Prameya Ratnaavalii of Shriila Baladeva Vidyaabhuushana - First Prameya (cont'd)

[Guest guest]

I resume my postings of Prameya Ratnaavalii, but this time using

Kushakratha dasa's translation, which H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami very

nicely provided.

 

achintya, "krishna_susarla"

<krishna_susarla@h...> wrote:

> In the Bri Aar Up (3.9.28) the Vaajasaneyins read the following:

>

> vij~naanamaananda.m brahma raatirdaatuH paraayaNa.m tiShTamaanasya

> tadvida iti || 28 ||

>

> Brahman, who is knowledge and bliss, He is the principal, both to

him

> who gives gifts, and also to him who stands firm, and knows.

>

> shriigopaalopaniShad cha |

>

> tameka.m govina.m sachchidaanandavigraham | iti |

>

> That one Govinda whose form is existence, knowledge and bliss.

>

> (to be continued)

 

 

Text 12 ©

 

 

muurtatva.m pratipattavya.m chitsukhasyaiva raagavat |

vij~naanaghanashabdaadikiirtanaachchaapi tasya tat |

dehadehibhidaa nastiity etenaivopadarshitam ||

 

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 "vij~naana-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.

 

Text 13 (a)

 

muurtasyaiva vibhutvam, yathaa muNDake

 

vR^ikSha iva stabdho divi tiShThaty ekas teneda.m puurna.m 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."

 

Text 13 (b)

 

dyustho'pi nikhilavyaapiity aakhyaanaan muurtimaan vibhuH |

yugapad dhyaatR^ivR^indeShu saakShaatkaaraach cha taadR^ishaH ||

 

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.

 

Text 14 (a)

 

shrii dashame cha

 

na chaantar na bahir yasya na puurva.m naapi chaaparam |

puurvaapara.m bahish chaantar jagato yo jagach cha yaH ||

 

This is confirmed in the Shriimad-Bhaagavatam (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."*

 

Text 14 (b)

 

 

shrii-giitaasu cha

 

mayaa tatam ida.m sarva.m jagad avyaktamuurtinaa |

matsthaani sarvabhuutaani na chaaha.m teShv avasthitaH ||

 

na cha matsthaani bhuutaani pashya me yogam aishvaram |

 

The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-giitaa (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!"*

 

 

Text 14 ©

 

achintyashaktir astiishe yogashabdena chochyate |

virodhabha~njikaa saa syaad iti tattvavidaa.m matam ||

 

The fact that the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses

inconceivable potency (yogam aishvaram) resolves the apparent

contradiction in this statement by the Lord. This is the opinion of

they who know the truth.

 

 

Text 15 (a)

 

aadinaa sarvaj~naatvam, yathaa muNDake

yaH sarvaj~naH sarvavit

 

By the use of the word "aadi" (etc.) in text 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."

 

 

Text 15 (b)

 

aananditvaà cha, taittiriiyake

 

aananda.m brahmaNo vidvaan na vibheti kutashchana |

 

That the Lord is full of transcendental bliss is confirmed in the

Taittiriiya Upanishad (2.4.1): "He who understands the transcendental

bliss of the Supreme Personality of Godhead no longer fears anything."

 

 

Text 15 ©

 

prabhutvasuhR^ittvaj~naanadatvamochakatvaami cha, shvetaashvatara-

shrutau

 

sarvasya prabhum iishaana.m sarvasya sharaNa.m suhR^it |

 

praj~naa cha tasmaat prasR^itaa puraaNii |

 

sa.msaarabandhasthitimokShahetuH |

 

That the Lord is the supreme master, friend, teacher, and deliverer

is confirmed in the following quotes from the Çvetäçvatara Upaniçad.

 

"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)

 

 

Text 15 (d)

 

maadhurya.m cha shrii-gopaalopaniShadi

 

sat-puNDariikanayana.m meghaabha.m vaidyutaambaram |

dvibhuja.m maunamudraaDhya.m vanamaalinam iishvaram ||

 

The Lord's sweetness is described in the Gopaala-taapanii 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."

 

(to be continued)