Priti Sandarbha 7.11 : Conclusion of Anu. 7: Only Pure Souls Have Vision of Bhagavan
7.11 Only Pure Souls Can Have a Direct Vision of Bhagavān: That is Called Mukti
tasmāt svaccha-cittānām eva sākṣātkāraḥ, sa eva ca mukti-saṁjña iti sthitam | tasya brahma-sākṣātkārād apy utkarṣas tu bhagavat-sandarbhe sanakādi-vaikuṇṭha-darśana-prastāve śrī-nārada-vyāsa-saṁvādādi-maya-brahma-bhagavat-tāratamya-prakaraṇe ca darśita eva | yatra tasyāravinda-nayanasya [bhā.pu. 3.15.43] ity ādikaṁ, jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca [bhā.pu. 1.5.4] ity ādikaṁ ca vacana-jātaṁ prabalatamam |
Therefore only pure-hearted people see Bhagavān and that alone is to be called mukti. Its superiority over Brahman realization has been shown in Bhagavat Sandarbha (Anu. 79) in the description of the visit of the Kumaras to Vaikuṇṭha, and also in the section comparing Brahman and Bhagavān based on the dialogue between Śrī Nārada and Vyāsa, etc. (Anu. 81). In these sections [of Bhagavat Sandarbha] verses 3.15.43 and 1.5.4 are the most powerful.
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ
When the air carrying the elixir of tulasī mixed with the filaments of the lotus-eyed Bhagavān’s lotus feet entered within them through its own natural gateways (i.e., the nostrils), they experienced a commotion both in mind and in body, even though they were established in the bliss of the Imperishable Brahman."
jijñāsitaṁ adhītam ca yat tad brahma sanātanam
athāpi śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho
You have fully inquired into and studied the eternal Brahman. And yet, O Master, you lament for yourself as though you were a failure.
tathaiva śrī-dhruvoktam—yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtām [bhā.pu. 4.9.10] ity-ādi,
Similarly Śrī Dhruva said:
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma-
dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt
kiṁ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṁ vimānāt
The bliss relished by embodied beings through meditation on Your lotus feet, or through hearing stories of [or by] Your devotees, is not available even in Brahman, which is Your glory. How then can it be enjoyed by the devas, who fall down from their celestial carriages, which are destroyed by the sword of death? (SB 4.9.10)
śrī-bhāgavata-vaktṛ-tātparyaṁ ca tatraiva sva-mukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudastānya-bhāvaḥ [bhā.pu. 12.12.68] ity ādinā darśitam |
The intention of the speaker of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was also shown there [in Tattva Sandarbha] by the verse,
sva-sukha-nibhṛta-cetās tad-vyudastānya-bhāvo
ajita-rucira-līlākṛṣṭa-sāras tadīyam |
vyatanuta kṛpayā yas tattva-dīpaṁ purāṇaṁ
tam akhila-vṛjina-ghnaṁ vyāsa-sūnuṁ nato'smi ||
I offer my obeisances unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva's son, Śrī Śuka, who destroys all sins. Although his consciousness was completely filled with the bliss of self-realization, and though he had consequently cast off all other feelings and thoughts, his essence (sāra) was irresistibly drawn by the beautiful pastimes of Lord Ajita, Kṛṣṇa. Out of compassion he thus delineated this Purāṇa, which illumines reality. (SB 12.12.68)
śrī-gītopaniṣatsu ca—brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [gītā 18.54] ity ādinā ted evāṅgīkṛtam |
The superiority of Bhagavān over Brahman has been accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā also.
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
Having realized Brahman and being peaceful, one neither grieves nor hankers for anything. Being equal to all beings, one attains supreme devotion to Me. (Gītā 18.54)
ata eva śrī-prahlādasya bhagavat-sākṣātkāra-kṛta-sarvāvadhūnana-pūrvaka-brahma-sākṣātkārānantara-bhagavat-sākṣātkāra-viśeṣātmaka-nirvṛtiṁ parmābhīṣṭatvenāha—
Therefore Śrī Suka spoke of Prahlāda’s bliss in the form of Bhagavān realization as the supreme desirable object. This was preceded by the destruction of all sins attained by Bhagavān realization after Brahman realization.
sa tat-kara-sparśa-dhutākhilāśubhaḥ
sapady abhivyakta-parātma-darśanaḥ
tat-pāda-padmaṁ hṛdi nirvṛto dadhau
hṛṣyat-tanuḥ klinna-hṛd-aśru-locanaḥ ||
All the sins of Prahlāda were dispelled by the touch of Bhagavān’s hand, and direct realization of the supreme Brahman was revealed to him immediately. Being happy, he took Bhagavān’s lotus feet in his heart with his hairs standing on end out of joy, heart being soft and eyes full of tears. (SB 7.9.6)
|| 7.9 || śrī-śukaḥ || 7 ||
Commentary by SND
Thus it has been established that only those who have pure heart can see Bhagavān, bhagavat-sākṣātkāra. Jīva Gosvāmī equates this with mukti (See above Anu. 6). Purity of heart means freedom from offence. Bhagavat-sākṣātkāra is superior to brahma-sākṣātkāra because Brahman is an incomplete manifestation of Bhagavān.
Comments
सार (sāra) → सा (sā) + र (ra)
Notes
सा (sā) see 1, 2, 3 & 4:
http://www.sanskrita.org/scans/visor.html?scan=1196.gif
र (ra) see 3:
http://www.sanskrita.org/scans/visor.html?scan=859.gif
सार (sāra); see 1. सार (sāra), 2. सार (sā'ra) & 3. सार (sâra):
http://www.sanskrita.org/scans/visor.html?scan=1208.gif
Heard this on the radio this morning and throught of you (and this blog post) Jagadananda Das jī.
Roar (by Katy Perry):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUT2GTujJI0
Prem Prakash said: “Does He come to those pure of heart, or does He give purity of heart to those He wants to come to Him?”
M.N. replied: “How could one give that which is already possessed? In truth, the heart is already within you Prem. One may wish to ask the simple question, what is the pure heart of all beings? By regular practice-over-time, ‘grace (See Sanskrit √ गृऋ gṝ)’ will truly find you."
Notes
गृऋ (gṝ), see gṛī 1, 2 & 3:
http://www.sanskrita.org/scans/visor.html?scan=363.gif
Prem Prakash said: “Thank you, M.N., for your thoughtful response. However, this isn't what I was asking. See Jagat's latest post.”
M.N. replied: “Yes, one knows; but there is more to this than first meets the eye. As the old adage implies, ‘it is not what goes into a man’s mouth that is impure, but that which come out.’ The Lion’s roar (also symbolised by the sounding of the conch shell) is a sign that a yogin has achieved undivided purity within; in practice, one first passes through this inner state of purity before experiencing the grace of (what you know as the external) Bhagavat-sākṣātkāra.”
Notes
“γνῶθι σεαυτόν”
https://archive.org/details/prometheusboundoaesc00rich/page/n69/mode/2up
Ὠκεανός (Ōkeanós), Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης (Prometheus Bound) attributed to Αἰσχύλος (Aeschylus) circa 430 BC.
MN also said: “Looking across cultures; in ancient Egypt, this was also known as the ‘trumpeting of the Queen Bee.’ Perhaps one should draw comparisons between this analogy and the symbolism (of the sounding of the conch shell) of your own tradition… (one would do well to research the trumpeting of the queen bee, and the pharaoh holding the title of bee-keeper and the [yogic] symbolism of your own tradition).”
γνῶθι σεαυτόν “Know yourself (in spiritual carnality)”
See:
https://jagadanandadas.blogspot.com/2020/05/priti-sandarbha-41-2-more-on-jivan.html?showComment=1588508268507#c6032380014945849122
Notes
γνῶθι (gnôthi) second-person singular aorist active imperative of γῐγνώσκω (gignṓskō). “I perceive; know; (perfect passive with active sense) know carnally, have sex with.”
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B3%CE%BD%CF%8E%CF%83%CE%BA%CF%89#Ancient_Greek
σεαυτόν (seautón) masculine accusative singular of σεαυτοῦ (seautoû) - σέο (séo, “you”, genitive singular) + αὐτοῦ (autoû, “self”). “Yourself.”
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%B1%CF%85%CF%84%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6#Ancient_Greek