FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.63.39

यथैव सूर्य: पिहितश्छायया स्वया छायां च रूपाणि च सञ्चकास्ति । एवं गुणेनापिहितो गुणांस्त्व- मात्मप्रदीपो गुणिनश्च भूमन् ॥ ३९ ॥
yathaiva sūryaḥ pihitaś chāyayā svayā
[yathaiva sooryah pihitash chaayayaa svayaa]
chāyāṁ ca rūpāṇi ca sañcakāsti
[chaayaam cha roopaani cha sanchakaasti]
evaṁ guṇenāpihito guṇāṁs tvam
[evam gunenaapihito gunaams tvam]
ātma-pradīpo guṇinaś ca bhūman
[aatma-pradeepo guninash cha bhooman]
yathā eva — just as sūryaḥ — the sun pihitaḥ — covered chāyayā — by the shade svayā — its own chāyām — the shade ca — and rūpāṇi — visible forms ca — also sañcakāsti — illuminates evam — similarly guṇena — by the material quality (of false ego) apihitaḥ — covered guṇān — the qualities of matter tvam — You ātma - pradīpaḥ — self-luminous guṇinaḥ — the possessors of these qualities (the living entities) ca — and bhūman — O almighty one .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathaiva sūryaḥ pihitaś chāyayā svayā
yathā eva
just as
sūryaḥ
the sun
pihitaḥ
covered
chāyayā
by the shade
svayā
its own
chāyāṁ ca rūpāṇi ca sañcakāsti
chāyām
the shade
ca
and
rūpāṇi
visible forms
ca
also
sañcakāsti
illuminates
evaṁ guṇenāpihito guṇāṁs tvam
evam
similarly
guṇena
by the material quality (of false ego)
apihitaḥ
covered
guṇān
the qualities of matter
tvam
You
ātma-pradīpo guṇinaś ca bhūman
ātma - pradīpaḥ
self-luminous
guṇinaḥ
the possessors of these qualities (the living entities)
ca
and
bhūman
O almighty one .
  • ātma-pradīpaḥ — self-luminous
    Compound: ātma (self) + pradīpa (lamp). Bhagavān's light is His own; the guṇas are not its source. Gauḍīyas read this as the visual form of sva-dṛk (v. 38) — the same doctrine restated in light-imagery.
  • sūryaḥ pihitaḥ chāyayā — the sun covered by its own shadow
    The verse's central image: the sun illumines the cloud that covers it. Gauḍīya commentators love this analogy — Bhagavān is never actually hidden, only seems hidden to bewildered intellects, and the very seeming is His light at work.
  • guṇinaḥ — those who possess qualities
    From guṇa + suffix. The living entities who carry the three modes. Bhagavān lights up both the guṇas and the guṇins — both the qualities and their bearers. Gauḍīyas read this as bhakti's epistemology: the jīva sees only by the very Lord he forgets.
  • bhūman — O Almighty
    Vocative of bhūma — the great, the vast. From the Chāndogya's bhūmaiva sukham (7.23.1). Śiva calls Kṛṣṇa bhūman — the supreme greatness from which the Upaniṣadic vāstavīka-sukha is sourced.
O almighty one, just as the sun, though hidden by a cloud, illuminates the cloud and all other visible forms as well, so You, although hidden by the material qualities, remain self-luminous and thus reveal all those qualities, along with the living entities who possess them.

Here Lord Śiva further clarifies the idea expressed in the final two lines of the previous verse. The analogy of the clouds and the sun is appropriate. With its energy the sun creates clouds, which cover our vision of the sun. Yet it is the sun that allows us to see the clouds and all other things as well. Similarly, the Lord expands His illusory potency and thus prevents us from directly seeing Him. Yet it is God alone who reveals to us His covering potency — namely, the material world — and thus the Lord is ātma-pradīpa, “self-luminous.” It is the reality of His existence that makes all things visible.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O almighty one, just as the sun, though hidden by a cloud, illuminates the cloud and all other visible forms as well, so You, although hidden by the material qualities, remain self-luminous and thus reveal all those qualities, along with the living entities who possess them.
Commentary

An example is given to show how, though the lord is invisible as paramatma, he is revealed through the gunas of maya. The sun, covered by clouds, appears to be covered from the observers point of view, it still reveals the cloud, other clouds, the observers and other objects like pots. Though covered by ahankara (gunena), produced by you, and which covers the jiva who is the observer, you reveal the intelligence, senses, objects etc.(gunan) as well as the jivas (guninah). The paramatma is the revealer (pradipah).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

O Lord, you are the cause of everything (bhūman). Since you are all ātmās you are indivisible. This verse elaborates on this. Or, “If I am the puruṣas who create, as the instigator of māyā in those forms, I will be touched with fault.” An example is given to remove this doubt. Or, though you are most merciful as the crest jewel for the devotees, you do not spread directly, because of your natural qualities like shyness and courtesy. By gurus, not being visible yourself, you spread your glories. You are the treasure house of all great qualities. This verse is then spoken. Hidden, you reveal yourself completely (sañcakāsti). You are uncovered (apihitaḥ) by the form of guru, by the jīva who is like the ray of the sun, a taṭastha particle (guṇena). You reveal completely your qualities like mercy and, your reveal gurus and others who distribute your qualities like mercy (guṇinaḥ) in order to reveal yourself, There is no other cause for this revelation: you reveal everything by your mercy (ātma-pradīpaḥ). That is the cause. O Lord with continuous glories!

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The sun, though (eva) covered, illuminates equally clouds and objects. It reveals objects located at a distance, just as it illuminates clouds which are close. The affix saṁ in the verb indicates that though the sun is covered by a cloud it still spreads its light to make objects completely visible. That applies to the Lord as well, the object of comparison. The Lord, though covered by ahaṅkāra, is ahaṅkāra’s cause and reveals clearly qualities and the possessor of qualities. Apihitaḥ means covered. Though the jīva is covered by ahaṅkāra and Paramātmā is not covered, the jīva cannot realize you because of his covering. You reveal everything and you are self-manifesting (ātma-pradīpaḥ). Thus you are not covered by ahaṅkāra. You are always in a manifested state. The reason is that you are unlimited (bhūman). Nothing can cover you. Or spreading great mercy, you, the crest jewel of the well behaved, do not reveal yourself because of natural shyness. But you do this indirectly through guru and others. Thus you are the storehouse of the best qualities. That is illustrated in the verse. The sun reveals things completely. You are covered by guru, a jīva who is like a semblance of the sun, who is your aṁśa (guṇena). You then reveals the gurus, the givers of mercy (guṇinaḥ), in order to reveal the qualities like mercy (guṇān). One should not say there is some other reason for this revelation, not mercy. He reveals things by himself (ātma-pradīpaḥ). He reveals by his mercy, because he has unlimited greatness (bhūman).

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Apaishunam (Non-slander)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)
Related verses
Like the sun illuminating the very cloud that veils it, the Lord, though hidden by the material qualities, remains self-luminous and reveals them all. Even what conceals Him exists only because He shines.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'cloud' in my life right now is actually being lit from within by Kṛṣṇa?
  • How does recognizing the Lord behind the veil change my relationship to the veil?

The cloud that hides the sun is itself illumined by that very sun — covered and revealed by one and the same light. Kṛṣṇa hidden by His own guṇas still lights up the guṇas; bound souls who think they are obscuring Him are in fact lit by Him on every side.

📝 My note

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