Shloka 42
Brahmā’s Prayers to Lord Nārāyaṇa and the Lord’s Empowering Instructions for Creation
अहमात्मात्मनां धात: प्रेष्ठ: सन् प्रेयसामपि । अतो मयि रतिं कुर्याद्देहादिर्यत्कृते प्रिय: ॥ ४२ ॥
aham ātmātmanāṁ dhātaḥ preṣṭhaḥ san preyasām api ato mayi ratiṁ kuryād dehādir yat-kṛte priyaḥ
ମୁଁ ସମସ୍ତ ଜୀବଙ୍କର ଅନ୍ତର୍ୟାମୀ ପରମାତ୍ମା, ନିୟନ୍ତା ଓ ସର୍ବାଧିକ ପ୍ରିୟ। ଦେହାଦି ପ୍ରତି ଆସକ୍ତି ଭ୍ରମ; ତେଣୁ ମୋତେ ମାତ୍ର ରତି କର।
The Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is the dearest in both the conditioned and liberated states. When a person does not know that the Lord is the only dearmost object, then he is in the conditioned state of life, and when one knows perfectly well that the Lord is the only dearmost object, he is considered to be liberated. There are degrees of knowing one’s relationship with the Lord, depending on the degree of realization as to why the Supreme Lord is the dearmost object of every living being. The real reason is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.7) . Mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ: the living entities are eternally parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The living entity is called the ātmā, and the Lord is called the Paramātmā. The living entity is called Brahman, and the Lord is called the Parabrahman, or the Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. The conditioned souls, who do not have self-realization, accept the material body as the dearmost. The idea of the dearmost is then spread all over the body, both concentrated and extended. The attachment for one’s own body and its extensions like children and relatives is actually developed on the basis of the real living entity. As soon as the real living entity is out of the body, even the body of the most dear son is no longer attractive. Therefore the living spark, or eternal part of the Supreme, is the real basis of affection, and not the body. Because the living entities are also parts of the whole living entity, that supreme living entity is the factual basis of affection for all. One who has forgotten the basic principle of his love for everything has only flickering love because he is in māyā. The more one is affected by the principle of māyā, the more he is detached from the basic principle of love. One cannot factually love anything unless he is fully developed in the loving service of the Lord.
FAQs
This verse says the body and its extensions become dear only because the Supreme Lord is the indwelling Self; without Him, no object could be experienced as lovable.
While empowering Brahmā for creation, the Lord teaches the foundational truth of devotion: real attachment belongs to the Paramātmā, not to temporary bodily identity.
Shift daily “attachment” into devotion—remember God while caring for the body and duties, and reduce identity-based obsession by seeing the Self and the Lord as the real center of love.