365bet

Bhagavad-gita (with Vaishnava commentaries)

by Narayana Gosvami | 2013 | 327,105 words

The Bhagavad-gita Verse 13.14, English translation, including the Vaishnava commentaries Sarartha-varsini-tika, Prakashika-vritti and Rasika-ranjana (excerpts). This is verse Verse 13.14 from the chapter 13 called “Prakriti-purusha-vibhaga-yoga (Yoga through Understanding the distinctions between Material Nature and the Enjoyer)�

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.14:

सर्वतः पाणि-पादं तत� सर्वतोऽक्ष�-शिरो-मुखम� �
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल� लोके सर्वम् आवृत्य तिष्ठत� � १४ �

ٲ� ṇi-pāda� tat sarvato'kṣi-śiro-mukham |
ٲ� śrutimal loke sarvam 屹ṛtⲹ پṣṭ󲹳پ
|| 14 ||

ٲ�–eɳ; ṇi–hԻ;–f; tat–H; ٲ�–eɳ; ṣi–His eyes; ś�–h𲹻; mukham–f; ٲ�–eɳ; śܳپ–that person listens; loke–in this world;sarvam 屹ṛtⲹ–pervading everything; پṣṭ󲹳پ–He resides.

His hands and feet are everywhere. His eyes, heads and faces pervade all directions, and He hears everything. Situated thus, brahma pervades the entire universe.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇ� Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla վśٳ 䲹ī Ṭhܰ; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings�)

Will it not contradict the statements of Śܳپ, such as � khalv ida� brahma–all this is brahma� (ԻDzⲹ 貹Ծṣa 3.14.1) and �brahmaiveda� sarvam–eٳ󾱲Բ is brahma�, to say that brahma is distinct from both cause and effect? Anticipating such a question, Śrī 󲹲 is explaining that although by nature brahma is beyond both cause and effect, at the same time, brahma is also both the cause and the effect, because there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Therefore, He is saying that His hands, feet, etc., are everywhere, which means that brahma has unlimited hands and feet–in the form of the hands and feet of every visible entity, extending from Lord down to a minute ant. Thus His eyes, heads, mouths and ears are everywhere.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇ� Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta ⲹṇa ҴDz峾ī ѲᲹ; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named ٳ-ṣiṇ�)

In the previous verse� brahma was described as being beyond cause and effect (sat and asat). Now� the ūٰ from ձԳٲśپ-śپmator abheda�–the energy and the energetic are non-different� can be quoted in response to one who questions the validity of such Śܳپ statements as � khalv ida� brahma and brahmaiveda� sarvam. According to this ūٰ, although the ū貹 of Śrī 󲹲 is beyond both cause and effect, the workings of His potency (śپ) are indeed the work of the potent (śپmān), because there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. One can thus understand that all effects, such as this visible world, are the ū貹 of 󲹲, being non-different from Him and the transformations of His śپ. The present verse is being spoken to make this point clear. Brahma alone exists, pervading everything through the medium of the hands, feet, etc., of all ī, who are subordinate to Him and situated within Him. Since He is all-pervading, He has unlimited hands, eyes, feet and ears. However, the īٳ is not all-pervading, nor does he possess unlimited hands, heads, feet, etc. ʲٳ is omnipotent, but the ī is not.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhܰ quotes ṛṣṇa as saying, “The sun’s rays illuminate due to their dependence on the sun. In the same way, brahma-tattva has attained its infinite and all-pervading aspect because it is dependent on My potency. The existence of brahma, who is the resting place for unlimited ī, beginning from down to the ant, collectively encompasses unlimited hands, feet, eyes, heads, mouths and ears, and is visible everywhere.�

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Help to become even better: