Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.28
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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akaraṇaḥ
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devoid of material senses
Compound: a + karaṇa (sense organ). Bhagavān has no material senses yet has unlimited spiritual senses — the verse hinges on this distinction. Gauḍīyas: Brahma-saṁhitā 5.32 — aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti, every limb of His does the work of every sense.
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sva-rāṭ
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self-effulgent
Compound: sva (own) + rāj (shining, ruling). One of the Vedas' great names for Bhagavān (Ṛg Veda's Puruṣa-sūkta). Gauḍīyas: He shines by His own light, not borrowing from any source — the antithesis of the conditioned jīva who is illuminated only by Him.
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balim-udvahanti
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they carry tribute (to You)
Phrase: bali (tribute, offering) + udvahanti (they bear). Even the demigods are tax-payers to Bhagavān. Gauḍīyas: this is one of the chapter's strongest anti-Smārta statements — Indra, Sūrya, Candra are vassals, not equals.
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cakitāḥ
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afraid
Past participle of √cak. Even the demigods execute their duties out of fear of Bhagavān. Gauḍīyas note: this is fear (bhaya) of the master, not terror; like a child who carefully obeys a beloved father. The next verses contrast this with the devotee's fearlessness.
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varṣa-bhujaḥ
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the rulers of districts of a kingdom
Compound: varṣa (region) + bhuj (enjoyer/ruler). The demigods are like provincial governors. Gauḍīyas: the cosmic-administrative image is consistent — Vaikuṇṭha is the imperial capital; this earth is one of countless provinces.
All intelligent living beings should acknowledge the sovereignty of the Lord and willingly engage in devotional service to Him. Such is the consensus of the personified Vedas. But Lord Nārāyaṇa, while hearing these prayers, may have reasonably asked, “Since I also have a bodily form with sense organs and limbs, am I not just another doer and enjoyer? Especially since as the Supersoul in every being’s heart I supervise countless organs and limbs, how am I not implicated in the sum total of everyone’s sense gratification?” “No,” the assembled śrutis here rejoin, “You have no material senses, yet You are the absolute controller of all.” As expressed in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19): apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasya vettā tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ purāṇam “He has no feet or hands, yet He is the swiftest runner and can grasp anything. Though without eyes or ears, He sees and hears. Nobody knows Him, yet He is the knower and the object of knowledge. Sages describe Him as the supreme, original Personality of Godhead.” The hands, feet, eyes and ears of the Supreme Person are not like those of an ordinary, conditioned soul, which are derived from false ego, a material substance. Rather, the Lord’s transcendentally beautiful features are direct manifestations of His internal nature. Thus, unlike the soul and body of conditioned living beings, the Lord and His bodily form are identical in all respects. Moreover, His lotus hands, lotus feet, lotus eyes and other limbs are not restricted in their functions. Śrī Brahmā, the Lord’s first creature, glorifies Him on this account: angāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth and substantiality and thus emanates the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses in itself the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and He eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and material.” ( Brahma-saṁhitā 5.32 ) Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives an alternative explanation of the phrase akhila-śakti-dhara: The power that the Supreme Lord maintains within Himself is akhila, free from the limitations of all that is khila, or inferior and insignificant. He energizes the living being’s senses, as described by the Kena Upaniṣad (1.2): Śrotrasya śrotraṁ manaso mano yad vāco ha vācam. “He is the ear’s ear, the mind’s mind, and the voice’s capacity of speech.” And the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8) declares: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca “He has no material work to perform, nor any material senses with which to perform it. No one can be found who is equal to or greater than Him. From the Vedas we hear how that Supreme Lord possesses multifarious energies — the potencies of knowledge, strength and action — each of which acts autonomously.” Indra and the other demigods who rule over mortal beings are themselves servants of the Personality of Godhead, as are their superiors — Brahmā and his sons, the secondary creators. All of these great gods and sages worship the Supreme Lord by performing their respective services of managing the universe and providing religious guidance for mankind. The powerful controllers of the universe submit themselves in fearful reverence to the supreme controller, Lord Śrī Viṣṇu. As the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.8.1) states: bhīṣāsmād vātaḥ pavate bhīṣād eti sūryaḥ bhīṣāsmād agniś cendraś ca mṛtyur dhāvati pañcamaḥ “Out of fear of Him, the wind blows. Out fear of Him, the sun moves and Agni and Indra execute their duties. And death, the fifth of their number, races along out of fear of Him.” Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī prays: anindriyo ’pi yo devaḥ sarva-kāraka-śakti-dhṛk sarva-jñaḥ sarva-kartā ca sarva-sevyaṁ namāmi tam “The Supreme Lord has no material senses, yet He controls every living entity’s sensory functions. He is the knower of everything, the ultimate performer of all action, and everyone’s proper object of devotional service. I offer my obeisances to Him.”
"You say that the jivas who are dependent and servants of the Lord should serve the Lord who is independent. But that is not so. I also like the jiva are dependent on senses, since I have eyes ears and arms. Where is the question of independence and powers?" "No, you are without senses (akaranah), you are devoid of mind, eyes and ears which are under the influence of false identity." "Then where do these eyes ears and mind come from?" "You exist with your spiritual eyes hear and other senses arising from your svarupa (sva rat). You posses senses which are not material (a khila, not inferior karaka senses), sense which are full of knowledge and bliss arising from your svarupa." The sruti says, caksusas caksur uta strotrasya strotram You are the eye of the eye and the ear of the ear. Kena upanisad 2 "Thus you possess the power (sakti) moving the material senses. You are not the material senses, but you are not without senses. Rather you possess spiritual senses arising from your svarupa sakti, and bestow the powers of hearing , seeing and hearing to the material senses." It is said in the sruti: Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate Parasya saktir bahudhaiva sruyate Svabhaviki jnana bala kriya ca He has no senses or activities of the senses. There is no on equal or superior to him. The variegated energy of the Lord, which are of his own nature, consisting of knowledge, strength and action, are well known. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7
They next speak of his great power. "The devatas like Brahma (animisah) carry or bring to you and offer you articles of worship (balim), along with even maya (ajaya), their authority, who is also offering to you. They consume the offerings made by man by your mercy, just as the leaders of various provinces give offerings made by the citizens to the leader of the whole country. In what manner do they do this? They perform their assigned duties in fear of you."
bhisasmad vah pavate bhisodeti suryah bhisasmad agnis candras ca mrtyur dhavati pancamah The wind blows out of fear of him. The sun rises out of fear of him. The fire, moon and death, the fifth, run out of fear of him. Taittiriya Upanisad 2.8.1
Other śrutis nourish the previous statement. You are without action in regards to creating the universe. You are not like a potter making a pot. You are without relationship to the senses, though you make the senses of the jīvas and Brahmā operate. You remain separate from the senses. You support the śakti for all the senses, since you have unlimited śaktis manifesting in different ways, with billions of senses, though you do not reveal your own senses to others. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam: the Lord has his hands and legs all over the universe. BG 13.14 You give śakti wherever it is necessary, in small portions. Why? You shine with your own acintya-śakti (svarāṭ). Your senses do not depend on being manifested like those of the jīva. The devatās like Brahmā offer you tribute. That is fine, but their controller is māyā. They offer tribute along with māyā (ajayā). The previous śrutis spoke correctly. Those who serve you surpass death. na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate | parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca || He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasya vettā tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ purāṇam He has no feet or hands, yet he is the swiftest runner and can grasp anything. Though without eyes or ears, He sees and hears. Nobody knows him, the Lord. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad
You are devoid of relationship with material senses of the jīva since it is impossible to mix spiritual with material. You possess power to do anything because you are independent (svarāṭ), shining with your special śakti. By your śakti you give the jīva power to operate his senses. Or you are devoid of material action (karaṇaḥ), such as making a pot. You possess the power of all the elements (karaka) used in creation. You start the creation by your will alone, because you are independent of others. You shine with your own śakti. Thus all jīvas are dependent on you. Or you are devoid of material senses of the jīva, since you have a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. There is no distinction of body and possessor of the body and sense and possessor of the sense in the Lord. Thus it is said apāṇipādaḥ: the lord has no hands and feet. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad) You have senses superior to those of the devatās. Though your senses cannot be separated from you body, they have all excellence. Thus you are independent. Some Vaiṣṇavas consider difference in the Lord’s body and senses. The devatās like Brahmā and Śiva (animiṣaḥ) make offerings to you (udvahanti) and enjoy them completely (samadanti). It is not like minor kings offering tribute to the ruler and enjoying without fear their independence for a short time. Brahma and others are always fearful (cakitā).
- What if I am being known by a knower who needs no instruments?
- How does His structural knowing change my self-presentation?
The Lord has no material senses, yet He animates everyone's senses — like an inner sun by which the petty suns of intellect, eye, and ear all shine. The demigods rule their districts, collecting tax from worshipers and paying tax to the Lord above them. The cosmic hierarchy is one long act of tribute climbing toward the central throne.
My note
Source: vedabase.io