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

श्रुति-वचनम् (मुण्डकोपनिषत् १।१।६) —
यत्तदद्रेश्यमग्राह्यमगोत्रमवर्णमचक्षुःश्रोत्रं तदपाणिपादम् ।
नित्यं विभुं सर्वगतं सुसूक्ष्मं तदव्ययं यद्भूतयोनिं परिपश्यन्ति धीराः ॥
हिन्दी-अनुवाद : "यहाँ वह परा विद्या वर्णित है जिससे परब्रह्म परमात्मा का बोध होता है। धीर ज्ञानी पुरुष उस तत्त्व का सर्वत्र साक्षात् दर्शन करते हैं जो अदृश्य (नेत्रों से न दिखने वाला), अग्राह्य (कर्मेंद्रियों से न पकड़ा जाने वाला), गोत्र-हीन, वर्ण-हीन, चक्षु-श्रोत्र-रहित, हाथ-पैर से रहित, नित्य, सर्वसमर्थ (विभु), सर्वव्यापी, अतीव सूक्ष्म, अविनाशी तथा समस्त भूत-प्राणियों का मूल कारण (योनि) है।"
तदनन्तर मुण्डकोपनिषत् (२।१।२) में भी कहा गया है —
दिव्यो ह्यमूर्तः पुरुषः सबाह्याभ्यन्तरो ह्यजः ।
अप्राणो ह्यमनाः शुभ्रो ह्यक्षरात्परतः परः ॥
हिन्दी-अनुवाद : "वह दिव्य पुरुष अमूर्त (प्राकृत आकार-रहित), बाहर और भीतर सर्वत्र विद्यमान, अजन्मा, प्राण-रहित, मन-रहित, परम शुद्ध तथा अक्षर (प्रकृति/अव्याकृत) से भी परे श्रेष्ठतर है।"
संशय : क्या ये दोनों वाक्य पहले प्रधान (प्रकृति) और तदनन्तर पुरुष (जीव) का वर्णन करते हैं, अथवा ये परमपुरुष भगवान् (परब्रह्म) का प्रतिपादन करते हैं?
पूर्वपक्ष : इन वाक्यों में साक्षात् द्रष्टा होने अथवा चेतन के अन्य विशिष्ट गुणों का स्पष्ट कथन नहीं है, तथा यहाँ 'भूतयोनि' (जगत का उपादान कारण) शब्द आया है जो प्रधान का ही बोधक है। अतः प्रथम वाक्य प्रकृति (अव्यक्त प्रधान) का निरूपण करता है और दूसरा वाक्य उस प्रकृति से श्रेष्ठ क्षेत्रज्ञ 'जीव-पुरुष' का वर्णन करता है। अतः यहाँ प्रधान और जीव ही विचारणीय विषय हैं।
सिद्धान्त : इस संशय का समाधान निम्नाङ्कित सूत्र द्वारा किया जाता है —
॥ ब्रह्मसूत्रम् १।२।२१ ॥
अदृश्यत्वादिगुणको धर्मोक्तेः ॥ २१ ॥
पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ :
अदृश्यत्व-आदि-गुणकः — अदृश्यत्व (न दिखाई देना) आदि विशेष गुणों से युक्त परमेश्वर ही यहाँ प्रतिपाद्य है;
धर्म-उक्तेः — क्योंकि आगे चलकर उसी परब्रह्म के असाधारण धर्मों का कथन किया गया है।
सूत्रार्थ :
(उपर्युक्त मुण्डक-वाक्यों में वर्णित) अदृश्यत्व आदि गुणों से सम्पन्न तत्त्व स्वयं परमेश्वर ही है, क्योंकि वहाँ सर्वज्ञता आदि उसी के असाधारण धर्मों का निरूपण हुआ है।
श्रीमद्बलदेवविद्याभूषण-विरचितं गोविन्दभाष्यम् :
दोनों ही श्रुति-वाक्यों में वर्णित अदृश्यत्व, सर्वगत्व, सर्वज्ञत्व आदि अनेक दिव्य धर्मों के कथन के कारण यहाँ केवल परब्रह्म श्रीभगवान् का ही प्रतिपादन सिद्ध होता है, प्रधान अथवा जीव का नहीं...

transcendental qualities, including invisibility, should be understood (to be the
topic of discussion). Why? the sūtra says dharmokteḥ (because His qualities are
described here).
The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.9) says:
yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavid yasya jñānamayaṁ tapaḥ. tasmād etad brahma nāma-
rūpam annaṁ ca jāyate
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows everything. He knows everything.
He is full of knowledge. From Him is born that Brahman that is the material form
of this world."
Because in the pasage of Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.6) that begins divyo hy amūrtaḥ
puruṣaḥ (The Supreme Person is transcendental and formlesss) the akṣara is
described as possessing a host of transcendental qualities, which include
omniscience, and because that akṣara is described as the ultimate goal of all
knowledge, the akṣara must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sūtra 22
viśeṣaṇa-bheda-vyapadeśābhyāṁ ca netarau
viśeṣaṇa—modifiers; bheda—difference; vyapadeśābhyām—because of the
description; ca—and; na—not; itarau—the other two.
Because of the description of the qualities (of the akṣara) in these two
(passages, the akṣara) cannot be the other two (pradhāna and jīva).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The other two, that is pradhāna and jīva, should not be thought (to be the topic
of discussion here). Why? the sūtra says viśeṣaṇa (because of the description of the
qualities). Because the description in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.9), beginning with
the words yaḥ sarvajña (The Supreme Personality of Godhead knows everything),
specifically identifies the akṣara as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
because the description in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.6), beginning with the word
divya (The Supreme Person is transcendental), identifies the akṣara as a being
different from the jīva, therefore the akṣara mentioned in both passages must be
understood to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original cause of all
causes.

सूत्र २३
रूपोपन्यासाच्च ॥ २३ ॥
पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ: रूप — रूप का; उपन्यासात् — उल्लेख (प्रतिपादन) होने से; च — भी।
सूत्रार्थ: और (श्रुति में उस अक्षर के) दिव्य रूप का उल्लेख होने के कारण भी (वह केवल परमात्मा ही है)।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित गोविन्द-भाष्य (तात्पर्य):
मुण्डक उपनिषद् (३.१.३) में कहा गया है:
यदा पश्यः पश्यते रुक्मवर्णं कर्तारमीशं पुरुषं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ।
तदा विद्वान् पुण्यपापे विधूय निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति ॥
"जब साधक (द्रष्टा) उस सुवर्ण के समान कान्तिमान्, जगत् के कर्ता, नियन्ता (ईश), परम पुरुष तथा ब्रह्म (प्रकृति अथवा हिरण्यगर्भ) के मूल कारण परमात्मा का साक्षात् दर्शन करता है, तब वह ज्ञानी पुरुष पुण्य एवं पाप दोनों कर्म-बन्धनों को भस्म कर, निर्मल होकर परम समता (परम पद) को प्राप्त होता है।"
क्योंकि यहाँ 'अक्षर' के रूप को समस्त कारणों के मूल कारण के रूप में इस प्रकार निरूपित किया गया है, अतः यहाँ 'अक्षर' का रूप केवल श्रीभगवान् (परम पुरुष) ही हो सकता है। यह 'अक्षर' न तो प्रधान (प्रकृति) हो सकता है और न ही बद्ध/मुक्त जीव।
सूत्र २४
प्रकरणात् ॥ २४ ॥
पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ: प्रकरणात् — प्रसंगवश / समग्र प्रकरण होने के कारण।
सूत्रार्थ: प्रसंग (प्रकरण) के कारण भी (यहाँ 'अक्षर' शब्द से केवल परमेश्वर ही विवक्षित हैं)।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित गोविन्द-भाष्य (तात्पर्य):

The meaning of this sūtra is clear.
The smṛti-śāstra also confirms that this text refers to Lord Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu
Purāṇa (6.5.65-70) says:
dve vidye veditavye
iti cātharvaṇī śrutiḥ
parayā tv akṣara-prāptiḥ
ṛṅ-vedādi-mayī aparā
yat tad avyaktam ajaram
acintyam ajam avyayam
anirdeśyam arūpaṁ ca
pāṇipādādy-asaṁyutam
vibhuṁ sarva-gataṁ nityaṁ
bhūta-yonim akāraṇam
vyāpya-vyāpyaṁ yataḥ sarvaṁ
tad vai paśyanti sūrayaḥ
tad brahma paramaṁ dhāma
tad dhyeyaṁ mokṣa-kāṅkṣiṇām
śruti-vākypditaṁ sūkṣmaṁ
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam
tad eva bhagavad-vācyaṁ
svarūpaṁ paramātmanaḥ
vācako bhagavac-chabdas
tasyādyasyākṣarātmanaḥ
evaṁ nigaditārthasya
sa-tattvaṁ tasya tattvataḥ
jñāyate yena taj-jñānaṁ
param anyat trayīmayam
"The Ātharva Veda says there are two kinds of knowledge: superior and inferior.
Superior knowledge is that which brings one to the eternal and inferior knowledge
is the teaching of the Ṛg Veda and the other Vedas. The eternal is unmanifested,
without decay, inconceivable, unborn, unchanging, without material form,
without material hands or feet, all-powerful, all-pervading, eternal, the source of
all living entities, causeless, present within everything, untouched by anything,
and the source from which everything has come. Saintly persons see Him. He is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the supreme abode. He is the object of
meditation for they who yearn for liberation. He is described in the words of the
Vedas. He is supremely subtle. He is Lord Viṣṇu. He is known as Bhagavān (the
Supreme Personality of Godhead). He is the supreme Lord who has a
transcendental form. He is Bhagavān. He is eternal. One who knows these truths

knows the truth. He knows the real truth. The inferior truth of the three Vedas is
something else."
Adhikaraṇa 7
"Vaiśvānara" is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Viṣaya: The Chāndogya Upaniṣad says (5.11.1): ko nu ātmā kiṁ brahmeti (Who is
the ātmā? Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?), and (5.11.6) ātmānaṁ
evaṁ vaiśvānaraṁ sampraty adhyeṣi tam eva no brūhi (You know about Vaiśvānara.
Please describe Him.) and (5.18.1) yas tv enam evaṁ prādeśa-mātram abhivimānam
ātmānaṁ vaiśvānaraṁ upāste sa sarveṣu lokeṣu sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarveṣu ātmasu
annam atti (One who meditates on Vaiśvānara, who is the size of the distance
between the thumb and forefinger, and who is present in all worlds, in all
elements, and in all hearts, eats food and is nourished.) and (5.18.2) etasya ha vā
etasyātmano vaiśvānarasya mūrdhaiva su-tejāś cakṣur viśvarūpaḥ prāṇaḥ pṛthag-
vartmā sandeho bahulo vastir eva vayiḥ pṛthivy eva pādāv ura eva vedir lomānir bahir
hṛdayaṁ gārhapatyo mano 'nvāhāryapacana āsyaṁ āhavanīyaḥ (Heaven is the head of
Vaiśvānara, the sun is His eye, the wind is His breath, the sky is His body, the
oceans are His bladder, the earth is His feet, the sacrificial arena is His chest, the
sacrificial grass is His head, the gārhapatya fire is His heart, the anvāhāryapacana
fire is His mind, and the āhavanīya fire is His mouth).
Saṁśaya: Is the Vaiśvānara the fire of digestion, the demigod Agni, the fire
element, or Lord Viṣṇu? Pūrvapakṣa: The word vaiśvānara is commonly used in
all these four meanings, so its meaning in this passage is unclear.
Siddhānta: The conclusion follows.
Sūtra 25
vaiśvānaraḥ sādharaṇa-śabda-viśeṣāt
vaiśvānaraḥ—Vaiśvānara; sādharaṇa—common; śabda—word; viśeṣāt—because of
the distinction.

Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word vaiśvānara here refers to Lord Viṣṇu. Why? The sūtra says sādhāraṇa-
śabda-viśeṣāt (because the qualities described here are appropriate for the Lord).
This is the meaning: Even though the word vaiśvānara has many meanings, here it
means "Lord Viṣṇu." The description beginning with the phrase "Heaven is His
head" clearly show that vaiśvānara here means Lord Viṣṇu. Also, the words ātmā
and brahma generally refer to Lord Viṣṇu. The result one obtains by knowing
vaiśvānara is the same as the result of knowing Lord Viṣṇu. The scriptures say
yatheṣīkā tūlam (As reeds are burned by fire, so are sins burned into nothing by
Vaiśvānara). This clearly shows that Vaiśvānara here is Lord Viṣṇu (for only Lord
Viṣṇu has the power to negate sins). The word vaiśvānara is composed of the two
words viśva (all) and nara (human beings), and thus means "He who is the resting
place of all human beings." For these reasons the word vaiśvānara here must mean
"Lord Viṣṇu."
Furthermore, he says:
Sūtra 26
smaryamāṇam anumānaṁ syād iti
smaryamāṇam—described in the smṛti-śāstra; anumānaṁ—inference; syād—is;
iti—thus.
This may also be inferred from the statements of the smṛti-śāstra.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word iti here means "this is the reason." In Bhagavad-gītā (15.14), Lord
Kṛṣṇa says:
ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā
prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ
"I am the vaiśvānara in the bodies of all living entities."*
In these words the smṛti-śāstra affirms that the Vaiśvānara is Lord Viṣṇu. From
this statement it may also be understood that the vaiśvānara in the Chāndogya

Upaniṣad is also Lord Viṣṇu.
Now he refutes the idea that vaiśvānara refers to the fire of digestion.
Sūtra 27
śabdādibhyo 'ntaḥ pratiṣṭhānāc ca neti cen na tathā dṛṣṭy-upadeśād asambhavāt
puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate
śabda—the words; ādibhyaḥ—beginning with; antaḥ—within; pratiṣṭhānāt—
because of abiding; ca—and; na—not; iti—thus; cet—if; na—not; tathā—thus; dṛṣṭi—
sight; upadeśāt—from the teaching; asambhavāt—because of being impossible;
puruṣa—a person; vidham—the nature; api—also; ca—and; enam—Him; adhīyate—
is read.
If (it is said the "vaiśvānara" here) cannot (be Lord Viṣṇu) because many words
here refute this idea and because (the "vaiśvānara" is said here) to reside in the
heart, (then I say) no because the teaching (of the scriptures is that one should)
meditate (on Lord Viṣṇu in the heart) in this way, because it is not possible (to
interpret the word here to mean anything else), and because (the text here
describes the {.sy 168}vaiśvānara") as a person with a humanlike form.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The objection may be raised: The vaiśvānara here cannot be Lord Viṣṇu. The
text says ayam agnir vaiśvānaraḥ (This is the vaiśvānara fire). Because these words
prove that vaiśvānara here means fire, the passage hṛdayaṁ gārhapatyo mano
'nvāhāryapacana āsyam āhvanīyaḥ (the gārhapatya fire is His heart, the
anvāhāryapacana fire is His mind, and the āhavanīya fire is His mouth) presents
the vaiśvānara as a group of three fires. The vaiśvānara is fire, and not Lord Viṣṇu,
because vaiśvānara is said to be the resting place of prāṇa (breath) and again
because the Vedas say vaiśvānara stays within the heart of the living entity.
Here the sūtra answers this objection by saying cen na, which means "if it is
said that the vaiśvānara is fire, then I say no." Why? The sūtra says tathā dṛṣṭy-
upadeśād asambhavāt puruṣa-vidham api cainam adhīyate (because the teaching of
the scriptures is that one should meditate on Lord Viṣṇu in the heart in this way,
because it is not possible to interpret the word here to mean anything else, and
because the text here describes the vaizvānara) as a person with a humanlike
form). Tathā here means {.sy 168}by considering to be the fire of digestion," dṛṣṭi,
means "meditation on Lord Viṣṇu," and asambhavāt means "it is not possible to
interpret the word vaiśvānara to mean anything but Lord Viṣṇu because the text of
the Upaniṣad says that heaven is the head of the vaiśvānara and the other parts of

जगत् वैश्वानर के शरीर के अन्य अंग हैं।" इसके अतिरिक्त, शतपथ-
ब्राह्मण (१०.६.१.११) कहता है—"स यो ह्येतमेवाग्निं वैश्वानरं पुरुषविधं
पुरुषेऽन्तः प्रतिष्ठितं वेद" (वह इस पुरुष-रूपी वैश्वानर अग्नि को जानता है जो
जीवों के हृदय में स्थित है)। यदि 'वैश्वानर' शब्द का अर्थ
केवल "अग्नि" किया जाए, तो यहाँ यह व्याख्या कि वैश्वानर
जीवों के हृदय में निवास करता है, स्वीकार की जा सकती है, किन्तु यह कथन नहीं
कि वैश्वानर पुरुष-रूपी (मानवाकार) है। यदि वैश्वानर का अर्थ भगवान्
विष्णु किया जाए, तो ये दोनों ही कथन सुगमता से स्वीकार्य हो जाते हैं।
इसके अनन्तर वे इस विचार का निराकरण करते हैं कि वैश्वानर का अर्थ अग्नि-देवता अथवा
अग्नि-भूत (भौतिक तत्त्व) है।
॥ सूत्र २८ ॥
अत एव न देवता भूतं च ॥ २८ ॥
अतः एव — अतएव (पूर्वोक्त कारणों से ही); न — नहीं; देवता — अग्नि-देवता; भूतम् — भूताग्नि (अग्नि-तत्त्व); च — और;
इन्हीं कारणों से "वैश्वानर" न तो अग्नि-देवता है और न ही भौतिक
तत्त्व रूप अग्नि।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित भाष्य (तात्पर्य) :
पूर्वपक्षी का आक्षेप हो सकता है: अग्नि-देवता के अत्यन्त सामर्थ्यवान् एवं महान् होने के कारण
यह कहा जा सकता है कि द्युलोक उनका सिर है तथा (जगत् के अन्य भाग
उनके शरीर के अंग हैं), और यही बात अग्नि-तत्त्व के विषय में भी कही जा सकती है। ऐसा
ऋग्वेद (१०.८८.३) के इस वर्णन के कारण है: "यो भानुना पृथिवीं द्याम्
उतेमामाततान रोदसी अन्तरिक्षम्" (सूर्य रूप में अग्नि ने पृथिवी, द्युलोक
तथा दोनों के मध्य स्थित सम्पूर्ण अन्तरिक्ष को व्याप्त किया है)।
यद्यपि ऐसा कहा जाए, फिर भी हम 'न' (नहीं) कहते हैं। क्यों? सूत्र कहता है "अत एव" (इसी कारण से),
जिसका अर्थ है "पूर्वोक्त हेतुओं के आधार पर वैश्वानर न तो अग्नि-देवता है
और न ही अग्नि-तत्त्व।" ऋग्वेद के इस मन्त्र के शब्द केवल स्तुति (प्रशंसा) मात्र हैं।
अवतरणिका : महर्षि जैमिनि के मत में 'अग्नि' शब्द भी साक्षात्
"परम पुरुषोत्तम भगवान्" का ही वाचक है, ठीक वैसे ही जैसे 'वैश्वानर' शब्द।
॥ सूत्र २९ ॥
साक्षादप्यविरोधं जैमिनिः ॥ २९ ॥

sākṣāt—directly; api—also; avirodham—without contradiction; jaiminiḥ—Jaimini.
Jaimini is of the opinion that the word "agni" may be interpreted to directly
mean "The Supreme Personality of Godhead," and there is no inconsistency in
this.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Just as the word vaiśvānara, interpreted to mean either "the leader (nara) of the
world (viśva) or "the proprietor of all human beings (nara) in the universe
(viśva)," is name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original cause of all
causes, in the same way the word agni, interpreted to mean "the leader of all," is
also a name of Lord Viṣṇu. Jaimini Muni considers that there is no contradiction
in these interpretations because they are based on the specific meanings of each
word's component parts.
The objector may say: How can the limitless Supreme Personality of Godhead
become the size of the distance between the thumb and forefinger, (as vaiśvānara
is said to be in this passage of the Upaniṣad)?
To answer this question he says:
Sūtra 30
abhivyakter ity āśmarathyaḥ
abhivyakteḥ—because of manifestation; iti—thus; āśmarathyaḥ—Āśmarathya.
Āśmarathya is of the opinion that the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears
in this way (a size the distance between the thumb and forefinger) because He
manifests Himself (in the heart of His devotee).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Lord Viṣṇu appears in this way in the hearts of His devotees, who have the eyes
to see Him. This is the opinion of Āśmarathya.

Sūtra 31
anusmṛter iti bādariḥ
anusmṛteḥ—because of meditation; iti—thus; bādariḥ—Bādari Muni.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is thought to be this small size because
that conception is very convenient for meditation. This is the opinion of Bādari.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Because the Supreme Lord is meditated as residing in the heart, and because the
heart itself is the size of the distance between thumb and forefinger, the Lord is
thought to be the size of the distance between thumb and forefinger also.
Sūtra 32
sampatter iti jaiminis tathā hi darśayati
sampatteḥ—because of transcendental opulences; iti—thus; jaiminiḥ—Jaimini;
tathā—in this way; hi—because; darśayati—the śruti-śāstra declares.
(The Supreme Personality of Godhead can assume this very small size) because
of His transcendental powers and opulences. This is the opinion of Jaimini. (It is
known that the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumes this very small size)
because śruti-śāstra reveals (this information).
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The Supreme Personality of Godhead can become the size of the distance
between the thumb and forefinger because of His sampatti, His transcendental
opulence in the form of inconceivable potencies. This action does not limit or
restrict the Lord in any way. Jaimini thinks in this way. Why? He says tathā hi
darśayati (It is known that the Supreme Personality of Godhead assumes this very
small size because śruti-śāstra reveals this information). The word hi here means

Here is the line-by-line transcription of the text into clean Markdown:

"because."
The śruti-śāstra says tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham (The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is Govinda, who transcendental form is eternal and full of
knowledge and bliss) and eko 'pi san bahudhā yo 'vabhāti (Although He is one, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests as many). In this way the śruti-śāstra
teaches that by His inconceivable potencies many contradictory qualities are
simultaneously present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of these
contradictory qualities are that even though His Himself all transcendental
knowledge, he still has a body, and even though He is one, He is also many. Later
in this book this will be explained in detail. The Supreme Personality of Godhead
is simultaneously all-pervading and of a small size. There is no fault in saying this.
Sūtra 33
āmananti cainam asmin
āmananti—they declare; ca—also; enam—this; asmin—in Him.
(The ātharvaṇikas) say this of Him.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The ātharvaṇikas declare that this inconceivable potency is present in the
Supreme Lord. In the Kaivalya Upaniṣad (21) the Lord says apāṇi-pādo 'ham
acintya-śaktiḥ (Although I have no hands or feet, I still have inconceivable
potencies). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.33.3) says ātmeśvaro 'tarkya-sahasra-śaktiḥ (My
dear Lord, You are self-determined and are the Supreme Personality of Godhead
for all living entities. For them You created this material manifestation, and
although You are one, Your diverse energies can act multifariously. This is
inconceivable to us*).
These different opinions do not contradict each other. The Skanda Purāṇa
explains:
vyāsa-citta-sthitākāśād
avicchinnāni kānicit
anye vyavaharanty etad
urī-kṛtya gṛhādivat
"Other sages take up small portions broken from the vast sky of Vyāsadeva's

opinions just as houses and other enclosures take up a small portion of the
vastness of space."
Pada 3
Adhikarana 1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Abode of Heaven
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
viśvaṁ bibharti niḥsvaṁ yaḥ
kāruṇyād eva deva-rāṭ
mamāsau paramānando
govindas tanutāṁ ratim
I pray that Lord Govinda, the supremely blissful king of the demigods, who
mercifully maintains this pathetic material world, may give me pure love for Him.
In this Third Pāda will be considered some scriptural texts that may seem to
describe the jīva or some other topic but in truth describe the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.
Viṣaya: Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 2.2.5 says:
yasmin dyauḥ pṛthivī cāntarīkṣam
otaṁ manaḥ saha prāṇaiś ca sarvaiḥ
tam evaikaṁ jānatha ātmānam
anyā vāco vimuñcathāmṛtasyaiṣa setuḥ
"Know that He in whom heaven, earth, sky, mind, breath, and everything else,
are woven, is the ātmā. Give up talking of anything else. He is the shore of the
eternal."
Saṁśaya: Is the abode of heaven described here the pradhāna, jīva, or the
Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Pūrvapakṣa: The abode of heaven here is the pradhāna because pradhāna is the
cause of all material transformations and also because the words amṛta-setu (the
shore of eternal) appropriately describe pradhāna, which leads the living

entities to liberation just as milk brings nourishment to a calf. The word ātmā in
this passage may refer to pradhāna either because pradhāna brings happiness to
the living entities or because it is all-pervading. Then again the words in this
passage may refer to the jīva because the jīva is the enjoyer of the the things in this
world and because the j.īva possesses the mind and the breath mentioned in this
passage.
Siddhānat: Now he speaks the conclusion.
Sūtra 1
dyu-bhv-ādy-āyatanaṁ sva-śabdāt
dyu-of heaven; bhv-and earth; ādi-beginning with; āyatanam-the abode; sva-
own; śabdāt-because of the word.
The description "the abode of heaven, earth, and other things," refers to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead because the words in this passage specifically
describe Him.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The word "the abode of heaven" here refers to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Why? The sūtra says sva-śabdāt (because the words in this passage
specifically describe Him). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is referred to here
because the word amṛtasya setuḥ (the shore of the eternal) can refer to Him alone
and no one else. Because it comes from the verb sinoti, which means "to bind," the
phrase amṛtasya setuḥ means "He who enables one to attain the eternal." Or the
word setuḥ here may mean "like a bridge." As a bridge enables on to cross to the
other side of rivers and other bodies of water, in the same way this bridge enables
one to attain the liberation that lies on the other shore of the cycle of repeated
birth and death. That is the meaning of this word. In this matter the Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad (3.8 and 6.15) says tam eva viditvāti mṛtyum eti (One can overcome the
path of birth and death only by understanding the Supreme Personality of
Godhead).
Next he says:
Sūtra 2
muktopasṛpya vyapadeśāt

mukta-liberated; upasṛpya-attaining; vyapadeśāt-because of the statement.
Because it is said that this abode of heaven is attained by the liberated souls.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
That the Supreme Personality of Giodhead is attained by the liberated souls is
described in the following statement of Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.3):
yadā paśyaḥ paśyate rukma-varṇaṁ
kārtāraṁ īśaṁ puruṣaṁ brahma-yonim
tadā vidvān puṇya-pāpe vidhūya
nirañjanaḥ paramaṁ samyam upaiti
"One who sees that golden-colored Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord,
the supreme actor, who is the source of the Supreme Brahman, becomes free from
the reactions to past pious and sinful deeds, and becomes liberated, attaining the
same transcendental platform as the Lord."*
Sūtra 3
nānumānam atac-chabdāt
na-not; anumānam-that which is inferred; atat-not that; śabdāt-because of a
word.
The "pradhāna" is not the "abode of heaven and earth" here because there is no
word appropriate to it in this passage.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The pradhāna described in the smṛti-śāstras is not referred to in this passage.
Why? The sūtra says atac-chabdāt, which means that none of the words in this
passage are appropriate for the insentient pradhāna.

॥ द्युभ्वाद्यधिकरणम् ॥
सूत्रम् ४:
प्राणभृच्च ॥ १।३।४ ॥
पदच्छेदः — प्राणभृत्, च।
पदविभागार्थः — प्राणभृत् = जीवः; च = अपि (समुच्चयार्थे)।
सूत्रार्थः — पूर्वोक्त कारणों से ही 'प्राणभृत्' अर्थात् जीव भी द्यु, भूमि आदि का आयतन (आधार) नहीं हो सकता।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित गोविन्दभाष्य (भावार्थ):
पूर्वसूत्र (१।३।३) से 'न' तथा हेतुसूचक पद 'तच्छब्दात्' की यहाँ अनुवृत्ति होती है।
यहाँ प्रयुक्त 'आत्म' शब्द भी जीवपरक नहीं हो सकता, क्योंकि 'अत सातत्यगमने' धातु से निष्पन्न 'आत्मा' शब्द
मुख्यतया सर्वव्यापक परमपुरुष भगवान् का ही वाचक है।
इसके अतिरिक्त, 'यः सर्वज्ञः सर्ववित्' (जो सर्वज्ञ तथा सर्वविद् हैं) यह श्रुति-वचन भी अल्पज्ञ जीव के लिए उपयुक्त नहीं हो सकता।
अतः इन सभी कारणों से, उपनिषद् के इस प्रकरण के शब्द जीव के प्रति सङ्गत न होने से,
यह सिद्ध होता है कि जीव 'द्युभ्वाद्यायतन' (स्वर्ग, पृथ्वी आदिका आश्रय) नहीं है।
सूत्रम् ५:
भेदव्यपदेशाच्च ॥ १।३।५ ॥
पदच्छेदः — भेद-व्यपदेशात्, च।
पदविभागार्थः — भेद = भेद का; व्यपदेशात् = कथन होने से; च = तथा/भी।
सूत्रार्थः — और (जीव एवं परब्रह्म के मध्य) स्पष्ट रूप से भेद का व्यपदेश (निरूपण) होने से भी जीव द्युभ्वाद्यायतन नहीं है।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण विरचित गोविन्दभाष्य (भावार्थ):
जीव 'द्यु-भू-आदि का आयतन' नहीं है, क्योंकि श्रुतियाँ जीव और परमेश्वर में परस्पर भेद का स्पष्ट निरूपण करती हैं।
जैसा कि मुण्डकोपनिषद् (२।२।५) में कहा गया है:
"तमेवैकं जानथ आत्मानम्" (केवल उसी अद्वितीय परमात्मा को जानो)।
यहाँ ज्ञातारूप साधक (जीव) से ज्ञेयरूप परमात्मा के भेद का स्पष्ट निर्देश होने के कारण सिद्धान्ततः परब्रह्म ही द्युभ्वाद्यायतन हैं।

Sūtra 6
prakaraṇāt
prakaraṇāt-because of the context.
And also because of the context.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The "abode of heaven and earth" here must be the Supreme Personality of
Godhead because of the context. The opening statement of this passage under
discussion (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.3)), asks kasmin nu vijñāte sarvam idaṁ
vijñātaṁ bhavati (What is the one thing, knowing which everything becomes
known?). Therefore the passage that follows must describe the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
Sūtra 7
sthity-adanābhyāṁ ca
sthiti-staying; adanābhyāṁ-eating; ca-and.
And also because one is eating and the other standing.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
After describing the "abode of heaven and earth," the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad
(3.1.1) says:
dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā
samānaṁ vṛkṣaṁ pariṣasvajāte
tayor anyaḥ pippalaṁ svādy atti
anaśnann anyo 'bhicākaśīti

"Two friendly birds stay on the same tree. One eats the sweet pippala fruits and
the other, not eating, shines with great splendor."
If the "abode of heaven and earth" had not been previously mentioned then
(there would be) no (reason to assume) that the splendid bird here is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Otherwise (if the "abode of heaven and earth" had not
been mentioned), the sudden, unannounced mention of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead (in this little allegory of the birds) would not be acceptable. The jīva,
who is already well known in the world, did not need to have been previously
mentioned in the same way here. For these reasosn the "abode of heaven and
earth" here refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Adhikaraṇa 2
The Fullness is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Introduction by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Viṣaya: When, after describing the Lord's holy names and qualities, he was
asked a question by Śrī Nārada Muni, Śrī Sanat-kumāra said (Chāndogya Upaniṣad
7.23.1-7.24.1):
bhūmā tv eva vijijñāsitavya iti bhūmānaṁ bhagavo vijijñāsa iti. yatra nānyat
paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā. atha yatrānyat paśyaty anyac
chṛṇoty anyad vijānāti tad-alpam
" 'One should ask about Bhūmā.' 'My lord, I wish to know about Bhūmā.' 'When
one attains Him one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, and knows nothing else.
That is Bhūmā. When one sees something else, hears something else, and knows
something else, he knows that which is very small.' "
Here the word bhūmā does not mean "many." Here it means "all-pervading."
The text says yatrānyat paśyati. . .tad-alpam (When one sees something else, he
sees that which is very small). The Bhūmā is contrasted against alpa (the small.
The opposite of small is "all-pervading," not "many." Therefore Bhūmā here means
"all-pervading."
Saṁśaya: Does Bhūmā here mean prāṇa (life-breath) or Lord Viṣṇu?
Pūrvapakṣa: In the passage previous to this the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.15.1)
says prāṇo vā āśāyā bhūyān (prāṇa is better than hope). Because prāṇa is the topic
immediately preceding Bhūmā, and because no question and answer intervenes
between them, therefore prāṇa and Bhūmā are the same. here the word prāṇa (life-
breath) means the jīva soul who has breath for his companion. It does not mean
merely air. Because this passage begins by describing the jīva soul (7.1.3) tarati

'तरति शोकमात्मवित्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.१.३) (आत्मवेत्ता शोक को पार कर जाता है) से आरम्भ कर अन्त में पुनः
जीवात्मा का ही निरूपण करते हुए श्रुति कहती है—'आत्मन एवेदं सर्वम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२६.१) (आत्मा से ही यह सब है);
अतः इन दोनों वचनों के मध्य में स्थित 'भूमा' का वर्णन भी निश्चय ही जीवात्मा का ही वर्णन होना चाहिए।
जब उपनिषद् कहती है—'यत्र नान्यत् पश्यति' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२५.१) (जहाँ अन्य किसी को नहीं देखता),
तब इस व्याख्या के अनुसार इसका अर्थ यह है कि जब जीवात्मा सुषुप्ति-अवस्था में निमग्न रहता है
तथा उसकी समस्त इन्द्रियाँ मुख्यप्राण के वशीभूत होती हैं, तब वह अपने अतिरिक्त अन्य कुछ भी नहीं देखता।
जब उपनिषद् कहती है—'यो वै भूमा तत् सुखम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२३.१) (जो भूमा है वही सुख है),
तब यह कथन भी भूमा के जीव होने के विचार का विरोध नहीं करता; क्योंकि श्रुति-शास्त्र में
'तस्यां सुखमहमस्वाप्सम्' (सुषुप्ति में मैं सुखपूर्वक सोया) का अनुभव सुप्रसिद्ध है।
इस प्रकार यह सिद्ध होता है कि उपनिषद् का यह प्रकरण जीवात्मा का ही निरूपण करता है।
इस प्रकरण के अन्य समस्त अंश भी जीव-परक व्याख्या के ही सर्वथा अनुकूल हैं।
ऐसा पूर्वपक्ष उपस्थित होने पर—
सिद्धान्त: सूत्रकार कहते हैं—
सूत्र ८
भूमा सम्प्रसादादध्युपदेशात् ॥ १।३।८ ॥
पदच्छेद एवं शब्दार्थ:
भूमा — भूमा (सर्वव्यापक परब्रह्म);
सम्प्रसादात् — सम्प्रसाद (भगवत्कृपापात्र जीव अथवा सुषुप्ति/प्राण) की अपेक्षा;
अधि — अधिक (श्रेष्ठ/उत्कृष्ट);
उपदेशात् — शास्त्र में उपदेश होने के कारण।
सूत्रार्थ:
यहाँ 'भूमा' शब्द से परम पुरुषोत्तम श्रीभगवान् (परब्रह्म) का ही प्रतिपादन है;
क्योंकि श्रुति में जीवात्मा (सम्प्रसाद) से भूमा का श्रेष्ठतर रूप में उपदेश किया गया है।
श्रील बलदेव विद्याभूषण-कृत गोविन्दभाष्य का तात्पर्य:
यहाँ 'भूमा' शब्द से साक्षात् भगवान् श्रीविष्णु का ही ग्रहण होता है, प्राण-सहचर जीव का नहीं।
ऐसा क्यों? इसके उत्तर में सूत्रकार कहते हैं—'सम्प्रसादादध्युपदेशात्'
(क्योंकि शास्त्र में परमेश्वर को जीवात्मा से श्रेष्ठ बताया गया है)।
'यो वै भूमा तत् सुखम्' (छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् ७.२३.१) (जो भूमा है वही सुख है)—
इस श्रुति-वचन के द्वारा भूमा को असीम परम आनन्दस्वरूप कहा गया है,
तथा सूत्र स्पष्ट करता है कि भूमा सबसे श्रेष्ठ है, अतः भूमा परब्रह्म परमेश्वर ही हैं।
अथवा, छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (८.३.४) के इस वचन में—
'एष सम्प्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात् समुत्थाय'
(भगवत्कृपा प्राप्त जीव स्थूल शरीर से ऊपर उठकर परम ज्योतिर्मय स्वरूप को प्राप्त होता है),
'सम्प्रसाद' शब्द जीव का बोधक है। शास्त्र में परमेश्वर को उस जीव से श्रेष्ठ बतलाया गया है,
जो अपनी स्थिति के लिए प्रभु-कृपा पर निर्भर है तथा प्राण जिसका नित्य सहचर है।
अभिप्राय यह है कि नामादि समस्त सोपानों का वर्णन करने के पश्चात्,
छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (७.१५.२) में कहा गया है:
'स वा एष एवं पश्यन्नेवं मन्वान एवं विजानन्नति...'

vādī bhavati (He who sees prāṇa, meditates on prāṇa, and understands prāṇa
becomes a true knower of things), and then after saying that the knower of prāṇa
becomes a true knower of things, the Upaniṣad then says (7.16.1) eṣa tu vā
ativadati yaḥ satyenātivadati (He who knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is in reality the true knower of things). The word tu (but) here ends the discussion
of prāṇa. Then the greatest ativādī (wise man) is described as he who knows the
satya, which here means "Lord Viṣṇu." In this way the Upaniṣad explains that the
Bhūmā is both different from and superior to prāṇa. Because in this way the
Bhūmā is declared to be superior to prāṇa, prāṇa cannot be identical with the
Bhūmā.
The Bhūmā is here taught to be superior to the series beginning with name and
culminating in prāṇa and therefore it is clearly seen to be different from speech
and the other items in this series. In this way the Bhūmā is taught to be superior to
prāṇa.
The word satya is famous as a name for the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Lord Viṣṇu. The scriptures use the word satya in this way. For example, the
Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.1.2) says satyaṁ jñānam anantam (the unlimited Supreme
Personality of Godhead is full of transcendental knowledge) and the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (1.1.1) says satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (I meditate on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead). The word satyena is in the instrumental case to show in
the sense of "because." The meaning here is that one becomes an ativādī (wise
man) because of the satya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The person who
meditates on prāṇa is called an ativādī (wise man) because he is wise in
comparison to they who meditate on the series of objects mentioned previously,
beginning with prāṇa and culminating in hope. But he who meditates on Lord
Viṣṇu is superior to the person who meditates on prāṇa. Therefore he who
meditates on Lord Viṣṇu is the real, the best ativādī (wise man).
For this reason the student asks (Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.16.1) so 'haṁ
bhagavaḥ satyenātivadāni (my lord, I will become a man wise with knowledge of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead). The guru then answers satyaṁ tv eva
vijijñāsitavyam (one must yearn to understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead).
The objection that because after the description of the ativādī wise with
knowledge of prāṇa there are no further questions and answers, therefore the
subject of prāṇa continues into the next sentence, is not a valid objection.
Moreover, (it may be said,) because there are no questions after the description of
prāṇa, (therefore prāṇa is the highest). In describing the series of inanimate
elements, beginning with name and culminating in hope, the guru did not say that
the knower of any of these was an ativādī (wise man). However, when he
described prāṇa, which here means the jīva, he did say that the knower of prāṇa is
an ativādī. The student then assumes that prāṇa is the highest. That is why he asks
no further question. The guru, however, not accepting prāṇa as the highest,
proceeds to explain that Lord Viṣṇu is higher than prāṇa. The student, however,
now taught that Lord Viṣṇu is the highest, becomes eager to know how to
meditate on Him, and asks so 'haṁ bhagavaḥ satyenātivadāni (my lord, I will
become a man wise with knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead).
The opponent may say, "What is referred to here is the jīva, who is the
companion of prāṇa (life-breath), and who is referred to in the beginning of this

passage as ātmā."
The reply is: No. Here the word ātmā primarily means the Supreme Personality
of Godhead because to interpret the word otherwise would contradict the
statement at the beginning of the passage (7.26.1) ātmanaḥ prāṇaḥ (from the ātmā
prāṇa is manifested). This view of the opponent contradicts the statement (7.24.1)
yatra nānyat paśyati nānyac chṛṇoti nānyad vijānāti sa bhūmā. (When one attains
Him one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, and knows nothing else. That is
Bhūmā). This description of the perception of Bhūmā clearly refutes any idea that
the word Bhūmā could mean anything other than the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The scriptures say sauṣuptikam sukham alpam (the happiness of deep
sleep is very slight), and therefore to say that the word Bhūmā here means "the jīva
who is soundly sleeping" is simply laughable. For all these reasons, therefore, the
Bhūmā described here is Lord Viṣṇu.
Sūtra 9
dharmopapatteś ca
dharma-qualities; upapatteḥ-because of the appropriateness; ca-and.
And also because the qualities described here can be ascribed to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead only.
Purport by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
The qualities ascribed here to the Bhūmā are suitable only for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, and not for anyone else. The Upaniṣad says
(7.24.1) yo vai bhūmā tad amṛtam (The Bhūmā is the eternal). This describes the
eternalness that is a natural feature of the Supreme. The Upaniṣad also says sa
bhagavaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti sve mahimni (Where does the Supreme Personality
of Godhead stay? He stays in His own glory). This explains that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead does not depend on anyone. The scriptures also say sa
evādhastāt (The Supreme Person is above, below, in front, behind, to the left and
to the right). This shows that the Lord is the ultimate shelter of everyone and
everything. The scriptures say (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 7.26.1) ātmanaḥ prāṇaḥ
(From the Supreme Personality of Godhead the life-force is manifested). This
shows that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of all causes.
These are some of the qualities of the Supreme described in the Vedic literatures.