The Definition of Bhagavan - Part 3

Date: 2011-07-25 Author: Narahari das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev.

The great sage continues and states that the Supreme Absolute Truth is to be meditated upon by persons who desire liberation. He also explains the transcendental position (nature) of Lord which is revealed by the Supreme Knowledge of the in the following words.

tad tat paraṃ dhāma tad dhyeyaṃ mokṣakāṅkṣiṇām śrutivākyoditaṃ sūkṣmaṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam Vishnu

The Supreme form of the Lord is the Absolute Truth, that is the Supreme abode (supporting everything) and that is to be meditated upon by people who are aspiring for liberation. That Supreme transcendental nature (form) of the Lord is revealed by the Vedas. It is very subtle and that is the Supreme position of Lord Vishnu.

This sloka reveals several qualities of the Supreme Lord Vishnu.

1. He is the Absolute Truth-Brahman 2. He is the Supreme Abode who supports everything (Param Dhama) 3. His form is to be meditated by people who want liberation from material existence 4. His Supreme nature, form and subtle nature is revealed by Vedas.

All these qualities are explained in (10.12,13) and Srimad Bhagavatam as follows.

uvāca paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradas tathā asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as , Asita, Devala, and proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.

The above sloka from the Gita faithfully echoes the statement of the Sage Parashara that the Lord is the Supreme Brahman (Absolute Truth) and Supreme abode of everything and His Supremacy is confirmed by Vedic assertion. Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport: "Whatever Arjuna says in these two verses is confirmed by Vedic truth. Vedic injunctions affirm that only one who takes to devotional service to the Supreme Lord can understand Him, whereas others cannot. Each and every word of this verse spoken by Arjuna is confirmed by Vedic injunction. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should always meditate upon Him and enjoy one's transcendental relationship with Him. He is the supreme existence. He is free from bodily needs, birth and death. Not only does Arjuna confirm this, but all the Vedic literatures, the and histories". The Bhagavata Purana (12.6.32 and 33) confirms that the Lord is to be meditated in love for people who desire liberation from material existence.

paraṁ padaṁ vaiṣṇavam āmananti tad yan neti netīty atad-utsisṛkṣavaḥ visṛjya daurātmyam ananya-sauhṛdā hṛdopaguhyāvasitaṁ samāhitaiḥ

ta etad adhigacchanti viṣṇor yat paramaṁ padam ahaṁ mameti daurjanyaṁ na yeṣāṁ deha-geha-jam

Those who desire to give up all that is not essentially real move systematically, by negative discrimination of the extraneous, to the supreme position of Lord Vishnu. Giving up petty materialism, they offer their love exclusively to the Absolute Truth within their hearts and embrace that highest truth in fixed meditation. Such devotees come to understand the supreme transcendental situation of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, because they are no longer polluted by the concepts of "I" and "my," which are based on body and home.

The purport explains, "As clearly stated here, param padam vaishnavam aamananti tad. Those who actually desire perfect knowledge must not only reject the non-essential but must also ultimately understand the essential spiritual reality called param padam vaishnavam: the supreme destination, the abode of Lord Vishnu. Padam indicates both the status and the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which can be understood only by those who give up petty materialism and adopt the position of ananya sauhrdam, exclusive love for the Lord."

To attain love for the Lord it is recommended here that one should meditate on the Lord's form; But a normal man cannot meditate on the Lord's form since the Lord's form is spiritual and beyond the perception of the senses and mind. Srila Prabhupada explains how practically one can meditate on Lord Vishnu - "From our present position, the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be personally seen as the Deity in the temple. The Deity of the Lord is not different from the Supreme Lord. Because we cannot see the Supreme Lord with our present blunt eyes, the Lord has kindly consented to come before us in a form we can see. Therefore the Deity in the temple should not be considered material. By offering food to the Deity and by decorating and serving the Deity, one gets the same result that one derives from serving the Lord personally in Vaikuntha." And Srila Prabhupada explains the result of such regular meditation on the Lord's deity form in 6.16.31: "If one regularly sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the temple, one will gradually be disinfected of all material desires simply by visiting the temple and seeing the Deity. When one is freed from all the results of sinful activities, one will be purified, and with a healthy mind, completely cleansed, he will increasingly make progress in Krishna consciousness".

So by worshipping the Lord in His deity form, one is actually meditating on the Supreme Absolute Truth which can lead to the realization of the Supreme Lord who is the Supreme Absolute Truth (SAT).

Krishna willing, we will see the explanation of how the Supreme Absolute Truth is defined by the word 'Bhagavan' in subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev, Narahari Krishna das Chennai.