Here someone may ask: “Without the Lord’s first ordering the illusory potency maya, how is it possible for the material world to be created?”
The author of Brahma-samhita answers this question in this verse. Here the word “sisrksaya” means “with a desire to create”, “tyakta” means “sent for the purpose of creation”, and “kalah” means “He manifests time for this purpose”. The prabhava form of the Lord is thus described in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.26.16):
“The influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is felt in the time factor, which causes fear of death due to the false ego of the deluded soul who has contacted material nature.”
In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.5.26) it is also said:
“The Supreme Living Being in His feature as the transcendental purusa incarnation, who is the Lord’s plenary expansion, impregnates the material nature of three modes and thus by the influence of eternal time the living entities appear.”
Bs 5.8 — [The secondary process of association with Māyā is described.] Ramādevī, the spiritual [cit] potency, beloved consort of the Supreme Lord, is the regulatrix of all entities. The divine plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa creates the mundane world. At creation there appears a divine halo of the nature of His own subjective portion [svāṁśa]. This halo is divine Śambhu, the masculine symbol or manifested emblem of the Supreme Lord. This halo is the dim twilight reflection of the supreme eternal effulgence. This masculine symbol is the subjective portion of divinity who functions as progenitor of the mundane world, subject to the supreme regulatrix [niyati]. The conceiving potency in regard to mundane creation makes her appearance out of the supreme regulatrix. She is Māyā, the limited, nonabsolute [aparā] potency, the symbol of mundane feminine productivity. The intercourse of these two brings forth the faculty of perverted cognition, the reflection of the seed of the procreative desire of the Supreme Lord.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Here someone may ask: “Who is Rama?”
To answer this question the author speaks this half-verse, beginning with the word “niyatih”. “Niyatih” means “the Supreme Lord’s personal potency who acts as a controller”, and “devi” means “the effulgent goddess who appears by her own desire”. She is described in the following words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (12.11.20):
“The goddess of fortune, Shri, who never leaves the Lord’s side, appears with Him in this world as the representation of His internal potency.”
Shrila Shridhara Svami comments on this verse in these words:
“This potency is the constant companion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The reason for this is given in the phrase “saksad atmanah”, which means that because she is personally manifested from the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she is not different from Him.”
Because the word “saksat” is used here, this explanation cannot be taken to describe the external potency Maya, who is described in the following words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.5.13):
“The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position.”
That Rama-devi is the constant companion of the Lord is described in these words of Vishnu Purana:
“Goddess Shri is Lord Vishnu’s constant companion. She is the mother of the universes. O best of brahmanas, as Lord Vishnu is all-pervading, so also is Goddess Shri.”
It is also said:
“As Lord Vishnu, the master of the universes and the supreme controller of the demigods, incarnations in the material world, so also does His constant companion Goddess Shri.”
Here someone may object: is it said somewhere that there is a cause of Siva and Durga?
The answer is that as the universal form is manifested from Lord Vishnu, so also are Siva and Durga. That is confirmed in this verse by the word “tal-lingam”. In the Vishnu Purana it is said:
“The potency of the material world is manifested from a part of a part of a million-millionth part of Lord Vishnu.”
Thus a small part of Lord Vishnu’s spiritual effulgence is manifested as the linga described here. That linga is Sambhu. A specific manifestation of that is called Sambhu. That is the means. This will be further described in text 45 of the Brahma-samhita. The “yoni” or unmanifested maya receives the seed. The word “apara” indicated that the “yoni” is the potency known as “pradhana”. This is the desire (Kamah” of the partial expansion of Lord Hari “hareh”. for the purpose of creation, the Lord desires to glance. That is the meaning. From this comes the seed of the mahat-tattva. This is explained in the following words of the Sruti-sastra:
“The Lord desired: Let there be creation. And then there was creation.”
This is also confirmed in Shrimad-Bhagavatam 3.5.26 (which was quoted at the end of the commentary on text 7).
Bs 5.9 — All offspring of the consort of the great lord [Maheśvara] of this mundane world are of the nature of the embodiment of the mundane masculine and feminine generative organs.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Because He is not different from the Lord, Siva is independent. The word “linga” has the same meaning as in the previous verse. The word “mahesvari” means “of Mahesvari”.
Bs 5.10 — The person embodying the material causal principle, viz., the great lord of this mundane world [Maheśvara] Śamhhu, in the form of the male generating organ, is joined to his female consort the limited energy [Māyā] as the efficient causal principle. The Lord of the world Mahā-Viṣṇu is manifest in him by His subjective portion in the form of His glance.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
The first half of this verse describes the condition where the Lord is not manifested and the second half of the verse describes the condition where the Lord is manifested. The words “linga-rupi”, “saktiman” and “purusah” refer to Lord Siva, who is a partial expansion of the Supreme Lord and who is the creator of the material world.
The words “tasmin” and “linge” mean “in the world of gross and subtle matter”. In that world Lord Vishnu, the origin of the amsa-avataras, became manifest. The word “jagat-patih” means “the master of all living entities, from the highest to the lowest”.
Bs 5.11 — The Lord of the mundane world, Mahā-Viṣṇu, possesses thousands of thousands of heads, eyes, hands. He is the source of thousands of thousands of avatāras in His thousands of thousands of subjective portions. He is the creator of thousands of thousands of individual souls.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this verse the author describes the form of Lord Vishnu. The word “sahasramsah” means “He from whom thousands of amsa-avataras come”, and “sahasra-suh” means “He who creates thousand of individual souls”. The word “sahasra” here means “an unlimited number”. This form of Lord Vishnu is described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.6.42)
“Karanarnavasayi Vishnu is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord.”
Shrila Shridhara Svami comments on this verse:
“Here the Bhuma-purusa, the creator of the material world, is described. The ‘adyo ‘vatarah’ here is the pastime form of the Lord, which is also described in the passage beginning with the words “yasya sahasra-sirsah”.
Bs 5.12 — The same Mahā-Viṣṇu is spoken of by the name of “Nārāyaṇa” in this mundane world. From that eternal person has sprung the vast expanse of water of the spiritual Causal Ocean. The subjective portion of Saṅkarṣaṇa who abides in paravyoma, the above supreme puruṣa with thousands of subjective portions, reposes in the state of divine sleep [yoga-nidrā] in the waters of the spiritual Causal Ocean.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
The first half of this verse describes Lord Karanarnavasaayi Vishnu. The word “apah” means “the Karana ocean is manifested”. The word “sankarsanatmakah” here refers to Lord Narayana. The Sankarsana here is an expansion of the Sankarsana in the Catur-vyha who guard Goloka. That is the proper conclusion. The pastimes of this incarnation are described in the word “yoga-nidram”, which describes His meditative trance of bliss. He is also described in these words of the scriptures:
“The word “nara” means “the water of the Karana Ocean. The living entities are considered children born from that water. The Lord is the resting place (ayana) of that water, and therefore He is known as Narayana.”
Bs 5.13 — The spiritual seeds of Saṅkarṣaṇa existing in the pores of skin of Mahā-Viṣṇu, are born as so many golden sperms. These sperms are covered with five great elements.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this verse the author describes the birth of the material universes from the Lord. The word “tat” here means “of Him”. The seeds from Lord Sankarsana are placed in the womb. As a result the material universes made of gross and subtle matter are manifested from the pores of the skin. Then they are born as so many golden sperms. These sperms are covered with five great material elements. In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.11), Lord Brahma prays to Lord Krishna:
“O Lord, what is Your glory? Unlimited universes pass through the pores of Your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened window.”
In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.11.40-41) it is said:
“This phenomenal world is expanded to a diameter of four billion miles, as a combination of eight material elements transformed into sixteen further categories, within and without, as follows.”
“The layers of elements covering the universes are each ten times thicker than the one before, and all the universes clustered together appear like atoms in a huge combination.”
Bs 5.14 — The same Mahā-Viṣṇu entered into each universe as His own separate subjective portions. The divine portions, that entered into each universe are possessed of His majestic extension, i.e., they are the eternal universal soul Mahā-Viṣṇu, possessing thousands of thousands of heads.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Then, expanding to many separate forms, the Lord enters each universe. That is explained in this verse. The words “ekamsad ekamsad” mean “with many separate subjective portions”.
Bs 5.15 — The same Mahā-Viṣṇu created Viṣṇu from His left limb, Brahmā, the first progenitor of beings, from His right limb and, from the space between His two eyebrows, Śambhu, the divine masculine manifested halo.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
What did the Lord do then? That is described in this verse. Then the form of Vishnu and the other forms of the Lord entered the material universes. In each universe they assumed different roles such as protector, maintainer, and controller. In this way the Lord enters each universe.
The word “prajapatih” here refers to the incarnation of Hiranyagarbha. It does not refer to the four-faced Brahma. That Prajapati creates the different avarana-gata demigods. Vishnu is engaged in the work of maintaining and protecting, and Siva is engaged in the work of destruction. The word “kurca-desat” means “from between the eyebrows”. The places of these are the coverings of water.
Bs 5.16 — The function of Śambhu in relation to jīvas is that this universe enshrining the mundane egotistic principle has originated from Śambhu.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this half verse the author describes another duty performed by Siva. This half verse means, “This universe enshrining the mundane egotistic principle has originated from Sambhu.” This is because Lord Siva is the predominating deity of false-ego.
Bs 5.17 — Thereupon the same great personal Godhead, assuming the threefold forms of Viṣṇu, Prajāpati and Śambhu, entering into the mundane universe, plays the pastimes of preservation, creation and destruction of this world. This pastime is contained in the mundane world. Hence, it being perverted, the Supreme Lord, identical with Mahā-Viṣṇu, prefers to consort with the goddess Yoganidrā, the constituent of His own spiritual [cit] potency full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss appertaining to His own divine personality.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this verse the author describes the Lord’s pastimes when He assumes these different forms and enters the material universes. Here with word “taih” means “with these three Deities, beginning with Lord Vishnu, who enter each material universe”, and “vesaih” means “with forms”. In this way the Lord enjoys pastimes in the material universes. That is the meaning.
The word “bhagavati” here means “an expansion of the previously described goddess Maha-yoganidra”. “Shrir iva sangata” means “because she is full of the ecstatic trance of eternal bliss all the divine goddesses are included within her”. In this way she includes a partial expansion of Goddess Shri, the goddess of fortune. That is the meaning.
Bs 5.18 — When Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk wills to create this universe, a golden lotus springs from His navel-pit. The golden lotus with its stem is the abode of Brahmā representing Brahmaloka or Satyaloka.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Here with word “nalam” means “endowed with a stem”. The abode (loka) here is called “hema-nalinam” (golden lotus) is used because that lotus is the birthplace and home of the demigod Brahma. That is the meaning.
Bs 5.19 — Before their conglomeration the primary elements in their nascent state remained originally separate entities. Nonapplication of the conglomerating process is the cause of their separate existence. Divine Mahā-Viṣṇu, primal Godhead, through association with His own spiritual [cit] potency, moved Māyā and by the application of the conglomerating principle created those different entities in their state of cooperation. And alter that He Himself consorted with Yoganidrā by way of His eternal dalliance with His spiritual [cit] potency.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
With the purpose of awakening the countless spirit souls, Lord Karanarnavasayi Vishnu engages in the acts of creation described in the Third Canto of Shrimad-Bhagavatam. Those acts are also described in these two verses. Here the words “mayaya” means “with His own potency”, and the words “parasparam tattvani yojayan” mean “He engaged them without Himself becoming active”. The word “yoganidram” is used because the Lord accepted her.
Bs 5.20 — By conglomerating all those separate entities He manifested the innumerable mundane universes and Himself entered into the inmost recess of every extended conglomerate [viraḍ-vigraha]. At that time those jīvas who had lain dormant during the cataclysm were awakened.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
This is the third verse in this passage. The word “yojayitva” means “conglomerating them”. Then He was situated in sleep. That is the meaning. The word “guham” refers to His universal form. The word “pratibudhyate” means “He awakened them from the sleep that begun with the destruction of the universe.”
Bs 5.21 — The same jīva is eternal and is for eternity and without a beginning joined to the Supreme Lord by the tie of an eternal kinship. He is transcendental spiritual potency.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this verse the author describes the relationship between the individual spirit soul and the Supreme Lord. The word “nitya” here means “for all time, without either beginning or end“. This means that as the sun and the sunlight have an eternal relationship, so the Supreme Lord and the individual spirit soul also have an eternal relationship. In Shri Narada-pancaratra it is said:
“The individual spirit soul is spiritual and conscious. It lives on the border between the spiritual and material worlds. It can leave that border, enter the material world, and become contaminated by the modes of nature. That is said to be the spirit soul.“[Translation to be verified]
In the Bhagavad-gita (15.7) Lord Krishna declares;
“The living entities in this conditioner world are My parts and parcels and they are eternal.”
The individual spirit soul is an impartial judge, a witness of both the original spiritual world and the reflection that is the material world. In that sense the individual soul is called “prakrti”. This use of the word “prakrti” is seen in these words spoken by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad-gita (7.5):
“There is a superior energy of Mine, which comprises the living entities.”
The eternal relationship between the Supreme Lord and the individual spirit souls is also seen in these words of Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.1) and Svetasvatara Upanisad (4.6):
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual spirit soul are like two friendly birds sitting on the same tree.”
Bs 5.22 — The divine lotus which springs from the navel-pit of Viṣṇu is in every way related by the spiritual tie with all souls and is the origin of four-faced Brahmā versed in the four Vedas.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Because He enters the cave that is the material universe, the Lord becomes the ruler of the individual spirit souls there and because He is the supreme master and enjoyer, he approaches them. That is explained in this verse. As Hiranyagarbha Brahma (the universal form), the Supreme Lord becomes the entire universe.
Bs 5.23 — On coming out of the lotus, Brahmā, being guided by the divine potency tuned his mind to the act of creation under the impulse of previous impressions. But he could see nothing but darkness in every direction.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In this verse the author describes the activities of four-faced Brahma, the demigod. The meaning of the one-and-a-half verses here is clear.
Bs 5.24 — Then the goddess of learning Sarasvatī, the divine consort of the Supreme Lord, said thus to Brahmā who saw nothing but gloom in all directions, “O Brahmā, this mantra, viz., klīṁ kṛṣṇāya govindāya gopī-jana-vallabhāya svāhā, will assuredly fulfill your heart’s desire.“
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Because of his previous worship of the Lord, Brahma attained the Lord’s mercy. that is explained in this verse. The meaning of the one-and-a-half verses here is clear.
Bs 5.25 — “O Brahmā, do thou practice spiritual association by means of this mantra; then all your desires will be fulfilled.”
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
The Lord’s order that Brahma perform austerities is also described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam (2.9.6):
“Brahmaji heard twice from nearby two syllables joined together. One of the syllables was taken from he sixteenth and the other from the twenty-first of the sparsa alphabets, and both joined to become the wealth of the renounced order of life.”
Bs 5.26 — Brahmā, being desirous of satisfying Govinda, practiced the cultural acts for Kṛṣṇa in Goloka, Lord of Śvetadvīpa, for a long time. His meditation ran thus, “There exists a divine lotus of a thousand petals, augmented by millions of filaments, in the transcendental land of Goloka. On its whorl, there exists a great divine throne on which is seated Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the form of eternal effulgence of transcendental bliss, playing on His divine flute resonant with the divine sound, with His lotus mouth. He is worshiped by His amorous milkmaids with their respective subjective portions and extensions and also by His external energy [who stays outside] embodying all mundane qualities.”
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
Desiring to obtain the power to create the material universe, Brahma chanted this mantra, offered prayers, and worshipped Lord Govinda, who stays in the transcendental abode of Gokula. That is explained in these four verses. Here the word “guna-rupinya” means “consisting of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance” and “rupinya” means “having a form”. That the external energy also worships Lord Krishna is described in these words of Shrimad-Bhagavatam:
“Goddess Maya is embarrassed, and worships the Supreme Lord from afar.”
In Shrimad-Bhagavatam it is also said:
“Goddess Maya always presents offerings to the Lord.”
The word “amsah” here means “by their associates. who surround them”.
Bs 5.27 — Then Gāyatrī, mother of the Vedas, being made manifest, i.e. imparted, by the divine sound of the flute of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, entered into the lotus mouth of Brahmā, born from himself, through his eight ear-holes. The lotus-born Brahmā having received the Gāyatrī, sprung from the flute-song of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, attained the status of the twice-born, having been initiated by the supreme primal preceptor, Godhead Himself.
Commentary by Srila Jiva Gosvami
In these two verses is described the second birth of Brahma. He was second-born by spiritual initiation, by hearing the king of mantras. The word “trayi-murtih” is used here because Gayatri is the mother of the Vedas. This is confirmed by the description in the second verse. Here the word “gatih” means “method”, “mukhabjani pravivesa” means “entered the four lotus mouths from the eight ears”. In this way Brahma was initiated by the original spiritual master (adi-guruna), who is Lord Krishna Himself. In this sentence Brahma is in the nominative. He is the subject of the sentence.
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