________________
XXXII] The Philosophy of Baladeva Vidyābhūsana 439 contents of his Govinda-bhâsya in the Siddhānta-ratna, to which also there is a commentary. M. M. Gopinath Kavirāja says that the Siddhānta-ratna was written by Baladeva himself. There is nothing to urge in support of this assertion; the natural objection against it is that a Vaişnava like Baladeva should not speak in glowing terms of praise of his own work?. Siddhānta-ratna is regarded by Baladeva not as a summary of Govinda-bhāsya, but as partly a supplementary work and partly a commentary. It is probable that the writer of the Sūkşma commentary on the Govinda-bhāsya is also the writer of the commentary on Siddhānta-ratna; for there is one introductory verse which is common to them both. The Siddhāntaratna contains much that is not contained in the Govindabhāsya.
The eternal possession of bliss and the eternal cessation of sorrow is the ultimate end of man. This end can be achieved through the true knowledge of God in His essence (svarūpataḥ) and as associated with His qualities by one who knows also the nature of his own self (sva-jñāna-pūrvakam). The nature of God is pure consciousness and bliss. These two may also be regarded as the body of God (na tu svarūpād vigrahasya atirekah). His spirit consists in knowledge, majesty and power 4. Though one in Himself, He appears in many places and in the forms of His diverse devotees. These are therefore but modes of His manifestation in self-dalliance, and this is possible on account of His supra-logical powers, which are identical with His own nature 5. This, however, should not lead us to suppose the correctness of the bhedābheda doctrine, of the simultaneous truth of the one and the many, or that of difference
sändrānanda-syandi govinda-bhâsyam jīyād etat sindhu-gāmbhiryya-sambhrt yasmin sadyah samśrute mänavänām mohocchedi jāyate tattva-bodhaḥ.
Commentary on Siddhānta-ratna, p. I. 2 Ibid.
alasyād apravrttih syāt pumsām yad grantha-vistare govinda-bhāşye samkşipte
tippani kriyate'tra tat. Sūksma commentary, p. 5, and the commentary on Siddhānta-ratna, p. I.
4 Siddhanta-ratna, pp. 1-13.
5 ekam eva sva-rūpam acintya-śaktyā yugapat sarvatrāvabhäty eko'pi san; sthānāni bhagavad-āvirbhāvāspadāni tad-vividha-līlā-śraya-bhūtāni vividhabhāvavanto bhaktās ca. Govinda-bhāşya, III. 2. II.