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TEXT 359
janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat
tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah
tejo-vari-mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mrsa
dhamna svena sada nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi
SYNONYMS
janma-adicreation, maintenance and dissolution; asyaof this (the universe); yatahfrom whom; anvayatdirectly from the spiritual connection; itaratahindirectly from the lack of material contact; caalso; arthesuin all affairs; abhijnahperfectly cognizant; sva-ratindependent; teneimparted; brahmathe Absolute Truth; hrdathrough the heart; yahwho; adi-kavayeunto Lord Brahma; muhyantiare bewildered; yatin whom; surayahgreat personalities like Lord Brahma and other demigods or great brahmanas; tejah-vari-mrdamof fire, water and earth; yathaas; vinimayahthe exchange; yatrain whom; tri-sargahthe material creation of three modes; amrsafactual; dhamnawith the abode; svenaHis own personal; sadaalways; nirasta-kuhakamdevoid of all illusion; satyamthe truth; paramabsolute; dhimahilet us meditate upon.
TRANSLATION
" 'I offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, son of Vasudeva, who is the supreme all-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahma, the first created being. Through Him this world, like a mirage, appears real even to great sages and demigods. Because of Him, the material universes, created by the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I meditate, therefore, upon Him, the Absolute Truth, who is eternally existent in His transcendental abode and who is forever free of illusion.'
PURPORT
This verse, quoted from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1), links Srimad-Bhagavatam with the Vedanta-sutra with the words janmady asya yatah. It is stated that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, is the Absolute Truth beyond the material creation. This has been accepted by all acaryas. Even Sankaracarya, the most elevated impersonalist, says in the beginning of his commentary on Bhagavad-gita: narayanah paro 'vyaktat. When this material creation is not yet manifested from the mahat-tattva, it is called avyakta, and when it is demonstrated from that total energy, it is called vyakta. Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this vyakta-avyakta, manifested and unmanifested material nature. This is the chief qualification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He assumes a particular incarnation. Krsna tells Arjuna that they both took birth many, many times before. Krsna remembers everything about His previous appearances, but Arjuna does not remember. Since Krsna is beyond the cosmic creation, He is in the exalted position of being able to remember everything in the past. Everything within the cosmic creation has a material body, but Krsna, being beyond the material cosmic creation, always has a spiritual body. He imparted Vedic knowledge into the heart of Brahma. Although Brahma is the most important and exalted personality within this universe, he could not remember what he did in his past life. Krsna has to remind him through the heart. When Lord Brahma was thus inspired, he was able to create the entire universe. Remembering everything about the past and inspiring Lord Brahma to create are vivid examples of the characteristics called svarupa-laksana and tatastha-laksana.
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