Adhikarana 6

The Supreme Brahman is Full of Bliss

Introduction by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

sabda vacakatam yanti

yantranandamayadayah vibhum ananda-vijnanam

tam suddham sraddadhimahi

Let us place our faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is supremely pure, all-powerful, all-

knowing, and full of transcendental bliss. He is perfectly described in the anandamaya-sutra and the

other statements of Vedanta-sutra.

From the 12th Sutra (anandamaya) to the end of this First Chapter, Srila Vyasadeva will prove

that the statements of the Vedic literatures are intended to describe Brahman. In the First Pada, Srila

Vyasadeva discusses those words of the Vedic literatures, which, taken by themselves, whould not

necessarily refer to Brahman, but which, in their Vedic context, certainly do refer to Brahman.

Visaya (Statement): In the passages from Taittiriya Upanisad beginning brahma-vid apnoti param

and sa va esa puruso 'nna-rasamayah, we find a description of the annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya,

and vijnanamaya stages of existence, and after that we find the following statement:

tasmad va etasmad vijnanamayad anyo 'ntaratmanandamayas tenaisa purnah. sa va esa purusa-vidha

eva tasya purusa-vidhatam anvayam purusa-vidhah. tasya priyam eva sirah. modo daksinah paksah.

pramoda uttarah paksah. ananda atma. brahma-puccham pratistha.

"Higher than the vijnanamaya stage is the anandamaya stage of existence. The anandamaya stage is a

person whose head is pleasure (priya), whose right side is joy (moda), whose left side is delight

(pramoda), and whose identity is bliss (ananda). The anandamya is Brahman."

Samsaya (doubt): Is the anandamaya person the individual spirit soul or the Supreme

Brahman?

Purvapaksa (the opposition speaks): Because anandamaya is described as a person it must refer to

the conditioned spirit soul residing in a material body.

Siddhanta (the proper conclusion): Srila Vyasadeva answers this argument by speaking the following

sutra:

Sutra 12

anandamayo 'bhyasat

ananda - bliss; mayah - full of ; abhyasat - because of repetition.

The word anandamaya (full of bliss) used in the Vedic literatures must refer to the Supreme

Brahman, for it is repeatedly used to describe Him.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The Supreme Brahman is the anandamaya described in Vedic literature. Why do we say so? Because

the word anandamaya is repeatedly used to describe the Supreme Brahman. Directly following the

description of anandamaya in the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.6.1), we find the following statement:

asann eva sambhavati

asad brahmeti veda cet asti brahmeti ced veda

santam enam tato viduh

"One who thinks, `The Supreme Brahman does not exist' becomes a demonic atheist, and one who

thinks, `The Supreme Brahman does exist' is known as a saint."

In this passage the word Brahman was repeated. This repetition is called abhyasa. In the

previous quotation from Taittiriya Upanisad, the word Brahman appeared in the word brahma-

puccham, but in that case the word only occurred once, and therefore there was no abhyasa.

The four verses of Taittiriya Upanisad beginning with the verse annad vai prajah prajayante describe

the annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, and vijnanamaya levels of existence. Each of these levels is

progressively higher than the preceding one, and after them the anandamaya level, which is different in

quality, is the highest of all. This will be more elaborately explained in the passage following the sutra:

priya-siras tv adya-prapter (3.3.13) of this book.

At this point someone may raise the following objection: These stages of existence describe the

conditioned souls who have fallen into the raging river of material suffering. Why has the stage of

blissfulness (anandamaya) been made the chief of these stages of suffering?"

To this objection I reply: There is no fault in this. The all-blissful Personality of Godhead is pesent in

the hearts of all the suffering conditioned souls, and therefore it is perfectly appropriate to mention

them together.

The Vedic literatures speak in this way to make a difficult subject-matter intelligible for the unlettered

common man. Just as one may point out the small, difficult-to-see star Arundhati by first pointing to a

nearby large easy-to-see star, and then lead the viewer from that reference-point to the tiny Arundhati,

in the same way the Vedic literatures first describe the suffering-filled life of the conditioned souls, and

then from that reference point teach about the all-blissful Supreme Personality of Godhead.

At this point someone may raise the following question: Is it, then, that the Vedic literatures mostly

describe topics other than the Supreme Brahman, (because mostly they describe these "reference-

points" to lead the reader to the Supreme), or do they mostly describe Brahman directly?"

I answer this question: Brahman is directly described in the Vedic literatures. For example, in the next

chapter of Taittiriya Upanisad, Varuna, upon being asked by his son to teach him about Brahman,

explained to him that Brahman is the original creator, maintaner, and destroyer of the material

universes. He further explains that the annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, and vijnanamaya stages of

existence, one by one, are all Brahman. Then he explained that the anandamaya stage is the final

Brahman. After explaining this, Varuna concluded his teaching by confirming that he has spoken a true

description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He said:

etam anandamayam atmanam upasaìkramya iman lokan kamani kama-rupy anusancarann etat sama

gayann aste

"After leaving his material body, one who understands the supreme anandamaya person leaves this

material world and enters the spiritual world. All his desires become fulfilled, he attains a spiritual form

according to his own wish, and he dedicates himself to glorifying that supreme anandamaya person."

That the anandamaya person in the Vedic literatures is actually the Supreme Brahman is also

described in the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.17):

purusa-vidho 'nvayo 'tra caramo 'nnamyadisu yah

sad asatah param tvam atha yad esv avasesamrtam

"O Lord, of these persons beginning with the annamaya-purusa, You are the Supreme."

We may note in this connection that it is not contradictory or illogical to say that the Supreme

Brahman has a form. The form of the Supreme is described in the Vedic literatures. For example, the

Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (3.7.3) explains:

prthivi sariram

"The material universe is the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

It is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a form (sarira), that this book, the

Vedanta-sutra, is also called Sariraka-sutra (sutras glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

who has a form). Some may say that the word anandamaya does not refer to the Supreme Brahman,

and that only the word brahma-puccham refers to Brahman. This proposal is not very intelligent. Some

others may say that the word anandamaya does not refer to Brahman because the wordmaya means

"transformation". These persons say the word anandamaya (transformation of bliss) cannot refer to the

Supreme Brahman, for Brahman is naturally full of bliss, and not a transformation of some pre-existing

state of happiness. For this reason the word anandamaya must refer to the individual spirit soul, and not

Brahman. In order to refute this argument, Srila Vyasadeva speaks the following sutra:

Sutra 13

vikara-sabdan neti cen na pracuryat

vikara - transformation; sabdat - from the word; na - not; iti - thus; cet - if; na - not; pracuryat

- because of abundance.

If (someone argues that the Supreme Brahman cannot be the same as the anandamaya person

described in the Vedas) because the affix maya means "transformation", (and the Supreme Brahman is

not a transformation of ananda, or bliss, then I reply by saying that) because the affix maya used here

means "abundance", this interpretation is not correct, (and therefore the word anandamaya should be

understood to mean "He who is filled with limitless bliss").

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The word anandamaya does not mean "he who is a transformation of bliss." Why? Because the affix

maya here means "abundance", and therefore the word anandamaya means "He who is filled with

limitless bliss." The rules of Sanskrit grammar state that the affix maya may not be used to mean

"transformation" in vaidika words of more than two syllables. The word ananda has three syllables, and

therefore when the word anandamaya appears in the vaidika text of the Taittiriya Upanisad, it cannot

be interpreted to mean "he who is a transformation of bliss."

The Supreme Brahman, therefore, is not only free from all suffering, but filled with limitless bliss. This

is confirmed by the following statements of Vedic scripture:

esa sarva-bhutantaratmapahata-papma divyo deva eko narayanah

"There is one Supreme Personality of Godhead: Lord Narayana. He is the transcendental Supersoul in

the hearts of all living entities, and He is completely free from all sin."

- Subala Upanisad

parah paranam sakala na yatra

klesadayah santi paravaresah

"Suffering is not experienced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

When the affix maya means "abundance", it also implies the meaning "essential nature."

Therefore, when we use jyotirmaya (full of light) to mean the sun, the affix maya can also be

understood to mean "essential nature". In this way the word jyotirmaya means "that of which the

essential nature is light." In this way the word anandamaya may also be interpreted to mean "He whose

essential nature is full of bliss." From all this it may be understood that the word anandamaya clearly

refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It does not refer to the individual spirit soul.

Sutra 14

tad-hetu-vyapadesac ca

tat - of that; hetu - the origin; vypadesat - because of the statement; ca - also.

Because the Vedic literatures declare that the anandamaya person is the source of bliss for

others, (it should be understood that the anandamaya person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

and not the individual spirit soul).

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

This is confirmed by the following statement of Taittiriya Upanisad (2.7):

ko hy evanyat kah pranyat yady esa akasa anando na syat. esa evanandayati.

"Who is that person, without whom the living entities cannot feel happiness? That is the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, who delights the individual spirit souls."

This passage explains that the Supreme Brahman is the origin of happiness for the individual

spirit souls. From this we may understand that the cause of happiness (the Supreme Personality of

Godhead), and the receiver of happiness (the individual spirit soul) must be different persons. They

cannot be indentical. Therefore the word anandamaya refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead

only. We may also note that the word ananda used in this passage of Taittiriya Upanisad (is identical

with the word anandamaya..

Sutra 15

mantra-varnikam eva ca giyate

mantra - by the mantra portion of the Vedas; varnikam - described; eva - certainly; ca - also;

giyate - is described.

(The same Supreme Personality of Godhead) described in the mantra-portion of the Vedas is

also described (as the anandamaya-person in the text of the Taittiriya Upanisad).

Purport by Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The same Supreme Brahman described in the Vedic mantra, Satyam jnanam anantam brahma (the

Supreme Brahman has no limits. He is eternal and full of knowledge), is also described in the Taittiriya

Upanisad by the word anandamaya. In this way the above sutra explains that the word anandamaya

does not refer to the individual living entitiy. Further, the Taittiriya Upanisad explains:

brahma-vid apnoti param

"One who understands the Supreme Brahman attains the Supreme Brahman."

This sentence explains that the individual living entity worships the Supreme Brahman and then

attains the association of that Supreme Brahman. This is the same Supreme Brahman previously

described in the mantra, satyam jnanam anantam brahma. This is the Supreme Brahman described by

the word anandamaya. This is the Supreme Brahman described in the Taittiriya Upanisad in the

passage begining with the words tasmad va etasmat. Because the Supreme Brahman is the object of

attainment for the individual spirit soul, and because the object of attainment and the attainer must be

two distinct entities, and they cannot be identical, therefore the Supreme Brahman and the individual

living entities must be distinct persons, and therefore the word anandamaya refers only to the Supreme

Personality of Godhead and not to the individual living entites.

At this point someone may raise the following objection: If the Supreme Brahman described in the

Vedic mantras were different from the individual living entity, then the individual living enitites could

not be the anandamaya person described in the scriptures. The actual fact is that the Supreme Brahman

and the individual living entities are identical. The Vedic mantras state that when the individual spirit

soul is free from ignorance and liberated from material bondage, then he become identical with the

Supreme Brahman.

To answer this objection, Srila Vyasadeva speaks the following sutra.

Sutra 16

netaro 'nupapatteh

na - not; itarah - the other; upapatteh - because it is illogical.

The other person (individual living entity) is not described (in the mantra "satyam jnanam

anantam brahma"), because such an interpretation of the mantra is illogical.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The itara (other person) mentioned in this sutra is the individual living entity. This sutra, therefore,

states that the individual spirit soul, even in the liberated condition, cannot be the Supremem Person

described in the mantra, satyam jnanam anantam brahma. This is confirmed by the following statement

of Vedic literature:

so 'snute sarvan kaman saha brahmana vipascita

"The liberated soul enjoys the fulfillment of all his desires in the company of the omniscient Supreme

Brahman."

In this passage the difference between the liberated spirit-soul and the Supreme Brahman is

described in the words "He enjoys in the company of the Supreme Brahman." The word vipascit means

"He whose consciousness (cit) sees (pasyati) the great variety of that which exists (vividham). The

word pasya is changed to pas in this word by the grammatical formula prsodaradi-gana (Panini

6.3.109). In this way the liberated individual soul attains the association of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, who is expert at enjoying many varieties of transcendental bliss, and with Him, the individual

spirit soul enjoys, fulfilling all his desires.

The word asnute should be understood to mean "enjoys" in this context. The verb as means "to enjoy",

and although we would expect it to be conjugated in the parasmaiPada, (asnati), in this passage it is

conjugated in the atmanePada (asnute). The reason for this is explained by Panini in the sutra vyatyayo

bahulam iti chandasi tatha smrteh (3.1.85).

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is naturally the Supreme Enjoyer, and the individual spirit soul is

His subordinate in the matter of enjoyment also. Still, the Supreme Personality of Godhead glorifies the

liberated souls, when He says:

vase kurvanti mam bhaktah

sat-striyah sat-patim yatha

"My pure devotees bring Me under their control, just as faithful wives bring a kind-hearted husband

under their control."

Sutra 17

bheda-vyapadesac ca

bheda - difference; vyapadesat - because of the statement; ca - also.

(The Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are) different, because the

Vedic literature teaches this fact.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The Taittiriya Upanisad (7.1) explains:

raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati.

"When one understands the Personality of God, the reservoir of pleasure, Krsna, he actually

becomes transcendentally blissful."*

This passage clearly shows the difference between the liberated individual spirit soul and the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, whom the Vedic mantras describe as anandamaya, and who is the

transcendental nectar attained by the individual spirit soul. This difference is also described in the

following statement of Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (4.4.6):

brahmaiva san brahmapnoti

"After becoming Brahman, the individual spirit soul attains Brahman."

This statement does not mean that after liberation the individual spirit soul becomes non-

different from the Supreme Brahman, but rather the liberated soul becomes similar to Brahman and in

this condition meets Brahman and attains His association. This is confirmed by the folllowing

statementof Mandukya Upanisad (3.1.31):

niranjanah paramam samyam upaiti

"This liberated soul becomes like the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Also, in the Bhagavad-gita (14.2), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:

idam jnanam upasritya

mama sadharmyam agatah

"By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature, which is like My

own nature."*

In this way the Vedic literatures teach us that the liberated souls become like the Supreme

Personality of Godhead.

At this point someone may raise the following objection: Is it not so that the pradhana feature of the

mode of material goodness (sattva-guna) is the actual origin of the anandamaya person?

Srila Vyasadeva answers this objection in the following sutra.

Sutra 18

kamac ca nanumanapeksa

kamat - because of desire; ca - also; na - not; anumana - to the theory; apeksa - in relation.

(The anandamaya person) cannot be (a product of the mode of material goodness), because

(the mode of goodness is insentient and desireless, whereas the anandamaya person) is filled with

desires.

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The Taittiriya Upanisad explains:

so 'kamayata bahu syam prajayeya

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead desired: Let Me become many. Let Me father many living

entities."

In this way the sruti-sastra explains that the universe was created by the desire of the

anandamaya person. Because the anandamaya person is thus filled with desires, it is not possible for

the pradhana mode of material goodness, which is lifeless, insentient, and desireless, to be that

anandamaya person.

Sutra 19

asminn asya ca tad-yogam sasti

asmin - in that anandamaya person; asya - of the individual spirit soul; ca - also; tat - of

fearlessness; yogam - contact; sasti - the Vedic scriptures teach.

(The anandamaya person cannot be manifested from the pradhana mode of material goodness,

because) the Vedic scriptures teach that contact with the anandamaya person brings fearlessness (to

the individual spirit soul).

Purport by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana

The sruti-sastra teaches that by taking shelter of the anandamaya person, the individual spirit soul

attains fearlessness, and by declining to take shelter of Him, the soul becomes plagued with fears. This

confirmed by the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.7.2) in the passage beginning with the words yada hy eva.

On the other hand, contact with the material nature brings fear to the individual spirit souls. The

material nature does not bring a condition of fearlessness to the living entities, and for this reason it is

not possible that the pradhana mode of material goodness is the anandamaya person. Therefore, the

anandamaya person is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. The anandamaya person is not the

individual spirit soul or the material nature.

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Adhikarana 7