Tatastha Sakti

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Hare Krsna, dandavat pranams. Regarding the recent VNN editorial by Sriman Mahananda prabhu entitled "Did He Ever See The Light Of Vaikuntha?"

 

Mahananda prabhu states:

 

"I would like to look at this topic of the soul's position in the material world and the doctrine popping up occasionally that there is a whole genre of conditioned soul's who were created within the material world and never were in the spiritual world at all."

 

It appears that there is some confusion which has arisen due to our misunderstanding of the nature of the tatastha sakti, and whether this tatastha region is situated within the material world, as Mahananda seems to suggest. Hopefully, we can all agree that we do in fact originate from the tatastha sakti, as is stated by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 3.7.9:

 

Quote: "According to Visnu Purana, Bhagavad-gita and all other Vedic literatures, the living entities are generated from the tatastha energy of the Lord."

 

Now, what exactly is this "tatastha region", and where is it located? Is it located within this material world? The spiritual world? Or perhaps somewhere inbetween? Rather than offer my own speculations, I humbly submit the following explanations from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Bhaktivinode:

 

Quote: "It should be understood that the jiva soul is neither produced of this material world, nor created in the transcendental world. They are originated from the marginal line between the transcendental and mundane spheres."

(TATTVA VIVEKA 2.4, by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, p 55)

 

Quote: "The inconceivably narrow line of demarcation between land and water or the line where land and water meet is called Tata; so also the meeting line of the Cit world or the eternal abode of the Supreme Lord and the Acit world or the region of maya is called Tata. The power of the Supreme Lord displayed at the Tata is known as the Tatastha (lying at the Tata) or marginal power. All the jivas being the display of this power, have the inherent oscillating tendency and capability of going to the Cit or the Acit world. Tata not being a resting place, jivas must go this side or that..."

 

From an English article by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati entitled: "Vaishnavism Real and Apparent", 10th paragraph.

 

Quote: "The root of all actions is the desire for acts, the root of which again is avidya. Avidya is the name for the forgetfulness of soul's essential nature that 'I am Krsna's servant.' This avidya did not commence within the course of the mundane time. That root of karma of the jiva arose when he was at the tatastha position. As such, the beginning of karma is not to be traced within mundane time, and, on account karma is beginningless."

(JAIVA DHARMA, p 234, by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur)

 

An aspiring servant of the Vaishnavas,

Daruka dasa