What is pariprashna? Pariprashna is that question which, when answered, inspires people to move accordingly. And the people actually move. Suppose we ask someone something and we then get an answer. This is a simple question. It ends here. Pariprashna is not such a question. When we ask something, receive an answer, work accordingly and finally get the result, that question is known as pariprashna.

When the first sprout of knowledge arose among human beings, they began to ask, what is the Múlá Shakti, or Ádyá Shakti (Causal Matrix)? What is the Múla Kárańa [Fundamental Cause] of the universe?

What is the Múlá Shakti, or Ádyá Shakti? When, in tracing the cause behind each and every effect, we arrive at the final essence, that is called the Ádikárańa, or Ádyá Shakti [First Cause]. Spiritual aspirants have said:

Yacchedváunmanasii prájiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

[An intelligent person should merge the senses in citta, citta into ahaḿtattva, ahaḿtattva into mahattattva, mahattattva into jiivátmá and jiivátmá into Paramátmá.]

What are those who try to reach the Causal Matrix to do? Vák usually means tongue, but here vák represents all the sensory and motor organs and their expressions. That is, each and every action performed by the indriyas [organs] will have to be identified with the citta, and this has to be done through assimilation by means of sádhaná, because all the sensory organs are sheltered in the citta and the expressions of the sensory organs are inseparably connected with the citta. That is, citta is the reflecting plate. If you merge the expression of your vocal cords with your citta, then you will be able to do the work of the vocal cords directly with the help of your citta. Suppose someone is moving. You can forcibly stop his or her movement. Someone is speaking. You can forcibly suspend his or her speech. But it can be still better done by applying your concentrated citta after you have merged the capacity of your indriyas into citta. When their capacities are suspended the power gained is called stambhana. There are many psychic processes like this. Suppose a man is speaking very glibly. Suddenly you stop his vocal power. He will make an inarticulate sound like “Ah – ah – ah” and then his vocal cords will cease to function. These are not great powers, rather they are very common things, they can be done easily. You are merging the capacity of your indriyas into the capacity of your citta.

Tadyacchejiṋána átmani – Now, “you must merge the capacity of the citta into the ahaḿtattva [doer ‘I’, or ‘I do’ feeling],” which is associated with your existential “I” feeling. This is how human beings establish themselves in the realm of intuition.

Rtambhará tatra prajiṋá;
Tatra niratishayaḿ sarvajiṋatvabiijam.

[The intellect at that stage becomes omniscient. The seed of omniscience is fully developed.]

One who has attained that state has become omniscient because of his or her close proximity to the omniscient Cosmic Mahattattva [Cosmic existential “I”]. He or she learns everything without academic pursuit. Tantra holds the same views.

Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchet – “the ahaḿtattva should be merged into the mahattattva,” because the mahattattva is the reflecting plate of the ahaḿtattva. There are three functional layers of the mind – the done “I” or citta, ahaḿtattva or doer “I” and mahattattva or “I exist” feeling.

Tadyacchecchánta átmani – “this existential ‘I’ feeling should be merged into Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Entity.” This is the progression of sádhaná. In the same way, one must proceed through effect and cause and thus arrive at the final essence. The procedure is to discover the reflecting plate through the reflecting entity. The pariprashna about Parama Puruśa is exactly like this. A comes from B, where does B come from? – this is how one moves internally. Maharshi Kanada in ancient times invented his own theory and helped us to a great extent. According to him, Kárańábhávát káryyábhávah – “the effect cannot exist without its cause.” So by proceeding through effect and cause, one ultimately arrives at the Supreme Cause.

Vrajagopála attracts all towards Himself – all entities in the physical, psychic and causal spheres. This proves that He wants each and everyone to come to Him. It further proves that He loves all. That is, He loves a person without bothering to find out whether the person is spotlessly clean or blemished, whether he or she is learned or a fool. Had Vrajagopála done that, He certainly would not have attracted everyone. The fact is that He attracts all and loves all without discrimination. This clearly indicates that Vrajagopála is the very life and soul of human beings, the life of their lives. Even those who do not know Vrajagopála still know in the heart of their hearts that He is the life of their lives. Those who criticize Vrajagopála know inside themselves that they are criticizing their nearest relation. The entity who draws all unto Himself cannot but be the nucleus of the universe. No other entity has the capacity to attract all. As far as other entities are concerned you may get some affection from them or maybe a little scolding, but you cannot get real love and affection. You may have noticed that others may love you in prosperity, but they will not spare time for you when adversity strikes. So there is no one besides Him who remains covert in the deepest core of one’s heart, like a locket on a golden necklace. He is the nucleus of everything.

We find, then, that in the light of pariprashna He is the central figure in the universe – the nucleus. Then what is the nature of microcosmic existence according to pariprashna? Yacchedváunmanasii prájiṋa. One can easily understand that the activities of the human indriyas are being watched by that Supreme Nucleus, for it is said in the scriptures:

Iikśye shrńomi jighrámi svádayámi sprshámyaham;
Iti bhásate sarvaḿ nrtyashálástha diipavat.

[I see, I hear, I smell, I taste, I touch. Everything is witnessed by Him, who is like the light in a dance theatre.]

But what is the nature of the existence of the jiivas? The shloka begins with the description of the jiivas’ expressions, but it does not mention anything about the nature of the jiivas’ existence. Is it that the jiivas sprang up like something out of nothing? Should we believe that there was nothing in the beginning and suddenly jiivas came into being? No, that is not acceptable. Something cannot come out of nothing. No existing thing can ever spring from non-existence. Then what is the justification for the existence of the jiivas? We admit that Vraja Krśńa is attracting all. He is the Universal Nucleus, the quintessence of the human heart and sensibilities. We understand logically that Vrajagopála is the final shelter of the jiivas.

Nivedayámi cátmánaḿ tvaḿ gatih Parameshvara – “I hereby surrender my all, my pain and pleasure, every particle of my existence, unto You. I give You my everything. I surrender my whole being unto You.” It is true that “I” becomes “You”, but where did this “I” come from? The question remains as unanswered as before. Again there is a need for pariprashna. Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Nucleus which is the final destination of all jiivas. He can attract everything to Himself with His centripetal motion and again reject everything with His centrifugal motion. Someone may say that the jiiva and Parama Puruśa were separate entities and thus there was dualism in the beginning. Later they merged with Parama Puruśa and became non-dualistic. This much is logically acceptable, but the question is, where did those jiivas come from who were separate from Parama Puruśa? The answer lies in the fact that He can attract each and everything in the universe with His centripetal motion – just a sweet little smile on His part will bring people rushing towards Him – and similarly, He can eject any part of His vast Cosmic body in a sporting way. The One in whom one finds the Supreme positive power must also be endowed with the Supreme negative power.

Pariprashna then, teaches that the jiivas indeed proceed from dvaeta to advaeta, but that dualistic nature of the jiivas, and their emergence on this earth, is due to the fact that they have come out of Parama Puruśa in the centrifugal movement of His creation. We come therefore to the final conclusion that the jiivas are initially non-dualistic in nature. It is only in the middle stage that they are dualistic in nature. Later they find their shelter in the heart of Vrajagopála and return to their non-dualistic character. Thus according to pariprashna the real philosophical stance should be advaetadvaetádvaetaváda, that is, non-dualistic dualistic non-dualism. That is, non-dualistic in the beginning, residing in the heart of Parama Puruśa. Parama Puruśa was One, but He desired to become many in a sportive mood. Eko’haḿ bahusyám – “I was One but I became many.” Later, after playing with all, He finally called them unto Him, saying, “My children, return to Me. The day is over, it is evening. Return home.” Not only is Vrajagopála the quintessence of all human sensibilities and the nucleus of the human mind, but His heart is the last and final shelter of all the jiivas of this universe.