dattvā vidyauṣadhaṁ
bhaktān
niravadyān karoti yaḥ
dṛk-pathaṁ bhajatu
śrīmān
prītyātmā sa hariḥ svayam
“May Lord Hari, who is glorious, handsome, blissful, and filled with love, and who cures His devotees by giving them the medicine of transcendental knowledge, enter the pathway of my eyes.”
This Adhyāya will consider the topic of the results obtained by one who has transcendental knowledge. Although some of the sūtras discuss the methods by which transcendental knowledge is obtained, because most discuss the results obtained by transcendental knowledge, this Adhyāya bears the title “The Results of Transcendental Knowledge.”
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.5.6] it is said:
ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ
“One should gaze on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Must spiritual practices, such as hearing about the Lord’s glories, be performed repeatedly, or is it acceptable they be performed only once?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: As an agniṣṭoma-yajña and other yajñas need be performed only once in order to grant residence in Svargaloka, in the same way spiritual practices like hearing about the Lord’s glories need be performed only once for the worshiper to directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
āvṛttir asakṛd upadeśāt
āvṛttiḥ – repetition; asakṛt – many times; upadeśāt – because of the teaching.
It is repeated many times, for that is the teaching.
The various activities of devotional service, which begin with hearing the glories of the Lord, should be repeated many times. Why is that? The sūtra explains, asakṛt: “Many times, for that is the teaching.” In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [6.8.7] it is said:
sa ya eṣo ‘ṇimā. etad ātmyam idaṁ sarvam. tat satyam. sa ātmā. tat tvam asi.
“He is the resting place. Everything comes from Him. He is the supreme reality. He is the supreme person. You are like unto Him.”
In these words Śvetaketu was instructed nine times. It is illogical to say that if the scripture mentions an activity once then there is no need to perform that activity many times. This may apply to an activity where the result is not directly seen, but for an activity that has the direct perception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as its result, a result that is clearly seen, the activity must be repeated until the result is obtained.
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 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]
This is like threshing rice, where the activity must be continued until the husk is removed. Therefore the devotional activities that begin with hearing the Lord’s glories should be performed again and again until the result is obtained.
liṅgāc ca
liṅgāt – because of a sign; ca – also.
Also because of a sign.
In Taittirīya Upaniṣad [3.2] Bhṛgu Muni repeated a spiritual activity many times. By this sign [liṅgāt] the importance of repetition is proved. It is understood that repetition is necessary for the conditioned souls, who have committed offenses.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: Now another topic will be considered.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Should one meditate on the Lord as the supreme controller or as the all-pervading Supersoul? Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [4.7] it is said:
juṣṭaṁ yadā paśyaty anyam īśam
“He sees the Lord as the supreme controller.”
Therefore one should meditate on the Lord as the supreme controller.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
ātmeti tūpagacchanti grāhayanti ca
ātmā – the Supersoul; iti – thus; tu – indeed;upagacchanti – know; grāhayanti – teach; ca – also.
Indeed, they know and teach that He is the Supersoul.
The word tu [indeed] is used here for emphasis. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is both the supreme controller and the all-pervading Supersoul, should be worshiped. They who know the truth understand that the Supersoul is the first cause of all causes. In the Śruti-śāstra it is said:
yeṣāṁ no ‘yam ātmāyaṁ lokaḥ
“He is the Supersoul, present in everyone’s heart.”
They also teach this truth to their disciples. In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [1.4.7] it is said:
ātmety evopāsīta
“One should worship the Supersoul.”
tasmin nirmanuje
'raṇye
pippalopastha āśritaḥ
ātmanātmānam
ātmasthaṁ
yathā-śrutam acintayam
“After that, under the shadow of a banyan tree in an uninhabited forest I began to meditate upon the Supersoul situated within, using my intelligence, as I had learned from liberated souls.” [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.15]
The word ātmā here should be understood to mean “the all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose human-like form is full of knowledge and bliss.” Some claim that the word ātmā means “He who gives Himself to create the living beings and who therefore is the Person from whom the living beings are manifested.” The word ātmā however does not mean that when he is freed from illusion the individual spirit soul becomes the Supreme. That is a false idea, as we have already explained.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: The worship of the Lord is described in the following words of Chāndogya Upaniṣad [3.18.1]:
mano brahmety upāsīta
“One should worship the Supreme as the mind.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Should one meditate on the mind as being identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: Because the scriptures affirm that the mind and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are not different, therefore this kind of meditation should be done.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
na pratīke na hi saḥ
na – not; pratīke – in the part; na – not; hi – indeed; saḥ – He.
Not in the part. It is not He.
One should not think that the mind or other things that are only parts are identical with the Supreme Lord Himself. This is because the Supreme Lord is not identical with His parts. Rather, the Supreme Lord is the support and the resting place of the mind. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [11.2.41] it is said:
khaṁ vāyum agniṁ salilaṁ
mahīṁ ca
jyotīṁṣi sattvāni diśo drumādīn
sarit-samudrāṁś
ca hareḥ śarīraṁ
yat kiṁ ca bhūtaṁ praṇamed ananyaḥ
“A devotee should not see anything as being separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Ether, fire, air, water, earth, the sun, and other luminaries, all living beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers and oceans, and whatever a devotee experiences he should consider to be an expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Thus seeing everything that exists within creation as the body of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere respects to the entire expansion of the Lord’s body.”
In this situation the nominative case should be understood to have the force of the locative. That is the conclusion here.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: It has already been shown that one should think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the all-pervading Supersoul, because the descriptions of the impersonal Brahman are not like the descriptions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Should one think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the impersonal Brahman, or should one not think of Him as the Brahman?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: The Supreme Personality of Godhead should not be considered identical with the impersonal Brahman, for it has already been confirmed that He is identical with the all-pervading Supersoul.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
brahma-dṛṣṭir utkarṣāt
brahma – of Brahman; dṛṣṭiḥ – sight; utkarṣāt – because of being exalted.
He is seen as impersonal Brahman, for He is most exalted.
As He is considered identical with the all-pervading Supersoul, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead should also be considered identical with the impersonal Brahman. Why is that? The sūtra explains, utkarṣāt: “For He is most exalted.” This means “For He is the abode of limitless transcendental qualities.” In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad
[2.5.19] it is said:
ayam ātmā brahma sarvānubhūtiḥ
“He is the all-knowing Supersoul and He is also the impersonal Brahman.”
This is also confirmed by the text that begins atha kasmād ucyate brahma.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Puruṣa-sūkta prayer [Ṛg Veda 10.90] it is said:
candramā manaso jātaś
cakṣuṣaḥ
sūryo ‘jāyata
śrotrād vāyuś ca prāṇaś ca
mukhād
agnir ajāyata
“From His mind the moon was born. From His eye the sun was born. From His ear the wind and the life breath were born. From His mouth fire was born.”
Here the Supreme Lord’s eyes and the other parts of His body are described as the causes of the sun and other parts of the world.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Should they be thought of caused in this way or not?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: The Lord’s eyes and the other parts of His body are said to be soft and delicate like lotus flowers and other soft things. That is why they cannot be the cause of things that are harsh, rough, and very powerful [like the sun].
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
ādityādi-matayaś cāṅga upapatteḥ
āditya – the sun; ādi – beginning with;matayaḥ – conception; ca – and; aṅge – in the limb; upapatteḥ – because of being reasonable.
Also, the idea of the sun and other things is in the limb, for that is reasonable.
The word ca [also] is used here to begin the refutation of the opponent’s argument. This kind of meditation on Lord Viṣṇu’s eyes and the other parts of His body should be performed. Why is that? The sūtra explains, upapatteḥ: “For that is reasonable]. This meditation is proper for it shows the Lord’s greatness. It is by the Lord’s greatness that His eyes are the creator of the sun and the other parts of His body are the creators of other great things. In this way it the scriptures prove that the parts of the Lord’s body are transcendental. They are not like anything in the material world. It is stated in Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [6.7-8]:
apāṇi-pādo javano
grahītā
paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ
sa
vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasya vettā
tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ
purāṇam
“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.”
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [2.8] it is said:
trir-unnataṁ sthāpya samaṁ
śarīraṁ
hṛdīndriyāṇi manasā sanniveśya
brahmoḍupena
pratareta vidvān
srotāṁsi sarvāṇi bhayāvahāni
“With the neck, head, and back straight, and with all powers of concentration, one should meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead staying in the heart as the Supersoul. Traveling in the boat of the Supreme Lord’s mercy, the learned Devotee crosses the raging fearful waters of the cycle of repeated birth and death.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: When meditating on the Lord is it compulsory that one adopt the āsana [yoga sitting-posture] described here, or is it not compulsory?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: Meditation is performed in the mind. Therefore the adoption of a particular posture of the body is not compulsory.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
āsīnaḥ sambhavāt
āsīnaḥ – sitting; sambhavāt – because of possibility.
Sitting, for then it is possible.
One should adopt an āsana [yoga sitting-posture], and then meditate on the Lord. Why is that? The sūtra explains, sambhavāt: “For then it is possible.” When one is reclining, standing up, or walking, the mind is liable to be distracted and then meditation is not possible. In Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [1.3] it is said:
te dhyāna-yogānugatā apaśyan
“Sitting in a yoga posture, and rapt in meditation, the sages gazed at the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
In this way they who desire to meditate on the Lord are described. Therefore one should adopt the āsana posture; otherwise meditation is not possible.
dhyānāc ca
dhyānāt – because of meditation; ca – also.
Also because of meditation.
Meditation is defined as thinking of one thing only, and not thinking of anything else. This kind of thinking is not possible when one is reclining or in any posture but the yoga āsana. Therefore one should sit in the yoga āsana.
acalatvaṁ cāpekṣya
acalatvam – stillness; ca – and; apekṣya – in relation to.
Also because it is related to stillness.
The word “ca” [also] is used here for emphasis. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad the word dhyāna [meditation] is used as a synonym of stillness. There it is said [Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.6.1]:
dhyāyatīva pṛthivī
“The earth is still, as if it were rapt in meditation.”
This also hints that meditation should be performed when one is sitting in a yoga āsana. Even in the mundane affairs of the world the word dhyāna is used in this way, as in the sentence, dhyāyati kāntaṁ proṣita-ramaṇī: “The girl is still, rapt in meditation on her absent beloved.”
smaranti ca
smaranti – the Smṛti-śāstra; ca – also.
The Smṛti-śāstra also.
In Bhagavad-gītā [6.11-14] Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, states:
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ
nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ
cailājina-kuśottaram
tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā
yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ
upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam
ātma-viśuddhaye
samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ
dhārayann acalaṁ sthiraḥ
samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ
diśaś cānavalokayan
praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr
brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ
manaḥ saṁyamya mac-citto yukta
āsīta mat-paraḥ
“To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and practice yoga to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses and activities and fixing the mind on one point. One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.”
In this way the Smṛti-śāstra explains that they who meditate should keep their bodies, senses, and minds still. Such stillness is not possible without adopting the yoga-āsana. Therefore a person engaged in meditation should adopt the yoga-āsana.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: Now another point will be considered in relation to Bṛhad-Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.5.6]:
ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ
“One should gaze on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: In worshiping the Lord are there restrictions of direction, place, and time to be observed, or are there no such restrictions?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: In Vedic rituals there are such restrictions. Because worship of the Lord is also described in the Vedas, these restrictions must also apply to worship of the Lord.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
yatraikāgratā tatrāviśeṣāt
yatra – where; ekāgratā – single-pointed concentration; tatra – there; aviśeṣāt – because of not being specific.
Where is single-pointed concentration, there because nothing is specific.
This sūtra means, “In whatever direction, place, or time [yatra] there is single-pointed concentration [ekāgratā] of the mind, in that [tatra] direction, place, or time one should worship Lord Hari.” The meaning here is that in the worship of the Lord there is no restriction of direction, place, or time. Why is that? The sūtra explains, aviśeṣāt: “Because there is nothing specific.” This means “Because the scriptures give no specific instruction in this matter.” In the Varāha Purāṇa it is said:
tam eva deśaṁ seveta
taṁ
kālaṁ tām avasthitim
tān eva bhogān seveta
mano yatra
prasīdati
na hi deśādibhiḥ kaścid
viśeṣaḥ
samudīritaḥ
manaḥ-prasādanārthaṁ hi
deśa-kālādi-cintanam
“One should seek a place, time, situation, and sensory environment where the mind becomes peaceful and cheerful. Other than that there is no specific instruction about place or environment. Place, time, situation, and sensory environment should be chosen to facilitate a peaceful and cheerful mind.”
Here someone may object: “Is it not so that there are actually rules regarding the place of worship? For example, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad [2.10] it is said:
same śucau
śarkara-vahni-vāluka-
vivarjite
śabda-jalāśrayādibhiḥ
mano-’nukūle na tu
cakṣu-pīḍane
guhā-nivātāśrayaṇe niyojayet
“One should practice yoga is a solitary place with level ground free from pebbles and stones, free from winds, clean and pure, pleasing to the mind, not unpleasing to the eyes, secluded, and far from noisy bathing places.”
Also, one should meditate in a holy place, for holy places bring liberation.”
If this is said, then I reply: Yes. It is true. Still, there may be an unfortunate situation where one is not able to take shelter of a holy place, although of course, if there is no such misfortune, one should stay in a holy place and worship the Lord there. Still, the final conclusion is given here in the words mano-’nukūle [one should find a place that is pleasing to the mind].
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In the Praśna Upaniṣad [5.1] it is said:
sa yo haitad bhagavan manuṣyeṣu prāyaṇāntam oṁkāram abhidhyāyīta
“O master, what world is attained by a person who up to the end of his life continues to meditate on oṁ?”
In the Nṛsiṁha-tāpanī Upaniṣad [2.4] it is said:
yaṁ sarve devā namanti mumukṣavo brahma-vādinaś ca
“All who are demigods, all who are philosophers, and all who yearn to attain liberation worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad [3.10.5] it is said:
etat sama-gayann āste
“They sit down and chant the Sāma Veda to glorify Him.”
In the Ṛg Veda [1.22.20] it is said:
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ
“The wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu.”
In these verses it is said that devotional service both leads to liberation and also continues after liberation.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Is devotional service performed only before liberation, or is it not?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: Because liberation is the goal to be attained by performing devotional service, therefore devotional service is performed only as long as one is not liberated.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
āprāyaṇāt tatrāpi hi dṛṣṭam
ā – until; prāyaṇāt – liberation; tatra – there;api – even; hi – indeed; dṛṣṭam – seen.
Until liberation. Even there it is seen.
Devotional service should be performed both before and after liberation. Why is that? The sūtra explains, hi dṛṣṭam: “Because it is seen in the Śruti-śāstra.” In the Sauparṇa-śruti it is said:
sarvadainam upāsīta yāvad vimuktiḥ. muktā api hy enam upāsate
“Before attaining liberation the great souls always worship the Lord. After attaining liberation they continue to worship Him.”
In this way it is said that the Lord is worshiped in both circumstances.
Here someone may object: “The liberated souls do not worship the Lord. This is so because they have no goal to attain by such worship and because the scriptures do not order such worship.”
To this I reply: That is true. Still, even though there is no scriptural order to compel them, the liberated souls nevertheless worship the Lord because they are attracted by His transcendental handsomeness. Also, a person who has jaundice eats sugar candy as medicine, but when he is cured he also continues to eat sugar. In the same way the liberated souls continue to worship the Lord. In this way it is proved that the great souls worship the Lord both before and after they attain liberation. Bhagavad-gītā [9.2] states:
rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ
pavitram
idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ
su-sukhaṁ
kartum avyayam
“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: The way to attain transcendental knowledge having already been considered, now will be considered the results of that knowledge. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [4.14.3] it is said:
yathā puṣkara-palāśa āpo na śliṣyante evam eva vidi pāpaṁ karma na śliṣyate
“As water does not touch a lotus leaf, so sin does not touch a person situated in transcendental knowledge.”
In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [5.24.3] it is said:
tad yathaiṣīkā-tūlam agnau protaṁ pradūyetaivaṁ hāsya sarve pāpmānaḥ pradūyante
“As a blade if īṣīkā grass is at once consumed by a fire, so are consumed the sins of a person situated in transcendental knowledge.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Must one experience the results of past and present sinful deeds to become free from the karmic results, or are such results destroyed and nonexistent for a person situated in transcendental knowledge?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: One cannot become free from karmic reactions in any way other than experiencing their results. This is described in the following words of the Smṛti-śāstra:
nābhuktaṁ kṣīyate
karma
kalpa-koṭi-śatair api
avaśyam eva bhoktavyaṁ
kṛtaṁ
karma śubhāśubham
“Even after millions of kalpas one does not cannot become free from karmic reactions in any way other than experiencing their results. Therefore one must experience the results of good and evil deeds.”
This being so, all scriptural passages declaring otherwise should be understood to be merely empty flattery offered to they who are situated in transcendental knowledge.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
tad-adhigama uttara-pūrvāghayor aśleṣa-vinsāśau tad- vyapadeśāt
tad-adhigame – in the knowledge of Him; uttara – after; pūrva – and before; aghayoḥ – of sins; aśleṣa – not touching; vinsāśau – destruction; tat – of that; vyapadeśāt – because of the teaching.
When knowledge of Him is attained, then there is destruction and not touching of past and present sins, for that is the teaching.
The word tad-adhigamaḥ here means “knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” When such knowledge is present, then a person is no longer touched by sinful reactions to present deeds, and all accumulated past karma is destroyed. Why is that? The sūtra explains, tad-vyapadeśāt: “For that is the teaching.” This teaching has already been shown in the two passages of Chāndogya Upaniṣad quoted in the introduction to this Adhikaraṇa. No one has the power to refute the clear meaning of these two passages of Śruti-śāstra. The passage declaring that one does not become free from karmic reactions in any way other than experiencing their results is meant to refer only to persons not situated in transcendental knowledge.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: In Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.4.22] it is said:
ubhe u haivaiṣa ete taraty amṛtaḥ sādhv-asādhunī
“He crosses beyond all karmic reactions, both good and evil, and he becomes immortal.”
In this way it is said that he crosses beyond the karmic reactions to both sins and pious deeds.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Do the reactions of past pious deeds meet the same fate as the reactions of past sins, that is, are the past pious deeds destroyed and the present pious deeds unable to touch the person performing them, or is this not so?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: This is not the fate of past and present pious deeds, for such deeds are not performed in disobedience to the teachings of the Vedas. Therefore one does not become free from karmic reactions to such deeds in any way other than by experiencing their results. Therefore it is not right to say that a person situated in transcendental knowledge can attain liberation as long as the obstacle of past good karma is still present.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
itarasyāpy evam aśleṣaḥ pāte tu
itarasya – of another; api – also; evam – thus; aśleṣaḥ – not touching; pāte – in destruction; tu – indeed.
Indeed, when it is destroyed the other ceases to touch.
This sūtra means that when transcendental knowledge is present, then the other [itarasya], which here means the past and present karmic reactions of pious deeds, is destroyed and ceases to affect the soul. Thus happens in the same way it happens to past and present sinful reactions. It is not that because they are prescribed by the Vedas, material pious deeds do not obstruct transcendental knowledge. The result brought by material pious deeds is an obstacle impeding the result brought by transcendental knowledge. In truth, material pious deeds are not pure and spiritual. In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [8.4.1] it is said:
sarve pāpmāno ‘to nivartante
“All sins are then destroyed.”
In this context, the word “sins” includes material pious deeds also. In Bhagavad-gītā [4.37] the Supreme Personality of Godhead affirms:
yathaidhāṁsi samiddho
'gnir
bhasma-sāt kurute 'rjuna
jñānāgniḥ
sarva-karmāṇi
bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
“As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.”
In this verse the destruction of karmic reactions is described. In these general worlds all karmic reactions, past and present, sinful and pious, are included. The author of the sūtras describes this here in the words pāte tu: “Indeed, when it is destroyed.” The word tu [indeed] is used for emphasis. In this way there is nothing wrong with the statement that liberation is attained when one’s karmic reactions are destroyed.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: Past pious and sinful karmic reactions are of two kinds: 1. anārabdha-phala [where the reactions have not yet begun to manifest], and 2. ārabdha-phala [where the reactions have begun to manifest]. In the passage from Bṛhad-araṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.4.22] quoted in the beginning of Adhikaraṇa 10, it is clearly said that both kinds of karmic reactions are destroyed. In this way it is clear that transcendental knowledge completely destroys both kinds of karmic reactions.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Does transcendental knowledge destroy both kinds of past karmic reactions, or does it destroy only the anārabdha-phala karmic reactions?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: If transcendental knowledge causes the destruction of all past pious and sinful karmic reactions, then it would automatically bring with it the liberation of the soul, and with that the sudden death of the material body. This clearly does not happen, and therefore what has been said about transcendental knowledge cannot be true.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
anārabdha-kārye eva tu pūrve tad avadheḥ
anārabdha – not begun; kārye – effect; eva – indeed; tu – but; pūrve – previous; tat – that; avadheḥ – of the duration of time.
But only anārabdha-phala karmic reactions, for that is the time limit.
The word tu [but] is used here to dispel doubt.
Only the anārabdha-phala past pious and sinful karmic reactions, reactions that have not yet begun to bear fruit, are destroyed by transcendental knowledge. The ārabdha-phala karmic reactions, which have already begun to bear fruit, are not destroyed in that way. Why is that? The sūtra explains, tad-avadheḥ: “For that is the time limit.” In Chāndogya Upaniṣad [6.14.2] it is said:
tasya tāvad eva ciraṁ yāvan na vimokṣye
“One cannot attain liberation as long as his past karmic reactions persist.”
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.87.40] the personified Vedas pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
tvad-avagamī na vetti bhavad-uttha-śubhāśubhayoḥ guṇa-viguṇānvayāṁs tarhi deha-bhṛtāṁ ca giraḥ
“When a person realizes You, he no longer cares about His good and bad fortune arising from past pious and sinful acts, since it is You alone who control this good and bad fortune. Such a realized devotee also disregards what ordinary living beings say about him.”
In this way the scriptures explain that, by the Supreme Lord’s will, the living entity remains in his material body until his ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are destroyed. Transcendental knowledge is very powerful. It can at once burn away all past karmic reactions, leaving behind no remainder. In this it is like a blazing fire that at once burns up any kind of fuel that may be supplied.
Although these statements of scripture should be accepted, still it is seen that many great sages, wise with transcendental knowledge, still remain living within material bodies. In that situation it should be accepted that, by the will of the Lord, these sages stay in this world, their ārabdha-phala karmic reactions not yet exhausted, for the purpose of teaching the truth of spiritual life to the others. As a jewel or other impediment may stop the burning of a fire, so transcendental knowledge’s power to burn away all karmic reactions may be stopped in certain circumstances like this.
Here someone may object: “Without taking shelter of a series of past karmic reactions, transcendental knowledge does not become manifested. Those karmic reactions may be compared to a potter’s wheel. As, once begun to spin, the potter’s wheel gradually stops of its own accord, so past karmic reactions gradually come to a stop.”
To this objection I reply: No. It is not so. Transcendental knowledge is very powerful. It can at once uproot all karmic reactions. It is only the will of the Supreme Lord that stops transcendental knowledge. When a heavier stone is placed on a spinning potter’s wheel, the wheel comes to an abrupt halt. Transcendental knowledge stops all karmic reactions like that. Therefore what was said in the beginning about transcendental knowledge is right and true.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: Here someone may say: “It has been said that transcendental knowledge destroys all past pious karmic reactions. Therefore transcendental knowledge destroys all kāmya-karma [reactions to pious deeds performed to attain specific desires] as well as all nitya-karmas [karmic reactions to regular pious duties].”
To refute this idea the present Adhikaraṇa is begun.
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.4.22] explains that transcendental knowledge destroys all past pious and sinful karmic reactions. Does this mean that, as kāmya-karma reactions are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, the reactions to nitya-karma activities, such as the performances of agnihotra-yajñas, are also destroyed in the same way, or are they not also destroyed?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: It is the nature of transcendental knowledge to destroy all karmic reactions. Because it cannot abandon its own nature, transcendental knowledge must destroy the reactions of nitya-karmas also.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
agnihotrādi tu tat kāryāyaiva tad-darśanāt
agnihotra – agnihotra-yajñas; ādi – beginning with; tu – but; tat – that; kāryāya – for an effect; eva – indeed; tat – that; darśanāt – because of revelation.
But agnihotra-yajñas and other rituals have that as their effect, for that is the revelation.
The word tu [but] is used here to dispel doubt.
The daily agnihotra-yajña and other nitya-karmas performed before transcendental knowledge is manifested have the manifestation of transcendental knowledge as their karmic reaction. Why is that? The sūtra explains, tad-darśanāt: “For that is the revelation.” In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad [4.4.22] it is said:
tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena
“By studying the Vedas they come to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
This means that transcendental knowledge is the karmic result of nitya-karmas, such as study of the Vedas. Transcendental knowledge, then, destroys all past pious karmic reactions except for those of nitya-karma duties, such as the performance of daily agnihotra-yajñas. That is the meaning of the sūtra.
Transcendental knowledge does not destroy the karmic reactions of nitya-karma duties, for the attainment of transcendental knowledge is itself the karmic reaction these duties produce. When a house is set afire some seeds within it may become heated but not destroyed. Such grains can never be sown, for they will never sprout into plants. In the same way the reactions to nitya-karma activities are not destroyed, although they will not sprout into future material bondage. In the Bṛhad- āraṇyaka Upaniṣad it is said:
karmaṇā pitṛlokaḥ
“By performing nitya-karma duties one goes to Pitṛloka.”
This shows that sometimes nitya-karma duties bring the attainment of Svargaloka as their karmic reaction. These reactions all become destroyed.
Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: It has been shown that by the Lord’s will the ārabdha-phala pious and sinful karmic reactions of they who are enlightened with transcendental knowledge remain and are not destroyed. The Lord does this so the enlightened souls may stay in the material World for some time and teach the spiritual truth to the people in general. Now it will be shown that for some nirapekṣa devotees the Lord at once destroys their ārabhda-phala karmic reactions. Thus these devotees do not have experience these karmic reactions. In the Kaṣītakī Upaniṣad [1.4] it is said:
tat-sukṛta-duṣkṛte vidhunute tasya priyā jñātayaḥ sukṛtam upayānty apriyā duskṛ_tam
“His pious and sinful karmic reactions are removed. His pious reactions are given to his friends and kinsmen. His Sinful reactions are given to his enemies.”
In the Śāṭyāyani-śāstra it is said:
tasya putrā dāyam upayānti suhṛdaḥ sādhu-kṛtyāṁ dviṣantaḥ pāpa-kṛtyām.
“His children claim their inheritance, and his friends claim the reactions of his pious deeds. His enemies must take the reactions of his sins.”
Saṁśaya [doubt]: Are the ārabdha-phala karmic reactions Sometimes destroyed without the person having to experience their results, or is this never so?
Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: Without experiencing Them, ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are never destroyed.
Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.
ato ‘nyāpi hy ekeṣām ubhayoḥ
ataḥ – then; anyā – another; api – also; hi – indeed; ekeṣām – of some; ubhayoḥ – of both.
Therefore there is another also. Of some there is both.
For some nirapekṣa devotees who are very ardently devoted to the Lord, their pious and sinful ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are removed without their having to experience the results. The reason for this is given in the word anyā: “There is another also.” This means “There is another scriptural quote, a quote revealing that by the Supreme Lord’s will ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are sometimes also destroyed.” The other scriptural quote is the passage from Kauṣītikī Upaniṣad previously quoted, and the passage from the Śāṭyāyana-śāstra also.
This is the meaning: In one place the scriptures say that ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are destroyed only when the person experiences them, and in another place the scriptures say that transcendental knowledge can destroy ārabdha-phala karmic reactions. If these two statements are not to be thought of as contradicting each other, they must be considered to apply to different circumstances. These scriptural statements do not apply to kāmya-karma activities, for Sūtras 4.1.13 and 14 stated that all pious and sinful karmic reactions are destroyed, and because sins are by definition not kāmya-karma activities.
Therefore, for some very dear devotees, who ardently yearn to see the Lord and who are no longer able to bear separation from Him, the Supreme Lord takes away their ārabdha-phala karmic reactions, and distributes them to those persons who are close to those devotees. This will be further described in another Adhikaraṇa. Thus the devotee’s ārabdha-phala karmic reactions are experienced by these people. In this way the rule the Lord has decreed for ārabdha-phala karmic reactions is maintained.
Here someone may object: “Karmic reactions are formless, and therefore it is not logical to say that they can be given to others as if they were tangible objects.”
If this is said, then I reply: That is not true. Because He is all-powerful, the Supreme Lord can do anything He wishes, even if what He does is different from what you think is logical. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead can remove the ārabdha-phala karmic reactions of some great devotees who ardently yearn to see Him.
In the next sūtra the author refutes the claim that the karmic reactions of one person cannot be given to another.
yad eva vidyayeti hi
yad eva vidyayā iti – Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.1.10; hi – because.
Because of Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.1.10.
Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.1.10 shows the power of transcendental knowledge, even when it is only knowledge of the individual spirit soul. The word hi in this sūtra means “because.” This means that because transcendental knowledge cannot be stopped by any obstacle, and because the Supreme Personality of Godhead in these circumstances gives His own mercy, sometimes the living entity does not have to experience his ārabdha-phala karmic reactions. No one should be surprised at this.
What happens then? The author of the sūtras gives the following explanation.
bhogena tv itare kṣapayitvātha sampadyate
bhogena – by enjoyment; tu – indeed; itare – the other; kṣapayitvā – leaving; atha – then; sampadyate – obtains.
Renouncing the two others, he enjoys.
This sūtra means, “leaving behind the gross and subtle material bodies [the two others], and attaining the body of a personal associate of the Lord, the liberated devotee enjoys transcendental bliss.” This is described in the following words of Taittirīya Upaniṣad [2.1.1]:
so ‘śnute sarvān kāmān
“Then he enjoys the fulfillment of all his desires.”
That is the meaning of the sūtra’s word sampadyate: “He enjoys transcendental bliss.”