FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.88.25-26

అజానన్త: ప్రతివిధిం తూష్ణీమాసన్ సురేశ్వరా: । తతో వైకుణ్ఠమగమద్ భాస్వరం తమస: పరమ్ ॥ ౨౫ ॥ యత్ర నారాయణ: సాక్షాన్న్యాసినాం పరమో గతి: । శాన్తానాం న్యస్తదణ్డానాం యతో నావర్తతే గత: ॥ ౨౬ ॥
ajānantaḥ prati-vidhiṁ
[ajaanantah prati-vidhim]
tūṣṇīm āsan sureśvarāḥ
[tooshneem aasan sureshvaraah]
tato vaikuṇṭham agamad
[tato vaikuntham agamad]
bhāsvaraṁ tamasaḥ param
[bhaasvaram tamasah param]
yatra nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣān
[yatra naaraayanah saakshaan]
nyāsināṁ paramo gatiḥ
[nyaasinaam paramo gatih]
śāntānāṁ nyasta-daṇḍānāṁ
[shaantaanaam nyasta-dandaanaam]
yato nāvartate gataḥ
[yato naavartate gatah]
ajānantaḥ — not knowing prati - vidhim — counteraction tūṣṇīm — silent āsan — remained sura — of the demigods īśvarāḥ — the lords tataḥ — then vaikuṇṭham — to Vaikuṇṭha, the kingdom of God agamat — he came bhāsvaram — luminous tamasaḥ — darkness param — beyond yatra — where nārāyaṇaḥ — Nārāyaṇa sākṣāt — directly visible nyāsinām — of sannyāsīs paramaḥ — the Supreme Lord gatiḥ — goal śāntānām — who are peaceful nyasta — who have renounced daṇḍānām — violence yataḥ — from which na āvartate — one does not return gataḥ — having gone .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ajānantaḥ prati-vidhiṁ
ajānantaḥ
not knowing
prati - vidhim
counteraction
tūṣṇīm āsan sureśvarāḥ
tūṣṇīm
silent
āsan
remained
sura
of the demigods
īśvarāḥ
the lords
tato vaikuṇṭham agamad
tataḥ
then
vaikuṇṭham
to Vaikuṇṭha, the kingdom of God
agamat
he came
bhāsvaraṁ tamasaḥ param
bhāsvaram
luminous
tamasaḥ
darkness
param
beyond
yatra nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣān
yatra
where
nārāyaṇaḥ
Nārāyaṇa
sākṣāt
directly visible
nyāsināṁ paramo gatiḥ
nyāsinām
of sannyāsīs
paramaḥ
the Supreme Lord
gatiḥ
goal
śāntānāṁ nyasta-daṇḍānāṁ
śāntānām
who are peaceful
nyasta
who have renounced
daṇḍānām
violence
yato nāvartate gataḥ
yataḥ
from which
na āvartate
one does not return
gataḥ
having gone .
  • prati-vidhim — the counter-measure
    Prati (against) + vidhi (arrangement). The devas — all of them — lack the prati-vidhi. The chapter's quiet thunderbolt: there is exactly one Lord who knows the counter-arrangement.
  • vaikuṇṭham — Vaikuṇṭha, the kingdom of God
    Vai-kuṇṭha = without kuṇṭha (anxiety, hindrance). The realm where no saṅkaṭa exists. Gauḍīyas: not metaphor — a real, eternal, located dhāma, supremely personal. Even Śiva's destination in saṅkaṭa is Hari's home.
  • bhāsvaram tamasaḥ param — luminous, beyond darkness
    Contiguous-join (bhāsvaram + tamasaḥ + param). Beyond all three modes — including the sāttvika luminosity of the heavenly worlds. Hari's realm is paratrayetantum, beyond the threefold ahaṅkāra Śiva embodies (v.3).
  • nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt — Nārāyaṇa directly visible
    Contiguous (nārāyaṇaḥ + sākṣāt). Nara-ayana — the resting-place of all jīvas, and the One who rests on the causal waters. Sākṣāt = directly, in person. Gauḍīyas: Vaikuṇṭha is not vague light; it is Bhagavān visible.
  • nyasta-daṇḍānām — of those who have laid down violence
    Contiguous (nyasta + daṇḍānām). Nyāsa = laying down. The destination is for those who have surrendered the rod of violence — and yet Śiva, fleeing one armed with intent to strike, is welcomed. Hari's threshold is generous.
  • na āvartate gataḥ — having gone there, one does not return
    Contiguous (na + āvartate + gataḥ). The same na nivartante that BG 8.21 names. Gauḍīya: this is the technical mark of nitya-dhāma — a place outside the cycle of return.
The great demigods could only remain silent, not knowing how to counteract the benediction. Then Lord Śiva reached the luminous realm of Vaikuṇṭha, beyond all darkness, where the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa is manifest. That realm is the destination of renunciants who have attained peace and given up all violence against other creatures. Going there, one never returns.

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Lord Śiva entered the planet of Śvetadvīpa, a special outpost of the spiritual world within the confines of the material universe. There, on a beautiful white island surrounded by the celestial Ocean of Milk, Lord Viṣṇu rests on the serpent bed of Ananta Śeṣa, making Himself available to the demigods when they need His help.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The great demigods could only remain silent, not knowing how to counteract the benediction. Then Lord Śiva reached the luminous realm of Vaikuṇṭha, beyond all darkness, where the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa is manifest. That realm is the destination of renunciants who have attained peace and given up all violence against other creatures. Going there, one never returns.
Commentary

Brahma and other leaders of the devatas (suresvarah) could not find an remedy so remained silent. He went to Vaikuntha, beyond the material world (tamasah param).

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Brahmā and others did not know the remedy. Śiva went to Śvetadvīpa on Bhū-maṇḍala (on the northern side of the milk ocean), which is an avatāra of Mahā-vaikuṇṭha. It is beyond prakṛti (tamasaḥ) and is always self-manifested (bhāsvaram). And like the Lord this place was without changes of the material world (paarm). vikārāvarti ca tathā hi sthitim āha: that abode it is changeless. (Brahma-sūtra 4.4.19) The reason for the purity of the place is described. Nārāyaṇa personally lives there. He is the highest attainment for those who have given up everything for the Lord, or those who are devoid of attraction and repulsion, or have their hearts fixed on the Lord (śāntānām) and who have given up violence. Having gone there one does not return to saṁsāra. Anāvrttīh śabdād: since the scriptures say this, one does not return. (Brahma-sūtra 4.4.22)

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

None Brahmā and others did not know the remedy. Śiva went to Śvetadvīpa on Bhū-maṇḍala (on the northern side of the milk ocean), which is an avatāra of Mahā-vaikuṇṭha. It is beyond prakṛti (tamasaḥ) and is always self-manifested (bhāsvaram). And like the Lord, this place was without changes of the material world (param). vikārāvarti ca tathā hi sthitim āha: that abode is changeless. (Brahma-sūtra 4.4.19) The reason for the purity of the place is described. Nārāyaṇa personally lives there. He is the highest attainment for those who have given up everything for the Lord, or those who are devoid of attraction and repulsion, or have their hearts fixed on the Lord (śāntānām) and who have given up violence. Having gone there one does not return to saṁsāra. Anāvrttīh śabdād: since the scriptures say this, one does not return. (Brahma-sūtra 4.4.22)

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomShanti (Peace / Tranquility)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)
Related verses
Concepts
Avatara

A fugitive king crosses every kingdom of his world looking for shelter and finds only frightened ministers — until he reaches a kingdom that is not on his map: the kingdom where, by definition, return is impossible. Even Mahādeva, when truly in saṅkaṭa, runs not to his own Kailāsa but to Hari's Vaikuṇṭha. The geography of the chapter is doctrinal.

Gajendra in the lake

When the elephant-king was seized by the crocodile and his strength was exhausted (SB 8.2-3), he cried out beyond all created devas — uttamaśloka — and Viṣṇu came directly to lift him. Even Brahmā and Śiva could not enter that water; only Hari could. The verse here repeats Gajendra's lesson at the cosmic scale: when Śiva himself is the elephant, only Hari is the rescuer.

Gauḍīyas read 25-26 as Mahādeva's Gajendra-moment: the Lord of the great lord runs to the Lord of all lords.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 88