Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Thirteen
The Appearance of Lord Varāha
SB3.13.1
TEXT 1
śrī-śuka uvāca
niśamya vācaṁ vadato
muneḥ puṇyatamāṁ nṛpa
bhūyaḥ papraccha kauravyo
vāsudeva-kathādṛtaḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; niśamya—after hearing; vācam—talks; vadataḥ—while speaking; muneḥ—of Maitreya Muni; puṇya-tamām—the most virtuous; nṛpa—O King; bhūyaḥ—then again; papraccha—inquired; kauravyaḥ—the best amongst the Kurus (Vidura); vāsudeva-kathā—topics on the subject of the personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva; ādṛtaḥ—one who so adores.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, after hearing all these most virtuous topics from the sage Maitreya, Vidura inquired further on the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which he adored to hear.
PURPORT
The word ādṛtaḥ is significant because it indicates that Vidura had a natural inclination for hearing the transcendental message of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he was never fully satisfied though continuing to hear those topics. He wanted to hear more and more so that he could be more and more blessed by the transcendental message.
SB3.13.2 TEXT 2 vidura uvāca sa vai svāyambhuvaḥ samrāṭ priyaḥ putraḥ svayambhuvaḥ pratilabhya priyāṁ patnīṁ kiṁ cakāra tato mune SYNONYMS viduraḥ uvāca—Vidura said; saḥ—he; vai—easily; svāyambhuvaḥ—Svāyambhuva Manu; samrāṭ—the king of all kings; priyaḥ—dear; putraḥ—son; svayambhuvaḥ—of Brahmā; pratilabhya—after obtaining; priyām—most loving; patnīm—wife; kim—what; cakāra—did; tataḥ—thereafter; mune—O great sage.
TRANSLATION Vidura said: O great sage, what did Svāyambhuva, the dear son of Brahmā, do after obtaining his very loving wife? SB3.13.3 TEXT 3 caritaṁ tasya rājarṣer ādi-rājasya sattama brūhi me śraddadhānāya viṣvaksenāśrayo hy asau SYNONYMS caritam—character; tasya—his; rājarṣeḥ—of the saintly king; ādi-rājasya—of the original king; sattama—O most pious one; brūhi—kindly speak; me—unto me; śraddadhānāya—unto one eager to receive; viṣvaksena—of the Personality of Godhead; āśrayaḥ—one who has taken shelter; hi—certainly; asau—that king.
TRANSLATION O best of the virtuous, the original king of kings [Manu] was a great devotee of the Personality of Godhead Hari, and thus it is worth hearing of his sublime character and activities. Please describe them. I am very eager to hear. PURPORT Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of the transcendental topics of the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees. In the absolute world there is no difference in quality between the Supreme Lord and His pure devotee. Therefore, hearing the topics of the Lord and hearing of the character and activities of the pure devotee have the same result, namely, the development of devotional service.
SB3.13.4 TEXT 4 śrutasya puṁsāṁ sucira-śramasya nanv añjasā sūribhir īḍito ’rthaḥ tat-tad-guṇānuśravaṇaṁ mukunda- pādāravindaṁ hṛdayeṣu yeṣām SYNONYMS śrutasya—of persons who are in the process of hearing; puṁsām—of such persons; sucira—for a long time; śramasya—laboring very hard; nanu—certainly; añjasā—elaborately; sūribhiḥ—by pure devotees; īḍitaḥ—explained by; arthaḥ—statements; tat—that; tat—that; guṇa—transcendental qualities; anuśravaṇam—thinking; mukunda—the Personality of Godhead, who awards liberation; pāda-aravindam—the lotus feet; hṛdayeṣu—within the heart; yeṣām—of them.
TRANSLATION Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long time must hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and activities of pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who awards His devotees liberation. PURPORT Transcendental students are those who undergo great penance in being trained by hearing the Vedas from a bona fide spiritual master. Not only must they hear about the activities of the Lord, but they must also hear about the transcendental qualities of the devotees who are constantly thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. A pure devotee of the Lord cannot be separated from the lotus feet of the Lord for even a moment. Undoubtedly the Lord is always within the hearts of all living creatures, but they hardly know about it because they are deluded by the illusory material energy. The devotees, however, realize the presence of the Lord, and therefore they can always see the lotus feet of the Lord within their hearts. Such pure devotees of the Lord are as glorious as the Lord; they are, in fact, recommended by the Lord as more worshipable then He Himself. Worship of the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord. It is therefore the duty of the transcendental students to hear of pure devotees, as explained by similar devotees of the Lord, because one cannot explain about the Lord or His devotee unless one happens to be a pure devotee himself.
SB3.13.5 TEXT 5 śrī-śuka uvāca iti bruvāṇaṁ viduraṁ vinītaṁ sahasra-śīrṣṇaś caraṇopadhānam prahṛṣṭa-romā bhagavat-kathāyāṁ praṇīyamāno munir abhyacaṣṭa SYNONYMS śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; bruvāṇam—speaking; viduram—unto Vidura; vinītam—very gentle; sahasra-śīrṣṇaḥ—the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa; caraṇa—lotus feet; upadhānam—pillow; prahṛṣṭa-romā—hairs standing in ecstasy; bhagavat—in relationship with the Personality of Godhead; kathāyām—in the words; praṇīyamānaḥ—being influenced by such spirit; muniḥ—the sage; abhyacaṣṭa—attempted to speak.
TRANSLATION Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa was pleased to place His lotus feet on the lap of Vidura because Vidura was very meek and gentle. The sage Maitreya was very pleased with Vidura’s words, and, being influenced by his spirit, he attempted to speak. PURPORT The word sahasra-śīrṣṇaḥ is very significant. One who has diverse energies and activities and a wonderful brain is known as the sahasra-śīrṣṇaḥ. This qualification is applicable only to the personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and no one else. The Personality of Godhead was pleased to dine sometimes with Vidura at his home, and while resting He placed His lotus feet on the lap of Vidura. Maitreya was inspired by the thought of Vidura’s wonderful fortune. The hairs of his body stood on end, and he was pleased to narrate the topics of the Personality of Godhead with great delight.
SB3.13.6 TEXT 6 maitreya uvāca yadā sva-bhāryayā sārdhaṁ jātaḥ svāyambhuvo manuḥ prāñjaliḥ praṇataś cedaṁ veda-garbham abhāṣata SYNONYMS maitreyaḥ uvāca—Maitreya said; yadā—when; sva-bhāryayā—along with his wife; sārdham—accompanied by; jātaḥ—appeared; svāyambhuvaḥ—Svāyambhuva Manu; manuḥ—the father of mankind; prāñjaliḥ—with folded hands; praṇataḥ—in obeisances; ca—also; idam—this; veda-garbham—unto the reservoir of Vedic wisdom; abhāṣata—addressed.
TRANSLATION The sage Maitreya said to Vidura: After his appearance, Manu, the father of mankind, along with his wife, thus addressed the reservoir of Vedic wisdom, Brahmā, with obeisances and folded hands. SB3.13.7 TEXT 7 tvam ekaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ janma-kṛd vṛttidaḥ pitā tathāpi naḥ prajānāṁ te śuśrūṣā kena vā bhavet SYNONYMS tvam—you; ekaḥ—one; sarva—all; bhūtānām—living entities; janma-kṛt—progenitor; vṛtti-daḥ—source of subsistence; pitā—the father; tathā api—yet; naḥ—ourselves; prajānām—of all who are born; te—of you; śuśrūṣā—service; kena—how; vā—either; bhavet—may be possible.
TRANSLATION You are the father of all living entities and the source of their subsistence because they are all born of you. Please order us how we may be able to render service unto you. PURPORT A son’s duty is not only to make the father the source of supply for all his needs, but also, when he is grown up, to render service unto him. That is the law of creation beginning from the time of Brahmā. A father’s duty is to bring up the son until he is grown, and when the son is grown up, it is his duty to render service unto the father.
SB3.13.8 TEXT 8 tad vidhehi namas tubhyaṁ karmasv īḍyātma-śaktiṣu yat kṛtveha yaśo viṣvag amutra ca bhaved gatiḥ SYNONYMS tat—that; vidhehi—give direction; namaḥ—my obeisances; tubhyam—unto you; karmasu—in duties; īḍya—O worshipful one; ātma-śaktiṣu—within our working capacity; yat—which; kṛtvā—doing; iha—in this world; yaśaḥ—fame; viṣvak—everywhere; amutra—in the next world; ca—and; bhavet—it should be; gatiḥ—progress.
TRANSLATION O worshipful one, please give us your direction for the execution of duty within our working capacity so that we can follow it for fame in this life and progress in the next. PURPORT Brahmā is the direct recipient of Vedic knowledge from the Personality of Godhead, and anyone discharging his entrusted duties in disciplic succession from Brahmā is sure to gain fame in this life and salvation in the next. The disciplic succession from Brahmā is called the Brahma-sampradāya, and it descends as follows: Brahmā, Nārada, Vyāsa, Madhva Muni (Pūrṇaprajña), Padmanābha, Nṛhari, Mādhava, Akṣobhya, Jayatīrtha, Jñānasindhu, Dayānidhi, Vidyānidhi, Rājendra, Jayadharma, Puruṣottama, Brahmaṇyatīrtha, Vyāsatīrtha, Lakṣmīpati, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī and others, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
This line of disciplic succession from Brahmā is spiritual, whereas the genealogical succession from Manu is material, but both are on the progressive march towards the same goal of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SB3.13.9 TEXT 9 brahmovāca prītas tubhyam ahaṁ tāta svasti stād vāṁ kṣitīśvara yan nirvyalīkena hṛdā śādhi mety ātmanārpitam SYNONYMS brahmā uvāca—Brahmā said; prītaḥ—pleased; tubhyam—unto you; aham—I; tāta—my dear son; svasti—all blessings; stāt—let there be; vām—unto you both; kṣiti-īśvara—O lord of the world; yat—because; nirvyalīkena—without reservation; hṛdā—by the heart; śādhi—give instruction; mā—unto me; iti—thus; ātmanā—by self; arpitam—surrendered.
TRANSLATION Lord Brahmā said: My dear son, O lord of the world, I am very pleased with you, and I desire all blessings for both you and your wife. You have without reservation surrendered yourself unto me with your heart for my instructions. PURPORT The relationship between the father and the son is always sublime. The father is naturally disposed with good will towards the son, and he is always ready to help the son in his progress in life. But in spite of the father’s good will, the son is sometimes misguided because of his misuse of personal independence. Every living entity, however small or big he may be, has the choice of independence. If the son is unreservedly willing to be guided by the father, the father is ten times more eager to instruct and guide him by all means. The father and son relationship as exhibited here in the dealings of Brahmā and Manu is excellent. Both the father and the son are well qualified, and their example should be followed by all humankind. Manu, the son, unreservedly asked the father, Brahmā, to instruct him, and the father, who was full of Vedic wisdom, was very glad to instruct. The example of the father of mankind may be rigidly followed by mankind, and that will advance the cause of the relationship of fathers and sons.
SB3.13.10 TEXT 10 etāvaty ātmajair vīra kāryā hy apacitir gurau śaktyāpramattair gṛhyeta sādaraṁ gata-matsaraiḥ SYNONYMS etāvatī—just exactly like this; ātmajaiḥ—by the offspring; vīra—O hero; kāryā—should be performed; hi—certainly; apacitiḥ—worship; gurau—unto the superior; śaktyā—with full capacity; apramattaiḥ—by the sane; gṛhyeta—should be accepted; sa-ādaram—with great delight; gata-matsaraiḥ—by those who are beyond the limit of envy.
TRANSLATION O hero, your example is quite befitting a son in relationship with his father. This sort of adoration for the superior is required. One who is beyond the limit of envy and who is sane accepts the order of his father with great delight and executes it to his full capacity. PURPORT When the four previous sons of Brahmā, the sages Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumāra, refused to obey their father, Brahmā was mortified, and his anger was manifested in the shape of Rudra. That incident was not forgotten by Brahmā, and therefore the obedience of Manu Svāyambhuva was very encouraging. From the material point of view, the four sages’ disobedience to the order of their father was certainly abominable, but because such disobedience was for a higher purpose, they were free from the reaction of disobedience. Those who disobey their fathers on material grounds, however, are surely subjected to disciplinary reaction for such disobedience. Manu’s obedience to his father on material grounds was certainly free from envy, and in the material world it is imperative for ordinary men to follow the example of Manu.
SB3.13.11 TEXT 11 sa tvam asyām apatyāni sadṛśāny ātmano guṇaiḥ utpādya śāsa dharmeṇa gāṁ yajñaiḥ puruṣaṁ yaja SYNONYMS saḥ—therefore that obedient son; tvam—as you are; asyām—in her; apatyāni—children; sadṛśāni—equally qualified; ātmanaḥ—of yourself; guṇaiḥ—with the characteristics; utpādya—having begotten; śāsa—rule; dharmeṇa—on the principles of devotional service; gām—the world; yajñaiḥ—by sacrifices; puruṣam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yaja—worship.
TRANSLATION Since you are my very obedient son, I ask you to beget children qualified like yourself in the womb of your wife. Rule the world in pursuance of the principles of devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus worship the Lord by performances of yajña. PURPORT The purpose of the material creation by Brahmā is clearly described herein. Every human being should beget nice children in the womb of his wife, as a sacrifice for the purpose of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9) it is stated:
varṇāśramācāravatā “One can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, by proper discharge of the principles of varṇa and āśrama. There is no alternative to pacifying the Lord by execution of the principles of the varṇāśrama system.”
Viṣṇu worship is the ultimate aim of human life. Those who take the license of married life for sense enjoyment must also take the responsibility to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and the first stepping-stone is the varṇāśrama-dharma system. Varṇāśrama-dharma is the systematic institution for advancing in worship of Viṣṇu. However, if one directly engages in the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it may not be necessary to undergo the disciplinary system of varṇāśrama-dharma. The other sons of Brahmā, the Kumāras, directly engaged in devotional service, and thus they had no need to execute the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma.
SB3.13.12 TEXT 12 paraṁ śuśrūṣaṇaṁ mahyaṁ syāt prajā-rakṣayā nṛpa bhagavāṁs te prajā-bhartur hṛṣīkeśo ’nutuṣyati SYNONYMS param—the greatest; śuśrūṣaṇam—devotional service; mahyam—unto me; syāt—should be; prajā—the living entities born in the material world; rakṣayā—by saving them from being spoiled; nṛpa—O King; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; te—with you; prajā-bhartuḥ—with the protector of the living beings; hṛṣīkeśaḥ—the Lord of the senses; anutuṣyati—is satisfied.
TRANSLATION O King, if you can give proper protection to the living beings in the material world, that will be the best service for me. When the Supreme Lord sees you to be a good protector of the conditioned souls, certainly the master of the senses will be very pleased with you. PURPORT The whole administrative system is arranged for the purpose of going back home, back to Godhead. Brahmā is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Manu is the representative of Brahmā. Similarly, all other kings on different planets of the universe are representatives of Manu. The lawbook for the entire human society is the Manu-saṁhitā, which directs all activities towards the transcendental service of the Lord. Every king, therefore, must know that his responsibility in administration is not merely to exact taxes from the citizens but to see personally that the citizens under him are being trained in Viṣṇu worship. Everyone must be educated in Viṣṇu worship and engaged in the devotional service of Hṛṣīkeśa, the owner of the senses. The conditioned souls are meant not to satisfy their material senses but to satisfy the senses of Hṛṣīkeśa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the purpose of the complete administrative system. One who knows this secret, as disclosed here in the version of Brahmā, is the perfect administrative head. One who does not know this is a show-bottle administrator. By training the citizens in the devotional service of the Lord, the head of a state can be free in his responsibility, otherwise he will fail in the onerous duty entrusted to him and thus be punishable by the supreme authority. There is no other alternative in the discharge of administrative duty.
SB3.13.13 TEXT 13 yeṣāṁ na tuṣṭo bhagavān yajña-liṅgo janārdanaḥ teṣāṁ śramo hy apārthāya yad ātmā nādṛtaḥ svayam SYNONYMS yeṣām—of those with whom; na—never; tuṣṭaḥ—satisfied; bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead; yajña-liṅgaḥ—the form of sacrifice; janārdanaḥ—Lord Kṛṣṇa, or the viṣṇu-tattva; teṣām—of them; śramaḥ—labor; hi—certainly; apārthāya—without profit; yat—because; ātmā—the Supreme Soul; na—not; ādṛtaḥ—respected; svayam—his own self.
TRANSLATION The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Janārdana [Lord Kṛṣṇa], is the form to accept all the results of sacrifice. If He is not satisfied, then one’s labor for advancement is futile. He is the ultimate Self, and therefore one who does not satisfy Him certainly neglects his own interests. PURPORT Brahmā is deputed as the supreme head of universal affairs, and he in his turn deputes Manu and others as charges d’affaires of the material manifestation, but the whole show is for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmā knows how to satisfy the Lord, and similarly persons engaged in the line of Brahmā’s plan of activities also know how to satisfy the Lord. The Lord is satisfied by the process of devotional service, consisting of the ninefold process of hearing, chanting, etc. It is in one’s own sell-interest to execute prescribed devotional service, and anyone who neglects this process neglects his own self-interest. Everyone wants to satisfy his senses, but above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the intelligence, above the intelligence is the individual self, and above the individual self is the Superself. Above even the Superself is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, viṣṇu-tattva. The primeval Lord and the cause of all causes is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The complete process of perfectional service is to render service for the satisfaction of the transcendental senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Janārdana.
SB3.13.14 TEXT 14 manur uvāca ādeśe ’haṁ bhagavato varteyāmīva-sūdana sthānaṁ tv ihānujānīhi prajānāṁ mama ca prabho SYNONYMS manuḥ uvāca—Śrī Manu said; ādeśe—under the order; aham—I; bhagavataḥ—of your powerful self; varteya—shall stay; amīva-sūdana—O killer of all sins; sthānam—the place; tu—but; iha—in this world; anujānīhi—please let me know; prajānām—of the living entities born from me; mama—my; ca—also; prabho—O lord.
TRANSLATION Śrī Manu said: O all-powerful lord, O killer of all sins, I shall abide by your order. Now please let me know my place and that of the living entities born of me. SB3.13.15 TEXT 15 yad okaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ mahī magnā mahāmbhasi asyā uddharaṇe yatno deva devyā vidhīyatām SYNONYMS yat—because; okaḥ—the dwelling place; sarva—for all; bhūtānām—living entities; mahī—the earth; magnā—merged; mahā-ambhasi—in the great water; asyāḥ—of this; uddharaṇe—in the lifting; yatnaḥ—attempt; deva—O master of the demigods; devyāḥ—of this earth; vidhīyatām—let it be done.
TRANSLATION O master of the demigods, please attempt to lift the earth, which is merged in the great water, because it is the dwelling place for all the living entities. It can be done by your endeavor and by the mercy of the Lord. PURPORT The great water mentioned in this connection is the Garbhodaka Ocean, which fills half of the universe.
SB3.13.16 TEXT 16 maitreya uvāca parameṣṭhī tv apāṁ madhye tathā sannām avekṣya gām katham enāṁ samunneṣya iti dadhyau dhiyā ciram SYNONYMS maitreyaḥ uvāca—Śrī Maitreya Muni said; parameṣṭhī—Brahmā; tu—also; apām—the water; madhye—within; tathā—thus; sannām—situated; avekṣya—seeing; gām—the earth; katham—how; enām—this; samunneṣye—I shall lift; iti—thus; dadhyau—gave attention; dhiyā—by intelligence; ciram—for a long time.
TRANSLATION Śrī Maitreya said: Thus, seeing the earth merged in the water, Brahmā gave his attention for a long time to how it could be lifted. PURPORT According to Jīva Gosvāmī, the topics delineated here are of different millenniums. The present topics are of the Śveta-varāha millennium, and topics regarding the Cākṣuṣa millennium will also be discussed in this chapter.
SB3.13.17 TEXT 17 sṛjato me kṣitir vārbhiḥ plāvyamānā rasāṁ gatā athātra kim anuṣṭheyam asmābhiḥ sarga-yojitaiḥ yasyāhaṁ hṛdayād āsaṁ sa īśo vidadhātu me SYNONYMS sṛjataḥ—while engaged in creation; me—of me; kṣitiḥ—the earth; vārbhiḥ—by the water; plāvyamānā—being inundated; rasām—depth of water; gatā—gone down; atha—therefore; atra—in this matter; kim—what; anuṣṭheyam—is right to be attempted; asmābhiḥ—by us; sarga—creation; yojitaiḥ—engaged in; yasya—the one from whose; aham—I; hṛdayāt—from the heart; āsam—born; saḥ—He; īśaḥ—the Lord; vidadhātu—may direct; me—unto me.
TRANSLATION Brahmā thought: While I have been engaged in the process of creation, the earth has been inundated by a deluge and has gone down into the depths of the ocean. What can we do who are engaged in this matter of creation? It is best to let the Almighty Lord direct us. PURPORT The devotees of the Lord, who are all confidential servitors, are sometimes perplexed in the discharge of their respective duties, but they are never discouraged. They have full faith in the Lord, and He paves the way for the smooth progress of the devotee’s duty.
SB3.13.18 TEXT 18 ity abhidhyāyato nāsā- vivarāt sahasānagha varāha-toko niragād aṅguṣṭha-parimāṇakaḥ SYNONYMS iti—thus; abhidhyāyataḥ—while thinking; nāsā-vivarāt—from the nostrils; sahasā—all of a sudden; anagha—O sinless one; varāha-tokaḥ—a minute form of Varāha (a boar); niragāt—came out; aṅguṣṭha—the upper portion of the thumb; parimāṇakaḥ—of the measurement.
TRANSLATION O sinless Vidura, all of a sudden, while Brahmā was engaged in thinking, a small form of a boar came out of his nostril. The measurement of the creature was not more than the upper portion of a thumb. SB3.13.19 TEXT 19 tasyābhipaśyataḥ kha-sthaḥ kṣaṇena kila bhārata gaja-mātraḥ pravavṛdhe tad adbhutam abhūn mahat SYNONYMS tasya—his; abhipaśyataḥ—while thus observing; kha-sthaḥ—situated in the sky; kṣaṇena—suddenly; kila—verily; bhārata—O descendant of Bharata; gaja-mātraḥ—just like an elephant; pravavṛdhe—thoroughly expanded; tat—that; adbhutam—extraordinary; abhūt—transformed; mahat—into a gigantic body.
TRANSLATION O descendant of Bharata, while Brahmā was observing Him, that boar became situated in the sky in a wonderful manifestation as gigantic as a great elephant. THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/SB3.13.htm
puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā
nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam