Shastra Quiz 19

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that māyā can be subdivided into two categories based on her functions. The first is called jīva-māyā, and the second is called guṇa-māyā.

Learn more: The Vaiṣṇava Concept of Māyā

Śrī Kṛṣṇa states this directly to Uddhava:

“Knowledge related to Me is free from the material guṇas” (man-niṣṭhaṁ nirguṇaṁ smṛtam, i.e., “it is transcendental,” SB 11.25.24).

Since knowledge of the pure self or Brahman is beyond the faculties of the mind and senses, it could not possibly arise from any propensity of the heart dependent on mental or sensual faculties that are in a constant state of instability due to the ebb and flow of the material guṇas:

"Just as various rivers flow into the ocean, which is ever full and immovable, similarly a person in whom all enjoyments merge without causing any disturbance attains peace; but not a person who hankers after such enjoyments." (Gītā 2.70)

One of the revolutionary ideas that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī is pointing out to us is that Brahman realization is impossible without the mercy of God, which comes only as a result of the being’s participation in devotion. In other words, Brahman realization is impossible without engagement in bhakti-yoga. Thus, even the followers of Śaṅkarācārya, the chief protagonist of brahma-jñāna in recent times, must imbibe the spirit of devotion [which is to say, they must wed devotion to jñāna] to attain perfection in their path. Otherwise, they encounter only misery in the form of repeated birth and death.

Learn more: Vaikuṇṭha Is Part of the Lord’s Svarūpa (Bhagavat Sandarbha, 49 – Part 2)

Learn more: Bhāva, Kurukṣetra, Worship

Although each division of the Vedas — karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and upāsanā-kāṇḍa — propounds its respective path, the Sāma Veda reconciles the statements of these apparently conflicting divisions by showing that their message is one.

In Gītā 10.22, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, “Of all the Vedas, I am the Sāma Veda.”

Here, Kṛṣṇa indicates that since the Sāma Veda is the best of all the Vedas, containing beautiful prayers glorifying the Supreme Lord, it therefore represents Him.

Such glorification of the Lord is, after all, the ultimate purpose of the Vedas, as SB 1.2.28 states: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ.

The bahiraṅga potency of Bhagavān is known by different names, such as prakṛti, māyā, and Durgā.

The incidental characteristics (taṭasthalakṣaṇa) of the bahiraṅga-śakti refer to its role in the matter of cosmic creation, sustenance, and dissolution. Although these functions are ultimately conducted by Paramātmā, who manifests as the three guṇāvatāras, they are executed in a secondary sense by the bahiraṅga-śakti consisting of the three guṇas.

The word māyā is also used to indicate yoga-māyā, which is a manifestation of Bhagavān’s internal potency. This should be noted.

The extrinsic energy, called māyā, has two divisions, namely, nimitta and upādāna.

The three guṇas are the nimitta, or instrumental cause, and pradhāna, which transforms as matter, is the upādāna, or the constituent cause.

Uttara-khaṇḍa of Padma Purāṇa, lists a number of synonyms for Vaikuṇṭha, including mokṣa (liberation), paraṁ padam (the supreme destination), liṅga (the signifier), amṛta (immortality) and viṣṇu-mandira (the abode of Viṣṇu)

Śrī Nārāyaṇa is called turīya, because He is beyond all upādhis; Bhagavān, or Nārāyaṇa, is thus the supreme manifestation of the Absolute Truth.

Turiyākhya (known as the fourth dimension of being) is explained in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary on SB(11.16.16):

virāḍ hiraṇya-garbhaś ca kāraṇaṁ cety upādhayaḥ
īśasya yat tribhir hīnas turīyaṁ tat padaṁ viduḥ

"Virāṭ, hiraṇyagarbha and kāraṇa are the three limiting adjuncts (upādhis) of God in His capacity as the Supreme Immanent, but He who is free from these is called Turīya, the fourth dimension, or in other words, the Supreme Transcendence."

Hearing about elevated devotees of Bhagavān is even more nourishing to bhakti than hearing about Bhagavān Himself.

The reason for this is that we can relate to the lives of devotees more easily than that of Bhagavān. The devotees of yore underwent birth and the normal tribulations of human life. They did not simply appear, as did Bhagavān, endowed with all majesty. They faced problems and had to behave and struggle like sādhakas. Bhagavān, on the other hand, is omnipotent, accomplishing everything by His mere will. Whatever hardship He may appear to undergo in His earthly manifestation is all His divine play (līlā). For this reason, hearing about devotees provides greater inspiration in a practical sense.

It also teaches modern practitioners how to face various life challenges in a way that is commensurate with devotion.