ksaras caksara eva ca/ ksarah sarvani bhutani/ kuta-

BHAGAVAD-GITA IN stho 'ksara ucyate. The Lord says that in the Vedas it
ESSENCE is mentioned that there are two kinds of living beings,
called the fallible and the infallible. Those living
beings who are materially encaged are all fallible,
(notes from a seminar given by H.H. Suhotra Swami in whereas those who are not conditioned and who are
June'92 in Radha-desh, Belgium) eternally situated in the spiritual realm are called
aksara, or infallible.
Part 1 - THE TRI-SLOKI GITA - The essence of The Lord then says, uttamah purusas tv anyah/
Vedanta in three verses paramatmety udahrtah/ yo loka-trayam avisya/
bibharty avyaya isvarah // yasmat ksaram atito
The Tri-sloki gita are three verses from the Bhagavad- 'ham/ aksarad api cottamah/ ato 'smi loke vede
gita, Chapter 15, Verses 16, 17 and 18 which, our ca/ prathitah purusottamah. "Besides these
acaryas say, present the essence of Vedan-ta. innumerable fallible and infallible living beings there
The all Bhagavad-gita is actually the essence of the is another, superior personality, known as the
Vedanta philosophy. In the introduction of the Paramatma. He pervades all the three worlds and
Bhagavad-gita Srila Prabhupada quotes Sankaracarya exists as the supreme controller. "And because I [Lord
who said that in His presentation of the Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna] am transcendental to all of them, even
Lord Krsna has milked the herd of the cows of the those who are infallible, I am known in all the Vedas
Upanisads. That milk or "essence" is the Bhagavad- and histories [the Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana,
gita, and out of its 700 verses, these three verses from etc.] as the Absolute Supreme Personality of
the 15th Chapter are considered to contain the essence Godhead."
of the Vedanta philosophy.
From “Teachings of Lord Caitanya” and “Sri
TEXT 16 Caitanya-caritamrta” we learn that Vedanta means
sambandha, abidheya and prayojana. Sambandha
dvav imau purusau loke / ksaras caksara eva ca means 'connection', 'relationship'; abidheya means the
ksarah sarvani bhutani / kuta-stho 'ksara ucyate 'functional relationship'; and then prayojana means
'the necessity' (of all living entities), 'the goal of
dvau--two; imau--these; purusau--living entities; loke-- Vedanta'.
in the world; ksarah--fallible; ca--and; aksarah-- From TLC Chapter 19: "Vedanta-sutra teaches
infallible; eva--certainly; ca--and; ksarah--fallible; sambandha (the relationship of the living entities and
sarvani--all; bhutani--living entities; kuta-sthah--in the Supreme Lord) in the first two chapters, abhidheya
oneness; aksarah--infallible; ucyate--is said. (service to the Lord) in the third chapter, and
prayojana (the relationship that develops out of
TRANSLATION service) in the fourth chapter. The living entities are
There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the eternally separated parts and parcels of the Supreme
infallible. In the material world every living entity is Personality of Godhead. When they are in contact
fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is with the material world they are called jiva-bhuta,
called infallible. and the Sanskrit words given here, ksarah sarvani
bhutani, mean that they are fallible."
Srila Prabhupada in this Purport has combined the
points made by the great Vaisnavas commentators of What is been presented in this verse 16 of the 15th
the Bhagavad-gita, Srila Viswanath C. Thakura and Chapter? Each one of the three verses deals with one
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Srila Prabhupada has aspect of Purusa-tattva. In this verse, according to
also presented his own transcendental insights. the acaryas, is the Brahman aspect of the Purusa, the
emanation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
The previous verse (15.15) has a particular the form of the living entity who appears as an
significance in terms of Vedanta. There Krsna says effulgent spiritual spark.
that the Vedas emanate from Him, and He (in His
incarnation as Vyasadeva) has compiled the Vedanta-- According to the Bhagavad-gita, Brahman is perceived
the conclusion, the essence of the Vedas. in two features. (this gives a further elucidation of the
terms ksara and aksara).
In this Tri-sloki, the entire message of the Vedanta or Bg 8.3: sri-bhagavan uvaca/aksaram brahma
the conclusion, the purpose of the Vedas, is been given. paramam/ svabhavo 'dhyatmam ucyate/ bhuta-
Srila Prabhupada defines Vedanta as "any book that bhavodbhava-karo/ visargah karma-samjnitah,
deals with conclusive Vedic knowledge." (from "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chap. 19). indestructible, transcendental living entity is called
In the Light of Bhagavata, Srila Prabhupada also Brahman, and his eternal nature is called adhyatma,
presents the tri-sloki with the following introduction: " the self. Action pertaining to the development of the
The supreme spiritual master, Lord Sri Krsna, teaches material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or
us the import of the Vedas in the following verse of fruitive activities."
Bhagavad-gita (15.16): dvav imau purusau loke/

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This term aksara is actually refering to the essence of the essence of the all Vedanta. The proof they have
all living entities. The nature of the self is given is the verse of Bg 4.10 which says: vita-raga-
transcendental. bhaya-krodha/ man-maya mam upasritah/
But in our first verse of the Tri-sloki we are bahavo jnana-tapasa/puta mad-bhavam agatah,
confronted with Brahman in two features. One is the "Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being
aksara infallible. And Krsna mentions that some of fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many,
those aksara living entities have become ksara, many persons (Krsna is not saying one) in the past
fallible. How did that happen? became purified by knowledge of Me--and thus they
In the Bg 15.7 it is said: mamaivamso jiva-loke/ jiva- all attained transcendental love for Me." They have
bhutah sanatanah/ manah-sasthanindriyani/ moved from the conditioned state to the transcendental
prakrti sthani karsati. "The living entities in this stage.
conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.
Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard Srila Prabhupada says in the Purport to the first verse of
with the six senses, which include the mind." the Tri-sloki gita (Bg 15.16): "The living entities are
Here Krsna very succinctly explains what it is the eternally separated parts and parcels of the Supreme
fallen condition, what is this conditioned life. It is the Personality of Godhead. When they are in contact with
condition of the living entity struggling with the the material world they are called jiva-bhuta, and the
material senses. In this way, prakrti sthani, he Sanskrit words given here, ksarah sarvani bhutani,
becomes situated in the material nature. mean that they are fallible."
One meaning of the word fallible is defective. Krsna
There is another reference in Bg 14.3: mama yonir says that the fallen souls are His parts and parcels but
mahad brahma/ tasmin garbham dadhamy aham/ in this material world they are struggling with the
sambhavah sarva-bhutanam/tato bhavati bharata, mind and the senses. By that struggle they become
"The total material substance, called Brahman, is the defective, fallible. Vedanta, or Vedic knowledge, is
source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I not defective because it does not originate from
impregnate, making possible the births of all living conditioned souls who are subject to four defects. Its
beings, O son of Bharata." origin is the infallible Lord and His infallible
Here the word brahman is used in a complete other servants in the disciplic succession.
sense then the spiritual world of liberated souls.
It is interesting to note that this cosmos, this material There are four defects: imperfect senses. Because they
existence may also be called brahman. The word have accepted these material senses, which are
cosmos is used here deliberately. imperfect, the living entities become fallible. Then, a
Nowadays we tend to associate this name as the person who has imperfect senses naturally makes
universe, but cosmos in its original greek sense means mistakes. This is another meaning of fallibility.
the "imposition of order on caos". Then, by making mistakes that leads into illusion.
Material existence is Krsna's imposition of order And then, if nonetheless, being puffed-up by his
upon the living entities who do not make the 'grade'. material mind and senses, he wants to present himself
What is that grade? This is explained in the next as being perfect (as they do all the conditioned souls in
quote. this material world), this is cheating.

Bg 14.26: mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena/ bhakti-yogena How does one get out of such a defective state?
sevate/sa gunan samatityaitan/ brahma-bhuyaya One can rectify one's defects through inquiry from
kalpate, "One who engages in full devotional service, the "infallible". In the Srimad Bhagavatam 4.26.7
unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the Purport it says: "The Vedic instructions are different
modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of ( from whatever one may hear from an ordinary
Brahman." conditioned soul) because they do not have these four
defects. Vedic instructions are not subject to mistakes.
The transcendentaly situated living entities are those The knowledge of the Vedas is knowledge received
who are engaged in full, unfailling, devotional service. directly from God, and there is consequently no
This cosmos, or this imposition of order by the Lord question of illusion, cheating, mistakes or imperfect
upon the living entities in this material universe is senses. All Vedic knowledge is perfect because it is
done because those living entities refuse to serve Him. received directly from God by the parampara, disciplic
Only by the process of devotional service can the succession."
living entity attain again the platform of brahma- The living entities who were rebelious against Krsna
bhuta. This has been explained just to show the deep have been placed in this fallible condition in which
import of the words ksara and aksara in the context of they are struggling with their mind and senses and
the Bhagavad-gita. they have to undergo birth, death, old age and disease.
Viswanatha C. Thakura and Baladeva Vidyabhusana That is the meaning of ksara. Their bodies are
have explained that the Mayavadis interpret these subjected to change.
words. They take the words ksara and aksara to be Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana says that the word
one being (which is all of us) who is simultaneously fallible also has the sense that their bodies fall down
liberated and conditioned at the same time. But this is at the time of death. Their bodies drop.
not true in the context of the Bhagavad-gita, which is

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One in this fallible condition is suffering. And when being bewildered by the modes. The example often
one is suffering, if he has some intelligence he will be given is of the person who goes to see a movie. He is
inquisitive at why he is suffering and what is the just sitting there and watches a inter-play of colors.
cause. When Sanatana Goswami took shelter of the There are in fact three primary colors: red, yellow and
lotus feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he asked blue which actually symbolize the three modes of
some questions. The first one was 'key material nature. The person becomes absorbed in the
ami', who am I? Am I this fallible self, this body, of am inter-play of colors just as the living entity becomes
I something else? Then he wanted to know "why do I absorbed in the inter-play of the three modes of na-
suffer?'; and he also wanted to know "how can I end ture. Then the person starts to identify with what he
this suffering?'; and then finally he asked 'what is my sees on the screen and he even forgets his own
real duty?'. These four questions are also the subject identity. Why he identifies with those images
matter of Vedanta. projected on the screen? Because he is in illusion, in
ignorance, symbolized by the darkness of the cinema
Sri Krsna is presenting Vedanta to the ksara-purusa, room. The lights are turned down. In the same way
those who are suffering. This process of inquiry unto the living entity under ignorance becomes bewildered
the infallible is called brahma-mimamsa. In Vedic by the inter-play of the three modes and he then
knowledge there are two levels of mimamsa (inquiry): identifies with his own body.
one is called purva-mimamsa, the lower inquiry;
inquiry about the maintenance of this material body Then there is fallible jnana. Bg 7.24: "Unintelligent
according to directions given in the Vedas; also it can me, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the
refer to the promotion of the soul to somewhere Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, was
within this material world by following Vedic impersonal before and have now assumed this
injunctions (like going to heaven); good birth, power, personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not
etc. Those who follow this purva, this earlier or know My higher nature, which is imperishable and
elementary study of the Vedas, Krsna calls them supreme."
veda-vata-rata, blind followers of the Vedas, they Krsna is describing here Mayavadi philosophy. Any
don't inquire deeply. These persons are certainly person in this fallible world who speaks this fallible
categorized as ksara or fallible. They remain within the philosophy is considered very wise. This is as far as
cycle of birth and death. the living entity can go in his pursuit of knowledge
But those who are actually perceiving "I am suffering", when he is conditioned by his mind and senses.
may inquire deeper into the transcendental purports
behind the Vedic mantras. This type of inquiry is Then there is fallible bhakti. Bg 7.20 : kamais tais
called brahma-mimamsa. This starts in the Upanisads. tair hrta-jnanah/ prapadyante 'nya-devatah/
tam tam niyamam asthaya/ akrtya niyatah
There are lots of information given by Lord Krsna on svaya, "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by
the condition of the living entities within the material material desires surrender until demigods and follow
nature. the particular rules and regulations of worship
The fallible living entity is ignorant of Krsna due to his according to their own natures."
bewilderment by the three modes of material nature. These people are worshiping. It looks like religion. In
Bg 7.13: "Deluded by the three modes [goodness, our conditioned stage we may think that they are very
passion and ignorance], the whole world does not pious, going to church every Sunday to offer their
know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible." prayers... But if the object of their prayers is material
Krsna is declaring His supreme position, the position sense gratification or even salvation. Elevationism or
of the supreme aksara. salvationism these are just two forms of materialism.
Whatever the living entities do, under the influence of Krsna says 'prakrtya niyatah svaya' they are following
the three modes, is fallible. So there are fallible their own conditioned natures.
varieties of karma, jnana and bhakti which constitute
the activities of the living entities in this world. In the following verse (Bg 7.21) Krsna says: yo yo
yam yam tanum bhaktah/ sraddhayarcitum
Example of fallible karma: Bg 3.27 :"The spirit soul icchati/ tasya tasyacalam sraddham/ tam eva
bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself vidadhamy aham, "I am in everyone's heart as the
the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some
by the three modes of material nature." demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote
Actually are the modes of nature which are acting but himself to that particular deity”.
due to his bewilderement, under the modes, the living Krsna uses the term 'bhakti' here, because that
being is identifying with those activities. "I am the tendency to worship originates from that eternal
doer!". This is what we call a karmi. This is fallible relationship in the heart between soul and Supersoul.
karma. Karma which leads to further entanglement of Srila Prabhupada once explained that the desire of the
the living entity, because he is identifying with the soul is to worship the Supreme Lord who is there with
actions of the material modes. This material body is him in the heart. Krsna as Paramatma is inviting us to
simply a puppet under the control of the material do that. He is there with us in the heart and His
modes. The spiritual soul has nothing to do with the message is "Love Me!". But just like in television or
activities of the body, he is just identifying due to radio transmission, sometimes there is interference,

3
some disturbance comes in between, then the message he must be within this list: duskrtina, mudha,
becomes garbled. In the same way within the heart, naradhama, mayayapahrta-jnana, asura bhavam asritah.
because of our material desires, the message becomes That's all."
garbled. Instead of love God becomes love dog. We see In Bg 7.14 Krsna says that the pious can become
how materialistic householder perform the 64 items of infallible: "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of
deity worship to their dogs. Feed him, bathe him, the three modes of material nature, is difficult to
dress him, put him to rest, wake him, etc... The overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me
present civilization is fallen so far because Krsna has can easily cross beyond it." Those who are pious have
spoken here about demigod worship. this tendency to approach Krsna even if it is with
material desires. If they begin to render service they
This is what we mean by conditioning of the living advance and finally come to the point of surrendering
entity. He is acting, he is trying to develop to Krsna. Then by surrendering to Krsna they cross
knowledge and he is even trying to worship..., but it is over the hurdle of the material world, they cross over
all fallible. It is all condemned, all useless. the three modes of material nature and they attain the
state of aksara or infallible.
But Krsna have done something to help the conditioned This is accomplish in terms of varnasrama-dharma.
soul. This is one of major messages of the Bhagavad-gita --
Bg 4.13: "According to the three modes of material selfless service. This is what Krsna is telling Arjuna:
nature and the work associated with them, the four "You act as a ksatriya but not for yourself". Why
divisions of human society are created by Me." Arjuna did want to stop the war? Krsna told him :
The three modes are not only meant to keep the living "Because of selfishness. You are a ksatriya O Arjuna,
entity in illusion. Maya has a two-fold meaning: but because you are making plans to enjoy the fruits
illusion and mercy. of your activities and you see that in this fight there
is nothing for you to enjoy, therefore you want to quit.
Why does Krsna manifest the varnasrama system You have fall down from you duty!" "How have these
within this world? impurities come upon you?" Krsna asked.
It is meant to show which living entities are pious and These are the major messages of the Bhagavad-gita that
which are impious. It is a means to give a chance to in terms of varnasrama-dharma, one should do one's
all living entities to become pious or to become duty without any personal motivation. What does
impious according to how they operate within the this mean? It means that one have to do one's duty
varnasrama system. solely for Krsna. (the story of Krsna, the gopis and
The four divisions are present even in yavana or Durvasa Muni illustrates this)
mleccha society but in such societies the four Within the varnasrama system there are those who have
divisions have completely different purposes then the tendency to be pious. Those approach Krsna and if
they do in a cultural, pious, society. they surrender to Him then they cross over the three
Pious and impious, both are fallible. But what is their modes of material nature. The all point is just to
differences? surrender to Krsna otherwise there is no other
The impious: Bg 7.15: "Those miscreants who are meaning to piety.
grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind,
whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who On the other side, of those who are impious, who never
partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender to Krsna, Krsna says: Bg 16.19-20: "Those
surrender unto Me." who are envious and mischievious, who are the lowest
among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of
There are four classes of human beings in the material existence, into various demoniac species of
varnasrama: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. life. Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of
And here is mentioned four classes of impious living demoniac life, O son of Kunti, such persons can
entities. These generally (not fast rules) correspond never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the
with the four divisions of the varnasrama. Those who most abominable type of existence."
have a brahminical, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra natures They are fallen already but they will fall more and
but do not surrender to Krsna, then they will become more until they come to the point where they cannot
known as mudha, naradhama, mayaparhita-jnana or even rise again.
asura. They can be called by these terms.
Whereas on the other side, Bg 7.16: "O best among How to become pious? In the Purport to the previous
the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to verse Srila Prabhupada says: "Oneness does not mean
render devotional service unto Me--the distressed, that they have no individuality, but that there is no
the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is disunity. They are all agreeable to the purpose of the
searching for knowledge of the Absolute." This is the creation." This is the secret for becoming pious: one
difference, one class has the tendency to surrender and agrees to the purpose of creation.
the other class doesn't.
Srila Prabhupada says: "I believe on that formula, na The purpose of creation is yajna. Bg 3.10: "In the
mam duskrtino mudhah/ prapadyante naradhamah. I beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent
believe that verse very strongly; that anyone who has forth generations of men and demigods, along with
not surrendered to Krsna or is not Krsna conscious, sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, 'Be

4
thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its What Srila Prabhupada is pointing out here is the
performance will bestow upon you everything process of transformation. Everything we experience
desirable for living happily and achieving liberation." in this material world arises from the combination of
these three modes. But if we aim our activities, under
A simple way to understand the difference between these modes, at the Supreme, then the same activities
the pious and impious is: those who are pious become means for spiritual elevation.
perform yajna and those who do not perform yajnas
they are impious. Srila Prabhupada continues "...These three words are
taken from Vedic hymns. Om ity etad brahmano
There is also a question of fallible and infallible yajna. nedistham nama (Rg-Veda) indicates the first goal.
Bg 2.45: "The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of Then tat tvam asi (Chandogya Upanisad 6.8.7)
the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become indicates the second goal. And sad eva saumya
transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all (Chandogya Upaniad 6.2.1.) indicates the third goal.
dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, Combined they become om tat sat. Formerly when
and be established in the self." Brahma, the first created living entity, performed
It is the three modes of material nature who keep the sacrifices, he indicated by these three words the
living entity trapped within this material world. Even if Supreme Personality of Godhead."
he tries to perform religious activities, karma, jnana "In all such activities it is recommended that one
and even bhakti, he remains conditioned, he remains vibrate om tat sat. The words sad-bhave and sadhu-
bound. But at the same time Lord Krsna has produced bhave indicate the transcendental situation
within this world, using these modes of nature, a social (sambandha). Acting in Krsna consciousness is called
system - the varnasrama-dharma. This social system is sattva (abidheya), and one who is fully conscious of
meant to help the fallible living entity, the ksara- the activities of Krsna consciousness is called a sadhu
purusa, to become pious. (prayojana)."
The symptom of conditioning by the three modes of
material nature is duality. This is a very prominent The conclusion is that a pious person should perform
subject matter discussed in the Bhagavad-gita. How sacrifice and thus he transcends the modes of
duality affects our consciousness. There are many material nature and comes to the Brahman platform. If
verses about this. Heat and cold, happiness and he performs his sacrifices solely and wholly for the
distress, honour and Supreme Personality of Godhead, these three goals
dishonour, attraction and hatred..., Krsna sums it up indicate that his sacrifices are meant only for
in Bg 7.27: connecting himself to the Supreme Lord, serving Him
iccha-dvesa-samutthena/ dvandva-mohena bharata/ and finally develloping love for Him.
sarva-bhutani sammo ham/ sarge yanti parantapa,
"O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living Srila Prabhupada continues (in the Purport to 15.16):
entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities "Of course, in the spiritual world there is no such
arisen from desire and hate." If someone engages in thing as creation, but since the Supreme Personality of
the process of Vedic yajna but his mind is still under Godhead, as stated in the Vedanta-sutra, is the source
the control of duality then his efforts remain fallible. of all emanations, that conception is explained."
One has to be freed from this duality.
To elaborate on this there are some other quotes from
This duality is refering also to the process of repeated Srila Prabhupada where he compresses all the difficult
birth and death. philosophy of Vedanta into something
Bg 13.22: "The living entity in material nature thus very easily understandable.
follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of "So on account of Krsna's bodily rays, the whole
nature. This is due to his association with that creation is coming out. That is Krsna's inconceivable
material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil power, brahmajyoti. Janmadyasya yatah atatho
among various species." Sat, good and asat, evil. brahma-jijnasa. In the Vedanta-sutra, you have to
inquire about that param jyoti, brahmajyoti. And from
How to rise above these dualities? First one has to that param jyoti, everything is coming out."
become pious by engaging in the process of Vedic It means that the three modes of material nature are
sacrifice and thus be agreable with the purpose of also coming out. The first Vedanta inquiry is into this
creation. param jyoti, brahmajyoti or the impersonal brahman,
Quotes from Bg 17.23, 26-27 Purports: out of which the three modes of material nature are
"It has been explained that penance, sacrifice, charity coming. Many Vedantists don't go further then this.
and foods are divided into three categories: the modes The Brahamavadis they just recognize the
of goodness, passion and ignorance. But whether first brahamajyoti as the source of everything. But it doen't
class, second class or third class, they are all stop there, that is not the end.
conditioned, contaminated by the material modes of
nature. When they are aimed at the Supreme--om tat "Every planetary system there are many millions and
sat, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trillions of living entities. They can see only when there
eternal--they become means for spiritual elevation." is sunrise. This gayatri mantra is, therefore, offering
prayer to the savita. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat

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savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. material world is actually the nirvisesa, therefore we
Sunshine. So sunshine is.. But there are many suns, call those person who only interested in this,
not only one sun. As there are many universes, yasya Mayavadis. They are only interested in the illusory
prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. Koti means features of material existence which actually have no
innumerable. Number-less universes. And in each reality.
and every universe there is sunshine. So this sunshine
is reflection of the brahmajyoti. Yasya prabha But this reflexion has its origin in perfection which is
prabhavato. When the bodily rays, shining rays, of savisesa, full of all transcendental qualities.
Krsna is there, then all these universes are generated. As in the material world there are the three modes, in
The universes are also generated." the spiritual world, as explained by Lord Caitanya,
there are also three features of the absolute existence:
Those who are second initiated chant the Gayatri sandini, lhadini and samvit. Sandini means the
mantra according to the fases of the sun in the sky, existence potency, samvit means the knowledge
sunrise, noon and sunset. When it is said savita, that potency and lhadini the pleasure potency. These are
one offer one's prayers to the effulgence of the sun, the three saktis of the Lord which comprises all the
this doesn't mean the material rays of the sun. The spiritual world. This is all indicated by the words OM
understanding is that the rays of the sunshine are the TAT SAT in the Bhagavad-gita.
reflexion of the rays of Krsna's transcendental body, Srila Prabhupada writes in the Purport to 15.16: "As
the brahmajyoti. This is an example showing how long as a living entity is conditioned, his body
everything produced by the three modes of material changes due to contact with matter; matter is
nature can, when they are aimed at sacrifice to the changing, so the living entity appears to be changing.
Supreme Lord, become means of elevation. But in the spiritual world the body is not made of
matter; therefore there is no change. In the material
Srila Prabhupada continues, "Vedanta says also, world the living entity undergoes six changes--birth,
janmadyasya yatah. Brahman, Paramatma, they are growth, duration, reproduction, then dwindling and
expansion of Krsna. Krsna is the original. Mattah vanishing. These are the changes of the material body.
parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya. This is But in the spiritual world the body does not change;
the truth. Therefore Krsna says that either you follow there is no old age, there is no birth, there is no death.
the Brahman path or Paramatma path, either as a jnani There all exists in oneness."
or yogi or as a bhakta..., Krsna says, mama
vartmanuvartante manusyah partha..., anyone This "oneness" means that there is not the dualities as
actually, who is seeking after self-realization, there we experience within this material world due to the
are three divisions. Either you have to realize as perverted consciousness by the three modes of
impersonal Brahman or as localized Paramatma or as material nature.
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if you realize
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then Although we are all parts and parcels of Krsna as
automatically you realize impersonal Brahman and jivas, we all belong to the spiritual world. We have a
Paramtma also." big problem in understanding our own nature, in
"So Krsna is not nirvisesa; He is savisesa. But this understanding our eternal relationship with Krsna.
material world is actually nirvisesa, but it appears Because our senses are not controlled. The purpose of
something like varieties. The same thing, the sacrifice is to engage the senses in the service of the
example, I have already given: a lump of matter-- Lord and in this way bring them under control.
either you take earth or water or gold or silver--and you When the senses come under the control of the
can make varieties of things, cause and effect. But that Supreme Lord, through devotional service, then only
is nirvisesa. But the spiritual world, janmadyasya can the living entity understand the Lord because the
yatah, as it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, the origin of Lord reveals Himself through the process of sacrifice.
everything, the cause of all causes, that is full of Krsna says in Bg 15.7: "The living entities in this
spiritual varieties. That is not nirvisesa." conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.
Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard
This is a very nice point. It is this material world with the six senses, which include the mind."
which is devoid of real qualities because it is only a And in Bg 2.69 Krsna says: "What is night for all
reflexion. And Srila Prabhupada gives nice proofs, beings is the time of awakening for the self-
that in the material world one can trace back the controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings
causes and effects. The example given of the gold ring. is night for the introspective sage."
The gold ring looks like visesa, something with One who is self-controlled his senses are engaged in
qualities but it can be traced back to its source, the the service of the Lord only. He views this material
lamp of gold which comes from the mine which is in world completly different. It is like day and
the earth; and the earth comes from water; the water night as compared to those whose senses are not under
comes from fire; fire comes from air; air comes out of control.
ether; ether comes out of subtle sound vibration. But
the time one gets to subtle sound vibration there are no To become restored to our original transcendental
more material elements, it is nirvisesa, it is the sound nature it ultimately means that one have to realized
OM. One has come to the impersonal platform. This Krsna's transcendental form. In Bg 11.51 is said:

6
"When Arjuna thus saw Krsna in His original form, he of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the Supreme
said: O Janardana, seeing this humanlike form, so very Lord gives life to every living being and is situated
beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am within the heart along with the life air and primal
restored to my original nature." sound vibration. The Lord can be perceived in His
In this 11th of the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna reveals His subtle form within the heart by one's mind, since the
universal form, He reveals how He is the origin of this Lord controls the minds of everyone, even great
cosmos, He shows His intense rays of brahmajyoti, He demigods like Lord Siva. The Supreme Lord also
shows His four-armed feature. And finally Arjuna assumes a gross form as the various sounds of the
asked Krsna to show him His original form. Then Vedas, composed of short and long vowels and
Arjuna spoke the above mentioned verse. consonants of different intonations."
When Arjuna says "beautifull" it means that Krsna is
the origin of all good qualities, which emanate from What has been indicated here is that there are two
Him in absolute perfection. Later on these same ways to understand Paramatma: one is through
qualities become perverted in the material world. introspection (by jnana, by yoga, by purified
The infallible abode is Krsnaloka. Bg 8.21: "That consciousness through meditation) and the other way
which the Vedantists describe as unmanifest and is by submiting oneself to the Vedic directions even
infallible, that which is known as the supreme though one may have an interest in enjoying the
destination, that place from which, having attained it, material world (the Paramatma can be perceived by
one never returns--that is My supreme abode." through the Vedic sound vibrations). For example in
the Rg Veda there is the Purusa-sukta prayers - this is
(SECOND VERSE OF THE TRI-SLOKI GITA) an address to the Paramatma in His feature of the
universal form. In this way one can also become
TEXT 17 conscious of Paramatma.

uttamah purusas tv anyah/ paramatmety udahrtah In Bg 13.25-26 is said: "Some perceive the Supersoul
yo loka-trayam avisya/ bibharty avyaya isvarah within themselves through meditation, others through
the cultivation of knowledge, and still others through
uttamah--the best; purusah--personality; tu--but; working without fruitive desires. Again there are those
anyah--another; parama--the supreme; atma--self; who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge,
iti--thus; udahrtah--is said; yah--who; loka--of the begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing
universe; trayam--the three divisions; avisya-- about Him from others (srutvanyebha upasate).
entering; bibharti--is maintaining; avyayah-- Because of their tendency to hear from authorities,
inexhaustible; isvarah--the Lord. they also transcend the path of birth and death."

TRANSLATION These people may be ignorant, they may not be

transcendentalists, they may not be introspective
Besides these two (the ksara and aksara-purusas), Vedantists or yogis... but they do have this one
there is the greatest living personality, the Supreme tendency: to hear the Vedic sound vibration from
Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered authority. By this means they can also transcend the
the three worlds and is maintaining them. path of birth and death.

PURPORT The all-pervading Lord who is worshiped through the

(excerpts) sacrifice of two basic kinds, sacrifice of knowledge or
...The Upanisadic verse runs as follows: nityo the sacrifice of material things by hearing the Vedas, is
nityanam cetanas cetananam. The purport is that none other than Sri Krsna Himself.
amongst all the living entities, both conditioned and
liberated, there is one supreme living personality, the Krsna says in Bg 9.15-16 "Others (who are not Krsna
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who maintains them 's devotees), who engage in sacrifice by the
and gives them all the facility of enjoyment according cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord
to different work." as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and
in the universal form. But it is I who am the ritual, I
This is referring to the Paramatma, the all-pervading the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing
Lord. Paramatma is Krsna as the Lord of sacrifice. herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and
The conditioned souls depend upon the all-pervading the fire and the offering."
Lord for material necessities. They approach Him This is Krsna speaking frankly to Arjuna on the chariot.
through the Sruti (Vedic sacrificial mantras). The "They are looking for Me who is standing here with
liberated souls depend upon Him for transcendental you", Krsna says. The feature they can attain by this is
knowledge. They approach Him through purified the Paramatma feature as the Lord of sacrifice.
consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada continues in his Purport to Bg 15.17,
"That Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in
There is a nice from the Uddhava-gita in the 11th everyone's heart as Paramatma. A wise man who can
Canto of the SB 11.12.17 "The Supreme Personality understand Him is eligible to at in perfect peace, not

7
others." The Paramatma is the Lord of sacrifice, This team of individuality is very much stressed in the
Lord Yajna. He is the goal of Vedas. Both matter and Bhagavad-gita.
spirit are His energies. Those who know this can attain Bg 4.5: "The Personality of Godhead said: Many,
perfect peace. many births both you and I have passed. I can
remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of
Bg 5.29: “A person in full consciousness of Me, the enemy".
knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all
sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all Krsna is telling Arjuna "both you and I have appear in
planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well- this world many, many times. I am different from you
wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the because I can remember them and you cannot". This
pangs of material miseries.” is a clear indication of individuality.

In Bg 8.2-4 Arjuna asks about this Lord of sacrifice: Other quotes from Bg 13.23, 28: "Yet in this body there
"Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord,
the body, O Madhusudana?" "The Supreme the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and
Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible, tran- permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul." "One
scendental living entity is called Brahman (aksaram who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual
brahma paramam), and his eternal nature is called soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither
adhyatma, the self. Actions pertaining to the the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body
development of the material bodies of the living is ever destroyed, actually sees."
entities is called karma, or fruitive activities. O best of
the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is In his Purport to Bg 15.18 Srila Prabhupada continues:
constantly changing, is called adhibhuta [the "The difference is that the living entities, either in the
material manifestation]. The universal form of the conditioned state or in the liberated state, cannot
Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of surpass in quantity the inconceivable potencies of the
the sun and the moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the
heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna In Bg 10.12-15: "Arjuna said: You are the Supreme
[the Lord of sacrifice]." Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the
purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal,
These three verses are more or less summing up transcendental, original person, the unborn, the great-
everything explained until now up to the point of est. All the great sages (aksara-purusa) such as
Paramatma realization. Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth
about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to
me. O Krsna, I totally accept all that You have told
me. Neither the demigods (infallible) nor the demons
(fallible), O Lord, can understand Your personality.
Indeed, You alone know Yourself by your own
(THIRD VERSE OF THE TRI-SLOKI GITA) internal potency, O Supreme Person, origin of all,
Lord of all beings, God of gods, Lord of the universe".
TEXT 18
Bg 11.36: "Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the
yasmat ksaram atito 'ham/ aksarad api cottamah world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and
ato 'smi loke vede ca/ prathitah purusottamah thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the
perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the
yasmat--because; ksaram--to the fallible; atitah-- demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All
transcendental; aham--I am; aksarat--beyond the this is rightly done."
infallible; api--also; ca--and; uttamah--the best; atah--
therefore; asmi--I am; loke--in the world; vede--in Srila Prabhupada continues in his Purport to 15.18:
the Vedic literature; ca--and; prathitah--celebrated; "The word loke signifies ‘in the paurusa agama (the
purusa-uttamah--as the Supreme Personality. smrti scriptures)’. As confirmed in the Nirukti
dictionary, lokyate vedartho 'nena: ‘The purpose of the
TRANSLATION Vedas is explained by the smrti scriptures.’''

Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible The paurusa agama are scriptures such as the Vaisnava
and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am Puranas that directly describe the Purusa, the
celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person, as the Lord of Sacrifice. Srila
Supreme Person. Vyasadeva extracted the paurusa agama from the origi-
nal Yajur Veda so that these scriptures could be
Srila Prabhupada writes in his Purport "...Now it is specially chanted during sacrificial offerings. They are
clear here that the living entities and the Supreme known as smrti ("that which is to be remembered")
Personality of Godhead are individuals." because they help the priests engaged in sacrifice
remember the Lord to whom they make

8
the offerings. Therefore Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.11 states, "Learned
In a verse from the Vayu Purana it explains the origin transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call
of this paurusa agama. this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or
Vayu Purana 6.16-18 and 21-22: "Originally there Bhagavan."
was only one Veda: the Yajur Veda. Vyasa divided
that single Veda into four, and he also divided the Learned transcendentalists are those who are karma-
sacrificial duties, so the Vedic sacrifices were nistha, who have faith in the activites prescribed in the
conducted by not one, but four priests. Vyasa assigned three Vedas, they are worshipers of the Paramatma, the
the texts of the Yajur Veda to be recited by the priest Supersoul; the jnana-nistha who have faith in
known as adhvaryu. In the same way the hota priest speculation and want to attain the impersonal Brahman;
recited the Rg Veda, the udgata priest recited the and those transcendentalists who are devotees, bhakti-
Sama Veda, and the brahma priest recited the Atharva nistha, who relish to hear about Krsna - they know the
Veda. O best of the brahmanas, at that time Vyasadeva, Bhagavan feature of the Supreme Lord.
who perfectly understood the accounts of the Puranas,
took the stories, conversations, and poems of that Srila Prabhupada continues writing in his Purport to
original Yajur Veda and compiled the Puranas and 15.18: The Supreme Lord, in His localized aspect of
histories. Therefore the Puranas and histories are parts Paramatma, is also described in the Vedas
of the original Yajur Veda." themselves.
The following verse appears in the Vedas
Then in the Mahabharata there is this statement: (Adi (Chandogya Upanisad 8.1 2.3): tavad esa
Parva 1.268) "Whoever approaches the Vedas without samprasado 'mac charirat / samutthaya param
first studying the smrti (Itihasas and Puranas) jyoti-rupam //sampadya svena rupena /
frightens Vedic knowledge away (itihasapuranabhyam bhinispadyate sa uttamah purusah. ``The Supersoul
vedam samupa-brmhayet bibhetyalpasrutadvedo coming out of the body enters the impersonal
mamayam praharisyati).” brahmajyoti; then in His form He remains in His
spiritual identity. That Supreme is called the Supreme
Although this is a little technical it is presented to make Personality.”
one understand that these Vedic sacrifices are very This means that the Supreme Personality is exhibiting
complexed, the priests have to be highly qualified, so and diffusing His spiritual effulgence, which is the
many mantras are chanted... but the real point of the ultimate illumination. That Supreme Personality also
all thing is just to remember Krsna. Therefore to help has a localized aspect as Paramatma. By incarnating
the priests to remember Krsna, Srila Vyasadeva Himself as the son of Satyavati and Parasara, He
extracted this paurusa agama. Agama means the explains the Vedic knowledge as Vyasadeva.
scriptures that directly described the purusa, the
Supreme Lord and they are meant to be chanted during Krsna's eternal form is the basis of the brahmajyoti.
the sacrifices so the priests would know to whom they Bg. 14.27: "And I am the basis of the impersonal
were making the offerings. Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal
and is the constitutional position of ultimate
All these explanations seem very complicated but the happiness."
conclusion is very simple: just remember Krsna.
The above verse from the Chandogya Upanisad is
The Satvata Tantra (3.41-48) explains that only those quoted in full by Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his
who have faith in devotional service (bhakti-nistha) Vedanta Sutra commentary (Vs IV.4.1), the 'Govinda-
understand the paurusa agama (this would include the bhasya'. There is a big difference from Srila
Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Mahabharata, the Prabhupada's translation but in the end we will see that
Ramayana... the works that directly describe the there is no contradiction.
glories of the Supreme Lord). They know that Sri Evam evaisa samprasado 'smac charirat samuttaya
Krsna, whose form is of pure goodness and who param jyotir upasampadya svena rupen
resides in the spiritual world served by His devotees, is abhinispadyate sa uttama purusah sa tatra paryeti
the Supreme Absolute Truth. Those who have faith in jaksan kridan ramamanah stribhir va yanair va
speculation (jnana-nistha) follow the Upanisads. They jnatibhir sa nopajanam smarann idam sariram sa
say the highest truth is the impersonal Brahman. And yatha prayogya acarane yukta evam evayam asmic
those who are karma-paramah (devoted to pious charire prano yuktah. "He through whose grace
deeds) follow the three Vedas. They say the Supersoul this released soul, arising from his last body, and
(Hiranyagarbha) is the highest truth. having approached the Highest Light, is restored to
his own form is the Highest Person (Uttama Purusa)."
[NB: according to Bg 6.3, the mystic yoga system The 'he' referred here is not the Supersoul who is
includes karma-yoga in its aruruksa or beginning coming out of the body and is entering into the light -
phase; at the arudha or advanced platform, karma is it is the living entity. The point being made here it is
given up and the yogi simply meditates upon the Lord 'through the grace of the uttama-purusa, the Supreme
in the heart.] Soul, he arises from his last body and approaches the
param-jyoti, the highest light, and then he is restored
to his own form.'

9
The verse continues: "The Mukta (the liberated soul) Uddhava, the living entity, called jiva, is part and
moves about there (in the liberated stage) laughing, parcel of Me, but due to ignorance he has been
playing, and rejoicing, with women, with carriages, suffering in material bondage since time immemorial.
with other Muktas of his own period or of the past By knowledge, however, he can be liberated. Thus, My
kalpas. So great is his ecstacy that he does not dear Uddhava, in the same material body we find
remember even the person standing near him, nor opposing characteristics, such as great happiness and
even his own body. And as a charioteer is appointed misery. That is because both the Supreme Personality
by his master to drive the carriage, just so it the of Godhead, who is eternally liberated, as well as the
Purana appointed to drive this chariot of the body." conditioned soul are within the body. I shall now
speak to you about their different characteristics. By
The point being made here is that the stage attained by chance, two birds have made a nest together in the
the mukta is not impersonal. But how this explanation same tree. The two birds are friends and are of a
corresponds with Srila Prabhupada translation? Srila similar nature. One of them, however, is eating the
Prabhupada is saying that 'this being, that rises from the fruits of the tree, whereas the other, who does not eat
body and enters the light, is the Supersoul.' the fruits, is in a superior position due to His
The explanation is found in Satvata Tantra 1.36, potency. The bird who does not eat the fruits of the
virad-dehe yad avasad bhagavan pura-samjnake tree is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who by
atah purusa-namanam avapa purusah parah. His omniscience perfectly understands His own
“Because He resides (usa) in the home (pur) of the position and that of the conditioned living entity,
virata-deha (cosmic body of the universal form), the represented by the eating bird. That living entity, on
Supreme Lord is called purusa." the other hand, does not understand himself or the
In other words, the Supreme Lord, Visnu, the Lord. He is covered by ignorance and is thus called
Supersoul, has His own body and that is this universal eternally conditioned, whereas the Personality of
form, the Virata, the universal cosmic sphere. This Godhead, being full of perfect knowledge, is eternally
virata-rupa also dies, is dissolved. At that time, the liberated. One who is enlightened in self-realization,
Paramatma withdraws into the existence of although living within the material body, sees himself
Gabhodakasyi-visnu and Garbhodakasayi-visnu as transcendental to the body, just as one who has
becomes 'one' again with Maha-visnu, the origin of the arisen from a dream gives up identification with the
other two purusa features. In this way they pass dream body. A foolish person, however, although not
through the effulgence of the Maha-purusa, the identical with his material body but transcendental to
Maha-visnu, and they become 'one' with Him again. it, thinks himself to be situated in the body, just as one
Therefore there is no contradiction. Just as the jiva who is dreaming sees himself as situated in an
leaves the physical body and passes through the imaginary body. An enlightened person who is free
Brahmajyoti on his way back to the abode of the from the contamination of material desire does not
Supreme Lord at the time of liberation, so the Uttama consider himself to be the performer of bodily
Purusa (Supersoul) leaves the universe at the end of the activities; rather he knows that in all such activities it
cosmic manifestation and passes through the is only the senses, born of the modes of nature, that are
Brahmajoti to return to Mahavisnu, the source of the contacting sense objects born of the same modes of
Garbodakasyi and Ksirodaksayi purusa-avatara expan- nature."
sions.
(End of the analizis of the Tri-sloki gita)
To finish up this Tri-sloki gita there are some quotes
from the Uddhava-gita which very nicely elaborate the
same subject explained in the Tri-sloki. SB 11.11.1-9
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear
Uddhava, due to the influence of the material modes of
nature, which are under My control, the living entity is
sometimes designated as conditioned and sometimes
as liberated. In fact, however, the soul is never really
bound up or liberated, and since I am the supreme
Lord of maya, which is the cause of the modes of
nature, I also am never to be considered liberated or
in bondage. Just as a dream is merely a creation of
one's intelligence but has no actual substance,
similarly, material lamentation, illusion, happiness,
distress and the acceptance of the material body under
the influence of maya are all creations of My illusory
energy. In other words, material existence has no
essential reality. O Uddhava, both knowledge and
ignorance, being products of maya, are expansions of
My potency. Both knowledge and ignorance are
begingingless and perpetually award liberation and
bondage to embodied living beings. O most intelligent

10