Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.27.18
यथा गन्धस्य भूमेश्च न भावो व्यतिरेकत: ।
अपां रसस्य च यथा तथा बुद्धे: परस्य च ॥ १८ ॥
yathā gandhasya bhūmeś ca
[yathaa gandhasya bhoomesh cha]
na bhāvo vyatirekataḥ
[na bhaavo vyatirekatah]
apāṁ rasasya ca yathā
[apaam rasasya cha yathaa]
tathā buddheḥ parasya ca
[tathaa buddheh parasya cha]
Word-for-word
yathā
—
as
gandhasya
—
of aroma
bhūmeḥ
—
of earth
ca
—
and
na
—
no
bhāvaḥ
—
existence
vyatirekataḥ
—
separate
apām
—
of water
rasasya
—
of taste
ca
—
and
yathā
—
as
tathā
—
so
buddheḥ
—
of intelligence
parasya
—
of consciousness, spirit
ca
—
and.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā gandhasya bhūmeś ca
yathā
as
gandhasya
of aroma
bhūmeḥ
of earth
ca
and
na bhāvo vyatirekataḥ
na
no
bhāvaḥ
existence
vyatirekataḥ
separate
apāṁ rasasya ca yathā
apām
of water
rasasya
of taste
ca
and
yathā
as
tathā buddheḥ parasya ca
tathā
so
buddheḥ
of intelligence
parasya
of consciousness, spirit
ca
and.
As there is no separate existence of the earth and its aroma or of water and its taste, there cannot be any separate existence of intelligence and consciousness.
Purport
The example is given here that anything material has an aroma. The flower, the earth — everything — has an aroma. If the aroma is separated from the matter, the matter cannot be identified. If there is no taste to water, the water has no meaning; if there is no heat in the fire, the fire has no meaning. Similarly, when there is want of intelligence, spirit has no meaning.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
Just as fragrance cannot exist separate from earth, and taste cannot exist separate from water, the Lord does not exist separate from prakṛti.
With separation from earth, there is no existence of fragrance. Because of seeing sometimes decay which leaves odor without earth, another example is given using water. Similarly the Lord cannot be separated from prakṛti (buddheḥ).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Lord is named here as the actual proprietor of everything we manage. The verse asks us to relax our grip on what was never ours and let Him hold it again.
Reflection Questions
- What in your life are you treating as 'mine' that the verse would call 'His'?
- How does relating to a person, rather than a principle, change how you speak in prayer?
My note
Source: vedabase.io