FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.20.33

यत्तत्कर्ममयं लिङ्गं ब्रह्मलिङ्गं जनोऽर्चयेत् । एकान्तमद्वयं शान्तं तस्मै भगवते नम इति ॥ ३३ ॥
yat tat karmamayaṁ liṅgaṁ
[yat tat karmamayam lingam]
brahma-liṅgaṁ jano ’rcayet
[brahma-lingam jano ’rchayet]
ekāntam advayaṁ śāntaṁ
[ekaantam advayam shaantam]
tasmai bhagavate nama iti
[tasmai bhagavate nama iti]
Word-for-word
yat — which tat — that karma-mayam — obtainable by the Vedic ritualistic system liṅgam — the form brahma-liṅgam — which makes known the Supreme Brahman janaḥ — a person arcayet — must worship ekāntam — who has full faith in the one Supreme advayam — nondifferent śāntam — peaceful tasmai — unto him bhagavate — the most powerful namaḥ — our respects iti — thus.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yat tat karmamayaṁ liṅgaṁ
yat
which
tat
that
karma-mayam
obtainable by the Vedic ritualistic system
liṅgam
the form
brahma-liṅgaṁ jano ’rcayet
brahma-liṅgam
which makes known the Supreme Brahman
janaḥ
a person
arcayet
must worship
ekāntam advayaṁ śāntaṁ
ekāntam
who has full faith in the one Supreme
advayam
nondifferent
śāntam
peaceful
tasmai bhagavate nama iti
tasmai
unto him
bhagavate
the most powerful
namaḥ
our respects
iti
thus.
Lord Brahmā is known as karma-maya, the form of ritualistic ceremonies, because by performing ritualistic ceremonies one may attain his position and because the Vedic ritualistic hymns become manifest from him. He is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead without deviation, and therefore in one sense he is not different from the Lord. Nevertheless, he should be worshiped not as the monists worship him, but in duality. One should always remain a servitor of the Supreme Lord, the supreme worshipable Deity. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Brahmā, the form of manifest Vedic knowledge.
Purport

In this verse, the word karma-mayam (“obtainable by the Vedic ritualistic system”) is significant. The Vedas say, svadharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām eti: “One who strictly follows the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma for at least one hundred births will be rewarded with the post of Lord Brahmā.” It is also significant that although Lord Brahmā is extremely powerful, he never thinks himself one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he always knows that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord. Because the Lord and the servant are identical on the spiritual platform, Brahmā is herein addressed as bhagavān. Bhagavān is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, but if a devotee serves Him with full faith, the meaning of the Vedic literature is revealed to him. Therefore Brahmā is called brahma-liṅga, which indicates that his entire form consists of Vedic knowledge.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
They say: I offer respects the Supreme Lord whom people, with the idea of servant and object of service, worship as Brahmā, who is attained by karma, who is fixed in devotion to the Lord, who is non-different from the Lord, who is peaceful, and by whom the Vedas are known. It is said sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām eti tataḥ paraṁ hi mām: A person fixed in dharma attains the post of Brahmā after a hundred births, and by more pious acts a person attains me (Śiva). (SB 4.24.29) For this reason Brahmā is called karma-mayam: he is attained by performing karmas. People worship Brahmā who is attained by karma (karma-mayam liṅgam), by whom the Vedas are known (brahma-liṅgam), by differentiating the object of service and the servant (bhedena). [Note: This is an alternate version of the line : bhedenaikāntam advayam.] Brahmā is fixed in devotion (antam) to the one Lord (eka). He is non-different from the Lord according to the reasoning yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ: one becomes similar to whatever form he worships with faith. (BG 17.3)
Personal Guidance
Brahmā, despite being almost one with the Lord, is to be worshipped in duality — not collapsed into the Supreme. Devotion preserves the personal relationship; it does not erase the distinction between worshipper and worshipped. Respect the difference; love thrives in it.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I tempted to collapse the distinction between me and the Lord in the name of 'unity'?
  • How does maintaining personhood actually make love more possible?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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