Chaitanya Bhagavata

by Bhumipati Dāsa | 2008 | 1,349,850 words

The Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.16.11, English translation, including a commentary (Gaudiya-bhasya). This text is similair to the Caitanya-caritamrita and narrates the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, proclaimed to be the direct incarnation of Krishna (as Bhagavan) This is verse 11 of Adi-khanda chapter 16—“The Glories of Shri Haridasa Thakura”.

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 1.16.11:

আমি-ব্রহ্ম, আমাতেই বৈসে নিরঞ্জন দাস-প্রভু-ভেদ বা করযে কি-কারণ?” ॥ ১১ ॥

आमि-ब्रह्म, आमातेइ वैसे निरञ्जन दास-प्रभु-भेद वा करये कि-कारण?” ॥ ११ ॥

āmi-brahma, āmātei vaise nirañjana dāsa-prabhu-bheda vā karaye ki-kāraṇa?” || 11 ||

ami-brahma, amatei vaise niranjana dasa-prabhu-bheda va karaye ki-karana?” (11)

English translation:

(11) “I am the Supreme Brahman. Within me sits the Absolute Truth. So, where is the difference between master and servant?”

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The word nirañjana refers to one who is without añjana (material designations born of the illusory energy or nescience), one who is devoid of false identification, one who is faultless, one who is spotless, or one who is pure. In Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad it is stated: tadā vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṃ sāmyam upaiti—“Then that intelligent person transcends both pious and impious activities, becomes free from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the Lord.”

The phrase dāsa-prabhu-bheda is explained as follows: The transcendental relationship, in the form of prabhu-dāsa, between the Supreme Brahman (the almighty fully conscious Viṣṇu, the controller of māyā) and the minutely conscious living entities who are controlled by māyā is the purport of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which is the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree, the natural commentary on the Brahma-sūtras, and the essence of Vedic knowledge or the Upaniṣads, which are the head of the Vedas.

The following are a few Vedic references regarding the phrase dāsa- prabhu-bheda: In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3) and Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.23) it is stated: yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām—“The Lord is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.” Also in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.1.1 and 4) it is stated: kaścid dhīraḥ pratyag ātmānam aikṣad āvṛtta-cakṣur amṛtatvam icchan—“With a desire to attain immortality, a sober practitioner sees the Supreme Lord while closing his eyes,” and mahāntaṃ vibhum ātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati—“A sober worshiper, after realizing the great, all-pervading Supersoul no longer laments.” In Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.3) it is stated: madhye vāmanam āsīnaṃ viśve devā upāsate—“Śrī Vāmanadeva is sitting amongst all the demigods, who are worshiping Him.” In Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.12-13) it is stated: tam ātmasthaṃ ye’ nupaśyanti dhīras- teṣāṃ sukhaṃ śāśvataṃ (śānti śāśvatī) netareṣām—“Only the wise person who can see that Supreme Soul within his heart becomes peaceful and enjoys transcendental bliss.” In Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.3.8) it is stated: yaj jñātvā mucyate jantur amṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati—“By knowing Him, even the animals attain liberation and become immortal.” In Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.3.17) it is stated: taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtam—“Know for certain that He is pure and immortal.”

In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.4) it is stated: dve vidye veditavya iti, ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti–parā caivāparā ca—“There are two kinds of educational systems. One deals with transcendental knowledge [parā

vidyā] and the other with material knowledge [aparā vidyā].” In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12 and 13) it says: tad-vijñānārthaṃ sa gurum evābhigacchet—“In order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master,” and tasmai sa vidvān upasannāyayenākṣaraṃ puruṣaṃ veda satyaṃ provāca tāṃ tattvato brahma-vidyām—“The spiritual master properly instructs a surrendered disciple about the Absolute Truth by which a disciple will understand the inexhaustible Lord.” Muṇḍaka (2.1.10) states: etad yo veda nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ so ‘vidyā-granthiṃ vikiratiha saumya—“O beautiful one, he who knows this most confidential knowledge of the Supreme Brahman is freed from material bondage born of nescience.” Muṇḍaka (2.2.7 and 9) state: tad vijñānena paripaśyanti dhīrā ānanda-rūpam amṛtam yad vibhāti—“By knowledge of the Absolute Truth, the sober practitioners realize that blissful, immortal, all-pervading Supreme Lord,” and

hiraṇmaye pare kośe virajaṃ brahma niṣkalam tac chubhraṃ jyotiṣāṃ jyotis tad yad ātma-vido viduḥ

“The Supreme Lord is the Supreme Brahman, devoid of any connection with māyā and without any transformation, and He resides in the effulgent supreme abode beyond the material covering. The self-realized souls know Him to be the bright illumination of the sun.” Also Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.1-3), Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, Chapter 4, and Ṛk-saṃhitā (2.3.17) state:

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte tayor anyaḥ pippalaṃ svādv atty anaśnann anyo ‘bhicākaśīti

“Two companion birds sit together in the shelter of the same pippala tree. One of them is relishing the taste of the tree’s berries, while the other refrains from eating and instead watches over His friend.

samāne vṛkṣe puruṣo nimagno

nīśayā śocati muhyamānaḥ juṣṭaṃ yadā paśyaty anyam īśam asya mahimānam eti vīta-śokaḥ

“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the enjoying bird is full of anxiety and morose; but if somehow he turns to his friend, the Lord, and knows His glories, at once he is freed from all anxiety.

yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṃ kartāram īśaṃ puruṣaṃ brahma-yonim tadā vidyān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya nirañjanaḥ paramaṃ sāmyam upaiti

“When one realizes the golden form of Lord Gaurāṅga, who is the ultimate actor and the source of the Supreme Brahman, he attains the highest knowledge. He transcends both pious and impious activities, becomes free from worldly bondage, and enters the divine abode of the Lord.” Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.4) states: ātma-krīḍa ātma-ratiḥ kriyāvāneṣa brahma-vidāṃ variṣṭaḥ—“A practitioner who plays with the self-sporting Supreme Lord and whose love and attachment is directed towards the Lord is the topmost knower of Brahman.” Muṇḍaka (3.1.5) says: yaṃ paśyanti yatayaḥ kṣīṇa-doṣāḥ—“He whom the faultless renounced practitioners see.” Muṇḍaka (3.1.8) states: jñāna-prasādena viśuddha-sattvas tu taṃ paśyate niṣkalaṃ dhyāyamānaḥ—“If by the mercy of spiritual knowledge one meditates on the unchangable, pure Supreme Lord, he can get darśana of Him.” Muṇḍaka (3.1.9) says: eṣo ‘ṇur ātmā cetasā veditavyaḥ—“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence.” Muṇḍaka (3.2.1) says: upāsate puruṣaṃ ye hy akāmās te śukram etad ativartanti dhīrāḥ—“Those sober persons who worship the most pure personality, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, become free from all material desires and are liberated from the bondage of māyā.” Muṇḍaka (3.2.4) states: nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo etair upāyair yatate yas tu vidvāṃs tasyaiṣa ātmā viśate brahma-dhāma—“A person devoid of strength in devotional service cannot achieve the Supreme

Soul, the Lord. Only one who is eager to practice devotional service through the process of chanting His holy names can enter the supreme abode of the Lord.” Muṇḍaka (3.2.8) states: tathā vidvān nāma-rūpād vimuktaḥ parāt-paraṃ puruṣam upaiti divyam—“At that time a Vaiṣṇava, conversant with the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, becomes free from material names and forms and attains the transcendental Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”

In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.4) it is stated: ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān na bibheti kadācana—“After achieving the loving service of the Supreme Lord, a practioner becomes fearless.” Taittirīya (2.5) states: ātmānandamayaḥ. ānanda ātmā brahma pucchaṃ pratiṣṭhā—“The Supreme Lord is full of ecstasy. The impersonal Brahman is His bodily effulgence. He is the source of Brahman.” Taittirīya (2.7.1) states: yad vai tat sukṛtam raso vai saḥ, rasaṃ hy evāyaṃ labdhvānandī bhavati. eṣa hy evānandayati. atha so ‘bhayaṃ gato bhavati—“When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful. He alone is the source of all pleasure.

Therefore by knowing Him one becomes fearless.” Taittirīya (3.6) states: ānando brahmeti vyajānāt. ānandoddhy eva khilvimāni bhūtāni jāyante. ānandena jātāni jīvanti. ānandaṃ prayanty abhisaṃviśantīti. tad brahmety upāsīta—“By undergoing austerity, he realized the blissful Supreme Brahman, from whom all living entities are born, by whom the living entities are maintained, and into whom the living entities enter at the time of annihilation. One should worship Him alone.”

The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (1.1) states: om ity etad akṣaram udgītha- mupāsīta—“One should worship with the hymns of the Sāma Veda that inexhaustible Lord, who is nondifferent from oṃkāra.” Chāndogya Upaniṣad (3.14) states: sarvaṃ khalv idaṃ brahma taj jalāniti śānta upāsīta—“Whatever we see is a manifestation of Brahman. Everything is created, maintained, and annihilated by Brahman. Therefore one should peacefully worship Him.” In Chāndogya Upaniṣad (4.9) it is stated: ācāryāddhy eva vidyā viditā sādhiṣṭhaṃ prāpayatīti—“One should learn

devotional service from an ācārya and worship the Lord, then he will certainly attain his goal of life.” Chāndogya (6.8.16) states: sa ātmā tat tvam asi śvetaketo īti—“You are that soul, O Śvetaketu.” Chāndogya (6.14) states: ācāryavān puruṣo veda—“One who approaches a bona fide spiritual master can understand everything about spiritual realization.” Chāndogya (7.25) states: ātmaivedaṃ sarvam iti sa vā eṣa evaṃ paśyannevaṃ manvān evaṃ vijānann ātma-ratir ātma-krīḍa ātma- mithuna ātmānandaḥ sa svarāḍ bhavati—“A practitioner who knows that this entire world is a form of the supreme soul, the Lord, who is self- satisfied, self-sporting, and engaged in enjoying pastimes with His associates, thus lives with the Lord as a distinct entity. Such a person then attains loving service to the Lord and becomes freed from material bondage.” Chāndogya (8.3) states: atha ya eṣa samprasādo ‘smāc charīrāt samutthāya paraṃ jyoti-rūpa-sampadya svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyata eṣa ātmeti hovācaitad amṛtam bhayam etad brahmeti, tasya ha vā etasya brahmaṇo nāma satyam iti—“Then the liberated soul who has achieved the causeless mercy of the Lord leaves his body and attains the supreme effulgent Lord. He is then reinstated in his constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. He then reaches the conclusion that the Lord is the immortal, fearless, and almighty Supreme Soul.” Chāndogya (8.12) states: sa uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ sa tatra paryeti jakṣat krīḍan ramamāṇaḥ. taṃ vā etaṃ devā ātmānam upāsate—“The topmost person is he who achieves the Supreme Lord through devotional service. He enjoys food and sports in the abode of the Lord. The demigods worship that Supreme Lord.” The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.13) also states: śyāmāc chavalaṃ prapadye śavalāc chyāmaṃ prapadye. vidhūya pāpaṃdhūtvā śarīram kṛtaṃ kṛtātmā brahma-lokam- abhisambhavāmīti—“For receiving the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, I surrender unto His energy [Rādhā], and for receiving the mercy of His energy, I surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. By worshiping Them a practitioner becomes freed from all sinful reactions and, being fully satisfied, he goes to the eternal abode of the Lord.”

The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (1.4) states: ātmānam eva priyam upāsīta—“One should worship the Supreme Lord, who is most dear to everyone.” Bṛhad-āraṇyaka (2.1) states: maitasmin saṃvadiṣṭā indro vaikuṇṭho ‘parājitā seneti vā aham etam upāsa iti—“Do not argue on this topic. I worship that Lord Hari who is full of six opulences, who resides in Vaikuṇṭha, and whose associates are unconquerable.” Bṛhad-āraṇyaka (2.1) further states: yathāgneḥ kṣudrā visphuliṅgā vyuccaranty evam evāsmād ātmanaḥ sarve prāṇāḥ sarve lokāḥ sarve devāḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni vyuccaranti. tasyopaniṣat satyasya satyam iti.—“Just as small sparks emanate from a big fire, similarly all living entities, all planets, all the demigods, and all material elements such as the earth emanate from the supreme soul, Śrī Govinda. His instructions are the supreme truth.” Bṛhad-āraṇyaka (3.8) states: ya etad akṣaraṃ gārgi viditvāsmāl-lokāt praiti sa brāhmaṇaḥ—“O Gārgi, one who is acquainted with that infallible truth by which one transcends death is a brāhmaṇa.” Bṛhad- āraṇyaka (4.4) states: brahmaiva san brahāpyeti. tam etaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti—“He becomes as good as Brahman and attains Brahman. The brāhmaṇas can understand this Supreme Brahman, the Lord, through the Vedas.” Bṛhad-āraṇyaka (4.5) states: ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyaḥ—“O Maitreyi, one should constantly follow, see, hear, and remember this supreme soul, Lord Govinda.” Bṛhad-āraṇyaka (5.5) states: te devā satyam evopāsate tad etat try-ākṣaraṃ satyam iti—“The demigods

worship this Absolute Truth. Therefore these three syllables—sa, tī, aṃ—are the eternal truth [satyam].”

In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (1.7) it is stated: brahma-vido viditvā līnā brahmaṇi tat parā yoni muktāḥ—“Knowing that this Supreme Brahman is beyond material creation, the knowers of Brahman become inclined towards Him, and as a result of serving Him they become free from the five types of miseries—living within the womb, taking birth, becoming diseased, growing old, and dying.” Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (1.8) states: bhoktṛ bhāvāj jñātvā devaḥ mucyate sarva pāśaiḥ—“If one understands

the Supreme Lord, in other words, if one worships Him with full knowledge, then he becomes freed from all bondage.” Śvetāśvatara (1.9) says: jñājñau dvāv ajāv īśānīśau—“Both the Supreme Lord and the living entities are spiritual. Of the two, the Supreme Lord is great, omnipotent, and omniscient, and the living entities are minute, subordinate spiritual sparks and therefore eligible to possess limited knowledge and be controlled by māyā. But both are eternal.” Śvetāśvatara (1.10) says: haraḥ kṣarātmānāv īśate deva ekaḥ—“Although the living entities are inexhaustible, being proud by considering themselves the enjoyers of material objects, they are prone to be conditioned by māyā. Both material nature and the living entities are energies of and controlled by the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is one without a second.” Śvetāśvatara (1.11) states: jñātvā devaṃ sarva-pāśāpahāniḥ—“When one realizes the Supreme Lord in truth, he becomes freed from all material bondage.” Śvetāśvatara (1.12) states: nātaḥ paraṃ veditavyaṃ hi kiñcit—“The Supreme Lord alone is the living entities’ object of meditation.” Śvetāśvatara (1.15) also states: evam ātmātmani gṛhyate ‘sau satyenainaṃ tapasā yo ‘nupaśyati—“The Supersoul is situated within the core of everyone’s heart. One who searches after that Supreme Lord through meditation and austerity can see Him within his heart.” Śvetāśvatara (2.15) states:

yadātma-tattvena tu brahma-tattvaṃ dīpopameneha yuktaḥ prapaśyet

ajaṃ dhruvaṃ sarva-tattvair viśuddhaṃ jñātvā devaṃ mucyate sarva-pāśaiḥ

“Without the mercy of the Supreme Lord, there is no alternative for the living entities to get freedom from material bondage. Moreover, in order to receive His mercy, a living entity requires self-realization just as the darkness inside a pot can only be dissipated by a lamp. Similarly, due to our ignorance the Supreme Lord, who is the controller of the entire universe, appears unreal to us. When a living entity realizes himself, he

will automatically realize the Supreme Lord. Through knowledge of self- realization a living entity understands that though the Supreme Lord is situated within his heart, He does not take birth like an ordinary living entity. He is aloof from material activities, untouched by nescience, infallible, and supremely pure. Knowing this, the living entity becomes freed from all bondage.” Śvetāśvatara (3.1) states: ya eko jāla-vān īśata īśanībhiḥ sarvāl lokān īśata īśanībhiḥ—“Through His own internal potency, the Supreme Absolute Truth controls the living entities, the material nature, the time factor, their characteristics, and their activities, which are all subordinate to Him.” Śvetāśvatara (3.4) states: sa no buddhyā śubhayā saṃyunaktu—“May the Supreme Lord give us pure intelligence so that we can fix our mind in worshiping Him.” Śvetāśvatara (3.7) states: viśvasyaikaṃ pariveṣṭitāram īśaṃ taṃ jñātvāmṛtā bhavanti—“This entire universe is within His grip. He is all- pervading and one without a second. Everything has emanated from Him. He is the supreme controller. If one meditates on Him in this way, he achieves immortality.” Śvetāśvatara (3.8) says: tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate ‘yanāya—“One can attain the perfect stage of liberation from birth and death simply by knowing the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other way to achieve this perfection.” Śvetāśvatara (3.10) states: ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanty athetare duḥkham evāpiyanti—“Those who know this Supreme Brahman become immortal, and those who do not know Him suffer the miseries of the material world.” Śvetāśvatara (3.17) says: sarvasya prabhum īśānaṃ sarvasya śaraṇaṃ bṛhat—“That Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, is the prabhu, or master, of all living entities; therefore He is the ultimate shelter of all living entities.” Śvetāśvatara (3.20) states: tam akratuṃ paśyati vīta-śoko dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānamīśam—“When one’s contamination due to sense gratification is destroyed by His mercy and one develops attachment for the service of the Supreme Lord, such a person becomes fully satisfied and sees the glorious Lord. In this way he becomes freed from all lamentation.” Śvetāśvatara (4.13) says: kasmai

devāya haviṣā vidhema—“To Him, the Personality of Godhead, we offer our worship with oblations of ghee.” Śvetāśvatara (4.15) states: tam eva jñātvā mṛtyu pāśāś chinati—“When a human being realizes and worships Him, his material bondage is cut to pieces.” Śvetāśvatara (6.7) states: vidāma devaṃ bhuvaneśam īḍyam—“We meditate on the Supreme Lord, who is worshipable to material leaders and controllers.” Śvetāśvatara (6.13) states: jñātvā devaṃ mucyate sarva-pāśaiḥ—“Therefore one should know Him in truth and engage in His devotional service. In this way one will be relieved from all bondage born of nescience.” Śvetāśvatara (6.18) says: taṃ ha devam ātma-buddhi-prakāśaṃ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam ahaṃ prapadye—“One must surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead if he at all wants liberation.” Then Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23) states:

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”

In the Brahma-sūtra (1.1.17) it is stated: bhedavyapadeśāc ca—“Since the blissful Lord is different from the living entities, He cannot be accepted as belonging to the category of the living entities.” Brahma- sūtra (1.1.21) also states: bhedavyapadeśāc cānyaḥ—“The Supersoul has been ascertained as different from exalted living entities like the sun-god, therefore the Supersoul is certainly different from the living entities.” Brahma-sūtra (1.1.29) states: na vakturātmopadeśād iti ced adhyātma sambandha bhūmā hy asmin—“The Lord has established Himself as the only worshipable object. The characteristics of the Supersoul are found in the individual soul to a great extent, yet the Supersoul is the ecstatic and almighty life and soul of the living entity.” Brahma-sūtra (1.2.8) states: sambhoga prāptir iti cen na vaiśeṣyāt—“The distinction between the living entity and the Supreme Lord is that the living entity possesses a

material body and is therefore under the control of karma. But even though the Supreme Lord dwells within the bodies of the living entities, He is not under the control of karma. That is why He is not subjected to the feelings of material happiness and distress.” Brahma-sūtra (1.2.11) states: guhāṃ praviṣṭavātmānau hi tad darśanāt—“Both the living entity and the Supreme Lord are situated within the core of the living entity’s heart. This is well-known through the Purāṇas.” Brahma-sūtra (1.2.17) states: anavasthiter asambhavā ca netaraḥ—“The personality within your eyes is none other than the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The characteristics of Brahman such as immorality cannot remain in a reflection, in the sun-god, or in the ordinary living entities.” Brahma-sūtra (1.2.20) states: śārīraś cobhaye ‘pi hi bhedenainamadhīyate—“Both the living entity and the Supersoul are present within the body. But the followers of the Kāṇva and Mādhyandina branches of the Veda accept the Supersoul as different than the individual soul.” Brahma-sūtra (1.2.28) states: ataeva na devatā bhūtaṃ ca—“Neither the living entities nor the demigods are fit to be called Vaiśvānara, or the Supersoul. Only Lord Viṣṇu is the Supersoul.”

Brahma-sūtra (1.3.5) states: bhedavyapadeṣāt—“The Supreme Lord is one and the object of knowledge, whereas the living entities are many and the knowers. Thus they are different.” Brahma-sūtra (1.3.7) states: sthityadanābhyāṃ ca—“One remains in the tree of material existence simply as the witness while the other enjoys the fruits of that tree in the form of the results of karma, therefore they are different.” Brahma-sūtra (1.3.12) states: anya bhāvavyavṛteś ca—“He is unseen yet He sees everything. He is unheard yet He is the object of hearing. Therefore none other than the Supreme Brahman is inexhaustible.” Brahma-sūtra (1.3.18) states: itaraparāmarśāt sa iti cen nāsambhavāt—“While describing the word dahara, or the Supersoul, the living entities are also sometimes referred to as dahara. Therefore one should not consider the Supersoul as an ordinary living entity, because the eight extraordinary qualities attributed to the Supersoul can never fully manifest in the living entities.”

Brahma-sūtra (1.3.20) states: anyārthaś ca parāmaṛśaḥ—“The mention of the living entities in relation to the word dahara, or Supersoul, indicates that the living entities are meant to acquire knowledge about the Supersoul. When a living entity achieves the Supreme Brahman through His service, he can also access these eight extraordinary qualities.” Brahma-sūtra (1.3.42) states: suṣuptayutkrāntyor bhedena—“Both during deep sleep and after giving up the body, the living entity and the Supreme Brahman remain different. It is improper to say that a liberated soul becomes the Supreme Brahman. Moreover, the living entity does not possess the quality of omniscience, hence the difference is certain.” Brahma-sūtra (2.1.23) states: adhikan tu bheda nirddeśāt—“Since the Supreme Lord possesses unlimited potencies, He is superior to the living entities. The scriptures conclude that the Supreme Lord and the living entities are different because the living entities are subjected to lamentation and bewilderment whereas the Supreme Lord is full of opulences.” Brahma-sūtra (2.3.20) states: utkrāntigatyāgatīnām—“The living entity is infinitesimal, so he gives up his body, wanders to other planets, and again returns to this world to enjoy the fruits of his karma.

The Lord is infinite and all-pervading, so these things are not applicable to Him.” Brahma-sūtra (2.3. 28) states: pṛthag upadeśāt—“The constitutional knowledge of the soul is eternal. When the material designations of a conditioned living entity are vanquished, his original consciousness is revived.” Brahma-sūtra (2.3.29) states: tad guṇa- sāratvāt tad vyapadeśaḥ prājñavat—“Although the living entity is called the knower, he is full of knowledge because this quality is constitutionally present in him exactly the same way as Lord Viṣṇu is declared by the Vedas to be omniscient, yet He is full of eternal knowledge.” Brahma-sūtra (2.3.43) states: aṃśo nānāvyapadeśāt—“The living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, they are not the Supreme Brahman Himself. Their relationship with the Lord is that of dependence on the Lord.” Brahma-sūtra (2.3.50) states: ābhāsa eva ca—“Both the living entities and the incarnations such as Matsya have

been described as aṃśas, or parts. Yet the opponents’ attempt to establish equality between the incarnations of the Lord and the living entities with the argument that both are parts of the Supreme Lord is simply a reflection of the truth and is contaminated by the fault of sat-pratipakṣa, or ‘honest opposition.’ The incarnations such as Matsya are parts because they have been invested with partial potencies whereas the living entities are parts because they are localized and minute in quantity.” There are innumerable such Vedic statements and sūtras that describe the relationship between dāsa and prabhu, or between the living entities and Viṣṇu.

The proud scholars who were envious of the Vaiṣṇavas and who ridiculed the process of chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa used to say, “The living entity is the Supreme Brahman. In other words, there is no difference between the living entity and the Supreme Brahman, therefore we find no reason for the Vaiṣṇavas to consider that Viṣṇu is the master and the living entities are His eternal servants.” Due to such person’s material considerations or conceptions, they thought that the relationship of master and servant between Viṣṇu and the living entities is certainly abominable, contaminated by the material modes, and temporary.

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