Demian Martins

The Lord's multiple oneness

2011-08-31T12:09:00.003-04:00

It is a material condition the fact that an object cannot occupy more than a single space. If two different spaces are occupied, we have to conclude that there are two distinct objects. Similarly, we cannot speak of a variety of attributes belonging to the same object if there concomitance is not possible, like hot ice, or soft rock. But if we want to understand a bit about the potencies of God, we have to set aside these rational limitations. The sruti confirms that Lord Visnu is one, although He manifests Himself in many forms:

eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati
tam pithastham ye tu yajanti dhiras tesam sukham sasvatam netaresam
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 1.21; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.38)

"Lord Krsna is the worshipable, all-pervading supreme controller, and although He is one, He manifests Himself in many forms. Those who are intelligent worship that Supreme Lord Who remains in His spiritual abode. Those persons attain the eternal transcendental happiness which is not available for others."

If one erroneously applies the material rational estimations in regard to the innumerable manifestations of God, he will come to the faulty conclusion that there are many gods, what undermines the whole concept of bhakti unto a supreme person. To emphasize the necessity of discarding all material conceptions and to corroborate the inconceivable potency of Lord Krsna, the Brahma-sutras state:

na sthanato’pi parasyobhaya-lingam sarvatra hi

“The essential nature of the Supreme Lord, though differentiated by space, does not undergo any change of characteristics, because He simultaneously exists everywhere.”
(Brahma-sutras, 3.2.11)

That means, no material condition can limit His potency. So being, He can become manifest in unlimited places at the same time, and still remain the very same one Personality of Godhead, or He can assume slightly different features, or absolutely different features in each different manifestation, and still this would in no regard affect His supremacy. That is one of the modes by which God is able to personally reciprocate in a very particular way with each of His devotees, for every one of them also has a unique mood and feeling towards the Lord. If He were not able to expand unlimitedly in all aspects, it would not be possible for Him to properly deal with His worshippers, and this would disqualify Him as the all-powerful One. Similarly, there is no limitation regarding the quality or number of distinct attributes that God can assume in the very same form or in diverse forms, even if they apparently show contradiction. For example, in His very sweet form as a cowherd boy in Vrndavana, He manifested Himself as fierce death to many demons, while in His terrific form as Nrsimhadeva, He displayed a very affectionate mood towards Prahlada. But in spite all these multiple displays, it must be understood that we are speaking of the very same Supreme Personality of Godhead. To corroborate this fact, the sruti declares:

indro mayabhih puru-rupah iyate yukta hy asya harayah satadasety ayam vai harayo’yam vai dasa ca sahasrani ca bahuni canantani ca tad etad brahmapurvam anaparam anantaram abahyam ayam atma brahma sarvanubhutir ity anusasanam
(Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, 2.5.19; Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.12)

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead along with His transcendental potencies is manifested as the thousand Visnu forms, as the ten avataras, and as unlimited other forms, but He is the very same primeval, matchless, unlimited, all-pervasive, omniscient Parabrahma.”

This is another aspect of the acintya-bhedabheda-sakti of the Lord, through which He performs what no one else can. The sruti and smrti also confirm His multiple ability to display Himself unlimitedly:

amatro’nanta-matras ca dvaitasyopasamah sivah
omkaro vidito yena sa munir netaro janah
(Mandukya-karika, 26-29)

“He who knows the Om-kara as partless, and yet full of infinity parts, the destroyer of all false knowledge, and blissful, is a sage, no one else.”

eka eva paro visnuh sarvatrapi na samsayah
aisvaryad rupam ekam ca suryavad bahudheyate
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.13)

“The Supreme Lord Visnu is undoubtedly only one, though existing
everywhere. By His mystic opulence He appears as many, just like the sun.”

Although it is not possible to find any parallels in the material platform, still Baladeva gives some analogies to better appreciate this mystic opulence of the Lord: the vaidurya gem, though one, is seen by different people from different angles as possessing different forms and colors; an actor on stage, though remaining the same person, assumes different characters and expresses different emotions according to the role he is playing. Similarly, the one and the same Supreme Personality of Godhead displays different forms to display particular rasas, without ever abandoning His original forms or status. These analogies are backed up by the sastras in the following words:

manir yatha vibhagena nila-pitadibhir yutah
rupa-bhedam avapnoti dhyana-bhedat tathacyutah
(Narada-pancaratra, quoted by Jiva Gosvami in his Bhagavat-sandarbha, 40)

“When the jewel known as vaidurya touches other materials, it appears to be separated into different colors. Consequently the forms also appear different. Similarly, according to the meditational ecstasy of the devotee, the Lord, Who is known as Acyuta (infallible), appears in different forms, although He is essentially one.”

yat tad vapur bhati vibhusanayudhair avyakta-cid-vyaktam adharayad dharih
babhuva tenaiva sa vamano vatuh sampasyator divya-gatir yatha natah

“The Lord appeared in His original form, with ornaments and weapons in His hands. Although this ever-existing form is not visible in the material world, He nonetheless appeared in this form. Then, in the presence of His father and mother, He assumed the form of Vamana, a brahmana-dwarf, a brahmacari, just like a theatrical actor.”
(Bhagavatam, 8.18.12)

The Origin of Brahman

2011-07-26T22:55:00.003-04:00

A common question raised by skeptics is that everything in the world has a cause, so if God is the cause of the world, then who or what is the cause of God? Here we come to the specific definition of God- the One Who is the supreme cause of all causes, while He Himself has no cause. As He declares:

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah
(Bhagavad-gita, 10.8)

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

Here the word ‘sarvam’(everything) is significant, for that includes whatever might exist in the material and spiritual worlds, that means, anything or anyone other than Himself. Thus, nothing can be the cause of God, for there is nothing that exists which was not manifested by Him, and it would be illogical to consider a created being to be the cause of its cause. Moreover, the imposition that God must have a cause would lead to regressus ad infinitum, what would contradict the very definition of God too. This is described in sankhya in these words:

mule mulabhavad amulam mulam
(Sankhya-sutra, 1.67)

"This is so because the root cause of everything is not caused by another root cause."

The sruti confirms:

na tasya kascit patir asti loke na cesita naiva ca tasya lingam
sa karanam karanadhipadhipo na casya kascij janita na cadhipah
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.9; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.1)

“No one is His master. No one controls Him. He does not have a material body. He is the cause of all causes. He is the master of all masters of the senses. No one is His father. No one is His king.”

The smrti says:

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam
(Brahma-samhita, 5.1)

“Krsna, Who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

The conclusion is that everything other than God has an origin, thus by the indirect process if we find someone who has no cause, He is God.

Brahman’s inconceivable manifestations

2011-06-27T11:41:00.003-04:00

Some may question Brahman’s capacity to be simultaneously the efficient and the material cause of creation on the basis of the diversity of attributes required to perform all the different creative functions and the display of all metamorphosis that the elements go through, while the spiritual nature is said to be immutable, constant, etc. Here relies one of the distinctive attributes of God: His capacity to remain eternality unchanged although manifesting unlimited spiritual and material creations, a feature that is absent in any material element, in any jiva, and in prakrti or pradhana. In other words, Lord Krsna is not subject to any of the material, logical limitations that condition everything in this world. The following quotations substantiate His supreme inconceivable powers. In the sruti it is said:

brhac ca tad divyam acintya-rupam suksmac ca tat suksmataram vibhati
durat sa-dure tad ihanti ke ca pasyatsv ihaiva nihitam guhayam
(Mundaka Upanisad, 3.1.7)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the greatest. He is splendid and transcendental. His form is beyond the understanding of the material mind. He is more subtle than the most subtle. He stays far away from the impious. The devotees see Him in their hearts."

Lord Brahma explains:

tam ekam govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham panca-padam vrndavana-sura-bhuruha-talasinam satatam sa-marud-gano 'ham paramaya stutya tosayami.
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 1.38)

"With eloquent prayers I and the Maruts please Lord Govinda, Whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, Who stays under a desire tree in Vrndavana, and Who is this five-word mantra."

barhapidabhiramaya ramayakuntha-medhase
rama-manasa-hamsaya govindaya namo namah
(Ib.,1.42)

“Obeisances to Lord Govinda, handsome with a peacock-feather crown, Who is identical with Balarama, Who is the swan in the Manasa lake of the goddess of fortune's thoughts, and Whose intelligence is unobstructed.”

This proves that the Lord’s body is divine and transcendental, distinct from that of any other living entity, therefore beyond all the physical laws.

eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati
(Ib.,1.23; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.38)

“Lord Krsna is the omnipotent, all-pervading worshipable Personality of Godhead. Although He is one, He is manifested in many forms."

amatro 'nanta-matrasca dvaitasyopasamah sivah
omkaro vidito yena sa munir netaro janah

(Mandukya-upanisad, 1.29)

“He who knows the Lord as devoid of parts and yet full of infinity parts, as blissful, the reconciliation of all dualities and the syllable Om personified, is indeed a sage, and no one else.”

This proves that the Lord although one and the same can manifest Himself in unlimited expansions and still remain the same undivided Supreme Spirit.
It is further stated:

asino duram vrajati sayano yati sarvatah
(Kathopanisad, 1.2.21)

“He walks though sitting, and though He reclines (upon His bedstead) He goes everywhere.”

That means, He can simultaneously be situated in a single place as well as in many places, be lying down and at the same time move. This proves that He can be specifically within the parameters of physical space and beyond it simultaneously, being measurable and immeasurable according to His supreme will.

visvatas-caksur uta visvato-mukho visvato-bahur uta visvatas-pat
sam bahubhyam dhamati sam patatrair dyav abhumi janayan deva ekah
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 3.3)

“His eyes are everywhere. His faces are everywhere. His arms are everywhere. His feet are everywhere. He, the one Supreme Personality of Godhead, breathed life into those who have two arms on the land and those who have wings in the sky.”

esa devo visva-karma mahatma sada jananam hrdaye sannivistah
hrda manisa manasabhiklpto ya etad vidur amrtas te bhavanti
(Ib., 4.17)

“Those who know the Supreme Personality of Godhead become immortal, Who is the universes' creator, Who always stays in everyone's heart and is the object of the wise heart's meditation.”

sa visva-krd visva-vid atma-yonih jnah kalakaro guni sarva-vid yah
pradhana-ksetrajna-patir gunesah samsara-moksa-sthiti-bandha-hetuh
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.16; Govinda-bhasya, Introduction)

“The Supreme Lord, the creator of this cosmic manifestation, knows every nook and corner of His creation. Although He is the cause of creation, there is no cause for His appearance. He is fully aware of everything. He is the Supersoul, the master of all transcendental qualities, and He is the master of this cosmic manifestation in regard to bondage to the conditional state of material existence and liberation from that bondage.”

niskalam niskriyam santam niravadyam niranjanam
amrtasya param setum dagdhendhanam ivanalam
“Let me surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who is perfect, complete, free from material activities, peaceful, pure, and free from the touch of matter, Who is a bridge to immortality, and Who is a blazing fire greedily consuming fuel.”

All these statements corroborate Lord Govinda’s inconceivable potency with which He creates, maintains and destroys all the material universes while His Own nature remains totally unaffected. Therefore, the Kurma Purana establishes the principle to look through the Lord’s puzzling attributes:

nasthulas cananus caiva sthulo 'nus caiva sarvatah
avarnah sarvatah proktah syamo raktakta-locanah
aisvarya-yogad bhagavan viruddhartho 'bhidhiyate
tathapi dosah parame naivaharyah kathancana
guna viruddha apyete samaharyah samantatah
(Quoted by Rupa Gosvami in his Laghu-bhagavatamrtam, 1.97)

"He is neither great nor small. He is great and small. He is colorless. He is said to have red eyes. It is said that by the touch of His potencies the Supreme Lord has many mutually contradictory qualities. Though He has these attributes, no evil or falsehood should ever be attributed to Him. On the contrary, all these attributes should be reconciled with each other as far as possible."

God being one, it might be expected that when He manifests Himself, He does so in the same way. The Brahma-sutras (3.2.35), however, explain that God is free to manifest Himself in unlimited ways according to the situation and the devotee, just like the same light appears distinct when reflected in walls carved with gems. Baladeva also gives the example of sound, which even being of the same pitch has a different timber according to the instrument played, and that too might vary in speed and intensity. Similarly, Lord Krsna and His avataras display Their pastimes in a way just suitable to all the circumstances involved. For example, it would be incompatible for Him to appear in a form predominantly in the mood of the Vaikuntha opulence (aisvarya) for a devotee in the mood of the Vrajavasis’ spontaneous conjugal love (madhurya), as when He showed His Narayana form to the gopis when they were roaming through the forest looking for Govinda. It would also not be fair from Him to display a huge form like Kurma on this tiny earth planet or a form like Nrsimhadeva to devotees who feel parental loving devotion for Him.

The Brahma-sutras explain:

vyaptes ca samanjasam
(Brahma-sutras, 3.3.10)

“Because He is all-pervading, He always presents Himself in a harmonious form.”

The purport is that the Supreme Lord’s form can have infinite modalities, and each of them is unique. A devotee may choose any of them to worship or meditate, and there will never be any difference from the ontological point of view. Those forms vary according to His own will, never due to any material factor, and for this reason one should not think that when the Lord plays as a human being He is also going through the same influence of time and nature. For example, when Lord Krsna displays pastimes in different stages as childhood (kaumara), boyhood (pauganda), and youth (kaisora), He shifts His external appearance by the power of His mystic yoga, never by the regular process of aging to which all the living beings are subject.

An objection might be raised: if the Lord’s manifestations in His pastimes are eternal, then we have to imply that every one of those devotees that take part in each activity, and each activity as well, must also be eternal. In this case, we have an inconsistent picture, for we see a sequence of activities performed both by the Lord and His devotees, and each of them has a particular beginning and end, otherwise there would be no diversity of activities at all. But this contradicts the definition of eternal. Moreover, there is a constant change of devotees who take part in every pastime, therefore how can the Lord’s activities be called eternal at all? This is another example of improper material reasoning applied to God. Lord Krsna, His activities and His associates have nothing to do with the influence of kala, time, for in the transcendental platform there is another frame of time that is distinct from the one predominant in this world. The sastras also describe the Lord as comprising all frames of time within Himself:

yad bhutam bhavac ca bhavisyac ca
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 3.8.3)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead exists in the past, present, and future."

Although there may be a continuous succession of events and interactions in the Lord’s pastimes, they are essentially all of the same spiritual nature, and therefore not subjected to the abovementioned arguments. Lord Krsna Himself qualifies His own activities in this way:

janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna
Bhagavad-gita, 4.9

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

This evinces how His pastimes are of a divine (divyam) nature, and by definition must be eternal. The non-eternal activities of the Lord are manifested through the agency of prakrti and kala, which produce all movable and non-movable things within the material universe. These are prone to be destroyed by those very agents, but the Lord’s pastimes are totally beyond their influence. By the agency of the Lord’s internal potency, His pastimes appear to be within a time frame and thus we can speak of His appearance and disappearance.

In this way, even in the minor details, every manifestation of God is a very detailed organized spiritual affair in which His yoga-maya potency makes all the arrangements so that He can apparently fit in the parameters of this relative world. Baladeva further points out that the motivator factor that impels the Lord to act in a particular way is essentially the feeling of His devotees towards Him, which surcharges the Lord of with the same mood. Thus the displays of God are a dynamic emotional exchange between Him and His devotees.

Cakra-bandha

2011-05-09T12:34:00.016-04:00

Sanskrit poetry is enriched with a great variety of metrical patterns, figures of expression, and innumerable other features. The mere combination of short and long syllables in verses that have from one to twenty six-syllables per quarter makes a total of 134,217,470 possibilities. Citra-kavitva is one of the most impressive kinds of compositions, consisting in poems in the form of animals, flowers, etc. Such poetry has been common among Indian poets for at least two thousand years, and poets like Magha (7th century A.D.) became renowned for intricate arrangements in the form of sword, zigzag, wheel, etc. The rules for such compositions were laid down in several treatises on poetics, among which King Bhoja’s (11th century A.D.) “Sarasvati-kanthabharana” has a distinct place. Although not so well-known yet, several Gaudiya poets wrote works that are nothing less than the consecrated maha-kavyas of Kalidasa and others. The book called “Stava-mala” contains Srila Rupa Gosvami’s poems arranged in different shapes, such as lotus, drum, wheel, etc. in which the exquisite vocabulary, grammatical constructions, and figures of expression are breath-taking. Inspired by these, what follows is my humble attempt to write a citra-kavitva.

Click to enlarge:

Some of the characteristics of this formation are as follows. The first three lines of the verse are arranged as the six spokes of the wheel, sharing the same syllable at the centre. The first and the last syllable of the first three lines are shared with the fourth line, forming the rim. The last syllable of the third line is the first and the last syllable of the fourth line. With some exceptions, a syllable with a short vowel is considered long when followed by two consonants, so here the first syllable of the three first lines should be long when read towards the centre, but short when read in the rim.

Word-for-word

smaryam – to be remembered; vedyam – to be known; rtam – the Truth; prapatti-satakam – hundreds of ways of devotional service; vaidesya-patre – unto the foreign people who became his recipient; dade – imparted; svarnanga-prabhu-campakanghri-sarano – whose shelter is the campaka like feet of the Lord’s golden incarnation; dharmyan – religious principles; pradatte – imparts; ca – also; me – to me; vrtva –refraining; asambhu-cakram – a multitude of inauspicious things; vyathatma-samakah – the pacifier of the afflicted souls; yah – one who; krsna-pantha – the path to Krsna; sah – he; vai – indeed; vaikunthe – in the spiritual world; smayinah – smiling; svatah – in his original constitutional position; anivrta-bhah – with unobstructed effulgence; deve – at Krsna; sah – he; me – me; patu – protect; vai – truly.

Translation

“Taking full shelter at Lord Caitanya’s feet, which are just like yellow campaka flowers due to His golden complexion, he made the foreign people recipients of his mercy by imparting to them the Supreme Absolute Truth and hundreds of ways to engage in devotional service. This Truth is to be known and remembered by all, and therefore he imparts the eternal religious principles to me also. Restraining a multitude of inauspicious characteristics common in this age, he pacifies the suffering conditioned souls, for he is indeed the personified path back to Krsna. Now situated in his original constitutional position in the spiritual world, with unobstructed effulgence he is smiling lovingly at Krsna. May that Srila Prabhupada always protect me.”

Another common feature of this construction, as exemplified by Magha in his famous cakra-bandha in the “Sisupala-vadha” (19.120), is a hidden signature, a somewhat modest, though ingenious way to sign one’s work. It should start in one of the inner circles of the wheel and be read clockwise towards the centre. Eight inner circles can be drawn from the centre, one for each syllable. Here, in the sixth syllable of the second spoke (from the centre) we read ‘pra’, and in the sixth syllable of the third spoke we read ‘bhu’, etc. Continuing in the fourth inner line, we have the following:

prabhupada-padya-cakram demyan-krtam

“This poem in the form of a wheel was composed by Demian to glorify Srila Prabhupada.”

For those who appreciate poetry, this is an insignificant drop compared to the ocean of nectar written by Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, and so many others.

Brahman’s diverse nomenclature

2011-04-28T21:11:00.001-04:00

Some may quote several passages of the scriptures to identify the Supreme Brahman as someone else than Lord Visnu, or to prove that the creation can have a cause different than Him. Here are some examples:

ksaram pradhanam amrtaksarah harah
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 1.10; Govinda-bhasya, 1.4.Adhikarana 8, Intro.)

"The material nature is in constant flux, but Lord Hara is eternal and unchanging."

eko rudro na dvitiyaya tasthuh
(Ib., 3.2)

"Lord Rudra is the Supreme. He has no rival."

yo devanam prabhavas codbhavas ca visvadhiko rudrah sivo maharsih
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 3.4)

"Lord Siva, who is known as Rudra, is the omniscient ruler of the universe. He is the father of all the demigods. He gives the demigods all their powers and opulences."

yada tamas tan na diva na ratrir na san na casac chiva eva kevalah
(Ib.4.18)

"When the final darkness comes and there is no longer day or night, when there is no longer being and non-being, then only Lord Siva exists."
The scriptures also state:

pradhanad idam utpannam pradhanam adhigacchati
pradhane layam abhyeti na hy anyat karanam matam
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 1.4.27)

"From pradhana this material world was born. This world knows only pradhana. This world merges into pradhana at the time of annihilation. Nothing else is the cause of this world."

jivad bhavanti bhutani jive tisthanty acancalah
jive ca layam icchanti na jivat karanam param

"From the jiva all the elements of this world have come. In the jiva they rest without moving, and they finally merge into the jiva. Nothing else is the cause of this world."

From the immediate literal meaning of these verses, it seems that the vaisnava conclusions are contradicted. Vidyabhusana replies to this by quoting the Bhalvaveya-sruti :

namani visvani na santi loke yad avirasit purusasya sarvam
namani sarvani yam avisanti tam vai visnum paramam udaharanti

"The names of this world are not different from Him. All names in this world are names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All names refer to Him, Lord Visnu, Whom the wise declare is the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

The mentioned names should be understood to be names of the Supreme Brahman because all names are originally names of the Supreme Brahman.
Vaisampayana Muni explains that all these names are names of Lord Krsna. The Skanda Purana also explains:

sri-narayanadini namani vinanyani rudradibhyo harir dattavan
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 4.1.28)

"Except for Narayana and some other names, Lord Hari gave away His names to Lord Siva and the other demigods."

This is the rule that should be followed: When the ordinary sense of these names does not contradict the essential teaching of the Vedas, the ordinary meaning should be accepted. When the ordinary sense of these names does contradict the teaching of the Vedas, these names should be understood to be names of Lord Visnu.

It may also be argued that the Supreme Brahman, being the cause of all moving and non-moving entities and the soul of all souls, can be called by any name denoting any of those entities, but in fact we see that this usage is not current. For example, when we speak of the ocean, we literally mean the sea and not God. It could only figuratively or poetically refer to Him. The fact, however, is that God as the source of everything is also the source of the power of the words and their capacity to convey meaning. Therefore, all words are primarily denotations of God, for nor they, nor the objects they denote can possibly exist independently of Him. Indeed, the purpose of all the words of the scriptures is exactly to lead one to understand that Lord Krsna is behind everything. As He declares:

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu sabdah khe paurusam nrsu
(Bhagavad-gita, 7.8)

“O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.”

In the tenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita, called ‘vibhuti-yoga’, the Lord extensively describes how He is to be seen as the all in all. On this light, we should understand the statements such as:

ta apa aiksanta bahvayah syama prajayemahiti ta annam asrjanta
(Chandogya Upanisad, 6.2.3-4; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.Adhikarana 6, Intro.)

"Water thought: `I shall become many. I shall father many children.' Then water created anna."

Here the meaning of the word ‘apa’ is God, not water as one could literally expect. The sruti confirms the non-difference from the Lord:

tato visuddham vimalam visokam asesa-lobhadi-nirasta-sangam
yat tat padam panca-padam tad eva sa vasudevo na yato’nyad asti
(Gopala-tapani upanisad, 1.37)
“That spiritual world, completely pure, uncontaminated, free from suffering, free from greed and all other vices, and identical with this five-word mantra, is manifested from Lord Vasudeva. There is nothing separate from Him.”

In the smrti it is said:

kataka-mukuta-karnikadi-bhedaih kanakam abhedam apisyate yathaikam
sura-pasu-manujadi-kalpanabhir harir akhilabhir udiryate tathaikah
(Visnu Purana, 3.7.16; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.15)

"As golden bracelets, crowns, earrings, and other golden ornaments are all one because they are all made of gold, so all demigods, men, and animals are one with the Lord because they are all made of Lord Hari's potencies."

The meaning is that whatever exists is manifested through the potencies of Krsna, therefore any word denoting energy or attributes naturally refer to Him, Who is the supreme possessor of all of them.

The Caste System of India: Spreading Racism and Madness in the name of Religion

2011-03-15T12:26:00.011-04:00

Lord Caitanya carries the body of Haridas Thakur, a Muslim born vaisnava saint

Not to speak of the humans, even the animals divide themselves into different groups, mostly to fight one another. From the primeval stages of society, man has been forming groups according to things as basic as ethnicity or as silly as a football team. Again, the purpose is imposing one’s group on another’s. A very ancient tactic for assuring that one’s acquired status will not be hampered is to promote an imaginary hereditary prerogative, which then enforces not only the present generation’s stability, but also that of the future ones. The most common example of hereditary claim experienced in the western world was the monarchy, a system quite obsolete nowadays. It was the natural course of action that one day people would realize that their king was not any divine envoy as advertised; after all, he often could be clearly perceived as a regular drunker and imbecile. Apparently, the idea of putting words in the mouth of God to legitimate one’s claims is as old as humanity, for this worked for many centuries in Europe and has been working in India for much longer, as to the present day there are still so many people glad to accept any cock-and-bull story as religion.

One of the most far-fetched, baseless, and, indeed, insane tales widely accepted in India is that one’s social or religious status is determined by birth. Thus, one’s “jati” or caste is an irrevocable fact for life. Why is it so? Wherefrom did this idea come? How to back it up? Easy: concoct a lot of rubbish, write it down, and present it as “sacred scripture”, “culture”, “tradition”, etc. This was the beginning of a long and sad history of interpolated texts that constitute a great part of the smrtis.

THE HEREDITARY CASTE SYSTEM CONTRADICTS THE ORIGINAL SCRIPTURES

Instead of wasting time quoting spurious texts, I will here quote the legitimate ones, by which any contrary statement will become automatically evinced as bogus. All orthodox religious and philosophical lines in India agree that sruti is the primary evidence in all regards. I have carefully searched the Rg, Atharva,Sama, and Yajur Vedas, the main Upanisads, and the main Brahmanas and Aranyakas, and there is not even a single instance where the word “jati” is used. Rather, the ancient scriptures simply refer to the social divisions, or varnas, and their respective characteristics. There is nothing about birth rights whatsoever. Although the Bhagavad-gita is part of the Mahabharata – a very much interpolated text – it is called “Gitopanisad”, it has the status of an Upanisad, for it is directly spoken by Lord Krishna and it was passed down through the disciplic succession as it is. Therein, the Lord declares:

catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam viddhy akartaram avyayam

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.” Bg 4.13

samo damas tapah saucam ksantir arjavam eva ca
jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness -- these are the natural qualities by which the brahmanas work.” Bg 18.42

sauryam tejo dhrtir daksyam yuddhe capy apalayanam
danam isvara-bhavas ca ksatram karma svabhava-jam

“Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the ksatriyas.” Bg 18.43

krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam
paricaryatmakam karma sudrasyapi svabhava-jam

“Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.” Bg 18.44

Here it is crystal clear that one’s social status is based on work (karma) and quality (guna). It is very unfortunate that even so-called vaisnavas think themselves greater authority than Lord Krishna to say anything that is not based on His words.

The Vedanta-sutras are also highly considered as scriptural evidence, and there we see in the “Apasudra-adhikarana”(1.3.34-38) the example of Satyavan quoted from the Jabala Upanisad. He was admitted by Gautama in the gurukula on the mere basis of his truthfulness in unhesitatingly declaring to be the bastard son of a maidservant. This is an evident instance of a low born person accepted as a brahmana on account of his qualities. The scriptures abound in examples of persons who were born in a particular varna but adopted another varna and were legitimately recognized. Just to give another example, it is described in the fourth chapter of the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam that Rsabhadeva was a ksatriya king, and among his sons some became ksatriyas and some became brahmanas.

Since at this point of history the staunchest jativadis (advocates of casteism) are those who claim to be brahmanas by birth, I put five basic questions for them:

1. HOW CAN THE DIFFERENT JATIS BREED?

Here we touch the bottom line of the issue: in a country where more than half of the population is totally illiterate, it is not a surprise if a large number of the literate class lacks a minimum knowledge of biology. In taxonomy, the living entities are classified according to kingdom, division, class, order, family, genus, and species. Species is the exact meaning of the word “jati” in Sanskrit, and here it refers to the broad category of beings that can breed. A cow is a specie, and a horse is another specie. One may spend years trying to breed both of them, but they will never produce offspring. The jativadis claim that brahmana is a jati and sudra is another jati, but they fail to explain how they can have children without any difficulty. In this way they also fail to pass even the primary school exam in science. It is also remarkable that the same scriptures that state that the brahmanas are descendents of the seven great rsis also state that these same rsis are also the fathers of the ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. There is not a single genetic trait that could possibly distinguish any caste from another. We also see people from different ethnic groups in the same caste, sub-caste, and gotras.

2. IF ONE IS BORN A BRAHMANA, WHAT IS THE NEED OF SAMSKARAS?

Let us recap their slogan: “Brahmana is a jati, and sudra is another jati. One is born brahmana, and one is born sudra.” But when we analyze the concept of specie again, we see that a cow is born a cow; she does not need to do anything to become a cow, or even a better cow. A horse is born a horse; he does not need to do anything to become a horse, or even a better horse. However, the scriptures state again and again that one should receive the proper samskaras within the proper time in order to be a brahmana, otherwise one is not different than an outcast. Manu, for example, declares that the age limit for receiving the upanayana samskara is sixteen for brahmanas, twenty two for ksatriyas, and twenty four for vaisyas. What happens to those who did not receive it within this period?

ata urdhvam trayo ’pyete yatha-kalam asamskrtah |
savitri-patita vratya bhavanty arya-vigarhitah ||

“After these periods, those in the three castes who have not received the samskara at the proper time become outcasts. They are fallen from the Vedic system and are despised by the Aryans.” Manu, 2.39

Nowadays, however, it became such a joke that in some communities a man receives the brahminical thread at the moment of marriage, sometimes even after he is thirty years old!

3. IF ONE IS BORN A BRAHMANA, HOW CAN ONE’S CASTE BE LOST?

A cow is born a cow and remains a cow for life. Except for death, there is nothing that a cow could do to lose its ‘cowness’. However, the scriptures are emphatic when they mention that if a brahmana indulges in sinful or degrading activities, his “brahminhood” is gone. The list can be quite large, including drinking liquor, cohabiting with a low class woman, accepting a job as an employ, eating food cooked by a sudra, etc. To give an example, the Mahabharata (12,181.13) states:

himsanrta-priya lubdhah sarva-karmopajivinah
krsnah sauca-paribhrastas te dvijah sudratam gatah

“When the twice-born commit violence, speak lies, become greedy, earn their livelihood by any and all activities, lose their purity by sinful activities, then they become degraded into sudras.”

Nowadays, however, they have such a system that one can be a meat-eater, drunker, and criminal, and yet claim to be a brahmana!

4. IF ONE IS BORN A BRAHMANA, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ‘DVIJA-BANDHU’?

This is a very common term used in the scriptures. For example:

stri-sudra-dvijabandhunam trayi na sruti-gocara
karma-sreyasi mudhanam sreya evam bhaved iha
iti bharatam akhyanam krpaya munina krtam

“Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahabharata for women, laborers and degraded relatives of the twice-born.” Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.4.25

This term specifically refers to those who were born in a family of qualified brahmanas, ksatriyas, or vaisyas, but failed to achieve the same qualifications, and therefore cannot be called dvija, twice-born. Thus, according to the scriptures the unqualified son of a qualified brahmana is a dvija-bandhu, and the unqualified son of a dvija-bandhu is a sudra. Nowadays, however, they find no meaning for this term, for they think that the only qualification they need is to be born in a family that somehow still holds a brahmana title!

5. IF ONE IS BORN A BRAHMANA, WHY DOES HE NEED TO STUDY?

The main characteristic of a brahmana is knowledge, particularly Vedic knowledge. However, we see that every child is born totally ignorant, no matter what the family is. Unless one is taught everything from the scratch, he will remain an ignoramus for the whole life. If the son of a brahmana is abandoned in the jungle, he will not even learn to speak. Factually, the scriptures state:

yo ‘nadhitya dvijo vedam anyatra kurute sramam |
sa jivann eva sudratvam asu gacchati sanvayah ||

“One who in his lifetime does not endeavor to study the Vedas but labors hard in other pursuits quickly becomes a sudra along with his family in this very life time.” Manu, 2.168

nabhivyaharayed brahma svadha-ninayanad rte
sudrena hi samas tavad yavad vede na jayate

“Without initiation, one should not recite the Vedas, except while offering oblations to the forefathers. Until one is not qualified in the Vedas, he is on the same level as a sudra.” Manu, 2.172

Nowadays, however, the jativadis insist that they are brahmanas even if they have not even read a single mantra in life!

In this way, by following a concocted and demoniac system, the results can simply be demoniac too, with daily news of parents who proudly slaughter their son or daughter because they wanted to marry out of their caste, and other innumerable atrocities. In the words of Vivekananda Swami: “Caste conscious lunatics live in this lunatic asylum, of course against our will, and ‘blessed’ with an eternal curse of associating with the insane. The Indian caste system is pointedly diabolical. It is a real curse.” How ironic that renowned advaitavadis such as Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Dayananda Sarasvati, and others vehemently opposed casteism, while many of those who claim to be vaisnavas keep on supporting a system created by Kali to destroy the sanatana dharma.

Thus, as we have seen above, the caste system based on birth is against the scriptures, against reasoning, against common sense, and against humanity, and so being it cannot be professed by others than demons and madmen. What follows is a compilation of verses quoted in the book “Brahmana and Vaisnava” by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

asuddhah sudra-kalpa hi brahmanah kali-sambhavah
tesam agama-margena suddhir na srota-vartmana

“The brahmanas born in the age of Kali are impure, mere sudras. Their so-called Vedic path of karma is polluted and cannot purify them. They can only be purified by following the path of the agamas or pancaratrika-viddhi.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 5.5, from Visnu Yamala Samhita)

raksasah kalim asritya jayante brahma-yonisu
utpanna brahmana-kule badhante srotriyan krsan

“In Kali-yuga, demons will take birth in the families of brahmanas to harass those rare persons who are conversant with the Vedic way of life.”

[This verse was spoken by Lord Siva in the Varaha Purana.]

If the descendants of either seminal or professional brahmanas do not possess the necessary qualifications, then they are also fallen. It is stated in Mahabharata, Vana-parva, Chapter 215 as follows:

brahmanah pataniyesu vartamano vikarmasu
dambhiko duskrtah prajnah sudrena sadrso bhavet

“If a brahmana is engaged in sinful activities, if he is proud, or if he is a miscreant, then he falls to the level of a sudra.”

yasya yal laksanam proktam pumso varnabhivyanjakam
yad anyatrapi drsyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiset

“If one shows the symptoms of being a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, as described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those symptoms of classification.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7.11.35

In his commentary on (7.11.35), Srila Sridhara Svamipada has clarified the above statement as follows:

samadibhir eva brahmanadi-vyavaharo mukhyo na jati-matrad ity aha yasyeti—yad yadi anyatra varnantare 'pi drsyeta tad varnantaram tenaiva laksana-nimitenaiva varnena vinirdiset na tu jati-nimitenety arthah

“The brahmanas' main characteristics are qualities such as peacefulness, not birth. If these main characteristics are seen in persons other than those born as brahmanas, then such persons should be considered brahmanas. They should not be considered according to their caste by birth.”

In the Mahabharata (Santi-parva, Moksa-dharma, Chapter 188) our first evidence is
given as follows:

bharadvaja uvaca
jangamanam asankhyeyah sthavaranam ca jatayah
tesam vividha-varnanam kuto varna-viniscayah
bhrgur uvaca
na viseso 'sti varnanam sarva-brahmam idam jagat
brahmana purva-srstam hi karmabhir varnatam gatam
himsanrta-priya lubdhah sarva-karmopajivinah
krsnah sauca-paribhrastas te dvijah sudratam gatah

“Bharadvaja said: There are innumerable categories of animate and inanimate living entities. How can one determine their various varnas?”
“Bhrgu replied: There are no real differences among varnas. When Brahma first created the universe, it was inhabited only by brahmanas. Later on, as a result of their activities, people attained the designations of different varnas.
“When the brahmanas commit violence, speak lies, become greedy, earn their livelihood by any and all activities, lose their purity by sinful activities, then they become degraded into sudras.”

In the Santi-parva, Chapter 189, our second evidence is given as follows:

bharadvaja uvaca
brahmanah kena bhavati ksatriyo va dvijottama
vaisyah sudras ca viprarse tad bruhi vadatam vara
bhrgur uvaca
jata-karmadibhir yas tu samskaraih samskrtah suci
vedadhyayana-sampannah satsu karmasv avasthitah
saucacara-sthitah samyag vighasasi guru-priyah
nitya-vrati satya-parah sa vai brahmana ucyate
satya-danam athadroha anrsamsyam trapa ghrna
tapas ca drsyate yatra sa brahmana iti smrtah
sarva-bhaksa-ratir nityam sarva-dharma-karo 'sucih
tyakta-vedas tv anacarah sa vai sudra iti smrtah
sudre caitad bhavel laksyam dvije tac ca na vidyate
na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano brahmano na ca

“Bharadvaja said: O best of the brahmanas, O sage among the twice-born, O best of eloquent speakers, please explain how one becomes a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, or sudra.”
“Bhrgu replied: A person who has been purified by the reformatory processes like jata-karma, or name-giving ceremony, who is clean, devoted to studying the Vedas, expert in the six occupations like worship and teaching worship, situated in pure conduct, eating the remnants of his spiritual master, dear to the spiritual master, regularly engaged in performing vows, and fixed in truthfulness is considered a brahmana. A human being who is truthful, charitable, shy, not hateful, austere, not vengeful, and not cruel is a brahmana. One who is attached to eating all kinds of foods and performing all kinds of activities, who is impure, deviant from the principles of Vedic culture, and ill-behaved is known as a sudra. If the symptoms of a brahmana are found in a sudra and if the symptoms of a sudra are found in a brahmana, then the sudra should not be called a sudra and the brahmana should not be called a brahmana.”

Our third evidence is given in the Vana-parva, Chapter 211, as follows:

sudra-yonau hi jatasya sad-gunanupatisthatah
vaisyatvam labhate brahman ksatriyatvam tathaiva ca
arjave vartamanasya brahmanyam abhijayate

“O brahmana, if a person is born in the family of a sudra and posesses good qualities, he becomes a vaisya or a ksatriya. And if he possesses the quality of simplicity, he is a brahmana.”

Our fourth evidence is stated in the Vana-parva, Chapter 215:

brahmano vyadhaya
sampratam ca mato me 'si brahmano natra samsayah
brahmanah pataniyesu vartamano vikarmasu
dambhiko duskrtah prajnah sudrena sadrso bhavet
yas tu sudro dame satye darme ca satatotthitah
tam brahmanam aham manye vrttena hi bhaved dvijah

“The brahmana told the pious hunter: In my opinion you are still a brahmana. There is no doubt about it. After all, a brahmana who is proud and engaged in various sinful activities that result in his falling down into the degradation of being contaminated by impure karma is equal to a sudra. And I consider a sudra who is self-controlled, truthful, and always enthusiastic about executing his religious duties to be a brahmana. Indeed, the only criteria for being a brahmana is to possess pure characteristics.”

Our fifth evidence is given in the Santi-parva, Chapter 318, as follows:

sarve varna brahmana brahmajas ca
brahmasyato brahmanah samprasutah
bahubhyam vai ksatriyah samprasutah
nabhyam vaisyah padatas capi sudrah
sarve varna nanyatha veditavyah
tat-stho brahma tasthivams caparo yas
tasmai nityam moksam ahur narendra

“Persons of all varnas are brahmanas, because they are all born from Lord Brahma. The brahmanas were born from the mouth of Brahma, the ksatriyas were born from his arms, the vaisyas were born from his navel, and the sudras were born from his legs. Do not consider the varnas in another way. One who is fixed in knowledge is a brahmana. Therefore, O king, this moksa-sastra was spoken for the benefit of those brahmanas and ksatriyas who have attained knowledge. This is the opinion of ancient scholars.”

In his commentary on these verses Sri Nilakantha has stated: tat-stho jnana-nistho yah sa eva brahma brahmanah. aparo ksatriyadir api tasthau tasthivan.—“Persons who are born from Brahma and fixed in knowledge are called brahmanas. The other castes like ksatriyas were also born from Brahma.”

Our sixth evidence is stated in the Vana-parva, Chapter 180, as follows:

sarpa uvaca
brahmanah ko bhaved rajan vedyam kim ca yudhisthira
bravihy ati-matim tvam hi vakyair anumimimahe
yudhisthira uvaca
satyam danam ksama-silam anrsamsyam tapo ghrna
drsyante yatra nagendra sa brahmana iti smrtah
sarpa uvaca
sudresv api ca satyam ca danam akrodha eva ca
anrsamsyam ahimsa ca ghrna caiva yudhisthira
yudhisthira uvaca
sudre tu yad bhavel laksma dvije tac ca na vidyate
na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano na ca brahmanah
yatraital laksyate sarpa vrttam sa brahmanah smrtah
yatraitan na bhavet sarpa tam sudram iti nirdiset

“The snake asked: O Maharaja Yudhisthira, who is a brahmana, and what is the object of knowledge? You are very intelligent, therefore I will be enlightened by your statement.
“Maharaja Yudhisthira replied: A person who possesses truthfulness, charity, forgiveness, sobriety, gentleness, austerity, and lack of hatred is called a brahmana.
“The snake said: Sudras also possess truthfulness, charity, freedom from anger, nonviolence, noneviousness, and lack of hatred.
“Maharaja Yudhisthira replied to this: If such symptoms are found in a sudra he should never be called a sudra, just as a brahmana is not a brahmana if he does not possess these qualities.
“O snake, only a person who is endowed with the characteristics of a brahmana can be called a brahmana, otherwise he is a sudra.”

We will quote the conversation between Uma and Mahesvara from the Mahabharata (Anusasana-parva 163.5, 8, 26, 46, 48, 51, and 59) in order to further strengthen this evidence.

sri-uma uvaca
etan me samsayam deva vada bhuta-pate 'nagha
trayo varnah prakrtyeha katham brahmanyam apnuyuh
mahesvara uvaca
sthito brahmana-dharmena brahmanyam upajivati
ksatriyo vatha vaisyo va brahma-bhuyah sa gacchati
ebhis tu karmabhir devi subhair acaritais tatha
sudro brahmanatam yati vaisyah ksatriyatam vrajet
etaih karma-phalair devi nyuna-jati-kulodbhavah
sudro 'py agama-sampanno dvijo bhavati samskrtah
karmabhih sucibhir devi suddhatma vijitendriyah
sudro 'pi dvija-vat sevya iti brahmabravit svayam
svabhavah karma ca subham yatra sudro 'pi tisthati
visistah sa dvijater vai vijneya iti me matih
na yonir napi samskaro na srutam na ca santatih
karanani dvijatvasya vrttam eva tu karanam
sarvo 'yam brahmano loke vrttena tu vidhiyate
vrtte sthitas tu sudro 'pi brahmanatvam niyacchati
etat te guhyam akhyatam yatha sudro bhaved dvijah
brahmano va cyuto dharmad yatha sudratvam apnuyat

“Uma said: O Lord, O sinless master of the living entities, I have some doubt about how members of the three castes—ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra—will attain through their own nature the platform of brahmanas.
“Mahesvara replied: If ksatriyas or vaisyas become situated in the behavior of brahmanas and spend their lives in the occupations of brahmanas, then such persons can attain the position of brahmanas.
“O goddess, by the same procedure a sudra can become a brahmana and a vaisya can become a ksatriya.
“By the results of these activities and by becoming an adherent of the agama scriptures, or in other words, by taking initiation through the pancaratrika system, then a low-born sudra also becomes a brahmana.
“O goddess, Lord Brahma has personally declared that by performing pure activities, a self-controlled sudra is fit to be served just like a brahmana.
“In my opinion, if pious activities and good character are found in a sudra, it should be understood that he is better than a brahmana.
“Birth, purificatory processes, study of the Vedas, and good birth are not the criterion for being a brahmana. The only criterion is one's behavior.
“A person is born as a brahmana in this world simply as a result of his nature. A sudra situated in the profession of a brahmana also becomes a brahmana.
“I have thus explained to you the secret of how a person who is born as a sudra becomes a brahmana and how by deviating from his occupational duties a person born in the family of a brahmana becomes a sudra.”
In the Brahma-sutras (1.3.37) it is stated: tad-abhava-nirdharane ca pravrtteh—“Whether a person belongs to a varna other than that of his birth may be ascertained by considering his qualities.”

The compilers of Dharma-sastras Visnu (93.7-13) and Manu (4.192, 195-200) have stated as follows:

na vary api prayacchet tu vaidala-vratike dvije
na baka-vratike vipre naveda-vidi dharma-vit
dharma-dhvaji sada lubdhas chadmiko loka-dambhakah
vaidala-vratiko jneyo himsra-sarvabhisandhikah
adho-drstir naikrtikah svartha-sadhana-tatparah
satho mithya-vinitas ca baka-vrata-paro dvijah
ye baka-vratino vipra ye ca marjara-linginah
te patanty andha-tamisre tena papena karmana
na dharmasyapadesena papam krtva vratam caret
vratena papam pracchadya kurvan stri-sudra-dambhanam
pretyeha cedrso vipro grhyate brahma-vadibhih
chadmanacaritam yac ca tad vai raksamsi gacchati
alingi lingi-vesena yo vrttim upajivati
sa linginam haraty enas tiryag-yonau prajayate

“Religious-minded persons should not give even a drop of water to the hypocritical son of a brahmana, the follower of the “vow of a cat.” One should not give even a drop of water to the son of a brahmana who is either a sinful imposter or ignorant of the Vedas.
“One should know that a dharmadhvaji (who makes a false show of being religious), a person who always desires other's wealth, a duplicitous person, a cheater, an envious person, and a blasphemer is a hypocritical brahmana who follows the `vow of a cat.'
“An imposter brahmana, the follower of the `vow of the duck,' is he who always looks down in order to make a show of humility, who is cruel, and who pretends to be submissive.
“As a result of their sinful activities, those who are hypocrites and imposters go to the hell known as Andha-tamisra.
“Such people make a show of being religious in order to impress women and sudras by pretending that their acts of atonement, which are meant for counteracting their sins, are simply pious vows.
“Such people are condemned in this world and the next by those who are conversant with the Absolute Truth. Vows that are executed with duplicity are simply demoniac.
“If someone accepts the symptoms and occupation of a status for which he is not qualified, he is guilty of breaking the principles of varnasrama, and as a result of those sins he will take birth as an animal.”

The Dharma-sastra compiler Visnu (82.3-29) also states:

hinadhikangan vivarjayet, vikarma-sthams ca, vaidala-vratikan, vrtha-linginah, naksatra-jivinah, devalakams ca, cikitsikan, anudha-putran, tat-putran, bahu-yajinah, grama-yajinah, sudra-yajinah, ayajya-yajinah, tad-yajinah, parva-karan, sucakan, bhrtakadhyapakan, bhrtakadhyapitan, sudranna-pustan, patita-samsargan, anadhiyanan, sandhyopasana-bhrastan, raja-sevakan, nagnan, pitra vivadamanan, pitr-matr-gurv-agni-svadhyaya-tyaginas ceti, brahmanapasada hy ete kathitah pankti-dusakah. etan vivarjayet yatnat sraddha-karmani panditah.

“One should reject the following brahmanas: those with missing limbs, those with extra limbs, those who behave unjustly, hypocrites, those who falsely accept the signs of some status, professional astrologers, professional priests, physicians, the sons of unmarried women, their sons, worshipers of many gods, priests of the village, priests of the sudras, priests of the untouchables, those who have failed to take their second birth, their priests, performers of religious rites, betrayers, salaried teachers, the students who pay the salaries, those who are nourished by the food of sudras, those who associate with fallen persons, those who are ignorant of the Vedas, those who fail to observe the sandhya rites (chanting the Gayatri mantra), government servants, those who do not wear clothes, those who quarrel with their fathers, and those who reject their father, mother, spiritual master, the sacred fire, or the study of the scriptures. Such persons are considered the worst kinds of brahmanas and are disgraces to their line. Learned persons should carefully reject these persons while performing the sraddha ceremony for their fathers.”

Since brahmanas are also capable of committing any of the nine types of sinful activities—atipataka, mahapataka, anupataka, upapataka, jati-bhramsa-kara, sankari-karana (killing animals), patri-karana, malavaha, and prakirnaka—it is difficult to know how far a brahmana is qualified if he conceals these sins without undergoing atonement. It is true that a brahmana can escape reproach from society if he successfully conceals those sinful activities by which he becomes fallen, but if he does so his truthfulness is ruined and as a result he is degraded. The descendants of such a person will then surely and proudly accept that same sinful way of life.

According to their occupations, there are many types of brahmanas. Atri (364-374) has stated:

devo munir dvijo raja vaisyah sudro nisadakah
pasur mleccho 'pi candalo vipra dasa-vidhah smrtah
sandhyam snanam japam homam devata-nitya-pujanam
atithim vaisvadevam ca deva-brahmana ucyate
sake patre phale mule vana-vase sada ratah
nirato 'rahah sraddhe sa vipro munir ucyate
vedantam pathate nityam sarva-sangam parityajet
sankhya-yoga-vicara-sthah sa vipro dvija ucyate
astrahatas ca dhanvanah samgrame sarva-sammukhe
arambhe nirjita yena sa viprah ksatra ucyate
krsi-karma-rato yas ca gavam ca pratipalakah
vanijya-vyavasayas ca sa vipro vaisya ucyate
laksa-lavana-sammisra- kusumbha-ksira-sarpisam
vikreta madhu-mamsanam sa viprah sudra ucyate
cauras ca taskaras caiva sucako damsakas tatha
matsya-mamse sada lubdho vipro nisada ucyate
brahma-tattvam na janati brahma-sutrena garvitah
tenaiva sa ca papena viprah pasur udahrtah
vapi-kupa-tadaganam aramasya sarahsu ca
nihsankam rodhakas caiva sa vipro mleccha ucyate
kriya-hinas ca murkhas ca sarva-dharma-vivarjitah
nirdayah sarva-bhutesu vipras candala ucyate

“There are ten kinds of brahmanas mentioned in the scriptures—devas, munis, dvijas, rajas, vaisyas, sudras, nisadas, pasus, mlecchas, and candalas.
“One who regularly bathes, chants japa, performs fire sacrifices, daily worships the demigods, observes the sandhya rites, honors his guests, and worships the fire-god is a deva-brahmana.
“One who always lives in the forest, eats only spinach, leaves, fruits, and roots, and regularly performs the sraddha rites is called a muni-brahmana.
“One who gives up all association and spends all his time reading Vedanta and studying Sankhya-yoga is called a dvija-vipra.
“One who publicly attacks opponents who confront him with weapons and defeats them with his own weapons is called a ksatra-vipra.
“One who likes to cultivate the land, protect cows and other animals, or accept the profession of trade and commerce is called a vaisya-vipra.
“One who sells varnish, salt, safflower oil, milk, honey, or meat is called a sudra-vipra.
“One who is a thief or a rogue, who gives bad counsel, who is a betrayer, who bites with his harsh words, and who is always greedy to eat fish and meat is called a nisada-brahmana.
“One who proudly advertises himself as a sanctified brahmana but is ignorant of the Absolute Truth is because of this sin called a pasu-vipra.
“One who prevents others from using ponds, wells, lakes, or gardens is called a mleccha-vipra.
“One who is devoid of pious activities, who is a fool, completely irreligious, and merciless to all living entities is called a candala-brahmana.”

In addition to this, Atri (287) also says:
satham ca brahmanam hatva sudra-hatya-vratam caret
“If one kills a deceitful brahmana he should perform the same atonement as prescribed for killing a sudra.”

In this way, including this pseudo-devotee brahmana, there are twenty-four varieties of brahmanas described by the Dharma-sastra compiler Atri Mahasaya. Manu (2.157-158, 168, 172, and 4.245, 255) has stated:

yatha kastha-mayo hasti yatha carma-mayo mrgah
yas ca vipro 'nadhiyanas trayas te nama bibhrati
yatha sandho 'phalah strisu yatha gaur gavi caphala
yatha cajne 'phalam danam tatha vipro 'nrdho 'phalah
yo 'nadhitya dvijo vedam anyatra kurute sramam
sa jivan eva sudratvam asu gacchati sanvayah
sudrena hi samas tavad yavad vede na jayate
uttamanuttaman gacchan hinan hinams ca varjayan
brahmanah sresthatam eti pratyavayena sudratam
yo 'nyatha santam atmanam anyatha satsu bhasate
sa papa-krt-tamo loke stena atmapaharakah

“A vipra who does not study the Vedas is similar to a wooden elephant or a deer made of skin, which are an elephant or deer only in name but do not effectively function as such.
“As a eunuch is of no use to women and a cow cannot be impregated by another cow, giving charity to a foolish brahmana who does not study the Vedas yields no result.
“One who in his lifetime does not endeavor to study the Vedas but labors hard in other pursuits quickly becomes a sudra along with his family.
“One should know that until a brahmana is qualified in the Vedas, he is on the same level as a sudra.
“If a brahmana disassociates himself from lower caste people and associates only with higher caste people, he attains greatness. If he does the opposite, he becomes a sudra.
“A person with a particular nature who claims to be different when coming before a sadhu is the topmost sinner, a cheater of himself, and a thief.”

In the Anusasana-parva, Chapter 143, of the Mahabharata it is stated:
sruti-smrti ubhe netre vipranam parikirtite
ekena vikalah kano dvabhyam andhah prakirtitah
“The sruti and smrti scriptures are the two eyes of the brahmanas. Lacking one of them, a brahmana is half blind, and deprived of both he is considered completely blind.”

It is stated in the Kurma Purana:
yo 'nyatra kurute yatnam anadhitya srutim dvijah
sa sammudho na sambhasyo veda-bahyo dvijatibhih
na veda-patha-matrena santusyed esa vai dvijah
yathoktacara-hinas tu panke gaur iva sidati
yo 'dhitya vidhi-vad vedam vedartham na vicarayet
sa candhah sudra-kalpas tu padartham na prapadyate
seva sva-vrttir yair ukta na samyak tair udahrtam
svacchanda-caritah kva sva vikritasuh kva sevakah
pani-krtyatmanah pranan ye vartante dvijadhamah
tesam duratmanam annam bhuktva candrayanam caret
nadyac chudrasya vipro 'nnam mohad va yadi kamatah
sa sudra-yonim vrajati yas tu bhunkte hy anapadi
go-raksakan vanijakan tatha karuka-silinah
presyan vardhusikams caiva vipran sudra-vad acaret
trnam kastham phalam puspam prakasam vai hared budhah
dharmartham kevalam vipra hy anyatha patito bhavet

“O brahmanas, one who does not study the Vedas but carefully endeavors for other pursuits is certainly foolish and ostracized from Vedic life. Brahmanas should not speak with such a person.
“A brahmana should not be satisfied merely with studying the Vedas, for if he does not act accordingly he will be as helpless as a cow that has fallen in the mud.
“One should know that a person who has studied the Vedas but does not properly consider their purport is like a blind person or a sudra and will never attain the supreme goal of life.
“Those who describe the occupation of a servant to be like that of a dog are unable to give a proper comparison. How can a freely wandering dog be compared to a sold out servant?
“If one eats food cooked by fallen, sinful brahmanas who have sold themselves to others, then one must atone by observing candrayana.
“A brahmana should never eat food cooked by a sudra. If other than in an emergency one either willingly or mistakenly does eat food cooked by a sudra, then as a result of eating such food he is born as a sudra.
“Those brahmanas who protect cows, engage in trade, become artists, take the occupation of servants, and loan money on interest are no better than sudras.
“If a brahmana does not accumulate grass, wood, fruits, and flowers for religious purposes, he becomes eligible for falling down as result of such actions.”

Chandogya Upanisad:
asmat kulino 'nanucya brahma-bandhur iva bhavati
“A brahma-bandhu, or a mere relative of a brahmana, is one who who belongs to our brahmana community but has not studied the Vedas.”

Sripada Sankaracarya has commented on this verse as follows: he saumya ananucya anadhitya brahma-bandhur iva bhavatiti brahmanan bandhun vyapadisati, na svayam brahmana-vrtah.—“O beautiful woman, one who has not studied the Vedas is like a mere relative of brahmanas. He calls the brahmanas his relatives, but he does not have the behavior of a brahmana.”

In the Vajra-sucikopanisad it is stated:

yaj jnanad yanti munayo brahmanyam paramadbhutam
tat trai-pada-brahma-tattvam aham asmiti cintaye
om apyayantv iti santih
cit-sad-ananda-rupaya sarva-dhi-vrtti-saksine
namo vedanta-vedyaya brahmane 'nanta-rupine
om vajra-sucim pravaksyami sastram ajnana-bhedanam
dusanam jnana-hinanam bhusanam jnana-caksusam
brahma-ksatriya-vaisya-sudra iti catvaro varnas tesam varnanam brahmana eva pradhana iti veda-vacananurupam smrtibhir apy uktam. tatra codyam asti ko va brahmano nama. kim jivah kim dehah kim jatih kim jnanam kim karma kim dharmika iti. tatra prathamo jivo brahmana iti cet tan na. atitanagataneka-dehanam jivasyaika-rupatvad ekasyapi karma-vasad aneka-deha-sambhavat sarva-sariranam jiva-svaikarupatvac ca. tasman na jivo brahmana iti. tarhi deho brahmana iti cet tan na a-candaladi-paryantanam manusyanam panca-bhautikatvena dehasyaika-rupatvaj jara-marana-dharmadharmadi-samya-darsanad brahmanah sveta-varnah ksatriyo rakta-varno vaisyah pita-varnah sudrah krsna-varna iti niyamabhavat. pitradi-sarira-dahane putradinam brahma-hatyadi-dosa-sambhavac ca tasman na deho brahmana iti. tarhi jatir brahmana iti cet tan na. tatra jaty-antara-jantusu aneka-jati-sambhava maharsayo bahavah santi. rsyasrngo mrgah. kausikah kusat. jambuko jambukat. valmiko valmikat. vyasah kaivarta-kanyayam. sasa-prsthat gautamah. vasisthah urvasyam. agastyah kalase jata iti srutatvat. etesam jatya vinapy agre jnana-pratipadita rsayo bahavah santi. tasman na jatih brahmana iti. tarhi jnano brahmana iti cet tan na. ksatriyadayo 'pi paramartha-darsino 'bhiksa bahavah santi. tasman na jnanam brahmana iti. tarhi karma brahmana iti cet tan na. sarvesam praninam prarabdha-sancitagami-karma-sadharmya-darsanat karmabhipreritah santah janah kriyah kurvantiti. tasman na karma brahmana iti. tarhi dharmiko brahmana iti cet tan na. ksatriyadayo hiranya-dataro bahavah santi. tasman na dharmiko brahmana iti. tarhi ko va brahmano nama. yah kascid atmanam advitiyam jati-guna-kriya-hinam sad-urmi-sad-bhavety-adi-sarva-dosa-rahitam satya-jnananandananta-svarupam svayam nirvikalpam asesa-kalpadharam asesa-bhutantar-yamitvena vartamanam antar bahis cakasa-vad anusyutam akhandananda-svabhavam apremeyam anubhavaika-vedyam aparoksataya bhasamanam kara-talamalaka-vat saksad aparoksi-krtya krtarthataya kama-ragadi-dosa-rahitah sama-damadi-sampanno bhava-matsarya-trsnasa-mohadi-rahito dambhahankaradibhir asamsprsta-ceta vartate. evam ukta-laksano yah sa eva brahmana iti sruti-smrti-puranetihasanam abhiprayah. anyatha hi brahmanatva-siddhir nasty eva. sac-cid-anandam atmanam advitiyam brahma bhavayed atmanam sac-cid-anandam brahma bhavayed ity upanisat.
om apyayantv iti santih.

“I meditate on that sac-cid-ananda supreme knowledge, endowed with three features, by which sages attain the wonderful platform of brahminical culture.
“I invoke peace by reciting the mantra beginning, “May You be pleased.”
“I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Brahman, who possesses unlimited forms, who is known by the Vedanta, whose form is sac-cid-ananda, and who is the witness of all activities of living intelligence.
“I am now speaking the Vajra-suci-sastra. This knowledge dissipates ignorance, reproaches the ignorant persons, and is the ornament of intelligent persons with vision.
“There are four varnas—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, and sudra. According to the statements of the Vedas, the brahmanas are the highest class. This is confirmed by the smrtis as well. Therefore the question now comes: Who is a brahmana? The living entity, the body, the caste, the knowledge, the activities, or the religionist—of these, which is the brahmana? If it is proposed that the living entity is the brahmana, that is not correct. The living entity remains the same in the past, present, or future. Though he receives various types of bodies according to his karma, he remains unchanged. Therefore the living entity is not the brahmana. Then is the body the brahmana? No, it is not. The bodies of human beings down to the candala are all made of the same five gross elements. Therefore birth and death and religion and irreligion equally effect all bodies, and since there is no law that the brahmanas are white, the ksatriyas are red, the vaisyas are yellow, and the sudras are black, the body is therefore not the brahmana. Moreover, when the son of a brahmana burns the body of his dead father, he does not commit the sin of killing a brahmana. Therefore the body is not the brahmana. So, then, is caste the brahmana? No, this is also not the case. Many great sages have been born of other living entities. Rsyasrnga was born from a deer, Kausika was born from kusa grass, Jambuka Rsi was born from a jackal, Valmiki was born from an ant hill, Vyasadeva was born from a fisherman's daughter, Gautama was born from the back of a rabbit, Vasistha was born from Urvasi, and Agastya was born from a pitcher. Apart from these personalities, there are many other wise persons born from other castes who became sages. Therefore caste is not the brahmana. So, then, is knowledge the brahmana? No, it is not that either. Because many persons, such as some ksatriyas, were very learned and knew the Absolute Truth. Therefore knowledge is also not the brahmana. Then are activities the brahmana? No, they are not. Because every living entity shares the common nature of having to suffer the matured reactions of his karma that come to him in the future. By karma, human beings are engaged in further karma. Therefore activities are not the brahmana. Then is the religionist the brahmana? No, he is not. Because many ksatriyas give gold in charity. Therefore the religionist is not the brahmana. Then who is the brahmana? Anyone who knows the Self as one; devoid of mundane caste, qualities, and activities; devoid of contamination by the six enemies1 and six waves2; the personification of transcendental knowledge and bliss; beyond duality, yet the basis of all material dualities; the Supersoul of all living entities; all-pervading inside and outside like the vast sky; endowed with uninterrupted bliss; immeasurable; known only through spiritual realization; and directly self-manifesting—one who directly realizes the Self (as one sees an amlaki fruit in the palm of his hand), who lives always satisfied, devoid of faults like lust and anger, who posesses qualities like peacefulness and self-control, who is devoid of envy, the thirst for material enjoyment, illusion, and other faults, and who is untouched by pride, false ego, and so on—such a person is a brahmana.”

In his commentary on the Mahabharata (Vana-parva 180.25, 26), Sri Nilakantha clearly says:

sudra-laksma kamadikam na brahmane 'sti. napi brahmana-laksma samadikam sudre 'sti. sudro 'pi samady-upeto brahmana eva. brahmano 'pi kamady-upetah sudra eva.

“The symptoms of a sudra, such as lust, are not present in a brahmana. Similarly the symptoms of a brahmana, such as peacefulness, are not present in a sudra. A sudra who possesses the quality of peacefulness is certainly a brahmana, and a brahmana who posesses the quality of lust is certainly a sudra.”

It is stated in the Chandogya Upanisad of the Sama Veda (4th prapathaka, 4th khanda) as follows:

satyakamo ha jabalo jabalam mataram amantrayam cakre brahmacaryam bhavati vivatsyami. kim gotro 'ham asmiti. 2. sa hainam uvaca. naham etad veda. tata yad gotras tvam asi. bahv-aham caranti paricarini yauvane tvam alabhe. sa aham etan na veda. yad gotras tvam asi. jabala tu namaham asmi. satyakamo nama tvam asi. sa satyakamo eva jabalo bruvitha iti. 3. sa ha haridrumatam gautamam etya uvaca. brahmacaryam bhagavati vatsyamamy upeyam bhagavantam iti. 4. tam hovaca kim gotro nu saumyasiti. sa hovaca. naham etad veda bho yad gotro 'ham asmi. aprccham mataram. sama pratyabravid bahv-aham caranti paricarini yauvane tvam alabhe. saham etan na veda yad gotras tvam asi. jabala tu nama aham asmi. satyakamo nama tvam asiti. so 'ham satyakamah jabalo 'smi bho iti. 5. tam hovaca na etad abrahmano vivaktum arhati. samidham saumya ahara upayitva nesye. na satyad aga iti.

“Once Satyakama, the son of Jabala, asked his mother, `I want to live as a brahmacari. Which dynasty do I belong to?' In answer, Jabala told Satyakama, `My son, I do not know which dynasty you belong to; in my youth I served as a maidservant in various places and at that time begot you as my son. Therefore I don't know which gotra you belong to. My name is Jabala and your name is Satyakama. Therefore you should say that you are Satyakama Jabala.' Thereafter Satyakama Jabala approached Haridrumata Gautama and said, `I wish to live with you as a brahmacari.' Gautama inquired, `O gentle one, which dynasty do you belong to?' Satyakama replied, `I do not know which dynasty I belong to. I asked my mother and she said, “I begot you as my son when I was wandering in my youth as a maidservant. Therefore I do not know which dynasty you belong to. My name is Jabala, and your name is Satyakama.” So I am Satyakama Jabala.' Gautama then said to him, `My dear son, no one other than a brahmana can speak such truth that you have spoken. Therefore you are a brahmana, and I accept you. O gentle one, go bring wood for sacrifice.' Jabala replied, `I am going right now to bring wood.' Gautama said, `Never divert from the truth.'”

EXAMPLES

In the Mahabharata (Adi-parva, Chapter 174) it is stated:

tatapa sarvan diptaujah brahmanatvam avaptavan

“The greatly effulgent Visvamitra thus performed all kinds of austerities and attained the position of a brahmana.”

In the Mahabharata (Anusasana-parva, Chapter 30) there is the following description of how the ksatriya-born Maharaja Vitahavya became a brahmana:

evam vipratvam agamad vitahavyo naradhipah
bhrgoh prasadad rajendra ksatriyah ksatriyarsabha

“This is how Maharaja Vitahavya attained the position of a brahmana: O best of the ksatriya kings, although Vitahavya was a ksatriya by birth, by the mercy of Bhrgu he became a brahmana.”

The Karusa ksatriyas descended from Karusa, the son of Manu, and the Dharsta ksatriyas, who descended from Dhrsta, the brother of Karusa, attained the position of brahmanas. This is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (9.2.16-17) as follows:

karusan manavad asan karusah ksatra-jatayah
dhrstad dharstam abhut ksatram brahma-bhuyam gatam ksitau

“From Karusa, another son of Manu, came the Karusa dynasty, a family of ksatriyas. From the son of Manu named Dhrsta came a ksatriya caste called Dharsta, whose members achieved the position of brahmanas in this world.” In his commentary on this verse, Sridhara Svami has written that the word brahma-bhuyam means “the position of brahmanas.”

Devadatta was the tenth descendant from Narisyanta, the son of Manu. The son of the ksatriya Devadatta was Agnivesyayana, who became a maharsi-brahmana, thus inaugerating a dynasty of brahmanas.

As stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam (9.2.19-22):

citraseno narisyantad rksas tasya suto 'bhavat
tasya midhvams tatah purna indrasenas tu tat-sutah
vitihotras tv indrasenat tasya satyasrava abhut
urusravah sutas tasya devadattas tato 'bhavat
tato 'gnivesyo bhagavan agnih svayam abhut sutah
kanina iti vikhyato jatukarnyo mahan rsih
tato brahma-kulam jatam agnivesyayanam nrpa

(1) Narisyanta, (2) Citrasena, (3) Rksa, (4) Midhvan, (5) Purna, (6) Indrasena, (7) Vitihotra, (8) Satyasrava, (9) Urusrava, (10) Devadatta, and (11) Agnivesya. The fire-god Agni himself appeared as Agnivesya, the son of Devadatta. This son, who was a celebrated saint, was well known as Kanina and Jatukarnya. O King, from Agnivesya came a brahminical dynasty known as Agnivesyayana.”

The son of Garga was Sini, who had a son named Gargya. Here is another example of a ksatriya giving birth to brahmanas. This is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam (9.21.19-21, 30, 31, 33) as follows:

gargac chinis tato gargyah ksatrad brahma hy avartata
duritaksayo mahaviryat tasya trayyarunih kavih
puskararunir ity atra ye brahmana-gatim gatah
brhatksatrasya putro 'bhud dhasti yad-dhastinapuram
ajamidho dvimidhas ca purumidhas ca hastinah
ajamidhasya vamsyah syuh priyamedhadayo dvijah
nalinyam ajamidhasya nilah santis tu tat-sutah
santeh susantis tat-putrah purujo 'rkas tato 'bhavat
bharmyasvas tanayas tasya pancasan mudgaladayah
mudgalad brahma-nirvrttam gotram maudgalya-samjnitam

“From Garga came a son named Sini, and his son was Gargya. Although Gargya was a ksatriya, there came from him a generation of brahmanas. From Mahavirya came a son named Duritaksaya, whose sons were Trayyaruni, Kavi and Puskararuni. Although these sons of Duritaksaya took birth in a dynasty of ksatriyas, they too attained the position of brahmanas. Brhatksatra had a son named Hasti, who established the city of Hastinapura [now New Delhi]. From King Hasti came three sons, named Ajamidha, Dvimidha and Purumidha. The descendants of Ajamidha, headed by Priyamedha, all achieved the position of brahmanas.
“Ajamidha had a son named Nila by his wife known as Nalini, and the son of Nila was Santi. The son of Santi was Susanti, the son of Susanti was Puruja, and the son of Puruja was Arka. From Arka came Bharmyasva, and from Bharmyasva came five sons, headed by Mudgala. From Mudgala came a dynasty of brahmanas known as Maudgalya.”

Maharaja Nabhi, the son of Priyavrata, had a son named Rsabha. Rsabhadeva begot one hundred sons in the womb of His wife, who was given to Him by the King of heaven, Indra. Bharata and his next nine younger brothers became the kings of the nine varsas. Nine sons headed by Kavi and Havi, known as the Nava-yogendras, became Vaisnavas. The other eighty-one sons became brahmanas.
This is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam (5.4.13) as follows:

yaviyamsa ekasitir jayanteyah pitur adesa-kara maha-salina maha-srotriya yajna-silah karma-visuddha brahmana babhuvuh.

“In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there were eighty-one younger ones, all born of Rsabhadeva and Jayanti. According to the order of their father, they became well cultured, well behaved, very pure in their activities and expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of Vedic rituals. Thus they all became perfectly qualified brahmanas.”

It is explained in the Hari-vamsa (Hari-vamsa-parva 11.9):

nabhagadista-putrau dvau vaisyau brahmanatam gatau.

“Nabhaga and the son of Dista, although vaisyas, both became brahmanas.”

According to their individual natures, among the sons of Grtsamada there were
brahmanas headed by Saunaka as well as ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. This is stated in the following words from the Hari-vamsa (Hari-vamsa-parva 29.7-8):

putro grtsamadasyapi sunako yasya saunakah
brahmanah ksatriyas caiva vaisyah sudras tathaiva ca

In his commentary on this verse, Nilakantha says: grtsamada-santatau sunakadayo brahmana anye ksatriyadayas ca sudrantah putra jatah—“Among the offspring of Grtsamada, some, headed by Sunaka, were brahmanas, some were ksatriyas, some were vaisyas, and some were sudras.”

Apart from his five ksatriya sons, Bali Maharaja also had sons who founded brahmana dynasties. This is explained in the Hari-vamsa (Hari-vamsa-parva 31.33-35) as follows:

maha-yogi sa tu balir abhuta nrpatih pura
putran utpadayam asa panca vamsa-karan bhuvi
angah prathamato jajne vangah suhmas tathaiva ca
pundrah kalingas ca tatha baleyam ksatram ucyate
baleya brahmanas caiva tasya vamsa-kara bhuvi

“Bali Maharaja was a great yogi who became a king long ago. He begot five sons in order to increase the population of the earth.
“The first of his five sons was named Anga, the second was Vanga, the third Suhma, the fourth Pundra, and the fifth was Kalinga. These sons were known as Baleya ksatriyas.
“In the dynasty of Bali there were also Baleya brahmanas, who increased their descendants on the earth.”

na sudra bhagavad-bhaktas te tu bhagavata matah
sarva-varnesu te sudra ye na bhakta janardane

“A devotee should never be considered a sudra. All the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be recognized as bhagavatas. If one is not a devotee of Lord Krsna, however, even if born of a brahmana, ksatriya or vaisya family, he should be considered a sudra.” Padma Purana

Sarva-samvadini

2011-02-26T08:34:00.011-05:00

Srila Jiva Gosvami’s extraordinary accomplishments in the field of grammar, poetics and philosophy earned him a distinguished position among the greatest scholars of all times. His Sat-sandarbhas are the mark that established the philosophy of Lord Caitanya as a unique vaisnava school of thought, which for the first time was being named ‘acintya-bheda-abheda-vada’. The word ‘sandarbha’ means a literary composition consisting in the arrangement or collection on a specific topic. In the beginning of the Tattva-sandarbha, Jiva explains that in its original format, the work consisted in notes written by Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami aften scrutinizingly studying the scriptures and the vaisnava commentaries. Those notes were not in any specific or systematic order, and what Jiva did was to arrange them according to different topics and fully elaborate on their explanations. The main resource used by him was the Srimad Bhagavatam, and for this reason the Sandarbhas are indeed a kind of thematic commentary on the Bhagavatam and are also known as Bhagavata-sandarbhas

The author himself also wrote a commentary on the Sat-sandarbhas, which is called ‘Sarva-samvadini’. As the name suggests, it discusses all the main philosophical views that were commonly raised in orthodox treatises, either to support one’s arguments or to defeat others. Jiva was sent to Varanasi to study, and there he became conversant with all the traditional philosophical systems of ancient and medieval Indian schools. More than in any other of his works, in the Sarva-samvadini he displays his full-fledged scholarship as a philosopher and debater, quoting from innumerable treatises and commentators. It is interesting to see how he quotes Sankara, Kumarila Bhatta, Vacaspati Misra - all renowned advaitavadis – and others to corroborate some of the arguments he propounds. This, on the one hand, evinces how there is a vast common ground that covers all different schools of Vedic thought, and on the other hand, it shows how liberal and open-minded was Jiva Gosvami to give due credit to those who are otherwise taken as rivals.

It is not clear whether Jiva was ever able to complete the commentary on all the Sandarbhas or the last portion was lost, but the fact is that in the present day only the commentary on the four first books is available. What follows is my own translation of the Sarva-samvadini on text 10 of the Tattva-sandarbha.

tatas tani na pramananity anadi-siddha-sarva-purusa-paramparasu sarva-laukikalaukika-jnana-nidanatvad aprakrta-vacana-laksano veda evasmakam sarvatita-sarvasraya-sarvacintyascarya-svabhavam vastu vividisatam pramanam ||10||

Therefore, they (direct perception, etc.) are not proper means to acquire knowledge. For us who desire to know that object whose constitutional position is beyond everything, which is the shelter of everything, and which is totally inconceivable and wonderful, only the Vedas, which are characterized by transcendental words, are the proper means, for they are the original source of all worldly and transcendental knowledge and are established in all human traditions since time immemorial.

sarva-samvadini : athaivam sabdasya pramanatve paryavasite ko’sau sabda iti vivecaniyam | tatra “bhramadi-rahitam vacah sabdah” ity anenaiva paryaptir na syat | yatha sva-mati-grhite pakse bhramadi-rahito’yam ayam eveti pratisvam mata-bhede nirnayabhavapattes tatha tasyapi sabdasya pratyaksavagamyatvena paranugatatvad apramanyapatteh | tasmad yo [sabdah] nija-nija-vidvattayai sarvair evabhyasyate, yasyadhigamena sarvesam api sarvaiva vidvatta bhavati, yat-krtayaiva parama-vidvattaya pratyaksadikam api suddham syat, yas canaditvat svayam eva siddhah, sa eva nikhilaitihya-mula-rupo maha-vakya-samudayah sabdo’tra grhyate | sa ca sastram eva | tac ca veda eva |

Now, since it has been concluded that sabda is a valid means of knowledge, it is required to discuss what sabda is. In this regard, simply by stating that sabda is the word devoid of the four defects (mistake, etc.) there would be no conclusion, for each person has his own distinct opinion and sticks to it by declaring it to be free from mistake, etc. Thus there would be no decision. Besides that, words are also apprehended by means of sense perception, and on account of being subsequent to it, they may happen to be devoid of authority. Therefore, the collection of great words that are employed by everyone to substantiate their own knowledge, by whose comprehension arises the total knowledge about everything, by means of which the acquired supreme knowledge purifies even the direct perception and the other means of knowledge, which is self established since time immemorial, and which is the root of all historical records - this is what is here accepted as sabda. Sabda is sastra, and sastra means Veda.

ya evanadi-siddhah sarva-karanasya bhagavato’nadi-siddham punah punah srsty-adau tasmad evavirbhutam apauruseyam vakyam | tad eva bhramadi-rahitam sambhavitam | tac ca sarva-janakasya tasya ca sad-upadesayavasyakam mantavyam | tad eva cavyabhicari pramanam | tac ca tat-krpaya ko’pi ko’pi grhnati | kutarka-karkasa mudha va tan na grhnantu nama, tesam aprama-padam katham apayatu ? na cesvara-vihita-vaidyakadi-sastram amatam | pramanabhavad itaravad yatiti cen, na | paresam tad-anugatatvad eva sastratva-vyavaharah | na ca buddhasyapisvaratve sati tad-vakyam ca pramanam syad iti vacyam | yena sastrena tasya isvaratvam manyamahe, tenaiva tasya daitya-mohana-sastra-karitvenoktatvat |

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is beginningless, perfect, and the cause of all causes, and from Him only emanate the beginningless, perfect, and superhuman Vedic words again and again in the beginning of every creation. Only these words can possibly be devoid of the four defects. Since the Lord is the creator of all beings, His words must be considered necessary for the good instruction of all. Only this is an infallible means for acquiring knowledge, and it is accepted by those who have received His mercy. Let the fools and those whose hearts were hardened by bad logic not accept it. How can someone remove their ignorance? The other sastras prescribed by God, such as the Ayurveda, etc. are not to be disregarded either. If someone objects that they lack authority just as other books, we say that it is not so, for they follow the Vedas and are thus commonly accepted as sastra. Nor it can be said that Lord Buddha’s words are also authoritative because he is also an incarnation of God, for the same scripture by which we accept his divinity also states that he is the compiler of a scripture meant to deceive the demons.

atra [vedasya pramanya-visaye] vacaspatis caivam aha [sankara-bhasya-bhamati-tikayam upodghate]—“na ca jyestha-[agrajata]-pramana-pratyaksa-virodhad amnayasyaiva tad-apeksasyapramanyam upacaritarthatvam veti yuktam | asyapauruseyataya nirasta-samasta-dosasankasya bodhakataya ca svatah-siddha-pramana-bhavasya sva-karye pramitau paranapeksatvat | pramitav anapeksatve’py utpattau pratyaksapeksatvat tad-virodhad anutpatti-laksanam asyapramanyam iti cet, na utpadakapratidvandvitvat |

Regarding the authority of the Vedas, Vacaspati Misra speaks the following words in the introduction of his ‘Bhamati’ sub-commentary on Sankara-bhasya: “It is not correct to say that the Vedic words are devoid of authority or have secondary meanings because they contradict direct perception, which precedes them and upon which they depend, for the Vedas are superhuman and impart knowledge devoid of all defects and doubts, and being a self established evidence, they have valid knowledge as their natural product, not depending on any other means. If someone objects that spite their independence in producing valid knowledge, they depend on direct perception as a means for its generation, and therefore they are not authoritative, for upon contradicting direct perception the Vedic words would fail to produce valid knowledge, the answer is that it is not so, for the Vedas produce knowledge devoid of any contradiction.

na hy agama-jnanam samvyavaharikam pratyaksasya pramanyam upahanti, yena karanabhavan na bhaved api tu tattvikam | na ca tattvikam tasyotpadakam atattvika-pramana-bhavebhyo’pi samvyavaharikebhyah [pramanebhyah] tattva-jnanotpatti-darsanat | yatha varne hrasva-dirghatvadayo’nya-dharma api samaropitas tattva-pratipatti-hetavah | na hi laukika naga iti va, nagah iti va padat kunjaram va tarum va pratipadyamana bhavanti bhrantah | na cananya-param vakyam svarthe upacaritartham kartum yuktam | uktam hi—na vidhau parah sabdarthah iti | jyesthatvam [agra-jatatvam] canapeksitasya badhyatve hetur na tu badhakatve, rajata-jnanasya jyayasah sukti-jnanena kaniyasa badha-darsanat | tad-anapabadhane tad-apabadhatmanas tasyotpatter anupapattih | darsitam ca tattvika-pramana-bhavasyanapeksitatvam | tatha ca paramarsam sutram— paurvaparye purva-daurbalyam prakrtivat [pu.mi. 6.5.54] iti | tatha—

purvat para-baliyastvam tatra nama pratiyatam |
anyonya-nirapeksanam yatra janma dhiyam bhavet || [ta.va. 3.3.2] iti ||”

“Nor does the scriptural knowledge hinder the authority of the empirical direct perception of ordinary life, in whose absence no real knowledge would be produced at all. Nor can the real knowledge derived from direct perception be the cause of Vedic knowledge, for we see that even empirical means that lack substance also produce real knowledge. For example, the quality of long or short duration is an attribute imposed on the letters and thus become causes of real knowledge. Common people do not become confused when the word ‘nAga’ is used for ‘elephant’, and the word ‘naga’ is used for ‘tree’. It is also not appropriate that a statement that has no other meaning be interpreted in a secondary sense besides its own primary meaning. It is said: na vidhau parah sabdarthah- ‘In a Vedic injunction there should be no other word meaning than the one intended.’ The quality of direct perception as a preceding means can be the cause of an undesired perception being contradicted, but not the very cause of the contradiction (the fact that pratyaksa precedes cognizance can eventually lead to misapprehension, but this itself does cause it), just as we see that the subsequent perception of an oyster shell contradicts the preceding misapprehension of it as being silver. If the preceding misapprehension is not contradicted, then the subsequent correct apprehension of what is contradicting it would not arise. It was already demonstrated that the real means of knowledge does not depend on any other means. As stated by the great sage Jaimini in his Mimamsa-sutras (6.5.54): ‘paurvaparye purva-daurbalyam prakrtivat’- ‘When there are two consecutive injunctions, the previous one is weaken, as in the case of the prakrti sacrifice.’
Kumarila Bhatta confirms it in his Tantra-vartika (3.3.2) : ‘When a preceding and a subsequent cognizance are independent of each other, the latter should indeed be recognized as stronger than the former.” (end of Vacaspati’s quotation)

atra samvyavaharikam iti sarvatrikam eva vyavaharikam iti jneyam | kvacid upamardasya [arvacina-jnanasya] darsitatvad eva sastratva-vyavaharah | drsyate canyatra—suryadi-mandalasya suksmataya pratyaksikrtir apy anumana-sabdabhyam badhita bhavatiti durastha-vastunas tadrsataya [sthulasya suksmataya] drstatvac chastra-prasiddhatvac ca | tad evam sthite sri-vaisnavas tv eva vadanti | vedasya na prakrta-pratyaksadivad avidyavad visaya-matratvena yavad evavidya tavad eva tad-vyavaharah | sati vyavahare pramanyam ceti mantavyam, apauruseyatvan nityatvat, sarva-mukty-eka-kalabhavena [sarvesam jivan-muktanam yavat sadyo-videha-muktih prapance avasthane] tad-adhikarinam satatastitvat, paramesvara-prasadena paramesvaravad evavidyatitanam cic-chakty-eka-vibhavanam atmaramanam parsadanam api brahmanandoparicara-bhakti-paramanandena samadi-parayanader darsayisyamanatvat, srimat-paramesvarasya sva-veda-maryadam avalambyaiva muhuh srsty-adi-pravartakatvac ca | yesam tu purusa-jnana-kalpitam eva vedadikam sarvam dvaitam, tesam apauruseyatvabhavat tata eva bhramadi-sambhavat svapna-pralapavad-vyavahara-siddhav api pramanyam nopapadyata iti tan-matam avaidika-visesa iti |

Here the word ‘samvyavaharikam’ should be understood as ‘what is commonly experienced in ordinary life’. Because the scriptures sometimes demonstrate the suppression of the previous apprehension, they are designated as ‘sastra’. It is also seen in other instances that the perception of the sun globe and other celestial bodies as being small is contradicted by inference and sabda, for it is observed that a large object situated at a long distance appears to be small, and because their real dimensions are well known in the scriptures. Being so, the glorious devotees of Lord Visnu declare that the Vedas do not merely deal with objects that are the product of ignorance, as those apprehended by mundane direct perception and inference, for as long as there is ignorance, so long one will be engaged in it. The Vedas being applied even in ordinary life, their authoritativeness must admitted, for they are superhuman and eternal, and because there are always persons who are eligible to study them, as they do not attain final liberation all at the same time. As it will be shown later on, those who by the mercy of the Supreme Lord are beyond ignorance just like Him and enjoy the very same spiritual opulence created by His energy, who rejoice within themselves with the blissfulness of devotional service, which is above even the bliss of the impersonal liberation, they also engage in reciting the Sama Veda, etc. It is also a fact that the very Supreme Personality of Godhead also repeatedly performs the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmos abiding by the tenets of the Vedas, which emanate from Him. As for those who consider the Vedas and other sastras as man-made imaginative knowledge full of dualities, they do not accept them as authority even in accomplishing ordinary affairs, just like words spoken in dreams, for they do not see them as superhuman, and thus conclude that they possibly have the four defects. This is another kind of non-Vedic view.

nanv arvag-jana-samvadadi-darsanat katham tasyanaditvady ucyate—ata eva ca nityatvam [ve.su. 1.3.29] ity atra sutre sankara-sariraka-bhasya-pramanitayam srutau sruyate—yajnena vacah padaviyam ayan tam anvavindy rsisu pravistam [r.ve. 10.71.3] iti | smrtau ca—

yugante 'ntarhitan vedan setihasan maharsayah |
lebhire tapasa purvam anujnatah svayambhuva || [ma.bha. 12.203.17] iti |
Someone may object that since we see things like the narrations and conversations of recent personalities (like the demigods and sages) therein, how can the Vedas exist since time immemorial, be superhuman, etc? In reply to this, the Vedanta-sutras (1.3.29) state: ata eva ca nityatvam, “Therefore the eternity of the Vedas is established.” In the commentary to this sutra, Sankaracarya quotes the evidence from the sruti: yajnena vacah padaviyam ayan tam anvavindy rsisu pravistam(Rg Veda, 10.71.3), “Through sacrifice they found the path of the Vedic words, which were within the sages, and carried them.” In the smrti it is also said: “Being first instructed by Lord Brahma, by the performance of penances the great sages obtained the Vedas, which had disappeared the end of the yuga.” [ma.bha. 12.203.17]

tasman nitya-siddhasyaiva veda-sabdasya tatra tatra pravesa eva, na tu tat-kartrkata | tatha canadi-siddha-vedanurupaiva pratikalpam tat-tan-namadi-pravrttih | tatha hi—samana-nama-rupatvac cavrttav apy avirodho darsanat smrtes ca [ve.su. 1.3.30] ity atra tattva-vada-bhasya-krdbhih sri-madhvacaryair udahrta srutih | suryacandramasau dhata yatha-purvam akalpayat [r.ve. 10.190],
yathaiva niyamah kale suradi-niyamas tatha |
tasman nanidrsam kvapi visvam etad bhavisyati || iti |

smrtis ca—
anadi-nidhana nitya vag utsrsta svayambhuva |
adau veda-mayi divya yatah sarvah pravrttayah ||
rsinam namadheyani yas ca vedesu srstayah |
veda-sabdebhya evadau nirmame sa mahesvarah || [ma.bha. 12.217.49]

Therefore the eternal and perfect Vedic words are simply introduced at particular times, but they never have an author. Similarly, the appearance of the respective names and forms of all created things and beings in every kalpa is also according the very same eternal and perfect Vedas. As the Vedanta-sutras[1.3.30] state: “The very same names and forms are repeatedly manifested without any contradiction. This is proved by the sruti and smrti.” In connection to this sutra, in his commentary defending the tattva-vada, Madhvacarya quotes the sruti: “The creator created the sun and the moon exactly as they were in the previous creation.” [RgVeda, 10.190], “Just as there is a law ruling over time, so there is a law ruling over the demigods and everything. Therefore this universe will never become at all different than what it is.” In the Mahabharata (12.217.49) is it said: “The eternal Vedic words have no beginning or end, and they were first transmitted by self-manifested Supreme Lord. In the beginning there was the transcendental sound of the Vedas, from which everything began. The created things and the names of the sages are all mentioned in the Vedas. In the beginning, the Supreme Lord engaged in creation through the words of the Vedas.”

atra sabda-purvaka-srsti-prakrame srutis cadvaita-sariraka-bhasye darsita—eta iti vai prajapatir devan asrjata, asrgram iti manusyan indava iti pitrn ity adika | tatha sa bhur iti vyaharat sa bhumim asrjata [tai.bra. 2.22] ity adika ca | tatha sri-ramanuja-saririke (1.3.27) darsita ca—vedena nama-rupe vyakarot satasati prajapatih iti | ata evautpattike sabdasyarthena sambandhe samasrite nirapeksam eva vedasya pramanyam matam | sabda iti cen natah prabhavat prayaksanumanabhyam ity atra samvadadi-rupa-prakriya tu srotr-bodha-saukarya-kariti samanjasyam eva bhajate | tasmad vedakhyam sastram pramanam tat-tal-laksana-hinatvat tad-viruddhatvac cavaidika tu sastram na pramanam ||10||

In connection to the gradual process of creation with the Vedic words, Sankaracarya quotes the following passage from the sruti (Panca-vimsati Brahmana, 6.9.15): "Pronouncing the word ‘ete’, Lord Brahma created the demigods. Pronouncing the word ‘asrgram’, he created the human beings. Pronouncing the word ‘indava’, he created the forefathers.” It is also stated in the Taittiriya Brahmana (2.22): “Lord Brahma uttered the word ‘bhur’ and thus created the earth.” In his commentary on the Brahma-sutras, Ramanujacarya quotes the Taittiriya Brahmana (6.8): “By the Vedas, Lord Brahma created all true and false names and forms.” Therefore, the Vedas are considered an independent authority, for in them the meanings and the words are intrinsically related to each other. The Vedanta-sutra (1.3.28) says that “if it be said that the words of the Vedas are non-eternal because they contain names of temporary personalities like the demigods, the answer is that it is no so, for their creation is made with the Vedic words, and both the sruti and smrti confirm it”. Here it is appropriate to say that the conversations and narrations in the Vedas are means for making them easier for the hearer to understand. Therefore, the scriptures called Vedas are authoritative, but not the non-Vedic texts, which are devoid of the characteristics of the Vedas and contradict them.

The transparent medium of the scriptures

2011-01-20T03:18:00.002-05:00

The sastras are basically divided into three major sections: karma-kanda, upasana-kanda and jnana-kanda. The karma-kanda deals with the performance of sacrifices aiming at material benefits, such as rain, wealth, sons, the attainment of the heavenly planets, etc. The upasana-kanda deals with the worship of several devatas, such as Indra, Surya, Candra, etc. The jnana-kanda deals with the philosophical descriptions of the nature of Brahman and the path of spiritual life. Thus one may claim that there is no direct reference to Lord Krsna as being the purpose of all scriptures, for they obviously are mostly dealing with the above topics. This is a valid claim, for we see in the fifth chapter of the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam how Narada chastised his disciple Vyasadeva for encouraging people to take to fruitive activities instead of directly presenting the glories of devotional service:

jugupsitam dharma-krte 'nusasatah svabhava-raktasya mahan vyatikramah
yad-vakyato dharma ititarah sthito na manyate tasya nivaranam janah
(Bhagavatam, 1.5.15)

“The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and is quite unreasonable. Because they are guided under your instructions, they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will hardly care for prohibitions.”

Although different sections of the sastras contain innumerable statements that might apparently be directly related to the Supreme Lord, they present Him as the ultimate purpose behind everything, not as the immediate beneficiary. For example, by performing a sacrifice, upon attaining its fruits one may feel increased faith in the scriptures and thus develop a taste to study them more scrutinizingly. By learning from them about the distinction between the material and the spiritual nature and how all the material results obtained by those sacrifices are perishable, one may feel inclined to search for something superior and inexhaustible. Moreover, one of the results of the proper performance of the sacrificial rites prescribed in the Vedas is the purification of one’s mind, which is a pre-requirement for progressing towards God realisation. Similarly, by worshiping different demigods one may understand that the universe is run by a hierarchy of beings, so it is natural to conclude that there must be a being who predominates over all the other beings, the Supreme Lord of all, or God. The descriptions about Brahman and the atma in the jnana-kanda are meant to give sufficient knowledge about the spiritual nature so that one may get a philosophical basis to understand the spiritual nature of the Personality of Godhead, Who is the original source of both the impersonal Brahman and the soul. The Bhagavatam, however, corroborates that the Lord is behind everything, and directly points to Him as the goal of all activities, instructing that it is better to take to His devotional service instead of going through the indirect paths.

Thus, it is proved that directly or indirectly Lord Krsna is the ultimate aim behind all the different scriptures, as clearly declared by the sruti and smrti in the following words:

yo 'sau sarvair vedair giyate
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 27)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is glorified by all the Vedas."

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
(Bhagavad-gita, 15.15)

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.’’

The knowability of God

2010-12-23T22:58:00.003-05:00

When we accept the existence of God as a knowable Being, the next inquire should be regarding the efficacy of the means to ascertain any positive knowledge about Him. To clearly specify the authentic means for progressing in the path of Brahman realization, Srila Badarayana in the very beginning of his Vedanta treatise declares that shastra is the only way by which one can research about the Supreme. The central idea from the vaisnava perspective is that God is a person, and this implies that He possesses innumerable transcendental attributes which are manifested according to His supreme will. Being so, Lord Krsna reserves the right to make the rules for creation, maintenance and annihilation of the material world, as well as the proper means to get rid of it and attain pure love for Him. The Vedas are the emanation of the Supreme Lord’s breath, and therefore apauruseya or divine. The smrti and the Vedanta are all compiled by the Lord Himself in the form of Dvaipayana Vyasa, and thus there is no question of flaw in the scriptures, though one may find apparent contradictions from the mundane point of view, which can ultimately be reconciled through the lucid interpretation of the vaisnava acaryas. There are several means for acquiring knowledge, but sabda-pramana is the one chosen and given by God for those who desire to obtain knowledge about Him, and to accept this fact is the first step towards the comprehension of the final goal presented in all scriptures. Why is it so? Why not by other means, which might be more appealing to some people or can make more sense to others? Again, because God is a person and He decided that this is the way. Therefore, at least theoretically one should take to this principle from the very outset to be able to delve deeply in the conclusive Vedic knowledge. This is not an exclusive or innovative creed adopted in India, for the Christians and the Muslims similarly accept the bible and the Koran as the words of God or the scriptures composed through divine inspiration, and give proper value to revelation in their theological systems. Moreover, unless we take to this conclusion, words like ‘aupanisada’ (the One Who is known through the Upanisads) would become meaningless. Then, what is the relevance of the reasoning power, such as that used in logical inference? That is relevant as far as it is subordinated to sabda, as the smrti states :

purvaparavirodhena ko ’nv artho ’bhimato bhavet
ity-adyam uhanam tarkah suska-tarkam tu varjayet
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.3)

“Conjecturing about the meaning of a scriptural passage by referring to the statements preceding and following it is called proper logic. One should abandon dry logic, however.”

Here dry logic refers to the process by which one tends to draw conclusions based on premises proceeding from one’s own mental speculation or external perception instead of those clearly defined by the scriptures.

If we thus accept the scriptural statements about God as the definite and flawless description of Him, then we have to accept His transcendental form, qualities, names, entourage, omnipotence, omniscience, etc. and worship Him accordingly, for the shastras abound in such descriptions.

The nature of Brahman

2010-11-23T21:55:00.002-05:00

Brahma-sutra is the metaphysical scripture per excellence, as from the very first aphorism it is clearly stated that its sole purpose is the inquiry into the transcendent Brahman. All the innumerable topics along the text ultimately converge to the ultimate reality of a Supreme Immanent Spirit.

A question is raised as to whether Brahman and the jiva are one and the same entity, for in the sruti there are many passages in which the interpretation can be applied to either of them or to both. In reply to this, the Vedanta-sutra starts by stating that Brahman is the original cause of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the material universes. Thus, from the outset the distinction between the minute living entity and Parabrahma is declared, and it will be further clarified along the text. Although it is true that words like ‘bhuma’, ‘atma’ and ‘Brahman’ are indistinctly used as referring to either the jiva or the Supreme Lord, still it is required to properly apply exegetical principles in given contextual instances. Brahman is thus etymologically defined:

atha kasmad ucyate brahmeti brhanto hy asmin gunah
(Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.2)

"Why is Brahman called so? Because in Brahman all attributes expand unlimitedly."

This evidently opposes the living entity’s minuteness and limited power to act or manifest anything beyond the capacity of his respective material body and mind. Otherwise, the jiva would never be restricted by material adjuncts, therefore how could he possibly ever become unlimitedly powerful after liberation? And if the scriptures meant that there is no difference between the jivas and Brahman, then there would be no point in using a different terminology to refer to the same thing, nor any meaning in prompting someone to meditate on and worship an entity distinct from oneself. Here knowledge of the original nature of the soul is regarding relevant as far as it is part of the preliminary knowledge to understand the nature of Parabrahma, and therefore it is considered imperfect and insufficient till it blooms in the comprehension of the soul and God.

To understand the nature of Brahman, the Vedanta-sutras (3.2.28-30)
give us some illustrations: just like a serpent’s coil forms one unity with the serpent itself, Brahman and Its attributes also form an inseparable unity. When the scriptures state that Brahman is knowledge and bliss, the purport is not that Brahman is simply constituted of transcendental knowledge and bliss, nor that Brahman has them as Its qualities, but that Brahman is by definition the dharma and the dharmi, the very attributes and the very possessor of those attributes. A more subtle analogy is that of fire and its light: both are intrinsic. So is Brahman, for it is not possible to isolate either the qualities or the substance itself. Another example is time, which is generally classified as past, present and future, but in fact the three are a single element. Instead of being put aloof from its different stages, time is the very principle that defines those stages. Similarly, God is one with His qualities, yet from Him come all the concepts of all attributes existent. In the Brahma Purana it is said:
anandena tv abhinnena vyavaharah prakasavat
purvavad va yatha kalah svavecchedakatam vrajet
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.30)

"As the sun is not different from its light or time is not different from its quality in the form of past, present and future, so the Supreme is not different from His bliss."
In the material world, one may circumstantially accept or develop some qualities for the time being, and then eventually give them up, but the qualities incorporated by Brahman are never originated nor decayed, but rather, are ever expanding. His qualities are primeval and the reservoir of unlimited varieties that give rise to all the reflections seen in the material plane. Moreover, there is ample evidence in the scriptures to prove that there cannot ever be any difference between God and His transcendental qualities. In the sruti it is said:

manasaivedam aptavyam neha nanasti kincana
mrtyoh sa mrtyum apnoti ya iha naneva pasyati
(Katha Upanisad, 2.4.11 and 14)

"A pure heart can understand that the Lord and His attributes are not different. He who sees them as different travels from death to death."

yathodakam durge vrstam parvatesu vidhavati
evam dharman prthak pasyams tan evanuvidhavati

"One who thinks the Lord and His attributes are different falls into hell, just like rainwater glides down a mountain peak."

In the Narada-pancaratra it is said:

nirdosa-purna-guna-vigraha atma-tantro niscetanatmaka-sarira-gunais ca hinah
ananda-matra-kara-pada-mukhodaradih sarvatra ca svagata-bheda-vivarjitatma
(Quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.31)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is independent, faultless, filled with virtues, not residing in a material body, untouched by the modes of nature or a material body fashioned of inanimate matter, but still possessing a face, belly, hands, feet and other features of a spiritual body filled with bliss. He is not different from His various limbs, features, and qualities."

There is a gulf of difference between the way God and His attributes are related and the way a material object and its adjuncts are related. A material object like a house may be constituted by diverse elements and suffer by their addition or reduction, but God’s status in never influenced by any external element, because all His qualities are of the same spiritual nature as He Himself, and therefore devoid of all material frailties. This point is clarified by the smrti in the following words:

jnana-sakti-balaisvarya- virya-tejamsy asesatah
bhagavac-chabda-vacyani vina heyair gunadibhih
(Visnu Purana, 6.5.79; Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.31)

"The word ‘bhagavan' means ‘He who has all knowledge, strength, wealth, power, heroism, and splendour, but no faults’.”

That we refer to both as if they were subject and object, it is merely a language limitation, just like saying that the wave is made of water. Here there is a mild redundancy, for unless there is water, there is no meaning for wave, but still we have different terms to qualify them. In a similar way, when the scriptures describe Brahman as the reservoir of all rasas, it is to be understood that He is both the rasas and the enjoyer of rasas. When Brahman is manifested in a form able to enjoy and reciprocate the sweetest varieties of rasas, that form is called Govinda, the giver of pleasure to His devotees.

Karma

2010-10-26T13:14:00.002-04:00

Everyone definitely meets the results of one's activities

Some may consider that the Lord displays partiality and cruelty in the creation of the universe, for we see that living entities like the demigods in the heavenly planets have ample abundance of enjoyment, while those in the lower species of life or in hellish conditions simply suffer intensely. The fact, however, is that the Lord is neither partial nor cruel towards anyone, as He declares:

samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham
(Bhagavad-gita, 9.29; Govinda-bhasya, 2.1.36)

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”

God simply creates the conditions and environment in which the conditioned living beings can carry on the activities they performed in the previous creation. The Lord sitting in everyone’s heart simply reminds the jivas of their wishes and thus propels them to work. The Vedic hymns therefore declare:

esa u hy eva sadhu karma karayati tam yam ebhyo lokebhya unninisate. esa u evasadhu karma karayati yam adho ninisate
(Kausitaki Upanisad 3.8; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.29)

"The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities so that he may be elevated. The Lord engages him in impious activities so that he may go to hell."

One of the purposes of the creation of the material world is to give to the living entities an opportunity to fulfill their contaminated desire for sense gratification, realize the ephemeral nature of this world, and then desire to go back home, back to Godhead. The cycles of creation and destruction proceed from time immemorial, being impelled by the karma performed by the jivas. At the end of the life of Brahma, the entire universe is devastated and all the material elements and the conditioned souls become absorbed in the body of Karanodakasayi Visnu. Again, when the brahmanda is created, all the souls receive another material body according to their previous activities and desires. Ksirodakasayi Visnu as the paramatma in everyone’s heart controls the movements of all, giving to everyone the results of their work.
Karma is basically twofold: pious and impious. The scriptures prescribe the performance of ritualistic pious activities such as sacrifices, charity, etc. meant to fulfill one’s desires for fruitive results, culminating in the attainment of the heavenly planets, and prohibit the performance of impious, sinful activities such as murder, theft, etc., which lead one to suffering and the hellish planets. In either case, the duration of time of staying in heaven or hell is according to the exhaustion of the specific amount of piety or impiety respectively, after which one takes birth again on earth:

te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam ksine punye martya-lokam visanti
evam trayi-dharmam anuprapanna gatagatam kama-kama labhante
(Bhagavad-gita, 9.21; Govinda-bhasya, 3.1.8)

“When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death.”

Karma can be further divided into nitya-karma, regular, such as worship, reciting mantras etc.; naimittika-karma, occasional, such as the reformatory ceremonies performed in different stages of life; and kamya-karma, for personal desire, such as the performance of some sacrifices to attain specific desired objects. The scriptures recommend to all several sacrificial rituals as well as expiatory methods (prayascitta) as being auspicious, but warn those who desire liberation to avoid kamya-karma, for it binds one to the fruitive results by them produced. Liberation implies the destruction of both pious and impious results, for both lead the soul to accept a material body. Transcendental knowledge is the effective means that destroys both, as stated:

yathaidhamsi samiddho 'gnir bhasma-sat kurute 'rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani bhasma-sat kurute tatha
(Bhagavad-gita, 4.37; Govinda-bhasya, 4.1.16)

“As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.”
In sruti it is said:

ubhe u haivaisa ete taraty amrtah sadhv-asadhuni
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.4.22; Govinda-bhasya, 4.1.Adhikarana 10, Intro.)

"He crosses beyond all karmic reactions, both good and evil, and he becomes immortal."

Once such knowledge is obtained, one becomes a jivan-mukta and no action by him performed is able to bind him:

yatha puskara-palasa apo na slisyante
evam evam-vidi papam karma na slisyate
(Chandogya Upanisad, 4.14.3; Govinda-bhasya, 4.1.Adhikarana 9, Intro.)

“As a lotus leaf is always untouched by water, so a person situated in transcendental knowledge is always untouched by sinful reactions.”

Another objection that may be raised is that if the creations are done in cycles, there must have been a first creation in which everything was manifested for the first time. Thus, the Lord must be unjust, for some entities would receive animal bodies while others would receive demigod bodies, though none of them had any previous karma to start with. In reply to this charge, the smrti states:

punya-papadikam visnuh karayet purva-karmana
anaditvat karmanas ca na virodhah kathancana
(Bhavisya Purana, quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 2.1.35)

“The Lord makes the living beings perform good and bad deeds according to their past karma. There is no contradiction here, for karma is beginningless.”

Just as the jivas are beginningless, so is their karma. In other words, it is inconceivable for the conditioned soul to understand how the bondage of karma began. The details of this mystery are known only to the Lord. The jivas are simply able to comprehend how the laws of karma work and what the way out is. Therefore the scriptures focus on these points, rather than to explain something that is beyond their capacity of understanding. This is not mere evasiveness, since the living entity is infinitesimal and therefore possesses only a limited capacity of knowledge in comparison to the all-knowing Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda.

Sometimes it is also questioned why we cannot remember our previous lives if they really existed. The hint to this was already given above, for the Lord in the heart of all is the supreme conductor:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
(Bhagavad-gita, 15.15; Govinda-bhasya, 2.1.11)

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

It would be very difficult to live the present life if we had the clear recollection of our previous lives. For example, we would have the impressions and experiences of different animal bodies and the sufferings we underwent, and also the memory of the unbearable pain of every death, what would be absolutely disrupting for leading our present life. Therefore, paramatma in our hearts makes us forget all those impressions when we take birth in a different body, so that we may again start a cycle of activities with a fresh mind. Moreover, since we had numberless bodies, it would be impossible for us to account for which particular activity we are enjoying and for which we are suffering, therefore it would be purposeless to recollect them. Only in special circumstances someone may have the ability to remember something of his previous life, as in the case of Narada Muni and Jada Bharata.

Some scriptural statements may lead one to have doubts about the authorship of karma. Is it done by the soul or by the material nature? For example:

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate
(Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.”

From this, one may hastily conclude that the soul has no connection with activity, but is just a passive observer of the activities of the modes of nature. This is not what is meant by the sastras. First of all, if we interpret the above verse as literally meaning that one is not a doer at all, then the whole Bhagavad-gita would be self-contradictory, for Sri Krsna again and again prompts Arjuna to fight. We find several scriptural injunctions, such as ‘svarga-kamo yajeta’, ‘one who desires to attain heaven should perform sacrifices’, etc., as well as innumerable prohibitions for those who want to avoid sinful reactions. Such injunctions can be meaningful only if there is a conscious being with some capacity and freedom to deliberate on his own actions, for unconscious matter is totally devoid of these. Those prescriptions are especially meant to create a kind of mentality that leads the soul to act in a particular way to suffer or enjoy the fruits of his deeds. Moreover, there are passages that describe how even those liberated from the material bondage also perform activities. It is said:

evam evaisa samprasado'smac charirat samutthaya param jyoti-rupa-sampadya
svena rupenabhinispadyate sa uttamah purusah sa tatra paryeti jaksan kridan ramamanah
(Chandogya Upanisad 8.12.3; Govinda-bhasya, 4.4.Adhikarana 1, Intro.)

“Having attained liberation, giving up the gross and subtle bodies, the jiva becomes equipped with a spiritual effulgent form. He is a spiritual person. In the spiritual world he eats, plays and becomes absorbed in bliss.”

Therefore mere activity does not imply necessarily suffering, for this is a feature of the conditional life which does not apply in the liberated stage, where all actions can be performed in a pure platform, without any inebriety, thus without producing any negative result. It is also evident that the life airs and the sense organs are manipulated by a conscious entity, for these being instruments need an agent to operate them. Such agent cannot be other than the soul, for prakrti is not a conscious, independent element. It is also seen that the living entities are suffering or enjoying because of their previous actions. If they were not the direct agents of their own deeds, then the creation of God would be unfair, for one would suffer on account of a sinful activity performed by someone else. It is the natural course that the author is the one who enjoys the fruits of his work, for if be said that prakrti is the real author of karma, then it would also be its enjoyer, and thus there would be no scope for any implication between the jiva and the karma.

Sometimes it is argued that if we were responsible for our karma, we would only get happiness and never distress, for no one deliberately causes one’s own misery. Nevertheless, the laws of karma are so intricate that practically it is not possible to avoid suffering completely. The soul is implicated in the wheel of samsara since time immemorial and he has to suffer and enjoy according to the results of actions performed in so many life times. Therefore, when the scriptures mention that the soul is not the doer they mean to say that they are not independent in their acts, for they are conditioned by so many factors. As it is said:

adhisthanam tatha karta karanam ca prthag-vidham
vividhas ca prthak cesta daivam caivatra pancamam
(Bhagavad-gita, 18.14)

“The place of action [the body], the performer, the various senses, the many different kinds of endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul—these are the five factors of action.”
Here it is clearly stated that the soul is one of the factors that produce action, without which the body, the instruments and the effort would not be able to act. The three modes of nature totally cover the pure consciousness of the jiva to such an extent that the acts performed by him are in all respects byproducts of their influence. This is thus explained:

karya-karana-kartrtve hetuh prakrtir ucyate
purusah sukha-duhkhanam bhoktrtve hetur ucyate
(Ib.13.21; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.31)

“Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.”

The Brahma-sutras compare the soul to a carpenter, who is an agent in twofold ways- he is the agent creating objects by using tools like an axe, etc., and he is the agent who holds those tools. It can be said that the wood is cut by the axe, and from this point of view, the axe can be considered the agent, but behind it there is a conscious agent. Similarly, material nature can be the direct agent for all material activities as far as it plays the role of instrument, but it never acts on its own without the will of the jiva. On the other hand, it should be remarked that the spirit soul is not independent in his activities, for the fifth factor of action is the Lord in the heart, Who observes and gives permission to the soul to act in a particular way according to his past deeds and desires . At last, if prakrti were the sole doer, there would be no meaning for all the scriptural injunctions concerning liberation, because if the soul does nothing, there would be no bondage at all, nor any possibility to perform the prescribed sadhana.

Kala- Time

2010-09-27T14:02:00.002-04:00

Time is an impersonal manifestation of the Lord’s energy, unrelated to the three modes, unconscious, and perceived as past, present and future. Time is one of the causes of creation and destruction in the universe, and its cycle is relative in different planetary systems and species of life. The sruti confirms:

sa visvakrd visvavid atmayonir jnah kala-kalo guni sarvavid yah
pradhana-ksetrajna-patir gunesah samsara-moksa-sthiti-bandha-hetuh
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.16; Govinda-bhasya, Introduction)

“The Supreme soul is the creator of this universe. He is omniscient, the source of Himself, the supreme knower, the personification of time, replete with all transcendental qualities, knows everyone, and is the controller of maya . The Regent of the universe, Lord of the material modes and is beyond their influence. He is the sole authority to keep the jiva chained to the wheel of samsara, to allocate his life-span and to reward him with liberation.”

And the smrti says:

yo 'yam kalas tasya te 'vyakta-bandho cestam ahus cestate yena visvam
nimesadir vatsaranto mahiyams tam tvesanam ksema-dhama prapadye
(Bhagavatam, 10.3.26; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.45)

“O inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creation works under the control of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions of years, is but another form of Lord Visnu. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my full surrender unto Your Lordship.”

However, time exerts no influence over Lord Krsna and His abode:

na yatra kalo 'nimisam parah prabhuh kuto nu deva jagatam ya isire
na yatra sattvam na rajas tamas ca na vai vikaro na mahan pradhanam
(Bhagavatam, 2.2.17; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.7)

“In that transcendental state of labdhopasanti, there is no supremacy of devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods who are empowered to rule over mundane creatures. (And what to speak of the demigods themselves?) Nor is there the mode of material goodness, nor passion, nor ignorance, nor even the false ego, nor the material Causal Ocean, nor the material nature.”

The calculation of time is elaborately described by Maitreya muni in the Bhagavatam, 3.11.4-39:

sa kalah paramanur vai yo bhunkte paramanutam
sato 'visesa-bhug yas tu sa kalah paramo mahan

“Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. That time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time.”

anur dvau paramanu syat trasarenus trayah smrtah
jalarka-rasmy-avagatah kham evanupatann agat

“The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky.”

trasarenu-trikam bhunkte yah kalah sa trutih smrtah
sata-bhagas tu vedhah syat tais tribhis tu lavah smrtah

“The time duration needed for the integration of three trasarenus is called a truti, and one hundred trutis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava.”

nimesas tri-lavo jneya amnatas te trayah ksanah
ksanan panca viduh kastham laghu ta dasa panca ca

“The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesa, the combination of three nimesas makes one ksana, five ksanas combined together make one kastha, and fifteen kasthas make one laghu.”

laghuni vai samamnata dasa panca ca nadika
te dve muhurtah praharah sad yamah sapta va nrnam

“Fifteen laghus make one nadika, which is also called a danda. Two dandas make one muhurta, and six or seven dandas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation.”

dvadasardha-palonmanam caturbhis catur-angulaih
svarna-masaih krta-cchidram yavat prastha-jala-plutam

“The measuring pot for one nadika, or danda, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four masa and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one danda.”

yamas catvaras catvaro martyanam ahani ubhe
paksah panca-dasahani suklah krsnas ca manada

“It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yamas, in the day and four in the night of the human being. Similarly, fifteen days and nights are a fortnight, and there are two fortnights, white and black, in a month.”

tayoh samuccayo masah pitrnam tad ahar-nisam
dvau tav rtuh sad ayanam daksinam cottaram divi

“The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the Pita planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north.”

ayane cahani prahur vatsaro dvadasa smrtah
samvatsara-satam nrnam paramayur nirupitam

“Two solar movements make one day and night of the demigods, and that combination of day and night is one complete calendar year for the human being. The human being has a duration of life of one hundred years.”

graharksa-tara-cakra-sthah paramanv-adina jagat
samvatsaravasanena paryety animiso vibhuh

“Influential stars, planets, luminaries and atoms all over the universe are rotating in their respective orbits under the direction of the Supreme, represented by eternal kala.”

samvatsarah parivatsara ida-vatsara eva ca
anuvatsaro vatsaras ca viduraivam prabhasyate

“There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own samvatsara.”

yah srjya-saktim urudhocchvasayan sva-saktya
pumso 'bhramaya divi dhavati bhuta-bhedah
kalakhyaya gunamayam kratubhir vitanvams
tasmai balim harata vatsara-pancakaya

“O Vidura, the sun enlivens all living entities with his unlimited heat and light. He diminishes the duration of life of all living entities in order to release them from their illusion of material attachment, and he enlarges the path of elevation to the heavenly kingdom. He thus moves in the firmament with great velocity, and therefore everyone should offer him respects once every five years with all ingredients of worship.”

vidura uvaca
pitr-deva-manusyanam ayuh param idam smrtam
paresam gatim acaksva ye syuh kalpad bahir vidah

“Vidura said: I now understand the life durations of the residents of the Pita planets and heavenly planets as well as that of the human beings. Now kindly inform me of the durations of life of those greatly learned living entities who are beyond the range of a kalpa.”

bhagavan veda kalasya gatim bhagavato nanu
visvam vicaksate dhira yoga-raddhena caksusa

“O spiritually powerful one, you can understand the movements of eternal time, which is the controlling form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because you are a self-realized person, you can see everything by the power of mystic vision.”
maitreya uvaca

krtam treta dvaparam ca kalis ceti catur-yugam
divyair dvadasabhir varsaih savadhanam nirupitam

“Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods.”

catvari trini dve caikam krtadisu yatha-kramam
sankhyatani sahasrani dvi-gunani satani ca

“The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Treta millennium equals 3600 years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvapara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.”

sandhya-sandhyamsayor antar yah kalah sata-sankhyayoh
tam evahur yugam taj-jna yatra dharmo vidhiyate

“The transitional periods before and after every millennium, which are a few hundred years as aforementioned, are known as yuga-sandhyas, or the conjunctions of two millenniums, according to the expert astronomers. In those periods all kinds of religious activities are performed.”

dharmas catus-pan manujan krte samanuvartate
sa evanyesv adharmena vyeti padena vardhata

“O Vidura, in the Satya millennium mankind properly and completely maintained the principles of religion, but in other millenniums religion gradually decreased by one part as irreligion was proportionately admitted.”

tri-lokya yuga-sahasram bahir abrahmano dinam
tavaty eva nisa tata yan nimilati visva-srk

“Outside of the three planetary systems [Svarga, Martya and Patala], the four yugas multiplied by one thousand comprise one day on the planet of Brahma. A similar period comprises a night of Brahma, in which the creator of the universe goes to sleep.”

nisavasana arabdho loka-kalpo 'nuvartate
yavad dinam bhagavato manun bhunjams catur-dasa

“After the end of Brahma's night, the creation of the three worlds begins again in the daytime of Brahma, and they continue to exist through the life durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind.”

svam svam kalam manur bhunkte sadhikam hy eka-saptatim

“Each and every Manu enjoys a life of a little more than seventy-one sets of four millenniums.”

manvantaresu manavas tad-vamsya rsayah surah
bhavanti caiva yugapat suresas canu ye ca tan

”After the dissolution of each and every Manu, the next Manu comes in order, along with his descendants, who rule over the different planets; but the seven famous sages, and demigods like Indra and their followers, such as the Gandharvas, all appear simultaneously with Manu.”

esa dainan-dinah sargo brahmas trailokya-vartanah
tiryan-nr-pitr-devanam sambhavo yatra karmabhih

“In the creation, during Brahma's day, the three planetary systems—Svarga, Martya and Patala—revolve, and the inhabitants, including the lower animals, human beings, demigods and Pitas, appear and disappear in terms of their fruitive activities.”

manvantaresu bhagavan bibhrat sattvam sva-murtibhih
manv-adibhir idam visvam avaty udita-paurusah

“In each and every change of Manu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears by manifesting His internal potency in different incarnations, as Manu and others. Thus He maintains the universe by discovered power.”

tamo-matram upadaya pratisamruddha-vikramah
kalenanugatasesa aste tusnim dinatyaye

“At the end of the day, under the insignificant portion of the mode of darkness, the powerful manifestation of the universe merges in the darkness of night. By the influence of eternal time, the innumerable living entities remain merged in that dissolution, and everything is silent.”

tam evanv api dhiyante loka bhur-adayas trayah
nisayam anuvrttayam nirmukta-sasi-bhaskaram

“When the night of Brahma ensues, all the three worlds are out of sight, and the sun and the moon are without glare, just as in the due course of an ordinary night.”

tri-lokyam dahyamanayam saktya sankarsanagnina
yanty usmana maharlokaj janam bhrgv-adayo 'rditah

“The devastation takes place due to the fire emanating from the mouth of Sankarsana, and thus great sages like Bhrgu and other inhabitants of Maharloka transport themselves to Janaloka, being distressed by the warmth of the blazing fire which rages through the three worlds below.”

tavat tri-bhuvanam sadyah kalpantaidhita-sindhavah
plavayanty utkatatopa-canda-vateritormayah

“At the beginning of the devastation all the seas overflow, and hurricane winds blow very violently. Thus the waves of the seas become ferocious, and in no time at all the three worlds are full of water.”

antah sa tasmin salila aste 'nantasano harih
yoga-nidra-nimilaksah stuyamano janalayaih

“The Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, lies down in the water on the seat of Ananta, with His eyes closed, and the inhabitants of the Janaloka planets offer their glorious prayers unto the Lord with folded hands.”

evam-vidhair aho-ratraih kala-gatyopalaksitaih
apaksitam ivasyapi paramayur vayah-satam

“Thus the process of the exhaustion of the duration of life exists for every one of the living beings, including Lord Brahma. One's life endures for only one hundred years, in terms of the times in the different planets.”

yad ardham ayusas tasya parardham abhidhiyate
purvah parardho 'pakranto hy aparo 'dya pravartate

“The one hundred years of Brahma's life are divided into two parts, the first half and the second half. The first half of the duration of Brahma's life is already over, and the second half is now current.”

purvasyadau parardhasya brahmo nama mahan abhut
kalpo yatrabhavad brahma sabda-brahmeti yam viduh

“In the beginning of the first half of Brahma's life, there was a millennium called Brahma-kalpa, wherein Lord Brahma appeared. The birth of the Vedas was simultaneous with Brahma's birth.”

tasyaiva cante kalpo 'bhud yam padmam abhicaksate
yad dharer nabhi-sarasa asil loka-saroruham

“The millennium which followed the first Brahma millennium is known as the Padma-kalpa because in that millennium the universal lotus flower grew out of the navel reservoir of water of the Personality of Godhead, Hari.”

ayam tu kathitah kalpo dvitiyasyapi bharata
varaha iti vikhyato yatrasic chukaro harih

“O descendant of Bharata, the first millennium in the second half of the life of Brahma is also known as the Varaha millennium because the Personality of Godhead appeared in that millennium as the hog incarnation.”

kalo 'yam dvi-parardhakhyo nimesa upacaryate
avyakrtasyanantasya hy anader jagad-atmanah

“The duration of the two parts of Brahma's life, as above mentioned, is calculated to be equal to one nimesa [less than a second] for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unchanging and unlimited and is the cause of all causes of the universe.”

kalo 'yam paramanv-adir dvi-parardhanta isvarah
naivesitum prabhur bhumna isvaro dhama-maninam

“Eternal time is certainly the controller of different dimensions, from that of the atom up to the superdivisions of the duration of Brahma's life; but, nevertheless, it is controlled by the Supreme. Time can control only those who are body conscious, even up to the Satyaloka or the other higher planets of the universe.”

Prakrti

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Durga is the personified external energy of the Lord

The external potency of the Lord is called prakrti or bahiranga-sakti, the energy responsible for all the material manifestations. It is thus defined by the sastras:

satvadi-guna-trayasrayo dravyam prakrtir nitya ca sa
gaur anady-antavati sa janitri bhuta-bhavini
(Culika Upanisad; Govinda-bhasya, Introduction)

“Material nature is like a cow. She never had a beginning. She is the mother of all living entities. She is black, white, and red. She is a cow whose milk fulfills all of Lord Visnu’s desires.”

trigunam taj-jagad-yonir anadi-prabhavapyayam
acetana parartha ca nitya satata-vikriya
trigunam karminam ksetram prakrte rupam ucyate
(Visnu Purana, 1.2.21; Govinda-bhasya, 1.4.10)

“Material nature consists of the three modes. She is the mother of the material universes. She is never born and never dies. She is unconscious, meant for the Lord’s pleasure, eternal and unchanging. She is said to be field where the conditioned souls perform their actions under the spell of the modes.”

The mode of goodness is the cause of illumination, self-satisfaction, knowledge, etc. The mode of passion causes misery, sensual desires, fruitive work, attachment, greed, etc. The mode of ignorance causes negligence, laziness, sleep, madness, darkness, illusion, etc. The balance stage of these modes in the universe causes the universal devastation. Their misbalance produces the creation of all material elements and the material bodies of the conditioned souls. Thus, everything that exists inside the universe is composed of a certain combination of the modes, among which one is always predominant. For example, in the animals the mode of ignorance is prominent; in the human beings, the mode of passion; and in the demigods, the mode of goodness. By the interaction of the modes, the mahat-tattva emanates, which is the substance from which all the material elements will further appear. By the interaction of the mahat-tattva with the modes, the ahankara becomes manifested, which causes the living entities to falsely identify themselves with the material body. This is explained thus:

tebhyah samabhavat sutram mahan sutrena samyutah
tato vikurvato jato yo 'hankaro vimohanah
(Bhagavatam, 11.24.6; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.6)

“From these modes arose the primeval sutra, along with the mahat-tattva. By the transformation of the mahat-tattva was generated the false ego, the cause of the living entities' bewilderment.”

By the interaction of the ahankara with the mode of goodness, the mind and the presiding deities of the senses appear. By the interaction of the ahankara with the mode of passion, the five knowledge-acquiring senses and the five working senses appear. By the interaction of the ahankara with the mode of ignorance, the five sense objects become manifest, from which the five gross elements- ether, air, fire, water, earth- appear.

vaikarikas taijasas ca tamasas cety aham tri-vrt
tan-matrendriya-manasam karanam cid-acin-mayah
(Bhagavatam, 11.24.7; Govinda-bhasya, Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.Adhikarana 7, Intro.)

“False ego, which is the cause of physical sensation, the senses, and the mind, encompasses both spirit and matter and manifests, in three varieties: in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance.”

arthas tan-matrikaj jajne tamasad indriyani ca
taijasad devata asann ekadasa ca vaikrtat
(Bhagavatam, 11.24.7-8)

“From false ego in the mode of ignorance came the subtle physical perceptions, from which the gross elements were generated. From false ego in the mode of passion came the senses, and from false ego in the mode of goodness arose the eleven demigods.”

mahat-tattvad vikurvanad bhagavad-virya-sambhavat
kriya-saktir ahankaras tri-vidhah samapadyata
vaikarikas taijasas ca tamasas ca yato bhavah
manasas cendriyanam ca bhutanam mahatam api
(Ibidem, 3.26.23-24; Govinda-bhasya, 2.4.6)

“The material ego springs up from the mahat-tattva, which evolved from the Lord's own energy. The material ego is endowed predominantly with active power of three kinds—good, passionate and ignorant. It is from these three types of material ego that the mind, the senses of perception, the organs of action, and the gross elements evolve.”

In summary, prakrti expands into mahat-tattva, false-ego, intelligence, mind, ether, air, fire, water, earth, the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, and the five sense objects, thus totalizing twenty four material elements, which comprise the field of activities for the living entity.

Jiva-tattva

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The living entities are also part of the Lord’s internal energy, but due to their tendency to be situated either in the spiritual world or in the material world, they are called tatastha-sakti, the marginal potency. Lord Krsna explains:

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.”

apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat

“Besides these, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is another, superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material, inferior nature.”
(Bhagavad-gita 7.4-5; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.2)

Being part and parcel of the Lord, the jivas also share some of His qualities in minute proportion, among which consciousness is the main one by which they are distinguished from inert matter. Though possessing spiritual nature and eternal existence, the sruti clearly makes distinction between the living entities and the Supreme Lord:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman

"Of all eternals, there is one Who is the chief eternal. Of all conscious living entities, there is one Who is the chief conscious entity. That supreme living entity, the Personality of Godhead, maintains the others, and fulfills their desires according to their merits.”
(Katha Upanisad, 2.2.13; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.16)

This statement also corroborates the fact that every jiva is a distinct being, endowed with consciousness limited to his particular body. His fragmental dimension and eternality are thus corroborated:

balagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca
bhago jivah vijneyah sa canantyaya kalpate

“When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of these parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is equal to the dimension of the spirit soul. This soul must be understood as fragmental and meant for eternal liberation.”
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 5.9; Govinda-bhasya, 1.3.25)

The living entities are often referred to in the scriptures as the amsas or vibhinnamsas of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He declares:

mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati
“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.”
(Bhagavad-gita, 15.7; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.43)

This is confirmed by the following statement:

etavann asya mahimato jyayams ca purusah
pado 'sya sarva-bhutani tri-pad asyamrtam divi

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of glory and opulence. His one foot is all material elements and all living entities, and His three feet are the eternal spiritual world."
(Chandogya Upanisad, 3.12.6; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.24)

The above quotes from the sruti suffice to refute the false theory that the living entities and the Supreme Lord are one and the same in the liberated stage by proving that the jivas are eternally His subordinate particles. By using the word ‘sanatana’, Lord Krsna refutes the idea that the soul remains as a separate unite as far as his material designations exist, after which he becomes one and the same as the Supreme, for ‘eternally’ obviously means either in the conditioned stage or in the liberated stage. This is further corroborated:

na hi vijnatur vijnanad viparilopo vidyate

“The soul is always conscious, and consciousness can never be separated from it, because the soul and its consciousness can never be destroyed.”
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.3.30; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.29)

Since the jiva is eternally conscious and can never be deprived of any of these two attributes, it is natural to conclude that in the liberated stage the living entity remains as a single conscious being eternally.

The consciousness pervades through the body just as the sun through the universe, and for this reason one is conscious of bodily perceptions in any limb. This perception, however, is limited to a single body, for whatever is experienced by one cannot be experienced by anyone else simultaneously, such as in the case of a headache. This common sense example proves that each jiva is unique in his identity, and his subjective experiences are restricted to his own perception. The same is not true regarding Paramatma, the Lord in the heart of everyone, for although He is one and the same, He can expand Himself unlimitedly as to observe everything that the living entities think, speak,
feel, desire or do. Both the sruti and the smrti give many evidences for this fact:

dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksam parisasvajate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti

"Two birds reside in the metaphorical banyan tree of the material body. One of them is engaged in eating the material happiness and distress which is the fruit of that tree, while the other does not eat, but only witnesses the actions of his friend. The witness is the Supreme Lord Visnu, and the fruit-eater is the living entity.”
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 4.6-7; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.2)

Lord Krsna says:

upadrastanumanta ca bharta bhokta mahesvarah
paramatmeti capy ukto dehe 'smin purusah parah

“Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul.”
(Bhagavad-gita, 13.23; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.7)

The soul, being intrinsically a spiritual being, should never be identified with any material element, gross or subtle. It is only due to the illusory potency of the Lord that the soul identifies himself with a body composed of five gross elements and with a subtle body composed of mind, intelligence and false ego. In the liberated stage, however, the soul exists free from all these coverings in a spiritual body consisting in sac-cid-ananda.

Another feature the jivas share with the Supreme Lord is the desire to perform activities and the desire to enjoy. However, only in the original constitutional position can the jivas act in the pure spiritual platform and enjoy transcendental rasa, while in the material world, due to influence of the false ego and the consequent bodily identification, they assume the authorship of the activities that are indeed an interaction of the three modes of material nature. This is so explained by Lord Krsna:

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.”
( Bhagavad-gita, 3.27; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.Adhikarana 14, Introduction)

But all this cycle of material activities which the jiva is illusory claiming to perform have behind them a supervisor, as stated above, the Lord in heart, Who is inspiring, directing and reminding every living entity in the course of his respective karma. He guides the soul from within in the form of the Supersoul, and from without in the form of the holy scriptures and the spiritual master. It is said:

esa eva sadhu karma karayati

"The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities."
(Kausitaki Upanisad, 3.8; Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.41)

The Vedanta confirms:

parat tu tac-chruteh

“The doership of the jiva is indeed given to him by the Supreme doer.”
(Brahma-sutra,2.3.39)

Then, which kind of activity would be performed by the liberated jiva in the spiritual world? By constitution, the jiva is an eternal servant of the Lord, therefore only when reinstated in that capacity one can attain full bliss. One of the pratipadya-vakyas of gaudiya vaisnavism is thus enunciated by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

jivera 'svarupa' haya—krsnera 'nitya-dasa'
krsnera 'tatastha-sakti' 'bhedabheda-prakasa
"It is the living entity's constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Krsna because he is the marginal energy of Krsna and a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord.”
(Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya 20.108; Govinda-bhasya, 3.4.43)

Even in the material world the jivas retain their status as servants, though in a perverted way. Thus, one becomes the servant of family or society, while the root purpose is to serve one’s own senses, either individually or collectively. Innumerable statements from the scriptures prove that even in the ultimate stage of liberation the living entities engage eternally in the devotional service of the Lord, thus refuting the theory that they merge in the Supreme and lose their identities, for it is not possible to speak of service without individual existence. This view is supported in this way:

salokya-sarsti-samipya-sarupyaikatvam apy uta
diyamanam na grhnanti vina mat-sevanam janah

“A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation—salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatva—even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
(Srimad Bhagavatam , 3.29.13; Govinda-bhasya, 3.4.42)

For attainment of liberation, it is imperative that one receive instructions from a bona fide spiritual master and render service unto him. Although the guru is also a jiva, due to his elevated position in the path of bhakti-yoga, he is able to take the disciple to Lord Krsna. As Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti prays:

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

"The spiritual master is honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and is followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Sri Hari."
(Gurvastakam, 7; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.45)

Here the word ‘kintu’ is very significant, for simply because the guru should be shown the same respect as God, one should not erroneously think that he is God. Therefore, our acarya says that the spiritual master is worshipped as God, ‘but’ he is not God, rather he is the beloved of God. Because he is so dear to the Lord, he has the power to deliver the Lord to whomever he wishes. His oneness with God consists in his spiritual quality, dovetailing his soul to God’s will, never in quantity or identity. The scriptural statements used by the advaitavadis are better understood from this angle of vision. For example:

yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam kartaram isam purusam brahma-yonim
tada vidvan punya-pape vidhuya niranjanah paramam samyam upaiti

"One who sees the golden-colored Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, the supreme actor, who is the source of the Supreme Brahman, becomes free from the reactions to past pious and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated, attaining the same transcendental platform as the Lord."
(Mundaka Upanisad, 3.1.3; Govinda-bhasya, 1.2.23)

Here the word ‘samyam’ mean similarity, not oneness, thus implying that the jiva still remains an individual, but only his status in the liberated stage is different from that in the conditioned stage, otherwise by affirming that the living entity attains a different ontological state after liberation would contradict the sastric evidence that the soul is immutable, never undergoing any change . Even in the conditioned life, the soul is never touched by matter, and thus always keeps his own transcendental nature, though circumstantially covered. This difference and non-difference is also implied in the following statement:

brahmaiva san brahmapnoti

"After becoming Brahman, the individual spirit soul attains Brahman."
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.4.6; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.17)

Here it is clearly mentioned that the soul is Brahman and that he attains Brahman. Now, it is neither logical nor feasible to say that one attains something that he already is. Therefore, the simple conclusion is that we must qualify the terms in order to understand that the Brahman soul attains the Brahman abode where he enjoys a similar Brahman nature with the Parabrahma, Who is quantitatively and ontologically a being distinct from all the other beings. It is this disassociation from the Lord and His abode that makes the status of the conditioned entities different from that of the liberated ones, for under no condition the jiva ever loses his status as Brahman. When the scriptures speak of the Supreme Lord as the all in all, that refers to His all-pervasive feature that propels all the universal elements and the living beings to act, for none of them has any independent power apart from the will of God. This obviously does not support the pantheistic view that everything is God, as if He had become amalgamated or diluted in His creation. Certain statements from the sastra should be interpreted according to the philosophical context instead of the immediate literal meaning, for otherwise we would end up with innumerable contradictions and unable to draw any conclusion. For example, let us consider the following prayer:

yo 'yam tavagato deva samipam devata-ganah
sa tvam eva jagat-srasta yatah sarva-gato bhavan

"Whoever comes before You, be he a demigod, is part of You, since they are all created by You, Who is All-pervading, O Supreme Personality of Godhead."
(Visnu Purana, 1.9.69; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.30)

Here one should not hastily conclude that the demigods are also God, for this is not what it is meant. Moreover, it would be meaningless for the demigods to offer prayers to God unless they are distinct from one another. What is philosophically meant here is the fact that all souls and their material bodies are expansions of the energy of the Lord and are maintained by Him, therefore there is no possibility of their existence apart from Him, since He pervades all and everything. But at the same time there is no scope for stating that on this basis ontological diversity is not a reality, for the Lord is still clearly referred to as the Supreme All-pervasive. If instead of a Supreme Person, what pervades everything is the same common principle present everywhere, then there would be no need to glorify anyone, nor there would be any difference between the prowess of one being and another, nor any kind of dependence.

Then, again the monists may propose that the jiva is indeed Brahman covered by avidya, and once this ignorance is removed by the process of knowledge, the soul is reinstated as Brahman just like sky inside an earthen pot is again one with the outside sky once the pot is broken, or just like the same sun is reflected in innumerable reservoirs of water. These illustrations, however, are defective to describe the soul either in his conditioned or liberated phase. Since the impersonalists consider Brahman an undistinguished agglomerate of consciousness, how it could be possibly divided and covered by avidya? This would contradict both common sense and the scriptural descriptions of the soul’s indivisible nature and Brahman’s supremacy. And if Brahman is impersonal and formless, how could it be reflected at all? Otherwise, in the given illustration we could wonder why the wind and the directions-both formless- don’t display any reflection, though situated in the sky just like the sun. The fact here is that just like the sky, the soul’s nature does not change after liberation, but simply gets rid of its material designations. Moreover, no sane man would say that the sun in inside the glass of water, for anyone can understand that the reflection is due to a mere particle of its rays that are temporarily appearing on the surface of the water. Further evidence from the sruti confirms the eternal difference between the jiva and the Lord:

prthag-atmanam preritam ca matva justas tatas tenamrtatvam eti

"When one understands that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit souls are eternally distinct entities, then he may become qualified for liberation, and live eternally in the spiritual world."
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 1.6; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.2)

By rejecting this siddhanta and accepting the monist one, several incongruities accrue. For example, it would not be possible to ascertain who is a bona fide spiritual master, for one who realized the same undivided spiritual nature in everyone would contradict his own philosophy by seeing someone as a different person to be accepted as a disciple. Thus, if one does accept a disciple, he is not a realized monist; and if he does not, nobody would be instructed. In any case there would be no possibility of a disciplic succession, what would violate the Vedic injunctions.

A doubt may be raised regarding the origin of the jivas: if everything is a creation of God, we may conclude that the souls are also made by Him. Some statements of the scriptures may apparently give this idea:

yatah prasuta jagatah prasuti toyena jivan vyasasarja bhumyam

"From the Supreme Personality of Godhead the universe was born. With water He created the living entities on the earth."
(Maha-Narayana Upanisad, 1.4; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.Adhikarana 11, Introduction)

san-mulah saumyemah sarvah prajah

"O gentle one, all living entities have their roots in the Supreme."
(Chandogya Upanisad, 6.8.6)

But we should understand that there is no contradiction in the sastra, therefore when it is mentioned that the souls are born, that is obviously referring to the material body accepted by the jiva, who is eternally unborn, as already stated:

na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire
“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
(Bhagavad-gita, 2.20; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.16)

That the individual spirit soul was never born is also declared in the sruti:

jnajnau dvav ajav isanisau

"Neither the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor the individual spirit souls were ever born."
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 1.9; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.16)

It is only a matter of worldly convention to say that such-and-such person was born or died, as well as holding ceremonies like jata-karma, for indeed all these usages are directly applied with reference to the body, not the soul. The individual spirit soul is different from the external material body and resides in it like a passenger:

sa va ayam puruso jayamanah sariram abhisampadyamanah sa utkraman mriyamanah

"At the moment of birth the spirit soul enters a material body and at the moment of death the soul leaves the body."
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.3.8; Govinda-bhasya, 1.3.43)

jivopetam vava kiledam mriyate na jivo mriyate

"The soul resides in the material body. When the body dies the soul does not die."
(Chandogya Upanisad, 6.11.3)

How is the nature of the soul to be understood? It is perceivable that the conscious living entities are cognizant of themselves (dharmi-jnana) and of the external world (dharma-bhuta-jnana), therefore endowed with knowledge. Some claim that the soul is knowledge itself, while the gaudiya siddhanta is that the jiva is the knower and has knowledge as his attribute, thus being both of them simultaneously. This is based on some particular passages from the sruti, like the following one:

esa hi drasta sprasta srota rasayita ghrata manta boddha karta vijnanatma purusah

"The individual spirit soul is the seer, the toucher, the hearer, the taster, the smeller, the thinker, the determiner, the doer, and the knower."
(Prasna Upanisad, 4.9)

In the Smrti-sastra it is said:

jnata jnana-svarupo 'yam

"The individual spirit soul is both knower and knowledge."
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.17)

Some consider the soul’s knowledge to be temporary, acquired under some specific circumstances, which once given up leave the jiva again in his original state characterized by unconsciousness. They believe that it is the mere contact of the living entity with the mind that produces the perception of knowledge, otherwise the soul is incapable of perception just like one in a state of dreamless sleep does not perceive anything. They claim that the mind brings about cognition to the soul just like an iron rod put in the fire acquires fiery attributes and that if knowledge were eternal it would not be possible for the soul to be unconscious at any stage like deep sleep. Moreover, if knowledge were an intrinsic attribute of the soul there would be no need of any sense organ such as the mind and the fire acquiring knowledge senses, for under any condition the soul would be able to experience cognition. The Vedic conclusion, however, refutes all these arguments in the following way:

avinasi va are ayam atmanucitti-dharma

"The soul's consciousness is never destroyed."
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.5.14; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.26)

Cognition cannot be produced by the contact of the soul with the mind, for none of them is constituted by parts nor is the soul ever subject to any factual interaction with any material element. The soul’s eternal knowledge is simply temporarily covered due to the influence of the Lord’s external illusory potency and again revived by the process of devotional service unto Him:

yatha na kriyate jyotsna mala-praksalanan maneh
dosa-prahanan na jnanam atmanah kriyate tatha

"As by washing away the dirt that covered a jewel, the jewel's splendor is not created but merely uncovered, so by removing the dirt of materialism that covered the soul, the soul's splendor is not created, but merely uncovered.

yathodapana-khananat kriyate na jalantaram
sad eva niyate vyaktim asatah sambhavah kutah

"As by digging a well, water is brought forth but not created, so by spiritual activities the nature of the soul is brought forth but not created. How would it be possible to create the soul's qualities from nothing?

tatha heya-guna-dhvamsad avarodhadayo gunah
prakasyante na janyante nitya evatmano hi te

"When material faults are destroyed, the soul's qualities become revealed. The soul's qualities are eternal, they are never created."
(Visnu smrti, 104. 55-57; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.26)

Knowledge exists eternally along with the spiritual soul and cannot be alienated in any circumstance, just like fire and its light exist concomitantly, therefore there is no contradiction in calling the soul knowledge itself or saying that it possesses knowledge as his attribute. However, it can be latent or dormant in specific conditions like under the material coverings. The example given is that in childhood one’s procreative power is in a latent phase to be manifested later. This is described in the following words:

yad vai tan na vijanati vijanan vaitad vijneyam na vijanati na hi vijnatur vijnanat viparilopo vidyate avinasitvan na tu tad dvitiyam asti tato 'nyad vibhaktam yad vijaniyat

"In the state of dreamless sleep the soul is both conscious and unconscious. The soul is always conscious, and consciousness can never be separated from it, because the soul and its consciousness can never be destroyed. Still, in the state of dreamless sleep no object is presented before the soul for it to be conscious of."
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.3.30; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.29)

If knowledge did not exist in the soul as an intrinsic attribute, then even in the awaken stage it would not be possible to apprehend anything, for the senses themselves are mere material elements which once left by the soul are simply dead matter. The soul’s spiritual senses, however, are also eternal and are also non-different from the soul. They can be fully manifested only in the spiritual world or in this world by those who are jivan-muktas, liberated even before leaving the material world.

Siddhanta-darpana, The Mirror of Philosophical Conclusions

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Apart from a good number of commentaries, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana wrote only a few philosophical books: Siddhanta-ratna and Prameya-ratnavali (both introductions to Govinda-bhasya), Siddhanta-darpana, Vedanta-syamantaka (also attributed to Radha Damodara Gosvami) and Tattva-dipika. Siddhanta-darpana is a prakarana-grantha, a treatise briefly dealing with a specific philosophical topic. Comprising a total of 56 verses, Vidyabhusana’s work aims at proving that the Srimad Bhagavatam is a bona fide Maha-purana, and that being non-different from the Supreme personality of Godhead, it is eternal and faultless. The only commentary available was written by Nanda Misra, who according to the Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana was Vidyabhusana’s disciple. There is hardly any available information about him, but from his comments on 5.4 we may assume that he was either originally from Varanasi or lived there for several years. In any case, it is evident that he was formally trained in the different branches of orthodox philosophical schools.

The book is divided in seven prabhas or rays, as follows:

The first ray refutes various nastika arguments, as well as some put forward by the mimamsakas and vaisesikas, and proves that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator of the universe and that the sruti and smrti are his sound incarnation.

The second ray refutes the idea that the sastras are human compositions and that if the sruti and the smrti are non-different, then the sudras should be prohibited to read the smrti.

The third ray proves that the Srimad Bhagavatam is one of the eighteen Maha-puranas by its characteristics and number of verses.

The fourth ray proves that the Srimad Bhagavatam is different from the Devi Bhagavata and the Kalika Puranas

The fifth ray refutes the doubts raised about the authenticity of the Srimad Bhagavatam

The sixth ray refutes the idea that Vopadeva is the author of the Srimad Bhagavatam

The seventh ray refutes the idea that the Srimad Bhagavatam has only 332 chapters
Here is an excerpt from the first ray:

Text 1

pita parasaro yasya
sukadevasya yah pita
tam vyasam badari-vasam
krsna-dvaipayanam bhaje

I worship the son of Parasara muni , Srila Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, who lives in Badarikasrama and is the father of Sukadeva Gosvami.

Purport

Invocation by the commentator (Nanda Misra):

syamo’pi yah sruti-saroruha-bodha-raktah
santo’pi yo’syati tamas-tatim antara-stham
pratyak-padam disati yah paramam svagobhir
vyasam tam adbhuta-ravim saranam prapadye

“I take the shelter of Srila Vyasadeva, who is just like a wonderful sun showing the ultimate goal of life to the conditioned souls by the rays of his transcendental knowledge. Although he is dark-complexioned, he becomes reddish by the contact with the lotus-like Vedic knowledge, and though very peaceful, he dissipates the massive ignorance situated in the heart.”

Those who have a poor fund of knowledge are non-believers (nastikas). They don’t accept the Vedas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead described in them. Others, so-called believers, take to the logic-of-the-half-hen (arddha-kukkuti-nyaya) . In order to refute all these blasphemous individuals, the author composed this treatise called ‘Siddhanta-darpana’, and following the tradition of his predecessors , he begins with the above invocation expressing his devotion to Srila Vyasadeva. Here ‘to worship’ (bhaje) means to propitiate by falling at feet, etc. By stating that he is the son of Parasara muni, it is indicated that he is an incarnation of the Lord , as it is said in the Visnu Purana (3.4.5):

krsna-dvaipayanam vyasam
viddhi narayanam prabhum
ko’nyo hi bhuvi maitreya
mahabharata-krd bhavet

“My dear Maitreya, you should know that Srila Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa is Lord Narayana Himself. Who else could be the author of the Mahabharata?”

By the statement that Vyasadeva is the father of Sukadeva Gosvami, we understand that the author, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, is also instructing pure devotional service, and that by worshipping the Lord with such devotion, he attained all desired purposes.

Text 2

nityam nivasatu hrdaye
caitanyatma murarir nah
niravadyo nirvrtiman
gajapatir anukampaya yasya

May Lord Narayana, the enemy of the demon Mura, Whose transcendental form is pure consciousness, eternally reside within our heart. By His mercy Gajendra, the king of the elephants, gave up his animal body and became one of the associates of the Lord.

Purport

Here the author recites an invocation in his own words. This verse can be explained in three different ways:

(1) The word ‘caitanyatma’ means that Lord Murari has a transcendental form consisting in pure consciousness. Gajendra is the king of the elephants, who was afflicted by a crocodile . He became purified (niravadyah), that means, free from his animal condition, and was liberated (nivrtiman), assuming a transcendental body as an associate of the Lord in Vaikuntha.

(2) Lord Murari is the annihilator of this contemptuous mundane life, and He has now appeared in a form (atma) known as Sri Caitanya. By His mercy, Maharaja Prataparudra, the King of Orissa (gajapatih), became free from all worldly passions (niravadyah) and attained pure love for Krsna (nivrtiman).

(3) By the mercy of Rasika Murari , who was an unalloyed devotee of Sri Caitanya (caitanyatma), the king of elephants (gajapatih) received the name Gopala dasa, gave up his aggressive nature (niravadyah), and became jubilant upon engaging in the service of the Lord’s devotees .
Here the first interpretation is the one intended, while the other two are implied.

Text 3

yad asmin veda-siddhantah
prakasante satam priyah
tenayam bhanyate grantho
namna siddhanta-darpanah

In this book the conclusions of the Vedas, which are very dear to the Lord’s devotees, are shining forth, therefore it is called ‘Siddhanta-darpana’, the mirror of philosophical conclusions.

Purport

Here the author presents the book at hand, in which the Vedic conclusions (veda-siddhantah) that the historical works and the Puranas are eternal forms of the Lord shine forth (prakasante), i.e., are very well acknowledged. Saintly devotees (satam) are the devotees of Lord Hari, the real followers of the Vedas.

Text 4

ekam eva param tattvam
vacya-vacaka-bhava-bhak
vacyah sarvesvaro devo
vacakah pranavo bhavet

The very same Supreme Absolute Truth is simultaneously the One described and the words describing. As the One described, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as the word describing, He is the syllable Om.

Purport

In this verse the author begins with the topic of the book. In the Prasna Upanisad (5.2), it is stated:

etad vai satyakama param
caparam ca brahma yad omkarah

"O Satyakama, the syllable Om is both the superior Brahman and the inferior Brahman.”

In this passage it is seen that there is no difference between the Lord (vacya) and the syllable Om (vacaka). This same principle is also seen in other places.

Text 5

matsya-kurmadibhi rupair
yatha vacyo bahur bhavet
vacako’ pi tathargadi-
bhavad bahur udiryate

As the One described by words, the Lord possesses multiple forms, such as Matsya-avatara, Kurma-avatara, etc. Similarly, the words describing Him also appear in many forms, such as the Rg Veda, etc.

Purport

This verse explains how both the vacya and the vacaka possess innumerable forms. Just as the Supreme Lord (vacya) possesses unlimited forms such as Matsya, Kurma, etc., in the same way, the pranava (vakaca) also appears in many forms, such as the Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas, as well as the historical works, the Puranas, etc. The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.20) confirms:

eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya
eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati

"Lord Krsna is the worshipable, all-pervading Supreme Controller, and although He is one, He manifests Himself in many forms.”

In the Visnu Purana (1.2.3) it is said:

ekaneka-svarupaya
sthula-suksmatmane namah
avyakta-vyakta-rupaya
visnave mukti-hetave

“I offer my humble obeisances to Lord Visnu, whose transcendental form is both one and many, tangible and subtle, manifested and unmanifested, and Who is the cause of liberation.”

In the Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad (1.3) it is stated:

sarve vedah pranavadikah

“All the Vedas start with the pranava (the syllable Om).”

Then it is explained that in the pranava, the letters ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, and the ardha-matra are indeed the Rg, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Vedas:

etasya ha vai pranavasya ya purva matra prthivy akarah sa rgbhir rgvedo brahma
vasavo gayatri garhapatyah sa samnah prathamah pado bhavati.
dvitiyantariksam sa ukarah sa yajubhir yajurvedo visnu rudras-tristub-
daksinagnih sa samno dvitiyah pado bhavati. trtiya dyauh sa makarah sa
samabhih samavedo rudraditya jagaty ahavaniyah sa samnas trtiyah pado
bhavati. yavasane'sya caturthy ardha-matra sa somaloka onkarah so'tharvanair
mantrair atharva-vedah samvartako'gnir maruto virad eka rsir bhasvati sa
samnas caturthah pado bhavati.

“In the pranava, the first quarter is ‘a’. It is the earth, the Rg Veda, it is Brahman, the Vasus, the gayatri metre and the garhapatya fire.
The second quarter is ‘u’ and it is sky, the Yajur Veda, it is Visnu, the Rudras, the tristubh metre and the daksina fire.
The third quarter is ‘m’ and that is the heavenly planets, the Sama Veda, it is Rudra, the Adityas, the jagati metre and the ahavaniya fire.
The fourth quarter is the ardha-matra (the half-measure) which is at the end and is the world of Soma, the om sound, the Atharva Veda, the fire of universal destruction, the Maruts, the Virat, the rsi and the effulgence.”

In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (2.4.10), it is confirmed:

evam va are’sya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah samavedo’tharvangirasa itihasah puranam vidya upanisadah slokah sutrany upasutrany anuvyakhyanani

“From the breath of the Supreme Lord emanated the Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas, as well as the historical works, the Puranas, the different divisions of knowledge and the Upanisads along with their verses, aphorism, commentaries and sub-commentaries .”

In the Vayu Purana, Suta Gosvami corroborates the fact that the historical works and Puranas are also Vedas :

itihasa-purananam
vaktaram samyag eva hi
mam caiva pratijagraha
bhagavan isvarah prabhuh

eka asid yajur-vedas
tam caturdha vyakalpayat
caturhotram abhut tasmims
tena yajnam akalpayat

adhvaryavam yajurbhis tu
rgbhir hotram tathaiva ca
audgatram samabhis caiva
brahmatvam capy atharvabhih

akhyanais capy upakhyanair
gathabhir dvija-sattamah
purana-samhitas cakre
puranartha-visaradah
yac chistam tu yajur-veda
iti sastrartha-nirnayah

“Srila Vyasadeva, the Supreme Lord, accepted me as the qualified speaker of the historical works and Puranas. In the beginning, the Yajur Veda was the only Veda, which Srila Vyasadeva divided into four parts. In these appeared the sacrificial activities performed by four priests, by means of which Srila Vyasadeva arranged for the performance of sacrifice.

“He ascribed the yajur-mantras to the adhvaryu priests, the rg-mantras to the hota priests, the sama-mantras to the udgata priests, and the atharva-mantras to the brahma priests.

“O best of the brahmanas, afterwards Srila Vyasa, who thoroughly knows the meaning of the Puranas, compiled them and the historical works with all their stories, sub-stories and songs. Whatever remained after Vyasa divided the Vedas into four parts became known as the Yajur Veda. This is the conclusion of the scriptures.”

Sakti-tattva

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Once His status was understood, the next inquiry should be regarding the relation between the Supreme Lord and His energies.

In the sruti it is said:

na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.8; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.1)

“He does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity. There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence.”

His energies work as multifarious agents to his supreme will, manifesting anything material or spiritual. They are in no respect independent of Him, but rather work fully under His supervision. The different energies are thus classified:

visnu-saktih para prokta
ksetrajnakhya tatha para
avidya-karma-samjnanya
trtiya saktir ucyate
(Visnu Purana, 6.7.61; Govinda-bhasya, 2.1.30)

"The potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in three categories: namely the spiritual potency, the living entities, and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entitles, although belonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities."

The Skanda Purana also clearly distinguishes the potencies of the Lord in this way:

aparam tv aksaram ya
sa prakrtir jada-rupini
srih para prakrtih prokta
cetana visnu-samsraya
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Vedanta-syamantaka, 2.24)

“The Lord has a material potency and a spiritual potency. The material potency manifests an external form of dull matter. Goddess Sri is the Lord’s spiritual potency. She has a spiritual form. She takes shelter of Lord Visnu.”

Being the feminine counterpart of Lord Visnu, Laksmi shares His potencies and opulences:

nityaiva sa jagan-mata
visnoh srir anapayini
yatha sarva-gato visnus
tathaiveyam dvijottama
(Visnu Purana, 1.8.17; Govinda-bhasya,3.3.40)

"The goddess of fortune is the eternal companion of Lord Visnu. She is the mother of the universe. O best of the brahmanas, as Lord Visnu is all-pervading, so is she also."

atma-vidya ca devi tvam
vimukti-phala-dayini
ka tv anya tvam rte devi
sarvam yajna-mayam vapuh
(Ibidem, 1.9.118)

“O Goddess Laksmi, You are full of transcendental knowledge. You are the giver of liberation. Who is glorious like You? Your form is made of sacred yajnas.”

These statements defeat the wrong conception that Laksmi is a common living entity, for the jiva cannot at any stage be all-pervading nor the giver of liberation.

Being the eternal companion of Lord Visnu, Laksmi accompanies Him wherever and whenever He incarnates to display His pastimes, and for this purpose, She always assumes a compatible form. This fact is clearly explained thus:

devatve deva-deheyam
manusyatve ca manusi
visnor dehanurupam vai
karoty esatmanas tanum
(Visnu Purana, 1.9.143)

“When the Lord appears as a demigod, She (the Goddess of fortune) takes the form of a demigoddess, and when He appears as a human being, She takes a humanlike form. Thus She assumes a body corresponding to that accepted by Lord Visnu in order to assist in His pastimes.”

The internal energy of Krsna is called yoga-maya or antaranga-sakti. This is the energy that predominates in the spiritual world and the one that makes possible for the Lord to enjoy unlimited pastimes in the material world, and is known as His consort, as stated:

sris ca te laksmis ca patnyau
(Sukla Yajur-Veda, 31.22; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.18)

"O Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri and Laksmi are Your wives."

The internal energy is further classified into sandhini, samvit and hladini:

hladini sandhini samvit
tvayy eka sarva-samsthitau
hlada-tapakari misra
tvayi no guna-varjite
(Visnu Purana, 1.12.69; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.42)

“O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini, sandhini and samvit exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities.”

Rupa Gosvami explains in the third wave of his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu:

“From the existential aspect (sat) of the svarupa-sakti of the Lord, the sandhini potency is eternally extant. From the cognitive aspect (cit), the samvit potency is manifest and from the aspect of transcendental bliss (ananda), the hladini potency is present. These three aspects eternally permeate the specialized function (visesa- vrtti) of svarupa-sakti, or in other words visuddha sattva. However, sometimes the presence of the hladini aspect within visuddha-sattva becomes prominent, and the influence of the other two aspects is less. Sometimes the sandhini aspect becomes prominent, and samvit and hladini are less, and sometimes the samvit aspect becomes prominent, and hladini and sandhini are less.”

Gaudiya vaisnavism identifies Srimati Radharani as hladini sakti personified and the original source of all other incarnations of Krsna’s energy, just as He is the avatari (Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.45; 3.3.42). The Supreme Absolute Truth must necessarily comprise everything that might exist. Therefore, God would be incomplete if He were simply a male personality. Being eternally united and distinct simultaneously, Sri Radha and Sri Krsna are the fountainhead of all emanations. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, is the embodiment of both of Them in a unique mood, as Krsnadas Kaviraj Gosvami explains:

radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad
ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau
caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam
radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam
(Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi 1.5)

“The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani although He is Krsna Himself.”

Srimati Radharani is described as being the original source of all sakti-tattva incarnations just as Govinda is the Avatari from Whom all Visnu-tattva incarnations emanate. To support this view, the gaudiya vaisnava acaryas give the following quotations:

dve parsve candravali radhika ca (…)
yasya amse laksmi-durgadika saktih
(Purusa-bodhini Upanisad, quoted in the Prameya-ratnavali, 1.15)

“In the land of Gokula in Mathura-mandala, Lord Krsna resides. At His two sides are Radha and Candravali. Laksmi, Durga, and the Lord’s potencies are expansions of Sri Radha.”

devi krsnamayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-laksmimayi sarva-
kantih sammohini para
(Gautamiya Tantra, Ibidem)

“The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Sri Krsna. She is the central figure for all the Goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.”

The Supreme Lord along with His superior energy is the instrumental cause of the material world, while his external energy along with the marginal energy is the efficient cause.

Lord Krsna's Svarupa

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In the material world there is a clear distinction between the living entities and their bodies or between the field of activities and its knower. In the spiritual world, however, such a distinction does not exist, for there everything is composed of sat, cid and ananda. In this way, Lord Krsna’s body and His very self are one and the same, being transcendental. His spiritual body is described in these words:

sat-pundarika-nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram
dvi-bhujam jnana-mudradhyam vana-malinam isvaram

“Lord Krsna’s eyes are like lotus flowers. His complexion is like a monsoon cloud. His garments are like lightning. He has two hands. He is rich with transcendental knowledge. He is adorned with a garland of forest flowers. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 1.10; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.38)

His presence in the material world does not affect His transcendental nature, for under any condition He remains the Supreme and any form He accepts for His pastimes is fully spiritual without any tinge of the modes of material nature:

ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san
prakrtim svam adhisthaya sambhavamy atma-mayaya

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.”
(Bhagavad-gita, 4.6; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.10)

By His omnipotence, He pervades the whole universe in His paramatma feature, and at the same time is one and the same Personality of Godhead:

gunesu guna-samye ca guna-vyatikare tatha
eka eva paro hy atma bhagavan isvaro 'vyayah
pratyag-atma-svarupena drsya-rupena ca svayam
vyapya-vyapaka-nirdesyo hy anirdesyo 'vikalpitah
kevalanubhavananda- svarupah paramesvarah
mayayantarhitaisvarya iyate guna-sargaya

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthavara], such as the plants, to Brahma, the foremost created living being. He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided. He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ananda. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent.”
(Bhagavatam, 7.6.20-23; Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.38)

Lord Brahma states that Lord Krsna’s body is composed of transcendental elements:

tam ekam govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham panca-padam vrndavana-sura-bhuruha-talasinam satatam sa-marud-gano 'ham paramaya stutya tosayami

"With eloquent prayers, I and the Maruts please Lord Govinda, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, who stays under a desire tree in Vrndavana, and who is this five-word mantra."
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 1.38; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.62)

The Lord may assume innumerable forms. One of the prominent ones is that of Lord Visnu with four arms, as the Bhagavatam describes:

tam adbhutam balakam ambujeksanam catur-bhujam sankha-gadady-udayudham
srivatsa-laksmam gala-sobhi-kaustubham pitambaram sandra-payoda-saubhagam
maharha-vaidurya-kirita-kundala- tvisa parisvakta-sahasra-kuntalam
uddama-kancy-angada-kankanadibhir virocamanam vasudeva aiksata

“Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons sankha, cakra, gada and padma. On His chest was the mark of Srivatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidurya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.”
(Bhagavatam, 10.3.9-10)

In the battle of Kuruksetra, Arjuna requested Krsna to exhibit His four-armed feature:

kiritinam gadinam cakra-hastam
icchami tvam drastum aham tathaiva
tenaiva rupena catur-bhujena
sahasra-baho bhava visva-murte

“O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.”
(Bhagavad-gita, 11.46)

It should not be considered that there is any ontological difference between the different incarnations of the Lord, but here the philosophical idea is diversity in oneness, therefore there is a gradation of display of potencies by which the avataras are distinctly classified as lila-avataras, guna-avataras, purusa-avataras, yuga-avataras, manvantara-avataras and saktyavesa-avataras. Due to His unique transcendental attributes, the two-armed form of Govinda is considered the utmost- the Avatari- and attractive to all, including His avataras.

The Lord expands Himself in quadruple forms, called catur-vyuhas (Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.15). They are further classified as pertaining to Dvarka when He manifests his bhauma-lila, or pastimes in the material world, and as pertaining to the spiritual world. The former ones are direct expansions of svayam bhagavan Sri Krsna, while the latter emanate from Narayana, Who is the Lord of the Vaikuntha planets. The first expansion of Narayana is called Vasudeva, the presiding deity of consciousness; from Vasudeva comes Sankarsana, the presiding deity of the living entities; from Him comes Pradyumna, the presiding deity of senses and the mind; and from Him comes Aniruddha, the presiding deity of the ahankara. Sankarsana is identified as the first purusa incarnation, Who enters the causal ocean to manifest the material creation, therefore called Karanodakasayi Visnu. At the end of the life span of each Brahma there is a total devastation of all the brahmandas and all the living entities who could not attain the ultimate liberation merge in the body of Lord Sankarsana. When again it is time to manifest the creation, it is He who glances at prakrti, and it is from Him that the jivas again emanate. This whole cycle is accomplished in a mere inhalation and exhalation of Sankarsana: when He exhales, all the brahmandas come out from His pores; when He inhales, all the universes are absorbed in His body. The second purusa-avatara is identified as Pradyumna, Who enters each brahmanda and lies in the ocean of milk, therefore called Ksirodakasayi Visnu. From Him comes the third purusa-avatara, Lord Brahma, and Lord Siva. The third purusa-avatara is known as Paramatma, the One Who enters everyone’s heart and every atom. He sustains the cosmos by His potencies and controls the movements of all beings.

Visnu-tattva (Isvara-tattva)

2010-02-15T08:17:00.003-05:00

The existence (satta) and nature (svarupa) of God have been largely described in all sruti and smrti. Being so, the theistic philosophical systems that accept the authority of the Vedas are called ‘astika’ (asti-there is), referring to the open acceptance of a Supreme controller over all the other elements. On the other hand, those who deny the authority of the Vedas, and consequently the existence of God, are called ‘nastika’ (nasti- there is not).

Those who do not accept the existence of God argue that the concept of God as the creator of the universe is untenable, because God does not possess a body for the purpose of creating the universe. But such arguments are not valid because, as stated in the sruti, Isvara can create the universe by his will (sankalpa) without the aid of a body. Neither inference (anumana) nor the statements of the atheists can disprove the existence of God. Sruti or revealed scripture is the sole authority for knowing the existence of God.

The advaitavadis question the view that Brahman is to be known through the revealed scripture. They emphasise the point that Brahman, as the transcendental reality, is self established and is beyond all speech and thought. It cannot be grasped by the intellect. Thus the Upanisadic texts say that its reality is unperceivable and ungraspable:

yat tad adresyam agrahyam (Mundaka Upanisad, I.1.5)

Another text states-

yato vaco nivartante aprapya manasa saha (Taitiriya Upanisad, II.9.1l)

“From whom speech and mind turn away, because they are unable to reach him.” Brahman is therefore avedya - beyond all empirical pramanas and cognition.

The vaisnavas criticise this view. It is not correct to say Brahman cannot be known by means of scriptural texts. The very Upanisads say that Brahman is only knowable by sruti. Thus the sruti says-

sarve vedah yat padam amananti (Katha Upanisad, II-15)

"All Vedas speak of this nature". Several texts affirm that Brahman is describable by words and also knowable:

tasyoditi nama (Chandogya Upanisad, I.6.7)

The Upanisadic text which speaks of Brahman as beyond words and thought can only mean that Brahman which is infinite cannot be adequately described by words, and cannot be also known in all its fullness by our finite minds. If this interpretation were not accepted, there would be conflict with both the earlier and later statements made in the same Upanisadic passage.

Another impersonalist argument is that the terms Brahman, atma, etc. mentioned in the Upanisads do not have a primary import (mukhyartha) in respect of Brahman, but they only have a secondary meaning(laksana). That is, these words do not refer directly to Brahman, but indirectly. This is explained in the analogy of the moon seen through the branch of a tree (sakha-candra-nyaya). The moon visible as if close to the tree branch is made use of to identify the real moon which is far distant in the sky. Though there is no connection between the branch and the moon, the former serves the purpose of identifying the moon in the sky. In the same way, the term Brahman in the Upanisads serves to convey the knowledge of Brahman without having direct reference to Brahman.

According to the vaisnava schools, there is no difficulty at all in accepting the primary import in respect of Parabrahman, the higher reality postulated by the impersonalists. The word Brahman, atma, etc. and all the Upanisadic texts related to the discussion on the nature of Brahman refer directly to the higher Brahman. If it is argued that direct reference is only to the lower Brahman (apara-brahman), then the statements relating to the higher Brahman become invalid, and the very existence of such a Brahman would be questionable. It is impossible to maintain that Brahman is unknowable. Even if Brahman were the content of the indirect reference, it would become the object of knowledge to that extent. It is therefore more appropriate and logical to accept that Brahman is known through the scripture and that scripture is the sole authority for proving its existence.

After accepting the existence of God, one should appreciate the nature of His transcendental existence, Names, forms, attributes, activities, etc. It is said:

vijnanam anandam brahma ratir datuh parayanam
(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.9.28); Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.40)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of knowledge and bliss. It is He Who gives the fruits of actions to those who perform yajnas."

This is confirmed by the following statements:

satyam jnanam anantam brahma (Taittiriya Upanisad (2.1.1); Govinda-bhasya, 1)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is limitless, eternal, and full of knowledge."

yah sarvajnah sarvavid
(Mundaka Upanisad (1.1.9); Govinda-bhasya, 1.2.21)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows everything."

These and so many other quotes prove that God’s body is not composed of material elements, but rather by spiritual knowledge, eternity and blissfulness, as confirmed:

om namah
sac-cid-ananda-rupaya krsnayaklista-karine
namo vedanta-vedyaya gurave buddhi-saksine
(Gopala-tapani Upanisad, 1.1; Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.2)

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Krsna, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, Who is the rescuer from distress, Who is understood by Vedanta, Who is the supreme spiritual master, and Who is the witness in everyone's heart.”

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam
(Brahma-samhita, 5.1; Govinda-bhasya, 3.2.17)

“Krsna, Who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

His status among all the living entities and even among the greatest demigods is that of Supreme Controller unto Whose power all are subordinated.

tamisvaranam paramam mahesvaram tam devatanam paramam ca daivatam
patim patinam paramam parastad vidama devam bhuvanesamidyam
(Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.7; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.46)

“We meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular powers only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also worshipable by all demigods and is the supreme director of all directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and controllers and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than Him, and He is the supreme cause of all causes.”

sa karanam karanadhipadhipo na casya kascij janita na cadhipah
(Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.9); Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.8)

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes. He is the king of all other causes. No one is His creator. No one is His king."

It should be understood that when the scriptures speak of the birth of the Lord, that simply refers to His appearance in the external world, since He has no material body. The appearance and disappearance of an avatara are fully under the will of the Lord, Who displays His eternal pastimes through the agency of His internal potency. So, under the light of this view, one should understand the meaning of the word ‘janma’ when applied to God, as stated:

ajayamano bahudha vijayate
(Purusa-sukta, Yajur Veda, 31.29; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.10)

"Although He is never born, the Lord takes birth again and again in many different forms."

And Lord Krsna Himself affirms:

ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san
prakrtim svam adhisthaya sambhavamy atma-mayaya
(Bhagavad-gita, 4.6)

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.”

And the very appreciation of this truth gives one liberation:

janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna
(Bhagavad-gita, 4.9)

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”

But still one may wonder about the relation between Lord Krsna and the demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Indra, after all they also display great powers and are known as the lords of the universe. The answer is that just like a king conveys some power to his representatives, in the same way Lord Krsna empowers the demigods to rule the universe, but as the king still holds the supreme post in the kingdom, Lord Krsna stands as the Supreme under all circumstances, as stated above. Moreover, it is known that He existed before the appearance of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva:

atha puruso ha vai narayano 'kamayata prajah srjeti
narayanad brahma jayate narayanad prajapatih prajayate
narayanad indro jayate narayanad astau vasavo jayante
narayanad ekadasa rudra jayante narayanad dvadasadityah
(Govinda-bhasya, 1.3.30; Narayana Upanisad, 1)

"Then the Supreme Personality Narayana desired to manifest living entities. From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana, the patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from Narayana, the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven Rudras are born, and from Narayana, the twelve Adityas are born."

eko ha vai puruso narayana asin na brahma na ca sankarah. sa munir bhutva samacintayat. tata ete tyajayantam visvo hiranyagarbho 'gnir varuna-rudrendrah
(Maha-Narayana Upanisad, 1.1)

"In the beginning only Lord Narayana, the Supreme Person, existed. Neither Brahma nor Siva existed then. Lord Narayana began to meditate, and from His meditation the material universe was manifested. From His meditation Brahma, Siva, Indra, Varuna, and Agni were born." Lord Brahma says:

yasya prasadad aham acyutasya bhutah praja-srsti-karo 'nta-kari
krodhac ca rudrah sthiti-hetu-bhuto yasmac ca madhye purusah purastat
(Visnu Purana, 3.19.85; Govinda-bhasya, 1.40.28)

“I, the creator of the living beings, was born from Lord Narayana’s happiness. Siva, the destroyer of the worlds, was born from Lord Narayana’s anger. From Lord Narayana was also born Lord Visnu, Who is greater than the greatest, and who is the maintainer of the worlds.”

Lord Krsna says:

prajapatim ca rudram capy aham eva srjami vai
tau hi mam na vijanito mama maya-vimohitau
(Moksa-dharma, quoted by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada in his commentary on Gita,10.8; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.41)

“The patriarchs, Siva and others are created by Me, though they do not know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory energy.”

narayanah paro devas tasmaj jatas caturmukhah
tasmad rudro bhaved devah sa ca sarvajnatangatah
(Varaha Purana, quoted in the Govinda-bhasya, 1.3.30)

"Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme conscious Being. From Him the demigod Brahma was born, and due to Him Lord Siva became a demigod. "

And Lord Krsna Himself states in the Bhagavad-gita:

na me viduh sura-ganah prabhavam na maharsayah
aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca sarvasah
(Bhagavad-gita, 10.2; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.18)

“Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.”

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah
(Bhagavad-gita, 10.8; Govinda-bhasya, 2.3.14)

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

Some may argue that Lord Siva is also called the Supreme Lord by names like Mahesa, Mahadeva, etc. But Lord Indra is also called Mahendra, and here the word ‘maha’ does not add anything to the meaning, for it is well known that Indra is not the Supreme, being dependent on the results of his previous sacrifices. Similarly, by adding ‘maha’ to Lord Siva’s names it does not mean he is the greatest of all beings. The Mahabharata corroborates Lord Brahma’s and Lord Siva’s subordinated position:

yuga-koti-sahasrani visnum aradhya padmabhuh
punas trailokyadhatrtvam praptavan iti susruma
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Vedanta-syamantaka, 2.7)

“After worshipping Lord Visnu for a thousand yugas, a certain faithful devotee was born in a lotus flower and attained the post of Brahma, the creator of the worlds.”

Lord Krsna Himself explains:

maya srstah pura brahma mad-yajnam ajayat svayam
tatas tasya varan prito dadav aham anuttaman
mat-putratvam ca kalpadau lokadhyaksatvam eva ca
(Ibidem)

“In ancient times I created Brahma. When Brahma worshipped Me, I became pleased and offered him many boons. At the beginning of the kalpa I allowed him to become My son. Then I gave him mastery over the worlds.”

In consoling the grieving Yudhisthira, Lord Krsna also said:

visvarupo mahadevah sarvamedhe mahakratau
juhava sarvabhutani svayam atmanam atmana
mahadevah sarvamedhe mahatma hutvatmanam devadevo babhuva
visval lokan vyapya vistabhya kirtya virajate dyutiman krttivasa
(Ibidem; Govinda-bhasya, Introduction)

“Lord Siva performed a great sarvamedha-yajna where he offered all living entities, including himself.

“Lord Siva performed a great sarvamedha-yajna where he offered himself. As a result he became glorious and effulgent. His fame filled all the worlds.”
Lord Visnu arranged that invincible Lord Siva would kill the demon Tripura. In the Maha-bharata it is said:

visnur atma bhagavato bhavasyamita-tejasah
tasmad dhanur-jya-samsparsat sa visehe mahesvarah
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Vedanta-symantaka, 2.10)

“The Supreme Lord Visnu touched limitlessly powerful Siva’s bowstring. That is how Siva became able to kill the Tripura demon.”

In the smrti it is said:

tripuram jaghnusah purvam brahmana visnupanjarah
samkarasya kurusrestha raksanaya nirupitah
(Visnu-dharma Purana, 69.15)

“O best of the Kurus, as Lord Siva prepared to kill the Tripura demon, Lord Brahma spoke a mystic amulet to protect Lord Siva, an amulet that was a description of Lord Visnu’s transcendental form.”

In Banasura’s battle, Lord Krsna attacked Lord Siva with a yawning weapon. This is described in the following words:

jrmbhanastrena govindo jrmbhayamasa sankaram
tatah pranesurdaiteyah pramathas ca samantatah
jrmbhabhibhutas ca haro rathopastham upavisat
na sasaka tada yoddhum krsnenaklista-karmana
(Brahma Purana, 206,14-15; Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.9)

“Throwing His yawning weapon, Lord Krsna made Lord Siva yawn. Then all the demons were easily killed.

“Defeated by the yawning weapon, Lord Siva stepped down from the chariot. He had no power to fight. He was defeated by Lord Krsna, whose will is never thwarted.”

Lord Parasurama says:

tada tu devatah sarvah prcchanti sma pitamaham
sitikanthasya visnos ca balabalaniriksaya
abhiprayam tu vijnaya devatanam pitamahah
virodham janayam asa tayoh satyavatam varah
virodhe ca mahad yuddham abhavad romaharsanam
sitikanthasya visnos ca parasparajayaisinoh
tada taj jrmbhitam saivam dhanur bhimaparakramam
humkarena mahadevah stambhito 'tha trilocanah
devais tada samagamya sarsisamghaih sacaranaih
yacitau prasamam tatra jagmatus tau surottamau
jrmbhitam tad dhanur drstva saivam visnuparakramaih
adhikam menire visnum devah sarsiganas tada
(Ramayana, 1.74.14-19; Govinda-bhaya, 2.3.45)

“One day, after Lord Siva killed the demon, the demigods went to Lord Brahma and curiously inquired, ‘Who is more powerful, Lord Siva or Lord Visnu?’ To resolve their doubt, Lord Brahma arranged to create some conflict between the two. As a result, a fierce battle ensued. During the fight, Lord Visnu cut off Lord Siva’s bow string and then, simply by releasing a tumultuous roar, He stunned Lord Siva’s senses. At the behest of the demigods, the fighting was then stopped and everyone who witnessed the duel concluded that Lord Visnu is superior to Lord Siva in all respects.”

By chanting Lord Krsna’s holy names, Lord Siva was able to neutralise the kalakuta poison. This is described in the smrti :

acyutananta govinda mantram anustubham param
om namah samputikrtya japan visa-dharo harah
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Vedanta-syamantaka, 2.11)

“Chanting the mantra ‘Acyuta ananta govinda om namah’, Lord Siva cupped his hands and drank the poison.”

After the cosmic devastation only Lord Narayana remains, and before the creation only Lord Narayana is present. It is said:

eko ha vai narayana asin na brahma na ca sankarah
(Maha-Narayana Upanisad, 1.1)

"In the beginning there was only Lord Narayana. There was no Brahma and no Siva."

In the Maha-bharata it is said:

brahmadisu pralinesu naste loke caracare
abhuta samplave prapte praline prakrtau mahan
ekas tisthati sarvatma sa tu narayanah prabhuh
(Quoted by Baladeva in his Vedanta-symantaka, 2.12)

“When Brahma, the demigods, the moving and unmoving beings, and all the worlds are merged in the unmanifested material nature, only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Narayana, the master of all, remains.”

In the Visnu-dharma Purana it is said:

brahma sambhus tathaivarkas candramas ca satakratuh
evam adyas tathaivanye yukta vaisnava-tejasa
jagat karyavasane tu viyujyante ca tejasa
(Ibidem)

“Brahma, Siva, Surya, Candra, Indra and all the demigods have power given by Lord Visnu. When the universe is destroyed, their powers are removed.”

The Bhagavatam confirms:

aham evasam evagre nanyad yat sad-asat param
pascad aham yad etac ca yo 'vasisyeta so 'smy aham
(Bhagavatam, 2.9.33)

“Brahma, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.”

It is said:

prakrtir ya mayakhyata vyaktavyaktasvarupini
purusas capy ubhavetau liyete paramatmani
paramatma ca sarvesam adharah paramesvarah
visnu-namna sa vedesu vedantesu ca giyate
(Visnu Purana, 6.3.39-40)

“The individual spirit souls and the manifest and unmanifest material nature, which is called maya, all merge into the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the time of cosmic devastation. At that time everything rests in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose name is Visnu, and who is glorified in the Vedas and Vedanta.”

This prayer is offered to Lord Krsna:

naste loke dvi-parardhavasane maha-bhutesv adi-bhutam gatesu
vyakte 'vyaktam kala-vegena yate bhavan ekah sisyate 'sesa-samjnah
(Bhagavatam, 10.3.25)

“After millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, when everything, manifested and unmanifested, is annihilated by the force of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception, and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifested substance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known as Ananta Sesa-naga.”

In this way, because Brahma and Siva are born from Lord Krsna and also enter into Him at the time of cosmic annihilation, it is proved that neither Brahma nor Siva can be considered the master of Lord Krsna.

Thus, it is seen that Brahma, Siva and the demigods are all devotees of Lord Krsna (Govinda-bhasya, 3.3.47). In the Bhagavatam it is said:

athapi yat-pada-nakhavasrstam jagad virincopahrtarhanambhah
sesam punaty anyatamo mukundat ko nama loke bhagavat-padarthah
(Bhagavatam, 1.18.21)

“Who can be worthy of the name of the Supreme Lord but the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna? Brahmaji collected the water emanating from the nails of His feet in order to award it to Lord Siva as a worshipful welcome. This very water (the Ganges) is purifying the whole universe, including Lord Siva.”

yac-chauca-nihsrta-sarit-pravarodakena
tirthena murdhny adhikrtena sivah sivo 'bhut
dhyatur manah-samala-saila-nisrsta-vajram
dhyayec ciram bhagavatas caranaravindam
(Bhagavatam, 3.28.22)

“The blessed Lord Siva becomes all the more blessed by bearing on his head the holy waters of the Ganges, which has its source in the water that washed the Lord's lotus feet. The Lord's feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the mind of the meditating devotee. One should therefore meditate on the lotus feet of the Lord for a long time.”

It is said:

brahmadayah surah sarve visnum aradhya te pura
svam svam padam anupraptah kesavasya prasadatah
(Nrsimha Purana, 32.16)

“In ancient times Brahma and all the demigods worshipped Lord Visnu. It is by Lord Visnu’s mercy that the demigods attained their posts.”

In the Narayaniya it is said:

te devah rsayas caiva nana-tanu-samasritah
bhaktya sampujayanty enam gatim caisam dadati sah
(Maha-bharata, santi-parva, 321.46; Govinda-bhasya, 1.4.28)

“Manifest in a great variety of forms, the demigods and sages worshipped Lord Visnu with devotion. Then Lord Visnu placed them in their respective posts.”

Here someone may protest: To rescue Samba, Lord Krsna worshipped Lord Siva, as described in the Maha-bharata. The reply is that Lord Krsna eventually also worshipped Narada and the sages. These actions are part of Lord Krsna’s pastimes and should also be considered from the viewpoint that he was playing the role of a king and was supposed to set the example to be followed by common men, as stated in the Gita:

yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate
(Bhagavad-gita, 3.21; Govinda-bhasya, 3.4.43)

“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”

yadi hy aham na varteyam jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah
(Bhagavad-gita, 3.23)

“For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path.”

These quotes are sufficient to prove that Lord Krsna or Lord Visnu is the Supreme. When some Puranas refer to some demigod as the Supreme Lord, it should be understood that each Purana belongs to a particular mode of nature and is thus meant for people in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance. In this way, for those in the mode of ignorance it is advised to worship Lord Siva as the supreme, for he is the controller of the mode of ignorance. It is so advised for tamasic people who due to their contaminations are unable to engage themselves in the whorship of Lord Visnu, which basically is in the mode of pure goodness.

It is said:

asankhyatas tatha kalpa brahma-visnu-sivatmakah
kathita hi puranesu munibhih kala-cintakaih
satttvikesu tu kalpesu mahatmyam adhikam hareh
tamasesu sivasyoktam rajasesu prajapater
(Kurma Purana, uttara, 43.48-49, Govinda-bhasya, 1.1.4)

“In the Puranas, the wise sages, considering the present time and circumstances, described numberless religious rituals for the worship of Brahma, Visnu and Siva. In the religious rituals meant for people in the mode of goodness, the sages said the worship of Lord Visnu is best. In the religious rituals meant for people in the mode of ignorance, they glorified the worship of Lord Siva. In the religious rituals meant for people in the mode of passion, they glorified Lord Brahma.”

Manu explains that any smrti-sastra that contradicts the four Vedas should be rejected. He says:

ya veda-bahyah smrtayo yas ca kas ca kudrstayah
sarvas ta nisphalah pretya tamo-nistha hi tah smrtah
(Manu-samhita,12.95)

“Any smrti-sastra that contradicts the four Vedas is wicked and useless. Anyone who follows such a sastra should be considered bewildered by the mode of ignorance.”
The supremacy of Lord Visnu is vastly praised in all the sattvic Puranas, therefore one should not be bewildered by apparent contradictions in the scriptures.

STRI-SVABHAVA

2010-01-12T07:24:00.023-05:00

STRI-SVABHAVA

-a compilation of verses from Manu-samhita,
Panca-tantra * , Hitopadesha * , Shiva Purana,
Brahma-vaivarta Purana
and Srimad Bhagavatam .
* (themselves compilations of the
Smrti-shastras)

Recently, I have heard about feminist groups making agitation to change Prabhupada’s books and remove all the statements that might clash with their feminist ideologies, mostly claiming that whatever he spoke about women was a product of his material education and background, rather than bona fide scriptural statements. I guess that their fight is not just against Prabhupada’s words, but against thousands of years of what has been accepted by most religious cultures as civilized human life. It makes me wonder how they would explain the fact that in different parts of the world and in different phases of history people would have a simple consensus about women, unless they want to dismiss the issue by affirming that the whole civilization was established on the basis of male chauvinism, which finally they aim to replace. In this case, one can wonder what they have to offer, since after the so-called liberation started, women as a class are nowadays more exploited and degraded than ever, and a patriarchal society is supposed to be better than a bastard one. Simply censuring Prabhupada’s words would solve nothing, as there is much more where they came from, and it would be easier to change one's religion than to get rid of all the scriptural statements they don’t wish to hear. Orthodox religions not being lenient to their claims, the feminists would end turning into agnostics, and finally take their arguments to the point, for if they don't want to be submissive, why would they submit themselves to God even? This of course would highlight their great achievements...

In the Gita 2.46, Lord Krishna says:

yavan artha udapane
sarvatah samplutodake
tavan sarvesu vedesu
brahmanasya vijanatah

“All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.”

Instead of focusing on the external aspects of every scriptural passage, it is much wiser to try to understand what the purpose behind them is. It might not be so obvious at first, but none of the verses below aims at defiling women, but rather to give many instructions to both genders. It is also convenient to mention that these texts were more meaningful in a society in which men were raised to be extremely virtuous and self-controlled, otherwise, as a matter of fact, the traits described here are also exhibited by most of the mundane male population we see nowadays...

Disclaimer: I don’t have the slightest interest in discussing this topic. If someone has any objection to the statements below, feel free to the address the issue directly to the original compilers: Vyasadeva and Manu.

Manu-samhita

2.113 Svabhava esa narinam naranam iha dusanam
Ato’ rthan na pramadyanti pramadasu vipascitah

To corrupt men is the nature of women, hence the wise do
not indulge in their association.

2.114 Avidvamsam alam loke vidvamsam api va punah
Pramada hy utpatham netum kama-krodha-vasanugam

Man, by nature, is subject to lust and anger; women are
quite competent to lead even a wise man astray, not to
speak of a fool.

5.147 Balaya va yuvatya va vrddhaya vapi yosita
Na sva-tantryena kartavyam kincit karyam grhesv api

A girl, a young woman or even an old woman must not do
anything independently, even in her own house.

5.149 Pitra bharta sutair vapi necched viraham atmanah
Esam hi virahena stri garhye kuryad ubhe kule

She must not wish separation from her father, husband or
sons; a woman separated from these becomes condemned in
both families.

5.155 Nasti strinam prthag yajno na vratam napy uposanam
Patim susrusate yena tena svarge mahiyate

Women have no other sacrifice, vow or fasting to perform
other than unflinching devotion to a husband, by which
they become glorified in heaven.

8.371 Bhartaram langhayed ya tu stri jnati-guna-darpita
Tam svabhih khadayed raja samsthane bahu-samsthite

IF A WOMAN, BEING PROUD OF HER BEAUTY AND RELATIONS, MAKES
TRANGRESSIONS (ADULTERY) AGAINST HER HUSBAND, THE KING
MUST CAUSE HER TO BE DEVOURED BY DOGS IN A CROWDED PLACE.

8.416 Bharya putras ca dasas ca traya evadhanah smrtah
Yat te samadhigacchanti yasya te tasya tad dhanam

A wife, a son and a slave can never have any property or
money. Whatever they earn goes to him to whom they belong.

9.2 Asvatantrah striyah karyah purusaih svair divanisam
Visayesu ca sajjantyah samsthapya atmano vase

Day and night, men should never give any freedom to women.
By engaging them in proper activities they should keep
them under their control.

9.3 Pita raksati kaumare bharta raksati yauvane
Raksanti sthavire putra na stri svatantryam arhati

The father protects her in infancy; the husband in youth;
the sons in old age. A woman does not deserve
independence.

9.5 Suksmebhyo’ pi prasangebhyah striyo raksya visesatah
Dvayor hi kulayoh sokam avaheyur araksitah

Women should be especially protected from the slightest
corrupting influences since an unprotected woman aggrieves
two families.

9.13 Panam durjana-samsargah patya ca viraho’tanam
Svapno’ nya-geha-vasas ca nari-sandusanani sat

Drinking, evil company, separation from the husband, idle
rambling, sleep at improper time and residence at another’s
house-these are the six factors that spoil a woman.

9.14 Naita rupam pariksante nasam vayasi samsthitih
Sarupam va virupam va puman ity eva bhunjate

They do not care for beauty or youth. Women just long for
sexual intercourse with men, whether they be beautiful or
ugly.

9.15 Paumscalyac cala-cittac ca naisnehyac ca svabhavatah
Raksita yatnato piha bhartrsveta vikurvate

On account of the erotic fancies in their minds at the
mere sight of men, their innate fickleness of heart and inborn
absence of affection, women, even though well protected by
their husbands, make transgressions against them.

9.16 Evam svabhavam jnatvasam prajapati-nisargajam
Paramam yatnam atisthet puruso raksanam prati

Thus having known their nature, as Prajapati created them,
a man should try his best to protect his wife.

9.17 Sayyasam alankaram kamam krodham anarjavam
Droha-bhavam kucaryam ca stribhyo manur akalpayat

Fondness for beds, cushions and ornaments, lusty desires,
anger, crookedness and mischief - these are the qualities
Manu gave to women.

9.18 Nasti strinam kriya mantrair iti dharma-vyavasthitih
Nirindriya hy amantras ca striyo 'nrtam iti sthitih

The purificatory rites of women are without vedic mantras;
that is the decision of the law code. And for this
disqualification of mantralessness women are said to be false (or prone to falsehood). This is the conclusion.

9.19 tatha ca srutayo bahvyo nigita nigamesv api
sva-laksanya-pariksartham tasam srnuta niskrtih

The proneness of women to infidelity has been largely sung
in the Vedas and Nigamas in order to make fully known their true disposition.

9.30 Vyabhicarat tu bhartuh stri loke prapnoti nindyam
Srgalayonim capnoti papa-rogais ca pidyate

By committing transgressions against her husband, a woman
becomes condemnable in this world, takes birth in the womb
of a she-jackal in the next life and is afflicted by very
bad diseases.

9.47 Sakrd amso nipatati sakrt kanya pradiyate
Sakr aha dadaniti triny etani satam sakrt

Only once can the partition of inheritance be done; only
once can a girl be given in marriage; and only once can a
thing be gifted.

9.72 Vidhivat pratigrhyapi tyajet kanyam vigarhitam
Vyadhitam vipradustam va chadmana copapaditam

Even after having formally accepted a girl in marriage, if
one finds out that she has inauspicious physical features,
is diseased, is not a maiden anymore or was fraudulently
given in marriage by hiding some defect, he must give her
up.

HITOPADESA

1.114 svatantryam pitr-mandire nivasatir yatrotsave sangatir
gosthi-purusa-sannidhav aniyamo vaso videse tatha
samsargah saha pumscalibhir asakrd vrtter nijayah ksatih
patyur vardhakam isitam pravasanam nasasya hetuh striyah

Freedom, residence in the father’s house after marriage,
meeting people during festivities, living unrestrictedly
in the vicinity of men, dwelling in a foreign country,
association with women of loose character, constant
violation of proper conduct, the old age of the husband,
being jealous of him, his residence abroad- these are the
causes that ruin a woman.

1.116 surupam purusam drstva bhrataram yadi va sutam
yonih klidyati narinam satyam satyam hi śaunaka (Garuda Purana, 1.109.37)

O Saunaka, having seeing a handsome man, whether her brother or even
her son, a woman’s private parts become wet, this is the fact.

1.117 sthanam nasti ksano nasti nasti prarthayito narah
tena narada narinam satitvam upajayate

O Narada, there is no suitable place, no proper time or no one to
propose- ON ACCOUNT OF THESE WOMEN REMAIN CHASTE.

1.118 striyo hi capala nityam devanam api visrutam
tas capi raksita yesam te narah sukha-bhaginah

It is well known even to the demigods that women are
always inconstant. Happy are those men by whom they are
protected, in spite of their nature.

1.119 na strinam apriyah kascit priyo vapi vidyate
gavas trnam ivaranye prarthayanti navam navam

There is no one to whom women do not like, nor there is
anyone to whom they love. They just seek a fresh man after
another, as the cows look for grass in a forest.

1.121 na lajja na vinitatvam na daksinyam na bhiruta
prarthanabhava evaikam satitve karanam striyah

It is not due to shame, nor to modesty, rectitude or
shyness that a woman is chaste, but only due to the
absence of a proposal.

1.123 usana veda yac chastram yac ca veda brhaspatih
svabhavenaiva tac chastram stri-buddhau supratisthitam

The science that Sukracarya knows and that which Brhaspati
knows is by nature well established in the talent of a
woman.

1.195 san-marge tavad aste prabhavati purusas tavad evendriyanam
lajjam tavad vidhatte vinayam api samalambate tavad eva |
bhru-capakrsta-muktah sravana-patha-gata nila-paksmana ete
yaval lilavatinam na hrdi dhrti-muso drsti-banah patanti

So long only a man follows the path of virtue, controls
his senses, feels shame and clings to modesty, as long as the
arrow-like glances cast by sportive ladies, which rob one’s
steadiness, do not fall on his heart.

1.196 asatyam sahasam maya matsarye catilubdhata
nirgunatvam asaucatvam strinam dosah svabhavajah

Infidelity, rashness, deceit, envy, over greediness,
absence of good qualities and uncleanliness- these are the
natural defects of women.

2.114 na danena na manena narjavena na sevaya |
na sastrena na sastrena sarvatha visamah striyah ||116||

Neither by gifts nor by honor, simplicity, service,
punishment nor shastric advise can women be controlled.
They are hard to satisfy by any means.

2.215 gunasrayam kirti-yutam ca kantam
patim ratijnam sadhanam yuvanam |
vihaya sighram vanita vrajanti
narantaram sila-gunadi-hinam

Having given up a husband who is the abode of merits,
endowed with fame, amiable, versed in the erotic art,
wealthy and youthful, women quickly resort to another man,
although devoid of character, good qualities, etc.

2.116 na tadrsim pritim upaiti nari
vicitra-sayya sayitapi kamam |
yatha hi durvadi-vikirna-bhumau
prayati saukhyam para-kanti-sangat

A woman does not derive so much pleasure, although lying
down on a beautiful bed entirely to her satisfaction, as
she does in the company of a paramour, although lying on
the grass.

2,117 aharo dvigunah strinam buddhis tasam catur-guna |
sad-guno vyavasayas ca kamas castagunah smrtah ||119||

In comparison to men, women are twice hungrier, four times
smarter, six times more perseverant and eight times
lustier.

PANCA-TANTRA

1.136 jalpanti sardham anyena pasyanty anyam sa-vibhramah |
hrd-gatam cintayanty anyam priyah ko nama yositam

They talk to one man, look at another very lovingly and
think of a third one within the heart. Who possibly is
beloved by women?

1.137 ekena smita-pataladhara-ruco jalpanty analpaksaram
viksante’nyam itah sphutat-kumudini-phullollasal-locanah |
durodara-caritra-citra-vibhavam dhyayanti canyam dhiya
kenettham paramarthato’rthavad iva premasti vama-bhruvam

With smiling rosy lips, they eloquently talk to a man, while looking at another one with expanded eyes like fully blossomed lotuses, and at the same time thinking of another man who is rich and of bad conduct. For whom women really feel love, which may seem to be the most important of all things?

1.140 yo mohan manyate mudho rakteyam mama kamini |
sa tasya vasago nityam bhavet krida-sakuntavat

A fool who, out of illusion, thinks “my beloved is so
attached to me”-becomes eternally controlled by her, just
like a toy-bird.

1.143 anarthitvan manusyanam bhayat parijanasya ca |
maryadayam amaryadah striyas tisthanti sarvada

Licentious women only remain within the limits of decency in the absence of a suitor and out of fear of relatives.

1.144 nasam kascid agamyo’sti nasam ca vayasi sthitih |
virupam rupavantam va puman ity eva bhujyate |

There is no man they would not approach, nor do they care about their age. Either beautiful or ugly, if he is a man, there is no further consideration to enjoy with him.

1.146 alaktiko yatha rakto nispidya purusas tatha |
abalabhir balad raktah pada-mule nipatyate |

As red lac is squeezed and then thrown down on the feet by
women, so is a man attached to them forcibly deprived of
his wealth and made to fall at their feet.

1.148 kake saucam dyuta-karesu satyam
sarpe ksantih strisu kamopasantih |
klibe dhairyam madyape tattva-cinta
raja mitram kena drstam srutam va |

Cleanliness in a crow, truthfulness in a gambler,
tolerance in a serpent, satiated sexual appetite in a woman, bravery
in a coward, discernment in a drunkard or friendship with
a king- who has ever seen or heard of these?

1.174 durdivase ghana-timire duhsancarasu nagara-vithisu |
patyur videsa-gamane parama-sukham jaghana-capalayah

A libidinous woman feels great delight when the day is
cloudy, when it is dark, when the streets are crowded
(and she cannot be easily noticed) and when her husband goes
abroad.

1.175 paryankesv astaranam patim anukulam manoharam sayanam |
trnam iva laghu manyante kaminyas caurya-rata-lubdhah

A lusty woman longing for secret sexual affairs considers
a charming couch spread on a bed and a loving husband worth
a straw.

1.176
kelim pradahati lajja srngaro’sthini catavah katavah |
bandhakyah paritoso na kimcid istam bhavet patyau |

The amorous sports of her husband burn the marrow of an
unchaste woman, his love burns her bones, and his sweet
words are unpleasant to her. There can be no happiness if
both are not attached to one another.

1.177 kula-patanam jana-garham bandhanam api jivitavya-sandeham |
angikaroti kulata satatam para-purusa-samsakta

The family’s degradation, people’s censure, confinement
and even the risk of life - all this a woman attached to
another man will accept ( rather than be chaste).

1.182 yadi bhavati deva-yogat puman virupo’pi bandhaki rahasi |
na tu krcchrad api bhadram nija-kantam sa bhajaty eva

If by chance a loose woman enjoys with a man in a secret
place, it does not matter how ugly he may be, she cannot
even with difficult feel attachment for her husband,
though handsome.

1.184 sambarasya ca ya maya ya maya namucer api |
baleh kumbhinasas caiva sarvas ta yosito viduh

The deceitful tricks known by Sambara, Namuci, Bali and
Kumbhinasi are completely known by women.

1.185 hasantam prahasanty eta rudantam prarudanty api |
apriyam priya-vakyais ca grhnanti kala-yogatah |

As the occasion arises, they smile to one who smiles and
cry along with one who cries, and thus they conquer
one whom they do not really love.

1.187 anrtam satyam ity ahuh satyam capi tathanrtam |
iti yas tah katham vira samraksyah purusair iha

They speak an untruth as truth and truth as untruth. How
possibly can they be kept by sober men?

1.188
natiprasangah pramadasu karyo
necched balam strisu vivardhamanam |
atiprasaktaih purusair yatas tah
kridanti kakair iva luna-paksaih

One should not be over attached to women nor let their
power increase. They play with men attached to them just
as with crows whose wings are clipped.

1.189 sumukhena vadanti valguna praharanty eva sitena cetasa |
madhu tisthati vaci yositam hrdaye halahalam mahad-visam

They talk very charmingly with a sweet tongue, but strike
with a cold heart. Honey flows in their speech; deadly
poison lurks in their hearts.

1.191 avartah samsayanam avinaya-bhavanam pattanam sahasanam
dosanam samnidhanam kapata-sata-mayam ksetram apratyayanam |
svarga-dvarasya vighnam naraka-pura-mukham sarva-maya-karandam
stri-yantram kena srstam visam amrta-mayam prani-lokasya pasah |

A whirlpool of risks, the abode of immodesty, a city of
audacity, a reservoir of faults, the home of hundreds of
deceits, the field of mistrust, difficult to be understood
even by exalted men, a repository of all tricks ! Who
created this machine in the form of a woman, this poison
mixed with nectar meant for the destruction of virtue?

1.192 karkasyam stanayor drsos taralatalikam mukhe slaghyate
kautilyam kaca-samcaye ca vacane mandyam trike sthulata |
bhirutvam hrdaye sadaiva kathitam maya-prayogah priye
yasam dosa-gano guno mrga-drsam tah syur naranam priyah

They have harshness in their breasts, fickleness in their
eyes, falsity in their faces, crookedness in their
tresses, dullness in their speech, stupidity in their hips,
cowardice in their hearts and always use deceitful tricks
with their beloveds. These doe-eyed women are endowed with
a multitude of faults, so why should they be loved by men?

1.193
eta hasanti ca rudanti ca karya-hetor
visvasayanti ca param na ca visvasanti |
tasman narena kula-sila-samanvitena
naryah smasana-ghatika iva varjaniyah

Women laugh and cry to attain their objectives; they get
others confidence, but themselves trust no one. Therefore, a
noble man with good character should always avoid women as
one rejects earthen pots in a cemetery.

1.194 kurvanti tavat prathamam priyani
yavan na jananti naram prasaktam |
jnatva ca tam manmatha-pasa-baddham
grastamisam minam ivoddharanti

At first, as long as they do not know that the man is
attached, they act agreeably; but having known that he is
entrapped in the snares of Cupid, they drag him just like
a fish that swallowed a bait.

1.195 samudra-viciva cala-svabhavah
sandhyabhra-rekheva muhurta-ragah |
striyah krtarthah purusam nirartham
nispidotalaktakavat tyajanti |

Unsteady by nature, just like the waves of the ocean, women display their love, fugacious as an evening cloud, but as soon as they accomplished their purposes, they give up an empoverished lover just as one gives up squeezed lac.

1.196 antar-visa-maya hy eta bahis caiva manoramah |
gunja-phala-samakara yositah kena nirmitah |

Outside pleasing to the mind, inside filled with poison,
just like the gunja fruit. By who were women created?

1.197 sammohayantimadayanti vidambayanti
nirbhartsayanti ramayanti visadayanti |
etah pravisya saralam hrdayam naranam
kim va na vama-nayana na samacaranti |

They bewitch, exhilarate, mock, abuse, delight, torment.
Having entered the innocent heart of men, what these
ladies with charming eyes cannot do?

1.205 nadyas ca naryas ca sadrk-prabhavas
tulyani kulani kulani tasam |
toyais ca dosais ca nipatayanti
nadyo hi kulani kulani naryah |

Women and rivers exert the same influence over the family and the banks. By its waters a river ruins its banks; by her faults a woman ruins her family.

1.206 janani-mano harati jatavati
parivardhate saha suca suhrdam |
para-satkrtapi kurute malinam
durita-krama duhitaro vipadah |

When a daughter is born, she afflicts the heart of the
mother. As she grows up, she brings pain to loving hearts;
when given in marriage, she is likely to commit a sinful
deed. Daughters mean unavoidable disasters.

2.149 akrtyam manyate krtyam agamyam manyate sugam |
abhaksyam manyate bhaksyam stri-vakya-prerito narah |

Incited by a woman’s words, a man considers a sinful act as virtuous, something difficult as easy, and uneatables as eatables.

4.49 nadinam ca kulanam ca muninam ca mahatmanam |
pariksa na prakartavya strinam duscaritasya ca |

The depths of the rivers, the wisdom of sages, the origins
of the dynasties, the virtue of the great souls, the misbehaviour of women- all these are difficult to fathom.

4.51 yadi syat pavakah sitah prosno va sasa-lanchanah |
strinam tada satitvam syad yadi syad durjano hitah

If fire ever become cold, the moon hot or a wicked man
becomes a good man, then women can possibly become chaste.

4.72 na suvarnam na ratnani na ca rajya-parikriyam
tatha vanchanti kaminyo yathabhistatamam varam

Not gold, nor jewels, nor royal comforts are so desired by
women as the man they choose. (at least for the time
being)

4.80 ya bharya dusta-caritra satatam kalaha-priya |
bharya-rupena sa jneya vidagdhair daruna jara

A wife who is always ill-behaved and found of quarrel should be known by the wise as terrible old age(death) in the form of a wife.

4.81 tasmat sarva-prayatnena namapi parivarjayet |
strinam iha hi sarvasam ya icchet sukham atmanah

Therefore, because women’s nature is such, a man desirous
of his own happiness should BY ALL EFFORTS AVOID EVEN
THEIR NAME.

4.83 yad-antas tan na jihvayam yaj jihvayam na tad-bahih |
yad-bahis tan na kurvanti vicitra-caritah striyah

What is in their hearts is not in their tongue; what is in
their tongue is not expressed externally; what they
express is not actually executed- strange is the behavior of
women!

4.84 ke nama na vinasyanti mithya-jnanan nitambinim |
ramyam te upasarpanti dipabham salabha yatha

Who does not perish after approaching a woman with beautiful hips, just as moths out of ignorance jump into fire?

4.85 tadita api dandena sastrair api vikhanditah |
na vasam yosito yanti na danair na ca samstavaih |

Not even upon being beaten with a stick or mutilated by
weapons, nor by gifts and flattering words can women be
possibly brought under control.

4.86 astam tavat kim anyena dauratmyeneha yositam |
vidhrtam svodarenapi ghnanti putram api svakam

No need to speak further about women’s wickedness, for one thing is enough- they can kill even their own son in the womb.

4.87 ruksayam sneha-sad-bhavam kathorayam sumardavam |
nirasayam rasam balo balikayam vikalpayet |

Only a fool who does not know the actual nature of women
can see affection in a girl that is devoid of it, softness
in her who is hardhearted and sentiment in her who has
none.

5.60 bhojanacchadane dadyad rtu-kale ca sangamam |
bhusanadyam ca narinam na tabhir mantrayet sudhih |

A wise man should give to his wife nice food and clothes,
ornaments , etc, and approach her in the proper season,
BUT NEVER ASK HER FOR ADVICE.

5.61 yatra stri yatra kitavo balo yatra prasasita |
tad grham ksayam ayati bhargavo hidam abravit |

That house where a woman, a rogue or a boy is the ruler
will be ruined. So is the opinion of Bhargava.

5.62 tavat syat suprasannasyas tavad guru-jane ratah |
puruso yositam yavan na srnoti vaco rahah |

Only so long as a man pays no heed to women’s words, he has
a cheerful countenance and is attached to his elders.

5.63 etah svartha-para naryah kevalam sva-sukhe ratah |
na tasam vallabhah ko'pi suto'pi sva-sukham vina |

Women are completely self-centered and are concerned only
with their own gratification. No one is dear to them, not
even their own son, except if he contributes to their
happiness.

BRAHMA-VAIVARTA PURANA

2.16.44-61

Tulasi to Sankhacuda-

The shastras say that only a degraded man desires a woman.
At first a woman is sweet to a man, but later proves
fatal. Though her mouth rains honey, her heart is like a jar of
poison. She uses sweet words but her heart is sharp like a
razor. To achieve her own selfish ends she is submissive
to her husband; otherwise, she is unsubmissive. While her
face looks cheerful, her heart is dirty. Even the Vedas and the
Puranas cannot fathom her character. A wise man never
trusts a base woman. She has no friend or enemy; for all
she wants are new lovers. When a woman sees a well-dressed
man, she inwardly desires him, but outwardly she appears
chaste and shy. She is naturally passionate, attracts
men's minds, and eagerly engages in sex. Though outwardly
she hides her lust and appears shy, when she meets her
lover in secret, she is ready to swallow him up. Only out
of fear she does not indulge in sex with many men, but
when she does not get enough sex, she fells dejected. When she
does not have sex with him, she feels offended, her body
burns with anger, and she begins to quarrel. When her
passions are fully satisfied, she becomes cheerful; when
unsatisfied, morose. A woman likes a good lover expert in sex more than sweet
foods or refreshing drinks; she likes him even more than her own
son; he is dearer to her than her life. But if the lover
becomes impotent or aged, she regards him as an enemy.
Quarrels and anger ensue. Then she devours him as a snake
eats a rat. She is rashness personified and a mine of
vices. A woman is hypocritical, obstinate and unfaithful.
Even Lord Brahma and other gods are deluded by her. She is
a hindrance on the path of austerity, an obstacle to
liberation, an impediment to developing faith in Lord
Hari, a refuge of all delusion and a living chain that binds men
to the world. She is like a magician and is as false as
dreams. She appears to be very beautiful, but is she is a
bucket of stool, urine, gas and blood. When God created
her, he arranged that she should become the spirit of
delusion to the deluded and poison to those who desire
liberation. Thus, on no account should a woman be desired,
and by all means she should be avoided.

BRAHMA-VAIVARTA PURANA, Canto 4, Chapter 23

(Lord Narayana to Narada Muni)

Text 27

pumscalyam yo hi visvasto
vidhina sa vidambitah
bahiskrtas ca yasasa
dhanena sva-kulena ca

pumscalyam - in an unchaste woman; yah - who; hi - indeed; visvastah - fath; vidhina - by destiny; sa - indeed; vidambitah - is mocked; bahiskrtah - thrown away; ca - and; yasasa - fame; dhanena - wealth; sva-kulena - family; ca - and.

A man who trusts an unchaste woman is mocked by fate. His fame, wealth, and family are all lost.

Text 28

vanchitam nutanam prapya
vinasyati puratanam
sada sva-karma-sadhya ya
ko va tasyah priyo 'priyah

vanchitam - desired; nutanam - the new; prapya - attaining; vinasyati - dies; puratanam - the old; sada - always; sva-karma-sadhya - interested in attaining herv goal; ya - who; kah - what?; va - or; tasyah - of her; priyah - dear; apriyah - not dear.

When she desires a new lover the old one is finished. She is interested only in fulfilling her desires. For her nothing is moral or immoral.

Text 29

daive karmani pautre ca
putre bandhau na bhartari
darunam pumscali-cittam
sada srngara-karmani

daive - for the demigods; karmani - pious deeds; pautre - grandchildren; ca - and; putre - childred; bandhau - relatives; na - not; bhartari - husband; darunam - terrible; pumscali-cittam - the mind of an unchaste woman; sada - always; srngara-karmani - yearning for sex.

The ferocious heart of an unchaste woman hankers only for sex. It is not interested in the demigods, pious deeds, children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, or husband.

Text 30

pranadhikam ratijnam sa-
mrta-drstya hi pumscali
ratna-pradam raty-avijnam
visa-drstya hi pasyati

pranadhikam - more dear than life; ratijnam - expert in sex; sa-amrta-drstya - with nectar glances; hi - indeed; pumscali - an unchaste woman; ratna-pradam - giving jewels; raty - in sex; avijnam - not expert; visa-drstya - with galnces of poison; hi - indeed; pasyati - sees.

With nectar glances an unchaste woman gazes on a rake expert in sex. She thinks him more dear than life. But with poison glances she disdains a suitor who, although bringing jewels, knows nothing of the art of sex.

Text 31

sarvesam sthalam asty eva
pumscalinam na kutracit
daruna pumscali-jatir
nara-ghatibhya eva ca

sarvesam - of all; sthalam - the place; asty - is; eva - indeed; pumscalinam - of unchaste women; na - not; kutracit - anywhere; daruna - terrible; pumscali-jatih - the life of an unchaste woman; nara-ghatibhya - than murderers; eva - indeed; ca - and.

Unchaste women have no proper place anywhere. Unchaste women are worse than murderers.

Text 32

niskrtih karma-bhogante
sarvesam asti niscitam
na pumscalinam viprendra
yavac candra-divakarau

niskrtih - destruction; karma-bhogante - after the experience of karma is over; sarvesam - of all; asti - is; niscitam - indeed; na - not; pumscalinam - of unchaste women; viprendra - O king of brahmanas; yavac - as; candra-divakarau - the sun and the moon.

O king of brahmanas, at a certain time the results of past karma come to an end. This is not so for unchaste women. They suffer for as long as the sun and moon shine in the sky.

Text 33

anyasam kamininam ca
kitam hantum ca ya daya
sa nasti pumscalinam tu
kantam hantum puratanam

anyasam-of other; kamininam - women; ca - and; kitam - insect; hantum - to kill; ca - and; ya - which; daya - mercy; sa - she; na - not; asti - is; pumscalinam - of unchaste women; tu - indeed; kantam - lover; hantum - to killed; puratanam - old.

A chaste woman is more kind to an insect than an unchaste woman is to her longtime lover. A chaste woman is more reluctant to kill an insect than an unchaste woman is to kill her lover.

Text 34

ratijnam nutanam prapya
visa-tulyam puratanam
kantam drstva hinasty eva
sopayenavalilaya

ratijnam - expert in sex; nutanam - new; prapya - attaining; visa-tulyam - like posion; puratanam - old; kantam - lover; drstva - seeing; hinasty - sends away; eva - indeed; sopayena - with a method; avalilaya - easily.

Finding a new lover expert in sex, she sees her old lover to be like poison. She rejects him without a second thought.

Text 35

prthivyam yani papani
pumscalisv eva bharate
tisthanti papinas tabhyo
na parah santi kecana

prthivyam - on the earth; yani - which; papani - sins; pumscalisv - in unchaste women; eva - indeed; bharate - on the earth; tisthanti - are; papinah - sinners; tabhyah - than them; na - not; parah - worse; santi - are; kecana - any.

On this earth no sinner is worse than an unchaste woman.

Text 36

pumscali-paripakvannam
sarva-pataka-misritam
daive karmani paitre ca
na ca deyam tatha jalam

pumscali - by an unchaste woman; paripakva - cooked; annam - food; sarva-pataka-misritam - mixed with all her sins; daive - to the demigods; karmani - pious deeds; paitre - to the pitas; ca - and; na - not; ca - and; deyam - to be given; tatha - so; jalam - water.

Food cooked by an unchaste woman and water offered by her are mixed with all her sins. They should not be offered to the demigods and pitas.

Text 37

annam vista jalam mutram
pumscalinam ca niscitam
dattva pitrbhyo devebhyo
bhuktva ca narakam vrajet

annam - food; vista - stool; jalam - water; mutram - urine; pumscalinam - of unchaste women; ca - and; niscitam - indeed; dattva - given; pitrbhyah - to the pitas; devebhyah - to the demigods; bhuktva - eaten; ca - and; narakam - to hell; vrajet - goes.

Food cooked by an unchaste woman is stool. Water offered by her is urine. One who offers these things to the demigods and pitas, and then eats the remnants, goes to hell.

Text 38

sata-varsam kalasutre
pacaty eva su-darune
ghorandhakare krmayas
tam dasanti diva-nisam

sata-varsam - a hundred years; kalasutre - in hell; pacaty - cooks; eva - indeed; su-darune - terrible; ghorandhakare - blind; krmayah - worms; tam - him; dasanti - bite; diva-nisam - day and night.

For a hundred years he burns in a terrible blind hell. Great worms bite him day and night.

Text 39

pumscaly-annam ca yo bhunkte
daivad yadi naradhamah
sapta-janma-krtam punyam
tasya nasyati niscitam

pumscaly - of an unchaste woman; annam - food; ca - and; yah - one who; bhunkte - eats; daivat - by fate; yadi - if; naradhamah - the lowest of men; sapta - seven; janma - births; krtam - done; punyam - piety; tasya - of him; nasyati - is destroyed; niscitam - indeed.

One who eats food cooked by an unchaste woman becomes the lowest of men. Seven births of his pious deeds perish.

Text 40

ayuh-sri-yasasam hanir
iha loke paratra ca
tasmad yatnad raksaniyam
paka-patram kalatrakam

ayuh - lifespan; sri - welath and handsomeness; yasasam - and fame; hanih - destruction; iha - in this; loke - world; paratra - in the next; ca - and; tasmat - from that; yatnat - with care; raksaniyam - should be protected; paka-patram - cooking utensils; kalatrakam - wife.

His lifespan, wealth, handsomeness, and fame are all destroyed in both this life and the next. For this reason a man should carefully protect both his wife and his arrangement for cooking meals.

Text 41

pumscali-darsane punyam
yatra-siddhir bhaved dhruvam
sparsena ca maha-papam
tirtha-snanad visudhyati

pumscali - of an unchaste woman; darsane - in the sight; punyam - piety; yatra-siddhih - going on pilgrimage; bhavet - is; dhruvam - indeed; sparsena - by touch; ca - and; maha-papam - the great sin; tirtha-snanat - by bathing in a holy place; visudhyati - is purified.

By going on pilgrimage one is purified of the sin of seeing an unchaste woman. By bathing in a holy stream one is purified of the great sin of touching an unchaste woman.

Text 42

snanam danam vratam caiva
japas ca deva-pujanam
nisphalam pumscalinam ca
bharate jivanam vrtha

snanam - bathing; danam - charity; vratam - vows; ca - and; eva - indeed; japas - mantras; ca - and; deva-pujanam - worshiping the demigods; nisphalam - fruitless; pumscalinam - of unchaste women; ca - and; bharate - on the earth; jivanam - life; vrtha - useless.

An unchaste woman's charity, vows, mantras, demigod worship, and bathing in holy streams are all useless. She lives on this earth in vain.

Text 43

kathitam kulatakhyanam
durjneyam ca yathagamam
samvadam ca tayos tatra
prakrtam srnu narada

kathitam - spoken; kulatakhyanam - the story of an unchaste woman; durjneyam - inscrutable; ca - and; yathagamam - as far as understood; samvadam - conversation; ca - and; tayoh - of them; tatra - there; prakrtam - natural; srnu - please hear; narada - O Narada.

As far as I can understand them, I have described to you the inscrutable ways of an unchaste woman. O Narada, now please hear the conversation of Bali's son and Tilottama.

(...)

Text 70

sarvam janasi sarvajne
vijne surata-karmani
harsena srotum icchami
vada sva-manasam vacah

sarvam - all; janasi - you know; sarvajne - all-knowing; vijne - learned; surata-karmani - in amorous pastimes; harsena - with happiness; srotum - to hear; icchami - I wish; vada - tell; sva-manasam - your heart; vacah - words.

O wise one, O all-knowing one, you know everything of the art of sex. I yearn to hear from you. Please tell me what is in your heart.

Text 71

ati-priyas ca ko va vah
kah sva-bhavo varanane
akathyam gopaniyam ca
srotum icchami sundari

ati-priyah - very dear; ca - and; kah - who?; va - or; vah - of you; kah - who?; sva-bhavah - own nature; varanane - O girl eith the beautiful face; akathyam - not to be spoken; gopaniyam - to be concealed; ca - and; srotum - to hear; icchami - I wish; sundari - O beautiful one.

O girl with the beautiful face, what kind of man does a girl like? What is his nature? O beautiful one, even though the answer to this question may be confidential and not to be repeated to anyone, I still yearn to hear it.

Text 72

gandharvanam suranam ca
rajnam punyavatam api
sarvesam prana-tulya tvam
tesu kas ca parah priyah

gandharvanam - of gandharvas; suranam - of suras; ca - and; rajnam - of kings; punyavatam - of saints; api - also; sarvesam - of all; prana-tulya - dear as life; tvam - you; tesu - in them; kas - who?; ca - and; parah - most; priyah - liked.

Of all the gandharvas, demigods, kings, and saints, whom do you like best? Whom do you think more dear to you than life itself?

Text 73

asurasya vacah srutva
prahasya sa tilottama
mukham acchadanam cakre
vilokya vakra-caksusa

asurasya - of the asura; vacah - the words; srutva - hearing; prahasya - laughing; sa - she; tilottama - Tilottama; mukham - face; acchadanam - covering; cakre - did; vilokya - looking; vakra-caksusa - with crooked eyes.

Hearing the demon's words, Tilottama laughed and covered her face. With crooked eyes she gazed at him.

Text 74

satyam saram antara-stham
avyaktam ati-gopanam
uvaca manasam vakyam
ajnatam vidusam api

satyam - truth; saram - best; antara-stham - in the heart; avyaktam - not revealed; ati-gopanam - very confidential; uvaca - spoke; manasam - heart; vakyam - words; ajnatam - unknown; vidusam - to the philosophers; api - even.

Then she truthfully told him the secrets hidden in her heart, secrets unknown even to the great philosophers.

Text 75

tilottamovaca

kathaniyam casurendra
pumscalinam mano-vacah
veda-vedanta-sastranam
sarvam janati panditah
kanta nantam vijanati
disakase ca yositam

tilottamovaca - Tilottama said; kathaniyam - to be spoken; ca - and; asurendra - O king of the demons; pumscalinam - of girls that run after men; manah - of the heart; vacah - the words; veda-vedanta-sastranam - of the Vedasm the Vedanta, and all the scriptures; sarvam - all; janati - knows; panditah - scholar; kanta - O beloved; na - not; antam - end; vijanati - knows; disa - in the directions; akase - in the sky; ca - and; yositam - of women.

Tilottama said: O king of the demons, O lover, I will tell you what is in the heart of women that like to run after men. A philosopher that knows the Vedas, Vedanta, and all other scriptures still cannot understand where the directions, the sky, or the nature of women has its end.

Text 76

visad apy apriyo vrddho
ratnado 'pi ca yositam
yuva sarva-sva-harta cet
pranebhyo 'pi parah priyah

visat - than poison; apy - even; apriyah - repulsive; vrddhah - an old man; ratnadah - giving jewels; api - even; ca - and; yositam - of women; yuva - a young man; sarva - all; sva - her property; harta - stealing; cet - if; pranebhyah - than life; api - even; parah - more; priyah - dear.

Even if he brings her gifts of jewels, a woman thinks an old man more bitter than poison. Even if he robs all she has, she thinks a young man more dear than life.

Text 77

yuvanam sundaram drstva
matta bhavati pumscali
visesatah su-vesam ca
drstvaiva hata-cetana

yuvanam - young; sundaram - handsome; drstva - seeing; matta - maddened; bhavati - becomes; pumscali - a woman that runs after men; visesatah - specifically; su-vesam - well-dressed; ca - and; drstva - seeing; eva - indeed; hata - destroyed; cetana - heart.

When she sees a handsome young man, an unchaste woman becomes mad with desire. Especially if he is well-dressed, her heart becomes devastated.

Text 78

nimesa-rahita tasya
locanabhyam papau mukham
yonau jalam ksaret tasyah
sadyah kanduyanam bhavet

nimesa-rahita - unblinking; tasya - of him; locanabhyam - with eyes; papau - dfrank; mukham - face; yonau - in the vagina; jalam - water; ksaret - flows; tasyah - of her; sadyah - at once; kanduyanam - itching; bhavet - is.

With unblinking eyes she drinks his face. Her wet vagina itches.

Text 79

mano 'ti-lolam asthairyam
sarvangani cakampire
jadi-bhutam sariram ca
pradagdham madananalat

manah - mind; ati-lolam - very restless; asthairyam - unsteady; sarvangani - ann oimbs; cakampire - tremble; jadi-bhutam - stunned; sariram - body; ca - and; pradagdham - burning; madananalat - with the fire of lust.

Her mind becomes restless and unsteady. All her limbs tremble. Her body becomes stunned. She burns in a fire of lust.

Text 80

samprapya tam ced rahasi
salapam kurute sphutam
sa-kataksam smera-vaktram
darsayitva punah punah

samprapya - attaining; tam - him; cet - if; rahasi - in a secluded place; salapam - with words; kurute - does; sphutam - clearly; sa-kataksam - with sidelong glances; smera-vaktram - smiling face; darsayitva - showing; punah - again; punah - and again.

Finding him in a secluded place, she openly tells her desire. Again and again she smiles and gazes at him.

Text 81

tada yadi vasam kartum
na sasaka jitendriyam
svam angam darsayitva tam
antar-vakyam sphutam vadet

tada - then; yadi - if; vasam - control; kartum - to do; na - not; sasaka - is able; jitendriyam - controlling th senses; svam - own; angam - body; darsayitva - showing; tam - to him; antar-vakyam - secrets of the heart; sphutam - clearly; vadet - tells.

If he is sense-controlled and she cannot seduce him in that way, then she shows her body to him and she openly tells him the secrets of her heart.

Text 82

duhsadhye nayake duhkham
bhaved ajanma-karmani
tat-tulyam tat-param prapya
tam vismarati pumscali

duhsadhye - unattainable; nayake - hero; duhkham - misery; bhavet - is; ajanma - from birth; karmani - in deeds; tat-tulyam - equal to him; tat-param - better than him; prapya - attaining; tam - him; vismarati - forgets; pumscali - an unchaste woman.

If she still cannot attain her hero, she is miserable for her entire life. Only if she finds another lover equal or better than he can she forget him.

Text 83

pumscalinam apriyah kah
priyah ko va mahi-tale
yo hi srngara-nipunah
sa ca pranadhikah priyah

pumscalinam - of unchaste women; apriyah - not dear; kah - what?; priyah - dear; kah - what?; va - or; mahi-tale - on the earth; yah - who; hi - indeed; srngara-nipunah - expert in sex; sa - he; ca - and; pranadhikah - more than life; priyah - dear.

What kind of man does an unchaste woman like? What kind does she not like? She likes a man expert in sex. She thinks him more dear than life.

Text 84

purva-jaram patim putram
bhrataram pitaram prasum
visistam nutanam prapya
sarvam tyajati lilaya

purva-jaram - previous lover; patim - husband; putram - son; bhrataram - brother; pitaram - father; prasum - daughter; visistam - better; nutanam - new; prapya - attaining; sarvam - all; tyajati - abandons; lilaya - easily.

For the sake of her new lover she easily leaves behind her husband, son, brother, father, daughter, and former lover.

Text 85

na danena na punyena
na satyena stavena va
nopakarena prita sa
sadhya ca suratim vina

na - not; danena - by charity; na - and; punyena - by piety; na - not; satyena - by truthfulness; stavena - by prayers; va - or; na - not; upakarena - by any means; prita - pleased; sa - she; sadhya - attainable; ca - and; suratim - sex; vina - without.

Charity, piety, truthfulness, praise, and other things do not please her. Only sex pleases her.

Text 86

sayane bhojane capi
svapne jnane diva-nisam
nityam tat-purusaslesam
smarati kulatah striyah

sayane - in sleeping; bhojane - in eating; ca - and; api - also; svapne - in dream; jnane - awake; diva-nisam - day and night; nityam - always; tat-purusa - her man; aslesam - embrace; smarati - remembers; kulatah - unchaste; striyah - women.

While eating or resting, awake or asleep, day or night, unchaste women think only of a man's embrace.

Text 87

srngara-nipunanam ca
dhyana-sadhya ciram param
daruna pumscali-jatih
prarthayanti navam navam

srngara-nipunanam - expert in sex; ca - and; dhyana-sadhya - attained by meditation; ciram - a long time; param - great; daruna - terrible; pumscali-jatih - an unchaste woman; prarthayanti - pray; navam - newer; navam - and newer.

She is rapt in meditation on men expert in sex. A ferocious unchaste woman is always looking for another, a new lover.

The following episode appears in the SIVA PURANA , Uma-samhita, chap.24, verses 15-35, as well as in the MAHA-BHARATA, Anusasana Parva, Chap. 38, verses 11-30, as narrated by Bhismadeva.

Narada Muni asks the apsara Pancacuda to speak about women’s nature. She says-

15. O Narada, this is the defect in women. Even women of
noble families, women with husbands and women endowed with
beauty do not stand within the limits of decency.

16. There is none more sinning and more sinful than women.
Women are at the root of all sins. This you know already.

17. They might have husbands of good knowledge, of ample
wealth, of great comeliness and pleasing to them. But when
they get opportunities for erring, they do not wait.

18. O holy lord, this is the evil practice of all of us,
women, that we resort to sinful men casting off all shame
and shyness.

19. Women love only those persons who solicit their
company, who approach them intimately and who render them a little
bit of service.

20. Women usually do not observe the limitations of
conventional decency. If at all they stand by their
husbands it is because no man makes advances to them or
because they are afraid of their husbands.

21. There is no man not worthy of honour to women. They do
not care about the age of the man. They carry on their
affairs with any man, ugly or beautiful.

22. It is not due to fear, taunts of affection for their
husbands or regard for their lineage that women remain
loyal to their husbands.

23. Even women of noble families aspire for the life of
lascivious women who in their prime of youth, adorned with
lovable ornaments and beautiful wearing garments move
about frivolously.

24. Even the women who are honoured well, loved intimately
and looked after with care become attached to hunchbacks,
blind men, imbeciles and dwarfs.

25. O celestial sage, they become attached to lame and
even despicable persons. O great sage, there is none in the world who
cannot be approached by women with solicitations of lust.

26. O brahmana, if women do not get men for their dalliance
they begin to indulge in abnormal sexual activity with
another women. They do not stand by their husbands.

27. Women become desperate when they do not get men, when
they are afraid of servants, when they are frightened of
being killed or imprisoned.

28. Because they indulge in sexual intercourse as they
please, they are fickle-minded, of evil deeds and
emotionally incomprehensible even to an intelligent man.

29. Fire is not satiated with the logs of wood it consumes;
the ocean is not satiated with the rivers that flow into
it; the god of death is not satiated with the living beings
he kills and women are not satiated with whatever number
of men they have sex with.

30. O excellent sage, there is another secret of all women,
that immediately on seeing a man their genital begins to
exude slimy secretions.

31. On seeing a man fresh and clean from his bath, with
his body perfumed with sweet scents, the women’s genital
begins to exude like water dripping from a leather bag.

32. Women do not brook their husbands who may give all that
they love, who may honour and console them, and who may look
after them well.

33. Women do not remain satisfied and contented so much
with simple loves and pleasures and with ornaments and
money as with illicit sex pursued by them with other men.

34. Women can be kept equally balanced against all these
put together-Yama, Antaka, Patala, the submarine fire, the
sharp edge of a razor, poison, a serpent and fire.

35. Ever since the five elements, the world, the men and
the women were created by Brahma, O Narada, the defect
lies in women always.

13,038.011 pañcacūḍovāca
13,038.011a kulīnā rūpavatyaś ca nāthavatyaś ca yoṣitaḥ
13,038.011c maryādāsu na tiṣṭhanti sa doṣaḥ strīṣu nārada
13,038.012a na strībhyaḥ kiṃ cid anyad vai pāpīyastaram asti vai
13,038.012c striyo hi mūlaṃ doṣāṇāṃ tathā tvam api vettha ha
13,038.013a samājñātān ṛddhimataḥ pratirūpān vaśe sthitān
13,038.013c patīn antaram āsādya nālaṃ nāryaḥ pratīkṣitum
13,038.014a asaddharmas tv ayaṃ strīṇām asmākaṃ bhavati prabho
13,038.014c pāpīyaso narān yad vai lajjāṃ tyaktvā bhajāmahe
13,038.015a striyaṃ hi yaḥ prārthayate saṃnikarṣaṃ ca gacchati
13,038.015c īṣac ca kurute sevāṃ tam evecchanti yoṣitaḥ
13,038.016a anarthitvān manuṣyāṇāṃ bhayāt parijanasya ca
13,038.016c maryādāyām amaryādāḥ striyas tiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu
13,038.017a nāsāṃ kaś cid agamyo 'sti nāsāṃ vayasi saṃsthitiḥ
13,038.017c virūpaṃ rūpavantaṃ vā pumān ity eva bhuñjate
13,038.018a na bhayān nāpy anukrośān nārthahetoḥ kathaṃ cana
13,038.018c na jñātikulasaṃbandhāt striyas tiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu
13,038.019a yauvane vartamānānāṃ mṛṣṭābharaṇavāsasām
13,038.019c nārīṇāṃ svairavṛttānāṃ spṛhayanti kulastriyaḥ
13,038.020a yāś ca śaśvad bahumatā rakṣyante dayitāḥ striyaḥ
13,038.020c api tāḥ saṃprasajjante kubjāndhajaḍavāmanaiḥ
13,038.021a paṅguṣv api ca devarṣe ye cānye kutsitā narāḥ
13,038.021c strīṇām agamyo loke 'smin nāsti kaś cin mahāmune
13,038.022a yadi puṃsāṃ gatir brahma kathaṃ cin nopapadyate
13,038.022c apy anyonyaṃ pravartante na hi tiṣṭhanti bhartṛṣu
13,038.022d*0286_01 duṣṭācārāḥ pāparatā asatyā māyayā vṛtāḥ
13,038.022d*0286_02 adṛṣṭabuddhibahulāḥ prāyeṇety avagamyatām
13,038.023a alābhāt puruṣāṇāṃ hi bhayāt parijanasya ca
13,038.023c vadhabandhabhayāc cāpi svayaṃ guptā bhavanti tāḥ
13,038.024a calasvabhāvā duḥsevyā durgrāhyā bhāvatas tathā
13,038.024b*0287_01 suhṛdy avadyahṛdyās tā vairakopālayāḥ sma tāḥ
13,038.024c prājñasya puruṣasyeha yathā vācas tathā striyaḥ
13,038.025a nāgnis tṛpyati kāṣṭhānāṃ nāpagānāṃ mahodadhiḥ
13,038.025c nāntakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ na puṃsāṃ vāmalocanāḥ
13,038.026a idam anyac ca devarṣe rahasyaṃ sarvayoṣitām
13,038.026c dṛṣṭvaiva puruṣaṃ hṛdyaṃ yoniḥ praklidyate striyaḥ
13,038.026d*0288_01 susnātaṃ puruṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā sucandanalavokṣitam
13,038.026d*0288_02 yoniḥ svadyati nārīṇāṃ dṛteḥ pādād ivodakam
13,038.027a kāmānām api dātāraṃ kartāraṃ mānasāntvayoḥ
13,038.027c rakṣitāraṃ na mṛṣyanti bhartāraṃ paramaṃ striyaḥ
13,038.028a na kāmabhogān bahulān nālaṃkārārthasaṃcayān
13,038.028c tathaiva bahu manyante yathā ratyām anugraham
13,038.029a antakaḥ śamano mṛtyuḥ pātālaṃ vaḍavāmukham
13,038.029c kṣuradhārā viṣaṃ sarpo vahnir ity ekataḥ striyaḥ
13,038.030a yataś ca bhūtāni mahānti pañca; yataś ca lokā vihitā vidhātrā
13,038.030c yataḥ pumāṃsaḥ pramadāś ca nirmitās; tadaiva doṣāḥ pramadāsu nārada

SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM

salavrkanam strinam ca
svairininam sura-dvisah
sakhyany ahur anityani
nutnam nutnam vicinvatam

Mohini-murti said-

SB 8.9.10: O demons, as monkeys, jackals and dogs are
unsteady in their sexual relationships and want newer and
newer friends every day, women who live independently seek
new friends daily. Friendship with such a woman is never
permanent. This is the opinion of learned scholars.

visama-matir na yatra nrnam
tvam aham iti mama taveti ca yad anyatra
visama-dhiya racito yah
sa hy avisuddhah ksayisnur adharma-bahulah

Kasyapa muni to Diti -

SB 6.18.41: A woman's face is as attractive and beautiful
as a blossoming lotus flower during autumn. Her words are
very sweet, and they give pleasure to the ear, but if we
study a woman's heart, we can understand it to be
extremely sharp, like the blade of a razor. In these circumstances,
who could understand the dealings of a woman?

kah ksemo nija-parayoh
kiyan varthah sva-para-druha dharmena
sva-drohat tava kopah
para-sampidaya ca tathadharmah

SB 6.18.42: To satisfy their own interests, women deal
with men as if the men were most dear to them, but no one is
actually dear to them. Women are supposed to be very
saintly, but for their own interests they can kill even
their husbands, sons or brothers, or cause them to be
killed by others.

urvasy uvaca
ma mrthah puruso 'si tvam
ma sma tvadyur vrka ime
kvapi sakhyam na vai strinam
vrkanam hrdayam yatha

SB 9.14.36: Urvasî said:

My dear King, you are a man, a hero. Don't be impatient and give up your life. Be sober
and don't allow the senses to overcome you like foxes.
Don't let the foxes eat you. In other words, you should
not be controlled by your senses. Rather, you should know that
the heart of a woman is like that of a fox. There is no
use making friendship with women.

striyo hy akarunah krura
durmarsah priya-sahasah
ghnanty alparthe 'pi visrabdham
patim bhrataram apy uta

SB 9.14.37: Women as a class are merciless and cunning.
They cannot tolerate even a slight offense. For their own
pleasure they can do anything irreligious, and therefore
they do not fear killing even a faithful husband or
brother.

vidhayalika-visrambham
ajnesu tyakta-sauhrdah
navam navam abhipsantyah
pumscalyah svaira-vrttayah

SB 9.14.38: Women are very easily seduced by men.
Therefore, polluted women give up the friendship of a man
who is their well-wisher and establish false friendship
among fools. Indeed, they seek newer and newer friends,
one after another.

loka-bandhusu meghesu
vidyutas cala-sauhrdah
sthairyam na cakruh kaminyah
purusesu gunisv iva

Sukadeva Gosvami said-

SB 10.20.17: Though the clouds are the well-wishing
friends of all living beings, the lightning, fickle in its
affinities, moved from one group of clouds to another,
like lusty women unfaithful even to virtuous men.

na tathasya bhavet kleso
bandhas canya-prasangatah
yosit-sangad yatha pumso
yatha tat-sangi-sangatah

Krishna to Uddhava-

SB 11.14.30: Of all kinds of suffering and bondage arising
from various attachments, none is greater than the
suffering and bondage arising from attachment to women and
intimate contact with those attached to women.

The concept of acintya-bheda-abheda

2009-12-27T11:54:00.004-05:00

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s acintya-bhedabheda-tattva philosophy aims at a reconciliation of the different scriptural statements on the nature of the Absolute. According to the gaudiya understanding, the previous acaryas played a role in preparing the ground to the philosophy of love of Godhead fructify. When Sankara appeared, India was taken by the Buddhist concepts in which there was no room even for accepting the existence of God. By the propagation of advaita-vada, once again the Vedic scriptures became the authority and the goal was Brahman. Ramanuja preached that Lord Narayana is the Supreme Brahman and thus revived the concept that God is eternally a person. Madhva staunchly defended the differences between God and the individual soul. In this way, there was a progression towards the acceptance of personalism that made the society ready to adopt the philosophy proposed by Lord Caitanya. In spite of several divergences regarding philosophical conclusions, Lord Caitanya showed respect to all the four vaisnava sampradayas, since they all agree that to please Lord Krsna is the perfection of life, and in this mood gladly accepted from each of them two specific instructions :

madhva haite saradvaya kariba grahana eka haya kevala-advaita nirasana
krsna-murti nitya jani'tamhara sevana sei ta'dvitiya sara jana mahajana
ramanuja haite anni lai dvi sara ananya-bhakati, bhaktajana-seva ara
visnu haite dui sara kariba svikara tadiya sarvasva-bhava, ragamarga ara
toma haite laba ami dui mahasara ekanta radhikasraya gopi-bhava ara

“Later when I begin the sankirtana movement I myself will preach using the essence of the philosophies of the four of you. From Madhva I will receive two items: his complete defeat of the Mayavadi philosophy, and his service to the murti of Krsna, accepting it as an eternal spiritual being. From Ramanuja I will accept two teachings: the concept of bhakti unpolluted by karma or jnana and service to the devotees. From Visnusvami's teaching I will accept two elements: the sentiment of exclusive dependence on Krsna and the path of raga-bhakti. And from Nimbarka I will receive two great principles: the necessity of taking shelter of Radha and the high esteem for the gopis love of Krsna.” Navadvipa-Mahätmyam (Parikrama-khanda)

Either if one accepts the theory of total unity between Brahman and the jivas, or their eternal separated existence, there is a partial and imperfect conclusion, failing to fulfil even the very definition of the word ‘absolute’. Nor can both views be rejected if we desire to reach an explanation that satisfies the reason and is corroborated by the sastras. If one says that they are one and the same, then the Supreme would also share all the faults that the living entities display. And if one says they are totally different, then there would be a violation of all the passages in which non-duality is stated. The synthesis of the Gaudiya-vedanta is to accept the energetic and His energy as eternally related and simultaneously one and different. This kind of relation is inconceivable from the material point of view, therefore the term ‘acintya’, indicating that we cannot expect to fully comprehend this kind of relation by means of our imperfect and limited senses, mind and reasoning power. We can, however, use these as a means to verify how indeed the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His energies is far beyond our grasp, just like by observing the stars at night we can understand they are far from our reach. From another perspective, this philosophy cannot be understood except by those who are surrendered souls unto the lotus feet of the Lord, who fully develop spiritual senses and intellect to apprehend spiritual knowledge, as the Lord proclaims :

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te

“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” Bhagavad-gita, 10.10

A simple example to demonstrate the bhedabheda relation is the sun and its light. It is common sense that the sun is intrinsically related to its rays, and these are dependent upon it, thus in this sense they are one and the same. But at the same time we also can understand that the sun rays are not the sun itself. When in the morning we see the sun light coming through the window we might say that the sun is inside the house, while factually we mean to say that the sun’s rays are coming inside, for otherwise it would be a dumb affirmation. Similarly, Lord Krsna and His energies also interact intrinsically and still are distinct. Jiva Gosvami explains this concept in the following words :

ekam eva tat parama-tattvam svabhavikacintya-saktya sarvadaiva svarupa-tad-rupa-vaibhava-jiva-pradhana-rupena caturdhavatisthate suryantarmandalastha-teja iva mandala tad-bahir-gatarasmi-tat-prattichavi-rupena. durghata-ghata-katvam hyacintyatvam (Bhagavat-sandarbha ,16)

The Absolute Truth is one. His natural characteristic is that He has inconceivable potency. His inconceivable potencies are reposed in four different stages: His personal form (svarupa), the expansions of His divine form (tad-rupa-vaibhava), the jivas, and the material ingredients (pradhana). With regard to the sun, there is the sungod, the internal power of the sun, and that power when it is expanded as the external rays of the sun. Then there is the shadow of the sun, that is to say, the sun's reflection which is in darkness, far from the sun's influence. This illustration is used as an example. The point of the example is that in the same way as the sun appears in this fourfold manifestation (the sungod, its internal power, its external rays, and its shadow), there is one eternal Supreme Truth (the Lord) whose form is eternal, but who is possessed of different potencies: svarupa-sakti, jiva-sakti, and maya-sakti.

There seems to be a contradiction in this matter between the Lord being one eternal Absolute Truth and His simultaneously possessing inconceivable potency. How is it possible to understand such a contradiction? To that it is said: ‘acintya’, beyond the jiva's capacity to understand. An event which is extremely rare or unlikely, even physically impossible, is inconceivable. For the Supreme Lord, however, nothing is impossible for He has inconceivable power. Therefore the Lord's oneness with and distinction from His energy is said to be inconceivable acintya-bhedabheda-vada. Rupa Gosvami describes it in this verse :

ato 'cintyatma-saktim tam madhye krtyatra durghatah
ko nv arthah syad viruddho 'pi tathaivasya hy acintyata
sa ca nana-viruddhanam karyanam asrayan mata

“With the help of this acintya potency, what is impossible for You? Because many different mutually contradictory powers are present in it, the Lord's potency is considered inconceivable.” Laghu-bhagavatamrta, 110

Baladeva Vidyabhusana explains that this potency of the Lord is responsible for solving all the scriptural statements that seem to give contradictory information about God :

acintya-saktir astise yoga-sabdena cocyate
virodha-bhanjika sa syad iti tattva-vidam matam

“The fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses inconceivable potency (yogam aisvaram) resolves all the apparent contradictions. This is the opinion of those who know the truth.” Prameya-ratnavali, 1.15

Some of these contradictory qualities are that even though He Himself is transcendental knowledge, He still has a body, and even though He is one, He is also many. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is simultaneously all-pervading and of a small size. These opposite features can be reconciled when we accept the concept of acintya. The Lord says :

apani-pado 'ham acintya-saktih

“Although I have no hands or feet, I still have inconceivable potencies.”
Kaivalya Upanisad (21)

The smrti also confirms:

atmesvaro 'tarkya-sahasra-saktih

“My dear Lord, You are self-determined and are the Supreme Personality of Godhead for all living entities. For them You created this material manifestation, and although You are one, Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is inconceivable to us.” Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.33.3)

Some may validly argue: if it is inconceivable, why do you write so many books about it? Here are a few points to answer that:

1) As said above, the acintya concept is meant to indicate that the Lord’s powers are beyond the human capacity of understanding, what does not mean that we cannot appreciate them at all, but rather that we should never underestimate the limitlessness of anything displayed by Him, His forms, His pastimes, His names, etc.

2)The Lord can be partially comprehended by spiritual senses and mind when He becomes pleased with His devotee, otherwise by no amount of material skill can the mundane mind and senses progress towards understanding Him.

3) Lord Caitanya personally demonstrated by His instructions that particularly in Kali-yuga no one will have the required capacity to properly understand the conclusions of the Brahma-sutras by dint of intellectual efforts. Once the great scholar Prakasananda Sarasvati inquired from Lord Caitanya: You are a sannyasi, so how is it that instead of spending your time studying Vedanta you simply chant and dance? In reply, the Lord said :

prabhu kahe—suna, sripada, ihara karana
guru more murkha dekhi’ karila sasana

“My dear sir, kindly hear the reason. My spiritual master considered Me a fool, and therefore he chastised Me.”

murkha tumi, tomara nahika vedantadhikara
‘krsna-mantra’ japa sada,—ei mantra-sara

“‘You are a fool,’ he said. ‘You are not qualified to study Vedanta philosophy, and therefore You must always chant the holy name of Krsna. This is the essence of all mantras, or Vedic hymns’.” Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 7.72

Lord Caitanya, playing the role of a perfect devotee, showed by this pastime how unqualified people erroneously take to the study of Vedanta on the basis of so-called scholarship. He obviously was not any fool, rather from His youthful days He was known as the greatest scholar in Nadia, which was in those days one of the main centers of learning in India. Lord Caitanya meant that the real purpose behind the Vedanta is to bring one to the point of loving Krsna and chanting His Holy Names, but if one just spends his life in dry speculations –neti, neti, this is not Brahman, that is not Brahman- then he is simply missing the point. On the other hand, if one directly takes to the process of bhakti, without going through all this philosophical intricacies, that is a much better course of action and much easier for people in general. Therefore, the conclusion is that knowledge about Krsna is inconceivable for those who don’t take to the process of bhakti, but want to understand Him on the strength of grammatical knowledge and academic scriptural studies.

4) There will always be a class of learned scholars, and to please them it is required to present the acintya-bhedabheda-tattva philosophy with all reason and argument to prove that this system is not based on someone’s opinion, but on the clear statements of the sruti and smrti. It is a tradition among the orthodox schools to have a dialectical way to present each premise and refute any possible objection. Without these philosophical resources, no system would be taken seriously by any learned person. On this basis, the acaryas extensively try to explain this system in so many ways, for since we are speaking of Lord Krsna’s powers, it should be understood that although they are ultimately acintya, there is so much positive information about Him that can make one appreciate His glories, and the amount of this information is also unlimited.

5) The devotees of Krsna know very well that His power is infinite and incomprehensible, and that just increases their taste to hear more and more about them. Those who write or speak about Him relish immensely, and those who read or hear about Him also relish immensely, as the sages at Naimisaranya expressed :

vayam tu na vitrpyama uttama-sloka-vikrame
yac-chrnvatam rasa-jnanam svadu svadu pade pade

“We never tire of hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, who is glorified by hymns and prayers. Those who have developed a taste for transcendental relationships with Him relish hearing of His pastimes at every moment.” Bhagavatam, 1.1.19

Defending my Ph.D. thesis

2009-11-12T01:47:00.015-05:00

Yesterday,11th of November, I defended my thesis in front of a board of eight doctors of the Sanskrit faculty, among which were the principal, Dr. R.C.Panda, and the head of the department of Dharmagama, Dr. K. Jha, along with several research scholars and undergraduate students. For one hour, I presented some of the main points of my work and replied to the questions and challenges they put. It was a bit ambitious to present it in spoken Sanskrit, as I’ve been out of shape, but they appreciated it very much, since no student dares to do so. The whole thing was filmed, but the audio quality is poor and the noise from the construction downstairs is annoying…

1. I started by reading out my mangalacarana and explaining its meaning. Dr. Simha objected that the meaning was clear and there was no need to explain anything, then Dr. Jha intervened saying that I was making relevant points about my parampara and philosophy, and therefore should carry on.

2. When I stated that God is to be known by the Vedas, they questioned the basis for taking this kind of evidence. I replied that for those who are ‘astikas’, the authority of the Vedas is beyond doubt, but not for the ‘nastikas’, and therefore the approach to deal with this topic must be different in each case. They preferred not to stick to the ‘nastika’ argument and let me go ahead.

3. I made the point that God being real, the world must be real too. Dr. Jha asked how the world can be real if it is manifested by maya, to which I replied that maya is also real. I was describing ‘jivesu taratamyam’ (the gradation among the living entities) and they played with my words by calling Dr. Jivesh, who was working in the next room, and then asked me what would be his gradation…

4. At last, the director of the Faculty, Dr. Panda, arrived. Dr. Simha took the opportunity to express how glad they are to have such a student.Made me blush...

5. Dr. Rohatam inquired about the nature of the incarnations of the Lord, and Dr. Jha asked about the relation between suddha-sattva and the material modes.

6. They got on my case after I stated that Srimad Bhagavatam is the supreme pramana. I referred to the Tattva-sandarbha and made a few points, but they couldn’t swallow it…When I asked back what was the difficulty in accepting the supremacy of the Bhagavatam, Dr. Panda kindly remarked that they were there to assess the integrity of my research work, not Lord Caitanya’s doctrine, and finished the case. I invited those who objected for a debate later on ;-) At the end, Dr. Caturvedi asked what is the meaning of Vrndavana, why Radharani is called Lord Krishna’s heart, and who is Tulasi :-)

Prameya eight - Worship of Lord Hari is the cause of liberation

2009-10-12T11:24:00.003-04:00

By worshiping the Lord, Dhruva got everything he desired, even liberation

Bhakti, being beyond liberation, indeed brings liberation. There are innumerable passages in the scriptures that support this. For example:

janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.”
>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 4.9

Factually, simply by chanting Lord Krsna’s Holy Names one becomes eligible for liberation:

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 12.3.51

The Smrti-sastra explains:

hari-namaksarair gatram ankayec candanadina
sa loka-pavano bhutva tasya lokam avapnuyat

"One who marks his body with the letters of Lord Hari's holy names drawn in sandalwood paste or other similar substances, purifies the entire world and becomes eligible to enter the Lord's spiritual abode."

Bhakti is so powerful that can produce any result desired by the devotee. However, it is important to understand that the ultimate fruit of bhakti is unalloyed love for Krsna, not anything else, which could indeed be a distraction from that goal. But for attaining Krsna the topmost stage of bhakti is required, either by vaidhi-marga, according to rules and regulations, or by raganuga-marga, according to spontaneous love. In the former case, scriptural knowledge and detachment are essential factors to assure success.

Prameya Seven-Attainment of shelter at the lotus feet of God is real liberation

2009-09-19T00:43:00.002-04:00

The surrendered souls are already liberated

There are innumerable instances in the scripture that prove God to be the giver of liberation, so if we attain eternal service to Him, by inference, that position is beyond liberation. The Svetasvatara Upanisad (1.14) explains:

jnatva devam sarva-pasapahanih ksinah klesair janma-mrtyu-prahanih
tasyabhidhyanat trtiyam deha-bhede visvaisvaryam kevala apta-kamah

"By understanding the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a bona-fide spiritual master, one becomes free from the entangling ropes of identification with the material body, as well as the various miseries and the trap of repeated birth and death which spring from that false-identification. By constantly meditating on the Supreme Lord, he becomes free from the subtle material body of mind, intelligence and false-ego. He attains the form of an eternally liberated associate of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world, and all his desires become fulfilled."

The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.21) also explains:

eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya ity adi ca.

"Lord Krsna is the all-powerful, all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is the object of the prayers and worship of the demigods. Intelligent persons worship Him as He resides in His own spiritual abode. They thus attain the eternal transcendental bliss which is not available for others."

The Bhagavatam, on the other hand, affirms that those devoid of devotion for the Lord, even if freed from the material bonds and absorbed in the Brahman platform, are prone to fall from their position:

ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahma and the other demigods said: O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 10.2.32

And it corroborates the conception that bhakti is beyond liberation:

suta uvaca
atmaramas ca munayo nirgrantha apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim ittham-bhuta-guno harih

“All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 1.7.10

salokya-sarsti-samipya- sarupyaikatvam apy uta
diyamanam na grhnanti vina mat-sevanam janah

“A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation—salokya, sarsti, samipya, sarupya or ekatva—even though they are offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.29.13

The devotees of the Lord don’t care for liberation, what proves that they are enjoying something more sublime than it.

Prameya Six: There are different grades of living entities due to the results of their activities

2009-09-01T07:34:00.003-04:00

By the law of karma one may become a demigod or a demon

All the jivas share common qualities, such as their fragmental dimension, and all are conscious, possess form, and are endowed with knowledge, but either in the material world or in the spiritual world, their status is different from one another due to their different activities, in the former by the contact with the three modes of material nature, and in the latter by a variety of transcendental service to Krsna. Lord Krsna says:

purusah prakrti-stho hi bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 13.22

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the abominable mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 14.18

Due to the association with the different gunas, the jivas accept material bodies among the trees, animals, humans, demigods, etc. And among the liberated souls, those situated in the Vaikuntha planets are considered superior to those who merged in the impersonal Brahman. Among those who are in Vaikuntha, there is a transcendental gradation among the rasas, for dasya-rasa includes santa-rasa, sakhya-rasa includes dasya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa includes sakhya-rasa, and madhurya-rasa includes vatsalya-rasa, thus it is the topmost position. And among the different devotees who serve in the madhurya mood, Srimati Radharani is the topmost, for no one else exhibit the transcendental loving attitude towards Krsna as She does. Thus the living entities are further classified into nitya-siddhas, those who never fall in the material world, but are always under the control of yoga-maya, such as the inhabitants of Vrndavana, and the baddha-jivas, who are conditioned by the modes of nature. The sakti-tattva, however, is distinct from the jiva-tattva, and comprises the personified internal potency of the Lord, such as Radharani and Laksmi. Therefore it is clear that in any stage of existence there are different statuses among the jivas, the Lord’s potencies and even the expansions of the Lord Himself, for we see in the Bhagavatam that even Maha Visnu is attracted by Lord Krsna.

The Pastimes of Saksi Gopala

2009-08-14T07:44:00.007-04:00

The deity is an absolutely beautiful tri-bhanga, murali-dhara form, about 6 feet tall

The Appearance of Lord Saksi Gopala

After Lord Krishna’s departure from this world, the Pandavas decided to retire from the state affairs and give up all worldly connections to set the example for future generations. Maharaja Yuddhisthira appointed Pariksit, the son of Abhimanyu, to rule Hastinapura, and Vajranabha, the son of Aniruddha, to rule Mathura. Due to their family relation, they grew up as close friends and in all respects honored the glory of the Kuru and Yadu dynasties. It was the desire of Vajranabha to install deities of Lord Krishna, His great grand-father, in several places around Mathura, but he never had the opportunity to see Him. His friend Pariksit had seen Him only when he was still in the womb of His mother, Uttara. Thus, she was the only person who could accurately give details about the features of the Lord. According to her directions, Vajranabha carved several deities using a special kind of black stone called ‘vajra’, which is said to be imperishable, strong like diamond. First he carved three deities and asked Uttara if they resemble the Lord. Upon seen Govindaji, she said that the face was perfect; upon seen Gopinatha, she said that the navel was the same; and upon seen Madana-mohana, she said that His feet were very similar. Afterwards, Vajranabha carved Harideva, Kesavaji, Baladeva, Nathaji, and Gopala, Who later would become well-known as Saksi Gopala. Besides these, he also carved four deities of Lord Siva and four devis: Ganga, Vrnda, Yoga-maya and Durga, and then installed all these sixteen deities in different places in vraja-mandala.

The original Govinda, Gopinatha and Madana-mohana

According to your faith

Gopala’s temple became very popular and people from all over India used to visit it. It used to be situated in front of an ancient Hanuman temple in the area where the temple of Govindaji was built in the 16th century. It is difficult to say in which century the following incidents took place, but probably it was before the Christian age, when historical facts were hardly ever registered with specific dates. Once upon a time one young brahmana and an old brahmana from a village in the Vidyanagara district, a city nowadays situated in Andhra Pradesh, decided to go on pilgrimage to Vrndavana. Somehow they met on the way and the young brahmana was constantly rendering all kinds of services to the old man. After many days travelling, they arrived in Vrndavana and went to visit Lord Gopala’s temple. They were both delighted by His beauty and spent the day there. The old man was feeling very much indebted by the service he was receiving from the boy and decided to reciprocate by offering his daughter in marriage to him. Upon hearing such a proposal, the boy replied that he belonged to a poor and uneducated family, while the old brahmana belonged to an aristocratic and learned family, therefore such marriage should not happen. The old man insisted, and the boy again argued that even if he is so determined to give his daughter, the other relatives will certainly object. The old man kept on insisting and at last the boy proposed that if he really desires this marriage, then he should promise before Lord Gopala. They both went before the deity and the old brahmana declared that he would definitely marry his daughter to the boy. After visiting all places in Vrndavana, they set back to Vidyanagara.

When the old man arrived home, he told his relatives everything, but they became hysterical after hearing about the marriage settlement. They threatened to commit suicide if he gives the girl to a poor man. Meanwhile, the young brahmana was wondering why it was taking so long for the old man to fulfill his promise. He went to his house and questioned him about the matter. The old man’s son intervened and put him to run. The boy went to the central market and called the attention of the people around and told them all that had happened. The local people then called the old brahmana to settle the issue. Upon being interrogated, the old man just said that he could remember exactly what he had said. His son came along and said that the boy had actually stolen his father and given intoxicants to him, and now was making stories to get his daughter in marriage. He demanded a witness to corroborate his claims. The boy replied that he did have a witness: Lord Gopala. The old man’s son happened to be an atheist, therefore he boldly declared that if Gopala would go there to bear testimony, they would certainly give the girl’s hand. The boy was a staunch devotee and having full faith in the Lord, he set back to Vrndavana. He arrived in the temple and reported everything to Gopalaji. The deity then told him that there was no reason to worry, and that the boy should just go back and He would appear there to help him. The boy argued that people would not believe unless the deity Himself would come with him. Lord Gopala asked the boy how could a deity possibly walk, and the boy replied that if a deity can speak, then why would He not walk? In this way, Lord Gopala agreed to accompany His devotee under the condition that he should not look backwards- He would walk just behind him and the boy would know it by the sound of His ankle-bells. In case he violated this condition, the Lord would not move forward anymore. So they both started to south India.
For hundred days they travelled, and when they reached the border of the village, the boy could not hear the tinkling of the ankle-bells. Being anxious, he turned back and saw the Lord smiling at him. The Lord ordered him to go and tell everyone that He had arrived and was waiting for them. When all the villagers saw the Lord they were astonished. At last, Gopalaji gave testimony and the brahmana couple was duly married.

The main gate of the temple

The structure was meant to be a miniature of Jagannatha temple

Again Following His Devotee

The king of that region soon heard the whole story and went to visit Lord Gopala, and immediately gave order to build a temple on the spot. Many centuries passed till Purusottama Deva was born in 1466. He later became the king of Orissa and was know as a great devotee of Lord Jagannatha, having introduced the practice of sweeping the path before the Lord’s chariot during His ratha-yatra. After assuming the throne, he desired to marry the daughter of the king of Vidyanagara, but the king flatly refused saying that he would not marry his daughter to a sweeper. Taking this as a great insult to himself and to Lord Jagannatha, Purusottama Deva promptly gathered his army and attacked Vidyanagara. On that occasion, however, he was defeated and came back to Orissa humiliated. He went before Lord Jagannatha and pleaded His help to save his honor. On that night, Lord Jagannatha appeared in his dream and promised that on the next battle He Himself and His brother Balarama would fight in the king’s camp. Again he set with his army. Meanwhile, a lady was passing on the road with her pots for selling yogurt in the market when she saw two very handsome young men: one had a black complexion and rode a white horse, the other had a white complexion and rode a black horse. The two young men, dressed in fine silken clothes and expensive ornaments, resembled the demigods. They stopped and asked the lady to drink some yogurt. The lady was happy to feed them, but when it was time to pay, the two boys said: “We have no money here. Our brother, the King, is coming on this way very soon. Take this ring and show it to the King and he will pay you.” Soon afterwards, the lady met king Purushottama Deva, who was coming in front of his army and approached him, asking for the payment of the yogurt. The King was amazed at the story, but when he saw the ring the boys had given her, he had no more doubts: it was indeed one of the jewels from Jagannatha’s treasure. The King felt this occurrence as the special blessing of Jagannatha who wanted to reassure him of his victory. In this way, after defeating the opponents, Purusottama Deva returned to Cuttack, the capital of Orissa in those days, carrying with him the princess and the deity of Lord Saksi Gopala.
Saksi Gopala stayed in Cuttack for several years, till the king decided to move to Puri, and thus Gopala went along and was given a place inside Jagannatha mandir. Somehow, He could not adjust with the timings of the offerings there, and in a dream told the king that He wanted to move away from there. The king built a temple about 20 km from Puri, and since then Lord Gopala stays there, in a village called Saksi Gopala.

The Garuda-stambha

Prameya Five- All the jivas are eternally servants of God

2009-08-04T00:09:00.002-04:00

Even the liberated souls remain eternally as servants of God

After we have accepted that the Lord and the living entities are different, the next inquiry would be regarding the relation between them. In answer, the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.7)says:

tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram tam daivatanam paramam ca daivatam
patim patinam paramam parastad vidama devam bhuvanesam idyam

"The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also worshipable by all demigods, and is the supreme director of all directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and controllers and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than Him, and He is the supreme cause of all causes."

sa-brahmakah sa-rudras ca sendra deva maharsibhih
arcayanti sura-srestham devam narayanam harim

"Innumerable Brahmas, Sivas, Indras, sages and demigods, all worship the Supreme Lord Narayana, the best among the demigods." (smrti)

The Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda, 226.37) describes the nature of the jiva (individual living entity) in the following way:

makarenocyate jivah ksetrajnah paravan sada
dasa-bhuto harer eva nanyasyaiva kadacana

"In the sacred syllable Om, the letter m stands for the individual spirit soul. The individual soul is the knower of the field of activities. He is transcendental, and he is, in his original spiritual nature, a servant of Lord Hari. He is never the servant of Brahma, Siva, or anyone else."

In the Bhagavad Gita, the jivas have been so defined:

mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 15.7

By definition, the parts cannot be equal to the whole, but their value is intrinsically related. Both in the material and spiritual worlds, the jivas play the role of assistants in the pastimes of the Lord. The difference is that in the spiritual world they act under the influence of yoga-maya, while in the material world they act under the spell of maha-maya, the external energy. Those who are devotees of Krsna with a favourable attitude are classified into five major divisions: those in santa-rasa, dasya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, and madhurya, or into seven secondary categories: hasya, adbhuta, vira, karuna, raudra, bhayanaka, and vibhatsa.

Prameya Four- The difference between God and the souls is real

2009-07-18T08:05:00.002-04:00

Even the most powerful entity in the material world, Lord Brahma, has to bow down before the Supreme Lord

The ontological difference between the living entities and God is clearly mentioned in several passages from the sruti and smrti:

dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksam parisasvajate
tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti

The Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.6-7) explains: "Two birds reside in the metaphorical banyan tree of the material body. One of them is engaged in eating the material happiness and distress which is the fruit of that tree, while the other does not eat, but only witnesses the actions of his friend. The witness is the Supreme Lord Visnu, and the fruit-eater is the living entity.”

yada pasyah pasyate rukma-varnam kartaram isam purusam brahma-yonim
tada vidvan punya-pape vidhuya niranjanah paramam samyam upaiti

The Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.3) explains: "One who sees that golden-colored Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, the supreme actor, who is the source of the Supreme Brahman, becomes free from the reactions to past pious and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated, attaining the same transcendental platform as the Lord."
This dismisses the idea that the jiva and God are one and the same, for it is not possible for an object to become something it already is by nature. For example, water can become ice or vapour, but to say that water becomes water is illogical. Similarly, the soul is by nature an infinitesimal part of God, therefore sharing with Him the spiritual quality, but due to his fragmentary dimension, the soul gets covered by the material qualities and can only be reinstituted into his original position by the mercy of the Lord. Now, if one says that the souls are originally one with God, but are temporarily materially engrossed, and once liberated they will again be one with God, we say that in this case, there being no difference between God and the living entities, God would also be subjected to conditional life and thus unable to give liberation to anyone. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said:

idam jnanam upasritya mama sadharmyam agatah
sarge 'pi nopajayante pralaye na vyathanti ca

“By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature like My own. Thus established, one is not born at the time of creation or disturbed at the time of dissolution.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 14.2

This proves that even after liberation the living entities remain as individual beings, otherwise there would be no need to use the plural or to mention the possibility of being born again. Therefore we have to understand that eternal spiritual identity is part of the ontological constitution of the jivas. The sruti is very clear in this matter:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
tam atmastham ye 'nupasyanti dhiras tesam santih sasvati netaresam

The Katha Upanisad (2.2.13) explains: "Of all eternals, there is one who is the chief eternal. Of all conscious living entities, there is one who is the chief conscious entity. That supreme living entity, the Personality of Godhead, maintains the others, and fulfils their desires according to their merits. Only saintly persons, who can see, within and without, the same Supreme Lord, can actually attain to perfect and eternal peace."

The word ‘brahman’ in the scriptures is used to refer to different things in different contexts, and not always to indicate that any existent object is simply one and the same undivided tattva as the advaitavadis presume. Baladeva explains that when the sruti makes statements like ‘sarvam khalv idam brahma’ this does not mean that the universe itself is the supreme, but that it is built up and sustained by Brahman, just as when we speak of the vital force present in the senses, we mean that the latter are maintained by the former and dependent on it, but it is not a fact that the senses themselves are the vital force. Another way to explain how the universe is Brahman is by the conception that Lord Visnu pervades every atom, but even in this case we understand that His position remains unaffected as the Supreme Lord and controller of the jivas and prakrti, thus different from both.

Some say that the jivas are just like a reflex of Brahman manifested in the false designations of the material world. This, however, violates the principles enunciated in the sastra: Brahman being the supreme undivided one cannot be fragmented , and being beyond the reach of the senses cannot become a reflex. If one says that actually Brahman was not divided, but that due to the illusory designations the jivas think to be so divided, the reply is that this cannot justify the fact that every living entity has a different consciousness and karma. If all the jivas were one and the same, there should be no variety of thought and action, since the soul, and not the body, is their cause. If it be said that all mental and bodily activities are just a by-product of maya, like in a movie, then there is no point in following a sadhana to achieve liberation as prescribed in the sastra, for that too would be an illusory activity and by illusion one cannot possibly come to reality. Then again, if the jivas are already one and the same with the supreme Brahman, there would be no meaning in doing anything at all for attaining liberation. At last, the advaitavadis contradict themselves as well as the scriptures, for if they mean to say that there is no difference between the jivas and Brahman, they would violate statements like ‘nityo nityanam’, and if they mean that they are different, they would deny the meaning of ‘sarvam khalv idam brahma’. To avoid all this confusion, the conclusion is that the jivas are transcendentally different from the Lord in quantity, that the whole spiritual variety possesses transcendental differences, and that the sastras refer to Brahman as nirguna due to its being beyond all mundane means of perception, and not to mean that Brahman is totally undistinguished and does not possess any attribute at all.

Prameya Three-The world is real

2009-06-29T09:53:00.005-04:00

Brahman being real, the visible world must be real

Different philosophical schools follow one out of two main threads regarding the theory of the constitution of the manifested material world. Some accept the concept of sat-karya-vada, according to which the effect exists in its cause before its manifestation, and is therefore as real as its cause. The Sankhya system, for example, supports the theory of sat-karya-vada with the following arguments:

asad akaranad upadanagrahanat sarvasambhavabhavat
saktasya saktyakaranat karanabhavac ca sat karyam

“The effect is ever existent, 1) because what is nonexistent can by no means be brought into existence; 2) because effects take adequate material causes; 3)because all effects are not producible from all causes; 4) because en efficient cause can produce only that for which it is efficient; 5)because the effect is of the same essence as the cause.” (Sankhya-karika, text 9)

Gaudiya vaisnavism also accepts the theory of parinama sat-karya-vada, for the Supreme Lord’s existence being true, naturally everything that emanates from him is also true. There is plenty of evidence that God wished to create the material world and manifested it through the agency of His energies. The energies of the Lord are also as real as He Himself, therefore the emanations manifested by them are also real. To give a few examples:

ya eko'varno bahudha-sakti-yogad
varnan anekan nihitartho dadhati

The Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.1) explains: "The Absolute Truth, who is one without a second, and who possesses no material attributes, desired to manifest the material world, and created the different classes of human beings, animals and demigods by the agency of His multifarious energies."

ekadesa-sthitastagner jyotsna vistarini yatha
parasya brahmanah saktis tathedam akhilam jagat

The Visnu Purana explains:

"Whatever we see in this world is simply an expansion of different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is exactly like a fire which spreads illumination for a long distance, although it is situated in one place."

brahma satyam tapah satyam satyam caiva prajapatih
satyad bhutani jatani satyam bhutam ayam jagat

The Mahabharata explains: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, is real. Austerities are real, and Lord Brahma is also real. Because the living entities and the material world have taken birth from the supreme reality, they are also real."

Some may argue that the scriptures say that there is nothing besides atma, so to think that there is a material world besides the spirit would be just like mistaking a rope to be a snake. The answer to this is that indeed ultimately there is only spirit, but as we saw above, the Supreme Spirit can manifest anything from Himself through His potencies and still remain aloof. This is thus corroborated:

maya tatam idam sarvam jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caham tesv avasthitah

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 9.4

The philosophy proposed here is diversity in unity, thus the material world is not a superimposition as in the given analogy, but it can be better comprehended by the analogy of the green bird that entered a tree, for they are both existent, distinct beings, although sharing the same place, and only an inattentive observer would not perceive them to be so. In other words, the material and spiritual worlds are two parallel realities that are eternal and concomitant.

It may also be objected that the scriptures often affirm that this universe is ‘asat’. Here ‘asat’ does not mean that it is nonexistent, but that the material world is a temporary manifestation and it is so made to lead the jivas to develop detachment. By analysing the temporary nature of everything that exists in this world, one may eventually realize the transient constitution of all material objects and situations and thus give up attachment for them. Otherwise, if we take the word ‘asat’ to mean that the material world does not exist at all, the scriptures would be meaningless, since they are full of statements that particularly deal with material situations such as social organisation, politics, etc., and therefore would be self-contradictory, for if the world does not exist, it would not be possible for the jivas to live in it, so what to speak of the need of any scripture to guide them! Moreover, a fundament established by Madhva Acarya is that the scriptures should be understood on the light of the other pramanas too. In other words, the sabda-pramana should also be corroborated by pratyaksa as far as possible, even because pratyksa is the primary medium for sabda, for unless one uses his ears, there is no question of hearing anything. In the present context, the perception of the external world and its existence is common to all sentient beings, be they conditioned or liberated. This view also matches with the Cartesian pattern of thought , according to which one who thinks must definitely exist. Thus Baladeva’s conclusion that the phenomenal world is temporary, but not unreal is thoroughly backed up.

Prameya Two - He is to be known by the Vedas

2009-06-18T04:15:00.003-04:00

A manuscript page of the "Tattva-dipa" of Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The word ‘Veda’ comes from the verbal root ‘vid’, ‘to know’, thus Veda means knowledge in general, but particularly it refers to the four Samhitas called Rg, Atharva, Yajur and Sama. Knowledge is eternal and it is manifested again and again at the time of every universal creation, being transmitted by Lord Narayana and received by Lord Brahma:

purvasyadau parardhasya brahmo nama mahan abhut
kalpo yatrabhavad brahma sabda-brahmeti yam viduh

“In the beginning of the first half of Brahma's life, there was a millennium called Brahma-kalpa, wherein Lord Brahma appeared. The birth of the Vedas was simultaneous with Brahma's birth.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.11.35

Therefore, Lord Brahma is the greatest authority testify what is the ultimate goal of knowledge:

bhagavan brahma kartsnyena trir anviksya manisaya
tad adhyavasyat kuta-stho ratir atman yato bhavet

“The great personality Brahma, with great attention and concentration of the mind, studied the Vedas three times, and after scrutinizingly examining them, he ascertained that attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna is the highest perfection of religion.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 2.2.34

This is corroborated by Lord Krishna Himself:

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 15.15

There is an intrinsic relation between the Vedas and dharma, for the Vedas propagate dharma and dharma is essential to comprehend the Vedas. Manu-samhita, 2.6, states that the Vedas are one of the fundaments of dharma:

vedo’ akhilo dharmamulam smrtisile ca tadvidam
acarascaiva sadhunamatmanastustireva ca

“The whole Veda is the first source of the sacred law, next the tradition and the virtuous conduct of those who know the Veda further, also the customs of holy men, and finally, self-satisfaction.”

Thus, it is natural to conclude that the goal of the Vedas and that of dharma is one and the same. This conclusion is thus substantiated:

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 1.2.8

The Gopala-tapani Upanisad confirms :

yo 'sau sarvair vedair giyate

"All the Vedas proclaim the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

And the Katha Upanisad (1.2.15) also confirms it:

sarve veda yat-padam amananti tapamsi sarvani ca yad vadanti

"All the Vedas worship the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, and all austerities proclaim His glories."

And in the Hari-vamsa it is affirmed:

vede ramayane caiva purane bharate tatha
adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate

"In the Vedic literature, including the Ramayana, Puranas ad Mahabharata, from the very beginning (adau), to the end (ante ca), as well as within the middle (madhye ca), only Hari, the supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained."

There is an old discussion regarding the knowableness of God and the capacity to express it through words. In the sastras, the Supreme is sometimes referred to as ‘avacyam’, ‘indescribable’, but this should be understood in the sense that the Lord’s attributes are unlimited and cannot be fully conceived by the living entities, otherwise if we take it in the sense that the Supreme cannot be described at all, the whole sastra would be meaningless. Rather, both sruti and smrti largely describe the Supreme Lord’s transcendental qualities, names, forms, associates, paraphernalia, abodes, etc. The example given is that the Himalaya mountains can eventually also be referred to as invisible in the sense that it cannot be thoroughly seen, and not that they cannot be seen at all. Similarly, Lord Govinda’s transcendental qualities, etc. can be partially seen by those who are favoured by His mercy, but even Ananta Sesa Himself fails to fully appreciate them.
Some may argue that when the Vedas refer to Brahman, they are just expressing the nature of Brahman in a secondary, indirect way, for the direct meaning of words are used to describe only objects that possess an origin, qualities, activities, names, etc., while Brahman is devoid of all these. So, in this sense, Brahman is not really describable by the Vedas. However, the fact is that a secondary meaning is only possible when a direct meaning exits, thus if the direct meaning of the Vedic words are not valid knowledge, their indirect meaning would be futile and again the whole Veda would be useless for comprehending God and the soul and would contradict Vyasadeva’s conclusion in the Vedanta-sutra, 1.1.3 :

sastra-yonitvat

“Because He may only be known by the revelation of the Vedic scriptures.”

Therefore, the conclusion is that the Vedas are the via-media for acquiring knowledge about God, He being the end of all knowledge.

Prameya One- Visnu-tattva is the Supreme Tattva

2009-05-18T02:33:00.002-04:00

Being a branch of the Madhva sampradaya, the Gaudiya vaisnava sampradaya sticks to most of the epistemological basis established by Sri Madhva Acarya on the evidence of the prasthana-traya. Vidyabhusana, who previously had been fully trained in Madhva’s philosophy, presents in his book ‘Prameya-ratnavali’ an introduction to Govinda-bhasya in which he gives a description of the prameyas or objects of knowledge that are accepted both by the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well as those of Madhva. He states in the Prameya-ratnavali,8-9 :

Srimadhvah praha visnum paratamamakhilamnayavedyam ca visvam
Satyam bhedam ca jivan haricaranajusas taratamyam ca tesam
Moksam visnvanghrilabham tadamalabhajanam tasya hetum pramanam
Pratyaksaditrayam cetyupadisati harih krsnacaitanyacandrah

“Sri Madhva stated that Visnu-tattva is the supreme tattva, He is to be known by the Vedas, the world is real, the difference between the jiva and God is real, all the jivas are eternally servants of God, there are different grades of living entities due to the results of their activities, attainment of shelter at the lotus feet of God is real liberation, worship of Lord Hari is the cause of liberation, and that pratyaksa, anumana and sabda are the pramanas. This is the same philosophy taught by Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya.”
These prameyas are further elaborated by other gaudiya vaisnava acaryas such as Bhaktivinode Thakura in his ‘Dasa-mula-tattva’. What follows is a succinct description of each prameya along with the main sastric evidences to support them.

1) Visnu-tattva is the supreme tattva
By this prameya, Madhva refutes the monistic theories that the Supreme Lord is non-different from the living entities and that the ultimate aim described in the Vedas is a single, undifferentiated consciousness. To substantiate this principle, Baladeva quotes from the sruti and smrti. The Gopala-tapani Upanisad states:

tasmat krsna eva paro devam tam dhyayet tam raset tam bhajet tam yajet

“Therefore, Krsna is the Supreme Absolute Truth and nothing is higher than Him. One should meditate upon Him, chant His holy names, serve, and worship Him."
And the Svetasvatara Upanisad confirms His supremacy by stating that attaining Him is the ultimate realization and produces the ultimate success:

jnatva devam sarva-pasapahanih ksinaih klesair janma-mrtyu-prahanih
tasyabhidhyanat trtiyam deha-bhede visvaisvaryam kevalam apta-kamah
etaj jneyam nityam evatma-sastham natah param veditavyam hi kincit

"When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then the ropes of illusion which bind one to this material world become cut, the material miseries end, and the repetition of birth and death in the cycle of transmigration also ends. By constantly remembering the Supreme Lord, at the time of death one attains the fully opulent spiritual world, far beyond the touch of matter, and all his desires become fulfilled. In this way he directly perceives the Supreme Personality of Godhead, than whom there is nothing higher to be known." (1.11)

In the Bhagavad Gita also there is plenty evidence:

mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva

“O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 7.7

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.8

na me viduh sura-ganah prabhavam na maharsayah
aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca sarvasah

“Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.2

arjuna uvaca
param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam adi-devam ajam vibhum
ahus tvam rsayah sarve devarsir naradas tatha
asito devalo vyasah svayam caiva bravisi me

“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.12-13
And in the Brahma-samhita, 5.1 :

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

“Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

Being the material and the efficient causes of everything that exists either in the material world or in the spiritual world, the ultimate reservoir of all sublime qualities such as prowess, consciousness and blissfulness, and being eternally served by unlimited Goddesses of Fortune, Lord Krishna’s supremacy is substantiated. By the agency of His para sakti, He is the efficient cause of the visible universes, and by the agency of the pradhana and His tatastha-sakti, the living entities, He is the material cause . The Svetasvatara Upanisad confirms (5.4-5) :

sarva disa urdhvam adhas ca tiryak prakasayan bhrajate yad v anadvan
evam sa devo bhagavan varenyo yoni-svabhavan adhitisthaty ekah

“As the sun shines in all directions: above, below, and across, the one supremely opulent and worshipable Personality of Godhead is the origin of the entire universe. He creates the material elements and their attributes, and He also transforms those elements."

yac ca svabhavam pacati visva-yonih pacyams ca sarvan parinamayed yah
sarvam etad visvam adhitisthaty eko gunams ca sarvan viniyojayed yah

“ He creates the worlds. He develops and transforms the creation. He alone rules all the world. He controls the modes of nature.”
That the Lord is all powerful, all-cognizant and all-blissful is confirmed in the following verse from the Katha Upanisad (1.2.22):

mahantam vibhum atmanam matva dhire na socati

"An intelligent person, who understands the distinction between material bondage and liberation, ends all material bondage when he understands the supremely worshipable Personality of Godhead, who is full of all powers and opulences."
In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.9.28) it is said:

vijnanam anandam brahma ratir datuh parayanam

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of knowledge and bliss. It is He who gives the fruits of actions to one who perform yajnas."
The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.35) also confirms:

tam ekam govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham

"Lord Govinda is beyond the duality of the material world, and He is not different from His form which is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss."
Now, it may be asked how is it possible for something to be at the same time sac-cid-ananda and vigraha (having a form). In reply to this, Baladeva gives the analogy of a raga, that apparently is just a melody without any visible form. However, for those who know the musical science, the form of the raga is perceived mentally. It was already proved long ago that vibration does possess form and that can be registered through different natural and electronic means and thus visibly displayed as waves,etc. The Gopala-tapani Upanisad further states:

manusi vijnana-ghanananda-ghana-sac-cid-anandaika-rase bhakti-yoge tisthati

“My humanlike form, which is eternal and full of transcendental knowledge, is present in devotional service.”
Here the word ‘ghana’ is very significant, for it is used to refer to an object that has tangible form. This view is support by Panini’s Astadhyayi, 3.3.77: ‘murtau ghana’, ‘the word ‘ghana’ is employed in the sense of tangible form, as indicated by the example of a lump of salt, saindhava-ghana, given by the commentators. Indeed, when Lord Krishna was present on earth, people could see Him and touch Him, but in no respect His form was composed of material elements, for there is no difference between His body and His self, as in the case of the conditioned living entities. This is another evidence of His acintya-sakti in what appears to be simultaneously distinct and even contradictory things. This conforms to the definition of the Absolute as the One Who can reconcile all contradictions, being the fountainhead of everything. In the Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.13-14 the following evidence is given:
na cantar na bahir yasya na purvam napi caparam
purvaparam bahis cantar jagato yo jagac ca yah
tam matvatmajam avyaktam martya-lingam adhoksajam
gopikolukhale damna babandha prakrtam yatha

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything. That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child, and mother Yasoda, considering Him her own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope.”
His omniscience is thus stated in the Mundaka Upanisad, 1.1.9:

Yah sarvajnah sarvavit

“The Lord is omniscient and the knower of everything that exists.”
His blissfulness is stated thus in the Taittiriya Upanisad, 2.4.1:

anandam brahmano vidvan na bibheti kutascana

“One who knows the blisfull nature of the Supreme Lord is never afraid under any circumstance.”
His attributes as the Supreme One, the friend of all, the giver of knowledge and liberation are thus corroborated by the Svetasvatara Upanisad:

sarvasya prabhum isanam sarvasya saranam suhrt

"The Personality of Godhead is everyone's supreme master, controller, shelter and friend." (3.17)

prajna ca tasmat prasrta purani

"The Personality of Godhead is the teacher who reawakens the eternal spiritual knowledge of the conditioned souls." (4.18)

samsara-bandha-sthiti-moksa-hetuh

"The Personality of Godhead delivers the conditioned souls from the bondage of repeated birth and death." (6.16)
And His sweetness is thus described in the Gopala-tapani Upanisad:

sat-pundarika-nayanam meghabham vaidyutambaram
dvi-bhujam mauna-mudradhyam vana-malinam isvaram

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears as splendid as a fresh rain-cloud, and His eyes are as beautiful as lotus flowers. He has two arms and wears garments as yellow as lightning. He is decorated with a garland of forest flowers, and He is full of transcendental knowledge." (1.13)
By all these statements by the scriptures, it is proved that the Supreme Lord possesses unlimited spiritual attributes. At this point , we reach an ontological controversy: since the Lord possesses attributes, these are equal to Him or different from Him? For it is said in the Katha Upanisad (2.4.11):

manasaivedam aptavyam neha nanasti kincana
mrtyoh sa mrtyum apnoti ya iha naneva pasyati:

"A pure heart can understand that the Lord and His attributes are not different. He who sees them as different travels from death to death."
If it is said that they are different, that would contradict the scriptures. If it is said that Brahman is undistinguished oneness, without even spiritual attributes, that would also clash with all the above given quotes. Therefore, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva philosophy is fully in consonance with the sruti and smrti, for it declares that the Lord possesses unlimited transcendental qualities that are non-different from Himself. Still, by a specific potency of the Lord, His qualities seem to be different from Him. Baladeva explains that the Lord’s qualities are always non-different from Him, although by His acintya-sakti they may appear to be different. The example given is that when we say that ‘time exists always’, in this statement time is both the substance and the attribute, for the adverb ‘always’ implies the idea of time, not being possible to alienate one from another. Similarly, the Lord has intrinsic transcendental qualities that make Him a unique being. As He is the ultimate source of all material and spiritual attributes, it is comprehensible that He Himself be surcharged of all qualities that are befitting His position and agreeable to His own will. The great mistake the conditioned souls make is to judge the Lord’s qualities on the basis of material qualities, therefore to dispel this misconception the Narada-panca-ratra affirms:
nirdosa-purna-guna-vigraha atma-tantro
niscetanatmaka-sarira-gunais ca hinah
ananda-matra-kara-pada-mukhodaradih
sarvatra ca svagata-bheda-vivarjitatma

"The independent Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses a spiritual form full of perfect and faultless qualities. He is not different from the hands, feet, face, belly, or other parts of his form, which are all made exclusively of transcendental bliss."
There are three kinds of differences: 1) the difference between things belonging to the same category, for example: mango is different from orange. Here both mango and orange are fruits, but of a different kind; 2) the difference between things belonging to distinct categories, for example: mango is different from stone; 3) the difference between things that are part of a common element (sva-gata-bheda), for example the fruit of the mango tree is different from its flowers. Here both the fruits and the flowers are parts of the tree, but still different from one another. In the God, sva-gata-bheda does not exist, because His body is a completely spiritual being. Therefore, He is able to do things that are not possible for other living entities. This is well illustrated by the following verse from the Brahma-samhita,5.32:

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti
pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti
ananda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.”

His omnipotency is also described in the Visnu Purana :

visnu-saktih para prokta ksetrajnakhya tathapara
avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate

"The potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in three categories: namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although belonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities."
His internal potency is called para(superior) or antaranga-sakti, being non-different from the Lord. The kstrajna-sakti, the living entities, are also called para, but they are considered tatastha, the marginal energy. The third energy is called apara, for it is the external potency of God that performs multifarious activities in the material world and is characterized by the three modes of material nature, sattva, rajas and tamas. Even though being the superior nature, the jivas are prone to be covered by the inferior energy due to their nature as marginal: they can be situated either in the spiritual world or in the material world. Lord Krishna, however, being the Supreme Saktiman, is never influenced by the external energy, but manipulates all His energies according to His own will. His energies are further classified in the same Purana:

hladini sandhini samvit tvayy eka sarva-samsthitau
hlada-tapakari misra tvayi no guna-varjite
"O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini (pleasure potency), sandhini (existence potency), and samvit (knowledge potency) exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities."
Once the supremacy of Lord Krsna was established as the avatari, the source of all avataras, it may be questioned if His avataras share His potecies in a smaller degree or not. The Isopanisad, 1.1, affirms:

purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate

"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."
And the Maha-varaha Purana describes more specifically the nature of His avataras:

sarve nityah sasvatas ca dehas tasya paratmanah
hanopadana-rahita naiva prakrtijah kvacit

"The transcendental forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternal and imperishable. They were not created at a certain point, and they are never to be destroyed. They are not products of the material energy.”
Thus it is also proved that the Lord and His incarnations are all invested with the same power: no matter how many expansions may be manifested from the Godhead, they are all equally omnipotent.

Music and the Heart

2009-02-28T08:13:00.010-05:00

But who has ever heard of a happy end?

Once a neighbour came to visit me in the hostel when I happened to be watching a violin concerto. Interestingly, he asked me if violin playing would make one a better person, to what I promptly replied that rather than improving the formation of one’s character and values, it often spoils both. With due respect to the exceptions, by far, most of the musicians I have seen or heard of fit in one or more of these categories: arrogant, puffed-up, over-temperamental, mentally unbalanced, drunkard, debauchee, or as a matter of fact, stupid. Many even fit into all these simultaneously, spite admirable expertise. Anywhere in the world, musicians as a class are looked upon with airs of suspicion and disdain. This makes me wonder if from music any good quality accrues at all… Contrasting my view, I have met a certain number of musicians who seem to be quite convinced about the innumerable attributes that are magnified or generated by music, up to the point of giving even a religious dimension to it or deifying it. This view, however, is usually subjective, sentimental and based on a romantic view of reality rather than facts and tangible evidences. Indeed, it seems to be a perception induced by the quick and intense response that music can produce in some individuals who are particularly receptive to it. Now, if someone says that ice-cream tastes great, I might agree, but if from its heavenly flavor one starts advocating that its consumption leads to the development of lofty qualities and divinity, I would say ‘hold on.’ As it is said in logic: ‘phalena pariciyate’, we can judge by the result.

Do I mean to say that music and ice-cream are the same? In a certain way, since each of our senses is bound to a particular sense object. There is no means to prove that a gourmet is feeling less pleasure through palatable dishes than a musician through music, for in that case food represents the same for the tongue as music does for the ears. Similarly, a painter is inclined to appreciate form and color in a very refined way and thus gratify the mind through the eyes. And how can the mere contact of the senses and their objects degrade or elevate one? That is dependent on the individual’s mentality and interaction with the modes of nature. Usually, most people are just pushed by their own karma to act or find pleasure in a specific way, either in goodness, passion or ignorance, and in the case of these last two, without much critical and deliberate attitude towards their own living principles, supposing they have any at all.

As this is a world of relativity, the interactions of the modes create an unlimited gradation of nuances between unlimited ways of thinking and acting. Thus, art is also conditioned by nature and it is molded according to time, place, circumstance and individual. From the time of creation, art is present in all human societies, either so-called civilized or so-called uncivilized, from the most barbarian groups up to the highly intellectual ones. Much more than the technical ability required, the development of musical complexities in the form of harmony, counter-point, etc., evinces the refinement of thought and expression reached in a certain stage. It is quite obvious to me that some people don’t respond to music at all, just as some don’t respond to poetry, to philosophy, etc., while others will respond according to their idiosyncrasy, cultural background, sensibility, taste, etc. In this way, we can comparatively classify music according to distinct parameters in terms of the modes of nature, the level of structural development, and the class of people who appreciate it.

One of the interesting features of extremely opposite interaction of the modes of nature is the way they clash. For example, for a person fond of Baroque music, with its very refined harmonic principles, instrumental technique and ornamentation most of the contemporary pop music might sound revolting. This may sound snob, but compared to the musicality of an accomplished musician, expert in the European music of the 18th and 19th centuries, the most renowned pop stars display the musicality of an ass. On the other hand, for those fond of pop music, classical music may sound boring. The same as everything else, just like a vegetarian could vomit simply by thinking of what a meat-eater eats, while the latter thinks vegetarian food tasteless. And ironically each of the modes leads one to think that whatever he does or thinks is the right thing… The point I am making here is how relative values might be and how our tendencies are conditioned in a particular way by nature via social, cultural, environmental, familiar, and religious factors to the point that all our habits and tastes are more or less a reflex of them, and if we speak of a scale of values existent for everything in life, we will be situated either up or down depending on the referential point we accept. Even this referential point is also usually dependent on those factors, though. In this way, both autonomy and heteronomy play important roles in the formation of one’s cultural and intellectual assets, but ultimately what determines one’s steady progress is a deliberate and selective absorption of the elements acquired through both, provided one has a clear conception of the aims to be attained and their means.

Music in ancient Greece and India

Notwithstanding so many weird ideas, the philosophical concepts taught by Socrates and later elaborated by Plato and others resemble so much those based on the Vedas that it would be possible to draw several parallels between both. Therefore, it is no surprise that factually the view Plato and Aristotle hold about music matches considerably that presented by the sastras. Socrates and Plato conceived perfection as belonging to a perfect, ideal world, from which everything in this world is but a shadow or reflex. The different artistic representations are merely an attempt to express the original, ideal beauty that characterizes the ideal world. Thus, music for them was a means to approach the sublime beauty and perfection through divine inspiration. However, they were aware of the powerful effects music exerts on man’s consciousness and therefore were very cautious regarding its application. For Socrates, ethics was an essential principle to be observed by those aspiring moral and intellectual advancement, while any lenience towards hedonism meant corruption. Bearing this view, Plato and Aristotle clearly defined how restricted music should be inside an ideal society. They particularly condemned purely instrumental music as an unnecessary act of self-amusement and egotism, while the chanting of instructive songs, dramatic performances, prayers and hymns was encouraged as being conducive to divinity. On this basis, they supported musical education from the very childhood as an important element in the formation of one’s character. Plato believed musical training to be a very potent tool for building one’s mind. Therefore he instigated the search for a particular combination of melody, harmony and rhythm that would produce brave men. He holds love for beauty to be the supreme purpose of music, but made it clear that merely by music it is not possible to attain superior knowledge or the ultimate good.

The Greeks were convinced that the various musical modes exert different effects on the mind, therefore they were selective regarding their specific usages. In his ‘Politics’ Aristotle describes that the Mixolydian makes man sad and grave; the Dorian produces a moderate temperament; the Phrygian inspires enthusiasm, etc. Plato in his ‘Republic’ hints that the Ionian generates indolence and torpor, and the Lydian is to be given up by ladies who want to preserve their honor and by men who value their manliness. Aristotle further affirms that by indulging in mundane music one may develop a pervert mentality. Upon having a teleological reflection on music, Aristotle was more concerned with its pragmatic dimension than with the metaphysical one since he viewed music as a means of education and intellectual entertainment required to refresh the mind in leisure hours, for he believed that being a pleasure of superior order it would satisfy a man’s needs and prevent him from taking recourse to vulgar forms of pleasure. Quite noble.

Similarly, in India the Vedic tradition conferred to music a distinct but restricted scope. Arts are referred to in texts supplementary to the Vedas, usually called upavedas, such as the Gandharva Veda, and in the artha-sastras, which deal with several activities required in human society. The chanting of the Sama Veda mantras was a preeminent activity exclusively done by the priestly order, while instrumental music played an important role in entertaining the deities in the temples as well as the royalty, being performed mostly by sudras. Apart from these, the dharma-sastras clearly prohibit the brahmanas and brahmacaris to indulge in music. Describing the duties of a snataka, or one who completed his studies, the Visnu-smrti (71.70) states that he must not dance or sing mundane songs. Manu (2. 178) is very specific when stating the duties of a brahmacari:

abhyanga-manjanam caksnor-upanac-chatradharanam
kamam krodham ca lobham ca nartanam gitavadanam

. “A celibate student should refrain from anointing his body with oil, applying collyrium to his eyes, from the use of shoes and of an umbrella, from lust, anger, covetousness, dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments.”

And about a snataka, Manu (4.64) says:

na nrtyed atha va gayen na vaditrani vadayeta

“Let him not dance, nor sing, nor play musical instruments.”

And although the ksatriyas are allowed some concessions, they are warned:

mrgaya akso divasvapnah parivadah striyo madah
tauryatrikam vrthatya ca kamajo dasako ganah Manu 7.47

“Hunting, gambling, sleeping during the day, slandering, women, intoxication, dancing, singing, playing music, and useless travel are the tenfold vices springing from lust.”

Within the context, it was particularly advised for the kings that these vices lead to loss of wealth and virtue, since they had more facilities to engage in the above activities than the other classes, but the tone clearly hints that anyone should be aware of any of these items. I cannot testify the other nine, but I can promptly relate music to the concept of vice, as it produces psychological dependency, emotional upheaval, obsession, hankering, etc. Its proportion can extend to limits known only to those who have gone through it. Practically, one may become thoroughly haunted by music, breath music, eat music, drink music, feel it running in the blood, hear it inside the mind twenty four hours a day, awaken or asleep, see music in the ten directions, make music one’s religion, hardly think of anything else, be ready to live or die for it. This condition can indeed last for a life time or more, and I wouldn’t blame those who, lacking a better word, call it love. I believe this to be the common state shared by any true musician, on the contrary of those who simply developed a superficial skill or appreciation, but I doubt it can be learnt or imitated.

If the stricture is so regarding students and ksatriyas, naturally much more rigour is expected from those in the vanaprastha and sannyasa asramas:

gramya-gitam na srnuyad
yatir vana-carah kvacit
sikseta harinad baddhan
mrgayor gita-mohitat

“A saintly person dwelling in the forest in the renounced order of life should never listen to mundane songs or music. Rather, a saintly person should carefully study the example of the deer, who is bewildered by the sweet music of the hunter's horn and is thus captured and killed.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.8.17

Thus we can conclude that the only asrama in which the enjoyment of secular music was allowed was the grhastha-asrama, and that only in case of the ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. The reasons for such restrictions are more or less self-evident for those with a minimum comprehension of what the whole sruti and smrti is about. After all, the Greeks were quite to the point, as we shall see below.

How can music degrade one?

To properly understand scriptural statements it is required to apply accurate exegetical principles in given contextual instances, but the general way to look through Vedic culture and all the rules and regulations comprised in it is to have in mind that literally everything must be aimed at reaching the ultimate goal of life, love of God. Therefore any means to promote this cause are emphasized, while even the most accomplished deeds not directly related to it are discarded as useless:

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam

“The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 1.2.8

On this basis, we can classify music in two categories: that which leads to God realization, and that which does not. By the influence of the modes of nature, we understand that music also can be divided according to goodness, passion and ignorance. Only the mode of goodness is conducive to spiritual advancement, for passion and ignorance are opposite to it and are direct means of degradation. The distinctions between them can be clearly defined in terms of the results produced:

karmanah sukrtasyahuh
sattvikam nirmalam phalam
rajasas tu phalam duhkham
ajnanam tamasah phalam

“The result of pious action is pure and is said to be in the mode of goodness. But action done in the mode of passion results in misery, and action performed in the mode of ignorance results in foolishness.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 14.16

As it is expected in the age of Kali, most of what common people call music is totally under the lower modes and the result is visible. Factually, it is notorious how certain musical genres are directly connected with intoxication and promiscuity, or are their very propellers. Being so, it is somewhat clear that one must abide by the scriptural injunctions if he desires to prevent the Phoenix of previous samskaras from taking off, as well as the formation of undesirable new ones.

So, we are left with the music in goodness, but still that would lead to two implications: Is this really in goodness? If so, can one take it to one’s heart’s content without any risk? The first consideration in this regard is that another feature of Kali-yuga is the inexistence of uncontaminated goodness in nearly everything, just like even the air and the water are contaminated in most places, and spite their original properties in a pure state, they can be thoroughly harmful. As far as I have seen, only the Baroque music and the Indian classical ragas offer instances that could eventually fit in the mode of goodness to some extent. But even in those cases I would take into consideration several factors, such as the mental disposition of the composer and the performer. I would totally disregard the case of any piece that leads to any kind of emotional excitement, as this obviously characterizes passion. Ironically, emotional response is usually intended by the composer, the performer and the audience. Indeed, in the classical and romantic periods the composers displayed eminence in conducting the public through intense emotional trips, from laughter to flowing tears. And if we could isolate some genuine pieces in the mode of goodness, then what harm there could be? In spite of its superiority over the lower modes, goodness is still a material mode and especially in the case of those who perform or compose music, the great danger it offers is increasing the bodily identification through pride and self-conceit, which are factually demoniac qualities, while the soul has nothing to do with the activities performed by the body:

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 3.27

And for the general public, sense enjoyment in goodness is still sense enjoyment, and the senses are by nature ever demanding and never satiated. Looking for happiness through sensual repletion is one of the most utopian hopes and history has seen many an Epicurean system rise and succumb. When Bali Maharaja offered to Lord Vamanadeva anything He might desire within the universe, the Lord replied:

sri-bhagavan uvaca
yavanto visayah presthas
tri-lokyam ajitendriyam
na saknuvanti te sarve
pratipurayitum nrpa

“The Personality of Godhead said: O my dear King, even the entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one's senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 8.19.21

To make it short, even a pinch of attraction for anything in this world will make us accept another material body. A grown up man’s play with a musical instrument is not necessarily less childish or more meaningful than a kid’s play with toys, and to think otherwise is a superimposition. If one thinks it is worth to go again through the pains of birth, disease, old age and death just to try to enjoy music, then good luck, but just remark that no amount of musical talent can assure one the chance to get another human body in the next life.

How can music elevate one?

So, should one conclude that music is very bad and we should give it up all together? Wrong conclusion, for simply rejecting everything is immature renouncement, which resembles more nihilism than what is positively taught in the sastras, as defined by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate
prapancikataya buddhya hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago vairagyam phalgu kathyate

"When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krsna for His service, his renouncement is called complete. On the other hand, one who, desiring liberation, rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Krsna is not complete in his renunciation." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255-256)

Sharing the qualities of God in a minute proportion, the soul is constitutionally eternally blissful, and this implies eternal and unlimited variagatedness of rasa. It is clear that the desire for art is inherent in the soul and that the supreme purpose of all artistic manifestations is to increment the rasas between Lord Krsna and the soul. We understand from the scriptures that the material vibration propagated in the ether is but an imitation of the original, spiritual vibration emanating from the spiritual world. Therefore even in this material world, which is the abode of all miseries and the stage for all abominations, we can hear music that transports the mind to a dimension diametrically opposed to anything else perceived in external life. I fully agree with all those who express how music transpires the divine. I think of the Common Practice Period music as the acme of the expression of beauty possible in this world as conceived by the Greeks. A thousand times while hearing Bach or Mozart I thought how Fausto went a long way in search for the fugacious moment simply because he did not hear this, and I wished that time stop. The loftiness of their music can compare that of the ocean or the stars, and I can’t help but seeing God’s hand behind it. In the case of those who don’t, I can just say that they have a huge deficit of pious activities:

yad yad vibhutimat sattvam
srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam
mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam

“Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 10.41

This made me realize that if we got this kind of musical sublimity here, how much more God must have reserved for Himself and those in the spiritual world! Nevertheless, I would not magnify this process, for it is still a quite indirect, impersonal, diluted way to look at God, and one may very easily miss the path. The attempt to fly with music may well be another Icarus dream. It is better to go for the real thing than to run after the shadow. When music is used to glorify the Supreme Lord along with selected verses from the sruti and smrti and choice poetry composed by the acaryas, that is much beyond the mode of goodness and is called transcendental. I would say that the musical genre here is secondary, being subordinate to the Lord’s Holy Names and therefore purified by Them. Still, I feel compelled to think that classical bhajan is the standard and the ideal. This is the very apotheosis of music, which can factually clean one’s heart from all unwanted things, give one all desired objects and propitiate Lord Krsna, Who is the supreme artist, the original musician and the source of all artistic inspiration, and therefore, the ultimate beneficiary of all artistic offerings.

But what about those who are still attached to mundane music? One of the advantages of the process of Krsna consciousness is engaging one from whatever position in which one might be situated. Although secular music is not encouraged in the scriptures, it is also not directly condemned as an abominable activity, therefore nothing prevents one from performing music as an offering to Krsna, as He states:

yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam

“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bg 9.27

The main criteria in bhakti is the sincerity of purpose, for the Lord is seated in everyone’s heart and there is no way to deceive Him. Even if a performance is motivated by the desire for prestige, money and personal gratification, still it can be offered to Krsna, but better to be honest in admitting these shortcomings and earnestly pray to get rid of them so that we can become purified from all material contamination and thus progress towards Him. Whatever benefit or pleasure one obtains from music, whether real or apparent, is directly or indirectly emanating from God, and since He is the One seated in everyone’s heart, only He can positively transform and purify one’s heart based on one’s activities and purposes. Music can only be indeed purifying and permanently rewarding when part of the process of surrendering unto God, but we have to bear in mind that full surrender means to do whatever He wants from us, rather what we want. If we become receptive to His wish, we will eventually realize that He might have reserved for us things much better than those desired by us through selfish musical enterprises.

Vaisnava Epistemology- The pramanas

2009-01-08T04:18:00.005-05:00

Paramatma in the heart of all is the original source of all knowledge, therefore the ultimate object of knowledge

Pratyaksa, anumana and sabda are the pramanas

Everything that one acquires in life comes by a specific means, and this is also true regarding knowledge. The pramanas are not only means for acquiring knowledge, but also for verifying its validity or invalidity. In simple words, Kesava Misra gives the following definitions in his Tarka-bhasa, 1.2-3:

prama-karanam pramanam, atra pramanam laksyam, pramakaranam laksanam

“Pramana is the proper means for acquiring correct cognition, prama. Here the means is the object to be defined and its being the instrument of cognition is its attribute.”

Then, what is prama, valid knowledge or correct cognition?

yatharthanubhavah prama

“Prama is the percerption or apprehension of an object as it really is.”

Summarizing it- an object of knowledge, prameya, can be proved by a valid means of evidence, pramana, thus resulting in valid knowledge, prama. Different schools of philosophy accept or reject different pramanas to support their views. Here is a brief overview:

Pratyaksa- Direct sense perception. The contact of the five senses- eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin- with their respective objects- form, sound, smell, taste and touch- produce a kind of knowledge that is taken as real by the sentient being. However, its reliability is subjective, doubtful, and in many circumstances proved to be wrong. Under certain conditions, sense perception can be hampered and mislead one into an erroneous apprehension. For example, the form of objects in a dim place can create a misperception of their identity. One cannot see an object that is too far, such as a bird flying very high, nor too near, such as the eye-lids, nor too small, such as the atom. Nor can one see the stars and planets during the day due to the rays of the sun. Nor can one see how in milk there is the potential for turning into curd. Under the influence of some disease or due to mental agitation, one may have a distorted perception, just like a jaundice patient sees white object as yellowish and tastes sugar as bitter. Still, atheistic philosophers like Carvaka accept only pratyaksa as a source of knowledge. The very proposal of a system that rejects other pramanas is ludicrous, for even daily life would be impractical if we were to completely reject inference and verbal testimony. Therefore Carvaka is mocked by the following verse:

carvaka tava carvangim jarato viksa garbhinim
pratyaksamatravisvaso ghanasvasam kim ujjhasi

“Hey Carvaka, just see your beautiful wife who was impregnated by a paramour! Since you only believe in direct perception, why are you sighing heavily?”

Moreover, spiritual knowledge is totally beyond the range of the material senses, as stated in the Padma Purana:

atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

“Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Krsna’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes.”

Anumana- Inference. The knowledge of an object, the major term, by means of the analysis of another object, the middle term, is called inference. For instance, by the perception of smoke, the middle term, one may conclude the presence of fire, the major term. But inference is also not thoroughly unfailing, for in the given example we see that when fire is put out by water, smoke keeps on coming out for some time. Inference is an essential element in logic, but as far as Brahman is concerned, it is stated in the Katha Upanisad (1.2.9):

naisa tarkena matir apaneya

"Simply by logic one will never be able to understand spiritual knowledge."

In the Vedanta-sutra (2.1.11) it is said:

tarkapratisthanat

"Transcendental topics cannot be understood by argument or logic."

In the Mahabharata (Bhisma-parva 5.22) it is said:

acintyah khalu ye bhava na tams tarkena yojayet
prakrtibhyah param yac ca tad acintyasya laksanam

"Anything transcendental to material nature is called inconceivable, whereas arguments are all mundane. Since mundane arguments cannot touch transcendental subject matters, one should not try to understand transcendental subject matters through mundane arguments."

Since the other pramanas, with the exception of sabda, are directly or indirectly dependent on pratyaksa or anumana, and since these are themselves inefficient, their capacity to lead to valid knowledge is also compromised. The validity of the knowledge gathered by either pratyaksa or anumana can be verified by taking to another pramana to corroborate it. Baladeva Vidyabhusana illustrates this point by presenting a quite unusual situation: suppose is a particular climatic condition, such as in the middle of fog or smoke, one has the impression of seeing a head flying. For a moment he might doubt what his eyes are seeing, but if at that time a voice from the sky states: “Such-and-such, this is really a head flying”, then even the most unexpected sense perception has to be trusted…

Arsa- The words spoken by the sages. However, it is well known that the sages disagree among themselves, as the Mahabharata (Vana-parva 313.117) says, nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam: “One is not considered a philosopher if his opinion does not differ from the opinions of other philosophers.”

Upamana- Comparison. An unknown object can be identified based on the description of a similar object that is known. Just like one who has never seen a buffalo may be able to identify it after hearing the description of a cow. Here it is required that one must have seen a buffalo through direct sense perception and the other must infer the identity of a buffalo upon seeing one. Therefore, some don’t consider upamana to be a different pramana.

Arthapatti- When the cause of an irrevocable fact is not visible, but can be guessed with basis on evident symptoms, such a deduction is called arthapatti. For example, a fat person who was never seen eating during the day must presumably eat at night, even though unseen by others, for it is a fact that without eating nobody can remain fat. Thus, this is also considered another form of inference.

Abhava- Non-existence. By the non-perception of an object, one gets knowledge about its absence in a particular place and time. Some consider this just a negative aspect of direct sense perception, for it is totally dependent on it.

Sambhava- Inclusion. By this mean we understand how something is contained within a group or amount, just as within hundred people, there must be ten people. This is also a simple way of inference.

Aitihya- Historical evidence. A fact that is known by the public and is passed from generation to generation, although its original source is unknown, is called aitihya. Some consider this another form of pratyaksa, for there must be an original person who witnessed the events happening. Then again, the authenticity of the information will depend on the integrity of such a person and those who transmitted it.

Cesta- Gestures. One can transmit or acquire knowledge by gestures such as the movements of the fingers or the head.

Sabda- Super-human (apauruseya) verbal testimony. Even ordinary verbal testimony is accepted in common affairs as evidence for facts that are beyond one’s experience. For instance, the acknowledgement of one’s father based on the statement of the mother. The Vedas are the real means for understanding Brahman :

navedavin manute tam brhantam

"One ignorant of Vedic knowledge cannot actually understand the Supreme." (Taittiriya Brahmana, 3.12.9)

aupanisadam purusam prcchami

"Please tell me about the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is revealed in the Upanisads." (Brhad-aranyaka 3.9.26)

And the Vedanta-sutra prescribes :

sastra-yonitvat
“Because He may only be known by the revelation of the Vedic scriptures.”
(1.1.3)

srutes tu sabda-mulatvat

"The statements of Sruti-sastra are the root of real knowledge."(2.1.27)

yatra cadyah puman aste bhagavan sabda-gocarah
sattvam vistabhya virajam svanam no mrdayan vrsah

“In the Vaikuntha planets is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original person and who can be understood through the Vedic literature. He is full of the uncontaminated mode of goodness, with no place for passion or ignorance. He contributes religious progress for the devotees.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 3.15.15

Being of super-human origin, the Vedas are free from the four human defects: (1) bhrama (error), or the tendency to take the real for the unreal or the unreal for the real, such as a rope for a snake, etc.; (2) pramada, mistakes arising from carelessness or inattention; (3) karanapatava, limitations on the senses which result in erroneous perceptions; and (4) vipralipsa, the desire to deceive. The Vedas are said to be eternal, emanated from the Supreme Being, and thus not subjected to human frailties. As it is stated:

vaca virupa nityaya

“O Virupa, glorify the Lord with the eternal Vedas.” Rg-veda, 8.75.6

anadi-nidhana nitya vag utsrsta svayambhuva
adau vedamayi divya yatah sarvah pravrttayah

"In the beginning of creation the Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke and from His words the eternal, beginningless, endless, transcendental Vedas were manifested. From the Vedas all other scriptures have come." (Mbh 12.231.56-57)

pitr-deva-manusyanam vedas caksus tavesvara
sreyas tv anupalabdhe 'rthe sadhya-sadhanayor api

“My dear Lord, in order to understand those things beyond direct experience—such as spiritual liberation or attainment of heaven and other material enjoyments beyond our present capacity—and in general to understand the means and end of all things, the forefathers, demigods and human beings must consult the Vedic literatures, which are Your own laws, for these constitute the highest evidence and revelation.”
>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.20.4

Therefore, gaudiya vaisnavism accepts only three kinds of evidence, as corroborated by the smrti:

pratyaksam anumanam ca sastram ca vividhagamam
trayam suviditam karyam dharma-suddhim abhipsata

“The three kinds of evidence- perception, inference, and sastra- which comprise the tradition of many schools, must be fully understood by him who desires perfect correctness in dharma.” (Manu 12.105)

srutih pratyaksam aitihyam anumanam catustayam
pramanesv anavasthanad vikalpat sa virajyate

“From the four types of evidence—Vedic knowledge, direct experience, traditional wisdom and logical induction—one can understand the temporary, insubstantial situation of the material world, by which one becomes detached from the duality of this world.”

>>> Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.19.17

But here pratyaksa and anumana are subordinated to sabda and never independent of it due to the above-mentioned reasons.

Now, it may be argued that sabda refers exclusively to the sruti- the four Samhitas, the Upanisads, the Brahmanas and Aranyakas. In reply to this charge, Jiva Gosvami extensively elaborated on the authenticity of the smrti, particularly of Srimad Bhagavata Purana, in his ‘Tattva Sandarbha’. He says that the non-difference of the Vedas and the Itihasa-Purana—on the grounds of the Itihasa-Purana being as apauruseya as the Rg Veda and other Vedas—is implied in the passage of the Madhyandina-sruti:

evam va are ’sya mahato bhutasya nihsvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah sama-vedo ’tharvangirasa itihasah puranam

“Thus indeed the breath of this Supreme Being constitutes the Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharvangirasa Veda, Itihasa, and Purana” [Brhad-aranyaka Up. 2.4.10].

In this way, gaudiya vaisnavism accepts pratyaksa, anumana and sabda as means for obtaining valid knowledge, but particularly emphasises that sabda is the only consistent means for spiritual enlightenment. Here, however, there are several conditions under which sabda can progressively fructify, such as detachment and experienced knowledge, which by their turn are all interdependent, being the natural result of the practical application of the instructions received from the scriptures.