Fifteenth Theme: Neither matter nor jivas are one with the Supreme

tatra jivasya tradrsacidrupatve ‘pi

paramesvarato vailaksanyam iti yaya

sammohita iti ca darsayati

 

Here, the phrases “Maya is outside Him” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.4) and “deceived by Maya” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.5) indicate that the jiva, though also essentially pure consciousness, is distinct from Paramesvara.

 

This verse, which we have shown to you with its translation, includes section thirty-four, which is not surprisingly one of the shortest. In fact, it contains a reflection of utmost importance, so Jiva Gosvami wants to give us space for reflection.

 

If Maya is outside and always under His control, how can she defeat the Supreme Lord (Paramesvara), forcing Him into a life of misery? This concept sounds like blasphemy, an insult to the omnipotence of God, whom nothing and no one can ever overwhelm. And if He were weaker than anything else, He couldn’t be God. Jivas can fall victim to deception because they are not Him, but only a part of His energy.

 

The conclusion of the Vedas in this regard is very clear: Paramesvara and the jivas are not at all the same thing, but two distinct entities, united only by the same spiritual nature. Paramesvara is the controller of Maya, who in turn controls those jivas who do not intend to accept their natural position of subordination to Krishna. For example, if the parts of a body refused to accept their natural functions and act to nourish the stomach, the parts themselves would be the first to suffer.

In 1973, during a lecture on Bhagavad-gita, Prabhupada told a story that we find instructive: 

“The one who enjoys it is the stomach and not any other part of the body. There is a story in the Hitopanisad, Hitopadesa, from which Aesop’s fable was translated. In this story, Udarendriyanam, udara means the stomach and indriya means the senses. All the senses gathered to have an assembly, saying: 

‘We work all day,’ the legs said. 

‘Yes, we walked all day.’ 

The hands said, ‘We also work all day. Whatever the body commands us, we do it: go there and get the food, and then we cook it too.’ 

And the eyes said, ‘We watch all day.’ 

So all body parts went on strike, saying: 

‘We will no longer work for the stomach, which only eats. We always work and he does nothing but eat and enjoy food.’ 

And they went on strike.  

After two or three days they met again and said: 

‘We feel weak, we can’t work anymore. Why does this happen?’ 

Then the stomach said, ‘You feel bad because I’m not eating. If you want to feel good you have to feed me, otherwise… I am the enjoyer. You are not the ones who enjoy. You must fix situations for my enjoyment. This is your constitutional position.’ 

Then they understood: ‘Yes, we can’t enjoy directly. It’s not possible. The enjoyment must pass through the stomach.’ 

If you take a rasagulla with your fingers, they cannot enjoy it directly. You have to put it in your mouth and when it reaches your stomach there is energy immediately. And not only do the fingers rejoice, but also the eyes; the whole body feels satisfaction.” 

Srila Prabhupada continues: 

“Thus, the true enjoyer is Krsna. Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram, and if we cooperate with Krsna, through His happiness we will be happy. This is our (natural) position. This is true knowledge. Suhrdam sarva bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati … Krsna is the natural enjoyer.” 

 

It is wrong, therefore, to believe that the One… Brahman (the uncontaminated and transcendental consciousness), is simultaneously the very essence of knowledge (as the basis of Maya’s very existence) and at the same time can be covered by ignorance, being a victim of Maya. It is in this perspective that one can understand the difference between Isvara and jiva. It follows that, due to the respective differences in their natural abilities, Isvara and jiva are essentially distinct.

This passage is so clear that it needs no further explanation. 

This is a section of the book “Tattva Sandarbha”, in English.

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