SB 5.19.12 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.12

गायति चेदम्— कर्तास्य सर्गादिषु यो न बध्यते न हन्यते देहगतोऽपि दैहिकै: । द्रष्टुर्न द‍ृग्यस्य गुणैर्विदूष्यते तस्मै नमोऽसक्तविविक्तसाक्षिणे ॥ १२ ॥

gāyati cedam —

[gaayati chedam —]

kartāsya sargādiṣu yo na badhyate

[kartaasya sargaadishu yo na badhyate]

na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaiḥ

[na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaih]

draṣṭur na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate

[drashtur na drig yasya gunair vidooshyate]

tasmai namo ’sakta-vivikta-sākṣiṇe

[tasmai namo ’sakta-vivikta-saakshine]

Word-for-word

gāyati — he sings ca — and idam — this kartā — the executor asya — of this cosmic manifestation sarga-ādiṣu — of the creation, maintenance and destruction yaḥ — one who na badhyate — is not attached as the creator, master or proprietor na — not hanyate — is victimized deha-gataḥ api — although appearing as a human being daihikaiḥ — by bodily tribulations such as hunger, thirst and fatigue draṣṭuḥ — of Him who is the seer of everything na — not dṛk — the power of vision yasya — of whom guṇaiḥ — by the material qualities vidūṣyate — is polluted tasmai — unto Him namaḥ — my respectful obeisances asakta — unto the Supreme Person, who is unattached vivikta — without affection sākṣiṇe — the witness of everything.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

gāyati cedam —

gāyati

he sings

and

kartāsya sargādiṣu yo na badhyate

na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaiḥ

idam

this

kartā

the executor

draṣṭur na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate

asya

of this cosmic manifestation

tasmai namo ’sakta-vivikta-sākṣiṇe

sarga-ādiṣu

of the creation, maintenance and destruction

yaḥ

one who

na badhyate

is not attached as the creator, master or proprietor

not

hanyate

is victimized

deha-gataḥ api

although appearing as a human being

daihikaiḥ

by bodily tribulations such as hunger, thirst and fatigue

draṣṭuḥ

of Him who is the seer of everything

not

dṛk

the power of vision

yasya

of whom

guṇaiḥ

by the material qualities

vidūṣyate

is polluted

tasmai

unto Him

namaḥ

my respectful obeisances

asakta

unto the Supreme Person, who is unattached

vivikta

without affection

sākṣiṇe

the witness of everything.

Nārada, the most powerful saintly sage, also worships Nara-Nārāyaṇa by chanting the following mantra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this visible cosmic manifestation, yet He is completely free from false prestige. Although to the foolish He appears to have accepted a material body like us, He is unaffected by bodily tribulations like hunger, thirst and fatigue. Although He is the witness who sees everything, His senses are unpolluted by the objects He sees. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that unattached, pure witness of the world, the Supreme Soul, the Personality of Godhead.

Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is described as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the body of eternity, transcendental bliss and full knowledge. Now in this verse He is more fully described. Kṛṣṇa is the creator of the entire cosmic manifestation, yet He is unattached to it. If we were to construct a very tall skyscraper, we would be very attached to it, but Kṛṣṇa is so renounced that although He has created everything, He is not attached to anything ( na badhyate ). Furthermore, although Kṛṣṇa has His transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, He is not disturbed by the bodily necessities of life, which are called daihika; for example, He is never hungry, thirsty or fatigued ( na hanyate deha-gato ’pi daihikaiḥ ). Then again, since everything is Kṛṣṇa’s property, He sees everything and is present everywhere, but because His body is transcendental, He is above vision, the objects of vision and the process of vision. When we see someone beautiful, we are attracted. The sight of a beautiful woman immediately attracts a man, and the sight of a man naturally attracts a woman. Kṛṣṇa, however, is transcendental to all these faults. Although He is the seer of everything, He is not afflicted with faulty vision ( na dṛg yasya guṇair vidūṣyate ). Therefore, although He is the witness and seer, He is aloof from all affection for the activities He sees. He is always unattached and separate; He is only a witness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Nārada sings: I offer respects to the witness who is unattached and separate from the body, who is not attached to the creation of this universe, who is not overcome by bodily needs though appearing in a body, and whose sight is not polluted by māyā though he sees everything. This verse explains that the Lord is the crest jewel of ātmārāmas. Since he is not attached to the creation he is called asakta. Since he is not overcome by hunger and thirst (daihikaiḥ) he is called vivkta, separate from the body. Though he is the witness, his sight is not contaminated by seeing māyā. Thus he is an unattached (asakta) witness and a pure (vivikta) witness, an uncontaminated witness.

Personal Guidance

The Lord creates, maintains, and destroys yet has no false prestige, no hunger or fatigue, no sensual contamination. He works without being worked. Aim to act in the world without becoming what you do.

Reflection Questions

What activity am I doing that is starting to define me instead of being offered through me?
How can I work as fully as the Lord does while staying inwardly uncontaminated?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io