Canto
3
Chapter 6: The Generating of the Universal Form
(1) The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord came to know that in the progress of the universal creations His own potency was in suspension because of their lack of order. [see 3.5.: 24] (2) At that time the supremely powerful potency all at once entered the twenty three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4: 23] and was known as Kâlî, the goddess of destruction. (3) That entering later on of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kâlî, separately engaged all the living beings in work awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma. (4) Induced by the combination of the twenty-three principal ingredients the will of the Supreme thus awakened the activities by His personal plenary expansion of the Universal Form. (5) The Lord entering by a plenary portion of His own self [Kâlî] all the elements of creation, transformed that way into the forms that He came to in combination, in which all the moveable and immovable [of the creations] of the worlds finds its peace. (6) He, this Vishnu Hiranmaya, the original person, so spread Himself for a thousand celestial years [one such year is a 360 years to man] within the world residing in the water with all that was of His goodness.(7) From the active soul full of potency that totality of the living energy of the gigantic form was sure to divide the divine self relative to itself as the oneness that relates to the three- and tenfold. (8) This certainly unlimited of the living entities their souls that are part of the Supersoul, is the first incarnation whereupon the aggregate of all those beings flourishes.
(9) The gigantic form in three refers to the foundation of the self [of timespace, âdhyâtma], the foundation of the divinity [or the lotus of creation, the âdhidaiva], and the foundation of the world and its beings [the âdhibhûta], the tenfold refers to the [organs of the] lifeforce [or prâna: hands, feet, anus, the genitals, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin, mouth; brahma sûtra 2.4: 5-6], and the being one refers to the heart. (10) The remembrance of the entrusted beings of the Lord who prayed for Him as the Transcendence thus considered of the gigantic form the splendor that was there for their understanding. (11) Now listen to my description for you of how many embodiments of demigods therefore there were as the separated parts in this contemplation of His.
(12) From the mouth of His fire [Agni] thus were separated the local directors of material life and in their relating to the ideas of their own department the speech originated by which they express themselves. (13) Varuna, the godly one controlling the air separated himself as the palate from these worldly directors and entered of the Lord [His potency] the portion of the tongue and gave the living entity the expression in taste. (14) The two As'vinî Kumâras were separated as the two nostrils of Vishnu and by entering that position the respective experience of odors thereupon came into being [see also 2.1: 29 and 2.5: 30]. (15) As His eyes, the sun, the local ruler of light entered the gigantic of which to the forms the experience of the part of the eyesight came into being. (16) The skin separated of the gigantic form, as the local ruler of the air [Anila] and so entered as the part of the breathing of which the living entity is able to experience touch. (17) From the ears of the gigantic form then were separated the controllers to the original directions that entered with the principles of hearing by which the perfection of sound is experienced. (18) With the separate manifestation of the skin of the universal form the rulers of sensation and their departments entered of which by the hairs on the body [or the vegetation] the living entity experiences itching. (19) When the genitals of the gigantic form were being separated the first One [Brahmâ, the Prajâpati] came to his position and thus the part of the semen entered existence by which the beings experience the pleasure [of sex]. (20) The evacuation outlet separately manifested by which its local ruler with the name of Mitra entered with the part of the evacuation process [death] and thereof the living entity performs his passing of excrements. (21) To the separate manifestation of the hands of the gigantic form, Indra the ruler of the authentic [of heaven] came in existence with the part of the mercantile principles of which the living entity is transacting his business. (22) With the legs of the form that then came separately into being, the local rule of Vishnu entered with his own part of the power of movement by which the living being moves towards its destination. (23) With the intelligence of the universal separating itself, the Lord of the spoken word [the Veda] came into being as the controlling power that entered as that part of the intelligence by which the experience of understanding things could be realized. (24) Also the heart of the Universal Being was manifested separately as Candra, the rule of the moon, which entered as the controlling power over the part of the mental activity by which the living entity decides and transacts. (25) The ego of identifying with the [matter of the] universal form also separately manifested entering the position [as Rudra, Lord S'iva] with the part of the activities by which the living entity undertakes in objective actions. (26) When also the goodness separately manifested itself from the gigantic form, the control over the complete of the energy entered existence as the part of His consciousness by which the living entity cultivates specific knowledge.
(27) Of the head of the Universal Form with the heavenly worlds, the earth worlds as His legs and the interest of the sky from His abdomen, the reactions to the three modes came about by which the demigods and others manifest themselves. (28) In the excess of the mode of goodness the godly have been situated in the higher places whereas all those human beings who live by the nature of their passion are subordinated to them on earth. (29) All those who, in the excess to the third mode, of the nature [of slowness] are situated in between the two [of heaven and earth], belong by the sky of His navel to the population as associates of Rudra.
(30) The leaders to the vedic wisdom, which generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, o chief of the Kuru-dynasty, in their inclination towards the orders of society [the vocations] became the so-called brahmins, the recognized teachers or spiritual spokesmen. (31) Those who then manifested from the arms [of the gigantic form] were the followers [of the brahmins] in relation to the power of protection [the kshatriyas or rulers] who, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, deliver the other occupations from the mischief of disturbing societal elements. (32) From His thighs the Almighty, for the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, generated the mercantile community [the vais'yas] whose occupation it is to take charge of provisioning all men. (33) For perfecting the duties from the legs of the Supreme Lord was manifested the service to which the prime interest of the occupation of the laborers [s'ûdras] was generated by which the Lord is satisfied. (34) All these orders of society to the individual duties worship with the teachers themselves the Lord by whom, with faith and devotion, a soul along with its occupational duty gets purified.
(35) Who can estimate, o Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating Self of the Supreme Lord that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency]? (36) Therefore do I, despite of this fact, describe, o brother, the intelligence as far as gathered from hearing about the glories of the Lord in talks of purity, otherwise the mind will turn to the untrue. (37) The Incomparable One is won by discussions about the Supreme Person His famous activities, which in their glorification are said to be as nectarine transcendence to the ear and which, being put in writing by the learned, also serve the real purpose of bringing one nearer. (38) The glories of the Supreme Soul were by the original poet [Brahmâ], my dear son, after a thousand celestial years known by an intelligence matured in meditation. (39) Therefore is that which is even for the manipulative an enchanting godly potency, also by the self-sufficient soul not known; and what to say of others? (40) Of whom we, unable to measure, have ceased to try with words and the mind, ego and all these other gods; Him, the Supreme Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances.'
Second edition, loaded 19 May, 2006.
Source texts:
Creation of the Universal Form
The wise [Maitreya] said: 'Thus the Lord came to know that in the progress of the universal creations His own potency was in suspension because of their lack of order. [see 5.24]The Rishi Maitreya said: The Lord thus heard about the suspension of the progressive creative functions of the universe due to the noncombination of His potencies, such as the mahat-tattva. (Vedabase)
At that time the supremely powerful potency all at once entered the twenty three elements [the five elements and their qualities, the five organs of action and the senses and the three forms of individual consciousness: mind, intelligence and ego; compare 2.4: 23] and was known as Kâlî, the goddess of destruction.
The Supreme Powerful Lord then simultaneously entered into the twenty-three elements with the goddess Kâli, His external energy, who alone amalgamates all the different elements. (Vedabase)
That entering later on of the Supreme Lord in the form of the force of matter, Kâlî, separately engaged all the living beings in work awakening them from their unconscious state to their karma.
Thus when the Personality of Godhead entered into the elements by His energy, all the living entities were enlivened into different activities, just as one is engaged in his work after awakening from sleep. (Vedabase)
Induced by the combination of the twenty-three principal ingredients the will of the Supreme thus awakened the activities by His personal plenary expansion of the Universal Form.
When the twenty-three principal elements were set in action by the will of the Supreme, the gigantic universal form, or the vis'varûpa body of the Lord, came into existence. (Vedabase)
The Lord entering by a plenary portion of His own self [Kâlî] all the elements of creation, transformed that way into the forms that He came to in combination, in which all the moveable and immovable [of the creations] of the worlds finds its peace.
As the Lord, in His plenary portion, entered into the elements of the universal creation, they transformed into the gigantic form in which all the planetary systems and all movable and immovable creations rest. (Vedabase)
He, this Vishnu Hiranmaya, the original person, so spread Himself for a thousand celestial years [1 celestial year or year of the gods is 365 earthly years; a day for a year] within the world residing in the water with all that was of His goodness.
The gigantic virâth-purusha, known as Hiranmaya, lived for one thousand celestial years on the water of the universe, and all the living entities lay with Him. (Vedabase)
From the active soul full of potency that totality of the living energy of the gigantic form was sure to divide the divine self relative to itself as the oneness that relates to the three- and tenfold.
The total energy of the mahat-tattvam, in the form of the gigantic virâth-rûpa, divided Himself by Himself into the consciousness of the living entities, the life of activity, and self-identification, which are subdivided into one, ten and three respectively. (Vedabase)
This certainly unlimited of the living entities their souls that are part of the Supersoul, is the first incarnation whereupon the aggregate of all those beings flourishes.
The gigantic universal form of the Supreme Lord is the first incarnation and plenary portion of the Supersoul. He is the Self of an unlimited number of living entities, and in Him rests the aggregate creation, which thus flourishes. (Vedabase)
The gigantic form in three refers to the foundation of the self [of timespace, âdhyâtma], the foundation of the divinity [or the lotus of creation, the âdhidaiva], and the foundation of the world and its beings [the âdhibhûta], the tenfold refers to the [organs of the] lifeforce [or prâna: hands, feet, anus, the genitals, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin, mouth; brahma sûtra 2.4: 5-6], and the being one refers to the heart.
The gigantic universal form is represented by three, ten and one in the sense that He is the body and the mind and the senses. He is the dynamic force for all movements by ten kinds of life energy, and He is the one heart where life energy is generated. (Vedabase)
The remembrance of the entrusted beings of the Lord who prayed for Him as the Transcendence thus considered of the gigantic form the splendor that was there for their understanding.
The Supreme Lord is the Supersoul of all the demigods entrusted with the task of constructing the cosmic manifestation. Being thus prayed to [by the demigods], He thought to Himself and thus manifested the gigantic form for their understanding. (Vedabase)
Now listen to my description for you of how many embodiments of demigods therefore there were as the separated parts in this contemplation of His.
Maitreya said: You may now hear from me how the Supreme Lord separated Himself into the diverse forms of the demigods after the manifestation of the gigantic universal form. (Vedabase)
From the mouth of His fire [Agni] thus were separated the local directors of material life and in their relating to the ideas of their own department the speech originated by which they express themselves.
Agni, or heat, separated from His mouth, and all the directors of material affairs entered into it in their respective positions. By that energy the living entity expresses himself in words. (Vedabase)
Varuna, the godly one controlling the air separated himself as the palate from these worldly directors and entered of the Lord [His potency] the portion of the tongue and gave the living entity the expression in taste.
When the palate of the gigantic form was separately manifested, Varuna, the director of air in the planetary systems, entered therein, and thus the living entity has the facility to taste everything with his tongue. (Vedabase)
The two As'vinî Kumâras were separated as the two nostrils of Vishnu and by entering that position the respective experience for odors thereupon came into being [see also 2.1: 29. and 2.5: 30].
When the Lord's two nostrils separately manifested themselves, the dual As'vinî-kumâras entered them in their proper positions, and because of this the living entities can smell the aroma of everything. (Vedabase)
As His eyes, the sun, the local ruler of light entered the gigantic of which to the forms the experience of the part of the eyesight came into being.
Thereafter, the two eyes of the gigantic form of the Lord were separately manifested. The sun, the director of light, entered them with the partial representation of eyesight, and thus the living entities can have vision of forms. (Vedabase)
The skin separated of the gigantic form, as the local ruler in the air [Anila, the Vasu of the wind] and so entered as the part of the breathing of which the living entity is able to experience touch.
When there was a manifestation of skin separated from the gigantic form, Anila, the deity directing the wind, entered with partial touch, and thus the living entities can realize tactile knowledge. (Vedabase)
From the ears of the gigantic form then were separated the controllers to the original directions that entered with the principles of hearing by which the perfection of sound is experienced.
When the ears of the gigantic form became manifested, all the controlling deities of the directions entered into them with the hearing principles, by which all the living entities hear and take advantage of sound. (Vedabase)
With the separate manifestation of the skin of the universal form the rulers of sensation and their departments entered of which by the hairs on the body [or the vegetation] the living entity experiences itching.
When there was a separate manifestation of skin, the controlling deities of sensations and their different parts entered into it, and thus the living entities feel itching and happiness due to touch. (Vedabase)
When the genitals of the gigantic form were being separated the first One [Brahmâ, the Prajâpati] came to his position and thus the part of the semen entered existence by which the beings experience the pleasure [of sex].
When the genitals of the gigantic form separately became manifest, then Prajâpati, the original living creature, entered into them with his partial semen, and thus the living entities can enjoy sex pleasure. (Vedabase)
The evacuation outlet separately manifested by which its local ruler with the name of Mitra entered with the part of the evacuation process [death] and thereof the living entity performs his passing of excrements.
The evacuating channel separately became manifest, and the director named Mitra entered into it with partial organs of evacuation. Thus the living entities are able to pass stool and urine. (Vedabase)
To the separate manifestation of the hands of the gigantic form, Indra the ruler of the authentic [of heaven] came in existence with the part of the mercantile principles of which the living entity is transacting his business.
Thereafter, when the hands of the gigantic form separately became manifested, Indra, the ruler of the heavenly planets, entered into them, and thus the living entity is able to transact business for his livelihood. (Vedabase)
With the legs of the form that then came separately into being, the local rule of Vishnu entered with his own part of the power of movement by which the living being moves towards its destination.
Thereafter the legs of the gigantic form separately became manifest, and the demigod named Visnu [not the Personality of Godhead] entered with partial movement. This helps the living entity move to his destination. (Vedabase)
With the intelligence of the universal separating itself, the Lord of the spoken word [the Veda] came into being as the controlling power that entered as that part of the intelligence by which the experience of understanding things could be realized.
When the intelligence of the gigantic form separately became manifest, Brahmâ, the lord of the Vedas, entered into it with the partial power of understanding, and thus an object of understanding is experienced by the living entities. (Vedabase)
Also the heart of the Universal Being was manifested separately as Candra, the rule of the moon, which entered as the controlling power over the part of the mental activity by which the living entity decides and transacts.
After that, the heart of the gigantic form separately manifested itself, and into it entered the moon demigod with partial mental activity. Thus the living entity can conduct his mental speculations. (Vedabase)
The ego of identifying with the [matter of the] universal form also separately manifested entering the position [as Rudra, Lord S'iva] with the part of the activities by which the living entity undertakes in objective actions.
Thereafter the materialistic ego of the gigantic form separately manifested itself, and into it entered Rudra, the controller of false ego, with his own partial activities, by which the living entity transacts his objective actions. (Vedabase)
When also the goodness separately manifested itself from the gigantic form, the control over the complete of the energy entered existence as the part of His consciousness by which the living entity cultivates specific knowledge.
Therefore, when His consciousness separately manifested itself, the total energy, mahat-tattva, entered with His conscious part. Thus the living entity is able to conceive specific knowledge. (Vedabase)
Of the head of the Universal Form with the heavenly planets, the earth planets as His legs and the interest of the sky from His abdomen the reactions to the three modes came about by which the demigods and others manifest themselves.
Thereafter, from the head of the gigantic form, the heavenly planets were manifested, and from His legs the earthly planets and from His abdomen the sky separately manifested themselves. Within them the demigods and others also were manifested in terms of the modes of material nature. (Vedabase)
In the excess of the mode of goodness the godly have been situated in the higher places whereas all those human beings who live by the nature of their passion are subordinated to them on earth.
The demigods, qualified by the superexcellent quality of the mode of goodness, are situated in the heavenly planets, whereas the human being, because of their nature in the mode of passion, live on the earth in company with their subordinates. (Vedabase)
All those who, in the excess to the third mode, of the nature [of slowness] are situated in between the two [of heaven and earth], belong by the sky of His navel to the population as associates of Rudra.
Living entities who are associates of Rudra develop in the third mode of material nature, or ignorance. They are situated in the sky between the earthly planets and the heavenly planets. (Vedabase)
The leaders to the vedic wisdom, which generated from the mouth of the Universal Form, o chief of the Kuru-dynasty, in their inclination towards the orders of society [the vocations] became the so-called brahmins, the recognized teachers or spiritual spokesmen.
O chief of the Kuru dynasty, the Vedic wisdom became manifested from the mouth of the virâth, the gigantic form. Those who are inclined to this Vedic knowledge are called brâhmanas, and they are the natural teachers and spiritual masters of all the orders of society. (Vedabase)
Those who then manifested from the arms [of the gigantic form] were the followers [of the brahmins] in relation to the power of protection [the kshatriyas or rulers] who, as representatives of the Supreme Personality, deliver the other occupations from the mischief of disturbing societal elements.
Thereafter the power of protection was generated from the arms of the gigantic virâth form, and in relation to such power the kshatriyas also came into existence by following the kshatriya principle of protecting society from the disturbance of thieves and miscreants. (Vedabase)
From His thighs the Almighty, for the production and distribution of the means of livelihood, generated the mercantile community [the vais'yas] whose occupation it is to take charge of provisioning all men.
The means of livelihood of all persons, namely production of grains and their distribution to the prajâs, was generated from the thighs of the Lord's gigantic form. The mercantile men who take charge of such execution are called vais'yas. (Vedabase)
For perfecting the duties from the legs of the Supreme Lord was manifested the service to which the prime interest of the occupation of the laborers [s'ûdras] was generated by which the Lord is satisfied.
Thereafter, service was manifested from the legs of the Personality of Godhead for the sake of perfecting the religious function. Situated on the legs are the s'ûdras, who satisfy the Lord by service. (Vedabase)
All these orders of society to the individual duties worship with the teachers themselves the Lord by whom, with faith and devotion, a soul along with its occupational duty gets purified.
All these different social divisions are born, with their occupational duties and living conditions, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus for unconditional life and self-realization one has to worship the Supreme Lord under the direction of the spiritual master. (Vedabase)
Who can estimate, o Vidura, the totality of this form of the divine operating Self of the Supreme Lord, that manifested by the strength of the deluding material oneness [of His internal potency]?
O Vidura, who can estimate or measure the transcendental time, work and potency of the gigantic form manifested by the internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? (Vedabase)
Therefore do I, despite of this fact, describe, o brother, the intelligence as far as gathered from hearing about the glories of the Lord in talks of purity, otherwise the mind will turn to the untrue.
In spite of my inability, whatever I have been able to hear [from the spiritual master] and whatever I could assimilate I am now describing in glorification of the Lord by pure speech, for otherwise my power of speaking would remain unchaste. (Vedabase)
The Incomparable One is won by discussions about the Supreme Person His famous activities, which in their glorification are said to be as nectarine transcendence to the ear and which, being put in writing by the learned, also serve the real purpose of bringing one nearer.
The highest perfectional gain of humanity is to engage in discussions of the activities and glories of the Pious Actor. Such activities are so nicely arranged in writing by the greatly learned sages that the actual purpose of the ear is served just by being near them. (Vedabase)
The glories of the Supreme Soul were by the original poet [Brahmâ], my dear son, after a thousand celestial years known by an intelligence matured in meditation.
O my son, the original poet, Brahmâ, after mature meditation for one thousand celestial years, could know only that the glories of the Supreme Soul are inconceivable. (Vedabase)
Therefore is that which is even for the manipulative an enchanting godly potency, also by the self-sufficient soul not known; and what to say of others?
The wonderful potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is bewildering even to the jugglers. That potential power is unknown even to the self-sufficient Lord, so it is certainly unknown to others. (Vedabase)
Of whom we, unable to measure, have ceased to try with words and the mind, ego and all these other gods; Him, the Supreme Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances.
Words, mind and ego, with their respective controlling demigods, have failed to achieve success in knowing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, we simply have to offer our respectful obeisances unto Him as a matter of sanity. (Vedabase)
For
this original translation a one-volume printed copy
has been used with an extensive commentary.
ISBN: o-91277-27-7
See the
Srîmad Bhâgavatam
links-page
for this and more books of Prabhupâda.
Production: Filognostic
Association
of The
Order of Time
Feed-back | Links | Downloads | Music | Pictures | What's New | Search | Donations
Text
1
