Préti Sandarbha [Trans. by Bhanu Swami] I have repeated examined the original work, which was written by Gopäla Bhaööa, who greatly pleased Rüpa and Sanätana--parts of which were in order, parts of which were out of order and parts of which were incomplete. Putting it in a systematic order, I have written this work. Here the supreme truth enunciated in scripture was previously established in four sandarbhas. Worship of the supreme entity was described in the fifth Sandarbha. Now the goal (prayojana) is described in appropriate order. The goal of the human being is attaining happiness and destroying suffering. Complete happiness and destruction of suffering is attained only by préti for the Lord. That supreme entity which was mentioned was previously described by scriptural citation. It is proven that the supreme entity is eternal, infinite and filled with the highest bliss. In çruti, starting with saiñänandasya mémäàsä bhavati (Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.8.1) it is stated that one can multiply a human’s bliss by ten, then multiply that by a hundred, and then multiply that by a hundred to achieve the bliss of Brahmä. Unsatisfied with that, by the words yato väco nivartante it is stated that the Lord cannot be expressed by words. The infinite bliss of the Lord is established as unique. Ko hy evänyät kaù präëyät yad eña äkäça änando na syäd: who could breathe if äkäça (the Lord) were not bliss? (Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.7) This shows the Lord’s nature is pure bliss, more than any other of the qualities of his svarüpa, just as body of the sun produces pure light. Though the jéva belongs to the Lord, he is controlled by the Lord’s mäyä, since he has no previous contact (saàsarga abhäva—präg-abhäva) Saàsarga äbhava has three types: präg äbhava (previously non-existence, subject to destruction), dhvaàça abhäva (non-existence by destruction of an existing object, which cannot be recreated) and atyanta abhäva (absolute nonexistence, such as a rabbit with horns). 1 with knowledge of the Lord. Because of absence of knowledge of his own svarüpa as ätmä and acceptance of upädhis made by mäyä, the jéva is completely covered with the suffering of beginningless saàsära. This was described in Paramätmä Sandarbha. Gaining knowledge, consisting of direct contact with the Supreme Lord (parama-tattva), one attains the highest bliss. This is the highest goal of humanity (parama-puruñärtha). Destruction of ignorance of one’s nature as ätmä and absolute destruction of suffering takes place naturally with disappearance of ignorance about the Lord. The destruction of ignorance concerning ätmä is eternal because that knowledge which destroys the ignorance is a manifestation of the supreme entity’s nature of self-revelation. The absolute destruction of suffering is eternal because that destruction’s nature is that, once being destroyed, it is never recreated (dhvaàsäbhäva). Destruction of ignorance of ätmä as the highest goal (parama-puruñärtha) is described: dharmasya hy äpavargyasya närtho ’rthäyopakalpate | närthasya dharmaikäntasya kämo läbhäya hi småtaù || Material results are not suitable as the goal for the person dedicated to higher spiritual goals. Attainment of material assets is not the desire of the person who is dedicated to the higher path. SB 1.2.9 tac chraddadhänä munayo jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä | paçyanty ätmani cätmänaà bhaktyä çruta-gåhétayä || The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth (ätmänam) by rendering devotional service after hearing from guru. SB 1.2.12 The spontaneously destruction of all suffering is described. bhidyate hådaya-granthiç chidyante sarva-saàçayäù | kñéyante cäsya karmäëi dåñöa evätmanéçvare || Ignorance is cut and all doubts are destroyed. On seeing the Lord in the mind and with the eyes, all karmas are destroyed. SB 1.2.21 nirastätiçayähläda-sukha-bhävaika-lakñaëä | bheñajaà bhagavat-präptir ekäntätyantiké matä || Exclusive attainment of the Lord is considered to be the medicine which produces the only condition of intense bliss and happiness. Viñëu Puräëa 6.5.59 Çruti says änandaà brahmaëo vidvän na bibheti kutaçcana: knowing the bliss of Brahman one does not fear at all. (Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.4.1) This is the meaning of the word liberation (mukti), since when one experiences this bliss, the bondage of saàsära is cut. Süta says: yadaivam etena viveka-hetinä mäyä-mayähaìkaraëätma-bandhanam chittväcyutätmänubhavo 'vatiñöhate tam ähur ätyantikam aìga samplavam O King! When the illusory false ego that binds the soul has been cut off with the sword of discriminating knowledge and one remains with firm meditation on Acyuta, the Supreme Soul, it is called ätyantika-pralaya. SB 12.4.32 Realization of Paramätmä (ätmani) named Acyuta and remaining in that state is called absolute liberation (samplavam). The same meaning is expressed in muktir hitvänyathä- rüpaà svarüpeëa vyavasthitiù: liberation means giving up other forms and being situated in realization of the Lord’s svarüpa. (SB 2.10.6) This is because, being situated in one’s svarüpa (svarüpenä vyavasthitiù) means directly contacting the Lord’s svarüpa rather than one’s own svarüpa, since even in material conditions one is situated as ätmä and since one develops realization of the Lord on destroying one’s other form (anyathä rüpam), consisting of ignorance. Thus the meaning of svarüpa here is Paramätmä alone. Just as the sun is the source of many rays consisting of light particles, so the Lord is the source (aàçé-svarüpa) of the jévas. This is stated by Garbhodaçäyé Viñëu to Brahmä: yadä rahitam ätmänaà bhütendriya-guëäçayaiù svarüpeëa mayopetaà paçyan sväräjyam åcchati When a person sees that ätmä is completely free from the reservoir of the guëas in the form of the body and senses, and is endowed with a svarüpa by me, he attains däsya-rasa. SB 3.9.33 Upetam means endowed. The bliss of the jéva’s svarüpa is secondary to the Lord’s bliss: tasmät priyatamaù svätmä sarveñäm api dehinäm tad-artham eva sakalaà jagad etac caräcaram Therefore it is his own self that is most dear to every embodied living being. It is simply for the satisfaction of this self that the whole material creation of moving and nonmoving entities exists. kåñëam enam avehi tvam ätmänam akhilätmanäm jagad-dhitäya so ’py atra dehéväbhäti mäyayä You should know Kåñëa to be the soul of all living entities. For the benefit of the whole universe, out of his causeless mercy he has appeared as an ordinary human being by the strength of his mäyä. SB 10.14.54-55 Non-difference of jéva and the Lord was emphatically refuted in Paramätmä Sandarbha. Çruti confirms this with raso vai saù rasaà hy eväyaà labdhvänandé bhavati: the Lord is rasa and the jéva on attaining the Lord attains bliss. (Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.7.1) The attainment of the aàçé by the aàça takes place in two ways. The first is attainment of Brahman after destroying ignorance, which is the function of mäyä. This merely manifests knowledge of the Lord as exclusively the svarüpa-çakti. That attainment can take place in one’s own place of practice. Or it can occur gradually after surpassing all the layers of all the planets, according to the particular type of worship. The second is attainment of Bhagavän, the Lord. It may be on earth, with manifestation of some features of the Lord, or it may be in Vaikuëöha, with attainment of closeness to his lotus feet by his inconceivable çakti, with everything revealed. In this case, liberation occurs when the jéva leaves his body. Liberation is designated as the ultimate goal of humanity because it contains direct realization of the Lord when the jéva, free of upädhis after giving up his material body, develops without obstruction the quality of self-revelation of the Lord and because by that direct meeting, the jéva regards everything else, which is created by mäyä, to be false. Thus Påthu says to Sanat- kumära: taträpi mokña evärtha ätyantikatayeñyate traivargyo 'rtho yato nityaà kåtänta-bhaya-saàyutaù Among artha, dharma, käma and mokña, liberation alone is recommended as the goal because of its excellence, because the objects attained from the other three are always linked with fear of destruction. SB 4.22.35 Çruti says yenähaà nämåtaù syäà kim ahaà tena kuryäm: what do I have to do with things which obstruct my being immortal? (Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad 4.5.4) This means that liberation which consists of a direct meeting with the highest entity is the highest goal. That highest entity is of two types: with non-particularization and with particulars arising from his svarüpa. Meeting with the particularized form as Bhagavän or Paramätmä is superior to the non particular form of Brahman. This has been shown in the explanations of the following verse quoted in Bhagavat Sandarbha: jijïäsitam adhétaà ca brahma yat tat sanätanam | tathäpi çocasy ätmänam akåtärtha iva prabho || You have also investigated and realized the Brahman which is eternal. Then why should you lament that you have been unsuccessful? SB 1.5.4 In this Sandarbha, I will show other statements as well. Therefore, realization of Bhagavän in various conditions like Paramätmä is supreme. Though this is so, and realizing other qualities of his svarüpa are supreme, realizing the particular qualities of dearness, called préti or bhakti, is considered topmost, since the Lord’s by nature is the abode of unconditional préti. That préti destroys suffering completely and without that préti one cannot realize all his other qualities or his svarüpa. To the degree one realizes the Lord’s préti, realization of all other qualities takes place. By manifestation and possession of préti, these qualities appear profusely. All this is most suitable. The highest happiness is the svarüpa of Bhagavän with all his qualities. That happiness is the abode of unconditional préti. Thus in realizing the Lord, the chief component is his préti alone. Man must seek this out at all times. It thus established that préti is the supreme goal of humanity. This will gradually be illustrated. As well the Lord himself says: yat karmabhir yat tapasä jïäna-vairägyataç ca yat yogena däna-dharmeëa çreyobhir itarair api sarvaà mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate ’ïjasä svargäpavargaà mad-dhäma kathaïcid yadi väïchati Everything that can be achieved by karma, penance, jïäna, vairägya, mystic yoga, charity, dharma and all other auspicious means of perfecting life is easily achieved by my devotee through bhakti. If somehow or other my devotee desires Svarga, liberation, or residence in my abode, he easily achieves such benedictions. SB 11.20.33 Préti also gives benedictions according to Åñabhadeva: prétir na yävan mayi väsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tävat As long as the jéva does not have devotion (préti) for me, Väsudeva, he will not be liberated from the body. SB 5.5.6 As well the Lord says: bhaktyäham ekayä grähyaù çraddhayätmä priyaù satäm bhaktiù punäti man-niñöhä çva-päkän api sambhavät Only by bhakti with full faith can the devotees obtain me, Paramätmä, the object of love. Bhakti fixed in me purifies even a dog eater of his low birth. SB 11.14.21 Its manifestation is described: mad-rüpam advayaà brahma madhyädyanta-vivarjitam | sva-prabhaà saccidänandaà bhaktyä jänäti cävyayam || A person knows my form of non-dual Brahman, devoid of beginning, middle and end, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, self-revealing and indestructible by bhakti. Väsudeva Upaniñad Where there is préti all qualities follow: bhaktir evainaà nayati, bhaktir evainaà darçayati bhakti-vaçaù puruño bhaktir eva bhüyasé || Bhakti alone brings the Lord and bhakti alone enables one to see him. The Lord is controlled by bhakti. Bhakti alone is great. Mäöhara-çruti To the extent of préti, other qualities manifest: bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir anyatra caiña trika eka-kälaù prapadyamänasya yathäçnataù syus tuñöiù puñöiù kñud-apäyo 'nu-ghäsam Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of Kåñëa, in the same way that pleasure, fullness of the stomach and relief from hunger are experienced simultaneously, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating. SB 11.2.42 Statements like tat tvam asi (Chändogya Upaniñad 6.8.7) should be understood to indicate that tat means prema just as we say, “You are so and so.” Moreover in common usage we see that meaning. All beings ultimately aim for préti since one sees that a person exerts himself for that purpose. But not finding a suitable object for his préti, préti for you is rejected. Since everyone desires to find the ideal object for his préti, it should result finally in préti for the Lord. Since it has been properly concluded that préti for the Lord is the highest human goal, it well said that Préti-Sandarbha should be written. This Sandarbha has been compiled in sequence to show that préti is the highest goal. The goal of scripture is liberation in general, as previously described. sarva-vedänta-säraà yad brahmätmaikatva-lakñaëam vastv advitéyaà tan-niñöhaà kaivalyaika-prayojanam This Bhägavatam is the essence of all Vedänta philosophy because its subject matter is one Brahman, a substance with no duality. The main goal of the work is kaivalya. SB 12.13.12 Kaivalya means the state of purity (kevala). Connected with the previous verse, the meaning is that Bhägavatam indicates kaivalya as the highest human goal. It has been stated that the root of the jéva’s fault is his lack of knowledge concerning the supreme truth. bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù syäd éçäd apetasya viparyayo 'småtiù tan-mäyayäto budha äbhajet taà bhaktyaikayeçaà guru-devate ätmä For the jéva averse to the Lord, there will be saàsära consisting of identity with body and lack of identity with the soul, because of his absorption in the material coverings on the soul, arising from the Lord’s mäyä. Therefore, the intelligent person, taking guru as his Lord and very self, should fully worship the Lord with pure bhakti. SB 11.2.37 Thus the pure state is knowledge of the Lord. Thus kaivalya means realization of the Lord as previously explained. Or kaivalya refers to the nature of the Lord: brahmeçänädibhir devair yat präptuà naiva çakyate | sa yat svabhävaù kaivalyaà sa bhavän kevalo hare || O Lord! You alone have that nature of kaivalya which cannot be achieved by Brahmä, Çiva or the devatäs. Skanda Puräëa Sometimes kaivalya means “supreme Lord” as in the following: kälenätmänubhävena sämyaà nétäsu çaktiñu sattvädiñv ädi-puruñaù pradhäna-puruñeçvaraù