FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.30

न यस्य कश्चातितितर्ति मायां यया जनो मुह्यति वेद नार्थम् । तं निर्जितात्मात्मगुणं परेशं नमाम भूतेषु समं चरन्तम् ॥ ३० ॥
na yasya kaścātititarti māyāṁ
[na yasya kashchaatititarti maayaam]
yayā jano muhyati veda nārtham
[yayaa jano muhyati veda naartham]
taṁ nirjitātmātma-guṇaṁ pareśaṁ
[tam nirjitaatmaatma-gunam paresham]
namāma bhūteṣu samaṁ carantam
[namaama bhooteshu samam charantam]
na — not yasya — of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) kaśca — anyone atititarti — is able to overcome māyām — the illusory energy yayā — by whom (by the illusory energy) janaḥ — people in general muhyati — become bewildered veda — understand na — not artham — the aim of life tam — unto Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) nirjita — completely controlling ātmā — the living entities ātma-guṇam — and His external energy para-īśam — the Lord, who is transcendentally situated namāma — we offer our respectful obeisances bhūteṣu — unto all living beings samam — equally situated, or equipoised carantam — controlling or ruling them.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na yasya kaścātititarti māyāṁ
na
not
yasya
of whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
kaśca
anyone
atititarti
is able to overcome
māyām
the illusory energy
yayā jano muhyati veda nārtham
yayā
by whom (by the illusory energy)
janaḥ
people in general
muhyati
become bewildered
veda
understand
na
not
artham
the aim of life
taṁ nirjitātmātma-guṇaṁ pareśaṁ
tam
unto Him (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
nirjita
completely controlling
ātmā
the living entities
ātma-guṇam
and His external energy
para-īśam
the Lord, who is transcendentally situated
namāma bhūteṣu samaṁ carantam
namāma
we offer our respectful obeisances
bhūteṣu
unto all living beings
samam
equally situated, or equipoised
carantam
controlling or ruling them.
No one can overcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s illusory energy [māyā], which is so strong that it bewilders everyone, making one lose the sense to understand the aim of life. That same māyā, however, is subdued by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who rules everyone and who is equally disposed toward all living entities. Let us offer our obeisances unto Him.

The prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, certainly controls all living entities, so much so that the living entities have forgotten the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: the living entities have forgotten that the aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead. The external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives all conditioned souls what appears to be an opportunity to be happy within this material world, but that is māyā; in other words, it is a dream that is never to be fulfilled. Thus every living being is illusioned by the external energy of the Supreme Lord. That illusory energy is undoubtedly very strong, but she is fully under the control of the transcendental person who is described in this verse as pareśam, the transcendental Lord. The Lord is not a part of the material creation, but is beyond the creation. Therefore, not only does He control the conditioned souls through His external energy, but He also controls the external energy itself. Bhagavad-gītā clearly says that the strong material energy controls everyone and that getting out of her control is extremely difficult. That controlling energy belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and works under His control. The living entities, however, being subdued by the material energy, have forgotten the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
We offer respects to the Supreme Lord who is equal to all living entities, who controls the jīva, māyā and the guṇas, whose māyā cannot be overcome by anyone unless they surrender to him, whose māyā bewilders men so they do not understand the Lord. His power is explained. No one can overcome the Lord’s māyā without surrendering. He controls the jīva, māyā and the guṇas (ātmātma-guṇam).
Māyā bewilders everyone into forgetting the aim of life, but she is subdued by the Lord. She is His energy, not an independent power. Surrender to Him is therefore the only route past her, since fighting her on her own ground is a losing battle.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I trying to outsmart māyā rather than surrender to her controller?
  • What aim of life has my busyness recently made me forget?
📝 My note

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