yo vai bhūmā tat sukhaṁ, nālpe sukham asti |
bhūmaiva sukhaṁ, bhūmā tv eva vijijñāsitavya iti bhūmānaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti ||
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 7.23.1)
[Sanat Kumāra]: “That which is infinite is happiness. There is no happiness in the finite [i.e., the minute, alt., the trifling]. Only the infinite is happiness. Indeed the infinite should be desired to be known in detail.” [Nārada:] “O venerable one, I desire to know the infinite in detail.”
tac ca paramaṁ tattvaṁ dvidhāvirbhavati—aspaṣṭa-viśeṣatvena, spaṣṭa-svarūpa-bhūta-viśeṣatvena ca | tatra brahmākhyāspaṣṭa-viśeṣa-para-tattva-sākṣātkārato’pi bhagavat-paramātmādy-ākhya-spaṣṭa-viśeṣa-tat-sākṣātkārasyotkarṣaṁ bhagavat-sandarbhe—jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca brahma yat tat sanātanam | tathāpi śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho || ity-ādi-prakaraṇa-praghaṭṭakena darśitavān asmi |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)
“That Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva), furthermore, appears in two ways: (1) without clear specificity and (2) with clear, inherent specificity. In this regard, we saw the superiority of direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of [the aspect of] the Supreme Entity with clear specification known as Bhagavān, Paramātmā, and so forth, even in comparison to direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of that [aspect of the Supreme Entity] without clear specification known as Brahman in Bhagavat Sandarbha (87) in the section and discussion related to [SB 1.5.4], ‘O Master, you have also inquired into and realized that Brahman which is eternal. So, why do you still lament as though you yourself are unsuccessful?’”
śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajanasyāntaryāmi-bhajanād apy ādhikyaṁ śrī-gītopasaṁhārānusāreṇa evoktam—īśvaraḥ … mā śucaḥ | atra ca guhyaṁ pūrvādhyāyoktaṁ jñānam | guhyataram antaryāmi-jñānam | sarva-guhyatamaṁ tan-manastvādi-lakṣaṇaṁ tad-eka-śaraṇatva-lakṣaṇaṁ ca tad-upāsanam … | tasmāt sarvāntaryāmi-bhajanād apy uttamatvena tad-anantaraṁ ca sarva-guhyatamam ity atra sarva-grahaṇāt sarvata uttamatvena śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajane siddhe tad-avatāra-bhajanāt sutarām evottamatā sidhyati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 332)
“The superiority of worship (bhajana) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa even to worship of the Inner Regulator (Antaryāmī) [i.e., Paramātmā] is stated [here in Bhakti Sandarbha] specifically in accord with the conclusion of Śrī Gītā, that is, BG 18.61–66. … Here [i.e., in these concluding verses], furthermore, the knowledge [of Brahman] stated in the earlier chapters [of Śrī Gītā] is confidential (guhya) [i.e., is the confidential knowledge spoken of in BG 18.63]. Knowledge of the Inner Regulator is more confidential (guhyatara) [i.e., is the more confidential knowledge spoken of in BG 18.63]. Worship of him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in the form of having one’s mind [fixed] upon him and so forth, and in the form of having him alone as one’s shelter, is the most confidential of all (sarva-guhyatama) [i.e., is the ‘most confidential of all’ knowledge spoken of in BG 18.64–66]. … Therefore, since worship (bhajana) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is established [in Śrīmad Bhagavat-gītā] as being superior even to worship of the Inner Regulator of all and thereafter as being superior to everything by use of [the word] ‘all’ (sarva) here in [the compound] ‘the most confidential of all’ (sarva-guhyatamam), [its] superiority to worship of his avatāras is established verily all the more.”
oṁ athāśvalāyano bhagavantaṁ
parameṣṭhinam upasametyocāva |
adhīhi bhagavan brahma-vidyāṁ variṣṭhāṁ
sadā sadbhiḥ sevyamānāṁ nigūḍhām |
yathācirāt sarva-pāpaṁ vyapohya
parātparaṁ puruṣaṁ yāti vidvān ||1||
tasmai sa hovāca pitāmahaś ca
śraddhā-bhakti-dhyāna-yogād avaihi ||2||
na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena
tyāgenaike amṛtatvam ānaśuḥ |
pareṇa nākaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
vibhrājate yad yatayo viśanti ||3||
vedānta-vijñāna-suniścitārthāḥ
sannyāsa-yogād yatayaḥ śuddha-sattvāḥ |
te brahmalokeṣu parānta-kāle
parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve ||4||
(Kaivalya Upaniṣad: 1–4; Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 3.2.6)
“Om. Now, Āśvalāyana approached illustrious Brahmā and said, ‘O illustrious One, please teach me Brahmā-vidyā, which is most excellent [among all types of knowledge], ever-adhered to by the sādhus, and secret, and by which the wise soon become absolved of all sin and attain the Supreme Puruṣa,’ and to him [i.e., to Āśvalāyana], the Grandsire [i.e., Lord Brahmā] verily spoke, ‘You can realize [the Brahma-vidyā you wish to attain] through the practices of śraddhā, bhakti, and meditation. Neither by karma, nor by progeny or wealth, but only by renunciation can you attain immortality, which is beyond heaven and shines hidden in the cave [i.e., heart]. Ascetics [lit., those who strive (for it)] enter it. Completely determined upon the object of realization established by Vedānta and of purified nature by virtue of practice of sannyāsa, the ascetics in the planes of Brahmā [i.e., in the various planes through the material universe] at the time of the final end [i.e., at the time of the dissolution of the material universe] overcome death and become completely liberated [from entanglement in saṁsāra, i.e., they realize Brahman].”
tasmai sa vidvān upasannāya samyak
praśānta-cittāya śamānvitāya |
yenākṣaraṁ puruṣaṁ veda satyaṁ
provāca tāṁ tattvato brahma-vidyām ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 1.2.13)
“To him of tranquil mind endowed with repose who has approached properly, that knower [of Brahman, i.e., the guru] should teach exactly that knowledge of Brahman by which the true imperishable Puruṣa is known.”
parīkṣya lokān karma-citān brāhmaṇo
nirvedam āyān nāsty akṛtaḥ kṛtena |
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham ||
(Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: 1.2.12)
“Having examined the planes attained by karma, a brāhmaṇa reaches disinterest [based on the conclusion], ‘That which is unmade [Brahman] is not attained by that which is made [karma].’ To know in depth that [which is unmade, Brahman], he, with firewood in hand, should only [rather than seeking knowledge of it independently] approach a guru who is learned [in the śāstra] and fixed [exclusively] in Brahman.”
yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye’sya hrdi sthitāḥ |
atha martyo’mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute ||
(Bṛhad-ārayaṇka Upaniṣad: 4.4.7; Kaṭha Upaniṣad: 2.3.14; cited in Bhāvārtha-dīpikā and Sārātha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.32, Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.10.9, the Sārārtha-varṣiṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 2.55; Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 4.2.7)
“When all the desires present in one’s heart are dispelled, then a mortal becomes immortal and here experiences Brahman.”
yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā
ya ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so’syāṁśa-vibhavaḥ |
ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇo ya iha bhagavān sa svayam ayaṁ
na caitanyāt krṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.1.3)
“That which is [known as] nondual Brahman in the Upaniṣads is indeed the luster of his figure. The Puruṣa, [known in the yoga-śāstras as] the indwelling regulator of the ātmā, is a manifestion of his aṁśa [i.e., a manifestation of Mahāviṣṇu, who is a partial manifestation of him]. He who is Bhagavān replete with the six aiśvaryas [i.e., Nārāyaṇa of Vaikuṇṭha, the source of the Puruṣa-avatāras] is in this regard [i.e., in the context of deliberation upon and experience of essential nature] also he himself [i.e., also a partial manifestation of him]. There is [thus] no supreme entity in this regard [i.e., in the domain of deliberation and experience] other than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya [i.e., Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is verily Svayam Bhagavān and nondiffernet from Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself].”
sṛṣṭvā purāṇi vividhāny ajayātma-śaktyā
vṛkṣān sarīsṛpa-paśūn khaga-dandaśūkān |
tais tair atuṣṭa-hṛdayaḥ puruṣaṁ vidhāya
brahmāvaloka-dhiṣaṇaṁ mudam āpa devaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.9.28)
“After creating trees, reptiles, animals, birds, snakes, and various [other] bodies with his own śakti ajā [i.e., māyā] and being unsatisfied at heart with them, Deva [i.e., Bhagavān] made the human being, endowed with an intellect for perception of Brahman [i.e., with the capacity to realize the him, the Supreme,] and became pleased.”
raso vai saḥ, rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati, eṣa hy evānandayāti |
(Taittirīya Upaniṣad: 2.7.1)
“He [i.e., Brahman] indeed is rasa, and only upon attaining him does one become blissful, since he alone causes bliss.”
