or intrinsic potency of the Nondual Absolute that discloses
its interiority, that discloses its variegated display of transcendent
being, awareness, and bliss. So it is the intrinsic potency (svarupa-
sakti), particularly in the form of nondual devotion (uttama bhakti),
that discloses the interiority of nondual awareness.
Ekapada & Tripada Vibhuti (Onefold and Threefold
Dimensionality of Being) These terms are commonly ren
dered as "the one-quarter manifestation of Reality" (i.e., the mate
rial realm) and "the three-quarter manifestation of Reality" (i.e.,
the spiritual realm). Strictly speaking, however, this has nothing
to do with any sort of mathematical ratio between the material and
spiritual domains. If the spiritual realm is infinite, should it not
be infinitely more vast than the material world? (in fact, even the
material realm is infinite, and conventional mathematics fails at
the level of infinity, infinity being transrational.) Moreover, if the
3:1 ratio is merely symbolic to indicate the magnitude of Spirit in
relation to matter, why then express it by such a paltry ratio as 3:1
instead of, say, a million to one? After all, we are speaking about
infinity and 3:1 just doesn t seem to cut it.
As Jiva Gosvami demonstrates in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anu-
ccheda 67), 3:1 refers to something quite specific. Tripad vibhuti,
which is another name for the spiritual realm, refers to three
qualities or dimensions of transcendental being, namely immortal
ity (amrtatva), fearlessness (abhaya), and auspiciousness (ksema).
These are three qualities woven into the fabric of transcendence.
Ekapada vibhuti, on the other hand, which is a name for the
material world, refers to mortality alone. Thus, in the material
461
 References
world, "being" culminates moment to moment in death alone. Fear
and inauspiciousness, which are the material counterparts of the
other two spiritual characteristics, are subsumed within the simple
inescapable fact of mortality. So it is clear from this analysis that
we are speaking about dimensions or aspects of being and not about
mathematical ratios.
Further, a parallel can be drawn between the three qualitative
dimensions of transcendental being and the well-known descrip
tion of Spirit as sat-cit-dnanda. Immortality can be equated with sat,
because it signifies eternal existence. Fearlessness can be equated
with cit, because it is a state of awareness, and auspiciousness can
be equated with ananda, because it is a state of beatitude and, hence,
bliss. Jiva Gosvami goes on to explain that ksema, or auspiciousness,
specifically refers to all-auspicious devotion, which culminates in
prema (i.e., ananda).
462
The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts
with unlimited potency, then unlimited words, which are them
selves potencies emanating from that source, can appropriately
describe that Reality. This is exactly the point that Jiva Gosvami
makes in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anuccheda 98). The Vedas are trans-
human words emanating from the divine source that accurately
depict its true inherent nature, because the Vedas are infused with
the self-revelatory power of the intrinsic potency. Jiva goes a step
further by saying that even human speech that is similarly infused
with the intrinsic potency and thus in correspondence with the
divine source can also describe the Absolute. This is the final pur
pose for which the intellect, mind, and senses were created in the
first place. In the words of the Bhdgavata (10.87.2), these material
instruments were created "ultimately to transcend the act of filter
ing experience through the screen of prior assumptions {akalpa-
ndya), or in other words, for liberation." So in answer to the ques
tion, "how can thought and language describe the Absolute?" it can
simply be said, "because they were created specifically to do so."
Hence, the word sabdyate, "describable in words," is used in
reference to the Nondual Absolute, mentioned in the Bhdgavata s
seminal verse (1.2.11). It is for this reason that the knowers of truth
(tattva-vit) refer to it as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. It
is in this light too that Sri Jiva defines acintya as sdstraika-gamya-
tvam — that which is knowable only through the revealed word of
God or of realized devotees. He did not conclude it to be ineffable.
Brahman (The Unqualified Absolute) This refers to the
Nondual Absolute (advaya-Jndna), devoid of all distinctions, such
as names, forms, qualities, and action, and hence devoid of inher
ent potency (svarupa-sakti). Such distinctions (bheda) are perceived
through conventional logic to be limiting adjuncts (upddhis) that
would confine the Absolute, leading to the inevitable dualism of
subject and object (i.e., the name is different from the named and
potency different from "the potent"). Thus Brahman is sometimes
conceived as that which remains upon negation of the sum total of
the phenomenal.
Such conventional logic, of course, presupposes all distinction
as "phenomenal distinction." It cannot at all account even for the
451
 References

as translations for Bhagavan, and "Radical Nondualism" for the

A b s o l u t e I d e a l i s m o f S a h k a r a s A d v a i t a Ve d a n t a .

In going through this vital introduction to the language of the

Sandarbhas, we hope you will discover that this is not merely a glos
sary of terms, but an interconnected framework of revelatory con
cepts. With this in mind, the selection begins with acintya, the Tattva Sandarbha at a Glance
transrational, because it contains a discussion of sabdyate, how the
Absolute is describable in words.

Acintya (Transrational) This term refers to that which is

beyond conventional logic or reason, yet not altogether inexpress
ible through language and thought. The Nondual Absolute is not
altogether inconceivable because it can be conceived, but only
through transrational logic. Sridhara Svami as well as Jiva Gosvami
define it is tarka-asaham — beyond the range of conventional or
linear logic. Just as there exist higher order laws operating within
the quantum domain that don't conform to mechanistic science, so
also there are higher order dynamics existing within the transper-
sonal domain that surpass conventional logic. It is these tran
srational dynamics that make possible transcendent variety and
distinction within the nondual whole while still preserving per
I Mahgalacarana
Invocations (Anucchedas 1-7)
The Seed-Conception of the Sat Sandarbhas (Anuccheda 8)
II Pramana
Epistemological Validity of the Vedas, Itihasas, and Puranas
Culminating in Srimad Bhagavatam {Anucchedas 9-18)
The Characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam That Establish
Its Epistemological Validity (Anucchedas 19-26)

fectly intact its nondual nature. So although acintya literally means
"beyond thought," or "inconceivable," it actually points to the realm
of transconventional being, which is nonetheless describable in
words.
The transpersonal reality is, of course, beyond mind and thought
and is incapable of being grasped merely by mental striving; yet
being of the nature of self-luminosity, or self-revelation, it can
nonetheless disclose itself even through thought and language. So
acintya, rendered as inconceivable, does not imply incapability of
being expressed in words. Bearing this in mind, acintya should
not be equated with Sahkara's notion of anirvacanlya, or inexpress-
ibility through words. If Brahman is no more than unqualified
being, devoid of characteristics or potencies, then nothing more
can be said about It, because any description would ultimately be
an imposition of a thought construct upon inscrutable reality.
Methodology of the Sat Sandarbhas (Anucchedas 27-28)
III Prameya
1 Determination of Sambandha, Abhidheya, and Prayojana
The Transformation of Consciousness of Sri Sukadeva (Anuccheda 29)
The Supracognitive Samadhi of Vyasa (Anucchedas 30-49)
2 Elaboration of Sambandha
Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the Individual
(Anucchedas 50-55)
Intuition of the Subject through Reference to the Universal — The Ten
Topics of Srimad Bhagavatam (Anucchedas 56-63)
The Ten Topics as per the Second Canto (Anucchedas 56-60)

If, however, as the Bhdgavata maintains, the Absolute is replete The Ten Topics as per the Twelfth Canto (Anucchedas 61-63)

450 463
 References

The numbering of anucchedas follows the edition of Sri Haridasa

Sastri. The numbering of verses from Srimad Bhdgavatam and
Bhagavad Gitd follows the edition of Gita Press. The numbering
of verses from Mahdbhdrata and Padma Purdna follows the edition
of Nag Publishers. There are numerous verses cited by Jiva Gosvami
throughout the Sandarbhas that are not to be found in the printed
versions of the particular books referenced by him. In all such cases, Glossary
no number is provided after the verse cited.
Within the Sanskrit text, sandhi is sometimes broken into
compound words, e.g., sat-cit-dnanda instead of sacciddnanda, or In this glossary, word meanings are separated by commas when the words in a
acintya-bheda-abheda instead of acintya-bheddbheda. series are nearly synonymous or when they serve to amplify the meaning of the
other words with which they are correlated. They are separated by semicolons when
they represent a sufficiently distinct variation in meaning from the previous word
or group of words. Periods are used to mark off definitions that are expressed as
complete sentences.

Abhidheya The means by v^hich the ultimate goal is actualized; a method

that enables the radical shift in awareness from absorption in mat
ter to immersion in the one Absolute Reality. According to Sri Jiva
Gosvami, bhakti is the means prescribed in Srimad Bhdgavatam.
Acarya a spiritual preceptor also called a guru; one who teaches scrip
tural conclusions, embodies them in life, and also guides his students
to follow by his example.
Adhikari a person who has the requisite eligibility for studying a book
or undertaking a particular spiritual practice.
Adhyaropa Another word for adhydsa.
Adhyasa Superimposing one object or its qualities onto another. This
implies wrong knowledge, such as mistaking a rope for a snake in
semi-darkness.

Advaita Nonduality; the metaphysical view based on the Upanisads that

Absolute Reality is nondual in nature.
Advaya-jnana Nondual consciousness; the supreme nondual conscious
source as defined in the Bhdgavata (1.2.11).
Agama Tantra-sdstra. According to the Vdrdhl Tantra, the Agamas deal
primarily with seven topics: creation, dissolution, worship of deva-
tds, sadhana practices, preparatory rites (purakarana), six practices

448 465
 References

for subduing adversaries, and four divisions of meditation (dhydna-

yoga). The Agamas may be divided into two: Vedic and non-Vedic.
The Vedic Agamas are further divided into three: Saiva, Sakta, and
Vaisnava. The Vaisnava Agamas deal primarily with the rules and
procedures for worship of deities and uttering of mantras. The Brhad-
gautamiya, Krama-dipika, and Narada Pancardtra are among the chief
Vaisnava Agamas. Editors' Notes
Anadi Beginningless; that which is without beginning but which can
come to an end, such as the bondage and ignorance of the living
beings.
Ananda Spiritual bliss or ecstasy; the potency of Bhagavan that relates to
His aspect of bliss. This corresponds to the hlddinl potency.
Anirvacaniya Lit., "ineffable.'' This is a term used specifically in Advaita-
vada in reference to Brahman, the Absolute Reality, when perceived
as devoid of qualities, form, or actions. According to them, language, Each anuccheda of Tattva Sandarbha with commentary is
being a thought construct, cannot touch that Reality, and hence It is presented as a chapter. If an anuccheda has more than one main
ineffable. This term is also used in reference to mdyd, which is con verse, each verse has usually been placed in a separate section
ceived by them to be indefinable either in terms of being existent within the chapter.
(sat) or non-existent (asat). It cannot be said to be sat; otherwise,
Normally, the Sandarbhas have been composed according to a
the existence of two ontological realities. Brahman and mdyd, would
formula where ideas are coalesced around principal verses of the
compromise nonduality. Yet, it cannot be defined as asat; otherwise,
the world could never become an object of our perception. Hence, it Bhdgavatam, each one illustrating a particular theological point.
Each anuccheda is defined and numbered by the Bhdgavata verse
is indescribable.
itself. The numbering system being used for the Tattva Sandarbha,
Antaranga-sakti The intrinsic potency of God (see svarupa-sakti).
Anuccheda Sri JIva GosvamI divides each Sandarbha into sections called however, follows a different pattern, primarily because of the com
anucchedas. These anucchedas are organized around one prominent mentary of Baladeva, which cuts the long passage into smaller,
verse from Srlmad Bhdgavatam and conclude with the name of the more manageable portions.
speaker and hearer of that principal verse. In this translation, we The pramdna section, in fact, constitutes an introduction since
sometimes refer to the anucchedas using the Sanskrit word, and its purpose is to set the stage for this method of organizing the
sometimes as "text" or "section."
Sandarbhas. This is stated clearly in Anuccheda 28, and the Sanda
A n v a y a P o s i t i v e c o n c o m i t a n c e ; a n a f fi r m a t i o n u s e d t o s u b s t a n t i a t e t h e
rbha proper really only begins with Anuccheda 29, with sb 12.12.68
validity of an assertion; used in connection with vyatireka, or neg
ative concomitance, which further corroborates the original asser forming the principal verse.
tion by demonstrating the defect that results from non-application The much longer section, Anucchedas 30-49, contains as its core
of that assertion. the eight verses surrounding Srila Vedavyasas vision. It is indeed
Apasiddhanta Metaphysical propositions that are not validated by a an appropriate beginning to the entire Six Sandarbha series. In Puri
school of philosophy. Dasa's critical edition, therefore, these are numbered as Anucche
Apauruseya That which is not a product of the human mind; transhuman; das 1 and 2. This edition follows the tradition that accords with
the self-revealed Vedic scriptures. Baladeva.

466 447
 Glossary

Aranyaka One of the four divisions of the Vedas that is primarily con
cerned with the performance of sacrifices (yajna). This class of
literature also inculcates the theology that underlies yajna.
Asrama Four stages of life within the varnasrama system, with a gradu
ated course of duties meant to lead an individual towards realiza
tion of Ultimate Truth. The four stages are brahmacarya (study of the
Vedas while practicing celibacy), garhasthya (sacrifice, worship, and
charity within the context of family life), vdnaprasthya (retirement
from social duties and gradual intensification of spiritual practice),
and sannydsa (detachment from all worldly objects and absorption in
knowledge of the self and God).
Asraya The ultimate shelter; the tenth of ten topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam.
From the other nine topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, it can be under
stood that the tenth topic refers to that which is the shelter of all
creation, of all that relates to sustenance, of all forms of dissolution,
and even of liberation itself, residing on the far shore of the Ocean
of Causality. That which is the shelter of all manifestation and even
of liberation is the ultimate shelter, the one nondual awareness, the
Complete Whole, experienced in the intimacy of love as Sri Krsna.
Asura Adversary of the gods (suras); one who opposes the authority of
God and the theistic order of the cosmos; the anti-divine.
Atma In accordance with the context, this can refer to the body, mind,
intelligence, fortitude, or endeavor. It most oflen denotes the pure
self, who is an individual unit of consciousness, the living being.
In other contexts it can signify the supreme consciousness, or the
Supreme Immanent Self, Paramatma.
Atma-tattva The essence of all dtmds; the Supreme Self; knowledge or
truth of Absolute Reality.
Atmarama One who rejoices in the pure Self alone; one who is altogether
free from identification with, or attraction to, all that constitutes the
non-self, consisting of the physical, the vital-emotional, the mental,
and the intellectual instruments of the psycho-physical complex.
Avadhuta An ascetic beyond the bounds of conventional, moral, or
cultural sensibilities.
Avastu That which has no-existence; an illusory object.
Avatara Descent; an appearance or manifestation of God upon the earth
in any of His forms, to establish dharma and to enact the divine play
of transcendence. Technically speaking, it is misleading to translate
avatdra as incarnation when speaking of the descent of the eternal

467
 References

forms of God, who do not "in-carnate" in the etymological sense of I

becoming invested with a human or phenomenal form. Rather, their
"descent" or manifestation amounts to a self-revelation of their own
eternal intrinsic forms. ^
Avidya Ignorance; an aspect of mdya that covers a person's true self-
a w a r e n e s s .

Bhagavan The supreme personal manifestation of God; that Supreme

Entity who is complete to an unlimited degree in six opulences:
beauty, wealth, strength, fame, knowledge, and renunciation; the
Complete Whole, encompassing even Brahman and Paramatma;
nondual awareness inherently self-endowed with transphenome-
nal form, personhood, and limitless transcendental attributes that
invite participation in the infinite play of divine love.
Bhajana In its primary sense, the devotional turning of consciousness
(sdmmukhya) toward Bhagavan in love and service. This includes
actions such as hearing narrations of Bhagavan, chanting His name, j
remembering Him, serving His deity form, and so on.
Bhakti Devotion to God; a unique potency of God, stemming from His ,
own intrinsic nature and endowed with consciousness and bliss.
When this same eternal potency infuses the individual awareness ^
I

of the living being, it takes the shape of love and flows back to its
original source, Bhagavan, causing the waves of His own ecstasy to i
swell. The word bhakti comes from the root -s/bhaj, which means to
serve. Hence, the primary meaning of bhakti is to render service
with full participation of one's being, without cause or motive, with
out adulteration of any partial pursuit, for the exclusive pleasure of
and communion with the Complete Whole, Bhagavan. i
Bhasya a commentary, especially a commentary that systematically and |
contextually explains the meanings of the aphorisms (sutras) or
verses (slokas) of a traditional philosophical text.
Bhava Being, existence, presence; contemplation, awareness, medita- |
tion; feeling, emotion, love; a stage of bhakti; the first sprout of I
prema, or pure love of God (see bhdva-bhakti).
Bhava-bhakti The initial stage of perfection in devotion. A stage of
bhakti in which suddha-sattva, or the essence of Bhagavan's intrinsic
potency, consisting of consciousness and bliss, is transmitted into
the heart of the practicing devotee from the heart of one of Bhaga- i
van's eternal associates and which softens the heart by different

468
 Glossary

kinds of taste. Bhdva-bhakti is the first sprout of prema, or pure love

of God. Bhava-bhakti is the seventh of the eight stages of develop
ment of the bhakti-latd, the creeper of devotion. Bhdva-bhakti is also
said to be the fruit of sddhana-bhakti, not as a causal effect, but rather
as the blossoming of the very same potency into an existential state
of being and awareness within the receptacle of the heart.
Bhuta-suddhi Purification of the elements of the body as a preparation
for worship. According to the principle, "To worship God, one must
be of the nature of God" (devam bhutvd devam yajet), it is understood
that to worship the divine in truth, one must be immersed in the
same divinity. Even the physical body should be constituted of the
same divine nature. This purification of the body is approached in
different ways in the various spiritual disciplines. Because bhakti
is essentially awareness in love, purification of the body, known
as bhuta-suddhi, is approached on this path through a conscious
process.

Brahma The primal cosmic being or creator god; the four-headed god
who carries out the work of secondary creation (visarga) in the uni
verse under the inspiration and direction of the Supreme Immanent
Self, Paramatma. He is born from the lotus navel of Garbhodakasayl
Visnu and is one of the three gundvatdras. The secondary creation
involves the revelation of the subtle creative ideation in accordance
with which individual concrete forms come into being. This specif
ically refers to the sending forth of moving and nonmoving living
beings.
Brahma-JNANA Nondual awareness; knowledge or immediate intuition
of unqualified Brahman; knowledge aiming at monistic liberation;
also known as kaivalya-jfidna, or knowledge of exclusive identity
with Brahman.

Brahma-sayujya One of the five types of mukti, or liberation. This is the

goal of those who adopt the path of jndna-yoga and entails absolute
identification with Brahman and abandonment of one's own distinct

identity.
Brahma-SUTRA A compilation of concise statements called sutras, or
aphorisms, written by Vyasa, providing the essential meaning of the
Upanisads. Also known as Veddnta-sutra.
Brahma-vidya Knowledge pertaining to Brahman, which is the indeter
minate aspect of Absolute Reality.
Brahmacari The first dsrama, or stage of life, in the varndsrama system.

469
 63 Descriptions of the First Nine Topics Intuitively
Signify the Tenth, the Asraya — Part 2

characterized by celibacy, study of the Vedas from a teacher, and In the next three Sandarhhas, Srila Jiva GosvamI will further
practice of austerities. elaborate on sambandhi-tattva.
Brahmajyoti The peripheral effulgence (tanu-bha) emanating from the
transphenomenal body of Bhagavan.
HARI OM TAT sat
Brahman The Nondual Absolute, divested of all form, quality, and action;
the indeterminate aspect of the Supreme Truth; the effulgence ema
nating from Bhagavan, the Complete Whole, who is the core of non- asddhasya site pakse dvitlydydm rathotsave
dual awareness, just as heat and light radiate from the sun. Brahman
grahe vede randhre netre tlkeyam purnatdm gatd
is thus said to be a generic feature of God, devoid of distinguishing
mukhdbjdc chrl-guror chrutvd sri-hariddsa-chdstrinah
characteristics.
yathd-matih krtd tlkd satdm esd prasldatdm
Brahmana One of the four varnas, or social divisions, in the vamdsrama
system; a priest or teacher. Their specific duties are study and teach
ing of scriptures, charity, performance of sacrifice for themselves T h u s e n d s t h e S r ! J i v A To s a n I c o m m e n t a r y o n S r I Ta t t v a
and others, and acceptance of gifts. When used in reference to the S a n d a r b h a , t h e fi r s t b o o k o f S r I S a t S a n d a r b h a , b y S r i l a
body of sacred literature, the Brahmanas refer to one of the four Jiva GosvamI Prabhupada.
divisions of the Vedas that provide details about the proper execu
tion of yajna. Every sdkhd (a branch or school of the Vedas) has its
own Brahmana literature. At present a total of 19 Brahmanas are
available.
Buddhi Intellect, perception, comprehension, understanding, discrimi
nation, judgment, discernment; the highest faculty of the psyche,
which consists of intellect, ego (i.e., the "I-principle"), and mind; the
second of the twenty-five elements of Sankhya in its microcosmic or
individuated aspect. Its macrocosmic counterpart is mahat, cosmic
intellect, or the collective wisdom principle.

CiTTA Mind, heart, thought, intention; in Patanjali's astdnga-yoga sys

tem, citta specifically refers to mind, which has three components:
intellect (buddhi), ego (ahankdra), and mind (manas); the individual
consciousness in contrast to mahat, or universal consciousness.
CiTTA-VRTTi Mental modifications. According to Advaita Vedanta, when
the luminous mind is projected outward through the sense organs,
it reaches the objects and is modified into their forms. This men
tal modification is called citta-vrtti. According to the classical Yoga
tradition of Patanjali, the mental modifications are of five types:
pramdna (true cognition), viparyaya (erroneous knowledge), vikalpa
(imagination), nidrd (sleep), and smrti (memory).
Deva a celestial being; devas are gods residing in the heavenly planets
who are endowed with great piety, tremendous life spans, and

470 443
 Glossary

superior mental and physical prowess. They are entrusted with

specific powers for the purpose of universal administration.
Devata God (see deva).
Devi Lit., "goddess," which could stand for any among the host of god
desses but a word popularly used to indicate Goddess Durga (see
below).
Dhama a holy place of pilgrimage; the abode of God, where He appears
and enacts His transcendental pastimes.
Dharma Religion; prescribed duty; nature; justice, virtue, morality, law.
In its conventional sense, dharma refers to the socio-religious duties
prescribed in scripture for different classes of people in the varna-
srama system. In its transcendent aspect, dharma refers to bhdgavat-
dharma, or the transcendent potency of devotion stemming from
Bhagavan and meant exclusively for His pleasure, because this is the
spiritual function that actualizes the pure self s highest potential.
Durga A primary form of the feminine Goddess. She is the presiding deity
of primordial nature, prakrti. She is regarded as the consort of Lord
Siva and is also popularly known as Devi.

Gaudiya Vaisnavism The school of Vaisnavism founded by Sri Krsna

Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Gaudiya Vaisnava An adherent of the Bengal school of Vaisnavism
founded by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the 16^ century ce.
Gayatri a Vedic mantra chanted by the twice-born, or dvijas, at the time
of sunrise and sunset. It is considered to be the mother of the Vedas.

Gosvami Originally, a renounced Vaisnava holy man; a person belonging

to certain Brahmana Vaisnava families associated with a temple; a
person born in the dynasty of an deary a. Lit., "one who has mastered
his senses." This is a title used for a person who has been formally
initiated into the renounced order of life (sannydsa). At present it is
also a title for a specific priestly class.
Guna The three constituent aspects of prakrti, or primordial nature,
embodying both psychic and physical force: sattva (luminosity),
rajas (dynamism), and tamas (inertia). The word guna in Sankhya is
distinguished from its conventional meaning of "a quality," because
the Sankhya doctrine admits no distinction between substance
and attribute. Rather, quality and substance together form a sin
gle whole, and it is the concrete unity of both that any material

471
 References

thing represents. The term guna thus means a component factor or

constituent of prakjU.

Hladini The delight-giving potency, which is an aspect of God's svarupa-

sakti, the potency that constitutes His very nature. It is this hladini
potency that gives bliss to Bhagavan and His devotees, just as the
light emanating from a luminous object illuminates both the lumi
nous object itself and all other items in its sphere of radiance. This
hladini potency, manifesting as bhakti within the heart of a devotee,
flows back to Bhagavan in the form of love, thus expanding His own
delight. Bhakti is the supreme aspect of this intrinsic potency.

isvARA Lit., "the controller," "regulator," or "master." This term is synony

mous with the word Paramatma, the Supreme Immanent Self within
all living beings, since it is He who regulates primordial nature and
the living beings from within. Sometimes Isvara also refers to Siva.
Itihasa Lit., "so indeed it was." Primarily, this refers to the Mahdbhdrata
and the Rdmdyana, the two great epics of India. When not used as a
proper noun, it simply refers to a historical event.

JivA The conscious self (dtmd) as qualified by the intellect (buddhi), ego
(ahahkdra), the mind (manas), the senses, and the physical body;
the embodied self or the empirical self; an individuated part of the
tatastha-sakti, or intermediary potency, of God; an individual living
being.
JivAN-MUKTi Living liberation; the state of being liberated from the
influence of the material gunas while still embodied.
Jnana Knowledge, awareness, omniscience; the path of knowledge
directed towards awareness of oneness with Brahman, and having
as its ultimate aim liberation from material existence; awareness of
inscrutable being that pervades all form and yet is without form, that
is the source of all manifestation and yet lies beyond the manifested
cosmos; absorption in that one nondual state of being.
Jnana-marga The path of jndna, as described above.
Jnani One who pursues or has perfected the path of jndna, directed toward
awareness of oneness with Brahman.

Kaimutya a principle of logic that draws on comparison to establish a

conclusion; the principle of "how much more true," also called a

472
 Glossary

fortiori logic. By showing the validity of a proposition of lesser signif

icance, the proposition of greater significance is thereby concluded.
This principle is used throughout the text and may be exemplified
as follows: "If even unintentional chanting of the name of God leads
to emancipation, how much greater must be the effect of conscious
chanting."
Kaivalya The state of "aloneness;" the unconditional existence of the
Self; liberation from material bondage; knowledge of the identity
between unqualified Brahman and the pure living being; the state of
unconditional devotion.

Kaliyuga The fourth in a cycle of four ages; the iron age of quarrel,
hypocrisy, and degradation, said to last for 432,000 years. It began
about 5,200 years ago, the day Sri Krsna departed from earth.
Kalpa a day of Brahma, or 1,000 cycles of the four yugas, being a period of
4,320 million earth years. At the end of Brahma's day, there is a par
tial devastation of the cosmos, and at the beginning of the next day,
a new creation is enacted resembling the previous day in some but
not all details. The Puranas describe events occurring in different
kalpas, though related events are sometimes merged into one descrip
tion and spoken of as if occurring on the same day. This accounts
for inconsistencies in certain details of descriptions that actually
occurred on different days of Brahma.
Kalpana Assumed or apparent reality; imagination; creation; a theoreti
cal construct; the act of conceptualization.
Kama Desire, longing; pleasure, enjoyment; love, affection; object of
desire, pleasure, or love; sensuality, sexual love; one of the four
purusdrthas, or goals of human attainment, among dharma, artha,
kdma, and moksa. In this latter sense, kdma refers to enjoyment that
is not opposed to dharma and that follows as its outcome.
Karma-kanda a division of the Vedas that relates to the performance of
ceremonial acts and sacrificial rites directed towards attainment of
heaven. Through purification of intent, this path can lead either to
jndna or bhakti.
Karma-yoga The performance of one's prescribed duties in varndsrama
in which one offers the fruit to the Supreme Lord only as a secondary
process to attain one's desired goal. This may be done either with
a desire for material reward (sakdma) or for purification aiming at
liberation or devotion (niskdma).
Kirtana One of nine primary limbs of bhakti; recitation of or singing the

473
 References

glories of God; singing the names, form, qualities, and pastimes of

Bhagavan.
Kosa Lit., "case," or "covering." This term refers to the five sheaths called
panca-kosa in Vedantic philosophy. In Gaudlya Vedanta, the five
kosas are understood as anna-maya (the gross body), prdna-maya (the
vital force), mano-maya (the total psychic apparatus taken as a unit),
vijndna-maya (the individual conscious self), and dnanda-maya (the
Supreme Blissful Self). In Advaita Vedanta, the last two are inter
preted differently as intellect and Brahman, respectively. According
to some Advaitavada thinkers, however, dnanda-maya-kosa refers
not to Brahman directly but to the causal body of bliss, which is the
finest level of covering of Brahman.
Ksatriya The second of the four varnas, or social divisions, in the varnd-
srama system; an administrator or warrior. Their specific duties are
protection of subjects, charity, performance of sacrifices, study of
scriptures, and absence of attachment for objects of enjoyment.

Li LA An act of the Divine performed exclusively for transcendental delight

and not under the influence of the law of karma; pastime; divine play.
This word is commonly used for the sacred acts of Bhagavan and His
associates.

Mahat The second element in the Sahkhya system (the first being prakrti
itself); the unindividuated or collective cosmic intellect; this is the
macrocosmic counterpart of buddhi, or individuated intellect; the
first evolute of prakrti, or primordial nature in the state of equilib
rium. Mahat or buddhi is the source of ahahkdra, or ego, the next
element of manifestation.

Mangalacarana The invocatory verse or verses at the beginning of a

book; lit., the act of invoking auspiciousness for the completion of the
undertaking and removal of any obstacles. This is usually expressed
in the form of a prayer to the deity worshipped by the author.
Mantra A sound formula, consisting of the Names of God, which
addresses any individual deity. Mantras are given to a disciple
by a guru at the time of formal initiation (diksd) for worship and
realization of God. Mantra is the sound form of the deity.
Mantra-guru The teacher who initiates the disciple by mantra recitation
into the worship of the Lord.

474
 References Glossary

one of four essential items of a book, 6 Manu The father of mankind; the ruler of a world cycle of humanity. A
to read Sat Sandarbha, 20,22 day of Brahma, called a kalpa, is divided into fourteen periods called
epistemology manvantaras. Manu is entrusted with the procreation of human
discussed in Anucchedas 9-18,439 beings and the managerial affairs of this period. Thus, there are four
importance of for practice, 42 teen Manus in a day of Brahma. The first of these was a son of Brahma.
indispensable to truth inquiry, 37 Now the seventh Manu, Vaivasvata, is ruling.
Vedantic, infallibility of, 295 Manvantara a world cycle ruled by a Manu; the religious princi-
Vedic, freedom from sensory defects the cornerstone of, 45 ^ pies established for the Manus, the progenitors and sovereigns of
Vedic, in Tattva Sandarbha, 42 humanity; one often primary subjects of Srimad Bhdgavatam.
evolution
Maya Bhagavan's extrinsic potency that influences the living entities to
of all forms, Paramatma the source of, 31
accept the egoism of being independent enjoyers of this material
of beings, Paramatma the source of, 32
world; the potency that constitutes the material world.
of consciousness, 393
Mimamsa Lit., "respectful investigation;" one of the six schools of Indian
of pradhana, 289
of ultimate truth, 169 philosophy. This system deals mainly with the nature of dharma, or
« the duties to be followed by human beings, based on the hermeneu-
forefathers (pitrs) tics of the Vedas. It is also called Purva-mimaihsa, or the prior inves

glorified in the mixed Puranas, 108 tigation, in contrast to Uttara-mimaihsa, the posterior investigation,
also popularly known as Vedanta. This distinction is based on the
fact that the Vedas have two divisions: that of karma-khanda, which
gaunl-vrtti
deals with the execution of yajnas, and jndna-khanda, which dis
potency of words, 298
Gautama closes the knowledge of Absolute Reality, Brahman. Because Uttara-
mlmaihsa is popularly called Vedanta, the term mimdrhsd, used for
accepted the Vedas as apauruseya, 64
^ Purva-mimaihsa, is also sometimes called Karma-mlmaihsa.
advises Ambarisa, 97
did not accept conclusions of Vedanta-sutra, 117 Mudra a symbolic gesture usually performed with the hands and fingers.
does not adhere to Vedanta, 77 These are employed in the worship of a deity and also in classical
founder of a wisdom school, 54 dance and drama. Besides conveying a specific message, mudrds also
philosophy of as partial, 344 invoke corresponding energies. Thus, they are also used in medita
recommends Srimad Bhdgavatam for EkadasI, 134 tion to elicit a suitable effect on the mental state of the practitioner.
Gautama Rsi Mukti Liberation; the fourth goal of human attainment among dharma,
the curse of, 102,103 artha, kdma, and moksa; the goal aspired for through the path of
Gayatri knowledge; one of nine primary topics of Srimad Bhdgavatam.
as a meditation on Radha-Krsna, 125 Muni A sage intent on the life of contemplation.
chanted by brdhmanas, 156
essence of the Vedas, 124 Nirguna Beyond the influence of primordial nature s three interconnected
meaning of the word bharga in, 148 constituent principles of psychic and physical force, namely, sattva
origin of all Vedic mantras, 122 (illumination), rajas (dynamism), and tamas (inertia); exclusively of
significance of the name of, 157 the nature of transcendence.
Srimad Bhdgavatam based on, 124,126,155,440 r

Srimad Bhdgavatam is a commentary on, 136,143,145 Om The sacred syllable embodying the Absolute (see pranava).

502 475
 References Subject Index

Paramahamsa a title awarded to an ascetic of the highest order. The Srimad Bhdgavatam establishes the principles of, 163
word paramahamsa may be divided into two words — parama (sup supreme, Srlmad Bhdgavatam reveals, 181
reme) and hamsa (swan). Ihe swan is poetically said to be able to sep takes shelter of Srlmad Bhdgavatam in Kaliyuga, 162,184
arate milk from water when these two fluids are mixed. Thus, a para the Vedas educate about, 310
mahamsa refers to a topmost, swan-like person who can distinguish ultimate, Srlmad Bhdgavatam delineates, 122,123
dissolution
spirit from matter, reality from illusion, and who can extract the
very essence of spiritual truth. This also refers to the fourth and final as a meaning of kalpa, 109
stage of sannyasa, which has been referred to as niskriya (freedom as reabsorption, 391
from all material obligations) in Srlmad Bhagavatam (3.12.43). as total unmanifestation, 422
Paramarthika Supreme, ultimate, absolute; transcendental to matter; Bhagavan as the source of, 150
a word used by Advaita-Vedantists to refer to the highest of three description of, 390,394
discussed in the final three cantos, 415
grades of existence, namely, the ontologically real or the Absolute
discussion of in the Tenth Canto, 412
Reality, Brahman. (Contrast with prdtibhdsika and vydvahdrika)
Paramatma The Supreme Immanent Self; the Supreme Indwelling Self, four types of, 430,435
karmic bondage remains during, 290
or the Supreme Witness of the total material energy (the metacosm),
made perceivable by the dsraya, 396
of the individual universes (the macrocosm), and of the individuated
one of five topics of a minor Purana, 109,410,413
living beings (the microcosm).
one of ten topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam, 380,382,409
Paroksavada Indirect reference or instruction; when something is
overseen by Siva, 392
described in such a way as to conceal the real meaning. Scripture
often makes use of this method to instruct those on varying levels of partial, 436
awareness. Only those on a higher stage of development can grasp perpetual cycle of, 256
the true intent, and it is rendered all the more relishable because of proceeds from Bhagavan, 385
the dsraya as the source of, 398
its mysterious nature. It is, therefore, said that the gods are fond of
the sun globe destroyed at the time of, 149
paroksavdda.
ultimate, liberation included under, 430,435
Pr AD HAN A Primordial nature, also known as prakrti. The term pradhdna Visnu the unconditional cause of, 146
(primary, original, predominant) suggests the primary nature of doubt
prakrti as the first cause of the aggregate of all effects in the world. three varieties of, 42
This refers to the state of equilibrium of the three gunas, prior to their
Durga
being set in motion by the purusa, from which the cosmos evolves glorified in the tdmasika Puranas, 108
(see also prakrti). rides on a lion, 131
Prakrti According to Sahkhya philosophy, prakrti is the uncaused cause Dvaparayuga
of the whole world of effects, which are its modifications. It is the avatdras complexion in, 8
ultimate material cause into which the whole world is dissolved. dissemination of the Purana in, 89
It is infinite and all pervasive, inactive and immobile, subject to knowledge completely destroyed in, 102
transformation but devoid of motion. It is one, unconditioned, the Vedas became covered by ignorance in, 104
indeterminate, devoid of parts, independent, and unmanifest. It
is the state of equilibrium of sattva, rajas, and tamas, which are not EkadasI
attributes but constituents of prakrti. In association with purusa, reciting Srlmad Bhdgavatam recommended for, 134
it becomes active but unconscious, whereas purusa is inactive eligibility

476 501
 References
of the absence of being, 56
samadhi not mediated through, 215
the inconceivable as beyond, 63
Dadhici
Hayagrlva as, 132
taught Ndrdyana-varma, 128
Dattatreya
followed the path of self-study, 439
defects
Itihasas and Puranas free from, 78
of human beings, four types of, 43-45
perception and inference vitiated by, 60
sahda free from, 51, 54
the Vedas free from, 60, 65, 72
transcendence of, 48
Devahuti
undertook the path of yo^a, 434,439
devas
appeared from the mouth of the Supreme Lord, 85
as ddhidaivika-purusa, 399,401
as dsraya of the senses, 407
assist the Manus, 427
attain to Maharloka, 436
Brahma as the grandsire of, 81
humbled by Bhagavan, 253
inferred from the fact of perception, 404
perplexed due to Gautama's curse, 102
require the vision of the Vedas, 73
the Vedas as the guiding vision for, 69
the Vedas passed on by, 62
Devi
and the killing of Vrtra, 131
Devi Bhdgavatam
controversy regarding, 130,131
dharma
enactment of for rational beings, 380
influence of luminaries on, 77
intended for human beings, 393
meditation on Radha-Krsna as the highest, 125
(
500
Glossary
but conscious. According to the Bhdgavata, the Supreme Purusa,
Mahavisnu, glances at the unconscious prakrti, thus animating it and
causing the gunas to interact with each other. This sets in motion a
chain of cause and effect from which the manifested cosmos unfolds.
(Contrast with purusa)
Pramana Evidence; a means of valid knowing; any means by which valid
knowledge of an object becomes known to a subject. Three such
means of valid cognition are primary, namely, perception, inference,
and revealed sound (sabda).
Prameya The knowable, referring to the categories of ontological exis
tence; that which is to be known by any means of valid cognition.
This especially refers to the ultimate Truth, Bhagavan, His energies,
the means of attaining Him, and the goal to be achieved in relation to
Him.
Pranava The sacred syllable Orii, described as follows in the Uttara-
khanda of the Padma Purdna: "Pranava is the seat of Brahman, and
it is said to be the embodiment of the three Vedas [Sdma, Rg, and
Yajur]. It consists of three letters, a, u, and m. A represents Visnu,
u represents the Goddess LaksmI, and m represents the twenty-
fifth element who is the servant of these two." This syllable is often
repeated as a form of spiritual practice that reveals one's nature as
a conscious part of the Supreme Whole, whose perfection lies in the
spontaneous dedication of love.
Prasthana-tray! Tripartite authoritative scriptures: the Upanisads,
the Veddnta-sutra, and the Bhagavad Gltd; the threefold basis of
Vedanta philosophy. For a Vedantic school to be recognized as dis
tinct and authoritative, it must establish its metaphysics on the basis
of these three canonical sources.
Pratibhasika Illusory; a mere appearance, such as dreams or water mis-
perceived in a mirage; a word used by Advaita-Vedantists to describe
the illusory grade of existence. (Contrast with pdramdrthika and
vydvahdrika)
Pratyaksa Perception; knowledge arising out of the contact of a sense
organ with its object. It is of two kinds, namely, savikalpaka
(determinate) and nirvikalpaka (indeterminate).
Prayojana The goal to be attained in relation to the Supreme; the goal of
spiritual practice. In bhakti this refers to prema, or love of God (see
below).
Prema A stage of bhakti characterized by the appearance of love; the
477
 References Subject Index

perfected stage of devotion. This is the ninth stage in the develop pramdnas accepted by, 57
ment of the creeper of bhakti; the mature state of love that completely reject the Vedas, 61
melts the heart and gives rise to a deep sense of mamatd, or belonging, view of cannot account for a common reality, 359
in relationship to Bhagavan. view of the dtmd in deep sleep, 373,374
Priti Supreme love for the Lord, also known as prema.
PuRANA A division of the Smrti literature. They are 18 in number and are Caitanya Mahaprabhu
accepted Srimad Bhdgavatam as the spotless Purana, 118
traditionally accepted to have been composed by Vedavyasa. They I acintya-bheda-abheda philosophy of, 196
are considered to be the backbone of Indian culture. They are second
as channa-avatdra, 9,12
only to the Vedas in authority. They are more popular than the Vedas as Sri Krsna, 7
because of their simple approach of describing the subject matter of
as the father of sankirtana, 11
the Vedas using historical narrative and stories.
delivers krsna-prema, 251
PuRUSA The Primeval Being as the Self and original source of the cosmos; established prema as the fifth purusdrtha, 311
the Supreme Being, or Immanent Self, of the cosmos; the animating
Jiva Gosvami s worshipful Deity, 11
principle in living beings. In other contexts this can refer to the indi purifier of the jivas, 435
vidual self, or to spirit as opposed to matter (prakrti). It can also refer referred to in Sarva-sarhvddini, 8
simply to a male or mankind. refuted Advaitavada, 191
PuRUSAVATARA The three manifestations of Visnu who oversee the cre revered Sridhara Svami's commentary, 191,337
ation on the levels of metacosmic, macrocosmic, and microcosmic Siksdstaka verse of, 350
being, also called the three Paramatmas. The first purusdvatdra is stayed at the home of Vyehkata, 16
called Mahavisnu, or Karanodakasayl Visnu. He is the Paramatma taught rdga-bhakti, 169
for the complete extrinsic potency, prakrti (the metacosm). The teachings of beyond liberation, 311
second is called Garbhodakasay! Visnu, who is the Paramatma for warned about hearing Advaitavada, 260
each individual universe (the macrocosm). The third is called Kslro- Carvakas

dakasayl Visnu, who is the Paramatma for each individual being, pramdnas accepted by, 57
the jiva (the microcosm). The word paramdtmd is commonly used to Causal Ocean
refer to the third purusdvatdra. as the boundary between spirit and matter, 31
citta

Rajas One of the three gunas, or constituent aspects of material nature; a trans-egoic faculty of knowing, 423
the dynamic principle that propels the living beings to action and as an element of Sahkhya in Srimad Bhdgavatam, 424
stimulates desires for material enjoyment. as pure intellection, 422
Rasa Juice, liquor, potion; taste, flavor, relish; pleasure, delight; essence; operation of in perception, 49
the spiritual transformation of the heart that takes place when cognition
the perfected state of love for Sri Krsna, known as rati or bhdva, as an inherent capacity of the dtmd, 374
is converted into profound aesthetic relish (rasa) by combination , Buddhist view of, 355
with various types of transcendentally awoken ecstasies. In Bhakti- Govinda beyond the power of, 165
rasdmrta-sindhu (2.1.5), bhakti-rasa is defined: "When the sthdyi- linguistic, sabda as, 39
bhdva, or foundational love, in one of the five primary relationships logic dependent upon, 71
of equanimity, servitorship, friendship, parental affection, or conju made possible by the subjective Reality, 222
gal love, is combined with vibhdva (excitants), anubhdva (extrinsic momentary view of, 365

478 499
 References Glossary

superseded by devotion, 336 ecstasy), sdttvika-bhdva (intrinsic ecstasy), and vyabhicdri-bhdva

taken indicatively in Advaitavada, 290 (intensifying ecstasy), thus producing an extraordinary taste in the
the abode of Visnu as, 149 heart of the devotee, it is called bhakti-rasa."
the jlva as different and nondifferent from, 302, 303 Rsi A sage; one who has realized the Vedic mantras.
the jiva as subordinate to, 305
the jiva one and distinct from, 359,360,442
Sabda a word; sound; the Vedas as sound revelation or linguistic truth; a
the only ontological reality, 240, 292
form of pramdna, i.e., evidence or a means of valid knowing.
the ultimate vastitude, 357
Sadhana Practices undertaken in various traditions as the means of
under the influence of avidya, 288
attainment of their respective goals.
understood with reference to the jiva, 366
Sadhana-bhakti Devotion in the stage of practice; devotion that puri
upadhis impede realization of, 278
fies the heart and leads the devotee toward love of God; the practices
upadhis of as apparent, 283
of devotion, which can be condensed into nine primary acts, such as
valid understanding of, 297
Visnu as, 146 hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on.
brahmdnanda Sadhya-bhakti The perfected stage of bhakti, when consciousness is per
meated with bhdva, the intrinsic potency of God predominated by
prema includes and transcends, 327
brdhmanas
awareness and bliss. This is the stage in which bhakti has completely
chant Gayatrl, 156 transformed the being, making the self one with its own inherent
cursed by Gautama, 104 nature and culminating in divine love of God. The word sadhya
implies that this stage develops through sddhand, or the gradual
brahma-sayujya
cultivation of devotion.
surpassed by prema, 213
the goal of brahma-jfidna, 212 Saguna Related to the material influences of sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Buddha Bhakti is inherently free from the gunas, and yet the bhakti of the
counted among the avatdras, 61 performer who is still influenced by the gunas is called saguna.
influence of on Vedic religion, 168 Sakama Action performed with a desire for the fruit; duties prescribed in
rejected the Vedas, 358 scripture and undertaken with a desire for enjoyment in this world
buddhi (intellect) and the next.

a product of rdjasika ego, 423
as an element of Sahkhya in Srlmad Bhdgavatam, 424
characteristics of, 423
in Sahkhya ontology, 423
operation of in perception, 49
three states of, 405
Buddhism
supplanting of by Advaitavada, 169
veiled, Advaitavada as, 168
Buddhists
momentary view of refuted, 367
on momentary consciousness, 355-357
Sakti Potency; the female principle of divine energy, especially when
personified as the consort of the male expression of the Divine.
Samadhi Trance; complete absorption of all mental faculties into the one
object of meditation; manifestation of the object of meditation only,
devoid of the cognition of the act of meditating; the eighth stage in
Patanjali's astdhga-yoga system. On the path of bhakti, samddhi refers
to the manifestation of Bhagavan along with His associates, abode,
and lild in the state of supra-cognitive absorption, as experienced by
Vyasa.
Samasti Collectivity, totality, an aggregate; the collective existence of all
living beings; the perspective of the collective in contrast with that
of the individual. (Contrast with vyasti)

498 479
 References Subject Index

Sambandha Knowledge of the interrelatedness between the Supreme cannot be delimited, 284
cannot be mistaken for the world, 292
Being, His potencies, and the living beings. This knowledge of
relation is an essential support to the practice of devotion, because cannot be reflected, 273, 274
it provides a clear understanding of the nature of the world we live comparable to the sun, 300
in, the true nature of the self, the nature of God, and the essential contacts avidyd, 286
function of the self in relation to God. This essential function can defined in universal terms, 381
be summed up as dasya, wherein the part finds completion through delimitation of not possible, 297
identification with and service to the whole. Through bhakti in the denial of the potencies of, 305
stage of bhdva, or supra-mundane awareness, this generic identity dependent on Bhagavan, 334
blossoms into one of the relations of personal servant, friend, parent, designation of the dsraya as, 397,398
or lover. In a different context, sambandha refers to one of the four flaws in Advaitavada theory of, 268
indispensable elements that are described in the introduction of flaws in ascribing upddhis to, 272
every Vedic literature: adhikari (qualification of the reader), visaya identity with not related to devotion, 319
(the subject matter of the book), sambandha (the relation of the book in contact with vidyd and avidyd, 261
as signifier with the subject or truth that it signifies), and prayojana included within the Purna Purusa, 232
(the purpose to be achieved by reading and following the book). indivisible into jivas, 287
Sammukhya The state of having one's face turned toward the Absolute; intuition of dependent on bhakti, 316
the state of absorption in God, as contrasted with vaimukhya. JIva knowledge of required for liberation, 154, 275
GosvamI says that jnana and bhakti are the two direct methods to Krsna as, 29,30
shift awareness toward the Absolute. Other methods, such as karma, merging into not literal, 293
Sahkhya, and vairdgya, may act as assistants to these two primary merging into not the import of kaivalya, 362
methods. In conclusion, however, bhakti is the sole method that modification of in Advaitavada, 266
engenders an embrace of the Whole in completion. nature of defined, 353
Sampradaya a school of metaphysical thought and spiritual discipline neither quality nor substance, 290
that has its source in God and which transmits its teaching in a no direct mention of in Vyasa's samddhi, 235
disciplic chain of guru-student. nondistinction of the jiva and, 262
Samsara Cyclic existence; the domain of karma and rebirth; the con not independent of Bhagavan, 236
dition of worldly bondage created by egoism under the impact of not overcome by mdyd, 241
ignorance. not the subject of Vyasa's trance, 295
Samskaras The latent desires for action, whether beneficial or detrimen oneness of identity with, 356
tal, that are generated along with corresponding acts and which oneness of the jiva with, 277
remain lodged in the heart of the performer; the subconscious problems in Advaitavada conception of, 289
imprints recorded and stored in the mind from action, thought, purpose of describing the jiva's oneness with, 354
and sensory perception. These imprints give rise to desire that qualitative oneness of the jiva with, 156
perpetuates the cycle of action and reaction, binding one to sarhsdra. qualities of from the empirical view, 269
Samvit The power of consciousness; an aspect of Bhagavan's intrinsic related to the path ofjndna, 212
potency by which He is conscious of all things and enables others to Sukadeva absorbed in the bliss of, 328
k n o w. Sukadeva's realization of, 209
Sandhini The power of being or existence; an aspect of Bhagavan's superseded by Bhagavan, 441

497
480
 References
vidya synonymous with, 279
Bhartrhari
quoted on the limitations of logic, 71
Bhisma
instructed Yudhisthira, 183
Brahma
approached Narayana, 102
bewilderment of, 158
day of (kalpa), 109
day of contains fourteen periods, 393,427
glorified in the rdjasika Puranas, 107
granted boon to Vrtra, 131
Hari creates through, 84
in Madhva's philosophy, 196
offered Gautama a boon, 104
secondary creation of, 382,387, 392, 426
the Vedas manifested through, 81
the Vedas transmitted to, 60
two dissolutions related to, 435
two dynasties of kings originating from, 428
unaware of what Vyasadeva knows, 96
weighs the Mahdbhdrata, 137
Brahmaloka
Manu and Indra attain to, 436
Brahman
accordance with the Vaisnava view of, 280
according to pariccheda-vdda, 264
according to pratibimba-vdda, 265
according to Sankara, 271
as defined in Advaitavada, 213
as nondual consciousness, 361
as nondual reality, 378
as pdramdrthika-sattd, 269
as pure consciousness and bliss, 350
as the dsraya, 432
as the subject of Veddnta-sutra, 385
Bhagavan as beyond, 105
Bhagavan includes and transcends, 202, 211, 212
bliss of surpassed by bhakti, 328
496
Glossary
intrinsic potency by virtue of which He is self-existent and supports
the existence of everything else.
Sankhya One of the six traditional systems of Indian philosophy; the path
of knowledge involving an analysis of Spirit and matter. The founder
of the Classical Sahkhya-yoga system is the sage Kapila, who is dif
ferent from the avatdra of Bhagavan known as Kapila, the son of Kar-
dama and Devahuti. Classical Sankhya is atheistic in nature, being
devoid of the concept of Isvara. In this system, the cosmos unfolds
as the interplay of purusa, the self, and prakrti, primordial nature.
When prakrti, which is the state of equilibrium of the three gums, is
brought into the proximity of the purusas, it sets in motion a chain
of cause and effect that evolves the cosmos. In course of time, the
cosmos is reabsorbed into its primordial state. All of this takes place
to facilitate the purusas in the pursuit of both enjoyment and even
tual liberation. In the Bhagavata conception of Sankhya, however,
the original purusa is Mahavisnu, who activates prakrti through His
glance.
Sannyasa The renounced order of life, the fourth stage of life in the
varndsrama system.
Sannyasi a member of the renounced order; the fourth dsrama, or stage
of life, in the varndsrama system, characterized by detachment from
all worldly pursuits, indifference to social status, and full absorption
in knowledge or devotion.
Sarga The original setting in motion of the material energy by the Lord;
one of ten principal topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam. The topic of sarga
(primary creation) deals with the generation of the universal or col
lective wisdom faculty (mahat-tattva), the ego (ahankdra, the 'T"-
principle, or the principle of individuation), the mind (manas), the
five subtle sense objects (mdtrds), the five cognitive and five conative
senses (indriyas), and the five gross elements (bhutas), resulting from
the displacement of the equilibrium of the three gunas (i.e., primor
dial nature's three interdependent constituting principles of psychic
and physical force), brought about through the intent of the Supreme
Controller (Paramesvara).
Sarupya-mukti One of the five types of liberation in which one attains a
form similar to that of Bhagavan.
Sastra Scriptures; this includes the Vedas, Upanisads, Puranas, Smrtis,
and Agamas; the authorized literature that is accepted as infallible.
Sat Being or existence; that which is ultimately real.
481
 References Subject Index

Sattva One of the three constituent aspects of prakrti, or primordial a function of the intrinsic potency, 232
nature, that influences living beings toward the cultivation of as abhidheya, 225, 295, 317,441
wisdom and purity; luminosity. as causeless, 332
SiDDHA Realized, perfected; a liberated associate of Bhagavan who accom as meditation on Paramatma, 439
as the means in the samadhi of Vyasa, 218
panies Him when He descends in the material world to assist in His
as the means of attainment, 236, 442
pastimes; one who attains perfection of realization in this life and
thus transcends the influence of the gunas. as the means of liberation, 394

SiDDHANTA The conclusive principle on a subject or of a school of thought. as the purpose of creation, 437
as ultimate path, 117
SiDDHi Paranormal powers or psycho-spiritual attainments that are the
bhdva
by-products of accomplishment in yogic practice. as the dawn of prema, 318
Smrti-sastra Lit., "that which is remembered;" tradition as distin sadhana matures into, 318
guished from Sruti, or revelation; the body of sacred literature that is bliss of surpasses brahmananda, 328
composed in pursuance of the Srutis (in contradistinction to Sruti, or definition of, 318
that which is directly heard by or revealed to the rsis). These include distinction of the jiva as the basis of, 308
the six Vedahgas, the dharma-sastras (such as Manu-samhita), the establishes one in relatedness, 313
Puranas, and the Itihasas (Vedic historical narrations).
independent of other methods, 335
Sruti That which is heard; revelation, as distinguished from Smrti, or tra
kaivalya implies, 362
dition; infallible knowledge that was received by Brahma or by the made possible by the vision of the Puranas, 105
great sages in the beginning of creation and which descends in dis- of three types, 224
ciplic succession from them; the body of literature that was directly ontological difference the foundation of, 377
manifest from Bhagavan. This applies to the original four Vedas (also other paths dependent on, 308,318
known as nigamas) and includes the Upanisads.
perceived by Vyasa as the means, 307
SuDDHA-SATTVA The State of pure existence, beyond the three gunas rdga
of prakrti; the self-luminous state of being in which Bhagavan is as the culmination of the evolution of truth, 169
revealed along with His associates and abode. the ultimate expression of prema, 169
SvADHARMA That which is one's own duty. In its conventional sense, sddhana

this refers to the duties prescribed in scripture that relate to one's as abhidheya, 225,315
own caste and stage of life. In its transcendent sense, it refers to directly counteracts miseries, 316, 319
the nature and function of the pure self, distinct from all material does not produce prema, 322
i d e n t i fi c a t i o n . prompted by scripture, 317
SvARUPA-SAKTi The intrinsic potency of Bhagavan that constitutes His transmutational power of, 245
very nature. It has three aspects: sandhini, the potency that accom Suka confirms the bliss of, 213
modates the spiritual existence of God and His associates; samvit, the superiority of to jndna, 213
potency that is the basis of God's own omniscience and that bestows superseded Brahman realization, 336
transcendental awareness of Him; and hladinl, the potency by which surpasses liberation, 161
Bhagavan enjoys transcendental bliss and awards such bliss to His vaidhl
devotees. rdga-bhakti superior to, 169
SvARUPA The intrinsic nature of the self or God. sabda as scriptural authority relevant to, 201

482 495
 References
not disclosed through logic, 294
not indifferent to the jivas, 251
not influenced by mdyd, 255
nothing to achieve through creation, 436
ordered Sahkaracarya, 162
prema belongs to the intrinsic potency of, 226
primary attributes of, 233
primary topics of Srlmad Bhdgavatam as related to, 388
purpose of in manifesting the universe, 438
realization of brought about by prema, 317
realized in the post-liberated state, 210
relation of the jiva with, 302
Sahkara opposed the reality of, 191
Sat Sandarbha a treatise on, 5
self-disclosed as the subject, 295
sleep of as cosmic dissolution, 394
Srlmad Bhdgavatam as the beloved of, 128
Srlmad Bhdgavatam culminates in, 138
Srlmad Bhdgavatam delineates the truth of, 155
Srlmad Bhdgavatam identical to, 119,158
Srlmad Bhdgavatam one in nature with, 134
Srlmad Bhdgavatam the direct utterance of, 136,153
Suka realized by hearing Srlmad Bhdgavatam, 202
supersedes Brahman, 441
supports the experience of oneness, 293
the jiva one and different from, 304
the jiva s acintya-bheda-abheda relation with, 303
the name of identical with, 10
the object of meditation in Gayatri, 143,145
the Puranas culminate in, 152
the Vedas emanated from, 65
the world as a signifier of, 391
three potencies of, 233, 334
vision of the jivas as part of, 240
bhajana
as abhidheya, 41, 202, 207, 211
as devotional turning of consciousness, 22
cuts the bonds of mdyd, 308
bhakti (devotion)
494
Glossary
SvARUPA-LAKSANA An intrinsic characteristic; the essential character
istic of an object by which its identity is revealed. (Contrast with
tatastha-laksana)
Tamas Inertia; one of the three constituent aspects of primordial nature
that promotes ignorance and indolence.
Tatastha-laksana An extrinsic characteristic; an incidental defining
characteristic of an object which, though not being a permanent or
innate feature of the object it qualifies, helps to differentiate it from
other objects. (Contrast with svarupa-laksana)
Tatastha-sakti The intermediary potency belonging to Paramatma and
consisting of the conscious living beings.
Tattva Essence; truth; Brahman; reality; principle.
Tripada-vibhuti The three-fourths manifestation of the Supreme; the
eternal spiritual realm consisting of threefold dimensionality of
being, namely, immortality, fearlessness, and all-auspiciousness.
Turiya The fourth state; the Absolute Consciousness; that which tran
scends the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. This
ultimately refers to Bhagavan, who is free from the three kinds of
upddhis, namely, virdt (gross), hiranyagarbha (subtle), and kdrana
(causal).
Upadhi An artificial or material designation with which the eternal, tran
scendent self is identified; designations pertaining to the gross and
subtle bodies.
Upalaksana The implying of that which is not directly stated; a princi
ple often used by commentators in interpreting scriptural texts. In
another context this can refer to the incidental determining charac
teristic of an object in contrast with visesana, or the intrinsic quality
of an object.
Vaikuntha The eternal spiritual domain; the majestic realm of the spir
itual world that is predominated by Lord Narayana or His various
expansions; that domain which is entirely free from the influence of
the three gunas.
Vaimukhya The state of having one's face turned away from the Abso
lute; the state of absorption in the ephemeral, rooted in causeless
ignorance. This is the basis of sarhsdra and can be remedied simply
by turning one's face to encounter the Absolute directly, known as
sdmmukhya (see sdmmukhya).
483
 References Subject Index

Vairagya Detachment or indifference to the world; a spiritual disci Sridhara Svami's commentary on, 191
pline involving the acceptance of voluntary austerities to achieve two categories of being recognized in, 290
detachment from sense objects. Bhagavan
Vaisnava a person initiated into and devoted to the worship of Visnu, activities of the avatdras of, 420
Krsna, or any of the avatdras of Visnu. actualization of the knowing of, 245
Varna The four castes (brdhmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra) in which Advaitavadis deny the essential reality of, 191
one carries out corresponding socio-religious duties in the system appearance of as a devotee foretold, 9
known as vamdsrama. as infinite, 257
Varnasrama The Vedic social system, which organizes society into four as nondual consciousness, 361
occupational divisions (varnas) and four stages of life (dsramas). as sambandhi-tattva, 211
Vastu a substance; that which exists eternally; the Supreme Existent or as the dsraya, 401
God. as the subject of Srimad Bhdgavatam, 416
Vedanta One of the six theistic schools of Indian philosophy that is rooted as the tenth topic of Srimad Bhdgavatam, 394
in the teachings of the Upanisads and the Brahma-sutra of Vyasa. Caitanya Mahaprabhu as, 7
Vedanta stresses the nonduality of the Absolute, His potencies, and cannot withdraw favor from mdyd, 246
His integrated parts (the individual living beings). complements the action of mdyd, 252
Vedanta-sutra See Brahma-sutra. designation of the dsraya as, 397
VisuDDHA-SATTVA Pure existence; unadulterated being; a feature of Bha- devotion to surpasses the bliss of Brahman, 213
dharma characterized as meditation on, 123
gavan's intrinsic potency, known as cit-sakti, the conscious potency
direct perception of by Vyasa and Suka, 48
(see suddha-sattva).
Vyasti Individuality; differentiation; an individual entity as distin disclosed by prema, 224
distinct from the jiva, 307,372
guished from the whole; the individuated existence of the living
does not intervene in mdyas work, 248, 249
being; the individual perspective. (Contrast with samasti)
extrinsic characteristics of, 385
Vyatireka Distinction, separation; negative concomitance, or logical dis
fitness to worship, 147,156
continuance, implying the non-possibility of an objects existence
form of
when some other object upon which the former is dependent is
absent. For example, if there is no fire, then there is no smoke. This localized and all pervading, 71
form of reasoning is used in connection with anvaya, or positive Gayatri intent upon, 150
concomitance. includes and transcends Brahman, 212
includes Brahman and Paramatma, 236
Vyavaharika Empirical reality, one of the three grades of existence
includes holarchically embedded parts, 289
accepted by the Advaita-vedanta School. (Contrast with pdramdrthika
and prdtibhdsika) inherent aesthetic value of, 212, 213
intuition of leads to devotion, 105
Vyuha a self-expansion of Bhagavan, such as Vasudeva, Sahkarsana, Pra-
dyumna, and Aniruddha. All of these are expansions of the origi knowledge of manifested by bhakti, 279
nal Complete Person, Svayaih Bhagavan Sri Krsna, and are almost liberation dependent on, 279
llld of, real and transcendental, 296
equally powerful.
love for as prayojana, 310
Yajna Vedic sacrifice; a method of communion with God or with the most worthy of love, 375
cosmic powers. Maya ashamed to face, 248

484 493
 References lossary

complexions of, 8 Yoga A spiritual discipline aiming at union of the individual self with the
i universal Self. There are many different branches of yoga, such as
Hayagriva as, 132
llld karma-yoga, jndna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. Unless specified, however,
Garbhodakasayl Visnu as the source of, 32 j yoga generally refers to the classical astdnga-yoga system of Patahjali.
list of corresponding to the Manus, 428 Yuga An age of the world. The Vedas describe four yugas that proceed in a
of Siva, Sahkaracarya as, 161 ' cycle: Krta, or Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali. The first of these yugas
of the purusa, 226 lasts for 1,728,000 years, the second for 1,296,000 years, the third
Parasurama as, 179 ^ for 864,000 years, and the fourth for 432,000 years. The descend
pastimes of, as a topic of Srimad Bhdgavatam, 389,390,393 ing numbers represent the physical and spiritual deterioration of
Vyasadeva as, 91,96,103,179 humanity in each age. The four yugas form an aggregate of 4,320,000
avidyd (ignorance) years and constitute a mahd-yuga, or great yuga.
a product of mdyd, 278
as an aspect of mdyd, 261
as upddhi of mdyd, 288
Brahman in contact with, 286
in Advaitavada theory, 288
limitation of Brahman by, 265
reflection of Brahman in, 265
reflection of Paramatma in, 299
the jivas act out of, 437
Ayurveda
effectivity of dependent on guidelines, 67
herbal formulae prescribed in, 66
Asvini-kumaras

taught knowledge of Brahman, 133

Baladeva Vidyabhusana
comments on the pronoun imdm, 15
comments on the word anga, 9
defines the term sandarbha, 24
Balarama

as svdrfisa expansion, 348

killed Roma-harsana, 331
name of confirms Krsna s supremacy, 325
Bhagavad Gitd
describes the jiva and Brahman as eternal, 271
included in Mahdbhdrata, 154
recitation of pleasing to Hari, 129
Sahkaracarya commented on, 167
Sahkaracarya supported his arguments with, 260

492 485
 Subject Index

consider Paramatma as dsraya, 398

Abbreviations
AP AgniPurdna
BAu Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad
BRS Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu
cc Caitanya-caritdmrta
CHU Chdndogya Upanisad
GiTA BhagavadGltd
ISA Isa Upanisad
KENA Kena Upanisad
KU Katha Upanisad
LBH Laghu-bhdgavatdmjta
MANU Manu-sarhhitd
MP MatsyaPurdna
MB Mahdbhdrata
Muu Mundaka Upanisad
PA N i N i P d n i n i - s u t r a
pp PadmaPurdna
SB Srimad Bhdgavatam
su Svetdsvatara Upanisad
Tu Taittirlya Upanisad
VP VisnuPurdna
vs Brahma-sutra (Veddnta-sutra)
dependent on bhakti, 318
insufficient as means, 308
dtmd (the self)
as changeless, 372,377
as consciousness and conscious, 371
as dear, 349
as the witness, 363,407
authentic selfhood of, 374
body and senses lifeless without, 318
carrying away of the mind and senses by, 402
cognition an inherent capacity of, 374
dependent on Paramatma, 374,375
descent of the intrinsic potency into, 250
distinct from the body, 377
distinct from the seen, 368
distinction of from Paramatma, 299
emanates from Mahavisnu's glance, 31
existence of beyond the body, 61
free from six changes, 367
free from upddhi in deep sleep, 370
identified with the gunas, 234
intuited from the state of deep sleep, 369
nondifferent in nature from Brahman, 381
Sahkara's misleading doctrine of, 169
the body as an upddhi of, 228
three states of, 372
atyantika-mukti
absence of ego does not grant, 290
avadhuta
Sukadeva appeared like, 178
a v a t d r a
according to pratibimba-vdda, 265
activities of, 420
appearance of in every day of Brahma, 109
appearance of in various species, 427
Buddha as, 61
channa

Caitanya as, 9

486
491
 d d 3
»-H I d
LA d" d
d (-! 0 0 Ph
»-»-i 3
' d a > d d
r C
c q
d
n o
d
52
<-< i
p
Ph

>
d
3 d
d d
<C c n 3 -g n o CO J O
0 0 d
/ - H
> I d 3 Cu '>s
O N 1-C d
X J n 3
S i - U 3 g
d" r i 6 § 3 >
na' I
C/3
d
2 d ig CO
3 d
C/3 P N
> > d
' 3 .!2'
OH iz; Q 'c a >
P h
g
1 - ^ d
d
d 1^
t>^

d
LA
-
SH

M
g. n o fi n .-3
• 4 - 1
3 2
'~ 0 0
O N e 1 3 > d
3
' d 'w
^ C / j
C O d
_3 C O
5 ■ 3 d
n o 3 "a J : ;
of
-
C/D d J 3
d
> 3*
;S; j q sq
o
C O 3 3
U
P i d ' d no o
34 S
1
n a

PH
'-M
>>
d •H
+ - )
d
•3.
cu
d
•12*
'c
(2
. 3

m
L O
O N :S O
t i *C/3
d
3
S-i 00 d n o d
S-i
I d Id 00 13 a d g Ph 3 Ph
I d O
M ON 3 d M (0
3 P O >
I d
3 ^
CQ d NO
NO
d *2- ' u
C/D
-s* d
CO
>
0 0 :g d
I d 3
d
ON cq «-Cl
3 - d I d CO
CO-
Ph.
p -
t PQ
d Ci
'2 d
C/O
• 3 ' 3 I d ""d
I d 3 d CO n o d
P h 'CO d C L
d
d
3 n o
g
r-^4
- M
+ H
3; d
3 -
I d d
P h 3*
u
'2 .^' M
d (2
r d

•d
3
o ,

Q
d

>-•
5 d
a
d
Ph

d
a O N
>
d

3 CO
d

" d
itO d

■ d
>>
3 - s x 'Ph s I d n o Ph 5 (D Ph
n o d Ph
i d
Ph
Id" <
3
Sh 3 'd
(0 ' d
S-. C/3 d d H 2 p—'
na n o J 3 d
:§ •d 3
d
3 a l - l - H
C/D
d d (-H
?•-.
OH d d JS d
3 0
d
§ d 3 ?N. d 'S.
d C O
' o S ' o CO
L
d
d
CT) §> § Ph
*3 d
a d d d d
n o d ^ ."to 3 3 >
< < <5: < CQ PQ
CM LTN
eg
< NJ
s? V
\ D
^
s .
o
cs N O
(NT _ ^ p*.
cA
i H cA
m d
S; ^3
2 3 '
r n
a M H 4 - 1
3
LTN
3 . C O
P h N O
r g ' d
CO "cA m c n
CNJ d N O i "
C3N CO OH
m r H cA P - NO
- — ^ r H p .
'2 ^ ^ 0 0 I d LTN C O
d 3 c> cA ■ d (-HJ
C
c s
3 O 0 0
e g
cA a P h d> 3
H - n

no
r*«A
OH d
3 NO
r H
..3
r O
i<t cA
o , (TN LTN o J=! eg H a 3
V N J
OQ CO Ph eg e g i H CO p H
V *
3 lA Ph d n o a ' d O N
N O
e g (PH
PQ e g r 3 r -
N O
3 - cA P h O 3 H - l 3 f fl
< - •
NO 3 r H P. Cn
t < LTN 3 CO P h CO d s . CO CM
h-> J 3 Ph
r H
Q k - H
-
d c4 r-»
k J
a
^
iS' a
< d d ^
C *
rliHi 3
•a
m
a(
PQ Ph d >
■g
0 0 .
3
3
^CO
CO JQ-
d d i r \
a^
3
Ph
o
c d
a
J O

U
3 as) a
d 'r-!
X
C J

•-J
*0
'a
o

d
H—1
QJ
(ap d
It-H
a d 3 ^• J Q < 4 ^ > s 3 3 d 3 -
C O *
3 r - H
CM > > • i-H n o
3 . r r t
a I d I d
ri5 'g I d
n a
^CO
I d I d b O r H
H - > P h P h I d
g •a CO n o n o
3
a
IC^
» V V J
I d 3 CO 0 0 J Q a d • 3 C O
g J O *> a SOH d a .s
+-•
d
a d *> > d d d
I d
g o
g I d CO . C J CO CL. > ^
JN > .
CO CO > >
P h
H - > o > >> CT3
* 3 3 d 2
•a I d i d >
^ * s
I d Ph 5 d d 3 3 d Ph d
' >2 4 - 1
b O 1-^ 3H r 3
. 3 I d
d d d
a CO u 1 o
vasa 2 •a
d
*> H - »
(u d TO J Q d
C3 Ch
u
6 n o 2. d
3
^ c o
QJ I d
Ph
i r r t O B d - d "2 2. SOH 3
d
'a* CO
QJ r3- 2 I d
H - »
d u d
J O
;s c- d- .£3 JO' > J O 'u a
3 d d
Id o)
^ ^ ^ CO u E
'H ^CO
2 ;3 ^ Oi
JQ- ^ c o I d I d
Id Id
no TS d dd d J O " o
cd ctJ nJ
C/3
d
C/3
d
+J
d
+j
dd
rg H - » H - l
d d d d
- M 4 - » H - J H - l
 References
Bhattojl Diksita. Vaiyakarana-siddhanta-kaumudl. With Bala-manorama.
Varanasi: Chaukhamba Surbharati Prakashan, 2004.
Bhavananda Siddhanta Vaglsa Bhattacarya. Kdraka-cakram. Calcutta: Cha-
tra Pustakalaya, 1937.
Bhavisya Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Brahma Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Brahma Vaivarta Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Brahmdnda Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Brahma-sutram, Sundara Bhatta-tikd on Nimhdrka Bhdsya. Varanasi: Chau
khamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1999.
Brhaddranyaka Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Brhan-ndradlya Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Caraka and Cakra-pani Datta. Caraka-sarhhitd. Sanskrit. New Delhi: Ras-
triya Sanskrit Visva-vidyalaya, 2006.
Chdndogya Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Chdndogya Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Sanskrit. Delhi: Chaukhamba San
skrit Pratisthana, 1970.
Devendranath Pandeya, ed. Sdnkhya-kdrikd. Jaipur: Jagdish Sanskrit Pus
takalaya, 2002.
Devl-Bhdgavata Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1986.
Dharmaraja Adhvarindra. Veddnta-paribhdsd. Varanasi: Chaukhamba
Vidyabhavana, 1983.
Garuda Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Gauri Tantra. Sanskrit. Handwritten Manuscript, Folio No. 0563, Jiva Insti
tute Library.
Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. Hari-hhakti-vildsa. Ed. by
Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara Gaura-hari Press, 1985.
Gopdla-tdpani Upanisad. With a comment, by Bhaglratha Jha. Vrindavan:
Gautam Rsi Ashram, 1949.
Gopatha Brdhmana. Sanskrit. Benaras: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthana,
1976. ^
Haridasa Sastri, Sri, ed. Sanat-kumdra-samhitd. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara
Gaura-hari Press, 1981.
Harivamsa Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Hemadri. Caturvarga Cintdmani. Sanskrit. Benaras: Chaukhamba Sanskrit
Pratisthana, 1985.
Isa Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthana,
1970.
Itihdsa-samuccaya. Manuscripts, Jiva Institute Library.
560
Ve r s e I n d e x
siddharthaih jnata-sambandham (Sloka-vdrttika 1.1.17), b
sivarh kecit pathanti sma (ap 216.7), 14b
snana-vyakula-yosid-vastram (Govinddstaka 6), 165
sraddha-bhakti-grhitanandam (Govinddstaka 5), 165
sreyah-srtiih bhaktim udasya (sb 10.14.4), 316
sreyas tv anupalabdhe'rthe (sb 11.20.4), b9
sri-krsna krsna-sakha (sb 1.8.43), 324
srimad-bhagavad-gunanuvarnana (Bhdvartha-dipikd 1.1.1), 337
srimad-bhagavatakhyo'yam (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 198.30), 134,184
srimad-bhagavatarh bhaktya (Skanda Purdna, Prahldda-samhitd), 130
srimad-bhagavataih sasvat (source unknown), 150
srimad-bhagavatasyatha (Skanda Purdna, Visnu-khanda 6.4.3), i34> 184
srutes tu sabda-mulatvat (vs 2.1.27), b9,73
srutih pratyaksam aitihyam (sb 11.19.17), 58
sthitir vaikuntha-vijayah (sb 2.10.4), 388
stri-sudra-dvija (Catur-varga-cintdmani, Vrata-khanda 1.28), 145
stri-sudra-dvija-bandhunam (sb 1.4.25), 79, 84, 97,145,154, 329
sucl-kataha-nyaya (source unknown), 223
sudanto'pi susanto'pi (Ndradiya Purdna), 102
suddhajivasyasrayatvam (sb 11.13.27), 405
suddho vicaste by (sb 5.11.12), 405
sukam adhyapayam asa (sb 1.7.8), 140, 218,327
suka-mukhad amrta-drava-saihyutam (sb 1.1.3), 172,180
sukhopavistesv atha (sb 1.19.12), 176
suklo raktas tatha pita (sb 10.8.13), 8
sama-duhkha-sukhaih dhiram (gita 2.15), 252
supaih su-luk (panini 7.i.39)» 148
sutasya vivikta-drsteh (sb 1.4.5), 209
svacchatvam avikMtvam (sb 3.26.22), 422
svagamaih kalpitais tvaih ca (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 71.107), 167
svam kastham adhunopete (sb 1.1.23), ib2,184
svargapavargaih mad-dhama (sb 11.20.33), 316
svarupam anyakaram yat (lbh 1.1.15), 33
svarupam ekam evasti (Skanda Purdna, Visnu-khanda 6.4.3), 134» 184
sva-sukha-nibhrta-cetas (sb 12.12.68), 205
sva-sukhenaiva nibhrtarh purnaih ceto (Bhdvdrtha-dipikd 12.12.68), 206
svayaih-drstartha-kathanaih prahur (Sridhara Svami on vp 3.6.1), 91
tac-chuddhaih vimalarh visokam (sb 12.13.19), 146,155
tad acchayam asariram (Prasna Upanisad 4.10), 274
553
 References
sarlraih yad avapnoti (gita 15.8), 402
sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed (sb 11.2.45), 48
sarva-buddhaih sa vai veda (Padma Purana), 96
sarva-dharman parityajya (gita 18.66), 313
sarvarh khalv idarh brahma (chu 3.14.1), 260
sarvarh mad-bhakti-yogena (sb 11.20.33), 316
sarvarh puman veda gunarhs (sb 6.4.25), 406
sarvatmakenapi yada (sb 1.4.26), 329
sarvatmana mriyamanais (sb 1.19.24), 177
sarvatra sasvad anapayy (sb 11.3.38), 363,367,372, 383
sarva-vedanta-saraih hi (sb 12.13.15), 172
sarva-vedanta-sararh yad (sb 12.13.12), 352,354
sarva-vedetihasanam (sb 1.3.41), 171
sarva-yonisu kaunteya (gita 14.4), 253
sarvebhya eva vaktrebhyah (sb 3.12.39), 82
sarve pranah sarve lokah (bau 2.1.20), 304
sarvesaih tu sa namani (manu 1.21), 60
sa saihhitaih bhagavatim (sb 1.7.8), 140, 218,327
sa saihvrtas tatra mahan (sb 1.19.30), 178
sastiih sata-sahasrani {Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.106), 140
sastradau tena vaktavyah (Sloka-vdrttika 1.1.17), b
sastrantarani sanjanan (Bhdrata-tdtparya 2.7), 195
sastra-yonitvat (vs 1.1.3), 69,73
satarii prasahgan mama virya-saihvido (sb 3.25.25), 247, 249
sataso'tha sahasrais ca (Skanda Purdna, Visnu-khanda 5.16.40), 143,153
sata-viccheda-saihyutah (GarudaPurdna), 144
sattvaih yad brahma-darsanam (sb 1.2.24), 112
sattvat sanjayate jnanam (gita 14.17), 112,114
sattvikani puranani (PadmaPurdna 5.236.18.19), 109
sattvikesu ca kalpesu (mp 53.67), 107
satyarii jnanam anantaih brahma (tu 2.1.1), 353
satyaih jnanam anantaih brahma (tu 2.1.1), 30
satyaih jnanam anantaih nityam (Covinddstaka 1), 163
satyaih sada-sivaih brahma (a? 216.16), 149
satyaih vada dharmaih car (tu 1.11), 182
sa va esa purusonna-rasa-mayah (tu 2.1.1), 401
sa vai nivrtti-niratah (sb 1.7.9), 219,332
seyaih bhagavato maya (sb 3.7.9), 235, 244
siddhantatas tv abhede'pi (brs 1.2.59), 3H
552
Bibliography
Jayatirtha. Pramdna-paddhati. Udupi: Dvaita Philosophy Resource Centre,
2 0 1 1 .
Jitante-stotra. Manuscripts, Jiva Institute Library.
Jiva Gosvaml. Bhagavat Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan:
Sri Gadadhara Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
— Bhakti Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara
Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
— Brhat-krama-sandarbha. Ahemadabad: Bhagavat Vidya Pitha, 1998.
— Krsna Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara
Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
— Paramdtma Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri
Gadadhara Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
— Priti Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara
Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
— Sarva-samvddlnl. Kusuma Sarovara, Mathura: Krsnadasa Baba, 1967.
— Tattva Sandarbha. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara
Gaura-hari Press, 1983.
Kdlikd Parana. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Kanailal Adhikari, Sri, ed. Sdtvata Tantra. Sanskrit. Navadvipa, 1981.
Katha Upanisad. Varanasi: Ratna Publications, 1985.
Kapha Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Kaunda Bhatta. Vaiydkarana-bhusana-sdra. Varanasi: Sampoornanada San
skrit University, 1988.
Kena Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Kesava Kasmiri Bhatta. Krama-dipikd. Salemabad: All India Nimbarkacarya
Education Board, 1993.
— Veddnta-kaustubha-prabha-vrtti. Ed. by Amolakarama Sastri. Vrinda
van: Nimbarka Mahasabha, 1938.
Kesava Misra. Tarka-bhdsd, Badrindtha Sukla. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,
2 0 0 0 .
Krsna Caitanya, Sri. Siksdstaka (in Songs of the Vaisnava Acdryas). Sanskrit.
Mumbai: BBT, 1979.
Krsnadasa Kaviraja. Caitanya Caritdmrtam. Bengali. Ed. by Sri Haridasa
Sastri. Vrindavan: Sri Gadadhara Gaura-hari Press, 1988.
— Caitanya-caritdmrtam. Ed. by Edward C. Dimock Jr. Boston, Mas
sachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1999.
Krsna-sahkara Sastri, ed. Bhdgavata Purdna. Ahemadabad: Sri Bhagavat
Vidyapitha, 1982.
561
 References
Kumarila Bhatta. Mlmarhsd Sloka-vdrttika. Darbhanga: Kamesvarasingh
Darbhanga Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, 1979.
— Sloka-vdrttika. Varanasi: Ratna Publications, 1993.
Kurma Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Laksmidhara. Ndma-kaumudl. Sanskrit. Ahmadabad: Sri Kosalendra
Matha, 1964.
Laugaksi Bhaskara and A.B. Gajendragadkar. Artha-sangraha. Delhi: Moti-
lal Banarsidass, 1998.
Madhavananda, Swami, ed. Brhad-dranyaka Upanisad with Sankara-bhdsya.
Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1988.
Madhusudana Sarasvatl. Siddhdnta-bindu. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit
Samsthan, 2007.
Madhvacarya. Bhagavata-tdtparya. Udupi: abmm, 1980.
— Mahdbhdrata-tdtparya-nirnaya. Udupi: abmm, 1985.
— Visnu-tattva-vinirnaya. Ed. by K.T. Panduragi. Banglore: Dvaita Vedanta
Studies and Research Foundation, 1959.
Mahd Upanisad. Varanasi: Ratna Publications, 1987.
Mahdbhdrata. Sanskrit. Gorakhpura: Gita Press, 1987.
Mahdbhdrata. Sanskrit. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
1987.
Mahdbhdrata with Bhdratabhdva-dipa commentary. With a comment, by Sri
Nllakantha. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1991.
Mahadevananda Sarasvatl. Tattvdnusandhdnam. Varanasi: Sri Dakshina
Murti Matha, 1994.
Mahd-kurma Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Mainkar, T.G., ed. Sdnkhya-kdrikd. Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratistha-
nam, 2004.
Manu. Manu-smrti. Ed. by Hargovind Shastri. Varanasi: Choukhamba San
skrit Series Office, 1979.
— Manu-smrti. Sanskrit. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Series Office,
1979.
Matsya Purdna. Poona: Ananda Asrama, 1981.
Medinlkara. Medini Kosa. Sanskrit. Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Sam-
sthana, 1968.
Mundaka Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Nagesa Bhatta. Laghu-sabdendu-sekhara. Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Sam-
sthana, 1983.
Ndradlya Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1984.
562
Ve r s e I n d e x
ratrau tu jagarah karyah (PadmaPurdna), 129
rcah samani chandaihsi (Atharva Veda 11.7.24), 85
rgvedarh bhagavo'dhyemi (Kauthumlya Chdndogya Upanisad 7.1.2), 83
rgvedo'tha yajurvedah (Visnu-dharma Purdna), 95
rg-yajuh-samatharvakhyan (sb 3.12.37), 82
rsayomsavataras ca (sb 12.7.15), 421
rtambhara tatra prajfia (Yoga-sutra 1.48), 49
rte'rthaih yat pratlyeta (sb 2.9.33), 212, 232
sa asrayah pararh brahma (sb 2.10.7), 396,406
sabda eva mularh pramanam (Sarva-samvddinl), 54
sa bhaktih sadhanaih bhavah (brs 1.2.1), 224
sa brahmana srjati (source unknown), 84
sa brhatlih disam anu (Atharva Veda 15.6.10), 85
sad eva saumyedam agra asit (chu 6.2.1), 353
sad-varga-saihyamaikantah (sb 7.15.28), 308
sadyo hrdy avarudhyate'tra krtibhih (sb 1.1.2), 210
sa Iksata lokan nu srjeti (Aitareya Upanisad 1), 393
sakhanaih tu satenaiva (Kurma Purdna, Purva 52.19), 76
sakrd api parigltam (Skanda Purdna, Prabhdsa-khanda), 94
sakya evarh-vidho drastum (gIta 11.53), 280
samadhinanusmara tad-vicestitam (sb 1.5.13), 220
sama-drn nirvikalpakah (sb 1.4.4), 209
samavastha maha-bhaga (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna 1.75.1), 436
sama-vedaih sahasrena (Kurma Purdna, Purva 52.20), 76
saihsarinaih karunayaha (sb 1.2.3), 173
samstheti kavibhih proktas (sb 12.7.17), 430
samuddhrtam idarh brahman (Mahdbhdrata, Moksa-dharma 343.13), 138
saihvadah samabhut tata (sb 1.4.7), 182
samyan-masrnitah svanto (brs 1.4.1), 318
sandrananda-visesatma (brs 1.1.17), 224
sanklrna-buddhayo deva (Skanda Purdna), 101
sanklrnesu sarasvatyah (mp 53.68), 107
sanksipya caturo vedaihs (Siva Purdna 7.1.1.37), 93, 96
sanne yad indriya-gane (sb 11.3.39), 369, 372,383
saranyaih saranarh jagmur (Skanda Purdna), 101
sarasvatasya kalpasya (Skanda Purdna 7.1.2.40), 126
sargas ca pratisargas ca (mp 53.65), 108
sargas ca pratisargas ca (mp 53.65), 410
sargosyatha visargas ca (sb 12.7.9), 409
551
 References
pratyaksavagamarh dharmyam (gita 9.2), 49
pratyaksenanumanena (sb 11.28.9), 57
pratyutthitas te munayah (sb 1.19.28), 178
praustha-padyarh paurnamasyam (mp 53.21), 122
pravargyarii brahma-vidyarh ca (sb 6.9.52), 128
pravistany apravistani (sb 2.9.34), 232
prayena munayo rajan (sb 2.1.7), 206, 213
prayena tirthabhigamapadesaih (sb 1.19.8), 176
prayenatma-samaih saktya (lbh 1.1.15), 33
pritir na yavan mayi vasudeve (sb 5.5.6), 320
puihsam isa-kathah prokta (sb 2.10.5), 388
punar jato'yam ity ahur (Hari-varfisa Purdna 2.101.32), 229
puranam anyatha krtva (Naradiya Purdna), 102
puranam api sahksiptam (Siva Purdna 7.1.1.38), 93
puranam naiva janati (Skanda Purdna 5.3.124), 106
puranaih pancamo vedah (source unknown), 82
puranaih tvam bhagavatam (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 22.115), 129
purananarh sama-rupah (Bhdgavata-tdtparya 1.1.1), 136
purananarii sama-rupah (Garuda Purdna), 136
purananaih sama-rupah (Garuda Purdna), 143,152
purana-saihhitas cakre (Vdyu Purdna 1.60.21), 87
puranat puranam (source unknown), 74
puranesu tu sarvesu (Ndradlya Purdna, Uttara-khanda 193.3), 132
pura tapas cacarogram (Skanda Purdna 7.2.3), 81
purnah so yam atisayah (Bhdgavata-tdtparya 1.1.1), 136
purnah so'yam atisayah (Garuda Purdna), 136
purusarh purnaih nirupadhim (Bhdvarthd-dlpikd 2.3.10), 228
purusanugrhitanam (sb 12.7.12), 418
purvam evaham ihasam (source unknown), 230
purvaparavirodhena (Kurma Purdna), 72
putana-nama ghora sa (Hari-vamsa Purdna 2.101.31), 229
putreti tan-mayataya taravo (sb 1.2.2), 210,338
rajasesu ca mahatmyam (mp 53.67), 107
raja-vidya raja-guhyam (gIta 9.2), 280
rajnaih brahma-prasutanaih (sb 12.7.16), 421
raksacyutavatareha (sb 12.7.14), 420
raksasi nihata raudra (Hari-vamsa Purdna 2.101.30), 229
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan (sb 10.21.5), 339
rasenotkrsyate krsna (brs 1.2.59), 3^4
550
Bibliography
Narahari Cakravartl. Bhakti-ratndkara. Bengali. Bagh Bazaar: Gaudiya Mis
sion, 1981.
Narayana Bhatta. Ndrdyaniyam. Benarasa: Bharatiya Vidya Saihsthana,
1992.
Narayana Bhatta and Narayana Pandita. Manameyodaya. Trans, by C. Kun-
han Raja and S.S. Suryanarayana Sastri. Madras: The Adyar Library and
Research Centre, 1975.
Nimbarka. Brahma-sutram with Nimhdrka-bhdsya. Vrindavan: Kalyana
Dasa, 1932.
Nimbarkacarya. Ddsa-sloki, Giridhara Prapanna tikd. Varanasi: Chau-
khamba Sanskrit Series, 1927.
— Veddnta-parijdta-saurabha. Calcutta: Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal,
1943.
Padma Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1984.
Pancapadma. Panca-padikd. Ed. by Kisor Das Swami. Dehradun: Swami
Ramtirtha Mission, 2001.
Pandit Jagdish Shastri, ed. Kaivalya Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Delhi:
Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthana, 1970.
— ed. Mahd-ndrdyana Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Delhi: Chaukhamba
Sanskrit Pratisthana, 1970.
— ed. Ndrdyaniya Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Delhi: Chaukhamba San
skrit Pratisthana, 1970.
— ed. Nrsirhha-tdpanl Upanisad, Upanisat-sangraha. Delhi: Chaukhamba
Sanskrit Pratisthana, 1970.
Panini. Astddhydyi sutrapdtha. Sanskrit. Varanasi: Krsnadasa Academy,
1985.
Purusottama Gosvaml. Prasthdna-ratndkara. Kolapur: Sri Vallabha Vidyap-
itha, 1999.
— Veddnta-adhikarana-mdld. Kisanagadh: Pusti Prakasana, 1981.
Purusottamacarya. Veddnta-ratna-manjusd. Ed. by Amolakarama Sastri.
Vrindavan, 1941.
Raghunathadasa Gosvami. Manah-siksd. Sanskrit. Vrindavan: Imalitala,
1959.
Ramanujacarya. Veddnta-sutra Sri-bhdsya. Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal
Publishers, 1965.
Ramasankar Tripathi, ed. Pdtanjala Yoga-darsanam. Varanasi: Krishnadas
Academy, 1985.
Rahgaramanuja. RahgardmdnujabhdsyopetdAitareya Upanisat. Madras: San
skrit Reseach Institute, 1973.
563
 References
Rangaramanuja. Rangaramanujabhasyopeta Brhaddranyaka Upanisat. Mel-
kote: Sanskrit Samsodhana Samsat, 1995.
Rg Veda. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988.
Rupa Gosvami. Bhakti-rasdmrta-sindhu with Durgama-sangamani and
Bhakti-sdra-pradarsini tlkds. Sanskrit. Vrindavan: Harinama Press,
1981.
— Laghu-bhdgavatdmrtam. Sanskrit. Bombay: Khemaraj Srikrsnadasa,
1902.
— Laghu-bhdgavatdmrtam. Sanskrit. Mayapura: Caitanya Matha, 1982.
— Padydvall. Vrindavan: Raghava-caitanya Dasa, Gopinatha Baga, 1959.
Sadananda. Veddnta-sdra. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1979.
Sahasra-ndma-stotra. Gorakhpur: Gita Press, 1954.
Sahkaracarya. Drg-drsya-viveka. English. V\^ith a comment, by Swami
Nikhilananda. Mysore: Sri Ramakrishna Asrama, 1976.
Brahma-sutra with Sankara-bhdsya. Ed. by SvamI Yogindrananda. Vara-
nasi: Chaukhamba Vidyabhavana, 2005.
— Govinddstaka (Stotra-ratndvali). Gorakhpur: Gita Press, 1990.
— Visnu-sahasra-ndma-bhdsya. Ed. by Arthur Avalon. Varanasi: Bhartiya
Vidya Prakashan, 1985.
Sdtvata Tantra. Navadvip, W Bengal: Sri Kanailal Adhikari, 1981.
Sayana-Madhava. Sarva-darsana-sahgraha. Ed. by V.S. Abhyankar. Poona:
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1978.
Siva Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1986.
Skanda Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1986.
SrlKrsna Ydmala Tantra. Varanasi: Pracya Prakasana, 1992.
Sridhara Svami. Bhdvdrtha-dipikd. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass, 1992.
Sriharsa. Khdndana-khdnda-khddyam. Ed. by Svami Yogindrananda. Vara
nasi: Chaukhamba Vidyabhavan, 1992.
Srimad Bhdgavatam. English. Gorakhpur: Gita Press, 1993.
Srlmad Bhdgavatam, mula-mdtram. Sanskrit. Gorakhpura: Gita Press, 1980.
Srimad Bhdgavatam with Sanskrit commentaries by Sridhara Svdmi, Jiva
Gosvdml, and others. Ahmedabad: Bhagavata Vidyapitha, 1965.
Srinivasacarya. Yatindra-mata-dipikd. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Surbharati
Prakashana, 1989.
Sudarsana Suri. Brahma-sutra, Sruti-prakdsikd on Sri Bhasya. Madras: Sri
Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha, 1989.
Suka-rahasya Upanisad. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas, 1984.
Suka-rahasya Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Svetdsvatara Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
564
Ve r s e I n d e x
nityah sarva-gatah sthanur (gIta 2.24), 271
nityarh suddhaih paraih brahma (ap 216.6), 147
nitya-sabda-mayaih punyam {Skanda Purdna 7.2.4), 81
nitya-siddha krsna-prema'sadhya kabhu naya (cc, Madhya-lild 22.107), 322
nitya-siddhasya bhavasya (brs 1.2.2), 225,318
nityo nityanaih cetanas (ku 2.2.13), 361
oih namas te (sb 12.6.67), 148
orh namo bhagavate (sb 12.6.67), 148,156
oih sarva-caitanya-rupam (Devi Bhdgavatam), 131
padarthesu yatha dravyam (sb 12.7.20), 433
padau yadiyau prathama (Padma Purdna), 134
pahcahgatvaih puranam (mp 53.64), 107
pararh bhavam ajananto (gita 9.11), 385
pararii jyotir upasampadya (chu 8.12.3), 366
parasaro gadhi-suto (sb 1.19.9), 176
parasya saktir vividhaiva (su 6.8), 303
parinama-tapa-saihskara-duhkhair (Yoga-sutra 2.15), 251
parinisthito'pi nairgunya (sb 2.1.9), 206, 213
parisesya-nyaya (source unknown), 68
paritranaya sadhunam (gIta 4.8), 392
paroksa-vado vedo'yam (sb 11.3.44), 104
paropi manute'nartham (sb 1.7.5), 218, 229, 234, 237,405
pascad ahaih yad etac ca (sb 2.9.32), 232
pathasva sva-mukhenaiva [Padma Purdna), 130
pathitavyarh prayatnena {Padma Purdna), 129
paurnamasyarh praustha-padyam (ap 272.6), 127
paurnamasyarh praustha-padyam (Skanda Purdna 7.1.2.41), 126
phalguni tatra mahatam (sb 1.13.47), 426
pibata bhagavataih rasam alayam (sb 1.1.3), 172
pitr-deva-manusyanam (sb 11.20.4), 69
pitrye pancadasa proktam (Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.107), 140
prakasini sa savitur (ap 216.2), 151
prakrtadi-caturdha yo (Bhdvdrtha-dipikd 10.1.1), 412
prakrtiih purusam caiva (oixA 13.20), 242, 256, 271
pramada-mohau tamaso (gita 14.17), 114
pramana-prameya-sarhsaya (Nydya-sutra 1.1.1), 344
pramanesv anavasthanad (sb 11.19.17), 58
pratyaksaih canumanarh ca (manu 12.105), 57
549
 References
na casusrasave vacyam (gita 18.67), 22
nadevo devam arcayet (source unknown), 147
nahaih prakasah sarvasya (gIta 7.25), 9, 67
naharh vedair na tapasa (gita 11.53), 280
na hi jnanena sadrsam (gita 4.38), 276
na hi satyasya nanatvam (sb 12.4.30), 266
na hy atah paramo labho (sb 11.5.37), 163
naimittikah prakrtiko (sb 12.7.17), 430
nainaih chindanti sastrani (gIta 2.23), 271
nairgunya-stha ramante sma (sb 2.1.7), 206, 213
naisa tarkena matir apaneya (ku 1.2.9), 67
naiti bhakti-sukhambhodheh (brs 1.1.38), 328
na jayate mriyate (gIta 2.20), 271
na karmavibhagad (vs 2.1.35), 257
namami devam karuna (Padma Purana), 134
nama va rg-vedo yajur-vedah (chu 7.1.4), 85
nama-vyaharanaih visnor (sb 6.2.10), 326
nanarseya-pravaran (sb 1.19.11), 176
nanartha-vattvaih vedyatvam (source unknown), 24
nanatvarh chidrayor yadvaj (sb 12.4.30), 266
nanyah pantha vidyate (su 5.15), 276
narayanad vinispannam (Skanda Purdna), 101
na sa siddhim avapnoti (gita 16.23), 244
nasato vidyate bhavo (gita 2.16), 290
nasav rsir yasya mataih na bhinnam (Mahahhdrata, Vana-parva 313.117), 54
na tatha vasudevasya (sb 1.5.9), 123
natma jajana na marisyati (sb 11.3.38), 363,367, 372,383
na va are patyuh kamaya (bau 2.4.5), 349
nava nitarii yatha dadhno (Mahdbhdrata, Moksa-dharma 343.12), 138
nayakanarh siro-ratnam (brs 2.1.17), 184
na yasya tisthate gehe {Skanda Purdna, Visnu-khanda 5.16.41), 143
neha nanasti kincana (bau 4.4.19), 260
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaih phalam (sb 1.1.3), 124,172,180
nirdhuta dvaya-soka-vimoham (Govinddstaka 6), 166
nirgatarh brahmano vaktrat (Skanda Purdna 7.2.5), 81
nirnayah sarva-sastranam (Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.272), 137
nirodho'syanusayanam (sb 2.10.6), 390
niseka-garbha-janmani (sb 11.22.46), 438
niskalarh niskriyaih santam(su 6.79), 273
548
Bibliography
Taittiriya Upanisad, mula-mdtram. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1984.
Upanisads with Sdnkara-bhdsya. Trans, by Swami Gambhirananda. Calcutta:
Advaita Ashrama, 1989.
Vacaspati Misra. Sdnkhya Kdrikd Tikd. Chaukhamba Sanskrit Samsthana,
1992.
Vagbhattacarya. Astdhpa-hrdaya. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas, 1963.
Vallabhacarya. Brahma-sutram withAnubhdsya. Nathadvara, Rajasthan: Sri
Nathdvara Temple Board, 1981.
— Tattva-pradipikd. Kolhapur: Srivallabhavidyapitha, 1982.
Valmiki. Rdmdyana. Sanskrit. Gorakhpura: GIta Press, 1990.
Vardha Purdna. Varanasi: Sarvabharatlya Kasirajanyasa, 1983.
Vatsyayana. Nydya-darsanam, Vdtsydyana Bhdsya, Taranatha Nydya tark-
tirtha. Ed. by Taranatha Nyaya-tarka-tirtha. Delhi: Munshiram Mano-
harlal. Publishers, 2003.
Vidyaranya Muni. Pancadasl. Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthanam,
1987.
— Vivarana-prameya-sangraha. Varanasi: Amara Publications, 1999.
Vidynidhi Joshi, ed. Isady-astopanisad. Mathura: Ramapartapa Shastri, 1937.
Visnu Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Visnu Purdna. Delhi: Parimal Publication, 1986.
Visnu Puri. Bhakti-ratndvali. Ed. by Balacanda Gosvami. Vrindavan, 1930.
Visnudharmottara Purdna. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1985.
Visvanatha Kaviraja. Sdhitya-darpana. Ed. by Satyavrat Singh. Varanasi:
Chaukhamba Vidyabhavan, 1988.
Vopadeva and Hemadri. Muktd-phala. Sanskrit. Calcutta: Scottish Church
College, 1944.
Vrndavan Dasa Thakura. Caitanya-bhdgavata. Ed. by Sri Haridasa Sastrl.
Vrindavan: Sri Cadadhara Caura-hari Press, 1984.
Vydsa Smrti. Sanskrit. Delhi: Eastern Book Linkers, 1988.
Vyasa-tlrtha and Madhusudana Sarasvatl. Nydydmrta-advaita-siddhi. Ed.
by SvamI Yoglndrananda. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Vidyabhavana, 1984.
Yaska. Niruktam. Sanskrit. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Vidyabhavana, 1983.
Secondary Sources
Abhyanakar, K.V. A Dictionary of Sanskrit Grammar. Baroda: Oriental Insti
tute, 1986.
Abhyankara, K.V. Paribhdsd-sangraha. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute, 1967.
565
 References
Apte, V.S. The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi-
dass, 1998.
Bhasyam Svami, Dr. Visistadvaita-kosa. Melkote: Academy of Sanskrit
Research, 2009.
Bhimacharya Jhalkikara. Nyaya-kosa. Poena: Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute, 1978,
Bryant, Edwin F. Yoga Sutra. New York: North Point Press, 2009.
Carudeva Sastri. Upasargartha-candrika. Delhi: Surabhi Prakashana Sam-
stha, 1982.
Chari, S.M. Srinivasa. Fundamentals OfVisistadvaita Vedanta. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 1998.
— The Philosophy ofVisistadvaita Vedanta. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2008.
— Vaishnavism. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2000.
Chatterjee, S. and D. Datta. An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. Calcutta:
University of Calcutta, 1984.
Chhahinath Mishra. Nydyokti-kosa. Delhi: Ajanta Publications, 1978.
Dasgupta, Surendranath. A History of Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 1988.
De, S.K. Early History of the Vaisnava Faith and Movement in Bengal. Calcutta:
Firma klm, 1987.
Gajanan Shambhu Sadhale, Shastri, ed. Upanisad-vakya-mahakosa. Delhi:
K.C. Publishers, 1990.
Gerow, Edwin. A Glossary of Indian Figures of Speech. The Hague: Mounton
and Company, 1971.
Hiriyanna, M. Outlines of Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1993.
India Heritage Research Foundation. Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Delhi: Rupa
and Co., 2012.
Jacob, G.A. Upanisad-vakya-kosa. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1963.
Kapila-deva Pandeya. Mimdrhsd-nydya-prakdsa-vimarsa. Varanasi: Sam-
poornananda Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, 2001.
Kapoor, O.B.L. The Philosophy And Religion of Sri Caitanya. Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publishers, 1994.
Macdonell and Keith. Vedic Index. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Vidya-bhavan,
1962.
Mesquita, Roque. Madhvas Unknown Literary Sources: Some Observations.
Aditya Prakashan, 2000.
Muralidhara Pandeya. Sahkara-veddnta-kosa. Varanasi: Sampoornanada
Sanskrit Vishva-vidyalaya, 1998.
566
Ve r s e I n d e x
maitreya aurvah kavasah (sb 1.19.10), 176
mamaivaihso jiva-loke (gIta 15.7), 402
mamaivamso jiva-loke (oiTA 15.7), 292
mama yonir mahad brahma (gita 14.3), 422
mam ca gopaya yena syat (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 71.107), 167
mam caiva pratijagraha (Vdyu Purdna 1.60.16), 87
mam eva ye prapadyante (gita 7.14), 246, 279,308
manah-sasthanlndriyani (gita 15.7), 46,402
manvantaraih manur deva (sb 12.7.15), 421
manvantarani sad-dharma (sb 2.10.4), 388
manvantare pariksine yadrsi (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna 1.75.1), 436
manvantare pariksine deva (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna 1.75.2), 436
manvantaresanukatha (sb 2.10.1), 381,383
manye tvaih visaye vacam (sb 1.4.13), 98
matrarthaih ca bhavartham (sb 10.87.2), 250,437
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani (gita 9.4), 438
matsyaih kaurmarh tatha laihgam (Padma Purdna 5.236.18.20), 109
mayadhyaksena prakrtih (oiTA 9.10), 235, 253
maya-jivayor apimac-chaktitvena (Sdrdrtha-varsinl 13.20), 242
maya-kalpita-nana-karam (Govinddstaka 1), 163
mayamayesu tad brahma (sb 12.7.19), 432
mayarh ca tad-apasrayam (sb 1.7.4), 217, 231, 232, 255, 307, 317, 320
mayaih vyudasya cic-chakty (sb 1.7.23), 231
maya paraity abhimukhe (sb 2.7.47), 231, 234
maya sahgopanisadam (Mahdhhdrata, Adi-parva 1.62), 140
maya tatam idaih sarvam (oiTA 9.4), 438
maya-vadam asac-chastram (Padma Purdna, Uttara-khanda 236.7), 168
mayavadi-bhasya sunile {Caitanya-caritdmrta, Madhya-llld 6.153), 260
medhatithir deval (sb 1.19.10), 176
mimaihsate ca yo vedan (Vydsa-smrti 4.45), 85
moksa-bandha-kari adye (sb 11.11.3), 279
mrtsnam atsiheti (Govinddstaka 2), 164
mudho'yaih nabhijanati (oiTA 7.25), 67
muktirh dadati karhicit (sb 5.6.18), 219
muktir hitvanyatha rupam (sb 2.10.6), 390
munir vivaksur bhagavad-gunanam (sb 3.5.12), 142,154
na bhajanty avajananti (sb 11.5.3), 3oS
nabhis tatha pancama eva (PadmaPurdna), 134
na cainaih kledayanty apo (oiTA 2.23), 271
547
 References
kasya va brhatim etam (sb 1.7.9), 219,332
kathah mukti-vyaghrya na srnu (Manah-siksd 4), 259
kathaih sa vaisnavo jneyah (Skanda Purana, Visnu-khanda 5.16.42), 143
kathaih sa purusah partha (gIta 2.21), 271
katham va pandaveyasya (sb 1.4.7), 182
kathayantas ca mam nityam (gita 10.9), 350
kecit panca-vidham brahman (sb 12.7.10), 409
kecit suryarii kecid agnim (ap 216.8), 146
kihcit tad anyatha jatam {Skanda Purdna), 101
kintu jnana-virakty-adi (brs 1.2.251), 319
kirtanad eva krsnasya (sb 12.3.51), 11
ko'nyo hi bhuvi maitreya {Visnu Purdna 3.4.5), 101
krsir bhu-vacakah sabdo (commentary on Visnu-sahasra-ndma 20), 325
krsir bhu-vacakah sabdo {Mahdbhdrata, Udyoga-parva 70.5), 325
krsna-dvaipayanam vyasam (Visnu Purdna 3.4.5), 101
krsna-sabdasya tamala (Ndma-kaumudi), 321
krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (sb 1.3.28), 226, 321
krsna-varnaih tvisakrsnam (sb 11.5.32), 5
krsne parama-puruse (sb 1.7.7), 218, 227, 229,314,320-323
krsne sva-dhamopagate (sb 1.3.43), 134,181,184,330
krta svena nfnaih tatra (sb 12.7.13), 419
krtavan bharataih yas tvam (sb 1.5.3), 123
krte yad dhyayato visnum (sb 12.3.52), 11
krti-sadhya bhavet sadhya (brs 1.2.2), 225, 318
ksetrajna eta manaso vibhutih (sb 5.11.12), 405
kurvanty ahaituklih bhaktim (sb 1.7.10), 219,332, 335
kvacit kvacin maharaja (sb 11.5.39), 190
lebhe gatiih dhatry-ucitaih tato'nyarh (sb 3.2.23), 339
likhitva tac ca yo dadyad (ap 272.6), 127
likhitva tac ca yo dadyad (mp 53.21), 122,153
likhitva tac ca yo dadyad (Skanda Purdna 7.1.2.41), 126
llla-premna priyadhikyam (brs 2.1.43), 227
lokasyajanato vidvaihs (sb 1.7.6), 218, 229,316,317
loka-traya-pura-mula-stambham (Govinddstaka 2), 164
mac-citta mad-gata-prana (gita 10.9), 350
madhura-madhuram etan (Skanda Purdna, Prabhdsa-khanda), 94
mahar-lokam athasadya (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna 1.75.2), 436
mahattvad bharavattvac ca (Mahdbhdrata, Adi-parva 1.274), 137
546
Bibliography
Niscala Dasa, Svami. Vicdra-sdgara. Bombay: Sri Sadhubela Udasina
Ashrama, 1992.
ParthasarathI Mishra. Sdstra-dipikd. Varanasi: Chaukhamba Surabharati
Prakashana, 2008.
Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli. Indian Philosophy. New Delhi: Oxford Univer
sity Press, 1999.
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvaml. Manah-siksd. Vrindavana: Imalitala, 1959.
Raja Radhakanta Deva. Sabda-kalpa-druma. Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1987.
Raja, K. Kunjunni. Indian Theories of Meaning. Madras: The Adyar Library
and Research Center, 1963.
Rupa Gosvaml. Padydvali. Bhakta Bharata Granthamala, 1959.
Shah, Jethala G. Srimad Vallabhdcdrya — His Philosophy and Religion. Nadiad:
The Pushtimargiya Pustakalaya, 1969.
Sharma, B.N.K. Philosophy of Sri Madhvdcdrya. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,
1991.
Sharma, Chandradhar. A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 2003.
Sharma, Thakurdatta. Bhuvanesa Laukika-nydya-sdhasrl. Varanasi: Vyasa
Prakasan, 1989.
Sheldrake, Rupert. Science Set Free. Deepak Chopra, 2013.
Thiselton, Anthony C. A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion.
Baker Academic, 2005.
Tribhuvana Dasa, Svaml. Visistddvaita veddnta kd vistrta vivecana. Delhi:
Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratisthana, 2013.
Yudhisthira Mimaihsaka. Mlmdmsd-sabara-bhdsyam. Bahalgadh, Sonepat:
Ramalala Kapoor Trust, 1987.
— Sanskrit-dhdtu-kosa. Delhi: Drakshadevi Pyarelal Paropakari Trust,
1961.
567

Acknowledgments
This book is an outcome of the combined efforts, cooperation, and
good wishes of many individuals. I am indebted to all of them. Shri
Jagadananda Das (Dr. Jan Brzezinski) did the preliminary editing.
Shri Navadvip Das (Bruce Martin) did the final editing and review
after thoroughly rechecking the Sanskrit text. He also coined new
terminology to convey the meaning of Jiva Gosvami's words pre
cisely. Jaroslav Ovcacek worked very committedly to do the lay
out. The subject index was prepared through the combined efforts
of Navadvip and Vrinda Dasi (Vita Skoblikov). Proofreading was
done by Shri Purusottama Das for Sanskrit and by Malati Manjari
Dasi (Miriam Saha), Dineshaja Dasi (Denise McGrew), Shailesha
Krishna Das (Saulius Bytautas), Jo An Street, and Subhadra Dasi
(Nayna Parbhoo) for English. I sincerely thank Shri Jaya Radha
Raman Das from France for his financial support for the project. My
thanks to Dridha Vrata Das and Aljosa Basaric for the drawing of
Jiva Gosvami, to Sonja Fink-Ocklenburg for the graphic of the tulasi
plant on the front cover, as well as to Janja Pirc, and Meera and
Daniel Joshi for their valuable help in designing the cover. Malati
Manjari coordinated the work of layout, proofreading, cover design,
indexing, and everything else needed for this project. My very spe
cial thanks to her. I would also like to acknowledge David Bfezina
and the Rosetta Type Foundry for supplying us with the fonts for
our specific needs, and giving us valuable suggestions and personal
attention. Finally, I also thank Klaus Schneider and Kosel GmbH &
Co. KG for their cooperation and effort in printing this book.
568
Ve r s e I n d e x
iti matva bhajante ma (gita 10.8), 350
itthaih nr-tiryag-rsi-deva (sb 7.9.38), 427
ity adyam uhanaih tarkah (Kurma Purdna), 72
ity asadharanaih proktam (brs 2.1.43), 227
jagada bharatadyesu (Bhdrata-tdtparya 2.8), 195
jagare tat-padaih yati (Skanda Purdna, Prahldda-sarfihitd), 130
jagrat-svapna-susuptaih ca (sb 11.13.27), 405
janmady asya yato (sb 1.1.1), 122,133,146
janma karma ca me divyam (gIta 4.9), 279
jayate'sti vardhate (Nirukta 1.1.2), 367
jijnasitarh adhitam ca (sb 1.5.4)»123
jijnasitaih susampannam (sb 1.5.3), 123
jiva-bhutaih maha-baho (gita 7.5), 235,437
jivenatmana (chu 6.3.2), 353
jnanagnih sarva-karmani (gita 4-37), 241, 251, 276
jnanam labdhva pararii santim (gita 4.39), 276
jnana-sakti-balaisvarya-virya-tejaihsy (vp 6.5.79), 233
jnanena tu tad ajnanam (gita 5.16), 238
jfiaturh drastuih ca tattvena (gIta 11.54), 280
jneyaih yat tat pravaksyami (gIta 13.13), 270
kaivalyaika-prayojanam (sb 12.13.12), 355,361
kalarii kala-kalatitam (Govinddstaka 7), 166
kalau nasta-drsam esa (sb 1.3.43), 134,160,181,184,330
kalenagrahanaih matva (mp 53.8), 89
kaler dosa-nidhe rajann (sb 12.3.51), 11
kalirii sabhajayanty arya (Catur-varga-cintdmani, Parisesa-khanda 8), 163
kaliih sabhajayanty arya (sb 11.5.36), 161,163
kalpa sastre vidhau nyaye (Medini 1.21.2), 109
kama-kamo labhet kamam (Visnu-dharmottara Purdna 1.165), 155
kama-kamo yajet somam (sb 2.3.9), 221
kantaih karana-karanam (Govinddstaka 7), 166
kanthas tu raj an navamo (Padma Purdna), 134
karmana pitrlokah (bau 1.5.16), 108
karma-sreyasi mudhanam (Catur-varga-cintdmani, Vrata-khanda 1.28), 145
karma-sreyasi mudhanam (sb 1.4.25), 79,145,154,329
karsnaih ca paficamaih vedam (BhavisyaPurdna), 83
karyopadhir ayaih jivah (Suka-rahasya Upanisad 2.12), 266
kasmai yena vibhasito'yam (sb 12.13.19), 146,153,155
545
 References Acknowledgements

gayatri-bhasya-rupo'sau (Garuda Purdna), 143 I thank Jaya Devi, who looks after the management of Jiva
gayatrya ca samarambhas (source unknown), 127 Institute and thus provides me time to write. Others who have been
gayatry-ukthani sastrani (ap 216.1), 151 very supportive of my service and given me encouragement include
ghate bhinne yathakasa (sb 12.5.5), 262 Shri Vrajeshvara Das, Kamala Mataji, Prof. Edwin Bryant (Advaita
gitanam asahasraih ca (Padma Purdna), 129 Prabhu Das), Dr. Partap Chauhan, Shri Rishi Pal Chauhan, and
gobhir nigadita-govinda-sphuta-namanam (Govinddstaka 4), 165 Dr. Teresa E. Warren (Hemalata Devi Dasi). My sincere gratitude to
gopMarh bhu-lila-vigraha-gopalam (Govinddstaka 4), 165 all of them.
gopl-mandala-gosthi-bhedam (Govinddstaka 5), 165
govinda go-dvija (sb 1.8.43), 324
govindanghri-saroja-dhyana (Govinddstaka 9), 167
govindastakam etad adhite (Govinddstaka 9), 167
grantho'stadasa-sahasrah (Bhdgavata-tdtparya 1.1.1), 136
grantho'stadasa-sahasrah (Garuda Purdna), 136
grantho'stadasa-sahasro (source unknown), 127
grhe na tisthate yasya (Skanda Purdna, Visnu-khanda 5.16.42), 143
grhlta-ceta rajarse (sb 2.1.9), 206, 213
grhltvaitani saihyati (gIta 15.8), 402
gudharthasya prakasas ca (source unknown), 24

barer gunaksipta-matir (sb 1.7.11), 219, 333,335

hayagriva-brahma-vidya (source unknown), 127
hema-sirhha-samanvitam (mp 53.21), 122,153
hetur jivo'sya sargader (sb 12.7.18), 431
hladini sandhini saiiivit (sb 1.12.69), 233

iccha dvesah sukharii dukham (gIta 13.6), 373

idaih bhagavatarh nama (sb 2.1.8), 206, 213
idarii satasahasrad dhi (Mahdbhdrata, Moksa-dharma 343.11), 138
idarii te natapaskaya (gIta 18.67), 22
idarii tu jneyam atlndriyatvena (Sankara-bhdsya 13.13)» 271
Isvarasya vimuktasya (sb 3.7.9), 235, 244
iti bharatam akhyanam (Catur-varga-cintdmani, Vrata-khanda 1.28), 145
iti bharatam akhyanam (sb 1.4.25), 79, 97,145,154,329
itihasah puranarii ca (sb 1.4.20), 82
itihasa-puranabhyam (Manu-sarfihitd), 74
itihasa-puranabhyam (mb 1.1.267), 74» H3,151
itihasa-puranais tu (Skanda Purdna 5.3.122), 106
itihasa-purananam (Vdyu Purdna 1.60.16), 87
itihasa-puranani (sb 3.12.39), 82
itihasasya ca sa vai (Atharva Veda 15.6.12), 85

544 569
 The essential message of the Bhagavatam, or in other words, the
self-disclosure of its essential truths of sambandha, ahhidheya, and prayojana, is
found in the verses narrating what Srila Vyasa witnessed in the state of unmedi-
Satyanarayana Dasa \ ated trance—beginning with the supreme subject, Bhagavan, who was seen to be
inclusive of His own intrinsic potency as well as His subordinate extrinsic
Born in 1954, he was drawn to the spiritual traditions of his potency, mdyd.
home country India since his childhood. After receiving a What was disclosed to Vyasa was not a non-differentiated Brahman being
postgraduate degree in 1978 from it Delhi, he then worked in overpowered by mdyd and turning into many jivos. Rather, He saw that the jiva is
the United States for four years. After this period, he returned
distinct from Bhagavan and is captivated by mdyd because of misidentifying the
to India to begin formal study of the orthodox systems of
self as independent of Bhagavan. Vyasadeva thus saw that the cause of the jiva's
Indian philosophy known as sad-darsana under the direct
suffering is this false sense of independence born of misplaced identity. In one
guidance of his guru Sri Haridasa Sastri Maharaja and Svami and the same vision, the means corresponding to the inherent distinction
Syama Sarana Maharaja. This education was pursued in the between the jiva and Bhagavan was revealed to Vyasa. He saw that the solution to
traditional manner for more than 25 years as he dedicated
the jiva s predicament is the total offering of the self in devotion to the Supreme
himself to the practice of bhakti-yoga. In 1991 he accepted the
Person (bhakti-yogam adhoksaje), not imagining a state of oneness with Him.
traditional Vaisnava order of renounced life, bdbdji-veso. His
main focus has been on the works of Jiva Gosvami, particularly From the commentary onAnuccheda 41
the SatSandarbhas, providing English translation and
commentary. He also earned four sastric degrees, and received
both a law degree and a PhD in Sanskrit from Agra University.
Satyanarayana Dasa is the director of the Jiva Institute of
Vaishnava Studies in Vrindavan, India. In 2013 he was honored
by the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee, for his extraordi
nary contribution in presenting Vedic culture and philosophy
to students and audiences within India and internationally.