FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.5.24

स वा एष तदा द्रष्टा नापश्यद् द‍ृश्यमेकराट् । मेनेऽसन्तमिवात्मानं सुप्तशक्तिरसुप्तद‍ृक् ॥ २४ ॥
sa vā eṣa tadā draṣṭā
[sa vaa esha tadaa drashtaa]
nāpaśyad dṛśyam ekarāṭ
[naapashyad drishyam ekaraat]
mene ’santam ivātmānaṁ
[mene ’santam ivaatmaanam]
supta-śaktir asupta-dṛk
[supta-shaktir asupta-drik]
saḥ — the Personality of Godhead vā — either eṣaḥ — all these tadā — at that time draṣṭā — the seer na — did not apaśyat — see dṛśyam — the cosmic creation eka-rāṭ — undisputed proprietor mene — thought like this asantam — nonexistent iva — like that ātmānam — plenary manifestations supta — unmanifested śaktiḥ — material energy asupta — manifested dṛk — internal potency.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa vā eṣa tadā draṣṭā
saḥ
the Personality of Godhead
vā
either
eṣaḥ
all these
tadā
at that time
draṣṭā
the seer
nāpaśyad dṛśyam ekarāṭ
na
did not
apaśyat
see
dṛśyam
the cosmic creation
eka-rāṭ
undisputed proprietor
mene ’santam ivātmānaṁ
mene
thought like this
supta-śaktir asupta-dṛk
asantam
nonexistent
iva
like that
ātmānam
plenary manifestations
supta
unmanifested
śaktiḥ
material energy
asupta
manifested
dṛk
internal potency.
The Lord, the undisputed proprietor of everything, was the only seer. The cosmic manifestation was not present at that time, and thus He felt imperfect without His plenary and separated parts and parcels. The material energy was dormant, whereas the internal potency was manifested.

The Lord is the supreme seer because only by His glance did the material energy become active for cosmic manifestation. At that time the seer was there, but the external energy, over which the glance of the Lord is cast, was not present. He felt somewhat insufficient, like a husband feeling lonely in the absence of his wife. This is a poetic simile. The Lord wanted to create the cosmic manifestation to give another chance to the conditioned souls who were dormant in forgetfulness. The cosmic manifestation gives the conditioned souls a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, and that is its main purpose. The Lord is so kind that in the absence of such a manifestation He feels something wanting, and thus the creation takes place. Although the creation of the internal potency was manifested, the other potency appeared to be sleeping, and the Lord wanted to awaken her to activity, just as a husband wants to awaken his wife from the sleeping state for enjoyment. It is the compassion of the Lord for the sleeping energy that He wants to see her awaken for enjoyment like the other wives who are awake. The whole process is to enliven the sleeping conditioned souls to the real life of spiritual consciousness so that they may thus become as perfect as the ever-liberated souls in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Since the Lord is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, He likes every part and parcel of His different potencies to take part in the blissful rasa because participation with the Lord in His eternal rāsa-līlā is the highest living condition, perfect in spiritual bliss and eternal knowledge.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The one puruṣa, who glances over prakṛti, at the beginning of creation, could not see her. He, the possessor of māyā, who was sleeping, and the possessor of spiritual consorts, who were awake, considered himself non-existent without her. The puruṣa is certainly (vai) the glancer over prakṛti (draṣṭā). At the beginning of creation (tadā), he did not see what should be glanced on for creation, the pradhāna (dṛśyam). He considered himself (ātmānam) as if not existing (asantam). This is a poetic convention, like the householder feels non-existent without a wife. This can also refer to the collective jīvas who existed only in subtle form (ātmānam) within himself and would later become visible. Though they existed, he considered them non-existent at that time. With glancing over prakṛti, it was impossible for the Lord to manifest the worlds (but prakṛti was invisible). In what state was his dear māyā who was to receive his glance? Māyā (śakti) was sleeping. A sleeping lover cannot be enjoyed. But there were many lovers willing to give the Lord bliss who were awake. He had many consorts such as Lakṣmī, functions of his cit-śakti (asupta-dṛk). However, for creating the universe, the Lord at that time needed the external energy, māyā-śakti, though she is inferior.
The scale of the creation in this verse is not given to overwhelm us but to right-size us. Most of our anxiety shrinks when our self-importance shrinks. The pivot here is cosmic manifestation.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have you been demanding outcomes from a system you did not design?
  • What would humility actually look like for you in your work this week?
📝 My note

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