Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī 73 страница

na tasya kā ryaṁ karaṇ aṁ ca vidyate

na tat-samaś cā bhyadhikaś ca dṛ ś yate

parā sya ś aktir vividhaiva ś rū yate

svā bhā vikī jñ ā na-bala-kriyā ca

He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Ś vetā svatara Upaniṣ ad

These ś ruti statements show that the Lord has intrinsic ś aktis. Tvam akaraṇ aḥ sva-rā ḍ akhila-kā raka-ś akti-dharaḥ: though you have no material senses, you are the self-effulgent sustainer of everyone’s sensory powers. (SB 10. 87. 28) The Lord is not affected by upā dhis, though he relates with upā dhis by his ś aktis. Tvam asi yad ā tmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ : by your very nature you are perfectly full in all opulences. (SB 10. 87. 14)

According to the statement tat tejo sṛ jata: he glanced and his power carried out creation (Taittirī ya Upaniṣ ad), he created the intelligence and senses (mentioned in the present verse). Does this happen by pariṇ ā ma (transformation of Brahman) or vivarta (illusory creation)? It takes place by his ś akti since ś akti is suitable as the material cause, and since the Lord can accept the role as the efficient cause. Thus as the doer the Lord attains independence. Therefore, previously to his creation of material intelligence etc. by his glance, when prakṛ ti was without agitation, it is understood that he had his own intelligence and other qualities. According to the statement sa aikṣ ata (he glanced), when he created intelligence etc. for birth and enjoyment of the senses (mā trā rtham, bhā vā rtham), he considered carefully before creating (using his intelligence). Mā trā rtham means all the puruṣ ā rthas or human goals, including taking shelter of the Lord. Sarva-kā maḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasa ayam ā tmā pahata-pā pmā: the Lord has all desires, all fragrance, all taste and is free of sin. (Chā ndogya Upaniṣ ad) These qualities are not imposed adventiously upon him since it is impossible to have adventious (material) qualities in the absolute person who is beyond material objects. Brahman is pure in all three phases of time. It is also impossible for dull matter, which is in the category of receiving imposition, to impose itself, since it is without knowledge.

Therefore the jī va does not arise by imposition of ignorance on Brahman. The jī va produces his own imposition by his nature of ignorance, like a person talking in his sleep, since this brings uniformity in the conclusion. Since the Vedas say the Lord is independent, claiming the Lord has imposition would be repulsive. There is a saying “It is better to stay away from mud than wash it off. ” Thus it would not be suitable for the Lord to accept imposition of ignorance and then have to destroy it. That his qualities are impositions is also contradicted by statements like “He has natural ś aktis. ” It would also contradict statements like ś rutes tu ś abda-mū latvā t: the defects in the jī va do not apply to Braman because of the declaration of scripture; scripture is the root of knowledge about spirit. (Brhama-sū tra 2. 1. 27)

Claiming that imposition of qualities on Brahman produces the personal Lord (as well as the jī va) is atheism. To think that the supreme is ultimately impersonal Brahman is like thinking a man to be pillar. This would also mean non-existence of the Lord in the three phases of time. The ignorance produced by man (which produces the imposition of qualities on Brahman), who is produced by his ignorance, is in the end ignorance produced from ignorance. Meditation, another creation through ignorance, would also be useless. Other statements also agree. Saṁ jñ ā -mū rti-klptiś ca tri-vṛ t kurvata upadeś ā t: the creation of names and forms in groups of three is done by the creator, for that is the teaching. (Brahma-sū tra 2. 4. 20) Those who claim there is no God are criticized:

asatyam apratiṣ ṭ haṁ te jagad ā hur anī ś varam

aparaspara-saṁ bhū taṁ kim anyat kā ma-haitukam

They say the world is false, without a foundation, and without a creator. It arises by the innate properties of matter. It arises by lust alone. BG 16. 8

Asatyam means false. Apratiṣ ṭ hitam means what cannot be described as either real or unreal. Anī ś varam means an atheistic concoction arising from ignorance. Aparaspara-saṁ bhū taṁ means “produced from hopeless ignorance. ” Aparaspara means continuous. Kā ma-haitukam means arising from mental concoction, like a dream. Such people are described as not being able to distinguish proper action from forbidden conduct. This means they do not have proper saṁ skā ras. Their actions and destination are also condemned:

etā ṁ dṛ ṣ ṭ im avaṣ ṭ abhya naṣ ṭ ā tmā no ’lpa-buddhayaḥ

prabhavanty ugra-karmā ṇ aḥ kṣ ayā ya jagato ’hitā ḥ

Taking shelter of these viewpoints, not understanding ā tmā , believing in worthless philosophies, performing violent actions, and being hostile to the world, these men destroy spiritual truth. BG 16. 9

Thus, the meaning of all the Vedas is Bhagavā n (the Lord with spiritual qualities and actions). Yaṁ sarve vedā namanti mumkṣ avo brahmavā dinaś ca: all the Vedas, liberated souls and brahmavā dis offer respecst to the Lord. (Nṛ simha-tā panī Upaniṣ ad)

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedā nta-kṛ d veda-vid eva cā ham

By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedā nta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. BG 15. 15

natā ḥ sma sarva-jagatā m vacasā ṁ pratiṣ ṭ hā yatra ś ā ś vatī

The words of the whole universe cannot describe the Lord, the eternal foundation. Viṣ ṇ u Purā ṇ a 1. 14. 23

mā ṁ vidhatte ’bhidhatte mā ṁ vikalpyā pohyate tv aham

etā vā n sarva-vedā rthaḥ ś abda ā sthā ya mā ṁ bhidā m

mā yā -mā tram anū dyā nte pratiṣ idhya prasī dati

The Vedas indicate bhakti as the action and indicate me as the meaning. I am the meaning of all the Vedas. I, as karma and jñ ā na, am proposed and rejected as alternatives. The Vedas, taking shelter of me, proposing karma and jñ ā na and then rejecting them as mā yā , become happy by giving the devotees bliss. SB 11. 21. 43

Sad eva saumyedam agra ā sī t: the eternal lord existed before this universe. (Chā ndogya Upaniṣ ad 6. 2. 1) This indicates that the Lord is real. He is situated as the cause of everything. Ā tmā vā idam agra ā sī t: the Paramā tmā existed before everything. (Aitareya Upaniṣ ad 1. 1. 1) He existed as Paramā tmā. Satyaṁ jñ ā nam anantaṁ brahma: the Lord is eternity, knowledge and bliss. (Taittirī ya Upaniṣ ad) Vijñ anam ā nandaṁ brahma: the Lord is knowledge and bliss. (Bṛ had-ā raṇ yaka Upaniṣ ad 3. 9. 34) This is the Lord’s svarū pa-lakṣ aṇ a or principal quality. Nirguṇ aṁ nirañ janam: he is pure, without material guṇ as. (SB 10. 51. 56) This indicates he is devoid of faults. Na tasya kā ryaṁ karanā ṁ ca vidyate…svā bhavikī jñ ana-bala-kriyā ca: the Lord has innate knowledge, strength and action. (Ś vetā ś vatara Upaniṣ ad) Being devoid of material ś akti, the Lord possesses innate ś aktis of an extraordinary nature. The same is supported by statements denying the opposite.

eṣ a ā tmā pahatapā pmā vijaro vimṛ tyur viś oko vijighatso 'pipā saḥ satyakā maḥ satyasaṁ kalpaḥ

One should know that ā tmā is without sin, without ageing, without death, without lamentation, without hunger, without thirst, whose every desire is truth and whose every desire is fulfilled. Chā ndogya Upaniṣ ad 8. 1. 5

nityo nityā nā ṁ cetanaś cetanā nā m

eko bahū nā ṁ yo vidadhā ti kā mā n

He is the prime eternal among all eternals. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities, and He alone is maintaining all life. Ś vetā ś vatara Upaniṣ ad

tam ī ś varā ṇ ā ṁ paramaṁ maheś varaṁ

taṁ devatā nā ṁ paramaṁ ca daivatam

sa kā raṇ aṁ karaṇ ā dhipā dhipo

na cā sya kaś cij janitā na cā dhipaḥ

He is the great, supreme master of all controllers. He is the Supreme Lord to be worshipped. He is the first cause and the lord of the lord of the senses. He has no creator or master. Ś vetā ś vatara Upaniṣ ad

These verses of glorification show the Lord as the cause of all causes.

Ā nandaṁ brahmano rū pam

The Lord has a form of bliss. Bṛ had-ā raṇ yaka Upaniṣ ad

vedā ham etaṁ puruṣ aṁ mahā ntam

ā ditya-varṇ aṁ tamasaḥ parastā t

I know that great Lord, brilliant like the sun, beyond ignorance. Ś vetā svatara Upaniṣ ad

na sandṛ ś e tiṣ ṭ hati rū pam asya na cakṣ uṣ ā paś yati rū pam asya

His form is not within the perception of material senses. One cannot see his form with the material eye. Ś vetā svatara Upaniṣ ad

yam evaiṣ a vṛ ṇ ute tena labhyas

tasyaiṣ a ā tmā vṛ ṇ ute tanuṁ svā m

The Lord reveals his form to whomsoever he chooses. Muṇ ḍ aka Upaniṣ ad 3. 2. 4

In this way, the outstanding svarū pa of the Lord has been shown. It is said eko ha vai nā rā yaṇ a ā sī n na brahmā neś ā ṇ aḥ : in the beginning only Nā rā yaṇ a existed, without Brahmā or Ś iva. (Mahā -nā rā nayaṇ Upaniṣ ad) This is the position of the Lord that I have desired to illustrate.

yasya pṛ thivī ś arī raṁ yaḥ pṛ thivī m antaro yam ayaty eṣ a ta ā tmā ntaryā my amṛ taḥ

He who is the ultimate proprietor of the earth and the body, and who, residing within, rules the earth, is the immortal Supreme Lord who resides in the heart. Bṛ had-ā raṇ yaka Upaniṣ ad 3. 7. 3

yasyā kṣ araṁ ś arī raṁ eṣ a sarvabhū tā ntarā tmā apahata-pā pmā divyo deva eko nā rā yaṇ aḥ

The one Lord without sin dwelling in all beings whose body is indestructible is Nā rā yaṇ a. Subala Upaniṣ ad

He is the ā tmā of the earth because he reveals everything through his endowment of all ś aktis. The Purā ṇ as and Mahā bhā rata also say the same:

hlā dinī sandhinī saṁ vit tvayy ekā guṇ a-saṁ ś raye

hlā da-tā pa-karī miś rā tvayi no guṇ a-varjite

In you who are the shelter of all spiritual qualities exist the energies of hlā dinī, sandhinī and saṁ vit. In you who are devoid of material qualities, the mixture of happiness and distress found in the material world does not exist. Viṣ ṇ u Purā ṇ a 1. 9. 44-45

kalā -kā ṣ ṭ ā nimeṣ ā di-kā la-sū trasya gocare

yasya ś aktir na ś uddhasya prasī datu sa me harī h

The pure Lord’s potency cannot be measured by the string of time, calibrated in minutes and seconds. May the Lord be merciful to us. Viṣ ṇ u Purā ṇ a

jñ ā na-ś akti-balaiś varya-vī rya-tejā ṁ sy aś eṣ ataḥ

bhagavac-chabda-vā cyā ni vinā heyair guṇ ā dibhiḥ

The word bhagavā n means that he is complete with power of mind (omniscience), power of senses, power of body, influence, control, and beauty, and is devoid of all inferior qualities. Viṣ ṇ u Purā ṇ a 6. 5. 79

kalā -murhū tā di-mayaś ca kā lo na yad vibhū teḥ pariṇ ama-hetuḥ

We do not know the the Lord who is time, made up of moments and hours and years; whose influence is the source of perpetual change. Viṣ ṇ u Purā ṇ a 4. 1. 83

na ś akyaḥ sa tvayā draṣ ṭ um asmā bhir vā bṛ haspate

yaysa prasā daṁ kurute sa vai taṁ drastum arhati

He cannot be seen by you or us, O Bṛ haspati! He can be seen by the person to whom he gives mercy. Mahā bhā ṛ ata

etat tvayā na vijñ eyaṁ rū pavā n iti dṛ ś yate

icchan muhū rtā n naś yeyam ī ś o 'haṁ jagato guru

mā yā hy eṣ ā mayā sṛ ṣ ṭ ā yan mā ṁ paś yasi nā rada

sarvabhū ta-guṇ air yuktaṁ naivaṁ tvaṁ jñ ā tum arhasi

You should not think that I can be seen because I have a material form. Being master and guru of the universe, by my desire I can become invisible. Nā rada, you see a material form which is mā yā , created by me. You should not think that I am made of material qualities and elements. Mahā bhā rata 12. 326. 42-3

These are the words from the Lord dwelling in Ś vetadvī pa. The meaning is this. You should not think I am visible because I have a material form. I am seen only when I desire to show myself. By my desire, I can become invisible, since I am beyond the senses. Because I reveal myself by my will, my form is self-revealing.

It is also said:

nityā vyakto pi bhavagā n ī kṣ ate nija-ś aktitaḥ

tam ṛ te paramā tmā naṁ kā paś yetā m itam prabhum

The Lord, eternally invisible, is seen by his will. Without that, who can see the Lord, the Paramā tmā?

One who thinks that I have material qualities and form sees a form created by mā yā. You should not think of me in that way. It is said kū ṭ astho ‘kṣ ara ucyate: he is fixed with one form (BG 15. 16) akṣ araṁ paramaṁ brahma: the Supreme Lord is without change. (BG 8. 3)

yasmā t kṣ aram atī to ’ham akṣ arā d api cottamaḥ

ato ’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣ ottamaḥ

Because I am superior to the conditioned and liberated jī vas, I am celebrated in the Vedas and the smṛ tis as the Supreme Person. BG 15. 18

mā ṁ ca yo ’vyabhicā reṇ a bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇ ā n samatī tyaitā n brahma-bhū yā ya kalpate

He who serves me alone in pure devotional service surpasses the guṇ as and becomes endowed with his spiritual nature. BG 14. 26

brahmaṇ o hi pratiṣ ṭ hā ham amṛ tasyā vyayasya ca

ś ā ś vatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikā ntikasya ca

I become the ultimate, affectionate shelter of the jī va who has attained his svarū pa, who is beyond death and possesses unchanging devotion to me, for I am the shelter of eternal qualities and extraordinary rasa for that jī va. BG 14. 27

ś rutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanā ḥ

The ś rutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing you as their final conclusion. SB 10. 87. 41

tvam atha yad eṣ v avaś eṣ am ṛ tam

You are the reality underlying them all. SB 10. 87. 17

tvam asi yad ā tmanā samavaruddha-samasta-bhagaḥ

By your very nature you are perfectly full in all opulences. SB 10. 87. 14

tvam uta jahā si tā m ahir iva tvacam ā tta-bhago

mahasi mahī yase ’ṣ ṭ a-guṇ ite ’parimeya-bhagaḥ

You, however, avoid the material energy in the same way that a snake abandons its old skin. Glorious in your possession of eight mystic perfections, you enjoy unlimited opulences.

SB 87. 10. 38.

bhavata upā sate ’ṅ ghrim abhavam bhuvi viś vasitā ḥ

Learned sages become imbued with faith and worship your lotus feet, to which all Vedic sacrifices in this world are offered, and which are the source of liberation. SB 10. 87. 20

na parilaṣ anti kecid apavargam apī ś vara te

caraṇ a-saroja-haṁ sa-kula-saṅ ga-visṛ ṣ ṭ a-gṛ hā ḥ

These rare souls, indifferent even to liberation, renounce the happiness of home and family because of their association with devotees who are like flocks of swans enjoying at the lotus of your feet. SB 10. 87. 21

striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daṇ ḍ a-viṣ akta-dhiyo

vayam api te samā ḥ samadṛ ś o ’ṅ ghri-saroja-sudhā ḥ

These women fully absorbed their minds in meditation on Kṛ ṣ ṇ a’s powerful arms, which are like the bodies of great serpents. We want to become just like the gopī s and render service to his lotus feet. SB 10. 87. 23

These verses will be explained in their appropriate places. Faults cannot be ascribed to the Vedas as with the meaning of ordinary words, since the Lord who is beyond matter is the subject of the Vedas, since the very intent of the Vedas is to point out his supreme position, since he alone is to be known by the Vedas, and since he is thus the obvious object proved by the Vedas. The ś rutis say this:

tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhanā ḥ

The ś rutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing you as their final conclusion. SB 10. 87. 41

Thus the Vedas conclude that Bhagavā n is supreme. Statements of oneness (tat tvam asi), statements of negation (asthū la), which are considered mahā -vā kyas, and statements concerning upā sana are made to harmonize in my concept of Brahman.

According to impersonalists, words used in a primary or secondary way (mukhya and gauṇ a) cannot describe impersonal Brahman. Lakṣ aṇ a also cannot describe impersonal Brahman. With these restrictions, inference is also not possible. But the Lord can be directly indicated since he has a svarū pa. How can the impersonal (with form and qualities) be described by taking the direct or indirect meaning of words (jahat and ajahat lakṣ anā )? As mentioned previously, there will be fault even by taking the general meaning of words.

(use of words)

By attributing shell for silver, one mistakenly thinks of a relationship by attribution since without that condition one would not produce the error. To make attribution upon an attribution (shell also being nonexistent) would lead to an infinite regress. Attribution cannot take place when objects are completely beyond words or conception. Even if it were possible that the object Brahman could be the subject of attribution, such as descriptions by words, would it necessarily be a temporary imposition, as the case of the rope and illusion of a snake?

(oneness of jī va and the Lord)

Some consider the difference between jī va and the Lord to be conditional, due to upā dhi. This has been discussed on the commentary concerning Brahmā ’s prayers. This is also explained in the Ś ri-vaiṣ ṇ ava commentary on the Brahma-sū tras, in Ś ata-dū ṣ aṇ i and inTattva-vada works like Viṣ ṇ u-tattva-prakā ś ika and Nyā yā mrta. I have dealt with this in detail in the commentary on Bhā gavata-sandarbha, which depends somewhat on their views.

Since the root cause of difference is ignorance, it is acceptable to say that oneness of tat and tvam is realized by knowledge. One should not think however that the existence of the jī va is somehow produced by someone’s ignorance since it is impossible for Brahman which is pure consciousness to be the shelter of ignorance or to be made ignorant (by something) to create the jī va. One should also not think that the Lord is produced by the jī va’s ignorance and is composed of material vidyā . He is not the subject (supposedly being a jī va) of this ignorance or object of another jī va’s ignorance. It is also claimed that the jī va is produced as a jī va by the ignorance of the jī va, but this has the fault of cause producing itself (jī va causing the jī va’s existence). Thus the meaning of apposition of tat and tvam or ā tmā and Brahman is as follows.

A word used as lakṣ aṇ ā does not equate the identity an object with something else but simply, by that word, speaks of another object or condition. For instance take the statements “The lotus is blue, ” “This bank is the Gaṅ gā, ” or “This person is Devadatta. ” “Person” denotes remembrance with particulars of previous times. “This” indicates the person seen at this time. This is the apposition of the words “this” and “person” (since they indicate the same object). It is not lakṣ aṇ ā. The case of tat and tvam also is not lakṣ aṇ ā or gauṇ a-vṛ tti.

In both these cases, one establishes qualities in an object as in the statement “This bell metal pot is golden. ” Thus, in the ś ruti statement yasyā tmā ś arī ram: his body is his self (Bṛ had-ā raṇ yaka Upaniṣ ad 3. 7. 22), in the context of speaking of the controller and the place (such as the sun god and his globe, Gaṅ gā ā nd her waves etc. ), non-difference is stated (though not literally true).

(jī va is is one with and different from the Lord)

imā s tisro devatā anena jivenā tmanā nupraviś ya nā ma-rupe vyakaravanit

Now I shall enter these three splendid elements with the individual souls and thus I shall create names and forms. (Chandogya Upaniṣ ad)

These are the words of the mahā -puruṣ a. The jī va is mentioned separately, as an aṁ ś a of the Lord (not as identical with the Lord):

mamaivā ṁ ś o jī va-loke jī va-bhū taḥ sanā tanaḥ

manaḥ -ṣ aṣ ṭ hā nī ndriyā ṇ i prakṛ ti-sthā ni karṣ ati

This eternal jī va, one of my parts, drags with it the senses and the sixth sense called the mind, which are the products of ahaṅ kā ra in prakṛ ti. BG 15. 7

apareyam itas tv anyā ṁ prakṛ tiṁ viddhi me parā m

jī va-bhū tā ṁ mahā -bā ho yayedaṁ dhā ryate jagat

This is my inferior energy. But understand my superior energy which is different from this inferior energy. It is the jī vas, who employ the inferior energy for their enjoyment. BG 7. 5

Here the jī va is called superior prakṛ ti. By making this statement, though there is difference between the Lord and the jī va, non-difference is understood because of the inherent connection between them like the sun and its light particles, which appear to be one. Because of experiencing oneness with the Supreme Lord by realizing their purity, persons desiring liberation achieve rejection of the material body. That is the goal of such statements (tat tvam asi — you are that) for them.

However the devotees worship the Lord by realizing their eternal relationship with him (like the ray with the sun).

iti nṛ -gatiṁ vivicya kavayo nigamā vapanaṁ

bhavata upā sate ’ṅ ghrim abhavam bhuvi viś vasitā ḥ

Having determined this to be the status of the living entity, learned sages become imbued with faith and worship your lotus feet, to which all Vedic sacrifices in this world are offered, and which are the source of liberation. SB 10. 87. 20

By this one can realize that the Supreme Lord is the highest goal of human endeavor, the source of prema. This realization is rarely understood.

na parilaṣ anti kecid apavargam apī ś vara te

caraṇ a-saroja-haṁ sa-kula-saṅ ga-visṛ ṣ ṭ a-gṛ hā ḥ

After Brahmā ’s prayers, Ś ukadeva also answered similarly in reply to Parī kṣ it’s question.

Someone may raise the following point. “It seems proper that the goal of the statement ‘You are that, ’ which is a mahā -vā kya, is oneness of jī va and Brahman (taking the direct meaning). Reliance on external proofs using statements containing lakṣ aṇ ā would naturally result in a secondary meaning with nullification of what was to be proved. As well the ś rutis themselves agree with the mahā -vā kyas. Other scriptural statements which seem contrary can be rejected because of not being mahā -vā kyas and having contextual meaning only. They should all be accepted only with a secondary meaning. ”