Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada
Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan
In response to this Krishna will describe His Vebhuti in next around 20-25 verses
We are going to discuss Vibhutis of Krishna.
Arjuna is accepted in 10.10 that Krishna is the AT and he has made a request in 10/17 & 18 asking please describe in detail Your glories, Your Vibhuties by which You have pervaded this world, so Krishna will start describing from 10.19. so from 10.19 to 10.42 it is a list of Vibhuties of Krishna along with some introductory verses and some concluding verses, so we will look with introductory verses what is happening when Krishna is identifying Himself with certain things in this world.
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
hanta te kathayiṣyāmi
divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ
prādhānyataḥ kuru-śreṣṭha
nāsty anto vistarasya me
Word for word:
śrī–bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; hanta — yes; te — unto you; kathayiṣyāmi — I shall speak; divyāḥ — divine; hi — certainly; ātma–vibhūtayaḥ — personal opulences; prādhānyataḥ — which are principal; kuru–śreṣṭha — O best of the Kurus; na asti — there is not; antaḥ — limit; vistarasya — to the extent; me — My.
Translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Yes, I will tell you of My splendorous manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless.
Hanta, yes, an expression of Joy or delight, te kathayiṣyāmi, Yes I will speak
divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ, ātma-vibhūtayaḥ, my glories and opulence they are divine I will speak about them,
But when I will speak what I will speak? prādhānyataḥ kuru-śreṣṭha, prādhānyataḥ, I will speak the principal one among them,
nāsty anto vistarasya me, because my glories are endless.
Living entity may be attracted towards other things in this world so Krishna is telling His vibhuties and saying the attraction in this world is just spark of My splendor, they are just spark but Krishna is whole source.
To the extend we are attracted with things of this world to that extend we are diseased.
Meaning of word Vibhuti , buta is used for existence, Brahma Bhuta spiritual existence, Vibhuti means special existence or manifestation of this world Vi prefix means Vishesha , so Vibhuti is those material manifestation that has special attraction so these if connected to Krishna we become attracted to Krishna instead of those things.
So let us try to understand how this Vibhuti Yoga works. How does Vibhuti bring about Yoga? The things of this world attracts us but perception of Krishna connection bring Yoga. E.g. Beauty of a movie star doesn’t remind about Krishna it doesn’t lead to Yoga but to the Bhoga, but when we understand that all beauty, strength, intelligence are a spark of Krishna’s opulence so this perception will lead to Yoga, and it is that connection which Krishna is highlighting in this chapter.
Different ways to realize spiritual reality :
Context of Vibhuti yoga
Vedanta –radical differentiation between matter & spirit, e.g. Na iti Na iti Na iti this is Upanishadik way Vedantic way, I am not this I am not this…I am not this body, finger, skin.. no, no, no so this way one reject this material way so that way renunciation is considered very important, because matter is false, illusory, causes bondage so one should give up matter. We also see this in BG in second chapter Krishna is pointing toward soul with many negative aphithates e.g. 2.23, 2.24.
BG is integration of various trances of Vedic thoughts, so apart from this vedantic way of leaving matter and moving to spirit there are other ways:
Bhagavat viddhi–Sound is the way from matter to spirit,
Tantra viddhi–Matter itself can be used as a way to spirit
Right-hand –Deity worship (Pancharatra)
Left Hand – Tantra – Tamasic
Bhagavat viddhi–Sound is the way from matter to spirit:
Itaya Murthi Abhidanena mantra murthi amuthikam
The Bhagavatam describes Itaya Murthi Abhidanena, one can worship the form of that lord mantra murthi amuthikam who is unmanifest has now manifested as mantra murthi as the sacred sound, when we chant Hare Krishna Maha Mantra when we hear about Krishna at that time what we are doing we are taking shelter of sound and this sound is enabling us to rise from matter to spirit, this sound is extremely important , and often we see that when we are anxious if we can connect with the sound of Holy Name kirtan, bhajan, chanting immediately the mind becomes calm, mind disturbs because of mode of passion or ignorance whereas transcendental sound exists at transcendental level, we have to deal with our problem but sound vibration lifts us to the transcendental level. Thus we become purified and pacified.
Tantra viddhi–Matter itself can be used as a way to spirit
Along with that there is Tantra vidhi also Tantra has sometimes negative connotation but it need not be negative.
Tantra is of two types right hand and left hand.
Right-hand is auspicious it is called Deity worship (Pancharatra), it is stvik way.
Deity is Krishna but it is made of material elements which is spiritualized but invoking of Prana Prathistha. We use all matter to serve the deities.
So these two are two different approaches.
I am not body I am soul that is one approach, and deity worship is another approach. Underlying purpose and philosophy is the same and the purpose is we have to raise our consciousness from material level to spiritual level. So unless the consciousness changes the person remains a ritualistic worshiper.
Left Hand – Tantra – Tamasic
It is generally destructive. In this tantra there is an idea that sex can be a means to approach god, matter can take one to spirit. This idea is not supported in scripture it is a dangerous idea, in fact sex is one activity which makes us more and more materially conscious. So by doing sex more and more one becomes spiritual it is like saying that by drinking poison one becomes healthy.
Context of Vibhuti yoga
- Extraordinary material manifestations reflect spark of Krishna’s glory (10.41)
- Such manifestations naturally attract our attention and so can be used as impetuses to remember Krishna
- Purpose is to focus on Krishna, not the specific manifestation
Most of people when look attractive things gets attracted but spiritualist think about the source and get attracted towards Krishna, that is how one makes spiritual advancement
End of transcription.
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