11th Jewel: Acintya Bhedābheda Tattva

ACINTYA-BHEDĀBHEDA-TATTVA:

Of the Ontology of Inconceivable One-ness and difference

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

ACINTYA-BHEDĀDHEDA-TATTVA 

The Ontology of Inconceivable Oneness and Difference

The Śruti on the Subject of Acintya-bhedābheda- tattva

१.१

एको वशी सर्वभूताम्तरात्मा एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति

तम् आत्मस्थं येऽ नुपश्यन्ति धीरस्तेषां

सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम्

1.1

eko vaśī sarvabhūtāmtarātmā ekaṁ rūpaṁ bahudhā yaḥ karoti

tam ātmasthaṁ ye' nupaśyanti dhīrasteṣāṁ

sukhaṁ śāśvataṁ netareṣām

Although His form is one, the Supersoul, who is the indwelling witness and

controller of all living beings, is manifest in innumerable ways. The wise who

can see that Supreme Soul within his heart becomes peaceful and enjoys

transcendental bliss. 

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.12)

Vedas

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam on Acintya-bhedābheda- tattva

११.२

ऋतेर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि तद् विद्याद् आत्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तमः

11.2

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 has no relation to Me, has

no reality. It is My illusory energy that reflection which appears to be in

darkness. 

(Bhāg. 2.9.34)

११.३

यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्व् अनु 

प्रविष्टान्य् अप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्व् अहम्

11.3

yathā mahānti bhūtāni bhūteṣūccāvaceṣv anu 

praviṣṭāny apraviṣṭāni tathā teṣu na teṣv aham 

O Brahmā, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at

the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within

everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything. 

(Bhāg.2.9.35)

११.४

यत्र येन यतो यस्य यस्मै यद् यद् यथा यदा 

स्याद् इदं भगवान् साक्षात् प्रधान- पुरुषेश्वरः

11.4

yatra yena yato yasya yasmai yad yad yathā yadā 

syād idaṁ bhagavān sākṣāt pradhāna- puruṣeśvaraḥ

You are the substratum, the agent, and the instrument of the universe. You are its source and its object or purpose. Whenever or whatever form it assumes is You. As the universe evolves, all the causes thereof, including time and manner, are You, the Almighty Lord, the controller of both prakṛti (the enjoyed) and puruṣa (the enjoyer) and who transcends them both. (Bhāg. 10.85.4)

Meditation

Śmṛti on Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva

११.५

मया ततम् इदं सर्वं जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना 

मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः

11.5

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā 

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

In My unmanifest form I pervade this entire universe. All beings are in Me, but

I am not in them. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 9.4)

११.६

न च मत्-स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगम् ऐश्वरम्

भूत-भृन् न च भूत-स्थो ममात्मा भूत- भावनः

11.6

na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram

bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta- bhāvanaḥ

And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation; for I am the very source of creation. 

(Bhagavad-gītā 9.5)

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī on Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva

११.७

एकम् एव तत् परम-तत्त्वं स्वाभाविकाचिन्त्यशक्त्या सर्वदैव 

स्वरूप-तद्रूप-वैभव-जीव-प्रधान-रूपेण चतुर्धावतिष्ठते 

सूर्यान्तर्मण्डलस्थ-तेज इव मण्डल तद्-बहिर्-गतरश्मि-तत्-प्रत्तिछवि-रूपेण. 

दुर्घट-घट-कत्वं ह्यचिन्त्यत्वम्

11.7

ekam eva tat parama-tattvaṁ svābhāvikācintyaśaktyā sarvadaiva 

svarūpa-tadrūpa-vaibhava-jīva-pradhāna-rūpeṇa caturdhāvatiṣṭhate 

sūryāntarmaṇḍalastha-teja iva maṇḍala tad-bahir-gataraśmi-tat-prattichavi-rūpeṇa. 

durghaṭa-ghaṭa-katvaṁ hyacintyatvam

The Absolute Truth is one. His natural characteristic is that He has inconceivable potency. His inconceivable potencies are reposed in four different stages: His personal form (svarūpa), the expansions of His divine form (tadrūpa-vaibhava), the jīvas, and the material ingredients (pradhāna).

With regard to the sun, there is the sungod, the internal power of the sun, and that power when it is expanded as the external rays of the sun. Then there is the penumbra of the sun, that is to say, the surrounding or adjoining region where light exists in a lesser degree even to the extent of darkness, or in other words, the sun's reflection which is in darkness, far from the sun's influence. 

This illustration is used as an example. The point of the example is that in the same way as the sun appears in this fourfold manifestation (the sungod, its internal power, its external rays, and its penumbra), there is one eternal Supreme Truth (the Lord) whose form is eternal, but who is possessed of different potencies: svarūpa-śakti, jīva-śakti, and māyā-śakti.

There seems to be a contradiction in this matter between the Lord being one eternal Absolute Truth and His simultaneously possessing inconceivable potency. How is it possible to understand such a contradiction? To that it is said "acintya means beyond the jīva's capacity to understand." Acintya  means inconceivable, unthinkable, beyond reason, transcendental to logical argument.

 An event which is extremely rare or unlikely, even physically impossible, is inconceivable or acintya. 

For God Himself, however, nothing is impossible for He has inconceivable power.

[Therefore the Lord's oneness with (and distinction from) His energy is said to

be inconceivable acintya-bhedābhedā-vāda.] 

(Bhagavata-sandarbha 16)

Note: In his commentary on this verse Śrīla Prabhupāda paraphrases this section of Jīva Gosvāmī's Bhagavata sandarbha as follows: 

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states in Bhagavata- Sandarbha (16) :

That by His potencies, which act in natural sequences beyond the scope of the speculative human mind, the Supreme Transcendence, the summum bonum, eternally and

simultaneously exists in four transcendental features: His personality, His

impersonal effulgence, His potential parts and parcels (the living beings), and

the principal cause of all causes. The Supreme Whole is compared to the sun,

which also exists in four features, namely the personality of the sun-god, the

glare of his glowing sphere, the sun-rays inside the sun planet, and the sun's

reflections in many other objects. The ambition to corroborate the existence of

the transcendental Absolute Truth by limited conjectural endeavors cannot be

fulfilled, because He is beyond the scope of our limited speculative minds. In an

honest search for truth we must admit that His powers are inconceivable to our

tiny brains. The exploration of space has demanded the work of the greatest

scientists of the world,yet there are countless problems regarding even

fundamental knowledge of the material creation that bewilder such scientists.

Such material knowledge is far removed from the spiritual nature, and therefore

the acts and arrangements of the Absolute Truth, are, beyond all doubts,

inconceivable.

११.८

अपरे तु "तर्को-प्रतिष्ठानात्" भेदेऽ प्य-भेदेऽ पि

निर्मर्याद-दोष-सन्तति-दर्शनेन भिन्नतया 

चिन्तर्यितुमशकयत्वादभेदः साध्यन्तः

तद्-वद्-अभिन्नतयापि चिन्तयिउअमशक्यत्वाद्भेदमपि साधयन्तोऽ

चिन्त्यभेदाभेदवाद स्वीकुर्वन्ति.

तत्र बादरा-पौराणिक-शैवानां मते भेदाभेदौ भास्करमते च.

मायावादिनाम् तत्र भेदांशो व्यवहारिक एव प्रातीतिको वा.

गौतम-कणाद-जैमिनि-कपिल-पतञ्जलिमते तु भेद एव.

श्री रामानुज-मध्वाचार्यमते चेत्यपि सार्वत्रिकी प्रसिद्धिः.

स्वमते त्वचिन्त्यभेदाभेदावेवा अचिन्त्यशक्तिमयत्वादिति

11.8

apare tu "tarko-pratiṣṭhānāt" bhede' pya-bhede' pi

nirmaryāda-doṣa-santati-darśanena bhinnatayā 

cintaryitumaśakayatvādabhedaḥ sādhyantaḥ

tad-vad-abhinnatayāpi cintayiuamaśakyatvādbhedamapi sādhayanto'

cintyabhedābhedavāda svīkurvanti.

 tatra bādarā-paurāṇika-śaivānāṁ mate bhedābhedau bhāskaramate ca.

māyāvādinām tatra bhedāṁśo vyavahārika eva prātītiko vā.

gautama-kaṇāda-jaimini-kapila-patañjalimate tu bheda eva.

śrī rāmānuja-madhvācāryamate cetyapi sārvatrikī prasiddhiḥ.

svamate tvacintyabhedābhedāvevā acintyaśaktimayatvāditi

Other sampradāyas of Vedāntists admit that boundless essays, dissertations, and

theses can never be established as truth through any amount of argument. Still,

they think that the principle of oneness and difference existing together in the

same place transgresses the boundaries of reality. 

They take it that this is a symptom of the fault of neglecting the nature of universality; that is, that if difference is true, then it must be true universally, and if oneness is true then it

must be true universally. 

Following this faulty logic they therefore think that these two, difference and non difference, cannot independently coexist. There cannot be both duality and oneness, they reason;

one of these doctrines must have supremacy over the other. 

Those who think "everything is one," find that their attempts to practice the doctrine of oneness are impossible. 

In the same way, those who attempt to practice a doctrine of absolute difference will find their position untenable. 

In this way, both the practitioners of absolute oneness and the practitioners of absolute duality will be unable to realize their philosophy.

Therefore, in light of the difficulties of trying to realize oneness without distinction or distinction without oneness, the principle of acintya-bhedābhedavāda, or inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and distinction, has been accepted as the Highest Harmonizing Principle.

The true opinion of the sage Bādara and the Purāṇas as well as the real Shivaites follow the opinion of bhedābheda-vāda, oneness and difference. Even the followers of Śiva sometimes accept this. 

For example, the commentator Bhāskara accepts bhedābheda-vāda in the sense that

there is a difference between the articles offered to the Deity and the Deity

Himself. 

Buddha

In the opinion of the māyāvādis, of course,  the branches of difference are merely

vyavahārika, mundane or apparent. In their view reality is an illusion, or māyā. 

On the other hand, five of the six main philosophers of India, namely Gautama, Kaṇāda, Jaimini, Kapila, and Patañjali admit the existence of distinction.

Rāmanuja Acharya

In the opinions of Rāmānuja and Mādhva's this principle reaches a higher level of perfection. Rāmānuja's viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy supports difference and nondifference, by offering the example of a thing and its qualities as for example the sun and its rays.

Mādhva's śuddhādvaita or pure distinction philosophy supports the principle of difference. 

Madhya Acharya

The Supreme Lord has inconceivable potency; and He supports the siddhānta or conclusion of acintyabhedābheda-vāda. This is our conclusion. 

(Paramātma- Sandarbha, Sarvasaṁvādinī-tīkā, Jīva Gosvāmī)

Jīva Goswāmī

The Brahmā-sūtras Support the View of Śakti- pariṇāmavāda

১১.৯

ব্যাসের সূত্রেতে নহে পরিণাম বাদ

ব্যাস ভ্রান্ত বলি তার উঠাইল বিবাদ 

পরিণাম-বাদে ঈশ্বর হযেন বিকারী

এত অহি বিবরিঅ বাদ স্থাপনা যে করি 

বস্তুতঃ পরিণাম-বাদ সেই সে প্রমাণ দেহে আত্ম-বুদ্ধি এই বিবর্তের স্থান অবিচিন্ত্য-শক্তি-যূক্ত শ্রী-ভগবান্ ইচ্ছায জগদ্-রূপে পায পরিণাম তথাপি অচিন্ত্য-শক্ত্যে হয অবিকারী প্রাকৃত চিন্তামণি তাহে দৃষ্টান্ত যে ধরি নানা রত্ন-রাশি হয চিন্তামণি হৈতে তথাপিহ মণি রহে স্বরূপে অবিকৃতে প্রাকৃত-বস্তূতে যদি অচিন্ত্য-শক্তি হয ঈশ্বরের অচিন্ত্য-শক্তি, ইথে কি বিস্ময

11.9

vyāsera sūtrete kahe 'pariṇāma'-vāda

'vyāsa bhrānta' bali' tāra uṭhāila vivāda 

pariṇāma-vāde īśvara hayena vikārī

eta kahi' 'vivarta'-vāda sthāpanā ye kari vastutaḥ pariṇāma-vāda sei se pramāṇa dehe ātma-buddhi ei vivartera sthāna avicintya-śakti-yūkta śrī-bhagavān icchāya jagad-rūpe pāya pariṇāma tathāpi acintya-śaktye haya avikārī prākṛta cintāmaṇi tāhe dṛṣṭānta ye dhari nānā ratna-rāśi haya cintāmaṇi haite tathāpiha maṇi rahe svarūpe avikṛte prākṛta-vastūte yadi acintya-śakti haya īśvarera acintya-śakti, ithe ki vismaya

In Vedānta-Sūtra, Śrīla Vyāsadeva has described that everything is but a transformation of the energy of the Lord. Śaṅkarācārya has misled the world, however, by claiming that Vyāsadeva was mistaken. Thus he has raised great opposition to theism throughout the world. According to Śaṅkarācārya, by accepting the theory of the transformation of the energy of the Lord, one creates an illusion by indirectly accepting that the Absolute Truth is transformed.

Transformation of energy is a proven fact. It is the false bodily conception of the self that is an illusion. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is opulent in all respects. By His inconceivable energies, therefore, He has transformed the material cosmic manifestation. 

Using the example of a touchstone, which by its energy turns iron to gold and yet remains the same, we can understand that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead transforms His innumerable energies, He remains unchanged. Although a touchstone produces many

varieties of valuable jewels, it nevetheless remains the same. It does not change its original form. 

If there is such inconceivable potency in material objects, why should we not believe in the inconceivable potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? 

(Cc. Ādi 7.121-127)

The Meaning of Pariṇāma-vāda and Vivarta-vāda

११.१०

सतत्त्बतोऽ न्यथा प्रथा बिकार इत्युदीरितः अतत्त्बतोऽ न्यथा प्रथा बिकर्त इत्युदाहृतः

11.10

satattvato' nyathā prathā vikāra ityudīritaḥ atattvato' nyathā prathā vikarta ityudāhṛtaḥ 

When a real substance takes another form it is called vikāra, or transformation.

An example of this is the transformation of milk into yogurt. When something is

mistaken for something else it is called vivarta, or illusion, like when a rope is

taken as a snake. (Sadānanda Yogindra, Vedānta- sāra 59)

Thus ends the Eleventh Jewel of Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra: The Ontology of Inconceivable Oneness and Difference, Acintya-Bhedābheda-tattva