Bhagavat · Sanskrit §23 · English §21
Source[२३] मां भजन्ति गुणाः सर्वे निर्गुणं निरपेक्षकम् । सुहृदं प्रियम् आत्मानं साम्यासङ्गादयोऽगुणाः ॥ [भ्प् ११.१३.४०] टीका च - कथम्भूताः ? अगुणाः, गुण-परिणाम-रूपा न भवन्ति किन्तु नित्या इत्य् अर्थः । इत्य् एषा । तथा च नारद-पञ्चरात्रे जितं ते स्तोत्रे - नमः सर्व-गुणातीत-षड्-गुणायादि-वेधसे । इति । यद् उक्तं ब्रह्म-तर्के - गुणैः स्व-रूप-भूतैस् तु गुण्य् असौ हरिर् ईश्वरः । न विष्णोर् न च मुक्तानां क्वापि भिन्नो गुणो मतः ॥ कालिका-पुराणे देवी-कृत-विष्णु-स्तवे - यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा मुनयश् च तप-धनाः । न विवृण्वन्ति रूपाणि वर्णनीयः कथं स मे ॥ स्त्रिया मया ते किं ज्ञेया निर्गुणस्य गुणाः प्रभो । नैव जानन्ति यद् रूपं सेन्द्रा अपि सुरासुराः ॥ इति ॥ श्री-हंस-देवः सनकादीन् ॥२३॥
[23] māṃ bhajanti guṇāḥ sarve nirguṇaṃ nirapekṣakam | suhṛdaṃ priyam ātmānaṃ sāmyāsaṅgādayo'guṇāḥ || [BhP 11.13.40] ṭīkā ca - kathambhūtāḥ ? aguṇāḥ, guṇa-pariṇāma-rūpā na bhavanti kintu nityā ity arthaḥ | ity eṣā | tathā ca nārada-pañcarātre jitaṃ te stotre - namaḥ sarva-guṇātīta-ṣaḍ-guṇāyādi-vedhase | iti | yad uktaṃ brahma-tarke - guṇaiḥ sva-rūpa-bhūtais tu guṇy asau harir īśvaraḥ | na viṣṇor na ca muktānāṃ kvāpi bhinno guṇo mataḥ || kālikā-purāṇe devī-kṛta-viṣṇu-stave - yasya brahmādayo devā munayaś ca tapa-dhanāḥ | na vivṛṇvanti rūpāṇi varṇanīyaḥ kathaṃ sa me || striyā mayā te kiṃ jñeyā nirguṇasya guṇāḥ prabho | naiva jānanti yad rūpaṃ sendrā api surāsurāḥ || iti || śrī-haṃsa-devaḥ sanakādīn ||23||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 21
Anuccheda 21
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always in full control of His various potencies. This is confirmed by the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (7.9.22) where Prahlada Maharaja says to Lord Nrsimhadeva: “My dear Lord, O supreme great, You have created this material world of sixteen constituents, but You are transcendental to their material qualities. In other words, these material qualities are under Your full control, and You are never conquered by them. Therefore the time element is Your representation. My Lord, O Supreme, no one can conquer You. As for me, however, I am being crushed by the wheel of time, and therefore I surrender fully unto You. Now kindly take me under the protection of Your lotus feet.”* Sridhara Svami explains that the word ‘sva-dhamna’ means ‘by Your personal spiritual energy’, and ‘kala’ means ‘the time element, which creates the material manifestation, or maya.’ ‘Atma’ here means ‘the individual living entities’, and ‘guna’ means the three modes of material nature (goodness, passion, and ignorance). Although the individual living entities may come under the control of the modes of nature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never controlled by them. This is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.25.12) where the Personality of Godhead says: “The individual living entities may come under the control of goodness, passion and ignorance, but I am never controlled by them.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §24–25 · English §22
Source[२४] अन्यत्र श्री-हंस-वाक्य-स्थितादि-ग्रहण-क्रोडी-कृतान् तान् बहून् एव सत्यं शौचम् इत्य् आदिभिर् गणयित्वाह - एते चान्ये च भगवन् नित्या यत्र महा-गुणाः । प्रार्थ्या महत्त्वम् इच्छद्भिर् न वियन्ति स्म कर्हिचित् ॥ [भ्प् १.१६.२६] टीका च - एते एकोनचत्वारिंशत् । अन्ये च ब्रह्मण्यत्व-शरण्यत्वादयो महान्तो गुणा यस्मिन् नित्याः सहजा न वियन्ति न क्षीयन्ते स्म । इत्य् एषा । अत्र श्री-विष्णु-पुराणम् - कला-मुहूर्तादि-मयश् च कालो न यद्-विभूतेः परिणाम-हेतुः ॥ इति [विप् ४.१.८४] । श्री-पृथिवी श्री-धर्मम् ॥२४। [२५] अत एव आह - नमस् तुभ्यं भगवते ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने । न यत्र श्रूयते माया लोक-सृष्टि-विकल्पना ॥ [भ्प् १०.२८.६] यत्र भगवद्-आदित्वेन त्रिधैव स्फुरति स्वरूपे माया न श्रूयते । तस्य तथा तथा स्फूर्तिर् मायया न भवतीत्य् अर्थः । तत्र हेतुः - लोक-सृष्टाव् एव विकल्पितुं सृष्टि-स्थिति-संहारैर् विविधम् ईशितुं शीलं यस्याः सा । अतएव भूगोल-प्रश्ने हेतुत्वेन राज्ञाप्य् उक्तम् -- भगवतो गुणमये स्थूल-रूप आवेशितं मनो ह्य् अगुणेऽपि सूक्ष्मतम आत्म-ज्योतिषि परे ब्रह्मणि भगवति वासुदेवाख्ये क्षमम् आवेशितुम् इति [भ्प् ५.१६.३] । वरुणः श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥२५॥
[24] anyatra śrī-haṃsa-vākya-sthitādi-grahaṇa-kroḍī-kṛtān tān bahūn eva satyaṃ śaucam ity ādibhir gaṇayitvāha - ete cānye ca bhagavan nityā yatra mahā-guṇāḥ | prārthyā mahattvam icchadbhir na viyanti sma karhicit || [BhP 1.16.26] ṭīkā ca - ete ekonacatvāriṃśat | anye ca brahmaṇyatva-śaraṇyatvādayo mahānto guṇā yasmin nityāḥ sahajā na viyanti na kṣīyante sma | ity eṣā | atra śrī-viṣṇu-purāṇam - kalā-muhūrtādi-mayaś ca kālo na yad-vibhūteḥ pariṇāma-hetuḥ || iti [ViP 4.1.84] | śrī-pṛthivī śrī-dharmam ||24| [25] ata eva āha - namas tubhyaṃ bhagavate brahmaṇe paramātmane | na yatra śrūyate māyā loka-sṛṣṭi-vikalpanā || [BhP 10.28.6] yatra bhagavad-āditvena tridhaiva sphurati svarūpe māyā na śrūyate | tasya tathā tathā sphūrtir māyayā na bhavatīty arthaḥ | tatra hetuḥ - loka-sṛṣṭāv eva vikalpituṃ sṛṣṭi-sthiti-saṃhārair vividham īśituṃ śīlaṃ yasyāḥ sā | ataeva bhūgola-praśne hetutvena rājñāpy uktam -- bhagavato guṇamaye sthūla-rūpa āveśitaṃ mano hy aguṇe'pi sūkṣmatama ātma-jyotiṣi pare brahmaṇi bhagavati vāsudevākhye kṣamam āveśitum iti [BhP 5.16.3] | varuṇaḥ śrī-bhagavantam ||25||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 22
Anuccheda 22
1 That the Supreme Lord’s potencies are always under His full control is also confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (5.18.38), where the Earth-deity says to Lord Varaha: “O Lord, You do not desire the creation, maintenance or annihilation of this material world, but You perform these activities for the conditioned souls by Your creative energy. Exactly as a piece of iron moves under the influence of a lodestone, inert matter moves when You glance over the total material energy.”* 2 Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary: “This verse means” ‘O Lord, You do not desire the creation (nepsitam), maintenance or annihilation of this material world (visva-sthiti) but You perform (karoti) these activities for the conditioned souls by Your creative energy (maya) who uses the three modes of material nature (gunaih) as her instruments. As (yatha) a piece of iron (ayah) moves (bhramati) under the influence of a lodestone (gravnah), inert matter moves when You glance (saksine) over the total material energy, observing the modes of nature (guna) and the fruitive actions of the conditioned souls (karma), which although seen by you, remain invisible to them. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto (namah).’”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §26 · English §23
Source[२६] तथा - तस्मै नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय धीमहि । यन्-मायया दुर्जयया मां वदन्ति जगद्-गुरुम् ॥ विलज्जमानया यस्य स्थातुम् ईक्षा-पथेऽमुया । विमोहिता विकत्थन्ते ममाहम् इति दुर्धियः ॥ [भ्प् २.५.१२-१३] तम-आदिमयत्वेन स्वस्य सदोषत्वात्, सच्चिदानन्द-घनत्वेन यस्य निर्दोषस्य नेत्र-गोचरे विलज्जमानया अमुषा मायया विमोहिता अस्मद्-आदयो दुर्धियः ॥ श्री-ब्रह्मा श्री-नारदम् ॥२६॥
[26] tathā - tasmai namo bhagavate vāsudevāya dhīmahi | yan-māyayā durjayayā māṃ vadanti jagad-gurum || vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe'muyā | vimohitā vikatthante mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ || [BhP 2.5.12-13] tama-ādimayatvena svasya sadoṣatvāt, saccidānanda-ghanatvena yasya nirdoṣasya netra-gocare vilajjamānayā amuṣā māyayā vimohitā asmad-ādayo durdhiyaḥ || śrī-brahmā śrī-nāradam ||26||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 23
Anuccheda 23
1 The Personality of Godhead is always situated in transcendence and filled with spiritual bliss. In this condition He remains eternally unaffected by the inert material potency maya. This is described in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (1.7.23), where Arjuna says to Lord Krsna: “You are the Original Personality of Godhead who expands Himself all over the creations and is transcendental to material energy. You have cast away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual potency. You are always situated in eternal bliss and transcendental knowledge.”* 2 In this verse the word ‘adyah purusah’ refers to the Bhagavan feature of the Lord, and the word ‘isvarah’ refers to the Supersoul feature of the Lord. Both features of the Lord are described as ‘prakrteh parah’ (transcendental to the material energy). Someone may ask the following question: “Please describe how the Bhagavan feature of the Lord enjoys transcendental bliss untouched by the material energy, and please also explain how it is possible for the Supersoul feature of the Lord to remain untouched by the material energy, even though the Supersoul is the predominating Deity who controls the material energy, and is apparently directly in contact with it?” To these questions the following answers may be given: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His transcendental internal potency, sends the external illusory potency, maya, far away from Himself. By means of His internal spiritual potency He enjoys transcendental knowledge and bliss (kaivalye). This is described in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.9.18) where it is said: 3 “He is also the supreme worshipable object for all beings, including liberated souls, demigods and ordinary conditioned souls. The Lord is eternally free from any material designation, and he constitutes the totality of spiritual bliss derived from perception of His own spiritual form. The Lord exhibits the fullest meaning of the word liberation”.*** 4 In this verse from the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagavatam, the Personality of Godhead is describes as situated in His own transcendental eternal bliss (atmani sthitah). This is also explained in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (6.9.33): “O my Lord, You are situated in Your own transcendental bliss.” 5 In the quote from the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.9.18) the word ‘sandoha’ (multitude) indicates that the spiritual potencies of the Lord are manifested in endless variety. In connection with the verse from the first canto (1.7.23), Sridhara Svami has explained that the word ‘prakrteh’ refers to the three modes of material nature. That the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all potencies is also described by Devahuti-devi in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (3.24.33): 6 “I surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descended in the form of Kapila, who is independently powerful and transcendental, who is the Supreme Person and the Lord of the sum total of matter and the element of time, who is the fully cognisant maintainer of all the universes under the three modes of material nature, and who absorbs the material manifestations after their dissolution.”* 7 Sridhara Svami comments on this verse in the following words: “In this verse the word param means ‘the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ Why is He the Supreme Godhead? The reasons are given in the following words: He is ‘svacchanda-sakti’ (the independent master of innumerable potencies), ‘pradhanam purusam’ (the Lord of the sum total of matter, ‘mahantam’ (the Universal Form), ‘kalam’ (time, which prods the material energy into activity), ‘tri-vrtam’ (the three modes of nature, and the false-ego), and ‘loka-pala’ (the maintainer of all the universes. After describing how the Personality of Godhead is the master of the material creation, Srimati Devahuti-devi explains that the Supreme Lord, by manifesting His internal spiritual potency, remains always untouched by the material energy. In this connection she says atmanubhutyanugata-prapancam’ (He manifests His spiritual potency, and thus absorbs the material manifestations after their dissolution). She also describes the Supreme Personality of Godhead as ‘kavim’ (He who is fully cognisant of everything that happens in the material realm).” 8 Although the Personality of Godhead sometimes remains within the material energy as its controller, He is always superior to that energy and aloof from it. This is confirmed in the following statement of Lord Kapiladeva Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.3): “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Soul, and He has no beginning. He is transcendental to the material modes of nature and beyond the existence of this material world. He is perceivable everywhere because He is self-effulgent, and by His self-effulgent lustre the entire creation is maintained.”* 9 In the course of describing the Supreme Lord’s holy names and forms, the Maha-samhita gives the following description of the Lord’s three material potencies: “The Personality of Godhead manifests three potencies in relation to the conditioned souls in the material world. These three potencies are known as 1. Sri, or the potency for maintaining the material universes, 2. Bhu, or the potency for creating the material universes, and 3. Durga, or the potency for annihilating the material universes. Aside from these potencies, the Lord has His own personal potencies (atma-maya) which are manifested as iccha-sakti (His spiritual potency, by which whatever He wishes becomes immediately fulfilled), and guna-maya-sakti, (His external potency, by which the inert material universes are constructed).” In this verse the word ‘sri’ means ‘the potency for maintaining the material universes’, ‘bhu’, means ‘the potency for creating them’, and ‘durga’ means ‘the potency for annihilating them’. These are the divisions of different potencies. The potency of the individual living entities is called ‘jiva-maya.’ 10 These three (Sri, Bhu and Durga) potencies of the Lord are described in the following passage of the Padma Purana (Karttika-mahatmya 73.231-232) where Lord Krsna says to Satyabhama-devi: “Lord Krsna said: ‘O Satyabhama, I remain in this material world in the form of My three potencies associated with the three modes of material nature.” When the demigods heard this statement of the Lord, they understood His intention, and with great devotion they offered their respects to the three goddesses Laksmi-devi, Parvati-devi and Prthivi-devi, the three potencies of the Lord.” 11 The three potencies of the Personality of Godhead are also described in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (11.3.16), where Antariksa Rsi says: “I have now described maya, the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This illusory potency, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is empowered by the Lord for the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the material universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear?”*** 12 The demigod Brahma describes the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s potencies in the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.45): “As the darkness of snow on a dark night and the light of a glow-worm in the light of day have no value, the mystic power of an inferior person who tries to use it against a person of great power is unable to accomplish anything; instead the power of that inferior person is diminished.”* 13 In this verse Brahma explains that there are different degrees of mystic power (maya). A small amount of mystic power may be genuine or illusory, but whatever the nature of that power, if someone uses a small mystic power challenge a greater power, the small power will certainly be defeated and appear insignificant in relation to the greater power. To demonstrate this, Brahma gives to examples in this verse. 14 The word ‘maya’ in this verse means ‘mystic power’. It does not mean ‘illusion’ here. For example, the Puranas and other Vedic literatures sometimes describe battles where various weapons composed of ‘maya’ wounded and killed many soldiers. If the ‘maya’ which was the active principle of those weapons had been an illusion, it would not have been able to hurt anyone, just as no one becomes wet by touching the mirage of water seen in a desert. The word ‘maya’ is used in various Vedic literatures to describe the Lord’s eternal transcendental potency, which always accompanies Him. For example the Catur-veda-sikha explains: “The eternal Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is described as the supreme master of all transcendental potencies (maya-mayam).” The Maha-samhita explains: “The potency known as atma-maya fulfils all the desires of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” This atma-maya is manifested in two divisions as jnana-sakti and kriya-sakti. The word ‘maya’ may also be interpreted to mean ‘knowledge’, for the Vedic dictionary explains: “Another meaning of the word maya is knowledge.” 15 Some different meanings from the word ‘maya’ are given in the following verse from the Sabda-mahodadhi Dictionary: “They who understand the meanings of words say that the word ‘maya’ may be defined to mean: 1. The three modes of material nature, 2. Knowledge, and 3. The transcendental potency of Lord Visnu.” 16 In this verse the word ‘gunatmika’ may be understood to mean the Lord’s original potency, by which the modes of nature and the various material universes are created. According to the Trikhanda-sesa Dictionary the word ‘maya’ may be interpreted in two ways: “The word ‘maya’ may be understood to mean ‘trickery’ or ‘mercy’.” In his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.24.27) Sridhara Svami says: “The word ‘maya-maye’ used in this verse may be understood to mean ‘pushing the illusory potency into action’, or ‘full of knowledge’, depending on whether we interpret the word ‘maya’ to mean ‘illusory potency’ or ‘knowledge’. Commenting on Srimad Bhagavatam (9.20.27) Sridhara Svami also says: “The word ‘maya’ used in this verse should be understood to mean ‘opulences.’” In his commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.15.26) Sridhara Svami has explained that the word ‘yoga-maya’ used in that verse may be interpreted to mean either ‘the mystic yoga powers attained by the Four Kumaras’, or ‘the spiritual pastime potency of the Personality of Godhead.’ In Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.23, the verse quoted in the beginning of this Anuccheda, Arjuna explains that in the liberated Vaikuntha spiritual planets (kaivalye), which are situated on the platform of liberation, the Personality of Godhead appears in His own plenary portion (atmani sthitah). One may ask: How is the Supreme Lord situated in that spiritual world? The answer is given in the next part of the verse: “You cast away the effects of the material energy by dint of Your spiritual potency.” In this verse the word ‘maya’ is used in the sense of ‘the illusory material energy’, and it is clearly explained that the illusory material energy has no influence over the Personality of Godhead and cannot enter His spiritual world of Vaikuntha. This is also explained in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.10), where Srila Sukadeva Gosvami says: 17 “In that personal abode of the Lord, the material modes of ignorance and passion do not prevail, nor is there any of their influence in goodness. There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the illusory, external energy, it cannot enter that region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as devotees.”* 18 In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, the following synonyms are given for the word ‘vaikuntha’: “Some synonyms for the word ‘vaikuntha’ are: 1. Moksa (the position of liberation), 2. Param padam (the supreme abode), 3. Lingam (the subtle spiritual realm), 4. Amrtam (the eternal place), and 5. Visnu-mandiram (the palatial residence of Lord Visnu).”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §27 · English §24
Source[२७] तद् एवम् ऐश्वर्यादि-षट्कस्य स्वरूप-भूतत्वम् उक्त्वा, श्री-विग्रहस्य पूर्ण-स्वरूप-भूतत्वं वक्तुं प्रकरणम् आरभ्यते । तत्र तस्य तादृशत्व- सचिवं नित्यत्वं तावत् पूर्व-दर्शित-तादृश-वैकुण्ठाधिष्ठातृत्वेन सिद्धम् एव । प्रपञ्चावतीर्णत्वेऽप्य् आह त्रिभिः - नष्टे लोके द्वि-परार्धावसाने महा-भूतेष्व् आदि-भूतं गतेषु । व्यक्तेऽव्यक्तं काल-वेगेन याते भवान् एकः शिष्यतेऽशेष-संज्ञः ॥ [भ्प् १०.३.२५] अतः शेष-संज्ञः । तत्र युक्तिः - योऽयं कालस् तस्य तेऽव्यक्त-बन्धो चेष्टाम् आहुश् चेष्टते येन विश्वम् । निमेषादिर् वत्सरान्तो महीयांस् तं त्वेशानं क्षेम-धाम प्रपद्ये ॥ [भ्प् १०.३.२६] हे अव्यक्त-बन्धो सान्निध्य-मात्रेण प्रकृति-प्रवर्तक चेष्टा निमेषोन्मेष-रूपाम् । श्रुतिश् च - सर्वे निमेषा जज्ञिरे विद्युतः पुरुषादधीति [महा-नारायणउ १.८] । सर्वे निमेषादयः कालावयवाः विशेषेण द्योतते विद्युत् । पुरुषः परमात्मेति श्रुति-पदार्थः । सर्वत्र सृष्टि-संहारयोर् निमित्तं काल एव, तस्य तु तद्-अङ्ग-चेष्टा-रूपत्वात् तौ तत्र न सम्भवत एवेति भावः । तत्र हेत्व्-अन्तरं क्षेम-धामेति । त्वा त्वाम् । अत्र स्वाभीष्टात् तस्माद् आविर्भावाद् एव कंस-भयं कैमुत्येन वारितवती । तथैव स्पष्टं पुनर् आह -- मर्त्यो मृत्यु-व्याल-भीतः पलायन् लोकान् सर्वान् निर्भयं नाध्यगच्छत् । त्वत्-पदाब्जं प्राप्य यदृच्छयाद्य स्वस्थः शेते मृत्युर् अस्माद् अपैति ॥ [भ्प् १०.३.२७] लोकान् प्राप्य निर्भयं भयाभावम् । त्वत्-पादाब्जं तु प्राप्येत्य् उभयत्राप्य् अन्वयः । अत्र त्वत्-पादाब्जम् इति श्री-विग्रहम् एव तथापि विस्पष्टं साधितवती । अतएवामृत-वपुर् इति सहस्र-नाम-स्तोत्रे । मृतं मरणं तद्-रहितं वपुर् अस्येत्य् अमृत-वपुर् इति शङ्कर-भाष्येऽपि । आद्येति जन्माभावोऽपि दर्शितः, सजन्मनि सर्वत्र सादित्वअस्यैव सिद्धेः । तद् उक्तम् - प्रादुरासीद् यथा प्राच्यां दिशीन्दुर् इव पुष्कलः । इति । [भ्प् १०.३.८] श्रुतिश् चात्र - स ब्रह्मणा सृजति स रुद्रेण विलापयति सोऽनुत्पत्तिर् अलय एव हरिः परः परमानन्द इति महोपनिषदि[*एन्द्नोते #४] ॥ श्रीदेवकी-देवी श्री-भगवन्तम् ॥२७॥
[27] tad evam aiśvaryādi-ṣaṭkasya svarūpa-bhūtatvam uktvā, śrī-vigrahasya pūrṇa-svarūpa-bhūtatvaṃ vaktuṃ prakaraṇam ārabhyate | tatra tasya tādṛśatva- sacivaṃ nityatvaṃ tāvat pūrva-darśita-tādṛśa-vaikuṇṭhādhiṣṭhātṛtvena siddham eva | prapañcāvatīrṇatve'py āha tribhiḥ - naṣṭe loke dvi-parārdhāvasāne mahā-bhūteṣv ādi-bhūtaṃ gateṣu | vyakte'vyaktaṃ kāla-vegena yāte bhavān ekaḥ śiṣyate'śeṣa-saṃjñaḥ || [BhP 10.3.25] ataḥ śeṣa-saṃjñaḥ | tatra yuktiḥ - yo'yaṃ kālas tasya te'vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam | nimeṣādir vatsarānto mahīyāṃs taṃ tveśānaṃ kṣema-dhāma prapadye || [BhP 10.3.26] he avyakta-bandho sānnidhya-mātreṇa prakṛti-pravartaka ceṣṭā nimeṣonmeṣa-rūpām | śrutiś ca - sarve nimeṣā jajñire vidyutaḥ puruṣādadhīti [Mahā-nārāyaṇaU 1.8] | sarve nimeṣādayaḥ kālāvayavāḥ viśeṣeṇa dyotate vidyut | puruṣaḥ paramātmeti śruti-padārthaḥ | sarvatra sṛṣṭi-saṃhārayor nimittaṃ kāla eva, tasya tu tad-aṅga-ceṣṭā-rūpatvāt tau tatra na sambhavata eveti bhāvaḥ | tatra hetv-antaraṃ kṣema-dhāmeti | tvā tvām | atra svābhīṣṭāt tasmād āvirbhāvād eva kaṃsa-bhayaṃ kaimutyena vāritavatī | tathaiva spaṣṭaṃ punar āha -- martyo mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥ palāyan lokān sarvān nirbhayaṃ nādhyagacchat | tvat-padābjaṃ prāpya yadṛcchayādya svasthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmād apaiti || [BhP 10.3.27] lokān prāpya nirbhayaṃ bhayābhāvam | tvat-pādābjaṃ tu prāpyety ubhayatrāpy anvayaḥ | atra tvat-pādābjam iti śrī-vigraham eva tathāpi vispaṣṭaṃ sādhitavatī | ataevāmṛta-vapur iti sahasra-nāma-stotre | mṛtaṃ maraṇaṃ tad-rahitaṃ vapur asyety amṛta-vapur iti śaṅkara-bhāṣye'pi | ādyeti janmābhāvo'pi darśitaḥ, sajanmani sarvatra sāditvaasyaiva siddheḥ | tad uktam - prādurāsīd yathā prācyāṃ diśīndur iva puṣkalaḥ | iti | [BhP 10.3.8] śrutiś cātra - sa brahmaṇā sṛjati sa rudreṇa vilāpayati so'nutpattir alaya eva hariḥ paraḥ paramānanda iti mahopaniṣadi[*ENDNOTE #4] || śrīdevakī-devī śrī-bhagavantam ||27||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 24
Anuccheda 24
1 All transcendental qualities and opulences are present in the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the agency of His internal spiritual potency. This point will be discussed now in the next Anucchedas.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §28 · English §25
Source[२८] तथा उत्पत्ति-स्थिति-लयेत्य्-आदि-पद्ये - यद् रूपं ध्रुवम् अकृतम् इति । [भ्प् ५.२५.९] यस्य श्री-सङ्कर्षणस्य रूपं ध्रुवम् अनन्तं अकृतं चानादि । अतएव वर्षाधिपोपासना-वर्णने भवेनापि तद्-रूपम् अधिकृत्योक्तम् -- न यस्य माया-गुण-चित्त-वृत्तिभिर् निरीक्षतो ह्य् अण्व् अपि दृष्टिर् अज्यते । इति [भ्प् ५.१७.१९] यत् तु तत्र तद् एव रूपम् अधिकृत्य श्री-शुकेन - या वै कला भगवतस् तामसीति [भ्प् ५.२५.१] । तथा भवानीनाथैर् इति गद्ये [भ्प् ५.१७.१६] तामसीं मूर्तिम् इत्य् उक्तम्, तन् निजांश-शिव-द्वारा तमो-गुणोपकारकत्वेन ज्ञेयम् । उत्पत्ति-स्थिति-लयेत्य्-आदि-पद्यानन्तरं श्री-शुकेनैव श्री-नारद-वाक्यम् अनुक्तम् -- मूर्तिं न पुरु-कृपया बभार सत्त्वं संशुद्धं सदसद् इदं विभाति यत्र । [भ्प् ५.२५.१०] । तस्मान् नित्यम् एव सर्वं भगवद्-रूपम् । तथा च पाद्मोत्तर-खण्डे तत्-स्तुतिः - अनादि-निधनानन्त-वपुषे विश्व- रूपिणे । इति । यद् अत्र स्कान्दादौ क्वचिद् भ्रामकम् अस्ति तत् तु तत् तत् पुराणानां तामस- कल्प-कथामयत्वात् तत्-तत्-कल्पेषु च भगवता स्व-महिमावरणाद् युक्तम् एव तद् इति । श्री-भागवतेनापि - एवं वदन्ति राजर्षे [भ्प् १०.७७.३०] इत्य् आदिना तादृशं मतं न मतम् । तद् इदं तु श्री-कृष्ण-सन्दर्भे विशिष्य स्थापयिष्यामः । स्व-मतं तु - सत्यं शौचं दया क्षान्तिर् इत्य् आदिना [भ्प् १.१६.२७] श्री-पृथिवी-वाक्येन कान्ति-मह-ओजो-बलानाम् अपि स्वाभाविकत्वम् अव्यभिचारित्वं दर्शयता दर्शितम् । नष्टे लोक[*एन्द्नोते #५] इत्य् आदिना [भ्प् १०.३.२५] श्री-देवकी-वाक्येन च । तस्मात् साधूक्तं यद् रूपं ध्रुवम् अकृतम् इति ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥२८॥
[28] tathā utpatti-sthiti-layety-ādi-padye - yad rūpaṃ dhruvam akṛtam iti | [BhP 5.25.9] yasya śrī-saṅkarṣaṇasya rūpaṃ dhruvam anantaṃ akṛtaṃ cānādi | ataeva varṣādhipopāsanā-varṇane bhavenāpi tad-rūpam adhikṛtyoktam -- na yasya māyā-guṇa-citta-vṛttibhir nirīkṣato hy aṇv api dṛṣṭir ajyate | iti [BhP 5.17.19] yat tu tatra tad eva rūpam adhikṛtya śrī-śukena - yā vai kalā bhagavatas tāmasīti [BhP 5.25.1] | tathā bhavānīnāthair iti gadye [BhP 5.17.16] tāmasīṃ mūrtim ity uktam, tan nijāṃśa-śiva-dvārā tamo-guṇopakārakatvena jñeyam | utpatti-sthiti-layety-ādi-padyānantaraṃ śrī-śukenaiva śrī-nārada-vākyam anuktam -- mūrtiṃ na puru-kṛpayā babhāra sattvaṃ saṃśuddhaṃ sadasad idaṃ vibhāti yatra | [BhP 5.25.10] | tasmān nityam eva sarvaṃ bhagavad-rūpam | tathā ca pādmottara-khaṇḍe tat-stutiḥ - anādi-nidhanānanta-vapuṣe viśva- rūpiṇe | iti | yad atra skāndādau kvacid bhrāmakam asti tat tu tat tat purāṇānāṃ tāmasa- kalpa-kathāmayatvāt tat-tat-kalpeṣu ca bhagavatā sva-mahimāvaraṇād yuktam eva tad iti | śrī-bhāgavatenāpi - evaṃ vadanti rājarṣe [BhP 10.77.30] ity ādinā tādṛśaṃ mataṃ na matam | tad idaṃ tu śrī-kṛṣṇa-sandarbhe viśiṣya sthāpayiṣyāmaḥ | sva-mataṃ tu - satyaṃ śaucaṃ dayā kṣāntir ity ādinā [BhP 1.16.27] śrī-pṛthivī-vākyena kānti-maha-ojo-balānām api svābhāvikatvam avyabhicāritvaṃ darśayatā darśitam | naṣṭe loka[*ENDNOTE #5] ity ādinā [BhP 10.3.25] śrī-devakī-vākyena ca | tasmāt sādhūktaṃ yad rūpaṃ dhruvam akṛtam iti || śrī-śukaḥ ||28||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 25
Anuccheda 25
1 That the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead is full of all spiritual attributes and opulences is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.87.38) where the Personified Vedas address the Lord: “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, when there is cosmic manifestation, the jivatma, or the individual soul, appears in the creation in different forms, according to his previous fruitive activities, and due to his long forgetfulness of real existence, he identifies himself with a particular form awarded to him by the laws of material nature. After assuming a material form, he becomes subjected to the three material modes of nature and acts accordingly to continue his existence in the material world. While enwrapped in such ignorance, his natural opulences, although existing in minute quantity, are almost extinct. Your opulences, however, are not diminished, although You appear within this material world. The conditioned soul becomes entrapped in the material world, whereas You leave it without affection, just as a snake sheds his skin. The distinction between You and the conditioned individual soul is that You maintain Your natural opulences, known as sad-aisvarya, asta-siddhi and asta-guna.” 2 Sridhara Svami comments on this verse in the following words: “In this verse the word ‘sah’ means ‘the individual spirit soul’. ‘Yat’ means ‘because’, ‘ajaya’ means ‘by the material energy maya’, ‘ajam’ means ‘ignorance’, ‘anusayita’ means ‘embraces’, ‘gunams ca’ means ‘the material body and senses’, ‘jusan’ means ‘serving, or considering the material body as the self’, ‘svarupatam jusan apeta-bhagah’ means ‘absorbed in the material energy, the individual spirit soul become bereft of his natural spiritual opulences such as bliss and knowledge’, ‘mrtyum’ means ‘the material realm of repeated birth and death’, ‘bhajati’ means ‘attains’, ‘tvam uta’ means ‘but You’, and ‘jahasi tam’ means ‘abandon all attachment for that material energy.’ 3 “At this point someone may ask: ‘O Lord, how is that You remain aloof from the material energy maya?’ In order to answer this question, the Personified Vedas say: ‘Ahir iva tvacam’ (O Lord, just as a snake sheds its skin, in the same way you shed all contact with the illusory potency maya). This means: ‘You never fall into the illusion of identifying with a material body constructed of the three modes of material nature’. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of limitless transcendental bliss and knowledge, He remains always aloof from the inferior material energy. 4 “Someone may ask: ‘How is it that the Personality of Godhead remains full of all transcendental opulences?’ To answer this question, the Personified Vedas say: ‘Atta-bhagah’ (O Lord, You are full of eternal spiritual opulences). Now someone may ask: ‘How is it that the Supreme Lord’s opulences are so extraordinary?’ To answer this question, the Personified Vedas say: ‘Aparimeya-bhagah’ (O Lord, Your opulences are unlimited. Neither time nor space impose restrictions on Your opulences).” 5 The limitless opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are also described in the following verse from Srimad Bhagavatam (10.87.14), where the Personified Vedas say to the Supreme Lord: “O Lord, You are the master of all opulences.” 6 The example of the snake shedding its skin may be explained in the following way: A snake shed its skin when the skin becomes too old. The snake will not go at all near the old rejected skin, but avoids it completely. In the same way, the Personality of Godhead will not even come near the material energy maya, but completely rejects it. 7 The Lord’s transcendental opulences are also described in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.37.22), where Lord Krsna is addressed in the following words: “O Lord, You are full of supremely pure transcendental knowledge. All Your desires are automatically fulfilled, and none of Your desires can ever be thwarted.”* 8 In the following verses from Srimad Bhagavatam (11.15.3-5) the Personality of Godhead describes His opulences to Uddhava: “The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.”*** 9 “Among the eight primary mystic perfections those three by which one adjusts one’s own body are anima, becoming smaller than the smallest, mahima, becoming greater than the greatest, and laghima, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prapti one acquires whatever one desires, and though prakamya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through isita-siddhi one can manipulate the sub potencies of maya, and through the controlling potency called vasita-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of material nature. One who has acquired kamavasayita-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.”*** 10 The potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead included the material potency maya. Maya is described in the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (7.6.23), where Prahlada Maharaja says to the sons of the demons: “The Personality of Godhead is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ananda (eternity, knowledge and bliss). Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears non existent.”* 11 Srila Sridhara Svami discusses this verse: “Someone may ask: ‘If God is all-pervading, then why do we not see the omniscient, all-powerful Godhead everywhere?’ The answer to that question is given in this verse: ‘mayayantarhitaisvaryah’ (The supremely opulent Personality of Godhead is covered by the curtain of the external energy, and to the atheist He appears non-existent).” This verse explains that the glories and opulences of the Lord are hidden from the view of the conditioned souls by the external material potency (mayaya guna-sargaya). These explanations clearly refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is indicated by the word ‘paramesvarah’. 12 Maya is also described in the following statement of Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.5): “The unborn material nature creates the many material bodies assumed by the conditioned souls. This material nature has three features, the three modes of material nature: goodness (white), passion (red) and ignorance (black). In the conditioned state the unborn eternal spirit soul becomes the follower and servant of the material energy. When liberated from illusion, the spirit soul abandons the attempt to enjoy what is offered by the material energy.” 13 How may the Supreme Personality of Godhead be described? He is the possessor of all knowledge and the master of all opulences and potencies. This is described in the following statements of Vedic literature: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all transcendental qualities and potencies.” Svetasvatara Upanisad 1.3 “The transcendental potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are beyond the perception or description of the conditioned souls.” Visnu Purana 1.19.77
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §29 · English §26
Source[२९] विभुत्वम् आह - न चान्तर् न बहिर् यस्य न पूर्वं नापि चापरम् । पूर्वापरं बहिश् चान्तर् जगतो यो जगच् च यः ॥ तं मत्वात्मजम् अव्यक्तं मर्त्य-लिङ्गम् अधोक्षजम् । गोपिकोलूखले दाम्ना बबन्ध प्राकृतं यथा ॥ [भ्प् १०.९.१३-१४] टीका च - बन्धनं हि बहिः-परीतेन दाम्ना अन्तरावृतस्य भवति । तथा पूर्वापर-विभागवतो वस्तुनः पूर्वतो दाम धृत्वा परतः परिवेष्टनेन भवति । न त्व् एतद् अस्तीत्य् आह न चान्तर् इति । किं च व्यापकेन व्याप्यस्य बन्धो भवति । तच् चात्र विपरीतम् इत्य् आह पूर्वापरम् इति । किं च तद्- व्यतिरिक्तस्य चाभावान् न बन्ध इत्य् आह - जगच् च यः इति । तं मर्त्य- लिङ्गम् अधोक्षजम् आत्मजं मत्वा बबन्धेति । इत्य् एषा ॥ जगच् च य इत्य् अत्र यस्य कारणस्य व्यतिरेकेण कार्यस्य जगतो व्यतिरेकः स्याद् इति । तद् अनन्यस्य जगतस् तच्-छक्त्येव शक्तेस् तद्-अंशांश-रूपया रज्ज्वा कथं बन्धः स्यात् । न हि वह्निम् अर्चिषो दहेयुर् इति भावः । तं मर्त्य-लिङ्गम् इत्य् आदौ । टीका-कृताम् अयम् अभिप्रायः । ननु सर्व- व्यापकं कथं बबन्ध, न हि ब्रह्माण्ड-गोलकादिकम् अपि कश्चिद् बध्नाति । तत्राह मर्त्य-लिङ्गं मनुष्य-विग्रहम् । तर्हि कथं व्यापकत्वम् ? तत्राह, अधोक्षजम् अधः कृतम् इन्द्रियजं ज्ञानं येन तं सर्वेन्द्रिय-ज्ञानागोचरं प्रत्यक्षादि-प्रमाणैर् अचिन्त्य-स्वरूपम् इत्य् अर्थः । तस्मात् तद्-आकारत्वेऽपि तस्मिन् विभुत्वम् अस्त्य् एवेति भावः । अधोक्षजत्वाद् एवाव्यक्तत्वम् अपि व्याख्यातम् इति तन् नोद्धृतम् । ननु मनुष्य-विग्रहत्वेऽप्य् अपरित्यक्त-विभुत्वं कथं मातुर् नास्फुरत् ? तत्राह - आत्मजं मत्वेति । वत्सलाद्य्-अभिध-प्रेम-रस-विशेषस्य स्वभावोऽयम् । यद् असौ स्वानन्द-पूरेण तस्य तादृशत्वं प्रत्य् अनुभव- पद्धतिम् आवृणोतीत्य् अर्थः । इत्थं चातद्-वीर्य-कोविदत्वं तस्या माहात्म्यम् एव तं रज्जुभिर् बद्धम् अपि कर्तुस् तस्य प्रेम- रसस्यानुभाव-रूपत्वात् । तद् उक्तम् -- नेमं विरिञ्चो न भव इत्य् आदि [भ्प् १०.९.२०] । प्राकृतं यथा इत्य् अनेन अधोक्षजम् इत्य् अनेन च, वस्तुनो व्यापकत्वं मायया तु मर्त्य-लिङ्गत्वम् इत्य् अपि परिहृतम् । यद् धि तर्क-गोचरो भवति, तत्रैव कदाचिद् असम्भव-रीति-दर्शनेन साभ्युपगम्यते, यत् तु स्वत एव तद्-अतीतं, तत्र तत्-स्वीकृतिर् अतीव- मूर्खता । यथा बाडव-नाम्नो वह्नेर् जल-निधि-मध्य एव देदीप्यमानतायाम् ऐन्द्रजालिकत्ता-स्वीकरणम् । श्रुतिश् च - अर्वाग् देवा अस्य विसर्जनेनाथ को वेद यत आबभूवेत्य् आद्या । किं च यद् गतं बन्धनं तस्य श्री-विग्रहस्यैव व्यापकत्वं विवक्षितं यत्तदोः [?] सामानाधिकरण्यात् तस्यास् तत्राकोविदत्वोपपादनत्वाच् च । तत्र विग्रहत्वं परिच्छिन्नायाम् एव सम्भवति । कर-चरणाद्य्-आकार-सन्निवेशात् । तस्माद् अस्यैव तस्मिन् परिच्छिन्नत्वं विभुत्वं च युगपद् एव । मूल- सिद्धान्त एव परस्पर-विरोधि-शक्ति-शत-निधानत्वं तस्य दर्शितम् । दृश्यतेऽपि लोके त्रिदोषघ्न-महौषधीनां तादृशत्वम् । तथैव विभुत्वम् उक्तं ब्रह्म-संहितायां - पन्थास् तु कोटि-शत-वत्सर-संप्रगम्यो वायोर् अथापि मनसो मुनि-पुङ्गवानाम् । सोऽप्य् अस्ति यत्-प्रपद-सीम्न्य् अविचिन्त्य-तत्त्वे गोविन्दम् आदि-पुरुषं तम् अहं भजामि ॥ इति [ब्रह्मस् ५.४०] ॥ श्रुतिश् च मध्व-भाष्य-प्रमाणिता - अस्थूलोऽनणुर् अमध्यमो मध्यमोऽव्यापको व्यापको हरिर् आदिर् अनादिर् अविश्वो विश्वः सगुणो निर्गुण इति । तथैव नृसिंह-तापनी च - तुरीयम् अतुरीयम् आत्मानम् अनात्मानम् उग्रम् अनुग्रम् वीरम् अवीरं महान्तम् अमहान्तं विष्णुम् अविष्णुं ज्वलन्तम् अज्वलन्तं सर्वतो-मुखम् असर्वतो-मुखम् इत्य् [न्तु २.३] आदिका । ब्रह्म-पुराणे - अस्थूलोऽनुरूपोऽसाव् अविश्वो विश्व एव च । विरुद्ध-धर्म-रूपेऽसाव् ऐश्वर्यात् पुरुषोत्तम ॥ इति ॥ तथैव दृष्टं श्री-विष्णु-धर्मे - परमाण्व्-अन्त-पर्यन्त- सहस्रांशाणु-मूर्तये । जठरान्तायुतांशान्त- स्थित-ब्रह्माण्ड-धारिणे ॥ इति ॥ अतः श्री-गीतोपनिषदश् च - मया ततम् इदं सर्वं जगद् अव्यक्त-मूर्तिना । मत्-स्थानि सर्व-भूतानि न चाहं तेष्व् अवस्थितः ॥ न च मत्-स्थानि भूतानि पश्य मे योगम् ऐश्वरम् । भूत-भृन् न च भूत-स्थो ममात्मा भूत-भावनः ॥ इति । [गीता ९.४-५] अव्यक्त-मूर्तिनेति तादृश-रूपत्वाद् बुद्धि-वैभवागोचर-स्वभाव- विग्रहेणेत्य् अर्थः ॥ श्री-शुकः ॥२९॥
[29] vibhutvam āha - na cāntar na bahir yasya na pūrvaṃ nāpi cāparam | pūrvāparaṃ bahiś cāntar jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ || taṃ matvātmajam avyaktaṃ martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam | gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṃ yathā || [BhP 10.9.13-14] ṭīkā ca - bandhanaṃ hi bahiḥ-parītena dāmnā antarāvṛtasya bhavati | tathā pūrvāpara-vibhāgavato vastunaḥ pūrvato dāma dhṛtvā parataḥ pariveṣṭanena bhavati | na tv etad astīty āha na cāntar iti | kiṃ ca vyāpakena vyāpyasya bandho bhavati | tac cātra viparītam ity āha pūrvāparam iti | kiṃ ca tad- vyatiriktasya cābhāvān na bandha ity āha - jagac ca yaḥ iti | taṃ martya- liṅgam adhokṣajam ātmajaṃ matvā babandheti | ity eṣā || jagac ca ya ity atra yasya kāraṇasya vyatirekeṇa kāryasya jagato vyatirekaḥ syād iti | tad ananyasya jagatas tac-chaktyeva śaktes tad-aṃśāṃśa-rūpayā rajjvā kathaṃ bandhaḥ syāt | na hi vahnim arciṣo daheyur iti bhāvaḥ | taṃ martya-liṅgam ity ādau | ṭīkā-kṛtām ayam abhiprāyaḥ | nanu sarva- vyāpakaṃ kathaṃ babandha, na hi brahmāṇḍa-golakādikam api kaścid badhnāti | tatrāha martya-liṅgaṃ manuṣya-vigraham | tarhi kathaṃ vyāpakatvam ? tatrāha, adhokṣajam adhaḥ kṛtam indriyajaṃ jñānaṃ yena taṃ sarvendriya-jñānāgocaraṃ pratyakṣādi-pramāṇair acintya-svarūpam ity arthaḥ | tasmāt tad-ākāratve'pi tasmin vibhutvam asty eveti bhāvaḥ | adhokṣajatvād evāvyaktatvam api vyākhyātam iti tan noddhṛtam | nanu manuṣya-vigrahatve'py aparityakta-vibhutvaṃ kathaṃ mātur nāsphurat ? tatrāha - ātmajaṃ matveti | vatsalādy-abhidha-prema-rasa-viśeṣasya svabhāvo'yam | yad asau svānanda-pūreṇa tasya tādṛśatvaṃ praty anubhava- paddhatim āvṛṇotīty arthaḥ | itthaṃ cātad-vīrya-kovidatvaṃ tasyā māhātmyam eva taṃ rajjubhir baddham api kartus tasya prema- rasasyānubhāva-rūpatvāt | tad uktam -- nemaṃ viriñco na bhava ity ādi [BhP 10.9.20] | prākṛtaṃ yathā ity anena adhokṣajam ity anena ca, vastuno vyāpakatvaṃ māyayā tu martya-liṅgatvam ity api parihṛtam | yad dhi tarka-gocaro bhavati, tatraiva kadācid asambhava-rīti-darśanena sābhyupagamyate, yat tu svata eva tad-atītaṃ, tatra tat-svīkṛtir atīva- mūrkhatā | yathā bāḍava-nāmno vahner jala-nidhi-madhya eva dedīpyamānatāyām aindrajālikattā-svīkaraṇam | śrutiś ca - arvāg devā asya visarjanenātha ko veda yata ābabhūvety ādyā | kiṃ ca yad gataṃ bandhanaṃ tasya śrī-vigrahasyaiva vyāpakatvaṃ vivakṣitaṃ yattadoḥ [?] sāmānādhikaraṇyāt tasyās tatrākovidatvopapādanatvāc ca | tatra vigrahatvaṃ paricchinnāyām eva sambhavati | kara-caraṇādy-ākāra-sanniveśāt | tasmād asyaiva tasmin paricchinnatvaṃ vibhutvaṃ ca yugapad eva | mūla- siddhānta eva paraspara-virodhi-śakti-śata-nidhānatvaṃ tasya darśitam | dṛśyate'pi loke tridoṣaghna-mahauṣadhīnāṃ tādṛśatvam | tathaiva vibhutvam uktaṃ brahma-saṃhitāyāṃ - panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-saṃpragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām | so'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve govindam ādi-puruṣaṃ tam ahaṃ bhajāmi || iti [BrahmaS 5.40] || śrutiś ca madhva-bhāṣya-pramāṇitā - asthūlo'naṇur amadhyamo madhyamo'vyāpako vyāpako harir ādir anādir aviśvo viśvaḥ saguṇo nirguṇa iti | tathaiva nṛsiṃha-tāpanī ca - turīyam aturīyam ātmānam anātmānam ugram anugram vīram avīraṃ mahāntam amahāntaṃ viṣṇum aviṣṇuṃ jvalantam ajvalantaṃ sarvato-mukham asarvato-mukham ity [NTU 2.3] ādikā | brahma-purāṇe - asthūlo'nurūpo'sāv aviśvo viśva eva ca | viruddha-dharma-rūpe'sāv aiśvaryāt puruṣottama || iti || tathaiva dṛṣṭaṃ śrī-viṣṇu-dharme - paramāṇv-anta-paryanta- sahasrāṃśāṇu-mūrtaye | jaṭharāntāyutāṃśānta- sthita-brahmāṇḍa-dhāriṇe || iti || ataḥ śrī-gītopaniṣadaś ca - mayā tatam idaṃ sarvaṃ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā | mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṃ teṣv avasthitaḥ || na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram | bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ || iti | [Gītā 9.4-5] avyakta-mūrtineti tādṛśa-rūpatvād buddhi-vaibhavāgocara-svabhāva- vigraheṇety arthaḥ || śrī-śukaḥ ||29||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 26
Anuccheda 26
1 This is also explained in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.13.40, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says: “All superior transcendental qualities, such as being beyond the modes of nature, detached, the well-wisher, the most dear, the Supersoul, equally situated everywhere, and free from material qualities, find their shelter and worshipable object in Me.”*** 2 Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary: “What is the nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He is described in this verse by the word ‘aguna’. Here the word ‘aguna’ means ‘without any of the temporary, constantly changing qualities of the material nature’. The Lord has no material qualities, for all His attributes are eternal and changeless.” This is also described in the following statement of the Narada-pancaratra, Jitanta-stotra: “I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of godhead. He is the original creator of everything. Although He has no material qualities, He is fully endowed with all six transcendental opulences.” 3 The transcendental qualities of the Lord are also described in the following statement of the brahma-tarka: “The Personality of Godhead possesses all transcendental qualities. The qualities of the Supreme Lord and the liberated living entities are the same. In quality they are one.” 4 The spiritual qualities of the Lord are also described in the following verses of the Kalika Purana, where goddess Durga prays to Lord Visnu: “O Personality of Godhead, even Brahma, the demigods, sages, and ascetics cannot understand Your transcendental forms. How is it possible, then, for an insignificant person like myself to describe You? O Lord, You are nirguna, without any material qualities. Even the demigods, headed by Maharaja Indra, and the demons cannot understand Your transcendental qualities. How is it possible, then, for me, who am only a woman, to understand them?” This verse was recounted by Sri Hamsadeva to Sanaka and the Kumaras.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §30 · English §27
Source[३०] तद् एवं परिच्छिन्नस्यैव तद्-आकारस्य विभुत्वं पुनर्-विद्वद्- अनुभ्वएनोक्त-न्यायेन दर्शयितुम् प्रकरणम् आरभ्यते । तत्रैकादश- पद्यान्य् आह - क्वाहं तमो-महद्-अहं-ख-चराग्नि-वार्-भू- संवेष्टिताण्ड-घट-सप्त-वितस्ति-कायः । क्वेदृग्-विधाविगणिताण्ड-पराणु-चर्या- वाताध्व-रोम-विवरस्य च ते महित्वम् ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.११] स्पष्टम् ॥
[30] tad evaṃ paricchinnasyaiva tad-ākārasya vibhutvaṃ punar-vidvad- anubhvaenokta-nyāyena darśayitum prakaraṇam ārabhyate | tatraikādaśa- padyāny āha - kvāhaṃ tamo-mahad-ahaṃ-kha-carāgni-vār-bhū- saṃveṣṭitāṇḍa-ghaṭa-sapta-vitasti-kāyaḥ | kvedṛg-vidhāvigaṇitāṇḍa-parāṇu-caryā- vātādhva-roma-vivarasya ca te mahitvam || [BhP 10.14.11] spaṣṭam ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 27
Anuccheda 27
1 In the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (1.16.29), the earthly deity confirms the statement of Hamsa-avatara (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.13.40 quoted in Anuccheda 26, text 1) and, after listing some of the Supreme Lord’s transcendental qualities, (such as cleanliness and truthfulness) affirms that all these qualities are eternally present in the Lord, and He is never separated from them. She says: “Many transcendental qualities are eternally present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and are never to be separated from Him.”* 2 Sridhara Svami explains in his commentary: “In this verse the word ‘ete’ refers to the 40 qualities of the Lord listed here. The words ‘anye ca’ refer to innumerable other great qualities of Lord not included in this list. Among such qualities are the Supreme Lord’s mercy to the Brahmanas and His protection of the surrendered souls. The word ‘nityah’ means that the Lord’s qualities are all eternal and they are naturally His property. They are not artificially imposed from without. The words ‘na viyanti’ mean that the Lord’s qualities never deteriorate and the Lord is never bereft of them.” 3 That the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are beyond the influence of material time is confirmed by the following statement of Visnu Purana (4.1.27): “Time, which is composed of seconds, minutes, hours, years and so forth, is not able to change the eternal qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §31 · English §28
Source[३१] उत्क्षेपणं गर्भ-गतस्य पादयोः किं कल्पते मातुर् अधोक्षजागमे । किम् आस्तिनास्ति-व्यपदेश-भूषितं तवास्ति कुक्षेः कियद् अप्य् अनन्तः ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.१२] अतः सर्वस्य तव कुक्षि-गतत्वेन ममापि तथात्वान् मातृवद् अपराधः सोढव्य इति भावः ।
[31] utkṣepaṇaṃ garbha-gatasya pādayoḥ kiṃ kalpate mātur adhokṣajāgame | kim āstināsti-vyapadeśa-bhūṣitaṃ tavāsti kukṣeḥ kiyad apy anantaḥ || [BhP 10.14.12] ataḥ sarvasya tava kukṣi-gatatvena mamāpi tathātvān mātṛvad aparādhaḥ soḍhavya iti bhāvaḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 28
Anuccheda 28
1 That the qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are completely spiritual and not at all material is also confirmed in the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.28.7) where Varunadeva says to Sri Krsna: “O Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supreme Brahman and Supersoul of everything, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You. You are the supreme transcendental personality; there is no possibility of imposing the influence of material nature upon You.”* 2 In this verse the word ‘yatra’ refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is manifest as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. He is never under the influence of the external material energy (maya na sruyate). Maya’s jurisdiction is limited to the creation, maintenance, and annihilation of the various material universes. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is spiritual and beyond the limited material universes. Therefore He is not within maya’s jurisdiction, and He is not controlled by her. 3 As he was asking Srila Sukadeva Gosvami about the geography of the earth planet, Maharaja Pariksit spoke the following words (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.16.3), confirming that the Personality of Godhead is beyond the reach of the material energy and the three modes of nature: “When the mind is fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His external feature made of the material modes of nature - the gross universal form - it is brought to the platform of pure goodness. In that transcendental position, one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, who in his subtler form is self-effulgent and beyond the modes of nature.”*
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §32–33 · English §29
Source[३२] किं च विशेषतस् तु त्वत्तो यज् जन्म प्रसिद्धम् इत्य् आह - जगत्-त्रयान्तोदधि-सम्प्लवोदे नारायणस्योदर-नाभि-नालात् । विनिर्गतोऽजस् त्व् इति वाङ् न वै मृषा किन्त्व् ईश्वर त्वन् न विनिर्गतोऽस्मि ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.१३] तथापि त्वत् त्वत्तः किं तु नोत्पन्नोऽस्मि ह अपि तु त्वत्त एवोत्पन्नोऽस्मीत्य् अर्थः । [३३] ननु यद्य् अहं प्रलयोदधि-शायी नारायणः स्यां, तर्हि मत्तस् त्वम् उत्पन्नोऽसीत्य् अपि घटते । तत् त्व् अन्यथैवेत्य् आशङ्क्याह - नारायणस् त्वं न हि सर्व-देहिनाम् आत्मास्य् अधीशाखिल-लोक-साक्षी । नारायणोऽङ्गं नर-भू-जलायनात् तच् चापि सत्यं न तवैव माया ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.१४] हे अधीश ईशस्य सर्वान्तर्यामिणो नारायणस्याप्य् उपरि वर्तमान, हे भगवन्न् इत्य् अर्थः । हि निश्चितं स नारायणस् त्वं, नासि, किन्तु नारायणोऽसौ तविवाङ्गम् अंशः । यद्यप्य् एवम् अथापि मम तद्-अङ्गोत्पन्नत्वाद् अङ्गिनस् त्वत्त एवोत्पत्तिर् इति भावः । कथम् असौ नारायण उच्यते । कथं वा मम तस्माद् वैलक्षण्यम् ? तत्रह - योऽसौ देहिनाम् आत्मा अन्तर्यामि-पुरुषः । अतएव नारस्य जीव-समूहस्य अयम् आश्रयो यत्रेति तस्य नारायणत्वं, साक्साद् भगवतस् तव तु तद् अन्तर्यामितायाम् अप्य् औदासीन्यम् इति भावः । किं च, अखिल-लोक-साक्षी, यस्मात् अखिलं लोकं साक्षात् पश्यति, तस्मात् । नारम् अयते जानातीति नारायणोऽसौ, त्वं पुनस् तेनांशेनैव तद्-द्रष्टा, न तु साक्षाद् इति तस्माद् विलक्षण इत्य् अर्थः । तर्हि स नारायणस् त्वं न भवसीति ममाप्य् अन्यथा नारायणत्वम् अस्तीति भवताभिप्रेतं, तत् कथम् ? इत्य् अस्योत्तरं तेनैव सम्बोधनेन व्यञ्जयति, अधीशेति । ईशः प्रवर्तकः । ततश् च नारस्य अयनं प्रवृत्तिर् यस्मात् स नारायणः । ततोऽप्य् अधिकैश्वर्याद् अधीशस् त्वम् अपि नारायणः । यथा मण्डलेश्वरोऽपि नृपतिस् तेषाम् अधिपोऽपि नृपतिर् इति । श्री-कृष्णस्यैव साक्षात् स्वयं भगवत्त्वेन तस्माद् अपि परत्वम् । कृष्ण-सन्दर्भे प्रबन्धेन दर्शयिष्यते । ननु, नराज् जातानि तत्त्वानि नाराणीति विदुर् बुधाः । तस्य तान्य् अयनं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः इति । तथा, आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नर-सूनवः । अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ इति तस्यापि नारायणत्व-मन्मथाप्रसिद्धम् इत्य् आशङ्क्याह - नर-भू- जलायनात् तच् चापीति । नराद् उद्भूतयेऽर्थास् तथा नराज् जातं यज् जलं, तद्- अयनात् यच् च तच् चापि नारायणत्वं भवति तर्हि कथं प्रसिद्धि- परित्यागेनान्यथा निर्वक्षीत्य् अत आह सत्यं नेति । तत् प्रलयोदधि-जलाद्य्- आश्रयत्वं सत्यं न, किन्तु तथा ज्ञानं तवैव मायेत्य् अर्थः । मायात्र प्रतारण-शक्तिः, माया दम्भे कृपायां चेति विश्व-प्रकाशात् । दुर्वितर्क- स्वरूप-शक्त्यैव परिच्छिन्नापरिच्छिन्नायास् त्वन्-मूर्तेर् जलादिभिर् अपरिच्छेदाद् इति भावः । श्लोक-चतुष्टयेऽस्मिन् यस्य नारायणस्यान्ततं मद्-आदिकं सर्वम् एव जगत्, सोऽपि तवान्तर्भूत इति तात्पर्यम् । नारायणस्य तादृशत्वे मन्त्र-वर्णः - यच् च किञ्चिज् जगत् सर्वं दृश्यते श्रूयतेऽपि वा । अन्तर् बहिश् च तत् सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः ॥ इति ॥
[32] kiṃ ca viśeṣatas tu tvatto yaj janma prasiddham ity āha - jagat-trayāntodadhi-samplavode nārāyaṇasyodara-nābhi-nālāt | vinirgato'jas tv iti vāṅ na vai mṛṣā kintv īśvara tvan na vinirgato'smi || [BhP 10.14.13] tathāpi tvat tvattaḥ kiṃ tu notpanno'smi ha api tu tvatta evotpanno'smīty arthaḥ | [33] nanu yady ahaṃ pralayodadhi-śāyī nārāyaṇaḥ syāṃ, tarhi mattas tvam utpanno'sīty api ghaṭate | tat tv anyathaivety āśaṅkyāha - nārāyaṇas tvaṃ na hi sarva-dehinām ātmāsy adhīśākhila-loka-sākṣī | nārāyaṇo'ṅgaṃ nara-bhū-jalāyanāt tac cāpi satyaṃ na tavaiva māyā || [BhP 10.14.14] he adhīśa īśasya sarvāntaryāmiṇo nārāyaṇasyāpy upari vartamāna, he bhagavann ity arthaḥ | hi niścitaṃ sa nārāyaṇas tvaṃ, nāsi, kintu nārāyaṇo'sau tavivāṅgam aṃśaḥ | yadyapy evam athāpi mama tad-aṅgotpannatvād aṅginas tvatta evotpattir iti bhāvaḥ | katham asau nārāyaṇa ucyate | kathaṃ vā mama tasmād vailakṣaṇyam ? tatraha - yo'sau dehinām ātmā antaryāmi-puruṣaḥ | ataeva nārasya jīva-samūhasya ayam āśrayo yatreti tasya nārāyaṇatvaṃ, sāksād bhagavatas tava tu tad antaryāmitāyām apy audāsīnyam iti bhāvaḥ | kiṃ ca, akhila-loka-sākṣī, yasmāt akhilaṃ lokaṃ sākṣāt paśyati, tasmāt | nāram ayate jānātīti nārāyaṇo'sau, tvaṃ punas tenāṃśenaiva tad-draṣṭā, na tu sākṣād iti tasmād vilakṣaṇa ity arthaḥ | tarhi sa nārāyaṇas tvaṃ na bhavasīti mamāpy anyathā nārāyaṇatvam astīti bhavatābhipretaṃ, tat katham ? ity asyottaraṃ tenaiva sambodhanena vyañjayati, adhīśeti | īśaḥ pravartakaḥ | tataś ca nārasya ayanaṃ pravṛttir yasmāt sa nārāyaṇaḥ | tato'py adhikaiśvaryād adhīśas tvam api nārāyaṇaḥ | yathā maṇḍaleśvaro'pi nṛpatis teṣām adhipo'pi nṛpatir iti | śrī-kṛṣṇasyaiva sākṣāt svayaṃ bhagavattvena tasmād api paratvam | kṛṣṇa-sandarbhe prabandhena darśayiṣyate | nanu, narāj jātāni tattvāni nārāṇīti vidur budhāḥ | tasya tāny ayanaṃ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ iti | tathā, āpo nārā iti proktā āpo vai nara-sūnavaḥ | ayanaṃ tasya tāḥ pūrvaṃ tena nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ || iti tasyāpi nārāyaṇatva-manmathāprasiddham ity āśaṅkyāha - nara-bhū- jalāyanāt tac cāpīti | narād udbhūtaye'rthās tathā narāj jātaṃ yaj jalaṃ, tad- ayanāt yac ca tac cāpi nārāyaṇatvaṃ bhavati tarhi kathaṃ prasiddhi- parityāgenānyathā nirvakṣīty ata āha satyaṃ neti | tat pralayodadhi-jalādy- āśrayatvaṃ satyaṃ na, kintu tathā jñānaṃ tavaiva māyety arthaḥ | māyātra pratāraṇa-śaktiḥ, māyā dambhe kṛpāyāṃ ceti viśva-prakāśāt | durvitarka- svarūpa-śaktyaiva paricchinnāparicchinnāyās tvan-mūrter jalādibhir aparicchedād iti bhāvaḥ | śloka-catuṣṭaye'smin yasya nārāyaṇasyāntataṃ mad-ādikaṃ sarvam eva jagat, so'pi tavāntarbhūta iti tātparyam | nārāyaṇasya tādṛśatve mantra-varṇaḥ - yac ca kiñcij jagat sarvaṃ dṛśyate śrūyate'pi vā | antar bahiś ca tat sarvaṃ vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ || iti ||
English translation
English witness · section(s) 29
Anuccheda 29
1 That the material energy is ashamed even to approach the Personality of Godhead is described in the following verses of Srimad Bhagavatam (2.5.12-13) where Lord Brahma says to Narada: “I offer my obeisances and meditate upon Lord Krsna (Vasudeva), the Personality of Godhead, whose invincible potency influences them (the less intelligent class of men) to call me the supreme controller.* 2 “The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of ‘It is I’ and ‘It is mine’.” 3 In this verse Brahma explains that because the material energy, maya, is composed of the three modes of ignorance, passion and goodness, she is contaminated and full of faults. The Personality of Godhead, because He is spiritual, and possesses eternity, knowledge and bliss to the highest degree, is completely flawless. The contaminated material energy is therefore embarrassed to come within the energy is therefore embarrassed to come within the vision of the supremely pure Personality of Godhead. This verse explains that the material energy maya bewilders (vimohitah) Lord Brahma and all other conditioned souls.
Bhagavat · Sanskrit §34 · English §30
Source[३४] तन्-मूर्तेर् जलादिभिर् अपरिच्छेदे स्वानुभवं प्रमाणयति --- तच् चेज् जल-स्थं तव सज्-जगद्-वपुः किं मे न दृष्टं भगवंस् तदैव । किं वा सुदृष्टं हृदि मे तदैव किं नो सपद्य् एव पुनर् व्यदर्शि ॥ [भ्प् १०.१४.१५] जगद्-आश्रय-भूतं नारायणाभिधं तव तद्-वपुः जलस्थम् एवेत्य् एवं यदि सत् सत्यं स्यात् तर्हि तदैव कमल-नाल-मार्गेणान्तः प्रविश्य संवत्सर-शतं विचिन्वतापि मया हे भगवन्न् अचिन्त्यैश्वर्य तत् किम् इति न दृष्टम् । यदि च तद्-वपुर् माया-मात्रं, माया स्याच् छाम्बरी-बुद्ध्योर् इति त्रिकाण्ड-शेष-रीत्या मिथ्याभिव्यञ्जक-कला-विशेष-दर्शित-मात्रं स्यात् तर्हि किं वा रूढ-समाधि-योग-विरूढ-बोधेन मया हृदि तदैव सुष्ठु सच्चिदानन्द-घनत्वेन दृष्टं, समाध्य्-अनन्तरं किं वा पुनः सपद्य् एव नो व्यदर्शि न दृष्टम् । अतस् त्वन्-मूर्तेर् मायामयत्वं देश-विशेष- कृत-परिच्छेदश् च सत्यो न भवतीत्य् अर्थः । एतद्-व्याख्यान-निदानं तृतीय-स्कन्धेतिहासो द्रष्टव्यः ।
[34] tan-mūrter jalādibhir aparicchede svānubhavaṃ pramāṇayati --- tac cej jala-sthaṃ tava saj-jagad-vapuḥ kiṃ me na dṛṣṭaṃ bhagavaṃs tadaiva | kiṃ vā sudṛṣṭaṃ hṛdi me tadaiva kiṃ no sapady eva punar vyadarśi || [BhP 10.14.15] jagad-āśraya-bhūtaṃ nārāyaṇābhidhaṃ tava tad-vapuḥ jalastham evety evaṃ yadi sat satyaṃ syāt tarhi tadaiva kamala-nāla-mārgeṇāntaḥ praviśya saṃvatsara-śataṃ vicinvatāpi mayā he bhagavann acintyaiśvarya tat kim iti na dṛṣṭam | yadi ca tad-vapur māyā-mātraṃ, māyā syāc chāmbarī-buddhyor iti trikāṇḍa-śeṣa-rītyā mithyābhivyañjaka-kalā-viśeṣa-darśita-mātraṃ syāt tarhi kiṃ vā rūḍha-samādhi-yoga-virūḍha-bodhena mayā hṛdi tadaiva suṣṭhu saccidānanda-ghanatvena dṛṣṭaṃ, samādhy-anantaraṃ kiṃ vā punaḥ sapady eva no vyadarśi na dṛṣṭam | atas tvan-mūrter māyāmayatvaṃ deśa-viśeṣa- kṛta-paricchedaś ca satyo na bhavatīty arthaḥ | etad-vyākhyāna-nidānaṃ tṛtīya-skandhetihāso draṣṭavyaḥ |
English translation
English witness · section(s) 30
Anuccheda 30
1 Having demonstrated that the transcendental form of the Personality of godhead is full of the six opulences of wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation, and many other powers and opulence also, we will now establish that the form of the Lord is perfect and complete in all respects. First we will show that because the Personality of Godhead is the supreme ruler of the spiritual planets known as Vaikunthaloka, therefore His spiritual form is eternal, and will never cease to exist. This is confirmed by the following three verses of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.3.25-27). when Lord Krsna descended to this material world, Devaki-devi prayed to Him (10.3.25): 2 “After millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, when everything, manifested and unmanifested, is annihilated by the force of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception, and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifested substance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known as Ananta-Sesa-naga.”* 3 In the next verse (10.3.26) Devaki explained why the Lord is known by the name ‘sesa’: “O inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creation works under the control of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions of years, is but another form of Lord Visnu. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my full surrender unto Your Lordship.”* 4 In this verse the word ‘avyakta-bandho’ means ‘O inaugurator of the material energy’, and ‘cestam’ means ‘time’, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours, and years’. That the Personality of Godhead is the original creator of time is confirmed in the following statement of the Maha-Narrayana Upanisad (1.8): “Time is born from the splendid Personality of Godhead.”* In other words, time, which is the cause of the creation and destruction of the material universes, is simply one of the limbs of the Personality of Godhead. Although the Personality of Godhead is the origin of the destructive time-factor, still, He is also supremely auspicious, as Devaki-devi has said: ‘ksema-dhama’ (O Lord, You are the reservoir of all good-fortune). By His own wish the Supreme Lord appeared in this material world and frightened the demon Kamsa (by His time-potency), what to speak of giving protection to the devoted Devaki (ksema-dhama). These two activities are clearly described in the next verse of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.3.27) where Devaki says: 5 “No one in this material world has become free from the four principles of birth, death, old age, and disease, even by fleeing to various planets. But now that You have appeared, My Lord, death is fleeing in fear of You, and the living entities, having obtained shelter at Your lotus feet by Your mercy, are sleeping in full mental peace.”* 6 In this verse Devaki-devi contrasts the various material planets with the lotus feet of the Sri Krsna. By fleeing to various material planets (lokan prapya), one cannot become free from fear (nirbhayam). One the other hand, by taking shelter of Lord Krsna’s lotus feet (tvat-padabjam prapya), one becomes free from the fears of material existence. We may note in this connection that by saying ‘tvat-padabjam’ (Your lotus feet), Devaki-devi clearly refers not only to the Lord’s lotus feet but to His complete transcendental form also. In this verse Devaki says that death flees in fear of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Visnu-sahasra-nama prayers, which describe the Supreme Lord as ‘amrta-vapuh’ (He whose form is eternal). Even Sankaracarya confirms this in His commentary on this word of the Visnu-sahasra-nama, by saying: “The word ‘amrta-vapuh’ means ‘He whose form is free from death’.” 7 In this verse the word ‘adya’ may be interpreted to mean: “O Lord who does not take birth in this material world, although You are the original father of all the living entities who do take birth here.” That the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not take birth in the material world as an ordinary conditioned soul but appears here in His original transcendental form by His own wish, is confirmed by the following statement of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.3.8) where the Lord’s ‘birth’ as Devaki’s son is described in the following words comparing the Lord’s ‘birth’ to the rising of the moon: “Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who is situated in the core of everyone’s heart , appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon.”* 8 That the Supreme Personality of Godhead never takes birth is also described in the following statement of Maha Upanisad: “Lord Hari is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is full of all transcendental bliss. He is never born and He never dies. He causes Brahma to create the material universe and Siva to destroy it.” The verses quoted in the beginning of this Anuccheda were spoken to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Sri Devaki-devi.