Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.7.16
साध्वेतद् व्याहृतं विद्वन्नात्ममायायनं हरे: ।
आभात्यपार्थं निर्मूलं विश्वमूलं न यद्बहि: ॥ १६ ॥
sādhv etad vyāhṛtaṁ vidvan
[saadhv etad vyaahritam vidvan]
nātma-māyāyanaṁ hareḥ
[naatma-maayaayanam hareh]
ābhāty apārthaṁ nirmūlaṁ
[aabhaaty apaartham nirmoolam]
viśva-mūlaṁ na yad bahiḥ
[vishva-moolam na yad bahih]
Word-for-word
sādhu
—
as good as it should be
etat
—
all these explanations
vyāhṛtam
—
thus spoken
vidvan
—
O learned one
na
—
not
ātma
—
the self
māyā
—
energy
ayanam
—
movement
hareḥ
—
of the Personality of Godhead
ābhāti
—
appears
apārtham
—
without meaning
nirmūlam
—
without basis
viśva-mūlam
—
the origin is the Supreme
na
—
not
yat
—
which
bahiḥ
—
outside.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sādhv etad vyāhṛtaṁ vidvan
sādhu
as good as it should be
etat
all these explanations
vyāhṛtam
thus spoken
vidvan
O learned one
nātma-māyāyanaṁ hareḥ
na
not
ātma
the self
māyā
energy
ayanam
movement
hareḥ
of the Personality of Godhead
ābhāty apārthaṁ nirmūlaṁ
ābhāti
appears
apārtham
without meaning
nirmūlam
without basis
viśva-mūlaṁ na yad bahiḥ
viśva-mūlam
the origin is the Supreme
na
not
yat
which
bahiḥ
outside.
O learned sage, your explanations are very good, as they should be. Disturbances to the conditioned soul have no other basis than the movement of the external energy of the Lord.
Purport
A living entity’s unlawful desire to become one with the Lord in every respect is the root cause of the entire material manifestation, for otherwise the Lord has no need to create such a manifestation, even for His pastimes. The conditioned soul, under the spell of the external energy of the Lord, falsely suffers many unfortunate incidents in material life. The Lord is the predominator of the external energy, māyā, whereas the living entity is predominated by the same māyā under the material condition. The false attempt of the living entity to occupy the predominating post of the Lord is the cause of his material bondage, and the conditioned soul’s attempt to become one with the Lord is the last snare of māyā.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
O learned Maitreya! You have accurately explained how the external energy, whose actions which are without purpose and without cause, is under the shelter of the Supreme Lord, and you have explained how the jīva’s bondage, which is without purpose and without cause, is under the shelter of the Lord’s māyā. Except for that māyā, there is no cause for the universe.
“What did you think of my explanation?” This verse answers. O brāhmaṇa! You explained it accurately (sādhu). What? You explained that the external energy (ātmā-māyā) is under the shelter of the Supreme Lord. Though the Lord is without guṇas, he possesses these guṇas through possessing māyā. By these guṇas the doership for material creation manifests (ābhāti). Because the Lord is self-satisfied, this act is said to be without goal (apārtham). It has no cause (nirmūlam) because there is no other instigator. This is inconceivable. You have explained this concerning the Lord.
The bondage of the jīva by ignorance, and the resulting misfortune of losing knowledge (ātma-māyāyanam), is under the shelter of māyā. This also is without goal and without cause. Thus you have explained the facts concerning the jīva. This is the esoteric meaning of Vidura’s words. There is no cause of the universe other than māyā (yad bahiḥ). This means that the existence of the Lord does not depend upon being the creator of the universe and having guṇas and material action.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Material life is described here not as something to fix from inside but to see through. The verse names suffering honestly so the reader stops expecting permanent happiness from impermanent arrangements.
Reflection Questions
- Where have you been blaming people for what is actually a structural feature of material life?
- What would change if you read your suffering as a teacher rather than an enemy?
My note
Source: vedabase.io