Verse 2.2.194

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.194:

परमात्मा पर-ब्रह्म स एव परमेश्वरः ।
इत्य् एवम् एषाम् ऐक्येन सजातीय-भिदा हता ॥ १९४ ॥

paramātmā para-brahma sa eva parameśvaraḥ |
ity evam eṣām aikyena sajātīya-bhidā hatā || 194 ||

parama-ātmā–Supersoul; para-brahma–Supreme Brahman; saḥ–He; eva–indeed; parama-īśvaraḥ–Supreme Controller; iti–thus; evam–in this way; eṣām–their; aikyena–on account of sameness; sa-jātīya–of the same category; bhidā–the division; hatā–nullified.

The Supreme Lord is the Supreme Soul and the Supreme Brahman. In other words, it is the Supreme Lord alone who manifests in various ways due to His different qualities (guṇa), pastimes (līlā), and divine appearances (avatāra). The Supersoul, the Supreme Brahman, and the Supreme Lord are all the one Absolute Truth. Being of the same category, or sa-jātīya, there is no difference among Them.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra may express a doubt, saying, “It has been previously stated that the living beings, or jīvas, [being vibhinnāṃśa, or separated expansions] have the eternal distinction of existing separately from Parabrahman. If this were so, Parabrahman would incur the fault of sajātīya-bheda, or difference of things belonging to the same category.” The jīvas and Parabrahman are of the same category because both have the quality of consciousness. “Sajātīya-bheda would also nullify the Vedic statements describing Parabrahman, such as ‘ekam-eva-advitiyam–one without second.’”

To address this, the personified bhakti-śāstras speak two verses, beginning here with paramātmā. They say, “Not only are the distinctions of sajātīya (belonging to the same family or category) and vijātīya (belonging to a separate family or category) not found within Parabrahman, but such differences can never exist within the Absolute Truth. The Supreme Absolute Truth alone is the indwelling Supersoul residing in the heart (Paramātmā), He is the Supreme Brahman (Parabrahman), and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Parameśvara). The different guṇa-avatāras (qualitative incarnations), līlā-avatāras (pastimes incarnations), and many other special forms are also manifestations of the Supreme Lord.

“One should understand that sajātīya-bheda (differences in the same category) does not apply to these categories. The Supersoul, the Supreme Brahman, and the Supreme Person and all His incarnations may appear to be different, but actually They are all nondifferent. Each of Them is full with eternality, cognizance, and bliss. By reason of this oneness, and because of the nondifference of Their very being, They are all identical despite appearing in a variety of forms.”

In this first of a two-part response, the personified scriptures refute the charge that there is any distinction (sajātīya-bheda) between the Supreme Lord and His expansions, or in other words, those who are in the same category as He is.