Pancha Bedha and Abedha (PVPP Position Paper)

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(1.1) Acceptance of Pancha Bedha and Underlying Oneness of God and His

Energies

 

The PVPP states:

 

The fivefold differences (between Souls, God and Jada) defined above are

eternal, absolute and exist under all conditions even after Mukthi.

 

The concept of pancha bedha is not disputed by Gaudiiya Vaishnavas. Shriimad

Bhaagavatam also describes differences between the various tattvas. For

example:

 

bhuutendriyaantaHkaraNaatpradhaanaajjiivasa.mj~nitaat |

aatmaa tathaa pR^ithagdraShTaa bhagavaan brahmasa.mj~nitaH || bhaa 3.28.41

||

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as param brahma, is the

seer. He is different from the jiiva soul, or individual living entity, who

is combined with the senses, the five elements and consciousness.

(bhaagavata puraaNa 3.28.41)

 

The above verse clearly describes the difference between Bhagavaan and the

jiivas.

 

tadaa puruSha aatmaana.m kevala.m prakR^iteH param |

nirantara.m svaya.mjyotiraNimaanamakhaNDitam || bhaa 3.25.17 ||

 

At that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material

existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute

in size. (bhaagavata puraaNa 3.25.17)

 

This shloka describes the difference between the jiivas and the material

existence. It is addtionally stated that the jiivas are "animaanam" or

infinitesmal in size, further reinforcing the position of Achintya Bedha

Abedha which holds that the jiivas are quantitatively inferior to the

Supreme Lord.

 

anaadiraatmaa puruSho nirguNaH prakR^iteH paraH |

pratyagdhaamaa svaya.mjyotirvishva.m yena samanvitam || bhaa 3.26.3 ||

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Soul, and He has no

beginning. He is transcendental to the material modes of nature and beyond

the existence of this material world. He is perceivable everywhere because

He is self-effulgent, and by His self-effulgent luster the entire creation

is maintained. (bhaagavata puraaNa 3.26.3)

 

This shloka unequivocably asserts that the Lord is transcedental to the

material existence and the modes of material nature.

 

The differences between individual jiivas is also confirmed by Shriila

Baladeva Vidyaabhuushana in his Prameya Ratnaavalii.

 

shraNuu chaitanyaruupatva j~naanitvaadhya.m visheShataH |

saamye satyapi jiivaanaa.m taaratamy~ncha saadhanaat || PR 6.1 ||

 

Though all Jiivas are similar, and have no distinction among themselves, so

far as they are all atomic, intelligent in their form, and cognising agents

or being knowers; yet there is difference between them, owing to their

Saadhanaas or Karmas that they have performed. (prameya ratnaavalii 6.1)

 

Here Shrii Baladeva confirms the common sense understanding that different

jiivas are different by virtue of the different births due to karma which

they get. However, he also states that differences remain even after

liberation.

 

eva.m saamyepi vaiShamyamaihika.m karmmabhiH sphuuTam |

praahuH paaratrika.m tattu bhaktibhedaiH sukovidaH || PR 6.4 ||

 

Thus though all souls are similar, yet their dissimilarity in this world is

on acount of the differences of their Karmas. The wise say that their

dissimilarity in the heaven is on account of their dissimilarity of Bhakti.

(prameya ratnaavalii 6.4)

 

Shrii Baladeva here refers to the different rasas by which liberated

devotees worship the Lord. These include shaanta, daasya, sakhya, vaatsalya,

and maadhurya. Whether or not Madhva accepts this position is besides the

point. We wish to show here only the fact that Gaudiiyas accept the concept

of difference between individual jiivas. Together, these points along with

A.C. Bhaktivedaanta Swaamii Prabhupaada's translations of the Bhaagavata

shlokas above illustrate the fact that Gaudiiyas do accept the fivefold

differences.

 

However, Gaudiiyas do not interpret these diiferences to the extreme that

the Maadhvas do, who argue that these five tattvas are eternally separate.

Shrii Vedavyaasa's actual position on this matter is stated in Shriimad

Bhaagavatam:

 

tvattaH para.m naaparamapyanejadejachcha k~nchid vyatiriktamasti |

vidyaaH kalaaste tanavashcha sarvaa hiraNyagarbho'si bR^ihattripR^iShThaH ||

bhaa 7.3.32 ||

 

There is nothing separate from you, whether it be better or lower,

stationary or moving. The knowledge derived from the Vedic literatures like

the Upanishads, and from all the sub-limbs of the original Vedic knowledge,

form your external body. You are Hiranyagarbha, the reservoir of the

universe, but nonetheless, being situated as the supreme controller, you are

transcendental to the material world, which consists of the three modes of

material nature. (bhaagavata puraaNa 7.3.32)

 

This is further supported by explicit pramaanas describing the underlying

oneness of the various entities.

 

eSha nityo'vyayaH suukShma eSha sarvaashrayaH svadR^ik |

aatmamaayaaguNairvishvamaatmaana.m sR^ijate prabhuH || bhaa 6.16.9 ||

 

The living entity is eternal and imperishable because he actually has no

beginning and no end. He never takes birth or dies. He is the basic

principle of all types of bodies, yet he does not belong to the bodily

category. The living being is so sublime that he is equal in quality to the

Supreme Lord. Nonetheless, because he is extremely small, he is prone to be

illusioned by the external energy, and thus he creates various bodies for

himself according to his different desires. (bhaagavata puraaNa 6.16.9)

 

aha.m vai sarvabhuutaani bhuutaatmaa bhuutabhaavanaH |

shabdabrahma para.m brahma mamobhe shaashvatii tanuu || bhaa 6.16.51 ||

 

All living entities, moving and nonmoving, are My expansions and are

separate from Me. I am the Supersoul of all living beings, who exist because

I manifest them. I am the form of the transcendental vibrations like omkaara

and Hare Krishna Hare Raama, and I am the Supreme Absolute Truth. These two

forms of Mine - namely, the transcendental sound and the eternally blissful

spiritual form of the Deity, are My eternal forms; they are not material.

(bhaagavata puraaNa 6.16.51)

 

In the above shlokas, the statements to the effect that the Lord is the

living entities and the living entities appear just like the Lord are

properly explained to mean that the living entities resemble the Lord by

being one in quality with Him. This is the only interpretation that makes

sense in the overall context of the Bhaagavatam, which does not support

kevalaadvaita (pure monism).

 

ta ete bhagavadruupa.m vishva.m sadasadaatmakam |

aatmano'vyatirekeNa pashyanto vyacharan mahiim || bhaa 11.2.22 ||

 

These sages wandered the earth seeing the entire universe, with all its

gross and subtle objects, as a manifestation of the Supreme Lord and as

nondifferent from the self. (bhaagavata puraaNa 11.2.22)

 

The above shloka again reinforces the underlying oneness of the Lord and His

creation, in spite of the fact that He trascends it.

 

Critics may argue that it is illogical to assert both difference as well as

nondifference between God, the living entities, and the material universes.

We should point out, however, that an omnipotent, omniscient, and

omnipresent God need not simplify His realitye so as to be easily

comprehended by mortals of limited intellect. Both difference and

nondifference are discussed in shaastras, which should be accepted without

reservation. They are explicitly mentioned in Shriimad Bhaagavatam, which is

Shrii Vedavyaasa's last word on Vedaanta. Rejecting Shrii Vedavyaasa's own

opinions on the Vedaanta amounts to nothing more than renegade scholarship.

 

As mentioned previously, both difference and nondifference are considered to

be real and eternal in Achintya Bedha Abedha philosophy. Thus, it is neither

to be confused with Advaita (which holds that the difference is illusory)

nor with the bheda abedha of Bhaaskara (which holds that difference is real

but temporary).

 

S. HariKrishna

Cleveland, OH

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