Shri Brahma-samhita

5.1  Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

5.2  [The spiritual place of transcendental pastimes of Krsna is portrayed in the second verse.] The superexcellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and a corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinitary aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krsna.

5.3  The whorl of that transcendental lotus is the realm wherein dwells Krsna. It is a hexagonal figure, the abode of the indwelling predominated and predominating aspect of the Absolute. Like a diamond the central supporting figure of self-luminous Krsna stands as the transcendental source of all potencies. The holy name consisting of eighteen transcendental letters is manifested in a hexagonal figure with sixfold divisions.

5.4  The whorl of that eternal realm Gokula is the hexagonal abode of Krsna. Its petals are the abodes of gopis who are part and parcel of Krsna to whom they are most lovingly devoted and are similar in essence. The petals shine beautifully like so many walls. The extended leaves of that lotus are the gardenlike dhama, i.e. spiritual abode of Sri Radhika, the most beloved of Krsna.

5.5  [The surrounding external plane of Gokula is described in this verse.] There is a mysterious quadrangular place named Svetadvipa surrounding the outskirts of Gokula. Svetadvipa is divided into four parts on all sides. The abode of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are separately located in each of these four parts. These four divided abodes are enveloped by the fourfold human requirements such as piety, wealth, passion and liberation, as also by the four Vedas, viz., Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva, which deal with the mantra and which are the bases of achievements of the fourfold mundane requirements. Ten tridents are fixed in the ten directions, including the zenith and nadir. The eight directions are decorated with the eight jewels of Mahapadma, Padma, Sankha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda, and Nila. There are ten protectors [dik-palas] of the ten directions in the form of mantra. The associates of the hues of blue, yellow, red and white and the extraordinary potencies bearing the names of Vimala, etc., shine on all sides.

5.6  The Lord of Gokula is the transcendental Supreme Godhead, the own Self of eternal ecstasies. He is the superior of all superiors and is busily engaged in the enjoyments of the transcendental realm and has no association with His mundane potency.

5.7  Krsna never consorts with His illusory energy. Still her connection is not entirely cut off from the Absolute Truth. When He intends to create the material world the amorous pastime, in which He engages by consorting with His own spiritual [cit] potency Rama by casting His glance at the deluding energy in the shape of sending His time energy, is an auxiliary activity.

5.8  [The secondary process of association with Maya is described.] Ramadevi, the spiritual [cit] potency, beloved consort of the Supreme Lord, is the regulatrix of all entities. The divine plenary portion of Krsna creates the mundane world. At creation there appears a divine halo of the nature of His own subjective portion [svamsa]. This halo is divine Sambhu, the masculine symbol or manifested emblem of the Supreme Lord. This halo is the dim twilight reflection of the supreme eternal effulgence. This masculine symbol is the subjective portion of divinity who functions as progenitor of the mundane world, subject to the supreme regulatrix [niyati]. The conceiving potency in regard to mundane creation makes her appearance out of the supreme regulatrix. She is Maya, the limited, nonabsolute [apara] potency, the symbol of mundane feminine productivity. The intercourse of these two brings forth the faculty of perverted cognition, the reflection of the seed of the procreative desire of the Supreme Lord.

5.9  All offspring of the consort of the great lord [Mahesvara] of this mundane world are of the nature of the embodiment of the mundane masculine and feminine generative organs.

5.10  The person embodying the material causal principle, viz., the great lord of this mundane world [Mahesvara] Samhhu, in the form of the male generating organ, is joined to his female consort the limited energy [Maya] as the efficient causal principle. The Lord of the world Maha-Visnu is manifest in him by His subjective portion in the form of His glance.

5.11  The Lord of the mundane world, Maha-Visnu, possesses thousands of thousands of heads, eyes, hands. He is the source of thousands of thousands of avataras in His thousands of thousands of subjective portions. He is the creator of thousands of thousands of individual souls.

5.12  The same Maha-Visnu is spoken of by the name of "Narayana" in this mundane world. From that eternal person has sprung the vast expanse of water of the spiritual Causal Ocean. The subjective portion of Sankarsana who abides in paravyoma, the above supreme purusa with thousands of subjective portions, reposes in the state of divine sleep [yoga-nidra] in the waters of the spiritual Causal Ocean.

5.13  The spiritual seeds of Sankarsana existing in the pores of skin of Maha-Visnu, are born as so many golden sperms. These sperms are covered with five great elements.

5.14  The same Maha-Visnu entered into each universe as His own separate subjective portions. The divine portions, that entered into each universe are possessed of His majestic extension, i.e., they are the eternal universal soul Maha-Visnu, possessing thousands of thousands of heads.

5.15  The same Maha-Visnu created Visnu from His left limb, Brahma, the first progenitor of beings, from His right limb and, from the space between His two eyebrows, Sambhu, the divine masculine manifested halo.

5.16  The function of Sambhu in relation to jivas is that this universe enshrining the mundane egotistic principle has5 originated from Sambhu.

5.17  Thereupon the same great personal Godhead, assuming the threefold forms of Visnu, Prajapati and Sambhu, entering into the mundane universe, plays the pastimes of preservation, creation and destruction of this world. This pastime is contained in the mundane world. Hence, it being perverted, the Supreme Lord, identical with Maha-Visnu, prefers to consort with the goddess Yoganidra, the constituent of His own spiritual [cit] potency full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss appertaining to His own divine personality.

5.18  When Visnu lying in the ocean of milk wills to create this universe, a golden lotus springs from His navel-pit. The golden lotus with its stem is the abode of Brahma representing Brahmaloka or Satyaloka.

5.19  Before their conglomeration the primary elements in their nascent state remained originally separate entities. Nonapplication of the conglomerating process is the cause of their separate existence. Divine Maha-Visnu, primal Godhead, through association with His own spiritual [cit] potency, moved Maya and by the application of the conglomerating principle created those different entities in their state of cooperation. And alter that He Himself consorted with Yoganidra by way of His eternal dalliance with His spiritual [cit] potency.

5.20  By conglomerating all those separate entities He manifested the innumerable mundane universes and Himself entered into the inmost recess of every extended conglomerate [virad-vigraha]. At that time those jivas who had lain dormant during the cataclysm were awakened.

5.21  The same jiva is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency.

5.22  The divine lotus which springs from the navel-pit of Visnu is in every way related by the spiritual tie with all souls and is the origin of four-faced Brahma versed in the four Vedas.

5.23  On coming out of the lotus, Brahma, being guided by the divine potency tuned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see nothing but darkness in every direction.

5.24  Then the goddess of learning Sarasvati, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahma who saw nothing but gloom in all directions, "O Brahma, this mantra, viz., klim krsnaya govindaya gopi-jana-vallabhaya svaha, will assuredly fulfill your heart's desire."

5.25  "O Brahma, do thou practice spiritual association by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be fulfilled."

5.26  Brahma, being desirous of satisfying Govinda, practiced the cultural acts for Krsna in Goloka, Lord of Svetadvipa, for a long time. His meditation ran thus, "There exists a divine lotus of a thousand petals, augmented by millions of filaments, in the transcendental land of Goloka. On its whorl, there exists a great divine throne on which is seated Sri Krsna, the form of eternal effulgence of transcendental bliss, playing on His divine flute resonant with the divine sound, with His lotus mouth. He is worshiped by His amorous milkmaids with their respective subjective portions and extensions and also by His external energy [who stays outside] embodying all mundane qualities."

5.27  Then Gayatri, mother of the Vedas, being made manifest, i.e. imparted, by the divine sound of the flute of Sri Krsna, entered into the lotus mouth of Brahma, born from himself, through his eight ear-holes. The lotus-born Brahma having received the Gayatri, sprung from the flute-song of Sri Krsna, attained the status of the twice-born, having been initiated by the supreme primal preceptor, Godhead Himself.

5.28  Enlightened by the recollection of that Gayatri, embodying the three Vedas, Brahma became acquainted with the expanse of the ocean of truth. Then he worshiped Sri Krsna, the essence of all Vedas, with this hymn.

5.29  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis.

5.30   Petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.

5.31  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon-locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments, who always revels in pastimes of love, whose graceful threefold-bending form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest.

 

5.32  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth, substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.

 

5.33  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the  Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal purusa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.

 

5.34  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is approached by the yogis who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves to pranayama by drilling the respiration; or by the jnanis who try to find out the nondifferentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over thousands of millions of years.

 

5.35  He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord whom I adore.

 

5.36  I adore the same Govinda, the primeval Lord, in whose praise men, who are imbued with devotion, sing the mantra-suktas told by the Vedas, by gaining their appropriate beauty, greatness, thrones, conveyances and ornaments.

 

5.37  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhis], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa.

 

5.38  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Syamasundara, Krsna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.

 

5.39  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Krsna and the different avataras in the world in the forms of Rama, Nrsimha, Vamana, etc., as His subjective portions.

 

5.40  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upanisads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.

 

5.41  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute substantive principle being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of all existence whose external potency embodies the threefold mundane qualities, viz., sattva, rajas, and tamas and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world.

 

5.42  I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever triumphantly dominates the mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes, being reflected in the mind of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity of ever-blissful cognitive rasa.

 

5.43  Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is Mahesa-dhama [abode of Mahesa]; above Mahesa-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode of Hari] and above them all is located Krsna's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms.

 

5.44  The external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.

 

5.45  Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Sambhu is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.

 

5.46  The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations.

 

5.47  I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who assuming His own great subjective form, who bears the name of Sesa, replete with the all-accommodating potency, and reposing in the Causal Ocean with the infinity of the world in the pores of His hair, enjoys creative sleep [yoga-nidra].

 

5.48  Brahma and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Maha-Visnu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Maha-Visnu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Maha-Visnu is the portion of portion.

 

5.49  I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom the separated subjective portion Brahma receives his power for the regulation of the mundane world, just as the sun manifests some portion of his own light in all the effulgent gems that bear the names of suryakanta, etc.

 

5.50  I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, whose lotus feet are always held by Ganesa upon the pair of tumuli protruding from his elephant head in order to obtain power for his function of destroying all the obstacles on the path of progress of the three worlds.

 

 

 

Bs Foreword

 

Foreword

 

The materialistic demeanor cannot possibly stretch to the transcendental autocrat who is ever inviting the fallen conditioned souls to associate with Him through devotion or eternal serving mood. The phenomenal attractions are often found to tempt sentient beings to enjoy the variegated position which is opposed to undifferenced monism. People are so much apt to indulge in transitory speculations even when they are to educate themselves on a situation beyond their empiric area or experiencing jurisdiction. The esoteric aspect often knocks them to trace out immanence in their outward inspection of transitory and transformable things. This impulse moves them to fix the position of the immanent to an indeterminate impersonal entity, no clue of which could be discerned by moving earth and heaven through their organic senses.

 

The lines of this booklet will surely help such puzzled souls in their march towards the personality of the immanent lying beyond their sensuous gaze of inspection. The very first stanza of this publication will revolutionize their reserved ideas when the nomenclature of the Absolute is put before them as "Krsna." The speculative mind would show a tendency of offering some other attributive name to designate the unknown object. They will prefer to brand Him by their experience as the "creator of this universe,""the entity beyond phenomena"-far off the reference of any object of nature and void of all transformation. So they will urge that the very fountainhead should have no conceivable designation except to show a direction of the invisible, and inaudible untouchable, nonfragrant and unperceivable object. But they will not desist from contemplating on the object with their poor fund of experience. The interested enquirer will be found to hanker after the records left by erudite savants to incompatible hallucinative views of savage demonstration. In comparing the different names offered by different thoughts of mankind, a particular judge would decide in favor of some nomenclature which will suit best his limited and specific whims. The slave mentality of an individual will no doubt offer invective assertions to the rest who will be appealing to him for a revelation of his decision. To remedy this evil, the hymns of the accepted progenitor of the phenomena would do great help in taking up the question of nomenclature which is possessed of adequate power to dispel all imaginations drawn out of their experiencing the phenomena by their tentative exploitations.

 

The first hymn will establish the supremacy of the Absolute Truth, if His substratum is not shot by the bullets of limited time, ignorance and uncomfortable feeling, as well as by recognizing the same as an effect instead of accepting Him as the prime cause. He will be satisfied to mark that the object of their determination is the par"excellent Supreme Lord Sri Krsna who has eternally embodied Himself in His ever-presence, all-blissful, all-pervasive perfected knowledge as the very fountainhead of all prime causes of unending nonbeginning time, the supplying fosterer of all entities, viz., mundane and transcendental.

 

The subsequent lines will go to determine the different aspects of the Absolute, who are but emanations of the supreme fountainhead Krsna, the attractive entity of all entities. Moreover, the derivative proclamation of the nomenclature will indicate the plane of uninterrupted, unending, transcendental felicity and the nomenclature Himself is the source of the two components which go by the names of efficient and material causes. The very transcendental name "Krsna" is known as the embodiment of all the transcendental eternal rasas as well as the origin of all eclipsed conceptions of interrupted rasas found in the mentality of animated beings which are successfully depicted by litterateurs and rhetoricians for our mundane speculation.

 

The verses of Brahma-samhita are a full elucidation of the origination of phenomenal and noumenic conceptions. The hymns of the incarnated prime potency has dealt fully with the monotheistic speculations of different schools which are busy to give an outer cover of an esoteric concoction without any reference to the true eternal aspect of transcendental nontransformable and imperishable manifestation of the immanent. The hymns have also dealt with different partial aspects of the personality of the Absolute who is quite isolated from the conception of the enjoyers of this phenomenal world.

 

A very close attention and a comparative study of all prevailing thoughts and conceptions will relieve and enlighten all-be he a materialist, a downright atheist, an agnostic, a sceptic, a naturalist, a pantheist or a panantheist-busy with their knowledge of three dimensions only by their speculative exertions.

 

This booklet is only the fifth chapter of the Hymns of Brahma which were recorded in a hundred chapters. The Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya picked up this chapter from the temple of Adi-kesava at Tiruvattar, a village lying under the government of Travancore, for the assurance of all God-loving, and especially Krsna-loving, people in this conditioned jurisdiction. This booklet can easily be compared with another book which passes by the name of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Though it has got a reference in the pantheon of  Puranas, the Bhagavatam corroborates the same idea of this Pancaratra.

 

The devotees should consider that these two books tend to the identical Krsna who is the fountainhead of all transcendental and mundane entities and has a manifestive exhibition of the plenary variegatedness.

 

Aspersions of calumniation are restricted in the limited world, whereas transcendence cannot admit such angularities being an angle of 180 degrees or void of any angular discrepancies.

 

The publisher is carried away to the realm of gratitude when his stores of publication are scrutinized. Thakura Bhaktivinoda has given an elucidatory purport of the conception of the most sublime fountainhead of all entities in Bengali, and one of his devout followers has rendered that into English for propagatory purpose. The purports and the translations are traced to the backgrounds of the writings of Srila Jiva Gosvami, a contemporary follower of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya. The emotional aspirations will find fair play in perusing the texts of this brochure by one and all who have any interest in pure theistic achievements. The materialistic inspection often goes on to say that the provincial conception of theism has made the depicting of transcendental unity into diverse face quite opposed to the ethical consideration of the limited region. But we differ from such erroneous considerations when we get a prospective view of the manifested transcendentality eliminating all historicities and allegorical enterprises. All our enjoying mood should have a different direction when we take into account the transcendental entity who has obsessed all frailties and limitations of nature. So we solicit the happier mood of the scrutinizers to pay special attention to the importance of manifestive transcendence in Krsna.

 

It was found necessary to publish this small book for the use of English-knowing people who are interested in the acme of transcendental truths in their manifestive phases. The theme delineated in the texts of this book is quite different from the ordinary heaps of poetical mundane literature, as they are confined to our limited aspiration of senses. The book was found in the South some four centuries ago and it is again brought into light in the very same country after a long time, just like the worshiping of the Goddess Ganges by the offering of her own water.

 

Siddhanta Sarasvati Shree Gaudiya Math, Calcutta, the 1st August, 1932.

 

Brahma-samhita

 

Bs 5.1

 

TEXT 1

 

TEXT

 

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

 

SYNONYMS

 

isvarah -- the controller; paramah -- supreme; krsnah -- Lord Krsna; sat -- comprising eternal existence; cit -- absolute knowledge; ananda -- and absolute bliss; vigrahah -- whose form; anadih -- without beginning; adih -- the origin; govindah -- Lord Govinda; sarva-karana-karanam -- the cause of all causes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

 

PURPORT

 

Krsna is the exalted Supreme entity having His eternal name, eternal form, eternal attribution and eternal pastimes. The very name "Krsna" implies His love-attracting designation, expressing by His eternal nomenclature the acme of entity. His eternal beautiful heavenly blue-tinged body glowing with the intensity of ever-existing knowledge has a flute in both His hands. As His inconceivable spiritual energy is all-extending, still He maintains His all-charming medium size by His qualifying spiritual instrumentals. His all-accommodating supreme subjectivity is nicely manifested in His eternal form. The concentrated all-time presence, uncovered knowledge and inebriating felicity have their beauty in Him. The mundane manifestive portion of His own Self is known as all-pervading Paramatma, Isvara (Superior Lord) or Visnu (All-fostering). Hence it is evident that Krsna is sole Supreme Godhead. His unrivaled or unique spiritual body of superexcellent charm is eternally unveiled with innumerable spiritual instrumentals (senses) and unreckonable attributes keeping their signifying location properly, adjusting at the same time by His inconceivable conciliative powers. This beautiful spiritual figure is identical with Krsna and the spiritual entity of Krsna is identical with His own figure.

 

The very intensely blended entity of eternal presence of felicitous cognition is the charming targeted holding or transcendental icon. It follows that the conception of the indistinguishable formless magnitude (Brahman) which is an indolent, lax, presentment of cognitive bliss, is merely a penumbra of intensely blended glow of the three concomitants, viz., the blissful, the substantive and the cognitive. This transcendental manifestive icon Krsna in His original face is primordial background of magnitudinal infinite Brahman and of the all-pervasive oversoul. Krsna as truly visioned in His variegated pastimes, such as owner of transcendental cows, chief of cowherds, consort of milk-maids, ruler of the terrestrial abode Gokula and object of worship by transcendental residents of Goloka beauties, is Govinda. He is the root cause of all causes who are the predominating and predominated agents of the universe. The glance of His projected fractional portion in the sacred originating water viz., the personal oversoul or Paramatma, gives rise to a secondary potency-nature who creates this mundane universe. This oversoul's intermediate energy brings forth the individual souls analogously to the emanated rays of the sun. This book is a treatise of Krsna; so the preamble is enacted by chanting His name in the beginning.

 

Bs 5.2

 

TEXT 2

 

TEXT

 

sahasra-patra-kamalam gokulakhyam mahat padam tat-karnikaram tad-dhama tad-anantamsa-sambhavam

 

SYNONYMS

 

sahasra-patra -- possessing a thousand petals; kamalam -- a lotus;  gokula-akhyam -- known as Gokula; mahat padam -- the superexcellent station; tat -- of that (lotus); karnikaram -- the whorl; tat -- of Him (Krsna); dhama -- the abode; tat -- that (Gokula); ananta -- of His infinitary aspect, Balarama; amsa -- from a part; sambhavam -- produced.

 

TRANSLATION

 

[The spiritual place of transcendental pastimes of Krsna is portrayed in the second verse.] The superexcellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and a corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinitary aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krsna.

 

PURPORT

 

Gokula, like Goloka, is not a created mundane plane-unbounded character forms the display of His unlimited potency and His propagating manifestation. Baladeva is the mainstay of that energy. The transcendental entity of Baladeva has two aspects viz., infinite spiritual manifestation and infinite accommodating space for insentient gross things. The uniquadrantal delineation of material universe will be dealt with in the proper place. The triquadrantal extensions of the transcendental infinitary field of the almighty, unlamenting, nonperishing and nonapprehending unlimited situations of halo which are fully spiritual majestic foliation. This very majestical extension portrays the manifested lofty rich feature of the vaster unlimited region or greater atmosphere which has its resplendent location wholly beyond the realm of mundane nature, on the further shore of Viraja surrounded by the halo of Brahman or indistinguishable entity. This majestical power of unlimited spirit emanates on the upper portion of the luminous sphere into the most charming Gokula or eternally existing Goloka, exceedingly beautified by the assorted display of effulgence. Some designate this region as the abode of the Supreme Narayana, or the original fountainhead. Hence Gokula, which is identical with Goloka, is the supreme plane. The same sphere shines as Goloka and Gokula respectively by its upper or transcendental and lower or mundane situation.

 

Sri Sanatana Gosvami has told us as follows in his Brhad-bhagavatamrta  which embodies the final essence of all the books of instructions: "He displays His pastimes here in this land as He is used to do in Goloka. The difference between the two planes lies only in their locations as high and low; that is, in other words, Krsna plays exactly the same part in Goloka as He exhibits on the mundane plane of Gokula. There is practically no difference between Gokula and Goloka save that this what exists in the shape of Goloka in the upper region is the same as Gokula on the mundane p lane when Krsna showed His various activity there. Sri Jiva Gosvami has also inculcated the same in the Bhagavat-sandarbha of his 'Six Treatises.' " To ascertain the plane of Goloka-Vrndavana is the eternal abode of Krsna and Goloka and Vrndavana are identically one, and though both are identical, yet Krsna's inconceivable energy has made Goloka the acme of this spiritual kingdom and Gokula of Mathura province forming a part of the mundane plane which is also a manifestation of triquadrantal vibhuti  (conducting majesty). Poor human understanding cannot possibly make out how the extensive triquadrantal, which is beyond human comprehension, can be accommodated in the limited nether material universe of a uniquadrantal disclosure. Gokula is a spiritual plane, hence his condescended position in the region of material space, time, etc., is in no way restricted but unlimitedly manifested with his full boundless propriety. But conditioned souls are apt to assert a material conception in regard to Gokula by their miserable senses so as to bring him below the level of their intellect. Though the eye of an observer is impeded by a cloud when gazing at the sun and though the tiny cloud can never really cover the sun, still the clouded vision apparently observes the sun as covered by the cloud. In just the same way the conditioned souls with their obscured intelligence, senses and decisions, accept Gokula as a piece of measurable land. We can see Gokula from Goloka which is eternal. This is also a mystery. The atta inment of final beatitude is the success in attaining one's eternal self. The success in identifying the true self is finally achieved when the screen of gross and subtle coils of conditioned souls is removed by the sweet will of Krsna. However, the idea of Goloka is seen to differ from Gokula till the success in unalloyed devotion is achieved. The transcendental plane of infinite spiritual manifestation having thousands of petals and corolla like those of the lotus, is Gokula, the eternal abode of Krsna.

 

Bs 5.3

 

TEXT 3

 

TEXT

 

karnikaram mahad yantram sat-konam vajra-kilakam sad-anga-sat-padi-sthanam prakrtya purusena ca premananda-mahananda- rasenavasthitam hi yat jyoti-rupena manuna kama-bijena sangatam

 

SYNONYMS

 

karnikaram -- the whorl; mahat -- great; yantram -- figure; sat-konam -- a hexagon; vajra -- like a diamond; kilakam -- the central support;  sat-anga-sat-padi -- of the eighteen-syllable mantra with sixfold divisions; sthanam -- the place of manifestation; prakrtya -- along with the predominated aspect of the Absolute; purusena -- along with the predominating aspect of the Absolute; ca -- also; prema-ananda -- of the bliss of love of God; maha-ananda -- of the great transcendental jubilations; rasena -- with the rasa (mellow); avasthitam -- situated; hi -- certainly; yat -- which; jyotih-rupena -- transcendental; manuna --  with the mantra; kama-bijena -- with the kama-bija (klim); sangatam --  joined.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The whorl of that transcendental lotus is the realm wherein dwells Krsna. It is a hexagonal figure, the abode of the indwelling predominated and predominating aspect of the Absolute. Like a diamond the central supporting figure of self-luminous Krsna stands as the transcendental source of all potencies. The holy name consisting of eighteen transcendental letters is manifested in a hexagonal figure with sixfold divisions.

 

PURPORT

 

The transcendental pastimes of Krsna are twofold, viz., manifested and nonmanifested. The pastimes in Vrndavana visible to mortal eyes are the manifestive lila of Sri Krsna, and that which is not so visible, is nonmanifestive lila of Krsna. The nonmanifestive lila is always visible in Goloka and the same is visible to human eyes in Gokula, if Krsna so desires. In his Krsna-sandarbha Sri Jiva Gosvami Prabhu says, "Nonmanifestive pastimes are expressed in manifestive krsna-lila. and  goloka-lila is the nonmanifestive pastimes of Krsna visualized from the mundane plane." This is also corroborated by Sri Rupa in his  Bhagavatamrta. The progressive transcendental manifestation of Gokula is Goloka. So Goloka is the selfsame majestic manifestation of Gokula. The eternal pastimes of Sri Krsna, although not visible in Gokula, are eternally manifested in Goloka. Goloka is the transcendental majestic manifestation of Gokula. The manifestations of the nonmanifestive pastimes of Krsna with regard to the conditioned souls, are twofold, viz., (1) worship through the channel of the mantras (inaudibly recited, liberating, self-dedicatory. transcendental sounds), (2) spontaneous outflow of heart's spiritual love for Krsna. Sri Jiva Gosvami has said that worship through the mantra is possible permanently in the proper place, when confined to one pastime. This meditative manifestation of Goloka is the pastime attended with the worship of Krsna through the mantra. Again, the pastimes that are performed in different planes and in different moods, are autocratic in diverse ways; hence sva-rasiki, i.e., spontaneous, outflow of heart's spiritual love for Krsna. This sloka conveys a twofold meaning. One meaning is that in the pastime attended with worship through the mantra consisting of eighteen transcendental letters, transcendental words contained in the said mantra being differently placed make a manifestation of only one lila of Sri Krsna. As for example klim krsnaya govindaya gopijana-vallabhaya svaha -- this is a hexagonal mantra  consisting of six transcendental words, viz., (1) krsnaya, (2) govindaya,  (3) gopijana, (4) vallabhaya, (5) sva, (6) ha. These six transcendental words, when placed juxtapositionally. indicate the mantra.

 

The hexagonal great transcendental machinery is in this wise. The principal seed, i.e. klim, is situated in the instrument as the central pivot. Anybody with an impression of such an instrument in his mind and concentrating his thought on such spiritual entities, can attain, like Candradhvaja, to the knowledge of the cognitive principle. The word sva  indicates ksetrajna i.e., one who is conversant with one's inner self, and the word ha indicates the transcendental nature. This meaning of the  mantra has also been corroborated by Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa. The general meaning is this that one who is desirous of entering into the esoteric pastimes of Krsna will have to practice His transcendental service along with the culture of the devotional knowledge relative to Him. (1)  krsna-svarupa -- the proper Self of Krsna; (2) krsnasya cin-maya-vraja-lila-vilasa-svarupa -- the true nature of Krsna's transcendental pastimes in Vraja; (3) tat-parikara-gopijana-svarupa -- the true nature of His spiritual associates in Vraja, viz., the spiritual milkmen and the milkmaids; (4) tad-vallabha -- the true nature of self-surrender to Krsna in the footsteps of the spiritual milkmaids of Vraja; (5) suddha-jivasya cid-(jnana)-svarupa -- the true nature of the spiritual knowledge of the unalloyed individual soul; (6) cit-prakrtir arthat krsna-seva-svabhava -- the true nature of transcendental service to Krsna is this that the esoteric relation is established on the awakening of one's pure cognition. The meaning is that rasa is only the transcendental service of the central refuge Sri Krsna, as predominating aspect of the Absolute, by one's ego as the spiritual maid of the predominated moiety of the absolute integer, attended with pure devotion in the shape of one's entire self-surrender. The pastime in Goloka or in Gokula during the stage of devotional progress, is the meditative worship through the mantra, and during the stage of perfection the pastimes manifest themselves as the unrestrained transcendental jubilations. This is the real aspect of Goloka or Gokula, which will be made more explicit in due course. The meaning of the words jyoti-rupena manuna [Bs. 5.3] is that the transcendental meaning is expressed in the mantra by means of which, on transcendental desire of love for Krsna and the service of Krsna being added, one is established in the eternal love of Krsna. Such eternal pastimes are eternally manifested in Goloka.

 

Bs 5.4

 

TEXT 4

 

TEXT

 

tat-kinjalkam tad-amsanam tat-patrani sriyam api

 

SYNONYMS

 

tat -- of that (lotus); kinjalkam -- the petals; tat-amsanam -- of His (Krsna's) fragmental portions; tat -- of that (lotus); patrani -- the leaves; sriyam -- of the gopis (headed by Srimati Radharani); api -- also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The whorl of that eternal realm Gokula is the hexagonal abode of Krsna. Its petals are the abodes of gopis who are part and parcel of Krsna to whom they are most lovingly devoted and are similar in essence. The petals shine beautifully like so many walls. The extended leaves of that lotus are the gardenlike dhama, i.e. spiritual abode of Sri Radhika, the most beloved of Krsna.

 

PURPORT

 

The transcendental Gokula is shaped like the lotus. The eternal world is like a hexagonal figure; in that the entities Sri Radha-Krsna, appearing in the form of a mantra consisting of eighteen transcendental letters, are centered. The propagating manifestations emanating from the cit potency are present there with the said entities as the center. Sri Radha-Krsna is the primary cause or the seed Himself. Gopala-tapani says, "Omkara" signifies the All-Powerful Gopala and His potency; and "klim" is the same as omkara. Hence kama-bija or the primary cause of all-love, is connotative of the entities Sri Radha-Krsna.

 

Bs 5.5

 

TEXT 5

 

TEXT

 

catur-asram tat-paritah svetadvipakhyam adbhutam catur-asram catur-murtes catur-dhama catus-krtam caturbhih purusarthais ca caturbhir hetubhir vrtam sulair dasabhir anaddham urdhvadho dig-vidiksv api astabhir nidhibhir justam astabhih siddhibhis tatha manu-rupais ca dasabhir dik-palaih parito vrtam syamair gaurais ca raktais ca suklais ca parsadarsabhaih sobhitam saktibhis tabhir adbhutabhih samantatah

 

SYNONYMS

 

catuh-asram --  -- quadrangular place; tat -- that (Gokula); paritah --  surrounding; sveta-dvipa -- Svetadvipa (the white island); akhyam -- named; adbhutam -- mysterious; catuh-asram -- quadrangular; catuh-murteh -- of the four primary expansions (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha); catuh-dhama -- consisting of four abodes; catuh-krtam --  divided into four parts; caturbhih -- by the four; purusa-arthaih -- human requirements; ca -- and; caturbhih -- by the four; hetubhih -- causes, or bases of achievement; vrtam -- enveloped; sulaih -- with tridents;  dasabhih -- ten; anaddham -- fixed; urdhva-adhah -- upwards and downwards (the zenith and nadir); dik -- (in) the directions (north, south, east, and west); vidiksu -- and in the intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest); api -- also; astabhih -- with the eight; nidhibhih -- jewels; justam -- endowed; astabhih -- with the eight; siddhibhih -- mystic perfections (anima, laghima, prapti, prakamya, mahima, isitva, vasitva, and kamavasayita); tatha -- also; manu-rupaih --  in the form of mantras; ca -- and; dasabhih -- by ten; dik-palaih --  protectors of the directions; paritah -- all around; vrtam -- surrounded;  syamaih -- blue; gauraih -- yellow; ca -- and; raktaih -- red; ca -- and;  suklaih -- white; ca -- also; parsada-rsabhaih -- with the topmost associates; sobhitam -- shining; saktibhih -- with potencies; tabhih --  those; adbhutabhih -- extraordinary; samantatah -- on all sides.

 

TRANSLATION

 

[The surrounding external plane of Gokula is described in this verse.] There is a mysterious quadrangular place named Svetadvipa surrounding the outskirts of Gokula. Svetadvipa is divided into four parts on all sides. The abode of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are separately located in each of these four parts. These four divided abodes are enveloped by the fourfold human requirements such as piety, wealth, passion and liberation, as also by the four Vedas, viz., Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva, which deal with the mantra and which are the bases of achievements of the fourfold mundane requirements. Ten tridents are fixed in the ten directions, including the zenith and nadir. The eight directions are decorated with the eight jewels of Mahapadma, Padma, Sankha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda, and Nila. There are ten protectors [dik-palas] of the ten directions in the form of mantra. The associates of the hues of blue, yellow, red and white and the extraordinary potencies bearing the names of Vimala, etc., shine on all sides.

 

PURPORT

 

Primarily Gokula is the seat of transcendental love and devotion. Hence Yamuna, Sri Govardhana, Sri Radha-kunda, etc., of the terrestrial Vraja-mandala lie within Gokula. Again, all the majesties of Vaikuntha are manifested there extending in all directions. The pastimes of the four propagating manifestations are all there in their proper places. The  paravyoma Vaikuntha has got its extension from the display of the four propagating manifestations. Salvation as of Vaikuntha, and piety. wealth and passion pertaining to worldly people, are in the proper places in Gokula as their original seed, i.e., primary cause. The Vedas also are engaged in singing the song of the Lord of Gokula. There are ten tridents in ten directions to prevent and disappoint those who are aspirants for having an entrance into Goloka through meditations without the grace of Krsna. Self-conceited people who try to reach this region through the paths of yoga (meditation) and jnana (empiric knowledge) are baffled in their attempts, being pierced by the ten tridents. Self-annihilation has its excellence in Brahma-dhama which represents the outside covering of Goloka in the shape of tridents. Sula means a trident; the mundane threefold attributes and the threefold divisions of time represent the trident. Astanga-yogis i.e. ascetics who practice the eightfold yoga, are the nondifferentiative liberationists who, trying to approach in the direction of Goloka, fall headlong into the pits of disappointment by being pierced and cut asunder by these tridents placed in ten directions. Those who proceed towards the direction of Goloka through the channel of devotion alloyed with majestic ideas, are fascinated with the charms of Vaikuntha which is the outer covering plane of Sri Goloka, at the sight of the eight perfections, viz., anima, etc., and majesties like mahapadma,  etc. Those who are less forward in their intelligence relapse to the sevenfold world falling under the control of the ten protectors (of the ten directions) in the guise of mantras. In this wise, Goloka has become unknowable and inaccessible. It is only the divine selves of Godhead, the propounders of the divine dispensations for the different ages, who are always forward there to favor the approaching devotees who seek entry into the realm of Goloka through the channel of pure devotional love. These divine forms of Godhead are surrounded there with attendants of their respective natures. Svetadvipa in Goloka is their place of abode. Hence Srila Thakura Vrndavana the manifest Vyasa of caitanya-lila, has described the village of Navadvipa as bearing the name of Svetadvipa. In this Svetadvipa the concluding portions of the pastimes of Gokula exist eternally as the pastimes of Navadvipa. Hence the region of Navadvipa, Vraja and the realm of Goloka are one and the same indivisible entity; the difference only lies in the manifestations of the infinite variety of sentiments, corresponding to the diverse nature of their devotional love. There is in this a most hidden principle which only the greatest souls who are possessed of the highest transcendental love, are enabled to realize by the direct grace of Krsna. The truth is as follows: In this mundane world there are fourteen spheres disposed in the graded order of high and low. Persons living with wives and children hankering for the pleasure-giving effect of their fruitive actions, move up and down within the limits of the three worlds of Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. Brahmacaris of great austerities, ascetics and persons addicted to hypothetical truth, persons of a neutral disposition adopting nonfruitive works by an aptitude which seeks to be free from all mundane desires, move up and down within the limits of the worlds of Mahah, Janah, Tapah and Satya. Above these worlds lies the abode of four-headed Brahma, above which lies the unlimited realm of Vaikuntha of Visnu, Ksirodakasayi, lying in the ocean of milk. Paramahamsa-sannyasis and the demons killed by Sri Hari, by crossing the Viraja, i.e., by passing beyond the fourteen worlds, enter into the luminous realm of Brahman and attain to nirvana in the form of temporary abeyance of the temporal ego. But the devotee actuated by knowledge (jnana-bhakta), the devotee actuated by the pure devotional aptitude (suddha-bhakta), the devotee imbued with loving devotion ( prema-bhakta), the devotee actuated by pure love (premapara-bhakta), and the devotee impelled by overwhelming love (prematura-bhakta), who serve the majesty of Godhead, have their locations in Vaikuntha, i.e., the transcendental realm of Sri Narayana.

 

The devotees who are imbued with all-love and who walk in the footsteps of the spiritual maids of Vraja, alone attain to the realm of Goloka. The different locations of the devotees in Goloka according to the respective differences in the nature of their rasa, i.e., mellow quality. are settled by the inconceivable power of Krsna. The pure devotees following the devotees of Vraja and those following the pure devotees of Navadvipa are located in the realm of Krsna and Gaura respectively. The identical devotees of Vraja and Navadvipa simultaneously attain to the pleasures of service in the realm of Krsna and Gaura. Sri Jiva Gosvami writes in his work Gopala-campu that "the supreme transcendental realm is called Goloka being the abode of go, transcendental cows, and gopa, transcendental cowherds. This is the seat of the rasa pastimes of the absolute Sri Krsna. Again the realm is called Svetadvipa owing to the realization of some of the rasas which are the inconceivable manifestation derived from the untouched purity of that supreme realm. The twofold entities of the supreme Goloka and the supreme Svetadvipa are indivisibly the realm of Goloka." The gist of the whole matter is this-Goloka as Svetadvipa is eternally manifest because the pleasures of enjoyment of the rasa could not be had in its entirety in the pastimes of Krsna in Vraja. He accepts the emotion and effulgence of His predominated moiety. Sri Radhika, and makes an eternal pastime for the enjoyment of krsna-rasa there. Sri Krsnacandra coveting to taste the following pleasures, viz., to realize (1) the nature of the greatness of love of Sri Radha; (2) the nature of the wonderful sweetness of His love of which Sri Radhika has got the taste; (3) the nature of the exquisite joy that accrues to Sri Radha by Her realization of the sweetness of His love, took His birth, like the moon, in the ocean of the womb of Sri Saci-devi. The esoteric desire of Sri Jiva Gosvami Prabhu is herein made manifest. In the Veda it is also said, "Let me tell you the mystery. In Navadvipa, the identical realm of Goloka, on the bank of the Ganges, Gauracandra who is Govinda, the entity of pure cognition, who has two hands, who is the soul of all souls, who has the supreme great personality as the great meditative sannyasin and who is beyond the threefold mundane attributes, makes the process of pure unalloyed devotion manifest in this mundane world. He is sole Godhead. He is the source of all forms, the Supreme Soul and is Godhead manifesting Himself in yellow, red, blue and white colors. He is the direct entity of pure cognition full of the spiritual (cit) potency. He is the figure of the devotee. He is the bestower of devotion and cognizable by devotion alone. The selfsame Gauracandra, who is no other than Krsna Himself, in order to taste the rasa of the pastimes of Radha-Krsna in Goloka, is manifest in the eternal realm of Navadvipa identical with Goloka." This is also clear from the Vedic declarations, viz., asan varnas trayah, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam, yatha pasyah pasyati rukma-varnam, mahan prabhur vai and various other statements of the theistic scriptures. Just as Sri Krsna had His birth in the mundane Gokula through the agency of Yogamaya who is the primal energy of the Supreme Lord, so with her help He manifests the lila of His birth in the womb of Saci-devi in Navadvipa on this mundane plane. These are the absolute truths of spiritual science and not the outcome of imaginary speculation under the thraldom of the deluding energy of Godhead.

 

Bs 5.6

 

TEXT 6

 

TEXT

 

evam jyotir-mayo devah sad-anandah parat parah atmaramasya tasyasti prakrtya na samagamah

 

SYNONYMS

 

evam-thus; jyotih-mayah -- transcendental; devah -- the Lord; sat-anandah -- the own Self of eternal ecstasies; parat parah -- the superior of all superiors; atma-aramasya -- engaged in the enjoyments of the transcendental realm; tasya -- of Him; asti -- there is; prakrtya -- with the mundane potency; na -- not; samagamah -- association.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Lord of Gokula is the transcendental Supreme Godhead, the own Self of eternal ecstasies. He is the superior of all superiors and is busily engaged in the enjoyments of the transcendental realm and has no association with His mundane potency.

 

PURPORT

 

The sole potency of Krsna which is spiritual, functioning as Krsna's own proper power, has manifested His pastimes of Goloka or Gokula. By her grace individual souls who are constituents of the marginal potency can have admission into even those pastimes. The deluding energy, who is of the nature of the perverted reflection of the spiritual (cit) potency, has got her location on the other side of the river Viraja, which surrounds the Brahma-dhama forming the boundary of Maha-Vaikuntha as the outer envelope of Goloka. The position of Goloka being absolutely unalloyed with the mundane, deluding energy, far from having any association with Krsna, feels ashamed to appear before His view.

 

Bs 5.7

 

TEXT 7

 

TEXT

 

mayayaramamanasya na viyogas taya saha atmana ramaya reme tyakta-kalam sisrksaya

 

SYNONYMS

 

mayaya -- with the illusory energy; aramamanasya -- of Him, who never consorts; na -- not; viyogah -- complete separation; taya -- her; saha --  from; atmana -- with His own; ramaya -- spiritual potency, Rama; reme --  consorts; tyakta-kalam -- by casting His glance in the shape of sending His time energy; sisrksaya -- with the desire to create.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Krsna never consorts with His illusory energy. Still her connection is not entirely cut off from the Absolute Truth. When He intends to create the material world the amorous pastime, in which He engages by consorting with His own spiritual [cit] potency Rama by casting His glance at the deluding energy in the shape of sending His time energy, is an auxiliary activity.

 

PURPORT

 

The illusory energy has no direct contact with Krsna, but has got indirect contact. Visnu the prime cause, lying in the Causal Ocean, the plenary portion of Maha-Sankarsana who has His seat in Maha-Vaikuntha the sphere of Krsna's own extended transcendental pastimes, casts His glance towards the deluding energy. Even in casting His glance He has no contact with the deluding energy because the spiritual (cit) potency Rama then carries the function of His glance as His unpolluted ever-submissive potency. The deluding energy as the maidservant of the spiritual (cit) potency Rama, serves the manifested plenary portion of Godhead consorted with Rama, the time energy representing the force of activity and instrumentality of Rama; hence there is found the process of masculinity or the creative force.

 

Bs 5.8

 

TEXT 8

 

TEXT

 

niyatih sa rama devi tat-priya tad-vasam tada tal-lingam bhagavan sambhur jyoti-rupah sanatanah ya yonih sapara saktih kamo bijam mahad dhareh

 

SYNONYMS

 

niyatih -- the regulator; sa -- she; rama -- the spiritual potency; devi -- the goddess; tat -- of Him; priya -- beloved; tat -- of Him; vasam --  under the control; tada -- then (at the time of creation); tat -- of Him;  lingam -- the masculine symbol, or manifested emblem; bhagavan --  possessing opulences; sambhuh -- Sambhu; jyotih-rupah -- halo; sanatanah -- eternal; ya -- which; yonih -- the symbol of mundane feminine productivity; sa -- that; apara -- nonabsolute; saktih -- potency; kamah -- the desire; bijam -- the seed; mahat -- the faculty of perverted cognition; hareh -- of the Supreme Lord.

 

TRANSLATION

 

[The secondary process of association with Maya is described.] Ramadevi, the spiritual [cit] potency, beloved consort of the Supreme Lord, is the regulatrix of all entities. The divine plenary portion of Krsna creates the mundane world. At creation there appears a divine halo of the nature of His own subjective portion [svamsa]. This halo is divine Sambhu, the masculine symbol or manifested emblem of the Supreme Lord. This halo is the dim twilight reflection of the supreme eternal effulgence. This masculine symbol is the subjective portion of divinity who functions as progenitor of the mundane world, subject to the supreme regulatrix [niyati]. The conceiving potency in regard to mundane creation makes her appearance out of the supreme regulatrix. She is Maya, the limited, nonabsolute [apara] potency, the symbol of mundane feminine productivity. The intercourse of these two brings forth the faculty of perverted cognition, the reflection of the seed of the procreative desire of the Supreme Lord.

 

PURPORT

 

Sankarsana possessed of creative desire is the subjective portion of Krsna taking the initiative in bringing about the birth of the mundane world. Lying in the causal water as the primal purusa-avatara He casts His glance towards Maya (the limited potency). Such glance is the efficient cause of the mundane creation. Sambhu the symbol of masculine mundane procreation is the dim halo of this reflected effulgence. It is this symbol which is applied to the organ of generation of Maya, the shadow of Rama or the divine potency. The first phase of the appearance of the mundane desire created by Maha-Visnu is called the seminal principle of mahat or the perverted cognitive faculty. It is this which is identical with the mental principle ripe for procreative activity. The conception underlying it is that it is the will of the purusa who creates by using the efficient and material principles. Efficiency is Maya or the productive feminine organ. The material principle is Sambhu or the procreative masculine organ. Maha-Visnu is purusa or the dominating divine person wielding the will.