Attaining the Supreme (Mundaka Upaniṣad #18)
Material intelligence help us to make plans and act in this world, but it can't help us realize the Lord. The Lord is completely free and independent and can be understood only by one who He chooses.
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.
🎙Podcast (Search for “Mysteries of the Vedas” on Spotify, iTunes, etc. to hear all the lessons)
📺 Video
💬Text of the lesson:
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.
Spiritual nature
When a devotee finally attains pure Krsna Consciousness, he becomes fully self-satisfied in the spiritual platform. In due time, as the body comes to an end, he leaves behind all material coverings and joins the Lord in His pastimes. Assuming an eternal spiritual body, just like the Lord, He becomes completely free and can go everywhere. In his spiritual state, the soul is completely free, but we become progressively restricted as we become covered by material contamination.
All the constituents of both gross and subtle bodies are not produced by the soul, but just borrowed from the sum of material energy. When a devotee attains perfection, all these material elements return to their sources and the pure soul goes back to Godhead. One thus abandons all material identifications that appear due to false ego, including names and forms and becomes reestablished in his original spiritual position.
Although the soul leaves the material creation and enters the effulgence of the Lord, this doesn't mean he merges in it. When a bird enters a tree, it may appear that the bird merged into the tree, but in reality, he just went beyond our view. The bird maintains his individuality and continues to perform activities inside the tree.
Text 3.2.5
samprāpyainam ṛṣayo jñāna-tṛptāḥ
kṛtātmāno vīta-rāgāḥ praśāntāḥ
te sarvagam sarvataḥ prāpya dhīrā
yuktātmānaḥ sarvam evāviśanti
Having attained this Supreme Self, the great sages, who are self-satisfied, self-realized, free from attachment, and peaceful, enter the spiritual nature and assume spiritual forms that can go everywhere and experience everything.
Commentary: Ranga Ramanuja explains this verse as describing purified souls finally attaining the Lord and developing spiritual bodies. The Lord is present in His abode, but at the same time, present everywhere. Having attained this Supreme Lord (samprāpya enam), the great sages (ṛṣayaḥ) who have re-attained their original spiritual consciousness, attain transcendental forms (yuktātmānaḥ) through which they can experience everything. These pure devotees are described as self-satisfied (jñāna-tṛptāḥ), self-realized (kṛta-ātmānaḥ), free from attachment (vīta-rāgāḥ) and peaceful (praśāntāḥ). It is sub-intended in the verse that as a result of these qualities they develop their devotional service to the Lord and as a result attain spiritual forms. This connection is made by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita (18.54):
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā, na śocati na kānkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, mad-bhaktim labhate parām
"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me."
When an impersonalist attains the impersonal brahmajyoti, he is just placed in the effulgence of the Lord as a luminous particle of consciousness. Apart from adding his small brilliance to the effulgence of the Lord, there is no concept of service in this position. Ramanujacarya compares impersonal liberation to a deep sleep, where one is freed from bad dreams but is not yet awakened. In this position, one becomes free from material contamination, but his original propensity for serving Krsna is not revived. As a result, there is every possibility of falling back into the material world. Devotees take impersonal liberation as worse than life in the material world because even in the material world one can serve Krsna, but in the impersonal brahmajyoti one becomes practically unconscious and there is no opportunity for serving. For a devotee, such a position is hellish.
In his purport to SB 3.27.15, Srila Prabhupada explains that any position apart from the original position of the soul as a servant of Krsna, including even impersonal liberation exists under the influence of false ego, and this explains how one can fall from such a position. Until the soul reattains his original position as a servitor of the Lord, any other position will be temporary:
"As soon as a person is awakened to the pure knowledge of understanding that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord, his own real position is revived. A living entity can never be lost. When one forgets his identity in deep sleep, he becomes absorbed in dreams, and he may think himself a different person or may think himself lost. But actually his identity is intact. This concept of being lost is due to false ego, and it continues as long as one is not awakened to the sense of his existence as an eternal servitor of the Lord. The Māyāvādī philosophers’ concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is another symptom of being lost in false ego. One may falsely claim that he is the Supreme Lord, but actually he is not. This is the last snare of māyā’s influence upon the living entity. To think oneself equal with the Supreme Lord or to think oneself to be the Supreme Lord Himself is also due to false ego." (SB 3.27.15 purport)
In some of his purports, Prabhupada mentions that even after reaching the impersonal brahmajyoti, there is the possibility of falling back to the material world, since in this position the natural propensity of the soul is not fully manifested. One may thus fall back into the material world searching for variety, and here he may come into contact with devotees and gradually become a devotee himself. In other purports he goes further, saying that there is "every possibility" of fall, giving the idea that it is not only possible but probable. In his purport to SB 1.9.39, however, he goes still further, presenting it as a certainty, because the position in the Brahman effulgence is not the original position of the soul. As he explains, each soul has a particular nature in his eternal service to the Lord. This form is fully spiritual and is the svarūpa of the living being. This original form is attained by the grace of the Lord when the devotee is ready. As he explains:
"All the soldiers and persons on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra attained their original spiritual form like the Lord after their death because by the causeless mercy of the Lord they were able to see Him face to face on that occasion. The conditioned souls rotating in the evolutionary cycle from the aquatics up to the form of Brahmā are all in the form of māyā, or the form obtained by one’s own actions and awarded by material nature. The material forms of the conditioned souls are all foreign dresses, and when the conditioned soul becomes liberated from the clutches of material energy, he attains his original form. The impersonalist wants to attain the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Lord, but that is not at all congenial to the living sparks, parts and parcels of the Lord. Therefore, the impersonalists again fall down and get material forms, which are all false to the spirit soul. A spiritual form like the Lord’s, either two-handed or four-handed, is attained by the devotees of the Lord either in the Vaikuṇṭhas or in the Goloka planet, according to the original nature of the soul. This form, which is cent-percent spiritual, is the svarūpa of the living being, and all the living beings who participated on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, on both sides, attained their svarūpa, as confirmed by Bhīṣmadeva. So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was not merciful only to the Pāṇḍavas; He was also merciful to the other parties because all of them attained the same result. Bhīṣmadeva wanted the same facility also, and that was his prayer to the Lord, although his position as an associate of the Lord is assured in all circumstances. The conclusion is that whoever dies looking on the Personality of Godhead within or without attains his svarūpa, which is the highest perfection of life." (SB 1.9.39 purport)
When a devotee attains perfection in this life, he fully manifests his svarūpa after leaving his material body, and with this form, he can join the Lord in His pastimes.
In the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Narada Muni describes his own experience: "And so, O Brāhmana Vyāsadeva, in due course of time I, who was fully absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa and who therefore had no attachments, being completely freed from all material taints, met with death, as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously. Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work [karma] stopped." (SB 1.6.27-28)
As Srila Prabhupada explains, in his original position, the soul is free to travel anywhere, and thus experience anything in the creation. It is only due to material conditioning that we are restricted to a certain field of activities, be it a particular universe, a planet, or a certain tract of land. As Narada Muni also describes:
"Since then, by the grace of the almighty Viṣṇu, I travel everywhere without restriction both in the transcendental world and in the three divisions of the material world. This is because I am fixed in unbroken devotional service of the Lord. And thus I travel, constantly singing the transcendental message of the glories of the Lord, vibrating this instrument called a vīṇā, which is charged with transcendental sound and which was given to me by Lord Kṛṣṇa." (SB 1.6.31-32)