Understanding the first verse of the bhagavatam

 

 

A free translation of the first verse of the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam, according to the commentary of Srila Sridhar Swami.

 

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya [invocation]

 

Translation

oṁ: Auspicious term placed at the beginning of the invocation.

namaḥ: Obeisances to (whom?)

bhagavate: Bhagavān (what’s his name?)

vāsudevāya: named ‘Vāsudeva’.

 

janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ

tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ

tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā

dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi [1.1.1]

 

Translation

 

dhīmahi: We meditate (on what?)

 

satyaṁ param: on the absolute truth (what is that absolute truth?)

 

yataḥ janmādi asya: from whom creation, dissolution etc. of this world (takes place)

 

artheṣu: and in these arthas — matters of creation, dissolution etc., that absolute truth is present (How?)

 

anvayād: through connection (like gold is present in a golden ornament and is the cause of the ornament, similarly the absolute truth is present in this world and is the cause of its creation)

 

ca: and

 

itarataḥ: through dissociation (like gold remains even after the destruction of that ornament, in a dissociated state, similarly the absolute truth remains even after the destruction of this world, dissociated from it. Question: Pradhāna, the sum totality of all material elements in the universe fits these two descriptions. Is pradhāna your absolute truth?)

 

abhijñaḥ: No, the absolute truth is omniscient unlike pradhāna, which lacks omniscience.

(Question: Some say that the liberated omniscient living entity is the cause of this world and is simultaneously dissociated from it. Is that liberated living entity the absolute truth on which you meditate?)

 

svarāṭ: No, the absolute truth is fully independent unlike the living entities, who are never independent. (Any other characteristics of that absolute truth?)

 

tene: it is he who manifested and expanded

 

brahma: the Vedas

 

ādi-kavaye: to Sri Brahma — the original philosopher of this universe (how did he expand the Vedas?)

 

hṛdā: through the medium of the heart (Question: Is it not possible that Sri Brahma got this knowledge in his heart by his own endeavor?)

 

yat sūrayaḥ muhyanti: No, in regard to attaining this knowledge by their own endeavors, even the great souls such as Sri Brahma get deluded and confused. (Question: Any other characteristics of that absolute truth?)

 

yatra: due to that absolute truth

 

tri-sargaḥ: this material world created out of the three modes of nature appears to be true  

 

mṛṣā: although ultimately its not (Question: Can you explain this non-reality of the material world through an example?)

 

yathā tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ: Just like sunlight reflecting in a mirror or like the watery effect seen in heat waves appears to be true although it is ultimately illusory (in other words, just like the sunlight reflecting in a mirror appears to be true, but it is only a temporary effect dependent on the original source — Sun; and just like water seen in heat waves is a temporary phenomenon dependent on the original cause — heat, similarly this world is a temporary phenomenon dependent on the original cause — the absolute truth).

(Question: The absolute truth causes this temporary yet ultimately illusory world to appear true. Does the absolute truth ever get affected itself by such illusion?)

 

sadā: No, it always exists in a state where it has

 

nirasta-kuhakam: subdued all illusion (How does it do that?)

 

dhāmnā: by its divine potencies.

 

(We meditate on that absolute truth — Bhagavān Sri Krishna).

Note: You can listen to a recording of a recitation of this verse at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfUaFIxxdY8