Second Section (द्वितीयः परिच्छेदः)
ōṁ॥
Om.
“brahmā śivaḥ surādyāśca śarīrakṣaraṇāt kṣarāḥ। lakṣmīrakṣaradēhatvādakṣarā tatparō hariḥ। svātantryaśaktivijñānasukhādyairakhilairguṇaiḥ। nissīmatvēna tē sarvē tadvaśāḥ sarvadaiva ca। sargasthitikṣayayatiprakāśāvr̥tibandhanam। sarvakṣarāṇāmēkaḥ sa kuryāt sāttvikamōkṣaṇam। sargasthitiyatijyōtirnityānandapradō’kṣarē। cēṣṭāpradaśca sarvēṣāmēka ēva parō hariḥ। tasya nānyō’sti sargādikartā nirdōṣakaśca saḥ॥”
“Brahmā, Śiva, and the gods beginning with them are perishable because their bodies decay. Lakṣmī is imperishable because she has an imperishable body; Hari is superior to her. By his limitlessness in independence, power, knowledge, bliss, and all other qualities, they are all indeed always subject to him. He alone can effect the creation, maintenance, destruction, control, illumination, concealment, and bondage of all perishables, and the liberation of the sāttvika beings. With respect to the imperishable one, he bestows creation, maintenance, control, illumination, and eternal bliss; he also bestows activity upon all. Hari alone is supreme. No one else is the agent of creation or the other functions with respect to him, and he is faultless.”
iti paramaśrutiḥ।
Thus says the Parama Śruti.
“brahmaśēṣasuparṇēśaśakrasūryaguhādayaḥ। sarvē kṣarā akṣarā tu śrīrēkā tatparō hariḥ॥”
Brahmā, Śeṣa, Suparṇa, Īśa, Śakra, Sūrya, Guha, and all the others are perishable; but Śrī alone is imperishable, and Hari is higher than her.
iti skāndē।
Thus, in the Skānda.
“yaṁ kāmayē tantamugraṁ kr̥ṇōmi taṁ brahmāṇaṁ tamr̥ṣi taṁ sumēdhām। ahaṁ rudrāya dhanurātanōmi brahmadviṣē śaravē hantavā u। ahaṁ janāya samadaṁ kr̥ṇōmyahaṁ dyāvāpr̥thivī āvivēśa। ahaṁ suvē pitaramasya mūrdhan mama yōnirapsvantaḥ samudrē॥” - r̥gvēdasaṁhitā 10/125/5-7
“Whomever I desire, I make that person formidable, a brahman-priest, a seer, and wise. For Rudra I stretch the bow, so that the arrow may indeed slay the hater of sacred formulation. I make conflict for the people; I have entered heaven and earth. I bring forth the father at the summit of this world. My womb is in the waters, within the ocean.” — Rigveda Samhita 10/125/5-7
“yamantaḥsamudrē kavayō’vayantitadakṣarē paramē prajāḥ। yataḥ prasūtā jagataḥ prasūtī tōyēna jīvān vyasasarja bhūmyām। yadōṣadhībhiḥ puruṣān paśūṁśca vivēśa bhūtāni carācarāṇi। ataḥ paraṁ nānyadaṇīyasaṁ hi parāt paraṁ yanmahatō mahāntam। yadēkamavyaktamanantarūpaṁ viśvaṁ purāṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt। tadēvartaṁ tadu satyamāhustadēva brahma paramaṁ kavīnām॥” - mahānārāyaṇōpaniṣat 1/3-6
“Whom the seers discern within the ocean; creatures are in that supreme imperishable. From whom the source of the world was born, he sent forth living beings on the earth through water. Which entered human beings and animals through plants, as well as moving and stationary beings. Indeed, there is nothing else subtler or higher than this—the one higher than the high and greater than the great; the one, unmanifest, of infinite forms, the All, ancient, beyond darkness. They call that alone ṛta and that indeed truth; that alone is the seers’ supreme Brahman.” — Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad 1/3-6
“asya dēvasya mīḷhuṣō vayā viṣṇōrēṣasya prabhr̥thē havirbhiḥ। vidē hi rudrō rudriyaṁ mahitvaṁ yāsiṣṭaṁ vartiraśvināvirāvat॥”,r̥gvēdasaṁhitā 7/40/5“candramā manasō jātaścakṣōḥ sūryō ajāyata। mukhādindraścāgniśca prāṇād vāyurajāyata॥” - r̥gvēdasaṁhitā 10/90/13
“The branches of this bounteous god, of swift-moving Viṣṇu, at the presentation with oblations; for Rudra knows Rudra’s own greatness. May you two, O Aśvins, travel a path rich in nourishment.” — Ṛgveda Saṃhitā 7/40/5 “The Moon was born from the mind, and the Sun was born from the eye. From the mouth came Indra and Agni, and from the vital breath Vāyu was born.” — Ṛgveda Saṃhitā 10/90/13
“ēkō nārāyaṇa āsīnna brahmā nēśānō nāgnīṣōmau nēmē dyāvāpr̥thivī” - mahōpaniṣat 1
“Nārāyaṇa alone existed—not Brahmā, not Īśāna, not Agni and Soma, nor these two, Heaven and Earth.” — Mahopaniṣad 1
“ēkō nārāyaṇa āsīnna brahmā na ca śaṅkaraḥ। sa munirbhūtvā samacintayat tata ētē vyajāyanta। viśvō hiraṇyagarbhō’gniryamō varuṇarudrēndrā iti॥”,
Nārāyaṇa alone existed—not Brahmā, nor Śaṅkara. Having become a sage, he reflected. Then these were born: Viśva, Hiraṇyagarbha, Agni, Yama, Varuṇa, Rudra, and Indra.
“vāsudēvō vā idamagra āsīnna brahmā na ca śaṅkaraḥ। nēndrasūryau naca guhō na sōmō na vināyakaḥ॥’
Vāsudeva indeed was all this in the beginning; Brahmā was not, nor was Śaṅkara—neither Indra nor Sūrya, nor Guha, nor Soma, nor Vināyaka.
ityādiśrutibhyaśca।
and from śruti passages beginning thus.
“yasmāt paraṁ nāparamasti kiñcit” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/9
“There is nothing higher than whom; something inferior exists.” — Śvetāśvataropaniṣad 3/9
ityatrāpyaparamastītyēvārthaḥ। anyathā
Here too, the meaning is precisely, “Something inferior exists.” Otherwise…
“tēnēdaṁ pūrṇam” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/9
“By him, this is filled.” — Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3/9
“tatō yaduttarataraṁ tadarūpamanāmayam” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/10
“That which is still higher than that is formless and free from affliction.” — Śvetāśvataropaniṣad 3/10
iti vākyaśēṣavirōdhāt।
because this conflicts with the continuation of the passage.
“tēnēdam” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/9
“By him, this…” — Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3/9
ityuktamēva
Thus indeed it is stated.
“tataḥ” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/10
“Than that …” — Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3/10
iti parāmr̥śyatē। anyathā
It is referred back to in this way. Otherwise …
“yasmāt paraṁ na” - śvētāśvatarōpaniṣat 3/9
“Than whom no higher…” — Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3/9
ityuktivirōdhāt।
because this contradicts the statement, “thus.”
“nāmāni sarvāṇi yamāviśanti taṁ vai viṣṇu paramamudāharanti”,
Him whom all names enter, they indeed declare to be the supreme Viṣṇu.
“asyaiva sarvanāmāni vyatiriktasya sarvataḥ। yaḥ svatantraḥ sadaivaikaḥ sa viṣṇuḥ paramō mataḥ॥”
All names belong to him alone, who is distinct from everything. He who is always the sole independent one—he, Viṣṇu, is held to be supreme.
ityādiśrutibhyō’nyanāmānyasyaivēti nānyēṣāṁ sarvēśvaratvādikamucyatē। sarvavēdēṣvapyasyādōṣavacanādādāvabhāvāvacanācca tadvacanāccānyēṣāṁ sarvēṣāṁ vēdēṣu sarvēṣu। tēṣāṁ sarvanāmatvānuktēśca।
From śruti passages such as these, it follows that names belonging to others are his alone; lordship over all and the like are not stated of others. For in all the Vedas he is declared faultless, his nonexistence in the beginning is not stated, and that nonexistence is stated of all the others in all the Vedas; and it is not stated that all names belong to them.
“utpattirvāsudēvasya prādurbhāvō nacāparaḥ। dēhōtpattistadanyēṣāṁ brahmādīnāṁ tadīraṇāt। dēhō’nādirharērnityōbrahmādīnāmanityakā। mukhyōtpattistadanyēṣāṁ prādurbhāvō harērjaniḥ॥”
“Vāsudeva’s origination is manifestation and nothing else. The bodily origination of those other than Him—Brahmā and the rest—is through His prompting. Hari’s body is beginningless and eternal; those of Brahmā and the rest are non-eternal. Origination in the primary sense belongs to those other than Him; Hari’s birth is manifestation.”
iti paramaśrutēśca।
And thus also from the Paramaśruti.
॥ iti śrīmadānandatīrthabhagavatpādācāryaviracitē śrīmadviṣṇutattvanirṇayē dvitīyaḥ paricchēdaḥ samāptaḥ ॥
Thus ends the Second Section of the Śrī Viṣṇutattvanirṇaya, composed by the venerable Ānandatīrtha Bhagavatpāda.
