SB 03.26.29 taijasat tu vikurvanad... cited

Expressions researched:
"buddhi-tattvam abhut sati" |"dravya-sphurana-vijnanam" |"indriyanam anugrahah" |"taijasat tu vikurvanad"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.26.29, Translation and Purport:

By transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady. The functions of intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses.

Intelligence is the discriminating power to understand an object, and it helps the senses make choices. Therefore intelligence is supposed to be the master of the senses. The perfection of intelligence is attained when one becomes fixed in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By the proper use of intelligence one's consciousness is expanded, and the ultimate expansion of consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 20.276, Purport:

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)-(SB 3.26.30)-(SB 3.26.31); 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 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

Nitāi: "By the transformation of the false ego in passion, intelligence takes birth, O virtuous lady. The functions of the intelligence are to help in ascertaining the nature of objects when they come into view, and to help the senses."

Prabhupāda:

taijasāt tu vikurvāṇād

buddhi-tattvam abhūt sati

dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam

indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ

(SB 3.26.29)

So these things are taking place daily within the womb of the mother—how the child is developing from the day of union of the father and the mother, and, on the first day, it is like a pealike form by the semina of father and mother, and then everything develops. Different types of body, different types of intelligence, different types of brain—how it takes place? If it is simply material, then all children would have come out of the same quality. But it does not so come. Every child, baby born, has got everything separate from the others. How subtle laws of nature is working, we can just imagine. It is not possible to understand by our these material senses even this material formation of the body, what to speak of spiritual understanding.

Therefore, in the śāstras it is advised, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvāḥ. Things which are beyond your perception, sense perception, acintya, mental speculation, not cintanīya... Acintya. Acintya means mentally speculating. Beyond that, acintya, you cannot think of how this pealike form develops into such a big brain or small brain. The hands, legs, and the mechanical process of different body... This is a machine. In the material world we manufacture machine, manufacturing different parts and assembling them. (aside:) The child may be... But this machine is automatically developing. There is no question of manufacturing each part and then assembling. It is yantra. This body is yantra, machine. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

(BG 18.61)

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

So here it is said, therefore, dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam. Dravya means physical. Dravya-jñāna. Dravya-jñāna means physical knowledge. And brahma-jñāna means spiritual knowledge. So here it is said, dravya-sphuraṇa. The material, physical, phenomenal atmosphere is developing one after another. The medical science, they are trying to study different cells; but wherefrom the cells came into action? That is by the influence or by the manipulation of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). And prakṛti is working under the direction of Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Therefore, ultimately, by the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead everything is going on. But how it is going on, that we cannot explain. We have got limited knowledge. Therefore śāstra says, "Don't try to speculate, because you are imperfect, but things are going on like this." Try to understand. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yo... Simply by your so-called argument and logic you cannot understand. You have to hear from the authorities that "Things are going on like this."

This is called śruti, Veda-jñāna. Śruti, Veda, perfect knowledge is called śruti. Śrutibhiḥ pratipanna, pratipanna. What is established by the śruti, by the Vedic knowledge, that we have to accept. Otherwise there is no other way. So this is even in the material field of activities, and what to speak of the spiritual. Therefore we have to hear from the authorities of śruti. Authorities of śruti... Kṛṣṇa is the original speaker of śruti, or Veda knowledge. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called apauruṣeya. It is not manufactured or concocted by some mental speculator. It is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was imparted first of all to Lord Brahmā, not by personal presentation, but through the heart. Brahmā is the original person to understand Vedic knowledge. So after his birth he meditated for hundreds of years, and by meditation, through his heart the knowledge of Vedas, śruti, became revealed. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi means Brahmā. And Brahman means Vedic knowledge. So we have to accept in that way. There is no physical science which can ascertain all this, how the things are taking place. But they are coming. In this way we have to learn from the śruti. Dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ.

So dravya, the physical body, that is influenced by the taijasāt vikurvāṇāt . This physical body is developed by the mode of passion, the ego. The false ego of the spirit soul, when it is influenced by the mode of passion, then these indriyas, different indriyas, senses-eyes, ear, nose, tongue, hands, legs, genital, rectum—all these things—nine chidras, holes in the body—develop. And they ultimately come to become the different parts and limbs of the senses of the body.

taijasāt tu vikurvāṇād

buddhi-tattvam abhūt sati

dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam

indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ

In this way the senses came into being. And we have discussed last night the all this controlling is going on under the supervision of Aniruddha. Aniruddha is in charge of development of these indriya also. Indriyāṇām adhīśvaram. Yad vidur hy aniruddha-ākhyaṁ hṛṣīkāṇām adhīśvaram. Hṛṣīka means the indriya, or the senses. So actually we have discussed already. We are simply under some machine. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni (BG 18.61). A machine is manufactured immediately. Just like your medical men. They also manufacture some skeleton according to the requirement of the patient. So this body is manufactured by the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ingredients given by material nature, and I am put into the machine. This is my position. As I desire to enjoy... Actually, I haven't got to enjoy or reject anything. I am put into a certain type of machine, and I have to go or work. Actually, I do not also work. The work is also going on by different agents. I am simply put into it just to satisfy my desires as I wanted. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has given us the chance of enjoying.

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

So on the sat existence, this material existence develops, and the process of development is described here. And the development of the body is described here, dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam. Dravya-sphuraṇa. Dravya means physical, development of physical body. Vijñāna, this is the vijñāna, how things are developing one after another, one after another. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. This is all by the material nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

So dravya-sphuraṇa-vijñānam indriyāṇām anugrahaḥ. So our senses follow, and we enjoy these false senses, and that is material existence. So the endeavor should be how to become free from this material existence and come to our spiritual platform. That should be the endeavor of human life. The cats and dogs, they have no such advanced consciousness. They cannot try for it. They are satisfied with this material body and material senses. But in the human-form body there is chance to understand that these senses, this physical formation of the body, is false or temporary. Or false in this sense that it is not my original body. Original body is within this material body. That is spiritual body. Asmin dehe dehinaḥ. Dehino 'smin, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), asmin dehinaḥ. So the spiritual body is actually the body, and this material body is covering. It is explained in different way in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This material body is just like dress. The dress... I am putting on the shirt, you are putting on the shirt and coat. That is not very important thing. The important thing is the body within the shirt. Similarly, this material body is simply outward covering of the spiritual body by physical atmosphere, but real body is within. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). This external, physical body is called deha, and the owner of this deha is called dehī, "one who possesses this deha." That you have to und... This is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā.