Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.11.9
यावानयं वै पुरुषो यावत्या संस्थया मित: ।
तावानसावपि महापुरुषो लोकसंस्थया ॥ ९ ॥
yāvān ayaṁ vai puruṣo
[yaavaan ayam vai purusho]
yāvatyā saṁsthayā mitaḥ
[yaavatyaa samsthayaa mitah]
tāvān asāv api mahā-
[taavaan asaav api mahaa-]
puruṣo loka-saṁsthayā
[purusho loka-samsthayaa]
Word-for-word
yāvān
—
to which extent
ayam
—
this
vai
—
indeed
puruṣaḥ
—
ordinary individual person
yāvatyā
—
extending to which dimensions
saṁsthayā
—
by the position of his limbs
mitaḥ
—
measured
tāvān
—
to that extent
asau
—
He
api
—
also
mahā-puruṣaḥ
—
the transcendental personality
loka-saṁsthayā
—
according to the positions of the planetary systems.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yāvān ayaṁ vai puruṣo
yāvān
to which extent
ayam
this
vai
indeed
puruṣaḥ
ordinary individual person
yāvatyā saṁsthayā mitaḥ
yāvatyā
extending to which dimensions
saṁsthayā
by the position of his limbs
mitaḥ
measured
tāvān asāv api mahā-
tāvān
to that extent
asau
He
api
also
mahā-puruṣaḥ
the transcendental personality
puruṣo loka-saṁsthayā
loka-saṁsthayā
according to the positions of the planetary systems.
Just as one can determine the dimensions of an ordinary person of this world by measuring his various limbs, one can determine the dimensions of the Mahāpuruṣa by measuring the arrangement of the planetary systems within His universal form.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as one can determine the dimensions of an ordinary person of this world by measuring his various limbs, one can determine the dimensions of the universal form by measuring the arrangement of the planetary systems.
Since the universal form and the individual person are considered one, by seeing the individual person, though faulty because of material qualities, one can understand something of the faultless spiritual person of eternity knowledge and bliss. Mitaḥ means measured.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Just as we measure a person by limb proportions, the Mahapurusha can be measured by His. Even cosmic vastness has form, not just diffusion. Form lets us love.
Reflection Questions
- Do I prefer thinking of God as formless because it feels safer?
- What is lost when form is excluded — and what is gained when it is welcomed?
My note
Source: vedabase.io