Sastra Caksusa

seeing through the eyes of scriptures

Sri Priti-sandarbha
Introduction
tau santoñayatä santau
çréla-rüpa-sanätanau
däkñiëäöyena bhaööena
punar etad vivicyate
tasyädyaà granthanä-lekhaà
kranta-vyutkranta-khaëòitam
paryälocyätha paryäyäà
kåtvä likhati jévakaù
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 that defeat various
philosophical misconceptions. Systematically arranging these notes, and
considering their content, Jéva Gosvämé writes this book.
Anuccheda 1
Now the Préti-sandarbha will be written. The Supreme Truth, as
He is revealed in the scriptures, was described in the first four
sandarbhas. The worship of the Supreme Truth was described in the
next, the fifth sandarbha. Those topics already explained, the true need
of mankind will be now described. The need of mankind is to end
suffering and attain happiness. When the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is pleased, then one attains happiness and ends all sufferings.
In the previous sandarbhas many passages from scripture were quoted to
describe the nature of the Supreme Truth. There it was proved that the
Supreme Truth is perfect with eternal, limitless, transcendental bliss. In
Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.8.1) it is said that the Prajäpatis enjoy happiness
thousands of times greater than the happiness of human beings, and the
great souls who know the Supreme enjoy happiness hundreds of times
greater still. In Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.4.1) it is said that happiness is
limitless and very extraordinary. In Taittiréy Upaniñad (2.7.1) it is said
that the Supreme is the source of all bliss experienced by the living
entities. In the same way the Supreme is also the source of the sun's light
and all other light also. When he is ignorant of the Supreme Lord, the
individual soul finds himself defeated by mäyä (material illusion). In
that condition, his awareness of his original form is taken away from him
and he is covered by an external form created by mäyä. In this way he is
imprisoned in the world of birth and death and shackled by a host of
material sufferings. This was already explained in the Paranmätmasandarbha. Therefore when one has direct knowledge of the Supreme
Truth, one attains the greatest bliss. Attaining that bliss is the true goal
of life. When ignorance is dispelled, one understands his true spiritual
nature. Then sufferings end. The first (understanding one's true
spiritual nature) of these is attained when the Supreme Truth is directly
manifest before one. The second (the end of sufferings) of these is
atained when one attains his spiritual form, which never dies. Then one
is situated in eternity. The first of these is the highest goal of life. It is
described in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.9-12):
dharmasya hy apavargasya. . .
tac chraddadhänä munayo
jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä
paçyanty ätmani cätmänaà
bhaktyä çruta-gåhétayä
"All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate
liberation. They should never be performed for material gain.
Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate
occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense
gratification.*
"Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification.
One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a
human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing
else should be the goal of one's works.*
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call the
non0dual substance Brahman, Paramätmä, or Bhagavän.*
"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 Vedäntaçruti."*
The stage where all sufferings end is described in these words of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.21):
bhidyate hådaya-granthiù. . .
"Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to
pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self
as the master."*
This is also described in these words of Çré Viñëu Puräëa (6.5.59):
nirastätiçayähläda-
sukha-bhävaika-lakñaëä
bheñajaà bhagavat-präptir
ekäntätyantiké matä
"Attaining the Supreme Lord is the medicine to cure the suffering
soul. That medicine fills the taker with transcendental bliss."
In the Taittiréya Upnaiñad (2.4.1) it is said:
änandam brahmaëo vidvän
na bibheti kutaçcana
"A soul who knows the bliss that comes from the Supreme
Brahman never fears."
The word "mukti" (liberation) is defined as: {.sy 168}The state that
comes after the shakcles of birth and death are cut". Çréla Süta Gosvämé
describes liberation in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.4.34):
yadaivam etena viveka-hetinä
mäyä-mayähaìkaraëätma-bandhanam
chittväcyutätmänubhavo 'vatiñöhate
tam ähur ätyantikam aìga samplavam
"Cutting the bonds of false ego with the sword of knowledge, the
soul sees the infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead. My dear friend,
then the soul's bondage in matter is completely destroyed."
This verse means, "When the soul sees the infallible Supreme
Personality of Godhead, that state is called liberation."
The same explanation is given in these words of ÇrémadBhägavatam (2.10.6):
muktir hitvänyatha-rüpaà
svarüpeëa vyavasthitiù
"Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the living
entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material
bodies."*
These words mean that even though the soul may still reside in
the world of birth and death, he may still directly see his original
spiritual form. These words also mean that the soul's misidentification
with the external material body (anyathä-rüpam) is then destroyed. In
this verse the primary meaning of the word "svarüpa" is "the form of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead". However, because the individual
spirit souls are fragmental parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
in the same way rays of sunlight are fragmental parts of the sun planet,
the word "svarüpa" may also refer to the individual soul.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.9.33) Lord Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu tells
the demigod Brahmä:

yadä rahitam ätmänaà
bhütendriya-guëäçayaiù
svarüpeëa mayopetaà
paçyan sväräjyam åcchati
"When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies,
and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of
material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At
that time you will be situated in pure consciousness."*
In this verse the word "upetam": means "it is attained without any
trouble". The happiness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is most
important. The happiness of the individual souls is secondary. The
individual souls' relationship with the Supreme is described in these
words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.14.55):

tasmät priyatamaù svätmä. . . .
kåñëam enam avehi tvam
ätmänam akhilätmanäm
jagad-dhitäya so 'py atra
dehéva. . . .
"Therefore it is his own self that is most dear to every embodied
living being, and it is simply for the satisfaction of this self that the
whole material creation of moving and nonmoving entities exists.*
"You should knowe Kåñëa as the original soul of all ätmäs (living
entities). For the benefit of the whole universe He has, out of His
causeless mercy, appeared as an ordinary human being."*
The idea that the individual souls are not in any way different
from the Supreme has already been refuted in the Paramätmasandarbha. The Taittiréya Upaniñad (2.7.1) gives this conclusive opinion:
raso vai saù. rasaà hy eväyaà labdhvänandé bhavati.
"When one understands the Personality of God, the reservoir of
pleasure, Kåñëa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful."*
The individual souls are the fragmental parts and the Supreme is
whole, within which the parts are contained. That is their relationship.
This relationship is manifested in two ways. In the first manifestation
one becomes free from the illusions presented by mäyä and attains the
impersonal Brahman. In this way one attains knowledge of the power of
impersonal Brahman manifested in the material world. Then one
gradually passes beyond the coverings of the material world. Then one
very intently worships the impersonal Brahman. In the second
manifestation of liberation one attains the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. One attains Him because, even though He is not openly
present everywhere in the material world, by His inconceivable potency
the Supreme Personality of Godhead is openly present everywhere in
the spiritual world of Vaikuëöha, and then one also attains Him because
one is able to stay near His lotus feet. One may attain liberation at the
moment of death, and one may also be liberated even during thetime
one lives in the material world. At the time of death one may become
free from having to take another material body and one may directly see
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Also, even as one lives in the
material world, one may know that he is not the external material body
created by mäyä and one may also see the Supreme Personality of
Godhead directly. That liberation is the highest goal of life is explained
in these words of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (4.22.35), where Sanatkumära
tells KIng Påthu:

taträpi mokña evärtha
ätyatikatayeñyate
traivargyo 'rtho yato nityaà
kåtänta-bhaya-saàyutaù
"Out of the four principles-namely religion, economic
development, sense gratification, and liberation-liberation has to be
taken very seriously. The other three are subject to destruction by the
stringent law of nature-death."*
In the Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad (2.4.3) it is also said:
yenähaà nämåtaù syäà kim ahaà tena kuryäm
"What shall I do to become free of death?"
Attaining the liberation where one directly sees the Supreme
Truth is the highest goal of life. This is explained again and again. The
Supreme Truth has two features. In one feature He is seen indistinctly,
and in the other feature He is seen distinctly. In His feature as the
impersonal Brahman He is seen indistinctly, and in His feature as
Paramätmä (the Supersoul) and Bhagavän (the Supreme Personality of
Godhead) He is seen distinctly. Thus His feature as Bhagavän and
Paramätmä is superior to His feature of impersonal Brahman. This I
have already explained in Bhagavat-sandarbha (anuccheda 80) in my
explanation of this verse of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.5.4):

jijïäsitam adhétaà ca
brahma yat tat sanätanam
tathäpi çocasy ätmänam
akåtärtha iva prabho
"You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as
well as the knowledge derived therefrom. Why should you be
despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear
prabbu?"*
With further explanations I will now again show how that is true.
Direct perception of Bhagavän, who appears as Paramätmä and in many
other forms also, is the highest kind of liberation. In that highest
liberation the most exalted spiritual activities are known by names like
"bhakti" (devotional service) and "préti" (spiritual love). Spiritual love is
considered the highest of all spiritual sentiments. Préti completely ends
all sufferings. Without préti the highest stage of spiritual life is not
attained. Préti is not dependent on anything else. To the extent one has
préti, one is fortunate. Préti is present as one is making progress toward
liberation and it is also present when one has attained liberation. That is
the correct understanding.
The form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of
transcendental bliss. transcendental bliss is the abode of préti. Therefore
préti is most important in experiencing transcendental bliss. Therefore,
the spirit souls should always try to attain préti. Préti is the greatest need,
the highest goal of the spirit souls.
Some examples of the exalted nature of préti will now be given. In
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.20.33) the Supreme Personality of Godhead
explains:

sarvaà mad-bhakti-yogena
mad-bhakto labhate 'ïjasä
svargäpavargaà mad-dhäma
kathaïcid yadi väïchati
"If he desires them, by serving Me with devotion My devotee easily
attains Svargaloka, liberation, or My own abode."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (5.5.6) Lord Åñabhadeva explains:

prétir na yävan mayi väsudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tävat
"Therefore, until one has love for Lord Väsudeva, who is none
other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a
material body again and again."*
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.14.21) the Supreme Personality of
Godhead explains:

bhaktyäham ekayä grähyaù
çraddhayätmä priyaù satäm
"Being very dear to the devotees and sädhus, I am attained through
unflinching faith and devotional service."*
In the Mäöhara-çruti it is said:

bhaktir evainaà nayati. bhaktir evainaà darçayati. bhakti-vaçaù
puruño bhaktir eva bhüyasé.
"Devotional service brings one to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Devotional service reveals to one the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Devotional service brings the Supreme Personality of
Godhead under its control. Devotional service is stronger than the
Supreme Personality of Godhead."
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.2.42) Kavi-yogeçvara explains:

bhaktiù pareçänubhavo viraktir
anyatra caiña trika eka-kälaù
"Devotion, direct perception of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and detachment from the material world, these three appear
simultaneously."
Préti manifest as one makes progress toward liberation is described
in these words of Väsudeva Upaniñad:

mad-rüpam advayaà brahma
madhyädy-anta-vivarjitam
sva-prabhaà sac-cid-änandam
bhaktyä jänäti cävyayam
"Only by devotional service can one understand my glorious,
eternal, blissful, all-knowing spiritual form."

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