FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.14

य: पञ्चभूतरचिते रहित: शरीरे च्छन्नोऽयथेन्द्रियगुणार्थचिदात्मकोऽहम् । तेनाविकुण्ठमहिमानमृषिं तमेनं वन्दे परं प्रकृतिपूरुषयो: पुमांसम् ॥ १४ ॥
yaḥ pañca-bhūta-racite rahitaḥ śarīre
[yah pancha-bhoota-rachite rahitah shareere]
cchanno ’yathendriya-guṇārtha-cid-ātmako ’ham
[chchanno ’yathendriya-gunaartha-chid-aatmako ’ham]
tenāvikuṇṭha-mahimānam ṛṣiṁ tam enaṁ
[tenaavikuntha-mahimaanam rishim tam enam]
vande paraṁ prakṛti-pūruṣayoḥ pumāṁsam
[vande param prakriti-poorushayoh pumaamsam]
yaḥ — who pañca-bhūta — five gross elements racite — made of rahitaḥ — separated śarīre — in the material body channaḥ — covered ayathā — unfitly indriya — senses guṇa — qualities artha — objects of senses cit — ego ātmakaḥ — consisting of aham — I tena — by a material body avikuṇṭha-mahimānam — whose glories are unobscured ṛṣim — all-knowing tam — that enam — unto Him vande — I offer obeisances param — transcendental prakṛti — to material nature pūruṣayoḥ — to the living entities pumāṁsam — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yaḥ pañca-bhūta-racite rahitaḥ śarīre
yaḥ
who
pañca-bhūta
five gross elements
racite
made of
rahitaḥ
separated
śarīre
in the material body
cchanno ’yathendriya-guṇārtha-cid-ātmako ’ham
channaḥ
covered
tenāvikuṇṭha-mahimānam ṛṣiṁ tam enaṁ
vande paraṁ prakṛti-pūruṣayoḥ pumāṁsam
ayathā
unfitly
indriya
senses
guṇa
qualities
artha
objects of senses
cit
ego
ātmakaḥ
consisting of
aham
I
tena
by a material body
avikuṇṭha-mahimānam
whose glories are unobscured
ṛṣim
all-knowing
tam
that
enam
unto Him
vande
I offer obeisances
param
transcendental
prakṛti
to material nature
pūruṣayoḥ
to the living entities
pumāṁsam
unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
I am separated from the Supreme Lord because of my being in this material body, which is made of five elements, and therefore my qualities and senses are being misused, although I am essentially spiritual. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to material nature and the living entities, because He is devoid of such a material body, and because He is always glorious in His spiritual qualities, I offer my obeisances unto Him.

The difference between the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is that the living entity is prone to be subjected to material nature, whereas the Supreme Godhead is always transcendental to material nature as well as to the living entities. When the living entity is put into material nature, then his senses and qualities are polluted, or designated. There is no possibility for the Supreme Lord to become embodied by material qualities or material senses, for He is above the influence of material nature and cannot possibly be put in the darkness of ignorance like the living entities. Because of His full knowledge, He is never subjected to the influence of material nature. Material nature is always under His control, and it is therefore not possible that material nature can control the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Since the identity of the living entity is very minute, he is prone to be subjected to material nature, but when he is freed from this material body, which is false, he attains the same spiritual nature as the Supreme Lord. At that time there is no qualitative difference between him and the Supreme Lord, but because he is not so quantitatively powerful as to never be put under the influence of material nature, he is quantitatively different from the Lord.

The entire process of devotional service is to purify oneself of this contamination of material nature and put oneself on the spiritual platform, where he is qualitatively one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Vedas it is said that the living entity is always free. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The living entity is liberated. His material contamination is temporary, and his actual position is that he is liberated. This liberation is achieved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which begins from the point of surrender. Therefore it is said here, “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Covered by this body made of the five elements, remaining as a spiritual particle amidst the senses, guṇas, and sense objects, I offer respects to omniscient Kṛṣṇa, superior to prakṛti and Mahāviṣṇu, whose powers are not weakened by these material elements. “If he is like this, how can he stay in this body?” I , as an ātmā, dwelling among senses, material guṇas, and sense objects, though covered by a body, remain situated separately from them. I offer respects to the Lord whose greatness is not at all weakened by these things. Another version has tenāvaguṇṭha-mahimānam: According to Bhāguri, the syllable a with negative meaning has been elided, so the meaning is “his powers are not covered.” (Avaguṇṭha means covered.) I offer respects to Kṛṣṇa, who is superior to prakṛti and to the seer of prakṛti, the puruṣāvatāra.
The verse defines life's success by surrender, not by accumulation. What looks like 'giving up' from outside is, from inside, finally arriving at one's natural position. Its centre of gravity is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is your devotional life mostly verbal, and where is it actually costing you something?
  • Where in your life are you still 'enjoying' the fruits of work you call devotional?
📝 My note

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