FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.5

नमो विज्ञानवीर्याय माययेदमुपेयुषे । गृहीतगुणभेदाय नमस्तेऽव्यक्तयोनये ॥ ५ ॥
namo vijñāna-vīryāya
[namo vijnaana-veeryaaya]
māyayedam upeyuṣe
[maayayedam upeyushe]
gṛhīta-guṇa-bhedāya
[griheeta-guna-bhedaaya]
namas te ’vyakta-yonaye
[namas te ’vyakta-yonaye]
namaḥ — respectful obeisances vijñāna-vīryāya — O original source of strength and scientific knowledge māyayā — by the external energy idam — this body of Brahmā upeyuṣe — having obtained gṛhīta — accepting guṇa-bhedāya — the differentiated mode of passion namaḥ te — offering obeisances unto you avyakta — unmanifested yonaye — source.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
namo vijñāna-vīryāya
namaḥ
respectful obeisances
vijñāna-vīryāya
O original source of strength and scientific knowledge
māyayedam upeyuṣe
māyayā
by the external energy
idam
this body of Brahmā
upeyuṣe
having obtained
gṛhīta-guṇa-bhedāya
gṛhīta
accepting
guṇa-bhedāya
the differentiated mode of passion
namas te ’vyakta-yonaye
namaḥ te
offering obeisances unto you
avyakta
unmanifested
yonaye
source.
O original source of strength and scientific knowledge, all obeisances unto you! You have accepted the differentiated mode of passion from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. With the help of external energy you are born of the unmanifested source. All obeisances unto you!

The Vedas are the original scientific knowledge for all departments of understanding, and this knowledge of the Vedas was first impregnated into the heart of Brahmā by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Brahmā is the original source of all scientific knowledge. He is born directly from the transcendental body of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, who is never seen by any creature of this material universe and therefore always remains unmanifested. Brahmā is stated here to be born of the unmanifested. He is the incarnation of the mode of passion in material nature, which is the separated, external energy of the Supreme Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
We offer respects to you, who have power of knowledge, who have accepted a body by the Lord’s māyā, composed of rajoguṇa. We offer respects to you whose source is the Supreme Lord. We offer respects to one who has attained the body (idam) of Brahmā, who has accepted rajoguṇa (gṛhīta-guṇa-bhedāya), who is caused by the Supreme Lord (avyakta).
The verse points beyond impersonal abstraction to a Lord who hears, acts, and relates. Spiritual life gets real once we stop talking about Him and start talking to Him. The verse keeps returning to Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does your idea of God blur into a generic 'higher power' that asks nothing of you?
  • What would change if you treated one possession this week as belonging to the Lord and on loan to you?
📝 My note

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