Srila Jiva Gosvami's
.heo Sri Priti-sandarbha #
Introduction
tau santoñayatä santau
çréla-rüpa-sanätanau
däkñiëäöyena bhaööena
punar etad vivicyate
tasyädyaà granthanä-lekhaà
kranta-vyutkranta-khaëòitam
paryälocyätha paryäyäà
kåtvä likhati jévakaù
Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, the great philosopher from the southern provinces who greatly pleased Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé and Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé, left many valuable notes that defeat various philosophical misconceptions. Systematically arranging these notes, and considering their content, Jéva Gosvämé writes this book.
Anuccheda 1
Now the Préti-sandarbha will be written. The Supreme Truth, as He is revealed in the scriptures, was described in the first four sandarbhas. The worship of the Supreme Truth was described in the next, the fifth sandarbha. Those topics already explained, the true need of mankind will be now described. The need of mankind is to end suffering and attain happiness. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased, then one attains happiness and ends all sufferings. In the previous sandarbhas many passages from scripture were quoted to describe the nature of the Supreme Truth. There it was proved that the Supreme Truth is perfect with eternal, limitless, transcendental bliss. In Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.8.1) it is said that the Prajäpatis enjoy happiness thousands of times greater than the happiness of human beings, and the great souls who know the Supreme enjoy happiness hundreds of times greater still. In Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.4.1) it is said that happiness is limitless and very extraordinary. In Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.7.1) it is said that the Supreme is the source of all bliss experienced by the living entities. In the same way the Supreme is also the source of the sun's light and all other light also. When he is ignorant of the Supreme Lord, the individual soul finds himself defeated by mäyä (material illusion). In that condition, his awareness of his original form is taken away from him and he is covered by an external form created by mäyä. In this way he is imprisoned in the world of birth and death and shackled by a host of material sufferings. This was already explained in the Paranmätma-sandarbha. Therefore when one has direct knowledge of the Supreme Truth, one attains the greatest bliss. Attaining that bliss is the true goal of life. When ignorance is dispelled, one understands his true spiritual nature. Then sufferings end. The first (understanding one's true spiritual nature) of these is attained when the Supreme Truth is directly manifest before one. The second (the end of sufferings) of these is attained when one attains his spiritual form, which never dies. Then one is situated in eternity. The first of these is the highest goal of life. It is described in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.9-12):
dharmasya hy apavargasya. . .
tac chraddadhänä munayo
jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä
paçyanty ätmani cätmänaà
bhaktyä çruta-gåhétayä
"All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.*
"Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.*
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call the non0dual substance Brahman, Paramätmä, or Bhagavän.*
"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedänta-çruti."*
The stage where all sufferings end is described in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.21):
bhidyate hådaya-granthiù. . .
"Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as the master."*
This is also described in these words of Çré Viñëu Puräëa (6.5.59):
nirastätiçayähläda-
sukha-bhävaika-lakñaëä
bheñajaà bhagavat-präptir
ekäntätyantiké matä
"Attaining the Supreme Lord is the medicine to cure the suffering soul. That medicine fills the taker with transcendental bliss."
In the Taittiréya Upnaiñad (2.4.1) it is said:
änandam brahmaëo vidvän
na bibheti kutaçcana
"A soul who knows the bliss that comes from the Supreme Brahman never fears."
The word "mukti" (liberation) is defined as: {.sy 168}The state that comes after the shakcles of birth and death are cut". Çréla Süta Gosvämé describes liberation in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.4.34):
yadaivam etena viveka-hetinä
mäyä-mayähaìkaraëätma-bandhanam
chittväcyutätmänubhavo 'vatiñöhate
tam ähur ätyantikam aìga samplavam
"Cutting the bonds of false ego with the sword of knowledge, the soul sees the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead. My dear friend, then the soul's bondage in matter is completely destroyed."
This verse means, "When the soul sees the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, that state is called liberation."
The same explanation is given in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.10.6):
muktir hitvänyatha-rüpaà
svarüpeëa vyavasthitiù
"Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies."*
These words mean that even though the soul may still reside in the world of birth and death, he may still directly see his original spiritual form. These words also mean that the soul's misidentification with the external material body (anyathä-rüpam) is then destroyed. In this verse the primary meaning of the word "svarüpa" is "the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead". However, because the individual spirit souls are fragmental parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the same way rays of sunlight are fragmental parts of the sun planet, the word "svarüpa" may also refer to the individual soul.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.9.33) Lord Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu tells the demigod Brahmä:
yadä rahitam ätmänaà
bhütendriya-guëäçayaiù
svarüpeëa mayopetaà
paçyan sväräjyam åcchati
"When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies, and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will be situated in pure consciousness."*
In this verse the word "upetam": means "it is attained without any trouble". The happiness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is most important. The happiness of the individual souls is secondary. The individual souls' relationship with the Supreme is described in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.14.55):
tasmät priyatamaù svätmä. . . .
kåñëam enam avehi tvam
ätmänam akhilätmanäm
jagad-dhitäya so 'py atra
dehéva. . . .
"Therefore it is his own self that is most dear to every embodied living being, and it is simply for the satisfaction of this self that the whole material creation of moving and nonmoving entities exists.*
"You should knowe Kåñëa as the original soul of all ätmäs (living entities). For the benefit of the whole universe He has, out of His causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being."*
The idea that the individual souls are not in any way different from the Supreme has already been refuted in the Paramätma-sandarbha. The Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.7.1) gives this conclusive opinion:
raso vai saù. rasaà hy eväyaà labdhvänandé bhavati.
"When one understands the Personality of God, the reservoir of pleasure, Kåñëa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful."*
The individual souls are the fragmental parts and the Supreme is whole, within which the parts are contained. That is their relationship. This relationship is manifested in two ways. In the first manifestation one becomes free from the illusions presented by mäyä and attains the impersonal Brahman. In this way one attains knowledge of the power of impersonal Brahman manifested in the material world. Then one gradually passes beyond the coverings of the material world. Then one very intently worships the impersonal Brahman. In the second manifestation of liberation one attains the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One attains Him because, even though He is not openly present everywhere in the material world, by His inconceivable potency the Supreme Personality of Godhead is openly present everywhere in the spiritual world of Vaikuëöha, and then one also attains Him because one is able to stay near His lotus feet. One may attain liberation at the moment of death, and one may also be liberated even during the time one lives in the material world. At the time of death one may become free from having to take another material body and one may directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Also, even as one lives in the material world, one may know that he is not the external material body created by mäyä and one may also see the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. That liberation is the highest goal of life is explained in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (4.22.35), where Sanatkumära tells KIng Påthu:
taträpi mokña evärtha
ätyatikatayeñyate
traivargyo 'rtho yato nityaà
kåtänta-bhaya-saàyutaù
"Out of the four principles-namely religion, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation-liberation has to be taken very seriously. The other three are subject to destruction by the stringent law of nature-death."*
In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (2.4.3) it is also said:
yenähaà nämåtaù syäà kim ahaà tena kuryäm
"What shall I do to become free of death?"
Attaining the liberation where one directly sees the Supreme Truth is the highest goal of life. This is explained again and again. The Supreme Truth has two features. In one feature He is seen indistinctly, and in the other feature He is seen distinctly. In His feature as the impersonal Brahman He is seen indistinctly, and in His feature as Paramätmä (the Supersoul) and Bhagavän (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) He is seen distinctly. Thus His feature as Bhagavän and Paramätmä is superior to His feature of impersonal Brahman. This I have already explained in Bhagavat-sandarbha (anuccheda 80) in my explanation of this verse of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.5.4):
jijïäsitam adhétaà ca
brahma yat tat sanätanam
tathäpi çocasy ätmänam
akåtärtha iva prabho
"You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge derived therefrom. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabbu?"*
With further explanations I will now again show how that is true. Direct perception of Bhagavän, who appears as Paramätmä and in many other forms also, is the highest kind of liberation. In that highest liberation the most exalted spiritual activities are known by names like "bhakti" (devotional service) and "préti" (spiritual love). Spiritual love is considered the highest of all spiritual sentiments. Préti completely ends all sufferings. Without préti the highest stage of spiritual life is not attained. Préti is not dependent on anything else. To the extent one has préti, one is fortunate. Préti is present as one is making progress toward liberation and it is also present when one has attained liberation. That is the correct understanding.
The form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of transcendental bliss. transcendental bliss is the abode of préti. Therefore préti is most important in experiencing transcendental bliss. Therefore, the spirit souls should always try to attain préti. Préti is the greatest need, the highest goal of the spirit souls.
Some examples of the exalted nature of préti will now be given. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.20.33) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
sarvaà mad-bhakti-yogena
mad-bhakto labhate 'ïjasä
svargäpavargaà mad-dhäma
kathaïcid yadi väïchati
"If he desires them, by serving Me with devotion My devotee easily attains Svargaloka, liberation, or My own abode."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (5.5.6) Lord Åñabhadeva explains:
prétir na yävan mayi väsudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tävat
"Therefore, until one has love for Lord Väsudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again."*
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.14.21) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
bhaktyäham ekayä grähyaù
çraddhayätmä priyaù satäm
"Being very dear to the devotees and sädhus, I am attained through unflinching faith and devotional service."*
In the Mäöhara-çruti it is said:
bhaktir evainaà nayati. bhaktir evainaà darçayati. bhakti-vaçaù puruño bhaktir eva bhüyasé.
"Devotional service brings one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotional service reveals to one the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devotional service brings the Supreme Personality of Godhead under its control. Devotional service is stronger than the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.42) Kavi-yogeçvara explains:
bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir
anyatra caiña trika eka-kälaù
"Devotion, direct perception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and detachment from the material world, these three appear simultaneously."
Préti manifest as one makes progress toward liberation is described in these words of Väsudeva Upaniñad:
mad-rüpam advayaà brahma
madhyädy-anta-vivarjitam
sva-prabhaà sac-cid-änandam
bhaktyä jänäti cävyayam
"Only by devotional service can one understand my glorious, eternal, blissful, all-knowing spiritual form."
Chändogya Upaniñad's declaration "tat tvam asi" (You are that) actually describes the individual soul's natural love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Love is seen even in the ordinary dealings of the material world love. Love is natural for all living beings. It is seen even among the least spiritual of materialists, among they who have destroyed their spiritual life. How can the soul give up its nature? Therefopre every soul seeks someone to love. That search for love finds its final culmination when one falls in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore rfalling in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest goal of life. This the saintly devotees say. That love will be written about in this Préti-sandarbha.
In this sandarbha will be shown, one after another, many proofs that love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest goal of life. The scriptures declare that liberation is the true goal of life. for example, in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.13.12) it is said:
sarva-vedänta. . .kaivalyaika-prayojanam
"Çrémad-Bhägavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedänta philosophy. Çrémad-Bhägavatam explains that liberation is the true goal of life."
This verse means: "Çrémad-Bhägavatam explains that liberation is the true goal of life." Ignorance of the Supreme Truth, the Supreme Lord, is the root of all problems that beset the individual soul. This is explained in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.37):
bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù syäd
éçäd apetasya. . .
"When the living entity is attracted by the material energy, which is separate from Kåñëa, he is overpowered by fear."*
The word "kaivalya" used in the previously quoted verse of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.13.12) thus means "the purity that comes from knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead". Or, the world "kaivalya" may also mean, {.sy 168}the highest state of liberation, which is manifested in the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself". This second meaning is seen in these words of Skanda Puräëa:
brahmeçänädibhir devair
yat präptuà naiva çakyate
sa yat-svabhävaà kaivalyaà
sa bhavän kevalo hare
"O Lord Hari, Your exalted position is far above the material world. Even Brahmä, Çiva, and all the demigods cannot attain Your exalted position of the highest liberation."
Sometimes the world "kaivalya" means, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whi is situated in the highest state of liberation. In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.9.1), in the teachings of Dattätreya, the word is used in that way:
parävaräëäà parama
äste kaivalya-saàjïitaù
kevalänubhavänanda-
sandoho nirupädhikaù
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is greater than all other beings, both high and low. His form is not material. He is filled with spiritual bliss. He is situated in the highest stage of liberation."
Thus the word "kaivalya" may mean either {.sy 168}directly seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead" or {.sy 168}the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in the highest state of liberation". Both meanings are employed in the scriptures. The verse quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda was spoken by Çréla Süta Gosvämé.
Anuccheda 2
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.16.63) it is said:
etävän eva manujair
yoga-naipuëya-buddhibhiù
svärthaù sarvätmanä jïeyo
yat parätmaika-darçanam
"Persons who try to reach the ultimate goal of life must expertly observe the Supreme Absolute Person and the living entity, who are one in quality in their relationship as part and whole. This is the ultimate understanding of life. There is no better truth than this."*
In his commentary on this verse Çréla Çrédhara Svämé explains:
"The gist of this verse is: `There is no higher goal of life than this.' This verse says: `They whose intelligence is expert at yoga see that they are one in quality with the Supreme."
These words may also mean: "They fix their gaze on the supremely liberated Personality of Godhead." This verse was spoken by Lord Saìkarñaëa to King Citraketu.
Anuccheda 3
Liberation attained at the moment of death is of two kinds: immediate and gradual. The first kind of liberation, Immediate liberation, is described in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.2.15-21):
sthiraà sukhaà cäsanam. . .visåjet paraà gataù
"O king, whenever the yogé desires to leave this planet of human beings, he should not be perplexed about the proper time or place, but should comfortably sit without being disturbed and, regulating the life air, should control the senses by the mind.*
{.sy 168Thereafter, the yogé should merge his mind, by his unalloyed intelligence, into the living entity, and then merge the living entity into the Superself. And by doing this the fully satisfied living entity becomes situated in the supreme stage of satisfaction, so that he ceases from all other activities.*
"In that transcendental state of labdhopasanti, there is no supremacy of devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods who are empowered to rule over mundane cratures. 9And what tio speak of the demigods themselves?) Nor is there the mode of material goodness, nor passion, nor ignorance, nor even the false ego, nor the material Causal Ocean, nor the material nature.*
"The transcendentalists desire to avoid everything godless, for they know that supreme situation in which everything is related with the Supreme Lord Viñëu. Therefore a pure devotee who is in absolute harmony with the Lord does not create perplexities, but worships the lotus feet of the Lord at every moment, taking them into his heart.*
"By the strength of scientific knowledge, one should be well situated in absolute realization and thus be able to extinguish all material desires. One should then give up the material body by blocking the air hole (through which stool is evacuated) with the heel of one's foot and by lifting the life air from one place to another in the six primary places.*
"The meditative devotee should slowly push up the life air from the navel to the heart, from there to the chest and from there to the root of the palate. He should search out the proper places with intelligence.*
"Thereafter the bhakti-yogé should push the life air up between the eyebrows, and then, blocking the seven outlets of the life air, he should maintain his aim for going home, back to Godhead. If he is completely free from all desires for material enjoyment, he should then reach the cerebral hole and give up his material connections, having gone to the Supreme."*