Just as gold can be attained only from a gold mine similarly, happiness can come only from its source, i.e., Bhagavān. Whatever happiness one experiences in this material world is ultimately rooted in Bhagavān. Therefore, knowingly or unknowingly, everyone is looking for Bhagavān. But He cannot be attained by looking for Him unknowingly. Thus, Sri Jiva Gosvāmī guides us towards Him by explaining His blissful nature. Below are some excerpts from the first anuccheda of Prītī Sandarbha followed by my commentary.
1.2 The Absolute Reality is Essentially Bliss
एतदुक्तं भवति—यत् खलु परमतत्त्वं शास्त्रप्रतिपाद्यत्वेन पूर्वं निर्णीतं, तदेव सदनन्तपरमानन्दत्वेन सिद्धम्। श्रुतावपि “सैषानन्दस्य मीमांसा भवति” (तै.उ. २.८.१) इत्यारभ्य, मानुषानन्दतः प्राजापत्यानन्दपर्यन्तं दशकृत्वः शतगुणिततया क्रमेण तेषामानन्दोत्कर्षपरिमाणं प्रदर्श्य, पुनश्च ततोऽपि शतगुणत्वेन परब्रह्मानन्दं प्रदर्श्याप्यपरितोषात्, “यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते” (तै.उ. २.९.१) इत्यादिश्लोकेन तदानन्दस्यानन्त्यत्वमेव स्थापितम्। विलक्षणत्वं च।
In this regard the following is to be said: The Absolute Reality, which was earlier ascertained as the subject matter to be established by the scriptures, was verily concluded to be the eternal, unlimited and supreme bliss. In the Śruti beginning with the statement, saiṣānandasya mīmāṁsā bhavati, “This, then, is an evaluation of that bliss” (TU 2.8.1), ten different levels of bliss have been progressively shown, from that of human beings up to that of the Prajāpati (i.e., Brahmā), each one a hundred times greater than the previous. Then the bliss of the Supreme Brahman is stated to be a hundred times greater than even that of the Prajāpati. Still dissatisfied, the Śruti establishes the unlimitedness of Its bliss as well as its difference [from material happiness] as being that- yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha, “from which words return along with the mind, without ever having reached it.” (TU 2.9.1)
(तै. २.७.१) “को ह्येवान्यात् कः प्राण्यात् यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्” इत्यनेन नानास्वरूपधर्मतोऽपि तस्य केवलानन्दस्वरूपत्वमेव च दर्शितम्। तथाभूतमार्तण्डादिमण्डलस्य केवलज्योतिष्ट्ववत्।
And, by the following statement, the Supreme Brahman’s essential nature is shown to be entirely bliss alone, even though It has various characteristics in its essential nature. It is just like the sun which despite having various qualities is [said to be] light alone – ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt:
Who would live and breathe were this [Brahman as] Bliss not to exist in the sky? (TU 2.7.1)
Commentary
Earlier in Tattva Sandarbha (51) it was said that the Absolute Reality is non-dual consciousness, and it is known by three names, namely Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. To explain these three aspects of tattva and delineate their characteristics, Śrī Jīva composed the Bhagavat and Paramātma Sandarbhas. Then in Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha (28-29) he identified the original form of Bhagavān as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the personification of supreme bliss (paramānanda), as stated by Brahmā,
How fortunate! How fortunate indeed are the residents of Nanda’s cowherd community of Vraja, for their dear friend is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the eternal complete Brahman, who is the embodiment of supreme bliss. (10.14.32)
Kṛṣṇa’s form is eternal and unlimited. This is understood from the statement of Śukadeva in which he describes the various forms of Viṣṇu manifested by Kṛṣṇa, while describing the delusion of Brahmā:
The Viṣṇu forms were embodiments of the one Absolute Essence, constituted of unalloyed being, consciousness and infinite bliss alone. Their infinite glory was certainly untouched even by those who see with vision refined by study of the Upaniṣads. [i.e., the followers of the jñāna-mārga]. (SB 10.13.54)
Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī refers to the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.8.1) to show that Absolute Reality is of the nature of bliss. There are two ways to derive happiness. The first one is from the contact of the senses with their favorable sense object. This type of happiness is ephemeral and ultimately the source of misery. This is stated by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna:
O son of Kuntī, all enjoyments born of sense contacts are a source of misery only, being subject to beginning and end. Therefore, the wise do not indulge in them. (Gītā 5.22).
The other type of happiness comes from the Absolute Reality, as stated by Kṛṣṇa:
One whose mind is detached from the external sense objects attains the bliss which is in the Self. Then, becoming united with God, he enjoys eternal bliss. (Gītā 5.21)
These are the two types of bliss compared in Taittirīya Upaniṣad. It first gives the ten levels of material bliss. The complete passage is as follows:
This, then is an evaluation of that bliss: Suppose there is young man, good, learned, most exactive, most strongly built, and most powerful. Imagine that this whole earth filled with wealth belongs to him. [The bliss that he would experience] is one unit of human bliss. If this human bliss is multiplied by a hundred that would be one bliss of the Human-Gandharvas. That is also the bliss experienced by a knower of the Veda (śrotriya) who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Human-Gandharvas is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of the Deva-Gandharvas, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Deva-Gandharvas is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of the Pitṛs, whose world is everlasting, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Pitṛs, whose world is everlasting, is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of the Ājānaja-devas, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Ājānaja-devas is multiplied a hundred times, that would be one bliss of the Karma-devas who reach their deva status by Vedic rites, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Karma-devas is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of the Devas, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of the Devas is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of Indra, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of Indra is multiplied a hundred times that would equal one bliss of Bṛhaspati, and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. If this bliss of Bṛhaspati is multiplied a hundred times that would equal one bliss of the Prajāpati (Brahmā), and also that of a knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. And if this bliss of Prajāpati is multiplied a hundred times, that would equal one bliss of Brahman, and also that of the knower of the Veda who is not subdued by material desires. (TU 2.8.1-4)
All this is material happiness. After saying this, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.9.1) says that the bliss of the Absolute Reality is beyond any comparison. There are no words to describe it because words can only describe material happiness, which is limited. It cannot be compared to anything within our experience because it is unlimited and of an entirely different nature. Bliss is the very nature of the Absolute, as it is said, “Brahman is conscious and bliss” (vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma, BAU 3.9.28). The sun has many attributes such as heat, shape, size, speed, gravitational force and ultra-violet radiation, yet its most prominent quality is light. Similarly, although the Absolute Reality has unlimited attributes, the most prominent is bliss, ānanda. Existence and consciousness only serve the purpose of experiencing joy.
It is because this bliss of Brahman exists that people breathe in and out (TU 2.7.1). The meaning of this statement is that we live to acquire the bliss of Brahman. We do not live just for the sake of living. Without bliss we do not want to live. Therefore, when a person loses hope of gaining bliss he feels like committing suicide, and some people actually do it. Whatever we do, our ultimate purpose is to achieve this bliss. Thus, everyone is in search of the Absolute and unless they find It they cannot be peaceful and happy. The Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.20) declares it indirectly, “Without knowing God, people will be able to end all their miseries only when they are able to cover the sky in the way that skin [covers the body].” In other words, it is impossible to be free from suffering in any way other than by knowing God, who is bliss-personified.
Therefore, everyone in this material field feels incomplete within themselves. This feeling can be mitigated only by acquiring the bliss of Brahman or prīti. The desire to acquire wealth, power, position, relations, is ultimately the desire for supreme bliss. Out of ignorance, people misplace their desire in material pursuits. When they get frustrated with material aims they may either turn to drugs and intoxication or sex, or they may become inquisitive about spirituality. In any case, the true solution lies in the bliss of the Absolute, and that bliss is love or prīti.
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