Section 69
Vaikuëöha is Saccidänanda

          Vaikuntha is eternal, conscious, and blissful (saccidänanda). The Lord states this (11.20.37):

           "Persons who seriously follow these methods of achieving Me, which I have personally taught, attain My auspicious abode which they understand as the Absolute Truth."

           Me pathah, or My path, is the means to attain Me, characterized by jïäna, karma, and bhakti. Jïäna and karma are also sometimes a little helpful to some devotees beginning on the path of devotion. They know, viduù, that place which is auspicious due to My devotion, 'kñemam' as the Absolute Truth, paramam brahma. A similar example will be given from SB. (10.28.15,16):

           "Thus deeply considering the situation, the all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness. Lord Kåñëa revealed the indestructible abode which is full of spiritual effulgence, is unlimited, conscious, and eternal. Sages see that spiritual abode in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature."

 To give a different meaning by carrying over a ca (and) in both the verses is wrong. Even Çrédhara Swämé has explained that tamasaù param "beyond material nature" is the adjective of the Vaikuëöha.

 

 

PURPORT

           In Section Sixty-two Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says that Vaikuëöha is beyond the material world, and in Section Sixty-six that it is nirguëa, or free from material modes.  This naturally means that Vaikuëöha is saccidänanda; nevertheless here he explicitly sets out to prove it.  Impersonalists do not accept that Vaikuëöha is a transcendental realm since they consider Brahman the supreme destination.  At best they take Vaikuëöha as a synonym for Brahman, or mukti.  Generally they think it subordinate to Brahman and a product of Mäyä.  According to them, time, place, and direction do not exist in Brahman but are perceived with Brahman as their background.  They are material upädhis.  By the knowledge of their adhiñöhän, or Brahman, they become suppressed just as when one understands a rope he does not mistake it for a snake.  Vaikuëöha is a place, and thus cannot be equal or superior to Brahman.

          To dispel such misgivings, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé devotes four  anucchedas to explain the svarüpa of Vaikuëöha.  In the Eleventh Canto, Kåñëa described three processes for the progress of human beings (S.B. 11.20.6):

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said:   My dear Uddhava, because I desire that human beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three paths of advancement--the path of knowledge, the path of work and the path of devotion.  Besides these three there is absolutely no other means of liberation."

          He then instructed Uddhava in karma, jïäna and bhakti yoga, and in this anuccheda Jiva Gosvami cites the concluding verse (S.B. 11.20.37).  Patha refers to the three paths to attain the Lord.  In reality, the Lord is attained only through bhakti, but jïäna and vairägya are sometimes  helpful in the beginning.  Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé confirms this in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (1.2.248):

"Jïäna and vairägya have their utility in the beginning stage of bhakti.  They help one enter into bhakti, but are not limbs of bhakti."

          Jïäna and vairägya help one detach his mind from sense gratification and thus appreciate the significance of bhakti.  But as cleaning a gun does not assure one hitting the mark although it is helpful in it, the practice of jïäna and vairägya, though beneficial, do not assure the attainment of bhakti. Just as cleaning the gun is an external process in hitting the mark, similarly jïäna and vairägya are external to acquiring bhakti.

          Thus when the Lord says, "One who takes shelter of these paths", He exclusively means bhakti.  When they attain perfection in bhakti, they attain Vaikuëöha and understand it is the Supreme Brahman.

          While commenting on this verse Çrédhara Swämé writes, ksemaà kaÿa-mäyädirahitaà mama lokaà vindanti yatparamaà brahm tacca viduù. "They attain My planet, which is free from time and mäyä, and they also know the Supreme Brahman."  This explanation has an impersonalist tinge.  The word "ca" (lit. also) does not exist in the verse (S.B. 11.20.37).  Here Çrédhara Svämé has assumed this word to give an impersonalistic slant to the meaning of the verse.  The implication is that they attain Kåñëa's abode and also realize Brahman, which indicates that Brahman is superior to the Lord's abode and is the ultimate destination.

          Çréla Jéva Gosvämé quotes two verses from the Tenth Canto describing the experience of the Vraja residents regarding Vaikuëöha.   Çrédhara Swami comments on the first verse, svaà brahmasvarüpam lokaà vaikuëöhä-khyma ca."Svaà  means Brahman, and lokaà means Vaikuëöha."  Here also he assumes the word ca and instead of saying "His planet" (svaà lokaà), he comments that the Lord showed them Brahman and His planet also.

          Çréla Jéva Gosvämé objects to the use of ca in both cases as it gives an undesirable meaning.  In Tattva-Sandarbha, Anuccheda Twenty-seven, he says that although Çrédhara Swämé is a great Vaiñëava, his commentary on Çrémad-Bhägavatam is mixed with advaitaväda.  He has done this deliberately to attract impersonalists to study devotional literature.  Çréla Jéva Gosvämé resolved that whenever Çrédhara Svämé's explanation is in accordance with the pure Vaiñëava conclusions, he will repeat it.  In other cases he will explain his comment according to the pure Vaiñëava principles.  This is one instance where he prefers to differ with Çrédhara Svämé's comment, understanding his real intention.  Thus Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says, taireva ca 'tamasaù-prakåteù parani' iti vaikuëöhasyapi viçeñaëatvena vyäkhyätam.  Although Çrédhara Swämé has written with an impersonalist slant, he has translated tamasaù param as an adjective modifying Vaikuëöha, which means "beyond material nature".  Thus he implies that Çrédhara Swämé understands the spiritual nature of Vaikuëöha.

          There is no need to explain Çrédhara Svämé's method, because the meaning of the original verses is clear.  These verses especially describe the residents of Vraja who have absolutely no interest in seeing Brahman.  The vrajaväsis desired to see their next destination.  Thus it is entirely out of context that they get a vision of Brahman.  Rather, the meaning is that Vaikuëöha is the transcendental absolute reality, Brahman, and not a material planet.  Therefore, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says that svaà lokaà means Goloka, which is beyond ignorance; satyam means eternally manifest; jïänam means conscious; anantam means unlimited; sanätan means eternal; and jyotiù means self effulgent.  All this implies that Vaikuëöha is saccidänanda in nature.  The great sages who are free from the modes of nature can see this planet.  This is confirmed in the Åk mantra (1.22.20):

"The great sages always see the supreme abode of Lord Viñëu"

           Çréla Jéva Gosvämé continues to explain the transcendental nature of Vaikuëöha in the following text.