SB 03.26.21 yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham... cited

Expressions researched:
"cittam tan mahad-atmakam" |"santam bhagavatah padam" |"yad ahur vasudevakhyam" |"yat tat sattva-gunam svaccham"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.26.21, Translation and Purport:

The mode of goodness, which is the clear, sober status of understanding the Personality of Godhead and which is generally called vāsudeva, or consciousness, becomes manifest in the mahat-tattva.

The vāsudeva manifestation, or the status of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called pure goodness, or śuddha-sattva. In the śuddha-sattva status there is no infringement of the other qualities, namely passion and ignorance. In the Vedic literature there is mention of the Lord's expansion as the four Personalities of Godhead—Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Here in the reappearance of the mahat-tattva the four expansions of Godhead occur. He who is seated within as Supersoul expands first as Vāsudeva.

The vāsudeva stage is free from infringement by material desires and is the status in which one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the objective which is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as adbhuta. This is another feature of the mahat-tattva. The vāsudeva expansion is also called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for it is free from all tinges of material passion and ignorance. This clear state of understanding helps one to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vāsudeva status is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā as kṣetra-jña, which refers to the knower of the field of activities as well as the Superknower. The living being who has occupied a particular type of body knows that body, but the Superknower, Vāsudeva, knows not only a particular type of body but also the field of activities in all the different varieties of bodies. In order to be situated in clear consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one must worship Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa alone. When Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, is alone, without the accompaniment of His internal energy, He is Vāsudeva. When He is accompanied by His internal potency, He is called Dvārakādhīśa. To have clear consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to worship Vāsudeva. It is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā that after many, many births one surrenders to Vāsudeva. Such a great soul is very rare.

In order to get release from the false ego, one has to worship Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is also worshiped through Lord Śiva; the snakes which cover the body of Lord Śiva are representations of Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Lord Śiva is always absorbed in meditation upon Saṅkarṣaṇa. One who is actually a worshiper of Lord Śiva as a devotee of Saṅkarṣaṇa can be released from false, material ego. If one wants to get free from mental disturbances, one has to worship Aniruddha. For this purpose, worship of the moon planet is also recommended in the Vedic literature. Similarly, to be fixed in one's intelligence one has to worship Pradyumna, who is reached through the worship of Brahmā. These matters are explained in Vedic literature.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 20.276, Translation and Purport:

“First the total material energy is manifested, and from this arise the three types of egotism, which are the original sources from which all demigods (controlling deities), senses and material elements expand.

The three types of egotism (ahaṅkāra) are technically known as vaikārika, taijasa and tāmasa. The mahat-tattva is situated within the heart, or citta, and the predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Lord Vāsudeva (SB 3.26.21). The mahat-tattva is transformed into three divisions: (1) vaikārika, egotism in goodness (sāttvika-ahaṅkāra), from which is manifested the eleventh sense organ, the mind, whose predominating Deity is Aniruddha (SB 3.26.27–28); (2) taijasa, or egotism in passion (rājasa-ahaṅkāra), from which are manifested the active and knowledge-acquiring senses, along with the intelligence, whose predominating Deity is Lord Pradyumna (SB 3.26.29–31); and (3) tāmasa, or egotism in ignorance, from which sound vibration (śabda-tanmātra) expands. From sound vibration, the sky (ākāśa) is manifested, and then the senses, beginning with the sense of hearing, are also manifested (SB 3.26.32). Of these three types of egotism, Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the predominating Deity. In the philosophical discourse known as the Sāṅkhya-kārikā, it is stated, sāttvika ekādaśakaḥ pravartate vaikṛtād ahaṅkārāt—bhūtādes tan-mātraṁ tāmasa-taijasādy-ubhayam.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

Prabhupāda:

yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ

śāntaṁ bhagavataḥ padam

yad āhur vāsudevākhyaṁ

cittaṁ tan mahad-ātmakam

(SB 3.26.21)

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ

(BG 7.19)

This state, vāsudevākhyam or cittam, always filled up with Vāsudeva consciousness... Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa... Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So our present position of consciousness is polluted by the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Here sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness, the brahminical qualification... Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ śaucam ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Still it has to be purified. That is called svaccham. Svaccham means completely crystallike clear. Just like we have got experience: If you go into the mid-ocean, you can see within the water very deep, twenty feet, thirty feet, very clear. Those who have gone through a sea, they have experienced. Very clear. So the citta, consciousness, must be clear. Vāsudevākhyam: when one can clearly see Vāsudeva or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is possible. Simply we have to purify the citta.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like distress comes upon me without endeavor, similarly, according to my destiny... Destiny means to some extent we suffer, and to some extent we enjoy. Actually, there is no enjoyment, but we take it for enjoyment. The struggle for existence, the struggle for mitigating suffering, we take it as happiness. Actually there is no happiness in this material world. So anyway, even there is happiness and distress, two relative terms, the one can come without any endeavor—the other also will come without any endeavor. That is a fact. Everyone is trying to become happy according to his own mental concoction or endeavor, but there cannot be any unalloyed happiness. That is the nature of this material world. The conclusion should be, therefore, "We are destined to suffer a certain extent of so-called happiness and certain extent of so-called distress." The distress is also so-called, and the happiness is also so-called. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, āgamāpāyinaḥ anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "The happiness and distress which comes and goes, they are anityaḥ. They will not stay."

The example is given, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The winter season and the summer season, they come and go. To somebody, winter season is very nice, and to somebody, summer season is very nice. In the Western countries they like summer season very much, and in this tropical country they like winter season very much. So actually, summer and winter, they are neither distress nor happiness. It is due to the touch of the skin. Mātrā-sparśās tu. Mātrā-sparśāḥ means it is due to the touching of the skin we feel like that, distress and happiness. Actually this material world, as certified by Kṛṣṇa, it is place of distress. There is no happiness. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, "This place is place for miserable condition." Duḥkha ālayam. Ālayam, so long you are not annihilated, this place is duḥkhālayam. It is miserable condition. We have several times explained.

So we have to purify the consciousness. Then we shall be without any touch of this so-called distress and happiness. That is prescribed here: yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. Here there is little happiness in the sattva-guṇa. But still, that sattva-guṇa can be contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa-directly distress. And sattva-guṇa, there is little taste of happiness, but that is not complete happiness. The complete happiness is that sattva-guṇa without any touch of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is transcendental. So here it is described that yat tat sattva-guṇam... sattva-guṇam does... Not this sattva-guṇam: rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, but svaccham. Svaccham means cleansed, completely cleansed, without any tinge of material quality. Yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ śāntam. Śāntam. Everyone is seeking peace of mind. People come to spiritual societies or some other way. Everyone is searching after some peace, śāntam. Śānti. The śānti can be attained when this sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham, when the sattva-guṇa, your status will be on the sattva-guṇa and completely cleansed. Then you can get śānti. Completely cleansed means... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: "There is no lamentation, and there is no hankering." Then it is śānti. As soon as there is some hankering, you cannot have śānti. That is not possible. And as soon as there is some possession, you cannot be without lamentation. The two things material, they are ruling over us. We are hankering after something which we do not possess, and what we possess, if it is lost, then we are lamenting. So śānti means no hankering, no lamenting. That is called śānti.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

So these materialistic persons, the karmīs, they are trying to be happy by material adjustment. That has been described in the Bhāgavata, durāśayā: "This kind of hope is never to be fulfilled. It will never be successful." But the karmīs, they think they will be successful. They are struggling very hard. So durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. How? Now, bahir-artha. Bahiḥ, bahiḥ prajñā, or external energy, or the material energy. The material energy is called external energy. So that is called bahiḥ. Bahiḥ means external.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

(SB 7.5.31)

Because they are thinking so, tied up by the rules and regulation of the stringent laws of material nature. But they are thinking... They are called karmīs.

So they cannot be śānta. By material activities you cannot be happy or peaceful. That is not possible. That is being explained here, that yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ śāntam. Sattva-guṇa. You have to come to the platform of the mode of goodness, and still it is to be purified. That is called vasudeva platform, or transcendental platform. As it is explained in the Bhagava..., vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That time, when you come to that platform, you will see everything godly. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything God conscious. That is the platform of śānti. Beyond that or before that, you cannot have. Either you become karmī, or you become jñānī, or you become yogi, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says that kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta' (CC Madhya 19.149). "A kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, a person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no such desire." He has no such desire. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in His prayer, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is the position of devotee. Generally karmīs, they want something from God. They go to temple, they go to church, for begging something: "I am distressed. I have no money. Kindly give me some money." "I am hungry, give me my daily bread." "Give me," something "give me." So this so long we are on the platform of "give me," you will never be happy. You will get it. If you go to God and ask Him, "God, give me my daily bread," so it is not very difficult for God to give you bread. He is giving bread to everyone. Why not to you? He is giving bread to the elephants, He is giving bread to the ants, and what you can eat? That is not very difficult thing. But you should go to God not for begging something but for giving something. That is Vāsudeva stage. Then you will get śānti, when you will go to God not for begging material happiness or material liberation, mukti, bhukti-mukti, and not for any jugglery, magic things, just like yogis show some magic.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

So mahātmā's business is: ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate. A mahātmā has no other business than devotional service, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, always hearing about the Supreme Lord, always glorifying the Supreme Lord, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But that we do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). That we do not know. And because people, they do not know it, therefore this mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there, just to make people enlightened, "Know it now. Know it now. In the other previous lives, cats, dogs, trees, and fishes and insects and all so many other—there are eight million, four hundred...—you could not know it. Now you have got this human form of body. Take advantage of this knowledge. Take advantage of the information given in the Vedic literature." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. "You have got so much advantages. Now learn them. And you have got developed consciousness, human being. Try to understand them. And then your life will be successful."

To come to that state, here it is stated that you have to purify your citta, consciousness, svaccham, crystallike, crystallike, transparent, svaccham. And that śāntaṁ bhagavataḥ padam, that is the stage of understanding Bhagavān. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). This stage can be attained by bhagavad-bhakti, by devotional service. This devotional service begins simply by hearing and chanting. We have got all these books. Anyone can take advantage of these books. Now it is translated into English. Of course, we are getting very, very good, encouraging reports from Western countries. Our books are selling very nicely, beyond our capacity of supply, all over Europe, America especially. Especially in America, all libraries, colleges, professors, educationists, they are very with great respect receiving these books.

So these books are there to remind us: ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa paḍilā. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, because we have forgotten God on account of restless mind, so we have to make it śānta, calm and peaceful. Without becoming calm and peaceful, you cannot understand what is God. Ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. When our heart will be no more attacked by the sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, we come into the platform..., er, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). This class is held for understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why? Just to cleanse the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Not that we are almost free from all the contamination, but even little washed away... It begins immediately. As soon as you begin hearing and chanting of these literatures or chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, immediately the cleansing method begins. And naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Almost cleansed, not that properly, cent percent clean. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Daily. Not this Bhāgavata-saptāha, official. No. Nityam. There is no such thing as Bhāgavata-saptāha in any Vedic literature. This is another manufacture, concoction. The Bhāgavata says, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā: "You have to twenty-four hours engaged in bhāgavata, in the service of bhāgavata, the person bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata, there are two kinds of bhāgavata. Person bhāgavata is the spiritual master, and the book Bhāgavata. So there is no difference, because the person bhāgavata advises you read Bhāgavata. And by reading Bhāgavata, you understand what is Bhagavān, what is spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

Nitāi: "After the manifestation of the mahat-tattva, these features appear simultaneously. As water in its natural state, before coming in contact with earth, is clear, sweet and unruffled, so the characteristic traits of pure consciousness are complete serenity, clarity, and freedom from distraction."

Prabhupāda:

svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ

śāntatvam iti cetasaḥ

vṛttibhir lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ

yathāpāṁ prakṛtiḥ parā

(SB 3.26.22)

In the previous verse we have discussed that yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. Svaccham means transparent, clear. Now that svacchatvam is explained, what is the meaning of clarity, clear-uncontaminated. These are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikāritvam, without any change. "Freedom from all distraction." Just like here there are many mothers sitting, and the natural affection for the child and the child's complete dependence on the mother's mercy is visible. There is no need of explanation. That is natural. If the mother is taking care of the child, it is not artificial. And if the child is feeling uncomfort without being on the lap of the mother, that is also natural. This is called avikāritvam, natural affection between the mother and the son. Similarly, we have got our natural affection for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

So we should utilize the result of pious activities to become more pure. That is called svaccha. We have discussed this verse, svaccha. Yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. That is... Just like you have got by, on account of pious activities you have got very nice surroundings, aristocratic family, wealth, beauty, education, but it may be polluted again by the other two qualities, means tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Then you are finished again. Naturally they become polluted. But they do not know that "By dint of pious activities, I have got this position" and misuse the position by tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, and therefore they again go to hell. This way we are wandering all over the universes, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite (CC Madhya 19.151). We are sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes this, sometimes that. This is going on. That is called māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They do not know the ultimate happiness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but wandering in this way.