and its various commentaries

(By Principal J. G. Shah, M. A.)

 

Tattva Dip Nibandha consists of two parts the Karika portion and the Prakasha portion. Both are the compositions of Vallabhacharya. The former is in verse, and it sets forth his doctrine in a succinct way. The latter is in prose being exposition of what he had said in the Karika. Had he not written this Prakasha commentary, much of the meaning of the Karikas would have remained obscure but the Prakasha throws light and illuminates the whole thing. Just as Mammata in his Kavya Prakasha wrote the Karikas and his own commentary to explain the Karikas, in the same way Vallabhacharya wrote his Prakasha, to explain his thought, already put in the Karikas. The whole work is divided into three sections. 1 … 2 … & 3 the …. On the first two sections, we find the entire JRW, but on the third it is only fragmentary i. e. from the 1st Skandha of Bhagvat up to 122nd Karika on the 5th Skandha i. c. the Prakash is not complete, where as the Karika portion is complete". Besides Vallabhacharya's own commentary, there are several other commentaries on the Prakasha, some of which are unfortunately fragmentary in character. These are … of Purushottamji, … of Shri Kalyanraiji and … of Gattulalji. The second Commentary 4hnr is also written by Purushottamji and it is available on the Karika portion.of the Bhagvatartha, from the 122nd Karika of the 5th Skandha up to the end of that chapter..In that chapter Purushottamji did not write his … but …. The … was intended to explain the Prakasha and not the Karikas proper.

This being the case, the … commentary is available only on the Karika portion, … and … and other commentaries are available only on some portion of the ….

Of all these commentaries, … is the moat scholastic and exhaustive, explaining each and every word or part in the … commentary of Vallabhacharya, which requires elucidation. Purushottamji has not left any single point untouched. Shri Purushottamji was the greatest scholar in the Pushti Sampradaya, after Vallabhacharya and his son Vitthaleshji. He was born on the 11th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada 1724 Samvat at Gokula. Ho is seventh in descent from Shri Vallabhacharya. From his early childhood he displayed his great love of learning. He was considerably influenced by his uncle Shri Krishnachandraji who was an eminent scholar. Purushottamji studied critically the Anu-Bhashya of Vallabhacharya from him and the result of this study is Bhava-Prakashika and the portion of the commentary called Gunopasamhar pada of Anu-Bhashya. After Samvat 1739 Purushottamji settled at Surat, from which place ho continued his literary activities. It is not possible to give a complete list of his works, but just to give an idea we give below the list published by Shastri Harishankar Omkarji in his article on Shri Purushottamji.

 

1 Bhashya Prakasha – a commentary on Anu-Bhashya.

2 Suvarna Sutra Vidvan Mandana.

3 Avarna-Bhanga Tattva Dip Nibandha

4 Subodhini Prakasha Subodhini.

5 Prasthanratnakar – a work on logic.

6 Commentaries on the sixteen works of Shree Vallabhacharya

7 Prahastavada.

8 Panditakarbhindivada.

9 Srishtibhedavada – a philosophical treatise on the natures of the world.

10 Avirbhava Tirobhava Vada.

11 Khyativada a philosophical treatise.

12 Pratibimbavada

13 Andhakaravada

14 Brahmatvadi Devatavada.

15 Jivavyapaktva Khandanavada on the refutation of the theory about the omnipresence of the soul.

16 Jivapratibimbatava. On the refutation of the theory about the soul's being reflection.

17 Urdhavapundra niranyavada.

18 Tulsimaladharanavada.

19 Shankhachakradharan vada.

20 Murtipujavada.

21 Bhagvat shanka nirasavada.

22 Updesh shanka nirasa vada.

23 Bhaktyutakarshavada.

24 Vastrasevavada.

25 Bhedabhedavada.

26 Abhayavada.

27 Atmavada.

28 Svavritivada.

29 Jayashri Krishnavicharvada.

30 Utsava pratana.

31 Dravyashuddhi.

32 Bhaktihansavriti.

33 Bhaktihetuniranya Vivriti.

34 Purvamimansa Bhashya Vivarana.

35 Nyasadesha Vivriti.

36 Gayatri Karika Vivriti.

37 Vallabhashtaka Vivarana.

38 Kaivalyopanishad Dipaka.

39 Brahmaopanishad

40 Nrihinshatapenyupanishad.

41 Chhandogayoupauishad dipaka.

42 Shvetashvatara

43 Upanishad Samgraha,

 

On the Brahmasutras:

 

44 Adhikaranmala

45 Bhavaprakashvritti

 

Some of these works are in the nature of commentaries and some independent works. Most of these are philosophical From this list, it is obvious what a great genius Purushottamji was! Not only did he write these works; but also he engaged himself in a controversy on philosophical subjects with the Pundits of the day When he was at Surat, he had such a controversy with one Bhaskarrai, who was a great scholar of the Shakti school. Another scholar with whom he was engaged in the philosophical controversy and who was a mighty genius of the Shaiva school was Appaya Dikshit. It must be said here that in all the philosophical controversies, in which Purushottamji was engaged, he was always triumphant over his rivals Shri Purushottamji's style of approaching any subject in his commentary was comparative. He was thoroughly acquainted with all the philosophical systems. In his Anu-bhashya Prakasha and Avarana-Bhanga commentaries, we find his masterly knowledge of the systems of Shankar, Ramanuja, Bhaskar, Madhava, Bhikshu and Shaiva, Mr. Shridhar Pathak writing of Purushottamji's commentary on Anu-Bhashya in the introduction to his Balbodhini, observes.

Such a work was never seen by the learned In making this statement, we do not trespass the limits of truth. Shri Purushottamji Maharaja has certainly become life-blood of Shuddha-dwaita philosophy by the compilation of this work:.., The same tribute was paid to his scholarship by late Prof, M. G. Shastri and Mr. M.T. Teliwala. What has been and with reference to his commentary on Anubhashya applies mutants mutandis to his commentary Avaranabhanga also. It is called Avaranbhanga because he breaks open (lays bare) the meaning of Vallabhacharya which is hidden in his commentary, If the readers want to understand the Karikas and Prakasha they should take the help of Avaran-Bhanga. This commentary does not simply attempt to explain the Prakasha, but corroborates the statements occurring in the Prakasha by the quotations or passages from extant works like Vedas, Smriti and Puranas, It also independently criticizes certain philosophical schools which differ from the views of Vallabhacharya. Thus by adopting the method of comparison, elucidation, corroboration and argumentation, it proves to the scholars, of immense value for the thorough understanding of both, the Karikas and the Prakasha.

 

***

 

TATTVA DIPA NIBANDHA

The section, entitled ‘the Meaning of the Scriptures’.

 

1 Bow to that Lord Krishna, of wonderful acts, who sports in the form of the differences of names and objects.

2 This (work) is undertaken for those Satvik votaries of God, who have become fit for emancipation and through God's grace, in whose case, this life is the last one.

3 The means of emancipation is stated here, first after studying thoroughly the scriptures of God, then meditating frequently upon them and then knowing what God has said Himself for the removal of doubts.

4 The only scripture is the Gita, sung by the son of Devaki (Krishna). The only one god is the son of Devaki. The only Mantra is His names; and the only work is the service of that Lord.

5 Having resolved as above, I give my judgment here on the meaning of the scriptures, on the utility of all the scriptures and the spirit of the Bhagavat according to my light.

6 The word for God, is Brahman in the Upanishads, Paramatman in the Smritis and Bhagavan in the Bhagwat. In these three chapters, I shall also use those three names.

7 The Vedas, the sentences of Lord Krishna (the Gita) the aphorisms of Vyas (the portion of Bhagavat which is the result of meditation) constitute the four-fold testimony of knowledge.

8 Each succeeding testimony is meant to remove doubts arising from each preceding testimony. All other scriptures which are not antagonistic to this testimony are to be accepted as valid testimony. Whatever is antagonistic should be rejected as invalid.

9 Or the previous scriptures being the various forms of God's name-sport, all the scriptures are to be regarded as valid testimony, except the portions antagonistic to above.

10 In the beginning of Dvapara age, the religion was of two kinds the Shraut & the Smarta Both these and their words are accepted as testimony; although they were of contradictory nature.

11 In the Purvakand of the Vedas (Samhita) God is described as sacrifice, in the latter section i. e. in the Upanishads as Brahaman, and in the Bhagvat as Incarnate Lord 'Krishna.

12 The Lord who assumes the form of the Sun etc., is known as knowledge in the Upanishads, In other Puranas he is known under various forms.

13 For achievement of the fruit, devotion of all the forms is taught. But for the desire of Sayujya, the first form viz. Lord Krishna alone should be thought as fit for devotion.

14 True emancipation is possible from Him. By serving other gods, we become fit for conditional emancipation. By knowledge one gets Satvic emancipation or emancipation obtained in life. If a man of knowledge is devoted to Lord Krishna, then none is superior to him.

15 In the present age, God having been incarnated as Buddha, all the gods in obedience to him are born as Brahmins and preach various false doctrines that create illusion in men. By this they prevent men from being devoted to god.

16 This is great-infatuation; nay this is verily great deception that the wise and scholars who are expert in the knowledge of the scriptures do -not love Krishna. Those who are subservient to work reap the world as their fruit (L e.-they have to be born in the world).

17 That is known as the State of knowledge when a man knows God who is -All; state of work when his mind Is pleased and the state of Devotion when Lord Krishna is pleased.

18 My firm opinion is that without any of these no fruit can be had. These states cannot be acquired by mere wishes or talks but only by the pursuit of means.

19 Each of the three ways gives fruit to the man who pursues it, according to his fitness. But in this Kali age, all fitness has vanished. If however Lord Krishna is served indeed, the Kali age will be favorable to fruit.

20 This is the chief meaning of the Vedas, the Gitas and the Shrutis. Other meanings are only fancied by different schools of thoughts.

21 They are said to be votaries of God, doers of pure work, and knowers of Brahman who explain the meaning of the scriptures in accordance with the sentences of Krishna (i. e. Gita).

22 Not knowing this, even the Satvikas do not serve God, being influenced by various schools of thought. This attempt is made for them.

23 The Universe is the work of God. It is the form of God. It is created by the Maya (power) of God. The worldly state is acquired by the human soul through nescience which is its power.

24 The worldly state has its end in 'Emancipation' but the Universe is never subject to end. It (the end of the universe) is due to God's will to sport (i. e. At God's will it is withdrawn in Himself. This is called the end of the Universe). This conduces to the happiness of the human souls. Nescience the resultant of Maya that envelops the soul is five-fold.

25 Brahman ia all-pervading like the sky and is encircled by Maya (Power of God). It has hands, feet, ends of fingers, eyes, the heart and mouth everywhere.

26 It has ears everywhere. It stands pervading all things It is myriad-formed It is both indivisible and divided.

27 The souls are Its parts. They are evolved purely on account of Its will namely ‘I am one and may become many’.

28 In the beginning of creation, innumerable formless human souls emerged, at Its will, like sparks from fire. Even the inanimate objects came out from Sat, which is Its part.

29 All the forms of Antaryamin have emerged from the Bliss constituent of God. Antaryamin has all the Sat (existence) Chit, (knowledge) and 5.nand (bliss); the human souls have Sat and Chit and the matter (Universe) only Sat.

30 Hence due to latency of Anand, the soul and the Universe are deemed formless (joyless) (although Brahamin is one); for the purpose of convenience, it is called Universe, soul and Antaryamin.

31 Knowledge and nescience are the powers of God created by Maya only. They belong to the soul and to none else. Hence the soul experiences misery and dependence.

32 The five folds of Nescience are the ignorance of one awn's state, superimposition on the soul, of the senses, of breath, of inner organ, and of the body respectively.

33 Nescience has five folds. It is due to it that the soul experiences the worldly state. When the nescience is removed by knowledge, the soul gets life-freedom.

34 Although the body, the senses and breath become free from the influence of superimposition; yet in one who has got life-freedom, they do not vanish entirely.

35 By the service of Asanya or Hari (God) the senses acquire divine character and then the body etc. disappear. While its (i. e of the soul) disappearance results from the condition of its being like Brahman.

36 The state of likeness with Brahman or emancipation called Sayujya will be obtained when the part Anand becomes patent in the soul. These two will be realized through the service of God. Sometimes, God who is unborn, Himself accomplishes all this.

37 Sometimes, it is accomplished through the Purusha. Sometimes through others. Sometimes God himself becomes all.

38 Sometimes God creates the whole world like the great illusion, by means of Maya. Then knowledge etc., are in name only and not in reality, (i. e. not useful).

39 Sometimes having created the creation in the form of the sky etc., and entered it by His two forms, God sports in it as souls and Antaryamin (inner soul).

40 All this is possible in the case of God whose powers are unthinkable and myriad. For this reason, in the Vedas, many ways of this creation are mentioned.

41 Everywhere the greatness of God is extolled for the accomplishment of his devotion. The sentence … is also intended for this reason.

42 Devotion is said to be love of God-love which is accompanied with the knowledge of God's greatness, which is inviolable and supreme. Emancipation is secured by such devotion alone and by none else.

43 God is five-formed. He becomes twelve-formed, ten-formed, hundred-formed, thousand-formed, and myriad formed. He is one, equal, devoid of faults and although everywhere full of good qualities, he is comparable to many.

44 He is devoid of faults, full of all good qualities, self-dependent, and destitute of bodily qualities. His hands, feet, mouth, stomach etc. are full of joy and everywhere He is bereft of three kinds of differences.

45-46 When by the knowledge of God, nescience is removed, one gets emancipation/ Knowledge has five constituents viz., asceticism, knowledge, discipline, penance and devotion. By this, the soul of the man of knowledge enters God. The Satvik souls who have cultivated divine virtues, acquire fitness for emancipation.

47 Sometimes men get emancipation by living in a holy place. But only those who are favoured by God, do get it and none others. This is my firm opinion.

48 Sometimes in some place Krishna Himself grants emancipation to his devotee by his grace. In this case, the greatness of that time or place having been derived from God, it is also praised.

49 Therefore discarding everything else, one should render devotion to God by means of "Hearing etc.," with firm belief in Him By so doing, he will be liberated through knowledge.

50-51 Those who enter Brahaman, experience bliss by their soul; because the force of all their senses is destroyed.

But the devotees experience it with their senses, the inner organ and soul. Therefore the domestic life of the devotees is superior to the above.

52 When the dirt of the scripture that generates error is removed from the intellect, men repose confidence in the scriptures relating to God and that confidence produces good result.

53 The soul is only as big as the end of a grain of rice. But like perfume, her light pervades the whole body. The Smritis preach pervasiveness of soul. It is possible when the soul acquires the likeness of God, 54 Crores of universes are seen when the part, bliss, becomes manifest in her (soul). Thus the soul is circumscribed as well as all-pervading.

55 The quality of consciousness in the soul is her illuminator, On account of this the soul is said to be luminous The soul cannot be comprehended by temporal senses Nor is she to be illuminated by any other means.

56 The soul can be seen by three ways: (1) By discipline (2) by the sight by which God is seen (3) by the divine sight of knowledge.

57 Her phenomenal appearance is due to the latency of the joy in her. If it is not so, her consciousness which is enveloped by the screen of Maya, will not be reflected.

58 The reflection-theory is contradicted by the Shruti passage of …, the sentence … and also by the Gita.

59 If we accept the reflection-theory, then emancipation will mean the loss of the original form of the soul. And as the body is in existence, the life-emancipation is not possible. If it is asserted that the reflection is here to be supposed in nescience then also it is contradicted.

60 Just as the body of a sleeping man does not move merely by his Prarabdha (previous action); in the same way in the state of life-emancipation, the body is unable to move on account of the removal of nescience.

61 The sentence … even though corroborated by ingenious device, is powerless to give knowledge. That sentence however is intended for another purpose. So that by that sentence, it is stated that God is capable of all forms separately.

62-63 That knowable God is transcendental. He cannot be comprehended by any skill. He can be, however, comprehended by penance, skill in consonance with the Vedas and the grace of the Lord. In the Satya Yuga, in some cases knowledge was acquired by undergoing much trouble.

64 The marks of knowledge, are omniscience and divine luster. Even these do not entitle a man to get emancipation. The states of knowledge and nescience are like states of awaking and dreaming. Therefore to get emancipation, devotion by all means is considered as the best means.

65 Brahman is …, omnipresent, indestructible, omnipotent, self-dependent, omniscient and destitute of worldly qualities.

66 It is without differences of Its own self, of its class and of another class. It possesses thousands of eternal qualities such as truth etc.

67 It is a substratum of all It keeps Maya under its control It is bliss-formed. It is par excellence, and It is distinguished from all temporal objects.

68 It is the material cause of the Universe, and' it is Its efficient cause. Sometimes, It indulges in self-sport and sometimes sports in the Universe.

69 He, the Lord of matter and soul is everything. It is the substratum of all cases and (i. e.) all cases are possible in God.

70 Although present in all objects He is untouched by them all. Although He enters every object as its body and shines there, the object does not know Him, He is not the object of any controversy. All controversial doctrines relate to Him.

71 He is myriad-formed, unaffected and mobile. He is the abode of all opposite qualities, and is not the object of skill (i. e. incomprehensible by skill).

72 Assuming various forms by his two powers. Avirbhava (manifestation) and Tirobhava (non-manifestation), He causes infatuation. He is invisible by the powers of senses but becomes visible by His own will.

73 The emerald like dark-halo becomes manifest in the state of incarnation, when pure Satva is reflected in Brahaman who is Bliss.

75 In each of the four Yugas, he assumes different forms The form, conditioned by time is reflected in Brahaman.

76 Or to the ken of worldly men, Brahaman appears like deep, empty space and the sky. The human sight cannot reach the Great (Brahman) by any other way.

77 The world being Brahaman's self-creation, He is not open to the charges of impartiality and ruthlessness. Some schools accept Karman, but from one point of view, it is understood to be Brahman.

78 He alone is the creator of the world and yet He is not a qualified one. Those who are conscious of qualities are known as His parts and are known qualified ones. The creator is independent. The state of independence is hostile to the state of being qualified.

79 Some persons here, whose intelligence is greatly darkened, twist the express sense of the words, and refuse to attribute causality of the world to Brahaman.

80 They say that Brahaman, bound up by beginning less nescience is the cause of the world and that this Brahaman becomes subject to metempsychosis due to nescience. Relying upon the false sentences, they believe in Mukti.

81 The votaries of God must ignore the untrustworthy sciences, because they obscure the greatness of Brahman and because they are antagonistic to Shrutis and the Smritis. They are principally believed in the Kali age. As they are averse to God, their fruit is hell.

83 It is not proper to say that all this is stated in order to prove that nescience is destructible by knowledge, because the contrary statement is also proved by the mention of the knowledge and nescience.

83 The statement occurring in the Puranas about the world being the work of Maya is given from the standpoint of other schools of thought that take shelter of the theory of illusion. In the extant Shrutis, no where do we find it.

84 The sentences, occurring in the Vacharambhana Shruti, teach the identity of the world with Brahman. They do not therefore teach illusiveness of the world. Vyas being great, it is proper to regard the world as nondifferent from Brahaman.

85 If the Shruti, speaking of creation etc, is held to be a mere repetition for knowledge, then as it is not accepted in respect of the injuction and greatness it is not possible, 86 If it is said that the authorship of the world, ascribed to Brahman, is an exception intended to emphasise the knowledge of Brahaman, it is not proper.

87 The primary meaning of the Shruti is not sublated, owing to the perception oi the effect (i. e. the world). Even in the illusory view, the authorship is possible in Brahaman as in an actor.

88 Like an elephant seen in a dream, emancipation will be lost if Brahman is not the author of the world. The authorship of Maya or Jiva is rejected by the Vedas and the Aphorisms on Brahman.

89 Where non -authorship is stated, it is to show its greatness in order to convey that Brahaman is an abode of opposite qualities.

90 The illusiveness of the world is preached in the Puranas, for renunciation. Therefore the statement that the world is due to nescience is intended to cause infatuation.

91 They (Asuras) know the world to be false, foundationless, godless, produced by the contact of men and women, and having for its purpose passion. What else can it be?

92 In complete 'state of knowledge of non-dualism, everything is comprehended as Brahaman and nothing else. The knowledge destroys the wrong knowledge of difference but the world is not destroyed by the knowledge of its real form.

93 In some place, difference is not possible, because Braaaman is a material cause. The difference is begun only by speech.

94 The Samkhaya is said to have many kinds. Of these only one is acceptable to the good. It has 28 elements which constitute the form of God.

95 The other kind of the Samkhayas is repudiated m the aphorisms of Vyas. Only that yoga is acceptable to good persons in which God is made the object of meditation, or which being seedless is productive of the knowledge of the self.

96 The man achieves fruit by serving God, with renunciation knowledge, discipline, love and penance or by only one means, out of those five.

97 Diverse types of the means for the annihilation of the world through knowledge have been mentioned for the purification of mind; but in the Samkhya system, only one is stated.

98 Also it can be secured by making senses partake the nature of the deities. This is possible through service of Govinda (Krishna) and by no other means.

99 From firm knowledge in the form of non-dualism of the soul, springs renunciation that separates one from home. The control of speech and other means are intended for that end.

100 All these must be contemplated, but the world is not completely annihilated. Sometimes, the world or the body is said to be product of the mind. Its knowledge is essential for renunciation.

101 If men of other schools of thought serve God, in accordance with devotion and preach things in harmony with it, then their act of devotion is not sublated; but they do not get the fruit of devotion which should be obtained by shaping one's conduct in accordance with one's own natural path of devotion.

102 A man who having knowledge that all things are produced from God and that God becomes all, serves God by love, accompanied by Shravan etc. is the best votary of God.

103 In the absence of love, he is a devotee of the middle kind; in the absence of knowledge, of the first kind. In the absence of both, the Shravan etc. are useful to annihilate sin.

104 The conjunction of penance and discipline, will lead to knowledge as fruit. The conjunction with discipline produces love. Otherwise it is simply to be regarded as mere praise.

105 This meaning has been determined from all the sentences of the Vedas, the Ramayana, Bharata, Pancharatra, by the sentences of other scriptures and also by those of Krishna. (Gita) That meaning is given by Krishna in the Gita.

106 The meaning of the scriptures is determined on the authority of proofs. Now is determined. "Sarva Nirnaya" with reference to knowable (objects of knowledge).