Sri Brahma-samhita
by His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

Chapter Five

Bs5.9

TEXT 9

linga-yony-atmika jata

ima mahesvari-prajah

SYNONYMS

linga—of the mundane masculine generative organs; yoni—and of the mundane feminine generative organs; atmikah—as the embodiment; jatah—born; imah—these; mahesvari—of the consort of the great lord of this mundane world; prajah—the offspring.

TRANSLATION

All offspring of the consort of the great lord [Mahesvara] of this mundane world are of the nature of the embodiment of the mundane masculine and feminine generative organs.

PURPORT

The full quadrantal extension of the Supreme Lord, is His majesty. Of this the triquadrantal extensions of unlamenting, nonperishing and nonapprehending situations constitute the majesties of the realms of Vaikuntha and Goloka, etc. In this temporal realm of Maya devas and men, etc.—all these together with all mundane worlds—are the great majesties of the limited potency. All these entities are embodiments of the masculine and feminine organs of generation by the distinction of efficient and material causal principles; or, in other words, they are produced by the process of sexual intercourse between the male and female organs of generation. All the information that has been accumulated by the agency of the sciences of this world, possesses this nature of sexual co-union. Trees, plants and even all insentient entities are embodiments of the co-union of male and female. The feature that is of special significance is that although such expressions as “the generative organs of male and female” are indecorous yet in scientific literature these words, expressing the above-mentioned principles, are exceedingly wholesome and productive of abiding value. Indecorum is merely an entity pertaining to the external custom of society. But science, and specially the highest science, cannot destroy the true entity by deference to social custom. Wherefore, in order to demonstrate the seed of mundane sex desire, the basic principle of this phenomenal world, the use of those identical words is indispensable. By the use of all these words only the masculine energy or the predominating active potency. and female energy or the predominated active potency. are to be understood.

Bs5.10

TEXT 10

saktiman purusah so ’yam

linga-rupi mahesvarah

tasminn avirabhul linge

maha-visnur jagat-patih

SYNONYMS

saktiman- joined to his female consort; purusah—person; sah—he; ayam—this; linga-rupi—in the form of the male generating organ; maha-isvarah—Sambhu, the lord of this mundane world; tasmin—in that; avirabhut—manifested; linge—in the manifested emblem; maha-visnuh—Maha-Visnu; jagat-patih—the Lord of the world.

TRANSLATION

The person embodying the material causal principle, viz., the great lord of this mundane world [Mahesvara] Samhhu, in the form of the male generating organ, is joined to his female consort the limited energy [Maya] as the efficient causal principle. The Lord of the world Maha-Visnu is manifest in him by His subjective portion in the form of His glance.

PURPORT

In the transcendental atmosphere (para-vyoma), where spiritual majesty preponderates, there is present Sri Narayana who is not different from Krsna. Maha-Sankarsana, subjective plenary facsimile of the extended personality of Sri Narayana, is also the divine plenary portion of the propagatory embodiment of Sri Krsna. By the power of His spiritual energy a plenary subjective portion of Him, eternally reposing in the neutral stream of Viraja forming the boundary between the spiritual and mundane realms, casts His glance, at creation, unto the limited shadow potency. Maya, who is located far away from Himself. Thereupon Sambhu, lord of pradhana embodying the substantive principle of all material entities, who is the same as Rudra, the dim reflection of the Supreme Lord’s own divine glance, consummates his intercourse with Maya, the efficient mundane causal principle. But he can do nothing independently of the energy of Maha-Visnu representing the direct spiritual power of Krsna. Therefore, the principle of mahat, or the perverted cognitive faculty. is produced only when the subjective plenary portion of Krsna, viz., the prime divine avatara Maha-Visnu who is the subjective portion of Sankarsana, Himself the subjective portion of Krsna, is propitious towards the active mutual endeavors of Maya, Siva’s consort (sakti), and pradhana or the principle of substantive mundane causality. Agreeably to the initiative of Maha-Visnu the consort of Siva creates successively the mundane ego (ahankara), the five mundane elements (bhutas) viz., space etc., their attributes (tan-matras) and the limited senses of the conditioned soul (jiva). The constituent particles, in the form of pencils of effulgence of Maha-Visnu, are manifest as the individual souls (jivas). This will be elaborated in the sequel.

Bs5.11

TEXT 11

sahasra-sirsa purusah

sahasraksah sahasra-pat

sahasra-bahur visvatma

sahasramsah sahasra-suh

SYNONYMS

sahasra-sirsa—possessing thousands of heads; purusah—Lord Maha-Visnu, the first purusa-avatara; sahasra-aksah—possessing thousands of eyes; sahasra-pat—possessing thousands of legs; sahasra-bahuh—possessing thousands of arms; visva-atma—the Supersoul of the universe; sahasra-amsah—the source of thousands of avataras; sahasra-suh—the creator of thousands of individual souls.

TRANSLATION

The Lord of the mundane world, Maha-Visnu, possesses thousands of thousands of heads, eyes, hands. He is the source of thousands of thousands of avataras in His thousands of thousands of subjective portions. He is the creator of thousands of thousands of individual souls.

PURPORT

Maha-Visnu, the object of worship of the hymns of all the Vedas, is possessed of an infinity of senses and potencies, and He is the prime avatara-purusa, the source of all the avataras.

Bs5.12

TEXT 12

narayanah sa bhagavan

apas tasmat sanatanat

avirasit karanarno

nidhih sankarsanatmakah

yoga-nidram gatas tasmin

sahasramsah svayam mahan

SYNONYMS

narayanah—named Narayana; sah—that; bhagavan—Supreme Personality of Godhead, Maha-Visnu; apah—water; tasmat—from that; sanatanat—eternal person; avirasit—has sprung; karana-arnah—the Causal Ocean; nidhih—expanse of water; sankarsana-atmakah—the subjective portion of Sankarsana; yoga-nidram gatah—in the state of deep sleep; tasmin—in that (water); sahasra-amsah—with thousands of portions; svayam—Himself; mahan—the Supreme Person.

TRANSLATION

The same Maha-Visnu is spoken of by the name of “Narayana” in this mundane world. From that eternal person has sprung the vast expanse of water of the spiritual Causal Ocean. The subjective portion of Sankarsana who abides in paravyoma, the above supreme purusa with thousands of subjective portions, reposes in the state of divine sleep [yoga-nidra] in the waters of the spiritual Causal Ocean.

PURPORT

Yoga-nidra (divine sleep) is spoken of as ecstatic trance which is of the nature of the bliss of the true subjective personality. The above-mentioned Ramadevi is yoga-nidra in the form of Yogamaya.

Bs5.13

TEXT 13

tad-roma-bila jalesu

bijam sankarsanasya ca

haimany andani jatani

maha-bhutavrtani tu

SYNONYMS

tat—of Him (Maha-Visnu); roma-bila-jalesu—in the pores of the skin; bijam—the seeds; sankarsanasya—of Sankarsana; ca—and; haimani—golden; andani—eggs or sperms; jata-ni—born; maha-bhuta—by the five great elements; avrtani—covered; tu—certainly.

TRANSLATION

The spiritual seeds of Sankarsana existing in the pores of skin of Maha-Visnu, are born as so many golden sperms. These sperms are covered with five great elements.

PURPORT

The prime divine avatara lying in the spiritual Causal Ocean is such a great affair that in the pores of His divine form spring up myriads of seeds of the universes. Those series of universes are the perverted reflections of the infinite transcendental region. As long as they remain embedded in His divine form they embody the principle of spiritual reflection having the form of golden eggs. Nevertheless by the creative desire of Maha-Visnu the minute particles of the great elements, which are constituents of the mundane efficient and material causal principles, envelop them. When those golden sperms, coming out with the exhalation of Maha-Visnu, enter into the unlimited accommodating chamber of the limited potency (Maya) they become enlarged by the nonconglomerate great elements.

Bs5.14

TEXT 14

praty-andam evam ekamsad

ekamsad visati svayam

sahasra-murdha visvatma

maha-visnuh sanatanah

SYNONYMS

prati—each; andam—egglike universe; evam—thus; eka-amsat eka-amsat—as His own separate subjective portions; visati—enters; svayam—personally; sahasra-murdha—possessing thousands of heads; visva-atma—the Supersoul of the universe; maha-visnuh—Maha-Visnu; sanatanah—eternal.

TRANSLATION

The same Maha-Visnu entered into each universe as His own separate subjective portions. The divine portions, that entered into each universe are possessed of His majestic extension, i.e., they are the eternal universal soul Maha-Visnu, possessing thousands of thousands of heads.

PURPORT

Maha-Visnu lying in the spiritual Causal Ocean is the subjective portion of Maha-Sankarsana. He entered, as His own subjective portions, into those universes. These individual portions all represent the second divine purusa lying in the ocean of conception and is identical with Maha-Visnu in every respect. He is also spoken of as the divine guide, from within, of all souls.

Bs5.15

TEXT 15

vamangad asrjad visnum

daksinangat prajapatim

jyotir-linga-mayam sambhum

kurca-desad avasrjat

SYNONYMS

vama-angat—from His left limb; asrjat—He created; visnum—Lord Visnu; daksina-angat—from His right limb; prajapatim—Hiranyagarbha Brahma; jyotih-linga—the divine masculine manifested halo; mayam-“comprising; sambhum—Sambhu; kurca-desat—from the space between His two eyebrows; avasrjat—He created.

TRANSLATION

The same Maha-Visnu created Visnu from His left limb, Brahma, the first progenitor of beings, from His right limb and, from the space between His two eyebrows, Sambhu, the divine masculine manifested halo.

PURPORT

The divine purusa, lying in the ocean of milk, the same who is the regulator of all individual souls, is Sri Visnu; and Hiranyagarbha, the seminal principle, the portion of the Supreme Lord, is the prime progenitor who is different from the four-faced Brahma. This same Hiranyagarbha is the principle of seminal creating energy of every Brahma belonging to each of the infinity of universes. The divine masculine manifested halo, Sambhu, is the plenary manifestation of his prototype Sambhu, the same as the primary divine masculine generative symbol Sambhu whose nature has already been described. Visnu is the integral subjective portion of Maha-Visnu. Hence He is the great Lord of all the other lords. The progenitor (Brahma) and Sambhu are the dislocated portions of Maha-Visnu. Hence they are gods with delegated functions. His own potency being on the left side of Godhead, Visnu appears in the left limb of Maha-Visnu from the unalloyed essence of His spiritual (cit) potency. Visnu, who is Godhead Himself, is the inner guiding oversoul of every individual soul. He is the Personality of Godhead described in the Vedas as being of the measure of a thumb. He is the nourisher. The karmis (elevationists) worship Him as Narayana, the Lord of sacrifices, and the yogis desire to merge their identities in Him as Paramatma, by the process of their meditative trance.

Bs5.16

TEXT 16

ahankaratmakam visvam

tasmad etad vyajayata

SYNONYMS

ahankara—the mundane egotistic principle; atmakam—enshrining; visvam—universe; tasmat—from that (Sambhu); etat—this; vyajayata—has originated.

TRANSLATION

The function of Sambhu in relation to jivas is that this universe enshrining the mundane egotistic principle has originated from Sambhu.

PURPORT

The basic principle is the Supreme Lord Himself who is the embodiment of the principle of existence of all entities devoid of separating egotisms. In this mundane world the appearance of individual entities as separated egotistic symbols, is the limited perverted reflection of the unalloyed spiritual (cit) potency; and, as representing the primal masculine divine generative function Sambhu, it is united to the accommodating principle, viz., the mundane female organ which is the perverted reflection of the spiritual (cit) potency, Ramadevi. At this function Sambhu is nothing but the mere material causal principle embodying the extension in the shape of ingredient as matter. Again when in course of the progressive evolution of mundane creation each universe is manifested, then in the principle of Sambhu, born of the space between the two eyebrows of Visnu, there appears the manifestation of the personality of Rudra; yet under all circumstances Sambhu fully enshrines the mundane egotistic principle. The innumerable jivas as spiritual particles emanating from the oversoul in the form of pencils of rays of effulgence, have no relation with the mundane world when they come to know themselves to be the eternal servants of the Supreme Lord. They are then incorporated into the realm of Vaikuntha. But when they desire to lord it over Maya, forgetting their real identity. the egotistic principle Sambhu entering into their entities makes them identify themselves as separated enjoyers of mundane entities. Hence Sambhu is the primary principle of the egotistic mundane universe and of perverted egotism in jivas that identifies itself with their limited material bodies.

Bs5.17

TEXT 17

atha tais tri-vidhair vesair

lilam udvahatah kila

yoga-nidra bhagavati

tasya srir iva sangata

SYNONYMS

atha—thereupon; taih—with those; tri-vidhaih—threefold; vesaih—forms; lilam—pastimes; udvahatah—carrying on; kila—indeed; yoga-nidra—Yoganidra; bhagavati—full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss; tasya—of Him; srih—the goddess of fortune; iva—like; sangata—consorted with.

TRANSLATION

Thereupon the same great personal Godhead, assuming the threefold forms of Visnu, Prajapati and Sambhu, entering into the mundane universe, plays the pastimes of preservation, creation and destruction of this world. This pastime is contained in the mundane world. Hence, it being perverted, the Supreme Lord, identical with Maha-Visnu, prefers to consort with the goddess Yoganidra, the constituent of His own spiritual [cit] potency full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss appertaining to His own divine personality.

PURPORT

The dislocated portions of the Divinity. viz., Prajapati and Sambhu, both identifying themselves as entities who are separate from the divine essence, sport with their respective nonspiritual (acit) consorts, viz., Savitri-devi and Uma-devi, the perverted reflections of the spiritual (cit) potency. The Supreme Lord Visnu is the only Lord of the spiritual (cit) potency. Rama or Laksmi.

Bs5.18

TEXT 18

sisrksayam tato nabhes

tasya padmam viniryayau

tan-nalam hema-nalinam

brahmano lokam adbhutam

SYNONYMS

sisrksayam—when there was the will to create; tatah—then; nabheh—from the navel; tasya—of Him; padmam—a lotus; viniryayau—came out; tat-nalam—its stem; hema-nalinam—like a golden lotus; brahmanah—of Brahma; lokam—the abode; adbhutam—wonderful.

TRANSLATION

When Visnu lying in the ocean of milk wills to create this universe, a golden lotus springs from His navel-pit. The golden lotus with its stem is the abode of Brahma representing Brahmaloka or Satyaloka.

PURPORT

“Gold” here means the dim reflection of pure cognition.

Bs5.19

TEXT 19

tattvani purva-rudhani

karanani parasparam

samavayaprayogac ca

vibhinnani prthak prthak

cic-chaktya sajjamano ’tha

bhagavan adi-purusah

yojayan mayaya devo

yoga-nidram akalpayat

SYNONYMS

tattvani—elements; purva-rudhani—previously created; karanani—causes; parasparam—mutually; samavaya—of the process of conglomeration; aprayogat—from the nonapplication; ca—and; vibhinnani—separate; prthak prthak—one from another; cit-saktya—with His spiritual potency; sajjamanah—associating; atha—then; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adi-purusah—the primal Godhead; yojayan—causing to join; mayaya—with Maya; devah—the Lord; yoga-nidram—Yoganidra; akalpayat—He consorted with.

TRANSLATION

Before their conglomeration the primary elements in their nascent state remained originally separate entities. Nonapplication of the conglomerating process is the cause of their separate existence. Divine Maha-Visnu, primal Godhead, through association with His own spiritual [cit] potency, moved Maya and by the application of the conglomerating principle created those different entities in their state of cooperation. And alter that He Himself consorted with Yoganidra by way of His eternal dalliance with His spiritual [cit] potency.

PURPORT

Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] “The mundane energy prakrti gives birth to this universe of animate and inanimate beings by My direction.” The purport of this sloka of the Gita is that Maya, the perverted reflection of spiritual (cit) potency. was at first inactive and her extension of matter constituting the material cause was also in the separately dislocated state. In accordance with the will of Krsna this world is manifested as the resultant of the union of the efficient and the material causal principles of Maya. In spite of that, the Supreme Lord Himself remains united with His cit potency. Yoganidra. The word yoganidra or yogamaya indicates as follows: The nature of cit potency is manifestive of the Absolute Truth, while the nature of her perverted reflection, Maya, is envelopment in the gloom of ignorance. When Krsna desires to manifest something in the mundane ignorance-wrapt affairs, He does this by the conjunction of His spiritual potency with His inactive nonspiritual potency. This is known as Yogamaya. It carries a twofold notion, namely. transcendental notion and mundane inert notion. Krsna Himself, His subjective portions and those jivas who are His unalloyed separated particles, realize the transcendental notion in that conjunction, while conditioned souls feel the mundane inert notion. The external coating of transcendental knowledge in the conscious activities of conditioned souls, bears the name of Yoganidra. This is also an influence of the cit potency of the Divinity. This principle will be more elaborately considered hereafter.

Bs5.20

TEXT 20

yojayitva tu tany eva

pravivesa svayam guham

guham praviste tasmims tu

jivatma pratibudhyate

SYNONYMS

yojayitva—after conglomerating; tu—then; tani—them; eva—certainly; pravivesa—He entered; svayam—Himself; guham—the hidden cavity; guham—the hidden cavity; praviste—after He entered; tasmin—within that; tu—then; jiva-atma—the jivas; pratibudhyate—were awakened.

TRANSLATION

By conglomerating all those separate entities He manifested the innumerable mundane universes and Himself entered into the inmost recess of every extended conglomerate [virad-vigraha]. At that time those jivas who had lain dormant during the cataclysm were awakened.

PURPORT

The word guha (hidden cavity) bears various interpretations in the sastras. In some portions the nonmanifestive pastimes of the Lord is called guha and elsewhere the resting place of the indwelling spirit of all individual souls, is named guha. In many places the inmost recesses of the heart of each individual is termed guha. The main point is that the place which is hidden from the view of men in general, is designated guha. Those jivas that were merged in Hari at the end of the life of Brahma in the great cataclysm during the preceding great age of the universe, reappeared in this world in accordance with their former fruitive desires.

Bs5.21

TEXT 21

sa nityo nitya-sambandhah

prakrtis ca paraiva sa

SYNONYMS

sah—that (jiva); nityah—eternal; nitya-sambandhah—possessing an eternal relationship; prakrtih—potency; ca—and; para—spiritual; eva—certainly; sa—that.

TRANSLATION

The same jiva is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency.

PURPORT

Just as the sun is eternally associated with his rays so the transcendental Supreme Lord is eternally joined with the jivas. The jivas are the infinitesimal particles of His spiritual effulgence and are, therefore, not perishable like mundane things. Jivas, being particles of Godhead’s effulgent rays, exhibit on a minute scale the qualities of the Divinity. Hence jivas are identical with the principles of knowledge, knower, egoism, enjoyer, meditator and doer. Krsna is the all-pervading, all-extending Supreme Lord; while jivas have a different nature from His, being His atomic particles. That eternal relationship consists in this that the Supreme Lord is the eternal master and jivas are His eternal servants. Jivas have also sufficient eligibility in respect of the mellow quality of the Divinity. Apareyam itas tv anyam prakrtim viddhi me param. By this verse of the Gita it is made known that jivas are His transcendental potency. All the qualities of the unalloyed soul are above the eightfold qualities such as egotism, etc., pertaining to His acit potency. Hence the jiva potency. though very small in magnitude, is still superior to acit potency or Maya. This potency has another name, viz., tatastha or marginal potency. being located on the line demarcating the spheres of the spiritual and mundane potencies. He is susceptible to the influence of the material energy owing to his small magnitude. But so long as he remains submissive to Krsna, the Lord of Maya, he is not liable to the influence of Maya. The worldly afflictions, births and rebirths are the concomitants of the fettered condition of souls fallen into the clutches of the deluding potency from a time that has no beginning.

Bs5.22

TEXT 22

evam sarvatma-sambandham

nabhyam padmam harer abhut

tatra brahmabhavad bhuyas

catur-vedi catur-mukhah

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; sarva-atma—with all souls; sambandham—related; nabhyam—from the navel; padmam—a lotus; hareh—of Visnu; abhut—sprung up; tatra—there; brahma—Brahma; abhavat—was born; bhuyah—again; catuh-vedi—versed in the four Vedas; catuh-mukhah—four-faced.

TRANSLATION

The divine lotus which springs from the navel-pit of Visnu is in every way related by the spiritual tie with all souls and is the origin of four-faced Brahma versed in the four Vedas.

PURPORT

The same divine lotus originating from the divine person entered into the hidden recess, is the superior plane of aggregation of all individual souls. The four-faced Brahma, the image of self-enjoyment, derives his origin from the prototype Brahma or Hiranyagarbha, the mundane seminal principle, who regards the aggregate of all mundane entities as his own proper body. The delegated godship of Brahma as well as his being the dislocated portion of Krsna, are also established.

Bs5.23

TEXT 23

sanjato bhagavac-chaktya

tat-kalam kila coditah

sisrksayam matim cakre

purva-samskara-samskrtah

dadarsa kevalam dhvantam

nanyat kim api sarvatah

SYNONYMS

sanjatah—on being born; bhagavat-saktya—by the divine potency; tat-kalam—at that time; kila—indeed; coditah—being guided; sisrksayam—to the act of creation; matim—his mind; cakre—turned; purva-samskara-samskrtah—under the impulse of previous impressions; dadarsa—he saw; kevalam—only; dhvantam—darkness; na—not; anyat—else; kim api—anything; sarvatah—in every direction.

TRANSLATION

On coming out of the lotus, Brahma, being guided by the divine potency tuned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see nothing but darkness in every direction.

PURPORT

Brahma’s impulse for creation arises solely from his previous impressions. All jivas get their nature conformably to their impressions of previous births and accordingly their activity can have a beginning. It is called “the unseen” or the result of one’s previous deeds. His natural impulse is formed according to the nature of the deeds done by him in the previous kalpa. Some of the eligible jivas also attain to the office of Brahma in this way.

Bs5.24

TEXT 24

uvaca puratas tasmai

tasya divya sarasvati

kama-krsnaya govinda

he gopi-jana ity api

vallabhaya priya vahner

mantram te dasyati priyam

SYNONYMS

uvaca—said; puratah—in front; tasmai—to him; tasya—of Him (the Supreme Lord); divya—divine; sarasvati—the goddess of learning; kama—the kama-bija (klim); krsnaya—to Krsna; govinda—govindaya, to Govinda; he—O; gopi-jana—of the gopis; iti—thus; api—also; vallabhaya—to the dear one; priya vahneh—the wife of Agni, Svaha (the word svaha is uttered while offering oblations); mantram—mantra; te—to you; dasyati—will give; priyam—the heart’s desire.

TRANSLATION

Then the goddess of learning Sarasvati, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahma who saw nothing but gloom in all directions, “O Brahma, this mantra, viz., klim krsnaya govindaya gopi-jana-vallabhaya svaha, will assuredly fulfill your heart’s desire.”

PURPORT

The mantra, consisting of the eighteen divine letters prefixed by the kama-bija, is alone superexcellent. It has a twofold aspect. One aspect is that it tends to make the pure soul run after all-attractive Sri Krsna, the Lord of Gokula and the divine milkmaids. This is the acme of the spiritual tendency of jivas. When the devotee is free from all sorts of mundane desires and willing to serve the Lord he attains the fruition of his heart’s desire, viz., the love of Krsna. But in the case of the devotee who is not of unmixed aptitude this superexcellent mantra fulfills his heart’s desire also. The transcendental kama-bija is inherent in the divine logos located in Goloka; and the kama-bija pervertedly reflected in the worldly affairs satisfies all sorts of desires of this mundane world.

Bs5.25

TEXT 25

tapas tvam tapa etena

tava siddhir bhavisyati

SYNONYMS

tapah—spiritual austerity; tvam—you; tapa—practice; etena—by this; tava—your; siddhih—fulfillment; bhavisyati—will be.

TRANSLATION

“O Brahma, do thou practice spiritual association by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be fulfilled.”

PURPORT

Its purport is clear.

Bs5.26

TEXT 26

atha tepe sa suciram

prinan govindam avyayam

svetadvipa-patim krsnam

goloka-stham parat param

prakrtya guna-rupinya

rupinya paryupasitam

sahasra-dala-sampanne

koti-kinjalka-brmhite

bhumis cintamanis tatra

karnikare mahasane

samasinam cid-anandam

jyoti-rupam sanatanam

sabda-brahma-mayam venum

vadayantam mukhambuje

vilasini-gana-vrtam

svaih svair amsair abhistutam

SYNONYMS

atha—then; tepe—practiced austerity; sah—he (Brahma); suciram—for a long time; prinan—satisfying; govindam—Govinda; avyayam—imperishable; svetadvipa-patim—the Lord of Svetadvipa; krsnam—Krsna; goloka-stham—situated in Goloka; parat param—the greatest of all; prakrtya—by the external energy; guna-rupinya—embodying all mundane qualities; rupinya—possessing form; paryupasitam—worshiped from outside; sahasra-dala-sampanne—on a lotus of a thousand petals; koti-kinjalka—by millions of filaments; brmhite—augmented; bhumih—the land; cintamanih—magical touchstone; tatra—there; karnikare—on the whorl; maha-asane—on a great throne; samasinam—seated; cit-anandam—the form of transcendental bliss; jyotih-rupam—the form of effulgence; sanatanam—eternal; sabda-brahma—divine sound; mayam—comprising; venum—the flute; vadayantam—playing; mukha-ambuje—at His lotus mouth; vilasini-gana—by the gopis; vrtam—surrounded; svaih svaih—own respective; amsaih—by subjective portions; abhistutam—worshiped.

TRANSLATION

Brahma, being desirous of satisfying Govinda, practiced the cultural acts for Krsna in Goloka, Lord of Svetadvipa, for a long time. His meditation ran thus, “There exists a divine lotus of a thousand petals, augmented by millions of filaments, in the transcendental land of Goloka. On its whorl, there exists a great divine throne on which is seated Sri Krsna, the form of eternal effulgence of transcendental bliss, playing on His divine flute resonant with the divine sound, with His lotus mouth. He is worshiped by His amorous milkmaids with their respective subjective portions and extensions and also by His external energy [who stays outside] embodying all mundane qualities.”

PURPORT

Although the object of meditation is fully transcendental, yet owing to her nature which is permeated with the quality of active mundane hankering, Maya, the nonspiritual potency of Krsna, embodying the principles of mixed sattva, rajas, and tamas, in the forms of Durga, and other nonspiritual powers, meditated on the Supreme Lord Krsna as the object of their worship. So long as there is any trace of mundane desire in one’s heart, it is the object of worship of Mayadevi (Durga) who has to be worshiped by such a person; nevertheless the fulfillment of one’s heart’s desire results from the worship of the object of worship of Mayadevi, and not from the worship of Mayadevi herself. This is in accordance with the sloka, akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih/ tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param [Bhag. 2.3.10]. The meaning of this sloka of the Bhagavatam is that though other gods, as distinct manifestations of the Supreme Lord, are bestowers of sundry specific boons, yet a sensible person should worship the all powerful Supreme Lord, giver of all good, with unalloyed devotion, without worshiping those mundane gift-giving deities. Accordingly. Brahma meditated upon Krsna in Goloka, the object of the worship, from a distance, of Mayadevi. True devotion is unalloyed devotional activity free from all mundane desire. The devotion of Brahma, etc., is not unmixed devotion. But there is a stage of unmixed predilection even in devotion for the attainment of one’s selfish desire. This has been fully described in the concluding five slokas of this work. That is the easiest method of divine service, prior to the attainment of self-realization, by fallen souls.

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