FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.18.30

ॐ नमो भगवते अकूपाराय सर्वसत्त्वगुणविशेषणायानुपलक्षितस्थानाय नमो वर्ष्मणे नमो भूम्ने नमो नमोऽवस्थानाय नमस्ते ॥ ३० ॥
oṁ namo bhagavate akūpārāya sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne namo namo ’vasthānāya namas te.
[om namo bhagavate akoopaaraaya sarva-sattva-guna-visheshanaayaanu-palakshita-sthaanaaya namo varshmane namo bhoomne namo namo ’vasthaanaaya namas te.]
om — O my Lord namaḥ — respectful obeisances bhagavate — unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead akūpārāya — in the form of a tortoise sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāya — whose form consists of śuddha-sattva, transcendental goodness anupalakṣita-sthānāya — unto You, whose position is not discernible namaḥ — my respectful obeisances varṣmaṇe — unto You who, although the oldest, are unaffected by time namaḥ — my respectful obeisances bhūmne — to the great one who can go everywhere namaḥ namaḥ — repeated obeisances avasthānāya — the shelter of everything namaḥ — respectful obeisances te — unto You.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
oṁ namo bhagavate akūpārāya sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne namo namo ’vasthānāya namas te.
om
O my Lord
namaḥ
respectful obeisances
bhagavate
unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
akūpārāya
in the form of a tortoise
sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāya
whose form consists of śuddha-sattva, transcendental goodness
anupalakṣita-sthānāya
unto You, whose position is not discernible
namaḥ
my respectful obeisances
varṣmaṇe
unto You who, although the oldest, are unaffected by time
namaḥ
my respectful obeisances
bhūmne
to the great one who can go everywhere
namaḥ namaḥ
repeated obeisances
avasthānāya
the shelter of everything
namaḥ
respectful obeisances
te
unto You.
O my Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who have assumed the form of a tortoise. You are the reservoir of all transcendental qualities, and being entirely untinged by matter, You are perfectly situated in pure goodness. You move here and there in the water, but no one can discern Your position. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Because of Your transcendental position, You are not limited by past, present and future. You are present everywhere as the shelter of all things, and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: the Lord always remains in Goloka, the topmost planet in the spiritual world. At the same time, He is all-pervading. This paradox is only possible for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of all opulences. The Lord’s all-pervasiveness is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61) where Kṛṣṇa states, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati: “The Supreme Lord is seated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna.” Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) the Lord says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” Therefore, although the Lord is present everywhere, He cannot be seen with ordinary eyes. As Aryamā says, the Lord is anupalakṣita-sthāna: no one can locate Him. This is the greatness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I offer respects to the Supreme Lord, the tortoise, a form of śuddha-sattva, having an invisible abode of Vaikuṇṭha, who has a huge, all-pervading body, and who acts as the support of all things. I offer respects to the turtle (akūpārāya), who has a form (viśeṣanāya) of perfect (sarva) sattva, a form of śuddha-sattva, who has a Vaikuṇṭha abode invisible to all, who has a huge body (varṣmaṇe), who is all-pervading (bhūmne), who is the support (avasthānāya).
The Lord moves invisibly through the depths of existence, untouched by past, present, or future. He is sheltering all creation while being beyond it. Bow even to the form you cannot detect; His unseen presence is your constant support.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is the Lord present in my life in a form I haven't been recognizing?
  • Can I offer obeisance today to the unseen support that has been holding me up?
📝 My note

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