"From Brahma originates the Universe, it lives in Brahma, and it is merged again in the same Brahma. The three attributes of God are that He is the three cases, Ablative, Instrumental and Locative [in relation to the Universe]. These three qualities particularize God. When He desired to be many, He looked at [=employed] His natural powers. The physical mind and eye could not have then existed. Therefore, the Immaterial Brahma had an eye to see and a mind to will with. The terms Brahma means the Perfect Supreme Being (Bhagabán), and the scriptures affirm that Krishna is the Supreme Being. The meaning of the Vedas is too deep for human understanding, the Purans make their senses clear. Witness Brahma's address to God in the Bhágabat, X. xiv. 31:—
'Blessed, blessed are Nanda the cowherd and other citizens of Mathura, whose friend is the Beatific Perfect Eternal Brahma'.
"Shruti itself denies to Brahma material hands and feet, and yet it says that God moves swiftly and receives everything! Therefore, Shruti asserts Brahma to be particular (sa-bishesha). It is only a fanciful interpretation as opposed to a direct one, that speaks of Brahma as abstract (nir-bishesha). How do you call that God formless who has the six qualities and is supremely blissful? You conclude Him to be powerless, who has the three natural powers, as is evident from the Vishnu Puran, VI. vii. 60 and 61, and I. xii. 41.
"God's nature consists of sat, chit and ánanda. The chit power assumes three different forms in three aspects; it becomes hládini from the ánanda aspect; it becomes sandhini in the sat aspect, and sambita (known as knowledge of Krishna) in the chit aspect. The chit power is God's very essence [or inner nature]; the life power (jiba-shakti) appertains to Him only occasionally; máyá is entirely outside Him [i.e., affects creation only]. But all these three offer devotion in the form of love. The Lord's six powers are only manifestations of the chit power. And yet you have the presumption to deny such a power? God and creation differ as the master and the slave of illusion respectively, and yet you affirm that creation is identical with the Creator! In the Gitá creation is recognized as a force exerted by God, and yet you make such creation one with God! See the Gitá, vii. 4, the words of Shri Krishna to Arjun:—
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, sense, and self-consciousness these eight powers (or natures) have emanated from me.
"Again, the next verse in the Gitá:
Valiant hero! the eight natures (prakriti) about which I have already spoken to you, are inferior. Beyond them I have a higher or living nature which upholds this Universe.
"God's form is composed of sat, chit and ananda; and yet you assert that form to be a corruption of the satwa quality! He is a wretch who denies form to God; touch not, behold not that slave of Death. The Buddhists are atheists from not respecting the Vedas. Atheism in a believer of the Vedas is a worse heresy than Buddhism. Vyas composed his aphorisms for the salvation of men, but the interpretation of these aphorisms by the 'school of illusion' (máyá-vádi) is the cause of perdition.
"Vyas's aphorisms accept the theory of effect (parinám). God is an incomprehensible power, but He is manifested as creation. The philosopher's stone produces gold without undergoing any change in itself, similarly God takes the form of creation without suffering any corruption. Objecting to this aphorism as an error of Vyas, you have set up the theory of bivarta by a fanciful interpretation [of it]. Error consists in a creature imagining I am one with the Creator. But creation is not unreal, it is only perishable. The great word Pranaba is the image of God; from that Pranaba all the Vedas have sprung in this world. The words Thou art That (tat-twam asi) when applied to creation are only fractional (prádeshika), but you, without minding the Pranaba, call these words the supreme truth."
Thus did the Master find a hundred faults with the fanciful interpretation [of the Vedantists]. The Bhattáchárya supported his own position, using refutation, feint, pressure, and other logical devices. But the Master answered them all and established His own view. The Vedas [he maintained] assert only three things about God, viz., our relation to Him, devotional exercises, and love (our need) as the fruit of devotion. All the rest [attributed to Him] is mere conjecture. The words of the Veda are self-evident, and should not be interpreted with the help of conjecture. But Sárvabhauma was not to blame for it; he was merely carrying out God's will, in expounding atheistical philosophy based on fancy. Vide the Padma Puran, Part II. canto 62, verse 31.