Vedanta is composed of two words: Veda=Knowledge and anta=End
Vedanta thus means the conclusion of all knowledge or vedas.
There is the sastra called Vedanta sutras or Brahma sutras. There many schools of thought reguarding the interpretation thereof. Therefore there are many commentaries on this elevated work. As such many differences too. Primarily there are five vaisnava interpretations and there are many impersonal commentaries- chief of which belongs to Sripada Adi Sankara. Not getting into the nitty gritty since I will quote the opinion I subscribe to.
Vedanta means to understand God. Once a realised understanding of God occurs then one can understand the divinity in all people and real equality through inner revelation.
Sri Aurobindo the great reclusive sage devoted much time to meditation and also inner revelation. We respect his views. We have even read some of his works. He does not exactly agree with Sripada Sankara's school although very similar. Still the vedantic view of Sri Krishna Caitanya I find to be much more stimulating. He has said that the real commentary of Vedanta is Srimad Bhagavatam. We accept this since it is also confirmed in certain sruti and smrti (off hand: one source is Garuda Purana). His philosophy is acinya bhedaabheda and unifies all vedantic schools but promotes uttama or topmost devotion to God. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana has written another commentary in Caitanya Deva's line: Sri Govinda Bhasya.
But now I will let the transcendental genius of Om Vishnupada assotara Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Goswami Prabhupada Maharaja speak:
Dear Friends,
I stand before you as a teller. I am going to tell you now a few
words more on the Vedanta and especially its ontological aspect,morphology being a former changeable part of the same. My telling craves a reciprocity of your listening to my sound through your aural reception. Sound is the main substratum of the Vedanta which deals with a subject unapproachable by our present crippled imperfect senses. The ear cannot work as a receptacle unless we are willing to admit a sound and this admittance depends on our taste and previous experience. This prior experience invites affairs within the Phenomenal range,but the Vedantic sounds have a different aim. So our reciproca situation will crown our efforts with success. Many of our friends pose themselves as knowers when they have a true taste for knowledge. To acquire such knowledge they utilize their senses to associate with the conception of objects and their components. These knowers claim a subjective position to consider the synthetic as well as analytic values of their
determination. The objects before them are known as phenomena,
which serve to engage their attention to scrutinizing the
knowledge of the causes and the laws of all phenomena by their
empiric and intuitive reasonings. This is, in other words,
philosophizing the object by mental speculation.
When the knowledge of a being is restricted to phenomena, it
passes by the name of natural philosophy, but the psychological
dealing of sentiments discloses a branch of knowledge known as
mental philosophy. All the philosophical speculations in
connection with our sensuous perception are no bar to our
wrangling over them. The outward representations in all cases,
if reasoned, need not exactly identify themselves with the true
objective stand. As for instance, our impression of a star is
much more augmented when we are conversant with the coaching of
an adept of astronomy or when scientific methods predominate
over our erroneous convictions. The deceptive outward
manifestations are not necessarily to be accepted when such
delusions are detected by our true activity. The seeming reasons
often carry us to a wrong direction and we are not favored with
the Truth and seeming truths are found to be efficacious in
particular circumstances with a susceptibility of
transformation. So ontology of un changeable formation need not
be neglected for alternative changing features.
The methods of thinking of different people of different
countries are not the same. So we cannot expect identical
results in philosophy. Happiness and virtue have been selected
as the essence of philosophic speculation by both the Hellenic
and Hebraic Schools, whereas in China they were meant for the
preservation of a loyal society and local constitutional
Government. The mystic philosophy of the mediaeval Europe in its
different varieties has invited apathetic reflection in the
judgment of considerate persons. The animistic conception of
Persia as well as impersonal idea have brought out criticisms
from the Indian philosophers. The savage conception of
philosophy as well had found no favor with the critical and
ethical arguments.
For a long time Indian Philosophy had been mentioned in six
different phases bearing dissimilar methods of exposition and in
the unrolling evolutionary process we have had a few dozen of
philosophic views coming to us for our speculative
considerations. Mind has been noticed as the functional agent of
agreeing or disagreeing with a standard position within the
scope of its finitudinal range. It is termed conscience or
buddhi when it is fixed. The egotistic function of mind in
respect of mundane objects is called ahankar or worker's
activity of lording it over a partial phenomenal aspect. The
jiva or soul is different from phenomenal denomination, but the
fettered condition of an individual soul has association with
the material world.
The five old schools of philosophy of India do not vouchsafe to
bear the same character with the Vedanta philosophy. Some
super-sensuous methods are marked by the comparative studies,
though in the beginning such warnings need not be offered to the
students of the Vedanta. The science of the Vedanta philosophy
has also dealt with the aspects of formation concerning the
constant changes of form resulting from an unfolded development
and permanent unalterable elements in ever-altering forms.
The Vedanta deals with a theme beyond the finite views of
phenomena. The subjects dealt with in that particular philosophy
is not confined to any part of the material space, any definite
span of time or any object of sensuous perception made up of any
substance of this Universe. The activities of a being are
measured in time, the playground of a being either linear,
superficial or cubical is accommodated in space and the limited
subjectivity or fleshly tabernacular entity is confined to
phenomenon. The Vedantic scheme is quite different from such
limited structural monuments though some people attempted to
bring Vedanta within the prison bars of their senses.
Though Vedanta deals with ordinary language quite dovetailing
the views of ordinary intelligentsia to gradually heave them up
to the super-sensuous regions where senses cannot work by their
present implements or cannot help them by the words of their
credulous friends, still the transcendental topics are imparted
slowly through the linguistic and rationalistic attainments to
differentiate the plane of transcendence and the undesirable
transformable plane of enjoyments. As it is helping the journey
of understanding we need not stick to a stagnant view in order
to gratify our senses at the cost of rationality and harmonious
language exactly fitting our whims. So the method of studying
this particular philosophy should never be confined to the same
process of confusing the transcendence with our present plane of
thought.
When the Absolute becomes the goal of a sentient being, such
sentientism has got a character other than the nature of
phenomenal restrictions. But when it tends to limit activities
to finite things of phenomena, we find a temper of lording it
over the finite things which have got mundane relativity among
them. All activities of a spirit towards the direction of
transcendental Absolute are to come under devotion or bhakti
whereas gratification of senses leads to an activity known as
karma of the actor. The Absolute has an unalterable complete
situation void of all sexological divisions as well as of three
positions of the observer, observation and the observed, it
becomes the function of the gnostic or jnanins. Factor of time
cannot have any supremacy over the Absolute.
Unlike phenomena where everything is liable to transformation
during the course of time, the Absolute does not undergo any
change, whereas the opposite element has a shaky position. The
absolute cannot be enjoyed by sensuous exploitations to bring
any profit to mind and body. All the profits accrued by offering
our services to the Absolute are never meant for our temporary
happiness depriving others of the benefit. The theme of the
Vedanta actually deprives the human frame and subtle body, of
the Bliss, which are wrongly incorporated with the unalloyed
absolute infinitesimals. By the word absolute infinitesimal I
mean the individuation of the identical quality and not the
quantity. The stuff of the Absolute is not liable to any change.
No factor of time would have any cogent potency to mutilate it.
No space is reserved for it like material entities. The Absolute
when analyzed will go to show a division between the parts and
the whole. The character of the Absolute will differ from
non-abso lute as estimated by the properties of perfection and
imperfection. The undesirable experience of regions of
imperfection and inadequacies need not be carried over to the
eternal aspects of origin, nature and ontological essence of the
Vedanta.
The knowledge of the Vedantic field need not be restricted to
the mere elementary formula excluding the Smarta elucidation and
to treatises of such workers as have deviated from the strict
path of Sruti. The untenable sectional views need not be
included under the category of the Vedanta. The different
inculcations offered by the explanations of the creative actors
and destructive exploiters should not be confused with the
Satvata Puranas and Pancharatras.
Besides the Smarta development of the Vedanta we have got to
deal with the various treatises written by the Vedanta scholars
to enlighten us on the very points in our practical life. So we
find that the Vedanta includes fourfold aspects which pass by
the names of (1) Sruti Prasthan, (2) Nyaya Prasthan, (3) Smriti
Prasthan, and (4) Prakarana Prasthan. The first two series are
accepted by impersonalists, with a very few quotations from
books known as Smriti whereas they do not admit the whole arena
of Smriti for their Vedantic advancement.
The Upanishads are Scriptures accepted as the Vedas or Srutis.
They are not only the Vedas but considered as the acme of the
Vedic literature. The rational version of the Upanishads are
philosophical in comparison with the adorative songs of Samhitas
towards a pantheon of Vedic gods. Though the various Upanisadic
mantras have apparently conflicting features, they are
reconciled by the aphorisms of Sri Vyas in his Uttar-mimansa
philosophy under different systematic logical categories known
as Nyayas or Adhikaranas. Each theme of an Adhikaran has been
fully dealt with by Panchanga or five-fold positions of logical
system to meet all opposing controversies. The aphorisms have
met with all polemical views of different philosophical systems
which prove to go against the truth of the Srutis, and again the
aphorisms are supported by the Upanishad Mantras followed by
Smritis and reasons offered in favor of the cita tory passages
termed as Bhashyas and their commentaries by erudite savants.
The leaders of interpretations have given us first hand
information regarding the classified subjects, Nyayas or
Adhikaranas briefly treated in the Sutras. Among these
interpreters we find contending views of wranglers in offering
their explanations. Some of them differed with others in
grouping together the Mantras under the same heading of a
particular subject, and sometimes their views were found
palpably varying with one another due to designed observations.
They are liable to contract four-fold defects of misconception,
inebriation, organic shortcomings and inclination for deception
which do not permit them to have correct views. To illustrate
this I give here a short discourse of the leaders of the
different interpretations.
The early Bodhayana school, Tanka, Dravida, Bharuchi, Audolomy,
Yamunacharya and others have left for Ramanuja their opinions
which are thoroughly different from the observations of Acharya
Sri Shankar. For a comparative study we should survey the views
entertained by the different leaders who have written their
Bhasyas of the aphorisms prompting separate systems.
Shankar and Shrikantha are more or less analogous to each other,
though Shrikantha has admitted the personality of Brahma in
Shiva for some time, apart from henotheistic views, unlike
Ramanuja whose conception of the Personality of Brahma in
Vishnu-nomenclature is not a transitory element to be dissolved
in indistinctive phase of Brahma. The Srikantha cult merged in
the system of Shankar together with his follower Appyaya Dikshit
whose conversion to Shakara’s view has destroyed more or less
his former writings of Shivarka Mandipika and Nyaya Rakshamani.
According to Shankara his adoption of the illusory theory of
Maya has explained the unreal positions of Jiva or individual
soul and material world, whereas the theory of devotion or
Bhakti has been accepted by theists as the sole medium of
reaching the eternal destination. Shankara's targetted
salvation-Nirvana, can be had through inflated unalloyed
knowledge of an individual, free from the reference of eternal
existence and beatitude, by annihilating himself to the
non-perspective situation of Brahma where he should have no
retention of individuality of his unalloyed entity save and
except assumption of a halu-cinative universality dispelling all
empiric ignorance and bitter experience of defective designative
finiteness. This would give him a theoretic relief of his
existence.
Madhva's eternal associative duality always maintains eternal
devotional aptitude which is the common basis of all the four
inculcators of Positive Truth. Maya or delusive energy is to be
abandoned or overpowered by devotion which will give eternal
relief to conditioned individual soul or spirit. Individual
spirit is never to indulge itself in the imaginary inflation for
becoming the universal non-designative Spirit. Individuals are
eternally atomic isolated numberless entities. They have eternal
cognitional, volitional and emotional attributions in them. They
are prone to be forgetful of the direction of service towards
the Absolute, and such inattention has made them non-diligent
towards their Eternal Master, the Fountainhead. In salvation
they are never to lose their eternal special individuality and
this temporary captive individuation in the present sheath
should never be considered as permanently neglecting the eternal
ontological transcendental form. The individual souls and ma
tter are not temporary production, but they are emanated from
Brahma and both of them are reciprocate to each other. The
Personal Body of Brahma known as Vishnu is the very center of
all energies and attributes, be they temporary or eternal. He is
All-potent and His Service is the eternal function of the
individual spirits. The worldly pretensions of Maya are traced
in the unusual desire of elevationists and salvationists. The
devotees have got no such pretensions like the fictitious
believers of enjoyment or the salvationists like the Vedanta
interpreter Shankar. Madhva's interpretation of the Efficient
Cause is not challenged by his opponents, but his conception of
material cause of the world has been misunderstood by the
Mayavadins to be different from the unique situation of Brahma.
The phase of the material cause is not isolated from Brahma but
the yieldings of the material cause should in no case be
confused as identical with Brahma. The material cause has
produced this phenomenon to befool co nditioned Jivas or
individual captive spirits, who have by their indolent mood
behaved as enjoyers but the real cause should be traced to have
emanated from Him through one of His conflicting potencies for
that purpose which is misunderstood by a hasty idealistic
conception for outward reading. A true insight would surely
convince a student of the Vedanta endowed with a true theistic
mood that the unique existence of Brahma has brought forth
simultaneously the phenomena of sentients and insentients.
The ontological view will surely tell us that Eternal Brahma is
the all-Pervading Supreme Cause of all manifestive eternal and
transforming domains. All the Vedantic literatures viz. Sruti,
Nyaya, Smriti and Prakarana tend to delineate the Personality of
the Unique Owner of all Eternal manifestations and their
opposites and the conception of His Personality need not be
morphologised by worldly temporal transforming attributes and at
the same time He should not be denied His Spiritual Form,
Attributions and spiritual eternal innumerable transcendental
Qualities and unending and unrestricted Pastimes. Owing to His
super-sensuous situation, frivolous attempts should not be
directed against Him by our anti-theistic exploitations. He
Should be approached through Sruti or pure aural reception of
transcendental Sounds which should not be confused with mundane
sounds which are temporary and meant for the gratifications of
our senses. The mundane sounds are to submit to our inspectorial
staff of senses whereas cogent transendental sounds are enriched
with super-delegated powers of Divinity to regulate the previous
conviction of an enjoying captivated object who poses himself as
a subject to lord it over the phenomena. The mind and all other
wrong activities of senses are to be regulated by means of
devotional temperament to proceed to the Region of eternal
transcendental Beatitude. The approaching activity, along the
path of devotion will empower all individual captivated entities
to throw off the thraldom of this enjoying region.
Over this, we can trace as well the development of the Vedantic
aspects in the history and in many ritualistic works, known as
Satvata Pancharatra, all of which went to show an advanced
thought of the practical Vedanta. Moreover the commentators on
the Puranas and the Pancharatas also give us facility to drink
deep into the conception of the Transcendental Truth which will
form an enterprise of the Vedantic extension. Some of the
Prakarana books have significance of tending towards the
impersonal goal. The analytical development has given us a long
list of arguments refuting pure impersonalists where we find a
foliage of 'Rasa' apart from its indolent aspects. This is no
doubt a valuable addition to the Vedanta library. Vigilant
writers will come up in the field of the Vedanta in its
dualistic phase, vehemently protesting the pent up ideas of
indolent pantheists by their synthetic propaganda towards the
Absolute. This process may appear to us as an inductive process
leading to pantheistic vision in the long run shaping
convergently to one point. Many schools of philosophy in their
progress tend to convert themselves to one thought where
specification is utterly denied ; in other words, they speak of
many things which will be proselytized to one thing viz.
indistinctive monism.
Some of the adventurers have been found to transform the
substratum itself or proselytize their mundane exploitive
journey to the theory of misconception. The analytic process
meets the synthetic aspirant at a point and we find a combined
attempt of their development in literatures which are also
included later on in the Vedantic School. Dvaita-dvaita scholars
of the Bhaskara and the Nimbarka schools have given us such
views. The empiric starting from a perishable plane aiming at
the indestructible direction could bring for us a cumulative
view of the terminus. The system of the Vedanta philosophy
should always look forward to approach the Absolute and not to
any non-absolute search. The mundane morphological march need
not be considered identical with the transcendental morphology
which cannot in any case show its transiency and altering
phases.
The origin of the Vedanta is innate in knowledge and inseparable
from the same, though its practical phases may insist on tracing
the cause where it submits to inspection. Nature seems to
undergo a transformation, but a vigilant eye could easily
discern the unalterable situation, as she has two apparent
aspects viz., measurable and immeasurable. The measurable
attributes vary according as the temporality and permanency of
the measurer. Transcendental measurement is perfect and true and
not liable to become a victim of mundane controversy arising out
of transforming, imperfect, unretentive and finite relativities.
The purpose or essence of the Vedanta is not conflicting as it
has been reduced by wranglers to polemic exploitations which
simply dissuade the puzzled entity of the observer.
The Absolute Infinity and absolute infinitesimals are not at
loggerheads with one another. So the subjectivity and the
objectivity described in the Vedanta Philosophy have different
denominations from the present conception of the limited
idealists who disown all types of objectivity. If we have a keen
watch over the transcendental object we can eliminate the
grossness and mundane subtleties. The new state of spirit need
not have any relation with mundane manifestations. The unalloyed
soul should not be disturbed by cutting asunder the
transcendental links inseparable with the entity of the
unalloyed spirit. We should not anthropomorphize our present
crippled ideas when we traverse the Vedantic path. The potency
of the Personality of the Transcendental Absolute (Pumshottama)
need not be restricted, out of our poor experience of this world
which is of a faulty nature. The apotheotic conception should
not prevail in the region of transcendence, as that plane is not
to be confused with the world of three dimensions. The
passionate views of imperfect limitations it carried over to
that region, would give a speculative transitory result which we
should avoid for the safety of this particular philosophy. The
origin of the Vedanta need not be epistemologized from the
limited experience of phenomena. Of course our restless mind
cannot resist such temptations, but we should be cautious not to
disturb the peace and the harmonious system of transcendence. We
are to approach, and not to mutilate, the reciprocal entities of
transcendence. Our initiative faculty shows an unlimited scope
of designing and shaping things according to our whims, but
those are of no use, if such whimsical orders are not carried
out by the transcendental Authority for reasons best known to
Him. We have marked that our mind is offered viands for its
consumption in the fettered situation and with the same we
cannot utilize our mind and mental activities however ethical
may they impress on us here for our future movements in the
eternal path of welcoming our volitional and cognitional
enterprises. An empiric mind with its intuitive aspirations
cannot possibly work, unless helped by the spiritual Power Who
does not bear the same demeanor of the present phenomenal
impressions. It would be better for us if our exploited
innovations do not accompany us during our acceptance of the
conception of the Transcendence. Our present conscience and mind
with all their paraphernalia cannot possibly claim the
suzerainty of the Transcendence when our poor ego is quite
adaptable to and contented with the dolls of the universal
phenomena. We have got an enjoying caliber when we tread on the
worldly path receiving help of our gross body and flickering
mind. We have noticed that phenomena have direct connection with
the mind and their paraphernalia. The mundane phenomena have got
a perishable value, whereas the distinctive character of
phenomena beyond our conception, is not identical with our
present store of knowledge. The phenomenal o bjects require
modification and our different philosophical speculations
require rectification, whereas the transcendental Region does
not submit to such regulative admonition and chastisement. We
are to approach the transcendental Truth Who does not require
any aggressive exploitation from any other quarter. The summum
bonum of all knowledge, beatitude and unending time should not
be mutilated for the safety of our eternal entity, which is
absolute infinitesimal and not Absolute Infinity, as the
inflation of our quantitative eternal ego is not expected to go
beyond our own. The imperfection of grossness and subtlety
should not claim to have their location in that region, as
paravyoma is never meant to accommodate the special
characteristics of worldly phenomena. The subject-matter of the
Vedanta is not an innovation, so the origin was lying dormant in
spirit and the Vedantic sound need not have any origination in
this material world. The transcendental sound, though specified
to exhibit a diffe rentiatlve character, is not to be enjoyed by
our enjoying senses.
We must necessarily convince ourselves that the essence of the
Vedanta philosophy should terminate in the principle of
devotion. The last aphorism of the Vedanta Sutras tends to the
impressions that sound will bring us to the Region wherefrom a
return journey along the path of knowledge is not possible. It
goes to show a process leading to the transcendence, where no
foreign invasion can be invited to form an opposite party who
can persuade a sojourner to shift himself from the
transcendental termination. The place is not meant for an
indolent being to benumb his unending progressive activity by
dissociating his connections with the transitory dark and
undesirable element. By the constant chanting of the
Transcendental Name the aim of spiritual aspiration will be
fulfilled and no other process can remedy the evil of accepting
the undeserving position of a worldly enjoyer. The whole line of
our religious associative transaction should terminate in our
activity of being an instrum ent of the transcendental sound.
The constant uttering from the ligps of a transcendental devotee
can only help a man to get rid of his limited activity for the
limited perishable objects. The aural receptive entity is not to
exert its influence to impede the course of the transcendental
sound who would be pouring in with the purpose of regulating the
erring ego.
So an eternal devotee should not cease to chant the Eternal Name
of Hari constantly without any interruption. The interceding-
repelling and covering-energy of the Absolute will otherwise act
on him. The anti-devotional attitude will keep a reader of the
Vedanta far off from the Absolute Truth. The sincere student of
the Vedanta is expected to realize the presence of the Object of
his eternal devotion and to be emotional. The mellow quality
will display some symptoms which will bear testimony to his
transcendental realization; otherwise it would prove his
impervious character resembling that of stone or adamant, or in
other words, he would be considered to be an unsuccessful reader
of the subject. The conception of the Absolute Truth will never
be in his possession, if he confines himself to his sensuous
activities bearing a form to lord it over the worldly phenomena.
If he cares to learn from others the real nature of their
experience to bring himself in touch with the objects that have
not been within the range of his senses, he will profit much by
such an association and try to add to the store of his
knowledge, which he could not have gathered by his attempts
through the senses. When he welcomes the unprecedented nature of
the Vedanta working in him his sensuous aggrandizement, he
erroneously thinks himself amply rewarded by the acquisition of
experience of an expert who is running after an impersonal
object void of all sorts of designation. He Can avail himself of
a partial view of indeterminate non-designative plane where the
triple forms of mundane qualities are not expected to
preponderate in exhibiting their significance. The
Transcendental Sound becomes his engagement, he having secured
the position of setting himself free from the egoistic
exploitations of the phenomenal plane. Such a position would
offer him the conception of the Abs olute to Whom his only duty
would be to offer his eternal services. This stage is known as
regaining the true function after the expiry of his term of
imprisonment as an enjoyer. Now he is in his proper health to
engage himself as the eternal servitor of the Absolute, knowing
his own position. The full conception of the Absolute will give
him the facility of serving the eternal Master in the highest
capability of devotion. In the Dahara Chapter of the Chhandogya
Upa-nishad, we find that all these passionate activities are
fulfilled when true salvation is acquired. The passionate
activites are proselytized to most perfect engagement with the
Absolute. So eternal full recognition will render a servitor
exactly fitting the Great Consort for Whom every unalloyed
spirit should have her only activity.
The Consort Absolute will wait for the consort servitor. The
parent servitor will meet the Child Absolute, the object of his
or her only engagement. The eternal friend servitor will regain
his position as such. The personal attendant servitors will meet
their Master and offer their confidential services, for sheer
love. The confidential service offered by the neutral entity
will indirectly be directed to the Absolute without any
cognizance on the part of the unalloyed individual spirit.
The different readings of the Vedanta under true guidance will
give us the result that Personality of Godhead is not approached
by identifying oneself with the transcendental Effulgence
(Brahma) coming out from the transcendental Body of the Absolute
and that the all-engrossing features (Paramatma or Universal
Godhead ) are but a part of the Absolute in Whom a freed soul
dose not merge. After such association the devotional aptitude
will have a free play to join as a transcendental factor of His
Pastimes. He is the very Emporium of all potencies and the
resortive ocean of all sorts of love. The detachable borderland
potency, though liable to come under the clutch of a disposition
to enjoy the Nature's products and to welcome them as temporary
servitors, can get a true direction by exchanging the enjoying
mood for eternal devotion. Both the transcendental manifestation
as well as the transformable mundane manifestations are
simultaneously incorporated in the Absolute and differ f rom
Himself like the rays of the sun and the glowing disc. The
isolated individual phase of the servitor is eternally
associated with Him. The analogy is drawn from the sun. The
spirit, the glowing disc, the emanated rays and the penumbra are
the four aspects concerning the sun and inseparable from the
existence of the sun. So the manifested world has association
with the integral position of the Absolute. True devotion should
be the method of reaching Him, where all activities of the freed
souls should tend finally to the eternal service to please their
Absolute Object of service. The one phase of harmony of the
Absolute need not be metamorphosed into rupture, by courting
different phases of the goal.
The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, by inculcation of His
loving attitude towards absolute infinitesimals has disclosed
the reading of the Srimad Bhagavata as a standard light house in
our journey of life through the rough waters of the phenomenal
ocean. Renouncing temperament with all uncongenial phenomena has
been ordained by instructing philosophers and theologians. The
imaginary ideas of blind salvationists who had no occasion to
witness the Absolute Truth have not been approved by the Supreme
Lord, but He has advised us to acquaint ourselves with the
reading of Krishna's Pastimes and to direct our services to the
adokshaja, and in that case our feeble limbs and senses cannot
claim to approach Him unless we have a true serving mood. We
would fail to offer our services to Him, if we think that our
present acquisitors are enough to approach Him Who has however
reserved the right of not being exposed to the mundane
activities of the enjoyers of matter and moti on.
Vyasa, when he had an adorative temperament and sat for samadhi
with his devotional aptitude, witnessed, with his spiritual eye,
the full transcendental Form of the Absolute incorporating the
negative energy of nescience which has the power to cover the
senses of individual spirits who have been apathetic to their
Master and indulged in their enjoying mood, posing as lords with
predilections for embracing the triple mundane energy. Though
the borderland potency is more powerful than the triple
qualities of transformable nature and prefers to wait to serve
at their command, still its predilecting nature can at any
moment throw off the clutch of, and the affinity for, the
phenomena, if she comes to know the desirability of her turning
towards her master-the Eternal Fountainhead, the transcendental
Bhagavan Krishna, which will give her permanent release from her
exploitive march of courting most undesirable position of an
enjoyer here. This fact of devotional instruction ha d not been
imparted before to the undeserving humanity, but the
kind-hearted writer of the aphorisms in his genuine commentary
Srimad Bhagavatam exposed the truth for the benefit of deserving
souls. He was like a kind-hearted shepherd of the congregation
of individual souls who were sheep under his protection. He
managed to hand over the cattle to the transcendental Cowherd to
learn the nature of worship and desirability of flocking to Him.
None was so kind to mankind as He, to disclose the fact that the
object of service to any other phase of Krishna would not be so
profitable as to target the object of unalloyed devotion to
Krishna Who will, by the bye, help them to cut off their
connection and the unusual affinity with the perishable objects.
The unalloyed soul will be rescued from all apprehension arising
out of the apathetic mood lying latent in the individual soul.
The devotional engagement will enable us to comprehend the real
position of self and no tempting nature would be able t o win
over the heart of the individual soul, dissuading him from his
spontaneous transcendental loving service. The individual soul
will be set free by his devotional practices to endure the
affliction of separation of tempting things and will prefer to
appreciate the only desirable object and to court His sweet
pleasure. His sweet beatitude.
In closing up my telling, I offer my sincere sympathy to my
friends who have allowed me to speak before them about the
morphological and ontological aspects of the Vedanta Philosophy
as inculcated by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Who is
ever kind to all humanity in all its stages. The Supreme Lord is
the manifest Form of all true, and His transcendental benign
instructions will surely attract us to offer our eternal
services when we refuse to submit to the foreign associations
which are our temporary bearings viz., the gross tabernacle and
the subtle entity. He is so kind to us as to send His
transcendental messengers to this world for heaving us up to His
presence and to accept our transcendental candidature, though we
are His undeserving, indolent eternal slaves to carry His true
wishes to our friends.