kuta etad ? ity ucyate—
brahmaṇaḥ paramātmano hi yasmāt pratiṣṭhāhaṃ pratitiṣṭhaty asmin iti pratiṣṭhāhaṃ pratyag-ātmā | kīdṛśasya brahmaṇaḥ ? amṛtasya avināśinaḥ | avyayasya avikāriṇaḥ | śāśvatasya ca nityasya dharmasya dharma-jñānasya jñāna-yoga-dharma-prāpyasya sukhasya ānanda-rūpasya aikāntikasya avyabhicāriṇo’mṛtādi-svabhāvasya paramānanda-rūpasya paramātmanaḥ pratyag-ātmā pratiṣṭhā |
samyag-jñānena paramātmatayā niścīyate | tad etad brahma-bhūyāya kalpata ity uktam | yayā ceśvara-śaktyā bhaktānugrahādi-prayojanāya brahma pratiṣṭhate pravartate, sā śaktir brahmaivāham | śakti-śaktimator ananyatvād ity abhiprāyaḥ | athavā, brahma-śabda-vācyatvāt sa-vikalpakaṃ brahma | tasya brahmaṇo nirvikalpako’ham eva nānyaḥ pratiṣṭhāśrayaḥ | kiṃ-viśiṣṭasya ? amṛtasyāmaraṇa-dharmakasyāvyayasya vyaya-rahitasya | kiṃ ca, śāśvatasya ca nityasya dharmasya jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇasya sukhasya taj-janitasya aikāntikasya ekānta-niyatasya ca, pratiṣṭhāham iti vartate
hiśabdo hetau; yasmād aham avyabhicāribhaktiyogena sevito 'mṛtasyāvyayasya ca brahmaṇaḥ pratiṣṭhā, tathā śāśvatasya ca dharmasya atiśayitanityāiśvaryasya; eikāntikasya ca sukhasya „vāsudevaḥ sarvam” ityādinā nirdiṣṭasya jñāninaḥ prāpyasya sukhasyetyarthaḥ / yady api śāśvatadharmaśabdaḥ prāpakavacanaḥ, tathāpi pūrvottarayoḥ prāpyarūpatvena tatsāhacaryādayam api prāpyalakṣakaḥ / etad uktaṃ bhavati pūrvatra „daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā / mām eva ye prapadyante” ity ārabhya guṇātyayasya tatpūrvakākṣarair bhagavatprāptīnāṃ ca bhagavatprapattyekopāyatāyāḥ pratipāditatvād ekāntabhagavatprapattyekopāyo guṇātyayaḥ tatpūrvakabrahmabhāvaś ceti
tatra hetum āha brahmaṇo hīti | hi yasmād brahmaṇo 'haṃ pratiṣṭhā pratimā | ghanībhūtaṃ brahmaivāham | yathā ghanībhūtaḥ prakāśa eva sūrya-maṇḍalaṃ tadvad ity arthaḥ | tathāvyayasya nityasya | amṛtasya mokṣasya ca nitya-muktatvāt | tathā tat-sādhanasya śāśvatasya dharmasya ca śiddja-sattvātmakatvāt | tathaikāntikasya akhaṇḍitasya sukhasya ca pratiṣṭhāham | paramānandaik-rūpatvāt | ato mat-sevino mad-bhāvasyāvaśyambhāvitvād yuktam evoktaṃ brahma-bhūyāya kalpata iti
atra hetum āha brahmaṇa iti | brahmaṇas tat-pada-vācyasya sopādhikasya jagad-utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetoḥ pratiṣṭhā pāramārthikaṃ nirvikalpalpakaṃ sac-cid-ānandātmakaṃ nirupādhikaṃ tat-pada-lakṣyam ahaṃ nivikalpako vāsudevaḥ pratitiṣṭhaty atreti pratiṣṭhā kalpita-rūpa-rahitam akalpitaṃ rūpam | ato yo mām upādhikaṃ brahma sevate sa brahma-bhūyāya kalpata iti yuktam eva |
kīdṛśasya brahmaṇaḥ pratiṣṭhāham ity ākāṅkṣāyāṃ viśeṣaṇāni amṛtasya vināśa-rahitasya, avyayasya vipariṇāma-rahitasya ca, śāśvatasyāpakṣaya-rahitasya ca, dharmasya jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇa-dharma-prāpyasya, sukhasya paramānanda-rūpasya | sukhasya viṣayendriya-saṃyogajatvaṃ vārayati aikāntikasyāvyabhicāriṇaḥ sarvasmin deśe kāle ca vidyamānasyaikāntika-sukha-rūpasyety arthaḥ | etādṛśasya brahmaṇo yasmād ahaṃ vāstavaṃ svarūpaṃ tasmān mad-bhaktaḥ saṃsārān mucyata iti bhāvaḥ | tathā coktaṃ brahmaṇā bhagavantaṃ śrī-kṛṣṇaṃ prati –
ekas tvam ātmā puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
satyaḥ svayaṃ jyotir ananta ādyaḥ |
nityo 'kṣaro 'jasra-sukho nirañjanaḥ
pūrṇo 'dvayo mukta upādhito 'mṛtaḥ || [10.14.23] iti |
atra sarvopādhi-śūnya ātmā brahma tvam ity arthaḥ | śukenāpi stutim antareṇaivoktam –
sarveṣām api vastūnāṃ bhāvārtho bhavati sthitaḥ |
tasyāpi bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ kim atad vastu rūpyatām || [BhP 10.14.57] iti |
sarveṣām eva kārya-vastūnāṃ bhāvārthaḥ sattā-rūpaḥ paramārtho bhavati kāryākāreṇa jāyamāne sopādhike brahmaṇi sthitaḥ kāraṇa-sattātiriktāyāḥ kārya-sattāyā anabhyupagamāt | tasyāpi bhavataḥ kāraṇasya sopādhikasya brahmaṇo bhāvārthaḥ sattā-rūpo 'rtho bhagavān kṛṣṇaḥ sopādhikasya nirupādhike kalpitatvāt kalpitasya cādhiṣṭhānān atirekāt, bhagavataḥ kṛṣṇasya ca sarva-kalpanādhiṣṭhānatvena paramārtha-satya-nirupādhi-brahma-rūpatvāt | ataḥ kim atad-vastu tasmāc chrī-kṛṣṇād anyad vastu paramārthikaṃ kiṃ nirūpyatāṃ tad evaikaṃ paramārthikaṃ nānyat kim apīty arthaḥ | tad etad ihāpy uktaṃ brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham iti |
athavā tvad-bhaktas tvad-bhāvam āpnotu nāma kathaṃ nu brahma-bhāvāya kalpyate brahmaṇaḥ sakāśāt tavānyatvād ity āśaṅkyāha brahmaṇo hīti | brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ pratiṣṭhā paryāptir aham eva na tu mad-bhinnaṃ brahmety arthaḥ | tathāmṛtasya amṛtatvasya mokṣasya cāvyayasya sarvathānucchedyasya ca ca pratiṣṭhāham eva | mayy eva mokṣaḥ paryavastio mat-prāptir eva mokṣa ity arthaḥ | tathā śāśvatasya nitya-mokṣa-phalasya dharmasya jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇasya ca paryāptir aham eva | jñāna-niṣṭhā-lakṣaṇo dharmo mayy eva paryavasito na tena mad-bhinnaṃ kiṃcit prāpyam ity arthaḥ | tathaikāntikasya sukhasya ca paryāptir aham eva parmānanda-rūpatvān na mad-bhinnaṃ kiṃcit sukhaṃ prāpyam astīty arthaḥ | tasmād yuktam evoktaṃ mad-bhakto brahma-bhūyāya kalpata iti
nanu mad-bhaktānāṃ kathaṃ nirguṇa-brahmatva-prāptiḥ ? sā tu advitīya-tad-ekānubhavenaiva sambhavet | tatrāha brahmaṇo hīti | hi yasmāt parama-pratiṣṭhātvena prasiddhaṃ yad brahma tasyāpy ahaṃ pratiṣṭhā pratiṣṭhīyate 'sminn iti pratiṣṭhā āśrayo 'nna-mayādiṣu śrutiṣu sarvatraiva pratiṣṭhā-padasya tathārthatvāt | tathāmṛtasya pratiṣṭhā kiṃ svargīya-sudhāyāḥ ? na | avyayasya nāśa-rahitasya mokṣasyety arthaḥ | tathā śāśvatasya dharmasya sādhana-phala-daśayor api nitya-sthitasya bhakty-ākhyasya parama-dharmasyāhaṃ pratiṣṭhā, tathā tat-prāpyasyaikāntika-bhakta-sambandhinaḥ sukhasya premṇaś cāhaṃ pratiṣṭhā | ataḥ sarvasyāpi mad-adhīnatvāt kaivalya-kāmanayā kṛtena mad-bhajanena brahmaṇi līyamāno brahmatvam api prāpnoti |
atra brahmaṇo 'haṃ pratiṣṭhā ghanībhūtaṃ brahmaivāhaṃ yathā ghanībhūta-prakāśa eva sūrya-maṇḍalaṃ tadvad ity arthaḥ iti svāmi-caraṇāḥ | sūryasya tejo-rūpatve 'pi yathā tejasa āśrayatvam apy ucyate | evaṃ me kṛṣṇasya brahma-rūpatve 'pi brahmaṇaḥ pratiṣṭhātvam api | atra śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇam api pramāṇam — śubhāśrayaḥ sa cittasya sarvagasya tathātmanaḥ [ViP 6.7.76] iti vyākhyātaṃ ca tatrāpi svāmi-caraṇaiḥ | sarvagasyātmanaḥ para-brahmaṇo 'pi āśrayaḥ pratiṣṭhā | tad uktaṃ bhagavatā brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham iti | tathā viṣṇu-dharme 'pi naraka-dvādaśī-prasaṅge –
prakṛtau puruṣe caiva brahmaṇy api sa prabhuḥ |
yathaika eva puruṣo vāsudevo vyavasthitaḥ || iti |
tatraiva māsarkṣa-pūjā-prasaṅe —
yathācyutas tvaṃ parataḥ parasmāt
sa brahma-bhūtāt parataḥ parātmā | iti |
tathā hari-vaṃśe 'pi vipra-kumārānayana-prasaṅge arjunaṃ prati śrī-bhagavad-vākyaṃ —
tat-paraṃ paramaṃ brahma sarvaṃ vibhajate jagat |
mamaiva tad ghanaṃ tejo jñātum arhasi bhārata || (HV 2.114.11-12)
brahma-saṃhitāyām api (5.40) —
yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭīṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam |
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṃ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṃ tam ahaṃ bhajāmi || iti |
aṣṭama-skandhe ca (8.24.38) —
madīyaṃ mahimānaṃc ca para-brahmeti śabditam |
vetsyasy anugṛhītaṃ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṃ hṛdi || iti bhagavad-uktiś ca |
madhusūdana-sarasvatī-pādāś ca vyācakṣate sma yathā — nanu tvad-bhaktas tvad-bhāvam āpnotu nāma kathaṃ brahma-bhūyāya kalpate brahmaṇaḥ sakāśāt tavānyatvād ity āśaṅkyāha brahmaṇo hīti | pratiṣṭhā paryāptir aham eveti | paryāptiḥ paripūrṇatā ity amaraḥ |
parākṛta-mano-dvandvaṃ
paraṃ brahma narākṛti |
saundarya-sāra-sarvasvaṃ
vande nandātmajaṃ mahaḥ || ity upaślokayāmāsuś ca
nanu tad-viveka-khyātyā tvad-eka-bhaktyā ca guṇātīto labdha-svarūpo brahma-śabdito muktaḥ kathaṃ tiṣṭhed iti cet tatrāha brahmaṇo hīti | hir niścaye | brahmaṇas tat-pūrvakayā tayā sattvādyāvaraṇātyayād āvirbhāvita-svaguṇāṣṭakasyāmṛtasya mṛitir nirgatasyāvyayasya tādrūpyaṇaikarasasya muktasya mad-atipriyasyāham eva vijñānānanda-mūrtir ananta-guṇo niravadyaḥ suhṛtatamaḥ sarveśvaraḥ | pratiṣṭhā pratiṣṭhīyate 'tra iti nirukteḥ paramāśrayo 'tipriyo bhavāmīti tādṛśaṃ māṃ parayā bhaktyānubhavaṃs tiṣṭhatīti | na matto viśleṣa-leśo na ca punar āvartate, yad gatvā na nivartante muktānāṃ paramā gatiḥ iti smṛtibhyaḥ |
nanu muktas tvāṃ kathaṃ śrayeta śravaṇa-phalasya mukter lābhād iti ced asty atiśayitaṃ phalam iti bhāvenāha śāśvatasya sādhāraṇasya sukhasya ca vicitra-līlā-rasasyāham eva pratiṣṭheti | tīvrānanda-rūpa-tad-vibhūti-mal-līlānubhavāya mām eva samāśrayatīty evam āha śrutiḥ raso vai saḥ, rasaṃ hy evāyaṃ labdhvānandī bhavati [TaittU 2.7.1] iti