Supreme Lord and His Supreme Opulences

2019-01-23
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.16.22-24 - Supreme Lord and His Supreme Opulences (download mp3)
by Jayadvaita Swami at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.com



SB 11.16.22
purodhasam vasistho ’ham
 brahmisthanam brhaspatih
skando ’ham sarva-senanyam
 agranyam bhagavan ajah

Translation:
Among priests I am Vasistha Muni, and among those highly situated in Vedic culture I am Brhaspati. I am Kartikeya among great military leaders, and among those advancing in superior ways of life I am the great personality Lord Brahma.

SB 11.16.23
yajñanam brahma-yajño ’ham
 vratanam avihimsanam
vayv-agny-arkambu-vag-atma
 sucinam apy aham sucih

Translation:
Among sacrifices I am study of the Veda, and I am nonviolence among vows. Among all things that purify I am the wind, fire, the sun, water and speech.

SB 11.16.24
yoganam atma-samrodho
 mantro ’smi vijigisatam
anviksiki kausalanam
 vikalpah khyati-vadinam

Translation:
Among the eight progressive states of yoga I am the final stage, samadhi, in which the soul is completely separated from illusion. Among those desiring victory I am prudent political counsel, and among processes of expert discrimination I am the science of the soul, by which one distinguishes spirit from matter. Among all speculative philosophers I am diversity of perception.

Purport:
Any science is based on the faculty of expert discrimination. By skillful definition of isolated and interactive components one becomes expert in any field. Ultimately the most intelligent person can isolate the spirit soul from matter and describe the properties of matter and spirit as both isolated and interactive components of reality. The proliferation of innumerable philosophical speculations is due to differing modes of perception within the material world. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.15), sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jñanam apohanam ca: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart and awards a particular degree of knowledge or ignorance according to one’s desire and merit. Thus the Lord Himself is the basis of the mundane process of philosophical speculation, for He creates differing and alternating modes of perception within the conditioned souls. It is to be understood that one can acquire perfect knowledge only by hearing directly from Lord Krsna and not by hearing from conditioned philosophers who imperfectly perceive the creation of the Lord through the screen of their personal desires.

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