vamanadeva-and-jiva-gosvamis-appearance-day

The Appearance Day of Śrī Vāmanadeva and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda

The Necessity of Gadādhara Paṇḍita

By Swami Bhaktivijñāna GiriPublished On: October 1, 2026Tags: Śāstra13.7 min read

Overview

In this section, Brahmā states that the Supreme Absolute is beyond the grasp of the mind and material senses, yet He is the source of their power and function. Through purification, transcendental knowledge and association with pure devotees, one can gradually perceive the Lord, who is understood not through mundane speculation but through devotion.

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TEXT 6
यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् ।
तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ६॥

yan manasā na manute
yenāhur mano matam
tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi
nedaṁ yad idam upāsate

He that the mind cannot comprehend, but impels the mind to comprehend other objects – know Him to be the Absolute, not that which the world worships.

Commentary

In Sanskrit, the word for mind is mana and the word for human is manuṣya, which literally means ‘one who has the capability to control the mind.’ Humans have the unique capacity to control and cultivate the mind and thus achieve spiritual enlightenment, whereas other species lack such potential. The definition of ‘mind’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary is as follows:

The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel…

According to this definition, the mind is an element of an individual. Western physicians consider the mind simply to be cerebral waste-matter from the brain. On the other hand, modern psychologists consider the mind, not as an individual element or a type of mental excreta, but as the very self. Unlike the followers of Vedānta, who accept consciousness as an attribute of the ātmā (the real self), psychologists assume that consciousness is an attribute of the mind. They define consciousness as:

The hypothetical sensory centre in the brain that is involved with a person’s clarity of awareness about himself and his surroundings, including the ability to perceive and process ongoing events in light of past experiences, future options and current circumstances. (The Textbook of Psychiatry Vol. III, p.3318)

However, many new findings in behavioral sciences are challenging the interpretation that consciousness is simply a function of the mind linked to the brain. Consciousness is increasingly being acknowledged by the scientific community as much more central than just the mind.

Vedāntists consider the mind as a separate principle to the ātmā. Consider how in everyday life we say such things as, “I can’t make my mind up” or “Something is on my mind” – in other words, by and large, subconsciously we do not identify ourselves with our mind and regard it as different to the actual self. In a case of mental paralysis, amnesia, a coma or physical damage to the brain, one’s mental faculties are impaired, yet the self still remains.

According to the Chandogya Upaniṣad, the mind is a receptacle of our knowledge and described as, manute budhyate’neneti manaḥ – ’that element which perceives things.’ It is considered to be subtle matter and a major component of the subtle body (sukṣma-deha) along with material intelligence (buddhi) and false-ego (ahaṅkāra). Collectively, these ingredients are known as antaḥkāraṇa (internal instruments). The mind is saṅkalpa–vikalpātmaka – an instrument that accepts and rejects data. Sensation, thought and volition are the three functions that assist the mind in adopting and discarding information. The mind fully depends upon the ātmā to function because without its support, the mind cannot acquire knowledge. The ātmā is the original seer (dṛṣṭa) and the mind is the seen (dṛṣya) – the ātmā is the subject, the mind is the object.

Being a material element, albeit subtle, the mind cannot perceive that which is cit-vastu (spirit), thus Brahmā states in this text that the mind cannot comprehend the Absolute. Mundane religionists and even atheists strive to drag the Absolute down into the realm drawn from their own physical and mental experience, but He is far beyond anything that the finite jīva can conjure up in the factory of his mind:

yad yan niruktaṁ vacasā nirūpitaṁ
dhiyākṣabhir vā manasota yasya
mā bhūt svarūpaṁ guṇa-rūpaṁ hi tat tat
sa vai guṇāpāya-visarga-lakṣaṇaḥ

Whatever is expressed by words, understood through mundane intelligence, by the senses or the mind is but a product of the modes of material nature and has nothing to do with the actual nature of the Supreme, who is the prime cause of material dissolution and creation. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.4.29)

What to say of ordinary humans, He is even beyond the mental jurisdiction of great beings from higher dimensions:

yato ‘prāpya nyavartanta vācaś ca manasā saha
ahaṁ cānya ime devās tasmai bhagavate namaḥ

I offer my respects unto that Supreme Lord, whom, with their words and mental faculty, the demigods have failed to measure and have thus given up. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.6.40)

Furthermore, in the Tenth Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Brahmā explains that we must set aside all attempts to measure the immeasurable Absolute Truth by mental conjecture (jñāne prayāsam udapāsya). Śrī Kṛṣṇa can only be understood through the process of jñāna-śunya-bhakti – devotion which is untainted with mundane intellectualism.

The cultivation of spiritual knowledge is meant for deepening our understanding of the Supreme and to increase our faith – it is not to be exploited and used to bolster our prestige as a scholar, a lecturer, an advanced devotee etc. In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the great devotee Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has warned us against partially reading too many books for the purpose of making novel explanations and arguments (bahu-grantha-kalābhyāsa-vyākhyā-vāda-vivarjanam). Such a mentality gives rise to pride, which is the antithesis of pure devotion.

TEXT 7

यच्चक्षुषा न पश्यति येन चक्षूँषि पश्यति ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ७॥

yac cakṣuṣā na paśyati
yena cakṣūṁṣi paśyati
tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi
nedaṁ yad idam upāsate

He that the eyes cannot see, but causes the eyes to see – know Him to be the Absolute, not that which the world worships.

Commentary

As humans, we rely so much upon our sensory perception, in particular our vision. How many times have we heard a skeptic declare, “I only believe what I can see!”? Generally, however, it is quite the opposite – we only see what we believe! Due to the conditioning of previous experiences and prejudices, our brains only allow us to perceive what we already believe to be true. The brain only absorbs information that reaffirms ideas that we already accept as factual.

There are so many things in this world that we do not see with our eyes, yet we acknowledge their existence all the same. It would be foolish to claim that atoms, neurons, electricity and sound waves do not exist merely because we cannot see them with our physical eyes.

Creatures such as worms and leeches only have two senses, namely taste and touch. For a worm, the notion of sight is totally foreign – as far as the worm is concerned, such a concept doesn’t exist. Humans, on the other hand, have five senses – sight, taste, touch, smell and sound. Like the worm, humans are limited to the senses they are inherently born with. They cannot perceive anything outside the range of their five senses, yet that doesn’t necessarily mean that outside the purview of those five senses there is nothing to perceive. In order to experience spirit, we must travel beyond the five senses and enter the realm of the ātmā where we are given divya-cakṣus, transcendental eyes. This is explained by Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava:

yathā yathātmā parimṛjyate ‘sau
mat puṇya-gāthā-śravaṇābhidhānaih
tathā tathā paśyati vastu sūkṣmaṁ
cakṣur yathaivāñjana-samprayuktam

Just as an eye treated with ointment will gradually be able to see more clearly, similarly when one is purified by hearing and chanting My virtuous glories, one is gradually able to discern subtle truths. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.14.26)

Divine vision enables us to perceive Kṛṣṇa in all things – in particular within the sādhu. Kṛṣṇa’s presence is clearly felt in the association of the devotees.

nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇ†he yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu vā
tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ

I do not stay in Vaikuṇṭha, nor do I reside in the hearts of the yogīs. I am forever where My devotees glorify Me. (Padma Purāṇa)

To make rapid spiritual progress, sādhu-saṅga is most important. Association with pure sādhus awakens devotional sentiments within us:

bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate
sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate puṁbhiḥ sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ

The inclination towards bhakti is awakened through association with the Lord’s devotees. One attains the association of pure devotees by the accumulated effects of pious activities performed over many years. (Bṛhan-Nāradīya-Purāṇa 4.33)

We must associate with those sādhus who have given up sense-enjoyment, who understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and have dedicated their lives to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. When we are able to clearly see the Lord in the words and actions of the devotee, then it can be said that we have divine eyes.

TEXT 8

यच्छ्रोत्रेण न श‍ृणोति येन श्रोत्रमिदं श्रुतम् ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ८॥

yac chrotreṇa na śṛṇoti
yena śrotram idaṁ śrutam
tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi
nedaṁ yad idam upāsate

He that the ears cannot hear, but causes the ear to perceive sound – know Him to be the Absolute, not that which the world worships.

Commentary

From the time we are born till the time we die we are surrounded by sound. In our everyday lives, the entire environment is a cacophony of speech, music, traffic, machinery, alarms, ring-tones etc. – all providing vibrations that we find pleasant, important, soothing or annoying. Many times, we do not even stop to listen to the sounds around us because we become accustomed to them.

The ancient sages of India placed great importance on the science of sonic vibrations and their various effects. As with everything in the phenomenal world, sound can also be classified according to the modes of material nature. Sounds in the mode of goodness (sattva-guṇa) generally calm us and bring comfort, sounds in the mode of passion (rajo-guṇa) aggravate or energise us, and sounds in the mode of ignorance (tamo-guṇa) make us feel uneasy, sick or lethargic. Thus, various vibrations have profound effects upon our subtle body and mental constitution. External sound that is produced by the modes of material nature binds the jīva to this world, but the Vedānta tells us, anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt – transcendental sound has the capacity to release the jīva from bondage.

The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam defines sound as follows:

arthāśrayatvaṁ śabdasya draṣtur liṅgatvam eva ca
tan-mātratvaṁ ca nabhaso lakṣaṇaṁ kavayo viduḥ

Those who are wise define sound as that which conveys the idea of an object, that which indicates the presence of a seer and is the subtle form of nabhas, the ethereal element. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.26.33)

Firstly, sound conveys the concept of an object. For example, when we hear the word ‘water,’ that particular sound vibration indicates the specific idea of water. Secondly, sound naturally presupposes an origin, thus consciousness must be behind sound. Thirdly, sound is the subtle form of the ethereal element known in Sanskrit as nabhas (accommodating space/room for existence).

We generally believe that when we speak, sound comes directly from the throat, but according to the Vedas, sound must pass through different stages before it is fully audible at a gross level. When we manifest the urge to speak, prāṇa carries subtle sound from the perineum, past the naval and the heart and finally to the throat, mouth and tongue where it finally manifests as external speech. The Ṛg Veda explains that there are four stages of sound corresponding to the four levels of consciousness as explained in the Vedānta and the Upaniṣads:

catvāri vāk parimitā padāni tāni vidur brāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ
guhā trīṇī nihitā neṇgayanti turīyaṁ vāco manuṣyā vadanti

There are four gradations of sound that are known by introspective brāhmaṇas. Three of these that remain hidden create no motion, whereas the fourth is what we ordinarily understand as speech. (Ṛg Veda 1.164.45)

According to this verse, there are three subtle stages of sound and one gross stage. We all experience gross sound, but the ability to experience subtle sound all depends upon the level of our consciousness. The four stages are as follows:

Parā – this is the highest level of vibration representing transcendental sound. Parā is beyond the perception of the gross material senses and corresponds to the state of tūriya (the state of transcendence). Within the body, parā is situated in the mūladhāra-cakra (the seat of the life-airs), located at the perineum.

Paśyanti – when parā travels upwards towards the maṇipūra-cakra, located at the naval, it is known as paśyanti, the stage of ‘intellectual sound’. Paśyanti is less subtle that parā and manifests in the subconscious mind as forms and colours, which can be perceived by those sages who have subtle inner vision (hence it is called paśyanti – ’one who sees’). This level corresponds with the state of suṣupti (dreamless deep sleep) where both the gross and subtle senses ‘sleep’ and only the ātmā is active.

Madhyama – when paśyanti reaches the anāhata-cakra in the heart, it becomes madhyama, or the intermediate phase of mental consciousness. Madhyama is the level where we normally experience the thought process and refers to mental speech, as opposed to external audible speech. Madhyama corresponds with svapna (the dream state), the mental plane when the gross sense organs ‘sleep’, but the mind, intelligence and false-ego continue to be active.

Vaikharī – when madhyama reaches the viśuddha-cakra in the throat it is known as vaikharī, the sensory phase where sound is perceived through the external senses. Vaikharī is the grossest level of sound which we have the most experience with in this world. Vaikharī corresponds with the state of jāgrata, the physical plane of existence where the consciousness is awake to everything that is perceived via the medium of the senses. One who understands these four stages of sound is known as a manīṣi (an introspective sage).

In actuality, the power of hearing has been given in order to receive transcendental knowledge. Due to being covered by ignorance, the conditioned living being misuses his aural capacity by listening to mundane sound vibrations and as a result becomes indifferent to spiritual sound. It should be understood however that it is the Lord who causes the ear of the jīva to perceive both mundane and divine sound.

TEXT 9

यत्प्राणेन न प्राणिति येन प्राणः प्रणीयते ।तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते ॥ ९॥

yat prāṇena na prāṇiti
yena prāṇaḥ praṇīyate
tad eva brahma tvaṁ viddhi
nedaṁ yad idam upāsate

He that lives without prāṇa, but makes prāṇa live – know Him to be the Absolute, not that which the world worships.

Commentary

So far, Brahmā has spoken about how the Lord grants the power of speech, mind, sight and sound to the jīva and how the Lord Himself is beyond the reach of the mundane senses. Next, he explains the position of the life-airs, or life-force (prāṇa). All the other senses are completely dependent upon prāṇa to function properly. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad explains:

na vai vāco na cakṣūṁṣi na śrotrāṇi na manāṁsīty
ācakṣate prāṇa iti evācakṣate prāṇo hy evaitāni sarvāṇi bhavanti

Technically, the senses are not called speech, sight, sound and mind. They are called prāṇa because they all function under the control of prāṇa. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.1.15)

Prāṇa maintains all the activities of the senses; therefore, the senses are sometimes collectively called prāṇa. While prāṇa remains in the material body, the jīva continues to live, even if his speech, sight, sound or mind is impaired. But when prāṇa leaves, there is no life and the ātmā then moves on to its next body. Unlike the finite jīva, the Lord does not need prāṇa to live. He is prāṇānām prāṇaḥ – the very life of the life-force itself.

prāṇādīnāṁ viśva-sṛjāṁ śaktayo yāḥ parasya tāḥ
pāratantryād vaisādṛṣyād dvayoś ceṣṭaiva ceṣṭatām

The life-airs and other elements of universal creation are all energies of the Supreme, because they are dependent upon Him and different from Him. The Lord activates both animate and inanimate manifestations. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.85.6)

॥ इति केनोपनिषदि प्रथमः खण्डः ॥

Thus Ends the First Chapter of the Kena Upaniṣad

About the Author: Swami Bhaktivijñāna Giri

Swami B.V. Giri is a senior disciple of Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja. Receiving dīkṣā and sannyāsa initiation in the year 2000, he has been the main editor, translator and researcher for many books and articles written by Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha and many that he's authored himself. He is currently residing in Vṛṇdavana where he is engaged translating and publishing articles and books of our acāryās.