39 verses
Brahmā said: From the mouth of the Lord arose speech, the speech organ, and Agni in the universal form. From his seven dhātus arose the seven Vedic meters. From the Lords tongue arose the remnants of offerings to devatās and Pitṛs, the six tastes, and from the Lords place of tasting arose the tongue and Varuṇa.
From the Lords place of smelling, the best location, arose all life airs, Vāyu, the Aśvini-kumāras, and fragrant herbs. From his organ of smell arose the sense object called fragrance in the form smells and perfumes.
Tan-nāse refers to the Lords nostrils. Aśvinis and herbs are connected to the nostrils. Moda and pramoda are general and special perfumes. Ghṛāṇaḥ refers to the sense organ of the Lord.4
From the Lords seeing organ arose form and fire. From his place of seeing, the eye-balls, arose the divine sun deity (and the sense organ of seeing in the universal form). From his place of hearing arose the direction devatās (and the sense organ of hearing in the universal form) and from his organ of hearing arose ether and sound.
Cakṣus refers to the Lords seeing organ. Akṣinī refers to his eye-balls. Karṇau refers to the Lords place of hearing, and śrotram refers to his hearing organ.
From his body, the place of auspiciousness, arose the śaktis of things. From the Lords touch organ arose the sense object touch and all sacrifices, and from the place of his organ of touch arose its deity Vāyu.
With mention of the skin, the place of the organ should be understood as well as the sense organ. (From the sense organ of touch of the Lord arose the touch sensation and air, and from the place of the smelling organ arose Vāyu devatā and the smelling organ of the universal form.) The actual dual form should be sparśa-vāyvoḥ, but for metrical reasons the v is dropped. Medhasya means of sacrifice. Vastu-sārāṇām means of the powers of things.
From his body hairs arose all trees by which sacrifice is performed. From his hair and beard arose clouds and from his nails arose lightning, minerals and metals.
From his hair arose all trees (udbhijja-jātīnām) by which sacrifice is undertaken and not other trees. From his hair arose clouds. It has already been said īśasya keśān vidur ambuvāhān: they know the Lords hair is the clouds. (SB 2.1.34) His beard is also the clouds because of similar color. His nails, shining brightly are said to be lightning, white and red minerals, and metals, because of similarity.
From his arms arose the Loka-palas, who protect the people.7
ṣema-kārmaṇām means those who protect.
From his steps arose Bhūr-loka, Bhuvar-loka and Svarga-loka. From the abode of the Lords feet arose auspiciousness, items which give protection, and bestowal of all desires.
From his footsteps (vikramaḥ) arose Bhūr, Bhuvar and Svarga. Because they are indeclinables, they are not put in the possessive case. From his feet arose auspiciousness, protective items (śaraṇasya) and fulfillment of all desires.8
From the location of his penis arose water, semen, creation, showers and Prajāpati Dakṣa, its presiding deity. From his sense organ of generation arose the destruction of pain (production of bliss) through sexual union for producing offspring.
Vīryasya means of semen. From the place of the penis (śiṣnaḥ) arose rain showers (parjanyasya). From the organ of generation (upasthaḥ) arose destruction of pain (nirvṛteḥ) through union for producing offspring (the action of this organ).
O Nārada! From the Lords evacuation organ arose Yama, Mitra and evacuation. From the place of evacuation arose violence, poverty, its presiding deity Mṛtyu and hell.
Pāyuḥ is the sense organ of evacuation. Guòam is the place of evacuation. Parimokṣasya means evacuation. Niṛṛteḥ means of poverty. Mṛtyoḥ indicates the presiding deity of the place of evacuation. However, from a previous verse (SB 2.5.30) it was indicated that Mitra was the presiding deity of the anus. In support of the present verse, later it is said gudaṁ mṛtyur apānena nodatiṣṭhet tato virāṭ (SB 3.26.66): Mṛtyu entered with apāṇa but the Lord did not arise. In the present verse Mitra is also mentioned, but it should be understood that he is an assistant to Mṛtyu. To say that Mitra is the presiding deity of the evacuating organ (whereas Mṛtyu is the presiding deity of the place of evacuation) is not accepted since it will break the regularity of presentation in the descriptions (by introducing a second deity for an organ).
From the Lords back arose destruction, irreligion, and ignorance. From his veins arose the rivers and streams. From his bones arose mountains.
Tamasaḥ means ignorance. It arose from his back (paścimaḥ). Gotrānām means mountains.
From his belly arose oceans, juice in food, pradhāna, and destruction of all entities. From his heart arose the mind of man.
Avyakta indicates pradhāna. Rasa means the juice in food. Bhūtānāṁ nidhānasya means the destruction of all living beings.
His antaḥkaraṇa is the shelter of dharma, me, you, the Kumāras, Śiva, intelligence and citta.
Tubhyam means of you. Kumārāṇām means Sanaka and his brothers. Bhavasya means Śiva. Vijñānasya means intelligence. Sattvasya means citta. Ātmā means the antaḥkaraṇa.
I, you, Śiva, the sages, the Kumāras, the devatās, asuras, humans, Nāgas, birds, beasts, reptiles, Gandharvas, Apsaras, Yakṣas, Rakṣas, Bhūtas, Uragas, cows, Pitṛs, Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas, trees, planets, constellations, comets, stars, lightning, clouds--all these are only the Lord. Whatever existed in the past, whatever exists in the present and whatever will exist in the future, is covered by the Lord. He extends beyond the universe by ten fingers.
Because the Supreme Lord is the possessor of the māyā-śakti, everything in this world is non-different from him. This confirms the meaning of the Puruṣa-sūkta. The line starting sahasra-śīrṣā and three verses starting with brāhmaṇo sya mukham āsīt in the Puruṣa-sūkta were described in the previous chapter. (SB 2.5.37) Now puruṣa evedaṁ sarvam (the Lord is everything in the universe) from the Puruṣa-sūkta is illustrated in three and half verses. After showing that the Supreme Lord is the cause of the material world, Brahmā states that the Lord is beyond the material world, and limits the whole world: this world is covered by the Supreme Lord, because he exists (tiṣṭhati) greater than (adhi) this world. He remains, exceeding it by ten fingers (vitastim). This is stated to express his superiority to the universe, not to express his dimension, since he cannot be measured, being unlimited. This illustrates the Puruṣa-sūkta line sa bhūmiṁ sarvataḥ spṛṣṭvā atyatiṣṭhad daśāḍgulam: touching the earth (universe), he extended himself beyond it by ten fingers. Bhūmin means viśvam in the context, and daśāḍgulam means vitastim. Atyatiṣṭhad means adhitiṣṭhati.
Just as the life air energizes the body inside and spreads its influence outside as well, the Lord energizes the universe inside and outside as well.
An example is given. The life air energizes the interior of the body, and spreads its heat outside as well. The Lord situated in the universal form as the antaryāmī, energizes in the sense of empowering it with his jñāna, kriyā and dravya śaktis, and thus spreads his influence inside and outside as well.
O brāhmaṇa! He is the Lord of spiritual bliss, beyond material existence, because he surpasses material happiness. The power of the Supreme Lord is unlimited.
The Supreme Lord is the lord of blissthe enjoyer and the giver of enjoyment. The nectar of Svarga is excluded from the meaning by saying that the amṛta is devoid of fear of saṁṣāra (abhayasya). Why is he the Lord of amṛta? He surpasses material happiness which ends in death (martyam annam). In partaking of amṛta there is no chewing the chewed. If he sometimes chews it, then he does so without attachment. Thus as antaryāmī he chews: aham hi sarva-yajñānām bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca: I am the enjoyer and the master of all sacrifices. (BG 9.24) Though he is sometimes designated as the enjoyer, he surpasses material enjoyment (annam). Ekas tayoḥ khādati pippalānnam anyo niranno pi balena bhūyān (SB 11.11.6): one of the two eats the fruit of the Pippala tree, and the other, though he does not eat, remains strong. Nirannaḥ means that he is not attached at all to material enjoyment. This verse explains the Puruṣa-sūkta verse utāmṛtatvasyeśāno yad annenātirohati: he is the master of amṛta, who surpasses material enjoyment. Amṛtatvasya means the same as amṛtasya. Annena means annam, according to the rule that other case endings can substitute for the accusative endings but retain the same meaning. Atirohati means atyakrāmat. The reason is given. The glory of the Supreme Lord is unlimited (duratyayaḥ). This explains the meaning of the Puruṣa-sūkta line etāvān asya mahimāto jyāyāṁś ca pūruṣaḥ: such are the powers of the Supreme Person.
The wise know that the living beings are situated within the portions designated by the Lord, whose feet protect all places. Eternity, absence of sickness, and absence of fear of committing offense are fixed in the spiritual world situated above the three guṇas.
Two verses distinguish the material and spiritual vibhūtis. The wise know that all living beings, whether conditioned or liberated, reside within either the material or spiritual portions (pādeṣu) of the Lord, whose feet (padaḥ) act as the protector (sthiti) of all planets. In the places in the spiritual sky, situated above (mūrdhasu) the topmost places of the three guṇas, above the coverings of the universe (tri-mūdhnoḥ), there is no death (amrṭam), no sickness (kṣemam), and no fear arising from offenses to the Lord among the persons there. Absence of fear from time is already covered in the word amṛtam. This is established (adhāyi) there. In the place of the three guṇas, death, sickness and fear of offense are well established. One should understand that the material world is temporary and the spiritual world is eternal. The spiritual world will be described later. Na ca kāla-vikramaḥ na yatra māyā: in the spiritual world there is no influence of time or māyā. (SB 2.9.10)
This verse explains the Puruṣa-sūkta phrases pādo sya viśvā-bhūtāni tripādasyāmṛtaṁ divi: the living entities of the universe are one quarter and in the spiritual world of three parts everything is eternal. Pādo sya, the place and the living entities are linked with a copula verb because of non-difference between the place and the person residing. Tripādasya is in the singular to express the whole. In the spiritual place (divi) there is eternity situated in his place of three vibhūtis.
Beyond the material realm lies the spiritual realm with the abodes of the liberated souls. In the material realm of the three guṇas the materialists devoid of bhakti to the Lord reside.
This verse explains the previous verse. Beyond the coverings of prakṛti (bahiḥ) described by the words trimūdha (top of the three guṇas), exists spiritual world described as three parts (trayo pādāḥ). The word ca after bahiḥ indicates that sometimes that the three parts exist within the material world in places like Mathurā. Here are the places (āśṛamāḥ) of those who do not take birth at all (aprajānām), those liberated from saṁsāra. The places and the inhabitants are eternal, since the previous verse said that the place was without death and sickness. But within prakṛti made of the worlds of three guṇas (trilokyāḥ) exists the fourth part (aparaḥ), where the karmīs live, without being devotees of the Lord (abṛhad-vrataḥ). But if they become devotees, then they exist in the other three parts. This verse explains the Puruṣa-sūkta line tripād-ūrdhva udait puruṣaḥ pādo syehābhavat punaḥ: tthe three quarters portion of the Lord transcended the material portion; the Lord in the one quarter portion manifested the universe again, as he had done repeatedly before. The smṛti also says:
tripād-vibhūter lokās tu asaḍkhyāḥ parikīrtitāḥ |
śuddha-sattva-mayāḥ sarve brahmānanda-sukhāhvayāḥ ||
sarve nityā nirvikārā heya-rāga-vivarjitāḥ |
sarve hiraṇmayāḥ śuddhāḥ koṭi-sūrya-sama-prabhāḥ ||
sarve vedamayā divyāḥ kāma-krodhādi-varjitāḥ |
nārāyaṇa-padāmbhoja-bhakty-eka-rasa-sevinaḥ ||
nirantaraṁ sāma-gāna-paripūrṇa-sukhaṁ śritāḥ |
sarve pañcopaniṣada-svarūpayā veda-varcasaḥ || ity ādi ||
The spiritual worlds are unlimited in number. They are all śuddha-sattva, filled with spiritual bliss, eternal, without change, and devoid of low passions. They are pure gold, shining like millions of suns, personifying Vedic knowledge, filled with pastimes and devoid of lust and anger. These places exclusively serve the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, and are always blissfully singing verses. They are the essence of the Vedas, embodying the five Upaniṣads.
The word tripad-vibhūti means the spiritual world and pāda-vibhūti means the material world. The Sandarbha quotes Padma Purāṇa in this regard:
tripād-vyāptiḥ paraṁ dhāmni pādo syehābhavat punaḥ |
tripād-vibhūter nityaṁ syāt anityaṁ pādam aiśvaram ||
nityaṁ tad-rūpam īśasya paraṁ dhāmni sthitaṁ śubham |
acyutaṁ śāśvataṁ divyaṁ sadā yauvanam āśritam ||
nityaṁ sambhogam īśvaryā śriyā bhūmyā ca saṁvṛttam ||
The spiritual realm is spread over three parts. One part is this world. The three part spiritual world is eternal. The power of one part is temporary. The eternal form of the Supreme Lord is situated in that glorious place. That form of the Lord is undecaying, eternal, full of pastimes, eternally young, eternally enjoying and surrounded by Srī, Bhūmī and Īśvarī.
The jīva, qualified by ignorance and knowledge, wanders on two paths--for attaining enjoyment and liberation. The Lord is the shelter of both paths.
The jīva attains these two places by specific qualities. He who wanders in the universe is called viśvaḍ, the jīva. The jīva wanders on these two paths (sṛtī). The perfect tense is used to mean the present. These paths are followed to attain enjoyment and liberation (sāśanānaśane). The qualification is mentioned. He who has avidyā attains the material realm and he who has vidyā attains the spiritual world. However, the spiritual world is actually attained by accepting bhakti after giving up vidyā also. Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ: I am only attained by bhakti. (SB 11.14.21) The Supreme Lord however is the shelter of both paths. He is the shelter of māyā who has functions of avidyā and vidyā. Thus the two paths are dependent on the Lord. This verse describes the Puruṣa-sūkta line tato viśvaḍ vyakrāmat sāśanāśanaśane ubhe: the jīva traverses the two paths of enjoyment and liberation.
From the Lord the universe was born. The Lord, possessing elements, senses and guṇas, after entering the universe, surpassed that material universe, and remained in the spiritual world, just as the sun illuminates the universe with its rays while remaining in his planet.
The spiritual world of three parts is a display of the cit-śakti. The Supreme Lord is attached to this place. The material world of one part is a display of the māyā-śakti. The Lord is not attached to this place, and merely assists it. From that puruṣa this material realm (aṇòam virāò) was born.
The Lord endowed with matter, senses and guṇas, entering the universal form (dravyam), manifesting it, surpassed it (atyagāt) since he is unattached to it. This means, having gone there, he still remains eternally in his spiritual abode of three parts. An example is given. He is like the sun, which, situated in its globe, illuminates the universe.
When I appeared from the lotus in the Lords navel, I could not see any ingredients for sacrifice other than the limbs of the Lord.
If the Lord is everything, then how can I serve him with a method to attaining him since there is no differentiation of materials, articles of worship and even his worshippers? That is true. Because it is necessary to worship him, and because there is nothing except him, one should perform worship of him with articles which are also him, just as one worships earth with scent and flowers made of earth. His order alone is the authority. To show this he gives himself as an example. When I appeared from the Lotus in his navel, there were no ingredients for sacrifice.
vastūny oṣadhayaḥ snehā rasa-loha-mṛdo jalam | ṛco yajūṁṣi sāmāni cātur-hotraṁ ca sattama || By using the limbs of the Lord, I assembled the following ingredients: animals, the sacrificial posts, the kuśa grass, the proper place and the proper time such as spring; plates and other utensils, plants like rice, ghee, honey, metals like gold, earth, water, verses of the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Vedas, the various offerings of oblations; the names of the sacrifices like jyostiṣṭoma, the mantras, gifts, vows, assigning the regions of the devatās, the sacrificial manuals, ritual vows, and the modes of performance.
nāma-dheyāni mantrāś ca dakṣiṇāś ca vratāni ca |
devatānukramaḥ kalpaḥ saḍkalpas tantram eva ca ||
This sentence continues for four verses. In order to make ingredients (teṣu) for sacrifice, I produced the ingredients from the Lords limbs (saṁbharāḥ sambhṛtāḥ). The end of the sentence is in verse 28. Vanaspatayaḥ means sacrificial posts. Deva-yajanam is a sacrificial ground, for it is said that one should sit in a place worthy of sacrifice. Bahu-guṇānvitaḥ means times like spring. Vastūni means plates and other utensils. Oṣadhayaḥ means plants like rice. Snehā means oils like ghee. Rasa means liquids like honey. Loha means metals like gold. Cātur-hotram means acts like offering oblations.
Nāmadheyāni means the names of the sacrifices such as jyotiṣṭoma. Devatānukrama means assigning the locations of the devatās. Kalpa means a practical guide to the actions such as Baudhāyana-śrauta-sūtras. Saṁkalpa means the utterance of a ritual vow, such as Now I perform this ceremony. Tantram means the method of performance.
By using the limbs of the Lord, I assembled the movements, the prayers, the atonements and the final offering.
Gatayaḥ means movements like the three steps taken by the sacrificer. Matayaḥ means meditation verses for devatās. Samarpaṇam means offering of the sacrifice to the Lord.
By these ingredients assembled through the limbs of the Lord, I performed sacrifice to the Lord.
Concerning sacrifice the śruti says yajño vai viṣṇuḥ: sacrifice is Viṣṇu. This verse refers to the Puruṣa-sūkta lines yat puruṣeṇa haviṣā deva yajnam atanvata: the devatās performed sacrifice using the Lord as the oblations; and yajñena yajñam ayajanta: they performed sacrifice using the Lord.
Then your brothers, the nine Prajāpatis, with concentrated minds, worshipped visible persons like Indra and the invisible Lord.
Vyaktam means persons like Indra, and avyaktam indicates the Lord. This verse illustrates the meaning of puruṣaṁ jātam agrataḥ tena devā ayajanta: placing the Lord in front of them, the devatās worshipped him by the sacrifice.
Then the Manus, sages, Pitṛs, the devatās, the Daityas and humans, on different occasions worshipped the Lord using sacrifice.
Kāle means when they had the opportunity.
The universe is situated in Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. By nature the Lord is beyond the guṇas of prakṛti, but for creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, he has many guṇas by accepting māyā through the forms of the devatās.
This verse summarizes the answer to the question given in SB 2.5.2 yad adhiṣthānam: what is shelter of the universe. Āhitam means situated. The Lord naturally has no guṇas but has many guṇas by accepting māyā in the form of devatās like Brahmā and Śiva.
I create under his order, and Śiva destroys under his order. Holding his three energies, he protects the universe as the Paramātmā.
This verse elaborates the creation, maintenance and destruction mentioned in the previous verse. It also answers the question yat paras tvam: on whom do you, Brahmā, depend? Brahmā and Śiva are different from Viṣṇu because of their contact with rajas and tamas, since they are under the control of Viṣṇu. Though Viṣṇu is connected with sattva-guṇa, he is śuddha-sattva., He is not actually in contact with sattva-guṇa since he is indifferent to it and since sattva does not have a harmful nature. Because he is thus beyond the guṇas, he is shown to be the Lord, Paramātmā, who holds māyā-śakti having three guṇas (tri-śakti-dhṛk). Or this can mean he holds the internal, external and taṭastha śaktis.
O son! I have answered according to your questions. You should not think that there is anything, either as effect or as cause, other than the Supreme Lord.
This summarizes the section. Sad-asad-ātmakam means composed of effect and cause, and also the spiritual world and material world. You should not think (na bhāvyam) that there is anything except the Lord.
O Nārada! My words are never false. The working of the mind is never false. My senses do not fall onto the wrong path. This is because I hold the Lord in my heart, filled great zeal.
You say that the spiritual world is eternal, beyond the three guṇas in such verses as amṛtaṁ kṣemam abhayaṁ tri-mūrdhnodhāyi mūrdhasu. (SB 2.6.19) You have also said that the one quarter portion, the material world of three guṇas, is not false, though it is temporary, being the effect of the external energy māyā in such verses as vilajjamānayā. (SB 2.5.13) You also imply that the objects of the material world are real since they are used in sādhana. But others learned in scripture say that this whole universe is illusory, since it is a play of the mind, and that the existence of the Lord is temporary since it has only secondary qualities of existence. What to speak of his abode of three portions! Should I believe your words or theirs?
The words I have spoken to you are not false. The reason is that the Lord, the cause of everything, is held in my zealous mind. Where there is the Lord, there is truth. Believe my words. Others learned in scriptures do not hold the Lord in their minds. Thus the working of their minds is false, and their words are false. Do not accept the opinions of such liars!
I, being of this nature, and being filled with the Vedas, filled with austerity, a master worshipped by the Prajāpatis, performing yoga with fixed mind, did not know the Lord, since I was created by him.
Those learned in the conclusions of all the Vedas think that they know the form of the Supreme Lord. Do they understand other things by their reasoning?
I, as described in the previous verse, holding the Lord in my zealous heart (so ham), am filled with the Vedas (samāmnāya-mayaḥ). The Vedas came out of my mouths at the beginning. Others ask the meaning of these Vedas even today. I am the first to perform austerity.
sa cintayan dvy-akṣaram ekadāmbhasy
upāśṛṇod dvir-gaditaṁ vaco vibhuḥ
sparśeṣu yat ṣoòaśam ekaviṁśaṁ
niṣkiñcanānāṁ nṛpa yad dhanaṁ viduḥ
While Brahmā was contemplating how to carry out the creation of the universe, he heard close by in the water a word of two syllables tapa composed of the sixteenth and twenty-first sounds of the alphabet, which is known as the wealth of the devotees with no material desire. SB 2.9.6
I performed austerity first, ordered by the Lord. Having gained knowledge of the Lord, I received powers from the Lord. I am worshipped by the Prajāpatis. Do not say that I do not have powers of yoga. With concentrated mind I practiced skilful yoga. But I did not know the Lord, because he is my creator. Oh! Then how can those created by me, though they think they know something, know him? Those who say that the existence of the Lord is secondary are blind.
I offer my respects to lotus feet of the Lord, which destroy material existence for the devotees and bestow the bliss of prema, and which deliver the goals of other sādhanas. Even that Lord does not know the extent of his yoga-māyā, just as space does not know its limits. What then can others know about the Lord?
The inexperienced fools prattle when they speak about the Supreme Lord, because even the Lord cannot know about himself. Brahmā offers him respect with great devotion. I offer respects to the Lords feet which cut the suffering of material life for the devotees (samīyuṣām). This is an unsought result for the devotees. Those feet give the happiness of prema (svastyayanam). This is the sought result. Those feet cause most auspiciousness (sumaḍgalam), because without some mixture of bhakti the karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs get no results from their practice. He also does not know (paryāgat) the extent of his yoga-māyā (ātmā-māyā-vibhavam). Pari here is a negative. Thus pariyāgat means he cannot know. How then can others understand?
But how can the omniscient Lord not know? It is because he has no limits. An example is given. Space does not know its own end. Not being able to see a sky flower does not destroy omniscience. Thus it is said:
dyupataya eva te na yayur antam anantatayā
tvam api yad antarāṇòa-nicayā nanu sāvaraṇāḥ
Because you are unlimited, neither the lords of heaven nor even you yourself can ever reach the end of your glories. The countless universes, each enveloped in its shell, are compelled by the wheel of time to wander within you, like particles of dust blowing about in the sky. SB 10.87.41
The śruti says:
yo syādhyakṣaḥ parame vyoman so ḍga veda yadi vā na veda
If a person says he knows that Supreme Lord in the spiritual sky, he does not know him.
I, you, and Śiva do not know the three part spiritual world and the one part material world, what to speak of others. Bewildered in intelligence, we speak about the material realm only, and do that according to our limited knowledge.
Brahmā expresses his low position in two verses. Vāmadevaḥ is Śiva. I, you and Śiva do not know the truth about the spiritual and material worlds. What then to speak of others knowing? With confused intelligence, we speak of the one quarter portion made of māyā, but only according to our own knowledge (ātmā-samam). We do not know everything.
I and others offer respects to the Supreme Lord, whom we do not know but whose activities we glorify when he appears as various avatāras.
Even if we do not know about these things in truth we can still practice bhakti with processes like chanting. We speak about the activities of his avatāras. Please listen.
Mahā-viṣṇu, without birth, the soul of all beings, creates, maintains and destroys himself (the universe) by himself in himself.
Brahmā summarizes the activities of the first puruṣāvatāra. The puruṣāvatara (ādhyaḥ puruṣaḥ), the unborn self, creates himself by himself in himself, at the beginning of every mahā-kalpa (kalpe kalpe). He, the subject, creates the object, himself (the universe).
The Lord is that knowledge which is full of bliss, śuddha-sattva, beyond subject, object and instrument, distinguished from all else, situated everywhere in its true form, complete at all times, without beginning or end, without material guṇas, eternal and without comparison.
But you have said you do not know the Lord in verse 38. Is it the impersonal form that you do not know? This verse answers. Jñānam is the word modified by the other words. It means a form of bliss, since the śruti says vijñānam ānandam brahma: the Lord is knowledge and bliss. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.9.28) This jñānam is kevala because it lacks subject, object and instrument since knowledge simply knows (or simply is). (It does not need another object to carry out recognition, and has no object other than itself.) It is without coverings (viśuddham). It is separate from everything else (pratyak). But it is situated properly because it pervades everywhere. Though it pervades everywhere, it is still in its same excellent form (satyam). It is without lesser degrees (pūrṇam). It is without birth and change (anādi-anantam). It is not mixed with the material guṇas (nirguṇam). It remains in one form throughout all time (nityam). Nothing else can compare to it (advayam).
O sage! The contemplative sages know that impersonal form of the Lord when they have controlled their mind, senses and body. That form disappears when assailed by false logic.
O sage! O Nārada! The contemplative sages (munayaḥ), when their minds, senses and bodies become peaceful, know him as described above. That Lord as knowledge disappears when troubled by false logic. This form as knowledge refers to his impersonal aspect. They know him to a certain degree, but not in his personal form. This is explained in the Tenth Canto:
athāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te
viboddhum arhaty amalāntar-ātmabhiḥ
avikriyāt svānubhavād arūpato
hy ananya-bodhyātmatayā na cānyathā
Nondevotees, however, cannot realize you in your full personal feature. Nevertheless, it may be possible for them to realize your expansion as the impersonal Supreme by cultivating direct perception of the self within the heart. But they can do this only by purifying their mind and senses of all conceptions of material distinctions and all attachment to material sense objects. Only in this way will your impersonal feature manifest itself to them. SB 10.14.6
Mahā-viṣṇu, an expansion of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, is time, svabhāva, effect and cause, mahat-tattva, the five gross elements, false ego, the three guṇas, the senses, the universal form, the totality of jīvas, the individual jīvas as non-moving and moving beings. All of these are related to the Supreme Lord.
In four and half verses the first puruṣāvatāra mentioned in verse 38 is described in more detail. That first puruṣāvatāra, who lies on the Kāraṇa Ocean and glances at prakṛti, is expanded from the Lord residing in the spiritual sky (parasya). That was explained in the First Canto with jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ bhagavān: the Lord accepted the form of the first puruṣa. (SB 1.3.1) Time and svabhāva are his products. They are identified with the Lord as in the previous statement kalpe kalpe sṛjaty ajaḥ ātmātmany ātmanātmānam: the Lord creates himself by himself in himself in every mahā-kalpa. (SB 2.6.39) This means that by his māyā-śakti he becomes many. He is the whole universe composed of effect and cause (sad-asat). This aspect is then detailed. He is mahat-tattva (manaḥ).12 The exact sequence of creation is not followed here. He is the five gross elements (dravyam). He is the false ego (vikāraḥ). He is the three guṇas. He is the universal form, consisting of Pātāla and other planets. He is the total of all jīvas, called Hiraṇyagarbha. He is all non-moving beings (sthāsnu) and moving beings (cariṣṇu), the individual bodies. These are all related to the Supreme Lord (bhūmnaḥ).
gandharva-vidyādhara-cāraṇeśā ye yakṣa-rakṣoraga-nāga-nāthāḥ | ye vā ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhāḥ pitèṇāṁ daityendra14-siddheśvara-dānavendrāḥ | anye ca ye preta-piśāca15-bhūta- kūṣmāṇòa-yādo-mṛga-pakṣy-adhīśāḥ || I, Ṣiva, Viṣṇu, the Prajāpatis such as Dakṣa, you, Nārada, and others like the Kumāras, the protectors of Svarga, Bhuvar-loka, Bhū-loka and the lower planets, leaders of the Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, and Cāraṇas,16 the leaders of the Yakṣas, Rakṣas, Uragas and Nāgas,17 the best of the sages and Pitrṣ, the leaders of the Daityas, Dānavas18 and Siddhas, the leaders of the Pretas, Piśācas, Bhūtas, Kūṣmāṇdas, aquatics, beasts and birds19 whatever in this universe possesses glory, influence, strength of mind, senses and body; whatever is endowed with patience, beauty, shame at doing the sinful, excellence, intelligence, or astonishing syllables: whatever has form or no formnone of these are the svarūpa of the Lord.
yat kiṁ ca loke bhagavan mahasvad
ojaḥ-sahasvad balavat kṣamāvat |
śrī-hrī-vibhūty-ātmavad adbhutārṇaṁ
tattvaṁ paraṁ rūpavad asva-rūpam ||
Āham means Brahmā. Tad-ādayaḥ means the three guṇāvatāras. Khaga-loka-pālaḥ means the protectors within (ga) bhuvar-loka (kha). Tala-loka-pālāḥ means the lords of Pātāla and other lower planets. The sandhi in rakṣoraga is poetic license.
What more can be said? Amara-koṣa says bhagaṁ śrī-kāma-māhātmya-vīrya-yatnārka-kīrtiṣu: bhaga means prosperity, love, glory, potency, effort, the sun, and fame. Thus bhagavat means whatever possesses glory. Mahasvat means endowed with tejas or influence. Ojasvat, sahasvat, balavat mean possessor of fitness of senses, mind and body. Hṛīḥ means disgust with sinful acts. Atmā means intelligence. Adbhutārṇam means astonishing syllable. All these things (tattvam), with form like us (rūpavat), and the formless as well (param), such as time, these two types of things, though forms of the Supreme Lord, do not arise from his svarūpa. That is because they do not have the functions of the svarūpa-śakti. Though time and other factors are the effects of the puruṣāvatāra, they are his śaktis. Brahmā and Śiva are his guṇāvataras, the Prajāpatis and others are his vibhūtis. All these, and the jñānīs, yogīs, karmīs, the fools, the moving and non-moving beings, should be understood to be the entourage for the creation, maintenance and destruction pastimes of the purusāvatāra.
I will now speak in order about the beautiful līlāvatāras of the Supreme Lord, whose topics dry up the desire to hear anything else and which the sages glorify for their valuable content.
The puruṣāvatāra has been described but this topic is predominantly concerning māyā-śakti. Now the līlāvatāras who are composed of the cit-śakti are described. I will speak about the līlāvatāras whom the sages glorify prominently for their worshippable aspects (prādhānyataḥ). These topics dry up the desire to hear other topics (karṇa-kaśāya-śoṣān). O Nārada! I will speak the topics in order (anukramiṣye). You should drink the nectar of these topics (āpīyatām).
In the sixth chapter the speech and other elements arising from the universal forms limbs and the three fourths and one quarter powers are described.
From the Lord, who was accompanied by māyā-śakti, the universal form arose. This is explained.
Akrūra says:
bhūs toyam agniḥ pavanaṁ kham ādir
mahān ajādir mana indriyāṇi |
sarvendriyārthā vibudhāś ca sarve
ye hetavas te jagato ḍga-bhūtāḥ ||
Earth; water; fire; air; ether and its source, false ego; the mahat-tattva, the total material nature and her source, the Supreme Lords puruṣa expansion; the mind; the senses; the sense objects; and the senses presiding deitiesall these causes of the cosmic manifestation are born from your transcendental body. SB 10.40.2
Which limbs of the universal form arose from which limbs of the Supreme Lord? Speech of the universal form and the individual living beings, their organs of speaking, and the presiding deity of the voice organ, namely fire, arose from the mouth of the Lord. The words are modifying the word hareḥ in the seventh verse. Kṣetram means the place of origination. Though speech and fire etc. arise from material ahaḍkāra, they are said to arise from the mouth and other bodily parts of the Lord because they are vibhūtis of the Lords various limbs such as the mouth. Māyā is also the śakti of the Lord and therefore non-different from him. śakti-śaktimator abhedāt śakteḥ kāryaṁ śaktimato pi bhavati: because of non-difference between the śakti and the possessor of the śakti, the effect of the śakti becomes non-different from the possessor of the śakti. Speech, fire etc. and all their expansions in the spiritual world are eternal and full of consciousness since they are part of the spiritual pastimes. But their vibhūtis in the material world are māyā and temporary.
There are seven meters such as gāyatrī. The seven dhātus of the Lord such as skin, being the places of origination, became the seven meters. The place of origination is in the nominative case and the items arising are in the possessive case. The meaning is From the place of origination arose that particular devatā and sense organ. This should be understood for all the items listed. Havyam is food for the devatās. Kavyam is food for the Pitṛs. Amṛtam is the remnants of food from both, which becomes food for men. From the organ of taste of the Supreme Lord arose the six types of taste in the universal form (and water). Ca indicates that Varuṇa, the devatā of the tongue (and the tongue of the universal form) arose from the palate, place of tasting on the Lord.2