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Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.8.45
harim sāmanyatātmajam
SYNONYMS
trayyā — by studying the three Vedas (Sāma, Yajur and Atharva); ca — also; upanishadbhih ca — and by studying the Vedic knowledge of the Upanishads; sāńkhya-yogaih — by reading the literature of sāńkhya-yoga; ca — and; sātvataih — by the great sages and devotees, or by reading Vaishnava-tantra, Pañcarātras; upagīyamāna-māhātmyam — whose glories are worshiped (by all these Vedic literatures); harim — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sā — she; amanyata — considered (ordinary); ātmajam — as her own son.
TRANSLATION
The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are studied through the three Vedas, the Upanishads, the literature of Sāńkhya-yoga, and other Vaishnava literature, yet mother Yaśodā considered that Supreme Person her ordinary child.
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the purpose of studying the Vedas is to understand Him (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyah). Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained to Sanātana Gosvāmī that there are three purposes in the Vedas. One is to understand our relationship with Krishna (sambandha), another is to act according to that relationship (abhidheya), and the third is to reach the ultimate goal (prayojana). The word prayojana means "necessities," and the ultimate necessity is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. premā pum-artho mahān: the greatest necessity for a human being is the achievement of love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here we see that mother Yaśodā is on the highest stage of necessity, for she is completely absorbed in love for Krishna.
In the beginning, the Vedic purpose is pursued in three ways (trayī) — by karma-kānda, jñāna-kānda and upāsanā-kānda. When one reaches the complete, perfect stage of upāsanā-kānda, one comes to worship Nārāyana, or Lord Vishnu. When Pārvatī asked Lord Mahādeva, Lord Śiva, what is the best method of upāsanā, or worship, Lord Śiva answered, ārādhanānām sarveshām vishnor ārādhanam param. Vishnūpāsanā, or vishnv-ārādhana, worship of Lord Vishnu, is the highest stage of perfection, as realized by Devakī. But here mother Yaśodā performs no upāsanā, for she has developed transcendental ecstatic love for Krishna. Therefore her position is better than that of Devakī. In order to show this, Śrīla Vyāsadeva enunciates this verse, trayyā copanishadbhih etc.
When a human being enters into the study of the Vedas to obtain vidyā, knowledge, he begins to take part in human civilization. Then he advances further to study the Upanishads and gain brahma jñāna, impersonal realization of the Absolute Truth, and then he advances still further, to sāńkhya-yoga, in order to understand the supreme controller, who is indicated in Bhagavad-gītā (param brahma param dhāma pavitram paramam bhavān/purusham śāśvatam [Bg. 10.12]). When one understands that purusha, the supreme controller, to be Paramātmā, one is engaged in the method of yoga (dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]). But mother Yaśodā has surpassed all these stages. She has come to the platform of loving Krishna as her beloved child, and therefore she is accepted to be on the highest stage of spiritual realization. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features (brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate), but she is in such ecstasy that she does not care to understand what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā or what is Bhagavān. Bhagavān has personally descended to become her beloved child. Therefore there is no comparison to mother Yaśodā's good fortune, as declared by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargena yā kalpitā). The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, may be realized in different stages. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.11):
tāms tathaiva bhajāmy aham
mama vartmānuvartante
"As men surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Prithā." One may be a karmī, a jñānī, a yogī and then a bhakta or prema-bhakta. But the ultimate stage of realization is prema-bhakti, as actually demonstrated by mother Yaśodā.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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