Sri Brahma Samhita
FIFTH CHAPTER
TÄTPARYA
The entire universe created by mäyä is
included within onefourth
of the creation of Çré Govinda. The
principle situated
above this is the undifferentiated
Brahman, which itself is only
the light emanating from the external
boundary of the transcendental
cosmos which constitutes three-fourths of
Çré Govinda’s
creation. It is indivisible and thus one
without a second (ekam
eva advitéyam), endless and devoid of discernible
features.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 3 4
Verse 41
ek;k fg ;L; txn.M'krkfu lwrs
=Sxq.;rf}"k;osnfork;ekuk A
lÙokoyfEcijlÙofo'kq¼lÙoa
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†ƒû
mäyä hi yasya jagad-aëòa-çatäni süte
traiguëya-tad-viñaya-veda-vitäyamänä
sattvävalambi-para-sattva-viçuddha-sattvaà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; viçuddha-sattvam
–
whose pure existence is free from any
mixture of passion or ignorance;
para-sattva – and upon whose supreme existence; sattva-avalambi
–
the material mode of goodness, which is
mixed with passion and
ignorance, is dependent; hi –
indeed (it is He); yasya – whose; mäyä –
illusory potency; süte – gives
birth; çatäni – to hundreds; jagad-aëòa –
of egg-like universes; veda-vitäyamänä –
and who expands throughout
the Vedas; tad-viñaya – topics
related to Govinda; traiguëya – in terms
of the three material binding qualities:
goodness, passion and ignorance.
TRANSLATION
Mäyä consists of the three material qualities
of goodness,
passion and ignorance, and is Bhagavän’s
inferior energy.
She propagates the Vedic knowledge that
pertains to the
material universe. I worship the original
personality Çré
Govinda, who is the shelter of that mäyä,
though His own
existence is the embodiment of pure
goodness untinged
by passion and ignorance.
2 3 5
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Brahmäjé has described the glories of
Bhagavän’s svarüpa, and
now in two verses he is presenting
Bhagavän’s glories relating to
His material cosmic manifestation.
First he is describing the inconceivable
activity of Bhagavän’s
external illusory potency, mäyä-çakti,
in creating the cosmic
manifestation. Although Bhagavän causes
the creation of unlimited
mundane worlds through His external
illusory potency, He
personally remains absolutely untouched by
that potency. He is
eternally situated in transcendentally
pure existence, which
should be understood in the following way.
Material nature has
three qualities, namely the mode of
goodness, the mode of
passion and the mode of ignorance.
Creation is conducted by the
mode of passion, maintenance or temporary
endurance is
conducted by the mode of goodness mixed
with passion, and
destruction or devastation is conducted by
the mode of
ignorance. The mixture of these three
qualities is called präkåtasattva,
mundane existence. Existence that is not
mixed with the
three guëas, and is beyond mundane
existence, is called
çuddha-sattva, pure existence. This pure existence is
transcendental
or supramundane, and it has also been
called superior
existence. Even superior to çuddha-sattva
is the constitutional
position of eternally remaining in one
original and pristine condition.
This is called viçuddha-sattva,
perfectly pure existence.
This perfectly pure existence is the
function of the transcendental
potency. Therefore the intrinsic nature of
the worshipable form
of Çré Govinda is the state of perfectly
pure existence. I
perform bhajana of that Çré
Govinda.
In the Viñëu Puräëa it has also
been said:
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 3 6
sattvädayo na santéçe
yatra na präkåtä guëäù
sa çuddhaù sarva-çuddhebhyaù
pumän ädyaù prasédatu
The three material qualities of goodness,
passion and ignorance
are not present in Bhagavän. He is
completely free from the
qualities of the illusory nature; that is,
He is perfectly pure, and
complete with all kinds of eternal
supramundane qualities. Even
among pure substances, the original
personality is supremely
pure. May He be pleased.
For specific inquiries on this subject,
one can refer to Çré
Bhägavata-sandarbha.
TÄTPARYA
Creation is conducted by the mode of
passion, endurance by
goodness mixed with passion, and
destruction by ignorance.
Existence mixed with the three modes of
material nature has
been called mundane existence (präkåta-sattva).
However, existence
that is not mixed with passion and
ignorance is called pure
existence (çuddha-sattva). This
supramundane and eternally
present nature is superior existence. The
intrinsic form and
nature of Bhagavän, which exists
permanently in that superior
existence, is in the state of perfectly
pure existence (viçuddhasattva).
It is beyond the illusory nature and the
five elements of
this world. It is free from material
qualities and is composed of
transcendental bliss (cid-änanda). Mäyä
has propagated in this
mundane world all the regulative Vedic
knowledge that is related
to the three modes of material nature.
verse 41
2 3 7
Verse 42
vkuUnfpUe;jlkRer;k eu%lq
;% izkf.kuka izfrQyu~ LejrkeqisR; A
yhykf;rsu Hkqoukfu t;R;tòa
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†„û
änanda-cinmaya-rasätmatayä manaùsu
yaù präëinäà pratiphalan smaratäm upetya
léläyitena bhuvanäni jayaty ajasraà
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yaù
– who;
ätmatayä – by the quality of His Being; änanda-cinmaya-rasa
– which
is surcharged with the blissful mellows of
the most resplendent
amorous prema; pratiphalan –
reflects His presence (in a partial form);
manaùsu – within the purified hearts; präëinäm – of living
beings;
smaratäm upetya – attaining the nature of a
mind-enchanting
Kämadeva; ajasram – (He is)
incessantly; jayati – victorious; bhuvanäni
– over the universes; léläyitena –
by means of His añöa-käléya-lélä
(eightfold daily pastimes).
TRANSLATION
When living entities remember Çré Govinda,
He is
reflected in their pure hearts, appearing
in His original
form, which is surcharged with blissful
transcendental
mellows. This form is the embodiment of
the most
resplendent, transcendental amorous rasa,
which churns
the heart of the god of love, Cupid
himself, although he
2 3 8
churns others’ hearts. Through His
pastimes, Çré Govinda
is ever victorious over the three worlds.
I worship that
original personality, Çré Govinda.
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Brahmäjé has described Çré Govindadeva’s
most brilliant and
enchanting, love-laden nature. Now, in this
verse, änandacinmaya-
rasa, he is explaining that an ardent greed to drink
vraja-rasa appears in the hearts of sincere
practitioners of bhakti
when they associate with Vaiñëavas who
know tattva and who
are expert at tasting rasa, and
when they hear their transcendental
instructions. In accordance with those
instructions, such
genuine sädhakas constantly
remember Çré Kåñëa’s manmathamanmatha
form (which enchants the heart of Cupid,
who agitates
others’ hearts) along with the names,
beauty, qualities and
pastimes related to it. At that time Çré
Kåñëa is slightly reflected in
their hearts in His form as the embodiment
of the intensely
amorous mellow. In this way He brings the
three worlds under
His direct control.
The salient point here is that He
effortlessly conquers over
the three worlds simply by slightly – even
to an infinitesimal
degree – reflecting His form that churns
the heart of the allenchanting
Cupid. He achieves this simply by the
remote
semblance of His intrinsic form, nature
and pastimes as the
transcendental Cupid. Therefore Çré
Kåñëa’s manmathamanmatha
form has also been mentioned in the five
chapters of
Çrémad-Bhägavatam that relate the räsa-lélä pastimes
(10.32.2):
çäkñän manmatha-manmathaù. The purport is that Çré Kåñëa is
so attractive that His beauty crushes into
fine powder the pride
of Kämadeva, who bewilders the whole
universe. One should
understand this fact by means of the
example: “cakñuñaç
cakñuù – Kåñëa is the eye of all eyes.” Similarly Çré Kåñëa is the
verse 42
2 3 9
Cupid of all Cupids. Therefore, although
the Supreme Lord is the
cause of Kämadeva in the form of material
lust, that Kämadeva is
thoroughly undesirable for the jévas who
are absorbed in lust. In
the same way, although the material world
is an external part of
the Supreme Lord, it is thoroughly
undesirable for the sädhaka
to conceive of himself as the enjoyer of
all the substances in the
material world.
TÄTPARYA
When fortunate sädhakas who are
free from ulterior motives
continually hear the pastimes of Bhagavän
from the lips of devotees
who are rasika, expert in relishing
bhagavad-rasa, an
intense greed awakens in their hearts to
attain loving service in
the wake of the eternal residents of
Vraja. The only genuine practitioners
of meditative remembrance in the process of
rägänugabhakti
are those sädhakas who, in
accordance with the good
instructions of the rasika devotees,
constantly remember the
manmatha-manmatha form of Çré Kåñëa, and His names,
beauty, qualities and pastimes in
connection with ujjvala-rasa,
the transcendental mellow of amorous love.
That Çré Kåñëa, who
is always engrossed in His playful antics,
is manifest along with
His abode in the hearts of the devotees
who possess the aforementioned
qualification. The sädhaka thus
realizes the pastimes
of that realm, which triumph in all
respects over the sum total of
all the opulence and sweetness of the
entire material universe.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 4 0
Verse 43
xksyksdukfEu futèkkfEu rys p rL;
nsoh & egs'k & gfj & èkkelq
rs"kq rs"kq A
rs rs izHkkofup;k fofgrk'p ;su
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†…û
goloka-nämni nija-dhämni tale ca tasya
devé-maheça-hari-dhämasu teñu teñu
te te prabhäva-nicayä vihitäç ca yena
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; ca
yena – by whom;
nija-dhämni – (He who gracefully resides) in His own
abode; golokanämni
– named Goloka (which is above all); te
te – the respective;
prabhäva-nicayäù – volumes of power; vihitäù – are
apportioned; teñu
teñu – in the respective; devé-maheça-hari-dhämasu –
abodes of
Vaikuëöhanätha-Hari, Maheça Çiva and
lastly Durgä-devé; tale – which
are situated at the base; tasya –
of His abode.
TRANSLATION
Devé-dhäma, the material world, consists
of fourteen
planetary systems. Above this lies
Maheça-dhäma, above
that Hari-dhäma, and above all lies
Goloka, the abode of
Svayam Bhagavän Çré Govinda. I worship the
original
personality Govinda, who regulates the
characteristic
influence pertaining to each individual
abode.
2 4 1
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 4 2
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Brahmäjé has described the glories of Çré
Kåñëa in relation to the
material world, and he is now illuminating
the glories of Çré
Kåñëa’s own abode in this verse beginning goloka
nämni. The
locations of the dhämas – Devé,
Maheça and so on – have been
presented in ascending order in this
verse. In describing how
each abode, beginning from Devé-dhäma, is
situated one above
the other, Brahmäjé defines the svarüpa
of Çré Kåñëa’s own planet,
Goloka-dhäma, as existing splendidly in
the supermost position.
The meaning behind Goloka being the
highest of all is that it
encompasses all other dhämas; it is
all-pervading.
There is no difference between that Goloka
and the Våndävana
manifest on the surface of this Earth. The
non-different nature of
these two has been described earlier. For
instance, in the
Harivaàça it is stated, “The worshipers of Brahman
attain
Brahmaloka. However, Goloka, the planet of
cows, is very rarely
attained. Only the sädhaka who is
thoroughly determined and
sober can reach that abode, which is free
from all kinds of
calamities. Goloka is not easily
accessible for everyone.” These
two dhämas have been described as
non-different by this and
other statements cited previously.
In the expression goloka eva nivasati found
in verse 37, the
word eva has been used to convey
the certainty of the statement
“He resides in Goloka.” The purport is
that Våndävana, which has
twelve forests, is completely protected by
Çré Våndä-devé. Çré
Våndävana-dhäma is the eternal abode of
Çré Hari, Bhagavän Çré
Kåñëa, whose lotus feet are constantly
served by all the prominent
demigods, such as Brahmä and Rudra.
The unique distinction of this abode is
that it is the place
where the God of gods, Gadädhara Çré
Kåñëa, eternally enjoys
His playful pastimes with His beloved gopés.
Many varieties of
pastimes take place there, such as the
Setubandha lélä,34 which
destroys grievous sins. In each
pastime-place, Çré Kåñëa establishes
a valabhé 35 and He becomes
overjoyed in sporting every
day with His friends. He spends eternal
time there, in order to
enjoy such pastimes.
A similar description has been given in
the Gautaméya-tantra,
wherein Çré Närada inquired from Bhagavän,
“O Viçämpati,
maintainer of all living beings, I want to
know about Våndävana
with its twelve forests. If I am qualified
to hear, kindly explain
this subject to me.”
Çré Bhagavän replied:
idaà våndävanaà näma
mama dhämaiva kevalam
atra ye paçavaù pakñimågäù
kéöä narädhamäù
nivasanti mayäviñöe
måtä yänti mamälayam
atra yä gopa-kanyäç ca
nivasanti mamälaye
gopinyas tä mayä nityaà
mama sevä-paräyaëäù
païca-yojanam evästi
vanaà me deha-rüpakam
verse 43
2 4 3
34
The Setubandha lélä in Våndävana
takes place at Setubandha-kuëòa in
Kämyavana. When Çré Kåñëa claims to have
been Räma in His previous birth,
Lalitä-devé challenges Him to prove His
bravery by building a bridge of stones
with the aid of monkeys. Kåñëa calls the
monkeys by His flute and immediately
builds a bridge across the kuëòa.
35
A valabhé is a wooden pole fixed in
the ground for the purpose of certain
games.
kälindéyaà suñumnäkhyä
paramämåta-vähiné
tejomayam idaà ramyam
adåçyaà carma-cakñuñä
This Våndävana is exclusively My abode.
All who reside here,
whether they are birds, animals, worms,
insects or the lowest of
human beings, attain My eternal abode at
the time of death
because they are always absorbed in Me.
All the daughters of the
cowherds attain union with Me and are
fully absorbed in My service.
This Våndävana, measuring five yojanas,
is My body. Kälindé,
the flowing current of transcendental
nectar, is My suñumnä
näòi.36 All demigods and other types of living entities reside
here
in a subtle form, and I am the embodiment
of all the demigods. I
never leave Våndävana, although I appear
and disappear from
time to time. This dhäma is full of
effulgence and charm. It cannot
be perceived with the material eyes.
The subject of this unique
Våndävana-dhäma, with its eternally
existing kadamba trees and other
features, has been mentioned
in Puräëas such as the Varäha Puräëa.
The unmanifest
Våndävana-dhäma can only be seen by
transcendental eyes, or
by the eyes of prema. By such eyes
one can also have darçana
of Goloka while one is in the earthly
Våndävana; this is a special
characteristic of the manifestation of
Våndävana on this Earth.
Therefore it is said, “One can see Gokula
in Goloka, and Goloka
in Gokula.” When Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa
appears in the visible
earthly Våndävana along with His
associates, that appearance is
called avatära. At that time, so
many fascinating pastimes –
meeting, separation and meeting again, and
all the activities of
paramour lovers – are clearly evident in
order to nourish the varieties
of rasa. Just as those pastimes are
present in the earthly
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 4 4
36
Suñumnä näòé: The yoga system gives this name to the
prominent channel
along the spine, without which one cannot
function.
manifestation of Våndävana, they are also
going on in the manifestation
that is beyond this world. An account of
this fact can be
found by a perusal of the scriptures such
as kalpa, tantra,
yämala, saàhitä and païcarätra. These special
characteristics
should be understood from the various çästras.
For example, it is stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.90.48):
jayati jana-niväso devaké-janma-vädo
yadu-vara-pariñat svair dorbhir asyann
adharmam
sthira-cara-våjina-ghnaù
su-smita-çré-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitänäà vardhayan käma-devam
Çré Kåñëa resides in everyone’s heart as
the Supersoul. (Or: He
lives among His own near and dear
relatives, the gopas or
Yädavas. Or: He is present in the heart of
every jéva and He is the
shelter of all.) It is only a rumor that
He was born from the womb
of Devaké; actually He has no birth. He is
served by the best of the
Yadu dynasty. (Or: He is the honorable
chairman in the assembly
of the Yädavas.) Although He can
accomplish anything simply by
His desire, by the strength of His own
arms (or: by the strength of
His arms in the form of His associates
like Bhéma and Arjuna), He
destroys the demons who oppose the
principles of religion. He
takes away the pain of the endless chain
of birth and death from
all moving and non-moving living entities.
(Or: He takes away the
pain of separation that all moving and
non-moving living entities
in Vraja-puré feel in His absence.) He
increases the transcendental
desire of all the young gopés of
Vraja-puré (or: of all the ladies of
Mathurä-puré, Dvärakä-puré and Vraja-puré)
by His smiling lotus
face. May that Çré Kåñëa be ever
victorious.
Furthermore, in the Nirväëa-khaëòa of
the Padma Puräëa, in
the conversation between Çré Bhagavän and
Çré Vyäsa, it is stated:
paçya tvaà darçayiñyämi...gopa-bälakaiù
Bhagavän said, “O Vyäsa, I am bestowing
upon you the vision of
My original form, which is hidden even
from the Vedas. Behold
this transcendental form.” After seeing
Bhagavän’s svarüpa, Çré
verse 43
2 4 5
Vyäsadeva said, “O King, I have seen that
Supreme Personality Çré
Kåñëa, whose dark blue complexion
resembles a fresh raincloud.
He is surrounded by cowherd damsels (gopa-kanyä),
and He is
laughing with the cowherd boys.”
The word kanyä (in the second verse
quoted on page 243)
indicates the particular distinction of
the gopés, namely that
although they are mature youths, they have
not attained womanhood.
Or, although they are fully in love with
Çré Kåñëa, they are
still innocent girls who have not
blossomed into fertility. By
saying that they have not attained
adulthood, it is to be understood
that they are eternal adolescents (nitya-kiçoré).
Thus by
referring to them as kanyä, the
idea that the gopés are similar to
other women has been demolished.
The same conception has been presented in
the Fourth
Chapter of the Gautaméya-tantra wherein
it is stated: “atha
våndävanaà dhyäyet – then one may meditate on Våndävana.”
After this there is a description of how
to meditate on Våndävana.
“The entire cowherd community, including
millions of gopakanyäs,
cows and calves, have descended from
Svarga (Golokadhäma)
and are beautifying the whole of
Våndävana. In that
charming forest of Våndävana, thousands
upon thousands of
gopés with long eyes like blooming lotuses perform worship
(arcana and püjä) of the guru
of the three worlds, Çré Hari, with
the flowers of their bhävas.”
Similarly, in the same scripture, it has
been said in relation to
the appropriate conduct of all those who
aspire to have darçana
of Çré Kåñëa or who have had His darçana:
ahar-niçaà japen mantraà
mantré niyata-mänasaù
sa paçyati na sandeho
gopa-rüpa-dharaà harim
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 4 6
The sädhaka should chant japa of
the kåñëa-mantra day and
night with constant, single-minded
attention. That devotee definitely
receives darçana of Çré Kåñëa in
His cowherd boy dress.
There is no doubt about it.
Furthermore, it is mentioned elsewhere in
the Gautaméyatantra:
“våndävane vased dhémän yävat kåñëasya
darçanam –
highly intelligent persons always see Çré
Kåñëa for as long as they
reside in Våndävana.”
In the section concerning the
eighteen-syllable mantra in the
Trailokya-sammohana-tantra, it is stated, “Whoever performs
the sädhana of this mantra will
definitely behold Çré Kåñëa’s
cowherd boy form.”
Therefore in the Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad
(27) one can find
the following statement by Brahmäjé
beginning with tad u
hoväca: “My dear child, when I was in the first part of my vast
duration of life, I meditated on and
offered prayers to Çré Kåñëa.
At that time, when a brähmé-niçä (4.32
billion years) had passed,
He appeared in my heart in His cowherd boy
dress.”
Although Çré Kåñëa has been described as
the Supreme
Controller, the Supreme Brahman, the
Supreme Personality and
so on, in a few places He has been
described as an avatära of Çré
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. This kind of
description has been given
only because the partial incarnations are
within Him. Therefore
it is not necessary to elaborate upon this
point any further. A
detailed exposition has been given in Çré
Kåñëa-sandarbha.
After thus describing the glories of
Bhagavän in relation to the
material world, Brahmäjé is now describing
the glories of
Bhagavän’s own personal abode in this
verse 43 beginning
goloka nämni. Çré Goloka-dhäma exists splendidly above
all
other planets, but Brahmäjé, the
grandfather of the material planetary
systems, resides in Brahmaloka, which is
within Devédhäma.
Consequently, he is describing the glories
of Bhagavän
verse 43
2 4 7
existing in the different worlds from
bottom to top. This
sequence is exactly opposite to the
factual order, in which Çré
Goloka is topmost, followed by
Vaikuëöhaloka, then Maheçaloka,
and finally Devéloka. The glories of
Bhagavän are manifest in
those worlds to varying degrees
corresponding to their lower
and higher positions. The supermost
position and omnipresence
of Goloka-dhäma is established everywhere
in çästra. If it is
suggested that Çré Våndävana is situated
within Devé-dhäma, one
may reply that it cannot be so. Even
though Våndävana appears
to be situated on the Earth planet, this
perception is possible only
by the influence of Yogamäyä; factually,
Çré Våndävana-Gokuladhäma
is non-different from Çré Goloka. We have
already
presented scriptural evidence to show that
these two dhämas are
non-different. In the Harivaàça (Viñëu-parva,
chapter 19), the
following account has been given:
gaväm eva tu goloko
durärohä hi sä gatiù
sa tu lokas tvayä kåñëa
sédamänaù kåtätmanä
dhåto dhåtimatä véra
nighnatopadravän gaväm
O Kåñëa, O Véra, O calm and steadfast
Supreme Person, You are
capable of achieving anything. When the
planet called Våndävana
was distressed, You remembered it and
delivered the whole of
Gokula, the cows and gopés from all
calamities.
This statement supports the idea that
Goloka and Våndävana
are non-different. The use of the word eva
in the phrase goloka
eva nivasati in verse 37 expresses the non-difference
of Goloka
and Våndävana. This non-difference is
indicated by descriptions
in the çästras which state that Çré
Kåñëa eternally resides in the
place called Våndävana that is manifest in
Bhüloka (planet
Earth). For example, in the Ädi-Varäha
Puräëa it is stated:
våndävanaà dvädaçakaà…sevitam.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 4 8
TÄTPARYA
Çré Goloka-dhäma exists splendidly above
all other worlds.
Brahmäjé is looking up in the direction of
Goloka from his own
position in Brahmaloka or Satyaloka, which
is within Devédhäma,
and he is describing the glories of
Bhagavän that are present
first of all in Devé-dhäma, and above that
Maheça-dhäma
and so on. In this material world, which
is called Devé-dhäma,
there are seven upper planetary systems,
namely Bhüù, Bhuvaù,
Svaù, Mahaù, Janaù, Tapaù and Satya, and
seven lower planetary
systems, namely Atala, Vitala, Sutala,
Talätala, Rasätala, Mahätala
and Pätäla. Thus there are fourteen
planetary systems within
Devé-dhäma.
Above Devé-dhäma lies Çiva’s abode, in
which one part is in
darkness and the other part is
illuminated. The dark portion is
celebrated by the name of Mahäkäla-dhäma,
and the light portion
is renowned by the name of Sadäçivaloka.
Hari-dhäma or
the Vaikuëöhaloka in the spiritual world
is situated above that
Sadäçivaloka.
Influence (prabhäva) is present in
Devé-dhäma as mäyä’s
majestic opulence, and in Çiva-dhäma as the
grandeur of time,
the aggregate of material elements, and
the semblance of a
plenary portion of Bhagavän who manifests
in the form of
Çambhu via the transforming agent of the
minuteness aspect of
the marginal potency (this is described in
detail in verse 45).
However, in Hari-dhäma Vaikuëöha there is
the influence of transcendental
opulence, while the influence of the
supreme sweetness
that usurps all opulence is wonderfully
present in Goloka.
The original personality, Govindadeva,
directly or indirectly
ordains all these influences, and
regulates them in the various
abodes.
verse 43
2 4 9
Verse 44
l`f"V & fLFkfr & izy; &
lkèku'kfäjsdk
Nk;so ;L; Hkqoukfu fcHk£Ùk nqxkZ A
bPNkuq:iefi ;L; p ps"Vrs lk
xksfoUnekfniq#"k rega Hktkfe û††û
såñöi-sthiti-pralaya-sädhana-çaktir ekä
chäyeva yasya bhuvanäni bibharti durgä
icchänurüpam api yasya ca ceñöate sä
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yasya
– whose;
çaktiù – potency; durgä – Durgä-devé; iva chäyä –
who is like a shadow
(of His transcendental potency); bibharti
– nurtures; bhuvanäni – all
the planetary systems; ca – and; api
ceñöate – she also acts (thus); yasya
icchä-anurüpam – in accordance with His will; ekä –
she alone;
sädhana – executes; såñöi-sthiti-pralaya – the duties of
creation, sustenance
and dissolution.
TRANSLATION
The shadow of the transcendental potency
is that great
potency who creates, maintains and
annihilates the
material universe. She is worshiped
throughout the world
as Durgä. I worship the original
personality, Çré Govinda,
in accordance with whose desire Durgä
conducts her
every endeavor.
2 5 0
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
In the previous çloka, Brahmäjé has
described Devé-dhäma,
Maheça-dhäma and Hari-dhäma, as well as
Goloka-dhäma,
which is situated above all of them. Now
the respective shelters
of all those dhämas, that is their
presiding deities, are being
described in five consecutive çlokas beginning
with this present
verse 44. The presiding deity of the
fourteen planetary systems
within the mundane realm is Durgä, of whom
the personified
Vedas speak as follows:
tvam akaraëaù sva-räò
akhila-käraka-çakti-dharas
tava balim udvahanti samadanty
ajayänimiñäù
varña-bhujo ’khila-kñiti-pater iva
viçva-såjo
vidadhati yatra ye tv adhikåtä bhavataç
cakitäù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.87.28)
O Prabhu, although You are the independent
controller, and have
no connection with the material senses,
the entire ability of all
living beings to function with their
working senses is conducted
by You. O Çré Govinda, Master of Goloka,
the presiding deities
headed by Durgä-devé and Maheça present
all the offerings of
their püjä unto Your illustrious
lotus feet, just as the presiding
lords of separate kingdoms accept the
gifts presented by their
respective subjects and in turn present
them to the emperor. As
everyone executes their prescribed work in
accordance with their
respective qualifications out of fear of
You, similarly Durgä-devé
surrenders the offerings made in her
worship to Your lotus feet,
although she is the presiding deity of her
abode.
TÄTPARYA
The specific attributes of Devé-dhäma have
already been
described, and now the presiding deity of
that abode is being
described in the current çloka. The
place from which Brahmäjé is
offering his prayers to the Lord of Goloka
is the universe
verse 44
2 5 1
composed of fourteen planetary systems
known as Devé-dhäma,
and its presiding deity is Durgä, whose
ten arms represent the
tenfold fruitive activities. She is known
as Siàha-vähiné, because
she rides upon a lion as an expression of
her heroic prowess.
As the subduer of sins, she is known as
Mahiñäsura-mardiné,
because she tramples down the demon
Mahiña, who is sin personified.
She is the mother of two sons, Kärttika
and Gaëeça,
who represent beauty and success, and she
is situated in the
middle of her associates, Lakñmé and
Sarasvaté, who are, respectively,
material opulence and material knowledge
personified. In
order to subdue sin, she holds twenty
kinds of weapons, which
comprise the ways of righteousness defined
in the Vedas.
Because her beauty is all-devouring time,
she is Sarpa-çobhiné,
adorned with a serpent. Thus Durgäjé is
distinguished by possessing
all these forms.
The name Durgä means prison. This refers
to the confinement
of the jévas born from the marginal
potency (taöastha-çakti) who,
due to their aversion to Çré Kåñëa, are
confined within the dungeon
of the gross material elements. These
bound jévas are punished
by being crushed in the wheel of fruitive
activities. Only to
fulfill Çré Govindadeva’s desire, Durgä
continuously performs this
task as the method to purify the living
entities who are averse to
Him. The living entities turn their
attention within when, by good
fortune and the influence of the
association of enlightened devotees,
they give up their indifference to Kåñëa.
Then, again in
accordance with the desires of Çré
Govinda, Durgä brings about
their liberation. Therefore, one should
try to attain the genuine,
non-deceptive favor of the prison warden
Durgä by pleasing her
through one’s mood of introspection and
attentiveness to
Bhagavän. One should understand that, if
one begs from Devé
benedictions such as wealth, followers,
sons, family members
and freedom from ill health, her kindness
in fulfilling such boons
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 5 2
is deceptive. Durgä manifests the ten
varieties of knowledge
(daça-mahävidyä) so that the
bewildered jévas in the mundane
realm can pursue mundane knowledge.
The living entity is a minute spiritual
particle, but due to the
defect of being indifferent to Kåñëa he
becomes agitated by the
attraction of mäyä. As soon as the
living entity is thus agitated,
Durgä dresses him in a gross material
body, which can be compared
to a convict’s prison clothes. The gross
material body is
composed of the five gross elements, the
five sense-objects and
the eleven senses. When the jéva is
thus attired, Durgä places him
in the cycle of fruitive work, wherein he
tastes material experiences
such as happiness and distress in heaven and
hell. In addition
to this gross body, she also endows him
with a subtle body
composed of mind, intelligence and false
ego. When the jéva
gives up one gross body, he carries the
subtle body with him to
the next gross body. The subtle body,
composed of ignorant and
sinful desires, cannot be discarded until
the jéva attains liberation.
After ridding himself of the subtle body,
the jéva bathes in
the Virajä River and goes to Hari-dhäma.
Durgä-devé performs all
these duties in accordance with Çré
Govinda’s desire.
vilajjamänayä yasya
sthätum ékña-pathe ’muyä
vimohitä vikatthante
mamäham iti durdhiyaù
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (2.5.13)
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 “I” and “mine.”
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is also
said that Durgä’s relationship
is with the jévas who have turned
away from Kåñëa. The Durgädevé
who is worshiped in the mundane world is
the shadow
verse 44
2 5 3
aspect of Durgä, whereas the Durgä who
takes the form of the
covering of Çré Bhagavän’s abode in the
form of mantra is a pure,
spiritual maidservant of Kåñëa, and the
shadow aspect of Durgä
performs her duties in the mundane world
as the servant of the
Durgä in the spiritual world. In this
connection one may study
the commentary on the third verse of Çré
Brahma-saàhitä.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 5 4
Verse 45
{khja ;Fkk nfèk fodkjfo'ks"k;ksxkr~
l´tk;rs u fg rr% i`FkxfLr gsrks% A
;% 'kEHkqrkefi rFkk leqiSfr dk;kZn~
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†‡û
kñéraà yathä dadhi vikära-viçeña-yogät
saïjäyate na hi tataù påthag asti hetoù
yaù çambhutäm api tathä samupaiti käryäd
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yaù
– who; upaiti –
takes on; çambhutäm – the state of
Çambhu; käryät – on account of
performing a special duty; yathä tathä –
in the same way that; kñéram –
milk; saïjäyate – becomes; dadhi
– yogurt; vikära-viçeña-yogät –
through contact with a transforming agent;
asti – is; hi – certainly; na –
not; påthak – different; tataù –
than; hetoù – its cause (milk).
TRANSLATION
Çré Govindadeva attains the condition of
being Çambhu for
the sake of performing a specific
function, just as milk is
transformed into yogurt by contact with a
particular
transforming agent, although yogurt is not
a different
substance, independent of milk, which is
its cause. I
worship that original personality, Çré
Govinda.
2 5 5
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
The next subject, in ascending order, is
Maheçvara Çiva, whose
svarüpa is being defined in this verse beginning kñéraà yathä.
Just as milk is transformed into yogurt by
contact with a transforming
agent, Çré Govinda similarly accepts the
form of Çambhu
in order to accomplish a specific purpose.
The example of yogurt
is given in order to convey the idea of
cause and effect. Here the
transformation aspect of the analogy is
not applicable, for this
example has not been given to convey the
idea of transformation.
The reason for this is that Çré
Govindadeva is a reality who
cannot be transformed, so it is not
possible for Him to undergo
any kind of distortion. A wish-fulfilling
gem manifests many
things according to one’s desire, yet its
constitutional nature
remains untransformed; the desired
articles are manifest by the
influence of its inconceivable potency.
Similarly, although
Bhagavän Çré Govinda manifests in the form
of the instrumental
cause Çambhu, His svarüpa remains
unchanged.
As stated in çruti:
eko ha vai puruño näräyaëa äsén na brahmä
na ca çaìkaraù
sa munir bhütvä samacintayat
tata ete vyajäyanta viçvo hiraëyagarbho
’gnir
varuëa-rudrendräs tathä
sa brahmaëä såjati rudreëa näçayati ity
ädi
Before the creation only the Supreme
Person Bhagavän Näräyaëa
existed. At that time neither Brahmä nor
even Çaìkara was there.
Bhagavän, taking the form of a sage, began
to contemplate the
means for bringing about the creation of
the universe, which then
took place through Hiraëyagarbha; Agni,
Varuëa, Rudra, Indra
and the other demigods also became
manifest. Furthermore,
Bhagavän takes the form of Brahmä to
create, and the form of
Rudra to destroy, but Çré Hari Himself,
who is the intrinsic form of
supreme bliss, is completely devoid of the
influences of creation
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 5 6
and dissolution. He performs the duties of
cosmic creation, maintenance
and destruction in the forms of the guëa-avatäras.
His
quality of being Çambhu occurs by his
acceptance of material
modes, such as the mode of ignorance.
For example, it is stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam
(10.88.5):
harir hi nirguëaù säkñät
puruñaù prakåteù paraù
çiva-çakti-yutaù çaçvat
tri-liìgo guëa-samvåtaù
Çré Hari, who is transcendental to
material nature and free from
mundane qualities, is directly the Supreme
Personality of
Godhead. However, Çiva is simultaneously
possessed of three
types of false ego, namely goodness,
passion and ignorance, and
he is always connected with the illusory
potency. Therefore, a jéva
can only become transcendental to the
material modes by the
performance of çré hari-bhajana.
To further clarify this point, this verse
45 specifically states
vikära-viçeña-yogät. Çiva is fully in contact with the
external illusory
potency, which is subject to
transformation. For this reason
çiva-tattva is sometimes described as being different
from Çré
Hari, and sometimes as being
non-different. To resolve the difference
between them, it is stated herein that
Çiva is not an independent
controller or cause separate from the
cause of all causes,
Çré Hari. His dominion or aspect as
controller is subordinate to
the dominion of the Absolute Truth, Çré
Hari.
As it is stated in the Åg Veda,
“Thus, hereafter it should be
known that the one Näräyaëa is indeed
eternal. Brahmä is
Näräyaëa, Çiva is Näräyaëa, Indra is
Näräyaëa, time is Näräyaëa
and the ten directions are also Näräyaëa.
Näräyaëa is below,
Näräyaëa is above, Näräyaëa is within,
Näräyaëa is without and
whatever exists in this universe is also
nothing but Näräyaëa.”
verse 45
2 5 7
In the Second Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam
Brahmäjé has
stated, “I create by the inspiration of
Bhagavän, Çré Çiva also
destroys in subordination to Him, and Çré
Hari Himself, equipped
with His three potencies, also performs
the function of maintenance
through the agency of His puruña-avatäras.”
In this way
Bhagavän accomplishes the creation,
destruction and maintenance
of the universes through His three
potencies, namely
goodness, passion and ignorance.
TÄTPARYA
The current verse beginning kñéraà
yathä is an analysis of the
svarüpa of Çambhu, the previously mentioned presiding deity of
Maheça-dhäma. Actually Çambhu is not a
separate lord, independent
of Çré Kåñëa, and those who think that he
is are offensive to
Bhagavän. Çambhu’s status as a lord is
subordinate to and dependent
upon Çré Govinda’s overlordship. Thus they
are factually
non-different realities. The example of
that non-difference is
that as milk is transformed into yogurt by
contact with a
specific transforming agent, similarly by
union with a special
transforming agent, the Supreme Lord takes
on a separate form,
which is dependent on Him; this separate
form has no
independence.
In this case, the special transforming
agent is constituted of a
mixture of mäyä’s aspect of the
mode of ignorance, the nonplenitude
or minuteness aspect of the marginal
potency, and a
slight degree of the combined knowledge (saàvit)
and bliss
(hlädiné) aspects of the
transcendental potency. The effulgent
subordinate controller in the form of
Çambhu liìga, being united
with this special transforming agent, is
constitutionally the semblance
of an expansion of the Supreme Godhead. He
is the
Sadäçiva from whom Rudradeva is manifest.
Çré Govinda is manifest
in the form of Çambhu as guëa-avatära,
in order to arrange
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 5 8
the ingredient materials for creation, to
annihilate certain asuras
for the purpose of universal maintenance,
and to execute all
functions of destruction. This Çambhu is a
separated expansion
imbued with the mood of a plenary
expansion, and he is also
known as käla-puruña, the
personified time factor. In this
regard a body of evidence has been cited
in Çréla Jéva Gosvämé’s
commentary.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.13.16) it
is stated: “vaisnavänäà
yathä çambhuù – of all Vaiñëavas, Çambhu is the
greatest.” The
purport of such statements is that Çambhu
meets together with
Durgä-devé and performs his function
through his own timepotency
in accordance with Çré Govinda’s desire.
Many çästras
headed by the tantras give
instruction to follow the principles of
righteous conduct in accordance with the
level of eligibility of
the respective jévas. These
principles are compared to a ladder
with steps that eventually lead to the
attainment of bhakti.
Furthermore, in accord with Govinda’s
desire, Çambhu maintains
and protects pure devotional service by
preaching Mäyäväda
philosophy and imaginary supplementary
scriptures (ägamas).37
The fifty qualities of the jévas are
present in abundance in
Çambhu, and five more great qualities not
attainable by ordinary
living entities are partially manifest in
him. Thus, one cannot say
that Çambhu is a jéva. Although his
nature is that of a separated
expansion, he is still a lord and
controller (içvara).
verse 45
2 5 9
37
How did Çambhu in the form of Äcärya
Çaìkara protect pure bhakti by
preaching Mäyäväda philosophy, which is
opposed to bhakti ? By propagating
the Mäyäväda doctrine, Çaìkaräcärya
supplanted voidism and re-established a
system which accepts the authority of the
Vedas. Also, by focusing the living
entities who are not inclined toward bhakti
on the concept of “I am God,” he
turned them away from deep-seated envy of
Vaiñëavas.
Verse 46
nhik£Ppjso fg n'kkUrjeH;qisR;
nhik;rs foo`rgsrqlekuèkekZ A
;Lrkn`xso fg p fo".kqr;k foHkkfr
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†ˆû
dépärcir eva hi daçäntaram abhyupetya
dépäyate vivåta-hetu-samäna-dharmä
yas tädåg eva hi ca viñëutayä vibhäti
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
dépa-arciù eva hi – just as the flame of a lamp; abhyupetya
– having
been brought; daçä-antaram – to
another lamp; dépäyate – causes illumination;
vivåta – which is displayed; samäna-dharmä – in the same
nature; hetu – as the original
lamp; aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana;
tam – of that; ädi-puruñam govindam – original Supreme
Person, Çré
Govinda; yaù vibhäti – who
illuminates; viñëutayä – through His Viñëu
expansions; tädåk eva hi – in
exactly the same way.
TRANSLATION
I worship the original personality, Çré
Govinda. Just as
when the flame of one lamp is transmitted
to another
lamp, the second lamp illuminates in the
same manner as
the original flame, although it exists
separately, so does
Govinda accept the form of Mahä-Viñëu
reclining on the
Causal Ocean. That Mahä-Viñëu is the
source of all the
Viñëu expansions and incarnations in this
world.
2 6 0
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Following the sequence given in verse 43,
after the discussion of
the guëa-avatära Maheça, in order
to further clarify the unique
svarüpa of Çré Hari, this çloka beginning dépärcir eva is
spoken
to describe the position of the guëa-avatära
Çré Viñëu.
As one lamp can be used to light many
other lamps, which
can all shine in the same way as the
original lamp, similarly
Käraëodakaçäyé Mahä-Viñëu is the portion
of a portion of Çré
Govinda; Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu is an
expansion of Mahä-
Viñëu; and Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu is in turn
an expansion of
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu. Although the light
emanating from a
large lamp is transmitted to a succession
of lamps via a small
flame, the lights are all as pure and
bright as that of the original
one. From the point of view of light, they
are all equal. However,
since the pastime of Çambhu is to be the
presiding deity of the
mode of ignorance, he can be compared to
the flame in a sooty
lamp that is filled with smoke, rather
than a flame from a cleanly
burning lamp. Thus, he is not of the same
nature as Çré Govinda.
Mahä-Viñëu is a specific expansion of an
expansion of Çré
Govinda. This will be discussed
elaborately in the coming verses.
TÄTPARYA
In the verse under discussion, the
presiding deity of Hari-dhäma,
who is named variously as Hari, Näräyaëa,
Viñëu, etc., is being
described as a plenary expansion. The Lord
of Vaikuëöha, Çré
Näräyaëa, is the pastime form of Çré
Kåñëa. His expansion is the
first of the puruña-avatäras,
Käraëodakaçäyé Mahä-Viñëu, who
in turn expands as the second puruña-avatära,
Garbhodakaçäyé
Viñëu, who further expands as the third puruña-avatära,
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. The word “Viñëu”
indicates “He who is
known by His all-pervasiveness, which
extends across all situations
and conditions.” Although He descends to
the mundane
verse 46
2 6 1
universe, he remains omnipresent and in
every way transcendental
to the influence of the illusory potency.
In this verse the
nature of pastime expansions is being
described by defining the
nature of Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. Viñëu-tattva,
the presiding deity
of the material mode of goodness, is
distinguished from çambhutattva
by the latter’s intermingling with the
qualities of mäyä.
The purport is that Viñëu also possesses
Çré Govinda’s intrinsic
nature. Both have the quality of having a
purely transcendental
svarüpa. Because Viñëu is manifest from Çré Govinda, He has the
same constitutional nature as Çré Govinda,
that is to say, viñëutattva
is completely pure and transcendental to mäyä.
The mundane
mode of goodness present in the material
energy
composed of the three material modes is
mixed with passion and
ignorance; thus it is called impure
goodness.
Brahmä is endowed with the potency of a
personal expansion,
but is a separated expansion mixed with
the mode of passion,
while Çambhu, who also has the potency of
a personal expansion,
is a separated expansion mixed with the
material mode of
ignorance. Since both principles are
separated expansions mixed
with the material modes of passion and
ignorance respectiveÿy,
they are extremely unconscious, or insentient.
For this reason,
they have been cast very far away from the
original form
(svayaà-rüpa), and from the
expanded forms of the Divinity
(tad-ekätma-rüpa). However,
although Viñëu, the presiding
deity of the material mode of goodness, is
situated within the
material mode of goodness, He is an
expansion of Çré Kåñëa
whose nature is in unalloyed pure
goodness, and He is also situated
in unalloyed pure goodness beyond the
qualities of mäyä.
Therefore Viñëu, being fully the Supreme
Controller and a pastime
expansion, is not in contact with mäyä;
rather, He is the
Lord of mäyä.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 6 2
Viñëu is aware that he is Çré Govinda’s
personal expansion. Çré
Govinda’s complete opulence, which
consists of sixty qualities,
is fully displayed in His pastime form,
Çré Näräyaëa. Brahmä and
Çiva are mixed with the modes of material
nature, and thus they
are not unalloyed principles like Viñëu,
although they are presiding
deities of the material modes. Çré
Näräyaëa appears in the
form of Käraëodakaçäyé Mahä-Viñëu,
Mahä-Viñëu appears in the
form of Garbhodakaçäyé, who in turn
appears as Kñérodakaçäyé.
Such appearances are examples of Viñëu’s
all-pervading nature.
One whose individual svarüpa is
manifest everywhere is called
cariñëu. Viñëu is the only supreme controller; apart from Him the
two other presiding deities of the
material modes, as well as all
of the demigods, are principles of
subordinate authority.
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu and Kñérodakaçäyé
Viñëu, as well as the
personal expansions such as Räma, are manifest
from Mahä-
Viñëu, who is also a pastime form. Çré
Govinda is likened to the
original great flame from whom the pastime
expansion
Käraëodakaçäyé Mahä-Viñëu is expanded. All
personal expansions
are likened to separately situated flames
transmitted from
the original. All such personal expansions
shine brilliantly and
forever through the agency of Çré
Govinda’s transcendental
potency.
verse 46
2 6 3
Verse 47
;% dkj.kk.kZotys Hktfr Le ;ksx &
fuækeuUrtxn.Mljksedwi% A
vkèkkj'kfäeoyEC; ijka Loew£Ùak
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†‰û
yaù käraëärëava-jale bhajati sma
yoganidräm
ananta-jagad-aëòa-sa-roma-küpaù
ädhära-çaktim avalambya paräà sva-mürtià
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yaù
– who; bhajati
sma – enjoys; yoga-nidräm – mystic slumber (of His
personal intrinsic
potency); jale – in the water; käraëa-arëava
– of the Causal Ocean;
sa-roma-küpaù – within His hair follicles; ananta-jagad-aëòa
– (are)
the limitless universes; avalambya –
reposing upon; paräm – the most
excellent; sva-mürtim – His own
personal form (His expansion
named Ananta); ädhära-çaktim – who
is the embodiment of His allaccommodating
potency.
TRANSLATION
I worship that original personality, Çré
Govinda. Having
assumed His own most excellent form, Çeña,
the
embodiment of the all-accommodating
potency, He enjoys
mystic slumber while reclining in the
Causal Ocean with
innumerable universes within every
hair-pore of His skin.
2 6 4
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Now the principle of Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu
is being described.
Unlimited millions of universes are
situated in each of the hairpores
of His skin; when He exhales, countless
universes are
released, and they enter into Him again
along with His
inhalation. This Mahä-Viñëu rests within
the causal water. The
word sa, meaning “with,” in the
phrase sa-roma-küpaù is an
exception to grammatical formulae, and is
thus considered to be
acceptable due to its use by authoritative
åñis. Bhagavän Çeña
(Anantadeva) is His own great personal
form imbued with His
all-accommodating potency. Reposing upon
Çeña, who takes the
form of His bed, the Lord enjoys with
Yogamäyä.
TÄTPARYA
In this verse the tattva of
Anantadeva, taking the form of Mahä-
Viñëu’s bed, is described. Anantadeva is
the bed on which Mahä-
Viñëu reposes. This avatära of
Bhagavän named Çeña is in the
category of a servant of Çré Kåñëa.
verse 47
2 6 5
Verse 48
;L;Sdfu'oflrdkyeFkkoyEC;
thofUr yksefcytk txn.MukFkk% A
fo".kqZegku~ l bg ;L; dykfo'ks"kks
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†Šû
yasyaika-niçvasita-kälam athävalambya
jévanti loma-bilajä jagad-aëòa-näthäù
viñëur mahän sa iha yasya kalä-viçeño
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
atha – thereafter; aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana;
tam – of that;
ädi-puruñam govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yasya
– whose; kalä-viçeçaù – special
plenary portion; saù mahän viñëuù –
(is) Mahä-Viñëu; jagad-aëòa-näthäù –
the lords of the material
universes, Brahmä, Viñëu and Çiva; avalambya
– taking shelter (of
Him); loma-bila-jäù – become
manifest within His hair-pores; jévanti –
they live; iha – in their
respective universes; yasya eka-niçvasita-kälam
– for the time-period of His one breath.
TRANSLATION
The lords of the universes, such as
Brahmä, who emanate
from the hair-pores of Mahä-Viñëu’s skin,
remain alive
only for the duration of His one
exhalation. I worship the
original personality, Çré Govinda,
of whom Mahä-Viñëu is
a portion of a portion.
2 6 6
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Mahä-Viñëu, who has been mentioned in the
discussion of
avatäras, is Çré Govinda’s avatära, and is a portion of a
plenary
portion of His plenary portion. He is the
protector of all the
universes, and although He assists
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu in the
form of Mahä-Brahmä, or Hiraëyagarbha
Prajäpati,38 Mahä-Viñëu
is non-different from Garbhodakaçäyé
Viñëu. His intrinsic nature
is being defined in this verse. Headed by
Brahmä, countless masters
of the individual universes become
manifest from the hairpores
of Mahä-Viñëu’s skin, and remain alive
only for the
duration of one of His breaths. The
purport is that Viñëu the
maintainer, Brahmä the creator and Çiva
the destroyer are
manifest within this universe, and they
remain situated in their
respective jurisdictions of authority, absorbed
in their prescribed
duties. After that, they again enter
Mahä-Viñëu at the time of His
inhalation. That Mahä-Viñëu is a portion
of a plenary portion of
Çré Govinda’s plenary portion.
TÄTPARYA
The immense majestic opulence of viñëu-tattva
has been illustrated
in this verse.
verse 48
2 6 7
38 Hiraëyagarbha Prajäpati is the
manifestation of Viñëu who is the original form
of all Brahmäs, and from whom the
four-headed Brahmä is manifest.
Hiraëyagarbha is also known as
Mahä-Brahmä, as described here.
Verse 49
HkkLoku~ ;Fkk'e'kdys"kq futs"kq
rst%
Loh;a fd;r~ izdV;R;fi r}n= A
czãk ; ,"k txn.MfoèkkudÙkkZ
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û†‹û
bhäsvän yathäçma-çakaleñu nijeñu tejaù
svéyaà kiyat prakaöayaty api tadvad atra
brahmä ya eña jagad-aëòa-vidhäna-kartä
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yathä
– just as;
bhäsvän – the sun; prakaöayati – manifests; kiyat – a
certain portion;
svéyam – of his own; tejaù – potency; açma-çakaleñu
nijeñu – within its
own gem-stones (which are celebrated by
the sun’s names such as
sürya-känta, and enacts his duty of heating the
worlds); tadvad atra –
similarly in the business of creation
within this universe, etc.; api – also;
eñaù brahmä – Lord Brahmä; yaù – who; jagad-aëòa-vidhäna-kartä
–
(is) the director of the universe (who is
empowered by Govinda).
TRANSLATION
Just as the sun manifests his potency to a
minute degree
within jewels such as sürya-känta,
and invests them with
the power to burn, similarly Çré Govinda
also infuses His
creative potency within the secondary
creator of the
universe, Brahmä. I worship that original
personality, Çré
Govinda.
2 6 8
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
The demigods and demigoddesses are all under
Çré Kåñëa’s
shelter; they are not independent. To
illustrate this, the nature of
Brahmä is being defined. It is established
in this verse that
Brahmä is an extremely pious living
entity, and is thus categorically
distinct from bhagavat-tattva. In
the same way that the sun
manifests some portion of its energy
within gems such as süryakänta
and invests them with the power to burn,
similarly
Bhagavän bestows a minute degree of His
creative potency upon
Brahmä, the secondary universal creator,
and causes the creation
of the universe through his agency.
In this verse the word api indicates
the functional aspect of the
heating potency of the jewel. This heating
potency does not
belong to the jewel, because a jewel
cannot reduce anything to
ashes by itself; it can only burn up other
things when a minute
portion of the sun’s rays has entered into
it. Similarly, Bhagavän’s
potency becomes manifest within the jéva-tattva
Brahmä, who
becomes the agent for accomplishing the
creation. Just as the
function of burning belongs to the sun,
similarly the function of
creation belongs to Bhagavän; Brahmä is
only an instrument in
the matter. Bhagavän manifests His potency
in a qualified jéva,
and causes the creation to be accomplished
through him.
Sometimes Bhagavän Himself becomes Brahmä,
the creator
within an individual universe.
Alternatively, He performs the
duties of creation and so on as
Mahä-Brahmä, Hiraëyagarbha. By
inference it should also be accepted that
He also becomes MahäÇiva;
that is, Bhagavän sometimes takes the form
of Mahä-Çiva
and performs the duties of destruction
Himself. Therefore, the
ultimate performer of the universal
creation, maintenance and
destruction is Govinda Himself.
Although Mäyä-devé Durgä is Käraëodakaçäyé
Viñëu’s potency
of cause and effect, and Brahmä,
Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu and so on
verse 49
2 6 9
are avatäras of Garbhodakaçäyé
Viñëu, still Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa is
the original source of all the avatäras.
He is the shelter for all,
and all others are His dependents.
Similarly, the forthcoming
verses will also describe those who are
beings under His shelter.
TÄTPARYA
There are two kinds of Brahmä. In some kalpas,
Bhagavän
empowers a worthy living entity with His
potency, and that jéva
performs the duty of Brahmä. Occasionally,
in some kalpas when
there is no suitable jéva and the
Brahmä of the previous kalpa
has become liberated, Çré Kåñëa manifests
Brahmä, the avatära
of the material mode of passion, by a
portion of His potency.
Brahmä is superior to all of the ordinary
living entities in terms
of tattva, but it cannot be said
that he is directly the Supreme
Lord. Furthermore, it should be kept in
mind that Çambhu, who
has already been discussed, possesses the
qualities of éçvara to a
greater extent than Brahmä. The basic
meaning is that the fifty
qualities present in the jévas are
present to a greater extent in
Brahmä, along with five other qualities
that are partially present
in Brahmä but absent from the jévas.
However, those fifty qualities
and the five further qualities are present
to an even greater
extent in Çambhu.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 7 0
Verse 50
;RikniYyo;qxa fofuèkk; dqEHk &
}U}s iz.kkele;s l x.kkfèkjkt% A
fo?uku~ fogUrqeyeL; txR=;L;
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û‡OEû
yat-päda-pallava-yugaà vinidhäya
kumbhadvandve
praëäma-samaye sa gaëädhiräjaù
vighnän vihantum alam asya jagat-trayasya
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; vinidhäya
– by
placing; yat-päda-pallava-yugam –
His two delicate lotus feet;
kumbha-dvandve – upon the pair of cranial mounds on his
elephant
head; praëäma-samaye – at the time
of offering obeisances; saù gaëaadhiräjaù
– that chief among the demigods; vihantum
alam – is able to
remove easily; vighnän – the obstacles
(on the path of devotion); asya
jagat-trayasya – of the three worlds.
TRANSLATION
In order to obtain the power required to
remove all the
obstacles within the three worlds, Gaëeça,
the bestower of
success, always holds the divine lotus
feet of Çré Govinda
upon the pair of cranial mounds protruding
from his
elephant head. I worship that original
personality, Çré
Govinda.
2 7 1
ÖÉKÄ TRANSLATION
Most people consider Gaëeçajé to be an
original and independent
lord, and they therefore worship him at the
beginning of any
undertaking for the removal of the mundane
obstacles that
impede their respective endeavors. This
verse beginning with
yat-päda-pallava is being presented to resolve the issue of
whether Gaëeça should be worshiped as the
original Personality
or not. Gaëeçajé is the monarch of the
populace, and he always
holds Çré Govinda’s lotus feet upon the
cranial mounds on his
elephant head so that he can obtain the
power to remove all
obstacles within the realm of birth and
death. Thus it is by
Govinda’s mercy that Gaëeçajé bestows all
success and removes
the obstacles impeding those who bow down
to him. Actually,
Çré Govinda is the original bestower of
perfections and the
remover of obstacles. As He alone is the
original shelter of the
universe, intelligent men take exclusive
shelter of Him.
Moreover, to reinforce this conclusion,
the following example
is being presented from the conversation
between Kapiladeva
and Devahüti in Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
Bhagavän Kapiladeva
said:
yat-päda-niùsåta-sarit-pravarodakena
térthena mürdhy-adhikåtena çivaù çivo
’bhüt
dhyätur manaù çamala-çaila-nisåñöa-vajraà
dhyäyec ciraà bhagavataç caraëäravindam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.28.22)
Çivajé attained his intrinsic quality of
auspiciousness by holding
upon his head the pure water of the
exalted river Bhägavaté
Gaìgä, who springs from the foot-wash of
Çré Govinda. If one
simply meditates upon those lotus feet,
they vanquish all the
inebrieties of his heart, just as a
thunderbolt hurled at a mountain
smashes it into tiny fragments. Therefore
one should meditate
incessantly upon the divine lotus feet of
Bhagavän.
ÇRÉ BRAHMA-SAÀHITÄ
2 7 2
In conclusion, it may be said that all
kinds of abilities and
powers are attained by the mercy of His
lotus feet, and without
that mercy, everything becomes useless.
Thus one should meditate
upon Bhagavän Çré Hari, who is
all-auspicious.
TÄTPARYA
Çré Gaëeça is a special authority, who is
empowered by
Bhagavän to perform the duty of destroying
the obstacles on the
path of progress for the entire universe.
He is certainly the object
of worship for people possessed of the
appropriate eligibility.
Moreover, among all the demigods he is
counted as one of the
five worshipable forms of Brahman with
attributes (saguëabrahma).
Gaëeça is a demigod who has been empowered
with
authority by Bhagavän. All of his glories
are manifest only by Çré
Govinda’s mercy.
verse 50
2 7 3
Verse 51
vfXueZgh xxueEcq e#fí'k'p
dkyLrFkkReeulhfr txR=;kf.k A
;LekÚofUr foHkofUr fo'kfUr ;´p
xksfoUnekfniq#"ka rega Hktkfe û‡ƒû
agnir mahé gaganam ambu marud diçaç ca
kälas tathätma-manaséti jagat-trayäëi
yasmäd bhavanti vibhavanti viçanti yaà ca
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
Anvaya
aham bhajämi – I perform bhajana; tam –
of that; ädi-puruñam
govindam – original Supreme Person, Çré Govinda; yasmät
– from
whom; jagat-trayäëi – the three
worlds (heavenly, middle and hellish
planets); iti – which are composed
of; agniù – fire; mahé – earth;
gaganam – space; ambu – water; marut – air; diçaù –
the (ten) directions;
kälaù – time; tathä – as well as; ätma-manasé ca –
soul and mind;
bhavanti – emanate; vibhavanti – are
maintained; yam – (and) into
whom; viçanti – they enter
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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