Jiva-tattva v3.0
Tarun Govinda
(1) The jiva is one of Krishna´s eternal energies Sri Krishna has three eternal energies:
Cit-sakti: This is His inner energy. His Own spiritual world pure cit-sakti.
This cit-sakti again consists of three energies:
Sandhini-sakti = eternal existence (I am)
Samvit-sakti = eternal knowledge (I know)
Hladini-sakti = eternal happiness (I am happy)
Bahiranga-sakti: This is His “outer” energy. The material world is made of this energy.
Tatastha-sakti: The energy “inbetween” the spiritual and the material world.
All these three energies are eternal and eternally separate from each other.
The spiritual soul is said to be like a tiny spiritual “drop of consciousness” (cit-kana). The jiva belongs to the tatastha-sakti. The jiva (the spiritual soul) is an infinitesimal particle of spiritual consciousness, like an atomic particle of light emanating from the sun. Sri Krishna is the complete spiritual consciousness, the transcendental sun. When the jivas focus their attention on Krishna, they go to Him. Naturally, the parts serve the Whole. The car will never move when the wheels do not obey. So naturally, the spiritual soul should serve the Supreme Soul.
jivera ‘svarupa’ haya –
krishnera ‘nitya-dasa’ krishnera ‘tatastha sakti’ ‘bhedabheda-prakasa’
(Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya-lila, 20.108)
“The jiva’s constitutional nature is to be an eternal servant of Sri Krishna. The jiva is the marginal potency of Krishna and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord.”
So, we are simultaneously one and different from the Lord. We are His sakti, He is saktiman (controller of energies). This is called acintya-bheda-bheda-tattva. We are of a similar nature, but also different. This tattva rests upon Him being Saktiman and us jivas being His sakti. The energy-giver and the energy are simultaneously one and different. He is the Whole, we are His parts. We can see clearly that one thing is “inherent” in the svarupa of the jiva: eternal servitorship. We will always be servants.
The jiva requires immersion in one of the two other energies by default.
When the jiva FULLY immersed in maya sakti, it feels no difference from the material body and it is not aware of its real nature as a soul.
This is the power of maya-sakti.
When the jiva is FULLY immersed in svarupa sakti, it feels no difference from its attained siddha deha. In fact, the jiva then IS that spiritual body of bhava.
Such is the glorious power of svarupa-sakti.
“Tatastha does not change into svarupa-sakti. But even before getting the siddha-deha, the tatastha becomes imbued by svarupa-sakti. That is called getting sthayi-bhava. The siddha deha is not a physical body as we have experience of. It is a bhava body. I am sure you have come across a statement somewhere that says that Srimati Radhika is Mahabhava-svarupa. So the tatastha who is imbued with svarupa-sakti, like an iron rod made red hot by putting it in fire, is now linked to a body consisting of svarupa-sakti. There is oneness because the sthayi-bhava does not make the tatastha feel that he is having something exterior in him.”
(Srila Satyanarayana das Babaji)
(2) Jiva Gosvamipada and the Sandarbhas
sandarbha yena nadhitas tasya bhagavate sramah
sandarbha yena cadhita nasti bhagavate bhramah
“One who has not undergone comprehensive study of Sat Sandarbhas must struggle to assimilate the message of the Bhagavata. One who has studied Sat Sandarbhas, however, will have no misgivings about the essential meaning of the Bhagavata.”
Paramatma Sandarbha and the svarupa of the jiva
Paramatma sandarbha anuccheda 19
When describing the svarupa of the jiva, Srila Jiva Gosvami agrees with the description of the Sri Sampradaya. We know this because instead of citing others, he cites the version of Jamatr Muni, a follower of Sri Ramanujacarya. Srila Jiva Gosvami says śrī-rāmānuja-bhāṣyānusāreṇa vyākhyā ceyam | “The explanation of Jamatr is according to Sri Ramanuja’s commentary [to the Vedanta Sutra]”.
svarupa-lakṣaṇaṁ pādmottara-khaṇḍādikam anusṛtya, śrī-rāmānujācāryād atiprācīnena śrī-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya-guruṇā śrī-jāmātṛ-muninopadiṣṭam | tatra praṇava-vyākhyāne pādmottara-khaṇḍaṁ, yathā
Translation: “Using the descriptions found in Padma Purana, Sri Jamatr Muni, an esteemed Guru of the ancient Sri-sampradaya following Sri Ramanujacarya’s philosophy, has described the jiva’s svarupa.”
jñānāśrayo jñāna-guṇaś cetanaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ |
na jāto nirvikāraś ca eka-rupaḥ svarupa-bhāk ||
Translation: “The jiva is the conscious substratum and is endowed with the attribute of knowledge. Is conscious and beyond prakrti. It has no birth and no change. It is of one form and situated in its own essential identity”
aṇur nityo vyāpti-śīlaś cid-ānandātmakas tathā |
aham-artho’vyayaḥ kṣetrī bhinna-rupaḥ sanātanaḥ ||
Translation: “The jiva is small, eternal and pervades the body. It is of the nature of consciousness and bliss, and the sense of “I”. It does not decrease, is the knower of the body, and is different from other jivas eternally.” (Sri Jiva explains that the jiva being different from other jivas means that there are a plurality of jivas in contrast to what Sri Sankaracarya’s Advaitavada says, see Anuccheda 32).
adāhyo’cchedyo hy akledyas tv aśoṣyo’kṣara eva ca |
evam-ādi-guṇair yuktaḥ śeṣa-bhutaḥ parasya vai ||
Translation: “The jiva cannot be burned, cut, moistened or dried out. It cannot be destroyed. Endowed with these qualities, the jiva is subordinate to Bhagavan.”
ma-kāreṇocyate jīvaḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ paravān sadā |
dāsa-bhuto harer eva nānyasyaiva kadācana || [pa.pu. 6.226.34-37] iti |
Translation: “The letter m [in Om] signifies the jiva. The jiva is a secondary knower of the field, but always subordinate to Sri Hari and no one else.”
Jamatr Muni himself importantly adds,
tathā jñātṛtva-kartṛtva-bhoktṛtva-nija-dharmakaḥ |
Translation: “It is intrinsically endowed with the characteristics of jñātṛtva [knowership/awareness], kartṛtva [doership/agency] and bhoktṛtva [enjoyership, capacity to experience].
From anuccheda 19 until the end of anuccheda 47, Srila Jiva Gosvamipada describes the svarupa of the jiva, provides sastra pramana for the qualities of the jiva’s svarupa and refutes Advaita (mayavada) concepts of the jiva. There is not one instance in this whole discussion on the svarupa of the jiva where he admits any type of svarupa-bheda (differences in the svarupa of jivas).
This would be the perfect opportunity to advise us that different types of jivas have different inclinations, likes and dislikes as part of their svarupa (or due to some sakti always acting on the jiva). And that some are santa rasa jivas, some dasya, others vatsalya etc. The schools of Madhvacarya and Vallabhacarya have explained this clearly in their works by using distinct terms such as sattvika jivas, daivi jivas, rajasika jivas, pravaha jivas and so on.
However, we see none of this in the works of Srila Jiva Gosvami, Baladeva Vidyabhusana and other classical Gaudiya Acaryas. Rather we find terms like svarupa-sāmya (sameness of svarupa) and aviśeṣataḥ (no specialities among them) in the works of Acarya Baladeva. And in Paramatma Sandarbha Anuccheda 28, Jiva Gosvami says that the svarupa of the jiva unto itself is eka-rupa-svarupa-bhak, possessed of a uniform nature. This means it is delimited and that all jivas are the same in nature.
(3) Acarya Baladeva’s Govinda Bhasya
Conditioned jivas are uniform in nature
In order to give evidence that the baddha jivas are uniform in nature, we now turn to the famous Govinda Bhasya commentary of the Vedanta sutra.
Differences within jivas are due to adrsta (the unseen forces of karma)
In this section Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu explains how the differences seen within jivas are primarily due to adrsta (unseen principles). In Govinda Bhasya 1.1.1, Acarya Baladeva himself explains that karma and adrsta are practically the same.
karma ca jaḍam adṛṣṭādi-śabda-vyapadeśyam” – Govinda Bhasya 1.1.1
“Karma is unconscious and expressed by words such as adrsta (unseen effect) etc.”
Sutra 2.3.49
Baladeva Vidyabhusana now brings up the topic of adrsta. All translations of the sutras are based on the subject matter that our Acarya has seen in them as is evident by his commentary.
adṛṣṭāniyamāt || – “The jivas are not similar, because their karmas are various”.
Sutra 2.3.49
Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s comment: naiva te sāmya-bhājaḥ | kutaḥ ? svarupa-sāmye’pi tad-adṛṣṭānām aniyamāt nānā-vidhatvāt | adṛṣṭaṁ tv anādi ||49||
“The individual jivas are not all alike. Why is that? The sutra explains: “Even though the individual spirit souls have the same nature, they have different adrsta (karma).” Their adrstas (karmas) are beginningless.”
It is very important to note that Acarya Baladeva has used the term svarupa-sāmya (uniform/same nature, identical condition, uniform characteristics) in his own comment above when referring to the jivas. This is clear evidence that Gaudiya Vedanta does not accept that baddha jivas have differences in their svarupa (essential being). There is no inclination towards a particular rasa (taste) or siddha deha intrinsic to the svarupa of the jiva, otherwise there is no meaning to Acarya Baladeva using such a carefully chosen word. This will be confirmed as we investigate further.
nanv icchā-dveṣādibhir vaiṣamyaṁ syān nety āha— “Here someone may object: Are the different fates not created because the individual spirit souls have different desires and different aversions?
The author of the sutras [Badarayana Rsi/Vyasadeva] says, “No it is not so,” and gives the following explanation”.
Sutra 2.3.50
abhisandhyādiṣv api caivam || – “The jivas are different with regard to their desires and other things” – Sutra 2.3.50
Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s comment: teṣv api vaicitrya-hetutayāṅgīkṛteṣv evaṁ hetv-antarāpekṣāpattes te’py adṛṣṭād evety arthaḥ | ca-kāraḥ pratikṣaṇa-vaicitrīṁ samuccinoti ||50||
“The different natures of the individual spirit souls are to be explained in a different way. These differences exist because of different adrstas (reactions of karma). The word “ca” (and) hints that these differences exist at every moment.”
Desires, likes and dislikes which are due to various experiences (samskaras) can indeed be counted as secondary causes, but Baladeva Vidyabhusana says the differences between jivas are to be primarily explained through adrsta (karma).
nanu svarga-bhumy-ādi-pradeśa-vaiśeṣyāt vaicitryaṁ syān nety āha— “Here someone may object: Is it not so that these differences are created by differing environments, such as the environment of Svargaloka, the earth, or other places? To this the author of the sutras replies, “No. It is not so.” He gives the following explanation.”
Sutra 2.3.51
pradeśād iti cen nāntarbhāvāt || – “If it is said that this is because of environment, then the answer is: No, because there is another reason.”
Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s comment: tat-prāpter apy adṛṣṭāpekṣatvenādṛṣṭāntarbhāvāt pradeśād ekadeśa-sthitānām api vaicitrī-darśanāc ca ||51||
“The other reason mentioned here is the differing adrstas (results of karma) of the individual spirit souls. The differences here cannot be attributed to different environments, for souls in the same environment often manifest great differences.”
People often say “you are a product of your environment”. It is true that environment can also influence our conditioned nature, likes and dislikes as we go on to experience different things within that environment, however Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu denies that all differences are due to the environment because souls in the same environment often display different qualities and behaviour. These differences between jivas are due to our adrsta karma.
Conclusion:
Acarya Baladeva has stated very clearly that the jivas are of the same nature (svarupa-sāmya) in sutra 2.3.49. He then discusses that any differences seen in jivas are due to the jivas’ own activities and subsequent results (adrsta/karma). Again, 2.3.49 is saying that the jivas have different adristas or spiritual fortunes having worshipped differently. So worshiping or bhakti creates differences.
Hence through these explanations he confirms that the baddha jivas’ svarupas are uniform by nature.
Sri Madhavacarya who influenced Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu greatly as is evident throughout many of Acarya Baladeva’s works (Govinda Bhasya, Gita Bhusana tika of Bhagavad Gita, Prameya Ratnavali etc) does indeed accept intrinsic differences within the svarupa of baddha jivas. Although Acarya Baladeva follows Sri Madhavacarya on many points of siddhanta, it is clear that he disagrees with various other explanations. One of these is that the baddha jivas have a hierarchy or gradation based on intrinsic qualities in their svarupa. The next Chapter will discuss this at length.
(4) Acarya Baladeva’s Prameya Ratnavali –
(The necklace of truth jewels)
(a) Hierarchy of jivas is based on accomplishment alone
Here, Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu will discuss the concept of jiva taratamya (gradation/hierarchy between jivas). This is part of Prameya Ratnavali’s ṣaṣṭha-prameyam (Sixth Truth).
(1.6) atha jīvānāṁ tāratamyam – “Now the hierarchy among jivas”.
aṇu-caitanya-rupatva-jñānitvādy-aviśeṣataḥ | sāmye saty api jīvānāṁ tāratamyaṁ ca sādhanāt || 1.6.1 ||
“Even though they are equal because they are without difference in matters like being of the nature of minute consciousness and possessing discrimination/the ability to acquire knowledge, there is a hierarchy among living beings due to their accomplishments.”
Acarya Baladeva says the jivas are equal and without any speciality/difference (aviśeṣataḥ) in regards to their intrinsic qualities such as minute consciousness, possessing discrimination etc. However hierarchy (tāratamya), in other words difference, is only due to their achievements. Which was echoed in the previous chapter discussing Govinda Bhasya also. Also, see part 6, page 16 of this article to see how Jiva Gosvami explains the jnana “knowledge” of the jiva.
evaṁ sāmye’pi vaiṣamyam aihikaṁ karmabhiḥ sphuṭam | prāhuḥ pāratrikaṁ tat tu bhakti-bhedaiḥ sukovidaḥ || 1.6.2 ||
“Thus even though there is equality [among jivas] (evaṁ sāmye’pi), this worldly inequality (vaiṣamyam aihikaṁ) is clearly manifested by their actions (karmabhiḥ sphuṭam).
But the wise proclaim there is that [inequality] in the next world too, through different types of bhakti.”
smṛtiś ca— yādṛśī bhāvanā yasya siddhir bhavati tādṛśī || iti || (kha) ||
Translation: “As is one’s meditation, so is one’s achievement.”
śāntyādyā rati-paryantā ye bhāvāḥ pañca kīrtitāḥ |
tair devaṁ smaratāṁ puṁsāṁ tāratamyaṁ mitho matam || 3 ||
“Of those persons remembering the Lord by those five feelings, from santa to madhurya, there is considered a hierarchy with respect to each other”.
Here, yet again Acarya Baladeva is making the point very clear that there is sameness (sāmya साम्य; equality, identity, likeness, equilibrium, normal condition, equability – Macdonnel Sanskrit dictionary) among all jivas, but that the worldly inequality (vaiṣamyam aihikaṁ) is clearly due to their karma. Yet again, even in the next world (meaning cit jagat, Vaikuntha, Goloka etc), there is inequality due to different types of Bhakti in the form of santa, dasya, sakhya etc.
In his commentary to Brhad Bhagavatamrta, Srila Sanatana Gosvami admits the same, that there are slight differences in the degrees of perfection in Vaikuntha for example. In his own tika, he says:
“In the opinion of some Vaiṣṇavas, different qualities of devotional service earn their performers different degrees of perfection. Otherwise in Vaikuṇṭha there would be no meaningful distinction between the Lord’s eternal servants and newly liberated devotees. In this verse Nārada agrees that although all devotees enjoy the ecstasy of worshiping Lord Nārāyaṇa there are minor differences in what various devotees achieve in Vaikuṇṭha. Some devotees seem to have more intimate relationships with Lord Nārāyaṇa than do others. And when the Lord descends to the earth and other material planets, select devotees are privileged to accompany Him. The truth is that there are no real differences in devotional achievement, only different individual services. If some Vaiṣṇavas insist on the idea of different degrees of perfection, that idea may be granted, but the differences are insignificant.” – End of Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s comment to Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.195.
5) Krsna Prema is a gift and not inherent within the jiva’s svarupa
Another belief that is prevalent among devotees is that Krsna prema is inherent within the nature (svarupa) of the jiva. However, bhakti is the nature of svarupa sakti and the jiva is tatastha sakti, therefore bhakti can’t be part of the jiva’s svarupa, since they are completely different saktis (see section 6).
Acintya-bheda-abheda tattva (inconceivable oneness and difference) is an explanation to show the relationship between Bhagavan and his saktis and not to show the relationship between different saktis in reference to one another. For example, the bahiranga sakti (maya) never makes factual contact with the tatastha sakti jiva, nor is maya inherent within the svarupa of the jiva. They are all distinct. However, both maya sakti and svarupa sakti have the power to overwhelm the jiva due to its minuteness.
(a) The Nitya siddha krsna prema verse
Let us now turn to the most often cited verse, since this is where the root of the confusion begins. The following is an ISKCON translation:
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya – Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 22.107
nitya-siddha – eternally established; kṛṣṇa-prema – love of Kṛṣṇa; sādhya – to be gained; kabhu – at any time; naya – not; śravaṇa-ādi – by hearing, etc.; śuddha – purified; citte – in the heart; karaye udaya – awakens.
Translation (given in ISKCON and Gaudiya Math in general):
“Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.”
Discussion: The verse does not say that prema is “eternally established in the hearts of the living entities.” Nor does it say “It is not something to be gained from another source.” It merely says that Krishna Prema is eternally perfect (nitya-siddha) and it arises (udaya) in the heart/consciousness (śuddha-citte) which has been purified by śravaṇādi (hearing etc) or that prema comes from the nitya-siddha devotees.
Sadhya kabhu naya, means that bhakti is self-manifest and independent. It is not under the control of anything else, nor is it created or caused by anything else, be it karma, good fortune or any other particular act as Bhakti would then become subservient to that particular thing. There is no equation where one performs X to achieve the result Y. Nor is it actually generated by sadhana. Visvanatha Cakravarti explains this independent and causeless nature of Bhakti Devi at length in the beginning of Madhurya Kadambini.
Translation and meaning given by Srila Narayana Maharaja (Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu-Bindhu) and all other traditional Gaudiya Vaisnavas:
“Krsna prema is eternally perfect (nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema) and it can not be generated by anything (sādhya’ kabhu naya). It arises within the heart that has become purified by practices such as hearing, etc (śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya)”
Again, the understanding is that prema bhakti (sadhya – that which is to be attained) is not created by sadhana bhakti. Prema bhakti is not like that, it is eternally perfect and is the nature of the svarupa sakti which comes into the heart of the sadhaka. If it were dormant, we would find use of the word jagrita (awaken) and not arise (udaya) in the sloka. Or the sastra could use the terms supta/nidrita prema (sleeping prema) to indicate the stage before it awakes. Rather there is no such explanation because prema arises in the heart, just like the moon in the night sky.
This verse relates to a verse in Bhakti rasamrta sindhu
Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami in his Caitanya Caritamrta usually cites a Sanskrit verse and then composes a Bengali verse translation of it. This “nitya siddha krsna prema” verse is no different. In this chapter, just 2 verses prior, he has quoted Rupa Goswami’s original Sanskrit verse from Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu. We will now look at the commentaries of the verse to confirm our understanding.
tatra sādhana-bhaktiḥ – “Now sadhana bhakti will be defined”:
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā |
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā || – BRS 1.2.2
“Devotion which is enacted through the senses and which leads
to the self-manifestation of bhāva-bhakti, is called sādhana-bhakti.
The self-manifestation within the heart [of the practitioner] of the eternally existing transcendental affect of devotion (bhāva) is known as the completion stage of devotion.”
(Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu 1.2.2)
Srila Jiva Gosvami’s Durgama sangamani commentary:
bhāvasya sādhyatve kṛtrimatvāt parama-puruṣārthatvābhāvaḥ syād ity āśaṅkyāha—nityeti | bhagavac-chakti-viśeṣa-vṛtti-viśeṣatvenāgre sādhayiṣyamāṇatvād iti bhāvaḥ
“A doubt may arise that since this state is achieved [sadhya], implying that it is artificially produced, it is not the ultimate goal. The second line responds to this doubt by saying that is is eternal, and simply appears within the heart. That is because its appearance [and not its creation] will be accomplished in the future by the special actions of the most excellent transformations [samvit and hladini aspects] of Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti [which are perfect and eternal].
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Bhakti sara pradarsini commentary:
tena dharmārthādi-puruṣārthāntara-sādhaka-bhaktiś ca parākṛtā, uttamāyā eva upakrāntatvāt | bhāvādīnāṁ sādhyatve kṛtrimatvāt parama-puruṣārthatvābhāvaḥ syād ity āśaṅkyāha—nityeti | bhāvasyety upalakṣaṇaṁ śravana-kīrtanādayo’pi grāhyāḥ | teṣām api karṇa-jihvādau prākaṭya-mātram, yathā śrī-kṛṣṇo vasudeva-gṛhe’vatatāra | bhaktīnāṁ bhagavac-chakti-vṛtti-viśeṣatvenāgre sādhayiṣyamāṇatvād iti bhāvaḥ
“This may give rise to the fear that, though bhava bhakti has been mentioned as supreme, it may not actually be the supreme goal of human endeavour, because it is created by sadhana or achieved [i.e. it is not eternal]. The answer is given in the second line. This bhava is eternal, and merely appears within the heart of the devotee. Bhava also includes hearing, chanting and other actions [not just emotions]. These actions of bhava [limbs of bhakti] also appear on the tongue or in the ear, but are not created, just as Krsna appears in the house of Vasudeva. The emotions and actions of bhava are all eternal and spiritual and not material because their appearance in the future will be accomplished by the extraordinary actions of the most excellent transformations [samvit and hladini] of Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti.”
Mukunda dasa Goswami’s Artha-ratnalpa-dipika commentary:
This 3rd popular commentator and disciple of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami states that the term “nitya-siddhasya bhavasya” in the BRS 1.2.2 sloka here means the bhava of the nitya siddha associates of Bhagavan and not that it is within the jiva or “pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities”.
Satyanarayana dasa Babaji (disciple of Sri Haridas Sastriji Maharaja) from Gadadhara parivara confirms this and says in this regard: “Mukunda Das Gosvāmī clearly writes that nitya-siddha bhāva here refers to the bhāva of nitya-siddha bhaktas”.
Mukunda dasa Gosvami says: nitya-siddha-bhakteṣu śuddha-sattva-viśeṣa-rupatayā sadā vartamānasyātra svayaṁ sphuraṇān na kṛtrimatva-śaṅkā) – “The pure sattva which is ever present in the nitya siddha devotees manifests itself [in the heart of the practitioner devotee] and thus should not be seen as artificial.” Visvanatha Cakravarti further confirms, “That is because by the association of devotees, the sprout of bhakti, which is very rare, appears.” – BRS 1.2.228.
CONCLUSION:
So we can see here that this nitya siddha prema is that which belongs to Bhagavan’s associates and not that which lies dormant in the hearts of conditioned jivas. This prema then enters (arises) in our hearts just as Krsna appeared in the prison where Vasudeva and Devaki were being held as per Visvanath Cakravarti’s tika. It was never there, nor was it created. It is simply the eternally perfect bhava of Bhagavan’s associates that enters the heart of fortunate jivas.
(b) Guru and Krsna give the seed of devotion
Another supporting verse (using the ISKCON translation):
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja –
Caitanya caritamrta, Madhya 19.151
brahmāṇḍa bhramite—wandering in this universe; kona—some; bhāgyavān—most fortunate;jīva—living being; guru—of the spiritual master; kṛṣṇa—of Kṛṣṇa; prasāde—by the mercy; pāya—gets; bhakti-latā—of the creeper of devotional service; bīja—the seed.
Translation: “Wandering throughout the Universe, some (kona) fortunate (bhagyavan) jivas by the mercy of Guru and Krishna receive (pāya) the seed of the devotional plant/creeper (bhakti lata bija).”
Comment: If the seed were already present within the jiva, there would be no need to receive it.
(c) Jīvera ‘svarupa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ verse
jīvera ‘svarupa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
– Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.108
Translation of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami
“It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa because he is the marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa and a manifestation simultaneously one with and different from the Lord”.
This verse is also often cited to show that the jiva has an inherent rasa or inherent siddha deha (spiritual body suitable for lila). Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami has perfectly translated this verse and indeed shown the the jiva’s constitutional position (nature/svarupa) is that of being an eternal servant (nitya dasa). Why is this? The next line answers, kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’ , because the jiva is part of Krsna, being known as Krsna’s tatastha sakti (intermediary potency).
Krsna is the possessor of various saktis (saktimana) and the jiva (tatastha sakti) is possessed by Him. This is why the pure nature (svarupa) of the jiva is to be known as a servant of Krsna. The parts are meant to serve the whole. That is the real condition of the jiva.
Prameya Ratnavali
Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Prameya Ratnavali also confirms this. In the fifth prameya (pañcama-prameyam) he wishes to establish that all living beings are servants of Hari.
pādme ca jīva-lakṣaṇe—
dāsa-bhuto harer eva nānyasyaiva kadācana ||
Translation: “And in the definition of the jiva in the Padma Purana: “The servant of Hari alone, not ever of any other.”
iti prameya-ratnāvalyāṁ jīvānāṁ bhagavad-dāsatva-prakaraṇaṁ nāma
pañcama-prameyam
Translation: “Thus ends the Fifth Truth entitled: The Living Beings are Servants of Hari”.
Other Vaisnava explanations
Sri Vyasatirtha of the Dvaita Sampradaya says: जीवगणा हरेरनुचराः (jīvagaṇāḥ hareranucarāḥ) – the soul-classes are servants of Hari. – Vyasatirtha’s Prameya sloka.
Sri Madhvacarya says that there are two primary tattvas or categories of reality: (1) Svatantra (Independent reality), which is Bhagavan Visnu alone. (2) Paratantra (dependent reality), which is the inert universe (jada) and jivas. Therefore the jiva’s are of the nature of hari dasatva – servanthood of Hari.
Even in Brahma Sayujya, dasatva is never lost
Question: But one objection is that since the natural state of every jiva is to serve Krishna (jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa), how is it that the jiva can stay contented in the state of sayujya-mukti since there is no conception of serving the Lord in that state of existence?
Answer: You can understand that his svarupa has the potential to do seva, but he is not doing seva. Just as if you have a servant and he is sleeping, so you do not say that he is not a servant because he is not doing seva. Although he is sleeping, his identity is still that of a servant. So svarupa is the potential, and that potential may be active or inactive. In our conditioned state also, we do not serve, yet our svarupa is dasa. – (http://www.jiva.org/suyujya-mukti-and-bliss-in-brahman/)
“In Anuccheda 19 of Paramatma Sandarbha the jiva is described as anu (atomic). Anu in Indian Philosophy is the smallest particle which is both formless and indivisible. Anu has no parts and thus it is indivisible. The word svarupa in sanskrit can mean one’s own form (sva-rupa), or nature. The first meaning is not applicable because atma is anu. That is why Krsna says in the Gita that atma is avyakta and acintya. Therefore svarupa means nature” – Satyanarayana dasa Babaji
Otherwise if we continue taking the meaning of svarupa in all cases as form (physical or spiritual), then when Acarya Baladeva says that all the jivas are svarupa-sāmya in Govinda Bhasya 2.3.49, are we to conclude that all the jivas have the form of a Gopi for example? Or that all the jivas have the same inherent inclination for madhurya rasa to give another example? This faulty rigid definition of svarupa will make the explanations of our sastra absurd. This is indeed why Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami himself even translates svarupa as “constitutional position” as shown above, instead of form as do many others, both Vaisnava and non-Vaisnava.
Note: Dictionary definitions of svarupa स्वरूप: appearance, looks, learned, pleasing, having one’s own peculiar form or character, wise, having a like nature or character, handsome, like, similar, form or shape, own condition, nature, event, name of a place, quality, peculiarity, texture, character, one’s own form or shape.
Spoken Sanskrit dictionary: http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=svarUpa&script=&direction=SE&link=yes
Monier Williams dictionary: http://sanskrit.inria.fr/MW/308.html#svaruupa
(6) The siddha deha is not present as a seed in the jiva
Siddha deha also referred to as Cita deha, Lila deha, Bhava deha or Sevapayogi Deha in various sastra and sampradayas is the perfected transcendental (aprakrta) body that is suitable to serve Bhagavan directly. Some may also refer to it as svarupa, however since the term svarupa has other definitions such as nature, condition or characteristics, we will consistently use the term Siddha deha throughout our discussion. In agreement with the traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava lineages, Radhakund Mahanta Srila Ananta dasa Babaji reveals that the Siddha deha is something that is external to the atma and is ultimately bestowed by Bhagavan.
Currently, there is another theory present where we can find the following statements:
“The jiva has its own svarupa. Inherent is its name, shape and everything else are eternal. Among the various individual jivas, each has its own svarupa.”
“The constitutional name, form, members area, the nature and everything is included in a latent or unmanifest in the constitution of the jiva.”
“Their particular features are not directly manifest in the seed, but still the seedling and the tree with its leaves, branches, fruits, flowers and flavour are present in the seed in an unmanifest form. We never see a deviation from this.”
“In the very same way, everything – the jiva`s constitutional name, form, bodily limbs and nature – are present in an unmanifest form within him.”
Unfortunately, this example of the unmanifest seed-form of the jiva´s siddha deha is nowhere found in any shastra of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana, nor in any other writings of our acaryas (see paragraphs 1 – 4).
The siddha deha is an expansion of the Supreme Lord. It is a manifestation of His inner potency or svarupa sakti.
In fact, the siddha dehas for manjaris are actually expansions of Srimati Radhika.
vaikunthasya bhagavato jyotir-amsa-bhuta
vaikuntha-loka-sobha-rupa ya ananta murtayas
tatra vartante tasam ekaya saha muktasyaikasya murtir bhagavata kriyata iti
vaikuntasya murtir iva murtir yesham ity uktam
(Priti Sandarbha 10)
“In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms. They all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. With each one of those forms, the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul.”
akara svabhava-bhede vraja-devi-gana
kaya-vyuha-rupa tanra rasera karana
( CC 1.1.79)
“The multitude of Vraja-gopis have various natures (svabhava). They are the forms of Her bodily expansions (kaya-vyuha-rupa) and Her instruments for creating rasa.”
Like shown in the first paragraph, the jiva is of tatastha sakti. There can be no trace of svarupa sakti “within” the jiva.
The siddha deha is an eternal reality. It is not something that can “grow” from a seedling to a full-grown “person”.
When we take birth in prakat-lila (manifest pastimes), our “growing-up” is a divine arrangement orchestrated by Yogamaya.
The jiva is not “pregnant” with the seed of an eternal spiritual body.
Like mentioned also in paragraph (1), the eternal energies are not “within” each other…
Svarupa sakti can imbue tatastha sakti, but it is not “already” in a seed form “within” the tatastha sakti. If there would be a siddha deha in seed-form within the jiva, that would mean that maya sakti can cover svarupa sakti. But svarupa sakti cannot be covered by maya. Only tatastha sakti falls prey to maya. Svarupa sakti coming under the sway of maya is tantamount to Sri Krsna Himself becoming conditioned by maya.
In regards to the “pregnancy”.
What would happen if a jiva merges with Brahman and thereby loses its individuality if everything were fixed, inherent and preordained as a seed? How can one even leave eternal brahman mukti?
Impossible scenario. Brahman mukti means final (ETERNAL) liberation. So the poor seed would never get a chance to sprout!
Nobody falls down from the spiritual world. Nobody falls down from Brahman-merging.
In fact, like mentioned in the paragraph by Srila Jiva Goswami, the siddha deha is BESTOWED by Krishna and ATTAINED by the jiva.
Jiva Goswami is one of the most authoritative acaryas in the Gaudiya sampradaya. He gave the philosophical and theological basis to our sampradaya in works such as the Sat Sandarbha. Priti sandarbha is the last of these 6 books.
(a) Priti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 10.
Jiva Goswami cites Bhagavata 3.15.14, “vasanti yatra puruṣāḥ sarve vaikuṇṭha-murtayaḥ ye’nimitta-nimittena dharmeṇārādhayan harim” which means “In the Vaikuṇṭha planets all the residents are similar in form to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They all engage in devotional service to the Lord without desires for sense gratification.”
Jiva Goswami himself then comments:
vaikuṇṭhasya bhagavato jyotir-aṁśa-bhutā vaikuṇṭha-loka-śobha-rupā yā anantā murtayas tatra vartante tāsām ekayā saha muktasyaikasya murtir bhagavatā kriyata iti vaikuṇṭasya murtir iva murtir yeṣām ity uktam
TRANSLATION: “In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms; they all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. Of these forms, Bhagavān gives one form to each liberated soul. Their form is like the one of Lord Vaikuṇṭha (Visnu).”
In his commentary of Narottama dasa Thakura’s Sri Prema Bhakti Candrika, Radha Kunda mahanta, Ananta dasa Babaji cites this verse in his Sudha Kanika Vyakhya commentary to verse 56. He states the following: “There are two kinds of associates of the Lord in the Supreme Abode, one that is engaged in the Lord’s direct service, and the other that is eternally present in innumerable transcendental, yet non-functioning forms, that are like sparks from the Lord’s radiant form and are the treasures of Vaikuntha-loka’s beauty. Each of the innumerable jivas is an eternal servant of the Lord, and each of them is staying in the abode of the Lord in a body that is suitable for the Lord’s service. By the grace of bhakti one becomes qualified for the service of the Lord and by the Lord’s grace that body will be attained.”
Further Discussion:
Here we can see that Jiva Goswami says that there are actually unlimited forms present there (ananta murtayas tatra vartante) and that Bhagavan gives one of these to the liberated soul. These divine forms are present there in the form of bhagavato jyotir-amsa – portions of light that are the splendour of Bhagavan. Some devotees had previously expressed some doubt that the siddha dehas were perhaps created by Bhagavan at that time and then awarded to the liberated jiva.
However, the fact that Jiva Goswami says there are unlimited forms present there, means they are not. Transcendental objects are eternal. This is clear from Ananta dasa Babaji’s commentary.
For more analysis, here is a short discussion between Advaita dasa (Advaita Acarya parivara initiated Vaisnava) and Krsna dasa, an expert in Sanskrit discussing this verse in detail:
Advaita dasa: I am getting my doubts about the word kriyata here. Some people say that this word means that Krishna is creating a spiritual body for the soul here.”
Krishna dasa: “The root kṛ in Sanskrit can actually have any meaning, it does not mean just “create”. It is akin to the English “do”. One can express every activity with it. Kriyate in the passage does not mean that the spiritual body is created. The text itself says that murtayas tatra vartante, they are there eternally, tāsām (out of them) ekayā saha (with one) muktasya (of the liberated) ekasya (of theone) murtir (body) bhagavatā (by the Lord) kriyate (assign), i.e. the Lord awards one of the bodies that eternally reside in Vaikuṇṭha (in an inactive state) to the liberated one. vaikuṇṭasya murtir iva murtir yeṣām, the body that one is given is similar (iva) to that of Lord Vaikuṇṭha. Jīva Goswamī wants to explain that one achieves bhagavat-tulyatvam at the stage of utkrānta-mukti (gone forth or out, gone over or beyond, passed, surpassed, trespassing, exceeding – Monier Williams) by quoting the Bhāgavata verse (3.15.14 vasanti yatra puruṣāḥ) there (utkrānta-mukti-daśāyāṁ tu teṣāṁ bhagavat-tulyatvam evāha). There is nothing like that that the spiritual body is created at some time. It is eternal. It is aprākṛta. The fact itself should make it clear that it can’t be created. “
Bhanu Swami’s translation of this section of Priti Sandarbha also agrees with this understanding:
“Unlimited forms (murtayah), portions of light of the Lord (Vaikuntha), forms of the splendour of Vaikuntha-loka (vaikuntha-murtayah), reside there. The Lord using one among these forms (associates) makes the form of a liberated soul.” and “I was supplied with a body by the Lord who had promised to give such a body. That body was pure, devoid of material contamination (suddham) and an amsa of the light, which is an amsa of the Lord (bhagavatim).”
(Bhanu Swami’s translation of Anuccheda 10)
This bestowal of the siddha deha is supported throughout the Srimad Bhagavatam:
tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja
āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām
yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti
tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.9.11)
“O Lord! You, who are approached by being heard about, seen and directly served, enter and remain in the lotus of your devotee’s hearts infused with bhakti-yoga. Much praised Lord! By your mercy, you bestow to them spiritual bodies appropriate to the mood they cultivate during sādhana.”
Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains – te sādhaka-bhaktāḥ sva sva bhāvānurūpaṁ yad yad dhiyā bhāvayanti tat tad eva vapus teṣāṁ siddha dehaṁ praṇayase prakarṣeṇa tān prāpayasi aho te sva bhakta pāravaśyam iti bhāvaḥ –
“Or your devotees doing sādhana concentrate on their spiritual form according to their mood of love using their minds, and you have them attain (praṇayase) their spiritual bodies. You become dependent on your devotee.”
There are many instances where the Bhagavata reveals to us that the siddha deha is bestowed on the jiva as a great gift brought by Bhagavan.
THE CASE OF NARADA MUNI
prayujyamāne mayi tāṁ śuddhāṁ bhāgavatīṁ tanum |
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ ||
(SB 1.6.28)
“Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Lord, the body made of five material elements, with karmas relating to the present body, fell away.”
Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s commentary
tāṁ pūrvoktāṁ hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ gantā maj-janatām asi [bhā.pu. 1.6.24] iti bhagavatā pratiśrutāṁ śuddhām śuddha-sattvayam yato bhāgavatīṁ na tu māyikīṁ tanuṁ prati mayi prayujyamāne bhagavataiva nīyamāne sati mama pāñcabhautiko deho nyapatat | goṣu duhyamānāsu gata iti dohana-gamanayor iva mama bhautika-deha-tyāga-cinmaya-deha-prāptyos tulya-kālatvam evābhūd ity arthaḥ | hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokam iti bhavad-uktau ktvā-pratyayas tulya-kāla eva – transliteration of Cakravartipada’s tika of Bhagavata 1.6.28
“The Lord previously promised (hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ gantā maj-janatām asi) giving up this low body you will become my associate. (SB 1.6.23 or 24 depending on edition) At the time of being made to accept a body which was suddha-sattva (śuddhām) because it was not a material body (na tu māyikīṁ tanuṁ) and because it belonged to the Lord (bhāgavatīṁ), my material body (pāñcabhautiko deho) fell away. Giving up my material body and attaining a spiritual body were simultaneous (mama bhautika-deha-tyāga-cinmaya-deha-prāptyos tulya-kālatvam), like theexpression “I am walking while the cows are being milked.” The use of of the verb form hitva (giving up the material body) in this case indicates simultaneously giving up the material body while receiving the spiritual body.”
Srila Jiva Goswami and the foremost and earliest extant commentator on the Bhagavatam, Sridhara Swami whom Sri Caitanya had so much respect for have both explained that the word prayujyamāne in this verse means bhāgavata nīyamānā, brought by the Lord. The Sanskrit word nīyamānā ननयममनम is defined as being brought. This can be clearly seen in Jiva Goswami’s PritiSandarbha, Anucchedas 11 and 12. Therein Jiva Gosvami states that the devotee is given a spiritual body by Bhagavan and that Sridhara Swami also confirms this. Jiva Gosvami says, “iti ya tanuh sri-bhagavata datum pratijnata” – Anuccheda 11, Priti Sandarbha
TRANSLATION: “The Lord promises (in SB 1.6.28) to give (dātu) the devotee a spiritual body”
The key word here is dātuṁ in this comment of Jiva Goswami. दमत (dātuṁ) means, to give, to gift or present someone with something.
Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami himself also translates the word dātum as the act of giving in SB 8.19.28. ity uktaḥ sa hasann āha, vāñchātaḥ pratigṛhyatām, vāmanāya mahīṁ dātuṁ, jagrāha jala-bhājanam –
“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead had thus spoken to Bali Mahārāja, Bali smiled and told him, ‘All right. Take whatever you like.’ To confirm his promise to give (dātuṁ) Vāmanadeva the desired land, he then took up his waterpot.”
Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada has also stated in his tika that the spiritual body is acquired (cinmaya-deha-prāptyos).
Thereafter, in Anuccheda 12, Sri Jiva quotes Gajendra in SB 8.3.19: rāty api deham avyayaṁ – “The Lord sometimes even gives (rāty) an immortal body.” We will discuss this in more detail in the next section.
Thus we have confirmed that the words used by the sastra and acaryas such as dātuṁ, prayujyamāne, prāptyos and nīyamānā can not refer to an inherent siddha deha that manifests from within, but rather that the siddha deha is a blessing of Guru and Krishna. It is a gift given from them and not already present within the jivatma.
THE PRAYERS OF GAJENDRA
yaṁ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā bhajanta iṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuvanti kiṁ cāśiṣo rāty api deham avyayaṁ karotu me ’dabhra-dayo vimokṣaṇam – Bhagavatam 8.3.19
Word for word:
yam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead who; dharma-kāma-artha-vimukti-kāmāḥ — persons who desire the four principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and salvation; bhajantaḥ — by worshiping;iṣṭām — the objective; gatim — destination; āpnuvanti — can achieve; kim — what to speak of; ca — also; āśiṣaḥ— other benedictions; rāti — He bestows; api — even; deham — a body; avyayam — spiritual; karotu — may He bestow benediction; me — unto me; adabhra-dayaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unlimitedly merciful; vimokṣaṇam — liberation from the present danger and from the material world.
TRANSLATION by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami: “After worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, those who are interested in the four principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation obtain from Him what they desire. What then is to be said of other benedictions? Indeed, sometimes the Lord gives a spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unlimitedly merciful, bestow upon me the benediction of liberation from this present danger and from the materialistic way of life.”
Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s commentary
kintv āśiṣaḥ kāmitān arthān api rāti dadāti | avyayam aprākṛtaṁ dehaṁ ca dhruvādibhya iva dadāti, ataḥ sa adabhra-dayaḥ, analpa-kṛpā-rāśiḥ | vimokṣaṇaṁ grāhāt saṁsārāc ca karotu | nitya-siddha-dehaṁ ca prema-bhaktiṁ ca dadātv iti bhāvaḥ – transliteration of Cakravartipada’s tika of Bhagavata 8.3.19
TRANSLATION:
“He [Bhagavan] also gives the material objects they desire. He also gives a spiritual body, as he gave to Dhruva and others (avyayam aprākṛtaṁ dehaṁ ca dhruvādibhya iva dadāti). Thus he is unlimitedly merciful. May he liberate me from the crocodile and samsara, and give me a spiritual body and prema bhakti (nitya-siddha-dehaṁ ca prema-bhaktiṁ ca dadātv iti bhāvaḥ).”
Discussion:
Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami has again translated the word rāti as “He bestows” in the word for word section and he has clearly stated that “sometimes the Lord gives a spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers”. Furthermore, in his purport to this verse, he goes on to say:
“It is recommended that whatever one’s position — whether one demands no material profit, all material profit or ultimately liberation — one should offer his obedient devotional service to the Lord, and one will get what he desires. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham. The Lord reciprocates. Whatever even an ordinary living entity wants, Kṛṣṇa gives. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone’s heart, and He gives that which is desired by the living entity.”
“The Lord gives everyone an opportunity to fulfil his ambitions. Even such a devotee as DhruvaMahārāja wanted the material benediction of a kingdom greater than that of his father, and although he received a spiritual body, he also got the kingdom, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not disappoint anyone who takes shelter of His lotus feet.” – End of Srila Swamiji’s purport
This passage from the Bhagavatam makes it clear that Bhagavan sometimes gives (rāti) a spiritual body (deham avyayaṁ). Avyayaṁ means inexhaustible, eternal, indestructible etc. The key word rāti in this verse is also defined thus in Sanskrit dictionaries: rāti रमतत Definition: a favour, grace,gift. Visvanatha Cakravartipada’s usage of the term dadāti (give, bestow, permit, offer, a gift) in relation to the siddha deha is also crystal clear.
AJAMILA ACCEPTS A SIDDHA DEHA
SB 6.2.43
hitvā kalevaraṁ tīrthe
gaṅgāyāṁ darśanād anu
sadyaḥ svarūpaṁ jagṛhe
bhagavat-pārśva-vartinām
“After seeing those forms, he gave up his body at this holy place on the Gaṅgā River and immediately attained a spiritual body as an associate of the Lord.”
Srinatha Cakravarti, a disciple of Advaita Acarya and Guru of Kavi Karnapura, comments on this verse in his Caitanya Mata Manjusa-tika:
ata eva darśayati —sadyaḥ svarūpaṁ jagṛhe bhagavat-pārśva-vartinām iti | sadyo’vyavadhānenaiva – sadya means seamlessly, (this happens) without a break, immediately. Therefore, the attainment of the siddha deha and the shedding of the material body takes place seamlessly/simultaneously. This verse is another example to show that the siddha deha has been received. It is coming from Bhagavan.
GOPA KUMAR REFUSES SARUPYA MUKTI IN BRHAD BHAGAVATAMRTA
In Sanatana Goswami’s Brhad Bhagavatamrta, in the Vaikuntha Nama chapter, there is a section wherein the residents of Vaikuntha offer to give Gopakumara a spiritual body like their own. They desire to give him a four armed Vishnu-like form that is suitable for residence in Vaikuntha. This is known as sarupya mukti (a form similar to Bhagavan – Visnu in this case).
sambhramāt praṇamantaṃ mām āśliṣyāśvāsayan muhuḥ aicchan sva-sadṛśaṃ rūpaṃ dātuṃ yukti-śatena te – Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.13
“As I reverently offered my obeisances, those associates of the Lord of Vaikuntha embraced me and reassured me again and again. Putting forward hundreds of arguments, they wished to give me a bodily form like theirs.”
Comment:
Sanatana Goswamipada further comments on this verse that they wanted to give him a four-armed form. The Vaikuntha-vasis said to him, “A human form is not appropriate in Vaikuntha. In such a form, you will not be happy here”. This is an example of one of the reasons they gave to Gopakumara to persuade him to accept their gift. The term dātuṁ (दमत) is also used here again. As established previously, it means “to give”.
tad asvī-kṛtya tu svīyaṃ govardhana-bhuvaṃ vapuḥ teṣāṃ prabhāvatas tādṛg- guṇa-rūpādy alambhayam – Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.14
TRANSLATION: “But I refused their offer, and instead, by their influence, my own body born in Govardhana assumed qualities and beauty like theirs.”
Comment:
Sanatana Gosvamipada explains in his own commentary to this verse, “Gopa-kumāra did not want to accept sārūpya-mukti, the form of liberation in which one’s body is virtually indistinguishable from that of Lord Nārāyaṇa. He was satisfied with the body of a resident of Govardhana. Nonetheless, his hosts blessed his body with qualities like theirs, making it eternal, purely spiritual, and effulgent. In addition, Gopa-kumāra gained the mystic powers to do whatever he might want, powers that all residents of Vaikuṇṭha naturally possess”. – End of Gosvamipada’s comment.
The residents of Vaikuntha made Gopa Kumara’s body completely spiritual and they gave him all the powers that they also naturally possess. One of these powers is that of being a satyasankalpa. This means that one’s desire is immediately fulfilled. This ability is also described in the next chapter dealing with the Vedanta Sutra.
We can also understand with the aid of these 2 verses that Gopa Kumara had no inherent fixed spiritual lila form (siddha deha) otherwise what sense would it make that the residents of Vaikuntha would offer to give him a four handed form similar to theirs if later, as we know Gopa Kumara attains the form of a Sakha (cowherd friend of Krsna)?
The translation and meaning of the above two verses has been confirmed by referring to 4 different translations of Brhad Bhagavatamrta.
Readers may request or look these up for themselves.
(1) Sri Brihat Bhagavatamritam by Bhakti Prajnana Yati Maharaja (Gaudiya Math, Madras) page 158.
(2) Prema Vilasa Dasa’s edition based on the hindi translation of Syamalala Hakim. Page 118.
(3&4) ISKCON editions of Brhad Bhagavatamrta – Kusakratha dasa and Gopiparanadhana dasa.
THE VEDANTA SUTRA – GOVINDA BHASYA COMMENTARY
This section of the Vedanta Sutra discusses the state of the mukta (liberated soul) in liberation, once they have given up their material body. We now turn to Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu’s own commentaries in his Govinda Bhasya.
Vedanta Sutra 4.4.12
ataḥ satya-saṅkalpatvād eva hetor ubhaya-vidhaṁ muktaṁ bhagavān bādarāyaṇo manyate ubhaya-vidha-vākya-darśanāt | tam avigrahaṁ sa-vigrahaṁ ca svīkarotīty arthaḥ | dvādaśāhavat | tathā dvādaśāhasya yajamānecchayāneka-yajamānakatve satratvam eka-yajamānakatve’hīnatvaṁ ca na virudhyate | tathā svecchayāvigrahatvaṁ sa-vigrahatvaṁ ca muktasyety arthaḥ |idam atra tattvam—muktāḥ khalu brahma-vidyayā saṁchinna-pidhānāḥ satya-saṅkalpāś ca bhavanti | teṣu ye vigrahādi-lipsavas te saṅkalpād eva tadvantaḥ syuḥ | sa ekadhety ādi śruteḥ | ye tu na tādṛśās te kila na tadvantaḥ | aśarīraṁ vāvety ādi śruteḥ | ye brāhmaṇa-vapuṣā nityaṁ brahmānuvṛttim icchanti, teṣāṁ tu tac-cic-chakti-mayaṁ tad āvirbhavatīti kil nityaṁ tadvantas tad anuvartanta iti mantavyam – transliteration of Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s sanskrit commentary.
Translation of the commentary: “Now, since (the liberated self) is satya-sankalpa (one whose desires are instantly fulfilled), Badarayana Rishi (Vyasadeva) thinks that the liberated self can be “of both kinds”, since we find Sruti statements to both effects.
The meaning is that he accepts that it can have a body or be without one. Just like the Dvadashaha sacrifice. According to the desire of the sponsor (yajamana) of the Dvadashaha, the sacrifice can be a Satra when it has many sponsors or an Ahina when there is only one sponsor. There is no contradiction here. The meaning is that in the same way, the liberated soul by its own will be without a body or accept a body. This is the truth — by Brahma-vidya, the liberated ones have cut away all coverings and become satya-sankalpas. Among them, those who desire a body become like that just by that desire, as the “he becomes one…” Sruti statement says (Chandogya 7.26.2). But those who are not like that will not become such (embodied), just as the “it is certainly bodiless” Sruti statement says (Chandogya 8.12.1).
ye brāhmaṇa-vapuṣā nityaṁ brahmānuvṛttim icchanti, teṣāṁ tu tac-cic-chakti-mayaṁ tad āvirbhavatīti kil nityaṁ tadvantas tad anuvartanta iti mantavyam – But for those who eternally wish to follow Brahman with a body of Brahman, it (Brahman) manifests (a body) made up of its Cit-sakti. The idea is that with such a body, they can eternally accompany it.” – End of Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s comments.
Comment:
The last comments are especially illuminating in that it is said that Brahman (The Supreme, Krishna) manifests a brāhmaṇa-vapuṣā nityaṁ, eternal spiritual body through his own cit sakti. Therefore it is a gift from the Supreme Brahman and not inherent within the atma.
There are several other Vedanta commentaries available in English such as those by
Ramanujacarya, Nimbarkacarya and his follower Srinivasa wherein it states that the siddha deha is something newly acquired by the jiva. Evidence from these texts and their followers will be provided upon request.
(7) The siddha deha is not within the bhakti-lata-bija
First of all, there is no seed-form of the siddha deha (see paragraphs 1 – 4 and 6 above).
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva;
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-lata-bīja
māli hoiyā kare sei bīja āropaṇa;
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale koroye secana
“When a living entity while wandering throughout the universe in different species, attains good fortune by the causeless mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, then only he can get the seed of the wish-fulfilling bhakti creeper. He becomes a gardener who received the seed and waters it by hearing and chanting of Kṛṣṇa.”
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.151-51)
Although Śrīman Mahāprabhu mentions the seed of the vine of devotion here, He did not specify it. In the Laghu-toṣaṇī commentary of the Bhāgavata-verse bhavāpavargau bhramato yadā (10.51.35),
Śrīmad Jīva Gosvāmī describes:
sat saṅgamena ratyaṅkura rūpaiva matir jāyata iti – by the association of sādhus the desire to do kṛṣṇa bhajana appears. This is called mati and is the seed of the bhakti creeper.
Watering that seed with śravaṇa and kīrtana makes the bhakti creeper sprout in the field of the devotee’s senses. Favourable service to the Lord is the root of that creeper. The very life-force of bhakti is to give pleasure to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
(Srila Ananta das Babaji Maharaj)
The example of the bhakti-lata-bija is a most wonderful metaphor directly from the lotus mouth of Sriman Mahaprabhu. It is perfect in all respects. The seed is GIVEN and RECEIVED. GIVEN by someone who already has BHAKTI in his/her heart and RECEIVED by the jiva. The bhakti-lata-bija is not inherent in the jiva.
In his book Siddhanta-Ratna, Sripada Baladeva Vidyabhusana has written:
esa tu bhaktis tan-nitya-parikara-ganad
arabhyedanintanesv api tad-bhaktesu mandakiniva pracarati
sa tathabhuta nitya-dhamni nitya-parsadesu nityam cakasti
sura-sarid iva tad-bhakta-pranalya prapance’vatarati.
“This bhakti originates from Sri Hari’s eternal associates and appears like the Mandakini within the bhaktas. Bhakti always resides within the Lord’s eternal companions in the spiritual world and descends like the Mandakini River through the channel of Sri Krsna’s devotee into the material world.”
The Mandakini River flows from the lotus feet of Sri Bhagavan and purifies the heavens, the earth and the underworld. In the same way, bhakti, the essence of the Lord’s own cit-Sakti, descends from Sri Krsna through the channel of bhaktas (gurus and vaisnavas) into the hearts of the sadhakas of this world.
So, what grows within the jiva is the seed of bhakti. It is actually a transmission of spiritual energy. The bhakti-lata-bija is growing like a wonderful plant and reaches full bloom when PREMA is attained.
Sri Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu || 1.2.2 ||
tatra sādhana-bhaktiḥ—
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā |
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā ||
“Action of the senses, which produces the stage of bhava, is called sadhana-bhakti. This attained state of bhava-bhakti (sadhyata) is an eternal sthayi-bhava which is not created, but simply manifests within the soul by the spiritual energy of the Lord.”
Jiva Goswami´s tika:
Uttama-bhakti has been described in a general way. When bhakti is cultivated (sadhya) by actions (krti) of the senses, it is called sadhana-bhakti. Actions of the senses are included within the term bhakti in the same manner that preliminary purifying actions for performing sacrifice are included within the term “sacrifice,” though technically they are not part of the sacrifice. In order to distinguish this sadhana-bhakti from forms of bhakti that involve direct realization of the Lord, the word sadhya-bhava is used: sadhana ends with the attainment of bhava. Sadhana is that by which bhava and prema are achieved. Bhava is not included in sadhana. However, the sadhya-rupa or perfected form is also bhakti, being a part of it. The word sadhya-bhava (one meaning is “whose goal is bhava-bhakti” but another meaning is “achieving its goal”) in any case excludes other goals of human endeavor (artha, dharma, kama and moksa). This was already mentioned in the definition of uttama-bhakti (anyabhilasita-sunyam) which includes within it this present definition. A doubt may arise that since this state is achieved (sadhya), implying that it is artificially produced, it is not the ultimate goal. The second line responds to this doubt by saying that it is eternal, and simply appears within the heart. That is because its appearance (but not its creation) will be accomplished in the future by the special actions of the most excellent transformations (samvit and hladini) of Lord’s svarupa-sakti (which are perfect and eternal).
In the previous paragraph, we showed that the siddha deha is an eternal reality, an eternal existing form which is bestowed to the jiva when PREMA is attained. We also showed that we can nowhere in any shastra find that there is a siddha deha existing in a seed-like form. Therefore, the siddha deha can never be the same as the seed of bhakti.
The siddha deha is attained (bestowed by Krishna) when the bhakti-lata-bija attained the stage of fully bloomed PREMA.
Like already disproven, if the siddha deha was already there in a seed form or is bestowed in a seed form with the bhakti-lata-bija, the jiva would never be able able to merge with Brahman, which is an act of eternal consequences.
Neither bhakti, nor prema, nor the siddha is inherent in the form of the jiva. Only the POTENTIAL to RECEIVE bhakti, attain prema and a siddha deha according to the particular RASA a jiva wants to attain.
sevā sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi |
tad-bhāva-lipsunā kāryā vraja-lokānusārataḥ ||BRS 1.2.295||
Translation: Following after the inhabitants of Vraja, one should perform service in one’s physical body and in one’s siddha body, with a desire for a particular bhāva.
(8) The jiva’s ananda is simply freedom from misery
Another argument that is put forward in favour of the jiva inherently possessing Prema Bhakti and therefore the ananda that goes with that (bhaktyananda/the bliss of bhakti) is the notion that the jiva is sat-cit-ananda. This is then sometimes used to argue many different conclusions to show that the jiva naturally possesses omniscience, the ability to do anything (even create universes), the positive ananda of Bhakti and so on. However, in the Gaudiya Vedanta school of thought, this is not so. Srila Jiva Gosvami very carefully explains what all of these terms mean in relation to the jiva.
“One may raise the purvapakṣa (objection) that in Anuccheda 19 [of Paramatma Sandarbha], Jīva Gosvāmī has cited verses about the svarupa of a living being from Padma Purāṇa and Jamātṛ Muni of the Śrī Sampradāya. In these verses, the word cidānanda-ātmaka is used as one of the characteristics of the jīva. This means that the jīva has knowledge (cit) and bliss (ānanda) in him.
This, however, is not true, because while explaining this term in Anuccheda 28, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī writes that the meaning of the jīva being of the nature of cit, or jñāna, is that he is not inert [unconscious], and the meaning that he is of the nature of ānanda, or bliss, is that he is devoid [without] of suffering, tatra tasya jaḍa-pratiyogitvena jñānatvaṁ duḥkha-pratiyogitvena tu jñānatvam ānandatvam ca. In other words, the term cidānanda-ātmaka does not mean that the jīva is full of knowledge and bliss, as it is misunderstood sometimes. It means that he is devoid of inertness and suffering.” – Sri Satyanarayana dasa Babaji
(a) The jiva’s ananda is insignificant (kṣudratvāt) and not the ananda of bhakti
In Priti Sandarbha Anuccheda 65, Sri Jiva says, ato natarāṁ jīvasya svarupānanda-rupā, atyanta-kṣudratvāt tasya – “Nor can one consider the bliss existing in the form of the jiva [to be the cause of bliss for the Lord] because it is extremely minute.”
Note: This ānanda (bliss) of the jiva is called kṣudratvāt (extremely small or insignificant) here. We must remember that this means only duḥkha-pratiyogitvena, that the jiva’s ananda is simply freedom from suffering and not positive states of bliss such as brahmananda (bliss of sayujya mukti in Brahman) or bhaktyananda (the bliss of Bhakti).
Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.2.189 says, ataḥ svarupa-jñānena sādhye mokṣe ’lpakaṃ phalam – “In the liberation attained by knowledge of one’s own self [only realising one’s own atma], the result is insignificant.” Sanatana Gosvamipada further comments, “The sādhana of acquiring knowledge of the jīva, who is but a small part of Brahman [meaning the jiva is Bhagavan’s tatastha sakti], gives but a partial, insignificant result in liberation because the sādhana itself is only partial.”
b) Jivas gain positive bliss upon contacting Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti
Bhagavata Sandarbha Anuccheda 98.5 mentions, tataḥ svarupa-śaktyaiva pratyuta teṣāṁ sukhaika-pradā purṇā śaktir bhaviṣyatīti bhāvaḥ – “On the other hand, it is only by Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti that the energy of living beings will be completed, becoming excessively delightful.”
raso vai sah rasam hy evāyam labdhvānandī bhavati – “He Himself [Bhagavan] is rasa, the taste or mellow of a particular relationship. And certainly one who achieves this rasa becomes ānandī, filled with bliss.” – Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1
Therefore it is to be known that the jiva has the potential (svarupa yogyata) to acquire knowledge and bliss but not yet the functionality (phalopadhayi yogyata). To give an example, a child has the potential to be an athlete or a graduate, but that potential is not realized unless he practices on the track or goes to college and studies. In the same way, the jiva only attains positive bliss when it makes contact with Bhagavan’s svarupa sakti.
(c) Satyanarayana dasa Babaji on duḥkha-pratiyogitva and different types of ananda
Duḥkha-pratiyogitva
“If you want to see the meaning of pratiyogitva as absence, then please see the Sanskrit Dictionary by Apte. In the second entry under pratiyogin, it is explained how pratiyogi and absence are related as counterparts. This is common knowledge in Nyāya [Indian system of logic, epistemology etc]. In Nyāya, abhāva (absence or non-existence) is of two types: samsarga abhāva and anyonya abhāva.
The first type of abhāva has three divisions in it, prāg abhāva, pradhvamsa abhāva and atyanta abhāva. The counterpart of abhāva is called pratiyogi. The relationship between abhāva and pratiyogi is called pratiyogita. So it is in this sense, that Jīva Gosvāmī is using the word duḥkha-pratiyogitva to imply the absence of suffering. This is a very common meaning in Nyāya language. Anybody who has studied any book on Nyāya will understand this. If you want to know more about this term, please consult the famous Nyāya Koṣa (Dictionary of Nyāya-terminology) by Bhīmācārya Jhalkikar.”
Different types of ananda
Ananda (happiness), is of three types:
1. Material happiness [martyananda] is nothing but getting rid of suffering, i.e., when one is suffering from hunger, one feels happy by eating food, but once the pangs of hunger are satisfied, food does not give any more pleasure. This is indicated by Kṛṣṇa in verse 5.24 in Bhagavad Gītā. This type of happiness comes from sense objects.
2. The second type of happiness [svarupananda] is being situated in one’s own svarupa without any contact of sense objects. It is considered to be happiness because there is no suffering at this state, but it is also not a positive type of happiness. This is what Jīva Gosvāmī called kṣudra (insignificant) in Prīti Sandarbha 65. This is the happiness Jīva Gosvāmī calls duḥkha pratiyogitva because there is no suffering. It is has no viṣaya, or sense object. It is the happiness one experiences in deep sleep or dreamless sleep. In, this regard Srī Viśvanātha Cakravarti Thākura writes as follows while commenting on SB 6.16.55: “When the jīva sleeps, then in that state of deep sleep, the jīva experiences happiness which is beyond the guṇas and without any subject, by the grace of Paramātma (prasuktah puruṣo jīvo yadā svapaṁ veda tad eva susuktau ātmanah svasya nirgunam nirviṣayam sukhaṁ ca yena eva hetunā veda tam atmanam antaryāminam avehi).
3. The third type of ānanda is the happiness of bhakti [bhaktyananda]. It is this happiness of bhakti which makes the jīva complete.
In comparison to the third type [bhaktyananda] of happiness, the second type [svarupananda] is sometimes called “insignificant” and sometimes “absence of suffering”. The first type [martyananda, material happiness] is not even considered as “absence of suffering” but just suffering. Kṛṣṇa says that real happiness is beyond both so called happiness and suffering and suffering is the very desire for material happiness (SB11.19.41). The same is said in Yoga Sutra 2.15.
Hladini (the bliss giving potency) exists only in the Lord naturally
Jiva Gosvami makes the point in his 2nd Sandarbha, Bhagavat Sandarbha Anuccheda 99,
hlādinī sandhinī saṁvit tvayy ekā sarva-saṁśraye
hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite
“The one energy, having the three divisions of hlādinī (bliss), sandhinī (eternal existence) and saṁvit (knowing), exists only in You, the support of everything. But the energy that yields material happiness, misery and their mixture, does not abide in You, because You are free from the guṇas.” – Visnu Purana 1.12.69
vyākhyātaṁ ca svāmibhiḥ— hlādinī āhlāda-karī, sandhinī santatā, saṁvid vidyā-śaktiḥ | ekā mukhyā avyabhicāriṇī svarupa-bhuteti yāvat | sā sarva-saṁsthitau sarvasya samyak sthitir yasmāt tasmin sarvādhiṣṭhāna-bhute tvayy eva, na tu jīveṣu
“Sridhara Swami comments: “Hladini bestows delight, sandhini is existence, and samvit is the cognitive potency. Eka (one) means predominant, undeviating and intrinsic to the Lord’s essential nature. This energy is present in You only, the support of everything (sarva-saṁsthit), or in other words, the one from whom all things come into being. This potency, however, is not present in the living beings.”
(9) Knowledge of Bhagavan is not inherent within the jiva’s svarupa
Another commonly held idea is that all knowledge (omniscience) is within us. That it is part of our very nature as jivas due to the fact that we share some qualities with Bhagavan. Yet again however, we must stress that we are not similar to Bhagavan in all respects.
(a) Devoid of God Knowledge
While commenting on SB 1.7.5, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī writes that a conditioned jīva is devoid of jñāna of Bhagavān, jīvānām anādi-bhagavad-ajñānam. In these statements, the words abhāva and ajñānam very clearly point out that a jīva has no knowledge of Bhagavān or the Veda inherent in him. In fact, the very reason that māyā can overpower the jīva is because he lacks knowledge of Bhagavān. This knowledge has to be received from a qualified guru. This is the significance of the Bhāgavatam verse 11.22.10 anādy-avidyā-yuktasya puruṣasyātma-vedanam svato na sambhavād anyas tattva-jño jñāna-do bhavet.
Srila Jiva Gosvami states that knowledge of Bhagavan is not inherent within the jiva-atma. It is non-existent (abhava). Jiva Gosvami mentions a specific term used in Nyaya (logic) and Vaisesika philosophies (Some of the systems he studied when he was in Benaras) known as samsarga abhava (the non existence of association/union) between the two. In other words, knowledge of Bhagavan does not inherently exist within the jiva-atma.
The type of samsarga abhava Sri Jiva Gosvami refers to is technically called praga-abhava (pre-non existence). Praga abhava means the total non-existence of a thing prior to its production or presence. The non existence is beginningless (anadi) but has an end (santa). In the case of Bhagavad jnana (absolute awareness of Bhagavan), it is non existent within the living entity since beginningless time, but it’s non-existence has an end when Bhagavad jnana is attained.
References:
(1) Bhakti Sandarbha, Anuccheda 1: taṭastha-śakti-rupāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām api anādi-para-tattva-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhya
“The living entities that are tatastha sakti are covered by Bhagavan’s external potency maya because she finds in them the defect of obliviousness in the form of beginningless ignorance of the absolute reality.
(2) Priti Sandarbha of Jiva Gosvami, Anuccheda 1: atha jīvaś ca tadīyo’pi taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāva-yuktatvena tan-māyā-parābhutaḥ sann ātma-svarupa-jñāna-lopān māyā-kalpitopādhy-āveśāc cānādi-saṁsāra-duḥkhena sambadhyata iti paramātma-sandarbhādāv eva nirupitam asti
“Though the jiva belongs to the Lord, he is controlled by the Lord’s maya, since the jiva has no previous knowledge of the Lord. Because of absence of knowledge of his own svarupa as atma and acceptance of upadhis [coverings] made by maya, the jiva is completely covered with the suffering of beginningless samsara. This was described in Paramatma Sandarbha.”
(b) Two steps in knowledge of God
“Knowledge of Bhagavan has two steps, (1) the theoretical in the form of sabda [words and meaning of revealed scriptures] and (2) its actualization. When one has theoretical knowledge and has not realized it, one can still be influenced by Maya if one commits offence. However, once one has attained an experience of it, which happens after the state of bhava bhakti, then such a person cannot be influenced by Maya any more. ”
– Sri Satyanarayana dasa Babaji
(c) The Vedas are not within the jiva’s svarupa
Similar to the belief that knowledge of Bhagavan is inherent within the jiva is the belief that the Vedas are inherent within the atma. This is yet again, another fallacy that has no basis according to revealed sastra. And so again, we go through the process similar to “Neti Neti” – “Not this, not this”, in order to better understand the nature of atma according to Gaudiya Vedanta.
This belief stems from statements in the Bhagavata where it is said that Krsna established the Vedas in the form of omkara into the heart of the jiva, māyā upabṛṁhitam (SB 11.21.37). However, this nāda [sound] is not the Veda as it is known to us. It is an unproduced and inarticulate sound, anāhata nāda. The very fact that Kṛṣṇa establishes it there means that it is not there all the time. Furthermore, the commentaries confirm that it is established in the Mulādhāra Cakra (of the subtle body), which is not eternal, therefore it is not possible that nāda is there eternally in the svarupa of the jiva.
There are many other subtle points too and interested readers would do well to study the following 4 links wherein Satyanarayana dasa Babaji discusses these.
http://www.jiva.org/are-the-vedas-inherent-in-the-heart/
http://www.jiva.org/are-the-vedas-inherent-in-the-heart-2/
http://www.jiva.org/are-the-vedas-inherent-in-the-heart-3/
http://www.jiva.org/are-the-vedas-inherent-in-the-heart-4
(10) Inclination towards a particular rasa is caused by mercy alone
There are some Gaudiya Vaisnava practitioners having rejected most or all of the previously mentioned apasiddhanta, still hold onto the notion that conditioned jivas possess an inherent inclination towards a particular rasa. Due to constant correction of their ideas, they have to update their theories time and again in order to survive. Scriptural references are taken out of context. Whole paragraphs are added to the words of Acaryas. Secondary sources are pushed forward in favour of Primary evidence. This shall become clear as we look at the truth with the torchlight of our Sastra and Acaryas.
Objections and common questions
(a) Caitanya Mahaprabhu unable to change Murari Gupta’s rasa and others
Although everyone agrees that Murari Gupta is a nitya siddha associate of Bhagavan, some say that since Mahaprabhu and his associates displayed a sadhaka lila (lila of devotees in practise), the teaching of this lila is to show that one’s rasa or inclination for a particular rasa is inherent within the jiva and can not be changed. This is not a sensible conclusion based on the text and Mahaprabhu’s direct words in Caitanya Caritamrta.
Mahaprabhu attempts to persuade Murari Gupta
To recap (beginning CC Madhya 15.1.37 Bhaktivedanta edition), Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Murari Gupta the instruction, sei kṛṣṇa bhaja tumi, hao kṛṣṇāśraya kṛṣṇa vinā anya-upāsanā mane nāhi laya – “I then requested Murāri Gupta, ‘Worship Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of Him. But for His service, nothing appeals to the mind.”
Caitanya Mahaprabhu also gave sound reasoning for this instruction such as parama madhura, gupta, vrajendra-kumāra – “My dear Gupta, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-kumāra, is the supreme sweetness.” and svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa — sarvāṁśī, sarvāśrayaviśuddha-nirmala-prema, sarva-rasamaya – “Kṛṣṇa is Svayam Bhagavan, the origin of all incarnations and the source of everything. He is pure transcendental love itself, and He is the reservoir of all pleasure.”
Murari Gupta agreed to do this but was completely unable to follow the instruction of Mahaprabhu. Murari wept all night and didn’t know what to do. He could never give up the service of Sri Ramacandra but neither could he disobey the instruction of Mahaprabhu. In the morning, he explained his predicament to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu embraced him and glorified his one pointed devotion for Sri Ramacandra.
What does this pastime actually show us?
(1) The devotee must have firm faith and remain fixed in their seva to their isthadeva (chosen form of Bhagavan).
Mahaprabhu said to Murari Gupta, ei-mata sevakera prīti cāhi prabhu-pāya prabhu chāḍāileha, pada chāḍāna nā yāya – “The servitor must have love and affection for the lotus feet of the Lord exactly like this. Even if the Lord wants separation, a devotee cannot abandon the shelter of His lotus feet.” and ei-mata tomāra niṣṭhā jānibāra tare tomāre āgraha āmi kailuṅ bāre bāre – “Just to test your firm faith in your Lord, I requested you again and again to change your worship from Lord Rāmacandra to Kṛṣṇa.”
CC Madhya 15.154-155 Bhaktivedanta edition.
(2) Instructions/Injunctions and arguments do not persuade a bhakta who has sacred greed (lobha) away from their object of greed.
Mahaprabhu gave both instructions and arguments to Murari Gupta in order to persuade him to worship Krsna. However, our Gosvami sastra and their authentic followers reveal to us:
śāstrāl lobhāt tac-cikīrṣu syātāṁ tad-adhikāriṇau – “Bhakti is of two different natures. Born from fear of scriptural injunctions and from intense sacred greed (lobha) respectively. Accordingly, there are two kinds of candidates (adhikari) for bhakti-sadhana.” – Raga-vartma-candrika 1.4
Regarding those with lobha: lobhotpatti-kāle śāstra-yukty-apekṣā na syāt – “One is not dependent on scriptural injunctions or logical arguments, this is said to be the symptom of the appearance of sacred greed (lobha).” – Raga-vartma-candrika 1.5
Therefore, a devotee who has sufficient lobha and is therefore practising raganuga bhakti sadhana is very fixed in their mood and object of devotion. Contrary instructions and arguments do not persuade them to change these things. Their reason for practising devotion is not dependent on the instructions of sastra or arguments. However, they do take instructions from sastra in order to know how such devotion should be practised. (See Raga-vartma-candrika 1.7).
(3) Krsna follows bhakti and does not impose his will upon his bhakta’s mood of devotion.
Mahaprabhu was actually repeating the glories of Murari Gupta in the presence of Vasudeva Datta. Upon hearing such sweet pastimes, Vasudeva Datta requested that Mahaprabhu deliver the entire universe. To this Mahaprabhu replied, kṛṣṇa sei satya kare, yei māge bhṛtya bhṛtya-vāñchā-purti vinu nāhi anya kṛtya – “Whatever a pure devotee wants from his master, Lord Kṛṣṇa doubtlessly grants because He has no duty other than to fulfill the desire of His devotee.”
CC Madhya 15.166
This is relevant because this teaching of Mahaprabhu appears directly after describing the glories of Murari Gupta’s one pointed devotion to Sri Ramacandra. As we know, Mahaprabhu was only testing Murari’s firm faith and not really trying to impose a different mood of devotion onto him.
(4) That Murari Gupta really IS the incarnation of Hanuman
During this incident, Mahaprabhu praised Murari Gupta and said, “sākṣāt hanumān tumi śrī-rāma-kiṅkara tumi kene chāḍibe tāṅra caraṇa-kamala – “In this way, I congratulated Murāri Gupta, saying, ‘Indeed, you are the incarnation of Hanumān. Consequently, you are the eternal servant of Lord Rāmacandra. Why should you give up the worship of Lord Rāmacandra and His lotus feet?”
– CC Madhya 15.156 Bhaktivedanta edition.
(b) Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Although Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Jaiva Dharma is not accepted as primary evidence outside the realm of his followers, we will briefly touch on one argument based on Jaiva Dharma for the sake of completeness.
In the narrative of Jaiva Dharma, two personalities by the name of Vrajanatha and Vijaya Kumara receive the same mantra and same instructions from their Gurudeva. As they continued their practises, Vrajanatha had an inclination to worship in Sakhya rasa and Vijaya Kumara had an inclination to worship in Madhura rasa. Some people use this as an example to show that despite their Guru’s instructions and association, Vrajanatha and Vijaya Kumara simply manifested their different inherent rasas.
However, since Vijaya Kumara and Vrajanatha both went on to experience rati and bhakti rasa, it is certain that they had strong past life impressions in a past life (or lives). Therefore, the speculative conclusion that Vijaya Kumara and Vrajanatha had inherent inclinations for rasa within their atma is untenable since we must accept they actually had strong past life impressions as per Bhakti rasamrta sindhu.
prāktany ādhunikī cāsti yasya sad-bhakti-vāsanā |
eṣa bhakti-rasāsvādas tasyaiva hṛdi jāyate || BRS 2.1.6
Translation: “The taste for bhakti-rasa arises in the heart of a person who has had experiences of pure bhakti in previous and present lives.”
Jiva Gosvami’s durgama-sangamani commentary
yadyapi rater astitvenādhunikī vāsanāsty eva | tathāpi rasatāpattau prāktanī cāvaśyaṁ mṛgyata ity āha—prāktanīti | prāg-janma-jātā prāktanī | ādhunikī janmany asminn udbhutā ceti madhye tirodhānāpekṣayaiva bhedo vivakṣitaḥ | idam api prāyikam | tātparyaṁ tu raty-atiśaya eva jñeyam ||6||
Translation: “Even though there are impressions in this life for giving rise to rasa from the presence of rati in this life, it is necessary to seek out impressions from a previous life as well to explain the occurrence of rasa. This distinction between past life experiences of rati and present life experiences of rati applies to those person’s subject to disappearance (and not the nitya-siddhas). This is the rule for most cases discussed in the book. The import is that rati has to be intense for bhakti-rasa to appear.”
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Bhakti-sara-pradarsini commentary
yadyapi rater astitvenādhunikī vāsanāsty eva tathāpi spaṣṭatārtham uktam | prāktanī vāsanā tu raty-āsvāde’vaśyam apekṣitā | ata eva ekasminn eva janmani daivān niraparādhair guru-pādāśrayaṇādibhir bhajanais tasminn eva janmani ratau jātāyām api tasyāḥ āsvādaḥ kintu janmāntara iti bodhyam ||6||
Translation: “Though there are recent impressions for giving rise to rati, past life impressions also are needed to give a taste of rati. Though in this life itself rati appears in persons who have surrendered to guru, performed bhakti, and destroyed all offences, the taste for rati arises from experiences and actions in previous lives.”
(c) Controversy over Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190
Improper understanding and additions to the commentary
Opponent:
“Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190 describes that the taste of the jiva which leads to his accepting a particular role in the lila of Bhagavan is preordained by Bhagavan himself. The cause of your svarupa is not your choice, but His. That is why He is the cause of all causes. Sri Krsna knows past, present and future. So He knows what svarupa you will attain in the stage of perfection.”
Let us first look at the verse in question,
vicitra-līlā-vibhavasya tasya
samudra-koṭī-gahanāśayasya
vicitra-tat-tad-ruci-dāna-līlā-
vibhutim uttarkayituṃ prabhuḥ kaḥ – Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190
Translation from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja’s edition:
“Sri Krsna’s pastimes expand with ever-new variety. His heart is as deep as millions of oceans. By logic no one can understand the purpose for which he has placed different tastes in the hearts of His devotees and expanded the opulence of His pastimes accordingly.”
What was meant to be Sanatana Gosvamipada’s own auto-commentary, dig-darsini-tika
To support his own understanding of the sloka, the opponent provided us with what was supposed to be a translation of Sanatana Gosvamipada’s own commentary to the sloka, here is what was posted:
Opponent:
Dig-darsini-tika 2.4.190: Sri Gopa-kumaara may raise the doubt, “The Supreme Lord, the source of all knowledge and the originator of actions, is known as Hrsikesa, the controller of the senses. So why does He not equally inspire all devotees to have a taste for the topmost worship?” In answer, Sri Närada speaks this verse beginning with vicitra. He says, “Sri Krsna wants to taste wonderful, variegated nectary rasas. Therefore, He has placed a variety of extraordinary desires in the hearts of the devotees, endowing them with special moods. Significantly, because the heart of the Lord is unfathomably deep like millions of oceans, no one can ascertain the opulence of His pastimes by means of reason and logic.
“Bhagavan has bestowed a vast variety of tastes among His devotees. The reason is that by constantly expanding His pastimes in ever-new ways, He gets the opportunity to relish all these sweet flavors. Otherwise, it would not be possible to taste such sweetness. In this way, as the Lord expands the opulence of His manifold pastimes, His devotees experience His grace according to their respective tastes. Considering their respective moods to be topmost, and tasting the mellows related to those moods, they are fully satisfied.” – End of commentary
Discussion:
However, there is a problem with this “translation” of Sanatana Gosvami’s dig-darsini-tika. This is actually a bhavanuvada (a translation attempting to show the intention of the original according to the translator) of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja and not a literal translation, therefore if someone wishes to present this bhavanuvada translation, they must make this clear, this is a vital point.
It is stated in Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja’s Preface to Sri-Brhad-Bhagavatamrta, page xix, “We have attempted to present a bhavanuvada (translation in essence) of that commentary, following the book’s particular style.”
This is of course fine and a common practise. However, what we object to is the fact that some are trying to present this bhavanuvada as a literal translation of Sanatana Gosvami. This is either due to ignorance, carelessness or deception. Those who present it should be forthcoming and advise of this when objectively discussing a text with those who have a different understanding.
Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190 – proper meaning and context
Anvaya system and its importance
To clarify the meaning of a verse, it is very useful to use anvaya. Anvaya refers to the logical connection of words, as to how different words relate with each other to convey a significant meaning or idea. For those who are unaware of this system and may doubt its authenticity due to ignorance of it, should note that Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja himself uses the anvaya system in his translation and commentary of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s Manah Siksa.
In this regard, the English edition of that book says: “In providing word-for-word synonyms for the verses of Sri Manah-siksa, we have not followed the sequential order of the words as they appear in the verses but, rather, the natural order of the words as they appear in a sentence. This system is called anvaya in Sanskrit. Anvaya literally means the natural order or connection of words in a sentence. The order of words in a Sanskrit verse is not generally the natural order of words in a sentence in Sanskrit prose. Therefore translators commonly use the system of anvaya to transpose the words of verses into Sanskrit, Bengali or Hindi prose. Although this system may seem awkward at first in locating the words from the verse, it greatly facilitates being able to see how the words fit together to form the translation of the verse. The meaning of the verse becomes self-evident by the anvaya system. We hope that the readers will appreciate the advantage of this system, as it helps one to delve deeper into the meaning of the verses. To bring this to the readers’ attention in the book, we have identified the word-for-word synonyms simply as “Anvaya”. – from the Introduction.
Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190 verse with anvaya structure
the sloka (verse) : vicitra-līlā-vibhavasya tasya samudra-koṭī-gahanāśayasya vicitra-tat-tad-ruci-dāna-līlā- vibhutim uttarkayituṃ prabhuḥ kaḥ
anvaya and word for word meaning: kaḥ =who?, prabhuḥ= is capable, uttarkayituṃ= to conjecture, tasya= His, tat-tad-ruci-dāna-līlā- vibhutim= the opulence of pastime of giving various tastes, vicitra-līlā-vibhavasya= one who has the majesty of performing varied lilas, samudra-koṭī-gahanāśayasya= whose heart is deep like millions of oceans,
Translation: “Who is capable of conjecturing His opulence of the pastime of giving various tastes? He has the majesty of performing varied lilas and His heart is deep like millions of oceans”.
Discussion:
This verse explains that Bhagavan’s lilas are unlimitedly diverse. His intentions are deep and difficult to understand. Devotees are attracted to Him through His display of different pastimes and are thus blessed with different rasas. Some translators even use the word “exchange” when translating the word dāna, however dāna is always a one-way stream from donor (giver) to donee (recipient, who receives). This is both the proper Sanskrit meaning of the word and the meaning still used today in languages such as Hindi and Bengali.
In the previous verse (2.4.189) and its commentary it is clearly stated that the result comes according to upasana (worship). There is no mention that upasana is according to some inherent taste hidden in the svarupa of the jiva. If that were the case, then Sanatana Gosvami would have explained it that way. In verse 190 the talk is of giving different ruci, vicitra-tad-ruci-dana-lila that leads to different types of worship and different siddhis (perfections). If this ruci were already there in the jiva then there is no question of dana-lila (the lila of giving/distribution).
Translation of Sanatana Gosvami’s dig-darsini commentary
We will now present two literal translations by different persons for the sake of clarity:
1st literal translation: Syamananda dasaji, a student of Swami Tripurari, also replied to the opponent and was able to provide a better translation of the commentary to Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190. There are some comments Syamananda dasa has posted within this translation in order to justify it.
Syamananda dasa: “Here is a literal translation of the original sanskrit:
“But why doesn’t the Lord bestow the very best method of worship upon all His devotees? After all, He is Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, who inspires all the energies of knowledge and activity.
In reply Śrī Nārada speaks this verse.
Vicitra-tat-tad-ruci-dāna: Dāna means distribution. By an alternate reading ‘tāna’ the meaning is “expanding”. Ruci means the specific bhāvas or the rasas. Tat-tad means “of those”. Vicitra means variegated. (The full meaning:) The distribution/expansion of the various particular bhāvas/rasas to them.
This itself is his lilā (it is the next word in the full compound). Who is capable of thoroughly reasoning about its prowess? It means, “no one is capable”. That is because the intention of the Lord is deeper than trillions of oceans.
The reason for distribution of variegated tastes (ruci) is ‘vicitra-lilā-vibhava’, the opulences of his lilā are variegated/diverse. Otherwise the sweetness of “the variegated opulences of the lilā” would not exist. This is the idea.”(End of commentary).
2nd literal translation of Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190 tika by another Vaisnava scholar:
“A doubt is raised: Hṛṣikeśa is the prompter of the potencies of cognition and action of every one. Then why does He not give the best process of worship equally to everyone? In response to this doubt Nārada Speaks the present verse (2.4.190). [The commentator explains the compound word vicitra-tattad-ruci-dāna-līlā-vibhutim.] [He] distributes (dānam) to them [the various people who take to different types of worship] the various types of (vicitrāṇām) specific bhāvas (rucinām) or relish. If the reading is tāna, instead of dāna in the compound word, then the meaning is that He expands [instead of He distributes]. This indeed is His Play (līlā). Who (kaḥ) is capable(prabhuḥ) of conjecturing or ascertaining properly (uttarkayitum) the grandeur (vibhutim) of His līlā. Indeed, there is no one. The reason behind this incapability is given in the adjective samudra-koṭī-gahanāśayasya – one Whose intention (āśaya) is deeper or more mysterious (gahana) than millions (koṭi) of oceans (samudra). The reason behind expanding [or distributing] various types of relish is given in the adjective vicitra-līlā-vibhavasya – one Who has various types of majesties (vibhava) of His myriad (vicitra) līlās. Otherwise He will not accomplish the sweetness of the majesty of His various līlās – This is the sense.”
(d) Does Bhagavan choose our siddha-deha and mood (rasa) himself?
The opponent asserts the following:
(1) “Therefore, He [Bhagavan] has placed a variety of extraordinary desires in the hearts of the devotees.” – from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja’s bhavanuvada cited above. This as demonstrated is not in the literal translation of the commentary to Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190.
(2) “Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190 describes that the taste of the jiva which leads to his accepting a particular role in the lila of Bhagavan is preordained by Bhagavan himself. The cause of your svarupa is not your choice, but His. That is why He is the cause of all causes. Sri Krsna knows past, present and future. So He knows what svarupa you will attain in the stage of perfection.”
Sastra evidence to the contrary
Gita 4.11 – ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāns tathaiva bhajāmyaham
“In whatever way people surrender unto me, I reciprocate with them accordingly.”
Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami’s commentary to Gita 18.63: “Here the words yathecchasi tathā kuru – “As you like, you may act” – indicate that God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity.”
Bhagavatam 3.9.11 – yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya – “You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.” – Brahma to Krsna.
smṛtiś ca— yādṛśī bhāvanā yasya siddhir bhavati tādṛśī || – “As is one’s meditation, so is one’s achievement.” – cited by Baladeva Vidyabhusana in Prameya Ratnavali 1.6.
sadhane bhavibe yaha, siddha dehe pabe taha | raga marge ei sei upaya || – Prema-bhakti-candrika 57 – “Whatever you think of during your sadhana, you will attain in your siddha-body. Such is the means on the path of raga.”
sadhane ye dhana cai, siddha dehe taha pai | pakkapakka matra se vicara || – Prema-bhakti-candrika 58 – “The treasure I covet during my sadhana, I will attain in my siddha-body. The only difference between the two is that of being ripe and unripe.”
Discussion with Swami Tripurari regarding Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190:
Swami Tripurari:
Before we look at the verse and commentary in question (Bb 2.4.190) it behooves us to look at what we already know about this issue. We know from Govinda-bhasya 2.3.49 that while all jivas are inherently the same they are nonetheless dissimilar from one another owing to adrista. That is, due to the jivatma’s karmic fate from beginning-less time they differ from one another. Karma is responsible for their dissimilarity. God is not to blame for the dissimilarity we see that finds one jivatma in heaven and another in hell.
And it is also adrista that differentiates the jivatmas from one another spiritually. Baladeva Vidyabhusana states that which form of God the jiva worships is determined by adrista. However, here adrista refers not to karma or material destiny, but rather to the spiritual destiny of the jivatma created by sadhu sanga or bhakti. Adrista is also translated as “luck” or fortune, words often used elsewhere to describe how the spiritual prospect of the jiva comes about. As we know from Madhurya Kadambini, Bhaktidevi is independent and from the heart of a sadhu gives herself to the baddha jivas. Only bhakti gives bhakti. And again, God is not directly involved in this and in this sense as well he is not partial toward one jiva over another. Thus in both cases, material and spiritual, the differences between jivatmas is not inherent in their essential nature but rather due to outside influences, maya sakti and svarupa sakti respectively.
In Priti-sandarbha Anuccheda 91 Jiva Goswami explains that the root cause of the spiritual identity in rasa that a jiva attains is the particular form of Bhagavan that one worships. Furthermore, the form of Bhagavan that one worships is determined only by sadhu sanga. If we associate with Rama bhaktas, we will worship Rama and attain a spiritual identity suitable for lila seva. It is the function of priti to bestow such an identity to facilitate such seva.
Now with above in mind let us look at the verse and commentary under discussion. The verse appears in a chapter about the nature of Vaikuntha. The subject of this and the section it appears in is mentioned earlier in verse 2.4.154 (BBT edition):
“Each devotee in Vaikuntha is satisfied with his own devotional service. Whatever his rasa, when it develops to full maturity he fully tastes the ecstasy natural to it. This point has already been discussed, and later it will be made even more clear.”
Verses 188-192 are where this point is “later made even more clear.” There is nowhere else in the chapter that returns to this topic. Verse 190 in particular explains that Bhagavan’s lilas are unlimitedly diverse. His intentions are deep and difficult to understand. Devotees are attracted to him through his display of different pastimes and are thus blessed with different rasas.
The commentary asks why Bhagavan does not bless each devotee with the best method of worship. He could inspire them to do so if he so desired. The commentary answers that there is a reason why Bhagavan blesses his devotees to attain different rasas: In order to be sweet, His lila requires different tastes. Such is his unfathomable lila and intentions. Sanatana Goswami states in his tika to the verse, “The reason for the distribution of variegated tastes (ruci) is vicitra-lila-vibhava, ‘the opulences of his lila are variegated.’ Otherwise the lila would no be sweet. This is the idea.”
Gopiparanadhana dasa in his translation to verse 2.4.190 makes the point clear also that Bhagavan could force His will and impose a particular rasa upon the jiva and therefore give them the highest worship if He wanted to, but he doesn’t and instead he chooses to reciprocate with His devotees’ own individual tastes and desires. The variety of moods and lila also makes the lila sweet.
“But why doesn’t the Lord bestow the very best method of worship upon all His devotees? After all, He is Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, who inspires all the energies of knowledge and activity. If He wanted to bestow the very best method, He could, but He chooses instead to respond to the individual taste of each devotee for a particular loving service.” – End of Gopiparanadhana dasa’s translation
Swami Tripurari continued:
In other words, Bhagavan has diverse lilas and this is what makes them sweet. He desires to taste variety. And thus he blesses his devotees who worship his different forms and are attracted to his different lilas to attain different rasas.
This explanation of the verse and commentary fits perfectly with the siddhanta above concerning how the jivatma attains a spiritual identity in lila seva. Although we cannot know the mind of Bhagavan in all respects, his svarupa-sakti does. Thus she gives bhakti to the jivatmas indiscriminately. Her agents are the devotees in whose hearts she has manifested different bhavas.
To say that the verse and commentary teaches that Bhagavan determines the rasa of every jiva and thus each jiva is predestined to attain a particular rasa is how some are interpreting it. However, this explanation seems problematic in light of the above explanation.
Brhad Bhagavatamrta – Bhaktidevi is responsible for the variety in the spirtual world
It is also clear that it is the svarupa sakti/bhakti devi (in the form of Laksmi) who creates the variety in the spiritual world [Vaikuntha] and not Bhagavan directly:
Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.175 Sanatana Gosvamipada’s commentary: “She is the agent who manifests the many varieties of charm and sweetness in the Lord’s devotional service………………..It is the Lord’s consort Lakṣmī who displays all the varieties of the Supreme Person and His devotional service. He is the ultimate truth, one without a second, yet He has innumerable forms. He is both one and many. He has countless varieties of beauty and charm and countless varieties of pastimes, each one full of diversity. All of this is forever manifest as substantial reality with the help of the goddess Lakṣmī.”
tathaiva lakṣmyā bhaktānāṃ
bhakter lokasya karmaṇām
sā sā viśeṣa-vaicitrī
sadā sampadyate yataḥ – TEXT 2.4.176
“Thus the distinct varieties of the Lord’s devotees, of His devotional service, of His world, and of His activities constantly arise from Lakṣmī.”
Sanatana Gosvamipada’s Commentary:
“The Lord has many devotees, like Śrī Śeṣa and Garuḍa. His devotional service has many forms, like hearing and chanting. His abode, Śrī Vaikuṇṭha, has a multitude of opulences. And He engages in many different activities. Lakṣmī is the energy of the Lord through whom all this variety is manifest. Without her participation, the other energies of the Lord could not be displayed in diversity, because they are basically one with Him as pure spirit.”
Furthermore, in Brhad Bhagavatamrta 3.7.9-11 (BBT edition), Sarupa explains that Radha inspired him to seek out and enlighten the Mathura brahmin. She sent him. Then in 3.7.42 Krsna gives Janansarma a sakhya rasa siddha deha. Bhaktidevi gives the blessing and seed of rati through sadhu sanga, which itself is a form of bhakti, and Krsna follows that lead and ultimately bestows upon the fortunate devotee a siddha deha that corresponds with the devotee’s rati. Usually the rati attained is the same as that of the guru’s, as in this case.
The relevant verses are as follows:
svayaṃ śrī-rādhikā devī
prātar adyādideśa mām
sarupāyāti mat-kuñje
mad-bhakto māthuro dvijaḥ – TEXT 2.7.9
“Early this morning Śrī Rādhikā-devī Herself came and ordered me: “Sarupa, a brāhmaṇa from Mathurā who is My devotee is coming to My grove.”
tatraikākī tvam adyādau
gatvā sad-upadeśataḥ
prabodhyāśvāsya taṃ kṛṣṇa-
prasādaṃ prāpaya drutam – TEXT 2.7.10
“Go there alone, the first thing today. Enlighten him with good instructions, console him, and help him quickly attain Kṛṣṇa’s grace.”
Sanatana Gosvamipada’s commentary:
“Had Sarupa not awakened the brāhmaṇa’s higher intelligence, the brāhmaṇa would not have obtained Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.”
There it is said that bhakti is krsnakarsini (able to attract Krsna). When his devotees spread bhakti, Krishna follows that bhakti and appears to the jivas accordingly.
(e) Krsna’s knowing does not mean Krsna’s doing
Opponent:
“The cause of your svarupa is not your choice, but His. That is why He is the cause of all causes. Sri Krsna knows past, present and future. So He knows what svarupa you will attain in the stage of perfection.”
Discussion:
With this argument, the opponent wishes to claim that since Krsna is omniscient (sarvajna) and knows what siddha deha (svarupa) we will attain, that therefore the decision of what we will attain is also His. In this way, the jiva is denied any kind of free will completely, whether the opponent realises it/denies it or not. This is especially true because he does not include the jiva’s own desire in his explanation and even cites “Therefore, He [Bhagavan] has placed a variety of extraordinary desires in the hearts of the devotees” which asserts that those desires are not the jiva’s own desires, but Bhagavan’s own desires that he places into the jivas.
The following analogy is courtesy of Tripurari Swami.
Example of a Barometer
A Barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure. With this information, one is able to forecast the weather (know what the weather will be and short term changes).
The person reading the Barometer can know what the weather will be, but they do not decide what the weather will be.
Similarly, Bhagavan knows what the devotee’s rasa and siddhi will be, but that does not mean he decides what it will be. This example of the Barometer is being given simply to show that knowing the outcome of something before it happens does not mean that you are the cause of the outcome.
The opponent’s idea of determinism is a very extreme one. It will be made clear with references to sastra and reasoning what the exact nature of the jiva’s free will is and how Bhagavan relates to that.
(f) The saktis responsible for a particular taste are not already present
The opponent further stated with the aid of Brhad Bhagavatamrta 2.4.190’s bhavanuvada commentary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:
Opponent:
“The sweet revelation of this tika is that Sanatana Gosvami defines the cause of the jivas’ individual tastes to be the action of the Lord’s jnana and kriya sakti. Taste in a particular rasa is the action of jnana and kriya sakti of the Lord. The jnana and kriya saktis are always working on the jiva-sakti in both the conditioned and liberated states. So the saktis responsible for the taste are already present in the jiva. They are never not present. The Lord knows past present and future. He knows what taste will manifest at a particular point, from the relative perspective of material time. So, from the absolute perspective, the taste is fixed and the potencies responsible for it are already present. aga-jagad-okasām akhila-śakty-avabodhaka te “O Lord, you awaken all the saktis of the living entities.” (10.87.14) VCT comments that the lord awakens the ability of the jiva to pursue the path of bhakti.”
Discussion:
It should be known that Verse 2.4.190 is replying to:
“But why doesn’t the Lord bestow the very best method of worship upon all His devotees? After all, He is Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, who inspires all the energies of knowledge and activity.”
And in consideration of the context in the chapter it goes on to say that the reason that he does not bestow Krsna bhakti rather than Narayana bhakti, etc. is that he defers to the taste of the devotees. In other words he is the master of all energies and he inspires his jnana and kriya saktis to do what they do, but he does not interfere with what they do in relation to the will of the jiva. And he follows bhakti’s lead of samvit and hladhini and blesses his devotees accordingly that they may attain the ideal they have derived from sadhu sanga.” – Tripurari Swami
In other words all action and knowledge is dependent upon him. He can do anything.
The opponent refers to Srimad Bhagavatam 10.87.14, which is one of the prayers of the personified Vedas (veda-stuti).
The line of the verse the opponent cites, aga-jagad-okasām akhila-śakty-avabodhaka te – “O You who awaken all the energies of the moving and nonmoving embodied beings” does not mean what he wishes it to say.
Here is what Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s commentary says:
“Visnu: But even if ignorance slackens, I am not attained without devotional service, as I Myself have stated: bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ, ‘I am obtained only by unalloyed devotion.’
Srutis: My Lord, O You who awaken all energies, after creating the intelligence and senses of the living entities You inspire them to work hard and enjoy the fruits of their labour. In addition, by Your mercy You awaken their ability to pursue the progressive paths of knowledge, mystic yoga and devotional service, which enable them to advance toward You in Your aspects of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān respectively.” – Visvanatha Cakravarti tika to Bhagavata 10.87.14
We ask the opponent, “This is supposed to be support for the idea that Krsna predestines each jiva with a particular rasa???”
According to Jiva Gosvami’s Krama Sandarbha commentary, this particular prayer of the Vedas simply means that the jiva is not independent. It has nothing to do with the jiva having a particular relationship (rasa) inclination, either inherent (samvaya-sambandha) within the jiva’s svarupa nor due to contact (samyoga-sambandha) with Bhagavan’s saktis.
The fruit of a discussion with Tripurari Swami on this verse
The explanation is that the jivas are dependent and can’t act without the help of God. They are not independent doers. They act through the vehicle of material nature that has been activated by God. It is about the fact that the jivas need a body and mind to act in any respect. And those tools are very much supplied and energized by Bhagavan.
SB 2.5.31 states, taijasāt tu vikurvāṇād indriyāṇi daśābhavan |
jñāna-śaktiḥ kriyā-śaktir buddhiḥ prāṇaś ca taijasau |
śrotraṁ tvag-ghrāṇa-dṛg-jihvā vāg-dor-meḍhrāṅghri-pāyavaḥ ||
Translation: “From ahamkara in rajas arose the intelligence/jnana-sakti, prana/kriya-sakti and the ten senses.”
Here the sakti of the five knowledge senses is God’s jnana sakti and the sakti of the five action senses is God’s kriya-sakti.
The jiva desires to do something and the work is carried out by material nature. Thus God’s jnana and kriya saktis act through material nature to assist the jiva in carrying out its desires to act in the realms of karma, jnana, yoga, or sadhana bhakti. This is how Bhagavan’s jnana and kriya saktis work in relation to the jiva.
Jnana-sakti comes from sattva. Kriya-sakti comes from rajas. The sakti of the five knowledge senses is jnana sakti. The sakti of the five action senses is kriya sakti. They facilitate the jiva’s action and and acquisition of knowledge.
As noted above, the jnana-sakti and kriya-sakti are not “already present in the jiva” nor are they responsible for it’s taste in bhakti rasa, other than in the remote sense that these saktis in one respect enable the jiva to pursue its desire for sadhana bhakti with its physical and psychic bodies. However, it is true that the jnana and kriya saktis are also operative in the spiritual world.”
(g) How one’s taste for a particular rasa is actually determined
Verdict of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,
yathottaram asau svāda-viśeṣollāsamayy api |
ratir vāsanayā svādvī bhāsate kāpi kasyacit || 2.5.38 ||
Translation: “These five types of rati progressively (from suddha to priyata rati) become more blissful by increasing tastes. The particular taste arises in a devotee according to previous experiences.”
Jiva Gosvami’s durgama-sangamani commentary
nanv atra vivektā katamaḥ syāt—nirvāsanaḥ, eka-vāsanaḥ, bahu-vāsano vā ? tatrādyayor anyatara-svādād abhāvād vivektṛtvaṁ na ghaṭata eva | antyasya ca rasābhāsitā-paryavasānān nāstīti | satyam, tathāpy eka-vāsanasya etad ghaṭate | rasāntarasyāpratyakṣatve’pi sadṛśa-rasasyopamānena pramāṇena visadṛśa-rasasya tu sāmagrī-paripoṣāparipoṣa-darśanād anumānena ceti ||38||
Translation:
“But what determines who takes up which type of rati? Is it decided by having no impressions of a particular rati from previous lives, by having an impression of one type of rati from previous lives, or by having impressions of many types of rati?
In the first option – absence of impressions – rati cannot occur at all, because no taste could arise. In the case of persons having impressions of many types of rati, a particular rati could not manifest prominently because conflicting tastes would result in the improper manifestation of rasa (rasābhāsa). Therefore, impressions of only one type carried from previous lives produce the specific taste.
Though not being in a position to perceive the depth of that rasa, one can confirm its identity by comparing scriptural descriptions of rasas with one’s own inclinations, and by inference through seeing how rasas, different from one’s own rasa, either nourish or fail to nourish the total ingredients.”
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s Bhakti-sara-pradarsini commentary
tan-madhye kāpi ratiḥ kasyacid bhaktasya prācīna-vāsanayā svādvī bhāsate | yathā madhurāmla-kaṭv-ādi-rasānāṁ madhye ekasminn eva rase kasyacana prācīna-vāsanayā rucir nānya-rase, tathaiva dāsādy-ekatara-rase kasyacid bhaktasya prācīna-vāsanayā | kiṁ vā, asminn eva janmani tādṛśa-mahat-kṛpayā rucir nānyatreti | kasyacana dāsyādi-dvaye rati-traye ceti sarvatra vivecanīyam ||38||
Translation:
“Among the various tastes such as sweet, sour and bitter, a particular person has a particular liking because of previous impressions. Because of impressions from a past life of a particular rasa, such as dāsya, in this life also, the person has that taste alone and not others, by the mercy of a great devotee with a similar taste. This is the case for the two types of dāsya and the other three higher rasas.”
Also read:
https://flowingnectarstream.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/from-foundational-loving-emotions-sthayi-bhavas-to-experiences-of-abundant-amazement-rasa/
Only nitya-siddhas have eternal samskaras (impressions)
Since the opponent states, “the saktis responsible for the taste are already present in the jiva. They are never not present.”
We turn to Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu to show that there is evidence only of nitya siddhas (eternal associates) possessing eternal samskaras for a particular rasa.
In the chapter on Priti-bhakti-rasa (otherwise known as Dasya-bhakti-rasa), Srila Rupa Gosvami gives descriptions and examples of various types of servants of Bhagavan. He describes the four types:
(1) Adhikrtas – those appointed to a post by Bhagavan such as the devatas.
(2) Asritas – (a) Saranyas – those seeking protection.
(b) Jnani-caras – those appreciating Bhagavan’s greatness.
(c) Seva-nistha – those appreciating Bhagavan’s sweetness.
(3) Parisadas – members of the assembly or followers (at Dvaraka).
(4) Anugas – the attendants whose hearts are always attached to serving Bhagavan (Dvarka and Vraja).
Srila Rupa Gosvami then gives examples of each. For categories
(1) Adhikrtas and (2) Asritas, he gives examples of sadhana siddhas.
For categories (3) Parisadas and (4) Anugas, he gives examples of nitya siddhas.
In BRS 3.2.77, he says regarding the examples of nitya siddhas given, tatra pāriṣadādes tu hetuḥ saṁskāra eva hi | saṁskārodbodhakās tasya darśana-śravaṇādayaḥ || – “However, the rati of parisadas and anugas described in this chapter is caused only by samskaras, or impressions (since all the examples given were nitya-siddhas). Seeing and hearing about Krsna stimulates the impressions.”
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s comment: ity ādinā pārṣadānāṁ rati-janmani tu anādi-siddha-saṁskāra eva hetuḥ – Bhaktirasamrta Sindhu 3.2.77
Translation: The cause of the appearance of rati for the parisadas and others (the anugas, mentioned in this chapter) are eternally perfect impressions (anādi-siddha-saṁskāra).
This is very clearly explained here by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Therefore we request those who profess that the baddha jivas possess any such samskara, either perfected, anadi or otherwise, to provide clear evidence from universally acceptable Gaudiya sastra.
Many thanks to:
Sripad Satyanarayana das Babaji
Sripad Advaita das
Sripad Radha Charan das
Swami Tripurari
most of all
Radhakunda Mahanta Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji
