Sri Isopanisad Thematic Study Quide

The Bhaktivedanta Academy
Çré Rüpänuga Paramärthika Vidyäpéöha
Çré Éçopaniñad Thematic Study

Çästra-cakñus Course
Bhaktivedanta Academy, ISKCON Mayapura

Gurukula Library Building, Nadia Dist, 742 313, West Bengal, India
Tel +91 (3472) 245306

Email: Bhaktivedanta.Academy@pamho.net
www.bhaktivedantaacademy.com
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Çré Éçopaniñad Thematic Study
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Part I: Sambandha 5
Topic 1: The Nature of Brahman (Invocation, Mantras 4, 5 and 8)...........................................5

Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra: Tattva-prakaraëa—The Truth..............................................6
A Summary of Chapter One.................................................................................................18
Topics 2 and 3: The Nature of the Soul and the Material Energy, and their Relation to Brahman
(Mantra 14).........................................................................................................................19
Chapter Two of Çré Tattva-sütra: Cit-padärtha-prakaraëa—Spirit........................................21
A Summary of Chapter Two................................................................................................31
Chapter Three of Çré Tattva-sütra: Acit-padärtha-prakaraëa—Matter..................................32
A Summary of Chapter Three...............................................................................................44
Part II: Abhideya45
Topic 4: The Means of Attaining Brahman (Mantras 1-3, 9, 11, 15-18)..................................45

Chapter Four of Çré Tattva-sütra: Sambandha-prakaraëa—The Relationship of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and the Individual Spirit Souls..........................................................47
A Summary of Chapter Four................................................................................................61
Part III: Prayojana 62
Topic 5: The Nature of the Supreme Goal and the Status of the Jéva in Mukti
(Mantras 6, 7, 10, 12, 13).....................................................................................................62
Chapter Five of Çré Tattva-sütra: Siddhänta-prakaraëa—The Final Conclusion.....................63
A Summary of Chapter Five.................................................................................................76
Appendix: Thematic Overview by Atmatattva Das 77
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Introduction
The thematic study shows how the topics discussed in Çré Éçopaniñad fall into the categories of
Vastu-traya, the five main topics of the Upaniñads, and the Ten Esoteric Truths of the Gauòéya
Vaiñëava Philosophy (Daça-müla-tattva).
The five main topics of the Upaniñads are as follows:
1. The nature of Brahman (Içvara)
2. The nature of the soul and its relation to Brahman (Cit)
3. The material energy, its origin and connection to Brahman (Acit)
4. The means of attaining Brahman (sädhana)
5. The nature of the supreme goal and the status of the jéva in mukti (sädhya)
The first three topics delineate sambandha, the fourth defines abhideya, and the fifth describes
prayojana. The thematic study shows how Çré Éçopaniñad analyses these five topics and
resolves the different interpretations of other schools of Vedic philosophy.
The Gauòéya Siddhänta is based on the teachings of the Upaniñads and Vedänta-sütra.
Therefore, it is not surprising that all tenets of our philosophy can be traced back to the five main
topics of the Upaniñads.
Regarding the first topic, the nature of Brahman, the central issue is whether Brahman is without
characteristics (this is the impersonal concept called nirviçeña), or He has characteristics (that is
the saviçeña doctrine, maintained by the Vaiñëavas). Below is the specific answer to this as
given in Daça-müla-tattva:
"(1) The Vedas are the principal scriptural evidence, which in turn expound the following
nine principles: (2) Kåñëa is the Supreme Absolute Truth. (3) Kåñëa is omnipotent. (4) He is
the fountainhead of all relationships and love.”
Regarding the second topic, the nature of the jéva, the question is whether it is different from
Brahman or identical in all aspects with Him. Daça-müla-tattva answers as follows:
(5) The living entities are Kåñëa’s separated parts and parcels. (6) The living entity, due to
his constitutional situation as the marginal energy, may come under the sway of the material
energy. (7) Again, due to his marginal nature, the living entity in the liberated condition is
free from the influence of material nature.
Concerning the third point, the material energy, the key issue is whether it is created by
Brahman, and if it is real, or illusory. In the Daça-müla-tattva it is stated:
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(8) The living entity and everything in this material cosmos is simultaneously one and
different from the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.
The fourth major question is what is the means of attaining Brahman (sädhana). The answer is as
follows:
“(9) Pure devotional service is the living entity’s occupation and means.”
Regarding the fifth point, the nature of the supreme goal, the major issue is whether the jéva
merges in Brahman (the opinion of the impersonalists), or retains its individuality in the state of
liberation (as told by the Vaiñëavas). According to Daça-müla-tattva:
(10) “Pure love of Kåñëa is the living entity’s ultimate goal.”
Daça-müla-tattva describes nine principles (prameyas) which are based on the authority of the
Vedas (pramäëa). The thematic study will show that the mantras from Çré Éçopaniñad are the
very same pramäëa mentioned in the beginning of the Daça-müla-tattva (ämnäyaù präha
tattvam). Thus Çré Éçopaniñad, which is renowned as “the Acarya among the çrutis,” is the
Lord’s own answer to the five questions of the Vedäntic discourse, and the authority behind the
tenets of the Gauòéya Siddhänta.
Our guide through these matters will be the Çré Tattva-sütra—Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s
framework for studying the Vedanta philosophy. Çré Tattva-sütra contains five chapters. The
First Chapter describes the Supreme Lord (Içvara). The Second Chapter explains the nature of
the living entities (Cit). The Third Chapter discusses the material nature (Acit). These three
chapters outline sambandha. The Fourth Chapter explains abhideya—how the living entities
should manipulate the material nature in order to attain the supreme goal (sädhana). The Fifth
Chapter describes prayojana—the nature of that supreme goal (sädhya).
After each chapter there is a summary of the sutras. Whenever appropriate, the sutras and the
purports of Çré Tattva-sütra are connected to the mantras and the purports of Çré Éçopaniñad.
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Part I: Sambandha
Topic 1: The Nature of Brahman

(Invocation, Mantras 4, 5 and 8)
The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect,
all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as
complete wholes. (Invocation)
Such a person [the maha-bhagavata described in Mantras 6 and 7] must factually know the
greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond
reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has
been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial. (Mantra 8)
Çréla Prabhupada explains the nature of Brahman in his purport to the Invocation Verse:
The Complete Whole, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the complete Personality of
Godhead. Realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all the transcendental
features—sat, cit and änanda, bliss. When one realizes the Supreme Person, he realizes these
aspects of the Absolute Truth in their completeness…The Complete Whole is not formless. If
He were formless, or if He were less than His creation in any other way, He could not be
complete. The Complete Whole must contain everything both within and beyond our
experience; otherwise He cannot be complete.
The nature of Brahman is summarized in the Daça-müla-tattva as follows:
“(1) The Vedas are the principal scriptural evidence, which in turn expound: (2) Kåñëa is the
Supreme Absolute Truth. (3) Kåñëa is omnipotent. (4) He is the fountainhead of all
relationships and love.”
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Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Tattva-prakaraëa—The Truth
Introduction by Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura:
This Tattva-Sutra is obtained and proven by the eternal realization. Therefore it can be known
as the very essence of the Vedas. This originated from the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya,
and hence, is the origin of all the revealed scriptures. Only the reality has been accepted in this
treatise.
Along with the accomplishment of the absoluteness of the reality, a doubt may arise that, if the
Reality itself is the universal unity, then where is the necessity of imagining any other object
apart from it? For the clarification of this doubt, the word “Tattva” has been qualified as
“Para” (Supreme). Here, it should be considered that the author has only denoted the Divinity
by the appellation of “Tattva.” The chit and achit (the sentient and the nonsentient) are called
by the appellation of padärtha (object). These chit and achit are enumerated among the objects
of the phenomenal world. Because of the incomprehensibility of the Divinity, it cannot be
called as an object. If any word mentioned expresses some meaning, then that word can be
called as “Pada,” and the object denoted by that “Pada” is known as “Padärtha.” These
objects lie within the reasoning of human beings. But the Divinity is beyond the human
reasoning.
For this reason the Supreme Reality is known as Tattva and not as Padärtha. The Supreme
Lord is quite distinct from the phenomenal objects but, no object can have its existence
separately from the Supreme Lord. This fact is evident from the realization though not
understandable to the human logic.
Therefore in this Topic of Reality the first aphorism has been established by the author as
follows:
Sütra 1
ekaù paro nänyaù
The Supreme Reality is one without a second.
Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:
The Supreme Lord alone is the Supreme Reality. No other object can be realized as the
ultimate Reality.
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Sütra 2
aguëo 'pi sarva-çaktir ameyatvät
The Supreme Lord is all powerful due to His inscrutability although He transcends
the phenomenal qualities.
The Supreme Reality is beyond the scope of the phenomenal and non-phenomenal qualities
possessed by the sentient and non-sentient objects. How is it possible then for the Reality to
have any relationship with such objects? After all, it is generally observed in this world that a
relationship between two objects requires certain similarities of their natures. 1
This doubt cannot be resolved by mental speculation. The Supreme Lord is endowed with
infinite qualities although He is beyond all qualities—this statement contradicts mundane
logic. Therefore the Supreme Reality is called Inscrutable.
There cannot be evidence from observation of the material world to prove the existence of
God and give an insight about His nature. The classical examples by which we can infer the
existence of an invisible object by the signs of a visible object does not apply in the case of the
Supreme Lord since no signs of the Supreme Reality are observed in this material world.
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This would be an argument of the deists. Deism is a term first used by the Calvinists in the seventeenth century.
Deism is the belief in God as the first cause of the universe, who created the laws by which the universe is governed,
but who is in no way immanent in His creation. God's maintenance of the world means nothing more than the
permanence of natural laws. Nature follows a regular course. The sole purpose of the world is to be the habitat of
mankind. The deists opposed mystical and supernatural interpretations of scripture; human reason is the true measure
of scriptural understanding. Many of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America (e.g. Adams, Jefferson
and Paine) were of deistic inclination.
On the other hand, According to the Harper Collins Dictionary of Philosophy, p. 120, the philosophy of theism in
most interpretations is, God is partly immanent in the universe and partly transcendent. In essence, this definition is
the Vedic philosophy of the Supreme Person. As stated in Puruña-çukta (Åg-Veda 10.90.4): With three-fourths of
Himself, the Puruña ascended; the other fourth was born here. From here on all sides He moved, toward the living
and the non-living. Again and again in the Vedic literatures we find references to tripada-vibhuti and ekapada-
vibhuti, the three-fourths of the Lord's splendor displayed as the spiritual world, and the one-fourth by which He
pervades the material world. About the material manifestation, Lord Krsna says in Bg. 10.41: yad yad vibhutimat
sattvaà Srimad urjitam eva va tat tad evavagaccha tvam mama tejo-'àsa-sambhavam. Know that all these opulent,
beautiful and glorious creations are born from a part of My total splendor. Because they oppose theism, the theories
of deism, monism, pantheism and dualism are actually atheism. Deism separates God completely from His material
creation. Monism renders God partless. Pantheism confines Him to the material universe. And dualism divides
creation against Him, placing part of it in the hands of a rival. Even major religious traditions like Christianity are
influenced by deism and dualism. The English natural theologian Robert Boyle (1627-1691) expressed open
contempt for theism as a doctrine of infidels. When he drew up his last will and testament, he bequeathed fifty
pounds per annum for ever, or at least for a considerable number of years in order to institute a series of lectures for
proving the Christian Religion, against notorious Infidels, viz. Atheists, Theists, Pagans, Jews, and Mahomedans.
Monotheism and panentheism are synonyms for theism. Monotheism means belief in one God. In the Vedic religion,
there is only one God, though He empowers servants who act as demigods on His command. These demigods are
worshiped as God only by foolish people. Pantheism teaches that all things are imbued with God's presence, because
all things are in God. God is more than all there is. He is all-conscious and the supreme unifying factor. (Suhotra
Swami, “Substance and Shadow”)
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No external proofs are required to establish the existence of the thinker as it is a self-realized
fact. Similarly, the realization of the Supreme Lord through devotion is self-evident and does
not need any support from sense perception and inference. Therefore the conclusion is that the
Supreme Lord is endowed with infinite potency in spite that He is beyond the scope of
qualities. This is possible due to His inscrutability.
[Çréla Prabhupada writes in the purport to Mantra 5:
“In this connection, two words the revealed scriptures often apply to the Lord—saguëa ("with
qualities") and nirguëa ("without qualities")—are very important. The word saguëa does not imply
that when the Lord appears with perceivable qualities He must take on a material form and be
subject to the laws of material nature. For Him there is no difference between the material and
spiritual energies, because He is the source of all energies. As the controller of all energies, He
cannot at any time be under their influence, as we are. The material energy works according to His
direction; therefore He can use that energy for His purposes without ever being influenced by any of
the qualities of that energy. (In this sense He is nirguëa, "without qualities.") Nor does the Lord
become a formless entity at any time, for ultimately He is the eternal form, the primeval Lord. His
impersonal aspect, or Brahman effulgence, is but the glow of His personal rays, just as the sun's
rays are the glow of the sun-god.”]
Someone may raise a doubt that if such controversial conclusions are repeatedly accepted it will
give way to irrational beliefs. In reply to this the author says that the assimilation of mutually
contradicting qualities is not uncommon for the Supreme Lord. The contradicting qualities are
impossible for the phenomenal objects but the Lord is non-phenomenal, otherwise how is He the
Supreme Lord?
Sütra 3
viruddha-sämänyaà tasmin na citram
The perfect assimilation of innumerable mutually-controversial qualities is not

uncommon for Him.
In the Supreme Lord there are innumerable, mutually contradictory qualities. Whatever we say
about Him becomes indicative of controversy. When we say that He is the Creator it suggests
the mutation of the Immutable. When we say that He is the Protector we accept that He is a
doer although He is aloof. When we say that He is the Destroyer it suggests inauspiciousness
in the all-auspicious Lord. By saying that He exists, the Lord who is beyond the time, is
confined in the limits of time. There are innumerable similar mutually contradictory qualities
that can be ascribed to the Supreme Lord. These apparent contradictions cannot be resolved by
mental speculation. Attempts to solve such problems by mundane logic are fruitless and lead
to atheism (Cärväka, etc.) The only solution is to take shelter in devotional service, which
preliminary stage and root is called faith. By this self-evident faith of the soul one will realize
the truth about the perfect assimilation of all the mutually controversial qualities in the
Supreme Lord.
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[In Çré Éçopaniñad Mantras 4-5 it is stated:
“Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can
overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place,
He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence. The Supreme Lord
walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and
yet He is outside of everything.”
Çréla Prabhupada explains the inconceivable nature of the Lord and His potencies in his purport to
Mantra 5:
“Here is a description of some of the Supreme Lord's transcendental activities, executed by His
inconceivable potencies. The contradictions given here prove the inconceivable potencies of the
Lord. "He walks, and He does not walk." Ordinarily, if someone can walk, it is illogical to say he
cannot walk. But in reference to God, such a contradiction simply serves to indicate His
inconceivable power. With our limited fund of knowledge we cannot accommodate such
contradictions, and therefore we conceive of the Lord in terms of our limited powers of
understanding. For example, the impersonalist philosophers of the Mäyäväda school accept only the
Lord's impersonal activities and reject His personal feature. But the members of the Bhägavata
school, adopting the perfect conception of the Lord, accept His inconceivable potencies and thus
understand that He is both personal and impersonal. The bhägavatas know that without
inconceivable potencies there can be no meaning to the words "Supreme Lord”…The fact is that
there is nothing but God within and without. Everything is a manifestation of His different energies
and in this way there is a oneness among His diverse energies. Although there is oneness, however,
the Lord in His personal form still enjoys unlimitedly all the pleasures enjoyed minutely by the tiny
part-and-parcel living entities.”]
Sütra 4
sa sac-cid-änando jïänägamyo bhakti-viñayatvät
That Supreme Lord having a Satcitänanda Form is not perceivable to the

cognitional faculty of the jévas but only realized by the spiritual function called
bhakti.
That eternal, transcendental, and blissful form of the Supreme Reality can be realized only by
devotional service. Since the jéva is finite he can never fully understand the Infinite
Absoluteness of the Supreme Reality. The devotees aspire only that along with the increase of
the devotional service of the Lord, the Transcendental bliss of God-realization also increases.
The Ultimate Reality is endowed with Infinite Potency which can transform Herself in infinite
forms. This Divine Potency is known as Lakshmi, Durga, etc. That Potency of the Lord is
Blissful and Sportive and therefore Her nature must be known as “Bliss.” The unification of
the Lord and His Potency is indivisible and eternal. This is indicated by the word “Sat.”
Many people indulge in the controversy of attributing either definite Form or Formlessness to
the Ultimate Reality. The Supreme Lord, however, is endowed with both the natures of Form
and Formlessness. Those who believe in any one of these aspects and deny the other are
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incomplete in their knowledge. The Supreme Lord does not have a material form but His
eternal spiritual Form is always perceived by His unalloyed devotees. Thus the conclusion is
that the Lord is formless from a mundane perspective but endowed with Divine Form when
seen with a spiritual vision. Hence both the Forms of the Lord are accepted.
A question may be asked—if Bhakti is the natural faculty of every soul why so many people
are unable to believe in the Lord? The explanation is that if the object of that faculty is far
away from the faculty, or if there are obstacles between them, then the natural faculty becomes
unmanifested and remains dormant. For instance a childless person does not understand the
parental affection; an unmarried woman cannot realize the conjugal love of the husband.
Similarly the self evident Divine Love cannot manifest itself within the ignorant, worldly
minded, fallen souls. Atheists engage in materialistic thoughts exclusively and thus become
unable to relish the unalloyed Divine Love.
Here an argument may be raised—if mental speculation has no access to the Ultimate Reality,
then instead of discussing this Tattva Sutra it is better to engage in meditation, prayer,
adoration, and worship of the Deity. This doubt is unnecessary because the knowledge
discussed in Tattva Sutra is not like the dry impersonal knowledge, but it is the very
presentation of the unalloyed principles of Bhakti. Bhakti is characterized by divine
attachment to the Lord and it is independent from karma and jïäna. When such attachment is
directed toward the Lord alone, it is real. But if attachment is applied toward a material object,
the result is fearful binding to this world. Therefore the enquiry after the Supreme Reality is
the root of spiritual advancement. Unless this Supreme Reality is clearly identified and
realized there can be no genuine attachment for It.
Therefore, while vain arguments and hostile rationalism are definitely harmful to faith, the
study of the Ultimate Reality is different from them. Those who do not have sambandha jïäna
will not be able to ascertain their own degradation even when their attachment is applied to a
material object apart from the Lord. Therefore one should know that it is most essential for the
devotees to carefully understand the Reality and to apply their unalloyed love towards Him
alone, along with the cessation of dry abnegation and unproductive arguments.
If anybody does not care for the study of the Reality due to excessive attachment, he must be
either totally liberated soul, or someone who is extremely bound to the world. This is the
secret of this Tattva Sutra. One should engage in the study of the kindest teachings of Lord Sri
Krsna Caitanya. Then his heart will be filled with extreme admiration. Without the enquiry
after the Supreme Reality, innumerable births spent in hearing and chanting will not be able to
fetch Divine Love at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.
“Through mental speculation, even the greatest philosopher cannot know the Supreme Lord, who is
the Absolute Personality of Godhead. He can be known only by His devotees through His mercy. In
the Brahma-saàhitä (5.34) it is stated that even if a nondevotee philosopher travels through space at
the speed of the wind or the mind for hundreds of millions of years, he will still find that the
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Absolute Truth is far, far away from him…Although the individual parts and parcels of the Lord's
potencies have all the symptoms of the Lord Himself, they have limited spheres of activity and are
therefore all limited. The parts and parcels are never equal to the whole; therefore they cannot
appreciate the Lord's full potency. Under the influence of material nature, foolish and ignorant
living beings who are but parts and parcels of the Lord try to conjecture about the Lord's
transcendental position. Çré Éçopaniñad warns of the futility of trying to establish the identity of
the Lord through mental speculation. One should try to learn of the Transcendence from the Lord
Himself, the supreme source of the Vedas, for the Lord alone has full knowledge of the
Transcendence.”]
[In his book Amnäya-sutra Çréla Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes:
“Although realization of the impersonal aspect of the Supreme is not the final goal, it is sometimes
a useful intermediary stage. That the realization of the impersonal aspect of the Supreme is
sometimes useful at a certain stage of spiritual development is seen in these words of the Iça
Upaniñad (Mantra 7):
"One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a
true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?"
But the intermediate stage of impersonalism is not always recommended as it is shown in the Çré
Éçopaniñad, Mantra 12:
"Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and
still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute."]
If someone misunderstands the Eternally existent Transcendental and Blissful Divinity as a

transient entity bound by time and space, the next sutra answers his doubt.
Sütra 5
sa ca satyo nityo 'nädir ananto deça-käläparicchedät
The Supreme Lord is an Eternal Reality without a beginning or an end, unbound

by the influence of time and space.
Contrary to all mundane objects which always have beginning and end, The Satcitänanda
Personality of Godhead is Real, Eternal, Beginningless and Endless. Time and Space are
creations of the Lord and thus they cannot influence Him.
[In Çré Isopanisad Mantras 4 and 8, it is stated:
“Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can
overcome all others running.”
“Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is
unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated...”]
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If an argument is put forth that—the Ultimate Reality endowed with all those mentioned
excellences is quite unintelligible to the human knowledge and since it is very faintly
understandable it can only be a subject of dry speculation of the jévas—the following sutra
dispels that doubt.
Sütra 6
paro 'pi cij-jaòäbhyäà viläsé viçva-siddheù
Although the Supreme Lord is transcendental, the mundane universe consisting of

sentient and non-sentient principles is created only due to His Sportive Spirit.
The Supreme Lord creates all types of sentient and non-sentient objects by His Potency and
manifests His pastimes among them. This world is full of wonderful pleasing arrangements—
the inconceivable connection between the sense organs and the corresponding materials,
availability of different materials according to the physical needs, habitational facilities of the
living beings by the divisions of land and seas, the beautiful performance and usefulness of
planets, stars, stellar and solar systems, determination of time according to the seasons, all
these systematic and unprecedented arrangements cannot be created by inert matter or dry
sentience. Without accepting the sportive nature of the Lord there cannot be any pleasant
conclusion.
From these evidences follows that a certain Sportive Person has established all these
insurmountable rules for the benefit of the world. The Lord’s pastimes are of two types: 1.)
The creation of the sentient and non-sentient beings, and establishing the rules for them (the
dry speculators can have faint idea about this) 2.) Manifestation of Lord’s spiritual pastimes in
this universe.
All possible positions the jéva can take in this world refer to respective Divine Manifestations.
In this connection most of the sages scientifically accept ten important Avatäras of Lord Viñëu
(1. Invertebrate—Matsya, 2. Shelly—Kurma, 3. Vertebrate—Varäha, 4. erectly vertebrate as
in a combined form of man and beast—Nrisimha, 5. Mankind—Vämana, 6. Barbaric—
Parashurama, 7. Civilized—Räma, 8. Wise—Kåñëa, 9. ultra-wise—Buddha, 10. Destructive—
Kalki).
By the mercy of Lord Caitanya the expert devotees realize the Supreme Divinity of Lord
Kåñëa and especially the extreme sweetness of His Vrindavana pastimes. The Lord’s pastimes
are eternal and transcendental and not mythological or historical.
[Çréla Prabhupada writes in his purport to Mantra 13:
“Lord Kåñëa is the original Personality of Godhead, and everything that exists has emanated from
Him. In the Bhagavad-gétä (10.8) the Lord says:
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"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who
perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."
Here is a correct description of the Supreme Lord, given by the Lord Himself. The words sarvasya
pra-bhavaù indicate that Kåñëa is the creator of everyone, including Brahmä, Viñëu and Çiva. And
because these three principal deities of the material world are created by the Lord, the Lord is the
creator of all that exists in the material and spiritual worlds…Thus all Vedic literature confirms that
Näräyaëa, or Kåñëa, is the cause of all causes. In the Brahma-saàhitä (5.1) also it is said that the
Supreme Lord is Çré Kåñëa, Govinda, the delighter of every living being and the primeval cause of
all causes. The really learned persons know this from evidence given by the great sages and the
Vedas, and thus they decide to worship Lord Kåñëa as all in all. Such persons are called budha, or
really learned, because they worship only Kåñëa.”]
Although it is established beyond a doubt that the Lord and His Potency are simultaneously
distinct and non-distinct, there are some people who argue that the Lord and His Potency are
only distinct. In the next sutra, the author refutes the idea that the transcendental potency is
different from the Lord Himself.
Sütra 7
tac-chaktitas tattvädhikyam iti cen na tad-abhedät
The Lord’s transcendental potency is a separate isolated principle, but it is only

identical with Him.
There is no distinction between the Lord and His Lordship. Both these aspects are united in
the Supreme Reality, who is One without a second. The power of burning is inseparable from
fire, the diamond from its hardness, the body and the limbs are constituents of the same object,
and the sun and the sunlight cannot be treated as two separate objects. Similarly the Lord and
His Potency are not separate from each other. The Supreme Lord Rädha-Kåñëa is the
undivided Supreme Reality.
[In his purport to Mantra 4, Çréla Prabhupada explains that this nondifference should not be
misunderstood:
“Thus the different energies of the Lord are present everywhere. Although the Lord and His
energies are nondifferent, one should not mistake these energies for the Supreme Truth. Nor should
one wrongly consider that the Supreme Lord is distributed everywhere impersonally or that He
loses His personal existence. Men are accustomed to reaching conclusions according to their
capacity for understanding, but the Supreme Lord is not subject to our limited capacity for
understanding. It is for this reason that the Upaniñads warn us that no one can approach the Lord by
his own limited potency.”]
Here someone may protest: Is it not so that by creating the material worlds and performing
other activities the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes affected by that activity and His
nature becomes different from what it was before? Does He not become enamored of what He
has created? In the next sütra, the author refutes this misconception.
14
Sütra 8
kartäpy avikäraù svätantryät
Because He is the Absolute Autocrat He does not become transformed, even though
He is the creator.
All universal laws are creations of the Lord. These laws are insurmountable by the power of
the inconceivable Divine Potency. It is a law of the Lord that whoever creates will definitely
be biased due to his willingness for creation. But the Supreme Lord is not bound by this law
and thus He remains unbiased or unchanged even after His creation of the sentient objects,
non-sentient objects and their mutual relations.
[Another aspect of the Lord’s supreme independence is shown in the purport to Çré Éçopaniñad,
Mantra 12:
“The Sanskrit word asambhüti refers to those who have no independent existence. Sambhüti is the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is absolutely independent of everything. In the Bhagavad-
gétä (10.2), the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, states:
"Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for in every
respect I am the source of the demigods and sages."
“Thus Kåñëa is the origin of the powers delegated to demigods, great sages and mystics. Although
they are endowed with great powers, these powers are limited, and thus it is very difficult for them
to know how Kåñëa Himself appears by His own internal potency in the form of a man.
Many philosophers and great åñis, or mystics, try to distinguish the Absolute from the relative by
their tiny brain power. This can only help them reach the negative conception of the Absolute
without realizing any positive trace of the Absolute. Definition of the Absolute by negation is not
complete. Such negative definitions lead one to create a concept of one's own; thus one imagines
that the Absolute must be formless and without qualities. Such negative qualities are simply the
reversals of relative, material qualities and are therefore also relative. By conceiving of the Absolute
in this way, one can at the utmost reach the impersonal effulgence of God, known as Brahman, but
one cannot make further progress to Bhagavän, the Personality of Godhead.”]
In the next sütra, the author reveals that the Supreme Lord does not increase when He creates
the universe. Neither does He become less when He destroys the universe.
Sütra 9
sadaika-rüpaù pürëatvät
Because He is perfect and complete, His nature is always unchanged.

15
In the Iça Upaniñad it is said:

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect,
all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete
wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He
is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains
the complete balance."
Here someone may ask: If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, then
what motivates Him to create the material world?
In the next sütra, the author answers this question.
Sütra 10
käruëyaà tat-kriyä-hetur nänyad äpta-kämatvät
Compassion is the motive of His actions. He has no other motive, for His every
desire is at once fulfilled without any effort on His part.
In the Çruti-çästra it is said:

"The conditioned souls act to fulfill their material desires."
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no need to act to fulfill His desires, for His every
wish is at once fulfilled without His having to act."
In the Småti-çästra it is said:

"There is not anything that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not attain merely by
wishing for it."
[The conditioned souls are forced to work hard to fulfill their material desires, and even after such
hard work they are still dependent on the Lord’s mercy for attaining their goals. In Çré Éçopaniñad,
Mantra 8, The Supreme Lord is called “the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling
everyone's desire since time immemoria.” The Lord is independent in fulfilling His desires (satya-
saìkalpa) but the living entities are dependent on Him. In the purport to Çré Éçopaniñad Mantra 8
Çréla Prabhupada writes:
“God is described here as paribhüù, the greatest of all. No one is greater than or equal to Him.
Other living beings are described here as beggars who ask goods from the Lord. The Lord supplies
the things the living entities desire. If the entities were equal to the Lord in potency—if they were
omnipotent and omniscient—there would be no question of their begging from the Lord, even for
so-called liberation. Real liberation means going back to Godhead. Liberation as conceived of by an
impersonalist is a myth, and begging for sense gratification has to continue eternally unless the
beggar comes to his spiritual senses and realizes his constitutional position.”
16
By the mercy of the Lord the liberated devotee is also satya-saìkalpa. This is explained in the
purport to Çrémad Bhagavatam 5.4.5 where Çréla Prabhupada describes the symptoms of a jévan-
mukta:
“Another symptom is apipätä, which means that he has no desire other than to engage in the
devotional service of Kåñëa, his dearmost pursuable Lord. A further symptom is satya-käma, which
indicates that all his desires are directed to the Supreme Truth, Kåñëa. He does not want anything
else. He is satya-saìkalpa. Whatever he desires is fulfilled by the grace of Kåñëa. First of all, he
does not desire anything for his material benefit, and secondly if he desires anything at all, he
simply desires to serve the Supreme Lord. That desire is fulfilled by the Lord's grace. That is called
satya-saìkalpa.”]
In Çrémad-Bhägavataà (3.7.2-3), Vidura asks the following question:

"O great brähmaëa, since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the complete spiritual whole
and is unchangeable, how is He connected with the material modes of nature and their
activities? If this is His pastime, how do the activities of the unchangeable take place and
exhibit qualities without the modes of nature?"
"Boys are enthusiastic to play with other boys or with various diversions because they are
encouraged by desire. But there is no possibility of such desire for the Lord because He is
self-satisfied and detached from everything at all times."
Çré Maitreya Muni answered in these words (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.7.9):

"Certain conditioned souls put forward the theory that the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is overcome by illusion, or mäyä, and at the same time they maintain
that He is unconditioned. This is against all logic."
What is the underlined selfish interest of the Lord in performing His pastimes? The reply is
that the Lord is not motivated by any type of selfish interest because He is free of selfish
desires whatsoever. Only His mercy for the conditioned souls is the reason for His pastimes.
(End of Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra)

17
A Summary of Chapter One
Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra pertains to the first topic of the Upaniñads—the nature of
Brahman.
Çré Kåñëa is one without a second: He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Although transcendental to material qualities, He possesses expansive, immense potencies

inconceivable to mundane perception. Innumerable contradictory qualities simultaneously
existing in Him is nothing uncommon or wonderful.
Lord Çré Kåñëa, whose form is eternal, fully conscious and blissful, is not perceivable by
mundane faculties but can be realized only by transcendental unalloyed devotional service.
He is beyond the influence of time and space. Although transcendental to matter and spirit, He
expands through His diverse energies as the cosmic manifestation, consisting of both matter and
spirit, for His pastimes. He is identical with His transcendental potency.
The supremely independent Lord Çré Kåñëa is never affected by His creation, although He is the
cause of all causes. Since He is the complete Absolute Truth the cosmic manifestation or
annihilation does not change His fullness. Devoid of any material need and desire, He performs
His transcendental activities only due to His causeless mercy.
18
Topics 2 and 3: The Nature of the Soul and the

Material Energy, and their Relation to Brahman
(Mantra 14)
One should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa and His transcendental
name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its
temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the
ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his
eternal life of bliss and knowledge. (Mantra 14)
In the purport to Mantra 4 it is stated:
Perfect knowledge means knowing the Lord in all His features, knowing His potencies and
knowing how these potencies work by His will. The Lord cannot be known by mental
speculation. One should try to learn of the Transcendence from the Lord Himself, the
supreme source of the Vedas, for the Lord alone has full knowledge of the Transcendence.
The Lord's proprietorship over everything within the universe is confirmed in the Seventh
Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä (7.4-5), where parä and aparä prakåti are discussed. The
elements of nature—earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego—all belong to the
Lord's inferior, material energy (aparä prakåti),whereas the living being, the organic energy,
is His superior energy (parä prakåti). Both of these prakåtis, or energies, are emanations from
the Lord, and ultimately He is the controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in the
universe that does not belong to either the parä or the aparä prakåti; therefore everything is
the property of the Supreme Being.
Because the Supreme Being, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, is the complete person, He
has complete and perfect intelligence to adjust everything by means of His different
potencies. The Supreme Being is often compared to a fire, and everything organic and
inorganic is compared to the heat and light of that fire. Just as fire distributes energy in the
form of heat and light, the Lord displays His energy in different ways. He thus remains the
ultimate controller, sustainer and dictator of everything. He is the possessor of all potencies,
the knower of everything and the benefactor of everyone. He is full of inconceivable
opulence, power, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation.
Lord Viñëu, the Personality of Godhead, possesses different energies, known as parä
(superior) and aparä (inferior). The living entities belong to the superior energy. The material
energy, in which we are presently entangled, is the inferior energy. The material creation is
made possible by this energy, which covers the living entities with ignorance (avidyä) and
induces them to perform fruitive activities. Yet there is another part of the Lord's superior
energy that is different from both this material, inferior energy and the living entities. That
superior energy constitutes the eternal, deathless abode of the Lord.
In this mantra, Çré Éçopaniñad teaches that one must perfectly know both sambhüti (the
Personality of Godhead) and vinäça (the temporary material manifestation), side by side. By
knowing the material manifestation alone, one cannot be saved, for in the course of nature
19
there is devastation at every moment (ahany ahani bhütäni gacchantéha yamä-layam). Nor
can one be saved from these devastations by the opening of hospitals. One can be saved only
by complete knowledge of the eternal life of bliss and awareness. The whole Vedic scheme is
meant to educate men in this art of attaining eternal life.
The nature of the soul and the material energy is summarized in the Daça-müla-tattva as follows:
“(5) The living entities are Kåñëa’s separated parts and parcels. (6) The living entity, due to
his constitutional situation as the marginal energy, may come under the sway of the material
energy. (7) Again, due to his marginal nature, the living entity in the liberated condition is
free of the influence of material nature. (8) The living entity and everything in this material
cosmos is simultaneously one and different from the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.”
20
Chapter Two of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Cit-padärtha-prakaraëa—Spirit
Here someone may ask: To whom does the Supreme Personality of Godhead give mercy when
He creates the material universes and performs other activities? Why does He give His mercy
to these persons?
To answer this question by showing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead creates the
material universes and performs many other activities in order to give mercy to the individual
spirit souls, and also by showing, using all the Vedänta scriptures as evidence, the true nature
of the individual spirit souls, the author of these sütras now begins this chapter, which gives an
elaborate definition of the word "cit" (spirit).
Sütra 11
cetanäù paränugatäs tad-vidhi-vaçyatvät
The individual souls are always subordinate to the Supreme Lord and are subject
to His rules.
Here the word "cetanaù" means "conscious spirit souls." The plural is used here to indicate
that the souls are many in number. The word "paränugataù" means that the souls are
subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are under His control. This is so
because they must obey His commands.
[This clear distinction between the Lord and the individual soul is proclaimed in Çré Isopanisad
Mantra 8:
“Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is
unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-
sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial
Çréla Prabhupada writes in the purport to Mantra 16:
“The living entities are also differentiated expansions of the Lord's Self, and because some of them
desire to be lords and imitate the Supreme Lord, He allows them to enter into the cosmic creation
with the option to fully utilize their propensity to lord it over nature. Because of the presence of His
parts and parcels, the living entities, the entire phenomenal world is stirred into action and reaction.
Thus the living entities are given full facilities to lord it over material nature, but the ultimate
controller is the Lord Himself in His plenary feature as Paramätmä, the Supersoul, who is one of the
puruñas.
21
Thus there is a gulf of difference between the living entity (ätmä) and the controlling Lord
(Paramätmä), the soul and the Supersoul. Paramätmä is the controller, and the ätmä is the
controlled; therefore they are in different categories. Because the Paramätmä fully cooperates with
the ätmä, He is known as the constant companion of the living being.”]
In the Bhagavad-gétä (18.61) it is said:
"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wandering
of all living entities."
In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.5-6), the Supreme Personality of Godhead says:
"Besides this inferior nature, O Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all
living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.
"Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its
origin and dissolution."
In the Upaniñads it is said:
"O Çvetaketu, you are that."
In the Çréla Madhväcärya's Tattva-muktävalé (Text 6) it is said:
"The mäyävädé commentator on the Vedänta claimed that the words `tat tvam asi' are the
mahä-väkya, the most important statement of the Vedas. According to his explanation, `tat'
means `the Supreme', `tvam' means `you', and àsi' means àre'. He interpreted the words to
mean `You are the Supreme', and he claimed there is no difference between the Supreme and
the individual spirit souls.
"The Vaiñëava commentator on Vedänta interpreted these words in a different way, saying
that `tat-tvam' is a possessive compound word (ñañöhé-tatpuruña-samäsa). According to his
explanation `tat' means òf the Supreme', and the entire sentence means `you are the servant
of the Supreme'. In this way the proper meaning of the scriptural statement is clearly shown."
The following sutra answers the question whether the jéva is eternal or non-eternal.
Sütra 12
te cänädy-anantaù para-çakti-viçeñatvät
The jévas have neither beginning nor end for they are parts and parcels of the
Jéva-Potency of the Lord.
The jévas can be called either eternal or non-eternal. They are eternal because they are
generated by the Lord’s Potency which is beginningless and endless. But they can be called
non-eternal because the Lord can destroy them at any time.
In the Bhagavad-gétä (15.7 and 7.5-6) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts."
22
"Besides this inferior nature, O Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all
living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe."
In the Kaöha Upaniñad (1.2.18) it is said:

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor having once been, does he ever cease to be.
He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying, and primeval. He is not slain when the body is
slain."
Although the jévas are transcendental they are not identical with the Supreme Lord who is the
Super Transcendental Entity. This is shown in the next sutra.
Sütra 13
cid-änanda-svarüpä api parato bhinnä nitya-satyatväbhävät
Although they are spiritual and blissful, the individual spirit souls are different
from the Supreme, for it is not inevitable that they are always situated in the
spiritual reality.
The Lord and the jéva have similar nature in a sense that they are both Chidänanda Svarupa.
But the Lord is Immutable and the jéva originates from the transformation of the Jéva Shakti
of the Lord.
“In this mantra the words ekatvam anupaçyataù indicate that one should see the unity of all living
entities from the viewpoint of the revealed scriptures. The individual sparks of the Supreme Whole
(the Lord) possess almost eighty percent of the known qualities of the whole, but they are not
quantitatively equal to the Supreme Lord. These qualities are present in minute quantity, for the
living entity is but a minute part and parcel of the Supreme Whole. To use another example, the
quantity of salt present in a drop is never comparable to the quantity of salt present in the complete
ocean, but the salt present in the drop is qualitatively equal in chemical composition to all the salt
present in the ocean. If the individual living being were equal to the Supreme Lord both
qualitatively and quantitatively, there would be no question of his being under the influence of the
material energy. In the previous mantras it has already been discussed that no living being—not
even the powerful demigods—can surpass the Supreme Being in any respect. Therefore ekatvam
does not mean that a living being is equal in all respects to the Supreme Lord. It does, however,
indicate that in a broader sense there is one interest, just as in a family the interest of all members is
one, or in a nation the national interest is one, although there are many different individual citizens.
Since the living entities are all members of the same supreme family, their interest and that of the
Supreme Being are not different. Every living being is the son of the Supreme Being. As stated in
the Bhagavad-gétä (7.5), all living creatures throughout the universe—including birds, reptiles,
ants, aquatics, trees and so on—are emanations of the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord.
Therefore all of them belong to the family of the Supreme Being. There is no clash of interest.”]
In the next two sütras, the author describes the idea that the Supreme Personality of Godhead
and the individual spirit souls are both one and different simultaneously.
23
Sütra 14
teñäà paratvaà kecid apare bhedam itare tübhayam
Some say the individual souls are the Supreme. Others say the individual souls are
different from the Supreme. Still others say the individual souls are both one and
different from the Supreme.
Three types of traditional views are observed regarding the jévas—Dvaita (dualism), Advaita
(non-dualism), and Dvaitädvaita (simultaneous oneness and difference).
[In his purport to Mantra 7 Çréla Prabhupada explains that only advanced devotees are able to
resolve such seemingly contradictory statements:
“Except for the madhyama-adhikäré and uttama-adhikäré discussed above, no one can correctly see
the spiritual position of a living being. The living entities are qualitatively one with the Supreme
Lord, just as the sparks of a fire are qualitatively one with the fire. Yet sparks are not fire as far as
quantity is concerned, for the quantity of heat and light present in the sparks is not equal to that in
fire. The mahä-bhägavata, the great devotee, sees oneness in the sense that he sees everything as the
energy of the Supreme Lord. Since there is no difference between the energy and the energetic,
there is the sense of oneness. Although from the analytical point of view heat and light are different
from fire, there is no meaning to the word "fire" without heat and light. In synthesis, therefore, heat,
light and fire are the same.”]
Different kinds of evidence may be produced to support all these different views. For example,
in the Upaniñads it is said:
"The individual soul is Brahman."
In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.1.1) and Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (4.6) it is said:

"In the individual spirit soul and the Supersoul, Supreme Personality of Godhead, are like two
friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating
the fruit of the tree (the sense gratification afforded by the material body), and the other bird
(the Supersoul) is not trying to eat these fruits, but is simply watching His friend.
In the Chändogya Upaniñad (3.14.1) it is said:

"This entire world is the Supreme. Therefore a peaceful and saintly person should devote
himself to worshiping the Supreme."
In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.1.4) it is said:

"A sage who understands the Supreme, the life of all that lives, will not speak of anyone but
Him. Such a sage has fallen in love with the Supreme Lord. He is eager to hear of the Lord's
pastimes. He actively serves the Lord. Such a sage is the best of all transcendentalists."
Here someone may say: The conflicting claims of these different philosophies will certainly
bewilder the living entities' minds. Fearing that someone would say this, the author of the
sütras proceeds to explain that there is no real conflict among these seemingly conflicting
views. They are separate aspects of a single philosophy. He says:
24
Sütra 15
sarveñäà sämaïjasyaà sätvata-vijïänasya bhramatväbhävät pramäëa-sad-bhäväc ca
All are true, because the evidence of scripture is always true and because the
seeming conflict does not bewilder those who know the truth.
All these sages are correct, because those who know the truth of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and understand that these conflicting views are aspects of single philosophy, are not
bewildered. The distinctions observed in these doctrines are only apparent for these doctrines
are always harmonious to each other. But some of the kanistha followers of the great sages
raise controversies due to their incomplete understanding.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.22.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:

"All such philosophers spoke under the shelter of My mystic potency, and thus they could say
anything without contradicting the truth."
These seemingly contradicting views are correct also because the previously quoted passages
of Çruti-çästra, passages that are evidence for these different views, must all be correct.
In the Taittiréya Upaniñad (3.1.1) it is said:

"All created beings emanate from the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
By His power they remain alive. They attain Him at the end."
This verse serves as pramana for all three doctrines. It proves the Advaita since there is no
other principle in existence besides Brahman. It establishes Dualism as well because the
sentient and non-sentient are real and not false like a dream. It also establishes Dvaitädvaita
because non-dualism is perceived in the beginning and at the end, and dualism is perceived in
the middle.
[In the Introduction to Çré Éçopaniñad, Çréla Prabhupada explains the same truth:
“This is the Vedic principle, and we accept it. Vedic principles are accepted as axiomatic truth, for
there cannot be any mistake. That is acceptance. For instance, in India cow dung is accepted as
pure, and yet cow dung is the stool of an animal. In one place you'll find the Vedic injunction that if
you touch stool, you have to take a bath immediately. But in another place it is said that the stool of
a cow is pure. If you smear cow dung in an impure place, that place becomes pure. With our
ordinary sense we can argue, "This is contradictory." Actually, it is contradictory from the ordinary
point of view, but it is not false. It is fact.”

25
“Here is a description of some of the Supreme Lord's transcendental activities, executed by His
inconceivable potencies. The contradictions given here prove the inconceivable potencies of the
Lord. "He walks, and He does not walk." Ordinarily, if someone can walk, it is illogical to say he
cannot walk. But in reference to God, such a contradiction simply serves to indicate His
inconceivable power. With our limited fund of knowledge we cannot accommodate such
contradictions, and therefore we conceive of the Lord in terms of our limited powers of
understanding. For example, the impersonalist philosophers of the Mäyäväda school accept only the
Lord's impersonal activities and reject His personal feature. But the members of the Bhägavata
school, adopting the perfect conception of the Lord, accept His inconceivable potencies and thus
understand that He is both personal and impersonal.”]
In the next sütra the general character of the jévas is described.
Sütra 16
vicära-rägau cetana-dharmau svarüpa-pravåtti-bhävät
The characteristic nature and the inclination of the sentient beings are cognition
and love respectively.
Knowledge and love are the characters of the sentient object. Knowledge is described in the
following verses:
In the Çruti-çästra it is said:

"Eternity, knowledge, and bliss are part of the soul's nature."
In the Vedänta-sütra (4.1.3) it is said:

"The wise know and teach the science of the soul."
Every object is endowed with two components—intrinsic form and characteristic nature. The
form of the jéva is knowledge, and his nature or inclination is love. The Supreme Lord alone is
the object of that love. In the conditioned state of the jéva this love is applied toward the
secondary objects of Mäyä. In this regard Çré Prahläda declares in Viñëu Puräëa:
"Fools fall in love with what the material senses see. I am not like them. O Supreme Lord, I
have fallen in love with You. I always think of You. I pray that You will never leave my
heart."
In his conditioned state the jéva becomes almost perverted due to various material propensities
and attains the present condition of the human beings. In this state the material mind
predominates over the soul and since the spiritual knowledge is dormant, the sensual
experience of the material world is taken to be the real knowledge. But there is great
difference between the knowledge of the liberated soul and the so-called knowledge of the
conditioned soul. The signs of the unalloyed knowledge are explained in the Kaöha Upaniñad
(2.3.10 and 2.3.6) as follows:
26
"When the five senses are peaceful, and when the mind and intelligence do not strive for
material things, one attains the highest goal of life. This, the wise say."
"In the course of life, the senses rise and again they set. Aware that he, the soul, is different
from the senses, the wise person does not grieve."
The love-natured inclination of the soul similarly undergoes perversion in the state of
bondage. The following sütra explains this.
Sütra 17
pare 'nuraktiù svabhäviké çreyas-karé ca itareñv aupädhiké duùkha-pradä ca
Love for the Supreme is natural, spiritual, and brings the highest bliss. Love for
what is not the Supreme is artificial, material, and brings only sufferings.
[This is confirmed in Çré Éçopaniñad, Mantra 13:
“It is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another
result is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed
authorities, who clearly explained it.”
In his purport to Mantra 7 Çréla Prabhupada writes:
“The spiritual entities are meant for enjoyment, as stated in the Vedänta-sütra (1.1.12): änanda-
mayo 'bhyäsät. By nature and constitution, every living being—including the Supreme Lord and
each of His parts and parcels—is meant for eternal enjoyment. The living beings who are encaged
in the material tabernacle are constantly seeking enjoyment, but they are seeking it on the wrong
platform. Apart from the material platform is the spiritual platform, where the Supreme Being
enjoys Himself with His innumerable associates. On that platform there is no trace of material
qualities, and therefore that platform is called nirguëa. On the nirguëa platform there is never a
clash over the object of enjoyment. Here in the material world there is always a clash between
different individual beings because here the proper center of enjoyment is missed. The real center of
enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, who is the center of the sublime and spiritual räsa dance. We are all
meant to join Him and enjoy life with one transcendental interest and without any clash. That is the
highest platform of spiritual interest, and as soon as one realizes this perfect form of oneness, there
can be no question of illusion (moha) or lamentation (çoka).”]
Love for the Supreme Lord is the natural inclination of the jévas. This natural relationship
between the soul and the Lord can be compared with the magnetic attraction of the iron, the
burning power of the fire, etc. Just as the mentioned qualities are closely related to the
respective objects, the jévas are naturally related to the Supreme Lord by the tie of love.
Material attachments of the embodied soul are the perverted state of the Divine Love. When
this faculty of the jéva becomes free of propensities it shines as Divine Love.
Love is the only inclination of the soul, only its name changes according to the variation of
propensities. For example, attachment for wealth is called greed, attachment to female beauty
is called lust, when the same attachment is manifested to distressed people is called kindness,
27
attachment shown towards brothers or sisters is called affection, and when it is applied toward
the benefactor it is called gratitude. When this inclination is favorably manifested it is called
love and when it is unfavorably manifested it is called enmity. In this way, the same single
inclination of the jéva is transformed into various forms. This inclination of the soul remains
in its unalloyed nature only for the liberated souls, where it can reach infinite excellence.
The activities of the Divine Love are to discard all material propensities and to surrender to the
Supreme Lord. Although such love is not possible for the conditioned souls they have to
practice gradual renunciation of all propensities by purest reasoning. If while practicing such
renunciation any sins occur the Lord will graciously absolve the jévas from them.
Sins of all types may be called misery. Misery is a result of material propensities. Hence the
following sütra:
Sütra 18
upädhi-kåtä hi kleçäù
Afflictions of the jévas arise only due to their secondary affinity to the world.
[In the purport to Mantra 13 it is stated:
“The living being is perpetually suffering in different types of bodies from the material miseries of
birth, old age, disease and death. The human form of life offers one a chance to get out of this
entanglement simply by reestablishing the lost relationship between the living entity and the
Supreme Lord.”]
In his unconditional state the jéva has a transcendental blissful form and is engaged in
unalloyed devotional service. As soon as the jéva turns away from the Lord his original pure
inclination degrades and becomes attachment to material objects. As a result of this
conditioned state the pure knowledge of the jéva is transformed into material mind. The
material attachments of this mind results in the misery of repeated births and deaths due to the
fruits of the material activities. Thus all sufferings are caused by the soul's misidentification
with the material body. In the Çruti-çästra it is said:
"Identifying with matter, the soul takes birth in a mother's womb."
In the Bhagavad-gétä (2.63), the Lord says:

"When intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.
In the Iça Upaniñad (Mantra 3) it is said:

"The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the world of
the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance."
28
The word “darkness” means that the ignorant conditioned souls attain the non-sentient objects
of their desire. This leads to misery which is classified by Srila Rüpa Gosvämé into three
types:
"Sin, the root of sin, and ignorance, are the three causes of suffering."
[In the purport to Mantra 1 it is stated:
“The root of sin is deliberate disobedience of the laws of nature through disregarding the
proprietorship of the Lord. Disobeying the laws of nature or the order of the Lord brings ruin to a
human being. Conversely, one who is sober, who knows the laws of nature, and who is not
influenced by unnecessary attachment or aversion is sure to be recognized by the Lord and thus
become eligible to go back to Godhead, back to the eternal home.”]
The material propensities are the misery of the jéva. Destroying these propensities is known as
cessation of misfortune because when these evil propensities are destroyed, the jéva attains his
transcendental blissful state. Therefore the next sutra states:
Sütra 19
anartha-nivåttir muktiù sva-pada-präpakatvät
Because it restores the soul to its original nature, renunciation of materialism

brings liberation.
There are five types of mukti. The general sign of all types of conditioned mentality is the
aversion to the Lord. Therefore all types of mukti are endowed with proximity of the Lord.
The essence seeking disciples of Lord Caitanya do not need to imagine independent meanings
of the words mukti and bhakti. Those who unduly distinguish between them do not have
realization of either of them.
Since the state of liberation is not intelligible for the fallen souls rationalism cannot produce
any fruitful result by arguing about this inconceivable stage.
If the Supreme Lord is all-merciful, why the misfortune has befallen on the jévas? The
following sutra answers this doubt.
Sütra 20
jévänäm itaränurakti-hetur éçvara-käruëyaà tata eva teñäà svätantrya-siddheù
The material attachments of the jévas are result from the exercise of their atomic
free will which has been graciously awarded to them by the Supreme Master.

29
The conditioned souls suffer because of their material attachments. Why the All-Merciful
Lord allows these sufferings? The Supreme Lord has endowed the souls with certain amount
of free will for their benefit and He cannot be blamed for their suffering.
"Entering with the individual soul, I will create the name and form."

"A person who is pure in heart attains whatever he desires. He enters whatever world he
desires. A person who desires auspiciousness should worship such a self-realized soul."
In the Muëòaka Upaniñad (3.2.2) it is also said:

"One who desires material things is born again to fulfill his desires. A person who attains the
Supreme finds that all his desires are fulfilled. All his material desires disappear."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.16.34), the Nägapatnés say to Lord Kåñëa:

"What You have done here is actually mercy for us, since the punishment You give to the
wicked certainly drives away all their contamination. Indeed, because this conditioned soul,
our husband, is so sinful that he has assumed the body of a serpent, Your anger toward him is
obviously to be understood as Your mercy."
(End of Chapter Two of Çré Tattva-sütra)

30
A Summary of Chapter Two
The Chapter Two of Çré Tattva-sütra pertains to the second topic of the Upaniñads—the nature
of the soul and its relation to Brahman.
The individual living entities are eternally subordinate to the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa and are
subject to His rules. These individual souls are eternal beginningless and endless beings, part and
parcels of the jéva-çakti of Çré Kåñëa.
Although constitutionally conscious and blissful, the living entities are certainly different from
the supreme living entity Çré Kåñëa.
The seers of the truth have established three views regarding the living entity and the Supreme
Lord, namely (a) oneness, (b) difference, and (c) simultaneous oneness and difference. There
cannot be a mistake in the scientific evidence of transcendental revelation. So, all these three
views are in complete agreement.
The constitutional nature and character of the living entity is transcendental knowledge and love.
Love of Godhead is the natural and auspicious function of the living entity. When that love is
directed toward objects of material existence, it becomes the source of all miseries. Miseries arise
from attachments to material existence. The material attachments of the living entities result from
their minute independence, awarded to them by the mercy of Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Cessation of unwanted miseries brings one to the platform of liberation where the
constitutional position as servant of Kåñëa is realized.
31
Chapter Three of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Acit-padärtha-prakaraëa—Matter
Here someone may ask: In what form or with what potency does the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is beyond the modes of nature and whose form is eternal and full of knowledge
and bliss, act to create the material universes?
To answer this question, the author of the sütras begins this chapter, which gives the definition
of the word "acit" (matter).
Sütra 21
mäyä-çaktir acid guëavaté parävara-kärya-rüpä ca
Matter is the illusory potency, mäyä, which controls the modes of nature and
creates a variety of forms and actions, from the lowest to the highest.
The Lord’s Primal Potency is endowed with infinite extensions. Among them two types of
extensions can be realized by the human beings—Vidyä is the cause of sentience and Avidya
is the cause of non-sentience.
“The fact is that there is nothing but God within and without. Everything is a manifestation of His
different energies, like the heat and light emanating from a fire, and in this way there is a oneness
among His diverse energies. Although there is oneness, however, the Lord in His personal form still
enjoys unlimitedly all the pleasures enjoyed minutely by the tiny part-and-parcel living entities.”]
The Supreme Personality of Godhead tells the demigod Brahmä (Çrémad-Bhägavatam

2.9.34):
"O Brahmä, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality.
Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness."
In the Bhagavad-gétä (9.10), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:

"This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunté, and it is producing all
moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again
and again."
In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.14), the Supreme Personality of Godhead also declares:

"This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to
overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."
32
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.11.1-2), Çré Maitreya declares:

"The material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a
body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of
all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by
the common man.
"Atoms are the ultimate state of the manifest universe. When they stay in their own forms
without forming different bodies, they are called the unlimited oneness. There are certainly
different bodies in physical forms, but the atoms themselves form the complete
manifestation."
In the Iça Upaniñad (Mantra 11) it is said:

"Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side
by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of
immortality."
All superior and inferior activities in this world are transformations of Maya.
Here someone may protest: This potency creates the material world independently, without the
help of anyone else. Why must you postulate the existence of a Supreme God?
To answer this protest, the author of the sütras speaks these words:
Sütra 22
jaòatvät kåti-çünyä cetana-preritä bhavati saàjïävad-vat
Matter is naturally inert, for it is neither alive nor conscious. When conscious life
pushes it into action, matter appears to be alive and conscious.
Matter is naturally inert, for it is neither alive nor conscious. It has no power to perform any
action. When conscious life pushes it into action, matter appears to become warm with life. It
is under these conditions that matter appears to act, becoming the creator of the universe.
[In the purport to Mantra 10 Çréla Prabhupada writes:
“The material body and mind are bad bargains for the spiritual living entity. The living entity has
actual functions in the living, spiritual world, but this material world is dead. As long as the living
spiritual sparks manipulate the dead lumps of matter, the dead world appears to be a living world.
Actually it is the living souls, the parts and parcels of the supreme living being, who move the
world. The dhéras have come to know all these facts by hearing them from superior authorities and
have realized this knowledge by following the regulative principles.”]
Before the phenomenal creation, Nature was in its state of equilibrium. When the
transcendental seminal principle of Divine Vision was projected in it, the equilibrium became
agitated and the phenomenal creation started due to that energy.
33
This is described in Bhagavad-gétä (9.10), where the Supreme Personality of Godhead

declares:
"This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunté, and is producing all
moving and unmoving beings."
In the Aitareya Upaniñad (1.1.1) it is said:

"With a glance the Supreme Personality of Godhead created the material worlds."
The mere semblance of that Divine glance is manifested in the material world in the form of
heat and attraction by which the entire solar universe is activated and controlled. The jévas are
created out of this Divine Vision and therefore they are enabled to independently activate the
Nature. This independence however is limited.
All natural phenomena (changing seasons, earthquakes, generation of cloud and showering of
rains, etc.) are generated due to this Divine Vision. It is not logical to accept the rules but to
discard the Ruler.
Therefore the inactivity of the mundane Nature has been accepted in this sutra, due to its
inertness. Nature cannot do anything without being activated by the Lord.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.26.17), Lord Kapila explains:

"My dear mother, O daughter of Sväyambhuva Manu, the time factor, as I have explained, is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom the creation begins as a result of the
agitation of the neutral, unmanifested nature."
In the next sütra, the author shows that the illusory potency, mäyä, is a prison for the
conditioned souls.
Sütra 23
sä paränanuraktänäà kärävad dehädi-bandhana-rüpä
Maya imprisons the conditioned souls who are averse to the Supreme Lord in the
form of physical body, etc.
Here the word "sä" means "the material nature," "para" means "the Supreme Personality of
Godhead," and "ananuraktänäm" means "of they who, exercising their independence, have no
love for the Lord and are fond of disobeying His orders." For such persons the material nature
provides a series of shackles, which begin with the material bodies in which the conditioned
souls dwell. This is described in the following words of the Kaöha Upaniñad (2.2.7):
"They who do not love the Supreme Personality of Godhead enter a mother's womb, and
again dwell in a material body. Some even become unmoving trees and plants. They attain
different stations in life according to their past deeds and according to their thoughts at the
moment of death."
34
“The temporary material body is certainly a foreign dress. The Bhagavad-gétä (2.20) clearly says
that after the destruction of the material body the living entity is not annihilated, nor does he lose
his identity. The identity of the living entity is never impersonal or formless; on the contrary, it is
the material dress that is formless and that takes a shape according to the form of the indestructible
person. No living entity is originally formless, as is wrongly thought by those with a poor fund of
knowledge… But in any case, the material bodies of all animals and men are foreign to the living
entity. They change according to the living entity's desire for sense gratification.”
“Since the creation of the material world, everyone has been trying to attain a permanent life, but
the laws of nature are so cruel that no one has been able to avoid the hand of death. No one wants to
die, nor does anyone want to become old or diseased. The law of nature, however, does not allow
anyone immunity from old age, disease or death. Nor has the advancement of material knowledge
solved these problems. Material science can discover the nuclear bomb to accelerate the process of
death, but it cannot discover anything that can protect man from the cruel hands of old age, disease
and death.”
“In material nature, everyone is under the stringent laws of matter and must pass through six stages
of existence: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, deterioration and finally death.
No one in contact with material nature can be beyond these six laws of transformation; therefore no
one—whether demigod, man, animal or plant—can survive forever in the material world.
The duration of life varies according to species. Lord Brahmä, the chief living being within this
material universe, lives for millions and millions of years, while a minute germ lives for some hours
only. But no one in the material world can survive eternally. Things are born or created under
certain conditions, they stay for some time, and, if they continue to live, they grow, procreate,
gradually dwindle and finally vanish. According to these laws, even the Brahmäs, of which there
are millions in different universes, are all liable to death either today or tomorrow. Therefore the
entire material universe is called Martyaloka, the place of death.
Material scientists and politicians are trying to make this place deathless because they have no
information of the deathless spiritual nature. This is due to their ignorance of the Vedic literature,
which contains full knowledge confirmed by mature transcendental experience. Unfortunately,
modern man is averse to receiving knowledge from the Vedas, Puräëas and other scriptures.”]
In the Kaöha Upaniñad (2.2.1) it is said:

"The unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose heart is supremely pure, also resides in
the city of eleven gates that is the material body of the conditioned soul."
In Bhagavad-gétä (14.5), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"Material nature consists of the three modes: goodness, passion, and ignorance. When the
living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes."
Sütra 24
anädir anantä ca parameçvara-çaktitvät

35
Because it is the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the material

nature has neither beginning nor end.
The Avidya Prakriti originates from the Primal Potency of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the
non-sentient objects may be called beginningless and endless like the jévas. Still, the reality of
Avidya cannot be compared with the Eternal Reality of the Supreme Lord because the reality
of Avidya depends on the autocratic will of the Supreme Lord. In the Småti-çästra it is said:
"Please know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His material energy are both
beginingless."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.1.1) it is said:

"O my Lord, Çré Kåñëa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer
my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Çré Kåñëa because He is the
Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance, and
destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all
manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He
only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmäjé, the original living
being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is
bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only
because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the
three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon
Him, Lord Çré Kåñëa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever
free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is
the Absolute Truth."
Many scholars categorize the time among absolute and eternal objects. But this is not so. The
following sutra explains what the time is.
Sütra 25
kälo närthäntaraà baddhänäà prakåti-sambandha-rüpatvät
Time can be defined as a form of relation between the fallen souls and the
phenomenal Nature.
The purport of scientific theology is to categorize the reality under some common
characteristics and to minimize the number of the ultimate principles. Unnecessary increasing
of the number of these principles is not at all reasonable. Therefore the author of this book has
accepted only two such principles—sentience and non-sentience (spirit and matter). In his
book “Bhakti-sütra” the sage Çäëòilya also accepts only these two principles as objects:
"The major categories are: 1. spirit, and 2. matter. There is no third."
36
The time has been often explained as the influence of the Supreme Lord. In Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (3.26.16), Lord Kapila explains:
"The influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is felt in the time factor, which causes
fear of death due to the false ego of the deluded soul who has contacted material nature."
The conditioned souls who identify with matter are afraid of this Divine influence—Time. The
time is manifested due to the relation of sentience with matter. At the absence of the jévas who
would have realized the existence of Nature? Thus the awareness of the existence of Prakriti is
Time. In other words, the relationship between the fallen souls and mundane Nature is called
the phenomenal time. Time, however, does not control the Lord and the liberated jévas.
Therefore the idea that time is a major category of existence is rejected by this sütra. Time is
not a major category. It is merely an intermediary who establishes a relationship.
The study of the time goes together with the study of another principle called space. This is the
topic of the next sütra.
Sütra 26
saivädhiñöhäna-rüpiëé deça-saàjïitä
The mundane Nature constitutes the space which accommodates the mundane
living beings.
Matter provides a dwelling place for the conditioned souls. This place is called, "the three
dimensions of material space." An example of material space is given in these words of the
Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (4.6-7):
"Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety
and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree."
The "tree" here is the material dwelling place (the body) of the conditioned soul.
Many philosophers assert that the element earth is the resting place of the other material
elements. This is described in the following words of the Muëòaka Upaniñad (2.1.3):
"From the Supreme Personality of Godhead are born life, mind, all the senses, ether, air, fire,
and water. All these rest on the element earth."
But the earth itself is stationed in space, occupying certain portion of it. Therefore the space
itself is the support of the earth. In fact, space is the first manifestation of the inert Nature and
the first support of all phenomenal objects. Ultimately the inert Nature and the sentient beings
originate from the Supreme Lord.
37
Sütra 27
jaòe baddhasyänanda-bhramo vaikuëöha-bhramaç cäsaìgät
Due to the delusion created by Maya, the fallen souls with their defective intellect
misconstrue the phenomenal misery as bliss, and the phenomenal abode as their
eternal abode and become attached to them.
[These two illusions are called änanda-bhrama and vaikuëöha-bhrama. Çréla Prabhupada discusses
änanda-bhrama in his purports to Mantras 7 and 11:
“The spiritual entities are meant for enjoyment, as stated in the Vedänta-sütra (1.1.12): änanda-
mayo 'bhyäsät. By nature and constitution, every living being—including the Supreme Lord and
each of His parts and parcels—is meant for eternal enjoyment. The living beings who are encaged
in the material tabernacle are constantly seeking enjoyment, but they are seeking it on the wrong
platform. Apart from the material platform is the spiritual platform, where the Supreme Being
enjoys Himself with His innumerable associates. On that platform there is no trace of material
qualities, and therefore that platform is called nirguëa. On the nirguëa platform there is never a
clash over the object of enjoyment. Here in the material world there is always a clash between
different individual beings because here the proper center of enjoyment is missed. The real center of
enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, who is the center of the sublime and spiritual räsa dance. We are all
meant to join Him and enjoy life with one transcendental interest and without any clash. That is the
highest platform of spiritual interest, and as soon as one realizes this perfect form of oneness, there
can be no question of illusion (moha) or lamentation (çoka).”
“Since all living beings are His beloved sons, His parts and parcels, God is more sorry than we
ourselves to see the sufferings we are constantly undergoing in this material condition. The miseries
of this material world serve to indirectly remind us of our incompatibility with dead matter.
Intelligent living entities generally take note of these reminders and engage themselves in the
culture of vidyä, or transcendental knowledge. Human life is the best opportunity for the culture of
spiritual knowledge, and a human being who does not take advantage of this opportunity is called a
narädhama, the lowest of human beings.”
Vaikuntha-bhrama is discussed in the purports to Mantras 11, 12 and 14:
“Since the creation of the material world, everyone has been trying to attain a permanent life, but
the laws of nature are so cruel that no one has been able to avoid the hand of death. No one wants to
die, nor does anyone want to become old or diseased. The law of nature, however, does not allow
anyone immunity from old age, disease or death. Nor has the advancement of material knowledge
solved these problems. Material science can discover the nuclear bomb to accelerate the process of
death, but it cannot discover anything that can protect man from the cruel hands of old age, disease
and death.
From the Puräëas we learn of the activities of Hiraëyakaçipu, a king who was very much advanced
materially. Wanting to conquer cruel death by his material acquisitions and the strength of his
nescience, he underwent a type of meditation so severe that the inhabitants of all the planetary
systems became disturbed by his mystic powers. He forced the creator of the universe, the demigod
Brahmä, to come down to him. He then asked Brahmä for the benediction of becoming amara, by
which one does not die. Brahmä said that he could not award the benediction because even he, the
material creator who rules all planets, is not amara. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä (8.17),
Brahmä lives a long time, but that does not mean he is immortal…The whole point here is that even
Hiraëyakaçipu, the most powerful of materialists, could not become deathless by his various plans.
38
What, then, can be accomplished by the tiny Hiraëyakaçipus of today, whose plans are thwarted
from moment to moment?
Çré Éçopaniñad instructs us not to make one-sided attempts to win the struggle for existence.
Everyone is struggling hard for existence, but the laws of material nature are so hard and fast that
they do not allow anyone to surpass them. In order to attain a permanent life, one must be prepared
to go back to Godhead.”
“In the scriptures there are recommendations for worshiping demigods under certain circumstances,
but at the same time these scriptures state that there is normally no need for this. In the Bhagavad-
gétä (7.23), it is clearly stated that the results derived from worshiping the demigods are not
permanent. Since the entire material universe is impermanent, whatever is achieved within the
darkness of material existence is also impermanent. The question is how to obtain real and
permanent life…The Lord states that as soon as one reaches Him by devotional service—which is
the one and only way to approach the Personality of Godhead—one attains complete freedom from
the bondage of birth and death. In other words, the path of salvation from the material clutches fully
depends on the principles of knowledge and detachment gained from serving the Lord. The pseudo
religionists have neither knowledge nor detachment from material affairs, for most of them want to
live in the golden shackles of material bondage under the shadow of philanthropic activities
disguised as religious principles. By a false display of religious sentiments, they present a show of
devotional service while indulging in all sorts of immoral activities. In this way they pass as
spiritual masters and devotees of God.”
“By its so-called advancement of knowledge, human civilization has created many material things,
including spaceships and atomic energy. Yet it has failed to create a situation in which people need
not die, take birth again, become old or suffer from disease. Whenever an intelligent man raises the
question of these miseries before a so-called scientist, the scientist very cleverly replies that
material science is progressing and that ultimately it will be possible to render man deathless,
ageless and diseaseless. Such answers prove the scientists' gross ignorance of material nature. In
material nature, everyone is under the stringent laws of matter and must pass through six stages of
existence: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, deterioration and finally death.
No one in contact with material nature can be beyond these six laws of transformation; therefore no
one—whether demigod, man, animal or plant—can survive forever in the material world. The
duration of life varies according to species. Lord Brahmä, the chief living being within this material
universe, lives for millions and millions of years, while a minute germ lives for some hours only.
But no one in the material world can survive eternally. Things are born or created under certain
conditions, they stay for some time, and, if they continue to live, they grow, procreate, gradually
dwindle and finally vanish. According to these laws, even the Brahmäs, of which there are millions
in different universes, are all liable to death either today or tomorrow. Therefore the entire material
universe is called Martyaloka, the place of death. Material scientists and politicians are trying to
make this place deathless because they have no information of the deathless spiritual nature. This is
due to their ignorance of the Vedic literature, which contains full knowledge confirmed by mature
transcendental experience. Unfortunately, modern man is averse to receiving knowledge from the
Vedas, Puräëas and other scriptures.”]
The änanda-bhrama is further divided in two types: the delusion of observed pleasures
(derived by the present senses) and the delusion of audible pleasures (heavenly enjoyments).
The karma-kanda scriptures tempt the human beings with heavenly enjoyments which are
actually only delusions. They cannot truly satisfy the soul. Therefore in the Kaöha Upaniñad
Naciketa tells Yamaräja, the lord of death:
39
"In the spiritual world there is not fear of old age, or of you, O death. There, one crosses
beyond both of them. In the spiritual world there is no anxiety to attain food and drink. The
residents of the spiritual world enjoy transcendental bliss."
"Every human being soon meets his death. Quickly his senses become old and weak.
Everyone's life is brief. Your chariots, singing, and dancing will last for only a moment."
"Thinking material pious deeds as the best of all actions, and affirming that no other action is
better than them, fools go to Svargaloka, enjoy, and then again return to this world or the
worlds beneath it."
This delusion results from the jéva’s defective association with matter where he forgets his
own spiritual character and endeavor to obtain happiness from the miserable matter. In
Bhagavad-gétä (2.62-63), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
"While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and
from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
"From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is
bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the
material pool."
In his commentary on these words, Çré Çaìkaräcärya explains:

"Here it is said that contemplation of sense objects is the root of all that is undesirable."
As a result the jévas mistaken the sense pleasure as bliss and the material world as Vaikuntha.
This delusion is quite harmful to the soul. In the next sutra the author describes the remedy for
this deadly disease.
Sütra 28
vivekena tato vimuktiù
Using the intelligence's power of discrimination, one can become free from these
illusions.
Here the word "tataù" means "from the two previously described illusions," "muktiù" means
"the individual souls attain freedom," and "vivekena" means "by understanding the truth of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul."
[In the purport to Mantra 11 Çréla Prabhupada explains how to defeat these illusions:
“The process by which one goes back to Godhead is a different branch of knowledge, and it has to
be learned from revealed Vedic scriptures such as the Upaniñads, Vedänta-sütra, Bhagavad-gétä
and Çrémad-Bhägavatam. To become happy in this life and attain a permanent blissful life after
leaving this material body, one must study this sacred literature and obtain transcendental
knowledge. The conditioned living being has forgotten his eternal relationship with God and has
mistakenly accepted the temporary place of his birth as all in all. The Lord has kindly delivered the
above-mentioned scriptures in India and other scriptures in other countries to remind the forgetful
40
human being that his home is not here in this material world. The living being is a spiritual entity,
and he can be happy only by returning to his spiritual home.”]
In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (4.4.12) it is said:

"If a person knows the true nature of the soul, and if he thinks, Ì am spirit,' then what will he
desire in this material world? How will he become attached to his material body?"

"Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of
fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master."
In the Närada-païcarätra, Second Night, Second Chapter, it is said:

"By associating with the devotees of Çré Kåñëa, one attains unwavering, unmotivated,
blissful devotional service—service that eventually allows one to serve Lord Kåñëa directly.
"As a tender new sprout on vines or trees grows with the rains and withers with the scorching
sunshine, so a new sprout on the tree of devotional service grows by conversing with
devotees and withers by conversing with non-devotees."
In Bhagavad-gétä (4.34), the Supreme Personality of Godhead says:

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively
and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because
he has seen the truth."
The next sutra defines the result of applying such discrimination.
Sütra 29
na ca präkåta-vad indriya-grähyatvaà vaikuëöhasyädhokñajatvät
The Divine Abode of Vaikuntha is not accessible to the mundane senses due to its
transcendental nature.
“We should not take it for granted that because we cannot see God with our eyes the Lord has no
personal existence. Çré Éçopaniñad refutes this argument by declaring that the Lord is far away but
very near also. The abode of the Lord is beyond the material sky, and we have no means to measure
even this material sky. If the material sky extends so far, then what to speak of the spiritual sky,
which is altogether beyond it?”
“The Sanskrit word asambhüti refers to those who have no independent existence. Sambhüti is the
Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is absolutely independent of everything. In the Bhagavad-
gétä (10.2), the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, states:
"Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for in every
respect I am the source of the demigods and sages."
41
Thus Kåñëa is the origin of the powers delegated to demigods, great sages and mystics. Although
they are endowed with great powers, these powers are limited, and thus it is very difficult for them
to know how Kåñëa Himself appears by His own internal potency in the form of a man.
Many philosophers and great åñis, or mystics, try to distinguish the Absolute from the relative by
their tiny brain power. This can only help them reach the negative conception of the Absolute
without realizing any positive trace of the Absolute. Definition of the Absolute by negation is not
complete. Such negative definitions lead one to create a concept of one's own; thus one imagines
that the Absolute must be formless and without qualities. Such negative qualities are simply the
reversals of relative, material qualities and are therefore also relative. By conceiving of the Absolute
in this way, one can at the utmost reach the impersonal effulgence of God, known as Brahman, but
one cannot make further progress to Bhagavän, the Personality of Godhead.”]
The Transcendental Abode Vaikuntha is entirely devoid of all mundane qualities. The
mundane qualities such as shape, expansibility, etc, are all imperfect. The material objects are
victims of inertia and because of it, without displacing an object, another object cannot be
accommodated on its place. Since this defective quality of inertia is not present in the
Vaikuntha, it is free of the obstacles of expansion.
The eternally existent transcendental blissful form of the Lord is the only resort of the jévas.
However, if this form is attributed with material qualities, then it becomes idolatry.
Vaikuntha is a non-phenomenal or supramundane Abode. Before enquiring about that Abode

we should understand what is the meaning of the word “phenomenal.”
Sütra 30
indriyäëi tad-viñayäs taj-jäta-bhäväç ca

manasä saha präkåtäç cid-upädhitväj janyatväc ca
The senses and mind, their objects like form, taste, smell, etc., and the feelings
produced by their acts of perception, are all material, for these are all created
within the material world and they are all the result of the soul's misidentifying
itself as a material body.
The mind, the senses, and the sense objects are all material objects. The mental image of
material objects is also material, it never becomes spiritual. The spiritual knowledge is not
attained by any external experience because it is self-manifest. Since the mundane faculty of
the mind is not eternal it cannot be accepted as the eternal characteristic of the jévas. Thus the
mind is also a material object though it is superior to other mundane objects.
(End of Chapter Three of Çré Tattva-sütra)

42
A Summary of Chapter Three
Chapter Three of Çré Tattva-sütra pertains to the third topic of the Upaniñads—the material
energy, and its origin and connection to Brahman.
The external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa is endowed with material
qualities whose transformation results in the evolution of many details of this unlimited cosmic
manifestation. The external energy is without beginning or end because it is the divine energy of
the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa. Matter being unconscious, cannot act by itself. When activated by
consciousness it begins to work.
Those living entities who are averse to Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are
imprisoned in variegated bodies by the external energy, mäyä. The external energy constitutes the
accommodation, which is known as space. Time is a form of relation between the conditioned
souls and the external energy. Conditioned by matter, the living entity mistakes sense
gratification as bliss (änanda-bhrama) and material existence as the transcendental abode
(vaikuëöha-bhrama). To become free from these delusions one should discriminate by
transcendental knowledge of the Absolute Truth.
The spiritual world is transcendental—beyond mundane sensual perception. The mundane senses,
sense objects, the feelings derived from their contact, and the mind—all these are material in
existence, due to the conditioned state of the living entities.
43
Part II: Abhideya
Topic 4: The Means of Attaining Brahman

(Mantras 1-3, 9, 11, 15-18)
Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the
Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set
aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they
belong. One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in
that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no
alternative to this way for man. (Mantras 1-2)
Çréla Prabhupada writes in his purport to the Invocation Mantra:
The completeness of human life can be realized only when one engages in the service of the
Complete Whole. All services in this world—whether social, political, communal,
international or even interplanetary—will remain incomplete until they are dovetailed with
the Complete Whole. When everything is dovetailed with the Complete Whole, the attached
parts and parcels also become complete in themselves.
The instructions of Çré Éçopaniñad are more elaborately explained in the Bhagavad-gétä,
sometimes called the Gétopaniñad, the cream of all the Upaniñads. In the Bhagavad-gétä
(3.9-16) the Personality of Godhead says that one cannot attain the state of naiñkarmya, or
akarma, without executing the prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedic literature. This
literature can regulate the working energy of a human being in such a way that he can
gradually realize the authority of the Supreme Being. When he realizes the authority of the
Personality of Godhead—Väsudeva, or Kåñëa—it is to be understood that he has attained the
stage of positive knowledge. In this purified stage the modes of nature—namely goodness,
passion and ignorance—cannot act, and he is able to work on the basis of naiñkarmya. Such
work does not bind one to the cycle of birth and death.
Factually, no one has to do anything more than render devotional service to the Lord.
However, in the lower stages of life one cannot immediately adopt the activities of devotional
service, nor can one completely stop fruitive work. A conditioned soul is accustomed to
working for sense gratification—for his own selfish interest, immediate or extended. An
ordinary man works for his own sense enjoyment, and when this principle of sense enjoyment
is extended to include his society, nation or humanity in general, it assumes various attractive
names such as altruism, socialism, communism, nationalism and humanitarianism. These
"isms" are certainly very attractive forms of karma-bandhana (karmic bondage), but the Vedic
instruction of Çré Éçopaniñad is that if one actually wants to live for any of the above "isms,"
he should make them God-centered. There is no harm in becoming a family man, or an
altruist, a socialist, a communist, a nationalist or a humanitarian, provided that one executes
his activities in relation with éçäväsya, the God-centered conception. How one can execute
God-centered activities is elaborately explained in the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, by Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé. We have rendered this book into English as The Nectar of Devotion. We
44
recommend this valuable book to all who are interested in performing their activities in the
spirit of Çré Éçopaniñad.
Vedic knowledge is transcendental and cannot be understood by mundane educational

procedures. One can understand the Vedic mantras only by the grace of the Lord and the
spiritual master (yasya deve parä bhaktir yathä deve tathä gurau [ÇU 6.23]). If one takes
shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, it is to be understood that he has obtained the grace of
the Lord. The Lord appears as the spiritual master for the devotee. Thus the spiritual master,
the Vedic injunctions and the Lord Himself from within—all guide the devotee in full
strength. In this way there is no chance for a devotee to fall again into the mire of material
illusion. The devotee, thus protected all around, is sure to reach the ultimate destination of
perfection. The entire process is hinted at in this mantra, and Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.17-
20) explains it further:
Hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord is itself an act of piety. The Lord wants everyone
to hear and chant His glories because He is the well-wisher of all living entities. By hearing
and chanting the glories of the Lord, one becomes cleansed of all undesirable things, and then
one's devotion becomes fixed upon the Lord. At this stage the devotee acquires the
brahminical qualifications, and the effects of the lower modes of nature (passion and
ignorance) completely vanish. The devotee becomes fully enlightened by virtue of his
devotional service, and thus he comes to know the path of the Lord and the way to attain
Him. As all doubts diminish, he becomes a pure devotee.
The means of attaining Brahman is summarized in the Daça-müla-tattva as follows:
“Pure devotional service is the living entity’s occupation and means.”

45
Chapter Four of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Sambandha-prakaraëa—The Relationship of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead and the Individual Spirit Souls
In order to show the way the individual spirit souls, who were described in the cit-prakaraëa
chapter, may attain the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is perfect,
complete, eternal, and full of knowledge and bliss, in the beginning of this, the Fourth
Chapter, the author describes devotional service and the natural and eternal relationship of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual souls.
Sütra 31
bhaktiù pürëänuraktiù pare
Devotional service means unwavering love for the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.
The indivisible and unalloyed love for the Supreme Lord, Who is superior to the principles of
sentience and non-sentience is called Bhakti (devotion). The distinction between love and
knowledge is that the dry realization is the knowledge and the delicious realization is the love.
Jïäna is a form of sentience, but the Raga is the form of bliss. Thus the transcendentally
blissful jéva is endowed with Jïäna and Bhakti (knowledge and love). Jïäna is the
characteristic form of the jéva and bhakti is the inclination of the jéva. When the jéva develops
his tendency of love indivisibly applied toward the Supreme Lord, that state is called
liberation.
All the sentient objects are attracted by one another and all of them are naturally attracted by
the Supreme Lord. The attraction between the sentience itself is the love. The individual
attraction between the sentient objects does not hamper their fullest love towards the Supreme
Lord.
Sütra 32
tasyäù svarüpaà phalam upäyaç ceti
As per the bonded and the liberated conditions of the jévas, bhakti can be divided
as the End and the Means respectively.

46
Bhakti is the unalloyed function of the jéva. The individual spirit souls are of two kinds: 1.)
the conditioned souls, and 2.) the liberated souls, and the devotional service they perform is
also of two kinds: 1.) phala-bhakti (devotional service as a goal), and 2.) upäya-bhakti
(devotional service as a means to attain a goal). The liberated souls engage in phala-bhakti,
which is the same a prema-bhakti, the perfect stage of love for Lord Kåñëa. The conditioned
souls engage in upäya-bhakti, which is the same as sädhana-bhakti, and which is the means by
which one attains the goal of phala-bhakti.
By the systematic performance of determinative and causeless Upäya Bhakti, ultimate

devotion will be attained by the devotee in the form of transcendental service of the Supreme
Lord.
It is said:
"Ghee equals long life."
This means that by eating foods cooked in ghee one attains a long life. As ghee and long life
are equated, in the same way saòhana-bhakti is called devotional service because it leads to
the final goal: the attainment of prema-bhakti.

"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, and bowing down
before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion."
In this way, chanting japa, offering obeisances, and other activities of sädhana-bhakti are
described.
In Bhagavad-gétä (18.52-55), the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:

"One who lives in a secluded place, who eats little, and who controls the body and the tongue,
and is always in trance, and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride,
lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the
position of self-realization.
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never
laments nor desires to have anything. He is equally disposed to every living entity. In that
state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when
one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the
kingdom of God."
In the Närada-paëacarätra, in the midst of a description of unwavering devotional service,

Lord Sadäçiva explains:
"These auspicious, blissful, and unselfish actions bring direct service to Lord Hari."
In the next sütra, the author describes the truth that pure devotional service is directed to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead alone.
47
Sütra 33
phala-bhakter nänyad aìgam ekatvät svataù-siddhatväc ca
The ultimate Bhakti is devoid of any other limbs because of its exclusively
unalloyed and absolute character.
Phala-bhakti has no other divisions or limbs. Unalloyed love alone is its nature. Phala-bhakti
has no separate subdivisions, because it has a single undivided nature, and because, consisting
of activities of passionate love for the Lord, it is naturally perfect. In these ways, it is not like
sädhana-bhakti.
Knowledge is the very form of the liberated soul, and the soul’s inclination is the love-natured
bhakti. Therefore jïäna cannot be part of bhakti. Vairägya means absence of material
attachments but since there is no love included it cannot be a part of the love-natured bhakti.
Thus the conclusion is that Jïäna and Vairägya are necessary associates of Bhakti but they are
not parts of Bhakti.
In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.246 and 1.2.248-249), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains:

"Some scholars argue that simply by following the principles of varëa and äçrama one can
gradually rise to the perfections reached by practicing devotional service, but this argument is
not accepted by the great authorities."
"Some scholars recommend that knowledge and renunciation are important factors for
elevating oneself to devotional service, but actually that is not a fact. Actually the cultivation
of knowledge or renunciation, which are favorable for achieving a footing in Kåñëa
consciousness, may be accepted in the beginning, but ultimately they may also come to be
rejected, for devotional service is dependent on nothing other than the sentiment or desire for
such service. It requires nothing more than sincerity.
"It is the opinion of expert devotees that mental speculation and the artificial austerities of
yoga practice may be favorable for becoming liberated from material contamination, but they
will also make one's heart harder and harder. They will not help at all in the progress of
devotional service. These processes are therefore not favorable for entering into the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. Actually, Kåñëa consciousness, devotional service
itself, is the only way of advancing in devotional life. Devotional service is absolute. It is both
the cause and the effect."
After thus describing the most exalted kind of devotional service, the author of the sütras now
begins his description of upäya-bhakti. He says:
Sütra 34
upäya-bhakteù paränuçélanaà pratyähäraç cäìgam

48
Upäya-bhakti has as its parts: 1.) intent devotion to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and 2.) renunciation of the material world.2
This Upäya-bhakti alone is the resort of the conditioned souls.
The cultivation of Divine Love is the activity or the blissful inclination of the transcendental
jévas. The renunciation of the material world is the reformative upliftment of the jévas from
the dirt of worldliness.
The renunciation is the very means of liberation. Without giving due attention to renunciation
there will be hardly any possibility of progress because of the material attachments of the
jévas. Advancement in devotional service is often signified by symptoms such as tears, tremor,
sweating, etc., but these signs on their own are not proof for genuine devotional emotions.
They can be caused by material attachments as well. Therefore, unless the devotional
cultivation is observed along with renunciation, these shadowy reflections will occupy the
heart and the genuine Divine Love will not be manifested there.
Since renunciation automatically follows all devotional activities, a question may be asked—
what is the need of making distinction between renunciation and devotional activities? The
answer is that although all devotional activities include renunciation, not all types of
renunciation include devotion.
Now, let us see what is the meaning of “devotional culture” as explained in the next sutra.
Sütra 35
çravaëa-kértanädéni paränuçélanopayogitvät praty-aìgäni
Hearing and chanting of the Divine narrations etc., are the feature of devotional
performances which help the cultivation of Divine Love.
[Çréla Prabhupada stresses the importance of hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord
in his purport to Mantra 13:
“The simple way to worship the Supreme Lord in this age of disturbance is to hear and chant about
His great activities. The mental speculators, however, think that the activities of the Lord are
imaginary; therefore they refrain from hearing of them and invent some word jugglery without any
substance to divert the attention of the innocent masses of people. Instead of hearing of the
activities of Lord Kåñëa, such pseudo spiritual masters advertise themselves by inducing their
followers to sing about them. In modern times the number of such pretenders has increased
considerably, and it has become a problem for the pure devotees of the Lord to save the masses of
people from the unholy propaganda of these pretenders and pseudo incarnations.
2
In Çré Isopanisad the intent devotion to the Lord is shown in Mantras 15-18 and the renunciation of the material
world is explained in Mantras 1-3.
49
The Upaniñads indirectly draw our attention to the primeval Lord, Çré Kåñëa, but the Bhagavad-
gétä, which is the summary of all the Upaniñads, directly points to Çré Kåñëa. Therefore one
should hear about Kåñëa as He is by hearing from the Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and
in this way one's mind will gradually be cleansed of all contaminated things. Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(1.2.17) says, "By hearing of the activities of the Lord, the devotee draws the attention of the Lord.
Thus the Lord, being situated in the heart of every living being, helps the devotee by giving him
proper directions." The Bhagavad-gétä (10.10) confirms this: dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà yena mäm
upayänti te.
The Lord's inner direction cleanses the devotee's heart of all contamination produced by the
material modes of passion and ignorance. Nondevotees are under the sway of passion and
ignorance. One who is in passion cannot become detached from material hankering, and one who is
in ignorance cannot know what he is or what the Lord is. Thus when one is in passion or ignorance,
there is no chance for self-realization, however much one may play the part of a religionist. For a
devotee, the modes of passion and ignorance are removed by the grace of the Lord. In this way the
devotee becomes situated in the quality of goodness, the sign of a perfect brähmaëa. Anyone can
qualify as a brähmaëa if he follows the path of devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide
spiritual master.”]
The unalloyed state of the devotional sentiment is called prema (Divine Love). This Divine
Love manifested in the purified mind is called bhäva. This bhäva itself is the manifestation of
divine love in the conditioned state of the jévas. Physical activities cultured according to this
Divine Love natured bhäva are known as devotional performances (sädhana). Devotional
performances devoid of devotional sentiments are not conducive to devotion (pigeons living in
the temple or fishes living in the Ganga).
When a devotee is engaged in devotional performances both his mind and soul are illuminated
with bhäva and prema. In this way the devotional performance itself is the cultivation of
Divine Love. Therefore when the word sädhana is mentioned it includes the principles of
bhäva and prema in it.
The devotional performances are of two types—esoteric (rägänuga) and esoteric (regulated by
scriptural rules and called sadhana). The esoteric devotional performances are to be followed
as long as devotional sentiments are manifested. These rules are described by the sages.
Attainment of devotional attachment to the Supreme Lord is the real award of following these
rules.
Among the 64 methods of sadhana Sri Rupa Goswami has emphasized five as most important:
1.) Delight in visualising Sri Murhti, 2.) Faith on hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, 3.) Assosiation
of the devotees, 4.) Hearing and chanting the Holy Name, 5.) Residing in the holy abodes of
Mathura, etc.
In the next verse the author describes the previously mentioned renunciation aspect of upäya-
bhakti.
Sütra 36
50
deha-rathaà manaù särathim indriya-häyäà ästikya-jïänena yukta-vairägyeëa ca viñaya-

märgäc chanair nivartayed eña eva pratyähäraù
The physical body is the chariot, the mind is the charioteer, and the senses are the
horses. Driving this chariot back to the Divinity, away from the part of worldly
attachments, by the help of divine knowledge and balanced abnegation, is known as
retraction.
[This switch from material to spiritual consciousness is accomplished by active devotional service.
In the purport to Mantra 4 Çréla Prabhupada writes:
“Every part and parcel of the Complete Whole is endowed with some particular energy to act
according to the Lord's will. When the part-and-parcel living entity forgets his particular activities
under the Lord's will, he is considered to be in mäyä, illusion. Thus from the very beginning Çré
Éçopaniñad warns us to be very careful to play the part designated for us by the Lord. This does not
mean that the individual soul has no initiative of his own. Because he is part and parcel of the Lord,
he must partake of the initiative of the Lord as well. When a person properly utilizes his initiative,
or active nature, with intelligence, understanding that everything is the Lord's potency, he can
revive his original consciousness, which was lost due to association with mäyä, the external
energy.”]
The body is here called the chariot because it is controlled by the mind. The mind is called the
charioteer, because it controls the senses. The senses are called the horses because they pull
the chariot of the body here and there.
The transcendental soul has entered into materialistic hunting of this material world and is
enjoying the results of his actions. The returning back of this jéva to his own abode is known
as retraction. There are three kinds of retractions—pertaining to the retraction of the senses
(renunciation, asceticism, restrain, sense-control), to the retractions of the body (penance,
sacrifice, purity and different types of yoga), and to the retraction of the mind (forgiveness,
sincerity, non-stealing, truthfulness, learning).
By adopting these methods the body, the mind, and the senses become properly controlled and
one attains self-realization and the soul’s natural function, Kåñëa bhakti, flourishes.
In Bhagavad-gétä (6.20-21), the Supreme Personality of Godhead also says:

"The stage of perfection is called trance, or samädhi, when one's mind is completely
restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one's
ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state
one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through
transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth."
In Bhagavad-gétä (6.28), the Supreme Personality of Godhead also says:

"Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogé achieves the highest
perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the supreme consciousness."
51
Bhakti is the ultimate fruit of all these yoga sädhanas. In Bhagavad-gétä (6.47), the Supreme
Personality of Godhead says:
"And of all yogés, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in
transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of
all."
Retraction is a part of the Upäya bhakti because it helps the blooming of bhakti. Many people
are in deep illusion and think that Sänkhya, Yoga, Karma, Tapasya, etc., bring in separate
fruits. They will be enlightened by the concluding verse of Eight Chapter of the Géta noted
below:
"A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from
studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity, or pursuing philosophical
and fruitive activities. At the end he reaches the supreme abode."
The monistic process is also a part of retraction, by the help of which, the retraction of the
mind may be achieved. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.5.11-12), Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé gives
his final instruction to Mahäräja Parikñit:
"You should consider, Ì am nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the supreme abode, and
that Absolute Truth, the supreme destination, is nondifferent from Me'. Thus resigning
yourself to the Supreme Soul, who is free from all material misidentifications, you will not
even notice the snake-bird Takñaka when he approaches with his poison-filled fangs and bites
your foot. Nor will you see your dying body or the material world around you, because you
will have realized yourself to be separate from them."
Similarly in Bhagavad-gétä (18.54), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains the result
of the monistic process:
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never
laments nor desires to have anything. He is equally disposed to every living entity. In that
state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."
There many types of retractions described by the sages. It is not necessary to follow all of
them. If the essential retractions are followed they will help the aspirant. In Bhagavad-gétä
(12.10-11), the Supreme Personality of Godhead tells Arjuna:
"If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because
by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
"If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results
of your work and try to be self-situated."
The conclusion is that the retraction of the body, mind, and the senses should be thoroughly
achieved by any of the genuine methods of retraction.
Even though retraction is a part of the Upäya bhakti it may be dangerous for the ignorant men
who think that retraction is an independent process with separate results. Such people cause
the shutting down of the door of their own progress.
52
Because of the superficial differences between the different processes of retraction there are
sectarian controversies which are quite unnecessary. To avoid such controversies the retraction
should be properly followed in association with theistic knowledge and appropriate
renunciation.
Here someone may protest: The diëòima drum of the Vedic conclusion proclaims,
"Knowledge brings liberation!" As for you, why do you emphasize the words "spiritual
knowledge"? Why must this knowledge be spiritual in its character?
To refute this objection, the author speaks the following words:
Sütra 37
jïänän muktiù jïänäd bandhaç ca
Divine knowledge brings liberation, and mundane knowledge brings bondage.
The first kind of knowledge here is spiritual knowledge, or knowledge of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The word "muktiù" here means "liberation from material bondage."
The second kind of knowledge here is material knowledge, or also the dry theories of the
impersonalists. The word "bandhaù" here means "bondage in the cycle of repeated births and
deaths."
[We find the same concept in Çré Éçopaniñad, Mantra 10, where it is stated:
“The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a
different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.”
Çré Éçopaniñad further discriminates between two levels of bondage—the ordinary ignorance and
the false knowledge. This distinction is shown in Mantra 9:
“Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of
ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.”]
In the following words the Supreme Personality of Godhead affirms that material knowledge
binds one to the material world. He says (Bhagavad-gétä 14.6):
"Those situated in that mode (goodness) develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by
the concept of happiness."
The conclusion of the atheists and blasphemers is given in these words of the Vidvan-moda-
taraìginé:
"What is action? Who is the seer of things? When and by whom are karmic reactions
obtained? How does one attain another birth in this world?' If someone asks these questions,
then I reply: These questions have no answers. There is no way anyone can find answers to
these questions. The truth is that life is like a flowing river that brings sometimes pleasures
53
and sometimes pains. The material body is temporary. It will die. The truth is that the entire
world is unreal. It does not really exist. It is all an illusion."
This type of pseudo knowledge results in more bondage of the jévas. It is known as empiric
knowledge. Even the animals belong to this category because they too are not aware of the
results of their activities and about their past and future. This type of atheistic people spends
their time following the urges of their senses and at the end of life attain downfall.
On the other hand, those who do not believe in the existence of the individual soul and want to
become merged with Brahman are dry Gnostics. But real liberation is attained only by those
souls who became liberated by experiencing the bliss of Love of God. Those who have
attained Nirvana cannot be called liberated because their state is only advancement in the
sattva guna and they will not be able to taste the bliss of love towards the Absolute which is
beyond the triple qualities of phenomena. In the Çré Caitanya-candrodaya-naöaka (7.77),
Çréla Ramänanda Räya explains:
"They who cannot taste sweetness will drink the bitter nimba juice of impersonal liberation.
We, however, who know what is sweet, drink the dark, sweet nectar the amorous gopés drank
through the corners of their eyes."
In response to Lord Caitanya's questions, Çré Ramänanda Räya explained (Caitanya-

candrodaya-näöaka 7.61):
"They who love Kåñëa's lotus feet and do not love anything else, who delight in bhakti-yoga,
the yoga of devotional service, and are not attracted to añöäìga-yoga or any other kind of
yoga, and who place their love in the transcendental form of Lord Kåñëa, and not in their own
external material body, are actually liberated and free from the material world. Non-devotees
who claim to be liberated are not so."
In the next sütra, the author explains the meaning of the word "yukta" (appropriate) in the
phrase "yukta-vairägya" (appropriate renunciation).
Sütra 38
vairägyän muktiù vairägyäd bandhaç ca
Proper renunciation brings liberation whereas dry renunciation brings additional

bondage.
In this sütra the author explains the meaning of the word "yukta" (appropriate in the phrase
"yukta-vairägya" (appropriate renunciation). Renunciation is of two kinds: 1.) yukta-vairägya
(appropriate renunciation) and 2.) phalgu-vairägya (false renunciation). Proper renunciation is
54
performed when, without being attached to the results of one's work, and acting purely and in
a saintly manner, one offers the results of his work to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This kind of renunciation brings liberation from the bondage of repeated birth and death.
[This is the isavasya concept. In Çré Éçopaniñad Mantras 1-2 it is stated:
“Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord.
One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his
quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. One may aspire
to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work
will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.”
Çré Éçopaniñad outlines the isavasya principle for a broad range of transcendentalists. In
Bhagavad-gita this principle is developed and explained from social and metaphysical point of
view. Bhagavad-gita states that the highest application of isavasya is pure devotional service to the
Lord. The Nectar of Devotion reveals how the isavasya is understood and applied specifically by the
devotees of the Lord. And the Nectar of Instruction summarizes the process of refinement and
presents the ultimate understanding of the same principle. Çréla Prabhupada writes in the purport to
Mantra 2:
“When altruistic activities are executed in the spirit of Çré Éçopaniñad, they become a form of
karma-yoga. Such activities are recommended in the Bhagavad-gétä (18.5-9), for they guarantee
their executor protection from the danger of sliding down into the evolutionary process of birth and
death. Even though such God-centered activities may be half-finished, they are still good for the
executor because they will guarantee him a human form in his next birth. In this way one can have
another chance to improve his position on the path of liberation.
How one can execute God-centered activities is elaborately explained in the Bhakti-rasämåta-
sindhu, by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé. We have rendered this book into English as The Nectar of
Devotion. We recommend this valuable book to all who are interested in performing their activities
in the spirit of Çré Éçopaniñad.”]

"One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the
renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic."
False renunciation, on the other hand, is dry, makes the heart hard, makes one proud, is petty,
is likened to the renunciation practiced by monkeys living in the forest, and brings the
sufferings of repeated birth and death in the material world as its true result. In the Çruti-
çästra it is said:
"Not by mere renunciation does one attain liberation."

"Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the
mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation."
In Bhagavad-gétä (3.6), the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:

"One who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on sense-objects,
certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender."
55
In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.256), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains:

"When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts anything in relation to
Kåñëa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects
everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kåñëa is not as complete in his
renunciation."
In Bhagavad-gétä (18.7-8), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If, by illusion, one gives up his prescribed
duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
"Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the
mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation."
In Bhagavad-gétä (18.9 and 18.11), the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all
attachment to the fruit, his renunciation is of the nature of goodness, O Arjuna."
"It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. Therefore it is said
that he who renounces the fruits of action is one who has truly renounced."

"Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he
performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.
"Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up
all sense of proprietorship over his possessions, and acts only for the bare necessities of life.
Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions."
In Bhagavad-gétä (6.17 and 18), the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working, and recreation can mitigate
all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
"When the yogé, by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in
transcendental, devoid of all material desires, he is said to have attained yoga."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.8-10), Çréla Süta Gosvämé explains:

"The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much
useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
"All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never
be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the
ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
"Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a
healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute
Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works."
Here someone may ask: What will happen if someone practices devotional cultivation but fails
in the practice of renunciation? The following sütra satisfies this doubt:
Sütra 39
56
pratyähäräsampatteù para-bhakty-asiddhäv api nädhaù-patanam
In the observation of devotional cultivation if the renunciation is not properly

followed the Ultimate Bhakti is not attained although the aspirant is safeguarded
from downfall.
Unless the body, mind and the senses are controlled by the help of theistic knowledge and
proper renunciation the observation of devotional cultivation cannot provide any upliftment.
The only gain of such practice is that it will guard the aspirant from downfall. In Bhagavad-
gétä (6.40), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"O son of Påthä, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with
destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world. One who does good, My friend, is
never overcome by evil."
“In the Bhagavad-gétä (6.41-43) it is stated that a man who enters upon the path of self-realization
but does not complete the process, despite having sincerely tried to realize his relationship with
God, is given a chance to appear in a family of çuci or çrémat. The word çuci indicates a spiritually
advanced brähmaëa, and çrémat indicates a vaiçya, a member of the mercantile community. So the
person who fails to achieve self-realization is given a better chance in his next life due to his sincere
efforts in this life. If even a fallen candidate is given a chance to take birth in a respectable and
noble family, one can hardly imagine the status of one who has achieved success. By simply
attempting to realize God, one is guaranteed birth in a wealthy or aristocratic family. But those who
do not even make an attempt, who want to be covered by illusion, who are too materialistic and too
attached to material enjoyment, must enter into the darkest regions of hell, as confirmed throughout
the Vedic literature. Such materialistic asuras sometimes make a show of religion, but their ultimate
aim is material prosperity. The Bhagavad-gétä (16.17-18) rebukes such men by calling them ätma-
sambhävita, meaning that they are considered great only on the strength of deception and are
empowered by the votes of the ignorant and by their own material wealth. Such asuras, devoid of
self-realization and knowledge of éçäväsya, the Lord's universal proprietorship, are certain to enter
into the darkest regions.”]
Attainment of relief from major sins like falsehood, intoxication, voluptuary, laziness, greed,
disparaging, trespassing the superiors, idling, deceiving, breach of duty towards parents,
treason, evil company in the guise of dance and music, ignorance, egotism, etc., is called
retraction.
Although the tendency for sins is not inherent with the constitution of the jévas, since they
have gained ground in the hearts of the jévas since time immemorial, they act like the natural
character of the jévas. When these unnatural habits are subdued by regular practice this will
help the aspirant to discover the intrinsic nature of the jéva.
Everyone should keep a thorough list of all these sinful habits. When a particular evil habit is
brought under control the attention should be given to the rest. Many people are unable to
avoid their sinful tendencies even by being aware of them because of the lack of proper effort
in controlling them. Of course, at the time of controlling the sins in the prescribed manner one
57
should also pay due regard for the devotional cultivation, otherwise everything will end up in
dry asceticism.
There are many people who don’t follow the method of retraction but display symptoms of
advanced devotees. Such symptoms are not the real signs of Divine Love because worldly lust
cannot remain with a person who has developed genuine devotional sentiments and Divine
Love. In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.3.43, 1.3.46, and 1.3.54), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains:
"Even ordinary devotees cannot have such pure attachment for Kåñëa. Therefore, how is it
possible for success to be achieved by persons whose hearts are contaminated by the actions
and reactions of fruitive activities and who are entangled by various types of mental
speculation?"
"Sometimes it is found that a person actually attached to material enjoyment or salvation has
the good fortune to associate with pure devotees while they are engaged in chanting the holy
name of the Lord. By the good grace of the Lord one may also cooperate and join in the
chanting. At that time simply by the association of such pure devotees, the moonlike rays
from their hearts reflect on him, and by the influence of the pure devotees, he may show some
likeness of attachment caused by inquisitiveness."
"If one commits offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee, one's shadow attachment or parä
attachment can be extinguished. This extinguishing is like the waning of the full moon, which
gradually decreases and at last becomes dark."
The conclusion is that everyone should practice retraction. Unless retraction is accepted as a
constant companion of devotional practices, the Divine Love will not be manifested. Hence
the following sütra:
Sütra 40
pratyähära-samåddhyä sädhanaà bhävas tathaiva bhävät premä
With the proper development of renunciation one attains active devotional service
(sädhana), then ecstasy (bhäva), and finally pure love (prema) for the Lord.
By regular practice, one makes advancement in renunciation and devotional service. First
there is active devotional service (sädhana), then ecstasy (bhäva), and finally pure love
(prema) for the Lord. Thus, with the proper development of renunciation, one makes
advancement in devotional service, culminating in ecstasy and pure devotional love.
To what extent the retraction is followed, the aspirant attains purity to the same proportion.
Depending on the stage of purification to the same degree the spiritual Form of the Lord is
revealed to the devotee. The Supreme Personality of Godhead explains (Bhagavad-gétä 9.9):
"Follow the regular principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain
Me."
In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.1-2), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains:

58
"The three categories of devotional service are: 1.) devotional service in practice ( sädhana),
2.) devotional service in ecstasy (bhava), and 3.) devotional service in pure love of Godhead
(prema). When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are
certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant
capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sädhana-bhakti."
(End of Chapter Four of Çré Tattva-sütra)

59
A Summary of Chapter Four
Chapter Four of Çré Tattva-sütra pertains to the fourth topic of the Upaniñads—the means of
attaining Brahman.
Bhakti is unalloyed full attachment to Kåñëa, the transcendental Lord. According to the situation
of the living entities (i.e. conditioned or liberated) devotional service is also understood to be in
two stages (phala: end, fruition and upaya: means, regulative).
Spontaneous love of God is independent, unalloyed and constitutionally the nature of the living
entity and therefore does not have any other limbs.
Cultivation of favourable devotion and retraction from sense gratificatory activities are the two
limbs of regulated devotion. The nine processes of devotional service, beginning with hearing
and chanting, are the means by which one can develop such favourable devotional love for
Kåñëa.
The body is the chariot. The mind is the charioteer, the senses are the horses. Driving this chariot
back home (toward Kåñëa consciousness) from the path of sense gratification by the help of
transcendental knowledge and proper engagement of everything in devotional service is known
as pratyahara (retraction).
Transcendental knowledge is the cause of liberation and mundane materialistic knowledge is the
cause of bondage. Engagement of everything in Kåñëa's service is the cause of liberation and
pseudo-renunciation is the cause of bondage.
If one is not fully free from sense gratification, the cultivation of devotional practices will not
award transcendental love for Kåñëa, although there will be no downfall. To the extent of
freedom from sense gratification, one can perform pure regulated devotional service, which turns
into 'bhava' bhakti, which will ultimately bloom into love for Kåñëa.
60
Part III: Prayojana
Topic 5: The Nature of the Supreme Goal

and the Status of the Jéva in Mukti
(Mantras 6, 7, 10, 12, 13)
He who sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living
entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never
hates anything or any being. One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in
quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or
anxiety for him? (Mantras 6-7)
Çréla Prabhupada writes in his purport to Mantra 6:
Above the madhyama-adhikäré is the uttama-adhikäré, who sees everything in relation to the
Supreme Lord. Such a devotee does not discriminate between an atheist and a theist but sees
everyone as part and parcel of God. He knows that there is no essential difference between a
vastly learned brähmaëa and a dog in the street, because both of them are part and parcel of
the Lord, although they are encaged in different bodies on account of the different qualities of
their activities in their previous lives. He sees that the brähmaëa particle of the Supreme Lord
has not misused his little independence given him by the Lord and that the dog particle has
misused his independence and is therefore being punished by the laws of nature by being
encaged in the form of a dog. Not considering the respective actions of the brähmaëa and the
dog, the uttama-adhikäré tries to do good to both. Such a learned devotee is not misled by
material bodies but is attracted by the spiritual spark within them.
When one attains brahminical qualifications, he becomes happy and enthusiastic to render
devotional service to the Lord. Automatically the science of God is unveiled before him. By
knowing the science of God, one gradually becomes freed from material attachments, and
one's doubtful mind becomes crystal clear by the grace of the Lord. One who attains this stage
is a liberated soul and can see the Lord in every step of life. This is the perfection of
sambhava, as described in this mantra of Çré Éçopaniñad.
In Daça-müla-tattva, the nature of the Supreme Goal is presented as follows:
(10) “Pure love of Kåñëa is the living entity’s ultimate goal.”

61
Chapter Five of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Siddhänta-prakaraëa—The Final Conclusion
Sütra 41
jïäna-süryasya hi raçmayaù çästräëi
Revealed scriptures are the rays of the sun of Divine Knowledge.
The Divine Knowledge is compared to the Sun and all the scriptures are the rays of that Sun.
The God given self evident knowledge of the jévas is the source of all the scriptures. The
sages have received this self-evident knowledge from the Supreme Lord and recorded it for
the benefit of the jévas. This recorded portion of this primeval knowledge has been manifested
in the form of the Vedas. The Vedic teachings are of two types. In the Muëòaka Upaniñad
(1.1.4-5) it is said:
"Enlightened souls say there are two kinds of knowledge: 1.) transcendental knowledge, and
2.) material knowledge. The knowledge of the Åg, Yajur, Säma, and Atharva Vedas is
material knowledge."
"The study of phonetics, rituals, grammar, etymology, meter, and astrology are all material
knowledge. Transcendental knowledge is the knowledge that brings one to the imperishable
Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Although the Vedic knowledge is self-effulgent and eternal in the course of its journey
through the different ages it became associated with the various qualities of the different
writers. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.14.3-8), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"By the influence of time, the transcendental sound of Vedic knowledge was lost at the time
of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I spoke the Vedic
knowledge to Brahmä because I Myself am the religious principles enunciated in the Vedas.
"Lord Brahmä spoke this Vedic knowledge to his eldest son, Manu, and the seven great sages
headed by Bhågu Muni then accepted the same knowledge from Manu.
"From the forefathers headed by Bhågu Muni and other sons of Brahmä appeared many
children and descendants, who assumed different forms as demigods, demons, human beings,
Guhyakas, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyädharas, Cäraëas, Kindevas, Kinnaras, Nägas,
Kimpuruñas, and so on. All of the many universal species, along with their respective leaders,
appeared with different natures and desires generated from the three modes of material
nature. Therefore, because of the different characteristics of the living entities within the
universe, there are a great many Vedic rituals, mantras, and rewards.
"Thus, due to the great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many
different theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through tradition, custom, and
disciplic succession. There are other teachers who directly support atheistic viewpoints."
62
Due to the mixture of defective sense-knowledge many types of infidel doctrines have come
into existence in the name of the scriptures. Therefore the self-evident knowledge which is the
universal acquisition of the jévas must be followed as a standard in the studies and discussions
of the scriptures. Thus the independent cultivation of the self-evident knowledge is always
necessary. Since this self-evident knowledge itself is the origin of all the scriptures, those who
disregard the root and depend upon the branches cannot attain any well being. There it is also
said:
"Without proper understanding, one is simply trapped in a cave of the scriptures. By
scripture-study one must revive his own dormant spiritual knowledge. Then he may attain
liberation."
[The attentive student will notice that the above statement summarizes the goal of our studies as it is
formulated by Suhotra Maharaja in his Introduction to the Bhakti sastri study:
“A particular aim of our program is to bring forth svataù-siddha-jïäna from the hearts of those
participating in the program—that is, the innate Vedic knowledge and culture dormant within every
living entity.”]
Somebody may protest that if all scriptures are derived from the self-evident faith where is the
need of honoring them? The answer is that in the conditioned state of the jévas their real
knowledge is covered by the darkness of ignorance. The jévas will gradually realize their self-
evident knowledge when they perform devotional service.
The conclusion is that all the principles will be decided and all the scriptures will be
understood by the help of the self-evident knowledge. But this rule does not apply to those,
whose self-evident knowledge has been adulterated by empirical knowledge. Hence the
following sütra.
Sütra 42
çästram akñameñu baléyo vivekinäà naitat tan-müla-präpteù
Those who are not yet self-realized are controlled by the scriptures. Those who are
endowed with discretion and Divine wisdom are not controlled but only guided by
the scriptures.
Here someone may protest: In Bhagavad-gétä (16.23), the Supreme Personality of Godhead
declares: "But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whim
attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination." After all, the very word
"çästra" comes from the word "çäsana," which means "restriction." Therefore the individual
spirit souls are always obliged to follow the restrictions enunciated in the scriptures. How can
any good result come from not following the scriptural rules?
63
Fearing that someone would voice this protest, the author has spoken this sütra. Here the word
"akñameñu" means "they who are not yet self-realized." Such persons cannot act
independently. They are governed by the rules of scripture. However, for self-realized souls,
who of their own desire do what is right and proper in spiritual life, this is not so. These great
souls are not bound by the rules of scripture because they have already attained the perfect
spiritual knowledge that is the root from which the scriptures have grown. All the scriptures,
as well as the Çäréraka and Mémäàsä commentaries, are meant for the souls who are not yet
self-realized, who shall dwell in the world of ignorance. Therefore the words of the Lord in
Bhagavad-gétä (16.23) mean that for their own good, the unenlightened souls, who if given
independence would perform forbidden action, the rules of scriptures are given. The rules in
the scriptures are thus given to bring under control the uncontrolled, independent conditioned
souls. For the liberated souls a different instruction is given. Lord Kåñëa explains (Bhagavad-
gétä 2.52):
"When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become
indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard."
Lord Kåñëa also explains (Bhagavad-gétä 2.45):

"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above
these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them."
In all scriptures can be seen these two signs: 1) They must be followed; 2) Still they are
secondary compared to the self-evident faith. Of these two aspects of scriptures we see that the
second is hidden. The reason is that those who are advanced don’t need to see it emphasized
and those who are not advanced better not see it because they will misuse it.
In the next sütra the author describes the devotee’s relationship with the scriptures.
Sütra 43
bhakte na çästraà tad-vidher jïänävirodhitvät
The rules of these scriptures do not apply to a devotee of the Lord, for an
enlightened devotee never acts against the spiritual truth.
After explaining that they who are enlightened with transcendental knowledge are free from
the rules of scripture, the author of the sütras now affirms that the devotees are especially free
from these rules. The duties and prohibitions of scripture do not apply to a person who is pure
in heart, renounced, filled with transcendental knowledge and engaged in devotional service.
This is so because the devotee's intent engagement in devotional service to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead does not in any way oppose the rules and regulations ordained by the
scriptures, it is rather their perfection. Therefore on the level of Rägätmika bhakti there is no
requirement of spiritual codes. But the help of scriptures and favorable reasoning are
necessary on the level of Vaidhi bhakti. Here is the meaning: One attains the highest goal of
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life by following the rules and regulations of devotional service, not by following the rules and
regulations of ordinary, non-devotional, materialistic piety. In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu
(1.2.292-293) it is said:
"Therefore, in the beginning, everyone should strictly follow the regulative principles of
devotional service, according to the injunctions of the scriptures and the spiritual master.
Only after the stage of liberation from material contamination can one actually aspire to
follow in the footsteps of the devotees in Våndävana."
Manu again explains:

"A person who knows the true meaning of the Vedas and follows the rules of his äçrama
becomes liberated even as he resides in this world."
It is also said:
"If someone says, `what is the religion of the Vedas?’ The answer is given, `the true religion
of the Vedas is the religion taught by great transcendentalists.’"
It is also said:
"What a great transcendentalist speaks should be known to be the true religion. True religion
is not the opinion of fools."
"There are many thousands of persons who do not follow vows or chant mantras, or who earn
a livelihood as professional mantra-chanters or professional brähmaëas. These persons have
no power to teach what the real religion, the real truth is."
Therefore when a self-realized devotee ordains any new arrangements they should be accepted
as a religious injunction even if they are not found in the scriptural dictum of the previous
sages.
The following sütra resolves an old controversy.
Sütra 44
bhaktau na varëäçrama-vidhiù sa tasyäjïäna-paratvät
The spontaneous devotees are free from the bindings of the various social orders
and distinctions due to their acquisition of Divine Knowledge.
Are the devotees of the Lord obliged to follow the rules of varëäçrama-dharma, or are they not
obliged to follow them? The author writes this sütra to answer this question. He says: In
devotional service the rules of varëäçrama-dharma no longer apply. Neophyte, materialistic
devotees should follow varëäçrama-dharma, but advanced devotees, who are situated on the
spiritual platform and are free from the grip of the modes of material nature, have no use for
varëäçrama-dharma. This pure devotional service is described by the Lord in these words
(Bhagavad-gétä 7.19, and 7.17):
"He who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me."
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"Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the
best."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.18.28), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:

"A learned transcendentalist dedicated to the cultivation of knowledge and thus detached
from external objects, or My devotee who is detached even from desire for liberation, both
neglect those duties based on external rituals or paraphernalia. Thus their conduct is beyond
the range of rules and regulations."
In Bhagavad-gétä (18.66) the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:

"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all
sinful reaction. Do not fear."
[In his purport to Mantra 2 Çréla Prabhupada confirms that, on the other hand, the neophytes are
obliged to follow the Vedic rules and regulations:
“The instructions of Çré Éçopaniñad are more elaborately explained in the Bhagavad-gétä,
sometimes called the Gétopaniñad, the cream of all the Upaniñads. In the Bhagavad-gétä (3.9-16)
the Personality of Godhead says that one cannot attain the state of naiñkarmya, or akarma, without
executing the prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedic literature. This literature can regulate the
working energy of a human being in such a way that he can gradually realize the authority of the
Supreme Being. When he realizes the authority of the Personality of Godhead—Väsudeva, or
Kåñëa—it is to be understood that he has attained the stage of positive knowledge. In this purified
stage the modes of nature—namely goodness, passion and ignorance—cannot act, and he is able to
work on the basis of naiñkarmya. Such work does not bind one to the cycle of birth and death.”]
Manu explains:
"A brähmaëa should: 1.) study, 2.) teach, 3.) worship the Lord, 4.) convince others to worship
the Lord, 5.) give charity, and 6.) accept charity."
"A kñatriya should: 1.) protect the citizens, 2.) give charity, 3.) worship the Lord, 4.) study
scripture, and 5.) not become attached to material sense-objects.
"A vaiçya should: 1.) protect cows, 2.) give charity, 3.) worship the Lord, 4.) study scripture,
5.) engage in banking and commerce, and 6.) engage in farming.
"A çüdra has one duty: without envy he should faithfully serve the other varëas."
"So the people would prosper, the Supreme Personality of Godhead created the different
varëas. He created the brähmaëas from His head, the kñatriyas from His arms, the vaiçyas
from His thighs, and the çüdras from His feet."
In Bhagavad-gétä (18.41-44), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"Brähmaëas, kñatriyas, vaiçyas, and çüdras are distinguished by their qualities of work, O
chastiser of the enemy, in accordance with the modes of nature.
"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and
religiousness. These are the qualities by which the brähmaëas work.
"Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and
leadership are the qualities of work for the kñatriyas."
"Farming, cow-protection, and business are the qualities of work for the vaiçyas, and for the
çüdras there is labor and service to others."
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This inherent nature of the human beings is called their religious duty. Whatever nature
strongly manifests in childhood, without any type of teaching or training, should be known as
one’s inherent nature. By the help of this first nature the caste of all human beings must be
ascertained.
A person with the qualities of restrain, endurance, etc., even born in the lower castes like çüdra
etc., must be known as brähmana. In other words, nobody becomes brähmana or çüdra simply
because of his birth. On the other hand, those born in brähmana families but lacking
brahminical nature should be accepted according to their manifested nature. In the
Mahäbhärata, Çänti-parva, in the description of giving charity, Lord Sadäçiva explains:
"O girl with the beautiful thighs, a brähmaëa sees everyone equally. He is beyond the modes
of nature. He is pure and always situated in Brahman. That is my opinion."
"However, even a çüdra who is pure in heart and deed and who controls his senses is equal to
a brähmaëa, and he should be worshiped. That is the opinion of Lord Brahmä himself.
"A çüdra who finds it natural to engage in auspicious activities is equal to a brähmaëa. That is
my opinion.
"Neither birth, nor ritual, nor scholarship, nor family designate one as a brähmaëa. The way
one becomes a brähmaëa is by his work."
"A so-called high-class person who is degraded in his activities should not be honored, but a
so-called çüdra who knows the truth of religion and acts piously is worthy of worship."
Çré Manu explains:

"By chanting mantras a brähmaëa attains perfection. Of this there is no doubt. However, a
brähmaëa who neglects his brahminical duties is no longer a brähmaëa. He is merely a friend
to brähmaëas."
"The four varëas and äçramas exist in the three worlds in the past, present, and the future also.
This is explained in the Vedas."
In the Bhagavad-gétä (2.45), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"The Vedas mainly deal with the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O
Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (7.11.35), wise and saintly Närada tells King Yudhiñöhira:

"If one shows the symptoms of being a brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, or çüdra, as described
above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those
symptom of classification."
Manu also explains:

"A so-called brähmaëa who does not study the scriptures should accept the position of
another varëa. If he continues pretending to be a brähmaëa, he and his family will become
çüdras."
Sütra 45
ajïa-hitärthaà grähyaà karma na virodhi

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Dispassionate activities undertaken for the spiritual welfare of the ignorant people
do not go against the principles of devotional service.
Here someone may protest: Why must the devotees engage in activities? After all the true goal
of life is to renounce all activities.
Fearing that someone would speak these words, the author has spoken this sütra. The word
"ajïa" here means "they who are ignorant and therefore impure in heart."
In order to benefit these persons, who are not qualified to attain transcendental knowledge or
engage in devotional service, and to remove such persons' lack of faith in the importance of
performing the duties prescribed by the scriptures, the devotees mercifully perform the regular
and occasional duties prescribed by varëäçrama-dharma. That is the meaning.
[In Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 2 it is stated:
“One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for
that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for
man.”]
In Bhagavad-gétä (3.21), Lord Kåñëa declares:

"Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And
whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues."
If it were true that the highest goal of life is attained by renouncing all activities, then to
follow this instruction of Bhagavad-gétä will certainly lead one to the destruction of all that is
good. The Supreme Personality of Godhead also advises (Bhagavad-gétä 3.20):
"Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your
work."
Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead in these words directly orders the acceptance of
varëäçrama duties, these duties are not opposed to the activities of devotional service.
However, one should not accept duties that oppose the principles of devotional service, agitate
the mind, lead to continued material bondage, create various vices such as hatred for other
living beings, or consist of lustful or forbidden activities. That is the meaning here. In
Bhagavad-gétä (12.15), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
"He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady
in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me."
In Bhagavad-gétä (17.6), the Supreme Personality of Godhead also declares:

"Those who undergo severe austerities and penance not recommended in the scriptures,
performing them out of pride, egotism, lust, and attachment, who are impelled by passion and
who torture their bodily organs as well as the Supersoul dwelling within are to be known as
demons."
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In Bhagavad-gétä (3.20-21 and 3.29), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of
prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should
perform your work.
"Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And
whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues."
"Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in
material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these
duties are inferior due to the performer’s lack of knowledge."
Sütra 46
yathädhikäram avasthitir nopary-adhastvät
One should accept the role for which he is qualified, the role that is neither above
nor beneath his qualification.
The duty of all human beings is to carry their activities only after deciding the respective
merits. The activities of a person will decide his future habits. The present nature of a person
has been formed by his previous habits. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.21.2), the Supreme
Personality of Godhead declares:
"Steadiness in one's own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from one's
position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely ascertained."

"Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's
duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous."
The purport of the entire Gétä is that the present habit of a person can never be discarded at
once. The kñatriya natured Arjuna could not accept immediately the renunciation which is a
fruit of constant endeavors of endurance, restrain, forgiveness, etc., which are the brahminical
qualities. Therefore the essential advice of Gétä is that, however lowly may be the present
habit of a person, he should start his upward journey from that very platform of his existence.
He should practice proper renunciation and make endeavor according to the natural course of
development. Without abiding to this procedure if a person hurriedly discards his present
habit, that discordance will become either impassionable or vicious and will not be fruitful. If
anybody has any doubt about this explanation let them study Bhagavad-gétä and Uddhava-
gétä. When Lord Kåñëa had concluded His teaching in Bhagavad-gétä, Arjuna spoke these
words (Bhagavad-gétä 18.73):
"My dear Kåñëa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by
Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to
Your instructions."
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In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.29.40), Uddhava asks Lord Kåñëa:

"Obeisances unto You, O greatest of yogés. Please instruct me, who am surrendered unto
You, how I may have undeviating attachment to Your lotus feet."
After hearing the Gétä Arjuna engaged in the activities of a kñatrya, after hearing the Gétä
Uddhava renounced the world. Uddhava was ready to accept renunciation. Had he engaged in
kñatrya activities it would have been detrimental to his own nature. Similarly, the acceptance
of renunciation by Arjuna would have been absurd. In Bhagavad-gétä (18.47), the Supreme
Personality of Godhead declares:
"It is better to engage in one's own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly,
than to accept another's occupation and perform it perfectly. Prescribed duties, according to
one's nature, are never affected by sinful reactions."
A person who is not aware of his own status is not trustworthy because he can perform all
types of irregular activities. For those who are unable to decide their own status there is the
following advice. In the Bhagavad-gétä (4.34), the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively
and render service unto him. The self-realized soul, can impart knowledge unto you because
he has seen the truth."
Sütra 47
kämyetara-bhaktir na çastä citta-vikñepatväd anitya-phalatväc ca
When the devotional faculty of the jévas becomes degraded and misdirected
towards various secondary entities other than the Supreme Lord it produces
mental distraction and temporary results.
Here someone may protest: On the path of performing pious deeds (karma), where one
worships the demigods, pitäs, and others, many benefits are obtained. Why, then, do you say
that this path of pious deeds is not good?
Fearing that someone would raise this protest, the author speaks this sütra. Here the word
"kämya" means "the result of lusty desires," and "itara" means "other than the Supreme
Personality of Godhead." Devotional service offered to any one of the many millions of
individual spirit souls is not recommended by the devotees of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, for such devotion merely agitates the mind. There are many, many demigods and
pitäs and others, many many Çruti and Småti scriptures describing them, many many rules and
regulations to follow in many many different kinds of yajïas and worship offered to them. All
this keeps the worshiper very very busy in many many different kinds of activities. In this way
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the worshiper's mind becomes agitated and he becomes influence by the material mode of
passion. This is described in Bhagavad-gétä (2.41), where Lord Kåñëa explains:
"The intelligence of they who are irresolute is many-branched."
[In the purport to Mantra 12 Çréla Prabhupada writes:
“In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.20, 23) it is said that only unintelligent, bewildered persons driven by a
strong desire for sense gratification worship the demigods for the temporary relief of temporary
problems. Since the living being is materially entangled, he has to be relieved from material
bondage entirely to attain permanent relief on the spiritual plane, where eternal bliss, life and
knowledge exist. Çré Éçopaniñad therefore instructs that we should not seek temporary relief of our
difficulties by worshiping the dependent demigods, who can bestow only temporary benefit. Rather,
we must worship the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, who is all-attractive and who can
bestow upon us complete freedom from material bondage by taking us back home, back to
Godhead.”]
These many kinds of demigod-worship bring only temporary results. As farming and
commerce brings results that are very short-lived, so the wealth, good children and other
benefits attained in this lifetime, as well as the residence in Devaloka, Pitåloka and other
benefits attained in the next lifetime are all very temporary and short-lived. As a result of such
unlawful demigod worship the worshiper will not attain the transcendental Divine Love which
is the only fruit of divine worship and which only can satisfy the soul.

"But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form, to them I
carry what they lack and preserve what they have.
"Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunté, is really meant for Me alone,
but it is offered without true understanding.
"I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true
transcendental nature fall down.
"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods, those who worship
ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings, those who worship ancestors go to the
ancestors, and those who worship Me will live with Me."
Even a demigod worshiper may at any time engage in devotional service to the Supreme Lord
since this devotional service is the birth right of any person. In Bhagavad-gétä (9.30), the
Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he
is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated."
In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.60), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains:

"Every man has the birthright to accept devotional service and to become Kåñëa conscious.
This is proven with evidence from many scriptures."
In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.1.38), Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé again explains:

"Even one drop of happiness in Kåñëa consciousness stands beyond comparison with an
ocean of happiness derived from any other activity."
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The scriptures recommend certain methods according to the spiritual status and merit of the
aspirant. Such particular methods are always glorified as the highest of all; the scriptural
authors have adopted such strategy to uplift all different levels of aspirants. The unbiased
reasoning of these principles, however, reveals that their merits are comparatively graded.
Now the author wants to ascertain without a doubt the best of all methods.
Sütra 48
pratyakñänumänäbhyäà bhägavata-siddhänta eva garéyän vijïänamayatvät sarva-

siddhäntäçrayatväc ca
Among the spiritual realizations and respective inferences, the concluding decision
of Srimad Bhagavatam is the highest among all others owing to its being fully
scientific and being the shelter of all the spiritual principles.
[The devotional service is the topmost process and the devotees are the topmost transcendentalists.
Çréla Prabhupada writes in his purport to Mantra 15:
“In the Bhagavad-gétä (6.46-47), there is a comparative analysis of the three types of
transcendentalists—the worshipers of the impersonal Brahman (jïänés), the worshipers of the
Paramätmä feature (yogés) and the devotees of Lord Çré Kåñëa (bhaktas). It is stated there that the
jïänés, those who have cultivated Vedic knowledge, are better than ordinary fruitive workers, that
the yogés are still greater than the jïänés, and that among all yogés, those who constantly serve the
Lord with all their energies are the topmost. In summary, a philosopher is better than a laboring
man, a mystic is superior to a philosopher, and of all the mystic yogés, he who follows bhakti-yoga,
constantly engaging in the service of the Lord, is the highest. Çré Éçopaniñad directs us toward this
perfection.”]
Direct perception and logical inference, which are two of the great evidences to discern what
is the truth, both confirm that devotional service is the highest truth. This truth of devotional
service is described in the Mahäbhärata by Lord Kåñëa to Arjuna, in the Eleventh Canto of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam by Lord Kåñëa to Uddhava, in the four famous verse of Çrémad-
Bhägavatam to Lord Brahmä, in the very first verse of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and in many
other places in the scriptures in many philosophical dialogues with many questions and
answers. Thus the view held by the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
highest view, the highest truth. It is a truth higher and better than what is taught by the
proponents of fruitive work, philosophical speculation, or other views.
This highest conclusion is known as Bhägavata Siddhäntä. Since this Bhagavata scripture is
the shelter of universal principles pertaining to all the best of the time, space and person, it
should be known to be the supreme among all other conclusions. All the unalloyed
conclusions of the past, present and future are accommodated in this Bhagavatam. In Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (12.13.15) it is said:
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"Çrémad-Bhägavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedänta

philosophy. Whoever tastes the transcendental mellow of Çrémad-Bhägavatam is never
attracted to any other literature."
If a question is asked, “Who is the prophet of this unprecedented conclusion?” the following
sütra give an answer to it.
Sütra 49
caitanyasya sarväcäryasyävirbhäve na gurv-antaram
Now that Lord Caitanya, the teacher of all, has appeared in this world, there is no
need for any other teacher.
If anybody says that, “Lord Caitanya was only a founder of a minor sect called Gaudiya
Vaisanvism, so how He can be treated as the Universal Preceptor?” The author replies to this
question as follows: O, my brethren, when a person impartially studies the explanations,
precepts and scriptural conclusions given by Lord Caitanya with great attentiveness and along
one’s own self-evident reasoning, that intelligent person will be bound to accept Lord
Caitanya as the Universal Preceptor. It will be observed that all sectarian preceptors are only
subordinate to Him. Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya is the Esoteric Preceptor of all the jéva-souls and
at the same time He has manifested Himself in this world with His fullest Divinity. Therefore
let all souls engage in drinking deep the honey of absolute spiritual bliss flowing from the
lotus feet of Lord Caitanya by discarding all worldly bondage.
What was the conclusion Lord Caitanya taught to His essence seeking descendents?
Sütra 50
pare pürëänuraktir itareñu tulyä jaòe yukta-vairägyaà ceti sära-grähi-matam
The religion followed by the essence seekers professes: Absolute attachment

towards the Supreme Lord, brotherly affection towards all souls and balanced
abnegation towards the phenomenal objects. This is the cream of religion.
The essential religion followed by the essence seekers is quite simple and straightforward.
Mainly two things are observed—love and good conduct. The objects of love are only two—
the Lord and the soul. It is needed to offer love towards the Supreme Lord and brotherly
affection towards all souls. Thus love and good conduct are observed. Balanced detachment
should be applied towards all the non sentient objects, in the way of legitimate reliance and
behavior. By thorough study it will be revealed that this type of essential religion is not found
anywhere else than in the teachings of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya.
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(End of Chapter Five of Çré Tattva-sütra)

74
A Summary of Chapter Five
Chapter Five of Çré Tattva-sütra pertains to the fifth topic of the Upaniñads—the nature of the
supreme goal and the status of the jéva in mukti.
Revealed scriptures are the rays of transcendental knowledge.
Rules and regulations are for regulating the conditioned souls; those who have attained their
constitutional awareness are not limited by such conditions. Unalloyed devotees of Çré Kåñëa are
not to be limited by the conditions of scriptural rules because their activities are based on
spontaneous attachment which is transcendental to rules and regulations. Self-realized devotees
of Kåñëa, due to attainment of knowledge of their constitutional position, are beyond the codes of
varnasrama.
A selfless performance of activities for the welfare of ignorant people does not create impediment
in devotion. One should perform devotional service according to one's acquired nature and
qualifications.
The original affinity of the living entities for Çré Kåñëa, when degraded and misdirected toward
others results in bewilderment of consciousness and material attainments.
Among realized knowledge and inference pertaining to the conclusion of it, Çrémad-Bhagavatam
is the highest because it is transcendentally scientific and is the shelter of all conclusions. Lord
Çré Caitanya, who has manifested as a universal äcärya, makes other preceptors non-existent. (In
the absoluteness of the teachings of Lord Caitanya, other äcäryas are absolved.)
Unalloyed love toward Çré Kåñëa, compassionate affection toward others and dovetailing
everything in the material existence in the service of Kåñëa, constitute the cream of religious
principles as far as the essence-seeking transcendentalists are concerned.
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Appendix: Thematic Overview by Atmatattva Das
A. The Personality of the Absolute Truth
[Mantra 8 declares:
“Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead,
who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and
uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's
desire since time immemorial.”
See also the Invocation, mantras 4 and 8 and their purports.]
B. The aim of all knowledge
[Mantra 17, purport:
“The human body is highly developed and has full consciousness. According to the
Bhagavad-gétä (7.19), the most perfect man surrenders unto the Lord after many,
many lifetimes of culturing knowledge. The culture of knowledge reaches perfection
only when the knower comes to the point of surrendering unto the Supreme Lord,
Väsudeva. Otherwise, even after attaining knowledge of one's spiritual identity, if one
does not come to the point of knowing that the living entities are eternal parts and
parcels of the whole and can never become the whole, one has to fall down again into
the material atmosphere. Indeed, one must fall down even if he has become one with
the brahmajyoti.
As we have learned from previous mantras, the brahmajyoti emanating from the
transcendental body of the Lord is full of spiritual sparks that are individual entities
with the full sense of existence. Sometimes these living entities want to enjoy their
senses, and therefore they are placed in the material world to become false lords
under the dictation of the senses. The desire for lordship is the material disease of the
living being, for under the spell of sense enjoyment he transmigrates through the
various bodies manifested in the material world. Becoming one with the brahmajyoti
does not represent mature knowledge. Only by surrendering unto the Lord completely
and developing one's sense of spiritual service does one reach the highest perfectional
stage.”]
C. The futility of materialistic advancement
[Mantra 10:
“The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge
and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.”
Purport:
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“These eighteen items combine to form a gradual process by which real knowledge
can be developed. Except for these, all other methods are considered to be in the
category of nescience. Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, a great äcärya, maintained that
all forms of material knowledge are merely external features of the illusory energy
and that by culturing them one becomes no better than an ass. This same principle is
found here in Çré Éçopaniñad. By advancement of material knowledge, modern man
is simply being converted into an ass. Some materialistic politicians in spiritual guise
decry the present system of civilization as satanic, but unfortunately they do not care
about the culture of real knowledge as it is described in the Bhagavad-gétä. Thus they
cannot change the satanic situation…Thus Çré Éçopaniñad very strongly warns that
the culture of nescience is different from that of knowledge. The universities are, so
to speak, centers of nescience only; consequently scientists are busy discovering
lethal weapons to wipe out the existence of other countries. University students today
are not given instructions in the regulative principles of brahmacarya (celibate student
life), nor do they have any faith in any scriptural injunctions. Religious principles are
taught for the sake of name and fame only and not for the sake of practical action.
Thus there is animosity not only in social and political fields but in the field of
religion as well.”
Mantra 11, purport:
“Since the creation of the material world, everyone has been trying to attain a
permanent life, but the laws of nature are so cruel that no one has been able to avoid
the hand of death. No one wants to die, nor does anyone want to become old or
diseased. The law of nature, however, does not allow anyone immunity from old age,
disease or death. Nor has the advancement of material knowledge solved these
problems. Material science can discover the nuclear bomb to accelerate the process of
death, but it cannot discover anything that can protect man from the cruel hands of
old age, disease and death...Aggravation of the material disease is no sign of
knowledge, but a sign of avidyä, ignorance. For good health, a person should not
increase his fever from 105 degrees to 107 degrees but should reduce his temperature
to the normal 98.6. That should be the aim of human life. The modern trend of
material civilization is to increase the temperature of the feverish material condition,
which has reached the point of 107 degrees in the form of atomic energy. Meanwhile,
the foolish politicians are crying that at any moment the world may go to hell. That is
the result of the advancement of material knowledge and the neglect of the most
important part of life, the culture of spiritual knowledge. Çré Éçopaniñad herein
warns that we must not follow this dangerous path leading to death. On the contrary,
we must develop the culture of spiritual knowledge so that we may become
completely free from the cruel hands of death.”
D. The oneness and difference of Bhagavan and the jévas
[Mantra 5, purport:
77
“The fact is that there is nothing but God within and without. Everything is a
manifestation of His different energies, like the heat and light emanating from a fire,
and in this way there is a oneness among His diverse energies. Although there is
oneness, however, the Lord in His personal form still enjoys unlimitedly all the
pleasures enjoyed minutely by the tiny part-and-parcel living entities.”
Mantra 7, purport:
“Except for the madhyama-adhikäré and uttama-adhikäré discussed above, no one

can correctly see the spiritual position of a living being. The living entities are
qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord, just as the sparks of a fire are qualitatively
one with the fire. Yet sparks are not fire as far as quantity is concerned, for the
quantity of heat and light present in the sparks is not equal to that in fire. The mahä-
bhägavata, the great devotee, sees oneness in the sense that he sees everything as the
energy of the Supreme Lord. Since there is no difference between the energy and the
energetic, there is the sense of oneness. Although from the analytical point of view
heat and light are different from fire, there is no meaning to the word "fire" without
heat and light. In synthesis, therefore, heat, light and fire are the same. In this mantra
the words ekatvam anupaçyataù indicate that one should see the unity of all living
entities from the viewpoint of the revealed scriptures. The individual sparks of the
supreme whole (the Lord) possess almost eighty percent of the known qualities of the
whole, but they are not quantitatively equal to the Supreme Lord. These qualities are
present in minute quantity, for the living entity is but a minute part and parcel of the
Supreme Whole. To use another example, the quantity of salt present in a drop is
never comparable to the quantity of salt present in the complete ocean, but the salt
present in the drop is qualitatively equal in chemical composition to all the salt
present in the ocean. If the individual living being were equal to the Supreme Lord
both qualitatively and quantitatively, there would be no question of his being under
the influence of the material energy. In the previous mantras it has already been
discussed that no living being—not even the powerful demigods—can surpass the
Supreme Being in any respect. Therefore ekatvam does not mean that a living being
is equal in all respects to the Supreme Lord. It does, however, indicate that in a
broader sense there is one interest, just as in a family the interest of all members is
one, or in a nation the national interest is one, although there are many different
individual citizens. Since the living entities are all members of the same supreme
family, their interest and that of the Supreme Being are not different. Every living
being is the son of the Supreme Being. As stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.5), all
living creatures throughout the universe—including birds, reptiles, ants, aquatics,
trees and so on—are emanations of the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord.
Therefore all of them belong to the family of the Supreme Being. There is no clash of
interest.”]
E. The destination of different kinds of worshipers
[Mantra 12:
“Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of
ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute.”
78
Purport:
“In the Bhagavad-gétä (7.20, 23) it is said that only unintelligent, bewildered persons
driven by a strong desire for sense gratification worship the demigods for the
temporary relief of temporary problems. Since the living being is materially
entangled, he has to be relieved from material bondage entirely to attain permanent
relief on the spiritual plane, where eternal bliss, life and knowledge exist. Çré
Éçopaniñad therefore instructs that we should not seek temporary relief of our
difficulties by worshiping the dependent demigods, who can bestow only temporary
benefit. Rather, we must worship the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, who is
all-attractive and who can bestow upon us complete freedom from material bondage
by taking us back home, back to Godhead… The problems of life cannot be solved
simply by going to the moon planet or to some other planet above or below it.
Therefore Çré Éçopaniñad advises us not to bother with any destination within this
dark material universe, but to try to get out of it and reach the effulgent kingdom of
God. There are many pseudo worshipers who become religionists only for the sake of
name and fame. Such pseudo religionists do not wish to get out of this universe and
reach the spiritual sky. They only want to maintain the status quo in the material
world under the garb of worshiping the Lord. The atheists and impersonalists lead
such foolish pseudo religionists into the darkest regions by preaching the cult of
atheism. The atheist directly denies the existence of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and the impersonalists support the atheists by stressing the impersonal
aspect of the Supreme Lord… The ignorant pseudo religionists and the manufacturers
of so-called incarnations who directly violate the Vedic injunctions are liable to enter
into the darkest region of the universe because they mislead those who follow them.”]
F. Directions for achieving actual success in life
[Introduction:
“This Kåñëa consciousness movement is completely authorized from Vedic

principles. In the Bhagavad-gétä Kåñëa says, "The actual aim of Vedic research is to
find out Kåñëa… And if you want to search out Kåñëa by studying the Vedic
literature, then you will be baffled. It may be possible, but it is very difficult. But you
can very easily learn about Him from His devotee. His devotee can deliver Him to
you: "Here He is, take Him." That is the potency of Kåñëa's devotees.”
Mantra 10, purport:
“The material body and mind are bad bargains for the spiritual living entity. The
living entity has actual functions in the living, spiritual world, but this material world
is dead. As long as the living spiritual sparks manipulate the dead lumps of matter,
the dead world appears to be a living world. Actually it is the living souls, the parts
and parcels of the supreme living being, who move the world. The dhéras have come
to know all these facts by hearing them from superior authorities and have realized
this knowledge by following the regulative principles… An adhéra (one who has not
undergone the training of a dhéra) cannot be an instructive leader. Modern politicians
who pose themselves as dhéras are actually adhéras, and one cannot expect perfect
knowledge from them. They are simply busy seeing to their own remuneration in
dollars and cents. How, then, can they lead the mass of people to the right path of
79
self-realization? Thus one must hear submissively from a dhéra in order to attain
actual education.”]
G. Stages of God realization
[In the purport to the Invocation it is stated:
“The Complete Whole, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the complete Personality of
Godhead. Realization of impersonal Brahman or of Paramätmä, the Supersoul, is
incomplete realization of the Absolute Complete. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is sac-cid-änanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Realization of impersonal Brahman is
realization of His sat feature, or His aspect of eternity, and Paramätmä realization is
realization of His sat and cit features, His aspects of eternity and knowledge. But
realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all the transcendental
features—sat, cit and änanda, bliss. When one realizes the Supreme Person, he
realizes these aspects of the Absolute Truth in their completeness.”
[In Mantra 15 it is stated:
“O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling
effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.”
Purport:
The Éçopaniñad mantra is a simple prayer to the Lord to remove the brahmajyoti so
that one can see His real face. This brahmajyoti effulgence is described in detail in
several mantras of the Muëòaka Upaniñad (2.2.10-12):
"In the spiritual realm, beyond the material covering, is the unlimited Brahman
effulgence, which is free from material contamination. That effulgent white light is
understood by transcendentalists to be the light of all lights. In that realm there is no
need of sunshine, moonshine, fire or electricity for illumination. Indeed, whatever
illumination appears in the material world is only a reflection of that supreme
illumination. That Brahman is in front and in back, in the north, south, east and west,
and also overhead and below. In other words, that supreme Brahman effulgence
spreads throughout both the material and spiritual skies."
Perfect knowledge means knowing Kåñëa as the root of this Brahman effulgence.
This knowledge can be gained from such scriptures as Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which
perfectly elaborates the science of Kåñëa. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam, the author, Çréla
Vyäsadeva, has established that one will describe the Supreme Truth as Brahman,
Paramätmä or Bhagavän according to one's realization of Him. Çréla Vyäsadeva
never states that the Supreme Truth is a jéva, an ordinary living entity. The living
entity should never be considered the all-powerful Supreme Truth. If he were the
Supreme, he would not need to pray to the Lord to remove His dazzling cover so that
the living entity could see His real face.
The conclusion is that one who has no knowledge of the potencies of the Supreme
Truth will realize the impersonal Brahman. Similarly, when one realizes the material
potencies of the Lord but has little or no information of the spiritual potencies, he
80
attains Paramätmä realization. Thus both Brahman and Paramätmä realization of the
Absolute Truth are partial realizations. However, when one realizes the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, in full potency after the removal of the
hiraëmaya-pätra, one realizes väsudevaù sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] Lord Çré Kåñëa, who
is known as Väsudeva, is everything—Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän. He is
Bhagavän, the root, and Brahman and Paramätmä are His branches. In the Bhagavad-
gétä (6.46-47) there is a comparative analysis of the three types of transcendentalists
—the worshipers of the impersonal Brahman (jïänés), the worshipers of the
Paramätmä feature (yogés) and the devotees of Lord Çré Kåñëa (bhaktas). It is stated
there that the jïänés, those who have cultivated Vedic knowledge, are better than
ordinary fruitive workers, that the yogés are still greater than the jïänés, and that
among all yogés, those who constantly serve the Lord with all their energies are the
topmost. In summary, a philosopher is better than a laboring man, a mystic is superior
to a philosopher, and of all the mystic yogés, he who follows bhakti-yoga, constantly
engaging in the service of the Lord, is the highest. Çré Éçopaniñad directs us toward
this perfection.”]
H. Authorized sources of Vedic wisdom
[Introduction:
“Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People
were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of
the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole
purport. But five thousand years ago Vyäsadeva put the Vedas in writing for the
people in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-
lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very
sharp. "Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing." He divided the
Vedas into four: Åg, Säma, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these
Vedas to his different disciples. He then thought of the less intelligent class of men—
stré, çüdra and dvija-bandhu…For these persons he compiled the Mahäbhärata, called
the history of India, and the eighteen Puräëas. These are all part of the Vedic
literature: the Puräëas, the Mahäbhärata, the four Vedas and the Upaniñads. The
Upaniñads are part of the Vedas. Then Vyäsadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge
for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedänta-sütra. This is the last
word of the Vedas… Besides that, Vyäsadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedänta
commentary, Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Çrémad-Bhägavatam begins with the first words
of the Vedänta-sütra: janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1]. And that janmädy asya yataù is
fully explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. The Vedänta-sütra simply hints at what is
Brahman, the Absolute Truth: "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything
emanates." This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. If
everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the
Absolute Truth? That is explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam."
Mantra 6, purport:
“At present there are many commentaries on the revealed scriptures, but most of them
are not in the line of disciplic succession coming from Çréla Vyäsadeva, who
originally compiled the Vedic wisdom. The final, most perfect and sublime work by
Çréla Vyäsadeva is Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which is the natural commentary on the
81
Vedänta-sütra. There is also the Bhagavad-gétä, which was spoken by the Lord
Himself and recorded by Vyäsadeva. These are the most important revealed
scriptures, and any commentary that contradicts the principles of the Bhagavad-gétä
or Çrémad-Bhägavatam is unauthorized. There is complete agreement among the
Upaniñads, Vedänta-sütra, Vedas, Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and no
one should try to reach any conclusion about the Vedas without receiving instructions
from members of Vyäsadeva's disciplic succession, who believe in the Personality of
Godhead and His diverse energies as they are explained in Çré Éçopaniñad.”]
I. Body maintenance and soul maintenance
[Mantra 11, purport:
“This does not mean that all activities for the maintenance of the body should be
stopped. There is no question of stopping activities, just as there is no question of
wiping out one's temperature altogether when trying to recover from a disease. "To
make the best use of a bad bargain" is the appropriate expression. The culture of
spiritual knowledge necessitates the help of the body and mind; therefore
maintenance of the body and mind is required if we are to reach our goal. The normal
temperature should be maintained at 98.6 degrees, and the great sages and saints of
India have attempted to do this by a balanced program of spiritual and material
knowledge. They never allow the misuse of human intelligence for diseased sense
gratification.”
Mantra 17, purport:
“The Lord clearly describes His intimate relationship with His devotees in the
Bhagavad-gétä (9.30-34): "Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is
engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly
situated in his determination. He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting
peace…"
Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura explains these verses in this way: "One should regard a
devotee of Kåñëa to be on the right path of the saints, even though such a devotee
may seem to be su-duräcära, 'a person of loose character.' One should try to
understand the real purport of the word su-duräcära. A conditioned soul has to act for
double functions—namely for the maintenance of the body and again for self-
realization. Social status, mental development, cleanliness, austerity, nourishment and
the struggle for existence are all for the maintenance of the body. The self-realization
part of one's activities is executed in one's occupation as a devotee of the Lord, and
one performs actions in that connection also. One must perform these two different
functions along parallel lines, because a conditioned soul cannot give up the
maintenance of his body. The proportion of activities for maintenance of the body
decreases, however, in proportion to the increase in devotional service. As long as the
proportion of devotional service does not come to the right point, there is a chance for
an occasional exhibition of worldliness. But it should be noted that such worldliness
cannot continue for long because, by the grace of the Lord, such imperfections will
come to an end very shortly. Therefore the path of devotional service is the only right
path. If one is on the right path, even an occasional occurrence of worldliness does
not hamper one in the advancement of self-realization."]
82
J. Kåñëa and His multifarious qualities
[Mantras 4, 5, 8:
“Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind
and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him.
Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all
in excellence.”
“The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as
well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.”
“Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead,
who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and
uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's
desire since time immemorial.”]

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The Bhaktivedanta Academy

Çré Rüpänuga Paramärthika Vidyäpéöha

Çré Éçopaniñad Thematic Study

Bhaktivedanta Academy, ISKCON Mayapura

Tel +91 (3472) 245306

Çré Éçopaniñad Thematic Study

Topic 1: The Nature of Brahman (Invocation, Mantras 4, 5 and 8)...........................................5

Topic 4: The Means of Attaining Brahman (Mantras 1-3, 9, 11, 15-18)..................................45

The five main topics of the Upaniñads are as follows:

1. The nature of Brahman (Içvara)

2. The nature of the soul and its relation to Brahman (Cit)

3. The material energy, its origin and connection to Brahman (Acit)

4. The means of attaining Brahman (sädhana)

(10) “Pure love of Kåñëa is the living entity’s ultimate goal.”

Topic 1: The Nature of Brahman

The nature of Brahman is summarized in the Daça-müla-tattva as follows:

Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra:

Introduction by Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura:

ekaù paro nänyaù

The Supreme Reality is one without a second.

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

aguëo 'pi sarva-çaktir ameyatvät

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

[Çréla Prabhupada writes in the purport to Mantra 5:

viruddha-sämänyaà tasmin na citram

The perfect assimilation of innumerable mutually-controversial qualities is not

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

[In Çré Éçopaniñad Mantras 4-5 it is stated:

sa sac-cid-änando jïänägamyo bhakti-viñayatvät

That Supreme Lord having a Satcitänanda Form is not perceivable to the

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

[Çréla Prabhupada writes in the purport to Mantra 4:

[In his book Amnäya-sutra Çréla Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes:

If someone misunderstands the Eternally existent Transcendental and Blissful Divinity as a

sa ca satyo nityo 'nädir ananto deça-käläparicchedät

The Supreme Lord is an Eternal Reality without a beginning or an end, unbound

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

[In Çré Isopanisad Mantras 4 and 8, it is stated:

paro 'pi cij-jaòäbhyäà viläsé viçva-siddheù

Although the Supreme Lord is transcendental, the mundane universe consisting of

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

[Çréla Prabhupada writes in his purport to Mantra 13:

tac-chaktitas tattvädhikyam iti cen na tad-abhedät

The Lord’s transcendental potency is a separate isolated principle, but it is only

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

kartäpy avikäraù svätantryät

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

Because He is perfect and complete, His nature is always unchanged.

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

In the Iça Upaniñad it is said:

In the next sütra, the author answers this question.

käruëyaà tat-kriyä-hetur nänyad äpta-kämatvät

Summary of Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura’s commentary:

In the Çruti-çästra it is said:

In the Småti-çästra it is said:

In Çrémad-Bhägavataà (3.7.2-3), Vidura asks the following question:

Çré Maitreya Muni answered in these words (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.7.9):

(End of Chapter One of Çré Tattva-sütra)

A Summary of Chapter One

Çré Kåñëa is one without a second: He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Although transcendental to material qualities, He possesses expansive, immense potencies

Topics 2 and 3: The Nature of the Soul and the

In the purport to Mantra 4 it is stated:

In the purport to Mantra 1 it is stated: