Garbha Stotra Verse Fourteen

na te’bhavasyeśa bhavasya kāraṇaṁ
vinā vinodaṁ bata tarkayāmahe
bhavo nirodhaḥ sthitir apy avidyayā
kṛtā yatas tvayy abhayāśrayātmani

O Supreme Lord, since there is no cause for Your birth, we can only conjecture that it is simply Your pastime. How amazing! Other beings experience birth, death and maintenance due to ignorance of You, O fearless refuge of all. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.39)

Sambandha Tattva Candrikā Commentary

“O Lord! You are asaṁsārī (beyond the nature of this material world), thus I cannot attribute any cause for Your state other than Your playful pastimes. The jīvas who are affected by ignorance experience birth, maintenance and death, thus fearlessness and shelter are only found in You because You are, by nature, eternally liberated.”

Kṛṣṇa-tattva has been explained as intrinsic Truth, yet as it is also revealed as appearing in this world, it may be subject to material conditions – this argument arose in the minds of the Devatās. Intrinsic Truth cannot be subject to material conditions, thus such types of material conditions disrupt the very nature of the Absolute Truth. By this, the Absolute Truth becomes relative. No conclusion can be reached by such an argument. Thus, for this reason, the Devatās concluded that Jagadīśvara is all-powerful and the creator of all laws, yet He is not bound by them. All injunctions are also part of His play. Everything that we find difficult to solve due to being bound by rules, is possible in the Lord because He is not subject to any rules. That which seems impossible to us, due to our limited understanding, can easily happen according to the will of the Lord. Although appearance and disappearance are indeed states and are not possible for a substance devoid of any material conditioning, they can certainly occur in the pastimes of the Lord because He is all-powerful. Although all things are subject to conditions and thus become worldly and bound by laws, Jagadīśvara, despite performing all kinds of actions as part of His playful pastimes, is not bound by any of His own laws. Independence is the Lord’s intrinsic nature.

A jīva only becomes bound when he accepts māyā. When bound, he falls into the cycle of birth and death, becoming subject to the laws of such subjugation. However, when a jīva again accepts the shelter of the Lord, who is eternally liberated, he attains salvation. Thus, there is no possibility whatsoever of the Lord being bound by becoming dependent upon any type of condition.

Many scholars explain Jagadīśvara to be acintya (inconceivable) and deny the experience of ātma-pratyaya (experiencing Him through the ātmā). Their logic is that if perception of the Lord is accepted through the ātmā, then Jagadīśvara becomes conceivable and thus subject to material conditions. In their consideration, the intrinsic Absolute Truth can never be attained by the jīva. All such persons who proudly identify as scholars deceive themselves through such fallacious arguments. The Lord is inherently difficult to comprehend for the jīva, but by His own will, He eventually reveals Himself when He is directly perceived through the jīva’s ātma-pratyaya. There can be no fault in this. The Supreme Lord’s inconceivability must also be accepted as His own will. He is the creator of all injunctions; therefore, who other than the Lord could be the creator of the laws by which His inaccessibility is arranged? By the influence of that potency (the acintya-śakti), the Supreme Lord becomes inconceivable to the material body, speech and mind. Yet, through the function of that potency, He can eventually be grasped by the experiential function of the transcendental ātmā. If Jagadīśvara cannot be directly perceived by us, even by His own volition, then it indicates a deficiency in His divinity. All those persons who cannot accept ātma-pratyaya are most unfortunate. Thus, direct perception of the Lord through ātma-pratyaya cannot be called a defect of material conditioning (avasthā-doṣa). According to the various stages of the jīva, there are different perceptions of the Supreme Lord. This is also merely part of the Lord’s līlā – it is not that His state changes. Then, at the end of the jīva’s conditional state, what kind of state could possibly be present when the inherent Truth of kṛṣna-tattva reveals itself?

What is that inherent Truth? Persons who pride themselves in being scholars engage in many fallacious arguments concerning this. Through all these arguments, they portray kṛṣṇa-tattva as mundane and thus pollute the world. With the aim of resolving all those useless arguments, the characteristics of that inherent Truth, and through all those characteristics, the nature of kṛṣṇa-tattva, has been explained here. Inherent Truth is characterised by the following seven features, namely:

• Inherent Truth does not change according to different times and places.
• Everyone is eligible for that inherent Truth.
• Inherent Truth is neither historical nor fictional.
• Inherent Truth is unparalleled, apparent, self-revealing, and accessible.
• During deliberation, this inherent Truth can be established through all kinds of evidence.
• Inherent Truth is beautiful in every respect, universally attractive, auspicious, and pleasing.
• Inherent Truth is adorned by its own beauty; any form of ornamentation cannot enhance its beauty, and would only detract from its own intrinsic beauty.

All these characteristics are seen in kṛṣṇa-tattva. Firstly, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the embodiment kevalānubhavānanda (pure knowledge and bliss), is acknowledged everywhere and at all times. Whoever meditates on the Infinite Brahman, thinks of Paramātmā, or remembers Nārāyaṇa possessing six opulences, projects a sense of kevalānubhavānanda in all those forms. One cannot actually experience kevalānubhavānanda only in the state of Brahman, the state of Paramātmā, or in the opulence of Nārāyaṇa. Thus, the essence of all types of contemplation on the Supreme is known as kevalānubhavānanda. He is the inherent Supreme Truth, because He cannot be divided. Bhakti associated with kevalānubhavānanda is not the subject of devotion to Brahman or Paramātmā. Thus, only kṛṣṇa-bhakti is the essence. The worship of Paramātmā and Brahman is simply an unproductive endeavour.

Everyone is eligible for that inherent Truth. That inherent Truth is seen to appear within the ātmā of every human being. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who embodies pure anubhavānanda, is directly perceived through everyone’s ātma-pratyaya. Those who reject this ātma-pratyaya are, in fact, rejecting Śrī Kṛṣṇa also. This is simply a bewilderment for them. The infinite Brahman and the all-pervading Paramātmā are not realised by everyone. Brāhmaṇas can understand Brahman and yogīs can understand Paramātmā. However, only humans are eligible to attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the embodiment of pure anubhavānanda. Kṛṣṇa-bhajana does not require brāhmaṇism or yoga. Through extensive endeavours, those who practice yoga may achieve a faint glimpse of the Paramātmā who is difficult to attain, but they cannot fully understand Him. In general, when the word ‘paramātmā’ is heard, it is considered to be some sort of inactive substance. However, realisation of that Paramātmā is not achieved without extraneous effort. The result of such an achievement is meagre, because Paramātmā is not the inherent form of the Lord, it is only a minor manifestation. Those who engage in intense psychological discipline can know the Infinite Brahman, and by knowing that Brahman, they become a brāhmaṇa or achieve the state of Brahman. The result of attaining that Brahman is also meagre, because through it, one cannot achieve the inherent form of the Lord, but only perceives His attributes. Although becoming a brāhmaṇa or a yogī is difficult, their qualities are infinitely less when compared to a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

There may be an argument that, “If pure anubhavānanda and Kṛṣṇa are attainable by everyone, then what is the reason for distinguishing between higher and lower jīvas? Why is everyone not a Vaiṣṇava?” However, the answer is that Kṛṣṇa is directly perceivable by everyone, but some people, due to fallacious arguments, deny anubhavānanda and become brāhmaṇas or yogīs. Others, due to the influence of stupidity, abstain from loving the Lord and play with gross ignorance, and some, who are obsessed with mundane activities, become atheists. Although the sun is visible to everyone, those who are blind to the day, such as owls, and those who do not believe in their own eyes, cannot understand what the light of the sun is. The sun cannot be blamed for the defects of the owl, or for a man who distrusts his own vision. Although a devotee of Kṛṣṇa may consider himself to be extremely insignificant in terms of possessing any Vaiṣṇava qualities, nevertheless, compared to a brāhmaṇa or a yogī, he possesses infinite superior qualities. This is because one who has direct realisation of the intrinsic form of Kṛṣṇa is considered superior to one who has realisation of minor forms or the form of infinity (Brahman).

The intrinsic Truth is neither historical nor fictional. Historical accounts are bound by time and place, and are conditioned by the material world. Rāja Hariścandra donated the entire world – this is a historical account. Hariścandra has passed away and was not present even in previous kalpas; therefore, Hariścandra is not eternal. Although Hariścandra’s jīvātmā was present in the past and continues according to the will of the Lord, nevertheless, his historical account has come to an end. Kṛṣṇa-tattva is not like that. From time immemorial to eternity, kṛṣṇa-tattva is directly perceivable. The transcendental rāsa-līlā with the jīvātmā and Paramātmā, or the jīva and Kṛṣṇa, always exists. Therefore, since kṛṣṇa-tattva is not historical, it must be considered to be the intrinsic Truth. Imagination is a function of the mind. The mind has no dominion over transcendental substance. Thus, every jīvātmā is eligible to attain kṛṣṇa-tattva. The states of Brahman and Paramātmā are historical and imaginative. Before creation, the Supreme Lord was only Kṛṣṇa, who is sac-cid-ānanda. At that time, none of His potencies were active. When creation occurred, the manifestation of the Infinite Brahman and the activation of His powers took place. This is described historically in the Vedas. During creation, the Supreme Lord enters into the created substances and manifests the Paramātmā. This too is historical, because when the Lord’s desire ends, then once again, Brahman and Paramātmā merge into Kṛṣṇa’s form of anubhavānanda.  Investigation, conception, and reception are all functions of the mind, and the realisation of Brahman and Paramātmā achieved through these mental activities is as transient as imagination.

Inherent Truth is unparalleled, apparent, self-revealing, and accessible. In the previous discussion, kṛṣṇa-tattva was shown to be incomparable, since the state of Brahman and Paramātmā cannot compare to it. When everyone has access to kṛṣṇa-tattva, then consequently, it must be considered to be apparent. kṛṣṇa-tattva is loudly declared to be the best of all tattvas because generally, mundane things are concealed from people. In this way, the superiority of kṛṣṇa-tattva is established over all Vedic and Tantric mantras. It is self-revealing, since kṛṣṇa-tattva does not need to be revealed through the body, senses, mind, or speech. The jīvātmā can easily attain kṛṣṇa-tattva merely through simple faith. It becomes very difficult by engaging in argumentative logic and analysis. Thus, it is extremely accessible. There is no extraneous effort required to be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The states of Brahman and Paramātmā are achieved through extensive analysis, and thus, although they are inferior, they are not so easily accessible. However accessible the jīva’s svabhāva (inherent nature) may be, his contrary behaviour is not so simple. Servitorship to Kṛṣṇa applicable to the jīva’s svabhāva.

When analysed, inherent Truth can be established through all types of evidence. Since inherent Truth is self-revealing, there is no need for analysis. However, even if analysed, it is beautifully established. There are four types of evidence, namely, śruti (śāstrika testimony), pratyakṣa (direct perception), aitihya (tradition), and anumāna (inference).

Although all the śrutis praise Brahman, nevertheless, they clearly reveal that there is no other object of worship except Śrī Kṛṣṇa. By describing Brahman only as the material cause of creation, a Supreme Personality who is beyond Brahman is inferred. In the prayers of the Vedas found in the Tenth Canto, all the śrutis attained gopī forms. This means that for some time, the śrutis had been engaged in analysing the false ego and were bound by the dry knowledge of Brahman. But when they abandoned logical argument and jñāna and accepted ātma-pratyaya, then they achieved śrī-kṛṣṇa-tattva and began to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad, the Gopāla Tāpanī, and all the general Upaniṣads explain kṛṣṇa-tattva.

Pratyakṣa (direct perception), the second type of evidence, possesses unlimited qualities that are superior to sensory perception. This is because it is the direct perception of the jīva. Because śrī-kṛṣṇa-tattva is directly perceived, it is confirmed through pratyakṣa.

Aitihya (tradition) is the third evidence. All history and the renown of mahājanas can be termed as tradition. When reviewing the history of all countries, it can be seen that, except for the principle of anubhavānanda, mahājanas have not declared any other substance to be the intrinsic nature of the Lord. Both in this country and abroad, those persons who have accepted anubhavānanda and have followed the path of bhakti are the ones who are established in the position of gurus and practice the worship of kṛṣṇa-tattva. Differences in language and names cannot result in a difference in substance.

Anumāna (inference) is the fourth evident. The power to discover hidden truths from observable substances can be termed as anumāna. Anumāna is necessary for understanding the self by logic, because direct perception of the self, ātma-pratyaya, is certainly hidden from logic. Even so, with great endeavour, logic has established that which is hidden. After analysing all substances through the process of tanna tanna (‘not that, not that’), logic ultimately perceives only one type of bliss. Even though it can comprehend bliss, logic still remains constrained. Sac-cid-ānanda śrī-kṛṣṇa-tattva is established through all these evidences.

Inherent Truth is beautiful in every respect, universally attractive, auspicious, and pleasing. Kṛṣṇa-tattva is beautiful in every respect because it is not distorted by any relative consideration of place, time, or quality. It is not tainted by any type of evidence. All tattvas are subordinate to this tattva; that Personality alone is the siṁha-tattva, the lion amongst philosophical concepts. Through His being beautiful in every respect, His masculine aspect is substantiated. Regardless of the types of qualities He may have, even if they are all contrary, He remains unaffected. Here too, His masculine aspect is established. Kṛṣṇa is the sole refuge of all qualities and opulence. In this way, all those qualities and opulence, having assumed a feminine aspect, have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the only male. In relation to Kṛṣṇa, who is the primeval Controller, qualities and the possessor of qualities are subordinate. Elsewhere, harmonising opposing qualities may not be possible, however, in the actual masculine form of Kṛṣṇa, all kinds of opposing qualities are unable to create any discord, because all material qualities are inevitably subordinate to that which is sac-cid-ānanda. Beauty is the ultimate quality. Kṛṣṇa, who is endowed with beauty, is all-attractive. This is the primary function of Kṛṣṇa in His true intrinsic form.
Thus, that Personality is indeed Vaṁśīdhārī (the holder of the flute). Only that Personality who holds the flute awards auspiciousness and delivers the jīvas from the inauspiciousness of worldly existence.
Therefore, that great Personality who bears the flute, assumes a three-fold bending posture, and attracts those jīvas trapped in saṁsāra to Vṛndāvana.

His supreme benevolence is characterised by His pleasing nature; thus, the radiant, soothing dark complexion of that Personality is directly perceivable. His being beautiful in every respect, His universal attractiveness, His capacity to grant auspiciousness, and His pleasing nature are not found in Brahman or Paramātmā. Thus, kṛṣṇa-tattva is the svarūpa-tattva (the intrinsic nature of the Supreme Truth). That is because all these characteristics are only found in pure anubhavānanda and nowhere beyond that.

Inherent Truth is adorned by its own beauty. It cannot lack beauty, so it is far from requiring any other type of attribute to enhance itself. Infinity and finiteness are both considered to be among these attributes. When anubhavānanda is adorned by infinity, it becomes Brahman; when adorned by minuteness, it becomes Paramātmā. Thus, the inherent beauty is absent in Brahman and Paramātmā, and it is the beauty of these attributes (of infinity and finiteness) that manifests. The jīva possesses the inherent beauty of the Lord. Therefore, instead of being limited to the beauty of these attributes, he becomes a worshipper of kṛṣṇa-tattva through ātma-pratyaya. Those who worship Brahman state that infinity is the true nature of the Supreme and they achieve a semblance of bliss related to it. Yogīs, understanding the neutrality of infinity, consider the Supreme, not only as the smallest of the small, but also meditate upon Him as the all-pervading, subtle Lord who resides within the heart. However, it must be said that neither (the worshipper of Brahman or the yogī) has achieved the true nature of the Supreme. This is because the Vedas describe the Lord as both the smallest of the small and the greatest of the great. Finiteness and infinity are both merely opulences of the Lord. They are not the opulences of Svayaṁ Īśvara (the original intrinsic form of the Lord Himself). In this way, some worship the Lord by adhering to one particular attribute or another, establishing sampradāyas under such names as Brahmo, Śaiva, or Yogī. However, it is not possible for the inherent Truth of śrī-kṛṣṇa-tattva, which is intrinsically pure anubhavānanda, to be confined within any sampradaya. Those who belong to such sampradāyas are worshippers of an attribute-distorted conceptualisation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, covered by material embellishments; they cannot be true worshippers of the direct form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Leaving aside the concepts of those other sampradāyas, even the pure Vaiṣṇavas of the Śrī sampradāya who worship the Lord adorned with complete sovereignty and all qualities, in other words, accepting Him as covered by the mood of being the King of kings – even they are delayed in achieving the direct worship of Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of pure anubhavānanda.

Thus, the Devatās said, “O Kṛṣṇa! You are the intrinsic Truth. This is because kṛṣṇa-tattva is directly experienced due to Your playful pastimes; it is not contaminated by philosophical impurities like other tattvas. This kṛṣṇa-tattva is not a confidential topic which is determined by some sampradāya to be a manifestation of the jīva’s opulence. In this alone, the ultimate cessation of the jīva’s existence in the material world is possible.