FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.5.36

यस्येहावयवैर्लोकान् कल्पयन्ति मनीषिण: । कट्यादिभिरध: सप्त सप्तोर्ध्वं जघनादिभि: ॥ ३६ ॥
yasyehāvayavair lokān
[yasyehaavayavair lokaan]
kalpayanti manīṣiṇaḥ
[kalpayanti maneeshinah]
kaṭya-ādibhir adhaḥ sapta
[katya-aadibhir adhah sapta]
saptordhvaṁ jaghanādibhiḥ
[saptordhvam jaghanaadibhih]
yasya — whose iha — in the universe avayavaiḥ — by the limbs of the body lokān — all the planets kalpayanti — imagine manīṣiṇaḥ — great philosophers kaṭi-ādibhiḥ — down from the waist adhaḥ — downwards sapta — seven systems sapta ūrdhvam — and seven systems upwards jaghana-ādibhiḥ — front portion.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasyehāvayavair lokān
yasya
whose
kalpayanti manīṣiṇaḥ
kaṭya-ādibhir adhaḥ sapta
saptordhvaṁ jaghanādibhiḥ
iha
in the universe
avayavaiḥ
by the limbs of the body
lokān
all the planets
kalpayanti
imagine
manīṣiṇaḥ
great philosophers
kaṭi-ādibhiḥ
down from the waist
adhaḥ
downwards
sapta
seven systems
sapta ūrdhvam
and seven systems upwards
jaghana-ādibhiḥ
front portion.
Great philosophers imagine that the complete planetary systems in the universe are displays of the different upper and lower limbs of the universal body of the Lord.

The word kalpayanti, or “imagine,” is significant. The virāṭ universal form of the Absolute is an imagination of the speculative philosophers who are unable to adjust to the eternal two-handed form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Although the universal form, as imagined by the great philosophers, is one of the features of the Lord, it is more or less imaginary. It is said that the seven upper planetary systems are situated above the waist of the universal form, whereas the lower planetary systems are situated below His waist. The idea impressed herein is that the Supreme Lord is conscious of every part of His body, and nowhere in the creation is there anything beyond His control.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Within the universe, the wise imagine the planets as his limbs. The buttocks and below are the lower seven planets starting with Atala, and hips and above are the seven upper planets starting with earth.
Commentary

Within the universe (iha) is the puruṣa made of the planets (loka-maya-puruṣaḥ) whose limbs the wise imagine to be the planets. This sentence continues until verse 41. Kaṭi means buttocks. Jaghanam means the hips. The lower seven planets start with Atala. Upwards are Bhū and the other planets.

Philosophers picture the planetary systems as parts of the Lord's cosmic body. It is partly imagined, but the point is real: nothing in creation is beyond His awareness or outside His control.
Reflection Questions
  • Is there a corner of my life I treat as outside His awareness?
  • How would my choices change if every action happened inside His body?
📝 My note

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