FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.47

रूपे इमे सदसती तव वेदसृष्टे बीजाङ्कुराविव न चान्यदरूपकस्य । युक्ता: समक्षमुभयत्र विचक्षन्ते त्वां योगेन वह्निमिव दारुषु नान्यत: स्यात् ॥ ४७ ॥
rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe
[roope ime sad-asatee tava veda-srishte]
bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya
[beejaankuraav iva na chaanyad aroopakasya]
yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicakṣante tvāṁ
[yuktaah samaksham ubhayatra vichakshante tvaam]
yogena vahnim iva dāruṣu nānyataḥ syāt
[yogena vahnim iva daarushu naanyatah syaat]
rūpe — in the forms ime — these two sat-asatī — the cause and the effect tava — Your veda-sṛṣṭe — explained in the Vedas bīja-aṅkurau — the seed and the sprout iva — like na — never ca — also anyat — any other arūpakasya — of You, who possess no material form yuktāḥ — those engaged in Your devotional service samakṣam — before the very eyes ubhayatra — in both ways (spiritually and materially) vicakṣante — can actually see tvām — You yogena — simply by the method of devotional service vahnim — fire iva — like dāruṣu — in wood na — not anyataḥ — from any other means syāt — it is possible.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe
rūpe
in the forms
ime
these two
sat-asatī
the cause and the effect
tava
Your
veda-sṛṣṭe
explained in the Vedas
bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya
bīja-aṅkurau
the seed and the sprout
iva
like
na
never
ca
also
anyat
any other
arūpakasya
of You, who possess no material form
yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicakṣante tvāṁ
yuktāḥ
those engaged in Your devotional service
samakṣam
before the very eyes
ubhayatra
in both ways (spiritually and materially)
vicakṣante
can actually see
tvām
You
yogena vahnim iva dāruṣu nānyataḥ syāt
yogena
simply by the method of devotional service
vahnim
fire
iva
like
dāruṣu
in wood
na
not
anyataḥ
from any other means
syāt
it is possible.
By authorized Vedic knowledge one can see that the forms of cause and effect in the cosmic manifestation belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the cosmic manifestation is His energy. Both cause and effect are nothing but energies of the Lord. Therefore, O my Lord, just as a wise man, by considering cause and effect, can see how fire pervades wood, those engaged in devotional service understand how You are both the cause and effect.

As described in previous verses, many so-called students of spiritual understanding follow the ten different methods known as mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-’dhyayana-sva-dharma-vyākhyā-raho-japa-samādhayaḥ. These may be very attractive, but by following such methods, one cannot actually understand the real cause and effect and the original cause of everything ( janmādy asya yataḥ ). The original source of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself ( sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam ). This original source of everything is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme ruler. īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ . He has His eternal spiritual form. Indeed, He is the root of everything ( bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām ). Whatever manifestations exist, their cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This cannot be understood by so-called silence or by any other hodgepodge method. The supreme cause can be understood only by devotional service, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā ( bhaktyā mām abhijānāti ). Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.21) , the Supreme Godhead personally says, bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: one can understand the original cause of all causes, the Supreme Person, only by devotional service, not by show-bottle exhibitionism.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
You, who possess no material form, have two forms, like a sprout and a seed, known as effect and cause, revealed in the Vedas. You are not different from either form. The wise seek you out directly in both forms by bhakti-yoga and no other method, just as fire is produced in wood by rubbing alone. You cannot be attained by silence or other practices if they are without bhakti. Cause and effect, like seed and sprout, flowing from one to the other, the total and individual forms, [Note: Here cause and effect refer to prakṛti (cause) and its transformations (effect). ] are your two forms. This universe as a total and as a part is not different from you (na anyat). You do not have a material form (arūpasya). Those with intelligence (yuktāḥ) search to attain you as both the whole and the part, since you are their final cause. They search by bhakti-yoga not by other processes like jñāna. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhya: I am only achieved by bhakti. (SB 11.14.21) Fire is revealed by rubbing (yogena).
By authorized Vedic knowledge, cause and effect both belong to You — as fire pervades wood, You pervade the universe. Devotees in service understand You as both cause and effect; speculative methods miss the original source.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do you separate cause and effect rather than see the Lord pervading both?
  • How could devotional service deepen what speculation has not been able to reveal?
📝 My note

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