SRI KRSNA-SANDARBHA
BY SRILA JIVA GOSWAMI
VOLUME ONE
Anuccheda 1
TEXT 1
In the previous three sandarbhas the conception of God as the Supreme Person full of all powers and opulences is proved to be the ultimate phase of the Absolute Truth, superior to every other conception of God. This essay is written to give a specific description of that Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sarva-samvadini Commemt
By the word nirdharana it is intended that Bhagavan is the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth.
TEXT 2
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan."
Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.11)
TEXT 3
These three features of the Absolute are described in the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The following verse (1.3.33) describes the Lord's Brahman feature:
"Whenever a person experience, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord in His Brahman feature."
TEXT 4
According to this verse and other descriptions in the Vedic literatures, the Brahman feature of the Absolute has only one unvariegated aspect, and therefore, without any doubt, it does not require an elaborate description in many words.
TEXT 5
However, the Paramatma and Bhagavan features of the Absolute manifest a great variety of qualities, and therefore they require an elaborate description.
TEXT 6
Here we many note that in the final conclusion the Supreme Controller is not without form and qualities. This has been proved in the earlier portion of this book (the previous Sandarbhas).
TEXT 7
The Paramatma, or all-pervading expansion of the Supreme Person present in everyone's heart and in every atom, I have already described in the Third Chapter (Paramatma-sandarbha) of this book.
TEXT 8
" Formerly you said that although the Absolute Truth is one, It is manifestated in three features. What are the qualities of these three features: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan ? " Thinking that this question might arise in the minds of Saunaka and the other sages, Suta Goswami said ( S.B. 1.3.1)
TEXT 9
" In the beginning of the creation, the Lord (Bhagavan) first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusa incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe."
TEXT 10
This verse says that Sri Bhagavan, who was described in the preivous chapter as the possessor of six opulences in full perfection, accepts the personal form of the purusa incarnation at the beginning of the material creation. At the time of annihilation, the material world enters again within the purusa incarnation and only the eternal spiritual reality is manifest.
TEXT 11
The question may be raised : "Why does Bhagavan accept the form of the purusa-incarnation?" To answer this question, Suta Goswami uses the word lokasisrksaya (for the purpose of creating the material universe). Along with the material universes, the eternally individual living entities entered the Lord's body at the time of devastation and appeared to have become one with Him, although their individuality actually remained intact. In order to again manifest the living entities and universes, Bhagavan expands Himself as the purusa incarnation.
TEXT 12
One may ask what form the material universes took when they became merged within the body of the purusa-incarnation. To answer this question, Suta Goswami used the word "mahad-adibhih" (with the ingredients of the material world). The mahat-tattva and other ingredients of the material world were thus contained within the body of the purusa-incarnation.
TEXT 13
,
The merging of the creation into the Supreme is described in the Vedic literatures: "The creation enters the Supreme as rivers flow from the mountains and enters the ocean." In this way the mahat-tattva and other ingredients of the material world enter the form of the purusa-incarnation.
TEXT 14
The first purusa-incarnation is described as the original creator of the ingredients of the material world. This in confirmed in the Satvata Tantra:
"Visnu has three forms called purusas. The first, Maha-Vishnu, is the creator of the total material energy (mahat), the second is Garbhodakasayi, who is situated within each universe and the third is Ksirodakasayi, who lives in the heart of every living being."
That first purusa-incarnation, Lord Sankarsana, who lies down on the casual ocean is described in the Brahma-samhita and other Vedic literatures, as well as the verse beginning with the word "jagrhe" which was quoted in Text 9.
TEXT 15
To further explain the nature of the Lord, Suta Goswami uses the word "sodasa-kalam" (with the 16 elements of creation). This word shows that the Lord possesses all potencies required to manifest the material cosmos.
TEXT 16
In conclusion, it is Bhagavan who accepts the form of the first purusa-incarnation (Karanodakasayi Visnu) described in this verse (Text 9). When the Lord enters the universes He assumes the feature known as Paramatma.
VOLUME ONE
Anuccheda 1
TEXT 1
In the previous three sandarbhas the conception of God as the Supreme Person full of all powers and opulences is proved to be the ultimate phase of the Absolute Truth, superior to every other conception of God. This essay is written to give a specific description of that Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sarva-samvadini Commemt
By the word nirdharana it is intended that Bhagavan is the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth.
TEXT 2
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan."
Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.11)
TEXT 3
These three features of the Absolute are described in the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The following verse (1.3.33) describes the Lord's Brahman feature:
"Whenever a person experience, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord in His Brahman feature."
TEXT 4
According to this verse and other descriptions in the Vedic literatures, the Brahman feature of the Absolute has only one unvariegated aspect, and therefore, without any doubt, it does not require an elaborate description in many words.
TEXT 5
However, the Paramatma and Bhagavan features of the Absolute manifest a great variety of qualities, and therefore they require an elaborate description.
TEXT 6
Here we many note that in the final conclusion the Supreme Controller is not without form and qualities. This has been proved in the earlier portion of this book (the previous Sandarbhas).
TEXT 7
The Paramatma, or all-pervading expansion of the Supreme Person present in everyone's heart and in every atom, I have already described in the Third Chapter (Paramatma-sandarbha) of this book.
TEXT 8
" Formerly you said that although the Absolute Truth is one, It is manifestated in three features. What are the qualities of these three features: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan ? " Thinking that this question might arise in the minds of Saunaka and the other sages, Suta Goswami said ( S.B. 1.3.1)
TEXT 9
" In the beginning of the creation, the Lord (Bhagavan) first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusa incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe."
TEXT 10
This verse says that Sri Bhagavan, who was described in the preivous chapter as the possessor of six opulences in full perfection, accepts the personal form of the purusa incarnation at the beginning of the material creation. At the time of annihilation, the material world enters again within the purusa incarnation and only the eternal spiritual reality is manifest.
TEXT 11
The question may be raised : "Why does Bhagavan accept the form of the purusa-incarnation?" To answer this question, Suta Goswami uses the word lokasisrksaya (for the purpose of creating the material universe). Along with the material universes, the eternally individual living entities entered the Lord's body at the time of devastation and appeared to have become one with Him, although their individuality actually remained intact. In order to again manifest the living entities and universes, Bhagavan expands Himself as the purusa incarnation.
TEXT 12
One may ask what form the material universes took when they became merged within the body of the purusa-incarnation. To answer this question, Suta Goswami used the word "mahad-adibhih" (with the ingredients of the material world). The mahat-tattva and other ingredients of the material world were thus contained within the body of the purusa-incarnation.
TEXT 13
,
The merging of the creation into the Supreme is described in the Vedic literatures: "The creation enters the Supreme as rivers flow from the mountains and enters the ocean." In this way the mahat-tattva and other ingredients of the material world enter the form of the purusa-incarnation.
TEXT 14
The first purusa-incarnation is described as the original creator of the ingredients of the material world. This in confirmed in the Satvata Tantra:
"Visnu has three forms called purusas. The first, Maha-Vishnu, is the creator of the total material energy (mahat), the second is Garbhodakasayi, who is situated within each universe and the third is Ksirodakasayi, who lives in the heart of every living being."
That first purusa-incarnation, Lord Sankarsana, who lies down on the casual ocean is described in the Brahma-samhita and other Vedic literatures, as well as the verse beginning with the word "jagrhe" which was quoted in Text 9.
TEXT 15
To further explain the nature of the Lord, Suta Goswami uses the word "sodasa-kalam" (with the 16 elements of creation). This word shows that the Lord possesses all potencies required to manifest the material cosmos.
TEXT 16
In conclusion, it is Bhagavan who accepts the form of the first purusa-incarnation (Karanodakasayi Visnu) described in this verse (Text 9). When the Lord enters the universes He assumes the feature known as Paramatma.
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