10.87 · The Prayers of the Personified Vedas

In the eighty seventh chapter the superiority of Krsna’s form over all others is indicated by the Vedas personified. Narada reveals this through the mouth of his guru. Let the devotees laugh at me taking the role of a gem seller, though I do not know anything about jewels. I, creating enjoyment for my own heart, am not ashamed. I do not have learning, devotion or detachment from material energy, but rather out of lust, because of their inaccessibility, I desire the heap of cintamani jewels in the form of the the object of worship. If we take the word "satam" to mean jnanis, then it would mean the path of jnana yoga, with Brahman as the object of knowledge. But then, the exposition of this Brahman cannot be delineated clearly in the Vedas. Thus he asks a question in this verse. "How do the Vedas indicate Brahman by direct meaning (saksat), rather than indirect reference, because Brahman cannot be defined (anirdesya), since it has no class, substance, quality or action (jati, dravya, guna, kriya). It is beyond qualities (nirguna); it is beyond substance (sat) such as earth, and beyond action of an object, whose nature is imcomplete (asat). As well it is beyond class (jati), since that inheres in substance, action and quality." Or the statement can mean "Brahman is beyond substance (sat) and everything else which is not substance (class and actions) (asat). How can the Vedas, whose existence depends on class, substance, actions, or, in other words, the aspects of quality (guna vrttayah), deal with this Brahman which devoid of class, object, quality and action?" (In philosophy padarthas or real things are enumerated: substance (dravya) such as earth, water, fire, etc time and space; quality ( guna) such as color, taste, smell etc.. action of objects (kriya) and prototype or genus (jati) such as humaness, cowness etc. Different philosophies will add or subtract items from this list. Impersonalists admit only one padartha Brahman.)

I worship Govardhana Mountain, best of the Lord’s servants, under whose shelter I will try to explain the meaning of the prayers of the Vedas. I offer respects to the Bhāgavatam, by whose mercy alone all people can know all the Vedas, which were not previously known. I offer respect to the feet of Śrīdhara Svāmī, who is affectionate to the lowly, by whose mercy, seeing the path, I became a Vaiṣṇava. I offer respects to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, the Lord and antaryāmī, whose inspiration alone is the cause of all causes. At the end of the previous chapter it was said ādiśya sanmāragam: he taught the path of bhakti. The teaching is defined according tat tu samanvayāt: the Lord is the conclusion of all scriptures. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.4) The highest aspect of that conclusion is as follows: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam | brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate || The knowers of truth call this truth advayam-jñānam, the supreme conscious being, who is called brahman by the jñānīs, Paramātmā by the yogīs and Bhagavān by the devotees. SB 1.2.11 This supreme truth is called Brahman by some who think the supreme is without qualities. However for the devotees who accept the intrinsic śaktis and unlimited qualities of the Lord he is called Paramātmā and Bhagavān. By his śakti of being antaryāmī, Bhagavān is Paramātmā. In his supreme abode and other places he is Bhagavān with his full manifestation of pure powers, by his supreme svarūpa-śakti which, as a sport, controls his māyā-śakti. The Lord is called advayam because without śakti, in the absence of śakti, without the effects of his śakti, there would be no other object in extence at all. The conclusive meaning of the statements ekam evādvitīyam brahma and neha nānāsti kincit, which forbid variety, is found in the following: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate | parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca || He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad Śukadeva was not overly critical of a neutral stance on this matter. Thinking that the philosophy in which Brahman is without qualities and the Bhagavān as simply a material devatā, though he was actually the supreme Brahman with all śaktis, was definitely not the conclusion, Parīkṣit could not tolerate criticism of the Lord and obscuration of the Lord’s qualities, since he had been protected by the Lord. Wanting to clarify Śukadeva’s views by approaching him, he challenged him as the knower of the Vedas, “O brāhmaṇa!” Or the seed of his challenge lay in the previous statement “The brāhmaṇa is all the Vedas, and I am all the devatās.” (SB 10.86.54) He criticizes that statement since the Lord is conclusion of the Vedas, not the brāhmaṇas. The conventional meaning of guṇa cannot be used in this statement. Guṇa means the effects of sattva, rajas and tamas, and white and other colors. Nirguṇa means devoid of those attributes. Since the Lord is beyond material guṇas, it is not possible to describe him in terms of material variety. Material variety arises from the guṇas. Therefore the Brahman’s svarūpa cannot be described, since by being beyond the guṇas its very nature is different from the known scriptures. It cannot be described words like “bliss” since bliss is a well known manifestation from the material citta. That is the opinion of impersonalists. Inference from circumstances and other states of mind are also rejected because the Lord has no material guṇas. The Lord’s inherent spiritual qualities according to them do not exist. There is no proof in the Vedas for spiritual qualities in the impersonal Brahman. The devotees however say that the Lord has a unique svarūpa, since he is described as having an extraordinary form beyond that of a material human. He has no bondage by material māyā, since he has qualities which are beyond māyā. He is beyond material cause and effect, since he produces them. Still, the Lord functions in all capacities according to the Lord’s own words: māṁ vidhatte ’bhidhatte māṁ vikalpyāpohyate tv aham etāvān sarva-vedārthaḥ śabda āsthāya māṁ bhidām māyā-mātram anūdyānte pratiṣidhya prasīdati The Vedas indicate bhakti as the action and indicate me as the meaning. I am the meaning of all the Vedas. I, as karma and jñāna, am proposed and rejected as alternatives. The Vedas, taking shelter of me, proposing karma and jñāna and then rejecting them as māyā, become happy by giving the devotees bliss. SB 11.21.43 vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: By all the Vedas, I am to be known. (BG 15.15) Statements like yato vāco nivartante (words cannot describe him) indicate his infinite nature. But this does not mean that one cannot attain the Lord. One can attain him by action and knowledge. The statement merely sets a limitation on understanding the Lord. Otherwise the very sentence yato vacā nivartate could not even be uttered. Aprāpya manasā saha: this excludes all possibilities of attainment by the mind. (both from Taittirīya Upaniṣad) Then it is said ānandaṁ brahmaṇo vidvān na bibheti kutaścana: one who knows the bliss of Brahman has no fear. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) It is explained that Brahman is attained by knowledge, not by words. Thus the statement “He cannot be expressed by words” means that is impossible to describe the Lord properly because of his infinite nature. There are the following statements to support this meaning. śāsṭra-yonitvāt: knowledge of the Lord is produced from scripture. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.3) śruteś tu śabdasa mūlavātat: the statements of śruti-śāstra are the root of real knowledge. (Brhama-sūtra 2.1.27) Tarkāprathiṣṭhānāt: logic is insubstantial. (Brhama-sūtra 2.1.11) taṁ tv aupaniṣadaṁ puruṣaṁ pṛchāmi: I ask about the Lord who is the subject of the Upaniṣads. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad) naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭa: O dear Naciketa, do not destroy your intelligence suitable for worshipping the Lord by logic. (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.9) There is harmony with all the Vedas because the śrutis are the highest scriptural proof and there is no fault of using other proofs. Therefore, according to Śrīdhara Svāmī, how can the Vedas speak of the impersonal Brahman? Not at all, since they speak of the personal Brahman.

The intelligent will see my boldness and rashness in trying in writing a commentary on the prayers of the Vedas, though it is a noble endeavor. What intelligent person would encourage a stubborn person like me to explain the meaning since I am unqualified and incapable and have not attained the mercy of great souls? I offer respects to the supreme soul, the Lord endowed with astonishing pastimes, who should engage a low person like me by force in the highest goal. I surrender to Śrīdhara Svāmī, who is affection to the fallen and who nourishes people who take shelter of him by giving his remnants. Because of his excellent explanations, I offer respects to Caitanya-deva, who revealed the meaning of the verses not revealed by Śrīdhara Svāmī. I offer respects to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam by whose influence even the fool, receiving the mercy of devotees, can become skillful. I worship Govardhana Mountain, best of the Lord’s servants, under whose shelter I will try to explain the meaning of the prayers of the Vedas. Parīkṣit, who was given to or accepted by Yudhiṣṭhira after being brought to life by the Lord who spreads throughout the universe by revelation of all his powers, spoke. It was suitable that he ask this question. At the end of the previous chapter it is said that the Lord explained how the Vedas deal with formless Brahman (san margān). Thinking that Vedas deal with glorification of the Lord and his devotee and not impersonal Brahman, he asks the question. You know because you are the form of the Vedas (brahman). Brahma cannot be defined by essential actions, qualities or classification (anirdeśya) and is devoid of qualities like heat in fire. The Vedas deal with the qualities, class or activity of objects. Or the Vedas take shelter of the three guṇas. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ: the Vedas deal with the three guṇas. (BG 2.45) Brahman is also devoid of gross or subtle (sad asat paraḥ). How do the Upaniṣadas (śrutayaḥ) exist in this condition (caranti) directly, avoiding tatpārya-vṛtti (indirect usuage of words)? Please explain the method. The intention is this. The Lord creates intelligence and other elements to liberate the jīvas. One achieves liberation by jñāna alone since one must understand the meaning of the mahāvākyas. This does not take place by other means. The Upaniṣads with mahāvākyas can express Brahman using indirect meaning of the jahad-ajahat-svārtha type. Or the Lord after teaching the method of directly worshipping the supreme Brahman Kṛṣṇa (san-margān), went to Dvārakā. Parīkṣit, desiring to know, asks the question. “How do the Upaniṣads deal with Parabrahman Kṛṣṇa (brahmani)?” Kṛṣna is famous as Parabrahman in Gopāla-tāpani Upaniṣad. Brahmā says yan nitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam: Kṛṣṇa is the complete eternal Brahman, full of the highest bliss. (SB 10.14.32) How do the Upaniṣads, made of sound, describe Kṛṣṇa who is beyond sound, since he is Brahman, and devoid of the three guṇas? harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ sa sarva-dṛg upadraṣṭā taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet Viṣṇu, however, has no connection with the material modes. He is the Supreme Lord, the all-seeing eternal witness, who is transcendental to material nature. One who worships him becomes similarly free from the material modes. SB 10.88.5 The Upaniṣads deal with the three guṇas of prakṛti. Who can in detail enumerate your qualities? (SB 10.14.7) No one can describe Kṛṣna’s qualities. But how can he be nirguṇa? As Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa has all qualities, as a pastime of his cit śakti. Ete cānye ca bhagavan nityā yatra mahāguṇāḥ: the Lord has other great eternal qualities. (SB 1.16.30) He must have eternal, spiritual qualities. māṁ bhajanti guṇāḥ sarve nirguṇaṁ nirapekṣakam suhṛdaṁ priyam ātmānaṁ sāmyāsaṅgādayo ’guṇāḥ All superior qualities, which are eternal, such as equality to all beings and attachment to my devotee, reside in me. I am beyond the material guṇas, not dependent on material qualities, and am the devotees’ friend, giving love to them. SB 11.13.40 Qualities reside in me who am not touched by the guṇas of prakṛti (nirguṇam). These qualities are not transformation of the guṇas (aguṇāḥ). “The Upaniṣads describe the Lord by lakṣaṇā.” But they should describe the Lord by direct meaning of words (sākṣāt). “The Upaniṣads describe Hiraṇyagarbha and the puruṣa. Since they are non-different from Kṛṣṇa, the Upaniṣads thus describe Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyagarbha is similar to nirguṇa because of proximity to it.The puruṣa, the controller of prakṛti, is nirguṇa since he accepts the guṇas by his will.” But he is beyond sat and asat. He is beyond the effect Hiraṇyagarbha (sat) and beyond the cause, the puruṣa (asat). Since he is most excellent (pare), though the Upaniṣads deal with Hiraṇyagarbha etc. they cannot deal with Kṛṣṇa since he is the condensed form of the bliss of Brahman. viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanaṁ sva-saṁsthayā samāpta-sarvārtham amogha-vāñchitam sva-tejasā nitya-nivṛtta-māyā- guṇa-pravāhaṁ bhagavantam īmahi Let me surrender to you, Bhagavān. You are the condensed form of pure knowledge and by you who are bliss itself you have forms with many qualities. Your desires are always fulfilled. Because your svarūpa-śakti you are never touched by the material guṇas. SB 10.37.22 As well it is said:

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca | śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca || I am the basis of impersonal Brahman, the basis of indestructible liberation, the basis of the eternal method of bhakti and the basis of the prema of the unalloyed devotee. BG 14.27 The Gītā verse states that Kṛṣṇa is the form of condensed bliss of Brahman. Or pare modifies brahmanī indicating Para-brahman Kṛṣṇa. How do the śrutis which are related to cause and effect (sad asataḥ) deal with Para-brahman Kṛṣṇa? Uddhava states that Kṛṣṇa is beyond śruti. bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām: even the Vedas pursue the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.47.61) If the Vedas simply pursue his feet, how can they describe him?

This is the reply: "The Lord (prabhuh) created intelligence, mind, senses and prana of the jivas (jananam) for their enjoyment of objects arising from karma (matra artham), and for their causing actions leading to repeated births (bhava artham)." Matra means those which are perceived (miyante): objects. "He did this so that the jivas would make an offering (kalpanaya) of their intelligence, mind, sense and prana to the Lord in the form of Brahman, paramatma and bhavagan (atmane)." Or another meaning is : "He did this in order to make the jivas use their intelligence, senses mind and pranas to worship him." Ca is repeated three times to show the importance of all three items. The meaning is this: Without the intelligence, senses, mind and pranas there can be no enjoyment of karma such as svarga (bhava artham), nor the acton itself (matra artham), nor any jnana with its limbs of sama and dama, nor any astanga yoga, nor even bhakti yoga with hearing and chanting (atmane akalpanaya). Therefore the Lord created them for the jivas.

"But your answer is like saying ‘I ate curd rice’ when someone asks ‘Where are you going now?’ To the question ‘How are the Vedas capable of describing brahman?’ an unrelated answer has been given: ‘ The Lord created intelligence, senses, mind and pranas for the jivas’ enjoyment and liberation.’" "That is not so. The Lord says, ‘The sages speak indirectly. I am fond of such indirect expression.’ Sb 11.21.35 Therefore to a direct question, it is very suitable to reply with suggestion. "You are saying that the brahman is indescribable because of its very nature is beyond the power of words. If the Lord did not create the senses, intelligence, mind and pranas, then even sound, touch, form, taste and smell would be indefinable, just like the Brahman. For a person deaf and blind from birth till now, sound and form are as inconceivable as Brahman. Just as he gives perceiving senses to us, so that sound and sight can be experienced and understood, he mercifully may give someone the ability grasp the Brahman, and therefore, by creating some means of sound functioning beyond generic class, object, quality and action, or even by not creating that means, he can convey Brahman through sound. Why? Because he is the Lord, capable of making the indescribable describable. The srutis should therefore easily perform their work of describing Brahman. Thus, Matsya says, "You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as param brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me." Sb8.24.38 The meaning of this is: "You will know my glories my great form, spread everywhere, called Brahman." "How will I know?" "You will know Brahman directly, defined by sound, by the statements of sages saying ‘Brahman is like this,’ in answer to your question ‘what is Brahman like?’ The reason is the attainment of my mercy. Without my extreme mercy, it is not possible to realize directly brahman through sound. "One should not interpret this verse spoken by Matsya to mean some indirect or metaphorical understanding of Brahman, otherwise the words "by my mercy" would be meaningless. If it were indirect understanding, the word sabditam (expressed through sound) also becomes meaningless if it were brahman were not expressed. "Just as you will directly realize that Brahman in your heart by my mercy, by the mercy of the Lord, Arjuna also realized directly that impersonal Brahman. The Lord said to Arjuna in the Harivamsa in relation to the stealing of the brahmana’s sons, ‘That great shining entity composed of the light of Brahman is myself, o best of the Bharatas. It is my eternal effulgence. It is my eternal superior prakrti, both manifest and unmanifest. The best knowers of yoga become liberated on entering it. It is the goal of those practicing sankhya, yoga and austerity. The whole universe worships that supreme Brahman. You should know that the intense effulgence is mine.’" Or another meaning of the answer is as follows. "O king, the Vedas never delineate the impersonal Brahman. "But Brahma says that Brahman is beyond sound. (Sabdo na yatra puru karakavan kriyarthah) (sb 2.7.47) Thus the Vedas do not touch upon even personal aspect of brahman, that sac cid ananda form, because it also is beyond material reals like substance, class, quality, and action." "However, the Visnu Purana states that the material gunas like sattva do not exist in the Lord." (sattadayo na santise yatra ca prakrta guna.) This means that material gunas like sattva does not exist, but spiritual qualities do. And again the Svetasvatara upanisad saying "the witness is conscious and without qualities." (Saksi ceta kevalo nigunas ca) indicates that nirguna must mean only without material qualities because being a witness is a quality. And the smrti (gita) says. "I am known by the Vedas." (vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah). "By this statement it is understood that, since the Lord possess spiritual varieties, qualities, forms and actions, which can be expressed through the function of sound, the Vedas can directly describe that Lord who has infinite spiritual qualities." The word buddhi in the present verse means mahattattva. Indriya means not only the senses but also their source of existence, the tan matras like sound and the gross elements such as ether. Therefore the second meaning is as follows: "The Lord creates mahattatva, the senses, sense objects, elements, mind and prana for their functioning (matra artham) in relation to (personal) Brahman (atmane), for the welfare of the jivas (bhava artham) so that they can engage the spiritual (in the case of the perfected devotee) and material (in the case of the practicing devotee), buddhi, indriya, mana and prana in the worship of the Lord." "Matra" can mean "function, division, place, or ear ornament" according to the teachings. "Bhava" can mean "auspiciousness, Siva or attainment" according to the teachings. Because speaking is not possible without the prana, mind and senses, they are created for the functioning of speaking. Gopal tapani upanisad (12.1) says: sat pundarika nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram dvbhujam mauna mudradyam vanamalinam isvaram Govinda has lotus eyes, complexion like a cloud, and cloth like lightning. He has two hands in the position of mauna and wears a forest flower garland. Because of the siddha devotee being able to grasp the spiritual lotus, cloud and lightning by spiritual intelligence and senses, the spiritual upanisad easily conveys the Lord’s eyes, body and cloth which are compared to these things. However, the sadhaka devotee, though he cannot grasp these things with his intelligence and senses, by applying the concepts of a material lotus, cloud and lightning to the Lord he can make them enter his intelligence. By concenterating his mind in this way, he then becomes joyful, under the impression that he is meditating on the Lord, though not even touching the Lord’s effulgence. But the Lord, controlled by waves of unlimited mercy, thinks "My devotee is meditating on me." The Lord brings that devotee to his feet for service when his bhakti reaches maturity. Thus by the mercy of the Lord alone, the Vedas are able to convey the form of the Lord.

One version has ṛṣir uvāca (the sage said). This indicates his skill in answering because of his omniscience. Śuka uvāca indicates the story told in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: he was freed from the bondage of māyā by Kṛṣṇa himself. Since he had received the mercy of the Lord like Parīkṣit, with similar experiences, his answer would be favorable to Parīkṣit. The meaning is this. The Lord is defined as the supreme cause in terms of primary (svarūpa) or secondary (taṭastha) qualities. Both however result in the existence of Bhagavān, not in impersonal Brahman. This is acccording to the statement yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarva-vit: he is omniscient and all perceiving. (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad) He is called prabhuḥ because he is not dependent on any other being. By his very nature he is īśvara or Supreme Lord. He possesses all-pervading jñāna-śakti iccha-śakti and kriya-śakti. Saytaṁ jñānam anantaṁ brahma: the Lord is existence and infinite knowledge. Vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma: the Lord is knowledge and bliss. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad) Yal lakṣyate tasyaiva khalv etasyānandasyānyāni bhūtāni mātrām upajīvanti: all living beings take their life from the Lord full of bliss. (Brhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.32) Ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt: who could breathe without this Brahman, if this blissful Brahman were not present? (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) ānandād eva khalv imāni bhutāni jāyante ānandena jātāni jīvanti ānandaṁ prayanty abhisaṁviśanti: from bliss the living beings airs, by bliss they live and into bliss they merge. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.6.1) na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate | parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca || He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad These śruti statements show that the Lord has intrinsic śaktis. Tvam akaraṇaḥ sva-rāḍ akhila-kāraka-śakti-dharaḥ: though you have no material senses, you are the self-effulgent sustainer of everyone’s sensory powers. (SB 10.87.28) The Lord is not affected by upādhis though he relates with upādhis by his śaktis. Tvam asi yad ātmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ: by your very nature you are perfectly full in all opulences. (SB 10.87.14) According to the statement tat tejo sṛjata: he glanced and his power carried out created (Taittirīya Upaniṣad), he created the intelligence and senses (present verse). Does this happen by pariṇāma or vivarta? It takes place by his śakti since śakti is suitable as the material cause, and since the Lord can accept the role as the efficient cause. Thus as the doer the Lord attains independence. Therefore previously to his creation of material intelligence etc. by his glance, since prakṛti was without agitation, it is understood that he had his own intelligence and other qualities. According to the statement sa aikṣata (he glanced), since he created intelligence etc. for birth and enjoyment of the senses (mātrārtham, bhāvārtham), he considered carefully before creating. Mātrārtham means all the puruṣārthas including taking shelter of the Lord. Sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasa ayam ātmāpahata-pāpmā: the Lord has all desires, all fragrance, all taste and is free of sin. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad) These qualities are not imposed adventiously upon him since it is impossible to have adventious (material) qualities in the absolute person who is beyond material objects. This is also impossible because of the impossibility of dull matter which is in the category of receiving imposition to impose itself, since it is without knowledge, whereas Brahman is pure in all three phases of time. Therefore the Lord does not cause imposition on the jīva through the jīva’s ignorance. The jīva produces his own imposition by his nature of ignorance, like a person talking in his sleep, since this brings uniformity in the conclusion. Since the Vedas say the Lord is independent, claiming the Lord has imposition would be repulsive. There is a saying “It is better to stay away from mud than wash it off.” Thus it would not be suitable for the Lord to accept imposition and then have to destroy it. That his qualities are impositions is also contradicted by statements like “He has natural śaktis.” It would also contradict statements like śrutes tu śabda-mūlatvāt: the defects in the jīva do not apply to Braman because of the declaration of scripture; scripture is the root of knowledge about spirit. (Brhama-sūtra 2.1.27) Imposition of qualities on the Lord would also be related to atheism. To think that the Lord is impersonal Brahman is like thinking a man to be pillar. This would also mean non-existence of Brahman in the three phases of time. The ignorance produced by man who is produced by his ignorance is in the end ignorance produced from ignorance. Meditation, another creation, would also be useless. Other statements also agree. Saṁjñā-mūrti-klptiś ca tri-vṛt kurvata upadeśāt: the creation of names and forms in groups of three is done by the creator, for that is the teaching. (Brahma-sūtra 2.4.20) Those who claim there is no God are criticized: asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram | aparaspara-saṁbhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam || They say the world is false, without a foundation, and without a creator. It arises by the innate properties of matter. It arises by lust alone. BG 16.8 Asatyam means false. Apratiṣṭhitam means what cannot be described as either real or unreal. Anīśvaram means atheistic concoction arising from ignorance. Aparaspara-saṁbhūtaṁ means “produced from hopeless ignorance.” Aparaspara means continuous. Kāma-haitukam means arising from mental concoction, like a dream. Such people are described as not knowing proper action and forbiddance. This means they do not have proper saṁskāras. Their actions and destination are also condemned: etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya naṣṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ | prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ kṣayāya jagato ’hitāḥ || Taking shelter of these viewpoints, not understanding ātmā, believing in worthless philosophies, performing violent actions, and being hostile to the world, these men destroy spiritual truth. BG 16.9 Thus the meaning of all the Vedas is Bhagavān. Yaṁ sarve vedā namanti mumkṣavo brahmavādinaś ca: all the Vedas, liberated souls and brahmavādis offer respecst to the Lord. (Nṛsimha-tāpanī Upaniṣad) vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. BG 15.15 natāḥ sma sarva-jagatām vacasāṁ pratiṣṭhā yatra śāśvatī The words of the whole universe cannot describe the Lord, the eternal foundation. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.14.23 māṁ vidhatte ’bhidhatte māṁ vikalpyāpohyate tv aham etāvān sarva-vedārthaḥ śabda āsthāya māṁ bhidām māyā-mātram anūdyānte pratiṣidhya prasīdati The Vedas indicate bhakti as the action and indicate me as the meaning. I am the meaning of all the Vedas. I, as karma and jñāna, am proposed and rejected as alternatives. The Vedas, taking shelter of me, proposing karma and jñāna and then rejecting them as māyā, become happy by giving the devotees bliss. SB 11.21.43 Sad eva saumyedam agra āsīt: the eternal lord existed before this universe. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.2.1) This indicates that the Lord is real. He is situated as the cause of everything. Ātmā vā idam agra āsīt: the Paramātmā existed before everything. (Aitareya Upaniṣad 1.1.1) He existed as Paramātmā. Satyaṁ jñānam anantaṁ brahma: the Lord is eternithy, knowledge and bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) Vijñanam ānandaṁ brahma: the Lord is knowledge and bliss. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.34) This is the Lord’s svarūpa-lakṣaṇa or principal quality. Nirguṇaṁ nirañjanam: he is pure, without material guṇas. (SB 10.51.56) This indicates he is devoid of faults. Na tasya kāryaṁ karanāṁ ca vidyate…svābhavikī jñana-bala-kriyā ca: the Lord has innate knowledge, strength and action. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) Being devoid of material śakti, the Lord possesses innate śaktis of extraordinary nature. The same is supported by statements denying the opposite. eṣa ātmāpahatapāpmā vijaro vimṛtyur viśoko vijighatso 'pipāsaḥ satyakāmaḥ satyasaṁkalpaḥ | One should know that ātmā is without sin, without ageing, without death, without lamentation, without hunger, without thirst, whose every desire is truth and whose every desire is fulfilled. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.5 nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān | He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaraṁ taṁ devatānāṁ paramaṁ ca daivatam | sa kāraṇaṁ karaṇādhipādhipo na cāsya kaścij janitā na cādhipaḥ He is the great, supreme master of all controllers. He is the Supreme Lord to be worshipped. He is the first cause and the lord of the lord of the senses.He has no creator or master. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad These verses of glorification show the Lord as the cause of all causes. Ānandaṁ brahmano rūpam: the Lord has a form of bliss. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad) vedāham etaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt | I know that great Lord, brilliant like the sun, beyond ignorance. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad na sandṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya na cakṣuṣā paśyati rūpam asya His form is not within the perception of material senses. One cannot see his form with the material eye. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vṛṇute tanuṁ svām || The Lord reveals his form to whomsoever he chooses. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.4 In this way, the outstanding svarūpa of the Lord has been shown. It is said eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā neśāṇaḥ: in the beginning only Nārāyaṇa existed, without Brahmā or Śiva. (Mahā-nārānayaṇ Upaniṣad) This is the position of the Lord that I have desired to illustrate. yasya pṛthivī śarīraṁ yaḥ pṛthivīm antaro yam ayaty eṣa ta ātmāntaryāmy amṛtaḥ He who is the ultimate proprietor of the earth and the body, and who, residing within, rules the earth, is the immortal Supreme Lord who resides in the heart. Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3,7.3 yasyākṣaraṁ śarīraṁ eṣa sarvabhūtāntarātmā apahata-pāpmā divyo deva eko nārāyaṇaḥ The one Lord without sin dwelling in all beings whose body is indestructible is Nārāyaṇa. Subala Upaniṣad He is the ātmā of the earth because he reveals everything through his endowment of all śaktis. The Purāṇas and Mahābhārata also say the same: hlādinī sandhinī saṁvit tvayy ekā guṇa-saṁśraye | hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite | In you who are the shelter of all spiritual qualities exist the energies of hlādinī, sandhinī and saṁvit. In you who are devoid of material qualities, the mixture of happiness and distress found in the material world does not exist. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.9.44-45 kalā-kāṣṭānimeṣādi-kāla-sūtrasya gocare yasya śaktir na śuddhasya prasīdatu sa me harīh The pure Lord’s potency cannot be measured by the string of time, calibrated in minutes and seconds. May the Lord be merciful to us. Viṣṇu Purāṇa jñāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tejāṁsy aśeṣataḥ | bhagavac-chabda-vācyāni vinā heyair guṇādibhiḥ || The word bhagavān means that he is complete with power of mind (omniscience), power of senses, power of body, influence, control, and beauty, and is devoid of all inferior qualities. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.79 kalā-murhūtādi-mayaś ca kālo na yad vibhūteḥ pariṇama-hetuḥ We do not know the the Lord who is time, made up of moments and hours and years; whose influence is the source of perpetual change. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 4.1.83 na śakyaḥ sa tvayā draṣṭum asmābhir vā bṛhaspate yaysa prasādaṁ kurute sa vai taṁ drastum arhati He cannot be seen by you or us, O Bṛhaspati! He can be seen by the person to whom he gives mercy. Mahābhāṛata etat tvayā na vijñeyaṁ rūpavān iti dṛśyate icchan muhūrtān naśyeyam īśo 'haṁ jagato guru māyā hy eṣā mayā sṛṣṭā yan māṁ paśyasi nārada sarvabhūta-guṇair yuktaṁ naivaṁ tvaṁ jñātum arhasi You do not understand that I become visible because I accept a form. Being master and guru of the universe, by my desire I can become invisible. Nārada, you see a material form which is māyā, created by me. You should not think that I am made of material qualities and elements. Mahābhārata 12.326.42-3 These are the words from Śvetadvīpa. The meaning is this. You should not think I am visible because I have a material form. I am seen is only when I desire to show myself. By my desire I can become invisible, since I am beyond the senses. Because I reveal myself by my will by form is self-revealing. It is also said: nityāvyakto pi bhavagān īkṣate nija-śaktitaḥ tam ṛte paramātmānaṁ kā paśyetām itam prabhum The Lord, eternally invisible, is seen by his will. Without that, who can see the Lord, the Paramātmā? One who thinks I have material qualities and form sees a form created by māyā. You should not think of me in that way. It is said kūṭastho ‘kṣara ucyate: he is fixed with one form (BG 15.16) akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahma: the Supreme Lord is without change. (BG 8.3) yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham akṣarād api cottamaḥ | ato ’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ || Because I am superior to the conditioned and liberated jīvas, I am celebrated in the Vedas and the smṛtis as the Supreme Person. BG 15.18 māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate | sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate ||| He who serves me alone in pure devotional service surpasses the guṇas, and becomes endowed with his spiritual nature. BG 14.26 brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca | śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca || I become the ultimate, affectionate shelter of the jīva who has attained his svarūpa, who is beyond death and possesses unchanging devotion to me, for I am the shelter of eternal qualities and extraordinary rasa for that jīva. BG 14.27 śrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanāḥ The śrutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing you as their final conclusion. SB 10.87.41 tvam atha yad eṣv avaśeṣam ṛtam You are the reality underlying them all. SB 10.87.17 tvam asi yad ātmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ By Your very nature You are perfectly full in all opulences. SB 10.87.14 tvam uta jahāsi tām ahir iva tvacam ātta-bhago mahasi mahīyase ’ṣṭa-guṇite ’parimeya-bhagaḥ You, however, avoid the material energy in the same way that a snake abandons its old skin. Glorious in Your possession of eight mystic perfections, you enjoy unlimited opulences.

The issue is resolved. The Lord created the intelligence and prāṇas for all beings who were merged at the time of pralaya in order that they enjoy objects (mātrārtham) or in order that they understand the śrutis, which describe the effects or guṇas and what is beyond the guṇas (mātrātham), so that they can approach liberation or attain enjoyment on Brahma-loka (bhavārtham), attain their svarūpa as ātmā, or attain liberation (ātmane) and so that they can worship the Lord (akalpanāya). Nirguṇo mad apāśrayaḥ: surrender to me is beyond the guṇas. (SB 11.25.26) Worship is beyond the creation (kalpana) since it is nirguṇa. Or ātmane can mean “for attaining Kṛṣṇa.” The method is then given: for performance of bhakti (kalpanāya). I am obtainable by bhakti and by no other means. That is the meaning. Bhakty ahaṁ ekayā grāhyaḥ: I am obtained only by bhakti (SB 11.14.21) puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labyas tv ananyayā: the Lord is supreme, O Arjuna, and is obtained by pure bhakti alone. (BG 8.22) Though the Lord is beyond the senses and mind, being Adhokṣaja, when persons perform bhakti, by the mercy generated by bhakti, the person contacts the Lord’s personal śakti and he becomes visible to the eye of undeserving persons. First the answer is given: the śrutis can describe Kṛṣṇa because of their devotion. There is no other way. Then, starting in verse 13, using the example of bards waking a king, Sanaka and other sages describe the bhakti of the śrutis and elaborately answer the question posed by Nārada previously. Śukadeva describes the prayers of śrutis which glory the Lord and in doing explains the cause of the śrutis being able to describe the Lord. At the beginning the śrutis say kvacid ajayātmanā ca carato ’nucaren nigamaḥ: sometimes the Vedas serve you as you sport with your material and spiritual potencies. (SB 10.67.14) The meaning is this. The śrutis are of various types. Some are dedicated to karma, some to jñāna and some to bhakti. Those dedicated to karma cannot describe Kṛṣṇa because they are concerned with the three guṇas. Those dedicated to jñāna, though desiring directly the Lord in another life, and describing him by lakṣaṇā, search out the Lord’s form by negation. Adyāpi yat padarajaḥ śruti-mṛgyam eva: even today the śrutis search for your foot dust. (SB 10.14.34) Those śrutis dedicated to the Lord, primarily Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad and Gopāla-tāpanī, are able to describe Bhagavān directly with great devotion. The verses of āgamas and Purāṇas following after these two Upaniṣads also can deal with Bhagavān. Thus it is said concerning the rāsa dance: manorathāntaṁ śrutayo yathā yayuḥ: the Vedas become fulfilled by revealing Kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.32.13) The meaning is this. The śrutis dealing with karma-kāṇḍa, not seeing the Supreme Lord, are not satisfied, being full of topics concerning material enjoyment. The śrutis dealing with Bhagavān are fully satisfied (manorathāntam). brahmānanda-mayo loko vyāpī vaikuṇṭha-saṁjñitaḥ tal-loka-vāsī tatra-sthaiḥ stuto vedaiḥ parātparaḥ ciraṁ stutyā tatas tuṣṭaḥ parokṣaṁ prāha tān girā tuṣṭo ‘smi brūta bhoḥ prājñā varaṁ yan manasecchatha All the spiritual planets are spread with bliss of the Lord. The inhabitants are praised by the Vedas residing there. After praising a long time, the Lord was satisfied and spoke to the Vedas while remaining invisible. “I am pleased with you. O Vedas! Please ask the boon which you desire.” śrutaya ūcuḥ yathā tal-loka-vāsinyaḥ kāma-tattvena gopikāḥ bhajanti ramaṇaṁ matvā cikīrṣājani nas tathā The śrutis replied, ‘We have developed the desire to become like the cowherd women of the mortal world who, inspired by lust, worship you in the mood of a lover.’ āgāmini viriñcau tu jāte sṛṣṭy-artham udite kalpaṁ sāraśvataṁ prāpya vraje gopyo bhaviṣyatha ‘When the next Brahmā takes birth to faithfully execute his duties of creation, and when the day of his life called the Sārasvata-kalpa arrives, you will all appear in Vraja as gopīs.’ Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa The Lord becomes visible to persons with pure bhakti. This is proved by the words of Bhiṣma at the horse sacrifice of Vasurāja, related in Mokṣadharma. Prītas tato ‘sya bhagavān devadevaḥ sanātanaḥ Sākṣat taṁ darśayām āsa so ‘dṛyṣo ‘nyena kenacit Savyaṁ bhāgam upāghrāya puroḍāśaṁ gṛhitavānṛto Adṛśyena hṛto bhāgo devena harimedhasā Bṛhaspatis tataḥ kruddhaḥ tātparyeṇa mukhyayā vrṭyā Being pleased the eternal lord of lords directly showed himself though he is invisible to others. The Lord smelled a portion of the rice cake offering and accepted it. The cake was taken by the Lord who is invisible. Bṛhaspati became angry and wielded his sacrificial ladle.

"These two previous verse in the form of question and answer are like an upanisad dealing with Brahman. These verses were not created by us two, but simply made their appearance, because previously the same verse were discussed by Sanaka and others who came before Narada and others."

He proves his previous statement and praises the knowledge. The two previous verses (sā), a question and answer, become an Upaniṣad. By the two verses, an Upaniṣad appears. By the two verses an Upaniṣad was not recently produced however, because this knowledge was held by the Kumāras who appeared before Nārada and others in their hearts. Or, the following verses (sā) starting with jaya jaya to be spoken are an Upaniṣad. The person will attain the lotus feet of the Lord (kṣemam). martyo mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥ palāyan lokān sarvān nirbhayaṁ nādhyagacchat tvat pādābjaṁ prāpya yadṛcchayādya susthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmād apaiti No one in this material world, fearful of the snake of time, has become free from fear, even by fleeing to various planets. But now that you have appeared, death is fleeing in fear of you, and the living entities, having obtained shelter at your lotus feet by your mercy, are fearless and tranquil. SB 10.3.27

Upaniṣad here means that which exists firmly (niṣīt) near Brahman by lakṣaṇā, tātpārya or by direct meaning. This Upaniṣad, dedicated to the Lord (brahmī), was placed in the hearts of previous sages like Sanaka or was constantly studied by them (dhṛtaḥ). The person who rejects unlimited possessesions for the pleasure of the Lord (akiñcaṇaḥ) attains bhakti-yoga (kṣemam). sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ The path of bhakti (kṣemaḥ) followed by person who are friendly, virtuous, and surrendered to Nārāyaṇa is certain, auspicious, and without fear of obstacles. SB 6.1.17

To reinforce the faith in what was said, he relates the history. "Concerning this subject (atra), I will tell a history (gatham) in the form of a dialogue which showing Narayana as supreme."

In this connection I will relate a story which happened long ago. The story concerns Nārāyaṇa, the shelter of the three puruṣas who create mahat-tattva and the shelter of all jīvas. This refers to Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, the real Nārāyaṇa, as expressed by Brahmā in SB 10.14.14. Thus this story is consistent with a beginning and conclusion concerning (anvitam) Kṛṣṇa. Since Nārada, a great devotee was involved, this story glorified the Lord and was conclusive. He is described in the next vears as “dear to the Lord.” This story is in the form of a conversation between Nārada and the sage Nārāyaṇa. This excludes Nārāyaṇa of the spiritual world and Nārāyaṇa residing in the Milk Ocean.

I will describe the śrutis dedicated to Brahman and later those beyond Brahman. Story began from a conversation of questions and answers between Nārada and Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi--who was not residing on the Milk Ocean and was not the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. The two words ca indicate that the conversation was primiarly between the two of them. Or I will relate that conversation in which the Lord Nārāyaṇa, praised by the śrutis, was understood (anvitām) by being described.

Narada went to see the eternally liberated (sanatanam) Narayana Rsi (son of Dharma).

Nārāyaṇa was the eternal Supreme Lord, son of Dharma (ṛṣim). Nārada went to his place in Badrikāśrama.

When, where and how did the conversation take place? Four verses describe this. Nārada at some time with an opportunity for mercy (ekadā) or with an eagerness to hear, went to the sage’s hermitage, after wandering in all the worlds. Why? He did it to please the Lord, by hearing and glorifying the Lord (bhagavat-priyaḥ). aho devarṣir dhanyo ’yaṁ yat-kīrtiṁ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ | gāyan mādyann idaṁ tantryā ramayaty āturaṁ jagat || Oh! Nārada is most fortunate because, singing and rejoicing in the glories of Kṛṣṇa with his vīṇa, he gives bliss to the suffering world. SB 1.6.38 Therefore he went to Nārāyaṇa who was the first sage (sanātanam). Or he went to see the eternal (sanātanam) Lord in the form of a sage (ṛṣim).

Narayana rsi was performing austerities from the beginning of the first day of Brahma (akalpat) for the welfare of men now and in next life (ksemaya svastaye).

This verse shows the reason why he is called a sage, and describes pastimes of compassion. He was situated in austerity, his sva-dharma, endowed with jñāna, dharma and śama in order to teach the people, for auspiciousness in this life (kṣemāya) and future life (maṅgalāya). Dharma means processes suitable for bhakti. Jñāna means knowledge of the Lord. Śama means contemplation of the Lord. He was so engaged from the beginning of Brahmā’s day.

This verses gives the reason for the Lord being a sage. It was his great mercy to the world. He performed penance in Bharata which is famous as the place of karma in all the worlds (asmin). aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ The devatās sing: What pious acts did these residents perform, or was the Lord simply pleased with them, by which they attained a birth suitable for service to Mukunda in the area of Bhārata, whereas we can only desire this, but not attain it? SB 5.19.21 Or he performed penances there for you (asmin). Thus the word indicates the place’s auspiciousness. Vai means famous. He performed penance for liberation (kṣemāya) and happiness (svastaye) of humanity or for the happiness in this life and the next. The penance was endowed with dharma, jñāna and was fixed on the Lord (śama). He did this personally to teach the people. This is explained in Mokṣa-dharma. Śama is what is superior to dharma and jñāna. He started the penance on the first day of Brahmā (ākalpāt).

Narada offered his respects to Narayana who was seated there, and asked about this topic (idam): "O brahaman, how can the srutis describe the indescribable Brahman?"

At the sage’s hermitage Nārada met him as he sat, devoid of disturbance of heart, giving the opportunity for questions. He was surrounded by sages of similar mind. This indicates his question was of great significance. O Parīkṣit born in a great dynasty (kurudvaha)! Your question is appropriate, being the same as that of Nārada.

He (bhagavan), seated among the rsis spoke, to Narada(tasmai) this,topic, which was previously discussed among the residents of Janaloka

The other sages listened with attention (the phrase should be in the locative rather than the possessive case). An ancient discussion to determine the truth (vāda), rather than jalpa or vitaṇḍa took place concerning the Vedas (brahma). Janaloka means the planet above Maharloka. It may also be called Janoloka.

He builds up Parīkṣit’s enthusiasm. The omniscient lord, or the Lord full of mercy (bhagavān) spoke this topic while the sages listened. This indicates that they were eager to hear the spiritual topic, being all of the same temperament. This (idam) topic indicates that it was present visibly at all times in Nārāyana’s heart. Or idam refers to brahmavādaḥ, a topic of discussion to discern the truth. Vādo vivadatām aham: among types of argumentation I am vāda, which delivers the truth (BG 10:32) Among methods like vitaṇḍā and jalpa, vāda is a great vibhūti of the Lord since it is about the Lord. This is all explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Janaloka means the planet above Maharloka. It may also be called Janoloka.

When the performers of sacrifice who are all equally qualified perform sacrifice it is called karma satra. Where the listeners and speaker of spiritual topics are equally qualified it is called brahma satra. "O son of brahma (svayambhuva), the qualified inhabitants of Janaloka, the mental sons of brahma, previously held this discussion on Brahman (brahma satra)."

O Nārada, son of Brahmā! The sages were engaged in a sacrifice concerning knowledge of the Vedas. Since that discussion was similar to this, you are qualified to hear about it. These sages were the mental sons of Brahmā, and therefore very pure. They were dedicated to contemplation of the Lord (munīnām) and were brahmacārīs since birth. Thus they were also qualified for the discussion concerning the Vedas.

O Nārada, son of Brahmā! The sages were engaged in a sacrifice concerning knowledge of the Vedas. Since that discussion was similar to this, you are qualified to hear about it. These sages were the mental sons of Brahmā, and therefore very pure. They were dedicated to jñāna munīnām) and were brahmacārīs since birth. Thus they were also qualified for the discussion concerning the Vedas.

"Where did I go? Why I did not know about it?" "You went to Svetadvipa to see the Lord. That very same question (ha ayam)) arose that you asked me. "

On Janaloka (tatra) the same question was asked that you have asked me long after they asked (anu). Since you asked me later, there is no reason to doubt the validity of your question. This is praise for Nārada’s question. Serate means “fully endowed with.”

"Since they were all filled with knowledge, who was the speak and who were the questioners?" Since there was no difference in their learning, austerity and character there were no groups of for, against and neutral. Although all were qualified to be the speaker, for pleasure, they made one of themselves the speaker.

Tapas means the ability to concentrate the mind. Pravacanam means “speaker” rather than “speaking.”

They were equal in study of the Vedas (śruta), in concentration of heart (tapas), in qualities like peacefulness (śila). Pravacanam means “speaker” rather than “speaking.” Sanandana was the one speaker and the listeners were Sanaka and others.

According to the words of Sukadeva the question that Pariksit asked in verse one (brahman brahmany anirdesya) was previously asked by Narada to Narayana Rsi (verse seven), and previously according to the statement of Narayana Rsi, the same question was asked first on Janaloka, by Sanaka and other sages to Sananda. Then Sananda, speaking from the uttara portion of the Brahmopanisad (the second half ot the upanisad consisting to two verses), replied with verse two (buddhindra manah pranan). In relation to that, in the present verse, he then recites a history in order to establish that the srutis are self proven, the original proof. Destroying at the time of pralaya this universe created by himself (sva srstam idam), the Lord lay down in yoga like a sleeping person. And then at the end of this period, at the time of creation, the srutis woke him up by words indicating the Lord (tal lingaih). They taught him, even though he knows everything, because of their enthusiasm for the meaning of the prayers about him.

After Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa withdrew the created universes along with the puruṣāvatāras, he remained inattentive to universal affairs as if sleeping. After this, the śrutis reawakened him to the job of creation using words indicating his powers, just as the poets serving a king approach him at dawn and awaken him by reciting his heroic deeds. The description begins, and will similarly conclude, with the Lord who is defined by the Vedas, not as impersonal Brahman but the Lord with qualities, and uncontaminated by māyā. yo ’syotprekṣaka ādi-madhya-nidhane yo ’vyakta-jīveśvaro yaḥ sṛṣṭvedam anupraviśya ṛṣiṇā cakre puraḥ śāsti tāḥ He is the Lord who eternally watches over this universe, who exists before, during and after its manifestation. He is the master of both the unmanifest material energy and the spirit soul. After sending forth the creation He enters within it, accompanying each living entity. SB 10.87.50 Sva-sṛṣṭim means that the Lord is the material cause (upāḍana) of the universe. It is dependent on him. He drank up completely (ā—pitvā) with its cause, prakṛti and its enjoyers, all the jīvas, this universe (idam) composed of elements from mahat-tattva to earth element, just as the sun destroys all juices. He did this while merging all his puruṣāvatāra forms endowed with various śaktis (saha śaktibhiḥ). anantāni tavoktāni yāny aṇḍāni mayā purā sarvāṇi tāni saṁhṛtya sama-kālaṁ jagat-patiḥ prakṛtau tiṣṭhati tadā sa rātris tasya kīrtitā As I have already explained to you, the Lord destroys all the numberless material universes at the same time. Then the universes remain in their unmanifest state within the Supreme Lord. This is known as the Lord's night. Viṣṇu-dharmottara It is said that the mahā-puruṣa merges into Bhagavān (sva-prakṛtau). Śayanam means that the Lord does not give attention to the activates of the universe, as if in a sleeping condition. Param means Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa since it is said ādyo ’vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya: Mahā-viṣṇu is an expansion of the Supreme Lord. (SB 2.6.42) Kṛṣṇa was in his own abode. After this inattention to the universal activities (tad-ante), with the external coverings removed (so they could see him) the deities presiding over the Vedas, with directly authoritative words, or words to indicate Svayam Bhagavān (tal-liṅgaih), woke up the Lord, to make him attentive to creation of the universes. The meaning is this. Though he has no taste for his “awakening” or paying attention to the powers of māyā in comparison to his superior manifestations inherent in his svarūpa, because of the necessity of paying attention since he has the qualification for the job, he does this in such a way as to give preference to the manifestations from his svarūpa, which tend to cover the manifestation of māyā. This purpose will become clear even in the first prayer. During the time of pralaya the Lord’s abode of Vaikuṇṭha is not destroyed. It is said in the Second Canto: pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ In Vaikuṇṭha there are no rajas or tamas, and no sattva mixed with rajas and tamas. There is no influence of time. There is no influence of māyā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshippable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2.9.10 The śrutis of higher and lower qualities had a natural service attitude in reawakening him. That is shown through an example, to strengthen the ancient conclusion. Bards awaken a sleeping king with excellent words indicating his possession of all extraordinary powers without compare. This is explained in my Sandarbha. Thus there is no necessity of repetition. The correct conclusion has already been established, approved by all the Vedas: this means naturally Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa and no one else since that has been indicated in the verse kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28) This is indicated in the prayers themselves: nibhṛta-marun-mano-’kṣa-dṛḍha-yoga-yujo hṛdi yan Simply by constantly thinking of him, the enemies of the Lord attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages fixed in yoga worship by controlling their breath, mind and senses. SB 10.87.23 The śrutis also directly met him. Kṛṣṇaṁ ca tatra cchandobhiḥ stūyamānaṁ su-vismitāḥ: they were especially amazed to see Kṛṣṇa himself there, surrounded by the personified Vedas, who were offering him prayers. SB 10.28.17 Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad says yo ‘sau sarveṣu vedeṣu tiṣṭhati: he resides in all the Vedas. Yo ‘sau sarva-vedaiḥ gīyate: Kṛṣṇa is praised by all the Vedas. Nārada after hearing the prayers also offered respects and indicated this. namas tasmai bhagavate kṛṣṇāyāmala-kīrtaye yo dhatte sarva-bhūtānām abhavāyośatīḥ kalāḥ I offer my obeisances to him of spotless fame, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who manifests his all-attractive personal expansions so that all living beings can achieve liberation. SB 10.87.46 Thus all verses show the supreme position of Kṛṣṇa in different ways. This is written at the end of the work. If curious, one may consult that section.

After Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa withdrew the created universes along with the puruṣāvatāras, he remained inattentive to universal affairs as if sleeping. After this, the śrutis reawakened him to the job of creation using words indicating his powers, just as the poets serving a king approach him at dawn and awaken him by reciting his heroic deeds.

The Lord withdrew this universe which is dependent on him (sva) into himself, as easily as one drinks water (āpīya) along with the three guṇas and their effects such as mahat-tattva (śaktibhiḥ) or along with knowledge and ignorance etc. (śaktibhiḥ). The universe was sleeping: it had no impulse to peform its actions at that time. Or the Lord withdrew the universe and was sleeping with Lakṣmī and others (śaktibhiḥ) as a pastime. The śrutis then woke him up with words of glorification (liṅgaiḥ). An example is then given to show the śrutis natural servitude. The bards are servants (anujīvinaḥ). They praise him to gain his great mercy.

"O unconquerable Lord! May you remain in all your glories (jaya jaya). May you reveal all your excellent qualities." Jaya is repreated twice out of great respect or joy. "By what means should I reveal my glories?" "By being merciful to the jivas, but letting them attain the sweetness of your lotus feet. Destroy that ignorance (ajam) which in unfavorable for attaining your feet of all the jivas with stationary and moving bodies (agajagad okasam)." "But Maya is full of good qualities. How does she act unfavorably for the jivas’ attaining me?" "She has the quality of covering knowledge, making the jivas accept false identity in material bodies (dosa ghrbita gunan)." Another meaning is: "She possesses the modes of nature (sattva, raja and tama) which hide your presence. Her qualities produce anarthas which are not favorable for attainment of your lotus feet." (In the word "ghrbhita," bh is a substitute for h (ghrhita), permitted in prayers.) "O unconquerable one (ajita), you cannot be conquered by her, but others such as Brahma are conquered by her qualities." "You say that I am unconquered by her, what is the symptom of that?" "Because (yat) you are endowed with all powers (samavaruddha samasta bhaga) through your svarupa (atmana)--because you have complete control over maya." "But even if ignorance slackens, one cannot attain me except by bhakti, for concerning bhakti I have said, ‘bhaktya aham ekaya grahyah’ (sb 11.14.21) ‘I am obtained only by unalloyed devotion.’" "O awakener of all saktis! Having created intelligence, the senses, mind and pranas, you arouse all the saktis of the jivas such as the sakti for doing work and enjoying the fruit of work. In the same way, you, by your mercy, awaken all the saktis for executing jnana and bhakti yoga in order to attain you in your forms of Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan. And when theses practices are mature, you then awaken the saktis to give realization of Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan" "What is the proof of this?" Here the srutis themselves speak, but out of humility they speak in the third person. "The srutis (nigamah) serve you, who only at the time of creation (kvacit) engage in activities with your external energy (ajaya), but at all times engage in activities with your internal energy (atmana). Our serving you (describing you) produces the proof of your carrying out these functions. In other words, we the srutis establish that you act at the time of creation and destruction of the material world, and that you act at all times for devotees’ realization of yourself. Therefore the statement of the Brahmopanisad is correct in saying that you created the intelligence, senses, mind for the benefit of the jivas." Thus the Lord, Brahman, is endowed with eternity, full knowledge and bliss. Here are the proofs: Eko devah sarvabhutesu gudhah sarva vyapi sarva bhutantaratma Karmadhyaksah sarvabhutadhivasah saksi cetah kevalo nirgunas ca The one Lord is hidden in all living beings, pervades everywhere, and is the soul within all living being. The Lord is the controller of action, resides in all entities, is the witness, consciousness, one, without material qualities. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.11 Yah sarva jnah sarvavit yasya jnanamayam tapah He is complete knowledge, endowed with cit sakti. Mundaka upanisad 1.1.9 Sarvajna means complete knowledge. Sarva vit means the cit sakti of the Lord whose quality is to awaken all saktis, which can be realized only by her grace. Jnanamayam means filled with recollection or inference. Tapa means glorious powers. sarvasya vasi sarvasyesanah He remembers everything, as all glories, controls all, is worshipped by all because he gives the fruits of karma Brhad aranyaka 4.4.22 Vasi means power to control. Isana means giver of fruits of all karma, therefore he is worshipped by all. yah prthivyam tisthan prthivyam antarah He is all pervading, and remains hidden from all, difficult to understand. Brhad aranyaka3.7.3 He resides in the earth because he is all pervading. Being within the earth means that no one knows him.

So’kamayata bahu syam The Lord desired: may I become many. Taittiriya upanisad 2.6.1 The Lord has desire which existed before the creation. Because that desire is purely spiritual it indicates his auspicious qualities.

sa iksata Aitareya upanisad The Lord decided to create. tat tejo’ srjat The Lord creates by his amsa, mahavisnu, or by his all pervasive nature. Chandogya Upanisad 6.2.2 Satyam vijnanam anandam brahma Brahman has qualities of satya, vijnana and ananda. Taitiriya 2.1.2 ( It looks like many of the references given in bhagavatam are not correct. Some of the quotes look like two texts merged together. I could not vind so kamayata bahusyam together in one upanisad. Others I could not trace. ) .

yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-kotim- kotsivv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes." (Brahma-samhita 5.40) Madiyam mahimanams ca param brahmeti sabditam vetsyasy anugrhitam me samprasair rtam hrdi You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything about My glories, which are known as paraṁ brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you will know everything about Me. (SB 8.24.38) satyam jnanam anantam yad brahma-jyotih sanatanam yad dhi pasyanti munayo gunapaye samahitah Lord Krsna revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, conscious and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature. (SB 10.28.15) Brahmano hi pratisthaham I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman Bhagavad Gita 14.27 These statements show the Lord as Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan (and their relationship).

Yato va imani bhutani jayante From him all entities are born. Taitiriya Upanisad 3.1.1. This verse show his creative aspect. Aksayam ha vai caturmasya yajinah sukrtam bhavati One who has worshiped by means of the vows of caturmasya attains pious credits which never become depleted. Apastambha Srauta Sutra, Black Yajur Veda 8.1.1 This verse shows the process of karma.

Brahmavid apnoti param Attaining knowledge of brahman one attains the supreme. Taitiriya Upanisad 2.12 Tam eva viditva atimrtyum eti Knowing him, one surpasses death. Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8. These verses show the process of jnana. Satam caika ca hrdayasya nadyas tasam murdhanam abhinim sritaika tayordhvam anayan amrtatvam There are one hundred and one subtle nerve channels which emanate from the heart. One of these extends to the top of head; by passing up through it one transcends death. Chandogya Upanisad 8.6.6. This verse shows the process of yoga. Bhakti alone leads to the Lord. saccidanandaika rase bhakti yoge tisthati He is revealed through bhakti yoga, in the one rasa of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Gopal Tapani Upanisad Uttara 79 This verse demonstrates the process of bhakti.

Having shown in verse 2 that the Lord is directly indicated by praṇava, the leaders of all the great Upaniṣads of twenty-eight varieties, which are expansions of the praṇava, begin to speak in order harmonize the conclusion of all the śrutis by delineating the essential qualities of the Lord while refuting condemned opinions not approved by the śrutis. First they reveal their first cherished desire while joking, in a way befitting a bard. O Lord unconquerable by māyā! You must reveal your supreme qualities (jaya jaya)! Repeating the word jaya they indicate, “Why do you not reveal those qualities?” “It will be detrimental to me to cause injury to māyā who is the cause of variety in this world.” You have full powers because of your svarūpa-śakti, full of the highest bliss (ātmanā). Māyā is insignificant. Śrīdhara Svāmī will say “Māyā has no affect on the master of a host of desire cows of continuous bliss and knowledge.” Nārada has said: viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanaṁ sva-saṁsthayā samāpta-sarvārtham amogha-vāñchitam Let me surrender to you, Bhagavān. You are the condensed form of pure knowledge and by you are bliss itself you have forms with many qualities. SB 10.37.22 “What is the proof that I have such a svarūpa-śakti?” You awaken material and spiritual śaktis of the jīvas (okāṇ) in the material (agat) and spiritual (aga) worlds. You give śakti to all the śaktis. Since matter is inert, and the operating of its śaktis is similar, to awaken them, you use your svarūpa-śakti, with spiritual form. Awaking the spiritual cit-śaktis is also caused by the svarūpa-śakti since it is the shelter of all śaktis. “You understand this by logic but you cannot be the witnesses. There should be direct observers of these śaktis. Those near me do not know the truth about me. They only serve me. To that extent, your words prove nothing.” We Vedas serve you who sometimes perform actions as a puruṣa with māyā (ajayā) for pastimes of creation of the universes, and who sometimes perform actions in the form of Svayam Bhagavān with your svarūpa-śakti full of bliss (ātmanā) in pastimes of pure bliss. Therefore defeat māyā. Actually the Vedas do not speak using secondary meaning of words (guṇa-vṛttayaḥ). But in order to reject that idea, to confirm the truth, they directly speak about the Lord, mentioning his svarūpa-śakti, by taking support of his various qualities. They describe him by calling him “unconquerable (ajita).” By the special word, in the form of his spiritual name, the śrutis make him turn and face them. The reason they serve him (anucaret) is bhakti alone. This is the conclusion brought out. The śrutis confirm this. Satyaṁ jñanam anantaṁ brahma: the supreme Lord is existence, knowledge and bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) Vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma: the Lord is knowledge and bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇam ca vidyate: the Lord has no senses and no body. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) Tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvam: all things shine because he shines. (Katha Upaniṣad 2.2.5) yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśānte mahātmanaḥ The meaning of scripture is revealed to the person who has devotion to guru as much as he has devotion to the Lord. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23

O Lord unconquered by māyā (ajita)! The Vedas act as your servants (anucaret). Though they should say “We act as your servants” they describe themselves in the third person out of great humility and obedience. Conquer over māyā. Remove māyā completely. “But as sattva-guṇa, māyā is your assistant. Why remove her?” Even sattva-guṇa is contaminated with māyā’s disturbing nature (doṣa). “It is not proper to remove māyā since she is the cause of some pastimes.” By your cit śakti emanating from yourself (ātmanā) you are full of all powers to perform all your sweet pastimes. What use is māyā? “Then how will the jīvas realize me, filled with the astonishing cit śakti, and take up bhakti?” Without your mercy in the form of giving śakti (akhila-śakty-avabodhaka), the jīvas (aga-jagad-okasām) cannot take to bhakti. “How is it known that I perform pastimes using all my śaktis?” The Vedas serve you, who act as the puruṣa, using māyā for the pastime of creating the world and who sometimes act as Nārāyaṇa and other forms using the cit śakti for pastimes of pure bliss. They know about your pastimes by serving you.

"But you, the srutis, do not only speak of me as being supreme with verses like the following: Indro yato’vasitasya raja Indra is the king of all moving and non moving entities. Rig veda 1.32.15 Agni murdha divah Agni is supreme. Rig veda 3.2.14 "Because the definition of Supreme Lord is reserved for the ultimate cause of the universe, and we do not see that the devatas are the ultimate cause, you alone, the cause of the universe, are the Supreme Lord. Indra and others have their limited powers bestowed by you." With this intention the srutis speak this verse. "The srutis know everything perceived by the senses such as ears and eyes, including Indra (etat upalabdham), as the Brahman (brhat). Why is this? Because you always remain (avasesataya). There is an example (va). Just as in earth there are appearance and disappearance of its transformations such as pots, so in you, as its ingredient cause, there is appearance and disappearance of the universe, caused by you." "That would mean that I transform?" "No, because you are devoid of transformation (avikrtat)." "This is certainly astonishing: you are not transformed even though you are the ingredient cause of the universe. Gajendra says, ‘All obeisances to you who are the cause of everything, not the cause of everything, the astonishing cause of everything.’ SB 8.3.15 This will be explained by Sridhara Swami. By being the ingredient cause, there is no transformation as with clay. The devatas say (6.9.34) that you create, maintain and destroy this universe without being transformed. We also say the same thing. "Or, it can be said that you are the real ingredient cause of the universe since prakrti as the ingredient cause is just your energy. You also say, ‘The material universe is real, having prakrti as its original ingredient and final state. Lord Maha-Visnu is the resting place of nature, which becomes manifest by the power of time. Thus nature, the almighty Visnu and time are not different from Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth.’ SB 11.24.19 However, since she is not your svarupa sakti, prakrti does transform, and you do not transform. That your svarupa is beyond maya is well known in the scriptures. "For this reason (atah), the sages place their service of meditation and kirtana in you (manovacanacaritam), not in the separate transformations like Indra." Then there is an example to illustrate the case in the last line of the verse. Whenever men living on this earth place their feet, how can they avoid placing their feet on the earth? As the feet placed on bricks, earth or any substance cannot avoid the earth, the Vedas, though speaking of any transformation of yourself in the form of objects in existence, unavoidably always must point out you, the Supreme Lord, the cause of all. Thus the srutis say "sarvam khalv idam brahma" : Everything is Brahman. Chandoga Upanisad 3.14.1 vacarambhanam vikaro namadheyam mrttikety eva satyam Earth, which transforms and is given the name "pot", is the cause (satyam). Chandogya Upanisad 6.4.1 The word "satya" means "cause," as is stated in the bhagavatam. A material object, itself composed of an essential ingredient, creates another material object through transformation. Thus one created object becomes the cause and basis of another created object. A particular thing may thus be called real in that it possesses the basic nature of another object that constitutes its cause and original state. (SB 11.24.18) That is the meaning in the sruti also.

While some śrutis offer praise devoid of favoritism to other famous śrutis, by pointing out the Lord’s spiritual qualities while rejecting material qualities in him, other śrutis though supporting the famous śrutis, as if embarrassed in the presence of their superiors, praise the Lord by making a verse filled with lakṣaṇā (indirect meaning). They thus define the Lord without proper discrimination. You are this world, which is the form of the great Brahman. The example is only representative. Anything beyond you would be a destruction of your greatness. “But the great Brahman and the world are different. The statement would make the world into the highest truth.” It remains after pralaya, and thus there is nothing beyond it. An example is given. It is like the transformation of clay into a pot. “We can see the production of a pot from clay but we cannot see the world produced from Brahman.” Particular śrutis testify that from the great Brahman (yataḥ) the appearance and disappear of the world takes place. “How can this be? There can be no transformation of the Brahman, like transformation of clay into a pot.” It is because Brahman is without change (avikārāt). Śrutes tu śabda-mūlatvāt: knowledge of Brahman comes from śruti. As in the example of the cintāmaṇi, by the acintya-śakti this can take place, according to the śrutis. They then state their intention. Because of this, the Vedas (ṛṣayaḥ), some of our followers, who, like us, praise the world to some extent, define you, in terms of (material) minds, words and actions, as the great Brahman called the universe, as if being unaware of your pure spiritual form and qualities. The meaning is that since the effect ultimately lies in the cause, this description of your effects is ultimately a description of you. But their definition lacks to the extreme since it omits you as the final cause. The meaning is made clear by illustration. Indicating you in terms of material objects (padāni) like pots, it appears to be ignorance (ayathā) to us. It is not knowledge. The chief śrutis say sarvaṁ khalv idam brahma: this world is Brahman. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad) Supporting śrutis give examples like indro yato visitasya raja: the Lord is the King of the moving and immobile beings. (Ṛgveda) Among them some give an example: vācārambhaṇaṁ vikāro nāmadheyaṁ mṛttikety eva satyam: earth’s transformations are merely verbal creations of the process of naming; the substance earth itself is alone real.” (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.1) All of these statements are also considered, not only the statement about clay, though it is considered the chief statement. By speaking, through material senses, pots etc. become the subject of discussion. These objects are all transformations of earth since they arise from it. This is the truth. It is not like the philosophy of Gautama. It is different. Tad ananyatvam ārambhaṇa-śabdādibhyaḥ: the world is not different from Brahman because of statements of śruti. (Brahma-sūtra 2.1.14)

We sages or śrutis say that Brahman is the world or elements like earth (mṛdi) in which (yataḥ) there is appearance and disappearance (udayāsta-mayau) of transformations (vikṛteḥ) like a pot. The sages express this directly or indirectly (manovacana-caritam) by themselves or using śruti. Or “The Vedas describe the qualities of the Lord by glorifying the senses etc.” They praise you as the material elements (bṛhat) since they belong to you. They know the great object (brḥat) which they realize as your servant (upalabdham) because it remains and is without destruction (avaśeṣatayā), without change. Noting its greatness, they specify its glories. Because it is your servant (yataḥ), because it worships you, appearance and disappearance of the world (vikṛteḥ) manifest. This means that Brahmā and Śiva manifest for creation and destruction of the Lord by worshipping you just as a pot (vikṛteḥ) manifests appearance and disappearance from clay (mṛdi). Brahmā and Śiva are mere instruments. The main cause is ability caused by worship. Or from worship (yataḥ) there are appearance and disappearance of ecstatic symptoms (vikṛteḥ) like sañcāri and sāttvika bhāvas just as in earth there are appearance and disappearance of plants from new or old seeds. Because of the astonishing glory of your worship, the sages offer to you their minds, words and actions (mano-vacana-caritam). There is never any lack of results for this. How can objects given by jīvas to you at any suitable place on earth be useless (ayathā)? Thus they offer their mind, actions and words.

That you are worshipable because you are supreme is then confirmed by citing the behavior of the devotees. "O Lord of all in the upper, middle and lower worlds! Because you are the supreme (iti), those with discernment (surayah) dive in the ocean of nectar of your pastimes which destroy all faults of karma even in its subtlest forms and give up the austerities which are an anga of jnana, or all material sufferings (tapamsi). This is concerning the sadhakas. What then to speak of the perfected devotees, who by their spiritual forms (sva dhamna) have given up all bad qualities (asaya guna) in the mind such as attachment and all effects of time such as old age (kala guna)! O supreme one (parama)! They worship your feet in such a way that they experience unlimited bliss. In other words, they give up all suffering. visnor nu kam viryani pravocam yah parthivani imane rajamsi Who can enumerate Visnu’s glories, even if he can count all the particles of dust in the air? (kam for kah, pravocam for pravocat.) Rig Veda 1.154.1 This illustrates that the Lord has pastimes or glories. Eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya eko’pi san bhudha yo’vabhati Tam pithagam ye’nuyajanti dhiras tesam sukham sasvatah netaresam Krsna is in one place but is all pervading. He is worthy of worship, and though one, spreads himself in many forms. Those who worship him in his dhama attain happiness and not others. Gopal tapani Upanisad Purva 21 In such verse the srutis show the process of worship in devotion.

The śrutis who desire only the Lord in his pure pastimes, hearing the conclusion of the śrutis who recited the previous verse, taking this opportunity, praise Kṛṣṇa. O lord of those who reside in the upper, lower and middle realms! Since all the śrutis are attempting to indicate you, the wise reject the previous verse, and immerse themselves in the experience of unlimited bliss of your topics which erase faults including impressions of karma. They give up all suffering. Therefore O most attractive Lord (parama)! What to speak of those who have purified their hearts, time and qualities by your power, those who are ātmārāmas or jīvanmuktas, who worship your lotus feet which give an experience of happiness at every moment. They certainly immerse themselves in your sweet topics and give up all suffering. By that happiness they give up the happiness of the ātmārāma condition. This indicates that those śrutis which propound the pastimes of the Lord have a natural and intense relationship with Bhagavān. Otherwise they would not speak such a verse. The chief śruti statements in this regard are as follows. Nānudhyāyād bahūṁ śabdān vāco viglāpanaṁ hi tat: One should not contemplate many words. It is merely a waste of speech. Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad yasya nāma mahaḍ yasaḥ: his name is most famous. viṣṇor nu kaṁ vīryāṇi pravocaṁ yaḥ pārthivāni vimame rajāṁsi Only he may fully enunciate the heroic deeds of Lord Viṣṇu who can count all the particles of dust in the world. Ṛg Veda 1.154.1 The supporting śrutis are as follows. yaṁ ṣarve devā namanit mumukṣavo brahma-vādinaś ca All devatās, persons desiring liberation and braham-vādis offer respects to the Lord. Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad The highest principle within all the śrutis is described: yasyāṁ na me pāvanam aṅga karma sthity-udbhava-prāṇa-nirodham asya līlāvatārepsita-janma vā syād vandhyāṁ giraṁ tāṁ bibhṛyān na dhīraḥ O Uddhava! The wise do not accept useless scriptures in which there are no descriptions of how I create, maintain and destroy the universe, and in which there are no descriptions of my auspicious birth as Kṛṣṇa among all the līlāvatāras. SB 11.11.20 Creation refers to his glancing over prakṛti.

Because (iti) of the three activities of the sages directed to you, O lord of actions of mind, words and body (tryadhipate)! The devotees touching (avagāhya) the ocean of your sweet topics destroy misery including vāsanas in all the worlds without qualification. The topcis destroy at the root all suffering. Just by a drop of the topics all suffering is destroyed. Or one thoroughly tastes the topics, unable to give them up because of the great sweetness, due to their nature or great quantity. Punaḥ is an ornament of speech. Moreover, because worshipping you is the essence, by the strength of bhakti to you, those who purify their hearts of time and bad qualities and serve (bhajanti) your dear place, Mathura-maṇḍala (padam), which makes them experience unlimited bliss or which is the very form of continuous bliss, give up all suffering. Aho madhupurī dhanyā vaikunṭhāc ca garīyasī Kṣaṇam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktiḥ prajāyate O Mathurā is most fortunate. It is greater that Vaikuṇṭha. By living there one moment bhakti develops. Padma Purāṇa. Or by your abode of Mathurā (svadhāma) people become jīvanmuktas (vidhūtāśaya-kāla-guṇāḥ), what to speak of giving up all suffering. Astīha mathurā nāma triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā Pavanena naras tasyā mucyate janma-bandhanāt Mathurā, famous in the three worlds exists, here. By its purity man becomes free of the bondage of birth. Saura Purāṇa Or they serve your form (padam) which is dark blue and full of bliss, since it is better than your aspect without form.

What happens to people who do not follow the worship mentioned in the previous verse? This verse answers. "Having no life, similar to a dead body, these persons breath like bellows because of no devotion to you. But if they become favorable to you (anuvidha), if they become obedient devotees, they can be called living." "But the subtle and gross bodies of those who do not worship you seem to be living, not dead." "Through mercy gained by worshipping the Lord, the mahat tattva (consciousness), ahankara, intelligence, mind and all the senses, which produce the gross and subtle bodies, create this universal body in totality and individuality (vyasti samasti). The devatas of the elements, such as consciousness and ahankara, are seen to worship the Lord as in theirs prayers sb 3. 5.39 ‘O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence.’ The bodies of those whose consciousness, ahankara and senses do not worship the Lord, do not posses consciousness, ahankara and senses, and are therefore like dead bodies." "Then what form of mine should they worship?" "The form of a man (purusa vidha): that person is bhagavan. You are also the paramatma of all beings and the great form of bliss called Brahman. But in relation to the annamaya gross body, prana maya life air, manomaya mind, vijnana maya jiva and ananda maya paramatma and their respective vasti puccha purusa, prthivi pucccha purusa, atharvanira puccha purusa, mahah puccha purusa, and brahma puccha purusa mentioned in the srutis, you are the final purusa (carama), anandamaya brahma puccha." "Why am I not all the other purusas such as annamaya purusa as well?" They answer. "You have also entered (anvaya) all of these. Because you are the cause, and the annamaya and other purusas are effects, you are all of them, but not in your svarupa. Your svarupa is the ananda maya purusa, the cause of all causes, paramatma. Moreover among all these, you are the final end (avasesam). You who are described in the srutis as rasa itself, "Raso vai sah" (Taitiriya upanisad 2.7.1) and in Bhagavatam as Cupid incarnate, "strinam smaro murtiman," (SB 10.43.7) are superior to all the gross and subtle coverings (sad asat param) such as the annamaya purusa." Or another meaning of "sad asad param" is: "You are superior even to the ananda maya purusa (sat) as well as the lower vijnana, mana, prana and anna maya purusas (asat)."

This is illustrated in the following statements. "yo ‘sau jagrat svapna susuptim atitya turyatito gopalah He who is beyond waking, sleeping, deep sleep, and the spiritual state is Gopala. Gopala Tapani Upanisad Purva 96 Brahmano hi pratisthaham I am the basis of Brahman. Bhagavad Gita 14.27 The Gita makes it clear that the form of Krsna is the most attractive of all. "This is the truth (rtam)." Or "rtam" can mean this: "We, having attained our forms as srutis by austerity, have realized this." (This is because r can mean go or goal, for the purpose of obtaining or knowing. Rtam therefore means that which is obtained.) Asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavtah Tams te pretyabhigacchnti yeke cantma hano janah The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance Isopanisad 3 This shows the fault that occurs without bhakti. The word "asura" according to the Agni Purana and Visnu Dharmottara Purana means a person devoid of visnu bhakti. dvau bhuta sargau loke’smin daiva asura eva ca visnu bhakti paro daiva asuras tas viparyayah In this world there are two types of created beings, the deva and the asura. The deva is a devotee of Visnu and the sura is the opposite. nityo nityanam cetans cetananam eko bahunam you vidadhati kanam tam pithagam ye tu yajanti dhiras tesam santih sasvati netaresam He is the chief eternal, and the chief consciousness, one among many, who fulfills the desires of all. Those learned persons who worship him in his abode attain eternal perfection, and not others. Gopal Tapani Upanisad Purva 22 Such sruti verses as this show that by possessing devotion, good qualities develop. sa vai puruso’nna rasa mayas tasyedam eva sirah ayam dasksinah paksah ayam uttarah paksah ayam atma idam puccham pratistha The Lord has become the form of a man. This is his head. That is his right side. That is his left side. That is his torso. This is his lower porton or feet, the shelter. Taittiriya Upanisad 2.1.2 This verse described the annamaya, prana maya, manomaya and vijnana mayapurusas. Then the Taittiriya describes the fifth purusa. Tasmat va etasmad vijnana mayad anyo‘ntara atma ananda mayas Superior to the vijana maya purusa (soul) is the other, the soul within (paramatma), which is full of bliss. Tasya priyam eva siro moda daksinah paksah pramoda uttara paksa ananda atma brahma puccham pratistha The head (anna maya) pleasurable, the right side (pranamaya) is joyful, the left side (manamaya) is more joyful, the middle portion (jiva) is blissful, Brahman (paramatma) is the end, the basis. Taittirya upanisad 2.5.1 The above statements of the Taittiriya upanisad establish the position of jiva, paramatma and Brahman. Yo vijnane tisthan vijnanad antaro yasya vijnanam sariram He is situated in the vijnana, but different from the vijnana. He creates the vijnana. Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 3.7.22 This sruti statement explains the soul and the paramatma within. He who is situated in the vijnana means he who is situated in the soul. Thus, vijnana maya refers to the jivatma and the other persons, the ananda maya purusa, refers to the paramatma who pervades all and worshipable by all. This is the vaisnava conclusion. The words "priya moda pramoda ananda" above should not be explained in terms of the happiness generated from seeing a son. Rather, in order to describe a progressive excellence of bliss generated from paramatma, the form of complete bliss, the different names are given. Because of the greater quantity of bliss in the Brahman mentioned in this verse (paramatma), he is called the basis or shelter of bliss (brahma puccham prastisham). Pratistha means shelter or to established within that, as in "brahmano hi pratistham." After the Taittiriya upanisad makes the final upanisadic statement "rasoh vai sah," establishing that rasa is the highest, the Gopal Tapani Upanisad establishes that Krsna the highest form of bliss, being higher than the fourth form, paramatma (turyad atitah gopalah), with a body of prema rasa, is the highest of all. From the statement of the Gita "all of this world is manifested by one of my parts" (BG 10.42), it is understood that the paramatma is just one of Krsna’s parts. That the thoughtful upanisads thus took up the worship of Krsna is described in the Brhad Vamana Purana. That they attained worship of Krsna as gopis is also shown by verse 23 of this chapter recited by the srutis "striya urugendra bhoga bhujadanda." And understanding that the srutis had concluded that Krsna is the most attractive among all the forms of the Lord, Narada right in front of Narayana will later say in verse 46 in a loud voice "Let me offer m respects to Krsna, of spotless glory" and offers his respects to Krsna.

In a general way the import of all śrutis has been shown to conclude with pure bhakti. The details of bhakti were then shown. Some śrutis following the śrutis which explained pure bhakti nourished that statement by positive and negative expressions. By that they glorify the Lord in Janaloka. And now some other obedient śrutis praise Kṛṣṇa by showing him as the ultimate conclusion. If the jīvas (asubhro) become your devotees (anuvidhāḥ) they live. Otherwise they are like bellows, breathing mechanically. By ignoring you, who gives mercy to mahat-tattva and other elements for the jīvas in the universe, and thus being ignored by all, they are like dead bodies. Not only do you give mercy at the time of creation but during maintenance also. The next phrase is explained in Taittirīya Upaniṣad. sa vā eṣa puruṣo ‘nna-rasa-mayas tasyedam eva śiraḥ ayaṁ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣa ayam uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ ayam ātmā idaṁ pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā tad apy eṣa śloko bhavati annād vai prajāḥ prajāyante This body has a human form, made of earth, water and other elements. This is his head. This is his left arm, his right arm, and this is his torso. The lower body is the basis. This is a verse in this regard. All people are born from the elements. tasmād vā etasmād anna-rasamayād anyo ‘ntara ātmā prāṇamayas tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ sa vā eṣa puruṣa-vidhas tasya puruṣa-vidhatām anvayaṁ puruṣa-vidhas tasya prāṇam eva śiraḥ Vyāno dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ apāṇa uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ ākāśa ātmā pṛthivī pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā Tad apy eṣa śloko bhavti Prāṇaṁ devā anuprāṇanti Different from the body made of elements is another body made of prāṇa, filled with prāṇa, with the antaryāmī within. This body has a human form. It takes a human form just as the previous one. Prāṇa is the head. Vyāna is the left arm. Apāṇa is the right arm. Ether is the torso. The deity of the earth is the lower body, the foundation. There is a verse in this regard. The devatās depend on prāṇa. tasyaiṣa śārīra ātmā yaḥ pūrvasya tasmād vā etasmāt prāṇamayād anyo ntara ātmā manomayas tenaiṣa purṇaḥ Sa vā eṣa puruṣa-vidha eva tasya yajur eva śiraḥ ṛgvdakṣiṇaḥ pakṣah sāmaottaraḥ pakṣaḥ ādeśa ātmā atharvāṅgirasaḥ pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā tad apiy eṣa śloko bhavati yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha ānandaṁ brahmaṇo vidvān na vibheti kadācana The ātmā of the previous body is the ātmā of this body. Superior to the body made of prāṇa is another body, made mind, filled with mind, with the antaryāmī within. This body has a human form. Yajur mantras are its head. Ṛg mantras are its left arm. Sāma mantras are its right arm. Brāhmaṇas are the torso. Atharvāṅirasā mantras are the lower body, the foundation. There is a verse in this regard. One who knows the bliss of Brahman from which words turns back with the mind does not fear at any time. tasmād vā etasmād manomayād anyo ntara ātmā vijñānamayas tenaisā puṛṇaḥ sa vā eṣa puruṣa-vidha eva tasya śraddhaiva śiraḥ ṛtaṁ dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ tasyam uttraḥ pakṣaḥ yoga ātmā mahaḥ pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā tad api eṣa śloko bhavti vijñānaṁ yajñaṁ tanute Superior to the body made of mind is another made of knowledge, full of knowledge, with the antaryāmī within. This also has a human form. Faith is the head, intelligence is the left arm, attempts at finding the real meaning is the right arm, finding the meaning is the torso. The pure jīva is the lower body, the foundation. There is a verse in this regard. Knowledge performs sacrifice. tasāmd vā etasmād vijñānamayād anyo ntara ātmā ānandamayas tenaisā pūrṇaḥ sa vā eṣāh puruṣa-vidhaḥ eva tasya priyam eva śiraḥ modo dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ pramoda uttraḥ pakṣaḥ ānanda ātmā brahma pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā tad apy eṣa śloko bhavati asann eva sa bhavati asad brahmeti veda cet …. tasyaisa eva śārīra ātmā yaḥ pūrvasya Superior to the body of knowledge is another body made of bliss, full of bliss, with the antaryāmī within. That body also has a human form. Its head is pleasure, its left arm is delight, its right arm is ecstasy and its torso is bliss. Brahman is the lower body, the foundation. There is a verse in this regard. He who thinks Brahman does not exist does not exist. He who knows that Brahman exists is known as existing because of Brahman. The antaryāmī of the previous body is the antaryāmī of this body. The Śrī-vaiṣṇava explanation is as follows. Vai means famous or certain. The anna-rasa-mayaḥ puruṣaḥ is made of earth, water and other elements. Anna-rasa means the transformation of anna and rasa such as skin. Everything is transformation of that. Since śleṣma and other bodily constitutents are made of water and other elements the word maya indicates “thoroughly consisting of.” The suffix maya is used in relation to transformation and limbs, and with words like “encompassing.” But in practical terms it means “consisting of.” Transformation does not mean prakṛti (though vikāra has that meaning sometimes). Śiraḥ means head. The various limbs mentioned afterwords form the whole shape. Pakṣa means arm and uttara means left. The middle is the body or torso, called ātmā. Śrūti says that the body is the ātmā among the limbs. The tail (puccham) is the body below the navel (legs etc.), resembling a tail. That is the shelter, which stands prominently (pratiṣṭhā). The image is used to reveal something else, like showing the branch to understand the moon. From understanding the well known body, one can then understand the ātmā mentioned in scripture. From the gross level the example progresses to the prāṇa. In order to grasp the mind, its container prāṇa is first understood. Thus prāṇa is mentioned after the gross body. Then the gross body dies, that body full of the elements, is taken by the air. That also has a body of a human (puruṣa-vidhaḥ), like the previous body. In order to understand it, it is described metaphorically in terms of head, arms and body. This form is filled with prāṇa, situated in the heart. The head is first described, being the first to be understood. Then the other limbs are described in order. Uḍana, vyāna and apāṇa are varieties of prāṇa. Ākāśa in this statement refers to a special function of vāyu. This general vāyu is situated in the middle since it controls the functions of vāyu. It is the controller or ātmā. The earth deity (pṛthivī) is the supporter of bodily prāṇa for it is said saiṣa puruṣasyāpāṇam avaṣṭabhyantara: the deity of the earth attracts the apāṇa. (Praśna Upaniṣad 3.8) Previously it was said in the same Upaniṣad tasmād vā etasmād ātmāna ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ: from the Lord (ātmanā) came ākāśa. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) Thus the phrase tasyaiṣa śārīra ātmā refers to the antaryāmī of the body. That which was the antaryāmī of the annamaya body becomes the antaryāmī of the prāṇa body etc. It is finally said that is antaryāmī of the bliss body. By figurative language this means the Lord is ātmā of everything. Vijñānamayād anyo ‘antara ātmā: compared to the vijñānamaya body there is an interior ātmā. After this nothing else is mentioned. That of the previous body (yaḥ pūrvaysa) is the antaryāmī of the next body. The ātmā of the prāṇamaya body is that of the ānandamaya body. By controlling prāṇa one controls the mind. The mind is to be controlled by niṣkāma-karma. This this intention the mind is described. Mind refers to the antaḥkaraṇa which makes decisions. It is superior to prāṇa which is insentient, because of being related to knowledge. Yajus refers to mantras with particular syllables. That is the head, being first. By mantras of the Yajur Veda oblations are offered. Ṛg and Sāma mantras have special applications. Ādeśa refers to the Brāhmaṇas since they give specific orders for sacrifice. Atharvāṅgirasā mantras and the Brāhmaṇas are called the shelter or tail because of their prominence of preliminary rituals such as śānti-karma. These are described as limbs of the mind since they manifest in the mental functions. Thus mind is dominant. By transformation they could become material. Since the topic is spiritual, material rituals are not included in the example. Controlling prāṇa was previously rejected. Since the human form has qualification, the human body is praised. That should be understood in the later images also. Then the vijñanamaya body is described. This is considered superior because being more refined (karaṇa). Because of this, faith and correct understanding of the scriptures dealing the ātmā are important. Ṛtam means intelligence which determines the meaning of the scriptures. Satyam is the attempt to realize the meaning. Yoga means attaining the truth. That is the torso. Mahaḥ refers to the pure jīva since it is filled with vijñāna. But it is said yo vijñāne tiṣthān vijñānād antaro ‘yam yasya vijñāna śārīram: the ātmā is situated in vijñāna and is interior to vijñāna. Its body is vijñāṇa. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad) This refers to the antaryāmī according to the text. This ātmā is the shelter of the other items. Having described up to the pure jīva, having attained those opportunities, the final item, the chief item after the previous introduction, the anandamaya body is describes as the topmost. This is the innermost body, since it is the antaryāmī of all beings. It is attained by following the spiritual prescriptions of previous scriptures, not by material methods. This is not the bliss produced from seeing dear sons. It is described by the words priya, moda, and pramoda. These words indicate progressive degrees of excellence of the Lord (Brahman) endowed with the highest bliss. Four names are used. Without using the words priya, moda and pramoda there will seem to fluctuation in the pervasion of ānanda. Since these qualities of Brahman are not universally given in worship, one would not finally realize the head as priya etc. These are not qualities however but gradual stages of elevation, which started with the annamaya body. With the words priya, moda and pramoda the intention is to show the supreme position of the anandamaya Brahman. According to the previous succession (from gross to subtle), bliss is located within the ātmā. Brahman, being mentioned last of all, is the tail. Brahman means “the greatest of all.” In not stating degrees of happiness in the previous images, the intention is to emphasize the word ānanda. It is thus shown to be the ultimate. The words priya, moda and pramoda indicate successively great purity in self-revealed bliss. These take shelter of the tail, Supreme Brahman, which is the foundation. So ’kāmayata bahu syām: he desired, ‘May I become many.” (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.2.4) The word antara (inner) indicates the anandamaya ātmā (the Lord, unique because he is the shelter of unlimited śaktis, since he is the greatest (brahma). The repetition or confirmation (abhyasa) of who is the greatest takes place in the following. so kāmayata bahu syāṁ prajāyeyeti sa tapo tapyata sa tapas taptvā idaṁ sarvam asṛjata raso vai saḥ The Lord desired “May I become many.” He made this determination, and then created everything. He is rasa. Taittirīya Upaniṣad The words ātmā and puccha indicate the depth of the bliss. The supreme Brahman is unbroken and continuous, because he is a substance non-different from his self manifesting śaktis, but at the same time reveals additional forms through those manifestations of śakti. Brahmavid āpnoti param: one who knows Brahman attains the supreme. (Taittirīya Āraṇyaka) Closeness to Brahman gives realization that the Lord pervades everything. This was shown in the statement tasmād vā etasmād ātmāna ākāśaḥ sambhūtaḥ: from the Lord (ātmā) came ākāśa. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) That ātmā culminates in the ānandamaya form since nothing else is stated after that. Thus this section of the Taittirīya Upaniṣad indicates by repetition the supremacy of the Lord (Brahman). The jīva is not Brahman. Ānandamay ‘bhyāsāt: the Lord alone is designated as ānandamaya by repetition. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.13) Later it is said netaro ‘nupapatteḥ: the jīva is not referred to, because of impossibility. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.17) These sūtras are explained according to Śrī Rāmānujācārya in the Bhagavat Sandarbha commentary. The Lord and jīva are defined in the śrutis. And the Lord himself, personification of Brahman, says yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham akṣarād api cottamaḥ: I am superior to fallible and the infallible jīvas. (BG 15.18) In the GītāUpaniṣad the Lord himself shows tha he is the ultimate pratiṣṭhā since he is full of forms, śakti, qualities, and pastimes in his perfect svarūpa. māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca He who serves me in pure devotional service surpasses the guṇas, and is qualified for Brahman. I am the basis of impersonal Brahman, the basis of indestructible liberation, the basis of the eternal method of bhakti and the basis of the prema of the unalloyed devotee. BG 14.26.-27 This is the meaning. Hi means “the reason is this” according to traditional usage. Another meaning should not be given as it would force a meaning out of context and would be unsuitable by weakening the statement. “How does one attain a condition without qualities (gunān samatītya) by bhakti? Bhakti appears by experiencing his wonderful qualities.” This is because (hi) Brahman is known in the śrutis as the highest position and is called ānandamaya. But I, Bhagavān, the parabrahman, am the basis of that Brahman. I am the basis of liberation (amṛtasya) which rejects addiction to Svarga (avyayasya). kālena nāṣṭā vāṇīyām pralaye deva saṁjñitā mayā dau brahmaṇe proktā dharmo yasyāṁ mad ātmakaḥ By the influence of time, the Vedic knowledge was lost at the time of annihilation. Therefore, when the subsequent creation took place, I spoke to Brahmā the Vedic knowledge in which bhakti is the essence. SB 11.14.3 I am the basis for the highest sādhana, the root of all human goals, called bhagavad-dharma (śāśvatasya dharmasya). nātyantikaṁ vigaṇayanty api te prasādaṁ kimv anyad arpita-bhayaṁ bhruva unnayais te Persons who have realized you do not regard attainment of impersonal liberation as your mercy, what to speak of attaining a material position like Indra which is subject to fear caused by the Lord raising his eyebrow. SB 3.15.48 I am also the basis of the highest result of sādhana, the rasa of prema (ekāntikasya sukhasya). Raso vai saḥ rasṁ hy eva labdhvānandī bhavati: the Lord is rasa and on attaining him, one becomes blissful. (Taittitrīya Upaniṣad) Just as the Upaniṣad placed the ānandamaya Lord as the highest item, so the Gītā verse also places this aspect of the Lord as the highest. He is most pleasurable since he responds in five ways to the devotees as illustrated in the verse when Kṛṣṇa came into Kaṁsa’s arena. (SB 10.43.17) Since everything is dependent on me, by worshipping me with a desire for merging, one merges into Brahman and attains the qualities of Brahman. yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ kartāram iśaṁ puruṣa brahma-yonim tadā vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ samyam upaiti When the seer of brahman sees the Lord, the controller of all, the creator, the cause of the unmanifest prakṛti, with golden color, he becomes free from the reactions to past pious and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated, attaining similarlity to the supreme. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.3 Furthermore it is said śubhāśrayaḥ sa-cittasya sarva-gasya tathātmanah: the Lord is the auspicious shelter of Brahman, consciousness pervading everywhere. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) This is the explanation of Śrīdhara Svāmī. This confirms the statement brahmano hi pratiṣṭhāham. Viṣṇu-dharmottara says: ākāśādiṣu śabdādau śrotrādau mahadādiṣu prakṛtau puruṣe caiva brahmaṇy api ca sa prabhuḥ yathaika eva sarvātmā vāsudevo vyapasthitaḥ tena satyena me pāpaṁ narkārtipradaṁ kṣayam prayātu sukṛtasyāstu mamānudivasam jayaḥ Viṣṇu is the master of all elements such as ether, sound, ear and mahattattva, prakṛti, the jīva and Brahman. Vāsudeva is situated as the one soul of everything. By this truth may all my sins which give hellish pain be destroyed. May this truth give me every day the glory of auspiciousness? The word sarvātmā cannot be interpreted to mean impersonal Brahman. The statement rejects all other meanings. yathā ‘cyutas tvaṁ parataḥ parasmāt sa brahma bhūtāt parataḥ parātmā tathācyuta tvaṁ uru vāñchitaṁ tan mamāpadaṁ cāpaharāprameya Since as Acyuta, Paramātmā, you are superior to all others, and are superior to Brahman, please grant my desire! O limitless Lord, please remove this danger! Viṣṇu-dharma 26.13 yan-mayaṁ paramaṁ brahma tad-avyaktaṁ ca yan-mayam | yan-mayaṁ vyaktam apy etad bhaviṣyāmi hi tan-mayaḥ || The Supreme Lord is present in the impersonal Brahman. He is present in the unmanifested pradhāna. He is present in the manifested material cosmos. I shall become his devotee. Viṣṇu-dharma 94.58 Śrutis regarding this such as yasya pṛthivī śarīram (he has earth as his body) were already quoted. Now puruṣa-vidha in verse 17 will be explained. The Lord enters (anvayaḥ) into the bodies (made of transformation of mahat-tattva and other elements) of the jīvas individually and as an aggregate to give mercy to them. What are these bodies? They are made of food etc. The final purusa-vidha (human type), like the previous ones, is described as human but filled with bliss. The activities or the prāṇas and senses arise because of your bliss. Thus you are merciful. Ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt: who could breathe if the sky were not bliss? (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) “Let the Brahman be ānandamaya. But I am not like that, since that form is imaginary and I have a direct form.” Among the things described as the pratiṣṭha or basis--that which remains (aśeṣa), which is final--is the person who has rasa (raso vai saḥ). This is the person who is the shelter of five types of rasa. Gītā says that you are the basis of Brahman and that you are superior to the fallible and infallible jīvas. You are superior to the rasas such as priya (dāsya) (sataḥ) and to the other forms such as annamaya (asataḥ) since you are the shelter of all of them (ṛtam). You are their existence. The word ṛ means “to go.” Thus ṛtam means “going to me.” The meaning coincides with statements in śruti and the Gītā. asann eva sa bhavati asad brahmeti veda cet asti brahmeti ced veda santam enaṁ tato viduḥ If one thinks that Brahman does not exist, he does not exist. If he thinks that Brahman exists, the wise know him as saintly. Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.6.1 sa hānis tan mahac chidraṁ sa mohaḥ sa ca vibhramaḥ yan-muhūrtaṁ kṣaṇaṁ vāpi vāsudevaṁ na cintayet If even for a moment remembrance of Vāsudeva is missed, that is the greatest loss, that is the greatest illusion, and that is the greatest anomaly. Viṣṇu Purāṇa yadā hy evaiṣa etasmin adiśye ‘nātmye ‘nirukte ‘nilayane ‘bhaye pratiṣṭhāṁ vindate atah so ‘bhayaṅ gato bhavati yadāhy evaiṣa etasmin udaram antraṁ kurute atha tasya bhayaṁ bhavati When he becomes fixed in the Lord beyond material body and definition, unattached, fearless, he becomes fearless. When he interrupts this meditation even a little, he becomes fearful. Taittirīya Upaniṣad eko vaśī sarva-bhūtāntarātmā ekaṁ rūpaṁ bahudhā yaḥ karoti | tam ātma-sthaṁ ye’nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ teṣāṁ sukhaṁ śāśvataṁ netareṣām || He is the sole controller the soul within all beings, who makes his one form take many forms. Those devotees who see him within have eternal happiness. Others do not. Kaṭha Upaniṣad nityo’nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānāṁ eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān | tam ātmasthaṁ ye’nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ teṣāṁ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām || Among all the eternal, conscious beings, there is one who supplies the needs of everyone else. The wise souls who worship him in his abode attain everlasting peace. Others cannot. Kaṭha Upaniṣad

Dhṛtayaḥ means bellows. Those who do not serve you merely breathe like bellows. By your mercy mahat-tattva, ahaṅkāra, the senses, sense objects and their devatās create the world. You are the truth, brahma-tattva (avaśeṣam) among the coverings like annamaya-koṣa (eṣu). Or the verse may be explained according to pure Vaiṣṇava sampradaya. The śrutis show the glory of bhakti while criticizing the non-devotees. Those jīvas (aśu-bhṛtaḥ) who are like bellows with a shadow of breathing, if they worship your devotees (anuvidhāḥ) then they actual live (śvasanti). They are said to be actually alive and not others. Such persons are like the elements like mahat-tattva which make up the body of the jīvas are a shadow of life, if you, their origin, ignore them. Not only are you to be worshipped as the giver of mercy to the elements of the universe but as the greatest benefactor at all times. You are worshipped as the person with unequalled powers. The final person among the five (annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, vijñānamaya and ānandamaya) is the ānandamaya puruṣa. That is you. The first three are said to be ātmā in the sense of being coverings on the ātmā. The connecting element (anvayaḥ) in order to help the jīvas is you. The activities of prāṇa etc. arise from you, the highest bliss. Your assistance is well known in the śrutis. The ātmā of the annamaya puruṣa is the body. The prāṇamaya ātmā with five prāṇas is interior to the annamaya puruṣa. When the prāṇas leave the body, the body dies. The manomaya ātmā is interior to the unconscious prāṇamaya ātmā because of its ability for gaining knowledge by connection with consciousness. The vijñānamaya ātmā or the jīva is interior to the manomaya puruṣa since it is the cause. As the doer it is the best of all. Among the various forms, you are the ultimate and the basis, and have the form of a human with head, arms, torso and lower body. Or you, as creator of the four types of puruṣa (puruṣa-vidhaḥ), are the fifth, ānandamaya ātmā. This is the conclusion mentioned in ānandamaya abhyasāt: the ānandamaya purusa is the Lord because of repetition. (Brahma-sūtra 1.1.12) According to Rāmānuja and others knowledgeable of Vedānta, the Lord is without material tinge, beyond division, and full of the highest bliss. There is no worry about contradiction since it is confirmed by the sutra. Ānandamaya means the Lord is filled with bliss as the sun is filled with light. Because no contradictory elements can enter, there is no destruction of the Lord’s svarūpa of bliss. Or the Lord is full of bliss because of his various manifestations of bliss such as brahman, moda, pramoda etc. Or he is filled with bliss in another way. There are five types of worshippers: servants, elders, friends and lovers with brahma, moda, pramoda, priya and ānanda on the lower portion, the right and lelf sides, head and ātmā. The first four are described only in order to point out the fifth person, the Lord. With vision of excellence, the passage can be explained with this meaning of graduations of bliss as follows. There are two types of jīvanmuktas: the ātmārāma fixed in his svarūpa (ātmā) without bhakti and the śāntabhaktas who have the happiness of the ātmārāma and are not much respected. They have the mercy of the Llord to attain śānta-rati. In these two types, there is revelation of Brahman with nondifference from the self. In the first type, Brahman manifests as mere consciousness, without distinguishing one’s svarūpa. In the second type, there is a manifestation of a form of condensed knowledge without distinguishing the intense qualities of Parabrahman. They are classed together because of the sense of oneness in consciousness. Because of no particular taste, such realization is classed as the lower limb or base (puccha). It is the basis (pratiṣṭhā) of moda and other realizations. Though the ānand maya puruṣa is the actual basis of all the koṣas, Brahman is called the basis in order to convey the oneness of impersonal and personal realizations. There are three types of relationships with the Lord: being his inferior, superior and equal. Those who worship the Lord, realizing themselves as inferior and the Lord as superior, because of excellent qualities, realize excellent prema of prīti-rati (dāsya), which is sweet and produces increasing taste, revealing the Lord as the supreme entity, accompanied by humility, fear and respect. This manifestation of the Lord is called moda because the form produces bliss which creates astonishment. Superior to the tail, it is situated on the right side. Those elders like Yaśodā worship the Lord, seeing themselves as superior, being his protector and nourisher, and seeing the Lord as inferior, being the object of compassion and care. They experience intense prema for the Lord because of vātsalya-rati, which reveals the Lord as the object of compassion, taking the Lord as their son. This excellent realization of the Lord is called pramoda since it has such intense bliss. The word pra is used to indicate that is superior to the previous type of prema. Friends like Śrīdāma regard themselves and the Lord as an equal while sleeping, sitting and playing together, in victory or defeat. They experience prema as sakhya-rati which manifests fullness of friendship, with great affection, devoid of respect, fear or feeling compassion. This special manifestion of the Lord is called priya because the Lord is object of great prema with friendship. Because it is superior it is placed on the head. Four types have been enumerated. The fifth person is now described. The gopīs such as Rādhā worship the Lord as the greatest lover, full of all beauty, who treasures his devotee as the dearest. They continually experience anurāga, full of unparalleled sweetness. This special manifestation of the Lord is called ānanda, because of the greatest love resulting from mahābhāva. Being superior the other types it is called ātmā. The Lord as Brahman is first mentioned. Among the five manifestations, you are above sat and asat. Sat refers to the first three manifestations which are gross. Asat refers to the subtle vijñāna maya form or the jīva. Superior to the sat and asat, you are Brahman (param). Among the five, the ānandamaya puruṣa is designated as Brahman. The remaining four—moda, pramoda, priya and brahman (yad avaśeṣam) are also you. The impersonal Brahman, without form, is like the ray of the sun. The supreme Brahman, with a form of condensed bliss, is like the sun. Moda, pramoda, priya and ānanda thus have forms. Though the Lord is one for the five primary rasas śānta, prīta, vatsala and priya, the Lord takes five aspects according to the desire of the worshipper. The Lord is rasa, because of experiencing him as a form of imcomparable condensed bliss. Śruti expresses this. Raso vai saḥ rasam; hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati: the Lord is rasa; attaining him one becomes blissful. (Taittirīya Upanisād 2.7.1) Repeating the specific meaning, everything is summarized. It is correct (ṛtam) that this ānandamaya form is the highest. It is the one form of the formless manifestation and those with form. In the teachings of scriptures like Bhagavad Gītā, in the highest teachings, it is stated to be the basis of everything, being situated above everything. Sa guṇān samatītyentān brahma bhūyāya kalpate: surpassing the guṇas one is qualified for Brahman. (BG 14.26) brahmano hi pratiṣṭhāma amṛatsyāvyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca I am the basis of impersonal Brahman, the basis of indestructible liberation, the basis of the eternal method of bhakti and the basis of the prema of the unalloyed devotee. BG 14.27 The meaning is this. I, with a dark, shining form of compelte bliss, am the basis of all pervading Brahman, described as the lower portion of the ānandamaya puruṣa in the śrutis and worshipped as condensed Brahman by śanta-bhaktas and as one’s svarūpa by knowers of Brahman. asya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi- koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam | tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi || I worship the Supreme Lord Govinda, whose powerful form radiates an effulgence known as the undifferentiated, unlimited, all-encompassing Brahman, which is completely distinct from its powers displayed in unlimited planets throughout billions of universes. Brahma-saṁhitā I am the basis of prīti bhakti or moda (śāśvatasya dharmasya), taking the Lord as most worthy of worship for those serving in that mode. I am the basis of pramoda, for the elders having vatsalya, which is always sweet (amṛtasyāvayasya). Since I am full of all inconceivable powers, I become the object of mercy and am thus the basis, being the form of pramoda, receiving mercy from the devotees. These devotees are listed after the śānta-bhaktas in the Gītā, though they should be listed after the servants, since the servants and parents are considered equal because of being worshippable (compared to the śānta-bhakta). I am the basis of the highest manifestation called priya and ānanda (sakhya and madhurya) in the śrutis, which are the form of the highest happiness (sukhasyaikantikasya) experienced by the great friends and the gopis. I am the basis since I am the most excellent for the friends and gopis. Because the fifth type is most confidential, and should be taught to Arjuna, the two are mentioned together. Some say that the ānanda maya puruṣa is the lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Priya, moda, pramoda and ānanda are the caturvyūha and Brahman is the entity with no form.

Verses 16 and 17 spoke of bhakti, with the object of worship being bhagavan for the devotees. The present verse speaks about yoga, with paramatma as the object of worship for the yogis. The Gita says "I am the vaisvanara situated in the body of living beings." (BG15.14) Thus udara in this verse refers to the paramatma in the form of vaisvanara situated in the stomach region, who bestows kriya sakti. "Those of the sampradaya of sages, having gross vision (kurpa drsah, literally with dust in their eyes) worship this form in the abdomen." This is because the abdomen is grosser than the heart. Kurpa can also mean subtle however. Then the meaning would be : "Those sages worship the Lord in the abdomen with the vision of later approaching the more subtle heart region." "The Arunis worship the Lord of the jiva situated in the heart , who bestows jnana sakti, stimulating the intelligence. That form is hard to understand, being subtle (daharam). The place is spread with nadis (parasara paddhatim)." This is the particular distinction of the heart region. The result of this particular quality of having nadis is described. "From the heart (tatah ), O Ananta, the effulgent place of realization (dhama) of the paramatma has ascended to the head." In other words, starting from the muladhara, then the heart, the dhama appeared at the brahma randhra. The dhama or place of the supersoul appeared in all three places. "Having attained the topmost dhama on the head, they do not fall again into the material realm (krtanta mukhe)." This means that those with gross vision (sarkaraska) worship Brahman in the abdomen and the arunis worship Brahman in the heart. Mahan prabhur vai purusah sattvasyaiva pravartakah Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.12 Angustha matrah puruso’ntaratma sada jananam hrdaye sannivistah The great Lord is the purusah the instigator of the gunas. He is the size of the thumb situated within the hearts of men at all times. Svetasvatara 3.13 satam caika ca hrdayasya nadyas tasam murddhanam abhi nihsrtaika tayordhvam anayan amrtatvam eti Visvanya upakramena bhavati There are one hundred and one subtle nerve channels which emanate from the heart. One of these extends to the top of head; by passing up through it one transcends death. Chandogya Upanisad 8.6.6.

Among all the agreeing śrutis, some others which were not clearly recognized as important by them show their allegiance to them. First, in the previous verse, five types of soul were described in gradual progression. Taking the opportunity when the previous śrutis stopped speaking, śrutis teaching karma-mukti (gradual elevation) through yoga began to praise the Lord. Udaram refers to the antaryāmī of Vaiśvānara, who gives kriya-śakti for stimulation of anna and rasa. ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff. BG 15.14 Hṛdayam refers to antaryāmī of the jīva, who gives jñana-śakti for stimulating intelligence. mahān prabhur vai puruṣaḥ sattvasyaiṣa pravartakaḥ su-nirmalāṁ imāṁ prāptim īśāno jyotir avyayaḥ aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ puruṣo ’ntar-ātmā sadā janānāṁ hṛdaye sanniviṣṭaḥ hṛdā manīṣā manasābhikḷpto ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti The Supreme Lord becomes the puruṣa to initiate the expansion of this cosmos. He is the perfectly pure goal that yogīs strive to reach, the effulgent and infallible ultimate controller. Measuring the size of a thumb, the puruṣa is always present as the Supersoul within the hearts of all living beings. By exercising proper intelligence, one can realize him within the heart; those who learn this method will gain immortality. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad The order of the cakras is explained in the Second Canto. The explanation is in terms of the individual, but represents universal form. Thus udaram refers to the sky (below Svarga) and navel region of the universal form. Nabhastalaṁ nābhi-saro gṛṇanti: outer space is the depression of his navel. (SB 2.1.27) The heart represents Svarga in the universal form. Uraḥ-sthalaṁ jyotir-anīkam asya: the chest of the the gigantic form is Svarga. (SB 2.1.28) The heart is the place where one can come close to the Lord (parisara-paddhatim), but difficult to access (daharam). From worship of those two places (tataḥ) he goes to your place, Brahma-loka, called the suṣumnā. Suṣumṇayā brahma-pathena śociṣā: the yogī goes by the path going to Brahma-loka, by the suṣumnā. (SB 2.2.24) The suṣumnā is luminous because of the presiding deity. He goes to the head (śiraḥ). Satyaṁ tu śīrṣāṇi sahasra-śīrṣṇaḥ: the topmost planetary system, known as Satyaloka, is the head of he who has one thousand heads. (SB 2.1.28) From there it is understood he goes to the supreme Vaikuṇṭha (paramam). The worshippers do not return.

On the path of jñāna (ṛṣi-vartmasu) some with fine vision (kūrpa-dṛśaḥ) worship the Lord in the abdomen. Those in Aruṇa’s dynasty worship the Lord in the heart. O Lord who is not divided (ananta), though you have a form (dhāma). Having gone to the highest abode by yoga practice, they do not fall to the place full of miseries (iha). Or after showing the glories of bhakti, the śrutis explain results of gross and subtle worship, according to different qualifications. Because worship of the abdomen is gross, the result is the universal form within the universe. Worship of antaryāmī in the heart is subtle and thus more difficult (daharam). It is the method of coming close to you (parisara-paddhatim). Or the abdomen refers to the abdomen of the universal form. nabhastalaṁ nābhi-saro gṛṇanti: Bhuvar loka is the navel. uraḥ-sthalaṁ jyotir-anīkam asya: the heart is Svarga. (SB 2.1.27-28) Worship of Svarga allows a person to approach you (parisara-paddhatim). From these two types of worship (tataḥ), the suṣumnā leads to the highest position (śiraḥ), Brahmaloka. vaiśvānaraṁ yāti vihāyasā gataḥ suṣumṇayā brahma-pathena śociṣā The yogī, having gone by the path of Brahma-loka, goes to Vaiśvānara by means of the ether, through the luminaries of the suṣumna-nāḍī. SB 2.2.24 From there the worshippers enter the highest abode Vaikuṇṭha (paramam). Having attained the suṣumna they do not return. Or udaram refers to the ocean. (SB 2.1.32) this indicates the Lord lying on the ocean. Hṛdayam refers to the Lord residing in Svarga where the constellations are spread. It thus indicates the place of Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu himself. He can be attained by the worshipper because he supplies the means (parisara-paddhatim), since he is the method and the goal. After Viṣṇu (tataḥ) one worships Mahānārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭha (udak dhāma). This refers to the worship in lineage of Rāmānuja. They are not mentioned directly because the most excellent items are kept secret. This form is the highest (śiraḥ), the most excellent for all people (paramam) or the form accompanied by most excellent Lakṣmnī (paramam). Worshpping these three forms one does not go into saṁsāra again.

"If the supersoul expands into many forms and enters all varieties of bodies then he would seem to become modified according to the body, and thus be similar to the jiva. Therefore how can he be worthy of worship?" This verse answers. "As if entering as the cause into the various bodies created by yourself, you reveal in each one your sakti in varying degrees. The srutis say "tat srstva tad evanupravistat" Having created the world, you entered it. Because it is impossible that the Lord literally enters, the word "as if" is used. Your display of sakti is appropriate to each body created by you from Brahma to the immobile ones, like the fire displays itself in coals. Therefore those of pure intelligence (viraja dhiyah) know your eternal (avitatha) supreme svarupa possessing no distinctions (samam), a form tasting only pure bliss (ekarasam) in all the temporary bodies (vitasu amusu). Who are these who know? They are those who ar free of material dealings completely (abhi), devoid of karmic results in this life and the next. Because you are the final cause, because you are independent, because you are devoid of variations created by limited bodies, because your powers never fail, you are worthy of worship." Srutis which illustrate the verse are as follows. Tat srstva tad evanupravisad Having created it, he entered it. Taitiriya Upanisad 2.6.1 Eko devah sarva bhutesu gudah sarva vyapi sarva bhutantaratma karmadyksah sarvabhutadhivasah saksi cetah kevalo nirgunas ca He is the Lord, hidden in all creature, pervading everywhere, residing in all beings, the controller of action, the witness, the consciousness, without material qualities. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.11

You enter into various bodies like Brahmā and trees which are created by you since they are transformations of yourself through your acintya-śakti, through the instigator (hetutayā), antaryāmī. Tat sṛṣṭvā tad evānuprāviśat: having created he entered. The Lord seems (iva) to enter since it is impossible that he would enter using his primary form. You reveal your śakti in these bodies to various degrees. The reason is that you manifest śakti in a particular body according to the amount of action you release (sva-krtānukṛtiḥ). According to the amount of sparks the fire releases it shows its śakti. Of course you have unlimited śakti even in those bodies. Vikārāvarti ca tathā hi sthitim: the Lord is without change. (Brahma-sūtra 4.4.19) The śrutis also show this.

As the instigator you only seem (iva) to enter all beings as antaryāmī (hetutayā), since you also remain external. The cause of degree of manifestation is according to the type of body. The Lord manifests more in sattvika entities. He manifests to some degree in rajasika entities. He manifest only a little in tamasika entities. The Lord enters all creatures and arranges for his degree of manifestion by his will or as a pastime (sva). This distinguishes the Lord from the jīva. The intelligent certainly (nu) realize or attain (yanti) your form (dhāma), without variation (samam) among the variable, as permanent (avitathām) among the imperament (vitathāsu), without change (ekarasam). Or not only do you exist outside of the universe but within it also. You independently (hetutayā) enter into various speicies such as fish, tortoise, boar, swan, warrior, deva and brāhmaṇa, without becoming material (iva). You manifest in various degrees since you do not manifest all powers in Haṁsa or Parāśurāma but manifest those powers in Nṛsiṁha and others, just as fire sometimes manifests a little heat and sometimes great heat. You act (kṛtiṇah) according to (anu) the particular form created (svakṛta) with various manifestations of power. “If I am beyond all particulars, how can I identify with a particular form?” After entering (atha), your form remains permanently in those temporary species. The intelligent know the truth. You unite with that form when it appears. The cause is your splendid (samam) excellent pastime (ekarasa). yasyāvatārā jñāyante śarīreṣv aśarīriṇaḥ tais tair atulyātiśayair vīryair dehiṣv asaṅgataiḥ Though you have no material body, your avatāras can be inferred in their various forms like Matsya by their indescribable, astonishing powers and activities. Sb 10.10.34 Those who have given up material affairs (avipaṇyavaḥ), the devotees know this. This is the cause of their knowledge.

Having established that paramatma was the object of worship, this verse established the position of the jiva as his worshipper, by his similarity to the paramatma. The enjoyer, (purusam) the jiva (in singular form to express a class), exists in all bodies of men and other creatures, created by their karma. They say that the jiva is created as if one of the parts of you, the holder of all energies. Actually the jiva is well known as the tatastha sakti, not an amsa, but he is similar to your expansion. Visnu purana says, visnu saktih para prokta ksetrajnakhya tatha para Thereh is the spiritual energy of Visnu and the knower of the body which is also spiritual. The Gita says, prakrtim viddhi me param jiva bhutam. Beyond this is another, superior energy, the jiva.

After hearing the words of śrutis dedicated to the Lord with their descriptions of the purity of the Lord, in his portion as antaryāmī, some humble śrutis describe the conclusion of other śrutis who explained the jīva’s attaining the Lord’s mercy. The Vedas speak of the jīva (puruṣam), who is both different and non-different from you, in his various bodies created by you (as described in the previous verse). They are actually perfect as your aṁśas. The jīva must be described in this way and not otherwise. Gopāla-tāpanī says brāhmaṇo’ ṁśa-bhūtas tathetaro bhoktā bhavati: one is a portion of Brahman and enjoys the fruit and the other is the witness. “Why is it that the jīva can be aṁśa of the Lord but the Lord is said to be indivisible?” This is an eternal condition. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ: the living entities in this conditioned world are my eternal fragmental parts. (BG 15.7) Dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyaḥ: two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.6) The jīvas belong to the Lord who possess all powers (akhila-śakti-dhṛtaḥ). viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir The Lord has a superior energy, another energy called the jīva and a third energy, the material energy, called avidyā-karma. Viṣṇu Purāṇa. 6.7.61 bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat Earth, water, fire, air, ether (as well as their sense objects), pradhāna, mahat-tattva, and false ego (with the ten senses) are my separated energy in eight divisions. This is my inferior energy. But understand my superior energy which is different from this inferior energy. It is the jīvas, who employ the inferior energy for their enjoyment. BG 7.4-5 etad-yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇīty upadhāraya | ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā || Know that all things of the universe have their origin in these two energies, and that I am the origin and dissolution of the whole universe. mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya | mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva || There is nothing superior to me, O conqueror of wealth. Everything is in me as pearls are strung on a thread. BG 7.6-7 According the Gītā which indicates ultimately the svarūpa-śakti by indicating that he alone enables the superior and inferior prakṛtis to function, there are three śaktis. You possess these three śaktis (akhila-śakti-dhṛtaḥ), which have inconceivable influence as effects of the Lord. These śaktis of the Lord remain eternally, performing difficult tasks without any fault. Thus the jīvas, as products of your śakti, exist eternally. “Then the jīvas should also have powers like Matsyadeva. Without those powers, they are just like inert matter.” The jīva is permeated with your antaraṅga-svarūpa, devoid of māyā (abahir). Viṣṇu Purāṇa explains that the jīvas are like particles of light intermediate between the sun globe and the shadow. The sun represents Bhagavān and the jīva is his aṁśa, since it is his particular manifestation revealing a small amount of his śakti. The jīvas are sepaerated aṁśas since they are like rays of Matsya and other avatāras. Mahā-varāha Purāṇa says: svāṁśaś cātha vibhinnāṁśa iti dvedhāṁśa iṣyate | aṁśino yat tu sāmarthyaṁ yat svarūpaṁ yathā sthitiḥ || tad eva nāṇumātro’pi bhedaḥ svāṁśāṁśinoḥ kvacit | vibhinnāṁśo’lpa-śaktiḥ syāt kiñcit sāmarthya-mātra-yuk || There are two types of aṁśas: vibhinnāṁśa and svāṁśa. The svāṁśa expansions are unlimitedly powerful. Their form and personality are the same as Svayam Bhagavān. There is not the slightest difference between the svāṁśa expansions and Svayam Bhagavān. The vibhinnāṁśa expansions are very weak in comparison to them, having only a little power. The phrase may also be explained as follows. The jīva is not permeated with the kriyā-śakti or antar-jñāṇa-śakti, which are beyond māyā. As the sun is not covered by shadow, the avatāras like Matsya are not covered by māyā. The jīva, vibhinnāṁśa, like a ray of the sun, is covered. kṣetrajñāśaktiḥ sa tāratamyena vartate: the jīva or kṣetra-jña is surrounded by this prakṛti in various degrees. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktiḥ: the third energy, the material energy, called avidyā-karma. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) That is because it produces actions of ignorance. yat taṭasthaṁ tu cid-rūpa sva-saṁvedyād vinirgatam rañjitaṁ guṇa-rāgeṇa sa jīva iti kathyate The jīva is defined as marginal, conscious, tinged with the guṇas, arising between the Lord’s spiritual and material energies. Viṣṇu Purāṇa The jīva is covered with the upādhi of māyā (aṁśa-kṛtam). This is further explained. According to the method explained, the wise, having faith in the nature of your aṁśa the jīva (nṛ-gatim), worship your feet since you are the aṁśī and the jīvas are insignificant. “There are other aṁśīs. They should also be worshipped.” Those feet are completely described in all the Vedas. The Vedas proclaim you as most worthy of worship, the ultimate meaning of the Vedas, and the highest goal. “Why are other forms not in a similar poisiton since they have limbs like you?” Since you are described in this way in the Vedas, you never take birth (abhavam). Or, your feet cause others not to take birth. Thus they of course are without birth. This is the best sādhana on earth (bhuvi). The chief śrutis also speak in the same way: māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyān māyinam tu maheśvaram asyāvayava-bhūtaiś ca vyāptaṁ sarvam idaṁ jagat Know the material energy and its lord, the cause of māyā. The whole universe is spread with the products arising from his limbs. Śvetāśvarata Upaniṣad yo yoniṁ yonim adhitiṣṭhaty eko yasminn idam saṁ ca vicaiti sarvam | tam īśānaṁ varadaṁ devam īḍyaṁ nicāyyemāṁ śāntim atyantam eti || One who knows the generous and glorious Supreme Lord, who alone created the material world and in whom it enters at the end, attains perfect peace. Śvetāśvarata Upaniṣad Supporting evidence also is there: Sarve vedā yat padam āmanti All the Vedas describe the Supreme Lord’s feet.(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.15) caraṇaṁ pavitraṁ vitataṁ purāṇaṁ yena pūtas tarati duṣkṛtāni We become pufified and can cross saṁsāra by that pure, ancient foot which extended itself. (Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)

They say that the jīva in various bodies created by karma is your aṁśa, a particle of consciousness with general functions of cit śakti by you inconceivable energy whose external kriyā-śakti and internal jñāna-śakti are limited. Mahā-varāha Purāṇa says: svāṁśaś cātha vibhinnāṁśa iti dvedhāṁśa iṣyate | aṁśino yat tu sāmarthyaṁ yat svarūpaṁ yathā sthitiḥ || tad eva nāṇumātro’pi bhedaḥ svāṁśāṁśinoḥ kvacit | vibhinnāṁśo’lpa-śaktiḥ syāt kiñcit sāmarthya-mātra-yuk || There are two types of aṁśas: vibhinnāṁśa and svāṁśa. The svāṁśa expansions are unlimitedly powerful. Their form and personality are the same as Svayam Bhagavān. There is not the slightest difference between the svāṁśa expansions and Svayam Bhagavān. The vibhinnāṁśa expansions are very weak in comparison to them, having only a little power. The svāṁśas are the avatāras. The vibhinnāṁśas are the jīvas. You have all powers. The jīvas are very different. Thus (iti) determining the nature of the jīva (different and non-different from the Lord), the wise (kavayaḥ) with faith worship your lotus feet while offering all karmas to you (nigamāvapanam) while you reside on earth (bhuvi). This indicates the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Or the wise say that the form of Nārāyaṇa (puruṣam), existing in his self-manifesting cities like Śvetadvīpa or Mahākāla is manifested as your aṁśa by your cit śakti. He is your special avatāra. Because of your manifestation everywhere, the wise, considering the goal of men, worship your lotus feet. Or they say that Nārāyaṇa situated in bodies of the individual and totality of jīvas, and in special Vaikuṇṭhas (svakṛta-pureṣu) is your aṁśa. ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam tṛtīyaṁ sarvabhūta-sthaṁ tāni jñātvā vimucyate The first is the creator of mahat-tattva, the second resides within the universe, the third resides within all living entities. One who knows them becomes liberated. The three puruṣas are your aṁśas. Those who know scriptures say the puruṣa is manifested by the cit śakti as your aṁśa. You possess all śaktis like līlā and saṁvit śaktis. These three puruṣas are not limited externally by form and internally with knowledge. Because of this (iti), considering your presence as antaryāmī in jīvas (nṛgatim), gaining faith by scripture and realization, the wise serve your lotus feet in their hearts (bhuvi). Those feet are the shelter or support of all the Vedas (nigamāvapanam) and they destroy saṁsāra (abhavam).

In order to emphasize the excellence of bhakti yoga whose object of worship is bhagavan, and what the upanisads are themselves indicating as the best process, they again glorify bhakti in four verses. "O Lord, the pastimes of your form which appears in the world to make known (nigamaya) your own form, qualities, pastimes powers and sweetness (atma tattvam), which cannot be understood by the jivas (duravagamam), are great oceans of nectar. Those rare devotees (kecit) who become tired by diving into and rising up repeatedly in these w hirlpools and waves, do not desire even the pleasure of liberation (apavargam), what to speak of the happiness of artha, dharma and kama. The fatigue of diving in and rising out of the waves of nectar is actually happiness. Just as young, materialistic persons who cannot tolerate labor consider the fatigue from sex life as the highest pleasure of all, so your devotees consider as the highest pleasure the fatigue with symptoms of singing, and dancing, shouting ,stumbling, fainting, getting up, crying, and running around, which arise from drinking the sweetness of narrations of your pastimes, and consider the happiness of Brahman like the happiness of animals chewing grass." Sridhar Swami says: "Those fortunate ones who blissfully play in the nectar ocean of your pastimes consider the four vargas like grass." They more specifically describe the cause of attaining happiness from you. "Being absorbed in tasting the sweetness of your lotus feet, by association with a group of greatest devotees (hamsa) they have given up the happiness from wife and children (grhah)." The srutis show the superiority of bhakti over mukti: Yat sarve deva namanti mumuksavo brahma vadinas ca Those brahma vadis desiring liberation worship he whom all the devas worship. Nrsimha Tapani upanisad, 2.4

Sankharacarya in his commentary on this statement of the Nrsmha Tapani has written: mukta api lilaya vigraham krtva bhagavantam bhajante The liberated souls make an image of the Lord for pastimes and worship bhagavan. Madhvacarya has quoted other srutis: Mukta hy etam upasate muktanam api bhakti hi paramananda rupini Even the liberated worship him. For the liberated souls, bhakti is the supreme bliss. Amrtasya dhara bahudha dohamanam caranam no loke sudhitam dadhatu om tat sat May the foot which yields abundant streams of nectar bestow blessings on us of this world. Taittiriya Brahmana 3.12.3.4

Hearing this and having their own bhāva stimulated, Upaniṣads situated at his feet directly describe his sweetness. O Lord, whose powers are the highest! Some rare souls do not at all desire liberation what to speak of other things. You have appeared in this world with your spiritual form in order that people experience your form, qualities and pastimes as they are, which are difficult to understand since they take place in Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha beyond everyone’s vision and mind. These rare souls immerse themselves in your topics which are like a great ocean of nectar, including the bliss of liberation and sālokya etc. while at the same time they obtain relief from the fatigue of saṁsāra. “Many people hear these topics, but they do not experience relief. What is the reason?” The secret is placed at the end of the verse. Swans related to lotuses in this world are compared to persons who have realized the highest truth (haṁsa) related to the Lord’s feet. These people have given up their houses by even one contact with a group of disciples of disciples (kula) of persons who are like swans relishing the sweetness of the Lord’s lotus feet, which derides the bliss of liberation. What to speak if having constant contact with such devotees. What to speak of meeting the disciples and what to speak of meeting the swan-like persons in person. The chief śrutis related to this point are as follows: oṁ caraṇaṁ pavitraṁ vitataṁ purāṇaṁ yena pūtas tarati duṣkṛtāni tena pavitreṇa śuddhena pūtā api pāpmānam arātiṁ tarema The sacred water that has washed the Lord's feet and that is famous from ancient times washes away all sins. Purified by that sacred water, we will escape the hostile world of birth and death, the home of sins. Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad lokasya dvāram ārcayat pavitraṁ jyotiṣmat vibhrājamānaṁ mahas tad amṛtasya dhārā bahudhā dohamānaṁ caraṇaṁ loke sudhitāṁ dadhātu. The splendid and sacred stream of nectar that has washed the Lord feet is the door to the spiritual world. Running in many swelling streams, may it flood the world with nectar. Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad The phrase amṛtasya dhārā bahudhā dohamānam is similar to carita-mahāmṛtābdhi. The verse gives understanding of the Lord by describing with devotion his feet, which represent his beautiful form. Other śrutis following in their footsteps say yaṁ sarve devā namanti mumukṣavo brahma-vādinaś ca: those who enjoy, those desiring liberation, and brahma-vādis offer him respects. (Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad) The order of persons is with increasing excellence. Devatās enjoy, those desiring liberation give up enjoyment, and the brahma-ādis teach those desiring liberation. They are liberated. Brahma-vādi means one who reveals Brahman. Madhvācārya quotes the following śruti. Muktā api hy enam upāsate muktānām api bhaktir hi paramānanda-rūpinī: those who are libereated worship the Lord; bhakti gives the highest bliss to even liberated persons. (Sauparṇa śruti) Muktopasṛpya vyapdeśāt: liberated souls attain the Lord. (Brahma-sūtra 1.3.2)

Destroying saṁsāra was mentioned. Do the devotees worship the Lord to get liberation? No. They announce to the devotees your inconceivable nature (duravagamātma-tattva-nigamāya). Though you are one, you are many. Though you are without qualities, you have many astonishing qualities. Though you have four forms as caturvyūha, you are indivisible. Or they announce your inconceivable, blissful, sweet form, qualities and pastimes. You have appeared as Kṛṣṇa (ātta-tanoḥ). They reverse the material fatigue by the great sweet ocean of your pastimes. Destroying the fatigue of wandering in saṁsāra is a secondary result. The word api indicates that the four goals of artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa are rejected. The devotees do not desire liberation (apavargam), even as a joke (parilaṣanti) since its happiness is insignificant, being merely the negation of suffering, and it obstructs bhakti-rasa. O capable Lord (īśvara). The devotees are of this nature by the power of bhakti to you. Or in order to whirl (parivartana) in the ocean of your pastimes, they renounce the house under the influence of devotees. They find pleasure in you alone. The swans at the lotus feet are the devotees dear to the Lord. By association they take liberation as useless. tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ We do not compare attainment of Svarga or liberation to even a moment’s association with a devotee, what to speak of comparing it to the enjoyments of this life. SB 6.30.34

After describing the devotes who renounce the enjoyments of the house, the srutis lament the jivas who are attached to the house and do not perform bhakti yoga. This nest of the bird (kulayam) called jivatma, the body, is suitable for performing bhakti yoga (tvad anupatham), since it has ears, tongue and other organs suitable for hearing and chanting. "kulayam", the body, can also be derived differently: that which merges (laya) into the earth (ku)). This body shines as the self, the friend and dear one. As the body does not appear as the self, friend and dear one when dead, it acts in this manner only by relationship with you. How unfortunate (bata) that they derive not enjoy in you, who are inclined to be merciful to them (unmukhe; a benefactor (hite), since you are their friend; who are dear because of such closeness to the body and soul; the paramatma (atmani), most easy to serve. They do not worship you with service attitude. By bad practices of studying and preaching false scriptures or having too much affection for sons, wife, house and body (asad upasanaya), having desires for those objects of attraction, they take on lower births (ku sarira bhrtah), and wander in the material world (uru bhaye). They are thus killers of themselves. Aramam asya pasyanti na tam pasyanti na kascana They do not see the world of the Lord, not at all. They see the place of the Lord’s enjoyment as the world of pots and cloth. Brhad aranyaka 4.3.15 Satapath Brahmana 14.7.1.15

Na tam vidatha ya ima jajananyat yusmakam antaram babhuva Niharena pravta jalpyas casu trpa uktha sasas caranti O those engaged in argument, you do not know him. You do not know that the Lord created all this. Being different from the beings he created, he has entered you (he is close to you who propound theories of atoms). Being completely covered by ignorance, satisfying your life airs (asu trpah), you wander here and there, engaging in karma. Rg Veda 10.82.7 Asurya nama te loka adhena tamasavrtah Tams te pretyabhigacchanti ye ke cantmahano janah The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance Isopanisad 3

Hearing from the śrutis the excellence of pure rati for the Lord, some other śrutis, their followers, praise the Lord by stating the opposite condition to strengthen their statement. The temporary body acts which is dependent on ātmā (anupatham) is something like the soul (kulāyam) by being related to you, Paramātmā. This means that it seems to be the object of rati with that form. When the body dies, it is no longer attractive. It is like the self because by ahaṅkāra one thinks of the body as the self. The body is a friend because it offers enjoyment of objects. It is dear because it is the object of affection. Because of the presence of ātmā, there is a combination of ātmā and body. It becomes the object of pleasure because of appearing like the ātmā by having a relationship with ātmā. Because you are present as Paramātmā within the body, you have forms which are facing the jīvas (unmukhe), and because of being self-revealing, you by your nature give benefit (hite) to those who recognize you and you inspire the jīva to seek out those forms. You are not insentient like the body. It is astonishing that people do not have attraction for you as much as to their body. How unfortunate! It is not so astonishing. The cause presents itself spontaneously. By serving things related to the body (asat) they kill themselves. It is reasonable that they are not attracted to you. In hopes for things related to the body they wander about in great fear, taking degraded bodies. Śruti supports this conclusion. Others also support this such as asūryā nāma te lokāḥ: the killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets of darkness. (Īśopaniṣad)

The final goal is rati for the Lord’s lotus feet. This verse indicates that rati. This human body (idam) is temporary (kulāyam). Made of earth, it merges with the air (when burned). Or whatever is visible (idam) moves like the ātmā. The body, mistaken for the ātmā, becomes dear like a friend or lover. Or the body is friends with the ātmā, having a relationship by birth and benefiting it. The lover is dearer than even sons or dear, because she carries out one’s desires. But actually the body is not dear. It is only an appearance (vat). Though (tathā) you face the jīva or face the jiva in an inconceivable way because of your natural mercy, and give the jīva benefit (hite) as an unconditional friend, and though you show affection or are the object of affection (priye) as Paramātmā (ātmani), since its aṁśas are very dear, or though you inspire the jīva to good action and act as guru (ātmani), people do not take pleasure in you. Rati for the Lord is a means and a goal. This is because they injure the atmā by worshipping temporary things. Or kulāyam means that which is destroyed in a low way, becoming ashes. If that body follows the path of bhakti (tvad anupatham) it becomes dear like a friend. Moreover, you turn towards this devotee, benefit him and show affection for him. Those who injure ātmā do not enjoy with you by hearing and chanting etc.

In order to speak of the supreme position of bhakti yoga directed only to Krsna and the supreme position of Krsna among all the forms of bhagavan, first the srutis denigrate jnana yoga which has as its goal impersonal Brahman. "The sages who engage in steadfast yoga by fully controlled airs, mind and senses, worship in the pure heart (which also becomes Brahman) that same Brahman which the demons who appeared when Krsna descended attained by remembrance of him with animosity. Such is the greatness of Krsna’s form. The sages, meditating with unbroken attention, still remain worshiping that Brahman, but Kamsa and other demons, though seeing the Lord for a short period, though they were impure in mind because of sinful nature, though devoid of realization of the sweetness of Krsna’s body because of being Krsna’s enemies--just by remembrance of his form, attained Brahman and remained fixed there. We do not know when the sages will attain that Brahman." Having stated in the first part of the verse that the sages with effort attain a taste of Brahman which was also attained by the enemies, the srutis say that they, with effort, will attain a taste of prema rasa attainable by friendliness to the Lord. "The women of Vraja (sriyah) were attracted with great love to the arms of Krsna which were like the body of the king of snakes, and worshiped, served and realized his lotus feet, placing them on their breasts (anghri saroja sudhah)." This is described in the verse yat te sujata carnamburuham stanesu...sb 10.31.19 Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Next the srutis in ecstatic longing imagine that they have attained those feet (vayam api) "But you must be similar to the gopis." "By some special observances, we attained bodies of gopis (te samah)." "How exactly was that?" "By following after them with our vision (sama drsah)."

Four types of people have been described here: in the first half to the verse, the sages and the demons, who achieved the same goal, and in the last half of the verse, the gopis and the srutis who attain the same goal. This is understood from using the word api twice. There is a history in the Brhad Vamana Purana. The planet filled with bliss of Brahman is called vaikuntha. The resident there, the supreme Lord, was praised by the resident Vedas. After some time, being pleased with those prayers, he spoke invisibly to them. "I am satisfied. You should ask for some benediction, whatever you desire." The srutis said, "We have developed the desire to worship you as the gopis on your planet worship you with prema, thinking of you as a lover." The Lord said, "This desire of yours is very rare and very hard to fulfill. But I agree, so it definitely come true. After the next Brahma is born and begins creation, during the sarasvata kalpa, you will become gopis. On the earth, in the land of Bharata, in Mathura mandala, in Vrndavana, I will become your lovers in the rasa dance. Having attained very strong attachment and affection to me, though you are married to someone else, you will have your desires fulfilled." Brahma said, "Hearing this they meditated on the form of Krsna for a long time, and when the time came they became gopis and attained Krsna."

Sruti verses support the topic of this verse. Atma va are drastavyah strotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah One must see the Lord, hear about him, think about him, and meditate on him. Brhad Aranaka Upanisad 4.5.6 One must directly see the Lord. The means of doing this are then stated. You must hear from the guru the conclusion by proper method. You should repeatedly think about it, excluding impossible or opposite meanings. You should meditate on it with conviction. According to the jnanis the impersonal form is the conclusion. According to the vaisnavas, the form of bhagavan with spiritual variety and qualities is the conclusion, as the following sruti explains: Yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam One cannot understand the supreme soul by studying the Vedas or by hearing many scriptures or by ones mental energy. The Lord reveals his body to the person who accepts the Lord as his master. That person alone attains the Lord. Katha Upanisad 1.2.23 One must see (drastavyah) bhagavan who has a body (tanum) of all auspicious qualities. Then the way of achieving it is explained: by hearing, considering, meditaing. One should hear (stroavyah). From the guru one hears the mantra of the Lord. This is the same as the body of the Lord. The Krama Dipika and other scriptures state that the mantra and the svarupa of the Lord are the same. One should consider (mantavyah). One should remember, or concentrate on the meaning of both the mantra and its words. One should meditate (nididhyasatavyah). According to amara kosa nirdhyana means seeing. The desire to see is called nididhyasana. Concentrating on the meaning of the mantra, while doing japa repeatedly, one should desire to see the deity mentioned in the mantra. By repeatedly desiring to see, one should see the Lord. The desire for kama like the gopis is expressed in the Vedas in Gopal Tapani Upanisad, in the words of Krsna: Yam mam smrtva niskamah sakamo bhavati He who remembers me with no personal desires, becomes a desirer of me. Gopal Tapani Uttara khanda 4, Vraja sri jana sambhuta srutibhyo brahma sangatah Through the srutis who becoming women of Vraja, as told in the vamana purana (as the gopal tapani upanisad), Krsna attained the status of being part of the Vedas. Gopala Tapani Uttara Khanda 57

Upaniṣads like Gopāla-tāpanī, standing there with a desire to praise the Lord at the end, with deep devotion to Kṛṣṇa alone, hearing the other śrutis’ various conclusions and not able to surpress their enthusiasm, directly describe the greatness of Kṛṣṇa’s intimate devotees along with the description of the excellence of his appearance in this world. Taking support from what was just said, they produce this verse. Why should his ordinary qualities be described? Please hear about his extraordinary nature. Four groups of people (sages, enemies, gopīs, and śrutis) are described in this verse. The word api separates the sages and enemies mentioned in the first two lines from those mentioned in the last two lines, and the enemies are lesser in status than the sages and the śrutis are lesser than the gopīs. The second two attained the Lord to a greater degree than the first two groups. That is the meaning. Sages on their own, with great effort (nibhṛta), in the pure antaḥ-karaṇa, worship or realize or attain, after a long time, you in the form of Brahman without qualities. The enemies of the Lord, being of opposite nature to the sages, are eternally qualified for the worst hell. But they, just by remembering the Lord, with great offense, achieve the Lord before the sages do. This means they merge with the Lord. Ah! Let that be! This is the special quality which distinguishes Kṛṣṇa from the appearances of all avatāras: he gives liberation to those who hate him. Hear about the qualities of the gopīs who are greater than us. Your eternal consorts (striyaḥ), such as Rādhā, take (upāsate) your lotus feet which are sweet to the touch (’ṅghri-saroja-sudhāḥ) on their chests (hṛdi). Yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu: your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts. (SB 31.19) The plural (sudhāḥ) indicates that they continually do this. Śukadeva also describes this through the words of the women of Mathurā. Aho gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran: what severe austerities the gopīs must have performed to be able to regularly see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who are the greatest source of pleasure for all mankind! (SB 10.41.31) Those feet are incomparable and ever fresh. We śrutis also desire that sweetness of his feet as expressed by Uddhava, though we are unqualified. āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām yā dustyajaṁ sva-janam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām The gopīs of Vṛndāvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and they have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers or herbs in Vṛndāvana, because the gopīs trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet. (SB 10.47.61) We wish to attain bodies of gopīs in Vraja, women with forms similar to theirs. Their minds were attached to your strong arms. What austerity did they do to become like this? nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha- labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-sundarīṇām When Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the gopīs in the rāsa-līlā, the gopīs were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune, though she was intensely attracted to him, or to other consorts in the spiritual worldwhose bodily luster and aroma resemble the lotus flower. And what to speak of worldly women? SB 10.47.60 This means the gopīs were endowed with most rare mahābhāva brought about by realizations of Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness. The feet of the manvantarāvatāra, son of Vikuṇṭha, were also desired by the great sages: evaṁ tadaiva bhagavān aravinda-nābhaḥ svānāṁ vibudhya sad-atikramam ārya-hṛdyaḥ tasmin yayau paramahaṁsa-mahā-munīnām anveṣaṇīya-caraṇau calayan saha-śrīḥ At that moment, the Lord, with lotus navel, who appears within the hearts of the deserving, understanding that his servants had offended the Kumāras, came to the seventh gate with Lakṣmī, moving his feet which should be sought by the great renounced sages. SB 3.15.37 How will the śrutis attain this position? They should have bhāvas following after those of the gopīs (samadṛśaḥ). May similar service as the gopīs, with the highest bhāvas for the object of our desires be visible (dṛśaḥ). The word “arm” indicates their strong rāga for Kṛṣṇa’s embrace. The word “foot” indicates their devotion to him, expressing their humble position. These words indicate parabrahman in human form. Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa says: brahmānanda-mayo loko vyāpī vaikuṇṭha-saṁjñitaḥ tal-loka-vāsī tatra-sthaiḥ stuto vedaiḥ parātparaḥ ciraṁ stutyā tatas tuṣṭaḥ parokṣaṁ prāha tān girā tuṣṭo ‘smi brūta bhoḥ prājñā varaṁ yan manasecchatha All the spiritual planets are spread with bliss of the Lord. The inhabitants are praised by the Vedas residing there. After praising a long time, the Lord was satisfied and spoke to the Vedas while remaining invisible. “I am pleased with you. O Vedas! Please ask the boon which you desire.” śrutaya ūcuḥ yathā tal-loka-vāsinyaḥ kāma-tattvena gopikāḥ bhajanti ramaṇaṁ matvā cikīrṣājani nas tathā The śrutis replied, ‘We have developed the desire to become like the cowherd women of the mortal world who, inspired by lust, worship you in the mood of a lover.’ śrī-bhagavān uvāca āgāmini viriñcau tu jāte sṛṣṭy-artham udite kalpaṁ sāraśvataṁ prāpya vraje gopyo bhaviṣyatha ‘When the next Brahmā takes birth to faithfully execute his duties of creation, and when the day of his life called the Sārasvata-kalpa arrives, you will all appear in Vraja as gopīs.’ Among them, the chief, Gāyatrī attained him as a gopī. This is stated in Padma Purāṇa. One can consult the commentaries on the rāsa-līlā. The chief śrutis also state this. apūtaḥ pūto bhavati yaṁ māṁ smṛtvā, avratī vratī bhavati yaṁ māṁ smṛtvā, niṣkāmaḥ sa-kāmo bhavati yaṁ māṁ smṛtvā, aśrotrī śrotrī bhavati yaṁ māṁ smṛtvā: By remembering me, one who is impure becomes pure. By remembering me, one who follows no vows becomes a strict follower of vows. By remembering me, one who is desireless develops desires to serve me. By remembering me, one who has studied no Vedic mantras becomes an expert knower of the Vedas. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad (Uttara 4),

Having described the materialist wandering in saṁsāra, the śrutis now describe the attainment of the worshippers of the Lord. Those inclined to contemplation (munayaḥ), worshipping Brahman in their hearts, attained Brahman. The enemies by remembrance of the Lord in hatred attained that same Brahman. Moreover we śrutis or the women of Mathurā will attain the nectar of your lotus feet, with minds were absorbed in your huge, snakelike arms. This indicates their particular bhāva. As devotees, they see with equal vision (sama-dṛśaḥ) because they see antaryaṁī everywhere. Or they see the lord with Lakṣmī (sama-dṛśaḥ), being on the same planet. “Attaining the nectar of his lotus feet” indicates that they are fixed in pure bhakti or that they serve directly by massaging the feet. We become equal to you (samāḥ). On attaining the Lord they become one with him. Though the enemies and the devotees do not attain the same oneness, Brahman and the form of Bhagavān are considered one in this statement. Or the sages and the enemies attained Brahman but the women attain equality with you by your affection.

"Therefore bhakti is the best process, easily executed. On the other hand, knowledge of you, who are the object of worship in bhakti, is always difficult to perform. O Lord! In the world, who with recent births and deaths fully knows you, who are born before all? For it is from you that the Vedas (rsih), which to some small extent informs us about you, first arose. Even the Vedas seek out you, "veda guhyani hrt pateh" (you are hidden in the Vedas. sb 1.3.35.) and after the Vedas, the devatas of the senses, like the directions, vayu and the sun, and the devatas of the planets like Brahma appeared. Those who are more recent than them certainly do not know you. When you destroy everything and lie down, the gross elements like akasa, the subtle elements like mahat tattva, the body generated by them, even the subtle disturbance of time which is the cause of those bodies, and senses, prana and even scriptures cease to exist." This is the intention: at the time of creation, because of the existence of scriptures, and the possibility of sadhana, even if there are many obstructions created by the coverings of material bodies, a little knowledge of you is possible. But at the time of destruction, though there are no longer numerous obstructions, because of absence of scripture, absence of sadhana, there no knowledge of you at all. Therefore giving up the quest of knowledge of you, it is better to practice bhakti towards you.

The srutis speak the same subject. Ko’ ddha veda ka iha pravocat kuta ayatah kuta iyam visrstah Arvag deva asya visarjanenatha ko veda yata a babhuva Who knows directly (addha) where this world has come from? There is no one to give the knowledge. Who spoke it? After he created everything, the devas arose. Who knows him from who this universe arose? Rig Veda 3.54.5

Some śrutis, delighted by what was said, excuse their fault in being ignorant of the matter. Who in the universe knows this (understood from previous verse)? The śrutis who made the statement know. Nu indicates conjecture. Frowning they say this “No one else knows.” It is beyond everyone’s birth and knowledge (agrasaram) because Mahā-viṣṇu (ṛṣih), who manifests the Vedas through his breathing, rose up. Ādyo ’vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya: Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord. (SB 2.6.42) But ultimately Kṛṣṇa is indicated. Yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśa-bhāgena viśvotpatti-layodayāḥ: O Soul of all that be, the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe are all carried out by a fraction of an expansion of an expansion of your expansion. (SB 10.85.31) After him, the two types of devatās—deities of the senses (directions, sun, wind etc.) and deities of the planets (Brahmā etc) appeared. Eko nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā neśāna, tasmād evaite vyajāyante: first there was only Nārāyaṇa, not Brahmā or Śiva and from him they all arose. Thee living entieis are born and die. So who can know him? No one knows him. The scriptures exist during maintenance, but because of absence of ability to hear and no scriptures at destruction, there is ignorance about you. At the time of universal destruction, the Lord takes the scriptures which praise him to his spiritual abode and pays no attention to the activities of the universe. The jīvas are thus without knowledge of you. At that time there is no gross or subtle matter. There is no sense of time, since there is no creation. The śrutis also say the same thing. Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes this: ko ’ddhā veda ka iha pravocat kuta āyātāḥ kuta iyaṁ visṛṣṭiḥ arvāg devā visarjanenā- thā ko veda yata ā babhūva \Who in this world actually knows, and who can explain, whence this creation has come? The demigods, after all, are younger than the creation. Who, then, can tell whence this world has come into being? Ṛg Veda 3.54.5

Having described the astonishing glories of hearing, chanting and remembering the Lord, the śrutis point out that giving respect to jñāna is not proper. How can any person who is born and dies know this topic of the Lord? No one can, because they are all low (avara). Nu indicates conjecture. Even Brahmā, who lives a long time but must die (laya), is considered low, since it is impossible for him or others to understand. They cannot know because the Lord existed previously (agrasaram) or because the Lord is beyond (agrasaram) the senses. Or no one can know the Lord because Brahma appeared along with the senses (deva-ganāḥ) and the sages inclined to enjoyment or renunciation (ubhaye), and then disappear at night, with no possibility of getting knowledge. When Brahmā lies down in the lotus in the Navel of Viṣṇu, there are no gross actions of sacrifice (sat) or subtle processes like meditation (asat) or processes which mix these two (ubhayam) or the daily passage of day and night (kāla-javah), and no Vedas (śāstram). They do not function in the three worlds since they are destroyed. Janaloka and other planets above however exist during the night. (Thus there is no means of knowledge). Or who knows Kṛṣṇa? First the puruṣa arises from him. In the puruṣaḥ arises mahat and other elements which produce a universe. The Lord enters as antaryāmī and lies on the water. From his navel Brahmā is born. Both the ingredients and the devatās like Brahmā (ubhaye) arose. They are all recent. Time was present, indicated by the words tarhi and yadā (when). But its force (javaḥ) was not present. The Vedas were present as the breathing of the Lord, but were not manifested externally. Thus the great Upaniṣads were not manifested externally. But because of this the śrutis began reciting these verses. When the Lord lay down and withdrew (avakṛṣya) all the universes, nothing was manifested. anantāni tavoktāni yāny aṇḍāni mayā purā sarvāṇi tāni saṁhṛtya sama-kālaṁ jagat-patiḥ prakṛtau tiṣṭhati tadā sa rātris tasya kīrtitā As I have already explained to you, the Lord destroys all the numberless material universes at the same time. Then the universes remain in their unmanifest state within the Supreme Lord (prakṛtau). This is known as the Lord's night. Viṣṇu-dharmottara

Not only is your nature hard to understand, but because, there is no unity of opinion among the learned, true knowledge is almost impossible for the jiva aspiring for highest truth to get knowledge. "Patanjali and others say that liberation, attaining Brahman, arises from matter ( janim asat). The logicians (naiyayikas) speak of liberation as the destruction of the consciousness (satah mrtim), with its twenty one types of suffering: the six senses, the six whirlpools (heat, cold, greediness, illusion, hunger and thirst), the six objects, happiness and distress and body. Sankhya philosophers speak of liberation as separation of the soul from its qualities, or separating spirit from matter (atmani bhidam). The mimasakas say that enjoying the results of karma, such as attainment of svarga, is the highest goal (vipanam rtam). All these teach by attribution, not by seeing the truth. If the jiva were made of the three gunas, then these would all be true. But this is not so, the jiva is without material qualities." This is what the srutis imply by their words in the third line. "The modification of the jiva in the form of the three gunas is caused by your avidya sakti (abodha krta), but it is not factual transformation. And that modification takes place only in the jiva and not in you, the paramatma. The covering of ignorance of the jiva does not take place in you (tvayi na tatah). Why? Because you are beyond maya (paratra). Ignorance is a function of maya, and maya is under your control, for you are endowed with complete knowledge (avabodha rase). Darkness cannot cover the light of the sun, but can cover objects like gold or silver which have small portions of light." Avidyayam antare vartamanah svayam dhirah panditam manyamanah jamghanyamanah pariyanti mudhah andhenaiva niyamana yathandah Those who think themselves learned but are actually ignorant, involve themselves in arguments and counterarguments, and wander about like blind leading the blind. Kena upanisad 1.2.5

Approving of this statement some śrutis discuss this with further proofs, and show that even some who are respected as gurus do not know this. Because they do not think of the Paramātmā, the followers of Sāṅkhya think the jīvas are completely aloof from the body. Some think incorrectly that you Paramātmā (tvayi) are the jīva (pumān) endowed with the three guṇas. This arises from ignorance. It is not possible in you. What to speak of making this a philosophy (bhidā). This is because you have a spiritual form (paratra), that cannot be dealt with as the object or subject of material experience. And this is because ignorance cannot exist in you since you have pure knowledge (avabodha-rase). How can one in knowledge make you into the subject and object, filled with darkness or contaminated light? Because of ignorance of the greatness of your acintya-śakti, they imagine in this manner. To refute the idea that everything comes from matter, it is said sad eva saumyedam agra āsīt: the Lord existed before this world. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad) To refute the idea that the ātmā is destructible it is said yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti: after annihilation everything is conserved in Brahman. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 3.1.1) yathodakam suddhe suddham asiktam tadrgeva bhavanti evam muner-vijanata atma bhavati gautama As pure water poured into pure water becomes the very same, so the self of the seer who is endowed with knowledge becomes like the Supreme Self. Kaṭha Upanisad II. 1. 15 samāṇe vkṣe puruṣo nimagno nīśayā śocati muhymānaḥ The jīva is in the same tree, bewildered and lamenting, unaware of the Lord. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.7 The Lord being the jīva is refuted with the following. Eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ: he is the one Lord situated in all beings. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.11) Sarva-bhūta-antarātmā: the lord resides within all beings (Kaṭha Upaniṣad) Ekadhā bahudhā caiva dṛśyate jala-candravat: he is perceived as one and as many like the moon in the water. (Amṛta-bindu Upaniṣad) One form appears like many reflections, but does not really become reflections. Ambuvat agrahaṇāt tu na tathātvam: the jīva is not a reflection of the Lord since he is not perceived as such. (Brahma-sūtra 3.2.19) Vṛddhi-hrāsa-bhāktvaṁ antarbhāvād ubhaya-sāmañjasyād eva: in a secondary sense the comparion of the Lord and jīva to the sun and its reflection is acceptable in terms of greaness and smallness. (Brahma-sūtra 3.2.20) That material world is the only reality is also refuted. tad yatheha karma jito lokaḥ kṣīyate evam evāmutra puṇya jito lokaḥ kṣīyata Just as whatever benefit one works hard to attain in this world is eventually depleted, so whatever life one earns for oneself in the next world by his piety will also eventually end. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 8.1.16 The Lord is beyond the three guṇas. Āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt: the Supreme Lord is beyond the material world and beyond all darkness. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) Acintya-śakti is illustrated in the following. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate: the Lord has a variety of śaktis. Māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyān māyinam tu maheśvaram: know the material energy and its Lord, the cause of māyā. naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva su-jñānāya preṣṭha This realization, dear boy, cannot be acquired by logic. It must be spoken by an exceptionally qualified spiritual master to a knowledgeable disciple. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.9 avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ svayaṁ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṁ manyamānāḥ. jaṅghanyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhā andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind. Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5

Some think that everything is completely different from Brahman (ātmani bhidam) or that Brahman is divided up into many. Some think (smaranti) that everything arises from matter (asataḥ) or that the goal of life is wealth (asataḥ). āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ kāma-krodha-parāyaṇāḥ | īhante kāma-bhogārtham anyāyenārtha-sancayān || Bound by hundreds of shackles of desire, surrendered to lust and anger, they strive to amass heaps of wealth through illegal means in order to enjoy sense objects. BG 16.12 Meditating on these material attainments, they become sinful and thinking that everyone else is similar, they think of how to kill the devotees (sataḥ mṛtim), making the devotees enemies because of their evil nature. They think of everyone as different from themselves. idam adya mayā labdham idaṁ prāpsye manoratham | idam astīdam api me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam || I have gained this today. Next I will fulfill my other desires. I have this wealth now. This wealth will also be mine. asau mayā hataḥ śatrur haniṣye cāparān api | īśvaro ’ham ahaṁ bhogī siddho ’haṁ balavān sukhī || I have killed my enemy. I will kill others also. I am the lord. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, strong and happy. āḍhyo ’bhijanavān asmi ko ’nyo ’sti sadṛśo mayā | yakṣye dāsyāmi modiṣya ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ || I am wealthy and high born. Who is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifices, give charity and rejoice. In this way, they are bewildered by ignorance. BG 16. 13-15 Those who think that material endeavors for sons, wive and wealth are the highest truth speak because of bad intentions in the mind (ārupitaiḥ). Because (yat) all jivas (pumān) are covered by the three guṇas, the person of demonic mentality think and teach according to their nature of rajas or tamas. Or the three qualities are wealth, strength and knowledge. Sampad ātmopabhogāya śatru-nāśāya pauruṣam Goṣṭhi-jayāya vidyeti saṅkhyāḥ puṁsāṁ guṇās trayaḥ Wealth is for one’s enjoyment. Strength is for destroying enemies. Knowledge is for victory in discussion. These are the three qualities of a human. They teach that one becomes a human by having these three qualities in abundance. In this way there are many ideas produces by ignorance of you (abodha-kṛtāḥ). Such a person who thinks or teaches is not a person in you: he does not know you. He attains fearful saṁsāra. The plural is used at the beginning and singular (saḥ) at the end of the verse. This indicates that among the many, not even one becomes favorable to you. Or the one who is most ignorant and wicked (saḥ) does not know you, does not touch your path but rather goes to the greatest hell. He does not know you, because you are far away (paratra) and rare to achieve even by knowledge (avabodha-rase).

"Referring to the removing of the guns from the jiva mentioned in the prevous verse, according to the jnanis, the difference between the jiva and paramatma is that the jiva is covered by the three gunas, due to ignorance. By knowledge, the ignorance is destroyed and therefore the difference disappears. The jiva then becomes the paramatma. Therefore the jiva and paramatma are not actually different. Bondage and liberation arise from ignorance. And the perceived universe known as "this" also arises from ignorance." The whole universe born of the material elements made of three gunas and including the jiva appears to be real, but actually is not. It is only the action of the mind. The srutis say: Asato’dhimano’srjyat manah prajapatim asrjat Prajapatih praja asrjat, tadva idam manasyeva paramam pratisthatam yad idam kim ca From the cause called Brahman (asatah) came adhi or ignorance, which manifested as the mind. Then the mind, in its state of totality, created or made manifest Prajapati, who identified with the creation. Prajapati created offspring. Therefore this world is created by the mind. Taittiriya Brahman 2.2.9.59

According to the sruti "asat" can mean Brahman as in: asad va idam agra asit (taittiriya Upanisad 2.7.1).

"But the learned knowers of the self say the world is real. How can you say it is unreal?" "They know it as real, as it is a product of the atma. It is not different from atma. When the material cause becomes the effect, it is perceived in that form, and used." They illustrate this with a common example in the third line. "When gold transforms into an earring, it is not rejected by those wanting gold, because the earring is in essence gold." Thus this universe created by the Lord and which he enters as the purusa, is ascertained by the jnanis to be the same as the Lord. This is spiritual knowledge which yields liberation from the bondage of the material world.

Asato ’dhimano ’sṛjyata: the original mind was originally created from asat. The word asat here means “beyond the effects of what is real in this world: the cause of everything.” Vedānta-sūtra (2.1.17) corroborates this interpretation with asad-vyapadeśān neti cen na dharmāntareṇa vākya-śeṣāt: if one objects that the material world and its source cannot be of one substance because the world has been called unreal, we reply, ‘No, because the statement that Brahman is asat makes sense in terms of his having qualities distinct from those of the creation.’ Thus the Lord (asat) manifested the controller of everything (adhimanaḥ), his own mind. He did this for his own purpose. atha punar eva nārāyaṇaḥ so ’nyaṁ kāmaṁ manasā dhyāyet. tasya dhyānāntaḥ-sthasya lalanāt svedo ’patat. tā imā pratatāpa tāsu tejo hiraṇ-mayam aṇḍaṁ tatra brahmā catur-mukho ’jāyata. Then Nārāyaṇa meditated upon another desire and as he pondered, a drop of perspiration fell from his forehead. All the material creations evolved from the fermentation of this drop. Therein the fiery, golden egg of the universe appeared, and within that globe four-headed Brahmā took his birth. Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 1.4 A doubt is raised by a person in ignorance, which should be resolved. “The śrutis have taught first about voidness. Then they have taught about knowledge of the mind. Finally they speak of asat as the final cause. Because of the predominance of mind in these descriptions, it is the cause of knowledge in all circumstances by its logical ability. Because mind produced the śrutis, how can it be revealed by the śrutis?” The answer is given. Since the mind arising from the three guṇas acts within you (asat), it appears to produce real knowledge. But actually it is not produce true knowledge. Vedānta-sūtra (2.1.11) declares, tarkāpratiṣṭhānāt: Logical reasoning is inconclusive. Those who know you as the root svarūpa of everything (ātma-vidaḥ) see you alone (aśeṣam idam) with a real form pervading the jīva, as the root form of everything (ātmatayā). Padma Purāṇa says: cetanā tu dvidhā proktā jīva ātmā ca sā prabho Jīvā brahmādayaḥ proktā ātmaikas tu janārdanaḥ Itareṣv ātma-śabdas tu sopacāro ‘bhidhīyate There are two conscious beings: the jīva and the lord. Jīvas are Brahmā and others and the Lord is one, Janārdana. The word ātmā is used in a secondary sense for other things. The śrutis present this by an example. The merchant does not reject things made from gold because those things follow after gold. They accept gold and gold objects as the same. Everything in the world following after the Lord (sva-krṭam) is confirmed as manifestations of his svarūpa. Thus void is not the cause nor is mind the main factor. Everything belongs to you. You are the main subject of the śrutis: yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty ayuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇy avaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ ||5|| yas tu vijñānavān bhavati yuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sad-aśvā iva sāratheḥ || yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty amanaskaḥ sadā’śuciḥ | na sa tat-padam āpnoti saṁsāraṁ cādhigacchati || yas tu vijñānavān bhavati sa-manaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ | sa tu tat-padam āpnoti yasmād bhūyo na jāyate || vijñāna-sārathir yas tu manaḥ pragrahavān naraḥ | so’dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam || indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṁ manaḥ | manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ || mahataḥ parama-vyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ | puruṣān na paraṁ kiṁcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ || The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and the intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers. For a fool who does not control his mind, the senses are wild horses drawing the charioteer. For the wise man who controls his mind, the senses are good horses obedient to the charioteer. An impious fool who does not control his mind does not attain the spiritual world. He attains the world of repeated birth and death. A pious wise man who controls his mind attains the spiritual world. He never again takes birth. A person who has transcendental knowledge as a charioteer, and who tightly holds the reins of the mind, attains the path's final destination: the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu. The sense-objects are higher than the senses. The mind is higher than the sense-objects. Intelligence is higher than the mind. The mahat-tattva is higher than the intelligence. The avyakta (prakṛti) is higher than the mahat. The puruṣa (person) is higher than the unmanifested. Nothing is higher than Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the highest. Kaṭha Upaniṣad Also there is the statement aupaniṣadaḥ puruṣaḥ: the Lord is to be known by the Upaniṣads. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad)

O lord! If a man teaching various ideas takes shelter of you at some time, somehow, by some inconceivable good fortune, he becomes proper. The mind, composed of the three guṇas, though temporary (asat), appearing to function properly (sad iva), from men to animals (āmanujāt), shines brightly (vibhāti) from purification by knowledge if it is inclined to worship you (tvayi). Ātatatatvāc ca māṭṛtvād ātmā hi paramo hariḥ: the Lord is the supreme ātmā because he spreads everywhere and acts as a mother. Those who say that you should be served (ātmavidaḥ), your devotees, know correctly (sad abhimṛśanti) that the jīva dedicated to you (aśeṣam) is not separate from you. Men do not give up transformations of gold. They accept the products of gold. Thus they accept the devotees as nondifferent from the Lord, since their minds are in the Lord (tad-ātmatayā). They know the devotee who is absorbed (anupraviṣṭam) in your actions (sva-krṭam) and is discerned (avasitam) as most dear. Or the mind from human to animal is afflicted by the three sufferings and filled with faults (asat). If that mind somehow concentrates on you by the mercy of the devotee, it becomes tinged with you (sad iva) a little. Later it becomes really sat. If the impure can become pure, thing related to you can become free of the guṇas. It is not surprising. Those who know you (ātma-vidaḥ) know that things related to you (aśeṣam) are pure, (sat), having attained oneness with you by knowledge. cetanā tu dvidhā proktā jīva ātmeti ca prabho Jīvā brahmādayaḥ proktā ātmaikas tu janārdanaḥ Itareṣv ātma-śabdas tu sopacāro ‘bhidhīyate There are two conscious beings: the jīva and the lord (ātmā). Jīvas are Brahmā and others and the Lord is one, Janārdana. The word ātmā is used in a secondary sense for other things. Padma Purāṇa Jñānaṁ man niṣṭhaṁ nirguṇaṁ smṛtam: knowledge fixed in me is beyond the guṇas (SB 11.25.24) Man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam: my temple is beyond the guṇas (SB 11.25.25) Nirguṇo mad apāśrayaḥ: the devotee is beyond the gunas (SB 11.25.26 The Lord makes all things related to him pure. The cintāmaṇi by touch alone can make iron into gold. What to speak of the power of the spiritual cintāmaṇi, the Lord endowed with unlimited powers. One does not reject transformations of gold. Similarly one does not reject an object related to the devotee (svakrṭam) since it enters and remains (avasitam) one with the Lord. Or your devotees (ātma-vidaḥ) realize (abhimṛśanti) as real this world (idam) since the whole world is composed of both the real and unreal. By devotion to you they realize the true form, after destroying the false forms. By realizing the truth, they offer you objects like fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps and pure food. To strength the point the śrutis say that one does not reject transformations of gold. We confirm (avasitam) that you accept (anupraviṣṭam) as dear (ātmatayā) what is offered by the devotee (svakṛtam).