FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.31

यथा नभसि मेघौघो रेणुर्वा पार्थिवोऽनिले । एवं द्रष्टरि द‍ृश्यत्वमारोपितमबुद्धिभि: ॥ ३१ ॥
yathā nabhasi meghaugho
[yathaa nabhasi meghaugho]
reṇur vā pārthivo ’nile
[renur vaa paarthivo ’nile]
evaṁ draṣṭari dṛśyatvam
[evam drashtari drishyatvam]
āropitam abuddhibhiḥ
[aaropitam abuddhibhih]
yathā — as it is nabhasi — in the sky megha-oghaḥ — a mass of clouds reṇuḥ — dust vā — as well as pārthivaḥ — muddiness anile — in the air evam — thus draṣṭari — to the seer dṛśyatvam — for the purpose of seeing āropitam — is implied abuddhibhiḥ — by the less intelligent persons.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā nabhasi meghaugho
yathā
as it is
nabhasi
in the sky
megha-oghaḥ
a mass of clouds
reṇur vā pārthivo ’nile
reṇuḥ
dust
vā
as well as
pārthivaḥ
muddiness
anile
in the air
evaṁ draṣṭari dṛśyatvam
evam
thus
draṣṭari
to the seer
dṛśyatvam
for the purpose of seeing
āropitam abuddhibhiḥ
āropitam
is implied
abuddhibhiḥ
by the less intelligent persons.
Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant material bodily conceptions on the spirit self.

It is further confirmed herein that with our material eyes and senses we cannot see the Lord, who is all spirit. We cannot even detect the spiritual spark which exists within the material body of the living being. We look to the outward covering of the body or subtle mind of the living being, but we cannot see the spiritual spark within the body. So we have to accept the living being’s presence by the presence of his gross body. Similarly, those who want to see the Lord with their present material eyes or with the material senses are advised to meditate on the gigantic external feature called the virāṭ-rūpa. For instance, when a particular gentleman goes in his car, which can be seen very easily, we identify the car with the man within the car. When the President goes out in his particular car, we say, “There is the President.” For the time being we identify the car with the President. Similarly, less intelligent men who want to see God immediately without necessary qualification are shown first the gigantic material cosmos as the form of the Lord, although the Lord is within and without. The clouds in the sky and the blue of the sky are better appreciated in this connection. Although the bluish tint of the sky and the sky itself are different, we conceive of the color of the sky as blue. But that is a general conception for the laymen only.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as unintelligent people attribute clouds to be the sky and particles of dust are attributed to be the air, so unintelligent people see the universe, the visible form of the Lord as the Lord.
Commentary

To what can this be compared? Just as a group of clouds are attributed to the sky or particles of dust are attributed to the air, so this universal form is attributed to the Lord. It is like a man on a pedestal being called “the pedestal.” The universal form, situated in the Lord is called the Lord. This is the meaning. What is seen (dṛśyatvam), what is controlled by the Lord, is attributed to be the seer or the controller, the Lord (draṣṭari) who is actually invisible, by foolish people (abuddhibhiḥ). Though sky and air are invisible, we see the sky because it is blue or the air because it is dusty. The adventitious qualities of cloud and dust which are visible are attributed to be the sky and air which are actually invisible, because they become visible through the clouds and dust. Thus the meaning here is that the Lord, visible as the universe, is thus worshipped by the yogīs situated at the beginning stage of practice.

We say 'the sky is cloudy,' but air is not really dirty — clouds and dust just move through it. Likewise, we project the body's properties onto the spirit-self. Most of our self-criticism is misidentified.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'cloud' am I currently mistaking for my actual sky?
  • Which of my self-judgments are really judgments of conditions passing through me?
📝 My note

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