FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.25

एतावदुक्त्वोपरराम तन्महद् भूतं नभोलिङ्गमलिङ्गमीश्वरम् । अहं च तस्मै महतां महीयसे शीर्ष्णावनामं विदधेऽनुकम्पित: ॥ २५ ॥
etāvad uktvopararāma tan mahad
[etaavad uktvopararaama tan mahad]
bhūtaṁ nabho-liṅgam aliṅgam īśvaram
[bhootam nabho-lingam alingam eeshvaram]
ahaṁ ca tasmai mahatāṁ mahīyase
[aham cha tasmai mahataam maheeyase]
śīrṣṇāvanāmaṁ vidadhe ’nukampitaḥ
[sheershnaavanaamam vidadhe ’nukampitah]
Word-for-word
etāvat — thus uktvā — spoken upararāma — stopped tat — that mahat — great bhūtam — wonderful nabhaḥ-liṅgam — personified by sound aliṅgam — unseen by the eyes īśvaram — the supreme authority aham — I ca — also tasmai — unto Him mahatām — the great mahīyase — unto the glorified śīrṣṇā — by the head avanāmam — obeisances vidadhe — executed anukampitaḥ — being favored by Him.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etāvad uktvopararāma tan mahad
etāvat
thus
uktvā
spoken
upararāma
stopped
tat
that
mahat
great
bhūtaṁ nabho-liṅgam aliṅgam īśvaram
bhūtam
wonderful
nabhaḥ-liṅgam
personified by sound
aliṅgam
unseen by the eyes
īśvaram
the supreme authority
ahaṁ ca tasmai mahatāṁ mahīyase
aham
I
ca
also
tasmai
unto Him
mahatām
the great
mahīyase
unto the glorified
śīrṣṇāvanāmaṁ vidadhe ’nukampitaḥ
śīrṣṇā
by the head
avanāmam
obeisances
vidadhe
executed
anukampitaḥ
being favored by Him.
Then that supreme authority, personified by sound and unseen by eyes, but most wonderful, stopped speaking. Feeling a sense of gratitude, I offered my obeisances unto Him, bowing my head.
Purport

That the Personality of Godhead was not seen but only heard does not make any difference. The Personality of Godhead produced the four Vedas by His breathing, and He is seen and realized through the transcendental sound of the Vedas. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā is the sound representation of the Lord, and there is no difference in identity. The conclusion is that the Lord can be seen and heard by persistent chanting of the transcendental sound.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Having spoken this, the Lord, whose words are the highest proof, whose words appeared in the sky, who was not visible to the eyes, and who was capable of bestowing mercy to the most fallen boy, the Lord stopped speaking. Receiving his mercy, I lowered my head to greatest of the great.
Commentary

Mahad-bhutam is a name of the Lord in the neuter gender. The śruti says asya mahato bhūtasya niḥśvasitam etad yad ṛg-veda: the breathing of the Lord called Mahadbhūta is the Ṛg-veda. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka upaniṣad) Since his breathing is the four Vedas, his words are the highest proof. Since he gave blessings even to me, the low born son of a maid servant, he is called the one Supreme Lord (īśvaram—one who is capable). Since the lord left a trace in the ether in the form of his speaking to Nārada, he is called (nabho-liṅgam). He is called aliṅgam because he is not visible to the eyes.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Lord spoke and was heard, not seen. Sound is no less real than sight — the Vedas, the Gītā, the holy name carry the Lord Himself. Persistent chanting is direct contact, not symbolic preparation.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I treat sacred sound as decoration or as direct presence?
  • What would shift if I trusted that the holy name actually carries the Lord?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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