Prayojana

na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vā

na vidyate yasya ca janma karma vā
na nāma-rūpe guṇa-doṣa eva vā |
tathāpi lokāpyaya-sambhavāya yaḥ
sva-māyayā tāny anukālam ṛcchati ||
tasmai namaḥ pareśāya brahmaṇe’nanta-śaktaye |
arūpāyoru-rūpāya nama āścarya-karmaṇe ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 8.3.8–9)

“Obeisance unto the Supreme Īśa, unto Brahman, unto he possessed of unending potency, unto he who has no birth or action, no name or form, and no faults in the form of [material] qualities whatsoever, and who by means of his own māyā still accepts these [i.e., births, actions, names, forms, and qualities] perpetually for the sake of the dissolution and the attainment of the people. Obeisance unto he who has no [material] form, unto he who has an excellent [spiritual] form, unto he of astonishing action.”

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sṛṣṭy-ādikaṁ harir naiva prayojanam apekṣya tu

sṛṣṭy-ādikaṁ harir naiva prayojanam apekṣya tu |
kurute kevalānandād yathā martyasya nartanam ||
pūrṇānandasya tasyeha prayojana-matiḥ kutaḥ |
muktā apy āpta-kāmāḥ syuḥ kim u tasyākhilātmanaḥ ||
(Nārāyaṇa-saṁhitā; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 47; Paramātma Sandarbha: 93; Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.32)

“Without reference to a motive whatsoever, Hari performs the emanation and so forth [of the universe] out of bliss alone like an inebriated person’s dancing [which occurs as a result of bliss and not for the sake of attaining bliss]. Where is the notion of a motive in this regard for he who is possessed of complete bliss? Even the liberated shall be possessed of fulfilled desires. So how much more so shall this be so for he who is the Self of all?”

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lokavat tu līlā-kaivalyam

lokavat tu līlā-kaivalyam |
(Vedānta-sūtra: 2.1.33)

“Like a person’s [endeavor to act], it [i.e., Brahman’s endeavor of emanating the universe], rather, is a singularity of play.”

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yatra niṣkāma-dharma-nirmala-cittaḥ

yatra niṣkāma-dharma-nirmala-cittaḥ sat-prasaṅga-lubdhaḥ śraddhāluḥ śānty-ādimān adhikārī | sambandho vācya-vācaka-bhāvaḥ | viṣayo niravadyo viśuddhānanta-guṇa-gaṇo’cintyānanta-śaktiḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | prayojanaṁ tv aśeṣa-doṣa-vināśa-puraḥsaras tat-sākṣātkāra … |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 1.1.1)

“… In which [i.e., in the Vedānta-sūtra], the bearer of eligibility (adhikārī) is a person who is of taintless heart by virtue of [engagement in] desireless dharma, is desirous of association with sādhus, is endowed with śraddhā [in the meaning of śāstra], and is possessed of tranquility and so forth [i.e., control of the mind, control of the senses, and other virtues]. The relation (sambandha) [of the text with its subject (viṣaya)] is of the nature of referent (vācya) and referrer (vācaka). The subject (viṣaya) is the irreproachable Supreme Person (Puruṣottama) constituted of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss and possessed of endless pure qualities and endless inconceivable potency. The aim (prayojana) is direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of him preceded by the disintegration of all faults.”

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śrī-bhagavata eva sarva-hitopadeṣṭṛtvāt sarva-duḥkha-haratvāt

śrī-bhagavata eva sarva-hitopadeṣṭṛtvāt sarva-duḥkha-haratvāt raśmīnāṁ sūryavat sarveṣāṁ parama-svarūpatvāt sarvādhika-guṇa-śālitvāt parama-prema-yogatvam iti prayojanaṁ ca sthāpitam |
(Tattva Sandarbha: 45)

“Because of Śrī Bhagavān alone being supremely worthy of prema on account of [his] being (1) the benevolent advisor of all, (2) the remover of suffering for all, (3) the ultimate nature [i.e., Self] of all, like the sun [is] of [its] rays, and (4) the bearer of qualities superior to [those of] all, the prayojana [i.e., the supreme puruṣārtha, prema for Śrī Bhagavān] is also established.”

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paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām

paramātma-vaibhava-gaṇane ca taṭastha-śakti-rūpāṇāṁ cid-eka-rasānām api anādi-para-tattva-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhya-labdha-cchidrayā tan-māyayāvṛta-svarūpa-jñānānāṁ tayaiva sattva-rajas-tamo-maye jaḍe pradhāne racitātma-bhāvānāṁ jīvānāṁ saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ ca jñāpitam | … tatas tad-arthaṁ parama-kāruṇikaṁ śāstram upadiśati | tatra ca ye kecit jīvā janmāntarāvṛtta-tad-arthānubhava-saṁskāravanto, ye ca tadaiva vā labdha-mahat-kṛpātiśaya-dṛṣṭi-prabhṛtayas, teṣāṁ tādṛśa-para-tattva-lakṣaṇa-vastūpadeśa-śravaṇārambha-mātreṇaiva tat-kālam eva yugapad eva tat-sāmmukhyaṁ tad-anubhavo’pi jāyate | … athānyeṣāṁ tac-chravaṇa-mātreṇa tādṛśatvaṁ bījāyamānam api kāmādi-vaiguṇyena bījam api doṣeṇa pratihataṁ tiṣṭhati | … tato mukhyena tātparyeṇa para-tattve paryavasite’pi teṣāṁ para-tattvādy-upadeśasya kim abhidheyaṁ prayojanaṁ cety apekṣāyāṁ tad-avāntara-tātparyeṇa tad-dvayam upadeṣṭavyam | tatrābhidheyaṁ tad-vaimukhya-virodhitvāt tat-sāmmukhyam eva | tac ca tad-upāsanā-lakṣaṇaṁ, yata eva taj-jñānam āvirbhavati | prayojanaṁ ca tad-anubhavaḥ | sa cāntar-bahiḥ-sākṣātkāra-lakṣaṇaḥ, yata eva svayaṁ kṛtsna-duḥkha-nivṛttir bhavati | … tad etad ubhayaṁ yadyapi pūrvatra siddhopadeśa evābhipretam asti, yathā “tava gṛhe nidhir asti” iti śrutvā kaścid daridras tad-arthaṁ prayatate labhate ca tam iti, tadvat, tathāpi tac-chaithilya-nirāsāya punas tad-upadeśaḥ | tad evaṁ tān praty anādi-siddha-taj-jñāna-saṁsargābhāvamaya-tad-vaimukhyādikaṁ duḥkha-hetuṁ vadan vyādhi-nidāna-vaiparītyamaya-cikitsā-nibhaṁ tat-sāmmukhyādikam upadiśati |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 1)

“Also further made known during the consideration of the potencies [i.e., the three śaktis] of Paramātmā [in the discussion thereof in Paramātma Sandarbha] was the suffering in saṁsāra of the jīvas, forms of [his] taṭastha-śakti, who, although solely consciousness (cit) in constitution, have their awareness of their true nature (svarūpa-jñāna) covered by the Para-tattva’s [i.e., the Supreme Entity’s] māyā on account of the acquired fault of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [Para-tattva] based on a beginningless absence of the existence of awareness of that [Para-tattva, i.e., a beginningless prior absence (prāg-abhāva) of awareness of the Para-tattva, which can be removed, that is, dispelled by becoming aware of the Para-tattva], and thereby are possessed of a fabricated sense of self (ātma-bhāva) within inert primordial matter (pradhāna) constituted of [the guṇas of] sattva, rajas, and tamas. … Therefore, the supremely compassionate śāstra teaches that object [i.e., the Para-tattva]. Furthermore in that regard, for some of those jīvas, that is, those possessed of a latent saṁskāra of experience of that object [i.e., the Para-tattva] from another birth, and those who alternately then [i.e., in that birth, alt., in this present birth] have received a glance and so forth of profuse grace from a great soul, just by their beginning to hear such teachings about the entity designated as the Para-tattva, intentness (sāmmukhyaṁ) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and experience (anubhava) of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] as well, simultaneously arise at that very time [of hearing about the Para-tattva]. … Now, for others [i.e., those who have no saṁskāra of experience of the Para-tattva from a prior birth, and those who have not received the grace of a great soul capable of leading one to such experience], such [intentness upon and experience of the Para-tattva], even though capable of germinating like a seed [i.e., coming into being] just by hearing of that [i.e., by hearing the teaching of the śāstra about the Para-tattva], remains obstructed [from sprouting, i.e., manifesting] by the faults [in the minds of embodied jīvas] of the defects beginning with kāma. … Therefore, although by the primary intention (tātparya) [of śāstra] the Para-tattva is determined [i.e., although in the course of the first four sandarbhas the nature of the Para-tattva has been determined in this way], in expectation of [the questions], ‘What is the abhidheya [i.e., the principal directive, the means to attainment] and the prayojana [i.e., the objective, the goal to be attained] of that teaching [of the śāstra] about the Para-tattva and so forth for them [i.e., for the jīvas]?’ these two [i.e., the abhidheya and the prayojana] are necessary to be taught [also] by the secondary intention (tātparya) thereof [i.e., of the śāstra]. In that regard, the abhidheya is intentness (sāmmukhyam) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], because of [its] being negating of obliviousness (vaimukhya) of that [i.e., of the Para-tattva]. That [i.e., the abhidheya], further, is indicative of upāsanā [lit., ‘sitting near,’ i.e., engaging oneself in] that [i.e., the Para-tattva], on account of which awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] appears. The prayojana is experience of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and that [i.e., the prayojana], further is indicative of internal and external direct perception (sākṣātkāra) [of the Para-tattva], on account of which alone the complete cessation of suffering occurs of its own accord. … Therefore, although these two [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] are implied in the siddhopadeśa [i.e., implied instruction] in the former [i.e., in the earlier discussion in these sandarbhas of the nature of the Para-tattva], just as after hearing, ‘There is a treasure in your home,’ a poor person seeks that object and attains it [without having to be instructed to do so], still again teaching regarding them [i.e., the abhidheya and prayojana] is [given] to dispel laxity regarding [one’s endeavor to attain] them. Thus in this way śāstra tells them [i.e., the jīvas] about the cause of [their] suffering, that is, obliviousness and so forth of that [i.e., the Para-tattva] based on a beginninglessly existent absence of the existence of awareness of that [i.e., the Para-tattva], and teaches [them] intentness (sāmmukhya) upon that [i.e., the Para-tattva], which resembles a treatment consisting of negation of the cause of a disease.”

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puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca

puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca |
puruṣa-prayojanaṁ tāvat sukha-prāptir duḥkha-nivṛttiś ca | śrī-bhagavat-prītau tu sukhatvaṁ duḥkha-nivartakatvaṁ cātyantikam iti | etad uktaṁ bhavati—yat khalu parama-tattvaṁ śāstra-pratipādyatvena pūrvaṁ nirṇītaṁ, tad eva sad-ananta-paramānandatvena siddham | … nānā-svarūpa-dharmato’pi tasya kevalānanda-svarūpatvam eva ca darśitam | tathā-bhūta-mārtaṇḍādi-maṇḍalasya kevala-jyotiṣṭvavat |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 1)

“The aim (prayojana) of an embodied being (puruṣa), fundamentally, is the attainment of happiness and elimination of suffering, and only in prīti for Śrī Bhagavān are happiness and elimination of suffering absolute. Thus, this is said: only that Supreme Entity (Parama-tattva), who was ascertained previously [i.e., in the first four sandarbhas] as being the object to be taught by the śāstra, is established [by the śāstra] as being eternal, infinite, paramount bliss. … Although possessed of various inherent characteristics, his [i.e., that Supreme Entity’s] verily being of the nature of bliss alone is also shown [in śāstra, i.e., his fundamental nature, upon which all of his other attributes are based, is bliss (ānanda) alone], just as the sun, which has [within it] the there existent Mārtaṇḍa [i.e., the devatā Sūrya] and so forth [i.e., as well as Sūryadeva’s chariot, horses, etc.], is [fundamentally] of the nature of light alone.”

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sabe eka sakhī-gaṇera ihā̐ adhikāra |

sabe eka sakhī-gaṇera ihā̐ adhikāra |
sakhī haite haya ei līlāra vistāra ||
sakhī vinu ei līlā puṣṭi nāhi haya |
sakhī līlā vistāriyā, sakhī āsvādaya ||
sakhī vinu ei līlāya nāhi anyera gati |
sakhī-bhāve tā̐re yei kare anugati ||
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-kuñja-sevā-sādhya sei pāya |
sei sādhya pāite āra nāhika upāya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.201–204)

“Among all, only the sakhīs have eligibility here [i.e., within Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā], and expansion of this līlā occurs [only] through the sakhīs. Without the sakhīs, this līlā is not nourished. The sakhīs expand this līlā, and the sakhīs taste it. Apart from the sakhīs, others have no entrance into this līlā. One who with the bhāva of a sakhī follows them attains the sādhya [i.e., goal] of service in the kuñja to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. There is no other way to attain this sādhya.”

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