Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:
The attributes of the spiritual worlds are briefly delineated by Lord Krishna. The sun, moon, fire are not required to illuminate it as it is naturally self-lluminating. Once attained a jiva or embodied being never returns to the transitory material existence and is no longer enslaved by the bondage of samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. As the Supreme Lords abode is transcendental and beyond the scope of material existence it is not subject to the dualities and defects of material nature and is eternally perfect in every way.
| Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:
| ||
Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:
The light of illumination which manifests from the atma or immortal soul is what Lord Krishna is referring to here as well. As His transcendntal spiritual body consists of the atmas of all jivas or embodied beings, He, His name, His abode and His pastimes are all illuminating. No sun or moon or fire can illuminate this; for it is spiritual wisdom that gives the light of consciousness. External luminiousity is only able to dissolve the obscurity that intervenes between the senses perceiving their objects.What reveals the atma is called yoga or the individual conciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. Antagonistic to yoga is karma which are subsequent reactions to previous actions and to conquer this formidable opponent which gains strength from every action performed; one must fully surrender unto the Supreme Lord and accept Him as one's only refuge. That all illuminating light emanates from Him, it is a part of His splendour as a power from Him. The sublime supremacy of this all illuminating light consists of its potency and efficiency in lighting the consciousness by spiritual wisdom. Sunlight no matter how bright, although capable of travelling for millions and billions of miles through space is never able to internally effect illumination in the consciousness as it is only an external phenomena.
| Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna briefly explains some characteristics of that imperishable Supreme state, His eternal abode. There the light of the sun or the moon or fire is not necessary because His eternal abode is self-illuminating and self-effulgent without any association with material existence and always beyond the darkness of nescience. This is confirmed in the Svetasvatara Upanisad III.VIII beginning: veda hametam purusam meaning: The Supreme Lord, more resplendent then the sun, illuminates all within and without, only by realising Him is a jiva or embodied being able to transcend samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death, there is no other possibility. The usage of the word mama meaning my dispels any illusions of seperation or seperate identity of His abode. It is not an independent entity nor is it non-different from Him. The Supreme Lord's eternal abode is a portion of His divine potency.
|