FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.48.20

यथा हि भूतेषु चराचरेषु मह्यादयो योनिषु भान्ति नाना । एवं भवान् केवल आत्मयोनि- ष्वात्मात्मतन्त्रो बहुधा विभाति ॥ २० ॥
yathā hi bhūteṣu carācareṣu
[yathaa hi bhooteshu charaachareshu]
mahy-ādayo yoniṣu bhānti nānā
[mahy-aadayo yonishu bhaanti naanaa]
evaṁ bhavān kevala ātma-yoniṣv
[evam bhavaan kevala aatma-yonishv]
ātmātma-tantro bahudhā vibhāti
[aatmaatma-tantro bahudhaa vibhaati]
Word-for-word
yathā — as hi — indeed bhūteṣu — among manifested beings cara — mobile acareṣu — and immobile mahī - ādayaḥ — earth and so on (the primary elements of creation) yoniṣu — in species bhānti — manifest nānā — variously evam — so bhavān — You kevalaḥ — one alone ātma — Yourself yoniṣu — in those whose source ātmā — the Supreme Soul ātma - tantraḥ — self-reliant bahudhā — manifold vibhāti — appear .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā hi bhūteṣu carācareṣu
yathā
as
hi
indeed
bhūteṣu
among manifested beings
cara
mobile
acareṣu
and immobile
mahy-ādayo yoniṣu bhānti nānā
mahī - ādayaḥ
earth and so on (the primary elements of creation)
yoniṣu
in species
bhānti
manifest
nānā
variously
evaṁ bhavān kevala ātma-yoniṣv
evam
so
bhavān
You
kevalaḥ
one alone
ātma
Yourself
yoniṣu
in those whose source
ātmātma-tantro bahudhā vibhāti
ātmā
the Supreme Soul
ātma - tantraḥ
self-reliant
bahudhā
manifold
vibhāti
appear .
Important Words
  • ātma-tantraḥ — self-reliant, self-governed
    Compound: ātma (self) + tantra (dependent, governed by). The Lord depends on nothing; everything depends on Him. This is svatantra-īśvara — the technical Gauḍīya category of Kṛṣṇa as the sole independent reality.
  • kevalaḥ — one alone, sole
    From kevala (only, exclusive). Even amid manyness He is one. Gauḍīyas distinguish kevala-advaita (which collapses the many) from Bhāgavata-advaita (which preserves the Person as the one ground of irreducible variety). The verse holds the second view.
  • mahī-ādayaḥ — earth and so on (primary elements)
    Compound: mahī (earth) + ādi (etc.). The pañca-mahābhūta are gathered into one phrase as the analogy's vehicle. The lower nature is invoked to point at the higher Person.
  • ātma-yoniṣu — in those whose source is Yourself
    Compound: ātma (self, i.e., the Lord) + yoni (source, womb). Every species' source is Bhagavān; therefore every species is His vessel. Yoni here is causal, not biological.
Just as the primary elements — earth and so on — manifest themselves in abundant variety among all the species of mobile and immobile life, so You, the one independent Supreme Soul, appear to be manifold among the variegated objects of Your creation.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as the primary elements—earth and so on—manifest themselves in abundant variety among all the species of mobile and immobile life, so You, the one independent Supreme Soul, appear to be manifold among the variegated objects of Your creation.
Commentary

The varieties expanded from one Lord is explained by an example in this verse. "Just material bodies are manifest with various forms from the material elements like earth and water, so you, the one independent Lord, become many as the multitude of visible objects in this universe."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

You do not undergo transformation like earth. You are pure (kevalaḥ), without transformation because of your acintya-śakti. Therefore you are independent (ātma-tantraḥ).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Though you are one, you appear to be variegated. Though you are within, you are also external. An example is given to clarify this. Exactly as (yatha hi) mahat-tattva etc. existing outside as the cause is also within all beings, you, though the one cause, the giver of consciousness to everything, and independent, being the externally existing supreme Lord, appear as many in all beings as the antaryāmī. They become active by you as antaryāmī. How can there be any fault? All are delivered and made prosperous.

Related values & verses
Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)
Related verses
BG 15.9 BG 12.13 BG 18.64 BG 2.62 BG 3.11 BG 12.3 SB 4.29.2 BG 9.11 BG 7.8 BG 10.3 BG 13.1 BG 5.18 BG 6.5 BG 1.1 BG 16.4
Concepts
Atma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
As elements appear in many species, so You, the one independent Soul, appear manifold among Your creation's variegated objects. Diversity is one Person playing many roles.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you treat diversity as separation rather than as His play?
  • How does this verse reframe your view of seemingly disparate beings?
Analogy

Earth shows up in jars, statues, walls, mountains — one substance, many vessels. So Bhagavān shows up in every being as their Self, one Soul behind a forest of bodies. The element-and-vessel image is the Bhāgavatam's working model of acintya-bhedābheda.

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Source: vedabase.io

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