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

बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद् (४.३.३०) के निम्नलिखित वचन —
यद्वै तन्न विजानाति विजानन्वै तद्विज्ञेयं न विजानाति न हि विज्ञातुर्विज्ञानात्
विपरिलोपो विद्यतेऽविनाशित्वान्न तु तद् द्वितीयमस्ति ततोऽन्यद्विभक्तं यद्
विजानीयात् ॥
"सुषुप्ति की अवस्था में आत्मा चेतन और अचेतन दोनों प्रतीत होती है।
आत्मा सर्वदा चेतन है, और चेतना इससे कभी पृथक् नहीं हो सकती,
क्योंकि आत्मा और उसकी चेतना का कभी विनाश नहीं हो सकता। फिर भी, सुषुप्ति की
अवस्था में आत्मा के सम्मुख कोई ऐसा विषय उपस्थित नहीं रहता जिसका वह भान करे।"
जब चेतना के ग्रहण करने हेतु कोई बाह्य विषय नहीं होता, तब चेतना
सुप्त (अव्यक्त) रहती है। अतः सुषुप्ति में चेतना सुप्त रहती है। जब इन्द्रियों का
विषयों के साथ सम्पर्क होता है, तब चेतना अभिव्यक्त हो जाती है। यदि यह
सुषुप्ति के समय सुप्तावस्था में विद्यमान न होती, तो जाग्रत् अवस्था में
चेतना स्वयं अभिव्यक्त नहीं हो सकती थी, जैसे जन्म से नपुंसक व्यक्ति
युवावस्था के आरम्भ में पौरुष की अभिव्यक्ति नहीं कर सकता। इस प्रकार यह सिद्ध होता है कि
जीवात्मा अणु-परिमाण, ज्ञानस्वरूप और नित्य ज्ञाता (चेतन) है।
अब सूत्रकार सांख्य मतावलम्बियों के सिद्धान्त का निराकरण करते हैं।
संशय : क्या जीवात्मा केवल ज्ञानस्वरूप ही है और कुछ नहीं?
क्या जीवात्मा सर्वव्यापी (विभु) है?
पूर्वपक्ष : जीवात्मा सर्वव्यापी है।
ऐसा इसलिए है क्योंकि इसके कर्मों का फल सर्वत्र दृष्टिगोचर होता है। यदि यह
अणु-परिमाण होता, तो आत्मा शरीर के भिन्न-भिन्न अङ्गों में उत्पन्न
सुख-दुःख की अनुभूति करने में असमर्थ रहता। यदि यह मध्यम परिमाण वाला होता, तो
नित्य न होता। अतः जीवात्मा को सर्वव्यापी ही मानना चाहिए।
सिद्धान्त : अधोलिखित शब्दों में सूत्रकार
यथार्थ सिद्धान्त प्रतिपादित करते हैं —
सूत्र ३०
नित्योपलब्ध्यनुपलब्धिप्रसङ्गोऽन्यतरनियमो वाऽन्यथा ॥ ३० ॥
नित्य — नित्य, सदा; उपलब्धि — प्रतीति (ज्ञान); अनुपलब्धि — अप्रतीति (अज्ञान);
प्रसङ्गः — प्रसङ्ग, आपत्ति; अन्यतर — दोनों में से किसी एक का; नियमः — नियम, प्रतिबन्ध; वा — अथवा; अन्यथा —
अन्यथा (अन्य प्रकार मानने पर)।
अन्यथा (आत्मा को विभु मानने पर) नित्य उपलब्धि, नित्य अनुपलब्धि, अथवा

॥ श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम् (श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचितम्) ॥
[ पूर्वपक्ष-निरासः — जीवस्याणुत्व-सिद्धान्तः ]
भाष्य-सार (संस्कृत):
यदि जीवात्मा केवलं चिद्रूपः सर्वगतश्चाभ्युपगम्येत, तर्हि सर्वदा चैतन्यं वा स्यात्, सर्वथाऽचैतन्यं वा, अन्यतरस्यैव वा परिमितः सद्भावः प्रसज्येत।
लोके हि चैतन्याचैतन्ययोर्द्वयोरप्युपलब्धिः सर्वसिद्धा वर्तते।
यदि चिन्मात्रः सर्वव्यापी चैक एवात्मा सर्वस्य हेतुरिष्यते, तर्हि युगपत् सर्वत्र सर्वैः चैतन्यमचैतन्यं चोपलभ्येत।
केवलचैतन्यहेतुत्वे कस्यापि कदापि सुषुप्त्यादिषु अचैतन्यं न स्यात्; केवलाचैतन्यहेतुत्वे च कस्यापि कदापि चैतन्यं नोपपद्येत।
इन्द्रियसंयोगादौ सति चैतन्यं तदभावे चाचैतन्यमिति चेत्, तन्न; सर्वगतस्यात्मनः सर्वैरिन्द्रियैः सह नित्यसंयोगाविशेषात्।
किञ्च, जीवस्य विभुत्वे सर्वजीवगत-सुखदुःखादीनां सांकर्यं स्यात्, भोगनियमः, कर्मफलव्यवस्था, बन्धमोक्षव्यवस्था च विनश्येत्।
अतः प्रतिशरीरं भिन्नः, अणुपरिमाणश्चायं जीवात्मा इति सिद्धान्तः सुदृढो भवति।
अणुरपि सन् स्वगुणभूतेन ज्ञानेन सकलशरीरं व्याप्य सुखदुःखाद्युपलब्धिं करोति यथा प्रदीपः प्रभारूपेण सर्वं गृहं प्रकाशयति।
हिन्दी-अनुवाद:
यदि जीवात्मा केवल चैतन्य-स्वरूप और सर्वव्यापी (विभु) होता, तो वह सर्वदा चैतन्ययुक्त रहता अथवा सर्वदा अचेतन ही रहता।
अथवा उन दोनों में से किसी एक का सीमित अस्तित्व ही सम्भव हो पाता।
इसका तात्पर्य यह है कि संसार में चेतनता और अचेतनता (सुषुप्ति, मूर्च्छा आदि) दोनों की प्रत्यक्ष अनुभूति सभी को होती है।
यदि इसका कारण केवल चिन्मात्र और सर्वव्यापक आत्मा होता, तो सम्पूर्ण विश्व में प्रत्येक क्षण चेतनता और अचेतनता की अनुभूति एक साथ होनी चाहिए थी।
यदि वह सर्वव्यापी आत्मा केवल चेतनता का कारण होता, तो कोई कभी अचेतन नहीं होता; और यदि केवल अचेतनता का कारण होता, तो कोई कभी चेतन नहीं होता।
यह भी नहीं कहा जा सकता कि इन्द्रियों के सम्पर्क से चैतन्य और असम्पर्क से अचैतन्य होता है, क्योंकि सर्वव्यापक होने पर इन्द्रियों से नित्य संयोग रहेगा।
इसके अतिरिक्त, यदि जीवात्मा विभु होता, तो एक के सुख-दुःख का अनुभव सभी को एक साथ होने लगता।
ऐसी स्थिति में व्यक्तिगत कर्म, व्यक्तिगत भोग और व्यक्तिगत अदृष्ट की व्यवस्था ही छिन्न-भिन्न हो जाती।
अतः जीवात्मा सर्वव्यापी नहीं है, अपितु प्रति-शरीर भिन्न और अणु-परिमाण (सूक्ष्म) है।
अणु होने पर भी आत्मा अपने धर्मभूत ज्ञान के द्वारा सम्पूर्ण देह में व्याप्त होकर सभी सुख-दुःखादि संवेदनों को ग्रहण करता है।

॥ अथ चतुर्दशं कर्त्राधिकरणम् (१४) ॥

अधिकरण-विषय: जीवात्मनः कर्तृत्व-विचारः (जीवात्मा कर्ता है या नहीं?)
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण-कृत अवतरणिका (भूमिका):
अथेदानीं सूत्रकारो जीवात्मनः कर्तृत्वं विचारयति।
तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि (२।५।१) श्रूयते—
श्रुति-प्रमाणम्:
"विज्ञानं यज्ञं तनुते । कर्माणि तनुतेऽपि च ॥"
(तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद् २।५।१)
श्रुत्यर्थ एवं हिन्दी-व्याख्या:
'विज्ञानम्' अर्थात् विज्ञानमयः चेतनः जीवात्मा, यज्ञं तनुते (यज्ञादि वैदिक कर्मों का विस्तार/अनुष्ठान करता है) तथा लौकिक कर्माणि अपि तनुते (लौकिक कर्मों का भी सम्पादन करता है)।
संशय:
किमिदं कर्तृत्वं प्रकृतेः (बुद्धेः) वा, उत चेतनस्य जीवात्मन एव?
पूर्वपक्ष:
सांख्य-मतानुसारिणः प्राहुः—प्रकृतेर्गुणानामेव कर्तृत्वं न तु पुरुषस्य, पुरुषस्तु केवलम् अकर्ता साक्षी निर्लेपश्चेति।
सिद्धान्त-सूत्रम्:
॥ कर्ता शास्त्रार्थवत्त्वात् ॥ २।३।३३ ॥
सूत्रार्थ:
जीवात्मा ही वास्तविक कर्ता है, क्योंकि ऐसा मानने पर ही विधि-निषेधात्मक शास्त्रों की सार्थकता (शास्त्रार्थवत्त्व) सिद्ध होती है।
यदि जड़ा प्रकृति या बुद्धि कर्ता होती, तो चेतन जीव के लिए उपदिष्ट 'यजेत', 'उपासीत' आदि शास्त्र-वचन व्यर्थ हो जाते।

"Consciousness performs yajñas. Consciousness performs actions."
Saṁśaya (doubt): Does the individual soul, indicated in this passage by the
word "consciousness", perform actions or not?
Pūrvapakṣa (the opponent speaks): In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.18) it is said:
hantā cen manyate hantuṁ
hataś cen manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānītau
nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
"Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is
in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain."*
These words clearly declare that the individual spirit soul never performs
actions. In the Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) it is said:
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
"The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false-ego thinks himself the doer
of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material
nature."*
In the Bhagavad-gītā (13.21) it is also said:
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve
hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
"Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the
living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world."*
Therefore the individual spirit soul does not perform actions. When a person
understands the truth he understands that all actions are actually performed by the
material energy and the individual spirit soul is merely the person who
experiences the fruits of action.

Siddhānta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sūtras gives
the proper conclusion.
Sūtra 31
kartā śāstrārthavat-tvāt
kartā—the doer; śāstra—of the scriptures; ārtha—meaning; vat—possessing;
tvāt—because of having the nature.
He performs actions. This is so because the scriptures are meaningful.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
It is the individual spirit soul who performs actions, not the modes of material
nature. Why is that? The sūtra explains: "Because the scriptures are meaningful."
In the scriptures it is said:
svarga-kāmo yajeta
"A person who desires Svargaloka should perform yajñas."
and
ātmānam eva lokam upāsīta
"One should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
These statements have meaning only if the individual spirit soul does actually
perform actions. If all actions are performed by the modes of nature and the
individual spirit soul never does anything, these statements of the scriptures are
meaningless. These statements of scripture are intended to motivate the individual
spirit soul to act in a certain way so he can enjoy the results of his actions. It is not
even possible in this way to try to motivate the inert material modes to act in any
way at all.
That the individual spirit soul does actually perform actions is also confirmed
in the next sūtra.

Sūtra 32
vihāropadeśāt
vihāra—of pastimes; upadeśāt—because of the teaching.
Because of the teaching about pastimes.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.12.3) describes the activities of the liberated souls:
sa tatra paryeti jakṣan krīḍan ramamānaḥ
"In the spiritual world the individual spirit soul eats, plays, and enjoys."
Therefore action by itself does not brings pain and unhappiness to the soul,
rather it is the bondage of the three modes of nature that brings unhappiness. This
is so because the three modes of nature obscure the reality of the soul's spiritual
nature.
Sūtra 33
upādānāt
upādānāt—because of taking.
Because of taking.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (2.1.18) it is said:

sa yathā mahā-rājaḥ . . . evam evaiṣa etān prāṇān gṛhītvā sve śarīre yathā-kāmaṁ
parivartate
"In the dreaming state the individual spirit soul acts like a king. The soul grasps
the life-airs and does as it wishes."
In the Bhagavad-gītā (15.8) it is also said:
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt
"The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life
from one body to another as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body
and again quits it to take another."*
In these passages it is seen that the individual spirit soul does perform actions,
for the soul moves the life-airs as a magnet moves iron. The life-airs may move
many things, but it is the individual spirit soul who moves the life-airs. Nothing
else moves them.
In the following words the author of the sūtras now gives another reason.
Sūtra 34
vyapadeśāc ca kriyāyāṁ na cen nirdeśa-viparyayaḥ
vyapadeśāt—because of designation; ca—and; kriyāyām—in action; na—not;
cet—if; nirdeśa—grammatical construction; viparyayaḥ—different.
Also because of the name in the action. If this were not so the grammatical
structure would be different.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.5.1) it is said:
vijñānaṁ yajñaṁ tanute. karmāṇi tanute 'pi ca.

"Consciousness performs yajñas. Consciousness performs actions."
These words clearly show that the individual spirit soul is the primary
performer of Vedic and ordinary actions. If the word "vijñānam" is interpreted to
mean not the individual spirit soul, but the intelligence, then the grammatical
structure of the sentence would be different. Then the word “vijñāna" would be in
the instrumental case, for the intelligence would be the instrument by which the
action is performed. However, the word is not in the instrumental case. If the
intelligence were the performer of the action here, then another word must be
given in the instrumental case to show with what instrument the intelligence
performs the action, for there must be an instrument in every action. However, if
the individual spirit soul is the performer of the action there is not need for
another word in the instrumental case to show the instrument used, for in that
situation the individual spirit soul is both the performer of the action and the
instrument employed.
Here someone may object: Is it not so that the individual spirit soul, being
independent and able to act as he likes, will naturally act for his own welfare and
will not perform actions that bring him harm?
To this I reply: No. It is not like that. The individual spirit soul desires to
benefit himself, but because his past karma acts against him, he sometimes creates
his own misfortune.
For these reasons it is clear that the individual spirit soul certainly performs
actions. When the scriptures sometimes say that the individual spirit soul does not
perform actions, the meaning is that the soul is not independent and free to do
exactly everything he wishes.
Here someone may object: It is not possible that the individual spirit soul is the
performer of actions, for it is clearly seen that these actions often bring him
suffering.
To this I reply: No. It is not so. If the individual spirit soul is not the
performer of actions, then the scriptural descriptions of the darśa, paurṇamassa,
and other yajñas would not make any sense.
In the following words the author of the sūtras refutes the idea that material
nature is the real performer of actions.
Sūtra 35
uplabdhi-vad aniyamaḥ
uplabdhi—consciousness; vat—like; aniyamaḥ—uncertainty.
As in the situation of consciousness, it would be indefinite.

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In previous sūtras it was shown that if the individual spirit soul were all-
pervading, then consciousness would be vague and indefinite. In the same way if
all-pervading material nature were the sole performer of all actions, then all
actions would bring the same result to all spirit souls simultaneously. Clearly this
is not so. Also, it could not be said that the individual spirit soul would need to be
near the place where a certain action was performed in order to experience the
result of that action. The saṅkhya philosophers cannot say this, for in their theory
each individual spirit soul is all-pervading and is thus already near the places
where all actions are performed.
Sūtra 36
śakti-viparyayāt
śakti—of power; viparyayāt—because of difference.
Because the power is changed.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
If the material nature is the performer of actions, then material nature must also
experience the good and bad results of those actions. However, the Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad (1.8) affirms:
bhoktṛ-bhāvāt
"The individual spirit soul enjoys the good and bad results of actions."
In this way the idea that the material nature is the performer of actions is
refuted. Because the individual spirit soul enjoys the good and bad results of
actions, the individual spirit soul must also be the performer of those actions.
Sūtra 37

samādhy-abhāvāc ca
samādhi—of liberation; abhāvāt—because of the non-existence; ca—also.
Also because there is no liberation.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Actions are meant to bring one to liberation from the material world. Because it
is not possible for the material nature to act in such a way and attain such a goal,
the idea that the material nature is the performer of actions cannot be entertained.
Liberation means understanding the truth "I am different from matter". Because it
is unconscious, and also because it really is matter, it is not possible for the
material nature to come to this understanding. In this way it is proved that the
individual spirit soul is the performer of actions.
Adhikaraṇa 15
Activity Is the Soul's Nature
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the following words the author of the sūtras gives an example to show that
the individual spirit soul performs actions, using other its own potency, or some
other instrument to perform them.
Sūtra 38
yathā ca takṣobhayathā
yathā—as; ca—and; takṣa—carpenter; ubhayathā—in both ways.
In both ways like a carpenter.

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
As a carpenter performs actions, employing both his own power and a host of
tools, so does the individual spirit soul, employing both his own power and the
various life-airs. Thus the soul employs the material body and other instruments
also, to perform actions. It is the pure spirit soul who thus uses the modes of
material nature to perform actions. That is why the scriptures sometimes say that
the modes of material nature are the performer of actions.
That the individual spirit soul is indeed the performer of actions is confirmed
in Bhagavad-gītā (13.22), where it is said:
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the
three modes of nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among the various
species."*
These words explain the scripture passages that declare the modes of nature to
be the performers of action. It is foolish for a person to think himself the sole
performer of action and ignore the five factors of action. Of course it is not that the
individual spirit soul never performs any action. The idea that the soul never does
anything is clearly refuted by the many scriptural statements urging the soul to act
such a way that he may attain liberation. When in the Bhagavad-gītā (2.19) the
Lord says:
nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
"The self slays not nor is slain."
that does not mean that the individual spirit soul never performs any action, but
rather that the eternal spirit soul can never be cut or slain. The meaning of the
statement that the soul never acts has thus already been explained.
In both this life and the next the devotees perform various actions of devotional
service to the Lord. Because these actions are free from the touch of the modes of
nature, because they are under the jurisdiction of the Lord's spiritual potency and
because they lead to liberation, these actions are said not to be action, for they are
not material actions. This is explained by the Supreme Lord Himself in these
words:
sāttvikaḥ kārako 'saṅgī

rāgāndho rājasaḥ smṛtaḥ
tāmasaḥ smṛti-vibhraṣṭo
nirguṇo mad-apāśrayaḥ
"One who acts without attachment is in the mode of goodness. One who is
blinded with desire is in the mode of passion. One whose intelligence is broken is
in the mode of ignorance. One who takes shelter of Me is free from the grip of the
modes of nature."
That the pure spirit soul experiences the results of his actions is described in
Bhagavad-gītā (13.21):
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ
bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate
"The living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this
world."*
Because it is by nature conscious it is the soul that experiences the results of
actions, the modes of nature do not experience them. This refutes the idea that the
modes are active and the soul is not. In this way it is proved that it is the conscious
soul who experiences happiness and other sensations. In this way the individual
spirit soul brings knowledge to itself and others. Both kinds of action exist for the
soul. In the Praśna Upaniṣad (4.9) it is said:
eṣa hi draṣṭā spraṣṭā śrotā
"It is the soul who sees, touches, and hears."
Thus, by this example of the carpenter, the idea that the individual spirit soul is
the only factor in action, and there are no others, is clearly refuted.
Adhikaraṇa 16
The Individual Spirit Soul is Dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa

Now another doubt is considered.
Saṁśaya (doubt): Is the individual spirit soul independent in his actions, or
does he depend on another?
Pūrvapakṣa (the opponent speaks): The scriptures say:
svarga-kāmo yajeta
"One who desires Svargaloka should perform yajñas."
and
tasmād brāhmaṇaḥ surāṁ na pibet pāpmanotsaṁsṛja
"A brāhmaṇa should not drink liquor and should not commit sins."
That the scriptures give orders and prohibitions for the soul to follow is proof
that the soul is independent, for independence means to have the power to do one
thing and to refrain from doing another.
Siddhānta (conclusion): In the following words the author of the sūtras gives
his conclusion.
Sūtra 39
parāt tu tac-chruteḥ
parāt—from the Supreme; tu—but; tat—of that; śruteḥ—from the scriptures.
But from the Supreme, because of the scriptures.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word "tu" (but) is used to remove doubt. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead inspires the individual spirit soul to act. How is that known? The sūtra
explains: "tac-chruteḥ" (It is known from the scriptures). The scriptures give the
following explanations:

antaḥ praviṣṭaḥ śāstā janānām
"Entering their hearts, the Supreme Personality of Godhead controls all living
entities."
ya ātmani tiṣṭhann ātmānam antaro yamayati
"Entering their hearts, the Supreme Personality of Godhead controls all living
entities."
eṣa eva sādhu karma kārayati
"The Lord engages the living entity in pious activities so he may be elevated."*
Here someone may object: So be it. However, if the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is the actual performer of actions, then the orders and prohibitions of the
scriptures are all meaningless. The scriptures can give orders and prohibitions only
if the individual spirit soul is independent and thus has the power to make
choices.
If this is said, then the author of the sūtras gives the following reply.
Sūtra 40
kṛta-prayatnāpekṣas tu vihita-pratiṣiddhāvaiyarthyādibhyaḥ
kṛta—done; prayatna—effort; āpekṣaḥ—relation; tu—but; vihita—ordered;
pratiṣiddha—forbidden; a—not; vaiyarthya—meaninglessness; ādibhyaḥ—
beginning.
But it is by effort because then orders and prohibitions are not without
meaning.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word "tu" (but) is used here to dispel doubt. The individual spirit soul
performs pious and impious deeds. Taking into consideration the individual soul's

efforts, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives him facility to act in a certain
way. Therefore the previously stated objection is not valid.
The pious and impious deeds of the individual spirit soul are like different
seeds that sprout into different kinds of plants. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is like the rain that falls on these seeds and makes them grow. Therefore
in this situation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the instrument by which
these seeds of karma bear fruit. The seeds of various trees, vines, and other plants
are the specific cause of these plants, and the rain that makes them grow is the
general cause. If no raincloud brings water there will not be any variety of sweet
flowers or other plants. If there is no seed there will not any flowers or plants
either. In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives the results of the
pious and impious deeds performed by the individual spirit soul. Even though
dispatched by another, a person is still the performer of the actions he does.
Therefore it cannot be said that the individual spirit soul does not perform actions.
Why is that? The sūtra explains: "Because then orders and prohibitions are not
without meaning." The word "ādi" (beginning with) in this sūtra means that the
Supreme Personality of Godhead gives mercy and punishment according to the
pious and impious actions of the individual spirit souls. If that interpretation is
accepted, then the orders and prohibitions of the scriptures are not without
meaning. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead actually forces the individual
spirit soul to act piously or impiously, and the soul is like a rock or a log and has
no independence, then the orders of the scripture to perform pious deeds and
avoid impious deeds are all worthless and should be rejected.
The scriptures say that when He is merciful the Supreme Personality of
Godhead engages the individual spirit soul in pious activities so he may be
elevated, and when He withdraws His mercy the Supreme Personality of Godhead
engages the individual spirit soul in impious activities so he may go to hell. If this
means that the individual living entity has no choice, and pious and impious deeds
are forced on him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is cruel and unjust, a monster. Therefore it must be
concluded that the individual spirit soul does have free will, and is responsible for
his actions, although he does not have the power to transfer his desire and will
into concrete action unless the Supreme Personality of Godhead permits. In this
way everything is explained.
Adhikaraṇa 17
The Individual Spirit Soul Is Part and Parcel of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa

अब, पूर्व व्याख्या को दृढ़ करने के लिए सूत्रकार स्पष्ट करते हैं कि व्यष्टि जीवात्मा परमेश्वर का अंश है। मुण्डक उपनिषद् (३.१.१) में कहा गया है:
द्वा सुपर्णा
"शरीर-रूपी वृक्ष में जीवात्मा और परमात्मा की तुलना एक साथ बैठे दो सखा पक्षियों से की गई है।"
यहाँ प्रथम पक्षी स्वयं परमेश्वर हैं और द्वितीय पक्षी व्यष्टि जीवात्मा है।
संशय: क्या जीवात्मा वस्तुतः माया के भ्रम के कारण भिन्न प्रतीत होने वाला साक्षात् परमेश्वर ही है, अथवा
जीवात्मा परमेश्वर का ही एक अंश है, जो भगवान् से भिन्न होकर भी उनसे उसी प्रकार सम्बद्ध है जैसे सूर्य से सूर्य की किरण?
पूर्वपक्ष: सत्य क्या है? क्या सत्य यह है कि माया के भ्रम से आवृत जीवात्मा वस्तुतः परमेश्वर ही है?
ब्रह्म-बिन्दु उपनिषद् (१३) में व्याख्या की गई है:
घटसंवृतमाकाशं नीयमाने घटे यथा ।
घटो लीयेत नाकाशं तद्वज्जीवो नभोपमः ॥
"जैसे घट (घड़े) के ले जाए जाने पर उसके भीतर का आकाश नहीं चलता और घट के नष्ट हो जाने पर आकाश नष्ट नहीं होता,
उसी प्रकार यह जीवात्मा आकाश के सदृश अखण्ड व निर्विकार है।"
छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (६.८.७) भी यह प्रतिपादन करती है:
तत्त्वमसि
"वह (ब्रह्म) तुम हो।"
सिद्धान्त: सूत्रकार निम्नलिखित वचनों द्वारा अपना सिद्धान्त प्रस्तुत करते हैं।
सूत्र ४१

aṁśo nānā vyapadeśād anyathā cāpi dāsa-kitavāditvam adhīyate eke
aṁśaḥ—part; nānā—many; vyapadeśāt—because of the teaching; anyathā—
otherwise; ca—and; api—also; dāsa—servant; kitava—gambler; ādi—beginning
with; tvam—the state of being; adhīyate—is read; eke—some.
He is a part because of the description of being many, and also because some
scriptures describe him as a servant, as a gambler, or as something else.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The individual spirit soul is a part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead as a ray of sunlight is part and parcel of the sun. The individual spirit
soul is different from the Lord, dependent on the Lord, and related to the Lord.
That is the meaning. Why is that? The sūtra explains: "Because of the description
of being many." The Subala Upaniṣad explains:
udbhavaḥ sambhavo divyo deva eko nārāyaṇo mātā pitā bhrātā nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ
suhṛd gatir nārāyaṇaḥ
"Nārāyaṇa is the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārāyaṇa is
the creator, destroyer, mother, father, brother, home, shelter, friend, and goal."
In Bhagavad-gītā (9.18) Lord Kṛṣṇa declares:
gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī
nivāsaḥ śaraṇaṁ suhṛt
"I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and
the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of
everything, the resting place, and the eternal seed."*
The words "nānā vyapadeśād" in this sūtra describe the many relationships that
exist between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul,
relationships like that between the creator and created, controller and controlled,
shelter and person who takes shelter, master and servant, friend and friend, and
goal and seeker. Some passages in the Atharva Veda declare that because the
Supreme is all-pervading, the individual spirit souls and the Supreme are identical.
The Atharva Veda declares:

brahma dāśā brahma dāsā brahma kitavāḥ
"These servants are the Supreme. These fishermen are the Supreme. These
gamblers are the Supreme."
It is not possible that this passage intends to say that the individual spirit soul
is actually not different from the Supreme. It is not possible that the Supreme is
simultaneously both the creator and created, the pervader and pervaded, nor is it
possible that supremely intelligent Lord becomes a servant or other lowly being. If
it were true that the individual spirit souls are identical with the Supreme, then the
scriptures' advice to renounce the world would become meaningless. Nor is it
possible that the Supreme has become covered by the influence of illusion, for
illusion has no power to bewilder the Lord. Nor is it possible that the individual
spirit souls are parts of the Supreme like fragments cut with a chisel from a great
stone, for that would contradict the scriptures' statements that the Supreme can
neither be broken nor changed. Therefore the individual spirit soul is different
from the Supreme, but related to Him as created to creator, and in other ways also.
The individual spirit soul is thus a part and parcel of the Supreme. The truth is
that the individual spirit soul is a potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This is described in Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.61):
viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā
kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā
"Originally, Kṛṣṇa's energy is spiritual, and the energy known as the living
entity is also spiritual."*
When it is said that the individual spirit soul is a part of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the word "part" is used in the same way as in the
sentence, "The circle of Venus is a one-hundredth part of the moon's circle," or the
same way as in the definition, "A part, although situated in a smaller area than the
whole, is identical with the whole in substance." The use of the word "part" here is
not different from that definition. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
master of all potencies, and the individual spirit soul is a part of the Lord's
spiritual potency. This, by being a localized manifestation of one of the Lord's
potencies, the individual spirit soul is a part of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. That is their relationship.
The example of the pot means that when the mistaken identification of the soul
for the body is broken, the individual soul meets the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad's statement "tat tvam asi" (You are that)
therefore means "You are dependent on the Supreme." The context of that passage
supports this view. It does not support any other interpretation. Therefore the
individual spirit soul and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are separate and

different. One is the controller, the other the controlled. One is all-pervading, the
other atomic in size. This is directly seen in the scriptures. It is not possible to
prove otherwise. In the next sūtra the author continues his explanation.
Sūtra 42
mantra-varṇāt
mantra—of the mantras; varṇāt—from the description.
Because of the description in the Vedic mantras.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In the Ṛg Veda (10.90.3) it is said:
pādo 'sya sarvā bhūtāni
"All living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme."
In this way the Vedic mantras declare that the individual spirit souls are part
and parcel of the Supreme. The word "pāda" here means "part". No other meaning
makes sense in this context. The word "sarvā bhūtāni" (all living entities) here is
in the plural, whereas the word "aṁśaḥ" (part) in sūtra 41 is in the singular. The
singular here is used in a generic sense to denote all spirit souls. This kind of usage
is also seen in many other places.
Sūtra 43
api smaryate
api—also; smaryate—in the Smṛti-śāstra.
Also in the Smṛti-śāstra.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa

In the Bhagavad-gītā (15.7) Lord Kṛṣṇa explains:
mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
"The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts."*
By using the word "sanātana" (eternal), the Lord refutes the idea that the living
entities referred to here are the temporary external bodies in which the eternal
souls reside. In this way it is seen that the individual spirit souls are part and
parcel of the Supreme and have an relationship with Him. the Supreme is the
creator and dominant in other ways also, and the individual spirit souls are
dependent on Him. The nature of the individual spirit souls is described in the
following passage of Padma Purāṇa:
jñānāśrayo jñāna-guṇaś
cetanaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
na jāto nirvikāraś ca
eka-rūpaḥ svarūpa-bhāk
"The individual spirit soul is the shelter of knowledge, has knowledge as one
if his qualities, is consciousness, is beyond the world of matter, is never born,
never changes, and has one form, a spiritual form.
aṇur nityo vyāpti-śīlaś
cid-ānandātmakas tathā
aham artho 'vyayaḥ sākṣī
bhinna-rūpaḥ sanātanaḥ
"The soul is atomic, eternal, is present by consciousness everywhere in the
material body, is by nature full of spiritual bliss and knowledge, has a sense of
individual identity, is unchanging, is a witness within the body, is eternal, and is
different from the Supreme.
adāhyo 'cchedyo 'kledyo
'śosyo 'kṣara eva ca
evam-ādi-guṇair yuktaḥ
śeṣa-bhūtaḥ parasya vai

"The soul can never be burned, cut, moistened, withered, or killed. It has these
and many more qualities. It is part and parcel of the Supreme.
ma-kareṇocyate jīvaḥ
kṣetra-jñaḥ paravān sadā
dāsa-bhūto harer eva
nānyasyaiva kadācana
"Thus the word `ma' refers to the individual spirit soul. The soul is the knower
of the field of activities. The soul is spiritual. The soul is an eternal servant of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The soul is never the servant of anyone else.
The phrase "evam-ādi-guṇaiḥ" (with these and many more qualities) refers to
the soul's other qualities, such as his ability to perform actions, to experience
sensations, to attain enlightenment, and to enlighten others. The word
"enlightenment" here has two features. In the first feature the soul itself attains
enlightenment. In the second feature the soul brings enlightenment to others. That
is the nature of the soul. A lamp sheds light on itself and on other objects also. A
jar or similar object has no power to bring light. Although a lamp may shine,
because it is inanimate matter it cannot benefit from its own light. The individual
soul, however, can benefit from the light it brings. Because the soul can thus
become illuminated, it is said that the soul is spiritual and full of knowledge.
Adhikaraṇa 18
The Lord's Incarnations Are Not Part and Parcel of the Lord, For They Are the
Lord Himself
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Digressing, for the moment, from the main topic, the author of the sūtras next
considers the nature of the Lord's incarnations. In the Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad it is
said:
eko vaśī sarva-gaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍya
eko 'pi san bahudhā yo 'vabhāti