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Saktitattva
The Energies of the Supreme are Unlimited
8.1
kutah punar grnato nama tasya
mahattamaikantaparayanasya
yo 'nantasaktir bhagavan ananto
mahadgunatvad yam anantam ahuh
What to speak of those who are under the direction of the great devotees,
chanting the holy name of the Unlimited, who has unlimited energy. The Lord,
who is unlimited in energy and in transcendental attributes, is called ananta,
unlimited. (Bhag. 1.18.19)
The Lord's Unlimited Energy is Divided
Into Three Principle Categories
8.2
na tasya karyam karanamca vidyate
na tat samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktirvividhaivasruyate
svabhaviki jnanabalakriya ca
He does not have a bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity: He
has a transcendental form of bliss and knowledge. His senses are all tran
scendental. Nothing is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are
multifarious, such as cognitive, will and active potency. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
8.3
anantasaktimadhye krsnera tina sakti pradhana
'icchasakti', 'jnanasakti', 'kriyasakti' nama
icchasaktipradhana krsna icchaya sarvakarta
jnanasaktipradhana vasudeva adhisthata
icchajnanakriya vina na haya srjana
tinera tinasakti meli' prapancaracana
kriyasaktipradhana sankarsana balarama
prakrtaprakrtasrsti karena nirmana
ahankarera adhisthata krsnera icchaya
goloka, vaikuntha srje cicchaktidvaraya
yadyapi asrjya nitya cicchaktivilasa
tathapi sankarsanaicchaya tahara prakasa
Krsna has unlimited potencies, out of which three are chiefwillpower,
the power of knowledge, and the creative energy. He is the predominator of
the willing energy, for by His supreme will everything comes into existence. In
willing, there is a need for knowledge, and that knowledge is expressed through
Vasudeva. There is no possibility of creation without thinking, feeling, willing,
knowledge, and activity. The combination of supreme will, knowledge, and
action brings about the cosmic manifestation. Lord Sankarsana is Lord
Balarama. Being the predominator of the creative energy, He creates both the
material and spiritual worlds. That original Sankarsana is the cause of both the
material and spiritual creation. He is the predominating Deity of egotism, and
by the will of Krsna and the power of the spiritual energy, He creates the spiri
tual world, which consists of Goloka Vrndavana and Vaikuntha. Although
there is no question of creation as far as the spiritual world is concerned, the
spiritual world is nonetheless manifest by the supreme will of Sankarsana. The
spiritual world is the abode of the pastimes of the eternal spiritual energy.
(Cc. Madhya 20.252257)
Three Varieties of the Lord's Energy
8.4
krsnera anantasakti, tate tina pradhana
'cicchakti', 'mayasakti', 'jivasakti'nama
'antaranga', 'bahiranga', 'tatastha' kahi yare
antaranga 'svarupasakti' sabara upare
Krsna has unlimited potencies. They are divided into three main parts
the spiritual energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy, which is the
living entities. In other words, these are all potencies of God internal, external,
and marginal. However, the internal energy is the Lord's personal energy
and stands over the other two. (Cc. Madhya 8.151152)
8.5
suryamsakirana, yaiche agnijvalacaya
svabhavika krsnera tinaprakara 'sakti' haya
krsnera svabhavika tinasaktiparinati
cicchakti, jivasakti, ara mayasakti
The living entity is a manifestation simultaneously one and different from
the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Krsna has three varieties
of energy. Lord Krsna naturally has three energetic transformations and these
are known as the spiritual energy, the living entity energy, and the illusory
energy. (Cc. Madhya 20.109,111)
The Evidence From Sruti for Citsakti
8.6
te dhyanayoganugata apasyan devatmasaktim svagunairnigudham
yah karanani nikhilani tani, kalatmayuktanyadhitisthaty ekah
Those who meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead can see His
confidential, divine power (citsakti). The Supreme Lord alone is the energetic
source of all energies. His divine power is the immediate cause of the unlim
ited universes. Thus the Lord Himself is the instrumental cause (nimitta) of
manifesting the living beings, the worlds of time and space and all that reposes
within them. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 1.3)
8.7
sa visvakrd visvavidatmayonih
jnah kalakalo guni sarvavid yah
pradhanaksetrajnapatirgunesah
samsaramoksasthitibandhahetuh
The Supreme Lord is the ultimate creator of the universe. He knows the
purpose of the universe. He is the Supersoul, the Lord in the heart of every
living being. He is allknowing, and is the greatest philosopher. He knows
past, present, and future. He has all excellencies and good qualities. He is the
master of the material energy (pradhana), the living beings (jivasakti, ksetrajna)
and the internal, spiritual energy known as (citsakti, guna). He alone is the
cause of liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death (samsara) and
the bondage of ignorance. (Svetasvatara 6.16)
The Evidence From Smrti for Citsakti
8.8
ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san
prakrtim svam adhisthaya sambhavamy atmamayaya
Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates,
and although I am the Lord of all living beings, I still appear by My own energy
(atmamaya) in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
(Bhagavadgita 4.6)
Note: atmamaya refers to the spiritual potency, or citsakti.
The Evidence From Smrti for Jivasakti
8.9
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego these eight
comprise My separated external energy. (Bhagavadgita 7.4)
8.10
apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param
jivabhutam mahabaho yayedam dharyate jagat
O mightyarmed Arjuna, apart from My external energy, I have another
energy, which is superior to matter. This energy is comprised of the living
entities who are exploiting the material nature and sustaining it by infusing it
with consciousness. (Bhagavadgita 7.5)
The Evidence From Sruti for Mayasakti
8.11
ajamekam lohitasuklakrsnam bahvih prajah srjamanam sarupah
ajo hyeko jusamano'nusete jahatyenam bhuktabhogamajo'nyah
Material nature consists of three modes goodness, passion, and igno
rance and is the mother of the innumerable living beings within the universe. It
is brought into existence and supported by the one unborn Lord, who is full in
selfknowledge. That unborn Lord, however, does not consort with His material
energy. He independently enjoys the pleasure of His transcendental pastimes.
But the living entity enjoys her and thus becomes bound.
(Svetasvatara Upanisad 4.5)
The Evidence From Smrti for Mayasakti
8.12
prakrtim svam avastabhya visrjami punah punah
bhutagramam imam krtsnam avasam prakrter vasat
This whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is automatically mani
fested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated. (Bhagavadgita 9.8)
8.13
mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sacaracaram
hetunanena kaunteya jagad viparivartate
O son of Kunti, material nature is under My control. It produces all be
ings, both moving and nonmoving. Under My supervision the material world
comes into existence. (Bhagavadgita 9.10)
Two Kinds of Maya Gunamaya and Jivamaya
8.14
rte 'rtham yat pratiyeta na pratiyeta catmani
tad vidyad atmano mayam yathabhaso yatha tamah
O Brahma, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to
Me, has no reality. Know it as My maya, My illusory energy that reflection
which appears in darkness. (Bhag. 2.9.34)
Material Maya is the Shadow of Yogamaya
8.15
srsthisthitipralayasadhanasaktireka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami
The external energy, maya, is of the nature of the shadow of the cit po
tency. She is worshiped as Durga the agent of the Lord who is responsible
for creating, preserving, and destroying the mundane world. I adore the
Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.
(BrahmaSamhita 5.44)
8.16
vilajjamanaya yasya sthatum iksapathe 'muya
vimohita vikatthante mamaham iti durdhiyah
The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed
of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense,
being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine." (Bhag. 2.5.13)
Hladini, Samvit, Sandhini Three Kinds of Energy
8.17
hladini sandhini samvit tvayyeka sarva samsthitau
hladatapakari misra tvayi no gunavarjite
O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini,
sandhini, and samvit exist only 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. (Visnu Purana 1.12.68)
8.18
saccidanandamaya haya isvarasvarupa
tina amse cicsakti haya tina rupa
anandamse 'hladini', sadamse 'sandhini'
cidamse 'samvit', yare jnana kari mani
The Supreme Person in His original form is full of eternity, knowledge,
and bliss. The spiritual potency in these three portions assumes three different
forms. These three potencies are called hladini reposes (the bliss portion),
sandhini (the eternity portion), and samvit (the knowledge portion). Knowledge
of these is full knowledge of the Supreme Lord. (Cc. Madhya 6.158,159)
8.19
svayan tv asamyatisayastryadhisah
svarajyalaksmyaptasamastakamah
balim haradbhis ciralokapalaih
kiritakoty editapadapithah
Lord Sri Krsna is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently
supreme by achievement of all kinds of fortune. He is worshiped by the eter
nal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by
touching their millions of helmets to His feet. (Bhag. 3.2.21)
8.20
visnusaktiu para prokta kstretrajnakhya tathapara
avidya karmasamjnanya trtiya saktirisyate
Visnusakti, the energy of Krsna is threefold: parasakti, or the Lord's su
perior, spiritual energy; ksetrajnasakti, or the marginal living beings; and avidya
sakti, or the illusory energy, which is characterized by karma, the world of ac
tion and reaction. In other words, the potency of Lord Visnu is summarized in
three categories namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and igno
rance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although
belong to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third
energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities.
(Visnu Purana 6.7.61)
Those who are Most Dear to Krsna are His Internal Energy
8.21
isvarera sakti haya etina prakara
eka laksmigana, pure mahisigana ara
vraje gopigana ara sabhate pradhana
vrajendranandana ya'te svayam bhagavan
The energies (consorts) of the Supreme Lord are of three kinds: the
Laksmis in Vaikuntha, the queens in Dvaraka, and the gopis in Vrndavana.
The gopis are the best of all, for they have the privilege of serving Sri Krsna,
the primeval Lord, the son of the King of Vraja (Cc. Adi 1.79,80)
Sri Radhika is Krsna's Most Complete Energy
8.22
radha purnasakti, krsna purnasaktiman
dui vastu bheda nai, sastraparamana
mrgamada, tara gandha yaiche aviccheda
agni, jvalate yaiche kabhu nahi bheda
radhakrsna aiche sada ekai svarupa
lilarasa asvadite dhare duirupa
Sri Radha is the full energy, and Lord Krsna is the possessor of full power.
The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are
indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its
heat are nondifferent. Thus Radha and Lord Krsna are one, yet They have
taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes. (Cc. Adi 4.9698)
All the Laksmis are Expansions of Sri Radha
8.23
avatari krsna yaiche kare avatara
amsini radha haite tina ganera vistara
vaibhavagana yena tmnra angavibhuti
bimbapratibimbarupa mahisira tati
laksmigana tmnra vaibhavavilasamsarupa
mahinigana vaibhava prakasa svarupa
akarasvabhavabhede vraja devi gana
kayavyuharupa tmnra rasera karana
Just as Sri Krsna is the fountainhead of all avataras, so Sri
Radha is the cause of all the consorts of the Supreme Lord in all his different
features. The goddesses of fortune in Vaikuntha are partial manifestations of
Sri Radha, and the queens of Dvaraka are reflections of Her image. The god
desses of fortune are Her plenary portions, and they display the forms of
vaibhavavilasa. The queens are of the nature of Her vaibhavaprakasa.
(Cc. Adi 4.7678)
Thus ends the Eight Chapter of the Gaudiya Kanthahara, entitled Saktitattva.
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