Śrīmad Bhāgavatam |Canto 5 Chapter 18

The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa

VERSE 5.18.1

śrī-śuka uvāca

tathā ca bhadraśravā nāma dharma-sutas tat-kula-patayaḥ puruṣā bhadrāśva-varṣe sākṣād bhagavato vāsudevasya priyāṁ tanuṁ dharmamayīṁ hayaśīrṣābhidhānāṁ parameṇa samādhinā sannidhāpyedam abhigṛṇanta upadhāvanti.

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tathā ca — similarly (just as Lord Śiva worships Saṅkarṣaṇa in Ilāvṛta-varṣa); bhadra-śravā — Bhadraśravā; nāma — known as; dharma-sutaḥ — the son of Dharmarāja; tat — of him; kula-patayaḥ — the chiefs of the dynasty; puruṣāḥ — all the residents; bhadrāśva-varṣe — in the land known as Bhadrāśva-varṣa; sākṣāt — directly; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevasya — of Lord Vāsudeva; priyām tanum — very dear form; dharma-mayīm — the director of all religious principles; hayaśīrṣa-abhidhānām — the Lord’s incarnation named Hayaśīrṣa (also called Hayagrīva); parameṇa samādhinā — with the highest form of trance; sannidhāpya — coming near; idam — this; abhigṛṇantaḥ — chanting; upadhāvanti — they worship.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Bhadraśravā, the son of Dharmarāja, rules the tract of land known as Bhadrāśva-varṣa. Just as Lord Śiva worships Saṅkarṣaṇa in Ilāvṛta-varṣa, Bhadraśravā, accompanied by his intimate servants and all the residents of the land, worships the plenary expansion of Vāsudeva known as Hayaśīrṣa. Lord Hayaśīrṣa is very dear to the devotees, and He is the director of all religious principles. Fixed in the topmost trance, Bhadraśravā and his associates offer their respectful obeisances to the Lord and chant the following prayers with careful pronunciation.

VERSE 5.18.2

bhadraśravasa ūcuḥ

oṁ namo bhagavate dharmāyātma-viśodhanāya nama iti.

SYNONYMS

bhadraśravasaḥ ūcuḥ — the ruler Bhadraśravā and his intimate associates said; om — O Lord; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dharmāya — the source of all religious principles; ātma-viśodhanāya — who purifies us of material contamination; namaḥ — our obeisances; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

The ruler Bhadraśravā and his intimate associates utter the following prayer: We offer our respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of all religious principles, who cleanses the heart of the conditioned soul in this material world. Again and again we offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.

VERSE 5.18.3

aho vicitraṁ bhagavad-viceṣṭitaṁ
ghnantaṁ jano ’yaṁ hi miṣan na paśyati
dhyāyann asad yarhi vikarma sevituṁ
nirhṛtya putraṁ pitaraṁ jijīviṣati

SYNONYMS

aho — alas; vicitram — wonderful; bhagavat-viceṣṭitam — the pastimes of the Lord; ghnantam — death; janaḥ — a person; ayam — this; hi — certainly; miṣan — although seeing; na paśyati — does not see; dhyāyan — thinking about; asat — material happiness; yarhi — because; vikarma — forbidden activities; sevitum — to enjoy; nirhṛtya — burning; putram — sons; pitaram — the father; jijīviṣati — desires a long life.

TRANSLATION

Alas! How wonderful it is that the foolish materialist does not heed the great danger of impending death! He knows that death will surely come, yet he is nevertheless callous and neglectful. If his father dies, he wants to enjoy his father’s property, and if his son dies, he wants to enjoy his son’s possessions as well. In either case, he heedlessly tries to enjoy material happiness with the acquired money.

VERSE 5.18.4

vadanti viśvaṁ kavayaḥ sma naśvaraṁ
paśyanti cādhyātmavido vipaścitaḥ
tathāpi muhyanti tavāja māyayā
suvismitaṁ kṛtyam ajaṁ nato ’smi tam

SYNONYMS

vadanti — they say authoritatively; viśvam — the entire material creation; kavayaḥ — great learned sages; sma — certainly; naśvaram — perishable; paśyanti — they see in trance; ca — also; adhyātma-vidaḥ — who have realized spiritual knowledge; vipaścitaḥ — very learned scholars; tathā api — still; muhyanti — become illusioned; tava — your; aja — O unborn one; māyayā — by the illusory energy; su-vismitam — most wonderful; kṛtyam — activity; ajam — unto the supreme unborn one; nataḥ asmi — I offer my obeisances; tam — unto Him.

TRANSLATION

O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is perishable, as do other logicians and philosophers. In trance they realize the factual position of this world, and they preach the truth as well. Yet even they are sometimes bewildered by Your illusory energy. This is Your own wonderful pastime. Therefore, I can understand that Your illusory energy is very wonderful, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.5

viśvodbhava-sthāna-nirodha-karma te
hy akartur aṅgīkṛtam apy apāvṛtaḥ
yuktaṁ na citraṁ tvayi kārya-kāraṇe
sarvātmani vyatirikte ca vastutaḥ

SYNONYMS

viśva — of the whole universe; udbhava — of the creation; sthāna — of the maintenance; nirodha — of the annihilation; karma — these activities; te — of You (O dear Lord); hi — indeed; akartuḥ — aloof; aṅgīkṛtam — still accepted by the Vedic literature; api — although; apāvṛtaḥ — untouched by all these activities; yuktam — befitting; na — not; citram — wonderful; tvayi — in You; kārya-kāraṇe — the original cause of all effects; sarva-ātmani — in all respects; vyatirikte — set apart; ca — also; vastutaḥ — the original substance.

TRANSLATION

O Lord, although You are completely detached from the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world and are not directly affected by these activities, they are all attributed to You. We do not wonder at this, for Your inconceivable energies perfectly qualify You to be the cause of all causes. You are the active principle in everything, although You are separate from everything. Thus we can realize that everything is happening because of Your inconceivable energy.

VERSE 5.18.6

vedān yugānte tamasā tiraskṛtān
rasātalād yo nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥ
pratyādade vai kavaye ’bhiyācate
tasmai namas te ’vitathehitāya iti

SYNONYMS

vedān — the four Vedas; yuga-ante — at the end of the millennium; tamasā — by the demon of ignorance personified; tiraskṛtān — stolen away; rasātalāt — from the lowest planetary system (Rasātala); yaḥ — who (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); nṛ-turaṅga-vigrahaḥ — assuming the form of half-horse, half-man; pratyādade — returned; vai — indeed; kavaye — to the supreme poet (Lord Brahmā); abhiyā-cate — when he asked for them; tasmai — unto Him (the form of Hayagrīva); namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; te — to You; avitatha-īhitāya — whose resolution never fails; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

At the end of the millennium, ignorance personified assumed the form of a demon, stole all the Vedas and took them down to the planet of Rasātala. The Supreme Lord, however, in His form of Hayagrīva retrieved the Vedas and returned them to Lord Brahmā when he begged for them. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, whose determination never fails.

VERSE 5.18.7

hari-varṣe cāpi bhagavān nara-hari-rūpeṇāste; tad-rūpa-grahaṇa-nimittam uttaratrābhidhāsye; tad dayitaṁ rūpaṁ mahā-puruṣa-guṇa-bhājano mahā-bhāgavato daitya-dānava-kula-tīrthīkaraṇa-śīlā-caritaḥ prahlādo ’vyavadhānānanya-bhakti-yogena saha tad-varṣa-puruṣair upāste idaṁ codāharati.

SYNONYMS

hari-varṣe — in the tract of land known as Harivarṣa; ca — also; api — indeed; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nara-hari-rūpeṇa — His form of Nṛsiṁhadeva; āste — is situated; tat-rūpa-grahaṇa-nimittam — the reason why Lord Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) assumed the form of Nṛsiṁha; uttaratra — in later chapters; abhidhāsye — I shall describe; tat — that; dayitam — most pleasing; rūpam — form of the Lord; mahā-puruṣa-guṇa-bhājanaḥ — Prahlāda Mahārāja, who is the abode of all the good qualities of great personalities; mahā-bhāgavataḥ — the topmost devotee; daitya-dānava-kula-tīrthī-karaṇa-śīlā-caritaḥ — whose activities and character were so exalted that he delivered all the daityas (demons) born in his family; prahlādaḥ — Mahārāja Prahlāda; avyavadhāna-ananya-bhakti-yogena — by uninterrupted and unflinching devotional service; saha — with; tat-varṣa-puruṣaiḥ — the inhabitants of Hari-varṣa; upāste — offers obeisances to and worships; idam — this; ca — and; udāharati — chants.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva resides in the tract of land known as Hari-varṣa. In the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I shall describe to you how Prahlāda Mahārāja caused the Lord to assume the form of Nṛsiṁhadeva. Prahlāda Mahārāja, the topmost devotee of the Lord, is a reservoir of all the good qualities of great personalities. His character and activities have delivered all the fallen members of his demoniac family. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is very dear to this exalted personality. Thus Prahlāda Mahārāja, along with his servants and all the denizens of Hari-varṣa, worships Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva by chanting the following mantra.

VERSE 5.18.8

oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya namas tejas-tejase āvir-āvirbhava vajra-nakha vajra-daṁṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa om svāhā; abhayam abhayam ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oṁ kṣraum.

SYNONYMS

om — O Lord; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nara-siṁhāya — known as Lord Nṛsiṁha; namaḥ — obeisances; tejaḥ-tejase — the power of all power; āviḥ-āvirbhava — please be fully manifest; vajra-nakha — O You who possess nails like thunderbolts; vajra-daṁṣṭra — O You who possess teeth like thunderbolts; karma-āśayān — demoniac desires to be happy by material activities; randhaya randhaya — kindly vanquish; tamaḥ — ignorance in the material world; grasa — kindly drive away; grasa — kindly drive away; om — O my Lord; svāhā — respectful oblations; abhayam — fearlessness; abhayam — fearlessness; ātmani — in my mind; bhūyiṣṭhāḥ — may You appear; om — O Lord; kṣraum — the bīja, or seed, of mantras offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha.

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world.

VERSE 5.18.9

svasty astu viśvasya khalaḥ prasīdatāṁ
dhyāyantu bhūtāni śivaṁ mitho dhiyā
manaś ca bhadraṁ bhajatād adhokṣaje
āveśyatāṁ no matir apy ahaitukī

SYNONYMS

svasti — auspiciousness; astu — let there be; viśvasya — of the entire universe; khalaḥ — the envious (almost everyone); prasīdatām — let them be pacified; dhyāyantu — let them consider; bhūtāni — all the living entities; śivam — auspiciousness; mithaḥ — mutual; dhiyā — by their intelligence; manaḥ — the mind; ca — and; bhadram — calmness; bhajatāt — let it experience; adhokṣaje — in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the perception of mindintelligence and senses; āveśyatām — let it be absorbed; naḥ — our; matiḥ — intelligence; api — indeed; ahaitukī — without any motive.

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

VERSE 5.18.10

māgāra-dārātmaja-vitta-bandhuṣu
saṅgo yadi syād bhagavat-priyeṣu naḥ
yaḥ prāṇa-vṛttyā parituṣṭa ātmavān
siddhyaty adūrān na tathendriya-priyaḥ

SYNONYMS

— not; agāra — house; dāra — wife; ātma-ja — children; vitta — bank balance; bandhuṣu — among friends and relatives; saṅgaḥ — association or attachment; yadi — if; syāt — there must be; bhagavat-priyeṣu — among persons to whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very dear; naḥ — of us; yaḥ — anyone who; prāṇa-vṛttyā — by the bare necessities of life; parituṣṭaḥ — satisfied; ātma-vān — who has controlled his mind and realized his self; siddhyati — becomes successful; adūrāt — very soon; na — not; tathā — so much; indriya-priyaḥ — a person attached to sense gratification.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, we pray that we may never feel attraction for the prison of family life, consisting of home, wife, children, friends, bank balance, relatives and so on. If we do have some attachment, let it be for devotees, whose only dear friend is Kṛṣṇa. A person who is actually self-realized and who has controlled his mind is perfectly satisfied with the bare necessities of life. He does not try to gratify his senses. Such a person quickly advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas others, who are too attached to material things, find advancement very difficult.

VERSE 5.18.11

yat-saṅga-labdhaṁ nija-vīrya-vaibhavaṁ
tīrthaṁ muhuḥ saṁspṛśatāṁ hi mānasam
haraty ajo ’ntaḥ śrutibhir gato ’ṅgajaṁ
ko vai na seveta mukunda-vikramam

SYNONYMS

yat — of whom (the devotees); saṅga-labdham — achieved by the association; nija-vīrya-vaibhavam — whose influence is uncommon; tīrtham — holy places like the Ganges; muhuḥ — repeatedly; saṁspṛśatām — of those touching; hi — certainly; mānasam — the dirty things in the mind; harati — vanquishes; ajaḥ — the supreme unborn one; antaḥ — in the core of the heart; śrutibhiḥ — by the ears; gataḥ — entered; aṅga-jam — dirty things or infections of the body; kaḥ — who; vai — indeed; na — not; seveta — would serve; mukunda-vikramam — the glorious activities of Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

By associating with persons for whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, is the all in all, one can hear of His powerful activities and soon come to understand them. The activities of Mukunda are so potent that simply by hearing of them one immediately associates with the Lord. For a person who constantly and very eagerly hears narrations of the Lord’s powerful activities, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead in the form of sound vibrations, enters within his heart and cleanses it of all contamination. On the other hand, although bathing in the Ganges diminishes bodily contaminations and infections, this process and the process of visiting holy places can cleanse the heart only after a long time. Therefore who is the sane man who will not associate with devotees to quickly perfect his life?

VERSE 5.18.12

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

SYNONYMS

yasya — of whom; asti — there is; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; bhagavati — to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akiñcanā — without any motive; sarvaiḥ — with all; guṇaiḥ — good qualities; tatra — there (in that person); samāsate — reside; surāḥ — all the demigods; harau — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; abhaktasya — of a person who is not devoted; kutaḥ — where; mahat-guṇāḥ — good qualities; manorathena — by mental speculation; asati — in the temporary material world; dhāvataḥ — who is running; bahiḥ — outside.

TRANSLATION

All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?

VERSE 5.18.13

harir hi sākṣād bhagavān śarīriṇām
ātmā jhaṣāṇām iva toyam īpsitam
hitvā mahāṁs taṁ yadi sajjate gṛhe
tadā mahattvaṁ vayasā dampatīnām

SYNONYMS

hariḥ — the Lord; hi — certainly; sākṣāt — directly; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śarīriṇām — of all living entities who have accepted material bodies; ātmā — the life and soul; jhaṣāṇām — of the aquatics; iva — like; toyam — the vast water; īpsitam — is desired; hitvā — giving up; mahān — a great personality; tam — Him; yadi — if; sajjate — becomes attached; gṛhe — to household life; tadā — at that time; mahattvam — greatness; vayasā — by age; dam-patīnām — of the husband and wife.

TRANSLATION

Just as aquatics always desire to remain in the vast mass of water, all conditioned living entities naturally desire to remain in the vast existence of the Supreme Lord. Therefore if someone very great by material calculations fails to take shelter of the Supreme Soul but instead becomes attached to material household life, his greatness is like that of a young, low-class couple. One who is too attached to material life loses all good spiritual qualities.

VERSE 5.18.14

tasmād rajo-rāga-viṣāda-manyu-
māna-spṛhā-bhayadainyādhimūlam
hitvā gṛhaṁ saṁsṛti-cakravālaṁ
nṛsiṁha-pādaṁ bhajatākutobhayam iti

SYNONYMS

tasmāt — therefore; rajaḥ — of passion or material desires; rāga — attachment for material things; viṣāda — then disappointment; manyu — anger; māna-spṛhā — the desire to be respectable in society; bhaya — fear; dainya — of poverty; adhimūlam — the root cause; hitvā — giving up; gṛham — household life; saṁsṛti-cakravālam — the cycle of repeated birth and death; nṛsiṁha-pādam — the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva; bhajata — worship; akutaḥ-bhayam — the shelter of fearlessness; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, O demons, give up the so-called happiness of family life and simply take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, which are the actual shelter of fearlessness. Entanglement in family life is the root cause of material attachment, indefatigable desires, moroseness, anger, despair, fear and the desire for false prestige, all of which result in the repetition of birth and death.

VERSE 5.18.15

ketumāle ’pi bhagavān kāmadeva-svarūpeṇa lakṣmyāḥ priya-cikīrṣayā prajāpater duhitṝṇāṁ putrāṇāṁ tad-varṣa-patīnāṁ puruṣāyuṣāho-rātra-parisaṅkhyānānāṁ yāsāṁ garbhā mahā-puruṣa-mahāstra-tejasodvejita-manasāṁ vidhvastā vyasavaḥ saṁvatsarānte vinipatanti.

SYNONYMS

ketumāle — in the tract of land known as Ketumāla-varṣa; api — also; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu; kāmadeva-svarūpeṇa — in the form of Kāmadeva (Cupid or Pradyumna); lakṣmyāḥ — of the goddess of fortune; priya-cikīrṣayā — with a desire to bring about the satisfaction; prajāpateḥ — of Prajāpati; duhitṝṇām — of the daughters; putrāṇām — of the sons; tat-varṣa-patīnām — the ruler of that land; puruṣa-āyuṣā — in a human lifetime (about one hundred years); ahaḥ-rātra — the days and nights; parisaṅkhyānānām — which equal in number; yāsām — of whom (the daughters); garbhāḥ — fetuses; mahā-puruṣa — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-astra — of the great weapon (the disc); tejasā — by the effulgence; udvejita-manasām — whose minds are agitated; vidhvastāḥ — ruined; vyasavaḥ — dead; saṁvatsara-ante — at the end of the year; vinipatanti — fall down.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In the tract of land called Ketumāla-varṣa, Lord Viṣṇu lives in the form of Kāmadeva, only for the satisfaction of His devotees. These include Lakṣmījī [the goddess of fortune], the Prajāpati Saṁvatsara and all of Saṁvatsara’s sons and daughters. The daughters of Prajāpati are considered the controlling deities of the nights, and his sons are considered the controllers of the days. The Prajāpati’s offspring number 36,000, one for each day and each night in the lifetime of a human being. At the end of each year, the Prajāpati’s daughters become very agitated upon seeing the extremely effulgent disc of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus they all suffer miscarriages.

VERSE 5.18.16

atīva sulalita-gati-vilāsa-vilasita-rucira-hāsa-leśāvaloka-līlayā kiñcid-uttambhita-sundara-bhrū-maṇḍala-subhaga-vadanāravinda-śriyā ramāṁ ramayann indriyāṇi ramayate.

SYNONYMS

atīva — very much; su-lalita — beautiful; gati — with movements; vilāsa — by pastimes; vilasita — manifested; rucira — pleasing; hāsa-leśa — mild smiling; avaloka-līlayā — by playful glancing; kiñcit-uttambhita — slightly raised; sundara — beautiful; bhrū-maṇḍala — by the eyebrows; subhaga — auspicious; vadana-aravinda-śriyā — with His beautiful lotuslike face; ramām — the goddess of fortune; ramayan — pleasing; indriyāṇi — all the senses; ramayate — He pleases.

TRANSLATION

In Ketumāla-varṣa, Lord Kāmadeva [Pradyumna] moves very graciously. His mild smile is very beautiful, and when He increases the beauty of His face by slightly raising His eyebrows and glancing playfully, He pleases the goddess of fortune. Thus He enjoys His transcendental senses.

VERSE 5.18.17

tad bhagavato māyāmayaṁ rūpaṁ parama-samādhi-yogena ramā devī saṁvatsarasya rātriṣu prajāpater duhitṛbhir upetāhaḥsu ca tad-bhartṛbhir upāste idaṁ codāharati.

SYNONYMS

tat — that; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; māyā-mayam — full of affection for the devotees; rūpam — form; parama — highest; samādhi-yogena — by absorption of the mind in the service of the Lord; ramā — the goddess of fortune; devī — divine woman; saṁvatsarasya — known as Saṁvatsara; rātriṣu — during the nights; prajāpateḥ — of Prajāpati; duhitṛbhiḥ — with the daughters; upeta — combined; ahaḥsu — during the days; ca — also; tat-bhartṛbhiḥ — with the husbands; upāste — worships; idam — this; ca — also; udāharati — chants.

TRANSLATION

Accompanied during the daytime by the sons of the Prajāpati [the predominating deities of the days] and accompanied at night by his daughters [the deities of the nights], Lakṣmīdevī worships the Lord during the period known as the Saṁvatsara in His most merciful form as Kāmadeva. Fully absorbed in devotional service, she chants the following mantras.

VERSE 5.18.18

om hrāṁ hrīṁ hrūṁ oṁ namo bhagavate hṛṣīkeśāya sarva-guṇa-viśeṣair vilakṣitātmane ākūtīnāṁ cittīnāṁ cetasāṁ viśeṣāṇāṁ cādhipataye ṣoḍaśa-kalāya cchando-mayāyānna-mayāyāmṛta-mayāya sarva-mayāya sahase ojase balāya kāntāya kāmāya namas te ubhayatra bhūyāt.

SYNONYMS

om — O Lord; hrām hrīm hrūm — the seeds of the mantra, chanted for a successful result; om — O Lord; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hṛṣīkeśāya — unto Hṛṣīkeśa, the Lord of the senses; sarva-guṇa — with all transcendental qualities; viśeṣaiḥ — with all varieties; vilakṣita — particularly observed; ātmane — unto the soul of all living entities; ākūtīnām — of all kinds of activity; cittīnām — of all kinds of knowledge; cetasām — of the functions of the mind, such as determination and mental effort; viśeṣāṇām — of their respective objects; ca — and; adhipataye — unto the master; ṣoḍaśa-kalāya — whose parts are the sixteen original ingredients of creation (namely the five objects of the senses and the eleven senses, including the mind); chandaḥ-mayāya — unto the enjoyer of all ritualistic ceremonies; anna-mayāya — who maintains all living entities by supplying the necessities of life; amṛta-mayāya — who awards eternal life; sarva-mayāya — who is all-pervading; sahase — the powerful; ojase — who supplies strength to the senses; balāya — who supplies strength to the body; kāntāya — the supreme husband or master of all living entities; kāmāya — who supplies all necessities for the devotees; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; te — unto You; ubhayatra — always (during both day and night, or both in this life and the next); bhūyāt — may there be all good fortune.

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, the controller of all my senses and the origin of everything. As the supreme master of all bodily, mental and intellectual activities, He is the only enjoyer of their results. The five sense objects and eleven senses, including the mind, are His partial manifestations. He supplies all the necessities of life, which are His energy and thus nondifferent from Him, and He is the cause of everyone’s bodily and mental prowess, which is also nondifferent from Him. Indeed, He is the husband and provider of necessities for all living entities. The purpose of all the Vedas is to worship Him. Therefore let us all offer Him our respectful obeisances. May He always be favorable toward us in this life and the next.

VERSE 5.18.19

striyo vratais tvā hṛṣīkeśvaraṁ svato
hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate ’nyam
tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ
priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato ’sva-tantrāḥ

SYNONYMS

striyaḥ — all women; vrataiḥ — by observing fasting and other vows; tvā — you; hṛṣīkeśvaram — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, master of the senses; svataḥ — of your own accord; hi — certainly; ārādhya — worshiping; loke — in the world; patim — a husband; āśāsate — ask for; anyam — another; tāsām — of all those women; na — not; te — the husbands; vai — indeed; paripānti — able to protect; apatyam — the children; priyam — very dear; dhana — the wealth; āyūṁṣi — or the duration of life; yataḥ — because; asva-tantrāḥ — dependent.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, You are certainly the fully independent master of all the senses. Therefore all women who worship You by strictly observing vows because they wish to acquire a husband to satisfy their senses are surely under illusion. They do not know that such a husband cannot actually give protection to them or their children. Nor can he protect their wealth or duration of life, for he himself is dependent on time, fruitive results and the modes of nature, which are all subordinate to You.

VERSE 5.18.20

sa vai patiḥ syād akutobhayaḥ svayaṁ
samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṁ janam
sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṁ
naivātmalābhād adhi manyate param

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; vai — indeed; patiḥ — a husband; syāt — would be; akutaḥ-bhayaḥ — who is not fearful of anyone; svayam — self-sufficient; samantataḥ — entirely; pāti — maintains; bhaya-āturam — who is very afraid; janam — a person; saḥ — therefore he; ekaḥ — one; eva — only; itarathā — otherwise; mithaḥ — from one another; bhayam — fear; na — not; eva — indeed; ātma-lābhāt — than the attainment of You; adhi — greater; manyate — is accepted; param — other thing.

TRANSLATION

He alone who is never afraid but who, on the contrary, gives complete shelter to all fearful persons can actually become a husband and protector. Therefore, my Lord, You are the only husband, and no one else can claim this position. If You were not the only husband, You would be afraid of others. Therefore persons learned in all Vedic literature accept only Your Lordship as everyone’s master, and they think no one else a better husband and protector than You.

VERSE 5.18.21

yā tasya te pāda-saroruhārhaṇaṁ
nikāmayet sākhila-kāma-lampaṭā
tad eva rāsīpsitam īpsito ’rcito
yad-bhagna-yācñā bhagavan pratapyate

SYNONYMS

— a woman who; tasya — of Him; te — of You; pāda-saroruha — of the lotus feet; arhaṇam — the worship; nikāmayet — fully desires; — such a woman; akhila-kāma-lampaṭā — although maintaining all kinds of material desire; tat — that; eva — only; rāsi — You award; īpsitam — some other desired benediction; īpsitaḥ — being looked to for; arcitaḥ — worshiped; yat — from which; bhagna-yācñā — one who desires objects other than Your lotus feet and who thus becomes broken; bhagavan — O my Lord; pratapyate — is pained.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, You automatically fulfill all the desires of a woman who worships Your lotus feet in pure love. However, if a woman worships Your lotus feet for a particular purpose, You also quickly fulfill her desires, but in the end she becomes broken-hearted and laments. Therefore one need not worship Your lotus feet for some material benefit.

VERSE 5.18.22

mat-prāptaye ’jeśa-surāsurādayas
tapyanta ugraṁ tapa aindriye dhiyaḥ
ṛte bhavat-pāda-parāyaṇān na māṁ
vindanty ahaṁ tvad-dhṛdayā yato ’jita

SYNONYMS

mat-prāptaye — to obtain my mercy; aja — Lord Brahmā; īśa — Lord Śiva; sura — the other demigods, headed by King Indra, Candra and Varuṇa; asura-ādayaḥ — as well as the demons; tapyante — undergo; ugram — severe; tapaḥ — austerity; aindriye dhiyaḥ — whose minds are absorbed in thoughts of superior sense gratification; ṛte — unless; bhavat-pāda-parāyaṇāt — one who is wholly and solely engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord’s lotus feet; na — not; mām — me; vindanti — obtain; aham — I; tvat — in You; hṛdayāḥ — whose hearts; yataḥ — therefore; ajita — O unconquerable one.

TRANSLATION

O supreme unconquerable Lord, when they become absorbed in thoughts of material enjoyment, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, as well as other demigods and demons, undergo severe penances and austerities to receive my benedictions. But I do not favor anyone, however great he may be, unless he is always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet. Because I always keep You within my heart, I cannot favor anyone but a devotee.

VERSE 5.18.23

sa tvaṁ mamāpy acyuta śīrṣṇi vanditaṁ
karāmbujaṁ yat tvad-adhāyi sātvatām
bibharṣi māṁ lakṣma vareṇya māyayā
ka īśvarasyehitam ūhituṁ vibhur iti

SYNONYMS

saḥ — that; tvam — You; mama — of me; api — also; acyuta — O infallible one; śīrṣṇi — on the head; vanditam — worshiped; kara-ambujam — Your lotus hand; yat — which; tvat — by You; adhāyi — placed; sātvatām — on the head of the devotees; bibharṣi — You maintain; mām — me; lakṣma — as an insignia on Your chest; vareṇya — O worshipable one; māyayā — with deceit; kaḥ — who; īśvarasya — of the supremely powerful controller; īhitam — the desires; ūhitum — to understand by reason and argument; vibhuḥ — is able; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

O infallible one, Your lotus palm is the source of all benediction. Therefore Your pure devotees worship it, and You very mercifully place Your hand on their heads. I wish that You may also place Your hand on My head, for although You already bear my insignia of golden streaks on Your chest, I regard this honor as merely a kind of false prestige for me. You show Your real mercy to Your devotees, not to me. Of course, You are the supreme absolute controller, and no one can understand Your motives.

VERSE 5.18.24

ramyake ca bhagavataḥ priyatamaṁ mātsyam avatāra-rūpaṁ tad-varṣa-puruṣasya manoḥ prāk-pradarśitaṁ sa idānīm api mahatā bhakti-yogenārādhayatīdaṁ codāharati.

SYNONYMS

ramyake ca — also in Ramyaka-varṣa; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priya-tamam — the foremost; mātsyam — fish; avatāra-rūpam — the form of the incarnation; tat-varṣa-puruṣasya — of the ruler of that land; manoḥ — Manu; prāk — previously (at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara); pradarśitam — exhibited; saḥ — that Manu; idānīm api — even until now; mahatā bhakti-yogena — by dint of advanced devotional service; ārādhayati — worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead; idam — this; ca — and; udāharati — chants.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In Ramyaka-varṣa, where Vaivasvata Manu rules, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Lord Matsya at the end of the last era [the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara]. Vaivasvata Manu now worships Lord Matsya in pure devotional service and chants the following mantra.

VERSE 5.18.25

oṁ namo bhagavate mukhyatamāya namaḥ sattvāya prāṇāyaujase sahase balāya mahā-matsyāya nama iti.

SYNONYMS

om — O my Lord; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mukhya-tamāya — the first incarnation to appear; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; sattvāya — unto the pure transcendence; prāṇāya — the origin of life; ojase — the source of the potency of the senses; sahase — the origin of all mental power; balāya — the origin of bodily strength; mahā-matsyāya — unto the gigantic fish incarnation; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is pure transcendence. He is the origin of all life, bodily strength, mental power and sensory ability. Known as Matsyāvatāra, the gigantic fish incarnation, He appears first among all the incarnations. Again I offer my obeisances unto Him.

VERSE 5.18.26

antar bahiś cākhila-loka-pālakair
adṛṣṭa-rūpo vicarasy uru-svanaḥ
sa īśvaras tvaṁ ya idaṁ vaśe ’nayan
nāmnā yathā dārumayīṁ naraḥ striyam

SYNONYMS

antaḥ — within; bahiḥ — without; ca — also; akhila-loka-pālakaiḥ — by the leaders of the different planets, societies, kingdoms and so on; adṛṣṭa-rūpaḥ — not seen; vicarasi — You wander; uru — very great; svanaḥ — whose sounds (Vedic mantras); saḥ — He; īśvaraḥ — the supreme controller; tvam — You; yaḥ — who; idam — this; vaśe — under control; anayat — has brought; nāmnā — by different names like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra; yathā — exactly like; dārumayīm — made of wood; naraḥ — a man; striyam — a doll.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, just as a puppeteer controls his dancing dolls and a husband controls his wife, Your Lordship controls all the living entities in the universe, such as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Although You are in everyone’s heart as the supreme witness and commander and are outside everyone as well, the so-called leaders of societies, communities and countries cannot realize You. Only those who hear the vibration of the Vedic mantras can appreciate You.

VERSE 5.18.27

yaṁ loka-pālāḥ kila matsara-jvarā
hitvā yatanto ’pi pṛthak sametya ca
pātuṁ na śekur dvi-padaś catuṣ-padaḥ
sarīsṛpaṁ sthāṇu yad atra dṛśyate

SYNONYMS

yam — whom (You); loka-pālāḥ — the great leaders of the universe, beginning with Lord Brahmā; kila — what to speak of others; matsara-jvarāḥ — who are suffering from the fever of envy; hitvā — leaving aside; yatantaḥ — endeavoring; api — although; pṛthak — separately; sametya — combined; ca — also; pātum — to protect; na — not; śekuḥ — able; dvi-padaḥ — two-legged; catuḥ-padaḥ — four-legged; sarīsṛpam — reptiles; sthāṇu — not moving; yat — whatever; atra — within this material world; dṛśyate — is visible.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, from the great leaders of the universe, such as Lord Brahmā and other demigods, down to the political leaders of this world, all are envious of Your authority. Without Your help, however, they could neither separately nor concertedly maintain the innumerable living entities within the universe. You are actually the only maintainer of all human beings, of animals like cows and asses, and of plants, reptiles, birds, mountains and whatever else is visible within this material world.

VERSE 5.18.28

bhavān yugāntārṇava ūrmi-mālini
kṣoṇīm imām oṣadhi-vīrudhāṁ nidhim
mayā sahoru kramate ’ja ojasā
tasmai jagat-prāṇa-gaṇātmane nama iti

SYNONYMS

bhavān — Your Lordship; yuga-anta-arṇave — in the water of devastation at the end of the millennium; ūrmi-mālini — possessing rows of big waves; kṣoṇīm — the planet earth; imām — this; oṣadhi-vīrudhām — of all kinds of herbs and drugs; nidhim — the storehouse; mayā — me; saha — with; uru — great; kramate — You roamed; aja — O unborn one; ojasā — with speed; tasmai — unto Him; jagat — of the entire universe; prāṇa-gaṇa-ātmane — the ultimate source of life; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

O almighty Lord, at the end of the millennium this planet earth, which is the source of all kinds of herbs, drugs and trees, was inundated by water and drowned beneath the devastating waves. At that time, You protected me along with the earth and roamed the sea with great speed. O unborn one, You are the actual maintainer of the entire universal creation, and therefore You are the cause of all living entities. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.29

hiraṇmaye ’pi bhagavān nivasati kūrma-tanuṁ bibhrāṇas tasya tat priyatamāṁ tanum aryamā saha varṣa-puruṣaiḥ pitṛ-gaṇādhipatir upadhāvati mantram imaṁ cānujapati.

SYNONYMS

hiraṇmaye — in Hiraṇmaya-varṣa; api — indeed; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nivasati — resides; kūrma-tanum — the body of a tortoise; bibhrāṇaḥ — manifesting; tasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat — that; priya-tamām — dearmost; tanum — body; aryamā — Aryamā, the chief resident of Hiraṇmaya-varṣa; saha — with; varṣa-puruṣaiḥ — the people of that tract of land; pitṛ-gaṇa-adhipatiḥ — who is the chief of the pitās; upadhāvati — worships in devotional service; mantram — hymn; imam — this; ca — also; anujapati — chants.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, lives in the form of a tortoise [kūrma-śarīra]. This most dear and beautiful form is always worshiped there in devotional service by Aryamā, the chief resident of Hiraṇmaya-varṣa, along with the other inhabitants of that land. They chant the following hymns.

VERSE 5.18.30

oṁ namo bhagavate akūpārāya sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāyānu-palakṣita-sthānāya namo varṣmaṇe namo bhūmne namo namo ’vasthānāya namas te.

SYNONYMS

om — O my Lord; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akūpārāya — in the form of a tortoise; sarva-sattva-guṇa-viśeṣaṇāya — whose form consists of śuddha-sattva, transcendental goodness; anupalakṣita-sthānāya — unto You, whose position is not discernible; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; varṣmaṇe — unto You who, although the oldest, are unaffected by time; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; bhūmne — to the great one who can go everywhere; namaḥ namaḥ — repeated obeisances; avasthānāya — the shelter of everything; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; te — unto You.

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, who have assumed the form of a tortoise. You are the reservoir of all transcendental qualities, and being entirely untinged by matter, You are perfectly situated in pure goodness. You move here and there in the water, but no one can discern Your position. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. Because of Your transcendental position, You are not limited by past, present and future. You are present everywhere as the shelter of all things, and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

VERSE 5.18.31

yad-rūpam etan nija-māyayārpitam
artha-svarūpaṁ bahu-rūpa-rūpitam
saṅkhyā na yasyāsty ayathopalambhanāt
tasmai namas te ’vyapadeśa-rūpiṇe

SYNONYMS

yat — of whom; rūpam — the form; etat — this; nija-māyayā arpitam — manifested by Your personal potency; artha-svarūpam — this entire visible cosmic manifestation; bahu-rūpa-rūpitam — manifested in various forms; saṅkhyā — the measurement; na — not; yasya — of which; asti — there is; ayathā — falsely; upalambhanāt — from perceiving; tasmai — unto Him (the Supreme Lord); namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; te — unto You; avyapadeśa — cannot be ascertained by mental speculation; rūpiṇe — whose real form.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, this visible cosmic manifestation is a demonstration of Your own creative energy. Since the countless varieties of forms within this cosmic manifestation are simply a display of Your external energy, this virāṭ-rūpa [universal body] is not Your real form. Except for a devotee in transcendental consciousness, no one can perceive Your actual form. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.32

jarāyujaṁ svedajam aṇḍajodbhidaṁ
carācaraṁ devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtam aindriyam
dyauḥ khaṁ kṣitiḥ śaila-sarit-samudra-
dvīpa-graharkṣety abhidheya ekaḥ

SYNONYMS

jarāyu-jam — one born from a womb; sveda-jam — one born from perspiration; aṇḍa-ja — one born from an egg; udbhidam — one born of the earth; cara-acaram — the moving and the stationary; deva — the demigods; ṛṣi — the great sages; pitṛ — the inhabitants of Pitṛloka; bhūtam — the material elements air, fire, water and earth; aindriyam — all the senses; dyauḥ — the higher planetary systems; kham — the sky; kṣitiḥ — the earthly planets; śaila — the hills and mountains; sarit — the rivers; samudra — the oceans; dvīpa — the islands; graha-ṛkṣa — the stars and planets; iti — thus; abhidheyaḥ — to be variously named; ekaḥ — one.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, You manifest Your different energies in countless forms: as living entities born from wombs, from eggs and from perspiration; as plants and trees that grow out of the earth; as all living entities, both moving and standing, including the demigods, the learned sages and the pitās; as outer space, as the higher planetary system containing the heavenly planets, and as the planet earth with its hills, rivers, seas, oceans and islands. Indeed, all the stars and planets are simply manifestations of Your different energies, but originally You are one without a second. Therefore there is nothing beyond You. This entire cosmic manifestation is therefore not false but is simply a temporary manifestation of Your inconceivable energy.

VERSE 5.18.33

yasminn asaṅkhyeya-viśeṣa-nāma-
rūpākṛtau kavibhiḥ kalpiteyam
saṅkhyā yayā tattva-dṛśāpanīyate
tasmai namaḥ sāṅkhya-nidarśanāya te iti

SYNONYMS

yasmin — in You (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); asaṅkhyeya — innumerable; viśeṣa — particular; nāma — names; rūpa — forms; ākṛtau — possessing bodily features; kavibhiḥ — by great learned persons; kalpitā — imagined; iyam — this; saṅkhyā — number; yayā — by whom; tattva — of the truth; dṛśā — by knowledge; apanīyate — is extracted; tasmai — unto Him; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; sāṅkhya-nidarśanāya — who is the revealer of this numerical knowledge; te — unto You; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

O my Lord, Your name, form and bodily features are expanded in countless forms. No one can determine exactly how many forms exist, yet You Yourself, in Your incarnation as the learned scholar Kapiladeva, have analyzed the cosmic manifestation as containing twenty-four elements. Therefore if one is interested in Sāṅkhya philosophy, by which one can enumerate the different truths, he must hear it from You. Unfortunately, nondevotees simply count the different elements and remain ignorant of Your actual form. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.34

uttareṣu ca kuruṣu bhagavān yajña-puruṣaḥ kṛta-varāha-rūpa āste taṁ tu devī haiṣā bhūḥ saha kurubhir askhalita-bhakti-yogenopadhāvati imāṁ ca paramām upaniṣadam āvartayati.

SYNONYMS

uttareṣu — on the northern side; ca — also; kuruṣu — in the tract of land known as Kuru; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yajña-puruṣaḥ — who accepts all results of sacrifices; kṛta-varāha-rūpaḥ — having accepted the form of a boar; āste — exists eternally; tam — Him; tu — certainly; devī — the goddess; ha — certainly; eṣā — this; bhūḥ — planet earth; saha — along with; kurubhiḥ — the inhabitants of the land known as Kuru; askhalita — unfailing; bhakti-yogena — by devotional service; upadhāvati — worship; imām — this; ca — also; paramām upaniṣadam — the supreme Upaniṣad (the process by which one can approach the Lord); āvartayati — chants again and again for the purpose of practice.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Dear King, the Supreme Lord in His boar incarnation, who accepts all sacrificial offerings, lives in the northern part of Jambūdvīpa. There, in the tract of land known as Uttarakuru-varṣa, mother earth and all the other inhabitants worship Him with unfailing devotional service by repeatedly chanting the following Upaniṣadic mantra.

VERSE 5.18.35

oṁ namo bhagavate mantra-tattva-liṅgāya yajña-kratave mahā-dhvarāvayavāya mahā-puruṣāya namaḥ karma-śuklāya tri-yugāya namas te.

SYNONYMS

om — O Lord; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mantra-tattva-liṅgāya — who is understood in truth by different mantras; yajña — in the form of animal sacrifices; kratave — and animal sacrifice; mahā-dhvara — great sacrifices; avayavāya — whose limbs and bodily parts; mahā-puruṣāya — unto the Supreme Person; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; karma-śuklāya — who purifies the fruitive activities of the living entities; tri-yugāya — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full with six opulences and who appears in three yugas (remaining concealed in the fourth yuga); namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; te — unto You.

TRANSLATION

O Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You as the gigantic person. Simply by chanting mantras, we shall be able to understand You fully. You are yajña [sacrifice], and You are the kratu [ritual]. Therefore all the ritualistic ceremonies of sacrifice are part of Your transcendental body, and You are the only enjoyer of all sacrifices. Your form is composed of transcendental goodness. You are known as tri-yuga because in Kali-yuga You appeared as a concealed incarnation and because You always fully possess the three pairs of opulences.

VERSE 5.18.36

yasya svarūpaṁ kavayo vipaścito
guṇeṣu dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam
mathnanti mathnā manasā didṛkṣavo
gūḍhaṁ kriyārthair nama īritātmane

SYNONYMS

yasya — whose; sva-rūpam — form; kavayaḥ — the greatly learned sages; vipaścitaḥ — expert in ascertaining the Absolute Truth; guṇeṣu — in the material manifestation, consisting of the three modes of nature; dāruṣu — in wood; iva — like; jāta — manifested; vedasam — fire; mathnanti — stir; mathnā — with a piece of wood used for producing fire; manasā — by the mind; didṛkṣavaḥ — who are inquisitive; gūḍham — hidden; kriyā-arthaiḥ — by fruitive activities and their results; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; īrita-ātmane — unto the Lord, who is manifested.

TRANSLATION

By manipulating a fire-generating stick, great saints and sages can bring forth the fire lying dormant within wood. In the same way, O Lord, those expert in understanding the Absolute Truth try to see You in everything — even in their own bodies. Yet you remain concealed. You are not to be understood by indirect processes involving mental or physical activities. Because You are self-manifested, only when You see that a person is wholeheartedly engaged in searching for You do You reveal Yourself. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.37

dravya-kriyā-hetv-ayaneśa-kartṛbhir
māyā-guṇair vastu-nirīkṣitātmane
anvīkṣayāṅgātiśayātma-buddhibhir
nirasta-māyākṛtaye namo namaḥ

SYNONYMS

dravya — by the objects of sense enjoyment; kriyā — the activities of the senses; hetu — the predominating deities of sensory activities; ayana — the body; īśa — the predominating time; kartṛbhiḥ — by false egotism; māyā-guṇaiḥ — by the modes of material nature; vastu — as a fact; nirīkṣita — being observed; ātmane — unto the Supreme Soul; anvīkṣayā — by careful consideration; aṅga — by the limbs of yogic practice; atiśaya-ātma-buddhibhiḥ — by those whose intelligence has become fixed; nirasta — completely freed from; māyā — the illusory energy; ākṛtaye — whose form; namaḥ — all respectful obeisances; namaḥ — respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

The objects of material enjoyment [sound, form, taste, touch and smell], the activities of the senses, the controllers of sensory activities [the demigods], the body, eternal time and egotism are all creations of Your material energy. Those whose intelligence has become fixed by perfect execution of mystic yoga can see that all these elements result from the actions of Your external energy. They can also see Your transcendental form as Supersoul in the background of everything. Therefore I repeatedly offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

VERSE 5.18.38

karoti viśva-sthiti-saṁyamodayaṁ
yasyepsitaṁ nepsitam īkṣitur guṇaiḥ
māyā yathāyo bhramate tad-āśrayaṁ
grāvṇo namas te guṇa-karma-sākṣiṇe

SYNONYMS

karoti — performing; viśva — of the universe; sthiti — the maintenance; saṁyama — winding up; udayam — creation; yasya — of whom; īpsitam — desired; na — not; īpsitam — desired; īkṣituḥ — of the one glancing over; guṇaiḥ — with the modes of material nature; māyā — the material energy; yathā — as much as; ayaḥ — iron; bhramate — moves; tat-āśrayam — placed near that; grāvṇaḥ — a magnetic stone; namaḥ — my respectful obeisances; te — unto You; guṇa-karma-sākṣiṇe — the witness of the actions and reactions of material nature.

TRANSLATION

O Lord, You do not desire the creation, maintenance or annihilation of this material world, but You perform these activities for the conditioned souls by Your creative energy. Exactly as a piece of iron moves under the influence of a lodestone, inert matter moves when You glance over the total material energy.

VERSE 5.18.39

pramathya daityaṁ prativāraṇaṁ mṛdhe
yo māṁ rasāyā jagad-ādi-sūkaraḥ
kṛtvāgra-daṁṣṭre niragād udanvataḥ
krīḍann ivebhaḥ praṇatāsmi taṁ vibhum iti

SYNONYMS

pramathya — after killing; daityam — the demon; prativāraṇam — most formidable opponent; mṛdhe — in the fight; yaḥ — He who; mām — me (the earth); rasāyāḥ — fallen to the bottom of the universe; jagat — in this material world; ādi-sūkaraḥ — the original form of a boar; kṛtvā — keeping it; agra-daṁṣṭre — on the end of the tusk; niragāt — came out of the water; udanvataḥ — from the Garbhodaka Ocean; krīḍan — playing; iva — like; ibhaḥ — elephant; praṇatā asmi — I bow down; tam — to Him; vibhum — the Supreme Lord; iti — thus.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, as the original boar within this universe, You fought and killed the great demon Hiraṇyakṣa. Then You lifted me [the earth] from the Garbhodaka Ocean on the end of Your tusk, exactly as a sporting elephant plucks a lotus flower from the water. I bow down before You.