Sri Krishna-Sandarbha
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Sri Krsna-sandarbha The second of the six famous “Sat-Sandarbhas” A logical and sastric establishment of bhakti unto Lord Sri Krishna - by Srila Jiva Goswami translated by Sriman Kusakratha Dasa, the late disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - Founder-Acarya of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness VOLUME ONE tau santoñayatä santau çréla-rüpa-sanätanau dakñiëätyena bhaööena punar etad vivicyate tasyädyaà granthanä-lekham kranta-vyutkranta-khaëòitaà paryälocyätha paryäyäà kåtvä likhati jévakaù tau-them; santoçayatä-pleasing; santau-saintly devotees; çréla-rüpa-Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé; sanätanau-and Çréla Sanätana Gosvami; dakñiëäöyena-from south India; bhaööena-by Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé; punaù-again; etat-this; vivicyate-is described; tasya-his; ädyam- original; granthanä-lekham-writing; kranta-vyutkranta-various fallacious arguments; khaëòitam-refuting; paryalocya-considering; atha-now; paryäyam-systematic arrangement; kåtvä-having done; likhati-writes; jévakaù-Jéva Gosvämé. 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 which defeat various philosophical misconceptions. Systematically arranging these notes, and considering their content, Jéva Gosvämé writes this book, Kåñëa-sandarbha. Anuccheda 1 Text 1 atha pürvaà sandarbha-trayeëa yasya sarva-paratvaà sädhitam, tasya çré-bhagavato nirdhäraëäya sandarbho 'yam ärabhyate. atha-now; pürvam-previously; sandarbha-trayeëa-by the three Sandarbhas; yasya-of whom; sarva-paratvam-the position as the ultimate phase of the absolute truth superior to everything and any other conception of God; sädhitam-conclusively demonstrated; tasya-of Him; çré-bhägavataù-the Personality of Godhead, full of all opulences and powers; nirdharaëäya-for the specific description; sandarbhaù-essay; ayam-this; ärabhyate-is begun. 1 In the previous three sandarbhas the conception of God as the Supreme Person full of all powers and opulences is proved to be the ultimate phase of the Absolute Truth, superior to every other conception of God. This essay is written to give a specific description of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sarva-samvädiné Comment atha iti nirdhäraëam. bahuñv ekasya nirëayaù atha iti-beginning with the word atha; nirdhäraëam-the word nirdharana; bahusu-- among many; ekasya-of one; nirnayah- conclusion. By the word nirdhäraëa it is intendied that Bhagavän is the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth. Text 2 atha tatra prathamasya dvitéye vadanti ityädinä tad ekam eva tattvaà brahmäditayä çabdyate ity uktam. atha-now; tatra-in this connection; prathamasya-of the First Canto of Çrémad- Bhägavatam (1.2.11); "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual substance Brahman, Paramätmä or Bhagavän."* Text 3 tad eva brahmädi-trayaà tasya tåtéye vivicyate. brahma tv iha yatreme sad-asad-rüpe pratiçiddhe sva-saàvidä avidyayätmani kåte iti tad brahma-darçanam tat-that; eva-certainly; brahma-ädi-beginning with Brahman; trayam-three feature; tasya-of that; tåtéye-in the Third Canto; vivicyate-is delineated; brahma-Brahman; tu-also; iha-here; yatra-whenever; ime-in all these; sat-asat-gross and subtle; rüpe-in the forms of pratiçiddhe-on being nullified; sva-saàvidä-by self-realization; avidyayä-by ignorance; ätmani-in the self; krte-having been imposed; iti-thus; tat-that is; brahma-darçanam-the process of seeing the Absolute. These three features of the Absolute are described in the Third Canto of Çrémad- Bhägavatam. The following verse (1.3.33) describes the Lord's Brahman feature: 2 "Whenever a person experience, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord in His Brahman feature."* Text 4 ity-ädinä tatra viviktam apy ekäkärävirbhävatayä saàçayäbhävät tat-tan-nirdhäraëärtham tat-tad-vacanaà niddhriyate. iti-ädinä-by this and other verses; tatra-in this connection; viviktam-discerned; api- manifestation; saàçaya- of doubt; abhävät-because of the absence; tat-tat-various; nirdharaëa of discrimination; artham-for the purpose; tat-tat-various; vacanam- descriptions; na-not; uddhriyate-should be raised. According to this verse and other descriptions in the Vedic literatures, the Brahman feature of the Absolute has only one unvariegated aspect, and therefore, without any doubt, it does not require an elaborate description in many words. Text 5 çré-bhagavat-paramätmanos tu nänävirbhävatvät täni vacanäni tat-tan-nirdhäraëärtham uddhriyante. çré-bhagavat-of the all-opulent Personality of Godhead; paramätmanoù-and of His localized expansion as the all-pervading Supersoul; tu-however; nänä-variegated; ävirbhävatvät-because of manifestation; tani vacanäni-many words; tat-tat-various; nirdharana-of discriminations; artham- for the purpose; uddhriyante-may be raised. However, the Paramätmä and Bhagavän features of the Absolute manifest a great variety of qualitites, and therefore they require an elaborate description. Text 6 tatreçvaro niräkäro nästéti präë nirëétam tatra-inthis connection; éçvaraù-the Supreme Controller; niräkäraù-without form or qualitites; na-not; asti-is; prak-previously; nirëétam-conclusively demonstated. Here we may note that in the final conclusion the Supreme Controller is not without form and qualities. This has been proved in the earlier portion of this book (the previous Sandarbhas). 3 Text 7 paramätmä-çabdena ca sarväntaryämi-puruñaù pratipäditas teçv eva sandarbheñu. tathä ca sati tasmiàs tåtéyädhyäyärambhe evam äbhäñyam. paramätmä-çabdena-by the word Paramätmä; ca-also; sarva-antaryämé-all-pervading; purusah-Supreme Person; pratipäditaù-described; teñu-in these; eva-certainly; sandarbheñu-in the Sandarbhas; tathä-in the same way; ca- also; sati-being; tasmin-in this; tåtéya-adhyäya-of the Third Chapter; ärambhe-in the endeavor; evam-in this way; abhäçyam-I described. The Paramätmä, or all-pervading expansion of the Supreme Person present in everyone's heart and in every atom, I have already described in the Third Chapter (Paramätma- sandarbha) of this book. Text 8 nanu pürvaà brahmäditayä tridhaiva tattvam ekam uktam tatra brahmaëaù kià lakñaëaà bhagavat-paramätmanor vä, tatra tatra viçeñaù kaçcid vä kim astéti çré-çaunakädi-praçnam äçaìkya çré-süta uväca nanu-Is it not so?; pürvam-previously; brahma-ädi-yaya- beginning with Brahman tådhä- in three ways; eva-certainly; tattvam-the Absolute Truth; ekam-single; uktam-is described; tatra-in this connection; brahmaëaù-of Brahman; kim-what?; lakñaëam-characteristic; bhagavat-of Bhagavan; paramätmanoù-of Paramätmä; vä-or; tatra tatra-in various points; viçeñaù-specific distinction; kaçcit-certain; va- or; kim-what?; asti-is; iti-thus; çré-çaunaka- ädi-of Çaunaka and the other sages; praçnam-querry; äçaìkya- guessing; çré-sütah-Süta Gosvämé; uväca-said. "Formerly you said that althout the Absolute Truth is one, It is manifestated in three features. What are the qualities of these three features: Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän?" Thimking that this question might arise in the minds of Çaunaka and the other sages, Süta Gosvämé said (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.3.1): Text 9 jagåhe pauruñaà rüpaà bhagavän mahad-ädibhiù sambhütaà çoòaça-kalam ädau loka-sisåkñayä jagåhe-accepted; pauruñam-plenary portion as the puruña incarnation; rüpam-form; bhagavän-the Personility of Godhead; mahat-ädibhiù-with the ingredients of the material world; sambhütam-thus there was the creation of; çoòaça-kalam- sixteen primary principles; ädau-in the beginning; loka-the universes; sisåkñayä-on the intention of creating. 4 "In the beginning of the creation, the Lord (Bhagavän) first expanded Himself in the universal form of the puruña incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe."* Text 10 yaù çré-bhagavaë pürëa-sad-aiçvaryatvena pürvaà nirdiñöaù, sa eva pauruñaà rüpaà puruñatvenämnäyate yad rüpaà tad evädau sargärambhe jagåhe. präkåta-pralayeñv asmin lénaà sat-prakaöatayä své-kåtavän. yaù-who; çré-bhagavaë-Bhagavan; pürëa-full; sat- six; aiçvaryatvena-by possessing the opulences; pürvam- previously; nirdiñöaù-described; saù-he; eva-certainly; pauruñam-of the Puruña incaration; rüpam-the form; puruñatvena-as a person; ämnäyate-is considered; yat-which; rüpam-form tat-that; eva-certainly; ädau-in the beginning; sarva-ärambhe-at the time of creation; jagåhe-accepted; präkåta-of the material manifestation; pralayeñu-at the times of dissolution; asmin-in Him; lénam-dissappearance; sat--of reality; prakaöatayä-by manifestation; své-kåtavän- accepted. This verse says that Çré Bhagavän, who was described in the previous chapter as the possesor of six opulences in full perfection, accepts the personal form of the puruña incarnation at the beginning of the material creation. At the time of annihilation, the material world enters again within the puruña incarnation and only the eternal spiritual reality is manifest. Text 11 kim artham? taträha--loka-sisåkñayä. tasminn eva lénänäà lokänäà samasti-vyasty- upädhi-jévänäà sisåkñayä prädurbhävanärtham ity arthah. kim artham?-why?; tatra-in this connection; äha-he says; loka-the universes; sisåkñayä- on the intention of creating; tasmin-in Him; eva-certainly; lénänäm-of the merged; lokänäm-universes; samsasti-distinct; vyasti-as one; upädhi-deceptively appearing; jévänäm-of