Antardarśana and Bahirdarśana

 

In this Kārtika someone while reading the Dāmorāṣṭaka may notice the verses and 4 and 5 ending with ‘manasyāvirāstāṁ’ in contrast to 6th verse— ‘edhyakṣidṛśyaḥ’, and may think this shows greatness of Bahirdarśana ‘externally seeing the Lord’ is greater than that of Antardarśana ‘Seeing the Lord in meditative trance’ ! However such is not the case here, One must understand when Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī says “antar-darśanāt sākṣād-darśana-māhātmyaṁ” that śākṣād darśana is not same as Bahirdarśana that is vision by external organs such as eyes, and it's not also that antardarśana ceases with mukti. In the sādhaka stage antardarśana is the one and only way of seeing the Lord because in sādhakadeha it is the only way to see the Lord face to face or Heart to face, as said Śrīla Cakravartī ṭhākura “sādhakena tu sākṣād-darśanāsambhavāt” ‘direct perception of the Lord is not possible for an Sādhaka’ in commentary to Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu’s 1.2.307 ‘kaścit kurupurī sthitaḥ…’, Also the Lord is called Triyugi for he doesn’t appear face to face in Kaliyuga, in Other yugas it was possible even for atheists like śakuni and duryodhana to see him, but that was covered with yogamāyā ‘nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam’, thus we can’t say that Śakuni and Duryodhana had śākṣād darśana of the Lord, what they saw can be as far as legitimate be termed as bahirdarśana not real darśana as said in the Brahmatarka— "'पश्यमानोऽपि तु हरिं न तु वेत्ति कथञ्चन । वेत्ति किञ्चित्प्रसादेन हरेरथ गुरोस्तथा''॥" “Even if a person sees Lord Hari, he cannot understand Him. One can understand the Lord only by the mercy of Śrī Hari and the spiritual master.”. Also antardarśana in this plane of reality is facilitated by mind, that is why it is not at pars with the śākṣāddarśana for the taittirīya upaniṣad says “aprāpya manasā saha”, we find in the Bhāgavatam “dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino” antardarśana through mind is superior to bahirdarśana  as explained by Śrī Pippalyana —

samādhatsva manaḥ svīyaṃ tato drakṣyasi taṃ svataḥ । sarvatra bahir antaś ca sadā sākṣād iva sthitam ॥ paramātmā vāsudevaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ । nitāntaṃ śodhite citte sphuraty eṣa na cānyataḥ ॥ tadānīṃ ca mano-vṛtty-antarābhāvāt susiddhyati । cetasā khalu yat sākṣāc cakṣuṣā darśanaṃ hareḥ ॥ manaḥ-sukhe'ntar-bhavati sarvendriya-sukhaṃ svataḥ । tad-vṛttiṣv api vāk-cakṣuḥ-śruty-ādīndriya-vṛttayaḥ ॥ mano-vṛttiṃ vinā sarvendriyānāṃ vṛttayo'phalāḥ ।

kṛtāpīhākṛtaiva syād ātmany anupalabdhitaḥ ॥ kadācid bhakta-vātsalyād yāti ced dṛśyatāṃ dṛśoḥ ।

jñāna-dṛṣṭyaiva taj-jātam abhimānaḥ paraṃ dṛśoḥ ॥  [BB 2.2.87-92]

‘Fix your mind in deep meditation, because it is by meditation alone that can one see Parameśvara. He is everywhere, within and without, but by the potency of samādhi you will see Him as if directly before you in person. Vāsudeva, the Supersoul and presiding Deity of consciousness, is sac cid-ānanda-vigraha, the embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He only appears in a consciousness that has been completely cleansed of the contamination of material urges and is surcharged with viśuddha-sattva (pure spiritual goodness). There is no other way to see Him. Do not think that meditation is the only activity of the mind. It is the mind that facilitates direct vision of Śrī Hari through the eyes. This is because when Bhagavān manifests in one’s heart, the mind can do nothing but think of Him. Thus, the eyes actually see only through the faculty of the mind. When joy arises in the mind, all the senses automatically become pleased. The functions of the eyes and other senses are accomplished by the mind, so when the mind is happy, all the senses are happy. Without the mind’s activity, the functions of the senses are futile–for as long as the mind does not experience the activities of the senses, they are as if never performed. Therefore, actual darśana of Śrī Bhagavān takes place when He manifests in the supremely pure consciousness of the mind and heart. It is true that sometimes the Lord, out of special affection for His devotees, appears to their external eyes. However, He is really made visible by the eyes of knowledge. Only by the compassion of Śrī Bhagavān does the living being feel that he has received darśana with his eyes. ’

We must understand that devotees are not satisfied with antardarśana because Bhagavān is not completely accesible to mind 'aprāpya manasā saha', 'yaddetadgacchatīva ca mano'nena ' thus they always endeavor for śākṣād darśana as prays Ṛṣi Dadhyāna Atharvaṇa 'hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye' before entering this we must understand another aspect of this, as previously said that bhagavān is not visible in kaliyuga as śrīla Jīva gosvāmī established by quoting viṣṇudharmottara—‘pratyakṣarūpadhṛgdevo dṛśyate na kalau hariḥ, kṛtādiṣveva tenaiva triyugaḥ paripaṭhyate.’ pratyakṣarūpadhṛgdevaḥ, pratyakṣa as by definition means ‘indriyārthasaṃnikarṣajanyaṃ jñānaṃ pratyakṣam’, ‘knowledge arising from the proximity of objects of senses and senses is knowns as pratyakṣa’ thus we understand that Bhagavāna doesn’t appear to the eyes why the eyes only ? doesn’t indriya include the mind ? How can Bhagavāna be seen through the mind then ?, To that we say see the compound ‘pratyakṣa-rūpa-dhṛg’ this pratyakṣa is confined to the rūpa aspect and the indriya for that are  ‘indriyaṃ rūpagrāhakaṃ cakṣuḥ’, the eyes.  However as said ‘It is true that sometimes the Lord, out of special affection for His devotees, appears to their external eyes. However, He is really made visible by the eyes of knowledge. Only by the compassion of Śrī Bhagavān does the living being feel that he has received darśana with his eyes.’ also in the Laghu bhāgavatāmṛta ‘kair api prema-vaivaśya-bhāgbhir bhāgavatottamaiḥ । adyāpi dṛśyate kṛṣṇaḥ krīḍan vṛndāvanāntare ॥’ ‘Even today, the greatest devotees overcome by ecstasy due to prema see Kṛṣṇa playing in Vṛndāvana.’ This is also mentioned in the kenopaniṣad "yadetadvidyuto vyadyutadā u itīn nyamīmiṣadā u" 'that it flashed like lightning—that it appeared and vanished as the eye winketh.' This is done by the acintyaśakti of bhagavān, that he appears in their vision even in kali however it’s not pratyakṣa it’s like the eyes given to arjuna by kṛṣṇa to understand the underlying principle of the Universes ‘ ‘divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya me yogamaiśvaram’’ we must understand that even with prema its not that kṛṣṇa will always appear before one’s eye in kaliyuga however exceptions happen due to his bhaktavaśyatā even in such audience of Śrī Hari we understand that it’s the mind which is actually seeing and deriving the pleasure as previously said ‘kadācid bhakta-vātsalyād yāti ced dṛśyatāṃ dṛśoḥ । jñāna-dṛṣṭyaiva taj-jātam abhimānaḥ paraṃ dṛśoḥ ॥’ ‘jñāna-dṛṣṭyaiva’ it is actually visible to the jñānendriya not to eyes, similarly to perceive the sweet form of Kṛṣṇa he anoints them by Love for him with those eyes one may see kṛṣṇa always in their heart ‘premāñjanacchuritabhaktivilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti’ in the commentary śrī jīvagosvāmī writes —

yadyapi goloka eva nivasati tathāpi premāñjaneti, acintya-guṇa-svarūpam api premākhyaṃ yad añjana-cchuritavad uccaiḥ prakāśamānaṃ bhakti-rūpa-vilocanaṃ tenety arthaḥ, tena pratibimbavad dūrād apy uditaṃ hṛdaye manasy api paśyantīty arthaḥ, bhaktir atra samādhiḥ, tad uktaṃ śrī-gītāsu—ye bhajanti tu māṃ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham [gītā 9.29] iti “Although the Lord resides in Goloka, He can still be seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the ointment of love (premāñjana). The Lord's nature is inconceivable (acintya-guṇa-svarūpa), yet through the application of love, His form becomes manifest and shines brightly before the devotee’s eyes. This means that with the eyes of devotion, anointed with the ointment of love, the Lord becomes visible. In this way, even from a distance, the devotee perceives the Lord in their heart and mind, as if He is reflected there. Here, bhakti (devotion) is considered to be like samādhi (deep spiritual absorption). As mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita: 'Those who worship Me with devotion, I dwell in them, and they dwell in Me' (Gita 9.29).” thus, Śrīpāda Madhvācāryapāda says ‘tadā muktiśca devānāṁ yadā pratyakṣago hariḥ ।’, Mukti for devas come when they have direct perception of Śrī Hari, as we know Mind is one of the indriyas thus seeing Śrī Hari through the eyes anointed with prema in their heart can be called pratyakṣa darśana which gives emancipation, One may ask then why aren’t Brahmā etc who achieved such darśana mukta by now ? The answer is they are actually muktas only time is separating it, They are here to assist the Lord in administration; the same is said in the Brahmasūtra ‘yāvadadhikāramavasthitirādhikārikāṇām’ in the commentary Śrī Baladeva prabhu says —

brahmādīnāṁ tv ādhikārikāṇāṁ vinaṣṭa-viśliṣṭa-sañcita-kriyamāṇa-karmaṇām apy adhikārārambhakaṁ karma yāvad adhikāraṁ na kṣīyate’tas teṣāṁ tāvat prapañce’vasthitir bhavet । tad-ārambhakasya tasya samāptau tu te vimucya paraṁ padaṁ viśantīti । idaṁ tu bodhyaṁ—acirādhikārā maghavādayo’dhikārānte cirādhikāraṁ 55 Baladeva reads aniyamaḥ sarveṣām avirodhāc chabdānumānābhyām । brahmāṇaṁ gacchanti । tad-adhikārānte tasmin vimukte tena saha vimucyanta iti ।

“Because they hold posts in the management of the universe, Brahmā and the other demigods do not become liberated until their terms of office expire. This is so even though their past and present karmic reactions are already destroyed. When their terms of office expire, then they become liberated and enter the supreme abode of the Lord. This should be understood. The demigod Indra and the others like him that have relatively short terms of office go, at the end of their terms, to the demigod Brahmā, whose term of office is much longer. When Brahmā attains liberation they all attain liberation with him.”

From the Viṣṇudharmottara etc. we understand that in Sādhaka avasthā that too in Kaliyuga it’s very rare to attain bahirdarśana but one must not lose hope as bahirdarśana is nirvikalpa pratyakṣa which is not of much use it’s said in the laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta, even though in the viṣṇupurāṇa’s kalpa Hiraṇyakaśipu [not Jaya that's the story of this kalpa], that though Hiraṇyakaśipu saw Lord Nṛsiṁha in pratyakṣa he didn’t achieve mukti as it was not endowed with the jñāna of him being bhagavān, Ordinary perception can’t lead one to mokṣa thus it is a mere bahirdarśana not śākṣāddarśana one must understand that unless one has Bhakti which by nature is associated with bhagavad jñāna, any perception can’t give them mukti as that will only be enveloped by yogamāyā, the real svarūpa will remain concealed as said in the Brahmasūtra “na sāmānyādapyupalabdhermṛtyuvannahi lokāpattiḥ” Madhvācārya comments “na sāmānyadarśanamātreṇa muktiḥ । yathā mṛtyumātrāt । na hi lokāpattimātraṁ muktiḥ ।” “Final release does not result from the ordinary perception of any form of Bhagavān; just as from mere death, final release cannot result from the dissolution of every gross body; final release does not come; nor does final release consist in only attaining to certain regions. The following is said” Thus there must be bhagavad mahimā jñāna otherwise prema can’t arise as we see Satyavrata muni knew Kṛṣṇa to be Bhagavāna thus he started by saying “namāmīśvaraṁ” and in the 6th verse he asks for direct vision ‘edhyakṣidṛśyaḥ’ one can understand that Satyavrata muni has achieved prema and has also gone through antardarśana achieving that he is now asking for direct perception through eyes, and that is fulfilled by the lord due to bhaktavaśyatā even sanātana gosvāmī has highlighted this in the commentary “ithaṁ prema-viśeṣeṇa paramotkaṇṭhayā saha sākṣad-darśanaṁ prārthyam । tata eva sadyo-jāta-prema-bhakti-viśeṣeṇa tasya parama-daurlabhyaṁ manyamānas tatra ca paramopāya-bhūtāṁ prema-bhaktim abhijñāya”. This as of now we understood in sādhaka avasthā there is only One kind of bonafide perception that is antardarśana and some direct visions by Bhagavadkṛpā which isn’t a norm also we understood that perception of Bhagavāna in sādhakavasthā is primarily done by the Mind and not eyes, But such antardarśana though it can give mukti can’t give satisfaction to the liberated ones because we know from the statement of taittīriya upaniṣad that mind can’t grasp the zenith of perception accessible to a jīvātmā thus they do not find much pleasure in antardarśana, one may ask that does antardarśana ceases in muktāvasthā because the mind is absent in vaikuṇṭha the answer is No, but upon mukti antardarśana also comes under śākṣād darśana because it’s said in a text of madhyāndini recension “sa vā eṣa brahma-niṣṭha idaṁ śarīraṁ martyam atisṛjya  brahmābhisampadya brahmaṇā paśyati brahmaṇā śrṇoti brahmaṇaivedaṁ sarvam anubhavati” ‘That Brahmaniṣṭha putting off this mortal body, and having reached Brahman, sees through Brahman, hears through Brahman, yea, perceives everything through Brahman.’ Thus one understands that upon mukti, Bhagavān awards one a body which is not different from them made of viśuddha sattva thus this body contains all the indriyas but are transcendent to material counterparts with same name, thus by these indriyas the mukta-jīva perceives Śrī Bhagavān, thus antardarśana by this spiritual mind is more pleasing than by seeing with a material mind however still the Muktas want to perceive Śrī Bhagavān by their eyes [spiritual] as it is more personal and loving, Bṛhad bhāgavatāmṛta gives testimony to this—

dṛgbhyāṃ prabhor darśanato hi sarvatas tat-tat-prasādāvali-labdhir īkṣyate । sarvādhikaṃ sāndra-sukhaṃ ca jāyate sādhyaṃ tad eva śravaṇādi-bhaktitaḥ ॥ sarveṣāṃ sādhanānāṃ tat-sākṣāt-kāro hi sat-phalam । tadaivāmūlato māyā naśyet premāpi vardhate ॥ kāyādhavāder hṛdi paśyato'pi prabhuṃ sadākṣṇā kila tad-didṛkṣā । tatra pramāṇaṃ hi tathāvalokād anantaraṃ bhava-viśeṣa-lābhaḥ ॥ kṛṣṇasya sākṣād api jāyate yat keṣāñcid akṣi-dvaya-mīlanādi । dhyānaṃ na tat kintu mudāṃ bhareṇa kampādivat prema-vikāra eṣaḥ ॥dhyānaṃ parokṣe yujyeta na tu sākṣān mahā-prabhoḥ । aparokṣe parokṣe'pi yuktaṃ saṅkīrtanaṃ sadā ॥ [BB 2.3.179-183]

‘Darśana with one’s eyes affords all varieties of Bhagavān’s mercy, and the bliss derived from seeing the Lord with one’s eyes is much more intense than that of meditation. Indeed, darśana with one’s eyes is the fruit of śravaṇa and the other processes of the ninefold path of bhakti. The reason for this is that direct meeting with Śrī Bhagavān is the consummate result of all processes of attainment, and by the power of seeing the Lord, all illusion is destroyed at the root, allowing prema to blossom. Although Śrī Prahlāda, the son of Kayādhu, saw the Lord within his heart, still, he always hankered to see the Lord externally with his eyes. The evidence of this is that when he directly saw the Lord on the shore of the ocean, he experienced an extraordinary state of love for Him. If someone closes his eyes upon directly seeing Śrī Kṛṣṇa, it may seem like meditation, but actually, it is not. Rather, you should understand this closing of the eyes to be an ecstatic transformation of prema. Such transformations include trembling and so forth, and are experienced out of overflowing bliss. It is appropriate to meditate on Bhagavān in His absence, not in His direct presence. Saṅkīrtana, on the other hand, is always acceptable, whether the Lord is present personally or not.’ 

The conclusion is antardarśana is far more superior to mere bahirdarśana, because antardarśana is always svavikalpa and bahirdarśana  is nirvikalpa devoid of any mahimā jñāna, thus it is of no use in sādhanā, on the other hand antardarśana gives mukti, also antardarśana nourishes the prema  in a devotee so that the will of sākṣād darśana becomes strong, also antardaśana  by the material mind ceases with mukti. Upon mukti there remains no factual difference between antardarśana with the spiritual mind and śākṣād darśana because it forms a subset of śākṣād darśana. śākṣād darśana is more relishable to the devotees than māyāmānasīka antardarśana which is explained in the previous quoted passage from the Bṛhadbhāgavatāmṛta. “It is appropriate to meditate on Bhagavān in His absence, not in His direct presence. Saṅkīrtana, on the other hand, is always acceptable, whether the Lord is present personally or not”, Here we can also say that meditation is done in spiritual world as well when there is viraha from the Lord at some point of time very less indeed but its there how to understand it ? in the commentary of Brahmasūtra 4.4.4 “ avibhāgena dṛṣṭatvāt” Śrīla Baladeva prabhu says “If Sāyujya be the constant state of union with the Lord, then, how is it that soul feels the sentiment of separation from the Lord, in the state called Viraha ? The soul which is in constant union with the Lord, is incapable of feeling this sentiment of Viraha. But the books describe that in the highest heaven even, this sentiment is felt ; and the Mukta souls appear, now and then, as if lamenting their separation from the Lord. To this we reply, that even while feeling this sentiment, which though painful is yet pleasant, tho freed souls feel their union with the Lord internally, for the Lord is never absent from their hearts ; and because they are in the world of the Lord called Mahima, and the world of the Lord has been shown to be identical with the Lord. Therefore, the Mukta Jivas, dwelling in Vaikuntha, are in three-fold union with the Lord, namely, they are in the world of the Lord, which is the Lord Himself; secondly, the Lord is in them, so they can never be uncon- scious of the presence of the Lord ; and thirdly, they are in union with an external form of Lord. It is this separation from the personal form of the Lord that gives rise to the sentiment of Viraha, in the heaven world.” During these times of Viraha one focuses on the form of Śrī Bhagavān in their spiritual mind “antaḥ-sphūrtyā "; it's not that it is absent all the time but the focus comes when svarūpa is not in vicinity the upaniṣads say “The Supreme Self is below; the Supreme Self is above; the Supreme Self is behind; the Supreme Self is in front; the Supreme Self is to the right; the Supreme Self is to the left. The Supreme Self is all this” This shows constant union with Bhagavān in Paravyoma; it has been explained before how individuality is maintained? Supreme self is above, below, right, left in respect to whom ? the Muktātmā Jīva, thus individuality is maintained. If we put the conclusion in schematic form it’s— 

bahirdarśana [without jñāna prema etc.] < antardarśana [through the Mind by jñāna alone] < antardarśana [Through the heart by prema]< sporadic śākṣād darśana due to prema < sākṣād darśana [antardarśana [through spiritual mind] < ākṣadarśana [through spiritual eyes] in difference here is in relishibility]

This is the categorical hierarchy of perception of Śrī Bhagavāna.