Shloka 42
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
अथ भगवंस्तवास्माभिरखिलजगदुत्पत्तिस्थितिलयनिमित्तायमानदिव्यमायाविनोदस्य सकलजीवनिकायानामन्तर्हृदयेषु बहिरपि च ब्रह्मप्रत्यगात्मस्वरूपेण प्रधानरूपेण च यथादेशकालदेहावस्थानविशेषं तदुपादानोपलम्भकतयानुभवत: सर्वप्रत्ययसाक्षिण आकाशशरीरस्य साक्षात्परब्रह्मण: परमात्मन: कियानिह वार्थविशेषो विज्ञापनीय: स्याद्विस्फुलिङ्गादिभिरिव हिरण्यरेतस: ॥ ४२ ॥
atha bhagavaṁs tavāsmābhir akhila-jagad-utpatti-sthiti-laya-nimittāyamāna-divya-māyā-vinodasya sakala-jīva-nikāyānām antar-hṛdayeṣu bahir api ca brahma-pratyag-ātma-svarūpeṇa pradhāna-rūpeṇa ca yathā-deśa-kāla-dehāvasthāna-viśeṣaṁ tad-upādānopalambhakatayānubhavataḥ sarva-pratyaya-sākṣiṇa ākāśa-śarīrasya sākṣāt para-brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ kiyān iha vārtha-viśeṣo vijñāpanīyaḥ syād visphuliṅgādibhir iva hiraṇya-retasaḥ.
ਹੇ ਭਗਵਾਨ! ਜਿਵੇਂ ਅੱਗ ਦੀਆਂ ਛੋਟੀਆਂ ਚਿੰਗਾਰੀਆਂ ਪੂਰੀ ਅੱਗ ਦੇ ਕੰਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ, ਤਿਵੇਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਅੰਸ਼ ਰੂਪ ਅਸੀਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਲੋੜਾਂ ਕੀ ਦੱਸ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਾਂ? ਤੂੰ ਹੀ ਜਗਤ ਦੀ ਉਤਪੱਤੀ, ਸਥਿਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਲਯ ਦਾ ਮੂਲ ਕਾਰਣ ਹੈਂ; ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਦਿਵ੍ਯ ਅਤੇ ਭੌਤਿਕ ਸ਼ਕਤੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਲੀਲਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈਂ। ਤੂੰ ਸਭ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਅੰਤਰਯਾਮੀ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਹਰ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਤੱਤ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈਂ। ਤੂੰ ਪਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ, ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ, ਆਕਾਸ਼ ਵਾਂਗ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਸਾਕਸ਼ੀ—ਤੇਰੇ ਲਈ ਅਣਜਾਣ ਕੀ ਰਹਿ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ?
The Absolute Truth exists in three phases of spiritual understanding — Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān ( brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate ). Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the cause of Brahman and Paramātmā. Brahman, the impersonal Absolute Truth, is all-pervading, and Paramātmā is locally situated in everyone’s heart, but Bhagavān, who is worshipable by the devotees, is the original cause of all causes. A pure devotee is aware that since nothing is unknown to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He need not be informed of a devotee’s conveniences and inconveniences. A pure devotee knows that there is no need to ask the Absolute Truth for any material necessities. Therefore, while informing the Supreme Lord about their distress in being attacked by Vṛtrāsura, the demigods apologized for offering prayers for their safety. A neophyte devotee, of course, approaches the Supreme Lord for relief from distress or poverty, or for speculative knowledge of the Lord. Bhagavad-gītā (7.16) mentions four kinds of pious men who begin devotional service to the Lord — one who is distressed ( ārta ), one in need of money ( arthārthī ), one who is inquisitive ( jijñāsu ) and one who is searching for the Absolute Truth ( jñānī ). A pure devotee, however, knows that since the Lord is omnipresent and omniscient, there is no need to offer prayers or worship Him for one’s personal benefit. A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord without demanding anything. The Lord is present everywhere and knows the necessities of His devotees; consequently there is no need to disturb Him by asking Him for material benefits.
FAQs
This verse describes the Lord as the pratyag-ātman (inner Self) and sarva-pratyaya-sākṣī, the witness of all cognitions, present within the hearts of all beings and also pervading externally.
Because the Lord remains the Supreme Reality, yet by His divine māyā He appears as the cause behind creation, maintenance, and dissolution—an effortless, wondrous manifestation compared to human effort.
Remembering that the Lord is the inner witness helps one detach from changing circumstances of time, place, and bodily condition, and cultivate steadiness, humility, and devotion.