FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.22

न यस्य वध्यो न च रक्षणीयो नोपेक्षणीयादरणीयपक्ष: । तथापि सर्गस्थितिसंयमार्थं धत्ते रज:सत्त्वतमांसि काले ॥ २२ ॥
na yasya vadhyo na ca rakṣaṇīyo
[na yasya vadhyo na cha rakshaneeyo]
nopekṣaṇīyādaraṇīya-pakṣaḥ
[nopekshaneeyaadaraneeya-pakshah]
tathāpi sarga-sthiti-saṁyamārthaṁ
[tathaapi sarga-sthiti-samyamaartham]
dhatte rajaḥ-sattva-tamāṁsi kāle
[dhatte rajah-sattva-tamaamsi kaale]
na — not yasya — by whom (the Lord) vadhyaḥ — anyone is to be killed na — nor ca — also rakṣaṇīyaḥ — anyone is to be protected na — nor upekṣaṇīya — to be neglected ādaraṇīya — to be worshiped pakṣaḥ — part tathāpi — still sarga — creation sthiti — maintenance saṁyama — and annihilation artham — for the sake of dhatte — He accepts rajaḥ — passion sattva — goodness tamāṁsi — and ignorance kāle — in due course of time.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na yasya vadhyo na ca rakṣaṇīyo
na
not
yasya
by whom (the Lord)
vadhyaḥ
anyone is to be killed
na
nor
ca
also
rakṣaṇīyaḥ
anyone is to be protected
na
nor
upekṣaṇīya
to be neglected
nopekṣaṇīyādaraṇīya-pakṣaḥ
ādaraṇīya
to be worshiped
pakṣaḥ
part
tathāpi sarga-sthiti-saṁyamārthaṁ
tathāpi
still
sarga
creation
sthiti
maintenance
saṁyama
and annihilation
artham
for the sake of
dhatte rajaḥ-sattva-tamāṁsi kāle
dhatte
He accepts
rajaḥ
passion
sattva
goodness
tamāṁsi
and ignorance
kāle
in due course of time.
For the Supreme Personality of Godhead there is no one to be killed, no one to be protected, no one to be neglected and no one to be worshiped. Nonetheless, for the sake of creation, maintenance and annihilation according to time, He accepts different forms as incarnations either in the mode of goodness, the mode of passion or the mode of ignorance.

This verse explains that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is equal to everyone. This is confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (9.29) :

samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” Although the Lord is impartial, He gives special attention to His devotees. Therefore the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8) :

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge

“To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear millennium after millennium.” The Lord has nothing to do with anyone’s protection or destruction, but for the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world He apparently has to act either in goodness, in passion or in darkness. Actually, however, He is unaffected by these modes of material nature. He is the Supreme Lord of everyone. As a king sometimes punishes or rewards someone to maintain law and order, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although having nothing to do with the activities of this material world, sometimes appears as various incarnations according to the time, place and object.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He does not kill, protect, ignore or favor anyone. However, he accepts rajas, sattva and tamas at the proper time in order to create, maintain and destroy. The Lord is equal in all cases. “Well if no one is supposed to be killed, then why do we see killing?” He accepts rajas for creation and tamas for destruction. This means that he accepts them, in the sense that he is non-different from his energies. By tamas, sattva and rajas, he destroys, protects and disregards the living entities. The sense is metaphorical, not actual for the Supreme Lord.
The Lord has none to kill, protect, or worship, yet for the sake of cosmic order He accepts forms in different modes. His incarnations are not personal needs but cosmic services. Imitate that posture: act in this world from duty, not from need.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I acting from need that I could be acting from duty instead?
  • How does seeing the Lord's complete self-sufficiency model my own response to demand?
📝 My note

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