Is Kali Ma Krishna's energy?

[Guest guest]

Or is she a jiva?

[yasodanandana 0]

even jiva's are krsna's energy..

 

i do not think that durga is vishnu tattva (a personality of godhead)... but i wait also for other answers

 

 

[Guest guest]

Lalitha Sahasranaama was given by Hayagriva (Mahavishnu) to Sage Agasthya when he prayed to Mahavishnu. Mahavishnu appeared in front of him and asked him to get intiated by Hayagriva rishi who was Mahavishnu on earth to spread His holy names for people to get benefit. Lalitha Sahasranaama like Vishnu Sahasranaama describe mother Goddess with thousand names and describes Her as beginingless and endless like how Vishnu is described in Sahasranaama.

So as per this Durgama is Lalitha and She is Vishnu. This may be sort of confuisng but actually all pervading Vishnu is Lalithama or Durgama.

 

[Guest guest]

This is also described in Ramayana. Rama offered prayers to Durgama although He Himself is Lord, for people to realise that He and Durgama are same. While doing so, He was searching for Neelkamal to offer mother Goddess. He wanted to give Her 100 neelkamal (Blue lotus) while He got only 99. So for the 100th one He decided to pull one of His eyes since it resembled Neel kamal and hence he pointed arrow on His eye, during which time Durgama appeared in front of Him crying with blood in her eyes due to hurt asking Him why He is hurting Her. This is the symbolic meaning of Lord implying to people that He and Durgama are one and the same

Shyam

[Guest guest]

In Lalitha Sahasranama She is called also as Mahalakshmi, Maheswari, while in Mahalakshmi ashtagam chanted by Indra when Lakshmi appeared from Parkadal He describes Her as Maheswari. We dont have a proper Guru to clarify on this siince each school has their own thoughts. One school call Lalithambika as equvilent energy of Lord, while another school call as inferior energy. Hanuman prays to Sitama as equivalent to Durgama implying they are one and the same. Finally in my opinion after reading these different interpretations, In my humble opinion, Mahavishnu and Durgama are one and the same as I go by Ramayana and also by Sahasranama. In Vishnu Sahasranama, He is also called as Durga. So they are one and the same and not inferior energy.

[mud 0]

According to Gaudiya philosophy there are three main category of living entities.

 

Vishnu tattva - God, visnu, unlimited avataras, etc. - controller of the other two energies.

 

Jiva tattva - the living entities.

 

Sakti tattva - the feminine aspect of the supreme, subordinate to the Lord. Durga, Kali, the material creation are all part of this energy.

 

Kali is not Visnu. She (the sakti) deserves all our respect as the consort of the Lord and the material energy, but is not on the same level as Visnu.

[Guest guest]

I know Durga is not Vishnu, But the feminine aspect of Lord. But is it not the feminine aspect as equal to Lord out of which we say that both male and female are equal. So does it mean that Supreme Lord is Masculine.

I feel He is Masculine and also Feminine. Schools of thoughts vary in their interpretations. Whether consort of the same, I pray to both Durgama and Krishna with equal love and respects.

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Is Kali (Durga) Lord Krishna's energy?

 

mayadhyaksena prakrtih

suyate sa-caracaram

hetunanena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

 

"This material nature, Prakriti [Durga], is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again."

- Gita 9.10

 

maya hi yasya jagad-anda-satani sute

traigunya-tad-visaya-veda-vitayamana

sattvavalambi-para-sattvam visuddha-sattvam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the absolute substantive principle being the ultimate entity in the form of the support of all existence whose external potency [Maya, i.e. Durga] embodies the threefold mundane qualities, viz., sattva, rajas and tamas and diffuses the Vedic knowledge regarding the mundane world." - Brahma-samhita 5.41

 

Commentary by Srila Jiva Goswami:

 

 

After thus describing the glories of the Lord's form, in the next two verses the author describes the externally manifested glories of the Lord. Maya is the external potency of the Lord. she does not have direct contact with the Lord. The material world is made of mixtures of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. When the modes of goodness is pure and not mixed with the other modes, then the spiritual potency is manifested. Thi s is described in the following words of the Visnu Purana:

 

"May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the purest of the pure, and in whom the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance do not stay, be pleased with me."

 

This topic is also explained in more detail in the Sri Bhagavata-sandarbhas.

 

 

 

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya

devi mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu

te teo prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is Mahesa-dhama [abode of Mahesa]; above Mahesa-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode of Hari] and above them all is located Krsna's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms." - Brahma-samhita 5.43

 

 

Commentary of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati:

 

The realm of Goloka stands highest above all others. Brahma looking up to the higher position of Goloka is speaking of the other realms from the point of view of his own realm: the first in order is this mundane world called Devi-dhama consisting of the fourteen worlds, viz., Satyaloka, etc.; next above Devi-dhama is located Siva-dhama one portion of which, called Mahakala-dhama, is enveloped in darkness; interpenetrating this portion of Siva-dhama there shines the Sadasivaloka, full of great light. Above the same appears Hari-dhama or the transcendental Vaikunthaloka. The potency of Devi-dhama, in the form of the extension of Maya, and that of Sivaloka, consisting of time, space and matter, are the potency of the separated particles pervaded by the penumbral reflection of the subjective portion of the Divinity. But Hari-dhama is ever resplendent with transcendental majesty and the great splendor of all-sweetness predominates over all other majesties in Goloka. The Supreme Lord Govinda by his own direct and indirect power has constituted those respective potencies of those realms.

 

 

 

 

srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka

chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga

icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

"The external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself." - Brahma-samhita 5.44

 

PURPORT (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati):

 

(The aforesaid presiding deity of Devi-dhama is being described.) The world, in which Brahma takeshis stand and hymns the Lord of Goloka, isDevi-dhama consisting of the fourteen worlds and Durga is its presiding deity. She is tenarmed, representing the tenfold fruitive acitivites.She rides on the lion, representing her heroic prowess. She trampels down Mahisasura, representing the subduer of vices. She is the m other of two sons, Karttikeya and Ganesa, representing beauty and success. She is placed between Lakshmi andSaraswati, representing mundane opulence and mundane knowledge. She is armed with the twenty weapons, representing the various pious activities enjo ined by the Vedas for suppression of vices. She holds the snake, representing the beauty of destructive time. Such is Durga possessing all these manifold forms. Durga is possessed of Durga, which means a prison house. When jivas begotten of the marginal p otency (tatastha sakti) forget the service of Krishna they are confined in the mundane prison house, the citadel of Durga. The wheel of karma is the instrument of punishment at this place. The work of purifying these penalized jivas is the duty developed up on Durga. She is incessantly engaged in discharging the same by the will of Govinda. When, luckily, the forgetfulness of Govinda on the part of imprisoned jivas is remarked by them by coming in contact with self-realized souls and their natural aptitude f or the loving service of Krishna is aroused, Durga herself then becomes the agency of their deliverance by the will of Govinda. So it behooves everybody to obtain the guileless grace of Durga, themistress of the prison house, by propritiating her with the s elfless service of Krishna. The boons received from Durga in the shape of wealth, property, recoveryfrom illness, of wife and sons, should be realized as thedeluding kindness of Durga. The mundane physical jubilations of dasa-maha-vidya, the ten goddesses o r forms of Durga, are elaborated for the delusion of the fettered souls of this world. Jiva is a spiritual atomic part of Krishna. When he forgets his service of Krishna he is at once deflected by the attracting power of Maya in this world, who throws him int o the whirlpool of mundane fruitive activity (karma) by confining him in a gross body constituted by the five material elements, their five attributes and eleven senses, resembling the garb of a prisoner. In this whirlpool jiva has experience of happiness and miseries, heaven and hell. Besides this, there is a subtle body, consisting of the mind, intelligence and ego, inside the gross body. By means of the subtle body, the Jiva forsakes one gross body and takes recourse to another. The jiva cannot get rid of the subtle body, full of nescience and evil desires, unless and until he is liberated. On getting rid of the subtle body he bathes in the Viraja and goes up to Hari-dhama. Such are the duties performed by Durga in accordance with the will of Govinda. In the Bhagavata sloka, vilajyamanaya ... durdhiyah--the relationship between Durga and the conditioned souls has been described.

 

Durga, worshiped by the people of this mundane world, is the Durga described above. But the spiritual Durga, mentioned in the mantra which is the outer covering of the spiritual realm of th e Supreme Lord, is the eternal maidservant of Krishna and is, therefore, the transcendental reality whose shadow, the Durga of this world, functions in this mundane world as her maidservant. (Vide the purport of sloka 3.)

 

 

 

Durga Devi is the shadow potency of the Lord.

[Haridham 0]

BG 9.10: This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.

 

So Durga devi(kali) is the servent of krsna.

 

I am sure someone will explain more who are more qualified.

 

Hare krsna

[Haridham 0]

There we go, Jndas did it. He explained more then i could ever. Where have you been jndas?

 

I admire and respect you a lot, please accept my humble obesensies.

 

If i can keep in touch with you it be great, I would like to know more from you.

 

Hare krsna

[Haridham 0]

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya

devi mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu

te teo prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

 

 

"devi mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu" Wow I am preety high up there.

 

Haridham

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

this

is from JIVA GOSWAMI

 

"Sometimes Goddess Durga is also described as the supreme controller. This is also correct because there is no difference between the potencies and Lord Krishna, the master of all potencies. This is confirmed by the following words of the Gautamiya Tantra:

 

 

<font color="66FF33"> "Krishna is Durga. Durga is Krishna. One who sees that they are different will not become liberated from the cycle of repeated birth and death." </font color>

 

 

"Durga is the personal potency of Lord Krishna, and therefore she is Lord Krishna Himself. For this reason Durga should not be considered manifested from a portion of the Lord's illusory potency Maya. This fact is confirmed by the following stat ement of the Nirukti:

 

<font color="FF66CC"> "Simply by understanding her one immediately attains the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not otherwise." </font color>

 

 

 

<font color="CC00CC"> "She is identical with Gokula's queen Sri Radha, who possesses a great treasure of love for Krishna. By her grace the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, is easily understood. " </font color>

 

 

 

To further explain the form in which the perfected jiva will come to please Bhagavan, Sri Jiva Gosvamin presents the following thesis in his Priti-sandarbha (10)12:

 

In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms, all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. <font color="FF3300">With each one of those forms, the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul. </font color>

 

 

The opposition sometimes raise this question "so are you all the worshippers of the female personification of Divine energy" (sakta)?

 

The answer is "yes" we are under the shelter of the personification of spiritual energy Srimati Radharani. We are practicing devotions entirely under Her direction. We can compare ourselves in this sense as Saktas and are therefore non-different from the devotees (Vaishnavas).

 

On the contrary, those not taking shelter of this spiritual potency but only have attraction for the material aspect are not considered devotees but are simply sense enjoyers.

 

In Narada Pancaratra, Durga Devi says: <font color="0033FF"> "I am Your loving partner in your delightful Vrndavana pastimes in the form of Your internal pleasure potency". </font color>

 

We perceive from the statement of Durga Devi that this energy is non-dual. In the transcendental feature, this energy is present as Srimate Radhika and in the material form manifests as the material energy.

 

The question is sometimes raised by the opposition that the smarta brahmins say that the energy of Lord Siva is the foremost energy (sakti). Why is this?

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda replies. The material nature is composed of the three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. The brahmins who are oriented in goodness worship the demigod in that material mode of goodness; those in passion worship the demigod in passion while those in the mode of ignorance worship "material nature" as knowledge.

 

<font color="FFFF00"> In actual fact, there is no separate energy called material energy and "Maya" is just a transformation of the spiritual potency. </font color>

 

It is but the shadow energy of the pure spiritual potency of the Lord.

 

The material energy is mainly responsible for the conditioning of the living entity as a form of punishment due to his forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord. The living entity, on regaining his lost relationship with the Lord becomes surcharged with knowledge and bliss.

 

However, if the material energy becomes predominant, it makes the living entities in their forgetfulness refer to this illusory energy (Maya) as all in all.

 

This explains the worship of material nature (sakta). Gradually, the bewildered living entity, by long period of accumulation of pious merit, can be impelled into the position of acquiring divine knowledge (Vaishnava).

 

The question is raised again: do we sometimes compare Durga Devi to be a transcendental associate within the precincts of Gokula?

 

The answer given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is:- yes! In the spiritual world Durga Devi is called YogaMaya. She is present as the seed-form in the changes of the spiritual energy.

 

For this reason, she considers herself non-different from the original internal energy of the spiritual world.

 

YogaMaya, also can be transformed into material energy, or shadow potency. The material goddess Durga Devi is the servitor of the spiritual aspect of the same Durga Devi.

( <font color="FFCCCC">just as a one person can have two

jobs,mother and ruler of the child,as well as servant

of the child</font color>)

 

The spiritual Durga Devi plays an important part in Lord Krishna's variegated pastimes as YogaMaya.

 

The Srimad Bhagavatam (10/29/20) describes how the Lord takes shelter of His own internal potency in the love-sports of the gopis.

 

(YogaMaya anupasritah). The internal energy which nourishes such divine pastimes may look like ignorance but in reality is an essential ingredient in the blossoming of these transcendental sports.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

this is essential to understand ,Durga plays an important

part in Krishnas pastime.

 

As jiva goswami has pointed out,durga is identical to Krishna, if you see Her as anything else,you will not be liberated.

 

 

That may seem to be hyperbolic statement,

buts it's not, in fact He makes a point of

stressing that if you do not understand Durga

as identical to Radha Krsna,then you will not

be liberated.

 

Why ?

 

this has a very deep meaning,

Here, Durga is the supreme ,Here she represents

Radha and Krsna,She IS Radha and Krsna,

Jiva Goswamis most salient and amazing

point:

 

"Simply by understanding Her one immediately attains the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not otherwise.

 

Durga is Shiva's consort, she is identical to Radha

and Krishna, this is the conception given to us

by Jiva Goswami, She is Yoga Maya, She is Radha,the internal energy,

through Her ,Krishna is enjoying rasa in the

"mundane" realm.

 

Ultimately Bhaktivinode tells us

 

"Will and consciousness are qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By itself, the potency does not possess will, but rather it carries out the will of the Supreme.

 

For example, you have power, and by Your will, your potencies act. If you say, 'the power acted', then that means that the possessor of the power was actually behind the action.

 

To say that 'the power acted' is only to use a figure of speech. In truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has only one potency.

 

When she performs spiritual actions, she is called spiritual potency, and when she performs material actions, she is called the material potency, or maya.

 

The Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8) explain:

 

"The potency of the Supreme is manifested in many different ways."

 

"The potency that manifests the three modes is the material potency. She creates and destroys the material universes. Those are her duties. In the Puranas and Tantras this potency is called by many names, such as Visnu-maya, Maha-maya, and Maya.

 

Allegorically she is also called 'the mother of Brahma, Visnu and Shiva", 'the killer of Sumbha and Nisumbha', and other like names that describe her different activities.

 

As long as he remains deeply enmeshed in material consciousness, the soul is under her power.

When he attains pure spiritual knowledge, the soul can understand the nature of his original spiritual form. Then he is freed from the ropes of Maya. Then he is under the power of the spiritual potency. Then he becomes happy."

[Haridham 0]

so should we start worshiping Durga devi also? I mean my mind is set on krsna and its not going to change. I guess I will never attain liberation but if I have to serve krsna life after life then so be it i guess.

 

I learning how neophyte I really am. Maybe someone will present something else that will change my mind.

 

I am going to hell. lol.

 

To I still understand krsna to be the supreme and anyone else to be their servent.

 

I think I was going to hell anyways but this might just confirm my ticket.

 

lol

 

Hare Krsna

[Guest guest]

hi hari, Jiva goswami is considered to be the

final word in Gaudiya philosophy,His vision

is THE vision that all follow.

 

That is the mood of the gaudiya school,If Jiva says

it is so, then that is that.

 

so when our conception is different then Jiva's we can

understand that the proper vision is lacking in us,

Mahaprabhua empowered Jiva as the Acharya of

his philosophy,His words are the standard,

everyone else is a student of His.

 

So in that mood ,Saranagati,Bhaktivinoda's vision,

surrender,become a student of the truth,when we

consider our own vision as proper and find it is in conflict

with Jiva or Bhaktivinoda then our path is clear,

we must adjust.

 

the concepts we have in the conditioned stage are irrelevant

to the eternal absolute reality,if we reject the vision

of the official representative of that realm,all of our

concepts are no better then hallucinations.

 

We must run from any concept that deviates from Jiva

Goswami,it is in our own best interest to accept

the highest truth from the highest truth,

if not what is it we believe in ?

 

Self worship in the form of deification of our

selves,acceptance of our "mood" in the ignorant

conditioned illusioned state as being worthy of

reverance ,we give our self serving ego's

the highest respect and importance.

 

that is the path that is rejected by the Gaudiya

school,The path of Saranagati, submission to

whatever the highest good expects of us,leaving behind

the childish attachments to our conceptions of

being "special" or "pure".

 

In fact we are self serving,even in most stages

of the Bhakti path the devotee is inspired by attainment,

rather then natural inclination, that is why

the song Manah Siksa by Sri Raghunath is

important;

 

O mind, I grasp your feet and beg you with sweet words: Please cast away all hypocrisy and develop intense, unprecedented love for my spiritual master, Vrajabhumi, the people of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy name, and the transcendental shelter that is the fresh young couple of Vraja, Radha and Krsna.

 

 

O Mind, just listen to me! If you desire to reside in Vraja birth after birth, and if you desire to directly serve the divine youthful couple there with great attraction, then with intense love always remember and bow down to Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami; to Srila Rupa Gosvami and his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Gosvami; and to all their associates and followers.

[Guest guest]

 

Jiva goswami is considered to be the

final word in Gaudiya philosophy,His vision

is THE vision that all follow.

 

 

 

That's not entirely true. While philosophically, he may be the last word (but you need to see Baladeva Vidyabhushana), some of his theological conclusions are not shared by Gaudiya Vaishnavas. On this side, Rupa Gosvami and Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura are the last word. Of course, Jiva Gosvami's theological conclusions are quite tough to refute.

[Guest guest]

 

As i said ,this is the world of egotism,there

will always be a difference of opinion on just

about anything,As Far as Jiva Goswami's position,

or non agreement with Him,that is to be expected.

 

There are those who have a problem with every

vaisnava acharya,from the beginning we see

there was difference of approach to bhakti

during Mahaprabhus life.

 

Ramananda Rai scandalized the less realized vaisnavas

by massaging oil over the bodies of the temple

dancing girls,

his position was second to none yet there were those

who were seeing things in a different way.

 

Jiva Goswami and the rest of the previous acharyas

are giving different things,on different levels,

when your vision is opened you will see the truth

of the authorship of all of their works,some times

it may appear externally in the literal word

meanings or descriptions to be some different

conceptions,but that is due to our unqualification,

the real author is showing transcendental dimensions,

like a jewel in her hand here it catches light

and you see red or green or blue,depending on

your position relative to the jewel being

displayed you will see different colors coming

from the same place,so transcendental knowledge

has many different dimensions,as you change

your position you will see different things appearing from the same source.

 

So what may appear contradictory at one place and time

later you may see the same words giving a different meaning,as your position relative to the truth

changes,grows,your perception of the depth and

subtle inner truths will reveal brilliance not seen before.

[Haridham 0]

am I wrong if I only worship Krsna?

 

I mean Prabhupad and my guru were dedicated to krsna, the supreme personality of godhead.

 

For me my guru Maharaj and krsna are enough. For me they are my final authority.

 

Hare Krsna

 

p.s I respect Jiva Goswami Highly but I am rather confused about this point.

 

Causes doubts, but doubts are good thats how we become stronger.

[Haridham 0]

shiva?

 

 

Do you worship krsna and durga or just one???

[Guest guest]

The explanation what you have given as Goswami's words, is the explanation given by Jagadguru Sankara also and thats why He worshipped Govinda and Lalithambika (Spiritual potency of Lord Govinda) together. I am happy to read your explanation because I was always sure that Lalitha and Govinda are same as She is described as beginingless and endless. I am glad I pray to both Govinda(Krishna) and Lalithambika.

Shyam

 

[Guest guest]

Among the thousand names of Kali are Krishnaa, Ramaa, Vaishnavi, Narayani and Bhagavati, which are the feminine versions of Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, Narayana and Bhagavan. Also both Kali and Krishna are called Shyam, 'blue-black'.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

 

am I wrong if I only worship Krsna?

 

 

Just as Shiva is an expansion of Lord Vishnu, in the same way Durga is an expansion of Lakshmi.

 

The worship of Radha-Krishna automatically includes the worship of the Lord's expansions, thus it is not necessary for devotees to seperately worship Durga or Shiva.

[Guest guest]

Both Durga and Krishna are called Shyama and so I am very glad I have been praying to both forms with equal love an devotion

Shyam

[Haridham 0]

Thank you for clarifying that. I talked to a devotee friend who basically said the same thing.

 

I am sticking to Krsna all the way.

 

Now there is this other guy on this forum about moksa who has interesting mayavadi ideas who you can talk to and try to understand what he is saying.

 

He thinks getting liberation and worshiping krsna is dilusional and you cant do it with bhakti etc. I tried explaining him the Bhagavat gita but I dont think he understands.

 

Oh well.

 

Anyway Jndas Prabhu, thank you.

 

Hare krsna

[Guest guest]

 

Actually jndas thta is a misconsption,Shiva is explained by both bhaktisiddhanta and jiva goswami in their purports

to the brahma samhita,there shiva is described as

being always subject to the delusional potency,Maya,

Durga is that potency,she is Krsna,Shiva is not.

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thereupon the same great personal Godhead, assuming the threefold forms of Vishnu, Prajapati and Sambhu, entering into the mundane universe, plays the pastimes of preservation, creation and destruction of this world. This pastime is contained in the mundane world. Hence, it being perverted, the Supreme Lord, identical with Maha-Visnu, prefers to consort with the goddess Yoganidra, the constituent of His own spiritual [cit] potency full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss appertaining to His own divine personality.

 

 

PURPORT

 

The dislocated portions of the Divinity, viz., Prajapati and Sambhu, both identifying themselves as entities who are separate from the divine essence, sport with their respective non-spiritual (acit) consorts, viz., Savitri-devi and Uma-devi, the perverted reflections of the spiritual (cit) potency. The Supreme Lord Vishnu is the only Lord of the spiritual (cit) potency, Rama or Laksmi.

 

 

In that verse Brahma tells us that God is appearing in three

ways in the material world,as Visnu,Prajapati,and shiva.

 

Earlier i quoted Jiva and Bhaktivinode where we are told

that Durga creates the material world,

She is the form of god in charge of the mundane world.

 

Visnu ,Prajapati and shiva ,they are the three types

of manifestations of God in the mundane world,

Visnu represents God as the full possessor of

all potencies,the purely non material incarnation,Durga represents the God when engaged in actvities

in the material world as the neccessary function

of Overseeing the development and liberation

by purification(through trial and error,Karma)

She is Krsna in a different capacity,as the

overseer of Maya,and the material realm,she

is the personification of God being non different

then the material realm and at the same time

controlling it, both potency and controller

of potency,god is always both,God is always

comprising all things,this is why in the above

verse shiva is said to be the third manifestation

of god in the mundane realm.

 

As we are told,Durga and Krsna ,they are one and the same,the only difference is that which their function

entails.

 

Shiva represents the third aspect of gods nature,the

aspect of god that is not god,god as distinct

from the rest of god.

 

God is everything,everywhere,in every atom the

full consciousness and power of god is fully

manifested,

but in the part of god whose function it is to

be able to give the One all pervading soul

a counterpart, another individual to

be with, in that aspect of God,it is neccessary

to be seperate from god,not god,not the same

person a god, otherwise god would have no one

to be with.

 

so that is the purport of shiva,he represents the

fullest expression of God as non god,the jiva

in the original planned existance,fully

developed.

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

The function of Sambhu in relation to jivas is that this universe enshrining the mundane egotistic principle has originated from Sambhu.

 

PURPORT

 

The basic principle is the Supreme Lord Himself, who is the embodiment of the principle of existence of all entities devoid of separating egotisms.

 

In this mundane world the appearance of individual entities as separated egotistic symbols, is the limited perverted reflection of the unalloyed spiritual (cit) potency;

 

and, as representing the primal masculine divine generative function Sambhu, it is united to the accommodating principle, viz., the mundane female organ which is the perverted reflection of the spiritual (cit) potency, Ramadevi.

 

At this function Sambhu is nothing but the mere material clausal principle embodying the extension in the shape of ingredient as matter.

 

Again when in course of the progressive evolution of mundane creation each universe is manifested, then in the principle of Sambhu, born of the space between the two eyebrows of Vishnu, there appears the manifestation of the personality of Rudra;

 

yet under all circumstances Sambhu fully enshrines the mundane egotistic principle

 

 

The innumerable Jivas as spiritual particles emanating from the oversoul in the form of pencils of rays of effulgence, have no relation with the mundane world when they come to know themselves to be the eternal servants of the Supreme Lord. They are then incorporated into the realm of Vaikuntha.

 

But when they desire to lord it over Maya, forgetting their real identity,

 

the egotistic principle-Sambhu-entering into their entities makes them identify themselves as separated enjoyers of mundane entities.

 

Hence Sambhu is the primary principle of the egotistic mundane universe and of perverted egotism in jivas that identifies itself with their limited material bodies.

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

The external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.

 

 

part of the purport

 

When jivas begotten of the marginal potency (tatastha sakti) forget the service of Krsna they are confined in the mundane prison house, the citadel of Durga.

 

The wheel of karma is the instrument of punishment at this place.

 

The work of purifying these penalized jivas is the duty developed upon Durga.

 

She is incessantly engaged in discharging the same by the will of Govinda.

 

When, luckily, the forgetfulness of Govinda on the part of imprisoned jivas is remarked by them by coming in contact with self-realized souls and their natural aptitude for the loving service of Krsna is aroused,

 

Durga herself then becomes the agency of their deliverance by the will of Govinda.

 

So it behooves everybody to obtain the guileless grace of Durga, the mistress of the prison house, by propritiating her with the selfless service of Krsna."

 

 

" Sambhu is not a second Godhead other than Krsna.

 

Those, who entertain such discriminating sentiment, commit a great offense against the Supreme Lord. The supremacy of Sambhu is subservient to that of Govinda; hence they are not really different from each other. The nondistinction is established by the fact that just as milk treated with acid turns into curd so Godhead becomes a subservient when He Himself attains a distinct personality by the addition of a particular element of adulteration.

 

This personality has no independent initiative.

 

The sail adulterating principle is constituted of a combination of the stupefying quality of the deluding energy,

 

the quality of nonplenitude of the marginal potency

 

and a slight degree of the ecstatic-cum-cognitive principle of the plenary spiritual potency

 

This specifically adulterated reflection of the principle of the subjective portion of the Divinity is Sadasiva,

 

in the form of the effulgent masculine-symbol-god Sambhu from whom Rudradeva is manifested.

 

In the work of mundane creation as the material cause, in the work of preservation by the destruction of sundry asuras and in the work of destruction to conduct the whole operation,

 

Govinda manifests Himself as guna-avatara in the form of Sambhu who is the separated portion of Govinda imbued with the principle of His subjective plenary portion.

 

 

The personality of the destructive principle in the form of time has been identified with what of Sambhu by scriptural evidences that have been adduced in the commentary.

 

The purport of the Bhagavata slokas, "vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh, etc.",

 

is that Sambhu, in pursuance of the will of Govinda, works in union with his consort Durga-devi by his own time energy.

 

He teaches pious duties (dharma) as stepping-stones to the attainment of spiritual service in the various tantra- sastras, etc.,

suitable for jivas in different grades of the conditional existence.

 

In obedience to the will of Govinda, Sambhu maintains and fosters the religion of pure devotion by preaching the cult of illusionist (Mayavada) and the speculative agama-sastras.

 

The fifty attributes of individual souls are manifest in a far vaster measure in Sambhu and five additional attributes not attainable by jivas are also partly found in him.

 

So Sambhu cannot be called a jiva. He is the lord of jiva but yet partakes of the nature of a separate portion of Govinda.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

 

That last line

 

"while he cannot be called a jiva,

his nature is in fact the same as the jiva,

he partakes of the nature of a seperate

portion of Govinda.

 

 

[gopalapriyadas 0]

Radha is the source of ALL shakti. Radha has her source in Krsna. Krsna is the source of EVERYTHING. Just worship Krsna and be happy. By worshiping Krsna you are also giving worship to Durga.

 

Hare Krsna.

-Gopalapriya das