Thirteenth Theme: Material Nature and Individual Souls

 

In section thirty-one, Jiva Gosvami points out (always referring to verse 1.7.4) that Maya is not an essential sakti of Bhagavan, so much so, that she is called “external energy”, that is, distant from Him. Even the Srimad-Bhagavatam says that “Maya is ashamed (vilajjamana) when approaching the Lord.”

 

The essential sakti (svarupa-sakti) of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is bhakti. One of the many proofs that can be presented is that the happiness that can be experienced with pure devotion is immensely greater than that of the liberation of Brahman (brahmananda). The difference between the two energies (hladini-sakti and bahiranga-sakti), says Vidyabhusana, is comparable to the relationship between the favored wife, who is always at the king’s side, and a servant waiting for the ruler’s orders. 

 

Bhakti-yoga, therefore, is the essential function of the Lord’s best energy.

 

In section thirty-two, Sri Jiva continues his analysis of the verses of the Bhagavata Purana, this time analyzing 1.7.5, in which Vyasa, in meditation, sees the individual soul as something different from Maya and Paramesvara, the Supreme God. The verse says:

 

“Because of external energy, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, living entities believe that they are a product of matter and therefore become victims of the reactions of material miseries.”

 

This point, which we will delve into in the next few sections, is the cause and justification of abhidheya and prayojana. In fact, without a difference between lover and beloved, how can you talk about relationships and feelings? If God and souls were not different from each other, one superior and the other inferior, abhideya and prayojana would be meaningless.

 

Upon careful analysis, you will find that this verse clarifies many points.

 

First, that the jiva is not part of material nature: we are not the body and we are not born when the body is born, nor do we die when the body dies. The root cause of the world’s suffering is this basic error; victims of such terrible ignorance, spiritual souls continue to be reborn in the various types of life, in a kind of perpetual wheel (samsara).

 

Here it is also clarified that the theory of upadhi (superfluous superstructures), proposed by the Mayavadi philosophers, is not accepted by Vyasadeva, who is an eyewitness to the personal nature of the living entities. Not being shared by the great guru, none of his disciples and descendants will accept it.

 

The phrase “deceived by Maya” (yaya sammohitah jiva atmanam trigunatmakam) indicates another concept, which refutes the idea that it is Bhagavan Sri Krishna who casts souls into deception. In reality this action is conducted by Maya without requiring the personal intervention of Krishna.

 

The word “ashamed” indicates that Maya does not tolerate the fact that the jivas want to stay away from Him, although she realizes that the act of deceiving the jivas does not make the Lord happy. This has been happening since time immemorial (anadi).

 

In reality, Maya does a work of mercy: by punishing jivas who do not intend to go to the worlds of eternal delights to serve the Supreme Object of love, Sri Syamasundara makes their repentance possible. As they suffer, they realize the difference between the real and the illusory and return to their senses. Then, one day, they will decide to go to the Vaikuntha universes, generated by the power of Sri Krishna.

 

“Those (individual souls) who turn away from the Lord experience fear: this because of their devotion to a second thing and thus (Maya) hides their true nature and covers them with their opposite.”

 

The part in quotation marks is a section of a verse from the Bhagavatam (11.2.37). When the spirit soul does not desire the Supreme Lord, it falls victim to Maya and her temptations. 

Here Maya is called “second thing” (dvitiya), since matter is not the principal one of the divine energies. Its function is to generate illusion and memory loss. Because of its nefarious influence, we forget our true identity and build within ourselves the conception of being the material body. The deep existential fear is unleashed with this great initial error. Thus, Maya covers the true spiritual nature of the jivas with the veil of its opposite, i.e., matter.

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

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