Sva-prakāśatva

na kevalaṁ śuddha-cittatvam eva yogyatā | kiṁ tarhi? tad-bhakti-viśeṣāviṣkṛta-tad-icchāmaya-tadīya-sva-prakāśatā-śakti-prakāśa eva mūla-rūpā sā, yat-prakāśena tad api niḥśeṣaṁ sidhyati | … tat-prakāśena niḥśeṣa-śuddha-cittatve siddhe, puruṣa-karaṇāni tadīya-sva-prakāśatā-śakti-tādātmyāpannatayaiva tat-prakāśatābhimānavanti syuḥ | tatra bhakti-viśeṣa-sāpekṣatvam uktam—‘tac-chraddadhānā munayaḥ’ ity ādau | tad-icchā-mayety ādy-udāharaṇaṁ ca brahma-bhagavator aviśeṣatayaiva dṛśyate | yathā satyavrataṁ prati śrī-matsya-deva-vākye—madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam | vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi || iti | tathaiva hi brahmāṇaṁ prati śrī-bhagavad-vākye—‘manīṣitānubhāvo’yaṁ mama lokāvalokanam’ iti | śrī-nārāyaṇādhyātme—nityāvyakto’pi bhagavān īkṣyate nija-śaktitaḥ | tām ṛte puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ kaḥ paśyetāmitaṁ prabhum || iti | śrutau ca—‘yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām’ iti |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 7)

“Not only purity of the citta alone is fitness [for direct experience (sākṣātkāra) of Śrī Bhagavān]. Then what [else is required]? Manifestation of his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] śakti of self-manifestation [alt., self-luminosity], which is revealed [in the citta] by a particular form of bhakti to him and constituted of his will, is the fundamental form [i.e., the fundamental cause of direct experience of him]—that [śakti] by manifestation of which this [i.e., purity of the citta] too is accomplished completely [i.e., since purification of the citta, without which experience of Śrī Bhagavān is impossible, is also reliant upon the purifying influence of Śrī Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti, it is all the more evident that his svarūpa-śakti, whereby he self-manifests himself, is the fundamental cause of directly experiencing him]. … When complete purity of the citta is effected by a manifestation of that [i.e., of the self-manifestation śakti of Śrī Bhagavān], then the means of a living being [i.e., the external means, viz., the external senses of seeing, hearing, and so forth, and the internal means, viz., the mind, intellect, ahaṅkāra, and citta], because of their having [then] acquired a state of oneness (tādātmya) with his śakti of self-manifestation, will become possessed of the notion of their being the illuminators of him [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān, even though Bhagavān’s own śakti working through them is the primary cause; this is to say that a person’s experience of Śrī Bhagavān will be felt by them to be similar to experiencing an object in the material world by means of the mind and senses even though this experience of Śrī Bhagavān is primarily being carried out by Śrī Bhagavān’s own śakti working through the mind and senses]. Dependence upon a specific form of bhakti in this regard [i.e., in regard to direct experience (sākṣātkāra) of Śrī Bhagavān taking place by means primarily of Bhagavān’s own potency of self-manifestation (sva-prakāśatā-śakti)] is stated [in SB 1.2.12], ‘The sages possessed of śraddhā see the Self (Ātmā) [i.e., the Paramātmā] within the self (ātmā) [i.e., the purified citta] by bhakti replete with knowledge (jñāna) and detachment (vairāgya) received through hearing [the Vedānta and so forth].‘ An illustration of [Bhagavān’s own potency of self-manifestation (sva-prakāśatā-śakti) being] Constituted of his will is also visible in regard to [direct experience of] Brahman and Bhagavān without distinction [between these two types of direct experience of the Para-tattva] as follows in the statement of Śrī Matsyadeva to Satyavrata [in SB 8.24.38], ‘And you will perceive my greatness, known as Parabrahman, favored [i.e., manifested] in [your] heart by me as it is described [by me] in response to [your] inquiries.’ Similarly in a statement of Śrī Bhagavān to Brahmā [in SB 2.9.21], ‘This vision of my abode [that you have had] is the result of my wish.’ And in Śrī Nārāyaṇa-adhyātma: ‘Although Bhagavān is eternally unmanifest, he can be seen by means of his own potency. Without that, who can see the unlimited Lord of lotus eyes?’ Also, in the Śruti [i.e., Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23], ‘He is attainable [i.e., able to be directly perceived] only by one whom he chooses. To him [who is so chosen] the Ātmā reveals his own form.’ Thus, even the requirement of purity of one’s means [i.e., senses] is to be understood to be only for the purpose of reflection of that potency [i.e., Bhagavān’s own potency of self-manifestation (sva-prakāśatā-śakti)].”

Read on →