Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.15.35
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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bhagavati
—
for the Personality of Godhead
Locative of Bhagavān. Gauḍīya: the verse says: in Bhagavān, such things are not surprising. The locative is metaphysical — within His being, all powers reside. Balarāma is treated here as Bhagavān-tattva, identical with Kṛṣṇa-tattva in power.
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anante
—
who is the unlimited
Locative of ananta — endless, infinite. Also a name of Balarāma's Saṅkarṣaṇa-tattva (Ananta-deva). Gauḍīya: anante here is a double-pointing — both adjective (endless) and proper name (Ananta = Balarāma).
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jagat-īśvare
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the Lord of the universe
jagat (world) + īśvara (controller). Gauḍīya: even in Vraja's hidden līlā, Balarāma is jagat-īśvara; the title doesn't disappear because the play-form is rustic. Cosmic Lordship and pastoral play coexist in the same being.
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ota-protam
—
spread out horizontally and vertically
ota (warp) + prota (woof). The cloth-weaving metaphor. Gauḍīya: the universe is Bhagavān's woven cloth; He is the threads themselves. This is the BG 7.7 image (sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva) in another phrasing.
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paṭaḥ
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a cloth
Woven cloth. Gauḍīya: the world is a paṭa woven on the Lord's threads. Strip the threads, the cloth dissolves; nothing in saṁsāra exists independent of Him. The kill of Dhenuka is one stitch in His ongoing weaving.
Unfortunate persons cannot appreciate the blissful pastimes of the Supreme Lord. In this connection Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that the Supreme Lord possesses unlimited potency and strength, as expressed here by the word anante. The Lord exhibits a tiny fraction of His power according to the need of a particular situation. Lord Balarāma desired to vanquish the gang of demoniac asses who had unlawfully seized the Tālavana forest, and therefore He exhibited just enough divine opulence to easily kill Dhenukāsura and the other demons.
This was not astonishing for Baladeva, who binds up the universe like a piece of cloth woven of horizontal and vertical threads.
It will be said later: thity-udbhavāntaṁ bhuvana-trayasya yaḥ samīhite ’nanta-guṇaḥ sva-līlayā na tasya citraṁ para-pakṣa-nigrahas tathāpi martyānuvidhasya varṇyate For the Lord who orchestrates the creation, maintenance and destruction of the three worlds and who possesses unlimited spiritual qualities, it is hardly amazing that he subdues an opposing party. Still, when the Lord does so, imitating human behavior, sages glorify his acts. SB 10.50.29 It is astonishing the Lord reveals strength which is equally matched by the opponent in his human pastimes-- not showing powerful qualities in his pastimes. This is not astonishing because he is Bhagavān, endowed with all śaktis. He is unlimited by the nature of his svarūpa (anānte), and he is Lord of the universe, even though he has a relationship with it, like thread in relation to a cloth. In the example, thread, as the cause, is different from the effect, the cloth. Similarly the Lord is different from the universe caused by him. Calling Balarāma Bhagavān is suitable since Balarāma is the chief of Kṛṣṇa’s expansions, and has a similar position.
Though this is astonishing to the world, it is not astonishing considering Balarāma’s real position. His ability to easily kill Dhenuka and throw him in the tree is not astonishing for he is Bhagavān, who is endowed with all powers, who is unlimited in śaktis (anante) and is thus the lord of the universe (jagadīśvare). The nature of bhagavān is shown. All this universe is non-different from the avatāra of the Lord. An example is given. He is interwoven in everything and is not different from it as cloth and threads. Or the word bhagavati is used to show respect for Balarāma as the elder brother or to indicate his omniscience. Ananta means Śeṣa. He is called lord of the universe because he protects the world by holding it on his head. That earth is then explained. It is made of cause and effect (otaṁ protam). Or he holds on his head the world dense with mountains etc. in all directions. The example of threads and cloth indicates the dense combination.
- Where am I overestimating my obstacles by underestimating the Lord's available power?
- What 'enormous' problem of mine is probably a single-threaded throw for Him?
A child sees a magician pull a coin from his ear and is amazed; the elder says, 'don't be amazed — he can do anything.' Śukadeva tells Parīkṣit: do not be amazed at Balarāma killing Dhenuka. He is the unlimited Lord on whom the entire universe rests like cloth on its own threads. The verse zooms out: Tālavana is one square inch of a fabric He weaves entire.
My note
Source: vedabase.io