FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.31.6

लोकाभिरामां स्वतनुं धारणाध्यानमङ्गलम् । योगधारणयाग्नेय्यादग्ध्वा धामाविशत् स्वकम् ॥ ६ ॥
lokābhirāmāṁ sva-tanuṁ
[lokaabhiraamaam sva-tanum]
dhāraṇā-dhyāna-maṅgalam
[dhaaranaa-dhyaana-mangalam]
yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-
[yoga-dhaaranayaagneyyaa-]
dagdhvā dhāmāviśat svakam
[dagdhvaa dhaamaavishat svakam]
loka — to all the worlds abhirāmām — most attractive sva-tanum — His own transcendental body dhāraṇā — of all trance dhyāna — and meditation maṅgalam — the auspicious object yoga-dhāraṇayā — by mystic trance āgneyyā — focused on fire adagdhvā — without burning dhāma — the abode āviśat — He entered svakam — His own.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
lokābhirāmāṁ sva-tanuṁ
loka
to all the worlds
abhirāmām
most attractive
sva-tanum
His own transcendental body
dhāraṇā-dhyāna-maṅgalam
dhāraṇā
of all trance
dhyāna
and meditation
maṅgalam
the auspicious object
yoga-dhāraṇayāgneyyā-
yoga-dhāraṇayā
by mystic trance
āgneyyā
focused on fire
dagdhvā dhāmāviśat svakam
adagdhvā
without burning
dhāma
the abode
āviśat
He entered
svakam
His own.
Without employing the mystic āgneyī meditation to burn up His transcendental body, which is the all-attractive resting place of all the worlds and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Lord Kṛṣṇa entered into His own abode.

A yogī empowered to select the moment of leaving his body can cause it to burst into flames by engaging in the yogic meditation called āgneyī, and thus he passes into his next life. The demigods similarly employ this mystic fire when being transferred to the spiritual world. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead is completely different from conditioned souls like yogīs and demigods, since the Lord’s eternal, spiritual body is the source of all existence, as indicated here by the words lokābhirāmāṁ sva-tanum. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s body is the source of pleasure for the entire universe. The word dhāraṇā-dhyāna-maṅgalam indicates that those trying for spiritual elevation through meditation and yoga achieve all auspiciousness through meditation on the Lord’s body. Since yogīs are liberated simply by thinking of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s body, that body is certainly not material and therefore not subject to burning by mundane mystic fire or any other type of fire.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura reminds us of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s statement in the Eleventh Canto, Chapter Fourteen, verse 37: vahni-madhye smared rūpaṁ mamaitad dhyāna-maṅgalam. “Within the fire one should meditate upon My form, which is the auspicious object of all meditation.” Since Lord Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental form is present within fire as the maintaining principle, how can fire affect that form? Thus although the Lord appeared to enter the mystic yoga trance, the word adagdhvā indicates that the Lord, since His body is purely spiritual, bypassed the formality of burning and directly entered His own abode in the spiritual sky. This point has also been elaborately explained by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in his commentary to this verse.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Without performing meditation to burn up his body, which was all-attractive to world and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Kṛṣṇa entered into his abode. The statements of the previous verse, this verse and later verses as well cannot be taken to be literally true. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the Lord rejected the erroneous process of dying at will which is practiced by yogīs. He did not burn up his body by meditating on fire, because his body was attractive to all people and was the object of contemplation and meditation. Others explain the verse as follows. Taking his body which was pure like gold, as if being taken from fire after heating it without being burned up, he entered his abode. The meaning is that the Lord showed doubtful persons that his body could not be burned. The nature of the Lord’s body may be explained by the following verse: vahni-madhye smared rūpaṁ mamaitad dhyāna-maṅgalam samaṁ praśāntaṁ su-mukhaṁ dīrgha-cāru-catur-bhujam Placing my form within the fire, one should meditate upon that auspicious object of all meditation. That form has harmonious limbs, is gentle and cheerful. It possesses four beautiful long arms. SB 11.14.37
Without using mystic fire-meditation to burn His body, the Lord entered His own abode — His body, all-attractive resting place, was preserved. The transcendental body does not require fire.
Reflection Questions
  • What does it teach that the Lord did not need the technique?
  • How does this widen my sense of what is possible for Him?
📝 My note

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