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

kiṁ vidhatte kiṁ ācaṣṭe
kiṁ anūdya vikalpayet
ity asyā hṛdayaṁ loke
nānyo mad veda kaścana
māṁ vidhatte 'bhidhatte māṁ
vikalpyāpohyate hy aham
"What is the direction of all Vedic literatures? On whom do they set focus?
Who is the purpose of all speculation? Outside of Me no one knows these things.
Now you should know that all these activities are aimed at ordaining and setting
forth Me. The purpose of Vedic literature is to know Me by different speculations,
either by indirect understanding or by dictionary understanding. Everyone is
speculating about Me."*
—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.21.42-43)
The Vedic literatures also state:
sākṣāt-paramparābhyāṁ veda brahmaṇi pravartate
"Either directly or indirectly, the Vedas describe Brahman."
In the jñāna-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas {.fn 1} the transcendental forms and
qualitities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are directly described, and in the
karma-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas the Lord is indirectly described in the
discussion of fruitive action and various divisions of material knowledge
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the sole topic of discussion in the
Vedas is also confirmed by the following scriptural passages:
taṁ tv aupaniṣadaṁ puruṣaṁ pṛcchāmi
"I shall now ask about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described
in the Upaniṣads."
—Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (9.21)
tam etaṁ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇa vividiśanti
"Brāhmaṇas study the Vedas to understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead."
—Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.4.22)

As for the various fruitive results, such as the attainment of rain, a son, or
residence in the celestial material planets, that are offered to the follwers of the
karma-kāṇḍa rituals in the Vedas, these beneifts are offered to attract the minds of
ordinary men. When ordinary men see that these material benefits are actually
attained by performing Vedic rituals, they become attracted to study the Vedas. By
studying the Vedas they become able to discriminate between what is temporary
and what is eternal. In this way they gradually become averse to the temporary
things of this world and they come to hanker after Brahman. In this way it may be
understood that all the parts of the Vedas describe the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Vedic rituals bring material benefits as a result only when the performer of the
ritual is filled with material desire. If the performer is materially desireless, then he
does not gain a material result, but rather the result he obtains is purification of
the heart and the manifestation of spiritual knowledge. Therefore, the meaning of
the previously quoted text from Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.4.22) is that the
demigods are considered to be the various limbs of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and by worshiping them, one actually worships the Supreme Lord, and
the result of such worship is that one gradually become pure in heart and awake
with spiritual knowledge.
Adhikaraṇa 5
Brahman Is Knowable

1. Viṣaya (statement): Now, by the use of logic and scriptural quotation, we
   shall refute the misconception that Brahman cannot be described. One may argue,
   however, that many scriptural passages support the theory that Brahman cannot be
   described by words. For example:
   yato vāco nivartate
   aprāpya manasā saha
   "The mind cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and words
   cannot describe Him."
   —Taittrīya Upaniṣad 2.4.1
   yad vacanābhyuditaṁ yena vāg abhyudyate tad eva
   brahma tad viddhi nedaṁ yad idam upāsate
   "No one has the power to describe Brahman with words, even though
   everyone's speech occurs by the power granted by Brahman. Know that this
   Brahman is not material. Worship this Brahman."

—Kena Upaniṣad (1.5)
2. Saṁśaya (doubt): Is Brahman expressable by words or not?
3. Pūrvapakṣa (the opponenet argues): The śruti-śāstra states that Brahman
cannot be described by words. If this were not so, it would not be said that the
Supreme Brahman is self-manifested. That Brahman cannot be described with
words is also explained in the following statement of {Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(3.6.40):
yato 'prāpya nyavartanta
vacaś ca manasā saha
ahaṁ cānya ime devās
tasmai bhagavate namaḥ
"Words, mind and ego, with their respective controlling demigods, have failed
to achieve success in knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, we
simply have to offer our respectful obeisances unto Him as a matter of sanity."*
4. Śrīla Vyāsadeva refutes these arguments in the following sūtra:
Sūtra 5
īkṣater nāśabdam
īkṣateḥ—because it is seen; na—not; aśabdam—indescribable by words.
Because it is seen (that Brahman is vividly described in the Vedic scriptures, it
should be understood that Brahman) is not indescribable by words.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Here the word aśabdam means "that which cannot be described by words." In
this sūtra Brahman is described as not (na) indescribable by words (aśabdam).
Why is this so? Because īkṣateḥ (because it is seen that Brahman is described in
the passages of the scriptures).
For example, Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad states:
taṁ tv aupaniṣadaṁ puruṣaṁ pṛcchāmi

"I shall now ask about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described
in the Upaniṣads."
We may note in this connection that the word aupaniṣada means "that glorious
person who is described in the Upaniṣads."
We may also note that the word īkṣateḥ is bhāva (passive), and it is formed by
adding the affix tip-pratyaya. The unusual usage here is ārṣa (a certain degree of
grammatical liberty allowed to an exalted author).
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be described in words is also
confirmed by the following statement of Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.15):
sarve vedā yat-padam āmananti
"All the Vedas describe the feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
When it is said that Brahman cannot be described in words, the intention is
that He cannot be completely described in words. In the same way it is sometimes
said that no one can see Mount Meru because no one can see the entire mountain,
but only small parts of it at any one time. Without accepting this understanding,
that Brahman is not completely expressible by words or understandable by the
mind, we would not properly understand the meaning of the scritpural statements
yato vāco nivartate (words cannot describe Brahman), aprāpya manasā saha (the
mind cannot understand Brahman), and yad vacanābhyuditam (No one has the
power to describe Brahman with words). These statements explain that Brahman
cannot be completely described in words.
That Brahman can to some extent be described with words does not contradict
the fact that Brahman reveals Himself by His own wish. The Vedas are actually the
incarnation of Brahman, and therefore Brahman may reveal Himself in the words
of the Vedas.
2. Saṁśaya (doubt): This may be so, but still the Suprme Person described in
the words of the Vedas may be saguṇa (a manifestation of the Lord according to
the modes of material nature), and not the perfect, complete and pure original
Brahman who remains indescribable by words.
If this doubt were to arise, Śrīla Vyāsadeva would answer it in the following
sūtra.
Sūtra 6
gauṇaś cen nātma-śabdāt
gauṇaḥ—Saguṇa Brahman, or the Lord's potencies; cet—if; na—not; ātma—ātma;
śabdāt—because of the word.

If (one says that the Brahman described in the Vedas is) Saguṇa Brahman (a
manifestation of the modes of material nature, and not the original Supreme Lord
Himself), Then I say this cannot be true, because Brahman is described in the
Vedas as "Atma" (the Supreme Self).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Brahman described in the Vedas is not merely a saguṇa manifestation of the
mode of Goodness. Why? Because the Vedas use the word ātmā (the Supreme Self)
to describe Him. For example:
ātmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣa-vidhaḥ
"The Supreme Self (ātmā), who is a transcendental person, existed before this
material world was manifested in the beginning."
—Vājasaneya-saṁhitā
ātmā vā idam eka evāgra āsīt nānyat kiñcana
miṣat sa īkṣata lokān nu sṛja
"Before the material world was manifest, the Supreme Self (ātmā) alone existed.
Nothing else was manifested at that time. The Supreme Self then thought, `Let me
create the material planets.'"
—Aitareya Āraṇyaka
Both these texts clearly refer to the Supreme Self (ātmā) who existed before the
creation of the material world. Also, In the commentary on sūtra 1.1.2, I have
already explained that the word ātmā primarily refers to the perfect Supreme
Brahman, and not to anyone or anything else. For this reason the word ātmā used
in the scriptures should be understood to refer to the transcendental Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and not to any material manifestation of the mode of
goodness. The transcendental Supreme Person is described in the following
statements of Vedic literature:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas

• tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam*
  brahmeti pāramātmeti
• bhagavān iti śabdyate*

"Learned transcendentalist who know the Absolute Truth call this non-dual
substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān."*
'Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.11
śuddhe mahā-vibhūtākhye
pare brahmaṇi śabdyate
maitreya bhagavac-chabdaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇe
"O Maitreya, the word Bhagavān refers to the Supreme Brahman, who is full of
all powers and opulences, the original cause of all causes, and the supreme
transcendence, pure and always untouched by matter."
—Viṣṇu Purāṇa
In this way the supremely perfect and pure Brahman is described by the
statements of the smṛti-śāstras. If it were not possible to describe Him with words,
then the scriptures would not have been able to describe Him in the above
quotations.
Sūtra 7
tan niṣṭhasya mok\śopadeśāt
tat—that; niṣṭhasya—of the faithful devotee; mok\śa—of the liberation; upadeśāt—
because of the instructions.
(The Brahman described in the scriptures is the transcendental Supreme Lord,
and not a temporary manifestation of the mode of goodness, because the
scriptures) teach us that they who become His devotees attain liberation.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word "not" is understood in this sūtra and the following three sūtras as
well. The liberation of those devoted to Brahman is described in the following
statement of Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.7):

asad vā idam agra āsīt tato vai sad ajāyata tad ātmānaṁ svayam akuruta. . . yadā
hy evaiṣa etasminn adṛśye 'nātmye anirukte 'nilayane abhayaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ vindate
'tha so 'bhayaṁ gato bhavati yadā hy evaiṣa etasminn udāram antaraṁ kurute atha
tasya bhayaṁ bhavati
"Before the material cosmos was manifested, it existed in a subtle form. At a
certain time it became manifested in a gross form, and at a certain time the
Supreme Brahman manifested as the Universal Form. When an individual spirit
soul takes shelter of that Supreme Brahman, who is different from the individual
spirit souls, invisible to the gross material senses, indescribable by material words,
and self-effulgent, then the individual spirit soul attains liberation and is no longer
afraid of the cycle of repeated birth and death. If one does not take shelter of this
Supreme Brahman, he must remain afraid of taking birth again and again in this
world."
The Brahman described in this passage of the Vedic literature must be the
Supreme Brahman who is beyond the limitations of the material world, and who is
the creator of the material universes, and yet beyond them. This passage could not
be interpreted to describe a Brahman that is actually a manifestation of the modes
of material nature, for if this were so, then it would not have explained that they
who become devoted to this Brahman attain ultimate liberation. They who are
devoted to the manifestations of the modes of nature do not attain liberation by
that material devotion. Therefore, because the devotees attain liberation, the
Brahman mentioned here must be the transcendental Supreme Person, who is
beyond the modes of nature, and completely non-material in nature.
This non-material, transcendental Supreme Brahman is described in the
following statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.88.5):
harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt
puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
sa sarva-dṛg upadraṣṭā
taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet
"Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated beyond the range of
material nature; therefore He is the supreme transcendental person. He can see
everything inside and outside; therefore He is the supreme overseer of all living
entities. If someone takes shelter at His lotus feet and worships Him, he also
attains a transcendental position."*
Sūtra 8
heyatva-vacanāc ca

heyatva—worthy of being abandoned; vacanāt—because of the statement; ca—also.
(The Brahman described in the Vedic scriptures is not a manifestation of the
modes of material nature,) because no scriptural passage advises one to abandon
(Brahman in order to attain something higher).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
If the Brahman described in the scriptures were enmeshed in the modes of
material nature, then why do the scriptures not direct men and women to abandon
the worship of Brahman and worship something higher? If this Brahman were
under the spell of the modes of nature, then why do those aspiring after liberation
worship this Brahman to become free from the grip of the modes of nature?
Clearly, the Brahman described in the scriptures is not entangled in the modes of
material nature, and for this reason the scripture state:
anyā vāco vimuñcātha
"Give up talking about things that have no relation to the Supreme Brahman!"
They who aspire for liberation should meditate with pure faith on this Supreme
Brahman, who is eternal, filled with all transcendental qualities, and the orginal
creator of the material universes. In this way it may be understood that the
Brahman described in the Vedic scriptures is not a product of the modes of
material nature.
Sūtra 9
svāpyāt
sva—into Himself; apyāt—because He merges.
(The Supreme Brahman described in the Vedic literatures is not bound by the
modes of nature,) because He merges into Himself, (unlike the creatures bound by
nature's modes, who all merge into something other than their self).

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (5.1.1) explains:
oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate
"The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is
completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are
perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the complete
whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the complete whole, even though so
many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance."*
This verse explains that that which is pūrṇa (perfect and complete), enters into
itself. This cannot be said of that which is not perfect and complete. If the
Supreme Brahman described in the scriptures were a product of the modes of
material nature, then it would merge into the Supreme and not into itself. In this
way it could not be described as truly perfect and complete. In this verse the word
adaḥ (this) refers to the aprakaṭa (not manifested in the material world) form of
the Supreme Lord, which is the root from which the various prakaṭa forms of the
Lord emanate. Both aprakaṭa and prakaṭa forms of the Lord are perfect and
complete. The Lord expands from His aprakaṭa form and appears in the material
world in His prakaṭa form, displaying His rāsa-līlā and other transcendental
pastimes. When the prakaṭa form of the Lord leaves the material world and enters
the aprakaṭa form of the Lord, the Lord remains unchanged, eternally perfect and
complete. That the Lord is untouched by the modes of material nature, and that
He expands into many forms, are confired by the following statement of smṛti-
śāstra:
sa devo bahudhā bhūtvā
nirguṇaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
ekī-bhūya punaḥ śete
nirdoṣo harir ādi-kṛt
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is faultless. Even though He is the
original creator of the material world, He remains always untouched by matter. He
expands in innumerable viṣṇu-tattva incarnations, and then these incarnations
enter Him and He again becomes one."
At this point someone may raise the following objection: There are actually two

kinds of Brahman: Saguṇa Brahman (Brahman enmeshed in the modes of material
nature), and Nirguṇa Brahman (Brahman untouched by the modes of material
nature). The first, or Saguṇa Brahman, has a form constructed of the mode of
material goodness. This Saguṇa Brahman is the omnisicent, all-powerful creator of
the material universes. The second, or Nirguṇa Brahman, is pure transcendental
existence only. This Nirguṇa Brahman is pure, perfect, and complete. The Saguṇa
Brahman is the śakti (potency) described by the Vedas, and the Nirguṇa Brahman
is the tātparya (meaning) of the Vedas.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva refutes this argument by explaining, in the next sūtra:
Sūtra 10
gati-sāmānyāt
gati—the conception; sāmānyāt—because of uniformity.
(This is not so) because the Vedas describe only one kind of Brahman.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
In this sūtra the word gati means "conception." The Vedic literatures describe
Brahman as full of transcendental knowledge, omniscient, omnipotent, perfect,
complete, pure, the all-pervading Supersoul, the original creator of the material
universes, the object of worship for the saintly devotees, and the bestower of
liberation. The Vedas do not describe two kinds of Brahman: Nirguṇa and Saguṇa.
Rather, the Vedas describe only one kind of Brahman. This one Brahman is
described by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the following words (Bhagavad-gītā 7.7):
mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
"O conqueror of wealth, there is not truth superior to Me. Everything rests
upon me as pearls strung on a thread."*
Thus the Vedic literatures describe only one kind of Brahman: Nirguṇa
Brahman. Śrīla Vyāsadeva describes this Nirguṇa Brahman in the next sūtra:

Sūtra 11
śrutatvāc ca
śrutavāt—because of being described in the Vedas; ca—and.
(There is only one kind of Brahman: Nirguṇa Brahman), because Nirguṇa
Brahman is described throughout the Vedic literatures.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Nirguṇa Brahman is described in the following statement of Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad (6.11):
eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ
sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntarātmā
karmādhyakṣaḥ sarva-bhūtādhivāsaḥ
sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as the all-pervading
Supersoul, the witness present in the hearts of all living entities. He witnesses all
activities of the living entity. He is the supreme living force. He is transcendental
to all material qualities."
In this way Nirguṇa Brahman is described in the śruti-śāstra. The śruti-śāstra
does not say that it is impossible to describe Brahman. Some say that Brahman may
be understood not from the direct statements of the Vedic literatures, but merely
indirectly, or from hints found in the Vedic texts. This is not the correct
understanding, for if the Vedic scriptures had no power to directly describe
Brahman, then naturally they would also not have any power to indirectly describe
Him or hint about Him. The Vedic literatures may say that Brahman has no
contact with guṇas (either qualities, or the three modes of material nature), and He
cannot be seen by material eyes (adṛśya), still it does not say that the words of the
Vedas have no power to describe Him.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: Is it not said in the
Vedas that Brahman has no guṇas (qualities)? Your statement that Brahman has
qualities contradicts the description of the scriptures.
To this I reply: This is not true. You can only say this because you do not

understand the confidential meaning of the word nirguṇa. Because the Supreme
Brahman is all-knowing and possess many transcendental qualitites, when the
scriptures say that He is nirguṇa, it should be understood to mean that He has no
(niḥ) contact with the three modes of material nature (guṇa).
This is confirmed by the following statements of smṛti-śāstra:
sattvādayo na śāntīśe
yatra cāprakṛtā guṇāḥ
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses numberless
transcendental qualities, is eternally free from the touch of the three modes of
material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance."
samasta-kalyāṇa-guṇātmako 'sau
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses all auspicious qualities."
For all these reasons it should be accepted that the Vedic literatures have the
power to describe the perfect, pure, complete Supreme Brahman. When it is said
by the scriptures that the Supreme Brahman has no names, forms, or qualities it
should be understood that the Supreme Brahman has no material names, forms, or
qualities, and that His names, forms and qualities are limitless and beyond the
counting of limited spirit souls.
At this point someone may object, saying that the literal interpretation of the
Vedic statements is that Brahman is without qualities (nirguṇa), and your
interpretation of the word nirguṇa is wrong.
To this objection I reply: Does this description that Brahman has no qualities
help to positively undertand Brahman? If you say yes, then you have to admit that
the Vedas do have the power to describe Brahman; and if you say no, then you
have to admit that your careful studies of the Vedic literature have been a great
waste of time, and as a result you remain wholly ignorant of Brahman's real nature.
Adhikaraṇa 6
The Supreme Brahman is Full of Bliss
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
śabdā vācakatāṁ yānti

yantrānandamayādayaḥ
vibhum ānanda-vijñānaṁ
taṁ śuddhaṁ śraddadhīmahi
Let us place our faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is supremely
pure, all-powerful, all-knowing, and full of transcendental bliss. He is perfectly
described in the ānandamaya-sūtra and the other statements of Vedānta-sūtra.
From the 12th Sūtra (ānandamaya) to the end of this First Chapter, Śrīla
Vyāsadeva will prove that the statements of the Vedic literatures are intended to
describe Brahman. In the First Pada, Śrīla Vyāsadeva discusses those words of the
Vedic literatures, which, taken by themselves, whould not necessarily refer to
Brahman, but which, in their Vedic context, certainly do refer to Brahman.

1. Viṣaya (Statement): In the passages from Taittirīya Upaniṣad beginning
   brahma-vid āpnoti param and sa vā eṣa puruṣo 'nna-rasamayaḥ, we find a
   description of the annamaya, prāṇamaya

The word ānandamaya (full of bliss) used in the Vedic literatures must refer to
the Supreme Brahman, for it is repeatedly used to describe Him.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Supreme Brahman is the ānandamaya described in Vedic literature. Why do
we say so? Because the word ānandamaya is repeatedly used to describe the
Supreme Brahman. Directly following the description of ānandamaya in the
Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.6.1), we find the following statement:
asann eva saṁbhavati
asad brahmeti veda cet
asti brahmeti ced veda
santam enaṁ tato viduḥ
"One who thinks, The Supreme Brahman does not exist' becomes a demonic atheist, and one who thinks, The Supreme Brahman does exist' is known as a
saint."
In this passage the word Brahman was repeated. This repetition is called
abhyāsa. In the previous quotation from Taittirīya Upaniṣad, the word Brahman
appeared in the word brahma-puccham, but in that case the word only occurred
once, and therefore there was no abhyāsa.
The four verses of Taittirīya Upaniṣad beginning with the verse annād vai prajāḥ
prajāyante describe the annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, and vijñānamaya levels
of existence. Each of these levels is progressively higher than the preceding one,
and after them the ānandamaya level, which is different in quality, is the highest of
all. This will be more elaborately explained in the passage following the sūtra:
priya-śiras tv ādya-prāpter (3.3.13) of this book.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: These stages of
existence describe the conditioned souls who have fallen into the raging river of
material suffering. Why has the stage of blissfulness (ānandamaya) been made the
chief of these stages of suffering?"
To this objection I reply: There is no fault in this. The all-blissful Personality of
Godhead is pesent in the hearts of all the suffering conditioned souls, and
therefore it is perfectly appropriate to mention them together.
The Vedic literatures speak in this way to make a difficult subject-matter
intelligible for the unlettered common man. Just as one may point out the small,
difficult-to-see star Arundhatī by first pointing to a nearby large easy-to-see star,
and then lead the viewer from that reference-point to the tiny Arundhatī, in the
same way the Vedic literatures first describe the suffering-filled life of the
conditioned souls, and then from that reference point teach about the all-blissful

Supreme Personality of Godhead.
At this point someone may raise the following question: Is it, then, that the
Vedic literatures mostly describe topics other than the Supreme Brahman, (because
mostly they describe these "reference-points" to lead the reader to the Supreme),
or do they mostly describe Brahman directly?"
I answer this question: Brahman is directly described in the Vedic literatures.
For example, in the next chapter of Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Varuṇa, upon being asked
by his son to teach him about Brahman, explained to him that Brahman is the
original creator, maintaner, and destroyer of the material universes. He further
explains that the annamaya, prāṇamaya, manomaya, and vijñānamaya stages of
existence, one by one, are all Brahman. Then he explained that the ānandamaya
stage is the final Brahman. After explaining this, Varuṇa concluded his teaching by
confirming that he has spoken a true description of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He said:
etam ānandamayam ātmānam upasaṅkramya imān lokān kāmānī kāma-rūpy
anusañcarann etat sama gāyann āste
"After leaving his material body, one who understands the supreme
ānandamaya person leaves this material world and enters the spiritual world. All
his desires become fulfilled, he attains a spiritual form according to his own wish,
and he dedicates himself to glorifying that supreme ānandamaya person."
That the ānandamaya person in the Vedic literatures is actually the Supreme
Brahman is also described in the following statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(10.87.17):
puruṣa-vidho 'nvayo 'tra caramo 'nnamyādiṣu yaḥ
sad asataḥ paraṁ tvam atha yad eṣv avaśeṣāmṛtam
"O Lord, of these persons beginning with the annamaya-puruṣa, You are the
Supreme."
We may note in this connection that it is not contradictory or illogical to say
that the Supreme Brahman has a form. The form of the Supreme is described in the
Vedic literatures. For example, the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (3.7.3) explains:
pṛthivī śarīram
"The material universe is the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
It is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a form (śarīra), that this

book, the Vedānta-sūtra, is also called Śārīraka-sūtra (sūtras glorifying the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who has a form). Some may say that the word
ānandamaya does not refer to the Supreme Brahman, and that only the word
brahma-puccham refers to Brahman. This proposal is not very intelligent. Some
others may say that the word ānandamaya does not refer to Brahman because the
word maya means "transformation". These persons say the word ānandamaya
(transformation of bliss) cannot refer to the Supreme Brahman, for Brahman is
naturally full of bliss, and not a transformation of some pre-existing state of
happiness. For this reason the word ānandamaya must refer to the individual spirit
soul, and not Brahman. In order to refute this argument, Śrīla Vyāsadeva speaks
the following sūtra:
Sūtra 13
vikāra-śabdān neti cen na pracuryāt
vikāra—transformation; śabdāt—from the word; na—not; iti—thus; cet—if; na—
not; pracuryāt—because of abundance.
If (someone argues that the Supreme Brahman cannot be the same as the
ānandamaya person described in the Vedas) because the affix maya means
"transformation", (and the Supreme Brahman is not a transformation of ānanda, or
bliss, then I reply by saying that) because the affix maya used here means
"abundance", this interpretation is not correct, (and therefore the word
ānandamaya should be understood to mean "He who is filled with limitless bliss").
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word ānandamaya does not mean "he who is a transformation of bliss."
Why? Because the affix maya here means "abundance", and therefore the word
ānandamaya means "He who is filled with limitless bliss." The rules of Sanskrit
grammar state that the affix maya may not be used to mean "transformation" in
vaidika words of more than two syllables. The word ānanda has three syllables, and
therefore when the word ānandamaya appears in the vaidika text of the Taittirīya
Upaniṣad, it cannot be interpreted to mean "he who is a transformation of bliss."
The Supreme Brahman, therefore, is not only free from all suffering, but filled
with limitless bliss. This is confirmed by the following statements of Vedic
scripture:
eṣa sarva-bhūtāntarātmāpahata-pāpmā divyo deva eko nārāyaṇaḥ

"There is one Supreme Personality of Godhead: Lord Nārāyaṇa. He is the
transcendental Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities, and He is completely
free from all sin."
—Subala Upaniṣad
parāḥ parāṇāṁ sakalā na yatra
kleśādayaḥ sānti parāvareśaḥ
"Suffering is not experienced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
When the affix maya means "abundance", it also implies the meaning "essential
nature." Therefore, when we use jyotirmaya (full of light) to mean the sun, the
affix maya can also be understood to mean "essential nature". In this way the word
jyotirmaya means "that of which the essential nature is light." In this way the word
ānandamaya may also be interpreted to mean "He whose essential nature is full of
bliss." From all this it may be understood that the word ānandamaya clearly refers
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It does not refer to the individual spirit
soul.
Sūtra 14
tad-hetu-vyapadeśāc ca
tat—of that; hetu—the origin; vyapadeśāt—because of the statement; ca—also.
Because the Vedic literatures declare that the ānandamaya person is the source
of bliss for others, (it should be understood that the ānandamaya person is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not the individual spirit soul).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
This is confirmed by the following statement of Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.7):
ko hy evānyat kaḥ prāṇyāt yady eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt. eṣa evānandayati.

"Who is that person, without whom the living entities cannot feel happiness?
That is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who delights the individual spirit
souls."
This passage explains that the Supreme Brahman is the origin of happiness for
the individual spirit souls. From this we may understand that the cause of
happiness (the Supreme Personality of Godhead), and the receiver of happiness
(the individual spirit soul) must be different persons. They cannot be indentical.
Therefore the word ānandamaya refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
only. We may also note that the word ānanda used in this passage of Taittirīya
Upaniṣad (is identical with the word ānandamaya..
Sūtra 15
mantra-varṇikam eva ca gīyate
mantra—by the mantra portion of the Vedas; varṇikam—described; eva—certainly;
ca—also; gīyate—is described.
(The same Supreme Personality of Godhead) described in the mantra-portion of
the Vedas is also described (as the ānandamaya-person in the text of the Taittirīya
Upaniṣad).
Purport by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The same Supreme Brahman described in the Vedic mantra, Satyam jñānam
anantam brahma (the Supreme Brahman has no limits. He is eternal and full of
knowledge), is also described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad by the word ānandamaya.
In this way the above sūtra explains that the word ānandamaya does not refer to
the individual living entitiy. Further, the Taittirīya Upaniṣad explains:
brahma-vid āpnoti param
"One who understands the Supreme Brahman attains the Supreme Brahman."
This sentence explains that the individual living entity worships the Supreme
Brahman and then attains the association of that Supreme Brahman. This is the
same Supreme Brahman previously described in the mantra, satyam jñānam
anantam brahma. This is the Supreme Brahman described by the word

ānandamaya. This is the Supreme Brahman described in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad in
the passage begining with the words tasmād vā etasmāt. Because the Supreme
Brahman is the object of attainment for the individual spirit soul, and because the
object of attainment and the attainer must be two distinct entities, and they cannot
be identical, therefore the Supreme Brahman and the individual living entities
must be distinct persons, and therefore the word ānandamaya refers only to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and not to the individual living entites.
At this point someone may raise the following objection: If the Supreme
Brahman described in the Vedic mantras were different from the individual living
entity, then the individual living enitites could not be the ānandamaya person
described in the scriptures. The actual fact is that the Supreme Brahman and the
individual living entities are identical. The Vedic mantras state that when the
individual spirit soul is free from ignorance and liberated from material bondage,
then he become identical with the Supreme Brahman.
To answer this objection, Śrīla Vyāsadeva speaks the following sūtra.
Sūtra 16
netaro 'nupapatteḥ
na—not; itaraḥ—the other; upapatteḥ—because it is illogical.
The other person (individual living entity) is not described (in the mantra
"satyaṁ jñānam anantam brahma"), because such an interpretation of the mantra
is illogical.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The itara (other person) mentioned in this sūtra is the individual living entity.
This sūtra, therefore, states that the individual spirit soul, even in the liberated
condition, cannot be the Supremem Person described in the mantra, satyam
jñānam anantam brahma. This is confirmed by the following statement of Vedic
literature:
so 'śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā
"The liberated soul enjoys the fulfillment of all his desires in the company of
the omniscient Supreme Brahman."

॥ श्रीब्रह्मसूत्रम् — आनन्दमयाधिकरणम् ॥
पूर्वप्रसङ्गः (सूत्र १६ शेष — श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम्):
तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि (२।१।१) "सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान् सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चिता" इत्यत्र मुक्तजीवस्य परब्रह्मणा सहभावश्रवणात् तयोर्भेदः स्पष्टः।
'विपश्चित्' शब्दस्य व्युत्पत्तिः—विविधं पश्यतीति विपश्चित्; पाणिनिसूत्रेण "पृषोदरादीनि यथोपदिष्टम्" (६।३।१०९) इति रूपसिद्धिः।
अनेन विविधदिव्यानन्दानुभवचतुरेण परब्रह्मणा सह मुक्तजीवः स्वकामान् समश्नुते।
'अश्नुते' इति पदे 'अश भोजने' इत्यस्मात् धातोः परस्मैपदित्वेऽपि "व्यत्ययो बहुलम्" (पाणिनि ३।१।८५) इति छान्दसादात्मनेपदप्रयोगः।
परब्रह्म परमेश्वरः स्वतः परमभोक्ता, जीवश्च तदधीनभोक्ता; तथापि भगवान् स्वभक्तानां माहात्म्यं ख्यापयन् आह—
स्मृति-प्रमाणम् (श्रीमद्भागवतम् ९।४।६३):
वशे कुर्वन्ति मां भक्ताः सत्स्त्रियः सत्पतिं यथा ॥
(यथा साध्व्यः स्त्रियः स्वपतिं वशीकुर्वन्ति, तथा अनन्यभक्ता मां वशीकुर्वन्ति।)
॥ सूत्रम् १७ ॥
भेदव्यपदेशाच्च ॥ १।१।१७ ॥
पदच्छेदः — भेद-व्यपदेशात्, च।
अन्वयः — (जीवात् ब्रह्मणः) भेदव्यपदेशात् च (अयमानन्दमयो न जीवः, अपि तु परं ब्रह्मैव)।
पदविभागार्थः — भेद (जीव-ब्रह्मणोः भेदस्य), व्यपदेशात् (श्रुतिषु प्रतिपादनात्, कथनात्), च (अपि च)।
सूत्रार्थः — श्रुतौ जीव-ब्रह्मणोः परस्परं भेदकथनाद् अपि आनन्दमयः जीवो न भवति, किन्तु ब्रह्मैव।
श्रील-बलदेवविद्याभूषण-विरचितं श्रीगोविन्दभाष्यम्:
तैत्तिरीयोपनिषदि (२।७।१) श्रूयते —
"रसो वै सः। रसं ह्येवायं लब्ध्वानन्दी भवति ॥" इति।
पूर्वपक्षः — विकारप्रवाहे पठितत्वात् आनन्दप्रचुरः संसारी जीव एव आनन्दमयपदेन ग्राह्यः।
सिद्धान्तः — नायं जीवः, कुतः? भेदव्यपदेशात्। अत्र लब्धव्यस्य रसस्वरूपस्य ब्रह्मणः, लब्धुश्च जीवस्य भेदः स्पष्टतया व्यपदिश्यते।
भाष्य-विवरणम् — 'अयम्' इति प्रत्यगात्मा जीवः, 'रसो वै सः' इति तु परमात्मा ब्रह्म; अतः प्राप्य-प्रापकयोः लब्धव्य-लब्ध्रोश्च भेदात् आनन्दमयो ब्रह्मैव।
हिन्दी-अनुवादः:
तैत्तिरीय श्रुति के वचन "सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चिता" में मुक्त आत्मा और परब्रह्म के मध्य का भेद वर्णित है।
'विपश्चित्' का अर्थ है जो विविध वस्तुओं का साक्षात् दर्शन करता है (पृषोदरादि गण से व्युत्पन्न)।
इस प्रकार मुक्त आत्मा विविध दिव्य आनन्द के भोक्ता भगवान् का सान्निध्य प्राप्त कर अपनी सभी इच्छाओं को पूर्ण करता है।
'अश्नुते' पद में 'अश भोजने' धातु से उपभोग अर्थ है; छान्दस नियम "व्यत्ययो बहुलम्" से यहाँ आत्मनेपद हुआ है।
यद्यपि भगवान् स्वतः परम भोक्ता हैं, फिर भी वे भक्तों के वशीभूत होकर कहते हैं: "जैसे पतिव्रता स्त्री अपने पति को वश में करती है, वैसे भक्त मुझे वश में कर लेते हैं।"
सूत्र १७ हिन्दी-भावार्थ: "भेदव्यपदेशाच्च" — वेद में जीव और ईश्वर का भेद स्पष्ट रूप से बतलाए जाने के कारण आनन्दमय जीव नहीं, बल्कि परब्रह्म है।
उपनिषद्-प्रमाण (तैत्तिरीय २।७।१): "वह परमात्मा ही रस-स्वरूप है; यह जीव उस रस को पाकर ही आनन्दित होता है।"
निष्कर्ष: प्राप्त करने योग्य रस (ब्रह्म) और उसे पाकर आनन्दित होने वाला (जीव) दोनों में भेद होने से आनन्दमय परब्रह्म ही सिद्ध होता है।