The nature of the Vedas and the Supreme Lord (Mundaka #1)
The first part of a detailed commentary on the Mundaka Upanisad I'm working on, based on the commentaries of Madhvacarya and Ramanujacarya.
Chapter One
Text 1.1.1
oṁ brahmā devānāṁ prathamaḥ sambabhūva
viśvasya kartā bhuvanasya goptā
sa brahma-vidyāṁ sarva-vidyā pratiṣṭhāṁ
atharvāya jyeṣṭa-putrāya prāha
Brahma, the foremost among the demigods, the creator of the universe and protector of the world, imparted Brahma-vidya, the foundation of all knowledge, to his eldest son, Atharva.
Commentary: Brahma is the first living being in the universe, created before the great sages and demigods. He is described as "prathamaḥ" (the first or foremost), "kartā bhuvanasya" (the creator of all living entities), and "goptā", the protector. This should be understood in the context of Brahma being subordinate to Lord Vishnu and receiving the mission of creating this particular universe. Understanding the proper context of each verse is essential in studying the Upanisads.
Everything starts with Lord Maha-Vishnu, who lies down on the causal ocean (or the Karana Ocean) and creates all the universes from his break and the pores of His body. The Karana Ocean is the combination of all the material elements, the three modes of material nature, the souls who want to take part in the material creation, and the time energy (Kala) that puts everything in movement.
The Karana Ocean is also known as pradhāna or mahat-tattva. When the energy is inactive, it is called pradhāna, which is just like a cloud that covers a small part of the spiritual sky, and when it becomes active by the influence of time and the three modes it is called mahat-tattva. Due to the influence of time, everything in the material world is created and destroyed, including the universe itself. Because of the influence of time, everything here is temporary, and the material universes go through cycles of creation and destruction. When the universes are destroyed, all the souls merge back into the mahat-tattva, and the mahat-tattva itself merges back into the body of Lord Maha-Vishnu.
The manifestation of the material universes lasts for 311.04 trillion years. That's the lifespan of Lord Brahma calculated according to our time. This equals one breath of Maha-Vishnu. When He expires, all universes come out and everything becomes active, and when He inspires all the universes are destroyed and everything merges back into His body.
This time lasts for the same period of time as the manifestation of the universes, also 311,04 trillion years. During this time all the souls stay dormant inside the body of Maha-Vishnu. After this period He again expires and all the universes become active again. The souls have thus another opportunity to perform material activities, satisfying their material desires, performing devotional service, and eventually going back to Godhead, back to the spiritual world.
In his Sariraka Bhasya, Sankaracarya refuses to acknowledge that the Lord has potencies, and thus he ends up offering the interpretation that the material world is false, the fruit of illusion. As Vaishnavas, we don't agree with this interpretation. According to Vaishnava philosophy, the material world is not false, but it is illusory. This means that the way we see it is different from what it is in reality. This illusion is called Maya. We think we will live forever, but in reality, we all die, we think we are these bodies, that we belong to a certain family or country, although in reality, we are not, and so on.
The material energy is originally one of the spiritual potencies of Lord Maha-Vishnu, His external potency. This external potency is like a shadow, which stays behind the Lord. The Lord uses this spiritual potency to create the unmanifested material elements (pradhāna). As mentioned, this pradhana is just like a cloud that covers a small part of the spiritual sky. The Lord then looks in the direction of this cloud, and His look carries all the souls, as well as the time energy. This puts this energy into movement, activating the three material modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance), and starting the process of creation.
Time is eternal as an energy, but its effect upon material energy has a beginning, the start of creation. In this way, time is eternal (as a cause), but at the same time, it has a beginning (as an effect).
The Lord then enters into each universe as Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. At first, the universe is completely empty, without any place to rest, so He fills half of it with water. Lord Seṣa then manifests, himself, acting as a bed, where the Lord comfortably rests. From there He manifests Lord Brahma from a lotus flower that sprouts from His navel, and Lord Brahma creates the universe itself.
Simultaneously, the Lord expands himself again as Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, Paramatma, who enters into the hearts of all and into everything, up to the individual atoms. There is no part of the universe where Paramatma is not present, therefore He knows everything. Lord Ksirodakasayi Vishnu is also known as Lord Hari, and He is the source of all the different incarnations that appear in this universe. As He himself comes from Lord Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, some passages say that Garbhodakasayi Vishnu is the source of all incarnations. In the same way, since Garbhodakasayi Vishnu comes ultimately from Krsna, we can also say that all incarnations come from Krsna. There is no contradiction.
Krsna appears in unlimited incarnations in the different universes. He appears as the different forms of Vishnu to create and maintain the universes, He comes to perform different pastimes (lila-avataras), He comes in every age to teach Dharma (yuga-avataras), He appears as an incarnation during the reign of each Manu (manvantara-avataras), He empowers different living beings to perform amazing activities (saktyavesa-avataras) and so on.
In this way, Brahma is created from Lord Maha-Vishnu and is thus considered to be His son. Normally, a child is born from a mother as a result of a sexual act, but Brahma is called aja (unborn) because he was born from the abdomen of Lord Garbhodakasayi Visnu without the need for a material father and mother. The Lord empowers Brahma to repeatedly create our material universe at the beginning of each of his days, creating an opportunity for the souls who desire to exploit the material energy to satisfy their material desires and eventually find their way back home, back to Godhead.
Brahma is born from the cosmic lotus flower that appears from the Lord's navel. One may question why a lotus flower, but once we accept that the Lord is a person who processes intelligence, desires, and an artistic sense, it sounds quite natural.
Waking up on top of the lotus, Brahma could not see anything. The third canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, chapter eight, describes that he looked around to survey the space around him, and in this way, he acquired four heads. Next, still not being able to understand the origin of the Lotus or himself, Brahma had the idea of exploring it by going down the steam, but at a certain point, he met the kala-chakra of the Lord, the time factor, and becoming fearful he hurried in returning to the top. Brahma then gave up the idea of understanding his origin by experimental means and instead started performing austerities by meditating on the Supreme Lord.
Through his meditation, Brahma was able to develop knowledge and was able to see the Lord inside his heart as Paramatma. Then, looking outside, he was able to see Garbhodakasayi Vishnu lying on Lord Sesa on the Garbhodaka ocean, and the whole scene was illuminated by the transcendental light emanating from the jewels bedecking the hoods of Lord Sesa, dissipating all the darkness of these regions. In the beginning, Brahma could not see this transcendental light, just like we can't see it. All he saw was darkness. However, after acquiring transcendental vision, he was able to see it around the Lord.
Verses 3.8.24 and 3.8.25, describe the vision of Brahma:
"The luster of the transcendental body of the Lord mocked the beauty of the coral mountain. The coral mountain is very beautifully dressed by the evening sky, but the yellow dress of the Lord mocked its beauty. There is gold on the summit of the mountain, but the Lord’s helmet, bedecked with jewels, mocked it. The mountain’s waterfalls, herbs, etc., with a panorama of flowers, seem like garlands, but the Lord’s gigantic body, and His hands and legs, decorated with jewels, pearls, tulasī leaves and flower garlands, mocked the scene on the mountain. His transcendental body, unlimited in length and breadth, occupied the three planetary systems, upper, middle and lower. His body was self-illuminated by unparalleled dress and variegatedness and was properly ornamented."
The Lord raised His lotus feet to Lord Brahma. The Lord's lotus feet are the source of all blessings given to devotees who worship Him in pure devotional service. Simultaneously, the Lord vanquishes the distress of His devotees with His beautiful smile.
In his purport, Srila Prabhupada describes:
"Devotional service to the Lord is very much obliging to Him. There are many transcendentalists in different fields of spiritual activities, but devotional service to the Lord is unique. Devotees do not ask anything from the Lord in exchange for their service. Even the most desirable liberation is refused by devotees, although offered by the Lord. Thus the Lord becomes a kind of debtor to the devotees, and He can only try to repay the devotees’ service with His ever-enchanting smile. The devotees are ever satisfied by the smiling face of the Lord, and they become enlivened. And by seeing the devotees so enlivened, the Lord Himself is further satisfied. So there is continuous transcendental competition between the Lord and His devotees by such reciprocation of service and acknowledgement."
Observing the beautiful form of the Lord and His opulences, Brahma concluded that He is the Supreme Lord. At that point, he could see the stem of the lotus flower from where he was born coming out of his navel, the devastating waters of the ocean, and so on. Everything became visible to him. Brahma then became surcharged with the mode of passion and inclined to create the universe. The Lord indicated to Brahma the five causes of creation, which are Īśvara (The Supreme Lord); Prakṛti (the material nature); Kāla (time); the jīvas (living entities), and Karma (their activities). Seeing these five causes, Brahma began to offer his prayers to the Lord, taking shelter in Him before starting his work of creation.
Brahma is thus the original receptor of Vedic knowledge, and transmission of this knowledge is the very essence and purpose of the material creation. Brahma transmits different branches of this spiritual knowledge first to his mental sons, and they take charge of transmitting it all over the universe. Srimad Bhagavatam describes that Daksa receives knowledge in the karma-kanda section of the Vedas, the four Kumaras in the jñāna-kanda section while Narada Muni receives knowledge directly about devotional service.
This Brahma-vidya transmitted from Brahma is classified as the supreme knowledge because it is the knowledge that leads to liberation. The Vedas speak about many different subjects, such as astrology, medicine, architecture, etc. as well as fruitive activities and speculative knowledge, but all these different branches of the Vedas have the ultimate goal of gradually conducting the living entity to the understanding of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. In other words, all the verses of the Vedas have the ultimate goal of elevating a person to the platform of devotional service.
This knowledge about self-realization, that allows the soul to revive his eternal relationship with the ord is thus the foundation of other sciences and disciplines included in the Vedas.
An attentive reader may notice that the Srimad Bhagavatam describes Brahma generating ten mental sons at the beginning of the current day: Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasistha, Daksha, and Narada, apart from the Four Kumaras and Lord Shiva, while this verse Atharva as the first son of Brahma, to whom he transmitted the knowledge of the Atharva Veda, which includes the Mundaka Upanisad. These two descriptions should not be seen as contradictory. Srila Madhvacarya dispels the confusion in his commentary of this verse: "In the Vaivasvata Manvantara [the current one], Atharva was the firstborn of Brahmā, while Mitra, Varuṇa, Praheti, and Heti were born after him. In the first Kalpa, Śiva was the firstborn of Brahmā. Sanaka and the rest were the firstborn in Varāha Kalpa, while Brahmā is the firstborn of Viṣṇu. (Brahmaṇḍa Purāṇa)."
Text 1.1.2
atharvaṇe yāṁ pravadeta brahmā
atharvā tāṁ purovācāṅgire brahma-vidyām
sa bhāradvājāya satyavāhāya prāha
bhāradvājo ’ṅgirase parāvarām
That knowledge of Brahman, which Brahma taught to Atharva was then imparted by Atharva to the sage Aṅgira. Aṅgira spoke that knowledge to Satyavāha of the Bharadvāja lineage. Satyavāha, in turn, taught that knowledge to Aṅgirasa in the parampara system.
Commentary: All conditioned living beings share the same basic defects: committing mistakes, being illusioned, cheating, and having imperfect senses. Even great demigods fall into illusion, commit mistakes, etc. The conclusion is that perfect knowledge can't be produced in this material world, it has to be imported from the outside, originating from Krishna and his pure devotees. This knowledge is then transmitted without adulteration through the parampara system. Due to this divine system, pure spiritual knowledge is always available in human society for anyone sincere enough to look for it. This system is so important that when the parampara is broken, Krishna comes personally to reestablish it or sends his representative to start a new disciplic succession.
In the disciplic succession of the Mundaka Upanisad, Brahma received knowledge directly from the Lord and transmitted it to his son, Atharva. He, in turn, transmitted it to Aṅgira, one of the Saptarisis, the seven great sages who, in a visit to Earth, transmitted it to Satyavāha, who was very dedicated to the truth. Satyavāha in turn transmitted it to Aṅgirasa.
Text 1.1.3
śaunako ha vai mahāśālo ’ṅgirasaṁ vidhivad upasannaḥ papraccha
kasmin nu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātam bhavatīti
Śaunaka, the respected householder, approached Aṅgirasa following proper etiquette and inquired: "Oh great sage who knows everything! Knowing what does all become known?"
Commentary: Śaunaka was the son of Śunaka. He is described as "mahāśāla" a respected householder, who approached the sage Aṅgirasa according to the proper etiquette (vidhivat) to inquire about spiritual knowledge. He was holding firewood in his hands, had a respectful attitude, and so on, according to the Vedic practice of approaching a guru with respect and the appropriate mentality for receiving spiritual knowledge.
The necessity of accepting a qualified spiritual master is described by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to ŚB 5.14.41:
"Even if one wanders for many millions of years, from the time of creation until the time of annihilation, one cannot get free from the path of material existence unless one receives shelter at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. As a monkey takes shelter of the branch of a banyan tree and thinks he is enjoying, the conditioned soul, not knowing the real interest of his life, takes shelter of the path of karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities. Sometimes he is elevated to the heavenly planets by such activities, and sometimes he again descends to earth. This is described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as brahmāṇḍa bhramite. However, if by Kṛṣṇa’s grace one is fortunate enough to come under the shelter of the guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa he receives lessons on how to execute devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In this way he receives a clue of how to get out of his continuous struggle up and down within the material world. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that one should approach a spiritual master. The Vedas declare: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12). Similarly in Bhagavad-gītā (4.34) the Supreme Personality of Godhead advises:
tad viddhi praṇipātena/ paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ/ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21) gives similar advice:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta/ jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ/ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
“Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.” Similarly, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, a great Vaiṣṇava, also advises, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: “By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.” This is the same advice given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja). This is essential. One must come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore one must take shelter of a pure devotee. Thus one can become free from the clutches of matter."
The Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.9) confirms: naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva su-jñānāya preṣṭha, “This realization, my dear boy, cannot be acquired by logic. It must be spoken by an exceptionally qualified spiritual master to a knowledgeable disciple.”
Even in Vedic times, there are many rsis and munis who would not be capable of understanding the absolute truth using their intellects. This proves that mental power alone is not sufficient to understand the scriptures and realize the Lord. After receiving some preliminary knowledge, one may acquire some faith, which can lead him to approach a qualified spiritual master, and then under his guidance, he may deepen his understanding. This is part of a natural sequence explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, as part of His teachings to Sanātana Goswami:
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
"In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." (CC Madhya 23.14-15)
The spiritual master not only teaches but also empowers the disciple to understand spiritual knowledge, acting as the representative of Krishna who connects the disciple to the parampara and makes him a member of the Acyuta-gotra, the family of Krishna. One can't join a family just by his sole desire, one has to the born there or be adopted to become part of it. Even when we consider just the aspect of the transmission of knowledge, the acceptance of a spiritual master is essential, because to understand the scriptures, one must have the correct conclusions of the text, which need to be received from the spiritual master, be it the diksa or siksa guru. Once acquired, the knowledge still has to be realized, which is a longer process than most of us may realize. During this process, the spiritual master has to check the disciple and correct him when necessary, making sure he continues on the right path. Without this process, is very improbable one will be able to reach the ultimate goal.
Apart from approaching a qualified spiritual master with the proper attitude, one should understand what he is looking for. One may approach a spiritual master to ask for material blessings, inquire about solutions to his material problems or even inquire about knowledge on material subjects included in the Vedas (such as Vastu or Jyotish, for example). However, one who is intelligent will directly ask about spiritual knowledge, the knowledge by which everything can become known, and that can solve the real problems of life. That was the attitude of Śaunaka, and we will see the results of this inquiry in the pages of the Mundaka Upanisad.
After approaching his spiritual master, Śaunaka asked: "kasmin nu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātam bhavatīti". There are several details hidden in this sentence:
The word "kasmin" indicates a specific inquiry about the absolute truth, which acts as both the efficient cause (nimitta) and the material cause (upādāna). In other words, the Lord is both the cause and the effect of everything, because everything comes from the Lord and is composed of His energy.
The expression "efficient cause" is part of the Vedanta terminology, the way it is translated into English by Srila Prabhupada. You can note he uses this term in many passages. "Efficient cause" means the active agent that initiates creation (in other words, God in His personal aspect, acting according to His desire through His potencies), while "material cause" indicates the material energy (the external potency of the Lord) from which all material manifestations are created.
When we say that the Lord is both the efficient cause (nimitta) and the material cause (upādāna) of everything, we indicate that He is everything, both the energy and the manipulator of the energy, or in other words, both the energy and the energetic. There is nothing apart from the Lord. Everything is the Lord, but at the same time, there is diferentiation among His different energies. This is the essence of the Achintya Bheda-Abheda Tattva philosophy of Mahaprabhu. We are one with God, being part of His energy, but at the same time separate individuals.
The word "bhagavo" used by Śaunaka to address his spiritual master, Aṅgirasa, comes from Bhagavān. The special meaning of this word is given in the Vishnu Purana: utpattiṁ pralayaṁ caiva bhūtānām āgatiṁ gatim vetti vidyām avidyāṁ ca sa vācyo bhagavan iti, "One who knows creation and dissolution, the appearance and disappearance of all beings, as well as knowledge and ignorance, is called Bhagavān." In other words, Bhagavan is a person who fully understands the absolute truth and has thus complete knowledge.
An analogy used in many passages of the Upanisads is that just as by understanding the properties of clay one can understand the properties of all objects made from clay, by understanding the foundation of all knowledge, the Supreme Brahman, one can fully understand everything else that exists. There is nothing separate from Krishna, therefore, Krishna is the sarva-vidyā-pratiṣṭhā, the basis of all knowledge. One who understands Krishna knows everything.
In this way, when Śaunaka declares that Aṅgirasa knows everything, he implies that he has perfect knowledge about the Lord, including His potencies, qualities, activities, and so on. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu encapsulates this teaching in his instruction: kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya. "Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa."
The qualification for a spiritual master is not being part of a certain social class, caste, or gender. Instead of looking for such external features, one should look for someone who knows the science of Krishna. One who knows Krishna knows everything and can deliver us from the ocean of birth and death. This is more valuable than any other qualification.
Apart from his participation in the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam, as the leader of the sages in Naimisharanya, Śaunaka is also credited with the writing of the Śaunaka Sūtras, which are part of the Atharva Veda. The Mundaka Upanisad, the result of his inquiries to the sage Aṅgirasa, is also originally part of the Atharva Veda, therefore we can note the relationship of Śaunaka with the scripture.
Text 1.1.4
tasmai sa hovāca dve vidye veditavyo
iti ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti—parā caivāparā ca
Aṅgirasa, the great teacher answered: There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge (parā vidyā) and the other with material knowledge (aparā vidyā).
Commentary: Srila Prabhupada comments on verses four and five on his purport to CC Madhya 19.17, repeating the words of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. The translations for these two verses are taken from there. His purport is connected with Sanatana Goswami discussing the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (bhāgavata vicāra) with learned brāhmaṇa scholars, prior to his abandonment of the governmental service and his meeting with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
"Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following commentary on the words bhāgavata vicāra. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4-5), there are two kinds of educational systems: dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti — parā caivāparā ca. tatrāparā ṛg-vedo yajur-vedaḥ sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇaṁ niruktaṁ chando jyotiṣam iti. atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate.
“There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. All the Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa — belong to the inferior system of material knowledge [aparā vidyā]. By parā vidyā one can understand the akṣara — Brahman or the Absolute Truth.”
As far as the Vedic literature is concerned, the Vedānta-sūtra is accepted as the parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an explanation of that parā vidyā. Those who aspire for liberation (mukti or mokṣa) and introduce themselves as vaidāntika are also equal to those groups aspiring to improve religion (dharma), economic development (artha) and sense gratification (kāma). Dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa are called catur-varga. They are all within the system of inferior, material knowledge. Any literature giving information about the spiritual world, spiritual life, spiritual identity and the spirit soul is called parā vidyā. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not have anything to do with the materialistic way of life; it gives transcendental information to educate people in the superior system of parā vidyā. Sanātana Gosvāmī was engaged in discussing the bhāgavata-vidyā, which means he discussed transcendental superior knowledge. Those who are karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs are not actually fit to discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Only Vaiṣṇavas, or pure devotees, are fit to discuss that literature. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself (12.13.18):
śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ purāṇam amalaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyaṁ
yasmin pāramahaṁsyam ekam amalaṁ jñānaṁ paraṁ gīyate
yatra jñāna-virāga-bhakti-sahitaṁ naiṣkarmyam āviṣkṛtaṁ
tac chṛṇvan supaṭhan vicāraṇa-paro bhaktyā vimucyen naraḥ
Although Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is counted among the Purāṇas, it is called the spotless Purāṇa. Because it does not discuss anything material, it is liked by transcendental Vaiṣṇava devotees. The subject matter found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for paramahaṁsas. As it is said, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyam. A paramahaṁsa is one who does not live in the material world and who does not envy others. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is discussed to arouse the living entity to the transcendental position of jñāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (renunciation). As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.12):
tac chraddadhānāḥ munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
“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 Vedānta-śruti.”
This is not sentiment. Knowledge and renunciation can be obtained through devotional service (bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā), that is, by arousing one’s dormant devotional consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa consciousness is aroused, it relieves one from fruitive activity, activity for economic improvement and material enjoyment. This relief is technically called naiṣkarmya, and when one is relieved, he is no longer interested in working hard for sense gratification. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Śrīla Vyāsadeva’s last, mature contribution, and one should read and hear it in an assembly of realized souls while engaging in devotional service. At such a time one can be liberated from all material bondage. This was the course taken by Sanātana Gosvāmī, who retired from government service to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with learned scholars."
The purpose of the scriptures is to gradually elevate all kinds of people to the platform of pure devotional service to the Lord. Just as there are different classes of people, there are different gradations of knowledge inside of the Vedic scriptures. All Vedic knowledge is valuable, but not all have the same value.
The stairway of the Vedas starts with the Upavedas, supplementary texts that describe material sciences, including the Ayurveda (medicine), Dhanurveda (martial science), Gandharva Veda (music and arts), and Sthapatya Veda (architecture, including Vastu). Then there are the Vedangas (disciplines that support the study of the Vedas), including Siksha (the study of phonetics), Vyakarana (grammar), Chandas (study of the metrical structure of Sanskrit verses), Nirukta (etymology), Jyotisha (astrology) and Kalpa (instructions on the practice of rituals), followed by the Dharma Sastras, such as Manu-smriti (which provide guidelines on moral conduct, social duties, etc.) the four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva), the Tantras (instructions on rituals and worship), the Upanishads (which include passages of the original Vedas that bring knowledge about the soul), the Vedanta-sutra (which brings the conclusions of the Upanisads), the Puranas as well as Itihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata), where the Vedic knowledge is explained in the form of stories with deep spiritual significance. Both the Vedanta-sutra and the Bhagavad-Gita bring the ultimate conclusions of the Vedas, culminating in the process of devotional service to the Lord, which is explained in detail in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the spotless Purana.
All this vast literature can be divided into two groups: the scriptures that deal with temporary, material subjects (aparā), helping one to live in this world and fulfill his material desires, and the scriptures dealing with spiritual subjects (parā), destined for souls who started the process of inquiring about their eternal nature. The parā scriptures culminate with the Srimad Bhagavatam, which explains the final goal and conclusions of all the Vedas and the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who embodied the practice of these conclusions.
These different levels of knowledge apply to different people in different circumstances, and therefore it is essential to receive this knowledge inside of the parampara, through the process of inquiring from the spiritual master. Only self-realized souls can perfectly identify what is applicable to a particular student and guide him in a way that there may be no obstacles on his path. This brings us to the books of Srila Prabhupada, which are better understood when studied under the guidance of one of his faithful disciples and followers. Once Srila Prabhupada explained that his books are like a pharmacy that contains the cure for all diseases. However, one needs to know which medicines to take.
Text 1.1.5
tatrāparā ṛg vedo yajur vedaḥ
sāma-vedo ’tharva-vedaḥ, śikṣā kalpo vyākaraṇaṁ
niruktaṁ chando jyotiṣam iti
atha parā—yayā tad akṣaraṁ adhigamyate
All the Vedas, including the Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, and Atharva Veda, along with their corollaries, known as śikṣā, kalpa, vyākaraṇa, nirukta, chanda and jyotiṣa belong to the inferior system of material knowledge (aparā-vidyā). By parā-vidyā one can understand the akṣara: Brahman or the Absolute Truth.
Commentary: This verse defines different vidyās, branches of knowledge inside the Vedas as aparā. The word aparā literally means "lower" or "inferior". In his commentary, Srila Madvacarya explains that these branches are considered inferior, or aparā when they do not designate Viṣṇu but are employed in a ritualistic sense. However, they become parā-vidyā, when they directly express Lord Viṣṇu and service to Him.
The whole Vedic literature exists with the sole purpose of glorifying the Lord and bringing one to the platform of devotional service, as Krishna Himself explains in the Bhagavad-Gita: "By all the Vedas, I am to be known." When one misses this purpose and instead focuses on material knowledge included in the Vedas, using it to improve his position in this material world, he deals with the inferior knowledge mentioned in this verse. Thus, the distinction between aparā vidyā and parā vidyā is also related to the mentality and understanding of the student.
Madvacarya also explains that in Satya-Yuga, the Vedas were one. This single and undivided Veda revealed a single ultimate truth: Lord Vishnu as the Supreme Lord, without a second. During this era, all names we now associate with demigods (Indra, Brahmā, Rudra, etc.) applied solely to Viṣṇu, who was understood as the only deity. This higher understanding of the meaning of the Vedas is revealed by Vyasadeva in the Vedanta-sutra (1.4.28) by the words: etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ, "The Supreme Lord is the original cause of everything. All words of the scriptures should be interpreted according to this explanation."
Inhabitants of Satya-yuga respected the demigods, but not as separate deities. They were seen as guardians, transmissors of Vedic knowledge, and representatives of the Lord. Because at the time there was no worship apart from the worship of the Lord, there was no concept of higher and lower Vedic knowledge. All Vedic knowledge was seen as a direct expression of the absolute truth, directly describing the Lord.
The division between parā-vidyā and aparā-vidyā started in Treta-yuga, when intelligence declined and people manifested the desire for fruitive activities. The Vedas were then divided into three: Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, and people began to worship through these divisions by performing Vedic ceremonies. The Pañcarātra system of worship was also introduced. Due to the decline in spiritual focus, the worship of demigods was introduced and thus the division of superior and inferior knowledge inside the Vedas became manifested. Everything that deals directly with devotional service and worship of the Lord is classified as parā-vidyā and knowledge connected with the worship of demigods and material activities is defined as aparā-vidyā.
Krishna describes this division in the Bhagavad-Gita: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures." (Bg 7.20) "Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet." (Bg 7.23)
In Dvāpara-yuga, the capacity of the general population to understand the Vedas decayed further, and the Vedas were parted into five divisions, including also the Atharva-Veda and the fifth Veda in the form of the Puranas, Mahabharata, etc. making the knowledge of the Vedas more accessible. Still, most of the population was not able to understand the Vedas, and thus they were advised to worship the Lord following the pañcarātra. It's thus said that the dharma for Dvāpara-yuga is temple worship following the regulations of the pañcarātric system.
In Kali-yuga, the knowledge of the Vedas practically disappears. We have access to just a small percentage of the original verses compiled by Vyasadeva, which we can't properly understand. We are also not capable of rigidly following the pañcarātric system of temple worship, therefore the only hope for us is the direct chant of the holy names of the Lord, and to directly study the conclusions of the scripture through books that directly describe devotional service, such as the Bhagavad-Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
In this way, we should avoid the other dharmas followed by less intelligent people in Treta-yuga and Dvāpara-yuga, and instead focus on the highest dharma, the process of devotional service to the Lord, the way it was executed by people in Satya-yuga. That's what Krishna urges us to do when He says "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me."
Text 1.1.6
yat tad adreśyam agrāhyam agotram
avarṇam acakṣuḥ-śtrotraṁ tad apāṇipādam
nityaṁ vibhuṁ sarva-gataṁ susūkṣmaṁ
tad avyayaṁ yad bhūta-yoniṁ paripaśyanti dhīrāḥ
The wise perceive that imperishable Supreme Brahman, who is invisible, ungraspable, without family or caste, without form, without eyes and ears, without hands and feet; who is eternal, all-pervading, extremely subtle, and unchanging, and who is the source of all beings.
Commentary: Many verses of the Upanisads appear to describe the absolute truth as impersonal, by stating that He doesn't perform activities, has no hands or legs, no qualities, and so on. This illustrates the importance of studying and understanding the texts under the proper conclusions. These conclusions are like the keys to understanding the text. Without these keys, received from the disciplic succession, one can study the verses for thousands of years and will just again and again arrive at incorrect conclusions.
The Vedanta-sutra, 1.1.2, for example, states: janmādy asya yataḥ, "From Him, the Absolute Truth, everything emanates."
If the Absolute Truth or Supreme Brahman is the source of everything, including all material universes, it means he has potencies, or energies, that are used to perform the creation. For example, if I say "Jagadish" built a house for his family", this implies he has access to bricks, cement, workers, and other assets that he used to build a house. If Jagadish were a pauper, without access to such facilities, would not be possible for him to build anything. Mayavadis argue against this conclusion by stating that the material world creation does not exist, being the fruit of the supreme Brahman falling into illusion and thus imagining itself as many, inside a false word and performing false, illusory activities. We can see how their resistance to the direct conclusion brings them to a long stretch of imagination.
The fact that the Supreme Brahman has potencies, implies in turn that He is conscious and the fact He creates implies He has desires and intelligence, since without these two no creation can be performed. This is confirmed in the Chandogya Upanisad (6.2) which mentions that at the beginning of creation, the Supreme Brahman in his form as Maha-Vishnu, tough to himself: tad aikṣata, bahu syāṁ prajāyeyeti "Let me become many. Let me propagate myself." This passage is significant for two reasons: it indicates thoughts and it indicates desires. Just as we have thoughts, the Supreme Brahman also has thoughts, and just as we have desires, He also has desires. Just as we speak, He also speaks. The difference is that right now we do all these things under the restrictions of physical laws, while the Lord performs these activities on an absolute platform. The fact that the Lord performs activities, implies that He has a form, but that form is different in nature from the material forms we have in this world. His form is transcendental.
Therefore, when the Mundaka Upanisad describes the Supreme Brahman as invisible (adreśyam), ungraspable (agrāhyam), without family or caste (agotram), without form (avarṇam), without eyes and ears (acakṣuḥ-śrotram), without hands and feet (apāṇipādam), etc. one, armed with the conclusion that the Supreme Brahman has a form, perform activities, has thoughts and desires, etc. will understand it as meaning that the Lord has no material form, processing instead a transcendental form that is beyond the inebrieties and limitations of a physical body.
This conclusion is confirmed in the verse itself, which describes the Supreme Brahman as being eternal (nityam), all-pervading (vibhum), extremely subtle (susūkṣmam), unchanging (avyayam), and the source of all beings (bhūta-yoniṁ).
We can see that when all passages are taken togueter and in context, the correct conclusion becomes self-evident. However, without proper guidance, the tendency is that one will fail to grasp the correct conclusions of the text and come to a mistaken conclusion. This incorrect conclusion will in turn make him misinterpret other verses, bringing him progressively further from the truth.
In this way, we can see that the study of the scriptures without proper guidance is not just ineffective, but damaging. A simple person who has no prior knowledge has less difficulty in accepting proper guidance and obtaining the proper understanding of the scriptures than a scholar who is already misguided by many years of mistaken conclusions. The culmination of this process of misguided study is the Mayavadi, who becomes practically incorrigible.
Observing this, we can understand why Srila Prabhupada put so much emphasis on the distribution of his books, seeing this as a way to put the general people in contact with genuine knowledge, so they could start the process of ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā, etc., acquiring some faith, then coming in contact with devotees, finding a spiritual master and executing the regulative principles under his guidance, and so on.
1.1.7
yathorṇanābhiḥ sṛjate gṛhṇate ca
yathā pṛthivyām oṣadhayaḥ sambhavanti
yathā sataḥ puruṣāt keśa-lomāni
tathā ’kṣarāt sambhavatīha viśvam
Just as a spider produces a web from its body and then withdraws it, just as plants and herbs are produced from the earth, and just as and as hair grows on a living person, so does the universe emerge from the akṣara, the imperishable Brahman.
Commentary: In this material world, we can observe that a creator is always different from the elements used in his creation. An artist may use paint to create artwork, a builder may use bricks to build a house, and so on. The builder (the efficient cause) is different from the bricks (the material cause) and the bricks are transformed into the house. In the end, the three things are different from each other.
However, when we study about the nature of the Supreme Brahman and the creation of the material universes, we come to an apparent contradiction. The Supreme Brahman is described in the Upanisads, and the Vedas in general, as both the efficient cause (nimitta) and the material cause (upādāna). In other words, Brahman is both the creator of the material manifestation and the substance from which the material universes are made. At the same time, Brahman is also described as unchangeable and unmaterial.
These ideas may seem quite dificult to reconcile. If Brahman is spiritual and eternal, how can He be the cause of the temporary material world? If Brahman is unchangeable, how can He create the material manifestation out of Himself?
This verse uses three analogies to clarify Brahman’s role in creation:
a) The spider producing its web: A spider produces its web without help, from its own body, and later ingests it back, witdrawing it. Similarly, Brahman is the independent creator who creates and withdraws the universe from His energy without changing in the process.
b) The earth producing plants and herbs: A plot of land may produce many plants without being changed in the process. Although many plants are produced, the land doesn't become sky or something else. Similarly, Brahman can give rise to many different forms without undergoing change or depleting Himself in the process.
c) A conscious person producing unconscious hair: Just as a human, a conscious being, produces unconscious elements such as hair and nails, the Supreme Brahman produces conscious material elements that are aggregated in the form of the material universes.
In this way, the verse solves this apparent contradiction by explaining how Brahman creates the material universes without undergoing change or exhausting His potency, remaining completely transcendental and unchanging. The material manifestation comes from Brahman, but it does not alter or limit Brahman in any way. Brahman creates the universe, but at the same time remains as it is.
This simple explanation may satisfy most readers, but Prabhupada goes deeper in his purport to CC Madhya 6.172, explaining the theory of pariṇāma-vāda, which explains in detail how Brahman creates the material world from His energy without undergoing transformation, contrasting it to the theory of illusion (vivarta-vāda) of Śaṅkarācārya:
"The first verse of the Brahma-sūtra is athāto brahma-jijñāsā: “We must now inquire into the Absolute Truth.” The second verse immediately answers, janmādy asya yataḥ: “The Absolute Truth is the original source of everything.” Janmādy asya yataḥ does not suggest that the original person has been transformed. Rather, it clearly indicates that He produces this cosmic manifestation through His inconceivable energy. This is also clearly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), where Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “From Me, everything emanates.” This is also confirmed in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1.1): yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. “The Supreme Absolute Truth is that from which everything is born.” Similarly, in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.7) it is stated, yathorṇa-nābhiḥ sṛjate gṛhṇate ca: “[The Lord creates and destroys the cosmic manifestation] as a spider creates a web and draws it back within itself.” All of these śāstric statements indicate the transformation of the Lord’s energy, not of the Lord Himself. Tranformation of the Lord’s energy is called pariṇāma-vāda. However, being very anxious to protect Śrīla Vyāsadeva from criticism, Śaṅkarācārya became a pseudo gentleman and put forward his theory of illusion (vivarta-vāda). Śaṅkarācārya concocted this meaning of pariṇāma-vāda, and by word jugglery he endeavored very hard to establish pariṇāma-vāda as vivarta-vāda."
There are a lot of deep concepts packed into this purport. Let's try to understand it.
a) The doctrine of by-products: If everything comes from Brahman and there is nothing apart from Brahman, how can we explain that something is created from Him, without having to accept that Brahman is transformed in the process? Since Brahman is described as eternal and immutable, there can't be any transformation, since transformation would lead to an eventual end, just like we can observe in everything that is material.
Vaishnavas accept that the energy of the Lord gives birth to the material manifestation without being transformed, This doctrine is called pariṇāma-vāda, or doctrine of by-products. To understand how it works, we can imagine a mass of Lego blocks that are used to make many toys. Children come to play with these toys, and when they are finished, the toys are disassembled and returned into blocks. The same blocks are later used to make other toys and so on. The blocks are thus permutated, or rearranged into different forms, but there is no transformation: the blocks remain the same.
Similarly, the material energy, the external potency of the Lord is permutated, or rearranged into the material universes during the process of creation, and then dissembled back into its constituents in the process of dissolution, and again permutated in the next cycle of creation. The energy is thus never transformed but just assembled into different forms and later again disassembled.
The material universes are thus real, and not false, and the material energy is eternal. The manifestation of the material universes, as well as of different material objects is thus real, but temporary. None of the toys built using the blocks is false, they exist, but their existence is not eternal. This understanding allows us to reconcile the idea that the material universes come from the energy of the Lord with the idea that the energy doesn't change.
b) Theory of illusion: Sankaracarya used a logical trick in his commentary of the Vedanta-sutra, equating the pariṇāma-vāda with the doctrine of change, arguing that accepting that Brahman creates the material world from His energy implies that the energy is transformed into something else. In this way, he was able to present his vivarta-vāda, or doctrine of illusory transformation of state.
In the vivarta-vāda, the existence of the material world is explained in a very simple way: There is no material world. Everything is simply an illusion. Just like we may mistake a piece of rope on the road for a snake, we think this material world is real, although it in fact doesn't even exist. When we are free from this illusion, or Maya, we see ourselves again as fragments of the eternal Brahman. This is a less developed, and much weaker theory, but Sakaracarya was able to defend it using world jugglery.
Vyasadeva himself refutes the vivarta-vāda when he says "janmādy asya yataḥ" (Vs 1.1.2). Everything emanates from the Lord means everything comes from His energy. Since the Lord is described as eternal, means that His energy is also eternal. Since it is described as eternal, it means there is no change or transformation, and since there is no transformation, the creation of the material universe must happen by permutation, or rearrangement of the energy, and not transformation. In this way, we can see how Vyasadeva explains this delicate point in just four words. Sankaracarya however, indirectly argued that Vyasadeva made a mistake, and in this way pushed his theory of illusion, which is directly contradicted by Vyasadeva's sutra. When this point is well understood, one can call the bluff, so to say.
Prabhupada also makes this point on Teachings of Lord Caitanya: “The doctrine of by-products, pariṇāma-vāda, is asserted from the very beginning of the Vedānta-sūtra, but Śaṅkarācārya has superficially tried to hide it and establish the doctrine of illusory transformation of state, vivarta-vāda. He also has the audacity to say that Vyāsa is mistaken. All Vedic literatures, including the Purāṇas, confirm that the Supreme Lord is the center of all spiritual energy and variegatedness." (ToLC ch.21)
c) Permutation of energy giving birth to the cosmic manifestation: The material creation starts with Lord Maha-Vishu, who lies down on the causal ocean and creates all the innumerable material universes. The causal ocean, or Karana ocean, is also known as pradhāna or mahat-tattva. When the energy is inactive, it is called pradhāna, which is just like a cloud that covers a small part of the spiritual sky, and when it becomes active after being inseminated by the Lord with the time energy and the souls, it is called mahat-tattva. The two terms thus speak about two stages of the same thing.
Due to the influence of material time (Kala), everything in the material world is created and destroyed, including the universe itself. Because of the influence of time, everything here is temporary, and the material universes go through cycles of creation and destruction. When the universes are destroyed, all the souls merge back into the body of Lord Maha-Vishnu and remain dormant until the next material manifestation.
The material world is not false, but it is illusory. This means that the way we see it is different from what it is in reality. This illusion is called Maya. We think we will live forever, but in reality, we all die, we think we are these bodies, that we belong to a certain family or country, although in reality, we are not, and so on. On the other hand, the material energy is originally one of the spiritual potencies of Lord Maha-Vishnu, His external potency. This external potency is like a shadow, which stays behind the Lord. Because the material energy is one of the potencies of the Lord, it can't be false.
The Lord uses this spiritual potency to create the unmanifested mass of material elements (pradhāna). This pradhana is just like a cloud that covers a small part of the spiritual sky. The Lord then looks in the direction of this cloud, and His look carries all the souls, as well as the time energy (Kala). This puts this energy into movement, activating the three material modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance), putting the universes in movement, and starting the process of creation. Time is eternal as an energy, but its effect upon material energy has a beginning, the start of creation. In this way, time is eternal (as a cause), but at the same time, it has a beginning (as an effect).
d) Permutation of energy: Using the arguments of Sankaracarya, one could argue that this idea that the external energy of the Lord passes through so many transformations, resulting in the creation of the material world, violates the principle that Brahman is unchangeable, just like when we transform a piece of wood into a table, the original ingredient is transformed into something else, and can't be recovered.
However, that's not the case. A lump of clay may be shaped into different forms and transformed into different types of pots and later brought back to its original form when the pots are broken and mixed with water. The resulting clay could again be molded into different pots, and so on, in an unlimited cycle. In this case, the shape changes, but the structure of the ingredient doesn't, since it can be brought back to its original form at any moment. Another example is a spider that creates a web and later eats it.
Certain types of transformation don't violate the principle of unchangeability. When this principle is understood, the idea of Brahman being unchangeable but at the same time transforming His own energy into this material world becomes clear. The material creation exists eternally as energy, but it is sometimes manifested and sometimes unmanifested. The energy thus never changes, but it can be shaped in different ways due to the influence of the three material modes, time, and the work performed by the conditioned souls.