Isopanisad Notes

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―Hare Kṛṣṇa‖

All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda

Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Founder Ācārya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Special Thanks to H.G. Gaurānga Prabhu (RNS) and numerous devotees of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Gopīnāth Mandīr, Chowpatty, Mumbai

Based on the commentary by Śrīla Prabhupāda and Study Material Prepared by Anjana Suta Academy (www.jayarama.us), Vrindavana Institute of Higher Education (www.vihe.org), Vaisnava Training & Education, UK, Mayapur Institute (www.mayapurinstitute.org), Illumination Education (www.illuminationeducation.com) and by Bhakti Sastri Team of ISKCON Chowpatty (www.bhakticourses.com)

―We must cultivate philosophical knowledge in order to have a proper understanding by which we can proceed without being bewildered by the temptations of the world. To learn

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simply for the sake of accumulating knowledge is one of the greatest obstacles to spiritual advancement.‖

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Beauty, mystery, and unlimited power unite in the form of the Lord, the Isa in Īśopaniṣad. Here He is depicted as Śrī Kesava, one of the Viṣṇu expansions of Kṛṣṇa

Mantra 7 - Spiritually everyone is the same as the Lord in quality and interest / Rise from Mistaken Oneness to Real Oneness / The Mahābhāgavat‘s Vision of the living entities106 Mantra 8 - The transcendental Lord is fulfilling all our desires accordingly / How the Īśvara integrates inconceivable attributes? / The Mahābhāgavat‘s Vision of the Supreme115 Mantra 9-11: Comparing the cultivation of knowledge and nescience / Guidelines for knowledge / Right and Wrong Vidya (for understanding Īśvara) ... 130

Mantra 9 - Those who neglect spiritual knowledge enter into darkness / Comparative Study of Vidya and Avidya / Three Kinds of So-called Knowledge ...132

Mantra 10 - One result from cultivating spiritual knowledge, another from neglecting it142 Mantra 11 - Integrate spiritual and material knowledge while living in the world ...153

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Mantra 12-14 Comparing worship of the Absolute to Worship of the relative / Guidelines for practice / Right and Wrong Upāsanā (For worshipping Īśvara) / Worship of Demigods, the

Impersonal, and the Personal Supreme ... 169

Mantra 12 - Worshippers of demigods and impersonal Absolute enter into darkness. .171 Mantra 13 - One result from worshipping Supreme, another from worshipping that which is not Supreme. ...187

Mantra 14 - One must realize eternal Lord, and temporary material world / Devotional Service Grants Immortality ...211

Mantra 15-18 Prayers for revelation of the Īśvara‘s Spiritual Form ... 225

Mantra 15-16: Prayers to the Lord regarding showing His form / Prayers for Knowledge 225 Mantra 15 - Prayer to remove the Lord‘s effulgence so we may see Him / How Bhagavan is the highest manifestation of the Absolute Truth ...226

Mantra 16 - Prayer to realize the Lord Himself and our relationship with Him / Prayers to the Absolute Truth culminate in devotional service ...236

Mantra 17-18: Protection against imperfection, for the sincere devotee / Prayers for practice ... 249

Mantra 17 - Prayer for Lord to remember our service to Him / How devotional service prepares us for passing the exam of death ...250

Mantra 18 - Prayer for Lord to guide us on path to reach Him / How the omnipotent Lord guides the devotee to perfection ...263

Conclusion ... 273

Śrī Īśopaniṣad - Analogies & Examples ... 274

Śrī Īśopaniṣad – Key Terms ... 275

Answers ... 278

Overview

HPS: Please read NOI and ISO in following order

Step 1 NOI Preface

Step 2 NOI Text 1-3 Control Your senses

Step 3 ISO Invocation and Mantra 1-6. Simple Living and High Thinking Step 4: Associate with devotees

NOI Text 4-6 ISO 7-11

Step 5: NOI 7-8 - Back to the Process & NOI 9-11 - Rādhārani and Rādhā-Kunda Step 6: ISO 12-18

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VISION

The Perfect Relationship between The Lord, The Living Entities and His Creation / Live in Harmony With Īśvara. The Inconceivable Lord can only be known by the mahā-bhāgavata.

What a person believes and how a person acts are intimately related. A person who has no belief in the existence of God will act simply according to his whims and desires, accepting them as the only purpose in life. A person who believes in God only as the Creator and Father to be feared and obeyed will attempt to follow His laws, but will also try to enjoy his own desires as much as possible. And a person who sees God as the Supreme Enjoyer and Friend will simply try to serve Him with devotion, while practicing detachment from her selfish desires. Thus, our beliefs and actions combined make up our overall lifestyle.

Belief + Action = Lifestyle

All revealed scriptures stress the purification of our beliefs and actions by giving us spiritual knowledge and practices to follow. By studying and realizing this knowledge and following these practices we can make genuine spiritual advancement.

Knowledge + Practices = Spiritual Advancement

(Belief) (Action) (Lifestyle)

This simple formula for our spiritual purification may be called the ―vision‖ of the text. In the Śrī Īśopaniṣad this vision is revealed in its invocation and mantras 1-8. In order to begin the process of receiving this vision mantras 1-3 offer prescribed practices for the living entities, namely ourselves. The invocation and mantras 4-5 enlighten us with knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Both the knowledge and practice of their relationship are fully revealed in mantras 6-8 as the vision of a pure devotee.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and therefore His creation is, too. He has perfectly made arrangements for all living beings, and if we learn to live according to His arrangements we can live happily, on the spiritual platform, even in this material world. Those who abuse the opportunity of the human form of life have a very dim future.

The Supreme Lord is the greatest person and possesses unique characteristics. Within Him all contradictions are resolved. The pure devotees see everything and everyone on relation to Him and are therefore completely free from anxiety on the transcendental platform. By rendering devotional service in this consciousness they realize Him directly.

Foundation of Knowledge of Supreme Person

Invocation – The Absolute Truth is the source of everything, yet He retains His own personality.

Practices for Living Entities

Mantra One - reveals our practice of accepting only our quota and engaging in the Lord‘s service.

Mantra Two – reveals reward of such practice

Mantra Three – reveals punishment of negligence of such practice Knowledge of Supreme Person

Mantra Four – The inconceivable Lord cannot be approached by our limited means. Mantra Five – An illustration of His inconceivable potencies.

Knowledge and Practice of Their Relationship

Mantra Six – everything and everyone are part of the Lord, and He is within everything. Mantra Seven – spiritually everyone is the same as the Lord in quality and interest Mantra Eight – the transcendental Lord is fulfilling all our desires

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The second section of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad, mantras 9-14, gives further guidelines on the nature of knowledge and practices. Mantras 9-11 give guidelines for which knowledge is to be sought. Mantras 12-14 give guidelines for which practices are to be followed.

There are different types of nondevotees, and they achieve varying degrees of misfortune. In order to advance nicely a devotee must understand both the wonderful nature of spiritual life and the defects of material life, culminating in understanding Lord Kṛṣṇa‘s position as the Supreme absolute truth.

Guidelines for Knowledge

Comparing the cultivation of knowledge and nescience / Right and Wrong Vidya Mantra Nine – Those engaged in nescience and false knowledge enter into darkness Mantra Ten – One result from knowledge, another from nescience

Mantra Eleven – Must cultivate material and spiritual knowledge side by side

Guidelines for Practice

Comparing worship of the Absolute to Worship of the relative / Right and Wrong Upāsanā Mantra Twelve – Worshippers of demigods and impersonal Absolute enter into darkness. Mantra Thirteen – One result from worshipping Supreme, another from worshipping that which is not Supreme.

Mantra Fourteen – One must realize eternal Lord, and temporary material world.

PRAYERS

Prayers for revelation of the Īśvara‘s Spiritual Form

The third, and final, section, mantras 15-18, are prayers offered by the devotee to the Lord to obtain this vision of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad. Mantras 15-16 are prayers for realization of the knowledge given. Mantras 17-18 are prayers for acceptance of our practices.

The speaker feelingly appeals to the Lord to remove His dazzling bodily effulgence and reveal His personal form. The time of death is approaching and the devotee acknowledges that he is far from perfect, but prays that the Lord be merciful to him and, overlooking his shortcoming, accept him as an eternal servant and give him shelter at His lotus feet.

Prayers for Knowledge

Mantra Fifteen – Prayer to remove the Lord‘s effulgence so we may see Him. Mantra Sixteen – Prayer to realize the Lord Himself and our relationship with Him.

Prayers for Practice

Mantra Seventeen – Prayer for Lord to remember our service to Him. Mantra Eighteen – Prayer for Lord to guide us on path to reach Him.

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Read: 10-15 min Focus: 3-5 min

Consider: day long meditation Describe: 10-20 min

Miscellaneous Notes

What is Upaniṣad?

―sit near‖ Upa=Near ni=down shad=to sit. Sit near a spiritual master to learn.

ĪŚOPANIṢAD BEGINS where the material world stops. People are interested in gratifying their senses in so many ways, with conveyances, carriages, fine bungalows, fine ladies, surrounded by aristocratic relatives, forever.

Yet it doesn't last and ultimately it doesn't satisfy the soul. So the Vedic literature, the Acharya, offers a progressive education. The Upanishads are the beginning of that. The Upanishads are from the four original Vedas. They are like headlines. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains all this.

A Comprehensive Study Guide

Goals for the Sastra-

Cultivate a desire to study the Śrī Īśopaniṣad for practical spiritual realization.

Analyze how the teachings of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad are still relevant in the modern world. Know the essential message and philosophy of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad.

Systematically study and remember the content and organization of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad. Use the teachings of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad as a guide for our own lives.

See through the eyes of the Vedic scriptures.

Astika (faith in Vedic scriptures) 6 systems of philosophy:

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1. Nyaya propounded by Gautama 2. Vaisesika propounded by Kanada 3. Sankhya propounded by Kapila 4. Yoga propounded by Patanjali

5. Purva (karma) mimansa propounded by Jaimini (Kṛṣṇa‘s teaching to Nanda Mahāraja to stop Indra puja)

6. Uttara (brahma) mimansa propounded by Vyasa (this is the conclusion, Vedanta). a. Advaita

b. Dvaita

i. Acintya bheda abheda tattva

They teach Vedas support their particular school of thought. Except 6th the other 5 don‘t teach the Vedic teachings completely.

Nastika (no faith in Vedic scriptures) 1. Buddhism

2. Jainism

3. Carvakism (materialism)

Three primary sources of authority in Vedanta, they are called prasthana traya:

Śruti – Vedas (Samhitas, Brahmanas, Āranyaksa and Upaniṣads) – Samhitas focus on karma kāṇḍa, Brahmanas start from karma kāṇḍa to jñāna kāṇḍa, aranyakas (that which is studied in forest) start discussing about renunciation. Upaniṣads talk about solid philosophy. Vedas are hymns chanted by priests, in praise of gods. Samhitas are the main parts of the Vedas.

Rig = ―Praise of agni, Indra‖

Yajur = ―Instructions for performing sacrifice‖ Sāma = ―praise of soma‖

Atharva = ―chants for hearing, sickness & rites‖

Vedas encourage satisfaction of material desires (e.g.) Sex – Indra, Good Progeny – Prajapati, Fortune – Durga, Power – Agni, Money – Vasus, Body – Earth.

Gradual elevation to transcendental life – leads to Upaniṣads (chance for self-realization) Conclusion: Rig: - om tad viṣṇoḥ… (1.2.22.20)

Krishna‘s Instruction

1. Yāvān artha udapäne……

2. veda-väda-ratāḥ pārtha nänyad astéti vädinaù…… 3. trai-guëya-viñayä vedä ……

Upaniṣads

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b) Main contribution – establish Absolute Truth As non-material.

c) Deny material personality (nirguna, a rupa) but do assert Spiritual personality. d) 3 stages (Brahman…)

e) Parmatma –Mundaka, Sveta, Katho (Imp:-defeats Māyāvāda)

(Defends Bhakti:-Bhakti depends on ideally being retried)

f) Thus prepares way for proper understanding of ―Bhagavan‖ – (Full of opulence) g) Out of 108 Upaniṣads 11 are important.

(1) Isa (2) Kena (3) Katha (4) Prasna (5) Mundaka (6) Mandukya (7) Taittiriya (8) Aitareya (9) Chandogya (10) Brhad-arankya (11) Svetasvatara. Each name has a significance according to its content.

Śrī Īśopaniṣad

a) Iso = Supreme controller

b) Sambandha = invocation,4,5,8,14 Abhideya = 1,2,3,9,11,15,16,17,18 Prayojana = 6,7,10,12,13

c) Establishes authenticity of ISKCON

d) Brings one nearer to Krishna, Supreme personality of Godhead.

Īśopaniṣad is the last part of the Yajur Veda. It is the prayer offered by Manu to yagyavatara. A similar prayer is in 8th canto. A verse is also similar here it is īśāvāsyam idam sarvam there it is atmavasyam idam sarvam.

Smriti – Puranas, Itihasas, Pancharatras. Smritis are elaboration of Śrutis as done by great sages. E.g. śruti is mother and smriti is elder sister of boy. Elder sister assimilates knowledge from mother and give to child. Smriti and śruti are complementary to each other, not contradictory. There are 18 main puranas and then there are upa puranas and then there are sthala puranas (mahatmayas of various places, e.g. Puri, Tirupati). Itihaas contain Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābharata. Itihaas focus on one particular person or lineage. Puranas don‘t centre on one person, but a particular conversation. E.g. Bhāgavatam is conversation between Suta Goswami and sages of Naimisaranya. Pancaratra focus on deity worship.

Nyaya – Vedanta Sutra. Different from earlier Nyaya by Gautama. Nyaya means logic. Nyaya by Gautama is independent school of thought, but Nyaya in Vedanta uses logic to establish teachings of Vedanta.

If anyone has to establish that their philosophy is based on vedas then they have to comment on Upaniṣads, Smriti (generally Bhagavad Gītā) and Nyaya (Vedanta sutra).

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Īśopaniṣad has been commented by many great acaryas – Mādhvācārya, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and Bhaktivinoda Thākura. Śrīla Prabhupāda even before starting ISKCON commented that. Shows its importance.

For BS: BG, Iso, NoD, and NoI

For Life: BG, SB, CC, NoD (study repeatedly over life time) Shruti – Īśopaniṣad (one of most prominent śruti)

Smriti – Bhagavad-Gītā (it is a śruti in a smriti)

Nyaya – Bhāgavatam (VS very difficult understand and hence Vyasa gave SB as commentary).

Progression in Śrīla Prabhupāda Book: BG – Vedic (base of pyramid)

SB – Vaishnava (middle of pyramid), one of the sattva puranas according to categorization given by matsya Purana.

CC & NOD – Gaudiya Vaishnava (top of pyramid)

CCP: Canon – set of books considered vital in a tradition. SP wanted ISKCON devotees to

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Sadhya (Krishna) & Sadhan (bhakti) established through Iso and BG. Iso established that the absolute truth is a person and BG establishes that person is Kṛṣṇa. Iso points towards bhakti and BG establishes bhakti.

Sadhya & Sadhana explained by NoI and NoD.

Īśopaniṣad is part of the Yajur Veda, and is very important in that is gives fundamental definitions of many of the most important aspects of Vedic knowledge. The nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described, and how everything spiritual and material is related with Him. To be aware of this, or to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, is the platform for a successful, happy life, whereas ignorance of His and His plan, in any form, will lead to disaster. If one dedicates one‘s life to understanding and realizing Him, then by His mercy He may reveal Himself, and one can go back to Godhead. All this is graphically described in Śrī Īśopaniṣad, culminating in the speaker‘s heartfelt surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord, and his appeal for the Lord‘s supreme mercy. So even though the Upaniṣads are generally known for being somewhat impersonal in their presentation, we find Śrī Īśopaniṣad is very clearly presenting the Absolute Truth, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the process for approaching Him to be bhakti, or devotional service.

HPS: Chant the verses like 16 times over the next few weeks. Pull them out and chant them

for special festival like Ekādaśī for the rest of your life.

HPS: We are getting into the most profound literature on the planet. Everything else will be

easy after Īśopaniṣad.

HPS: Bhakti-sastri means getting the association and later giving the association of people to

other people. After that is process. First learn the habit of reading in the association of devotees. Second develop some process for reading and finally learn some systematic content. Usually in modern education they teach in the reverse order. Often they don't care to teach us how to learn. They just want that we learn facts and a few logical processes like Calculus, Algebra, C+-programing language.

HPS: Many times Śrīla Prabhupāda seems to go from topic to topic, forward and backward.

If we look at all the points for some time we can put them into a more strict linear order. Of course this appeals to our mechanical German mentality, but actually Prabhupāda's organization of the ideas seems to be more on the basis of taste and how they support one another‘s appreciation. For example, we may have a feast of several preparations, and someone may think that we should eat one preparation after another to conclusion before going on to the next, but someone else may like to take a little subji, vegetable, some bread, puri and then chutney and then back to some more subji.

CCP: Īśopaniṣad was not written as a book. It was a series of articles in BTG before

establishing ISKCON.

Verses to Remember

Invocation and Mantra 1, 5, 15

Key themes in the ĪŚOPANIṢAD

1. Knowledge

2. The Living Entities 3. Materialism

4. Defeating Impersonalism 5. Bhakti

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6. The Absolute Truth 7. Īśāvāsyam

Introduction – The Importance of Vedic

Knowledge

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The introduction is a lecture delivered by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda on October 6, 1969 at Conway Hall, London, England wherein Śrīla Prabhupāda delineates establishes the definition of Veda and the need to take guidance from the Vedas. Śrī Īśopaniṣad is directly Vedic literature, being part of the śruti.

Key Phrase: Spiritual Knowledge is Beyond Our Reach, Therefore the Vedas Are There to

Teach

CCP: People think Vedas were written long time ago by some sage and hence irrelevant

today. But scriptures are word of God and hence eternally relevant. Just as we needed sun in ancient, medieval and modern times, we need the scriptures all the time. Need of scripture can be understood in many ways, one can be recognizing limitation of our sources of knowledge – senses.

Summary

Śrīla Prabhupāda‘s introduction takes the form of a lecture he delivered in Conway Hall in London on October 6, 1969, during his first visit to that city. He begins by explaining the standing that the Vedas have, and how, whereas mundane knowledge is always defective, Vedic knowledge is free from such shortcomings.

The Vedas are śabda, or spiritual sound vibration, and are the best form of evidence. They can even reveal the spiritual realm, far beyond this limited material world, and this is accepted by such great authorities as Rāmānujācārya, Mādhvācārya, and Viṣṇusvami, and even by the famous Māyāvādī leader, Śaṇkarācārya. It must be received through the bona fide channel of the guru-parampara, coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Himself.

Śrīla Prabhupāda explain that originally there was one Veda, but in due course of time the intellectual capabilities of human beings reduced, so the Lord appeared as Śrīla Vyasadeva to divide the Vedas and present them in such a way that less qualified people would be able to have access to their message.

Finally he summarized the Vedas in the form of Vedanta-sutra, a very succinct, and apparently abstract work, but shortly after, on the direction of his spiritual master, Śrīla Nārada Muni, Vyasadeva compiled Śrīmad Bhāgavatam which clearly defines the Absolute Truth and the goal of the Vedas as being none other than Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the beloved son of Nanda Mahāraja and Mother Yaśodā, and the transcendental flute player of Śrī Vrndavana Dhama.

Explanation

Main points discussed

1. Definition of Veda 2. Purpose of Vedas 3. Division of Vedas

4. Process of acquiring knowledge (Veda) i) Pratakshya (Direct perception)

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ii) Anumāna (Inference/Guess) (inductive knowledge) iii) Śabda (Hearing from Authority) (deductive knowledge)

5. Two class of transcendentalists– Māyāvādī (Vedantists – led by Śaṇkarācārya) and Vaisnavas (Rāmānujācārya, Mādhvācarya, Viṣṇu svāmī, and Nimbaditya)

6. Need to study Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā 7. Defects of conditioned soul

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As we have four defects, we need the Vedas (p1-4) o Para 1: What are the Vedas?

o Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge you accept is Veda, for the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge.

o In the conditioned state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects.

 (Bhrama) He must commit mistakes. E.g. Mahātmā Gāndhī, President Kennedy.

 CCP: Mistake means consciously

 BP: the word ―Cheating‖ is very similar to ―teaching‖

 Para 2: (Pramada) To be illusioned. Illusion means to accept something which is not: māyā. Everyone is accepting the body as the self. But you are not this body. This is illusion.

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 Para 3: (Vipralipsa) Cheating propensity. Although a person is fool number one, he poses himself as very intelligent. Although he is in illusion and makes mistakes, he writes books of philosophy. But he does not even know his own position. That is cheating.

 CCP: American comedian - I have already made up my mind, don‘t confuse me with facts.

 Para 4: (karnapatava) Our senses are imperfect. Do you have the eyes to see God? If immediately the room becomes dark, you cannot even see your hands. So what power do you have to see?

o We cannot, therefore, expect knowledge (Veda) with these imperfect senses. With all these deficiencies, in conditioned life we cannot give perfect knowledge to anyone. Nor are we ourselves perfect. Therefore we accept the Vedas as they are.

 Vedas give universal and axiomatic wisdom (p5-6)

o HPS: Śrīla Prabhupāda addresses the obvious complaint, "But your Vedas are also limited knowledge from one culture, India!"

o Para 5: Vedas are not Hindu. We are not Hindus. Our real identification is varṇāśrama. Varṇāśrama denotes the followers of the Vedas, those who accept the human society in eight divisions of varṇa and āśrama.

o Vedic principles are accepted as axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake. That is acceptance. E.g. cow dung, though stool, is considered pure.

o Para 6: Vedic injunctions cannot be interpreted. But ultimately, if you carefully study why these injunctions are there, you will find that they are all correct.

 Vedic knowledge is superior to pratyakṣa and anumāna knowledge (p7-8)

o Para 7: The Vedas are not compilations of human knowledge. Vedic knowledge comes from the spiritual world, from Lord Kṛṣṇa. Another name for the Vedas is śruti. Śruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not experimental knowledge. Śruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother. If you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the activities of the senses, then you have to accept the Vedas. There is no question of experimenting.

o Para 8: The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahmā is called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in the

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Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. Vedic knowledge is understood in this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept.

o Three kinds of evidence:

 Pratyakṣa = "direct evidence." (deductive knowledge) Not very good because our senses are not perfect. Sun appears to us just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is this seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand about the sun.

 Anumāna – (Inference/Guess) (inductive knowledge): "It may be like this"—hypothesis. For instance, Darwin's theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect.

 Śabda - (Hearing from Authority) But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect.

 Analogy: If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don't deny it; you don't have to make an experiment, because it is received from the authoritative sources.

 BP: There are more ways of gaining knowledge but Vaisnavas accept on these three. But if evidence from Pratyakṣa and Anumāna conflict with śabda, then we accept śabda.

 Vedas – Krishna – only way to know about trans realm (p9-11)

o Para 9: Vedic knowledge is called śabda-pramāṇa. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge from beyond this universe. Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible.

o Para 10: There is a spiritual sky. There is another nature, which is beyond manifestation and non-manifestation. But how will you know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but how will you make experiments? It is not possible. Therefore you have to take the assistance of the Vedas.

o CCP: Vedic knowledge are of 3 types: (1) agreeing with pratyakṣa and anumāna (e.g. Vedic Mathematics) (2) not agreeing with pratyakṣa and (3) transcendental. Both 1 and 2 are not our focus, our focus is 3. Only way – scripture. It is beyond approval or disapproval of material knowledge. Spiritual world can neither be proven nor disproven by science.

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o In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are accepting knowledge from the highest authority, Kṛṣṇa. Both the Śaṅkara-sampradāya and the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our source of knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the Bhagavad-gītā. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, we accept. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you accept the right authority, or source of knowledge, then you save much time. There are two systems of knowledge in the material world: inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal—but you do not experiment. You accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished. o CCP: Progression of Vedic knowledge: Karma Kāṇḍa (Dharma, artha, kama

and moksha, don‘t mention Kṛṣṇa‘s name directly – e.g. jail manual may not contain name or nickname of Prime Minister. Kṛṣṇa is a very intimate name of God)  Jñāna Kāṇḍa (need of philosophy, dealt mainly by Upaniṣads, talks about Absolute Truth in negative terms, ―what is the use of acquiring material things‖) Bhakti (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)

o Para 11: The mind-speed is so swift. If you travel at this speed for millions of years, you'll find that the spiritual sky is unlimited. It is not possible even to approach it. Therefore, the Vedic injunction is that one must approach—the word "compulsory" is used—a bona fide spiritual master, a guru.

 And what is the qualification of a spiritual master? He is one who has rightly heard the Vedic message from the right source. And he must practically be firmly established in Brahman. These are the two qualities he must have. Otherwise he is not bona fide.

o (Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of the Vedas) Para 12: Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is completely authorized from Vedic principles. If you want to search out Kṛṣṇa by studying the Vedic literature, then you will be baffled. It may be possible, but it is very difficult. But you can very easily learn about Him from His devotee. His devotee can deliver Him to you: "Here He is, take Him." That is the potency of Kṛṣṇa's devotees.

History of Vedas & Vedic essence-Bhagavad Gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (p13-14)

o Para 13: Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. o But five thousand years ago Vyāsadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people

in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. He divided the Vedas into four: Ṛig, Sāma, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples.

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o He then thought of the less intelligent class of men—strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. For these persons he compiled the Mahābhārata and the eighteen Purāṇas.

o These are all part of the Vedic literature: the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, the four Vedas and the Upaniṣads. The Upaniṣads are part of the Vedas.

o Then Vyāsadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedānta-sūtra. This is the last word of the Vedas.

o Para 14: But still he was not satisfied. So Nārada Muni instructed him to explain Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta means ―ultimate knowledge,‖ and the ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa.

o (Two class of transcendentalists)

o Māyāvādī (Vedantists – led by Śaṇkarācārya) and Vaisnavas (Rāmānujācārya, Madhavacarya, Viṣṇusvami, Nimbaditya)

o Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, Rāmānujācārya and Madhvācārya have given commentaries. The version of Śaṅkarācārya is not the only commentary. There are many Vedānta commentaries, but because the Vaiṣṇavas did not present the first Vedānta commentary, people are under the wrong impression that Śaṅkarācārya's is the only Vedānta commentary.

o Besides that, Vyāsadeva himself wrote the perfect Vedānta commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the first words of the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. And that janmādy asya yataḥ is fully explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Vedānta-sūtra simply hints at what is Brahman, the Absolute Truth: "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." This is a summary, but it is explained in detail in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

o If everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth? That is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Absolute Truth must be consciousness. He is self-effulgent (sva-rāṭ). We develop our consciousness and knowledge by receiving knowledge from others, but for Him it is said that He is self-effulgent.

o The whole summary of Vedic knowledge is the Vedānta-sūtra, and the Vedānta-sūtra is explained by the writer himself in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Those who are actually after Vedic knowledge to try to understand the explanation of all Vedic knowledge from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lesson One (Introduction)

Q.1. What is Veda? Why one should accept it?

Ans. Veda means knowledge. Any knowledge, one accept, is Veda. Vedas are not compilation of human knowledge; it descends from the spiritual world from Lord Krishna. One should accept Vedas because the teachings of the Vedas are the original knowledge. For knowing anything that is beyond sense perception, beyond experimental knowledge and beyond the activities of the senses one should accept Vedas.

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Ans. Bhavisya Purana says:" The Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahābharata [which includes Bhagavad Gītā], Pancaratra, the original Rāmāyaṇa and the Puranas are considered as Vedas".

The Chandogya Upaniṣad (7.1.4) mentions the Puranas and Itihasas (which are generally known as histories), as the fifth Veda.

There are eighteen major Puranas, six composed for people in the mode of ignorance, six for those in the mode of passion and six for those in the mode of goodness. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the most direct commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra.

Vedas are actually user manual, provided by the creator at the dawn of creation of this universe. The purpose of the Vedas is to guide the soul on the path of perfection. Therefore, anybody interested in knowing the way of life, that God wanted us to lead, should refer to the Vedic scriptures.

Q.3. What is the purpose of taking assistance of the Vedas?

Ans. There is a spiritual sky which is another nature and is beyond manifestation and non-manifestation. But how to know that there is a sky where the planets and inhabitants are eternal? All this knowledge is there, but it is not possible to experiments? Therefore one has to take assistance of the Vedas to know this transcendental knowledge. The Vedas provides knowledge of that eternal and transcendental nature which is full of variety.

Q.4. What is the goal of the Vedas? How are the Vedas to be understood in this modern age? Ans. The actual goal of the Vedas is to reveal and show the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Krishna. vedaisch sarvair aham eva vedyo – of all the Vedas I am to be known (says Krishna in Bg.).

Another name for the Vedas is śruti. Śruti refers to that knowledge which is acquired by hearing. It is not experimental knowledge. Śruti is considered to be like a mother. We take so much knowledge from our mother. For example, if you want to know who your father is, who can answer you? Your mother. If the mother says, "Here is your father," you have to accept it. It is not possible to experiment to find out whether he is your father. Similarly, if you want to know something beyond your experience, beyond your experimental knowledge, beyond the activities of the senses, then you have to accept the Vedas. There is no question of experimenting. It has already been experimented. It is already settled. The version of the mother, for instance, has to be accepted as truth. There is no other way.

The Vedas are considered to be the mother, and Brahmā is called the grandfather, the forefather, because he was the first to be instructed in the Vedic knowledge. In the beginning the first living creature was Brahma. He received this Vedic knowledge and imparted it to Narada and other disciples and sons, and they also distributed it to their disciples. In this way, the Vedic knowledge comes down by disciplic succession. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-Gītā that Vedic knowledge is understood in this way. If you make experimental endeavor, you come to the same conclusion, but just to save time you should accept. If you want to know who your father is and if you accept your mother as the authority, then whatever she says can be accepted without argument. There are three kinds of evidence: pratyakṣa, anumāna and śabda. Pratyakṣa means "direct evidence." Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not perfect. We are seeing the sun daily, and it appears to us

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just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what value is this seeing? Therefore we have to read books; then we can understand about the sun. So, direct experience is not perfect. Then there is anumāna, inductive knowledge: "It may be like this"--hypothesis. For instance, Darwin's theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect. But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect. If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don‘t deny it; you don‘t have to make an experiment, because it is received from the authoritative sources. Therefore, one should accept knowledge from authority and this is the perfect method for all the ages.

Q.5. What are the deficiencies to which our knowledge is subjected in conditioned state? Ans. In the condition state, our knowledge is subjected to many deficiencies of which the following are most prominent.

1. In the conditioned state, knowledge acquiring senses are imperfect 2. The conditioned soul is prone to illusion

3. The conditioned being is prone to make mistake

4. In conditioned state one develops the cheating tendency

Q.6. What is the difference between the conditioned soul and the liberated soul?

Ans. The difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has four kinds of defects, whereas the liberated soul does not.

Q.7. ‗To err is human‘; explain this deficiency with the example.

Ans. One of the deficiencies of the conditioned life is commit mistake i.e. ‗to err is human‘. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained this deficiency by giving example of Mahātmā Gāndhī and President Kennedy. Mahātmā Gāndhī was considered to be a very great personality, but he committed many mistakes. Even at the last stage of his life, his assistant warned, ―Mahātmā Gāndhī, don‘t go to the New Delhi meeting. I have some friends, and I have heard there is danger.‖ But he did not hear. He persisted on going and was killed. To err is human. This is one defect of the conditioned soul.

Q.8. What does māyā (illusion) mean?

Ans. Māyā means ―that which is not‖. It means to accept something which is not. Example is given that everyone accepts the body to be the self which they are not. When the identification is asked, people say their names, their position, their birth, belongings, etc. They actually specify their bodily identifications. But none of us are this body. To identify our actual identity with something which we are not is māyā or illusion.

Q.9. What is cheating? Explain.

Ans. The propensity of posing one-self as a very intelligent and efficient, in-spite of having the deficiencies of the conditioned life is called cheating. The conditioned being does not even have the knowledge of his own self, however, he propound variety of theory positing to be learned scientist, philosopher…. etc. This is cheating. It is one of the defects of the conditioned life.

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Q.10. What does a Vaishnava denotes?

Ans. The vaishnavas denotes the followers of the Vedas.

Q.11. Why Vedic knowledge should be accepted as axiomatic truth?

Ans. Since there cannot be any mistake, it should be accepted as an axiomatic truth. Q.12. Explain the three kinds of the evidences.

Ans. There are three kinds of evidence: (i) pratyakṣa (ii) anumāna and (iii) śabda. Pratyakṣa means ―direct evidence‖. Direct evidence is not very good because our senses are not perfect. We are seeing the sun daily, and it appears to us just like a small disc, but it is actually far, far larger than many planets. Of what values is this seeing? Therefore we have to read books, then we can understand about the sun. So direct experience is not perfect. There is anumāna, inductive knowledge: ―It may be like this‖ – hypothesis. For instance, Darwin‘s theory says it may be like this, it may be like that. But that is not science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect. But if you receive the knowledge from the authoritative sources, that is perfect. If you receive a program guide from the radio station authorities, you accept it. You don‘t deny it; you don‘t have to make an experiment, because it is received from the authoritative sources.

Vedic knowledge is called śabda-pramana. Another name is śruti. Śruti means that this knowledge has to be received simply by aural reception. The Vedas instruct that in order to understand transcendental knowledge, we have to hear from the authority.

Q.13. Who are the two classes of transcendentalists?

Ans. There are two classes of transcendentalists (i) impersonalists (Māyāvādīs) They are generally known as Vedantists, led by Śaṇkarācārya and (ii) Vaishnavas, like Rāmānujācārya, Mādhvācārya, Viṣṇusvami, Nimbakaracarya.

Both the Śaṅkara-sampradaya and the Vaisnava-Sampradaya have accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Q.14. Why it is difficult to acquire full knowledge?

Ans. In the material universe there is material knowledge and beyond this universe is the transcendental knowledge. We cannot even go to the end of this material universe, so how can we go to the spiritual world? Thus to acquire full knowledge is impossible.

Q.15. What are the two systems of knowledge in the material world?

Ans. There are two systems of knowledge in the material world called inductive and deductive. From deductive, you accept that man is mortal. Your father says man is mortal, your sister says man is mortal, everyone says man is mortal – but you do not experiment. You accept it as a fact that man is mortal. If you want to research to find out whether man is mortal, you have to study each and every man, and you may come to think that there may be some man who is not dying but you have not seen him yet. So in this way your research will never be finished. In Sanskrit this process is called aroha, the ascending process. If you want to attain knowledge by any personal endeavor, by exercising your imperfect senses, you will never come to the right conclusions.

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Q.16. What is the necessity of accepting a bona fide spiritual master?

Ans. There is a statement in brahma Samhita that even if someone travels with the speed of mind for millions of years then also he can never come to know the limit of the spiritual sky, but if one accept a bona fide spiritual master than he can understand the spiritual reality. Therefore, it is necessary to accept a bona fide spiritual master.

Q.17. What are the two important qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master?

Ans. The two important qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master is that (i) He is one who has rightly heard the Vedic message from the right source and (ii) He must practically be firmly established in Brahman. Without these two aspects, the spiritual guide is not a bona fide guide.

Q.18. What is the difference between the form of Krishna and form of conditioned Jiva? Ans.

Form of Krishna Form of Conditioned Jiva

Innumerable, but one Only one

Infallible Fallible

Has no beginning Has beginning

All forms are eternal All forms are temporary

Has multi forms and has no ends Single forms – ends over a period Simultaneously can be every where Simultaneously cannot be at two place Never changing (Always young) Keeps changing (Not always young) Not subjected to birth, old age, disease and

death

Subjected to birth, old age, disease and death

Q.19. What is the potency of Krishna‘s devotees?

Ans. The potency of Krishna‘s devotees is that, that they can deliver Krishna to anyone. If one endeavor himself to know Krishna through research of Vedic literature, he would be baffled because it is very difficult (generally impossible).

Q.20. Why Śrīla Vyasadeva put the Vedas in to writing?

Ans. Originally there was only one Veda, and there was no necessity of reading it. People were so intelligent and had such sharp memories that by once hearing from the lips of the spiritual master they would understand. They would immediately grasp the whole purport. But five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga. He knew that eventually the people would be short-lived, their memories would be very poor, and their intelligence would not be very sharp. "Therefore, let me teach this Vedic knowledge in writing." He divided the Vedas into four: Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur. Then he gave the charge of these Vedas to his different disciples. He then thought of the less intelligent class of men--stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu. He considered the woman class and sudra class (worker class) and dvija-bandhu.

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Ans. Dvija-bandhu refers to those who are born in a high family but who are not properly qualified. A man who is born in the family of a brahmana but is not qualified as a brahmana is called dvija-bandhu.

Q.22. Mahābharata and other puranas are compiled for what type of peoples?

Ans. For less intelligent class of men--stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu Śrīla Vyasadeva compiled the Mahābharata, called the history of India, and the eighteen Puranas.

Q.23. What is the work of Śrīla Vyasadeva for scholars and philosophers?

Ans. Śrīla Vyasadeva summarized all Vedic knowledge for scholars and philosophers in what is called the Vedanta-sutra. He personally wrote the Vedanta-sutra under the instructions of Narada, his Guru Mahāraja. This is the last word of the Vedas.

Q.24. What is the compilation of Śrīla Vyasadeva as commentary on Vedanta-Sutra?

Ans. After compilation of all the Vedic literature, Śrīla Vyasadeva was not very satisfied, then his spiritual master, Śrīla Nārada instructed him to explain the Vedanta-Sutra. Then, Śrīla Vyasadeva wrote Śrīmad Bhāgavatam which is written as commentary on Vedanta-Sutra. It is written in full maturity and it describes only the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Śrī Krishna.

Q.25. What does Vedanta means? What is the ultimate knowledge?

Ans. Vedanta means ultimate knowledge and ultimate knowledge is Krishna. Krishna says that throughout the Vedas one has to understand Him. Vedanta-krid veda-vid eva caham, Krishna says, ―I am the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra, and I am the knower of the Vedas. Q.26. What is the Gaudiya vaishnava commentary on Vedanta philosophy? Who compiled it? Ans. Govinda bhasya is the Gaudiya Vaishnava commentary on Vedanta philosophy. Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhusana compiled this commentary.

Q.27. Other than Śaṇkarācārya, who else wrote commentary on Vedanta philosophy?

Ans. Other than Śaṅkarācārya, Śrīla Vyasadeva, the compiler of Vedanta himself compiled his Vedanta commentary which is Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Besides this, Śrīla Rāmānujācārya and Śrīla Madhavacarya, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyabhusana wrote commentary on Vedanta philosophy. Śaṇkarācārya is not the only person who wrote commentary on Vedanta philosophy.

Q.28. What is the complete summary of Vedas?

Ans. sutra is the whole summary of Vedas or Vedic knowledge and the Vedanta-sutra has been explained in detail by the author in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. For example, Vedanta-sutra begins with the aphorism ‗janmady asya yatah‘ stating that the Absolute Truth is one whom everything emanates. This is a summary statement, but it is explained in detail in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam - that if everything is emanating from the Absolute Truth, then what is the nature of the Absolute Truth.

Q.29. Why is Vedic knowledge a more authentic source of knowledge than that obtained through the mind and senses?

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Ans. The Vedic knowledge is the more authentic source of knowledge because it is coming from the source of all knowledge – the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Krishna (Vedanta krid). It is described as ‗apauruseya‘, meaning that they do not come from any materially conditioned person but from the Supreme Lord {a source transcendental to mundane duality}. Vedic knowledge descends the spiritual world. It was first of all spoken to Lord Brahmā – the secondary creator which was passed down by him to His son and disciple Śrīla Nārada who then passed to his disciple Śrīla Vyasadeva and thus it is coming down through a chain of disciplic succession. The knowledge acquired through hearing from higher authority is most perfect knowledge. Whereas, the knowledge acquired by direct perception and inference from the series of observation is not so perfect because it is acquired by the incomplete or imperfect material senses which has so many limitations. Therefore the knowledge received through the mind and senses are neither authentic nor perfect.

Q.30. Choose the correct alternative

1. A Vaishnava denotes _______________ a) follower of Vedas

b) atmarama c) varṇāśrama d) none of the above

2. Anyone accepting the body as the self is ___________________ a) A maha yogi

b) A fool c) A maharishi d) A jnani

3. The Vedic knowledge comes from ________________ a) India

b) Spiritual world c) Scientists

d) Sadhus of Himalayas

4. Difference between a conditioned soul and a liberated soul is that the conditioned soul has __ a) 10 defects b) No knowledge of anything c) 4 defects d) Many deficiencies 5. Māyā means __________________

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a) A defect of material condition b) That which is not

c) Accepting things as they are d) Thinking this is this, this is that

6. We cannot give perfect knowledge to anyone because _________________ a) We do not have perfect knowledge

b) Our senses are imperfect c) They cannot hold it

d) They will disregard the perfect knowledge

7. We are not Hindus, our real identification is _________________ a) Varṇāśrama that denotes followers of Vedas

b) Human being c) Spiritual being d) That we are all one

8. The Vedic principles are accepted as _________________ a) Ideology of certain class of people

b) Obscure thought

c) Axiomatic truth, for there cannot be any mistake d) Natural classifications of Vedas

9. ―What do you mean? _____________ that I have to follow you with any argument? a) Is it essential?

b) Is it a Vedic Injunction? c) Is it proper?

d) None of the above Q. 31 Fill In the blanks

To obtain perfect knowledge, one must take shelter of the ___________. The ___________ prevent any conditioned soul from perfect knowledge. Three types of Evidence:

________- sound - the descending process Pratyakṣa - direct evidence

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________- inductive – ascending process

Q.32 What does Prabhupāda declare is the topic of his lecture (Sanskrit-English)? Q.33 What does epistemology mean?

Q.34 Define and make a 2-dimensional diagram of the following epistemological terms. Some are on the same level, some are higher, more powerful, than others:

Shabda Pratyakṣa Veda Parampara Aroha pantha Guru Anumana Śrīmad Bhāgavatam

Invocation to Mantra 3: The Perfect

Relationship between the Lord, The Living

Entities and His Creation / Live in

Harmony With Īśvara

BP: Invocation to Mantra 2 introduces the whole book. Invocation is broad. How are we

going to look to it is Mantra 1. The result of following īśāvāsya principle is explained in rest of texts.

Overview: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and therefore His

creation is, too. He has perfectly made arrangements for all living beings, and if we learn to live according to His arrangements we can live happily, on the spiritual platform, even in this material world. Those who abuse the opportunity of the human form of life have a very dim future.

The Invocation – Foundation of Knowledge of Supreme Person oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.

One word summary: ―completeness‖.

Key Phrase: Of the Lord‘s Features There are Three, But as a Person He is Most Complete. Connection: The Invocation describes the objective of the book: the Absolute Truth, the

Personality of Godhead. By repeated recognition of His various types of completeness, the Īśopaniṣad establishes the supreme position of the Personality of Godhead. The Absolute Truth is the source of everything, yet He retains His own personality.

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CCP: Technically speaking, invocation is not a part of the Īśopaniṣad. Invocation is standard

Vedic saying, which is uttered at various times.

CCP: Typical style of Upaniṣads, it doesn‘t mentions what so many purnas refer to.

Upaniṣads are enigmatic (puzzling). Intellectuals don‘t like easy things. The concept of infinity from mathematics. There are levels within infinity: The set of all natural numbers is infinite, smaller set of all even numbers is infinite.

CCP: Śrīla Prabhupāda follows standard of Upaniṣads and not use the word Kṛṣṇa in

purports. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses Upaniṣads terminology to take people from Impersonalism to personalism.

HPS: The Upaniṣads are for people who are just coming out of the intoxication of material

existence. They aren't ready to understand that there is a God, that the Absolute Truth is a naughty child and there is a spiritual world. Its sounds too much like the material world. They want to leave that.

HPS: So, we find that Śrīla Prabhupāda translates the first word, "OM", as, 'the personality of

Godhead'. Ooo! The Māyāvādīs and Sanskrit technicians would cough and choke in their graves to hear this, no? Yet, we would all agree that if someone heard that the President was coming to New York today it would be an accurate translation to say that Barack Obama is coming to New York today. We will find the evidence that OM is an impersonal form of address for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Summary of Purport: Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the completeness of the Lord and His

arrangement in three ways. Firstly, He is the complete Absolute Truth, consisting of the Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan features; secondly, the material world, by His arrangement, is complete in itself; and thirdly, He has given complete facility for the fallen conditioned souls to return to their proper position in relation to Him. Unfortunately, if one is not able to realize these completenesses, one is forces to continue one‘s incomplete existence in material life. No independent position, no matter how nice, will do.

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It is very remarkable that the vision of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad reveals the complete understanding of the individual soul and the Supreme Lord as being simultaneously one and different. The philosophical debate of monism versus dualism has continued for thousands of years. The highest revelation of inconceivable and simultaneous oneness and difference was not fully explained until the teachings of Lord Caitanya only five hundred years ago. Yet we find this knowledge contained within the ancient Śrī Īśopaniṣad. This concept will become clearer as we progress through the vision of the Śrī Īśopaniṣad.

We begin with the Invocation, which provides a foundation of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The most important point to be understood here is that the Absolute Truth is, ultimately, a person. ―Even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.‖ It is not that since everything has come from Him that He is just spread out everywhere in some impersonal way, as our mundane logic would conclude. He maintains His own personality.

The all-pervading, impersonal feature does exist and is known as Brahman. This Brahman is present as the Lord‘s own effulgence, and encompasses His aspect of eternity. He is also present in a more personal way locally in the heart of every living creature and within every atom. This feature is known as Paramatma, and encompasses His aspect of knowledge. But the highest realization of Him is as the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, Who encompasses His aspect of bliss, through His own pastimes of enjoyment.

The individual living entities are also complete in themselves, but remain as parts of the Complete Whole. Prabhupāda gives the example of the hand, which is also complete in itself, as still being part of the whole body. In order for the living entities to feel a sense of

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completeness, or full satisfaction, they must dovetail their enjoyment with the enjoyment of the Complete Whole as the Supreme Person. Thus, this foundational verse of knowledge gives us a hint of our relationship with Him.

This knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will be further explained in mantras 4-5. Yet, because this invocation gives us a definitive and foundational understanding of Him it stands alone as an introductory mantra, and in this way can be understood to be the focus dial on your telescope.

Main Points Discussed

1. The invocation mantra describes the objective of the book – the Absolute Truth – the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

2. By repeatedly recognition of His various types of completeness, this mantra establishes the supreme position of the Personality of Godhead

3. Brahman and Supersoul realization is partial realization of the Supreme Absolute Truth (para 1)

4. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. This is the complete realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead – Śrī Krishna. (para 1)

5. All emanation from the Complete Whole is also perfect and complete in their purpose. (para 2)

 This phenomenal world is also complete in itself. The twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation are arranged to produce everything necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. No other unit in the universe need make an extraneous effort to try to maintain the universe. The universe functions on its own time scale, which is fixed by the energy of the Complete Whole, and when that schedule is completed, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the Complete Whole.

7. Purpose of human form of life. The purpose of higher consciousness – to realize the complete whole. (para 3)

 CCP: If we see evaluate a design in relation to its purpose, then we will correct conclusion. E.g. we cannot evaluate a mobile phone its capacity to write a book. So if we evaluate this world for sense gratification, we‘ll find it is imperfect. But, if we evaluate the world as for self-realization, we‘ll find it is perfect.

 CCP: Suffering doesn‘t mean there is no design. E.g. jail and hospital. This world is jail for rebellious souls who want to enjoy and it is hospital for those who want to reform themselves.

8. The completeness of the human life can be realized when one engages in the service of the complete whole – the Supreme Absolute Truth – Śrī Krishna. (Para 4)

 Analogy: The hand of a body is a complete unit only as long as it is attached to the complete body. When the hand is severed from the body, it may appear like a hand, but it actually has none of the potencies of a hand. Similarly,

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living beings are part and parcel of the Complete Whole, and if they are severed from the Complete Whole, the illusory representation of completeness cannot fully satisfy them.

 BP: Another Prabhupāda analogy: a small screw and a big machine. Screw has value when in machine.

 CCP: People talk about human rights – people are not getting food, shelter, etc. This is not human right, this is animal right because even an animal needs it. Human right means something which we can get only in human form – self -realization.

 CCP: Ours is dependant completeness, but Kṛṣṇa‘s completeness is independent. E.g. hand‘s completeness is dependent on connection with body. 9. All other services will remain incomplete until they are dovetailed with the complete whole. (Para 5)

Exercise

Read: Read the Invocation mantra and purport, along with its study guide summary.

Focus: We need to focus on the Absolute Truth as a person. As a person, He has His own personality, including likes, dislikes, feelings, thoughts, desires, and, most importantly, personal relationships. Prayer automatically places us in a relationship with Him. We can pray to learn what it means to be personal, and to come to see Him as the Supreme Person. Consider: Pay attention to how you and the people around you interact with each other as persons, and how you are more personal or impersonal towards each other. God is the Supreme Person. But unlike us, He is full in all good qualities, without any tinge of bad qualities. Understanding how we ourselves feel as persons, with our own thoughts and desires, seeking to be engaged in loving relationships with other persons, we can begin to understand what it means for God to be the Supreme Person.

Describe: Describe what it means to be a person, to have a unique personality. Describe what it means to be more personal or impersonal with others. What then can we understand of God, who is the Supreme Person, full in all good qualities?

Question and Answers Lesson 2

Q.1. Who is the Supreme Absolute Truth? What is its complete realization?

Ans. The complete Personality of Godhead (Śrī Krishna) is the Supreme Absolute Truth. Realization of the aspect of the sat, cit and ānanda (eternity, knowledge and bliss) is the realization of the Absolute Truth in His completeness.

Q.2. What is the Brahman and Supersoul realization of the Absolute Truth? Why these features are understood to be incomplete realization of the Absolute Truth?

Ans. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sac-cid-ananda vigraha i.e. a complete for of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Realization of all these transcendental aspects of the Personality of Godhead is the complete realization. Realization of impersonal Brahman (effulgence of the Lord) is realization of His sat feature or the aspect of His eternity only. The

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Supersoul (Parmatma) realization is the realization of His sat and cit features – the aspect of eternity and knowledge only. Therefore the Brahman and Supersoul realization of the Absolute Truth is the incomplete or partial realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Q.3. What is the complete realization of the Complete Whole?

Ans. The complete realization of the Complete Whole is that it must contain everything both within and beyond our experience; otherwise He cannot be complete.

Q.4. How can we say that this phenomenal world is also complete in itself?

Ans. Based on the following facts we can say that this phenomenal world is also complete in itself.

1. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Supremely Complete and anything that emanates from Him is also perfectly complete. Therefore all His energies are also complete as He is. This phenomenal world is creation of His external energy; therefore it is complete in itself. 2. We observe that the 24 elements of which this material world is a temporary manifestation are arranged to produce everything necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe; therefore it is complete in itself.

3. The phenomenal world being complete in to its purpose of creation, no other unit in this universe need make any extraneous (irrelevant) effort to try to maintain the universe.

4. The universe functions on its own time scale, which is fixed by the energy of the Complete Whole and when that schedule is completed, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the Complete Whole, this proves that this phenomenal world is complete in itself.

Q.5. When this phenomenal world is perfect in the purpose of its creation, then why the living experience incompleteness in its approach to become happy in this world?

Ans. This phenomenal material world is perfectly designed to completely entangle and perplex those living entities who are engaged in pursuing happiness in this world which is a place of miseries. It is compared to a prison cell which is created to reform the miscreants and not provide them the comfort of happiness otherwise how they will be reformed. This is the reason that those living entities who are engaged in pursuing happiness in the place of misery, experience only frustration and incompleteness.

Q.6. How is Bhagavan realization the most complete understanding of the transcendence? Ans. Bhagavan realization is the most complete understanding of the transcendence because in included realization of all the transcendental aspects of the Supreme Personality of Godhead which is sat-cid-ananda vigraha. It is realization of the aspects of the eternity, knowledge and form of bliss of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Realization of only sat aspect is the Brahman realization and sat and cid aspects are the Supersoul realization of the Supreme Lord. It does not include the complete understanding.