SB 5.12.11

The wise say that the truth is beyond the guṇas, contains everything including liberation, is one without a second, is all-pervading, is Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, and is Vāsudeva. “Then what is truth?” The previously mentioned truth, tattva, is said to be that which is known by the authority of the scriptures. This has been mentioned in the First Canto as tattvaṁ vadanti tattattvavidastattvaṁ yajjṣānadvayam. Knowledge is truth which is beyond the guṇas (viśuddham). It is supreme, from which arises liberation. It is without a second (ekam). It is devoid in internal (anantaram) and external (abahiḥ). That means it pervades everywhere. This knowledge is also Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahman means the impersonal aspect worshiped by the jṣānīs. It is called Paramātmā (pratyak praśāntam), worshipped by the yogīs. Praśāntam means that in which the jīva is extinguished. Bhagavān is the aspect worshipped by the devotees. They say that these three forms are included in Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, who is the most complete form. He is called pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam (SB 10.24.32), as kṛṣṇāya paramātmane (SB 10.6.36) and as tatas tu bhagavān kṛṣṇa. (SB 10.8.27) In the Gīta he calls himself the basis of brahman: brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham (BG14.27) He also describes himself as Paramātmā: viṣṭabhyāhamidaṁ kṛtsnamekāṁśena sthito jagad (BG 10.42) He also says vāsudevo bhagavatām: among the forms of Bhagavān, I am Vāsudeva. (SB 11.26.29) The word bhaga in bhagavān means aiśvarya or lordship. This also implies “those who are controlled by the Lord.” Since the jīvas in māyā are in illusion, as previously described, “those controlled by the Lord” means the devotees in the Lord’s abode. They are eternal. The devotees and the abode of the Lord are both eternal truth. Like the Lord, they are proved by the statements of scripture. This is explained in the First Canto and elsewhere. Śraddhā mat sevāyān tu nirguṇā: faith in my devotional service is purely transcendental. (SB 11.25.27) Man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam: residence in a place where I reside is transcendental. (SB 11.25.25) Anything related to bhakti is said to be eternal truth as well. The intention of this section is as follows. O King! You have spoken of the material world made of māyā, proven by the senses, which has transformations which are eternal, sometimes visible and invisible. You must accept the temporary nature of these material things since they are limited by time and place, according to your own opinion. But since spiritual objects are not limited by time and place, being completely different, they are not part of the material, conventional world. You repeatedly talk of the conventional world. Other philosophers say this conventional world is false. This view has also been stated. However, even these persons do not object to the conclusion of the scriptures, stated in the present verse. “It has been said that bhakti means engaging the senses and body for Kṛṣṇa. The Lord has said that bhakti is beyond the guṇas: lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtam (SB 3.29.12) This can be true in parināma-vāda, where the effects are stated to be real. I can understand very well that the material body and senses become spiritual by the contact with bhakti, which is like a touchstone. In vivarta-vada however the effects are said to be unreal. Therefore the body and senses are unreal. Bhakti therefore has not foundation. How can it said to be beyond the guṇas? When the guru at the time of teaching says “I will now teach about nirguṇa bhakti” the person taught is non-existent. How can the guru teach? It is like sowing seeds in the sky. How can Kṛṣṇa bhakti exist? Moreover how can prema arise through practice? Moreover how can the Lord be controlled by prema?” For the Lord with inconceivable powers, nothing is impossible. The Lord himself has said: eṣā buddhimatāṁ buddhir manīṣā ca manīṣiṇām yat satyam anṛteneha martyenāpnoti māmṛtam This process is the supreme intelligence of the intelligent and the cleverness of the most clever, for by following it one can in this very life make use of the temporary and unreal to achieve me, the eternal reality. SB 11.29.22 The meaning is this. This is intelligence because (yat) by the mortal body which is false, one attains the supreme truth (ṛtam), me. Or one attains me (mā) the form of the highest bliss (amṛtam). Anṛtena martyena can also refer to anything subject to destruction—the body, senses, prāṇa, leaves, flowers, incense, fragrance, lamps, food, umbrella, and cāmara. That one achieves me by these items is intelligence among those with intelligence. This is the conclusion amongst the most elevated wise men. The method of obtaining bhakti is explained by the Lord: martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai A person who gives up all karmas and offers himself entirely to guru, whom I desire to make special, achieves freedom from death and, more important, is qualified to be an associate of mine in prema. SB 11.29.34 When a mortal being gives up all karmas, completely gives up the desire for varṇāśrama-dharma, and gives “I and mine” (niveditātmā) to me, in the form of the guru, when he decides with determination “I offer whatever I have in this life and the next to the feet of the Lord,” then I desire to make that person special (vicikītṣitaḥ), though he arises from false conception. I will make him devoid of the guṇas. nirguṇo mad-apāśrayaḥ: he who surrenders to me is beyond the guṇas. (SB 11.25.26) Not being affected by māyā, he is not temporary but eternal. Since he is not affected by ignorance, he is not false, but based on his svarūpa. Because he is the effect of me, he is beyond the guṇas. The verse does not say “I make him special” but “I desire to make him special” using the desiderative affix. This means that I begin to make him nirguṇa (rather than suddenly taking him beyond the guṇas). Gradually by practicing bhakti, and ascending through the stages of niṣṭhā, ruci and āsakti, he comes to rati, and then becomes completely nirguṇa. Then, at that time, he will not interact with false objects at all. Previously he interacted with the material world as much as necessary. The meaning is this. By the Lord’s inconceivable energy, at the time of giving instructions on bhakti, body, senses and mind which are beyond the guṇas are created by me, though invisibly, in order to show the greatness of bhakti. The material body, senses and mind are destroyed invisibly. naivaṁ-vidhaḥ puruṣa-kāra urukramasya puṁsāṁ tad-aṅghri-rajasā jita-ṣaḍ-guṇānām citraṁ vidūra-vigataḥ sakṛd ādadīta yan-nāmadheyam adhunā sa jahāti bandham Such power is not surprising from persons who have conquered the six senses by the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord, since even an outcaste becomes immediately free of bondage of karma by chanting the Lord’s name once. SB 5.1.35 The meaning is this. It is not surprising for such persons to create the world with seven oceans as Priyavrata did. Even the outcaste (vidūra-vigataḥ) who chants the name of the Lord once immediately (adhunā) gives up his body. Though his body is still visible, he gives up the body related to prārabdha-karma, though this is not seen. Then, the devotee attains amṛtatvam, absence of the symptoms of death and is qualified for his position (ātma-bhāvāya). This means that he remains to serve me wherever I am. (This is still explaining SB11.29.34.) All the false, material objects which exist in this world lose their material qualities by association with bhakti. The Lord makes those objects the highest truth, favorable to the desires of his devotee. What is impossible for the inconceivable power of the Lord? The statements “Service to me is beyond the guṇas” and “My abode is beyond the guṇas” are true. Śaṅkārācarya has accepted the following from Mahābhārata, Udyama-parvā: acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁstarkeṇa yojayet prakṛtibhyaḥ paraṁ yattu tadacintasya lakṣaṇam Inconceivable states are not subject to material argumentation. The quality in inconceivability is that it is beyond the material realm. By the word bhāvāḥ (states) in the plural, one should not think that the state of oneness has been discarded, since all these states are one in the Lord. Thus everything is clear.