Section 70
Vaikuëöha is Saccidänanda

Similarly, Çré Çuka explains (2.2. 17,18):

           "In that transcendental state, there is no supremacy of devastating time, which controls even the celestial demigods, who are empowered to rule over mundane creatures. And what to speak of the demigods themselves? Nor is there the mode of  goodness, nor passion, nor ignorance; nor even the false ego; nor the mahat tattva, nor the material nature. Those who have realized the self, desire to give up everything that is not conscious by saying "not this, not this". They give up the improper intelligence in the form of 'I' and 'mine' and not having any attachment to anything material, they continuously embrace the Lord's lotus feet within their heart and know the abode of Lord Viñëu as the Supreme destination."

           Atat means other than conscious. They desire to give up atat by the "not this, not this" (neti neti) principle. "To consider oneself non-different from the Lord" they denounce daurätmyam and embrace the lotus feet of the worshipable Lord (arha), at every moment (pade pade) within their hearts (hådä).

          Not having friendship with anyone else (ananya-sauhåda), such saintly people know (ämananti) that supreme destination of Lord Viñëu, Vaikuëöha, as the very form of Brahman. This is the meaning of the word tat. Owing to this practice, which is characterized with love of Godhead (prema), the other meaning of impersonal feature is rejected. Although the writer of the Muktäfal commentary is an impersonalist, by the will of providence, in his explanation of this verse he writes, "They know that supreme place of Lord Viñëu. The planets such as that of Lord Brahma are under the control of Lord Viñëu just as a provincial king is under the command of an emperor. Therefore the adjective supreme (param) has been used. The meaning is that Vaikuëöha is presided over only by Lord Viñëu". Therefore the Çruti establishes the Lord as situated only in His own glory (Chändogya 7.24.1) "Where is that Lord situated? In His own glory?" Thus Kaöhopaniñad states (1.2.25), "who can know where He exists?"

 

PURPORT

           Çréla Jéva Gosvämé continues to explain the transcendental nature of Vaikuëöha.  He cites two verses Çukadeva Gosvami spoke to Parékñit Mahäräja regarding the process of krama mukti (gradual liberation) and sadyo mukti (immediate liberation).  He explains the process of meditation on the Lord within the heart and how by gradual practice the meditator becomes free from the disturbance caused by the senses and mind, and attains the transcendental platform.

          These two verses explain the state of transcendence called param padam, or the supreme abode of the Lord, which is free from the influence of time.  The material world is controlled by the demigods who are under the influence of time, yet time cannot influence the transcendental abode of the Lord.  The modes of nature, which are the cause behind material creation, also have no control over Vaikuëöha.  An alternate meaning is that time has no control over Vaikuëöha which is free from the modes of nature and their source, pradhäna.

          Only those who desire to give up association with inert mater (atat utsisåkñavaù), who understand that the Lord is different from themselves, and who have loving feelings exclusively for the Lord and His devotees, can understand Vaikuëöha.  Daurätmyam, wickedness of heart, manifests in two ways--the desire to enjoy matter and to consider oneself as the Absolute Reality.  Only when a person is free from wickedness can he enter the transcendental abode of the Lord.  This freedom cannot be material as only transcendental consciousness manifests all good qualities.  Therefore, Vaikuëöha cannot be a material destination.  It is also not impersonal.  As the verse states, devotees embrace the Lord's feet within their hearts at every moment.  Thus the words param padam, the supreme place, cannot refer to the impersonal brahmajyoté in which there is no possibility of meditating on the Lord's feet. Feet is an indicative of the whole body.

          Çré Hemädri, who flourished around the twelfth century, is the writer of the Muktäphala commentary alluded to.  He was a staunch impersonalist and wrote the Kaivalyadépikä commentary on the Muktäphala of Çré Bopadeva.  By the will of the Lord, Hemädré has given personalist commentary to the first verse quoted by Bopadeva in his Muktäphala.  In these two verses Bopadeva explains the impersonal feature of Viñëu.  According to him, Viñëu has two forms--personal and impersonal (sa dvedhä niräkäraù säkäraçca).  Prior to this Bopadeva explained the impersonal feature of Viñëu. Hemädri says that even the topmost planet in this material world is under Lord Viñëu's control. But His Supreme abode Vaikuëöha is not controlled by anyone else. This is because Vaikuëöha is a manifestation of His own internal energy.

          In the next Text he explains the meaning of the Kaöhopaniñad mantra by referring to Närada Muni's teachings to King Präcénabarhi.