SB 10.63.39 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यथैव सूर्य: पिहितश्छायया स्वया छायां च रूपाणि च सञ्चकास्ति । एवं गुणेनापिहितो गुणांस्त्व- मात्मप्रदीपो गुणिनश्च भूमन् ॥ ३९ ॥

Verse text

yathaiva sūryaḥ pihitaś chāyayā svayā chāyāṁ ca rūpāṇi ca saṣcakāsti evaṁ guṇenāpihito guṇāṁs tvam ātma-pradīpo guṇinaś ca bhūman

Synonyms

yathā eva — just as ; sūryaḥ — the sun ; pihitaḥ — covered ; chāyayā — by the shade ; svayā — its own ; chāyām — the shade ; ca — and ; rūpāṇi — visible forms ; ca — also ; saṣcakāsti — illuminates ; evam — similarly ; guṇena — by the material quality (of false ego) ; apihitaḥ — covered ; guṇān — the qualities of matter ; tvam — You ; ātma — pradīpaḥ — self-luminous ; guṇinaḥ — the possessors of these qualities (the living entities) ; ca — and ; bhūman — O almighty one .

Translation

O almighty one, just as the sun, though hidden by a cloud, illuminates the cloud and all other visible forms as well, so You, although hidden by the material qualities, remain self-luminous and thus reveal all those qualities, along with the living entities who possess them.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

O almighty one, just as the sun, though hidden by a cloud, illuminates the cloud and all other visible forms as well, so You, although hidden by the material qualities, remain self-luminous and thus reveal all those qualities, along with the living entities who possess them. KB 10.63.39 “On a cloudy day, to the common man’s eyes the sun appears to be covered. But the fact is that because the sunshine creates the cloud, the sun can never actually be covered, even though the whole sky may be cloudy. Similarly, less intelligent men claim that there is no God, but when the manifestation of different living entities and their activities is visible, enlightened persons see You present in every atom through the medium of Your external and marginal energies. Your unlimitedly potent activities are experienced by the most enlightened devotees, …

Purport

Here Lord Śiva further clarifies the idea expressed in the final two lines of the previous verse. The analogy of the clouds and the sun is appropriate. With its energy the sun creates clouds, which cover our vision of the sun. Yet it is the sun that allows us to see the clouds and all other things as well. Similarly, the Lord expands His illusory potency and thus prevents us from directly seeing Him. Yet it is God alone who reveals to us His covering potency — namely, the material world — and thus the Lord is ātma-pradīpa, “self-luminous.” It is the reality of His existence that makes all things visible.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

An example is given to show how, though the lord is invisible as paramatma, he is revealed through the gunas of maya. The sun, covered by clouds, appears to be covered from the observers point of view, it still reveals the cloud, other clouds, the observers and other objects like pots. Though covered by ahankara (gunena), produced by you, and which covers the jiva who is the observer, you reveal the intelligence, senses, objects etc.(gunan) as well as the jivas (guninah). The paramatma is the revealer (pradipah).

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

O Lord, you are the cause of everything (bhūman). Since you are all ātmās you are indivisible. This verse elaborates on this. Or, “If I am the puruṣas who create, as the instigator of māyā in those forms, I will be touched with fault.” An example is given to remove this doubt. Or, though you are most merciful as the crest jewel for the devotees, you do not spread directly, because of your natural qualities like shyness and courtesy. By gurus, not being visible yourself, you spread your glories. You are the treasure house of all great qualities. This verse is then spoken. Hidden, you reveal yourself completely (sañcakāsti). You are uncovered (apihitaḥ) by the form of guru, by the jīva who is like the ray of the sun, a taṭastha particle (guṇena). You reveal completely your qualities like mercy and, your reveal gurus and others who distribute your qualities like mercy (guṇinaḥ) in order to reveal yourself, There is no other cause for this revelation: you reveal everything by your mercy (ātma-pradīpaḥ). That is the cause. O Lord with continuous glories!

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

The sun, though (eva) covered, illuminates equally clouds and objects. It reveals objects located at a distance, just as it illuminates clouds which are close. The affix saṁ in the verb indicates that though the sun is covered by a cloud it still spreads its light to make objects completely visible. That applies to the Lord as well, the object of comparison. The Lord, though covered by ahaṅkāra, is ahaṅkāra’s cause and reveals clearly qualities and the possessor of qualities. Apihitaḥ means covered. Though the jīva is covered by ahaṅkāra and Paramātmā is not covered, the jīva cannot realize you because of his covering. You reveal everything and you are self-manifesting (ātma-pradīpaḥ). Thus you are not covered by ahaṅkāra. You are always in a manifested state. The reason is that you are unlimited (bhūman). Nothing can cover you. Or spreading great mercy, you, the crest jewel of the well behaved, do not reveal yourself because of natural shyness. But you do this indirectly through guru and others. Thus you are the storehouse of the best qualities. That is illustrated in the verse. The sun reveals things completely. You are covered by guru, a jīva who is like a semblance of the sun, who is your aṁśa (guṇena). You then reveals the gurus, the givers of mercy (guṇinaḥ), in order to reveal the qualities like mercy (guṇān). One should not say there is some other reason for this revelation, not mercy. He reveals things by himself (ātma-pradīpaḥ). He reveals by his mercy, because he has unlimited greatness (bhūman).