Shloka 31
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Austerities and Brahmā’s Boons
The Architecture of ‘Conditional Immortality’
त्वमेव कालोऽनिमिषो जनाना- मायुर्लवाद्यवयवै: क्षिणोषि । कूटस्थ आत्मा परमेष्ठ्यजो महां- स्त्वं जीवलोकस्य च जीव आत्मा ॥ ३१ ॥
tvam eva kālo ’nimiṣo janānām āyur lavādy-avayavaiḥ kṣiṇoṣi kūṭa-stha ātmā parameṣṭhy ajo mahāṁs tvaṁ jīva-lokasya ca jīva ātmā
Ô Seigneur, Tu es le Temps toujours éveillé, sans clignement, qui voit tout. Par tes parties—instants, secondes, minutes et heures—Tu consumes la durée de vie de tous les êtres. Pourtant, Tu demeures immuable comme le Paramātmā Kūṭastha, Témoin et Souverain suprême, non né, omniprésent, cause de la vie de tous.
In this verse the word kūṭa-stha is very important. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated everywhere, He is the central unchanging point. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati: the Lord is situated in full in the core of everyone’s heart. As indicated in the Upaniṣads by the word ekatvam, although there are millions and millions of living entities, the Lord is situated as the Supersoul in every one of them. Nonetheless, He is one in many. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam: He has many forms, yet they are advaita — one and unchanging. Since the Lord is all-pervading, He is also situated in eternal time. The living entities are described as parts and parcels of the Lord because He is the life and soul of all living entities, being situated within their hearts as the antaryāmī, as enunciated by the philosophy of inconceivable oneness and difference ( acintya-bhedābheda ). Since the living entities are part of God, they are one in quality with the Lord, yet they are different from Him. The Supersoul, who inspires all living entities to act, is one and changeless. There are varieties of subjects, objects and activities, yet the Lord is one.
FAQs
This verse identifies the Supreme Lord as unblinking Time itself, the force that steadily diminishes everyone’s lifespan moment by moment, showing Time as a direct manifestation of the Lord’s power.
In his prayer, Prahlada glorifies the Lord’s all-pervading nature—He is both the cosmic controller (Time and Mahat) and the indwelling Paramatma—highlighting God’s supremacy beyond material power and fear.
Remembering that time is steadily passing encourages urgency in spiritual practice, detachment from temporary achievements, and a focus on devotion to the indwelling Lord who remains unchanged.