Sri Brahma Samhita
FIFTH CHAPTER
Sometimes Våñabhänu-nandiné Çré Rädhä
conceals Herself in a
kuïja (bower) during a game of hide-and-seek.
Çyämasundara then
tries to find Her by taking help from
the creepers, who enable Him
to discover Her by hinting at Her
whereabouts through the
trembling of their newly sprouted
foliage. In this way, wherever the
confidential pastimes of Çré
Rädhä-Mädhava take place in the kuïjas
and hidden bowers, all the residents of
Vraja are forever immersed
in the waves of the topmost bliss of prema.
I render service to the
primeval personality, Çré Govinda, who
resides eternally in that
supreme abode of Våndävana.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 6 6
Verse 30
os.kaq Do.kUrejfoUnnyk;rk{ka
ogkZoraleflrkEcqnlqUnjkÂe~ A
dUniZdksfVdeuh;fo'ks"k'kksHka
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe
û…OEû
veëuà kvaëantam aravinda-daläyatäkñaà
barhävataàsam asitämbuda-sundaräìgam
kandarpa-koöi-kamanéya-viçeña-çobhaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
to that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – the primeval person, Çré Govinda; kvaëantam
– who is
vibrating; veëum – His flute; akñam
– whose blooming eyes; äyata –
are extended; aravinda-dala –
like the petals of a lotus; avataàsam –
who has a crest; barha – of
peacock feathers; sundara-aìgam – whose
beautiful body; asita-ambu – has
the hue of black clouds, i.e. thunderclouds;
viçeña-çobham – and whose unique loveliness; kamanéya
–
enchants the hearts; koöi – of
millions; kandarpa – of Cupids.
TRANSLATION
I worship the primeval personality, Çré
Govinda, who is
absorbed in playing upon His flute,
whose long eyes
expand and bloom like lotus flowers,
whose headdress is
adorned with peacock feathers, and
whose unique bodily
complexion, which resembles the luster
of a dark blue
raincloud, bewilders the minds of
millions of Cupids.
1 6 7
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Later in this devotional scripture
there are descriptions such as:
“kathä gänaà näöyaà gamanam api –
in that abode even natural
speech is melodious song, coming and
going is a dance, and
the flute is the intimate female
companion.” In accordance with
these descriptions, the previous verse
has also described the
abode of desire-fulfilling gems as the
extraordinary setting of the
svärasiké-lélä in Goloka. Now these two verses
(30–31), beginning
with the words veëuà kvaëantam,
describe the second
place of pastimes, wherein the mantra-upäsanämayé-lélä,
the
subject of this detailed meditation,
takes place. The mantraupäsanämayé-
lélä is situated in one place, without the singing,
dancing and so on included in svärasiké-lélä.
I worship Çré
Govindadeva, the primeval personality,
who is absorbed in playing
a sweet, stirring melody on His flute,
who glances softly with
His two elongated eyes, which resemble
the expanded, soft
petals of a lotus flower, who wears a
crown of peacock feathers
upon His head, whose bodily complexion
is like a fresh raincloud,
and whose radiant limbs reproach the
beauty of millions
of Kandarpas (Cupids).
TÄTPARYA
In this verse, the incomparable beauty
of Çré Kåñëa, the transcendental
lover of Våndävana, is being described.
Çré Kåñëa is the
supreme conscious entity, whose body
has a fully spiritual
svarüpa. In describing Kåñëa’s svarüpa,
one may compare it with
charming aspects of the mundane world,
but this simply
indicates the general direction of the
factual substance, in accordance
with the logic known as çäkhä-candra-nyäya,
“pointing
to the moon through the branches of a
tree.” Kåñëa is absorbed
in playing upon His flute, which steals
the consciousness of all
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 6 8
living entities when they come in
contact with its delightful
melody.
Just as the quality of softness is
present in the petals of a lotus
flower, similarly His transcendental
glance, which removes pain
from the hearts of all, is full of
tenderness and compassion. The
sympathetic glances from His lotus eyes
expand the unlimited
beauty of His moonlike face. The
elegance of Kåñëa’s headdress,
decorated with peacock feathers,
enhances His sublime transcendental
countenance. Just as a dark blue
raincloud is a soothing
sight for the eyes, similarly Çré
Kåñëa’s transcendental bluish
complexion is a joy to behold.
Moreover, if one could multiply a
millionfold the attractive qualities
present in Cupid, the
resultant creation would still become
madly infatuated upon
seeing Çré Kåñëa’s enchanting svarüpa.
verse 30
1 6 9
Verse 31
vkyksypUæd&yln~ouekY;oa'kh&
jRukÂna iz.k;dsfydykfoykle~ A
';kea f=HkÂyfyra fu;rizdk'ka
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û…ƒû
älola-candraka-lasad-vanamälya-vaàçératnäìgadaà
praëaya-keli-kalä-viläsam
çyämaà tri-bhaìga-lalitaà
niyata-prakäçaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original person, Çré Govinda; älola-candraka-lasadvanamälya
– who is beautified by an effulgent
garland of forest flowers
and peacock feathers, which swings to
and fro; vaàçé – who holds a
flute; ratna-aìgadam – and whose
arms are bedecked with jeweled
bangles; kalä-viläsam – He is
most expert in the sixty-four pastime-arts;
praëaya-keli – of affectionate loving affairs; çyämam
– His complexion
is bluish like the thundercloud of the
rainy season; tri-bhaìga-lalitam
– and whose graceful, threefold-bending
form; niyata-prakäçam – is
eternally manifest.
TRANSLATION
I worship the original personality, Çré
Govinda,
around whose neck a garland of forest
flowers and
peacock feathers swings gently, whose
lotus hands
hold a captivating flute, whose arms
are decorated with
jeweled ornaments, who is always madly
absorbed in
intimate loving pastimes, and whose
eternal natural
1 7 0
aspect is His graceful,
threefold-bending Çyämasundara
form.
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Here praëaya-keli-viläsa, games
full of intimate loving pastimes,
indicates that Çré Kåñëa is the
crest-jewel of experts in the art of
laughter and joking, and that His
pastime is to revel in that skillfulness.
In the Amara-koña Sanskrit
dictionary, the word keli is
defined as “humorous behavior” (dravakeli-parihäsäù).
TÄTPARYA
In verse 29, beginning cintämaëi-prakara,
Govinda’s transcendental
abode and name have been described.
Then His eternal
spiritual form has been depicted in
verse 30 beginning veëuà
kvaëantam. Now, in this verse we find an account
of His playful
pastimes, which are complete with
sixty-four qualities. Insofar
as it is possible to describe
transcendental affairs, one should
understand that all activities
pertaining to the amorous mellow
(mädhurya-rasa) have been
included in the phrase praëayakeli-
viläsa.
VIVÅTI
In the verse beginning cintämaëi-prakara,
Brahmäjé has
described the method of meditation on
many types of Çré Kåñëa’s
pastimes (svärasiké-upäsanämayé
), and in the verse beginning
veëuà kvaëantam, he has described meditation on one
pastime situated in one location (mantramayé-upäsanä).
Now in
this verse, Brahmäjé gives another
example of meditating on
mantramayé-upäsanä pastimes, of which there are many
examples in çästra.
On another occasion Brahmäjé has
stated:
verse 31
1 7 1
sat-puëòaréka-nayanaà
meghäbhaà vaidyutämbaram
dvibhujaà mauna-mudräòhyaà
vanamälinam éçvaram
Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad (dhyäna 1)
I remember this very form of Govinda,
the Lord of all lords, whose
eyes are extremely beautiful and soft
like an immaculate lotus;
whose çyäma-colored bodily
luster resembles the hue of a fresh
raincloud; who gives relief to the
hearts of the distressed; who is
eternally full of unique effulgence
(that is to say, His form is selfluminous,
or His yellow upper cloth is like a
fixed flash of lightning);
who has two arms, so that with one hand
He can deliver the
jévas who are averse to Him, and with the
other He can give them
prema; who is eternally situated in one mellow and one form
(jïäna-mudrä);25 who is
decorated with a garland of forest flowers
(vanamälä); who is hiding from
the view of others; and who
is tasting a special rasa in a
solitary place with one particular gopé.
In this verse, an alternative meaning
of jïäna-mudrä is “who,
by playing His phenomenally rasa-laden
flute-song, is absorbed
in rasa and therefore remains
silent, unable to speak.” In the
word vanamälä, vana also
implies that He is staying in a solitary
place, while the verbal root mäla means
“illumination.” In other
words, it refers to one who is revealed
in the close company of
His beloveds in a lonely place, and who
is busy in pastimes with
those gopés who surround Him.
Furthermore, Brahmäjé has also stated (Gopäla-täpané
Upaniñad,
dhyäna 2):
gopa-gopé-gavävétaà
sura-druma-taläçritam
divyälaìkaraëopetaà
ratna-paìkaja-madhyagam
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 7 2
25
Jïäna-mudrä normally refers to a finger position
indicating knowledge – this
is also exhibited when Çré Kåñëa plays
His flute.
I meditate upon Çré Kåñëa, who is
surrounded by gopas, gopés and
cows, who keeps Himself hidden (gopa),
or who is in the company
of His gopa friends such as
Çrédämä. (The word gopé refers to
His mother, or to the gopés headed
by Çré Rädhä. The word go
means Veda or the cows such as Kapilä,
who have all taken shelter
of Him.) Sura-druma-taläçrita means
that Çré Kåñëa is the subject
matter established by the Vedas, or
that He is standing beneath a
desire tree. He is decorated with
divine ornaments, and possesses
opulences such as wealth, strength,
fame, beauty, knowledge and
renunciation. He is seated like a jewel
in the lotus of those hearts
that are perfectly pure; in other
words, He reposes upon a lotus
beneath a desire tree in Våndävana.
Similarly:
dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhaùçrémad-
ratnägära-siàhäsana-sthau
çré-çré-rädhä-çréla-govinda-devau
preñöhälébhiù sevyamänau smarämi
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Ädi-lélä 1.16)
I absorb my mind in remembering Çré Çré
Rädhä-Govindadeva,
who are gracefully seated upon a throne
in a temple of jewels
beneath a desire tree in the
self-effulgent, enchanting forest of
Våndävana. They are surrounded by the priya-sakhés,
who are
rendering loving services to Them.
Çré Rüpa has given a similar
description:
mahendra-maëi-maïjula-dyuti-maranda-kunda-smitaù
sphurat-puraöa-ketaké-kusuma-ramya-paööämbaraù
srag-ullasad-uraù-sthalaù kvaëita-veëur
aträvrajan
vrajäd agha-haro haraty ahaha naù
sakhénäà manaù
Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu (3.3.4)
Kåñëa’s bodily complexion is more
beautiful than a brilliant blue
sapphire, and the kunda flower
of His radiant smile shines on His
lips. His upper garment resembles a
fully blossomed golden ketaké
verse 31
1 7 3
flower, and His chest, which is adorned
with a garland of forest
flowers, is captivating. That very Çré
Hari, who plays upon His flute
in Vraja, is stealing our hearts.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 7 4
Verse 32
vÂkfu ;L; ldysfUæ;o`fÙkefUr
i';fUr ikfUr dy;fUr fpja txfUr A
vkuUnfpUe;lnqTToyfoxzgL;
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û…„û
aìgäni yasya sakalendriya-våttimanti
paçyanti pänti kalayanti ciraà jaganti
änanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original person, Çré Govinda; yasya
vigrahasya – whose
body; änanda-cinmaya-sat – is
imbued with eternity, cognizance and
bliss; ujjvala – and is
extraordinarily brilliant; aìgäni – His limbs; våttimanti
– can perform the functions; sakala-indriya
– of all His senses;
paçyanti – He beholds; pänti – maintains;
kalayanti – and regulates;
ciram – eternally; jaganti – the
infinite universes.
TRANSLATION
I worship that original personality,
Çré Govinda. His
divine form is composed of eternity,
cognizance and bliss,
and is therefore exceptionally
effulgent. Each and every
limb or sense of His transcendental
body is inherently
endowed with all the functions of all
the other senses. He
eternally sees, maintains and regulates
an infinite number
of universes, both spiritual and
mundane.
1 7 5
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Brahmäjé has described both types of lélä
of Govinda, the original
personality. Now, in four verses
beginning with the verse
aìgäni yasya, he will explain the influence of Çré
Kåñëa’s inconceivable
potency. His hands and feet also have
the power to see,
while His eyes, besides having the
capacity to see, can also perform
all other functions such as protecting,
nourishing and so on.
Similarly, each one of His senses is
capable of performing the
activities of all the other senses.
Therefore, it is stated in çruti:
“sarvataù päni-pädaà tat sarvato
’kñi-çiro-mukham – His hands
and feet are everywhere, and His eyes,
heads and mouths are on
all sides.” The word jaganti indicates
that He manifests His own
svarüpa among His pastime associates
simultaneously according
to their individual bhävas, and
that He personally tastes the
miraculous rasa of those
associates through His own limbs and
senses. All this can only be
accomplished through the unique
influence of His divine, transcendental
form.
TÄTPARYA
There is an abysmal doubt in the minds
of persons who are completely
bound in mundane knowledge, due to
having no experience
of transcendental rasa. Such
persons think that the scholars
of ancient times have concocted the
fundamental reality of Kåñëa
(kåñëa-tattva) by the power of
their imagination, based on their
experience of the mundane world. In
order to dispel this doubt,
which originates from the platform of
material attachment and
offenses, Brahmäjé has clearly shown
the difference, according to
philosophical principles, between the
conscious spiritual substance
(cit) and the unconscious
material substance (acit).
In this verse and the following three
consecutive verses,
Brahmäjé has made a diligent endeavor
to make us understand
that the pastimes of Çré Kåñëa are not
the imagination of a fertile
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 7 6
mind, but rather they are experienced
in the stage of pure trance
that is beyond the reach of the
material mental faculty.
Here the intention of Brahmäjé is to
establish that the transcendental
form of Çré Kåñëa is composed of
eternal existence, knowledge
and bliss, whereas all the phenomena of
the material world
are inanimate and composed of
ignorance. Despite these two
being categorically distinct from each
other, the spiritual affair is
factually the original root principle,
and therefore variety and
specific distinctions must necessarily
exist there eternally. Thus it
is confirmed that Kåñëa’s form, name,
qualities, abode and pastimes
are transcendental, and only those
whose consciousness is
pure and free from all connections with
mundane delusion are
eligible to taste such pastimes.
All the following are comprised of the
transcendental substance:
(1) Çré Kåñëa’s personal form, (2) the
spiritual realm and
(3) the arena of pastimes, which is
made of transcendental wishfulfilling
gems and which is illuminated by the
spiritual potency.
Just as the illusory potency is the
shadow of the transcendental
potency, similarly the fascinating
variety generated through the
inert material energy is also nothing
but the crude reflection or
shadow of the fascinating variety that
is manifest in the transcendental
realm. It is for this reason that all
types of material
phenomena are dull and composed of the
mode of darkness.
In conclusion, the spiritual world is
the substance and the
material world is its insubstantial
shadow. The varieties experienced
in the material world allude to the
appearance of the
variety that exists eternally in the
transcendental world. Although
there seems to be a similarity between
the diversity found in both
realms, they are categorically distinct
from each other.
Lifelessness is the defect of the dull
material realm, where
everything comes into existence,
develops and produces
byproducts, and is finally destroyed.
Thus, even the apparent
verse 32
1 7 7
happiness of this world is temporary
and full of distress.
However, the transcendental world has
no such defects. The
wonderful varieties of that realm are
pure, conscious, eternal and
completely devoid of any material
defect. There is no difference
between Kåñëa and His body, whereas the
body of the conditioned
soul in this world is different from
his ätmä, for they are
entirely separate substances. In the
spiritual svarüpa, there is no
difference between the body and the
embodied, the individual
limb and the entire body, the nature
and the possessor of that
nature. However, in conditioned souls
all these aspects are
totally distinct. Although Kåñëa is the
possessor and source of His
limbs, each and every limb is fully
Kåñëa Himself, because all of
His transcendental functions are
included in any particular limb.
Therefore He is the indivisible,
complete and perfect transcendental
principle.
The individual living entity and Kåñëa
are the same in that they
are both inherently conscious. The
difference between them is
that the aggregate of all divine
qualities is eternally present in the
living entity only to a minute extent,
whereas those divine
attributes are present in Kåñëa to the
full extent. Even when the
jéva attains his pure constitutional form, those qualities will
only
be manifest to a minute degree in his
pure svarüpa. When by
Kåñëa’s mercy the potencies of
cognizance and pleasure (cit and
hlädiné) gradually make their appearance in
the heart of the jéva,
he attains a perfect state similar to
that of the Supreme
Personality. Still, some special
qualities remain unique to Çré
Kåñëacandra, and He is therefore the
worshipable deity for
everyone.
The four qualities that are only found
in Kåñëa are the
unparalleled sweetness of His form (rüpa-mädhuré),
qualities
(guëa-mädhuré), flute-song (veëu-mädhuré)
and pastimes (lélämädhuré).
These four unique, personal
characteristics pertain
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 7 8
exclusively to Çré Kåñëa, and are not
to be found even in
Näräyaëa, the Lord of Paravyoma, in the
puruña-avatära
Käraëodakasäyé Mahä-Viñëu, or in any
other expansion of
Bhagavän. If these qualities are not
present even in demigods
such as Mahädeva, how will it be
possible for any ordinary jéva
to possess them?
verse 32
1 7 9
Verse 33
v}SreP;qreukfneuUr:i&
ek|a iqjk.kiq#"ka uo;kSou´p A
osns"kq nqyZHkenqyZHkekReHkäkS
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û……û
advaitam acyutam anädim ananta-rüpam
ädyaà puräëa-puruñaà nava-yauvanaà ca
vedeñu durlabham adurlabham
ätma-bhaktau
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – primeval person, Çré Govinda; advaitam
– who has no
second; acyutam – who is
infallible; anädim – who is beginningless;
ananta-rüpam – who possesses limitless forms; ädyam
– who is the
origin; puräëa-puruñam – who is
the primeval person; navayauvanam
ca – yet is ever-youthful; vedeñu durlabham – whose tattva
is difficult to determine through study
of the Vedas; adurlabham – but
is understood without difficulty; ätma-bhaktau
– by His own devotional
service.
TRANSLATION
Although He is non-dual, infallible,
beginningless,
possessed of unlimited forms and the
oldest of all,
nevertheless He is a beautiful person
with everlasting,
fresh youthfulness. Although He is
incomprehensible
through study of the Vedas, He is
easily attained by
spontaneous devotion of the soul (çuddha-prema).
I
worship that original personality, Çré
Govinda.
1 8 0
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
In the three verses beginning with this
verse 33, Brahmäjé
confirms that Çré Bhagavän is possessed
of extraordinary and
unique characteristics. Extremely
learned personalities who are
fully conversant with all philosophical
principles say that the
Supreme Absolute Truth is non-dual
knowledge. He is the shelter
of the impersonal effulgence known as
Brahman and of the
all-pervading Supersoul known as
Paramätmä. The Vedas refer to
Him as one without a second (ekam
eva advitéyam), for no one
is equal to or greater than Him. He has
no material senses and He
is not bound by the results of His
activities. That supreme, transcendental
reality is the fully independent,
singular, non-dual,
transcendental enjoyer, Bhagavän Çré
Kåñëa.
In regard to His being one without a
second, it has been
stated:
svayaà tv asämyätiçayas tryadhéçaù
sväräjya-lakñmy-äpta-samasta-kämaù
balià haradbhiç cira-loka-pälaiù
kiréöa-koöy-eòita-päda-péöhaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.2.21)
Çré Kåñëa, the original form of
Bhagavän, is the master of three
potencies (sandhiné, saàvit and
hlädiné ). No one is equal to or
greater than Him. He is completely self-satisfied
in His own intrinsic
form of supreme, transcendental bliss.
All the demigods such
as Indra, Candra, Kuvera, Varuëa,
Brahmä and Çiva, and all the
countless guardians of the world, such
as the puruña-avatäras,
offer various kinds of worship, presentations
and obeisances, and
they keep their heads, which are
decorated with millions of
crowns, at His lotus feet.
vismäpanaà svasya ca saubhagarddheù
paraà padaà bhüñaëa-bhüñaëäìgam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.2.12)
verse 33
1 8 1
His pastimes are wonderful for
everyone, even for those who are
proud of their own opulence, including
the Lord Himself in His
form as the Lord of Vaikuëöha. Thus Çré
Kåñëa’s transcendental
body is the ornament of all ornaments.
From this verse it is understood that,
in order to show the
influence of His Yogamäyä, Bhagavän
manifests His own form of
eternity, knowledge and bliss in this
world, which is composed
of five gross elements. This form of
Kåñëa, which is just suitable
for performing pastimes resembling the
activities of ordinary
mortal humans, is so beautiful and
enchanting that even Kåñëa
Himself is thoroughly astonished upon
seeing it. This svarüpa is
the ultimate limit of extremely great
fortune, and it is so beautiful
that it beautifies the ornaments with
which it is adorned. In other
words, it is transcendental to all
material comparisons.
Acyuta refers to one who never deviates
from His own form,
nature and occupation. In the Käçé-khaëòa
it has been stated:
“ato ’cyuto ’khile loke sa ekaù
sarvago ’vyayaù – His devotees do
not fall down even at the time of the
cosmic annihilation.
Therefore, in all the worlds, only the
all-pervading personality Çré
Kåñëa has been called Acyuta.” Çré
Akrüra has also spoken about
the subject of Acyuta-Kåñëa in his
prayers:
Aho! Today Kaàsa has bestowed great mercy upon me, by which
all inauspiciousness in my life has
been vanquished. The lotus feet
of Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa have descended
upon the surface of the
Earth. Now my human birth has become
successful, because today
I will be able to bow down directly to
those lotus feet, although
they are the highest object of
meditation for yogés. In ancient times
great liberated personalities such as
Ambaréña, having attained just
one glimpse of the radiance emanating
from the nails of those
lotus feet, have crossed over the
insurmountable ocean of birth
and death. Aho! The demigods
headed by Brahmä and Çiva are
possessed of all opulence, yet they
never tire of worshiping those
lotus feet, which the supremely
fortunate Lakñmé-devé worships
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 8 2
incessantly, because they bestow all
good fortune. Those lotus
feet are also worshiped by the devotees
and sages, because they
bestow the ultimate success of life.
And because they are an ocean
of mercy, Çré Kåñëa’s cowherd
boyfriends serve them with newer
and newer feelings of deep love when He
sports in the forest at
the time of cow grazing. Those very
same lotus feet are colored by
the vermillion kuìkuma powder
from the breasts of the gopés,
who are full of the highest spontaneous
love for Kåñëa
(mahäbhäva).
Similarly, in describing the glories of
those lotus feet, Çré
Uddhavajé has said:
yä vai çriyärcitam ajädibhir
äpta-kämair
yogeçvarair api yad ätmani
räsa-goñöhyäm
kåñëasya tad bhagavataç caraëäravindaà
nyastaà staneñu vijahuù parirabhya täpam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.62)
The lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa are served
by Lakñmé-devé, the goddess
of fortune, and are worshiped in the
heart by the self-satisfied
masters of mystic yoga headed by
Brahmäjé. Yet at the time of the
räsa-lélä, the gopés of Våndävana
relieved the burning of their
hearts by directly embracing those
lotus feet to their breasts.
The glories of Çré Kåñëa’s lotus feet
have been described in this
way throughout the scriptures.
Similarly, Çré Kåñëa’s transcendental
abode is also beyond this
world, beyond the illusory energy and
beyond the three modes
of material nature. For instance,
Bhagavän gave Nanda Mahäräja
and all the Vrajaväsés a vision of the
spiritual abode of Vaikuëöha,
which is transcendental to material
nature. That abode is supramundane,
composed of conscious spiritual energy,
indivisible,
real, self-luminous, eternal and the
embodiment of truth. The
great sages who have attained a state
beyond the three modes of
material nature are incapable of seeing
the abode of Kåñëa even
verse 33
1 8 3
in their pure trance. On seeing the
personified Vedas offering
reverent prayers to Çré Kåñëa in that
world, Nanda and the
Vrajaväsés were utterly astonished.
Çré Jéva Gosvämipäda has explained the
meaning of advaita
and acyuta in this verse recited
by Brahmäjé, and now he
comments on the word anädi. In
the discussion regarding
säìkhya found in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.24.27),
the verse kälo
mäyämaye jéve states that Çré Kåñëa is the origin of
that which has
no origin. He remains present in one svarüpa
throughout the
creation, maintenance and annihilation.
Even at the time that
Brahmä and Çaìkara cease to exist,
Bhagavän alone remains present.
Although the universe is eventually
destroyed, He remains
absorbed in His eternal pastimes with
His eternal associates in
His eternal abode. Therefore, there is
never a time when He is
not present.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.24.22–27),
the annihilation has
been described thus: “At the time of
the cosmic annihilation, the
mortal bodies of the living entities enter
into grains, grains enter
into seeds, seeds into the earth, earth
into fragrance, fragrance
into water, water into the sense-object
taste, taste into fire, fire
into form, form into air, air into
touch, touch into space, and
space into the sense-object sound. All
the senses enter their
respective presiding demigods, the
demigods enter into the
controlling mind, mind enters into
false ego, sound enters the
tamasic phase of false ego, all the
three modes of false ego enter
into the mahat-tattva, the mahat-tattva
enters into the modes of
material nature, the modes of material
nature enter into the predominated
principle (prakåti), the
predominated principle
(prakåti) enters into time, time
enters into Bhagavän who is the
controller of mäyä, and finally
enters into Me. However, My
svarüpa, which is the cause of creation,
maintenance and annihilation,
is never absent at any time.”
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 8 4
Çré Kåñëa has also been described as
the oldest person in the
following way: ekas tvam ätmä
puruñaù puräëaù. Brahmäjé
said, “O Bhagavän, You are the only
truth, because You are
Paramätmä, and You are separate from
this world of misleading
appearances. You are the root cause of
the creation, maintenance
and annihilation of the universe. You
are the oldest person, and
You are eternal, perfect, complete and
unchanging. You are the
embodiment of nectar, composed of
eternal bliss, and free from
all mundane designations and the
qualities of the illusory energy.
You are pure, endless, indivisible and
non-dual.”
The Yadu wives of Mathurä said (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
10.44.13):
güòhaù puräëa-puruño vana-citra-mälyah
This Kåñëa is the eternal and primeval
personality, whose lotus
feet are worshiped by Brahmä, Çaìkara
and Lakñmé-devé.
“Avyaktaà vyaktim äpannaà manyante
mäm abuddhayaù –
You are unknown to ignorant people who
harbor the misconception
that the formless, undifferentiated,
unmanifest Brahman has
manifested separately by the knowledge
function of the illusory
potency, and has descended to this
world in Nanda-bhavana in
the form of Çré Kåñëa.” Therefore You
are confidential. Your
original form is decorated with a
wonderful garland of forest flowers,
and You perform many varieties of
pleasing pastimes while
playing on Your flute and grazing cows
along with Baladeva.
This is the meaning of primeval
personality (puräëa-puruña).It
has also been mentioned in the çruti
that Çré Kåñëa’s ever-fresh
adolescent form is the eternal form in
which He is forever situated.
Although He is the oldest, He is
eternally young.
It is stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.44.14):
verse 33
1 8 5
gopyas tapaù kim acaran yad amuñya
rüpaà
lävaëya-säram asamordhvam
ananya-siddham
dågbhiù pibanty anusaväbhinavaà duräpam
ekänta-dhäma yaçasaù çriya aiçvarasya
Aho! What kind of austerities did the gopés perform to
be able to
constantly drink the unequaled and
unsurpassed sweetness of His
bodily beauty, which is newer and newer
at every moment? The
gopés directly see with their own eyes the
very rare and ever-fresh
loveliness of Çré Kåñëa’s form, which
is the essence of all luster,
and is the unrivaled, exclusive
reservoir of independently perfect
fame, beauty and opulence. When He
begins to laugh, the
makara-shaped ornaments adorning His two
charming ears cast
sparkling reflections that play with
astonishing beauty upon His
two cheeks. With His form and qualities
He attracts the hearts,
minds and lives of all pure devotees.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.16.26–30)
Çré Kåñëa’s qualities are
described thus:
satyaà çaucaà dayä kñäntis
tyägaù santoña ärjavam
çamo damas tapaù sämyaà
titikñoparatiù çrutam
jïänaà viraktir aiçvaryaà
çauryaà tejo balaà småtiù
svätantryaà kauçalaà käntir
dhairyaà märdavam eva ca
prägalbhyaà praçrayaù çélaà
saha ojo balaà bhagaù
gämbhéryaà sthairyam ästikyaà
kértir mäno ’nahaìkåtiù
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 8 6
ete cänye ca bhagavan
nityä yatra mahä-guëäù
prärthyä mahattvam icchadbhir
na viyanti sma karhicit
tenähaà guëa-pätreëa
çré-niväsena sämpratam
çocämi rahitaà lokaà
päpmanä kalinekñitam
Bhagavän Çré Hari has unlimited
qualities, some of which are
being described here simply to afford
us a glance in the direction
of His excellence. (1) His words are
true. (2) He is pure. (3) He is
unable to tolerate the distress of
others. (4) He protects those who
are unconditionally surrendered to Him.
(5) He is the friend of the
devotees. (6) His consciousness is
equipoised even when there is
cause to be angry. (7) He is generous.
(8) He naturally feels satisfied.
(9) He is simple-hearted. (10) His
activities are auspicious for
everyone because He is the well-wisher
of all. (11) His mind is
steady and not prone to attachment and
aversion. (12) He is firmly
avowed toward favorable subjects. (13)
He controls the external
senses. (14) When He descends and
performs pastimes as a
kñatriya or a member of any other caste, He
adheres responsibly
to the appropriate principles of
religious conduct. (15) He is
equally disposed to friends and
enemies. (16) He tolerates great
offenses committed against Him. (17) He
is indifferent to things
that are ordinarily most desirable. (18)
He abides by the injunctions
of the scriptures. (19) He possesses
five types of knowledge,
namely that which pertains to direct
sense perception of gross
phenomena (pratyakña), to Svarga
(parokña), to the unmanifest,
formless Brahman (aparokña), to
Vaikuëöha (adhokñaja) and to
Goloka Våndävana (apräkåta).
(20) He is intelligent. (21) He is
grateful for services rendered by
others. (22) He is an expert judge
of time, place and persons, and He acts
accordingly. (23) He is
omniscient. (24) He is self-realized.
(25) He is the controller of all
opulence. (26) He is enthusiastic in
battle. (27) He is influential.
verse 33
1 8 7
(28) He can subdue others by His
influence. (29) He is expert in
quickly accomplishing that which is
ordinarily impossible. (30) He
can ascertain what kind of duty should
be performed in any particular
situation. (31) His mind is never
agitated. (32) He is not
dependent on others. (33) He is expert
in all activities. (34) He can
accomplish many activities at the same
time. (35) He is expert in
all arts. (36) His limbs are beautiful.
(37) His color, taste, fragrance,
touch and sound are beautiful. (38) His
adolescence is beautiful.
(39) He is attractive to all women.
(40) He is patient. (41) His heart
melts with prema. (42) He is
controlled only by love. (43) His bold
speech is remarkably witty. (44) He is
an eloquent speaker.
(45) He is gentle. (46) He is bashful
when He thinks someone has
detected His amorous affairs, or when
others glorify Him. (47) He
offers appropriate respect to all. (48)
His words are sweet and
pleasing. (49) His natural disposition
is charming. (50) He is partial
to the sädhus. (51) He is
sharp-witted. (52) His knowledgeacquiring
senses are acute. (53) His working
senses are dexterous.
(54) He is the abode of all enjoyment.
(55) He is always happy.
(56) He possesses all opulence. (57) It
is very difficult to understand
His intentions. (58) He is immovable.
(59) He sees through
the eyes of scripture. (60) He is
famous for His sterling qualities.
(61) He is the object of love and
attachment for everyone. (62) He
is worshipable for everyone. (63) He is
devoid of pride, despite
being worshiped by everyone. (64) He is
possessed of brahminical
qualities. (65) All mystic powers are
under His control. (66) He is
the concentrated embodiment of eternal
existence, consciousness
and bliss. (67) Some qualities, such as
satisfaction, are also found
in devotees, karmés, jïänés and
yogés. However, all such qualities
are present only in a common way,
whereas in Bhagavän they are
fully present to the ultimate extent.
Therefore all these qualities
are transcendental, fully spiritual and
inherent in His very nature.
(69) Çré Kåñëa’s qualities, pastimes,
associates, transcendental
abode, devotees and paraphernalia are
all eternal, supramundane
and complete. Therefore the qualities
that the ordinary living entities
cannot possibly possess are all present
only in Bhagavän. For
example: (70) His avowed intention
becomes reality. (71) He is
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 8 8
the controller of mäyä. (72) He
is situated in pure goodness
(viçuddha-sattva). (73) He is
the maintainer of the universe.
(74) He awards salvation to the enemies
killed by Him. (75) He
attracts even the self-satisfied
liberated souls. (76) He is served by
the demigods such as Brahmä and Çiva.
(77) He is equipped with
unlimited, inconceivable potency. (78)
His beauty is eternally
increasing in freshness at every
moment. (79) He is the predominating
deity of mäyä in the form of the
puruña-avatära. (80) He is
the creator, maintainer and destroyer
of the universes. (81) He is
the source of all incarnations. (82)
Unlimited universes are situated
in the pores of His skin. (83) He is
complete with the aggregate
of all inconceivable energies in His
forms such as Väsudeva
and Näräyaëa. (84) In His original form
as Çré Kåñëa He can bestow
mukti and even bhakti upon His
enemies. (85) His form is so
sweet that it astonishes even Himself.
(86) Unlimited qualities are
eternally present in Bhagavän, such as
bestowing boundless joy
upon an unconscious substance in His
proximity.
This type of description is found in
both Brahmäjé’s meditation
on one pastime in a single location (mantramayé-upäsanä),
and
also in his broader meditation. In the Gopäla-täpané
Upaniñad it
has been stated: “gopa-veçam
abbhräbhaà taruëaà kalpadrumäçritam
– Çré Kåñëa, who is dressed as a
cowherd boy,
whose divine luster resembles the hue
of a raincloud, who is a
fresh youth and who is seated at the
foot of a desire tree, has
been called Gopäla.” Here the word taruëa
indicates His everyouthful
personal form, which is the storehouse
of elegance and
beauty.
By the phrase vedeñu durlabham in
this verse 33, Brahmäjé has
explained that Çré Kåñëa is very
difficult to comprehend even for
the personified Vedas, what to speak of
the adherents of Vedic
paths such as karmés, jïänés and
yogés. This is confirmed in the
statement of Çré Uddhava (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
10.47.61): “The
çrutis have become exhausted by continually
searching for the
verse 33
1 8 9
lotus feet of Mukunda, and they are
still searching to this very
day for those lotus feet, which the gopés
of Våndävana have
already attained.”
Similarly, Brahmäjé also stated (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
10.14.34): “adyäpi yat pada-rajaù
çruti-mågyam eva – motivated
by an intense greed to attain the dust
of His lotus feet, the çrutis
are still performing austerities to
this very day.”
Although Yaçodä-nandana Çré Kåñëa is
inaccessible to the
karmés and yogés, He is easily
accessible through the love of His
devotees: “bhaktyäham ekayä grähyaù –
He is attained only
through devotion.”
In this regard Bhagavän has also said (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
11.14.21): “O Uddhava, bhakti is
the powerful method of attaining
Me. I am completely controlled by that
devotion, but I am
never controlled by yoga,
philosophical deliberation, adherence
to religious principles, meticulous
study of the Vedas, austerities,
giving charity, nor by any other
method. I am the Supersoul in
everyone’s heart, and I am easily
attained by the sädhus alone,
not by anyone else. This is because
they have unadulterated and
undivided devotion, which is born of
their unflinching faith in
Me. This type of exclusive devotion has
the power to purify even
a member of the caste of dog-eaters.
However, all qualities such
as truthfulness, mercy, observing
silence, following scriptural
injunctions, austerities and the
cultivation of knowledge definitely
cannot purify the heart of a human
being who is devoid of
bhakti unto Me.”
Brahmäjé has declared (Çrémad-Bhägavatam
10.14.5):
“pureha bhüman bahavo ’pi yoginaù –
O indivisible one! O
Acyuta! There were many yogés in
this world in ancient times
who, being unable to attain success in
the path of yoga, began to
perform their worldly and religious
duties as an offering unto
Your lotus feet. As a result of this,
they began to practice bhakti
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 9 0
in the form of hearing and chanting the
narrations of Your glories.
Thus they realized the essential
reality of the self without
any extraneous endeavor, and without
difficulty they attained the
excellent destination of becoming Your
associates.”
TÄTPARYA
The word advaita denotes the
non-dual, undivided principle; He
remains undivided, although the
radiance of His limbs comprises
the endless brahmajyoti, and the
Supreme Lord in the form of
Paramätmä in countless millions of
expansions is His partial
manifestation. Acyuta means that
He remains full and complete,
although there are billions of
incarnations who are His personal
expansions, and although unlimited
millions of living entities
emanate from Him as His separated
expansions. Although He
exhibits the pastime of being born, He
actually Has no beginning.
Although He winds up His manifest
pastimes in this world,
He is endless. Although He is without a
beginning, He also has
an origin, because He performs pastimes
such as being born in
His prakaöa-lélä. Although he is
the primordial personality, He is
also the embodiment of fresh
youthfulness. The purport is that
although all kinds of contradictory
qualities co-exist within Him,
all compatible qualities as well as mutually
incompatible
qualities are reconciled by His
inconceivable potency. This is the
nature of transcendence and its
distinction from mundane
material characteristics.
Çré Kåñëa’s utterly enchanting,
threefold-bending personal
form as Çyämasundara is eternally in
the bud of youth. It is
beyond the confines of time and space
and the mundane defects
of the illusory energy. He exists
splendidly in the transcendental,
spiritual abode, where time is in the
pure present, devoid of past
and future. In the material world,
there is a distinction between
substances and their qualities. This
distinction allows material
verse 33
1 9 1
substances to sometimes take on various
qualities, and to sometimes
become bereft of particular qualities,
but this distinction is
absent from the transcendental realm.
Therefore, the qualities of
the inert universe are all
simultaneously present, reconciled, harmonious
and purposeful in the transcendental
world, although
they seem to be mutually contradictory
in the estimation of intelligence
that is covered by the experience of mäyä’s
time, place
and person. How can the living entity
under the influence of the
illusory energy realize the spiritual
existence when he has no
comparable experience?
The conditioned soul’s knowledge is
always polluted by the
defects of material time and space, and
therefore he is helpless in
the matter of renouncing his mundane
conception. If the conditioned
soul is incapable of understanding the
spiritual substance
by the faculty of knowledge, then by
which faculty can one
realize the specific nature of the
aforementioned pure spiritual
substance? In answer to this question,
Brahmäjé has said,
“Transcendental affairs are
incomprehensible even for the Vedas,
for the Vedas are based on sound, which
is material. Thus they
cannot give us direct experience of the
supramundane Goloka.
Only when the Vedas are infused with
the transcendental
knowledge potency (saàvit-çakti)
can they say something about
transcendental affairs.”
However, when that knowledge potency,
combined with the
essence of the transcendental pleasure
potency (hlädiné-çakti),
is manifest in the living entities in
the form of bhakti, then realization
of the essential reality of Goloka
becomes possible. The
bliss function of bhakti is
endless and unlimited, and is by nature
full of pure transcendental knowledge.
When knowledge attains
oneness with the function of bhakti –
that is to say, when it does
not express an identity separate from bhakti
– at that time it
bestows perception of the essential
reality of Goloka.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 9 2
Verse 34
iUFkkLrq dksfV'kroRljlaizxE;ks
ok;ksjFkkfi eulks eqfuiqÂokuke~ A
lks·I;fLr ;Rizinlhe~U;fofpUR;rÙos
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û…†û
panthäs tu
koöi-çata-vatsara-sampragamyo
väyor athäpi manaso muni-puìgavänäm
so ’py asti yat-prapada-sémny
avicintya-tattve
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original person, Çré Govinda; tu –
indeed; atha api – even;
panthäù – the paths; väyoù – of
controlling the breathing process;
manasaù – and mental speculation (neti neti –
“not that, not that”);
sampragamyaù – practiced; muni-puìgavänäm –
by powerful sages;
koöi-çata – for hundreds of millions; vatsara –
of years; asti – is (only
capable of approaching); saù api –
(that non-differentiated divine light,
or brahmajyoti), which is
nothing but; sémni – the tip; yat-prapada – of
the toenails; avicintya-tattve –
of that inconceivable Absolute Truth.
TRANSLATION
Some yogés, desiring to attain
the Supreme Absolute
Truth, who lies beyond the realm of
contemplation, follow
the path of strictly regulating the
breathing process. The
prominent sages who advocate the
philosophy of the
formless absolute follow the path of
philosophical discussion
to ascertain the formless, impersonal
Brahman by
the process of gradually eliminating
the unreal. After
1 9 3
pursuing these paths for hundreds of
millions of years,
they may reach only as far as the tips
of the toes of His
lotus feet. I worship that original
personality, Çré Govinda.
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
The advocates of the impersonal
conception may, after performing
rigorous sädhana for billions of
years, reach only as far as the
tips of the toes of Çré Kåñëa’s lotus
feet. The purport is that at best
they can only achieve perception of the
light emanating from His
divine lotus feet from very far away.
It is absolutely impossible
for them to see Çré Govinda being
served by His associates in
Gokula.
How will it be possible for jïänés and
yogés to have darçana
of Çré Govinda being served by His
associates in Gokula, when it
is astonishing even for premi-bhaktas
such as Çré Närada? Such
jïänés and yogés cannot even enter that
place. In Çrémad-
Bhägavatam (10.69.2) it has been stated:
citraà bataitad ekena
vapuñä yugapat påthak
gåheñu dvy-añöa-sähasraà
striya eka udävahat
On one occasion, the spectacle that
Devarñi Närada beheld when
he went to Dvärakä filled him with
wonder. Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa
was marrying sixteen thousand beautiful
young ladies in separate
ceremonies, which were being conducted
in sixteen thousand
different royal palaces simultaneously.
In one place He was
accepting the hand of the bride; in
another He was offering
oblations in the fire sacrifice;
somewhere else, where the knot had
already been tied, He was circumambulating
the fire; and in all the
other places He was engaged in many
different aspects of the
marriage ritual. Upon seeing this, even
the omniscient Çré Närada
was astonished.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 9 4
It is also stated in the Gopäla-täpané
Upaniñad (21):
eko vaçé sarvagaù kåñëa édyaù
eko ’pi san bahudhä yo vibhäti
Çré Kåñëa is the one supreme controller
of all controllers, and He
is all-pervading. Although He is one,
by the influence of His
inconceivable potency He manifests as
incarnations who are His
personal expansions; as the living
entities, who are His separated
subjective portions; and as innumerable
associates, who are His
bodily expansions. He is the
incomparable and unsurpassed
reality.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.33.3) it
is stated: “ätmeçvaro
’tarkya-sahasra-çaktiù – Bhagavän alone is the soul of all. He
is
the controller of all, being equipped
with unlimited, inconceivable
powers that defy mundane reasoning.”
In the Skanda Puräëa and the Mahäbhärata
(Bhéñma-parva
5.22), it is stated: “acintyäù khalu
ye bhäväù na täàs tarkeëa
yojayet – the substances and moods that lie
beyond material
nature have been called inconceivable.
They are absolutely
incomprehensible to the power of human
intelligence, which is
limited and full of material defects.”
Similarly, we find this statement in
the Vedänta-sütra (2.1.11):
“tarkäpratiñöhänät – logic is
not the basis for understanding
anything.” This is because any
conclusion established by logic
today will be refuted tomorrow by
another person with a new
logic. Therefore the Vedänta-sütra also
states (2.1.27): “çrutes tu
çabda-mülatvät – you should understand the
inconceivable,
supreme personal Absolute Truth only
through the statements of
çruti, because they are the teachings of Bhagavän.” The
statements
of the Vedas are the fundamental
evidence because they
are free from the four defects of
mistakes, illusion, defective
perception and the desire to cheat
others. They are reliable statements
received through the system of guru-paramparä.
The
verse 34
1 9 5
inconceivable Absolute Truth can be
known only by this preceptorial
succession. In this regard, the
commentary on Vedäntasütra
reasons that, just as the influence of
a gemstone, a mantra
or a potent medicinal herb is beyond
the comprehension of the
intelligence of the common man, so are
the inherent powers of
the Absolute Transcendence. The
supernatural substance can
only be known by the uncommon and
divine power of undivided,
pure bhakti.
TÄTPARYA
Only one who is tasting the
transcendental mellows of pure
bhakti is considered to have attained the
lotus feet of Çré
Govinda. The practitioners of añöäìga-yoga
may absorb themselves
in trance, and the greatest
philosophers of the doctrine of
monism may deliberate on matter and
spirit, eliminating and
rejecting all material phenomena one by
one for millions of
years. In the end they may both attain
the state of merging into
the formless, impersonal, spiritual
radiance. This spiritual radiance,
which is situated outside the
transcendental abode, is nothing
more than the reflected effulgence
emanating from the small
toenails of the lotus feet of Çré
Govindadeva in Goloka. It cannot
even be considered to be the reflected
effulgence of Çré
Govinda’s lotus feet.
Actually, the processes of merging into
the Absolute and dissolving
the self in Brahman are both situated
in the boundary
area between the spiritual and material
worlds. Unless one
crosses beyond these two conceptions,
one cannot realize the
fascinating varieties of the served,
the servant and the service in
the transcendental world. The
conditions of merging into the
Absolute and dissolving the self in
Brahman are not genuine happiness.
They only mark the cessation of
distressful experiences
arising from a connection with the
illusory energy. Although the
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
1 9 6
absence of distress can be called
happiness to a certain extent, it
is meager and insignificant. Merely
dispelling the suffering
condition of material existence is not
sufficient; the statement
“ätyantika-duùkha-nivåtti – the
ultimate goal of life is to end
distress” is not correct. The ultimate
attainment of the living
entity is to be situated in his pure,
transcendental, constitutional
position of devotional service to
Bhagavän. This condition can
only be achieved by the mercy of bhakti,
which is inherently
transcendental. It is never available
by following a tasteless and
troublesome path that is completely
devoid of rasa.
verse 34
1 9 7
Verse 35
,dks·I;lkS jpf;rqa txn.MdksfVa
;PNfäjfLr txn.Mp;k ;nUr% A
v.MkUrjLFkijek.kqp;kUrjLFka
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û…‡û
eko ’py asau racayituà jagad-aëòa-koöià
yac-chaktir asti jagad-aëòa-cayä
yad-antaù
aëòäntara-stha-paramäëu-cayäntara-stham
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original person, Çré Govinda; api –
although; asau asti – He
exists; ekaù – as a single,
absolute reality; yat-çaktiù – by His selfsufficient
potency; racayitum – in
creating; koöim – the tens of milllions;
jagad-aëòa – of universes; yad-antaù –
through His entrance; cayäù –
within the host; jagad-aëòa – of
universes; antara-stha – He becomes
situated; aëòa –
(simultaneously) in each universe; antara-stham – and
within; cayä – each of the host;
paramäëu – of atoms.
TRANSLATION
Potency and the possessor of potency
are one
undifferentiated principle. The potency
by which billions
of universes are created is situated
inseparably within
Bhagavän. All the universes are
situated within Bhagavän,
and by the influence of His
inconceivable potency,
Bhagavän is also fully present in every
atom of all the
universes. I worship that original
personality, Çré
Govinda.
1 9 8
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Although Çré Kåñëa is one, He creates
everything, and pervades
every atom in the creation. He is
smaller than the smallest, and
greater than the greatest. The
following description of His inconceivable
potency is found in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.13.46–55):
tävat sarve vatsa-paläù
paçyato ’jasya tat-kñaëät
vyadåçyanta ghanaçyämäù
péta-kauçeya-väsasaù
The influence of His inconceivable potency
is such that, although
Kåñëa is one, He assumed the form of
innumerable calves and
cowherd boys, as Brahmä looked on again
and again. All those
forms became çyäma-colored, like
fresh rainclouds, and all were
attired in yellow upper garments. All
the forms were resplendent
with four arms that held the conch,
disk, mace and lotus flower.
Their heads were adorned with crowns,
their ears with earrings,
their chests with necklaces and their
necks with garlands of forest
flowers. All of them looked beautiful
with a clockwise curl of hair
on their right breast, three lines
marking their throats and the
Kaustubha-jewel ornamenting their
necks. They had bracelets on
their wrists, ankle-bells on their
feet, belts on their waists and rings
on their fingers. Each form was
decorated from head to toe with a
garland of fresh young tulasé leaves,
which had been offered by
some immensely pious personalities, and
they were all fulfilling
the hearts’ desires of all their
devotees. The moving and nonmoving
living entities, from Brahmä down to
insignificant pieces
of straw, all assumed forms in which
they performed varieties of
worship by dancing, singing, playing
musical instruments and
offering different types of
paraphernalia.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swami jis great Devotees , Philosophic Scholars,
Purebhakti dot com for the
collection)
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