20240721 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta | Third stream: Kṛṣṇa — Energy of Kṛṣṇa and Mellow

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Yesterday I spoke at the Bhakti Cāru Swami festival. I should have announced before, we could have got good seats! So today we will continue with Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s book.

Śrī Caitanya-Śikṣāmṛta

The Nectar of the teachings of Śrī Caitanya

Today’s chapter is: First shower—Third stream

Transformation of various energies—

The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa’s personal energy or His own energy or superior energy (parā-śakti) is one. This superior energy (parā-śakti), by Kṛṣṇa’s will has manifested into three vibhāva, three prabhāva and three anubhāva.

Note: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.9.16:

yasmin viruddha-gatayo hy aniśaṁ patanti
vidyādayo vividha-śaktaya ānupūrvyāt
tad brahma viśva-bhavam ekam anantam ādyam
ānanda-mātram avikāram ahaṁ prapadye

My dear Lord, in Your impersonal manifestation of Brahman there are always two opposing elements — knowledge and ignorance. Your multi-energies are continually manifest, but the impersonal Brahman, which is undivided, original, changeless, unlimited and blissful, is the cause of the material manifestation. Because You are the same impersonal Brahman, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

The three vibhāva are cic-chakti (spiritual potency), jīva-śakti (the living entity potency) and the māyā-śakti (illusory potency).

The three prabhāva are icchā-śakti (willpower), jñāna-śakti (power of knowledge) and kriyā-śakti nāma (creative energy).

The three prabhāva are sandhinī (eternity portion), hlādinī (bliss portion), and saṁvit  (knowledge portion).

Under the influence of icchā-śakti (willpower), 1) pastime places like Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha and so on, 2) names like Kṛṣṇa, Govinda etc., bodily forms like two-hands, four-hands, six-hands etc., 3) qualities with the associates in Goloka Vṛndāvana, Vaikuṇṭha etc., such as pastimes, mercy, generosity, forgiveness etc., are manifested from the cic-chakti (spiritual potency).

Under the influence of jñāna-śakti (power of knowledge), opulence, sweetness and beauty in Vaikuṇṭha is manifested from the cic-chakti (spiritual potency).

Other than Kṛṣṇa, no one has icchā-śakti (willpower). The predominator of the jñāna-śakti (power of knowledge) is Vāsudeva. The predominator of the kriyā-śakti (creative energy) is from the manifestation of Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa and so on. Under the influence of icchā (will), jñāna (knowledge), and kriyā (creation) in the marginal potency (taṭastha-śakti) in the form of jīva-śakti (the living entity potency), the eternal associates, the controlled demigods, and the humans, daityas, rākṣasas and so on have arisen.

All of Kṛṣṇa’s kriyā-anubhāva are due to the influence of kriyā-śakti (creative energy).

In cic-chakti (spiritual potency), is the diversity of sandhinī (eternity portion), hlādinī (bliss portion), and saṁvit (knowledge portion. All these combined become, directly and indirectly, the perfection of emotion in the ultimate goal in the form of loving pastime. Kṛṣṇa’s energies are unlimited, eternal and immeasurable. All of the activities of cic-chakti (spiritual potency) are eternal.

Jayapatākā Swami: So this part is very technical. It presents how the different aspects of Lord Kṛṣṇa are manifesting. How Kṛṣṇa is the only one who has iccha-śakti. I remember when something was asked of Mahā-Visnu. Then He said that I am a viṣṇu-tattva of a lower grade. [audio break] Supreme, and He manifests viṣṇu-tattvas, jīva-tattvas and śakti-tattvas and many more. Just like there are ananta-koṭi brahmāṇḍas, all those together form one-fourth of the total energy and three-fourths is the spiritual world. So, Kṛṣṇa is really wonderful! You see, when Lord Caitanya preached to the Māyāvādīs, He took a very humble position. And He explained how His guru told Him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then He explained how the śāstra is true and perfect. And that doesn’t need twisting of the meanings. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he wrote Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. The śāstra is a direct, clear truth. So, the śāstra itself is a kind of transcendental truth. It doesn’t need interpretation. The meaning is clear and direct. Our West Wing of the TOVP is presenting these truths as a science! The material scientists, they have their limitations. They don’t know what is even in our oceans. What is there in the different parts of the universe. So, Kṛṣṇa, He gives some explanation what was there in the universe. And [audio break] system, the scientists, they can only observe so much. And then they speculate what it all means, and they call this science. So, Kṛṣṇa tells us what are the different parts of the material world, and the scientists, they don’t know to observe the unlimited millions of universes. So we are trying to show the basic that they don’t know. They still think that the jīva-tattva is made by some combination of māyā. Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote the book Life Comes from Life. And it is important that people understand that consciousness is transcendental, and consciousness is living. [audio break]

We thank everyone for giving donations for the Guru-Pūrṇimā. As Vaiṣṇavas, we observe Vyāsa-pūjā. But non-Vaiṣṇavas, they observe the Guru-Pūrṇimā. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Janmāṣṭamī Prabhu is inviting everyone to participate in the ‘Śrīla Prabhupāda Connect Day’ happening the following weekend.