Shloka 16
The Lord’s Advent: Yoga-māyā’s Mission, Saṅkarṣaṇa’s Transfer, and the Demigods’ Prayers
भगवानपि विश्वात्मा भक्तानामभयङ्कर: । आविवेशांशभागेन मन आनकदुन्दुभे: ॥ १६ ॥
bhagavān api viśvātmā bhaktānām abhayaṅkaraḥ āviveśāṁśa-bhāgena mana ānakadundubheḥ
അപ്പോൾ ഭഗവാൻ—സകല ജീവികളുടെയും അന്തര്യാമിയും ഭക്തരുടെ ഭയം അകറ്റുന്നവനും—തന്റെ അംശപ്രഭാവത്തോടെ ആനകദുന്ദുഭി (വസുദേവൻ)ന്റെ മനസ്സിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു।
The word viśvātmā refers to one who is situated in everyone’s heart ( īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati ). Another meaning of viśvātmā is “the only lovable object for everyone.” Because of forgetfulness of this object, people are suffering in this material world, but if one fortunately revives his old consciousness of loving Kṛṣṇa and connects with Viśvātmā, one becomes perfect. The Lord is described in the Third Canto (3.2.15) as follows: parāvareśo mahad-aṁśa-yukto hy ajo ’pi jāto bhagavān. Although unborn, the Lord, the master of everything, appears like a born child by entering the mind of a devotee. The Lord is already there within the mind, and consequently it is not astonishing for Him to appear as if born from a devotee’s body. The word āviveśa signifies that the Lord appeared within the mind of Vasudeva. There was no need for a discharge of semen. That is the opinion of Śrīpāda Śrīdhara Svāmī and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. In the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī says that consciousness was awakened within the mind of Vasudeva. Śrīla Vīrarāghava Ācārya also says that Vasudeva was one of the demigods and that within his mind the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as an awakening of consciousness.
FAQs
This verse calls the Lord “abhayaṅkaraḥ”—the one who removes fear for His devotees—showing that divine shelter is a central fruit of bhakti.
As part of His descent for His birth pastimes, the Lord empowered and guided Vasudeva from within, entering his mind by a partial expansion to arrange the divine līlā.
By remembering that the Lord protects devotees from within and without, one can practice steady nāma-smaraṇa (remembrance of God’s names) and act with faith instead of anxiety.