Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 35
Nondual Vision Beyond Praise and Blame
Dvandva-nivṛtti and Ātma-viveka
एष स्वयंज्योतिरजोऽप्रमेयो महानुभूति: सकलानुभूति: । एकोऽद्वितीयो वचसां विरामे येनेषिता वागसवश्चरन्ति ॥ ३५ ॥
eṣa svayaṁ-jyotir ajo ’prameyo mahānubhūtiḥ sakalānubhūtiḥ eko ’dvitīyo vacasāṁ virāme yeneṣitā vāg-asavaś caranti
Der Höchste Herr ist selbstleuchtend, ungeboren und unermesslich. Er ist reines transzendentes Bewusstsein und nimmt alles wahr. Einer ohne Zweiten wird Er erst erkannt, wenn gewöhnliche Worte verstummen. Durch Ihn werden die Kraft der Rede und die Lebenslüfte in Bewegung gesetzt.
The Supreme Lord is self-luminous, self-manifested, whereas the individual living entity is manifested by Him. The Lord is unborn, but the living entity, because of material, designative coverings, takes birth in conditioned life. The Lord is immeasurable, being all-pervasive, whereas the living entity is localized. The Supreme Lord is mahānubhūti, the totality of consciousness, whereas the living entity is a tiny spark of consciousness. The Lord is sakalānubhūti, omniscient, whereas the living entity is aware only of his own limited experience. The Supreme Lord is one, whereas the living entities are innumerable. Considering all these contrasts between the Lord and ourselves, we should not waste time like the foolish material scientists and philosophers, who struggle to find the origin of this world by their insignificant mental speculation and word jugglery. Although one may discover some of the gross laws of material nature through material research, there is no hope of achieving the Absolute Truth by such petty endeavors.
FAQs
This verse states that the Supreme is self-luminous—His existence and consciousness do not depend on anything else, and all experience ultimately rests upon Him.
Kṛṣṇa teaches Uddhava that the Supreme Reality is beyond ordinary verbal description and mental measurement, yet He still governs all functions like speech and the life-airs.
Cultivate humility about what the mind and language can grasp, and practice devotion and meditation to connect with the deeper, guiding consciousness behind all activity.