FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.33.5

त्वं देहतन्त्र: प्रशमाय पाप्मनां निदेशभाजां च विभो विभूतये । यथावतारास्तव सूकरादयस् तथायमप्यात्मपथोपलब्धये ॥ ५ ॥
tvaṁ deha-tantraḥ praśamāya pāpmanāṁ
[tvam deha-tantrah prashamaaya paapmanaam]
nideśa-bhājāṁ ca vibho vibhūtaye
[nidesha-bhaajaam cha vibho vibhootaye]
yathāvatārās tava sūkarādayas
[yathaavataaraas tava sookaraadayas]
tathāyam apy ātma-pathopalabdhaye
[tathaayam apy aatma-pathopalabdhaye]
Word-for-word
tvam — You deha — this body tantraḥ — have assumed praśamāya — for the diminution pāpmanām — of sinful activities nideśa-bhājām — of instructions in devotion ca — and vibho — O my Lord vibhūtaye — for the expansion yathā — as avatārāḥ — incarnations tava — Your sūkara-ādayaḥ — the boar and other forms tathā — so ayam — this incarnation of Kapila api — surely ātma-patha — the path of self-realization upalabdhaye — in order to reveal.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tvaṁ deha-tantraḥ praśamāya pāpmanāṁ
tvam
You
deha
this body
tantraḥ
have assumed
praśamāya
for the diminution
pāpmanām
of sinful activities
nideśa-bhājāṁ ca vibho vibhūtaye
nideśa-bhājām
of instructions in devotion
ca
and
vibho
O my Lord
vibhūtaye
for the expansion
yathāvatārās tava sūkarādayas
yathā
as
avatārāḥ
incarnations
tava
Your
sūkara-ādayaḥ
the boar and other forms
tathāyam apy ātma-pathopalabdhaye
tathā
so
ayam
this incarnation of Kapila
api
surely
ātma-patha
the path of self-realization
upalabdhaye
in order to reveal.
My dear Lord, You have assumed this body in order to diminish the sinful activities of the fallen and to enrich their knowledge in devotion and liberation. Since these sinful people are dependent on Your direction, by Your own will You assume incarnations as a boar and as other forms. Similarly, You have appeared in order to distribute transcendental knowledge to Your dependents.
Purport

In the previous verses, the general transcendental qualifications of the Supreme Personality of Godhead were described. Now the specific purpose of the Lord’s appearance is also described. By His different energies He bestows different kinds of bodies upon the living entities, who are conditioned by their propensity to lord it over material nature, but in course of time these living entities become so degraded that they need enlightenment. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā that whenever there are discrepancies in the discharge of the real purpose of this material existence, the Lord appears as an incarnation. The Lord’s form as Kapila directs the fallen souls and enriches them with knowledge and devotion so that they may go back to Godhead. There are many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, like those of the boar, the fish, the tortoise and the half-man half-lion. Lord Kapiladeva is also one of the incarnations of Godhead. It is accepted herein that Lord Kapiladeva appeared on the surface of the earth to give transcendental knowledge to the misguided conditioned souls.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Lord! You become dependent on my body as a baby. Just as you appear in this world in forms like the boar to destroy sin and to make those who follow your instructions prosperous, you have appeared to teach the path of jñāna and bhakti directed to yourself. Moreover, your nature is that, by mercy alone, you descend as avatāra. Just as other babies are in the womb of the mother and are dependent on the body of the mother, you also entered my womb and were dependent on my body (deha-tantraḥ), as your pastime. Deha-tantraḥ can also mean “he who is decorated with cloth and ornaments on his body.” For what purpose do avatāras descend? They appear for destroying sins and for making prosperous with bhakt, jñāna and yoga those who follow your instruction (nideśa-bhājām). Kapila (ayam) appeared to teach the path of jñāna and bhakti directed to himself.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Knowledge here is not information — it is corrected vision. The verse implies that collecting more facts will not deliver the change; what is needed is a willingness to be seen and corrected. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose realization, if you actually heard it, would correct yours?
  • Where could service do the teaching that more study cannot?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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