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402 Jiva Gosvāmi and Baladeva Vidyābhsaņa [CH. consciousness?. Again, since the body of Krsna appears in diverse forms, and since all these forms are but the various manifestations of pure consciousness and bliss, they are more enjoyable by the devotee than the Brahmana.
In the Paramātma-sandarbha the jīva or individual is described as an entity which in its own nature is pure and beyond māyā, but which perceives all the mental states produced by māyā and is affected by them. It is called Kșetrajña, because it perceives itself to be associated with its internal and external body (kşetra)3. In a more direct sense God is also called Kșetrajña, because He not only behaves as the inner controller of māyā but also of all those that are affected by it and yet remains one with Himself through His essential power4. The Kșetrajña should not be interpreted in a monistic manner, to mean only a pure unqualified consciousness (nirvisesam cid-vastu), but as God, the supreme inner controller. The view that unqualified pure consciousness is the supreme reality is erroneous. Consequently a distinction is drawn between the vyasți-kşetrajña (the individual person) and the samastikşetrajña (the universal person)-God, the latter being the object of worship by the former. This form of God as the inner controller is called Paramātman.
God is further supposed to manifest Himself in three forms: first, as the presiding lord of the totality of selves and the prakrti, which have come out of Him like sparks from fire-Sankarşaņa or Mahāvişnu; secondly, as the inner controller of all selves in their totality (samasți-jīvāntaryāmi)-Pradyumna. The distinction between the first and the second stage is that in the first the jiva and the praksti are in an undifferentiated stage, whereas in the second the totality of the jīvas has been separated outside of prakrti and stands independently by itself. The third aspect of God is that in which He resides in every man as his inner controller.
The jīvas are described as atomic in size; they are infinite in number and are but the parts of God. Māyā is the power of God,
tasya śuddha-sattvasya prākrtatvam tu nişiddham eva tasmāt na te prākrtasattva-pariņāmā na vā tat-pracurah kintu sua-prakāśatā-laksana-suddha-sattvaprakäsitā. Sat-sandarbha, p. 148, also pp. 147-8. 2 Ibid. p. 149.
3 Ibid. p. 209. * māyāyām mājike'pi antur-yūmitayā pravisto'pi starūpa-saktyā starüpa-stha eva na tu tat-samsakta ity arthah, tāsudevatrena sarva-ksetra-jñātrtvät so'parah kşetrajña ātmā parumātmā. tad et'am api mukhyam kşetrajñatram paramātmany eva. Ibid. p. 210.
