ERROR: Your browser does not support scripts.

rupam—form; yat—which; etat—that; avabodha-rasa—of Your internal potency; udayena—with the manifestation; sasvat—forever; nivrtta—freed from; tamasah—material contamination; sat-anugrahaya—for the sake of the devotees; adau—original in the creative energy of matter; grhitam—accepted; avatara—of incarnations; sata-eka-bijam—the root cause of hundreds; yat—that which; nabhi-padma—the navel lotus flower; bhavanat—from the home; aham—myself; avirasam—generated.

The form which I see is eternally freed from material contamination and has advented to show mercy to the devotees as a manifestation of internal potency. This incarnation is the origin of many other incarnations, and I am born from the lotus flower grown from Your navel home.

The three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva), the executive heads of the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance), are all generated from Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is described herein by Brahma. From the Ksirodakasayi Visnu, many Visnu incarnations expand at different ages in the duration of the cosmic manifestation. They are expanded only for the transcendental happiness of the pure devotees. The incarnations of Visnu, who appear at different ages and times, are never to be compared to the conditioned souls. The visnu-tattvas are not to be compared to deities like Brahma and Siva, nor are they on the same level. Anyone who compares them is called a pasandi, or infidel. Tamasah, mentioned herein, is the material nature, and the spiritual nature has a completely separate existence from tamah. Therefore, spiritual nature is called avabodha-rasa, or avarodha-rasa. Avarodha means “that which completely nullifies.” In the Transcendence there is no chance of material contact by any means. Brahma is the first living being, and therefore he mentions his birth from the lotus flower generated from the abdomen of Garbhodakasayi Visnu.

SB3.9.3

TEXT 3

natah param parama yad bhavatah svarupam

ananda-matram avikalpam aviddha-varcah

pasyami visva-srjam ekam avisvam atman

bhutendriyatmaka-madas ta upasrito ’smi

na—do not; atah param—hereafter; parama—O Supreme; yat—that which; bhavatah—of Your Lordship; svarupam—eternal form; ananda-matram—impersonal Brahman effulgence; avikalpam—without changes; aviddha-varcah—without deterioration of potency; pasyami—do I see; visva-srjam—creator of the cosmic manifestation; ekam—one without a second; avisvam—and yet not of matter; atman—O Supreme Cause; bhuta—body; indriya—senses; atmaka—on such identification; madah—pride; te—unto You; upasritah—surrendered; asmi—I am.

O my Lord, I do not see a form superior to Your present form of eternal bliss and knowledge. In Your impersonal Brahman effulgence in the spiritual sky, there is no occasional change and no deterioration of internal potency. I surrender unto You because whereas I am proud of my material body and senses, Your Lordship is the cause of the cosmic manifestation and yet You are untouched by matter.

tad va idam bhuvana-mangala mangalaya

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: the Supreme Personality of Godhead can only be partially known, and only by the process of devotional service to the Lord. Lord Brahma became aware that the Supreme Lord Krsna has many, many eternal, blissful forms of knowledge. He has described such expansions of the Supreme Lord, Govinda, in his Brahma-samhita (5.33), as follows:

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is nondual and infallible. He is the original cause of all causes, even though He expands in many, many forms. Although He is the oldest personality, He is ever youthful, unaffected by old age. The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be known by the academic wisdom of the Vedas; one has to approach the devotee of the Lord to understand Him.”

The only way to understand the Lord as He is, is by devotional service to the Lord, or by approaching the devotee of the Lord who always has the Lord in his heart. By devotional perfection one can understand that the impersonal brahmajyoti is only a partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, and that the three purusa expansions in the material creation are His plenary portions. In the spiritual sky of the brahmajyoti there is no change of various kalpas or millenniums, and there are no creative activities in the Vaikuntha worlds. The influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The rays of the transcendental body of the Lord, the unlimited brahmajyoti, are undeterred by the influence of material energy. In the material world also, the initial creator is the Lord Himself. He brings about the creation of Brahma, who becomes the subsequent creator, empowered by the Lord.

SB3.9.4

TEXT 4

dhyane sma no darsitam ta upasakanam

tasmai namo bhagavate ’nuvidhema tubhyam

yo ’nadrto naraka-bhagbhir asat-prasangaih

tat—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna; va—or; idam—this present form; bhuvana-mangala—O You who are all-auspicious for all the universes; mangalaya—for the sake of all prosperity; dhyane—in meditation; sma—as it were; nah—unto us; darsitam—manifested; te—Your; upasakanam—of the devotees; tasmai—unto Him; namah—my respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto the Personality of Godhead; anuvidhema—I perform; tubhyam—unto You; yah—which; anadrtah—is neglected; naraka-bhagbhih—by persons destined for hell; asat-prasangaih—by material topics.

This present form, or any transcendental form expanded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, is equally auspicious for all the universes. Since You have manifested this eternal personal form upon whom Your devotees meditate, I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Those who are destined to be dispatched to the path of hell neglect Your personal form because of speculating on material topics.

ye tu tvadiya-caranambuja-kosa-gandham

Regarding the personal and impersonal features of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the personal forms exhibited by the Lord in His different plenary expansions are all for the benediction of all the universes. The personal form of the Lord is also worshiped in meditation as Supersoul, Paramatma, but the impersonal brahmajyoti is not worshiped. Persons who are addicted to the impersonal feature of the Lord, whether in meditation or otherwise, are all pilgrims to hell because, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (12.5), impersonalists simply waste their time in mundane mental speculation because they are addicted more to false arguments than to reality. Therefore, the association of the impersonalists is condemned herewith by Brahma.

All the plenary expansions of the Personality of Godhead are equally potent, as confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.46):

diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya
dipayate vivrta-hetu-samana-dharma
yas tadrg eva hi ca visnutaya vibhati
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

The Lord expands Himself as the flames of a fire expand one after another. Although the original flame, or Sri Krsna, is accepted as Govinda, the Supreme Person, all other expansions, such as Rama, Nrsimha and Varaha, are as potent as the original Lord. All such expanded forms are transcendental. In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is made clear that the Supreme Truth is eternally uncontaminated by material touch. There is no jugglery of words and activities in the transcendental kingdom of the Lord. All the Lord’s forms are transcendental, and such manifestations are ever identical. The particular form of the Lord exhibited to a devotee is not mundane, even though the devotee may retain material desire, nor is it manifest under the influence of material energy, as is foolishly considered by the impersonalists. Impersonalists who consider the transcendental forms of the Lord to be products of the material world are surely destined for hell.

SB3.9.5

TEXT 5

jighranti karna-vivaraih sruti-vata-nitam

bhaktya grhita-caranah paraya ca tesam

napaisi natha hrdayamburuhat sva-pumsam

ye—those who; tu—but; tvadiya—Your; carana-ambuja—lotus feet; kosa—inside; gandham—flavor; jighranti—smell; karna-vivaraih—through the channel of the ears; sruti-vata-nitam—carried by the air of Vedic sound; bhaktya—by devotional service; grhita-caranah—accepting the lotus feet; paraya—transcendental; ca—also; tesam—for them; na—never; apaisi—separate; natha—O my Lord; hrdaya—heart; ambu-ruhat—from the lotus of; sva-pumsam—of Your own devotees.

O my Lord, persons who smell the aroma of Your lotus feet, carried by the air of Vedic sound through the holes of the ears, accept Your devotional service. For them You are never separated from the lotus of their hearts.

For the pure devotee of the Lord there is nothing beyond the lotus feet of the Lord, and the Lord knows that such devotees do not wish anything more than that. The word tu specifically establishes this fact. The Lord also does not wish to be separated from the lotus hearts of those pure devotees. That is the transcendental relationship between the pure devotees and the Personality of Godhead. Because the Lord does not wish to separate Himself from the hearts of such pure devotees, it is understood that they are specifically dearer than the impersonalists. The relationship of the pure devotees with the Lord develops because of devotional service to the Lord on the authentic basis of Vedic authority. Such pure devotees are not mundane sentimentalists, but are factually realists because their activities are supported by the Vedic authorities who have given aural reception to the facts mentioned in the Vedic literatures.

The word paraya is very significant. para bhakti, or spontaneous love of God, is the basis of an intimate relationship with the Lord. This highest stage of relationship with the Lord can be attained simply by hearing about Him (His name, form, quality, etc.) from authentic sources like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, recited by pure, unalloyed devotees of the Lord.

SB3.9.6

TEXT 6

tavad bhayam dravina-deha-suhrn-nimittam

sokah sprha paribhavo vipulas ca lobhah

tavan mamety asad-avagraha arti-mulam

yavan na te ’nghrim abhayam pravrnita lokah

tavat—until then; bhayam—fear; dravina—wealth; deha—body; suhrt—relatives; nimittam—for the matter of; sokah—lamentation; sprha—desire; paribhavah—paraphernalia; vipulah—very great; ca—also; lobhah—avarice; tavat—up to that time; mama—mine; iti—thus; asat—perishable; avagrahah—undertaking; arti-mulam—full of anxieties; yavat—as long as; na—do not; te—Your; anghrim abhayam—safe lotus feet; pravrnita—take shelter; lokah—the people of the world.

O my Lord, the people of the world are embarrassed by all material anxieties—they are always afraid. They always try to protect wealth, body and friends, they are filled with lamentation and unlawful desires and paraphernalia, and they avariciously base their undertakings on the perishable conceptions of “my” and “mine.” As long as they do not take shelter of Your safe lotus feet, they are full of such anxieties.

One may question how one can always think of the Lord in regard to His name, fame, quality, etc., if one is embarrassed by thoughts of family affairs. Everyone in the material world is full of thoughts about how to maintain his family, how to protect his wealth, how to keep pace with friends and relatives, etc. Thus he is always in fear and lamentation, trying to keep up with the status quo. In answer to this question, this verse spoken by Brahma is very appropriate.

A pure devotee of the Lord never thinks of himself as the proprietor of his home. He surrenders everything unto the supreme control of the Lord, and thus he has no fear for maintaining his family or protecting the interests of his family. Because of this surrender, he no longer has any attraction for wealth. Even if there is attraction for wealth, it is not for sense enjoyment, but for the service of the Lord. A pure devotee may be attracted to accumulating wealth just like an ordinary man, but the difference is that a devotee acquires money for the service of the Lord, whereas the ordinary man acquires money for his sense enjoyment. Thus the acquisition of wealth by a devotee is not a source of anxieties, as is the case for a worldly man. And because a pure devotee accepts everything in the sense of serving the Lord, the poisonous teeth of accumulation of wealth are extracted. If a snake has its poison removed and bites a man, there is no fatal effect. Similarly, wealth accumulated in the cause of the Lord has no poisonous teeth, and the effect is not fatal. A pure devotee is never entangled in material worldly affairs even though he may remain in the world like an ordinary man.

SB3.9.7

TEXT 7

daivena te hata-dhiyo bhavatah prasangat

sarvasubhopasamanad vimukhendriya ye

kurvanti kama-sukha-lesa-lavaya dina

lobhabhibhuta-manaso ’kusalani sasvat

daivena—by fate of misfortune; te—they; hata-dhiyah—bereft of memory; bhavatah—of You; prasangat—from the topics; sarva—all; asubha—inauspiciousness; upasamanat—curbing down; vimukha—turned against; indriyah—senses; ye—those; kurvanti—act; kama—sense gratification; sukha—happiness; lesa—brief; lavaya—for a moment only; dinah—poor fellows; lobha-abhibhuta—overwhelmed by greed; manasah—of one whose mind; akusalani—inauspicious activities; sasvat—always.

O my Lord, persons who are bereft of the all-auspicious performance of chanting and hearing about Your transcendental activities are certainly unfortunate and are also bereft of good sense. They engage in inauspicious activities, enjoying sense gratification for a very little while.

The next question is why people are against such auspicious activities as chanting and hearing the glories and pastimes of the Lord, which can bring total freedom from the cares and anxieties of material existence. The only answer to this question is that they are unfortunate because of supernatural control due to their offensive activities performed simply for the sake of sense gratification. The Lord’s pure devotees, however, take compassion upon such unfortunate persons and, in a missionary spirit, try to persuade them into the line of devotional service. Only by the grace of pure devotees can such unfortunate men be elevated to the position of transcendental service.

SB3.9.8

TEXT 8

ksut-trt-tridhatubhir ima muhur ardyamanah

sitosna-vata-varasair itaretarac ca

kamagninacyuta-rusa ca sudurbharena

sampasyato mana urukrama sidate me

ksut—hunger; trt—thirst; tri-dhatubhih—three humors, namely mucus, bile and wind; imah—all of them; muhuh—always; ardyamanah—perplexed; sita—winter; usna—summer; vata—wind; varasaih—by rains; itara-itarat—and many other disturbances; ca—also; kama-agnina—by strong sex urges; acyuta-rusa—indefatigable anger; ca—also; sudurbharena—most unbearable; sampasyatah—so observing; manah—mind; urukrama—O great actor; sidate—becomes despondent; me—my.

O great actor, my Lord, all these poor creatures are constantly perplexed by hunger, thirst, severe cold, secretion and bile, attacked by coughing winter, blasting summer, rains and many other disturbing elements, and overwhelmed by strong sex urges and indefatigable anger. I take pity on them, and I am very much aggrieved for them.

A pure devotee of the Lord like Brahma and persons in his disciplic succession are always unhappy to see the perplexities of the conditioned souls, who are suffering the onslaughts of the threefold miseries which pertain to the body and mind, to the disturbances of material nature, and to many other such material disadvantages. Not knowing adequate measures for relieving such difficulties, suffering persons sometimes pose themselves as leaders of the people, and the unfortunate followers are put into further disadvantages under such so-called leadership. This is like a blind man’s leading another blind man to fall into a ditch. Therefore, unless the devotees of the Lord take pity on them and teach them the right path, their lives are hopeless failures. The devotees of the Lord who voluntarily take the responsibility of raising the foolish materialistic sense enjoyers are as confidential to the Lord as Lord Brahma.

SB3.9.9

TEXT 9

yavat prthaktvam idam atmana indriyartha-

maya-balam bhagavato jana isa pasyet

tavan na samsrtir asau pratisankrameta

vyarthapi duhkha-nivaham vahati kriyartha

yavat—as long as; prthaktvam—separatism; idam—this; atmanah—of the body; indriya-artha—for sense gratification; maya-balam—influence of external energy; bhagavatah—of the Personality of Godhead; janah—a person; isa—O my Lord; pasyet—sees; tavat—so long; na—not; samsrtih—the influence of material existence; asau—that man; pratisankrameta—can overcome; vyartha api—although without meaning; duhkha-nivaham—multiple miseries; vahati—bringing; kriya-artha—for fruitive activities.

O my Lord, the material miseries are without factual existence for the soul. Yet as long as the conditioned soul sees the body as meant for sense enjoyment, he cannot get out of the entanglement of material miseries, being influenced by Your external energy.

ahny aprtarta-karana nisi nihsayana

The whole trouble of the living entity in material existence is that he has an independent conception of life. He is always dependent on the rules of the Supreme Lord, in both the conditioned and liberated states, but by the influence of the external energy the conditioned soul thinks himself independent of the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. His constitutional position is to dovetail himself with the desire of the supreme will, but as long as he does not do so, he is sure to drag on in the shackles of material bondage. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.55), prajahati yada kaman sarvan partha mano-gatan: he has to give up all sorts of plans manufactured by mental concoction. The living entity has to dovetail himself with the supreme will. That will help him to get out of the entanglement of material existence.

SB3.9.10

TEXT 10

nana-manoratha-dhiya ksana-bhagna-nidrah

daivahatartha-racana rsayo ’pi deva

yusmat-prasanga-vimukha iha samsaranti

ahni—during the daytime; aprta—engaged; arta—distressing engagement; karanah—senses; nisi—at night; nihsayanah—insomnia; nana—various; manoratha—mental speculations; dhiya—by intelligence; ksana—constantly; bhagna—broken; nidrah—sleep; daiva—superhuman; ahata-artha—frustrated; racanah—plans; rsayah—great sages; api—also; deva—O my Lord; yusmat—Your Lordship’s; prasanga—topic; vimukhah—turned against; iha—in this (material world); samsaranti—do rotate.

Such nondevotees engage their senses in very troublesome and extensive work, and they suffer insomnia at night because their intelligence constantly breaks their sleep with various mental speculations. They are frustrated in all their various plans by supernatural power. Even great sages, if they are against Your transcendental topics, must rotate in this material world.

As described in the previous verse, people who have no taste for the devotional service of the Lord are occupied in material engagements. Most of them engage during the daytime in hard physical labor; their senses are engaged very extensively in troublesome duties in the gigantic plants of heavy industrial enterprise. The owners of such factories are engaged in finding a market for their industrial products, and the laborers are engaged in extensive production involving huge mechanical arrangements. “Factory” is another name for hell. At night, hellishly engaged persons take advantage of wine and women to satisfy their tired senses, but they are not even able to have sound sleep because their various mental speculative plans constantly interrupt their sleep. Because they suffer from insomnia sometimes they feel sleepy in the morning for lack of sufficient rest. By the arrangement of supernatural power, even the great scientists and thinkers of the world suffer frustration of their various plans and thus rot in the material world birth after birth. A great scientist may make discoveries in atomic energy for the quick destruction of the world and may be awarded the best prize in recognition of his service (or disservice), but he also has to undergo the reactions of his work by rotating in the cycle of repeated births and deaths under the superhuman law of material nature. All these people who are against the principle of devotional service are destined to rotate in this material world without fail.

This verse particularly mentions that even sages who are averse to the principles of devotional service to the Lord are also condemned to undergo the terms of material existence. Not only in this age, but formerly also, there were many sages who tried to invent their own systems of religion without reference to devotional service to the Supreme Lord, but there cannot be any religious principle without devotional service to the Lord. The Supreme Lord is the leader of the entire range of living entities, and no one can be equal to or greater than Him. Even the Lord’s impersonal feature and all-pervading localized feature cannot be on an equal level with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, there cannot be any religion or system of genuine philosophy for the advancement of the living entities without the principle of devotional service.

The impersonalists, who take much trouble in penance and austerity for self-liberation, may approach the impersonal brahmajyoti, but ultimately, because of not being situated in devotional service, they glide down again to the material world to undergo another term of material existence. This is confirmed as follows:

ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“Persons who are falsely under the impression of being liberated, without devotional service to the Lord, may reach the goal of the brahmajyoti, but because of their impure consciousness and for want of shelter in the Vaikunthalokas, such so-called liberated persons again fall down into material existence.” (Bhag. 10.2.32)

Therefore, no one can manufacture any system of religion without the principle of devotional service to the Lord. As we find in the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the initiator of religious principles is the Lord Himself. In Bhagavad-gita also we find that the Lord condemns all forms of religion other than that which entails the process of surrendering unto the Supreme. Any system which leads one to the devotional service of the Lord, and nothing else, is actually religion or philosophy. In the Sixth Canto we find the following statements of Yamaraja, the controller of all unfaithful living entities:

dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam
na vai vidur rsayo napi devah
na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah
kuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayah

[SB 6.3.19]

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam

dvadasaite vijanimo
dharmam bhagavatam bhatah
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnatvamrtam asnute

“The principles of religion are initiated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one else, including the sages and demigods, can manufacture any such principles. Since even great sages and demigods are unauthorized to inaugurate such principles of religion, what to speak of others—the so-called mystics, demons, human beings, Vidyadharas and Caranas living in the lower planets? Twelve personalities—Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja—are agents of the Lord authorized to speak and propagate the principles of religion.” (Bhag. 6.3.19–21)

The principles of religion are not open to any ordinary living entity. They are just to bring the human being onto the platform of morality. Nonviolence, etc., are necessary for misguided persons because unless one is moral and nonviolent one cannot understand the principles of religion. To understand what is actually religion is very difficult even if one is situated in the principles of morality and nonviolence. It is very confidential because as soon as one is conversant with the real principles of religion, he is at once liberated to the eternal life of bliss and knowledge. Therefore, one who is not situated in the principles of devotional service to the Lord should not pose himself as a religious leader of the innocent public. The Isopanisad emphatically forbids this nonsense in the following mantra:

andham tamah pravisanti
ye ’sambhutim upasate
tato bhuya iva te tamo
ya u sambhutyam ratah

(Isopanisad 12)

A person in ignorance of the principles of religion who therefore does nothing in the matter of religion is far better than a person who misguides others in the name of religion without reference to the factual religious principles of devotional service. Such so-called leaders of religion are sure to be condemned by Brahma and other great authorities.

SB3.9.11

TEXT 11

tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhavita-hrt-saroja

asse sruteksita-patho nanu natha pumsam

yad-yad-dhiya ta urugaya vibhavayanti

tat-tad-vapuh pranayase sad-anugrahaya

tvam—unto You; bhakti-yoga—in devotional service; paribhavita—being one hundred percent engaged; hrt—of the heart; saroje—on the lotus; asse—You reside; sruta-iksita—seen through the ear; pathah—the path; nanu—now; natha—O my Lord; pumsam—of the devotees; yat-yat—whichever; dhiya—by meditating; te—Your; urugaya—O multiglorious; vibhavayanti—they specifically think of; tat-tat—the very same; vapuh—transcendental form; pranayase—do You manifest; sat-anugrahaya—to show Your causeless mercy.

O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.