Adhikarana 9: A Special Situation

Adhyāya 4: The Results of Transcendental Knowledge;
Pāda 3: How a Person with Transcendental Knowledge Leaves his Material Body;

Viṣaya [thesis or statement]: Now will be explained the truth that the Lord Himself takes certain exalted nirapekṣa devotees back to His own abode.

In the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad [1.22 and 24] it is said:

एतद् विष्णोः परमं पदं ये
नित्योद्युक्ताः सम्यजन्ते न कामान्
तेषाम् असौ गोप-रूपः प्रयत्नात्
प्रकाशयेद् आत्म-पदं तदैव

etad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padaṃ ye
nityodyuktāḥ samyajante na kāmān
teṣām asau gopa-rūpaḥ prayatnāt
prakāśayed ātma-padaṃ tadaiva

“To they who always diligently worship Lord Viṣṇu’s transcendental form, the Lord, in His original form as a cowherd boy, shows His lotus feet.”

ओंकारेणान्तरितं ये जपन्ति
गोविन्दस्य पञ्च-पदं मनुं तम्
तेषाम् असौ दर्शयेद् आत्म-रूपं
तस्मान् मुमुक्षुर् अभ्यसेन् नित्यं शन्त्यै

oṃkāreṇāntaritaṃ ye japanti
govindasya pañca-padaṃ manuṃ tam
teṣām asau darśayed ātma-rūpaṃ
tasmān mumukṣur abhyasen nityaṃ śantyai

“To they who chant the five-word mantra with oṃ and Govinda, the Lord reveals His own form. Therefore, to attain transcendental peace, they who desire liberation should regularly chant this mantra.”

Saṃśaya [doubt]: Are the nirapekṣa devotees carried to the spiritual world by the ātivāhika demigods, or by the Supreme Lord Himself?

Pūrvapakṣa [the opponent speaks]: The scriptures affirm:

द्वाव् एव मार्गौ

dvāv eva mārgau

“There are two paths.”

The conclusion is that they who are enlightened with transcendental knowledge travel by the path beginning with light. In that way they enter the spiritual world. That is affirmed by the Śruti-śāstra. That is how the Supreme Lord becomes the cause of their liberation.

Siddhānta [conclusion]: In the following words the author of the sūtras gives His conclusion.