Shloka 34
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
दुरवबोध इव तवायं विहारयोगो यदशरणोऽशरीर इदमनवेक्षितास्मत्समवाय आत्मनैवाविक्रियमाणेन सगुणमगुण: सृजसि पासि हरसि ॥ ३४ ॥
duravabodha iva tavāyaṁ vihāra-yogo yad aśaraṇo ’śarīra idam anavekṣitāsmat-samavāya ātmanaivāvikriyamāṇena saguṇam aguṇaḥ sṛjasi pāsi harasi.
दुरवबोध इव तवायं विहारयोगः—यदशरणोऽशरीरः सन् अस्मत्समवायमनपेक्ष्य आत्मनैवाविक्रियमाणेन सगुणमगुणः सृजसि पालयसि हरसि च। गुणकर्माभासेऽपि त्वं गुणातीतः; अतस्ते लीलाः सुदुर्विज्ञेयाः॥
The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) says, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always situated in Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is also said, vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya padam ekaṁ na gacchati: Kṛṣṇa never goes even a step from Vṛndāvana. Nevertheless, although Kṛṣṇa is situated in His own abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is simultaneously all-pervading and is therefore present everywhere. This is very difficult for a conditioned soul to understand, but devotees can understand how Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing any changes, can simultaneously be in His abode and be all-pervasive. The demigods are understood to be various limbs of the Supreme Lord’s body, although the Supreme Lord has no material body and does not need anyone’s help. He is spread everywhere ( mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā ). Nevertheless, He is not present everywhere in His spiritual form. According to the Māyāvāda philosophy, the Supreme Truth, being all-pervasive, does not need a transcendental form. The Māyāvādīs suppose that since His form is distributed everywhere, He has no form. This is untrue. The Lord keeps His transcendental form, and at the same time He extends everywhere, in every nook and corner of the material creation.
FAQs
This verse says the Lord is aguṇa (beyond material qualities) yet brings forth, sustains, and dissolves the saguṇa world (the world of guṇas) without Himself undergoing any change.
Vṛtrāsura marvels that the Lord has no material body or dependence, yet still orchestrates cosmic creation, maintenance, and dissolution—actions that appear paradoxical to conditioned minds.
It encourages steadiness: while circumstances transform, one can anchor faith in the unchanging Divine and practice devotion without being overwhelmed by the shifting modes of nature.