Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.5.40
श्रीर्वक्षस: पितरश्छाययासन्
धर्म: स्तनादितर: पृष्ठतोऽभूत् ।
द्यौर्यस्य शीर्ष्णोऽप्सरसो विहारात्
प्रसीदतां न: स महाविभूति: ॥ ४० ॥
śrīr vakṣasaḥ pitaraś chāyayāsan
[shreer vakshasah pitarash chaayayaasan]
dharmaḥ stanād itaraḥ pṛṣṭhato ’bhūt
[dharmah stanaad itarah prishthato ’bhoot]
dyaur yasya śīrṣṇo ’psaraso vihārāt
[dyaur yasya sheershno ’psaraso vihaaraat]
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
[praseedataam nah sa mahaa-vibhootih]
Word-for-word
śrīḥ
—
the goddess of fortune
vakṣasaḥ
—
from His chest
pitaraḥ
—
the inhabitants of Pitṛloka
chāyayā
—
from His shadow
āsan
—
became possible
dharmaḥ
—
the principle of religion
stanāt
—
from His bosom
itaraḥ
—
irreligion (the opposite of dharma)
pṛṣṭhataḥ
—
from the back
abhūt
—
became possible
dyauḥ
—
the heavenly planets
yasya
—
of whom
śīrṣṇaḥ
—
from the top of the head
apsarasaḥ
—
the inhabitants of Apsaroloka
vihārāt
—
by His sense enjoyment
prasīdatām
—
kindly be pleased
naḥ
—
upon us
saḥ
—
He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
mahā-vibhūtiḥ
—
the greatest in all prowess.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrīr vakṣasaḥ pitaraś chāyayāsan
śrīḥ
the goddess of fortune
vakṣasaḥ
from His chest
pitaraḥ
the inhabitants of Pitṛloka
chāyayā
from His shadow
āsan
became possible
dharmaḥ stanād itaraḥ pṛṣṭhato ’bhūt
dharmaḥ
the principle of religion
stanāt
from His bosom
itaraḥ
irreligion (the opposite of dharma)
pṛṣṭhataḥ
from the back
abhūt
became possible
dyaur yasya śīrṣṇo ’psaraso vihārāt
dyauḥ
the heavenly planets
yasya
of whom
śīrṣṇaḥ
from the top of the head
apsarasaḥ
the inhabitants of Apsaroloka
vihārāt
by His sense enjoyment
prasīdatāṁ naḥ sa mahā-vibhūtiḥ
prasīdatām
kindly be pleased
naḥ
upon us
saḥ
He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead)
mahā-vibhūtiḥ
the greatest in all prowess.
The goddess of fortune was generated from His chest, the inhabitants of Pitṛloka from His shadow, religion from His bosom, and irreligion [the opposite of religion] from His back. The heavenly planets were generated from the top of His head, and the Apsarās from His sense enjoyment. May that supremely powerful Personality of Godhead be pleased with us.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
May the Lord, who possesses great vibhūtis, from whose chest arose Lakṣmī, from his shadow arose the Pitṛs, from whose breast arose dharma, from whose back arose adharma, from whose head arose heaven, from whose playing arose the Apsarās, be pleased with us!
Itaraḥ means adharma.
Personal Guidance
Lakṣmī from His chest, Pitṛs from His shadow, religion from His bosom, irreligion from His back, heavenly planets from His head, Apsarās from His sense enjoyment. Even opposites like dharma and adharma arise from the same Lord. The universe is dualistic; its source is not.
Reflection Questions
- Where am I splitting reality into 'good from God / bad from elsewhere' rather than tracing both back to Him?
- How does this larger view change my response to evil in the world?
My note
Source: vedabase.io