Siddhanta-darpana, The Mirror of Philosophical Conclusions

Apart from a good number of commentaries, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana wrote only a few philosophical books: Siddhanta-ratna and Prameya-ratnavali (both introductions to Govinda-bhasya), Siddhanta-darpana, Vedanta-syamantaka (also attributed to Radha Damodara Gosvami) and Tattva-dipika. Siddhanta-darpana is a prakarana-grantha, a treatise briefly dealing with a specific philosophical topic. Comprising a total of 56 verses, Vidyabhusana’s work aims at proving that the Srimad Bhagavatam is a bona fide Maha-purana, and that being non-different from the Supreme personality of Godhead, it is eternal and faultless. The only commentary available was written by Nanda Misra, who according to the Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana was Vidyabhusana’s disciple. There is hardly any available information about him, but from his comments on 5.4 we may assume that he was either originally from Varanasi or lived there for several years. In any case, it is evident that he was formally trained in the different branches of orthodox philosophical schools.

The book is divided in seven prabhas or rays, as follows:

The first ray refutes various nastika arguments, as well as some put forward by the mimamsakas and vaisesikas, and proves that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the creator of the universe and that the sruti and smrti are his sound incarnation.

The second ray refutes the idea that the sastras are human compositions and that if the sruti and the smrti are non-different, then the sudras should be prohibited to read the smrti.

The third ray proves that the Srimad Bhagavatam is one of the eighteen Maha-puranas by its characteristics and number of verses.

The fourth ray proves that the Srimad Bhagavatam is different from the Devi Bhagavata and the Kalika Puranas

The fifth ray refutes the doubts raised about the authenticity of the Srimad Bhagavatam

The sixth ray refutes the idea that Vopadeva is the author of the Srimad Bhagavatam

The seventh ray refutes the idea that the Srimad Bhagavatam has only 332 chapters
Here is an excerpt from the first ray:

Text 1

pita parasaro yasya
sukadevasya yah pita
tam vyasam badari-vasam
krsna-dvaipayanam bhaje

I worship the son of Parasara muni , Srila Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, who lives in Badarikasrama and is the father of Sukadeva Gosvami.

Purport

Invocation by the commentator (Nanda Misra):

syamo’pi yah sruti-saroruha-bodha-raktah
santo’pi yo’syati tamas-tatim antara-stham
pratyak-padam disati yah paramam svagobhir
vyasam tam adbhuta-ravim saranam prapadye

“I take the shelter of Srila Vyasadeva, who is just like a wonderful sun showing the ultimate goal of life to the conditioned souls by the rays of his transcendental knowledge. Although he is dark-complexioned, he becomes reddish by the contact with the lotus-like Vedic knowledge, and though very peaceful, he dissipates the massive ignorance situated in the heart.”

Those who have a poor fund of knowledge are non-believers (nastikas). They don’t accept the Vedas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead described in them. Others, so-called believers, take to the logic-of-the-half-hen (arddha-kukkuti-nyaya) . In order to refute all these blasphemous individuals, the author composed this treatise called ‘Siddhanta-darpana’, and following the tradition of his predecessors , he begins with the above invocation expressing his devotion to Srila Vyasadeva. Here ‘to worship’ (bhaje) means to propitiate by falling at feet, etc. By stating that he is the son of Parasara muni, it is indicated that he is an incarnation of the Lord , as it is said in the Visnu Purana (3.4.5):

krsna-dvaipayanam vyasam
viddhi narayanam prabhum
ko’nyo hi bhuvi maitreya
mahabharata-krd bhavet

“My dear Maitreya, you should know that Srila Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa is Lord Narayana Himself. Who else could be the author of the Mahabharata?”

By the statement that Vyasadeva is the father of Sukadeva Gosvami, we understand that the author, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, is also instructing pure devotional service, and that by worshipping the Lord with such devotion, he attained all desired purposes.


Text 2

nityam nivasatu hrdaye
caitanyatma murarir nah
niravadyo nirvrtiman
gajapatir anukampaya yasya

May Lord Narayana, the enemy of the demon Mura, Whose transcendental form is pure consciousness, eternally reside within our heart. By His mercy Gajendra, the king of the elephants, gave up his animal body and became one of the associates of the Lord.

Purport

Here the author recites an invocation in his own words. This verse can be explained in three different ways:

(1) The word ‘caitanyatma’ means that Lord Murari has a transcendental form consisting in pure consciousness. Gajendra is the king of the elephants, who was afflicted by a crocodile . He became purified (niravadyah), that means, free from his animal condition, and was liberated (nivrtiman), assuming a transcendental body as an associate of the Lord in Vaikuntha.

(2) Lord Murari is the annihilator of this contemptuous mundane life, and He has now appeared in a form (atma) known as Sri Caitanya. By His mercy, Maharaja Prataparudra, the King of Orissa (gajapatih), became free from all worldly passions (niravadyah) and attained pure love for Krsna (nivrtiman).

(3) By the mercy of Rasika Murari , who was an unalloyed devotee of Sri Caitanya (caitanyatma), the king of elephants (gajapatih) received the name Gopala dasa, gave up his aggressive nature (niravadyah), and became jubilant upon engaging in the service of the Lord’s devotees .
Here the first interpretation is the one intended, while the other two are implied.


Text 3

yad asmin veda-siddhantah
prakasante satam priyah
tenayam bhanyate grantho
namna siddhanta-darpanah

In this book the conclusions of the Vedas, which are very dear to the Lord’s devotees, are shining forth, therefore it is called ‘Siddhanta-darpana’, the mirror of philosophical conclusions.

Purport

Here the author presents the book at hand, in which the Vedic conclusions (veda-siddhantah) that the historical works and the Puranas are eternal forms of the Lord shine forth (prakasante), i.e., are very well acknowledged. Saintly devotees (satam) are the devotees of Lord Hari, the real followers of the Vedas.


Text 4

ekam eva param tattvam
vacya-vacaka-bhava-bhak
vacyah sarvesvaro devo
vacakah pranavo bhavet

The very same Supreme Absolute Truth is simultaneously the One described and the words describing. As the One described, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as the word describing, He is the syllable Om.


Purport

In this verse the author begins with the topic of the book. In the Prasna Upanisad (5.2), it is stated:

etad vai satyakama param
caparam ca brahma yad omkarah

"O Satyakama, the syllable Om is both the superior Brahman and the inferior Brahman.”

In this passage it is seen that there is no difference between the Lord (vacya) and the syllable Om (vacaka). This same principle is also seen in other places.



Text 5

matsya-kurmadibhi rupair
yatha vacyo bahur bhavet
vacako’ pi tathargadi-
bhavad bahur udiryate

As the One described by words, the Lord possesses multiple forms, such as Matsya-avatara, Kurma-avatara, etc. Similarly, the words describing Him also appear in many forms, such as the Rg Veda, etc.


Purport

This verse explains how both the vacya and the vacaka possess innumerable forms. Just as the Supreme Lord (vacya) possesses unlimited forms such as Matsya, Kurma, etc., in the same way, the pranava (vakaca) also appears in many forms, such as the Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas, as well as the historical works, the Puranas, etc. The Gopala-tapani Upanisad (1.20) confirms:

eko vasi sarvagah krsna idya
eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati

"Lord Krsna is the worshipable, all-pervading Supreme Controller, and although He is one, He manifests Himself in many forms.”

In the Visnu Purana (1.2.3) it is said:

ekaneka-svarupaya
sthula-suksmatmane namah
avyakta-vyakta-rupaya
visnave mukti-hetave

“I offer my humble obeisances to Lord Visnu, whose transcendental form is both one and many, tangible and subtle, manifested and unmanifested, and Who is the cause of liberation.”

In the Nrsimha-tapani Upanisad (1.3) it is stated:

sarve vedah pranavadikah

“All the Vedas start with the pranava (the syllable Om).”

Then it is explained that in the pranava, the letters ‘a’, ‘u’, ‘m’, and the ardha-matra are indeed the Rg, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva Vedas:

etasya ha vai pranavasya ya purva matra prthivy akarah sa rgbhir rgvedo brahma
vasavo gayatri garhapatyah sa samnah prathamah pado bhavati.
dvitiyantariksam sa ukarah sa yajubhir yajurvedo visnu rudras-tristub-
daksinagnih sa samno dvitiyah pado bhavati. trtiya dyauh sa makarah sa
samabhih samavedo rudraditya jagaty ahavaniyah sa samnas trtiyah pado
bhavati. yavasane'sya caturthy ardha-matra sa somaloka onkarah so'tharvanair
mantrair atharva-vedah samvartako'gnir maruto virad eka rsir bhasvati sa
samnas caturthah pado bhavati.

“In the pranava, the first quarter is ‘a’. It is the earth, the Rg Veda, it is Brahman, the Vasus, the gayatri metre and the garhapatya fire.
The second quarter is ‘u’ and it is sky, the Yajur Veda, it is Visnu, the Rudras, the tristubh metre and the daksina fire.
The third quarter is ‘m’ and that is the heavenly planets, the Sama Veda, it is Rudra, the Adityas, the jagati metre and the ahavaniya fire.
The fourth quarter is the ardha-matra (the half-measure) which is at the end and is the world of Soma, the om sound, the Atharva Veda, the fire of universal destruction, the Maruts, the Virat, the rsi and the effulgence.”

In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (2.4.10), it is confirmed:

evam va are’sya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah samavedo’tharvangirasa itihasah puranam vidya upanisadah slokah sutrany upasutrany anuvyakhyanani

“From the breath of the Supreme Lord emanated the Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas, as well as the historical works, the Puranas, the different divisions of knowledge and the Upanisads along with their verses, aphorism, commentaries and sub-commentaries .”

In the Vayu Purana, Suta Gosvami corroborates the fact that the historical works and Puranas are also Vedas :

itihasa-purananam
vaktaram samyag eva hi
mam caiva pratijagraha
bhagavan isvarah prabhuh

eka asid yajur-vedas
tam caturdha vyakalpayat
caturhotram abhut tasmims
tena yajnam akalpayat

adhvaryavam yajurbhis tu
rgbhir hotram tathaiva ca
audgatram samabhis caiva
brahmatvam capy atharvabhih

akhyanais capy upakhyanair
gathabhir dvija-sattamah
purana-samhitas cakre
puranartha-visaradah
yac chistam tu yajur-veda
iti sastrartha-nirnayah

“Srila Vyasadeva, the Supreme Lord, accepted me as the qualified speaker of the historical works and Puranas. In the beginning, the Yajur Veda was the only Veda, which Srila Vyasadeva divided into four parts. In these appeared the sacrificial activities performed by four priests, by means of which Srila Vyasadeva arranged for the performance of sacrifice.

“He ascribed the yajur-mantras to the adhvaryu priests, the rg-mantras to the hota priests, the sama-mantras to the udgata priests, and the atharva-mantras to the brahma priests.

“O best of the brahmanas, afterwards Srila Vyasa, who thoroughly knows the meaning of the Puranas, compiled them and the historical works with all their stories, sub-stories and songs. Whatever remained after Vyasa divided the Vedas into four parts became known as the Yajur Veda. This is the conclusion of the scriptures.”