FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.16.37

विश्वस्य य: स्थितिलयोद्भवहेतुराद्यो योगेश्वरैरपि दुरत्यययोगमाय: । क्षेमं विधास्यति स नो भगवांस्त्र्यधीश- स्तत्रास्मदीयविमृशेन कियानिहार्थ: ॥ ३७ ॥
viśvasya yaḥ sthiti-layodbhava-hetur ādyo
[vishvasya yah sthiti-layodbhava-hetur aadyo]
yogeśvarair api duratyaya-yogamāyaḥ
[yogeshvarair api duratyaya-yogamaayah]
kṣemaṁ vidhāsyati sa no bhagavāṁs tryadhīśas
[kshemam vidhaasyati sa no bhagavaams tryadheeshas]
tatrāsmadīya-vimṛśena kiyān ihārthaḥ
[tatraasmadeeya-vimrishena kiyaan ihaarthah]
viśvasya — of the universe yaḥ — who sthiti — maintenance laya — destruction udbhava — creation hetuḥ — the cause ādyaḥ — the most ancient person yoga-īśvaraiḥ — by the masters of yoga api — even duratyaya — cannot be easily understood yoga-māyaḥ — His yoga-māyā potency kṣemam — good vidhāsyati — will do saḥ — He naḥ — of us bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead tri-adhīśaḥ — the controller of the three modes of material nature tatra — there asmadīya — by our vimṛśena — deliberation kiyān — what iha — on this subject arthaḥ — purpose.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
viśvasya yaḥ sthiti-layodbhava-hetur ādyo
viśvasya
of the universe
yaḥ
who
sthiti
maintenance
laya
destruction
udbhava
creation
hetuḥ
the cause
ādyaḥ
the most ancient person
yoga-īśvaraiḥ
by the masters of yoga
yogeśvarair api duratyaya-yogamāyaḥ
api
even
duratyaya
cannot be easily understood
yoga-māyaḥ
His yoga-māyā potency
kṣemaṁ vidhāsyati sa no bhagavāṁs tryadhīśas
kṣemam
good
vidhāsyati
will do
saḥ
He
tatrāsmadīya-vimṛśena kiyān ihārthaḥ
naḥ
of us
bhagavān
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
tri-adhīśaḥ
the controller of the three modes of material nature
tatra
there
asmadīya
by our
vimṛśena
deliberation
kiyān
what
iha
on this subject
arthaḥ
purpose.
My dear sons, the Lord is the controller of the three modes of nature and is responsible for the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe. His wonderful creative power, yoga-māyā, cannot be easily understood even by the masters of yoga. That most ancient person, the Personality of Godhead, will alone come to our rescue. What purpose can we serve on His behalf by deliberating on the subject?

When something is arranged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not be disturbed by it, even if it appears to be a reverse according to one’s calculations. For example, sometimes we see that a powerful preacher is killed, or sometimes he is put into difficulty, just as Haridāsa Ṭhākura was. He was a great devotee who came into this material world to execute the will of the Lord by preaching the Lord’s glories. But Haridāsa was punished at the hands of the Kazi by being beaten in twenty-two marketplaces. Similarly, Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and Prahlāda Mahārāja was put through so many tribulations. The Pāṇḍavas, who were direct friends of Kṛṣṇa, lost their kingdom, their wife was insulted, and they had to undergo many severe tribulations. Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhāgavatam’s conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Lord Brahmā assured the demigods that there was no use in talking about how the disturbing situation of darkness was taking place, since the actual fact was that it was ordered by the Supreme Lord. Brahmā knew this because he was a great devotee; it was possible for him to understand the plan of the Lord.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Sixteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Two Doorkeepers of Vaikuṇṭha, Jaya and Vijaya, Cursed by the Sages.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord of the three worlds who is the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction, the original person, whose power of yoga-māyā cannot be understood by even the greatest yogīs, will give security. What is the use of us deliberating on this? “We are dying right now. When will the Lord mitigate the situation?” That you live or die depends on the desire of the Lord. But now, at the time meant for protection, he will protect you. That is explained in this verse. We do not know how he will do it. Though masters of yoga have all knowledge, they do not know. What will he do to rescue us from destruction? What is the use of us pondering this? Instead of us reflecting on this, he will simply do it. Thus ends the commentary on Sixteenth Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas Chapter Seventeen The Birth of the Two Demons
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 Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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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