Prameya-ratnavali
[The Jewel Necklace of Truths]

1
jayati sri-govindo
gopinathah sa madana-gopalah
vakshyami yasya kripaya
prameya-ratnavalim sukshmam

All glories to Lord Govinda, who is known as Gopinatha and Madana-Gopala. By His mercy, I shall now speak this excellent and subtle book Prameya-ratnavali (The Jewel Necklace of Truths).

2
bhakty-abhasenapi tesham dadhane
dharmadhyakshe vishva-nistari-namni
nityanandadvaita-caitanya-rupe
tattve tasmin nityam astam ratir nah

We pray that we may develop intense and constant devotion for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda Prabhu, and Lord Advaita Prabhu, who are the controllers of all religious activities, who are pleased with even the dim reflection of devotional service, and whose holy names deliver the entire world.

3
anandatirtha-nama sukha-
maya-dhaama yatir jiyat
samsararnava-taranim yam
iha janah kirtayanti budhah

All glories to Srila Madhvacarya Svami, the abode of transcendental happiness. They who are learned and intelligent glorify him, for he is like a boat that enables the conditioned souls to cross the ocean of repeated birth and death.

4
bhavati vicintya vidusha
niravakara guru-paramapara nityam
ekantitvam sidhyati yayod-
ayati yena hari-tosham

A discriminating person pleases Lord Hari by remembering the faultless disciplic succession of bona-fide spiritual masters, who enable one to attain the perfection of unalloyed devotional service.

5
yad uktam padma-purane

sampradya-vihina ye
mantras te nishphala matah
atahh kalau bhavishyanti
catvarah sampradayinah

sri-brahma-rudra-sanaka
vaishnavah kshiti-pavanah
catvaras te kalau bhavya
hy utkale purushottamat

The Padma Purana explains: "Unless one is initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, the mantra he might have received is without any effect. For this reason four Vaishnava disciplic successions, inaugurated by Lakshmi-devi, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, and the four Kumaras, will appear in the holy place of Jagannatha Puri, and purify the entire earth during the age of Kali."

6
ramnujam srih svi-cakre
madhvacaryam caturmukhah
sri-vishnu-svaminam rudro
nimbadityam catuhsanah

Lakshmi-devi chose Ramanujacarya to represent her disciplic succession. In the same way Lord Brahma chose Madhvacarya, Lord Siva chose Vishnu Svami, and the four Kumaras chose Nimbarka.

7
tatra guru-parampara yatha

sri-krishna-brahma-devarshi-
badarayana-samjnakan
sri-madhva-sri-padmanabha-
sriman-nrihari-madhavan

akshobhya-jayatirtha-sri-
jnanasindhu-dayanidhin
sri-vidyanidhi-rajendra-
jayadharman kramad vayam

purushottama-brahmanya-
vyasatirthams ca samstumah
tato lakshmipatim sriman-
madhavendram ca bhaktitah

tac-chishyan srisvaradvaita-
nityanandan jagad-gurun
devam isvara-sishyam sri-
caitanyam ca bhajamahe
sri-krishna-prema-danena
yena nistaritam jagat

With great devotion we glorify the spiritual masters in the Gaudiya Vaishnava disciplic succession. A list of their names follows: 1. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, 2. Brahma, 3. Narada, 4. Vyasa, 5. Madhvacarya, 6. Padmanabha, 7. Nrihari, 8. Madhava, 9. Akshobhya, 10. Jayatirtha, 11. Jnanasindhu, 12. Dayanidhi, 13. Vidyanidhi, 14. Rajendra, 15. Jayadharma, 16. Purushottama, 17. Brahmanya, 18. Vyasatirtha, 19. Lakshmipati, 20. Madhavendra Puri, and 21. Isvara Puri, Advaita Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu (who were all disciples of Madhavendra Puri). We worship Isvara Puri's disciple, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delivered the entire universe by granting the gift of krishna-prema (pure love of Krishna).

8
atha prameyany uddisante

sri-madhvah praha vishnum paratamam akhilamnaya-vedyam ca visvam
satyam bhedam ca jivam hari-carana-jushas taratamyam ca tesham
moksham vishnv-anghri-labham tad-amala-bhajanam tasya hetum pramanam
pratyakshadi-trayam cety upadisati harih krishna-caitanyacandrah

A summary of the Vaishnava philosophy follows: Madhvacarya taught: 1. Lord Vishnu is the Absolute Truth, than whom nothing is higher, 2. He is known by study of the Vedas, 3. The material world is real, 4. The jivas (living entities) are different from Lord Vishnu, 5. The jivas are by nature servants of Lord Vishnu's lotus feet, 6. In both the conditioned and liberated states, the jivas are situated in higher and lower statuses, 7. Liberation does not mean an impersonal merging, but the attainment of Lord Vishnu's lotus feet, 8. Pure devotional service grants liberation, 9. Direct perception, logic, and Vedic authority are the three sources of actual knowledge. These same truths are also taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself in His appearance as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

9(a)
paratamya prakaranam. sri-vishnoh paramatvam. yatha sri-gopalopanishadi
tasmat krishna eva paro devam tam dhyayet tam raset tam bhajet tam yajet. iti.

1. Lord Vishnu is the Absolute Truth, than whom, nothing is higher.

Lord Vishnu's supremacy is described in the Gopala-tapani Upanishad: "Therefore, Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and nothing is higher than Him. One should meditate upon Him, chant His holy names, serve, and worship Him."

9 (b)
svetasvataropanishadi ca

jnatva devam sarva-pasapahanih
kshinaih klesair janma-mrityu-prahanih
tasyabhidhyanat tritiyam deha-bhede
visvaisvaryam kevalam apta-kamah
etaj jneyam nityam evatma-sashtham
natah param veditavyam hi kincit

This is also confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (1.11): "When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead the ropes of illusion that bind one to the material world become cut, the material miseries end, and the repetition of birth and death in the cycle of transmigration also ends. By constantly remembering the Supreme Lord, at the time of death one attains the fully opulent spiritual world, far beyond the touch of matter, and all one's desires become fulfilled. In this way one directly perceives the Supreme Personality of Godhead, than whom there is nothing higher to be known."

9 (c)
gitasu ca

mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (7.7), where Krishna says: "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me."

10
hetutvad vibhu-caitanya-
nandatvadi-gunasrayat
nitya-lakshmy-adimatvac ca
krishnah paratamo matah

Krishna is accepted as the highest truth because He is the origin of both the material and spiritual worlds, because His spiritual form is all-powerful, all-cognizant, and full of transcendental bliss, because He is the reservoir of all auspicious spiritual qualities, and because He is served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, and uncountable millions of other devotees as well.

11 (a)
sarva-hetutvam, yathahuh svetasvatarah

ekah sa devo bhagavan varenyo
yoni-svabhavan adhitishthaty ekah
yac ca svabhavam pacati visva-yonih
pacyams ca sarvan parinamayed yah

The Supreme Lord is the source of everything. This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad (5.4-5): "The one supremely opulent and worshipable Personality of Godhead is the origin of the entire universe. He creates and transforms the material elements and their attributes."

11 (b)
vibhu-caitanyanandatvam, yatha kathake

mahantam vibhum atmanam
matva dhire na socati

That the Lord is all powerful, all-cognizant, and all-blissful is confirmed in the following verse from the Katha Upanishad (1.2.22): "An intelligent person, who understands the distinction between material bondage and liberation, ends all material bondage when he understands the supremely worshipable Personality of Godhead, who is full of all powers and opulences."

11 (c)
vijnana-sukha-rupatvam
atma-sabdena bodhyate
anena mukta-gamyatvam
vyutpatter iti tad-vidah

Those learned in spiritual matters know that the word "atma" means "that which is full of spiritual knowledge and bliss". This knowledge and bliss is possessed by both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the liberated individual living entities.

12 (a)
vajasaneyis cahuh

vijnanam anandam brahma
ratir datuh parayanam

The Vajasaneya-brahmana (3.9.28) also explains: "The Supreme Spirit, who is full of knowledge and bliss, grants good results to they who worship Him with sacrifice."

12 (b)
sri-gopalopanishadi ca

tam ekam govindam
sac-cid-ananda-vigraham

The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.35) also confirms: "Lord Govinda is beyond the duality of the material world. He is not different from His form, which is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss."

12 (c)
murtatvam pratipattavyam
cit-sukhasyaiva ragavat
vijnana-ghana-sabdadi-
kirtanac capi tasya tat
deha-dehi-bhida nastity
etenaivopadarsitam

Lord Govinda possesses a form of spiritual bliss, just as a melody, although apparently formless, actually possesses a subtle form within the mind. The mantra beginning "vijnana-ghana" confirms that the Lord's form is not material, but a spiritual manifestation that is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. It also confirms that there is no difference between the Lord and His spiritual form.

13 (a)
murtasyaiva vibhutvam, yatha mundake

vriksha iva stabdho divi tishthaty ekas tenedam purnam purushena sarvam.

The Mundaka Upanishad confirms that the Lord's form possesses unlimited potency: "The Supreme Person appears like a tree situated in the spiritual sky. From that tree the perfect and complete spiritual and material worlds have become manifested."

13 (b)
dyu-stho 'pi nikhila-vyapity
akhyanan murtiman vibhuh
yugapad dhyatri-vrindeshu
sakshat-karac ca tadrisah

The Vedic mantras explain that the all-powerful Absolute Truth possesses a spiritual form, and although He remains in the spiritual sky, He is simultaneously present everywhere. He personally appears within the heart of the perfect devotees who constantly meditate on Him.

14 (a)
sri-dasame ca

na cantar na bahir yasya
na purvam napi caparam
purvaparam bahis cantar
jagato yo jagac ca yah

This is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.9.13): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in his own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything."*

14 (b)
sri-gitasu ca

maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham teshv avasthitah

na ca mat-sthani bhutani
pasya me yogam aisvaram

The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-gita (9.4-5): "By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold my mystic opulence!"*

14 (c)
acintya-saktir astise
yoga-sabdena cocyate
virodha-bhanjika sa syad
iti tattva-vidam matam

The fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses inconceivable potency (yogam aisvaram) resolves the apparent contradiction in this statement by the Lord. This is the opinion of they who know the truth.

15 (a)
adina sarva-jnatvam, yatha mundake
yah sarva-jnah sarva-vit

By the use of the word "adi" (etc.) in 10, the Lord's omniscience may be inferred. This is confirmed in the Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.7): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is omniscient."

15 (b)
ananditvam ca, taittiriyake

anandam brahmano vidvan
na vibheti kutascana

That the Lord is full of transcendental bliss is confirmed in the Taittiriya Upanishad (2.4.1): "He who understands the transcendental bliss of the Supreme Personality of Godhead no longer fears anything."

15 (c)
prabhutva-suhrittva-jnanadatva-mocakatvami ca, svetasvatara-srutau

sarvasya prabhum isanam
sarvasya saranam suhrit

prajna ca tasmat prasrta purani

samsara-bandha-sthiti-moksha-hetuh That the Lord is the supreme master, friend, teacher, and deliverer is confirmed in the following quotes from the Svetasvatara Upanisad.

"The Personality of Godhead is everyone's supreme master, controller, shelter and friend." (3.17)

"The Personality of Godhead is the teacher who reawakens the eternal spiritual knowledge of the conditioned souls." (4.18)

"The Personality of Godhead delivers the conditioned souls from the bondage of repeated birth and death." (6.16)

15 (d)
madhuryam ca sri-gopalopanishadi

sat-pundarika-nayanam
meghabham vaidyutambaram
dvi-bhujam mauna-mudradhyam
vana-malinam isvaram

The Lord's sweetness is described in the Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.13): "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is splendid as a fresh monsoon cloud. His eyes are lotus flowers. He has two arms. His garments are lightning. He wears a garland of forest flowers. He is full of transcendental knowledge."

16
na bhinna dharmino dharma
bheda-bhanam viseshatah
yasmat kalah sarvadastity
adi-dhir vidusham api

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not different from His transcendental form and attributes, and any apparent difference is an illusion. He is the original learned philosopher. He is the source of eternal time.

17
evam uktam narada-pancaratre

nirdosa-purna-guna-vigraha atma-tantro
niscetanatmaka-sarira-gunais ca hinah
ananda-matra-kara-pada-mukhodaradih
sarvatra ca svagata-bheda-vivarjitatma

This is described in the Narada Pancaratra: "The independent Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses a spiritual form full of perfect and faultless qualities. He is not different from His hands, feet, face, belly, or other parts of his form, which are all made exclusively of transcendental bliss."

18 (a)
atha nitya-lakshmikatvam, yatha vishnu-purane

nityaiva sa jagan-mata
vishnuh srir anapayini
yatha sarvagato vishnus
tathaiveyam dvijottama

The eternal transcendental position of Srimati Lakshmi-devi is described in the Vishnu Purana: "O best of the brahmanas, Lord Vishnu's transcencental potency, Srimati Lakshmi-devi, is His constant faithful companion. She is eternal, and she is the mother of the entire material universe. She is all-pervading, just as Lord Vishnu is."

18 (b)
vishnoh syuh saktayas tisras
tasu ya kirtita para
saiva sris tad-abhinneti
praha sishyan prabhur mahan

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed His disciples in the following way: "Srimati Lakshmi-devi is the best of Lord Vishnu's three potencies, and She is not different from the Lord Himself."

18 (c)
tatra trisakti-vishnuh, yatha svetasvataropanishadi

parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca

pradhana-kshetrajna-patir gunesah

The Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.8) describes the three energies of Lord Vishnu: "It has been heard in the Vedas that Lord Vishnu possesses multifarious potencies, which may be divided into three categories: 1. the potency of transcendental knowledge, 2. the potency of eternal existence, and 3. the potency of spiritual bliss. Lord Vishnu is also the master of all living entities, and the controller of the material cosmos both in its unmanifested stage and its developments of the three modes of nature."

19 (a)
sri-vishnu-purane ca

vishnu-saktih para prokta
kshetrajnakhya tatha paraa
avidya-karma-samjnanya
tritiya saktir ishyate

The Vishnu Purana explains: "The potency of Lord Vishnu is summarized in three categories: namely, 1. the spiritual potency, 2. the living entities and 3. ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although belonging to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities."*

19 (b)
paraiva vishnv-abhinna srir ity uktam. tatraiva

kala-kashtha-nimeshadi-
kala-sutrasya gocare
yasya saktir na suddhasya
prasidatu sa no harih

Srimati Lakshmi-devi, the supreme spiritual potency, is non-different from Lord Vishnu:

The spiritual potencies of the Lord are described in the following verses from Vishnu Purana: "Lord Hari's transcendental potency cannot be measured by the string of time, calibrated in minutes and seconds. May the supremely pure Personality of Godhead be merciful to us.

19 (c)
procyate parameso yo
yah suddho 'py upacaratah
prasidatu sa no vishnur
atma yah sarva-dehinam

"Lord Vishnu is described as the supreme controller, free from all material impurity. He is the object of Srimati Lakshmi-devi's service, and He is the Supersoul of all conditioned living entities. May He be merciful to us."

19 (d)
esha paraiva tri-vrid ity uktam tatraiva

hladini sandhini samvit
tvayy eka sarva-samsthitau
hlada-tapakari misra
tvayi no guna-varjite

The Vishnu Purana explains that the Lord's spiritual potency has three aspects: "O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini (pleasure potency), sandhini (existence potency), and samvit (knowledge potency) exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities." 20 (a)
eko 'pi vishnur ekapi
lakshmis tad-anapayini
sva-siddhair bahubhir vesair
bahur ity abhidhiyate

Lord Vishnu is one, and His constant associate Lakshmi-devi is also one. Assuming many different spiritual forms, they appear to have become many.

20 (b)
tatraikatve satyeva vishnor bahutvam, sri-gopalopanishadi

eko vasi sarvagah krishna idya
eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati
tam pithastham ye tu yajanti dhiras
te sham sukham sasvatam netaresham

The Gopala-tapani Upanishad (1.21) confirms that Lord Vishnu is one, although He manifests in many forms: "Lord Krishna is the worshipable, all-pervading supreme controller, and although He is one, He manifests in many forms. They who are intelligent worship that Supreme Lord, who remains in His spiritual abode. They attain the eternal transcendental happiness that is not available for others."

20 (c)
atha lakshmyas tad yatha

parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. ity adi.

Srimati Lakshmi-devi also manifests in many forms. This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanishad (6.8): "It is heard in the Vedas that Lord Vishnu's transcendental potency manifests in many forms."

21 (a)
purtih sarvatriki yady apy
avisesha tathapi hi
taratamyam ca tac-chakti-
vyakty-vyakti-kritam bhavet

Although all the transcendental forms of Vishnu and Lakshmi are always equally perfect and complete in all circumstances, these forms are considered higher and lower according to the different qualities and potencies which they manifest or refrain from manifesting.

21 (b)
tatra nishnoh sarvatriki purtir yatha vajasaneyake

"purnam adah purnam idam
purnat purnam udacyate
purnasya purnam adaya
purnam evavasishyate"

Lord Vishnu is always perfect and complete. This is described in the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (5.1.1): "The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."

21 (c)
maha-varahe ca

sarve nityah sasvatas ca
dehas tasya paratmanah
hanopadana-rahita
naiva prakrtijah kvacit

The Maha-varaha Purana also explains: "The transcendental forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternal and imperishable. They were not created at a certain point, and they are never to be destroyed. They are not products of the material energy.

21 (d)
paramananda-sandoha
jnana-matras ca sarvatah
sarve sarva-gunaih purnah
sarva-dosa-vivarjitah

"All the forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are completely filled with transcendental bliss, knowledge and all auspicious qualities. These spiritual forms of the Lord are free from all material defects."

22 (a)
atha sriyah sa yatha sri-vishnu-purane

evam yatha jagat-svami
deva-devo janardanah
avatriam karoty esha
tatha sris tat-sahayini

Srimati Lakshmi-devi is described in the same way in the Vishnu Purana: "Just as Lord Janardana (Vishnu), the controller of the universe and master of the demigods, incarnates in different forms, so also does His eternal consort, Srimati Lakshmi-devi.

22 (b)
punas ca padmad udbhuta
adityo 'bhud yada harih
yada ca bhargavo ramas
tadabhud dharini tv iyam

"When Lord Hari appeared as Vamana, the son of Aditi, Lakshmi-devi appeared as Padma, and when the Lord appeared as Parasurama, she appeared as Dharini.

22 (c)
raghavatve 'bhavat sita
rukmini krishna-janmani
anyeshu cavatareshu
vishnor esha sahayini

"When the Lord appeared as Ramacandra, she became Sita-devi, and when He descended in His original form as Lord Krishna, she was Princess Rukmini. In Lord Vishnu's many other incarnations, she always appeared as the Lord's consort.

22 (d)
devatve deva-deheyam
manushatve ca manushi
vishnor dehanurupam vai
karoty eshatmanas tanum
syat svarupa-sati purtir
ihaikyash iti vin-matam

"Lakshmi-devi appears in different forms, corresponding to the forms of Lord Vishnu. When the Lord appears as a demigod, she assumes a demigod-like form, and when He appears in a human-like form, she assumes a human-like form. As the Lord's transcendental potency, she is not different form Him, and her spiritual forms are all perfect and complete. This is the opinion of learned transcendentalists."

23 (a)
atha tathapi taratamyam

atha sri-vishnos tad yatha sri-bhagavate (1.3.28)

ete camsha-kalah pumsah
krishnas tu bhagavan svayam

Some forms of the Lord are considered superior to other forms of the Lord. In this connection the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28) explains: "All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead."

23 (b)
ashtamas tu tayor asit
svayam eva harih kila

The scriptures also explain: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His original form as the eighth son of Vasudeva and Devaki."

24 (a)
atha sris tad yatha purusha-bodhinyam atharvopanishadi

gokulakhye mathuramandale ity upakramya
dve parsve candravali radhika ca ity abhidhaya
paratra yasya amse lakshmi-durgadika-saktih iti.

The same differing importance of forms applies to Srimati Lakshmi-devi. The Purusha-bodhini Upanishad of the Atharva Veda explains:

"In the supreme abode of Gokula in the district of Mathura, Srimati Radharani and Srimati Candravali-devi stand at the left and right side of Lord Krishna."

"Srimati Radharani expands Herself as Lakshmi, Durga, and many other potencies of the Lord, which are all her incarnations."

24 (b)
gautamiya-tantre ca

devi krishnamayi prokta
radhika para-devata
sarva-lakshmimayi sarva-
kantih sammohini para

This is also confirmed in the Gautamiya Tantra: "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

25 (a)
atha nitya-dhamatvam adi-sabdat, yatha chandogye

sa bhagavah kasmin pratisthitah. iti
sve mahimni. iti

mundake ca

divye pure hy esa samvyomny atma pratishthitah. iti

The Lord's eternal abode may be understood by the use of the word "adi" (etc.) in the quote from the Purusha-bodhini Upanishad. In this connection, the following question and answer are found in the Chandogya Upanishad.

"O Sanat-kumara, where does the Supreme Personality of Godhead reside?" "He resides in His own splendid abode."

The Mundaka Upanishad also confirms:

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead resides in His own splendid abode in the spiritual sky."

25 (b)
rikshu ca
tam vam vastuny ushmasi gamadhye yatra gavo bhuri-sringa ayasah.

atraha
tad urugayasya krishnah paramam padam avabhati bhuri. iti.

The Rig Veda (1.154.6) explains: "We desire to attain the transcendental abode of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, which is full of splendid surabhi cows." The Sruti also explains: "Unlimited Vaikuntha planets are the abode of Lord Krishna, who is glorified by the liberated souls, and who fulfills all the desires of the devotees."

26 (a)
sri-gopalopanishadi ca
tasam madhye sakshad brahma gopala-puri hi. iti.

The Gopala-tapani Upanishad explains: "Among the seven sacred cities of Bharata, the city of Mathura, where Lord Gopala resides, is a direct manifestation of the spiritual world."

26 (b)
jitante tantre ca

lokam vaikuntha-namanam
divyad-sad-gunya-samyutam
avaishnavanam aprapyam
guna-traya-vivarjitam

The Jitanta Tantra explains: "Unattainable by the non-devotees, free from the influence of the three modes of material nature, and filled with the six spiritual opulences, the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead is known as Vaikuntha.

26 (c)
nitya-siddhaih samakirnam
tan-mayaih panca-kalikaih
sabha-prasada-samyuktam
vanais copavanaih subham

"Splendid with gardens, forests, halls and great palaces, that Vaikuntha world is inhabited by the Supreme Lord's liberated associates who are always engaged in the devotional activities of approaching the Lord, asociating with Him, worshiping, hearing about and remembering Him at every moment.

26 (d)
vapi-kupa-tadagais ca
vriksha-shandaih sumanditam
aprakritam surair vandyam
ayutarka-sama-prabham

"That Vaikuntha world is beyond the reach of material nature, and it is worshiped by the demigods. It is decorated with wells, ponds, lakes, and various desire-trees, and it is effulgent as millions of suns."

26 (e)
brahma-samhitayam ca

sahasra-patram kamalam
gokulakhyam mahat-padam
tat-karnikaram tad-dhama
tad-anantamsa-sambhavam

The Brahma-samhita (verse 2) gives the following description: "The superexcellent station of Krishna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinatary aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krishna."**

27 (a)
prapance svatmakam lokam
avatarya mahesvarah
avirbhavati tatreti
matam brahmadi-sabdatah

The Supreme Personality of Godhead brings His own spiritual realm within the jurisdiction of the material world, and then personally appears there. This is the opinion of Lord Brahma and others.

27 (b)
govinde sac-cid-anande
nara-darakata yatha
ajnair nirupyate tadvad
dhamni prakritita kila

Just as they consider the eternal, omniscient and blissful spiritual form of Lord Krishna to be only the form of an ordinary human child, the foolish also consider the Lord's spiritual abodes to be simply a manifestation of material energy.

28 (a)
atha nitya-lilatvam ca. tathahi srutih
yad gatam bhavac ca bhavishyac ca. iti.

eko devo nitya-lilanurakto
bhakta-vyapi bhakta-hridy antaratma. iti ca.

The Supreme Lord enjoys eternal pastimes. This is confirmed in the Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad: "The Supreme Lord performs pastimes eternally, in the past, present and future." The Atharva Veda explains: "The one Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally engaged in many, many transcendental forms in relationships with His unalloyed devotees."*

28 (b)
smritis ca

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo etti tattvatah
tyktva deham punar janma
naiti mam iti so'rjuna

The Lord Himself expains in Bhagavad-gita (4.9): "One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."

29
rupanantyaj jananantyad
dhamanantyac ca karma tat
nityam syat tad-abhedac cety
uditam tattva-vittamaih

Because the Lord's forms, followers, and abodes are all unlimited, and because the Lord's forms and abodes are not different from Him, learned transcendentalists have explained that the Lord's pastimes are eternally manifest.

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