Many times we see this word. Sometimes I've seen it used correctly sometimes incorrectly, in the association of devotees. So I thought I would put in my 2 cents about this and then add some quotes by Srila Prabhupada about it. Mayavadi essentially means one who thinks that Krsna's transcendental form, name, pastimes, birth etc are material. This is an offense. It doesn't mean only that one is an impersonalist. For example the 4 Kumaras were impersonalists originally until they came in to contact with Krnsa and then they became devotees. They were never mayavadis. But when one hears about the transcendental nature of Krsna's pastimes and then continues to think they are material that is mayavadi. And the worst are those who take a very active stance in opposition to the transcendental nature of Krsna's pastimes, body etc. They cannot tolerate the concept that Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead can appear in His transcendental form in the material world. They actively offend Krsna with every word they say about Him, and they also offend His pure devotee. Such people's association is to be avoided like one would avoid drinking poison.
Here are some quotes:
TRANSLATION
I have studied the path of understanding self-knowledge from my spiritual master, the Personality of Godhead, and thus after circumambulating Him I have come to this place, very much aggrieved due to separation.
PURPORT
Sri Uddhava's actual life is the direct symbol of the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam enunciated first to Brahmaji by the Personality of Godhead. These four very great and important verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam are particularly taken out by the Mayavadi speculators, who construe a different purport to suit their impersonal view of monism. Here is the proper answer to such unauthorized speculators. The verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam are purely theistic science understandable by the postgraduate students of Bhagavad-gita, The unauthorized dry speculators are offenders at the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Krsna because they distort the purports of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam to mislead the public and prepare a direct path to the hell known as Andha-tamisra. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (16.20) such envious speculators are without knowledge and are surely condemned life after life. They unnecessarily take shelter of Sripada Sankaracarya, but he was not so drastic as to commit an offense at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. According to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sripada Sankaracarya preached the Mayavada philosophy for a particular purpose. Such a philosophy was necessary to defeat the Buddhist philosophy of the nonexistence of the spirit soul, but it was never meant for perpetual acceptance. It was an emergency. Thus Lord Krsna was accepted by Sankaracarya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his commentation on Bhagavad-gita. Since he was a great devotee of Lord Krsna, he did not dare write any commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam because that would have been a direct offense at the lotus feet of the Lord. But later speculators, in the name of Mayavada philosophy, unnecessarily make their commentary on the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam without any bona fide intent.
The monistic dry speculators have no business in the Srimad-Bhagavatam because this particular Vedic literature is forbidden for them by the great author himself. Srila Vyasadeva has definitely forbidden persons engaged in religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, finally, salvation, from trying to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is not meant for them (Bhag. 1.1.2). Sripada Sridhara Svami, the great commentator on Srimad-Bhagavatam, has definitely forbidden the salvationists or monists to deal in Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is not for them. Yet such unauthorized persons perversely try to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, and thus they commit offenses at the feet of the Lord, which even Sripada Sankaracarya dared not do. Thus they prepare for their continuation of miserable life. It should be particularly noted herein that Uddhava studied the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam directly from the Lord, who spoke them first to Brahmaji, and this time the Lord explained more confidentially the self-knowledge mentioned as the paramam sthitim. Upon learning such self-knowledge of love, Uddhava felt very much aggrieved by feelings of separation from the Lord. Unless one is awakened to the stage of Uddhava--everlastingly feeling the separation of the Lord in transcendental love, as exhibited by Lord Caitanya also--one cannot understand the real import of the four essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam. One should not indulge in the unauthorized act of twisting the meaning and thereby putting himself on the dangerous path of offense.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.20)
The dangerous Mayavada theory set forth by Sankaracarya--that God is impersonal--does not tally with the injunctions of the Vedas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore described the Mayavadi philosophers as the greatest offenders against the Personality of Godhead. According to the Vedic system, one who does not abide by the orders of the Vedas is called a nastika, or atheist. When Lord Buddha preached his theory of nonviolence, he was obliged to deny the authority of the Vedas, and for this reason he was considered by the followers of the Vedas to be a nastika. But although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very clearly enunciated that the followers of Lord Buddha's philosophy are nastikas, or atheists, because of their denial of the authority of the Vedas, He considered the Sankarites, who wanted to establish Vedic authority by trickery and who actually followed the Mayavada philosophy of Buddha's school, to be more dangerous than the Buddhists themselves. The Sankarite philosophers' theory that we have to imagine a shape of God is more dangerous than denial of the existence of God. Notwithstanding all the philosophical theorizing by atheists or Mayavadis, the followers of Krsna consciousness rigidly live according to the injunctions given in Bhagavad-gita, which is accepted as the essence of all Vedic scripture. In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) it is said:
yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah
"By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection." This indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of everything, as described in the Vedanta-sutra (janmady asya yatah). The Lord Himself also confirms in Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavah: "I am the origin of everything." The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of all emanations, and at the same time, as Paramatma, He is spread all over existence. The Absolute Truth is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and every living being is meant to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by performing his respective duty (sva-karmana tam abhyarcya). Maharaja Prthu wanted to introduce this formula amongst his citizens.
The most important point in human civilization is that while one engages in different occupational duties, he must try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the execution of such duties. That is the highest perfection of life. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam: by discharging one's prescribed duty, one can become very successful in life if he simply satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vivid example is Arjuna. He was a ksatriya, his duty was to fight, and by executing his prescribed duty he satisfied the Supreme Lord and therefore became perfect. Everyone should follow this principle. The atheists, who do not, are condemned in Bhagavad-gita (16.19) by the following statement: tan aham dvisatah kruran samsaresu naradhaman. In this verse it is clearly said that persons who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are the lowest of mankind and are very mischievous. Under the regulative principles of the Supreme, such mischievous persons are thrown into the darkest region of material existence and are born of asuras, or atheists. Birth after birth, such asuras go still further down, finally to animal forms like those of tigers or similar ferocious beasts. Thus for millions of years they have to remain in darkness without knowledge of Krsna.
The Supreme personality of Godhead is known as Purusottama, or the best of all living entities. He is a person like all other living entities, but He is the leader or the best of all living beings. That is stated in the Vedas also. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the chief of all eternals, the chief of all living entities, and He is complete and full. He has no need to derive benefit by interfering with the affairs of other living entities, but because He is the maintainer of all, He has the right to bring them to the proper standard so that all living entities may become happy. A father wants all of his children to become happy under his direction. Similarly, God, or Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has the right to see that all living entities are happy. There is no possibility of becoming happy within this material world. The father and the sons are eternal, but if a living entity does not come to the platform of his eternal life of bliss and knowledge, there is no question of happiness. Although Purusottama, the best of all living entities, has no benefit to derive from the common living entities, He does have the right to discriminate between their right and wrong ways. The right way is the path of activities meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as we have already discussed (svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam). A living entity may engage in any occupational duty, but if he wants to have perfection in his duties, he must satisfy the Supreme Lord. As such, one who pleases Him gets better facilities for living, but one who displeases Him gets involved in undesirable situations.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.27)
Here are some quotes:
TRANSLATION
I have studied the path of understanding self-knowledge from my spiritual master, the Personality of Godhead, and thus after circumambulating Him I have come to this place, very much aggrieved due to separation.
PURPORT
Sri Uddhava's actual life is the direct symbol of the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam enunciated first to Brahmaji by the Personality of Godhead. These four very great and important verses from Srimad-Bhagavatam are particularly taken out by the Mayavadi speculators, who construe a different purport to suit their impersonal view of monism. Here is the proper answer to such unauthorized speculators. The verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam are purely theistic science understandable by the postgraduate students of Bhagavad-gita, The unauthorized dry speculators are offenders at the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Krsna because they distort the purports of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam to mislead the public and prepare a direct path to the hell known as Andha-tamisra. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (16.20) such envious speculators are without knowledge and are surely condemned life after life. They unnecessarily take shelter of Sripada Sankaracarya, but he was not so drastic as to commit an offense at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. According to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sripada Sankaracarya preached the Mayavada philosophy for a particular purpose. Such a philosophy was necessary to defeat the Buddhist philosophy of the nonexistence of the spirit soul, but it was never meant for perpetual acceptance. It was an emergency. Thus Lord Krsna was accepted by Sankaracarya as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his commentation on Bhagavad-gita. Since he was a great devotee of Lord Krsna, he did not dare write any commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam because that would have been a direct offense at the lotus feet of the Lord. But later speculators, in the name of Mayavada philosophy, unnecessarily make their commentary on the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam without any bona fide intent.
The monistic dry speculators have no business in the Srimad-Bhagavatam because this particular Vedic literature is forbidden for them by the great author himself. Srila Vyasadeva has definitely forbidden persons engaged in religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, finally, salvation, from trying to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is not meant for them (Bhag. 1.1.2). Sripada Sridhara Svami, the great commentator on Srimad-Bhagavatam, has definitely forbidden the salvationists or monists to deal in Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is not for them. Yet such unauthorized persons perversely try to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam, and thus they commit offenses at the feet of the Lord, which even Sripada Sankaracarya dared not do. Thus they prepare for their continuation of miserable life. It should be particularly noted herein that Uddhava studied the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam directly from the Lord, who spoke them first to Brahmaji, and this time the Lord explained more confidentially the self-knowledge mentioned as the paramam sthitim. Upon learning such self-knowledge of love, Uddhava felt very much aggrieved by feelings of separation from the Lord. Unless one is awakened to the stage of Uddhava--everlastingly feeling the separation of the Lord in transcendental love, as exhibited by Lord Caitanya also--one cannot understand the real import of the four essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam. One should not indulge in the unauthorized act of twisting the meaning and thereby putting himself on the dangerous path of offense.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.20)
The dangerous Mayavada theory set forth by Sankaracarya--that God is impersonal--does not tally with the injunctions of the Vedas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore described the Mayavadi philosophers as the greatest offenders against the Personality of Godhead. According to the Vedic system, one who does not abide by the orders of the Vedas is called a nastika, or atheist. When Lord Buddha preached his theory of nonviolence, he was obliged to deny the authority of the Vedas, and for this reason he was considered by the followers of the Vedas to be a nastika. But although Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very clearly enunciated that the followers of Lord Buddha's philosophy are nastikas, or atheists, because of their denial of the authority of the Vedas, He considered the Sankarites, who wanted to establish Vedic authority by trickery and who actually followed the Mayavada philosophy of Buddha's school, to be more dangerous than the Buddhists themselves. The Sankarite philosophers' theory that we have to imagine a shape of God is more dangerous than denial of the existence of God. Notwithstanding all the philosophical theorizing by atheists or Mayavadis, the followers of Krsna consciousness rigidly live according to the injunctions given in Bhagavad-gita, which is accepted as the essence of all Vedic scripture. In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) it is said:
yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah
"By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection." This indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of everything, as described in the Vedanta-sutra (janmady asya yatah). The Lord Himself also confirms in Bhagavad-gita, aham sarvasya prabhavah: "I am the origin of everything." The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original source of all emanations, and at the same time, as Paramatma, He is spread all over existence. The Absolute Truth is therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and every living being is meant to satisfy the Supreme Godhead by performing his respective duty (sva-karmana tam abhyarcya). Maharaja Prthu wanted to introduce this formula amongst his citizens.
The most important point in human civilization is that while one engages in different occupational duties, he must try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by the execution of such duties. That is the highest perfection of life. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam: by discharging one's prescribed duty, one can become very successful in life if he simply satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The vivid example is Arjuna. He was a ksatriya, his duty was to fight, and by executing his prescribed duty he satisfied the Supreme Lord and therefore became perfect. Everyone should follow this principle. The atheists, who do not, are condemned in Bhagavad-gita (16.19) by the following statement: tan aham dvisatah kruran samsaresu naradhaman. In this verse it is clearly said that persons who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are the lowest of mankind and are very mischievous. Under the regulative principles of the Supreme, such mischievous persons are thrown into the darkest region of material existence and are born of asuras, or atheists. Birth after birth, such asuras go still further down, finally to animal forms like those of tigers or similar ferocious beasts. Thus for millions of years they have to remain in darkness without knowledge of Krsna.
The Supreme personality of Godhead is known as Purusottama, or the best of all living entities. He is a person like all other living entities, but He is the leader or the best of all living beings. That is stated in the Vedas also. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the chief of all eternals, the chief of all living entities, and He is complete and full. He has no need to derive benefit by interfering with the affairs of other living entities, but because He is the maintainer of all, He has the right to bring them to the proper standard so that all living entities may become happy. A father wants all of his children to become happy under his direction. Similarly, God, or Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has the right to see that all living entities are happy. There is no possibility of becoming happy within this material world. The father and the sons are eternal, but if a living entity does not come to the platform of his eternal life of bliss and knowledge, there is no question of happiness. Although Purusottama, the best of all living entities, has no benefit to derive from the common living entities, He does have the right to discriminate between their right and wrong ways. The right way is the path of activities meant to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as we have already discussed (svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam). A living entity may engage in any occupational duty, but if he wants to have perfection in his duties, he must satisfy the Supreme Lord. As such, one who pleases Him gets better facilities for living, but one who displeases Him gets involved in undesirable situations.
(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.27)
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Re: What is a Mayavadi?
Fri, August 25, 2006 - 5:47 PM"Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, mayavadi krsne aparadhi: one who thinks that everything is maya instead of thinking that everything is Krsna is called an aparadhi, or offender. Although the Mayavadis, impersonalists, are offenders at the lotus feet of Krsna, they may nonetheless be counted among the siddhas, those who have realized the self. They may be considered nearer to spiritual perfection because at least they have realized what spiritual life is. If such a person becomes narayana-parayana, a devotee of Lord Narayana, he is better than a jivan-mukta, one who is liberated or perfect. This requires higher intelligence.
There are two kinds of jnanis. One is inclined to devotional service and the other to impersonal realization. Impersonalists generally undergo great endeavor for no tangible benefit, and therefore it is said that they are husking paddy that has no grain (sthula-tusavaghatinah). The other class of jnanis, whose jnana is mixed with bhakti, are also of two kinds--those who are devoted to the so-called false form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and those who understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, the actual spiritual form. The Mayavadi devotees worship Narayana or Visnu with the idea that Visnu has accepted a form of maya and that the ultimate truth is actually impersonal. The pure devotee, however, never thinks that Visnu has accepted a body of maya; instead, he knows perfectly well that the original Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person. Such a devotee is actually situated in knowledge. He never merges in the Brahman effulgence. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32):
ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah
"O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but who have no devotion is impure. Even though they rise to the highest point of liberation by dint of severe penances and austerities, they are sure to fall down again into material existence, for they do not take shelter at Your lotus feet." Evidence of this same point is also given in Bhagavad-gita (9.11), wherein the Lord says:
avajananti mam mudha
manusim tanum asritam
param bhavam ajananto
mama bhuta-mahesvaram
"Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be." When rascals (mudhas) see that Krsna acts exactly like a human being, they deride the transcendental form of the Lord because they do not know the param bhavam, His transcendental form and activities. Such persons are further described in Bhagavad-gita (9.12) as follows:
moghasa mogha-karmano
mogha-jnana vicetasah
raksasim asurim caiva
prakrtim mohinim sritah
"Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demoniac and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities and their culture of knowledge are all defeated." Such persons do not know that Krsna's body is not material. There is no distinction between Krsna's body and His soul, but because less intelligent men see Krsna as a human being, they deride Him. They cannot imagine how a person like Krsna could be the origin of everything (govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami). Such persons are described as moghasah, baffled in their hopes. Whatever they desire for the future will be baffled. Even if they apparently engage in devotional service, they are described as moghasah because they ultimately desire to merge into the Brahman effulgence.
Those who aspire to be elevated to the heavenly planets by devotional service will also be frustrated, because this is not the result of devotional service. However, they are also given a chance to engage in devotional service and be purified. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17):
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
"Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted."
(SB 6.14.5)
"Theorizing as if devotional service were subject to their mental speculation, both kinds of Mayavadi impersonalists conclude that the subject matter of bhakti-yoga is a creation of maya and that Krsna, devotional service and the devotee are also maya. Therefore, as stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, mayavadi krsne aparadhi. "All the Mayavadis are offenders to Lord Krsna." (Cc. Madhya 17.129) It is not possible for them to understand the Krsna consciousness movement; therefore we do not value their philosophical conclusions. However expert such quarrelsome impersonalists are in putting forward their so-called logic, we defeat them in every respect and go forward with our Krsna consciousness movement. Their imaginative mental speculation cannot deter the progress of the Krsna consciousness movement, which is completely spiritual and is never under the control of such Mayavadis."
CC Adi 7.39
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Re: What is a Mayavadi?
Fri, August 25, 2006 - 5:56 PMTo those who are aware of the context of this thread I will explain my reasoning as to why not debate with the offenders on the topic of scriptural conclusions. I made my decision based on the 10 offenses and the offense that states that one should not preach the glories of the Holy Name to the faithless person. My understanding of this is that by such preaching one will simply cause them to commit more and more offense, and in that way they are driven further and further from their ultimate welfare and the so called preacher has committed an offense by causing them to commit offenses to Krsna. Some people when they come in to contact with Krsna or His devotees they become like poison spouting monsters. There is no preaching to such people. One can either avoid them or cut their tongues out and I decided to do the first. -
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Re: What is a Mayavadi?
Fri, September 29, 2006 - 2:11 PMprabhu. my obeisances. thanks for your wise words here. i agree its best to avoid those who are opposed to Krishna and focus on assisting the inquisitive people. There are plenty of people who are interested in coherent philosophy so we should be responsible enough to be ready to serve them instead of wasting time and making offenses with Mayavad. Yamaraj and Maha-maya will preach to them no? They are pretty expert at educating the recalcitrant jivas aren't they?
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Re: What is a Mayavadi?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 8:21 PMMy response to Mayavadi philosophy is this: If we are sparks off of the original cause and the original cause is nothing but a mechanical process, what was the purpose for our being spun-off to begin with? If we are here for no other reason than having been spun-off by some etherial robot, then why concern ourselves with the quality of our character? What difference does it really make if we come from nothing more than a celestial computer server? After all, our origin is impersonal. Our final destination is, therefore, impersonal. If we choose to act immorally, what difference does it really make? If we choose to follow our own degraded impulses it really makes no difference. After all, we're just an offshoot of some cosmic machine. Its not like there is really a creator "God" behind it all. Oh sure, one can hear and believe that we "meld back into "God" when all is said and done, but what does that really mean? Lord Shiva, for instance, can be described as some "energy current" who desires for us to meld back into his "eternal being" when its all said-and-done, but what does that mean? We spend all these incarnations as personal beings only to gel back into the spiritual goop that is "Shiva" or whatever entity we happen to regaurd as "God?" Why not just embrace Buddhism? We are individuals and therefore so is our source. This is why I believe in Krishna and His Doctrine. -
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Re: What is a Mayavadi?
Wed, January 23, 2008 - 8:41 AMBhagavad-gita As It Is:
By Srila Prabhupada
Chapter 2. Contents of the Gita Summarized
TEXT 12
na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param
SYNONYMS
na--never; tu--but; eva--certainly; aham--I; jatu--become; na--never; asam--existed; na--it is not so; tvam--yourself; na--not; ime--all these; jana-adhipah--kings; na--never; ca--also; eva--certainly; na--not like that; bhavisyamah--shall exist; sarve--all of us; vayam--we; atah param--hereafter.
TRANSLATION
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
PURPORT
In the Vedas, in the Katha Upanisad as well as in the Svetasvatara Upanisad, it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities, in terms of their different situations according to individual work and reaction of work. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is also, by His plenary portions, alive in the heart of every living entity. Only saintly persons who can see, within and without, the same Supreme Lord, can actually attain to perfect and eternal peace.
nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman
tam atma-stham ye 'nupasyanti dhiras
tesam santih sasvati netaresam
(Katha 2.2.13)
The same Vedic truth given to Arjuna is given to all persons in the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have but a poor fund of knowledge. The Lord says clearly that He Himself, Arjuna, and all the kings who are assembled on the battlefield, are eternally individual beings and that the Lord is eternally the maintainer of the individual living entities both in their conditioned as well as in their liberated situations. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme individual person, and Arjuna, the Lord's eternal associate, and all the kings assembled there are individual, eternal persons. It is not that they did not exist as individuals in the past, and it is not that they will not remain eternal persons. Their individuality existed in the past, and their individuality will continue in the future without interruption. Therefore, there is no cause for lamentation for anyone.
The Mayavadi theory that after liberation the individual soul, separated by the covering of maya or illusion, will merge into the impersonal Brahman and lose its individual existence is not supported herein by Lord Krsna, the supreme authority. Nor is the theory that we only think of individuality in the conditioned state supported herein. Krsna clearly says herein that in the future also the individuality of the Lord and others, as it is confirmed in the Upanisads, will continue eternally. This statement of Krsna is authoritative because Krsna cannot be subject to illusion. If individuality is not a fact, then Krsna would not have stressed it so much--even for the future.
The Mayavadi may argue that the individuality spoken of by Krsna is not spiritual, but material. Even accepting the argument that the individuality is material, then how can one distinguish Krsna's individuality? Krsna affirms His individuality in the past and confirms His individuality in the future also. He has confirmed His individuality in many ways, and impersonal Brahman has been declared to be subordinate to Him. Krsna has maintained spiritual individuality all along; if He is accepted as an ordinary conditioned soul in individual consciousness, then His Bhagavad-gita has no value as authoritative scripture. A common man with all the four defects of human frailty is unable to teach that which is worth hearing. The Gita is above such literature. No mundane book compares with the Bhagavad-gita. When one accepts Krsna as an ordinary man, the Gita loses all importance.
The Mayavadi argues that the plurality mentioned in this verse is conventional and that it refers to the body. But previous to this verse such a bodily conception is already condemned. After condemning the bodily conception of the living entities, how was it possible for Krsna to place a conventional proposition on the body again? Therefore, individuality is maintained on spiritual grounds and is thus confirmed by great acaryas like Sri Ramanuja and others. It is clearly mentioned in many places in the Gita that this spiritual individuality is understood by those who are devotees of the Lord.
Those who are envious of Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead have no bona fide access to the great literature. The nondevotee's approach to the teachings of the Gita is something like bees licking on a bottle of honey. One cannot have a taste of honey unless one opens the bottle. Similarly, the mysticism of the Bhagavad-gita can be understood only by devotees, and no one else can taste it, as it is stated in the Fourth Chapter of the book. Nor can the Gita be touched by persons who envy the very existence of the Lord.
Therefore, the Mayavadi explanation of the Gita is a most misleading presentation of the whole truth. Lord Caitanya has forbidden us to read commentations made by the Mayavadis and warns that one who takes to such an understanding of the Mayavadi philosophy loses all power to understand the real mystery of the Gita. If individuality refers to the empirical universe, then there is no need of teaching by the Lord. The plurality of the individual soul and of the Lord is an eternal fact, and it is confirmed by the Vedas as above mentioned.
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