FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.16

यत्र नै:श्रेयसं नाम वनं कामदुघैर्द्रुमै: । सर्वर्तुश्रीभिर्विभ्राजत्कैवल्यमिव मूर्तिमत् ॥ १६ ॥
yatra naiḥśreyasaṁ nāma
[yatra naihshreyasam naama]
vanaṁ kāma-dughair drumaiḥ
[vanam kaama-dughair drumaih]
sarvartu-śrībhir vibhrājat
[sarvartu-shreebhir vibhraajat]
kaivalyam iva mūrtimat
[kaivalyam iva moortimat]
yatra — in the Vaikuṇṭha planets naiḥśreyasam — auspicious nāma — named vanam — forests kāma-dughaiḥ — yielding desire drumaiḥ — with trees sarva — all ṛtu — seasons śrībhiḥ — with flowers and fruits vibhrājat — splendid kaivalyam — spiritual iva — as mūrtimat — personal.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yatra naiḥśreyasaṁ nāma
yatra
in the Vaikuṇṭha planets
naiḥśreyasam
auspicious
nāma
named
vanaṁ kāma-dughair drumaiḥ
vanam
forests
kāma-dughaiḥ
yielding desire
drumaiḥ
with trees
sarvartu-śrībhir vibhrājat
sarva
all
ṛtu
seasons
śrībhiḥ
with flowers and fruits
vibhrājat
splendid
kaivalyam iva mūrtimat
kaivalyam
spiritual
iva
as
mūrtimat
personal.
In those Vaikuṇṭha planets there are many forests which are very auspicious. In those forests the trees are desire trees, and in all seasons they are filled with flowers and fruits because everything in the Vaikuṇṭha planets is spiritual and personal.

In the Vaikuṇṭha planets the land, the trees, the fruits and flowers and the cows — everything — is completely spiritual and personal. The trees are desire trees. On this material planet the trees can produce fruits and flowers according to the order of material energy, but in the Vaikuṇṭha planets the trees, the land, the residents and the animals are all spiritual. There is no difference between the tree and the animal or the animal and the man. Here the word mūrtimat indicates that everything has a spiritual form. Formlessness, as conceived by the impersonalists, is refuted in this verse; in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, although everything is spiritual, everything has a particular form. The trees and the men have form, and because all of them, although differently formed, are spiritual, there is no difference between them.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In that place, a forest named Niḥśreyasa shines with trees, which are bliss incarnate, fulfilling all desires, bearing flowers and fruits of all seasons. Kaivalyam iva mūrtimat means that all of the trees are nityasiddha, filled with bliss without any interruption. It is said that the birds are all ātmārāma, without any material desires.
The verse describes layered cosmic machinery — modes, elements, governing demigods — to remind us that even our 'private' lives are arranged by larger hands. The verse anchors this in material energy.
Reflection Questions
  • How does it change your day to remember the universe was not built around your preferences?
  • Which 'cosmic' problem are you trying to solve when your actual task is just to play your small part well?
📝 My note

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