manomayādibhiḥ śabdaiḥ
svarūpaṁ
yasya kīrtyate
hṛdaye sphuratu śrīmān
mamāsau
śyāmasundaraḥ
“It is said that the Lord appears to one who calls out to Him with a pure mind and heart. May He appear within the core of my heart in His beautiful original form as Śyāmasundara.”
The First Pāda of this Adhyāya teaches that one should inquire about the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the creator of all universes. It has also been shown that certain words used in the Vedic literature, such as ānandamaya, jyotis, prāṇa, ākāṣa, etc. although they normally refer to other things, in the Vedic context clearly refer to that Supreme Brahman because of the samanvaya or grammatical construction of the passages in which they appear. The Second and Third Pādas will demonstrate that certain other words, although less clearly related to Brahman, also describe Him.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the chapter of Chāndogya Upaniṣad describing Śāṇḍilya-vidyā [3.14.1-4] we read:
“This Brahman is indeed all-pervading. Let one meditate with devotion on Him as the Mover on the Water. Such meditation leads to faith. Because a man is a creature of faith, as his faith is in this life, so will be his condition after death. So let him generate full faith in the Lord.
“The Lord is omnipotent, known by those whose minds are pure [manomaya], glorious, resolute, all-wise, the doer, the ordainer, the heart’s desire, the most sweet-scented, the support of the creation, and the silent impartial witness in everyone’s heart.
“This Self within my heart is smaller than a grain of rice, smaller than a grain of barley, smaller than a mustard seed or the kernel of a mustard seed. This Self within my heart is also greater than the earth, greater than the sky, greater than heaven, greater than the entire universe.
“He is the enjoyer of all activities, all desires, all sweet fragrances, and all tastes. He embraces the entire creation, and is the silent impartial witness. This Self within my heart is that Brahman. Let one meditate on Him with this idea: When departing from this body I shall reach Him. He who has this faith certainly obtains Him. Thus said Śāṇḍilya, thus said Śāṇḍilya.”
In conditioned material consciousness, the soul is under the illusory impression that he can become the lord of the universe, and this misconception is dragged to the ultimate point of ludicrousness when he imagines himself to be the Supreme. The Māyāvādī theory is that the spiritual form of the Lord is a product of illusion, and Brahman is actually formless. Somehow or other (they are vague on this point) the Supreme becomes fragmented into many and becomes covered by illusion. They assert that when one gets free from illusion and attains self-realization, one will realize that he is actually God, and that self-realization means losing one’s individual identity and merging into the existence of the Supreme.
The foolish conditioned soul overwhelmed by ignorance does not consider that by definition, the Supreme cannot be fragmented nor covered by illusion. If the Supreme can become conditioned by illusion, where is His supremacy? In that case māyā, or illusion, would be supreme. So the impersonalist speculators actually worship illusion as the supreme.
But it is a matter of everyday experience that illusion is always subordinate to reality. For example, the shadow of a pot exists because of the existence of the pot, a solid object. Words and other symbols exist because of the existence of the real objects they represent. Similarly, the temporary material world full of individual living entities exists because of the existence of the eternal spiritual world and the independent, all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme is eternally Supreme; if the living entities were actually supreme, then they would be supreme already, and no process of self-realization would be necessary. Therefore the living entities can never become supreme because they are constitutionally subordinate, conditioned and dependent.
The Vedic scriptures explain this truth on every page. Nevertheless, because of their desires for sense gratification, the conditioned living entities try to explain the scriptures in a way that justifies the misconception that they are the owners, controllers and enjoyers of the cosmic manifestation. Since the direct meaning of the scriptures flatly contradicts that theory, they must resort to imaginative speculation and false logic. The Māyāvādīs may try to masquerade their deliberate obfuscation and misinterpretation of the scriptures as a noble search for truth, but the actual scientific understanding is that the intelligence of the conditioned souls is impure and covered by illusion due to contact with the material energy of the three modes of nature.
Therefore if they are to be rescued from illusion, it is necessary that they purify themselves under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, who not only is a brāhmaṇa or knower of Brahman by qualification, but must also be a Vaiṣṇava or knower of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by perfect self-realization. The only purifying process recognized in the Vedas is to worship the Supreme Lord under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession from Him. That is the actual Vedic spiritual path; the imaginary sādhana of the impersonalists is not found in the Vedas. Bhagavad-gītā [7.19] confirms this truth as follows:
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān
māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā
sudurlabhaḥ
“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.”
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, Śāṇḍilya-vidyā [3.14.1] the following explanation is given:
sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma taj jalān iti śānta upāsīta. atha khalu kratumayaḥ puruṣaḥ. yathā kratur asmin loke puruṣo bhavati tathetaḥ pretya bhavati. sa kratuṁ kurvīta. manomayaḥ prāṇa-śarīro bhā-rūpaḥ satya-saṅkalpa ākāśātmā sarva-karmā sarva-kāmāḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasaḥ sarvam idaṁ abhyāto avākyān ādaraḥ.
“Everything is Brahman. From Him everything has come. The peaceful sage should worship Brahman with this idea. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the activities of devotional service. Whenever devotional service is performed in this world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present. According to [the degree of] one’s performance of devotional service in this life, he will attain an appropriate body after death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by those whose minds are pure [manomaya]. He is the controller of all life. He is effulgent and glorious. His every desire is automatically fulfilled. He is all-pervading. He is the original creator of everything. He fulfills all desires. He possesses all pleasant fragrances. He is all sweetness. He is present everywhere. He cannot be described in words. He cannot be known.”
Here the word manomaya appears in a different context than in the First Pāda, Adhikaraṇa 6. Whereas there it indicates the mental platform, a developmental stage of consciousness prior to full self-realization, here it means the state of pure mind or perfect spiritual consciousness. The overall significance is that to attain self-realization or direct consciousness of the Personality of Brahman, one must have a perfectly pure mind. The passage goes on to describe some of the wonderful qualities of Brahman, such as His being the controller, His effulgence, glory, all-pervasive presence and so on.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Do the adjectives in this passage, beginning with manomaya, describe the jīva or the Paramātmā?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: “The words manaḥ [mind] and prāṇa [life-breath] here appropriately describe the jīva. The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [2.1.2] explains, aprāṇo hy amanāḥ śubhraḥ: ‘The splendid Supreme Person has neither breath nor mind.’ Because this passage from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad contradicts this description of the Supreme Lord, it should be understood to refer to the jīva. The opening words sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, ‘Everything is Brahman,’ do not necessarily mean that the entire passage following them is about Brahman, but are merely spoken so that the worshiper may become peaceful. The teaching there is that because Brahman is everything, one should become peaceful, as this is a prerequisite for meditation. The rest of the passage should then be understood to refer to the jīva, and the word brahma at the end of the passage should also be understood to refer to the jīva.”
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: This passage from Chāndogya Upaniṣad is a perfect example of how the impersonalists take Vedic statements indicating the Supreme Brahman out of context and try to apply them to the individual jīva. This passage mentions kratu [sacrifice in devotional service], but it is not logical or even possible that the jīva can offer sacrifice to himself. Yet the impersonalist tries to twist the meaning of the scripture to match his own preconceptions. The proper conclusion is:
sarvatra prasiddhopadeśāt
sarvatra—everywhere; prasiddha—celebrated; upadeśāt—because of the teaching.
[The word manomaya and others here refer to the Paramātmā] because [in this passage] the famous [attributes of the Paramātmā taught] everywhere [in Vedānta literature] are described [in the phrase beginning taj-jalān].
This passage from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad describes the Paramātmā and not the jīva. Why? Because the qualities that belong only to the Paramātmā, beginning with His being the creator of the material universes, and which are described everywhere [saravatra] in Vedānta literature, are mentioned in this passage in the phrase beginning taj-jalān, and other phrases and words. Although the upakrama or opening words of this passage [sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma] are not intended to teach about Brahman but to invoke peacefulness, beginning with the word manomaya it definitely describes the Supreme Brahman. Here manomaya means ‘He who can be understood by a pure mind.’ The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.4.19] explains:
manasaivānudraṣṭavyam
“He may be seen by a pure mind.”
Bhagavad-gītā 6.20-23 explains:
yatroparamate cittaṁ niruddhaṁ
yoga-sevayā
yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyann ātmani tuṣyati
sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad
buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam
vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś
calati tattvataḥ
yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ
manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi
vicālyate
taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam
“The stage of perfection is called trance, or samādhi, when one's mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one’s ability to see the ātmā [Supreme Self] by the pure mind, and to relish and rejoice in the Self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.”
The word kratu means the process of sacrifice or devotional service. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
oṁ namo bhagavate mantra-tattva-liṅgāya yajña-kratave mahā-dhvarāvayavāya mahā-puruṣāya namaḥ
“O Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You as the gigantic person. Simply by chanting mantras, we shall be able to understand You fully. You are yajña [sacrifice], and You are the kratu [ritual]. Therefore all the ritualistic ceremonies of sacrifice are part of Your transcendental body, and You are the only enjoyer of all sacrifices.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.18.35]
viṣṇuḥ sthitau kratu-patir dvija-dharma-setuḥ
The Lord manifested His form as Viṣṇu, the Lord of sacrifice and protector of the twice-born brāhmaṇas and their religious duties, to maintain the universe. [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.4.5]
Another significant idea presented here is that the Lord is present in acts of sacrifice and devotional service. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā 3.15:
karma brahmodbhavaṁ
viddhi
brahmākṣara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ
brahma
nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam
“Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.”
When we perform sacrifice for the satisfaction of the yajña-puruṣa, Viṣṇu, then we are directly in the presence of the Lord. We must find out the instructions for this kind of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas provide the regulations or codes of directions for practical work in devotional service. Any work done according to these directions has the extraordinary quality of not creating karmic reactions, because it is done to further the Supreme purpose of the Lord. Even ordinary religious rituals, charity and other work done in the mode of goodness creates karma, such as attaining the heavenly planets, that binds one to material existence. On the other hand, work performed in defiance of the Vedic instructions is called vikarma [unauthorized or sinful work] which leads to degradation. Therefore, one who takes direction from the Vedas is saved from the good and bad reaction sof work, and is situated in the liberated stage of spiritual life, for the directions in the Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said:
asya mahato bhūtasya naśvasitam etad yad ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo 'tharvāṅ girasaḥ.
“The four Vedas—namely the Ṛg-veda, Yajur-veda, Sāma-veda and Atharva-veda—are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead.” [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.5.11]
All this can be known by those whose minds are pure, or in other words, who have no desire to benefit materially from the results of their work. They are free from desire, material work and its reactions because their only desire is to satisfy the Supreme Brahman by all their activities. Nevertheless, the Lord does not depend on the service of His devotees to be satisfied. He is always fully satisfied, because He is satya-saṅkalpa: all His desires are automatically fulfilled by His inconceivable potencies.
“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.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7-8]
nityaṁ ca pūrṇa-kāmasya
“My desires are always automatically fulfilled.” [Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 14.32]
kim asmābhir vanaukobhir
anyābhir
vā mahātmanaḥ
śrī-pater āpta-kāmasya
kriyetārthaḥ
kṛtātmanaḥ
“The great soul Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of the Goddess of Fortune, and He automatically achieves whatever He desires. How can we forest-dwellers or any other women fulfill His purposes when He is already fulfilled within Himself?” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.47.46]
bibhrad vapuḥ
sakala-sundara-sanniveśaṁ
karmācaran bhuvi su-maṅgalam
āpta-kāmaḥ
“The Lord, who bore His body as the amalgamation of everything beautiful, dutifully executed the most auspicious activities while on the earth, although He was, in fact, without any endeavor already satisfied in all desires.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.1.10]
Passages like yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha [Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.4.1] that refer to the Supreme as, “Where words cease, and where the mind cannot reach,” really mean that Brahman cannot be apprehended by the faithless, and not totally understood even by the knowers of wisdom, but must be approached by meditation and pure intuition without material desire. This topic was already discussed in Pāda 1, Adhikaraṇa 5.
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni māṁ tu veda na kaścana
“I also know all living entities; but no one knows Me.” [Bhagavad-gītā 7.26]
The word prāṇa-śarīra means “He who is the controller of life.” Some also interpret this word to mean “He whose transcendental form is most dear.” The words aprāṇo hy amanāḥ—“He has neither breath nor mind”—may be interpreted either that He is supremely independent and does not need breath or mind, or that because His form is completely spiritual, He does not depend upon prāṇa like ordinary creatures. The śruti-śāstra explains manovān—“The Supreme has a spiritual mind”—meaning that His mind is not like ours, since He is eternal, all-pervading and all-cognizant, He knows everything that can be known through direct perception. And ānīda-vātam—“The Supreme has spiritual breath.”—means that He does not require air to breathe.
Manomaya refers to Brahman, because this word is frequently used to refer to Him in the Upaniṣads. All these references prove that the passage refers to the Supreme Brahman and not the individual jīva.
vivakṣita-guṇopapatteś ca
vivakṣita—wished to be said; guṇa—qualities; upapatteḥ—because of being appropriate; ca—and.
[The word manomaya here must refer to Brahman] because the qualities [given here] most appropriately [describe Brahman.]
Manomaya [knowable by the pure mind], prāṇa-śarīra [the controller of life], bhā-rūpa [effulgent and glorious] and the other qualities mentioned here describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but are not at all appropriate for the jīva. Many scriptural passages also show that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described by the word manomaya:
manomayaḥ prāṇa-śarīra-netā
“He is understood by the pure mind [manomaya]. He is the guide of the body and senses.” [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.2.7]
sa eṣo 'ntar-hṛdaya ākāśas tasminn ayaṁ puruṣo manomayo 'mṛtamayo hiraṇmayaḥ
“The golden Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of nectar, and who is known by the pure mind [manomaya], resides in the sky of the heart.” [Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.6.1]
yatroparamate cittaṁ
niruddhaṁ
yoga-sevayā
yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ
paśyann ātmani
tuṣyati
“In the stage of perfection called trance, or samādhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self.” [Bhagavad-gītā 6.20]
hṛdā manīṣā manasābhiklpto ya etad vidur amṛtas te bhavanti
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by they who have a pure heart and a pure mind. They who know Him in this way become free from death.” [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 7.9]
namo namas te
'khila-mantra-devatā-
dravyāya sarva-kratave
kriyātmane
vairāgya-bhaktyātmajayānubhāvita-
jñānāya
vidyā-gurave namo namaḥ
“O Lord, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are worshipable by universal prayers, Vedic hymns and sacrificial ingredients. We offer our obeisances unto You. You can be realized by the pure mind freed from all visible and invisible material contamination. We offer our respectful obeisances to You as the supreme spiritual master of knowledge in devotional service.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.13.39]
śrī-bhagavān
uvāca
animitta-nimittena
sva-dharmeṇāmalātmanā
tīvrayā
mayi bhaktyā ca
śruta-sambhṛtayā ciram
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One can get liberation by seriously discharging devotional service unto Me with a pure mind, and thereby hearing for a long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one's prescribed duties, there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of matter.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.27.21]
prāṇasya prāṇaḥ
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the life of all life.” [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18]
bhṛtyasya paśyati gurūn api
nāparādhān
sevāṁ manāg api kṛtāṁ
bahudhābhyupaiti
āviṣkaroti piśuneṣv api nābhyasūyāṁ
śīlena
nirmala-matiḥ puruṣottamo ‘yam
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Puruṣottama, the greatest of all persons, has a pure mind. He is so gentle that even if His servant is implicated in a great offense, He does not take it very seriously. Indeed, if His servant renders some small service, the Lord accepts it as being very great. Even if an envious person blasphemes the Lord, the Lord never manifests anger against him. Such are His great qualities.” [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.138]
anupapattes tu na śārīraḥ
anupapatteḥ—because of inappropriateness; tu—indeed; na—not; śārīraḥ—the jīva.
[The word manomaya here] cannot refer to the jīva because the qualities [described in this passage] cannot be attributed to him.
The manomaya here cannot refer to the jīva because it is not possible that the qualities described here refer to the tiny, glowworm-like jīva. For example, “He is the controller of all life. He is effulgent and glorious. His every desire is automatically fulfilled. He is all-pervading. He is the original creator of everything. He fulfills all desires. He possesses all pleasant fragrances. He is all sweetness. He is present everywhere.” All these superior transcendental qualities are impossible to ascribe to the limited jīva.
aṁśo nānāvyapadeśāt
“The living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, they are not the Supreme Brahman Himself. Their relationship with the Lord is that of dependence on the Lord.” [Brahma-sūtra 2.3.43]
jñājñau dvāv ajāv
īśānīśau
haraḥ kṣarātmānāv īśate deva ekaḥ
“Both the Supreme Lord and the living entities are spiritual. Of the two, the Supreme Lord is great, omnipotent, and omniscient, and the living entities are minute, subordinate spiritual sparks and therefore eligible to possess only limited knowledge and to be controlled by māyā. But both are eternal. Although the living entities are inexhaustible, being proud by considering themselves the enjoyers of material objects, they are prone to be conditioned by māyā. Both material nature and the living entities are energies of and controlled by the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is one without a second.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.9-10]
ātmā svāśrayāśrayaḥ
“The Supreme Being is independent of all, and therefore He is the supreme shelter.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.10.9]
karma-kartṛ-vyapadeśāc ca
karma—object; kartṛ—agent; vyapadeśāt—because of the statement; ca—also.
And because the distinction is drawn here between the agent and the object.
With the words [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.4] etam itaḥ pretyābhisambhavitāsmi [After death I will attain Him] at the end of the passage, the manomaya is clearly designated as the object of the sentence and the jīva, with the words abhisambhavitāsmi [I will attain] is clearly identified as the agent. The manomaya, being the object, must be different from the jīva, which is the agent. The manomaya must therefore be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word abhisambhavitāsmi here describes meeting. The jīva meets the Supreme Lord as a great river meets the ocean. Chāndogya Upaniṣad [8.12-13] states:
sa uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ sa tatra paryeti jakṣat krīḍan ramamāṇaḥ. taṁ vā etaṁ devā ātmānam upāsate—śyāmāc chavalaṁ prapadye śavalāc chyāmaṁ prapadye. vidhūya pāpaṁdhūtvā śarīram kṛtaṁ kṛtātmā brahma-lokam-abhisambhavāmīti
“The topmost person is he who achieves the Supreme Lord through devotional service. He enjoys food and sports in the abode of the Lord. The demigods worship that Supreme Lord. For receiving the mercy of the Lord, I surrender unto His energy [Rādhā], and for receiving the mercy of His energy, I surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. By worshiping Them a practitioner becomes freed from all sinful reactions and, being fully satisfied, he goes to the eternal abode of the Lord.”
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān
yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
viśate
tad-anantaram
“One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.” [Bhagavad-gītā 18.55]
śabda-viśeṣāt
śabda—words; viśeṣāt—because of the difference.
[The word manomaya here cannot refer to the jīva] because the words are in different cases.
The text [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.3] says eṣa ma ātmāntar-hṛdaye: “He is within my heart.” In these words the devotee jīva is placed in the genitive case and the object of his worship is placed in the nominative case. Because the jīva and the object of his worship are in different cases they must be two distinct persons. Therefore the manomaya here must be the worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is different from the devotee jīva. Brhad-aranyaka Upaniṣad [2.1] states:
yathagneh ksudra visphulinga vyuccaranty evam evasmad atmanah sarve pranah sarve lokah sarve devah sarvani bhutani vyuccaranti. tasyopanisat satyasya satyam iti.
“Just as small sparks emanate from a big fire, similarly all living entities, all planets, all the demigods, and all material elements such as the earth emanate from the supreme soul, Sri Govinda. His instructions are the supreme truth.”
Taittirīya Upaniṣad [3.6] confirms:
ānando brahmeti vyajānāt. ānandoddhy eva khilvimāni bhūtāni jāyante. ānandena jātāni jīvanti. ānandaṁ prayanty abhisaṁviśantīti. tad brahmety upāsīta
“By undergoing austerity, he realized the blissful Supreme Brahman, from whom all living entities are born, by whom the living entities are maintained, and into whom the living entities enter at the time of annihilation.”
smṛteś ca
smṛteḥ—because of the smṛti-śāstra; ca—also.
And because of the statement of smṛti-śāstra also.
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is different from the jīva is also confirmed by the following statement of Bhagavad-gītā [18.61]:
īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe
'rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni
māyayā
“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”
sa vā idaṁ viśvam
amogha-līlaḥ
sṛjaty avaty atti na sajjate 'smin
bhūteṣu
cāntarhita ātma-tantraḥ
ṣāḍ-vargikaṁ jighrati
ṣaḍ-guṇeśaḥ
“The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always independent.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.36]
sa vyāpakatayātmānaṁ
vyatiriktatayātmani
vidvān svapna ivāmarśa-sākṣiṇaṁ
virarāma ha
“He [King Malayadhvaja] attained perfect knowledge by being able to distinguish the Supersoul from the individual soul. The individual soul is localized, whereas the Supersoul is all-pervasive. He became perfect in knowledge that the material body is not the soul but that the soul is the witness of the material body.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.40]
Someone may object: “The Chāndogya Upaniṣad [3.14.3] describes the manomaya in the following words: eṣa ma ātmāntar-hṛdaye 'ṇīyān vrīr heva yavād vā: ‘In my heart is the Self, smaller than a grain of rice or barley.’ This text shows that because it is very tiny, the manomaya must be the jīva and cannot be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
arbhakaukastvāt tad-vyapadeśāc ca neti cen na nicāyyatvād evaṁ vyomavac ca
arbhaka—small; okastvāt—because of the residence; tat—of that; vyapadeśāt—because of the teaching; ca—and; na—not; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; nicāyyatvāt—because of meditation; evam—in this way; vyomavat—like the sky; ca—also.
If it be said that the word manomaya here cannot refer to Brahman because here it is said that the residence of manomaya is very tiny, then I say no, because Brahman should be meditated on in this way, and because in the same passage the manomaya is said to be as great as the sky.
For these two reasons it cannot be said that the manomaya is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this passage from Chāndogya Upaniṣad the manomaya is said to be greater than the entire Earth planet. The text says jyāyān antarīkṣāt [He is greater than the sky]. Because the Supreme Brahman is all-pervading the word vyomavat [like the sky] is used in this sūtra.
How may these two statements, that Brahman is very small and very great, be reconciled? To answer this question he says nicāyyatvād evam [Because Brahman should be meditated on in this way]. This means that it is said that Brahman is very small so He may become the object of meditation. This means that when in the Vedic literatures it is said that the infinite, all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead is as small as the distance between the thumb and forefinger or some other very small size, in some instances it is meant to be taken figuratively and in other places literally. In the first instance [figuratively] the devotee meditates on the Lord in his heart and in the second [literally] by His inconceivable potencies, the Lord personally appears in the heart out of kindness to His devotee.
Although the Supreme Lord has only one original form, He still manifests in many different forms to His devotees. This is described in the smṛti-śāstra in the words eko 'pi san bahudhā yo 'vabhāti [Although He is one He manifests in many forms]. Because of His inconceivable potency the Supreme Lord, although He is all-pervading, may become as small as an atom. This will be described in Adhikaraṇa 7, Sūtra 1.2.25, describing Vaiśvānara. In this way when the Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested in a very small form, as the size of an atom or the distance between the thumb and forefinger, that very small size is present everywhere, so in this way also the Supreme Lord is all-pervading. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [1.15] states:
evam ātmātmani gṛhyate ‘sau satyenainaṁ tapasā yo ‘nupaśyati
“The Supersoul is situated within the core of everyone’s heart. One who searches after that Supreme Lord through meditation and austerity can see Him within his heart.”
aṅguṣṭha-mātram
amalaṁ
sphurat-puraṭa-maulinam
apīvya-darśanaṁ
śyāmaṁ
taḍid vāsasam acyutam
“He [the Lord] was only thumb high, but He was all transcendental. He had a very beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and He wore a dress of lightning yellow and a helmet of blazing gold. Thus He was seen by the child.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.12.8]
mām ātmānaṁ
svayaṁ-jyotiḥ
sarva-bhūta-guhāśayam
ātmany evātmanā
vīkṣya
viśoko 'bhayam ṛcchasi
“In your own heart, through your intellect, you will always see Me, the supreme self-effulgent soul dwelling within the hearts of all living entities. Thus you will achieve the state of eternal life, free from all lamentation and fear.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.39]
Someone may object: “If the Paramātmā is then also present within the material body just as the jīva is, then, because of His contact with the body the Paramātmā must also feel all the pleasures and sufferings of the body just as the jīva does.” To answer this he says:
sambhoga-prāptir iti cen na vaiśeṣyāt
sambhoga—of enjoyment; prāptir—attainment; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; vaiśeṣyāt—because of the difference.
If it is said that [the Paramātmā in the heart also] experiences [the pains and] pleasures [of the material body], then I say no because there is a great difference [between Him and the jīva.
In the word sambhoga the prefix sam- means “with,” as it also does in the word samvāda [with + words = conversation]. Therefore this Sūtra states that the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not enjoy and suffer along with the jīva. Why? Because of the great difference between them. This is the meaning: mere contact with a certain body does not by itself bring suffering and enjoyment. Being under the dominion of karma is the real cause of material suffering and enjoyment. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not under the power of the law of karma, for He is simply the witness and does not participate in the activities of the jīva. This is described in the Upaniṣads:
anaśnann anyo 'bhicākaśīti
“Two birds sit in the metaphorical tree of the material body. One bird eats. The other bird does not eat, but only looks.” [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1]
dvā suparṇā sayujā
sakhāyā
samānaṁ vṛkṣaṁ pariṣasvajāte
tayor anyaḥ
pippalaṁ svādv atty
anaśnann anyo 'bhicākaśīti
“Two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree. One of them is relishing the taste of the tree’s berries, while the other refrains from eating and instead watches over His friend.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.6]
and in the Bhagavad-gītā [4.14], where Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā
“There is no work that affects me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action.”
and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where the Pracetās pray:
namaḥ
kamala-kiñjalka-
piśaṅgāmala-vāsase
sarva-bhūta-nivāsāya
namo
'yuṅkṣmahi sākṣiṇe
“Dear Lord, the garment You have put on is yellowish in color, like the saffron of a lotus flower, but it is not made of anything material. Since You live in everyone’s heart, You are the direct witness of all the activities of all living entities. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You again and again.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.30.26]
and in the prayers of the personified Vedas:
sa yad ajayā tv ajām anuśayīta
guṇāṁś ca juṣan
bhajati sarūpatāṁ tad anu mṛtyum
apeta-bhagaḥ
tvam uta jahāsi tām ahir iva tvacam
ātta-bhago
mahasi mahīyase 'ṣṭa-guṇite 'parimeya-bhagaḥ
“The illusory material nature attracts the minute living entity to embrace her, and as a result he assumes forms composed of her qualities. Subsequently, he loses all his spiritual qualities and must undergo repeated deaths. 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.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.38]
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: As we have seen above, the impersonalist doctrine is based on the process of speculation. Because the power of human intelligence is limited and subject to being illusioned by logical fallacies, the result of human reason is always uncertain. The Vedic epistemological process is to accept the verdict of the scriptures as authoritative and final, and the role of intelligence is simply to understand how to apply their instructions. This is a superior process of receiving knowledge because it does not depend on unreliable inductive logic, but applies deductive logic to the perfect wisdom received from the Lord through the scriptures.
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ
rājarṣayo viduḥ
“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.” [Bhagavad-gītā 4.2]
It is stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam [1.2.28-29]:
vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā
makhāḥ
vāsudeva-parā yogā vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ
vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ
vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ
vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā
gatiḥ
“In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.”
In his commentary on Bhagavad-gītā [2.45], Śrī Madhvācārya quotes the following verses:
vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purāṇe
bhārate tathā
ādāv ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra gīyate
“In the Vedic literature, including the Rāmāyaṇa, Purāṇas, and Mahābhārata, from the very beginning [ādau] to the end [ante ca], as well as within the middle [madhye ca], only Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained.”
sarve vedā yat padam āmananti
“All Vedic knowledge is searching after the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.15]
veda-praṇihito dharmo
hy
adharmas tad-viparyayaḥ
vedo nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt
svayambhūr
iti śuśruma
“That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.40]
“The source of dharma, or religious principles, is the Vedas, the smṛtis, their commentaries, the conduct of sadhus, and the satisfaction of the soul.” [Manu-saṁhitā 2.6]
Thus the Vedas are primarily concerned with declaring the supremacy of Viṣṇu. In his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrī Madhvācārya quotes from the Nāradīya Purāṇa as follows:
“It is proclaimed that the Vaiṣṇava scriptures consist of the Pañcarātra, the Mahābhārata, the original Rāmāyaṇa, the Purāṇas and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Purāṇas glorifying Lord Śiva should be adjusted so their statements do not conflict with the Vaiṣṇava literatures. Those who dishonor the Vedas by taking shelter of philosophies like Gautama’s Nyāya, Kaṇāda’s Vaiśeṣika, [the atheist] Kapila’s Sāṅkhya, Patañjali’s Yoga, and that found in Śaivite Purāṇas are of low intelligence.”
So we should understand that speculation always leads to misunderstanding, because human intelligence is limited and imperfect. The process of receiving perfect knowledge is simply hearing the Absolute Truth from a self-realized soul, or hearing directly from the Lord through the Vedas. Rather than taking the Vedic statements out of context and twisting them to fit a preconceived notion, to ascertain their real purport we should carefully examine them in their original context, and contemplate their meaning according to the rules of Sanskrit interpretation under the guidance of a self-realized spiritual master. This is the process of samanvaya explained in the Introduction. Even if the statements of the scriptures appear obscure and esoteric, we can at once understand their clear meaning by applying the principles of samanvaya.
For example, the Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.2.25] says:
yasya brahma ca kṣātraṁ ca
ubhe
bhavataḥ odanaḥ
mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ
ka itthā veda
yatra saḥ
“There is a person for whom the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are food, and death is the sauce. Who knows where this person is?”
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: Here the words odana [food] and upasecana [sauce] indicate an eater. Who is the eater? Is it fire, the jīva, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: “Because there is nothing specific to show that of these three fire is not the eater, and because the questions and answers in this passage seem to indicate fire, and because the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [1.4.6] declares agnir annādaḥ [Fire is the eater], therefore fire is the eater in this passage. Or perhaps the jīva is the eater here because eating is an action and the jīva performs actions although the Supreme does not perform any actions. This is also confirmed by the śruti-śāstra [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1 and Kaṭha Upaniṣad 3.1] which describes an eater accompanied by a non-eater who simply looks: tayor anyaḥ pappalam ‘Two friendly birds sit on a tree. One eats the pippala fruit and the other does not eat but only looks.’ From all this it may be understood that the eater here is the jīva.”
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The proper understanding follows.
attā carācara-grahaṇāt
attā—the eater; cara—the moving; acara—and the non-moving; grahaṇāt—because of taking.
The eater [is Brahman] because He takes the moving and non-moving [as His food].
The eater is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why? Because of the words carācara-grahaṇāt [Because He takes the moving and non-moving as His food]. In the passage under discussion [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.25] the words brahma kṣātram indicate the entire universe, which is then sprinkled with the sauce of death and eaten. This passage must refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because besides Him, no one can eat the entire universe. A sauce is something that, while being eaten itself, is also the cause of other things being eaten. The eating of the entire universe sprinkled with the sauce of death must refer to the periodic destruction of the material universes. In this way it is proved that the eater of the universes here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is not refuted by the statement of Upaniṣads [anaśnan] that He does not eat.
dvā suparṇā sayujā
sakhāyā
samānaṁ vṛkṣaṁ pariṣasvajāte
tayor anyaḥ
pippalaṁ svādv atty
anaśnann anyo ‘bhicākaśīti
“Two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree. One of them is relishing the taste of the tree’s berries, while the other refrains from eating and instead watches over His friend.” [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.1]
The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not eat the results of karma, but He has His own transcendental eating.
yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ
pataṅgā
viśanti nāśāya samṛddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva
nāśāya viśanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddha-vegāḥ
lelihyase grasamānaḥ
samantāl
lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
tejobhir
āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo
“I see all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths dash into a blazing fire. O Viṣṇu, I see You devouring all people in Your flaming mouths and covering the universe with Your immeasurable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest.” [Bhagavad-gītā 11.29-30]
prakaraṇāt ca
prakaraṇāt—because of the context; ca—also.
This is also confirmed by the context.
That this passage refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also confirmed by the following statement of Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.2.20]:
aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest.”
This is also confirmed by the following words of smṛti-śāstra:
atāsi lokasya carācarasya
“You are the eater of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the non-moving.”
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: The Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.3.1-9] states:
“There are the two aspects of the Lord; as the drinkers of the truth, existing in the body obtained by good works, both dwelling in the cavity of the heart, in the most highly splendid sky. The knowers of Brahman, and those who perform the five great sacrifices and observe the triple nāciketa fire, describe these as shade and sun.
“I know the Lord Viṣṇu, both as the Spirit in the nāciketa fire, and as the refuge of all His worshipers, the imperishable Supreme Brahman, the Giver of security to the frightened voyagers on the ocean of saṁsāra, the Lord dwelling on the opposite shore as the Lord of Vaikuṇtha, directing the liberated souls.
“You should know the jīvātmā as one seated in the chariot of the body, the intelligence as the driver and the mind as the reins.
“The wise say that the senses are the horses and their objects are the road; they also say that the spirit soul, joined with the senses and the mind but devoid of spiritual intelligence, is the sufferer
“For he who is without discrimination, with mind out of harmony, his senses are always uncontrolled like unbroken horses.
“But he who discriminates, and has his mind always harmonized, his senses are controlled like well-trained horses.
“He who is without discrimination, with uncontrolled mind, being always impure, never reaches the goal, but returns again to this world.
“But he who discriminates, and has his mind always harmonized and senses pure, certainly reaches the places where he is not born again.
“The man who has reason for his charioteer, and holds the reins of the mind, reaches the end of the road that highest place of Viṣṇu.”
The Vedic literature confirms that Brahman is concentrated transcendental knowledge, or unlimited consciousness. Vedic knowledge is given by the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart, to those who are anxious to realize that superconscious Supreme Being. One Vedic mantra [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18] says,
taṁ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṁ prapadye
“One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation.”
As far as the goal of ultimate knowledge is concerned, it is also confirmed in Vedic literature:
tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti
“Only by knowing Him can one surpass the boundary of birth and death.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.8]
He is situated in everyone’s heart as the supreme controller and eternal friend of the living entity. Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.2.20] states:
aṇor aṇīyān mahato
mahīyān
ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām
tam akratuḥ
paśyati vīta-śoko
dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ
“Both the Supersoul [Paramātmā] and the atomic soul [jīvātmā] are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.”
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: The Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.3.1] quoted above states:
ṛtaṁ pibantau sukṛtasya
loke
guhāṁ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe
chāyā-tapau
brahma-vido vadanti
pañcāgnayo ye ca trināciketāḥ
“Two persons drink the results of karma in the cave of the heart. They who know Brahman, they who keep the five sacred fires, and they who perform the three nāciketa sacrifices say these two persons are shade and light.”
In this passage a companion to the jīva, who experiences the results of karma, is described. This companion may be interpreted to be either intelligence, life-breath, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: The companion here must be either intelligence or life-breath for they assist the jīva as he experiences the results of karma. The companion cannot be the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the Supreme Lord never experiences the results of karma. Therefore the companion must be either intelligence or life-breath.
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The conclusion follows.
guhāṁ praviṣṭāv ātmānau hi tad darśanāt
guhāṁ—in the cave; praviṣṭāu—entered; ātmānau—two selves; hi—indeed; tat—that; darśanāt—because of being seen in other passages of Vedic literature.
The two persons that have entered the cave of the heart are the two selves [the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the jīva] because this explanation is seen in Vedic literature.
The two persons that have entered the cave of the heart are the jīva and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not the jīva and intelligence, and not the jīva and the life-breath. Why? The Sūtra says tad darśanāt [because this explanation is seen in Vedic literature].
The Kaṭha Upaniṣad [2.1.7] says that the jīva has entered the cave of the heart:
yā prāṇena sambhavaty
aditir
devatāmayī
guhāṁ praviśya tiṣṭhantīṁ
yā bhūtebhir
vyajāyata
“Accompanied by the life-breath and a host of powers, the jīva, who is the king of the senses, enters the cave of the heart.”
Another verse [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.12] says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the cave of the heart:
taṁ durdarśaṁ gūḍham
anupraviṣṭam
guhāhitaṁ gahvareṣṭaṁ
purāṇam
adhyātma-yogādhigamena devaṁ
matvā dhīro
harṣa-śokau jahāti
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the oldest person, and who is worshiped in the jungle of this world, remains hidden in the cave of the heart. A wise man, meditating on Him in a trance of spiritual yoga, gives up all material joy and grief.”
The word hi [indeed] in this Sūtra means “This is indeed corroborated by all the Purāṇas.”
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇāprameyātman
yogeśa
jagad-īśvara
vāsudevākhilāvāsa
sātvatāṁ pravara
prabho
tvam ātmā sarva-bhūtānām
eko
jyotir ivaidhasām
gūḍho guhā-śayaḥ sākṣī
mahā-puruṣa
īśvaraḥ
[Nārada Muni said:] O Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, unlimited Lord, source of all mystic power, Lord of the universe! O Vāsudeva, shelter of all beings and best of the Yadus! O master, You are the Supreme Soul of all created beings, sitting unseen within the cave of the heart like the fire dormant within kindling wood. You are the witness within everyone, the Supreme Personality and the ultimate controlling Deity. [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.37.10-11]
The word pibantau [they both drink] in the passage of the Upaniṣad is used in the same sense as the phrase “the two parasol-bearers.” Although only one of the pair carries the parasol, they are still known as “the two parasol-bearers.” In the same way only one of the two ‘drinkers’ here actually drinks. The Supreme Lord never becomes entangled in the actions and reactions of material nature, because He is the source and controller of material nature. The word chāyā-tapau [shade and light] here means either that the knowledge of the two persons is different, or it means that one of the persons is bound to the cycle of repeated birth and death and the other is free from the cycle of repeated birth and death.
In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.3.1] it is said:
ṛtaṁ pibantau sukṛtasya
loke
guhāṁ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe
chāyātapau
brahmavido vadanti
pañcāgnayo ye ca tri-ṇāciketāḥ
“O Nāciketā, the expansions of Lord Viṣṇu as the tiny living entity and the Supersoul are both situated within the cave of the heart of this body. Having entered that cavity, the living entity, resting on the chief of the life airs, enjoys the results of activities, and the Supersoul, acting as witness enables him to enjoy them. Those who are well-versed in knowledge of Brahman and those householders who carefully follow the Vedic regulations say that the difference between the two is like the difference between a shadow and the sun.”
In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [6.16] it is said:
sa viśvakṛd
viśvavidātmayoniḥ
jñaḥ kālākāro guṇī sarvavid
yaḥ
pradhāna-kṣetrajña-patir
guṇeśaḥ
saṁsāra-mokṣa-sthiti-bandha-hetuḥ
“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.”
viśeṣaṇāc ca
viśeṣaṇāt—because of distinctive qualities; ca—also.
Also because of the differences between them.
In the section of Kaṭha Upaniṣad in which the verse under discussion appears, the jīva and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are carefully distinguished; the jīva is described as the meditator, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the object of meditation. Thus Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.12, quoted above, distinguishes one as the meditator and the other as the object of meditation. In Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.1, in the words chāyā-tapau [shade and light] they are again distinguished: one being all-knowing and the other having only a small sphere of knowledge.
Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.9 explains:
vijñāna-sārathir yas
tu
manaḥ-pragrahavān naraḥ
so 'dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti
tad
viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam
“A person who has transcendental knowledge as his charioteer and who carefully holds the reins of the mind reaches the end of the path: the transcendental realm of Lord Viṣṇu.”
kaścid dhīraḥ pratyag ātmānam aikṣad āvṛtta-cakṣur amṛtatvam icchan
“With a desire to attain immortality, a sober practitioner sees the Supreme Lord while closing his eyes,” [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.1.1]
jñāna-prasādena viśuddha-sattvas tu taṁ paśyate niṣkalaṁ dhyāyamānaḥ
“If by the mercy of spiritual knowledge one meditates on the unchangeable, pure Supreme Lord, he can get darśana of Him.” [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.8]
In these words they are again distinguished: one being the goal to be attained and the other the person who attains the goal. Thus there is no doubt that the relation between the individual soul and the Supersoul is like shade and light, or atomic part and Supreme Whole.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [4.15.1-6] we read:
He said: “He who is seen in the eye is called the ātmā. He is immortal, He is nectar. He is the greatest. Because He is present, neither water nor liquid butter will stay on the eye, but both will slide from it. He is the abode of all opulences. For one who sees Him all desires are at once fulfilled.
“The wise call Him samyadvāma [the most beautiful] because He is the abode of all opulences. For one who sees Him, all desires are at once fulfilled.
“He is called Vāmana because He alone is the origin of all beauty. He who knows Him also becomes most beautiful.
“He is also called Bhāmani, because He shines resplendently in all the worlds. He who knows Him, also becomes resplendent.
“Now when such persons die, whether their relatives perform their śraddha ceremony or not, they go to the plane of light, from the plane of light to the plane of the day, from the plane of the day to the plane of the śukla-pakṣa [bright fortnight], from the plane of the śukla-pakṣa to the plane of the uttarāyaṇa [the six months when the sun travels in the north], from the plane of the uttarāyaṇa to the solar plane, from the solar plane to the lunar plane, from the lunar plane to the plane of Sarasvatī, and from the plane of Sarasvatī to the plane of the chief Vāyu, who is her Lord and the beloved of God.
“He leads them to Brahman. This is the path guarded by the devas, the path that leads to Brahman. Those who proceed on that path do not return to saṁsāra, yea, they do not return.”
The process of philosophical speculation is basically guesswork; there is never final certainty in the conclusion. Human knowledge and reason are imperfect; one philosopher or scientist may publish a certain theory, then after some time it is usurped by another researcher with a better theory. Although this happens again and again, they argue that “Our knowledge is gradually improving, and someday it will be perfect.” But why should we wait for an indefinite someday, when we can accept perfect knowledge from the Vedas today?
The materialist wants to understand everything by the āroha-panthā—by the ascending process of argument and inductive logic—but transcendental matters cannot be understood in this way, because they are beyond the jurisdiction of the material mind and senses. Rather, one must follow the avaroha-panthā, the process of descending knowledge or deductive logic. The word avaroha is related to the word avatāra, which means “one who descends.” Therefore one must accept the paramparā system. And the best paramparā is that which extends from Kṛṣṇa, the original form of the Supreme Brahman.
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in this way.” [Bhagavad-gītā 4.2]
Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, we should accept [imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ]. This is the descending process of certainty, avaroha-panthā. Śrīla Madhvācārya has quoted the following statement from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
“One should have complete faith in transcendental literature such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other literature that directly glorifies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should also have faith in Vaiṣṇava-tantras, the original Vedas, and Mahābhārata, which includes Bhagavad-gītā and which is considered the fifth Veda. The Vedic knowledge originally emanated from the breathing of Viṣṇu, and Vedic literature has been compiled in literary form by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the incarnation of Viṣṇu. Therefore, Lord Viṣṇu should be understood to be the personal speaker of all this Vedic literature.”
One who takes wholehearted shelter of the Vedic wisdom with firm faith, under the guidance of an authentic self-realized spiritual master, can actually see the Supreme Truth.
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā
deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante
mahātmanaḥ
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23]
There is no need for materialistic speculation and guesswork, because we can receive perfect knowledge of spiritual life directly from the Lord through the Vedic literature.
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: Chāndogya Upaniṣad [4.15.1-2] says:
ya eṣo 'ntar-akṣiṇi puruṣo dṛśyate sa eṣa ātmeti hovāca. etad amṛtam ayam etad brahma tad yad yad asmin sarpir vodakaṁ vā siñcati vartmani eva gacchati. etaṁ sampad-dhāma ity ācakṣate etaṁ hi sarvāṇi kāmāny abhisaṁyanti
“He said: He who is seen in the eye is called the ātmā. He is immortal, He is nectar. He is the greatest. Because He is present, neither water nor liquid butter will stay on the eye, but both will slide from it. The wise call Him samyadvāma [the most beautiful] because He is the abode of all opulences. For one who sees Him all desires are at once fulfilled.”
Is this person a reflection, a demigod, the jīva, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: It may be a reflection, for the observer sees himself reflected in another’s eye. It may be a demigod because Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [5.5.2] says raśmibhir eṣo 'smin pratiṣṭhitaḥ: “With the rays of sunlight the sun-god enters the eye.” It may be the jīva because a person sees with his eyes, so he may also be the person in the eye. In this way the person in the eye may be any one of these three.
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The authoritative Vedic conclusion follows, ending all speculation.
antara upapatteḥ
antaraḥ—the person within; upapatteḥ—because of reason.
The person within [the eye is the Supreme Personality of Godhead] because [that conclusion is dictated] by reason.
The person in the eye is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why? The Sūtra says upapatteḥ: “Because that conclusion is dictated by reason.” This is so because, in the quote from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the description of the qualities of the person in the eye includes being the Supreme Self [ātmā], immortality [amṛta], being the greatest [brahma], being untouched by material things, and being the abode of all opulences [sampad-dhāma]. These qualities can properly be attributed only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
But we cannot know Him by the ascending speculative process, therefore we must receive Vedic knowledge from a self-realized soul, the qualified spiritual master.
oṁ
ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur
unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.” [traditional Vedic prayer]
sthānādi-vyapadeśāc ca
sthāna—the place; ādi—beginning with; vyapadeśāt—because of the statement; ca—also.
And also because of the teaching [in the scriptures that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present] in this place and in other places as well.
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the controller who resides with the eye is described in Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [3.7.18]:
yaś cakṣuṣi tiṣṭhaṁś cakṣuṣo 'ntaro yaṁ cakṣur na veda yasya cakṣur śarīraṁ yaś cakṣur antaro yam ayaty eṣa ta ātmāntaryāmy amṛtaḥ
“He who stays in the eye, who is within, whom the eye does not know, who is the ultimate proprietor of the eye and the body, and who, residing within, controls the eye, is the immortal Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart.”
The ordinary eyes cannot see the transcendental Supreme Person, because in our conditioned state of consciousness, our vision is covered by illusion. This is an arrangement by the Supreme Brahman to satisfy our desire to live independently from Him:
yathā ghano 'rka-prabhavo
'rka-darśito
hy arkāṁśa-bhūtasya ca cakṣuṣas tamaḥ
evaṁ
tv ahaṁ brahma-guṇas tad-īkṣito
brahmāṁśakasyātmana
ātma-bandhanaḥ
“Although a cloud is a product of the sun and is also made visible by the sun, it nevertheless creates darkness for the viewing eye, which is another partial expansion of the sun. Similarly, material false ego, a particular product of the Absolute Truth made visible by the Absolute Truth, obstructs the individual soul, another partial expansion of the Absolute Truth, from realizing the Absolute Truth.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.4.32]
But by hearing for a long time from a pure devotee spiritual master about the exalted character, qualities and activities of the Supreme Brahman, we gradually develop love for Him. This loving service mood is the cure for the spiritual blindness of illusion. Thus we can see Him, not with ordinary vision, but with the eye of love within the heart.
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santaḥ
sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram
acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ
bhajāmi
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion, tinged with the salve of love.” [Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38]
sukha-viśiṣṭābhidhānād eva
sukha—by happiness; viśiṣṭa—distinguished; abhidhānāt—because of the description; eva—indeed.
Also because He is described as [full of] bliss.
This Sūtra refers to Chāndogya Upaniṣad [4.10.5], which says prāṇo brahma kaṁ brahma khaṁ brahma: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is life; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is bliss; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sky.” The discussion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead beginning with these words continues through some paragraphs up to the verse under discussion in this Adhikaraṇa [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.15.1], describing the person in the eye. For this reason the person in the eye must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is also a discussion of agni-vidyā between 4.10.5 and 4.15.1; however, the interpolation of agni-vidyā does not break the context, because agni-vidyā is a subordinate part of the discussion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The word viśiṣṭa [distinguished] in this Sūtra means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has complete knowledge, bliss and all other transcendental qualities in His original form as Govinda, the transcendental cowherd boy.
sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya
kṛṣṇāyākliṣṭa-kāriṇe
namo
vedānta-vedyāya
gurave buddhi-sākṣiṇe
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa, who has a transcendental form of bliss, eternity and knowledge. I offer my respect to Him, because understanding Him means understanding the Vedas and He is therefore the supreme spiritual master.” [Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.1]
tam ekaṁ govindam sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham
“You are Govinda, the pleasure of the senses and the cows, and Your form is transcendental, full of knowledge, bliss and eternality.” [Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.35]
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ
kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir
govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
“Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. His eternal spiritual body is full of complete knowledge and bliss. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all other causes.” [Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1]
śrutopaniṣatka-gaty-abhidhānāc ca
śruta—heard; upaniṣatka—Upaniṣad; gati—destination; abhidhānāt—because of the description; ca—also.
And because of the description of the destination of they who hear the Upaniṣads.
One who hears the Upaniṣads and understands the confidential knowledge of the Vedas travels to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of the person who knows the person in the eye, Upakośala Muni says arciṣam abhisambhavati: “He attains the realm of light.” Because these two persons—he who knows the esoteric teaching of the Vedas and he who knows the person in the eye—attain the same destination, it must be understood that the person in the eye is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
One who understands the confidential meaning of the Vedas and Upaniṣads does not want to become one with the Lord; nor does he wish to attain the heavenly planets for extensive sense enjoyment. His destination is the spiritual world, where he can meet the Supreme Brahman face-to-face and engage in eternal service to Him.
pūṣann ekarṣe yama sūrya
prājāpatya
vyūha raśmīn samūha
tejo yat te rūpaṁ
kalyāṇa-tamaṁ
tat te paśyāmi yo 'sāv asau puruṣaḥ so
'ham asmi
“O my Lord, O primeval philosopher, maintainer of the universe, O regulating principle, destination of the pure devotees, well-wisher of the progenitors of mankind, please remove the effulgence of Your transcendental rays so that I can see Your form of bliss. You are the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the sun, as am I.” [Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 16]
avyakto 'kṣara ity uktas
tam
āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma
paramaṁ mama
“That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.” [Bhagavad-gītā 8.21]
anavasthiter asambhavāc ca netaraḥ
anavasthiteḥ—because the abode is not eternal; asambhavāt—because of being impossible; ca—and; na—not; itaraḥ—anyone else.
[The person in the eye] is not anyone else [but the Supreme Personality of Godhead] because [the others] do not stay always in the eye and because it cannot be them [according to the context].
These other persons cannot be the person in the eye because none of them stay permanently in the eye, and because none of them possess immortality or any of the other qualities attributed to the person in the eye. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore the person in the eye referred to in this text.
nirbhinne akṣiṇī
tvaṣṭā
loka-pālo 'viśad vibhoḥ
cakṣuṣāṁśena
rūpāṇāṁ
pratipattir yato bhavet
“Thereafter, the two eyes of the gigantic form of the Lord were separately manifested. The sun, the director of light, entered them with the partial representation of eyesight, and thus the living entities can have vision of forms.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.6.15]
The living entities cannot perceive the material world independently, because their nature is completely spiritual. The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself as light and as the eye, so we can see. We can sense the material world only by the extraordinary potency of the Lord. Therefore by conclusive Vedic knowledge we can understand that the Lord is the person in the eye.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: The principle of material creation is a sum total manifestation of the three modes of material nature, technically called the pradhāna.
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
yat tat
tri-guṇam avyaktaṁ
nityaṁ sad-asad-ātmakam
pradhānaṁ
prakṛtiṁ prāhur
aviśeṣaṁ viśeṣavat
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: “The unmanifested eternal combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifest state and is called pradhāna. It is called prakṛti when in the manifested stage of existence.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.10]
Material nature in its subtle stage is called pradhāna, the undifferentiated sum total of all material elements. Although they are undifferentiated, the total material elements are contained in pradhāna. When the total material elements are manifested by the interaction of the three modes of material nature with the force of time, the manifestation is called prakṛti.
Impersonalists argue that Brahman is without variegatedness or differentiation. They try to equate pradhāna with Brahman, but actually Brahman is not pradhāna. Pradhāna is distinct from Brahman, because there are no material modes of nature in Brahman. One may argue that the mahat-tattva is also different from pradhāna because in the mahat-tattva there are manifestations. The actual explanation of pradhāna, however, is given above: pradhāna is the stage of material nature when the actions and reactions of cause and effect are unmanifested [avyakta]. Therefore pradhāna and the mahat-tattva are identical.
Pradhāna is not the time element because in the time element there are actions and reactions, creation and annihilation. Nor is it the jīva, the Lord’s marginal potency of living entities, or designated conditioned living entities, because the designations of the living entities are not eternal. The adjective nitya in the verse above indicates eternality. Therefore pradhāna is the external creative potency of the Lord, and specifically the condition of material nature immediately previous to its manifestation. It is stated in the Sātvata-tantra:
viṣṇos tu trīṇi
rūpāṇi
puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ
ekaṁ tu mahataḥ
sraṣṭṛ
dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam
tṛtīyaṁ
sarva-bhūta-sthaṁ
tāni jñātvā vimucyate
“For material creation, Lord Kṛṣṇa's plenary expansion assumes three Viṣṇus. The first one, Mahā-Viṣṇu, creates the total material energy, known as the mahat-tattva. The second, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, enters into all the universes to create diversities in each of them. The third, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is diffused as the all-pervading Supersoul in all the universes and is known as Paramātmā. He is present even within the atoms. Anyone who knows these three Viṣṇus can be liberated from material entanglement.”
The material creation is the external, inferior potency of the Supreme Brahman. The Vedic hymns sarvaṁ hy etad brahma [Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad 2], tasmād etad brahma nāma-rūpam annaṁ ca jāyate [Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.10], and, in the Bhagavad-gītā [14.3], mama yonir mahad brahma indicate that everything in the material world is a manifestation of Brahman; and although the effects are differently manifested, they are nondifferent from the cause. In the Īśopaniṣad it is said that everything is related to the Supreme Brahman, or Kṛṣṇa, and thus everything belongs to Him only.
ātmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣa-vidhaḥ
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Kṛṣṇa) existed even before the appearance of the puruṣa incarnations.” [Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.1]
One who knows perfectly well that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, that He is the proprietor of everything and that, therefore, everything should be engaged in the service of the Lord, is never affected by the results of his activities, whether virtuous or sinful. This practice of karma-yoga is the actual secret of liberation. When one’s material body, being a gift of the Lord for carrying out a particular type of action, is fully engaged in activities of devotional service, it is then beyond contamination by sinful reactions; exactly as the lotus leaf, though remaining in the water, does not get wet. The Lord also says in Bhagavad-gītā [3.31-32],
ye me matam idaṁ
nityam
anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto
'nasūyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhiḥ
ye tv etad
abhyasūyanto
nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs
tān
viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ
“One who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows this teaching faithfully, without envy, becomes free from the bondage of fruitive actions. But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice them regularly, are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and doomed to ignorance and bondage.”
The mundane speculators do not surrender to the Lord, but follow their own desires for fruitive activity and sense enjoyment. Therefore they try to make the Lord impersonal, or at best, also subject to the material actions and reactions of karma. They misinterpret the statements of the scriptures to force a conclusion that allows them to continue their independent activities. Of course, this subjects them to the full force of their karmic reactions, meaning they must accept an unending succession of material bodies and experience the sufferings concomitant with material existence without relief. This is the terrible price of their independent, rebellious spirit.
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.7.18 says:
yaḥ pṛthivyāṁ tiṣṭhan pṛthivyā antaro yaṁ pṛtivī na veda yasya pṛthivī śarīraṁ yaḥ pṛthivīm antaro yam ayaty eṣa ta ātmāntaryāmy amṛtaḥ...
“He who stays in the earth, who is within, whom the earth does not know, who is the ultimate proprietor of the earth and the body, and who, residing within, rules the earth, is the immortal Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart.
“He who stays in the water, who is within, whom the water does not know, who is the ultimate proprietor of the water and the body, and who, residing within, rules the water, is the immortal Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart.
“He who stays in the fire, who is within, whom the fire does not know, who is the ultimate proprietor of the fire and the body, and who, residing within, rules the fire, is the immortal Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who resides in the heart.”
In this verse is the ruler who lives within the earth and other elements pradhāna, the jīva, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: The ruler within may be pradhāna because pradhāna resides within. The cause is always woven into the effect, and is the controller of the effect. Because pradhāna is the cause of the earth, pradhāna must therefore be the controller within the earth also. Because it gives happiness and because it is all-pervading, the pradhāna may be figuratively called ātmā [the great self]. Because it is eternal it may also be called amṛta [eternal].
Or, the ruler within may be a certain jīva who is a great yogī. With the yogic powers of entering everywhere and becoming invisible at will, a great yogī may become the ruler [within] and with this ruling power, the ability to become invisible and other yogic powers, he may be called ātmā [the great self], and amṛta [eternal] in the direct senses of the words without resorting to figurative language. In this way the ruler within must be either the pradhāna or a jīva.
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The conclusion follows.
antaryāmy adhidaivādiṣu tad-dharma-vyapadeśāt
antaryāmī—the ruler within; adhidaiva—the elements; ādiṣu—beginning with; tat—of Him; dharma—the nature; vyapadeśāt—because of the description.
The ruler who resides within the elements [is the Supreme Personality of Godhead] because His qualities are described [in this passage].
The ruler within described in these words of Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why? The Sūtra says tad-dharma-vyapadeśāt: “Because His qualities are described in this passage. The Supreme Person is described here because the qualities of the person described here, which include being situated within the earth and all other material elements, being unknowable, being the supreme controller, and being all-pervading, all-knowing, all-blissful, and eternal, are all qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
panthās tu
koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vāyor athāpi manaso
muni-puṅgavānām
so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny a
vicintya-tattve
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tips of the toes of whose lotus feet are approached by the yogīs and jñānīs, who travel for billions of years at the speed of the wind or mind.” [Brahma-saṁhitā 5.34]
bhūtair mahadbhir ya imāḥ puro
vibhur
nirmāya śete yad amūṣu pūruṣaḥ
bhuṅkte guṇān
ṣoḍaśa ṣoḍaśātmakaḥ
so 'laṅkṛṣīṣṭa
bhagavān vacāṁsi me
“May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enlivens the materially created bodies of the elements by lying down within the universe, and who in His puruṣa incarnation causes the living beings to be subjected to the sixteen divisions of material modes which are their generators, be pleased to decorate my statements.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.4.23]
yathā mahānti
bhūtāni
bhūteṣūccāvaceṣv anu
praviṣṭāny
apraviṣṭāni
tathā teṣu na teṣv aham
“O Brahmā, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.35]
puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca
“I am the original fragrance of the earth.” [Bhagavad-gītā 7.9]
na ca smārtam atad-dharmābhilāpāt
na—not; ca—and; smārtam—what is taught in the smṛti; atad—not of it; dharma—the qualities; abhilāpāt—because of description.
The ruler within is not [the pradhāna, which is] described in the smṛti, because the qualities [mentioned in this passage] cannot be attributed [to pradhāna].
For these reasons it may not be said that the pradhāna, which is described in the smṛti, is the ruler within. Why? The Sūtra says atad-dharmābhilāpāt: “Because the qualities mentioned in this passage cannot be attributed to it.”
The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [3.7.23] says:
adṛṣṭo draṣṭā aśruto śrotā amato mantā avijñāto vijñātā nānyato 'sti draṣṭā nānayto 'sti śrotā nānyato 'sti mantā nānyato 'sti vijñātaiṣa ta ātmāntaryāmy amṛta ito 'nyat smārtam
“Unobserved, He is the observer. Unheard, He is the hearer. Inconceivable, He is the thinker. Unknown, he is the knower. There is no other observer. There is no other hearer. There is no other thinker. There is no other knower. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the eternal ruler within. [The pradhāna] described in the smṛti is different from Him.”
The list of qualities here, beginning with being the observer, may be attributed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead alone.
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ
sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktaṁ
sarva-bhṛc caiva
nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
“The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all the modes of material nature.” [Bhagavad-gītā 13.15]
In the smṛti it is said:
pradhāna-kṣetrajña-patir guṇeśaḥ
“The Supreme Lord as the Supersoul is the chief knower of the body, and He is the master of the three modes of material nature [pradhāna].” [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.16]
śarīraś cobhaye 'pi hi bhedenainam adhīyate
śarīraḥ—the jīva; ca—also; ubhaye—in both recensions; api—also; hi—indeed; bhedena—by the difference; enam—this; adhīyate—is read.
The ruler within is not a jīva because in both [recensions of the Upaniṣad] the jīva is described as different from Him.
The word na [not] from the preceding Sūtra should be understood in this Sūtra also. For the reasons already given it cannot be said that a jīva who is a great yogī is the ruler within. Why? The Sūtra answers hi, which means “because,” ubhaye [in both], which means “in both the Kāṇva and Mādhyandina recensions of the Upaniṣad,” enam [He], which means “the ruler within,” bhedena adhīyate [is described as different].
[The Kāṇva recension gives] yo vijñānam antaro yamayati [The transcendental knowledge that rules within] and [the Mādhyandina recension, gives] ya ātmānam antaro yamayati [The Supreme Personality of Godhead who rules within]. In both readings is a clear distinction between the ruler and the ruled. Therefore the ruler within is Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
In the smṛti it is said:
dāsa-bhūto harer eva nānyasvaiva kadācana
“The living entities are eternally in the service of the Supreme Lord.”
In the Subala Upaniṣad the Kaṭhas say:
pṛthivy-ādīnām avyaktākṣarāmṛtaāntānāṁ śrī-nārāyaṇo 'ntaryāmī
“Lord Nārāyaṇa is the ruler within the earth and other elements, within the unmanifested pradhāna, and within the unchanging, eternal jīva].”
The Brāhmaṇas say:
antaḥ-śarīre nihito guhāyām
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead stays in the heart of the jīva”
aja eko nityaḥ
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, eternal, and one without a second
yasya pṛthivī śarīraṁ yaḥ pṛthivīm antare sañcaran yaṁ pṛthivī na veda
“The earth is His body. He stays within the earth. The earth does not understand Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: There are two kinds of living entities: kṣara [diminishing] and akṣara [undiminishing]. Kṣara refers to those who have fallen down into material existence and become conditioned, and akṣara refers to those who remain unconditioned, in their original eternal spiritual position. The vast majority of living entities live in the spiritual world and are called akṣara. They are in the position of Brahman, pure spiritual existence. Although both types of living entities are spiritual by nature, the unconditioned akṣara are qualitatively superior to the kṣara, who have been conditioned by the three modes of material nature.
Above both the kṣara and akṣara living entities is the Supreme Brahman Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, who is described in Bhagavad-gītā [15.18] as Puruṣottama. the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
yasmāt kṣaram atīto 'ham
akṣarād
api cottamaḥ
ato 'smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
“Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.”
The impersonalists may theorize that Vāsudeva is the impersonal Brahman, but actually the impersonal Brahman is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā [14.27]:
brahmaṇo hi
pratiṣṭhāham
amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca
dharmasya
sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
“And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.”
That Kṛṣṇa is the source of the impersonal Brahman is also confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā 5.40:
yasya prabhā prabhavato
jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi
vibhūti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam
aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the undifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, which being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe, appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless truth.”
The impersonal Brahman is nothing but the effulgence or bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, and in those bodily rays there are innumerable universes floating. Thus Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Lord in all respects. Yet the Māyāvādīs try to describe Him as impersonal or identical with Brahman.
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.1.5-6] says:
atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate. yat tad adreśyam agrāhyam agotram avarṇam acakṣuḥ-śrotraṁ tad apāṇi-pādaṁ nityaṁ vibhuṁ sarva-gataṁ su-sūkṣmaṁ tad avyayaṁ yad bhūta-yoniṁ paripaśyanti dhīrāḥ
“Here is the transcendental knowledge by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known. The great sages directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who cannot be seen, who cannot be grasped, who has no name, who has no color, who has no eyes or ears, who has no hands or feet, who is eternal, all-powerful, all-pervading, subtle, and changeless, and who is the Creator of all that is.”
Later the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [2.1.2] also says:
divyo hy amūrtaḥ puruṣah sa-bāhyābhyantaro hy ajaḥ aprāṇo hy amanāḥ śubhro 'kṣarāt parataḥ paraḥ
“The Supreme Person is transcendental, formless, without inside or out, unborn, unbreathing, without mind, splendid, and higher than the highest of the eternals.”
Do these two passages describe first the pradhāna and then the puruṣa [jīva], or do they describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: Because in these passages there is no mention of being the observer or any other qualities of a conscious being, and because there is mention of the word yoni [source of everything], which refers to the ingredient of which the creation is made, these passages describe the eternal pradhāna, and above that eternal pradhāna, the puruṣa [jīva]. Above the eternal, ever-changing pradhāna is the jīva, who is the knower of the field of activities. Therefore in these passages the pradhāna and jīva should be known to be the topics of discussion.
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The conclusion follows.
adṛśyatvādi-guṇako dharmokteḥ
adṛśyatva—being invisible; ādi—beginning with; guṇako—qualities; dharma—qualities; ukteḥ—because of the statement.
[These passages describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead,] who possesses many transcendental qualities, including invisibility, because His qualities are described here.
In both passages the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses many transcendental qualities, including invisibility, should be understood [to be the topic of discussion]. Why? The Sūtra says dharmokteḥ [because His qualities are described here].
The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.1.9] says:
yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavid yasya jñānamayaṁ tapaḥ. tasmād etad brahma nāma-rūpam annaṁ ca jāyate
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows everything. He knows everything. He is full of knowledge. From Him is born that Brahman that is the material form of this world.”
Because in the passage of Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.1.6] that begins divyo hy amūrtaḥ puruṣah: “The Supreme Person is transcendental and formless,” the akṣara is described as possessing a host of transcendental qualities, including omniscience, and because the akṣara is described as the ultimate goal of all knowledge, the akṣara must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Although He is described as formless, this simply means that His form is not material but fully spiritual.
rūpaṁ bhagavato yat
tan
manaḥ-kāntaṁ śucāpaham
“That transcendental form of the Lord satisfies the mind’s desire and at once erases all mental incongruities.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.18]
avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ
manyante
mām abuddhayaḥ
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mamāvyayam
anuttamam
“Unintelligent men, who know Me not, think that I have assumed this form and personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is changeless and supreme.” [Bhagavad-gītā 7.24]
That the Lord is not formless is experienced by every pure devotee who attains His darśana. But His form is completely different from all material forms. For our whole duration of life we see different forms in the material world, but no form in the material world can satisfy the seer; none of them can satisfy the mind, nor can any of them vanish all mental incongruity and disturbance. These are unique features of the transcendental form of the Lord, and one who has even once seen His form is not satisfied with anything else. That the Lord is formless or impersonal means that His form is not material, and He is not like any material personality.
Similarly, being described as without breath or mind indicates that His breathing and mind are not material. As stated in Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.2.23]:
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena
labhyas
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām
“Only one who is fully surrendered and engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord can understand the Supreme Lord as He is.”
viśeṣaṇa-bheda-vyapadeśābhyāṁ ca netarau
viśeṣaṇa—modifiers; bheda—difference; vyapadeśābhyāṁ—because of the description; ca—and; na—not; itarau—the other two.
Because of the description of the qualities [of the akṣara] in these two [passages, the akṣara] cannot be the other two [pradhāna and jīva].
The other two, that is pradhāna and jīva, should not be thought [to be the topic of discussion here]. Why? the Sūtra says viśeṣaṇa [because of the description of the qualities]. Because the description in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.1.9], beginning with the words yaḥ sarvajña [The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows everything], specifically identifies the akṣara as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and because the description in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.1.6], beginning with the word divya [The Supreme Person is transcendental], identifies the akṣara as a being different from the jīva, therefore the akṣara mentioned in both passages must be understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original cause of all causes.
vāsudeve bhagavati
sarva-jñe
pratyag-ātmani
pareṇa bhakti-bhāvena
labdhātmā
mukta-bandhanaḥ
“He thus became liberated from conditioned life and became self-situated in transcendental devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, the omniscient Supersoul within everyone.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.24.45]
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
hanta te
kathayiṣyāmi
divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ
prādhānyataḥ
kuru-śreṣṭha
nāsty anto vistarasya me
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: “Yes, I will tell you of My splendorous manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless.” [Bhagavad-gītā 10.19]
rūpopanyāsāc ca
rūpa—of a form; upanyāsāt—because of the mention; ca—also.
And also because there is mention of a form.
Because the form of the akṣara is described in this way as the original cause of all causes, the form of the akṣara here must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It cannot be either pradhāna or jīva. The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [3.1.3] says:
yadā paśyaḥ paśyate
rukma-varṇaṁ
kārtāram īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim
tadā
vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya
nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ
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.”
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ
kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir
govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
“Kṛṣṇa 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.” [Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1]
prakaraṇāt
prakaraṇāt—because of the context.
[The akṣara here must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead] because of the context.
The meaning of this Sūtra is clear. The smṛti-śāstra also confirms that this text refers to Lord Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa [6.5.65-70] says:
dve vidye veditavye iti cātharvaṇī
śrutiḥ
parayā tv akṣara-prāptiḥ rṅ-vedādi-mayī aparā
yat tad avyaktam ajarammacintyam
ajam avyayam
anirdeśyam arūpaṁ ca pānipādādy-asaṁyutam
vibhuṁ sarva-gataṁ nityaṁ
bhūta-yonim akāraṇam
vyāpya-vyāpyaṁ yataḥ sarvaṁ tad
vai paśyanti sūrayaḥ
tad brahma paramaṁ dhāma tad
dhyeyaṁ mokṣa-kāṅkṣiṇām
śruti-vākypditaṁ sūkṣmaṁ
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam
tad eva bhagavad-vācyaṁ svarūpaṁ
paramātmanaḥ
vācako bhagavac-chabdas tasyādyasyākṣarātmanaḥ
evaṁ nigaditārthasya sa-tattvaṁ
tasya tattvataḥ
jñāyate yena taj-jñānaṁ param
anyat trayīmayam
“The Athārva Veda says there are two kinds of knowledge: superior and inferior. Superior knowledge is that which brings one to the eternal, and inferior knowledge is the teaching of the Ṛg Veda and the other Vedas. The eternal is unmanifested, without decay, inconceivable, unborn, unchanging, without material form, without material hands or feet, all-powerful, all-pervading, eternal, the source of all living entities, causeless, present within everything, untouched by anything, and the source from which everything has come. Saintly persons see Him. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the supreme abode. He is the object of meditation for they who yearn for liberation. He is described in the words of the Vedas. He is supremely subtle. He is Lord Viṣṇu. He is known as Bhagavān [the Supreme Personality of Godhead]. He is the Supreme Lord who has a transcendental form. He is Bhagavān. He is eternal. One who knows these truths knows the truth. He knows the real truth. The inferior truth of the three Vedas is something else.”
As discussed in the first Pāda, the Vedas recommend various pious ritualistic activities, such as sacrifices to the demigods, as a prerequisite to actual self-realization. This is called inferior knowledge because it is within the scope of the three modes of material nature. Superior knowledge means direct knowledge of the Supreme personality of Godhead, and devotional service to Him. When one attains superior knowledge, he automatically gives up inferior knowledge. Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, a great devotee and ācārya in the line of devotional service, says:
sandhyā-vandana bhadram astu
bhavato bhoḥ snāna tubhyaṁ namo
bho devāḥ pitaraś ca
tarpaṇa-vidhau nāhaṁ kṣamaḥ kṣamyatām
yatra kvāpi
niṣadya yādava-kulottaṁsasya kaṁsa-dviṣaḥ
smāraṁ
smāram aghaṁ harāmi tad alaṁ manye kim anyena me
“O my prayers three times a day, all glory to you. O bathing, I offer my obeisances unto you. O demigods! O forefathers! Please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects. Now wherever I sit, I can remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Kṛṣṇa], the enemy of Kaṁsa, and thereby I can free myself from all sinful bondage. I think this is sufficient for me.”
Thus once a person understands that the actual aim of Vedic wisdom is devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he automatically gives up the ritualistic activities and philosophical speculation of lower stages of knowledge. This is confirmed by the Lord Himself:
trai-guṇya-viṣayā
vedā
nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo
nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān
“The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Supreme Self [ātmā].” [Bhagavad-gītā 2.45]
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.11.1-24.5] we read as follows:
Prācīnaśāla the son of Upamanyu, Satyayajñya the son of Pulusa, Indradyumna the son of Bhallava, Jana the son of Śarkarākṣa and Buḍila son of Aśvatarśva, these five great sacrificers and scholars once met together and held a discussion, asking “Who is our Self, the Lord to be worshiped, and what is Brahman?”
They concluded, “Uddālaka the son of Aruṇa at present knows best this ātmā called Vaiśvānara. Let us go to him.” So they went to him.
But Uddālaka considered, “These great sacrificers and scholars will put questions to me and I will not be able to answer them all; therefore let me recommend another teacher to them.”
He said to them, “Dear Sirs, Aśvapati, King of Kekaya, at present best knows this ātmā called Vaiśvanara. Let us go to him.” So they went to him.
When they arrived, the king caused proper honors to be paid to each of them separately. Then in the morning after leaving his bed, he said to them, “What makes you come here? Are you troubled by bad men? But there are no such people in this land. In my kingdom there is no thief, no miser, no drunkard, no irreligious or illiterate person, no adulterer, much less an adulteress. But if you have come to get wealth, then stay for I am going to perform a sacrifice, Sirs; and I shall give you as much wealth as I shall give to each of the Ṛtvik priests. So stay here, please.”
They replied, “May Your Honor tell us through what means a man may attain liberation. You know at present the Supreme Person Vaiśvānara. Please tell us about Him.”
He said to them, “I shall give you an answer tomorrow.” They went to him again the next morning with sacrificial fuel in their hands, and without ceremony, Aśvapati said this to them:
“Aupamanyava! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Dyu [heaven] only, O holy King.” Aśvapati said, “The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Sutejas [the Supreme Light]. Therefore in you house there are sons, grandsons and great-grandsons. Therefore you eat well and are healthy and prosperous, with many opulent possessions. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. But this Dyu is only the head of the Lord, so your head would have fallen [you would have been defeated in a discussion] if you had not come to me.”
Then he said to Satyayajña Paulusi, “O eternally elect! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Āditya [the Lord in the sun and attracting all], O holy King.” Aśvapati said, “The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Viśvarūpa, the all-seeing. Therefore in your house is seen much and many different kind of wealth. There are chariots yoked with pairs of mules, slaves and jewels. You are, therefore, healthy and prosperous. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. That Āditya, however, is but the eye of the Lord. You would have become blind if you had not come to see me.”
Then he said to Indradyumna Bhāllaveya, “O Vaiyāghrapadya! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Vāyu, the Lord in Vāyu called knowledge-life, O holy King.” Aśvapati said, “The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Pṛthagvartma [the unusual, the mysterious]. Therefore offers come to you in an unusual way, and rows of chariots follow you. Therefore you are healthy and prosperous. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. But this Vāyu is but the breath of the Lord, therefore your breath would have left you, if you had not come to see me.”
Then he said to Jana, “O Śārkarākṣya! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Ākāṣa [the All-effulgent], O holy King.” Aśvapati said, “The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Bahula [abundant]. Therefore you are full of offspring and wealth. Therefore you are healthy and prosperous. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. But this Bahula is only the trunk of the Lord. Your trunk would have perished if had not come to me.”
Then he said to Buḍila Aśvataraśvi, “O Vaiyāghrapadya! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Apas [the All-pervading Lord], O holy King." Aśvapati said, "The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Rāyi [giver of delight]. Therefore you are wealthy and flourishing. Therefore you are healthy and prosperous. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. But this Rāyi is only the loins of the Lord. Your loins would have broken if had not come to me.”
Then he said to Uddālaka Āruni, “O Gautama! Under what name do you worship the Lord Vaiśvānara?” He replied, “As Pṛthivī [the support of the earth], O holy King.” Aśvapati said, “The Lord Vaiśvānara that you worship is called Pratiṣṭhā [the firm foundation]. Therefore you stand firm with offspring and cattle. Therefore you are healthy and prosperous. Whoever worships Lord Vaiśvānara becomes healthy and prosperous, and Vedic glory resides in his house. But this Pratiṣṭhā is only the feet of the Lord. Your feet would have given way if had not come to me.”
Then he said to all six of them, “Now you, knowing this Lord Vaiśvānara as many, eat your food [get a small reward]. But he who worships this Lord Vaiśvānara as the size of the heart and at the same time limitless, eats food in all worlds, in all beings, and in all selves. Certainly the head of the Lord Vaiśvānara is the good energy of thought, His eye is all-seeing, His breath is all-moving, His trunk is the space containing all, His loins are the giver of all enjoyment, and His feet are the earth, His chest is the altar, His hairs are the grass, His heart is the Gārhapatya fire, His mind is the Anvāhārya fire, and His mouth is the Ahavanīya fire.
“At the time of eating, the first morsel that is taken should be considered as a homa offering. The first oblation should be offered with the mantra Prāṇāya svāhā. Then the Lord as prāṇa is satisfied. When prāṇa is satisfied, then the eye is satisfied; when the eye is satisfied, then the sun is satisfied; when the sun is satisfied, then the consort of Vāyu is satisfied, the Lord of wisdom and bliss is satisfied. The Dyau [consort of Vāyu] and sun rule the Eastern gate. When the Lord is satisfied then the satisfaction of the sacrificer, along with his family and cattle, follows, and he gets health, energy and intellectual splendor.
“Then when he offers the second oblation, let him offer it with the mantra Vyānāya svāhā. Then Lord as Vyāna is satisfied. When the vyāna is satisfied, then the ear is satisfied; when the ear is satisfied, then the moon is satisfied; when the moon is satisfied, then the consort of Vāyu [Diś] is satisfed; when the consort of Vāyu is satisfied, then the Lord of wisdom and bliss is satisfied. The Diś consort of Vāyu and the moon rule the Southern gate;. When the Lord is satisfied then the satisfaction of the sacrificer, along with his family and cattle, follows, and he gets magnanimity, bliss and Vedic splendor.
“Then when he offers the third oblation, let him offer it saying apanāya svāhā. Then the Lord as apāna is satisfied. When the apāna is satisfied, then the speech is satisfied; when speech is satisfied, then fire is satisfied; when fire is satisfied, then Pṛthivī is satisfied; when Pṛtivī is satisfied, then the Lord of wisdom and bliss is satisfied. The Pṛthivī and fire rule the Western gate. When the Lord is satisfied then the satisfaction of the sacrificer, along with his family and cattle, follows, and he gets health, energy and intellectual splendor.
“Then when he offers the fourth oblation, let him offer it saying samānāya svāhā. Then the Lord as samāna is satisfied. When the samāna is satisfied, then the mind is satisfied; when the mind is satisfied, then Indra is satisfied; when Indra is satisfied, then the consort of Vāyu Vidyut is satisfied; when Vidyut or Vāyu is satisfied, then the Lord of wisdom and bliss is satisfied. The consort of Vāyu Vidyut and Indra rule the Northern gate. When the Lord is satisfied then the satisfaction of the sacrificer, along with his family and cattle, follows, and he gets health, energy and intellectual splendor.
“Then when he offers the fifth oblation, let him offer it saying Udānāya svāhā. Then the udāna is satisfied. When the udāna is satisfied, then Vāyu is satisfied; when Vāyu is satisfied, then Ākāśa is satisfied, and the Lord of wisdom and bliss is satisfied. Vāyu and Ākāśa rule the central or upper gate. When the Lord is satisfied then the satisfaction of the sacrificer, along with his family and cattle, follows, and he gets health, energy and intellectual splendor.
“He who offers an Agnihotra without knowing this Lord Vaiśvānara is like someone who removes the live coals and offers libations on dead ashes.
“But he who offers an Agnihotra knowing that Lord, in fact offers oblations to all the souls animating all the bodies on all the worlds.
“As the tuft of the Iṣhikā reed is quickly reduced to ashes upon entering the fire, thus indeed are all the sins burnt of one who, knowing the Lord, offers an Agnihotra.
“Therefore, even if such a knower of the Lord gives the remnants of his food to a caṇḍala, it would be offered to the Vaiśvānara Self of that caṇḍala.
“The following śloka is actually on this subject: ‘As in this world the hungry infants cluster around their mother, so do all beings have recourse to Agnihotra.’ ”
The Vedic scriptures sometimes describe the Lord indirectly, in terms of His energies. The Lord explains to Arjuna,
puruṣaś cādhidaivatam
adhiyajño
'ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara
“The universe is the cosmic form of the Supreme Lord, and I am that Lord expanded as the Supersoul, dwelling in the heart of every embodied being.” [Bhagavad-gītā 8.4]
This universal form is further explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [2.1.33]:
nadyo 'sya nāḍyo 'tha
tanū-ruhāṇi
mahī-ruhā viśva-tanor nṛpendra
ananta-vīryaḥ
śvasitaṁ mātariśvā
gatir vayaḥ karma guṇa-pravāhaḥ
“O King, the rivers are the veins of the gigantic body, the trees are the hairs of His body, and the omnipotent air is His breath. The passing ages are His movements, and His activities are the reactions of the three modes of material nature.”
It is proper to explain the Lord in terms of His energies, because in one sense, everything is simply a transformation of His potency. Also, this description of the Lord as His energies gives conditioned living entities a chance to perceive Him in the ordinary material elements.
raso 'ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi
śaśi-sūryayoḥ
“O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon.” [Bhagavad-gītā 7.8]
The idea is that when the conditioned living entities become accustomed to seeing Him expanded as the material elements, gradually they will develop a sense of God-consciousness, and attain to the higher platform of devotional service to the Lord.
Saṁśaya [arisal of doubt]: The Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.11.1] says:
ko nu ātmā kiṁ brahmeti
“Who is the ātmā? Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?”
Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.11.6] says:
ātmānam evaṁ vaiśvānaraṁ sampraty adhyeṣi tam eva no bruhi
“You know about Vaiśvānara. Please describe Him.”
Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.18.1] states:
yas tv enam evaṁ prādeśa-mātram abhivimānam ātmānaṁ vaiśvānaraṁ upāste sa sarveṣu lokeṣu sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarveṣu ātmasu annam atti
“One who meditates on Vaiśvānara, who is the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger, and who is present in all worlds, in all elements, and in all hearts, eats food and is nourished.”
and Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.18.2] continues:
etasya ha vā etasyātmano vaiśvānarasya mūrdhaiva su-tejāś cakṣur viśvarūpaḥ prāṇaḥ pṛthag-vartmā sandeho bahulo vastir eva vayiḥ pṛthivy eva pādāv ura eva vedir lomānir bahir hṛdayaṁ gārhapatyo mano 'nvāhāryapacana āsyam āhvanīyaḥ
“Heaven is the head of Vaiśvānara, the sun is His eye, the wind is His breath, the sky is His body, the oceans are His bladder, the earth is His feet, the sacrificial arena is His chest, the sacrificial grass is His head, the gārhapatya fire is His heart, the anvāhāryapacana fire is His mind, and the āhavanīya fire is His mouth.”
Is the Vaiśvānara the fire of digestion, the demigod Agni, the fire element, or Lord Viṣṇu?
Pūrvapakṣa [antithesis]: The word vaiśvānara is commonly used in all these four meanings, so its meaning in this passage is unclear.
Siddhānta [Vedic conclusion]: The conclusion follows.
vaiśvānaraḥ sādharaṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt
vaiśvānaraḥ—Vaiśvānara; sādharaṇa—common; śabda—word; viśeṣāt—because of the distinction.
The ambiguous word vaiśvānara [in this passage of Chāndogya Upaniṣad refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead] because the qualities described here [are appropriate for the Lord].
The word vaiśvānara here refers to Lord Viṣṇu. Why? The Sūtra says sādharaṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt: “Because the qualities described here are appropriate for the Lord.” This is the meaning: Even though the word vaiśvānara has many meanings, here it must mean Lord Viṣṇu. The description beginning with the phrase “Heaven is His head” clearly show that vaiśvānara here means Lord Viṣṇu.
śīrṣṇo 'sya dyaur dharā
padbhyāṁ
khaṁ nābher udapadyata
“Thereafter, from the head of the gigantic form, the heavenly planets were manifested, and from His legs the earthly planets and from His abdomen the sky separately manifested themselves.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.6.27]
Also, the words ātmā and brahma generally refer to Lord Viṣṇu. The result one obtains by knowing vaiśvānara is the same as the result of knowing Lord Viṣṇu. The scriptures say yatheṣikā tulam: “As reeds are burned by fire, so are sins burned into nothing by Vaiśvānara.” This clearly shows that Vaiśvānara here is Lord Viṣṇu, for only Lord Viṣṇu has the power to negate sins. The word vaiśvānara is composed of the two words—viśva [all] and nara [human beings]—thus it means “He who is the resting place of all human beings.” For all these reasons, the word vaiśvānara here must indicate Lord Viṣṇu.
tasmai namo bhagavate puruṣāya
bhūmne
viśvāya viśva-gurave para-daivatāya
“I offer my humble obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the all-pervading and all-inclusive form of the universe, as well as its spiritual master.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.8.47]
Furthermore, he says:
smaryamāṇam anumānaṁ syād iti
smaryamāṇam—described in the smṛti-śāstra; anumānaṁ—inference; syād—is; iti—thus.
This may also be inferred from the statements of the smṛti-śāstra.
The word iti here means “this is the reason.” In Bhagavad-gītā [15.14], Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā
prāṇināṁ
deham āśritaḥ
“I am the vaiśvānara in the bodies of all living entities.”
In these words the smṛti-śāstra affirms that the Vaiśvānara is Lord Viṣṇu. From this statement it may also be understood that the vaiśvānara in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad is also Lord Viṣṇu.
Now he refutes the idea that vaiśvānara refers to the fire of digestion.
śabdādibhyo 'ntaḥ pratiṣṭhānāc ca neti cen na tathā dṛṣṭy-upadeśād asambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate
śabda—the words; ādibhyaḥ—beginning with; antaḥ—within; pratiṣṭhānāt—because of abiding; ca—and; na—not; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; tathā—thus; dṛṣṭi—sight; upadeśāt—from the teaching; asambhavāt—because of being impossible; puruṣa—a person; vidham—the nature; api—also; ca—and; enam—Him; adhīyate—is read.
If [it is said the vaiśvānara here] cannot [be Lord Viṣṇu] because many words here refute this idea and because [the vaiśvānara is said here] to reside in the heart, [then I say] no because the teaching [of the scriptures is that one should] meditate [on Lord Viṣṇu in the heart] in this way, because it is not possible [to interpret the word here to mean anything else], and because [the text here describes the vaiśvānara] as a person with a human-like form.
The objection may be raised: “The vaiśvānara here cannot be Lord Viṣṇu. The text says ayam agnir vaiśvānaraḥ: ‘This is the vaiśvānara fire.’ Because these words prove that vaiśvānara here means fire, the passage hṛdayaṁ gārhapatyo mano 'nvāhāryapacana āsyam āhvanīyaḥ—‘The gārhapatya fire is His heart, the anvāhāryapacana fire is His mind, and the āhavanīya fire is His mouth’—presents the vaiśvānara as a group of three fires. The vaiśvānara is fire, and not Lord Viṣṇu, because vaiśvānara is said to be the resting place of prāṇa [breath] and again because the Vedas say vaiśvānara stays within the heart of the living entity.”
Here the Sūtra answers this objection by saying cen na, which means “If it is said that the vaiśvānara is fire, then I say no.” Why? The Sūtra says tathā dṛṣṭy-upadeśād asambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate: “Because the teaching of the scriptures is that one should meditate on Lord Viṣṇu in the heart in this way, because it is not possible to interpret the word here to mean anything else, and because the text here describes the vaiśvānara as a person with a human-like form.” Tathā here means “by considering to be the fire of digestion,” dṛṣṭi means “meditation on Lord Viṣṇu,” and asambhavāt means “it is not possible to interpret the word vaiśvānara to mean anything but Lord Viṣṇu, because the text of the Upaniṣad says that heaven is the head of the vaiśvānara and the other parts of the world are other parts of the body of vaiśvānara.” Furthermore, the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa [10.6.1.11] says
sa yo hy etam evāgniṁ vaiśvānaraṁ puruṣa-vidhaṁ puruṣe 'ntaḥ pratiṣṭitaṁ veda
“He knows the agni vaiśvānara, who has a human-like form and who stays in the hearts of the living entities.”
If the word vaiśvānara is interpreted to mean ‘fire,’ then the explanations here that the vaiśvānara resides in the hearts of the living entities may be accepted but not the statement that vaiśvānara has a human-like form. If vaiśvānara is interpreted to mean Lord Viṣṇu, then both statements may be easily accepted.
Next he refutes the idea that vaiśvānara means either the demigod Agni or the element fire.
ata eva na devatā bhūtaṁ ca
ataḥ eva—therefore; na—not; devatā—demigod; bhūtam—element; ca—and;
For the same reasons vaiśvānara is neither the demigod Agni nor the element fire.
The objector may say: “Because the demigod Agni is very powerful and great, it may indeed be said that heaven is his head and the other parts of the world are parts of his body, and the same may also be said of the fire element. This is so because of the following description of Ṛg Veda [10.88.3]:
yo bhānunā pṛthivī dyām utemām ātatāna rodasī antarīkṣam
“Agni, in his form of the sun, is spread through the earth, heaven, and everything between.
Even if this be said, still I say no. Why? The Sūtra says ata eva [therefore], which means “for the reasons already given, vaiśvānara is neither the demigod Agni nor the element fire.” The words of this mantra of the Ṛg Veda are flattery only.
Avataraṇikā [corroboration]: In the opinion of Jaimini, the word agni may also directly mean “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” just as the word vaiśvānara does.
sākṣād apy avirodhaṁ jaiminiḥ
sākṣāt—directly; api—also; avirodham—without contradiction; jaiminiḥ—Jaimini.
Jaimini is of the opinion that the word agni may be interpreted to directly mean “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” and there is no inconsistency in this.
Just as the word vaiśvānara, interpreted to mean either “the leader [nara] of the world [viśva]” or “the proprietor of all human beings [nara] in the universe [viśva],” is a Holy Name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original cause of all causes, in the same way the word agni, interpreted to mean “the leader of all,” is also a name of Lord Viṣṇu. Jaimini Muni considers that there is no contradiction in these interpretations because they are based on the specific meanings of each word’s component parts.
The objector may say: “How can the limitless Supreme Personality of Godhead become the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger, as vaiśvānara is said to be in this passage of the Upaniṣad?”
To answer this question he says:
abhivyakter ity āśmarathyaḥ
abhivyakteḥ—because of manifestation; iti—thus; āśmarathyaḥ—Āśmarathya.
Āśmarathya is of the opinion that the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in this way [a size the distance between the thumb and forefinger] because He manifests Himself [in the heart of His devotee].
Lord Viṣṇu appears in this way in the hearts of His devotees, who have the eyes to see Him. This is the opinion of Āśmarathya. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [3.12-13] describes Him as follows:
mahān prabhur vai puruṣaḥ
sattvasyaiṣa pravartakaḥ
su-nirmalāṁ imāṁ prāptim īśāno
jyotir avyayaḥ
aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ puruṣo
'ntar-ātmā sadā janānāṁ hṛdaye sanniviṣṭaḥ
hṛdā
manīṣā manasābhikḷpto ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the Puruṣa to initiate the expansion of this cosmos. He is the perfectly pure goal that yogīs strive to reach, the effulgent and infallible ultimate controller. Measuring the size of a thumb, the Puruṣa is always present as the Supersoul within the hearts of all living beings. By exercising proper intelligence, one can realize Him within the heart; those who learn this method will gain immortality.”
anusmṛter iti bādariḥ
anusmṛteḥ—because of meditation; iti—thus; bādariḥ—Bādari Muni.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is thought to be this small size because that conception is very convenient for meditation. This is the opinion of Bādari.
Because the Supreme Lord is meditated as residing in the heart, and because the heart itself is the size of the distance between thumb and forefinger, the Lord is thought to be the size of the distance between thumb and forefinger also.
sampatter iti jaiminis tathā hi darśayati
sampatteḥ—because of transcendental opulences; iti—thus; jaiminiḥ—Jaimini; tathā—in this way; hi—because; darśayati—the śruti-śāstra declares.
[The Supreme Personality of Godhead can assume this very small size] because of His transcendental powers and opulences. This is the opinion of Jaimini. [It is known that the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumes this very small size] because śruti-śāstra reveals [this information].
The Supreme Personality of Godhead can become the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger because of His sampatti, His transcendental opulence in the form of inconceivable potencies. This action does not limit or restrict the Lord in any way. Jaimini thinks in this way. Why? He says tathā hi darśayati: “It is known that the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumes this very small size because śruti-śāstra reveals this information.” The word hi here means “because.”
The śruti-śāstra says tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Govinda, who transcendental form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss,” and eko 'pi san bahudhā yo 'vabhāti “Although He is one, the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests as many.” In this way the śruti-śāstra teaches that many contradictory qualities are simultaneously present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His inconceivable potencies. Some of these contradictory qualities are that even though He is Himself all transcendental knowledge, he still has a body; and even though He is one, He is also many. This will be explained in detail later in this book. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is simultaneously all-pervading and of a small size. There is no fault in saying this.
āmananti cainam asmin
āmananti—they declare; ca—also; enam—this; asmin—in Him.
[The ātharvaṇikas] say this of Him.
The ātharvaṇikas [students of the Atharva Veda] declare that this inconceivable potency is present in the Supreme Lord. In the Kaivalya Upaniṣad [21] the Lord says apāṇi-pādo 'ham acintya-śaktiḥ: “Although I have no hands or feet, I still have inconceivable potencies.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [3.33.3] says,
sa eva viśvasya bhavān
vidhatte
guṇa-pravāheṇa vibhakta-vīryaḥ
sargādy anīho
'vitathābhisandhir
ātmeśvaro 'tarkya-sahasra-śaktiḥ
“My dear Lord, although personally You have nothing to do, You have distributed Your energies in the interactions of the material modes of nature, and for that reason the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation take place. 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.”
These different opinions do not contradict each other. The Skanda Purāna explains:
vyāsa-citta-sthitākāśād
avicchinnāni
kānicit
anye vyavaharanty etad
urī-kṛtya gṛhādivat
“Other sages take up small portions broken from the vast sky of Vyāsadeva's opinions, just as houses and other enclosures take up a small portion of the vastness of space.”
Thus ends the Second Pāda of the First Adhyāya of Vedānta-sūtra. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!