asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram aparaspara-saṁbhūtaṁ kim anyat kāma-haitukam 3 страница

The Lord eradicates ignorance of the jī vas so that they can experience the happiness of liberation (kaivalya-nirasta-yonim). Or he is the continually manifested cause or shelter of prema bhakti. It is inferred that he gives the spiritual abode. He is all attractive with the highest beauty (harim). In the sequences gradually superior qualities for meditation are mentioned. One should always think of this form or one should always worship this form with prema. In prema one naturally thinks of the Lord at all times (dhyā yet). Or by constant meditation on the Lord one will attain prema.

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The Lord is the supreme witness in all three phases of time. He is the antaryā mī of the Kā raṇ a Ocean and by his two ś aktis, jī va and mā yā, he becomes the material cause (upā dā na) of creation with consciousness (mahat-tattva). This is called sarga. He is the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the total universe. Entering into it, he becomes the antaryā mī of the total universe (Garbhodakaś ā yī ). This is his pastime of entering the universe. He makes the individual bodies by means of Brahmā (ṛ ṣ iṇ ā ). He is thus the creator of visarga. He regulates the bodies as antaryā mī of the individual soul (Kṣ ī rodakaś ā yī ).

Having shown the Lord’s svarū pa-ś akti as the instigator of the powers of mā yā, Ś ukadeva now shows him as the destroyer of mā yā. Becoming absorbed in the Lord, the jī va covered by upā dhis (anuś ayī ) rejects ignorance, a function of mā yā (ajā m). This shows the Lord’s pastime of liberating jī vas. Having indicated the Lord through the powers of his svarū pa-ś akti, represented by secondary characteristics, Ś ukadeva then directly indicates the Lord in the last line.

One should meditate on the Lord with his famous svarū pa (harim), who throws mā yā far away permanently by his pure svarū pa, the shelter of his pure, powerful ś aktis (kaivalyena), simply by being absorbed in the Lord. The Lord who has these qualities, is suitable for bhakti with meditation since he has the purest svarū pa, the purest ś aktis, and the highest mercy, which is bestowed on the jī vas for their benefit. By rejecting mā yā after describing its powers, by establishing the Lord in the forefront with his pure ś aktis, by indicating bhakti as the sā dhana represented by meditation, by reliance on the teachings of the Veda, this verse has the same meaning as the ancient prayers of the ś rutis. One should also see its details. It also has the same meaning as the first verse of the Bhā gavatam.

The following also has the same meaning.

atra sargo visargaś ca sthā naṁ poṣ aṇ am ū tayaḥ

manvantareś ā nukathā nirodho muktir ā ś rayaḥ

In this Purā ṇ a there are ten topics: creation, secondary creation, protection, mercy of the Lord, material activities, the conduct of the Manus, stories of the Lord, destruction of the universe, liberation and the ultimate shelter. SB 2. 10. 1

Chapter Eighty-eight

Text 1

ś rī -rā jovā ca

devā sura-manuṣ yesu ye bhajanty aś ivaṁ ś ivam

prā yas te dhanino bhojā na tu lakṣ myā ḥ patiṁ harim

Translation

King Parī kṣ it said: Those demigods, demons and humans who worship Ś iva, a strict renunciant, usually enjoy wealth and sense gratification, while the worshipers of the Supreme Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune, do not.

Seeing some devotees of Ś iva unsatisfied on hearing the profuse excellence of Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, Parī kṣ it asks a question to confirm that excellence, in order to enlighten them. Those who worship Ś iva, enjoy and have wealth. Those who worship Hari have no wealth, and previous wealth is taken away, generally. But sometimes devotees of Ś iva attain the supreme abode and devotees of the Lord attain wealth.

Text 2

etad veditum icchā maḥ sandeho ’tra mahā n hi naḥ

viruddha-ś ī layoḥ prabhvor viruddhā bhajatā ṁ gatiḥ

Translation

We wish to properly understand this matter, which greatly puzzles us. Indeed, the results attained by the worshipers of these two lords of opposite characters are contrary to what one would expect.

I desire to know the reason (etad) for this. The plural is used (we desire) to indicate the crowd of Ś aivites who were also in the assembly. “Ś iva generally gives material happiness. The Lord gives the supreme abode. That is well known everywhere. ” That is true. But seeing the direct contradiction we are not certain. We have a great doubt. The cause is given. There is opposite attainments for the worshippers of the two with opposite natures. Ś iva’s excellence occurs because of seeing the great bestowal of wealth to his worshippers.

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I desire to know the reason (etad) for this. The plural is used (we desire) to indicate the crowd of Ś aivites who were also in the assembly, and who were glancing about, expressing opposition to what was previously spoken. Ś iva and Viṣ ṇ u have opposite characters: Ś iva is a renunciant and Viṣ ṇ u is an enjoyer. The possessive (prabhvoḥ ) indicates the accusative case. The result of those who worship the two is opposite to the natures of the two since those worshipping Ś iva get enjoyment and those worshipping Viṣ ṇ u do not. One sees worshipers of Ś iva attaining great wealth immediately. Ś iva however is dependent on Lakṣ mī, wife of Viṣ ṇ u, for wealth. This is strange. This is not expressed directly however.

Text 3

ś rī -ś uka uvā ca

ś ivaḥ ś akti-yutaḥ ś aś vat tri-liṅ go guṇ a-saṁ vṛ taḥ

vaikā rikas taijasaś ca tā masaś cety ahaṁ tridhā

Translation

Ś rī Ś ukadeva said: Ś iva is always united with his personal energy, the material nature. Manifesting himself in three features in response to the entreaties of nature’s three modes, he thus embodies the threefold principle of material ego in goodness, passion and ignorance.

Though Ś iva is non-different from the Lord since he is a guṇ a avatā ra, he accepts the guṇ as of mā yā to fulfill the desires of his devotees. They attain material wealth as much as they desire. The Lord generally does not fulfill material desires of his devotees, seeing the fault of wealth, since he is most merciful. But he awards his abode beyond the guṇ as, in accordance to his glory, to his devotees who have given up all material desires. This is explained in three verses.

Ś iva is eternally endowed with his ś akti because as the Lord’s avatā ra, he has all powers, because he is not covered by the guṇ as (aguṇ a-saṁ vṛ taḥ ). He becomes three forms to fulfil the desires of his devotees. The cause of the three forms is aham, ahaṅ kā ra. Or accepting ś akti to fulfill the desires of his devotees, he is covered by the three guṇ as. Or because his is controlled by affection for his devotees he takes three forms. Or the cause of the three forms is sattva, rajas and tamas since he is the controller of the three types of ahaṅ kā ra.

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Brahmā says in the Second Canto:

sṛ jā mi tan-niyukto ’haṁ haro harati tad-vaś aḥ

viś vaṁ puruṣ a-rū peṇ a paripā ti tri-ś akti-dhṛ k

I create under his order, and Ś iva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramā tmā. SB 2. 6. 32

Ś ukadeva explains the conclusion of Bhā gavatam, the essence of Vedā nta, itihā sas and the Vedas. Let us put aside for now the glories of Bhagavā n Kṛ ṣ ṇ a just discussed. Hear the special qualities of Viṣ ṇ u, an expansion of an expansion of Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, who for pastimes accepts supervision of sattva-guṇ a. Though it is said that Ś iva and Visṇ u are non-different, Ś iva is described as being connected with coverings of the guṇ as with lesser and more powers manifested, similar to a reflection. After establishing this, Ś ukadeva shows fault in the apparent good qualities and shows good qualities in apparent fault. Finally he indicates the great foolishness of some people who worship Ś iva. This topic continues for the rest of the chapter. He shows that Ś iva is closely connected with the qualities of upā dhis and this is the cause of his specific powers. Two verses are connected. He is eternally endowed with powers (ś aś vac-cakti-yutaḥ ), but they manifest gradually. This means he is endowed with upā dhis in the form of prakṛ ti when in a state of equilibrium of the guṇ as (ś akti). When the guṇ as become disturbed, he becomes covered with upā dhis of the manifested three guṇ as (tri-liṅ go guṇ a-saṁ vṛ taḥ ). “We hear that he is covered by upā dhis. What is the nature of the upā dhis? ” Anaṅ kā ra is of three types. This means he is the controller of the three ahaṅ kā ras. The chief is tamas and the other two are secondary.

Text 4

tato vikā rā abhavan ṣ oḍ aś ā mī ṣ u kañ cana

upadhā van vibhū tī nā ṁ sarvā sā m aś nute gatim

Translation

The sixteen elements have evolved as transformations of that false ego. When a devotee of Ś iva worships his manifestation in any one of these elements, the devotee obtains all sorts of corresponding enjoyable opulences.

From ahaṅ kā ra (tataḥ ) arise transformations. Among the transformations when a person worships Ś iva, the personification of the transformations, since he is their controller, he enjoys attainment of all wealth. According to the upā dhi one gets a result. One attains everything as one desires. Because of worshipping Ś iva conditionally, according to one’s material desires, one generally attains material wealth only and not the supreme abode.

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“Let that be. When he is covered by upā dhis, what happens? ” Then, as representatives of the Lord, sixteen transformations from ahaṅ kā ra which he controls arise. Worshipping him in the upā dhi, as one of the many powers among the transformations (amī ṣ u) a person attains the result.

Text 5

harir hi nirguṇ aḥ sā kṣ ā t puruṣ aḥ prakṛ teḥ paraḥ

sa sarva-dṛ g upadraṣ ṭ ā taṁ bhajan nirguṇ o bhavet

Translation

Viṣ ṇ u, however, has no connection with the material modes. He is the Supreme Lord, the all-seeing eternal witness, who is transcendental to material nature. One who worships him becomes similarly free from the material modes.

‘

But (hi) Viṣ ṇ u is beyond the guṇ as. He is directly the Lord. Ś iva and others are indirectly called the Lord, as his avatā ras. He is beyond the guṇ as because he is the antaryā mī of all beings (puruṣ aḥ ). Or he is directly the Lord (puruṣ aḥ ) because he is situated far beyond prakṛ ti. He is the observer.

Or the cause of his being beyond the guṇ as is that he is the person (puruṣ aḥ ) superior to prakṛ ti. He is different from Brahmā and Ś iva, also known as puruṣ as, since they were endowed with prakṛ ti. That was stated with the words ś akti-yutaḥ (verse 3) describing Ś iva. The Lord is the overseer of all knowledge or all people’s knowledge. He is the superior knower. Or as antaryā mī, he promotes by his close glance the working of the knowledge senses (upadraṣ ṭ ā ) by which all people obtain knowledge (sarva-dṛ k). Thus he is not related to mā yā, and is beyond the guṇ as. Thus though he is endowed with all types of enjoyment as the husband of Lakṣ mī, he is without relationship with prakṛ ti. The wealṭ h of the people of Vaikuṇ ṭ ha is non-material, since it is filled with eternity, knowledge and bliss.

pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ

sattvaṁ ca miś raṁ na ca kā la-vikramaḥ

na yatra mā yā kim utā pare harer

anuvratā yatra surā surā rcitā ḥ

In Vaikuṇ ṭ ha there are no rajas or tamas, and no sattva mixed with rajas and tamas. There is no influence of time. There is no influence of mā yā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇ ṭ ha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshippable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2. 9. 10

Thus one who worships Viṣ ṇ u, even with material desires, gradually becomes free of the desires and becomes without guṇ as. This means he attains the abode without guṇ as. Thus the excellence of Viṣ ṇ u is because he gives the supreme abode, he is the source of all avatā ras and he is the Lord of all others. Though Ś iva is equated with Visnu because he is a dear avatā ra who promotes bhakti, he is in a lesser position because he gives material benefits, he is an avatā ra of the guṇ as and he is dependent on Viṣ ṇ u.

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He now shows that Viṣ ṇ u is without upā dhis and establishes that this is the cause for attaining the highest goals. The word hi indicates either established fact or cause. He is not touched (paraḥ ) by the qualities of prakṛ ti. Therefore he does not have any guṇ as. He is not covered by the three guṇ as like Ś iva. This is because (hi) he is directly the Lord (puruṣ aḥ ). He is not like a reflection, given powers over a distance. The Lord says vidyā vidye mama tanū viddhy uddhava ś arī riṇ ā m: O Uddhava! Understand that vidyā and avidyā are my ś aktis. (SB 11. 11. 3) he uses the word tanū (body). Thus sometimes one hears that Viṣ ṇ u accepts sattva as his ś akti. But this is only anappearance, since Viṣ ṇ u assists sattva only. He is directly the Lord. From him arises all knowledge that the Ś aivite brā hmaṇ as possess (sarva-ḍ rk) and he is the witness of everything. Then, worshipping him, one also goes beyond the guṇ as. The person enjoys results beyond the guṇ as. He is the husband of Lakṣ mī and she is a ś akti arising from his svarū pa. She is not dependent on Ś iva. She defeats material wealth and powers. It will later be said:

ataḥ ś ā ntir yato ’bhayam

dharmaḥ sā kṣ ā d yato jñ ā naṁ vairā gyaṁ ca tad-anvitam

aiś varyaṁ cā ṣ ṭ adhā yasmā d yaś aś cā tma-malā paham

From Viṣ ṇ u come peace and fearlessness, the essential principles of religion; detachment with knowledge; the eightfold powers of mystic yoga; and his glorification, which cleanses the mind of all impurities. (Verse 14-15)

One should thus consider if he has good or bad qualities.

Text 6

nivṛ tteṣ v aś va-medheṣ u rā jā yuṣ mat-pitā mahaḥ

ś ṛ ṇ van bhagavato dharmā n apṛ cchad idam acyutam

Translation

Your grandfather, King Yudhiṣ ṭ hira, after completing his Aś vamedha sacrifices, asked Acyuta this very same question while hearing the Lord’s explanation of religious principles.

In a previous incident, to strengthen the conclusion, the Lord himself spoke similar words

Yudhiṣ ṭ hira asked after the horse sacrifice had been completed. He was your grandfather. As his grandson Parikṣ it was very humble. This question was thus quite appropriate concerning svayam bhagavā n. Ś ukadeva shows respect to Parikṣ it by using the word yuṣ mat (your). He had listened to all dharmas from Kṛ ṣ ṇ a (bhagavataḥ ). Or he heard about bhakti from the Lord. This is described in Bhaviṣ yottara Purā ṇ a. Yudhiṣ ṭ hra asked what you just asked (idam) to the Lord, who is full of all good qualities like being controlled by his devotee, or who is full of all powers, or who always stayed in Yudhiṣ ṭ hira’s house (acyutam).

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This is not only his nature, but a subject which should be contemplated. He recites a story concerning this. This topic was explained by the Lord in the assembly containing sages of various philosophies. Yudhiṣ ṭ hira asked the Lord the same question which is famous (idam). This shows the weakness of contrary opinions of other scriptures. King Yudhiṣ ṭ hira is your grandfather. Ś ukadeva thus encourages Parī kṣ it by indicating that he is very close to the Lord and that his question is very suitable. Therefore, in respect he uses the word yuṣ mat (your). Yudhiṣ ṭ hira was listening to topics of bhagavad-dharma from the Lord. He asked what you have asked to Kṛ ṣ ṇ a. Thus Ś ukadeva glorifies both of them. He asked the Lord (acyutam), full of all good qualities like affection for his devotees, or full of all powers, or he asked the Lord who always remained in Yudhiṣ ṭ hira’s house and did not move (acyutam).

Text 7

sa ā ha bhagavā ṁ s tasmai prī taḥ ś uś rū ṣ ave prabhuḥ

nṛ ṇ ā ṁ niḥ ś reyasā rthā ya yo ’vatī rṇ o yadoḥ kule

Translation

This question pleased Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, the King’s master, who had descended into the family of Yadu for the purpose of bestowing the highest good on all men. The Lord replied as follows as the King eagerly listened.

The Lord was most merciful (bhagavā n) and pleased (prī taḥ ) with the question or by his nature had prema for Yudhiṣ ṭ hira, and because he was eager to hear or was his devotee (ś uś ruṣ ave). Moreover he was his Lord (prabhuḥ ). Thus he spoke. “Being endowed with good qualities like humility, the Lord should not speak about his own excellence, which would the final conclusion of his speaking. ” But without revealing his own excellence, people cannot attain auspiciousness with bhakti. He appeared in the Yadu dynasty to give auspiciousness to all men. Or the cause of his being bhagavā n is shown: he gives auspiciousness to all men: he shows his capability by showing his powers (prabhuḥ ). Though he should not speak, he did so because he is most merciful.

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Kṛ ṣ ṇ a spoke because he was pleased by his very nature and because Yudhiṣ ṭ hira was eager to listen. Or he was pleased because the king was a devotee. “Since the king is an ocean of good qualities such as humility he does not speak about his own excellence. ” The Lord is independent (prabhuḥ ) and has appeared in the Yadu family in order to give benefit to men who are not fortunate since they do not have bhakti. He did not appear on earth to glorify himself. One who does not accept his teachings is unfortunate.

Text 8

ś rī -bhagavā n uvā ca

yasyā ham anugṛ hṇ ā mi hariṣ ye tad-dhanaṁ ś anaiḥ

tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya svajanā duḥ kha-duḥ khitam

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another.

The future tense is used to indicate that the Lord will take away wealth necessarily or certainly (hariṣ ye). That is the import of kariṣ ye in the next verse also. This is a cause of his relatives rejecting him. Since repeatedly wealth is given and taken away, he is unable to remove his suffering.

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Ś ukadeva then speaks with surprise at the Lord’s answer. which indicates an opposite response to devatā s and demons. I take away the wealth of that worshipper to whom I am merciful but I am not merciful to a person with material desires. I give wealth to that person whom I suddenly have a little inclination. The future tense is used to show intolerance according to Pā ṇ ini 3. 3. 145. I take away his wealth since I cannot tolerate seeing it. If I take it away suddenly, he will become disturbed, with nothing for protection. I take it away gradually so that he will become indifferent to wealth gradually and become attracted to devotees’ association. Then what happens? Gradually his relatives reject him since he has no wealth. He then becomes even more poverty stricken.

Text 9

sa yadā vitathodyogo nirviṇ ṇ aḥ syā d dhanehayā

mat-paraiḥ kṛ ta-maitrasya kariṣ ye mad-anugraham

Translation

When he becomes detached from attempts to make money and instead befriends my devotees, I bestow my special mercy (such as giving wealth) upon him.

He then becomes detached from making wealth. He makes friends with my devotees or the devotees make friends with him.

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Then what happens? He becomes detached (nirvinnaḥ ). That person then acts beneficially for the devotees who show mercy to the miserable. I then give him my delightful mercy. Future tense is again used to show quickness in giving. (Pā ṇ ini 3. 3. 131) He gives wealth to those who desire it but not to those who do not desire. Though he gave a kingdom to Prahlā da (who did not desire it), he did this to glorify his devotee since his devotee was unattached to the wealth and he gave it in special circumstances.

Text 10

tad brahma paramaṁ sū kṣ maṁ cin-mā traṁ sad anantakam

vijñ ā yā tmatayā dhī raḥ saṁ sā rā t parimucyate

Translation

I give mercy which is indescribable, the greatest, hard to understand, eternal, arising from my spiritual ś akti. Understanding this, he is freed from the cycle of material life.

That is indescribable (tat) because it is extremely unmanifest (paramam sū kṣ mam), because it is the very form of knowledge (cin-mā tram) and eternal (sat) and infinite (anantakam). It is completely non-material. Or it is indescribable because though it is without material qualities, it is full of qualities. Thus it is inconceivable (sū kṣ mam), and Vaikuṇ ṭ ha (paramam), since it is pure knowledge (cin-mā tram), eternal (sat) and infinite (ananta). It is also the form of infinite bliss (kam). Or it has infinite bliss (ananta-kam). Or It is famous as the best of all, or as secret entity (tat): prema for me, which is all–pervading (brahma) or which is the supreme Brahman, since it is eternity, knowledge and bliss.

The supreme (tat) is described by identifying it with its qualities, since the cause and effect are one, or the qualities are one with the Lord, being all eternity, knowledge and bliss. Or tat means “because of the mercy”. Or tat means after that, one attain the Lord.

The devotee (dhī raḥ ) realizing this, with his own svarū pa (ā tmatayā ), attaining Vaikuṇ ṭ ha, is completely free of saṁ sā ra. A person who because of losing wealth (ataḥ ) gives me up, who can be attained by worship only after a long time or with much effort (sudurā rā dhyam), worships other persons. This is a reason for giving up the Lord.

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His mercy is compared to Brahman. I give mercy whose svarū pa is indescribable (tat) because it is the greatest of all (brahma), which is most excellent (paramam), most difficult to understand (durlabham sū kṣ mam), and perfect with no beginning, through a succession of unending devotees, continuous in past and future (sat), because it is a manifestation of the Lord’s ś akti (cinmā tram). The last line starting with vijñ ā ya is additional, not found in traditional texts.

Text 11

ato mā ṁ su-durā rā dhyaṁ hitvā nyā n bhajate janaḥ

tatas ta ā ś u-toṣ ebhyo labdha-rā jya-ś riyoddhatā ḥ

mattā ḥ pramattā vara-dā n vismayanty avajā nate

Translation

Because I am difficult to worship, people generally avoid me and instead worship other deities, who are quickly satisfied. When people receive kingly wealth from these deities, they ignore rules, intoxicated with pride and become neglectful. They dare to offend even the devatā s who have bestowed benedictions upon them.

A person who because of losing wealth (ataḥ ) gives me up, who can be attained by worship only after a long time or with much effort (sudurā rā dhyam), worships other persons. This is a reason for giving up the Lord. Because of the worship or after that (tataḥ ), those who worship devatā s with desire for wealth (te), because of withdrawal of my mercy, attaining wealth by surpassing rules, become proud (mattā ḥ ) and inattentive (pramattā ḥ ).

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The Lord has defined in general terms all truths by showing the result of his mercy. That should be understood in detail. “You give wealth according to the principle of akā maḥ sarva-kā mo vā (whether having desires or no desires, worship the Lord) but not those whom you really show mercy. Then why does an ordinary person worship anyone else to attain wealth? ” This person finds it difficult to worship the Lord because he is unsatisfied with the results attained from the Lord — because of ignorance of the real purpose of worshipping the Lord, even after thinking about it thoroughly.

yo gajendraṁ jhaṣ a-grastaṁ dhyā yantaṁ caraṇ ā mbujam

kroś antī nā ṁ kareṇ ū nā ṁ kṛ cchrato ’mocayad drutam

taṁ sukhā rā dhyam ṛ jubhir ananya-ś araṇ air nṛ bhiḥ