FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.3.18

तत आग्नीध्रीयेंऽशकलयावतरिष्याम्यात्मतुल्यमनुपलभमान: ॥ १८ ॥
tata āgnīdhrīye ’ṁśa-kalayāvatariṣyāmy ātma-tulyam anupalabhamānaḥ.
[tata aagneedhreeye ’msha-kalayaavatarishyaamy aatma-tulyam anupalabhamaanah.]
tataḥ — therefore āgnīdhrīye — in the wife of Nābhi, the son of Āgnīdhra aṁśa-kalayā — by an expansion of My personal form avatariṣyāmi — I shall advent Myself ātma-tulyam — My equal anupalabhamānaḥ — not finding.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tata āgnīdhrīye ’ṁśa-kalayāvatariṣyāmy ātma-tulyam anupalabhamānaḥ.
tataḥ
therefore
āgnīdhrīye
in the wife of Nābhi, the son of Āgnīdhra
aṁśa-kalayā
by an expansion of My personal form
avatariṣyāmi
I shall advent Myself
ātma-tulyam
My equal
anupalabhamānaḥ
not finding.
Since I cannot find anyone equal to Me, I shall personally expand Myself into a plenary portion and thus advent Myself in the womb of Merudevī, the wife of Mahārāja Nābhi, the son of Āgnīdhra.

This is an example of the omnipotence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although He is one without a second, He expands Himself by svāṁśa, His personal expansion, and sometimes by vibhinnāṁśa, or His separated expansion. Lord Viṣṇu herein agrees to send His personal expansion as the son of Merudevī, the wife of Mahārāja Nābhi, who is the son of Āgnīdhra. The ṛtvijaḥ, the priests, knew that God is one, yet they prayed for the Supreme Lord to become the son of Mahārāja Nābhi to let the world know that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is one without a second. When He incarnates, He expands Himself in different potencies.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Not finding anyone equal to me, I will appear in my partial form for the King Nābhi. Āgnīdhrīye means “in the son of Āgnīḍhra (Nābhi).”
When no equal can be found, the Lord becomes His own answer — expanding Himself into the womb of His devotee. Sometimes the only gift that fits the moment is the Giver Himself.
Reflection Questions
  • What gift have you been asking for that, on reflection, is really a request for the Lord Himself?
  • Where might you be hoping for an equivalent when only the original will do?
📝 My note

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