FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.8.32-33

यथैकात्म्यानुभावानां विकल्परहित: स्वयम् । भूषणायुधलिङ्गाख्या धत्ते शक्ती: स्वमायया ॥ ३२ ॥ तेनैव सत्यमानेन सर्वज्ञो भगवान् हरि: । पातु सर्वै: स्वरूपैर्न: सदा सर्वत्र सर्वग: ॥ ३३ ॥
yathaikātmyānubhāvānāṁ
[yathaikaatmyaanubhaavaanaam]
vikalpa-rahitaḥ svayam
[vikalpa-rahitah svayam]
bhūṣaṇāyudha-liṅgākhyā
[bhooshanaayudha-lingaakhyaa]
dhatte śaktīḥ sva-māyayā
[dhatte shakteeh sva-maayayaa]
tenaiva satya-mānena
[tenaiva satya-maanena]
sarva-jño bhagavān hariḥ
[sarva-jno bhagavaan harih]
pātu sarvaiḥ svarūpair naḥ
[paatu sarvaih svaroopair nah]
sadā sarvatra sarva-gaḥ
[sadaa sarvatra sarva-gah]
yathā — just as aikātmya — in terms of oneness manifested in varieties anubhāvānām — of those thinking vikalpa-rahitaḥ — the absence of difference svayam — Himself bhūṣaṇa — decorations āyudha — weapons liṅga-ākhyāḥ — characteristics and different names dhatte — possesses śaktīḥ — potencies like wealth, influence, power, knowledge, beauty and renunciation sva-māyayā — by expanding His spiritual energy tena eva — by that satya-mānena — true understanding sarva-jñaḥ — omniscient bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead hariḥ — who can take away all the illusion of the living entities pātu — may He protect sarvaiḥ — with all sva-rūpaiḥ — His forms naḥ — us sadā — always sarvatra — everywhere sarva-gaḥ — who is all-pervasive.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathaikātmyānubhāvānāṁ
yathā
just as
aikātmya
in terms of oneness manifested in varieties
anubhāvānām
of those thinking
vikalpa-rahitaḥ svayam
vikalpa-rahitaḥ
the absence of difference
svayam
Himself
bhūṣaṇāyudha-liṅgākhyā
bhūṣaṇa
decorations
āyudha
weapons
liṅga-ākhyāḥ
characteristics and different names
dhatte śaktīḥ sva-māyayā
dhatte
possesses
śaktīḥ
potencies like wealth, influence, power, knowledge, beauty and renunciation
sva-māyayā
by expanding His spiritual energy
tenaiva satya-mānena
tena eva
by that
satya-mānena
true understanding
sarva-jño bhagavān hariḥ
sarva-jñaḥ
omniscient
bhagavān
the Supreme Personality of Godhead
hariḥ
who can take away all the illusion of the living entities
pātu sarvaiḥ svarūpair naḥ
pātu
may He protect
sarvaiḥ
with all
sva-rūpaiḥ
His forms
naḥ
us
sadā sarvatra sarva-gaḥ
sadā
always
sarvatra
everywhere
sarva-gaḥ
who is all-pervasive.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entities, the material energy, the spiritual energy and the entire creation are all individual substances. In the ultimate analysis, however, together they constitute the supreme one, the Personality of Godhead. Therefore those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge see unity in diversity. For such advanced persons, the Lord’s bodily decorations, His name, His fame, His attributes and forms and the weapons in His hand are manifestations of the strength of His potency. According to their elevated spiritual understanding, the omniscient Lord, who manifests various forms, is present everywhere. May He always protect us everywhere from all calamities.

A person highly elevated in spiritual knowledge knows that nothing exists but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) where Lord Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam, indicating that everything we see is an expansion of His energy. This is confirmed in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.22.52):

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

As a fire, although existing in one place, can expand its light and heat everywhere, so the omnipotent Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although situated in His spiritual abode, expands Himself everywhere, in both the material and spiritual worlds, by His various energies. Since both cause and effect are the Supreme Lord, there is no difference between cause and effect. Consequently the ornaments and weapons of the Lord, being expansions of His spiritual energy, are not different from Him. There is no difference between the Lord and His variously presented energies. This is also confirmed in the Padma Purāṇa:

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

The holy name of the Lord is fully identical with the Lord, not partially. The word pūrṇa means “complete.” The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient, and similarly, His name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and everything pertaining to Him are complete, pure, eternal and free from material contamination. The prayer to the ornaments and carriers of the Lord is not false, for they are as good as the Lord. Since the Lord is all-pervasive, He exists in everything, and everything exists in Him. Therefore even worship of the Lord’s weapons or ornaments has the same potency as worship of the Lord. Māyāvādīs refuse to accept the form of the Lord, or they say that the form of the Lord is māyā, or false, but one should note very carefully that this is not acceptable. Although the Lord’s original form and His impersonal expansion are one, the Lord maintains His form, qualities and abode eternally. Therefore this prayer says, pātu sarvaiḥ svarūpair naḥ sadā sarvatra sama-gaḥ: “May the Lord, who is all-pervasive in His various forms, protect us everywhere.” The Lord is always present everywhere by His name, form, qualities, attributes and paraphernalia, and they all have equal power to protect the devotees. Śrīla Madhvācārya explains this as follows:

eka eva paro viṣṇur bhūṣāheti dhvajeṣv ajaḥ tat-tac-chakti-pradatvena svayam eva vyavasthitaḥ satyenānena māṁ devaḥ pātu sarveśvaro hariḥ

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
May the all-pervading, omniscient Lord protect us at all times and places by his many forms, if it is true that he is non-different from his śaktis such as his ornaments, weapons, forms and names and that he still maintains them by his svarūpa-śakti. Just as the Lord, who is non-different (vikalpla-rahitaḥ) from his śaktis which are one because of being spiritual, holds those śaktis such as ornaments, weapons, forms and names, by that truth, may he protect us. “Ornaments” refers to such things as the Kaustubha. “Weapons” means such things as the cakra. Forms are the four-armed or two-armed forms. These and his names are his śaktis, which are transformations of his svarūpa-śakti. The Lord, endowed with his svarūpa-śakti (sva-māyayā), his eternal energy arising from his svarūpa, supports these transformations of his svarūpa-śakti. Madhva quotes from śruti in this regard: ato māyāmayaṁ viṣṇuṁ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ: the wise say Viṣṇu is composed of māyā, his internal energy. If it is true that the Lord is non-different from his ornaments, weapons and forms since they arise from his svarūpa-śakti, by this true proof, may the Lord who is all pervading in time and place protect us by all his forms such as those mentioned in verse 12. The Lord’s omniscient indicates that he knows our faith in him that we hold in our minds. Therefore he knows this condition we are expressing.
The Lord, the living entities, material and spiritual energy, and the entire creation are individual substances yet ultimately one in Him. The shield's metaphysics holds difference and unity together.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I collapse into 'all is one' and lose distinctions Kṛṣṇa preserves?
  • Where do I overemphasize difference and miss His unity?
📝 My note

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