harir hi nirguášaḼ sÄkᚣÄt
puruᚣaḼ prakášteḼ paraḼ
sa sarva-dášg upadraᚣášÄ
taáš bhajan nirguášo bhavet
hariḼ - the Supreme Lord Hari; hi - indeed; nirguášaḼ - untouched by the material modes; sÄkᚣÄt - absolutely; puruᚣaḼ - the Personality of Godhead; prakášteḼ - to material nature; paraḼ - transcendental; saḼ - He; sarva - everything; dášk - seeing; upadraᚣášÄ - the witness; tam - Him; bhajan - by worshiping; nirguášaḼ - free from the material modes; bhavet - one becomes.
Lord Viᚣášu is situated in His own transcendental position, beyond the material energy. Why, therefore, should His worship bear the fruit of material opulence? The real fruit of worshiping Lord Viᚣášu is transcendental knowledge. Thus Lord Viᚣášuâs worshiper gains the eye of transcendental knowledge instead of being blinded by mundane assets. The Lord being the detached witness of the material creation, His devotee also becomes aloof from the interaction of the Lordâs inferior energies.
ĹrÄŤla ĹrÄŤdhara SvÄmÄŤ cites the following passage from the Vedic literature:
vastuno guáša-sambandhe
rōpa-dvayam iheᚣyate
tad-dharmÄyoga-yogÄbhyÄáš
bimba-vat pratibimba-vat
âWhen the absolute reality associates with the modes of nature, He assumes two different kinds of form in this world, according to whether His spiritual qualities are manifest or not. Thus He acts just like a reflection and its further, secondary reflection.â
guášÄḼ sattvÄdayaḼ ĹÄnta-
ghora-mĹŤá¸hÄḼ svabhÄvataḼ
viᚣášu-brahma-ĹivÄnÄáš ca
guáša-yantáš-svarĹŤpiášÄm
âThe modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, whose individual natures are peaceful, violent and foolish, are personally regulated by Lord Viᚣášu, Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva, respectively.â
nÄti-bhedo bhaved bhedo
guáša-dharmair ihÄášĹataḼ
sattvasya ĹÄntyÄ no jÄtu
viᚣášor vikᚣepa-mĹŤá¸hate
âLord Viᚣášuâs peaceful mode of goodness does not differ substantially from His original, spiritual qualities, although it is only a partial manifestation of them within this world. Thus Lord Viᚣášuâs mode of goodness is never tainted by agitation [in passion] or delusion [in ignorance].â
rajas-tamo-guášÄbhyÄáš tu
bhavetÄáš brahma-rudrayoḼ
guášopamardato bhĹŤyas
tad-amĹÄnÄáš ca bhinnatÄ
âBy the modes of passion and ignorance, on the other hand, the original, spiritual qualities of Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Rudra are obscured. Thus these spiritual qualities appear only partially, as separated, material qualities.â
ataḼ samagra-sattvasya
viᚣášor mokᚣa-karÄŤ matiḼ
aášĹato bhĹŤti-hetuĹ ca
tathÄnanda-mayÄŤ svataḼ
âTherefore focusing oneâs consciousness upon Lord Viᚣášu, the embodiment of all goodness, leads one to liberation. Such God consciousness also generates material success as a by-product, but its proper nature is pure spiritual ecstasy.â
aášĹatas tÄratamyena
brahma-rudrÄdi-sevinÄm
vibhĹŤtayo bhavanty eva
Ĺanair mokᚣo py anaášĹataḼ
âAccording to their mode of worship, devotees of BrahmÄ, Rudra and other demigods obtain the limited success of material opulences. Eventually they may possibly become qualified for full liberation.â
This same idea is echoed in the following statement of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam (1.2.23): ĹreyÄášsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nášášÄm syuḼ. âOf these three [BrahmÄ, Viᚣášu and Ĺiva], all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viᚣášu, the form of the quality of goodness.â