Srimad-Bhagavatam

Commentaries

Canto 10, Chapter 14

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Sridhara Svami: In the fourteenth chapter, Brahma,
bewildered because of his inability to understand the
amazing and unprecedented events that had just
occurred, offers his prayers to Lord Krsna.
Trembling with fear from the offense he has
committed, Brahma, who is unable to fathom the
glories of the Lord, simply chants the glorification of
the Lord’s personal feature as he sees Him directly
before him in the verse beginning naumi. O
worshipful one, O worthy object of praise, to You I
offer my homage. Here the fourth case is used in the
sense of the second case. Or, it being understood
that the Personality of Godhead who is referred to by
the statement, “I offer my obeisances,” is the object
of the sentence, He (is referred to in) the fourth case
in the sense of indicating the purpose—in other
words, with the idea that such a Personality of
Godhead is the purpose herein. Or, I offer prayers to
You. That is to say, with the purpose of satisfying
You. Unto Him whose body is like a cloud, unto Him
whose garment is like lightning, unto Him whose face
is resplendent with two ear ornaments, decorations
made from small conchshells, and a peacock feather
in His hair (paripiccham = barha-pidam), unto Him
who has garlands of forest flowers, unto Him whose
beauty (sriyah = sobha) is marked by the signs of His
morsel of food and so on, unto Him whose feet are

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tender, unto the son of the cowherd (Nanda
Maharaja).

Sanatana Gosvami: Sri Caturmukha, having been

shown extreme mercy by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is looking upon Him as possessing the
supremely attractive opulence of His personal form,
qualities, and pastimes, and thus merging in the rasa
of the highest stage of love of Godhead, he offers
prayers by describing first of all that form which he is
directly seeing before him, in the verse beginning
naumi.
“O worshipable one” indicates that “You alone
are worthy of praise, not Brahma, nor the Lord of
Vaikuntha, nor even any of your other incarnations
and other expansions, because I see that within You,
the Supreme Absolute Truth and source of all
incarnations, is the actual origin of all incarnations.
Therefore, I offer my obeisances unto You. For what
purposes? For You (te = tubhyam)—or in other
words, for the purpose of achieving You.
But, it may be objected, hasn’t the realization of
Me already been achieved in My features as
Brahman and as the Supersoul? That is replied to:
whose body has the brilliant black complexion of a
new dark blue cloud, which is called abhra because it
“carries water” (apo bibharti).
But, it may be again objected, such is the
description of the master of Vaikuntha, or else of
Lord Raghunatha; anticipating this objection His
distinguishing features are stated by the words
beginning gunja. Paripiccham refers to a diadem of
peacock feathers, which is called such because it
contains all around peacock feathers (paritah

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picchani). Unto Him who has garlands from the
forest, made up of flowers, leaves, and so on of
various colors that have grown in the forest. And in
the same connection, being attracted in His mind
especially to the Lord’s childhood pastimes, Brahma
specifies the Lord’s appearance in the words
beginning kavala. Thus in His left is a kavala, a
morsel of yogurt mixed with rice. In His left armpit is
the stick and buffalo horn, and in the waistfold of His
garment is His flute—as is to be understood in
accordance with previous statements. These are His
markings, His extraordinary markings, and thus unto
Him whose beauty is composed of these.
“Whose feet are soft” is spoken bearing in mind
His young age; that His age is not being directly
stated is because of great reverence for the Lord as
his own father, guru, and master. Summarizing all
together the other features that have not been
stated, of His sporting in Sri Vrndavana, His being
variously decorated by forest minerals, and so on, is
stated, “To the son (angajaya = putraya) of the
cowherd Sri Nanda”; this feature of being his son is
innately eternal, because of this relationship being
inseparable. Thus “I am offering prayers to You in
order to achieve You in this form of Sri Bala Gopala.”
Thus out of excessive hankering, these prayers are
being spoken with the desired aim expressed at the
very beginning; such is Brahma’s intention. And thus
herein, by the greater and greater excellence of each
successive adjective expressed, Brahma’s increasing
wonder is to be deduced.

Jiva Gosvami: Thus even after having seen the

numerous four-armed forms, Brahma decides that

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the lotus feet of Sriman Nandanandana in His
humanlike form are the actual supreme goal, and he
begins to offer His prayers in particular to that form,
in the verse beginning naumi.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: In this fourteenth chapter,

Lord Brahma, falling into the ocean of devotion,
knowledge, great opulence, and sweetness, offers his
prayers and also the answer to the question
regarding how the cowherd women are feeling
affection for Krsna is spoken.
Let the saintly devotees laugh at my taking on
the role of a gem merchant who is not taking careful
stock of his gems. I am not at all ashamed, because I
am taking great pleasure from within.
Taking my courage only from meditation upon
the lotus feet of my spiritual master, my mind is
desiring to cross the ocean of the prayers of Lord
Brahma.
Directly perceiving Lord Sri Gopendranandana,
who is the original personal form comprising all
eternity, knowledge, and bliss, Lord Brahma
immediately became fixed in devotion for Him, and
thus offered his description with the words beginning
naumi. O worshipable Lord, O You who are Vasudeva,
because now You have appeared as all entities
beginning with Brahma and ending with the blade of
grass, and thus are supremely worthy of praise
because of being the whole from which thousands of
parts are expanded—to You I offer homage; I direct
myself to You with prayers. Just as when a master
lies down to rest, I am offering this prayer to You. Or,
for the purpose of attaining or getting the
satisfaction of You, I am offering homage to You.

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 “To Him whose body is like a dark blue cloud and
whose garment is like lightning” indicates His taking
away the distress of the whole earth and being the
life and soul of the devotee cataka birds. The gunja is
a decoration on top of the head, and there are also
flower ornaments both on the top of the head and on
the ears. Paripiccham means a peacock feather
placed on top, at the front of His forehead. “Whose
face is resplendent with these decorations” indicates
His extraordinary characteristics, and the
superexcellence of the small conchshell decorations,
and so on, of Vrndavana, even in comparison to the
priceless jewel ornaments of Vaikuntha.
Who has garlands that are vanya, produced in
Vrndavana, and which are made of flowers and
leaves; thus are denigrated the parijata and other
flowers of the exalted forests of heaven.
Whose beauty consists of the characteristics of
the morsel of food and so on, ; thus His activities
suitable to a young cowherd boy are most excellent
among all His various activities.
Mrdu means extremely tender; whose feet are
like this. In this way it is established how Brahma is
stunned by the loving compassion of the devotees,
who are anxiously seeing the Lord wandering about
the forest with such feet. “To the son of the
cowherd” points out the greatness of Sriman Nanda
Maharaja’s fortune, even in comparison to Sri
Vasudeva and others.

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Sridhara Svami: But, the Lord may object, after
proposing, “I am offering prayers,” why do you
merely describe My form? In reply to this is spoken

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the verse beginning asyapi. My dear Lord, even I,
Brahma (ka = brahma) am unable (nese = na
saknomi) to understand (avasitum = jnatum) the
greatness (mahi = mahimanam) of this body,
incarnation, of Yours, even though it is obviously
manifest. Or, no one at all has ever been able to do
so (nese = na samartha asit). The two adjectives
(mad-anugrahasya and sveccha-mayasya) are meant
for clarification. Of that form from which arises mercy
shown to me, and moreover which is sveccha-maya,
which becomes however is desired by Your own
devotees. Then why is it not possible to understand
it? That is replied to, that it is not, on the other hand,
something composed of the elements of matter; in
other words, it is composed of (the inconceivable
pure mode of goodness.) When even (the glories) of
this (Your incarnation) cannot be understood, then
what to speak of the glories of Yourself directly, who
is experiencing exclusively Your own happiness, who
is the source of all incarnations and who is
transcendental to the modes of material nature. Who
is capable of understanding (You directly) even with
a mind that is antara, held back from material
thought? Or else, no one is capable of understanding
the glories of the universal form composed of the
material bhutas, which is Your body in the sense of
being controlled by You; then what to speak of the
fact that no one can understand the glories of
Yourself directly, who are unique and free from all
distinctions of controlled and controller.

Sanatana Gosvami: But, the Lord may object, as

you have promised by your words, “I offer my
praise,” the term stuti is meant to designate the

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description of someone’s superexcellence, so why
then has simply my form been described? That is
replied to with the verse beginning asya. “Of the
body” means of the incarnations, where the word
“incarnation” is expressed in the singular in terms of
the whole category of incarnations. Or, of anyone of
these incarnations.
“Which has shown mercy to me,” on account of
protecting the creation of Brahma by destroying
irreligion and promulgating religion. But which is not
composed of the modes (bhuta-maya) of nature, or
in other words, which unlike the ethereal bodies
(jyotir-maya) of other demigods, is completely devoid
of any trace of matter. Then what kind of form is
this? In reply to such is stated, “Which has the
experience of the happiness of the self,” that is to
say, which constitutes the Supreme Absolute Truth.
Or else, (the glories of Your appearance cannot be
understood) even by that mind which is antara,
turned inward by rejecting external sense objects,
based on that direct knowledge which is joyful
experience of the self (atma-sukhanubhuti); what
then to speak of directly Yourself, who are the source
of all incarnations. The rest has been made clear by
Sridhara Svami.
Therefore, the implication is, simply describing
Your form as it appears is proper praise. Or,
compared to Your deva-vapu, the transcendental
form of the Lord of Vaikuntha, Your form of Sri Bala-
Gopala, or else, Yourself who has assumed the form
of Sri Bala-Gopala; no one at all is able to understand
the glories of this, what then to speak of in
comparison to Brahman, which is atma-
sukhanubhuti. The logic of “what then to speak of” is

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cited in terms of the lesser status of Your (atmanah
= tava) category of Brahman, the identity of which is
atma-sukhanubhuti, in comparison to Your
transcendental four-armed form, which is full of
eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Thus the greater
magnitude of the glories of this present form in
comparison to Your divine form (of Vaikunthanatha)
is automatically established by the fact of the greater
glories of it in comparison to that (atma-
sukhanubhuti which is the impersonal Brahman).
In that regard, the three adjectives (mad-
anugrahasya, svecchamayasya, and na tu
bhutamayasya) are spoken as substantiating
reasons. Of that form, which has shown mercy even
to me, who am an offender, and which is
svecchamaya (appearing in accordance with the
desire of the devotee), which is stated bearing in
mind the Lord’s appearances as Sri Damodara and so
on. But not only is His mercy directed toward His
devotees, but also to all living beings, which is stated
as follows, ironically: which is not also bhutamaya?
Indeed, it is bhutamaya, the exclusive shelter of the
universe, since His incarnation is for the purpose of
benefiting the whole world. If, on the other hand, we
read alternatively nanu instead of na tu) the
explanation is obvious, and is also in agreement with
Sridhara Svami, since when he presents the
alternative explanation beginning with the word
athava, he is utilizing this alternative reading of
nanu. And thus also in the first explanation, the word
na is also explained in the sense of nanu, and we
should understand the word tu in the sense of
certainty.

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Sanatana Gosvami: The rest (of the alternative
explanation) is the same (as the first explanation).
Therefore, in accordance with such statements as
rupam yat tat prahuh (Bhag. 10.3.24: “My dear Lord,
there are different Vedas, some of which describe
You as unperceivable through words and the mind.
Yet You are the origin of the entire cosmic
manifestation. You are Brahman, the greatest of
everything, full of effulgence like the sun”) and
satya-vratam satya-param (Bhag. 10.2.26: “O Lord,
You never deviate from Your vow, and You are the
supreme truth,”), the description of this particular
form is the supreme glorification, even in comparison
to the description of all those different features of
Yours (of Brahman, Paramatma, Visnu, and so on).

Jiva Gosvami: Having become bewildered by seeing

the opulence of the Lord just exhibited, Brahma, as if
neglecting to praise this, speaks with agitation the
words beginning asyapi.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, my dear Brahma, you

are the master of all the opulence of the universe,
whereas I am the son of a cowherd in the forest. You
are the oldest, and I am just a boy. You are the
supreme learned person on account of your
understanding of the essential purport of the Vedas,
and are fixed in perfect behavior, but I, being
engaged in tending the calves and have no
knowledge. Having not even the slightest
understanding of the behavior prescribed in the
smrtis, I am simply wandering about eating a morsel
of food in My hands. You are the master of mystic
power, the happiest and directly the Supreme

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Controller, whereas I have been confused by Your
maya, and am traveling around in the forest
experiencing unhappiness in My mind. I am not even
fit to offer prayers to you. Anticipating such crooked
words, Lord Brahma, indicating that “Verily out of
ignorance I have committed a great offense,” speaks
the words beginning asya. O Lord, I am unable to
understand the glories of this body of Yours, which
embodies Your childhood activities and exhibits Your
innocence, what to speak of the fact that I cannot
understand also the body of Your kaisora-lila, which
You are about to exhibit as Your great masterpiece.
And what further to speak of the happiness that You
experience by engaging in such activities as tending
the calves, even though You are already infinitely full
of Your own ecstasy by the experience within Your
own mind (atma-sukhanubhuti). And similarly, I
cannot understand the glories of the happiness
experienced within the mind even on the part of Your
companions, what to speak of directly Your
(happiness).
With a mind that is antara, meaning brought
under control by withdrawing it from material things,
what to speak then of an unsteady mind. Thus not
even myself, Brahma (ka = brahma) am able, what
to speak of others. In this way, the five instances of
“what to speak of” establish his extreme ignorance
(in having committed the offense). The cause of my
acquiring proper understanding will not be study of
sastra, austerities, practice of yoga, and so on, but
rather only a particle of Your merciful sidelong
glance; with this in mind, Lord Brahma is describing
the characteristics of His transcendental body. Of
that form that has shown mercy even to myself, an

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offender, because after having generated
bewilderment by showing Your great power,
subsequently You gave Your direct audience; in this
way I have been gratified. The reason for this mercy
is stated: Which is sveccha-maya, constituted of the
desires to see and render service on the part of Your
own devotees who are situated in pure love of
Godhead; in other words, (of Your appearance) which
fulfill various desires due to merciful affection for
Your devotees. Consequently, the implication is,
because I am an imitation of a devotee, thus even
though I have committed offense, I deserve to get a
drop of Your mercy.
But, the Lord may object, desire and mercy are
characteristics of human bodies. In reply to this
Brahma says, which is not bhuta-maya. A body that
is bhuta-maya is material and not composed of
spiritual energy. Therefore, it is stated in the
Brahma-samhita: angani yasya sakalendriya-
vrttimanti. This functioning of each sense as all other
senses is in regard to the functioning of the senses of
Lord Govinda in connection with His other
incarnations at the proper time. That is, it is in the
sense of His limbs functioning through others at
particular times, but not with reference to Himself.
Rather, He sees with His own eyes, hears with His
own ears, and thinks with His own mind. It should not
be thought that He sees with His hands and so on.
Or else, of this deva-vapur, this form of God that
You have just shown, the personal feature of
Vasudeva (which Brahma saw in Chapter Thirteen),
which has shown me mercy by instructing me in the
catuh-sloki Bhagavatam, and which, being Your own
plenary expansion, fulfills Your desires, but even in

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the role of fulfilling Your desires is not like our own
self a product of matter; this is expressed by the
words na tu bhuta-mayasya. Not even Brahma
himself can understand the glories of that form,
although I have studied the Vedas, which have been
expanded from myself, as well as Srimad-
Bhagavatam, which is the fruit of the Vedas. And if I
cannot understand this form, what then to speak of
(the glories) of Your self directly in Your humanlike
form, who are the source of all incarnations, the
original Supreme Personality of Godhead? How can I
understand how You are constituted? This form, and
the experience you have within which in Your
activities of stealing butter, drinking the gopis’ breast
milk, tending the calves, and playing childhood
sports, are extraordinary even in comparison to Your
expanded incarnations.

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Sridhara Svami: Then how can those who are in
ignorance cross beyond material existence? In reply
in spoken the verse beginning jnane. Udapasya
means “not engaging in even a little.” The topics
connected with You, which are enunciated by the
saintly personalities, although being eternal, (these
topics) are manifest by them. Remaining each in
their own positions, simply by being in the presence
of these saints, automatically (these topics) are
received aurally (sruti-gatam = svaranam praptam);
those who thus offering respects (namantah = sat-
kurvantah) with their body, words, and mind, simply
live, even if they do nothing else, by them You are
conquered, attained, even though You are for the
most part unconquerable by all others throughout

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the three words. What then is the use of laboring for
knowledge?

Sanatana Gosvami: Therefore, by somehow or

other engaging in Your worship, You are made
subordinate, as stated by the verse beginning jnane.
Once and for all (ut = uccaih) giving up (the
endeavor) for understanding You. Offering respects
(namantah = sat-kurvantah) with the body and so
on, in which specifically the respect paid with the
body consists of holding the hands in the gesture of
supplication while engaged in hearing, that
performed with words is in expressing agreement
and so on, and with the mind is in having faith and so
on. San mukharitam: saintly personalities, for the
purpose of avoiding false speech and the agitation of
all their senses, for the most part are prone to
silence, but nevertheless they are made talkative by
such topics of You or of Your devotes. The rest is
clarified by Sridhara Svami.
Or else, they maintain their livelihood (jivanti =
upajivanti) by these topics. They hear them from the
saintly personalities for the sake of maintaining their
life. O You who are unconquerable, unattainable, by
the body and so on, by the functions of these, since
You, being self-mainfesting are inaccessible to the
senses and so on.
Or, You are conquered even by the body, and so
on, brought under submission by them. In other
words, You become always manifest within their
functions. Or, You become directly achieved by the
body and so on, in which connection attainment by
the body means direct perception by touching Your
lotus feet with the hands and so on, attainment by

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words means Your coming when called, and so on,
and attainment by the mind means Your giving Your
direct audience simply by being thought about.
Or, the third case (in the expression tanu-van-
manobhih) is used in the sense of “together with.”
Thus You are conquered along with Your body and so
on; Your body and so on are also brought under
submission by them.
In this connection, the subjugation of Your body
is in the sense of it remaining always by the side of
Your devotee, that of Your words is in the sense of
their always chanting the glories of (Your devotee),
and that of Your mind is of Your thinking about Your
devotee. The rest (of this alternate explanation) is
the same (as the previous explanation).

Jiva Gosvami: Because such is the case, therefore

the verse beginning jnane.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But then, it may be

objected, since there is the statement of sruti, tam
eva viditva ati mrtyum eti (Svet. Up. 3.8: “By
knowing that Supreme one transcends death, and
there exists n other path of liberation”), because of
their ignorance, how will the general people be able
to cross beyond the cycle of material existence? In
reply, this verse beginning with jnane is spoken.
Udapasya means not engaging in even a little. San-
mukharitam means (those topics) by which saintly
persons, even though they are prone to remain
silent, become talkative by the sweetness of such.
Or, the topics about Your devotes; being situated in
the place, the residence, of the holy devotees rather
than wandering about various places of pilgrimage.

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Simply be being in the presence of such devotees
(these topics become) sruti-gatam, are automatically
received by hearing.
Offering obeisances with one’s body, words, and
mind, at the beginning and at the end (of hearing). In
this connection, “With the body” means by touching
the ground with one’s hand and also head. “By
words” means by such statements as “I offer my
obeisances to the discussions concerning Lord Krsna,
and also to the Vaisnavas who are engaged in
relishing them.” “With the “mind” means with
intelligence that is concentrated on such topics.
Those who, thus offering obeisances, simply live,
even if they do nothing else, by them You become
conquered, brought under control, even though You
are for the most part unconquerable throughout the
three worlds.
But You are not brought under control by those
who have attained liberation by the process of
knowledge. Therefore what wonder is it that those
who listened to Your topics cross over the ocean of
material existence? Consequently, hearing even a
small portion of Your katha constitutes knowledge of
You, and by that process one is able to cross beyond
material existence. Implied here is the idea of the
sruti: om asya jananto nama cid vivaktan mahs te
visno sumatim bhajamahe om tat sat (Rg Veda
1.156.3) [See translation in Bhag. 11.1]

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Sridhara Svami: And without devotional service,
knowledge cannot be achieved, as stated by the
verse beginning sreyah-srtim. The path (srti =
sarana) of benefits characterized as material

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advancement and liberation, which are like the
waterfalls coming from a lake (saras); or else,
rejecting (udasya = tyaktva) that devotional service
of Yours, which is the path of supreme benefit. Their
trouble (klesalah = klesa) alone remains. The idea is
as follows: in the same way as when persons give up
the small amount of paddy and engage in beating
the chaff, the large amount of so-called paddy that
has been emptied of all the grains within, for them
there is no result. Similarly, for those who consider
devotional service insignificant and labor for
knowledge only, there is also no result.

Sanatana Gosvami: In this way, it is said that even

by somehow or other engaging in worship, one
achieves the supreme result, so how can we describe
the glories of full devotional service. And thus
certainly those who, by giving up such devotional
service, become dedicated to the endeavor for
spiritual knowledge, are most unhappy, as stated by
the verse beginning sreyah. The path of all benefits:
thus it is hinted that eve knowledge of the self
develops (in the path of devotion), emanating (srta)
as an intermediate fruit. Those who give up, throw
away at a distance with utter contempt (this
devotional service), even though it is so
characterized, showing great disrespect. They suffer,
take great pains with their yamas and niyamas, for
the sake of attaining knowledge of kevala, the pure
self. Or, for the sake of realization, knowledge, of the
truth of the self, which is even somehow a little big
mixed with devotional service. By the word eva is
refuted also such fruits as attainment of heaven and
purification of the heart.

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 But, it may be questioned, by taking labor in the
practice of yoga and other processes, isn’t there
inevitably the gain of prestige and wealth? This is
replied to that there is n other (result); nothing else
at all is gained. In this regard a practical example is
stated: Just as a fool is laughed at by the people if he
is trying to beat the great heap of chaff. Tusa means
the leftover husks, and by destroying them with
excessive thrashing one simply achieves pain in his
hands and other limbs. “O Vibhu,” means O master,
thus indicating that he must be worshiped.
Consequently, for such persons (who give up
devotional service) there will also be falldown into
hell. Similarly, it is stated in the 11 th Canto (11.5.3)
ya esam purusam saksad atma-prabhavam isvaram/
na bhajanty avajananti sthanad bhrastah patanty
adhah.
But, it may be objected, do we not see many
who, rejecting the process of devotional service, are
endeavoring for knowledge? That is replied to in the
verse beginning sreyah-srtim.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: By even one of the

processes of devotional service—hearing, chanting,
and so on—one becomes all-successful. This is as
stated in the Nrsimha Purana: patresu puspesu
phalesu toyesv akrita-labhyesu vadaiva satsu/
bhaktya su-labhye puruse purane miktyai kim
artham kriyate prayatnah: “Please tell me, since the
primeval personality of Godhead is easily attained by
such offerings as leaves, flowers, fruits, and water,
which are all found without difficulty, why does one
need to endeavor for liberation separately?”
Nonetheless those who give up this devotional

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service and are struggling for knowledge gain only
suffering, as stated: the explanation of Sridhara
Svami is (the rest of this sentence repeats). Giving
up that devotional service by which are attained the
benefits, the fruits, of jnana, karma, and so on, which
are realized through various methods of practice. For
them, this knowledge is klesala; it simply gives (lati)
distress; that alone remains, that is the ultimate
consequence.
In this regard an example is stated: for those
who are beating the gross husks; because they reject
the small amount of grain, thus making great
endeavor they take a large heap of the big husks,
collect them together, and beat the false
resemblance of paddy which no longer has any grain
within. Just as for them, these gross husks simply
afford the fruit of klesala, pains to the hands and
other limbs, (similarly is the case for those who
endeavor for knowledge without devotion).

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Sridhara Svami: By devotional service only
knowledge develops, not otherwise, and in this
regard the activity of saintly persons is cited as
evidence, in the verse beginning pura. O Bhuma, O
unlimited one, those who in this world were
previously engaged in yoga but were unable to
achieve knowledge by their yoga practice, and
subsequently offered all their endeavors, even their
worldly activities, to You, (came to understand You
by devotional service), which was achieved by their
own karmas, by their own activities offered unto You.
Or, (by devotional service) which was achieved
by both their endeavors offered to You, and also their

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prescribed duties, where the whole second line is
taken as one compound word.
Becoming awakened, understanding the self by
devotional service, which is kathopanitaya, which
brings them close to you by narrations (about you),
they easily (anjah = sukhenaiva) attained Your
supreme destination.

Sanatana Gosvami: The fact of this being the path

of all auspiciousness is not merely a matter of words,
but it has been experienced directly by many in the
past, as stated by the words beginning pura. O
Bhuma, O You whose glories are unlimited, certainly,
it is implied, this is quite fitting for Your devotional
service. Even the yogis, those who are liberated
(came to understand You by devotional service),
which is brought by discussions of You, which in
other words consists of chanting and hearing topics
about You. The method of cultivating this is
described by the words beginning tvat.
Or, it may be objected that isn’t indeed this
devotional service, which is the means of achieving
the supreme goal, rarely realized? This is replied to
by the words beginning katha. (Which devotional
service) is upanita, cultivated to perfection, by
hearing the topics of Your pastimes. Or, which is
brought about by You katha, Your glories, or in other
words motivated by Your glories.
Param means super-excellent. “O infallible one”
implies that because through Your devotional service
the desired goal is always somehow obtained, there
is never any falldown. Or, by devotional service the
yogis come into Your association and are able to
understand Your supreme, superexcellent gati, Your

19
pada, which refers either to the spiritual worlds of
Vaikuntha and so on or else to pure love of Godhead.
Coming to understand this as the supreme goal, they
then attained it. The rest is the same as the first
explanation.

Jiva Gosvami: Furthermore, the verse beginning

pureha. Through that devotional service, which is
obtained by their ordinary worldly endeavors offered
to You, and also by their prescribed duties, which
devotional service consists of attraction to Your
topics and brings one close to You by these topics
(kathopanitaya), which comprises a transcendental
taste that is worthy of description (kathaniya-ruci-
rupaya), they easily (anjah = sukhena) came to
understand, they perceive everything beginning from
the reality of the self up to the truth of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and they have surrendered
to, have achieved by surrender, the direct
association of Your supreme confidential destination.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Thus firmly having

established devotional service as the means of
achieving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in
these two verses (texts 3 and 4) by both positive and
negative reasoning, in that connection the activity of
saintly persons is cited as evidence in the verse
beginning pura. O Bhuma, O master, in this world the
yogis, those who are engaged in bhakti-yoga, and
who have offered their activities (iha = cesta) unto
You—in other words, who have carried out the
functioning of all their senses for the sake of Your
devotional service—are no longer on the platform of
the duties of varnasrama. Rather, it is simply by

20
hearing and chanting that devotional service is
realized, and especially by narrations (concerning
You), by remembrance of You as You are glorified in
the sastras, such devotional service brings one more
and more close to You. By that devotional service,
becoming characterized as pure love of Godhead,
they come to understand (vibudhya = vijnaya) Your
form, qualities, pastimes, and so on, or in other
words, they gain direct perception of these. They
have attained the supreme goal, symptomized by
pure love, in the form of becoming personal
associates. Or, in the same way as exclusive
knowledge is fruitless, so is exclusive yoga, in which
regard the activity of saintly persons is cited as
evidence, in the verse beginning pura. Even though
being yogis for a long time, they understand
eventually that their yoga is fruitless, and by that
devotional service that is attained through offering
unto You their endeavors and their prescribed duties,
by devotional service mixed with knowledge, coming
to know (bibudhya = jnatva) You.

6
Sridhara Svami: Thus so far is has been stated that
knowledge, both personal and impersonal (saguna
and nirguna) is difficult to achieve, and that You can
be realized only by the process of hearing and
chanting about You. Now, although these two
different kinds of knowledge have been characterized
together without distinguishing between them as
both difficult to fathom, nonetheless it is possible to
gain some knowledge of the reality beyond all
qualities, but not of the supreme with His
transcendental qualities, because Your qualities are

21
inconceivable and unlimited; Brahma thus praises
the Lord in the two verses beginning tathapi.
O Bhuma, the glories of You, whose qualities are
unbounded, can possibly (arhati = yogyah) become
accessible to perception (boddhum = bodha-gocara-
bhavitum) by senses which have been withdrawn
from matter (amala-antaratmabhih =
pratyahrtendriyaih). Or, (Your glories) can be
understood. Or, one become able to understand Your
glories (mahima = mahimanam). How? By
svanubhava, direct perception within Your heart as
the Supersoul.
But, it may be objected, the antah-karana only
takes as its object of perception that which is subject
to transformation, so how can there be realization in
the form of the Supersoul? That is replied to by the
word avikriyat. Because of being devoid of vikriya,
particular form; in other words, the perception of the
self is by rejection of material distinctions.
But, it may be again objected, if this is directly
perceived by the inner sense, then don’t we have to
conclude that it is not the real soul? This is replied to
by the word arupatah. Rupa means object of sense
perception; because of not (being) an object of
perception. The self is perceived by one’s functioning
(in relationship with it), not by fruitive enjoyment.
Thus there is n fault in this (saying that the soul is
arupa). Then how does its manifestation come
about? By its being ananya-bodhya, by its quality of
being self-manifest, and not by other means. In other
words, simply by their perception expressed as “this
is it.” Or, can even Ma, the goddess of fortune, who is
in all aspects Your confidential (potency), even with
her senses which are spotless, functioning internally,

22
understand Your glories as they are in fact? No, she
is not able. Then how is one able to understand? That
is as spoken, by the words beginning svanubhavat.
The idea here is the same as stated before.

Sanatana Gosvami: By whom can be understood

such glories of Your devotional service or the glories
of You, the object of devotional worship? Ah, what to
speak of understanding the possessor of all qualities,
even the glories of just one of Your qualities cannot
be factually understood; this is stated by the present
verse. Or, the glories of devotional service being
such, even if one endeavors most enthusiastically for
knowledge, still he cannot gain understanding of You,
the great ocean of unlimited auspicious qualities.
Perhaps somehow or other someone can have some
understanding of the glories of one of these qualities,
as stated by the verse beginning tathapi.
Your quality is characterized as Your mercy;
mahima means the glory of that (mercy), and ma
means laksmi, or opulence of that mahima. Someone
may perhaps understand that ma. Or, ma is the
goddess of fortune in the form of Sri Radha, this
being stated even during Lord Krsna’s childhood with
reference to His eternal pastimes, and indeed such is
factual. Or, in that manner one is able to particularly
understand the glories (mahi = mahatmyam). That
manner is described: by svanubhava, one’s own
perception of that, by one’s becoming endowed with
the special mercy upon one’s self of the supremely
gracious Personality of Godhead. Which endowment
is how? Nirvikara, or in other words, complete.
And what is that perception like? In reply to this
is stated that because the Supreme Personality of

23
Godhead is ananya-bodhya, because His true identity
can be understood only by accepting Him as one’s
own true self (atmataya), He is arupa, where rupa
meaning rupyate, the idea is that He is anirupya or
inconceivable. Not in any other way (can this
perception be realized); without this svanubhava it is
impossible to understand.
In this way, even the Personality of Godhead’s
qualities are implicitly said to be manifestations of
the Supreme Brahman. Or, in reply to the question,
“When will that perception arise?” is stated: by its
own manifestation, because (these glories) are
anirupya, or in other words, impossible to describe.
Or, it is not possible in any way to understand even
one of Your qualities, which is stated as follows: is
even Ma, Laksmi, able to understand, since (You are)
avikriya and svanubhava? This is asked ironically,
with the idea, “No, not even she is able.” With the
purpose of supplying logical reason in this regard is
spoken the vocative bhuman: O You whose glories
are in all circumstances unbounded. Moreover,
because of ananya-bodhyatmata, because of (these
glories) being identical with the personal form of Lord
Visnu, who is designated as a; this is because of the
nondifference between the quality and the possessor
of the quality. Not otherwise (than this identity
between Visnu and His glories can they be
understood); and thus it is implied that (these
glories) are not false. Therefore it has been stated by
Sri Yamunacarya, upary upary abja-bhuvo ’pi
purusan.

Jiva Gosvami: Nevertheless, O Bhuma, even though

it has been stated that the devotees alone can

24
understand, still (the nondevotees) can have some
understanding of You in Your formless impersonal
aspect.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: And thus, although You

can be perceived directly in this personal feature
only by pure devotional service, nevertheless,
exclusive knowledge being condemned, still
knowledge mixed with devotional service leads to
realization of Your identity as the formless Brahman.
But then, in accordance with Your own statement,
jnanam ca mayi sannyaset, (this realization can be
had) only after renouncing one’s knowledge, as
stated by the verse beginning tathapi. Even though
(such a person) cannot have pure devotional service,
nevertheless, O Bhuman, bhu meaning
manifestation, O You who have appeared in this
charming form with such personal manifestation, the
glories of You who are aguna, who are devoid of
material qualities, Your greatness, Your exclusive
dharma of brhattva, as stated by Yourself, madiyam
mahimanam ca para-brahmeti sabditam/ vestsyasy
angrhitam me samprasnair vivrtam hrdi: “Receiving
My mercy, you will understand my opulence known
as the supreme Brahman, revealed within Your heart
in response to your perfect inquiries,” and also the
statement of Dhruva, sa brahmani sva-mahimany api
natha (Bhag. 4.9.10: “That same pleasure can never
be attained within the impersonal Brahman, which is
Your personal opulence.”)—that supreme Brahman,
which is designated by the word mahima becomes
understood, of His (Brahman’s) own accord becomes
possible to understand. In the same way as food is
said to be cooking itself, the subject also serving as

25
the object, and as the ax is said to be itself cutting
the three, similarly here is meant to be expressed
the instrument acting as the subject. By what
agency? By spotless, pure hearts, through
svanubhava, perception that the senses themselves
carry out (sva-karmakat).
But, it may be objected, perception is a function
of antah-karana, and that constitutes the subtle
body, which is subject to transformation. So how can
it have as its object of perception the Supreme
Brahman, which is free from transformation? In reply,
more specific description is given: which is avikriya,
such that within it there does not exist [page
missing in commentary.]

7
Sridhara Svami: Who, moreover, is able (isire =
samartha babhuvuh) to estimate the qualities of You
who are gunatma, the soul of all qualities, or in other
words, the maintainer of all qualities, to count them
with the idea, “there are these many”? What then to
speak of discussing them in detail. Of Yourself
appearing in what way? Who has descended,
manifesting numerous qualities for the sake of the
benefit, the protection, of this universe.
But, it may be objected, what is there that is
impossible for the expert in sufficient course of time?
That is replied to with the words beginning kalena.
The word va is used to express contention. IT may be
possible for those who are most expert (su-kalpaih =
nipunaih) to measure, specifically count, in the time
of many life spans the atoms of the earth and also
the snow particles in the sky (mihikah = hima-
kamah), as well as the dyu-bhasah, the atomic

26
particles of the rays emanating from these stars and
other celestial bodies in the sky.

Sanatana Gosvami: Especially the greatness, the

specific measurement, of the qualities of Yourself
who has personally descended can never be
understood by anyone, as stated in the verse
beginning gunatmanah. Of the soul of all qualities,
He who inspires consciousness within them. The idea
is that whereas the qualities were previously during
the annihilation) unmanifest, as if sleeping, now by
manifesting them, waking them up, You are
revealing these qualities. Since You are like this
(possessed of qualities), because of the distinct
manifestation of qualities, thus is indicated the
possibility of counting them; but who is capable of
specifically measuring, counting, such greatness with
the idea “This in particular is the number”? No one at
all is capable, it is implied. The reason for this is as
follows: Of Him who has descended for the benefit of
all the living entities of this universe. The idea is that
in whichever particular way a given living entity will
be benefited, He correspondingly manifests some
particular quality for that purpose. In this regard, the
living entities are innumerable, therein their
individual natures are innumerable, and even within
that infinitude they are differentiated in innumerable
ways according to different kinds of statuses.
Consequently for that purpose (of fulfilling the
benefit of each living entity) the Lord’s qualities are
innumerable, and in terms of their many different
varieties, there arises the supreme infinity. Thus it is
not possible to count His qualities. Even those by
whom (the atoms of the earth and so on) have been

27
counted are not capable; such follows by connection
with the previous part of the verse. Because the
particles of the earth, the particles of snow, and the
particles of light are successively more and more
subtle, so the increasing magnitude of their infinity is
to be surmised.

Jiva Gosvami: Knowledge of His qualities in His

feature of personal varieties, on the other hand, can
never be had in full, as stated by the verse beginning
gunatmanah. “Who has descended for the benefit”
means who has mercifully manifest His qualities.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: No one, not even those

wise persons who have already crossed beyond the
ocean of maya, is capable of properly understanding
without devotional service and pure love of Godhead
that personality of the Supreme Lord, which is full of
transcendental, auspicious qualities. If the
personalities inhabiting my (Brahma’s) universe
headed by my own self cannot understand You, even
though seeing You before us, what then to speak of
the fact that they are not capable of even counting
all of Your supremely sweet qualities? There is no
need to even mention the matter of actually
experiencing Your sweetness. This is discussed in the
present verse: whose qualities are atma, innate
within Himself, which indicates that these qualities
are both eternal and transcendental. Similarly it is
stated in the Brahma-tarka: gunaih svarupa-bhutais
tu guny asau harir isvarah: “Lord Hari, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is a possessor of qualities in
terms of those qualities that are part of His internal
nature.”

28
 The word api is in the sense of “but.” Who is
capable (isire = saknuvanti) of measuring, counting,
with the idea of “there are so many,” the qualities of
Yourself, the soul of all qualities? Here the absence of
the suffix am (in the verse isire), which otherwise
would be isam cakruh, is the poetic license of the
sages. Of Him who has descended for the benefit of
this whole universe, for the cessation of the disease
of material existence; the word va is used to express
contention. Even those very expert persons, headed
by Lord Sankarsana, who have measured, counted,
the atoms of the earth and even more than that,
even the particles of snow, and even more than that
the dyu-bhasah, the atomic particles of the radiation
of the sun and other celestial bodies—even these
personalities, Sankarsana and the others, engaged
even today in continuously chanting (Your glories),
have yet to reach their limit.
Or, they are not capable of measuring the
qualities of You whose nature is that Your mind is set
upon protecting this universe, which is guna, made of
the three modes of material nature. What then to
speak (of being able to measure the qualities) of
Yourself in Your feature beyond the material modes,
of Your most amazing pastimes of stealing butter,
and so on.

8
Sridhara Svami: Therefore devotional service is the
only reasonable process to follow, as stated by the
verse beginning tat te ’nukampam. Su-
samiksamanah means eagerly expecting “when will
Your mercy arise?” Simply suffering the fruits of work
that have been earned by oneself in a detached

29
spirit, rather than struggling excessively by
austerities and so on, one who thus lives his life,
becomes the proper heir of liberation. For a devotee,
in the same way as there is n other suitable means
for gaining an inheritance than to simply be alive,
similarly there is no means for facilitating liberation
apart from simply living out his life as a devotee.

Sanatana Gosvami: Su-samiksamana means fully

expecting. The word eva is to be carried further into
the later lines of the verse wherever suitable. It has
been stated how the reactions one has earned by his
own activities must inevitably be suffered, so
therefore, it is implied, one should pay not regard to
the happiness and distress resulting from such.
Vipakam means the fruit of many different material
activities. “Offering obeisances with the heart, words,
and body” implies that one should indeed have
attachment for this (offering of obeisances), but not
for anything else. Mukti-padam means either
liberation or the city of Lord Maha-kala (Lord Siva).
Or, the padam that constitutes liberation—the place
known as Sri Vaikuntha, or the Lord’s lotus feet. Or,
by the connection of the prefix a (before the mukti),
there is no such liberation for the devotees because,
since they are submerging in the great ocean of the
nectar of Your glories, liberation becomes
insignificant, just like one drop of the salt ocean. (The
devotee) becomes the bhak, the bestower, of the gift
(daya = danam) to be found at Your pada, lotus feet,
or in pure love for those lotus feet. The phrase “with
heart, words, and body” can also be associated with
this context (of being daya-bhak); thus he is the
daya-bhak in the sense that simply by his desire he

30
bestows liberation upon others. In the same way (his
being the benefactor) is to be deduced in terms of
his mere words, and in terms of the touch of his
body, and so on.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Thus by giving up all other

practices and simply engaging in devotional service,
one attains You; such is understood as the whole
purport of this section. In reply to the question in this
regard, “In what way should carry this out?” is
spoken the verse beginning tat te. Because such is
the case, therefore enjoying the result of one’s own
work, as established in the verse dharmasya hy
apavargasya nartho ’thayopakalpate, suffering
happiness as the fruit consequent from the
performance of devotional service, and properly,
completely, expecting that mercy of Yours, in other
words, understanding that this happiness and
distress that is obtained at different time as is the
result of the Lord’s mercy. Just as a father treats his
son differently at different times, making him drink
nectar sometimes, and sometimes the bitter juice of
nim, sometimes embracing and kissing him and
other times slapping him with the palms of his hands.
In the same way, my Lord understands what is good
and bad for me, just like a father knows such for his
son. Certainly I do not know what is good and bad for
me. I have no devotion for You and therefore am
deserving to be under the sway of time, fruitive work,
and so on. Furthermore, the Lord, out of His mercy is
making me suffer this happiness and distress. Thus
the devotee considers that the Lord is rendering
serving to him. One who every day reveals his mind
to the Lord just as King Prthu did, yatha cared bala-

31
hitam pita vayam tatha tvam arhasi nah samihitum
(Bhag. 4.20.31: “Therefore, please do not ask me to
take some material benefits from You, but as a
father, not waiting for a son’s demand, does
everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow
upon me whatever You think best for me”), and
offering obeisances with his heart and so on, not
excessively tormenting himself, who simply lives his
life, he becomes a candidate for both liberation and
the pada—where the two are put into a singular
dvandva compound—for both liberation from the
cycle of material existence and the service of Your
lotus feet, which are the incidental and the principal
fruit. Just as the cause of a son receiving his
inheritance is simply his being alive, similarly, in a
devotee’s life, his being situated in this world on the
path of devotional service is his qualification to earn
his birthright. Such is the implication as corroborated
by the verse drtsya iva svasanty anu bhrto yadi te
’nuvidhah (Bhag. 10.87.17: “Any living creatures who
have devotion for You are factually maintaining their
life successfully, but otherwise they are simply
breathing in vain, just like a bellows.”)

9
Sridhara Svami: Thus having offered his praise, in
order to beg forgiveness from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Brahma declares his own
offense, in the verse beginning pasyesa. O Lord, just
see my low-class behavior, my wickedness, since I
have desired to see my own power by spreading out
my personal illusory energy upon You, the creator of
illusion, the bewilderer of all masters of illusion. How
much am I, to act like this, with You? Nothing at all,

32
just as the spark that has taken birth from the fire is
nothing in comparison to the fire.

Sanatana Gosvami: In the verse beginning pasya,

the obvious manifestation of his low-class behavior is
declared. “O Lord” implies to his own master, and in
that same connection, to the unlimited, to Him
whose greatness is unbounded. And furthermore,
specifically in that context, to the primeval one, (his
own) father, and further in that regard, to the
Supersoul, the supreme spiritual master, because He
revealed all of the Vedas from within his heart. And
further in that connection, to the creator of illusion
even for the masters of illusion, and in that
connection, further to Yourself, Sri Krsna. In this way
(Brahma’s expanding of his illusory potency was
unsuitable), and that is described in terms of greater
and greater unsuitability, by the phrases explained
above. I desired to see the atmanas, the greatness of
You (atmanah = tava), in accordance with the
statement, drastum manju mahitvam anyad api
(Bhag. 10.13.15: “Now that same Brahma wanted to
show some of his own power and see the power of
Krsna.”) The word hi is meant to express certainty or
else remorse. Kiyan: Although in this way factually
there has been no offense, nevertheless what a lowly
person I am to have acted thus.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: I have not engaged even in

the slightest trace of devotional service, but rather I
have committed heaps of offenses, which Lord
Brahma speaks with remorse in the verse beginning
pasya. O Lord, please see my anaryam—where an
arya is a good person and also a wise person; his

33
status is called aryam, and the opposite of that is
anaryam—my wickedness and foolishness. Thus
taking notice of this, You should act fittingly either by
punishing or forgiving me, because, as it is implied,
otherwise, the wickedness and the foolishness of
such a personal as myself will simply increase.
In answer to the objection, “But what is this
wickedness and foolishness?” Brahma speaks: (I
have tried to play a trick) on He who is the original,
who is my father because being my own cause of
existence. In other words, on Yourself, who was
happily enjoying His meal together in the company of
His friends; such is my wickedness. (I played a trick)
on the unlimited, He whose opulence is unbounded,
and on the Supersoul, the very soul of the soul; such
is my foolishness. On the creator of illusion for the
masters of illusions; such is my supreme foolishness.
Even though I am such, still spreading out my illusory
energy against You, I desired to see my own
opulence (Your own opulence?). Indeed, alas, what is
my extent in comparison to Yours (kiyan = kim
parimanakaI), just as if a flame (arcis =jvala), having
taken birth from the great fire, desires to burn that
fire?

Jiva Gosvami: The verse beginning pasyesa: arya is

a good person, his condition is called aryam, and that
also implies wisdom. The opposite condition of that is
anaryam, which is wickedness and foolishness. Thus
the wickedness is described by the words, “to you
who are primeval,” and the foolishness is stated by
the words, “to the unlimited Supersoul.” The
supreme foolishness is stated by the words,
“spreading out My illusory energy upon the

34
bewilderer of all bewilderers.” Although it has been
stated drastum manju mahitvam, nevertheless, this
has simply culminated in my false pride; such is
spoken by the words beginning atma. The example
of magnitude is stated: Just like the flame in
comparison to the whole fire.

10
Sridhara Svami: One who is rajo-bhuva, born from
the mode of passion, and consequently ignorant, who
is therefore ajavalepandha-tamo’ndha-caksusah,
whose eyes are blinded by the dense darkness, the
intoxication of “I am Aja, the creator of the universe,”
and therefore who is thinking himself to be a
controller separate from Yourself. Because otherwise
You are situated as my master, being my Lord, You
should therefore think, “This person is my servant
(natha-van = mad-bhrtyah), and thus he should be
shown compassion.” Thinking thus, you should kindly
excuse me.

Sanatana Gosvami: Therefore, because of my

extreme insignificance, and Your extreme greatness,
please forgive me. Brahma demonstrates his great
insignificance with the adjectives rajo-bhuvah and so
on. The word hi, in the sense of “indeed” is to be
connected with all these adjectives. O Acyuta:
Because of Your greatness, consisting of all offenses
whatsoever of one who is surrendered to You
becoming forgiven, for whom (Yourself) there is
never in any manner and for any reason any
falldown. This person, myself, is worthy of
compassion. Why? Because he has (Me as) his
master, or in other word, he is My servant.

35
 But, it may be objected, what is the meaning of
saying that you, the supreme personality in this
universe, are in servitude? That is replied to: For the
purpose of Me, the Personality of Godhead; in other
words, for the exclusive purpose of obtaining You.
The rest has been explained by Sridhara Svami.
Or, the reason for each of these (adjectives) is
stated: The pervasion (avalepa = vyapti) by maya
(ajyaya = mayaya) is so to speak a dense darkness,
(of he) whose eyes have become blinded by such.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Although the punishment

that is appropriate because of my wickedness and
the forgiveness that is appropriate on account of my
foolishness are both possible, nevertheless, it is more
fitting that You, who are so greatly merciful, show
forgiveness; this is stated by the verse beginning
atah. O Acyuta, because You, on account of Your
great mercifulness and other qualities, are free from
all tendencies to fall down. I, on the other hand, am
most fallen; therefore please forgiven my offense.
This statement implies the ethic of nice dayadhike
spardha: “The most fallen person has the best claim
for mercy.”
Brahma describes how he is so fallen: “Of the
rajo-bhuvah, the son who by contact with the
contamination of the mode of passion has thus
become foolish and therefore is thinking himself to
be separate from You, with the idea “I am like this or
that.” How he is presuming himself to be a controller
is elaborated upon: Ajavalepa means the intoxication
of being unborn Brahma, and that constitutes the
darkness of ignorance, where the failure to make
adjustment in the end of the word (tamas) at the end

36
of the compound is poetic license of the sages; by
that darkness of ignorance whose eyes have become
blinded. Therefore when the moonrise of Your mercy
has been shown upon me an why my extreme pride
has been driven away, then You will become visible
to me, not otherwise.
If the Lord were to inquire, “What idea should I
take into consideration by which I should forgive?”
Brahma says, “This Brahma should be shown mercy.
He is worthy of My mercy because otherwise, even
though e is presuming to be a lord, he has Me as his
Lord. He is My servant.” Or, even though out of
foolishness He has exerted independence from Me, in
fact, because he is under the control of My illusory
energy, he is My subject. Thinking thus.
The Amara-kosa states, para-tantrah paradhinah
paravan nathavan api (the words para-tantra,
paradhinah, paravan, and nathavan are all
synonyms.)

11
Sridhara Svami: But, the Lord may object, the
whole universe is your body and you are the
controller. To that is replied the verse beginning
kvaham. Tamo means material nature, mahan is the
Mahat-tattva, aham is false ego, kham is ether, cara
is air, fire, var or jalam, and earth. That egglike
container, which is surrounded by these elements
beginning with prakrti and ending with earth; who
am I, whose body is simply seven spans according to
my own measurement within this container? And
where, on the other hand, are Your glories? Of what
sort of person? All these countless universes like this
are infinitesimal atoms, and He is the person whose

37
hair holes are like the small openings in a screen
(vatadhva = gavaksa) through which pass these
atoms (carya = paribhramanam). Therefore, because
of my being very insignificant, I should be shown
mercy by You.

Sanatana Gosvami: Ah, because of my extreme

insignificance, I am not fit to beg for forgiveness for
my offense against You, the Supreme Great; this is
stated in the verse beginning kvaham. The universe’s
assuming the form of a pot is with the idea of its
insignificance in comparison to the greatness of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahitvam means
greatness. Therefore, it is implied, You should on
Your own initiative show mercy.

Jiva Gosvami: In accordance with the statement of

the Satvata-tantra, visnos tu trini rupani, here the
first of the purusa incarnations is praised, in the
verse beginning kvaham.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, the Lord may object,

(you are) well known as the creator of the universe,
and therefore are not falsely presuming to be a
controller, whereas tell me what is My opulence? In
reply to this, Brahma speaks the verse beginning
kva. (The next sentence repeats except that Sri Jiva
Gosvami comments that the universe is five spans in
measurement according to Brahma’s own
proportions, measuring the universe from Patala-loka
up to Satyaloka. He also states that Lord Carya, as
the synonym for Vatadhvana means that through
which the atoms enter and go out. Finally he
analyzes the comparison to the glories of, the

38
opulence of, the Lord in his form as the creator of the
Mahat, the first purusa, here being described as
nondifferent from Lord Krsna.) Therefore my
opulence and prowess are in comparison to you like
that of the locust in the presence of Garuda; in other
words, they are not to be counted seriously.

12
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, does the kicking of
the feet of an infant within the womb constitute an
offense against the mother? In this world,
ornamented or designated by the terms, “It is” and
“It is not.” That is to say, by words, “Existence” and
“nonexistence,” or by the designations of gross and
subtle, of causes and effects. Or, that which is
situated (usitam = sthitam) within the world, the
scope of subject matter, of these words. In other
words, all things. O Adhoksaja, is there anything at
all (kiyad api = kincin-matram) outside (ananta =
bahir) of your abdomen? No, there is nothing at all.
Therefore, since everything is within Your womb,
thus just as a mother you should tolerate the offense.

Sanatana Gosvami: Moreover, any offense I may

commit cannot have any effect on you, as stated in
the verse beginning utksepanam. Adhoksaja, O You
who are metaphorically said to have become reborn
under the axle of a cart below which you were lying
(sakatasya akse), as stated in the words of Sri
Narada in the Sri Vasudeva mahatma section of the
Hari-vamsa, Visnu-parva 101.30-33: adho ’nena
sayanena sakatantara-carina/ raksasi nihata raudra
sakuni-vesa-charini// putana nama ghora sa maha-
kaya maha-bala/ visa-digdham stanam ksudra

39
prayacchanti janardane//dadrsur nihatam tatra
raksasim vana-gocarah/ punar jato ’yam ity ahur
uktas tasmad adhoksajah: “By that child who is lying
underneath the cart after playing underneath it, this
terrible demoness named Putana, who was
appearing in a very auspicious form, who was very
frightful with her great body and great strength, was
killed. The residents of the forest saw that wicked
demoness offer her breast smeared with poison to
Lord Janardana, and then they saw her dead in the
form of a raksasi. They then cried out, “He has come
back to life,” and therefore the Lord is called
Adhoksaja.” And we have the commentary of these
verses by the commentator on Hari-vamsa:
“Adhoksaja means that He was born again
underneath the axle of the cart.” Thus since the
Lord’s greatest pastimes are alluded to by this
reference to His being the young son of the king of
Vraja, the seed of another reason for not giving
serious regard to the offense is expressed by the
vocative expression Adhoksaja. In this world we see
that the people have excused the offenses of Him
who has as His pastimes created great offenses such
as stealing and so on; therefore the implication is
that You should kindly excuse my offense.

Jiva Gosvami: Brahma praises the second purusa

incarnation in the verse beginning utksepanam.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Moreover, my offense

should definitely be excused, because you are my
mother. Thinking of Lord Krsna as equal to the
second purusa, Lord Padmanatha, Brahma, speaks
the verse beginning utksepanam. (The second

40
sentence repeats.) How much indeed is the extent of
the form of the universe, (the totality of) objects
which are definitely ascertained as either real or
unreal, through arguments appropriate for
establishing one’s own opinion by defeating the
opinion of others and which may be decorated with
the designations of “it exists” or “it does not exist.”
Is all of this, comprising the entire universe, within
your abdomen or external to it? Indeed it is all inside,
and therefore because I also am within Your womb,
therefore You, who are the mother of Your son,
should certainly tolerate his offense. This is the same
idea as expressed in Brahma’s statement,
pitamahasya jagato mata dhata pitamahah.

13
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, my birth as coming
from you in particular is well known, as stated in the
verse beginning jagat-traya. At the end of the three
worlds, during the annihilation, within the water (uda
= udaka) of the flood, the deluge, of all the oceans,
from the lotus stem growing out of the navel (udara
= nabhi) of Lord Narayana, Aja emerged; such words
are not false. Here the word vai expresses certainty.
Nevertheless, O master, I s it not a fact that I have
emanated, taken birth from You (and not just
Narayana)? Indeed, it is implied, I have taken birth
from You.

Sanatana Gosvami: And especially the offense of

me, the son, should be forgotten by You, the father,
as stated in the verse beginning jagat. Nala means
lotus stem, and that implies the lotus flower. Or, the
word nala means lotus flower, according to the

41
Visva-kosa, naline tu nalam matam, where the suffix
(which makes the middle vowel of nala long) leaves t
he meaning of the word unchanged; from that lotus
flower. Or, it s implied, form the middle part of the
lotus stem. The word tu indicates distinction from
what is different, since Brahma took birth directly
from 6the Lord; therefore word vi (as the prefix to
nirgatah) is also used, and in that way nirgatah
implies Brahma’s becoming situated high above the
Lord’s abdomen. By the word “O Lord,” because
Brahma is considering it unfitting for him to look
upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his
father, out of devotion, he is addressing Him in the
role of master. Or, O Lord, even though I emanated
from Narayana, it is from You that I have emanated,
because of Your being the Supreme Controller. In
other words, because of Your being nondifferent from
Narayana.

Jiva Gosvami: In this regard, Brahma establishes his

special status as the son of the Lord, in the verse
beginning jagat-traya.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, the Lord may object,

indeed a son comes out from the womb of his
mother. He does not remain, on the other hand,
always within the womb. In reply to such, Lord
Brahma speak this verse: at the end of the universe,
during the annihilation, in the water of the deluge of
the oceans, in their becoming merged into one, Aja
(appeared); the implication here is that “Anyone else
may have also appeared or not [?].” So, my dear sir,
have I not come out from You? Indeed I have.

42
14
Sridhara Svami: Then you are the son of Narayana,
but how is it deduced that you are My son? That is
replied to by the verse beginning narayanas tvam.
“Not indeed” is spoken in irony, establishing the fact
that “You are indeed Narayana.”
“How am I Narayana?” the Lord may ask. That is
replied to: You are the soul of all embodied beings. In
this way, aren’t you Narayana? Naram means the
totality of all living beings, and Narayana is the
shelter of them. You are also such, and thus is
implied, because of being the soul of all embodied
beings (You are) Narayana. O ultimate controller, are
You not Narayana? Again speaking ironically.
Adhisa means prime mover, and thus means
“Him from whom comes the setting into motion
(ayana = pravrtti) of nara.” Again this is Yourself.
Moreover, You are akhila-loka-saksi, You directly see
all worlds. Therefore, You are Narayana because You
know (ayase = janasi) nara.
But, it may be objected, this is simply based on
the theoretical derivation of the word Narayana,
whereas it is known to be otherwise (in My case,
even though I am also called Narayana). Anticipating
this objection, the words beginning narayano ’ngam
are spoken. He who is famous as Narayana because
of being the shelter of all things born out of nara, and
also of the water that is created from nara—he is
Your own anga, personal manifestation. Thus it is
also stated in smrti, naraj jatani tattvani naran iti
vidur budhah/ tasya tany ayanam purvam tena
narayanah smrtah: “All elements that have been
created from nara are called naras by those who
know. Because He previously took shelter within

43
them, He is called Narayana.” Similarly, it is also
stated, apo nara iti prokta apo vai nara-sunavah/
ayanam tasya tah purvam tena narayanah smrtah:
“The water is called nara, because indeed this water
has taken birth from nara. Because previously He
took shelter in that water, He is known as Narayana.”
But, it may be objected, how can My personal
appearance, which is unbounded, take shelter of
water? That is replied to: That also is not real.

Sanatana Gosvami: Your anga, one of Your forms.

But, it may be objected, Narayana is designated
according to the upadhi of His taking shelter in the
water created from nara, then since upadhis are
unreal, aren’t we also forced to conclude that the
status of being Narayana is unreal? That is replied to:
That also, the water, is real, and is not created by
Your illusory energy; just as Your anga is real,
similarly that water is also real, as implied by the
word api. Because Your pastimes are real, similarly
this taking shelter (in the water) is also real because
it plays a part in Your pastime. Therefore, it being
proven that this water is also real on account of
being created from Nara, the incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, thus Lord
Narayana is automatically established as unlimited
on the basis of this water, which is not illusory, also
being unlimited. Or, experiencing the greatness of
Lord Sri Krsna, who is superior even to Narayana,
Lord Brahma is afraid because he has designated
Him as Narayana, and anxiously says, “You are not
Narayana.”
O ultimate controller, O master of swarms of
universes, You are not Narayana because (hi =

44
yatah) He who is called Narayana because of His
taking shelter of the water born from Nara is Your
anga, Your expansion. According to the statement
bhutair yada pancabhir atma-srstaih/ param virajam
viracayya tasmin/ svamsena vistah
purusabhidahanam/ avapa narayana adi-deva:
“When the primeval Lord Narayana created His
universal body out of the five elements produced
from Himself and entered within that universal body
by His own plenary portion, He thus became known
as the Purusa.” (Bhag. 11.4.3) –the Narayana
discussed in this verse is the source of all
incarnations, Sri Purusottama, and He assumed the
designation of the Purusa. In other words, He
became the Narayana who lies down within the
water.
According to the statement to be made later on,
yan-mitram paramanandam purnam brahma
sanatanam (Bhag. 10.14.32: “Whose friend was the
personification of supreme bliss, the complete and
eternal Absolute Truth”), Lord Krsna, on the other
hand, alone is the complete Supreme Person (purnah
purusottamah). Therefore, You are akhila-loka-saksi,
the witness of all the universes (loka = bhuvanani),
in which are located all of the planets (loka =
bhuvanani), in accordance with the statement (text
11), kvedrg-vidhaviganitanda-paranu-carya, and also
in accordance with Brahma’s personally having seen
just then present within Vrndavana millions and
millions of universes. Narayana, on the other hand,
(is the Lord) of only one of the universes, and thus
(Krsna is called) sarva-dehinam. “All embodied
beings” are the individual living entities, and it is the
vairaja-purusas who are called sarva-dehis in the

45
sense that these individual living entities are present
within them. The vairaja-purusas are the total jivas
present within each of countless millions of
universes, and You are the soul of all of them. The
rest is explained in the same way as previously.
But, it may be objected, according to the
statement, brahma tad upadharyatha saha devais
taya saha jagama sa-trinayanas tiram ksira-payo-
nidheh// tatra gatva jagan-natham deva-devam vrsa-
kapim purusam purusa-suktena upatasthe samahitah
(Bhag. 10.1.19-20: “Thereafter having heard of the
distress of mother earth, Lord Brahma, with mother
earth, approached the shore of the ocean of milk.
After reaching the shore of the ocean of milk, the
demigods worshiped the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Visnu, the master of the whole
universe, the supreme God of all gods, who provides
for everyone and diminishes everyone’s suffering.
With great attention they worship Lord Visnu, who
lies on the ocean of milk, by reciting the Vedic
mantras known as the Purusa-sukta”), since it was
because of their offering prayers to the Supersoul of
the virat, the Purusa named Narayana laying down
on the ocean of milk, that the Lord appeared in the
form of Krsna, then Krsna must consequently be (an
incarnation of) the purusa named Narayana.
Then why do you say that (I) am not Narayana?
Yes, that is correct, but please take note of the
following in this regard:

jagrhe paurusam rupam

bhagavan mahad-adibhih
sambhutam sodasa-kalam
adau loka-sisrksaya

46
 yasyambhasi sayanasya
yoga-nidram vitanvatah
nabhi-hradambujad asid
brahma visva-srjam patih

yasyavayava-samsthanath
kalpito loka-vistarah
tad vai bhagavato rupam
visuddham sattvam urjitam (Bhag. 1.3.1-3)

“In the beginning of creation, the Lord first expanded

Himself in the universal form of the Purusa
incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the
material creation. And thus at first there was the
creation of the sixteen principles of material action.
This was for the purpose of creating the material
universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a
lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem,
Brahma, the master of all engineers in the universe,
becomes manifest. It is believed that all the
planetary systems are situated on the extensive
body of the Purusa, but He has nothing to do with the
created material ingredients. His body is eternally in
spiritual existence par excellance.”

The idea of these verses is that the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Sri Purusottama, in the
beginning, that is to say in the beginning of creation,
by casting His own glance with the desire to create
the worlds by the creations of the mahat-tattva and
so on, assumed the Purusa form and appeared in
that form. What sort of form? Composed of the
sixteen fractions, where eight are described as

47
anima mahima praptih prakamyam laghimesita/
tatha kamavasayitvam vasitety asta-siddhayah
(Bhag. 11.5.4), six more are aisvaryasya samagrasya
viryasya yasasah sriyah/ jnana-vaisragyayos capi
sannam bhaga itingana (Visnu Purana 6.5.74), and
two more are lila-krpabhidhau visnoh sva-pararthau
gunav ubhau lila svasyaiva saukhyaya paresam tu
krpa smrta (“Lord Visnu’s pastimes and His mercy
are two of His qualities, where the first is for His own
sake and the second is for others. Thus His pastimes
are for His own happiness, and His mercy is
understood to be for the happiness of others.”) This
in which are present the sixteen kalas or qualities is
the first of the purusa-rupas, namely, the master of
the mahat. The second purusa-rupa is present within
the universe, as stated by the verse beginning yasya
(Bhag. 1.3.2). After having created the universe,
entering within it, and lying down, from the lotus
growing form the navel lake of whom Brahma
appeared. How is that lotus characterized? From
which, by the limbs of the lotus from the navel lake,
by its whorl, leaves, and so on, the expanse of all the
worlds is arranged.
And what is it the appearance of this form of
Narayana? That is described by the words beginning
tad vai (Bhag. 1.3.3). And this should not be thought
to be Ksirodakasayi Visnu, a different incarnation
from the Lord who is lying on the Garbhodaka water,
since Garbhodakasayi Visnu enters within the lotus
that constitutes all the worlds, as narrated in the
Third Canto, tal-lok-padmam sa uha eva visnuh
pravivisat sarva-gunavabhasam (Bhag. 3.8.15: “Into
that universal lotus flower Lord Visnu personally
entered as the Supersoul, and when it was thus

48
impregnated with all the modes of material nature,
the personality of Vedic wisdom, whom we called the
self-born was generated.”) And of this Purusa,
twenty-two incarnations are described, beginning
with sa eva prathamam devah kaumaram sargam
asthitah (Bhag. 1.3.6: “First of all, in the beginning of
creation, there were the four unmarried sons of
Brahma, the Kumaras.”), and culminating with Kalki.
Thus, although Krsna, because of being included
among these, becomes accepted as an incarnation of
the Purusa, His specific difference is stated: ete
camas-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam
(Bhag. 1.3.28). These incarnations of the Kumaras
and so on are amsas and kalas of the puman, the
Purusa; in this way He is distinguished from the rest.
In the words krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, the word
tu introduces a distinction: that Supreme Personality
of Godhead who assumed the form of the Purusa, is
Himself Krsna, and in that form of Krsna He is
svayam, independent, not according to the logic of a
“lamp lit from another lamp.” He is not manifest from
another, but rather Lord Krsna is in the position of
the primary lamp. Thus it is also stated in Sri
Brahma-samhita: yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam
athavalambha jivanti roma-vila-ja jagad-anda-
nathah/ visnur mahan sa iha yasya tanu-viseso
govindam adi-opurusam tam aham bhajami (Bs.
5.59). Thus the counting of this supreme source of all
incarnations among the different incarnations is not
in comparison to any special sweetness of another of
His lila or other categories of incarnations.
But, it may be objected, granted that Lord Krsna
is in all aspects full and complete, but since
Ksirodakasayi Visnu is described in the Moksa-

49
dharma section of the Padma Purana as being the
Aniruddha of the catur-vyuha, how is He a partial
expansion? Yes, the four vyuhas, Vasudeva and so
on, are specific portions relative to that Lord Krsna
whose greatness is unequalled and unexcelled. More
specifically, Aniruddha and the others are indeed
expansions of Maha-narayana, and it is stated how
the source of His manifestation as well is Krsna, in
the statement yasyaika-nisvasita. And He who is
being described by the glorification of the
Ksirodakasayi Visnu is also (in the first chapter of the
Tenth Canto) Krsna Himself. In that situation, He is
thus described (as Ksirodakasayi Visnu) because of
the facility the demigods had for receiving His mercy
on the shore of the milk ocean, not because what
was going to be described was an incarnation of Him
(Ksirodakasayi Visnu). As stated in the Padma and
other Puranas, anugrahaya devanam tatra sannihito
harih. In fact, in response to the demigods offering
their prayers there, Sri Purusottama Himself
descended, taking along within Himself all of His
personal forms; this is ascertained as the conclusion.
And the same idea is also corroborated by Sridhara
Svamipada, as he states in his explanation to the
verse, athaham amsa-bhagena (Bhag. 10.2.9: “With
the amsa means in the form of the Purusa, and
bhagena means by Him whose glance (bhajana =
iksana) is cast upon maya.)

Jiva Gosvami: Again with great reverence stating

the distinction between the two of them, Brahma
establishes that he is His son, with the verse
beginning narayanas tvam. Or, You are adhisa, the
Narayana who stands even above the first Purusa.

50
Naram means the combination of the second and
third different Purusas (Krsna is He from whom
comes the prime motivation (ayayena = pravrttir) of
both these naras and of the first Purusa who is the
embodiment of their amalgamation. Therefore You
are the Narayana who is the soul of all embodied
beings, the third purusa, as well as the second
purusa who is the witness of all the worlds and the
first purusa (who is called Narayana), because of
taking shelter in the water born from Nara.
Nevertheless each of these purusas are Your angas,
whereas You are the angi.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Then you are the son of

Narayana, but what does that have to do with Me?
That is replied: “You are not Narayana?” Which being
expressed ironically means “You are indeed
Narayana.” O Adhisa, master of even the great
controllers, according to Your statement,
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam ekamsena sthito jagat,
You are the soul of all embodied beings, and because
of being the soul, You are the witness of all the
worlds, whereas that Narayana is merely the
indwelling Lord, the soul and the witness, of the jiva
souls. Therefore, He is to be understood and Your
plenary expansion and thus You are actually Him.
But, My dear Brahma, I am known as Krsna
because of My complexion being black, and I reside
in Vrndavana. He, on the other hand, because of
being situated in the water named Nara, has the
name Narayana. How am I He? That is replied to by
the words nara-bhu-jalayanat. He who is Narayana
because of being present in the water born from
Nara, according to the definition, apo nara iti prokta

51
apo vai nara-sunavah/ ayanam tasya tah purvam
tena narayanah smrtah, is your anga, Your partial
expansion. Therefore, even though I am present in
His abdomen, I am present within Your abdomen.
Moreover, because it has been stated, sveccha-
mayasya na tu bhuta-mayasya (text 2), both Your
body as a young child and Your body as Vasudeva
are described as being sat-cit-ananda. Therefore,
also that anga known as Narayana is real, a
manifestation of the pure mode of goodness existing
throughout all time and space, not, like the universe
form, an illusory creation of maya. And by the word
ca, also, the standard forms of Matsya, Kurma, and
so on, are real.

15
Sridhara Svami: The fact of the Lord’s being
unlimited is established by the verse beginning tat
cet. If that body of Yours present within the water
which is the shelter of all the universes were real,
then (tarhi = tadaiva) why, O Personality of Godhead,
O You whose opulence is inconceivable, were You not
seen there by me even after I entered within the
path of the lotus stem and investigated for one
hundred years?
But, it may be replied, that form is external, but
My real form is to be seen with the internal sense.
Such is replied to: Then why did I not see it (no
nyadarsi = na drstam) even within the heart? And
then, after performing penances, suddenly it was
clearly seen. Therefore it is maya. Consequently, the
idea of Your personal form being bounded by any
particular space is not true.

52
Sanatana Gosvami: The realness is established by
the verse beginning tat. Indeed, it was not seen with
external vision as present within material water, as
stated by the words kim va. By the word su is
indicated the vision in the form simply of hearing the
order tapa tapa. By the word tadaiva is indicated that
this was seen only by great endeavor and only after
a long period of time. And neither was it achieved by
the endeavor, as stated by the words beginning kim
no. Why was it also not seen in the heart, that is to
say, seen again, as when the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, giving benediction to Sri Brahma,
appeared once to him in his meditation and then
again disappeared, and Brahma, agitated in
separation from the Lord attempted to revive that
vision of the Lord again, but could not see Him within
His heart. It is further revealed that at a later time
the Lord automatically was seen within the heart. Or
else, it should not be said that therein (in the heart)
He was not (seen), because later on, out of His
mercy, He was seen there; this is stated by the words
beginning kim. Again, later, was He not seen
together with His special beauty, paraphernalia, and
associates? Indeed He was seen. In this way, just as
the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
similarly His sporting activities, paraphernalia, His
water and so on are implied to be all self-
manifesting. Even though water being a designated
covering makes it unreal, Him not having a
permanent relationship with that water, still it is
universally accepted that His status of being
Narayana is eternal. And indeed, because His
pastimes are eternal and display other
transcendental qualities, it is in reference to the

53
eternal nature of His associates and so on that the
interpretation is given in this way (that He is
eternally Narayana, even though the material world
is not eternal.)

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, it may be objected, if

that personal feature of the Narayana is a
manifestation of the pure mode of goodness, then
how is it always seen that He is bounded by lying
down in the material Garbha water? Indeed, because
He is all-pervading, it should not be possible for Him
to be limited by any mere Garbha water. Therefore it
does not seem fitting for Him to be lying down in that
water. This is replied to: if that body of Yours known
as Narayana, which is sat jagat in the sense of the
universe being present (sat = vartamanam) within
Him, were situated within that water, then why, O
Lord, O You whose opulence is inconceivable, was He
not seen by me at that time even after entering
within the path of the stem of the lotus and
investigating for one hundred years?
If it is replied, but that was not seen situated
within the waters because of Y our own ignorance,
then why also was it not seen by Me while
meditating, why was it not at that time properly seen
within the heart? And why at that very moment,
there within the heart was it again seen? Therefore,
that body of Yours, even though bounded by being
situated within the water, remains unbounded by
Your inconceivable potency, by having placed within
Your abdomen the entire universe. Even though
present in all times and places, by Your yoga-maya,
by the powers of covering and revealing, it is

54
sometimes seen and sometimes not seen, thus the
situation is to be understood.

16
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, if Your material
expansion of water and so on is real, then by such
You would be subject to limitation, but it has been
shown by You that this is based on the play of Your
maya, as is stated in these three verses (texts
16-18). O subduer of illusion (maya-dhamana =
mayopasamana), in this incarnation there has been
the showing of the whole externally manifest
(universe) to Your mother in Your own abdomen.

Sanatana Gosvami: But, it may be objected, then

in the same way as the real status of that
transcendental water and so on, also the reality of
the material universe would transpire, and that being
the case would not the statements of transcendental
scripture and the experience of pure souls be
contradicted? Yes, this material creation is illusory,
as is stated by the two verses beginning atraiva. In
that incarnation which serves to subdue maya; such
implies that everything in connection with this
incarnation is anti-maya, and similarly is implied the
driving away of illusion and so on also for those who
are worshipers of this incarnation. Moreover, the
word eva being used in a sense of api, also (?) in this
incarnation which subdues maya; the word hi
expresses certainty. By the phrase mayatvam
prakati-krtam is indicated the supreme illusoriness.
This was revealed to Your mother Sri Yasoda, and
thus she is cited as evidence by her being Your most
exalted relative. The word ca is in the same sense of

55
api; even the whole. Or, the word ca is used to
express the summation of a collection. The vision of
the universe present within Your belly is cited as an
example, the prescribed method of argument being
to cite what is already established in corroboration of
what is to be established. The idea is as follows, just
as the disappearance within a single moment of You,
who was being directly experienced as real, was
illusory, just like what is seen in a dream or in a
magical performance, similarly the presence even of
that (universe) which is externally manifest as real is
proven to be illusory (by the experience of Mother
Yasoda’s seeing it within Your abdomen); this was
made known by her to Sri Nanda and the others. The
incidence of this is to be understood that by drinking
her breast milk the Lord yawned and she had the
opportunity to see the entire universe. Or, on
account of Sri Brahma’s being all-knowing, and
because of this moment his receiving special mercy
from the Lord, he has obtained knowledge of that
event which had occurred twice (of Yasoda’s seeing
the universe within baby Krsna). And thus [I cannot
translate the rest of this sentence properly.]

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, it is inconsistent that

the same person whose body is situated within the
water present within the universe has the universe
standing within His abdomen. Indeed, we don’t find
within a pot present within a house the whole house
standing. Thus it must be concluded that (the
universe) observed within this body constituted of
pure goodness must be something other than the
illusory world; it must be non-illusory, and the
(external) universe must be something different from

56
it. Such being the case, the Lord may surmise, you
were not actually present within My abdomen.
Anticipating this idea, Brahma expresses the oneness
of the universe within His abdomen and the external
universe, and thus establishes the illusoriness (of the
universe within the abdomen) by these two verses
(texts 16-17).
The text beginning atraiva: O subduer of maya,
by the showing of this entire externally manifested
created universe within Your abdomen; here “by the
showing” supplies the unexpressed completion of the
idea. Jananyah means to Your mother Yasoda.
Mayatvam means illusoriness. Therefore it is subtly
hinted that it is by Your inconceivable yoga-maya
that at the same time as the universe is present
within Your body (Your body is all-pervading
throughout the universe). And thus I also am even at
this very moment directly present within Your
abdomen, which makes the further implication that
You are directly My mother.

17
Sridhara Svami: But, this must be a reflection of
the externally real world within My abdomen, so why
(do you say) that it is all illusory (both the internal
vision and the external manifestation? That is replied
to by the verse beginning yasya. In whose, Your
belly, as all of this world is manifest, all of that is also
here externally manifest in the same way. Moreover,
satmam, along with You all of that (becomes
manifest); within You what occurs without maya [I
don’t understand this]? The idea is as follows: If this
were a reflection within You, then it would appear as
reversed from the external manifestation, but such is

57
not the case. And also there would not be the
manifestation of Yourself, who is in the position of
the mirror. Therefore this must all be illusory.

Sanatana Gosvami: But, because this (internal

vision) is a reflection, it must be illusory, whereas
that (the external manifestation) because it is always
directly experienced, is real. If such is postulated, the
reply is stated by the verse beginning yasya.
Satmam means along with (Your) self. The rest has
been explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, both this
(internal vision) and that (external vision) are real,
but can both of them be real? That is replied to by
the verse beginning yasya. Because the two of them
appear exactly in the same form in all respects, since
the logical relationship between an image and its
reflection is contradicted, the illusoriness of the
situation is proven; such is the implication. Or,
because there is no precedence of hearing about a
multitude of universes that are all exactly the same
in form, therefore one of these two must be false.
And if it is said that we should accept the multiplicity
of universes on the basis of the statement kvedrg-
vidhaviganitanda (text 11), then since all of them are
real we would be left with the conclusion that those
universes which are direct manifestations of the
Lord’s internal energy and those which are the
opulent manifestations of the material energy are
the same, which is not an acceptable conclusion.
Furthermore, the experience of pure souls, of this
world as being like a dream or a fantasy, and the
many statements of sruti and smrti, would be
contradicted; therefore the appropriate conclusion is
that the situation is illusory in all respects (both the

58
external and the internally manifest universes were
illusory). Therefore the words tat sarvam have been
spoken.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Because these two

universes, manifest within Your abdomen and
externally, appear in all respects nondifferent,
therefore they are one, and because of their ones the
illusoriness of the universe within Your abdomen is
ascertained. With this idea this verse is spoken. In
the same way as the universe present within whose,
Your, abdomen is manifest, similarly is manifest this
externally present universe. Plus this (manifestation)
is simply a reflection within My abdomen of the
eternally present world. Such is replied to by the
word satmam, meaning, along with Yourself. The
idea is that indeed a mirror is not seen within itself.
Therefore it is the externally manifest illusory
universe which was seen within Your abdomen.
Tvayi: Just as the universe present within Your
abdomen is based upon You, similarly the external
universe is also based upon You. Therefore (tat =
tasmat), since there is not even the slightest trace of
difference (between the two universes), what is this
universe present within Your abdomen apart from
maya? Indeed it is simply illusory. Taking the
evidence in this connection of the experience of Your
mother and of my own experience as well, I who am
present within the (external) illusory world, am also
within Your abdomen. The implication is that Brahma
is again petitioning the Lord, “Please forgive me,” as
he did in the statement utksepanam garbha-gatasya.

18

59
Sridhara Svami: Moreover, not only to Your mother
but also to me this was shown, as stated by the
verse beginning adyaiva. Tvad rte means “apart from
You.” Was not the illusoriness of this universe just
now shown by You to me? Indeed it has been shown.
Thus first You appeared as one. Then (tat = tatha)
You became so many four-handed forms, worshiped
by all the elements along with Myself. The statement
“the worlds,” the universes (were seen), should be
understood as meaning that even though this was
not previously mentioned (in Chapter 13), it was also
seen.

Sanatana Gosvami: But, the Lord may object, if

everything (that was seen) was illusory, then we
would be forced to conclude that also Myself, who
was present there and am present here as well, am
illusory. No, Brahma answered, even though You
have entered within the material world, I have just
now directly experienced how You and everything
related to You are real. Brahma makes this
statement by once again tracing out the conclusion
of the proposition that everything is illusory,
speaking as if from false ego, in the verse beginning
adyaiva. [I’m not sure if I translated that last
sentence correctly.] That illusoriness of this material
world is separate from You, even though You are
present within this world of illusion, of dream and
fantasy, and even though You are appearing in that
way in many variegated forms. Has not this
illusoriness been just now shown by You to me? Have
You not shown it to me completely? Indeed You have
shown. How? That is answered by the words
beginning eko ’si.

60
 “Friends” means the companion boys. And each
of these are not illusory, as stated: All these different
forms that You assumed are unlimited; although
appearing limited by the different manifestations of
boys, cows, and so on, actually being unlimited. That
which is without a second, although apparently being
distinguished in many various forms, remaining one,
which is thus the Absolute Truth—that remains alone,
that transforms into itself, according to the revelation
of Himself in His original form described in the verse
satya-jnananantananda (Bhag. 10.13.54: “The Visnu-
murtis all have eternal unlimited forms, full of
knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the
influence of time.”)

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Moreover, the universe

present within Your abdomen, the universe
externally manifest, and also the thousands of
universes that are within the hair holes of You, the
first Purusa, are all illusory, because of being
produced out of maya; such has been understood by
me all this time. But just now I have come to
experience that You, whose opulence is
inconceivable, possess thousands of spiritual
universes that are composed of Your personal,
internal potency; this is expressed by the present
verse. Of the thousands of universes that were today
see by me within (such has been understood by me
all this time. But just now I have come to experience
that You, whose opulence is inconceivable, possess
thousands of spiritual universes that are composed
of Your personal, internal potency; this is expressed
by the present verse. Of the thousands of universes
that were today seen by me within (You), whose

61
glory is very wonderful, what is separate from You,
what object is there in connection with the thousands
of universes that has come into existence separate
from You? Actually, everything has come into being
from Your personality. Therefore by You (te = tvaya)
the illusoriness of this universe has not been shown
to me (mama = mam), but rather the idea is, the fact
of its being spiritual in nature has been shown.
How is that? That is replied to by the words
beginning eko ’si. First of all, You are present. Then
by Your internal energy You have become the friends
of Vrndavana, all the boys and calves. Then by Your
Yogamaya covering them up, You have manifest
four-handed forms made of Your internal potency.
What were these like? Being worshiped by all
spiritual living beings beginning from myself down to
the blade of grass; also by myself, Brahma, who am
also spiritual. Then after that You became many
worlds, spiritual universes, and then by Your
Yogamaya You covered them all over by Your own
desire and manifest as the display of Your unlimited
beauty this full form of the Supreme Absolute Truth,
one without a second, which alone remains now.
Thus by my great fortune and through the agency of
Your Yogamaya, You are now appearing uncovered
before me. Herein, by the indications of “You became
this and You became that,” since the Lord caused all
of these, beginning with the friends of Vrndavana
and ending with the different universes, to appear
without His external illusory energy, therefore it
should be understood that they are spiritual in
nature. Because it is not specifically said that You
became such by the illusory energy, and by the

62
statement, “What was there beside You?” especially
in the universes (are to be understood as spiritual).

19
Sridhara Svami: But, my dear Brahma, if what I
have shown you is pure spirit, then why do you say
that it is maya like this material world? Yes, but the
variegation within You, who are actually without a
second, is, just as in Your guna-avataras and Your
incarnations of Matsya and so on, under the control
of the produced manifestation, by Your own free will
in connection with maya, as stated in the two verses
beginning ajanatam. For those who are ignorant of
Your padavim, Your svarupa, Your self (atmaiva =
tvam) appears situated within material nature by
independently (atmanaiva = svatantryena) spreading
out Your maya. How? As myself, Brahma, in the
creation of the universe, as You in its maintenance
(vidhane = palane), and also as Trinetra in its end.

Sanatana Gosvami: Among those who are ignorant

of such glories of Yours, among Your nondevotees,
You appear otherwise, as stated by the verse
beginning ajanatam. The above-mentioned padavim
of Yours, the factual situation, or else, the path of
devotional service. The atma, Yourself, manifests
within the anatma, the body of dead matter, as the
atma, or in other words, in the form of the jiva. But,
why do they fail to understand the absolute
distinction between the jiva and God, which is
established in the sruti and the smrti? That is replied
to: By spreading out Your maya, or in other words,
because they, in the role of Your nondevotees,
become bewildered by Your illusory energy.

63
Therefore, that personality, Myself, who is the cause
of the creation of the universe, is actually Him
(Yourself) manifesting. The same idea is to be
applied further on. Saying “your very self” is with the
idea of (lord Krsna) being nondifferent with that Sri
Visnu who incarnates for the protection of the
different Manvantaras.
In other words, myself or Brahma, Visnu, and
also Siva understand. By indicating the purposes of
creation and so on, the ignorance of them (the
nondevotees) is shown. Although there is no absolute
difference from these jiva souls in (the Lord’s acting
as the creator and so on), still, because (these guna-
avataras) identify as the performers of these
respective functions, it is with reference to the
sequence of creation and so on that the sequence,
Brahma, Visnu, and Siva is indicated. Or, just for the
purpose of creation and so on, You appear spreading
out Your maya in the form of the mahat, etc.;
similarly, (You have utilized Your illusory energy on
me today) because of the fact of Your being the
actual performer of the activities of creation and so
on, as stated: janmady asya yatah.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: What to speak of the

spiritual universes of You, whose power is
unapproachable, in the opinion of the atheists You
are also a false designation of illusion, a product of
maya, as stated in the verse beginning ajanatam.
Being ignorant of tvat-padavim, the path of
devotional service that is meant for obtaining You,
but nevertheless presuming themselves to be in
knowledge, in their opinion Yourself (atma = tvam)
independently (atmanaiva = svatratryena) becomes

64
situated in anatma, material nature, which means
that You are not different form the jiva. By spreading
Your maya You appear; although without form, You
seem as if having a form. Just as I (manifest) with the
mode of passion in the matter of creation. And in
maintenance (vidhana = palana) You Yourself
appears as Visnu in the mode of goodness, whereas
in the matter of the finishing of the universe in the
mode of passion, You appear as tri-netra, Rudra. Just
as Brahma, Visnu, and Rudra are the illusory forms of
the supreme soul that is actually formless, similarly,
the form of Narayana situated in the water is illusory,
all of Your incarnations are illusory forms, and by
illusion alone You have momentarily displayed the
calves and cowherd boys and the four-armed forms
of Visnu; in this way they speak.

20
Sanatana Gosvami: For the benefit of even them,
out of Your causeless mercy, You incarnate in many
different forms, as stated by the verse beginning
suresu. Ajanasya, where jananam indicates birth,
means “of Him because of whom there does not exist
any jana, the cycle of material existence
symptomized by birth, for His devotees.” The foolish
presumption is in the form of “I know well the purport
of the scriptures, and I have become perfect by my
adherence to the practice of yoga.” For the subduing,
the throwing out of (such a mentality), by its
automatically disappearing by the devotion
generated by hearing about these different pastimes
(which You manifest). Not only for the purpose of
benefiting them, but also for the purpose of giving
satisfaction to saintly personalities, as stated by the

65
words beginning sat. By the subduing of the impure
materialistic presumptuous attitude, pure religious
principles become propagated, and also the pastimes
of sweetness and so on of each of these incarnations
become manifest. Such constitutes Your mercy to
holy persons, and it is for that purpose.
But why is there such mercy for the impious?
This is replied to: O Prabhu, O supremely
independent. Or, otherwise, how can their perverted
desires ever leave them? That is answered: O
Prabhu, O capable one; in other words, nothing is
impossible for You. O creator, O arranger of each of
these incarnations, where this address of Him as the
source of incarnations is made because it is
appropriate to the idea under discussion. Or, because
of being bewildered by illusion, t hey see Your
incarnations as if the same as jiva souls, because
they hear about Your birth and so on. Factually,
however, just like ourselves (Brahma, Visnu, and
Siva), they (Your different incarnations) are formed of
Your manifestation, as described in the one-half
verse beginning srstau. Just as we three (appear) for
the purpose of creation and so on, similarly, they
appear for each of these purposes; therefore their
birth is not like that of the jivas.
And specifically, in that context, (the Lord’s
incarnation) among the demigods is to be
understood as such incarnations as Sri Nara-
Narayana as the son of Dharma and other
incarnations among other demigods. Or, in reply to
the question, “Then how do You appear among the
devotee?” the statement tvad rte (text 18) has been
spoken. To demonstrate how that statement is true,
the words beginning srstau are spoken. You appear

66
in the forms of Brahma and so on for the purpose of
creation and so on, and for each of these different
purposes You appear among them (the devotees) in
such forms as Sri Nara-Narayana. For that reason,
although You are present within the material
manifestation, they (the devotees) understand You
as real, many and also one.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Therefore, so that Your

devotees cannot be defeated by them (the
nondevotees described in the previous verse), there
is the revelation of Your transcendental position, for
the sake of which, for the most part, all of Your
different incarnations appear; this is stated in the
verse beginning suresu. For the subduing of the
impure, those who are not saintly, of those persons
who are contaminated by false presumption, thinking
“We are very intelligent.” For showing mercy to the
saintly personalities, the devotees, by their having
ecstatic experience of Your forms, qualities, and
pastimes, which are all full of eternity, knowledge,
and bliss. This is stated, sattvam naced dhatar idam
nijam bhavet (Bhag. 10.2.35: “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.”)

21
Sridhara Svami: But, if there is (My) independence,
then why is there (My) birth among the contemptible
species of fish and so on, and why in such
incarnations as that of Vamana is there such
degradation as the indulging in begging and so on?

67
Why, moreover, in this present incarnation, are there
instances of becoming fearful, running away, and so
on? This is replied to by the verse beginning ko vetti.
By suitably corresponding addresses, the fact of His
being inconceivable is described, in the words
beginning bhuman. Who in the three worlds can
understand Your endeavors, Your pastimes? Who can
understand either where, how, when, or to what
extent? The implication is that this is the
inconceivable influence of Your Yogamaya.

Sanatana Gosvami: But don’t we find very

mundane activities, just like those of a jiva, engaged
in by some of Your incarnations? That is replied to by
the verse beginning ko vetti. O Bhuman, O
unbounded one, O Bhagavan, O You who are
endowed with all opulence. O Paramatma, O You who
are hidden inside everyone. O Yogesvara, O You who
are capable of making possible the impossible. In
these addresses, the greater and greater degree of
the Lord’s excellence with each succeeding address,
in terms of His being inconceivable, is to be deduced.
Yogamaya is the particular energy of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead that forms His pastimes of
eternity, knowledge, and bliss; “Expanding that
Yogamaya” implies that His pastimes are reality. This
idea is further elaborated in the Uttara-khanda of Sri
Bhagavatamrta. The rest has been explained by
Sridhara Swami.
Or, yoga means opulence; the maya that is
endowed with that yoga, or in other words, Your
mercy upon the devotees. Thus the idea is that it is
fitting that Your pastimes are inconceivable, because
of their being based on Your opulence and because

68
of their being endless. Or, why is it that even though
such is the case (As stated in the previous verse),
many are seen in the grips of perverted desires? That
is replied to in the verse beginning ko vetti. By the
expansion of Your Yogamaya, Your different pastimes
become inconceivable, and as a result of that they
are mostly bewildered. That this is appropriate is
stated by the four vocative addresses. Thus, because
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead being
inconceivable, His pastimes are also proven to be
inconceivable. In order to understand all these
different pastimes, persons become surrendered to
Your devotees, and thus they are delivered; there is
no other means.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But the purpose of the

birth of Myself, Krsna, is the lessening of the burden
of the earth, the purpose of Lord Rama’s birth the
killing of Ravana, and the purpose of the incarnations
of Sukla and son are for the propagation of the
process of religion in each of their particular times.
Such is the established fact, not the purpose of
subduing the impudence of those who presume
themselves to be in knowledge. Yes, but no one is
capable of understanding completely in which affairs,
for which purposes, and what times and to what
extents occur Your pastimes of making Your
appearance and so on; this is stated by the verse
beginning ko vetti. O Bhuman, O You whose
unlimited form pervades the entire universe. O
Bhagavan, O You who even though being Bhuman
are full with all six opulence. O Paramatma, You who
although being Bhagavan also have the identity of
the Supersoul. O Yogesvara, O You whose most

69
superexcellent opulence of being Bhuman and so on
are experienced through the agency of Your
Yogamaya. Who can understand Your endeavors,
Your pastimes in the three worlds, Your pastimes
that appear in the realm of the three worlds? No one
at all can understand, the reason being stated by the
words kva and so on. Your unlimited personal forms
are not, however, mundane, but rather pervade the
entire universe, are endowed with the six divine
opulences, and assume the identity of the Supersoul.
How then is it possible that all of these forms are
playing simultaneously, engaging in their activities
within the three worlds, their pastimes meant for
enjoying pleasure in devotional reciprocation? This is
replied to by the words beginning vistarayan. By Your
inconceivable energy, by Yogamaya, Your playing is
carried out through the revelation and covering over
at the suitable times of these incarnations for those
devotees who are their respective worshipers.

22
Sridhara Svami: Granted that the greatness of
these incarnations is inconceivable, but why is it that
this unreal material manifestation appears to be
real? This doubt is summarized in detail and refuted
in the verse beginning tasmat. Asta-dhisanam means
deprived of wisdom. Although arising (udyat =
udbhavat) within You, that which is subject to
destruction, (appears) as if real, which is an indirect
reference to the idea that it appears as if eternal, as
if happy and as if conscious, in each of these cases
by the modes of material nature, which have their
basis in You.

70
Sanatana Gosvami: Ah, what to speak of the real
status of the different pastimes of Your various
incarnations, even this material creation, although
factually false, and so on, appears by connection
with You as if real and so on; this is spoken by the
verse beginning tasmat. “By the expansion of Your
Yogamaya,” means because of Your playing. Or, the
falseness of the universe having been spoken by the
three verses beginning atraiva (texts 16-18), and
then refuting the next three verses the doubt that
the Lord is included within this material universe,
now the summarization is made by the verse
beginning tasmat. Because of My revealing to My
mother the falseness of that (material universe)
within Myself, which comes by connection with the
line beginning asya (the second line of text 16). End
means destruction; devoid of that, which indicates
eternal existence.
Therefore, having a real identity or being real by
connection with the endless. Like a dream, not
eternal, and by connection with the eternal, eternal.
Asta-dhisanam means by connection with
consciousness being aware. Full of misery upon
misery, and by its connection with happiness is to be
deduced that it is also happy. The rest has been
explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, even though this is
so, by serving You even they can have the highest
good, as stated by the verse beginning tasmat.
Because there is the inconceivable greatness of You,
of the various pastimes and so on of Your many
incarnations, therefore (this universe is) unreal by
nature (asat-svarupam), because of its consisting
mostly of planets which are asat, because of its not
being eternal since it is temporary like a dream, and

71
because of its being asta-dhisanam, or in other
words, because for the most part there is ignorance
of the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The reason for these is stated by the words
mayata udyat. Although it is like this, if it is utilized
for Your sake, for the purpose of achieving You, if
one executes devotional service to You, then (this
universe) appears as if real, it becomes excellent.
The word iva here in the same manner as in
colloquial usage, expresses the idea of “not very
much.” Or, it appears as if the real object, the abode
of Sri Vaikuntha. The rest is to be explained the same
way as in the previous interpretation.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Therefore, this universe,

which is the basis of the conception of “it” (idam-
kara), is illusory, whereas Your body, although
assuming a middle-sized form, is actually the
bounding limit of this universe, and is composed of
the pure mode of goodness. These ideas of the
present section are summarized in the verse
beginning tasmat. Asat means failing to exist in all
times; that which has such an identity. Therefore,
which is like a dream, like one’s self-identification
during a dream exist only for a short time; but it is
not meant to be explained that like the objects of a
dream this universe is false, since it is stated in the
Seventh Canto, pradhana-punbhyam nara-deva-
satya-krt (verse? “O King, the creation effected by
material nature and its enjoyer is real”) and since
there is the statement of sruti cited as evidence by
Madhvacarya in his Vedanta-sutra commentary,
satyam hy evedam visvam asrjata (“The Lord
created this universe as real”). That in which

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knowledge (dhisanam = jnanam) is stolen away
(asta = lupta) by ignorance. “Eternal” indicates the
sandhini potency, “happy” indicates the hladini
potency, and “consciousness” indicates the samvit;
thus it is in You as the basis, whose bodies are full of
eternity, bliss, and knowledge cause of being
constituted of these three internal energies of Yours,
that by means of maya (this universe), which rises up
(udyat = udgacchat), and also again besides, (that
this universe appears) as if real, as if existing
throughout all time.
Or, because Your personal forms, which are
meant to give mercy to the devotees, are auspicious,
therefore this universe is unreal by nature and full of
inauspiciousness. But what is the use of making
distinction of good and bad in respect to this
universe, which is simply false? That is replied to: it
does not appear like a dream (svapnabham =
svapna-vat), or in other words it does not appear
with the same sense of being false as a dream.
Rather, although being inauspicious because of being
asta-dhisana and because of being puru-duhkha-
duhkha, it appears as if real, as if very nice, because
of the semblance of pleasure from sense
gratification.

23
Sridhara Svami: But You alone are real, as stated:
ekas tvam satyah. Why? “The self”: that which is
visible, is seen to be unreal, whereas the self is not
seen, and is therefore real. Furthermore, that which
undergoes change is unreal, an there are no such
transformations of birth and so on within You, as
stated: adya means the cause, and thus there is no

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birth. The reason for His being primeval is stated,
that He is Purana, or in other words, existing even
previously to the manifest production of creation and
so on. The reason for this is that He is the purusa, as
stated in sruti, purvam evaham ihasam, and also tat
purusasya purusatvam. The transformation
characterized by the existence of repeated births is
refuted by the word nitya, or in the other words,
sanatanah. By the four words “full,” “Unobstructed in
His happiness,” “undiminishing,” and “undying,” are
refuted respectively growth, maturity, declines, and
destruction. The reason for His being purna is
endless and has no second, meaning that He has no
limit in space or time, and also that He is not limited
by any object. In order to prove His immortality the
four kinds of fructification of activity are disallowed
by the three phrases “self-luminous,” “devoid of
passion,” and “free from material designations.” The
idea is as follows: The process of birth in the case of
Him is negated by the word “original,” and
“acquisition” which can arise either by activity or by
knowledge, is negated in the case of arising by
activity with the word atma, and in the case of
arising from knowledge with the word svayam-jyotih.
Further, “change” arises by the removal of the
covering designations of such things as rice, by
means of taking away the husks and the beating, but
since that is inconsistent (in His case) it is not
possible (for Him), as stated by the phrase “freed
from all designations.” Conditioning, furthermore,
occurs either by the instilling of some excellence or
by the removal of contamination. Thus, the instilling
of excellence is negated by His fullness, and the

74
removal of contamination is refuted by the word
niranjana, which means spotless.

Sanatana Gosvami: Establishing the previously

stated true status of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the distinguishing of the category of the
Supreme Lord from the category of the jiva is
described in the verse beginning ekah. Although one,
You are the atma, the all-pervading purusa, the
Supersoul present within each and very living entity,
as stated, puri sayanat purusah (“Because of living
in the city of the body, he is called the purusa”). And
although purana, existing previously with His
personal opulences, He is also new; thus the idea is
that the supreme controller possesses most excellent
potencies. In this way, His being the supreme
Brahman, the supreme soul and the Supreme Lord
are each in turn stated. And neither are His
opulences and other features manifestations of
illusion, as stated by the word satyah.
But, it may be objected, since He is seen as a
particular form, how can He be real? That is
answered by the word svayam-jyotih, meaning self-
manifesting; because it is by His mercy that He is
visible. Furthermore, (He is) without end, devoid of
ultimate limit, and “original,” devoid of beginning
limit. Thus it is implied, He is unbounded. Or, ananta
means unbounded, adya mean devoid of the kind of
birth that the jiva experiences, nitya means always
having the same form since He is not subject to any
change, and aksara means fixed.
Or, He is transcendental to material creation,
according to the statement of Sri Gita (15.16),
ksarah sarvani bhutani. His happiness is

75
unobstructable, which means that He is eternally
enjoying pleasure; His personal feature is full of
pleasure, He is niranjana or spotless, pure, He is
purna or completely full, which means that He is not
dependent on any others, He is without a second,
which means that He has no relationship with
anything extraneous to Him, and He is freed from all
designations, which means that He is engaged in
always giving causeless (nirupadhi = akarana) help
to all living entities.
Or, it means that because of Him there is no
death (mrtam = mrti), the cycle of material existence
characterized by death, for His devotees. In this way
is refuted that because of His having personal form
He is like the jivas subject to being manifest from
some other, being bounded, going through the
different stages of living within the womb, taking
birth and so on, having different changing forms,
being unstable, having little happiness, becoming
impure, having connection with that which is
external, becoming covered by designations, and
undergoing the cycle of material existence. The
exact correspondence of these facts and their
reasons can be ascertained however one finds
suitable.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, even though

You have unlimited personal forms, Your
inconceivable energy You remain in one form, as
stated by the verse beginning ekah. You are the one
soul, the Supersoul, since the jiva souls, being many,
are not one. But, the Lord may object, the Supersoul
has no form and is not a person, since the word
purusa is defined by consensus in reference to an

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object that is a form. (Am I), like any other person, a
new creation? No, (You are) the oldest. But, because
of being the son of Nanda, You are satya, having
Your existence throughout all three phases of time.
In other words, You are the primeval personality. But,
since this purusa is the manifester of time and
karma, how is that Me? No, You are svayam-jyotih,
self-manifest. Then am I bounded like the sun? No,
You are endless, one for whom there is no end in
terms either of time or space. But there are other
incarnations like this, and I am just one of them. That
is replied to by the idea that You are the original, the
source of incarnations, He who is the root source
even of these incarnations. But am I going to remain
in this same form after the end of two paradhas, or is
the case otherwise? Brahma replies to this with the
word nityah. This universe, although very old and
although real, is said to be not eternal because it
does not remain in the same form after the end of
the two paradhas. You, on the other hand, will
remain even at that time in Your form as the son of
Nanda Maharaja. Therefore Your form is identical
with the Supreme Absolute Truth, as stated in the
verse yo ’sau saurye tisthati, also in the Gopala-
tapani Upanisad, yah saksat para-brahmeti
govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham vrndavana-sura-
bhu ruha-talasinam and in Your own statement as
well, brahmano hi pratisthaham. But since one who
has a form is subject to the six kinds of change and is
thus at every moment undergoing diminution, am I
like that? No, You are aksara. But those who posses
form necessarily have the nature of experiencing
happiness and distress. That is replied to by the word
ajasra-sukhah. But, in my infancy I (displayed) greed

77
in my drinking the breast milk of the gopis, stealing
butter, and so on; in My boyhood I displayed anger
against Kaliya and others; and in My youth I
displayed lust among the cowherd girls. Therefore I
am contaminated by lust and so on. No, You are free
from contamination because Your qualities of lust
and so on are purely spiritual.
But still, because I am dependent on the gopis
and others, I am not complete. That is replied to by
the word purnah; Your reciprocation with the
devotees who have pure love does not defeat Your
fullness. But does there or does there not exist
anyone else who is thus like Me? That is answered by
the word advayah. Yews, but since I am advaya, I am
the complete Absolute Truth, yet nevertheless many
think that I am a material designation of vidya. This
is replied to by the words upadhito muktah, as
corroborated by the Gopala-tapani sruti:
vidyavidyabhyam bhinnah. This is because You are
amrtam. By the word amrta in the sruti-mantra:
amrtam sasvatam brahma is expressed the Absolute
Truth free from designations. And incidentally it
means Him by whose influence one does not suffer
death (mrtam = mrtyuh).

24
Sridhara Svami: Thus by such knowledge they
become liberated, as stated in the verse beginning
evam vidham. Those who properly see You
(vicaksate = samyah pasyanti). How? As the soul of
souls, as directly the original identity of the soul. And
this identification is not superficial, as such applied to
one’s children and so on is stated: The very soul of
all souls. How (do they see this)? The spiritual master

78
is the sun, and from him is obtained knowledge
(upanisad = jnanam)’ that knowledge is the proper
eye by which they indeed cross over the ocean of
material existence, which is unreal.

Sanatana Gosvami: By such knowledge of You,

they easily become liberated from material existence
through the process of devotional service, as stated
in the verse beginning evam. The very soul of all
jivas, the supreme regulator, who is (seen) as dearer
(atmataya = priyataya) even than one’s own self. Or,
the very soul of all jivas, the Supersoul, who is the
indwelling controller even of Myself (atmanah). Thus
what to speak of their seeing You, knowing You
directly as the most dear, they, Your devotees, cross
beyond this material existence, which although being
unreal, is an ocean in the sense of being very difficult
to cross. The word amrta indicates that because of
being actually insignificant, (it is surmounted) simply
by the development of knowledge. The word va
indicates that since knowledge of the (super) soul is
included within knowledge of the Personality of
Godhead, that knowledge is achieved without effort.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, even those

that worship You in Your identity as formless
Brahman can become fortunate by rendering
devotional service to Your form of the purusa, as the
Supersoul, and thus if they gain fixed faith, then they
become gloried as devotees in the mood of
neutrality; this is stated in the present verse. Those
who see with devotion You characterized as above
(evam-vidham = ukta-laksanam), as the very soul of
all jiva souls (sakalatmanam = sarva-jivatmanam),

79
who because of in His personal feature giving joy to
the mind and the eye is the most beautiful self, the
identity of the purusa, seeing Him thus with devotion
as the soul of suls, the Supersoul, in accordance with
the statement of Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,
paramatmataya krsne jata santi-ratir mate: “The
attitude toward Krsna that is developed by thinking
of Him as the Supersoul is called affection in
neutrality.” How is this achieved? The spiritual
master is the sun, and from him is achieved by study
that confidential knowledge (upanisad) that is one’s
proper eye. By that sucaksusa, by the knowledge
that arises from delving into the purport of such
confidential learning, they cross over the ocean of
material existence, which is actually unreal.

25
Sridhara Svami: And thus three ideas that have
been proposed, that they cross over by means of
knowledge, that they cross that (ocean of material
existence), and that this knowledge by which they
cross is in terms of (realizing You) as the Supersoul.
These are each in turn established: Thus in this verse
beginning atmanam evatmataya is established that
they cross over by means of knowledge.
By the verse ajnana-samjnau (text 26), there is
the idea that they cross over (the ocean of material
existence). And by the two verses beginning tvam
(texts 27-28), it is established how it is by (realizing
You) as the Supersoul. But how can they cross over
material existence by means of such knowledge? In
reply to this is stated that the reason is the basis of
this (material existence) in ignorance, as spoken in
the very beginning atmanam eva. By that ignorance

80
comes the material creation (prapancitam =
prapanca), just like the aher bhoga-bhavabhavau,
the superimposition of (the illusion of) a snake’s body
upon a rope and the eradication (of this illusion).

Sanatana Gosvami: That (this liberation) is very

easily achieved is stated in the verse beginning
atmanam. For those who do not understand the
Supersoul as atma, the Absolute Truth, as being by
nature free from the identification of being the doer
and the enjoyer; by that ignorance of the category of
the Supersoul (this material existence) is generated.
This means all material existence is a false
appearance superimposed upon the Self. Or, there is
the prapancitam, samsara, for those who are in
ignorance the atma, the Personality of Godhead, as
atma, either in the sense of is being dear, or in the
sense of His being the Supreme Lord. Or, expansion
of maya, the idea that “I am the supreme controller, I
am Lord,” is completely eradicated (liyate = nasyati)
simply by such knowledge (of the Lord’s status as
the Supreme Soul)’ by the word ca (it is understood
that) even the desire for liberation is eliminated,
what to speak of the unreal ocean of material
existence. Bhuyo ’pi means “even though material
existence is very expansive.”

Jiva Gosvami: But, the atma, the jiva soul in his

pure condition, is the basis. Thus ignorance of him
material existence is generated, and by knowledge of
Him, material existence becomes destroyed. So what
is the importance of this failure to understand Him
(the Paramatma)? Anticipating this opinion, which is
held by some, Brahma speaks the verse beginning

81
atmanam. For those who understand the atma, the
pure jiva, as the atma, as the original identity, but
fail to understand You as that (original identity); such
is the implication of the word eva.
On that basis, for the reason of being ignorant of
You, the whole material existence beginning from the
physical body (is generated) by maya, who takes
advantage of the discrepancy. In other words, the
superimposition of the mentality of “I” and “mine” is
made upon the pure jiva. Therefore, by knowledge,
by the knowledge of You that destroys that ignorance
of You, which is the basis (of material existence) the
very cause of that superimposition, namely
ignorance, is also eradicated.
That eradication is explained with an example,
with the words beginning rajjvam. This will also be
described similarly in the Eleventh Canto, in the
verse, bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad isad
paetasya (Bhag. 11.2.37).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, they certainly cross

over (material existence), so why do you say that is
“as if” they cross over material existence? And what
is the reason of the universe being unreal? Thus in
the opinion of the theory of illusionism, which is
resorted to by these jnanis, this world is unreal, and
also the transcending of it is unreal; therefore
tarantiva (text 24) is stated. Describing this (idea of
the Mayavadis), these two verses (texts 25-26) are
spoken. For those who do not understand the atma,
the jiva, in his status as atma, in terms of his being
the soul full of knowledge and bliss, but rather,
because of being covered over by ignorance, are
incapable of understanding. For those who thus have

82
no understanding, by that ignorance the whole
created manifestation, the whole cycle of material
life, arises. And then again, by the process of
sankhya, yoga, renunciation, penances, and
devotional service, (develops) that knowledge of the
self as distinct from the body, by which knowledge of
the entire material existence dissolves. This is just as
the respective position and eradication
(bhavabhavau = adyasapavadau) by ignorance and
knowledge of (the illusion of) a serpent’s body within
a rope.

26
Sridhara Svami: But, by knowledge they indeed
cross over, so why is it said that it is “as if” they
cross over? That is replied to by the verse beginning
ajnana-samjnau. These two, bondage to material
existence and liberation, whose designations are
based on ignorance; these two terms—bondage by
material existence and liberation from it, are well
known, but they are not separate from rta-jna-bhava,
that state of existence that is both true and aware.
But, why is this great refutation being made?
Because of taking consideration of what is the
highest value, as stated by the words beginning
ajasra. In the Supreme who is characterized by
unlimited awareness, in the pure Self, there is n
ignorance, and neither is there bondage. Therefore
(within Him) there is no (material) knowledge and no
liberation. Just as within the sun (taranau = surye)
the distinction of days and nights (is not present).

Sanatana Gosvami: Pointing out that the

transcending of material existence is very

83
insignificant, the fact that liberation is not the
ultimate goal of life is stated in the verse beginning
ajnana. They are not separate from the conception of
rta-jna, from true knowledge; in other words, they
are in fact illusory. When the unalloyed pure
Supreme, who is eternally situated in knowledge
(ajasra-citi = nitya-jnana-rupe), the reality of the
Supreme Self beyond material existence, is studied,
then just in the same way as bondage is false, b such
investigation liberation is also (found to be) false. In
that connection, an example is stated: Jut as in the
sun there is no night, and no day also, the perception
of which would be based on making a distinction of
the sense of night. In this way the implication is that
liberation, being merely the absence of material
existence, is insignificant, and therefore does not
constitute the achievements of the goal of life.
Or, when the subject matter of the one (kevala
= ekasmin) Supreme the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is studied within the mind (atmani =
manasi). But how do these both (bondage and
liberation) become false simply by study of that
Supreme? That is stated by the word ajasra-citi:
because by engaging in investigation of that
Supreme, which is full of eternal knowledge one
gains factual understanding of these two. The
example of falseness is stated: Just like days and
nights within the sun; because of the absence of
nights, there is also the absence of individual days
that separate such nights.

Jiva Gosvami: It is shown how (material existence)

is unreal, in the verse beginning ajnana-samjnau. By
the word atma is expressed here, as well as in the

84
previous verse, the pure jiva, rather than the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, because it is not at
all appropriate to discuss ignorance, bondage, and
liberation in respect to Him. This is proven by the
fact that elsewhere in this section, apart from these
two verses, the Personality of Godhead is in every
case designated by use of the words yusmat and
bhavat.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Therefore material

existence is unreal, and because of its being unreal,
the transcending of it is also unreal; such is made
clear by the verse beginning ajnana. The proper
order of the ideas is as follows: The bondage to
material existence and liberation, whose
designations are based on ignorance—the two that
constitute the bondage of material existence and
also liberation from such, which are both different
from rta-jna-bhava—where jan-bhava means the
status of being the knower, or in other words,
knowledge, and thus rta-jna-bhava means that which
is true and also knowledge—these two do not exist,
do not arise, when in true knowledge (rta-jna-bhava)
that self of pure consciousness, the jiva whose
nature is such is considered kevala, free from
association the material body and so on. An example
is demonstrated: Those days and nights—the word
ahani meaning days and nights” by the logic of that
which is universally concomitant being implied
inherently in its associate—just as these two (day
and night) do not arise when considered within the
sun.

27

85
Sridhara Svami: But, it may be objected, by
transcendental knowledge the bondage caused by
ignorance should desist, so what is the obsession
with “my knowledge being the Supersoul”?
Anticipating this objection, the idea that knowledge
of exactly that, in terms of the elimination of the
false appearance based upon the soul of his being
something other than he is, is appropriate is stated
with exaggeration based on surprise, in the verse
beginning tvam. Thinking You, the self, to be
something else, the body and so on, thus
superimposing (the idea of) the body and so on, to
be the self, or in other words, superimposing the idea
of the self upon the body and so on, the curious idea
arises that “here the self has been destroyed, so it
must be searched for elsewhere.” (This idea is
peculiar because) indeed when something becomes
destroyed in one’s house, one does not go out into
the forest to search for it.

Sanatana Gosvami: Thus those persons even after

properly distinguishing truthfully the category of the
self and the category of matter, nevertheless think
You to be the spirit soul, not recognizing that you are
distinct from the individual spirit soul—such persons
are the most foolish, as stated by the verse
beginning tvam. Thinking that You, the Supersoul,
are the individual (param = kevalam) soul, the
knower of the field of the material body. Here the
word ca is used in the sense of api. Therefore,
because the soul is pervading both within and
without, there is no need to further search for it
outside. The Amara-kosa states, (abhave na hy no
napi) (“Nonexistence is designated by the

86
expressions na hi, no, and napi”) In other words, You
are not further searched out externally in Vrndavana
and other places by those who are not pure, but
rather You are searched out by them within their
bodies. Aho indicates surprise. This is the ignorance
of ignorant persons, because of their trying to
contradict the above-described manifold differences
(between the jiva and the Paramatma) and His all-
pervasive nature. The elision of the letter “A” is
according to the standard Vedic grammar. We also
sometimes find the alternate reading ajna-janajnata.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Those, on the other hand,

who, presuming themselves to be in knowledge of
the self, disregard You in Your personal form, are
simply engaged in beating empty husks, as
described previously. This idea is expressed in the
verse beginning tvam. The word ca is in the sense of
api. Thinking You, even though You are the
Supersoul, in Your personal feature, to be something
else, some variegated aspect of maya separate from
the pure Paramatma; thus they think that the (real)
atma must be searched out outside of Paramatma.
Oh, the foolishness of such ignorant persons!
The idea here is that because of extreme wonder
(the word ajna) is repeated. The idea expressed here
is as follows: Such philosophies as that of illusory
transformation of Brahman are applicable only within
the realm of maya, which is separate from spirit. But
they are not applicable to the full conscious reality,
Brahman, as stated in the Third Canto, sabdam
brahma in vapur dadhat (Displaying Your bodies as
the Vedas and as the Personality of the Absolute
Truth”). It is also stated in the Eighth Canto, yat tad

87
vapur bhati vibhusanayudhair avyakta-cid-vyaktam
adharayad vibhuh/ babhuva tenaiva sa vamanah
(Bhag. 8.18.12: “The Lord appeared in His original
form, with ornaments and weapons in His hands.
Although this ever-existing form is not visible in the
material world, He nonetheless appeared in this
form. Then, in the presence of His father and mother,
He assumed the form of Vamana, a brahmana-dwarf
brahmacari, just like a theatrical actor.”) Also, there
is the verse in the Tenth Canto corroborating this:
satya-jnananantananda-matraika-rasa-murtayah
(Bhag. 10.13.54: “The Visnu-murtis all had eternal,
unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss and
existing beyond the influence of time”). And in the
Gopala-tapani Upanisad, in the verse beginning
govindam sac-cid-ananda-vigraham Vrndavana-sura-
bhuruha-talasinam, there are the words tasam
madhye saksad brahma gopala-puri.
Purna-brahmatmake means in the personal
body, the abode, and so on, of the Supreme Lord.
Those who, on the other hand, because of not having
studied the sruti and smrti remain blind, sustaining
illusory misunderstanding about these different facts
by their reciprocal sharing of blindness—they fall
down. By the word tu Brahma makes them the object
of the sentiment of wonder among the many
lamentable manifestations within his own creation.
There is also the alternate reading ajna-janatajna.

Jiva Gosvami: But those who think You, the Soul of

all souls, to be otherwise, are extremely foolish, as
stated by the verse beginning tvam. Whoever thinks
that You, the original identity of all souls, are parama
or not atma, and thus seeks out (mrgyo bhavati –

88
mrgyate) the atma externally, somewhere other than
at the seat of Your lotus feet, alas this is simply
foolishness of ignorant persons. Or, thinking You are
unique, t be the identity of the pure jiva, and thus
failing to recognize Your superexcellence, or thinking
You to be simply the Paramatma, the indwelling
controller. If they think in any of these ways, then
also (they are the most foolish). The foolishness of
these foolish persons is derived by the process of
elimination (?) from the statement of the Lord
Himself, vistabhyaham idam krtsnam ekamsena
sthito jagat. Because the atma is primarily indicated
by the word tat, it should be searched out elsewhere,
which is said while pointing with one’s finger at the
lotus feet of the Lord (in other words, it should be
searched out elsewhere than the lotus feet of the
Lord). This being the case, therefore I shall remain
seated at my place and concentrate my mind in
meditation; there is no need for me to go out into
Vrndavana, the idea being that when something is
ruined inside the house, it is not searched after out in
the forest. [?] The sandhi here is in accordance with
the standard of Vedic grammar.
Or, the foolishness of persons who presume
themselves to be knowledgeable (jna). Or, giving up
everything else, now those who are simply dedicated
to Lord Krsna are praised: First of al experiencing You
as simply kevalam by monistic worship, as
undistinguished from the identity of the jiva, and
then experiencing You are the Paramatma, now You
are realized (mrgyah = sampadyate) as directly
manifest to the external eyes and other senses, as
the original identity of all of these. Therefore, O, what
wisdom of wise persons such as Sri Rudra and

89
others! There is also sometimes the alternate
reading ajna-janata-jnata.

28
Sridhara Svami: Discriminating persons, on the
other hand, distinguish the Supersoul in His direct
personal form, as stated in the verse beginning
antar-bhave. Bhava, in the sense that “it exists,”
indicates the body as s combination of spirit and
matter; within that they search You out, while
rejecting, refuting, everything material which is
separate from that (Supreme). But, knowledge of
that which is real is sufficient, so what is the need of
negating the unreal? Anticipating this objection, the
fact that without negating the covering, the
underlying reality cannot be known is stated in terms
of the practical behavior of saintly persons, in the
verse beginning asantam. Anti means “nearby,” and
asantam apy anty ahim antarena means “without
negating that (illusion of a snake).” (Without first the
negation of the illusion of a snake) do the saintly
persons understand (yanti = jananti) an actually
existing (santam) rope? Or else, they understand a
rope that is present (santam) nearby? They do not
understand (without first negating the illusion).
Therefore, the implication is, it is by knowledge of
Him as the Supersoul that one gains liberation.

Sanatana Gosvami: Saintly persons, on the other

hand, seek You out, who are present both externally
and internally as all-pervasive; this is stated by the
verse meaning antah. O unlimited one, O You who
have no boundary, or in other words, O You who are
all-pervasive both internally and externally. Do the

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saintly persons, Your devotees, on the other hand,
seek You out within their own bodies (antar-bhave =
sva-dehantare)?; such is expressed ironically. No,
indeed, rather they look for You externally also. How?
By giving up (tyajantah = pariharantah) whatever is
separate from that, whatever is false by nature and
falsely thought by the nondevotees to be the self;
(the devotees do this) because without such
renunciation perfectly pure knowledge cannot arise.
Bearing this idea in mind are spoken the words
beginning asantam. Antarena means without
negating that (illusion).” With the understanding of “I
am not Him, but I am His,” first of all discarding the
false understanding of oneself as the Lord, the
devotees are thus able to achieve You. Or, the idea is
that cessation of that which is separate from the
Absolute, that which is unreal. Without rejecting the
insubstantial, it is not possible to realize the true
substance, as stated by the word asantam.
Or, it may be objected, but then how do those
who are intelligent seek Him out? That is replied to:
As antar-bhava, in the sense that He lives within”:
within the lotus of the heart. Giving up everything
that is atat, extraneous to the process of seeking You
out. But, by remembrance of the Lord that
automatically goes away, so what is the need of
rejecting it? That is answered by the word asantam.
Without the renunciation of sense gratification and
so on, without the renunciation of karma, jnana, and
so on, remembrance of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead cannot be achieved. The rest is to be
explained in the same way as the previous
interpretation.

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Jiva Gosvami: Herein, just as with the word
anuttama, can be interpreted “the most eminent of
wise persons.” The reason for the previous case is:
(knowing) You are Sri Krsna, and therefore giving up
out of dissatisfaction everything else that is separate
from You. Because material existence is derived as
Your product, it is fitting that You are observed
therein, because You take the position of its
indwelling controller, because it is Your manifest
form, and because it is Your partial expansion. This is
because for those who are looking on what is merely
the product, within that product, which is not the
ultimate reality, its cause can also be seen; this is
stated by the words beginning asantam. The santas
mean those who are discriminating in an ordinary
sense. They are spoken about as the example
representing the special saintly persons described
previously in the first part of the verse.)

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The intelligent, on the

other hand, do not consider You to be covered over
by material designation. Rather, they view the jiva
soul as such. Therefore, in order to remove that jiva
soul from the contamination of maya, they seek him
out in his exclusive, pure condition, as stated in the
verse. They seek out that jiva soul who is well-known
to be limited in his understanding, who is existing
within the body (antar-bhave = sarira-madhye) and
is ananta-bhavam, who has countless births (bhavah
= janmani) in various species of life. What do they do
(to achieve this)? They are giving up, refuting, atat,
that which is illusory, and also illusion itself, which
are (both) separate from the atma.

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 But knowledge of the jiva as purely spiritual is
sufficient, so what is the need of this negation of that
which is separate from spirit? [The next sentence
repeats.]
Anti means nearby. Asantam apy anty ahim
antarena means without the refutation, “this is not a
snake.” [The next sentence repeats.] By the
statement of sruti, asango hy ayam purusah, the jiva
soul has no connection with the gross and subtle
bodies, and because of having no connection with
these, he has nobody, nor does he have the
suffering, bewilderment, and so on, which pertain to
the body. Nevertheless, in ignorance, the body is
imposed as a material designation upon that jiva
soul. And thus, unless at some time or other the
knowledge that “this soul is not the body” arises,
unless the reality of the body is refuted, how can
they understand the real and pure jiva soul? In other
words, they cannot understand.

29
Sridhara Svami: But, if thus liberation is achievable
only by knowledge, why is devotion being
emphasized? In reply is spoken the verse athapi.
Although knowledge has been discussed as if it was
easily within one’s grasp, nevertheless, O Lord, only
when graced by a fragment of the mercy of one
small portion of Your two lotus feet does one
understand the truth of the greatness of You, the
Personality of Godhead.
Or, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the truth
of Your greatness. Even one, anyone at all, even
after studying for a long time, discriminating by
negating the extraneous portion.

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Sanatana Gosvami: Although in this way Your
greatness is very evident, nevertheless, it can only
be experienced by Your grace, and such is spoken
the verse beginning athapi. O deva, O illuminator of
everything, or O You who are manifest everywhere.
Or, the Lord is addressed as deva in the sense that
He is playing, divyati, always within Sri Vrndavana.
Or, the word deva is thus an adjective describing His
lotus feet.
Prasada means satisfaction or mercy, being
favored by a trace of that. Or, prasada means the
maha-prasadam of Tulasi and so on in relationship to
Him. The word hi expresses certainty. O Bhagavan, O
You who are eager to manifest Your personal
qualities of compassion, and so on; such is to be
deduced as the reason for His mercy, any other
personality being devoid of real mercy. Or, because
previously the topic under discussion was devotional
service, although coincidentally there was presented
the refutation of various false arguments, still n each
and every verse devotional service has been prayed
for; thus the greatness mentioned here should be
understood as that characterized as devotional
service. (Knowing) the tattva means knowing in
terms of what it is like, or else what its extent is.
Even being eka, alone, without material association;
or (eka means) being most excellent, such a
personality as Lord Rudra. Vicinvan means
investigating by study of sastra, and also seeking out
by practice of yoga. Even though it is only by the
Lord’s full mercy that one can have factual
knowledge of Him, still, “a fragment” is mentioned

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here with the idea of indicating the difficulty of
achieving (even) such.

Jiva Gosvami: Nevertheless, the discrimination of

that (Absolute Truth) extends up to (realization of)
You only by Your mercy, as stated by the verse
beginning athapi. It is out of devotion that the word
“lotus feet” is used here. The mention of “a
fragment” is with the idea that for those who want to
increase this mercy and are eager to engage in
devotional service, the fullness of that mercy is
eventually achieved. Mahima means of the greatness
of the Lord, comprising His opulence, sweetness, and
so on. But for me (Brahma), the fruit of such mercy,
which is knowledge, the fruit of that knowledge,
which is pure worship, and the fruit of that, which is
direct experience of the Lord, have suddenly become
covered over. Therefore I am submitting this prayer.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, the

experience of the happiness of Brahman by the jiva
soul arises only by a fragment of devotion for You,
and not otherwise; this is stated by the verse
beginning athapi. Although this jivatma may become
freed from all traces of maya and things related to
maya, but nevertheless only when he is graced by a
fragment of the mercy of Your lotus feet can he
understand the mahima of You, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; in other words, he can
understand the truth of Brahman, which is
designated by the word mahimah. This is as stated
by You in Your form as Lord Matsya, madiyam
mahimanam ca para-brahmeti sabditam vetsasy
anugrhitam me samprasnair vivrtam hrdi (Bhag.

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8.24.38: “You will be thoroughly advised and favored
by Me, and because of your inquiries, everything
about My glories, which are known as param
brahma, will be manifest within your heart. Thus you
will know everything about Me.”) Sri Svamipada has
commented on this verse (of the 8th Canto as
follows): “Favored by Me, My mercy being shown to
you, you will understand the Supreme Absolute
Truth.” The “fragment of mercy” mentioned in the
present verse is the mixed bhakti-yoga that has
already been achieved by the jnanis. “Shown favor
by that” means that after ignorance has ceased, and
when (material) knowledge is also beginning to
cease, then giving up also knowledge in accordance
with the Lord’s statement, jnanam ca mayi
sannyaset, after that only the remaining devotional
service is given special regard. The jnani who then
practices such devotional service becomes favored
by devotional service, appearing as a fragment of
mercy. But one who, thinking that “once a fruit has
been achieved there is no need for the means of
achieving it,” gives up both knowledge and devotion
and is endeavoring only for experience of Brahman,
(such a person cannot realize Your glories) even
though he is eka, most eminent, even though he has
become the guru of thousands of jnanis. [The last
sentence repeats.]

30
Sridhara Svami: Tat means “therefore,” and bhuri-
bhaga means great fortune. In this existence, in this
birth as Brahma, or else even in a birth among the
animals, by which good fortune becoming anyone at

96
all of Your servants, I may render service to the
utmost (niseva = athyartham seveya).

Sanatana Gosvami: And Your prasada is achieved

when one has servitude toward You; thus Brahma
prays for such servitude, in the verse beginning tat.
O natha, O fulfiller of al desires, that fortune of mine,
to have achieved the highest position in the material
world, is not the greatest fortune, but rather that
would be bhuri-bhagah, mahat-bhagam; the implied
completion of the idea is that would be the best good
fortune for me, who am your eldest son. The idea
“even one of Your servants” is in regard to the
directness of service, and therefore the suffix ni is
used. Thus either in this birth as Brahma or
elsewhere, in a birth as another Brahma. Or, it is not
my obsession to take birth in a species that is
unfavorable for devotional service, such as the
insects, animals, and so on, but rather the desire is
to take birth in the womb of Your devotee, and it is
such that is indicated by the words “here or
elsewhere.” The rest has been explained by Sridhara
Svami. Or, Your satisfaction is achieved only by
rendering full service to Your devotees, and thus
Brahma prays in the verse beginning tat.
The word eka has the same meaning as
previously; those of Your men who are just now
engaged in devotional service—in other words, the
new devotees; the lotus feet even of them.

Jiva Gosvami: Summing up the ideas presented in

the verse beginning naumidya (text 1), Brahma
states how this whole section aims at Lord Krsna
beginning with the verse tad astu and continuing up

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to the end of his prayers. Elsewhere, even in the
birth of such animals as deer (Brahma became a
deer when he lusted after his daughter). In such a
birth, service is affectionately rendered for the
purpose of purifying myself from the mode of passion
and so on, by being ridiculed and accepting other
troubles [?]; such service is engaged in by devotees
in these species of life [I’m not sure if this sentence
was translated correctly.] Brahma prays that by
providence such may occur.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: O Brahma, O crown-jewel

of those who understand the goal and the means of
cultivating the goal, between the two, devotional
service and knowledge, which you have elaborated
the characteristics of by your prayers, which do you
desire? This is replied to in the verse beginning tad
astu. O master, where by this very address Brahma’s
hankering to become the servant is expressed. If the
Lord say, “O Brahma, please distinguish completely
between the inferior and the superior, and ask clearly
for that thing that is the superior,” the reply is (that
is my greatest fortune (bhuri-bhagah = mahad eva
bhagyam) that is conceived of in my mind. By which
greatest fortune, either in this birth as Brahma, or
even in a birth among the animals, in other words,
among all the different birth possible beginning from
the birth of Brahma down to the species of animals,
in any birth at all.
By the statement, gajo grdhro vanik-pathah,
even in the species of animals (they may) hear about
devotional service. Implied by the plural number of
the word tirascam and by the word api, Brahma is
offering an oblation of water to liberation (giving it up

98
as dead) and is, (as implied by the word atra)
begging for even a thousand births as himself.
Anyone at all among Your devotees, so that I may
specially render service, either in the stage of
practice or perfection.
Thus Brahma has elaborated on the Lord’s
sweetness in the one verse begnning naumidya te
(text 1), upon His opulence by the verses beginning
asyapi deva (text 2) and continuing up to tad astu
me natha (text 30), and in the midst of that has
expressed the superexcellence of exclusive
devotional service, in the verses jnane prayasam
(text 3) and tat te ’nukampam (text 8). The exclusive
cultivation of knowledge is criticized by the two
verses tvam atmanam param matva (text 27) and
ajanatam tvat-padavim (text 19). By the two verses
sreya-srtim (text 4) and pureha bhuman (text 5)
having shown respectively the fruitlessness and the
fruitfulness of pure knowledge and devotion, then
the process of knowledge mixed with devotion is
presented in the two verses antar-bhave ananta (text
28) and athapi te deva (text 29). In the verse evam-
vidham tvam sakalatmanam (text 24), devotional
service in the mood of neutrality is discussed, and in
the verse tad astu me (text 30) devotional service in
servitude is defined. From this point on, however,
Brahma, falling down into the ocean of madhurya,
will be praising those who possess transcendental
attraction for the Lord that is spontaneous in the
moods of parenthood and so on, by the verses
beginning aho ’ti-dhanyah (text 31). Such is the
summary of the purpose of Brahma’s prayers.

31

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Sridhara Svami: With the idea that a birth endowed
with devotional service to You, in any form of life at
all, is better even than birth among the demigods
and so on, Brahma celebrates in eagerness, with the
seven verses beginning aho ’to-dhanyah.
Vraja-go-ramanyah means the cows and the
gopis (ramanyah = gopyah) who live in Vrndavana;
their (milk was drunk) by You in the form of their
calves and their sons (vatsataratmajatmana =
vatsaranam atmajanam ca rupena), for whose, Your
satisfaction even all of the sacrifices up to even
today have not been capable; by that person,
Yourself, the nectarean breast milk of them has been
drunk at every moment with satisfaction.

Sanatana Gosvami: In that context, with the

thought in mind that “I am praying for such devotion
as rendered by the persons dwelling in the cow
pastures of Sri Nanda” o r “for the service of their
lotus feet,” and also in pursuit of the logic
“sweetness rounds everything up nicely,” and also
taking into consideration that the description of the
glories of the dear devotees of the Personality of
Godhead is the greatest way of offering Him praise,
those devotees are congratulated, in the ten verses
beginning aho ’ti. The word aho expresses surprise,
and the word ati expresses auspiciousness. “Most
fortunate” means having attained the topmost stage
of success. (The gopis) are called ramanis because
they give You pleasure, gratify You by giving the gift
of their breast milk. For whose, Your, satisfaction
(trptaye = tustaye). O Vibhu, O You who are in all
aspects full and complete, (even though You are so)
You have drunk this, and what is even more extreme,

100
You have done that in great joy, and even more
specifically, You have directly drunk in the forms of
the calve and cowherd boys. Thus the expression ati
is spoken because of the Lord’s covering over His
own form by the forms of those calves and cowherd
boys. “Even now” means from previously up until
now. Or, His childhood feature being displayed even
now.

Jiva Gosvami: Who are those devotees of Mine who

are fit to be compared to yourself? Anticipating this
question, Brahma clarifies who they are in the verse
beginning aho. [I cannot translate the next
sentence.]

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, such a

prayer as I have made is fitting for me, who am the
lowest among Your devotees, and it may become
fruitful by Your grace, but it is improper for us to pray
for the position of the greatest of Your devotees,
those who are possessed of pure attraction for You in
the mood of parenthood and so n. Their position is
impossible for me to achieve, and I am only glorifying
it, as stated in the two verses beginning aho. The
cows and the gopis who reside in Vrndavana are
most fortunate, and in that context, by the word aho,
which expresses surprise, is indicated that the
extreme extent of his amazement cannot even be
appreciated by words or the mind. That amazement
is described: Whose breast milk, the nectar arising
from a particular part of their bodies, their breasts,
was drunk by You in Your sac-cid-ananda personal
form. And more specifically, You did this with
pleasure, and even more amazingly You did this

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ativa, even though drinking again and again, Your
pleasure at every moment increased. And even more
amazing, (your appeared) for the cows in the form of
their calves, because the cows could not tolerate the
gap in their milking schedule, and for the gopis as
their sons, because otherwise they would be unable
to achieve that (relationship of having You as a son).
And even more amazing, O Vibhu, which implies that
out of excessive greed You expanded Your own form
into many and were incapable of giving up the nectar
coming from the breasts of any of them; thus is
implied that because You whose nature is exclusively
ecstasy are the giver of ecstasy, who can doubt that
the bodies of them (the cows and gopis) are sac-cid-
ananda. For the satisfaction of whom, Yourself, (they
were unable) to gratify, in accordance with the
definition trpah prinane (“the verb trp means to
gratify”). And even now, beginning from time
immemorial up until even now, all the sacrifices
performed by persons such as myself, even though
faultless with respect to the mantras, rituals,
purification, and so on, have not been sufficient
(nalam = na samarthah).

32
Sridhara Svami: By the repetition of the word aho
is stated that their fortune is in all respects
unlimited.

Sanatana Gosvami: Not only are those who have

given their breast milk fortunate, but all of the
residents of Vraja, headed by Sri Nanda, are
extremely fortunate, as stated by the verse
beginning aho, where the word aho is repeated out

102
of extreme joy, or with the idea of their extreme
good fortune. Those whose residence (oka = nivasa)
is the cow pasture of Nanda-gopa. Or, Nanda, the
cowherd men, and the other residents of Vraja, the
animals, birds, and so on, of all of them; what to
speak of Nanda’s fortunate, ah, even all of the
cowherd men are most extremely fortunate. Such is
to be deduced here by the logic of “what to speak
of.”
Whose friend (mitram = bandhu) is You. And in
that context, from whom comes supreme ecstasy,
causing that suffering, unhappiness, and so on, and
insufficiency of happiness at any time are cast out.
Purnam means that dependency on help from others
(is negated), and brahma, meaning all-pervasive,
(negates) that there is anywhere where it is
impossible to find Him. Sanatanam means eternal
and (negates) that He is ever unobtainable. Or, the
complete Absolute Truth, Yourself, the eternal friend
of who, present always as the constant friend of
them. Not only are You the bestower of deliverance
from dangers, but also the bestower of supreme
happiness, as stated by the word paramandam,
meaning supremely ecstatic by nature. Or, anandam
means “He gives ecstasy,” and param means
exclusive. The friend, rather than in the form of the
Supreme Lord, because that would contradict their
special kind of love. Or, You are the complete
Absolute Truth, and Your nature is that the residents
of the cowherd pasture of Nanda-gopa are Your
friends; the use of the neuter gender (in the bahu-
vrihi ending mitram) is because that word is an
adjective modifying brahman. The glories of the most
dear devotees of the Supreme Personality of

103
Godhead led by Sri Radha are not overtly described
because in their childhood their special rasa with Him
has not yet begun, or because of the supreme
confidentiality of this, Brahma feeling embarrassed
because he is the Lord’s son, and so on.

Jiva Gosvami: Even Your own greatness cannot be

as great as this (great fortune of the devotees of
Vrndavana); thus remembering that there is yet
another superexcellence (of them), he speaks again
with extreme amazement, in the verse beginning
aho. Aho indicates surprise. The good fortune is His
inexpressible mercy. The repetition (of the words aho
bhagyam) is because of being overtaken repeatedly
with surprise because of the uniqueness of their
excellence. Of whom? That is answered: Of any and
all of the residents of the cow pasture of Nanda-
gopa, even down to the animals and birds. What is
that (good fortune)? Of whom the paramananda
friend, the giver of pure love as is fitting for a person
who is one’s natural friend, the neuter gender here
being according to the usage of the Vedas, and by
such the idea of the statement sruti, vijnanam
anandam brahma (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad, 3.9.28)
is hinted at. Wherever there is ecstasy, we find
everyone involved engaging in such pure love, but
not ecstasy itself [?] And sometimes among them
even ecstasy itself is the actor [This doesn’t make
sense to me, and the rest of this sentence I cannot
translate at all.] And this is not all. And what more?
(That Brahman) is complete and nectar, unlimited in
His personality, form, qualities, pastimes, opulence,
and sweetness, just like (ordinary nectar is complete)

104
in terms of its fragrance and so on. And this indeed
has never been seen or heard of anywhere).
Furthermore, what is He like? (He is also
Brahman), also greater than all because of the
unlimitedness of His ecstasy. Where do we ever see
it is implied, such greatness of ecstasy or such a
great being taking on friendship with another? There
is yet another wonderful feature, which is stated by
the word sanatanam. Even being like this, He is also
eternal. The happiness of these (devotees of
Vrndavana), on the other hand, is indeed eternal.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Having offered praise of

the ladies who have pure love in the spontaneous
mood of parenthood, now Brahma is praising those
who have pure love of the Lord in the spontaneous
mood of friendship, and by extrapolation, glorifying
the possessors of all kinds of transcendental
attraction for the Lord in parenthood and so on, by
the verse beginning aho bhagyam aho bhagyam.
This repetition is expressed because of Brahma’s
surprise in ecstasy. The neuter ending of the word
paramanandam is poetic license of the sages. And
thus also that Brahman which is defined in the sruti,
satyam vijnanam anandam brahma is indicated. By
the word parama is established that Lord Krsna is the
basis of that Brahman, and by the word purna is
refuted the possibility that (what is being referred to
here are ) the Lord’s impersonal identities or His
partial incarnations. For whom, for the boys headed
by Sridama, this Brahman is the friend (mitram =
sakha). Brahma denies that this status of being the
friend is only for temporary time by specifically
stating sanatanam, meaning existing throughout all

105
time. Thus b the relationship of friendship being
existent throughout all time, is made known that
Sridama and the cowherd boys also exist throughout
all time.
Taking the statement ayam uttamo brahmana, if
a person’s status as a brahmana is excellent, then
whatever quality that person is characterized by is
also excellent, and in the same way (the Lord’s)
status of being a friend is intended to be described
as eternal. And also because the word mitra means
simply friend, it is to be interpreted thus [?] Oh, how
great is the fortune, oh, how great is the fortune of
each and every resident of the cow pastures of
Sriman Nandaraja, even down to the animals and
birds, and what then to speak of (the great fortune)
of Nanda himself and of his cowherd men. What is
that (good fortune)? Of which (devotees) endowed
with pure love of all the different varieties of
parenthood and so on, the supremely ecstatic
Absolute Truth is the eternal friend (mitram =
bandhu). (That Absolute Truth) is acting in a way
suitable to the status of a friend. This is as will later
be stated by the cowherd men, dustyajas canurage
’smin sarvesam nau vrajaukasam/ nanda te tanaye
’smasu tasyapy autpattikah katham (Bhag. 10.26.13:
“We cannot shake off this attraction that all of us
who are dwelling in Vrndavana have, O Nanda, for
your son. How has this come upon us without
apparent reason?”) Thus the idea is deduced that the
Absolute Truth is feeling causeless attraction for
these residents of Vrndavana. By this, the word
paramanandam means also that He gives ecstasy to
the residents of Vrndavana. It is also hinted that they
have become (for Brahma) the objects of the

106
greatest mood of wonder, in that they are
manifestations of sac-cid-ananda.

33
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, let this much glory of
their great fortune lie (because) who is capable of
describing it? Candra and the other eleven demigods
beginning with Sarva, who is the presiding deity of
false ego; them and also ourselves. Thinking of
himself highly or indicated by the word “ourselves,”
Brahma says that in this way the thirteen demigods,
the thirteen presiding deities of the mind,
intelligence, false ego, sense of sight, and so on, are
indeed (bata = aho) just as much greatly fortunate.
This is because their (the residents of Vraja) senses
(hrsikani = indriyani) are drinking cups (casakani =
pana-patrani) by which we drink the honey (madhu
= makaranda), the nectar or sweet intoxication
beverage, of the two feet that are lotuses (udaje =
varije) of You, the fourteenth Deity who presides over
consciousness. The idea being expressed is as
follows: When we who are identifying as the
controllers of each one of the senses, are fully
satisfied by rendering service to the eleven different
features of (Your) glories, beauty, sweet sound, and
so on, then how can the great fortune be described
of those who are rendering all kinds of service with
all of their senses?

Sanatana Gosvami: Oh, who is capable indeed of

describing the glory of these devotees? Ourselves,
simply by connection with these devotees, have
become all-successful, as stated by the verse
beginning esam. The word tu indicates a sidelong

107
gland, or simply a poetical ornament. The greatness
of their good fortune. The repeated use of the
expression “O Acyuta” implies that the greatness of
the glories of Your devotees also never fails. The
honey coming from Your lotus feet (anghry-udaja-
madhu = sri-caranaravinda-makarandam), consisting
of servitude to the Personality of Godhead,
intelligence focused upon such, the function of
decision consisting of firmly fixing one’s
determination on such, vision of (the Lord’s) form,
hearing topics about Him, and so on. How does this
appear? By His supreme sweetness and so on, as a
nectar and also as an asava, where the asus are the
vital airs, and asava means one’s superexcellent
livelihood based on such vital forces. Or else (the
devotees are) amrta, devoid of death or liberated,
(and it becomes) for them an asava, an excellent
intoxicating beverage; this is established by the fact
that it makes one forget liberation by being even
more enjoyable than liberation. And in this way,
because of especially drinking repeatedly such
honey, the greater glories of the residents of
Vrndavana in comparison to all other devotees is
shown, in the words beginning ekadasa. According to
the statement, dig-vatarka-praceto-’svi-
vahnindropendra-mitra-kah (Bhag. 2.5.30: “The ten
demigods controlling the bodily movements are
known as the controller of the directions, the
controller of air, the sun-god, the father of Daksa
Prajapati, the Asvini-kumaras, the fire-god, the king
of heaven, the worshipable deity in heaven, the chief
of the Adityas, and Brahmaji, the prajapati”), there
are ten presiding deities of the different senses, and
Candra as the presiding deity of the mind makes

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eleven. Vayam indicates the presiding deity of
intelligence, or Brahma, and by the word
sarvadayah, a bahu-rihi compound that expresses his
qualities, the presiding deity of false ego, Rudra, the
thirteenth, I meant. The rest has been explained by
Srila Sridhara Svami. Or, because there is no direct
use of devotional service rendered by the anus and
genital, it is by leaving out the presiding deities of
the, namely Mitra and Prajapati, that we have eleven.
Or, because Prajapati is also relevant somehow
because of what is for practical purposes direct
service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
rendered by men of giving birth to Vaisnava children
and so on, and by women also in connection with
them, it is by exclusion of Upendra, t he presiding
deity of the leg, who by being an incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Vasudeva is
nondifferent from Him, that the count of eleven is
achieved. Although the mundane demigods, Candra
and the others, are actually not fit to be the
controllers of the minds and other functions of these
residents of Vrndavana, whose personal bodies are
sat-cit-ananda, it being rather the case that (those
demigods who) have forms of sat-cit-ananda and are
residents of Sri Vaikuntha (preside over the senses of
the residents of Vrndavana), nevertheless with the
implied idea of the nondifference of the (original)
demigods residing in Sri Vaikuntha with these
(mundane demigods) as their shadow forms (this is
spoken).
Or, this is stated from the external point of view.
And thus it is stated in the uttara-khanda of the
Padma Purana, in the description of the eternal
Vaikuntha, how the devas present there are eternal:

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nityah sarve pare dhanni ye canye ca divaukasah/ te
vai prakrta-nake ’sminn anityas tridasesvarah: “All
the demigods in the supreme abode of Vaikuntha are
eternal, whereas the other thirteen presiding
demigods living in the material heaven are not
eternal. Or, experiencing the superexcellent and
variegated sweetness of Lord Krsna, Brahma
congratulates his own good fortune on unexpectedly
gaining this, in the verse beginning esam. We drink
with the drinking cups of our own different senses
(hrsika-casakaih = sva-svendriya-pana-patraih) the
nectar of Your lotus feet, which has become revealed
in this Vrndavana. What is (this honey) like? Like a
nectarean intoxicating beverage, sweet like nectar
and intoxicating like asavam. We, the nine rulers of
the planets, excluding Nirrti, plus the sun-god and
moon-god, which makes eleven.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, we also have

been made most fortunate by these residents of
Vrndavana, as stated: Let alone the greatness
(mahita = mahima) of the good fortunate of them;
who is capable of describing that? Even ourselves,
the eleven presiding deities of the senses of these
devotees, are most fortunate. This is because the
senses (hrsikani = indriyani) of these devotees are
drinking glasses (casakani = pana-patrani) by which
we—(the eleven demigods) headed by Sarva or
Rudra, by the exclusion of the two demigods who
preside over the vulgar senses and also by the
exclusion of the presiding deity of consciousness with
the perception that he is nondifferent from Lord
Vasudeva—drink with the eleven senses the honey of
Your lotus feet (anghry-udajayoh = carana-

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kamalayoh), which are decorated with anklets, the
nectar, the sweet asava or intoxication beverage
consisting of the egoistic identification,
determination, thought, sound, touch, perception of
form, taste, fragrance, glorification by chanting,
massaging, moving nearby, and so on, pertaining to
the particular senses.
In this connection, although for these devotees
there is no sense gratification engaged in within their
hearts, but rather such sense gratification exists for
the presiding deities of each of these senses, as is
indeed the spiritual conclusion, nevertheless, since
Brahma stands within the intelligence, the sun-god
stands within the eyes, and so on, without their
particular presiding deities each of these different
senses cannot serve to assimilate form, taste, and so
on, even if these are focused upon Sri Krsna. Thus by
ordinary perception [?] the claims of those who are in
spiritual knowledge is also the cause of ecstasy for
Brahma and the other demigods, who are greatly
eager to develop attraction for Lord Krsna, since their
acceptance of false identification as the enjo7yers is
actually only in the sense of accepting the role of the
performers (of the activities of the senses), and also
because even though they themselves are mundane,
t hey are identifying as the presiding deities of
different transcendental senses.
This special function of the various kinds of pure
love of Godhead is found elsewhere as well—as in
the Padyavali, in the verse, mithyapadavada-
vacasapy abhimana-siddheh. Otherwise, it should be
understood that since the senses of the personal
associates of the Supreme Lord, whose bodies are
full of consciousness and bliss, are also full of

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consciousness and bliss in the same was as the
senses of the Lord Himself, and cannot possibly be
material, how then can Brahma and the other
demigods, who are part of the material world, enter
into these senses?
Or, Brahma congratulates the great fortune of
themselves (the demigods) in their sometime or
other having obtained (experience of) some aspect
or other of His sweetness, as spoken in the verse
beginning esam. The greatness of their good fortune
is unique (eka = advitiya), or in other words,
unequalled. Even the ten of us (dasaiva = dasapi),
the presiding demigods of the different directions,
have become most fortunate. Why? This is replied to
in the words beginning etat. Brahma is touching with
his own forefinger (pointing out) his own eyes and
ears. We are drinking with our eyes and ears the
nectar of the beauty and the sweet taste of the lotus
feet of You, who are going out of Vraja for tending
the calves.

34
Sridhara Svami: Thus as the same request that was
submitted by me in the verse, tad astu me natha sa
bhuri-bhagah (text 30) is again stated by the verse
beginning tad bhuri-bhagyam) What is that? Here, in
the world of men any birth at all, but more
specifically which is in the forest, and even more
specifically, which is in Gokula. Ah, what is to be
gained by giving up Satyaloka and taking such a
birth? By the words api katamanghri-rajo-’bhiseka) is
stated: That birth in which there may be the bathing
by the dust of the feet of any one of the residents of
Gokula. But why is it that the residents of Gokula are

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so fortunate? That is answered by the words
beginning yat. Whose entire life is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Mukunda, or in other words,
whose life is dedicated to Mukunda. The fact that He
is difficult to obtain is stated by the words beginning
adyapi. “Searched out by the sruti” means He is
sought after even by the Vedas; but, it is implied, He
is not seen by them.

Sanatana Gosvami: With the desire of having

devotion similar to that of the residents of the cow
pastures of Sri Nanda, or with the desire of serving
their lotus feet, the five things beginning with
liberation that are unfavorable to such are thrown
out by the five words beginning iha. Thus by the
word janma, liberation is denied, by the word iha, the
attainment of heaven and so on, by the words kim
api birth as a brahmana and so on, by the word
atavyam birth in a village or city and so on, and by
the word gokule (residence) in the forest meant for
austerities is negated. “Any (birth) at all” is with the
idea of becoming the smallest blade of grass,
because in that particular birth is achieved the direct
bathing by the dust of the lotus feet (of the residents
of Vrndavana). By the word abhiseka is meant by the
bathing of all limbs of the body beginning from the
head, or it is spoken out of great greed with regard
to the success of all his limbs.
Or, the bathing by even one particle of dust, by
which is hinted that the particle of dust contains all
holy places and is capable of making one attain all
positions. The dust of whose feet is sought out by the
srutis even today, even though You have directly
incarnated, but, it is implied, are not reached.

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 In the text of sruti, brahma puccham pratistha
(Taittiriya Upanisad 2.5.1), Brahman is glorified for
the purpose of achieving the Personality of Godhead,
and in the mantra, tad visnoh paramam padam, it is
glorified as the padam of the Personality of Godhead
(in such texts) the processes of knowledge, fruitive
work and so on are enunciated. Otherwise, according
to the logic that when the goal is achieved the
means by which it has been accomplished is given
up, we would not find the glorification of that
Brahman and the references to knowledge and so on.
He is Mukunda, the bestower of devotional service,
which is very difficult to achieve by persons such as
myself, and especially He is also Bhagavan, the one
who is intent upon revealing all His personal
opulence. “Of which Gokula” means of all those who
live there. “Their entire life” implies “who do not live
even a moment without You,” by which is expressed
their special supreme pure love. The rest has been
explained by Sridhara Svami.
Or, it may be objected, “You have prayed for any
birth in which you touch the dust of the feet of any of
the residents of Vrndavana, but why have you not
directly asked for the birth of a gopi or so on? That is
answered in the words beginning yat-jivitam. The
idea is as follows: It is not fitting for me to pray even
for the dust of Your lotus feet, which are impossible
to be achieved by the srutis, which are supremely
ancient and which have given all knowledge to
persons like me, so where is the question of praying
for the birth of one of the opulent gopis or so on, who
have subjugated Your lotus feet of the excess of their
love.

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Visvanatha Cakravarti: Therefore I have sprinkled
water at (given up as dead) all the opulence of the
world that has been achieved or that is yet to be
achieved, and also at liberation. Thus thinking, “How
can the particles of dust of the feet of these residents
of Vrndavana be obtained?” Brahma speaks this
verse with conviction. The implied completion of the
idea is “may such great fortune come about for me.”
The implication is, if Your beautiful sidelong glances
of mercy are magnanimous.
What is that (great fortune)? Any birth at all in
this forest, as a tender blade of darbha grass upon
which there may be the fortunate placing of the feet
of Your dear friends and other persons who reside in
Vrndavana. But, you should give up your greed for
this that is very difficult to get, and pray for
something else that is ore suitable to you. If such is
said, then the reply is that let there be (for me) the
birth such as that of a stone piece of a footpath even
in Gokula, even at the very edge of Your city, upon
which may be the bathing by the dust of the lotus
feet of any tailor, artisan, low-class servant, or so on
of Yours.
But, what is the reason for such greatness being
possessed by these residents of Vrndavana and why
are you, who are the universally worshipable creator
of the universe and the most highly positioned living
entity not embarrassed to be hankering for the dust
of the feet of these persons of low birth? That is
replied to: Whose life is the Personality of Godhead,
that Bhagavan who is endowed with all qualities such
as beauty, sweet sounding voice, and so on,
according to the synonyms given by the Amara-kosa,
bhagah sri-kama-mahatmye (“The word bhaga can

115
mean opulence, desire or greatness”), Mukunda or
He whose face has a smile like a jasmine flower. In
this way, whose beauty and other opulence and
whose gentle smile are the only means of remaining
alive. Without Him these devotees would
immediately die; the implication is that this
extraordinary and exalted pure love for You on the
part of them is the reason for their superexcellence.
“Entire” means that none of their life is based on
eating, drinking, and so on. Thus the dust of the lotus
feet of whom (the devotees in Vrndavana) is
searched after even today by the srutis, and is not
for the most part obtained, which means that
therefore “How am I, Brahma, greater than the
Vedas themselves? Therefore I should be ashamed to
pray for such a thing.” Therefore that which was
prayed for by me previously, in the verse tad astu
me natha (text 30), that also is being prayed for
here, that while being now situated in viddhi-bhakti,
may I become merged, by entering on the path of
following in the footsteps of the residents of
Vrndavana, in the ocean of the nectar of
spontaneous devotional service.

35
Sridhara Svami: Furthermore, how can the success
of these residents of Vrndavana be described, who
by their devotion have made even You their debtor?
But, what am I incapable of giving, by which I
become a debtor? That is replied to: Indeed (uta =
api) what is there anywhere, any fruit superior to
You, who are visva-phal, the embodiment of all fruits,
which You will give (rata = dasyati); our mind,

116
thinking all about this (ayat = sarvatra gacchat =
vicarayat), becomes bewildered.
But, by giving payment I will be freed from debt,
the Lord may reply. “No, no,” this is replied to: sad
vesad, by simply imitating the dress of the sats, the
devotees, the most sinful Putana also was made to
attained (apita = prapita) You. And if You are
thinking that “I will give this also to all of their
relatives,” that is replied to by the word sa-kula,
meaning together with Bakasura and Aghasura; if
You think “(I will give) just the same to these
devotees,” it is stated how such is insufficient, in the
words beginning yat. Whose homes and everything
else are all for Your sake (tvat-krte = tvad-artham).

Sanatana Gosvami: “Becomes bewildered” is

meant in the sense of being unable to decide
definitely. Or, thinking “because of His indebtedness,
He is under the control of these residents of
Vrndavana, and abandoning persons like myself He
will remain here,” thus Brahma becomes bewildered
by the excess of pain, unhappiness and so on. Sa-
kula, meaning together with Bakasura and Aghasura;
by this we are to understand that the reason for the
coming into contact with the Lord on the part of
these two (Baka and Agha), which is the reason for
their attaining the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
is their relationship with Putana. The rest has been
explained by Sridhara Svami. The word api is
correctly connected with the phrase “Even more than
visva-phala.” (It is said that nothing better is to be
found) anywhere because of the Lord’s personally
having already taken birth in Sri Mathura and the
land of Vraja. Or, [I cannot translate the next

117
sentence]. The word ayat is from the root in
meaning “to go” and has a present participle ending
(satr). By taking the verb in, which indicates motion,
in (a secondary) sense of “knowledge,” the idea is
“never in any way understanding.” Sad-vesad means
because of enviousness of the pure devotees, even
by trying to kill them, Putana, who was famous as a
very evil person on account of her killing children and
other crimes, achieved You along with her family
members. The word iva is used because of her
attaining a particular happiness she in fact failed to
realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead [?], and
the word apita is expressed with the idea in mind
that along with that happiness, because such
happiness is nondifferent from the Personality of
Godhead, by attaining it the Supreme Lord was also
attained.
And it has been said that these (devotees of
Vrndavana) are Your personal friends, and therefore
they are simply assuming that it is especially
inevitable for them to attain You. But, t hen I will give
directly myself, along with my own abode, wealth,
and so on, to them.
That is replied to by the words beginning yad-
dhama. That which has been offered to You, for Your
sake, for the purpose of activities that are
characteristic of Your devotional service—if You in
return give only that then such is simply an equal
dealing in exchange, but Your famous special
magnanimity will not be manifest.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, that which I

am greedily praying for, the dust of which devotees,
You may not speak openly in reply that it may or

118
may not be obtained by me, but there is one other
thing I am requesting that You must necessarily give
reply to; this is stated in the present verse: What will
You bestow, what fruit will You give, to these (esam
= ebhah)? The word uta is used to express a
question. In other words it mean, “I am asking.”
But, the Lord may say, you yourself should be
able to understand this by considering carefully with
your mind, since you are in possession of scientific
knowledge of all the purports of the Vedas. In reply
to such Brahma speaks the words beginning na
cetah, where nah means “our.” By the plural
expression (we) is meant that not only my mind, but
also those of Rudra, of Sanaka and the other
Kumaras, Narada and other sages, indeed of all
possessors of full knowledge, become bewildered.
And what is that mind like? Although wandering
about (ayat), with intelligence investigating in many
different ways, failing to find any other (aparam =
anyat) fruit apart from Yourself, who are visva-phala,
the embodiment of all fruits, anywhere at all, in
terms of both space and time.
The root in, in the sense of movement here
takes the present participle ending (in the word
ayat). The idea is as follows: You are the
embodiment of all fruits, and You are already
present, as having been obtained by them from the
very beginning in the roles of their son and so on.
Therefore I have used the genetive case (in the
phrase including the words esam-bhavan). But if
there were somehow any other object great than You
that might appear, then it would be quite fitting to
bestow it upon them; there is, however, no such

119
thing, and that is the reason why our minds are
bewildered.
But, my dear Brahma, you actually do not
understand the truth of the matter. By Myself, who
understood how later on they would develop
wonderful devotion in spontaneous attraction, My
own Self was first of all given to them as their son
and so on, which would become the ultimate fruit to
be achieved by them. Thus, others may be
appreciative of what has been done in the past, but I
understand also what will be done in the future, so
that I am the most excellent.
In reply to such a hypothetical objection by the
Lord, Brahma replies, “That is true, my Lord, but
nevertheless, You live Your life according to proper
ethics, as stated in the words beginning sad-vesat.
Sad-vesad iva means sad-vesad eva. Putana, even
though the most sinful, along with her family
members, was made to achieve You, was made by
You to achieve Your own Self. Thus those residents of
Vrndavana whose homes and so on, the basis of their
identification of “my,” their material support, (is all)
for Your sake (tvat-krte = tvad-artham), have also
been caused by You to attain Yourself; here the
completion of the sentence is made known by the
gestures of Brahma’s nose, eyes, eyebrows, and
neck. Inasmuch as You gave Your own self to the
most lowly sinful lady Putana, and also gave Your
same self to the most exalted crown jewels of pious
personalities, the residents of Vrndavana, therefore
because You already gave away (Yourself) as a gift, it
is impossible for You to avoid acting unfittingly (by
giving again a gift that has already been given), so

120
that by allowing Yourself the debtor of these
devotees of Vrndavana You have degraded Yourself.

36
Sridhara Svami: But, the Lord may object, even for
those sannyasis who have become free from all
faults of attachment and so on, there exists nothing
superior to Me, so why (is My dealing with) these
devotees of Vrndavana inadequate? That is replied to
by the verse beginning tavat. O Krsna, for that long
material attachment and so on remain thieves
(stenah = caurah), and also for that long one’s home
remains a prison (kara-grham = bandhana-garam),
and also bewilderment remains one’s foot-shackles
(nigadah = pada-srnkhala), as long as they do not
become Your (te = tvadiya) men. For those who are
Your devotees, on the other hand, even attachment
and so on, being focused upon You, are the causes of
their liberation. In this regard they are not
particularly different from the sannyasis, but, it is
implied, their worship is simply greater.

Sanatana Gosvami: By the word adi is meant

anger, and so on. Even the anger and so on of Your
devotees is devotional service, since by their giving
of chastisement and so on (such anger) ultimately
results in the liberation of other less intelligent
persons. O Krsna, O You who are directly the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The rest has been
explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, if the homes and
everything else of these devotees of Vrndavana are
simply for My sake, then why is there seen there
attachment and so on for sense gratification and so
on, their pursuance of household life is observance of

121
ceremony for guests and so on, and their mutual
affection? That is replied to in this verse; (as long as)
they do not (become devotees) of You, of Krsna. Or,
O Krsna, O bestower of supreme ecstasy in all
circumstances. (In this second interpretation), nate
means in bowing down to You (nate = namine), in
Your devotional service. Although attachment and so
on for sense gratification and on are naturally
thieves, stealers away of the discrimination, sobriety
and other jewellike qualities of men in general; by
the word adi is to be understood anger based on not
attaining such (sense gratification) and so on. One’s
home, one activities in the household order,
(become) miserable just like a prison, on account of
restriction and so on.
And mohah, the burden of mutual affection,
(becomes) like foot fetters, the basis of lack of
independence. The idea is as follows: By the
engagement of Your devotees naturally with objects
that are maha-prasada on account of having been
offered to You, because consequently their
attachment, greed, and so on give nourishment to
devotional service, and because for persons who are
engaged with other things (outside the scope of
devotional service) the anger (of these devotees)
inspires devotional service, and because also in the
household affairs of rendering service of giving
hospitality to Vaisnavas and so on, the very
engagements that are simply ordinary matters of
acting for the benefit of the living beings come
opportunities for engaging in discussing topics about
You, even in such a situation it is impossible for them
to be engaged in anything that has no connection
with You. But should they not be subject to criticism

122
since they are always engaged in serving Me, even
though I am incapable of bestowing the realization of
their desires? That is replied to: O Krsna, O attractor
of the hearts of everyone, as long as Your devotees
who are residents of Vrndavana are not absorbed in
Your service, Your raga, and so on, then Your sports
of singing, dancing, and so on, become thieves,
create the greatest disturbance, their home becomes
a prison, a source of supreme unhappiness, and their
moha (affection) directed to all devotees assumes
the form of the instrument of binding up their feet,
since it is the supreme cause of their loss of
independence.
Or, (Your) attachment and son are to be
understood as in connection with Sri Vaikuntha, and
Your home and also Your moha are to be understood
as in connection with Maha-Laksmi. The rest is the
same (as in the first interpretation). You endeavor to
act in response to how ever all people render service
to You, so what fault is there on their part? Or, for
that long their affection and so on for their own
bodies, domestic animals, and so on, remain thieves,
their homes remain prisons, and their affection for
their own family members remain foot shackles, as
long as they (te), those persons who are present in
Vrndavana, do not become dedicated to Your service.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But these householders

are described by sannyasis to be fallen into the
network of material existence consisting of their
sons, wives, and soon. Yes, they are present as
householders, having a son like You and spouses like
Your devotees, but even those householders living in
other places (outside Vrndavana) who are Your

123
devotees are better than sannyasis, as stated in the
verse beginning tavat. Attachment, and so on,
attachment, hatred, and infatuation, are great
thieves on account of stealing away the great
treasures of a living being’s knowledge, happiness,
and so on, and the living entities are place din
bondage in the prison of household life consisting of
their situation on the platform of fruitive work, by
means of the fetters of family affection, with the idea
that “they should not be free to spit on the king, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
O Krsna, as long as living entities (janah = jivah)
do not become Yours by being receptacles of the
mercy of Your devotees, their hatred for things
unfavorable to devotional service, and their
infatuation for You (and these attachments, hatred,
and infatuation [instead] of being thieves) by
bringing and bestowing knowledge, happiness, and
so on, which are based on You, (these raga, dvesa,
and abhinivesa) become most sanctified, and
constantly render service. In this way, that same
home that, when meant for reaping the fruits of
work, was a prison, becomes intended for Your
service and the chanting of Your glories, and thus
becomes the means for attaining Your eternal abode.
Similarly, because their affection becomes directed
toward Your devotees, even this moha becomes the
means of achieving that moha that comprises
ecstatic meditation upon You in pure love of God.
Thus how can these devotees be compared to
(ordinary) sannyasis? Householder devotees who are
living in other places (than Vrndavana) are much
greater in their devotion than the sannyasis who are
criticized by my son, Sanat-Kumara, in the verse,

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krcchro mahan iha bhavarnavam aplavesam/ sad-
varga-nakra-sukhena titirsanti. And the residents of
Vrndavana are many thousands of times greater
than them in their pure prema, because of them You,
who are directly the complete original form of the
Absolute Truth, have become subjugated and are
present as their son and so on.

37
Sridhara Svami: But, the Lord may answer, for this
reason I am present as their son, and so on. In reply
to such is spoken the verse beginning prapancam. In
order to spread the great amount (sandoham =
sammuham) if different kinds of ecstasy for that
body of people (janata = jana-sammuha) who are
surrendered. Indeed, it is implied, by pretending to
be a son and so on, the debt accrued from such
devotional service does not become absolved.

Sanatana Gosvami: Prapancam means the status

of being the son and so on. Even though
nisprapanca, transcendental to material creation,
You pretend (vidambayasi = anukarosi) upon the
earth (bhu-tale = prthivyam). For what purpose? For
the purpose of expanding the ecstasy of Your
devotees by their hearing Your pastimes in
connection with the land of Vrndavana. The rest has
been clarified by Sridhara Svami. Or, is it literally that
You perform particular pastimes with them as their
son, and so on? That is replied to by the verse
beginning prapancami You, whose nature is that on
account of You even for others material existence
becomes driven away, are making (Your devotees?)
steady (vidambayasi = vilambayasi = sthiri-karosi).

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Prapanna-janata means all the persons who are
residents of Vraja, through whom You are acting for
the purpose of the expansion of Your own ecstasy.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, the Lord may object,

there are many who think that the presence as a son
and so on in this Vrndavana on the part of Me, who
am the full Absolute Truth, is not factual, but indeed
such persons are in illusion. This is replied to in the
verse beginning prapancam. Although nisprapanca,
transcendental to material existence, You are always
present on the surface of the earth, and are imitating
material existence, imitating the condition of a son
and so on, as may be found within material life. In
the same way as mundane sons and so on act
toward their mundane fathers and so on, similarly
You are acting. Thus Your assumption of the
relationship of father and son and so on is not unreal
as is the same on the part of the jivas. Because You
on the other hand, are beyond material existence,
Your acting as a son is real and eternal, and even
though Your pastimes are eternal and transcendental
to the material world, they are full of imitation of
material existence; thus is the statement of the
definitive conclusion. Why are You pretending? In
order to disseminate that wealth of ecstasy for those
persons who are surrendered, which is generated by
relishing such pastimes, in order to expand upon the
earth that which is greater even than both the
ecstasy of Brahman and the ecstasy of the pastimes
of Vaikuntha.
The idea is as follows: A lamp does not seem as
brilliant in the sunlight as it does in shadow.
Similarly, a diamond does not seem as brilliant on a

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shining silver platter as it does on a plate of blue
glass. In that same way, the Lord’s transcendental
pastimes are not seen as amazing n the
transcendental abode of Vaikuntha as they do within
the material realm of maya. Although the kingdom of
Vraja is also transcendental, still just as Lord Krsna
acts just like an ordinary person, the abode of
Vrndavana present on the earth is seen to appear
like ordinary land. Therefore, here the Lord’s
pastimes are amazing. By the expression, “O
master,” is implied, “Please count me also among
the surrendered.”

38
Sridhara Svami: In this way, from the very
beginning (of these prayers) it has been stated how
the Lord is naturally impossible to understand on
account of His possessing unlimited qualities. Some,
on the other hand, may be established in the idea
that, “We understand this.” Laughing at such
persons, Brahma speaks the verse beginning
janantah. But for my mind and so on, Your opulence
has not become the object.

Jiva Gosvami: Thus having shown in various ways

how the Lord is impossible to understand by logic, in
such verses as asyapi deva vapusah (text 2), now
abandoning all these different descriptions Brahma is
summarizing simply with the idea that was
expressed in the beginning, of the Lord as his own
object of worship, in the verse beginning janantah.

Sanatana Gosvami: Thus Brahma summarizes the

insignificance of knowledge and the greatness of

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devotional service, which have been established
beginning from the verse jnane prayasam udapasya,
by speaking the verse beginning janantah. Those
who may know Your vaibhava, the glories of Your
devotional service, are merely presuming to be great
scholars; let them know. Thus the idea is that, “Let
them go on endeavoring for knowledge and indeed
acquire it.” This statement is spoken ironically. What
is the use of further description in so many words of
the glories of Your devotional service in terms of the
insignificance of the process of knowledge, and so
on? O Prabhu, O You who have variegated and
unlimited great influence, Your power is not the
object of my body by the powers of writing and so
on, of my words by description and so on, or even of
my mind by the process of thinking and so on,
because (Your vaibhava) is unbounded and
inaccessible to logic. Thus it is hinted that apart from
this everything else is accessible (to Brahma’s body,
words, and mind).
Or, that description of the body of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead—which was first of all begun
as the supreme object of praise has been fortified by
the sequence of reciprocal (arguments spoken in
anticipation of) doubts that have come up in the
interim, and by description of the greatness of
worshiping You in devotional service—is now again
spoken in the conclusion: The address “Prabhu”
means that He manifests (bhavati = prakatyam
prapnoti) with His superexcellently (prakarsena)
beautiful form and so on. In other words, O most
great, or extraordinary personality, I cannot
appreciate the opulence of Your body.

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 Or, the opulence of Your mind and so on is not
accessible to my senses; thus in the same way as
(the glories) of Your mind, the content of which is as
deep as millions of oceans (is inaccessible to me),
similarly is that of Your body, which embodies the
unlimited and infallible Vedas, by being at the same
time bounded and unbounded.
Or, of Him who, although defined in extent,
remains even now the most superexcellent, of the
words being spoken by His friends and so on, the
vaibhava or the intent of the different statements, is
not within the scope. Or, while summarizing the
description of the glories of the cow pasture of Sri
Nanda, which constitutes the greatest praise of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the topic under
discussion, Brahma is mocking those foolish persons
who falsely presume themselves to be in knowledge
of such; this is spoken in the verse beginning esam.
The residents of Sri Vraja are simply following in the
footsteps of the Lord), and thus the power also of
them (is incomprehensible); it is on the basis of this
idea that the verse is to be understood. O Prabhu, O
Lord of Sri Gokula, the greatness of these residents
of Vrndavana cannot be appreciated by my body,
words, and mind, and also cannot be appreciated by
Yours, and so the implication is, those who presume
to be in knowledge of this are the most ignorant and
are worthy of being ridiculed. The rest is explained in
the first interpretation.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Yes, but how many

persons are there like you who are brilliantly
speaking even My very presence about all these
matters of My personal form, the residents of My

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Vrndavana, My pastimes, and My devotional service?
Please tell me how many such authorities there are.
Anticipating such facetious words (from the Lord),
Brahma speaks with embarrassment, with
trepidation, and with remorse in the verse beginning
jananta eva. Let those who know, know, but I am the
greatest fool.
But then why have you been speaking for all this
time? That is replied to with the words beginning kim
bahuktya. To speak many words in Your presence is
simply the symptom of foolishness. But, My dear
Brahma, please speak honestly. In reply to this
Brahma speaks the words beginning na. Your
vaibhavam, opulence, is not approachable by my
mind; this is because of being unable to reach the
end of such by meditating. “By my body” means
even now by my eyes, and “by my words” means the
same as has been stated by me, gunatmanas te ’pi
gunan vimatum (text 7). Or, the opulence of Your
mind is not accessible to me; thus how can I
understand anything that is within Your mind, as I
have previously stated, saksad tavaiva kim utat-
sukhanubhuteh (text 2). In the same way (how can I
understand the opulence) of Your body, meaning
(how can I understand) any feature within Your body,
and (how can I understand) Your words, meaning
(how can I understand anything) among Your words,
which are characterized as the Vedas. Thus because
Your direct treatment toward me is to remain silent, I
have not received even a trace of Your words.
Therefore who could be such a low-class persons as
me in Your personal presence?

39

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Sridhara Svami: Throwing away his presumptuous
identification as lord of the universe and so on,
Brahma speaks the verse beginning anujanihi. You
know everything, Your own glories and also the
knowledge and power of persons like myself,
because You are omniscient. But You are the Lord of
the universe, and such is sufficient knowledge to
have. Therefore I offer to You the basis of my
identification of “mine,” namely, this universe along
with my body.

Sanatana Gosvami: In this way, Brahma, having

lost all false identification on account of the Lord’s
special mercy, which was due to the influence of the
prayers offered, Brahma has resorted to supreme
humility, and, as if he has no knowledge of the Lord,
he requests permission to return to his own place in
the verse beginning anujanihi. O Krsna, O You who
are intent upon revealing completely Your Godhood,
You Yourself know all of Your opulence which has bee
mentioned, because You are all-seeing, omniscient.
Or, Brahma asks ironically that even though You are
all-seeing, do You know (Your own opulence)? The
idea is, “No, You do not,” because (of the Lord’s
opulence) being unlimited. Therefore certainly I am
not qualified to praise these opulences, so therefore
please send me away.
Furthermore, rejecting all false identification for
the purpose of achieving Your devotional service, I
offer unto You everything that is mine, which is sated
by the words beginning tvam eva. The rest has been
clarified by Srila Sridhara Svami.
Or, My dear Brahma, you have just now
requested any birth at all. Then why do you wish to

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go somewhere else? That is replied to by the words
beginning sarvam. My situation is that in this body of
four-headed Brahma, a demigod, I am not qualified
to remain here, whereas Your situation is that, being
under the control of the pure love of these devotees
(of Vrndavana), You are very eager to give
gratification to them in the proper way. O Krsna, O
only darling of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, You
understand, so why should I remain here?
But for the purpose of achieving what I have
prayed for, I am offering everything unto You, as
stated: The implication is for me even to identify with
the act of offering, so therefore also my act of
offering is offered to You. Or, O most highly situated
personality in the universe, by your function of
creating indeed you are the lord of the universe. And
why are you taking to such humility? That is
answered: You are the master of the universes,
meaning that I am a servant. But, don’t we see that
this universe, which is filled with the sons and
grandsons of you, the grandfather, is directly under
your superintendence? That is replied to: This
universe, which is Yours has been offered by You to
me, so thus my position here is not one of lore but
rather of my being superintendent—that is simply by
the power that You have offered me.

Jiva Gosvami: O Krsna, O You whose qualities and

personal form attract the senses of all beings, please
give Your permission; Brahma is not begging for this
permission to leave by his own desire, but of it being
unfitting for him to remain there. Sarvam: that he
has not received the order to remain here, why
should he stay? I am not even able to give up sense

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gratification, as stated in the words beginning tava;
further, it is fitting for me to remain [?] the order of
acting as a servant (in Brahmaloka), which has been
given to me by Your (tava = tvayaiva).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: But, My opulence may not

be perceivable to you, yet don’t I know your
opulence? Expressing this idea, “What answer is
there that I can give to this?” Brahma speaks with
embarrassment and lack of enthusiasm in the verse
beginning anujanihi. In other words, please reveal to
me what is within Your mind. Please inform me, who
am most fallen, unfit to remain in this place for even
a moment. In other words, I should go to the place
that is suited for persons such as myself, Satyaloka.
O Krsna, which means that You are nevertheless
attracting my mind. But Your Lordship has not
spoken in reply to my request: tad bhuri-bhagyam hi
(text 34) even by a gesture of Your eyes, so what is
there for me to do? Therefore this offender, because
of acting against pastimes by disturbing Your sport of
taking lunch on the bank of the river, has not been
allow4ed to receive even a drop of the nectar of the
words coming from Your mouth; therefore I shall go
away from here immediately. You can gather Your
calves and finish up Your pastime of eating and
reveling in laughing, comments and replies with Your
dear friends, who are eating on the bank; thus is the
unspoken implication. As for myself, why should I be
so extremely arrogant as to make my petition again
and again, which Brahma expresses as follows: You
indeed know all of the vaibhavam of the mind, body,
and words of persons like myself. Furthermore, just
because I have created this universe, I am not its

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master, but rather You are the master of universes,
even of many other universes. Therefore I am
offering to You this universe, which is very
insignificant, and which is actually Your own (tava =
tvadiyam). Since You know what is fitting for this
(universe ?) please do whatever You desire with it,
since it deserves to be cast into darkness.

40
Sridhara Svami: The Lord thus having sent away
His servant, Brahma offers obeisances out of respect,
in the verse beginning sri-krsna. On account of
bestowing affection upon the lotus of the family of
the Vrsnis, O You who are comparable to the sun, the
earth (ksa = avani), the demigods (nirjarah =
devah), the brahmanas, and the animals are oceans,
and by effecting the increase of these, O You who are
equal to the moon. Atheistic principles (uddharma =
pasanda-dharma) are darkness (sarvara = tamah),
and because “He takes away this,” O You who are
comparable to both (the sun and the moon), O
opponent of the demons upon the earth, He who
shows enmity to those Raksasas such as Kamsa who
have arisen upon the earth. Again, O You who are
comparable to the sun, and thinking that comparing
the Lord to the sun and so on is insufficient, Brahma
states, O You who are worshipable (arhan = pujya)
by all, even up to the sun (god) (arkam = arkam
abhivyapa), O Personality of Godhead, obeisances
unto You even to the end of the day of Brahma (a-
kalpam = kalpa-paryantam).
May Lord Acyuta protect us while ruling over the
realm of Vraja. It is amazing how He was wondering
how to free the calves and His friends, how [I cannot

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translate this phrase] and how He then assumed the
forms of everything.

Sanatana Gosvami: O Sri Krsna, where sri means

the various kinds of beauty pertaining to all objects,
O Krsna who is endowed with that, O You who by
possessing sri is the attractor of all hearts; thus is
meant to be indicated how He is distinct from all
others in all aspects. This is specifically characterized
by the words beginning vrsni, and the reasons for
each of these attributes is stated by the word
bhagavan, or in other words, O You who expand all
opulence. The rest has been explained by Sridhara
Svami.
Or, by the supreme devotional service that has
been awakened in this way, in the end Brahma is
offering prayers consisting of variegated nama-
sankirtana, and briefly summarizing all the purposes
of the Lord’s incarnation in one verse, he is offering
obeisances with a lotus flower in his hand. Thus by
the phrase beginning vrsni-kula, just as by the rising
of the sun the symptoms of darkness are driven out
and the lotuses become revealed, similarly, simply
by His appearance, the suffering of Sri Vasudeva and
the other Yadavas is destroyed and happiness is
bestowed upon them; such has already been
previously stated. This has been stated in the verses
as sa bibhrat paurusam dhama (Bhag. 10.2.17:
“While carrying the form of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead within the core of his heart, Vasudeva
bore the Lord’s transcendental illuminating
effulgence, and thus he became bright as the sun”)
and distya hare ’sya bhavateh pado bhuvah (Bhag.
10.2.38: “O Lord, we are fortunate because the

135
heavy burden of the demons upon this earth is
immediately removed by Your appearance”).
Furthermore, O You who increase the earth, the
demigods, the brahmanas, and the ocean of animals,
the ocean of cows and other animals that is the cow
pasture of Sri Nanda, O You whose nature is to give
increase by directly dispelling misery and bestowing
happiness through the eradication of irreligion, the
promulgation of religion and so on. Although by the
increasing of the earth the fact that You effect the
increase of the brahmanas, cows, and so on who are
present upon the earth automatically can be
deduced, nevertheless, in this incarnation, because
such increase is especially manifest, this has been
separately indicated.
Or, this is meant for the purpose of including the
sages who live on such planets as Maharloka and in
the Gokula and so on that are present in Goloka. Or,
because the earth, demigods, brahmanas, birds
(dvija = paksinah) sand the animals, namely the
cows, buffalo, and so on, who have relationship with
Vrndavana, are extremely abundant, they are
oceans; O You who give increase to them, which
expressed (that Lord Krsna) acts to specifically
increase Vrndavana. Now at the end, Brahma
describes the chief purpose (of the Lord), the
spreading of pure devotional service in love of God:
dharma in this context is symptomized as devotional
service, and the processes of knowledge and so on
that are contrary to it are uddharma by the logic of
being distractions from the proper path; He takes
away (that uddharma, which is) darkness (sarvaram
= tamas) because of its covering over the path of

136
devotional service, which is (otherwise) always and
everywhere manifest.
Thus also therefore, O opponent of the Raksasas
upon the earth. The Raksasas upon the earth are of
two varieties: One category is those who wander
about in the darkness of material existence, who
because of their similarity (to the Raksasas) who
travel about in the night, are Raksasas on account of
becoming obstacles to the path of devotional service,
which is the only real life for all people; they are the
unholy persons who are secretly within demoniac.
The others are the enemies of the dynasty of the
Vrsnis and other devotees, the manifest demons
such as Kamsa. The Lord acts in opposition to all of
these; thus He acts toward the unholy by subduing
their foolish arrogance, and to (overt demons) like
Kamsa by directly killing them. That also is for their
benefit, as stated by the word bhagavan. O Lord, O
supremely merciful, because of engaging saintly
personalities in devotional service. This, which no
one has ever seen before, is only possible to be
performed by You; no one else is capable. Thus
because the Lord is capable, He is addressed as
arhan; O You who are suited to or capable of doing
everything Therefore until the end of the kalpa, up
until the end of my own life. Or, extending to the a-
kalpa, Your ornaments consisting of Your conchshell,
ear decoration, and the peacock on Your head, as
well as the morsel of food in Your left hand and so
on. And arkam. Arka is a particular tree the fruit of
which is not suitable for offering to the Personality of
Godhead, and thus not given respect by the
Vaisnavas. Even extending to that arkam: O Krsna,
who are endowed with the beauty manifest by Your

137
personal opulences together with all these features,
O supreme ecstasy, O son of Nanda, I offer my
obeisances unto You.
By the mercy of those who have received the
mercy of Sriman Caitanyadeva, this explanation of
the prayers of Lord Brahma has been presented for
their pleasure and according to their taste.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Although because of

knowing me to be an offender You do not speak, still,
please give me with Your eyes the nectar of Your
merciful glance, so that by that nourishment I may
continue to maintain my life, have the power to live
out my life until the end of the kalpa. Expressing this,
Brahma offers obeisances with the verse beginning
sri-krsna. Indicating the Lord’s right eyes, which is
the original form of the sun, Brahma states: O
bestower of the blooming (josa = praphullatvam) of
the lotus of the Vrsni dynasty, please out of Your
mercy also make me bloom, who am the progeny of
the lotus. Indicating the Lord’s left eye, which is the
original form of the moon, he states: The earth or the
human beings and so on who are situated on the
surface of the earth, the nirjara, or demigods
situated in heaven, the brahmanas, and the animals
or birds and cows situated in Vrndavana, are oceans;
O giver of increase to them, please mercifully also
effect the increase of me, who am the worst of the
demigods. Indicating simultaneously both eyes,
which are blossoming, Brahma states: uddharma, or
atheistic so-called religion is the darkness of
ignorance (sarvara = andha-tamasa). This is stated
in the Amara-kosa, sarvaram tv andha-tamasah.
Because “He takes away that,” therefore for that

138
reason O You who are my own master, please take
away my own atheism, symptomized by my attempt
to exert my illusory power over even You, so that I
may not ever act like this again. You act inimically to
the Raksasas upon the earth, such as Aghasura and
others. But by this very enmity You bestow You
personal destination. Therefore, please sanctify by
the bestowing of punishment also me, who am a
brahma-raksasa from Satyaloka on account of having
acted inimically against Your intimate friends and all
of the calves.
Seeing either the mercy or the harshness of his
own master, the servant takes courage to continue
living, but if he sees indifference, then he no longer
desires to maintain his life airs. Alas, alas, thinking
before that it was unfitting for my master that even
though He is the most exalted God of gods, He is
decorated with a stick, conchshell ornaments, red
clay, peacock feather, and so on, and is taking
pleasure from sporting together with the cowherd
boys, thus have I acted foolishly in committing
offenses against them. Let me try to beg forgiveness
from them. Considering this, Brahma speaks a-
kalpam, even including Your ornaments of
conchshells, and so on, and arkam, even including
the particular tree called arka, whose flower is
unsuitable for offering to the Supreme Lord, but
which tree is found in Vrndavana; O arhan, O You
who are worshipable by me, or, O capable one, You
whoa re able to give mercy or no mercy, either good
or bad for me, I offer my obeisances to You (te =
tubhyam) along with all these different items
(described as a-kalpam and arkam).

139
 May these prayers of Brahma, which take away
all doubts and broadcast all the definitive conclusions
of devotional service, become the expert
craftsmanship of the foundation of my
consciousness.

41
Sanatana Gosvami: Bhuman means whose glory is
unbounded. Iti means evam, and abhistuya means
abhistutya, or completely praising. Or, who is
situated thus even though being all-pervasive;
circumambulating that most dear Lord (abhistam =
priyatamam) three times, Brahma went back to his
own abode, his own residence in Satyaloka. Thus first
of all Brahma rejected his own position as the
supreme living entity, either out of embarrassment
or out of hankering to take up residence in
Vrndavana, and was thinking in his mind, “Let me
live anywhere at all.” But now, having attained the
satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the idea is that he is returning to his own favored
position. That is because is the creator of the
universe, and otherwise, if he were to fall down from
his position, the process of universal creation would
incomplete. Therefore, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead sent him back.

Jiva Gosvami: The intent of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, who remained silent in
response to Brahma’s prayer for gaining the close
association of the his worshipable Lord, was (that
Brahma returned to) his own abode. The all-powerful
Lord alone is his worshipable object.

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Visvanatha Cakravarti: By the Supreme Lord,
(Brahma) was sent back to his desired (abode); such
is the unspoken completion of the idea. Because he
is the creator of the universe, and because
otherwise, if he were to reject suddenly his position,
the business of universal creation would be
incomplete. And thus according to the logic of
“appointed authorities retain their position as long as
the term of responsibility lasts,” after Brahma serve
his term of responsibility, his desire will become
fulfilled. This idea is to be inferred.

42
Sridhara Svami: Anujnapya means giving
permission, or in other words, requesting Brahma (to
return to) his own residence. His own (place where
He was taking His meal) shore of the river where
previously His friends were.

Sanatana Gosvami: But Brahma did not leave

simply on his own desire, as stated in the verse
beginning tatha. Anujnapya means “sending him
away.” Sva-bhuvam means “His own son,” which
indicates the forgiving of all of his offenses. Then,
directly after giving permission to Brahma to leave.
Prak means previously; yata-purva-sakham means
the place where He was taking His own meal, or, the
place where the calves were previously situated.
Taking the calves who were situated in the forest to
the bank of the river. And in this way, because it is
not stated whether the cowherd boys together with
the calves were brought back by Brahma and
presented, or whether they were brought back
somehow by the Lord Himself, or else whether

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somehow they returned of their own accord and were
once again present there, thus it is simply that not
that the illusion has been dispelled, the Lord has
returned among them who are seated for taking their
lunch on the bank of the river just as previously, for
the purpose of giving comfort to the boys by
returning their calves. And by their statement that
“He has immediately brought back the calves,” it is
understood that (the boys and the calves) were
bewildered by the Lord’s illusory energy for the
whole year as they remained in their respect; (by the
bank of the river in the case of the boys and in the
forest in the case of the calves). Nor was this event
overtly manifest (because otherwise) why were they
not seen there by other persons, the gopis, and so
on? And why were they not distressed by cold, wind,
and soon? The answer is, because of the
omnipotence of the Lord’s illusory energy.
And if the following is to be inquired: Even
thought they were seen by the Supreme Lord in such
a condition, why would He neglect them? Is it
therefore the case that Brahma took them away to
come place like Satyaloka, which is invisible to the
Supreme Lord, and hid them there by bewildered
them with his illusory energy? It is replied that this
argument is not valid, because it has been said in the
very beginning that Brahma did not actually in his
sporting pleasure take away the cowherd boys, as
expressed in the verse mayasraye (Bhag. 10.13.41:
“Lord Brahma thought: Whatever boys and calves
there were in Gokula, I have kept them sleeping on a
bed of my mystic potency, and to this very day they
have not risen again. A similar number of boys and
calves have been with Krsna for one whole year, yet

142
they are different from the ones illusioned by my
mystic potency. Who are they? Where did they come
from?”) And by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, the
cowherd boys did not suffer any distress;
furthermore, no matter where they may have been
brought, they did not become invisible to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose personal
form is full of knowledge. Rather, at the very moment
they were seen (by the Lord), He went immediately
searching about here and there for them, either
under the saw of affection for them or for the
purpose of confusing Sri Brahma. All this has been
stated previously, and thus it is firmly concluded that
they were remaining all along situated in these
respective places (the bank of the river and the
forest). Therefore, it has been written by Sridhara
Svamipada, “But how is it that they have remained
seated there for so long? Why have they not
experienced hunger, thirst, and so on?” These
statements “where were present the friends as
previously,” and “(the calves) who were placed there
previously,” it is made known that everything—the
boys, the calves, the taking of lunch on the shore of
the river, the being seated for the purpose of taking
this meal, and so on—is still present as previously.
But it should be understood that because of one year
being added to their age, there is some increase in
their size and so on. Similarly, it is to be understood
that it is by the power of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead that their mothers and so on perceived (the
Lord’s) behaving as if (His expansions) were actually
their own children, because otherwise there would be
an incongruity between their remaining in one place

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for a year and these short-termed events (of taking
lunch and so on); such is the logical implication.

Jiva Gosvami: (Brahma being) thus ordered by the

Lord’s granting of permission. (The Lord was thinking
that) I do not take the pleasure of My pastimes with
these boys and calves that are in such forms (as
directly manifested from myself), but rather with
those (that were left on the shore of the river and in
the forest). Those who just as previously (prak =
prag-vad) were situated in the place where He was
taking His own meal, and where the friends remained
as before.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Giving permission to

Brahma (to return to) his own residence; this was
granted silently. The request for permission having
been submitted in the verse anujanihi mam krsna,
Brahma then, according to the principle of maunam
sammati-laksanam (“Silence is the symptom of
agreement”), immediately took his leave. This
refusal to give up His silence, however, is for the
purpose perfecting the completion of the dramatic
performance of Him who was accepting the role of a
young boy of the cowherd community; He was doing
such for the sake of bewildering Brahma. Thus the
beginning of His enactment of searching after the
calves and boys has been stated, tato vatsan
adrstvaitya puline ’pi vatsapan/ ubhav api vane
krsno vicikaya samantatah (Bhag. 10.13.16:
“Thereafter, when Krsna was unable to find the
calves, He returned to the bank of the river, but
there he was also unable to see the cowherd boys.
Thus He began to search for both the calves and the

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boys, as if He could not understand what had
happened”). After Brahma begins his prayers with
the words naumidya, the Lord completes His
enactment with the silence that indicates the
thoughts, “Where did this four-headed Brahma come
from? What is he doing? What are these words which
he keeps on speaking? I am busy looking for my
calves. I am just a cowherd boy and do not
understand this.” By the word natya is described that
Lord Krsna, in the presence of His own servant
Brahma, pretended to be ignorant of His own great
opulence. According to the verse tatrodvahat
pasupa-vamsa-sisutva-natyam (Bhag. 10.13.61:
“Then Lord Brahma saw the Absolute Truth—who is
one without a second, who possesses full knowledge
and who is unlimited—assuming the role of a child in
a family of cowherd men and standing all alone, just
as before, with a morsel of food in His hand,
searching everywhere for the calves and His cowherd
friends”), it is fitting that later on Lord Krsna, coming
under the control of the great love of persons who
are His entourage in the rasa of parenthood, such as
the Queen of Vraja (Yasoda), would become ignorant
of His own great opulence, it being covered by the
rasa of the sweetness of their great love for Him;
thus there is no impropriety on His part in such. And
it is to be distinguished that this is not properly
designated as “play-acting.” Just as previously, (prak
= prag-vad) (the calves) who were situated there
engaged in wandering about looking for grass and so
on, He brought to the place where He was taking His
own meal on the bank of the river. What was that
place like? Where His friends remained just as
before, seated just as before, without moving on or

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giving up the place. The ending of the compound
(purva-sakham) is according to the poetic license of
the sages. Or, situated properly (yatah = yatah-vat),
the previous friends, the friends (who were there)
previously to those friends manifested from His
internal energy.

43
Sridhara Svami: But, how is it that they remained
sitting there for such a long time? And how were they
unaware of hunger and thirst? That is replied to by
the two verses beginning ekasmin. Even though a
year had passed, without Krsna, the Lord of their
lives, (they would not eat). In separation from a dear
friend, even a moment becomes longer than a year,
but nevertheless, being overcome by maya, they
thought it to be half of a moment.

Sanatana Gosvami: The Lord of the life of

themselves (atmanah = svasya), or, being
overwhelmed by the illusion of the Supreme Soul, Sri
Krsna (atmanah = sri-krsnasya). Although this maya
was Brahma’s, because it was sanctioned by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is designated as
bhagavati. Therefore, it was previously thought by
Sri Baladeva, prayo mayas tu me bhartuh (Bhag.
10.13.37: “She must be the illusory energy of my
master, Lord Krsna, for who else can bewilder Me?”)
In this way everything is reconcilable. And the same
has also been written previously. Therefore they
were overcome, covered, by that maya. The reason
for His being the Lord of their life is stated by the
word krsna, the young son of the King of Vraja.
Moreover, the boys, the children of the cow pasture

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of Sri Nanda. The vocative “O King” is spoken in
extreme wonder.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: In this connection (their)

ignorance of so much time having passed, and in this
manner their completing the pastime of eating
together with Krsna, who arrived there with the
morsel of food in His hand, is the influence of the
Lord’s inconceivable yoga-maya, as stated by the
four verses beginning ekasmin. Without Lord Krsna,
the Lord of their own (atmanah = svasya) lives;
covered (ahata = avrtta) by yoga-maya.

44
Sridhara Svami: By which (yat = yaya) maya the
whole world is constantly, again and again,
bewildered. And that maya is vismrtatmaka, by
which one forgets even his own self.

Sanatana Gosvami: In this world (by which) one

has forgotten his own self, or by which even the
omnipresent Supreme Lord (is forgotten). The word
“all” is spoken with reference to the bewilderment of
Indra and others. “Constantly” means that even for
one who has at some time somehow or other
remembered or reminded others, there is again
forgetfulness; thus is expressed the power of illusion.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The external energy is

cited as the example for yoga-maya, on account of
their sharing the quality of bewilderment, in the
verse beginning kim kim. That by which a person
forgets his own self, and thus, by yoga-maya, they

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were made to forget the unhappiness of separation
from Krsna extending over an entire year.

45
Sridhara Svami: And therefore they said, “You (te
= tvaya) have very quickly come all the way back
(svagatam = samyag agatam). Without You not even
one morsel has been eaten by us (abhoji = na
bhuktah). Come here and please eat properly without
distraction.

Sanatana Gosvami: Svagatam means happily

returning, bringing back all of the calves. The rest
has been explained by Srila Sridhara Svami. Or, ati-
ramhasa modifies the word svagatam. An alternate
reading that is possible for naikah is instead
tvayaikah. Or, not even a morsel has been eat by
You, because of the presence of the same morsel
from before in His lotus hand. Therefore please
come, please enter here within this circle of all of us.
Please eat properly, completely in the sense of filling
Your stomach and so on.

Jiva Gosvami: According to the verse ucus ca

suhrdah krnam svagatm te iti-ramhasa, the Lord has
led from that place the calves and the cowherd boys
to some other location, and now those who have
been taken elsewhere are being returned once again.
But it is being implied that these cowherd boys had
no knowledge of this fact. In this connection, any
objections that such is impossible are refuted by
(giving explanation in terms of) the Lord’s illusory
energy. And that maya, although actually belonging
to Brahma, is understood as arising as that of the

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Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of being
sanctioned by Him. Therefore it has been stated by
Sri Sankarsana, prayo mayas tu me bhartuh (Bhag.
10.13.37), and there is also the statement
abhiksnam yaya mohitam (text 44 of this chapter).

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The boys spoke. Who had

arrived happily (ati-ramhasa = sukhenaiva). We were
thinking that it would surely take half an hour to
bring back the calves who had gone off to a distance,
but You have returned half a moment. Without You
not even one morsel (kavala = rasa) was eaten.
Therefore, please come.

46
Sridhara Svami: Abhyavahrtya means eating.

Sanatana Gosvami: “Laughing,” because of

hearing their words, which were confused because of
illusion, or because of the feelings of elation rising
from not having heard statements expressing pain
and so on. “Along with the boys He ate” implies that
apart from them, He Himself also for all of that time
did not eat anything.
But, it may be objected, then why has He been
tolerated by Sri Yasoda and the others? That is
replied to by the word hrsikesah, meaning that He is
the motivator of the functions of the senses of all;
this idea is instilled in their minds by His expertise in
imitatively acting in response to the command,
“Come and eat.” This is just as the same kind of
activity is well-known to be presented in the Puranas
in the case of Sri Laksmana in connection with Sri
Raghunatha, and other instances. Or, at that time,

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although He personally had no attraction (to eating),
simply for their satisfaction He ate.
But now His own sense of taste is active,
and thus it is with greatest satisfaction that He is
engaged in eating, accepting the various perceptions
of taste, fragrance, and so on.
They left for Vraja; the same idea is expressed in
the alternate reading of nivavarta. “Showing the skin
of the python” is to be understood as indicating that
for all of this time that skin was kept hidden away by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so that the
narration of the killing of Aghasura might be related
in Vrndavana and remembered.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: “Laughing” because of

seeing their pleasure. “Eating,” which implies that if
even after the passing of the whole year, the grains,
vegetables and other foodstuffs had undergone even
a half of a moment’s change, they would have
become unpalatable to the Lord. The words
beginning darsayan: O My dear friends, this serpent
has just died today and he is still covered with
marrow, blood, and so on; just see! This statement is
to be understood to mean that for the purpose of
broadcasting in Vrndavana the killing of the python,
by yoga-maya these different things were thus
covered over for all of that time. From the forest,
from their playing I the forest, they went back to
Vraja, which is the implied completion of the idea.

47
Sridhara Svami: The resounding of the flute, and so
on, which were very mighty, enriched (adhyah =
sampanna) by that. Grnan means calling with

150
endearing addresses. The vision (drsih = darsanam)
of whom is a festival for the eyes of the gopis.

Sanatana Gosvami: Thus with the excess of joy

generated from the association of His dear
companions, the boys and the cows, and with the
particular ornaments and so on of forest substances,
creating ecstasy for the eyes of the womenfold of
Vraja, He entered Vraja, as spoken by the verse
beginning barha. “Forest elements” means red clay
and so on; and whose limbs are wonderfully
decorated with particular ornaments such as peacock
feathers. Or, along with whose friends [?]. Thus there
is a festival from the resounding of the flutes made
of bamboo branches, which resounding is very loud
(proddama = atyucca). Or, He was adorned by the
festival of dancing, singing, and so on, and thus
whose glories, consisting of the killing of Aghasura
and so on, which are pavitra in the sense of being
spotlessly pure or else in the sense of being purifying
for the whole universe, are chanted by those
accompanying young boys, sung by them in great
joy, just as a regular song loudly chanted is a sweet
voice with regular meter and so on. By the word
gopis indicated Sri Yasoda and all the other women
of Vrndavana. Indeed, at that moment there arose
for their eyes great ecstasy; from the excessive joy
of seeing Lord Sri Krsna. Or, (gopis) means the
goddesses who have Sri Krsna as their exclusive
darling, Sri Radha and the others; since it is a
definite fact that for their eyes there is a special
festival generated by seeing Him. The rest has been
explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, by the drk of the
gopis, the direct audience arranged by them, there is

151
a festival for whose (Krsna’s) faculty of sight (drsih =
drstih); thus is stated that there is mutual joy in
seeing one another. And this is to be understood as
occurring within Vrndavana, since, it being the case
that they had not gone far from Vrndavana to tend
the calves, we do not find it the case (that the gopis
suffered) extreme separation, and because it is not
presented as fact later on that they are outside of
Vraja. And this same fact will be described clearly
later on when, while tending the calves, there is the
rise of a special rasa. [?]

Jiva Gosvami: The gopis in this context are Sri

Yasoda and the others.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Grnan means calling with

endearing addresses. The vision (drsih = darsanam)
of whom is a festival for the eyes of the gopis who
were feeling parental affection.

48
Sridhara Svami: The word yasoda-nanda-sununa is
shown here as the speaking together of many
different persons. Some of them said “The son of
Yasoda,” and others “the son of Nanda.” Or, yasoda-
nanda in the sense that He gives pleasure to Yasoda,
and He is also her son. Thus by Him we have also
been protected (avita = raksita) from this great
serpent.

Sanatana Gosvami: The son of Yasoda who

appears as her ecstasy; such is derived from the fact
of His giving special satisfaction to her by this
activity of His (of killing Aghasura).

152
Visvanatha Cakravarti: By that son whose nature
is that from Him comes the great fortune, the
ecstasy, or the fame, of Yasoda and Nanda; because
this karma-dharaya compound (Yasoda-nanda-sunu)
is in the subgroup sakha-parthiva, its middle term is
elided. And we have been protected from that great
snake.

49
Sridhara Svami: In the verse, vrajokasam sva-
tokesu sneha-vallyabdam anv-aham/ sanair nihsima
vavrdhe yatah krsne tv apurva-vat (Bhag. 10.13.26:
“Although the inhabitants of Vraja-bhumi, the
cowherd men and women, previously had more
affection for Krsna than for their own children. Now,
for one year, their affection for their own sons
continually increased, for Krsna had now become
their sons. There was no limit to the increment of
their affection for their sons, who were now Krsna.
Every day they found new inspiration for loving their
children as much as they loved Krsna”) it is stated
how they had greater love for Krsna, someone else’s
son, than even for their own sons. In that regard
Pariksit inquires in the verse beginning brahman.

Sanatana Gosvami: O brahmana, where the

implication is that you are the direct personification
of the Vedas, and you know everything. Iyan means
“this much” and yah means “how much.” The word
“son of another” implies that they thought of Sri
Krsna as the son of Sri Yasoda, and not as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, by which mentality
they had greater affection for Him than ever for their

153
own children. But if (one’s affection for a son) arises
automatically as a natural propensity, then what is
the reason for this situation? Pariksit makes this
inquiry with the words beginning katham.
In the alternate reading (of svodbhavesu ca)
instead of svodbhavesv api), the word ca means the
same as api, and the idea is “than even for their own
sons.” Please tell, please explain that. In this way the
inquire is about the manner in which this occurs, not
about whether it is proper to occur, since it is already
perfectly established how the residents of Vrndavana
give up their sons and so on for the sake of Krsna.
Or, seeing the affection for sons and so on on the
part of certain sages fixed in austerities who were
sitting there, Pariksit is laughing at them, taking note
that they do not have that same affection for the
Supreme Personality of Godhead (because they are
impersonalists); with that idea he inquires I the verse
beginning brahman. Katham means “wherefrom?”
The rest is to be explained in the same manner as
previously.

Jiva Gosvami: As much (yah = yavan) as for Krsna

appearing in the names and forms of Sridama and
the others.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: [The first sentence

repeats.] In that regard Pariksit inquires, in the verse
beginning brahman. Which love for the son of
another person, the son of Nanda, never occurred in
relationship with their own sons (svodbhavesu api =
sva-sva-putresu api), never occurred previous to the
pastime of Brahma’s bewilderment. In this world is
generally seen greater love for one’s own son, even

154
if he has no good qualities, even more than for
another’s son who may be extremely endowed with
good qualities. For this reason Pariksit inquires, since
it is contrary to the ordinary state of affairs in this
world.

50
Sridhara Svami: Because of Lord Krsna’s being
directly the Supreme Soul, it is fitting that there be
greater love for Him even than for one’s own
relatives (atmiyas). In order to express this idea, first
of all it is shown how the self is by nature most dear,
and the affection one has for other things is
superficial relative to that; this is stated in the fiver
verses beginning sarvesam.

Sanatana Gosvami: The Supersoul, Lord Sri Krsna,

is dearer to all even than their own selves, which are
very dear; what then to speak of being dearer than
their close relations. In order to state this is
described how the self is naturally most dear, and
affection for other things is relative to that, in the
five verse beginning sarvesam. One’s own self (is
most dear) because of seeing oneself as different
from others, due to lack of complete knowledge. Or,
one’s own self is most dear because it is experienced
as automatically the object of direct perception. By
the word adyah are indicated home, wife, and so on.
The body is not mentioned, even though it is more
dear than children and the rest, because this
dearness of the body is going to be described
specifically in connection with the mentality of those
who are attached to the body as the self. Or, with the
word adyah that material body is also included, and

155
it is not overtly mentioned because the fact of its
being dear is obvious in terms of one’s constant
excessive engagement in maintaining it and so on.
The same understanding should be taken later on as
well. The address, “O King” implies that even the
maintenance of the citizens, which is dear to such a
king as yourself, is due to the dearness of the self,
such being identified with in relationship with
oneself. The word hi indicates the citing of personal
experience in this connection as evidence.

Jiva Gosvami: (The first sentence repeats.) Thus in

the first instance, “one’s own self” Indicates simply
the basis of egotistic identification, without any
discrimination of the body and the possessor of the
body, in order to distinguish from the love one has
for what is identified with as one’s possession
(mamataspada). And the word sva is relative to
every individual person’s own experience. The word
bhutanam indicates that this is in terms of merely
apparent differences.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: My dear king, the situation

of this world is that relative to the repository of
proprietary identification, one’s sons and so on, there
is greater love for the repository of egotistic
identification, the self. First we should take note of
this, and then the actual conclusion will develop; this
is spoken by the five verses beginning sarvesam.
Vallabha means that which is the object of extreme
affection from the mundane viewpoint. And that is
unique for each particular body, not the same from
one individual to another, as stated in the words
beginning itare.

156
51
Sridhara Svami: Why is this? Because we observe it
to be such, as spoken by the verse beginning tat.
Therefore, each in his own self, the body, which is
the basis of false ego.

Sanatana Gosvami: This is further described by the

verse beginning tat. The suffix ka does not change
the meaning of the word (svaka). Each in his own
self, the controller of the body, and thus because
that self is falsely identifying, the explanation has
been given by Sridhara Svami, “In the basis of false
ego.” This interpretation of, “in the self, meaning the
body” is unsuitable, because that is going to be
mentioned in the very next verse. In other words,
dehinam means for those who understand the self to
be distinct from the body. The words beginning
mamatalambi imply that it is fitting for one’s
affection to the repository of “mine-ness,” one’s
children and so on, to be relatively lesser in
comparison to that for one’s self, the repository of “I-
ness.” “O King of kings” implies that you are aware
of the fact that there is not so much affection even
for the kingdom as for oneself.

Jiva Gosvami: This is further described negatively

by the verse beginning tat.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: As it is, free from material

designations.

52

157
Sridhara Svami: In order to show that according to
the different levels of false identification of the self
there is seen a corresponding differentiation of levels
of love, Sukadeva describes the particular situation
in terms of the differences between those who are
foolish and those who are not foolish, in the two
verses beginning dehatma-vadinam. Those things,
sons and so on, who exist relative to the body, are
not in the same way most dear.

Sanatana Gosvami: For those who prescribe to the

view that the body is the self, in other words, for
those who are extremely undiscriminating. Therefore
it is because of lack of knowledge of the self separate
from the body that the body is most dear, and even
in the opinion of such persons the conclusion is that
the self is most dear, the body as thought to be the
self being most dear. The word hi expresses
certainty, and the word ca is in the sense of tu. “O
best of kings” implies that some kinds say that the
body is the self, some are brahmavadis, those who
are theists are superior, and among these, because
you are uniquely dear to Lord Sri Krsna, you are the
best.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: And that self is thought by

foolish persons to be the body; thus Sukadeva gives
his description in terms of the opinion of such
persons. For those whose nature it is to say that the
body is the self, those things that exist relative to
that body, namely, sons and so on, are not in the
same way most dear.

53

158
Sridhara Svami: Because (yat = yasmat) even
when growing old, even when death is approaching,
there is the desire to remain alive. The idea is as
follows: Even though it is certain that it will not
continue to live, there is the focusing of love upon
the body, which is reconciled as actually aimed at
the self. Or, although which (yat = yasmin) body is
growing old, there was in the stage of lack of
discrimination the desire to remain living, still when
that (desire to live) is identified with by the
discriminating persons, it does not become as dear
as the very self. Thus they are not so much fixed in
that (identification with the desire to remain living in
a particular body).

Sanatana Gosvami: Turning to the opinion of

discriminating persons who think that the body is
“mine”, Sukadeva speaks the verse beginning deho
api. This verse has been explained by Sridhara
Svami. In that explanation of Sridhara Svami, the
phrase nativa sta means (they are thinking) “let it
die or let it live,” and thus they have no extreme
concern. Or else, that body which was atmavat,
which previously was accepted as the self by the
nondiscriminating, made the object of identification
of “I,” is not in the same way dear (for those who are
discriminating). Because (yat = yasmat) the desire to
live which is focused on the object of this repository
of identification of “mine”, the body which is growing
old, overcome by disease and so on, the desire that
“may this body remain,” is not strong; it becomes
much weaker than previously. This is because, due to
the elimination of false identification with this body

159
as the self, based on proper discrimination, it no
longer remains very dear.

Jiva Gosvami: (The first sentence repeats.) In this

connection, it is in the case of the dispelling of
identification of the body as “I” and as “mine” that
the phrase of Sridhara Svami’s commentary, atma-
gatam eva sangacchate is to be applied. The word
api herein expresses the idea of collection, in
reference to sons and so on. And in Sridhara Svami’s
commentary, the idea of “in the stage of
indiscrimination” is displaced by the idea of a
particular greater strength [?]. In contrast to such,
the term “those who are discriminating is to be
understood as indicating both the person himself and
the body. The simple meaning, however, is as
follows: Because of identifying with it as one’s own,
just as one identifies with one’s children and so on,
the desire for that body to remain living is strong
even though the body is growing old. And this sense
of possession is based on the connection with the
soul.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Even for those who say

that the body is the self, when there arises some
ability to discriminate, then the self alone becomes
dear, and not in the same way the body, as stated in
the present verse. If even the body, which is the
basis of egotistic identification, because of the
development of some small amount of
discrimination, becomes the focus of possessive
identification, then that body is not dear in the same
way as the soul. Rather, only in accordance with the
self is it dear. In that regard, the experience of

160
ordinary people is cited as evidence, with the words
beginning yat. In all cases, viewing the giving up of
the body as most painful for the self, with the idea
“May there not be such extreme pain for my self,” it
is because of extreme affection for the self that the
desire for the body to continue living becomes
excessive.

54
Sridhara Svami: The idea is that for the sake of
that (soul) everything is dear.

Sanatana Gosvami: “The moving” is the body,

sons, and so on, and the nonmoving is one’s home
and so on. Consisting of such is this world, the
material creation. (I cannot translate the next
phrase.) Or else, also the entire universe consisting
of the body and everything connected with the body,
all moving and nonmoving objects, having as their
basis the self, respectively, because (1) of being
attained by performance of sacrifice and so on, and
(2) because of being enjoyed by the fruits of these
different performances. The rest has been explained
by Sridhara Svami. Or, “for the sake of that” means
for the sake of its enjoyment.

Jiva Gosvami: Thus by the fact that the soul is

naturally dear is also understood that the soul is by
nature happy.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: The verse beginning

tasmat: caram refers to son, wife, and so on, and
acaram refers to home, utensils, clothing, and so on.
Thus is established according to ordinary perception

161
the fact that the self is very much more the object of
affection than one’s children and so on.

55
Sridhara Svami: The idea that is being led up to is
stated by the verse beginning krsnam enam.

Jiva Gosvami: Then, the intended idea is stated by

the verse beginning krsnam. This, as a son of Sri
Yasoda in this world for the benefit of the whole
world, He is appearing as if an embodied soul, as if,
by the distinction of body and soul, possessing a
nature contrary to His true identity. And not only is
He the original identity of all living beings, but also
ultimately of all matter as well.

Sanatana Gosvami: The soul of all souls, of all

knowers of the field, the Supersoul, on the basis of
being the indwelling controller. This, the son of Sri
Yasoda; or, in this form He has descended into this
world. Like an embodied being, just as another
person appears as small (abhati = isat prakasate);
and that occurs by the illusory energy, it being the
fact that although when there is lack of factual
knowledge about Him HE appears to be mundane, He
is in all respects supramundane. This very fact has
been stated in the beginning. Isat indicates that in
fact He most usually manifest Himself in His supreme
opulence.
Or, by His maya, meaning His mercy, He
becomes as if an embodied being, a jiva, and
completely manifests (a = samyak), is resplendent.
By the above-described logic, you should understand
that Lord Krsna, for the benefit of the whole world, is

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the soul of all the souls that have been established
as dear. In other words, you should understand that
HE has incarnated in His identity of Krsna for
eradicating the suffering of the world and for
enjoying supreme bliss.
But, it may be questioned, if it is said that
affection for Krsna is a matter of designating Him as
the Supersoul, then why is it that such affection does
not arise also on the part of the demons, who in fact
fulfill that qualification? Such is replied to in the
words beginning so ’py. Even though HE is devoid of
any distinction between embodied and body, to
these fallen souls, the demons and so on, He appears
as if a mundane embodied personality (dehiva =
prakrta-saririva), by maya, by His covering potency,
because by nature He is the reservoir of pure
ecstatic love (and can only be properly realized
through such love). This very idea is stated in the
Maha-varaha Purana, deha-dehi vibhago ’tra nesvare
vidyate kvaci) (“In the Supreme Personality of
Godhead we never see any distinction of body and
embodied”).
The idea is as follows: Only when there is no
covering can He be experienced as dear. In that
world in which people are found to slander Him as if
some soul covered over by most rampant faults, still
that covering can be driven away completely simply
by devotional service. Thus, on the scale of
gradations of pure love which are based on different
levels of devotional service, the residents of Vraja
have the greatest love for Lord Krsna, on account of
their most superexcellent worship.

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Visvanatha Cakravarti: Establishing the intended
conclusion, is stated, by the verse beginning krsnam,
that from the viewpoint of the truth, the self is the
object of affection only in a relative sense, whereas
the ultimate object of affection is exclusively Lord
Krsna. You should understand Lord Krsna to be of all
souls, of the jivas, the Soul, the Supersoul. Thus just
as affection for children and others is in accordance
with (affection for) the body, and affection for the
body is in accordance with that for the soul, similarly
affection for the soul is in accordance with such for
the Supersoul. And that Supersoul is personally
manifest and complete as Krsna. This is as stated,
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam ekamsena sthito jagat;
therefore, because Krsna is the ultimate object of
affection, within Him is found the topmost platform of
affection. Thus is proven that love for Him is greater
than for one’s own children.
Moreover, because of the jiva soul’s lack of
devotion, and by their knowledge being covered over
by illusion, how can those living entities who are in
maya and are nondevotees have experience as He is
of Him who is revealed only by devotional service?
Therefore because ordinary people make their
children and so on the objects of their affection, they
have no experience of Him, but because the
residents of Vrndavana are beyond maya, and
because they are full in devotional service, they have
perfect realization. Thus is reconciled the fact that
hey naturally have greater love for Him than even for
their own children. Although He, Lord Krsna, has
descended for the benefit of the whole world, He
appears as if an embodied being; in other words, He

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appears to foolish persons by their own ignorance as
if He is a jiva, possessed of a material body.
Or, He appears to foolish persons by their own
ignorance as if He is a jiva, possessed of a material
body. Or, He appears as if covered by maya, as if
possessing a body produced of maya; but actually He
is not covered by maya. Therefore Srila
Madhusudana Sarasvati has given many
descriptions, such as sac-cit-sukhaika-vapusah
purusottamasya narayanasya mahima na hi manam
(“It is impossible to measure the glories of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana, whose
body is exclusively composed of eternity, knowledge,
and bliss, and sac-cid-adhandakaram jalada-ruci-
saram sruti-giram vraja-strinam haram.
Or, it may be objected, but the Supersoul cannot
be perceived by the senses, whereas Krsna is seen
by everyone. This is replied to: For the benefit of the
universe, by His maya, His causeless and
inconceivable mercy, He personally appears as if an
embodied being to the senses of all the universe,
meaning that He manifests Himself although He is
not accessible to the senses. By His indescribable
own desire He can be perceived by the very senses
that are incapable of perceiving Him. Moreover, this
means that He cannot be assimilated by the senses
like sound and other perceptions. Thus we have the
statement of the Narayana-adhyatma, which is cited
in Sri Bhagavatamrta, nityavyakto ’pi bhagan iksyate
nija-saktitah/ tam rte paramanandam kah
pasyetamitam prabhum (“Although the Lord is
always unmanifest, He is seen by His own potency.
Without that personal energy of His, who could ever
see the supremely ecstatic and unlimited Lord?”).

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And the comment given in this regard by the author
(of Bhagavatamrtam) is “by His personal potency of
revelation, which becomes manifest by His own
desire.” According to the statement, so ’bhivyakto
bhaven netre na naetra-visayatvatah (“He manifests
Himself before the eyes, but He is not an object of
the sense perception of the eyes”), hitam means
making persons from other places who are favorable
take His own sweetness by the gift of His merciful
glance, and for unfavorable persons like Kamsa and
other demons their benefit is the vision of Him with
their mundane senses, which vision is devoid of
appreciation of His sweetness, for the purpose of
perfecting their absorption in meditation upon Him,
and also the fruit of this absorption, the
counteraction of all their offenses, leading to
liberation. Moreover, even though He appears as if
an embodied being for the other persons presenting
Vrndavana, who have no qualities of opulence and
knowledge, both those who are favorable and those
who are unfavorable, nevertheless, according to the
statement of the Maha-varaha Purana cited by
Madhvacarya, deha-dehi-vibhago ’yam nesvare
vidyate kvacit (“in the Supreme Personality of
Godhead there is never any distinction between body
and embodied, it is because it is not proper for those
who understand the sastra to cal Him an embodied
soul that the word iva is used here.

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Sridhara Svami: And not only (is He) the Soul of
souls, but also of all matter, as stated by the verse
beginning vastutah. For persons who know Krsna as
the “cause of all the universe,” everything, both

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stationary and moving, is the form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, meaning that (each thing)
has the Supreme Lord as its original identity and
nothing else.

Sanatana Gosvami: Everything exists as having

delineated, experienced, within itself as its ultimate
cause, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the
situation is never otherwise (anyat = anya-
prakarakam syat). The rest has been explained by
Sridhara Svami. Or, the consequence of such
knowledge is stated by the verse beginning
vastutah. For those who understand Krsna as the
soul of all souls, the form, the underlying presence,
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests
everywhere, with the idea “in this resides the
Supreme Lord.”

Jiva Gosvami: To describe how He is all-pervading

as the origin of all of His directly manifest forms, is
stated the verse beginning vastutah. For those who
know Lord Krsna in this world in fact (vastutah =
tattvatah), for those who are investigating, or in
other words, for those who understand the facts
about Him, everything, whatever is nonmoving and
moving, and also whatever form of the Lord there
may be, all of those manifestations known as
Narayana—everything in this world is Lord Sri Krsna,
is manifesting with Him present within, and there is
nothing else, meaning that whatever is not within
Lord Krsna does not exist. This should be understood
as being because knowledge of the expanded partial
products is based on knowledge of the whole cause
from which they are expanded, and because the

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opposite (of knowledge of the parts) is based on the
opposite (of knowledge of the whole), just like the
gulfs, waves, and foam of the great ocean and the
external globe, rays, atomic particles, and mirages of
the internal sphere of the sun.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Furthermore, for one who

has discrimination, even those things that are
relative repositories of love, such a the individual
self, the body, offspring, and so on, are actually Him,
so that even the status of being the basis of relative
love belongs to Him, as stated in the verse beginning
vastutah. The idea of this verse is as follows: In the
conception of persons who understand Krsna,
everything, both nonmoving and moving, in His form,
because of His being the cause of all, or in other
words, because of the cause assuming the form of its
products.

57
Sridhara Svami: Why is this? In reply is spoken the
verse beginning sarvesam. Bhavarthah means the
supreme value; in that cause that attains change and
is called bhavat in the sense that “it exists.” And the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of
bhavat, the cause even of that bhavat which is the
cause. Therefore what thing can be ascertained as
separate from this Sri Krsna?

Sanatana Gosvami: Why is this? Because He is

present everywhere as the ultimate cause, as stated
by the verse sarvesam. This verse has been
explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, it may be objected,
“But why is He said to be the soul of all souls, since

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they, sharing the same identity with Him, have no
difference from Him? That is replied to by the verse
beginning vastutah. By connecting the prefix “a” (to
the word janatam), for those who do not understand
the truth of Lord Krsna everything is identical with
Him, but for those who understand, everything
appears as separate. Why? Because He, being the
supreme cause, is distinct from His products. That is
demonstrated by the words beginning sarvesam. He
alone is the artha. Or, it is stated in the verse
beginning vastutah how devotion for His
transcendental personal forms is the supreme fruit,
even in comparison to such knowledge. Here the
motionless is situated as His Deity forms and so on,
and the moving as His devotee. Or, the motionless is
exemplified by His nonmoving Deity forms and the
moving by the Sri Salagrama and so on; for those
who understand that all such forms, representations,
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are Krsna,
with the idea that “this is directly Lord Krsna,” and
for whom in this world (iha = jagati) there is nothing
else distinct form Him, liberation or anything else,
which is fit to accept. Rather, only Krsna or the
personal form of the Supreme Lord is the real
substance. That the Supreme Lord is the ultimate
substance is established by the words beginning
sarvesam. The meaning (of this part of the verse) is
the same (as in the first interpretation). Or, among
all things the object (arthah = vastu) that appears in
the form of bhava or prema is situated, becomes
established (sthita) as the essence through analysis,
because everything else serves for the cultivation of
that bhava. And (the essence) of even that substance
of (bhava) is established to be the Personality of

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Godhead, Lord Krsna with all of His manifest
opulence, because the purpose of prema itself is to
achieve Him. Or, the Supreme Controller (hhagavan
= paramesvara) of that (bhava) is Sri Narayana, and
the Supreme Controller of even Him is Krsna, Sri
Nandanandana, because He is greater than even Sri
Narayana on account of manifesting in full His
qualities of Godhood. The symptom of vastu is being
the ultimate fruit. Atat means separate from Him; (if)
anything exists as such, please define it. But there is
nothing like that, it is implied. The rest is to be
interpreted in the same way as the first explanation.

Jiva Gosvami: The line of thinking is elaborated in

the verse beginning sarvesam. Of all things, both
material and nonmaterial, there is the entity of
existence called satta, and in all such substance of
ingredient cause of creation and so on is situated the
possessor of existence, who is the basis of satta. In
the same way of all things consisting of the basic
ingredient cause of creation and so on, both material
and nonmaterial, the bhagavan or that which is
possessed of all the potencies of the various objects,
is Sri Krsna; He alone, the idea is, is such. Thus
proving that He is the root cause of everything, it
having been established that these boys and calves
had manifested form Him, it is implied that it is quite
fitting that the status of being such repositories of
love would manifest more greatly (for these boys and
calves) among the residents of Vrndavana, who by
their very nature are full of pure love. And thus,
because of His propensity of bestowing pure love, for
unqualified persons such as Aghasura, the supreme
goal of their life is merely liberation, whereas for

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others, even after achieving the quality of mere
liberation in ignorance of His sweetness, for persons
like Sri Brahma who have taken shelter of His lotus
feet, the supreme goal of life is attainment by
topmost prema of the suitable aim of such, the
ultimate reality of His lotus feet. Because of the joy
of having taken shelter of Him, it is impossible to
ascertain whether liberation is yet to be attained, is
presently being attained, or has been attained in the
past, just as in the case of the cowherd boys who
were at the moment covered by maya. [?]

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Why is this? Such is replied

to by the verse beginning sarvesam. The bhava of all
such things, both stationary and moving. Bhava
means cause, or the pradhana, in the sense of “they
come into existence from this” (bhavanty asmat),
and even of that entity that appears in the form of
pradhana, of that bhava, the bhava or cause is Krsna.
Therefore please point out anything that is atat,
separate from Sri Krsna. Or, the soul is established as
the bhavartha, the artha revealed by the vastus or
knowledge-acquiring senses, and Lord Sri Krsna, the
complete whole, is the manifester even of that soul,
because of its being His part. Therefore what is the
purpose of delineating anything that is atat, separate
from Him, since He alone should be rendered
service?

58
Sridhara Svami: Therefore, because Sri Krsna alone
is the supreme goal, liberation is attained without
endeavor by those who take exclusive shelter of Him.
This purport of the entire section is summarized in

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the verse beginning samastritah. Punya-yasah
means He whose glories are pious, and that person is
murari. His budlike lotus feet are a boat, and those
who have taken shelter of them, which are the
shelter (pada = asraya) of the great souls. Or, those
feet are also great, and thus for such persons the
ocean of material existence becomes merely the
hoof-print of a calf. Moreover, they get the supreme
padam, the place (padam = sthanam) known as Sri
Vaikuntha. And they never again experience the
sense gratification that is the padam of dangers;
such no longer exists for them.

Sanatana Gosvami: Therefore for those who have

taken exclusive shelter of Him, there is attained
without effort the destruction of the great chain of
miseries, and the happiness of attaining Sri
Vaikunthaloka, as stated by the verse beginning
samasritah. His feet are buds on account of their
being most tender, being reddish, and so on. Or, by
the word pallava is hinted that His feet are wish-
fulfilling trees, the idea being that the pallava of His
feet are the individual toes. These feet are a boat
(plava = pota); (those) who have taken shelter of this
boat completely by becoming saranagata in the
sense of having faith only in them, and so on. Even
for the great souls, those who are liberated, or, for
the devotees of the Supreme Lord such as Sri
Narada, the supreme shelter is that Supreme
Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who is Murari,
whose glories, represented by the liberation of
Aghasura, are punyam, meaning supremely
auspicious, or else most superexcellent. Or, Sri Krsna
is famous as Murari, the killer of the Daitya Mura,

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who was the chief general of the army of Narakasura.
Or, mahat-padam is an adjective meaning “because
of whom the devotees gain pious fame.” The rest has
been explained by Sridhara Svami. Or, because (yat
= yasmat) for them the padam of vipadam, the
heaps of disturbances, no longer exist.

Jiva Gosvami: The idea of the entire section is

summarized in the verse beginning samasritah. The
phrase beginning ye is elaborated by the words
beginning yat.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Thus the fact of Lord

Krsna’s being the reservoir of pure love has been
established. The superexcellence of taking shelter of
His lotus feet, with the idea that He can be perceived
in one’s meditation after crossing beyond maya,
which can be accomplished only by taking shelter of
His lotus feet, is expressed explicitly in the verse
beginning samasritah. Of that Lord Murari, whose
fame is punyam, beautiful and charming, the budlike
feet are a boat; those who completely, exclusively,
have taken shelter of that boat. What kind of boat?
Which is the shelter (padam = asrayam) of the great
souls. For them the ocean of material existence
becomes a calf’s hoof-print, something that has
already been crossed over and no longer bears the
appearance of anything that needs to be crossed
over. Param padam is the eternal abode of the Lord,
Sri Vrndavana, Vaikuntha, and so on, their supreme
shelter, and for them there is never indeed that false
sense enjoyment that is the padam from which
dangers arise. The idea that this is the mentality of

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them, which never becomes entangled in anything
else.

59
Sanatana Gosvami: What was expressed with the
words beginning yat in the previous verse is here
elaborated by the words beginning yat. Or, which
was fully glorified, what was inquired about in this
regard (iha = asmin arthe).

Jiva Gosvami: The doubt as to whether what Sri

Brahma prayed for will be achieved is addressed with
the idea of “what to speak of” by the verse beginning
etat.

60
Sridhara Svami: The Lord’s pastimes along with His
friends have been described in such verses as
musnanto ’nyonya-sikyadin. The subduing of Agha,
the taking lunch (jemanam = bhojanam) on the
grassy place, and (the Lord appearing in) the form of
the calves and calf-herding boys, which form was
vyaktetarat, distinct from the manifest material
creation, or in other words, composed of the pure
mode of goodness. Or, vyaktetarat refers to spiritual
pastimes, the rupam in the sense of that which
delineates such. Of aja, the great (uru = mahan)
offering of praise, those prayers compiled by
Brahma; by hearing this and singing it a person
achieves all goals of life.
Thus the bee who is at the feet of Lord Sri
Paramananda Nrsimha, namely Sridhara Svami, has
explained to the extent of his understanding the
prayers of Lord Brahma.

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Sanatana Gosvami: What is the need to mention
that all these things come about for those who have
perfectly taken shelter, since all desired goals are
achieved simply by hearing about and so on of these
pastimes of Him, as stated in the verse beginning
etat. This verse has been explained by Sridhara
Svami. Or, “the pastimes that were performed
together with His friends” modifies all of the
pastimes, since the activities of subduing Agha and
so on were all carried out together with them. Their
direct association with that form of His is because of
[I cannot translate this word], and because of the
fact that the cowherd boys are also full of glory,
according to the description of Brahma’s prayers.
The engagements of stealing the lunch boxes and so
on are not separately mentioned because of being
included within the pastime of subduing Aghasura.
The word vyaktetar, meaning transcendental to the
material world, is also an adjective modifying all of
the pastimes, because all of these pastimes such as
the subduing of Aghasura are supramundane. (The
word itaram) not ending in the letter “t” is poetic
license of the sages. (It does end in “it” in our
reading.) By the words “hearing” and “chanting” is
indicated the fact of simply having such proclivities
for each of these pastimes. By the word “a human
being” is indicated nondependence on qualification.
The pastimes with His friends have been stated by
such verses as musnato ’nyonya-sikyadin. Distinct
from the manifest material creation. The ending in
letter “a” is poetic license by the sages. That prayer
offered wholeheartedly (abhi = sarvato-bhavena) of
Aja, which was great (uru = mahan).

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61
Sanatana Gosvami: Thus having described the
childhood pastimes of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, now in pursuance of the pauganda-lila of
the two brothers, as is going to be described, the
conclusion is stated by mentioning all the kaumara-
lilas together in summary, in the verse beginning
evam. With such (pastimes) they wound up (jahatuh
= samvrtavantau) (their childhood pastimes). The
word vraje here indicates that the Lord’s kaumara
pastimes have no relationship at any time with any
other place, thus hinting at the absolute
superexcellence of Vraja.
Nilayanam is the particular activity in which a
certain person runs away somewhere, stations
himself, and then is sought after by others and
found. Or, according to the verse, cakrur nilayana-
kridam caura-palapadesatah (Bhag. 10.37.26: “They
played running games, taking the roles of thieves
and constables”), as will be later spoken. And
“bridge” means stopping water that is flowing from
somewhere by mud and other objects. Or, sometimes
while playing I the water, for the pleasure of the
young boyfriends who are desirous of seeing the
construction of a bridge by Sri Raghunatha, there is
the construction of a bridge in the middle of a lake
together with them in the roles of monkeys. This is
an exhibited in Sri Mathura, on the western side of
Srimad Janmasthana.
The plural number (of the word viharaih) is
because of the multitude of these various pastimes,
and also because of their being frequently repeated.

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By the word adi are implied the pastimes of throwing
balls, and so on.

Jiva Gosvami: With those (pastimes of building)

bridges, which begin with the jumping around of the
monkeys, and so on. The plural number is because of
frequent repetition.

Visvanatha Cakravarti: Having completed the

giving of the answer to the question of the king,
brahman kalantara-krtam tat kalinam katham
bhavet, Sukadeva once again turns toward the
offering of service of these narrations, as stated in
the verse beginning evam. Jahatuh means they
wound up. Nilayanaih means hiding away and then
being searched after. With the pastimes of other
incarnations, such as the passage to Lanka by the
bridge, the churning of the ocean of milk, and so on.

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