VRINDAVAN INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Dasa Mula Study Guide and Syllabus VIHE | PUBLICATIONSDasa-mula Study Guide and syllabus Introduction History of Bhaktivinode Thakura's Development of the con- cept of dasamula Madhvacarya's and Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Nine Prameyas Prameya-ratnavali by Baladeva Vidyabhusana Nava-Prameya-Siddhanta, which is guti #1 from a book enti- tled, Vaisnava SiddhantaMala, verses and commentary by Bhaktivinode Thakura Sri_Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram (Only the thir- feen sickas pertinent to dasamula are presented herein), published by Bhaktivinode Thakura (with Sanskrit purports by Sitikantha Vacaspati) Dasamula of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta ‘ Srimad_Bhagavatarka-marici-mala, Chapters 1, 4-12,17 Qasamula-niryas by Bhaktivinode Thakura His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on dasamula 10(What follows is a brief history of Bhaktivinode Thakura's development of Dasamula, in various publications.) The first of Bhaktivinode Thakura's books that revealed the topic of dasamula was Sri Caitanya-Siksamrta, published in 1866. Under the chapter headings categorically indicating each of the mulas, Bhaktivinode Thakura systematically indicated the teachings of Mahaprabhu in 40 pages. In this book, Bhaktivinode Thakura gives the rendition of Mahaprabhu's teachings directly following Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. This appearance of dasamula was just the first in a long series of additional publications by Bhaktivinode Thakura expounding on the same topic. In 1888 during the period when Bhaktivinode Thakura's Nama Hatta Program of village preaching throughout Bengal was in full swing, he published a work entitled, Vaisnava-siddhanta- mala. This book was a crystallization of all the basic tenets of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. By 1892 the five parts of Vaisnava-siddhanta-mala were each republised separately in pam- phlet form, specifically for Nama Hatta distribution. The first guti (part or “bunch")was entitled, Neva Prameya Siddhanta.) Herein, the most vigorous philosophical presentation was made out of the five qutis. Utilizing the framework of Madvacarya's Nine Prameyas, explicit purports were presented regarding each of these Prameyas in simple 'question/ answer format. In this way, Bhaktivinode Thakura was simplify- ing and systematizing Lord Caitanya's teachings; by drawing upon the authority of parampara, he was successfully demonstra- ting Mahaprabhu's strict adherence to the teachings of the Brahma-Madhva line. 3 In the same year as this Nama Hatla publication work was taking place in 1892, Bhaktivinode Thakura also published Sriman Mahaprabhur Siksa. In eleven chapters, this book fully explained Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu‘'s dasa-mula, The first chapter was a summary explanation, followed by ten chapters of detailed explanations. of each mula. Each philosophical conclu- sion was supported with profuse sastric quotations, accompanied by Bengali prose translations and explanations. The following year Jaiva Dharma'was produced. In chapters 13-20, thirteen Sanskrit slokas that compétely introduce dasa- mula were discussed in detail. Also in 1893, Tattva Sutra appeared. This time, Bhaktivinode Thakura presented the elements of dasamula (along with other truths) in terse rigorous sutra-like form.In 1896 two other direct expositions on dasamula were produced under the titles Sri Gauran [a-lila-~smarana-mangal. stotram and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts- The former was in Sanskrit and included verbatim the same thir. teen slokas as discussed in Jaiva Dharma. The latter was written in English and appeared as a 47-page introduction to this Sanskrit writing. The texts of sri Gauranga-lila-smarana- mangala-stotram had Sanskrit commentary (entitled Vikasini Tika written by Sitikantha Vacaspati, which was published by Bhaktivinode Thakura in its entirety along with all the stotras of this work. In 1900 Hari Nama Cintamani revealed dasamula in chapter 7, and 1901 “Srimad Bhagavatarka-marici-mala appeared, expounding upon most of the mulas in separate chapters, extensively listing Srimad Bhagavatam slokas corresponding to each mula and accompanied by relevant commentary written by the Thakura himself. We can safely claim that Bhaktivinode Thakura came to use the term "“dasamula" as synonymous with the notion of "Mahaprabhu's teachings", consistently utilizing the nomencla- ture dasamula in this way.Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his famous book Premeya Ratnavali presents nine philosophical foundations, or Premeyas, upon which the Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy is based. Sri Madhvacarya previously presented these same Premeyas and expounded upon them. Premeya Ratnavali explains in detail the fundamental position of these essential truths. So essential are these truths, Baladeva Vidyabhusana declares, that without a clear under- standing of these basic points one cannot properly assimilate the philosophy of our disciplic succession. The sanskrit and translation of these nine Premeyas is as follows: Vigguh Paratamam 1) Godhead is the highest Truth. Akhila Amnaya Ved_yam 2) He is known through revelation (or via scripture) viSvam Satyain 3) The world is real. Bhedam — Satyain 4) The differences are real. (Jiva is not Visnu) Jivan Satyam 5) The souls are individual. (part & parcel of God) Haricarana-jugas Taratamyam Tegam 6) There are grades of souls. . Moksam Vignu Anghri Labhaih 7) Liberation is attaining the lotus feet of Krsna. Tad-Amala-Bhajanam : Tasya Hetumn 8) The process is devotional service. (unalloyed) Pramapai Pratyakga Rai Trayam 9) The proofs are three: Perception, inference, . and auftjority. Some generations later Bhaktivinoda Thakur established a similar list of Lord Caitanya's essential teachings, listing them as ten in number and calling them Dasa-mula. The first nine are as follows: 2 * e Corresponding Premey ye list ebove tattvait harimiha paramam 1) Sri Hari is the only source Lo of wisdom, one withaila secoull 1 sarvagaktin 2) He is omnipotent 4gasd rasabdhin 3) He is the ocean of universal blissfd rasa e : tadbhinnani Sarigca jfvan 4) the living entities are the parts and parcels of Sri Hari 5 prakrti kavalitan 5) some of the living entities . are involved in material nature tadvimuktamgca bhavat 6) some of the living entities are >} 6 free from material nature phedabheda-prakasain sakalam api hareh 7) the universe is inconceivably one and different x84 jadhanam suddhabhaktin 8) uncontaminated devotion is the only need for the sconditioned souls 8 Adhyar yat pritim 9) Love of the Supreme Godhead is the only requisite aspect of knov- ledge and visdom 7 4The remaining mula is not a premeya exactly; rather it is Pramana, evidence or proof of authority. Amnaya praha tattvam means “the Vedas proclaim these truths." This tenth mula corresponds with the second and ninth premeya of Baladev Vidyabhusana's Premeya Ratnavali. The following is a list of the Nine Premeyas as enunciated by Madhvacarya, as found in Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Dasamula Sikéa TrangLatien 1) bhagavan ekmatra paramatattva Bhagavan is the highest. truth | one without a second. 2) tini akhila vedavedya All the Vedas glorify that Ultimate Reality, the Supreme Personality. , 3) vidva satya This created realm is real. 4) bheda satya 5 kinds of differences are real. 5) jiva sri hari das All jivas are eternal servants of Sri Hari- 6) jiva sakaled avastavedi All jivas are quite different fro tarottana each other, according to their material coverings. 7) bhagavat carana prapti nam mokga To attain the lotus feet of Bhagavan is called liberatior 8) bhagavanir amala bhajani moksa py bhajan, performed without labher hetu offenses, one can attain to suc _ 4 moksa (as in #7). 9) pratyaksa anumana gabdha Atinti (these three) are proofs. atinti pramanaSrila Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Sri Prameya-ratnavali The Jewel Necklace of Truths Translated by Kusakratha dasaFIRST TRUTH Mangalacaranam, The disciplic succession, Madhvacarya's Nine Philosophical Truths, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 1) All glories to Lord Govinda, who is known as Gopinatha and Madana-Gopala. By His mercy, I shall now speak this excellent and subtle book Prameya-ratnavali (The Jewel Necklace of Truths). 2) We pray that we may develop intense and constant devotion for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and Lord Advaita Prabhu who are the controllers of all religious activi- ties, who are pleased with even the dim reflection of devotional service, and whose holy names deliver the entire world. 3) _ All glories to Srila Madhvacarya Swami, the abode of tranS- cendental happiness. They who are learned and intelligent glorify him, for he is like a boat that enables the conditioned souls to cross the ocean of repeated birth and death. 4) A discriminating person pleases Lord Hari by remembering the faultless disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters, who enable one, to attain the perfection of unalloyed devotional service. 5) The Padma Purana explains: “Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, the mantra he might have received is without any effect. For this reason four Vaisnava disciplic successions, inaugurated by Laksmi devi, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, and the four Kumaras, will appear in the holy place of Jagannatha Puri, and purify the entire earth during the age of kaii." 6) Laksmi devi chose Ramanujacarya to represent her disciplic succession. In the same way Lord Brahma chose Madvacarya, Lord Siva chose Visnu Swami and the four Kumaras chose Nimbarka. 7) With great devotion we glorify the spiritual masters in the Gaudiya Vaisnava disciplic succession. A list of their names follows: 1. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 2. Brahma, 3. Narada, 4. Vyasa, 5. Madvacarya, 6. Padmanabha, 7. Nrhari, 8. Madhava, 9. Aksobhya, 10. Jayatirtha, 11. Jnana- sindhu, 12. Dayanidhi, 13. Vidyanidhi, 14. Rajendra, 15. Jayadharma, 16. Purusottama, 17. Brahmanya, 18. Vyasatirtha, 19. Laksmipati, 20. Madhavendra Puri, and 21. Isvara Puri, Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu ( who were all disciples of Madhavendra Puri). We worship Isvara Puri's disciple, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delivered the entire universe by granting the gift of Krsna- prema (pure love of Krsna).8) _b Summary of the Vaisnava philosophy follows: Madhvacarya taught: 1. Lord Visnu is the Absolute Truth, than whom nothing is higher, 2. He is known by the study of the vedas, 3. The material world is real, 4. The jivas (living entities) are different from Lord Visnu, 5. The jivas are by nature servants of Lord Visnu's lotus feet, 6. In both the conditioned and lib- erated states, the jivas are situated in higher and lower status es, 7. Liberation does not mean an impersonal merging, but the attainment of Lord Visnu's lotus feet, 8. Pure devotional service grants: liberation, 9. Direct perception, logic, and Vedic authority are the three sources of actual knowledge. These same truths are also taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in His appearance as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 9a)" 1. Lord Visnu is the Absolute Truth, than whom, nothing is higher. Lord Visnu's supremacy is described in the Gopalatapani Upanisad: “Therefore, Krsna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and nothing is higher than Him. One should meditate upon Him, chant His holy names, serve, and worship Him." $b) This is also confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (1.11): “When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead the ropes of illusion that bind one to the material world becomes cut, the material miseries end, and the repetition of birth and death in the cycle of transmigration also ends. By constantly remembering the Supreme Lord, at the time of death one attains the fully opulent spiritual world, far beyond the touch of matter, and all one's desires become fulfilled. In this way one directly perceives the Supreme Personality of Godhead, than whom there is nothing higher to be known." $c) This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (7.7), where Krsna says: "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me.* 10) Krena is accepted as the highest truth because He is the origin of both the material and spiritual worlds, because His spiritual form is all-powerful, all-cognizant, and full of trans- cendental bliss, because He is the reservoir of all auspicious spiritual qualities, and because He is served with great rever- ence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, and uncountable. millions of other devotees as well. ila) The Supreme Lord is the source of everything. This is con- firmed in the svet: atara Upanisad (5.4-5): “The one supremely Qpulent and worshipable Personality of Godhead is the origin of the entire universe. He creates and transforms the material ele- ments and their attributes."lb) That the Lord is all powerful, all-cognizant, and all- blissful is confirmed in the following verse from the Katha Upan- isad (1.2.22): "An intelligent person, who understands the distinction between material bondage and liberation, ends all material bondage when he understands the supremely worshipable Personality of Godhead, who is full of all powers and opulences." llc) Those learned in spiritual matters know that the word means “that which is full of spiritual knowledge and This knowledge and bliss is possessed by both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the liberated individual liv- ing entities. 12a) The Vajasaneya~brahmana (3.9.28) also explains: “The Supreme Spirit, who is full of knowledge and bliss grants good results to they who worship Him with sacrifice." 12b) The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.35) also confirms: “Lord Govinda is beyond the duality of the material world. He is not different from His form, which is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss." 12c) Lord Govinda possesses a form of spiritual bliss, just as a melody, although apparently formless, actually possesses a subtle form within the mind. The mantra beginning “vijnana-ghana" con- firms that the Lord's form is not material, but a spiritual mani- festation that is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. It also confirms that there is no difference between the Lord and His spiritual form. 13a) The Mundaka Upanisad confirms that the Lord's form possesses unlimited potency: “The Supreme Person appears like a tree situ- ated in the spiritual sky. From that tree the perfect and com- plete spiritual and material worlds have become manifested." 13b) The Vedic mantras explain that the all-powerful Absolute Truth possesses a spiritual form, and although He remains in the spiritual sky, He is simultaneously present everywhere. He personally appears within the heart of the perfect devotees who constantly meditate on Him. 14a) This is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.9.13): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything.” - 814b) The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-gita (9.4-5): “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. and yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence." i4c) The fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses inconceivable potency (yogam aisvaram) resolves the apparent contradiction in this statement by the Lord. This is the opinion of they who know the truth. 15a) By the use of the word "adi" (etc.) in text 10, the Lord's omniscience may be inferred. This is confirmed in the Mundaka Upanisad (2.2.7): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is omniscient." i5b) That the Lord is full of transcendental bliss is confirmed in the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.4.1): “He who understands the transcendental bliss of the Supreme Personality of Godhead no longer fears anything." 1Sc) That the Lord is the supreme master, friend teacher, and deliverer is confirmed in the following quotes from the Svetasvatara Upanisad. “the Personality of Godhead is everyone's supreme master, controller, shelter and friend." (317) “The Personality of Godhead is the teacher who reawakens the eternal spiritual knowledge of the conditioned souls." “The Personality of Godhead delivers the conditioned souls from the bondage’of repeated birth and death." (6.16) 15d) The Lord's sweetness is described in the Gopalatapani upani- sad (1.13): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is splendid as a fresh monsoon cloud. His eyes are lotus flowers. He has two arms. His garments are lightning. He wears a garland of forest flowers. He is full of transcendental knowledge." 16) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from His transcendental form and attributes, sand any apparent difference is an illusion. He is the original learned philosopher. He is the source of eternal time. 17) This is described in the Narada Pancaratra: “The indepen- dent Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses a spiritual form full of perfect and faultless qualities. He is not different from His hands, feet, face, belly, or other parts of His form, which are all made exclusively of transcendental bliss." 1018a) The eternal transcendental position of Srimati Laksmi- devi is described in the Visnu Puranas: “oO best of the brahmanas Lord Visnu's transcendental potency, Srimati Laksmi-devi, is His constant faithful companion. She is eternal, and she is the mother of the entire material universe. She is all-pervading, just as Lord Visnu is." 18b) Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His disciples in the following way: “Srimati Laksmi-devi is the best of Lord Visnu's three potencies, and She is not different from the Lord Himself.” 18c) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8) describes the three energies of Lord Visnu: "It has been heard in the Vedas that Lord visnu possesses multifarious potencies, which may be divided into three categories 1. the potency of transcendental knowledge, 2. the potency of eternal existence, and 3. the potency of spiritual bliss. Lord Visnu' is also the master of all living entities, and the controller of the material cosmos both in its unmanifested stage and its developments of the three modes of nature." 19a) The Visnu Purana explains: "The potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in three categories: namely, 1. the spiritual poten- cy, 2. the living entities and 3. ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities although belonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities." : 19b) Srimati Laksmi-devi, the supreme spiritual potency, is non- different from Lord Visnu: The spiritual potencies of the Lord are described in the following verses from Visnu Purana: “Lord Hari's transcendental potency cannot be measured by the string of time, calibrated in minutes and seconds. May the supremely pure Personality of Cod- head be merciful to us. . 19c) “Lord visnu is described as the supreme controller, free from all material impurity. He is the object of Srimati Laksmi- devi's service, and He is the Supersoul of all conditioned living entities. May He be merciful to us.” 19d) The Visnu Puranas explains that the Lord's spiritual potency has three aspects: "O Lord, You are the support of every thing. The three attributes hladini (pleasure potency), sandhini (existence potency), and samvit (knowledge potency) exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness,.misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You for You have no material qualities." ‘ay Go 20a) Lord Visnu is one, and His constant associate Laksmi-devi is also one. Assuming many different spiritual forms, they appear to have become many. 20b) The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.21) confirms that Lord Visnu is one, although He manifests in many forms: “Lord Krsna is the worshipable, all-pervading supreme controller, and although He is one, He manifests in many forms. Thet who are intelligent worship that Suprme Lord, who remains in His spiritual abode. They attain the eternal transcendental happiness that is not available for others." 20c) Srimati Laksmi-devi also manifests in many forms. This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.8): "It is heard in the Vedas that Lord Visnu's transcendental potency manifests in many forms." 21a) Although all the transcendental forms of Visnu and Lakswi are always equally perfect and complete in all circumstances, these forms are consideredi higher and lower according to the different qualities and potencies which they manifest or refrain from manifesting. 21b) Lord Visnu is always perfect and complete. This is described in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (5.1.1.): "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely, perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance." 21c) The ifaha-varaha Purana also explains: "The transcendental forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternal and imperishable. They were not created at a certain point, and they are never to be destroyed. They are ¥% products of the material energy. ’ 2id) "All the forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are completely filled with transcendental bliss, knowledge and all auspicious qualities. These spiritual forms of the Lord are free from all material defects." 22a) Srimati Laksmi-devi is described in the same way in. the Visnu Purana: "Just as Lord Janardana (Visnu), the controller of the universe and master of the demigods, incarnates in different forms, so also does His eternal consort, Srimati Laksmi-devi. 22b) "When Lord Hari appeared as Vamana, the son of Aditi, Laksmi-devi appeared as Padma, and when the Lord appeared ‘as Parasurama, she appeared as Dharini. 22c) “When the Lord apppeared as Ramacandra, she became Sita- devi, and when He descended in His original form as Lord Krsna, she was Princess Rukmini. In Lord Visnu's many other incarnations, she always appeared as the Lord's consort. tz-7- . 22d) "Laksmi-devi apppears in differnet forms, corresponding to the forms of Lord Visnu. When the Lord apppears as a demigod, she assumes a demigod like form, and when He apppears in a human~ like form, she assumes a human like form. As the Lord's transcen- dental potency, she is not different from Him, and her spiritual forms are all’ perfect and complete. This is the opinion of the learned transcendentalists." 23a) Some forms of the Lord are considered superior to to.other forms of the Lord. In this connection the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28) explains: "All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions,of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead." 23b) The scriptures also explain: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as the eighth son of Vasudeva and Devaki." 24a) The same differing importance of forms applies to Srimati Laksmi-devi. The purusa-bodhini Upanisad of the Atharva Veda explains: "In the supreme abode of Gokula in the district of Mathura, Srimati Radharani and Stimati Gandravali-devi! stand at: the: ke€t’ and right side of Lord Krsna." “Srimati Radharani expands Herself as Laksmi, Durga, and many other potencies of the Lord, which are all her incarnations." 24b) This is also confirmed in the Gautamiya Tantra: "The transce: dental goddess.Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krsna, She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to atttact the all- attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord." 25a) The Lord's eternal abode may be understood by the use of the "adi" (etc,) In the quote from the Purusa-bodhini Upanisad. In this connnection, the following question and answer are found in the Chandogya Upanisad. "O Sanat-Kumara, where does the Supreme Personality of Godhead reside?" "He resides in His own splendid abode." The Mundaka Upanisad also confirms: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead resides. in His own splendid abode in the spiritual sky." 25b) The Rg Veda (1.154.6) explains: "We desire to attain the transcéndental abodé of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, which is full of splendid ‘surabhi cows. The Sruti also explains: “Unlimited Vaikuntha planets are the abode of Lord Krsna, who is glorified by the liberated souls, and who fulfills all the desires of the devotees."= 26a) The Gopala-tapani Upanishad explains: “Among the seven sacred cities of Bharata, the-city of. Mathura, where Lord Gopala resides, is a direct manifestation of the spiritual world." ~@< 26b) The Jitanta Tantra explains: “Unattainable by the non- devotees, free from the influence of the three modes of material nature, and filled with the six spiritual opulences, the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead is known as Vaikuntha. 26c) “Splendid with gardens, forests, halls and great palaces, that Vaikuntha world is inhabited by the Supreme Lord's liberated asssociates who are always engaged in the devotional activities of approaching the Lord, associating with Him, worshiping, hearing about and remembering Hin at every moment. 26d) "That Vaikuntha world is beyond the reach of material nature and it is worsniped by the demigods. It is decorated with wells, ponds, lakes, and various desire-trees, and it is effulgent as millions of suns." . 26e) The Brahma-samhita (verse 2) gives the following description: “The superexcellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinatary aspect, the whorl of the. leaves being the actual abode of Krsna. 27a) The Supreme Personality of Godhead brings His own spiritual realm within the jurisdiction of the material world, and then personally appears there. This is the opinion of Lord Brahma and others, 27b) Just as tliey consider the eternal, omniscient and blissful spiritual form.of Lord Krsna to be only the form of an ordinary human child, the foolish also consider the Lord's spiritual abodes to be simply a manifestation of material energy. 28a) The Supreme Lord enjoys eternal pastimes. This is confirmed in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad: “The Supreme Lord performs pastines eternally, in the past, present and future." The Atharva Veda explains: "The one Supreue Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forus in relationships with His unalloyed devotees."* 28b) The Lord Himself explains in Bhagavad-gita (4.9): "One wio knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in thi: Material world, but attains dy transcendental abode, 0 Arjuna 29) Because the Lord's forms, followers, and abodes are all unlimited, and because the Lord's forms and abodes are not different from Him, learned transcendentalists have explained that the Lord's pastimes are eternally manifest. wySECOND TRUTH The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Known by study of the Vedas. la) The Gopala-tapani Upanisad confirms this: "All the Vedas proclaim the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The Kathe Upanisad 91.2.15) also confirms it: "All Vedas worship the Supreme Lord's lotus feet, and all austerities proclaim His glories." 1b) Tae Hari-vamsa states: "In the Vedic literature, including the Ramayana, Puranas and. Mahabharata, from the very beginning (adau), to tie end (ante ca), as well as within the middle (madhye ca), only Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is explained. "* 2) The four Vedas, Vedanta-sutras, and supplenentary Vedic literatures, all directly and sytematically glorify the Surpreme Personality of Godnead, Lord Madhava 3) At different places in the Vedic literatures the Absolute Truth is said to be indescribable. This means that llis qualities are unlimited and He cannot"be adequately described. It is ay opinion that any other interpretation is illogical and senseless. 4) | They who understand the actual nature of spirit do not say that the Supreme never takes birth, or that lie is devoid of qualities pastimes and names, which constitute the realm describable by words. The learned do not say that the Supreme cannot be described by words. 5) I do not think the Absolute Truth is without attributes and therefore beyond the descriptive power of words. “ THIRD TRUTH The Material World is Real. la) Because omniscient Lord Visnu created this material world with His own potency, therefore it is real. The word asat used to describ the material world in the Vedas should be interpreted to. mean. tempora: not unreal. Describing the temporality of this world, the Vedas instruct us in the importance of renunciation. ~ 1b) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.1) explains: "The Absolute Truth, who is one without a second, and who has no material attributes, desired to manifest the material world, and thus created the different classes of human beings, animals and demigods.* . Ic) The Visnu Purana explains: "Whatever we see in this world is simply an expansion of different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who exactly is like a fire that spreads illumination= 10 = for a long distance, although it is situated in one place."* 1d) The Isopanisad explains: "Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self- sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial."* 2) | The Visnu Purana explains: "O best of the sages, this entire material world is eternal and imperishable. When it is manifested from the Supreme, it only appears to have begun it's existence, and when it again enters the Supreme, it only appears to be destroyed." 3) The Mahabharata explains: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, is real Austerities are real, and Lord Brahma is also real. Because the living entities and the material world have taken birth from the supreme reality, they are also real.* 4) When the Vedas explain that in the beginning only the Supreme exists, it may be understood that at that time the material world is dormant within the Supreme and remains invisible, just as a bird that has disappeared into a forest. In this way the knowers of the Vedas assert the reality of the material world. FOURTH TRUTH The Jivas (Living Entities) Are Different From Lord Visnu. la) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.6-7) explains: “Two birds reside in the metaphorical banyan tree of the material body. One of them is engaged in eating the material happiness and distress that are the fruit of that tree, while the other does not eat, but only witnesses the actions of his friend. The witness is the Supreme Lord Visnu, and the fruit-eater is the living entity.* 1b) "Although the two birds are on the same tree, the eating bird is fully-engrossed with anxiéty and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to His friend who is the Lord and knows His glories, at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties."* 2) The Brhat-samhita explains: “Learned philosophers have concluded that the correct interpretation of the Vedic texts is determined by understanding the following: 1. their beginning statements, 2 their concluding statements, 3. what is repeatedly stated within them, 4. evidence presented within them that is beyond the power of the limited material senses to perceive, 5. the prayers in them and 6. the logical arguments presented within them.- A correct understanding ofthese six elements leads to proper interpretation of the Vedas. By studying in this way one comes to the correct interpretaion: that the living entities are different from the Supreme." Ee= ibs 3a) ‘The tundaka Upanisad (3.1.3) explains: "One who sees that golden-colored Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme actor, who is the source of the Supreme Brahman, becomes free from the reactions to past pious and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated attaining the same transcendental platform as the Lord."* 3b) The Katha Upanisad (2.1.15) explains: "0 Waciketa, when a drop of pure water is thrown into a reservoir of pure water, the drop does not change it's natureiw any way. In the same way, the individual living entity, when situated in transcendental knowledge, does not change his nature when he comes into contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but retains his individuality in all respects." 4a) The impersonalists followers of Sankaracarya proclaim: "I, the living entity, am the only Supreme, and other living entities, as well as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, do not exist , but are only imagined in the mind when there is ignorance of my actual nature." This is their polluted conclusion Se ee i ie ae es ee an a al The following Vedic quotation,beginning with the word nitya presents the actual truth. It is stated so clearly that the impersonalists cannot twist a different meaning from it. 4b) The Katha Upanisad (2.2.13) explains: “Of all eternals, there is one who is the chief eternal. Of all conscious living entities, there is one who is the chief conscious entity. That supreme living entity, the Personality of Godhead, maintains the others, and fulfills their desires according to their merits. Only saintly persons, who can see, within and without, the same Supreme Lord, can actually attain to perfect and eternal peace."* 5) This verse states that both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual living entities are eternal and conscious. By affirming the eternality of both the one and the many, the distinction between them is described as eternal. Sa) Jusi-as the life-force is different from the senses of the material body which are completely dependent on it, in the same way the Supreme Lord is distinct from the material world which is completely dependent on Him. 6b) The Chandogya Upanisad (5.1.15) explains in this connection: “The different senses, such as the voice, sense of sight, sense of hearing, and the mind, are all known as the life-force, but the actual life-force is different from all the senses, which are dependent upon it. They are named after the life-force, although it is actually different from them." Nete: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains in this connection that the impersonalists may argue that the Vedas say “sarvam khalv idam brahma (everything is Brahman)" and “tat tvam asi svetaketo (0 Svetaketu, you are that)", and therefore the only thing in existance is impersonal Brahman, and everything else is an illusion. To counter this argument, Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes this verse from the Chandogya lpanisad , where there is an explanation of how, 4 « Pama pans te mr em aE a i a "= 12 = everything is Brahman. The various senses are dependent upon the life-force, and therefore, they are collectively known as the life- | force, although the actual life-force is different from them. In } this way the senses are designated as the life-force because they are manifested from the life-force, although they are actually different from it. In the same way, the individual living entitities have emanated from the Supreme Brahman, and they are therefore designated Brahman to show their source of origin, although they are actually different from the Supreme Brahman. 7) Some maintain that because the Supreme is all pervading, the material universe must be identical with Him. Visnu Purana dispels this misconception: "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, although You have created this material universe, and although You are everywhere present within it, You are nevertheless eternally distinct from it." 8) Some maintain that the universe is identical with the Supreme because the universe is the Supreme"s reflected image, and others say that they are identical because the Supreme has divided Himself into the various pieces that constitute the universe. The wise do not accept these faulty arguments, because they know that the Supreme is simultaneously all-pervading and beyond the reach of the material senses. Note: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains the defect in the arguments of these two groups of impersonalists. The first group says that just as the sun or moon may be reflected in various pots or reservoirs'of water, in the same way, the Supreme reflects Himself, the reflections being the individual living entities. This view cannot be maintained because the Supreme is, by His very nature, all-pervading. Something all-pervading cannot be reflected anywhere, just, as the all-pervading dimension of space, upon which all the material elements rest, cannot be reflected anywhere. The opinion of the second camp of impersonalists is that the Supreme has cut Himself inte many little pieces which are the individual living entities and the material elements. This view cannot be held because the Supreme is avisaya, spiritual and beyond the reach of the material senses. Because the Supreme is spiritual, imperishable, and without change, He cannot be cut into many pieces as the impersonalists say. 9) © impersonalist, you insist that the individual living entities and the Supreme are identical, even though this view contradicts all descriptions in the Vedas 10) There is no evidence to support the erroneous conception that the Supreme is an amorphous mass without any qualities. They i who know the truth declare that the wise never accept such a conclusion. Note: In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that the three sources of evidence: direct perception, logic, and scriptural revelation, tell us that although the Supreme is devoid of material qualities, He possesses innumerable spiritual qualities. WS= 13 ~ That the Supreme possesses spiritual qualities (bhagavan) in the ultimate issue is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11): vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatieti bhagavan iti sabdyate “Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan (full of all opulences)." FIFTH TRUTH The Jivas (Living Entities) Aye By Nature The Servants Of The Supreme Personality Of Godhead. 1) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.7) explains: "The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control All entities are delegated with particular power only by the Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also worshipable by all demigods , and is the supreme director of all directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and controllers and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than him, and le is the supreme cause of all causes."* 2a) The Smrti-sastra declares: “Brahma, Siva, Surya, Candra, Indra and all other demigods are appointed to their posts by Lord Visnu and given extraordinary powers by Him. They are all servants of Lord Visnu." 2b) The Sastras explain: "“Tnnumerable Brahmas, Sivas, Indras, sages and demigods, all worship the Supreme Lord Narayana, the best of the demigods." . 2c) The Padma Purana describes the nature of the jiva (individual living entity) in the following way: "By nature the living entity is eternally the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari. He is never the servant of Brahma, Siva or anyone else.” SIXTH TRUTH In Both Conditioned and Liberated States, the Jivas Are Situated in Higher and Lower Statuses. Although all living entities are equally conscious and full crekmovledge, according to the small capacity of an individual soul, fhey Nevertheless manifest that original spiritual nature in varying degrees. The extent to which that original nature is uncovered ta 19- 14 - determined by their purity and devotion to the Supreme Lord. 2a) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.9) describes the individual spirit soul: “When the upper point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the dimension of the spirit soul 2b) The Prasna Upanisad (4.9) explains the soul's consciousness, knowledge and other qualities: "It is the individual soul who perceives the activities of the senses. It is he who sees, touches, hears, smells, tastes, thinks, and understands." 3a) The soul pervades the material body, as Bhagavad-gita (13.34) explains: “0 son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body with consciousness. 3b) The author of Vedanta Sutra explains (2.3.14): “Just as the newly risen sun remains in one place and yet fills the entire sky with light, in the same way the individual soul, although remaining in one place, pervades the entire body by consciousness." Yajnavalkya Muni (in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 4.5.14) describes the eternality of the soul: "O Maitreyi, the soul is imperishable, and can never be cut or changed." 4a) They who are learned in the spiritual science say that although in one sense all individual souls are equal, they manifest different activities in the material world, and even in the spiritual world they possess different degrees of pure devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 4b) The following explanation is found in the Kauthumiya recension of the Vedas: "The degree to which one engages in devotional activities in this world determines his status in the next world." The Smrti-sastra also confirms: “The extent to which one is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead determines the degree of his spiritual perfection." 4c) Neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, and conjugal love are described as the five mellows of loving exchange with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who meditate upon the Lord... in these different mellows attain the appropriate different destinations. In this way, the living entities possess different gradations of good-fortune.a SEVENTH TRUTH Liberation Does Not Mean an Impersonal Merging, But the Attainment of Direct Association With Lord Krsas, la) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (1.14) explains: "By understanding the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a bona-fide miseries and the trap of repeated birth and death which spring from that false identification. By constantly meditating on the Supreme Lord, he becomes free from the subtle material body of Mind, intelligence and false-ego.. He attains the focm of am SJortully Liberated associate of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world, and all his desires become fulfilled." The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.21) Also explains: “Lord Krsna is the all--powerful, all-pervading: Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is the object of the prayers of worship of the demigods. Intelligent persons worship Him as He resides in Hie own spiritual abode. They thus attain the eternal transcerdentar bliss which is Not available for_others." lb) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested in many forms, but His original form is Lord Krsna. They who worship His original form, Lord Krsna, become liberated from this material world and attain transcendental bliss in the Lord's eternal abode. EIGHTH TRUTH Pure Devotional Service Grants Liberation. la) The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.15) explains: "Devotional Service means worship and meditaiton directed to the Supreme fersonality of Godhead. Such devotional service frees pre from the desire for sense-gratification both in this life ang the next and breaks the bonds of karma," 1b) ‘The Narada-pancaratra also explains: “Bhakti, or devotional enzvice, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, (ne Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and, simply by being employed in the service of the Lord, one's Senses are purified. "*= 16 unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his’ life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. "* 2b) If one engages in the service of the devotees and the spiritual master, considering them equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he may attain the devotional service of the Lord. There is no other way in which this service may be attained. 3a) That one should serve the devotees, considering them equal to the Supreme Personality Of Godhead Himself, is described in the Taittiriya Upanisad (1.10): “One should serve devotee in the same way one serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." 3b) The Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.32) confirms that this is the only way to attain the Lord's devotional service: "Unless thery smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination."* 4a) That one should also serve the spiritual master as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed in the Taittiriya Upanisad (1.10): “One should serve the spiritual master in the same way one serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." 4b) The Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23) also explains: “Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."* = 4c) That one should be devoted to the Spiritual Master in the same way that he is devoted to the Supreme Lord-is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.3.22-23): “Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona-fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by inftiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations are to be understood as bona-fide spiritual masters. One who takes the instructions of such a bona-fide spiritual master as his life and soul, and sincerely worships and serves him, considering him as worshipable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, greatly satisfies the Suptene Lord, who then gives Himself to such a sincere devotee: The Lord gives such a devotee the power to preach His message."* 5), One who has passed through the five purificatory rituals, and been initiated into the vidhi and raga stages of devotional service, may directly perceive Lord Hari and attain the eternal bliss of serving Him in the spiritual abode AQ2 if = 6a) These five purificatory procedures are described in the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda: "1. Austerity, 2. wearing tilaka markings 3. accepting a new name at the time of initiation, 4. chanting various mantras glorifying the Lord, and 5. engaging in the performanc. of sacrifice, are five purificatory procedures that grant the Lord's unalloyed devotional service 6b) In this verse the word austerity means to accept the branded marks of Lord Visnu (the cakra, lotus, conch and mace) and also the marks of His holy names. Note: Srila Sarasvati Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura comments that this difficult austerity is not actually needed. The previous great devotees have set the example of. marking the body with the Lord's holy names and symbols drawn in sandalwood paste. This is quite sufficient. 6c) The Smrti-sastra explains: "One who marks his body with the letters of Lord's Hari's holy names drawn in sandalwood paste or other similar substances, purifies the entire world and becomes eligible to enter the Lord's spiritual abode." 6d) The word pundran in the previous quote from the Padma Purana (6a) means tilaka markings, many varieties of which have been described in the scriptures. By marking the body with tilaka, or with the forms of the Lord's lotus feet, or other auspicious marks, the body is sanctified and designated as temple of Lord Hari. Se) The word nama means name. This means that when one is initiated by a spiritual master, one should accept a new name indicating that he is a servant of Lord Hari. The mantra referred to is the eighteen syllable Gopala mantra, which is considered non- different from the spiritual form of the Lord. 6£) By the word yaga, the worship of Salagrama-sila and other deity forms of the Lord ic described. In this way the. saintly devotees find many references in the Puranas and other Vedic literatures to describe the Sive purificatory processes. 7) The nine-fold process of devotional service described in text 2a may be considered in two stages. The first stage is called vidhi-bhakti, or following the rules and regulations of bhakti. The second stage is called ruci, and it is attained when there is spontaneous attraction to Krsna and His service. Lord Krsna becomes personally very satisfied by this loving service. He fulfills all the desires of His servitor and brings him back to the spiritual. realm. 8) By the process of vidhi-bhakti, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped in His Narayana feature, manifesting four, or sometimes eight or ten arms. By the process of ruci-bhakti, the Lord is worshipped in His original human-like form as the son of Yasoda. 23- 18 - 9) One should worship the tulasi plant, the banyan and amalaki trees, and everything else that has a relationship with the Lord. One should not fast on an ekadasi day that partly falls on the dasami, and one should not fast on a janmastami day that falls on the saptami. 10) A learned and intelligent devotee, fixed in service to the Lord, should reside in a holy place, aspire for the association of advanced devotees, and engage in the regular and special activities of devotional service. 11) One should carefully avoid the ten offenses in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. 12) Unalloyed devotional service, which causes one to attain Krsna, is described here. When that devotion is enriched with Fenunciation and scriptural scholarehip, it very quickly bears ruit. WINTH TRUTH Direct Perception, Logic and Vedic Revelation Are-Three Sources of Actual Knowledge. 1) This is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.16.17): "The Four Vedas, direct perception, the Puranas and Vedic histories, as well as logic are four sources of actual knowledge." 2) Direct perception and logic are actual sources of knowledge when they confirm the authoritative statements of Vedic revelation Only foolish persons bewildered by the illusory material energy of the Lord accept the misleading evidence of direct sensory perception. 3) Logic and mental speculation are inconclusive and unreliable sources of knowledge. ‘They may be compared to a hilltop forest fire that has just been extinguished by showers of rain, and thus yields no light, but only a great quantity of smoke. Intelligent persons therefore do not consider logic and sensory perception to be -... independent and infallible sources of knowledge, but rather they are dependent assistants to the principal source of knowledge: the Vedic revelation. 4) When logic confirms the Vedic revelation it should be accepted, but otherwise not. 5a) The proper use of logic is described by Yajnavalkya Muni in the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (4.5.6): "O Naitreyi, one should directly perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead by hearing about Him from a bona-fide spiritual master. In this way one can properly understand His position, and constantly meditate on Him." wy= 19's 5b) Logic that has no foundation in scriptural revelation is described in the Katha Upanisad (1.2.9): "ty dear Naciketa, simply by logic one will never be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but only by the descriptions of a realized spiritual master." 6) The Smrti-sastra confirms: “One should reject the dry logic that considers: How important is it that one's reasoning follow the conclusion previously described in Vedic revelation? It cannot be very important. Such logic leads one to the process known as Speculative guessing." 7a) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the statements of the Upanisads, and for this reason Vedic revelation is the best of all sources of knowledge. They who spurn the Vedic revelation do not have the power to properly understand the Supreme 7b) This conclusion is confirmed in the Vedas "One ignorant of Vedic knowledge cannot actually understand the Supreme. "(Sruti-sastra) “Please tell me about the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is revealed in the Upanisads." (Brhad-aranyaka 3.9.26) CONCLUDING WORDS The Philosophy of Madhvacarya may be summarized in the following way:- 1. Lord Hari is the Absolute Truth, and nothing is greater than He, 2. the material world is real, 3. the jivas (living entities) are different from Lord Hari, 4. the jivas are by nature LordHeci's servants, 5. the jivas are situated in varying positions in both the material and spiritual worlds, 6. liberation does not mean an impersonal merging, but the experience of the bliss of devotional service, 7. pure devotional service grants liberation 8. direct perception,. logic, and Vedic revelation are the three sources of knowledge, and 9.**Lord Hari is revealed in the Vedic scriptures. PRP RR KP RRR ARP PR RPO Om The nine jewels of philosophical truth formulated by Nadhvacarya © have been described in this book. Let they who are actually intelligent respectfully place this book, Prameya-ratnavali, in their hearts. 3) _ This concluding verse may be interpreted either for Lord Krsna © or for Lord Caitanya. Interpreted for Lord Krsna, it may be translatedg. in the following way: May Lord Krsna, whose form is spiritual and full of knowledge. and who mercifully purified and delivered Gajendra, the king of the elephants, eternally reside within our hearts. Interpreted for Lord Caitanya, the same verse may be translated & § rTrronnrnean =-u- in the following way: May Lord Caitanya, who is actually Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who mercifully purified and delivered Maharaja Prataparudra, eternally reside within our hearts. zeA VAISNAVA-SIDDHANTA-MAL (A GARLAND OF VAISNAVA TRUTHS) by Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda ELRST GROUP NAVA-PRAMEYA-~SIDDHANTA (NINE TRUTHS OF EVIDENCE) FIRST CHAPTER What command has the supremely worshipable Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu given to us? His order is this -- that we very carefully observe the nine instructions of truth that Sri Madhvacarya has given us through the guru-parampara (disciplic succession). Who forms the guru-parampara? The adi~guru (original guru) of all the spiritual masters in disciplic succession is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Showing His great mercy, He gave instructions in the truth to Lord Brahma, the adi- kavi (original poet). These truths were in turn taught by Brahma to Sri Narada, by Narada to Sri Vyasa, and successively from Vyasa to Sri Madhvacarya. Such instructions as received through this disciplic succession are called guru-parampara-upadesa. What are the names of these nine instructions given by Sri Madhvacarya? Their names are thus: (1) BHAGAVAN ALONE IS THE SUPREME TRUTH, ONE WITHOUT A SECOND (2) HE IS THE OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE IN ALL THE VEDAS (3) THE UNIVERSE IS REAL (SATYA) (4) DIFFERENCES (BETWEEN ISVARA, JIVA AND MATTER) ARE REAL (5) JIVA SOULS ARE THE SERVANTS OF SRI HARI (6) ALL SOULS ARE DIFFERENT ACCORDING TO THEIR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS (7) LIBERATION (MOKSA) IS THE NAME OF ATTAINMENT OF BHAGAVAN'S LOTUS FEET (8) BHAGAVAN’S PURE WORSHIP (AMALA BHAJANA) IS THE ONLY WAY TO ATTAIN LIBERATION (9)'PRATYAKSA’ (DIRECT PERCEPTION), ‘ANUMANA’ (LOGIC) AND ‘SABDA’ (SPIRITUAL SOUND) ARE THE THREE TYPES OF EVIDENCE.ECOND CHAPTE! vA TRU’ Q. Who is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? A. Bhagavan is the one Who expands all jives and all matter by His own inconceivable energy (acintya-sakti), and then enters into these creations as the Supreme Lord (isvara~svarupa); He also transcends all souls and matter es the impersonal brahman effulgence (brahma-svarupa), which is far beyond all imagination; and moreover, it is He Who manifests His divine potency (para-sakti) to reveal His form of eternity, knowledge and bliss (sac-cid-ananda-sverupa), thereby becoming the object of devotion for all souls. Q. What are the different types of the Lord’s potencies? A. We are unable to fully describe the Lords potencies. The reason for this is that his saktis have no boundaries, but we have boundaries; therefore, his energies are called para-sakti. This sakti is completely jmperceptible to us, but on the other side of His para-sakti, all things are accomplished effortlessly. Thus the para-sakti conducts the opposing effairs of matter automatically. Q. Then is Bhagavan subordinate to the sakti? A. It’s not that Bhagavan is one thing and the sakti is snother thing; just as the burning power of fire is inseparable from the fire, so Bhagavan’s sakti is similarly inseparable from Bhagavan. Q. If Bhagavad’ is the one and only Supreme Truth, then why did Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu give instructions about devotional service to Sri Krsna (krsne-bhekti)? A. Bhagavan has six eternal qualities -- He possesses ell wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. Different forms of the Lord (bhagavat-svarupa) manifest according to whether certain of these qualities are being expressed to greater or lesser degrees. For example, when His wealth feature is foremost, then He manifests as Narayana, the Lord of Vaikuntha; and when His beauty or sweetness predominete, then He =caifests as Vrndavana-cand:a Sri Krsna. Tnerefore, only Sri Rrsna is the topmost supreme manifestation of Bhagavan. Q. How many types of forms does the Lord have? A. All of His forms are fully conscious, supremely beautiful, overflowing with divine bliss, all-attractive, vibrantly active, and perceivable by pure love. According to the different natures of different souls, the Lord’s eternsl form manifests in an infinite number of ways. Thus, according to these differences in the Lord’s manifestation, different-natured souls are eternally attached in their own original forms. Only the form of Sri Krsna is the eternal blissful svarupa. Q. What is Sri Krana‘s lila? A. Amongst the entire spiritual world, the most supremely charming division is called Sri Vrndavana. There, Saccidananda Sri Krsna is present in the form of Sri Sri Radhe-Krsna for the purpose of performing eterrial pastimes. When souls manifest their own form of divine bliss, then they live in Vradavana in the mood of Sri Radhika’s girlfriends (since She is the personification of supreme bliss), and thus they attain the qualification for participating in Sri Krsna‘s eternal pastimes. 2 aeQa a Ay Qa . If Sri Krsne’s pastimes are beyond matter, then exactly how does He enact His lila What are the obstacles to the attainment of Sri Krsna lila? There are two types of obstacles: 1. material consciousness (jada~buddhi) and 2, © beyond the conception of material consciousness, there is impersonal consciousness. (nicvisesa-buddhi). € What is material consciousness? £ Material consciousness is an awareness that is Hmited to material place, time, objects, © aspirations, thoughts, and activities. According to material consciousness, one sees the realm of Vradavana dhama to be a material place. Time is divided into three © parts: past, present and future. Objects refers to all perishable things. Aspiration @ refers to the hopes for impermanent happiness, such as attaining the heavenly planets, etc. In this condition, the soul can think only material thoughts. Sucha @ soul imagines the following temporary activities to be worthwhile: the culture of civilization, moral ethics, scientific learning, industrial development, andthe increase @ of domestic prosperity, etc. é What is impersonal consciousness? € . First, the principle in the material world which separates all things is called visesa € (distinction based upon material quality). By merely renouncing material thinking, one only gives up the conception of material distinction, and thereby one’s ¢ consciousness falls into the realm of nirvisesa (noh-distinction). In this condition, ‘one is not able to perceive the differences between material objects, since the self € is situated in nirvana or merging with the abode of Brahman. This state is not a happy one at all; being bereft of the natural bliss of the eternally conscious soul, € the prema or ecstatic love for the Lord remains concealed. The eternal pastimes of Sri Krsna are certainly beyond matter; indeed, they are endowed with cin visesa, or divinely conscious distinction. e € in the material world at the end of Dvapara-yuga? & Sri Krsne-lila is certainly transcendental to matter, but by the power of His © inconceivable potency (acintya-sakti) He manifests His sports within the material sphere. Even though manifesting there, Sri Krsna’s pastimes never blend with matter or become subject to the rules of matter. These pastimes of Sri Krsna have two ¢ phases: 1, prakat (manifest in the material world), and 2. aprakat (manifest only in the spiritual world beyond matter) -- and both conditions are visuddha-cinmaya or ¢ pervaded with the purest divine consciousness. His pastimes are performed only in the most purely sacred realm of Vaikuntha, and they are centered in the forest of € Sri Vendavena. Their manifestation in the material world and in the hearts of the fives are only due to His acintya-sakti as well as His causeless mercy. Even when ¢ Rrsne’s lila is performed in the world of matter, the conditioned souls who partake ofthe material consciousness (jada-buddhi) are unfortunately cheated; their contact € with matter makes them see the lila with faulty vision. Whoever becomes freed from their jada-buddhi, just like Jagai and Madhai were in the pastimes of Sri Caitanya © Mahaprabhu, then they will also be able to understand these truths; becoming rellaved of faulty material vision, euch fortunate souls are then attracted to the © Lord’s pastimes. As long es the jivas cannot understand SriKrsna-tattva (the truth about the Lord), thea they cannot obtain rasa or divine relishable mellows. |. These truths of Sri Krsna-tattva are the religious principles of the Vaisnava-dharma. What about people who are involved with other types of religion? 3 aie ae Ae petiA. Different religions have different instructions for the worship of isvara (God), paramatma (Supersoul) and brahma (impersonality) — but all of these are pointing in the direction of Krsna-tattva. After the jivas evolve upwards through their various courses of development, they eventually will attain Krsna-bhakti in the end. Even though they attain the incompleteness of their various religious paths, Sri Krena-bhakti is still available to them. The awareness of the supreme nature of Sri Krsna-tattva is the ultimate knowledge of every living entity. THIRD CHAPTER NOW, BY ALL TH Ss Q. How can one know the truth of the Lord (bhagavat-tattva)? A. This can be known by the soul's knowledge of self-evident truth (svatah-siddha- jnana). Q. What is self-evident truth? A. There are two kinds of knowledge (jnana) -- 1. self-evident (svatah-siddha), and 2. that which depends on the senses (indriya-paratantra). Self-evident knowledge is the natural truth that is inherently a feature of the pure spirit soul's original form. It is eternal, just as the totality of the divinely conscious realm is also eternal. This self-evident knowledge is called veda or amnaya. This veda, in the form of pure knowledge (siddhe~jnane-rupa) has incarnated in the material world in the shape of Rk, Sama, Yajuh and Atharva, along with the conditioned souls (baddhe-jivas); this alone is self-evident knowledge (svatah-siddha-jnana). Whatever knowledge that ordinary souls can gether through the use of their material senses is only the second type of knowledge, or indriya-paratantra (dependent on the senses). Q. Can anyone know Bhagavat-tattva (the truth of the Lord) by indriya-paratantra- jnana (sensual knowledge)? A. No. Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the scope of all the aterial senses. For this reason, He is known as Adhoksaje. The senses, as well as all mental conceptions gathered from sense-perceptions, always remain very fer away from Bhagavat-tattva, the truth of the Lord. Q. If Bhagavan is attainable through self-evident knowledge (svatah-siddha-jnana), then we should be able to attain Him by whatever svetah-siddha-jnana that we presently have. What then is the need to study the Vedic scriptures? A. The Veda is present in every pure spirit soul's existence in the form of svatah- siddhe-jnana. According to the different levels of different souls in the materially conditioned state, this Veda will spontaneously manifest itself to someone, or it may remain veiled to someone else. Therefore, to help re-awaken the forgetful conditioned souls to the eternally self-evident truths, the Veda has also incarnated in the form of written books which may be heard, recited and studied. Q. We have heard that Bhagavan is perceivable only through bhakti (devotional service). If this is true, then how can we say that He is perceivable by jnana, even svatah-siddha-jnana? 3oQa A a a A. Q A That which is called svatah-siddha-jnanais another name for bhakti. When speaking of topics relating to the supreme truth (para-tattva), some call it jnana and some call it bhakti. Then why is jnana condemned in the devotional scriptures (bhakti-sastras)? The devotional scriptures express a great reverence for svatah-siddhe-jnana; indeed, they state that other than this purely self-evident spiritual knowledge, there is no auspicious welfare. The types of jnana that are condemned in the bhakti- sastras are indriya-paratantra-jnana (knowledge based on sense-perception) and nirvisesa-jnana (impersonal non-distinct knowledge), the latter of which is merely the absence of the former. All the Vedic scriptures speak of karma (fruitive activities), jnana (speculative knowledge) and bhakti (devotional service). By which of these can bhagavat-tattva (the truth of the Lord) be known? By examining all the statements of the Vedas collectively, it is seen that they are all in agreement that other than Bhagavan, there is nothing but nothing else worth knowing. All the karma (fruitive activities) mentioned in the Vedas ultimately lead to Bhagavan. When jnana (speculative knowledge) fructifies into its pure condition, then one gives up all dualities that arise from both visese-jnana and nirvisese- jnena, aiming for Bhagavan. The process of bhakti (devotional service) naturally cultivates a direct relationship with Bhagavan; therefore the Lord can be known by all the Vedas. EOURTH CHAPTER THE UNIVERSE IS REAL Some people say, “this universe is false -- it is only made of maya.” Is this true? This universe is real, but it is temporary and perishable. The two characteristics ‘real’ and ‘eternal’ have separate meanings. The material universe is not eternal, because eventually it will be destroyed according to the Lord's desire. It is a factual reality, not false. Whenever the scriptures say that the universe is false, it is to be understood that this statement merely refers to its temporary, perishable nature. What is maya? Bhagavan’s divine potency (para-sakti) is composed of an infinite variety of energies. Among all of these, we know about three in particular: the principles of 1. cit (consciousness), 2. jiva (spirit soul) and 3. maya (material illusion). Prom His cit Potency, the Lord issues forth the manifestation of His own forms and pastimes (bhagavat-tattva-prakasa); from His jiva potency, He issues forth a limitless number of tiny atomic particles of consciousness; from His maya potency, He issues forth the manifestation of this material universe. Whatever is produced from the maya potency is perishable, but for the duration of its manifestation it is real. se oe eeEIETH CHAPTER FERENCE (BHED, AL Q. Whenever both Bhagavan and the jives are spoken of as being conscious (caitanya), then is the difference between the two merely imaginary? A. No. Bhagavan’s consciousness is all-pervading (vibhu-ceitanya), and the jiva’s consciousness is infinitesimal (anu-caitanya). This difference between the two is not imaginary, but factual. Bhagavan is the Lord of His own maya-sakti, whereas the jivas are subordinate to maya-saktl Q. How many types of bheds (difference) are there? A. There are two types of bheda: vyavaharika (relating to behavior) and tattvika (relating to truth). Q . What is vyavaharika~bheda? A. This is illustrated in the difference between a clay pot and a piece of cloth. They seem to be different things, but they both originated from the'same thing -- the soil of the earth; in this original condition, there is no difference between the two things (the pot and the cloth). This type of difference is called vyavaharika-bheda. Q. What is tattvika-bheda? A. This is when one thing is different from another thing in its function as well as in its original cause. This type of difference is called tattviks-bheda. Q. Is the difference between the jiva and Bhagavan vyevaharika or tattvika? A. Tattvika. Q. Why is that? A. Because in no condition whatsoever can the jiva become Bhagavan. Q. Then how are we to understand the profound statements (mahs-vakya) of the scriptures like “tat-tvam-asi” ("you are that”)? A. The great sage Sveta-ketu received the following instructions: “you are spirit soul you are not born from matter, but from consciousness (caitanya). From this lesson itis never to be understood that you are the supreme all-pervading consciousness (vibhu-caitanya).” Q. Then the scriptural statements regarding the oneness of the jiva and the all- pervading brahman do not apply? “A, From the jiva’s point of view, the difference between the two (bheda) is eternal; and from the brahman’s point of view, the non-difference (abheda) is eternal. Therefore difference and non-difference (bheda and abheds) sre both eternal and true. Q. How are we to understand this contradictory conclusion? A. By the Lord’s inconceivable potency (acintya-sakti), all contradictory truths exist in completely harmonious agreement; but the tiny jivas, who possess very imited intelligence, think that such things are impossible. 6 32Q. Then why do we always hear condemnation of the philosophy of oneness? A. Because those who propound the philosophy of oneness say that only the oneness _ of the soul with the supreme is eternal, and that all difference is temporary. Sri Madhvacarya has established that the difference is alsoeternal, and by proving this, he has correctly ascertained the doubtless truth of acintya-bhedabheda (simul. taneous oneness and difference). Those who preach the philosophy of bhedabheda are faultless, whereas those who propound only bheda or abheda are condemned by their adherance to a one-sided truth. Q. Who has the opinion of only abheda (non-difference)? A. The nirvisesa-vadis (propounders of non-distinction) accept the philosophy of only _ abheda, whereas the savisesa-vadis (propounders of eternal distinction) do not accept this philosophy of abheda. Q. Who accepts the savisesa philosophy? A. All the vaisnava-sampradayas accept it. :Q. How many sampradayas do the vaisnavas have? A. There are four vaisnava doctrines — dvaita, visistadvaita, dvaitadvaita and suddhadvaita. Q. Are there any ontological disagreements in their views? A. There is no actual disagreement between their doctrines, for they are all savisesa- vadis (believers in eternal distinction). None of them tolerate the philosophy of kevala~abheda (only oneness). All of these four vaisnava groups have affection for the Lord, and thus they accept the principles of the Lord’s energy (bhagavat-sakti). Those of the dvaita school (dvaita-vadis) say that those of the exclusively advaita school are totally blind. This is because the dvaita-vadis can see the eternality of the dvaita-vada”(doctrine of duality). This is the opinion of Sri Madhvacarya. The vasistadvaita-vadis say that all things are endowed with attributes, and therefore can never be advaita or non-dual. The dvaitadvaita-vadis are very outspoken in their views which clearly denounce the impersonal philosophy of advaita. The doctrine of suddhad vaita also,condemns the advaita philosophy and establishes its own conclusion by emphasizing the pure form of eternal attributes. By seeing and thoroughly understanding an overview of these four schools of vaisnava doctrines, it is obvious thet there is no disagreement among thea. Q. Then why did SriCaitanya Mehaprabhu acceptonly the doctrine of Sri Madhvacarya? A. The special characteristic of Madhvacarya’s doctrine is thet it very clearly and thoroughly defeats the faulty mistakes of the advaita philosophy. By maintaining this forceful position, the distress caused by the impersonal philosophy is‘cast very far away. Therefore, in order to bring about safe and sure benefit for the unfortunate conditioned souls who are weakened from the onslaughts of Kali-yuga, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the doctrines of Sri Madhvacarya. But by doing this, He did not minimize the importance of the other three vaisnava doctrines whatsoever. No itter which type of savisesa-vada (doctrine of eternal distinction) one accepts is Just fine, for it will certainly bring eternal auspiciousness for the jivas.a A A. SIXTH CHAPTER SIVA IS THE SERVANT OF SRI HART What is the natural eternal position (nitye-dharma) of the spirit soul? . The nitya-dharma of the jiva is service to Sri Krsna (krsna-dasya). Whet is the unnatural, fallen position (vaidharmya) of the spirit soul? The downfall of the jiva occurs: 1. when a deluded soul accepts the doctrine of non- difference (abheda) and seeks impersonal nirvana; or 2. when a foolish soul seeks proficiency in materialistic pleasures. Why do you call all these things unnatural? . They‘re unnatural because the spirit soul is made of eternal consciousness (cinmaya), and the only eternal nature of anything that is cinmaya is happiness (ananda) and love (priti). In the impersonalistic doctrine of nirvisesa-vada there is no happiness; their ultimate goal is simply to negate the soul. And in the philosophy of the materialistic visesa-vada (vaisesika), the unique eternal spiritual distinction of the soul is obliterated. Therefore, both the nirvisesa-vada and the jada-vada cause the jiva’s downfall (vaidharmya). Who searches after materialistic happiness? People who ate bewildered by their material karma conduct fruitive activities on the entangling path of action and reaction, and thereby pursue future happiness with hopes of attaining the heavenly material planets, etc. Who searches for power and influence in the material sphere? Those who have achieved perfection in the path of estange-yoga (eight-fold process), and also those who practice the path of sadanga-yoga (six-fold process). search for power in the material sphere which comes from the fruits of their mysticism (vibhuti). What will remain of the spirit soul if you rebuke both meterislistic happiness and impersonal nirvana? Then the soul will rest in its own natural happiness. These two types of so-called happiness are merely material designations (upadhika); the realization of the soul's natural, eternal happiness is not a material designation (nirupadhika). What is the realization of the soul's own true happiness? The spirit soul that is stripped of its relationship with matter perceives the ecstatic happiness of cultivating its relationship with Sri Krsna, a boundless happiness that is characteristic of its own pure consciousness -- that is the natiral happiness of the jiva.Qa A a A SEVENTH CHAPTER DIPPERENT LEVELS OP JIVAS . Are all souls of one type, or are there different relative levels 7 There are different relative levels among the jivas. How many types of levels are there? There are two types: those living in the reality of their natural eternal form (svarupa), and those living in the dream of their false material designation (upadhi). What is the false material designation of the soul? The soul’s material designation consists of all the forms of maya that encapsulate the soul as a result of having turned away from Krsna. Why don’t all souls remain in their true pobition, free from material designations? Those souls who accept nothing other than service as their eternal occupation do not give up their transcendence to material designations that is natural in their true Position (svarupa), for their attraction to facing Krsna is everlasting..But those who consent to the notion of selfishly seeking the enjoyment of their own so-called happiness, turn away from Krsna, and thus they are shackled in the prison of the material world made of maya. It would be very good if Krsna protected spirit souls from such unfortunate mis- conceptions; why doesn’t He do that? In this regard, I would like to say that Lord Krsna gives His expanded spirit souls a quality of independence -~ a free will that allows them to choose between loving Him or pursuing selfish illusions. If a soul chooses to misuse this independence, then its svarupa or essential eternal form falls into a position equal to dull matter. In this stupified condition, the soul cannot perceive the bliss of its own truly spiritual independence, a boundless joy which is natural for soul composed of eternal consciousness (cit). What is the eternal form (svarupa) of the jiva? . The jiva is made of cit, and enjoying anand is its only dharma. - How many relative levels are there among souls situated in their natural, eternal position (svarupa)? . There are five types, because there are five eternal mellows (nitya-rasa) in the spiritual world; being naturally situated each in their own respective mellows, the jivas thereby represent different levels of eternal existence. What are the five different mellows? Neutrality (santa), servitude (dasya), friendship (sakhya), paternity (vatsalya) and conjugal affection (srngara). » Please explain the meaning of these five words.Q AL AL . 1.) Attachment to Krsna that does not involve a personal relationship with Him is called santa-rati; 2.) Attachment to Krsna that hasa personal relationship, but which consists of a mood of service endowed with awe and reverence is called dasya-rati; 3.) Attachment to Krsna which has a personal relationship, which is devoid of reverence to the point of friendly confidence is called sakhya-rati; 4.) Attachment to Krsna which hes a personal relationship, and is full of an overflowing, caring sort of love (sneha) is called vatsalya-rati; 5.) Attachment to Krsna which attains the level of a lover’s familiarity, and which is endowed with sheer brilliance of beauty is called srngara-rati. Are there any different aspects of love (rati) or mellow (rasa)? Love is nourished by the combination of the four ingredients vibhava (supporting characters and specific stimulants), anubhava (13 resultant ecstatic symptoms), sattvika (8 especially disruptive ecstatic symptoms), and vyabhicari (33 transitory accompanying emotions). The transcendental inter- weaving of these four ingredients stimulates the continuous gushing of the eternally perfect mellows. How many different levels are there in the materially designated condition? There are three basic types: 1. jivas with concealed consciousness, like trees and plants, etc.; 2. jivas with constricted concsiousness, like animals and birds, etc.; and 3. jivas with budding consciousness, like people who are bereft of devotion, etc. . How many different types of jivas are there in regard to-being either materially conditioned or spiritually liberated? There are three basic types: 1. nitya~mukta or eternally liberated souls -- they are transcendental to matter; 2. baddha-mukta or those who are living in the material, world, but are not caught-up in it; and 3. nitye~baddha or perpetually conditioned souls who are completely entangled in material perplexities. What type of souls are classified as nitya-baddha (perpetually conditioned)? The three types of concealed, constricted and budding consciousness are considered to be nitya-baddha. . How many types of baddha-mukta souls are there? There are two types: 1. those with’ blooming consciousness, like practicing devotees (sadhana-bhaktas); and 2. those with fully flowering consciousness, like devotees who are relishing the outpourings of ecstatic devotional service due to being situated in their natural eternal mellow (sthayi-bhava-bhaktas). Where do the nitya-baddha and baddha-mukta souls reside? They live in the world of maya. Where do the nitya-mukta souls reside? In the spiritual world or Vaikuntha (the place of no anxiety). How many comparative levels of souls are there with budding consciousness? There are many different types; but it is possible to roughly classify them into six general types thus: 10 361.) uncivilized tribes of ignorant people, like the Pulindas (aborigines) and the Sabaras (mountain people), etc. 2.) civilized races which have a development of materialistic knowledge and science, as well as an emphasis on industrialized production of material goods; they do not know what is proper moral conduct, nor do they have actual faith in God; these are the characteristics of the mlecchas (meat-eating races like the Americans, the Europeans,) etc. 3.) races which have no personal God, but which are very fond of the natural beauty of the material world, like the Buddhists (the Japanese, the Chinese), etc. 4.) races whose ethics are endowed with a philosophy and faith in animaginary God, just like the karma-vadis (worshippers of various demigods, etc., who do good works with the hope of being elevated to higher planets; this is called imaginary because they believe various demigods to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead). 5.) races which accept the true Lord of Creation, but do not perform devotional service unto Him. 7 6.) races who are fond of the nirvisesa-vada (doctrine of ultimate impersonal oneness), like the jnana-kandis (those who practice the path of intellectually- wrangled spiritual knowledge). Q. What are the different levels of all these classifications of souls? A. From the concealed-consciousness entities up to the budding-consciousness entities, they are all classified according to the degree of their engagement in the principles of devotional service unto the Lord (bhakti-tattva). It is obvious what the comparative levels are among the blooming-consciousness entities (devotees) and the fully-flowering-consciousness entities (ecstatic devotees). GHTH CHA: NI: -AINH, Q. How many different types of liberation (moksa) are there? A. It is said that there are five types of moksa: 1. salokya (living on the sam as the Lord), 2. sarsti (achieving divine opulences similar to the Lord’s), 3. samipya (becoming a close associate of the Lord), 4. sarupya (obtaining bodily features similar to the Lord’s), and 5. sayujya (merging into the .Lord’s impersonal effulgence). Of these, the sayujya-nirvana or conception of liberation by becoming merged in supreme oneness is the specifically mistaken concoction of the nirvisesa vada (philosophy of non-difference); this serious mistake is not taken into consideration by foolish souls. From the point of view of the impersonal brahman, this type of merging is merely one form of perfection. But when a soul becomes Perfected by knowing the truth of simultaneous oneness and difference (bhedabheda), then the aspect of oneness (which formerly had the power to obliterate all differences) is unable to remain prominent. u 3.Q. Then which form is true liberation? A. Only the attainment of the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, in its purest form, is actual liberation. Q. Why is only attainment of the lotus feet of Sri Krsna called liberation? A. Because the shelter of Sri Krsna’s lotus feet automatically situates one in freedom from the influence of matter. The other forms of liberation are only temporary situations, for the soul must fall down again when the effects are concluded. But the ecstatic bliss of drinking the nectar of Sri Krsna’s lotus feet is a permanent situation; therefore what else could I honestly call liberation? Q. Please give an example of this. A. When a lamp is lit, it simultaneously spreads its illumination as it destroys the darkness. In this example, the darkness represents the principle of impersonal liberation, and the lamp-light represents the principle of situation at the nectarean lotus feet of Sri Krsna. The lamp-light is everlasting, whereas the darkness is nots it can only exist for a short while. But the illumination of light is eternal. NINTH CHAPTER PURE WORSHIP OF KRSNA IS THE CAUSE OF LIBERATION. Q. What must one do to attain liberation in the form of drinking the nectar of the lotus feet of Sri Krsna? A. One attains such nectar by engaging in pure devotional worship of Krsna (amala- krsna-bhajan). Q. What are you calling amala-krsna-bhajan? A. When a soul bound up in the material world performs worship, free from impurities, for the sole purpose of attaining attraction to Krsna, thet is called amais-rsna- bhajan. Q. What are the impurities that hinder krsna-bhajan? A. The three impurities are the desire for material sense gratification, the desire for the gosl of impersonal merging, and the desire for mystic powers. Q. What are desires for material sense gratification? A. There are three kinds: the desire for enjoyment of worldly sensual pleasures, the desire for the enjoyment of attaining the heavenly material planets in the next life, and the desire for the enjoyment of the seeming peace which comes from dry renunciation. Q. You say that one must give up sense gratification, give up religious principles that bring happiness in the next life, and give up renunciation as well -- but how will one maintain one‘s body? How will one benefit the world? How will one relieve the troubles that arise due to enthusiasm for sensual affairs? 12A. It is not possible to completely give up the affairsof the material senses, or religious principles meant for the welfare of the world, or renunciation which brings about peace; but the desire to enjoy these things, as well as enthusiastic endeavors to pursue them must certainly be given up. Q. But how can that be possible? A. Just perform all the bodily, mental, and social duties that are necessary according to the varnasrama-dharma system (the spiritual divisions of social structure). You should perform all these activities in such a way as to nicely assist you in your cultivation of devotional service to Sri Krsna; and by doing this properly, you'll see that there will be no impediments to your direct cultivation of pure Krsna consciousness. Just use whatever comes your way easily in life to nourish your direct cultivation of devotion; that will help you in your divine advancement, for such a life-style automatically and simultaneously fulfills all duties, religiosity and renunciation. Q. Material duties and activities are certainly very different than spiritual truths; how will performing such activities nourish oge’s eternal spiritual nature? A. The secret is to integrate the affairs of the senses, materialistic knowledge, and all material relationships, dovetailing them with ecstatic emotions which give rise to pure Krsna~bhakti. Please just engage all your senses in the service of the sacred deity form of the Lord. Ilumine your soul with pure attachment to Krsna by eating the remnants of Krsne’s prasadam, chant about the wonderful qualities of Krsna, smell the sandalwood-smeared Tulasi leaves that have touched the feet of Krsna, hear and chant topics about Krsna, touch people and things that are related to Krsna, go to see Krsna in the temple, etc. Thus all your activities will gradually be offered to Krsna, and when such things give rise to the awakening of ecstatic emotions, then your impediments will vanish, and you will be known as a devotional practitioner (sadhaka). Q. IfL accept a simple life-style with only the bare necessities required to maintain this body, and if I eliminate material desires by practice and regulation, then couldn't I first attain samadhi through knowledge alone, and thereby gradually attain devotion to Krsna? A. No. Because attachment to the senses and sense-objects is 0 firmly rooted in the consciousness, even if you endeavor in yogic practices like yi senses), niyama (regulated practice) and pratyshera (withdrawing the mind from worldly attractions), it is still very difficult to eliminate your relationship with sensual things. The reason for this is that the nature of attachment is -- unless you can experience a higher object of perception, you are not able to give up your former object. But if you keep a higher thing before you, so that your gushing flow of attachment can rush toward it, then you can very easily give up your attachment to any former objects of perception. Therefore if you perform the devotional activities that Ihave mentioned previously, then that alone constitutes amala-krsna- bhajan (untainted devotion to Krsna). Q. Then what do you call samala-krsna-bhajan (worship of Krsna tainted with impurities)? A. Worship of Krsna that is performed by one who aaintains the mentality of fruitive gain, endeavors in yoga practice, or hopes for impersonal liberation is called samala (tainted with impurities). These conditions make it impossible to achieve true liberation at the shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet. 13Qa A. Qa A. a AL }. What is kari Please summarize the condition of one whose worship is untainted. Becoming righteous in simply maintaining the body sinlessly while living in the material world -~ just accept such a life-style as ‘secondary devotion’, a pattern which assists in the ‘primary devotion’ of Krsna-bhakti. Whatever you aquire easily in life, Just accept that as favorable for the direct cultivation of devotional service. How many types of direct cultivation are there? There are nine types: 1. sravana (hearing), 2. kirtana (chanting), 3. smarana (remembering), 4, pada-sevana (serving His feet), 5. arcana (deity worship), 6. vandana (offering prayers), 7. dasya (becoming His servant), 8. sakhya (becoming His friend), and 9. atma-nivedana (offering the totality of self). What will happen by the cultivation of all these practices? By the gradual unfoldment of ecstatic emotions, you will experience the awakening of pure divine love (prema). Whet is prema? It cannot be explained with words; it is divine mellow (rasa) -- therefore may you taste it yourself, and then you will know. During the practicing stage of devotion, what things should we be mindful of? One should avoid vikarma (nasty activities), akarma (inaction), bewilderment by karma, dry renunciation, dry knowledge, and offenses. How many things constitute vikarma (nasty activities)? There are numerous kinds of vikarma; the following are some of the more prominent sins: 1. envy, 2. cruelty, 3. hard-heartedness, 4. violence towerd other living creatures, 5. lust for the wives of others, 6. anger, 7. greed for the possessions of others, 8. absorption in selfish benefit, 9. deceit, 10. disrespect, 11. pride, 12. mental, delusion, 13, uncleanliness, 14. vandalism, and 15. harming others. What is akarma (inaction)? Atheism, ingratitude and absence of service to great souls. Karma refers to pious, dutiful activities. There are numerous types of pious activities, and the following list represents afew prominent duties: 1. helping others, 2. serving one’s superiors, 3. charity, 4. constructive development, 5. truthfulness, 6. cleanliness, 7. simplicity, 8. forgiveness, 9. mercy, 10. engagement according to one’s qualification, 11. appropriate renunciation, and 12. unprejudiced considerstion. What is bewilderment by karma? This is when material acquisitions gained from pious activities make the mind complacent, and one thereby turns away from the advancement of the soul. What is dry renunciation? Renunciation that is practiced with great endeavor is called dry or subversive renunciation. When one’s devotional service increases, then one is automatically situated in true renunciation; this is called pure detachment or appropriate renunciation. 14 4oQ. What is dry knowledge? 4. That knowledge which does not specifically focus on the eternal truth of divine consciousness is called dry knowledge. Q. How many types of aparadha (offense) are there? 4: There are two types of offense: sevaparadha (offenses committed during the Performance of devotional service), and na: chanting the holy names). Q. What is a brief summary of amala-bhajan (untainted worship)? 4. Accepting one’s course of life ina detached mood, attaining pure knowledge of the Lord, hearing and chenting His glories in the company of saintly persons -- this is untainted worship. TENTH CHAPTER THREE FE} ES ‘UAL SOUND, D EPTION & LOGIC Q. What is evidence (pramana)? A. Pramana is thet by which the truth is ascertained, Q. How many types of evidence are there? A. There are three types. Q. What are they? 4: Spiritual sound (eabda), direct perception (pratyaksa), and logic (anunene). Q. What is spiritual sound? ‘Av Ail the Vedic scriptures are evidence in the form of spiritual sound, for they are the sacarnation of self-evident knoyledge (svatah-siddha-jnana) ~- this alone the bee form of evidence. The reason for this is that without such a form of evidence writ noF possible to know the truth that eternally Hives beyond temporary matte, Q Why can’t the Lord or the spiritual world be observed by direct perception and logic? 4 Evidence by direct perception (pratyaksa) is merely knowledge gathered from qirerialistic sensual impressions; and logic (anumana) can draw concloslone only to Q. Then why do we accept the processes of direct Perception and logic in ascertaining the truth of the supreme goal of life? Av Because they are effective tools with which to confirm the perfect truthfulness of Vaat, information received from the sabda~pramana (evidence as solsitun sound; the Vedas). uw 15by Bhaktivinoda Thakura Verse 74 : . rahasyam Sastrapdin yod aparocitam pirva-vidusam Sruter gudham tattvam.dasa-pgrimitam prema-kalitam daya@lustat yo ‘sau prabhur ati-krpabhih samavadac chaciStnuh gaévat smarana-padavith gacchatu sa me pe > rahasyam- secret; Sastranam- of the Vedic scriptures; yat- which; jparacitam- not perceived; plirva- previous; vidusam- by the learned sages; Zeuteh- of the Vedas; giidham- confidential; tattvah- truth; daga- in ten arts} parimitam- measured; prema- as pure love of God; kalitam- known; dayaluh- merciful; tat- that; yah- who; asau- this; prabhuh- Lord; ati- Pireat;"krpabhih- with mercy; samavadat- spoke; SactSunuh- Lord Caitanya; grat; kepabhih- Samavada’ 2 saSvat- eternally; smarana~ of the memory; padavim- on the path; gacchatu- Wiay travel; sah- He; me- ‘My. ? Lord Caitanya mercifully revealed the ‘secret of pure love of God, which jas ten phases. That secret was formerly unknown to'the sages, and it was not Yiescribed in the Vedic scriptures. May that Lord Caitanya, the transcendental 3" of Srimati Sacf-devi, eternally travel on the path of my memory. Verse 75 ‘ amnayah praha tattvam harim iha paramain sarva-saktini rasabdhim tad-bhinnanisams ca jivan prakrti-kavalitadms tad-vimuktams ca bhavat bhedabheda-prakaSam sakalam api hareh sadhanam Suddha-bhaktim sadhyam tat-pritim evety upadisati harir gauracandra bhaje tam Vvuowwe amn3yah- the Vedas; praha~ proclaim; tattvam- truth; harim- Lord Hari; giha-here; pdramam- supreme; sarva~ all; Saktim- potencies; rasa- of rasa; abdhim- ocean; tat- of Him; bhinna-amsan- separated parts; ca- nad; jtvan- jiving entities; prakrti- by material nature; kavalitan- devoured; tat- from aterial nature; vimuktan- liberated; ca- and; biavat- by nature; bheda~ giifferent; abheda~ and one; _prakagam- manifestation; sakalam- everything; api- and; hareh- of Lord Hari; sadhanam- the means of attainment; Suddha~ pure; Pehaktim- devotional service; sadhyam- goal; tat of Him: pritim- pure love; ‘Wa- certainly; iti- thus; upadisati-‘instructs; harih- Lord Hari: Piauracandrah~ Lord Caitanya; bhaje- I worship; tam- Him. > The Vedas teach us nine principle doctrines which are: 1) Hari, the Almighty, is one without a second. Q 2) He is always vested with infinite power. 3) He is the ocean of rasa ( the transcendental bliss which forms the Pssense of any relationship). we 4) The soul is His Vibhinnamsa, or separated part. > 5) Certain souls are engrossed by prakrti, His illusory energy. 6) Certain souls are released from the grasp of prakrti. 2 > 7) All spiritual and material phenomenon are bhedabheda-prakaga of Hari, yhe Almighty (simultaneously one and different with the Lord). , 8) Bhakti, devotional service, is the only means of attaining the final priect of spiritual existence. a: Prema, pure love in Krsna, is alone the final object of spiritual ,arstence. one F these principles were instructed by Lord Hari Himself in the form of sy *2 Gauracandra. It is Him I worship.Verse 76 svatah siddho vedo hari-dayita-vedhab prabhrtitah pramanam sat_praptah pramiti-visayams tan-nava-vidtian tatha-pratyaks@di-pramiti-sahitai sadhayati no na yuktis tark&khya praviSati tatWa-Sakti-rahita svatah- independent; siddhah- perfect; ved@h- the Vedas; hari-~ of rd Hari; dayita- the object of mercy; vedhah- Lord Brahma, the creator the universe; prabhrtitah- beginning with; prawanam- evidence; sat— anscendental; praptaf- attained; pramiti- of knowledge; visayan- the of that; ndva- nine; vidhan- parts; tatha- in that way; pratyaksa- | ope; tat esent before the eyes; adi- beginning with; pramiti- knowledge; sahitam- na- not; yuktih- ong with; sadhayati- stands at evidence; nah- for us ason; tarka- as logic; Skhya- names; pravigati- enter: calm; Sakti- of power; rahita- devoid. tatha- in that ‘perfect Vedic knowledge was received by Lord Brahma, who directly ' ceived Lord Hari's mercy, and by those following him. Vedic truths, {ch may be summarized in the preceeding nine axioms, should be accepted : the only truths in higher matters. Direct perception, reason, etc., ile sincerely helping the inspired Vedic truths, may be accepted as xiliary evidence. By themselves zeason and logic have no power to reveal ‘us the truth. Verse 77 haris tv ekah tattvain vidhi-Siva-sureSa-pranamito yad evedam brahma prakrti-rahitam tat-tanu-mahah paratma tasy4miso jagad anugato viéva-janakab sa vai radha-kanto nava-jalada-kantig cid-udayah harih- Lord Hari; tu- and; ekam- only; tattvam- truth; vidhi- by Lord rahnia; Siva- by Lord Siva; sura-1sa- by Lord Indra, the king of the demigods; canamitah- offered obeisances; yat- who; eva- certainly; idam- this; brahma- ‘prere htahman; prakrti- of material nature; rahitam- devoid; tat- that anu- of the body; mahah- the splendor; para~atma~ the supersoul; tasya- f Him; amsah- a part; jagat- to the universe; anugatah- gone; visva- of the niverse; jahakah- the father; sah- He; vai- certainly? radh@- of Srimati adharani; kantah- the lover; nava- fresh; jalada~ of a rain cloud; kantih~ plendor; cid-udayah- a spiritual manifestation. ® Lord Hari, the supreme being, is one without a second. Lord Brahma, iva and Indra offer respectful obeisances to Him. His bodily effulgence s the impersonal brahman effulgence which is free from any material contam- nation. ‘The all-pervading supersoul is His partial manifestation. He is he father of the universe. He is the transcendental lover of Srimatt @dharaéhi. His purely spiritual form has the luster of a fresh rain-cloud. 43Verse 78 parakhyayay Sakter aprthag api sa sve mahimani sthito jivakhyam svam acid-abhihitam tam tfi-padikam svatantrecchah Saktim sakala-visaye prerapa-paro vikaradyaih Siinyah parama-puruso ‘sau vijayate para- superior; Zkhyayah- known as; Sakteh- of the potency; aprthak— not different; api- and; sah- He; sve~ own; mahimani- in the glory;*sthitah~ situated; jiva- living enti€ies; wkhyam- named; “svam- own; acit- inanimate? abhihitam- named; tam- this; tri- thre padikam- with parts; svatantra~ independent; icchah- with desire; Saktim- energy; sakala- all; visaye~ spheres; prerana-phrah- controlling; vikara-adyaih~ from material’ transform- ations and defécts; Stnyah- free; parama-purusah- supreme person; asau- He; vijayate- all glories. 7 All glories to the Supreme Person, ord Hari; who remains situated in His own majesty, free from any material transformation or defect. He is . non-different from His transcendental potencies. He is the controller of various energies divide into three groups: 1. the superior transcendental potency 2. the living entities 3. the inanimate material nature- verse 79 sa vai hladinya$ ca pranaya-vikrter hYadana-ratas tatha saivic-chakti-prakatita~raho-biiava-rasitah tay® Srt-sandhiny& krta-visada-tad—drrama-nicaye rasambhodhau magno’ vraja-rasa-vilasi vijayate sah- He; vai- certainly; hYadinyah- of the hISdinT potency; ca- and? wranaya~ of love; vikrteh- of the transformations; hladana~ to the pleasure; eriki devoted; tatha® in the same way; saiivit- of the sativit potency? Sakti- Snergy; prakatita- manifested; rahah- confidential; bhava- transcendental love; rasitah= tasted; taya- by that; Sri-sandhinya- s@ndhinT potency; Krta- created; vigada- pure; tat- His; difama~ of abodes; nicay@- multitude; Ketar Cr transcendental mellows; ambhodhau- in the ocean; magnah- immersed: Yraja- of the residents of VrajabhOmi; rasa~ in the transcendental mellows; Filgst- performing pastimes; vijayate- all glories. All glories to Lord Hari who takes great pleasure in relishing the transformations of ecstatic love which are manifested by the hiddini potency _ Eransformations onfidential and exalted spiritual loving sentiments manifest Ga by the saiwvit potency. He is immersed in teh ocean of transcendentas fellows in His various transcendental abodes, beyond the touch of matters wich are manifested by the sandhini potency. He performs pastimes, exchang- ing loving relationships with the residents of Vrajabhtimi- usVerse 80 sphulifga rddhagner iva cid-anavo jtva-nicay= hareh sOryasyevaprthag api ca tad-bheda-viSayah vase maya ‘yasya prakrti-patir evesvara iha . sa jIvo mukto 'pi Prakrti-vaSa-yogyah sva-gunatah a i ae Sphulingah- sparks; rddha- large; aqneh- of a fjre: ivaq just 1ikes cite of spiritual energy;” anavah- atoms; {I¥a- of 1ilvng entities; nicayan. multitudes; hareh- of Lord Hari} sUryasya~ of the sun; iva- just likes" apethak- not different; api ca- and; tat- from that; bhedaovies ah- differes yage- in the control; miya- illusory potency maya Yasya- of Whom; prakrti- of material energy; patih- the master; Sva~ certainly; TSvarah- controllerjé iha- here; sah~ He; jivahi- the living entity; munteh. liberatéa; api- ‘ although; (prakrti- of spiritual naturej] vaSa~ to the control; yoqyah- suitabe Sva- own; qunatah- because of the quality. * “= (See Tp. p.233) ® grease the sparks are to a great fire, and just as the particles of Sunlight are to the sun, in the same way, the living entities are simultan—! gously one and different from Lord Hari. Lord Hari is always the supreme oe of His energies (Sy), whereas the living entities, even inne” & liberated condition, are subject to the influence of wayad, because of their, smallness. te o Sibripa— sali Verse 81 (see 7-333) SvarUparthair hinan nija-sukha-paran krsna-vimukhan € harer may@ dandyan guna-nigada-jalaih Kalayati tath& sthilair ilngair @vividha-varanafh kleSa-nikarair bs maha-karmalanair nayati patitan svarga-nirayau sva-rlpa~ of spiritual identity; arthain- of those things beneficial; ¢ hingn~ devoid; nija~ of their own selves accérding to material misident- | © ification; sukha~ happiness; parn- taking as all-important; krsna- to Krsn; vimukhan~ averse; hareh- of Lord Hari; maya- the illusory energy; dandyan— punishing; quna- of thé three modes of material nature; nigada~ of shackles ~¢ i@laih- with networks; kalayati++holds; tatha- in the cans way; sthulaih- with Gross elements: lihgaih- with subtie elements; avi-widna. two kindd; varanaih- of coverings; kleSa~ of distress: nikaraih- with multitudes; maha” gieat; karma~ of fruitive activities; alanaih= with chains; Rayati- € S leads; patitan- fallen conditioned souls; svarga~ to the heavenly planets; nirayau- and the hellish planets. Airayau- Ghaining them with the shackles of the three modes of material nature, ¢ Lord Hari's illusory potency (saya) punishes #fose souls averse to Krsna and intent on their own enjoyment, without any conception of their actuai = spiritual self-interest. M&ya then applies a double case of gross and | cnari€ material elements on the fallen souls and shackles them with the = chains of laborious fruitive activities, which are sources of great distress. tntding the fallen souls in this way, Maya leads them up ana doce through © the various celestial and hellish planetary systems. 9S € e s e e & e#¥*eew#evwveeoeevuevdeeeiwvsewewswwdwesewewseVseVsetv @ > > 3 > 3 2 > 2 3 3 3 3 @ 2 Feotwe fithe kT um the world; na- note Verse 8z yada bhramai bhradmam hari-rasa-galad-vaisnava-janam . kad3cit_sampasyams tad-anugamane syad ruci-yutan tadi krsnavrtya tyajati Sanakair mayika-dasani svartipai bibhrajo vimala-rasa-bhogai sa kurute yada- when; bhrdmah- wandering; bhr&mam- and wandering; hari~ of Lord Hari; rasa- the transcendental mellows of pure devotional service; galat- trickling; vaisnava-janam- pure devotee of the Lord; kadacit~ Sometime; sampaSyan- Seeing; tat- of Him; anugamane- in the following; syit- may be; ruci-yutah- attracted to Krsna; tada- then; krsna-avrtya— by taking shelter of Kr§na; tyajati - he abandons; Sanakaih-“gradually; mayika- of ebing enthraiied by mays; daSam- the state of existence; Svartipam- original spiritual form; bibhranah- assuming; vimala - pure; Tasa- mellows of devotional service; bhogam- enjoymenf; sa- ne; Kurute- experiences. * After repeatediy wandering in the path of wayik existence, a taiien soul may meet a pure vaisnava rrom whom trickles tne nectar of the meilows of pure devoiton to Lord Hari. By following that pure devotee, he becomes attracted to imbibe tne sweet principie of devotional service (krsna-pnakt1 By constant study of Krsna-phakti, ne slowly abangons the may1k Condition, and in the end obtaining nis true @jture, he enjoys the sweetest unalloyed rasa, which 1s the ultimate status of tne soul. Verse 83 hareh gakteh sarvain cid-acid-akhilam syat parinatir vivartaih no satyah Sruti-mata-viruddham kali-malam harer. bheda@bhedau Sruti-vihita-tattvam suvimalam tatah premnah siddhir bhavati nitaram nitya-visaye hhareh- of Lord Hari; Sakteh- of the energy; sarvai- everything; cit- spiritual; acit- material; akhilam- everything; syat- maybe; parinatih the transformation; vivartam- the concept of the Coverna ot illusm, concesing 4 u- indeed; satyam- trie; Sruti- of the Ve mata~ the conception; viruddham- contradictin: kali- of the age of Kali; malam- contamination; hareh- of Lord Hari; bhed: simultaneously different, abhedau- and one; Sruti- iff the Vedas; vihita~ established; tattvam- truth: Suvimalam- very pure; tatah- therefore; premnah- of spiritual love; siddhil the perfection; bhavati- may be; nitaram- eternally; nitya~ of eternity; Visaye- in the realm. All spiritual and material existence is the transformation of Lord Ha energy. Safkara's conception that everything is a Cover of the Supreme itself is an impurity spawned by ‘te age of Kali,/and contradicts the actual Vedic idea. The Vedas establish the pure truth that everything is simultaneously one and different from Lord Hari, and because of this truth, perfect spiritual love may be eternally manifest. 46Verse 86 prabhuh kah_ko jivah katham idam acid visvam iti va vicdfyaitan arth@n hari-bhajan-krc-chastra-caturan abhedagamt dharmam sakalam aparadham pariharan . jarer namanandam pibati haridaso harijanaih prabhuh- the Supreme Lord; kah- who?; ifvah- the living entity: katham: | yhat?; idam> this; acit- inanimate} vi§vam~ matérial universe; iti- thus; i@- and; vid@rya~ reflecting; et™an- on these; arthan- points; hari- of Lord | Gari; bhajana-krt- describing the devotional service; Sastra- in the scrip- res; caturah-expert; abheda- of liberation; Sam- the hope; gharnian-