Dasa Mula Siksa

[madanmohandas]

More as a relaxing enterprise. I have a copy published by Gaudiya Mission, with an annotation in Sanskrit by the author, as far as I can tell, and a running commentary in Bengali by Sundarananda Vidyavinoda, called Asvadana bhasya. Anyway, since the Dasa Mula has always seemed to me an inspiring text, why not go through it here?

Dasa Mula Siksa,

which can also be titled Siksa Dasaka mulam, which either way means the ten roots, fundamental or radical principles, systematising, and reducing to a convenient form the vast tradition of the doctrines of Sri Caitanya deva and his immediate followers. They themselves became the doctors (masters and formulators of doctrine) and composed various texts treating the philosophy of which Sri Caitanya was the expositor and exemplar, and one might say, under his auspices. The original idea was formulated by Bipin bihari Goswami and later developed and elaborated by his renowned disciple, Thakura Bhaktivinoda. The latter made it the perenial theme of all his major works, and over half his upanyasa, Jaiva Dharma, is dedicated to the minute elucidation and consideration of the Dasa Mula.

The first verse proposes the argument and lists the categories.

aamnaayah praaha tattvam harimiha paramam sarvasaktim rasaabdhim
tad-vibhinn-aamsaasca jeevaan prakrtikavalitaams-tad-vimuktaasca bhaavaat/
bhedaabheda-prakaasam sakalamapi hareh saadhanam sudha-bhaktim
saadhyam tat-preetim-evetyupadisati harau gauracandram bhaje tam// 1

The Vedic texts are deemed self evident,
As have in pure succession made descent;
Which first, that Hari is supreme decree,
Who is possessed of omnipotency;
The source of bliss and rapture's endless store;
That souls stand in between the sea and shore;
Some bound in matter, and some bound no more.
That souls and worlds subsist in him alone,
That sous are indistinct and yet not one;
The means of attainment are said to be,
The nine-fold disciplines of pure bhakti;
And finally, to gain the highest bliss
Of Krishna's love, than which nought better is.
These ten articles were taught by the Lord
The shining moon-like Gauranga adored. 1

aamnaaya- 1. the Vedic texts that have been perpetuated in the tradition of preceptorial succession declare, 2 Harimiha paramam- herein Hari is supreme. 3. sarvasaktim, he is omnipotent. 4. rasaabdhim, he is an ocean of the flavours of ecstatic love. 5. tad vibhinnamsa jiva, souls are his dissociated parts. 6. prakrti kavalitam, some are engrossed in matter, and 7. tad vimuktaasca bhaavaad, some attain release therefrom. 8. bhedaabheda prakasam sakalam, all existence is simultaneously distinct and non-distinct from Hari. 9. saadhanam sudha bhaktim, the means proposed is unalloyed devotion, and 10. the final beatitude, tat preetim, ecstatic love for him.

Each point is taken up for deliberation in the ensuing verses one by one and elaborated in ten verses.
The first article determines the valid sources, the ensuing nine are the propositions adduced from those sources. Again, articles one to eight come under the subheading, 'Sambandha tattva' articles relative to the subject, which introduces knowledge of the correlation obtaining between God Hari, the world and the souls. Eight examines the means, or the disciplines related to the cultivation of the foregoing nine articles and comes under the subheading of 'Abhidheya', and ten proposes the summum bonum, and identifies the ultimate need, 'Prayojana', attained by the assiduous practice of prescribed disciplines.

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula Siksa 2.

1. Validity of Vedic revelation.

svatah siddho vedo haridayita-vedha-prabhrtitah
pramaanam satpraaptam pramiti-visayaamstan-navavidhan/
tathaa pratyaksaadi pmaitisahitam saadhayati no
na yuktis-tarkaakhyaa pravisati tathaa saktirahitaa// 2

This self-accomplished Veda was expressed
To Brahma and others by Hari blest;
Which received as valid testimony,
Affirms the nine articles certainly;
Unaided reason is not competent
To conceive of the divine argument,
But reason guided by scripture's mandate,
Is competent these truths to contemplate. 2

Notes to follow.

[Nitaidas]

Good. This book is on archive.org as well and it looks like a fine edition edited and commented on by Sundarananda Vidyavinode who was one of the most learned followers of Bhaktisiddhanta. When he left GM in about 1954-5 he found shelter with Kanupriya Goswami and published some fine works under Goswamiji's influence. Before that he published a number of important works on the GM's dime.

I hate to say it, but perhaps we should include this in our Upadesa-book along with Rupa's Dasa-sloka, all short works and all full of siksa. Kim cintasi?

[madanmohandas]

Possibly, but I thought the three works so far included stand apart from later works where doctrine, theology, and generally a more philosophical treatment has been developed. Not only that, but I also wanted to spend time on it. As for Rupa's Dasa-sloka, I am not sure what it is, unless it also goes by another name. If it refers to the smarana mangala on the eight time periods, that I have done already, and it could easily be supplied, but again, as for the Dasa Mula, I really want to spend time and give it a more thorough treatment if I can. Perhaps as a separate work to which you may like to add Sundarananda's bhasya, or even the Vikasini tika, as the Sanskrit annotation is called.

[madanmohandas]

Continuing with Dasa Mula Siksa, text three, article two. 'harim-iha paramam'.

2. Here Hari is supreme

haristvekam tattvam vidhisivasuresapranamito
yadevedam brahma prakrtirahitam tat-tanumahah/
paraatmaa tasyaamso jagaanugato visvajanakah
sa vai raadhaakaanto navajaladakaantis-cid-udaya//3

Hari is One, and the exclusive truth,
All deities are his aspects forsooth;
Thus Vidhi, Shiva, and Suresha bring
Their homage and their devout offering;
The radiant and transcendental light
Of his supreme person is Brahman hight,
His emanations constitute the whole,
World father, and indweller in each soul;
That Hari as Radha's beloved know,
Who does with divine cloud-like lustre glow. 3

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text 4

3. Hari is omnipotent.

paraakhyaayaah sakteraprthagapi sa sve mahimani
sthito jeevaakhyam svaam-acid-abhihitam taam tripadikam/
svatantrecchah saktim sakalavisaye preranaparo
vikaaraadyaih sunyah paramapuruso'yam vijayate// 4

Hari abides in his glorious state,
Possessed of divine powers tripartite;
The life-force in which all beings subsist,
Whereby all creatures flourish and exist;
His own subjective power intrinsic,
And insentient matter, extrinsic;
And as his potencies in three divide,
He does each their respective functions guide;
While he remains immutable and free,
The primal being in his own glory. 4

[Nitaidas]

Jul 31, 2020 23:55:14 GMT -6 madanmohandas said:

Possibly, but I thought the three works so far included stand apart from later works where doctrine, theology, and generally a more philosophical treatment has been developed. Not only that, but I also wanted to spend time on it. As for Rupa's Dasa-sloka, I am not sure what it is, unless it also goes by another name. If it refers to the smarana mangala on the eight time periods, that I have done already, and it could easily be supplied, but again, as for the Dasa Mula, I really want to spend time and give it a more thorough treatment if I can. Perhaps as a separate work to which you may like to add Sundarananda's bhasya, or even the Vikasini tika, as the Sanskrit annotation is called.

I have changed my mind. Let's proceed as planned. The three Upadesah books together and later the Dasa-mula. I will add things from Vipinvihari where appropriate. He provides a lot of material. I still think that if Mahaprabhu were to return and find a copy of the Dasamula he would be surprised. What! These are my teachings? When did I teach these things? Inconceivable what? I just came to sing and dance, and weep over separation from my sweet Krsna!

[madanmohandas]

Yes, I think so. But if it is supported by quotes from the Bhagavat, he (Gauranga) might not object. Perhaps it is not what he said, but what he might have said. I wonder if it was not primarily inspired by Rupa, Sanatana and Jiva through the prism of Caitanya Caritamrta. At least in Bhaktivonoda's book Sriman Mahaprabhu Siksa, he supports Dasa Mula with Cc quotes.

[Nitaidas]

Aug 1, 2020 9:35:25 GMT -6 madanmohandas said:

Yes, I think so. But if it is supported by quotes from the Bhagavat, he (Gauranga) might not object. Perhaps it is not what he said, but what he might have said. I wonder if it was not primarily inspired by Rupa, Sanatana and Jiva through the prism of Caitanya Caritamrta. At least in Bhaktivonoda's book Sriman Mahaprabhu Siksa, he supports Dasa Mula with Cc quotes.

Where is Acintya-bhedAbheda tattva mentioned in the Cc.? Rasa certainly comes from Rupa, Vedic authority and the centrality of the Bhagavata from Jiva, what from Sanatana? the hierarchy of bhaktas? centrality of viraha? madhurya over aisvarya? It is hard to tell at this point. Only someone who has read everything would be able to say with any authority. I think we are better off not trusting the Cc, entirely. There is something about the story of Sri Jiva's becoming angry when he read it and throwing it in the Yamuna that rings true for me. It only survived because someone had happened to have made a copy. Now it dominates the tradition. Lazy writers who don't want to find the source teachings in the works of the Goswamis or Bhagavata cite it instead. It's the Reader's Digest version of CV. Anyway, enough rant. The worst thing about it, in my view, is that it introduces a fanatic sectarianism that was not there before. We will probably never know the truth.

[madanmohandas]

I certainly concur with you, only rather than get annoyed, I just raise an eyebrow and smile. The only portion I find, objectionable, if I may use the term, is Krishna Dasa's ungenerous remarks about about two armed versus four armed in Adi, 2, and the whole thing about vedheyamsa, the misplaced predicate debacle (which I subsequently discovered he picked up from Jiva). Otherwise, I enjoy it very much, reciting the original Bengali. You say Reader's Digest, but that is not necessary a bad thing, but to pass it off as 'the word of God', goes back to our discussion on pious fraud. I recently learnt about the Hedonic calculus with which is determined the ratio of pleasure and pain, agreeable and disagreeable, or the advantage and disadvantage. I suppose one could form judgments on texts on that basis. Is the general reader more or less edified, entertained and informed. Still the disadvantage of not knowing Sanskrit is largely mitigated by 'the translation movement' to which you yourself a major contributor, by the availability of primary sources, ie., the Goswamis' own works. As for Acintya bhedaabheda, I'm persuaded that Sri Caitanya deva did not set up a school of Vedanta under any name. Why would he? Perhaps in an historical context (political) it was deemed necessary or expedient to establish a school.
But regarding Jiva throwing it down a well suggests that Jiva himself had issues. I'd be more concerned about the destroyers of books that the writers of books, however disagreeable they might be. As they used to say, first they burn books, then people, although I do not expect it would have gone that far.
Just a few quaint conjectures, not be taken too seriously. (vaco-vegam)

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text 5.

4. Hari is the reservoir of ecstatic bliss.

sa vai hlaadinyaasca pranayavikrter hlaadanaratas-
tathaa samvicchakti prakatita raho bhaava rasitah/
tayaa srisnadhinyaa krtavisadataddhaamanicaye
rasaambodhau magno vrajarasavilaasi vijayate// 5

His own subjective being generates
The power that with joy exhilarates;
His intrinsic power of consciousness,
Vivifies the will and pure sentience;
And through his existential power subsists
His divine realms and all that there exists;
All hail to him who revels in the sea
Of Vraja's rapture and felicity! 5

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text 6.

5. Souls are his disassociated parts.

sphulingaa rddhaagneriva cidanayo jeeva-nicayaa
hareh suryayevaaprthagapi tad-bheda visayah/
vase maayaa yasya prakrtipatirevesvara iha
sa jeevo mukto'pi prakrtivasayogyah svagunatah//

As sparks to fire, the souls are separate
Atoms of consciousness that emanate
From Hari, like the sun and the sunrays,
Distinction and non distinction displays.
Hari is always Master of the whole,
The soul is always subject to control;
And even when they liberation gain,
As dependent entities still remain. 6

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text 7.

6. Some souls are bound by matter from beginningless time.

svarupaarthair-hinaan nijasukhaparaan krsna vimukhaan
harer-maayaa dandyan guna nigada jaalaih kalayati/
tathaa sthulair-lingair-dvididha-varanaih klesa-nikarair-
mahaakarmaanair-nayati patitaan svarga-nirayau// 7

Of a sense of their true interest devoid,
In seeking selfish pleasures e'er employed;
And since they have the Lord Krishna despised,
They are with bonds of illusion chastised;
With a subtle and gross body restrained,
They with many an affliction are pained;
Now raised by mighty works to heaven go,
And now, for sins, are sent to hell below. 7

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text eight.

7. Some souls gain release.

yadaa bhraaman bhraaman harirasagalad vaisnava janam
kadaacit sampasyams tadanugamane syaad ruciyutah/
tadaa krsnaavrtyaa tyajati sanakair-maayikadasaam
svarupambibhraano vimalarasabhogam sa kurute// 8

When having thus wandered and roamed like this,
In perpetual metempsychosis,
The soul by its good fortune may acquaint
Itself with an ecstatic Vaisnav saint,
Who the relish of Hari's love conveys,
Whence the soul gins to emulate his ways;
The sweet knowledge of Krishna cultivates,
And gradually illusion dissipates;
And realising its true nature pure,
Does the eternal ecstasy procure. 8

[madanmohandas]

Dasa Mula, text nine.

8. Simultaneous distinction and non distinction.

hareh sakteh sarvam cid-acid-akhilam syaat parinatir-
vivartam no satyam srutimata viruddham kali malam/
herer-bhedaabhedam srutivihitatattvam suvimalam
tatah premnah siddhir-bhavati nitaraam nityavisaye// 9

All consciousness and matter emanates,
Which his evolving power generates
From Hari, who remains immutable,
Supernal, transcendent, ineffable;
The doctrine that does mutation maintain
In Brahman, is error and Kali's stain;
According to Revelation's decree,
All is one with, and diff'rent from Hari,
Whence love eternal attains perfection,
With mutual exchange of affection. 9