Ontology of Shakti: 8th Jewel

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhakura

শ্রী গৌड़िয-কন্ঠহার

Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra:

The Jeweled Necklace of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas

Being a compendium of quotations from revealed scriptures

concerning the truths about the cult of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

Compiled under the authority and direction of

His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sāraswāti Goswāmī

Prabhupada

Translated and edited, with original Sanskrit and Bengali and Roman transliteration by

B. V. Mahāyogi, Michael Dolan

The 8th Jewel:

ŚAKTI-TATTVA

On the ontological nature of Energy, (Shakti)

The Energies of the Supreme are Unlimited

८.१

कुतः पुनर् गृणतो नाम तस्य महत्तमैकान्त-परायणस्य

यो ऽनन्त-शक्तिर् भगवान् अनन्तो महद्-गुणत्वाद् यम् अनन्तम् आहुः

8.1

kutaḥ punar gṛṇato nāma tasya mahattamaikānta-parāyaṇasya

yo 'nanta-śaktir bhagavān ananto mahad-guṇatvād yam anantam āhuḥ 

What to speak of those who are under the direction of the great devotees,

chanting the holy name of the Unlimited, who has unlimited energy. The Lord,

who is unlimited in energy and in transcendental attributes, is called ananta,

unlimited. 

(Bhāg. 1.18.19)

The Lord's Unlimited Energy is Divided
Into Three Principle Categories

८.२

न तस्य कार्यं करणम्च विद्यते 

न तत् समश्  चाभ्यधिकश् च दृश्यते 

परास्य शक्तिर्-विविधैव-श्रूयते 

स्वाभाविकी ज्ञान-बल-क्रिया च

8.2

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇamca vidyate 

na tat samaś  cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate 

parāsya śaktir-vividhaiva-śrūyate 

svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

He does not have a bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity: He has a

transcendental form of bliss and knowledge. His senses are all transcendental.

Nothing is greater than Him or equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious,

such as cognitive, will and active potency. 

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8)

৮.৩

অনন্ত-শক্তি-মধ্যে কৃষ্ণের তিন শক্তি প্রধান

ঽিচ্ছা-শক্তিঽ, ঽজ্ঞান-শক্তিঽ, ঽক্রিযা-শক্তিঽ নাম ইচ্ছা-শক্তি-প্রধান 

কৃষ্ণ ইচ্ছায সর্ৱ-কর্তা জ্ঞান-শক্তি-প্রধান ৱাসুদেৱ অধিষ্ঠাতা

ইচ্ছা-জ্ঞান-ক্রিযা ৱিনা না হয সৃজন তিনের তিন-শক্তি মেলিঽ প্রপঞ্চ-রচন 

ক্রিযা-শক্তি-প্রধান সঙ্কর্ষণ বলরাম প্রাকৃতাপ্রকৃত-সৃষ্টি 

করেন নির্মাণ অহণ্কারের অধিষ্ঠাতা কৃষ্ণের ইচ্ছায

গোলোক, ৱৈকুণ্ঠ সৃজে চিচ্-ছক্তি-দ্ৱারায যদ্যপি অসৃজ্য নিত্য 

চিচ্-ছক্তি-ৱিলাস তথাপি সঙ্কর্ষণ-ইচ্ছায তাহার প্রকাশ

8.3

ananta-śakti-madhye kṛṣṇera tina śakti pradhāna

'icchā-śakti', 'jñāna-śakti', 'kriyā-śakti' nāma icchā-śakti-pradhāna 

kṛṣṇa icchāya sarva-kartā jñāna-śakti-pradhāna vāsudeva adhiṣṭhātā

icchā-jñāna-kriyā vinā nā haya sṛjana tinera tina-śakti meli' prapañca-racana 

kriyā-śakti-pradhāna saṅkarṣaṇa balarāma prākṛtāprakṛta-sṛṣṭi 

karena nirmāṇa ahaṇkārera adhiṣṭhātā kṛṣṇera icchāya

goloka, vaikuṇṭha sṛje cic-chakti-dvārāya yadyapi asṛjya nitya 

cic-chakti-vilāsa tathāpi saṅkarṣaṇa-icchāya tāhāra prakāśa

Kṛṣṇa has unlimited potencies, out of which three are chief willpower, the power of knowledge, and the creative energy. He is the predominator of the willing energy, for by His supreme will everything comes into existence. In

willing, there is a need for knowledge, and that knowledge is expressed through Vāsudeva. There is no possibility of creation without thinking, feeling, willing, knowledge, and activity. The combination of supreme will, knowledge, and action brings about the cosmic manifestation. Lord Saṅkarśaṇa is Lord Balarāma. Being the predominator of the creative energy, He creates both the material and spiritual worlds. That original Saṅkarśaṇa is the cause of both the material and spiritual creation. He is the predominating Deity of egotism, and by the will of Kṛṣṇa and the power of the spiritual energy, He creates the spiritual world, which consists of Goloka Vṛndāvana and Vaikuṇṭha. Although there is no question of creation as far as the spiritual world is concerned, the spiritual world is noneteless manifest by the supreme will of Saṅkarśaṇa. The spiritual world is the abode of the pastimes of the eternal spiritual energy.

 (Cc.Madhya 20.252-257)

Three Varieties of the Lord's Energy

৮.৪

কৃষ্ণের অনন্ত-শক্তি, তাতে তিন প্রধান

ঽচিচ্-ছক্তিঽ, ঽমাযা-শক্তিঽ, ঽজিৱ-শক্তিঽ-নাম

ঽন্তরঙ্গাঽ, ঽবহিরঙ্গাঽ, ঽতটস্থাঽ ককি 

যারে অন্তরঙ্গা ঽস্ৱরূপ-শক্তিঽ সবার উপরে

8.4

kṛṣṇera ananta-śakti, tāte tina pradhāna

'cic-chakti', 'māyā-śakti', 'jiva-śakti'-nāma

'antaraṅgā', 'bahiraṅgā', 'taṭasthā' kaki 

yāre antaraṅgā 'svarūpa-śakti' sabāra upare

Kṛṣṇa has unlimited potencies. They are divided into three main parts the spiritual energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy, which is the living entities. In other words, these are all potencies of God internal, external,

and marginal. However, the internal energy is the Lord's personal energy and stands over the other two. 

(Cc. Madhya 8.151-152)

৮.৫

সূর্যাংশ-কিরণ, যৈছে অগ্নি-জ্ৱালা-চয স্ৱাভাৱিক কৃষ্ণের তিন-প্রকার ঽশক্তিঽ হয 

কৃষ্ণের স্ৱাভাৱিক তিন-শক্তি-পরিণতি চিচ্-ছক্তি, জীৱ-শক্তি, আর মাযা-শক্তি

8.5

sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra 'śakti' haya 

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati cic-chakti, jīva-śakti, āra māyā-śakti 

The living entity is a manifestation simultaneously one and different from the Lord, like a molecular particle of sunshine or fire. Kṛṣṇa has three varieties of energy. Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally has three energetic transformations and these are known as the spiritual energy, the living entity energy, and the illusory energy.

(Cc. Madhya 20.109,111)

The Evidence From Śruti for Cit-śakti-

८.६

ते ध्यान-योगानुगता अपश्यन् देवात्म-शक्तिं स्वगुणैर्-निगूढाम् 

यः कारणानि निखिलानि तानि, कालात्म- युक्तन्यधि-तिष्ठत्य् एकः

8.6

te dhyāna-yogānugatā apaśyan devātma-śaktiṁ svaguṇair-nigūḍhām 

yaḥ kāraṇāni nikhilāni tāni, kālātma- yuktanyadhi-tiṣṭhaty ekaḥ

Those who meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead can see His confidential, divine power (cit-śakti). The Supreme Lord alone is the energetic source of all energies. His divine power is the immediate cause of the unlimited universes. Thus the Lord Himself is the instrumental cause (nimitta) of manifesting the living beings, the worlds of time and space and all that reposes within them. 

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 1.3)

८.७

स विष्वकृद् विश्वविदात्म-योनिः ज्ञह् कालकालो गुणी सर्व-विद् यः 

प्रधान-क्षेत्रज्ञ-पतिर्-गुणेशः संसार-मोक्ष-स्थिति-बन्ध-हेतुः

8.7

sa viṣvakṛd viśvavidātma-yoniḥ jñah kālakālo guṇī sarva-vid yaḥ 

pradhāna-kṣetrajña-patir-guṇeśaḥ saṁsāra-mokṣa-sthiti-bandha-hetuḥ

The Supreme Lord is the ultimate creator of the universe. He knows the purpose of the universe. He is the Supersoul, the Lord in the heart of every living being. He is all-knowing, and is the greatest philosopher. He knows past, present, and

future. He has all excellencies and good qualities. He is the master of the material energy (pradhāna), the living beings

(jīva-śakti, kṣetrajña) and the internal, spiritual energy known as (cit-śakti, guṇa). He alone is the cause of

liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death (saṁsāra) and the bondage of ignorance. 

(Śvetāśvatara 6.16)

The Evidence From the Śmṛti scriptures for Cit-śakti, the "consciousness" energy

८.८

अजो ऽपि सन्न् अव्ययात्मा भूतानाम् ईश्वरो ऽपि सन् 

प्रकृतिं स्वाम् अधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्य् आत्म- मायया

8.8

ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san 

prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma- māyayā

Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living beings, I still appear by My own energy (ātmā-māyā) in every millennium in My original transcendental form.

(Bhagavad-gītā 4.6)

Note: ātmā-māyā refers to the spiritual potency, or cit-śakti.

The Evidence From Śmṛti for Jīva-śakti, the energy of the conditioned souls

८.९

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च

अहङ्कार इतीयं मे भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

8.9

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā 

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego these eight comprise My separated external energy. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 7.4)

८.१०

अपरेयम् इतस् त्व् अन्यां प्रकृतिं विद्धि मे पराम्

जीव-भूतां महा-बाहो ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

8.10

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat 

O mighty-armed Arjuna, apart from My external energy, I have another energy, which is superior to matter. This energy is comprised of the living entities who are exploiting the material nature and sustaining it by infusing it with

consciousness. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 7.5)

The Evidence From Śruti for Māyā-śakti

८.११

अजाम्-एकं लोहित-शुक्ल-कृष्णां बह्वीः प्रजाः सृजमानां सरूपाः

अजो ह्येको जुषमाणोऽनुशेते जहात्येनां भुक्त- भोगामजोऽन्यः

8.11

ajām-ekaṁ lohita-śukla-kṛṣṇāṁ bahvīḥ prajāḥ sṛjamānāṁ sarūpāḥ

ajo hyeko juṣamāṇo'nuśete jahātyenāṁ bhukta- bhogāmajo'nyaḥ

Material nature consists of three modes goodness, passion, and ignorance and is the mother of the innumerable living beings within the universe. It is brought into existence and supported by the one unborn Lord, who is full in self-knowledge. That unborn Lord, however, does not consort with His material energy. He independently enjoys the pleasure of

His transcendental pastimes. But the living entity enjoys her and thus becomes bound. 

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.5)

The Evidence From Śmṛti for Māyā-śakti-

८.१२

प्रकृतिं स्वाम् अवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः

भूत-ग्रामम् इमं कृत्स्नम् अवशं प्रकृतेर् वशात्

8.12

prakṛtiṁ svām avaṣṭabhya visṛjāmi punaḥ punaḥ

bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛtsnam avaśaṁ prakṛter vaśāt

This whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 9.8)

८.१३

मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते स-चराचरम् हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद् विपरिवर्तते

8.13

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate

O son of Kuntī, material nature is under My control. It produces all beings, both moving and non-moving. Under My supervision the material world comes into existence. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 9.10)

Two Kinds of Māyā Guṇa-māyā and Jīva-māyā

८.१४

ऋते ऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि तद् 

विद्याद् आत्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः

8.14

ṛte 'rthaṁ yat pratīyeta na pratīyeta cātmani tad 

vidyād ātmano māyāṁ yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ

O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me,

has no reality. Know it as My māyā, My illusory energy that reflection which

appears in darkness. (Bhāg. 2.9.34)

Material Māyā is the Shadow of Yoga-māyā

८.१५

सृष्ठि-स्थिति-प्रलय-साधन-शक्तिर्-एका 

छायेव यस्य भुवनानि विभर्ति दुर्गा 

इच्छानुरूपम् अपि यस्य च चेष्टते सा 

गोविन्दम् आदि पुरुषं तम् अहं भजामि

8.15

sṛṣṭhi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir-ekā 

chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā 

icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā 

govindam ādi puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The external energy, māyā, is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency. She

is worshiped as Durgā the agent of the Lord who is responsible for creating,

preserving, and destroying the mundane world. I

adore the primeval Lord Govinda, in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself. 

(Brahmā- Saṁhitā 5.44)

८.१६

विलज्जमानया यस्य स्थातुम् ईक्षा-पथे ऽमुया विमोहिता विकत्थन्ते ममाहम् इति दुर्धियः

8.16

vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe 'muyā vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ 

The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her

always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine." (Bhāg. 2.5.13)

Hlādinī, Saṁvit, Sandhinī: Three Kinds of Energy

८.१७

ह्लादिनी सन्धिनी सम्वित् त्वय्येका सर्व संस्थितौ

ह्लादतापकरी मिश्रा त्वयि नो गुण-वर्जिते

8.17

hlādinī sandhinī samvit tvayyekā sarva saṁsthitau

hlādatāpakarī miśrā tvayi no guṇa-varjite

O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes ḥlādinī, sandhinī, and saṁvit exist only in You as one spiritual energy, but the material modes, which cause happiness, misery, and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities. 

(ViṣṇuPurāṇa 1.12.68)

৮.১৮

সচ্-চিদ্-আনন্দ-ময হয ঈশ্ৱর-স্ৱরূপ তিন 

অংশে চিচ্-শক্তি হয তিন রূপ আনন্দাংশে ঽহ্লাদিনীঽ, 

সদ্-অংশে ঽসন্ধিনীঽ চিদ্-অংশে ঽসম্ৱিত্ঽ, যারে জ্ঞান করি মানি

8.18

sac-cid-ānanda-maya haya īśvara-svarūpa tina 

aṁśe cic-śakti haya tina rūpa ānandāṁśe 'hlādinī', 

sad-aṁśe 'sandhinī' cid-aṁśe 'samvit', yāre jñāna kari māni

The Supreme Person in His original form is full of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. The spiritual potency in these three portions assumes three different forms. These three potencies are called ḥlādinī reposes (the bliss portion),

sandhinī (the eternity portion), and saṁvit (the knowledge portion). Knowledge of these is full knowledge of the Supreme Lord. 

(Cc. Madhya 6.158,159)

८.१९

स्वयन् त्व् असाम्यातिशयस्-त्र्यधीसः स्वाराज्य-लक्ष्म्य्-आप्त-समस्त-कामः

बलिं हरद्भिश् चिर-लोक-पालैः किरीट-कोट्य् एडित-पाद-

8.19

svayan tv asāmyātiśayas-tryadhīsaḥ svārājya-lakṣmy-āpta-samasta-kāmaḥ

 baliṁ haradbhiś cira-loka-pālaiḥ kirīṭa-koṭy eḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of all kinds of threes and is independently supreme by achievement of all kinds of fourtune. He is worshiped by the eternal maintainers of the creation, who offer Him the paraphernalia of worship by touching their millions of helmets to His feet. 

(Bhāg. 3.2.21)

८.२०

विष्णु-शक्तिः परा प्रोक्ता क्षेत्र-ज्ञाख्या तथा- परा

अविद्या कर्म-संज्ञन्या तृतीया शक्तिर्-इष्यते

8.20

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā- parā

avidyā karma-saṁjñanyā tṛtīyā śaktir-iṣyate

Viṣṇu-śakti, the energy of Kṛṣṇa is threefold: parā- śakti, or the Lord's superior, spiritual energy; kṣetrajña-śakti, or the marginal living beings; and avidya-śakti, or the illusory energy, which is characterized by karma, the world of action and

reaction. In other words, the potency of Lord Viṣṇu is summarized in three categories namely, the spiritual potency, the living entities and ignorance. The spiritual potency is full of knowledge; the living entities, although belong to the spiritual potency, are subject to bewilderment; and the third energy, which is full of ignorance, is always visible in fruitive activities. 

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.7.61)

Those who are Most Dear to Kṛṣṇa are His
Internal Energy

৮.২১

ঈশ্ৱরের শক্তি হয এ-তিন প্রকার এক লক্ষ্মী-গণ, পুরে মহিষী-গণ আর 

ৱ্রজে গোপী-গণ আর সভাতে প্রধান ৱ্রজেন্দ্র-নন্দন যাঽতে স্ৱযং ভগৱান্

8.21

īśvarera śakti haya e-tina prakāra eka lakṣmī-gaṇa, pure mahiṣī-gaṇa āra 

vraje gopī-gaṇa āra sabhāte pradhāna vrajendra-nandana yā'te svayaṁ bhagavān

The energies (consorts) of the Supreme Lord are of three kinds: the Lakṣmīs in Vaikuṇṭha, the queens in Dvāraka, and the gopīs in Vṛndāvana. The gopīs are the best of all, for they have the privilege of serving Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the primeval Lord, the son of the King of Vraja 

(Cc. Ādi 1.79,80)

Śrī Rādhikā is Kṛṣṇa's Most Complete Energy

৮.২২

রাধা পূর্ণ-শক্তি, কৃষ্ণ পূর্ণ-শক্তিমান্ দুই ৱস্তু ভেদ নাই, 

শাস্ত্র-পরমাণ মৃগমদ, তার গন্ধ যৈছে অৱিচ্ছেদ অগ্নি, 

জ্ৱালাতে যৈছে কভু নাহি ভেদ রাধা-কৃষ্ণ ঐছে সদা এক-ই স্ৱরূপ

লীলা-রস আস্ৱাদিতে ধরে দুই-রূপ

8.22

rādhā pūrṇa-śakti, kṛṣṇa pūrṇa-śaktimān dui vastu bheda nāi, 

śāstra-paramāṇa mṛgamada, tāra gandha yaiche aviccheda agni, 

jvālāte yaiche kabhu nāhi bheda rādhā-kṛṣṇa aiche sadā eka-i svarūpa

līlā-rasa āsvādite dhare dui-rūpa

Śrī Rādhā is the full energy, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of full power. The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its heat are nondifferent. Thus Rādhā and Lord Kṛṣṇa are one, yet They have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes. 

(Cc. Ādi 4.96-98)

All the Lakṣmīs are Expansions of Śrī Rādhā

৮.২৩

অৱতারী কৃষ্ণ যৈছে করে অৱতার অংশিনী রাধা হৈতে তিন গণের ৱিস্তার 

ৱৈভৱ-গণ যেন ত্ংঙ্র অঙ্গ-ৱিভূতি বিম্ব-প্রতিবিম্ব-রূপ মহিষীর ততি

লক্ষ্মী-গণ ত্ংঙ্র ৱৈভৱ-ৱিলাসাংশ-রূপ মহিঞী-গণ ৱৈভাৱ প্রকাশ স্ৱরূপ

আকার-স্ৱভাৱ-ভেদে ৱ্রজ দেৱী গণ কায-ৱ্যুহ-রূপ ত্ংঙ্র রসের কারণ

8.23

avatārī kṛṣṇa yaiche kare avatāra aṁśinī rādhā haite tina gaṇera vistāra 

vaibhava-gaṇa yena tṁṅra aṅga-vibhūti bimba-pratibimba-rūpa mahiṣīra tati

lakṣmī-gaṇa tṁṅra vaibhava-vilāsāṁśa-rūpa mahiñī-gaṇa vaibhāva prakāśa svarūpa

ākāra-svabhāva-bhede vraja devī gaṇa kāya-vyuha-rūpa tṁṅra rasera kāraṇa

Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the fountainhead of all avatāras, so Śrī Rādhā is the origin of all the consorts of the Supreme Lord in all his different features. The goddesses of fortune in Vaikuṇṭha are partial manifestations of Śrī Rādhā, and the queens of Dvārakā are reflections of Her image. The goddesses of fortune are Her plenary portions, and they display the forms of vaibhava-vilāsa. The queens are of the nature of Her vaibhava-prakāśa. 

(Cc. Ādi 4.76-78)

Thus ends the Eight Chapter of the Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, entitled Śakti-tattva.