Chapter 8. Attaining
the Supreme
TEXT 4
adhibhutam ksaro bhavah
purusas cadhidaivatam
adhiyajno 'ham evatra
dehe deha-bhrtam vara
SYNONYMS
adhibhutam--the
physical manifestation; ksarah--constantly changing; bhavah--nature;
purusah--the universal form; ca--and; adhidaivatam--including
all demigods like the sun and moon; adhiyajnah--the Supersoul; aham--I
(Krsna); eva--certainly; atra--in this; dehe--body;
deha-bhrtam--of the embodied; vara--the Supreme.
TRANSLATION
Physical
nature is known to be endlessly mutable. The universe is the cosmic form
of the Supreme Lord, and I am that Lord represented as the Supersoul, dwelling
in the heart of every embodied being.
PURPORT
The physical
nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through six
stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce
some by-products, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This physical nature
is called adhibhuta. Because it is created at a certain point and
will be annihilated at a certain point, the conception of the universal
form of the Supreme Lord that includes all the demigods and their different
planets is called adhidaivata. The individual soul (jiva)
accompanies the body. The Supersoul, a plenary representation of Lord Krsna,
is called the Paramatma or adhiyajna and is situated in the heart.
The word eva is particularly important in the context of this verse
because by this word the Lord stresses that the Paramatma is not different
from Him. The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seated beside
the individual soul, is the witness of the individual soul's activities
and is the source of consciousness. The Supersoul gives the jiva
an opportunity to act freely, and He witnesses his activities. The functions
of all these different manifestations of the Supreme Lord automatically
become clarified for the pure Krsna conscious devotee engaged in transcendental
service of the Lord. The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata
is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in
His manifestation as Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate
the universal form whose legs are considered the lower planets and whose
eyes are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the
upper planetary system.
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