Shloka 36
Varṣa-devatā Worship in Jambūdvīpa: Hayagrīva/Hayaśīrṣa, Nṛsiṁha, Kāmadeva (Pradyumna), Matsya, Kūrma, and Varāha
यस्य स्वरूपं कवयो विपश्चितो गुणेषु दारुष्विव जातवेदसम् । मथ्नन्ति मथ्ना मनसा दिदृक्षवो गूढं क्रियार्थैर्नम ईरितात्मने ॥ ३६ ॥
yasya svarūpaṁ kavayo vipaścito guṇeṣu dāruṣv iva jāta-vedasam mathnanti mathnā manasā didṛkṣavo gūḍhaṁ kriyārthair nama īritātmane
Seperti api yang tersembunyi dalam kayu dizahirkan dengan menggesek kayu pemantik, demikian para resi yang arif berusaha melihat-Mu dalam segala sesuatu—bahkan dalam tubuh mereka sendiri—dengan mengaduk minda. Namun Engkau tetap tersembunyi; Engkau tidak difahami melalui cara tidak langsung berupa kegiatan mental atau jasmani. Engkau swayaṁ-prakāśa; apabila Engkau melihat seseorang mencari-Mu dengan sepenuh hati, Engkau menyingkapkan diri-Mu. Maka aku menunduk hormat kepada-Mu.
The word kriyārthaiḥ means “by performing ritualistic ceremonies to satisfy the demigods.” The word vipaścitaḥ is explained in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad as follows: satyaṁ jñānam anantaṁ brahma; yo veda nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ parame vyoman; so ’śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaściteti. As Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) , bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me.” When one understands that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart and actually sees the Lord present everywhere, he has perfect knowledge. The word jāta-vedaḥ means “fire which is produced by rubbing wood.” In Vedic times, learned sages could bring forth fire from wood. Jāta-vedaḥ also indicates the fire in the stomach, which digests everything we eat and which produces an appetite. The word gūḍha is explained in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. Eko devaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is understood by chanting the Vedic mantras. Sarva-vyāpī sarva-bhūtāntar-ātmā: He is all-pervading, and He is within the heart of living entities. Karmādhyakṣaḥ sarva-bhūtādhivāsaḥ: He witnesses all activities of the living entity. Sākṣī cetā kevalo nirguṇaś ca: The Supreme Lord is the witness as well as the living force, yet He is transcendental to all material qualities.
FAQs
This verse says the Lord’s true form is sought by wise sages by ‘churning’ the modes within the mind—through inner inquiry and spiritual practice—just as fire is brought out from wood by friction.
To show that the Supreme is present yet concealed; as fire is latent in wood and revealed by proper method, the Lord is revealed when consciousness is purified beyond karma-driven aims.
Reduce action driven only by results, cultivate steady contemplation and devotion, and regularly ‘churn’ the mind through sādhana (japa, study, meditation) to uncover the Divine presence within.