28 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 1
TRANSLATION

In Sri Bhagavata-sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami has written conclusively

about the ultimate end of devotional service.
PURPORT

Bhagavata-sandarbha is also known as Sat-sandarbha. In the first part, called
Tattva-sandarbha, it is proved that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most authorita-
tive evidence directly pointing to the Absolute Truth. The second sandarbha,
called Bhagavat-sandarbha, draws a distinction between impersonal Brahman
and localized Paramatma and describes the spiritual world and the domina-
tion of the mode of goodness devoid of contamination by the other two ma-
terial modes. In other words, there is a vivid description of the transcendental
position known as suddha-sattva. Material goodness is apt to be contami-
nated by the other two material qualities—ignorance and passion—but
when one is situated in the suddha-sattva position, there is no chance for
such contamination. It is a spiritual platform of pure goodness. The potency
of the Supreme Lord and the living entity is also described, and there is a de-
scription of the inconceivable energies and varieties of energies of the Lord.
The potencies are divided into categories—internal, external, personal,
marginal and so forth. There are also discussions of the eternality of Deity
worship, the omnipotence of the Deity, His all-pervasiveness, His giving
shelter to everyone, His subtle and gross potencies, His personal manifesta-
tions, His expressions of form, quality and pastimes, His transcendental posi-
tion and His complete form. It is also stated that everything pertaining to the
Absolute has the same potency and that the spiritual world, the associates in
the spiritual world and the threefold energies of the Lord in the spiritual world
are all transcendental. There are further discussions concerning the difference
between the impersonal Brahman and the Personality of Godhead, the full-
ness of the Personality of Godhead, the objective of all Vedic knowledge, the
personal potencies of the Lord, and the Personality of Godhead as the original
author of Vedic knowledge.

The third sandarbha is called Paramatma-sandarbha, and in this book there
is a description of Paramatma (the Supersoul) and an explanation of how the
Supersoul exists in millions and millions of living entities. There are discussions
of the differences between the qualitative incarnations, and discourses con-
cerning the living entities, mayd, the material world, the theory of transforma-
tion, the illusory energy, the sameness of this world and the Supersoul, and
the truth about this material world. In this connection, the opinions of
Sridhara Svami are given. It is stated that the Supreme Personality of God-
