Garbha Stotra

VERSE 10

sattvaṁ na ced dhātar idaṁ nijaṁ bhaved
vijñānam ajñāna-bhidāpamārjanam
guṇa-prakāśair anumīyate bhavān
prakāśate yasya ca yena vā guṇaḥ

O maintainer of the universe! O Controller of the modes of nature! Although it is disputed that Your form of Nārāyaṇa, which dispels ignorance and is of the nature of consciousness (vijñāna-svarūpa), is not Your direct form, scholars cannot disbelieve in You. In manifesting Your quality of viśuddha-sattva, Your pure transcendental form is experienced because that mode of goodness emanates from its own foundation, or source of manifestation. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.2.35) 

Sambandha Tattva Candrikā Commentary

Amongst the concepts that exist within this world, the best of all those is termed as sattva-guṇa. There lies a great responsibility in the act of governance, within which all the various types of qualities such as power, sovereignty, fame, wealth and knowledge are conferred. In one way or another, all these qualities are seen in the actions of governance executed by kings. When all these are fully understood, then a concept of the Supreme Lord, as the King of kings, emerges. Worldly elements are all material, therefore perceiving this concept of the King of kings from a material perspective alone will eventually lead to meditation upon Viṣṇu who resides in this universe. Viṣṇu alone is the King of all kings because there is no maintainer other than Him. This kind of mundane method of thinking first begins with ignorance.*(1) Therefore, through the practice of jñāna-yoga, men gradually contemplate the transcendental nature of Viṣṇu, the King of kings, and eventually take darśana of Him as Nārāyaṇa residing in the spiritual sky.

In this universe comprised of māyā, there are three abodes, namely Brahmaloka, Vaikuṇṭha and Śivaloka.*(2) Passion, goodness and ignorance are the three modes that manifest in those three worlds. The universes are unlimited, thus these three abodes are found within each universe. However, to govern all the universes collectively, a single maintainer is necessary. The spiritual sky is the abode of that maintainer. Thus, Nārāyaṇa manifests as the personification of all sovereignty and resides there. When ignorant people transcend māyā, they can become servants of Nārāyaṇa. When they become servants of Nārāyaṇa, the jīva’s ignorance is removed. All the qualities of māyā are born of ignorance, therefore the jīva becomes enlightened by taking bath in the Virajā River. This condition is said to be the state of vijñāna (awareness, or realisation). Servitude to Nārāyaṇa is said to be the state of vijñāna-svarūpa (the inherent nature of consciousness) which destroys the ignorance of the jīva. This is the jīva’s liberated state.

It has been ascertained from the previous śloka that servitude to Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate nature of the jīva, thus gradually, even Nārāyaṇa’s servants can be eligible to become servants of Kṛṣṇa. A logician can say that if servitude to Kṛṣṇa is the highest position, then what is the necessity for the jīva to accept servitude to Nārāyaṇa?

Everyone is fully eligible to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. The Devas have praised Bhagavān through this present śloka to dispel this doubt. In this śloka, the Devatās have addressed Bhagavān as dhāta (the controller), saying, “You are the Controller of the world. No one can transgress Your laws. Gradual progression is Your impassable rule. When a jīva relinquishes his position and falls down, then by following Your laws, he again rises up. If he attempts to transgress those laws, the jīva’s endeavours will not be successful. When the jīva is entrapped in this material body, how will he become worthy for that pure abode? Firstly, love for temporary objects must diminish. Secondly, by recognising the Supreme Lord as the creator, maintainer, and destroyer of the universe, He will accept you. Thirdly, he must understand that he has a relationship with You. Fourthly, they will perform all their duties to You as their svabhāva (inherent nature). In this way, the jīva will gradually improve eternally – that is Your law. The independent will of Bhagavān alone is the law. The Supreme Lord is not bound by any decree because He is an independent entity. However, from the inanimate trees onwards, everyone is subject to these laws.” For this reason, the Devatās addressed the Supreme Lord as dhāta.

Scholars argue extensively over sādhya-bhakti (accomplished devotion) and siddha-bhakti (perfected devotion). Some say, “The emergence of bhakti through the practice of karma and jñāna is sādhya-bhakti, and this sādhya-bhakti, which is meant for all people, is well known. Siddha-bhakti is impossible, because by claiming that the Supreme Lord is the regulator of siddha-bhakti, one is saying that He is partial.”*(3)

On the other hand, some scholars say that Jagadīśvara is independent, therefore He is not bound by His own rules. On this basis, He cannot be considered partial if He bestows siddha-bhakti to any person. Some scholars of the Śrī sampradāya classify bhakti by dividing it as sahetuka (with cause) and nirhetuka (without cause). All these arguments reach their conclusion upon deep deliberation. Bhakti is the inherent nature of the jīva and is ‘created’ along with the jīva. When the jīva misuses his independence, he falls down and his inherent nature becomes hidden. Due to neglect of his inherent nature, the jīva’s devotion to eternal things diminishes, then the jīva loves the false ego, intoxication, sense-pleasure etc. Sometimes, by the association of sādhus, if the fallen jīva’s knowledge awakens, then the jīva feels remorse for rejecting his inherent nature. His love for all temporary material objects withdraws, and turning that love towards eternal truth, he offers it to the Supreme Lord. This shows that bhakti arises along with the jīva. Knowledge is not capable of producing it. Knowledge, however, merely awakens it. By nature, knowledge is the servant of bhakti. When knowledge is appointed to serve bhakti, then the true function of knowledge is fulfilled. If bhakti did not decline, there would be no need for knowledge. Through knowledge, the jīva utilises his own independence properly, thus making knowledge the protector and servant of bhakti. Bhakti is perfect at all times, but when bhakti declines and is revived with the help of knowledge, it is called sādhya-bhakti. Consequently, there is no difference between siddha and sādhya-bhakti – the only difference is the situation.

In whatever way one deliberates, the laws of the Supreme prevail. Just as if one crosses a river by boat, some conventions must be followed – if, by any means, one crosses a river, even by flight, then also the rules of the Lord are followed. Following bhakti through the method of sādhana is called sādhya-bhakti, therefore that is true. And as bhakti is a self-evident function, it can also be called siddha (perfect). Therefore, what the Vaiṣṇavas are saying is certainly true. There is no possibility that the words of a Vaiṣṇava are false. And no matter how contradictory the words of a Vaiṣṇava may seem, there is no dispute if they are judged impartially. But others create different sects of Vaiṣṇavas and show opposing opinions – this is only the result of ignorance. Vaiṣṇava dharma is without beginning and is based upon immutable faith and direct self-realisation. Therefore, in fact, it cannot be accepted that there are any differences, or philosophical differences, amongst the branches of Vaiṣṇavas. However, due to differences in language and various processes of deliberation, it is seen that there are several sampradāyas. When Vaiṣṇavas consider all tattvas through the fourfold evidence of śruti (scriptural injunctions), pratyakṣa (direct perception), aitihya (tradition), and anumān (inference), and act accordingly, basing their philosophy on this, then they will accept that the position of their doctrine is inherently true. They give no space to relative truth. There is a particular difference between the Vaiṣṇavas and those who act only according to the Dharma-śāstra or logic. This is because it is said that one is a śāstravādī (who blindly follows śāstra), or a muktivādī (who considers mukti as the highest goal) only has partial knowledge – their conclusions will always be tainted by the defects of all the partial knowledge they possess.

When a jīva follows all these evidences, his love for impermanent things diminishes. Firstly, by engaging in the service of the mode of goodness, in other words, by being naturally endowed with the mode of goodness, one overcomes passion and ignorance. It is accepted that his entry into Vaiṣṇavism can occur at that time. When one purifies the mode of goodness by discriminating between that which is eternal and non-eternal, then one accepts pure goodness (viśuddha-sattva). However, even in pure goodness, one can achieve sovereignty, power, fame, wealth etc. It can be said that even at that time, the jīva becomes a servant of the Lord. As long as one sees the Supreme adorned with opulence, strength, fame, wealth, and similar qualities, it is not possible to relish the bhāva of pure sakhya, vātsalya and madhura. It inspires humility in the jīva to consider the Lord’s greatness and his own insignificance. The jīva continues to serve the Lord out of great fear and with some amount of love. Serving in this way, when the jīva advances, a supremely peaceful form of the Supreme Lord appears in front of him, devoid of opulence, might, fame and wealth. That supremely charming form is the svarūpa of Jagadīśvara. Upon seeing Him, the jīva is charmed by His enchanting sweetness and engages in His service. All tendencies such as fear, gratitude and respect vanish.  Then the jīva attains the unceasingly blissful touch and uninhabited love of Jagadīśvara. Because unlimited bhāvas are present in this prema, complete fulfilment is not possible. In this way, progress, further progress, and supreme progress must continue eternally.

Kṛṣṇa’s form is the ālambana (support) for rāgānuga-bhakti up to such mahā-bhāva. Since Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa is identical with that of Jagadīśvara’s, when that svarūpa takes shelter under the tree of opulence, He remains with the svarūpa of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is also worshipable by the jīvas, according to their varying eligibility, because He is the Supreme Brahman residing in the spiritual sky. Outside of that abode of Nārāyaṇa, there is the abode of Brahman whose nature is fully comprised of light. Those who worship Brahman are arasikas (devoid of rasa) because their thoughts are absorbed in worldly opulence. They search for that supreme effulgence, engaged in sādhana in a mundane way. As a result, they do not attain the Lord. Therefore, the renunciation of saṁsāra to achieve one’s original position is considered to be very rare by them. However, fortunate persons who pierce through Brahman and enter the abode of Para-vyoma (Vaikuṇṭha) engage in the worship of Nārāyaṇa.

Since the Supreme Lord is one without a second, the distinction between all His abodes and all His forms seems to be illogical. However, upon consideration, there does seem to be a distinction between these abodes and all His forms. No matter how mankind progresses, along with him, His self-satisifed Lord and His form also changes. This is an inherent truth. The ātmā is an abode of cintāmaṇi. The form of that abode, along with the Lord who resides in that abode gradually change. When one attains the highest abode, then the form of Kṛṣṇa becomes visible. The more a person pursues knowledge, then pure thoughts about the Lord continue to arise in them. Thus, from Viṣṇu who governs sattva-guṇa, one can come to the point of purely contemplating the supreme transcendental form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the support of mahā–bhāva. Those who are capable of perceiving the blissful experience of self-realisation, can gradually come to understand kṛṣṇa-tattva. This is the immutable law of Jagadīśvara. This law cannot be violated by anyone. It can be said that anyone who transgressed this law has fallen down. Examples of this are numerous. Without being able to discern the distinction between matter and spirit, those who engage in sādhana of śrī-kṛṣṇa-tattva, become debauched in character and attain a thoroughly abominable fate. If someone is engaged in the pursuit of the Supreme without becoming detached from the world, they will merely create obstacles in the varṇāśrama system, and attain devotion to the Brahmo conception.*(4) However, true Brahmos, although naturally inferior in comparison to the servants of Nārāyaṇa, are still revered in their own right.

By all this deliberation, the Devatās concluded that although the form of Nārāyaṇa was viśuddha-sattva, it was not directly the form of Kṛṣṇa because it was covered by opulence etc. However, due to the necessity of following the laws of Jagadīśvara to achieve gradual progress, the form of Nārāyaṇa is also worshiped in the world, because it is only through Him that the knowledge of eliminating ignorance is possible. The unparalleled form of Nārāyaṇa also manifests as the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, because Jagadīśvara, the Lord of the universe, is perceived through the manifestation of His qualities. It is ascertained upon perceiving Nārāyaṇa that His nature is comprised of the qualities of viśuddha-sattva, which are nothing but the qualities found within Śrī Kṛṣṇa – or that Śrī Kṛṣṇa, adorned with opulence and other virtues, engages in pastimes in the form of Nārāyaṇa.

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NOTES

*(1) In other words, meditation upon the Lord as the King of kings, begins from a point of ignorance where one contemplates the various opulences of a mundane ruler and eventually comes to the realisation that all these qualities find their completeness in Viṣṇu.

*(2) Here, Vaikuṇṭha refers to Śvetadvīpa, or Bhū-Vaikuṇṭha. Each universe has a Śvetadvīpa situated in the material world.

*(3) Sādhya-bhakti means that one accomplishes bhakti through the process of one’s own sādhana. Siddha-bhakti is gained by the grace of the Lord.

*(4) The Brahmos were a 19th Century Bengali religious reform movement that advocated monotheism/impersonalism/ founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was associated with them for a short time during his youth.