SB 11.28.19 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.28.19

यथा हिरण्यं स्वकृतं पुरस्तात् पश्चाच्च सर्वस्य हिरण्मयस्य । तदेव मध्ये व्यवहार्यमाणं नानापदेशैरहमस्य तद्वत् ॥ १९ ॥

yathā hiraṇyaṁ sv-akṛtaṁ purastāt

[yathaa hiranyam sv-akritam purastaat]

paścāc ca sarvasya hiraṇ-mayasya

[pashchaach cha sarvasya hiran-mayasya]

tad eva madhye vyavahāryamāṇaṁ

[tad eva madhye vyavahaaryamaanam]

nānāpadeśair aham asya tadvat

[naanaapadeshair aham asya tadvat]

Word-for-word

yathā — just as hiraṇyam — gold su-akṛtam — unmanifest as manufactured products purastāt — previously paścāt — subsequently ca — and sarvasya — of everything hiraṇ-mayasya — that is made of gold tat — that gold eva — alone madhye — in the middle vyavahāryamāṇam — being utilized nānā — various apadeśaiḥ — in terms of designations aham — I asya — of this created universe tadvat — in the same way.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

yathā hiraṇyaṁ sv-akṛtaṁ purastāt

yathā

just as

hiraṇyam

gold

su-akṛtam

unmanifest as manufactured products

purastāt

previously

paścāc ca sarvasya hiraṇ-mayasya

paścāt

subsequently

and

sarvasya

of everything

hiraṇ-mayasya

that is made of gold

tad eva madhye vyavahāryamāṇaṁ

tat

that gold

eva

alone

madhye

in the middle

vyavahāryamāṇam

being utilized

nānā

various

nānāpadeśair aham asya tadvat

apadeśaiḥ

in terms of designations

aham

asya

of this created universe

tadvat

in the same way.

Gold alone is present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone remains after the products’ destruction, and the gold alone is the essential reality while it is being utilized under various designations. Similarly, I alone exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and during its maintenance.

Purport

Gold is manufactured into many types of jewelry, as well as into coins and other luxurious products. But at each stage — before manufacture, during manufacture, during utilization and afterward — the essential reality is gold. In the same way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essential reality — both the dynamic and the ingredient cause of everything. All throughout the material creation, the Lord is simply setting into motion His own potency, which is not different from Him.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Gold alone is present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone remains after the products’ destruction, and the gold alone is the essential reality while it is utilized under various designations. Similarly, I alone exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and during its maintenance. Gold is made into products like earrings etc. (svakṛtam). That which existed prior to the earrings and jewelry and will exist after they are destroyed and is known by many names such as earrings in the interim is actually only gold. Similarly I existed before the universe, I will exist after the universe and I exist while the universe is present.

Personal Guidance

Gold exists before its products, remains after their destruction, and is essential while products are used — so the Lord alone exists before, after, and during creation. Substance vs form.

Reflection Questions

What in my life have I confused with the form when the substance is the Lord?
What does this metaphor permanently re-frame?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io