FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.8.20

नूनं तपो यस्य न मन्युनिर्जयो ज्ञानं क्‍वचित् तच्च न सङ्गवर्जितम् । कश्चिन्महांस्तस्य न कामनिर्जय: स ईश्वर: किं परतोव्यपाश्रय: ॥ २० ॥
nūnaṁ tapo yasya na manyu-nirjayo
[noonam tapo yasya na manyu-nirjayo]
jñānaṁ kvacit tac ca na saṅga-varjitam
[jnaanam kvachit tach cha na sanga-varjitam]
kaścin mahāṁs tasya na kāma-nirjayaḥ
[kashchin mahaams tasya na kaama-nirjayah]
sa īśvaraḥ kiṁ parato vyapāśrayaḥ
[sa eeshvarah kim parato vyapaashrayah]
Word-for-word
nūnam — certainly tapaḥ — austerity yasya — of someone na — not manyu — anger nirjayaḥ — conquered jñānam — knowledge kvacit — in some saintly person tat — that ca — also na — not saṅga-varjitam — without the contamination of association kaścit — someone mahān — a very great exalted person tasya — his na — not kāma — material desires nirjayaḥ — conquered saḥ — such a person īśvaraḥ — controller kim — how can he be parataḥ — of others vyapāśrayaḥ — under the control.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nūnaṁ tapo yasya na manyu-nirjayo
nūnam
certainly
tapaḥ
austerity
yasya
of someone
na
not
manyu
anger
nirjayaḥ
conquered
jñānaṁ kvacit tac ca na saṅga-varjitam
jñānam
knowledge
kvacit
in some saintly person
tat
that
ca
also
na
not
saṅga-varjitam
without the contamination of association
kaścin mahāṁs tasya na kāma-nirjayaḥ
kaścit
someone
mahān
a very great exalted person
tasya
his
na
not
kāma
material desires
nirjayaḥ
conquered
sa īśvaraḥ kiṁ parato vyapāśrayaḥ
saḥ
such a person
īśvaraḥ
controller
kim
how can he be
parataḥ
of others
vyapāśrayaḥ
under the control.
The goddess of fortune, examining the assembly, thought in this way: Someone who has undergone great austerity has not yet conquered anger. Someone possesses knowledge, but he has not conquered material desires. Someone is a very great personality, but he cannot conquer lusty desires. Even a great personality depends on something else. How, then, can he be the supreme controller?
Purport

Here is an attempt to find the supreme controller, or īśvara. Everyone may be accepted as an īśvara, or controller, but still such controllers are controlled by others. For example, one may have undergone severe austerities but still be under the control of anger. By a scrutinizing analysis, we find that everyone is controlled by something else. No one, therefore, can be the true controller but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is supported by the śāstras. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by anyone, for He is the controller of everyone ( sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam ).

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Some have austerity, but have not conquered anger. Some have knowledge but have not given up attachment. Some have power but have not controlled lust. How can a person without shelter from enemies be considered the Supreme Lord? In three verses Lakṣmī in the form of wealth thinks to herself the reason for not selecting anyone on seeing the good qualities linked with faults. Durvāsā and others cannot control anger. Thus their austerity is useless. Some persons like Bṛhaspati have knowledge but it is not without material attachment. Thus it is useless. Some like Brahmā have great power, but they also have lust. Thus their greatness is useless. How can persons like Indra who became without shelter from enemies be the Supreme Lord?
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Anyone who has austerity has not conquered anger; whoever has knowledge has not conquered desire. Everyone is controlled by something. Only one who controls everything else can be the true Lord — and only He can be the safe resort.
Reflection Questions
  • What is currently controlling me that I imagine I have under control?
  • Where am I depending on a person who is themselves dependent on something else?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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