SB 10.20.4 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

सान्द्रनीलाम्बुदैर्व्योम सविद्युत्स्तनयित्नुभि: । अस्पष्टज्योतिराच्छन्नं ब्रह्मेव सगुणं बभौ ॥ ४ ॥

Verse text

sāndra-nīlāmbudair vyoma sa-vidyut-stanayitnubhiḥ aspaṣṭa-jyotir ācchannaṁ brahmeva sa-guṇaṁ babhau

Synonyms

sāndra — dense ; nīla — blue ; ambudaiḥ — by the clouds ; vyoma — the sky ; sa — vidyut — along with lightning ; stanayitnubhiḥ — and thunder ; aspaṣṭa — diffuse ; jyotiḥ — its illumination ; ācchannam — covered ; brahma — the spirit soul ; iva — as if ; sa — guṇam — with the material qualities of nature ; babhau — was manifest .

Translation

The sky was then covered by dense blue clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thus the sky and its natural illumination were covered in the same way that the spirit soul is covered by the three modes of material nature.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The sky was then covered by dense blue clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder. Thus the sky and its natural illumination were covered in the same way that the spirit soul is covered by the three modes of material nature. KB 10.20.4 The symptoms of the rainy season may be compared to the symptoms of the living entities who are covered by the three modes of material nature. The unlimited sky is like the Supreme Brahman, and the tiny living entities are like the covered sky, or Brahman covered by the three modes of material nature. Originally, everyone is part and parcel of Brahman. The Supreme Brahman, or the unlimited sky, can never be covered by a cloud, but a portion of it can be covered. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they are only an insignificant portion of the Supreme Lord. This portion is covered by the modes of material nature, and therefore the living entities are residing within this material world. The brahma-jyoti—spiritual effulgence—is just like the sunshine; as the sunshine is full of molecular shining particles, so the brahma-jyoti is full of minute portions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of that unlimited expansion of minute portions of the Supreme Lord, some are covered by the influence of material nature, whereas others are free.

Purport

Lightning is compared to the mode of goodness, thunder to the mode of passion, and clouds to the mode of ignorance. Thus the cloudy sky at the onset of the rainy season is analogous to the pure spirit soul when he becomes disturbed by the modes of nature, for at that time he is covered and his original brilliant nature is only dimly reflected through the haze of the material qualities.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

When the sky became covered with dense clouds mixed with thunder and lightning during the rains, it was like Brahman covered by the material gunas. Brahma here indicates the soul of the whole universe (ksirodasayi). The clouds with thunder and lightning are compared to the three gunas-sattva, raja and tama. In its natural state the sky is without contamination, uncovered, in which the clouds become situated. Thus the sky is like the Lord. This Brahman is suitable for the yogis as their worshippable object.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The sun and moon shone weakly in the sky. This indicates that they did not appear self-illuminating—because of the dark, dense clouds, which were accompanied by lightning and thunder. This was like the jīva (an aṁśa of Brahman) whose svarūpa’s effulgence is covered by sattva, rajas and tamas and their effects. Sattva, rajas and tamas represent lightning, thunder and clouds.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Covered by dense blue clouds, the light or the sunshine was not bright (aspaṣṭa-jyotiḥ). Covered by activities of ignorance, like the dark clouds, the jīva shows only a little knowledge etc.