Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Madhya-līlā
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 6
Madhya6.142
TEXT 142
yā yā śrutir jalpati nirviśeṣaṁ
sā sābhidhatte sa-viśeṣam eva
vicāra-yoge sati hanta tāsāṁ
prāyo balīyaḥ sa-viśeṣam eva
SYNONYMS
yā yā—whatever; śrutiḥ—the Vedic hymns; jalpati—describe; nirviśeṣam—impersonal truth; sā—that; sā—that; abhidhatte—directly describes (like a dictionary meaning); sa-viśeṣam—personality; eva—certainly; vicāra-yoge—when accepted by intelligence; sati—being; hanta—alas; tāsām—of all the Vedic mantras; prāyaḥ—mostly; balīyaḥ—more powerful; sa-viśeṣam—personal variety; eva—certainly.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “‘Whatever Vedic mantras describe the Absolute Truth impersonally only prove in the end that the Absolute Truth is a person. The Supreme Lord is understood in two features—impersonal and personal. If one considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead in both features, he can actually understand the Absolute Truth. He knows that the personal understanding is stronger because we see that everything is full of variety. No one can see anything that is not full of variety.’
PURPORT
This is a quotation from Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (6.67), by Kavi-karṇapūra.
Madhya6.143 TEXT 143 brahma haite janme viśva, brahmete jīvaya sei brahme punarapi haye yāya laya SYNONYMS brahma haite—from the Supreme Brahman; janme—emanates; viśva—the whole cosmic manifestation; brahmete—in the Absolute Truth; jīvaya—exists; sei—that; brahme—in the Absolute Truth; punarapi—again; haye—being; yāya—goes; laya—to annihilation.
TRANSLATION “Everything in the cosmic manifestation emanates from the Absolute Truth, remains in the Absolute Truth, and after annihilation again enters the Absolute Truth. PURPORT In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1) it is said, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante: “The entire material cosmic manifestation is born of the Supreme Brahman.” Also, the Brahma-sūtra begins with the verse janmādy asya yataḥ: [Bhāg. 1.1.1] “The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” (Bs. 1.1.2) That Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.” Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Again, Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.4), mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded.” And as confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37), goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: “Although the Lord always stays in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is still all-pervading.” His all-pervasive feature is understood to be impersonal because one does not find the form of the Lord in that all-pervasiveness. Actually, everything is resting on the rays of His bodily effulgence. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.40) also states:
yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi- Due to the rays of the Lord’s bodily effulgence, millions of universes are created, just as planets are created from the sun.
Madhya6.144 TEXT 144 ‘apādāna,’ ‘karaṇa,’ ‘adhikaraṇa’-kāraka tina bhagavānera saviśeṣe ei tina cihna SYNONYMS apādāna—ablative; karaṇa—instrumental; adhikaraṇa—locative; kāraka—cases; tina—three; bhagavānera—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sa-viśeṣa—in the personality; ei—these; tina—three; cihna—symptoms.
TRANSLATION “The personal features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are categorized in three cases—namely ablative, instrumental and locative.” PURPORT Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya that according to the injunction of the Upaniṣads (“the Supreme Absolute Truth is He from whom everything emanates”), it is understood that the whole cosmic manifestation emanated from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. The creation subsists by the energy of the Supreme Brahman and, after annihilation, merges into the Supreme Brahman. From this we can understand that the Absolute Truth can be categorized in three cases—ablative, instrumental and locative. According to these three cases, the Absolute Truth is positively personified. In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī quotes the Aitareya Upaniṣad (1.1.1): ātmā vā idam eka evāgra āsīn nānyat kiñcana miṣat sa īkṣata lokān nu sṛjā iti. Similarly, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.9) it is stated:
chandāṁsi yajñāḥ kratavo vratāni And in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1): yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante, yena jātāni jīvanti, yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti, tad vijijñāsasva tad brahma. This was the answer given by father Varuṇa when questioned by his son Vāruṇi Bhṛgu about the Absolute Truth. In this mantra, the word yataḥ, the Absolute Truth from which the cosmic manifestation has emanated, is in the ablative case; that Brahman by which this universal creation is maintained is in the instrumental case (yena); and that Brahman into which the whole cosmic manifestation merges is in the locative case (yat or yasmin). It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.20):
idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro “The entire universal creation is contained in the gigantic form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything emanates from Him, everything rests in His energy, and after annihilation everything merges into His person.”
Madhya6.145-146 TEXTS 145–146 bhagavān bahu haite yabe kaila mana prākṛta-śaktite tabe kaila vilokana se kāle nāhi janme ‘prākṛta’ mano-nayana ataeva ‘aprākṛta’ brahmera netra-mana SYNONYMS bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bahu—many; haite—to become; yabe—when; kaila—made; mana—His mind; prākṛta—material; śaktite—on the energy; tabe—at that time; kaila—did; vilokana—glancing; se kāle—at that time; nāhi—not; janme—in creation; prākṛta—mundane; manaḥ-nayana—mind and eyes; ataeva—therefore; aprākṛta—transcendental; brahmera—of the Absolute Truth; netra-mana—eyes and mind.
TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “When the Supreme Personality of Godhead wished to become many, He glanced over the material energy. Before the creation there were no mundane eyes or mind; therefore the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth’s mind and eyes is confirmed. PURPORT In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.2.3), it is said, tad aikṣata bahu syāṁ prajāyeya. This statement confirms the fact that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead wishes to become many, the cosmic manifestation arises simply by His glancing over material energy. It may be noted that the Supreme Lord glanced over the material nature before the creation of this cosmic manifestation. Before the creation there were no material minds or material eyes; therefore the mind by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead desired to create is transcendental, and the eyes with which He glanced over material nature are also transcendental. Thus the Lord’s mind, eyes and other senses are all transcendental.
Madhya6.147 TEXT 147 brahma-śabde kahe pūrṇa svayaṁ bhagavān svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa,——śāstrera pramāṇa SYNONYMS brahma-śabde—by the word “Brahman”; kahe—it is said; pūrṇa—complete; svayam—personally; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam—personally; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; śāstrera pramāṇa—the verdict of all Vedic literature.
TRANSLATION “The word ‘Brahman’ indicates the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. PURPORT This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), where the Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. The ultimate object in all Vedic literature is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is searching for Him. This is also confirmed elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.”
When one has actually become wise through the study of Vedic literature, he surrenders unto Vāsudeva, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.7–8):
vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ Understanding Vāsudeva is real knowledge. By engaging in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, one acquires perfect knowledge and Vedic understanding. Thus one becomes detached from the material world. This is the perfection of human life. Although one may perfectly follow religious rituals and ceremonies, he is simply wasting his time (śrama eva hi kevalam) if he does not attain this perfection.
Before the creation of the cosmic manifestation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead possessed His totally transcendental mind and eyes. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. A person may think that there is no direct statement about Kṛṣṇa in the Upaniṣads, but the fact is that the Vedic mantras cannot be understood by people with mundane senses. As stated in the Padma Purāṇa, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: [BRS. 1.2.234] a person with mundane senses cannot fully understand the name, qualities, form and pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Purāṇas are therefore meant to explain and supplement Vedic knowledge. The great sages present the Purāṇas in order to make the Vedic mantras understandable for common men (strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām). Considering that women, śūdras and dvija-bandhus (unworthy sons of the twice-born) cannot understand the Vedic hymns directly, Śrīla Vyāsadeva compiled the Mahābhārata. Actually, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is vedeṣu durlabham (untraceable in the Vedas), but when the Vedas are properly understood or when Vedic knowledge is received from devotees, one can understand that all Vedic knowledge leads to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
The Brahma-sūtra (1.1.3) confirms this fact also: śāstra-yonitvāt. Commenting upon this Brahma-sūtra aphorism, Śrī Madhvācārya says, “The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahābhārata, Pañcarātra and the original Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa are all Vedic literatures. Any literature following the conclusive statements of these Vedic literatures is also to be considered Vedic literature. That literature which does not conform to Vedic literature is simply misleading.”
Therefore when reading Vedic literature, we must take the path traversed by great ācāryas: mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Unless one follows the path traversed by great ācāryas, he cannot understand the real purport of the Vedas.
Madhya6.148 TEXT 148 vedera nigūḍha artha bujhana nā haya purāṇa-vākye sei artha karaya niścaya SYNONYMS vedera—of the Vedic literature; nigūḍha—confidential; artha—meaning; bujhana—understanding; nā—not; haya—is; purāṇa-vākye—by the words of the Purāṇas; sei—that; artha—meaning; karaya—makes; niścaya—certain.
TRANSLATION “The confidential meaning of the Vedas is not easily understood by common men; therefore that meaning is supplemented by the words of the Purāṇas. Madhya6.149 TEXT 149 aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam SYNONYMS aho—what great; bhāgyam—fortune; aho—what great; bhāgyam—fortune; nanda—of Mahārāja Nanda; gopa—of other cowherd men; vraja-okasām—of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi; yat—of whom; mitram—friend; parama-ānandam—the supreme bliss; pūrṇam—complete; brahma—the Absolute Truth; sanātanam—eternal.
TRANSLATION “‘How greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men and all the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi! There is no limit to their fortune, because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend.’ PURPORT This quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.32) is spoken by Lord Brahmā.
Madhya6.150 TEXT 150 ‘apāṇi-pāda’-śruti varje ‘prākṛta’ pāṇi-caraṇa punaḥ kahe, śīghra cale, kare sarva grahaṇa SYNONYMS apāṇi-pāda-śruti—the śruti-mantra beginning apāni-pādaḥ; varje—rejects; prākṛta—material; pāṇi-caraṇa—hands and legs; punaḥ—again; kahe—says; śīghra cale—walks very fast; kare—does; sarva—of everything; grahaṇa—accepting.
TRANSLATION “The Vedic ‘apāṇi-pāda’ mantra rejects material hands and legs, yet it states that the Lord goes very fast and accepts everything offered to Him. Madhya6.151 TEXT 151 ataeva śruti kahe, brahma——saviśeṣa ‘mukhya’ chāḍi’ ‘lakṣaṇā’te māne nirviśeṣa SYNONYMS ataeva—therefore; śruti—Vedic mantras; kahe—say; brahma—the Absolute Truth; sa-viśeṣa—personal; mukhya—direct meaning; chāḍi’—giving up; lakṣaṇā’te—by interpretation; māne—accept; nirviśeṣa—impersonal.
TRANSLATION “All these mantras confirm that the Absolute Truth is personal, but the Māyāvādīs, throwing away the direct meaning, interpret the Absolute Truth as impersonal. PURPORT As mentioned above, the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19) states:
apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā This Vedic mantra clearly states, puruṣaṁ mahāntam. The word puruṣa means “person.” In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) Arjuna confirms that this person is Kṛṣṇa when he addresses Kṛṣṇa as puruṣaṁ śāśvatam: “You are the original person.” Thus the puruṣaṁ mahāntam mentioned in the verse from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. His hands and legs are not mundane but are completely transcendental. However, when He comes, fools take Him to be an ordinary person (avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]). One who has no Vedic knowledge, who has not studied the Vedas from a bona fide spiritual master, does not know Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is a mūḍha. Such fools take Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary person (paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ). They do not actually know what Kṛṣṇa is. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa simply by studying the Vedas perfectly. One must have the mercy of a devotee (yat-pādam). Unless one is favored by a devotee, he cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna also confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.14): “My Lord, it is very difficult to understand Your personality.” The less intelligent class of men cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead without being favored by His devotee. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā (4.34) contains another injunction:
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender to him. Only then can one understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a person.
Madhya6.152 TEXT 152 ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇānanda-vigraha yāṅhāra hena-bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra ? SYNONYMS ṣaṭ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa—with six opulences in full; ānanda—blissful; vigraha—form; yāṅhāra—whose; hena-bhagavāne—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead; tumi—you; kaha—said; nirākāra—without any form.
TRANSLATION “Are you describing as formless that Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is complete with six transcendental opulences? PURPORT If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is formless, how can He be said to walk very fast and accept everything offered to Him? Rejecting the direct meaning of the Vedic mantras, the Māyāvādī philosophers interpret them and try to establish the Absolute Truth as formless. Actually, the Supreme Lord has an eternal personal form full of all opulence. The Māyāvādī philosophers try to interpret the Absolute Truth as being without potency. However, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8) it is clearly said, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: “The Absolute Truth has multipotencies.”
Madhya6.153 TEXT 153 svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya ‘niḥśaktika’ kari’ tāṅre karaha niścaya? SYNONYMS svābhāvika—by nature; tina—three; śakti—potencies; yei—which; brahme—in the Absolute Truth; haya—there are; niḥśaktika—without potency; kari’—making; tāṅre—Him; karaha—you do; niścaya—proof.
TRANSLATION “The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary potencies. Are you trying to prove that He has no potencies? PURPORT Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu now quotes four verses from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.61–63 and 1.12.69) to explain the different potencies of the Lord.
Madhya6.154 TEXT 154 viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate SYNONYMS viṣṇu-śaktiḥ—the internal potency of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parā—spiritual; proktā—said; kṣetra-jña—the living entities; ākhyā—known as; tathā—also; parā—spiritual; avidyā—nescience, or godlessness; karma—and fruitive activities; saṁjñā—known as; anyā—another; tṛtīyā—third; śaktiḥ—potency; iṣyate—is accepted as.
TRANSLATION “‘The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity. PURPORT In the Bhagavad-gītā, in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s discourse on the kṣetra and the kṣetra-jña, it is clearly stated that the kṣetra-jña is the living entity, who knows his field of activities. The living entities in the material world are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This forgetfulness is called avidyā, or nescience. The avidyā-śakti, the avidyā potency of the material world, provokes fruitive activity. Although this avidyā-śakti (material energy, or nescience) is also an energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is especially intended to keep the living entities in a state of forgetfulness. This is due to their rebellious attitude toward the Lord. Thus although the living entities are constitutionally spiritual, they come under the influence of the potency of nescience. How this happens is described in the following verse.
Madhya6.155 TEXT 155 yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān avāpnoty atra santatān SYNONYMS yayā—by which; kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ—the living entities, known as the kṣetra-jña potency; sā—that potency; veṣṭitā—covered; nṛpa—O King; sarva-gā—capable of going anywhere in the spiritual or material worlds; saṁsāra-tāpān—miseries due to the cycle of repeated birth and death; akhilān—all kinds of; avāpnoti—obtains; atra—in this material world; santatān—arising from suffering or enjoying various kinds of reactions to fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION “‘O King, the kṣetra-jña-śakti is the living entity. Although he has the facility to live in either the material or spiritual world, he suffers the threefold miseries of material existence because he is influenced by the avidyā [nescience] potency, which covers his constitutional position. Madhya6.156 TEXT 156 tayā tirohitatvāc ca śaktiḥ kṣetra-jña-saṁjñitā sarva-bhūteṣu bhū-pāla tāratamyena vartate SYNONYMS tayā—by her; tirohitatvāt—from being freed from the influence; ca—also; śaktiḥ—the potency; kṣetra-jña—kṣetra-jña; saṁjñitā—known by the name; sarva-bhūteṣu—in different types of bodies; bhū-pāla—O King; tāratamyena—in different degrees; vartate—exists.
TRANSLATION “‘This living entity, covered by the influence of nescience, exists in different forms in the material condition. O King, he is thus proportionately freed from the influence of material energy, to a greater or lesser degree.’ PURPORT The material energy acts on the living entity in different degrees, according to how he acquires the association of the three modes of material nature. There are 8,400,000 species of life, some inferior, some superior and some mediocre. The gradations of the bodies are calculated according to the covering of material energy. In the lower categories—including aquatics, trees, plants, insects, birds and so forth—spiritual consciousness is almost nonexistent. In the mediocre category—the human form of life—spiritual consciousness is comparatively awakened. In the superior life forms, spiritual consciousness is fully awakened. Then the living entity understands his real position and tries to escape the influence of material energy by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Madhya6.157 TEXT 157 hlādinī sandhinī samvit tvayy ekā sarva-saṁśraye hlāda-tāpa-karī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite SYNONYMS hlādinī—the pleasure potency; sandhinī—the eternity potency; samvit—the knowledge potency; tvayi—in You; ekā—one spiritual (cit) potency; sarva-saṁśraye—the shelter of everything; hlāda—pleasure; tāpa-karī—causing displeasure; miśrā—mixed; tvayi—in You; na u—not; guṇa-varjite—devoid of all material qualities.
TRANSLATION “‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. This means that He originally has three potencies—the pleasure potency, the potency of eternality and the potency of knowledge. Together these are called the cit potency, and they are present in full in the Supreme Lord. For the living entities, who are part and parcel of the Lord, the pleasure potency in the material world is sometimes displeasing and sometimes mixed. This is not the case with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He is not under the influence of the material energy or its modes.’ Madhya6.158 TEXT 158 sac-cid-ānanda-maya haya īśvara-svarūpa tina aṁśe cic-chakti haya tina rūpa SYNONYMS sat-cit-ānanda-maya—full of eternity, knowledge and bliss; haya—is; īśvara—of the Supreme Lord; svarūpa—the transcendental form; tina aṁśe—in three parts; cit-śakti—the spiritual potency; haya—becomes; tina—three; rūpa—forms.
TRANSLATION “The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form is full of eternity, knowledge and bliss. The spiritual potency in these three portions [sat, cit and ānanda] assumes three different forms. PURPORT According to the verdict of all Vedic literature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity and the illusory energy (this material world) constitute the subject matter of knowledge. Everyone should try to understand the relationship between them. First of all, one should try to understand the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From the śāstras we understand that the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the sum total of eternity, bliss and knowledge. As stated in verse 154 (viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]), the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all potencies, and His potencies are all spiritual.
Madhya6.159 TEXT 159 ānandāṁśe ‘hlādinī,’ sad-aṁśe ‘sandhinī’ cid-aṁśe ‘samvit’, yāre jñāna kari māni SYNONYMS ānanda-aṁśe—in the part of bliss; hlādinī—the pleasure potency; sat-aṁśe—in the part of eternity; sandhinī—the sandhinī potency; cit-aṁśe—in the part of knowledge; samvit—the samvit potency; yāre—which; jñāna—as knowledge; kari māni—we accept.
TRANSLATION “The three portions of the spiritual potency are called hlādinī [the bliss portion], sandhinī [the eternity portion] and samvit [the knowledge portion]. We accept knowledge of these as full knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT To acquire knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must take shelter of the samvit potency of the Supreme Lord.
Madhya6.160 TEXT 160 antaraṅgā——cic-chakti, taṭasthā——jīva-śakti bahiraṅgā——māyā,——tine kare prema-bhakti SYNONYMS antaraṅgā—the internal potency; cit-śakti—the spiritual potency; taṭasthā—the marginal potency; jīva-śakti—the living entities; bahiraṅgā—the external potency; māyā—the illusory energy; tine—all three of them; kare—do; prema-bhakti—devotional service in love.
TRANSLATION “The spiritual potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead also appears in three phases—internal, marginal and external. These are all engaged in His devotional service in love. PURPORT The spiritual potency of the Lord is manifested in three phases—the internal or spiritual potency, the marginal potency, which consists of the living entities, and the external potency, known as māyā-śakti. We must understand that in each of these three phases the original spiritual potencies of pleasure, eternity and knowledge remain intact. When the potencies of spiritual pleasure and knowledge are both bestowed upon the conditioned souls, the conditioned souls can escape the clutches of the external potency, māyā, which acts as a cover obscuring one’s spiritual identity. When freed, the living entity awakens to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages in devotional service with love and affection.
Madhya6.161 TEXT 161 ṣaḍ-vidha aiśvarya——prabhura cic-chakti-vilāsa hena śakti nāhi māna,——parama sāhasa SYNONYMS ṣaṭ-vidha—six kinds; aiśvarya—of opulences; prabhura—of the Lord; cit-śakti-vilāsa—enjoyment in the spiritual potency; hena śakti—such sublime potencies; nāhi—not; māna—you accept; parama sāhasa—great impudence.
TRANSLATION “In His spiritual potency, the Supreme Lord enjoys six kinds of opulences. You do not accept this spiritual potency, and this is due to your great impudence. PURPORT The Supreme Personality of Godhead is full with six opulences. All of these potencies are on the transcendental platform. To understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as impersonal and devoid of potency is to go completely against Vedic information.
Madhya6.162 TEXT 162 ‘māyādhīśa’ ‘māyā-vaśa’——īśvare-jīve bheda hena-jīve īśvara-saha kaha ta’ abheda SYNONYMS māyā-adhīśa—the Lord of energy; māyā-vaśa—subjected to the influence of māyā; īśvare—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jīve—in the living entities; bheda—the difference; hena-jīve—such living entities; īśvara-saha—with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaha—you say; ta’—indeed; abheda—one and the same.
TRANSLATION “The Lord is the master of the potencies, and the living entity is the servant of them. That is the difference between the Lord and the living entity. However, you declare that the Lord and the living entities are one and the same. PURPORT The Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature the master of all potencies. By nature, the living entities, being infinitesimal, are always under the influence of the Lord’s potencies. According to the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.1–2):
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā tayor anyaḥ pippalaṁ svādv atty samāne vṛkṣe puruṣo nimagno juṣṭaṁ yadā paśyaty anyam īśam The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad completely distinguishes the Lord from the living entities. The living entity is subjected to the reactions of fruitive activity, whereas the Lord simply witnesses such activity and bestows the results. According to the living entity’s desires, he is wandering from one body to another and from one planet to another, under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā. However, when the living entity comes to his senses by the mercy of the Lord, he is awarded devotional service. Thus he is saved from the clutches of māyā. At such a time he can see his eternal friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and become free from all lamentation and hankering. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.54), where the Lord says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything.” Thus it is definitely proved that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all potencies and that the living entities are always subjected to these potencies. That is the difference between māyādhīśa and māyā-vaśa.
Madhya6.163 TEXT 163 gītā-śāstre jīva-rūpa ‘śakti’ kari’ māne hena jīve ‘bheda’ kara īśvarera sane SYNONYMS gītā-śāstre—in the Bhagavad-gītā; jīva-rūpa—the identity of the living entity; śakti—potency; kari’—making; māne—accepts; hena—such; jīve—living entity; bheda—different; kara—you make; īśvarera—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sane—with.
TRANSLATION “In the Bhagavad-gītā the living entity is established as the marginal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet you say that the living entity is completely different from the Lord. PURPORT The Brahma-sūtra states that according to the principle of śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ, the living entity is simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Qualitatively the living entity and the Supreme Lord are one, but in quantity they are different. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, the living entity and the Supreme Lord are accepted as one and different at the same time.
Madhya6.164 TEXT 164 bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā SYNONYMS bhūmiḥ—earth; āpaḥ—water; analaḥ—fire; vāyuḥ—air; kham—ether; manaḥ—mind; buddhiḥ—intelligence; eva—certainly; ca—and; ahaṅkāraḥ—false ego; iti—thus; iyam—this; me—My; bhinnā—separated; prakṛtiḥ—energy; aṣṭadhā—eightfold.
TRANSLATION “‘Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego are My eightfold separated energies. Madhya6.165 TEXT 165 apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat SYNONYMS aparā—inferior; iyam—this; itaḥ—from this; tu—but; anyām—another; prakṛtim—nature; viddhi—know; me—My; parām—transcendental; jīva-bhūtām—existing as the living entities; mahā-bāho—O mighty-armed one; yayā—by which; idam—this; dhāryate—is sustained; jagat—material world.
TRANSLATION “‘Besides these inferior energies, which are material, there is another energy, a spiritual energy, and this is the living being, O mighty-armed one. The entire material world is sustained by the living entities.’ PURPORT Verses 164 and 165 are quotations from the Bhagavad-gītā (7.4–5).
Madhya6.166 TEXT 166 īśvarera śrī-vigraha sac-cid-ānandākāra se-vigrahe kaha sattva-guṇera vikāra SYNONYMS īśvarera—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śrī-vigraha—the form; sat-cit-ānanda-ākāra—complete in eternity, cognizance and bliss; se-vigrahe—about that form of the Lord; kaha—you say; sattva-guṇera—of the quality of material goodness; vikāra—transformation.
TRANSLATION “The transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is complete in eternity, cognizance and bliss. However, you describe this transcendental form as a product of material goodness. Madhya6.167 TEXT 167 śrī-vigraha ye nā māne, sei ta’ pāṣaṇḍī adṛśya aspṛśya, sei haya yama-daṇḍī SYNONYMS śrī-vigraha—the form of the Lord; ye—anyone who; nā—not; māne—accepts; sei—he; ta’—indeed; pāṣaṇḍī—agnostic; adṛśya—not to be seen; aspṛśya—untouchable; sei—he; haya—is; yama-daṇḍī—subject to be punished by Yamarāja.
TRANSLATION “One who does not accept the transcendental form of the Lord is certainly an agnostic. Such a person should be neither seen nor touched. Indeed, he is subject to be punished by Yamarāja. PURPORT According to the Vedic instructions, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His eternal, transcendental form, which is always blissful and full of knowledge. Impersonalists think that “material” refers to the forms within our experience and that “spiritual” refers to an absence of form. However, one should know that beyond this material nature is another nature, which is spiritual. Just as there are material forms in this material world, there are spiritual forms in the spiritual world. This is confirmed by all Vedic literature. The spiritual forms in the transcendental world have nothing to do with the negative conception of formlessness. The conclusion is that a person is an agnostic when he does not agree to worship the transcendental form of the Lord.
Actually, at the present moment all systems of religion deny the worship of the form of the Lord due to ignorance of His transcendental form. The first-class materialists (the Māyāvādīs) imagine five specific forms of the Lord, but when they try to equate the worship of such imaginary forms with bhakti, they are immediately condemned. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.15), where He says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Bereft of real knowledge due to agnosticism, the Māyāvādī philosophers should not even be seen by the devotees of the Lord, nor touched, because those philosophers are liable to be punished by Yamarāja, the superintendent demigod who judges the activities of sinful men. The Māyāvādī agnostics wander within this universe in different species of life due to their nondevotional activities. Such living entities are subjected to the punishments of Yamarāja. Only the devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the Lord, are exempt from the jurisdiction of Yamarāja.
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