Chapter 16The Divine and the Demoniac Natures DefinedVerse 8

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Anvaya

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Commentaries of the Four Authorized Vaisnava Sampradayas

as confirmed in the Garga Samhita Canto 10, Chapter 61, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

It may be wondered how is it tat the demoniac are not able to perform righteous activities prescribed in the Vedic scriptures and unable to refrain from executing unrighteous actions that are prohibited as vile and degrading? How can there be any logical explanation as to the cause of happiness and misery without the evaluation of righteous and unrighteous conduct? It may be further postulated why do the demoniac determinedly transgress the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures in spiteful disrespect to truth, purity and dignity? Unless one accepts the reality of the Supreme Lord Krishna or any of His incarnations and expansions as revealed in Vedic scriptures there is no other valid and proven explanation for the origin of creation and all its variegated unlimited beings. All these queries will be summarily answered and resolved in these 12 verses beginning now.

The demoniac mentality is very dark and limited in scope. The demoniac believe creation to be false, without any basis or purpose. The demoniac refuse to acknowledge or accept the absolute authority of the Vedic scriptures which have manifested for the benefit of all creation. The demoniac say that the ordinances and injunctions of the Vedic scriptures are nebulous and imaginary having no moral implications or applications to concepts of right or wrong. They regard the unlimited myriads of variegated jivas or embodied beings as merely arising spontaneously on their own accord like bubbles arising in water; without the auspices of a Supreme Lord or almighty god, without even a singular consciousness manifesting as a creator. The demoniac hypothecate that creation originated by the mutual union of a supra human male and female in sexual intercourse and cite as their evidence the visible proof that all species cohabit in this way and that is how creation expanded and evolved. The demoniac hence belligerently believe that the origins of creation is from lust alone without superior agency. All these blatantly erroneous concepts they adamantly cling to as rust stubbornly clings to metal.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

The material existence is real. This world is not an illusion. The incarnation Vedavyasa has written in Vedanta Sutra III.II.III beginning mayamatram tu kartsyena meaning: This world appears illusory because its nature is not manifest in its entirety. The Upanisads proclaim that the brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence has a twofold nature of manifest and unmanifest and this is the established form of the ultimate truth. All the worlds have been established by the Supreme Lord Krishna who has energised them and sustains them providing them the means to flourish and evolve. The Supreme Lord as isvaram parama the supreme controller who alone creates, maintains and destroys all existence yet the demoniac contrarily, adamantly oppose Him.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

The demoniac declare that creation is asatyam or unreal and that creation is not an effect of anything. The demoniac state that creation exists without any aparaspara or cause. The demoniac propund that creation is without apratistham or any support, maintenance or foundation. The demoniac postulate that creation is anisvaram without any controller and is godless. But the fact exists that after manifesting creation the Supreme Lord places it on the hood of Sesa Naga as confirmed in the Visnu Purana II.V.XXVII beginning ten eyam naga varenya sirasa vidhirita mahi stating: Creation rests on the hood of Sesa Naga, which in turn supports the chain of spheres in the material worlds which is the abode of demigods, humans, beasts and demons.

The demoniac have also concocted theories which they strictly adhere and propagate. They hypothecate that creation is not under the auspices of or created by the Supreme Lord Krishna, who is eternal, infallible, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present and who is the Supreme controller of everything. Their only evidence is that everywhere they look they see male and females of such and such species cohabitating to continue the preservation of that species and hence they have concluded that sexual passion alone is the cause that propels mutual union between male and female and evolves creation.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

The demoniac falsely state that creation is godless and completely unreal, without any foundation or creator. They have no knowledge of the Vedic scriptures which ascertains all variables perceived and unperceived and gives as evidence countless examples which we will validate now. The Vedanta Sutra II.I.XVI beginning sattva ca varasya states: Even prior to the manifestation of the effect its existence is inherent in the cause. The Chandogya Upanisad VI.II.I beginning sadeva samye damagra states: In the beginning was only the Supreme Lord alone for before creation there was non- existence of any reality and from this non-existence everything became manifest. It is to be understood that non-existence is mahattattva the most subtle and infinitesimal sub-atomic essence where name and form have no scope to manifest. This is confirmed again in Vedanta Sutra II.I.XVIII beginning yukteli savdanara ca which states: Through studying verses in Vedic scriptures with unbiased erudition it can be ascertained that asat or non-existence refers to the subtlest state of existence known as mahattattva. So from these examples it can be determined that creation is absolutely real and the erroneous conceptions of the demoniac to the contrary are based on the supposition that the effect must be non-existent because the cause is non-existent and this has now been proven to be false. The Taittiriya Upanisad II.VII.I beginning asadva idamagre asit states: Creation was ever existent before its manifestation in its mahattattva form and when the Supreme Lord wills it to manifest it appears. The meaning of the word asatyam is unreal but that is substantiated by the understanding that everything material is the effect of a cause which is not perceived. This is confirmed in Vedanta Sutra III.II.III beginning mayamatram tu kartsyena which states: Creation is only illusory because its nature is not manifest in its entirety. The complete cosmic manifestation and total material creation comprised of demigods, humans, demons, animals, birds, fish, plants, etc. is created, maintained and sustained under the absolute control of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Creation is His by product, pervaded, supported and energised by Him alone. Yet adamantly the demoniac bray and howl that there is no Supreme Lord, no supreme god or supreme creator involved in the process and formation of creation. If they think like this, then how do the demoniac say that creation came into existence? The demoniac analysing existence from only a limited materialistic viewpoint conclude that creation is evolving in all species of life solely through the mutual copulation of male and female by sexual intercourse. Seeing no other external source they opine that lust alone must be the sole cause of creation and determinedly continue degrading themselves in their demoniac activities.

Thus ends commentaries of chapter 16, verse 8 of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

Verse 8


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