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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura Page
Sanatana-dharma
Lecture at Bäëé-bhavan (
by
Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté Öhäkura Prabhupäda
[NOTE: This page uses Balarama font (available here)
for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]
Originally Published in The Harmonist February 1932
There was a large gathering of residents and visitors at Bäëé-bhavan on
After Çrémad Vana Mahäräja had placed before the audience the general
bearings of the subject by his speech, the President delivered his learned
discourse. A few of the points of the lecture, which took about two hours in
delivery, are presented in the following imperfect summary.
The speaker introduced himself as the “meanest of the mean” in
the language of one of his superiors, namely the äcäryas, who had adequately dealt with
the subject, and requested his audience to overlook any austereness of his
language on the ground that he has been tied to
his method by
long habit.
Power and the Source of All
Power
The soul’s eternal function is that which is unchangeable and
suitable for all time and all persons, and which has for its support the one
eternal, supreme puruña. In the sphere of pure
cognition, puruña signifies dominating activity.
The reciprocal term to puruña is prakåti, whose
function is to be dominated by the puruña. The eternal function may be
located in the sphere of the dominated or it may be supposed to belong to the
realm of the Possessor of Power. In this mundane world we find ourselves in the
realm of the dominated, supposing ourselves to be the possessors of dominion.
The eternal function is not directed to Power but to the
Possessor or Source of Power, the real entity of the Bhägavatam, as distinct from the plurality of entities that are the
products of nature. The Absolute Reality of the Source of all Power
distinguishes Himself from the category of Power. The Source of Power is not
identical with Power. The Bhägavatam does not tell us of the products of nature, but of non-produced,
eternal entities. The terms used to designate the two divisions of entities are
präkåta (products of nature) and apräkrtä (entities not produced by
nature).
Knowledge, the Knower and the
Known
The objects that are knowable to man are products of nature, and
are also made cognizable to him by the same agency. They are part and parcel of
the mundane power. They do not take us beyond the category of that power. There
can be no function without power. Philosophy accordingly aims at the
elimination of the normal activity, characterized by the triple texture of
knowledge, the knower and the known, in order to get at the source of power.
The cognitive function of our senses is confined to the activities of nature. The
empiricist is limited to the examination of the transformations of physical
power. Such examination leads to the proposal for elimination of the triple
condition. Indivisible knowledge has the opportunity of manifesting His
appearance only on the elimination of the triple mundane quality.
Transitoriness is the characteristic of all phenomena on this
mundane plane. The transitory activity cannot be designated as the eternal
function. That which transcends “a-tat” (the non-Absolute) is “tat” (the
Absolute) – the real, indivisible knowledge. That knowledge is different from
all so-called knowledge obtained by us as enjoyers or as abstainers from
worldly enjoyment. Inanimation offers itself to our consciousness as the goal,
at the point where the faculty of mundane enjoyment is sought to be
artificially extinguished. The triple specification of knowledge, the knower
and the object of knowledge, is concomitant of the limiting activity of the
senses. This activity creates all difference and discord, and is the real
impediment of uninterrupted harmony and love. In the attempt to avoid
limitation, the dualistic principle is sought to be discarded by dint of mere
metaphysical argument. We seek to get rid of our separate free existence to
extinguish the triple texture of the mundane activity. Those conclusions are
the products of imagination and do not touch the real issue. They are the
products of the operation of the deluding potency, the result of the inaptitude
to receive the enlightening meaning of the words of the scriptures.
Had this not been so, our pure spiritual essence would find
Väsudeva in everything. The opening verses of the Bhägavatam instruct us
to address our prayers to the Ultimate Truth as distinct from the mundane. The Ultimate
Truth cannot be realized except by His own light. Those who realize Him are
many. There are distinctive, individual personalities of servitors in the realm
of the Absolute.
How to Access the Unalloyed
Spiritual Essence
I do not see because my vision is liable to be eclipsed when I
am located in the realm of three dimensions. These wrong conceptions are not
got rid of till I am established in the purely spiritual state, which is free
from all mundane conditions. They have established their firm
hold on me by my neglect to take into my
serious consideration the claims of the transcendental existence. In the Bhägavatam, Viçvanätha (Lord Çiva) instructs Saté as to
the proper nature of Väsudeva.
He tells her of the activities and realizations of the unalloyed spiritual essence. Viçvanätha makes his obeisance to Väsudeva. Those
who are willing to hear
those words, in the spirit of humility exhibited by Viçvanätha, can hear them. Those
who covet fame and wealth
are given those things by mahä-mäyä.
The Eternal Function of the Soul
The teachings of Çré Gaurasundara refer to the same unalloyed
function of the soul. The person in whom the real
hankering for listening to hari-kathä (word of Godhead) manifests itself, displays total absence of
every form of worldly pedantry and vanity. To such a person it is not the
summum bonum to attain even a high degree of material civilisation. The
alternative of merging in the Brahman presents itself to the choice of the soul
as the summum bonum at a certain stage of of mental speculation. The
formulation of such a doctrine marked an advance on the Buddhist position,
which had put the principle of mercy to all animation above the acquirements of
worldly elevationism. The service of Puruñottama is beyond the range of speculation
of those who regard merging in the indivisible cognitive principle as the goal.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam has accordingly advised us to
cease from all such speculations and concentrate on the consideration of the
real entity. It is, therefore, necessary to turn our attention to the serious
consideration of the function of the pure soul in the positive eternal world.
The unborn has precedence over the born. The Truth was revealed
in the heart of Brahmä before he began to create this world. Subsequently, by
the operation of the influence of time, different speculations on the subject
of the Ultimate Reality made their appearance in this world. At that time,
Kåñëa came down to the mundane plane in different forms to prevent different
erroneous views regarding the nature of the Absolute, which had sprung into
existence, from eclipsing the knowledge handed down by Brahmä through the
medium of the bona-fide spiritual teachers. The ten avatäras of Kåñëa were for the purpose of reestablishing in this world
the eternal function of the soul (sanätana-dharma).
That function is not limited to the narrow scope of the partial
visions of Bodhäyaëa Åñi and Lakñman Deçika. Änanda-tértha could rise above
them to the conception of the worship of boy Gopäla. The son-hood of Kåñëa is
inconceivable to the reverential serving attitude. Çré Rämänuja has offered his
arguments against the desirability of intimate relationship with Godhead on the
ground that it would give rise to great evils. But Çré Caitanyadeva,
Bilvamaìgala Öhäkura, Vidyäpati, Caëòédäsa, Jayadeva and the followers of Çré
Caitanyadeva have helped to extend our spiritual vision.
The Pinnacle of Theism
We are disposed to accept, as our eternal function, nothing
short of the ideal of the service of the milkmaids of Vraja, taught and
practised by Çré Caitanya. Consort-hood constitutes the highest plank of
theism. Other opinions are for the enlightenment of the ignorant. They are of
no further use, on the attainment of enlightenment. Those opinions have
different objects in view, and have put very different interpretations on the
scriptural evidence. They are hampered by this radical
defect and by their poverty of convincing power. The Saìkarñaëa-sütra has dealt with this vital point. The enlightening potency of the transcendental sound purges our minds of all
preventive dirts and enables
us to accept the true meaning of the words of the scriptures. We are thereby enabled to avoid all hasty conclusions that have a
tendency to drive us, more or
less, to seek to merge in the impersonal aspect of the Absolute.
The worship of those who praise Godhead by offering their
reverential homage, is inferior to the intimate
service of Vraja. We should not remain content with the level of service of
Arjuna. Citraka, Patraka, Çrédämä and Sudäma stand on a much more intimate
footing. They offer to Kåñëa the remainders of their tasted food. Godhead is
cherished with the tenderest affection. They do not know whether Kåñëa is any
other’s friend. They really know that He is certainly theirs. The son is served
by his parents from his infancy. Kåñëa is not served by Nanda and Yaçodä in
expectation of any return of service from Him in their old age
.
If we remain confined to the two and a half varieties of
reverential service by accepting the tidings of Rämänuja we would not be
relieved thereby from the cultivation of the remaining two and a half varieties
of intimate relationships to be found in this world. But there can be no
absence of fullness in Godhead. In the theistic exhibition it has been
demonstrated how we can see only the lower half of the Supreme when we look up
to Goloka from below. Çaìkara and some of his followers have taken exception to
Vaiñëavism, alleging that it is opposed to the Vedas. Çaìkara’s views had an
undoubted efficacy for his times to prevent the abuses of the Buddhist thought.
But his disregard of considerations in favor of the distinctive transcendental
activities of pure souls, is altogether untenable. The
point of view of Çäëòilya Åñi, whom he attempts to refute, stands fully
vindicated to all sincere inquirers. This has been conclusively shown by many
distinguished writers.
We are also not satisfied by the level of worship of Räma-Sétä,
which stands in the way of the pastimes of non-conventional divine amour. It is
not possible for us to realize the nature of the service of the milkmaids of
Vraja as long as the existence of the gross and subtle
physical bodies persist to obscure our vision. The desire of the Åñis of
Daëòakäraëya to serve Rämacandra in the relationship of consort-hood was not
fulfilled till after they had been reborn in Vraja. The cult of Väsudevism as
imagined by Bhandarkar and European scholars is not reconcilable with the needs
of complete self-realization. The perfection of service is not thereby
attained.
RAYS OF THE HARMONIST
No. 12 Gaura Purnima 2003
·