Section 1
Absolute Reality manifests in three different ways

          For the pleasure of two saintly persons, Çréla Rüpa Goswämé and Çréla Sanätana Goswämé, I am rearranging this book, compiled by Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Goswämé, who was born in South India.

          Some parts of his book were in order, others were incomplete or missing. After thorough deliberation, Çré Jiva now writes it in the proper order.

          The first part of verse 1.2.11 (vadanti tat tattva vidas tattvam yaj jïänam advyam) of the Çrémad Bhägavatam describes the Absolute Reality, in a general manner as characterized by non-dual consciousness. Then the second part (brahmeti, paramatmeti, bhagavan iti sabdyate) explains the Absolute more specifically, "This non-dual consciousness is called Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan." According to the specific qualification of the worshiper, one of these three aspects of the Absolute manifests.

After paying obeisances to my initiating spiritual master and to my instructing teachers I write out the translation and commentary to the second book among the Ñaö Sandarbha.

 

Çré Jéva Toñaëé Commentary

          At the beginning of Çré Tattva Sandarbha, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé composed eight invocatory verses. Here while beginning Bhagavat Sandarbha, his first verse has the same significance as the third and the fourth verse of Tattva Sandarbha and he repeats the fifth verse verbatim. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé does not compose a new Mangaläcaraëa at the beginning of Bhagavat Sandarbha because he considers the ñaö Sandarbhas one book.

          In the first of these two verses he again remembers the lotus feet of his teachers, Çréla Rüpa and Sanätana Gosvämés, on whose order the work was undertaken. In the second verse again he expresses gratitude to Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, who originally began this work. In this way, he invokes their blessings for the completion of the work. For further explanations the reader may refer to the commentaries on the third, fourth, and fifth Texts of the Tattva Sandarbha.

He begins the first Text with the word atha  which signifies continuity from the previous book. It also invokes auspiciousness. In vedic culture the word "atha" is considered auspicous like oà, as is said :

The word oà and the word atha emanated from the throat of Lord Brahmä at the beginning of creation and therefore they both are considered auspicious.

          In Tattva Sandarbha Çréla Jéva Gosvämé established that Çrémad Bhägavatam is the supreme pramäëa, or the best means to acquire knowledge of the Absolute. Then he explained that the subject matter of the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the one non-dual reality, which is conscious in nature. For this he cited the first half of the verse 1.2.11 of the Çrémad Bhägavatam in Text 51

          Knowers of the Absolute Reality call it non-dual consciousness.

          This Absolute Reality is called Äçraya, or the support of everything, and it is the tenth subject discussed in the Çrémad Bhägavatam. The other nine items are defined merely to give a proper understanding of this tenth item. In this way, Absolute Reality was defined in a general manner in the Tattva Sandarbha. Here in Bhagavat Sandarbha Çréla Jéva Gosvämé begins explaining the specific nature of that non-dual Absolute Reality.

          In the vadanti tat verse Süta Gosvämé explains that the Absolute Reality is called by three names--Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhagavän. The reason for these three different manifestations, according to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, is the different qualifications of the worshipers. In Bhagavad Gétä 4.11 Lord Kåñëa says-- ye yathä mäm prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham--As people surrender to Me I reward them. Yathä, or as, in this verse signifies the mood of the devotee, mode of worship, the devotee's concept of the Lord's form and so on. It implies that if the worshiper has an impersonal concept of the Absolute and cultures a bonafide process to realize it, then the Absolute will manifest to him as impersonal Brahman. If the worshiper has a personal concept of the Absolute then he will realize the Absolute as Paramätmä or Bhagavän depending on his specific understanding and the means employed. The followers of jïäna-yoga realize the Absolute as Brahman, those of Añtäìga-yoga as Paramätmä and the followers of Bhakti-yoga as Bhagavän. This is confirmed by Lord Brahmä in his prayers (3.9.11):

          O My Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bonafide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.

This of course does not mean that one can meditate on any form and Lord is bound to appear in that form. The verse says çrutekñita-patha--hearing from a bonafide source. One should meditate on the forms which are described in the çruti.

          The word çabdyate (in verse 1.2.11) indicates that the difference is only in the word and not in the Reality. The Reality is one, advaya, without a second. Nevertheless, all worshipers of this non-dual reality are not equal. This is the categorical verdict of the Supreme Lord, ÇRÉ Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (6.46-47): 

          A yogé is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogé.

          And of all yogés, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me--he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.