Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 41
Vibhūti-yoga in the Bhāgavata: The Lord’s Manifest Opulences and the Discipline of Control
एतास्ते कीर्तिता: सर्वा: सङ्क्षेपेण विभूतय: । मनोविकारा एवैते यथा वाचाभिधीयते ॥ ४१ ॥
etās te kīrtitāḥ sarvāḥ saṅkṣepeṇa vibhūtayaḥ mano-vikārā evaite yathā vācābhidhīyate
Semua vibhuti rohani-Ku ini telah Aku jelaskan kepadamu secara ringkas; dan ciri-ciri material ciptaan-Ku yang luar biasa itu juga hanyalah perubahan minda, yang ditakrifkan dengan pelbagai kata mengikut keadaan.
According to Sanskrit grammar, and as confirmed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the words etāḥ and ete describe two distinct sets of the Lord’s opulences. The Lord has described His opulent plenary expansions, such as Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, the Supersoul, etc., and further the Lord has described the outstanding features of the material creation, which are also included among the glories of the Personality of Godhead. The plenary manifestations of the Lord, such as Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, etc., are all eternal, unchanging transcendental features of the Lord and are indicated by the term etāḥ. The extraordinary aspects of material creation, however, are circumstantial and dependent on individual perception, and they are therefore described here by the words mano-vikārā evaite yathā vācābhidhīyate. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that by consistent logical application of synonyms, etāḥ refers to the Lord’s eternal spiritual manifestations, beyond the perception of the material senses, whereas ete refers to those opulences that can be perceived by conditioned souls. He gives the example that the paraphernalia and intimate associates of a king are all considered to be part and parcel of the king and are therefore granted royal status. Similarly, the opulent features of material creation are reflected expansions of the Lord’s personal opulences and thus may be considered nondifferent from Him. One should not, however, wrongly assume that such insignificant material opulences occupy the same status as the Lord’s plenary features as the Personality of Godhead, which are qualitatively and quantitatively equal to the Lord.
FAQs
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa concludes that the vibhūtis He listed are given in brief and, as spoken designations, relate to how the mind and language categorize reality.
After enumerating His opulences and representative manifestations, Kṛṣṇa tells Uddhava that such descriptions are ultimately conveyed through words and mental categories—guiding him beyond conceptual lists toward direct devotional realization of the Lord.
Use sacred descriptions as guidance, but don’t get trapped in labels and arguments; refine the mind through devotion and contemplation so that awareness turns from concepts to lived God-consciousness.