FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.10.14

न त्वां वयं जडधियो नु विदाम भूमन् कूटस्थमादिपुरुषं जगतामधीशम् । यत्सत्त्वत: सुरगणा रजस: प्रजेशा मन्योश्च भूतपतय: स भवान् गुणेश: ॥ १४ ॥
na tvāṁ vayaṁ jaḍa-dhiyo nu vidāma bhūman
[na tvaam vayam jada-dhiyo nu vidaama bhooman]
kūṭa-stham ādi-puruṣaṁ jagatām adhīśam
[koota-stham aadi-purusham jagataam adheesham]
yat-sattvataḥ sura-gaṇā rajasaḥ prajeśā
[yat-sattvatah sura-ganaa rajasah prajeshaa]
manyoś ca bhūta-patayaḥ sa bhavān guṇeśaḥ
[manyosh cha bhoota-patayah sa bhavaan guneshah]
Word-for-word
na — not tvām — Your Lordship vayam — we jaḍa-dhiyaḥ — dull-minded, possessing blunt intelligence nu — indeed vidāmaḥ — can know bhūman — O Supreme kūṭa-stham — within the core of the heart ādi-puruṣam — the original Personality of Godhead jagatām — of the universes, which progressively go on adhīśam — the supreme master yat — fixed under Your direction sattvataḥ — infatuated with sattva-guṇa sura-gaṇāḥ — such demigods rajasaḥ — infatuated with rajo-guṇa prajā-īśāḥ — the Prajāpatis manyoḥ — influenced by tamo-guṇa ca — and bhūta-patayaḥ — rulers of ghosts saḥ — such a personality bhavān — Your Lordship guṇa-īśaḥ — the master of all three modes of material nature.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na tvāṁ vayaṁ jaḍa-dhiyo nu vidāma bhūman
na
not
tvām
Your Lordship
vayam
we
jaḍa-dhiyaḥ
dull-minded, possessing blunt intelligence
nu
indeed
vidāmaḥ
can know
bhūman
O Supreme
kūṭa-stham ādi-puruṣaṁ jagatām adhīśam
kūṭa-stham
within the core of the heart
ādi-puruṣam
the original Personality of Godhead
jagatām
of the universes, which progressively go on
adhīśam
the supreme master
yat-sattvataḥ sura-gaṇā rajasaḥ prajeśā
yat
fixed under Your direction
sattvataḥ
infatuated with sattva-guṇa
sura-gaṇāḥ
such demigods
rajasaḥ
infatuated with rajo-guṇa
prajā-īśāḥ
the Prajāpatis
manyoś ca bhūta-patayaḥ sa bhavān guṇeśaḥ
manyoḥ
influenced by tamo-guṇa
ca
and
bhūta-patayaḥ
rulers of ghosts
saḥ
such a personality
bhavān
Your Lordship
guṇa-īśaḥ
the master of all three modes of material nature.
O all-pervading Supreme Person, we are dull-minded and did not understand who You are, but now we understand that You are the Supreme Person, the master of the entire universe, the unchanging and original Personality of Godhead. The demigods are infatuated with the mode of goodness, the Prajāpatis with the mode of passion, and the lord of ghosts with the mode of ignorance, but You are the master of all these qualities.
Purport

The word jaḍa-dhiyaḥ refers to intelligence like that of an animal. A person with such intelligence cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without being beaten, an animal cannot understand the purpose of a man. Similarly, those who are dull-minded cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when punished severely by the modes of material nature, they begin to understand Him. A Hindi poet has said:

duḥkha se saba hari bhaje sukha se bhaje koī sukha se agar hari bhaje duḥkha kāthāṅ se haya

When one is distressed he goes to the church or temple to worship the Lord, but when opulent he forgets the Lord. Therefore, punishment by the Lord through material nature is necessary in human society, for without it men forget the supremacy of the Lord due to their dull, blunt intelligence.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Being fools, we do not understand you, with fixed form, the original person, controller of the universe. You are the controller of prakṛti, from whose sattva-guṇa arise the devatās, from whose rajoguṇa arise the Prajāpatis and from whose tamoguṇa arise the Rudras. I am ignorant since I am grossly material and unconscious. Without your punishment I cannot understand you, just as animals do not respect humans if they are not beaten with a stick. “But now you understand me.” No, none of us can understand you since we are under the guṇas. The word yad (from whom) should be added to each phrase. Manyoḥ means from tamas. You are the controller of pradhāna, the guṇas personified.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The ocean confesses he is dull-minded, like an animal that learns only when beaten by the modes. Many of us learn only through punishment by material nature — but the very confession of dullness is itself the beginning of intelligence.
Reflection Questions
  • What lesson is the material world currently 'beating' into me?
  • Could I learn it now by humble confession instead of by further blows?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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