Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.10.41
एतत् केचिदविद्वांसो मायासंसृतिरात्मन: ।
अनाद्यावर्तितं नृणां कादाचित्कं प्रचक्षते ॥ ४१ ॥
etat kecid avidvāṁso
[etat kechid avidvaamso]
māyā-saṁsṛtir ātmanaḥ
[maayaa-samsritir aatmanah]
anādy-āvartitaṁ nṝṇāṁ
[anaady-aavartitam nreenaam]
kādācitkaṁ pracakṣate
[kaadaachitkam prachakshate]
Word-for-word
etat
—
this
kecit
—
some persons
avidvāṁsaḥ
—
who are not learned
māyā-saṁsṛtiḥ
—
the illusory creation
ātmanaḥ
—
of the Supreme Soul
anādi
—
from time immemorial
āvartitam
—
repeating
nṝṇām
—
of conditioned living beings
kādācitkam
—
unprecedented
pracakṣate
—
they say.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etat kecid avidvāṁso
etat
this
kecit
some persons
avidvāṁsaḥ
who are not learned
māyā-saṁsṛtir ātmanaḥ
māyā-saṁsṛtiḥ
the illusory creation
ātmanaḥ
of the Supreme Soul
anādy-āvartitaṁ nṝṇāṁ
anādi
from time immemorial
āvartitam
repeating
nṝṇām
of conditioned living beings
kādācitkaṁ pracakṣate
kādācitkam
unprecedented
pracakṣate
they say.
Although this event was unique and unprecedented, some unintelligent persons compare it to the cycle of illusory material existence the Supreme Lord has created for the conditioned souls — an endless cycle that has been continuing since time immemorial.
Purport
Mārkaṇḍeya’s being drawn into the Lord’s body by His inhalation and expelled again by His exhalation should not be considered a symbolic description of the perennial cycles of material creation and annihilation. This portion of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes a real, historical event experienced by a great devotee of the Lord, and those trying to relegate this story to mere symbolic allegory are here declared to be unintelligent fools.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Some unintelligent persons explain Mārkaṇḍeya’s unique experience as symbolic of human beings in beginningless ignorance undergoing repeated cycles.
What Mārkaṇḍeya saw was the power of the Lord’s māyā. Seven times entering and coming out of the baby form of the Lord who had inconceivable powers when the Lord inhaled and exhaled was a unique pastime. Some foolish persons explain seven kalpas to mean that humans under ignorance for a long time rotate repeatedly in bodies for thousands of celestial yugas (anuvartitam).
Personal Guidance
Some unintelligent persons compare this unique event to ordinary cyclic existence. Not every spiritual story is interchangeable; reducing Markandeya's vision to 'mere metaphor' loses the gift. Particularity matters.
Reflection Questions
- Do I flatten spiritual stories into 'just symbols' and so miss their specific gift?
- What might I receive if I read more particularly?
My note
Source: vedabase.io