FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.40

श्रीब्रह्मोवाच नतोऽस्म्यनन्ताय दुरन्तशक्तये विचित्रवीर्याय पवित्रकर्मणे । विश्वस्य सर्गस्थितिसंयमान् गुणै: स्वलीलया सन्दधतेऽव्ययात्मने ॥ ४० ॥
śrī-brahmovāca
[shree-brahmovaacha]
nato ’smy anantāya duranta-śaktaye
[nato ’smy anantaaya duranta-shaktaye]
vicitra-vīryāya pavitra-karmaṇe
[vichitra-veeryaaya pavitra-karmane]
viśvasya sarga-sthiti-saṁyamān guṇaiḥ
[vishvasya sarga-sthiti-samyamaan gunaih]
sva-līlayā sandadhate ’vyayātmane
[sva-leelayaa sandadhate ’vyayaatmane]
Word-for-word
śrī-brahmā uvāca — Lord Brahmā said nataḥ — bowed down asmi — I am anantāya — unto the unlimited Lord duranta — very difficult to find an end to śaktaye — who possesses different potencies vicitra-vīryāya — having varieties of prowess pavitra-karmaṇe — whose actions have no reaction (even though doing contrary things, He remains without contamination by the material modes) viśvasya — of the universe sarga — creation sthiti — maintenance saṁyamān — and annihilation guṇaiḥ — by the material qualities sva-līlayā — very easily sandadhate — performs avyaya-ātmane — whose personality never deteriorates.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-brahmovāca
śrī-brahmā uvāca
Lord Brahmā said
nato ’smy anantāya duranta-śaktaye
nataḥ
bowed down
asmi
I am
vicitra-vīryāya pavitra-karmaṇe
anantāya
unto the unlimited Lord
duranta
very difficult to find an end to
viśvasya sarga-sthiti-saṁyamān guṇaiḥ
śaktaye
who possesses different potencies
vicitra-vīryāya
having varieties of prowess
pavitra-karmaṇe
whose actions have no reaction (even though doing contrary things, He remains without contamination by the material modes)
viśvasya
of the universe
sarga
creation
sthiti
maintenance
sva-līlayā sandadhate ’vyayātmane
saṁyamān
and annihilation
guṇaiḥ
by the material qualities
sva-līlayā
very easily
sandadhate
performs
avyaya-ātmane
whose personality never deteriorates.
Lord Brahmā prayed: My Lord, You are unlimited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deterioration. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
Purport

The activities of the Lord are always wonderful. His personal servants Jaya and Vijaya were confidential friends, yet they were cursed, and they accepted bodies of demons. Again, in the family of one such demon, Prahlāda Mahārāja was caused to take birth to exhibit the behavior of an exalted devotee, and then the Lord accepted the body of Nṛsiṁhadeva to kill that same demon, who by the Lord’s own will had taken birth in a demoniac family. Therefore, who can understand the Lord’s transcendental activities? Not to speak of understanding the transcendental activities of the Lord, no one can understand even the activities of His servants. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 23.39) it is said, tāṅra vākya, kriyā, mudrā vijñeha nā bhujhaya: no one can understand the activities of the Lord’s servants. Therefore, what to speak of the activities of the Lord? Who can understand how Kṛṣṇa is benefiting the entire world? The Lord is addressed as duranta-śakti because no one can understand His potencies and how He acts.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Brahmā said: I offer respects to the unlimited master of unlimited potencies, of astonishing prowess and pure actions, who carries out creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe by māyā with ease and remains undiminished. You made the Kumāras get angry and made your two gate keepers fall. You made me, Brahmā, give blessings to the demon, and you made your devotee appear in the family of demons. Inspiring the demon, you cause harm to the devotee. Then you personally manifest yourself to protect your devotee. No one can understand your plan. Therefore I offer respects to you. I cannot know your limits (anantāya). To please you, I offer respects to your energies but the limits of those powers cannot be understood. You have remarkable prowess, since you killed the unconquerable demon in a moment. You are śuddha-sattva and therefore even if you are angry, your actions are pure. I offer respects to you who perform (sandadhate) creation, maintenance and destruction.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Brahmā prays: no one can estimate Your unending potencies; You create, maintain, annihilate, yet remain unchanged. Surrender begins by admitting that the Lord's prowess is beyond measurement, including by oneself. Awe is a form of accuracy.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you act as if you have measured the Lord's power, when in truth you have not?
  • How does honest awe change your prayer life?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 8