FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.3.4

य: स्वात्मनीदं निजमाययार्पितं क्‍वचिद् विभातं क्‍व च तत् तिरोहितम् । अविद्धद‍ृक् साक्ष्युभयं तदीक्षते स आत्ममूलोऽवतु मां परात्पर: ॥ ४ ॥
yaḥ svātmanīdaṁ nija-māyayārpitaṁ
[yah svaatmaneedam nija-maayayaarpitam]
kvacid vibhātaṁ kva ca tat tirohitam
[kvachid vibhaatam kva cha tat tirohitam]
aviddha-dṛk sākṣy ubhayaṁ tad īkṣate
[aviddha-drik saakshy ubhayam tad eekshate]
sa ātma-mūlo ’vatu māṁ parāt-paraḥ
[sa aatma-moolo ’vatu maam paraat-parah]
Word-for-word
yaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead who sva-ātmani — in Him idam — this cosmic manifestation nija-māyayā — by His own potency arpitam — invested kvacit — sometimes, at the beginning of a kalpa vibhātam — it is manifested kva ca — sometimes, during dissolution tat — that (manifestation) tirohitam — not visible aviddha-dṛk — He sees everything (in all these circumstances) sākṣī — the witness ubhayam — both (manifestation and annihilation) tat īkṣate — sees everything, without loss of sight saḥ — that Supreme Personality of Godhead ātma-mūlaḥ — self-sufficient, having no other cause avatu — please give protection mām — unto me parāt-paraḥ — He is transcendental to transcendental, or above all transcendence.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yaḥ svātmanīdaṁ nija-māyayārpitaṁ
yaḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead who
sva-ātmani
in Him
idam
this cosmic manifestation
nija-māyayā
by His own potency
arpitam
invested
kvacid vibhātaṁ kva ca tat tirohitam
kvacit
sometimes, at the beginning of a kalpa
vibhātam
it is manifested
kva ca
sometimes, during dissolution
tat
that (manifestation)
tirohitam
not visible
aviddha-dṛk sākṣy ubhayaṁ tad īkṣate
aviddha-dṛk
He sees everything (in all these circumstances)
sākṣī
the witness
ubhayam
both (manifestation and annihilation)
tat īkṣate
sees everything, without loss of sight
saḥ
that Supreme Personality of Godhead
ātma-mūlaḥ
self-sufficient, having no other cause
avatu
please give protection
sa ātma-mūlo ’vatu māṁ parāt-paraḥ
mām
unto me
parāt-paraḥ
He is transcendental to transcendental, or above all transcendence.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by expanding His own energy, keeps this cosmic manifestation visible and again sometimes renders it invisible. He is both the supreme cause and the supreme result, the observer and the witness, in all circumstances. Thus He is transcendental to everything. May that Supreme Personality of Godhead give me protection.
Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has multipotencies ( parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate ). Therefore, as soon as He likes, He uses one of His potencies, and by that expansion He creates this cosmic manifestation. Again, when the cosmic manifestation is annihilated, it rests in Him. Nonetheless, He is infallibly the supreme observer. Under any circumstances, the Supreme Lord is changeless. He is simply a witness and is aloof from all creation and annihilation.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
By his will, by his māyā, this universe enters him, again appears and again is annihilated. As the constant witness of creation and destruction of the universe, he witnesses everything. He is his own cause. May the Lord who superior to all causes of revelation protect me! Since the universe made of cause and effect exists without beginning, the Lord is the supreme manifester of the universe. By his will being created again and again (nija-māyayā), the universe enters him, and at the beginning of a kalpa sometimes appears at, and at the end of the kalpa it disappears. With unfailing vision he sees the creation and destruction of the universe. He is his own cause (ātmā-mūlaḥ). This means he is self-revealing, or independent. He is superior to those things which reveal. Śruti says cakṣuṣaś cakṣur uta śrotrasya śrotram: he is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.18)
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Lord makes the universe visible and invisible by His own energy and remains the witness through all changes. He is transcendental to the play He stages. Pray for protection from the One who is not implicated in the drama He runs.
Reflection Questions
  • Do I ask for help from forces inside the drama or from the One transcendental to it?
  • What part of my prayer life would deepen if I addressed the Lord as the unaffected witness?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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