Chapter Two Jna: Knowledge

TEXT 1 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac MaaQauraetaMa iv[aNTaaE aTva v*NdavNa& GaTa" ) A}a GaaevDaRNaadaE c YaQaak-aMa& Pair>a[MaNa( )) r-gopa-kumra uvca mthurottama virntau sntv vndvana gata atra govardhandau ca yath-kma paribhraman r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; mthuraof the Mathur brhmaas; uttamaO best; virntauat Virnti-gha; sntvafter bathing; vndvanamto Vndvana; gatacame; atrahere; govardhana-dauin such places as Govardhana; caand; yath-kmamas I desired; paribhramanwandering. r Gopa-kumra said: O best of the Mathur brhmaas, after bathing at Virnti-gha I came to Vndvana. Here I wandered freely in such places as Govardhana. COMMENTARY: This second chapter describes the glories of Svargaloka and the other higher planets in the universe. It compares inward meditation on the Supreme Lord with external vision of Him, and devotional service with liberation. Virnti-gha (Virma-gha) is the principal holy site in Mathur City. Pilgrims usually begin their visits to Mathur with a bath at Virma-gha. TEXT 2 iPab& GaaerSa& PaUvRbaNDavESTaErl/i+aTa" ) >aJaNSvJaPYaMaNaYa& idNaaiNa k-iTaicTSau%Ma( )) piba ca go-rasa prvabndhavais tair alakita bhajan sva-japyam anaya dinni katicit sukham

pibandrinking; caand; go-rasamthe nectar from the cows; prva previous; bndhavaiwith my friends; taiby them; alakita unnoticed; bhajanworshiping; sva-japyamthe mantra I was supposed to chant; anayamI passed; dinnidays; katicitseveral; sukhamhappily. Unnoticed by my former friends, in their company I drank the nectar from the cows and happily passed a number of days worshiping my mantra. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumras former friends did not recognize him, because he was dressed like a foreigner. Thus his association with them at this time was not very close. TEXT 3 AQa SaNdXaRNaaeTk-<#=a JaGadqXaSYa SaaJaiNa ) YaYaed& XaUNYavq+Ya PauzaetaMaMaSMarMa( )) atha sandaranotkah jagad-asya sjani yayeda nya-vad vkya puruottamam asmaram athathen; sandaranafor seeing in person; utkahhankering; jagat-asyathe Lord of the universe; sthat; ajaniappeared; yayby which; idamthis; nya-vatas if empty; vkyaseeing; puruottamamPuruottama-ketra; asmaramI remembered. But then a hankering to see the Lord of the universe arose in me that made this land of Mathur seem vacant. I remembered Puruottama-ketra. COMMENTARY: To Gopa-kumras eyes his worshipable Lord seemed absent from Mathur-bhmi, but this perception was false. In fact, as implied here by the suffix -vat (as if) in nya-vat (as if empty), the Lord of the universe is eternally present in the holy land of Mathur. rmad-Bhgavatam repeatedly confirms this truth. For example, in the Fourth Canto (4.8.42) we find: puya madhu-vana yatra snnidhya nityad hare The forest Madhuvana is most auspicious because there the Personality of Godhead Hari is always present. Similarly in the Tenth Canto (10.1.28):

mathur bhagavn yatra nitya sannihito hari In Mathur Lord Hari is always present. And later in the Tenth Canto (10.44.13): puy bata vraja-bhuvo yad aya n-ligagha pura-puruo vana-citra-mlya g playan saha-bala kvaaya ca veu vikraycati giritra-ramrcitghri How pious are the tracts of land in Vraja, for there the primeval Personality of Godhead, disguising Himself with human traits, wanders about, enacting His many pastimes! Adorned with wonderfully variegated forest garlands, He whose feet are worshiped by Lord iva and the goddess Ram vibrates His flute as He tends the cows in the company of Balarma. In the last line of this verse, the verb acati (He wanders) is in the present tense, indicating that when this verse was spoken by the women of Mathur City, after Ka had been brought there by Akrra, Ka was still present in Vraja. The conclusion is that Kas pastimes of tending the cows and playing with His friends in the forests of Vraja are eternal. Gopa-kumra, however, had not yet developed the spiritual eyes to see Kas presence in Vraja. So he was thinking about going back to Jaganntha Pur, where the Lord is always visible to everyone. Because he had not yet gained r Kas special favor, he lacked the taste of vraja-bhva and wanted to go elsewhere. Even after he visited various places of Kas pastimes in Vraja and felt something special, his realizations were somehow covered, and he felt dissatisfied at not seeing his Lord. But eventually he will achieve the perfection of all his desires in Vndvana, where he will remain permanently, with perfect faith and satisfaction. TEXT 4 AaTaRSTa}a JaGaaQa& d]uMaae!\aNaPauNaVa[RJaNa( ) PaiQa GaaTa$e=_PaXYa& DaMaaRcarParaNa( iJaaNa( )) rtas tatra jaganntha draum ohrn punar vrajan pathi gag-tae paya dharmcra-parn dvijn

rtadistressed; tatrathere; jagannthamLord Jaganntha; draumto see; ohrnto Orissa; punaagain; vrajantraveling; pathion the path; gag-taeon the shore of the Gag; apayamI saw; dharma-crato the execution of religious duties; parn dedicated; dvijnbrhmaas. In great anxiety I set off once more for Orissa to see Lord Jaganntha. And on the path along the shore of the Gag I met some brhmaas who were fixed in their religious duties. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra was anxious to see Lord Jaganntha and also unhappy about leaving Vraja. TEXT 5 ivic}aXaaivje>YaSTae>Yaa[aEzMauTaMa( ) SvGaaeR NaaMaaeRdeXae_iSTa devl/aekae_NTarq+aTa" )) vicitra-stra-vijebhyas tebhya crauam adbhutam svargo nmordhva-dee sti deva-loko ntarkata vicitravarious; strain scriptures; vijebhyawho were learned; tebhyafrom them; caand; arauamI heard; adbhutam amazing; svarga nmacalled Svarga; rdhva-deein the region above; astithere is; devaof the demigods; lokathe world; antarkataabove the upper atmosphere. From those brhmaas, who were learned in various kinds of scripture, I heard something amazingthat above the upper atmosphere there is a world of demigods called Svarga. COMMENTARY: Having never received a proper education, Gopa-kumra did not even know that there are upper regions of the universe populated by superhuman civilizations. Almost everyone born in India hears about heaven and other wonders of the universe, because even the popular culture is based on the authority of the Vedic scriptures. But Gopa-kumra, in his simple life as a cowherd at Govardhana, had heard nothing about these things. Now he met some brhmaas on the road who were not only well versed in the rutis, smtis, epics, Puras, and philosophical texts but were glad to share what they knew. Texts 5 through 11 describe what those brhmaas told him.

TEXT 6 ivMaaNaavil/i>a" [qMaai>aRYaae du"%viJaRTa" ) JaraMar<araeGaaiddaezvGaRbihZk*-Ta" )) vimnvalibhi rmn nirbhayo dukha-varjita jar-maraa-rogdidoa-varga-bahikta vimnaof airplanes; valibhiwith rows; rmnsplendid; nirbhayafearless; dukhaof misery; varjitadevoid; jarold age; maraadeath; roga-didisease and so on; doa-vargaall kinds of defects; bahi-ktaexcluding. That world is splendid with formations of celestial airplanes. It is a fearless place, devoid of misery and impervious to faults like disease, old age, and death. COMMENTARY: The demigods who reside on Svargaloka travel at will on airplanes propelled by the wind, and they fear neither disease nor old age nor death, which always threaten and overcome the residents of the lower worlds. TEXT 7 MahaSau%MaYaae l/>Ya" Pau<YaEr}aaetaMaE" k*TaE" ) YaSYa Xa-ae_iDaPaae JYaaYaaN>a[aTaa [qJaGadqiXaTau" )) mah-sukha-mayo labhya puyair atrottamai ktai yasya akro dhipo jyyn bhrt r-jagad-itu mah-sukhawith the greatest happiness; mayafilled; labhya obtainable; puyaiby pious persons; atrain this world; uttamai most excellent; ktaiby acts; yasyawhose; akraIndra; adhipa the ruler; jyynelder; bhrtthe brother; r-jagat-ituof the divine Lord of the universe. That Svarga, pervaded by the greatest happiness, one can attain by the highest acts of piety in this world. Its ruler is akra [Indra], the elder brother of the Lord of the universe.

COMMENTARY: Svargaloka is glorious because the life enjoyed there is of superior quality; because only by exceptional efforts can one achieve it; and because its ruler is the great Indra. Lord Viu in His form of Vmanadeva is the younger brother of King Indra. TEXTS 89 YaPYaiSTa ibl/SvGaaeR= ivZ<auXaezal/*Ta" ) >aaEMaSvGaR Tad(qPavzaRidzu Pade Pade )) ivic}aPa[qk*-Z<aPaUJaaeTSavivraiJaTa" ) TaQaaPYaURTarae l/aek-ae idVYaSTaa>Yaa& iviXaZYaTae )) yady apy asti bila-svargo viu-edy-alakta bhauma-svarga ca tad-dvpavardiu pade pade vicitra-rpa-r-kapjotsava-virjita tathpy rdhva-taro loko divyas tbhy viiyate yadi apialthough; astithere is; bila-svargathe subterranean heaven; viuby Lord Viu; ea-diAnanta ea and others; alaktaadorned; bhauma-svargathe earthly heaven; caand; tatof that region; dvpa-vara-diuof dvpas, varas, and so on; pade padein various locations; vicitravarious; rpain forms; rkaof r Ka; pj-utsavawith festive worship; virjita resplendent; tath apinonetheless; rdhva-tarahigher; lokathe world; divyaof heaven; tbhymto both of these; viiyateis superior. Of course, there are subterranean heavens, adorned with the presence of incarnations like Lord Viu and Ananta ea, and there are heavens on earth in various dvpas, varas, and other regions, heavens resplendent with the festive worship of r Ka in various forms. Nonetheless, the heavenly world in the higher realms is still superior. COMMENTARY: The Fifth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam gives information of heavens, called Bila-svargas, below the earthly planetary system and tells of heavens on the earthly system itself. In the subterranean heavens, Viu is present on Sutala-loka as the doorkeeper of Bali Mahrja and on Ptla-loka as ea, the superintendent of the seventh region below the earth. The word di (and so on) in the

phrase viu-edy-alakta indicates that in the Bila-svargas there are other appearances of Viu as well. Thus we find in i Vlmkis Rmyaa that r Kapila, who broke Rvaas intoxicated pride, resides on Atala-loka, and that Lord iva, as r Rudra, resides on Vitala. According to rmad-Bhgavatam, the earthly planetary system, Bh-maala, consists of various dvpas, or islands, and their subdivisions, tracts of land known as varas. On these dvpas and varas the Lord is worshiped in various incarnations. For example, on Plaka-dvpa the Supreme Lord is worshiped as Sryadeva, on Ilvtavara as r Sakaraa, and on Bhadrva-vara as r Hayagrva. The Lord is also worshiped in the Milk Ocean and other special places. Yet despite this varied worship of the Lord in the earthly and subterranean heavens, the Svargaloka in the upper part of the universe holds a special position. It is rdhva-tara, superior to the other heavens and physically higher. And it is divya, the home of the very powerful devas. Gopa-kumra need not think about going to any other heavenly planet. TEXT 10 YaiSMaHa( [qJaGadqXaae_iSTa Saa+aadidiTaNaNdNa" ) TaSYaaePaeNd]SYa vaTaaR c [qivZ<aaeruTaa [uTaa )) yasmi r-jagad-o sti skd aditi-nandana tasyopendrasya vrt ca r-vior adbhut rut yasminin which; r-jagat-athe divine Lord of the universe; asti is present; sktpersonally; aditi-nandanathe darling son of Aditi; tasyaof Him; upendrasyaas Upendra; vrtaccounts; ca and; r-vioof r Viu; adbhutwonderful; rutheard. In that heaven the Lord of the universe is present in person as the darling son of Aditi. I heard about that wonderful appearance of r Viu as Upendra. COMMENTARY: The name Upendra literally means He who comes after Indra, or in other words, Indras younger brother. Or, understanding the prefix upa- to mean above, Upendra may also mean greater than Indra. Indra himself gives this interpretation in r Hari-vaa (2.19.46): mamopari yathendras tva

sthpito gobhir vara upendra iti ka tv gsyanti divi devat Because the cows have established You as the Indra above me, the supreme controller, the demigods in heaven, O Ka, will call You Upendra. TEXT 11 Aa Pa+aqNd]iMaTaSTaTaae_SaaE -I@iNviNaganSauraNMaNaaejE" ) l/Il/avcae>aq rMaYaJa& devaNa( iNaJa>a[aTa*TaYaaCYaRTae TaE" )) ruhya pakndram itas tato sau kran vinighnann asurn mano-jai ll-vacobh ramayann ajasra devn nija-bhrttayrcyate tai ruhyamounting; paki-indramthe king of birds, Garua; ita tata here and there; asauHis; kransporting; vinighnankilling; asurndemons; mana-jaicharming; llwith pastimes; vacobhiand with words; ramayanpleasing; ajasramcompletely; devnthe demigods; nijatheir own; bhrttayas the brother; arcyateHe is worshiped; taiby them. Mounting the king of birds, He goes here and there to kill demons as a sport. With His wonderful pastimes and pleasing words He completely satisfies the demigods. They worship Him as their own brother. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra has not witnessed such wonderful pastimes of the Personality of Godhead in any of the places he has gone to thus far. In Svargaloka he will be able to see Lord Vmana flying on His carrier, Garua, traveling to display pastimes in various places. TEXT 12 TaXaRNae JaaTaMaNaaerQaaku-l/" SaLPaPaUv| SvJaPa& SaMaacrNa( ) SvLPaeNa k-ale/Na ivMaaNaMaaGaTa& MaudahMaa GaTaiiPaPaMa( )) tad-darane jta-manorathkula

sakalpa-prva sva-japa samcaran sv-alpena klena vimnam gata mudham ruhya gatas tri-piapam tatof Him; daranefor the seeing; jtadeveloped; mana-ratha because of the desire; kulaanxious; sakalpa-prvamwith this intention; sva-japamthe chanting of my mantra; samcaran performing; su-alpenavery short; klenaafter some time; vimnam a celestial airplane; gatamarrived; mudwith joy; ahamI; ruhyamounting; gatawent; tri-piapamto the heavenly kingdom. Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom. COMMENTARY: Having an intense desire to fulfill, Gopa-kumra now felt inspired to chant with special attention, correctly following all the rules for worship with the mantra. And so his desire to go to Svargaloka was quickly achieved. TEXT 13 PaUv| GaaTa$=Na*PaGa*he YaSYa d*a Pa[iTaa Ta& [qivZ<au& SaurGa<av*Ta& SaidaNaNdSaaNd]Ma( ) Ta}aaPaXYa& icrGa@Sk-NDaiSa&haSaNaSQa& vq<aaGaqTa& MaDaurMaDaur& NaardSYaacRYaNTaMa( )) prva gag-taa-npa-ghe yasya d pratih ta r-viu sura-gaa-vta sac-cid-nandasndram tatrpaya rucira-garua-skandha-sihsana-stha v-gta madhura-madhura nradasyrcayantam prvampreviously; gag-taaon the shore of the Gag; npaof the king; ghein the palace; yasyawhose; dseen; pratih the established worship; tamHim; r-viumr Viu; suragaaby groups of demigods; vtamsurrounded; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; sndramthe embodiment; tatra there; apayamI saw; ruciraattractive; garua-skandhaof the shoulder of Garua; siha-sanaon the royal throne; stham situated; v-gtamthe music of the v; madhura-madhuram very sweet; nradasyaof Nrada; arcayantampraising.

There I saw the same r Viu whom earlier I had seen worshiped in the kings palace on the shore of the Gag. That Lord, the concentrated embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, was seated on His royal thronethe attractive shoulders of Garua. Surrounded by hosts of demigods, the Lord praised the very sweet music of Nradas v. COMMENTARY: It seemed to Gopa-kumra that the Deity he had seen before in the kings palace on earth was a very faithful image of the Lord he was seeing now in person. The Lord carried the same conchshell, disc, and other weapons in His four hands, and He had the same yma complexion and youthful age. Yet in Svargaloka He appeared even more beautiful and charming. And unlike the Deity on earth, here the Lord was surrounded by many demigods. Gopa-kumra recognized Him as the eternal Truth, the embodiment of knowledge and wonderful bliss, the Absolute Truth in its concentrated essence, more brilliant than the sun. As the greatest of kings, the Lord took His royal seat on the shoulders of Garua and gracefully acknowledged the songs of Nrada. TEXT 14 Pa[aPYa Pa[aPYa& d]uiMa& c d*=a Ta}aaTMaaNa& MaNYaMaaNa" k*-TaaQaRMa( ) dUraUYaae d<@vNdMaaNaSa( TaeNaahUTaae_NauGa[hiGDavaca )) prpya prpya draum ia ca dv tatrtmna manyamna ktrtham drd bhyo daa-vad vandamnas tenhto nugraha-snigdha-vc prpyaattaining; prpyamthe object of attainment; draumto see; iamthe object of desire; caand; dvseeing; tatra there; tmnammyself; manyamnaconsidering; kta-artham fully successful; drtfrom a distance; bhyarepeatedly; daavatlike a stick; vandamnareciting praises; tenaby Him; hta called out to; anugrahawith compassion; snigdhamellow; vc with a voice. Thus I attained the goal of my endeavors and saw the object I had hankered to see. I now considered my life perfected. From a distance I again and again offered prostrate obeisances and recited prayers. Lord Viu then called out to me in a voice mellow with compassion.

TEXT 15 idya idyaGaTaae_iSa TvMa}a [qGaaePaNaNdNa ) Al&/ d<@Pa[<aaMaEMaeR iNak$e=_NauSara>aYaMa( )) diy diygato si tvam atra r-gopa-nandana ala daa-pramair me nikae nusarbhayam diyby good fortune; diyby good fortune; gataarrived; asiare; tvamyou; atrahere; r-gopa-nandanadear son of a cowherd; alamenough; daalike a stick; pramaiwith obeisances; meto Me; nikaeclose; anusaracome; abhayam fearlessly. What great, great fortune, dear son of a cowherd, that you have come here! Enough with this bowing on the ground! Dont be afraid to come close to Me. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra has long been eager to meet His Lord, and His Lord to meet him. Lord Viu is delighted that His dear devotee has somehow come to Svargaloka and is now by His side. And so, although Gopa-kumra, because of a sense of protocol, fears to approach the Lord, the Lord wants him to leave that protocol behind. TEXT 16 TaSYaajYaa MaheNd]e<a Pa[eirTaEidXaErhMa( ) AGa[Ta" Saadr& NaqTva Pa[YaaduPaveiXaTa" )) tasyjay mahendrea preritais tri-daair aham agrata sdara ntv prayatnd upaveita tasyaHis; jayfollowing the order; mah-indreaby great Indra; preritaisent; tri-daaiby demigods; ahamI; agratain front; sa-daramrespectfully; ntvbeing brought; prayatntwith effort; upaveitagiven a seat. By the Supreme Lords order, the great Indra had some of the demigods respectfully bring me forward and induce me to take a seat.

TEXT 17 idVYaEd]RVYaESTaiPaRTaae NaNdNaa:Yae _r<Yae vaSa& Pa[aiPaTaae_Gaa& Pa[hzRMa( ) vq+ae k-aicta}a >aqNaaRiSTa Xaaek-ae raeGaae Ma*TYauGl/aRiNaraiTaRJaRra c )) divyair dravyais tarpito nandankhye raye vsa prpito g praharam vke kcit tatra bhr nsti oko rogo mtyur glnir rtir jar ca divyaiheavenly; dravyaiby items; tarpitasatisfied; nandanakhyecalled Nandana; arayein the forest; vsamresidence; prpitaobtained; agmI experienced; praharamdelight; vke I saw; kcitany; tatrathere; bhfear; na astithere is not; okasorrow; rogadisease; mtyudeath; glnifatigue; rti pain; jarold age; caand. They satisfied me by offerings of heavenly pleasures and a residence in the Nandana forest. I felt delighted. Here, I saw, there was no pain, no fear, no death, no sorrow, no disease, fatigue, or old age. COMMENTARY: Lord Viu told the demigods to escort Gopa-kumra respectfully into His presence, honor Gopa-kumra with a seat, offer him choice heavenly items, and give him a place to stay in Indras pleasure gardens. The demigods followed this order carefully, greeting the cowherd boy with a cup of the nectar of immortality and various tokens of honor. Gopa-kumras perception that in Svargaloka most of the constraints of earthly life were absent was more than just a first impression; it lasted for all the time he was there. TEXT 18 SaNTau va k-iTaicaezaSTaaNah& Ga<aYaaiMa Na ) Taad*Xa& JaGadqXaSYa SaNdXaRNaSau%& >aJaNa( )) santu v katicid dos tn aha gaaymi na tda jagad-asya sandarana-sukha bhajan santuthere were; vhowever; katicita few; dofaults; tn them; ahamI; gaaymi nadid not take into account; tdam

such; jagat-asyaof the Lord of the universe; sandaranain seeing directly; sukhamhappiness; bhajanexperiencing. There were a few flaws in heaven, but I didnt take them into account, because I felt enormous joy in freely seeing the Lord of the universe. COMMENTARY: Sometimes the demigods in heaven quarreled among themselves, but to Gopa-kumra this seemed insignificant. On earth he had never seen the Supreme Lord so fully display His personality. TEXT 19 MaheNd]e<aaCYaRTae SvGaRiv>aUiTai>arSaaE Pa[>au" ) >a[aTa*TveNaerTveNa Xar<aTveNa caNvhMa( )) mahendrercyate svargavibhtibhir asau prabhu bhrttvenevaratvena araatvena cnv-aham mah-indreaby Mahendra; arcyatewas worshiped; svargaof heaven; vibhtibhiwith the opulences; asauHe; prabhuthe Supreme Lord; bhrttvenaas brother; varatvenaas Lord; araatvenaas shelter; caand; anu-ahamevery day. Every day, the great Indra worshiped that Supreme Lord with heavenly opulence, regarding the Lord as his brother, his master, and his shelter. COMMENTARY: Offering the special gifts of heaven like amta and the prijta flower, Indra worshiped Lord Vmana, whom he treated as his brother with intense affection, as his Lord with great reverence, and as his shelter with heartfelt gratitude. TEXTS 2021 MaNaSYak-rv& cETadhae DaNYa" XaTa-Tau" ) Yaae ih [qivZ<auNaa dta& SaaDaiYaTva iNarakul/Ma( )) }aEl/aeKYaEYaRMaaSaa >aGavNTaiMaMa& Mauda ) oPaharcYaEidRVYaEGaR*Maa<aE" SvYa& YaJaeTa( )) manasy akarava caitad

aho dhanya atakratu yo hi r-viun datta sdhayitv nirkulam trai-lokyaivaryam sdya bhagavantam ima mud upahra-cayair divyair ghyamai svaya yajet manasi akaravamI thought; caand; etatthis; ahooh; dhanya fortunate; atakratuIndra; yawho; hiindeed; r-viunby r Viu; dattamgiven; sdhayitvgaining; nirkulamwithout anxiety; trai-lokyaof the three worlds; aivaryamthe opulences; sdyasecuring; bhagavantamSupreme Lord; imamthis; mud with joy; upahra-cayaiwith many offerings; divyaiheavenly; ghyamaibeing accepted; svayampersonally; yajethe worships. I thought to myself, Oh, how fortunate is Indra! He has gained the opulence of the three worlds promised him by r Viu and enjoys them without anxiety. And he has gained the Supreme Lord Himself, whom he now worships with many kinds of heavenly offerings, which the Lord graciously accepts. COMMENTARY: The Lord had a secret plan to give Gopa-kumra a special role in Indras kingdom, and to attract him toward this the Lord arranged for Gopa-kumra to become appreciative of Indras opulence. Lord Viu had helped Indra subdue the demons and take hold of sovereignty. With the demons defeated, no serious threats to Indras rule remained. Indra enjoys the liberty to worship Lord Viu with all the riches at his disposal, and the Lord accepts Indras offerings with His own hands. TEXT 22 Wv& MaMaaiPa >aGavaNaYa& ik&- k*-PaiYaZYaiTa ) wiTa Ta}aavSa& ku-vRNSvSaLPa& iNaJa& JaPaMa( )) eva mampi bhagavn aya ki kpayiyati iti tatrvasa kurvan sva-sakalpa nija japam evamthus; mamato me; apialso; bhagavnPersonality of Godhead; ayamthis; kimwhether; kpayiyatiwill show His

mercy; itithus; tatrathere; avasamI resided; kurvanperforming; sva-sakalpammaintaining the desire; nijammy; japamchanting of the mantra. I thought, Will this Personality of Godhead show me the same mercy? Maintaining that desire, I resided there and chanted my japa. COMMENTARY: Without a clue as to how he could worship Lord Viu with the same standard of opulence as Indra, Gopa-kumra still hoped against hope to be allowed to do so. He thought that since the Lord is bhagavn, the possessor of inconceivable powers, and also the most merciful person, somehow the Lord could make it possible. With this meditation Gopa-kumra focused even more intensely on his japa. TEXT 23 AQaEk-SYa MauNaqNd]SYa dUziYaTva iPa[Yaa& bl/aTa( ) l/Yaa XaaPa>aqTYaa c Xa-" ku-}aaPYal/IYaTa )) athaikasya munndrasya dayitv priy balt lajjay pa-bhty ca akra kutrpy alyata athathen; ekasyaof one; muni-indrasyapowerful sage; dayitv violating the chastity; priymof the dear wife; baltforcibly; lajjayout of shame; paof being cursed; bhtyout of fear; ca and; akraIndra; kutra apisomewhere; alyatahid. Then it once happened that Indra forcibly violated the dear wife of an exalted sage. And out of shame and fear of being cursed, Indra hid somewhere. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra soon achieved his desire. As Indra had previously abused the wives of Devaarm and Gautama i, now he kidnapped the wife of another sage and forced himself upon her. And as under similar circumstances he had hidden himself in the filaments of a lotus flower in the Mnasa-sarovara, he again found a hiding place that no one would discover. TEXT 24 dEvEriNvZYa bhuDaa Sa Na Pa[aae Yada TaTa" ) AraJak-TvaTa( }aEl/aeKYaMai>a>aUTaMauPad]vE" ))

daivair anviya bahudh sa na prpto yad tata arjakatvt trai-lokyam abhibhtam upadravai daivaiby the demigods; anviyabeing searched for; bahudhby many means; sahe; nanot; prptafound; yadwhen; tata then; arjakatvtbecause of there being no ruler; trai-lokyamthe three worlds; abhibhtamoverwhelmed; upadravaiby disturbances. The demigods searched for him everywhere, but were unable to find him by any means. And with no one ruling heaven, disturbances overwhelmed the three worlds. COMMENTARY: With Indra in hiding, the Daityas, whom he had subdued, again felt bold enough to harass the demigods. TEXT 25 [qivZ<aaerajYaa devEGaRu<aa Pa[eirTaErQa ) WeNd]e Pade_i>aiz-ae_hMaidTYaaNauMaaeidTa" )) r-vior jay devair guru preritair atha aindre pade bhiikto ham adity-dy-anumodita r-vioof r Viu; jayon the order; devaiby the demigods; guruby their spiritual master; preritaiurged; atha then; aindreof Indra; padein the position; abhiiktaanointed; ahamI; aditi-diby Aditi and others; anumoditaapproved. Then the demigods, ordered by r Viu and advised by their spiritual master, installed me in the position of Indra. Aditi and the others approved. COMMENTARY: Indras mother, Aditi, assented to having Indras throne granted to this newcomer, because Lord Viu desired it. And because she approved, so also did Indras wife, ac, and all of Indras wellwishers. TEXT 26

TaTaae_idiTa& Xacq=& Jaqv& b]a<aaNaiPa MaaNaYaNa( ) }aEl/aeKYae vEZ<avq=& >ai&- PaU<aa| Pa[avTaRYa& Sada )) tato diti ac jva brhman api mnayan trai-lokye vaiav bhakti pr prvartaya sad tatathereupon; aditimto Aditi (Indras mother); acmac (Indras wife); jvamBhaspati (Indras guru); brhmanto the brhmaas; apialso; mnayanshowing respect; trai-lokyein the three worlds; vaiavmto Lord Viu; bhaktimdevotional service; prmfull; prvartayamI promoted; sadalways. Thereupon, with proper respect for ac, Aditi, Bhaspati, and the brhmaas, I started constantly promoting full devotional service to Lord Viu throughout the three worlds. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra properly honored Indras guru, Bhaspati (also called Jva), and honored the brhmaas who visited heaven, such as Agastya and Gautama. Gaining control over the three worlds did not inflate Gopa-kumras pride or lead him to offend others, as it had led to pride and offensiveness in Nahua, who also once substituted for Indra. Rather, Gopa-kumra used the resources of Indras position to spread Ka consciousness throughout the planets within his domain. This implies that the real Indra, son of Aditi, was not as much interested in preaching pure Ka consciousness. What is specified here is pra-bhakti, full devotional service. Devotional service in full consists of nine methods, culminating in unconditional self-surrender. In another sense, bhakti is considered pra, or full, when untainted by material motives. Later in this chapter we shall read about Gopa-kumras residing on Brahmaloka and witnessing the partial destruction of the universe at the end of Brahms day. Taking this into account, we can understand that Gopa-kumras adventure on Indras planet must have occurred not in the era of the current Manu (the Vaivasvata-manvantara of the Varha-kalpa) but at the end of a previous kalpa, or day of Brahm. Even so, there is nothing inconsistent in the history of Gopa-kumra, since many times in each kalpa various persons take up the posts of Indra and the other demigods and sages, with powers and entourages similar to those the posts conferred before. As r Viu Pura (1.15.86) explains: yuge yuge bhavanty ete

dakdy muni-sattama puna caiva nirudhyante vidvs tatra na muhyati In each and every age, O best of sages, persons like Daka come into being and later disappear. This does not bewilder one who is learned. And in the words of r Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (5.40): sarva-kalpeu cpy eva si-pui-vinaaya Thus in every day of Brahm there is creation, maintenance, and destruction. TEXT 27 SvYa& TaSYaa" Pa[>aave<a SvaraJYae_iPa YaQaa Paura ) Sadaik-NaPae_h& NYavSa& NaNdNae vNae )) svaya tasy prabhvea svrjye pi yath pur sadkicana-rpe ha nyavasa nandane vane svayammyself; tasyof it (devotional service); prabhveaby the potency; svrjyein a position of absolute authority; api although; yathas; purearlier; sadalways; akicanaof someone who possesses nothing; rpein the form; ahamI; nyavasamdwelled; nandane vanein the Nandana forest. Even while I ruled with complete authority, by the potency of that devotional service I dwelled in the Nandana forest in the same humble style in which I had always lived. COMMENTARY: Despite wielding such absolute power and spiritual influence, Gopa-kumra did not become arrogant. Remaining as simple-hearted as ever, he preferred to live away from the city rather than in Indras palace or the Sudharm assembly hall. TEXT 28 ATYaJa& JaPa& SvqYaMak*-TajTvXaYaa ) ivSMaTau| NaEv Xa-aeiMa Va[Ja>aUiMaiMaMaa& KvicTa( ))

atyaja ca japa svyam aktajatva-akay vismartu naiva aknomi vraja-bhmim im kvacit atyajannot giving up; caand; japamchanting; svyammy own; akta-jatvaof being ungrateful; akayout of fear; vismartumto forget; nanot; evaindeed; aknomiI was able; vraja-bhmim Vraja-bhmi; immthis; kvacitever. For fear of being ungrateful, I never gave up my japa, nor for a moment was I able to forget this Vraja-bhmi. COMMENTARY: From Gopa-kumras point of view, the life of tending cows in Vndvana was more attractive than any other circumstance, including residence in the Nandana-vana. As long as he continued chanting his mantra, this attitude could not be covered by illusion, because the natural effect of r Madana-goplas mantra was to attract the heart to the Lords sports in Vndvana. Wanting to avoid being ungrateful, Gopa-kumra never stopped chanting. He might justify abandoning the mantra only after attaining its final goal. If he were to stop chanting before then, he would not discover the mantras full benefits. Thus, to stop the chanting prematurely would amount to ingratitude, for without having bothered to receive all the mantras benefits, how could he properly acknowledge them? TEXT 29 TaC^aek-du"%ErNauTaPYaMaaNa" XauZk-aNaNaae_h& JaGadqre<a ) Sa&l/+Ya TaaeZYaeYa Mauhu" k-raBJa SPaXaeRNa ic}aEvRcNaaMa*TaE )) tac-choka-dukhair anutapyamna uknano ha jagad-varea salakya toyeya muhu karbjasparena citrair vacanmtai ca tatthat; okaby the sorrow; dukhaiand pain; anutapyamna being tormented; ukadried up; nanamy face; ahamI; jagatvareaby the Lord of the universe; salakyabeing noticed; toyeyaI would be placated; muhuagain and again; kara-abjaof His lotus hands; sparenaby the touch; citraifascinating; vacana by His words; amtainectarean; caand.

I was tormented by the pain of separation from Vraja, my face drying up. But when the Lord of the universe noticed this, He consoled me again and again with His fascinating nectarean words and the touch of His lotus hands. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra was unable to forget Vndvana, but this constant remembrance was painful for him. TEXT 30 JYaeSaaedrSaMbNDaiMav Paal/YaTaa SvYaMa( ) Mataaez<aaYa Mata& >aaeGYaMaadaYa >auJYaTae )) jyeha-sodara-sambandham iva playat svayam mat-toaya mad-datta bhogyam dya bhujyate jyehaolder; sodaraof a brother; sambandhamthe relationship; ivaas if; playatobserving; svayampersonally; mat-toaya for my satisfaction; mat-dattamgiven by me; bhogyamfood; dya accepting; bhujyateHe would eat. As if obliged to keep the etiquette for dealing with an elder brother, the Lord would directly accept and eat the food I gave Him, just to please me. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra was sitting on Indras throne only temporarily, and Lord Vmana was not his real brother. Nonetheless, the Lord was happy to accept Gopa-kumras offerings in a brotherly mood. TEXT 31 TaeNa ivSMa*TYa Tau"%& PaUJaYaaPaUvRv*taYaa ) Pa[q<aYaNeh>aavata& l/al/YaeYa& k-iNavTa( )) tena vismtya tad dukha pjayprva-vttay prayan sneha-bhvtta llayeya kaniha-vat tenathus; vismtyaforgetting; tatthat; dukhamdistress; pjaywith worship; aprvaunprecedented; vttayof a style; prayanshowing my affection; snehaloving; bhvawith a mood;

ttamfilled; llayeyamI would pamper; kaniha-vatlike a younger brother. And so I would forget my distress. I would then show my affection by worshiping Him lovingly in an unprecedented style, pampering Him like my younger brother. COMMENTARY: Lord Vmana, accepting offerings from His substitute brother, would sometimes touch Gopa-kumras hands or show affection in other ways. In return, Gopa-kumra would touch the hands of Lord Vmana, the Lord of the universe, and embrace Him. This was not improper, because both their hearts were overflowing with ecstasy. TEXT 32 Wv& Maa& SvaSQYaMaaPaa SvSQaaNae ku-}aicTa" ) oPaeNd]ae vSaiTa [qMaa l/>YaeTa Sadei+aTauMa( )) eva m svsthyam pdya sva-sthne kutracid gata upendro vasati rmn na labhyeta sadekitum evamthus; mmme; svsthyamto a normal condition; pdya restoring; sva-sthneto His own place; kutracitsomewhere; gata went; upendraLord Upendra; vasatilived; r-mnthe husband of the goddess of fortune; na labhyetawas not available; sad always; kitumto be seen. After restoring me to normal in this way, He would go back to His own place somewhere else. Thus although I lived with rmn Upendra, I was not always able to see Him. COMMENTARY: Since Gopa-kumra was destined to enjoy even more of the Lords mercy elsewhere, circumstances changed so that he became less interested in staying in Svargaloka. Lord Vmana had shown him various kinds of affection, protected him from false pride, allowed him to worship in grand opulence with all the riches of the three worlds, and empowered him to preach pure devotional service throughout those worlds. Thus Lord Vmana had eased Gopa-kumras distress. But after making Gopa-kumra happy and peaceful in these ways, the Lord went elsewhere, perhaps to vetadvpa or Dhruvaloka exactly where, Gopa-kumra never knew. As the word rmn here indicates, the Lords consort Lakm accompanied Him, and so Gopakumra was unable see her either. Even though the Supreme Lord is all-pervading, when He was away from Svargaloka Gopa-kumra could

no longer see Him. The Lord would return occasionally, but for Gopakumra that was not enough. TEXT 33 TaTaae Yaae JaaYaTae Xaaek-STaeNa Naql/acl/Pa[>auMa( ) Acl/ai[TavaTSaLYa& d]uiMaC^eYaMaeTYa TaMa( )) tato yo jyate okas tena nlcala-prabhum acalrita-vtsalya draum iccheyam etya tam tatatherefore; yawhich; jyatewould arise; oka unhappiness; tenaby that; nlcalaof Pur; prabhumthe Lord, Jaganntha; acalaunwavering; ritato those who take shelter; vtsalyamwhose affection; draumto see; iccheyamwould want; etyagoing; tamHim. And so the distress I felt would make me want to go back to see the Lord of Nlcala, whose affection for those who take shelter of Him never wavers. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra naturally wanted to lessen the pain he was feeling. And he thought that Lord Jagannthas love for His devotees was more certain than Lord Vius in Svarga because in Nlcala Lord Jaganntha is always visible. Jagannthas mercy is as firm as Mount Meru. TEXT 34 Pa[adu>aURTaSYa ivZ<aaeSTau TaSYa Taad*Kk*Paa>arE" ) AaiDa" SavaeR ivl/IYaeTa PaaaTYaae_iPa TadaXaYaa )) prdurbhtasya vios tu tasya tdk-kp-bharai dhi sarvo vilyeta pctyo pi tad-ay prdurbhtasyabecoming visible; vioof Viu; tubut; tasya His; tdksuch; kpof mercy; bharaiby the abundance; dhi mental distress; sarvaall; vilyetawould dissolve; pctya later; apieven; tatof Him; ayby the thought.

Still, when Viu would again become visible, His unique mercy in many forms would fill my heart with thoughts of Him and dissolve all my mental pain, even the pain I might feel later when I could no longer see Him. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra could not simply leave heaven to come down to earth and Puruottama-ketra, because in Svarga he had special exchanges of love with Lord Viu that with Lord Jaganntha he had never known. Lord Viu, as Vmanadeva, accepted with His own hands what Gopa-kumra offered in worship. And the Lord displayed exceptional sweetness, enacted various charming pastimes, and spoke nectarean words to console His devotees. All this vanquished the mental pain Gopa-kumra felt within from not seeing the Lord and from remembering Vraja-bhmi. Even the pain he might feel later at the inevitable departure of Lord Viu would be overshadowed by the joy from the association he was having now. Gopa-kumra also hoped that although Lord Viu might go away for a while, He would always return. TEXT 35 Wv& iNavSaTaa Ta}a Xa-TvMaiDaku-vRTaa ) b]NSa&vTSarae idVYaae MaYaEk-ae GaiMaTa" Sau %Ma( )) eva nivasat tatra akratvam adhikurvat brahman savatsaro divyo mayaiko gamita sukham evamthus; nivasatwho was residing; tatrathere; akratvamthe post of Indra; adhikurvatadministering; brahmanO brhmaa; savatsarayear; divyaof the demigods; mayby me; eka one; gamitaspent; sukhamhappily. O brhmaa, thus I lived in Svarga, ruling in the post of Indra, and happily spent one celestial year. COMMENTARY: Indras duties include the dispensing of rain, the propagation of sacrifices and other Vedic rituals, and the maintenance and protection of the three planetary systems. For one year in the measurement of Svargalokaequal to 360 years on earthGopakumra carried out these responsibilities.

TEXT 36 Ak-SMaadaGaTaaSTa}a >a*GauMau:Yaa MahzRYa" ) Paya& PaaviYaTau& YaaNTaSTaqQaaRi<a k*-PaYaa >auiv )) akasmd gats tatra bhgu-mukhy maharaya padbhy pvayitu yntas trthi kpay bhuvi akasmtunexpectedly; gatcame; tatrathere; bhgu-mukhy headed by Bhgu; mah-ayagreat sages; padbhymwith their feet; pvayitumto purify; yntagoing; trthithe holy places; kpayout of mercy; bhuvion the earth. Once some great sages arrived unexpectedly, headed by Bhgu. Out of mercy they were on their way to purify with their feet the holy places on earth. COMMENTARY: It was difficult to tell why these sages, headed by Bhgu, Atri, Marci, Agir, Pulaha, and Pulastya, stopped at Svargaloka on their way to earth. Moreover, before they arrived Gopa-kumra had not even known that such sages exist. Although Marci, not Bhgu, is the eldest of the seven sons born from the mind of Brahm, here Gopakumra gives the first honor to Bhgu because Bhgu is a great Vaiava and sometimes the father of the goddess Lakm. Bhgu is often considered an empowered representative of the Supreme Lord, and he is mentioned as such by r Ka Himself in the Bhagavadgt (10.25). Mahar bhgur aham: Among the principal sages I am Bhgu. In the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.11.30), Maitreya Muni also mentions Bhgu as the first of sages: tri-loky dahyamny akty sakaragnin ynty ma mahar-lokj jana bhgv-dayo rdit When devastation takes place due to the fire emanating from the mouth of Sakaraa, the great sages, headed by Bhgu, transport themselves from Maharloka to Janaloka, being distressed by the heat of the blazing fire that rages through the three worlds below. Why had these residents of a region higher than Svargaloka now descended to heaven? They were traveling to earth to purify the Gag and other holy places from the contamination brought about by contact with sinful visitors. The sages wanted to sanctify the holy

places on earth with the touch of their own feet. Even though the sages, by the power of their influential words, could have sanctified the earth without leaving Maharloka, the sight and touch of their feet would further benefit all the inhabitants of the earth. TEXT 37 SaSaM>a[Ma& SaurE" Savr*izi>aGauR<aa SvYaMa( ) ivZ<auNaa caCYaRMaaNaaSTae MaYaa d*a" SaivSMaYaMa( )) sa-sambhrama surai sarvair ibhir guru svayam viun crcyamns te may d sa-vismayam sa-sambhramamreverently; suraiby the demigods; sarvaiall; ibhiby the sages; guruby their spiritual master; svayam Himself; viunby Lord Viu; caand; arcyamnbeing worshiped; tethey; mayby me; dseen; sa-vismayamwith amazement. With amazement I looked on as all the demigods and celestial sages, and even their spiritual master and Lord Viu Himself, worshiped those sages reverently. COMMENTARY: The chief among the sages who offered respect was Nrada. He of course showed respect to his elder brother Bhgu. Lord Viu also honored the great sages led by Bhgu because Lord Viu is brahmaya-deva, the Lord who always serves the brhmaas. TEXT 38 Ah& cai>aNavae ivZ<auSaevaNaNdTaaNTar" ) Na JaaNae TaaNaQa SvqYaE" Pa[eirTaSTaErPaUJaYaMa( )) aha cbhinavo viusevnanda-htntara na jne tn atha svyai preritas tair apjayam ahamI; caand; abhinavaa new resident; viu-sevof serving Lord Viu; nandaby the bliss; htaswept away; antarawhose heart; na jneI did not recognize; tnthem (the sages); athathen;

svyaiby my companions; preritaurged; taiby them (my companions); apjayamI worshiped them. I was a new resident of Svarga, my heart distracted by the bliss of serving Lord Viu, so I failed to recognize the sages. But at the urging of my companions I too worshiped them. COMMENTARY: Despite occupying the post of Indra, Gopa-kumra at first neglected to come forward to worship his venerable guests, because he did not know who they were. He wondered whether they were some demigods or devaris of Svargaloka he had not seen before, or visitors from some other world. Gopa-kumra explains his own ignorance by calling himself a newcomer. Though he had already been living in Svarga for a year of the demigods, he had been too much absorbed in the joy of devotional service to Lord Viu to become interested in learning about anything else. Normally, devotional service bestows knowledge automatically, even upon devotees who are not inquisitive, but Gopa-kumras case was special. As r Nrada will explain at the end of the fifth chapter, Gopa-kumra, thanks to a special blessing from his spiritual master, remained forever naive about the ways of the world. TEXT 39 Ai>aNaN Xau>aaXaq=i>aRMaa| Tae_GaC^NYaQaaSau %Ma( ) iTarae>avduPaeNd]ae_iPa MaYaa Pa*aSTadaMara" )) abhinandya ubhrbhir m te gacchan yath-sukham tirobhavad upendro pi may ps tadmar abhinandyagreeting; ubhaauspicious; rbhiwith blessings; mmme; tethey; agacchanwent; yath-sukhamaccording to their pleasure; tira-abhavatdisappeared; upendraLord Vmana; apialso; mayby me; pasked; tadthen; amarthe immortals of Svarga-loka. The sages greeted me with auspicious blessings and happily went on their way. And at that moment Lord Upendra also disappeared. I then inquired from the immortals of heaven. COMMENTARY: Apparently the sages visiting Maharloka felt no offense at being neglected by the cowherd Indra, since they happily offered him their blessings. But they moved on, and at the same time Lord Vmana

also disappeared. This was necessary for Gopa-kumras benefit. In front of the Lord he would have been unable to inquire about the sages, for in the Lords presence devotional etiquette forbids conversations that do not involve Him. And as long as Lord Vmana was to be seen, Gopa-kumra, distracted by ecstasy, would have been unable to think about leaving Svargaloka. TEXT 40 PaUJYaa deva Na*<aa& PaUJYaa devaNaaMaPYaMaq Tau ke- ) ik&-MaahaTMYaa MahaTaeJaaeMaYaa" ku-}a vSaiNTa va )) pjy dev n pjy devnm apy am tu ke ki-mhtmy mah-tejomay kutra vasanti v pjyto be worshiped; devthe demigods; nmby men; pjyto be worshiped; devnmby the demigods; apieven; am these; tubut; kewho; kimwhat; mhtmytheir greatness; mah-tejawith great effulgence; mayfilled; kutrawhere; vasantido they live; vor. The demigods are worshiped by men, but who were those persons worshiped even by the demigods? What makes them so great? Where do those effulgent persons live? COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra knew from his limited experience that a father, though honored by his sons, still honors his own father. Thus he surmised that there must be some natural reason for the sages to be treated as superiors. Simply from their glowing appearance he could understand that they must have come from somewhere above Svargaloka. He wondered where they came from and whom they worshiped. He became curious to visit that place and to see their Lord. TEXT 41 Mahai>aMaaiNai>adeRvEMaRTSara-aNTaMaaNaSaE" ) l/Yaev Na Ta*taMau&- GaurQaab]vqTa( )) mahbhimnibhir devair matsarkrnta-mnasai lajjayeva na tad-vttam

ukta gurur athbravt mah-abhimnibhivery proud; devaiby the demigods; matsara by jealousy; krntaaffected; mnasaiwhose minds; lajjayout of shame; ivaas if; nanot; tatabout them; vttaminformation; uktamspoken; guruour spiritual master, Bhaspati; athathen; abravtsaid. Jealous and proud, the demigods were embarrassed to tell me. But our guru then spoke. COMMENTARY: Matsara (jealousy) means intolerance of another persons excellence. The demigods were jealous of the great sages and proud of their own positions, and in response to Gopa-kumras questions these two emotions gave rise to embarrassment and silence. The exact words used here are lajjay iva, as if ashamed, because these negative feelings were only a shadow of the gross envy and other such emotions felt on lower planets. Bhaspati, however, was more sober than the demigods. And his duty as Gopa-kumras guru was to answer the reasonable questions of the disciple. TEXT 42 [qb*hSPaiTavac ATa O| Mahl/aeRk-ae raJaTae k-MaRi>a" Xau>aE" ) Pa[aPYaae MahiYaaeR NaXYaeTa( } aEl/aeKYaPa[l/Yae_iPa Na )) r-bhaspatir uvca ata rdhva mahar-loko rjate karmabhi ubhai prpyo mahadbhir yo nayet trai-lokya-pralaye pi na r-bhaspati uvcar Bhaspati said; atathan this place; rdhvamhigher; maha-lokaMaharloka; rjateshines; karmabhiby activities; ubhaiauspicious; prpyaattainable; mahadbhithe best; yawhich; nayetis destroyed; trai-lokyaof the three worlds; pralayeduring the annihilation; apieven; nanot. r Bhaspati said: Above this realm shines the world called Maharloka, attainable through the best of pious works. Even when the three worlds are annihilated, that world is not destroyed.

COMMENTARY: As difficult as it is for ordinary mortals to enter heaven, the requirements for entering Maharloka are even more stringent. An aspirant must complete ritual sacrifices and yoga meditation of a lofty standard, uncorrupted by lower motives. Only then might he be accepted for elevation to Maharloka, which survives the dissolution of the three worlds Bhr, Bhuvar, and Svar. Because most of the residents of Maharloka are candidates for liberation, the planet exists as long as that of Lord Brahm. TEXT 43 YaQaa ih k-aei$=Gaui<aTa& SaaMa]aJYaaTSau %MaEiNd]k-Ma( ) TaTk-aei$=Gaui<aTa& Ta}a Pa[aJaaPaTYa& Sau%& MaTaMa( )) yath hi koi-guita smrjyt sukham aindrikam tat-koi-guita tatra prjpatya sukha matam yathas; hicertainly; koi-guitammillions of times greater; smrjytthan that of a ruler of the earth; sukhamthe happiness; aindrikamof Indra; tatcompared with that; koi-guitammillions of times greater; tatrathere; prjpatyamof the Prajpatis; sukham the happiness; matamconsidered. As the happiness of Indra is considered millions of times greater than that of a ruler on earth, the happiness of a Prajpati is millions of times greater than Indras. COMMENTARY: The sages living on Maharloka are the Prajpatis, the original forefathers of the population of the universe. They are the first authorities on the Vedic path of karma. TEXT 44 TaeNaaMaq SaeivTaaSTa}a iNavSaiNTa MahaSau%E" ) Yajer& Pa[>au& Saa+aaTPaUJaYaNTa" Pade Pade )) tenm sevits tatra nivasanti mah-sukhai yajevara prabhu skt pjayanta pade pade

tenaby that (happiness); amthese persons; sevitserved; tatra there; nivasantilive; mah-sukhaiwith great facilities for happiness; yaja-varamthe Lord of sacrifice; prabhumtheir master; sktdirectly; pjayantaworshiping; pade padein various places. Endowed with such happiness, the Prajpatis live on Maharloka enjoying the greatest pleasures and directly worshiping in various places the Lord of sacrifice, who is there in person as their master. COMMENTARY: The Prajpatis leave Maharloka only occasionally, when they have a specific reason to visit other planets. For worshiping the Supreme Lord with wonderful sacrifices, the Prajpatis have much better resources than even those available on Svargaloka. TEXT 45 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac TaC^\uTvENd]Pade Saae iNaivREC^& TaMaqi+aTauMa( ) PaUJYaPaUJYaEMaRhiSTaE" PaUJYaMaaNa& MahaPa[>auMa( )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutvaindra-pade sadyo nirvidyaiccha tam kitum pjya-pjyair mahadbhis tai pjyamna mah-prabhum r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatthat; rutv hearing; aindraof Indra; padein the position; sadyaimmediately; nirvidyalosing interest; aicchamI wanted; tamHim; kitumto see; pjyafor the worshipable; pjyaiwho are worshipable; mahadbhiby the great souls; taithem; pjyamnambeing worshiped; mah-prabhumthe Supreme Lord. r Gopa-kumra said: Upon hearing this, I at once lost my attachment to the post of Indra and wanted to go see that Supreme Lord being worshiped by the great souls who are worshiped by those who are worshiped. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra had seen that compared to the worship of the Supreme Lord on earth, the worship on Svargaloka is much more charming and opulent. And if Maharloka is worshipable by the residents of Svarga, the worship of the Lord on Maharloka must be still

more glorious. To see Lord Viu being worshiped on Maharloka was certainly worth a trip. TEXT 46 TaTSaLPYa JaPa& ku-vRicradURMauiTQaTa" ) VYaaeMaYaaNaeNa Ta& Pa[aae l/aek&- Ta}a VYal/aekYaMa( )) tat sakalpya japa kurvann acird rdhvam utthita vyoma-ynena ta prpto loka tatra vyalokayam tatthat; sakalpyamaking the conscious intention; japamthe chanting of my mantra; kurvandoing; acirtsoon; rdhvam upward; utthitalifted; vyoma-ynenaby a celestial airplane; tam that; prptaobtained; lokamplanet; tatrathere; vyalokayamI saw. I made this my intention and chanted my mantra. And soon a celestial airplane picked me up, and I found myself transported to Maharloka. COMMENTARY: Chanting his japa with the conscious desire I want to see the Lord of sacrifice on Maharloka soon brought Gopa-kumra to i Bhgus abode on the Mahar planet, where the sages had returned after finishing their short excursion. TEXT 47 }aEl/aeKYae YaTSau%& NaaiSTa vE>av& >aJaNa& TaQaa ) iNadaeRz& Ta}a TaTSavRMaSTYaiNavaRCYaMaaXau TaTa( )) trai-lokye yat sukha nsti vaibhava bhajana tath nirdoa tatra tat sarvam asty anirvcyam u tat trai-lokyein the three worlds; yatwhich; sukhamhappiness; na astithere is not; vaibhavamopulence; bhajanamworship; tath such; nirdoamfaultless; tatrathere; tatthat; sarvamall; asti there is; anirvcyamindescribable; ueasily; tatthat.

Such happiness, opulence, and worship of the Lord as found nowhere in the three worldsits all there perfectly, indescribable in words. COMMENTARY: The residents of Maharloka never quarrel among themselves, never suffer mundane miseries, and never fear the annihilation at the nightfall of Brahm. On Maharloka, rivalry and quarrel are nonexistent because everyone worships the Supreme Lord without selfish motives and therefore material assets are always on hand without deficiency or surplus. The conditions of such a subtle, exclusive environment can hardly be described in wordsthey can be understood only by direct experience. Nonetheless, rla Santana Gosvm kindly gives us a rare glimpse into a world we otherwise know little about. TEXT 48 ivTaaYaMaaNaezu MahaMa%ezu TaEr( MahizRi>a>aRi-ParE" SahXa" ) Ma%aiGanMaDYae Pa[>auiTQaTa" Sfu-rNa( Ma%er" -I@iTa Yaj>aaGa>auk( )) vityamneu mah-makheu tair maharibhir bhakti-parai sahasraa makhgni-madhye prabhur utthita sphuran makhevara krati yaja-bhga-bhuk vityamneubeing performed in all detail; mah-makheugrand sacrifices; taiby those; mah-ibhigreat sages; bhakti-parai endowed with pure devotion; sahasraaby the thousands; makhaagniof the oblation fires; madhyefrom the midst; prabhuthe Lord; utthitarisen; sphuranglowing; makhaof sacrifices; vara the supreme controller; kratiplayed; yaja-bhgaof sacrificial offerings; bhukthe enjoyer. While the great sages, endowed with pure devotion, offered thousands of grand sacrifices, I saw the Lord of sacrifice, the supreme controller, stand up brilliantly from amidst the fires of oblation and delight in His pastimes as the enjoyer of sacrificial offerings. COMMENTARY: The form of Lord Viu appearing from the sacrificial fires made an especially vivid impression on Gopa-kumras mind, so he briefly describes that form in this and the following two verses. Bhgu and his brothers are nikma Vaiavas who have no other master

than Lord Viu. Therefore the Lord reciprocated their worship by appearing in person on the sacrificial altar. He was sphuran, glowing even more brilliantly than the ritual fires. TEXT 49 Sa YajMaUTas rivk-aei$=TaeJaa JaGaNMaNaaehairMahaPa[Taqk-" ) Pa[SaaYaR hSTaa&MaaddaNaae vraNa( iPa[YaaNYaC^iTa YaaJake->Ya" )) sa yaja-mrt ravi-koi-tej jagan-manohri-mah-pratka prasrya hast carum dadno varn priyn yacchati yjakebhya saHe; yaja-mrtithe personification of sacrifice; ravi-koilike millions of suns; tejwhose radiance; jagatof the world; manahrienchanting; mahmighty; pratkawhose form; prasrya reaching out; hastnHis hands; carumthe caru offering; dadna accepting; varnbenedictions; priyndesirable; yacchati granted; yjakebhyato the sacrificers. That Lord, sacrifice personified, radiant as millions of suns, His mighty form enchanting to the world, reached out His hands, accepted the caru offering, and granted the sacrificers pleasing benedictions. COMMENTARY: This verse paints an even more vivid picture of the Lord of sacrifice. He is called the Lord of sacrifice because it is He who through sacrifice receives worship. And the Vedic sacrifices, or yajas, including their physical ingredients and the mantras and rules for their performance, emanate from Him. Holding in His hands the implements of sacrificeincluding the sruk and sruva ladlesHe appears as sacrifice personified. As we find in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.13.3536) in the description of Yaja-varha, the boar incarnation of the Lord, the various parts of the Lords divine body symbolize all the aspects of yaja: rpa tavaitan nanu dukttman durdarana deva yad adhvartmakam chandsi yasya tvaci barhi-romasv jya di tv aghriu ctur-hotram O Lord, Your form is to be worshiped by performance of sacrifice, but souls who are simply miscreants are unable to see that form. All the

Vedic hymns, Gyatr and others, are in the touch of Your skin. In Your bodily hairs is the kua grass, in Your eyes is the clarified butter, and in Your four legs are the four kinds of fruitive acts. sruk tua st sruva a nsayor iodare camas kara-randhre pritram sye grasane grahs tu te yac carvaa te bhagavann agni-hotram O Lord, in Your tongue is the sruk, in Your nostril the sruva, and in Your abdomen the plate for eating. In the holes of Your ears is the cup called camasa. In Your mouth is the Brahm plate, in Your throat are the soma vessels, and in whatever You chew is the oblation to the fire. When Lord Viu appears on Maharloka as Yajevara, all the parts of His body are universally attractiveHis head, mouth, neck, chest, arms, legs, and so on. As Gopa-kumra watched, the Lord playfully accepted the offering of caru, a standard oblation of rice, barley, dl, and butter, mixed and boiled in milk. Not even Lord Vmana on Svargaloka was this attractive. TEXT 50 TaXaRNaae*iM>aTaSaM>a[MaaYa hzaRMaSk-arParaYa MaMa( ) dtaae iNaJaaeiC^MahaPa[SaadSa( TaeNa SvhSTaeNa dYaad]Rvaca )) tad-daranojjmbhita-sambhramya harn namaskra-parya mahyam datto nijocchia-mah-prasdas tena sva-hastena dayrdra-vc tatof Him; daranaby the sight; ujjmbhitainspired; sambhramyawhose awe; hartout of joy; nama-krabowing down; paryaintent on; mahyamto me; dattagiven; nijaHis own; ucchiaof the remnants; mah-prasdathe especially sanctified prasda; tenaby Him; sva-hastenawith His own hand; daywith compassion; rdradrenched; vcwith words. With words drenched in compassion, He gave me with His own hand the mah-prasda of His remnants. Awestruck by the sight of Him, out of sheer joy I felt compelled to bow down. COMMENTARY: Seeing the Lord of sacrifice made Gopa-kumra more eager than ever to discover how he could serve the Lord in some

personal way. In response to this enthusiasm, Lord Yajevara encouraged him even more by saying such things as My dear Gopakumra, please come here and accept My hospitality. TEXT 51 APaUvRl/BDaMaaNaNd& ParMa& Pa[aPanuv&STaTa" ) k-a<YaaiTaXaYaataSYa Sa&iSaaXaezvaiH^Ta" )) aprva-labdham nanda parama prpnuvas tata kruytiayt tasya sasiddhea-vchita aprvanever before; labdhamobtained; nandambliss; paramam supreme; prpnuvanreceiving; tatafrom that; kruyaof mercy; atiaytexcess; tasyaHis; sasiddhaattained; aeaall; vchitadesires. By that Lords abundant mercy, I attained an exceptional bliss I had never known before, and all my desires were fulfilled. COMMENTARY: On earth and in heaven, Gopa-kumra had felt bliss in devotional service, but nothing like what he was relishing on Maharloka. Now, as never before, he was satisfying his deepest desires to see the Lord of the universe and share personal exchanges with Him. TEXT 52 dYaalU/Naa& Mahzs<aa& SaTYaeTaSTaTaae >a[MaNa( ) Pa[TYaavaSa& TaQaEvahMad]a+a& JaGadqrMa( )) dayln mahar sagatyetas tato bhraman praty-vsa tathaivham adrka jagad-varam daylnmcompassionate; mah-mof the great sages; sagatyin the company; ita tatahere and there; bhraman wandering; prati-vsamin each residence; tath evaappearing in the same way; ahamI; adrkamsaw; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe.

I wandered here and there in the company of the great compassionate sages, and in every dwelling I saw the Lord of the universe present in the same way. COMMENTARY: No matter where Gopa-kumra went on Maharloka, he found everyone performing Vedic sacrifices, and the Lord of sacrifice appearing in order to eat the offerings. TEXT 53 TaTa" k*-TaaQaRTaaiNaa& MaNvaNa" SvSYa SavRQaa ) SaaNaNd& iNavSa&STa}a Pa[ae-ae_h& TaEMaRhizRi>a" )) tata ktrthat-nih manvna svasya sarvath snanda nivasas tatra prokto ha tair maharibhi tatathen; kta-arthatof full success; nihmthe stage; manvnaconsidering; svasyaof myself; sarvathin all regards; sa-nandamhappily; nivasanresiding; tatrathere; prokta addressed; ahamI; taiby those; mah-ibhigreat sages. Thinking myself fully successful in every respect, I happily took up residence on Maharloka. Once, the great sages spoke to me as follows. COMMENTARY: On Maharloka, not only was Lord Yajevara visible in every residence, but in each place His features were different. Now that Gopa-kumra was obtaining to his satisfaction the darana of the Lord, along with a generous amount of His mercy, Gopa-kumra felt that his life in general and his mantra-japa in particular had reached fruition. TEXT 54 [qMahzRYa Ocu" >aae GaaePavEXYaPau}a TvMaeTaaek-Sv>aavJaMa( ) Pa[dqYaMaaNaMaSMaai>aivRPa[Tv& Svqku- d]uTaMa( )) r-maharaya cu bho gopa-vaiya-putra tvam etal-loka-svabhva-jam

pradyamnam asmbhir vipratva sv-kuru drutam r-mah-aya cuthe great sages said; bhoO; gopa-vaiya of a cowherd vaiya; putrason; tvamyou; etatthis; lokafor the planet; svabhva-jamnatural; pradyamnambeing offered; asmbhiby us; vipratvamthe status of a brhmaa; sv-kuru please accept; drutamright now. The great sages said: O son of a cowherd vaiya, we are offering you the brahminical status natural for a resident of this planet. Please accept it at once. COMMENTARY: Some vaiyas farm and tend cows, and others do business, but according to the Dharma-stras they all belong to a twice-born class. In other words, vaiyas, along with brhmaas and katriyas, receive Vedic initiation and education. But in Gopa-kumras simple Govardhana village, the vaiyas didnt maintain these Vedic standards, and so he remained illiterate and uninitiated into the Brahma-gyatr. How then, when even as a vaiya he wasnt properly initiated, could he become a brhmaa? It was possible because the powerful sages were offering him that status and emphatically asking him to accept it. They wanted him to change his external dress and behavior to conform with the way of life on Maharloka.

TEXT 55 Mahzs<aaMaek-TaMaae >aUTva TvMaiPa PaUJaYa ) JaGadqXaiMaMa& YajEirMaaTMaidd*i+aTaMa( )) maharm ekatamo bhtv tvam api pjaya jagad-am ima yajai ciram tma-didkitam mah-mof the great sages; ekatamaone; bhtv becoming; tvamyou; apialso; pjayashould worship; jagat-am Lord of the universe; imamthis; yajaiwith sacrifices; ciramfor a long time; tmaof your heart; didkitamthe desired goal of sight. Become one of the exalted sages, so that you too may worship with sacrifice this Lord of the universe, who for so long has been the desired goal of your heart.

TEXT 56 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac TaC^\uTvaicNTaYa& b]NvEXYaTve SYaaTSau%& MahTa( ) Pa[>aaereza& c ivPa[a<aa& TaaNaaMauPaaSaNaaTa( )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutvcintaya brahman vaiyatve syt sukha mahat prabhor e ca vipr tad-bhaktnm upsant r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatthis; rutv hearing; acintayamI thought; brahmanO brhmaa; vaiyatvein being a vaiya; sytthere would be; sukhamhappiness; mahat greater; prabhoof the Lord; emof these; caand; viprm brhmaas; tatHis; bhaktnmdevotees; upsantby worshiping. r Gopa-kumra said: Hearing this, O brhmaa, I thought I would be much happier staying a vaiya, for then I could keep worshiping both the Supreme Lord and those brhmaas, His devotees. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra thought, If I become a brhmaa I will lose the fortune of being a simple servant. Then I will be unable to humbly assist the brhmaa sages. But if I stay a vaiya, to my hearts content I can keep serving these Vaiavas and their worshipable Lord Yajevara. TEXT 57 Wza& YajEk-iNaaNaaMaEKYaeNaavXYake- iNaJae ) JaPae c Sauie MaaN& SYaad( d*SaTf-le/ )) e yajaika-nihnm aikyenvayake nije jape ca sad-gurddie mndya syd da-sat-phale emof them; yajathe performance of sacrifice; ekaonly; nihnmwith whose interest in life; aikyenadue to oneness; vayakeobligatory; nijemy own; japein the chanting of the mantra; caand; sat-guruby my divine guru; uddietaught;

mndyamlaxness; sytthere would be; daseen already; sat good; phaleits results. For these brhmaas, I thought, performing sacrifice is the only interest in life. If I were to become one of them, surely I would become lax in the chanting I am duty-bound to continue. My divine guru taught me to worship this mantra, and besides, I have already seen its good results. COMMENTARY: The ten-syllable gopla-mantra had already proven its efficacy by elevating Gopa-kumra to the positions of a king on earth, Indra on Svargaloka, and a resident of Maharloka. TEXT 58 TaTaSTaaNaNauMaaNYaahMaNaqk*-TYa ivPa[TaaMa( ) Ta}aavSa& SvTaae JaaTaPa[aJaaPaTYaMahaSau%E" )) tatas tn anumnyham anag-ktya vipratm tatrvasa svato jtaprjpatya-mah-sukhai tatatherefore; tnto them; anumnyashowing respect; ahamI; anag-ktyadeclining; vipratmbrahmanhood; tatrathere; avasamI lived; svataautomatically; jtamanifest; prjpatyaof the Prajpatis; mah-sukhaiwith the varieties of exalted happiness. Therefore, while showing respect to the sages, I declined the status of a brhmaa. But I stayed on Maharloka, enjoying the exalted pleasures that automatically appear in the world of the Prajpatis. TEXT 59 Na daezaSTa}a Xaaek-ae va Xaa va k-aiPa ivTae ) NaaNYa ik-ijeXaPa[qTYaE YajaeTSavaNa*Tae )) na dos tatra oko v ak v kpi vidyate nnyac ca kicid yajeaprtyai yajotsavn te nano; dodefects; tatrathere; okasorrow; vor; ak apprehension; vor; k apiany; vidyateexists; nanot; anyat

other; caand; kicitanything; yaja-aof the Lord of sacrifice; prtyaifor the pleasure; yaja-utsavnfestivals of sacrifice; te beside. On Maharloka there were no faults, nor was there sorrow, nor apprehensiveness. There was nothing but festivals of sacrifice for the pleasure of the Lord of sacrifice. COMMENTARY: On Svargaloka Gopa-kumra detected subtle signs of lust, envy, anger, rivalry, and false pride. But on Maharloka these faults were nonexistent. There was no sorrow from defeat by opponents or from any other cause. There was no fear of the destruction of the world or fear of individual degradation. Without these distractions, the residents of Maharloka gave themselves fully to worshiping the Supreme Lord with festive Vedic sacrifices. The residents were completely uninterested in mundane sense gratification. TEXT 60 ik-NTau YajSaMaaaE SYaau"%MaNTaihRTae Pa[>aaE ) v*tae YajaNTare caSYa Pa[adu>aaRvaTPauNa" Sau%Ma( )) kintu yaja-samptau syd dukham antarhite prabhau vtte yajntare csya prdurbhvt puna sukham kintuhowever; yajaof a sacrifice; samptauat the end; syt there would be; dukhamunhappiness; antarhitewhen He disappeared; prabhauthe Lord; vttewhen it was started; yajaantareanother sacrifice; caand; asyaHis; prdurbhvtby the appearance; punaagain; sukhamhappiness. But at the end of each sacrifice, unhappiness would arise when the Lord disappeared; and when the Lord reappeared at the start of another sacrifice, happiness would begin again. COMMENTARY: At the end of a sacrifice Lord Yajevara would disappear, but because He was controlled by the love shown by His servants, He would not stay invisible for long. Still, this brief cause of discontent was enough to plant in Gopa-kumras heart a seed of desire to find an even better place. TEXT 61

cTauYauRGaSahSYa Ta}aTYaEk-idNaSYa ih ) ANTae }aEl/aeKYadaheNa JaNal/aek-ae_iDaGaMYaTae )) catur-yuga-sahasrasya tatratyaika-dinasya hi ante trai-lokya-dhena jana-loko dhigamyate catu-yugacycles of four ages; sahasrasyaof a thousand; tatratya of that place; eka-dinasyaof one day; hiindeed; anteat the end; trai-lokyaof the three worlds; dhenawith the conflagration; janalokaJanaloka; adhigamyateis resorted to. At the end of one thousand cycles of agesfor that place, one daythe conflagration of the three worlds forced us to take refuge on Janaloka. COMMENTARY: Maharloka exists for the same duration as the planet of Lord Brahm, but because Maharloka is adjacent to Svarga its inhabitants are forced to evacuate by the heat created during the fire of annihilation that burns the lower worlds. After Maharloka, Janaloka is the next higher planetary system. TEXT 62 rJaNYaaiMav JaaTaaYaa& Yaja>aaveNa Ta}a Tau ) YajeXaadXaRNaeNa SYaaahSTaahTaae_iDak-" )) rajanym iva jty yajbhvena tatra tu yajedaranena syd dhas tad-dhato dhika rajanymnighttime; ivaas if; jtymarising; yajaof sacrifices; abhvenawith the nonperformance; tatrathere; tubut; yaja-a the Lord of sacrifice; adaranenabecause of not seeing; sytthere would be; dhaburning; tatthat; dhatathan the burning; adhikagreater. On Janaloka, as if it were nighttime, no sacrifices were being performed. And the pain of not seeing the Lord of sacrifice burned more greatly than the burning of the three worlds. COMMENTARY: There is no literal nighttime in self-effulgent Janaloka; but when Brahm goes to sleep along with Lord Garbhodaka-y Viu the lower planets merge into one vast ocean, and throughout the

universe both sacrificial and ordinary activities come to an end. When no sacrifices are performed on the planets of the sages, Lord Yajevara no longer appears there. And for Gopa-kumra the pain of the Lords absence was worse than the scorching fire of annihilation blasting from the mouth of Lord Sakaraa. TEXT 63 TaTaae_+aYav$=C^aYae +ae}ae [qPauzaetaMae ) AaGaTYa [qJaGaaQa& PaXYaeYaiMaiTa raecTae )) tato kaya-vaa-cchye ketre r-puruottame gatya r-jaganntha payeyam iti rocate tatathen; akayainfallible; vaaof the banyan tree; chyein the shade; ketreto the holy district; r-puruottamer Puruottama; gatyagoing; r-jagannthamr Jaganntha; payeyamI should see; itithus; rocatewould seem desirable. Then I thought it would be better to go see Lord Jaganntha in r Puruottama-ketra, in the shade of the infallible banyan tree. COMMENTARY: Lord Jagannthas abode, Puruottama-ketra, is protected by the shade of an indestructible banyan tree. Even when earth, sky, and heaven are destroyed, Jaganntha Pur remains untouched. TEXT 64 Mahl/aeRke- GaTae_PYaaTMaJaPaad]hiSa PaUvRvTa( ) SaMPaaMaaNaaC^aek-" SYaadSYaa >aUMaeidRd*+aYaa )) mahar-loke gate py tmajapd rahasi prva-vat sampdyamnc choka syd asy bhmer didkay maha-loketo Maharloka; gatewhen I would return; api furthermore; tma-japtfrom the chanting of my mantra; rahasiin private; prva-vatas before; sampdyamntbeing performed;

okasorrow; sytthere would be; asyof this; bhmeland (Vraja); didkayby the desire to see. When I returned to Maharloka, I chanted my japa in seclusion as before. The chanting made me morose with desire to see again this land of Vraja. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra refers to this land of Vraja because he is speaking to the Mathur brhmaa in Vraja itself. The separation from Lord Yajevara that Gopa-kumra suffered during the partial pralaya was relatively short, but his constant remembrance of Vraja-bhmi more seriously threatened his happiness in Maharloka. He might have forgotten his urge to go to Lord Jaganntha, but not his attraction to Vraja, which was much greater. TEXT 65 Pa[adu>aURTaae_Qa >aGavaiNaJYaMaaNaae dYaaiNaiDa" ) Yada MaaMaaYaeTPa[qTYaa MaqTa& l/Il/Yaaita c )) prdurbhto tha bhagavn ijyamno day-nidhi yad mm hvayet prty man-nta llaytti ca prdurbhtamanifest; athathen; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; ijyamnathe object of sacrificial worship; dayof mercy; nidhi the ocean; yadwhen; mmme; hvayetHe would address; prtywith love; matby me; ntambrought; llaysportingly; attiHe would eat; caand. But then the Supreme Lord would appear, the object of sacrificial worship, the ocean of mercy. He would call me with love and sportingly eat what I brought before Him. TEXT 66 TadaNaqYaeTa SavaRiTaRSTaMa" SaUYaaeRdYae YaQaa ) ra}aaviPa Tadek-aXaabae NaeXae KvicTaaE )) tadnyeta sarvrtis tama sryodaye yath rtrv api tad-ek-

baddho nee kvacid gatau tadthen; nyetaHe would take away; sarvaall; rtidistress; tamadarkness; srya-udayethe sunrise; yathas; rtrauduring the night; apiand; tatfor Him; ekaone; by the hope; baddhabound; na eI had no desire; kvacitanywhere; gatau for going. He would then dispel all my distress, just as the rising sun drives away darkness. Bound by the one hope of being with Him, I could go nowhere else, even at night. COMMENTARY: To be sure, being unable to see Lord Yajevara at night was painful, but Gopa-kumra was so absorbed in thought of the Lord that he was oblivious to that pain. And during the day he forgot the urge to go elsewhere, because of the ecstasies of seeing Lord Yajevara, taking part in the festivals to worship Him, and obtaining His abundant mercy. Even during Lord Brahms night, Gopa-kumras expectationsof soon enjoying this sight, this worship, and this mercy continued unbroken, binding him with a chain of hopes. TEXT 67 Ta}aEk-da MahaTaeJa"PauPaae idGaMbr" ) PaazaiBdk-bal/a>a" k-ae_PYaaGaadURl/aek-Ta" )) tatraikad mah-tejapuja-rpo dig-ambara pca-bdika-blbha ko py gd rdhva-lokata tatrathere; ekadone day; mah-tejaof great brilliance; puja like a mass; rpawhose form; dikthe directions; ambarawhose dress; pca-a five or six; bdikaof years; blaas a boy; bha whose appearance; ka apisomeone; gtarrived; rdhvahigher; lokatafrom a planet. Once, someone arrived from a higher planet. His form surrounded by brilliant light, he was dressed by the directions only. He appeared to be a five- or six-year-old boy. COMMENTARY: Since the residents of Maharloka frequently travel to Janaloka, the two planets are practically a single system. The one difference between them is that on Janaloka the fire of annihilation from below is far enough away that there is no need to flee. Gopakumra knew all this from experience. The next world for him to see

was Tapoloka, so now he is being introduced to its greatness. Since up to this point in his narrative Gopa-kumra had never heard of Tapoloka, he here refers to it as a higher planet. The unknown person who suddenly arrived from the higher regions looked like a small child and was naked. To go naked is normal for fiveyear-old children, at least in the natural Vedic culture. TEXT 68 ivhaYa Yajk-MaaRi<a >a-yaeTQaaYa MahizRi>a" ) Pa[<aMYa DYaaNaiNaae_SaaE YajervdicRTa" )) vihya yaja-karmi bhaktyotthya maharibhi praamya dhyna-niho sau yajevara-vad arcita vihyaputting aside; yaja-karmitheir sacrificial rituals; bhakty with devotion; utthyawho stood up; mah-ibhiby the great sages; praamyabeing bowed down to; dhynain meditation; nihaabsorbed; asauhe; yaja-vara-vatlike the Lord of sacrifice; arcitaworshiped. The great sages put aside their sacrificial rituals, stood up with devotion, bowed down to the boy, who was absorbed in meditation, and worshiped him as if he were the Lord of sacrifice Himself. COMMENTARY: Bhgu and the others honored the little boy, who remained silent. TEXT 69 YaQaak-aMa& GaTae TaiSMaNMaYaa Pa*a MahzRYa" ) ku-}aTYa" k-TaMaae vaYa& >avivaRicRTa" k-QaMa( )) yath-kma gate tasmin may p maharaya kutratya katamo vya bhavadbhir vrcita katham yath-kmamby his free will; gatehaving gone; tasminhe; may by me; pasked; mah-ayathe great sages; kutratya wherefrom; katamawhat kind of person; vor; ayamthis;

bhavadbhiby your good selves; vand; arcitaworshiped; kathamwhy. After that person, as it pleased him, went away, I inquired from the maharis, Who was that, and where did he come from? Why is it that you great souls worshiped him? COMMENTARY: The boy was so exalted that no force could impede him from going wherever he wanted. By his own sweet will, he left as suddenly as he had come. Seeing this puzzled Gopa-kumra. The sages of Maharloka were worshipable for the demigods. Living in a realm above all other creatures, the sages enjoyed worshiping the Lord of sacrifice in person. Who other than the Lord could command their respect? And why had they interrupted their sacrifices to honor that visitor? TEXT 70 [qMahzRYa Ocu" SaNaTku-MaarNaaMaaYa& JYaeae_SMaak&- MahtaMa" ) AaTMaaraMaak-aMaaNaaMaaacaYaaeR b*hd(Va[Ta" )) r-maharaya cu sanat-kumra-nmya jyeho smka mahat-tama tmrmpta-kmnm dycryo bhad-vrata r-mah-aya cuthe great sages said; sanat-kumraSanatkumra; nmof the name; ayamhe; jyehathe eldest; asmkamof us; mahat-tamathe greatest; tma-rmaof selfcontented sages; pta-kmnmwhose desires are always fulfilled; dyathe first; cryapreceptor; bhat-vrataa lifelong celibate. The maharis said: That person is Sanat-kumra, the eldest among us, and the greatest. He is the first preceptor of the self-contented sages, whose desires are always fulfilled, and he is a lifelong celibate. COMMENTARY: The chief residents of Maharloka are sons of Brahm, and Sanat-kumra is their brother, the eldest of Brahms sons. He is better than the other sages because unlike most of them he never entered family life, even on Brahms request. This answers the question Who was that?

TEXT 71 wTa ORTare l/aeke- TaPa"Sa&je vSaTYaSaaE ) >a[aTa*i>aii>arNYaE YaaeGaqNd]E" SvSaMaE" Sah )) ita rdhva-tare loke tapa-saje vasaty asau bhrtbhis tribhir anyai ca yogndrai sva-samai saha itathan this place; rdhva-taremuch higher; lokein the world; tapa-sajeknown as Tapas; vasatilives; asauhe; bhrtbhi with his brothers; tribhithree; anyaiother; caand; yog-indrai with master yogs; sva-samaiequal to himself; sahatogether. He lives in the world above ours, called Tapoloka, with his three brothers and with other great mystics who, like him, are masters of yoga. COMMENTARY: Here the sages answer the question Where did he come from? He is not the only one of his kind, for he has three brothers just as great as heSanaka, Sanandana, and Santana. These four brothers live on Tapoloka, along with other great mystics, including Kavi, Havis, Antarika, Prabuddha, and Pippalyana. TEXT 72 b*hd(Va[TaEk-l/>Yaae Ya" +aeMa& YaiSMaNSada Sau %Ma( ) Pa[aJaaPaTYaaTSau%aTk-aei$=Gaui<aTa& caeR=reTaSaMa( )) bhad-vrataika-labhyo ya kema yasmin sad sukham prjpatyt sukht koiguita cordhva-retasam bhat-vrataby unbroken celibacy; ekaonly; labhyaobtainable; yawhich; kemamsecurity; yasminwhere; sadconstant; sukhamhappiness; prjpatytof the progenitors of the universe; sukhtthan the happiness; koi-guitammillions of times greater; caand; rdhva-retasamof those whose semen moves upward. That world is attainable only by unbroken celibacy. Its residents, their semen retained flowing upward, feel a

constant peace and happiness millions of times greater than enjoyed by the progenitors of the universe. COMMENTARY: Bhad-vrata is the great vow of lifelong restraint from sex. One may begin observing celibacy after years of indulgence, or one may practice strict celibacy as a brahmacr for the years of ones studies and then enter regulated married life. Both kinds of celibacy are very beneficial, but only the rare person with exceptional determination to refrain from all forms of sex for his entire life is allowed to become a resident of Tapoloka. Life on Tapoloka is all-auspicious. There is no trouble from the heat of periodic annihilations and no need to migrate to a higher region. On Tapoloka the cataclysms at the annihilation of the three worlds go unnoticed. The yogevaras on Tapoloka enjoy undisturbed peace and satisfaction. TEXT 73 YaQaa Yajer" PaUJYaSTaQaaYa& c ivXaezTa" ) Ga*hSQaaNaaiMavaSMaak&- Svk*-TYaTYaaGaTaae_iPa c )) yath yajevara pjyas tathya ca vieata gha-sthnm ivsmka sva-ktya-tygato pi ca yathas; yaja-varathe Lord of sacrifice; pjyaworshipable; tathso; ayamhe; caalso; vieataespecially; gha-sthnm for family men; ivalike; asmkamus; sva-ktyaprescribed ritual duties; tygatabecause of his renunciation; apiindeed; caand. Especially for householders like us, that person is worthy of worship, as much as the Lord of sacrifice Himself, for he has renounced all material duties. COMMENTARY: Here the sages answer the question Why did you great souls worship him? Sanat-kumra is honored throughout the universe because he is a direct representative of the Personality of Godhead. Learned authorities consider him an empowered incarnation of the Lord, and he is also a preeminent Vaiava. The Prajpatis of Maharloka especially revered him because he was their honored guest and a renounced brahmacr. The position of one who adheres to strict celibacy is generally considered superior to that of ghasthas. But as the word iva in this verse implies, the sages of Maharloka are

not ordinary householders. They have very little attachment to home, property, or other material things. TEXT 74 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac TaTaae_k-zRMah& ictae Ta}aahae k-Id*Xa& Sau%Ma( ) wRd*Xaa" k-iTa vaNYae SYaureza& PaUJYa k-Id*Xa" )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tato karam aha citte tatrho kda sukham d kati vnye syur e pjya ca kda r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatathen; akarampondered; ahamI; cittein my mind; tatrathere (on Tapoloka); ahooh; kdamwhat kind of; sukhamhappiness; dsuch persons; katihow many; vand; anyeothers; syu there must be; emby them; pjyaworshiped; caand; kdawhat kind of person. r Gopa-kumra said: I then wondered, Indeed, what kind of happiness do they enjoy on Tapoloka? How many more are there like him? And what kind of Lord do they worship? COMMENTARY: Hearing the answers of the sages was enough to inspire Gopa-kumra to go to Tapoloka. Even though his main interest in life was to see the Lord of the universe, he did not consider such a journey inappropriate. He reasoned that if this wonderful person and the others on his planet like him possess opulences like those of God, whatever form of God they worship must be even more wonderful and opulent than they. TEXT 75 Wv& Taa idd*+au" SaNSaMaaihTaMaNaa JaPaNa( ) >aUTva ParMaTaeJaSvq Ta& l/aek&veGaTaae_GaMaMa( )) eva t ca didku san samhita-man japan bhtv parama-tejasv ta loka vegato gamam

evamthus; tnall of them; caand; didkueager to see; san being; samhitaconcentrated; manwith mind; japanchanting; bhtvbecoming; paramavery; tejasvpowerful; tamto that; lokamworld; vegataswiftly; agamamI went. Eager to see all those persons for myself, I chanted my mantra with fixed attention. Thus gaining great potency, I quickly traveled to that world. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra wanted to see Sanat and his brothers on their own planet and see their worshipable Lord. He focused his mind intensely on this single aim, turning his attention inward in imitation of Sanat-kumra, whom he had seen absorbed in deep meditation. By the power of the mantra, he soon became infused with the same subtle strength as the Kumra brothers and was quickly able to rise to their exalted planet. TEXT 76 Ta}a d*ae MaYaa [qMaaNSaNak-ae_Qa SaNaNdNa" ) ASaaE SaNaTku-Maarae_iPa cTauQaR SaNaaTaNa" )) tatra do may rmn sanako tha sanandana asau sanat-kumro pi caturtha ca santana tatrathere; daseen; mayby me; rmn sanakathe blessed Sanaka; athaand; sanandanaSanandana; asauthat same; sanat-kumraSanat-kumra; apialso; caturthathe fourth; caand; santanaSantana. There I saw that same Sanat-kumra, and the blessed Sanaka, and Sanandana, and the fourth brother, Santana. TEXT 77 SaMMaNYaMaaNaaSTa}aTYaESTaad*XaE=rev Tae iMaQa" ) Sau%Gaaeq=& ivTaNvaNaa" SaNTYaGaMYaa& ih Maad*XaE" )) sammanyamns tatratyais tdair eva te mitha sukha-goh vitanvn

santy agamy hi mdai sammanyamnbeing honored with reverence; tatratyaiby the residents of that place; tdaiwho were similar to them; eva indeed; tethey; mithaamong one another; sukha-gohman enjoyable discussion; vitanvnconducting; santithey were; agamymincomprehensible; hicertainly; mdaito persons like me. The residents of Tapoloka, who appeared similar to the Kumras, were honoring the four brothers. The Kumras were enjoying among themselves a long discussion incomprehensible to persons like me. COMMENTARY: The other residents of Tapoloka are also worshipable, simply because they resemble, in bodily appearance as well as character, the four Kumras, who are directly empowered avatras of the Supreme Lord. When Gopa-kumra first saw these four brothers, they were elaborately discussing among themselves matters such as those narrated in Chapter 87 of rmad-Bhgavatams Tenth Canto, Prayers by the Personified Vedas. Gopa-kumra understood little of what they were talking about because he was uneducated about liberation and devotional service. TEXT 78 >aGav+a<a& Taezu Taad*x( NaaiSTa TaQaaPYa>aUTa( ) Taeza& SaNdXaRNaata}a MahaNMaaedae MaMa SvTa" )) bhagaval-lakaa teu td nsti tathpy abht te sandarant tatra mahn modo mama svata bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; lakaamthe marks; teu in them; tdksuch; na astithere were not; tath apibut nevertheless; abhtthere arose; temof them; sandarantfrom seeing; tatrathere (on Tapoloka); mahngreat; modajoy; mama my; svataspontaneously. Though they did not have the distinguishing attributes of God, from seeing those brothers on Tapoloka I felt an intense spontaneous joy.

COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra usually derived his happiness only from seeing the Lord of the universe, but he was delighted to see the Kumras because of their intimate connection with the Lord, even though they did not have four arms like Lord Viu or display His infinite powers. Because of the greatness of Tapoloka, seeing Sanatkumra and his brothers there was more blissful for Gopa-kumra than seeing Sanat on Maharloka. In general, a situation is glorious when the place and time are glorious, as well as the persons involved. TEXT 79 YaQaaSQaaNa& Pa[YaaTaezu DYaaNaiNaezu TaeZvQa d]u& >a[MaaiMa SaM>aaVYa PaUvRvGadqrMa( )) yath-sthna prayteu dhyna-niheu tev atha drau bhrammi sambhvya prva-vaj jagad-varam yath-sthnameach to his own place; prayteuhaving gone away; dhynain meditation; niheuabsorbed; teuthey; athathen; draumto see; bhrammiI began to wander; sambhvya searching for; prva-vatas before; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe. When they went off to their respective places to absorb themselves in meditation, I started wandering, searching as always for the Lord of the universe. COMMENTARY: When the assembly ended, the Kumras and their associates vanished from the spot and returned to their individual places of meditation. Gopa-kumra, left to himself, turned his mind to his favorite topic, the Lord of universe. He conjectured that since the Lord was visible on Svargaloka and Maharloka, the Lord must be visible here as well. With that idea in mind, Gopa-kumra began searching. Why didnt he just ask someone where to find the Lord? He had no time to ask anything, because at first the four Kumras had been receiving the worship of a large crowd of sages and immediately afterwards everyone went back into trance. TEXT 80 wTaSTaTaae Na d*=a TaMaPa*C^& TaaNMahaMauNaqNa( )

Na Tae STauvNTa& MaaMaGa[e NaMaNTa& l/aekYaNTYaiPa )) itas tato na dv tam apccha tn mah-munn na te stuvanta mm agre namanta lokayanty api ita tatahere and there; na dvnot seeing; tamHim; apcchamI asked; tnthem; mah-munnthe great sages; na not; tethey; stuvantamwho was offering praise; mmme; agre in front of them; namantambowing down; lokayantithey looked at; apieven. Not seeing Him anywhere, I tried to inquire of the great sages, but as I stood before them offering prayers and obeisances they did not even look at me. TEXT 81 Pa[aYa" SaveR SaMaaiDaSQaa NaEik-a OR=reTaSa" ) SvaTMaaraMaa" PaU<aRk-aMaa" SaeVYaMaaNaa iSaii>a" )) prya sarve samdhi-sth naihik rdhva-retasa svtmrm pra-km sevyamn ca siddhibhi pryavirtually; sarveeveryone; samdhi-sthfixed in trance; naihiklifelong celibates; rdhva-retasawhose semen flowed upward; sva-tmain their own selves only; rmtaking pleasure; pra-kmfull with achievement of all desires; sevyamn served; caand; siddhibhiby mystic perfections. Virtually everyone there was fixed in samdhi. They were all self-satisfied lifelong celibates, full in the achievement of all desires and served by mystic perfections. COMMENTARY: Occasionally the residents of Tapoloka have philosophical meetings or worship the Supreme, but otherwise they remain externally disengaged. Nothing in the outside world attracts them. TEXT 82

>aGavXaRNaaXaa c MahTaq f-il/Taa Na Mae ) oTaa>aUirMaNTaqv Taeza& SaSv>aavTa" )) bhagavad-daran ca mahat phalit na me utbhd viramantva te saga-svabhvata bhagavatthe Supreme Lord; daranato see; desire; caand; mahatgreat; phalitgratified; nanot; memy; utaindeed; abhtbecame; viramantceasing; ivaas if; temtheir; saga of the association; svabhvataby the influence. This time my constant desire to see the Supreme Lord was ungratified,and indeed by the influence of the company of the sages it seemed to dwindle almost to nil. TEXT 83 Ta}aaQaaPYavSa& Taeza& Pa[>aav>ardXaRNaaTa( ) GauvaGGaaErvad( d*f-l/TvaaTYaJaHJaPaMa( )) tatrthpy avasa te prabhva-bhara-darant guru-vg-gauravd daphalatvc ctyaja japam tatrathere; atha apistill; avasamI remained; temtheir; prabhvaof power; bharathe abundance; darantdue to seeing; guruof my spiritual master; vkfor the words; gauravtout of respect; dahaving seen; phalatvtthe effectiveness; caand; atyajannot abandoning; japamthe chanting of my mantra. Nonetheless, I stayed there for some time, attracted by the display of great power. Out of respect for my gurus order, and because I had seen how effective my mantra was, I kept on chanting. COMMENTARY: The atmosphere of Tapoloka weakened Gopa-kumras resolve to see the Lord, but still he persevered in chanting his japa. His guru had ordered him never to stop chanting, and Gopa-kumra did not want to be ungrateful by disobeying. TEXT 84

SQaaNaSv>aavJaaitaPa[SaadaNaNdTaae_iDak-Ma( ) TaeNa SaMPaMaaNaeNa Saa idd*+aa ivviDaRTaa )) sthna-svabhva-jc cittaprasdnandato dhikam tena sampadyamnena s didk vivardhit sthnaof that place; svabhva-jtnatural to; citta-prasdaof my peaceful heart; nandatabecause of the bliss; adhikameven more; tenathus; sampadyamnenabeing realized; sthat; didkthe desire to see; vivardhitincreased. Thanks to the peaceful bliss in my heart that the nature of that place inspired, I chanted my mantra even more attentively than before. Thus my desire to see the Lord actually increased. COMMENTARY: At first the refined atmosphere of Tapoloka seemed to affect Gopa-kumra negatively. The pervasive mood of self-satisfaction seemed to reduce his desire to have the company of the Supreme Lord. But that same peace of mind characteristic of Tapoloka gradually helped him improve his chanting, and then the mantra exerted its own influence. As ghee poured on a fire seems momentarily to extinguish the fire but then gives it new life, the atmosphere of Tapoloka only briefly decreased Gopa-kumras desire to see the Lord of the universe. TEXT 85 Sada Naql/acle/ raJaGaaQaidd*+aYaa ) iYaYaaSau& Ta}a Sa&l/+Yaab]vqNMaa& iPaPPal/aYaNa" )) sad nlcale rjajjaganntha-didkay yiysu tatra salakybravn m pippalyana sadalways; nlcalein Nlcala; rjatresplendent; jaganntha Lord Jaganntha; didkaywith eagerness to see; yiysumwanting to go; tatrathere; salakyanoticing; abravtspoke; mmto me; pippalyanathe sage Pippalyana. The sage Pippalyana noticed that I eagerly desired to go to Nlcala to see Lord Jaganntha, who lives there always resplendent. The sage then spoke to me.

COMMENTARY: The thought of returning to Jaganntha Pur kept resurfacing in Gopa-kumras heart, first in Svarga, then on Maharloka, and now here on Tapoloka, for Lord Jaganntha did not manifest Himself on the planets of the demigods and sages. Pippalyana i, the middle son of nine self-realized sons of Lord abhadeva, observed Gopa-kumra wandering aimlessly, a sad, discouraged look on his face. r Pippalyana was practically omniscient, so he could easily understand the symptoms of Gopakumras distraction. TEXT 86 [qiPaPPal/aYaNa ovac wd& MahTPad& ihTva k-QaMaNYaiYaaSaiSa ) k-Qa& va >a[MaiSa d]u& d*G>Yaa& Ta& ParMaerMa( )) r-pippalyana uvca ida mahat pada hitv katham anyad yiysasi katha v bhramasi drau dgbhy ta paramevaram r-pippalyana uvcar Pippalyana said; idamthis; mahat exalted; padamplace; hitvleaving; kathamwhy; anyatto another; yiysasiyou want to go; kathamwhy; vand; bhramasi you are wandering; draumto see; dgbhymwith your two eyes; tamHim; parama-varamthe Supreme Lord. r Pippalyana said: Why do you want to leave this exalted place and go somewhere else? And why are you wandering around just to see the Supreme Lord with your eyes? COMMENTARY: In Pippalyanas opinion, the attempt to see the Supreme with ones eyes is useless, because the Lord is imperceptible to the material senses. Tapoloka is the planet of the greatest masters of yoga, who have completely controlled their sex urge. And the happiness enjoyed on Tapoloka is millions of times greater than that of the Prajpatis. Where else could Gopa-kumra want to go? TEXT 87 SaMaaDaTSv MaNa" SvqYa& TaTaae d]+YaiSa Ta& SvTa" ) SavR}a bihrNTa Sada Saa+aaidv iSQaTaMa( ))

samdhatsva mana svya tato drakyasi ta svata sarvatra bahir anta ca sad skd iva sthitam samdhatsvayou should concentrate; manamind; svyamyour; tatathen; drakyasiyou will see; tamHim; svata automatically; sarvatraeverywhere; bahioutside; antainside; caand; sadalways; sktin person; ivaas if; sthitam situated. You should concentrate your mind in meditation. Then you will naturally see the Lord everywhere, within and without, as if always before you in person. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra might ask why he shouldnt go where he can directly see the Supreme Lord. But Pippalyana advises him instead to focus his attention within. When one fully cultivates meditation and reaches the stage of samdhi, the form of the Lord will manifest itself on its own strength, without ones separate endeavor, just as a persons face appears in a clean mirror. If Gopa-kumra follows the recommended yoga process, he will see the Supreme within and without, or at least seemingly so (skd iva), since in fact the Supreme cannot be viewed with the external eyes. There is no use wandering around to find Him. TEXT 88 ParMaaTMaa vaSaudev" SaidaNaNdivGa[h" ) iNaTaaNTa& XaaeiDaTae ictae Sfu-rTYaez Na caNYaTa" )) paramtm vsudeva sac-cid-nanda-vigraha nitnta odhite citte sphuraty ea na cnyata parama-tmthe Supreme Soul; vsudevaLord Vsudeva; sat-citnandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; vigrahathe embodiment; nitntamcompletely; odhitepurified; cittein a heart; sphurati manifests; eaHe; nanot; caand; anyataotherwise. Lord Vsudeva, the Supreme Soul, the embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, reveals Himself in a thoroughly purified heart, and nowhere else.

COMMENTARY: r Vsudeva, the presiding Lord of consciousness, reveals Himself only within citta, the heart, the subtle seat of awareness, more subtle than the mind. That is mentioned by Lord iva in the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.3.23): sattva viuddha vasudeva-abdita yad yate tatra pumn apvta sattve ca tasmin bhagavn vsudevo hy adhokajo me namas vidhyate The state of pure consciousness, Ka consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed with no covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state, I always offer obeisances to Him, the Supreme Godhead, known as Vsudeva, who is beyond the material senses. When ones consciousness is completely pure, meaning that it reflects nothing but the Supreme, then and only then does Lord Vsudeva reveal Himself within the heart. Because He is the personal essence of the Supreme Truth, self-manifesting and indivisible, the external senses cannot perceive Him. TEXT 89 TadaNaq=& c MaNaaev*tYaNTara>aavaTSauiSaDYaiTa ) ceTaSaa %lu/ YaTSaa+aa+auza dXaRNa& hre" )) tadn ca mano-vtty-antarbhvt su-sidhyati cetas khalu yat skc caku darana hare tadnmat that time; caand; mana-vttiactivities of the mind; antaraother; abhvtbecause of there not being; su-sidhyati becomes fully realized; cetasin the heart; khaluindeed; yat which; sktdirect; cakuwith the eyes; daranamvision; hareof Lord Hari. Then, with nothing else going on in the mind, direct vision of Lord Hari with ones eyes takes place in the heart. COMMENTARY: Here Pippalyana anticipates Gopa-kumras doubt: Is the meditation Pippalyana is describing as valid as direct perception with ones eyes? Pippalyana argues here that when one seems to be seeing Lord Hari with ones eyes, the source of that perception is actually ones heart. Only after the mind puts aside all other objects of

perception does the Lord reveal Himself in the heart. It is the mind that then performs the work of visualizing the Lord, though the perceiver does not consciously analyze, I am seeing the Personality of Godhead not with my eyes but my mind. According to Pippalyana, ones realization of the Supreme Lord becomes vividly concrete (su-sidhyati) by the power of the mind, not the eyes, which with their limited scope can neither comprehend the limbs of the Lord all at once nor fully recognize His enchanting beauty. TEXT 90 MaNa"Sau%e_NTa>aRviTa SaveRiNd]YaSau%& SvTa" ) Ta*itaZviPa vaKc+au"[uTYaadqiNd]Yav*taYa" )) mana-sukhe ntar bhavati sarvendriya-sukha svata tad-vttiv api vk-cakuruty-dndriya-vttaya manaof the mind; sukhein the happiness; antawithin; bhavati is; sarva-indriyaof all the senses; sukhamthe happiness; svata naturally; tatof it (the mind); vttiuwithin the functions; apiand; vkof speech; cakuvision; rutihearing; diand so on; indriya of the senses; vttayathe functions. When the mind is happy, all the senses are automatically happy, for the functions of the sensesspeech, vision, hearing, and so onare included within those of the mind. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra might prefer the tangible pleasure of seeing with his eyes to the abstract enjoyment of the mind. But here Pippalyana tells him that mental happiness extends not only to the eyes but to all ones senses. Indeed, when the mind is distressed the senses will surely not perceive happiness, because the senses will not even be invoked to contact their objects. The correlation between mental happiness and sensory happiness is natural and automatic, since all the senses are rooted in the mind. Just as the branches and leaves of a tree are nourished when the tree is watered at the root, when the mind is satisfied so too are senses, with no need for them to make separate efforts. Still, Gopa-kumra might say that what the mind does when one remembers falls short of what the organs like those of speech and vision do when one chants and sees. In other words, dont the senses, being many and varied, enjoy greater pleasure than the mind? Pippalyana answers that the functions of all the senses are included in the functions of the mind. Chanting the Lords names, seeing His

Deity, and all other sensory activities are made possible by the action of the mind. TEXT 91 MaNaaev*ita& ivNaa SaveRiNd]Yaa<aa& v*taYaae_fl/a" ) k*-TaaPaqhak*-Taev SYaadaTMaNYaNauPal/iBDaTa" )) mano-vtti vin sarvendriy vttayo phal ktphkteva syd tmany anupalabdhita mana-vttimthe functioning of the mind; vinwithout; sarvaindriymof all the senses; vttayathe functions; aphal useless; ktmade; apieven; han endeavor; aktnot done; ivaas if; sytwill be; tmaniin the self; anupalabdhitabecause of not being perceived. Without the functions of the mind, the functions of all the senses are useless, for even if one acts, ones deeds will be as if never performed, because the self will be unable to perceive them. COMMENTARY: The same point is reargued here, but by negative logic. When the mind is inattentive, the senses may be active, but they cannot establish real contact with their objects. Each sense has its own proper objectform for the sense of sight, texture for touch, and so on. The purpose of the senses is achieved when they contact their objects and perception occurs. Perception, however, requires the active participation of two other agents as wellthe mind and the soul. If the mind is not focused on a sense receiving input from an object, no sensation will reach the self, and no conscious perception will arise. This explanation from everyday life, anyone can understand. By extension, Pippalyana argues, ones seeing the Personality of Godhead is in reality the Lords manifesting Himself through the functions of ones purified consciousness. It is not direct perception through the eyes, because the Supreme Lord stands outside the scope of the activity of the senses. TEXT 92 k-daic-vaTSaLYaaaiTa ced( d*XYaTaa& d*Xaae" ) jaNad*yEv TaaTaMai>aMaaNa" Par& d*Xaae" ))

kadcid bhakta-vtsalyd yti ced dyat do jna-dyaiva taj jtam abhimna para do kadcitsometimes; bhaktafor His devotees; vtsalytout of His compassion; ytiHe becomes; cetif; dyatmvisible; doto the eyes; jnaof knowledge; dyby the vision; evaonly; tat this; jtamoccurs; abhimnafalse identification; paramonly; doof the eyes. If the Lord, out of compassion for His devotees, sometimes reveals Himself to their eyes, that vision actually occurs by the power of the mind; one only imagines the eyes to be the seers. COMMENTARY: But didnt devotees like Dhruva and Prahlda see the Supreme Lord directly with their eyes? Arent those devotees famous for having seen the Lord in person? Yes, the Lord made Himself visible to those great devotees out of fatherly affection, to fulfill the purpose of their eyes. But in fact, Pippalyana says, the devotees beheld those revelations through pure consciousness, not through the physical eyes. Because the scope of our physical sight is narrow, with our eyes we are unable to perceive an object that has no limits. Why then are Dhruva, Prahlda, and others famous for having had the Lords darana? And why is He famous as bhakta-vatsala, He who shows affection for His devotees? It is because in each case the devotee, the jva soul, identifying with his own senses, presumed, I am seeing the Lord directly with my eyes. That those devotees thought that way is evidence that the Personality of Godhead was kind to them. And that the sense of sight fails to perceive what is beyond its scope does not mean that the eyes are utterly useless. TEXT 93 TaSYa k-a<YaXa-ya va d*XYaae_STviPa bihd*RXaae" ) TaQaaiPa dXaRNaaNaNd" SvYaaeNaaE JaaYaTae id )) tasya kruya-akty v dyo stv api bahir-do tathpi darannanda sva-yonau jyate hdi tasyaHis; kruyaof mercy; aktyby the potency; vor; dyavisible; astuHe may be; apialso; bahi-doto the external eyes; tath apinonetheless; daranaof seeing; nanda

the bliss; sva-yonauin its source; jyateis generated; hdiin the heart. And even if by the power of His mercy He becomes visible to external eyes, the bliss that arises from seeing Him has its natural source in the heart. COMMENTARY: But isnt the Supreme Lord, by His personal energies, free to do anything He wants? Yes, but miracles are for the ultimate benefit of the conscious soul, rather than for the souls inert senses. The power of the Lords compassion could indeed make the physical eyes able to perceive Him, if He so desired; but the fruit of that perception, the pleasure felt from it, would still come from where pleasure, pain, and anxiety are always bornthe mind. TEXT 94 ANaNTar& c Ta}aEv ivl/SaNPaYaRvSYaiTa ) MaNa Wv MahaPaa}a& TaTSau%Ga[h<aaeicTaMa( )) anantara ca tatraiva vilasan paryavasyati mana eva mah-ptra tat-sukha-grahaocitam anantaramsubsequently; caand; tatra evain that very place; vilasansporting; paryavasyaticontinues; manathe mind; eva only; mah-ptramthe worthy recipient; tatfrom Him; sukhaof happiness; grahaafor taking; ucitamfit. That bliss later continues in the heart even after the Lord is no longer visible to the eyes. Thus the worthy receiver of that bliss is the mind alone. COMMENTARY: After an audience with the Lord, when He is no longer visible to the eyes, the pleasure of having seen Him lingers in the heart: Oh, with my own eyes I saw the Personality of Godhead! I saw Him right before me! That the ecstasy of seeing the Lord continues in the heart after the eyes can no longer perceive Him indicates that the ecstasy resided only in the heart all along. Why, then, presume the eyes to be the seers? On the other hand, sight is one of the knowledge-acquiring senses. So why should it be unable to generate and sustain pleasure? The answer, according to self-realized authorities, is that the most suitable agent to receive the pleasure of seeing the Supreme Lord is the mind. The mind is analogous to the most reliable minister of a king, a

minister who alone in the kings entourage can be entrusted with the care of a most precious object. TEXT 95 TaTPa[SaadaedYaaavTSau%& vDaeRTa MaaNaSaMa( ) TaaviDaRTauMaqXaqTa Na caNYaaiMaiNd]YaMa( )) tat-prasdodayd yvat sukha vardheta mnasam tvad vardhitum ta na cnyad bhyam indriyam tatin that mind; prasdaof calmness; udaytfrom the appearance; yvatas much as; sukhampleasure; vardheta increases; mnasammental; tvatto that extent; vardhitumto increase; tais capable; nanot; caand; anyatother; bhyam external; indriyamsense. As much as the mind becomes peaceful, to that extent its pleasure grows. No external sense can feel such expanding pleasure. COMMENTARY: It may be argued that the mind is limited in scope, like the other senses. That is true, but when the mind becomes cleared of contamination, the Lord, being satisfied, is prepared to bestow His full mercy. The souls pure consciousness, reflected in the mind, is then able to sustain the image of the Supreme Lord. The external senses are unable to do this. TEXT 96 ANTaDYaaRNaeNa d*ae_iPa Saa+aad( d* wv Pa[>au" ) k*-PaaivXaez& TaNauTae Pa[Maa<a& Ta}a PaJa" )) antar-dhynena do pi skd da iva prabhu kp-viea tanute prama tatra padmaja antawithin; dhynenaby meditation; daseen; apiindeed; sktbefore ones eyes; daseen; ivaas if; prabhuthe Lord; kpHis mercy; vieamspecial; tanuteexpands; pramamevidence; tatraof this; padma-jalotus-born Brahm.

When the Lord expands His special mercy, one sees the Lord within by meditation as if directly with the eyes. This we can understand from what happened to lotus-born Brahm. COMMENTARY: Out of respect for the sage Pippalyana, we may theoretically accept that one derives more happiness from meditating on the Supreme than from trying to see Him with ones physical eyes. But isnt it also well known that by seeing the Lord directly one gains the special happiness of receiving benedictions from Him, speaking with Him, and having other personal interactions? That may be true, the sage answers, but when the Lord is seen within He mercifully provides all those same benefits. He reveals Himself within the heart so that He can give boons, speak with His devotee, touch him, and so on. He can do this from within the heart because He is the almighty Lord (prabhu), who has special energies that easily arrange for Him all these wonderful things. As a concrete historical example, Pippalyana cites the case of Lord Brahm. The epithet lotus-born (padma-ja) implies that when Brahm was born he found himself sitting on a lotus. As described in the Second Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam, Brahm, surrounded by the darkness of annihilation, did not know how to proceed in re-creating the universe. A mysterious voice then told him to meditate, and when he did, the Supreme revealed Himself and His abode: tasmai sva-loka bhagavn sabhjita sandaraym sa para na yat-param vyapeta-saklea-vimoha-sdhvasa sva-davadbhir puruair abhiutam Very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahm, the Personality of Godhead was pleased to manifest His personal abode, Vaikuha, the supreme planet above all others. That transcendental abode of the Lord is adored by the self-realized persons freed from all miseries and all fear of illusory existence. (Bhgavatam 2.9.9) In Vaikuha, Brahm saw the Personality of Godhead Nryaa: dadara tatrkhila-stvat pati riya pati yaja-pati jagat-patim sunanda-nanda-prabalrhadibhi sva-pradgrai parisevita vibhum bhtya-prasdbhimukha dg-sava prasanna-hsrua-locannanam kirina kualina catur-bhuja ptuka vakasi lakita riy

Lord Brahm saw in the Vaikuha planets the Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of all sacrifices, and the Lord of the universe. The Lord was being served by His foremost immediate associates, His loving servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, and Arhaa. He was leaning favorably towards them, His very sight intoxicating and attractive, His smiling face decorated with an enchanting reddish hue, and He appeared very much satisfied. He was dressed in yellow robes and wore earrings and a helmet on His head. He had four hands, and His chest was marked with the lines of the goddess of fortune. (Bhgavatam 2.9.1516) Brahm not only saw the amazing form of the Lord but also had an intimate personal exchange with Him: tad-daranhlda-pariplutntaro hyat-tanu prema-bharru-locana nanma pdmbujam asya viva-sg yat pramahasyena pathdhigamyate ta pryama samupasthita kavi praj-visarge nija-sanrhaam babha at-smita-oci gir priya priya prta-man kare span Lord Brahm, thus seeing the Personality of Godhead in His fullness, was overwhelmed with joy within his heart, and in full transcendental love and ecstasy his eyes filled with tears. He thus bowed down before the Lord. That is the way of the highest perfection for the living being. And the Lord, seeing Brahm present before Him, accepted him as worthy to create living beings to be controlled as the Lord desired. Thus being very much satisfied with Brahm, the Lord shook hands with him and, slightly smiling, addressed him. (Bhgavatam 2.9.18 19) When Lord Nryaa spoke to Brahm in a way that encouraged him to ask a boon, Brahm asked for instructions on how to create the universe for the conditioned living entities, and the Lord responded by imparting to him the four-verse encapsulation of rmad-Bhgavatam. Then Lord Nryaa disappeared from Brahms sight: sampradiyaivam ajano jann paramehinam payatas tasya tad rpam tmano nyaruad dhari

After the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, seen in His transcendental form, instructed Brahmj, the leader of the living entities, the Lord disappeared. (Bhgavatam 2.9.38) As these passages clearly show, Brahm meditated on the Supreme Lord in his heart, and then the Lord mercifully appeared, offered him boons, spoke with him, and touched him. These events arose out of Brahms inner meditation. The Third Canto gives a similar description: klena so ja puruyubhipravtta-yogena virha-bodha svaya tad antar-hdaye vabhtam apayatpayata yan na prvam mla-gauryata-ea-bhogaparyaka eka purua aynam phatapatryuta-mrdha-ratnadyubhir hata-dhvnta-yugnta-toye At the end of Brahms one hundred years, when his meditation was complete, he developed the required knowledge, and as a result he could see the Supreme within himself, whom he could not see before with the greatest endeavor. Brahm saw on the water a gigantic lotuslike white bedstead, the body of ea Nga, on which the Personality of Godhead was lying alone. The whole atmosphere was illuminated by the rays of the jewels bedecking the hood of ea Nga, dissipating all the darkness of those regions. (Bhgavatam 3.8.2223) sa karma-bja rajasoparakta praj siskann iyad eva dv astaud visargbhimukhas tam yam avyakta-vartmany abhiveittm Lord Brahm, thus surcharged with the mode of passion, became inclined to create, and after seeing the five causes of creation indicated by the Personality of Godhead, he offered respectful prayers on the path of the creative mentality. (Bhgavatam 3.8.33) After Brahm offered his prayers, Lord Nryaa responded: m veda-garbha gs tandr sarga udyamam vaha tan maypdita hy agre yan m prrthayate bhavn

O Brahm, O depth of Vedic wisdom, be neither depressed nor anxious about undertaking the creation. What you are begging from Me has already been granted. (Bhgavatam 3.9.29) prto ham astu bhadra te lokn vijayecchay yad astaur gua-maya nirgua mnuvarayan I am very much pleased by your description of Me in terms of My transcendental qualities, which appear mundane to the mundaners. I grant you all benedictions in your desire to glorify the planets by your acts. (Bhgavatam 3.9.39) TEXT 97 Saa+aaXaRNaMaPYaSYa >a-aNaaMaev hzRdMa( ) k&-SaduYaaeRDaNaadqNaa& >aYadaezaidNaaeCYaTae )) skd daranam apy asya bhaktnm eva hara-dam kasa-duryodhandn bhaya-dodinocyate sktdirect; daranamvision; apiindeed; asyaHis; bhaktnm for the devotees; evaonly; hara-damgiving joy; kasaduryodhana-dnmfor Kasa, Duryodhana, and others; bhayain terms of fear; doaother faulty emotions; dinand so on; ucyate is described. It is said that seeing the Lord in person gives joy to His devotees but causes fear and other hard emotions for others, like Duryodhana and Kasa. COMMENTARY: Isnt seeing the Lord in person the most ecstatic form of His mercy, and isnt it the perfection of devotional meditation? Yes, but only for the Lords surrendered devotees, not for His enemies. As the historical accounts of scripture tell us, when demons saw Him they felt only troublesome emotions like anger, envy, remorse, and sorrow. TEXTS 9899 ParaNaNdgaNa& [qMaTSaveRiNd]YaGau<aaNaMa( ) NaaraYa<aSYa Pa& TaTSaa+aaTSaMPaXYaTaaMaiPa ))

MaDaukE-$=>aMau:YaaNaaMaSaura<aa& duraTMaNaaMa( ) Na l/INaae du>aavae_iPa SavRPaq@ak-rae ih Ya" )) parnanda-ghana rmat sarvendriya-gujanam nryaasya rpa tat skt sampayatm api madhu-kaiabha-mukhynm asur durtmanm na lno dua-bhvo pi sarva-p-karo hi ya para-nandaof supreme ecstasy; ghanamthe concentrated essence; rmatendowed with all splendor and opulence; sarvaindriyaof all the senses; guafor the functions; ajanama medicinal ointment; nryaasyaof Lord Nryaa; rpampersonal form; tatthat; sktdirectly; sampayatmwho were seeing; api even; madhu-kaiabhaMadhu and Kaiabha; mukhynmthe chief of whom; asurmof demons; durtmanmevil-minded; na not; lnadissolved; duaevil; bhvathe disposition; api even; sarvato all persons; pdistress; karacausing; hi indeed; yawhich. The beautiful, all-opulent form of Lord Nryaa, the concentrated essence of supreme bliss, refines the functions of all the senses. Yet demons like Madhu and Kaiabha, even after seeing the Lord in person, did not lose their evil disposition, distressing to all. COMMENTARY: Kasa and Duryodhana were mentioned by name in the previous verse, and other enemies of the Supreme Lord were indicated by the word di (and so on). Here Kasa and Duryodhana are left out, and instead the names of two other demons, Madhu and Kaiabha, are cited. As Gopa-kumra narrates his own history, he does not want to introduce the glories of r Ka until his student is properly prepared to hear them. Therefore he does not follow up the mention of Kasa and Duryodhana with further details of Kas pastimes; that will come later. In the ancient past, millions of years before Kas appearance, great demons like Madhu, Kaiabha, Maya, Traka, and Klanemi had ample opportunities to see the Personality of Godhead in person and without obstruction. Yet those demons did not achieve bliss from seeing the Lord, and their wicked mentality never changed. They were durtms, meaning that their intelligence (tm) remained always

impure, either because they had no devotion for the Supreme Lord or because, by their demonic nature (tm), they were inimical rivals of the Lord. The Lords beauty is the concentrated essence of all divine ecstasy (parnanda-ghanam). It is endowed with all splendor and opulence (rmat), and therefore by manifesting His charm, sweetness, and other unique characteristics, it gives pleasure to all the senses (sarvendriya-gujanam). His beauty also pleases the senses by encouraging them to indulge in transcendental gratification. Yet despite the all-attractive qualities of His beautiful form, demons continue to hate the Lord even after they see Him. Gopa-kumra does not elaborate here on what Kasa and Duryodhana felt when they saw Ka, but we do have information about this from rmad-Bhgavatam and other sources. When r Nanda-nandana was present in the tournament arena in Mathur, His moonlike face increased the love of His dear devotees, headed by Nanda Mahrja, to the size of a vast ocean. But King Kasa, although born in the same Yadu dynasty as the cowherds of Vraja, did not become joyful when he saw Ka in the arena; rather, as his heart filled with fear, anger, and other painful emotions, it burned with agony. Again, in the assembly of the Kurus, when r Kas devotees like Vidura and Bhma heard Kas nectarean words they were delighted. But although Duryodhana and his friends of the Pru dynasty were all relatives of Ka who talked and sat with Him and had connections with Him by marriage, they felt no pleasure from His presence; in fact, they were unable to give up their offensive hatred of Kas dear devotees. In the minds of those demons, there was a conflagration of anguish, kindled by perpetual anger, envy, pride, and hundreds of other faults, and not for an instant did that fire cease to burn. TEXT 100 AaNaNdk-Sv>aavae_iPa >ai-MaahaTMYadXaRNaaTa( ) >a-aNa( hzRiYaTau& ku-YaaRugaR$&= c Sa wRr" )) nandaka-svabhvo pi bhakti-mhtmya-darant bhaktn harayitu kuryd durghaa ca sa vara nandakabestowing ecstasy; svabhvawhose nature; apialso; bhaktiof devotional service; mhtmyathe greatness; darantby showing; bhaktnHis devotees; harayitumto delight; kurytHe would create; durghaamunlikely situations; caand; saHe; varathe Supreme Lord.

The Supreme Lord, by nature the bestower of ecstasy, creates such unlikely situations to delight His devotees by showing them the greatness of devotional service. COMMENTARY: When the finite self has been perceived in its true form, someone may argue, there remains no opportunity for mistakes and suffering. So when the concentrated embodiment of the Supreme Truth, the infinite Personality of Godhead, has been perceived, how can faults and unhappiness possibly continue unabated? In the current verse the sage Pippalyana clears this doubt. The Supreme Lord Nryaa can do what is supposed to be impossible. Just as He can perform such a miracle as causing fire to give up its nature of emanating heat, He can hide His nature of giving joy to the entire universe. His reason for doing this is to demonstrate a particular feature of the glories of devotional service: Although bhakti, like the Lord Himself, naturally emanates ecstasy without fail, only the Lords devotees relish bliss; the nondevotees taste the opposite feelings. When the Lord reveals this aspect of the glory of devotional service, those who are dedicated to Him become enlivened, because they know that such examples will ultimately attract everyone to the bhakti process. How can the Lord make the essential character of His devotional service disappear? After all, fire can never stop giving heat. That may be true, but the Personality of Godhead has manifold, inconceivable energies. And by their arrangement, even when the Supreme Lord becomes visible, only persons endowed with pure devotion taste ecstasy. Others cannot perceive it. Thus we find that sometimes very advanced devotees express their approval of the fear, pain, and other such emotions suffered by nondevotees. As r Yudhihira said in connection with iupla and Dantavakra: apator asakd viu yad brahma param avyayam vitro na jto jihvy nndha viviatus tama Although these two men repeatedly blasphemed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viu [Ka], the Supreme Brahman, they were quite healthy. Indeed, their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, nor did these men enter the darkest region of hellish life. We are certainly most surprised by this. (Bhgavatam 7.1.19) Devotees like Yudhihira approve of severe punishment for enemies of the Lord who indulge in criticizing and abusing the Lord, because the terrible fear and agony the offenders suffer in reaction serve as

effective counteraction (pryacitta) for their egregious sins and in the end the offenders gain the highest benefit by becoming devotees. TEXT 101 >a-aE NavivDaaYaa& c Mau:Ya& SMar<aMaev ih ) TaTSaMaGa[eiNd]Ya[eMaNaaev*itaSaMaPaR<aMa( )) bhaktau nava-vidhy ca mukhya smaraam eva hi tat samagrendriya-rehamano-vtti-samarpaam bhaktauin devotional service; nava-vidhymof nine kinds; ca and; mukhyamthe principal; smaraamremembrance; evaonly; hiindeed; tatthat; samagraall; indriyaof the senses; reha which is the most important; mana-vttiof the activity of the mind; samarpaamthe offering. Of the nine kinds of devotional service, remembrance is the chief. It is an offering of the activity of the mind, the most important of all the senses. COMMENTARY: The sages idea is that remembrance (smaraa) is superior to other devotional processes, like hearing and chanting (ravaa and krtana), because remembrance involves absorbing the mind in thoughts of the Personality of Godhead whereas hearing and chanting engage only the senses of hearing and speech, which are subordinate to the mind and therefore less important. TEXT 102 ANTaraNTara& Tau Pa[eMa>ai&- YaQaaic ) daTauMahRTYaiv[aMa& MaNa Wv SaMaaihTaMa( )) antar-agntar-ag tu prema-bhakti yath-ruci dtum arhaty avirma mana eva samhitam anta-agaof everything confidential; anta-agmthe most confidential; tuand; prema-bhaktimloving devotional service; yath-ruciaccording to ones taste; dtumto give; arhatiis able; avirmamwithout cessation; manathe mind; evaonly; samhitamfixed in meditation.

Only the mind fixed in meditation can unceasingly offer the Lord that offering which is the most confidential: loving devotional service that follows ones natural taste. COMMENTARY: The sage Pippalyana reasons that although jna and vairgya bring one close to the Absolute Truth, only devotional service in prema brings one into the most intimate proximity. And prema can develop only by full concentration of the mind. Since only the mind, the superintendent of all the senses, can properly engage each sense with its objects, devotional service rendered with the mind is secure, for it is unlikely to become disrupted. TEXTS 103105 AXaezSaaDaNaE" SaaDYa" SaMaSTaaQaaRiDak-aiDak-" ) Yaae vXaqk-r<ae Gaa!aePaaYaae >aGavTaae_Ya" )) TaTPa[SaadEk-l/>Yaae YaSTaE-k-MahaiNaiDa" ) ivic}aParMaaNaNdMaaDauYaR>arPaUirTa" )) MahaiNavaRCYaMaahaTMYa" PadaQaR" Pa[eMaSa&jk-" ) Pair<aaMaivXaeze ih ceTaaev*taedeiTa Sa" )) aea-sdhanai sdhya samastrthdhikdhika yo va-karae ghopyo bhagavato dvaya tat-prasdaika-labhyo yas tad-bhaktaika-mah-nidhi vicitra-paramnandamdhurya-bhara-prita mah-nirvcya-mhtmya padrtha prema-sajaka parima-viee hi ceto-vtter udeti sa aeaall; sdhanaiby disciplines; sdhyathe goal to be aimed at; samasta-arthaof all achievements; adhika-adhikathe topmost; yawhich; va-karaefor bringing under control; ghathe potent; upyameans; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; advaya without a second; tatHis; prasdaby the mercy; ekaonly; labhya obtainable; yawhich; tatHis; bhaktaof the devotees; eka only; mah-nidhirare treasure; vicitraof various kinds; paramanandaof transcendental ecstasy; mdhuryaand of sweetness; bharawith an abundance; pritaendowed; mahvery much;

nirvcyaindescribable; mhtmyawhose glories; pada-artha object; prema-sajakacalled prema; parimain transformations; vieespecial; hiindeed; cetaof the mind; vttefrom the functions; udetiarises; sait. There is one goal of all disciplines, one highest attainment of all, the one potent means to bring the Supreme Lord under ones control. Only by the mercy of the Lord can it be gained. It is the rare, exclusive treasure of His devotees, a treasure rich with every sort of transcendental ecstasy and sweetness. Its wonderful glories are beyond the power to describe. That attainment is called prema. It arises from special transformations of the functions of the mind. COMMENTARY: To uphold and further explain the statement of the previous verse, texts 103 through 105 describe seven characteristics of love of God. First, prema is the goal of all such disciplines as karma, jna, and vairgya. Second, it is the ultimate goal of existence. So even though worship of the Supreme Lord is superior to religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation, prema is superior to formal worship. Prema, in fact, is the very goal of worship. Third, prema is the only sure means to bring the absolutely independent Lord under control. It is the chain with which the Lords dearest devotees bind His lotus feet to subdue Him, as one would subdue a mad elephant. Fourth, prema is attained only by the favor of the Supreme Person, never by ones own strength. Fifth, prema is the greatest treasure of the Lords devoteesindeed, their only treasure for it easily fulfills all their desires. Sixth, it is full to overflowing with varieties of transcendental bliss so attractive that they ridicule the socalled ecstasy found in impersonal realization of the Supreme. And therefore, seventh, its infinite glories are beyond description. From the sixth of these traits of prema we can deduce another, too confidential for Pippalyana i to mention: Devotees established in prema join the Supreme Lord in His pleasure pastimes. We will hear about this from the Lords personal associates in later chapters, but on Tapoloka, where meditation is predominant, the topic is not befitting to discuss. TEXTS 106107 MaNaSaae ih SaMaaDaaNa& MaNYaSae duZk-r& Yaid ) c+au"Saaf-LYak-aMaae va >aGavNTa& idd*+aSae )) TaC^ >aarTa& vz| Ta}a Naae_}aTYaMaqrMa( ) NaaraYa<a& NarSa%& PaXYaad]aE GaNDaMaadNae )) manaso hi samdhna

manyase dukara yadi caku-sphalya-kmo v bhagavanta didkase tad gaccha bhrata vara tatra no tratyam varam nryaa nara-sakha paydrau gandhamdane manasaof the mind; hicertainly; samdhnamthe concentration; manyaseyou think; dukaramdifficult to do; yadiif; cakuof the eyes; sphalyafulfilling the purpose; kmadesiring; vor; bhagavantamthe Personality of Godhead; didkaseyou are eager to see; tatthen; gacchago; bhratam-varamto the earth; tatra there; naour; atratyamwho resides there; varamthe Supreme Lord; nryaamNryaa; nara-sakhamthe friend of Nara; paya go see; adrauat the mountain; gandhamdaneGandhamdana. If you think that focusing the mind in meditation is too difficult, or if you are eager to see the Personality of Godhead to fulfill the purpose of your eyes, then go to Bhrata-vara. There you will find our Lord residing on Gandhamdana Mountain as Nryaa, the friend of Nara. COMMENTARY: Perhaps Gopa-kumra feels himself unfit to achieve samdhi by yoga meditation. Or perhaps he thinks that although samdhi may be easily available by the natural influence of Tapoloka or by the power of his mantra, that samdhi will satisfy only his mind and not his eyes. In that case, he can gratify his eyes by going to see Lord Nara-Nryaa on the earth. TEXT 108 ANTabRih PaXYaaMaSTa& SaMaaiDaParaYa<aa" ) NaaTaae ivC^eddu"%& SYaaidTYaGaata}a Sa Pa[>au" )) antar bahi ca paymas ta samdhi-parya nto viccheda-dukha syd ity agt tatra sa prabhu antainside; bahioutside; caand; paymawe see; tam Him; samdhiin meditative trance; paryabeing fixed; nanot; atafrom Him; vicchedabecause of separation; dukham suffering; sytthere can be; itithus; agtwent; tatrathere; sa He; prabhuthe Lord.

We devotees of yoga-samdhi see Lord Nara-Nryaa both within ourselves and without. And so, there being no danger of our suffering pain due to separation from the Lord, He went to Gandhamdana. COMMENTARY: The sages on Tapoloka need go nowhere else to see the forms of the Lord they worship. They see the Lord within their hearts on the strength of their meditation, and that inner vision presents itself externally wherever they look. TEXT 109 l/aek-iXa+aaihTaaQa| Tau ku-vRaSTae MahtaPa" ) DaNauivRaGaub]RcairveXaae Ja$=aDar" )) loka-ik-hitrtha tu kurvann ste mahat tapa dhanur-vidy-gurur brahmacri-veo ja-dhara lokaof the world; ikby instruction; hitaof benefit; arthamfor the sake; tuand; kurvanperforming; steHe is present; mahat great; tapaausterities; dhanu-vidyof the science of weaponry; gurua teacher; brahmacri-veadressed as a brahmacr; jadharawearing matted locks. Living there as a guru in the science of weaponry, He dresses as a brahmacr, His hair in matted locks, and performs severe austerities as an instruction for the benefit of the world. COMMENTARY: Lord Nara-Nryaa teaches the world how to perform austerities for spiritual advancement. He carries a bow and is expert in its use. TEXT 110 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac Ta}aEv GaNTauk-aMa& Maa& cTvar" SaNak-adYa" ) PaXYaa}aEv TaiMaTYau-a bhuPaa<YadXaRYaNa( )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tatraiva gantu-kma m catvra sanakdaya paytraiva tam ity uktv

bahu-rpy adarayan r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatrathere; eva indeed; gantu-kmameager to go; mmto me; catvrathe four; sanaka-dayaSanaka and the others; payajust see; atra eva right here; tamHim; itithus; uktvsaying; bahumany; rpi forms; adarayanthey showed. r Gopa-kumra said: Observing that I was eager to go there, the four brothers headed by Sanaka told me, Just see, He is right here! and showed me many forms of the Lord. TEXT 111 Wk-ae NaaraYa<aae v*taae ivZ<auPaae_Parae_>avTa( ANYaae YajeXaPaae_>aUTParae ivivDaPavaNa( )) eko nryao vtto viu-rpo paro bhavat anyo yajea-rpo bht paro vividha-rpavn ekaone of them; nryaaNryaa; vttabecame; viurpain the form of Viu; aparaanother; abhavatbecame; anyaother; yaja-a-rpain the form of the Lord of sacrifice; abhtbecame; parathe other; vividha-rpa-vnassuming various forms. One brother assumed the form of Nryaa, another that of Viu, another the Lord of sacrifice, and the last assumed several different forms. COMMENTARY: The first brother, Sanaka, turned himself into the form of Lord Nara-Nryaa. His other brothers showed Lord Vius forms as Vmanadeva, as Lord Nsiha, as Lord Yajevara (who appears on Maharloka), and as several other avatras of Viu. TEXT 112 >aYaeNa vePaMaaNaSTaaNavaec& Saail/NaRMaNa( ) APara& MaYaa ba!& +aMa& dqNavTSal/a" )) bhayena vepamnas tn avoca sjalir naman

aparddha may bha kamadhva dna-vatsal bhayenawith fear; vepamnatrembling; tnto them; avocamI said; sa-ajaliwith palms joined; namanbowing down; aparddham offense has been committed; mayby me; bhamcertainly; kamadhvamplease excuse me; dna-vatsalO friends of the fallen. Trembling with fear, I joined my palms, bowed down and said, I have surely offended you. O kind friends of the fallen, please forgive me! TEXT 113 SPa*ae_h& TaEMaURiDNaR l/Ba SaMaaiDa& d*aiNa Pa[ak( TaaiNa Paa<YaPaXYaMa( ) VYauTQaaNae_iPa DYaaNaveGaaTk-daicTa( Pa[TYa+aa<aqvaNauPaXYaeYaMaaraTa( )) spo ha tair mrdhni labdhv samdhi dni prk tni rpy apayam vyutthne pi dhyna-vegt kadcit pratyakvnupayeyam rt spatouched; ahamI; taiby them; mrdhnion the head; labdhvattaining; samdhimmeditative trance; dniseen; prkdirectly; tnithose; rpiforms; apayamI saw; vyutthne after I got up; apiand; dhynaof my meditation; vegtfrom the momentum; kadcitsometimes; pratyakidirectly visible; ivaas if; anupayeyamI continued to see; rtnearby. They touched my head, and I attained a meditative trance, in which I directly saw those various forms of the Lord. And even after I got up from meditating, by the momentum of my trance I would sometimes behold, as if nearby, those same forms of God. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra, his mind nearly perfect in concentration, needed only this additional blessing from the Kumras to behold the fruit of samdhi. Although the japa meditation he had performed in various places had been naive and without scientific understanding of yoga practice, it was equivalent to many years of strict practice of meditation in the elevated atmosphere of Tapoloka.

TEXT 114 TaTaae JaPae_iPa Mae iNaaMaivNdTa Sau%& SvTa" ) ik-NTvSYaa MaaDaurq >aUMaeVYaaRku-l/Iku-Tae MaNa" )) tato jape pi me nihm avindata sukha svata kintv asy mdhur bhmer vykul-kurute mana tatathen; japein the chanting of my mantra; apialso; memy; nihmdetermination; avindataachieved; sukhamjoyful; svata spontaneously; kintubut; asyof this; mdhurthe sweetness; bhmeof the land (Vraja); vykul-kurutewould be agitated; manamy mind. Then my japa easily improved in quality and became more joyful. But my mind was still agitated by thoughts of this sweet land of Vraja. COMMENTARY: Again the time came for Gopa-kumra to move on. Texts 114 through 117 describe the circumstances under which he lost his attachment for remaining in Tapoloka. He was chanting his mantra better thanks to his concentration of mind and his visions of the Supreme Lord, but the more intensely he chanted the more he remembered r Vndvana forest and his other favorite places in Vraja-bhmi. And these thoughts in separation from Vraja were painful. TEXT 115 Sauzuiirv k-aicNMae k-daicaYaTae dXaa ) TaYaa JaPae_NTaraYa" SYaatatad]UPae+a<ae TaQaa )) suuptir iva kcin me kadcij jyate da tay jape ntarya syt tat-tad-rpekae tath suuptideep sleep; ivaas if; kcitsome; mein me; kadcit sometimes; jyatemanifest; daa state; tayby this; japein my chanting; antaryainterruption; sytthere would be; tat-tat various; rpaof the Lords forms; kaeand in my seeing; tath also.

Sometimes my chanting and my visualizing of the Lords various forms would be disrupted when I fell into a state resembling deep sleep. COMMENTARY: As a secondary effect of samdhi, all mental and sensory activity may temporarily cease, and one may enter a kind of void state similar to the deep sleep everyone goes through at night. In that state, Gopa-kumra was unable to chant his mantra or see the Lords personal forms. TEXT 116 ivl/PaaiMa TaTaae Naql/acl&/ iJaGaiMazaiMa c ) Ta}aTYaESTaESTau Ta*ta& Pa*C^eYaah& SaSaaNTvNaMa( )) vilapmi tato nlcala jigamimi ca tatratyais tais tu tad-vtta pccheyha sa-sntvanam vilapmiI would lament; tatathen; nlcalamto Jaganntha Pur; jigamimiI would desire to go; caand; tatratyaiby the residents of that place; taithem; tubut; tatof that (lamentation); vttam the experience; pccheyawould be asked; ahamI; sa-sntvanam along with consolation. I would lament over this and consider going to Nlcala. The residents of Tapoloka would console me and ask what I was going through. COMMENTARY: After passing through these voidlike states, Gopa-kumra would say to himself, How unfortunate I am! What is this unexpected disturbance? He would then want to go see Lord Jaganntha in Nlcala, where he had never had to deal with such obstacles to his service. Pippalyana and the other Tapoloka-vss tried to pacify him with sweet words and asked him what was going on in his mind. TEXT 117 SaXaaek&- k-QYaMaaNaa Saa= [uTvaMaqi>a" Pa[XaSYaTae ) MaYaa TaQaa Na buDYaeTa du"%MaevaNauMaNYaTae )) sa-oka kathyamn s

rutvmbhi praasyate may tath na budhyeta dukham evnumanyate sa-okamlamentfully; kathyamnbeing describing; sthat; rutvhearing; ambhiby them; praasyatewould be praised; mayby me; tathand; na budhyetawas not understood; dukhamtroublesome; evaonly; anumanyateI considered it. Hearing my description, so full of anguish, the sages would praise my state. I could not understand their praise, because I thought what I was going through was troublesome. COMMENTARY: Hearing Gopa-kumra describe his predicament, the sages were impressed that he had very quickly attained a rare state of pure trance. But either out of ignorance or because of his natural devotional attitude, he was unable to understand what was so wonderful about his lapses of consciousness. TEXT 118 AQaa>YaaSable/NaaNTabRih JaGadqrMa( ) Tatad]UPae<a PaXYaaiMa Pa[TYa+aiMav SavRTa" )) athbhysa-balenntar bahi ca jagad-varam tat-tad-rpea paymi pratyakam iva sarvata athathen; abhysaof practice; balenaby the strength; anta within; bahiwithout; caand; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe; tat-tat-rpeain His various forms; paymiI would see; pratyakampresent before my eyes; ivaas if; sarvata everywhere. By the power of yoga practice I would then see the Lord of the universe all around me. I saw Him within and without in His various forms, as if He were present everywhere before my eyes. TEXT 119 k-daicTSaNak-adq=& DYaaNaiNaavXa& GaTaaNa( ) ivNdTaSTaaiNa Paai<a d*=aPanaeiMa Para& MaudMa( ))

kadcit sanakd ca dhyna-nih-vaa gatn vindatas tni rpi dvpnomi par mudam kadcitsometimes; sanaka-dnSanaka and the others; caand; dhynain meditation; nih-vaa gatnabsorbed; vindata assuming; tnithose; rpiforms; dvseeing; pnomiI would relish; parmextreme; mudampleasure. Sometimes when Sanaka and his brothers were absorbed in meditation they would assume those forms of the Lord. Seeing this, I would relish extreme pleasure. COMMENTARY: The Kumra brothers would often be so absorbed in meditating on particular forms of Lord Viu that their own bodies would take on the appearance of those forms of the Lord. This was the special quality of meditation on Tapoloka; it resembled the intense meditation of the small insect that is attacked and killed by a peaskt bee and in the next life becomes a bee. TEXT 120 Tatad]ihTak-ale/_iPa Na SaqdaiMa TadaXaYaa ) wTQa& icridNa& Ta}a Sau%eNaevavSa& Sada )) tat-tad-rahita-kle pi na sdmi tad-ay ittha cira-dina tatra sukhenevvasa sad tat-tatof such realizations; rahitabereft; kleat the times; api even; na sdmiI would not lament; tatof Him; ayby thought; itthamin this way; cira-dinamfor many days; tatrathere; sukhena happily; ivafor the most part; avasamI resided; sadalways. Even when bereft of such encounters, I remained conscious of the Lords personal forms and so had no reason to lament. In this way I lived there a long time, for the most part always happy. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra says that he resided on Tapoloka happily (sukhena), but he qualifies this with the word iva. Sometimes he was less than completely satisfied, as when he remembered Vraja.

TEXT 121 k-daicTPauZk-rqPae Sv>a-aNk*-PaYaei+aTauMa( ) Pa[iSQaTaae h&SaMaa!STa}aaYaaTaTauMauR%" )) kadcit pukara-dvpe sva-bhaktn kpayekitum prasthito hasam rhas tatryta catur-mukha kadcitonce; pukara-dvpeon Pukara-dvpa; sva-bhaktnhis devotees; kpaymercifully; kitumto see; prasthitaon a trip; hasamon his swan; rhamounted; tatrathere; yta came; catu-mukhafour-headed Brahm. Once, four-headed Brahm came to Tapoloka, riding on his swan. He was on his way to Pukara-dvpa to grace his devotees with a visit. COMMENTARY: In texts 121 through 128 Gopa-kumra relates how he was convinced to go to Satyaloka. He tells how he first got an idea of the glories of Satyaloka by seeing in person that planets ruler, Lord Brahm. On Pukara-dvpa, within the Bh-maala system, Lord Brahm is worshiped as a representative of the Personality of Godhead. Gopa-kumra, who knew nothing about Lord Brahms existence, simply describes what he physically saw. TEXT 122 ParMaEYaRSaMPa" Sa v*" SaNak-aidi>a" ) SaSaM>a[Ma& Pa[<aMYaai>aPaUiJaTaae >aiNaiMa]TaE" )) paramaivarya-sampanna sa vddha sanakdibhi sa-sambhrama praamybhipjito bhakti-namritai parama-aivaryawith supreme opulences; sampannaendowed; sahe; vddhathe venerable personage; sanaka-dibhiby Sanaka and his brothers; sa-sambhramamreverently; praamya being bowed down to; abhipjitaworshiped; bhaktidue to pure devotion; namritaiwho were feeling humble.

That venerable personage, endowed with supreme opulences, was reverently worshiped by Sanaka and his brothers. Feeling humble, they bowed down to him in pure devotion. COMMENTARY: Caturmukha Brahm is the most exalted person in this material universe. His possessions and entourage are superior to those of everyone else. The word vddha here means venerable, not overcome by old age. Because Brahm is an empowered incarnation of the Supreme Lord, his body is a spiritual product of pure existence, knowledge, and bliss. He never grows old. He is the eldest in the sense that he is the most reliable of all authorities, and as a sign of his seniority he wears a long white beard on each of his faces. TEXT 123 AaXaqi>aRvRDaRiYaTva TaaNeheNaaga]aYa MaUDaRSau ) ik-iTSaMaNauiXaZYaaSaaE Ta& qPa& veGaTaae_GaMaTa( )) rbhir vardhayitv tn snehenghrya mrdhasu kicit samanuiysau ta dvpa vegato gamat rbhiwith blessings; vardhayitvencouraging; tnthem; snehenawith affection; ghryasmelling them; mrdhasuon the heads; kicitsomething; samanuiyainstructing; asauhe; tam that; dvpamto the dvpa; vegataquickly; agamatwent. He increased the good fortune of the Kumras by his blessings and affectionately smelled their heads. Then, after giving them some good instructions, he quickly went off to the dvpa he was on his way to visit. COMMENTARY: Unable to understand what Brahm had told the four brothers, Gopa-kumra only mentioned the conversation but did not describe the details. We can presume that Brahm told Sanaka and his brothers something about the intimate aspects of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. The word anuiya indicates that Brahm repeated his instructions a few times to ensure that the Kumras would assimilate them. Then he continued on to Pukara-dvpa. TEXT 124

Tatatvv*ta& SaMPa*a MaYaavaecNivhSYa Tae ) A}aaGaTYaaDauNaaPaqMa& GaaePabal/k- veiTSa Na )) tat-tattva-vtta samp mayvocan vihasya te atrgatydhunpma gopa-blaka vetsi na tatof Him; tattvaabout the identity; vttamfor an explanation; sampasked; mayby me; avocansaid; vihasyalaughing; tethey; atrahere; gatyahaving come; adhunnow; apieven; imamthis person; gopa-blakaO cowherd boy; vetsi nayou do not know. When I asked the Kumras to explain who he was, they laughed and said, Dear cowherd boy, even after reaching this planet you still dont know who this person is? COMMENTARY: Laughing at Gopa-kumra, Sanaka and the others reminded him that he was just a simple cowherd. Even after Gopakumra had been residing for so long on Tapoloka, where everyone is virtually omniscient, could he still know nothing about the universally famous Lord Brahm? TEXT 125 Pa[JaaPaiTaPaiTab]Ra a ivSYa Na" iPaTaa ) SvYaM>aU" ParMaeyez JaGaTPaaTYaNauXaaSTYaiPa )) prajpati-patir brahm sra vivasya na pit svayam-bh parame-hy ea jagat pty anusty api prajpatiof the progenitors of the universal population; patithe lord; brahmBrahm; srathe creator; vivasyaof the universe; naour; pitfather; svayam-bhself-born; parame-hseated as the highest authority; eathis person; jagatthe universe; pti he maintains; anustihe guides; apialso. That was Brahm, the lord of all lords of the living beings. He is our father, the creator of the universe. Self-born, he sits on the highest seat of authority. He maintains and guides the created world.

COMMENTARY: There are many Prajpatis like Bhgu who populate the universe and then engage their progeny in prescribed Vedic duties. Brahm is the master and protector of those Prajpatis. Since the Prajpatis are brothers of the Kumras, when the Kumras refer to Brahm as our father this implies that Brahm is the father of them all. Brahms father, however, is not of this world. Brahm is born from the lotus growing from the navel of the Supreme Lord and is therefore called Svayambh, or one who is born without father and mother. He occupies the highest post of authority, maintains the living entities of the universe by giving them their occupational duties, and guides them by initiating the study of the Vedas, which teach the principles of progressive civilized life. TEXT 126 ASYa l/aek-STau SaTYaa:Ya" SavaeRPair ivraJaTae ) XaTaJaNMak*-TaE" XauE" SvDaMal/R>YaTae ih Ya" )) asya lokas tu satykhya sarvopari virjate ata-janma-ktai uddhai sva-dharmair labhyate hi ya asyahis; lokaplanet; tuand; satya-khyacalled Satya; sarvaupariabove all; virjatestands; ata-janmafor one hundred lifetimes; ktaiexecuted; uddhaipure; sva-dharmaiby prescribed duties; labhyateis achieved; hiindeed; yawhich. His planet, called Satyaloka, stands above all others. It is achieved by persons who have done their prescribed duties purely for one hundred lifetimes. COMMENTARY: As Lord iva states in rmad-Bhgavatam (4.24.29), sva-dharma-niha ata-janmabhi pumn/ viricatm eti: By remaining fixed in ones prescribed dharma, in a hundred lifetimes one can become Brahm or else achieve his planet. TEXT 127 Ta}a vEku-<#=l/aek-ae_iSTa YaiSMaHa( [qJaGadqr" ) SahXaqzaR vTaeRTa Sa MahaPauz" Sada )) tatra vaikuha-loko sti yasmi r-jagad-vara sahasra-r varteta

sa mah-purua sad tatrathere; vaikuha-lokaa Vaikuha planet; astiis; yasmin where; r-jagat-varathe divine Lord of the universe; sahasrarwith thousands of heads; vartetais present; saHe; mahpuruathe Mahpurua; sadalways. Within Satyaloka is a Vaikuha planet where the thousandheaded divine Lord of the universe is always present as the Mahpurua. COMMENTARY: Within the realm of Satyaloka is a spiritual planet, named Vaikuha, which is actually an enclave of Vaikuha the spiritual world. That the inconceivable Mahpurua lives there should interest Gopa-kumra because that is where Gopa-kumra can expect to fulfill his desires. TEXT 128 TaSYa Pau}a wv b]a [UYaTae Na c i>aTae ) b]Ev l/Il/Yaa Ta}a MaUiTaR>Yaa& >aaiTa Naae MaTaMa( )) tasya putra iva brahm ryate na ca bhidyate brahmaiva llay tatra mrtibhy bhti no matam tasyaHis; putrason; ivaas if; brahmBrahm; ryateis said to be; nanot; caand; bhidyateis different; brahmathe Absolute Truth; evathus; llayas His pastime; tatrathere; mrtibhymin both forms; bhtiis visible; naour; matamopinion. Although said to be the son of the Mahpurua, Brahm is nondifferent from Him. In our opinion, the one Absolute Truth assumes both these forms as a pastime. COMMENTARY: How can Lord Brahm be considered the master of his own planet, and the highest authority in the universe, if the Supreme Lord of the universe also lives on the same planet? The Kumras here explain that Brahm is the highest authority of the material world because he is the son of the Supreme Lord. As implied by the word iva (as if), Brahm is not a son in exactly the same way as normally understood in material life; still, he is the first-born of all created beings. This relationship between Brahm and Viu can be understood only by hearing from the Vedas, not by empirical

perception, because everyone in the universe is born from Brahm, and thus all his descendants are too young to have seen Brahms birth. If Brahm is Lord Vius son, then like most sons he must be inferior in quality to his father; and thus the basic difference between Brahm and Viuthat one is the worshiper and the other the worshipedmust be true. Nevertheless, the Kmras offer their opinion that four-headed Brahm and the thousand-headed Mahpurua are not completely different persons; on Satyaloka the same Absolute Truth manifests Himself as both of them. The Kumras see Brahm and the Mahpurua to be nondifferent in the sense that Brahm shares many of the personal qualities of the Lord of the universe. TEXT 129 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac TaC^\uTva Ta}a GaTva Ta& MahaPauzMaqi+aTauMa( ) JaPa& ku-v|STaPaael/aeke- iNaivae_NTa"SaMaaiDaNaa )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutv tatra gatv ta mah-puruam kitum japa kurvas tapo-loke nivio nta-samdhin r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatthat; rutv hearing; tatrathere; gatvintending to go; tamHim; mahpuruamthe Mahpurua; kitumto see; japammy japa; kurvan doing; tapa-lokeon Tapoloka; niviasituated; antainternal; samdhinby trance. r Gopa-kumra said: Hearing this, I wanted to go to that planet and see the Mahpurua. Seated on Tapoloka, I chanted my mantra and focused my attention in samdhi. TEXT 130 MauhUTaaRNaNTar& d*q SaMauNMaqLYa VYal/aekYaMa( ) b]l/aek-aMaaTMaaNa& Ta& c [qJaGadqrMa( )) muhrtnantara d samunmlya vyalokayam brahma-lokptam tmna ta ca r-jagad-varam

muhrta-anantaramafter a moment; dmy eyes; samunmlya opening; vyalokayamI saw; brahma-lokaBrahmaloka; ptam having reached; tmnammyself; tamHim; caand; r-jagatvaramthe blessed Lord of the universe. After a moment, I opened my eyes to find that I had reached Brahmaloka. And before me was the blessed Lord of the universe. TEXT 131 [qMaTSah>auJaXaqzRPad& MahaNTa& Naql/aMbuda>aMaNauPaiv>aUz<aa!yMa( ) TaeJaaeiNaiDa& k-Mal/Naa>aMaNaNTa>aaeGa TaLPae XaYaaNaMai%l/ai+aMaNaae_i>araMaMa( )) rmat-sahasra-bhuja-ra-pada mahnta nlmbudbham anurpa-vibhahyam tejo-nidhi kamala-nbham ananta-bhogatalpe aynam akhilki-mano-bhirmam rmatdivine; sahasrathousands; bhujawhose arms; ra heads; padamand feet; mahntamhuge; nlablue; ambudaa cloud; bhamresembling; anurpasuitable; vibhaawith ornaments; hyamrichly adorned; tejaof brilliant effulgence; nidhimlike a treasure chest; kamalalike a lotus; nbhamwhose navel; ananta-bhogaof the serpent Ananta; talpeon the bed; aynamlying; akhilaof all; akithe eyes; manaand minds; abhirmamenchanting. He was huge, with thousands of divine arms, heads, and feet. He resembled a dark-blue cloud and was richly adorned with suitable ornaments. He was an ocean of brilliant effulgence. His navel was beautiful like a lotus. Lying on the bed of Ananta ea, He enchanted everyones eyes and mind. COMMENTARY: It is said that Lord Mahpurua has thousands of arms, heads, and feet; but that is just a figurative way of saying that He has an uncountable number of limbs. And although He is huge and formidable, His beauty is supremely attractive. TEXT 132 Sa&vaMaaNacr<a& rMaYaa SauPa<aeR

bal/aE k*-Tad*Xa& iviDaNaaCYaRMaaNaMa( ) >aUYaae iv>aUiTai>arMau& bhu l/al/YaNTa& [qNaardPa[<aYa>ai-zu dtaictaMa( )) savhyamna-caraa ramay supare baddhjalau kta-da vidhinrcyamnam bhyo vibhtibhir amu bahu llayanta r-nrada-praaya-bhaktiu datta-cittam savhyamnabeing massaged; caraamHis feet; ramayby the goddess of fortune; suparetoward Garua; baddhajoined; ajalau whose palms; ktadirected; damHis sight; vidhinby Brahm; arcyamnambeing worshiped; bhyaprofuse; vibhtibhi with opulences; amumhim; bahuamply; llayantamgratifying; r-nradaof r Nrada; praaya-bhaktiuto the displays of loving devotion; dattagiven; cittamHis attention. As the goddess of fortune, Lakm, massaged His feet, He glanced at Garua, who stood before Him with joined palms. Lord Brahm worshiped the Lord with opulent offerings, and in turn the Lord amply gratified him. Lord Mahpurua was also attentive to r Nradas displays of loving devotion. COMMENTARY: The Lord responded to Brahms worship by touching him with His hand and showing other signs of affection. The Lord also acknowledged Nradas offerings of devotional songs and music. TEXT 133 MaharhSYa& iNaGaMaaQaRTatv& Sv>ai-MaaGa| k-Mal/aSaNaaYa ) XaNaEivRv*TYaaePaidXaNTaMaNTar( iNaJaal/YaeNd]SYa ivraJaMaaNaMa( )) mah-rahasya nigamrtha-tattva sva-bhakti-mrga kamalsanya anair vivtyopadiantam antar nijlayendrasya virjamnam mah-rahasyamvery confidential; nigamaof the revealed scriptures; artha-tattvamthe essential truth; svato Himself; bhakti of devotional service; mrgamthe path; kamala-sanyato Brahm, whose seat was a lotus; anaipatiently; vivtya explaining; upadiantaminstructing; antainside; nijaHis own; laya-indrasyaking of residences; virjamnamshining forth.

The resplendent Lord Mahpurua, within His own most excellent residence, instructed Brahm, who sat on the lotus beside Him. The Lord patiently explained to Brahm, step by step, the greatest of mysteries and the essential truth of the revealed scriptures, the path of devotional service to Himself. COMMENTARY: After the Supreme Lord received worship from His servants, He went to His splendid palace on the Vaikuha planet within Satyaloka. There Brahm joined him and sat next to Him on the lotus that had sprouted from the navel of the Lord in His form as Garbhodaka-y Viu. In that intimate setting, Lord Mahpurua spoke directly into Brahms ears about the path of pure devotion. The details of this science should be spoken only to persons ready to appreciate them. TEXT 134 AQaae Tadak-<YaR cTauMauR%& c Pa[MaaedSaMPaivXaq>avNTaMa( ) ANaU NaqcErNauMaaedMaaNa& MauhuSTadx(Da]qNai>avNdMaaNaMa( )) atho tad karya catur-mukha ca pramoda-sampad-viva-bhavantam andya ncair anumodamna muhus tad-aghrn abhivandamnam atha uthen; tatthat; karyahearing; catu-mukhamfourheaded Brahm; caand; pramodaof joy; sampatby the vast treasure; vivaoverwhelmed; bhavantambecoming; andya repeating; ncaiquietly; anumodamnamagreeing; muhu repeatedly; tatHis; aghrnto the feet; abhivandamnamoffering respects. Hearing these matters, four-headed Brahm, overwhelmed by a vast treasure of transcendental joy, quietly repeated and agreed with each point he was taught, and then offered his respects again and again at the feet of the Lord. COMMENTARY: After relishing the wonder of the Supreme Lord speaking intimate instructions to His devotee, Gopa-kumra turned his attention to Brahm, whom he saw was receiving the lesson with great ecstasy. To show understanding of the Lords words, Brahm dutifully repeated each point, and confirmed that he agreed completely, before the Lord continued with the next. When the lesson was over, Brahm profusely

thanked the Lord. For Brahm to bow down while sitting on his lotus seat would have been difficult, but at least he showed his respects with his words and joined palms. TEXT 135 Pa[MaaedveGaaTPaiTaTa& ivSa&j& ivl/aeKYa Saa MaaMai>aGaMYa l/+Maq" ) iNaNaaYa Sa&ja& bhu l/al/iYaTva Svbal/vTPaaRMauTa Sv>aTauR" )) pramoda-vegt patita visaja vilokya s mm abhigamya lakm ninya saj bahu llayitv sva-bla-vat prvam uta sva-bhartu pramodaof joy; vegtby the force; patitamfallen down; visajam unconscious; vilokyaobserving; sshe; mmme; abhigamya coming toward; lakmthe goddess Lakm; ninyabringing back; sajmto consciousness; bahumuch; llayitvcoddling; sva-bla-vatlike her own child; prvamto the side; utaindeed; sva-bhartuof her husband. Lakm saw that by the force of ecstasy I had fallen into a swoon. So she coddled me like her own son to restore me to consciousness and then brought me to the side of her husband. COMMENTARY: Now Gopa-kumra speaks of himself. When the Supreme Lords devoted wife noticed him, she knew he had fainted in ecstatic devotion for her husband, so she treated him like a son. She touched him with her cooling hand and sprinkled him with water to bring him back to consciousness. TEXT 136 >aGavNTa& Mauhu" PaXYaNPa[<aMavd& MaNa" ) iNaJaeiPSaTaaNTaMaaGaa iNal&/ Tv& Maud& >aJa )) bhagavanta muhu payan praamann avada mana nijepsitntam adyg nicala tva muda bhaja

bhagavantamat the Supreme Lord; muhurepeatedly; payan looking; praamanbowing down; avadamI told; manamy mind; nijayour; psitaof the desires; antamthe ultimate fulfillment; adyatoday; agyou have attained; nicalambeing steady; tvam you; mudamjoy; bhajaplease experience. Gazing at the Supreme Lord and repeatedly bowing down before Him, I told my mind: Today you have attained the ultimate fulfillment of all your desires! Be steady and joyful. COMMENTARY: In texts 136 through 140, while offering repeated obeisances, Gopa-kumra preaches to his own mind. TEXT 137 AXaezXaaek-SaN}aaSadu"%hqNaiMad& PadMa( ) ParMaiRParaNaNdiNaicTa& JaGadicRTaMa( )) aea-oka-santrsadukha-hnam ida padam paramarddhi-parnandanicita jagad-arcitam aeaall; okaof sorrow; santrsafear; dukhaand pain; hnam devoid; idamthis; padamabode; paramasupreme; ddhiwith riches; paraand supreme; nandawith bliss; nicitamfilled; jagat by the entire world; arcitamworshiped. This abode, free from all sorrow, fear, and pain, is worshiped by the entire world. It is filled with the greatest opulence and bliss. COMMENTARY: Satyaloka is the highest material abode, filled with inconceivable wealth and a happiness unequaled by any other sensory experience in this universe. Greater than any other place in the universe, Satyaloka is honored everywhere. TEXT 138 Yaad*Xa" SaM>aved( >a[aTaJaRGadqXa Taad*Xa" ) >aaTYaXaezMahtaaYaa" Para& k-aa& GaTa" Sfu$=Ma( )) yda sambhaved bhrtar jagad-a ca tda bhty aea-mahatty

par kh gata sphuam ydaas; sambhavetis; bhrtadear brother; jagat-athe Lord of the universe; caand; tdaso; bhtiit is manifest; aeaall; mahattyof excellence; parmextreme; khmto the limit; gatagone; sphuamvisibly. Dear brother, this planet shines forth with as much perfection as the Lord of the universe Himself. It displays the final limit of complete excellence. COMMENTARY: In the material world, persons and things have varieties of relative excellence. One person has a well-proportioned body, another is charming, another virtuous or powerful. But the world of Satyaloka manifests all kinds of excellence to the greatest degree possible in the material universe. No other place is in any way as great. TEXT 139 ehMaNv>avae l/+MYaa d*G>Yaa& PaXYaaDauNaa Pa[>auMa( ) MaaQaurVa[Ja>aUXaaek&- iYaYaaSaa& caNYaTaae Jaih )) sneham anvabhavo lakmy dgbhy paydhun prabhum mthura-vraja-bh-oka yiys cnyato jahi snehamaffection; anvabhavayou have experienced; lakmyof the goddess Lakm; dgbhymwith your two eyes; payasee; adhunnow; prabhumthe Lord; mthurain the district of Mathur; vraja-bhbecause of the land of Vraja; okamyour lamentation; yiysmyour desire to go; caand; anyatasomewhere else; jahi please give up. You have felt the affection of Lakm. Now see her Lord with your own two eyes. Give up your thoughts of going away from here and give up your grieving over the cow pastures of Vraja in Mathur. TEXT 140 JaGadqXaaiDaaTaev l/al/Na& ced>aqPSaiSa ) TaNMahaPauzaidMaN}aXa-ya f-il/ZYaiTa ))

jagad-d vidhteva llana ced abhpsasi tan mah-purudiamantra-akty phaliyati jagat-tfrom the Lord of the universe; vidhtBrahm; ivalike; llanampampering; cetif; abhpsasiyou desire; tatthat; mahpuruaby the great soul; diataught; mantraof the mantra; aktyby the power; phaliyatiwill be achieved. If you want to be pampered like Brahm by the Lord of the universe, that also you can achieve by the power of the mantra taught to you by the great soul. COMMENTARY: The Personality of Godhead is present in Brahmaloka as Lord Mahpurua, but in Govardhana Gopa-kumra had met another mah-purua, the great devotee who had initiated him into the chanting of the gopla-mantra. For Gopa-kumra to be as familiar as Brahm with Lord Mahpurua will be difficult, but we shall see how an arrangement is made for him. TEXT 141 iNad]al/Il/a& Pa[>au>aeRJae l/aek-Pae_SYa Naai>aJae ) Sa*irqiTa& iviDavs+Ya Svk*-TYaaYaa>avih" )) nidr-ll prabhur bheje loka-padme sya nbhi-je si-rti vidhir vkya sva-ktyybhavad bahi nidrof sleep; llmHis pastime; prabhuthe Supreme Lord; bhejetook to; loka-padmein the universal lotus; asyaHis; nbhi-je born from the navel; siof creation; rtimthe business; vidhi Brahm; vkyanoting; sva-ktyyafor doing his duties; abhavat bahicame outside. The Supreme Lord turned to His pastime of sleep. And Brahm, sitting on the universal lotus born from the Lords navel, realized what he had to do to re-create the universe, and so came outside to do his work. COMMENTARY: The transcendental Lord never sleeps, but He enjoys His pastime of pretending to sleep. Brahms seat is the lotus that grows from the navel of Garbhodaka-y Viu and bears the original subtle

forms of the fourteen created worlds. While sitting on that lotus, Brahm could see within it the entire plan for creating the universe. Without wasting time, he studied it thoroughly and then came out to discharge his responsibility. He got down from the lotus, left Lord Mahpuruas residence, and went to his own. TEXT 142 PaXYaNPa[>aae PaMadae MahauTa& Taai>aPae YauGaPataQaa JaGaTa( ) GaU!aePadeXa[v<aaTauMauR% Pa[eMaPa[vah& c Sau%& TaTaae_vSaMa( )) payan prabho rpam ado mahdbhuta tan-nbhi-padme yugapat tath jagat ghopadea-ravac catur-mukhaprema-pravha ca sukha tato vasam payanseeing; prabhoof the Lord; rpamform; adathat; mah-adbhutamvery wonderful; tatHis; nbhifrom the navel; padmewithin the lotus; yugapatat the same time; tathalso; jagatthe universe; ghaconfidential; upadeainstructions; ravatdue to hearing; catu-mukhaof Brahm; premaof love; pravhamthe flood; caand; sukhamhappily; tatathen; avasam I lived. I lived there happily for some time, seeing the very wonderful form of the Lord, observing the universe within the lotus grown from His navel, and witnessing the waves of love flowing over Brahm as he heard confidential instructions from the Lord. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra was even more satisfied on Satyaloka than on Svargaloka and the planets of the sages. TEXT 143 k*-Te l/aek-}aYae Nae ra}aavek-a<aRve SaiTa ) XaezaePair Sau%& XaeTae >aGavaNb]<aa SaMaMa( )) ktsne loka-traye nae rtrv ekrave sati eopari sukha ete bhagavn brahma samam

ktsneentire; loka-trayethe three worlds; naewhen they are destroyed; rtrauduring the night; eka-aravea single ocean; sati being; ea-uparion ea Nga; sukhamcomfortably; etelies; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; brahmawith Brahm; samamtogether. During the dark of night, when the three worlds are totally destroyed and the universe becomes a single ocean, the Personality of Godhead lies comfortably on ea Nga, together with Brahm. COMMENTARY: After each cycle of a thousand yugas, Brahms day ends, and Brahm joins the thousand-headed Mahpurua in going to sleep. TEXT 144 STaUYaTae ic}avaKYaE" Sa JaNal/aek-aidvaiSai>a" ) TaNMahak-aETauk&- vq+Yae b]l/aek-Pa[>aavTa" )) styate citra-vkyai sa jana-lokdi-vsibhi tan mah-kautuka vkye brahma-loka-prabhvata styateis praised; citrachoice; vkyaiwith words; saHe; janaloka-diof Janaloka and other planets; vsibhiby the residents; tat those; mah-kautukammost curious events; vkyeI saw; brahma-lokaof Brahmaloka; prabhvataby the influence. The residents of Janaloka and other higher planets praise the Personality of Godhead with choice words. I saw these fascinating events by the powerful influence of Brahmaloka. COMMENTARY: While Lord Mahpurua sleeps, sages from Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka come to recite His glories. Gopa-kumras previous encounters with the nighttimes of Brahm on the planets Mahar, Jana, and Tapas had been less pleasant than this; he had been unaware of how Lord Mahpurua and Brahm enjoy their sleep. TEXT 145 ANTaDaaRYa k-daiceTku-}aaiPa >aGavaNv[JaeTa( ) Xaaek-" SYaadaGaTae caiSMaNSaMaUl/" +aqYaTae Sa Na" ))

antardhya kadcic cet kutrpi bhagavn vrajet oka syd gate csmin sa-mla kyate sa na antardhyadisappearing; kadcitsometimes; cetif; kutra api somewhere; bhagavnthe Lord; vrajetwould go; oka unhappiness; sytthere would be; gateupon returning; caand; asminHe; sa-mlato the root; kyatewould be cut; sathat; naour. When the Lord sometimes went elsewhere, He would disappear, and I would be unhappy. But that painful feeling would be cut to the root as soon as He returned. COMMENTARY: Unaware of where the Lord was going, Gopa-kumra was distressed by the Lords absence. But when the Lord would return after a short while, Gopa-kumra would at once forget his distress, and even forget that the Lord had left him. Thus his feelings of unhappiness on Satyaloka were of little account. The one small reason for unhappiness that sometimes arose was short-lived and so did not affect his overall mood. TEXT 146 wTQaMaa& k-iTaPaYae Pa[YaaTae Pa[aTarek-da ) k-aETauk-ad( Ba]<aa SPa*" fe<aPauae_Saurae_>avTa( )) ittham ahn katipaye prayte prtar ekad kautukd brahma spa phea-pujo suro bhavat itthamin this way; ahnmdays; katipayeseveral; praytebeing spent; prtain the morning; ekadone day; kautuktout of curiosity; brahmaby Brahm; spatouched; pheaof foam; pujaa mass; asuraa demon; abhavatbecame. After I had spent some days in this way, early one morning, out of curiosity, Brahm touched a mass of foam, and it turned into a demon. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra was harboring the desire to become Brahm so that he could enjoy Brahms special relationship with the Lord of the universe. He thought of this desire while chanting his japa,

and thus, after only a few of Brahms days, Gopa-kumra was given what he wanted. A large residue of foam was left from the previous ocean of devastation, and Brahm touched it, unmindful of any serious consequence. The foam turned into a terrible demon, huge and extremely strong due to being born from the vast water of devastation. TEXT 147 TaqTYaal/IYaTa b]a dETYaae >aGavTaa hTa" ) >aYaa-aNTaae iviDaNaiTa TaTPade_Yau Maa& Pa[>au" )) tad-bhtylyata brahm daityo bhagavat hata bhaykrnto vidhir naiti tat-pade yukta m prabhu tatof him; bhtyout of fear; alyatafled; brahmBrahm; daityathe demon; bhagavatby the Personality of Godhead; hata was killed; bhayaby fear; krntaovercome; vidhiBrahm; na etidid not come back; tathis; padein the post; ayukta appointed; mmme; prabhuthe Supreme Lord. Terrified of him, Brahm fled. The Personality of Godhead killed the demon, but Brahm, overcome by fear, did not come back, and the Lord assigned me to his post. COMMENTARY: Brahm hid in a place where no one could find him. His fear prevented him from returning, even after Lord Nryaa had killed the demon. TEXT 148 Ah& Tau vEZ<avaNaev Sa*Ja&STai-v*Yae ) NYaYauMaiDak-arezu vEZ<avaNaev SavRTa" )) aha tu vaiavn eva sjas tad-bhakti-vddhaye nyayujam adhikreu vaiavn eva sarvata ahamI; tuand; vaiavnVaiavas; evaindeed; sjansending forth; tatHis; bhaktithe devotional service; vddhayefor increasing; nyayujamI engaged; adhikreuin various positions of

responsibility; vaiavnVaiavas; evaonly; sarvata everywhere. I sent Vaiavas into the creation to increase devotional service to the Lord. Indeed, I engaged only Vaiavas everywhere, in all responsibilities. COMMENTARY: Material creation is called si because the world and the living entities, rather than being created from nothing, are sent forth (sjan) in each new creation. When Gopa-kumra took up the position of creator, he brought many advanced Vaiavas into his universe and assigned them to the posts of Indra, Srya, Candra, the Prajpatis, and other demigods. TEXT 149 wTaSTaTaae MahaYajErMaeDaaidi>aivR>auMa( ) SaMPaUJaYaNMauda& PaUrEbR]a<@& SaMaPaUrYaMa( )) itas tato mah-yajair avamedhdibhir vibhum sampjayan mud prair brahma samaprayam ita tatahere and there; mah-yajaiwith great sacrifices; avamedha-dibhithe Avamedha and others; vibhumthe almighty Lord; sampjayanworshiping; mudmof joy; praiwith floods; brahmamthe universe; samaprayamI filled. Arranging for the almighty Lord to be worshiped in all directions with great sacrifices like the Avamedha, I flooded the universe with joy. COMMENTARY: Lord Brahm is responsible for creating the worlds and the bodies of all the species of life and for teaching the living beings in each class their proper work according to the injunctions of the Vedas. Gopa-kumra enthusiastically promoted Vedic sacrifices for the pleasure of the Personality of Godhead. TEXTS 150151 PaarMaeeNa Sa&ae vedEMaURiTaRDarEMaR%E" ) Paura<aEiriTahaSaEaGaMaESTaqQaMaaRhizRi>a" )) b]izRi>a bhuDaa STaUYaMaaNaae MahaMadE" )

Ga[SYaMaaNaae_iPa MauaiMa Na SMaaik-NaTaa& iNaJaaMa( )) pramehyena saruddho vedair mrti-dharair makhai purair itihsai cgamais trthair maharibhi brahmaribhi ca bahudh styamno mah-madai grasyamno pi mucmi na smkicanat nijm pramehyenawith the supreme position of authority; saruddha encumbered; vedaiby the Vedas; mrti-dharaiin their personal forms; makhaiby the sacrifices; puraithe Puras; itihsai the Itihsa epics; caand; gamaithe gamas (Pacartras); trthaithe pilgrimage places; mah-ibhithe great sages; brahma-ibhithe sages among the brhmaas; caand; bahudh in various ways; styamnabeing glorified; mah-madaiby great delights; grasyamnabeing seized; apialthough; mucmi na smaI did not give up; akicanatmmy simplicity; nijmnatural. Even though I was encumbered with the post of the supreme authority in the universe, even though I was glorified in various ways by the maharis, the brahmaris, and the personified Vedas, gamas, Puras, Itihsas, sacrifices, and pilgrimage sites, and even though I was surrounded by great sources of delight, I did not give up my natural simplicity. COMMENTARY: Without the strong spiritual qualifications of true humility and devotion to the Supreme, no one could avoid becoming intoxicated by the material power and facility for enjoyment given to Gopakumra. He now had the highest position in the universe, with seemingly unlimited opulences. The greatest sages and the revealed scriptures and the sacrifices personified all attended him in his court, singing his praises and presenting themselves for service at his pleasure. Nonetheless, he did not think of himself as someone special, as anything other than a humble devotee of the Lord of the universe, r Madana-gopla. TEXT 152 TaQaaiPa b]ah=(MYak*-TYaaiBDa>aMaGanae Na PaUvRvTa( ) le/>ae >aGavTaae >ai-Sau%& icNTaaTauraNTar" ))

tathpi brhmya-ktybdhibhaga-magno na prva-vat lebhe bhagavato bhaktisukha cintturntara tath apinonetheless; brhmyaof Brahm; ktyaof the duties; abdhiof an ocean; bhagain the waves; magnaimmersed; na not; prva-vatas before; lebheI obtained; bhagavataof the Lord; bhaktiof the devotional service; sukhamthe enjoyment; cintwith anxieties; turadisturbed; antaramy mind. Even so, I was immersed in the waves of the ocean of Brahms duties, and therefore unable to enjoy devotional service to the Lord as I had before. My mind was too disturbed by anxious concerns. COMMENTARY: Once again Gopa-kumra encountered circumstances that awakened within him a desire to go to an even better place. With so much responsibility on his shoulders, life on Satyaloka was troublesome. Brahms unavoidable duties were unlimited and deep like an ocean, and Gopa-kumra felt himself drowning in the churning waves. TEXT 153 iParaDaaRYauiz SvSYa [UYaMaa<ae_iPa k-al/Ta" ) >aYa& SYaaiT-YaMaa<ae c JaPae >aUirYaMaaiTaRda )) dvi-parrdhyui svasya ryame pi klata bhaya syt kriyame ca jape bhr iyam rti-d dvi-parrdhaconsisting of two very long periods of time; yuithe life span; svasyamy; ryamebeing heard of; apiand; klata of time; bhayamfear; sytthere would be; kriyamewhile being done; caand; japethe chanting of my mantra; bhVraja-bhmi; iyamthis; rti-dgiving distress. Hearing that I would die at the end of a life span of two parrdhas, I was afraid. And as I chanted my mantra, remembrance of this Vraja-bhmi gave me more distress.

COMMENTARY: To avoid being frightened by thinking about his imminent death, Gopa-kumra Brahm relied on his mantra. But chanting only stirred memories of Vraja, giving him a different kind of distress. TEXT 154 JaGadqrTa" Pau}al/al/Na& Tau MahaSau%Ma( ) MaMaaNau>avTaitavEk-LYa& TaiNaXYaiTa )) jagad-varata putrallana tu mah-sukham mamnubhavata cittavaikalya tad vinayati jagat-varataby the Lord of the universe; putralike a son; llananbeing pampered; tuhowever; mah-sukhama source of great happiness; mamaof me; anubhavatawho was experiencing; cittaof the mind; vaikalyamthe agitation; tatthat; vinayati would be destroyed. But I would derive great happiness from being pampered like a son by the Lord of the universe, and thus the mental agitation I was going through would be dispelled. COMMENTARY: Satyaloka is such a pure place that unhappiness cannot persist for long. Lord Mahpurua Himself would see to this; by showering affection on His devotee, He would wash away distress in a flood of bliss. TEXT 155 ATYaNTaSaik-zeR<a iPaTa*buya c SaevYaa ) k-daPYaaGaa&iSa JaaTaaiNa Ma*ZYaNTae Pa[>au<aa MaMa )) atyanta-sannikarea pit-buddhy ca sevay kadpy gsi jtni myante prabhu mama atyantatoo much; sannikareabecause of proximity; pitlike a father; buddhybecause of considering Him; caand; sevayby serving; kad apisometimes; gsioffenses; jtnicame about; myantethey were tolerated; prabhuby the Lord; mamamy.

Because of being too close to the Lord and serving Him as if He were my father, I would sometimes commit offenses against Him, but He tolerated all those offenses. COMMENTARY: Staying close to a great person for an extended time can be dangerous. As the saying goes, Familiarity breeds contempt. For Gopa-kumra in the role of Brahm, this danger was compounded by his thinking himself the son of Lord Viu. Often a son has no fear of dissatisfying his father, because he knows that his father loves him too much to reject him. Indeed, Lord Mahpurua acted like a doting father, tolerating the childish offenses of Gopa-kumra. TEXT 156 TaQaaPYaNTaMaRhaeeGa" SYaataTaae VYaiTae i[Yaa ) ehe Maa}aev " SYaaMaev& Ta}aavSa& icrMa( )) tathpy antar-mahodvega syt tato vyajite riy snehe mtreva ha sym eva tatrvasa ciram tath apistill; antawithin; mah-udvegagreat distress; syt there would be; tatathen; vyajitebeing manifest; riyby the goddess of fortune; sneheaffection; mtrby a mother; ivaas if; hajoyful; symI would become; evamthus; tatrathere; avasamI lived; ciramfor a long time. Still, at times I felt great distress in my mind. But when the goddess Lakm showed me motherly affection, I would again become joyful. Thus I lived there a long time. COMMENTARY: Although the Lord showed no sign of taking offense, Gopa-kumra, realizing that he was not serving with the proper attitude, sometimes became disturbed. Embarrassed by his own behavior toward his father, he would be consoled by his mother, Lakm. Thus he lived happily in Satyaloka, even when facing causes of distress. TEXT 157 Wk-da Maui-Ma}aaMaek&- Taaek-vaiSai>a" ) Sa&agYaMaaNaMaak-<YaR TaaNaPa*C^& TaduTaMa( ))

ekad muktim atrptam eka tal-loka-vsibhi salghyamnam karya tn apccha tad adbhutam ekadonce; muktimliberation; atrahere; ptamobtained; ekam someone; tat-lokaof that planet; vsibhiby the residents; salghyamnambeing praised; karyahearing; tnfrom them; apcchamI inquired; tatabout that; adbhutamamazing thing. Once, hearing the residents of Brahmaloka glorify someone who had attained liberation here on earth, I asked them about that amazing event. COMMENTARY: In texts 157 through 230, Gopa-kumra describes in depth the immediate cause for his leaving Satyaloka. The sages on Satyaloka were talking about someone who had achieved moka mukti, or liberationwhile living in Bhrata-vara. As they were praising that person, and the process of devotional service by which he had gained moka, Gopa-kumra, who had never heard of moka, asked the sages, What is this moka? Why are you glorifying someone so much for attaining it? TEXT 158 Maue-" ParMaMauTk-z| daEl/R>Ya& c iNaXaMYa TaaNa( ) SavRjaNPauNarPa[a+a& TaduPaaYa& TadqPSaYaa )) mukte paramam utkara daurlabhya ca niamya tn sarva-jn punar aprka tad-upya tad-psay mukteof liberation; paramamsupreme; utkaramthe excellence; daurlabhyamthe difficulty of obtaining; caand; niamyahearing; tnthem; sarva-jnknowers of everything; punaagain; aprkamI asked; tatof that; upyamthe means of achieving; tat for that; psaywith the desire. I heard from those all-knowing sages about the superexcellence and rareness of liberation, and so I desired it myself. I then asked them how liberation could be attained.

COMMENTARY: Among the sages from whom Gopa-kumra was inquiring were the personified Vedas, who surely were capable of giving him authoritative answers. And Gopa-kumras newly acquired eagerness to become liberated qualified him as a fit candidate to hear from the Vedas about the means of attaining liberation. TEXT 159 bhul/aePaiNazeVYa" [uiTaSMa*iTai>ariNvTaa" ) Ocureke-Na SaaDYaae_SaaE Maae+aae jaNaeNa NaaNYaQaa )) bahulopaniad-devya ruti-smtibhir anvit cur ekena sdhyo sau moko jnena nnyath bahulamany; upaniatof the Upaniads; devyathe goddesses; ruti-smtibhiby rutis and smtis; anvitjoined; cusaid; ekenaonly; sdhyaachievable; asauthis; mokaliberation; jnenaby knowledge; nanot; anyathby other means. Many of the presiding goddesses of the Upaniads answered, joined by rutis and smtis. They said that only by knowledge is liberation achieved, and by no other means. COMMENTARY: The Upaniads are the essential philosophical portion of the rutis, or Vedas. They are described here as devya, which means both presiding deities and brilliantly effulgent. Thus the Upaniads were present in person in Brahms assembly along with other revealed scriptures. The rutis mentioned separately here are other sections of the Vedas, particularly the Sahits, Brhmaas, and rayakas. The smtis are the Dharma-stras, Puras, gamas, and so on. The majority of Upaniads, rutis, and smtis declared that moka, the most excellent and rarely obtained goal, can be achieved only by knowledge. In the words of the vetvatara Upaniad (3.8): tam eva viditvti mtyum eti nnya panth vidyate yanya Knowing Him, one transcends death. There is no other path for attaining this goal. Gopa-kumras narration will later reveal that the knowledge leading to liberation arises only from devotional service; in fact, the cultivation of knowledge of the Supreme Person and His energies is itself a kind of

devotional service. As long as knowledge remains impersonal, it cannot lead to true liberation. TEXT 160 kE-idu&- SaGaaM>aqYa| Paura<aEraGaMaEriPa ) JaNYaTae >aGav-ya Sau%& jaNa& SaudugaR$=Ma( )) kaicid ukta sa-gmbhrya purair gamair api janyate bhagavad-bhakty sukha jna su-durghaam kaicitby some; uktamsaid; sa-gmbhryamwith gravity; puraiby Puras; gamaiand gamas; apialso; janyateit is generated; bhagavatto the Personality of Godhead; bhaktyby devotional service; sukhameasily; jnamknowledge; sudurghaamdifficult to obtain. But some Puras and gamas said gravely that this knowledge, difficult to obtain, is easily acquired by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. COMMENTARY: The gamas are tantras, textbooks on the methods of devotional worship. Prominent among them are the Pacartras. Some of the gamas and Puras teach the methods of pure devotional service very effectively, and these are the scriptures who at this juncture spoke up with unshaking conviction. TEXT 161 ik&- vaNauiTaYaa SaMYak( TaYaEv Saul/>aae_iSTa Sa" ) [uiTaSMa*TaqNaa& k-aSaaiTSaMMaiTaSTa}a l/i+aTaa )) ki vnuhitay samyak tayaiva su-labho sti sa ruti-smtn kscit sammatis tatra lakit kim vor else; anuhitaybeing executed; samyakproperly; tayby it (devotional service); evaonly; su-labhaeasily achieved; astiis; sait (liberation, and not merely knowledge); ruti-

smtnmof the rutis and smtis; kscitsome; sammati agreement; tatrawith that idea; lakitindirectly indicated. Some other rutis and smtis indirectly showed agreement among themselves that by devotional service alone, properly done, liberation is easy to attain. COMMENTARY: In the opinion of the Vaiava Puras and gamas, liberation is attained with special ease by devotional service that is free from material desires and properly executed in all essential details. Such pure devotional service by itself (tayaiva) leads to liberation, without help from anything else. As stated in the Bhannradya Pura (32.6, 4.30): bhaktir dh bhaved yasya deva-deve janrdane reysi tasya sidhyanti bhakti-manto dhiks tata By one whose devotion is steadfast in Janrdana, the Lord of lords, all superior benefits are gained. Such is the excellence of the Lords devotees. jvanti jantava sarve yath mtaram rit tath bhakti samritya sarv jvanti siddhaya Just as all living beings live under the shelter of their mothers, all perfections live under the complete shelter of devotional service. The benefits and perfections mentioned in these verses include liberation; though the verses do not specify this, it is implied. r Ka also says in the Bhagavad-gt (11.54): bhakty tv anyay akya aham eva-vidho rjuna jtu drau ca tattvena praveu ca parantapa My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into My existence. Entering into the existence of the Personality of Godheadthat is, entering His associationby its very nature includes liberation. The theistic rutis and smtis (among them some of the Dharmastras) are in agreement about this understanding, and they indicated

this by movements of their heads and by other subtle signs. These scriptures do not promote pure devotional service explicitly, but one may discover the importance of bhakti in their purports. Thus we read in the Padma Pura (Ptla-khaa 92.26): apatya dravia dr hr harmya hay gaj sukhni svarga-mokau ca na dre hari-bhaktita Wife, children, precious necklaces and wealth, home, horses, elephants, every happiness, and moreover the attainment of heaven and liberationwhen devotional service to Lord Hari is present, none of these are difficult to obtain. TEXT 162 VYa&- TaaSaa& vcae_[uTva= u-a" SvEraGaMaaidi>a" ) MahaePaiNazd" k-aidNvMaaedNTa TaTSfu-$=Ma( )) vyakta ts vaco rutv kruddh svair gamdibhi mahopaniada kcid anvamodanta tat sphuam vyaktamopenly; tsmfrom those rutis and smtis; vaca statements; arutvnot hearing; kruddhbecoming angry; svai that are related to them (the great Upaniads); gama-dibhiwith the Pacartras and other scriptures; mah-upaniadagreat Upaniads; kcitsome; anvamodantadeclared approval; tatof that opinion; sphuamopenly. Angry at not hearing those rutis and smtis speak up, some of the great Upaniadsand scriptures like the gamas who follow in their footstepsopenly affirmed that devotional service is an independent cause of liberation. COMMENTARY: The more devotional of the Upaniads were angry at the other devotional scriptures who werent bold enough to say what they knew, and so were certain Vaiava gamas and Puras who took shelter of those Upaniads. Together, therefore, these Upaniads, gamas, and Puras declared in no uncertain terms that liberation is effortlessly achieved by unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Bhan-nradya Pura (1.79):

dharmrtha-kma-mokkhy pururth dvijottam hari-bhakti-par vai sampadyante na saaya O best of brhmaas, there is no doubt that those who are dedicated to Lord Haris devotional service achieve all the goals of life, known as religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. And in a prayer to the Personality of Godhead, we read in r Viu Pura (1.20.27): dharmrtha-kmai ki tasya muktis tasya kare sthit samasta-jagat mle yasya bhakti sthir tvayi What is the value of religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification to one who has firm devotion for You, the root of all the worlds? Liberation sits in the palm of his hand. TEXT 163 GaU!aePaiNazd" k-aiTkE-id( GaU!EMaRhaGaMaE" ) SaMa& MahaPaura<aE TaUZ<aqMaaSaNk*-TaiSMaTaa" )) ghopaniada kcit kaicid ghair mahgamai sama mah-purai ca tm san kta-smit ghaconfidential; upaniadaUpaniads; kcitsome; kaicit with some; ghaiconfidential; mah-gamaimajor gamas; samamtogether; mah-puraiwith major Puras; caand; tmsilent; sanwere; kta-smitsmiling. A few confidential Upaniads smiled and kept silent, along with some confidential major gamas and Puras. COMMENTARY: The little-known most confidential Upaniads, like the Gopla-tpan, smiled but said nothing, and so did certain Vaiava gamas, like the Stvata-siddhnta, and a few Puras, like rmadBhgavatam. Some were thinking, Just see the power of the Supreme Lords illusory energy, which makes the essential meaning of scripture, which should be obvious, incomprehensible to vastly learned authorities. Others were thinking scornfully, Who are these stras to

presume that merely bestowing liberation is the true glory of bhakti? This second group saw no purpose in arguing with scriptures whose outlook was so dissimilar from their own, and even thought it improper that these intimate topics be discussed in public. Granted, these scriptures thought, karma, jna, and moka make up the ladder ascending to bhakti, devotional service, and so the glories of Vedic rituals, knowledge, and liberation culminate in the glories of bhakti. Nonetheless, when the main focus of discussion is on lesser spiritual methods, the importance of bhakti can only be hinted at; in such contexts, its superexcellence cannot be properly revealed. With these thoughts in mind, the Bhgavatam and a few other scriptures, following the lead of the confidential Upaniads, kept quiet. TEXTS 164165 Maae+aae_Nau >aGavNMaN}aJaPaMaa}aaTSauiSaDYaiTa ) Na veiTa kE-idaMNaaYaPaura<aaidi>aLb<a" )) AaGaMaaNaa& ivvadae_>aUtaMaSaaea bihGaRTaa" ) Tae Paura<aaGaMaa" k-<aa iPaDaaYaaePaiNazuTaa" )) moko nu bhagavan-mantrajapa-mtrt su-sidhyati na veti kaicid mnyapurdibhir ulbaa gamn vivdo bht tam asohv bahir gat te purgam karau pidhyopaniad-yut mokaliberation; anusubsequently; bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; mantra-japaby chanting the mantra; mtrtmerely; su-sidhyatiis easily achieved; na vor not; itithus; kaicitby some; mnyawith rutis; pura-dibhiand Puras and other scriptures; ulbaafierce; gamnmby the gamas; vivdaa debate; abhtbegan; tamthat; asohvnot tolerating; bahi outside; gatwent; tethose; pura-gamPuras and gamas; karautheir ears; pidhyacovering; upaniat-yut together with Upaniads. A fierce debate then arosebetween the gamas on one side and scriptures like certain rutis and Puras on the other about whether or not liberation is achieved merely by chanting mantras that worship the Personality of Godhead. Unable to

tolerate the debate, the Puras, gamas, and Upaniads who had been silent covered their ears and left. COMMENTARY: mnya means the original Vedic texts, or rutis, and in the phrase mnya-purdibhi the suffix -dibhi (and so on) indicates scriptures such as the Dharma-stras and epic histories. As the previous discussions were left behind and a debate began on a new topic, the stras who were unable to tolerate hearing it, or the doubt on which it was based, left the assembly in disgust. They covered their ears to avoid the offense of even hearing doubts that the Supreme Lords mantras have the power to give liberation. These stras, in their own pages, never entertain even a hint of doubts of this sort. Moments before, the confidential Upaniads had taken the lead in keeping quiet, followed by the Bhgavatam and other confidential Mah-puras. Now, in boycotting the debate, the Bhgavatam and its colleagues took the lead. TEXT 166 TaTaae MahaPaura<aaNaa& MahaePaiNazda& TaQaa ) MaaDYaSQYaadaGaMaaNaa& Tau JaYaae JaaTaae MaMa iPa[Ya" )) tato mah-purn mahopaniad tath mdhya-sthyd gamn tu jayo jto mama priya tatathen; mah-purnmthe major Puras; mah-upaniadm the major Upaniads; tathand; mdhya-sthytbecause of their being arbitrators; gamnmof the gamas; tubut; jayavictory; jtaensued; mamato me; priyapleasing. Then the major Puras and Upaniads became arbitrators, and so victory went to the gamas. That pleased me very much. COMMENTARY: Now that the most advanced Puras, Upaniads, and gamas had walked out on the debate, they were able to give impartial consideration to both sides. And they deemed correct the claim made by the gamasthat liberation is easily achieved simply by chanting mantras worshiping the Personality of Godhead. As stated in r Viu Pura (1.6.40): gatv gatv nivartante candra-srydayo grah

adypi na nivartante dvdakara-cintak Even the moon, sun, and other planets are created and destroyed again and again. But persons who have meditated on the twelvesyllable viu-mantra have never had to return, even till the present day. And r Padma Pura gives this opinion: japena devat nitya styamn prasdati prasann vipuln bhogn dadyn mukti ca vatm The Supreme Lord is always satisfied when praised by the chanting of His mantras. And so He awards abundant enjoyment, as well as eternal liberation. Because Gopa-kumra was absorbed in chanting a mantra addressed to the Supreme Lord and had no interest in other spiritual practices, he was extremely pleased by the conclusion of the debate. TEXT 167 MaYaai>aPa[eTYa Taav& Tae Paura<aaGaMaadYa" ) ANauNaqYa Sa>aaMaDYaMaaNaqTaa" STauiTaPaa$=vE" )) maybhipretya tad-bhva te purgamdaya anunya sabh-madhyam nt stuti-pavai mayby me; abhipretyabeing discerned; tattheir; bhvam mood; tethey; pura-gama-dayaof the Puras, gamas, and other scriptures; anunyabeing placated; sabh-madhyaminside the assembly; ntbrought back; stutiin offering praise; pavaiby expertise. Discerning the inner mood of the Puras, gamas, and other scriptures who had left the debate, I pacified them with tactful praise and brought them back to the assembly. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra had noted the grave smiles on the faces of the Bhgavatam, Stvata-siddhnta, and other scriptures who left the assembly. Those signs led him to believe that these few stras, among all the others, best understood the truth. With humility and adroit praise he managed to bring them back.

TEXT 168 Tatatv& Saadr& Pa*aSTae [q>aaGavTaadYa" ) Ocu" SaaTvTaiSaaNTaaaGaMaa" [uiTaMaaEil/i>a" )) tat tattva sdara ps te r-bhgavatdaya cu stvata-siddhntdygam ruti-maulibhi tatabout that (liberation); tattvamthe truth; sa-daram respectfully; pquestioned; tethey; r-bhgavata-daya rmad-Bhgavatam and the other scriptures; cusaid; stvatasiddhnta-dithe Stvata-siddhnta and others; gamgamas; ruti-maulibhialong with the foremost rutis. From those scripturesthe rmad-Bhgavatam, the Stvatasiddhnta and other gamas, and the foremost rutisI respectfully asked about the truth of the matter, and they replied. COMMENTARY: With great respect, Gopa-kumra asked the Bhgavatam and other devotional scriptures about the true nature of liberation. He also inquired why they had responded to the discussion the way they hadfirst by smiling silently, then by covering their ears and leaving the assembly. TEXT 169 [q>ai-Xaaa<YaUcu" l/BDab]aiDak-ared& MahaGaaePYa& iNaDaeriPa ) >avTSad(Gau<aSaNdaehEra:YaaMaae Mau%rqk*-Taa" )) r-bhakti-stry cu labdha-brahmdhikreda mah-gopya nidher api bhavat-sad-gua-sandohair khymo mukhar-kt r-bhakti-stri cuthe devotional scriptures said; labdhaO you who have achieved; brahma-adhikrathe position of Brahm; idamthis; mah-gopyammore secret; nidhethan a rare treasure; apieven; bhavatof your good self; sat-guaof good qualities;

sandohaibecause of the multitude; khymawe shall explain; mukhar-ktinduced to speak freely. The devotional scriptures said: O dear one who have achieved the post of Brahm, this topic is more secret than a rare treasure. But we shall explain it to you because your abundant good qualities inspire us to speak freely. COMMENTARY: In texts 169 through 230, the bhakti-stras answer. Since Gopa-kumra holds the post of Lord Brahm, he is worthy of the privilege to hear such elevated topics. One might argue that the secrets of devotional service should not be freely divulged to anyone, not even the lord of an entire universe, unless he is fully surrendered to the Supreme Lord and His devotees. But then Gopa-kumras personal qualifications should be taken into account, especially his eagerness to engage in the Supreme Lords service. TEXT 170 KvicTPa[STaUYaTae_SMaai>a>aRGavi-TaTParE" ) Maae+aSTYaaJaiYaTau& SaMYaGa( iviNaN SaPairC^d" )) kvacit prastyate smbhir bhagavad-bhakti-tatparai mokas tyjayitu samyag vinindya sa-paricchada kvacitsometimes; prastyateis discussed; asmbhiby us; bhagavat-bhaktito the Supreme Lords devotional service; tat-parai who are dedicated; mokaliberation; tyjayitumin order to encourage its rejection; samyakcompletely; vinindyacondemning; sa-paricchadaalong with everything associated with it. We who are dedicated to the Personality of Godheads devotional service may sometimes discuss liberation, but only to encourage people to reject it completely. When we speak of liberation we condemn it, and everything that goes with it. COMMENTARY: The bhakti-stras have no business promoting liberation. But sometimes they do describe it, because people generally cannot give up attachment to something unless scientifically taught why it is undesirable. When the bhakti-stras speak of liberation, they criticize attachment to liberation for its own sake, and attachment to jna and the other impersonal means of striving for liberation.

TEXT 171 iNavRu-& >ai-MaahaTMYa& k-QYaTae_SYaaiPa TaTKvicTa( ) Na Tau SaaDYaf-l/TveNa Sau%GaNDaae_iPa NaaiSTa YaTa( )) nirvaktu bhakti-mhtmya kathyate sypi tat kvacit na tu sdhya-phalatvena sukha-gandho pi nsti yat nirvaktumto describe; bhaktiof devotional service; mhtmyam the glories; kathyateare described; asyaof it (liberation); apialso; tatthose; kvacitsometimes; nanot; tubut; sdhyaof the goal; phalatvenaas the perfection; sukhaof happiness; gandhaa trace; apieven; na astithere is not; yatwhich. To describe the ultimate glories of devotional service, we may sometimes speak highly of moka, liberation. But we do not intend to acclaim moka the final goal of spiritual discipline, because in moka there is not even a trace of real happiness. COMMENTARY: In some passages of the bhakti-stras, the joy found in liberation is described as being greater than any happiness in material life. The stras provide this information to contrast the joy of liberation with the joy of pure devotional service, which is billions of times more intense. Other than the joy of liberation, nothing can be meaningfully compared with the joy of bhakti. Properly speaking, however, the concept of joy in liberation is only a theoretical creation of the impersonalists. As the bhakti-stras declare in this verse, in liberation there is not even a trace of real happiness.

TEXT 172 YaQaaraeGYae SauzuaE c Sau%& Maae+ae_iPa kLPYaTae ) Par& TvjaNaSa&jae_YaMaNai>ajPa[raeck-" )) yathrogye suuptau ca sukha moke pi kalpyate para tv ajna-sajo yam anabhija-prarocaka

yathas; rogyein not being sick; suuptauin deep sleep; ca and; sukhamhappiness; mokein liberation; apialso; kalpyateis imagined; paramonly; tubut; ajnaof illusion; sajaa designation; ayamthis; anabhijato ignorant people; prarocaka appealing. The so-called happiness of liberation may be compared to the happiness of not being sick or the enjoyment of deep sleep. In fact, the very term liberation is a misnomer created by illusion, and it appeals only to the ignorant. COMMENTARY: As the scriptures like to do, they here support their proposition with analogies. Simply being free from the pain of disease is not positive happiness. Nor is there happiness in deep sleep, which is nothing but a condition of ignorance. One only imagines that in deep sleep one is happy because in that sleep one is free for a while from the minds flights of fancy, and from dreams and other agitations. One thinks, I slept happily, unaware of anything. In the same way, one only imagines that there is happiness in liberation, a state of apparent voidness in which birth, death, and the other pains of material existence are not perceived. People praise liberation only because they are unaware of the facts. The very term liberation is a misnomer, as Lord Brahm states in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.26): ajna-sajau bhava-bandha-mokau dvau nma nnyau sta ta-ja-bhvt ajasra-city tmani kevale pare vicryame tarav ivhan The conception of material bondage and that of liberation are both signs of ignorance. They lie outside the scope of true knowledge. They cease to exist when one correctly knows that the pure spirit soul is distinct from matter and always fully conscious. Bondage and liberation then no longer have any meaning, just as day and night mean nothing for the sun. TEXT 173 k-QaiGavaMaa>aaSaSYaaiPa Sa iSaDYaiTa ) Sak*-duarMaa}ae<a ik&- va k-<aRPa[veXaTa" )) kathacid bhagavan-nmbhsasypi sa sidhyati sakd uccra-mtrea

ki v kara-praveata kathacitsomehow; bhagavat-nmaof the names of the Supreme Lord; bhsasyafrom a shadow; apieven; sait (liberation); sidhyatiis attained; saktonce; uccra-mtreamerely by uttering; kim vor else; karathe ears; praveataby entering. From even a shadow of the Lords namesif one somehow chants them but once, or if they merely enter the ears liberation is easily attained. COMMENTARY: If even after hearing how the previous verse defines liberation one still wants to know the means to attain it, from the present statement one can learn that devotees of the Personality of Godhead achieve liberation without separate endeavor, as a mere byproduct of the practice of bhakti. Furthermore, ones service to the holy names of the Lord need not even be pure; simply nmbhsa, the shadow of chanting the Lords names, earns one liberation. Nmbhsa resembles the shadow of a real object in the world. One kind of nmbhsa is the unintentional utteringin jest, contempt, or other moods of neglectof sounds that contain the same syllables as Lord Vius names. Chanting or hearing nmbhsa even once results in liberation. This is stated in the Sixth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (6.3.24): etvatlam agha-nirharaya pus sakrtana bhagavato gua-karma-nmnm vikruya putram aghavn yad ajmilo pi nryaeti mriyama iyya muktim It should therefore be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nryaa. Also, at the beginning of the history of Satyatap, r Varha Pura (38.20) tells of a tiger that once approached a brhmaa who was busy chanting japa while standing in water. The tiger wanted to eat the brhmaa, but at that very moment the tiger was killed by a hunter. And because of hearing the names of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of the brhmaa, the tiger was liberated.

TEXT 174 ivcaracaTaurqrMYaae Maae+aae_YaMavDaaYaRTaaMa( ) Taeza& vedPaura<aaidXaaa<aa& ih YaQaaMaTaMa( )) vicrctur-ramyo moko yam avadhryatm te veda-purdistr hi yath-matam vicrain discriminating reason; acturto those who are not competent; ramyaattractive; mokaliberation; ayamthis; avadhryatmplease understand; temof these; veda-pura-di Vedas, Puras, and so on; strmscriptures; hicertainly; yath-matamaccording to the opinions. Liberation, please understand, is attractive to those whose discrimination is poor. This is evident even from the opinions of the same Vedas, Puras, and other scriptures that the proponents of liberation accept as authorities. COMMENTARY: In philosophical debates, opposing sides from different schools of thought unavoidably base their opinions on their own assumptions. Buddhists, for example, assume that everything is but momentary and thus unreal, while the logicians of the Gautama school assume that whatever has perceivable qualities is real. A debate is effective when each side, rather than fight over these assumptions, accepts for the sake of argument the assumptions of the other side and works out their own arguments from that starting point. It is in this sense that the bhakti-stras accept the scriptural statements yogs cite in support of their conviction that impersonal liberation is the final goal of life. TEXT 175 Saae_Xaezdu"%&Saae vaivak-MaR+aYaae_Qa va ) MaaYaak*-TaaNYaQaaPaTYaaGaaTSvaNau>avae_iPa va )) so ea-dukha-dhvaso vvidy-karma-kayo tha v my-ktnyath-rpatygt svnubhavo pi v sait (moka); aea-dukhaof all misery; dhvasathe elimination; vor; avidyin ignorance; karmaof material activity;

kayathe destruction; atha vor else; my-ktacreated by My; anyath-rpaof false identity; tygtby abandoning; svaanubhavarealization of ones real nature; api vor else. Moka, liberation, is the removal of all misery, or the stopping of illusory activities, or the self-realization that comes from abandoning the false identities created by My. COMMENTARY: These three alternative definitions of moka, taken from various stras, are adhered to by those who strive for liberation. The logicians of Gautamas Nyya school hold that liberation is the removal of all kinds of misery, which they count as twenty-one. As the followers of Gautama say, tyantik dukha-nivttir mukti: Liberation is the complete stoppage of suffering. A section of the Vednta school says that liberation is the ceasing of illusionand thus of activity, from which suffering comes about. And another party of impersonal Vedntists, the illusionists (Vivarta-vds), define liberation as rejecting the false identity produced by the power of illusion and thus realizing oneself to be one with Brahman. The Vivarta-vds further describe the false identity of the illusioned soul in terms of dualities and the cycle of life and death. These impersonalists sometimes cite rmad-Bhgavatam (2.10.6) as the source of their definition. Muktir hitvnyath-rpa / svarpea vyavasthiti: Liberation means to give up other identities and assume ones true essential identity. TEXT 176 JaqvSvPa>aUTaSYa SaidaNaNdvSTauNa" ) Saa+aadNau>aveNaaiPa SYaataad*k( Sau%MaLPak-Ma( )) jva-svarpa-bhtasya sac-cid-nanda-vastuna skd-anubhavenpi syt tdk sukham alpakam jvaof the finite individual soul; svarpa-bhtasyawhich is his true identity; sat-cit-nandaeternally full of knowledge and bliss; vastunawho is an entity; sktdirect; anubhavenaby experience; apieven; sytcan be; tdksuch; sukhamthe happiness; alpakamonly meager. The happiness that arises from directly perceiving the true identity of the jva soulthe entity composed of eternity, knowledge, and blissis actually meager.

COMMENTARY: The moka, or liberation, conceived in the first two ideas cited abovemoka as the end of misery or as the end of the causes of miseryaffords no positive happiness. Furthermore, the happiness of self-realization presumed in the third theory of moka, that of vivarta, is meager, as the bhakti-stras, in texts 176 through 196, now set out to prove. Compared to the bliss of performing pure devotional service and realizing the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who embodies all the perfections of Brahman, realizing the identity of the jva soul brings very little happiness. In fact, this socalled happiness of self-realization is nothing more than the negation of suffering; the scriptures refer to it as happiness only as a concession to the foolish. But at least the happiness of perceiving the jva soul serves as a standard of comparison by which to think of the joy of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. TEXT 177 XauaTMaTatv& YaSTau Tadev b] k-QYaTae ) iNaGauR<a& Ta iNa"Sa& iNaivRk-ar& iNarqihTaMa( )) uddhtma-tattva yad vastu tad eva brahma kathyate nirgua tac ca nisaga nirvikra nirhitam uddha-tmaof the pure self; tattvamthe reality; yatwhich; vastu entity; tatthat; evaindeed; brahmaBrahman; kathyateis called; nirguamdevoid of qualities; tatthat; caand; nisagam free from attachment; nirvikramunchanging; nirhitaminactive. That entitythe reality of pure selfis called Brahman. It is devoid of qualities, free from attachment, unchanging, and inactive. COMMENTARY: The impersonalists might now suggest that, in contrast to the small happiness of realizing the minute jva, the relish of perceiving the impersonal Supreme in liberation is unlimited. However, the bhakti-stras here point out that the Vivarta-vds own definition of the Supreme leaves little room in Brahman realization for happiness. According to them, Brahman is devoid of qualities such as compassion. It has no attachment to anything or anyone, including the pure Vaiavas. It undergoes no changes, such as the transformations of a heart melting in the ecstasy of love, and displays none of the dynamic varieties of opulence and sweetness shown by the Supreme Lord in His personal form. It is also inactive, which implies that it has no wonderful

all-attractive pastimes. Thus the happiness of realizing Brahman cannot transcend the limits of impersonalism. TEXT 178 >aGava&STau Par& b]= ParaTMaa ParMaer" ) SauSaaNd]SaidaNaNdivGa[hae MaihMaa<aRv" )) bhagavs tu para brahma partm paramevara su-sndra-sac-cid-nandavigraho mahimrava bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; tuhowever; param brahma the Supreme Brahman; para-tmthe Supersoul; parama-vara the absolute controller of everything; su-sndravery concentrated; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; vigrahawhose personal form; mahimof greatness; aravaocean. But the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Brahman, the Supersoul, the absolute controller of everything. His body is the concentrated essence of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He is an ocean of superlative qualities. COMMENTARY: Substantial happiness is not to be found in the impersonal conception of the Supreme, but rather in pure devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. He is the complete Absolute Truth, para brahma. He is also the Supreme Soul, the indwelling controller who regulates everyones consciousness. As such, He is the ultimate controller of everything, the ruler of even Brahm and all the other demigods. And as the Lord of Vaikuha He is the most concentrated manifestation of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, which constitute His transcendental body. He is an oceansteady, deep, and infinitely wide of countless inconceivable and amazing perfections. When the bhakti-stras refer to the full personal concept of the Absolute Truth, the term normally used is Para-brahman or para brahma, as in Bhagavad-gt (10.12): para brahma para dhma / pavitra parama bhavn (You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier). When the spiritual reality is indicated in a more generic sense, it is usually called simply Brahman, as again in Bhagavad-gt (14.27): brahmao hi pratiho ham (I am the foundation of the Absolute). rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.1) also says: brahman brahmay anirdeye nirgue gua-vttaya

katha caranti rutaya skt sad-asata pare How can the Vedas directly describe the Supreme Absolute Truth, who cannot be described in words? O brhmaa, the Vedas are limited to describing the qualities of material nature, but the Supreme is devoid of those qualities, being transcendental to all material manifestations and their causes. When the adjective param is seen with the term brahma, it may occasionally be intended to distinguish brahma the Supreme Truth from Vedic sound, which is also called brahma. TEXT 179 SaGau<aTvaGau<aTvaidivraeDaa" Pa[ivXaiNTa TaMa( ) Mahaiv>aUiTab]RaSYa Pa[iSaeTQa& TaYaaei>aRda )) sa-guatvguatvdivirodh pravianti tam mah-vibhtir brahmsya prasiddhettha tayor bhid sa-guatvahaving qualities; aguatvahaving no qualities; diand so on; virodhcontrary natures; praviantienter; tamHim; mahvibhtiinfinite opulence; brahmathe impersonal aspect of the Supreme; asyaof Him; prasiddhwell established; itthamthus; tayoof them; bhidthe difference. Contrary natures, like having qualities and having no qualities, conjoin in Him. Since impersonal Brahman is an infinite opulence of the Personality of Godhead, the difference between Him and Brahman is well established. COMMENTARY: As rivers merge into an ocean, many opposite qualities converge in the Supreme Person. The word di after saguatva and aguatva indicates more oppositesdetachment and association, changelessness and change, inactivity and endeavor, oneness and multiplicity, nonduality and specific qualities. Conceived as impersonal Brahman, the Supreme is devoid of qualities and other dualities. Conceived as Paramtm and Paramevara, the Supreme displays characteristics such as having relationships with other living beings, possessing wonderful qualities, and so on. Thus in truth the Supreme is full of qualities, many of them apparently contradictory. stra may sometimes say that the Supreme cannot be described in words and that He has no name, but the literal construction of these statements is refuted by the Vsudevdhytma:

aprasiddhes tad-gunm anmsau prakrtita aprktatvd rpasypy arpo ya pracakate Because His qualities are not well known, He is said to have no name. And because His form is not material, He is said to have no form. Myvds argue that the Personality of Godhead may have qualities but as products of My those qualities are illusory. Thus they want to reconcile His having qualities with their idea of reality, that the Supreme actually has no qualities. In fact, however, the supreme powers of the Absolute Truth are eternal and real, not illusory like the material creation. And therefore when the personal feature of the Supreme, Bhagavn, is said to be nirgua, like Brahman, the sense is different, namely that Bhagavn transcends all material qualities. At the same time, like the material world, He has many different qualities, and so He is also said to be sagua. This seems contradictory, but it is possible by His inconceivable, amazing potencies. The Supreme Person is indeed mahimrava, the ocean in which all perfections converge. This is confirmed in many stras. In the words of the Moka-dharma (Mahbhrata, nti-parva 335.1011): yat kicid iha loke vai deha-bandha vim-pate sarva pacabhir via bhtair vara-buddhi-jai varo hi mahad bhta prabhur nryao vi bhtntar-tm vijeya saguo nirguo pi sa O ruler of the people, whatever you see in this world in connection with the material bodies of the living entities, whatever you see composed of the five elements born from the intelligence of the Supreme Lordknow all that to be the Supreme Lord Himself. Both possessing qualities and having none, He is the ultimate element of all creation, the supreme master, the body of the universe, Lord Nryaa. Try to understand Him to be the inner Self of all creatures. In the Krma Pura: asthla cnau caiva sthlo u caiva sarvata avara sarvata prokta ymo raktnta-locana

aivarya-yogd bhagavn viruddhrtho bhidhyate tathpi do parame naivhry kathacana gu viruddh api tu samhry ca sarvata He is neither large nor infinitesimal; yet He is larger and smaller than everything else. He is said to be devoid of color; yet He is dark blue, and the corners of His eyes are reddish. By the play of His personal powers, the Supreme Lord is known by contradictory designations. Yet He is the Supreme, and faults should never be ascribed to Him. In Him all contrary qualities combine. And in the Viu-dharmottara Pura: gu sarve pi yujyante hy aivaryt puruottame do kathacin naivtra yujyante paramo hi sa gua-doau myayaiva kecid hur apait na tatra my my v tadyau tau kuto hy ata tasmn na myay sarva sarvaivaryasya sambhavam amyo hvaro yasmt tasmt ta parama vidu All qualities join together in the Supreme Person by virtue of His transcendental powers. Yet no faults ever enter Him, for He is the Absolute. Some persons who are not truly learned say that good qualities and faults exist in the Supreme Lord by the force of My. But in Him there is no My, nor any agent who could possess My. How then could He have illusory good qualities and faults that My could produce? The opulences of the Supreme Lord are not, therefore, generated by the force of illusion. The Lord transcends My, and so He is known as the Supreme. All this will be more elaborately explained later on. Although impersonal Brahman and the Personality of Godhead are but different conceptions of the same Absolute Truth, some think otherwise; they think that Brahman, the Lords formless aspect, worshiped by yogs, is one entity, and that His form, possessing personal qualities and worshiped by His devotees, is a different entity. But although the Myvds think that sagua Brahman is not as real

as nirgua Brahman, they still have to admit that the sagua aspect of the Supreme is the concentrated eternal essence of pure existence (uddha-sattva). Therefore, even in their opinion the sagua form of the Lord is superior to everything else that has form. That personal form is realized by the Lords unalloyed devotees, but remains invisible to persons striving to realize impersonal Brahman. In addition, the personal aspect of the Supreme has special unique excellences, such as His distributing the topmost ecstasy of prema. How the Lord selectively reveals Himself is shown in a narrative in the r Nryaya of the Moka-dharma where Uparicara Vasu performs a sacrifice in which hebut not Bhaspati and othersis able to see the Personality of Godhead accepting His share of the offerings. Another vivid example appears in the history of Brahms sons Ekata, Dvita, and Trita, all great yogs, who went to vetadvpa to see the Supreme Lord. Even after intense endeavor they were unable to have His audience. But although r Sanaka and his brothers were constantly perceiving Brahman and were the most elevated of selfcontented sages, when they visited r Vaikuha they did see the Personality of Godhead, and the ecstasy they felt was so powerful that various transformations became manifest in them. This same incident is described in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.43): tasyravinda-nayanasya padravindakijalka-mira-tulas-makaranda-vyu antar-gata sva-vivarea cakra te sakobham akara-jum api citta-tanvo When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulas leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding. The conclusion is that the Supremes features of Brahman and the jva soul are two of the Personality of Godheads opulent expansions, as many authoritative sources confirm. For example, according to one saying by saintly devotees, partpara brahma ca te vibhtaya: The Supreme Truth, Brahman, is also one of Your vibhtis, O Lord. In Bhagavad-gt (10.20) r Ka includes the soul as one of His vibhtis. Aham tm gukea / sarvabhtaya-sthita: O conqueror of sleep, I am the soul situated in the hearts of all living beings. r Brahma-sahit (5.40) also states: yasya prabh prabhavato jagad-aa-koikoiv aea-vasudhdi-vibhti-bhinnam tad brahma nikalam anantam aea-bhta govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete, and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes. In other words, Brahman is the Supreme Persons partial expansion. And as stated elsewhere: anrambha tamo ynti paramtma-vinindant pardhna ca baddha ca svalpa-jna-sukhe sthita alpa-akti sa-doa ca jvtm neda para vadat tu tayor aikya ki tair na dukta ktam Those who blaspheme the Supreme Soul go to darkness that has no beginning or end. The jva soul is subordinate, bound, weak, full of faults, and absorbed in very insignificant awareness and enjoyment; but the Supreme has just the opposite qualities. What wickedness does one not commit by saying that the jva soul and the Supreme Soul are the same? antarymy-aikya-vcni vacannha yni hi tni dv bhramantha durtmno lpa-cetasa asy asmi tvam aha svtmety abhidh gocaro yata sarvntaratvt puruas tv antar-ym bhidm ayan When fools and rascals read the scriptural statements that describe the oneness of the soul and the Supersoul, they become bewildered. These statements inspire them to tell one another, I am you, and you are me, my own self. But actually the Supreme Person is the indwelling regulator, the Soul within everyone, and so He is different from the individual soul. ato bhramanti vacanair asur moha-tatparai tan-mohane par prtir

devn paramasya ca ato mahndha-tamasi narake ynty abhedata In this way, demons are bewildered by statements intended to confuse them. And that bewilderment is pleasing to the demigods and to the Supreme Lord Himself. For thinking that the soul and Supersoul are one and the same, the demons go to the hell called Mahndhatamas. TEXT 180 ATa" SaaNd]Sau%& TaSYa [qMaTPaadaMbuJaYaMa( ) >a-yaNau>avTaa& SaaNd]& Sau%& SaMPaTae Da]uvMa( )) ata sndra-sukha tasya rmat-pdmbuja-dvayam bhaktynubhavat sndra sukha sampadyate dhruvam atatherefore; sndraconcentrated; sukhamthe essence of happiness; tasyaHis; rmatbeautiful; pda-ambujaof lotus feet; dvayamthe pair; bhaktywith pure devotion; anubhavatmfor those who are realizing; sndramconcentrated; sukhamhappiness; sampadyateis obtained; dhruvamcertainly. His two beautiful lotus feet, therefore, embody the concentrated essence of happiness. Those who realize Him through pure devotion surely attain that intense bliss. COMMENTARY: The happiness of the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is much greater than the happiness of persons who meditate on impersonal Brahman. The two lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead are rmat, endowed with all splendor. As the sage Parara explains in the Viu Pura (1.22.53): eka-dea-sthitasygner jyotsn vistri yath parasya brahmaa aktis tathedam akhila jagat Just as the light of a fire situated in one place spreads in every direction, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman, spread all over the universe. And r Ka says in the Bhagavad-gt (14.27), brahmao hi pratihham/

amtasyvyayasya ca: I am the foundation of Brahman, the immortal and infallible. The Supreme Lords lotus feet are pure spirit, perfect in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Their effulgence is like the combined radiance of the sun and moon, and the worshipers of those feet naturally relish intense pleasure. In contrast, the pleasure of realizing the Brahman feature of the Supreme is minuscule. The jvas are of the nature of this Brahman, and even though the individual effulgence of each of them is small, because the jvas are found everywhere their combined effulgence pervades the entire universe. The pleasure of realizing Brahman and the jva is not material, but it is inferior to the bliss gained by realizing the lotus feet of the Lord. The individual jvas may be compared to solar and lunar rays. The atomic quanta of light shining forth from the sun and moon are expansions of the sun and moon and nondifferent from them, but although the rays of the sun and moon have many sunlike and moonlike qualities, such as brilliance, the rays each bear but a small part of solar and lunar power. All this notwithstanding, when we compare both Brahman and the jvas with the material cosmos, we find that matter is not sac-cidnanda; and so, properly speaking, matter is not an aa (nondifferent part) of Para-brahman but is one of His aktis (energies). TEXT 181 Sau%Pa& Sau%aDaar" XakR==raiPa<@vNMaTaMa( ) [qk*-Z<acr<aN& Sau%& b] Tau ke-vl/Ma( )) sukha-rpa sukhdhra arkar-pia-van matam r-ka-caraa-dvandva sukha brahma tu kevalam sukhaof joy; rpamthe manifestation; sukhaof joy; dhrathe source; arkarof sugar; pia-vatlike a piece; matam considered; r-kaof r Ka; caraa-dvandvamthe two feet; sukhamjoyful; brahmaBrahman; tubut; kevalamonly. The two feet of r Ka are considered like a piece of sugar because they are joyful and are a source of all joy. Brahman, however, is only joyful. COMMENTARY: Lord Kas lotus feet are sukha-rpa, the essence of joy itself, and sukha-dhra, the object of love in which His devotees taste countless varieties of joy. His feet are like a sugar lump, which is in essence nothing but sweetness but is also a particular object that

supplies sweetness. Brahman, in its essence, is bliss, but Brahman cannot be considered a source of bliss, because that would involve a duality, a difference between Brahman and its bliss. By definition, after all, Brahman is supposed to be free of duality. The concept of the Personality of Godhead, however, is not limited in that way; He is the fathomless reservoir of wonders, deeper than millions of oceans. Just as various rivers enter an ocean, many contrary qualities like oneness and duality enter and mingle within Him. TEXT 182 JaqvSvPa& YaSTau Par& b] Tadev ceTa( ) Tadev SaidaNaNdgaNa& [q>aGava& TaTa( )) jva-svarpa yad vastu para brahma tad eva cet tad eva sac-cid-nandaghana r-bhagav ca tat jvaof the finite self; svarpamthe identity; yatwhich; vastu entity; param brahmathe Supreme Brahman; tatthat; evaonly; cetif; tatthat; evaonly; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; ghanamthe embodiment; r-bhagavnthe divine Personality of Godhead; caand; tatthat. If the identity of the jva, the individual self, were the same as that of the Supreme Brahman, then the jva would be the full embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He would be the Personality of Godhead Himself. COMMENTARY: Some philosophers think that God is nothing else than impersonal Brahman, which pervades the creation with consciousness like the moon illuminating the sky with its rays. These philosophers may even take support for their idea from rmad-Bhgavatam (1.2.11), in which it is said, brahmeti paramtmeti / bhagavn iti abdyate: The same one Absolute is called Brahman, Paramtm, and Bhagavn. But this impersonal view does not allow the conscious self, the jva, any real individual existence apart from Brahman. And as the bhakti-stras explain in texts 182 through 188, not much happiness can be derived from the so-called liberation of identifying the jva with Brahman, the Supreme. TEXT 183 TaQaaiPa JaqvTatvaiNa TaSYaa&Xaa Wv SaMMaTaa" )

gaNaTaeJa"SaMaUhSYa TaeJaaeJaal&/ YaQaa rve" )) tathpi jva-tattvni tasy eva sammat ghana-teja-samhasya tejo-jla yath rave tath apinonetheless; jva-tattvnithe individual souls; tasyaof Him; apartial expansions; evasimply; sammatrecognized; ghanadense; tejaof light; samhasyaof a mass; teja-jlamthe network of effulgence; yathas; raveof the sun. But the jvas are recognized as integral parts of the Personality of Godhead. They are like the network of light that shines forth from the dense mass of light called the sun. COMMENTARY: Parara and other saintly authorities are of the opinion that the jvas are small, partial expansions of the Supreme Person. He is the ghana-tejas, the dense source of light, and they are small particles of light spreading out from Him. Because there are so many jvas, they pervade the entire universe, just as the rays from the sun provide light and heat for the entire universe, even though the sun globe is in one place, far away. TEXT 184 iNaTYaiSaaSTaTaae Jaqva i>aa Wv YaQaa rve" ) A&Xavae ivSfu-il/a ve>aRa vairDae" )) nitya-siddhs tato jv bhinn eva yath rave aavo visphulig ca vahner bhag ca vridhe nitya-siddheternally existing; tatatherefore; jvthe finite living beings; bhinndifferent; evaindeed; yathlike; raveof the sun; aavathe rays; visphuligthe sparks; caand; vahne of a fire; bhagthe waves; caand; vri-dheof the ocean. In relation to the Supreme Lord, the eternally existing jvas are distinct, like the rays of the sun, the sparks of a fire, or the waves of an ocean. COMMENTARY: Someone may propose that the jvas appear distinct and many by the power of illusion, an illusion dispelled when liberation is achieved and only pure nondifference remains. This idea is refuted in

this verse and the next. Those who acknowledge that all the Lords energies are real look upon the jvas not as illusions created by My but as separated expansions of the Supreme Brahman,. each with its own autonomous existence. TEXT 185 ANaaidiSaYaa Xa-ya icil/aSaSvPaYaa ) MahaYaaeGaa:YaYaa TaSYa Sada Tae >aeidTaaSTaTa" )) andi-siddhay akty cid-vilsa-svarpay mah-yogkhyay tasya sad te bhedits tata andisince time immemorial; siddhayexisting; aktyby the potency; cit-vilsaof the Lords spiritual enjoyment; svarpay whose essential being; mah-yog-khyaycalled Mahyog; tasya His; sadalways; tethey; bheditseparated; tatathus. By the Supreme Lords eternally existing potency called Mahyog, who is an aspect of His spiritual splendor, these jvas always stand separate from Him. COMMENTARY: If the illusory My does not create duality, then from where does it arise? It arises from the Supreme Lords personal energy, who has always been acting on His behalf. By that energy the jvas have their separate existence, not as an illusion but in fact. Furthermore, since the power that maintains the separate identities of the jvas is an eternal energy of the Lord, the jvas themselves are also eternal. That energy is called Mahyog or Yogamy, meaning that she can make the impossible possible, as she does when she manifests the distinction between the whole and the parts of the indivisible Supreme. She is an expansion of the Lords internal energy, and thus she is not a creator of unreality. r Ka describes her in the Bhagavad-gt (7.25). Nha praka sarvasya / yogamysamvta: I am not manifest to everyone, for I am covered by My Yogamy. TEXT 186 ATaSTaSMaadi>aaSTae i>aa AiPa SaTaa& MaTaa" ) Mau-aE SaTYaaMaiPa Pa[aYaae >aediSTaedTaae ih Sa" ))

atas tasmd abhinns te bhinn api sat mat muktau satym api pryo bhedas tihed ato hi sa atatherefore; tasmtfrom Him; abhinnnondifferent; tethey; bhinndifferent; apialthough; satmby spiritual authorities; matconsidered; muktauwhen liberation; satymoccurs; api even; pryaas a rule; bhedadifference; tihetremains; ata therefore; hicertainly; sait. Therefore saintly authorities consider the jvas both different and nondifferent from the Supreme. As a rule, even when the jvas are liberated the difference endures. COMMENTARY: The jvas are nondifferent from Brahman in that they share with Him the nature of being pure spiriteternal, conscious, and blissful. Simultaneously, being parts of Him and having other distinct qualities, they are different from Him. As illustrated in the examples given in Text 184, the parts of a whole, such asthe rays of the sun, the sparks of fire, and the waves of an ocean, are nondifferent from the whole because they partake of the qualities of the whole; yet they differ from the whole by virtue of being separate, many, and diminutive. The parts and the whole always remain separate. Thus even r akarcrya has said, mukt api llay vigraha ktv bhagavanta bhajanti: Even the liberated accept new bodies as their pastime to worship the Supreme Lord. This idea is also consistent with statements of the Mah-puras and other scriptures. For example, rmad-Bhgavatam (6.14.5) states: muktnm api siddhn nryaa-paryaa su-durlabha pranttm koiv api mah-mune O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nryaa, or Ka. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. If upon attaining liberation a person were to merge as one with Brahman, who would remain to take on a new body for pastimes? Or what liberated soul would engage in bhakti as a devotee of Lord Nryaa? Having no individual existence separate from Brahman would disallow the liberated tm from doing any of this. Nor can we explain away the cited statements by saying that they refer to persons who are jvan-mukta, who have earned liberation but are still living in

material bodies. Such persons already have bodies and therefore need not assume bodies for pastimes. The Sixth Canto verse cited above states that some liberated souls worship Nryaa. The Krttika-mhtmya section of the Padma Pura tells of an advanced sage in a human body who merged into the Supreme Lord and then later obtained a form similar in appearance to that of Lord Nryaa. Similarly, in a discourse about fasting on Nsiha-caturda, the Bhan-nsiha Pura relates how a fallen brhmaa and a prostitute merged into the Supreme and then again took birth as Prahlda Mahrja and his wife. Many histories like these serve as evidence that the jva continues its individual existence after liberation. Only as a concession does the current verse use the word prya (as a general rule) to indicate that in certain cases the Lord may, by His sweet will, allow someone to attain syujya, the nirva of entering His body. TEXT 187 SaidaNaNdPaa<aa& JaqvaNaa& k*-Z<aMaaYaYaa ) ANaaivYaa TatvivSMa*TYaa Sa&Sa*iTa>a[RMa" )) sac-cid-nanda-rp jvn ka-myay andy-avidyay tattvavismty sastir bhrama sat-cit-nandacomposed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; rpm whose real forms; jvnmof the individual living beings; kamyayby Kas material energy; andibeginningless; avidyay by illusion; tattvaof their true identity; vismtyby forgetting; sastithe cycle of birth and death; bhramadelusion. The original forms of the jvas are made of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, but by the beginningless illusion of Kas My the jvas forget their true identities and wander deluded in the cycle of birth and death. COMMENTARY: This verse and the next answer the following doubt: If the separate individual existence of the jva continues even in the liberated state, what do the many lifetimes of effort for liberation actually accomplish? As explained here, the material energy of the Personality of Godhead Ka creates for the jvas an illusion that for all practical purposes is without beginning, an illusion that makes them forget their essential identity as parts of Him and begin wandering in material life.

It is this deluded, aimless life that is unreal, because in truth the jvas do not belong to the world of birth and death. TEXT 188 Mau-aE SvTatvjaNaeNa MaaYaaPaGaMaTaae ih Sa" ) iNavTaRTae gaNaaNaNdb]a&XaaNau>avae >aveTa( )) muktau sva-tattva-jnena mypagamato hi sa nivartate ghannandabrahmnubhavo bhavet muktauin liberation; sva-tattvaof ones true identity; jnenaby knowledge; myof illusion; apagamataby the cessation; hi indeed; sathat (delusion); nivartateis eradicated; ghana-nanda full of bliss; brahmaof the Supreme; aaas a portion; anubhava realization; bhavetthere is. When a jva is liberated by knowledge of his true self, My ceases to act on him, and his wandering comes to an end. He then perceives himself to be full of bliss as a small portion of the Supreme. COMMENTARY: The jva is liberated when he attains knowledge of his own real identity as pure spirit. The spiritual self-knowledge one gains in the preliminary stage gives only partial spiritual happiness, but that stage of liberation can then lead to the full self-realization of Ka consciousness, in which one finds full ecstasy. Devotees of the Personality of Godhead are superior to persons who are merely liberated, for though the devotees and the merely liberated share the same spiritual identity as jvas, the devotees enjoy the special happiness of bhakti in their worship of the Lord and their realization of His lotus feet. TEXT 189 SvSaaDaNaaNauPa& ih f-l&/ SavR}a iSaDYaiTa ) ATa" SvPajaNaeNa SaaDYae Maae+ae_LPak&- fl/Ma( )) sva-sdhannurpa hi phala sarvatra sidhyati ata svarpa-jnena sdhye moke lpaka phalam

sva-sdhanathe discipline one has performed; anurpamaccording to; hicertainly; phalamresult; sarvatraeverywhere; sidhyatiis achieved; atathus; svarpaof ones true identity; jnenaby knowledge; sdhyein the perfection; mokeliberation; alpakam insignificant; phalamthe result. In all spheres of activity, the results one achieves match the discipline one has practiced. Thus in the liberation attained by knowledge of ones own self the result is meager. COMMENTARY: To clarify their point, the bhakti-stras here introduce the general principle that results come according to the means one employs. This rule applies to both ordinary and transcendental life. Scissors cannot do the job of an ax. Nor can methods aimed merely at realizing the jva soul yield the same result as methods for realizing the Supreme Soul. The sdhana of acquiring knowledge of the jva soul, who is but a small part of Brahman, gives but a partial, insignificant result in liberation because the sdhana itself is only partial. TEXT 190 Sa&SaarYaaTaNaaeiGanE rSahqNaEMauRMau+aui>a" ) bhuDaa STaUYaTae Maae+aae YaQaa aE" SvGaRkaiMai>a" )) sasra-ytanodvignai rasa-hnair mumukubhi bahudh styate moko yath dyau svarga-kmibhi sasrain the cycle of birth and death; ytanby the torments; udvignaiwho are disturbed; rasaspiritual taste; hnaiwho lack; mumukubhiby those who aspire for liberation; bahudh elaborately; styateis praised; mokaliberation; yathas; dyau heaven; svarga-kmibhiby those who want to go to heaven. Suffering the torments of material existence, and lacking the taste for loving exchanges in true spiritual life, seekers of liberation profusely glorify liberation, just as persons aspiring for heaven praise heaven. COMMENTARY: Why do some transcendentalists describe the happiness of liberation as supreme? Because they are frustrated with material life and they misunderstand real spiritual life. Their minds are disturbed by

the pains of birth, death, and the other torments of this world, and so they cannot taste rasa, that special heart-melting spiritual nectar of love that pure devotees have for the Supreme Lord. In that deprived condition, such frustrated nondevotees develop the desire to attain liberation. They glorify liberation in many ways, but their words do nothing to make liberation more than it actually is. The example given here is that of persons unaware of the faults of Svargaloka, heaven, and therefore eager to achieve it. They praise heaven profusely, citing such words as these: yan na dukhena sambhinna na ca grastam anantaram abhilopanta ca sukha tat svarga-vsinm The happiness of the residents of heaven comes just as desired, stays untainted by misery, and is not overtaken by misery at the end. (Vdrtha of Gaddhara Bhaa) Sense enjoyers are unmindful that the residents of Svargaloka quarrel, that they fear losing their positions, and that their enjoyment of heaven is temporary and tarnished by various kinds of discomfort. TEXT 191 Sau%SYa Tau Para k-aa >a-avev SvTaae >aveTa( ) TaNMaYa[qPadaM>aaeJaSaeivNaa& SaaDaNaaeicTaa )) sukhasya tu par kh bhaktv eva svato bhavet tan-maya-r-padmbhojasevin sdhanocit sukhasyaof happiness; tuhowever; par khthe highest degree; bhaktauin devotional service; evaonly; svata automatically; bhavetarises; tat-mayafull of that (happiness); rpada-ambhojathe blessed lotus feet; sevinmfor those who serve; sdhanato the discipline; ucitsuitably corresponding. But only in devotional service does the highest degree of happiness naturally arise. That happiness is the right reward for those who practice serving the Supreme Lords all-blissful lotus feet. TEXT 192 ParMaaiTaXaYaPa[aMahtaabaeDaNaaYa ih )

Para k-aeiTa XaBeTa TaSYaaNaNTaSYa NaaviDa" )) paramtiaya-prptamahatt-bodhanya hi par kheti abdyeta tasynantasya nvadhi paramaultimate; atiayathe peak; prptathat has reached; mahattgreatness; bodhanyato make known; hiindeed; par khthe highest degree; itithus; abdyetais termed; tasyaof it; anantasyaendless; nathere is no; avadhilimit. The highest degree indicates greatness that has reached its ultimate peak. But in fact that endless happiness has no limit. COMMENTARY: The glories of devotional service are difficult to describe without straining the capacity of words. The phrase par kh (highest degree) implies that no higher degree exists. But the happiness of pure devotional service never reaches a final peak. It keeps on increasing forever. Calling it the par kh of happiness is only a poetic attempt to do it justice with words available in human language. TEXT 193 TaTSau%& vDaRTae_>aq+<aMaNaNTa& ParMa& MahTa( ) Na Tau b]Sau%& Mau-aE vDaRTae SaqMavTa" )) tat sukha vardhate bhkam ananta parama mahat na tu brahma-sukha muktau vardhate smavad yata tatthat; sukhamhappiness; vardhateincreases; abhkam constantly; anantamendless; paramam mahatsupremely great; na not; tubut; brahma-sukhamthe happiness of impersonal Brahman realization; muktauin liberation; vardhateincreases; sma-vat limited; yatabecause. That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited. COMMENTARY: The bhakti-stras here explicitly confirm that the happiness of bhakti increases constantly, and to dispel any

misconception that this increase may eventually come to an end, they further qualify it as ananta, endless. At every moment, pure devotees experience bhakti-rasa as newer and newer, sweeter and sweeter, and more and more intense. Because Brahman cannot develop or transform in any way, the happiness of realizing Brahman is static. When impersonalists call their brahma-sukha the par kh of happiness, they mean that it has virtually reached a peak, beyond which it can progress no further. TEXT 194 ParMaaTMaa Parb] Sa Wv ParMaer" ) wTYaevMaezaMaEKYaeNa SaJaaTaqYai>ada hTaa )) paramtm para-brahma sa eva paramevara ity evam em aikyena sajtya-bhid hat parama-tmthe Supreme Soul; para-brahmathe Supreme Brahman; saHe; evaalone; parama-varathe Supreme Lord; iti evamthis being so; emamong them; aikyenabecause of the oneness; sajtya-bhiddifference of things belonging to the same category; hatrefuted. The Supreme Lord is also the Supreme Soul and the Supreme Brahman. Since they are all the same one being, they cannot be considered different members of the same category. COMMENTARY: The Vedas are accepted as perfect authority both by impersonalists and by devotees of the Supreme Lord. But when the Vedic Upaniads declare that there is no duality in the Supreme, the personalists and the impersonalists understand this in opposite ways. For the Advaita-vd impersonalists, the oneness of Brahman means that all form and variety are illusion. For the Vaiavas, however, the Supreme, although one, is full of variety. How this can be so, the Vedas now begin to explain to Gopa-kumra, starting with two verses discussing the absence of difference in the Supreme. Differences can be analyzed as being of two kindssajtya and vijtya. Similar things, like two men, will differ as individuals. This is called sajtyabheda, the difference between members of the same category. Dissimilar things, like a man and a cow, differ by vijtya-bheda, the difference between members of separate categories. Now, because the jvas are manifestations of Brahman, and because in earlier verses we heard that the jvas are always distinct as individuals, someone may object that we here find ourselves facing a

Brahman in which there are sajtya differences. That is, Brahman now seems to consist of members of one category who differ from one another. But this makes no sense, because it would contradict the very nature of Brahman, which by the definition of the authoritative Upaniads is ekam (absolutely one) and advayam (allowing of no differences whatsoever). Point taken. But how, as expressed by the formula ekam advayam, the Supreme is free of all dualitiessajtya and vijtyais shown in a different way, in this verse and the next. Despite our being surrounded by a world full of apparent variety, the impersonalists construe ekam advayam in its most strictly literal sense, saying that there are absolutely no dualities at all. But what the Vedas actually mean by these words fits much more sensibly with our common experience. How Brahman is ekamthat is, free from sajtya differencesis best understood in the following way. The impersonal Absolute (parabrahma), the indwelling controller of the jvas (paramtm), and the Supreme Personality of Godhead (paramevara) are one Absolute Truth. There is no difference between the three. When that Supreme Absolute, as the Personality of Godhead, further expands into countless formsgua-avatras, ll-avatras, and so onthese avatras may seem different from one another, but in reality they are one and the same person. In all His plenary manifestations, He never becomes any less than His full self, in spite of external appearances. Thus any attempt to analyze the plenary expansions of Godhead as different members of one category is doomed to fail. Brahman does, however, have expansions of His energy in the form of the finite living beings, as discussed in the next verse. TEXT 195 Sada vEJaaTYaMaaaNaa& JaqvaNaaMaiPa TatvTa" ) A&XaTveNaaPYai>aTvaiJaaTaqYai>ada Ma*Taa )) sad vaijtyam ptn jvnm api tattvata aatvenpy abhinnatvd vijtya-bhid mt sadalways; vaijtyamnonmembership in the same category; ptnmwho achieve; jvnmof the finite souls; apihowever; tattvatafactually; aatvenabecause of being minute parts of the Supreme; apialthough; abhinnatvtdue to their nondifference; vijtyaof members of different categories; bhidthe difference; mtis eliminated.

The jvas always have their own identities, different from that of the Supreme. But they are parts of the Supreme and cannot exist separate from Him, and this rules out the difference called vijtya. COMMENTARY: This verse establishes the actual way that Brahman is advayam, free from all dualities. The jvas, it is true, belong to categories other than Brahman, such as the category of things that have finite size. In that sense they are different from Brahman. But in other respects they are nondifferent from Him: They are expansions of the same creative living force of which Brahmans own supreme personality consists, and they are His integral parts, naturally sharing many of His qualities. Thus although they are individuals and eternally remain so, they are not entirely separate from the Absolute, Brahman, the Supreme Person. TEXT 196 AiSMaNa( ih >aeda>aeda:Yae iSaaNTae_SMaTSauSaMMaTae ) Yau-yavTaairTae Sav| iNarv& Da]uv& >aveTa( )) asmin hi bhedbhedkhye siddhnte smat-su-sammate yuktyvatrite sarva niravadya dhruva bhavet asminin this; hiindeed; bheda-abheda-khyecalled bhedbheda, difference and nondifference; siddhntephilosophical doctrine; asmatby us; su-sammatebcompletely approved; yuktyby logical argument; avatriteintroduced; sarvameverything; niravadyam irrefutable; dhruvamcertain; bhavetbecomes. We fully approve of this philosophical doctrine, called bhedbheda. Indeed, when it is presented with logical argument, everything about it is certain and irrefutable. COMMENTARY: The scriptures dedicated solely to propounding pure devotional service agree with the concept of bhedbheda and with its logical supporting arguments. With the help of this philosophical framework for understanding the identities, relationships, and purposes of all things that exist, the bhakti-stras faultlessly explain the path of devotional service and reconcile all possible doubts and contradictions, both spoken and unspoken. Thus the presentation of the bhakti-stras is definitive (dhruvam).

The impersonalists say that since the jvas come into being from Brahman and are again absorbed back into Brahman they are altogether nondifferent from Brahman. But even according to this theory the happiness of impersonal liberation is meager, because that liberation rules out perception of the totality of Brahman. Waves do arise in one part of an ocean and dissolve in another, on the oceans shore, and since the waves and the ocean consist of the same water they are nondifferent. Yet even though the waves, when they dissolve, again become one with the ocean in the sense that their separate existence is no longer visible, the waves dont have the same depth as the ocean, nor can they generate precious jewels, so the waves and the ocean are also different. Applying the metaphor of the ocean and the waves, one formulation of impersonalist theory would have it that when jvas attain liberation by merging back into the individual portions of Brahman from which they originated they again become one with Brahman. But the bhaktistras respond that because the jvas are by their very nature separate and finite they cannot become the undivided Supreme and enjoy all of His unlimited bliss. On the contrary, even according to the theory, they continue to exist separately in liberation, retaining their individuality even in union with the Supreme. This implies that although they are nondifferent from Brahman they are also in some ways different from Him. The scriptures accordingly describe that sometimes, by the Supreme Lords special mercy, a liberated soul merged into oneness with Brahman becomes eager for the joys of bhakti and once again assumes his distinct identity so that he can have a spiritual body with which to serve the Lord. On this point r akarcrya-pda has said: saty api bhedpagame ntha tavha na mmaknas tvam smudro hi taraga kvaca na samudras traga My Lord, even when all difference is gone, I am still Yours, though You are not mine. A wave belongs to the ocean, but surely the ocean does not belong to the wave. (Prrthan-apad 3) This statement by crya akara, expressing the basic idea of the bhedbheda philosophy, is very much to the point. Even after the jvas illusory difference from the Lord is destroyed his real difference of belonging to the Lord remains. If this were not so, there would be no meaning to the words ntha tavham (Lord, I am Yours). The separate river waters cannot literally become the ocean, which has qualities the rivers do not possess, like the ability to produce gems. The rivers are only said to become one with the ocean because after they flow into the ocean their separate existence is no longer

visible. But in fact that oneness is unreal. In the same way, liberation as impersonally conceived is unreal, for it implies that liberation equals nonexistence, like that of an extinguished flame. Again, if the liberated self has become completely one with Brahman, he has no scope for happiness, since the liberated self is not supposed to keep the mind and the other faculties of individual consciousness with which happiness could be tasted. Even when liberated, the soul remains individual. Thus when the standard scriptures consider the four kinds of annihilationthe constant degradation of matter, the partial destruction of the universe at the end of Brahms day, the total destruction of the universe at the end of Brahms life, and the liberation of individual soulsthe scriptures distinguish between liberation and total annihilation. TEXT 197 Sada Pa[Maa<a>aUTaaNaaMaSMaak&- MahTaa& TaQaa ) vaKYaaiNa VYavhara Pa[Maa<a& %lu/ SavRQaa )) sad prama-bhtnm asmka mahat tath vkyni vyavahr ca prama khalu sarvath sadalways; prama-bhtnmwho are authoritative; asmkam of us; mahatmgreat souls; tathalso; vkynithe statements; vyavahrthe behavior; caand; pramamstandard evidence; khalucertainly; sarvathin all situations. We scriptures are always accepted as authoritative. Our words, and the words and behavior of great souls, are standard evidence in all circumstances. COMMENTARY: In the opinion of some transcendentalists, the Absolute Truth, eternally one without a second, becomes differentiated only by the superficial covering of illusion, which makes the one Absolute falsely appear as many jvas. And when, by knowledge of reality, that false appearance is stripped away, only the Absolute Truth remains, manifest alone. Thus when illusion is dispelledthe illusion that arises when circumstantial designations make the jvas seem to separately existone attains mukti, in which one perceives, as before, the intense bliss of ones true identity as Brahman. And so, by this reasoning, Brahman realization does constitute substantial happiness. In mukti, furthermore, according to this view, there is no longer attraction to the false ego, even in its most subtle forms. Indeed, even the very person

who once relished false happiness from false ego no longer exists. Thus in mukti real happiness is known, the happiness that comes from realizing the true identity of the self. The proponents of devotion to the Personality of Godhead may believe that when the personal identity of r Bhagavn, the embodiment of sac-cid-nanda, is constantly revealed they can enjoy the most sublime and concentrated bliss, greater than that of liberation, and so they may claim that bhakti is greater than mukti. But these beliefs are incorrect; the bliss of Brahman is perfect and complete. Such are the views of impersonalists. And in texts 197 through 204 the bhakti-stras refute such views. rmad-Bhgavatam and other bhakti-stras offer many statements in refutation of the impersonalistic outlook. Here are but a few examples: tmrm ca munayo nirgranth apy urukrame kurvanty ahaituk bhaktim ittham-bhta-guo hari Even those who are self-satisfied and unattracted by external, material desires are attracted to the loving service of r Ka, whose qualities are transcendental and whose activities are wonderful. Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is called Ka because He has such transcendentally attractive features. (Bhgavatam 1.7.10) devn gua-lignm nuravika-karmam sattva evaika-manaso vtti svbhvik tu y animitt bhgavat bhakti siddher garyas The senses, being symbolic representations of the demigods, are naturally inclined to work as directed by the Vedic injunctions. And as the senses represent the demigods, so the mind represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The minds natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that devotional service is far better even than salvation [siddhi]. (Bhgavatam 3.25.32) nryaa-par sarve na kutacana bibhyati svargpavarga-narakev api tulyrtha-darina

Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nryaa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord. (Bhgavatam 6.17.28) duravagamtma-tattva-nigamya tavtta-tano carita-mahmtbdhi-parivarta-parirama na parilaanti kecid apavargam apvara te caraa-saroja-hasa-kula-saga-visa-gh My Lord, some fortunate souls have gotten relief from the fatigue of material life by diving into the vast nectar ocean of Your pastimes, which You enact when You manifest Your personal forms to make known the unfathomable science of the self. These rare souls, indifferent even to liberation, renounce the happiness of home and family because of association with devotees who are like flocks of swans enjoying at the lotus of Your feet. (Bhgavatam 10.87.21) mahat madhudvi-sevnurakta-manasm abhavo pi phalgu Indeed, even liberation is insignificant for those whose minds are attracted to the loving service of Lord Madhudvi. (Bhgavatam 5.14.44) These authoritative statements of the Bhgavatam and other bhaktistras are supported by thousands and thousands of recorded statements by great saintly persons. Vaiavas like r Nrada, Prahlda, and Hanumn have expressed themselves unequivocally on this topic. For example, in r Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu (1.2.49) rla Rpa Gosvm refers to this well-known statement by Hanumn: bhava-bandha-cchide tasmai sphaymi na muktaye bhavn prabhur aha dsa iti yatra vilupyate Even though liberation destroys the bondage of material existence, I have no desire for liberation in which I would forget that You are the master and I am Your servant. Recent authorities have spoken the same way. For example, the parama-hasa r akarcrya Bhagavatpda, the all-knowing commentator on the important rutis, has said in his commentary on the Nsiha-tpan Upaniad (2.4), mukt api llay vigraha ktv bhagavanta bhajanti: For pastimes, even those who are liberated accept new bodies to worship the Supreme Lord. This accords with

the Vednta-stra (1.3.2), which says that Brahman is approached for shelter by persons who are liberated (muktopaspya-vyapadet). r ukadeva, the four Kumras, and others like them were attracted to narrations of the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead. And Prahlda, Hanumn, and others refused to accept moka, even from the Lord Himself. This evidence from scripture and the words and behavior of saintly persons is authoritative in all circumstances (sarvath) and at all times (sad). It should never be dismissed as what in Vedic terms is called artha-vda, mere sectarian verve. The statements of the bhaktistras like rmad-Bhgavatam and of great devotees like Nrada, Hanumn, and ukadeva need no authentication from other evidence; they are always perfect. TEXT 198 TaQaETadNaukU-l/aiNa Paurav*taaiNa SaiNTa c ) NaEv SaC^Tae TaSMaadQaRvadTvk-LPaNaa )) tathaitad-anuklni pur-vttni santi ca naiva sagacchate tasmd artha-vdatva-kalpan tathfurthermore; etatthese; anuklnisupporting faithfully; pur-vttniaccounts of past history; santithere are; caand; na not; evaindeed; sagacchateis reasonable; tasmttherefore; artha-vdatvaof being exaggerated praise; kalpanthe presumption. And many historical accounts support these statements we have made. To presume, therefore, that our words are merely overstated praise is certainly unreasonable. COMMENTARY: That devotional service is vastly superior to mere liberation is not an idea one should dismiss as artha-vda, exaggeration, for it has been factually established by ancient histories recorded in the Puras and other scriptures. The consensus indicated by thousands of accounts from varied sources is too strong to disregard. One such account concerns a brhmaa resident of Dvrak whose sons had all died at birth. Unaware that in fact they had been taken away by Lord Mah-viu to the abode of liberation, the brhmaa complained to King Ugrasena, and Arjuna offered to protect the son born next. But in spite of Arjunas utmost efforts, that infant mysteriously disappeared soon after birth. Bitterly reviled by the

brhmaa for this failure, Arjuna was about to kill himself in shame, but Ka brought him to the abode of liberation where they found the sons, whom they then brought to Dvrak, the abode of devotional service. In another incident, the three sages Ekata, Dvita, and Trita went to vetadvpa and made a great effort to achieve darana of the Personality of Godhead. But even though they were fixed in a level of Brahman realization virtually equal to that of the four Kumras, they were unable to see the Lord. They were qualified for mukti but not bhakti. The Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam describes how Lord Viu visited King Pthu, the incarnation of the Lords power of rulership. When the Lord urged the king to choose the best benediction, Pthu Mahrja extolled the Lord with excellent prayers and then said: tvan-myayddh jana a khaito yad anyad sta ttmano budha yath cared bla-hita pit svaya tath tvam evrhasi na samhitum My Lord, due to Your illusory energy, all living beings in this material world have forgotten their real constitutional position, and out of ignorance they always desire the material happiness of society, friendship, and love. Therefore, please do not ask me to take some material benefits from You. Rather, as a father, not waiting for the sons demand, does everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow upon me whatever You think best. The narration continues: ity di-rjena nuta sa viva-dk tam ha rjan mayi bhaktir astu te diyed dhr mayi te kt yay my mady tarati sma dustyajm After hearing Pthu Mahrjas prayer, the Lord, the seer of the universe, said to the king: My dear king, may you always be blessed by engaging in My devotional service. As you yourself very intelligently express, only by such purity of purpose can one cross over the insurmountable illusory energy of My. (Bhgavatam 4.20.3132) TEXT 199 AQaaPYaacYaRMaa<aa Saa NaaiSTak-Tv& ivTaNvTaq ) i+aPaeTk-LPaiYaTaar& Ta& duSTare Nark-aeTk-re )) athpy caryam s nstikatva vitanvat

kipet kalpayitra ta dustare narakotkare atha apinonetheless; caryambeing carried out in action; s that (presumption); nstikatvamfaithlessness; vitanvatexpanding; kipetwill cast; kalpayitramthe theorizer; tamhim; dustare insurmountable; narakaof hells; utkareinto a long series. If a theorizer acts with such a presumption nonetheless, it will fill him with atheistic delusions and cast him into hells, one after another, from which he will not be able to escape. COMMENTARY: If one refuses to take seriously the words and behavior of elevated persons and one acts as if the glories of devotional service were mere exaggerations, he will become an atheist. He will lose faith in the authority of the Vedic stras, become more and more proud of his own scholarship, and concoct theories about artha-vda that will earn him hellish punishments from which he will long be unable to escape. As the Nrada Pura warns: pureu dvija-reh sarva-dharma-pravaktu pravadanty artha-vdatva ye te naraka-bhjan O best of brhmaas, the Puras authoritatively teach all aspects of religious life. Those who say that these Puric teachings are mere artha-vda are sure to suffer in hell. Such statements are meant to tell proud logicians they must give up their groundless, arrogant theories and accept that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is even greater than liberation. Speculators who refuse will fall into the punishments of hell. The philosophy they should accept has been set forth above, in texts 178 through 181. To attain liberation by the practices set forth in Vedic scriptures may take many lifetimes. Most so-called transcendentalists who aim at liberation encounter nothing but frustration. Therefore, one should understand the endeavor for impersonal liberation to be fruitless and put it aside. TEXT 200 Ahae agYa" k-Qa& Maae+aae dETYaaNaaMaiPa d*XYaTae ) TaE=rev XaaEiNaRNNTae Yae GaaeivPa[aidgaaiTaNa" )) aho lghya katha moko

daitynm api dyate tair eva strair nindyante ye go-viprdi-ghtina ahooh; lghyapraiseworthy; kathamwhy; mokaliberation; daitynmof demons; apieven; dyateit is seen; taiby those; evasame; straiscriptures; nindyanteare condemned; yewho; go-vipra-diof cows, brhmaas and others; ghtinakillers. Indeed, how can the scriptures glorify liberation, which outright demons are seen to achieve, demons those same scriptures condemn, killers even of cows and brhmaas? COMMENTARY: Here is another easily understood argument. Since we see from scriptural histories that demons like Kasa and Aghsura achieved liberation, persons of the opposite nature should not aspire for it. Even scriptures that promote liberation condemn demons who kill cows and brhmaas and who blaspheme the Vedas and Vedic sacrifices. rmad-Bhgavatam (10.4.40) portrays this demonic mentality in the advice of King Kasas ministers: tasmt sarvtman rjan brhman brahma-vdina tapasvino yaja-ln g ca hanmo havir-dugh O king, we your adherents in all respects shall therefore kill the Vedic brhmaas, the persons engaged in offering sacrifices and austerities, and the cows that supply milk, which gives clarified butter for sacrifice. Demons perform many such atrocities. Therefore the destination they attain should also be considered abominable. TEXT 201 SavRQaa Pa[iTaYaaeiGaTv& YaTSaaDauTvaSaurTvYaae" ) TaTSaaDaNaezu SaaDYae c vEParqTYa& ik-l/aeicTaMa( )) sarvath pratiyogitva yat sdhutvsuratvayo tat sdhaneu sdhye ca vaipartya kilocitam sarvathin all respects; pratiyogitvamcontrariness; yatwhich; sdhutvaof being saintly; asuratvayoand of being a demon; tat

that; sdhaneuin the disciplines; sdhyein the goal; caand; vaipartyamopposite nature; kilaindeed; ucitamappropriate. Saints and demons are in all respects opposite in nature. It is therefore only fitting that they be opposite in their disciplines and goals. COMMENTARY: In personal character and behavior, devotees of the Supreme Lord completely differ from His enemies. And so the goal of their lives and the disciplines they practice to achieve that goal also completely differ. Devotees practice worshiping the Personality of Godhead and meditating on His lotus feet, and demons practice just the oppositethey cultivate the understanding that their own self is one with the Supreme. The goal of the devotees is prema-bhakti; the goal of the demons, mukti. Granted, the bhakti-stras sometimes equate devotional service and hatred of the Lord because they both give spiritual results. For example, we find in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.23): nibhta-marun-mano-ka-dha-yoga-yujo hdi yan munaya upsate tad arayo pi yayu smarat striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daa-viakta-dhiyo vayam api te sam sama-do ghri-saroja-sudh Simply by always thinking of the Lord, His enemies attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages worship, fixed in yoga, by controlling their breath, mind, and senses. Similarly, we rutis, who generally see You as all-pervading, will achieve from Your lotus feet the same nectar Your consorts relish by their loving attraction to Your mighty serpentine arms, for You look upon us and Your consorts in the same way. And in the Seventh Canto (7.1.30) Nrada Muni says: kmd dved bhayt snehd yath bhaktyevare mana veya tad-agha hitv bahavas tad-gati gat Whether by lust, enmity, fear, affection, or devotional service, many, many persons have attained liberation simply by thinking of Ka with great attention and giving up sinful acts. The real message of these verses, however, is that loving the Supreme Lord and hating Him are equal only in the sense that they both release one from the material cycle of birth and death and they both demonstrate the potency of remembering the Supreme Lord, seeing Him, and receiving His mercy.

At one point in the Seventh Canto (7.1.27) Nrada even seems to glorify hatred of the Lord: yath vairnubandhena martyas tan-mayatm iyt na tath bhakti-yogena iti me nicit mati By devotional service one cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one can through enmity toward Him. That is my opinion. According to Santana Gosvm, however, this is just Nradas clever way of expressing the natural satisfaction he feels in the devotional service of the Lord and the depth and boldness of his pure love for the Lord. Otherwise how could he have spoken thus in the royal assembly of a great Vaiava like Yudhihira Mahrja and in the presence of r Kadeva, the supreme teacher and eager connoisseur of the rasas of devotional service? Another explanation of Nradas peculiar praise of hatred toward the Supreme Lord is that he is subtly ridiculing the impersonal liberation of syujya, merging into the existence of the Supreme. What he is actually saying, then, is that by being inimical to the Lord one achieves only the worthless state of becoming one with the Lord (tan-mayat). TEXT 202 k*-Z<a>a-yEv SaaDauTv& SaaDaNa& ParMa& ih Saa ) TaYaa SaaDYa& Tad&Dy]BJaYauGal&/ ParMa& f-l/Ma( )) ka-bhaktyaiva sdhutva sdhana parama hi s tay sdhya tad-aghry-abjayugala parama phalam ka-bhaktyby devotion to Ka; evaonly; sdhutvam sainthood; sdhanamthe discipline; paramamhighest; hicertainly; sit; tayby it; sdhyamthe goal; tatHis; aghri-abjaof lotus feet; yugalamthe pair; paramamthe highest; phalamgoal. One becomes saintly only by devotion to Ka. That is the highest means of spiritual attainment, and it brings one to the highest goalLord Kas lotus feet. COMMENTARY: Persons who adhere to prescribed ritual duties and those who cultivate Vedic knowledge may be considered serious spiritual practitioners by the general public, but confidential devotees know

that only devotional service to r Ka is fully spiritual and that all other practices are only of relative value. Thus the real sdhus are Kas pure devotees. In rmad-Bhgavatam (9.4.63, 68), after Durvs Muni suffers embarrassment in his encounter with the great devotee Ambara Mahrja, Lord Viu Himself says to Durvs: aha bhakta-pardhno hy asvatantra iva dvija sdhubhir grasta-hdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotees, even the devotees of My devotees are very dear to Me. sdhavo hdaya mahya sdhn hdaya tv aham mad-anyat te na jnanti nha tebhyo mang api The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anyone but Me, and I do not know anyone but them. Devotional service to Ka is the best spiritual practice because it leads to the attainment of Kas lotus feet. Other practices, like karma, jna, and vairgya, are of value only when they play a subordinate role by helping one develop pure bhakti. Kas lotus feet are the supreme goal of life, unequaled by any other achievement, including realization of Brahman. TEXT 203 Tai-riSak-aNaa& Tau MahTaa& TatvveidNaaMa( ) SaaDYaa Tar<aaM>aaeJaMak-rNdaiTMakE-v Saa )) tad-bhakti-rasikn tu mahat tattva-vedinm sdhy tac-carambhojamakarandtmikaiva s tatHis; bhaktifor the pure devotional service; rasiknmof those who have a real taste; tubut; mahatmwho are great souls; tattvavedinmand who have systematic knowledge of the truth; sdhy

the goal; tatHis; caraa-ambhojaat the lotus feet; makarandathe nectar; tmikconsisting of; evaonly; sit (bhakti). And for those great souls who know the truth and have a taste for the nectar of pure devotional service, that nectar of serving at Lord Kas lotus feet is itself the goal. COMMENTARY: Although one may easily understand that devotional service is greater than impersonal liberation and is therefore the ultimate goal of life, one might still ask how it can also be the means (sdhana) to attain that goal. This verse points out that the intimate devotees of Ka enjoy the taste of transcendental rasas, loving exchanges, which are described as fragrant, cool honey exuding from His lotus feet. The rare souls who are greedy to taste such rasas know a pleasure far superior to any other. Even the ecstasy derived from seeing the Supreme Lord in person seems pale compared to the ecstasy of serving Him in ones eternal relationship with Him. This will be explained more elaborately later on in r Bhad-bhgavatmta. Those who aspire to realize the impersonal Brahman may achieve realization in various ways. They may become tmrma (joyful in the self) and jvan-mukta (liberated even within this life). Nonetheless, even the most perfect impersonalist actually knows only the cessation of material pain. But Vaiava devotees, whether they have attained Vaikuha or still live in material bodies, by the mercy of the Lord enjoy the most intense and positive spiritual happiness. TEXT 204 Saa k-MaRjaNavEraGYaaPae+ak-SYa Na iSaDYaiTa ) Par& [qk*-Z<ak*-PaYaa TaNMaa}aaPae+ak-SYa ih )) s karma-jna-vairgypekakasya na sidhyati para r-ka-kpay tan-mtrpekakasya hi sthat (goal of life); karmaon fruitive work; jnaknowledge; vairgyaand renunciation; apekakasyafor one who depends; na sidhyatiis not achieved; paramonly; r-kaof r Ka; kpayby the mercy; taton that (devotional service); mtraonly; apekakasyafor one who depends; hiindeed. That goal cannot be achieved by one who cares for knowledge, renunciation, or material success. It is only for one who, by r Kas mercy, depends on Kas devotional service and nothing else.

COMMENTARY: To further clarify how to achieve pure devotional service, in this verse the bhakti-stras say that devotees of the Lord are uninterested in karma, jna, vairgya, and other methods of advancement. Karma here means acting according to ones prescribed duty, jna means understanding the difference between spirit and matter (tm and antm), and vairgya means aloofness from sense gratification and other material attractions. A person who relies on karma, jna, vairgya, or any other such method cannot achieve bhakti, because bhakti is achieved only by r Kas mercy. But then, since r Ka is naturally compassionate to every soul, why doesnt everyone obtain pure devotional service? The bhaktistras answer that the special mercy of devotional service acts only when a candidate has no interest in karma, jna, or anything other than bhakti. Only such a person will be receptive to Kas special mercy. As Lord Brahm says in the Tenth Canto of rmadBhgavatam (10.14.8): tat te nukamp su-samkamo bhujna evtma-kta vipkam hd-vg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jveta yo mukti-pade sa dya-bhk My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, and all the while patiently suffers the reactions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances with his body, words, and heart, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. In this verse the phrase mukti-pade, which tells the goal for which one is eligible, should be correctly understood. The phrase can be explained in several ways. In one sense it indicates the place (pada) where the highest ecstasy is manifest, namely r Vaikuha. In another sense pada means fruit, so mukti-pada means the ultimate fruit of liberationin other words, pure devotional service. In yet another sense, pada means feet, so mukti-pada means that which has liberation at its feetagain, the path of devotional practice, because bhakti conquers and subjugates mukti. And in still another sense, according to an established convention, the idea of mukti, cessation of material existence, should be understood to refer directly to bhakti itself. Following this last meaning, the word apavarga synonymous with muktiis used as follows in the Fifth Canto of the Bhgavatam (5.19.1920): apavarga ca bhavati. yo sau bhagavati sarvabhttmany antmye nirukte nilayane paramtmani vsudeve nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakao nn-gati-

nimittvidy-granthi-randhana-dvrea yad hi mahpurua-purua-prasaga. One may also achieve apavarga. After many, many births, when the results of ones pious activities mature, one gets an opportunity to associate with pure devotees. Then one is able to cut the knot of bondage to ignorance, which bound him because of varied fruitive activities. As a result of associating with devotees, one gradually renders service to Lord Vsudeva, who is transcendental, free from attachment to the material world, beyond the mind and words, and independent of everything else. That devotional service to Lord Vsudeva (bhakti-yoga) is the real path of liberation. Lord Vsudeva is antmya (devoid of the attachment and other faults that arise in the conditioned self). He is also anirukta (beyond the scope of words) and anilayana (independent of any other shelter). Pure devotion for Him without ulterior motives is true mukti. In rmad-Bhgavatam (11.20.35) Lord Ka confirms in His own words that renunciation of material motives is a prerequisite for bhakti: nairapekya para prhur nireyasam analpakam tasmn nirio bhaktir nirapekasya me bhavet Complete detachment, it is said, is the highest stage of liberation. Therefore, one who is detached and does not pursue personal rewards can achieve loving devotional service unto Me. Here Ka indicates that the highest goal, or the only real goal of life, is indifference to sense gratification and everything else material. Or, to put it another way, the highest good can be achieved by the person who becomes indifferent to material things. That highest good is called liberation. But a person who is completely detached is indifferent even to liberation and the means of achieving itknowledge, detachment, and so on. Therefore, such a person can achieve pure devotional service to Ka. In r Viu Pura (3.8.9), Aurva i tells King Sagara: varramcra-vat puruea para pumn viur rdhyate panth nnyat tat-toa-kraam The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of vara and rama. There is no other way to satisfy the Lord. One who adheres to

this varrama-dharma does not cease from all activity, thinking his lifes work complete. Yet he does nothing else (nnyat) than worship Lord Viu. This statement from the Viu Pura clearly implies that worship of Lord Viu is the summit of all varrama duties. Other than worship of Lord Viu, no path (panth)neither karma, nor jna, nor any other processis a cause of the Lords satisfaction (tat-toa-kraam). These other methods have no independent power to satisfy Lord Viu. Therefore unless they are engaged in the service of bhakti they are useless. Nevertheless, the Lord enjoins that varrama duties should not be given up: ruti-smt mamaivje yas te ullaghya vartate j-cched mama droh mad-bhakto pi na vaiava The ruti and smti comprise My orders. If someone violates these scriptures, he breaks My commands and thus becomes My opponent. Even if he professes to be My devotee he is not a Vaiava. The Lord says this because performing varrama duties can help one progress toward the path of devotional service. At least in the lower stages of spiritual development, one should not abandon ones prescribed duties. The duties of varrama must be maintained, especially by persons who are on the pravtti-mrga, the path of material development, and who lack faith in the transcendental process of bhakti. The Supreme Lord makes statements like these to encourage people to adhere strictly to their prescribed religious duties. However, many other statements throughout the revealed scriptures also say that the scope of obligatory material duties is limited. Such duties, limited also in their benefits, may be ignored without harm when they conflict with more important spiritual responsibilities. Thus devotees dedicated to the path of bhakti are not considered fallen if they fail to carry out some of their karmic commitments. As declared by the Personality of Godhead in r Padma Pura: mat-karma kurvat pus kriy-lopo bhaved yadi te karmi kurvanti tisra koyo maharaya If persons doing My work fail to execute some other karmic duties, thirty million exalted sages carry out those commitments on their behalf. Similarly, in the same Pura, Devadyuti prays:

yasmin jte na kurvanti karma caiva rutritam nirea jagan-mitr uddha brahma nammi tam Persons who know this pure Supreme cease performing the duties enjoined by the rutis, lose all ambitions, and become friends of the whole world. To Him I bow down. If devotees abandon their karmic duties merely by learning theoretically about the Supreme Lord, what then of those who take full shelter of Him and engage in His personal service? Thus Lord Ka says in the Eleventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (11.20.9): tvat karmi kurvta na nirvidyeta yvat mat-kath-ravadau v raddh yvan na jyate As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for the methods of devotional service, such as hearing topics about Me, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions. This implies that one who does develop a taste for devotional service is no longer bound to the Vedic regulations for mundane karmic life. As expressed here by the emphatic word v, devotees attracted to hearing and chanting about the Supreme Lord are not interested in anything else. mahntas te sama-citt prant vimanyava suhda sdhavo ye The mahtms are equipoised. They see no difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful, fully engaged in devotional service, devoid of anger, and friendly to all. They do not behave in any abominable way. ye v maye kta-sauhdrth janeu dehambhara-vrtikeu gheu jytmaja-rti-matsu na prti-yukt yvad-arth ca loke Concerned only with reviving Ka consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead, they do not like to do anything unrelated to Ka. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders.

Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends, or wealth. Yet they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people collect only enough money to keep the body and soul together. (Bhgavatam 5.5.23) Vaiavas are free from the good and bad karmic reactions to obeying or violating the Vedic injunctions: na mayy eknta-bhaktn gua-doodbhav gu sdhn sama-cittn buddhe param upeyum Material piety and sin, which arise from the good and evil of this world, cannot exist within My unalloyed devotees. Such devotees, free from material hankering, maintain steady spiritual consciousness in all circumstances, for they have achieved Me, the Supreme Lord, who am beyond anything that can be conceived by material intelligence. (Bhgavatam 11.20.36) In the Padma Pura (Uttara 71.100), Lord iva has summed up the essence of all Vedic duties in these famous words: smartavya satata viur vismartavyo na jtu cit sarve vidhi-niedh syur etayor api kikar Lord Viu should always be remembered and never forgotten. All injunctions and prohibitions are servants of these two rules. When one remembers Lord Viu one has fulfilled all Vedic injunctions, because remembering Him awakens all auspiciousness. And when one forgets Him one has violated all prohibitions, because all sins are born from that forgetfulness. Thus, rather than strive for anything else, everyone should endeavor to follow these two rules. TEXT 205 k-MaR iv+aePak&- TaSYaa vEraGYa& rSaXaaezk-Ma( ) jaNa& haiNak-r& TataC^aeiDaTa& TvNauYaaiTa TaaMa( )) karma vikepaka tasy vairgya rasa-oakam jna hni-kara tat tac chodhita tv anuyti tm

karmaritual duties; vikepakama distraction; tasyto that (devotional service); vairgyamrenunciation; rasathe transcendental taste; oakamcausing to dry up; jnam knowledge; hni-karamharmful; tat tateach of these; odhitam rectified; tubut; anuytifaithfully serves; tmher. Ritual duties distract one from devotional service, renunciation dries up ones transcendental taste for her, and knowledge can do her harm. But these three, when purified, faithfully serve her. COMMENTARY: Serious Vaiavas should give up whatever does not serve the purpose of pure devotional service. The karma-ka injunctions of the Vedas obscure the path of devotion with hundreds of obligatory rituals, and practicing detachment from all worldly things dries up the attractive taste of devotional practice. The indifference recommended in devotional service, however, is distinct from the renunciation undertaken by impersonalists, because devotional renunciation selectively rejects only those things that cannot be used in the Lords service. This is described in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.2.42). Bhakti parenubhavo viraktir / anyatra caia trika ekakla / prapadyamnasya: Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other thingsthese three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The pursuit of knowledge weakens bhakti because realizing such truths as the divine nature of the self gives one a feeling of self-satisfaction that quells the strong urge needed to enter the Supreme Lords service. Thus the transcendental Lord has said in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.20.3133): tasmn mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-tmana na jna na ca vairgya prya reyo bhaved iha yat karmabhir yat tapas jna-vairgyata ca yat yogena dna-dharmea reyobhir itarair api sarva mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate jas svargpavarga mad-dhma kathacid yadi vchati

And so, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world. Whatever can be achieved by fruitive activities, or penance, or knowledge, or detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties, or other means of perfecting lifeall this My devotee easily achieves through loving service unto Me. If somehow My devotee desires promotion to heaven, or liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such blessings. In the first of these verses from the Eleventh Canto, the word prya (for the most part) indicates that duties, knowledge, and detachment may sometimes help to some extent. Thus the bhakti-stras here state that karma, jna, and vairgya may be useful if subordinate to the purpose of bhakti. Purified of their faults, they can serve devotional service, especially as initial aids to devotional practice. As stated in the Yoga-vsiha-rmyaa: janmntara-sahasreu tapo-dna-samdhibhi nar ka-ppn ke bhakti prajyate Devotion to Ka arises in persons whose sinful reactions have been diminished by austerities, charity, and meditation performed in thousands of consecutive births. When karma, vairgya, and jna are suitably purified, they can each assist in preparing a spiritual aspirant for the practice of bhakti. Thus karma purified of desire for the fruits of endeavor becomes work done only for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord; vairgya developed to the stage of indifference to liberation becomes a stimulant for the eagerness to serve the Lord; and jna freed from the conception of total oneness becomes transformed into contemplation of oneself as belonging to the Lord and into meditation on the glories of devotional service. TEXT 206 AaTMaaraMaa >aGavTk*-PaYaa >a-SaTa" ) SaNTYaJYa b]iNaTv& >ai-MaaGa| ivXaNTYaTa" )) tmrm ca bhagavatkpay bhakta-sagata santyajya brahma-nihatva bhakti-mrga vianty ata tma-rmself-satisfied sages; caand; bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; kpayby the mercy; bhaktaof His

devotees; sagataby the association; santyajyagiving up; brahma to impersonalism; nihatvamattachment; bhaktiof devotional service; mrgamthe path; viantithey enter; atathen. By the mercy of the Personality of Godhead and by association with His devotees, sages who take pleasure in the self can give up their attachment to the impersonal Supreme and enter the path of devotional service. COMMENTARY: Because bhakti is vastly superior to mukti, impersonalists who have actually realized the Lords Brahman feature sometimes give up their meditation on the formless to engage in devotional service. In a prayer to Lord Ka in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.29.3) r Uddhava confirms that the swanlike men who are already liberated can make further progress by entering the path of devotional service: athta nanda-dugha padmbuja has rayerann aravinda-locana sukha nu vivevara yoga-karmabhis tvan-myaym vihat na mnina Therefore, O lotus-eyed Lord of the universe, swanlike men happily take shelter of Your lotus feet, the source of all transcendental ecstasy. But men who take pride in their accomplishments in yoga and karma fail to take shelter of You and are defeated by Your illusory energy. How can impersonalists be elevated to the Lords devotional service? Only by the mercy of the Lord. Because the Personality of Godhead is eager to display the greatness of His devotees and His devotional service, He sometimes blesses self-contented impersonalists by arranging opportunities for them to associate favorably with His devotees. Then the impersonalists, their discrimination refined by the influence of the devotees, can recognize just how insignificant is liberation. They then give up their hopes for liberation, give up all the trouble it entails, become attracted to the Supreme Lords glories, and enter the path of bhakti to serve the Lord in various ways. TEXT 207 Mau-aaSYa TaYaa Xa-ya SaidaNaNddeihTaaMa( ) Pa[aiPaTaaSTae >aJaNTae Ta& Taad*XaE" kr<aEhRirMa( )) mukt csya tay akty sac-cid-nanda-dehitm prpits te bhajante ta tdai karaair harim

muktliberated souls; caand; asyaHis; tayby that; akty potency; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; dehitm possession of bodies; prpitattaining; tethey; bhajanteworship; tamHim; tdaiwith such; karaaisenses; harimLord Hari. The Lords personal energy grants those liberated souls spiritual bodies of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. And with the spiritual senses thus acquired, those souls worship Lord Hari. COMMENTARY: Impersonalists who are jvan-mukta, liberated even in this life, can be elevated to devotional service because they are still living in material bodies. But what of those who have attained complete liberation and no longer have material bodies? Without a body and senses, how is it possible to serve the Supreme Lord by such devotional methods as hearing, chanting, worshiping, and offering prayers? To clear this doubt, the bhakti-stras here indicate that even the liberated souls who have merged into Brahman continue to exist as individual persons, even though they may be called mukta and siddha. Using these two words, Mahrja Parkit states in the Sixth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (6.14.5): muktnm api siddhn nryaa-paryaa su-durlabha pranttm koiv api mah-mune O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nryaa, or Ka. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. Impersonalists generally imagine themselves perfect and liberated, and among them a very few may actually attain impersonal liberation. But those rare souls, like all others, are eternal servants of Hari, the allattractive Lord. Out of millions of such rare liberated impersonalists, one very fortunate soul may realize this natural fact. Since intelligence is dormant in the merged soul, it can be reawakened. Even the liberated souls who have merged into the formless divine light of the spiritual sky retain their eternal spiritual bodies, complete with spiritual mind and senses. Nothing, even liberation, can ever deprive a jva of these assets. Thus when a liberated soul gains the favor of the Supreme Lords personal energy, his spiritual body and senses are reawakened for hearing and chanting the glories of Lord Hari and acting in other ways for the Lords pleasure. TEXT 208

SvaraMaTaa TvharTYaaGaMaa}ae<a iSaDYaiTa ) Sauk-rae_Taqv TatYaaGaae MaTaSTatatvveidi>a" )) svrmat tv ahakratyga-mtrea sidhyati su-karo tva tat-tygo matas tat-tattva-vedibhi sva-rmatthe state of satisfaction in the self; tubut; ahakraof false ego; tygaby the abandonment; mtreamerely; sidhyatiis achieved; su-karaeasy to do; atvavery; tatof that (false ego); tygaabandonment; matais considered; tatabout Him; tattva the scientific truth; vedibhiby those who understand. One can attain the state of satisfaction in the self merely by abandoning false ego. Those who understand the Supreme Lord in scientific truth think this very easy to do. COMMENTARY: According to the impersonalists, the satisfaction found in realizing ones identity with the Supreme is the final goal of existence. Vaiavas are naive, the impersonalists think, to insist that devotion to the personal aspect of the Supreme is a higher goal than the perfect satisfaction of the self. The impersonalists, therefore, criticize the Vaiavas as follows: You devotees of Bhagavn believe that one cannot achieve anything of spiritual worth unless one has performed at least a little devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In your view, unless one first earns some devotional credits one cannot obtain even the material opulences found on the various planets up to Brahmaloka, what to speak of ultimately realizing Brahman and becoming fully satisfied in the self. How, then, can one possibly attain the satisfaction of the self? If you say By having first performed some devotional service, you contradict yourselves, because that would render meaningless the scriptural statement you have citedEven liberated sages become devotees and perform devotional service. One cannot start in the future something one has already begun. One feasible explanation of that statement is that even if by performing some devotional service one has achieved the ultimate goal of lifethe satisfaction of the selfattraction to devotional service may still persist, just as subtle remnants of desire for sense gratification may persist for some time even after one has earned liberation. Even though a liberated person has nothing more to achieve, he may still like to continue doing devotional service simply because he is attracted to the Supreme Lords personal qualities. The persistent urge for reciprocation with a personal Lord is the only reason for such behavior. Eventually this devotional conditioning will

also subside, and the fully matured soul will finally realize himself to be absolutely one with the Supreme. You Vaiavas certainly place great faith in the attractive power of a personal God and His qualities. According to your Vaiava doctrine, liberation is only a minor by-product of devotional service, whose main result is the attainment of love for the Supreme Lords lotus feet. So you imagine that by the supposed mercy of the Personality of Godhead and the good association of His devotees, even after one has achieved the final goal of lifesatisfaction in the selfone will decide that this goal is of little value and reject it in favor of devotional service. But for you to acknowledge that devotional service leads to satisfaction in the self is logically inconsistent. In this way you are negating the real importance of lifes goal. In texts 208 through 211 the bhakti-stras dispel these doubts. First they point out that one can easily achieve satisfaction in the self merely by giving up false ego; no engagement in devotional service is required. But how can one give up false ego without having performed any devotional service? The bhakti-stras cite the opinions of authorities like r Vasiha, who know the nature of false ego. According to such authorities, abandoning false ego is easy. The Yogavsiha-rmyaa states: api pupvadaland api netra-nimlant su-karo hakti-tygo matas tat-tattva-vedibhi In the opinion of those who factually understand false ego, giving it up is easier than picking a flower or closing ones eyes. A nondevotee may ask, Since devotional service is a type of activity and all activities are driven by ego, how can devotional service develop after ego has been left aside? This question comes from a misunderstanding of the Supreme Lords personal energies. Just as one of His special energies provides liberated Vaiavas with spiritual bodies, another gives them a transcendental ego, the attitude that I am His servant. With this spiritual ego, pure devotional service is easily obtained. TEXT 209 AvaNTarf-l&/ >ae-rev Maae+aaid YaiPa ) TaQaaiPa NaaTMaaraMaTv& Ga[a& Pa[eMaivraeiDa YaTa( )) avntara-phala bhakter eva mokdi yady api

tathpi ntmrmatva grhya prema-virodhi yat avntaraintermediate; phalamfruits; bhakteof devotional service; evaindeed; moka-diliberation and so on; yadi apieven though; tath apistill; nanot; tma-rmatvamself-satisfaction; grhyamworth accepting; premapure love of God; virodhi obstructing; yatwhich. Even though liberation and its effects are natural by-products of devotional service, devotees do not regard satisfaction in the self as worth taking, for it obstructs pure love of God. COMMENTARY: Arent Vaiavas also joyful in the self? Dont they also have full knowledge and the mystic perfections of yoga? Yes, their practices of hearing and chanting about the Lord and serving Him bring them these benefits automatically as intermediate results, just as a fire lit for cooking will first dispel darkness and cold. The self-delight of impersonal liberation, however, is not recommended for devotees of the Lord; they should avoid it even though they have it easily available. Devotees should reject anything that obstructs or slows their progress toward pure love of God. TEXT 210 >ae-"f-l&/ Par=& Pa[eMa Ta*PTYa>aavSv>aavk-Ma( ) AvaNTarf-le/ZveTadiTaheYa& SaTaa& MaTaMa( )) bhakte phala para prema tpty-abhva-svabhvakam avntara-phalev etad ati-heya sat matam bhakteof devotional service; phalamthe fruit; paramultimate; premapure love; tptiof satiation; abhvalack; svabhvakam whose characteristic; avntaraintermediate; phaleuamong the fruits; etatthis (self-satisfaction); ati-heyamvery undesirable; satmby saintly authorities; matamconsidered. The final fruit of devotional service is prema, in which, by its nature, one will never be satiated. Saintly authorities deem self-satisfaction the most unwanted secondary fruit of prema. COMMENTARY: A devotee who relishes prema is never satisfied with himself but always wants to surrender more and more for the satisfaction of his Lord. Thus experts in the science of devotional

ecstasies condemn self-satisfaction as the most harmful impediment to bhakti. Of all the secondary fruits available to advancing Vaiavas, self-satisfaction is the one they should most carefully avoid. There is room for only very few exceptions. For example, satisfaction in the self may be all right for some time for a person trying to take shelter of the Supreme Lord but unable to give up hankering for liberation. Or the offerings of self-satisfaction and other perfections that come with the attainment of Brahman may entice an ignorant nondevotee to begin devotional service. These perfections are in fact opulences of the Supreme Person, and so they can attract certain kinds of persons toward Him. TEXT 211 >ai&- ivNaaiPa TaiTSaavSaNTaaezae >ave TaTa( ) [qMaaGavTaeNd]a<aa& MaTae Sa ih Gau<aae MahaNa( )) bhakti vinpi tat-siddhv asantoo bhaven na tat rmad-bhgavatendr mate sa hi guo mahn bhaktimdevotion; vinwithout; apieven; tatof that (selfsatisfaction); siddhauin the achievement; asantoadissatisfaction; bhavet nathere need not be; tatthat; rmat-bhgavataof the blessed Vaiavas; indrmof the leaders; matein the opinion; sathat; hiindeed; guaa good quality; mahnconsiderable. There is no reason to be unhappy if someone attains selfsatisfaction without devotion to the Supreme Lord. The leaders of the saintly Vaiavas consider such an occurrence very good. COMMENTARY: What is wrong if something so useless and contemptible as tmrmat, satisfaction in the self, arises when devotional service has not been performed? Bhakti is a precious jewel, tmrmat but a piece of straw. Wise devotees, therefore, are not bothered if satisfaction in the self is achieved without devotional service. Compared to the magic touchstone of devotion for the Personality of Godheads lotus feet, impersonal satisfaction in the self is abominable, a cause of misery only, like life in hell. The great authorities in the science of devotional service are pleased to see this contrast between the rare treasure of bhakti and the worthless attainment of tmrmat because it highlights the superexcellence of pure

devotion. And if someone foolishly strives for mukti but fails, that also is very good. TEXT 212 TaeTauitaXauivaR SvDaMaaRcar>ai-Ta" ) baaYaaSTvLPak&- >ae-raNTaYaaR" SauMahTf-l&/ )) tad-dhetu citta-uddhir v sva-dharmcra-bhaktita bhyys tv alpaka bhakter ntary su-mahat phala tatof that (self-satisfaction); hetuthe cause; cittaof the heart; uddhipurification; vor; sva-dharmaones prescribed duties; craof executing; bhaktitafrom the devotional service; bhyy external; tubut; alpakaminsignificant; bhaktefrom devotional service; ntaryfrom the internal; su-mahatgreatest; phalamthe result. Or, from another point of view: Purity of heart, which is the cause of satisfaction in the self, may come about from performing ones prescribed dutiesand this, after all, is a kind of devotional service. Thus, the result that comes from the external form of devotional service is paltry, and from the internal form sublime. COMMENTARY: After all this discussion, some Vaiavas may still insist on the principle that nothing at all can be achieved without at least a touch of bhakti. To satisfy them, the bhakti-stras here look at the topic from another angle, as indicated by the word v (or else). The self-satisfaction aspired for by impersonalists arises from purified consciousness, which one may achieve by fulfilling ones duties within the varrama system. And since performing such duties is a type of devotional service mixed with karma, it is true that even for an impersonalist success depends on bhakti. In case someone objects that the fruit of devotional service cannot be satisfaction in the self but only love of God and nothing else, the bhakti-stras further say that following ones Vedic obligations is only devotional service in an external form. As such it results in mere selfsatisfaction, whereas the essential form of devotional servicethrough hearing and chanting about the Lord, remembering Him, and so on bears the most desirable fruit, that of prema. TEXT 213

iNaJaaTMaaraMaTaaPaaJaTaa& TaTPadaMbuJaMa( ) iNaivRganMaicraiTSaDYaei-iNaaMahaSau%Ma( )) nijtmrmat-pacd bhajat tat-padmbujam nirvighnam acirt sidhyed bhakti-nih-mah-sukham nijaones own; tma-rmatself-satisfaction; pactafter; bhajatmfor those who worship; tatHis; pada-ambujamlotus feet; nirvighnamwithout obstacles; acirtquickly; sidhyetcan be obtained; bhaktiin pure devotional service; nihof firm conviction; mah-sukhamthe great happiness. After achieving impersonal self-satisfaction, some begin worshiping the Lords lotus feet, and without hardship they quickly obtain the abundant happiness of being fixed in devotional service. COMMENTARY: Of those who achieve satisfaction in the self, a rare few somehow particularly favored by the Supreme Lord give up their selfsatisfaction to worship Him. They quickly reach the highest perfection. Ordinary people, entangled in various miseries of material life, cannot at once succeed in devotional practice. But self-satisfied impersonalists have already transcended the small-minded miserable existence of material life, so they can progress to joyful bhakti without delay. They quickly comprehend that what they knew before as the unnameable essence of liberated lifethe reality of full eternity, knowledge, and blissis actually the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. Some philosophers even hold that self-contented impersonalists are excellent candidates (uttama-adhikrs) for bhakti. Indeed, no one is disallowed from entering devotional service. As the saying goes, gagsnna iva bhagavad-bhaktau sarve py adhikria: Just as for bathing in the Gag, everyone is a fit candidate for the Supreme Lords devotional service. Nonetheless, in the opinion of rla Santana Gosvm and his sampradya, no material opulence, such as the ability to follow all the rules of varrama, can qualify one for beginning the process of pure bhakti. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.8) Lord Brahm confirms that pure devotion is easily attained simply by depending on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tat te nukamp susamkama). There is no other means to attain it. By the Supreme Lords mercy, one who practices bhakti, depending only on Him, will surely achieve complete happiness. Devotion in practice gives birth to devotion in perfection.

TEXT 214 Ta}aaNau>aivTaa Saae_Nau>avNaqYaae_Nau>aUTaYa" ) v*taYa" k-r<aaNaa& c bhuDaa Pa[Sfu-riNTa ih )) tatrnubhavit so nubhavanyo nubhtaya vttaya karan ca bahudh prasphuranti hi tatrain that (happiness); anubhavitthe one who is perceiving; sa he; anubhavanyathe one who is being perceived; anubhtaya the perceptions; vttayathe functions; karanmof the senses; caand; bahudhin various ways; prasphurantithey manifest themselves; hicertainly. In that devotional happiness, the person who is perceiving, the person perceived, the varied perceptions, and the sensory functions that serve in those perceptions all manifest themselves in various ways. COMMENTARY: The bhakti-stras have already proven that the bliss of devotional service to the Supreme Lord is much greater and much more sublime than the shadow of happiness found in the meditation of self-contented impersonalists. Now the stras reconfirm this conclusion with yet another logical argument. In the bliss of devotional service all components of personal experience are vividly manifest the devotee who is perceiving the joy of devotional service, the Personality of Godhead who is the object of this perception, the particular exchanges involving the two of them, and the sensory activities that foster the perceptions. The devotee realizes, I am the Lords servant, and more specifically he identifies himself with particular services like massaging the Lords lotus feet. The Lord who engages the devotees attention displays many wonderfully attractive characteristics of bodily beauty, charming behavior, and so on. The devotees sensory functions manifest themselves variously through hearing, chanting, and other modes of service. And all these contributors to the devotional experience display infinite varieties and sub-varieties. Thus the happiness of pure devotion includes limitless variety; no other taste can equal it. It is a poor argument to say that a devotees awareness of himself and his own senses impedes his blissful awareness of the Lords lotus feet. A pure devotees self-awareness is an integral part of his awareness of the Lord. He sees himself not as a separate being but as a person having an intimate relationship with the Lord. There is no

natural law against simultaneously knowing the Supreme Lord and oneself, nor is self-awareness obscured by awareness of the Supreme. Consciousness of ones subordinate role as the Lords servant is perfectly consistent with awareness of the Lord and His all-attractive qualities. If a person in God consciousness were oblivious of his own existence, he might as well no longer exist at all, just as a jewel one has completely forgotten might as well not be on ones neck. Therefore, in describing self-realization, the authorized scriptures constantly use such words as anubhti (perception), as in rmadBhgavatam (10.12.11): ittha sat brahma-sukhnubhty. TEXT 215 Par& SaMaaDaaE Sau%Maek-MaSfu-$&= v*taer>aavaNMaNaSaae Na caTaTaMa( ) v*taaE Sfu-rSTau Tadev >aaSaTae _iDak&- YaQaEv Sf-i$=k-acle/ Mah" )) para samdhau sukham ekam asphua vtter abhvn manaso na ctatam vttau sphurad vastu tad eva bhsate dhika yathaiva sphaikcale maha paramplain; samdhauin samdhi; sukhamthe happiness; ekam isolated; asphuamvague; vtteof the functions; abhvt because of the absence; manasaof the mind; nanot; caand; tatamextensive; vttauin the active functions; sphuratmanifest; vastuobject; tatthat; evaindeed; bhsateappears; adhikam more; yathlike; evaindeed; sphaikaof crystal glass; acalein a mountain; mahabrilliant light. The happiness felt in impersonal samdhi is plain, isolated, vague, and limited because in that samdhi the functions of the mind have ceased. But when the object of meditation appears in the active mind, that object is more vividly manifest, like sunlight reflected on a crystal mountain. COMMENTARY: While the impersonalists are in meditative trance, their egos and their external senses no longer act. Since the personality then ceases to function, real perception can no longer take place. The supposed happiness of impersonal samdhi is therefore devoid of content. We are told that in samdhi the mind stops functioning, which implies that all the external and internal senses stop also, because all the senses depend on the mind. Thus if in impersonal samdhi any happiness is tasted, that happiness must be monotonous and undeveloped, so vague as to be virtually nonexistent. Considering this,

in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.29) the personified Vedas praise the Supreme Person as the original Brahman in this way: na hi paramasya kacid aparo na para ca bhaved viyata ivpadasya tava nya-tul dadhata You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, see no one as an intimate friend and no one as a stranger, just as the ethereal sky has no connection with perceptible qualities. In this sense You resemble a void. Impersonalists may respond to this by saying that in samdhi the experience of Brahman is hardly void, because Brahman is selfmanifest as the fountainhead of all existence, always and everywhere. Although this defense may be true, in samdhi the meditators senses no longer function, so what he goes through is as good as nothing. And although the impersonal Brahman is present always and everywhere, for all practical purposes it is nothing because the living beings are unable to perceive it; otherwise, since Brahman is present always and everywhere, why hasnt everyone perceived it and become liberated? Vaiavas therefore claim the right to question the value of impersonal self-realization: sad sarvatrste nanu vimalam dya tava pada tathpy eka stoka na hi bhava-taro patram abhinat kaa jihv-grasta tava tu bhagavan nma nikhila sa-mla sasra kaati katarat sevyam anayo Your original pure existence is eternally all-pervading, yet that allpervading existence does not break off even a small piece of one leaf of the tree of material illusion. But if Your name, O almighty Lord, is seized by ones tongue for even a moment, the tree of material life is destroyed down to its roots. So which deserves our attentionYour allpervading existence or Your holy name? In impersonal samdhi one is unable to free oneself from the illusion of material existence because while absorbed in that samdhi one has no power to act. But serving the Supreme Lord through methods like the devotional meditation of chanting His names is performed with the voice and other active senses. In that superior, devotional samdhi the inner and outer senses enjoy varieties of reciprocation with the Supreme Lord that constantly increase, with wonderful ecstasies arising one after another. Thus the same object of meditation that is unclear to the consciousness of the impersonalist is vividly clear to the meditating devotee. Here the bhakti-stras introduce an analogy: When the light of the sun and other luminaries shines on a mountain of crystal glass, the reflected radiance is more brilliant than the light in the sky itself.

Similarly, when the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord appear in the meditation of a reflective devotee, the ever-fresh varieties the devotee experiences at every moment, through all his internal and external senses, provide infinitely more pleasure than the void of impersonal samdhi. When a Vaiava has attained pure love of God, we may observe that his entire body may sometimes cease to function, or some of the limbs or one or more of the senses may stop working. His senses may seem unable to make contact with their objects. We should then understand that the functions of his senses have merged into his inner consciousness. Or his external senses may have merged into their inner counterparts, or into the mind, or else into the intelligence or ego. Or the functions of some of his external senses may have merged into one another; that is, his hearing, sight, taste, speech, and touch may have merged into one, two, three, or more of his external senses or may have crossed over from one sense to another. In this intricate situation the functions of his senses may seem intermixed. This is possible because internally the living being has a spiritual mind and a full set of senses, which underlie the material mind. From within the material mind these spiritual faculties, when awakened, can subtly perform all the functions of the external senses. TEXT 216 wTQa& SaMaaiDaJaaNMaae+aaTSau%& >a-aE Par& MahTa( ) Ta-vTSal/SYaaSYa k*-PaaMaaDauYaRJa*iM>aTaMa( )) ittha samdhi-jn mokt sukha bhaktau para mahat tad bhakta-vatsalasysya kp-mdhurya-jmbhitam itthamthus; samdhi-jtborn out of samdhi; moktthan liberation; sukhamthe happiness; bhaktauin devotional service; parammuch; mahatgreater; tatthat; bhakta-vatsalasyawho is very affectionate to His devotees; asyaof Him; kpby the mercy; mdhuryaand sweetness; jmbhitamexpanded. Thus the happiness found in devotional service is much greater than in the liberation born of samdhi. And by the mercy and sweetness of the Lord, so affectionate to His devotees, that devotional happiness expands. COMMENTARY: The Personality of Godhead is always enjoying His infinitely varied pastimes, and He likes to share His enjoyment as much

as possible. Because the Lord is very kind, and so exceedingly attractive, His devotee feels transcendental ecstasy. The spiritual potency of the soul is limited. Although he is sac-cid-nanda (eternal, conscious, and blissful), simply to realize those qualities provides merely a static, monotonous kind of spiritual existence. But when the soul goes beyond mere self-realization to realize his relationship with the all-compassionate Lord, the Lords divine energies bestow upon him incomparable happiness. TEXT 217 SadEk-Pa& bhuPaMauTa& ivMaui-SaaE:YaaTPa[iTaYaaeiGa TaTSau%Ma( ) hreMaRha>ai-ivl/aSaMaaDaurq >araTMak&- TaKYaRMaTaida& Na ih )) sadaika-rpa bahu-rpam adbhuta vimukti-saukhyt pratiyogi tat sukham harer mah-bhakti-vilsa-mdhurbhartmaka tarkyam atad-vid na hi sadalways; eka-rpamin one and the same form; bahu-rpamin many forms; adbhutamwonderful; vimuktiof liberation; saukhyt to the happiness; pratiyogistanding in contrast; tatthat; sukham happiness; hareof Lord Hari; mahgreat; bhaktiin pure devotion; vilsaof the sporting pastimes; mdhurof sweetness; bharaan abundance; tmakamconsisting of; tarkyamconceivable; atat-vidmby those who are ignorant of it; nanot; hiindeed. That extraordinary happiness is always one, yet it assumes many features. It stands in contrast to the happiness of impersonal liberation. Devotional happiness is made of the intense sweetness of sporting pastimes in the highest devotional service to the Lord. Persons unfamiliar with this pleasure cannot even imagine what it is like. COMMENTARY: The experience of bhakti includes Brahman realization, so the bhakti experience shares the nondual nature of sac-cid-nanda. But because bhakti is also a special opulence of the Personality of Godhead, it is blissful in a way that merging into the Supreme can never be. In the happiness of impersonal liberation, one and unchanging, the liberated soul attains a limit, in which he thinks himself fully satisfied. The ecstasies of devotional service, however, in their many different features, never reach a point beyond which they

cannot further increase, and so they destroy the limited feeling of selfsatisfaction. In an apparently contradictory way, the bliss of devotion is uniformly sac-cid-nanda yet always increasing in manifold varieties, newer and newer, sweeter and sweeter at every moment. Such is the glory of the Lords devotional service: It is irrepressibly attractive and therefore has the power to do what seems impossible. These contradictions coexisting in the bliss of bhaktithat it is always one yet full of variety, limitless yet constantly growingcan never be understood by those who have not tasted it for themselves. TEXT 218 SadEk-Paae_iPa Sa ivZ<auraTMaNaSa( TaQaa Sv>ae-JaRNaYaTYaNau+a<aMa( ) ivic}aMaaDauYaRXaTa& Nav& Nav& TaYaa SvXa-yeTarduivRTaKYaRYaa )) sadaika-rpo pi sa viur tmanas tath sva-bhakter janayaty anu-kaam vicitra-mdhurya-ata nava nava tay sva-aktyetara-durvitarkyay sadalways; eka-rpain one and the same form; apialthough; saHe; viuLord Viu; tmanaof Himself; tathand; svabhakteof His devotional service; janayatigenerates; anu-kaam at every moment; vicitraof various kinds; mdhuryacharms; atamby the hundreds; navam navamnewer and newer; tayby this; sva-aktyHis personal energy; itarato other persons; durvitarkyayinconceivable. Although Lord Viu is always one and unchanging, at every moment He brings forth hundreds of newer and newer varieties of transcendental charm, both in Himself and in His devotional service. He does this by His personal energy, inconceivable to everyone else. COMMENTARY: Texts 218 through 220 establish beyond a doubt that although the Supreme Lord, as the personal embodiment of the Absolute Truth, is unchanging in His sac-cid-nanda existence, He and His activities (and His devotees and theirs) are full of variety that is real, not created by illusion. Nondevotees can never discover this sublime truth by conjecture. They can never understand the Lords pastimes with His devotees.

TEXT 219 Paarb]ah=(MYa& MaDaurMaDaur& PaarMaeXYa& c TaE >ae-Zvez Pa[vrk-<aaPa[aNTaSaqMaaPa[k-aXa" ) Taeza& cEza iNaiv@MaDauraNaNdPaUraNau>aUTaer( ANTYaavSQaa Pa[k*-iTaidTaa iDaKk*Tab]aSaaE:Yaa )) pra-brhmya madhura-madhura prameya ca tad vai bhaktev ea pravara-karu-prnta-sm-praka te cai nivia-madhurnanda-prnubhter antyvasth praktir udit dhik-kta-brhma-saukhy pra-brhmyamthe supremacy of the Absolute Truth; madhuramadhuramsweeter than the sweetest; prama-aiyamHis absolute authority; caand; tatthat; vaicertainly; bhakteuamong His devotees; eathis; pravaramost excellent; karuof compassion; prnta-smof the extreme limit; prakathe display; temof them (the devotees); caand; ethis; nivia intense; madhuraof charm; nandaand bliss; praof floods; anubhteof experience; antya-avasththe ultimate stage; praktiHis nature; uditmanifested; dhik-ktaridiculing; brhma-saukhythe pleasure of Brahman realization. This manifold charm, sweeter than the sweetest, is found in r Vius supremacy as Para-brahman and His Lordship over all that be. His charm displays the very limit of His most excellent compassion toward His devotees. For them His charm lifts to the highest stage their experience of deep oceans of sweet ecstasy, ecstasy that ridicules the pleasure derived from realization of impersonal Brahman. COMMENTARY: This is the difference between the impersonal Supreme and the Personality of Godhead, between liberated impersonalists and pure devotees of the Lord, between liberation and devotional service. Lord Viu is the original Brahman, the one without a second, but His attractive qualities are evolving constantly with ever-new freshness. He is the Supreme Person, the controller of everything that exists. His personal beauty and wonderful playful activities are universally attractive. TEXT 220 Sv>a-aNaa& TataiivDaMaDauraNaNdl/hrq SadaSaMPatYaQa| bhuTarivXaez& ivTaNauTae )

YaQaa SviSMa&STataTPa[k*-iTarihTae_iPa Da]uvTar& TaQaa Taeza& ic}aai%l/k-r<av*tYaaidiv>avMa( )) sva-bhaktn tat-tad-vividha-madhurnanda-laharsad-sampatty-artha bahutara-viea vitanute yath svasmis tat-tat-prakti-rahite pi dhruva-tara tath te citrkhila-karaa-vtty-di-vibhavam sva-bhaktnmof His devotees; tat-tatvarious; vividhaof many kinds; madhura-nandaof sweet ecstasy; laharof the waves; sad always; sampatti-arthamfor the sake of the enrichment; bahu-tara manifold; vieamvariety; vitanuteHe expands; yathas; svasminin Himself; tat-tatthese various kinds; praktiof nature; rahitewho is devoid; apialthough; dhruva-taramsolidly established; tathso; temof them (the devotees); citra wonderful; akhilaof all; karaasenses; vttiof the functions; di and so on; vibhavamgreat strength. The Lord expands abundant variety to enrich His devotees forever with enjoyment in these exuberant waves of sweet ecstasy. And just as, even though He is devoid of every kind of material trait, there is firm and constant variety in Him, so in His devotees there is a strong and varied and wonderful experience in all the functions of the senses. COMMENTARY: Why does the Supreme Lord expand the diverseness of His personality? He does so for the pleasure of His devotees. The Lords attractive qualities expand infinitely, giving the devotees, who are equally spiritual beings, many different kinds of opportunities to serve Him by activities like hearing and chanting. This spiritual variety in devotional service expands perpetually, with no beginning or end. It manifests itself in the Lord and also in His devotees, enhancing their beauty, effulgence, and enjoyment and enlivening and empowering their senses. Because fire is always hot, it can never become cold. So how can the supreme spiritual truth, eternally and changelessly one, paradoxically exhibit so much diversity? The second half of this verse answers that doubt. Although the Supreme Lord is untouched by material dualities, His transcendental nature creates in Him profuse diversity, which constantly expands, unlimited by time or space. Although the Lord, the Supreme Brahman, is nirviea, free from duality, He displays infinite variety by appearing as innumerable avatras, as the Supersoul in every heart, and also in His limited expansionsthe jvas and the material energy. He also expands the countless forms of devotional servicehearing and chanting about Him, seeing Him, conversing with

Him, embracing Himand these completely enchant His devotees with endless varieties of pleasure, newer and newer at every moment. By employing His personal energies, the Lord expands Himself with ever-fresh variety to give His devotees special happiness far exceeding the happiness of realizing the self as one with Him. He similarly offers an infinite variety of engagement for the external and internal senses of His devotees, to add spice to their transcendental pleasure. Thus in spiritual life there is nondifference within difference, and difference within nondifference. Without a doubt, the happiness of liberation is paltry compared to the supreme happiness of devotional service. We need not elaborate on this point any further. TEXT 221 iNaTYaEYaaeR iNaTYaNaaNaaivXaezae iNaTYa[qk-ae iNaTYa>a*TYaPa[Sa" ) iNaTYaaePaaiSTaiNaRTYal/aeke-_vTau Tva& iNaTYaaETab]Paae_iPa k*-Z<a" )) nityaivaryo nitya-nn-vieo nitya-rko nitya-bhtya-prasaga nityopstir nitya-loke vatu tv nitydvaita-brahma-rpo pi ka nityaeternal; aivaryawhose opulent power; nityaeternal; nn manifold; vieawhose variety; nityaeternal; rkawhose beauty; nityaeternal; bhtyawith His servants; prasagawhose association; nityaeternal; upstiwhose worship; nityaeternal; lokein the world; avatumay He protect; tvmyou; nityaeternal; advaitaone without a second; brahmaof the Absolute; rpathe personal form; apialso; kaKa. May Ka protect you. His opulent power is eternal, and eternal are His infinite varieties, and His beauty, and His worship, and His companionship with His servants. He is the personal form of the eternal Absolute, the one without a second, who lives in the eternal world. COMMENTARY: In response to Gopa-kumras inquiry, the bhakti-stras have described the glories of the Personality of Godheads devotional service. They now conclude their instructions by ecstatically offering Gopa-kumra their blessings. The impersonal, undifferentiated Brahman is actually a feature of the Supreme Lord. Because the Personality of Godhead manifests an all-attractive form, He is the concentrated essence of the Supreme. His body is the Supreme Brahman. Thus, although He is the eternal, unchanging Supreme, He

also has eternal opulences, wonderful qualities that never fail Him. Since He is the eternal and infallible Godhead, His many varieties of beauty, splendor, and charm are eternal, and His qualities and activities are eternal as well. His consort Lakm is also eternal, because she always resides on His chest. And as one further aspect of His eternal opulences, He always enjoys the sublime association of His devoted servants. This means that not only the Lords attendants in Vaikuha but even His aspiring devotees in the material world are eternal. Eternally graced by His mercy, they have no reason ever to fear destruction. This is affirmed by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavadgt (9.31). Kaunteya pratijnhi / na me bhakta praayati: O son of Kunt, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes. The Lords worship, the process of devotional service, is also eternal. The activities in the practice of bhaktihearing, chanting, and so onare not merely functions of the material senses, but are manifestations of the Lords direct mercy upon each sensory function. This will be explained more fully later on. The bhakti-stras offer Gopa-kumra their blessing that Ka, whose abode in the spiritual world is eternal, may protect him, especially from obstacles to devotional service such as distraction by the desire to be liberated. TEXT 222 MaharSae_iSMa buDaE" Pa[YauJYaTae Sauk-aeMale/ k-kR==XaTakR==k==<$=k-Ma( ) TaQaaiPa iNavaR<arTaPa[v*taYae NavqNa>a-Pa[Maude Pa[diXaRTaMa( )) mah-rase smin na budhai prayujyate su-komale karkaa-tarka-kaakam tathpi nirva-rata-pravttaye navna-bhakta-pramude pradaritam mahsupreme; rasein the nectar of spiritual reciprocations; asmin this; nanot; budhaiby intelligent persons; prayujyateis used; su-komalewhich is very gentle; karkaaharsh; tarkaof logic; kaakamthe thorn; tath apinonetheless; nirvato impersonal liberation; ratathose who are attached; pravttayein order to motivate; navnanew; bhaktadevotees; pramudefor the pleasure; pradaritamexhibited. In this very gentle, supreme nectar of devotional service, the intelligent find no use for harsh and thornlike logic. Still, we have spoken this discourse to induce those who are attached to impersonal liberation to begin devotional service, and we

have spoken to give pleasure to the neophyte devotees of the Lord. COMMENTARY: Using the four standard forms of evidencedirect perception, logic, the opinions of reputable authorities, and analogy the bhakti-stras could give many more proofs of the superiority of bhakti over moka, but here they present only a small sample of those arguments. The bhakti-stras refrain from giving more, because coldhearted critical philosophy disturbs like a thorn ones relishing the sublime rasas of devotional service. Intelligent devotees avoid overindulgence in philosophical debates. But for the benefit of impersonalists and neophyte devotees, the bhakti-stras have taken the trouble to demonstrate by logic the superiority of bhakti. They have presented their arguments to induce persons attracted to the self-annihilation of merging into the Supreme to turn instead to the process of bhakti. Without strong logical proofs, impersonalists will never be convinced to give up aspiring for liberation. Thus, following the logic given in rmad-Bhgavatam (1.15.34) of removing one thorn with another (kaaka kaakeneva), the bhakti-stras have used the sharp thorn of logic to remove the thorn of the desire for liberation, which pierces the hearts of the impersonalists. This discourse also helps neophyte Vaiavas, whose faith is not fixed. By hearing how much greater than moka is bhakti, their hearts become filled with joy. And with their hearts thus freed from thorns of doubt, they become fit to receive the eternal treasure of pure devotion. The dualistic textbooks of the Nyya school of philosophy give many hard-headed arguments based on the four types of evidence. In contrast, the monistic school of Vednta philosophy presents fewer complex philosophical arguments, relying more on the one evidence of personal experience. In other words, the Nyya presentation is harsh (karkaa), and the Vednta presentation soft (komala). And the presentation of the scriptures that teach bhakti is even softer (sukomala). The bhakti scriptures seldom digress into philosophical argument. Such digression tends to agitate the mind and delay the maturing of pure bhakti-rasa, so intelligent devotees use logical argument sparingly. TEXTS 223224 >ava&STau Yaid Maae+aSYa TauC^TvaNau>aveNa ih ) ivXau>aGavi-iNaaSaMPaitaiMaC^iTa )) Tada iNaJa& MahaMaN}a& TaMaev >aJaTaa& ParMa( ) A}aaPaqd& MahaGaU!& Xa*<aaeTau dYaMaMa( )) bhavs tu yadi mokasya

tucchatvnubhavena hi viuddha-bhagavad-bhaktinih-sampattim icchati tad nija mah-mantra tam eva bhajat param atrpda mah-gha otu hdaya-gamam bhavnyour good self; tubut; yadiif; mokasyaof liberation; tucchatvathe pettiness; anubhavenaby realizing; hiindeed; viuddhapure; bhagavat-bhaktiin devotional service; nihof firm faith; sampattimthe treasure; icchatiwants; tadthen; nijam your; mah-mantramtranscendental mantra; tamit; evaindeed; bhajatmyou should worship; paramsupreme; atrain this regard; apialso; idamthis; mah-ghamgreat secret; otuplease hear; hdayam-gamampleasing to the heart. If you have indeed realized the pettiness of liberation and want to attain the treasure of firm faith in pure devotional service to the Lord, then simply worship your transcendental mantra. And please hear this great secret, which is pleasing to the heart: COMMENTARY: With the help of the bhakti-stras, Gopa-kumra, like many before him, has now realized the insignificance of impersonal liberation. He is now ready to dedicate himself exclusively to pure devotional service and has set as his goal the highest ideals of bhakti. For this purpose, the bhakti-stras advise that he need only continue serving the mantra given him by his exalted spiritual master. That mantra will surely fulfill whatever desires he may have, including the desire for pure devotion. It may be true that the words and conduct of great spiritual persons should be accepted as authoritative, but without direct perception one will be unable to realize the truths that great souls represent. Without first developing tattva-jna, scientific knowledge, one cannot acquire this experience; nor without tattva-jna can one who aspires for prema-bhakti gain the strength to give up inferior attachments. Therefore Gopa-kumra should faithfully chant his mantra so that first he may achieve liberation (moka) and then reach the final perfection. As the bhakti-stras are about to reveal, the liberation Gopa-kumra achieves will be personal. Thus he should not be repelled by the word moka. TEXT 225

b]a<@aTk-aei$=PaaXaaaeJaNaPa[iMaTaaih" ) YaQaaetar& dXaGau<aaNYaavavr<aaiNa ih )) brahmt koi-pacadyojana-pramitd bahi yathottara daa-guny av varani hi brahma-atof the egg of the universe; koi-pacatfive hundred million; yojanayojanas; pramittwhose extent; bahioutside; yath-uttaramone after the other; daa-guniten times larger; aaueight; varanicovering shells; hiindeed. Outside the egg of the universe, which extends for five hundred million yojanas, are eight covering shells, each ten times thicker than the one before. COMMENTARY: The eight shells covering the universe consist of earth, water, fire, air, ether, ego, mahat, and pradhna. These layers form the stock of subtle causal ingredients from which all things in material existence are produced. Some philosophers consider the covering of earth to be part of the internal structure of the universe and so recognize only seven shells. That idea, however, conflicts with the measurement for the diameter of the universe as five hundred million yojanas, and it also leaves the transformations of earth within the universe with no identifiable primary source. TEXT 226 TaaNYaiTa-MYa l/>YaeTa TaivaR<aPad& Da]uvMa( ) Mahak-al/Paura:Ya& YaTk-aYaRk-ar<ak-al/NaaTa( )) tny atikramya labhyeta tan nirva-pada dhruvam mah-kla-purkhya yat krya-kraa-klant tnithese; atikramyacrossing; labhyetais reached; tatthat; nirva-padamabode where material existence ceases; dhruvam permanent; mah-klaof Lord Mahkla; purathe city; khyam named; yatwhich; kryaof causes; kraaand effects; klant because of the eradication. By crossing beyond those shells one reaches the abode of Lord Mahkla, the imperishable abode where material existence

disappears. It is called Mahkla-pura because there all material causes and effects are nonexistent. COMMENTARY: Mahkla-pura, famous as the place to which Ka and Arjuna made their way to retrieve the sons of the Dvrak brhmaa, is the location and the essential identity of nirva, or syujya, the liberation of becoming one with the Supreme. Of course, from the absolute point of view, liberation is not confined to some specific location. Nonetheless, in spatial terms it is conceived as being outside the coverings of the material cosmos. This same conception should be applied to the various spiritual locations Gopa-kumra will visit later. The material creation consists of gross and subtle causes (kryas) such as the five basic elementsand gross and subtle products (kraas), like the bodies and senses of the living entities. In the realm of Mahkla-pura these kryas and kraas are not to be found.

TEXT 227 TaTSvPaMaiNavaRCYa& k-Qai<YaRTae buDaE" ) Saak-ar& c iNarak-ar& YaQaaMaTYaNauSaarTa" )) tat-svarpam anirvcya kathacid varyate budhai skra ca nirkra yath-maty-anusrata tatHis; svarpamtrue nature; anirvcyamindescribable; kathacit somehow; varyateis described; budhaiby wise men; sa-kram with form; caand; nirkramwithout form; yath-mativarious mentalities; anusrataaccording to. Lord Mahklas personality cannot be described, but wise sages somehow describe Him. He appears with form or without, in accord with the various mentalities of His worshipers. COMMENTARY: The real identity of Lord Mahkla is beyond the power of words to describe, but transcendental scholars somehow attempt to describe Him. Na ta na coa suvarvadta / prasanna sadnanda-savit-svarpam: He is neither cold nor hot, but is brilliant like gold. He is the perfectly satisfied Self of perpetual bliss and awareness. Those who have no better evidence to depend on than theoretical knowledge perceive Him as best they can, some seeing Him with personal form and others as formless. In r Hari-vaa

(2.113.25), Arjuna tells how, according to his ability, he saw Lord Mahkla: tatas teja prajvalitam apaya tat tadmbare sarva-loka samviya sthita purua-vigraham Then I saw in the ether a brilliant light. It pervaded the entire cosmos yet was situated in one place in a personal form. The Supreme Lord is always a person, but those attached to dry knowledge think of Him as formless and impersonal. Be that as it may, the devotees of the Lord can always discern His personal form. TEXT 228 >aGavTSaevkE-STa}a GaTaE SveC^Yaa ParMa( ) ak-ar& gaNaq>aUTa& b]Pa& Tadq+YaTae )) bhagavat-sevakais tatra gatai ca svecchay param hdy kra ghan-bhta brahma-rpa tad kyate bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; sevakaiby the servants; tatrathere; gataiwho have gone; caand; sva-icchayby their own desire; paramthe Supreme; hdiin their hearts; kramin personal form; ghan-bhtamconcentrated; brahma-rpamthe Absolute Truth; tatthat; kyateis seen. The Lords servants whose desires take them to Mahkla-pura see Him there in their hearts as the concentrated form of the Absolute Truth. COMMENTARY: Liberated Vaiavas are free in all their movements. If they travel to Mahkla-pura it is only because they want to see the Lord there as Brahman in person. TEXT 229 ATaSTa}aaiPa >avTaae dqgaRvaH^aMahaf-l/Ma( ) Saa+aaTSaMPaTSYaTae SvqYaMahaMaN}aPa[>aavTa" )) atas tatrpi bhavato

drgha-vch-mah-phalam skt sampatsyate svyamah-mantra-prabhvata atatherefore; tatrathere; apiindeed; bhavatayour; drgha long-cherished; vchof the desire; mah-phalamthe complete fulfillment; skttangibly; sampatsyateyou will achieve; svya your own; mah-mantraof the transcendental mantra; prabhvata by the power. And so, by the potency of your transcendental mantra, there you will directly achieve the complete fulfillment of your longcherished desires. COMMENTARY: Though Gopa-kumra has long hankered to see the Lord he has been worshiping by his mantra, he doubts his own qualification to achieve this, because he knows that to see the Lord in person one must be His fully surrendered servant. But the bhakti-stras remind him that his ten-syllable mantra to r Madana-gopla is all-powerful. TEXT 230 bhuk-al/ivl/Mb& c >avaaPae+aTae_}a ceTa( ) Tada [qMaQauraYaaSTaa& v[Ja>aUiMa& iNaJaa& v[Ja )) bahu-kla-vilamba ca bhavn npekate tra cet tad r-mathurys t vraja-bhmi nij vraja bahu-klalasting a long time; vilambamdelay; caand; bhavn your good self; na apekatedoes not desire; atrahere (in Brahmaloka); cetif; tadthen; r-mathuryof Mathur District; tmthat; vraja-bhmimto Vraja-bhmi; nijmyour; vrajago. If you do not wish to spend a long time here, then just go to your Vraja-bhmi in r Mathur. COMMENTARY: Some residents of Lord Brahms planet are completely free from material desires, and some are not. At the end of Brahms life, those who still have material desires return to lower planets, and those who are desireless attain liberation along with Brahm. Brahms life, however, lasts for two parrdhasthe very lifetime of the universe and Gopa-kumra may not want to wait that long to graduate from the material world. The supreme material powers and enjoyment available on Brahmaloka delay the attainment of the Supreme Lords

kingdom. But if Gopa-kumra descends from Brahmaloka to the places on earth where r Ka sportsr Vndvana, Govardhana, and so onall his desires will be quickly fulfilled. TEXT 231 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac TaezaMaeTaEvRcaei>aMaeR >ai-v*Ri& GaTaa Pa[>aaE ) ivcarEz dYae_JaiNa MaaQaur>aUSaur )) r-gopa-kumra uvca tem etair vacobhir me bhaktir vddhi gat prabhau vicra caia hdaye jani mthura-bhsura r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; temtheir; etai these; vacobhiby the words; memy; bhaktidevotion; vddhim gatincreased; prabhaufor the Supreme Lord; vicra thought; caand; eathis; hdayein my heart; ajaniwas born; mthuraof Mathur; bh-suraO brhmaa. r Gopa-kumra said: O Mathur brhmaa, these words of the scriptures greatly strengthened my devotion for the Supreme Lord, and this thought was born in my heart: TEXT 232 >ai-YaRSYaed*Xaq Saae_}a Saa+aaTPa[aae MaYaa iPaTaa ) Ta& PairTYaJYa GaNTaVYaMaNYa}a bTa ik&-k*-Tae )) bhaktir yasyed so tra skt prpto may pit ta parityajya gantavyam anyatra bata ki-kte bhaktidevotion; yasyafor whom; dsuch; saHe; atra here; sktin person; prptaobtained; mayby me; pit father; tamHim; parityajyaabandoning; gantavyamI should go; anyatraelsewhere; bataindeed; kim-ktewhy. Here I have gained in person, as my own father, the Lord whose devotional service is so great. Why, indeed, should I abandon Him to go elsewhere?

COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra now understands that mukti is bhaktis maidservant and that bhakti offers inconceivable bliss. On Brahmaloka, Lord Mahpurua, the object of devotional service, has been caring for Gopa-kumra as a father indulges a son. Thus it is difficult for Gopakumra to leave Him. TEXT 233 wTQaMauiGanicta& Maa& >aGavaNSa k*-Paak-r" ) SavaRNTaraTMav*itaj" SaMaaidXaidd& SvYaMa( )) ittham udvigna-citta m bhagavn sa kpkara sarvntar-tma-vtti-ja samdiad ida svayam itthamthus; udvigna-cittamwho was disturbed in my mind; mm to me; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; saHe; kpof mercy; karathe reservoir; sarvaof everyone; anta-tmaof the hearts; vttithe movements; jathe knower; samdiatinstructed; idam this; svayamHimself. When my mind was thus perturbed, that Supreme Lord Himself, the reservoir of mercy, who knows what takes place in everyones heart, visited me and spoke. COMMENTARY: Lord Mahpurua, the ruling Deity of Brahmaloka, knows everything that takes place in every creatures heart, so He knew of Gopa-kumras conflict over wanting to go to Vraja-bhmi and not wanting to leave Him. To settle Gopa-kumras mind, the Lord came to speak words from His own divine mouth to comfort him. TEXT 234 [q>aGavaNauvac iNaJaiPa[YaTaMaa& Yaaih MaaQaurq=& Taa& v[Jai+aiTaMa( ) TataNMaTParMa-I@aSQaLYaavil/iv>aUizTaaMa( )) r-bhagavn uvca nija-priya-tam yhi mthur t vraja-kitim tat-tan-mat-parama-krsthaly-vali-vibhitm

r-bhagavn uvcathe Supreme Lord said; nijayour own; priyatammmost dear; yhigo; mthurmof Mathur; tmto those; vraja-kitimthe pasturing grounds; tat-tatvarious; matMy; paramasupreme; krof the pastimes; sthalof places; vali with many; vibhitmdecorated. The blessed Lord said: Go to Mathur, to your dearest pasturing grounds, to the land adorned with many places of My varied supreme pastimes. COMMENTARY: The rsa dance and the other pastimes r Ka performs in Vraja are the most exalted of the Supreme Lords activities. Those pastimes take place in Vraja on earth, and therefore Vraja is much greater than Brahmaloka. TEXT 235 YaSYaa& [qb]<aaPYaaTMaTa*<aJaNMaai>aYaaCYaTae ) Pairv*tae_iPa Yaa dqgaRk-ale/ raJaiTa Taad*Xaq )) yasy r-brahmapy tmata-janmbhiycyate parivtte pi y drghakle rjati td yasymin which place; r-brahmaby r Brahm; apieven; tmafor himself; taas a blade of grass; janmaa birth; abhiycyatewas prayed for; parivttepassed; apialthough; y which (Vraja); drgha-klea long time; rjatiappears; tdthe same. Though a long time has passed since Lord Brahm himself prayed for birth as a blade of grass in Vraja, that land now appears the same as then. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra may doubt whether he should leave Lord Mahpurua after having attained Him in Brahmaloka, the highest destination in this world. The Lord answers that to gain the unique ecstasy of meeting Him in a special place, going elsewhere is right. Brahm himself prayed to be born in Vraja, even as a blade of grass. Residing in Vraja is therefore even better than holding the position of Brahm, the highest seat of universal authority. But Gopa-kumra may have a further doubt: In the time he has been living on the higher planets, where one year equals many lifetimes on earth, Vraja may

have changed so much that it may no longer be attractive. The Lord assures him, however, that Vraja is the same as when he saw it last. Being unaffected by the decaying power of time is another way that Vraja is greater than Brahmaloka. TEXT 236 Ta}a MaTParMaPa[e& l/PSYaSae SvGau& PauNa" ) Sav| TaSYaEv k*-PaYaa iNaTara& jaSYaiSa SvYaMa( )) tatra mat-parama-preha lapsyase sva-guru puna sarva tasyaiva kpay nitar jsyasi svayam tatrathere; matto Me; parama-prehammost beloved; lapsyase you will meet; sva-gurumyour guru; punaagain; sarvam everything; tasyahis; evaindeed; kpayby the mercy; nitarm completely; jsyasiwill be able to understand; svayamyourself. There you will again meet your guru, most dear to Me. And by his mercy you will be empowered to understand everything in full. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra may object that in Vraja-bhmi there will be no one to advise him whereas here on Brahmaloka Lord Mahpurua is at his side to mercifully inform him of everything he should do. But the Lord assures him that in Vraja he will meet again the great Vaiava who initiated him into the chanting of his mantra. Because that guru is a very dear devotee of the Lord, Gopa-kumra can expect to learn from the guru even more about devotional service than from the Lord Himself. Thus Lord Mahpurua emphatically uses the words sarvam (everything), nitarm (completely), and svayam (by your own power). TEXT 237 Mahak-al/Paure SaMYaGMaaMaev d]+YaiSa d]uTaMa( ) Ta}aaiPa ParMaaNaNd& Pa[aPSYaiSa SvMaNaaerMaMa( )) mah-kla-pure samyag mm eva drakyasi drutam tatrpi paramnanda prpsyasi sva-manoramam

mah-kla-purein the city of Lord Mahkla; samyakproperly; mm Me; evaindeed; drakyasiyou will see; drutamsoon; tatra there; apialso; parama-nandamsupreme bliss; prpsyasiyou will attain; svayour; mana-ramampleasing to the heart. Indeed, you will soon come see Me in person in Mahkla-pura. There you will attain extreme bliss that will enchant your heart. COMMENTARY: Mahkla-pura, the abode of mukti, is also the residence of Lord Mahkla. But Lord Mahpurua on Brahmaloka is nondifferent from Lord Mahkla. Why, then, even bother to go? Why not just stay on Brahmaloka? The answer given here is that in Mahkla-pura Gopakumra will realize his Lord even more fully and his heart will be filled with even greater ecstasy. TEXT 238 MaTPa[SaadPa[>aave<a YaQaak-aMaiMaTaSTaTa" ) >a[iMaTva ParMaaYaRXaTaaNYaNau>aivZYaiSa )) mat-prasda-prabhvea yath-kmam itas tata bhramitv paramcaryaatny anubhaviyasi mat-prasdaof My favor; prabhveaby the power; yath-kmam as you desire; ita tatahere and there; bhramitvwandering; parama-caryamost amazing things; atnihundreds; anubhaviyasiyou will experience. By the power of My mercy, you will wander about freely and enter into hundreds of amazing wonders. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra wants simply to enjoy with his Lord in r Vndvana. But as Lord Mahpurua is about to explain, that will happen in due course. Meanwhile, after a brief visit to Vraja, Gopakumra will continue his journey through the eight coverings of the universe, to the abode of liberation, and to r Vaikuha, and beyond, fulfilling his various desires. TEXT 239 k-ale/Na ik-YaTaa Pau}a PairPaU<aaRi%l/aQaRk-" )

v*NdavNae MaYaa SaaDa| -Ii@ZYaiSa iNaJaeC^Yaa )) klena kiyat putra pariprkhilrthaka vndvane may srdha kriyasi nijecchay klenaafter time; kiyatsome; putraMy dear son; paripra fulfilled; akhilaall; arthakayour desires; vndvanein Vndvana; may srdhamalong with Me; kriyasiyou will play; nija-icchayaccording to your desire. After some time, dear son, all your ambitions will be satisfied, and you will play with Me as you like in Vndvana. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra need not worry that these wanderings will continue for long. Soon enough he will reach his final destination. As expressed by the word putra (dear son), the Lord is affectionate to him and will ensure that everything promised comes true. Gopakumra will at last achieve the association of r Madana-gopla-deva in Goloka Vndvana, both on earth and in the spiritual world. TEXT 240 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac Wv& TadajYaa hzRXaaek-aivae_hMaaGaTa" ) WTad( Va**NdavNa& [qMataT+a<aaNMaNaSaev ih )) r-gopa-kumra uvca eva tad-jay haraokvio ham gata etad vndvana rmat tat-kan manaseva hi r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; evamthus; tat His; jayby the order; harawith joy; okaand sorrow; via overcome; ahamI; gatacame; etatthis; vndvanamto Vndvana; rmatbeautiful; tat-katimmediately; manasby my mind; ivaas if; hiindeed. r Gopa-kumra said: Thus, overcome with both joy and sorrow at the Lords command, by the power of my mind I at once came to this beautiful Vndvana. COMMENTARY: Gopa-kumra uses the phrase etad vndvanam (this Vndvana) because r Vndvana is where he is speaking to his

student, the Mathur brhmaa. Gopa-kumra reached that most beautiful place quickly, traveling at the speed of the mind. He felt joyful that eventually he would play with His Lord in r Vndvana, but also unhappy that for some time he would have to keep tolerating the pain of separation from Him.
ENDS THE SECOND CHAPTER OF PART TWO OF RLA SANTANA GOSVMS BHAD-BHGAVATMTA, ENTITLED JNA: KNOWLEDGE.

THUS