FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.6.39

తం బ్రహ్మనిర్వాణసమాధిమాశ్రితం వ్యుపాశ్రితం గిరిశం యోగకక్షామ్ । సలోకపాలా మునయో మనూనామ్ ఆద్యం మనుం ప్రాఞ్జలయ: ప్రణేము: ॥ ౩౯ ॥
taṁ brahma-nirvāṇa-samādhim āśritaṁ
[tam brahma-nirvaana-samaadhim aashritam]
vyupāśritaṁ giriśaṁ yoga-kakṣām
[vyupaashritam girisham yoga-kakshaam]
sa-loka-pālā munayo manūnām
[sa-loka-paalaa munayo manoonaam]
ādyaṁ manuṁ prāṣjalayaḥ praṇemuḥ
[aadyam manum praashjalayah pranemuh]
tam — him (Lord Śiva) brahma-nirvāṇa — in brahmānanda samādhim — in trance āśritam — absorbed vyupāśritam — leaning on giriśam — Lord Śiva yoga-kakṣām — having his left knee firmly fixed with a knotted cloth sa-loka-pālāḥ — along with the demigods (headed by Indra) munayaḥ — the sages manūnām — of all thinkers ādyam — the chief manum — thinker prāṣjalayaḥ — with folded palms praṇemuḥ — offered respectful obeisances.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
taṁ brahma-nirvāṇa-samādhim āśritaṁ
tam
him (Lord Śiva)
brahma-nirvāṇa
in brahmānanda
samādhim
in trance
āśritam
absorbed
vyupāśritaṁ giriśaṁ yoga-kakṣām
vyupāśritam
leaning on
giriśam
Lord Śiva
yoga-kakṣām
having his left knee firmly fixed with a knotted cloth
sa-loka-pālāḥ
along with the demigods (headed by Indra)
sa-loka-pālā munayo manūnām
munayaḥ
the sages
manūnām
of all thinkers
ādyaṁ manuṁ prāṣjalayaḥ praṇemuḥ
ādyam
the chief
manum
thinker
prāṣjalayaḥ
with folded palms
praṇemuḥ
offered respectful obeisances.
All the sages and demigods, headed by Indra, offered their respectful obeisances unto Lord Śiva with folded hands. Lord Śiva was dressed in saffron garments and absorbed in trance, thus appearing to be the foremost of all sages.

In this verse the word brahmānanda is significant. This brahmānanda, or brahma-nirvāṇa, is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja. When one is completely absorbed in the adhokṣaja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the sense perception of materialistic persons, one is situated in brahmānanda.

It is impossible to conceive of the existence, name, form, quality and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is transcendentally situated beyond the conception of materialistic persons. Because materialists cannot imagine or conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they may think that God is dead, but factually He is always existing in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, His eternal form. Constant meditation concentrated on the form of the Lord is called samādhi — ecstasy or trance. Samādhi means particularly concentrated attention, so one who has achieved the qualification of always meditating on the Personality of Godhead is to be understood to be always in trance and enjoying brahma-nirvāṇa, or brahmānanda. Lord Śiva exhibited those symptoms, and therefore it is stated that he was absorbed in brahmānanda.

Another significant word is yoga-kakṣām. Yoga-kakṣā is the sitting posture in which the left thigh is fixed under one’s tightly knotted saffron-colored garment. Also the words manūnām ādyam are significant here because they mean a philosopher, or one who is thoughtful and can think very nicely. Such a man is called manu. Lord Śiva is described in this verse as the chief of all thinkers. Lord Śiva, of course, does not engage in useless mental speculation, but as stated in the previous verse, he is always thoughtful regarding how to deliver the demons from their fallen condition of life. It is said that during the advent of Lord Caitanya, Sadāśiva appeared as Advaita Prabhu, and Advaita Prabhu’s chief concern was to elevate the fallen conditioned souls to the platform of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Since people were engaged in useless occupations which would continue their material existence, Lord Śiva, in the form of Lord Advaita, appealed to the Supreme Lord to appear as Lord Caitanya to deliver these illusioned souls. Actually Lord Caitanya appeared on the request of Lord Advaita. Similarly, Lord Śiva has a sampradāya, the Rudra sampradāya. He is always thinking about the deliverance of the fallen souls, as exhibited by Lord Advaita Prabhu.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The devatās and sages offered respects with folded hands to Śiva, chief of meditators, who had a cloth draped over his knee, and whose mind was completely absorbed in the bliss of the Supreme Lord. Brahma-nirvāṇam means the bliss of Brahman. According to Prahlāda however nirvāṇa means the bliss of realizing the Supreme Lord. adhokṣajālambham ihāśubhātmanaḥ śarīriṇaḥ saṁsṛti-cakra-śātanam tad brahma-nirvāṇa-sukhaṁ vidur budhās tato bhajadhvaṁ hṛdaye hṛd-īśvaram The wise know that direct contact with the Lord, which includes the happiness of Brahman, destroys saṁsāra for the sinful persons possessing material bodies in this world. Therefore, worship Paramātmā in your heart. SB 7.7.37 Śiva had completely concentrated his mind (samādhi) on that bliss. Yoga-kakṣam refers to the yogī’s cloth draped in such a way to make the left knee firm. He was the chief (ādyam) of those who are dedicated to contemplation (manūnām).
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