SB 10.46.31 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

एतौ हि विश्वस्य च बीजयोनी रामो मुकुन्द: पुरुष: प्रधानम् । अन्वीय भूतेषु विलक्षणस्य ज्ञानस्य चेशात इमौ पुराणौ ॥ ३१ ॥

Verse text

etau hi viśvasya ca bīja-yonī rāmo mukundaḥ puruṣaḥ pradhānam anvīya bhūteṣu vilakṣaṇasya jṣānasya ceśāta imau purāṇau

Synonyms

etau — these two ; hi — indeed ; viśvasya — of the universe ; ca — and ; bīja — the seed ; yonī — and the womb ; rāmaḥ — Lord Balarāma ; mukundaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa ; puruṣaḥ — the creating Lord ; pradhānam — His creative energy ; anvīya — entering ; bhūteṣu — within all living beings ; vilakṣaṇasya — confused or perceiving ; jṣānasya — knowledge ; ca — and ; īśāte — control ; imau — They ; purāṇau — primeval .

Translation

These two Lords, Mukunda and Balarāma, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the creator and His creative potency. They enter the hearts of living beings and control their conditioned awareness. They are the primeval Supreme.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

These two Lords, Mukunda and Balarāma, are each the seed and womb of the universe, the creator and His creative potency. They enter the hearts of living beings and control their conditioned awareness. They are the primeval Supreme. KB 10.46.31 Uddhava continued: “Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are the original Personalities of Godhead, from whom the cosmic manifestation emanates. They are chief among all personalities. Each of Them is both the material and the efficient cause of this material creation. Material nature is conducted by the puruṣa incarnations, who all act under Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. By Their partial representation They enter the hearts of all living entities. They are the source of all knowledge and all forgetfulness also.” This is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter: “I am present in everyone’s heart, and I cause one to remember and forget. I am the original compiler of the Vedānta, and I am the actual knower of the Vedas.”

Purport

The word vilakṣaṇa means either “distinctly perceiving” or “confused,” depending on how the prefix vi is understood in context. In the case of enlightened souls, vilakṣaṇa means “perceiving the correct distinction between the body and the soul” and thus Lord Kṛṣṇa, as indicated by the word īśāte, guides the spiritually advancing soul. The other meaning of vilakṣaṇa — “confused” or “bewildered” — clearly applies to those who have not understood the difference between the soul and the body, or the distinction between the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. Such bewildered living beings do not go back home, back to Godhead, to the eternal spiritual world, but rather achieve temporary destinations according to the laws of nature. It is understood from all Vaiṣṇava literature that Śrī Rāma, Balarāma, here accompanying Lord Kṛṣṇa, is nondifferent from Him, being His plenary expansion. The Lord is one, yet He expands Himself, and thus Lord Balarāma in no way compromises the principle of monotheism.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In this verse Uddhava explains how Krsna is the Narayana, the guru of everyone. "As the lord and his expansions are non different, Krsna and Balarama (etau) though appearing as two entities, are actually one, as confirmed by Akrura when he said that Krsna, though one form, appears as many. These two persons are the seed and womb of the universe (visvasya bija yoni), the nimitta (indirect cause) and upadana (material cause), they are purusa and pradhana. That is they are saktiman and sakti, which are non different. As bhagavatam says (sb 11.24.19), "The upadana, the purusa and manifesting power of time are my svarupa. They are not different from me." The two enter all jivas as supersoul (anviya), and by their mercy, can give (isate) knowledge of bhagavan to the devotee and impersonal Brahman jnana to the jnani (vilaksanasya jnanasya). As Gita says, "tesam satata yuktanambhagatam prati purvakam dadami buddhi yogam tam yena man upayanti te. " and Bhagavatam also says, "You will realize my impersonal aspect, my mahima, called para brahma, by my mercy. Madiya mahiman ca para brahmeti sabditam" Sb 8.24.38 The word ca indicates that he also gives knowledge of how to attain material svarga and other destinations to those involved in karma.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa alone are the cause of the universe. They enter all beings. The word ca should be placed after mukundaḥ. They control the jīvas’ svarūpa consisting of pure consciousness alone (vilakṣaṇaysa jñānasya). The word ca means “of the jīvas.” The sandhi is poetic license. Use of etau and imau emphasize their unique position. According to Śrīdhara Svāmī purāṇau means anādi, “with no beginning” or “with no cause” but particularly indicates their independence, for the jīvas are also without a beginning. Or Uddhava described that Kṛṣṇa was the shelter of Viṣṇu and the greater that the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. That is reiterated in this verse. Mukunda is one with Balarāma since the aṁśī and the aṁśa are non-different. Both of them, appearing separately, are the cause of the universe and cause of the avatāras (ca). As the cause of the universe they are nimitta and upādana causes (puruṣa and pradhānam). These two in the form of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa are anādi-siddha (purāṇau). They enter into the jīvas, thus seeming to become limited, as antaryāmī, and control the manifestation or non-manifestation of Brahman (vilakṣaṇasya jñānasya). prakṛtir yasyopādānam ādhāraḥ puruṣaḥ paraḥ sato ’bhivyañjakaḥ kālo brahma tat tritayaṁ tv aham Prakrṭi is the material cause, the puruṣa is the foundational cause. Time, the indirect cause, is the agitator of prakṛti. I as Brahman am all three. SB 11.24.19 atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of myself I pervade and support this entire universe. BG 10.42 brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham: I am the basis of Brahman. BG 14.27 madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi By my mercy, you will realize my power known as the impersonal Brahman, which will be disclosed in your heart through questions and answers. SB 8.24.38

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa alone are the cause of the universe. They enter all beings. The word ca should be placed after mukundaḥ. They control the jīvas’ svarūpa consisting of pure consciousness alone (vilakṣaṇaysa jñānasya). The word ca means “of the jīvas.” The sandhi is poetic license. Use of etau and imau emphasize their unique position. Or they enter all jīvas as antaryāmī. They exist as masters of Brahman, the svarūpa of jñaṇa, which is extraordinary (vilakṣanasya) because they are young, though ancient (purāṇau). The two are concentrated Brahman, more astonishing than Brahman.