Shri Gaudiya Kanthahara

by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati | 83,221 words

Shri Gaudiya Kantahara (English translation) was published by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to train devotees in the philosophy of Krishna-consciousness and to be able to quote the authoritative parts of the Vedas. A collection of over a thousand verses, sorted by tattva, includes general index, alphabetical index of verses. Verses in in Roman tr...

Chapter 8 - Śakti-tattva

The Shakti Principle

The Energies of the Supreme are Unlimited

8.1

kutaḥ punar gṛṇato nāma tasya
mahattamaikānta-parāyaṇasya
yo 'nanta-śaktir bhagavān ananto
mahad-guṇatvād yam anantam āhuḥ

What to speak of those who are under the direction of the great devotees, chanting the holy name of the Unlimited, who has unlimited energy. The Lord, who is unlimited in energy and in transcendental attributes, is called ananta, unlimited. (Bhāg. 1.18.19)

The Lord's Unlimited Energy is Divided

Into Three Principle Categories

8.2

na tasya kāryaṃ karaṇamca vidyate
na tat samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate
parāsya śaktir-vividhaiva-śrūyate
svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

He does not have a bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity: He has a transcendental form of bliss and knowledge. His senses are all transcendental. Nothing is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, such as cognitive, will and active potency. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8)

8.3

ananta-śakti-madhye kṛṣṇera tina śakti pradhāna
'icchā-śakti', 'jñāna-śakti', 'kriyā-śakti' nāma
icchā-śakti-pradhāna kṛṣṇa icchāya sarva-kartā
jñāna-śakti-pradhāna vāsudeva adhiṣṭhātā
icchā-jñāna-kriyā vinā nā haya sṛjana
tinera tina-śakti meli' prapañca-racana
kriyā-śakti-pradhāna saokarṣaṇa balarāma
prākṛtāprakṛta-sṛṣṭi karena nirmāṇa
ahaṇkārera adhiṣṭhātā kṛṣṇera icchāya
goloka, vaikuṇṭha sṛje cic-chakti-dvārāya
yadyapi asṛjya nitya cic-chakti-vilāsa
tathāpi saokarṣaṇa-icchāya tāhāra prakāśa

Kṛṣṇa has unlimited potencies, out of which three are chief willpower, the power of knowledge, and the creative energy. He is the predominator of the willing energy, for by His supreme will everything comes into existence. In willing, there is a need for knowledge, and that knowledge is expressed through Vāsudeva. There is no possibility of creation without thinking, feeling, willing, knowledge, and activity. The combination of supreme will, knowledge, and action brings about the cosmic manifestation. Lord Saṅkarśaṇa is Lord Balarāma. Being the predominator of the creative energy, He creates both the material and spiritual worlds. That original Saṅkarśaṇa is the cause of both the material and spiritual creation. He is the predominating Deity of egotism, and by the will of Kṛṣṇa and the power of the spiritual energy, He creates the spiritual world, which consists of Goloka Vṛndāvana and Vaikuṇṭha. Although there is no question of creation as far as the spiritual world is concerned, the spiritual world is nonetheless manifest by the supreme will of Saṅkarśaṇa. The spiritual world is the abode of the pastimes of the eternal spiritual energy. (Cc. Madhya 20.252-257)

Three Varieties of the Lord's Energy

8.4

kṛṣṇera ananta-śakti, tāte tina pradhāna
'cic-chakti', 'māyā-śakti', 'jiva-śakti'-nāma
'antaraṅgā', 'bahiraṅgā', 'taṭasthā' kahi yāre
antaraṅgā 'svarūpa-śakti' sabāra upare

Kṛṣṇa has unlimited potencies. They are divided into three main parts the spiritual energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy, which is the living entities. In other words, these are all potencies of God internal, external, and marginal. However, the internal energy is the Lord's personal energy and stands over the other two. (Cc. Madhya 8.151-152)

8.5

sūryāṃśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya
svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra 'śakti' haya
kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati
cic-chakti, jīva-śakti, āra māyā-śakti

The living entity is a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy. Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally has three energetic transformations and these are known as the spiritual energy, the living entity energy, and the illusory energy. (Cc. Madhya 20.109,111)

The Evidence From Śruti for Cit-śakti

8.6

te dhyāna-yogānugatā apaśyan devātma-śaktiṃ svaguṇair-nigūḍhām
yaḥ kāraṇāni nikhilāni tāni, kālātma-yuktanyadhi-tiṣṭhaty ekaḥ

Those who meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead can see His confidential, divine power (cit-śakti). The Supreme Lord alone is the energetic source of all energies. His divine power is the immediate cause of the unlimited universes. Thus the Lord Himself is the instrumental cause (nimitta) of manifesting the living beings, the worlds of time and space and all that reposes within them. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.3)

8.7

sa viṣvakṛd viśvavidātma-yoniḥ
jñah kālakālo guṇī sarva-vid yaḥ
pradhāna-kṣetrajña-patir-guṇeśaḥ
saṃsāra-mokṣa-sthiti-bandha-hetuḥ

The Supreme Lord is the ultimate creator of the universe. He knows the purpose of the universe. He is the Supersoul, the Lord in the heart of every living being. He is all-knowing, and is the greatest philosopher. He knows past, present, and future. He has all excellencies and good qualities. He is the master of the material energy (pradhāna), the living beings (jīva-śakti, kṣetrajña) and the internal, spiritual energy known as (cit-śakti, guṇa). He alone is the cause of liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death (saṃsāra) and the bondage of ignorance. (Śvetāśvatara 6.16)

The Evidence From Śmṛti for Cit-śakti

8.8

ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san
prakṛtiṃ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living beings, I still appear by My own energy (ātmā-māyā) in every millennium in My original transcendental form. (Bhagavad-gītā 4.6)

Note: ātmā-māyā refers to the spiritual potency, or cit-śakti.

The Evidence From Śmṛti for Jīva-śakti

8.9

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaokāra itīyaṃ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego these eight comprise My separated external energy. (Bhagavad-gītā 7.4)

8.10

apareyam itas tv anyāṃ prakṛtiṃ viddhi me parām
jīva-bhūtāṃ mahā-bāho yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat

O mighty-armed Arjuna, apart from My external energy, I have another energy, which is superior to matter. This energy is comprised of the living entities who are exploiting the material nature and sustaining it by infusing it with consciousness. (Bhagavad-gītā 7.5)

The Evidence From Śruti for Māyā-śakti

8.11

ajām-ekaṃ lohita-śukla-kṛṣṇāṃ bahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛjamānāṃ sarūpāḥ
ajo hyeko juṣamāṇo'nuśete jahātyenāṃ bhukta-bhogāmajo'nyaḥ

Material nature consists of three modes goodness, passion, and ignorance and is the mother of the innumerable living beings within the universe. It is brought into existence and supported by the one unborn Lord, who is full in self-knowledge. That unborn Lord, however, does not consort with His material energy. He independently enjoys the pleasure of His transcendental pastimes. But the living entity enjoys her and thus becomes bound. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.5)

The Evidence From Śmṛti for Māyā-śakti

8.12

prakṛtiṃ svām avaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaṃ kṛtsnam avaśaṃ prakṛter vaśāt

This whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated. (Bhagavad-gītā 9.8)

8.13

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate

O son of Kuntī, material nature is under My control. It produces all beings, both moving and non-moving. Under My supervision the material world comes into existence. (Bhagavad-gītā 9.10)

Two Kinds of Māyā Guṇa-māyā and Jīva-māyā

8.14

ṛte 'rthaṃ yat pratīyeta na pratīyeta cātmani
tad vidyād ātmano māyāṃ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ

O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My māyā, My illusory energy that reflection which appears in darkness. (Bhāg. 2.9.34)

Material Māyā is the Shadow of Yoga-māyā

8.15

sṛṣṭhi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir-ekā
chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā
icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
govindam ādi puruṣaṃ tam ahaṃ bhajāmi

The external energy, māyā, is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency. She is worshiped as Durgā the agent of the Lord who is responsible for creating, preserving, and destroying the mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself. (Brahmā-Saṃhitā 5.44)

8.16

vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe 'muyā
vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ

The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine." (Bhāg. 2.5.13)

ḥlādinī, Saṃvit, Sandhinī Three Kinds of Energy

8.17

hlādinī sandhinī samvit tvayyekā sarva saṃsthitau
hlādatāpakarī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite

O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes ḥlādinī, sandhinī, and saṃvit exist only in You as one spiritual energy, but the material modes, which cause happiness, misery, and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.12.68)

8.18

sac-cid-ānanda-maya haya īśvara-svarūpa
tina aṃśe cic-śakti haya tina rūpa
ānandāṃśe 'hlādinī', sad-aṃśe 'sandhinī'
cid-aṃśe 'samvit', yāre jñāna kari māni

The Supreme Person in His original form is full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. The spiritual potency in these three portions assumes three different forms. These three potencies are called ḥlādinī reposes (the bliss portion), sandhinī (the eternity portion), and saṃvit (the knowledge portion). Knowledge of these is full knowledge of the Supreme Lord. (Cc. Madhya 6.158,159)

8.19

svayan tv asāmyātiśayas-tryadhīsaḥ

svārājya-lakṣmy-āpta-samasta-kāmaḥ

baliṃ haradbhiś cira-loka-pālaiḥ

kirīṭa-koṭy eḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently supreme by achievement of all kinds of fourtune. He is worshiped by the eternal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by touching their millions of helmets to His feet. (Bhāg. 3.2.21)

8.20

viṣṇu-śaktiū parā proktā kṣtretrajñākhyā tathā-parā

avidyā karma-saṃjñanyā tṛtīyā śaktir-iṣyate

Viṣṇu-śakti, the energy of Kṛṣṇa is threefold: parā-śakti, or the Lord's superior, spiritual energy; kṣetrajña-śakti, or the marginal living beings; and avidya-śakti, or the illusory energy, which is characterized by karma, the world of action and reaction. In other words, the potency of Lord Viṣṇu is summarized in three categories namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although belong to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.7.61)

Those who are Most Dear to Kṛṣṇa are His Internal Energy

8.21

īśvarera śakti haya e-tina prakāra

eka lakṣmī-gaṇa, pure mahiṣī-gaṇa āra

vraje gopī-gaṇa āra sabhāte pradhāna

vrajendra-nandana yā'te svayaṃ bhagavān

The energies (consorts) of the Supreme Lord are of three kinds: the Lakṣmīs in Vaikuṇṭha, the queens in Dvāraka, and the gopīs in Vṛndāvana. The gopīs are the best of all, for they have the privilege of serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord, the son of the King of Vraja (Cc. Ādi 1.79,80)

Śrī Rādhikā is Kṛṣṇa's Most Complete Energy

8.22

rādhā pūrṇa-śakti, kṛṣṇa pūrṇa-śaktimān

dui vastu bheda nāi, śāstra-paramāṇa

mṛgamada, tāra gandha yaiche aviccheda

agni, jvālāte yaiche kabhu nāhi bheda

rādhā-kṛṣṇa aiche sadā eka-i svarūpa

līlā-rasa āsvādite dhare dui-rūpa

Śrī Rādhā is the full energy, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of full power. The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its heat are nondifferent. Thus Rādhā and Lord Kṛṣṇa are one, yet They have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes. (Cc. Ādi 4.96-98)

All the Lakṣmīs are Expansions of Śrī Rādhā

8.23

avatārī kṛṣṇa yaiche kare avatāra

aṃśinī rādhā haite tina gaṇera vistāra

vaibhava-gaṇa yena tṃṅra aṅga-vibhūti

bimba-pratibimba-rūpa mahiṣīra tati

lakṣmī-gaṇa tṃṅra vaibhava-vilāsāṃśa-rūpa

mahiñī-gaṇa vaibhāva prakāśa svarūpa

ākāra-svabhāva-bhede vraja devī gaṇa

kāya-vyuha-rūpa tṃṅra rasera kāraṇa

Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the fountainhead of all avatāras, so Śrī
Rādhā is the cause of all the consorts of the Supreme Lord in all his different features. The goddesses of fortune in Vaikuṇṭha are partial manifestations of Śrī Rādhā, and the queens of Dvāraka are reflections of Her image. The goddesses of fortune are Her plenary portions, and they display the forms of vaibhava-vilāsa. The queens are of the nature of Her vaibhava-prakāśa. (Cc. Ādi 4.76-78)

Thus ends the Eight Chapter of the Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Śakti-tattva.

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