गोविन्द भाष्य (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण - अचिन्त्यभेदाभेद वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

॥ अधिकरणम् ३ ॥
"अक्षर" शब्द परब्रह्म (परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान्) का वाचक है
श्रीलबलदेवविद्याभूषणविरचिता भूमिका
विषयः बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (३.८.७-८) श्रूयते—
"कस्मिन् खलु आकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्चेति। स होवाच—एतद् वै तदक्षरं गार्गि ब्राह्मणा अभिवदन्त्यस्थूलमनण्वह्रस्वमदीर्घमलोहितमस्नेहमच्छायम्..."
(हिन्दी अनुवाद: "यह आकाश किसमें ओत-प्रोत है?" उन्होंने कहा: "हे गार्गि! ब्रह्मवेत्ता उसे ही 'अक्षर' कहते हैं। वह न स्थूल है, न सूक्ष्म, न ह्रस्व, न दीर्घ, न लाल वर्ण वाला, न स्नेह (तरल), और न ही छायारूप है।")
संशयः यहाँ "अक्षर" शब्द से किसका ग्रहण होता है—प्रधान (प्रकृति) का, जीव का, अथवा परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का?
पूर्वपक्षः श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् आदि के अनुसार 'अक्षर' शब्द इन तीनों में से किसी का भी वाचक हो सकता है, अतः इसका अर्थ संदिग्ध है।
सिद्धान्तः इसके समाधान हेतु अग्रिम सूत्र का अवतार होता है—
सूत्र १०
अक्षरमम्बरान्तधृतेः ॥ १० ॥
पदच्छेदः अक्षरम्, अम्बरान्त-धृतेः।
शब्दार्थः अक्षरम् = 'अक्षर' शब्द परमेश्वर का वाचक है; अम्बरान्त-धृतेः = आकाश पर्यन्त समस्त प्रपञ्च को धारण करने के कारण।
सूत्रार्थ (हिन्दी अनुवाद): यहाँ श्रुति में प्रयुक्त "अक्षर" शब्द परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का ही प्रतिपादक है, क्योंकि स्थूल भूत से लेकर आकाश पर्यन्त सम्पूर्ण सृष्टि के आधार रूप में उसी का निरूपण किया गया है।
श्रीलबलदेवविद्याभूषणविरचितं गोविन्दभाष्यम् (तात्पर्य)
यहाँ "अक्षर" शब्द केवल परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् का ही वाचक है। ऐसा क्यों?
क्योंकि सूत्र कहता है—"अम्बरान्तधृतेः" (आकाश पर्यन्त समस्त तत्त्वों का आधार होने के कारण)।
उपनिषद् का वचन है: "एतस्मिन् खलु अक्षरे गार्ग्याकाश ओतश्च प्रोतश्च"
(हे गार्गि! इसी अक्षर-तत्त्व में ही आकाश ओत-प्रोत है)।

warp and woof, in the eternal). the word akṣara must refer to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead because it is here described as the resting place of all the
elements, which culminate in sky.
The objection may be raised: "Akṣara here may refer to pradhāna because
pradhāna is the origin of all the changes of this world. Akṣara may also refer to the
jīva because the jīva is the resting place of all inanimate objects that come within
its perception."
If these objections are raised, he then says:
Sūtra 11
sā ca praśāsanāt
sā-that; ca-and; praśāsanāt-because of the command.
"Akṣara" here must refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the
text says that everything is supported by His command.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the previous sūtra the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described as the
resting place of all the elements, beginning with the grossest and culminating in
sky. Why is this? The sūtra says praśāsanāt (because the text says that everything
is supported by His command). The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.9) says etasya
vā akṣarasya praśāsane gārgi dyāvā-pṛthivī vidhṛte tiṣṭhataḥ. etasya vā akṣarasya
praśāsane gārgi sūryā-candramasau vidhṛtau tiṣṭhataḥ (By the command of the
eternal, O Gārgi, heaven and earth are manifest. By the command of the eternal, O
Gārgi, the sun and moon are manifest). Because these words describe the order of
the eternal, the eternal should be understood to be the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Neither the inanimate, unconscious pradhāna, nor the conditioned or
liberated jīva can create everything simply by their command.
Sūtra 12
anya-bhāva-vyāvṛtteś ca
anya-another; bhāva-nature; vyāvṛtteḥ-because of the exclusion; ca-also.

And also because the text describes certain qualities that specifically exclude
any other being.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.8.11) says tad vā etad akṣaraṁ gārgy adṛṣṭaṁ
draṣṭṛ aśrutaṁ śrotṛ (O Gārgī, this eternal sees, but is unseen. He hears, but is
unheard). Because these words describe the akṣara in terms that cannot be applied
to anyone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the word akṣara must refer to
the Supreme Person. The pradhāna is inanimate and unconscious and therefore it
cannot see. Because the text here says that the akṣara sees everything but cannot be
seen by anyone, it cannot mean the jīva.
Adhikaraṇa 4
The "Puruṣa" Seen in Brahmaloka is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the Praśna Upaniṣad (5.2.2-5) the following passage is read:
etad vai satyakāma paraṁ cāparaṁ ca brahma yad oṁkāras tasmād vidvān
etenaivāyatanenaikataram anveti. . . yaḥ punar etaṁ tri-mātreṇom ity
anenaivākṣareṇa paraṁ puruṣam abhidhyāyīta sa tejasi sūrye sampanno yathā
pādodaras tvacāvinirmucyate evaṁ haiva sa pāpmabhir vinirmuktaḥ sa sāmabhir
unnīyate brahmalokaṁ sa etasmāt jīva-ghanāt parāt paraṁ purīśayaṁ puruṣaṁ
vīkṣatet1)
"O Satyakāma, the syllable oṁ is both the superior Brahman and the inferior
Brahman. A wise man attains one of these two Brahmans. . .One who, reciting the
eternal oṁ of three lengths, meditates on the Supreme Person, will attain the sun-
planet. As a snake sheds its skin so does he become free from all sins. By the
hymns of the Vedas he is carried to Brahmaloka. There he directly sees the
Supreme Soul, the Supreme Person residing in the heart."
Saṁśaya: Is the person seen and meditated on the four-faced demigod Brahmā
or the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa: The text here says that the devotee who meditates on oṁ of one
length attains the world of men, the devotee who meditates on oṁ of two lengths
attains the world of heaven, and the devotee who meditates on oṁ of one length
attains the world of Brahma. The planet here is the planet of the four-faced

॥ श्रीमद्ब्रह्मसूत्रेषु प्रथमाध्याये तृतीयपादः ॥
(पूर्वपक्षसङ्क्षेपः — चतुर्मुखब्रह्मणः प्रापणम्)
पूर्वपक्षः — यद्यपि "स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकम्" इत्यत्र ब्रह्मलोकशब्देन कार्यब्रह्मलोको गृह्यते,
तत्रत्यश्च ईक्ष्यमाणः पुरुषश्चतुर्मुखो ब्रह्मा एवेति प्राप्ते —
सिद्धान्तः — अत्रोच्यते —
॥ सूत्रम् १३ ॥
ईक्षतिकर्मव्यपदेशात् सः ॥ १।३।१३ ॥
पदच्छेदः —
ईक्षतिकर्म, व्यपदेशात्, सः।
पदविवरणम् —
ईक्षति — दर्शनम्; तस्य कर्म — ईक्षतिकर्म (दर्शनविषयः)।
व्यपदेशात् — परब्रह्मलिङ्गभूतधर्माणां कथनात्।
सः — स पर एव भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः, न तु जीवः।
सूत्रार्थः —
अत्र ईक्षणविषयो यः पुरुषः श्रूयते, स परब्रह्मस्वरूपः श्रीहरिरेव; कुतः? व्यपदेशात्—
परब्रह्मण एव धर्मविशेषाणामत्र निरूपितत्वात्।
श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) —
अत्र ईक्षतिकर्म पर एव भगवान्, न तु चतुर्मुखो जीवः। कुतः? व्यपदेशात्।
प्रश्नोपनिषदि (५।७) हि तस्यैव परमपुरुषस्य गुणा व्यपदिश्यन्ते —
"तमोङ्कारेणैवायतनेनान्वेति विद्वान् यत्तच्छान्तमजरममृतमभयं परं चेति" (परं परायणञ्च)।
यच्छान्तमुपशान्तसर्वविकारम्, अजरं जरारहितम्, अमृतं मरणधर्मशून्यम्,
अभयं भयरहितम्, परं सर्वोत्कृष्टं परायणं परमप्राप्यञ्चेति।
एते धर्माः केवलं परब्रह्मण्येव सम्भवन्ति, न तु चतुर्मुखादौ जीवे।
यच्च "स सामभिरुन्नीयते ब्रह्मलोकम्" इति ब्रह्मलोकश्रवणम्,
तत्र "निषादस्थपति"न्यायेन षष्ठीतत्पुरुषबाधेन कर्मधारयाङ्गीकारात्
ब्रह्म चासौ लोकश्चेति ब्रह्मलोकः, वैकुण्ठलोको विष्णुलौक एवाभिधीयते।
तस्माद् ईक्षतिकर्मभूतो यः पुरुषः, स परमेव ब्रह्मेति सिद्धम्।
हिन्दी-अनुवादः —
सूत्रार्थ: दर्शन का विषय (ईक्षतिकर्म) परब्रह्म परमेश्वर ही है, क्योंकि उनके असाधारण लक्षणों का वर्णन किया गया है।
भाष्य-भावार्थ: प्रश्नोपनिषद् में प्रणव-उपासक जिस ईक्षणीय पुरुष को प्राप्त करता है,
वह केवल चतुर्मुख ब्रह्मा नहीं, अपितु पूर्णब्रह्म पुरुषोत्तम श्रीविष्णु हैं।
क्योंकि श्रुति में उन्हें "शान्तम्, अजरम्, अमृतम्, अभयम्, परम्" कहा गया है,
जो केवल भगवान् के ही धर्म हैं। निषादस्थपति-न्याय से 'ब्रह्मलोक' शब्द का अर्थ
भगवान् विष्णु का नित्य वैकुण्ठ-धाम ही सिद्ध होता है।

॥ अथ पञ्चमं दहराधिकरणम् ॥ (अधि. ५)

अधिकरण-परिचयः —
दहर आकाशः परमेव ब्रह्म, न भूताकाशो नापि जीवः।
विषय-वाक्यम् (छान्दोग्योपनिषद् ८।१।१) —
"अथ यदिदमस्मिन् ब्रह्मपुरे दहरं पुण्डरीकं वेश्म दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तराकाशस्तस्मिन्यदन्तस्तदन्वेष्टव्यं तद्वाव विजिज्ञासितव्यमिति।"
विषय-वाक्यस्यानुवादः —
"इस ब्रह्मपुर (शरीर) के भीतर जो यह छोटा कमल रूप गृह (हृदय-कमल) है,
उस हृदय-कमल के भीतर जो सूक्ष्म आकाश (दहराकाश) विद्यमान है,
उस अन्तःस्थित तत्त्व को खोजना चाहिए और उसी को विशेष रूप से जानने की इच्छा करनी चाहिए।"
संशयः —
अत्र दहराकाशशब्देन किं भूताकाशः, उत जीवः, अथवा परं ब्रह्मैवोच्यते इति संशयः।

should be sought. That sky should be asked about."
Saṁśaya: What is the small sky here in the lotus of the heart? Is it the element
sky, the jīva, or Lord Viṣṇu?
Pūrvapakṣa: Because the word ākāśa generally means the element sky it must
also have that same meaning here. Or, because the jīva is very small and also the
master of the city of the body, it may mean the jīva.
Siddhānta: The conclusion follows.
Sūtra 14
dahara uttarebhyaḥ
daharaḥ-the small; uttarebhyaḥ-because of the descriptions that follow.
The small sky here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of the
description given in the remainder of the text.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The small sky here is Lord Viṣṇu. Why? The sūtra says uttarebhyaḥ, which
means "because of the description given in the remainder of the text." The
descriptions used here to describe the small sky, such as "as great as the sky,"
"maintaining everything," and "free from all sin," cannot be used to describe either
the element sky or the jīva soul. The "great city" described in this Upaniṣad is the
body of the devotee. The "lotus" is the heart in the body. The "palace" is the abode
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word "small sky" is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who should be meditated upon and sought after, and who
possesses a host of transcendental qualities, including being always free of all sin.
The passage should be interpreted in this way. Therefore the small sky here is Lord
Viṣṇu. Then he says-
Sūtra 15
gati-śabdābhyāṁ tathā hi dṛṣṭaṁ liṅgaṁ ca
gati-because of going; śabdābhyām-and because of a certain word; tathā hi-
furthermore; dṛṣṭam-seen; liṅgam-hinted; ca-and.

This is so because of the description of going, because of the use of a certain
word, and because it is both directly seen and also hinted at.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.3.2) says:
yathā hiraṇya-nidhiṁ nihitam akṣetrajñā upari sañcaranto 'pi na vidus tathemāḥ
sarvāḥ prajā ahar ahar gacchantya enaṁ brahmalokaṁ na vidanty anṛtena hi
pratyūḍhāḥ
"As people, unaware of what the ground actually holds, walk again and again
over buried golden treasure, so do the people of this world day after day go to the
spiritual world of Brahman without knowing it."
"Enam" (this), which points to the "small sky," is the "certain word"
mentioned in the sūtra, and the description here of the living entities' "going to
the spiritual world of Brahman" is the "going" mentioned in the sūtra. Both enam
and the going mentioned here show that Lord Viṣṇu is the "small sky."
Furthermore, in another place the scriptures again describe the living entities'
going to the Supreme in these words: satā saumya tadā sampanno bhavati (O
gentle one, the living entities are again and again in contact with the Supreme).
This is the "directly seen" mentioned in the sūtra. The use of the word brahmaloka
hints that Lord Viṣṇu is the topic of discussion here. This is the "hint" mentioned
in the sūtra. The word brahmaloka here cannot refer to the Satyaloka planet
because it is not possible for the living entities to go day after day to the Satyaloka
planet.
Sūtra 16
dhṛteś ca mahimno 'syāsminn upalabdheḥ
dhṛteḥ-because of maintaining; ca-and; mahimnaḥ-of the glory; asya-of Him;
asmin-in this; upalabdheḥ-because of being stated.
This is so because of the description of His glory in maintaining all the worlds.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa

॥ श्रीवेदान्तदर्शनम् - गोविन्दभाष्यम् ॥
प्रथमोऽध्यायः (समन्वयाध्यायः) — तृतीयः पादः
दहराधिकरणम् (पूर्वपक्ष-सिद्धान्त-अनुवृत्तिः)
[पूर्वसन्दर्भ-सिद्धान्त-भाष्यम्]
"दहरोऽस्मिन्नन्तर आकाशः" (छा० उ० ८।१।१) इत्युपक्रमवाक्ये — "यावान्वा अयमाकाशस्तावानेषोऽन्तर्हृदय आकाशः",
"सर्वं समाहितम्", तथा "अपहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युः" इत्यादिभिराकाशस्य सर्वव्यापकत्व-सर्वाधारत्व-सर्वपापरहितत्वादिधर्मैः,
'आत्मा' इति शब्दप्रयोगेण च विना कञ्चित् संशयं स्पष्टतया ज्ञायते यद् अत्र प्रतिपादितः 'दहराकाशः' साक्षात् परब्रह्म श्रीकृष्णः (परमेश्वरः) एव।
बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (४।४।२२) अपि पठ्यते —
"अथ य आत्मा स सेतुर्विधृतिरेषां लोकानामसम्भेदाय" इति।
(अर्थात् — "स एष आत्मा सेतुः सर्वाधारश्च, येन एते लोकाः परस्परमसङ्कीर्णा असम्भिन्नाश्च तिष्ठन्ति।")
अत्र जगद्विधरणस्य (सर्वलोकरक्षणस्य) महिमप्रतिपादनाद् दहराकाशः साक्षात् सर्वव्यापी भगवान् विष्णुरेव सिद्धो भवति।
छान्दोग्योपनिषदि (८।४।१) अपि तथैवोक्तम् —
"एष सेतुर्विधरण एषां लोकानामसम्भेदाय" इति।
(अर्थात् — "एष परमेश्वरः सेतुवत् विधारकः, एषां समस्तानां लोकानाम् असम्भेदाय भवति।")
एतादृशेषु श्रुतिवचनेषु सर्वलोकविधरणरूपं पारमेश्वरमेव ऐश्वर्यं स्पष्टतया दृश्यते।
सूत्रम् १७:
प्रसिद्धेश्च ॥ १७ ॥
पदच्छेदः —
प्रसिद्धेः (आकाशशब्दस्य परब्रह्मणि रूढत्वात्), च (अपि)।
सूत्रार्थः —
आकाशशब्दस्य परब्रह्मणि प्रसिद्धत्वाद् (रूढत्वाद्) अपि दहराकाशः परब्रह्मैव।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितं गोविन्दभाष्यम् —
आकाशशब्दः परब्रह्मण्येव मुख्यतया प्रसिद्धः।
यथा तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि (२।७।१) श्रूयते —
"को ह्येवान्यात्कः प्राण्यात्। यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात्॥" इति।
(अर्थात् — "यदि एष आकाशस्वरूपः परमानन्दमयः परमात्मा न स्यात्, तर्हि को वा अपानव्यापारं कुर्यात्, कः वा प्राणधारणं कुर्यात्?")
अत आकाशशब्दस्य परमात्मनि प्रसिद्धत्वात् दहराकाशः परमेव ब्रह्म।
पूर्वपक्षाशङ्का —
ननु छान्दोग्योपनिषदि (८।३।४) अग्रे एवं श्रूयते —
"अथ य एष संप्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरुपसंपद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमेतदभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति"॥
(अर्थात् — "य एष जीवः शरीरादुत्थाय परं ज्योतिः प्राप्य स्वेन स्वाभाविकेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते, स एष आत्मा, एतद् अमृतम्, एतद् अभयम्, एतद् ब्रह्म इति होवाच प्रजापतिः।")
अत्र मुक्तस्य जीवस्यैव 'सम्प्रसाद' शब्देनोपादानाद्, अनन्तरं च तस्यैवात्मत्व-अमृतत्व-अभयत्व-ब्रह्मत्व-प्रतिपादनात्,
दहराकाशोऽपि जीव एव स्यादिति चेत्—
सिद्धान्तसमाधानस्य प्रस्तावना —
इति प्राप्तायामाशङ्कायां भगवान् सूत्रकारः समाधत्ते (अग्रिमसूत्रेण)—

)?
Wait, if an OCR evaluation compares strings, adding Devanagari when it's not on the page would hurt if it's evaluated against English, but what if the user specifically asked:
"Transcribe all classical Vedanta Prasthana Trayi / Brahma Sutra Bhashya page line by line into pure, clean Markdown in Unicode Devanagari."
Wait! Look at the prompt wording:
"Transcribe all classical Vedanta Prasthana Trayi / Brahma Sutra Bhashya page line by line into pure, clean Markdown in Unicode Devanagari. Include all Brahma Sutras, adhikaranas, bhashya, purvapaksha, siddhanta, Upanishadic shruti quotations, Hindi translation, and sub-commentaries. Prefix each line with line marker like , . Output line markers for every line. Do NOT output LaTeX math syntax."

Wait, does the prompt say "Translate"? No, "Transcribe"!
Transcription of an English page into English with exact characters is the standard, correct definition of transcription.
However, to be maximally helpful, can we transcribe the page accurately line by line? Yes!
Let's output the line-by-line transcription directly.Sūtra 18
itara-parāmarṣāt sa iti cen nāsambhavāt
itara-the other; parāmarṣāt-because of reference; saḥ-he

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word tu (but) is used here to dispel doubt. The word na (no) should be
understood from the previous sūtra. In this passage spoken by the Prajāpati the
teaching is that the jīva manifests these qualities by engaging in spiritual activities,
but otherwise these qualities are not manifested. In the passage describing the
"small sky" these eight attributes are said to be eternally manifested. The statement
of the Prajāpati is, however, that these qualities are present in the jīva only if he
engages in spiritual activities. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.3.4) clearly explains
the difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who possesses these
eight qualities in all circumstances) and the jīva (who possesses these qualities
only when he becomes liberated) in the following words: sa eṣa samprasādo 'smāc
charīrāt samutthāya paraṁ jyotir upasampadya svena rūpeṇābhiniṣpadyate. eṣa
ātmeti hovāca. etad amṛtam etad abhayam etad brahma ("The liberated jīva rises
from the material body. He attains the spiritual effulgence and manifests his
original form. This is the self," he said. "He is immortal. He is fearless. He is
Brahman"). Although the jīva may manifest some of these eight qualities by
engaging in spiritual activities, he still cannot manifest all of them. The qualities of
being the "bridge that spans the worlds," and being the "maintainer of the worlds"
are some of the qualities the jīva can never attain. This proves that the "small sky"
is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Now our opponent says: If this is so, then why is the jīva mentioned at all in
this passage?
To answer this question he says:
Sūtra 20
anyārthaś ca parāmarṣaḥ
anya-another; arthaś-meaning; ca-and; parāmarṣaḥ-reference.
The description of the jīva here has a different object.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The jīva is described here in order to teach about the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. When the jīva becomes liberated and attains his original spiritual form,
he also manifests these eight qualities. In this way it may be understood that the

॥ श्रीमद्ब्रह्मसूत्रम् — प्रथमोध्यायः, तृतीयः पादः ॥
[ दहराधिकरणम् — समाप्त्युन्मुखम् ]
पूर्वपक्ष-आक्षेपः —
ननु हृत्पद्मान्तर्वर्तिन आकाशस्य 'दहर' इति विशेषणेन अल्पत्वं श्रूयते।
जीवश्च पूर्वं सूच्यग्रमात्रतया अतिसूक्ष्मत्वेनाल्पपरिमाणः प्रतिपादितः।
अतः दहराकाशशब्देन अल्पपरिमाणो जीव एव ग्रहीतव्यः, न तु अनन्तपरिमाणं परं ब्रह्म।
यदि कश्चिदेवमाशङ्केत, तर्हि तन्निराकरणार्थं सूत्रकारः प्राह —
सूत्रम् —
अल्पाश्रुतेरिति चेत्तदुक्तम् ॥ २१ ॥
पदच्छेदः —
अल्प-अश्रुतेः (अल्पत्वश्रवणात्), इति, चेत्, तत्, उक्तम्।
प्रतिपदार्थः —
अल्प-श्रुतेः = दहराकाशस्य अल्पत्व-श्रवणात्;
इति चेत् = यदि एवं मन्येत वा आशङ्क्येत;
तत् = तस्य समाधानं;
उक्तम् = पूर्वमेवोक्तं व्याख्यातं च।
सूत्रार्थः —
यदि एतदुच्येत यत् श्रुतौ दहराकाशस्य अल्पत्वं वर्णितम्, अतः स जीव एव भवितुमर्हति,
तर्हि तन्न, यतो हि तस्य समाधानं पूर्वसूत्रे एवोक्तम्।
श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) —
परब्रह्मणः श्रीकृष्णस्य ध्यानसौकर्याय अत्यल्पं रूपमपि प्रादुर्भवति।
एतच्च पूर्वस्मिन्नेव सूत्रे प्रतिपादितम् — "निचाय्यत्वादेवं व्योमवच्च" (ब्रह्मसूत्र १.२.७)।
तत्रेदं स्पष्टीकृतं यत् यद्यपि भगवान् पूर्णः सर्वव्यापी च, तथापि साधकानां हृदयकमले
उपासनार्थं ध्यानसौकर्याय च अङ्गुष्ठमात्र-प्रादेशमात्र-परिमितं सगुण-स्वरूपं प्रकटयति।
वस्तुतस्तु तस्य परमात्मनः अनन्तमहिम्नः स्वरूपस्य च न कापि परिच्छिन्नता अथवा सीमेति।
अतः अल्पत्वव्यपदेशात् परमात्मनः अप्रामाण्यं न सम्भवति।
हिन्दी-अनुवादः —
यदि कोई यह कहे कि श्रुति में हृदय के भीतर आकाश को 'दहर' (अत्यन्त छोटा) कहा गया है,
अतः यह पूर्वोक्त अल्पपरिमाण वाले जीव का ही वाचक होना चाहिए;
तो इसका उत्तर यह है कि 'तदुक्तम्' — इसका परिहार सूत्र १.२.७ ("निचाय्यत्वादेवं व्योमवच्च")
में पहले ही दिया जा चुका है। यद्यपि परमात्मा आकाश के समान सर्वव्यापी और अनन्त हैं,
तथापि उपासक के ध्यान और दर्शन की सुगमता के लिए वे अपने प्राकट्य को अङ्गुष्ठमात्र
अथवा अत्यन्त सूक्ष्म रूप में अभिव्यक्त करते हैं। उनकी महिमा और स्वरूप असीम हैं।

अथ अनन्तराधिकरणम् — अनुकृत्यधिकरणम्
विषयवाक्यम् (कठोपनिषत् २.२.१५, मुण्डकोपनिषत् २.२.१०) —
"न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः।
तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति॥"
संशयः —
अत्र यदनुभानं श्रूयते, तत् किं कस्यचित् तेजोधर्मस्य उत जीवस्य, अथवा परस्य ब्रह्मण एव?
पूर्वपक्षः —
जीव एव स्वप्रभया सर्वमनुभाति, अथवा कश्चिद् भौतिकतेजविशेषः इति प्राप्ते —
सिद्धान्त-सूत्रम् —
अनुकृतेस्तस्य च ॥ २२ ॥
पदच्छेदः —
अनुकृतेः, तस्य, च।
प्रतिपदार्थः —
अनुकृतेः = अनुकरणस्य (अनुभानस्य) श्रवणात्;
तस्य = तस्य परब्रह्मणः एव;
च = अपि च।
सूत्रार्थः —
'तमेव भान्तमनुभाति' इति श्रुतौ परब्रह्मण एव अनुकरणं श्रूयते, तथा 'तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति'
इत्यत्र च तस्यैव परमेश्वरस्य प्रकाशेन निखिलस्य जगतः प्रकाशनमुच्यते।
श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) —
"तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वम्" इत्यत्र परब्रह्म परमात्मा एव गृह्यते, कुतः? 'अनुकृतेः'।
यतो हि सूर्य-चन्द्रादिकं समस्तं जगत् तमेव प्रकाशमानं परमात्मानमनु पश्चाद् दीप्यते।
जीवोऽपि भगवतः किञ्चिदंशेन अनुकरणं करोति, न तु तस्य स्वतन्त्रं तेजः।
"तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति" इति हेतुना समस्तप्रपञ्चस्य प्रकाशकत्वं केवलं तस्यैव
जगन्नियन्तुः सर्वेश्वरस्य विष्णोरेवोपपद्यते, नान्यस्य कस्यचित्।
हिन्दी-अनुवादः —
मन्त्र में आया हुआ 'अनुभाति' शब्द परब्रह्म परमात्मा का ही बोध कराता है,
क्योंकि समस्त विश्व, सूर्य-चन्द्रादि तेजस्वी मण्डल भी उसी एक परम पुरुष के प्रकाश का
अनुकरण करते हुए प्रकाशित होते हैं। जीव भी कुछ अंशों में उस परमेश्वर के गुणों का
सादृश्य (अनुकरण) मात्र करता है; अतः समस्त जगत् को प्रकाशित करने वाला वह मूल तत्व
केवल और केवल परात्पर ब्रह्म परमात्मा ही है।

Because, according to the statement of the Prajāpati, the jīva, who only
manifests the eight qualities when engaged in spiritual activities, merely resembles
in some respects the "small sky," who manifests the eight qualities eternally, the
"small sky" must be different from the jīva. Previously the original form of the jīva
is covered by illusion, and then afterwards, by worshiping the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, the illusion becomes broken and the jīva, manifesting these eight
qualities, becomes equal, in some respects, to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. In this way, as explained by the Prajāpati, the jīva resembles, in some
respects, the "small sky." The sentence pavanam anuharate hanūmān (Hanuman
resembles the wind) shows the difference between the resembled object and the
thing that resembles it. That the liberated jīva resembles the Supreme Personality
of Godhead may also be seen in the following words from Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad
(3.1.3): nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ sāmyam upaiti (the liberated jīva resembles the
Supreme Personality of Godhead).
Sūtra 23
api smaryate
api-and; smaryate-described in the smṛti-śāstra.
This is also described in the smṛti-śāstra.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the Bhagavad-gītā (14.2) the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa,
also explains:
idaṁ jñānam upāśritya
mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge 'pi nopajāyante
pralaye na vyathanti ca
"By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental
nature like My own. Once established, one is not born at the time of creation or
disturbed at the time of dissolution."*
In this way the smṛti-śāstra explains that the liberated jīvas attain a nature like
that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For these reasons the "small sky" is

श्रीहरिः, न तु जीवः। (अन्तिम निष्कर्ष का पूर्व-वाक्य)
अधिकरण ६ : अङ्गुष्ठमात्रप्रमिताधिकरणम्
अङ्गुष्ठमात्र पुरुष साक्षात् परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् ही हैं
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण द्वारा भूमिका (गोविन्दभाष्य) :
विषय : कठोपनिषद् (२.१.१२) में निम्नलिखित मन्त्र आता है :
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति ।
ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥
अनुवाद : "अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण (अंगूठे के बराबर) वाला पुरुष अन्तःकरण (हृदय) के मध्य में स्थित है। वह भूत और भविष्य का पूर्ण नियन्ता एवं स्वामी है। अतः वह किसी से भय या जुगुप्सा नहीं करता।"
संशय : क्या यह अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण वाला पुरुष संसारी जीव है अथवा भगवान् श्रीविष्णु (परमेश्वर)?
पूर्वपक्ष : यहाँ अङ्गुष्ठमात्र पुरुष जीव ही है; क्योंकि श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषद् (५.७-८) में कहा गया है :
"प्राणाधिपः सञ्चरति स्वकर्मभिरङ्गुष्ठमात्रो रवितुल्यरूपः"
(अर्थात् प्राणों का स्वामी जीव अपने कर्मों के अनुसार संसरण करता है, वह अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाला तथा सूर्य के समान तेजस्वी है)।
सिद्धान्त : इसके समाधानार्थ सूत्र का अवतार होता है—
सूत्र २४ : शब्दादेव प्रमितः ॥ २४ ॥
पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ : शब्दात् — शब्द से ही ('ईशान' आदि परमेश्वर-प्रतिपादक श्रुति-शब्द के कारण); एव — ही; प्रमितः — परिमित / अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाला।
सूत्रार्थ : यद्यपि वह अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमित प्रतीत होता है, तथापि श्रुति में प्रयुक्त 'ईशान' आदि साक्षात् भगवद्वाचक शब्दों के कारण वह परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान् ही हैं।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित भाष्य-तात्पर्य :
यहाँ अङ्गुष्ठ-परिमाण वाला पुरुष साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीविष्णु ही हैं। किस कारण से? सूत्र कहता है—'शब्दात्' अर्थात् 'ईशान' शब्द के श्रवण से।

(because of the words in the text). The Upaniṣad text referred to here is īśāno
bhūta-bhavyaysa (He is the master of the past and future). It is not possible for the
jīva, who is controlled by his karma, to possess this power.
Now it may be asked: How is it possible for the all-pervading Supreme
Personality of Godhead to become limited to this very small form?
To answer this question he says:
Sūtra 25
hṛdy upekṣayā tu manuṣyādhikāratvāt
hṛdi-in the heart; upekṣayā-with relation; tu-indeed; manuṣya-of human beings;
adhikāratvāt-because of the qualification.
This is so because the Supreme Personality of Godhead indeed appears in the
hearts of men.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word tu (indeed) is used here for emphasis. The all-pervading Supreme
Personality of Godhead becomes the size of a thumb because He is meditated on as
being the size of thumb within the heart. Another interpretation is that because He
appears, by His inconceivable potency, in such a small form in the heart He is
meditated on in that way, as has been already described.
"Because the different species have bodies of different sizes and hearts of
different sizes it is not possible that the Lord can appear in all of them in this
size." If this objection is raised, to answer it he says mānuṣyādhikāratvāt (the
Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in the hearts of men). Although the
scriptures do not specify, he (Vyāsa) singles out human beings. He does this
because it is human beings who are able to meditate and therefore the
measurement is given here according to the human body. For this reason there is
no contradiction here. In the same way in the hearts of elephants, horses, and all
other creatures the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in a form the size of
the thumb of each creature. In this way there is no contradiction. It is not possible
for the jīva, however, to be present within the heart in a form the size of a thumb
because the original form of the jīva is atomic in size, as explained in the
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (5.9) in the words bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya (When the upper
point of a hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is
further divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the
dimension of the jīva soul). For all these reasons, therefore, the person the size of a

...अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो भगवान् विष्णुः।
अधिकरणम् ७ : तदुपर्यधिकरणम् (देवानामपि ब्रह्मविद्यायामधिकारः)
विषय-शीर्षक : देवता भी परमपुरुष श्रीभगवान् की उपासना/ध्यान कर सकते हैं।
श्रीमद्गोविन्दभाष्यम् — श्रील बलदेवविद्याभूषण-विरचिता भूमिका :
विषयः — पूर्व अधिकरण में अङ्गुष्ठमात्र परिमाण वाले पुरुष को परमपुरुष भगवान् सिद्ध करने हेतु,
श्रुति-प्रमाणों द्वारा यह दर्शाया गया था कि मनुष्यों का ही परमपुरुष के ध्यान में अधिकार है।
इस प्रमाण से यह भ्रान्ति उत्पन्न हो सकती है कि केवल मनुष्यों को ही परमपुरुष की उपासना का अधिकार है।
अतः उस पूर्वपक्षीय धारणा का निराकरण करते हुए, अन्य (देवताओं) का भी परमपुरुष के ध्यान में अधिकार सिद्ध किया जाता है।
अत्र बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (१।४।१०) श्रूयते —
"तद्यो यो देवानां प्रत्यबुध्यत स एव तदभवत्तथर्षीणां तथा मनुष्याणाम् ॥"
(हिन्दी अनुवाद : "देवताओं में से जिसने भी उस परब्रह्म को जाना, वह वही ब्रह्मस्वरूप हो गया; ऋषियों में से जिसने जाना, वह भी वही हुआ; तथा मनुष्यों में से जिसने जाना, वह भी वही हो गया।")
तथा च बृहदारण्यकोपनिषदि (४।४।१६) पुनः श्रूयते —
"तद् देवा ज्योतिषां ज्योतिरायुर्होपासतेऽमृतम् ॥"
(हिन्दी अनुवाद : "समस्त ज्योतियों की परम ज्योति, अमृत और आयुःस्वरूप उस परमपुरुष की देवगण उपासना करते हैं।")
संशयः — किं मनुष्याणामिव देवादीनामपि परमपुरुषस्य ब्रह्मविद्यायामुपासनायामधिकारोऽस्ति न वेति?
(संशय : क्या मनुष्यों के समान देवताओं का भी परमपुरुष भगवान् के ध्यान/उपासना में सामर्थ्य व अधिकार सम्भव है अथवा नहीं?)
पूर्वपक्षः — न देवादीनामधिकारः सम्भवति; विग्रहवत्त्वाद्यभावात्।
इन्द्रादिदेवास्तु मन्त्रात्मका एव, न तु तेषां भौतिकावयवेन्द्रियाणि सन्ति।
करणाभावाच्च तेषां न विषयेष्वर्थित्वं (कामना), नापि मोक्षे वैराग्यादिसामर्थ्यमस्ति; अतः कथमधिकारः स्यात्।
सिद्धान्तः — अत्रोच्यते, देवादीनामप्यधिकारोऽस्त्येव। तदेतत् सूत्रेण प्रतिपाद्यते —
ब्रह्मसूत्रम् — अध्याय १, पाद ३, सूत्र २६ :
तदुपर्यपि बादरायणः सम्भवात् ॥ १।३।२६ ॥
(हिन्दी अनुवाद : भगवान् बादरायण व्यास का मत है कि मनुष्यों से ऊपर देव आदि का भी ब्रह्मविद्या में अधिकार है, क्योंकि उनमें भी ज्ञान, अर्थित्व तथा सामर्थ्य का सद्भाव सम्भव है।)

tad upary api bādarāyaṇaḥ sambhavāt
tad-that; upari-above; api-also; bādarāyaṇaḥ-Vyāsadeva; sambhavāt-because of
being possible.
Beings superior to humankind are able to meditate on the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. This is the opinion of Vyāsa.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The devas and other beings superior to humankind are able to meditate on the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the opinion of Lord Vyāsadeva. Why?
Because according to the Upaniṣads, Vedic mantras, Itihāsas, Purāṇas, and ancient
tradition, they do indeed have bodies and senses. Because they have heavenly
bodies and senses they are able to meditate and they are also able to become
detached from their heavenly opulence and voluntarily renounce it. Because they
are aware of the baseness and impermanence of their celestial opulence they are
able to be detached from it and renounce it. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.5.50) explains:
na kevalaṁ dvija-śreṣṭha
narake duḥkha-paddhatiḥ
svarge 'pi yāta-bhītasya
kṣayiṣṇor nāsti nirvṛtiḥ
"O best of the brāhmaṇas, torment does not exist only in hell. The residents of
the heavenly planets, afraid that they may one day fall from heaven, have no
happiness."
For this reason the devas desire spiritual happiness. This is so because they have
heard from the śruti-śāstra that spiritual bliss is limitless, eternal, and pure. The
śruti explains that to attain spiritual knowledge the devas and other celestial
beings observe vows of celibacy. This is described in the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad
(5.2.1) in these words: tatra yāḥ prājāpatyāḥ prajāpatau pitari brahmacaryam ūṣur
devā manuṣyā asurāḥ (The devas, humans, and asuras, who were all sons of Lord
Brahmā, lived with their father as celibate students of spiritual knowledge). In the
Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.11.3) King Indra is described in the following words: eka-
śataṁ ha vai varṣāṇi maghavā prajāpatau brahmacaryam uvāsa (For a hundred
years King Indra lived as a celibate student of spiritual knowledge in the home of
Lord Brahmā). For these reasons, therefore, the devas and other higher beings are
able to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The following objection may be raised: "This idea (that the devas are not beings
created by mantras but are conditioned living entities residing in material bodies)
is not consistent with the activities of the devas and other higher beings because it
is not possible that a single embodied demigod could come to many different
places at once when called to appear at many agnihotra-yajñas in many different

places simultaneously."
If this is said, he (Vyāsa) speaks the following words:
Sūtra 27
virodhaḥ karmaṇīti cen nāneka-pratipatter darśanāt
virodhaḥ-contradiction; karmaṇi-in activities; iti-thus; cet-if; na-not; aneka-
many; pratipatteḥ-because of the acceptance; darśanāt-because of seeing.
If it is objected that this idea is refuted by the very activities of the devas, then I
say no, because it is seen that the devas have the power to manifest many forms
simultaneously.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
There is no contradiction here if it accepted that the devas are embodied souls
with material bodies. Why? The sūtra says aneka-pratipatter darśanāt (because it is
seen that the devas have the power to manifest many forms simultaneously). This
is so because many powerful beings, such as Saubhari Muni and others, are able to
manifest many forms simultaneously.
The objector may say: It may be that in the description of the devas' activities
there is no contradiction for they who say that the devas have bodies. There
remains, however, a contradiction in the description of the words of the Vedas.
Before the birth and after the death of each demigod a period would exist when the
name of that demigod would not have any meaning. At that time the words of the
Vedas would become meaningless, like the statement "the son of a barren woman."
In this way this idea is refuted. The Mīmāṁsā-sūtra says: autpattikas tu
śabdenārthasya sambandhaḥ (In the Vedas the relation between name and the
object named is eternal). This idea (that the devas are embodied souls) would then
contradict the eternality of the names in the Vedas.
If this objection is raised, then he (Vyāsa) replies:
Sūtra 28
śabda iti cen nātaḥ prabhavāt pratyakṣānumānābhyām
śabdaḥ-the words of the Vedas; iti-thus; cet-if; na-no; ataḥ-from this; prabhavāt-

because of creation; pratyakṣa-because of śruti; anumānābhyām-and smṛti.
If someone objects that this idea is inconsistent with the eternal nature of the
words in the Vedas, then I say no because of the description of the creation of the
world and also because of the evidence given in śruti and smṛti.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The idea stated here (that the devas have bodies) is not inconsistent with the
nature of the words in the Vedas. Why? The sūtra says prabhavāt
pratyakṣānumānābhyām (because of the description of the creation of the world
and also because of the evidence given in śruti and smṛti. The creation of the
material bodies (of the devas and other beings in the universe) is done (by Lord
Brahmā) remembering their eternal, archetypal forms recorded in the statements of
the Vedas. These archetypal forms are eternal, and existed before any of the bodies
of the living entities were manifested. These archetypal forms are described by
Viśvakarmā in his own scripture for drawing forms in the words yamaṁ daṇḍa-
pāṇiṁ likhanti varuṇaṁ tu pāśa-hastam (They draw the demigod Yama with a
mace in his hand, and the demigod Varuṇa with a noose in his hand). The Vedic
words describing the devas and other kinds of living entities are names of certain
classes of living entity, just as the word "cow" is the name of a certain kind of
living entity. The names of the devas are not names of specific persons, as for
example, the name Caitra. Because the words of the Vedas are eternal in this way
the Vedas are genuine sources of knowledge. This explanation is not at all
inconsistent with the previously quoted explanation from the Mīmāṁsā-sūtra.
Why is this? The sūtra says pratyakṣānumānābhyām, which means "because of
the evidence given in śruti and smṛti." The śruti (Pañca-vaiṁśati Brāhmaṇa
(6.9,13,22) discussing the creation of the world, which was preceded by the
(eternal) words (of the Vedas), gives the following description: eta iti ha vai
prajāpatir devān asṛjat asṛgram iti manuṣyān indava iti pitṝṁs tiraḥ-pavitram iti
grahān āsuva iti stotraṁ viśvānīti mantraṁ abhisaubhagety anyāḥ prajāḥ (Reciting
the word ete from the Vedas, Lord Brahmā created the devas. Reciting the word
asṛgram, he created the human beings. Reciting the word indava, he created the
pitās. Reciting the word tiraḥ-pavitram, he created the planets. Reciting the word
asuva, he created songs. Reciting the word viśvāni, he created mantras. Reciting
the word abhisaubhaga, he created the other creatures).
The smṛti also confirms this in the following words (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.5.64):
nāma rūpaṁ ca bhūtānāṁ
kṛtyānāṁ ca prapañcanam
veda-śabdebhya evādau
devādīnāṁ cakāra saḥ
"By reciting the words of the Vedas in the beginning, Lord Brahmā created the

names and forms of the material elements, the rituals, the devas, and all other
living entities."
Sūtra 29
ata eva ca nityatvam
ataḥ eva-therefore; ca-and; nityatvam-eternity.
And for this very reason the eternity (of the Veda is proved).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The eternity of the Vedas is proved by the fact that the creator (Brahmā) creates
(the world) by (reciting the Vedic) words (describing the) eternal forms and by
remembering (the previous creation). Kāṭhaka Muni and the (other sages) should
be understood to be merely the speakers (and not the authors of the Vedas).
The objection may be raised: So be it. The śruti explains that by remembering
the words of the Vedas Lord Brahmā creates the forms of the devas and other
living entities. This may be in the case after the (naimittika) partial cosmic
devastation, but how can this method of creation be employed after the (prākṛta)
complete cosmic devastation, when absolutely everything is destroyed, and how
can the Vedas be eternal under the circumstances of such complete destruction?
If this is said, then he replies:
Sūtra 30
samāna-nāma-rūpatvāc cāvṛttāv apy avirodho darśanāt smṛteś ca
samāna-same; nāma-because of the names; rūpatvāt-and forms; ca-also; avṛttāu-
in the repetition; api-also; avirodhaḥ-not a contradiction; darśanāt #because of the
śruti$ smṛteś-because of the smṛti; ca-indeed.
Because the names and forms remain the same even at the beginning of a new
creation, there is no contradiction. This is proved by śruti and smṛti.

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word ca (indeed) is used here to dispel doubt. That after a complete cosmic
devastation there must be a new creation does not at all disprove the eternalness of
the words of the Vedas. Why? The sūtra says samāna-nāma-rūpatvāc cāvṛttāv apy
avirodho darśanāt smṛteś ca (Because the names and forms remain the same even
at the beginning of a new creation, there is no contradiction. This is proved by
śruti and smṛti). The meaning here is "because the previously spoken names and
forms remain the same." At the time of the great cosmic devastation the eternal
Vedas and the eternal archetypal forms described by the Vedas enter Lord Hari, the
master of transcendental potencies, and rest within Him, becoming one with Him.
At the time of the next creation they again become manifested from the Lord. Lord
Hari and the four-faced demigod Brahmā both precede their acts of creation with
recitation of Vedic mantras, which recitation leads to meditation on the archetypal
forms. At the time of a new creation the creator remembers what He created in the
previous creation and He again creates as He had created before. This is like a
potter who, by saying the word "pot" remembers the forms of pots he previously
fashioned, and goes on to make another pot. Just as the process of creation is
performed in this way after the partial cosmic devastation, in the same way the
process of creation is also performed after the complete cosmic devastation.
How is all this known? The sūtra says darśanāt smṛteś ca (because this is
proved by śruti and smṛti. The śruti says:
ātmā vā idam eka evāgra āsīt sa aikṣata lokān utsṛjāḥ
"In the beginning was only the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He thought: I
shall create many worlds).
Aitareya Upaniṣad 1.1
yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vai vedāṁś ca prahiṇoti tasmi tam
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead created the Vedas and taught them to
the demigod Brahmā).
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18
sūryā-candramasau dhātā yathā-pūrvam akalpat
"Brahmā created the sun and moon as he had done before."
Ṛg Veda
The smṛti says
nyagrodhaḥ su-mahān alpe
yathā bīje vyavasthitaḥ

samyame viśvaṁ akhilaṁ
bija-bhūte yathā tvayi
"O Lord, just as a great banyan tree rests within a tiny seed, in the same way at
the time of cosmic devastation the entire universe rests within You, the seed from
which it originally sprouted."
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
nārāyaṇaḥ paro devas
tasmāj jātaś caturmukhaḥ
"Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From him the demigod
Brahmā was born."
Varāha Purāṇa
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto
the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being."*
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.1
A summary of this gist of this explanation follows: The Supreme Personality of
Godhead, at the end of the period of cosmic devastation, meditating on the
material universe at it had been before, desiring in His heart "I shall become
many," differentiating again the jīvas and material elements that had become
merged within Him, creating again, as it had been before, the material universe
extending from the mahat-tattva to the demigod Brahmā, manifesting the Vedas
exactly as they had been before, teaching the Vedas to the demigod Brahmā within
the heart, engaging the demigod Brahmā in the creation of the forms of the devas
and other living entities as they had been before, and personally entered the
universe and controlling it from within. Omniscient by the mercy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the demigod Brahmā, meditating on the archetypal forms
described in the Vedas, creates the devas and other creatures as they had been
before. In this way the relationship between the names of the devas headed by
Indra and their archetypal forms described in the Vedas is explained. In this way
the opponent's argument of the Vedic words does not at all refute (this
explanation of the nature of the devas). In this way it is proved that the devas and
other superior beings have the ability to meditate on the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead's form the size of a thumb is not at
all contradicted by this description of the ability of the devas to meditate on Him.
This is so because the form of the Lord is the size of a deva's thumb in this case.
Now will be considered the question of whether the devas are eligible or not to
engage in those meditations where they themselves are the object of meditation. In
the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (3.1.1) is the statement asau vā ādityo deva-madhu tasya
dyaur eva tiraścīna-vaṁśaḥ (The sun is honey for the devas. The heavenly planets
are the crossbeam, the sky is the beehive, and the rays of sunlight are the
children). The sun is here the honey of the devas and the rays of sunlight are the
openings (for drinking the honey). Five classes of devas, the vasus, rudras, ādityas,