FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.1.2

न ह्यस्यार्थ: सुरगणै: साक्षान्नि:श्रेयसात्मन: । नैवासुरेभ्यो विद्वेषो नोद्वेगश्चागुणस्य हि ॥ २ ॥
na hy asyārthaḥ sura-gaṇaiḥ
[na hy asyaarthah sura-ganaih]
sākṣān niḥśreyasātmanaḥ
[saakshaan nihshreyasaatmanah]
naivāsurebhyo vidveṣo
[naivaasurebhyo vidvesho]
nodvegaś cāguṇasya hi
[nodvegash chaagunasya hi]
na — not hi — certainly asya — His arthaḥ — benefit, interest sura-gaṇaiḥ — with the demigods sākṣāt — personally niḥśreyasa — of the highest bliss ātmanaḥ — whose nature na — not eva — certainly asurebhyaḥ — for the demons vidveṣaḥ — envy na — not udvegaḥ — fear ca — and aguṇasya — who possesses no material qualities hi — certainly.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na hy asyārthaḥ sura-gaṇaiḥ
na
not
sākṣān niḥśreyasātmanaḥ
naivāsurebhyo vidveṣo
nodvegaś cāguṇasya hi
hi
certainly
asya
His
arthaḥ
benefit, interest
sura-gaṇaiḥ
with the demigods
sākṣāt
personally
niḥśreyasa
of the highest bliss
ātmanaḥ
whose nature
na
not
eva
certainly
asurebhyaḥ
for the demons
vidveṣaḥ
envy
na
not
udvegaḥ
fear
ca
and
aguṇasya
who possesses no material qualities
hi
certainly.
Lord Viṣṇu Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the reservoir of all pleasure. Therefore, what benefit would He derive from siding with the demigods? What interest would He fulfill in this way? Since the Lord is transcendental, why should He fear the asuras, and how could He be envious of them?

We should always remember the distinction between spiritual and material. That which is material is infected by material qualities, but these qualities cannot touch that which is spiritual, or transcendental. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, whether He is in the material world or spiritual world. When we see partiality in Kṛṣṇa, this vision is due to His external energy. Otherwise how could His enemies attain salvation after being killed by Him? Everyone who deals with the Supreme Personality of Godhead gradually acquires the qualities of the Lord. The more one advances in spiritual consciousness, the less he is affected by the duality of material qualities. The Supreme Lord, therefore, must certainly be freed from these qualities. His enmity and friendship are external features presented by the material energy. He is always transcendental. He is absolute, whether He kills or bestows His favor.

Envy and friendship arise in one who is imperfect. We fear our enemies because in the material world we are always in need of help. The Lord, however, does not need anyone’s help, for He is ātmārāma. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.26) :

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If a devotee offers Me with devotion a little leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I shall accept it.” Why does the Lord say this? Is He dependent on the offering of the devotee? He is not actually dependent, but He likes to be dependent upon His devotee. This is His mercy. Similarly, He does not fear the asuras. Thus there is no question of partiality in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord who has a form of pure bliss has nothing to gain from siding with the devatās. And the Lord, because he is without material qualities, cannot have hatred or fear of the demons. One cannot say that the Lord will derive happiness from the devatās and thus side with them. He has a svarūpa (ātmā) of the highest bliss (niḥśreyasa). Nothing else can produce happiness in him. And one cannot say that the disturbances of the demons make him suffer, and that thus he hates them. He has no anxiety from demons and no hatred of them because he is beyond the guṇas.
The Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure — He gains nothing by favoring one side and fears no one. When God seems to take sides, the partiality is in our perception, not in Him. Spiritual reality is untouched by the gains and losses that drive material life.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you project material motives onto God when His actions confuse you?
  • What would change if you accepted that the Divine needs nothing from you?
📝 My note

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