Vaikuntha-murtayah

April 26, 2007

Priti Sandarbha

Anuccheda 10

That directly seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this way is the highest condition of life is affirmed by Prahlada Maharaja in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.16):

. . .ushattama te 'nghri-mulam

prito 'paravga-sharanam hvayase kada nu

"O most powerful insurmountable Lord, . . .when will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from conditional life?"*

There are five kinds of liberation. They are: salokya, sarshti, sarupya, samipya, and sayujya. In salokya liberation one resides in Vaikuntha, the planet where the Supreme Personality of Godhead also resides. In sarshti liberation one possesses opulences like those of the Lord. In sarupya liberation one has a spiritual form like the Lord's. In samipya liberation one is able to stay close to the Lord. In sayujya liberation one some souls enter the Lord's form. To each of these five words (salokya, sarshti, sarupya, samipya, and sayujya) the word "mukti" (liberation may be affixed. In salokya, sarshti, and sarupya liberation one generally sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one's heart. In samipya liberation one generally sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead outside one's heart. In sayujya liberation one generally sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one's heart. Even though the Supreme Personality of Godhead is personally present before him, in sayujya liberation the individual soul is in a state of trance that is like a dreamless sleep. In that condition the soul cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead present before him. The highest state of liberation is described in these words of Chandogya Upanishad (7.25.2):

sa va evam pashyann evam manvana evam vijanann atma-ratir atma-krida atma-mithuna atmanandah. sa svarad bhavati sarveshu lokeshu kama-caro bhavati.

"In this way the liberated soul directly sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinks of Him, understands Him, delights in Him, enjoys pastimes with Him, becomes His companion, and enjoys bliss with Him."

By his own will a liberated soul can manifest many different forms. This is described in these words of Chandogya Upanishad (7.26.2):

sa ekadha bhavati, dvidha bhavati, tridha bhavati.

"The liberated soul may manifest one form, two forms, three forms, or more forms than that."

The spiritual world of Vaikuntha is far beyond the touch of the illusory potency maya. This is described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.10):

na yatra maya. . .

"In that personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignroance and passion do not prevail, nor is there any of their influence in goodness. There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the illusory external energy? It cannot enter that region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and demons worship the Lord as devotees."*

One who enters the spiritual world never returns to the material world. This is described in these words of Vedanta-sutra (4.4.23):

anavrittih shabdat

"By spiritual sound one attains the spiritual world, from which one never returns."

In the Chandogya Upanisad (8.15.1) it is said:

na sa punar avartate

"One who enters the spiritual world never returns to the material world of birth and death."

In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (7.4.22) the demigods harrassed by Hiranyakashipu pray:

tasyai namo 'stu kashthayai

yatratma harir ishvarah

yad gatva na nivartante

shantah sannyasino 'malah

"Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto that direction where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated, where those purified souls in the renounced order of life go, and from which, having gone, they never return."*

In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.38) Lord Kapiladeva explains:

na karhicin mat-parah shanta-rupe

nankshyanti no me 'nimisho ledhi hetih

"My dear mother, devotees who receive such transcendental opulences are never bereft of them. Neither weapons nor the change of time can destroy such opulences."*

Bhagavad-gita (8.16) Lord Krishna declares:

a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah

punar avartino 'rjuna

mam upetya tu kaunteya

punar janma na vidyate

"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again."*

In Bhagavad-gita (15.6) Lord Krishna declares:

yad gatva na nivartante

tad dhama paramam mama

"That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world."*

In Bhagavad-gita (18.62) Lord Krishna declares:

tat-prasadat param shantim

sthanam prapsyasi shashvatam

"By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode."*

In Padma Purana, Shrishti-khanda it is said:

a-brahma-sadanad eva

doshah santi mahi-pate

ata eva hi necchanti

svarga-praptim manishinah

"Even up to Brahmaloka, all the material worlds are filled with a host of faults. That is why, O king, they who are truly wise do not desire to go even to Svargaloka.

a-brahma-sadanad urdhvam

tad vishnoh paramam padam

shubhram sanatanam jyotih

para-brahmeti tad viduh

"They who are wise know that above Brahmaloka and all the material worlds is the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, an effulgent, glorious, eternal, spiritual abode.

na yatra mudha gacchanti

purusha vishayatmakah

dambha-lobha-bhaya-droha-

krodha-mohair abhidrutah

"Fools, hedonists, and persons conquered by pride, greed, fear, hatred, anger, and illusion do not go to that spiritual abode.

nirmama nirahankara

nirdvandvah samyatendriyah

dhyana-yoga-ratash caiva

tatra gacchanti sadhavah

"Only saintly devotees who are free from false ego, false possessiveness, and the duality of material illusion, who control their senses, and who are rapt in spiritual meditation go to that spiritual abode."

In Padma Purana, Shrishti-khanda, King Subahu says:

dhyana-yogena devesham

yajishye kamala-priyam

bhava-pralaya-nirmuktam

vishnulokam vrajamy aham

"In a trance of meditation I will worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of the demigods and the husband of the goddess of fortune. In this way I will go to the spiritual world of Lord VIshnu, a world that is not destroyed when the material worlds perish."

The pure devotees of the Lord are not even interested in attaining the five kinds of liberation. It is said in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (9.4.67):

mat-sevaya pratitam te

salokyadi-catushtayam

necchanti sevaya purnah

kuto 'nyat kala-viplutam

"My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation (salokya, sarupya, samipya, and sarshti), although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?"*

Because everything in the material world will eventually be destroyed by time, and because they have heard that once going to the spiritual world they will never return, the devotees aspire to go to the spiritual abode of the Supreme Lord. They also aspire to join the Supreme Lord in His transcendental pastimes. The devotees' attainment of salokya liberation, where they reside in the same planet as the Lord, is described in these words of Bhavishya Purana, Uttara-khanda:

evam kaunteya kurute

yo 'ranya-dvadashim narah

sa dehante vimana-stho

divya-kanya-samavritah

"O son of Kunti, a person who resides in this twelve-forest land of Vrindavana, at the time of his death finds himself in a celestial airplane surrounded by glorious gopis.

yati jnati-samayuktah

shvetadvipam hareh puram

yatra loka pita-vastrah

"Accompanied by his relatives, he goes to Lord Krishna's realm of Shvetadvipa, where the residents are all dressed in yellow garments.

There it is also said:

tishthanti vishnu-sannidhye

yavad ahuta-samplavam

tasmad etya maha-viryah

prithivyam nripa-pujitah

martya-loke kirtimantah

sambhavanti narottamah

tato yanti param sthanam

moksha-margam shivam sukham

yatra gatva na shocanti

na samsare bhramanti ca

"On this earth are many saintly heroes and many glorious saints worshiped by many kings. These saintly persons stay always near to Lord Vishnu. When this material world is destroyed by floods, these saints travel on the path pf liberation. They go to the auspicious and blissful spiritual abode. Going there, they never lament. Going there, they never again wander in this world of birth and death."

In the story of Jaya and Vijaya, where salokya liberation is described, it is seen that the liberated souls are free from the influence of the modes of material nature. In the same way the devotees aspiring for liberation also are free from the material modes. This Lord Krishna explains in the following words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.25.26):

sattvikah karako 'sangi. . .

. . .nirguno mad-apashrayah

"A worker free from attachment is in the mode of goodness, a worker blinded by desire is in the mode of passion, a worker who forgets right and wrong is in the mode of ignorance, and a worker who takes shelter of Me is always untouched by the modes of material nature."

In final liberation the devotees attain a spiritual nature and form like those of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. This is described in the following words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.15.14):

vasanti yatra purushah

sarve vaikuntha-murtayah

ye 'nimitta-nimittena

dharmenaradhayan harim

"In the Vaikuntha planets all the residents are similar in form to the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. They all engage in devotional service ot the Lord without desires for sense gratification."*

Here "nimitta" means "result", and "animitta" means "without cause". These two words together mean, "without the desire for material sense gratification". "Dharmena" means "by devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead". Here the word "vaikuntha" means "the Supreme Personality of Godhead". <b>"Vaikuntha-murtayah" means "numberless forms of the individual souls who reside in Vaikuntha and who are manifest from tiny fragments of the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many liberated souls, each with his own form, and there is one Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has His own form</b>. Still, the liberated souls have forms that are like the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This verse was spoken by the demigod Brahma to the demigods.

Anuccheda 11

Liberation is also described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.6.28):

prayujyamane mayi tam

shuddham bhagavatim tanum

arabdha-karma-nirvano

nyapatat panca-bhautikah

"Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work (karma) stopped."*

It is again described in these words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.23):

hitvavadyam imam lokam

ganta maj-janatam asi

"By service of the Absolute Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains firm and fixed intelligence in Me. Consequently he goes to become My associate in the transcendental world after giving up the present deplorable material worlds."*

In Shrimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.28 the Supreme Personality of Godhead promises to give the devotee a spiritual form like His own. Here "tam bhagavatim" means "a form that is a fragment of the spiritual effulgence of the Supreme Lord", "shuddham" means "untouched by matter", "tanum" means "a form given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead", and "mayi prayujyamane" means "attained by me when the results of karma came to an end". This happened when the material body made of five elements fell away (nyapatat panca-bhautikah). Here it is seen that the subtle material body of mind, intelligence, and false ego is also destroyed. Because of his faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee's past karma also comes to an end. In his commentary on this verse Shrila Shridhara Svami explains:

"The bodies of a personal associates of the Supreme Lord are eternal, pure, and free from karma." This verse was spoken by Shri Narada to Shri Vyasa.

Anuccheda 12

The body of a liberated soul is also described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (8.3.19):

yam dharma-kamartha. . .raty api deham avyayam

"After worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, those who are interested in the four principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation obtain from Him what they desire. What, then, is be said of other benedictions? Indeed, sometimes the Lord gives a spiritual body to such ambitious worshipers."*

Shrila Shridhara Svami comments:

"In this way the Supreme Lord gives the devotee an eternal spiritual body."

Anuccheda 13

The bodies of the liberated souls are also described in these words of Chandogya Upanishad (8.13.1):

ashva iva romani vidhuya. . .dhutva shariram akritam kritatma brahmalokam abhisambhavani

"As a horse sheds its hairs, . . .so will I shed this external material body and go to the spiritual abode of the Supreme Lord."

Thus, by the intervention of the Supreme Lord's inconceivable potency, the devotee leaves behind his material body and attains a spiritual body like that of the Lord. This is described in the following narration of Dhruva Maharaja's activities (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 4.12.29):

bibhrad rupam hiranmayam

"Before getting aboard, Dhruva Maharaja worshiped the airplane, circumambulated it, and also offered obeisances to the associates of Vishnu. In the meantime he became as brilliant and illuminating as molten gold. He was thus completely prepared to board the transcendental plane."*

Shrila Shridhara Svami comments:

"This means he attained a form brilliant and illuminating as molten gold."

Sarshti liberation is described in these words of the Supreme Lord (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.34), which I have already discussed in Bhakti-sandarbha (anuccheda 309):

martyo yada tyakta-samasta-karma. . .

. . .mayatma-bhuyaya ca kalpate vai

"A human being who renounces all fruitive activities, offers himself to Me, and yearns to serve Me, becomes immortal. He becomes glorious like Me."

Sarshti liberation is also described in these words of Chandogya Upanishad (8.12.3):

sa tatra paryeti jakshan kridan ramamanah

"In the spiritual world the liberated soul walks, plays, and enjoys life."

Sarshti liberation is also described in these words of Taittiriya Upanishad (1.6.2):

apnoti svarajyam

"The liberated soul attains a kingdom in the spiritual world."

In the Taittiriya Upanishad (1.5.3) it is said:

sarve 'smai deva balim aharanti

"All the demigods place offerings before the liberated soul."

In Chandogya Upanishad (7.25.2) it is said:

tasya sarveshu lokeshu kama-caro bhavati

"The liberated soul can travel to whatever world he wishes, simply by wishing to be there."

In Brihad-aranyaka Upanishad (4.4.22) it is said:

sarveshvarah. . .

"The liberated soul becomes glorious like the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself."

Still, the liberated soul does not have all the powers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For example, the liberated soul has no power to create universes. How, then, can the liberated souls become the rulers of the spiritual world of Vaikuntha? This is described in the following words of Vedanta-sutra (4.4.22):

jagad-vyapara-varjam

"Although he has powers and glories like those of the Supreme Lord, the liberated soul has no power to create universes."

Lord Krishna tells Devaki (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 10.3.41):

adrishtvanyatamam loke. . .

"Since I found no one else as highly elevated as you in simplicity and other qualities of good character, I appeared in this world as Prishnigarbha, or one who is celebrated as having taken birth from Prishni."*

In this way, in having saintly qualities, the devotee is in some ways equal to the Lord. Whatever the yogis attain by their eight mystic powers, powers that begin with anima siddhi, is only a small fraction of the glories and powers attained by the liberated devotee.

The great treasure that the devotee attains by the Supreme Lord's mercy is eternal and imperishable. Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.23.7-8) explains:

ye me svadharma-niratasya tapah-samadhi-

vidyatma-yoga-vijita bhagavat-prasadah

tan eva te mad-anusevanayavaruddhan

drishtim prapashya vitaramy abhayan ashokan

"Kardama Muni continued: I have achieved the blessings of the Lord in discharging my own religious life of austerity, meditation, and Krishna consciousness. Although you have not yet experienced these achievements, which are free from fear and lamentation, I shall offer them all to you because you are engaged in my service. Now just look at them. I am giving you the transcendental vision to see how nice they are.*

anye punar bhagavato bhruva udvijrimbha-

vibhramshitartha-racanah kim urukramasya

siddhasi bhunkshva vibhavan nija-dharma-dohan

divyan narair duradhigan nripa-vikriyabhih

"Kardama Muni continued: What is the use of enjoyments other than the Lord's grace? All material achievements are subject to be annihilated simply by a movement of the eyebrows of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By your principles of devotion to your husband, you have achieved and can enjoy transcendental gifts very rarely attained by persons proud of aristocracy and material possessions."*

Here the words "tapah-samadhi-vidya" refer to the activities of devotional service. "Atma-yoga" means "concentration of the mind". The rhetorical question, "What is the use of enjoyments other than the Lord's grace?" is answered with the words, "They are of no use." Then it is said, "All material achievements are subject to be annihilated simply by a movement of the eyebrows of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This verse was spoken by Kardama Muni to Devahuti.

vvtt9911 · January 30, 2012

The Chandogya Upanishad (starting at 7.25.2) explains that he who perceives and understands this, loves the self, revels, rejoices, and delights in the self. Such a person is lord and master of the worlds because he has already attained all that he needs. He knows that he may be in this material world but is not of it. He is actually of the spiritual world and has regained his connection with it. Therefore, he looks at this world as if he were simply a tourist. He sees all the busy activities of people and society, the confusion, but he walks through it all unaffected. But those who think differently live in perishable worlds and have other mortal beings as their rulers. They are limited and controlled by their own material designations. But he who sees the soul of everyone, the spiritual identity beyond the body, does not see death, nor illness, nor pain; he who sees this sees everything and obtains everything everywhere. This certainly is the quality of those who have attained their own internal, self-sufficient happiness.

A similar verse is found in the Katha Upanishad (2.5.12-13) where it says that those who have realized their self and also see the Supreme Being residing within their heart and in all beings as the Superself, to them belongs eternal happiness and eternal peace, but not to others.

The original spiritual form of the living being is sac-cid-ananda: eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. The living being’s spiritual form is never limited by the body or one’s situation. The only limiting factor is the living being’s consciousness or lack of spiritual awareness. When the living entity, after many births, finally regains his original spiritual consciousness, realizing he is not the body, he naturally feels very happy and jolly, being freed from the limited and temporary perspective one has while being controlled by the illusory, material energy. He also understands that this material world is not his real home, and it has nothing substantial to offer him since real pleasure and happiness actually come from within on the spiritual level. As stated in Bhagavad-gita by Lord Sri Krishna: “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service to Me.” (Bg.18.54)