FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.8.23

यथात्मतन्त्रो भगवान् विक्रीडत्यात्ममायया । विसृज्य वा यथा मायामुदास्ते साक्षिवद् विभु: ॥ २३ ॥
yathātma-tantro bhagavān
[yathaatma-tantro bhagavaan]
vikrīḍaty ātma-māyayā
[vikreedaty aatma-maayayaa]
visṛjya vā yathā māyām
[visrijya vaa yathaa maayaam]
udāste sākṣivad vibhuḥ
[udaaste saakshivad vibhuh]
Word-for-word
yathā — as ātma-tantraḥ — independent bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead vikrīḍati — enjoys His pastimes ātma-māyayā — by His internal potency visṛjya — giving up vā — as also yathā — as He desires māyām — the external potency udāste — remains sākṣivat — just as the witness vibhuḥ — the almighty.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathātma-tantro bhagavān
yathā
as
ātma-tantraḥ
independent
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
vikrīḍaty ātma-māyayā
vikrīḍati
enjoys His pastimes
ātma-māyayā
by His internal potency
visṛjya vā yathā māyām
visṛjya
giving up
vā
as also
yathā
as He desires
māyām
the external potency
udāste sākṣivad vibhuḥ
udāste
remains
sākṣivat
just as the witness
vibhuḥ
the almighty.
The independent Personality of Godhead enjoys His pastimes by His internal potency and at the time of annihilation gives them up to the external potency, and He remains a witness to it all.
Purport

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead and fountainhead of all other incarnations, is the only independent person. He enjoys His pastimes by creation as He desires and gives them up to the external energy at the time of annihilation. By His internal potency only, He kills the demon Pūtanā, even though enjoying His pastimes in the lap of His mother Yaśodā. And when He desires to leave this world He creates the pastimes of killing His own family members (Yadu-kula) and remains unaffected by such annihilation. He is the witness of everything that is happening, and yet He has nothing to do with anything. He is independent in every respect. Mahārāja Parīkṣit desired to know more perfectly, for a pure devotee ought to know well.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Describe how the supremely independent Kṛṣṇa carries out pastimes using his yoga-māyā potency, and after creating special pastimes of disappearance, remains indifferent to them, like a superficial witness.
Commentary

Describe how the Lord carries out pastimes of creation, having given up the universe at the time of destruction. Or describe how independent (ātma-tantraḥ) Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the source of all avatāras, performs pastimes starting with killing Pūtanā using his yoga-māyā potency. His supreme position is shown when Mahā-viṣṇu steals the sons of the brāhmaṇa in order to see Kṛṣṇa. And describe how, after creating special pastimes of disappearance (visṛjya), he remains indifferent to them, making pretence of being a witness only to those pastimes.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Kṛṣṇa enjoys His pastimes through His internal potency, gives up to the external potency at dissolution, and remains witness to everything. He acts and yet has nothing to do with anything. His independence is total.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I try to act with His level of detachment, or do I get fused with my activities?
  • How does it free me to know He acts as witness even within His own pastimes?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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