Adhyaya 1 – Pada 1 - AdhikaraNa 6
The Supreme Brahman is Full of Bliss
Introduction by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
shabdA vAcakatAM yAnti
yantrAnandamayAdayaH
vibhum Ananda-vij~nAnaM
taM shuddhaM shraddadhImahi
Let us place our faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is supremely pure, all-powerful, all-knowing, and full of transcendental bliss. He is perfectly described in the Anandamaya-sUtra and the other statements of VedAnta-sUtra.
From the 12th SUtra (Anandamaya) to the end of this First Chapter, shrIla VyAsadeva will prove that the statements of the Vedic literatures are intended to describe Brahman. In the First Pada, shrIla VyAsadeva discusses those words of the Vedic literatures, which, taken by themselves, whould not necessarily refer to Brahman, but which, in their Vedic context, certainly do refer to Brahman.
1. ViShaya (Statement): In the passages from TaittirIya UpaniShad beginning brahma-vid Apnoti param and sa vA eSha puruso .anna-rasamayaH, we find a description of the annamaya, prANamaya, manomaya, and vij~nAnamaya stages of existence, and after that we find the following statement:
tasmAd vA etasmAd vij~nAnamayAd anyo .antarAtmAnandamayas tenaiSha pUrNaH. sa vA eSha puruSha-vidha eva tasya puruSha-vidhatAm anvayaM puruSha-vidhaH. tasya priyam eva shiraH. modo dakshiNaH pakshaH. pramoda uttaraH pakshaH. Ananda AtmA. brahma-pucchaM pratiShThA.
"Higher than the vij~nAnamaya stage is the Anandamaya stage of existence. The Anandamaya stage is a person whose head is pleasure (priya), whose right side is joy (moda), whose left side is delight (pramoda), and whose identity is bliss (Ananda). The Anandamya is Brahman."
2. SaMshaya (doubt): Is the Anandamaya person the individual spirit soul or the Supreme Brahman?
3. PUrvapakSha (the opposition speaks): Because Anandamaya is described as a person it must refer to the conditioned spirit soul residing in a material body.
4. SiddhAnta (the proper conclusion): shrIla VyAsadeva answers this argument by speaking the following sUtra:
SUtra 12
Anandamayo .abhyAsAt
Ananda - bliss; mayah - full of ; abhyAsAt - because of repetition.
The word Anandamaya (full of bliss) used in the Vedic literatures must refer to the Supreme Brahman, for it is repeatedly used to describe Him.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The Supreme Brahman is the Anandamaya described in Vedic literature. Why do we say so? Because the word Anandamaya is repeatedly used to describe the Supreme Brahman. Directly following the description of Anandamaya in the TaittirIya UpaniShad (2.6.1), we find the following statement:
asann eva sambhavati
asad brahmeti veda cet
asti brahmeti ced veda
santam enaM tato viduH
"One who thinks, The Supreme Brahman does not exist becomes a demonic atheist, and one who thinks, The Supreme Brahman does exist is known as a saint."
In this passage the word Brahman was repeated. This repetition is called abhyAsa. In the previous quotation from TaittirIya UpaniShad, the word Brahman appeared in the word brahma-puccham, but in that case the word only occurred once, and therefore there was no abhyAsa.
The four verses of TaittirIya UpaniShad beginning with the verse annAd vai prajAH prajAyante describe the annamaya, prANamaya, manomaya, and vij~nAnamaya levels of existence. Each of these levels is progressively higher than the preceding one, and after them the Anandamaya level, which is different in quality, is the highest of all. This will be more elaborately explained in the passage following the sUtra: priya-shiras tv Adya-prApter (3.3.13) of this book.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: These stages of existence describe the conditioned souls who have fallen into the raging river of material suffering. Why has the stage of blissfulness (Anandamaya) been made the chief of these stages of suffering?"
To this objection I reply: There is no fault in this. The all-blissful Personality of Godhead is pesent in the hearts of all the suffering conditioned souls, and therefore it is perfectly appropriate to mention them together.
The Vedic literatures speak in this way to make a difficult subject-matter intelligible for the unlettered common man. Just as one may point out the small, difficult-to-see star Arundhati by first pointing to a nearby large easy-to-see star, and then lead the viewer from that reference-point to the tiny Arundhati, in the same way the Vedic literatures first describe the suffering-filled life of the conditioned souls, and then from that reference point teach about the all-blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead.
At this point someone may raise the following question: Is it, then, that the Vedic literatures mostly describe topics other than the Supreme Brahman, (because mostly they describe these "reference-points" to lead the reader to the Supreme), or do they mostly describe Brahman directly?"
I answer this question: Brahman is directly described in the Vedic literatures. For example, in the next chapter of TaittirIya UpaniShad, VaruNa, upon being asked by his son to teach him about Brahman, explained to him that Brahman is the original creator, maintaner, and destroyer of the material universes. He further explains that the annamaya, prANamaya, manomaya, and vij~nAnamaya stages of existence, one by one, are all Brahman. Then he explained that the Anandamaya stage is the final Brahman. After explaining this, VaruNa concluded his teaching by confirming that he has spoken a true description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He said:
etam Anandamayam AtmAnam upasa~Nkramya imAn lokAn kAmAni kAma-rUpy anusa~ncarann etat sama gAyann Aste
"After leaving his material body, one who understands the supreme Anandamaya person leaves this material world and enters the spiritual world. All his desires become fulfilled, he attains a spiritual form according to his own wish, and he dedicates himself to glorifying that supreme Anandamaya person."
That the Anandamaya person in the Vedic literatures is actually the Supreme Brahman is also described in the following statement of shrImad-BhAgavatam (10.87.17):
puruSha-vidho .anvayo .atra caramo .annamyAdiShu yaH
sad asataH paraM tvam atha yad eShv avasheShAmR^itam
"O Lord, of these persons beginning with the annamaya-puruSha, You are the Supreme."
We may note in this connection that it is not contradictory or illogical to say that the Supreme Brahman has a form. The form of the Supreme is described in the Vedic literatures. For example, the BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (3.7.3) explains:
pR^ithivI sharIram
"The material universe is the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
It is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a form (sharIra), that this book, the VedAnta-sUtra, is also called shArIraka-sUtra (sUtras glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a form). Some may say that the word Anandamaya does not refer to the Supreme Brahman, and that only the word brahma-puccham refers to Brahman. This proposal is not very intelligent. Some others may say that the word Anandamaya does not refer to Brahman because the wordmaya means "transformation". These persons say the word Anandamaya (transformation of bliss) cannot refer to the Supreme Brahman, for Brahman is naturally full of bliss, and not a transformation of some pre-existing state of happiness. For this reason the word Anandamaya must refer to the individual spirit soul, and not Brahman. In order to refute this argument, shrIla VyAsadeva speaks the following sUtra:
SUtra 13
vikAra-shabdAn neti cen na pracuryAt
vikAra - transformation; shabdAt - from the word; na - not; iti - thus; cet - if; na - not; pracuryAt - because of abundance.
If (someone argues that the Supreme Brahman cannot be the same as the Anandamaya person described in the Vedas) because the affix maya means "transformation", (and the Supreme Brahman is not a transformation of Ananda, or bliss, then I reply by saying that) because the affix maya used here means "abundance", this interpretation is not correct, (and therefore the word Anandamaya should be understood to mean "He who is filled with limitless bliss").
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The word Anandamaya does not mean "he who is a transformation of bliss." Why? Because the affix maya here means "abundance", and therefore the word Anandamaya means "He who is filled with limitless bliss." The rules of Sanskrit grammar state that the affix maya may not be used to mean "transformation" in vaidika words of more than two syllables. The word Ananda has three syllables, and therefore when the word Anandamaya appears in the vaidika text of the TaittirIya UpaniShad, it cannot be interpreted to mean "he who is a transformation of bliss."
The Supreme Brahman, therefore, is not only free from all suffering, but filled with limitless bliss. This is confirmed by the following statements of Vedic scripture:
eSha sarva-bhUtAntarAtmApahata-pApmA divyo deva eko nArAyaNaH
"There is one Supreme Personality of Godhead: Lord NArAyaNa. He is the transcendental Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities, and He is completely free from all sin."
- Subala UpaniShad
parAH parANAM sakalA na yatra
kleshAdayaH sAnti parAvareshaH
"Suffering is not experienced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
When the affix maya means "abundance", it also implies the meaning "essential nature." Therefore, when we use jyotirmaya (full of light) to mean the sun, the affix maya can also be understood to mean "essential nature". In this way the word jyotirmaya means "that of which the essential nature is light." In this way the word Anandamaya may also be interpreted to mean "He whose essential nature is full of bliss." From all this it may be understood that the word Anandamaya clearly refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It does not refer to the individual spirit soul.
SUtra 14
tad-hetu-vyapadeshAc ca
tat - of that; hetu - the origin; vypadeshAt - because of the statement; ca - also.
Because the Vedic literatures declare that the Anandamaya person is the source of bliss for others, (it should be understood that the Anandamaya person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not the individual spirit soul).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
This is confirmed by the following statement of TaittirIya UpaniShad (2.7):
ko hy evAnyat kaH prANyAt yady eSha AkAsha Anando na syAt. esa evAnandayati.
"Who is that person, without whom the living entities cannot feel happiness? That is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delights the individual spirit souls."
This passage explains that the Supreme Brahman is the origin of happiness for the individual spirit souls. From this we may understand that the cause of happiness (the Supreme Personality of Godhead), and the receiver of happiness (the individual spirit soul) must be different persons. They cannot be indentical. Therefore the word Anandamaya refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead only. We may also note that the word Ananda used in this passage of TaittirIya UpaniShad (is identical with the word Anandamaya.
SUtra 15
mantra-varNikam eva ca gIyate
mantra - by the mantra portion of the Vedas; varNikam - described; eva - certainly; ca - also; gIyate - is described.
(The same Supreme Personality of Godhead) described in the mantra-portion of the Vedas is also described (as the Anandamaya-person in the text of the TaittirIya UpaniShad).
Purport by Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The same Supreme Brahman described in the Vedic mantra, Satyam j~nAnam anantam brahma (the Supreme Brahman has no limits. He is eternal and full of knowledge), is also described in the TaittirIya UpaniShad by the word Anandamaya. In this way the above sUtra explains that the word Anandamaya does not refer to the individual living entitiy. Further, the TaittirIya UpaniShad explains:
brahma-vid Apnoti param
"One who understands the Supreme Brahman attains the Supreme Brahman."
This sentence explains that the individual living entity worships the Supreme Brahman and then attains the association of that Supreme Brahman. This is the same Supreme Brahman previously described in the mantra, satyam j~nAnam anantam brahma. This is the Supreme Brahman described by the word Anandamaya. This is the Supreme Brahman described in the TaittirIya UpaniShad in the passage begining with the words tasmAd vA etasmAt. Because the Supreme Brahman is the object of attainment for the individual spirit soul, and because the object of attainment and the attainer must be two distinct entities, and they cannot be identical, therefore the Supreme Brahman and the individual living entities must be distinct persons, and therefore the word Anandamaya refers only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not to the individual living entites.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: If the Supreme Brahman described in the Vedic mantras were different from the individual living entity, then the individual living enitites could not be the Anandamaya person described in the scriptures. The actual fact is that the Supreme Brahman and the individual living entities are identical. The Vedic mantras state that when the individual spirit soul is free from ignorance and liberated from material bondage, then he become identical with the Supreme Brahman.
To answer this objection, shrIla VyAsadeva speaks the following sUtra.
SUtra 16
netaro .anupapatteH
na - not; itaraH - the other; upapatteH - because it is illogical.
The other person (individual living entity) is not described (in the mantra "satyam j~nAnam anantam brahma"), because such an interpretation of the mantra is illogical.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The itara (other person) mentioned in this sUtra is the individual living entity. This sUtra, therefore, states that the individual spirit soul, even in the liberated condition, cannot be the Supremem Person described in the mantra, satyam j~nAnam anantam brahma. This is confirmed by the following statement of Vedic literature:
so .ashnute sarvAn kAmAn saha brahmaNA vipashcitA
"The liberated soul enjoys the fulfillment of all his desires in the company of the omniscient Supreme Brahman."
In this passage the difference between the liberated spirit-soul and the Supreme Brahman is described in the words "He enjoys in the company of the Supreme Brahman." The word vipascit means "He whose consciousness (cit) sees (pashyati) the great variety of that which exists (vividham). The word pashya is changed to pash in this word by the grammatical formula pR^ishodarAdi-gaNa (PANini 6.3.109). In this way the liberated individual soul attains the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is expert at enjoying many varieties of transcendental bliss, and with Him, the individual spirit soul enjoys, fulfilling all his desires.
The word asnute should be understood to mean "enjoys" in this context. The verb ash means "to enjoy", and although we would expect it to be conjugated in the parasmaipada, (ashnAti), in this passage it is conjugated in the Atmanepada (ashnute). The reason for this is explained by PANini in the sUtra vyatyayo bahulam iti chandasi tathA smR^iteH (3.1.85).
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is naturally the Supreme Enjoyer, and the individual spirit soul is His subordinate in the matter of enjoyment also. Still, the Supreme Personality of Godhead glorifies the liberated souls, when He says:
vashe kurvanti mAM bhaktAH
sat-striyaH sat-patiM yathA
"My pure devotees bring Me under their control, just as faithful wives bring a kind-hearted husband under their control."
SUtra 17
bheda-vyapadeshAc ca
bheda - difference; vyapadeshAt - because of the statement; ca - also.
(The Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are) different, because the Vedic literature teaches this fact.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The TaittirIya UpaniShad (7.1) explains:
raso vai saH rasaM hy evAyaM labdhvAnandI bhavati.
"When one understands the Personality of God, the reservoir of pleasure, KR^iShNa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful."*
This passage clearly shows the difference between the liberated individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whom the Vedic mantras describe as Anandamaya, and who is the transcendental nectar attained by the individual spirit soul. This difference is also described in the following statement of BR^ihad-AraNyaka UpaniShad (4.4.6):
brahmaiva san brahmApnoti
"After becoming Brahman, the individual spirit soul attains Brahman."
This statement does not mean that after liberation the individual spirit soul becomes non-different from the Supreme Brahman, but rather the liberated soul becomes similar to Brahman and in this condition meets Brahman and attains His association. This is confirmed by the folllowing statementof MANDukya UpaniShad (3.1.31):
nira~njanaH paramaM sAmyam upaiti
"This liberated soul becomes like the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Also, in the Bhagavad-gita (14.2), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
idaM j~nAnam upAshritya
mama sAdharmyam AgatAH_
"By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My own nature."*
In this way the Vedic literatures teach us that the liberated souls become like the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: Is it not so that the pradhAna feature of the mode of material goodness (sattva-guNa) is the actual origin of the Anandamaya person?
shrIla VyAsadeva answers this objection in the following sUtra.
SUtra 18
kAmAc ca nAnumAnApekShA
kAmAt - because of desire; ca - also; na - not; anumAna - to the theory; apekShA - in relation.
(The Anandamaya person) cannot be (a product of the mode of material goodness), because (the mode of goodness is insentient and desireless, whereas the Anandamaya person) is filled with desires.
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The TaittirIya UpaniShad explains:
so .akAmayata bahu syAM prajAyeya
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead desired: Let Me become many. Let Me father many living entities."
In this way the shruti-shAstra explains that the universe was created by the desire of the Anandamaya person. Because the Anandamaya person is thus filled with desires, it is not possible for the pradhAna mode of material goodness, which is lifeless, insentient, and desireless, to be that Anandamaya person.
SUtra 19
asminn asya ca tad-yogam shAsti
asmin - in that Anandamaya person; asya - of the individual spirit soul; ca - also; tat - of fearlessness; yogam - contact; sasti - the Vedic scriptures teach.
(The Anandamaya person cannot be manifested from the pradhAna mode of material goodness, because) the Vedic scriptures teach that contact with the Anandamaya person brings fearlessness (to the individual spirit soul).
Purport by shrIla Baladeva VidyAbhUShaNa
The shruti-shAstra teaches that by taking shelter of the Anandamaya person, the individual spirit soul attains fearlessness, and by declining to take shelter of Him, the soul becomes plagued with fears. This confirmed by the TaittirIya UpaniShad (2.7.2) in the passage beginning with the words yadA hy eva.
On the other hand, contact with the material nature brings fear to the individual spirit souls. The material nature does not bring a condition of fearlessness to the living entities, and for this reason it is not possible that the pradhAna mode of material goodness is the Anandamaya person. Therefore, the Anandamaya person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. The Anandamaya person is not the individual spirit soul or the material nature.
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