Çré Brahmä-saàhitä

Day 12

Basically, this series of verses is explaining how Lord

Kåñëa is sustaining everything — particularly the
avataras (39), Brahman (40) and the modes of
material nature (41). He is so glorious that He
transcends everyone and everything else by his
spiritual rasa (42).

Text 39:

Lord Brahmä glorifies Lord Kåñëa as the source of all the

avataras. There are 6 types, according to Lord Caitanya:

1. One is the incarnations of Viñëu [puruña-avatäras]

2. Another is the incarnations meant for the performance of pastimes
[lélä-avatäras].
3. There are incarnations that control the material qualities [guëa-
avatäras]
4. Incarnations of the Manus [manvantara-avatäras]
5. Incarnations in different millenniums [yuga-avatäras]
6. And incarnations of empowered living entities [çaktyäveça-
avatäras].

Çréla Prabhupäda explains:

1. The guëa-avatäras are three—Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva and Lord
Viñëu (Bhäg. 10.88.3).
2. The avatäras of Manu, or manvantara-avatäras, are listed as
follows in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (8.1.5,13): (1) Yajïa, (2) Vibhu, (3)
Satyasena, (4) Hari, (5) Vaikuëöha, (6) Ajita, (7) Vämana, (8)
Särvabhauma, (9) Åñabha, (10) Viñvaksena, (11) Dharmasetu, (12)
Sudhämä, (13) Yogeçvara and (14) Båhadbhänu. Altogether these are
fourteen in number, and of these, both Yajïa and Vämana are also
counted among the lélä-avatäras. All these Manu incarnations are
sometimes called vaibhava-avatäras.
In SB 7.8.48 ppt, Çréla Prabhupäda explains that the Manus are
sometimes incarnations of the Lord, and sometimes empowered living
beings. They are generally sons of the sun god.
3. The four yuga-avatäras are (1) çukla (white) in the Satya-yuga
(Bhäg. 11.5.21), (2) rakta (red) in the Tretä-yuga (Bhäg. 11.5.24), (3)
çyäma (dark blue) in the Dväpara-yuga (Bhäg. 11.5.27), and (4)
generally kåñëa (black) but in special cases péta (yellow) as Caitanya
Mahäprabhu in the Kali-yuga, (Bhäg. 11.5.32 and 10.8.13).
5. The çaktyäveça-avatära is categorized into (1) forms of divine
absorption (bhagavad-äveça) like Kapiladeva or Åñabhadeva and (2)
divinely empowered forms (çaktyäveça), of whom there are seven: (1)
Çeña Näga in the Vaikuëöha world, empowered for the personal service
of the Supreme Lord (sva-sevana-çakti), (2) Anantadeva, empowered
to bear all the planets within the universe (bhü-dhäraëa-çakti), (3) Lord
Brahmä, empowered with the energy to create the cosmic
manifestation (såñöi-çakti), (4) Catuùsana, or the Kumäras, specifically
empowered to distribute transcendental knowledge (jïäna-çakti), (5)
Närada Muni, empowered to distribute devotional service (bhakti-
çakti), (6) Mahäräja Påthu, specifically empowered to rule and maintain
the living entities (pälana-çakti) and (7) Paraçuräma, specifically
empowered to cut down rogues and demons (duñöa-damana-çakti).

nrsimha-rama-krsnesu
sad-gunya-paripuranam

" The six opulences of wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation are fully present in the forms of Lord Nrsimha, Rama and
Krsna."

Text 40 (a definition of Brahman):

The Lord is spiritual, and the rays of His transcendental body are called
brahmajyoti, His spiritual effulgence. Everything that exists is situated
in that brahmajyoti, but when the jyoti is covered by illusion (mäyä) or
sense gratification, it is called material.

The brahmajyoti is the covering of the internal potency.

The brahmajyoti is spread unlimitedly, and the material world is but a

covered portion of an insignificant part of the same brahmajyoti.

The impersonal brahmajyoti is also called the paraà padam due to its
being the rays of the Vaikuëöha planets, as the sun rays are the rays of
the sun.

It’s also described that the brahmajyoti is the effulgence of the jewels
of the inhabitants of Vaikuntha.
In Bhagavad-gétä Lord Kåñëa says:

brahmaëo hi pratiñöhäham
amåtasyävyayasya ca
çäçvatasya ca dharmasya
sukhasyaikäntikasya ca

“And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal,

imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate
happiness.” (BG 14.27)

In Bhagavata Sandarbha Çréla Jiva Goswami explains that

realization of impersonal brahman means realizing Lord Kåñëa,
minus His form and personality.

The devotees do not like this realization, as we see in Çré

Éñopaniñad, where the speaker appeals to the Lord to
withdraw His effulgence, so he can see His face.

The happiness of Brahman realization is compared to the amount of

water in the hoofprint of a calf.

Text 41:

Preparing us for understanding the material nature more,

which will come in a few verses.

This is discussing how the Lord is çuddha sattva, and is

therefore above the material world, and is supporting it.

Çréla Jiva Goswami (Bhagavata Sandarbha): The three modes of

material nature never exist alone. If one of the modes is present, then
the other two are also present. This I confirmed in the following
statements of Vedic literature:
“The three modes of material nature are present together.”
Sankhya-kaumudi
“The three modes of material nature are present together. They
do not remain alone. If one is present, then the others are also
present.”
Bhattika
“Wherever one mode of material nature is present, the other
modes are also there. The mode of goodness, therefore, does not exist
alone, but is always mixed with passion and ignorance. In the same
way the other modes of nature cannot be manifested alone. They are
always mixed with the other modes.”
Agama-sastra
“The three modes of material nature are always together, they
cannot be separated from each other.”
Vedic literature
Because in the Vaikuntha planets there is no mode of material passion,
nothing is created there; because there is no mode of material
ignorance, nothing is destroyed there; and because there is no mode of
material goodness, nothing is material there, but everything is
spiritual, eternal, full of knowledge and bliss.

The time element agitates the material energy, and from that agitation
the three modes of nature are born. Because in Vaikuntha there is no
material time, which is the cause of the six varieties of material
transformation, there are also no three modes of material nature.

Text 42:

Çréla Bhaktivinoda Thäkura in Harinäma Cintämani: “If the

Lord's qualities are compared to waves, then His pastimes appear in
these waves and continuously form, crest and reshape themselves
again and again. Krsna, being beyond material existence, eternally
enjoys His name, form, qualities and activities as one Truth inseparable
from Him. The holy name is the primary feature. Of the four
characteristic features, the Lord's holy name is the primary one
because it awards cognition of the other three. Therefore chanting the
holy name is the foremost religious activity (dharma) of a Vaisnava.
From the holy name gradually blossom the Lord's form, qualities and
pastimes. The entire panorama of Lord Krsna's pastimes is present in
the holy name. Lord Caitanya has personally declared Krsna's name to
be the highest Absolute Truth.”

There are other very elevated types of meditation described,

such as in Nectar of Instruction: ““In the neophyte stage one
should always engage in hearing kåñëa-kathä. This is called çravaëa-
daçä, the stage of hearing. By constantly hearing the transcendental
holy name of Kåñëa and hearing of His transcendental form, qualities
and pastimes, one can attain to the stage of acceptance called varaëa-
daçä. When one attains this stage, he becomes attached to the
hearing of kåñëa-kathä. When one is able to chant in ecstasy, he
attains the stage of smaraëävasthä, the stage of remembering.
Recollection, absorption, meditation, constant remembrance and
trance are the five items of progressive kåñëa-smaraëa. At first,
remembrance of Kåñëa may be interrupted at intervals, but later
remembrance proceeds uninterrupted. When remembrance is
uninterrupted, it becomes concentrated and is called meditation. When
meditation expands and becomes constant, it is called anusmåti. By
uninterrupted and unceasing anusmåti one enters the stage of
samädhi, or spiritual trance. After smaraëa-daçä or samädhi has fully
developed, the soul comes to understand his original constitutional
position. At that time he can perfectly and clearly understand his
eternal relationship with Kåñëa. That is called sampatti-daçä, the
perfection of life.”