FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.3.22-24

यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा वेदा लोकाश्चराचरा: । नामरूपविभेदेन फल्ग्व्या च कलया कृता: ॥ २२ ॥ यथार्चिषोऽग्ने: सवितुर्गभस्तयो निर्यान्ति संयान्त्यसकृत् स्वरोचिष: । तथा यतोऽयं गुणसम्प्रवाहो बुद्धिर्मन: खानि शरीरसर्गा: ॥ २३ ॥ स वै न देवासुरमर्त्यतिर्यङ् न स्त्री न षण्ढो न पुमान् न जन्तु: । नायं गुण: कर्म न सन्न चासन् निषेधशेषो जयतादशेष: ॥ २४ ॥
yasya brahmādayo devā
[yasya brahmaadayo devaa]
vedā lokāś carācarāḥ
[vedaa lokaash charaacharaah]
nāma-rūpa-vibhedena
[naama-roopa-vibhedena]
phalgvyā ca kalayā kṛtāḥ
[phalgvyaa cha kalayaa kritaah]
yathārciṣo ’gneḥ savitur gabhastayo
[yathaarchisho ’gneh savitur gabhastayo]
niryānti saṁyānty asakṛt sva-rociṣaḥ
[niryaanti samyaanty asakrit sva-rochishah]
tathā yato ’yaṁ guṇa-sampravāho
[tathaa yato ’yam guna-sampravaaho]
buddhir manaḥ khāni śarīra-sargāḥ
[buddhir manah khaani shareera-sargaah]
sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryaṅ
[sa vai na devaasura-martya-tiryan]
na strī na ṣaṇḍho na pumān na jantuḥ
[na stree na shandho na pumaan na jantuh]
nāyaṁ guṇaḥ karma na san na cāsan
[naayam gunah karma na san na chaasan]
niṣedha-śeṣo jayatād aśeṣaḥ
[nishedha-shesho jayataad asheshah]
Word-for-word
yasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who brahma-ādayaḥ — the great demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā devāḥ — and other demigods vedāḥ — the Vedic knowledge lokāḥ — different personalities cara-acarāḥ — the moving and the nonmoving (like trees and plants) nāma-rūpa — of different names and different forms vibhedena — by such divisions phalgvyā — who are less important ca — also kalayā — by the parts kṛtāḥ — created yathā — as arciṣaḥ — the sparks agneḥ — of fire savituḥ — from the sun gabhastayaḥ — the shining particles niryānti — emanate from saṁyānti — and enter into asakṛt — again and again sva-rociṣaḥ — as parts and parcels tathā — similarly yataḥ — the Personality of Godhead from whom ayam — this guṇa-sampravāhaḥ — continuous manifestation of the different modes of nature buddhiḥ manaḥ — the intelligence and mind khāni — the senses śarīra — of the body (gross and subtle) sargāḥ — the divisions saḥ — that Supreme Personality of Godhead vai — indeed na — is not deva — demigod asura — demon martya — human being tiryak — bird or beast na — neither strī — woman na — nor ṣaṇḍhaḥ — neuter na — neither pumān — man na — nor jantuḥ — living being or animal na ayam — nor is He guṇaḥ — material quality karma — fruitive activity na — is not sat — manifestation na — nor ca — also asat — nonmanifestation niṣedha — of the discrimination of neti neti (“not this, not this”) śeṣaḥ — He is the end jayatāt — all glories unto Him aśeṣaḥ — who is unlimited.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasya brahmādayo devā
yasya
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who
brahma-ādayaḥ
the great demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā
devāḥ
and other demigods
vedā lokāś carācarāḥ
vedāḥ
the Vedic knowledge
lokāḥ
different personalities
cara-acarāḥ
the moving and the nonmoving (like trees and plants)
nāma-rūpa-vibhedena
nāma-rūpa
of different names and different forms
vibhedena
by such divisions
phalgvyā ca kalayā kṛtāḥ
phalgvyā
who are less important
ca
also
kalayā
by the parts
kṛtāḥ
created
yathārciṣo ’gneḥ savitur gabhastayo
yathā
as
arciṣaḥ
the sparks
agneḥ
of fire
savituḥ
from the sun
gabhastayaḥ
the shining particles
niryānti saṁyānty asakṛt sva-rociṣaḥ
niryānti
emanate from
saṁyānti
and enter into
asakṛt
again and again
sva-rociṣaḥ
as parts and parcels
tathā yato ’yaṁ guṇa-sampravāho
tathā
similarly
yataḥ
the Personality of Godhead from whom
buddhir manaḥ khāni śarīra-sargāḥ
sa vai na devāsura-martya-tiryaṅ
na strī na ṣaṇḍho na pumān na jantuḥ
nāyaṁ guṇaḥ karma na san na cāsan
ayam
this
guṇa-sampravāhaḥ
continuous manifestation of the different modes of nature
buddhiḥ manaḥ
the intelligence and mind
khāni
the senses
śarīra
of the body (gross and subtle)
sargāḥ
the divisions
niṣedha-śeṣo jayatād aśeṣaḥ
saḥ
that Supreme Personality of Godhead
vai
indeed
na
is not
deva
demigod
asura
demon
martya
human being
tiryak
bird or beast
na
neither
strī
woman
na
nor
ṣaṇḍhaḥ
neuter
na
neither
pumān
man
na
nor
jantuḥ
living being or animal
na ayam
nor is He
guṇaḥ
material quality
karma
fruitive activity
na
is not
sat
manifestation
na
nor
ca
also
asat
nonmanifestation
niṣedha
of the discrimination of neti neti (“not this, not this”)
śeṣaḥ
He is the end
jayatāt
all glories unto Him
aśeṣaḥ
who is unlimited.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates His minor parts and parcels, the jīva-tattva, beginning with Lord Brahmā, the demigods and the expansions of Vedic knowledge [Sāma, Ṛg, Yajur and Atharva] and including all other living entities, moving and nonmoving, with their different names and characteristics. As the sparks of a fire or the shining rays of the sun emanate from their source and merge into it again and again, the mind, the intelligence, the senses, the gross and subtle material bodies, and the continuous transformations of the different modes of nature all emanate from the Lord and again merge into Him. He is neither demigod nor demon, neither human nor bird or beast. He is not woman, man, or neuter, nor is He an animal. He is not a material quality, a fruitive activity, a manifestation or nonmanifestation. He is the last word in the discrimination of “not this, not this,” and He is unlimited. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead!
Purport

This is a summary description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s unlimited potency. That supreme one is acting in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His different potencies ( parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate ). Each and every potency is acting quite naturally ( svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca ). Therefore the Lord is unlimited. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: nothing is equal to Him, nor is anything greater than Him. Although He manifests Himself in so many ways, personally He has nothing to do ( na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate ), for everything is done by expansions of His unlimited energies.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Brahmā and other devatās, the actions mentioned in Vedas, the planets, the moving beings and non-moving beings, as lesser expansions of the Lord, are created with different forms and names by the Lord. Just as the sparks emanate repeatedly from fire or brilliant rays emanate from the sun, and then merge into the fire or sun again, so intelligence, mind, senses and body are created by the Lord as transformations of the guṇas and then merge into him. The Lord is not a devatā, demon, human, animal, female, neuter, male or any other living being. He is not the guṇas or karma. He remains after everything is negated. May the unlimited Lord remain glorious! Three verses describe the perfect nature of the Lord. There are two types of expansions of the Lord: minor and major. Minor forms are jīvas like Brahmā, Śiva and others (when they are not the Supreme Lord personally). Major expansions are Matsya, Kūrma and others who are always the Supreme Lord. All of these are the Lord. The actions mentioned in the Vedas are created by the Lord. Veda here means actions, since the Vedas themselves are not minor expansions of the Lord. But rather the Vedas arise directly from his breathing. The meaning of the first verse is made clear by an example in the second verse. Śruti says yathāgneḥ kṣudrā visphuliṅgā vyuccaranti: the jīvas are like sparks wandering from a fire. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.1.20) In that manner, the coverings on the jīvas are created as separate minor expansions-- from the Lord arises the transformation of the guṇas in the form of intelligence, mind, senses and body. Since the Lord is the cause of everything, he is not one among the devatās. Jantuḥ refers to a living entity which is not male, female or neuter. When all things are negated, he alone remains (niṣesha-śeṣaḥ). He is unlimited because of the unlimited effects of his śakti.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Jīvas, Vedic mantras, mind, intelligence, and the modes all emanate from the Lord like sparks from fire and merge back into Him. He is none of these and is described by 'not this, not this.' Hold both: He is the source of everything and beyond every label we hand Him.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of my fixed images of the Lord most needs the corrective 'not this, not this'?
  • How does seeing myself as a 'spark' rather than the fire reshape my self-importance?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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