Paramatma Sadarbha Anuccheda 1

[Paramananda das]

Sri Paramatma-sandarbha
Volume One
by Srila Jiva Goswami

Mangalacarana

tau santosayata santau
srila-rupa-sanatanau daksinatyena bhattena
punar etad vivicyate
tasyadyam granthana-lekham
kranta-vyutkranta-khanditam paryalocyatha paryayam
krtva likhati jivakah

Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the great philosopher from the southern provinces who greatly pleased Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, left many valuable notes that defeat various philosophical misconceptions. Systematically arranging these notes, and considering their content, Jiva Gosvami writes this book.

Anuccheda 1

Text 1

Now the Supersoul will be described. Although the Lord's Supersoul feature is also manifested in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha, it is generally said to that the Supreme Lord's Supersoul expansion is present primarily in the material world. The individual spirit souls and the Supersoul, both present in the material world, are described in the following two verses (srimad-Bhagavatam 5.11.12-13):

Text 2

"The individual soul bereft of Krsna consciousness has many ideas and activities created in the mind by the external energy. They have been existing from time immemorial. Sometimes they are manifest in the wakening state and in the dream state, but during deep sleep (unconsciousness) or trance, they disappear. A person who is liberated in this life (jivan-mukta) can see all these things vividly.

Text 3

"There are two kinds of ksetrajna: the living entity, as explained above, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is explained as follows. He is the all-pervading cause of creation. He is full in Himself and is not dependent on others. He is perceived by hearing and direct perception. He is self-effulgent and does not experience birth, death, old-age, or disease. He is the controller of all the demigods, beginning with Lord Brahma. He is called Narayana and He is the shelter of living entities after the annihilation of the material world. He is full of all opulences and He is the resting place of everything material. He is therefore known as Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Text 4

This verse means: "Even though he is by nature pure (suddhah), that is to say beyond the touch of the illusory potency maya, the individual spirit soul sees (vicaste) the (etah) activities (vibhutih) of the mind (manasah), the mind having been created by the illusory potency maya (maya- racitasya). The mind sees all fields of activity. The mind will be further described later in this book. By seeing these activities, the individual soul, who is called the `jiva', enters into them. Because he thus has knowledge of two different material bodies, the soul is thus called `ksetrajna' (the knower of the field of action)."

Text 5

The conditioned soul is also described in these words of srimad-Bhagavatam (1.7.5):

"Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries."

Text 6

Here someone may ask: "How does the illusory energy maya create (maya-racitasya) the material mind (manasah)?" The answer is given in the word "jivasya", which means by making the individual soul think that the external material body is his true identity". Then someone may ask: "What happens then?" The answer is that the soul then engages in impure material activities that have no relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Then someone may ask: "What are these material activities (vibhutih) like?" The answer is given in the word nityah", which means "they have been existing from time immemorial".

Then someone may ask: "When are these material activities manifested?" The answer is given that they are manifest in the wakening state and in the dream state, but during deep sleep (unconsciousness) or trance, they disappear (tirohitas ca).

Text 7

That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator of the waking state is explained in these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.6.42):

"Karanarnavasayi Visnu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and He is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, the elements, the material ego, the modes of nature, the senses, the universal form of the Lord, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and the sum total of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving."

Text 8

Here (in the verse quoted in

Text 3) the word svayam-jyotih" means "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested according to His own wish". This means that the Supreme Lord is not like the individual souls, who are dependent on others. The word "ajah" means that the Lord is free of material birth and other material transformations. The word "paresah" means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is master of Brahma and all other living beings. The word "narayanah" means that because He is the supreme controller, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also the resting place (ayana) of all living entities (nara). The word "bhagavan" means that the Lord is the master of all opulences. The word "vasudevah" means that the Lord is the shelter of all living entities.

Text 9

The words "sva-mayaya atmani avadhiyamanah" mean "by His own internal potency (sva-mayaya) He has manifested (avadhiyamanah) the world within Himself (atmani)". Therefore in this passage the Lord is in the instrumental case. Thus the Lord enters the world created by the illusory potency maya and, by the power of His own internal potency, there He manifests His spiritual form of the Supersoul. However, He never becomes attached to that world of maya. That is the meaning. Here the Lord is called "vasudevah" because He is the knower of all fields of activities, and therefore no one is superior to Him. The individual spirit soul is bewildered by the illusory potency maya, but the Supersoul (ksetrajna atma) is never bewildered by maya. He is always pure.

Text 10

Thus the primary meaning here is that the Supersoul is the knower of all fields of activity. This is described in the following words of srimad-Bhagavatam (6.4.25):

"Nevertheless, the living being is unable to see the Supreme Being, who is omniscient and unlimited. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him."

Text 11

This is also described in Bhagavad-gita (13.2-3), where the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:

"This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.

Text 12

"O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion."

Text 13

Here the words "ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi", which in prose order become "mam ca ksetraj am viddhi", mean "I am also the knower in all bodies". Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not at all like the individual spirit soul, for the individual soul knows his own body only. That is the meaning. Therefore one should not accept the impersonalist theory, which states that the individual soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are equal. The impersonalist interpretation of the words sarva-ksetresu" here is complete nonsense.

Text 14

This is so because the personalist idea, that the individual soul and the Supersoul are different, will be affirmed in these words of Bhagavad-gita (13.12-13):

"I shall now explain the knowable. knowing which you will taste the eternal. This is beginningless and it is subordinate to Me. It is called Brahman, the spirit, and it lies beyond the cause and effect of this material world. "Everywhere are His hands and legs, His eyes and faces, and He hears everything. In this way the Supersoul exists."

Text 15

Further evidence that the personalist idea is correct is given by the Supreme Lord Himself when He defines the true meaning of knowledge in these words (Bhagavad-gita 13.8-12):

"Humility, pridelessness, non-violence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control, renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old-age, and disease, non-attachment to children, wife, home, and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events, constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people, accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth - all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance."

Text 16

However, if in Bhagavad-gita 13.3 the Supreme Lord had wished to teach that the individual souls are not different from Him, and if this Gita passage were then like the Chandogya Upanisad's (6.8.7) declaration "tat tvam asi" (You are that), then the Lord would have said ksetrajnesvarayor jnanam" (to understand the two knowers of this body, who are both the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called knowledge). He would not have said what He actually did say: "ksetrajnayor jnanam" (to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge).

Text 17

Here is the true meaning of the words "ksetra- ksetrajnayoh": "To understand the two different persons who know this body is called knowledge. That is My opinion." This is also confirmed in the following words of Sri Vedanta-sutra (1.3.21):

"The meaning here is that the individual soul is different from the Supreme."

Thus, ultimately, the Supreme Lord says here: "True knowledge is knowledge of Me". This is so because here a single object of knowledge is described. That is the proper understanding.

Text 18

The knowledge here is not like the atheistic Sankhya theory, which accepts only the individual soul and the field of the soul's perception. The reason is given here in the word mam" (Me). With this word the Supreme Personality of Godhead affirms that He Himself is the proper object of knowledge. Nor is the knowledge described here like the impersonalists' theory that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is an illusion and only foolish people believe that the Supreme Personality of Godhead really exists. This idea of the impersonalists is not supported by the Vedas, Bhagavad-gita, and other scriptures, for this idea is the same as the idea of the Buddhists. The impersonalists and the Buddhists actually share the same philosophy, a philosophy that is wildly illogical.

Text 19

Many quotes may be gathered from the scriptures to prove that the impersonalist idea of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not lead to final liberation. For example, in the previous chapter of Bhagavad-gita it is said that the impersonalist theory should be rejected. There it is said (Bhagavad-gita 12.1-2):

"Arjuna inquired: Which is considered to be more perfect: those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect."

Text 20

The impersonalist theory is also criticized in these words spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (Bhagavad-gita 12.6-7):

"For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death."

Text 21

The Supreme Personality of Godhead again criticizes it in these words (srimad-Bhagavatam 11.20.32-33):

"Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties, and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions."

Text 22

This is also confirmed by the following words of Sri Moksa-dharma:

"A person who takes shelter of Lord Narayana attains the four goals of life. He does not need to perform any other spiritual activities other than taking shelter of the Lord."

Text 23

So the previous chapter's (Chapter 12 of Bhagavad-gita) praise of the personal conception of God shall not go in vain, the Supreme Personality of Godhead again praises the personalist idea in these words (Bhagavad-gita 13.8):

Text 24

"Thus the field of activities (the body), knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature."

Text 25

Thus it is explained that by engaging in devotional service one may easily understand all this. The knower of one field of activities (body) is the individual soul, the devotee of the Lord. The knower of all fields of activities (bodies) is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the object of knowledge for the individual souls. The truth about the field of activities (the body) and the knower of the field (the spirit soul) should be understood by studying the scriptures. The individual spirit soul is thus one person and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a different person. The scriptures reveal that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never fallible.

Text 26

The fallible individual spirit soul who resides in the material world is described in these words of Bhagavad-gita (13.22):

"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with the material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species."

Text 27

In this way the individual soul in the material world is described. To reveal the truth about the world beyond the realm of matter, the eternal and infallible Supreme Lord is described in these words (Bhagavad-gita 13.23):

Text 28

"Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul."

Text 29

Superior to the individual soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appears here in a form called "Paramatma" (the Supersoul). How much is the Supersoul superior to the individual soul? The Bhagavad-gita (15.16-17) reveals:

Text 30

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

Text 31

"Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself, who has entered into these worlds and is maintaining them."

Text 32

In these words the Lord Himself declares that the individual spirit soul is also infallible. In Bhagavad-gita 13.23, upadrasta" means "the supreme witness", anumanta" means "the permitter of various activities", "bharta" means "the maintainer", "bhokta" means "the protector", mahesvarah" means "the ruler of all", paramatma" means "the Supersoul who resides in the hearts of all".

Text 33

In the following two verses (Bhagavad-gita 15.16-17) the word "kutasthah" is defined by the Amara-kosa dictionary in these words:

"The word `kutasthah' means `He whose form does not change in the course of time'."

The "kutasthah" is thus the pure, liberated individual soul. The Lord then says "uttamah purusas tv anyah" (Above even the liberated soul is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself).

Text 34

In this way the field of activities (the body), the knower of that field, and the knower of all fields (all bodies) are described. In the following two verses (Bhagavad-gita 15.16-17) the word "anyah" (another) indicates that there are two distinct infallible beings. Thus in liberation the individual soul does not become formless. Thus it is revealed that the Supreme and the individual soul are never formless.

Text 35

Although the Lord clearly says (Bhagavad-gita 13.19) mad-bhavayopapadyate" (the devotees attain to My nature), the meaning here is that the devotees attain transcendental opulences like those of the Lord Himself, not that they become the Lord. Although the Lord and the individual soul are both equally infallible, the individual soul is not as powerful as the Lord. That is why the individual soul is trapped in the material world and why, in order to become free of that trap of material existence, the individual soul must worship the Supreme Lord. That is the meaning.

Text 36

Let us now consider again the statement of Bhagavad-gita 13.2 ("This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field."). The word "idam" (this) means "this thing that is directly perceived". The word "sarva-ksetresu" (in all bodies) in Bhagavad-gita 13.3 is plural because the conditioned soul in the material accepts many sets of two material bodies, one after another.

Note: The conditioned soul has two material bodies: 1. the subtle body of mind, intelligence and false ego, and 2. the gross body of senses and limbs.

Text 37

These statements of Bhagavad-gita 13.2 are confirmed by the following words of srimad-Bhagavatam (6.4.25):

"Because they are only matter, the body, the life airs, the external and internal senses, the five gross elements, and the subtle sense objects (form, taste, smell, sound, and touch) cannot know their own nature, the nature of the other senses, or the nature of their controllers. But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know his body, the life airs, the senses, the elements, and the sense objects, and he can also know the three qualities that form their roots. Nevertheless, although the living being is completely aware of them, he is unable to see the Supreme Being, who is omniscient and unlimited. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him."

These statements are again confirmed by these words of Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.11.12-13):

"The individual soul bereft of Krsna consciousness has many ideas and activities created in the mind by the external energy. They have been existing from time immemorial. Sometimes they are manifest in the wakening state and in the dream state, but during deep sleep (unconsciousness) or trance, they disappear. A person who is liberated in this life (jivan-mukta) can see all these things vividly. "There are two kinds of ksetrajna: the living entity, as explained above, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is explained as follows. He is the all-pervading cause of creation. He is full in Himself and is not dependent on others. He is perceived by hearing and direct perception. He is self-effulgent and does not experience birth, death, old-age, or disease. He is the controller of all the demigods, beginning with Lord Brahma. He is called Narayana and He is the shelter of living entities after the annihilation of the material world. He is full of all opulences and He is the resting place of everything material. He is therefore known as Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Text 38

In Bhagavad-gita 13.3 the Supreme Lord's declaration ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi" (You should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies) means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead knows what is happening in every body and in the entire universe as a whole. In this way He is not like the individual spirit souls, who each know only what his happening within his own limited sphere of perception.

Text 39

The Supreme Personality of Godhead again declares this in these words (Bhagavad-gita 10.42):

"With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire creation."

Text 40

In this passage (Bhagavad-gita 13.3) there is no object other than "mam" (Me). Therefore here it is difficult to reject the direct, literal interpretation and accept instead a secondary, allegorical, round-about interpretation of these words. If one insists on trying to interpret these words in such a way that they may affirm that the individual soul is identical with the Supreme, the only way he can do it is by re-writing the clear statement "ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi" (You should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies) so that it reads instead "ksetrajnam tam capi mam viddhi" (You should understand that the individual soul and I are the knowers in all bodies). However, it is not possible to thus re-write the words of scripture, and thus it is not possible to say that anyone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the knower in all bodies, as the words "sarva-ksetresu bharata" declare. Therefore it must be said that two different persons are knowers of the field of activities This is confirmed by Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.11.12-13 (quoted here in

Text 37) and it is also confirmed by these words of Vedanta-sutra (1.2.11):

"Two persons reside in the heart, for that is the conclusion of scripture."

Text 41

That the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are different persons may be inferred by this description of the conditioned soul (Bhagavad-gita 13.22):

"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species."

That the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are different persons is explained again and again in all the scriptures, from the beginning to the end. For example, the author of Vedanta-sutra (Vedanta-sutra 2.1.17) declares:

"If someone says that the individual soul and the Supreme are not different, then I reply: No. That cannot be so, for all the scriptures declare that they have very different natures."

Text 42

The field of activities described in Bhagavad-gita 13.3 is the part of the world that is perceived by the knowledge- acquiring senses. The knowledge thus obtained will be further described later in this book. As was previously explained, each individual soul has direct knowledge only of his own small field of perception. Thus the knowledge obtained by the individual soul is only a shadow of the knowledge obtained by the Lord. The individual soul has only a very small part of a part of the knowledge possessed by the Supreme Lord. Therefore it is truly said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the primary, the most important knower of the field of action.

Text 43

The Supersoul described here is a direct manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The individual spirit souls are potencies of the Lord. They are parts and parcels of the Lord. This is described in the following prayer of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.30):

"O Supreme eternal! If the embodied living entities were eternal and all-pervading like You, then they would not be under Your control. But if the living entities are accepted as minute energies of Your Lordship, then they are at once subject to Your supreme control. Therefore, real liberation entails surrender by the living entities to Your control, and that surrender will make them happy. In that constitutional position only can they be controllers. Therefore, men with limited knowledge who advocate the monistic theory that God and the living entities are equal in all respects are actually misleading themselves and others."

Text 44

That the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are different may also be inferred by these words spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (Bhagavad-gita 10.42):

"With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."

Text 45

This difference may also be inferred from the following words of Sri Visnu Purana (1.9.52):

"I bow down before the eternal and changeless Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is spiritual. By a million-millionth part of His power the material world is manifested."

Text 46

The perfect and pure potency of the Lord is also described in these words of sri Visnu Purana (1.9.44):

"Seconds, minutes, hours, and all other units of time are all manifested from the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Text 47

In sri Narada-pancaratra, Sri Narada Muni says:

"O Lord, I wish to understand Your pure spiritual realm. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the spiritual and the material worlds rest in You."

Text 48

In this part of sri Narada-pancaratra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead answered Narada's question. After explaining that both spiritual and material worlds are manifested from His potency, the Supreme Personality of Godhead said:

Text 49

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead and the impersonal Brahman are both eternal. Spiritual and full of bliss, They are also manifested in the material world.

Text 50

"Splendid like many hundreds of fires, suns, and moons, the impersonal Brahman is not different than Lord Vasudeva. Lord Vasudeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His nature is that He is the supreme controller.

Text 51

"O brahmana, when He removes the covering of His own Brahman effulgence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals His original, eternal, transcendental form.

Text 52

"He is all-powerful and invincible, and His potency is also all-powerful and invincible. As a cloud in the sky showers rain, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals His original form.

Text 53

"As the ocean manifests many waves, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests many glorious and effulgent transcendental forms.

Text 54

"In this way the spiritual and glorious Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests His limitless form known as the Purusa-avatara.

Text 55

"In this way He is the shelter and controller of all souls. He is the Supersoul residing in the hearts of all beings. As stars rest in the great sky, so everything rests in Him.

Text 56

"As a blazing fire spontaneously manifests many sparks, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead spontaneously manifests the many individual souls.

Text 57

"Know that all living beings are part and parcel of the unborn Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the individual souls, trapped by their own past material desires, come to this material world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead follows them to set them free."

Text 58

Manifesting His form of Lord Pradyumna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the Supersoul of Brahma and others. Manifesting His form of Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the Supersoul of Manu and others. Manifesting His form of Lord Sankarsana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the Supersoul of Siva and others. This is confirmed by the words of the scriptures. Thus descending to the material world in His different partial forms, the Lord becomes the Supersoul residing in the hearts of all living beings.

Text 59

That Lord Siva is manifested from the purusa-avatara Lord Sankarsana is confirmed by the following two quotes from scripture. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.17.16) it is said:

"Lord siva knows that Lord Sankarsana is the original cause of his own existence, and thus he always meditates upon Him in trance."

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.4.5) it is also said:

"In the beginning, the original Supreme Personality manifested the form of Brahma through the material mode of passion in order to create this universe. The Lord manifested His form as Visnu, the Lord of sacrifice and protector of the twice-born brahmanas and their religious duties to maintain the universe. And when the universe is to be annihilated the same Supreme Lord employs the material mode of ignorance and manifests the form of Rudra. The created living beings are thus always subject to the forces of creation, maintenance, and destruction."

Text 60

In the Visnu Purana (5.18.50) it is said:

"O Lord, You are the soul of the gross material elements, the soul of the material senses, the soul of matter's subtle origin, the soul, and the Supersoul. In these five ways You are manifested."

Text 61

The Supersoul, who is the purusa-avatara situated in the hearts of all, is also described in these words of srimad- Bhagavatam (1.2.11):

"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call the non-dual substance Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan."

Here the word "Paramatma" indicates the Supersoul.

Text 62

The Supersoul is also described in these prayers spoken by Varuna (srimad-Bhagavatam 10.28.7):

"I offer my respectful obeisances to the Absolute Truth, who is Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan."

Srila Sridhara Svami comments on this verse:

"Here the word `paramatmane' means `the controller of all individual souls'."

Text 63

When He appears in the material world, the Supersoul is called the purusa-avatara. This is described in the following words of Sri Visnu Purana (6.8.58-59):

Text 64

"I bow down before the purusa-avatara, who is the origin of all and the final object of worship. For Him there is no death, no birth, no growth, no change, no decay, and no doubt.

Text 65

"I bow down before the purusa-avatara, who is the master of transcendental virtues. who manifests many forms, who may seem to be impure although in truth He is completely pure, and who is the master of all transcendental knowledge and opulences."

Text 66

Srila Sridhara Svami comments:

"Here the word `anu' indicates that the purusa- avatara is manifested from the previously described Supreme Personality of Godhead, `bahudha' means `with the form of Brahma and many other forms', `asuddha iva' means `as if He were attached to the material creation', `murti-vibhaga-bhedaih' means `in the form of Daksa, Manu, and many other forms', and `sakala-sattva-vibhuti-karta' means `who creates all the opulences manifested by the living entities'."

Text 67

Here the word "guna-bhuk" means "with the bliss of the six virtues".

Texts 68 and 69

In the Moksa-dharma, Narayaniyopakhyana (334.29-30), the purusa-avatara is described in these words:

"It is said that the purusa-avatara is very subtle, inconceivable, unmanifested, unchanging, and eternal. He is untouched by the material senses, material sense desires, and the material elements. He is the Supersoul present in the hearts of all living beings and He directly perceives all that happens everywhere and in every body. He is untouched by the modes of material nature."

Text 70

The sruti-sastras also affirm that the purusa-avatara is completely pure. For example, in the svetasvatara Upanisad (6.11 and 4.5) it is said:

Text 71

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as the all-pervading Supersoul, the witness present in the hearts of all living entities. He witnesses all activities of the living entity. He is the supreme living force, and yet He is transcendental to all material qualities."

Text 72

"A unborn man enjoys an unborn red, white, and black woman who bears many children like herself. Another unborn man renounces this woman and will not enjoy with her."

Note: The unborn woman is the material nature. The colors red, white, and black are the modes of passion, goodness, and ignorance. The many children are the ingredients of the material universes. The first unborn man is the individual spirit soul trapped in material existence. The second unborn man is the Supersoul, who is always aloof from the material nature.

Text 73

The purusa-avatara was also nicely described in the two verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.11.12-13) quoted in the beginning of this anuccheda. Those verses were spoken by a brahmana to King Rahugana.