Devanagari
सदिव मनस्त्रिवृत्त्वयि विभात्यसदामनुजात्
सदभिमृशन्त्यशेषमिदमात्मतयात्मविद: ।
न हि विकृतिं त्यजन्ति कनकस्य तदात्मतया
स्वकृतमनुप्रविष्टमिदमात्मतयावसितम् ॥ २६ ॥
Verse text
sad iva manas tri-vṛt tvayi vibhāty asad ā-manujāt
sad abhimṛśanty aśeṣam idam ātmatayātma-vidaḥ
na hi vikṛtiṁ tyajanti kanakasya tad-ātmatayā
sva-kṛtam anupraviṣṭam idam ātmatayāvasitam
Synonyms
sat
—
real
;
iva
—
as if
;
manaḥ
—
the mind (and its manifestations)
;
tri
—
vṛt — threefold (by the modes of material nature)
;
tvayi
—
in You
;
vibhāti
—
appears
;
asat
—
unreal
;
ā
—
manujāt — extending to the human beings
;
sat
—
as real
;
abhimṛśanti
—
they consider
;
aśeṣam
—
entire
;
idam
—
this (world)
;
ātmatayā
—
as nondifferent from the Self
;
ātma
—
vidaḥ — the knowers of the Self
;
na
—
not
;
hi
—
indeed
;
vikṛtim
—
the transformations
;
tyajanti
—
reject
;
kanakasya
—
of gold
;
tat
—
ātmatayā — inasmuch as they are nondifferent from it
;
sva
—
by Himself
;
kṛtam
—
created
;
anupraviṣṭam
—
and entered
;
idam
—
this
;
ātmatayā
—
as nondifferent from Himself
;
avasitam
—
ascertained .
Translation
The three modes of material nature comprise everything in this world — from the simplest phenomena to the complex human body. Although these phenomena appear real, they are only a false reflection of the spiritual reality, being a superimposition of the mind upon You. Still, those who know the Supreme Self consider the entire material creation to be real inasmuch as it is nondifferent from the Self. Just as things made of gold are indeed not to be rejected, since their substance is actual gold, so this world is undoubtedly nondifferent from the Lord who created it and then entered within it.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The three modes of material nature comprise everything in this world—from the simplest phenomena to the complex human body. Although these phenomena appear real, they are only a false reflection of the spiritual reality, being a superimposition of the mind upon You. Still, those who know the Supreme Self consider the entire material creation to be real inasmuch as it is nondifferent from the Self. Just as things made of gold are indeed not to be rejected, since their substance is actual gold, so this world is undoubtedly nondifferent from the Lord who created it and then entered within it.
KB 10.87.26
The personified Vedas presented the example that those seeking gold do not reject gold earrings, gold bangles or anything else made of gold simply because they are shaped differently from the original gold. All living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and are qualitatively one with Him, but they are now differently shaped in 8,400,000 species of life, just like many different ornaments manufactured from the same source of gold. As one who is interested in gold accepts all the differently shaped gold ornaments, so a Vaiṣṇava, knowing well that all living entities are of the same quality as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepts all living entities as eternal servants of God. A Vaiṣṇava, then, has ample opportunity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by reclaiming these conditioned, misled living entities, training them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and leading them back home, back to Godhead. The fact is that the minds of the living entities are now agitated by the three material qualities, and the living entities are therefore transmigrating, as if in dreams, from one body to another. When their consciousness is changed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, they immediately fix Kṛṣṇa within their hearts, and thus their path toward liberation becomes clear.
In all the Vedas the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entities are stated to be of the same quality—cetana, or spiritual. This is confirmed in the Padma Purāṇa, wherein it is said that there are two kinds of spiritual entities: one is called the jīva, and the other is called the Supreme Lord. From Lord Brahmā down to the ant, all living entities are jīvas, whereas the Lord is the supreme four-handed Viṣṇu, or Janārdana. Strictly speaking, the word ātmā can be applied only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because the living entities are His parts and parcels, sometimes the word ātmā is applied to them also. The living entities are therefore called jīvātmā, and the Supreme Lord is called Paramātmā. Both the Paramātmā and the jīvātmā are within this material world, and therefore this material world has a purpose other than sense gratification. The conception of a life of sense gratification is illusion, but the conception of service by the jīvātmā to the Paramātmā, even in this material world, is not at all illusory. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is fully aware of this fact, and thus he does not take this material world to be false but acts in the reality of transcendental service. The devotee therefore sees everything in this material world as an opportunity to serve the Lord. He does not reject anything as material but dovetails everything in the service of the Lord. Thus a devotee is always in the transcendental position, and everything he uses becomes spiritually purified by being used in the Lord’s service.
Śrīdhara Svāmī has composed a nice verse in this regard: “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always manifested as reality, even within this material world, which is considered by some to be false.” The conception of the falsity of this material world is due to a lack of knowledge, but a person advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything. This is actual realization of the Vedic aphorism sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: “Everything is Brahman.”
Purport
In one sense the visible world is real (
sat
), while in another it is not (
asat
). The substance of this universe is solid fact, being the Lord’s external energy, but the forms that Māyā imposes on this substance are only temporary. And because material forms are temporary manifestations, those who consider them permanent are in illusion. Impersonalistic scholars, however, misinterpret this division of
sat
and
asat
; denying commonsense reality, they declare that not only material form but also material substance is unreal, and they confuse their own spiritual essence with that of the Absolute Whole. A Māyāvādī philosopher would take the words spoken by the personified
Vedas
in the preceding prayer —
tri-guṇa-mayaḥ pumān iti bhidā
— as negating any distinction between the Paramātmā and the
jīva
soul. He would claim that since the
jīva’s
material embodiment is an ephemeral display of the three modes of nature, when the
jīva’s
ignorance is destroyed by knowledge, he becomes the Paramātmā, the Supreme Soul; bondage, liberation and the manifest world are all unreal creations of ignorance. In response to such ideas, the
Vedas
here clarify the factual relationship between
sat
and
asat.
In the
śruti
literature we find this statement:
asato ’dhimano ’sṛjyata, manaḥ prajāpatim asṛjat, prajāpatiḥ prajā asṛjat, tad vā idaṁ manasy eva paramaṁ pratiṣṭhitaṁ yad idaṁ kiṁ ca.
“The supreme mind was originally created from
asat.
This mind created Prajāpati, and Prajāpati created all living beings. Thus mind alone is the ultimate foundation of everything that exists in this world.” Although impersonalists might misread this to mean that all manifest existence is based on the unreality of illusion (
asat
), the apparently contrary use of the word
asat
in this passage actually refers to the original cause, the Supreme Godhead, because He is transcendental to material existence (
sat
). The logic of the
Vedānta-sūtra
(2.1.17) corroborates this interpretation while denying the wrong interpretation of the impersonalists:
asad-vyapadeśān neti cen na dharmāntareṇa vākya-śeṣāt.
“If one objects that the material world and its source cannot be of one substance because the world has been called unreal, we reply, ‘No, because the statement that Brahman is
asat
makes sense in terms of His having qualities distinct from those of the creation.’” Thus the
Taittirīya Upaniṣad
(2.7.1) declares,
asad vā idam agra āsīt:
“In the beginning of this creation, only
asat
was present.”
In the opinion of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the word
adhimanaḥ
in the passage quoted above refers to the ruler of the aggregate mind of the universe, Lord Aniruddha, who appears as a plenary expansion of Śrī Nārāyaṇa when the latter desires to create. Prajāpati is Brahmā, the father of all other created beings. This is described in the
Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad
(1.4):
atha punar eva nārāyaṇaḥ so ’nyaṁ kāmaṁ manasā dhyāyet;
tasya dhyānāntaḥ-sthasya lalanāt svedo ’patat;
tā imā pratatāpa tāsu tejo hiraṇ-mayam aṇḍaṁ tatra brahmā catur-mukho ’jāyata.
“Then Lord Nārāyaṇa meditated upon another desire of His, and as He pondered, a drop of perspiration fell from His forehead. All the material creations evolved from the fermentation of this drop. Therein the fiery, golden egg of the universe appeared, and within that globe four-headed Brahmā took his birth.”
When a particular object is manufactured, it appears as a transformation of its ingredient cause, as in the case of jewelry made from gold. Persons who want gold will not reject gold earrings or necklaces, since these items are still gold, despite their modification. True
jṣānīs
see in this mundane example an analogy to the different-yet-nondifferent relationship of the Puruṣa and His emanations, both material and spiritual. Thus this transcendental knowledge frees them from the bondage of illusion, for they can then see the Lord throughout His creation.
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī prays:
yat sattvataḥ sadā bhāti
jagad etad asat svataḥ
sad-ābhāsam asaty asmin
bhagavantaṁ bhajāma tam
“Let us worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by virtue of whose substantial existence this created world seems to exist perpetually, although it is essentially insubstantial. As the Supersoul, He constitutes the representation of the real within this unreality.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Referring to the removing of the guns from the jiva mentioned in the prevous verse, according to the jnanis, the difference between the jiva and paramatma is that the jiva is covered by the three gunas, due to ignorance. By knowledge, the ignorance is destroyed and therefore the difference disappears. The jiva then becomes the paramatma. Therefore the jiva and paramatma are not actually different. Bondage and liberation arise from ignorance. And the perceived universe known as "this" also arises from ignorance."
The whole universe born of the material elements made of three gunas and including the jiva appears to be real, but actually is not. It is only the action of the mind. The srutis say:
Asato’dhimano’srjyat manah prajapatim asrjat
Prajapatih praja asrjat, tadva idam manasyeva paramam pratisthatam yad idam kim ca
From the cause called Brahman (asatah) came adhi or ignorance, which manifested as the mind. Then the mind, in its state of totality, created or made manifest Prajapati, who identified with the creation. Prajapati created offspring. Therefore this world is created by the mind.
Taittiriya Brahman 2.2.9.59
According to the sruti "asat" can mean Brahman as in: asad va idam agra asit (taittiriya Upanisad 2.7.1).
"But the learned knowers of the self say the world is real. How can you say it is unreal?"
"They know it as real, as it is a product of the atma. It is not different from atma. When the material cause becomes the effect, it is perceived in that form, and used."
They illustrate this with a common example in the third line. "When gold transforms into an earring, it is not rejected by those wanting gold, because the earring is in essence gold."
Thus this universe created by the Lord and which he enters as the purusa, is ascertained by the jnanis to be the same as the Lord. This is spiritual knowledge which yields liberation from the bondage of the material world.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Asato ’dhimano ’sṛjyata: the original mind was originally created from asat. The word asat here means “beyond the effects of what is real in this world: the cause of everything.” Vedānta-sūtra (2.1.17) corroborates this interpretation with asad-vyapadeśān neti cen na dharmāntareṇa vākya-śeṣāt: if one objects that the material world and its source cannot be of one substance because the world has been called unreal, we reply, ‘No, because the statement that Brahman is asat makes sense in terms of his having qualities distinct from those of the creation.’ Thus the Lord (asat) manifested the controller of everything (adhimanaḥ), his own mind. He did this for his own purpose.
atha punar eva nārāyaṇaḥ so ’nyaṁ kāmaṁ manasā dhyāyet. tasya dhyānāntaḥ-sthasya lalanāt svedo ’patat. tā imā pratatāpa tāsu tejo hiraṇ-mayam aṇḍaṁ tatra brahmā catur-mukho ’jāyata.
Then Nārāyaṇa meditated upon another desire and as he pondered, a drop of perspiration fell from his forehead. All the material creations evolved from the fermentation of this drop. Therein the fiery, golden egg of the universe appeared, and within that globe four-headed Brahmā took his birth. Mahā-nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 1.4
A doubt is raised by a person in ignorance, which should be resolved. “The śrutis have taught first about voidness. Then they have taught about knowledge of the mind. Finally they speak of asat as the final cause. Because of the predominance of mind in these descriptions, it is the cause of knowledge in all circumstances by its logical ability. Because mind produced the śrutis, how can it be revealed by the śrutis?”
The answer is given. Since the mind arising from the three guṇas acts within you (asat), it appears to produce real knowledge. But actually it is not produce true knowledge. Vedānta-sūtra (2.1.11) declares, tarkāpratiṣṭhānāt: Logical reasoning is inconclusive. Those who know you as the root svarūpa of everything (ātma-vidaḥ) see you alone (aśeṣam idam) with a real form pervading the jīva, as the root form of everything (ātmatayā).
Padma Purāṇa says:
cetanā tu dvidhā proktā jīva ātmā ca sā prabho
Jīvā brahmādayaḥ proktā ātmaikas tu janārdanaḥ
Itareṣv ātma-śabdas tu sopacāro ‘bhidhīyate
There are two conscious beings: the jīva and the lord. Jīvas are Brahmā and others and the Lord is one, Janārdana. The word ātmā is used in a secondary sense for other things.
The śrutis present this by an example. The merchant does not reject things made from gold because those things follow after gold. They accept gold and gold objects as the same. Everything in the world following after the Lord (sva-krṭam) is confirmed as manifestations of his svarūpa. Thus void is not the cause nor is mind the main factor. Everything belongs to you. You are the main subject of the śrutis:
yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty ayuktena manasā sadā |
tasyendriyāṇy avaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ ||5||
yas tu vijñānavān bhavati yuktena manasā sadā |
tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sad-aśvā iva sāratheḥ ||
yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty amanaskaḥ sadā’śuciḥ |
na sa tat-padam āpnoti saṁsāraṁ cādhigacchati ||
yas tu vijñānavān bhavati sa-manaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ |
sa tu tat-padam āpnoti yasmād bhūyo na jāyate ||
vijñāna-sārathir yas tu manaḥ pragrahavān naraḥ |
so’dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam ||
indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṁ manaḥ |
manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ ||
mahataḥ parama-vyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ |
puruṣān na paraṁ kiṁcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ ||
The individual is the passenger in the car of the material body, and the intelligence is the driver. Mind is the driving instrument, and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses. So it is understood by great thinkers. For a fool who does not control his mind, the senses are wild horses drawing the charioteer. For the wise man who controls his mind, the senses are good horses obedient to the charioteer. An impious fool who does not control his mind does not attain the spiritual world. He attains the world of repeated birth and death. A pious wise man who controls his mind attains the spiritual world. He never again takes birth. A person who has transcendental knowledge as a charioteer, and who tightly holds the reins of the mind, attains the path's final destination: the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu. The sense-objects are higher than the senses. The mind is higher than the sense-objects. Intelligence is higher than the mind. The mahat-tattva is higher than the intelligence. The avyakta (prakṛti) is higher than the mahat. The puruṣa (person) is higher than the unmanifested. Nothing is higher than Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the highest. Kaṭha Upaniṣad
Also there is the statement aupaniṣadaḥ puruṣaḥ: the Lord is to be known by the Upaniṣads. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad)
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
O lord! If a man teaching various ideas takes shelter of you at some time, somehow, by some inconceivable good fortune, he becomes proper. The mind, composed of the three guṇas, though temporary (asat), appearing to function properly (sad iva), from men to animals (āmanujāt), shines brightly (vibhāti) from purification by knowledge if it is inclined to worship you (tvayi).
Ātatatatvāc ca māṭṛtvād ātmā hi paramo hariḥ: the Lord is the supreme ātmā because he spreads everywhere and acts as a mother. Those who say that you should be served (ātmavidaḥ), your devotees, know correctly (sad abhimṛśanti) that the jīva dedicated to you (aśeṣam) is not separate from you.
Men do not give up transformations of gold. They accept the products of gold. Thus they accept the devotees as nondifferent from the Lord, since their minds are in the Lord (tad-ātmatayā). They know the devotee who is absorbed (anupraviṣṭam) in your actions (sva-krṭam) and is discerned (avasitam) as most dear.
Or the mind from human to animal is afflicted by the three sufferings and filled with faults (asat). If that mind somehow concentrates on you by the mercy of the devotee, it becomes tinged with you (sad iva) a little. Later it becomes really sat.
If the impure can become pure, thing related to you can become free of the guṇas. It is not surprising. Those who know you (ātma-vidaḥ) know that things related to you (aśeṣam) are pure, (sat), having attained oneness with you by knowledge.
cetanā tu dvidhā proktā jīva ātmeti ca prabho
Jīvā brahmādayaḥ proktā ātmaikas tu janārdanaḥ
Itareṣv ātma-śabdas tu sopacāro ‘bhidhīyate
There are two conscious beings: the jīva and the lord (ātmā). Jīvas are Brahmā and others and the Lord is one, Janārdana. The word ātmā is used in a secondary sense for other things. Padma Purāṇa
Jñānaṁ man niṣṭhaṁ nirguṇaṁ smṛtam: knowledge fixed in me is beyond the guṇas (SB 11.25.24) Man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam: my temple is beyond the guṇas (SB 11.25.25)
Nirguṇo mad apāśrayaḥ: the devotee is beyond the gunas (SB 11.25.26
The Lord makes all things related to him pure. The cintāmaṇi by touch alone can make iron into gold. What to speak of the power of the spiritual cintāmaṇi, the Lord endowed with unlimited powers. One does not reject transformations of gold. Similarly one does not reject an object related to the devotee (svakrṭam) since it enters and remains (avasitam) one with the Lord.
Or your devotees (ātma-vidaḥ) realize (abhimṛśanti) as real this world (idam) since the whole world is composed of both the real and unreal. By devotion to you they realize the true form, after destroying the false forms. By realizing the truth, they offer you objects like fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps and pure food. To strength the point the śrutis say that one does not reject transformations of gold. We confirm (avasitam) that you accept (anupraviṣṭam) as dear (ātmatayā) what is offered by the devotee (svakṛtam).