Six Divine Powers or Abilities
Bhágavata Dharma
The word bhaga plus the suffix matup gives us bhagavata; and the first person singular form of bhagavata is bhagaván. What does the word bhaga mean?
Aeshvaryaiṋca samagraiṋca viiryaiṋca yashasah shriyah;
Jiṋána vaerágyayoshca tu śańńáḿ bhaga iti smrtam.[Bhaga is a collection of six attributes: aeshvarya, viirya, yasha, shrii, jiṋána and vaerágya.]
The word bhaga implies six divine powers or abilities, or a collection of six kinds of Tantric powers or manifestations.
The first one is aeshvarya. This aeshvarya in turn includes eight occult powers – animá, laghimá, mahimá, prápti, prákámya, iishitva, vashitva and antaryámitva. Thus aeshvarya is an occult power acquired through sádhaná. Through regular practice of sádhaná, these eight powers can be attained. The being who possesses these eight powers is called Iishvara. In other words, Iishvara means the lord of these eight sádhaná-acquired powers.
Together with aeshvarya comes commanding authority, viirya. An impressive personality is necessary in order to perform benevolent deeds. This is the second bhaga.
Then comes yashah (fame) which is of two types, positive and negative, yasha and apayasha. The virtuous people sided with Krśńa, while the evil ones joined hands with Kansa. That is, society became polarized at that time. Some people ardently sang His praises, while others became His fierce antagonists.
Next comes shrii. The real meaning of shrii is “charm” or “fascination”. In other words, one will possess irresistible attractive charm. The word shrii, however, has other connotations also. It is a combination of three letters – sha, ra, ii. Sha represents rajoguńa; ra is the acoustic root of energy. A person who possesses this ra, that is, who is vigorously active; and who at the same time is under the dynamic influence of rajoguńa [i.e., possesses sha]; is sha + ra = shra which, when ii is added to it, becomes shrii in feminine form. One of the charms of life is this shrii. That is why since ancient days, the practice of using the word shrii before one’s name has been a custom in India.
Then comes jiṋána. The word jiṋána is derived from the root verb jiṋá plus the suffix anat́. The subjectivization of external objectivity is called jiṋána. The world of objectivity is external only to the microcosmic mind; to the Macrocosmic Mind there is no external world. Because whatever exists, exists within His mind. Hence for Parama Puruśa everything is but His own Self. But for the microcosmic mind, this subjectivo-objectivated mind is transformed into subjectivized mind, and in a subsequent stage the subjectivized mind becomes subjectivity. And in the final stage, this very subjective mind becomes merged in Parama Puruśa and becomes one with Him. This is called jiṋánakriyá [cognitive activity]. Jiṋána is the fifth bhaga.
The sixth is vaerágya. Vi – rańj + ghaiṋ = virága; and vaerágya is derived from virága. The root verb rańj means “to colour” something. When a person is not affected or swayed by the colour of any object whatsoever of the world, that person is said to have attained vaerágya. He or she moves among various colours, yet no colour of any object can spread its influence over the person’s mind. This is vaerágya.
This world, the creation of Parama Puruśa, is full of colourful variegation. But He Himself is a colourless Entity.
Śa eko’varńo bahudháshaktiyogád varńánanekán nihitártho dadháti;
Vi caeti cánte vishvamádao sa Devah sa no buddhyá shubhayá saḿyunaktu.[The Entity who is one and without a second, and one without any colours; who has created the colourful quinquelemental world for reasons unknown with the help of His many powers; in whom this entire universe dissolves; is no other than Parama Puruśa. Let that Entity guide our intellect along the path of supreme righteousness.]
So vaerágya is the sixth bhaga, The collection of these six attributes is called bhaga; and one who possesses bhaga is bhagaván. The word bhagaván is the first person singular form of bhagavata.
Hence it is evident that Bhágavata dharma is really mánava dharma [human dharma]. For each human being this is his or her svadharma [individual dharma]. Shreyán svadharmo viguńah – “Even if one’s svadharma is viguńah – even if one’s svadharma is without qualities – it is beneficial.” You know that svadharma is in fact quality-less, because Bhágavata dharma is outside the jurisdiction of qualities. Hence svadharma must also necessarily be without qualities.
28 November 1979 morning, Pune