SRI BHAGAVAT SANDARBHA God — His Qualities, Abode and Associates Srila Jiva Gosvami Sanskrit Text with English Translation and JIva-tosanI Commentary SATYANARAYANA DASA m iv a Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies Vrindavan hastamalakavat-tattvarh srimad-bhagavatasya yah darsayamasajivebhyas tam sri-jiva-prabhurh numah We bow down to Srila JIva Gosvami Prabhupada who revealed the essential meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam to the people of the world just as plainly as one would display an amalaki fruit kept on one’s palm. Sandarbha yena nadhitas tasya bhagavate sramah Sandarbha yena cadhita nasti bhagavate bhramah One who has not undergone comprehensive study of Sat Sandarbhas must struggle to assimilate the message of Srimad Bhagavatam. One who has studied Sat Sandarbhas, however, will have no misgivings about the essential meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam. Contents at a Glance Introduction................................................................................. xv Dedication.........................................................................................xxvii I Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha l Mangalacarana............................................................................ 3 Anucchedas 1-102......................................................................... 5 II References 1041 Editors’ Notes............................................................................... 1043 The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts......................................................................................... 1045 Glossary.................... 1059 Abbreviations.............................................................................. 1078 Subject Index................................................................................. 1079 Verse Index................................................................................................ 1115 Bibliography................................................................................. 1149 Acknowledgements.................................................................... 1158 Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................. xv Dedication.........................................................................................xxvii I Sri Bhagavat Sandarbha 1 Mangalacarana................................................................. 3 1 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Different Ways...................................................................................... 5 2 Distinction Between Brahman and Bhagavan.............. 9 3 Bhagavan as the Qualified Absolute.............................. 17 4 Bhagavan Is Narayana........................................................ 35 5 Absolute Reality Manifests in Three Aspects 46 6 The Person Eligible for Brahman Realization.............. 51 7 The Manifestation of Brahman........................................ 65 8 Devotion Is the Means to Bhagavan Realization .... 72 9 Bhagavan Manifests According to the Mood of the Devotee.................................................................... 74 10 An Example of Bhagavan Realization........................... 77 11 The Characteristics of Bhagavan Are Inherent 121 viii 12 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies — I ....................................................................... 126 13 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies — I I .................................................................... 129 14 Bhagavan Is the Refuge of Mutually Conflicting Potencies — III.................................................................... 132 15 Bhagavan’s Potencies Are Inconceivable....................... 134 16 Bhagavan’s Energies Are Intrinsic................................. 138 17 Bhagavan Has Both Conscious and Inert Potencies. . 163 18 Maya’s Two Divisions......................................................... 172 19 The Internal Energy Is the Source of All Action .... 187 20 The Jiva Is Dependent on Bhagavan for His Power of Cognition......................................................................... 198 21 Maya Is under Bhagavan’s Control................................. 206 22 Maya Is Activated by Bhagavan...................................... 209 23 Threefold Maya Is Real...................................................... 213 24 The Qualities of Bhagavan Are Intrinsic to His Nature....................................................................... 231 25 Bhagavan’s Attributes Constitute His Essential Nature.................................................................................... 243 26 Bhagavan’s Attributes Are Eternal................................. 248 27 Bhagavan Is Transcendental to M aya............................ 252 28 Maya Feels Shy to Appear before Bhagavan................. 255 29 Bhagavan’s Body Is Part of His Essential Nature ... . 259 30 Bhagavan’s Body Is Transcendental................................. 268 31 Bhagavan’s Body Is All-pervading.................................... 284 32 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited......................................... 300 ix 33 Bhagavan’s Form Is Not Limited by Material Elements.............................................................................. 312 34 Bhagavan Is Both within and without the Universe......................................................................... 316 35 The Universe Is within the Lord’s Belly......................... 321 36 Krsnas Body Is Advaya-brahma...................................... 326 37 Sri Krsna Is the Ultimate Cause...................................... 332 38 Various Avataras of Bhagavan......................................... 337 39 Bhagavan’s Form Is Unlimited......................................... 340 40 Unlimited Forms of Bhagavan Exist within One Form 343 41 The Lord’s Body Contains Everything........................... 359 42 Krsnas Form Can Manifest in Innumerable Places Simultaneously....................................................... 370 43 Sri Krsna Is the Paramatma — I ...................................... 378 44 Sri Krsna Is the Paramatma — II...................................... 385 45 The Lord’s Body Is Eternal and All-pervading 392 46 Though Invisible, the Lord’s Body Can Be Seen by His Mercy...................................................................... 405 47 His Name, Form, Actions and Attributes Are Transcendental................................................................. 413 48 The Lord’s Senses Are Transcendental......................... 476 49 The Lord’s Bodily Limbs Are Non-Material................. 488 50 Contradictory Statements Reconciled............................ 497 51 The Lord’s Form Is the Supreme Absolute Reality... 510 52 Sri Rsabhadeva’s Body Is Transcendental...................... 521 53 Krsnas Body Is Transcendental and Most Beautiful.............................................................................. 530 X 54 Devaki’s Prayer to Sri Krsna.............................................. 534 55 The Partial Expansions of Sri Krsna Are Also Transcendental................................................................. 539 56 Krsnas Form Is the Ultimate of All That Is to Be Attained............................................................................... 546 57 Krsna Is Sabdabrahman.................................................... 554 58 Krsnas Body Is the Complete Form of Bhagavan. .. . 557 59 Bhagavan’s Attire and Ornaments Are Part of His Svarupa.................................................................... 574 60 Bhagavan’s Weapons Belong to His Svarupa................. 579 61 Vaikuntha Is Also Part of Bhagavan’s Svarupa 586 62 Vaikuntha Is beyond the Material World...................... 596 63 No One Falls from Vaikuntha............................................ 600 64 Vaikuntha Is Both beyond Matter and a Place of No Falldown.................................................................... 636 65 Only Those Free from the Gunas of Nature Attain Vaikuntha............................................................... 639 66 Vaikuntha Is the Shelter of the Nirguna State 641 67 Vaikuntha Is Eternal........................................................... 644 68 Vaikuntha Surpasses Liberation...................................... 646 69 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda — 1...................................... 652 70 Vaikuntha Is Sat-cit-ananda — II................................... 657 71 Vaikuntha Is Not Known to Ritualistic Performers . . 662 72 Dhruvaloka Is Also Transcendental Vaikuntha .... 666 73 Vaikuntha Has Numerous Manifestations.................... 689 74 Vaikuntha Self-Manifests like the Lord’s Body 692 xi 75 Bhagavan’s Associates Are Transcendental like H im .............................................................................. 696 76 The Lord’s Associates Are like the Lord......................... 700 77 A Devotee’s Highest Aspiration: To Be in the Company of the Lord’s Associates.................................. 703 78 The Residents of Vaikuntha Are Transcendental to the Material World....................................................... 706 79 The Threefold Spiritual Manifestation Is Part of the Internal Potency.................................................... 721 80 The Lord Is the Embodiment of All Human Attainments......................................................................... 782 81 Bhagavan Is the Most Complete Manifestation of Brahman......................................................................... 785 82 Atmaramas Render Service to Bhagavan...................... 798 83 Bhagavan Realization Is the Highest Rung on the Ladder of Transcendence..................................... 802 84 Sri Krsna Advises Uddhava to Transcend Brahma-jnana.................................................................... 815 85 Dhruva Maharaja Accepts Bhagavan as Superior to Brahman......................................................................... 818 86 Devotees Do Not Desire Liberation................................. 821 87 Brahman Is Not Independent of Bhagavan.................... 824 88 Brahman Is Part of Bhagavan........................................... 831 89 Brahman Is the Attributeless Magnificence of Bhagavan......................................................................... 835 90 Brahman Is the Opulence of Bhagavan......................... 838 91 Brahman Is the Lord’s Bodily Effulgence...................... 841 92 Scriptures Describe Bhagavan As beyond Brahman........................................................ 843 93 Bhagavan Is the Shelter of Everything, Including Brahman...................................................... 848 94 The Primary Meaning of the Word Brahma Is Bhagavan........................................................................ 868 95 Srimad Bhagavatam Is the Complete Scripture .... 885 96 The Conclusion of the Catuh-slokI of Bhagavatam Is Bhagavan................................................................... 898 97 All Scriptures Are Reconciled in Bhagavan........ 931 98 The Vedic Sound Reveals Bhagavan........................ 937 99 Laksmi Is the Energy of the Lord.......................... 996 100 Laksmi Is the Lord’s Eternal Consort..................... 1019 101 Bhagavan Can Be Known Only through the Vedas . . 1026 102 Bhagavan Can Be Realized through Devotion Alone . 1032 II References 1041 Editors’ Notes............................................................................... 1043 The Language of Transcendence — Key Terms and Concepts......................................................................................... 1045 Glossary......................................................................................... 1059 Abbreviations............................................................................... 1078 Subject Index................................................................................. 1079 Verse Index.................................................................................... 1115 Bibliography................................................................................. 1149 Acknowledgments....................................................................... 1158 xiii Introduction sri-bhagavan uvaca idam tu te guhyatamam pravaksyamy anasuyave jnanam vijnana-sahitam yajjhatva moksyase’subhat Sri Bhagavan said: “I shall teach you, who are devoid of envy, this most secret knowledge [of devotion] along with the means of its realization, knowing which, you will become free from the inauspiciousness of conditional existence.” (gita 9.1) The real goal of life is happiness. In whatever we do, our ulti­ mate goal is to be happy. Happiness can be attained in two ways: by pleasing our own senses or by pleasing the Supreme Person (Bha­ gavan), directly or indirectly. Those who seek their own happiness independent of Bhagavan ultimately remain unhappy. The reason is that we cannot truly please ourselves while we are confused about who we actually are. A human being is a conscious self, animating a physical body, ego, mind and discriminating intellect. As such, the conscious self is our true identity, whereas the other four instruments are acquired, temporary and superficial dimensions of embodied life. Because we mistake the body, ego, mind and intellect to be the most important dimensions of our being, we fail to achieve happiness and try in vain to please our senses. When one recognizes oneself as a conscious being, as a part of Bhagavan distinct from the body-mind-complex, one will understand how to attain true happiness. Vedic literature teaches that the basic cause of suffering is ignorance about our real XV