Bhagavad Gita 15.16 ,the fall of the Jiva

[Paramananda das]

Text 16

dvav imau purushau loke ksharas cakshara eva ca ksharah sarvani bhutani kuta-stho ’kshara ucyate

Translation

There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the  material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual  world every living entity is called infallible.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

As already explained, the Lord in His incarnation as Vyasadeva compiled  the Vedanta-sutra. Here the Lord is giving, in summary, the contents of  the Vedanta-sutra. He says that the living entities, who are  innumerable, can be divided into two classes—the fallible and the  infallible. The living entities are eternally separated parts and  parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When they are in contact  with the material world they are called jiva-bhuta, and the Sanskrit  words given here, ksharah sarvani bhutani, mean that they are fallible.  Those who are in oneness with the Supreme Personality of Godhead,  however, are called infallible. Oneness does not mean that they have no  individuality, but that there is no disunity. They are all agreeable to  the purpose of the creation. Of course, in the spiritual world there is  no such thing as creation, but since the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as stated in the Vedanta-sutra, is the source of all emanations, that  conception is explained.

According to the statement of the  Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, there are two classes of  living entities. The Vedas give evidence of this, so there is no doubt  about it. The living entities who are struggling in this world with the  mind and five senses have their material bodies, which are changing. As  long as a living entity is conditioned, his body changes due to contact  with matter; matter is changing, so the living entity appears to be  changing. But in the spiritual world the body is not made of matter;  therefore there is no change. In the material world the living entity  undergoes six changes—birth, growth, duration, reproduction, then  dwindling and vanishing. These are the changes of the material body. But in the spiritual world the body does not change; there is no old age,  there is no birth, there is no death. There all exists in oneness.  Ksharah sarvani bhutani: any living entity who has come in contact with  matter, beginning from the first created being, Brahma, down to a small  ant, is changing its body; therefore they are all fallible. In the  spiritual world, however, they are always liberated in oneness.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Because I am the knower of the Vedas, I will speak in brief the essential  meaning of all the Vedas in three verses. Please listen.

In the material universe made of fourteen worlds (loke), there are these two conscious beings (imau dvau purusau). He then describes who they are in brief. One is the jiva, called ksara, because he is in a deviated (ksar means to fall) condition from his svarupa or true nature. The other is  brahman, called aksara, which does not deviate from its svarupa. The  sruti says:

etad vai tad aksaram gargi brahmana abhivadanti

The knowers of brahman know this as aksara, O Gargi. Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 3.8.3

The smrti says:

aksaram brahma paramam

The aksara is the supreme brahman.   BG 8.3

From these quotations, it is seen that the word aksara means brahman.

Now the Lord makes clear the meaning of these two words. All the living entities are one aggregate jiva (sarvani ksarah). The collective jiva, fallen from his svarupa by beginningless ignorance and subject to karma, becomes the variety of living entities up to the  moving entities like Lord Brahma. The singular number of ksarah is used  to express a class. The second consciousness, aksara, is situated for  all of time with is one svarupa, which does not fall.

Amara Kosa says "That is kuta sthah which is situated over all time with one form."

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Now Lord Krishna is expounding that there are only two types  of  beings  in all the worlds. They are  the perishable jivas or embodied  beings  and  the imperishable atmas or immortal souls which is well documented in  the  Vedic scriptures and known by those enlightened. The perishable  consists  of  alljivas beginning with Brahma, the demigods, humans,  animals,  fish  all  the way down to the immovable jivas in forms of trees, plants,etc. The  ignorant commonly refer to the word  person  in  respect  to  bodies  only  but  this conception is not completely accurate. The  word  aksarah  means  immutable, infallible or that which is not subject to change and which does not  perish when the physical body perishes and is the eternal soul.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary .

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Only two types  of  livining  entities  exist  in  creation.  They  are  theksarah or  perishable  and  the  aksarah  or  imperishable.  That  which  is designated as a jiva or embodied being is known as perishahable, from  Bahma to a blade of grass all are subject to limited  transitory  existences.  The singular form of the word atma or immortal soul denotes the totality of  alljivas as a category inasmuch as they all possess the atma and are all  bound to material  nature.  The  word  aksarah  meaning  infallible,  imperishable refers to the freed jiva who is  situated  in  its  own  eternal,  essential nature  and  not  bound  by  material  nature.  The  word  kutasthah   means immutable, constant in regard  to  its  lack  of  associaion  with  material nature having no connection to the physical plane. The singular use of  this word denotes all jivas collectively who are liberated from material  nature. It should be understood that such jivas are innumerable as Lord Krishna  has revealed previously in chapter 4, verse 10 that  many  purifying  themselves by knowledge and meditation have achieved the supreme, liberated state.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary Lord Krishna explains that in all creation  there  are  only  two  types  of beings  in  existence.  The  ksarah  or  perishable  and  the   aksarah   or imperishable. The word ksarah denotes the mutable  physical  body  which  is formed by the ingestion of  food  and  is  occupied  by  a  sentient  being. Similarly the word  aksarah  denotes  an  immutable  presence,  eternal  and immortal. Both words are used  in  the  singular  sense  because  they  each comprise a category. All jivas or embodied beings in  existence  whether  in physical or subtle  bodies  from  Brahma  down  to  a  blade  of  grass  are temporary and transitory and form the category of the perishable.  The  atmaor immortal  soul  resding  within  the  etheric  heart  of  every  jiva  is infallible and eternal and it forms the category of the imperishable.

Comment: in 1993 tp 1996 there was a huge issue about the fall of the Jiva. Srila PRabhupada was very specific, and stated that the soul was previously in Krsna lila and fell down. Gaura Govinda Maharaja and Narayana Maharaja and many others did not agree with Srila PRabhupada on this issue. (I am refering to Srila Prabhupadas letter to Madhuvisa) .In his commentary to Bhagavad Gita  15.16, Srila VisvanathChakravati Thakura has stated:

"One is the jiva, called ksara, because he is in a deviated (ksar means to fall) condition from his svarupa or true nature. The other is  brahman, called aksara, which does not deviate from its svarupa. The  sruti says:

etad vai tad aksaram gargi brahmana abhivadanti

The knowers of brahman know this as aksara, O Gargi. Brhad Aranyaka Upanisad 3.8.3

   Some persons in Gaudiya math has stated Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was of a different opinion,however he has stated:

“There is no guna (quality) or dharma (property) of Maya in the  constitution of the jivas…. The jivas in reality are pure chit beings,  constituted of chit properties. On account of their marginal position  (as the border potency), they are liable to be bound down by the  property of Maya. And that, too, occurs only when they forget their  natural function as Krishna’s servitors.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 36)
“From the knowledge of that Sambandha tattva we have learnt that the  jiva, having forgotten his eternal relation with Krishna, has fallen  into the sea of Samsara (worldly life with succession of births) full of three kinds of scorching troubles and has been suffering from much  distress. Deliberating on the means how that suffering can be prevented, we have known that if the relation referred to above be re-established, all troubles will be removed and the highest bliss achieved.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 43)
“The jiva has forgotten that he is the eternal servitor of Krishna; for this fault Maya has tied him at the neck.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 44)
“If we adopt the line of pure knowledge, it will be clear that Jiva is  not the eternal inhabitant of this sorrowful world. The present body of  Jiva is not his eternal body. Jiva is essentially chit (sentient). God  is all-conscious. Jiva is a particle of that consciousness. God is like  the sun and Jiva is his tiny ray. God is Sat, Chit and Ananda in  fullness and Jiva is an atomic particle of that universal Chidananda.  Matter and material world are not nearest principles to God because they are not sentient. But because Jiva in its essence is chit, so it has  near relation to God. Just as God has His Swarupa Vigraha, so Jiva has  eternal chit Vigraha. That chit body is manifested in Vaikuntha. Being  in material world, it is hidden under two coverings . . . . The conceit  (the dictionary meaning of conceit is “thought”) of chit body of Jiva  which was existent prior to its contact with matter is just and natural. But after the contact with matter, the conceit of self has become  foreign and unjust.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, pp. 156-157)

“The vanity that ‘I am in essence the eternal servant of Krishna,’ which was in chit constituent of Jiva, becomes transformed as servant of  Vishaya, i.e. matter. In this way, Jiva’s bondage with Maya is  established.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 157)
“But many cannot understand distinctly how karma has no beginning. Time  pertaining to matter is only material reflection of chit-time and is a  material thing suited to the performance of karma. Jiva takes recourse  to chit i.e. transcendental everlasting time in Vaikuntha, where there  is no past and future; only the present exists. When Jiva in bondage  enters in material time (it) becomes subject to past, future and present and, being server of Trikala, suffers pleasure and pain. Material time  originating from Chit kala and Chit kala having no beginning, the origin of Jiva’s Karma—i.e., aversion to God—is coming even prior to material  time. Therefore judged impartially with regard to Jadakala, the root of  Karma lies prior to this time and therefore Karma has been designated as Anadi, i.e. without any beginning.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam p. 158)
“The reason of the jiva’s bondage is the forgetfulness of his essential swarup as servant of God.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 160)

Misidentification of Jiva’s own swarup and oblivion of Krishna’s Swarup  are the two great evils. From these evils arises Jiva’s aversion to  Krishna, and on account of this aversion Jiva falls into cyclic rotation of karma marga, created by Maya.” (Shri Chaitanya Shikshamritam, p. 196)
So Srila Prabhupada knew siddhanta better than anyone.And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura  confirmed the same that the jiva did not  fall from the spiritual world

vaisnava das anu das

Paramananda das

 

 

 

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary Now Lord Krishna is expounding that there are only two types  of  beings  in all the worlds. They are  the perishable jivas or embodied  beings  and  the imperishable atmas or immortal souls which is well documented in  the  Vedic scriptures and known by those enlightened. The perishable  consists  of  alljivas beginning with Brahma, the demigods, humans,  animals,  fish  all  the way down to the immovable jivas in forms of trees, plants,etc. The  ignorant commonly refer to the word  person  in  respect  to  bodies  only  but  this conception is not completely accurate. The  word  aksarah  means  immutable, infallible or that which is not subject to change and which does not  perish when the physical body perishes and is the eternal soul.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary .

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary Only two types  of  livining  entities  exist  in  creation.  They  are  theksarah or  perishable  and  the  aksarah  or  imperishable.  That  which  is designated as a jiva or embodied being is known as perishahable, from  Bahma to a blade of grass all are subject to limited  transitory  existences.  The singular form of the word atma or immortal soul denotes the totality of  alljivas as a category inasmuch as they all possess the atma and are all  bound to material  nature.  The  word  aksarah  meaning  infallible,  imperishable refers to the freed jiva who is  situated  in  its  own  eternal,  essential nature  and  not  bound  by  material  nature.  The  word  kutasthah   means immutable, constant in regard  to  its  lack  of  associaion  with  material nature having no connection to the physical plane. The singular use of  this word denotes all jivas collectively who are liberated from material  nature. It should be understood that such jivas are innumerable as Lord Krishna  has revealed previously in chapter 4, verse 10 that  many  purifying  themselves by knowledge and meditation have achieved the supreme, liberated state.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary Lord Krishna explains that in all creation  there  are  only  two  types  of beings  in  existence.  The  ksarah  or  perishable  and  the   aksarah   or imperishable. The word ksarah denotes the mutable  physical  body  which  is formed by the ingestion of  food  and  is  occupied  by  a  sentient  being. Similarly the word  aksarah  denotes  an  immutable  presence,  eternal  and immortal. Both words are used  in  the  singular  sense  because  they  each comprise a category. All jivas or embodied beings in  existence  whether  in physical or subtle  bodies  from  Brahma  down  to  a  blade  of  grass  are temporary and transitory and form the category of the perishable.  The  atmaor immortal  soul  resding  within  the  etheric  heart  of  every  jiva  is infallible and eternal and it forms the category of the imperishable.

[Paramananda das]

The Crow-and-Fruit Philosophy

To illustrate the uselessness of arguing about where the soul fell from, Srila Prabhupada once gave the example of the crow and the fruit of an Indian palm, the tal fruit. On the top of a tree was a nice tal fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down. Some learned scholars saw this and began discussing. The fruit fell because the crow shook the limb, one said. No, said another, as the crow was landing the fruit happened to fall. This frightened the crow, so the crow flew away. No, said a third, the fruit was ripe, and the weight of the crow’s landing broke the fruit from the branch… .

“What is the use of such discussion?” Srila Prabhupada said.

Whether we came from Krishna’s pastimes or from some other spiritual source, Srila Prabhupada said, “at the present you are in neither. So the best policy is to develop your Krishna consciousness and go there [to Krishna], never mind what is your origin.”

“At the present moment you are in maya’s clutches,” he wrote, “so our only hope is to become Krishna conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead.”

Don’t waste time with the crow-and-tal-fruit logic, Srila Prabhupada advised. “Now the fruit is there. Take it and enjoy.”

The fruit of love of Krsna

[Paramananda das]

sorrry the Jiva did not fall from Goloka