Attaining the Supreme
Material intelligence can help us to make plans and act in this world, but it can't help us to realize the Lord. The Lord is free and independent and can be understood only by one who He chooses.
« The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad: An in-depth study
Attaining the Supreme
Material intelligence can help us to make plans and act in this world, but it can't help us to realize the Lord. The Lord is completely free and independent and can be understood only by one who He chooses. Therefore, the process of mental speculation is not useful for understanding the Lord; He can be understood only by devotional service. We should thus abandon material attempts and try to become pure devotees of the Lord. When we sincerely practice the path of bhakti, starting from the observance of regulative principles, spiritual knowledge is revealed to us. Only when our senses become purified by constant devotional practice, the truth of the Lord's pastimes, form, qualities, etc. is revealed.
Text 3.2.3
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo
na medhayā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas
tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūm svām
The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.
Commentary: Srila Prabhupada quotes this verse in several of his purports. This translation is given by him on his purport to CC Madhya 12.61, and on CC Madhya 8.310 he gives an amazing explanation of the meaning:
"Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that Kṛṣṇa is obtainable for the faithful, but for those who are accustomed to argue, Kṛṣṇa is far, far away. Similarly, these talks between Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu can be understood by a person who has firm faith. Those who are not in the disciplic succession, the asauta-panthīs, cannot have faith in these talks. They are always doubting and engaging in mental concoctions. These talks cannot be understood by such whimsical people. Transcendental topics remain far, far away from those engaged in mundane arguments. In this regard, the Vedic mantras in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.9) state, naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva su-jñānāya preṣṭha. According to the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3):
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūm svām
And according to the Brahma-sūtra (2.1.11), tarkāpratiṣṭhānāt.
All Vedic literatures declare that transcendental subjects cannot be understood simply by argument or logic. Spiritual matters are far above experimental knowledge. Only by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy can one who is interested in His transcendental loving affairs understand them. If one tries to understand these transcendental topics simply by using one’s material brain substance, the attempt will be futile. Whether one is a prākṛta-sahajiyā or a mundane opportunist or scholar, one’s labor to understand these topics by mundane means will ultimately be frustrated. One therefore has to give up all mundane attempts and try to become a pure devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. When a devotee follows the regulative principles, the truth of these talks will be revealed to him. This is confirmed in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.234):
ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ
One cannot understand the Lord’s holy name, pastimes, form, qualities or entourage with one’s blunt material senses. However, when the senses are purified by the constant rendering of service, the spiritual truth of the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is revealed. As confirmed in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas. Only one who is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can understand the transcendental features of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu."
On SB 7.5.32, he adds:
"One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless one is graced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and taken the dust of his lotus feet can understand Kṛṣṇa. First one must understand how to get out of the clutches of māyā. The only means is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And to become Kṛṣṇa conscious very easily, one must take shelter of a realized soul — a mahat, or mahātmā — whose only interest is to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord."
As we studied in the verses of the Muṇḍaka Upanisad, just studying the Vedas doesn't guarantee that one will receive the highest knowledge. On the opposite: without seeing Krsna in the words of the verses, one will get just the superficial meaning, which will just point him to the path of fruitive activity or philosophical speculation. Devotional service to Krsna is described in each word of the Upanisads and each word of the Vedas, but without being already situated in the platform of devotional service one can't understand that. More than that, one can't obtain Krsna by just studying. For this, unalloyed devotional service is necessary, and to develop this pure devotional service we need to take shelter of a self-realized soul and be trained in the art of pure devotional service by him. Part of this training consists of learning the proper conclusions of the scriptures according to the parampara, by which the Upanisads and other scriptures can be understood.
In his purport to SB 10.13.54, one of the last purports he dictated, already close to his departure, Srila Prabhupada explains:
"Mere śāstra jñāna, or knowledge in the Vedas, does not help anyone understand the Personality of Godhead. Only one who is favored or shown mercy by the Lord can understand Him. This is also explained in the Upaniṣads (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3):
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhasā na bahunā śrutena
yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanum svām
“The Supreme Lord is not obtained by expert explanations, by vast intelligence, or even by much hearing. He is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests His own form.”
One description given of Brahman is satyam brahma, ānanda-rūpam: “Brahman is the Absolute Truth and complete ānanda, or bliss.” The forms of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Brahman, were one, but They were manifested differently. The followers of the Upaniṣads, however, cannot understand the varieties manifested by Brahman. This proves that Brahman and Paramātmā can actually be understood only through devotion, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ (Bhāg. 11.14.21). To establish that Brahman indeed has transcendental form, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives various quotations from the śāstras. In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.8), the Supreme is described as āditya-varṇam tamasaḥ parastāt: “He whose self-manifest form is luminous like the sun and transcendental to the darkness of ignorance.” Ānanda-mātram ajaram purāṇam ekam santam bahudhā dṛśyamānam: “The Supreme is blissful, with no tinge of unhappiness. Although He is the oldest, He never ages, and although one, He is experienced in different forms.” Sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ: “All the forms of that Supreme Person are eternal.” (Mahā-varāha Purāṇa) The Supreme Person has a form, with hands and legs and other personal features, but His hands and legs are not material. Bhaktas know that the form of Kṛṣṇa, or Brahman, is not at all material. Rather, Brahman has a transcendental form, and when one is absorbed in it, being fully developed in bhakti, one can understand Him (premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena). The Māyāvādīs, however, cannot understand this transcendental form, for they think that it is material. Transcendental forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His person are so great that the impersonal followers of the Upaniṣads cannot reach the platform of knowledge to understand them. Particularly, the transcendental forms of the Lord are beyond the reach of the impersonalists, who can only understand, through the studies of the Upaniṣads, that the Absolute Truth is not matter and that the Absolute Truth is not materially restricted by limited potency."
Text 3.2.4
nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo
na ca pramādāt tapaso vāpy alingāt
etair upāyair yatate yas tu vidvāms
tasyaiṣa ātmā viśate brahma dhāma
The Lord cannot be attained by he who is devoid of strength, by an inattentive mind, or by one who performs penances not prescribed in the scriptures. Only he who endeavors by the proper means can enter the Supreme Abode.
Commentary: The verse says that a person devoid of strength can't attain the Lord. By the context, we of course understand that it's not about physical strength. What is this strength the verse speaks about then?
In his purport to SB 7.15.45, Srila Prabhupada connects the word "bala" to the mercy of Balarāma, who is the source of all spiritual strength. As he mentions: nitāiyera karuṇā habe, vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe: when one receives the mercy of Balarāma, Nityānanda, one can attain the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa very easily.
Lord Nityananda Balarama is the original spiritual master, and He becomes present in our lives by appearing in front of us in the form of the guru in the bonafide disciplic succession. The parampara system is so perfect that it allows even an imperfect person to receive and transmit perfect knowledge as long as he or she remains faithful to the instructions and philosophical conclusions of the predecessor acaryas. We may not be able to directly hear the Lord speaking to us from inside the heart, but He can still speak to us through the spiritual master, who is empowered to understand the mentality of the disciple and give him the appropriate instructions for advancement in the spiritual path. As long as the disciple remains faithful to the instructions of the spiritual master, his success is guaranteed. The guru in turn remains connected to the parampara by remaining faithful to his own spiritual master and so on, in an unbroken line that goes all the way to Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada is the current prominent link in this current since he is the acarya who was able to distribute Krsna Consciousness in the West and explain all the important philosophical conclusions in his books. His work is the culmination of the plan of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to create a movement capable of spreading Krsna Consciousness far and wide, fulfilling the prophecy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that His holy name will be chanted in all towns and villages. Before these three prominent acaryas, most Vaishnavas were plagued by philosophical misinterpretations, and this persisted even after the appearances of great acaryas like Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Just as many misinterpreted the teachings of Sripada Śaṅkarācārya, becoming Mayavadis, many misinterpreted the teachings of Mahaprabhu, becoming Sahajiyas, caste Goswamis, Baulas, Ativadis, and so on. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote about thirteen apasampradayas that were common at his time.
Despite the efforts of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Prabhupada, however, the philosophical misinterpretations of these thirteen apasampradayas are still around, just as Mayavadis, Buddhists, and everyone else who failed to grasp the next steps on the evolutionary ladder presented by the acaryas over the centuries. One who sides with these misinterpretations and considers the teachings of Srila Prabhupada as just the ACBD, or who ends up entirely rejecting the path presented by these three acaryas risks cutting himself from the spiritual strength received through the mercy of Lord Nityananda Balarama. Without this strength, one may speculate for centuries without being able to understand the true meaning of the scriptures.