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493 Because foolish people consider the transcendental name of Lord Hari to be equal to ordinary mundane sound vibrations, while remaining engaged in sense enjoyment with their body, mind, and life air, the Supreme Lord appears incomprehensible to them. The transcendental name of the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Lord Himself are non- different. Because transcendental sound vibration and the object of transcendental sound vibration are unfathomable, no one can realize their glories without the mercy of the Supreme Lord. The four levels of transcendental sound—parä, paçyanté, madhyamä, and vaikharé—are completely transcendental, devoid of material contamination, and untouched by the spirit of mundane enjoyment. Therefore, the mentality of sense enjoyers and dry renunciates makes a distinction between transcendental sound and its object, thereby inviting inauspiciousness.
MaYaaePab*&ihTa&>aUMNaab]ř >aUTaezugaaezćPae Transcendental sound vibration manifests in different phases, according to the inspiration of the Supreme Lord. The question may arise: “If the Supreme Lord is one
without a second, how is it possible that He remains present as unlimited spiritual and material manifestations?” The answer is given in this verse: “I am the almighty Lord. I
manifest innumerable forms of unlimited potency and by the expansion of these forms, I am all-pervading. For those who can perceive Me in meditation, I am realized as oŕkära
within the heart.” In this verse, the Lord cites the example of a strand of fiber within a lotus stem.
Because the holy name of the Lord and the Supreme Lord Himself are identical, descriptions such as all-pervading, all-powerful, unlimited, and the Supersoul, are
befitting Him and no one else. All these adjectives describe the Lord’s transcendental qualities, and are devoid of any mundane tinge. As a fiber is inseparable from the stem
494 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ of a lotus, the Supreme Lord is inseparable from His holy name, and thus both the Lord and His holy names are the objects of the liberated soul’s worship.
YaQaae Aak-aXaaÔaezvaNPa[a ^NdaeMaYaae_Ma*TaMaYa>SahóPadvq&Pa[>au> ) pk-araÜyiĹTaSPaXaRSvraeZMaaNTaSQa>aUizTaaMa( ))39))
ivic}a>aazaivTaTaa&^Ndaei>aęTauĺtarE> ) ANaNTaPaara&b*hTaq&Sa*JaTYaai+aPaTaeSvYaMa( ))40))
Just as a spider brings forth its web from its heart and produces it through its mouth, the plenary portion of the Supreme Lord, who is the source of Brahmä, manifests the
Vedic knowledge by means of His potency. With the support of the sky, the Vedic knowledge, along with the vital life air, then enters the heart of Brahmä. The word ghońa
means “sound.” Transcendental sound vibration in the form of the Vedic literature is Explanation of the Vedic Path 495 thus revealed by the Supreme Lord in this way. It is the Supreme Lord and nothing else that is to be realized by one’s study of the Vedas.
GaaYa}YauiZ i}aíuBJaGaTYaiTaC^NdaeůTYaíyiTaJaGaiÜra$( ))48))
The Gäyatri meter has twenty-four syllables, and the Uńëik meter has twenty-eight syllables. There are other meters, such as Atyańöi, Atijagaté, and Ativiräö, all of which
are defined in the Vedas. ik&-ivDataeik-Maacíeik-MaNaUŰivk-LPaYaeTa( ) wTYaSYaaôdYa&l/aeke-NaaNYaaeMaÜedk-ęNa ))42))
It is to be understood that whatever has been prescribed in the Vedas is meant for the ultimate benefit of all living entities. There are so many individual opinions that answer
the question, “What is the actual purport of the Vedic statements? What do the Vedas actually teach?” The Vedas teach that one should chant mantras three times a day, offer
oblations to the forefathers, and perform numerous other prescribed rituals and duties. Does this mean that the Vedas simply encourage the living entities to perform fruitive
activities? The answer is that all Vedic formulas are preliminary stages leading to the perfect stage of Kĺńëa consciousness, in which one fully surrenders to the devotional
496 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ service of the Lord. There are various processes recommended in the Vedic literature, such as karma-yoga, jďäna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. All these processes are revealed by the Supreme Lord for the benefit of people having various qualifications. Foolish people think that by following any of these processes one can attain the supreme perfection of life. That is why in this verse the Supreme Lord says that it is He alone who knows the actual purport of the Vedas.
Çré Kĺńëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second. No one other than the Supreme Lord Çré Kĺńëa knows the actual aim of the sacrifices prescribed in the karma-käëňa section of the Vedas, the goal of the mantras that are found in the upäsaëa-käëňa section of the Vedas, and the objective of the deliberations of the jďäna-käëňa section of the Vedas. The demigods, human beings, and great sages, who are all subordinate to the Supreme Lord and who have a limited capacity for transcendental understanding, cannot find out the actual intention of the Vedas. The Supreme Absolute Truth is the Lord Himself, who is the only shelter of all living entities, and who is the only objective of all kinds of Vedic processes. TEXT 43 Maa&ivDatae_i>aDataeMaa&ivk-LPYaaPaaeůTaeTvhMa( ) WTaavaNSavRvedaQaR>XaBd AaSQaaYaMaa&i>adaMa( ) MaaYaaMaa}aMaNaUŰaNTaePa[iTaizDYaPa[SaqdiTa ))43)) mäŕ vidhatte ‘bhidhatte mäŕ vikalpyäpohyate tv aham etävän sarva-vedärthaů çabda ästhäya mäŕ bhidäm mäyä-mätram anüdyänte pratińidhya prasédati In the karma-käëňa, the Vedas have described Me as the goal of all sacrifices, and in the devatä-käëňa, the Supreme Lord of all kinds of worship. The jďäna-käëňa elaborately analyzes all material duality as being nothing but My illusory potency, and thus not separate from Me. The transcendental sound vibration thus establishes Me as the essential meaning of all Vedic knowledge. COMMENTARY By all the Vedas the Supreme Lord is to be known. Devotional service is described as being under the guidance of the internal potency of the Supreme Lord, and it is the constitutional duty of the living entities. The recommendation to perform sacrifices is meant to ultimately bring one to the platform of devotional service. It has been stated by
Explanation of the Vedic Path 497 the Supreme Lord: “In the beginning of creation, I spoke the Vedic wisdom to Brahmä and thereafter, it became known as bhägavata dharma. Indeed, I am the goal of the Vedas.”
After elaborately propagating the various paths of wisdom, the Vedas concluded that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal. The three käëňas of the Vedas propagate karma, jďäna, and bhakti. At the same time, it has refuted the path of karma, as well as the path of jďäna, or the cultivation of knowledge. First, the Vedas advocate that one renounce the performance of activities with attachment for the results, but instead engage in karma without any material desires. By such a practice, one gradually comes to the platform of jďäna, wherein one is advised to give up all fruitive activities, even if performed without material desires. When one comes to the platform of perfection of jďäna, one is advised to give up the very cultivation of knowledge while attempting to merge into transcendence. However, it is to be carefully noted that nowhere in any Vedic literature has it been advised that one should renounce the devotional service of the Lord. The teachings of the Vedas are based on the idea that eventually, everyone must come to the platform of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It has been concluded that the Supreme Lord is the ultimate shelter, and that the processes of karma and jďäna are by nature illusory. The performance of karma takes place within the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature, and the cultivation of knowledge causes one to be situated in the mode of goodness. Therefore, ultimately, these processes are to be abandoned because they cannot lead one to the platform of transcendence. The Vedas felt immense pleasure by describing the wonderfully sweet qualities of devotional service, which is transcendental to the three modes of material nature. Indeed, it is the desire of the Vedas that the conditioned soul may drown in the transcendentally sweet mellows of devotional service.
The sacrifices that are prescribed in the karma-käëňa sections of the Vedas are manifestations of the Supreme Lord. The ultimate goal of all kinds of activities is certainly to satisfy the Supreme Lord. A multitude of Vedic paths of advancement have been promoted simply due to the conditioned souls’ lack of love for the Supreme Lord. It is the Supreme Lord alone who is able to remove the coverings of ignorance from the minds of the living entities. He is certainly the ultimate goal of all kinds of ritualistic performances found in the Vedas. In this material world, there is a distinction between an object and a sound that represents it. Because ordinary sounds are under the jurisdiction of material time and place, they are incompetent for ascertaining the nature of an object. The conditioned
498 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ souls consider the objects that make up their material environment as meant for their personal enjoyment. When a person gives up this materialistic conception as being the enjoyer of all he surveys and becomes inclined toward the Lord’s devotional service, the distinction between an object and the sound that represents it is vanquished. At that time, one becomes liberated from the Lord’s illusory energy, Maya, and obtains engagement in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord. From the viewpoint of enlightenment, it can be understood that with every syllable, the Vedas declare the glories of the Supreme Lord and establish Him as the supreme worshipable object for all classes of living beings. Thus end the translation of the fifteenth chapter of the Uddhava-géta entitled “Explanation of the Vedic Path” with the commentaries of Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura and chapter summary and purports by Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura CHAPTER 16 ENUMERATION OF THE ELEMENTS OF MATERIAL CREATION CHAPTER SUMMARY In this chapter there is a description of the material elements, the natures of male and female, and birth and death. Various philosophies categorize the material elements in different ways. Although such differences are caused by the illusory energy of the Lord, they all are based on logic and are therefore acceptable. The material elements exist in all situations and in all places and the insurmountable illusory energy of the Lord causes them to be understood in various ways. The knowledge acquired by the perception of the senses can determine, to some extent, the material elements, but can never penetrate to the eternal soul. There is a supreme controller of nature, and He is also the supreme enjoyer, not the controlled minute individual souls. The three modes of material nature cause the conditioned souls to appreciate different aspects of material nature. Those in the mode of goodness appreciate knowledge, those in the mode of passion appreciate activity, and those in the mode of ignorance appreciate foolishness. Time is a representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the original cause of material propensities is the mahat-
Lord, material nature, the mahat-tattva, false ego, ether, air, fire, water, earth, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, speech, the hands, feet, genitals, anus, the mind, sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. 499 500 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ In the beginning, the Lord glaces over the material energy, so that the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the cosmic manifestation is brought into existence, under the control of the Lord. In this way, there is a distinction made between the puruńa and prakĺti, although, in one sense, they are non-different as cause and effect. The universe is brought about by the interaction of the three modes of materal nature, which cause matter to be in a constant state of transformation. The rebellious living beings are then forced to accept material bodies in the cosmic manifestation as a result of their previous fruitive activites. Because his knowledge of his self is covered by the illusory energy of the Lord, the conditioned soul cannot understand his actual position. The subtle body, which is filled with desires for sense gratification, carries the helpless conditioned soul from one body to another. The body undergoes nine stages of transformation due to being under the control of the three modes of material nature. These are impregnation, gestation within the womb, birth, childhood, youth, maturity, middle age, old age, and finally death. From the death of one’s father and the birth of one’s child, one can understand the temporary nature of his own body. The conscious self is distinct from the material body it identifies with. The conditioned soul is in the darkness of ignorance, being bewildered by the objects of the senses, and thus he achieves various destinations, one after another, within the cosmic manifestation. In this way, the conditioned soul wanders throughout the universe under the spell of material nature, sometimes residing in heaven due to the predominance of the mode of goodness, sometimes appearing in human society due the predominance of the mode of passion, and sometimes being forced into lower species of life due to the predominance of the mode of ignorance. The eternal soul never directly contacts the objects of the senses, but only the senses of the body. Therefore, the pleasure derived from material sense gratification is very limited and temporary. Only those who take shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, dedicating themselves to His devotional service, attain peace, whereas all others, even great so-called scholars, are tormented by the insurmountable influence of material nature.
TEXT 1-3 é[qoÖv ovac k-iTaTatvaiNaivěeXaSa&:YaaTaaNYa*izi>a> Pa[>aae ) NavEk-adXaPaÄ}aq ke-icTziÍ&XaiTa&Pa[ahurParePaÄiv&XaiTa& )
SaáEke-Navz$(ke-icŔTvaYaeRk-adXaaPare ))2)) Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation ke-icTSaádXaPa[ahu>zae@XaEke-}aYaaedXa ) WTaavtv&ihSa&:YaaNaaMa*zYaaeYaiÜv+aYaa ) GaaYaiNTaPa*QaGaaYauZMaiŕd&Naaev˘u-MahRiSa ))3)) çré-uddhava uväca kati tattväni viçveça saěkhyätäny ĺńibhiů prabho navaikädaça paďca tréëy ättha tvam iha çuçruma kecit ńaň-viŕçatiŕ prähur apare paďca-viŕçatiŕ saptaike nava ńaö kecic catväry ekädaçäpare kecit saptadaça prähuů ńoňaçaike trayodaça etävattvaŕ hi saěkhyänäm ĺńayo yad-vivakńayä gäyanti pĺthag äyuńmann idaŕ no vaktum arhasi 501 Uddhava said: My dear Lord, O master of the universe, how have the great sages categorized the elements of the material nature? I have heard You said that there are twenty-eight elements: the supreme controller, the spirit soul, the mahat-tattva, false ego, the five gross elements, the ten knowledge-acquiring and working senses, the mind, the five sense objects, and the three modes of nature. However, there are others who say that there are twenty-six elements, while still others point out twenty-five, seven, nine, six, four, or eleven elements, and even others who say that there are seventeen, sixteen, or thirteen. How is it that great sages categorize the material elements in different ways? Please describe to me so that I may correctly understand this. COMMENTARY After hearing the Lord’s explanation of karma käëňa, Çré Uddhava now asks about some details of the jďäna käëňa sections of the Vedas, desiring to gain a proper understanding. There are innumerable sages who have established their own opinions and while doing so, they have ascertained different numbers of material elements. This is not actually contradictory because various philosophers have utilized various methods of categorizing the same reality. In these three verses, it is stated that some particular sage has ascertained that there are nine elements— the Supreme Lord, the living entities, the mahat-tattva, false ego, and the five gross material elements. However, besides these there are ten senses, the mind, the five sense objects, and the three modes of material nature, making a total of twenty-eight elements. The word äyuńman, or “possessing eternal form,” is significant 502 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ in this regard. The Supreme Lord is eternal and full of knowledge of past, present, and future, and so He is the original and perfect philosopher.
Different philosophers have given various opinions while enumerating the number of material elements. In this verse, Uddhava states that it is the opinion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that there are twenty-eight material elements. These are the Supreme Lord, His energy, the intelligence, false ego, the five gross elements, the mind, the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five sense objects, and the three modes of material nature. The godless Säěkhya philosophers, who are averse to the Supreme Lord, ascertain the number of material elements to be twenty-four. They do not accept the three modes of material nature and the supreme controller. Atheistic speculation on reality does not recognize the existence of God; consequently it is a worthless attempt to explain the truth. The Lord Himself empowers different living entities to speculate and speak on reality in different ways.
é[q>aGavaNauvac Yau˘&-cSaiNTaSavR}a>aazNTaeb]ař MaaYaa&MadqYaaMauÓ*ůvdTaa&ik&-NaudugaR$=Ma( ))4)) Although there seems to be contradictions in the statements of the great sages, there is actually none. The Supreme Lord herein says that the words of the brähmaëas
are all reasonable. Each of the philosophers mentioned here reveals a particular aspect of truth, and their theories are not contradictory because they are descriptions of the
same phenomena with different categorical systems. Having spoken under the shelter of Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation 503 the Lord’s mystic potency, none of the sages could ascertain the truth perfectly. As long as the sun and the moon remain, these differences of opinion will also continue to exist. This is the purport of this verse. TEXT 5 NaETadev&YaQaaTQaTv&Yadh&viCMaTataQaa ) Wv&ivvdTaa&heTau&Xa˘-YaaeMaedurTYaYaa> ))5))
By the influence of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, different philosophers are attracted to different views; and by the influence of the material atmosphere created by the Lord, these philosophers perpetually disagree with one another. As stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (6.4.31):
YaaSaa&VYaiTak-radaSaqiÜk-LPaaevdTaa&PadMa( ) Pa[aáeXaMadMae_PYaeiTavadSTaMaNauXaaMYaiTa ))6))
504 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ It is by the interaction of My energies that different opinions arise. However, for those who have fixed their intelligence on Me, and who have controlled their senses, differences of perception disappear so that the very cause for argument is removed. COMMENTARY Conflicting perceptions in the minds of various mundane philosophers is created by the Lord’s external energy. Although deluded by the Lord’s illusory energy, each philosopher thinks that he is correct, saying, “It may be like this and it may be like that.” Although such thinking is surely rational, because of a limited view of reality, each philosopher argues and counter-argues without ever coming to a definite conclusion. Such quarreling is absent in the society of devotees, who accept the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose vision is not limited, and who is not under the influence of the illusory energy. Being enlightened in the truth, the devotees of the Lord are in complete agreement. Even if by chance there appears to be some differences in opinion, this is not because the devotees are under the influence of false ego. On the transcendental platform, there are also varieties of perception according to one’s particular relationship with the Lord.
ParSParaNauPa[veXaatatvaNaa&PauĺzzR>a ) PaaEvaRPaYaRPa[Sa&:YaaNa&YaQaav˘u-ivRvi+aTaMa( ))7))
The creation of the universe is enacted from subtle to gross, as an effect of the inconceivable potency of the Lord. The cause is present in the effect, and so the effect is also subtly present in the cause. Considering this, it is concluded that all the elements are present in each element. It is for this reason that the elements of material nature can be categorized in various ways. That materialistic philosophers speculate according to their own propensities and limitations, they each consider their own conlusions to be the best. This is being described in these two verses. Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation TEXT 8 Wk-iSMaŕiPad*XYaNTaePa[ivíaNaqTarai PaUvRiSMaNvaPariSMaNvaTatveTatvaiNaSavRXa> ))8))
The subtle material elements are present within their transformations, the gross elements, and the gross material elements are present in their subtle causes. This is true because creation is enacted from subtle to gross in a series of transformations. For this reason, all the material elements are present in each element. COMMENTARY The example can be given that within clay, the potentiality for a claypot exists, just as the presence of clay is within the pot. In this way, all of the material elements are present within each element, and ultimately, all elements have as their shelter the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PaaEvaRPaYaRMaTaae_Maqza&Pa[Sa&:YaaNaMa>aqPSaTaaMa( ) YaQaaiviv˘&-YaÜŁ&-Ga*őqMaaeYaui˘-SaM>avaTa( ))9))
Even though materialistic philosophers rationally describe the universe from varying perceptions, they can never come to an ultimate understanding without hearing from the Lord or His representative. One should therefore not be proud of his limited intelligence, just because he has some partial understanding of material existence.
506 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ PURPORT Due to misuse of their minute independence, even expert living entities come under the control of perpetual ignorance and thus enter into perpetual conflicts and arguments. One who does not misuse his good intelligence and is devoid of the propensity for material enjoyment is certainly a candidate for the pure devotional service of the Lord. Such a devotee can enlighten the entire world with the understanding of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. On the other hand, if a blind person guides another blind person, both will fall into a ditch. Non-devotees, such as the karmés and jďänés, can never impart perfect knowledge for the simple reason that they are not self-realized. TEXT 10 ANaaŰivŰaYau˘-SYaPauĺzSYaaTMavedNaMa( ) SvTaaeNaSaM>avadNYaSTatvjaejaNadae>aveTa( ))10))
Uddhava explained how some materialistic philosophers see twenty-five categories of elements, whereas others see twenty-six. Generally, this distinction is caused by a difference in spiritual understanding. Some see the individual soul and the Supreme Soul to be one and the same and so they count twenty-five, whereas others recognize the distinction between the one Supreme Lord and the many minute living entities maintained by the one Lord, and so they count twenty-six. The sixth dative case in this verse should be understood as the first dative case. Because the conditioned souls forgot their constitutional position, it is the omniscient Supreme Lord who can revive their original nature by imparting to them the knowledge of the self. This is the opinion of all the Vaińëava authorities.
Those whose only means for acquiring knowledge is their mundane experience are unable to realize the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His eternal variegatedness. As a result of their mundane conceptions, such empiricists preach the philosophy of impersonalism while internally remaining sense enjoyers and
Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation 507 externally displaying renunciation. These conditioned souls, instead of understanding themselves as minute individual spirit souls, believe themselves to be the all-pervading Supersoul. And yet, in spite of such pretensions, such mundane philosophers cannot escape the duality of lamentation and illusion. Because of rejecting their subordination to the Supreme Lord, they forever remain within the darkness of ignorance. However, if such unfortunate souls somehow take to devotional service, then all their inauspiciousness can be destroyed. When they understand that the Supreme Lord is the only enjoyer and the original source of everything, they can simultaneously realize themselves as minute particles of spirit that are the Lord’s eternal servants. TEXT 11 PauĺzeěrYaaer}aNavEl/+a TadNYak-LPaNaaPaaQaaRjaNa&cPa[k*-TaeGauR ))11))
Can the statement that there are twenty-five elements be accepted? This question is answered by the Lord in this verse. Although the individual spirit soul and the Supersoul
are distinct entities, there is no qualitative difference between them. The difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entities is that the Supreme Lord is infinite
whereas the living entities are infinitesimal. The Supreme Lord is the energetic source of all energies and the living entities are one of His energies. This establishes the proper
understanding that the Supreme Lord and the living entities are simultaneously one with and different from each other. Any philosophical attempt to separate the living
entity from the Supreme Lord and deny his eternal servitude to the Lord is thus refuted. Speculation arriving at the conclusion that the living entity has independent existence
separate from the Lord is described here as apärthä, or useless. Generally, materialists have some kind of a belief in God but because they identify with the material body as the self, they cannot appreciate the qualitative oneness of
508 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ the Lord and the living beings. For this reason, genuine understanding of the Absolute Truth must begin from the understanding of the spiritual quality of the living entities, as distinct from the bodily concept of life. Lord Caitanya has described the truth as acintya-bhedäbheda-tattva—that the Lord and the living entities are simultaneously one and different. When one cultivates the mode of goodness, this understanding develops, and by further advancement in devotional service, one can understand the variegatedness of spiritual existence. TEXT 12 Pa[k*-iTaGauR Satv&rJaSTaMaEiTaiSQaTYauTPatYaNTaheTav> ))12))
Although the spirit souls are counted as the superior energy of the Lord, they are very tiny and thus subject to the influence of the inferior, external energy of the Lord. In their original state, the three modes of material nature are in equilibrium, and later, when material nature is agitated by the glance of the Lord, creation of the universe takes place, wherein the conditioned souls are bound up. These conditioned souls are not actually the doers of activities within the cosmic manifestation. While conditioned by the modes of nature, the living entities experience various conditions of life. The mode of goodness allows one to cultivate knowledge, the mode of passion allows one to work very hard, and the mode of ignorance allows one to act foolishly. However, these qualitative distinctions have no actual relation to the spirit souls, whose actual qualities are that they are eternal, full of knowledge, and fully blissful. In the original state of material nature, the three material modes are in equilibrium. These material qualities are the causes of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the cosmic manifestation and the spirit soul has nothing to do with them.
Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation PURPORT 509 The three modes of material nature—goodness, passion, and ignorance—are the causes of the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the material world. Unlike the material nature, the spirit soul has no material qualities. In the original condition of material nature, there is equilibrium of the three modes of material nature. The material modes have no access within the kingdom of God, in the unbounded atmosphere of which the eternal living entity is meant to live. There, the spiritual energies, which are known as hlädiné, sandhiné, and saŕvit are present. In the spiritual world, there is no question of creation caused by the influence of time because in that transcendental abode, time is eternally present.
Satv&jaNa&rJa>k-MaRTaMaae_jaNaiMahaeCYaTae ) Gau Knowledge can be derived from cultivation of the mode of goodness, thus leading one towards the Absolute Truth. Fruitive activities are born from the mode of passion and the state of being devoid of knowledge is born from the mode of ignorance. These characteristics of the material nature are found in the conditioned souls who are being forced to exist under material designations. Käla, or time, by which the three modes of material nature are agitated, is the impetus for the interaction of the material elements. PURPORT It is generally understood that knowledge is produced by the material quality of goodness, fruitive activities are enacted by the material quality of passion, and ignorance is the result of the material quality of darkness. Although there are numerous divisions of material elements within the basic divisions, the spirit soul is always to be understood as a distinct transcendental element. 510 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ TEXT 14 Pauĺz>Pa[k*-iTaVYaR˘-MahŞaraeNa>aae_iNal/> ) JYaaeiTaraPa>i+aiTairiTaTatvaNYau˘-aiNaMaeNav ))14))
I have thus described the nine basic truths as the spirit soul, nature, the mahat- tattva, false ego, sky, air, fire, water, and earth. COMMENTARY In this and the next two verses, the Supreme Lord elucidates the twenty-five material elements. The word vyakta here refers to the mahat-tattva.
The nine elements— the spirit soul, nature, the material ingredients, false ego, and the five gross elements are here described as tattva, or truth. The material nature is originally unmanifest and later on, when it is manifest, it is known as mahat-tattva. TEXT 15 é[ae}a&TvGdXaRNa&ga]a vaKPaa The word darçana means “eyes.” The five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses and the mind constitute eleven elements mentioned in this verse.
The five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, and the mind, which is the director of both sets of senses, are known as eleven truths.
Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation TEXT 16 XaBd>SPaXaaeRrSaaeGaNDaaećPa&ceTYaQaRJaaTaYa> ) GaTYau˘-yuTSaGaRiXaLPaaiNak-MaaRYaTaNaiSaÖYa> ))16))
Sound, touch, form, taste and smell are the objects of the knowledge-acquiring senses. By their transformation, the five gross material elements are created. Movement, speech, excretion, and manufacture are functions of the working senses. COMMENTARY The objects of the knowledge-acquiring senses are five. Thus, the Lord has enumerated twenty-five elements. Activities, such as speaking, moving about, passing stool, passing urine, and performing artistic work are the propensities of the working senses and as such, they should not be considered a separate truth.
The objects of the senses are sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Activities, such as speaking, movement with the help of the legs, artistic work performed with the hands, and the releasing of bodily waste through the anus and genital are the objects of the five working senses. By counting these activities of the working senses as one, the total becomes twenty-six. TEXT 17 SaGaaRdaEPa[k*-iTaůRSYak-aYaRk-ar Satvaidi>aGauR 512 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ COMMENTARY In the beginning of the material creation, material nature creates with the help of her three modes, goodness, passion, and ignorance. The Supreme Lord remains in His transcendental position, unaffected by the actions and reactions of the gross and subtle material elements. Therefore, the Lord is referred to as avyakta, or never manifest within the material creation. No matter in which way the material elements are categorized, it must be understood that the Supreme Lord is the ultimate cause of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the cosmic manifestation.
The external energy of the Supreme Lord, which manifests as cause and effect, employs her three modes to perform the activities of the material world’s creation, maintenance, and annihilation. The Lord personally remains unchanged as He agitates the material nature through His glance to initiate creation.
VYa˘-adaYaaeivku-vaR l/BDavqYaaR>Sa*JaNTYa<@&Sa&hTaa>Pa[k*-TaebRl/aTa( ))18))
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