Verse 13.31

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.31:

यदा भूत-पृथग्-भावम् एक-स्थम् अनुपश्यति ।
तत एव च विस्तारं ब्रह्म संपद्यते तदा ॥ ३१ ॥

yadā bhūta-pṛthag-bhāvam eka-stham anupaśyati |
tata eva ca vistāraṃ brahma saṃpadyate tadā || 31 ||

yadā–when; bhūta–the living beings; pṛthag-bhāvam–diverse nature; eka-stham–situated in one nature, parā-prakṛti, the transcendental potency;anupaśyati–he sees by following the guidance of previous authorities; tataḥ–thereafter; eva–certainly; ca–and; vistāram–born from; brahma–(realization of) spiritual transcendence; saṃpadyate–he attains; tadā–at that time.

When he sees that the diverse natures of all moving and non-moving beings are situated within one transcendental energy (parā-prakṛti), and when he understands all of them to be born from that same energy, he attains realization of transcendence.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

During annihilation‚ all moving and non-moving beings of various shapes merge into the one material nature, and later, at the time of creation, they again manifest from that same material nature. Those who truly perceive this attain the state of brahma.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Only because a person identifies himself with the body does he see the various forms, or bodies, of others such as demigods, human beings, dogs, cats, śūdras, Hindus and Muslims. The cause of this mundane differentiation is ignorance, whereby a person falsely identifies himself with the body. Due to this ignorance, one forgets Bhagavān. When remembrance of Bhagavān awakens within him by the influence of the association of pure Vaiṣṇavas, all his ignorance is dispelled and his conceptions regarding material differences are removed. At that time, he becomes situated in brahma, which is endowed with eight qualities. He perceives everything equally at all times and ultimately he attains that topmost bhakti. Sometimes in the scriptures, an individual soul endowed with these eight special qualities has been called brahma or brahma-bhūta.

These eight qualities are given as follows:

ya ātmāpahata-pāpnā vijaro vimṛtyur viśoko vijighitso’pipāsaḥ
satya-kāmaḥ satya-saṅkalpaḥ so’nveṣṭavyaḥ sa vijijñāsitavyaḥ

One should search for and know the soul who is completely free from (1) the miseries arising from desires for sense objects, (2) miseries such as old age, (3) death, (4) lamentation, (5) an enjoying propensity and (6) mundane aspirations. That soul is (7) endowed with pure aspirations (satya-kāma), and (8) able to attain whatever he desires (satya-saṅkalpa).

This is also explained in the Gītā (18.54), “brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā–ultimately, one who is a brahma-bhūtātmā, situated transcendentally, beyond the contamination of the three modes of nature, achieves supreme bhakti.” The living entity’s ultimate objective is to achieve supreme devotion, or parā-bhakti. It is improper to say, “Parambrahma achieves parā-bhakti‚” because parā-bhakti means ‘to render service to the feet of Parambrahma’.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “When a man of true wisdom sees that during annihilation, all moving and non-moving living entities of various shapes are situated in prakṛti only, and that at the time of creation, those varieties again manifest from the same prakṛti, he becomes free from the tendency to differentiate between material designations. He then realizes his real spiritual identity and his relationship with brahma (the Absolute Reality). Now I will explain how the living entity, having acquired this knowledge of qualitative oneness, perceives Paramātmā, who is present as the witness.”