Priti Sandarbha 13.3-4 : The liberation of having the same opulences as Bhagavān (sārṣṭi)

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13.3 The liberation of having the same opulences as Bhagavān (sārṣṭi)

tathā sārṣṭiś ca darśitā bhakti-sandarbhe [309], "martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā ity-ādau, "mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai" [bhā.pu. 11.29.35] ity anena |


The mukti called sārṣṭi was shown in Bhakti Sandarbha (309) in verses such as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.29.35, i.e., "He becomes qualified to attain opulence like Me."

martyo yadā tyakta samasta karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno
mayātma bhūyāya ca kalpate vai

When a mortal creature gives up all works and completely surrenders himself to Me, engaging in activities according to My desire, then he attains immortality by My grace, becoming equal to Me in spiritual quality.

When a mortal being offers himself unto Me, relinquishing all duties, I desire to bless such a soul. Attaining immortality, he becomes eligible to attain the state of complete identification with Me. (SB 11.29.34, CC 3.4.193) BhaktiS 309, PrītiS 13

[We discussed this in a previous class.]

śrī-jīvaḥ: martya iti | yato niveditātmā atas tyaktaṁ samastaihikāmuṣmikaṁ karma ātmātmīya-poṣaṇādi-rūpaṁ yena saḥ | tarhi me mayā viśiṣṭaḥ kartum iṣṭo bhavati | amṛtatvam iti mṛtyu-paramparām aktikrāman ity arthaḥ | mayā saha mat-sāmyena ātma-bhūyāya kalpate | svarūpāvasthitiṁ mat-sārṣṭi-lakṣaṇāṁ muktiṁ prāpnotīty arthaḥ ||194||

Sanatan Goswami: martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā san niveditātmā bhavati, tadāsau me vicikīrṣitaḥ prema-bhakty-ādi-pradānena viśiṣṭaḥ kartum iṣṭo bhavati | tathā ca, amṛtatvaṁ saṁsāra-dhvaṁsena maraṇātītatvaṁ paramānanda-rasaṁ vā | yad vā, mamādharāmṛtatvaṁ gopyatvena spaṣṭaṁ tad-anuktiḥ | avirata-pānena tatra saṁlagnatvād abheda-vivakṣāyāṁ tva-pratyayaḥ | pratipadyamānaḥ prāpnuvan, mayā saha ātma-bhūyāya atyanta-saṁyogāya kalpate yogyaḥ samartho vā bhavati | vai dhruvam ||HBV 8.421||

VCT mayā saha mat-sāmyena ātma-bhūyāya kalpate | svarūpāvasthitiṁ prāpnoti mat-sārṣṭi-lakṣaṇāṁ muktiṁ prāpnotīty arthaḥ

Also see Gita 14.26

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate guṇāṣṭa-viśiṣṭatvāya  nija-dharmāya yogyo bhavati (baladeva), taṁ dharmaṁ labhata ity arthaḥ |

eṣa ātmāpahata-pāpmā vijaro vimṛtyur viśoko vijighatso’pipāsaḥ satya-kāmaḥ satya-saṁkalpaḥ, (8.1.6, 8.7.1, 8.7.3

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Śruti pramāṇas for sārṣṭi mukti

śrutiś cātra "sa tatra paryeti jakṣan krīḍan ramamāṇaḥ" [chā.u. 8.12.3] ity-ādikā, "āpnoti svārājyaṁ" [tai.u. 1.6.2], "sarve’smai devā balim āharanti" [tai.u. 1.5.3], "tasya sarveṣu lokeṣu kāma-cāro bhavati" [chā.u. 7.25.2] ity-ādikā, "sarveśvaraḥ" [bṛ.ā.u. 4.4.22] ity-ādikā ca |

There are also the following Śruti statements:

• "There he moves about laughing and enjoying" (CHU 8.12.3).
• "He gets sovereignty." (TU 1.6.2)
• "All gods carry presents to him." (TU 1.5.3)
• "He can freely travel to all planets." (CHU 7.25.2).
• "He becomes supreme." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka 4.4.22)

kintu, "jagad-vyāpāra-varjam" [ve.sū. 4.4.17] ity-ādi-nyāyena sṛṣṭi-sthity-ādi-sāmarthyaṁ tasya na bhavati kuto vaikuṇṭhaiśvaryādikam | uktaṁ ca "adṛṣṭvānyatamaṁ loke" [bhā.pu. 10.3.41] ity-ādi | tato bhāktam eva samānaiśvaryam | ata evāṇimādi-prāptir apy aṁśenaiva jñeyā |

But, according to the Vedānta Sūtra: "With the exception of matters related to the universe" (4.4.17), a liberated person does not get the ability to create, maintain and annihilate the world, what to speak of becoming the supreme master of the opulences of Vaikuṇṭha. This is also implied in verses such as:

adṛṣṭvānyatamaṁ loke śīlaudārya-guṇaiḥ samam |
ahaṁ suto vām abhavaṁ pṛśnigarbha iti śrutaḥ ||

I did not find anyone in the world equal to Me in qualities of disposition or generosity. Thus I became your son known as Pṛśnīgarbha. (SB 10.3.41)

Therefore equal opulence (sārṣṭi) is only in the secondary sense. [It does not mean equal in the absolute sense.] Therefore, the yogic perfections such as aṇimā are also only partially attained by a liberated person.

13.4 Opulences attained by the grace of Bhagavān is imperishable

śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-labdha-sampatteś cāvinaśvaratvam āha dvayenaiva [bhā.pu. 3.23.7-8]—

The opulence attained by the grace of Bhagavān is imperishable. Kardama said this in the following two verses:

ye me sva-dharma-niratasya tapaḥ-samādhi-
vidyātma-yoga-vijitā bhagavat-prasādāḥ |
tān eva te mad-anusevanayāvaruddhān
dṛṣṭiṁ prapaśya vitarāmy abhayān aśokān ||

anye punar bhagavato bhruva udvijṛmbha-
vibhraṁśitārtha-racanāḥ kim urukramasya |
siddhāsi bhuṅkṣva vibhavān nija-dharma-dohān
divyān narair duradhigān nṛpa-vikriyābhiḥ ||

I grant you the vision to see the blessings of Bhagavān which I have secured through the concentration of the mind in austerity, samādhi, knowledge and worship while engaged in my dharma. These blessings are free from fear and grief and you have also earned a share in them through service unto Me. What is the worth of other enjoyments which are lost by the mere flickering of the eyebrow of Bhagavān, who performs wonderful feats? You have become successful. Therefore, enjoy the transcendental pleasures earned by following your duty as a wife. These are difficult to attain by people who have royal pride. (SB 3.23.7-8)

tapaś ca samādhiś ca vidyā ca upāsanā tāsu ya ātma-yogiś cittaikāgryam | anye punar-bhogāḥ kim urukrama-sambandhinaḥ | api tu nety arthaḥ | ata eva bhagavato dhruva ity-ādi ||

Tapaḥ-samādhi-vidyātma-yoga-vijitā means concentration of the mind in austerity, samādhi, knowledge and worship. Are other pleasures related to Bhagavān? The answer is "of course not." Therefore it is said that they are lost merely by a flick of Bhagavān's eyebrow.

|| 3.23 || śrī-kardamo devahūtim || 13 ||
Commentary by SND

In this Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has explained sālokya-mukti. Incidentally he also informed that the body in Vaikuṇṭha is not material and is thus eternal. Next he describes sārṣṭi-mukti, i.e., to have opulence like Bhagavān.

The first verse that he cites from the Bhāgavatam comes from the concluding portion of Kr̥ṣṇa's teachings to Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto. The important words are ātma-bhūyāya, which Śrīdhara glosses as "oneness with Me, having the same opulence as Me" (mad-aikyāya mat-samānaiśvaryāyeti),

Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī comments that when it is mentioned that a mukta attains opulence and powers like Bhagavān it should be taken in a secondary sense. It does not mean that he has all divine powers in full. If that were so, then there would be no difference between them and Bhagavān and there could be no relation of servant and served between them. But such is not the case. The mukta does not have all the powers of Bhagavān. He cannot run the affairs of the universe. This is affirmed by the Vedānta Sūtra cited here. Moreover, even the powers that a mukta person has are very limited. Thus it can be said that a mukta has immense powers in comparison to a conditioned being, but in comparison to Bhagavān they are still limited.

UPANISHAD REFERENCES

CHU 8.12.1-3

maghavan martyaṁ vā idaṁ śarīram āttaṁ mṛtyunā, tad asyāmṛtasyāśarīrasyātmano ’dhiṣṭhānam |
ātto vai sa-śarīraḥ priyāpriyābhyāṁ | na vai sa-śarīrasya sataḥ priyāpriyayor apahatir asti |
aśarīraṁ vāva santaṁ na priyāpriye spṛśataḥ ||8.12.1||

aśarīro vāyuḥ | abhraṁ vidyut stanayitnur aśarīrāṇy etāni | tad yathaitāny amuṣmād ākāśāt samutthāya, paraṁ jyotir upasampadya, svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyante,

evam evaiṣa samprasādo’smāc charīrāt samutthāya, paraṁ jyotir upasampadya, svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyate, sa uttama-puruṣaḥ |

sa tatra paryeti jakṣat krīḍan ramamāṇaḥ strībhir vā yānair vā jñātibhir vā nopajanaṁ smarann idaṁ śarīraṁ, sa yathā prayogya ācaraṇe yukta evam evāyam asmiñ charīre prāṇo yuktaḥ ||

(1.5)

pañcamo’nuvākaḥ

bhūr bhuvaḥ suvar iti vā etās tisro vyāhṛtayaḥ | tāsām u ha smaitāṁ caturthīm | māhācamasyaḥ pravedayate | maha iti | tat brahma | sa ātmā | aṅgānyanyā devatāḥ |
bhūriti vā ayaṁ lokaḥ | bhuva ityantarikṣam | suvarityasau lokaḥ ||1||

maha ityādityaḥ | ādityena vāva sarve lokā mahīyante | bhūriti vā agniḥ | bhuva iti vāyuḥ | suvarityādityaḥ | maha iti candramāḥ | candramasā vāva sarvāṇi jyotīṁ ṣi mahīyante | bhūriti vā ṛcaḥ | bhuva iti sāmāni | suvar iti yajūṁṣi ||2||

maha iti brahma | brahmaṇā vāva sarve vedā mahīyante | bhūr iti vai prāṇaḥ | bhuva ity apānaḥ | suvar iti vyānaḥ | maha ity annam | annena vāva sarve prāṇa mahīyante | tā vā etāś catasraś caturdha | catasraś catasro vyāhṛtayaḥ | tā yo veda | sa veda brahma | sarve’smai devā balim āvahanti ||3||

iti pañcamo’nuvākaḥ ||

(1.6)

ṣaṣṭho’nuvākaḥ

sa ya eṣo’ntarahṛdaya ākāśaḥ | tasminn ayaṁ puruṣo manomayaḥ | amṛto hiraṇmayaḥ | antareṇa tāluke | ya eṣa stana ivāvalaṁbate | sendrayoniḥ | yatrāsau keśānto vivartate | vyapohya śīrṣakapāle | bhūr ity agnau pratitiṣṭhati | bhuva iti vāyau ||1||

svar ity āditye | maha iti brahmaṇi | āpnoti svārājyam | āpnoti manasas-patim | vāk-patiś cakṣuṣ-patiḥ | śrotra-patir vijñāna-patiḥ | etat tato bhavati | ākāśa-śarīraṁ brahma | satyātma prāṇārāmaṁ mana ānandam | śānti-samṛddham amṛtam | iti prācīna-yogyopāssva ||2||

iti ṣaṣṭho’nuvākaḥ ||

CHU 7.25.2

ahaìkāreṇa dehādi-saìghāto'py ādiśyate'vivekibhir ity atas tad-āśaìkā mā bhūd iti—

athāta ātmādeśa evātmaivādhastād ātmopariṣṭād ātmā paścād ātmā purastād ātmā dakṣiṇata ātmottarata ātmaivedaṁ sarvam iti | sa vā eṣa evaṁ paśyann evaṁ manvāna evaṁ vijānann ātma-ratir ātma-krīḍa ātma-mithuna ātmānandaḥ, sa svarāḍ bhavati, tasya sarveṣu lokeṣu kāma-cāro bhavati | atha ye’nyathāto vidur anya-rājānas te kṣayya-lokā bhavanti teṣāṁ sarveṣu lokeṣv akāma-cāro bhavati ||

atha anantaram ātmādeśa ātmanaiva kevalena sat-svarūpeṇa śuddhenādiśyate | ātmaiva sarvataḥ sarvam ity evam ekam ajaṁ sarvato vyomavat pūrṇam anya-śūnyaṁ paśyan sa vā eṣa vidvān manana-vijñānābhyām ātma-ratir ātmany eva ratī ramaṇaṁ yasya so'yam ātma-ratiḥ | tathātma-krīḍaḥ | deha-mātra-sādhanā ratir bāhya-sādhanā krīḍā | loke strībhiḥ sakhibhiś ca krīḍatīti darśanāt | na tathā viduṣaḥ | kiṁ tarhy ātma-vijñā-nimittam evobhayaṁ bhavatīty arthaḥ |

mithunaṁ dvandva-janitaṁ sukhaṁ, tad api dvandva-nirapekṣaṁ yasya viduṣaḥ | tathātmānandaḥ śabdādi-nimitta ānando'viduṣāṁ na tathāsya viduṣaḥ | kiṁ tarhy ātma-nimittam eva sarvaṁ sarvadā sarva-prakāreṇa ca | deha-jīvita-bhogādi-nimitta-bāhya-vastu-nirapekṣa ity arthaḥ |

sa evaṁ-lakṣaṇo vidvān jīvann eva svārājye'bhiṣikta patite'pi dehe svarāḍ eva bhavati | yata evaṁ bhavati, tata eva tasya sarveṣu lokeṣu kāma-cāro bhavati | prāṇādiṣu pūrva-bhūmiṣu tatrāsyeti tāvan-mātra-paricchinna-kāma-cāratvam uktam anya-rājatvaṁ cārtha-prāptaṁ sātiśayatvād yathā-prāpta-svārājya-kāma-cāratvānuvādena tat-tan-nivṛttir ihocyate sa svarāḍ ity ādinā |

atha punar ye'nya-sthāna ukta-darśanād anyathā vaiparītyena yathoktam eva vā samyaì na vidus te'nya-rājāno bhavanti | anyaḥ paro rājā svāmī yeṣāṁ te'nya-rājānas te kiṁ ca kṣayya-lokāḥ | bheda-darśanasyālpa-viṣayatvāt | alpaṁ ca tan martyam ity avocāma | tasmād ye dvaita-darśinas te kṣayya-lokāḥ sva-darśanānurūpeṇaiva bhavanty ata eva teṣāṁ sarveṣu lokeṣv akāma-cāro bhavati ||2||

BAU 4.4.22

sa vā eṣa mahān aja ātmā, yo’yaṁ vijñāna-mayaḥ prāṇeṣu,
ya eṣo’ntar-hṛdaya ākāśas tasmiñ chete,
sarvasya vaśī, sarvasyeśānaḥ, sarvasyādhipatiḥ (BhagS 113),
sa na sādhunā karmaṇā bhūyān, no evāsādhunā kanīyān |
eṣa sarveśvaraḥ, eṣa bhūtādhipatiḥ, eṣa bhūta-pālaḥ,
eṣa setur vidharaṇa eṣāṁ lokānām asaṁbhedāya |
tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena (PrītiS 332) brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti,
yajñena dānena tapasānāśakenaitam eva viditvā munir bhavati |
etam eva pravrājino lokam icchantaḥ pravrajanti |
etad dha sma vai tat-pūrve vidvāṁsaḥ prajāṁ na kāmayante |
kiṁ prajayā kariṣyāmo yeṣāṁ no’yam ātmāyaṁ loka iti |
te ha sma putraiṣaṇāyāś ca vittaiṣaṇāyāś ca
lokaiṣaṇāyāś ca vyutthāyātha bhikṣā-caryaṁ caranti |
yā hy eva putraiṣaṇā sā vittaiṣaṇā, yā vittaiṣaṇā sā lokaiṣaṇā |
ubhe hy ete eṣaṇe eva bhavataḥ | sa eṣa neti nety ātmāgṛhyo
na hi gṛhyate’śīryo na hi śīryate | asaṅgo na hi sajyate |
asito na vyathate, na riṣyaty etam u haivaite na tarata iti |
ataḥ pāpam akaravam iti, ataḥ kalyāṇam akaravam ity ubhe u
haivaiṣa ete tarati | nainaṁ kṛtākṛte tapataḥ ||