VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 11
Chapter 16
11.16.26
kṣemāṇām abahir-matiḥ
mithunānām ajas tv aham
(26) Of the principles of religion I am renunciation, of all things basic I am the inner awareness, of the secrecy I am the friendliness and the silence, and of the sexual couple I am the Unborn one [the original Prajâpati who is Brahmâ].
One who realizes the eternal soul within no longer fears any material situation and thus is qualified to accept the renounced order of life, sannyāsa. Certainly fear is one of the great miseries of material life; therefore the gift of fearlessness is very valuable and represents Lord Kṛṣṇa. Both in ordinary pleasant speech and silence, very few confidential things are revealed, and thus diplomacy and silence are both aids to secrecy. Lord Brahmā is prominent among sexual pairs because the original beautiful couple, Svāyambhuva Manu and Śatarūpā, emerged from Lord Brahmā's body, as explained in Chapter Twelve of the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
11.16.27
saḿvatsaro 'smy animiṣām
nakṣatrāṇāḿ tathābhijit
(27) Of what's ever wakeful I am the solar year, of the seasons I am the spring, among the months I am Mârgas'îrsha [November-December], and of the lunar mansions [the twenty-seven nakshatras] I am Abhijit.
11.16.28
dhīrāṇāḿ devalo 'sitaḥ
dvaipāyano 'smi vyāsānāḿ
(28) Of the yugas I am Satya-yuga, among the sober ones I am Devala and Asita, of the vedic editors I am Dvaipâyana [Vyâsadeva] and among the scholars learned in spirituality I am S'ukrâcârya.
11.16.29
vāsudevo bhagavatāḿ
(29) Of those entitled to the name Bhagavân [the Supreme Lord] I am Vâsudeva, among My devotees I am indeed you [Uddhava], among the ape-like I am Hanumân, and among the scientists I am Sudars'ana.
The Vedic literatures state that one who possesses perfect knowledge of the creation and destruction of all entities and who is completely situated in omniscience is to be known as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. Although many great personalities are sometimes called Bhagavān, ultimately Bhagavān is the one supreme entity who possesses unlimited opulences. Throughout history, many important personalities have been addressed as "lord," but ultimately there is only one Supreme Lord. In the Lord's catur-vyūha, or quadruple expansion, the first manifestation is Vāsudeva, who here represents all of the Lord's expansions in the viṣṇu-tattva category.
11.16.30
(30) Of the jewels I am the ruby, of all things beautiful I am the lotus cup, of all types of grass I am the kus'a grass and of the oblations I am the ghee of the cow.
Pañca-gavya refers to five sacrificial ingredients obtained from the cow, namely milk, ghee, yogurt, dung and urine. The cow is so valuable that even its dung and urine are antiseptic and fit for sacrificial offering. Kuśa grass is also used for religious occasions. Mahārāja Parīkṣit constructed a sitting place from kuśa grass during the last week of his life. Among beautiful things the lotus cup formed by lotus petals represents Lord Kṛṣṇa, and among jewels the ruby, which is similar to Lord Kṛṣṇa's own Kaustubha gem, symbolizes the potency of the Lord.
11.16.31
titikṣāsmi titikṣūṇāḿ
(31) Of the enterprising I am the fortune, of the cheaters I am the gambling, the forgiveness I am among the tolerant and I am the character of the ones in the mode of goodness.
11.16.32
ojaḥ saho balavatāḿ
(32) The mental and physical strength I am of the strong. Please know that among the devotees I am the [devotional] work done and that among My nine forms [nava mûrti], by which these Sâtvatas are worshiping Me, I am the Supreme Original Form [Vâsudeva].
Generally, the Vaiṣṇavas worship the Personality of Godhead as Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Nārāyaṇa, Hayagrīva, Varāha, Nṛsiḿha and Brahmā. It is understood that when a suitable living entity is not available to fill the post of Brahmā, the Lord Himself assumes the position; therefore Lord Brahmā is mentioned in the list. Lord Viṣṇu sometimes appears as Indra and sometimes as Brahmā, and it is Viṣṇu appearing as Brahmā who is indicated in this connection.
11.16.33
viśvāvasuḥ pūrvacittir
gandharvāpsarasām aham
(33) Among the singers of heaven I am Vis'vâvasu, and among the heavenly dancing girls I am Pûrvacitti. I am the steadiness of the mountains and the aroma of the earth.
11.16.34
(34) I am the fine taste of water and among the things most brilliant I am the sun. The effulgence I am of the moon, the stars and the sun, and I am the transcendental soundvibration in the sky [see also 11.15: 19].
11.16.35
brahmaṇyānāḿ balir ahaḿ
bhūtānāḿ sthitir utpattir
(35) Among the ones devoted to brahminical culture I am Bali, of the heroes I am Arjuna and indeed I am the rising, the stability, and the final mergence of all living beings.
11.16.36
gaty-ukty-utsargopādānam
āsvāda-śruty-avaghrāṇam
ahaḿ sarvendriyendriyam
(36) Of the power of the senses I am the walking, the speech, the evacuation, the handling and the sexual joy [the karmendriyas] as also the touch, the sight, the taste, the hearing and the smell [the jñânendriyas].
11.16.37
(37) All this I enumerated - the subtle form of the earth [smell], of the air [touch], of the sky [sound], of the water [taste], of the fire [light]; the totality of matter, the sixteen elements [those five basic elements, the indriyas and the mind], the person, the unmanifest and the modes of rajas, tamas and sattva - stands together with the spiritual knowledge and the steady conviction [therewith] for My person, I the One Supreme.
11.16.38
mayeśvareṇa jīvena
sarvātmanāpi sarveṇa
(38) I am the Supreme Controller of the living entity, the gunas and the greater reality. I, the Soul of all, am indeed everything, the one outside of whom nothing whatsoever exists.
Without the manifestation of the mahat-tattva, or total material existence, and the jīva, or living entity, nothing can exist within the material world. Everything we experience is a combination of the living entity and matter, in its various subtle and gross categories. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the entire basis of the existence of both the living entity and matter. Nothing can possibly exist even for a moment without the mercy of the Supreme Lord. One should not foolishly conclude that the Lord is therefore material. As has been clearly explained in this canto of the Bhāgavatam, both the living entity and the Supreme Lord are completely transcendental to material nature. The living entity, however, has the propensity to dream that he is material, whereas the Lord constantly remembers the transcendental position of both Himself and the conditioned dreaming entity. As the Lord is transcendental, His abode is also far beyond the reach of the modes of nature. The actual purpose of life is to understand by mature conviction the transcendental Lord, His transcendental abode, our own transcendental position and the process by which we may go back home, back to Godhead.
11.16.39
sańkhyānaḿ paramāṇūnāḿ
na tathā me vibhūtīnāḿ
sṛjato 'ṇḍāni koṭiśaḥ
(39) I might be able to count the atoms after some time but not so My opulences, for I created the universes by the millions [compare 10.14: 7].
11.16.40
tejaḥ śrīḥ kīrtir aiśvaryaḿ
hrīs tyāgaḥ saubhagaḿ bhagaḥ
(40) Whatever power, beauty, fame, dominion [see 11.15], humility, renunciation, enjoyment, fortune, strength, tolerance or wisdom there might be, they are all an integral part of Me.
Although the Lord stated in the previous verse that His opulences are innumerable, the Lord here gives a specific resume and demonstration of His opulences.
11.16.41
yathā vācābhidhīyate
(41) All these spiritual potencies I briefly enumerated to you [see also B.G. 7, 9 and 10] are, with each of them [as expansions of the Lord and as] being put in corresponding words [in the scriptures, in the teachings], likewise there also as transformations of the mind.
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.
11.16.42
(42) Control [for that reason] the mind, control the speech, control your breathing and senses. Control yourself by your soul so that you will never again stumble on the path of material existence.
11.16.43
(43) For sure is someone who with the help of his intelligence is not completely in control of his speech and mind, a transcendentalist whose vows, penance and charity flow away like water from an unbaked pot.
When a clay pot is properly baked it holds any liquid substance without leakage. If a clay pot is not properly baked, however, water or any other liquid within it will seep out and be lost. Similarly, a transcendentalist who does not control his speech and mind will find that his spiritual discipline and austerity gradually seep away and are lost. Dāna, or "charity," refers to work performed for the welfare of others. Those who are trying to give the highest charity by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not engage in speaking cleverly for the satisfaction of beautiful women, nor should they attempt to become artificially intellectual simply for the sake of mundane academic prestige. One should not even think of intimate sexual relationships, nor should one daydream of acquiring a prestigious position. Otherwise, one's determination to strictly practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be lost, as described here. One must control the mind, senses and speech by higher intelligence so that one's life will be successful.
11.16.44
niyacchen mat-parāyaṇaḥ
(44) Therefore the one devoted to Me who fitted in with My bhakti should control his words, life air and mind and thus, with that intelligence, fulfill his life's purpose.'
One can develop loving devotional intelligence by perfectly chanting the Brahma-gāyatrī mantra awarded at the moment of brāhmaṇa initiation. By clear intelligence, one becomes naturally and spontaneously disinterested in the rewards offered by mental speculation and fruitive activities and takes full shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thus end of the Eleventh Canto, Sixteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Lord's Opulence."
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