Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.28.13
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
avidyā
—
without knowledge, ignorance
Nir-arthaka of vidyā. In Gauḍīya doctrine avidyā is the covering of the jīva's svarūpa-jñāna as Bhagavān's eternal servant. Karma without vidyā is the wheel; bhakti is the exit.
-
kāma
—
desire
Material desire — the second engine of saṁsāra after avidyā. Cf. Gītā 3.37, kāma eṣa krodha eṣaḥ. Gauḍīyas: kāma is not killed by suppression but cured by being redirected as prema to Kṛṣṇa.
-
karmabhiḥ
—
by activities
Instrumental plural of karman. Action propelled by avidyā and kāma is the third engine. Gītā's three-fold diagnosis (3.5) — no jīva is action-less — re-stated inside Vraja-līlā's narration.
-
ucca-avacāsu
—
among high and low destinations
Ucca (high) + avaca (low). Heavenly and hellish gatis, brāhmaṇa-births and animal-births. Saṁsāra is variegated but never satisfying. Cf. SB 11.9.28.
-
svām gatim
—
his own destination
Sva (own) + gati (goal). The deliberate echo of verse 11's sva-gatim. The gopas have asked for Kṛṣṇa's sva-gati; Kṛṣṇa observes that ordinary jīvas do not even know their own. Two senses of sva-gati braided in one chapter.
-
bhraman
—
wandering
Present participle of √bhram. The defining verb of saṁsāra (cf. Gītā 18.61, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni). Bhakti is the only stopping of the wheel; everything else, even ascent, is a more elevated wandering.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has elaborately explained how this verse applies to the eternally liberated residents of Śrī Vṛndāvana, the Lord’s abode. One of the fundamental philosophical principles of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the distinction between two types of illusion, Yoga-māyā and Mahā-māyā, the spiritual and material states of existence, respectively. Although Kṛṣṇa is God, the omnipotent, omniscient Supreme Being, His intimate associates in the spiritual world love Him so much that they see Him as their beloved child, friend, lover and so on. So that their ecstatic love can transcend the boundaries of mere reverence, they forget that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God of all the universes, and thus their pure, intimate love expands unlimitedly. One may consider their activities of treating Kṛṣṇa as a helpless child, a handsome boyfriend, or a playmate to be a manifestation of avidyā, ignorance of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s position as God, but the residents of Vṛndāvana are in fact ignoring the secondary majesty of Kṛṣṇa and focusing intensely on His infinite beauty, which is the essence of His existence. In fact, describing Lord Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller and God is almost a type of political analysis, referring as it does to a hierarchy of power and control. Such analysis of levels of power and hierarchies of rule is significant in a context in which one entity is not fully surrendered, in love, to a higher entity. In other words, control becomes visible, or is consciously felt as control, when there is resistance to that control. To cite a simple example: A pious, law-abiding citizen sees a policeman as a friend and well-wisher, whereas a criminal sees him as a threatening symbol of punishment. Those who are enthusiastic about government policies feel not that the government is controlling them but rather that it is helping them. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa is seen as a “controller,” and hence as “the Supreme God,” by those who are not fully enchanted by His beauty and pastimes. Those fully in love with Lord Kṛṣṇa focus on His sublime, attractive features and, because of the nature of their relationship with Him, do not much notice His controlling power. A simple proof that the residents of Vraja have transcended lower states of God consciousness rather than failed to attain them is the fact that throughout the pastimes of the Lord they often “remember” that Kṛṣṇa is God. Usually they are astonished at this remembrance, having been fully absorbed in seeing Kṛṣṇa as their friend, lover and so on. The word kāma is conventionally used to indicate a material desire, or else a spiritual desire so intense that it becomes somehow analogous to intense material desires. Still, the fundamental distinction remains: material desire is selfish and self-gratificatory; spiritual desire is free of selfishness, being wholly for the pleasure of the other, the Lord. Thus the residents of Vṛndāvana executed their daily activities solely for the pleasure of their beloved Kṛṣṇa. It should be remembered that the entire purpose of Kṛṣṇa’s descent into this world is to attract living beings back home, back to Godhead. Two things are required for this: that His pastimes display the beauty of spiritual perfection, and that they somehow seem relevant and hence interesting to the conditioned souls of this world. The Bhāgavatam often states that Lord Kṛṣṇa plays just like a youthful actor, and He undoubtedly engages His eternal devotees in the dramatic presentation. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa here muses to Himself that people in this world certainly do not know their ultimate destination, and with an obvious touch of the facetious He also thinks in this way about His own eternally liberated associates, who were playing in this world like ordinary members of a cowherd village. Apart from the double meaning obviously present in this verse when it is applied to Kṛṣṇa’s liberated associates, Kṛṣṇa here makes an entirely direct and pointedly critical observation about ordinary people. When applied to conditioned souls who are actually wandering throughout the universe, His statement that people are acting out of ignorance and lust is not mitigated by any deeper, spiritual meaning. People in general are simply ignorant, and they do not seriously consider their ultimate destination. As usual, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is able to say many profound and complex things in a few simple words. How fortunate we are that God is not a dry field of energy, a transcendent, effulgent blob, or nothing at all — as various people would have it. In fact, He is the most wonderful Personality of Godhead, full of absolute personal qualities, and certainly whatever we can do, He can do better, as evidenced by His brilliant way of speaking.
"Through lack of knowledge of their soul (avidya), through desires and through karma, my father and the inhabitants of Vraja (janah) have become confused in this world (etasmin), about the higher (deva) forms with their great happiness and power, and lower (man, animal and bird) forms with their distress and weakness. This confusion arises only because they think themselves ordinary people for the purpose of humanlike pastimes. In this role, they do not know their own exalted positions of appearing in Vraja (svam gatim), which is rarely achieved by others. "When my father saw the opulence of Varuna, which is material, he then considered this Vrndavana to be lower than the planet of Varuna, even though it is the essence of Vaikuntha, just like a foolish person on seeing an inferior pearl, will be astonished at its form and luster, and think the valuable pearl to be inferior. Thus the cowherd men think themselves lower than Varuna and think of liberation and vaikuntha as higher than the great sweetness they taste in offering their love to me as their son. Liberation and Vaikuntha are both dependent on me, I am not dependent on them. But it is seen in some circumstances that I am dependent on prema. Though it is evident to all, they do not recognize it. "Thus some people realize of the happiness of Brahman in liberation. But Brahma Samhita says : "This brahman is the effulgence of my body." "This Brahman is without limit, beyond maya." I say in Gita "I am the basis of Brahman." Matsya says "My greatness is called the para Brahman." Thus Brahman is my all pervading, formless light beyond material perception, but I am also eternally present in various sweet forms which are relished by senses anointed with prema. "As for Vaikuntha, as the Padma purana says, ‘The area of Mathura is superior to Vaikuntha.’ Within Mathura is Vrndavana, the eternal abode of Krsna, which is not affected by even the final destruction of the material world.Thus, Gopala Tapani Upanisad says, ‘ Of the seven cities on bhur loka, Gopala Puri is the very form of Brahman.’ ‘Gopala Puri exists on this earth just as a lotus floats on a lake.’ ." Brhat vamana purana says ‘When the universe becomes invisible at the time of devastation, only the infinite, eternal, non-material Vaikuntha remains, spreading its rays of blissful Brahman." Thus though Vrndavana is superior to both Brahman and Vaikuntha, the cowherd men desired to attain the experience of mukti and vaikuntha only because they had not seen them with their eyes. "Therefore I will reveal these to them now directly." This verse cannot be translated as follows: "The vrajavasis wandering in various wombs higher and lower by ignorance, lust and karma, do not know about liberation and vaikuntha which will be given by me." The inhabitants of vraja are nitya siddha and in love with Krsna in various relationships of love, and are not affected by ignorance, lust or karma. Bhagavatam says, "Those gopis who regarded Krsna as their son could no longer be subject to the ignorance of material life." Brahma says, "Wwhat can you give to these inhabitants of Vraja who do not accept a position of liberation or even vaikuntha even if you offer it." One should also see the logical explanations given after the killing of Putana.
If svāṁ gatim means one’s svarūpa, where svām refers to janaḥ, it will not correlate properly with the word sva-gatim (Kṛṣṇa’s abode) in verse 11. If one says that gatim means knowledge, svām cannot mean ātmā since ātmā should be neuter. Gatim cannot mean knowledge since the sentence could not mean “people do not know knowledge.” The proper statement would simply be svam na veda: they do not know the ātmā. Since it was already said that Kṛṣṇa wanted to fulfill their desire, this cannot be the meaning. The cowherds heard of the splendor of Varuṇa’s place and their respect given to Kṛṣṇa, and then desired to see the splendor of Kṛṣṇa’s place. Svagatim and sukṣmām refer to the same object. Suṣkmāṁ means “hard to understand.” Therefore janaḥ in this sentence cannot refer to ordinary people. Materialistic people’s destination is saṁsāra, not the spiritual world. If janaḥ refers to materialistic people, then everyone should receive Kṛṣṇa’s mercy at this time (but that is not so). Janaḥ refers to Kṛṣṇa’s cowherd devotees. The same usage is found in the following verse: sālokya-sārṣṭi-sāmīpya- sārūpyaikatvam apy uta dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti vinā mat-sevanaṁ janāḥ A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation—sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, sārūpya or ekatva—even though they are offered by the Supreme Lord. SB 3.29.13 According to the context also, janaḥ should mean the people of Vraja. Kṛṣṇa thinks of them as “his people.” tasmān mac-charaṇaṁ goṣṭhaṁ man-nāthaṁ mat-parigraham gopāye svātma-yogena so ‘yaṁ me vrata āhitaḥ I must therefore protect the cowherd community by my natural powers for I am there shelter, I am their protector, and indeed I am everything to them. I have taken a vow to protect my devotees. SB 10.25.18 Since it is contrary to the truth that his own people would be subject to higher and lower bodies out of ignorance, the meaning of the verse should be as follows. My people, appearing in this world amongst those who attain bodies of devatās and animals by ignorance and karma, are mistaken about my abode because of identifying with ordinary people, and do not now my abode. How unfortunate! This is because a portion of their knowledge is covered by absorption in my sweetness. Or, having appeared in this material world, by absorption in my pastimes becoming unaware of everything else (avidyā), by possessing various desires related to me (kāma), by performing favorable actions for me (karmabhiḥ) in various types of bodies filled with prema (gateṣu), forgetting the eternally perfect magnificence of Goloka, my people do not know my abode. It was said nāvindan bhava-vedanām: the cowherds never perceived material tribulations. (SB 10.11.58) And it was said yad-dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte: what can you give to the people of Vraja whose houses, possessions, friends, dear ones, bodies, sons, life airs and hearts are dedicated only to you? (SB 10.14.35) Words like ignorance are used to express criticism because of remorse arising from compassion.
All people (janaḥ) wander in this material world. Vai indicates that it is well known. The meaning is this. Other persons do not know at all their real goal. This means the best of yogīs and jñānīs. But more than the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha, I cannot give up my eternal devotees who cannot bear separation from me for even a moment. They are complete in their goal. I must fulfil their desire though it arises out of curiosity or out of prema. Or my servants (janaḥ) or cowherds wander about in pastimes with me higher or lower in the wave of prema performing activities of service (karmabhiḥ), with desires centered on me (kāma) and knowledge of bhakti (vidyā). Always existing with me they know Vaikuṇtha and ātmā. (with double negative na, na). I will fulfill the desires of my dear devotees since that desire includes everything dear to me in terms of knowing and the object of their knowledge.
- Where am I wandering between higher and lower based on desire rather than knowledge?
- What 'real destination' would I name if asked aloud — and is my daily life pointed there?
Travelers on a vast wheel of roads — some climbing to mountain villages, some descending to coastal towns — none of them able to read the map they are inside, because the map shows every route except the way home. Kṛṣṇa reflects: people wander among gatis high and low, propelled by desire and ignorance, never knowing their own gati. The ascent and descent both miss the door He alone can open.
King Bharata, advanced in tapas, attached himself at the end to a deer-fawn and was reborn as a deer (SB 5.7–14). His next life was high (he became the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata), then he submitted to humiliation as a palanquin-bearer — a journey through ucca and avaca gatis driven by remaining kāma.
Kṛṣṇa's reflection here covers Bharata-type cases: even great sādhakas wander among destinations until they find their own gati at Bhagavān's feet.
My note
Source: vedabase.io