Visnu-tattva (Isvara-tattva)

The existence (sattā) and nature (svarūpa) of God have been largely described in all śruti and smṛti. Being so, the theistic philosophical systems that accept the authority of the Vedas are called ‘āstika’ (asti= there is), referring to the open acceptance of a Supreme controller over all the other elements. On the other hand, those who deny the authority of the Vedas, and consequently the existence of God, are called ‘nāstika’ (nāsti= there is not). 

 

According to the view of the nāstikas, the universe cannot have been created by God because God has no body, without which He cannot be a creator. Yet the scriptures unambiguously declare that God is endowed with a body that consists of śuddha-sattva, and in any case, He also possesses multifarious energies and can create by His mere will.

After accepting the existence of God, one should appreciate the nature of His transcendental existence, Names, forms, attributes, activities, etc. It is said:

vijñānam ānandaṁ brahma rātir dātuḥ parāyaṇam (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 3.9.28.7)

“The Supreme Lord is knowledge and bliss personified, a generous giver, and the ultimate goal of the sacrificer.”

 

This is confirmed by the following statements:

satyaṁ jñānam anantaṁ brahma (Taittirīya Upaniṣad, 2.1)

“The Supreme Lord is truth, knowledge, and eternity personified.” 

yaḥ sarvajñaḥ sarvavid yasya jñāna-mayaṁ tapaḥ (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, 1.1.9)

“The Supreme Lord is omniscient, has all opulences, and His reflection consists of knowledge.”

These and so many other quotes prove that God’s body is not composed of material elements, but rather of spiritual knowledge, eternity and blissfulness, as confirmed:

oṁ namaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇāyākliṣṭa-kāriṇe

namo vedānta-vedyāya gurave buddhi-sākṣiṇe

(Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad, 1.1)

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, Who is the rescuer from distress, Who is understood by Vedānta, Who is the supreme spiritual master, and Who is the witness in everyone’s heart.”

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir-govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Brahma-saṁhitā, 5.1)

“The Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa, Whose body is eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He is the original Lord Govinda, the beginningless cause of all causes.” 

His status among all the living entities and even among the greatest demigods is that of a Supreme Controller unto Whose power all are subordinated. 

tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaraṁ taṁ devatānāṁ paramaṁ ca daivatam

patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastād vidāma devaṁ bhuvaneśam īḍyam

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, 6.7)

 “May we know the Great Lord, the supreme of all lords, the Supreme Deity of the demigods, the Supreme Master above all masters, the Supreme God, the worshipable Master of the world.”

sa kāraṇaṁ kāraṇādhipādhipo na cāsya kaścij janitā na cādhipaḥ

(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, 6.9)

“He is the ultimate cause, the ruler of those who rule over the senses. No one is His father or king.”

 It should be understood that when the scriptures speak of the birth of the Lord, that simply refers to His appearance in the external world, since He has no material body. The appearance and disappearance of an avatāra are fully under the will of the Lord, Who displays His eternal pastimes through the agency of His internal potency. In light of this view, one should understand the meaning of the word ‘janma’ when applied to God, as stated:

ajāyamāno bahudhā vijāyate (Puruṣa-sūkta)

“The unborn Supreme Lord is born in many forms.”

 

Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself affirms:

ajo ‘pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro ‘pi san

prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

(Bhagavad-gītā, 4.6)

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.” 

And the very appreciation of this truth gives one liberation:

janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

(Bhagavad-gītā, 4.9)

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” 

 

One may wonder about the relation between Lord Kṛṣṇa and the demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Indra, after all they also display great powers and are known as the lords of the universe. The answer is that just like a king conveys some power to his representatives, in the same way, Lord Kṛṣṇa empowers the demigods to rule the universe, but as the king still holds the supreme post in the kingdom, Lord Kṛṣṇa stands as the Supreme under all circumstances, as stated above. Moreover, it is known that He existed before the appearance of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva:

atha puruṣo ha vai nārāyaṇo ‘kāmayata prajāḥ sṛjeti

nārāyaṇād brahmā jāyate nārāyaṇād prajāpatiḥ prajāyate

nārāyaṇād indro jāyate nārāyaṇād aṣṭau vasavo jāyante

nārāyaṇād ekādaśa rudrā jāyante nārāyaṇād dvādaśādityāḥ

(Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad)

"Then the Supreme Person, Nārāyaṇa, desired, ‘May I create progeny.’ From Nārāyaṇa was born Brahmā; from Nārāyaṇa was born Śiva; from Nārāyaṇa were born the prajāpatis; from Nārāyaṇa was born Indra; from Nārāyaṇa were born the eight Vasus; from Nārāyaṇa were born the eleven Rudras; from Nārāyaṇa were born the twelve Ādityas.” 

 

eko ha vai puruṣo nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na ca śaṅkaraḥ. sa munir bhūtvā samacintayat. tata ete tyajāyantaṁ viśvo hiraṇyagarbho ‘gnir varuṇa-rudrendrāḥ (Mahā-Nārāyaṇa Upaniṣad, 1.1)

 "In the beginning only Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Person, existed. Neither Brahmā nor Śiva existed then. Lord Nārāyaṇa began to meditate, and from His meditation the material universe was manifested. From His meditation Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Varuṇa, and Agni were born." 

 

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (4.1.85-86), Lord Brahmā spoke to King Raivata: yasya prasādād aham acyutasya bhūtaḥ prajā-sṛṣṭi-karo’ntakārī, krodhāc ca rudraḥ sthiti-hetu-bhūto yasmāc ca madhye puruṣaḥ parastāt, mad-rūpam āsthāya sṛjaty ajo yaḥ sthitau ca yo’sau puruṣa-svarūpī, rudra-svarūpeṇa ca yo’tti viśvaṁ dhatte tathānanta-vapuḥ samastam, “It is by Lord Acyuta’s mercy that I have become the creator of the universe and all living entities. It is by His anger that Rudra becomes the destroyer. It is because of Him that above both of us, the puruṣāvatāra, Lord Viṣṇu, is the cause of the maintenance of the universe in the interim state. The same unborn Supreme Lord Who, assuming my form, creates the universe, Who in His own form as Viṣṇu maintains it, and in the form of Rudra destroys it, He Himself in the form of Ananta-śeṣa holds everything that exists.”

 

In the Mokṣa-dharma section of the Mahā-bhārata it is stated:

prajāpatiṁ ca rudraṁ cāpy aham eva sṛjāmi vai

tau hi māṁ na vijānīto mama māyā-vimohitau

            “I alone create Prajāpati Brahmā and Rudra. Being bewildered by My illusory energy, neither of them knows Me.”

 

In the Varāha Purāṇa (90.3) it is said:

nārāyaṇaḥ paro devas tasmāj jātaś caturmukhaḥ

tasmād rudro’bhavad devaḥ sa ca sarvajñatāṁ gataḥ

            “Lord Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Lord, from Whom the four-faced Brahmā was born. From Lord Brahmā was born Lord Rudra, who then attained omniscience.”

 

Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself states in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.2;8):

na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣayaḥ

aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ

“Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.”

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

 “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

 

Some may argue that Lord Śiva is also called the Supreme Lord by names like Maheśa, Mahādeva, etc. But Lord Indra is also called Mahendra, and here the word ‘mahā’ does not add anything to the meaning, for it is well known that Indra is not the Supreme, being dependent on the results of his previous sacrifices. Similarly, by adding ‘mahā’ to Lord Śiva’s names it does not mean he is the greatest of all beings. In the Mahā-bhārata it is also described that Brahmā and Rudra became the superintendents of the universe by worshipping the Yajña-puruṣa, Lord Viṣṇu:

yuga-koṭi-sahasrāṇi viṣṇum ārādhya padmabhūḥ

punas trailokya-dhātṛtvaṁ prāptavān iti śuśruma

            “We have heard from the scriptures that after worshipping Lord Viṣṇu for many millions of ages, Brahmā then attained the status of creator of the three worlds.”

            Lord Krsna Himself explains:

mayā sṛṣṭaḥ purā brahmā mad-yajñam ayajat svayam

tatas tasya varān prīto dadāv aham anuttamān

mat-putratvaṁ ca kalpādau lokādhyakṣatvam eva ca

(Mahā-bhārata, 12.326.57-58)

“Having been created by Me, Brahmā himself first worshipped Me. Then, upon becoming pleased, I gave him incomparable blessings and made him my son and master of the universe in the beginning of the kalpa.”

            While consoling the grieving Yudhiṣṭhira, Lord Kṛṣṇa also said:

viśvarūpo mahādevaḥ sarvamedhe mahā-kratau

juhāva sarva-bhūtāni svayam ātmānam ātmanā (ibid., 12.8.36)

“Lord Śiva, who is known as Viśvarūpa and Mahādeva, once offered himself and all living entities as an oblation in a great universal sacrifice (sarvamedha).” 

mahādevaḥ sarvamedhe mahātmā hutvātmānaṁ deva-devo babhūva

viśvāṁl lokān vyāpya viṣṭabhya kīrtyā virājate dyutimān kṛttivāsāḥ (ibid., 12.20.12)

            “After offering himself as an oblation in a great universal sacrifice, the magnanimous Lord Śiva became the lord of the demigods. Pervading and supporting the whole universe, resplendent, and dressed in a skin, he now shines with glory.”

 

In the Mahā-bhārata (8.24.85) it is declared that it was Lord Hari Who came to the rescue during the calamity created by the invincible Tripura:

viṣṇur ātmā bhagavato bhavasyāmita-tejasaḥ

tasmād dhanur-jyā-saṁsparśaṁ sa viṣehe maheśvaraḥ

            “Lord Viṣṇu is the soul of the venerable Lord Śiva, of unlimited prowess. Therefore, Śiva could bear the touch of that bow and its string.”

In the Viṣṇu-dharma Purāṇa (69.15) it is mentioned:

tripuraṁ jaghnuṣaḥ pūrvaṁ brahmaṇā viṣṇu-pañjaram

śaṅkarasya kuru-śreṣṭha rakṣaṇāya nirūpitam

            “O best of Kurus, formerly, Brahmā described the Viṣṇu-pañjara prayers for the protection of Śaṅkara, who desired to destroy Tripura.”

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.33.24-25) it is described how Rudra was protected from adversity by the stupor weapon during Lord Kṛṣṇa’s fight against Bāṇāsura:

jṛmbhaṇāstreṇa govindo jṛmbhayām āsa śaṅkaram

tataḥ praṇeśur daiteyāḥ pramathāś ca samantataḥ

jṛmbhābhibhūtas tu haro rathopastha upāviśat

na śaśāka tadā yoddhuṁ kṛṣṇenākliṣṭa-karmaṇā

            “By the stupor weapon (jṛmbhaṇāstra), Lord Govinda made Śaṅkara fall into a stupor, after which demons and goblins were killed on all sides. Being overwhelmed by stupor, Śiva just sat down on his chariot and was then unable to fight with Kṛṣṇa, Who performs any activities with ease.”

 

Lord Paraśurāma says:

tadā tu devatāḥ sarvāḥ pṛcchanti sma pitāmaham

śitikaṇṭhasya viṣṇoś ca balābalanirīkṣayā

abhiprāyaṁ tu vijñāya devatānāṁ pitāmahaḥ

virodhaṁ janayām āsa tayoḥ satyavatāṁ varaḥ

virodhe ca mahad yuddham abhavad romaharṣaṇam

śitikaṇṭhasya viṣṇoś ca parasparajayaiṣiṇoḥ

tadā taj jṛmbhitaṁ śaivaṁ dhanur bhīmaparākramam

huṁkāreṇa mahādevaḥ stambhito ‘tha trilocanaḥ

devais tadā samāgamya sarṣisaṁghaiḥ sacāraṇaiḥ

yācitau praśamaṁ tatra jagmatus tau surottamau

jṛmbhitaṁ tad dhanur dṛṣṭvā śaivaṁ viṣṇuparākramaiḥ

adhikaṁ menire viṣṇuṁ devāḥ sarṣigaṇās tadā

(Rāmāyaṇa, 1.74.14-19)

            “One day, after Lord Śiva killed the demon, the demigods went to Lord Brahmā and curiously inquired, ‘Who is more powerful, Lord Śiva or Lord Viṣṇu?’ To resolve their doubt, Lord Brahmā arranged to create some conflict between the two. As a result, a fierce battle ensued. During the fight, Lord Viṣṇu cut off Lord Śiva’s bowstring and then, simply by releasing a tumultuous roar, He stunned Lord Śiva’s senses. At the behest of the demigods, the fighting was then stopped and everyone who witnessed the duel concluded that Lord Viṣṇu is superior to Lord Śiva in all respects.”

            It is also said that Rudra was rescued from the Kālakūṭa poison by praising Lord Govinda:

acyutānanta-govinda-mantram ānuṣṭubhaṁ param

oṁ namaḥ sampuṭīkṛtya japan viṣa-dharo haraḥ

            “While holding the poison, Rudra was reciting the Acyutānanta-Govinda mantra, the best mantra in anuṣṭup metre, adding Oṁ in the beginning and namaḥ at the end.’”

It should be accepted that Brahmā, Rudra, and everyone else besides the Supreme Lord perish at the time of the final devastation. As stated by the śruti: 

eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na īśānaḥ (Mahopaniṣad, 1.1)

“Only Lord Nārāyaṇa existed, and not Brahmā nor Rudra.”

 

The Mahā-bhārata (2.35.29)  says:

brahmādiṣu pralīneṣu naṣṭe loke carācare

ābhūta-samplave prāpte pralīne prakṛtau mahān

ekas tiṣṭhati sarvātmā sa tu nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ

            “When Brahmā, Rudra, and others vanish, when the moving and non-moving universe is destroyed, when all created beings are submerged in the waters of devastation, and when the mahat-tattva merges into prakṛti, the only one who remains is Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Soul of everything.”

 

In the Viṣṇu-dharmottara Purāṇa (1.171.5-6) it is described:

brahmā śambhus tathaivārkaś candramāś ca śatakratuḥ

evam ādyās tathaivānye yuktā vaiṣṇava-tejasā

jagat-kāryāvasāne tu viyujyante ca tejasā

vitejasaś ca te sarve pañcatvam upayānti vai

“Brahmā, Śiva, Sūrya, Candra, Indra, and other demigods are all endowed with the power of Lord Viṣṇu. However, at the end of their duties in the universe, they become devoid of that power. Being powerless, all of them perish.”

 

The Bhāgavatam (2.9.33) confirms:

aham evāsam evāgre nānyad yat sad-asat param

paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca yo ‘vaśiṣyeta so ‘smy aham

“Brahmā, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, Who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.”

 

It is also heard from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.4.39-40):

prakṛtir yā mayā khyātā vyaktāvyakta-svarūpiṇī

puruṣaś cāpy ubhāv etau līyete paramātmani

paramātmā ca sarveṣām ādhāraḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ

sa viṣṇu-nāmā vedeṣu vedānteṣu ca gīyate

“Both material nature, which has been mentioned by me and whose form is manifest and unmanifest, as well as the individual soul, become absorbed in the Supreme Soul. That Supreme Soul is the Supreme Person, the support of everything. His name is Viṣṇu and He is described in the Vedas and Upaniṣads.”

 

It is also heard from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.3.25):

naṣṭe loke dvi-parārdhāvasāne mahā-bhūteṣv ādi-bhūtaṁ gateṣu

vyakte’vyaktaṁ kāla-vegena yāte bhavān ekaḥ śiṣyate śeṣa-saṁjñaḥ

            “At the end of Brahmā’s life, when the universe is destroyed, when the great elements enter the primordial element and by the force of time the manifested world merges into the unmanifest, You, known as Śeṣa, is the only one who remains.”

 

In this way, since Lord Hari is the cause of their birth, maintenance, and annihilation, it is proved without any contradiction that Brahmā, Rudra, and others are not God. Therefore, they perform devotional service unto Lord Hari.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam declares:

athāpi yat-pāda-nakhāvasṛṣṭaṁ jagad viriñcopahṛtārhaṇāmbhaḥ

seśaṁ punāty anyatamo mukundāt ko nāma loke bhagavat-padārthaḥ (1.18.21)

            “Then, other than Lord Mukunda, who else in this world is worthy of the term bhagavān? The water emanating from the nails of His toes is taken by Brahmā as a worshipable article and purifies the whole universe, including Śiva.”

These quotes are sufficient to prove that Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme. When some Purāṇas refer to some demigod as the Supreme Lord, it should be understood that each Purāṇa belongs to a particular mode of nature and is thus meant for people in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance. In this way, for those in the mode of ignorance, it is advised to worship Lord Śiva as the supreme, for he is the controller of the mode of ignorance. It is so advised for tāmasic people who due to their contaminations are unable to engage themselves in the worship of Lord Viṣṇu, which basically is in the mode of pure goodness. 

 

In the Kūrma Purāṇa (2.43.48-49) it is described:

asaṅkhyātās tathā kalpā brahma-viṣṇu-śivātmakāḥ

kathitā hi purāṇeṣu munibhiḥ kāla-cintakaiḥ

sāttvikeṣu tu kalpeṣu māhātmyam adhikaṁ hareḥ

tāmaseṣu śivasyoktaṁ rājaseṣu prajāpateḥ

            “There are innumerable kalpas pertaining to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, which have been described in the Purāṇas by sages who reflect upon time. In kalpas in the mode of goodness, Lord Hari’s glories are prominent; in kalpas in the mode of passion, the glories of Prajāpati Brahmā are prominent; and in kalpas in the mode of ignorance, the glories of Śiva are prominent.”

Manu declares that smṛtis which contradict the Vedas should be rejected:

yā veda-bāhyāḥ smṛtayo yāś ca kāś ca kudṛṣṭayaḥ

sarvās tā niṣphalāḥ pretya tamo-niṣṭhā hi tāḥ smṛtāḥ

(Manu-smṛti, 12.95)

            “Any heterodox doctrine as well as smṛtis which contradict the Vedas yield no fruit after death, for they are said to be situated in darkness.”

In this way, only those Purāṇas and other scriptures which are situated in the mode of goodness are to be accepted, since they produce valid knowledge, while it is clear that other scriptures should be rejected, since they produce mistaken knowledge. Therefore, the wise should not be confused by scriptures in the modes of passion and ignorance. The supremacy of Lord Viṣṇu is vastly praised in all the sāttvic Purāṇas, therefore one should not be bewildered by apparent contradictions in the scriptures.