FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.37

देवद्विषां निगमवर्त्मनि निष्ठितानां पूर्भिर्मयेन विहिताभिरद‍ृश्यतूर्भि: । लोकान् घ्नतां मतिविमोहमतिप्रलोभं वेषं विधाय बहु भाष्यत औपधर्म्यम् ॥ ३७ ॥
deva-dviṣāṁ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṁ
[deva-dvishaam nigama-vartmani nishthitaanaam]
pūrbhir mayena vihitābhir adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ
[poorbhir mayena vihitaabhir adrishya-toorbhih]
lokān ghnatāṁ mati-vimoham atipralobhaṁ
[lokaan ghnataam mati-vimoham atipralobham]
veṣaṁ vidhāya bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmyam
[vesham vidhaaya bahu bhaashyata aupadharmyam]
deva-dviṣām — of those who were envious of the devotees of the Lord nigama — the Vedas vartmani — on the path of niṣṭhitānām — of the well situated pūrbhiḥ — by rockets mayena — made by the great scientist Maya vihitābhiḥ — made by adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ — unseen in the sky lokān — the different planets ghnatām — of the killers mati-vimoham — bewilderment of the mind atipralobham — very attractive veṣam — dress vidhāya — having done so bahu bhāṣyate — will talk very much aupadharmyam — subreligious principles.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
deva-dviṣāṁ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṁ
deva-dviṣām
of those who were envious of the devotees of the Lord
nigama
the Vedas
vartmani
on the path of
niṣṭhitānām
of the well situated
pūrbhir mayena vihitābhir adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ
pūrbhiḥ
by rockets
mayena
made by the great scientist Maya
vihitābhiḥ
made by
adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ
unseen in the sky
lokān ghnatāṁ mati-vimoham atipralobhaṁ
lokān
the different planets
ghnatām
of the killers
mati-vimoham
bewilderment of the mind
atipralobham
very attractive
veṣaṁ vidhāya bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmyam
veṣam
dress
vidhāya
having done so
bahu bhāṣyate
will talk very much
aupadharmyam
subreligious principles.
When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on subreligious principles.

This incarnation of Lord Buddha is not the same Buddha incarnation we have in the present history of mankind. According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the Buddha incarnation mentioned in this verse appeared in a different Kali age. In the duration of life of one Manu there are more than seventy-two Kali-yugas, and in one of them the particular type of Buddha mentioned here would appear. Lord Buddha incarnates at a time when the people are most materialistic and preaches commonsense religious principles. Such ahiṁsā is not a religious principle itself, but it is an important quality for persons who are actually religious. It is a commonsense religion because one is advised to do no harm to any other animal or living being because such harmful actions are equally harmful to he who does the harm. But before learning these principles of nonviolence one has to learn two other principles, namely to be humble and to be prideless. Unless one is humble and prideless, one cannot be harmless and nonviolent. And after being nonviolent one has to learn tolerance and simplicity of living. One must offer respects to the great religious preachers and spiritual leaders and also train the senses for controlled action, learning to be unattached to family and home, and enacting devotional service to the Lord, etc. At the ultimate stage one has to accept the Lord and become His devotee; otherwise there is no religion. In religious principles there must be God in the center; otherwise simple moral instructions are merely subreligious principles, generally known as upadharma, or nearness to religious principles.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When the demons, fixed in Vedic learning, [Note: Śrīdhara Svāmī says by the strength of their learning they build the weapons. Other commentators take “learned in the Vedas” to modify the people who get killed by the demons. Jīva Gosvāmī says because they do not hear the proper conclusions of the Vedas, they act as demons. ] kill people using fortresses traveling at great speeds so that they are not seen by the enemy, built by Maya, the Lord will take the dress of a non-believer and will speak many alluring heretical doctrines to bewilder their minds.
Commentary

This verse describes Buddha. When the demons fixed in the path of the Vedas kill people from fortresses made by Maya and travel at speeds so that they cannot be seen by the enemy, the Lord, wearing the dress of a non-believer, will speak many heretical teachings (aupadharmyam) which will bewilder them, being very alluring to their minds. Aupadharmyam means related to upadharma.

When atheists weaponize Vedic knowledge to destroy other beings, the Lord as Buddha appears to preach simple non-violence — bewildering the misusers and quieting their reach. Sometimes God redirects through new vocabulary.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I rejecting a 'different' teacher whose voice might actually be His redirect?
  • Is my own non-violence a real spiritual quality or just a fashionable identity?
📝 My note

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