10.14 · Brahmā's Prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa

This chapter relates how Brahma, immersed in the great ocean of Krsna’s sweetness mixed with respect, in the ocean of devotion and knowledge, praises Krsna with affection and asks questions. I am not afraid if the real devotees, engaged in taking the heap of jewels and thereby deriving great bliss, mock my stance of selling jewels (taking a few jewels). Meditating with determination solely upon the lotus feet of my guru, my mind desires to cross of the ocean of Brahma’s prayers. After having attained firm devotion at the lotus feet of Krsna, realizing directly the son of the cowherd king as the source of all forms of eternity knowledge and bliss, Brahma began to praise Krsna profusely. Most worthy of praise (idye), Vasudeva, the source of thousands of forms, praised by all from Brahma (right now) down to the grass, I praise you with verse, in order to attain you. I offer these praises to you. Or, I praise you in order to please you. I praise you who have a body tinted like the rain cloud, with cloth the color of lightning. These phrases suggest two things: the earth gets relief from heat through the cloud of Krsna’s rain, and the cataka bird devotee gets life sustenance from the rain cloud of Krsna. You are decorated with gunja berry ornaments in your hair and flower ornaments in your ears and hair. On the top of your head is a peacock feather. This description reveals the superiority of the gunja berries of Vrndavana to the jewels of Vaikuntha. The forest garland around his neck, made of local leaves and flowers, is superior to those made of flowers of the parijata from svarga loka. By mentioning the curd rice in his hand, his stick and horn, Braham indicates the superiority of the appearance of the cowherd boy over all others. In mentioning his soft feet, he indicates that those wandering in the forest become filled with ecstasy on seeing those foot prints. Mentioning that Krsna is the son of a cowherad (pasupa anga ja), he indicates that the superior fortune of Nanda over Vasudeva.

Brahmā begins praising Kṛṣṇa, whom he realized as the highest form of power and sweetness, as his highest aspiration. O most worthy of worship (īḍye)! You are worthy of praise because today I have seen the whole material and spiritual realms enter into and emerge from you, the Supreme Brahman, composed of power and sweetness. Therefore I praise you. Why? I praise (naumi) in order to attain you (te). This follows the rule kriyārthoapapdasya ca karmāṇī sthāninaḥ: when and infinitive of purpose is suppressed (such as “to attain”) the object of the infinite (for instance “you”) is put in the dative case. (Pāṇini 2.3.14) “But you can attain me as Brahman or some other form.” You have a body of blackish color like a fresh dark cloud. Abhra means holding (bibharti) water (apaḥ). You have cloth yellow like lightning. “But the lord of Vaikuṇṭha and others also are similar to that description.” But your face shines with guṣja berries and peacock feather decorations all around (pari). You have a garland made of forest flowers and leaves of various colors. With heart attracted to Kṛṣṇa’s childhood pastimes, he points out more particular items. You have yogurt rice in your left hand, a stick and horn under your left arm, and a flute tucked into your waist band. This arrangement is understood from the description in the last chapter. These are special marks. You become beautiful with these marks. You have tender feet. These are feet suitable for a small child. But Brahmā does not say that Kṛṣṇa is just a child, since he has great respect for Kṛṣṇa as his master. He does not mention his limbs painted with minerals, a sign of his playing in Vṛndāvana. At last he mentions the desired object of all these descriptive elements. You are the son of Nanda, king of the cowherds. All the elements are automatically included when the young boy is described with this term. I offer respects to you, to attain you, the child cowherd. Thus in the beginning of his praise he indicates the goal with the greatest longing.

Krsna’s objection: "Hear me Lord Brahma! You are the master of all powers in this universe, while I am but the son of a forest cowherd man. You are an ancient figure, and I am but a small boy. You are knowledgeable of all the Vedas, and endowed with the highest conduct, whereas I as a keeper of cows am ignorant, without knowledge of proper conduct, so that I even run around with some yogurt rice in my hand. You are the supreme Lord, controller of all illusion, full of bliss, whereas I am bewildered by your illusion, and wander about the forest in grief for lost calves. Thus I am not qualified for your praise." Fearing such objections from Krsna, Brahma began to speak, revealing his repentance for committing offense to Krsna out of ignorance. "I cannot understand (avasitum) the greatness of your body, which appears foolish, engaged in childish play, what to speak of your pastimes of kaisora age. If I cannot understand the greatness of your body, what to speak of the extent of happiness that you experience in your mind by herding the calves. If I cannot comprehend the happiness that your cowherd friends experience, what to say of the happiness that you experience directly? If one who is controlled in mind cannot understand that happiness what to say of those with uncontrolled minds?" In this way five levels of ignorance have been expressed. Brahma describes Krsna’s body in this way to indicate that he cannot understand him by study of scripture, austerity or yoga. He is understood only by mercy. "Your greatness is shown through your mercy to me who have committed offense to you. That mercy consists of showing your sweet form after showing forms of great power (four handed visnu forms). What is the cause of mercy? Your body is sva icchamaya, responding to the desires of the devotees, who desire to see or serve you. Because of your affection for youe devotees you show mercy. Though I am an offender, because I have a semblance of devotion, I have attained qualification for a drop of mercy." "But to fulfill desires and show mercy are traits of human beings also." " But your body is not material (bhutamaya). Your body is spiritua: the brahma samhita says that Krsna senses can perform the functions of all other senses. When any of the Lord’s limbs (parts) appears in the material world as avatara, then it assumes all the functions of all the senses. If the Lord’s hand appears in the world, then it takes a form with all senses. Govinda however still sees with his eyes, and hears with his ears and thinks with his mind. He does not see with his hands. You have shown me the forms of Vasudeva, (deva vapu), who previously was merciful to me by teaching the four verses of bhagavatam (mad anugrahasya). Your body, for the purpose of fulfilling your desires (iccha maya) is the source of these Vasudeva forms (sva ). Though your body fulfills your desires, it is not like our bodies, bhuta maya, but it is spiritual. The greatness of this body even I (brahma-- ka) cannot understand though I have revealed the Vedas and studied the fruit of the Vedas, Bhagavatam. I cannot even understand the greatness of your Vasudeva forms, what to speak of the greatness of the source of those forms (saksat tava), with human shape. What is the greatness of that human form? In this form Krsna realizes his true happiness, which is rare even in other avatara forms, through pastimes such as stealing yogurt, drinking the gopis’ breast milk, herding cows and acting naughty."

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that this verse is an answer to the objection “You offer respects to me, but actually you are simply describing my form.” The actual purpose is to praise the Lord by describing his excellences. Tava in the last line should be linked with vapuṣaḥ in the first line. No one can understand your body appearing as avatāra in this present form (asya api), though it has become easily available to the world. You have shown me mercy since you encourage my creation of the universe. Śrīdhara Svāmī takes the version with na tu but there is another version with tanu-bhūta-mayasya. In his commentary he does not mention the two versions directly and in his first explanation used the version with na tu. Linked with the phrase “I cannot understand your glory” the words na tu can indicate conjecture. In giving an alternate meaning however he takes the other version with tanu. The version with tanu is seen the main editions everywhere. According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, sākṣāt tava means “of you in the form of Bhagavān.” The word eva means “only.” Thus the phrase sakṣāt tava eva means “of you who surpasses all other avatāras.” He explains the phrase ātma-sukhānubhūteḥ as “beyond the guṇas.” This means he is not limited by the guṇas controlled by Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. His greatness as avatāri is his bliss. This is understood from the śruti. Etasyaivānandasya anyāni bhūtāni mātrām upajīvanti: all living beings take their life from the Lord full of bliss. (Brhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.3.32) Ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt: who could breathe without this Brahman, if this blissful Brahman were not present? (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) Parāsya śāktir vividhaiva śryuyate svābhāvikī jṣāna-bala-kriyā ca: the Lord has natural energies of knowledge, strength and action. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8) Brahmā does not state in this verse that Brahman is incomprehensible in its impersonal feature, for he explains that Kṛṣṇa with his personal features is more difficult to understand than Brahman in verse 6. And if the universal form (bhūta-mayasya) is hard to understand what can one say about your form? My explanation will take the version with tanu-bhūta-mayasya. This agrees with Citsukha. He explains that the phrase means that the Lord spreads everywhere up to Brahma-loka by his subtle bodies. “Subtle bodies” means spiritual bodies which are inconceivable, made of śuddha-sattva. Śruti describes the Lord as asya mahato bhūtasya: he is the Lord, with spiritual body. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.5.11) Among the thousand names of Viṣṇu is lokanātho mahadbhūtam: he is Lord of the universe, with a spiritual body. Thus the phrase tanu-bhūta-mayasya indicates the Lord with a spiritual body. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that because he is Bhagavān, there is no question of a controller above him or being controlled by anyone. Since it was already said that the universal form does not control him, no one controls him and he is never to be controlled by anyone. The qualities of this particular form were described in the previous verse. Now, here is my own explanation. “Why do you praise me by describing this form with the yogurt rice and flute?” In answer to this, Brahmā speaks the present verse. With reverence he admits his incompetence. You have a body of the presiding deity (deva) of the universe (asya) which is called Nārāyaṇa, displayed in the four-armed forms just shown to me. But they actually belong to one body. Brahmā will later say nārāyaṇo ’ṅgaṁ nara-bhū-jalāyanāt: Nārāyaṇa is your expansion, and he is called Nārāyaṇa because he is the generating source of the primeval water of the universe. SB 10.14.14 This body is then described. It has given me mercy etc. This form is directly Bhagavān (sākṣat tava eva). Your happiness is exclusively known by yourself. Or, by showing just one of the forms that you showed me, you are merciful. Just by that one form I can understand your glory.

“You offer respects to me, but actually you are simply describing my form.” This verse answers. Though you manifested many forms you are only one form (vapuṣaḥ). Or it could mean any form. That form showed me mercy because you protect my creation by destroying adharma and propagating dharma. Your body is not made of material elements like that of effulgent devatās. It is made of parabrahman (ātma-sukhānubhūteḥ). Or it is direct knowledge (experience of the ātmā as happiness). Because of this, it cannot be understood by the inner mind, what to speak of direct perception. Therefore I have described the form I saw. Or no one can understand the greatness of your cowherd boy form (tava vapuṣaḥ), superior to your form as the lord of Vaikuṇṭha (deva-vapuṣaḥ). Or no one can understand the greatness (mahi) of your (tasya) cowherd form (asya). What to speak of your form as brahman (ātma-sukhānubhūteh). The four armed forms are superior to your form as brahman. But the cowherd boy form is greater than the Vaikuṇṭha forms (divya-vapuṣaḥ). Giving mercy to me, an offender, is your free will (svecchā-mayasya). You give mercy not only to devotees as in Dāmodara pastimes, but to all jīvas. Are you not the cause of all entities (na tu bhūta-mayasya)? Yes, you are the sole shelter of the universe. You have appeared to give benefit to the world. Another version has nanu, easy to understand. Śrīdhara Svāmī accepts this alternate version Description of the Lord’s form are the highest praise, as in the following: rūpaṁ yat tat prāhur avyaktam ādyaṁ brahma jyotir nirguṇaṁ nirvikāram sattā-mātraṁ nirviśeṣaṁ nirīhaṁ sa tvaṁ sākṣād viṣṇur adhyātma-dīpaḥ That form which they say is invisible, the cause of all causes, the greatest, self-manifesting, without qualities, without change, pure existence, without variety and without action, is directly you, the Supreme Lord, who manifests our intelligence. SB 10.3.24 . satya-vrataṁ satya-paraṁ tri-satyaṁ satyasya yoniṁ nihitaṁ ca satye satyasya satyam ṛta-satya-netraṁ satyātmakaṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannāḥ

The devatās prayed: O Lord, you are true to your promise, truth incarnate, pervading all aspects of time with truth, before the creation, during its existence and after its destruction. You are the revealer of sweet words and truth. We surrender to you, the embodiment of truth. SB 10.2.26

Tarhi tam evea viditva atimtyum eti (Knowing Brahman one can surpass death). If that is the case, then how can an ignorant person attain liberation? This verse answers that question. "Not making any endeavor for knowledge (udapasya ) the devotees who though, by nature, are quiet, loudly chant (sammukharitam) your glories (bhavatiya vartam) or the glories of your associates, being situated in the abode of devotees rather than traveling around to holy tirthas (sthane sthitah), and who hear topics about your name, qualities and pastimes (srutigatam), starting with body, words and mind--involving all the senses by touching the earth with head and hands, by glorifying the lord with words, by using intelligence to grasp the meaning of the subjects heard-- who pass their life in this way, without doing anything else—these devotees conquer you, though you are unconquered by anyone else in the three worlds. You are not conquered by those who attain liberation through jnana. Indeed, to cross samsara by merely hearing about you is astonishing. One portion of your topics is knowledge of Brahman, and by that they cross samsara. That is the meaning of the sruti statement ‘knowing Brahman one surpasses death.’"

The devotees, giving up the effort to search for you, hear topics of your form, qualities and pastimes with intense devotion, and by that bring you under control. You are such a person. That is described in this verse. They give up consideration of the powerful aspects of your form (jṣāne udapāsya) and out of longing remain in places where there are devotees rather than wandering about on pilgrimage with great suffering to the body. They respect your topics (namantaḥ) by their body, minds and words. At the time of hearing, they respect you with the body by folding their hands. They respect the topics by words by speaking in agreement. They respect the topics by the mind by maintaining faith in your existence. They respect the topics about you or your devotees like Nanda (bhavadīya), which are spoken loudly in order to drive away agitation of the senses and untruth, though generally the devotees remain silent. In this way they pass their lives (jīvanti). Or, hearing those topics, they relish them as their very life (jīvanti). You cannot be attained (ajitaḥ) by the actions of body, mind or words alone, since you are beyond the senses, being self-manifested. But you are attained by your devotees. Or, you are not attainable, but you are attained and controlled by the devotees. This is constantly visible by the actions of their body, mind and words. Or you are attained directly by their bodies, minds and words. Their hands touch your lotus feet. They call you by their words. They decide to see you by their mind. Or you along with your body mind and words are not attained, but you and your body, mind and words are controlled. Your body is brought under control since you stay near the devotee because of the devotees. Your words are under control since you glorify your devotees. Your mind is controlled since you always think of your devotee.

"By performing one among the many methods of bhakti such as hearing and chanting, the jiva can achieve success. This is stated in the Nrsimha Purana: The devotees easily attain the Lord by worshiping with devotion using leaves, flowers fruit and water which are easily available. Then why do you make efforts for liberation?" Though this is so, those who reject bhakti and make efforts in jnana gain only a lot of suffering. This is the intention of the verse. "Those who reject (udasya) the path of auspiciousness (sreyah srtim), the stream of bhakti, flowing like a river of honey (commentary of sridhara swami) achieve only suffering . Sreyah also refers to all the fruits of all other processes such as jnana and karma. Bhakti is the path which gives all these fruits, and is thus called the sreyah srtim. The jnana of those who reject bhakti gives only suffering (klesala). That is like taking a huge pile of empty husks and beating it. The result of the effort is pain in the hands, and no rice."

“It is seen that others, giving up that type of bhakti, practice jṣāna using hearing and contemplation of Upaniṣads in order to realize the greatness of the Lord. Bhakti produces the best results among all good processes. It includes all results such as jṣāna. In spite of bhakti with its sweet topics, some people give up this process, and throw it far away, giving it no respect (udasya). Instead they suffer to attain realization of the self, devoid of bhakti. They take great effort to observe yamas and niyamas and go here and there to obtain proper hearing and contemplation of Upaniṣads. But all they get is suffering. They do not even (eva) get purification of the heart. “But by practicing yoga one can obtain siddhis.” Other methods give no result. svargāpavargayoḥ puṁsāṁ rasāyāṁ bhuvi sampadām sarvāsām api siddhīnāṁ mūlaṁ tac-caraṇārcanam Devotional service to the Lord’s lotus feet is the root cause of all the perfections a person can find in heaven, in liberation, in the subterranean regions and on earth. SB 10.81.19 The Lord himself says: yasyāṁ na me pāvanam aṅga karma sthity-udbhava-prāṇa-nirodham asya līlāvatārepsita-janma vā syād vandhyāṁ giraṁ tāṁ bibhṛyān na dhīraḥ O Uddhava! The wise do not accept useless scriptures in which there are no descriptions of how I create, maintain and destroy the universe, and in which there are no descriptions of my auspicious birth as Kṛṣṇa among all the līlāvatāras. SB 11.11.20 A suitable example is given. Fools who beat empty husk become the laughing stock of others. The husk simply becomes finer and gets destroyed. The fool gets sore hands. O Lord, everyone should worship you!

It has been stated that the highests results arise from bhakti. Why should the greatness of bhakti be described as everything? By giving up this bhakti persons engaged in jṣāna just suffer greatly. This is explained in this verse. Bhakti produces the best results among all good processes. It includes all results such as jṣāna. In spite of bhakti with its sweet topics, some people give up this process, and throw it far away, giving it no respect (udasya). But they suffer to attain realization of the self, devoid of bhakti. They take great effort to observe yamas and niyamas in order to attain understanding of the pure ātmā (kevala-bodha-labdhaye). Or they make efforts in order to attain understanding of ātmā (bodha) unmixed with bhakti (kevala). All they attain is suffering. Svarga and purification of the heart are excluded as results (eva). “But by practicing yoga one can obtain wealth and position.” Other methods give no result (na anyat). A suitable example is given. Fools who beat empty husk become the laughing stock of others. The husk simply becomes finer and gets destroyed. The fool gets sore hands. O Lord, everyone should worship you! They even fall to hell. ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād ātma-prabhavam īśvaram na bhajanty avajānanti sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ If any of the members of the four varṇas and four āśramas fail to worship the Lord and thus disrespect the Lord, who is the source of their own creation, they will fall down from their āśrama. SB 11.5.3

In the previous two verses, bhakti is established as the means of attaining the Lord, by negation and positive statement. In the present verse the activities of bhakti are established. "O lord (bhuman), in this universe (iha), there are many who practice bhakti (yoginah) and they offer their activities to you, using all their senses to increase their devotion. Being fully engrossed in bhakti with faith, and disregarding varnasrama, they engage in hearing and chanting (nija karma labdhaya) only about you. By the prema bhakti which arises from hearing and chanting (kathopanitaya), they realize (vibudhya) the Lord’s form, qualities and activities, and attain eternal association of the lord in prema (param)." The verse can also be taken as a rejection of the yoga process after having rejected jnana in the previous verses. "After practicing yoga for a long time and understanding its futility, o Lord, the yogis understand you through devotion mixed with jnana attained through offering you his activities and attain you."

This process is not just words, but was practiced and realized by many in the past. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that they offered their prescribed karmas to the Lord and their individual actions as well (tvad-arpitehā). dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ | notpādayed yadi ratiṁ śrama eva hi kevalam || Varṇāśrama-dharma of the human being, which does not produce attraction for topics of the Lord, is only wasted effort. SB 1.2.8 By having a taste of your topics they attained nearness to you. By developing taste for those topics one can realize you. satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati From association with the best devotees, topics of my glorious pastimes become directly realized, bringing the devotee to niṣṭhā. Then the topics become an elixir for the heart and ears at the stage of ruci. By taste for these topics, āsakti, bhāva and then prema for the Lord who is the destroyer of material life, quickly develop in sequence. SB 3.25.25 ity acyutāṅghriṁ bhajato 'nuvṛttyā bhaktir viraktir bhagavat-prabodhaḥ bhavanti vai bhāgavatasya rājaṁs tataḥ parāṁ śāntim upaiti sākṣāt O King! The devotee who worships the lotus feet of the infallible Lord with constant endeavor achieves unflinching devotion, detachment and experience of the Lord. He achieves supreme happiness. SB 11.2.43 With an increase in prema the person then attains with surrender (prapedire) an intimate relationship with you (parām gatim). O lord with unlimited glories (bhūman)! This is a suitable result for bhakti dedicated to you. O Lord, you do not fail to give the desired results by performance of bhakti (acyuta)! na cyavante hi mad-bhaktā mahatyāṁ pralayād api ato ’acyuto ’khile loke vidvadbhiḥ pariṇīyate My devotees do not perish even at the time of universal destruction. The Lord alone is indestructible and all pervading in all planets. Skanda Purāṇa

This process is not just words, but was practiced and realized by many in the past. O Lord with unlimited glories (bhūman)! This is a suitable result for bhakti dedicated to you. Even liberated person (yoginaḥ) by hearing and glorifying your topics (te kathopanītayā) offered their activities to you. Or “Bhakti is difficult since it allows one to attain the supreme goal.” It can be done by purification (upanītayā) through hearing and glorifying you or by topcis concerning you which bring about glorification (upanītayā). Those topics are most excellent. O Lord, you do not fail to give the desired results by performance of bhakti (acyuta)! Or by bhakti the yogīs will associate with you. They will attain the outstanding place, Vaikuṇṭha or prema (paraṁ gatim), understanding (vibudhya) it is the highest result.

Though only pure prema bhakti gives directly realization of the sweet form of Krsna, through jnana mixed with bhakti one can attain realization of impersonal Brahman. This however is attained only after giving up jnana. "O one who reveals his sweet form (bhuman), though this form can be attained only by prema bhakti (tathapi), your great form (mahima) without material qualities (agunasya), can be understood (vibudhum arhati)." Mahima means impersonal Brahman since the lord himself says madiyam mahimanam ca parabrahmeti sabditam (bhag. 8.24.38)and dhruva says sa brahmani sva mahimani api natha . What is the cause? A pure heart and performing ones prescribed actions. How can the heart or mind, transformations of the subtle body, realize the formless para Brahman? The heart is described as avikirya , without change. The spiritual or changeless heart (soul) perceives the changeless Brahman. But how can Brahman, without object of perception, be perceived by something else? Thus the heart is described as arupatah, without form. The heart or mechanism of perception is the same as Brahman, and therefore perceives it. Can Brahman be perceived by other means? It is only perceivable by itself. It is not perceived like ordinary objects with form through sound and touch.

Devotees completely give up attempts at jṣāna. However two verses explain some results for the jṣānīs. Your greatness without qualities is possible to be understood by the intelligence (viboddhum). This includes revelation to the senses also. Perception of your greatness is possible. Mahimā stands for mahimānam. The Lord and the jīva are considered one since the jīva is a conscious aṁśa of the Lord: ananya-bodhyātmatayā. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the Lord is called arūpataḥ because he is not an object of perception. The perception of the Lord by citta is simply a perception of an object with a semblance of cit. Or, though you can be perceived through bhakti, one cannot completely realize you since you are an ocean of unlimited auspicious qualities. But some person can realize the greatness of perhaps one of your qualities (guṇasya). He can realize the great (mahi) treasure (mā) of one among your qualities like mercy, with realization according to his cultivation (svānubhavāt), but not completely. That cultivation is devoid of other desires (avikriyāt). What is the realization? It is a form realized as one ātmā (Brahman), which cannot be defined materially (arūpataḥ). It cannot be defined except according to one’s realization and not beyond that. The Brahman is here considered to be a quality of the Lord.

How can the glories of your bhakti and the glories of you be described? You are endowed with many qualities. The glory of even one of your qualities cannot be understood in truth. Or though bhakti is glorified, a person engaged in jṣāna cannot understand you who are endowed with an ocean of auspicious qualities. Perhaps some person can understand the glory of just one quality. The glory (mahi) of your quality of mercy (mā guṇasya) can be understood. Or the glory of your quality as Rādhā can be understood. Though Kṛṣṇa was still a child, this can be stated in relation to his eternal pastimes. Or your glory can be especially understood (vi-bodhum) by the quality of mercy. The method is given. The quality can be understood by the most merciful Lord (svānubhavāt), by the abundance of mercy in him (sva), which is complete (avikriyāt). The anubhava is further described. It can be characterized as the exclusive object of knowledge, ātmā, being without form. His real form is ultimately indefinable. It is not otherwise. It cannot be understood except through the Lord’s mercy. The Lord’s form as Brahman is indicated. Or when does the mercy manifest? One cannot say because it is self-manifesting (ananya-bodhātmatayā). Or why can one not realize just the greatness of one quality by the mercy of Lakṣmī? The reason is given. Because the greatness is unlimited (bhūman). The quality has the form of Viṣṇu (arūpataḥ). The quality and possessor of the quality are non-different. It is not otherwise. It is not a lie. Yamunācārya says upary upary abja-bhuvo puruṣān: desiring to measure one of your transcendental qualities, the words of the Vedas again and again multiply by a hundred the qualities of Brahmā.

"Without prema bhakti, no one can understand your transcendental form. Even those who have surpassed the material ocean, full of knowledge, cannot understand that form. If the men of this world cannot understand you, even if you are present before us, we cannot understand you. Thus it goes without saying that no one can describe your innumerable sweet qualities, what to speak of realizing those qualities. Those qualities are eternal and spiritual, arising from your spiritual form (gunatmanah). Brahma tarka says: gunaih svarupa bhutais tu guny asau harir isvarah . the lord is possess of qualities which arise from his svarupa. But who can count (vimatum) those qualities. No one can. The avataras such as sankarsana, who descend to the earth to extuinguish the suffering of the world, can count the particles of dust, or the snowflakes, or even the particles of sunlight, but even if they count continuously, they cannot come to an end of enumerating your glories." There is another meaning of gunatmanah. "The lord is protector of the world consisting of three gunas. No one can come to and end of counting the qualities of you who engage in pastimes of protecting the universe. What to speak then of being able to describe your astonishing qualities which engage you in sweet pastimes such as stealing yogurt."

In the previous explanations some prima facie (impersonal) views were presented. Now the refutation takes place with this verse. Particularly, no one can know the greatness of you—who have appeared on your own. The verses lead to the conclusion of Kṛṣṇa’s greatness in order to start another topic. Thus the verse states that no one can measure your qualities. Guṇātmanaḥ can mean the vitalizer of qualities. Those qualities which were latent in other avatāras but not visible are now visible in you. Or guṇātmanaḥ can mean “of the person whose qualities belong to his svarūpa.” Thus it means a person with eternal, spiritual qualities. guṇaiḥ svarūpa-bhūtais tu guṇy asau harir ucyate na viṣnor na ca muktānāṁ kvāpi bhinno guṇo mataḥ The Lord is called the possessor of qualities because his qualities belong to his svarūpa. The qualities of Viṣṇu and liberated devotees are not different from this. Brahma-tarka sattvādayo na santīśe yatra ca prākṛtā gunā In Viṣṇu there are no material guṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.9.44 jṣāna-śakti-balaiśvarya-vīrya-tjeāṁsy aśeṣataḥ bhagavac-chabda vācyāni vināheyair guṇādibhiḥ The word bhagavān means that he is complete with power of mind (omniscience), power of senses, power of body, influence, control, and beauty, and is devoid of all inferior qualities. Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.79 yo ‘sau nirguṇa ity uktaḥ śāstreṣu jagad īśvaraḥ prākṛtair heya-saṁyuktair guṇair heyatvam ucyate It is said in all scriptures that the Lord of the universe is without qualities. He is devoid of inferior qualities. The word “inferior” means material qualities. Padma Purāṇa māṁ bhajanti guṇāḥ sarve nirguṇaṁ nirapekṣakam suhṛdaṁ priyam ātmānaṁ sāmyāsaṅgādayo ’guṇāḥ All superior qualities, which are eternal, such as equality to all beings and attachment to my devotee, reside in me. I am beyond the material guṇas, not dependent on material qualities, and am the devotees’ friend, giving love to them. SB 11.13.40 Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the word aguṇāḥ in the above verse. It means without transformation of qualities or eternal. Who can enumerate your greatness in detail (vi-mātum)? No one can do so. You have manifested your qualities (avatīrṇasya) for the benefit of all people of the universe (asya). The Lord expects to reveal the particular qualities beneficial for a particular jīva. The jīvas are unlimited. Their natures are unlimited. They are in unlimitedly different conditions. Therefore in response to them, your qualities are unlimited. By all that variety there is supreme unlimitedness. That is impossible to count. What to speak of the unlimited places and time in their various planets? Someone may be able to count the dust, snowflakes or photons which are progressively finer and more numerous. (The verb īśire should be understood). Saṅkarṣaṇa may be able to count those particles within the limits of one universe. But Mahā-viṣṇu in whose pores reside billions of universe like atoms is only your aṁśa. Verses 6 and 7 show the great difficulty in understanding the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, who is endowed with qualities. Thus the proposition that the subject of verse 2 is Brahman with no qualities is thus rejected. Thus I have shown Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanations of verses 2and 6 as the prima facie view and then given refutation. This should not be considered incorrect.

Particularly one cannot understand the extent of your qualities when you appear in the world. Qualities which were previously latent and unmanifest are revealed by you now. You are the life-giver of qualities (guṇātmanaḥ). Being manifest they should be measurable. Who can in detail enumerate your qualities (vi-matum)? No one can, because you have appeared in the world to give benefit all the jīvas. The meaning is this. The Lord reveals qualities suitable for the benefit of that jīva. The jīvas are unlimited and their natures are unlimited. And their conditions are unlimited. Thus your qualities that your reveal for each of them are unlimited. It is not possible to count them. No one can count them. The particles of earth, snow and light are progressively finer.

Now that other processes have been rejected and bhakti accepted as the process to attain bhagavan, the process of bhakti is described. "The devotee understands that the happiness and distress that he experiences due to performing bhakti and committing aparadhas are the mercy of the Lord. It is like that father who sometimes makes his child drink milk and sometimes makes him drink bitter nima juice, and sometimes embraces and kisses him and sometimes beats him. The devotee thinks that this is the arrangement of Lord working for his benefit. ‘The lord knows and I do not know. Karma and time have no effect on the devotee, so it is his personal arrangement. By his mercy he sometimes gives me happiness and sometimes gives me distress, considering how to engage me in his service.’ Yatha caret balahitam pita svayam tathatvam evarhasi nah samihitam. ( as the father does what is beneficial for the son, so you are engaged in arrangements for my benefit.) sb. 4.20.31. The person who spends his life offering respects with body, mind and words to the lotus feet of the Lord like Prthu Maharaja, does not accept the suffering of austerities or other hardships. He becomes the dayabhak (recipient) of two results: liberation from material bondage and service to the lord ( mukti-pada). As the inheritance from the father is the livelihood for the son, so the attainment of liberation and service to the Lord maintain the life of the devotee. And while living in this world the devotee remains fixed on the path of devotion." Bhagavatam says: drtaya iva svasanty asubhatauyadi te ‘nuvidha: the jiva’s life becomes successful by offering devotion to you. Otherwise the body is just like a bellows inhaling and exhaling air. Only if they become Your faithful followers are those who breathe actually alive, otherwise their breathing is like that of a bellows. 10.87.18

The word eva should be used with words in the sentence as necessary. One should regard one’s various present karmas (vipākam) as earned by one’s own actions (ātma-kṛtam), and necessary to be experienced. Therefore one does not consider happiness and distress arising in those conditions. One offers respect to you with attachment, using mind, body and words in order to develop a taste for your topics, as described in verse 5. Other types of bhakti which inculcate humility are also included. Your lotus feet are called mukti: sa vai mahā-bhāgavataḥ parīkṣid yenāpavargākhyam adabhra-buddhiḥ | jṣānena vaiyāsaki-śabditena bheje khagendra-dhvaja-pāda-mūlam || Parīkṣit, the great devotee, with pure intelligence, attained liberation, in the form of the feet of the Lord having a flag marked with Garuḍa, through knowledge spoken by Śukadeva. SB 1.18.16 atra sargo visargaś ca sthānaṁ poṣaṇam ūtayaḥ | manvantareśānukathā nirodho muktir āśrayaḥ || In this Purāṇa there are ten topics: creation, secondary creation, protection, mercy of the Lord, material activities, the conduct of the Manus, stories of the Lord, destruction of the universe, liberation and the ultimate shelter. SB 2.10.1 In this statement, Bhagavān is the shelter (pade) of mukti, the ninth item. Śrīdhara Svāmī also says that the shelter, Kṛṣṇa, the tenth topic is presented in the Tenth Canto: daśame daśamaṁ lakṣyam. You are that devotee’s portion, when the father’s property is divided among brothers. That devotee receives you, mukti-pada, the shelter of liberation, as his share. What use is liberation then? Śrīdhara Svāmī says that without living (jīveta), the devotee, like the property claimant, cannot claim liberation. In this matter material intelligence is forbidden but, even without speculating, we know that the living son inherits the property. In terms of the verse, the person on the path of bhakti receives the property since he is really living. Dṛtaya iva śvasanty asu-bhṛto yadi te ’nuvidhā: only if they become your faithful followers are those who breathe actually alive, otherwise their breathing is like that of a bellows. (SB 10.87.17)

The person waits patiently (su-samīṣamānaḥ) for mercy while he experiences his self-produced suffering, results of karma (vipākam). The word eva should be used with words in the sentence as necessary. He does not give regard for his happiness or suffering. He offers respects with mind words and body. This shows attachment (āsakti) only to the Lord and not to others, to the abode of liberation (mukti-pade) or mahākālapuram, or the place which is the very form of liberation, Vaikuṇṭha, or the lord’s lotus feet. Or the word can be taken as amukti-pade: the feet of he who does not give liberation to the devotees. By drowning in the ocean of the Lord’s sweet qualities, they reject the drop of salt water known as liberation. This person becomes the giver (bhāk) of wealth (dāya). Just by his mind, making decisions, he gives mukti-pada to others. By his words alone and by the touch of his body, he delivers others.

Brahma speaks this verse to express his repentance, thinking that rather the perform devotional activities he has simply committed great offense to Krsna. The word arya means a worthy person or one with wisdom. "Oh lord, see my anaryam, my bad conduct and foolishness. You may give suitable punishment or forgiveness, otherwise persons like me will commit further impropriety. What was the bad conduct? You are the source of all (adya), you are my father, and I have committed offense against you, when you were enjoying lunch with your friends in the forest. What was the foolishness? You have immeasurable powers (ananta). You are the soul of all souls (paramatma). Having committed offense against you with such position, I have shown my foolishness. I have shown ultimate foolishness in attempting to fool the bewilderer of all those who bewilder. I desired to see your powers by invoking my powers of illusion. But beside you, I am insignificant, just like a spark which emanates from a huge flame and tries to burn the flame."

In this verse Brahmā asks forgiveness for his offense, making himself an example of the futility of trying to know the Lord. Āryam means “being well-bred.” That includes having wisdom. See my foul nature, foolishness (anāryam)! By this he reveals his nature. As a low-bred person I have committed a foolish act against you, my master (īśa), my father (ādye). As a fool I have committed an act against the soul of all including me (parātmani), against the person with unlimited powers (anante). Not knowing all of this, I spread my māyā over you, the master of māyā (māyi-māyini). This makes me the greatest fool. Why? I wanted to see your powers. Previously it was stated that he wanted to see some other sweet power of the Lord (SB 10.13.15). By spreading māyā to see your powers I am even more (kiyān) of a rascal. An example is given to show the extent of his low mentality. I am like a spark in a great fire. Or, out great wretchedness he says “I wanted see my own powers by spreading my māyā.”

Brahmā reveals his offensive actions. O lord (īśa)! You are my master. Furthermore you have unlimited glories (ananta). Furthermore you are my father (ādye). Furthermore you are the supreme guru (parātmani) since you reveal the Vedas in my heart. You are the master of māyā. You are Kṛṣṇa (tvayi). Calling him the distributor of māyā would be unsuitable. The order of terms is with increasing significance. By spreading my māyā I desired to see your greatness (ātma-vaibhavam). ambhojanma-janis tad-antara-gato māyārbhakasyeśitur draṣṭuṁ maṣju mahitvam anyad api tad-vatsān ito vatsapān nītvānyatra kurūdvahāntaradadhāt khe ’vasthito yaḥ purā dṛṣṭvāghāsura-mokṣaṇaṁ prabhavataḥ prāptaḥ paraṁ vismayam O Mahārāja Parīkṣit! Brahmā, who was born from Viṣṇu’s lotus navel, who resides in the sky, and who had become astonished on seeing Kṛṣṇa liberate Aghāsura, came to Vṛndāvana. Taking the boys and calves to another place in order to see some other power of the Lord, who was a boy with bewildering power, Brahmā then disappeared. SB 10.13.15 Hi indicates certainty or lamentation. Though this will not be an offense to you, I am such a low person (kiyān).

"Though my bad conduct is worthy of punishment and my foolishness is worthy of forgiveness, because you are all merciful, you should pardon me completely. You do not waiver from your qualities such as mercifulness, whereas I am fallen, therefore I address you as acyuta. "one should give more mercy to the most fallen."with this in mind you should pardon my offense." Brahma then identifies his low qualities. "I am ignorant, like a clay doll (rajobhuvah). I think that I am separate from you." He explains his identity as a controller. "I think I am your son (arising from your navel) with great pride (andha tamah) but I am blind in all eight eyes. But when the moon of your mercy shines upon me, my pride will be destroyed. How will forgiveness manifest? "This brahma (esa) is worthy of my mercy, because though he shows himself as master elsewhere, towards me he is a servant (nathavan)." Or the meaning can be:"Out of foolishness, he made a show of independence in front of me, but in truth brahma is dependent (nathavan) because of dependence on my energy. Therefore I should show him mercy."

Śrīdhara explains as follows. Though I think I am the master (prabhutvena), you think “Since I am the master, this is my servant. I should be merciful to him.” Therefore you should forgive me. Another explanation is “Since I am insignificant and you are so great, you should forgive me.” He explains his insignificance. I am born of rajo-guṇa and ignorance. I have a portion of tamas also. See! Though I can see, my eyes were born from pride (andha-tamas) and darkness. The word hi indicates this is well known. You know this. But you are called Acyuta. You should be true to your word. sakṛd eva prapanno yas tavāsmīti ca yācate abhayaṁ sarvadā tasmai dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama I have made a vow that I will give fearlessness to that person he who surrenders and once says “I am yours.” Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha-kāṇḍa 18.33 And I should not be considered an unsuitable candidate. You should think, “This Brahmā deserves my mercy. Why? He is my servant (nāthavān).” “Why would Brahmā be a servant?” “He is a servant to me (mayi). He had dedicated himself to me alone.”

Because you are so great and I am so small you should forgive me. He shows his insignificance: I am born in passion, ignorant etc. Hi means certainly and is to be used with each term. You never fail at any time, in any way, from your glories (Acyuta). You forgive all offenses in a person who surrenders to you. “He is worthy of my mercy. He is a servant (nāthavān).” Why should Brahmā be a servant? He is a servant to me (mayi), bhagavān. By being a servant I attain you. An alternative to Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation is “My eyes are blinded by dense darkness by being spread with māyā.”

"Though you create the universe, you are not proud of that. In comparison to that, what powers do I have to be proud of ? You have as your body of the universe surrounded by prakrti ( tamas), mahat tattva, ahankara (aham), ether (kham), air and fire (cara), water (vah) and earth (bhuh), within which are situated all the planets from patala to satya loka. In that expanse, where am I, being only three hands tall? And within the pores of your skin countless universes are moving like particles of air moving through the hole of a window screen. Who can measure that greatness? Here Brahma equates mahavisnu as creator of mahat tattva with Krsna, and shows that in comparison to Krsna, he is like a small bird in comparison to Garuda.

“I am insignificant. I cannot make you, such a great person, forgive me since I am very different from you, who pervade the spiritual and material realms as Vāsudeva, though I am lord of the material world.” He praises Kṛṣṇa as Mahā-viṣṇu in order to say this. The universe is compared to a pot because in a short time it will be destroyed. Brahmā, just seven hands high, is an insignificant person. Mahā-viṣṇu is nine hands in height. The universes pass through his pores, coming out or going in when he creates or destroys the universes (īdṛk-vidhā). The pores are very small and limiting, but in them all the universe reside. Yasyāyutāyutāṁśāṁśe viṣṇu-śaktir iyaṁ sthitā: the śakti of Viṣṇu is situated in a ten millionth portion of a portion of Viṣṇu. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) This is your glory (mahitvaṁ). Therefore you should show mercy to me.

“How can I whom am so insignificant forgive you who are so great?” The universe is like a pot, insignificant compared to the Lord’s glory. What is your greatness! Therefore you should forgive me.

Equating Krsna with garbhodasayi visnu, Brahma speaks "As you are mother to the universe, you are also a mother to me. Therefore you should forgive my offenses. When the child in the womb kicks the mother, the mother does not take offense. The universe which is proved true or false through argumentation, is certainly within you. Therefore I also am within you. Therefore I am like your son. Therefore you should forgive my offense." This is similar to the phrase pitamahasya jagato mata dhata pitamaha. I am the mother, father, creator, grandfather of the universe.

Moreover, offense cannot actually be committed to you by persons like me, for though you are the master of billions of universes, being merciful to me, you also keep this universe (of which I am the secondary creator) in your stomach like a mother. Brahmā praises the second puruṣa, Hiraṇyagarbha antaryāmī (monitor of the totaliy of jīvas), known as Pradyumna. Adhokṣaja means “he who has the power of the senses under his control.” O Adhokṣaja! Since I am under your control, though I am foolish and a wretch, you should not take offense. Kukṣeḥ (in the womb) refers to the Lord with a body of inconceivable energy in the form of Hiraṇyagarbha, the subtle body of the universal form, the totality of jīvas, pervading the gross body of the universal form. Garbhagatasya means “entering the womb,” a state of being very deep within. I am like that. How can the kicking of the child in the womb produce an offense to the mother? It does not. Rather it creates joy for the mother, who thinks, “I have a child, and it is living.” You should not consider this an offense. “The child is in the mother’s womb. But are you in my womb?” The Mīmāṁsakas say “The world exists.” The followers of Sāṅkhya say “The world does not exist.” Followers of atheistic Sāṅkhya say, “It is like a son of a barren woman, ornamented with false designations.” To what extent is whatever is revealed by these philosophers through senses perception as existent or non-existent outside (anantaḥ) the puruṣa known as Hiraṇyagarbha antaryāmī (kukṣeḥ)? Nothing is outside, since you oversee everything. I am inside of you. Therefore you should forgive my offense. Nothing, including me and all others who are glorified by their philosophies which are continually appear and disappear, exists outside of your womb. Asti means birth and nāsti means destruction. Thus asti-nāsti means “philosophies which continue without decay, being constantly born and destroyed.”

Moreover the offense I committed does not affect you. O Lord who appeared as if born again under the axel of the cart! This is explained in Hari-vaṁśa, by Nārada: adho ‘nena śayānena śakaṭāntara cāriṇā rākṣasī nihatā raudrā śakuṇī-veśa-dhāriṇī pūtanā nāma ghorā sā mahākāyā mahābalā visa-dagdhaṁ stanaṁ kṣudrā prayacchantī janaṛdane dadṛśur nihatāṁ tatra rākṣasīṁ vana-gocarāḥ punar jāto ‘yam ityāhur uktas tasmaḍ adhokṣajaḥ An angry Rākṣasī, entering the cart, was killed as Kṛṣṇa slept beneath the cart’s axel. Fierce Pūtanā with great strength and huge body, dressing herself auspiciously, gave her poisonous breast to Kṛṣṇa. Seeing that she was killed, the cowherds said “He has been born again.” Therefore he was called Adhokṣaja (beneath the axe –adhokṣa and born again--ja). The name indicates the young son of Nanda, with his great pastimes. It suggests that Kṛṣṇa should not consider his offense. It is seen in this world that playful people forgive great offenses like stealing of a great offender and even give mercy. Therefore you should forgive my offense.

"The son also comes out of the womb eventually. That is explained in this verse. During the time of dissolution of the universes in the water where all the oceans are merged, others may or may not come from you, but certainly do I not emerge from you?"

Since my mercy you became my father, you should forgive me. He praises the Lord as Virāḍ-antaryāmī, known as Aniruddha (Kṣīrodakaśāyī), different from the second puruṣa. At the time of devastation of the universe (jagat-trayānta), in the water remaining at the beginning of Brahmā’s day, Brahmā came out of the lotus in Nārāyaṇa’s navel. Or in the Garbhodaka Ocean at the bottom (anta) of the three worlds, Brahmā was born from the lotus. There is another explanation. This describes Brahmā’s birth, not his day. The word udara suggests everything existed within him at that time. Nalāt means from the lotus, indicated by its stem. Or nāla means lotus accrording to Viśva-koṣa. It can be regarded as a taddhita formation (that which is related to the stem or nala). The word tu suggests that Brahmā came out without a mother. He also stayed for a long time within Viṣṇu before coming out (vi-nirgatah). He says “O Lord!” to indicate that he is still not qualified to think of the Lord as his father.

"You are the son of Narayana, that is true. But then who am I, O Brahma?" Brahma answers in this verse. "Are you not Narayana? O lord of all (adhisa), as the gita says (I pervade everything by one fragment of my energy), you are soul of all entities. You are paramatma for all jive, and the witness of all. This Narayana is one part of you." "But I am called Krsna because I am dark in color and live in Vrndavana. Visnu is called Narayana because he lies in the water (nara). So how am I Narayana?" " Nara means water as well as jiva. Ayana means shelter. The Lord who dwells in the water is one of your expansions. Therefore I have appeared from your womb. Just as your youthful form as Krsna and the vasudeva form are spiritual not material, so this form of Narayana also is spiritual, existing at all times and places in suddha sattva state, uninfluenced by matter. Other forms such as matsya are also of the same category."

You are the chief Nārāyaṇa. Because he is your aṅga, he is also Nārāyaṇa. Since he is the shelter of the jīvas in the material world, he is a secondary form. By the acintya-śakti his form is both limited and unlimited. By being the shelter of the jīvas he is not limited like a jīva. Does the unlimited form give shelter to the limited water? Yes, it gives shelter. This verse also acts as a conclusion to an intermediate topic by again introducing Kṛṣṇa after praising him as the forms of the puruṣas. Adīśa indicates the person who is above (adhi) the first puruṣa, the great creator. O Lord you are actually superior to the first puruṣa, since you are Svayam Bhagavān! It is said in the Second Canto. ādyo ’vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya: Mahā-viṣṇu is an expansion of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha (SB 2.6.42) Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that parasya means the Lord of the instigator of prakṛti. This first avatāra (ādyo ‘vatāraḥ) is the thousand headed līlā-vigraha described in the Vedas. All the forms of the third puruṣa which reside in the jīvas and all the forms of the second puruṣa situated within each universe are called nāra. The form including all of these is Mahā-viṣṇu. He is their shelter and is thus called nārāyaṇa (shelter of the nāras). This is the chief Nārāyaṇa. The third puruṣa is situated in all beings (sarva-dehinām ātmā). The second puruṣa is situated within the universal shell (loka-sākṣī). Nara-bhū-jalāyanāt means “from the shelter of the Kāraṇa ocean which generates mahat-tattva and other element (nara-bhū—arising from Viṣṇu).” That ocean is called nāra, related to Viṣṇu. Thus Nārāyaṇa means the shelter of nāra (the Kāraṇa Ocean). That first puruṣa is certainly (hi) not you. Nārāyaṇa is your aṅga. You are the aṅgī, the sourse of these expansions. viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi puruṣākhyāhany atho viduḥ ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam tṛtīyaṁ sarvabhūta-sthaṁ tāni jṣātvā vimucyate The wise know the three forms of the puruṣa of Viṣṇu. The first is the creator of mahat-tattva, the second resides within the universe, and the third resides within all living entities. One who knows them becomes liberated. I am your son since I arose from the limb of your expansion. Brahmā said: bhūmeḥ suretara-varūtha-vimarditāyāḥ kleśa-vyayāya kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ | jātaḥ kariṣyati janānupalakṣya-mārgaḥ karmāṇi cātma-mahimopanibandhanāni || Kṛṣṇa, whose expansion has skillfully bound up hair, whose method of attainment is unknown to men, having made his appearance to relieve the earth of the suffering caused by the armies of demons, and to relieve the devotees of their pain of separation, will perform activities whose sweetness will hide his powers. SB 2.7.26 The phrase kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ indicates that Viṣṇu is the expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Svayam Bhagavān. That this means Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are expansions of Viṣṇu is the viewpoint of the devatās. The phrase sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ is also found in Mahābhārata. It simply means having radiance. aṁśavo ye prakāśante mama te keśa-saṁjṣitāḥ sarva-jṣāḥ keśavaṁ tasmān mām āhur munisattama O best of sages! My rays are called keśa. Those with knowledge therefore call me Keśava. jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ | sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā || First of all, the Supreme Lord accepted the form of the eternal first puruṣa, full like the moon, for creating the universes from mahat-tattva and other elements. yasyāmbhasi śayānasya yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ | nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ || yasyāvayava-saṁsthānaiḥ kalpito loka-vistaraḥ | tad vai bhagavato rūpaṁ viśuddhaṁ sattvam ūrjitam || After Garbhodakaśāyī-viṣṇu lay on the water and went into trance, Brahmā, lord of the universal creation, appeared from the lotus in the water of his navel. The expanse of planets is imagined to be situated at various places on his limbs. This form of the Lord is pure sattva, unmixed with rajas and tamas, and is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss. paśyanty ado rūpam adabhra-cakṣuṣā sahasra-pādoru-bhujānanādbhutam | sahasra-mūrdha-śravaṇākṣi-nāsikaṁ sahasra-mauly-ambara-kuṇḍalollasat || With spiritual eyes, the devotees see this amazing form with thousands of legs and arms, thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses, shining with thousands of crowns, earrings and clothes. SB 1.3.1-4 The avatāras are described starting with the Kumāras (SB 1.3.6) and having -described twenty-two forms, Kṛṣṇa mentioned among them as one of them. But he particularly described as ete cāṁśakalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: these are all aṁśas and kalās but Kṛṣṇa is Svayam Bhagavān. (SB 1.3.28) The meaning of verse SB 1.3.1 is this. Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord, manifested (jagṛhe) the form of the puruṣa for creating the universes. This puruṣa produced by the elements which arose from within himself. They were merged there at the time of pralaya. It is said so ’ntaḥ śarīre ’rpita-bhūta-sūkṣmaḥ: Viṣṇu contained within himself the jīvas with their subtle bodies. (SB 3.8.11) The sixteen kalās are mentieoned in Bhakti-viveka as follows: Śri, Bhū, Nīla, Kīrti, Lilā, Kānti, Vidyā, and nine others headed by Vimalā. That puruṣa is endowed with these sixteen śaktis. Then, after describing the first puruṣa, the next verse SB 1.3.2 describes the second puruṣa. Having entered the universe after its creation, he lies on the Garbhodaka Ocean. Brahmā was born from the lotus coming from his navel. That lotus was also Viṣṇu’s limb (avayava). That form of the puruṣa (tat) was famous (vai). It was the Lord’s svarūpa since it was manifested from the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti which is intense viśuddha-sattva, for it is said that this form is filled with the highest bliss. nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam ānanda-mātram: this is your supreme form composed only of bliss. (SB3.9.3) Śruti says ko hy evānyāt: if there were not this bliss who would breathe? (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) That form is described in SB 1.3.4. His expansions are described. The first puruṣa’s avatāras are described in SB 1.3.6. The words sa eva mean Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Then in that series of verses describing the avatāras, the avatarī of the puruṣas, Svayam Bhagavān, is described with ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ: these avatāras such as Kumāras are aṁśa-kalās of the puruṣa (puṁsaḥ). This is how Śrīdhara Svāmī explains the verse. In the phrase kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam the word tu (but) indicates a different topic. This means that he who manifests as the purusas (jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān) is Kṛṣṇa. The word svayam means “in person.” He is not bhagavān who is a likeness of some other form of the Lord. Kṛṣṇa is like a lamp from which other lamps arise with similar light. Śrīdhara Svāmī explains this in his commentary on the words athāham aṁśa-bhāgena (SB 10.2.9). He explains that aṁśa-bhāga means “that puruṣa (aṁśa) who worships (bhajana--bhāga) māyā through his glance.” That form is in all ways complete. Vasudeva will say: yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśa-bhāgena viśvotpatti-layodayāḥ bhavanti kila viśvātmaṁs taṁ tvādyāhaṁ gatiṁ gatā O Soul of all that be, the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe are all carried out by a fraction of an expansion of an expansion of your expansion. Today I have come to take shelter of you, the Supreme Lord. SB 10.85.31 Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that aṁśa refers to the puruṣa and the puruṣa’s aṁśa is māyā. Brahma-saṁhitā says in praising Kṛṣṇa: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ | viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi || I worship the Supreme Lord Govinda whose first expansion is Mahā-viṣṇu, who determines the appearance and disappearance of the rulers within the universe (even Kṣirodakaśāyī-viṣṇu) by his exhalation and inhalation of breath. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.48 Therefore Brahmā rightly says in this verse Nārāyaṇa is your expansion. Brahmā also saw this in Vraja when Kṛṣṇa showed him all the Viṣṇu forms (SB 10.13.46) Brahmā will also say adyaiva tvad ṛte ’sya kiṁ mama na te māyātvam ādarśitam: have you not shown me today that both you yourself and everything within this creation are manifestations of your inconceivable potency? Now, back to the verse. “Perhaps my expansion form is illusory like the universe, created by some magical curtain?” No, no, it is real, not illusory. It is not possible (api).

Nārāyaṇa is one of your forms (aṅgam). “The action of lying on the water and producing entities is an upādhi. If that is false, then is not Nārāyaṇa also false?” The water is true, not produced from your māyā. Thus the form of Nārāyaṇa is also true. That meaning is indicated by the word api. Since your pastimes are real, the shelter of the pastimes, your body, which assists in the pastimes must be real. Since the water arose from an avatāra of Bhagavān, the water must be real. Since it is not illusory, it is a real object. Nārāyaṇa also must also be a real object. Though Brahmā experienced that Kṛṣṇa was greater than Nārāyaṇa, he mentioned him as Nārāyaṇa out of fear. With respect he says “You are not Nārāyaṇa.” O lord of the universe! You are not Nāryāna because (hi) from him comes the water that generates the living beings. He is only your aṁśa. bhūtair yadā paṣcabhir ātma-sṛṣṭaiḥ puraṁ virājaṁ viracayya tasmin svāṁśena viṣṭaḥ puruṣābhidhānam avāpa nārāyaṇa ādi-devaḥ When the primeval Nārāyaṇa accepted the form of the puruṣa, he created the universe from the five elements produced from himself and then entered within the universe by his own portion. SB 11.8.3 Nārāyaṇa, puruṣottama, accepted the form of the puruṣa. It will be said yan mitraṁ param ānandaṁ pūrnam brahma sanātanam (SB 10.14.32); thus Kṛṣṇa is the pūrṇa puruṣottama. You are the witness of all the universes with all their planets. Brahmā said “What is your glory, when unlimited universes pass through the pores of your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened window when you create and destroy?” (SB 10.14.11) He had at this time witnessed personally millions of unverses within Vṛndāvana, and there was one Nārāyaṇa for each universe. You are the ātmā of all the millions of universe, with all their vairāja forms (totaliy of jīvas), in whom reside the individual jīvas. The rest is the same. It has been said: brahmā tad-upadhāryātha saha devais tayā saha jagāma sa-tri-nayanas tīraṁ kṣīra-payo-nidheḥ Thereafter, having heard of the distress of mother earth, Brahmā, with mother earth, Śiva and all the other devatās, approached the shore of the ocean of milk. tatra gatvā jagannāthaṁ deva-devaṁ vṛṣākapim puruṣaṁ puruṣa-sūktena upatasthe samāhitaḥ After reaching the shore of the ocean of milk, the devatās with great attention worshiped Viṣṇu, the master of the whole universe, the supreme God of all gods, who provides for everyone and diminishes everyone’s suffering, by reciting the Puruṣa-sūkta. SB .10.1.19-20 Since the form of Kṛṣṇa appeared from worship of the puruṣa called Nārāyaṇa, Kṣīrodayakaśāyī, the antaryāmī of the virāḍ form, Kṛṣṇa is called Nārāyaṇa or the puruṣa. So why do you say he is not Nārāyāna? That is true. But see this: jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ | sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā || First of all, the Supreme Lord accepted the form of the eternal first puruṣa full like the moon for creating the universes from mahā-tattva and other elements. yasyāmbhasi śayānasya yoga-nidrāṁ vitanvataḥ | nābhi-hradāmbujād āsīd brahmā viśva-sṛjāṁ patiḥ || yasyāvayava-saṁsthānaiḥ kalpito loka-vistaraḥ | tad vai bhagavato rūpaṁ viśuddhaṁ sattvam ūrjitam || After Garbhodakaśāyī-viṣṇu lay on the water and went into trance, Brahmā, lord of the universal creation, appeared from the lotus in the water of his navel. The expanse of planets is imagined to be situated at various places on his limbs. This form of the Lord is pure sattva, unmixed with rajas and tamas, and is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss. SB 1.3.1-3 The meaning is this. Bhagavān the supreme person at the begininning of creation manifested the form of the puruṣa with a desire to create the planets with mahat and other elements by his glance. The puruṣa is endowed with 16 parts (śodaśakalam). Eight are the mystic powers: Aṇimā mahimā prāptī prāmāmyaṁ laghimeṣitā Tathā kāmāvaśāyitvaṁ vaśitety aṣāsiddhayaḥ Six are the powers of Bhagavān: Aiṣvaryyasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ ṣriyaḥ Jṣānavairāgyayoścāpi ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā The two remaining are: Līlā-kṛpābhidhau viṣṇoḥ svaparārthau guṇav ubhau Līlā svasyaiva saukhyāya pareṣāṁ tu kṛpā smṛtā The līlā and kṛpa śaktis of Viṣṇu are for himself and others. Līlā is for his happiness and kṛpa is for others. This is the first puruṣa from which mahat-tattva arises. The second form appears within the universe. Brahmā appears from the navel of this form lying on the water, after entering the universe after it is created. The planets are situated on the parts of the lotus. One should not consider the form lying on the water to be different from Kṣīrodakaśāyī. tal loka-padmaṁ sa u eva viṣṇuḥ prāvīviśat sarva-guṇāvabhāsam tasmin svayaṁ vedamayo vidhātā svayambhuvaṁ yaṁ sma vadanti so ’bhūt O Vidura! Viṣṇu entered that lotus of all the planets, which reveals all the enjoyable objects for the jīvas. Brahmā, known as self-born, composer of the Vedas, appeared within that lotus.

"Is it possible that this spiritual form arises from material water? It is not possible that this unlimited Narayana can be existing in the limited waters of garbhodaka." "If that form is situated in the waters then why could I not find that form after searching for a long time in the lotus stem? You may answer that you were there, in the water but I could not see you. But then how is it that I could see you through meditation, but then suddenly could not see you in meditation? Though you are in the water and seem to be limited, you hold within you the universes and are therefore unlimited. You exists in all places at all times, but by the covering of your yoga maya potency you are sometimes visible and sometimes invisible."

Brahmā speculates in this verse. If this expansion of yours in the water is real and spiritual (sat) and is the embodiment of the universe, then why was that form not seen by me, the form of all jīvas, the embodiment of the whole universe? Why did I see you clearly only in my heart during samādhi with mature intelligence as a form with eternity, knowledge and bliss? This is described in the Third Canto: nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam ānanda-mātram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ O Supreme Lord! I do not see that you are different from your form as the Brahman which is without qualities and only bliss. SB 3.9.3 Why did I not see you again, externally?

Brahmā elaborates on the true existence of the Lord. If you were situated on the water, why did I not see you by external vision? You appeared in my heart at that time, by following your order “tapa tapa,” only after long practice only (su-dṛṣtam). But even then the effort did not give the full effect. Why did you not appear to my external vision, and only in my heart? And you did not appear again. This implies that after the Lord gave benedictions to Brahmā, and disappeared, Brahmā performed meditation again out of pain in separation in order to see him, but could even see him again in his heart, at that time (sapadi). This means that later the Lord spontaneously appeared in his heart. Or did you not appear later (punaḥ) with your beauty, ornaments and followers? Yes you did. Like the Lord’s body, his pastimes, objects and water are all self-manifesting. Even though Nārāyaṇa is truly existing even when there is no water, and even if he is always without the water, because his pastimes are eternal, his associates and other objects are truly existing.

To say that Narayana who lies on the water of the universe holds the universe within his abdomen seems like a contradiction. A pot within a house cannot hold the house within it. One may reason that the spiritual body of Narayana holds an illusory universe within it, and is situated within another real universe. But if that is so, then Brahma himself cannot be really situated in the Lord’s abdomen. In order to establish the oneness of the universe within the Lord and that outside the Lord, he first established the mayika nature of the universe within the Lord. "O subduer of maya, in order to show that the external universe also exists within your abdomen, you produced an illusion for Mother Yasoda. By the influence of your yoga maya potency your body was simultaneously within the universe and spread throughout the universe. Similarly though I am within your abdomen, I arose from your abdomen and am situated here. Thus you are still my mother."

Your expansion was not in the water and was not the embodiment of the universe. You are the example of this. In three verses Brahmā explains that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme form using artifice. O Lord, destroyer of māyā! You cannot tolerate relationship with matter. You removed māyā from Agha and others. That is proper since you are the supreme, as Svayam Bhagavān. Commenting on the verse nārāyaṇe turīyākhye bhagavac-chabda-śabdite (SB 11.15.6) Śrīdhara Svāmī says that tūriya, the Supreme Lord, means “devoid of the upādhis of virāṭ, hiraṇyagrabha and kāraṇa.” You revealed your māyā by showing the externally manifested universe to your mother within your abdomen. That māyā was composed of water and other elements previously described. Or, you showed the universe which was externally clear inside your abdomen but then became unclear. atho amuṣyaiva mamārbhakasya yaḥ kaścanautpattika ātma-yogaḥ Has this been manifested by bewilderment of my intelligence, or is it some natural power of my child? SB 10.8.430 It was unclear since the vision was both limited and unlimited by the acintya-śakti. Therefore, that it was illusion created by devatās was rejected. Śukadeva says: na cāntar na bahir yasya na pūrvaṁ nāpi cāparam pūrvāparaṁ bahiś cāntar jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ taṁ matvātmajam avyaktaṁ martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā Thinking of the invisible Lord--who has no inside or outside, has nothing previous or after him, who existed in the past and will exist in the future, inside and outside of the universe, who is the universe-- as her son, appearing with a human form though he was beyond material senses, she tied him to the mortar like a normal child with rope. SB 10.9.13-14 Using logic in this way, she decided that it was not possible that the universe was under his shelter.

“Just as the water is real, the whole world is real. If that is so, does it not contract authorized scriptures and perception?” That is true, this world is illusory. That is explained in two verses. When you appear in the world as the subduer of māyā (māyā-dhamana) everything related to you is also beyond māyā. The worshippers of your avatāra are also beyond māyā. Eva here means although. Though you appear as an avatāra subduing māyā, certainly (hi) you manifest māyā. You are supreme controller of māyā. You manifested māyā (prakatī-krṭam). Being highly unsatisfied with his statement he gives this proof. Ca means even. You manifested even (krtsnaysa ca) the whole universe inside yourself. Or ca indicates the whole. The meaning is this. Though Yaśodā experienced world inside Kṛṣṇa as real, on not seeing it, it seemed false like a dream or magicians trick. Thus though the external world existed, she thought it also might be false. This māyā was conveyed by her (jananyā) to Nanda and others. The same occurred when Kṛṣna yawned while drinking milk. Or because Brahmā was omniscient and because the Lord gave him mercy at that time, he had both perceptions of Kṛṣṇa (inside and outside). You have manifested this māyā by showing yourself inside and outside to your mother (jananyā).

Since the external universe and that within the Lord’s belly are exactly the same, the one within his belly must be one created by the illusion of the Lord. Just as the universe (idam) within your belly which became visible, the external universe also remained visible when you showed the universal form to your mother. Was the universe exhibited within your belly a reflection of the external universe? --How can that be? The universe was there along with you. Can a reflection of a mirror be seen in a mirror? An illusory external universe was visible within your belly. As the universe visible within your belly contained you, so the external universe also contained you. Because there was not even a trace of difference between the two universes, the universe within your belly (idam) could not exist without the work of maya. Taking your mother’s realization and mine as proof, I conclude that I exist within you by your yogamaya potency. And therefore I pray, please forgive me for offense, as a mother forgives her child who kicks her while he is in the womb.

This is further explained. The whole universe with its coverings (yasya), which appeared within your abdomen along with you, exists within you in this form (iha). Since this is incomprehensible, without māyā how is this possible? It is not possible without having some relationship to you. Therefore this universe is not spiritual like you.

“That can be his manifestation of maya, as a shadow. But this world is always directly experienced as true.” The whole universe appeared along with you inside you. Or “The world manifested in side is real. The world manifested outside is real. Cannot both be true?” If the two forms are actually one like an object and its reflection, then it amounts to an illusion. Or the one form is also false, since the variety in the universe cannot be proved by experience or scripture. Though many varieties were said to exist in SB 10.14.11, by saying that everything is real, material things become equal to the lord and his spiritual objects. That is not proper. This will also be contrary to the words of śruti and smṛti, and contrary to the devotees’s experiences of falsity in dreams and fantasies. Everything should be false. This verse replies.

The universe you displayed within your belly and the universe displayed outside that you showed to your mother, and all the unlimited universes passing in and out of the pores of your karanodakasayi form, are all produced by your material energy and are therefore designated as mayika. This I have already understood. But today I have realized the existence of thousands upon thousands of spiritual universe formed through your inconceivably powerful svarupa sakti. What object exists independent of you in the thousands of universes that you have shown to be today? Nothing, for everything is emanating from you. You have shown to me not the material nature of the thousands of universes, but their spiritual basis. How? First, you were alone. Then, by your svarupa sakti, you expanded as all the cowherd boys and calves of Vraja. Then by yogamaya you covered all the cowherd boys and calves and revealed the countless four handed forms composed of your svarupa sakti. What type of forms were these? These forms were worshiped by all conscious entities from the blades of grass to all the Brahmas. Then you became all the universes of all the countless Brahmas. Then yogamaya, by your desire, covered all this and revealed the one form (advayam) of the pure perfect Brahman with immeasurable incomparable beauty. For my benefit you remain uncovered before my eyes through the potency of yoga maya.

Let us forget Yaśodā’s realization. Let us speak of today. The word tvat refers to the direct form of the Lord represented by the calves and boys who became the four-armed forms as described in the following statements. Purovad ābdaṁ krīḍantaṁ dadṛśe sa-kalaṁ harim: Kṛṣṇa was engaged just as before in playing with the boys and calves, who were his expansions. (SB 10.13.40) tāvat sarve vatsa-pālāḥ paśyato ’jasya tat-kṣaṇāt vyadṛśyanta ghana-śyāmāḥ pīta-kauśeya-vāsasaḥ Then, while Lord Brahmā looked on, all the calves and the boys tending them immediately appeared to have complexions the color of bluish rainclouds and to be dressed in yellow silken garments. SB 10.13.46 Satya-jṣānānantānanda-mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ: the forms all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss, which were one form. (SB 10.13.54) The word asya refers to living beings other than what was mentioned above: ātmādi-stamba-paryantair mūrtimadbhiś carācaraiḥ nṛtya-gītādy-anekārhaiḥ pṛthak pṛthag upāsitāḥ These forms were worshipped by the presiding deities of all moving and non-moving beings including Brahmā with many items such as singing and dancing, according to their respective capacities and ingredients. SB 10.13.51 kāla-svabhāva-saṁskāra- kāma-karma-guṇādibhiḥ sva-mahi-dhvasta-mahibhir mūrtimadbhir upāsitāḥ The personifications of time, the ability to transform, impressions, desire, karma, the guṇas, names and forms, whose powers were dwarfed by Viṣṇu’s powers, worshipped these Viṣṇu forms. SB 10.13.53 Sākam māyā means that the Lord was worshipped by himself and also the whole universe where he lived. Other than your form--the forms of the calves and boys, and the four-armed forms of Viṣṇu--was not everything else I saw, whose glories were defeated by your powers, some creation of māyā? Yes, everything was defeated. Then he describes what he saw: Kṛṣṇa, the boys and calves and the four-armed forms. Everything both māyā and non-māyā that I saw was your form alone, the perfect Brahman. This surpasses mere Brahman. Brahmādvayam śiṣyate means that the Brahman famous in the scriptures cannot be compared to the Brahman standing before me. This is explained in na sthānato ‘pi parasyobhaya-liṅgaṁ sarvatra hi: the Lord though situated in two different places does not undergo change because he exists everywhere simultaneously (Brahma-sūtra 3.2.11) and Brahmā himself says. aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam How greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men and all the other inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi! There is no limit to their good fortune, because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend. SB 10.14.32

“If everything is illusory, then my existence here or there is all illusory. Though existing within the universe, you and your devotees are real, and I have directly experienced it now.” Continuing the topic of māyā Brahmā speaks with pride. Did you not show me today the māyā of the material world, different from you, seen with great variety, and existing within this world which is like a dream or fantasy? Yes, you did. How was this? You were first alone. Then you were with the cowherd boys and calves. That was not false. What was you, was all unlimited. Thus the boys and calves though limited by differentiation, were unlimited. Thought they were of great variety, they were one (advayam). Everything was ultimately you (brahma śiṣyate). satya-jṣānānantānanda- mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām The forms all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss, which were one form. Their great glory could not even to be touched by the ātmā-jṣānīs. SB 10.13.54

Not understanding anything about your spiritual universe, the materialists think that you are simply material (mayamaya). According to the persons who think themselves learned, but are ignorant of the path of bhakti (tvat padavim), you (atma) spread yourself in matter (anatmani) by your own will (atmana), and though without form, you take a form in matter (bhasi). For creation you become Brahma (aham), for maintenance (vidhane) you become Visnu (tvam) and for destruction you become Siva (trinetrah). Though you are without form, you take a form in matter as Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Thus the form of Narayana situated in the water of maya and all the avatara forms are all composed of maya. The transitory calves and boys and four handed forms of Visnu are all maya. This is the conception of the ignorant.

You are the root for all the guṇāvataras and līlāvataras. This is explained in two verses. The subject of the verb bhāsi is tvam which is understood though not stated. You, yourself (ātmā) appear in this world by expanding māyā. For protection you appear as he—Viṣṇu—as if (iva) limited to the duty of protection. The name of Viṣṇu is not mentioned separately like the names of Brahmā and Śiva because Viṣṇu is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā himself says: sṛjāmi tan-niyukto ’haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ | viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti tri-śakti-dhṛk || I create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā. SB 2.6.32

For non-devotees who do not know your glories you manifest in another way. For persons ignorant of the truth about your or about bhakti (tvat-padavīm) you (ātmā) appear as the jīva (ātmanā) in the material body (anātmani). “Do they not know that there is a big difference between the jīva and the Lord, as explained in the śrutis and smrṭis?” You spread māyā. They are bewildered by your māya since they are not devotees. You appear like me, for creating the universe. The manvantarāvatara Viṣṇu is you, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā accepts Viṣṇu and Kṛṣnā as non-different (eṣa tvam). This statement means that ignorant people think that Brahmā (a jīva) is Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. They are ignorance concerning the goals of creation, maintenance and destruction. Though there is a great discrepancy for the jīva being the creator, maintainer and destroyer, the sequence of functions and personalities are listed for him because of the jīva’s identification with those posts out of pride. Or just as for the purpose of creation, spreading māyā, you appear as mahat-tattva and other elements and you accept the positions of Brahmā etc. But in truth you are the real creator, maintainer and destroyer as is pointed out in the first verse of Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ.

You thus appear in various places in various avatara forms, showing your true form to prevent your devotees from being defeated by these jnanis. To defeat the non devotees (asatam) who think they are learned, and to show mercy to the devotees(satam), so they can remember your spiritual, blissful forms, qualities and pastimes, you appear in different avatara forms. For it is said "O Lord, cause of all causes, if Your transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only by Your presence can one understand the transcendental nature of Your Lordship, who are the controller of material nature. Your transcendental nature is very difficult to understand unless one is influenced by the presence of Your transcendental form." 10.2.35

The Lord is called ajanasya because he does not take birth like material beings, but appears on his own by his svarūpa-śakti, only for protecting his devotees. He is not attached to material activities. That is described in this verse. O Lord! O controller endowed with inconceivable energy, who appears as unlimited avatāras! In his commentary on the previous verse Śrīdhara Svāmī says the verse answers the objection “O Brahmā! Why do you call the pure conscious forms I showed material māyā?” Brahmā answers by saying “Your manifestations as guṇa and līlā avatāras are related to an independent māyā with special functions.” This means that the Lord reveals his forms of śuddha-sattva different from matter by his independent māyā. In those forms the Lord is not overcome by material māyā. By complete unity with pure consciousness because of pure śuddha-sattva, his form is everything. The jīva becomes controlled by māyā, which is dependent on the Lord and obtains a material form of rajas and tamas and becomes overcome by that. Not understanding his spiritual nature because of the contamination of rajas and tamas, he accepts his material body as everything. That is the difference. Because the word māyā will be used for the svarūpa-śakti, it will be shown that his idea and mine are the same.

To benefit the ignorant, by your unconditional mercy you appear in many forms. Ajanasya refers to he who causes no birth for the devotees. With false pride the ignorant think that they know the scripture and have perfected yoga. You defeat the proud by refuting their ideas. By hearing with devotion about your pastimes, their misconceptions are eradicated. Not only do you appear to defeat the proud but to please the devotees. For the devotees you defeat the ideas of the ignorant, establish proper dharma, and reveal your sweet pastimes. Why do you show mercy to the materialists? O supreme independent (prabho)! Or how can their evil desires be destroyed? O capable one! (prabho)! There is nothing that you cannot do. O manifestor of the avatāras (vidhātaḥ). You are suitable for these purposes mentioned as an avatāra. Or because they are bewildered by māyā, they see your avatāras as jīvas since they hear about your birth for instance. Actually like me, they are your manifestations. Just as I, Viṣṇu and Śiva, for creation, maintenance and destruction manifest, these avatāras appear for their particular purposes without birth etc. like jīvas. The suras refers to upholders of dharma like Nara-nārāyaṇa. Or how do you appear among the devotees? Verse 18 mentioned that Kṛṣṇa alone was real. That is illustrated in verse 19. For purpose of creation you appear as Brahmā. For defeating materialists and pleasing devotees you appear among them as Nara-nārāyaṇae etc. Thus even in the material world the devotees know you as real, either as one or many.

You were born as Krsna to relieve the burden of the universe, and you appeared as Rama to kill Ravana. As the white, red, black and syama avataras you institute religion. The purpose is not to defeat the false jnanis. Actually no one can fully understand where you will appear, the purpose, the time, and the number of appearances that you will make. Unlimited Lord, cause of all causes, if Your transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only by Your presence can one understand the transcendental nature of Your Lordship, the controller of material nature. Your transcendental nature is very difficult to understand unless one is influenced by the presence of Your transcendental form. O form spread throughout the universe (bhuman)! O bhagavan! though you spread throughout matter, you are still full of your six opulences. Though you are full of all opulence you also expand to witness everything as Paramatma. O yogesvara, because of your yogamaya, you display such powers. Who can understand Your pastimes (uti) performed throughout the three worlds (trailokyam)? Why? Where? How? When? Your form is unlimited, spread throughout the universe, full of all opulences. It is not material but everywhere in the three worlds. But how is it possible to satisfy simultaneously all your devotee at all times with pastimes? This can happen because of yogamaya. By your inconceivable energy , yogamaya carries out the work of presenting various pastimes to various worshipers at the suitable time.

After describing everything, Brahmā speaks with respect. O unlimited Lord (bhūman)! O supreme person endowed with all powers (bhagavān)! O soul with all beings, or the cause of all beings (parātman)! O Lord, spreading yourself over all time by your innate power of yoga (yogeśvara)! Who knows how or when your pastimes (utīḥ) will occur? You alone know the location of all the unrestricted pastimes since you are unrestricted (bhūman). You alone know how these pastimes take place since you are endowed with all powers (bhagavān). You alone know the quantity of these pastimes since you are Paramātmā. You know when they will occur since you spread over all time (yogeśvara). The cause of all this is yogamāyā, your great svarūpa-śakti.

“Among your avatāras is there not one that performs actions like a normal person of this world?” Who knows you? You are unlimited (bhuman). You are endowed with all powers (bhagavān). You reside within all beings (paramātman). You can do the impossible (yogeśvara). In the sequence of names of the Lord, they are gradually more difficult to comprehend and show the greater excellence of the Lord. You spread yoga-māyā. This is a special śakti of the Lord, which is endowed with eternity, knowledge and bliss. Thus his pastimes (ūtīḥ) are real. This is explained in Bhāgavatāmṛta. Or yoga-māyā can mean mercy (māyā) endowed with power (yoga) shown to devotees. Your activities cannot be understood because they are unlimited and filled with your powers. Or why are so many materialists seen even today? Who can know your activities? They are generally bewildered since your pastimes are difficult to understand, being spread with yogamāyā. That is suitable because you are bhūman, bhagavan, parātman and yogeśvara. Since the lord is inconceivable, his pastimes are inconceivable. That is the conclusion. The ignorant must surrender to your devotees for gaining knowledge of your pastimes. By this they are delivered and by nothing else.

To summarize: the universe is matter and the medium sized form of Krsna is suddha sattva, spiritual. That whose very essence is to have temporary existence is called asat. The world is temporary or asat. It is like a dream, transitory, but not false. It is covered with ignorance (asta dhisana). Through the sandhini sakti (nitya), hladini sakti (sukha) and samvit sakti (bodha) you possess a sat cid ananda body. From this arises maya, which gives rise to the material universe and then destroys it, and thus it appears to exist through all time. Another meaning: your form is full of mercy, wherease this universe is full of inauspiciousness. Then what is the necessity of considering this universe at all if it is false? But the world is not false (svapna a bham) Though it is full of misery because of ignorance, it appears as wonderful (sad iva) from the point of view of material pleasure.

Since you area the cause of everything, the universe arises from māyā, material elements, and merges into them. Taking shelter of you (tvayi), it appears like your svarūpa or your eternal abode. Because of the substantial existence of spiritual things related to you, the universe takes on substantiality to some degree. Just by being your energy, māyā has real existence. But being devoid of spiritual qualities, it is like an unreal entity, a horn of a rabbit. Though māyā is non-different from you, lacking your presence, it is like a dream, since it is not permanent. Vaidharymāc ca na svapnādivat: the ideas in the waking state are not like those of the dream state, since they are of a different nature. (Vedānta-sūtra 2.2.28) But it appears to be real and gives great suffering. It arises from your svarūpa (tanau), filled with eternal knowledge and happiness, defined as the para-brahman. Saccindānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇayākliṣṭakāriṇe: I offer respects to Kṛṣṇa, the form of sac-cidānanda who never tires of performing actions. (Gopāla-tāpani Upaniṣad, Hayaśrīṣa-paṇcarātra) As well eka-deśa-sthinitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī: he spreads out, though located in one place like light from fire. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) Some say that māyā means false teachings and some say that māyā means an inconceivable energy. One can see persons called magicians. Illusion does not bewilder the magicians since it is caused by the magicians. Though the illusion can bewilder others, it does not take away their vision. A mirage is an example. The sages and devatās speak of the second type of māyā. The word yoga-māyā is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī in the Third Canto, when the Kumāras go to Vaikuṇṭha. Yeṣāṁ bibharmy aham akhaṇḍa-vikuṇṭha-yoga-māyā-vibhūtir: I am the master of my unobstructed internal energy (yoga-māyā), and the water of the Ganges is the remnant left after my feet are washed. (SB 3.16.9) This māyā is not like the previous māyā, since it is not for the self, as in the case of the airplane for pleasure made by Kapila, and from seeing that other māyā destroyed in battle by Pradyumna and others. (SB 10.76.17) Powers like this are available to sages by austerities, but māyā of the Supreme Lord is intrinsic. Viṣṇu Purāṇa mentions this apara-śakti: sarva-bhūteṣu sarvātman yā śaktir aparā tava guṇāśrayā namas tasyai śāśvatāyai sureśvara O lord of the devatās! O Paramātmā! I offer respects to your inferior energy in all beings, which takes shelter of the guṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa Śruti mentions māyā-śakti which is intrinsically false: asmān māyī sṛjate viśvam etad asminścānyo māyayā sanniruddhaḥ: The controller of māyā, the Lord, creates the material universe by māyā. The jīva, different from the Lord, falls under the control of māyā in the material world. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvanānām acintyājṣāna-gocarāḥ ato ‘to brahmaṇas tās tu sargādyā bhava-śaktayaḥ bhavati tapatāṁ śrestha pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā O inconceivable lord! The energies of all states of being are inconceivable, beyond material knowledge. These are the energies of the Lord for creation, like the heat coming from fire. Viṣṇu Purāṇa Śruti also says: eka-deśasthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilam jagat This whole universe is an energy of the Supreme Lord, like distribution of light from a fire situated elsewhere. Viṣṇu Purāṇa māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyān māyinaṁ tu maheśvaram Know that māyā refers to his nature (prakṛti) and the Supreme Lord is master of that māyā. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad Prakṛti refers to svabhāva or nature in the above verse. To make the knowledge useful the intention is to say “Know that it is not synonymous with the Lord” since knowledge would be incomplete from lack of full description by simply stating a definition. The meaning is established with the sentence “But the Lord is the master of māyā.” By saying this, it is understood that the māyā is under the control of the Lord. This also indicates that the Lord’s condition is self-contained and natural. That statement is similar to saying “Brave Indra is the possessor of māyā.” Being external, that māyā is not intrinsic to the Lord. That is shown in the example of māyā being like light spreading out from a fire. Since māyā is external, the Lord is not contaminated by its faults. Arjuna says: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani || You are the original Lord, the controller, beyond material energy. You are situated in your spiritual form, being one with your spiritual energy, and separate from the material energy. SB 1.7.23 The spiritual energy is described as superior in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: yā ‘tīta-gocarā vacām manasāṁ ca viśeṣaṇā jṣāni-jṣāna-paricchedyā vande tām īśavarīṁ parām I offer respects to the Lord’s superior energy which cannot be described by words and the mind, beyond knowledge and the knower. As the Lord’s spiritual energy, it is intrinsic to him, most inconceivable, performs many functions, and is thus equated with the Lord. na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat samaś cābhyadhikāś ca dṛṣyate parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate svābhāvikī jṣāna-bala-kriya ca He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad In stating that the Lord has no equal or superior, it is understood that his spiritual energy intrinsic, inconceivable and not dependent on other objects and without superimposition of other objects. This śakti is called yoga-māyā in the Third Canto description of the Kumāras going to Vaikuṇṭha and is called the cic-cakti by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Madhvācārya in his commentary says: yoga māyā ca māyā ca tatheccha-śakir eva ca māyā-śabedena bhaṇyante śabda-tattvārtha-vedibhiḥ Those who know the meaning of words defined māyā as the yoga-māya, māyā and iccha-śakti. Śadba-mahodadhi says: svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutaḥ ato māyāmayaṁ viṣṇuṁ pravadanti sanātanam Because the Lord is endowed with his eternal śakti arising from his svarūpa, eternal Viṣṇu is called māyā-maya. As proved by the śrutis, the word māyā like the word yoga-māyā refers to the Lord’s spiritual energy. Rāmānujācarya in his commentary shows the synonym of māyā to be knowledge from Nighaṇṭu: māyā vayunaṁ jṣānam. Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on SB 3.5.25 says that māyā is obedient to the glance of the Lord. In his commentary on SB 3.5.23 he says that ātmecchā (desire of ātmā) means māyā. This is made clear in later verses: kāla-vṛttyā tu māyāyāṁ guṇa-mayyām adhokṣajaḥ puruṣeṇātma-bhūtena vīryam ādhatta vīryavān Bhagavān, Lord of Mahā-vaikuṇṭha, in his svāṁśa expansion as the puruṣa, full of potency, at a certain moment of time, placed the jīvas into māyā which became agitated by the guṇas. tato ’bhavan mahat-tattvam avyaktāt kāla-coditāt vijṣānātmātma-deha-sthaṁ viśvaṁ vyaṣjaṁs tamo-nudaḥ Impelled by time, from the invisible prakṛti arose mahat-tattva, composed of knowledge, in sattva-guṇa. This manifests the universe situated within itself, and destroys ignorance. SB 3.5.26-27 In SB 10.13.37, Balarāma calls the energy of his brother vimohinī. That māyā means mercy for Viśva-prakāśa says that māyā means deceit or mercy. Trikāṇḍa-śeṣa says māyā means illusion or intelligence. In SB 10.13.45 the word māyā simply means influence. Since the Lord has no fault in revealing māyā and the examples show this, the word māyā should have that meaning in those particular instances according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. All is in agreement. In this section the word māyā means the Lord’s inconceivable energy. mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā | mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ || I pervade this whole universe by my form invisible to material senses, since I am the cause. All entities are situated in me, since I am their cause, but I am not in them, since I am completely detached. BG 9.4 If the Lord does not touch māyā his presence there is illusion. That place is illusion. That is true. However, the superior energy of the Lord is a manifestation of his svarūpa in Vaikuṇṭha and other places. na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ There is no influence of māyā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshipable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2.9.10 darśayām āsa lokaṁ svaṁ gopānāṁ tamasaḥ param Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness. SB 10.28.14 itīreśe ’tarkye nija-mahimani sva-pramitike paratrājāto ’tan-nirasana-mukha-brahmaka-mitau anīśe ’pi draṣṭuṁ kim idam iti vā muhyati sati cacchādājo jṣātvā sapadi paramo ’jā-javanikām When Brahmā became bewildered about what he saw and was no longer able to look at these forms, which were inconceivable, expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s power, self-revealing, proved by the scriptures through negation of matter, and which were beyond matter, Kṛṣṇa, understanding his bewilderment, immediately removed the covering created by his energy. SB 10.13.57 satya-jṣānānantānanda- mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām The forms all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss, which were one form. Their great glory was not even to be touched by the ātmā-jṣānīs. SB 10.13.54 This manifestation of the Lord is indestructible. pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ | na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ || In Vaikuṇṭha there is no rajas or tamas, and no sattva mixed with rajas and tamas. There is no influence of time. There is no influence of māyā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshippable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2.9.10 kalā-kāṣtḥā-nimeṣādi kāla-sūtrasya gocare yasya śaktir na śuddhasya prasīdatu sa me hariḥ May the Lord whose pure śakti is not affected by the division of time be merciful to me. Viṣṇu Purāṇa “Pure” in the verse means not subject to transformations of time. This refers to the Lord’s great, intrinsic śakti. The inferior energy is not of this sort. This material energy is a billionth portion of a portion of his energy. This was mentioned as well in the quotation from Viṣṇu Purāṇa: sargādya bhāva-śaktayaḥ. eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ sarga-sthity-anta-kāriṇī tri-varṇā varṇitāsmābhiḥ kiṁ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi I have now described māyā, the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord, which consists of the three modes of material nature, and causes creation, maintenance and annihilation of the material universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear? SB 11.3.16 One should consider the material energy in this way.

Ah! What can be said? The reality of your pastimes in your various avatāras shine as truth because the material world, though false, is related to you. Because your pastimes are spread with yogamāyā (tasmāt), the worlds is unreal. Or the idea of that the world is unreal as established in verses 16-18 is summarized in this verse with the word tasmāt. This should be connected the statement “because you showed the false universe to me, Brahmā and to your mother.” The Lord is without destruction (anante). He is eternal. The asat world seems eternal because of a relationship with the sat. The world is like a dream, temporary. That becomes eternal because of a relationship with the eternal (nitya). Without consciousness by relationship with the conscious Lord (bodha-tanau) it becomes conscious. Filled with miesry, by relationship with the blissful Lord (sukha) it becomes full of happiness. Or even the materialists by service to you attain the highest auspiciousness. Because you have inconceivable greatness with your numerous avatāras and their pastimes, the world, false because it is composed of false planets, like a dream because it is temporary, without consciousness because of lack of knowledge of the Lord—all because it arises from māyā (māyātaḥ udyat), if used to attain you (tvayī, if used as service to you, then it becomes excellent (sad iva avabhāti). Iva here means perfectly so. Or the world shines like Vaikuṇṭha (sat iva avabhāti).

Although you do have infinite forms, you are also present as one form by your inconceivable energy. You are eka atma, paramatma. The jives are many, but they can never be called one. Is paramatma formless? No, you are purusa, endowed with a specific form. "Are I not young, unlike other men who are old? As the son of Nanda I appear young, just suitably aged for your praises." "But this is not the actual fact. Though you are the son of Nanda, you are truly (satya) the person existing during all phases of time." "Am I not produced by this purusa also, like time and karma?" "No, you are svayam jyotih, self manifesting." " Am I then limited like the sun?" "No, you are ananta, unlimited by time and space. Other avataras are also the same." " I am also just one of them?" " No, you are the source of all these avataras, you are adyah, the source." "Will I not disappear at the tend of Brahma’s life also?" "No, you are nitya, eternal. Though the universe is ancient, at the end of my life it will disappear, and therefore it is anitya. But you, in the form of Nanda’s son, exists eternally. This form is the full manifestation of Brahman, for it is said: Yo sau saurye tisthati Yah saksat parabrahmeti govindam saccinanda vigrahm vrndavana surabhuruhatalasinam (Gopala tapani upanisad). Brahmno hi pratistaham (Gita), Those who have bodies are subject to the six transformations, and are therefore disintegrating at every moment." " So am I also destructible?" " No, you are not like that, you are indestructible, aksara." "Those who have bodies also are subject to happiness and distress. As a baby I had greed for the yogurt, butter and milk, of the gopis, and a boy I showed anger towards kaliya, and as youth I showed lust towards the gopis. I am tainted with material faults like others." "No, you are spotless (niranjana) , for your lust and other qualities are spiritual. If that is so, then I am still imperfect, because I am dependent on the gopis. No, being controlled by prema bhakti is no fault to your perfection." " Is there someone else like me?" "No, you are advaya, without compare." "If you say because I am advaya, I am purna brahma, then I am known through material designation or upadhi." " No, you are free from all upadhi. Gopala tapani says: vidyavidyabhyam bhinna: you are free from the touch of vidya and avidya. You are amrta. The sruti says: Amrtam sasvatam brahma. Amrta here means without upadhi. Or amrta can also mean one who is beyond death."

He summarizes an intermediate topic. Since you are the cause of Nārāyaṇa (SB 10.14.14) and are one alone (SB 10.14.18), standing with yogurt rice in your hand, you are the basis of all material and spiritual manifestations (ekaḥ tvaṁ ātmā). Tam ekaṁ govindaṁ sac cidānanda-vigraham: the form of Govinda is eternity, knowledge and bliss. Concerning the word ātmā, śruti says sākṣāt prakṛti-paro yo yam ātmā gopālaḥ kathaṁ tv avatīrṇo bhūmyām ha vai: how has the supreme form of Govinda, beyond prakṛti, appeared on earth? (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām You should know Kṛṣṇa to be the original Soul of all living entities. SB 10.14.55 sarveṣām api bhūtānāṁ nṛpa svātmaiva vallabhaḥ itare ’patya-vittādyās tad-vallabhatayaiva hi O King, for every created being the dearmost thing is certainly his own self. The dearness of everything else—children, wealth and so on—is due only to the dearness of the self. SB 10.14.50 Concerning the word puruṣa, the śruti says ātmatvam eva sādhayati puruṣaḥ: Govinda is known as the puruṣaḥ. Puruṣo yo ‘sāv uttamaḥ puruṣo gopālaḥ: the ultimate puruṣaḥ is Gopāla. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) Concerning the word purāṇaḥ it is said: gūḍhaḥ purāṇa-puruṣo vana-citra-mālyaḥ:the ancient puruṣa wanders about decorated with flower garlands (SB 10.44.13) Concerning the word satyaḥ it is said: satya-vrataṁ satya-paraṁ tri-satyaṁ satyasya yoniṁ nihitaṁ ca satye satyasya satyam ṛta-satya-netraṁ satyātmakaṁ tvāṁ śaraṇaṁ prapannāḥ O Lord, you are true to your promise, truth incarnate, pervading all aspects of time with truth, before the creation, during its existence and after its destruction. You are the revealer of sweet words and truth. We surrender to you, the embodiment of truth. SB 10.2.26 Concerning svayam jyotiḥ it is said: yo brahmāṇaṁ vidadhāti pūrvaṁ yo vidvāṁs tasmai gopayati sma kṛṣṇaḥ taṁ ha devam ātmabuddhiprakāśaṁ mumukṣur vai śaraṇam amum vrajet People desiring liberation surrender to Kṛṣṇa who bestows his mantra to the learned and protects them, who is the Supreme Lord, revealing himself through his intelligence. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad Th e word ānantaḥ is illustrated as follows: na cāntar na bahir yasya na pūrvaṁ nāpi cāparam pūrvāparaṁ bahiś cāntar jagato yo jagac ca yaḥ taṁ matvātmajam avyaktaṁ martya-liṅgam adhokṣajam gopikolūkhale dāmnā babandha prākṛtaṁ yathā Thinking of the invisible Lord--who has no inside or outside, has nothing previous or after him, who existed in the past and will exist in the future, inside and outside of the universe, who is the universe-- as her son, appearing with a human form though he was beyond material senses, she tied him to the mortar like a normal child with rope. SB 10.9.13-14 yo ’yaṁ kālas tasya te ’vyakta-bandho ceṣṭām āhuś ceṣṭate yena viśvam nimeṣādir vatsarānto mahīyāṁs taṁ tveśānaṁ kṣema-dhāma prapadye O inaugurator of the material energy! Time which starts with second and ends with years, which rotate to make the life time of Brahmā, and by which the universe moves, is said to be your movement. I surrender to the Supreme Lord, the abode of fearlessness and happiness. SB 10.3.26 Concerning ādyaḥ it is said: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam || Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. He is the enjoyer of innumerable consorts, and the possessor of an eternal form of knowledge and bliss. Though, he is without origin, he is the source of all other forms of God, and is the cause of all causes. He is Govinda, the boy who cares for the cows. Brahma-saṁhitā 1 vidito ’si bhavān sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ kevalānubhavānanda- svarūpaḥ sarva-buddhi-dṛk I know you directly as the Supreme Person beyond material existence, as the impersonal Brahman, as Paramātmā and Bhagavān.SB 10.3.13 Concerning nityaḥ it is said: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān tam pīṭhagaṁ ye nu yajanti viprās teṣāṁ siddhiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām He is the chief eternal and the chief consciousness who though one, fulfills the desires of all beings. Those brāhmaṇas who worship him, situated in Vraja, attain perfection and not others. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad etad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ yo nityodyuktāḥ saṁyajante na kāmān teṣām asau gopa-rūpaḥ prayatnāt prakāśayed ātmā-padaṁ tadaiva Kṛṣṇa reveals his abode to those who constantly meditate upon that abode and do not worship material objects. Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad Concerning akṣaraḥ it is said: yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham akṣarād api cottamaḥ | ato ’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ || Because I am superior to the jīvas, to the Brahman, and to the puruṣa known as Paramātmā, and even to the other forms of Bhagavān, I am celebrated in the Vedas and the smṛtis as the Supreme Person. BG 15.18 Concerning ajasra-sukha it is said krṣṇātmako nityānandaika-rūpaḥ: Kṛṣṇa is a form of eternity and bliss. (Gopāla-tāpaṇī Upaniṣad) Vasudeva says: vidito ’si bhavān sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ kevalānubhavānanda- svarūpaḥ sarva-buddhi-dṛk I know you directly as the Supreme Person beyond material existence, as the impersonal Brahman, as Paramātmā and Bhagavān (form of bliss). SB 10.3.13 Concerning niraṣjana (purity) Nārada says: viśuddha-vijṣāna-ghanaṁ sva-saṁsthayā samāpta-sarvārtham amogha-vāṣchitam Let us approach you, the Supreme Lord, for shelter. You are full of perfectly pure spiritual awareness and are always situated in your original identity. SB 10.37.22 Concerning pūrṇaḥ in śruti it is said te hocur upāsanam etasya govindasyākhilādhāriṇo bruhi: please explain to us the worship of Govinda, the support of all things. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) Brahmā says ‘”Who knows where, how, how many, and when your pastimes will take place in the universe?” (SB 10.14.21) Concerning advayaḥ the śruti says advitīyāya mahate śrī-kṛṣṇāya namo namaḥ: I offer respects repeatedly to Kṛṣṇa, the greatest, without compare. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) Concerning muktaḥ the śruti says sākṣāt prakṛti-paraḥ: he is beyond prakṛti, free from all coverings. Concerning amṛtaḥ the śruti says govindān mṛtyur vibheti: death is afraid of Govinda (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) martyo mṛtyu-vyāla-bhītaḥ palāyan lokān sarvān nirbhayaṁ nādhyagacchat tvat pādābjaṁ prāpya yadṛcchayādya susthaḥ śete mṛtyur asmād apaiti No one in this material world, fearful of the snake of time, has become free from fear, even by fleeing to various planets. But now that you have appeared, death is fleeing in fear of you, and the living entities, having obtained shelter at your lotus feet by your mercy, are fearless and tranquil. SB 10.3.27 Concerning his difference from birth and death, śruti says sthāṇur ayam acchedyo ‘yam yo ‘sau sauryo tiṣṭhati yo ‘sau goṣu tiṣṭhati, yo ṣau gopān palayati, yo ṣau gopeṣu tiṣthati: he is steady, he is indivisible, he is brave, lives among the cows, and protects the cowherds and lives among them. (Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad) In his commentary, Śrīdhara Svāmī indicates that the words svayam jyotiḥ niraṣjanaḥ muktaḥ exclude four types of results of action.

Having stated the reality of the Lord, Brahmā now explains the nature of the Lord by showing the difference of the jīva. Though you are one, you are spread in all jīvas as antaryāmī (ātmā puruṣaḥ). Puri śayanāt puruṣaḥ: he is called the puruṣa because he dwells in the body. Though he existed previously by his powers (pura) he is the ever young (nava), the lord full of the highest powers. His powers are not illusory (satyaḥ). “If he is seen to have a form, how can he be real?” He is seen by his self-manifesting mercy (svayaṁjyotiḥ). Moreover he is without an end (anantaḥ). And he is without a beginning (ādyaḥ). He has one form always since he is without change. He is fixed (akṣaraḥ) or beyond matter. Kṣaraḥ sarvāni bhūtāni: the jīvas have temporary bodies. (BG 15.16) The Lord has eternal bliss (ajasra-sukhaḥ), a form of concentrated bliss. He is pure (niraṣjanaḥ). He is complete, not depending on anything else. He is devoid of relationsohip with anything different from himself (advayaḥ). He is free of upādhis. He is always benefiting all the jīvas without selfish motives. Or he by nature is endowed with his qualities. He is indestructible (amṛtaḥ). Or he bestows deathlessness to his devotees. Though having a form, the Lord is not like the jīva, who is controlled by others, limited, taking various forms by being born in a womb, being unfixed in form, having limited happiness, being impure, being related with things unlike himself, being subject to coverings (uādhis) and being subject to saṁsāra. These are related as causes of each other.

Even the worshippers of impersonal Brahman , if they get the good fortune of devotion to the personal form of paramatma, can attain the status of santa bhaktas. Seeing you as described above (evam vidham), as the soul of all the jivas (sakalatmanam), in a form which gives pleasure to the mind and eyes (su for sobha , atmanam), in the form of paramatama (atmatmataya), attain santa bhakti. Bhakti rasamrta sindhu says: paramatamataya krsne jata santi ratir mata. Seeing Krsna as paramatama a person attains santa rati. How does this take place? That person who attains proper vision through study of upanisads, through the mercy of guru, sees Krsna as paramatma, and seems to cross the false ocean of material existence. 25, "So does he cross the ocean of maya or not? "No, it is as if he crosses (iva). The universe that he crosses (bhava) has also been described as false (anrta) in the previous verse. According to the theory of vivartavad that is popular with the jnanis, the world is false. Therefore crossing such a material world is also false. Thus they have been described as seeming to cross the ocean of material existence." In two verses this is explained. Those who are ignorant of the jiva as the source of knowledge and bliss enter into the material realm. And by knowledge gained through sankhya, varaigya, tapas and bhakti that the body is different from the soul, the ocean of material existence is destroyed. It is like the seeing the rope as a snake. By ignorance the material world continues, and by knowledge the material world ceases.

By knowing you as described, people easily become liberated from saṁsāra. As the highest object of prema they realize (vicakṣate) you as described in the previous verse, the highest form among all jīvas and even the three puruṣas, like the sun in relation to rays. They realize you as the soul of souls (ātmātmatayā), not just as a pure soul. The guru is compared to the sun because he gives direct instructions, unlike other instructors who are like lamps in comparison. An example is Śukadeva. He instructs as follows. Kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām: you should know Kṛṣṇa to be the original soul of all living entities. (SB 10.14.55) Upaniṣad refers to Gopāla-tāpanī which says yo ‘sau brahma paraṁ brahma gopālaḥ: The supreme brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Bhavaḥ means saṁsāra. Since it is false, they take shelter of you. And by that cross saṁsāra easily, as if it were water in a calf’s hoof print. That is indicated by the word iva. tvayy ambujākṣākhila-sattva-dhāmni samādhināveśita-cetasaike tvat-pāda-potena mahat-kṛtena kurvanti govatsa-padaṁ bhavābdhim O lotus-eyed Lord! By concentrating on your pure form of śuddha-sattva in meditation some people cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoof print of a calf, by those lotus feet which act as a boat, obtained by the grace of devotees. SB 10.2.30

By proper knowledge of you, by bhakti, they become liberated form saṁsāra easily. They know positivitely (vicakṣate) you, though the controller of all jīvas (sakalātmānām svātmānam) as dearer (ātmatayā) than themselves (ātma). Or they know you though the paramātmā (the ātmā of me, svātmānam) of all jīvas, as dearer than the self. By bhakti to you they cross the uncrossable ocean of saṁsāra, which is false (anṛta). It is said to be false because it is is insignificant, or arises by ignorance. Because the knowledge of ātmā is include in knowledge of the Lord, by knowledge of the Lord one easily (iva) cross the ocean of saṁsāra (produced by ātmā-jṣaṇa).