20201225 Māyāvāda Bhāṣya Taught by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is Refuted by Lord Caitanya (Part 1)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja

on 25^th December 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Introduction: Today we are continuing with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book, the chapter entitled:

Māyāvāda Bhāṣya Taught by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is Refuted by Lord Caitanya

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 3.12.12

athāparāhṇe dvija-vṛnda-sannidhau
sa sārvabhaumasya puro mahāprabhuḥ
uvāca vedānta-nigūḍham arthaṁ
vaco murāreś caraṇāmbujāśrayam

Translation: Then in the afternoon, in the presence of the Bhaṭṭācārya and a host of brāhmaṇas, Mahāprabhu explained how the confidential purport of the Vedānta-sūtras points to the shelter of Murāri's lotus feet.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 16.237

বেদান্ত নিগূঢ় কথা পুছিল ঠাকুর
কৃষ্ণ পাদাশ্রয় কথা অমৃত অঙ্কর

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya asked to reveal the secret Vedānta version, that explains the secret nectarine descriptions of accepting shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣna.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.22

sākṣān mahī-gīṣpatir eṣa caṣcat
prāgalbhya saṁyukta-vacā yathādhi
nirvakti tat tat sa niśamya nāthaḥ
śanais tadodgrāha-vidhiṁ cakāra

Translation: Sārvabhauma, who was directly Bṛhaspati, spoke concerning Vedānta conventionally, using proud words. The Lord listened and then explained everything in a different way.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He kept presenting Himself very humbly and listened to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya expanding on the Māyāvāda Vedānta sutra. In the seven days, Lord Caitanya did not speak anything. On the eighth day Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked, “why are You not saying anything?” and in His own way Lord Caitanya saiud that He understood the verses but not the explanation. So, the verses actually direct one to take shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. And naturally the commentary on the Vedānta sutra is the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam. Anyway the Lord listens and refutes the Māyāvādī interpretations.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.23

kim ucyate kaḥ khalu pūrva-pakṣaḥ
kiṁ vāsya rāddhāntitam ātanoṣi
vedānta-śāstrasya na cāyam arthas
tac chrūyatāṁ yat tu nirūpayāmaḥ

Translation: “What are you saying? What is the opposing argument?  Are you showing the conclusion with proof?  This is not the meaning of Vedānta.  Please listen to what I explain.”

Jayapataka Swami: This is Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya saying.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.24

ity asya pakṣa-pratipakṣa-rūpaṁ
sa pakṣam ekaṁ sa tu sajjayitvā
advaita-vādaṁ vinirasya bhakti-
saṁsthāpakaṁ svīya-mataṁ jagāda

Translation: Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said: The Lord supplied arguments to counter Sārvabhauma’s conclusions and defeated Advaita-vāda. He established bhakti as his conclusion.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 12.25

itthaṁ pramāṇair akhilaiś ca śaktyā
tātparyato lakṣaṇayā ca gauṇyā
mukhyā jahat-svārtha-tad-anya-miśra-
svarūpayā svaṁ matam ābabhāṣe

Translation: In this way with all proofs, using śakti, tātparya, laksaṇa, gauṇa and mukhya meanings as well as jahat-svārtha and ajahat-svārtha, he established his position.

Jayapatākā Swami: There is a system of nyāya, of debating on śāstra using various systems, and somethings are prohibited also. So using different processes of debate and using Vedic Grammar, He established His position.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.130

প্রভুকর্ত্তৃক সার্ব্বভৌমের মায়াবাদ-ভাষ্য-ব্যাখ্যান-নিরসন :—

prabhu kahe, — “sūtrera artha bujhiye nirmala
tomāra vyākhyā śuni’ mana haya ta’ vikala

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then revealed His mind, saying, “I can understand the meaning of each sūtra very clearly, but your explanations have simply agitated My mind.”

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: The factual meaning of the aphorisms of the Vedānta-sūtra is as clear as sunshine. The Māyāvādī philosophers simply try to cover the sunshine with the clouds of interpretations imagined by Śaṅkarācārya and his followers.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hari bol!

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.131

মুখ্য অভিধা -বৃত্তিতে ব্রহ্মসূত্ৰাৰ্থ সহজ, গৌণ লক্ষণায় কল্পনাশ্রয়ে উহা আবৃত :—

sūtrera artha bhāṣya kahe prakāśiyā
tumi, bhāṣya kaha — sūtrera artha ācchādiyā

Translation: “The meaning of the aphorisms in the Vedānta-sūtra contain clear purports in themselves, but other purports you presented simply covered the meaning of the sūtras like a cloud.”

Purport: Please refer to Ādi-līlā, Seventh Chapter, verses 106–146, for an explanation of this verse.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.132

sūtrera mukhya artha nā karaha vyākhyāna
kalpanārthe tumi tāhā kara ācchādana

Translation: “You do not explain the direct meaning of the Brahma-sūtras. Indeed, it appears that your business is to cover their real meaning.”

Purport: This is typical of all Māyāvādīs or atheists who interpret the meaning of Vedic literature in their own imaginative way. The real purpose of such foolish people is to impose the impersonalist conclusion on all Vedic literature. The Māyāvādī atheists also interpret the Bhagavad-gītā. In every verse of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In every verse Vyāsadeva says, śrī-bhagavān uvāca, “the Supreme Personality of Godhead said,” or “the Blessed Lord said.” It is clearly stated that the Blessed Lord is the Supreme Person, but Māyāvādī atheists still try to prove that the Absolute Truth is impersonal. In order to present their false, imaginary meanings, they must adopt so much word jugglery and grammatical interpretation that they finally become ludicrous. Therefore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu remarked that no one should hear the Māyāvādī commentaries or purports to any Vedic literature.

Jayapatākā Swami:  So here Lord Caitanya is presenting to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that his commentary covers the real meaning of the Vedānta sutra, normally the commentaries are supposed to make the verses easier to understand but here Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is covering the real meaning with his false interpretation. Lord Caitanya was waiting and now He is striking out.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.133

উপনিষৎপ্রতিপাদ্য অর্থই সূত্রাকারে বেদান্তে নিবদ্ধ :—

upaniṣad-śabde yei mukhya artha haya
sei artha mukhya, — vyāsa-sūtre saba kaya

Translation: Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “The Vedānta-sūtra is the summary of all the Upaniṣads; therefore whatever direct meaning is there in the Upaniṣads is also recorded in the Vedānta-sūtra, or Vyāsa-sūtra.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī has explained the word upaniṣad in his Anubhāṣya. Please refer to Ādi-līlā, Second Chapter, fifth verse, and Ādi-līlā, Seventh Chapter, verses 106 and 108, for his explanation.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.134

mukhyārtha chāḍiyā kara gauṇārtha kalpanā
‘abhidhā’-vṛtti chāḍi’ kara śabdera lakṣaṇā

Translation: “For each sūtra the direct meaning must be accepted without interpretation. However, you simply abandon the direct meaning and proceed with your imaginative interpretation.

Jayapatākā Swami: Today is the special Gītā Jayanti day, we are celebrating the appearance day of the Gītā. All over the world people are having ceremonies, Śrīla Prabhupāda established Bhagavad-gītā As it is to give the direct interpretation direct meaning and avoid any imaginative interpretation. So Lord Caitanya was making a commentary that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was concealing the actual meaning of the Vedānta sutra by his imaginative interpretation.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.135

শব্দ বা বেদই মুখ্য প্রমাণ :—

pramāṇera madhye śruti pramāṇa — pradhāna
śruti ye mukhyārtha kahe, sei se pramāṇa

Translation: “Although there is other evidence, the evidence given in the Vedic version must be taken as foremost. Vedic versions understood directly are first-class evidence.”

Purport: Works that should be consulted are Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Tattva-sandarbha (10–11), Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary on that, and the following verses of the Brahma-sūtra:

śāstra-yonitvāt (Vs. 1.1.3),
tarkāpratiṣṭhānāt (Vs. 2.1.11) and
śrutes tu śabda-mūlatvāt (Vs. 2.1.27),

as commented upon by Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Madhvācārya, Śrī Nimbārkācārya and Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. In his book Sarva-saṁvādinī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has noted that although there are ten kinds of evidence—direct perception, the Vedic version, historical reference, hypothesis and so on—and although they are all generally accepted as evidence, the person presenting a hypothesis, reading the Vedic version, perceiving or interpreting by his experience is certain to be imperfect in four ways. That is, he is subject to committing mistakes, to becoming illusioned, to cheating and to having imperfect senses. Although the evidence may be correct, the person himself is in danger of being misled due to his material defects. Apart from the direct presentation, there is a chance that an interpretation may not be perfect. Therefore the conclusion is that only a direct presentation can be considered evidence. An interpretation cannot be accepted as evidence, but may be considered proof of evidence.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, at the very beginning it is stated:

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya
 [Bg. 1.1]

The statements of the Bhagavad-gītā are themselves proof that there is a place of religious pilgrimage named Kurukṣetra where the Pāṇḍavas and Kurus met to fight. After meeting there, what did they do? This was Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s inquiry to Sañjaya. Although these statements are very clear, atheists try to interpret different meanings of the words dharma-kṣetra and kuru-kṣetra. Therefore, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has warned us not to depend on any kind of interpretation. It is better to take the verses as they are, without interpretation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Śrīla Prabhupāda is giving the process of discussing any Vedic evidence, interpretation is not evidence.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.136

দৃষ্টান্ত :—

jīvera asthi-viṣṭhā dui — śaṅkha-gomaya
śruti-vākye sei dui mahā-pavitra haya

Translation: Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, ”Conchshells and cow dung are nothing but the bones and the stool of some living entities, but according to the Vedic version they are both considered very pure.

Purport: According to Vedic principles, bones and dung are generally considered very impure. If one touches a bone or stool, he must take a bath immediately. That is the Vedic injunction. Yet the Vedas also enjoin that a conchshell, although the bone of an animal, and cow dung, although the stool of an animal, are very much sanctified. Even though such statements appear contradictory, on the basis of the Vedic version we still accept the fact that conchshells and cow dung are pure and sanctified.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the expert spiritual master knows how to balance the different injunctions of the Vedas. There is an injunction that if you touch a bone or animal stool you should take a bath. At the same time, the Vedas say that conch shell and cow dung are pure. So the expert spiritual master knows of these injunctions and can give proper advice.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.137

অক্ষজজ্ঞানে অশ্রৌতপন্থায় বেদ দুর্ব্বোধ্য :—

svataḥ-pramāṇa veda satya yei kaya
‘lakṣaṇā’ karile svataḥ-prāmāṇya-hāni haya

Translation: “The Vedic statements are self-evident. Whatever is stated there must be accepted. If we interpret according to our own imagination, the authority of the Vedas is immediately lost.”

Purport: Out of four main types of evidence—direct perception, hypothesis, historical reference and the Vedas—Vedic evidence is accepted as the foremost. If we want to interpret the Vedic version, we must imagine an interpretation according to what we want to do. First of all, we set forth such an interpretation as a suggestion or hypothesis. As such, it is not actually true, and the self-evident proof is lost.

Śrīla Madhvācārya, commenting on the aphorism dṛśyate tu (Vedānta-sūtra 2.1.6), quotes the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa as follows:

ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvāś ca bhārataṁ pañcarātrakam
mūla-rāmāyaṇaṁ caiva veda ity eva śabditāḥ
purāṇāni ca yānīha vaiṣṇavāni vido viduḥ
svataḥ-prāmāṇyam eteṣāṁ nātra kiñcid vicāryate

The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahābhārata, Pañcarātra and original Rāmāyaṇa are all considered Vedic literature. The Purāṇas that are especially meant for Vaiṣṇavas (such as the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, Nāradīya Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Bhāgavata Purāṇa) are also Vedic literature. Therefore, whatever is stated in such Purāṇas or in the Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa is self-evident. There is no need for interpretation. The Bhagavad-gītā is also within the Mahābhārata; therefore all the statements of the Bhagavad-gītā are self-evident. There is no need for interpretation, and if we do interpret, the entire authority of the Vedic literature is lost.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the direct meaning of the Vedic literature is the evidence, and if someone comments and gives out some other meaning, the whole Vedic evidence is ruined, and we lose the authority of the Vedic literature.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.138

শঙ্করভাষ্য—বেদান্ত-বিরুদ্ধ :—

vyāsa-sūtrera artha — yaiche sūryera kiraṇa
sva-kalpita bhāṣya-meghe kare ācchādana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “The Brahma-sūtra, compiled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, is as radiant as the sun. One who tries to interpret its meaning simply covers that sunshine with a cloud.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Here Lord Caitanya is saying how the direct meaning of the sutra should be accepted not any interpretation which may cover the original meaning of the sutra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.139

বেদ ও সাত্বতপুরাণে সবিশেষ ব্রহ্ম বা শ্রীভগবান্‌ই উদ্দিষ্ট :—

veda-purāṇe kahe brahma-nirūpaṇa
sei brahma — bṛhad-vastu, īśvara-lakṣaṇa

Translation: “All the Vedas and literature that strictly follows the Vedic principles explain that the Supreme Brahman is the Absolute Truth, the greatest of all, and a feature of the Supreme Lord.

Purport: The greatest of everything is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: “By all the Vedas, I am to be known.” In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.11) it is said that the Absolute Truth is understood in three phases—namely, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate). Thus, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the last word in understanding the Absolute Truth, Brahman.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.140

সচ্চিদানন্দবিগ্রহ নির্ব্বিশেষ নহে :—

sarvaiśvarya-paripūrṇa svayaṁ bhagavān
tāṅre nirākāra kari’ karaha vyākhyāna

Translation: “Actually, the Supreme Absolute Truth is a person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. You are trying to explain Him as impersonal and formless.

Purport: Brahman means bṛhattva, the greatest of all. The greatest of all is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He possesses all potencies and opulence in full; therefore the Absolute Truth, the greatest of all, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether one says ”Brahman” or ”the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” the fact is the same, for they are identical. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma [Bg. 10.12]. Although the living entities or material nature are sometimes described as Brahman, Para-brahman—the Supreme, the greatest of all Brahmans—is still Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is full with all opulences, and as such He possesses all riches, all strength, all reputation, all knowledge, all beauty and all renunciation. He is eternally a person and eternally supreme. If one tries to explain the Supreme impersonally, one distorts the real meaning of Brahman.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Māyāvāda philosophers they have distorted the meaning of the Vedānta sutra; therefore they try to give some impersonal interpretation. And this is highly disliked by the vaiṣṇavas it is considered as an offense to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya is establishing the actual evidence of the Vedas.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.141

‘নির্ব্বিশেষ’ অর্থে প্রাকৃত-বিশেষ বা বৈচিত্র্য-নিরাস :—

‘nirviśeṣa’ tāṅre kahe yei śruti-gaṇa
‘prākṛta’ niṣedhi kare ‘aprākṛta’ sthāpana

Translation: “Wherever there is an impersonal description in the Vedas, the Vedas mean to establish that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental and free of mundane characteristics.”

Purport: There are many impersonal statements about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19):

apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā
paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ
sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasyāsti vettā
tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam

Although the Supreme Lord is described as having no hands and legs, He nonetheless accepts all sacrificial offerings. He has no eyes, yet He sees everything. He has no ears, yet He hears everything. When it is stated that the Supreme Lord has no hands and legs, one should not think that He is impersonal. Rather, He has no mundane hands or legs like ours. “He has no eyes, yet He sees.” This means that He does not have mundane, limited eyes like ours. Rather, He has such eyes that He can see past, present and future, everywhere, in every corner of the universe and in every corner of the heart of every living entity. Thus the impersonal descriptions in the Vedas intend to deny mundane characteristics in the Supreme Lord. They do not intend to establish the Supreme Lord as impersonal.

Jayapatākā Swami:  So anywhere in the verse where it says the Supreme Lord is nirguna or without quality, that means without material quality. He has spiritual quality which we have no experience of.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.142

সবিশেষ শ্রীভগবান্‌ই শ্রুতির উদ্দিষ্ট :—  শ্রীচৈতন্যচন্দ্রোদয়-নাটক (৬-৬৭)-ধৃত হয়শীর্ষ-পঞ্চরাত্রবচন:—

yā yā śrutir jalpati nirviśeṣaṁ
sā sābhidhatte sa-viśeṣam eva
vicāra-yoge sati hanta tāsāṁ
prāyo balīyaḥ sa-viśeṣam eva

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “‘Whatever Vedic mantras describe the Absolute Truth impersonally only prove in the end that the Absolute Truth is a person. The Supreme Lord is understood in two features—impersonal and personal. If one considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead in both features, one can actually understand the Absolute Truth. He knows that the personal understanding is stronger because we see that everything is full of variety. No one can see anything that is not full of variety.’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (6.67), by Kavi-karṇapūra.

Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.143

শ্রীভগবান্‌ই সৰ্ব্ব-কারকে উদ্দিষ্ট:—

brahma haite janme viśva, brahmete jīvaya
sei brahme punarapi haye yāya laya

Translation: “Everything in the cosmic manifestation emanates from the Absolute Truth, remains in the Absolute Truth, and after annihilation again enters the Absolute Truth.”

Purport: In the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1) it is said, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante: “The entire material cosmic manifestation is born of the Supreme Brahman.” Also, the Brahma-sūtra begins with the verse janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] “ The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates.” (Bs. 1.1.2) That Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.8), Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.” Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Again, Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.4), mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded.”

And as confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37), goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: ”

Although the Lord always stays in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is still all-pervading.” His all-pervasive feature is understood to be impersonal because one does not find the form of the Lord in that all-pervasiveness. Actually, everything is resting on the rays of His bodily effulgence. The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.40) also states:

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam

Due to the rays of the Lord’s bodily effulgence, millions of universes are created, just as planets are created from the sun.