In a previous article, I presented the concept of Bhagavat-sākṣāṭkāra-ābhāsa. There I discussed how an unclean citta creates a mis-perception of Bhagavān. Here, I examine Śrī Jīva Goswami’s Prīti Sandarbha, where he discusses this topic comprehensively. In Anuccheda 7.9, he classifies Bhagavat-sākṣāṭkāra-ābhāsa into four types, cites examples based on the Bhāgavata, and offers helpful analogies to aid understanding. He writes:
tad evaṁ pūrvottarayoś caturṣv api bhedeṣu sa-doṣa-jihvāḥ khaṇḍāśino dṛṣṭāntāḥ
In this manner, there are four categories of impure-hearted people (asvaccha-citta), consisting of the two earlier and the two latter types. Their experience of seeing Bhagavān [during His avatāric descent] is comparable to the experience of those who eat sugar candy while the tongue is infected with jaundice.
As an aside, those who want to know more about sugar candy can read this! The term refers to large crystals of sugar which are quite commonly sold in markets in India. Śrī Jīva Goswami gives four analogies to understand how those who lack love or prīti for Bhagavān see Him.
eke hi pitta-vātaja-doṣavantas tad-āsvādaṁ na gṛhṇanti, kintu sarvādaram avadhāya nāvajānanti |
Some are unable to taste sugar’s sweetness due to an imbalance in the vāta and pitta, but who do not speak ill of it, knowing its universal appeal
This example refers to the first type of bahirmukhas or impure-hearted people discussed in Anuccheda 7.4 . These are ordinary people at the time of Bhagavān’s descent, who remained absorbed in their lives, even after seeing Bhagavān. They are not dis-respectful to Him, but, despite directly seeing Him, are not able to see Him as He is.
Now, the Pāṇḍavas, Yādavas and the gopas were all engaged in household affairs. They were not worshipping Bhagavān all the time, so would they come in the above category of bahirmukhas? Śrī Jīva Goswami’s reply is ‘no’ – their bahirmukha-ness is an ābhāsa, and is not real! He refutes such ideas at length in Anucchedas 7.5-7.8.
anye tv abhimānino’vajānanty api
And there are others [who are not only unable to taste sugar’s sweetness but also] speak ill of it out of pride.
The second type of impure-hearted people or bahirmukhas see Him and are disrespectful to Him. Śrī Jīva gives the example of Indra, who upon seeing that Bhagavān had stopped his yajña, became angry at Him and arranged to hurt the Vrajavāsis as punishment.
athāpare madhura-rasam idam iti gṛhṇanti, kintu tiktāmlādi-rasa-priyās tam eva rasaṁ dviṣanti |
There are those who are able to perceive the sweet taste of sugar candy, but who are averse to it, being fond of bitter and sour flavors instead.
This and the next type refers to vidveṣīs, who see Bhagavān and hate Him. The analogy offered here is for the first type of vidveṣī; Kālayavana is an example. Babaji summarizes Anuccheda 7.9 in his commentary:
“When Kālayavana saw Kṛṣṇa leaving the city, he could recognize that He was most agreeable to behold (darśanīyatamam, sb 10.51.1), that He had a radiant smile (śuci-smitam, sb 10.51.3), and was extremely
beautiful (atisundaraḥ, sb 10.51.4). In spite of perceiving these features, Kālayavana experienced only a distaste for them (aruci) because he was unable to discern Kṛṣṇa’s intrinsic mādhurya. He thus remained determined to kill Him.”
The second type of vidveṣī can be understood by analogy as follows:
avare ca tiktatayaiva tad gṛhṇanti, dviṣanti ceti |
And still others who are averse to sugar candy because they perceive it as being bitter.
Babaji summarizes:
“By contrast, the second type of vidveṣīs cannot even recognize Kṛṣṇa’s beauty, perceiving Him in a distorted manner instead. Though Kṛṣṇa is by nature soft and gentle, the wrestlers of Mathurā perceived Him as being as hard as a lightning bolt (mallānām aśaniḥ, sb 10.43.17), while Kaṁsa saw Him as death personified (mṛtyur bhojapateḥ, sb 10.43.17). Of the four types of impure-hearted people who are unable to ascertain Kṛṣṇa’s mādhurya, these are the
worst.”
Śrī Jīva Goswami notes that the hatred of Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa, or Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa, for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is an ābhāsa of hatred, and not actual hatred. They cannot be classifed as vidveṣīs because they were Jaya and Vijaya, who remained as devotees inside their bodies. I will take up Śrī Jīva Goswami’s fascinating discussion of this point, and his refutation in this context of the notion that Jaya and Vijaya ‘fell’ from Vaikuṇṭha, in another article.
Summary
I cite Śrī Jīva Goswami to conclude this article:
sarveṣāṁ caiṣāṁ nija-doṣa-savyavadhāna-khaṇḍa-grahaṇa-vat tad-ābhāsatvam
All four types of impure-hearted people described above experience only a semblance of the true vision of Bhagavān (sākṣātkāra-ābhāsa), comparable to the experience of those who taste sugar candy while obstructed by their own particular defective sense of taste.
…tasmāt svaccha-cittānām eva sākṣātkāraḥ, sa eva ca mukti-saṁjña iti
…Consequently, the sākṣātkāra of Bhagavān experienced by those who are completely pure of heart (svaccha-citta) is alone designated as mukti.
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