28 - Description of the form of the Great soul

Narada said—О lord of the universe and teacher of the universe, by your grace I have been enlightened about everything. Now you kindly enlighten me on the fonn of Brahman and Brahmatattva. “O lord, tell me, whether Brahman is visible or invisible”? Are there any adjectives for him? Or is he without adjective? Can be remain invisible or out of sight? Does he reside 

Mahadeva said—О son Narada, you have enquired from me about the best of the knowledge which is difficult to get even from the Vedas and the Puranas. 

O sage, the s'rutis and myself, have describe about Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Sesa, Dharma and the great universal form. О Narada you are the best of those who are well-versed in the Vedas, the element which is apparently visible has been described in the Vedas. 

I am going to tell you now, whatever was spoken to us by lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha, when myself, Brahma and Dharma questioned him Similarly, on the subject. You listen to me. The gist of those tattvas is like the eyes for blind and remover of the darkness of illusion and jealously because it illumines. 

The eternal Brahman is like the form of lord which resides in all the bodies and remains witness to the deeds of all. 

The five Pranas of the universe are Vishnu, the mind is Prajapati Brahma and the nature is the sakti for all of us. 

Like the courtiers of the king, we are all subordinate to the soul till such time he resides in our body we remain active and the moment the great Brahman leaves our body, the life also disappears. 

The soul happens to be the reflection of the eternal soul and has to reap the harvest of its deeds. As the reflection of sun and moon can be seen in a pitcher filled with water and after the pitcher is broken the reflection of sun and moon disappears. Similarly, at the time of dissolution, the lord enters the great soul. 

О son, at the time of dissolution and the destruction of the universe, only the Brahman remains and the entire universe beside the moveable and immovable elements of the universe also merge in it. 

The same eternal Brahman appears in the form of lustre resembling the crores of Suryas at noon in the summer season. He is wide-spread like the sky, indestructible and appears to the yogis like the reflection of moon which is quite pleasant. 

The yogis and ascetics describe him as the eternal Brahman and meditate upon on him through out the day and night as the bestower of welfare and truthful. 

He is without any desire, invisible the supreme soul, the lord who moves according to his own sweet-will to be the cause of all the causes. 

He is blissful, cause of the bliss and best of the Purusas, virtuous, all virtuous, free from sattva, rajas and tamas, besides being beyond the nature. The nature containing the seeds of everything merges in him at the time of dissolution. In the same way, as the rays in the sun, the flames in the fire, the whiteness in milk and coolness in the water, О sage as the sound always echoes in the sky and the fragrance on earth Similarly, the Nirguna Brahman always remains united with Nirguna Prakruti. 

The same Brahman turns to the form of a Purusha at the time of creation and he is called as possessing the gunas and the associate of Prakruti (nature). The eternal Prakruti having three- fold form, reside in him as a shadow. 

As a potter is competent to create any number of pitcher with earth, Similarly, the Brahman creates the universe with the help of Prakruti (nature). 

As a gold-smith can prepare any number of ornaments with gold, Similarly, the Brahman can create the universe with the help of Prakruti. 

The earth which is used by the potter for the creation of the vases is neither eternal nor everlasting. Similarly,, gold of which the ornaments are made by the gold-smith can never be eternal or everlasting. 

But the eternal Brahman and the Prakruti are everlasting because both of them are equally important according to the opinion of certain people. The potter and the gold-smith cannot themselves produce the earth or the gold. On the other hand, the earth and the gold are not competent to bring out the potter and the pitcher beside the gold. The gold-smith and the ornaments are equally important. 

О Narada, Brahma is better than Prakruti. Thus some of the people describe both of them as eternal. 

Some people (philosophers) say that the said Brahman represent Prakruti and Purusha both. Some people consider Prakruti separate from the Brahman. 

The cause of all the causes. О Narada, the personality of that Brahman has been variously described by the people. 

The same Brahman happens to be the soul of all uninvolved, witness, omnipresent and the bestower of all. This is what has been described in the Vedas. 

He represents in the form of seeds of all and Prakruti happens to be the force of the Brahman. It is also conceived, if Prakruti is taken to be the force, Brahman in that case has to be the possessor of the force.¹ 

All the yogis meditate upon the illustrious Brahman but those who are highly intelligent my devotees Vaishnavas do not agree with this. 

Who will not get surprised on the lustre of that Brahman without existence of Purusha? On the earth, there is no object without any causative form. 

Therefore, the Vaishnavas meditate upon the eternal Purusha, who moves at will, has a beautiful form and is the visible form of the great lord. 

He represents the accumulation of lustre of crores of suns and resides iira circular form with an eternal abode inside the same known as Goloka. 

That divine loka is spread over to lakhs and crore of yojanas. It has been constructed with the use of the best of the divine gems. That loka is filled with beautiful houses and the cowherdessess. 

It can be seen pleasantly. It is circular like the moon. Built with the use of gems, that place stayed in the sky without any support with the desire Krishna. 

O sage, this Goloka is situated fifty crores of yojanas beyond Vaikuntha. It is filled with cows, cowherds, cowherdesses, Kalpvruksha (wish fulfilling trees), Kamadhenus (wish fulfilling cows), dancing halls an orchard named of Vrundavana, beside a river named Viraja. 

Himalaya the king of mountains resides there with hundreds of its peaks. There are lakhs and crores of Ashramas built in gold. They all live enjoying all the riches, in the centre of the loka, there is a beautiful Ashrama having a hundred buildings. It is surrounded by the boundary walls and moats studded with gems. it has been built with precious gems. It looks beautiful like lakhs of the houses. Its size is like that of the reflection of moon. It is beautifully located in the centre of Goloka. It is surrounded by the boundary walls and moats beside the forests of Parijata trees. The pitchers installed in that Ashrama were made of precious Kustubha-gem. Because of this, the shining lustre emerges from that place. The steps have been built with the dust of the gems. 

The doors are made of gems and have mirrors fitted in them. The Ashrama is decorated with various types of instruments, it has sixteen doors and it is illuminated with the burning lamps made of gems. There is a lion throne in that Ashrama which is made of precious gems over which Sri Krishna the lord of universe, is seated. He has a complexion of the fresh clouds. He is represented in a child form.

His eyes emit lustres like the rays of the sun during the summer season and his face reflects the charming glory of the full moon of Sarada purnima. His beauty puts crores of the gods of love to shame. His developed body emitting rays like crores of moon. He wear a serene smile over his face and holds a flute in his hand. His beautiful appearance is commendable and he bestowed welfare. He wears two lower garments of the colour of molten gold, his body always remain shining. 

All his limbs are plastered with sandal-paste. His chest is adorned with the kaustubha gem. He wears a long garland of forest flowers, which falls up to the knees. 

He stands in tribhanga posture and is adorned with all the ornaments and gems, he wears a crown of peacock feathers, besides a crown studded with gems, he wears the gems-studded armlets, wristlets and the anklets, the gems studded Kundalas appear in his ears. 

His teeth resemble those of the lustre of gems and his lips resembled the ripe bimba fruit. His developed nose looks beautiful. He is surrounded by the cowherdesses from all the sides, who always look on him. These cowherdesses are always youthful, wear serene smile over their faces and are adorned with all the ornaments. The sages, Indra, ascetics, humans, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva and other gods adore him with devotion. He is loved by his devotees, he happens to be their lord and is always compassionate to them. О sage, all the Vaishnavas adore the lord who is beloved of Radha in whose heart, he always resides. 

Such a lord is adorable for us. He is indestructible the eternal Brahman and everlasting lord. 

He moves according to his wishes, is formless, unattached, beyond Prakruti, the base of all, the seed of all, all knowledgeable lord of everyone, adorable by all and bestowers of all the success, he is the only lord who reside in the Goloka in the form of a cowherd having two arms only. He is surrounded by the cowherd courtiers. He is known as lord Krishna, the lord of Radha, the soul of all and is present everywhere. (In Krishna word) The word krish is derived from the root which means all and n stands for the soul. Therefore, Krishna stands for the soul of all.

It has been explained in another form according to which krish stands for the eternal and n stands for the soul. Therefore, Krishna is conceived to be the soul eternal. The same lord appears in the Vaikuntha from his Amsas having four arms and is the lord of Lakshmi. He appears from his Amsa as Vishnu, protects the universe and residing in the Sveta-dvipa, he resides as the husband of the daughter of Sindhu, having four arms. Thus I have explained to you the form of Parabrahman to you, who is adored by everyone. О Saunaka, thus speaking lord Siva kept quiet. 

Thereafter, Narada offered prayer to the lord, with the prayer composed by the king of the Gandharvas; thereafter lord Siva getting pleased with his adoration bestowed the desired knowledge on him. The sage Narada then delightfully bowed in reverence before Siva. With his permission Narada there went to Narayanashrama.