SB 10.74.4 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

न ह्येकस्याद्वितीयस्य ब्रह्मण: परमात्मन: । कर्मभिर्वर्धते तेजो ह्रसते च यथा रवे: ॥ ४ ॥

Verse text

na hy ekasyādvitīyasya brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ karmabhir vardhate tejo hrasate ca yathā raveḥ

Synonyms

na — not ; hi — indeed ; ekasya — of the one ; advitīyasya — without a second ; brahmaṇaḥ — the Absolute Truth ; parama — ātmanaḥ — the Supreme Soul ; karmabhiḥ — by activities ; vardhate — increases ; tejaḥ — the power ; hrasate — diminishes ; ca — and ; yathā — as ; raveḥ — of the sun .

Translation

But of course the power of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul, the primeval one without a second, is neither increased nor diminished by His activities, any more than the sun’s power is by its movements.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

But of course the power of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul, the primeval one without a second, is neither increased nor diminished by His activities, any more than the sun's power is by its movements. KB 10.74.4 “We are all very much surprised that Your Lordship can play the part of an ordinary human being, but we can understand that You are performing these activities just like a dramatic artist. Your real position is always exalted, exactly like that of the sun, which always remains at the same temperature during both the time of its rising and the time of its setting. Although we feel the difference in temperature between the rising and the setting sun, the temperature of the sun never changes. You are always transcendentally equipoised, neither pleased nor disturbed by any condition of material affairs. You are the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, and for You there are no relativities.

Purport

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in Kṛṣṇa: “[King Yudhiṣṭhira said,] ‘Your real position is always exalted, exactly like that of the sun, which always remains at the same temperature, both during the time of its rising and the time of its setting. Although we feel the difference in temperature between the rising and the setting sun, the temperature of the sun never changes. You are always transcendentally equipoised, and thus You are neither pleased nor disturbed by any condition of material affairs. You are the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, and for You there are no relativities.’” Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes a similar statement from the Vedic mantras: na karmaṇā vardhate no kanīyān ( Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 14.7.2.28, Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 3.12.9.7 and Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.23). “He is not increased by His activities, nor does He become lesser.” As explained here by King Yudhiṣṭhira, the Lord is one without a second. There is no other entity in His supreme category, and thus it is simply by His causeless mercy that He agrees to carry out the orders of His pure devotees, like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. There is certainly no loss of status for the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He thus extends His causeless mercy to His surrendered devotees.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

But still, carrying out the orders of jives like us, you do not suffer any loss of position. That is expressed in this verse. Because all of your forms are only the Lord, with similar quality, you are called one, eka. Because maya and the jivas are your saktis, there is nothing different from you. Therefore you are called advitiya, without a second. How then is it possible for you to lose your position. Moreover though you are all pervading (brahman) there is no reduction in your position. Being the controller of all jives as paramatma, you have no quality of being controlled like us jivas." Because of his humility Yudhisthira makes this statement. In fact Krsna is controlled by the devotee, but this is also not a decrease in position for the Lord. Rather this raises the lord’s position, because it reveals the profound mercy of the Lord, which is permanently residing in him. This is seen in such statements as darsayams tvad vidam loka atmano bhakta vasyatam. "You are like the sun, which shines on the house of the dog eater and also shines on the house of Brahma on Mount Meru without decrease of power."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

These actions do not affect you. Giving orders or receiving orders does not manifest or make invisible your powers. This statement is suitable for you. That is explained in the verse. Because there is no one except the Lord, it is impossible for the Lord as Brahman to take others’ orders. Because there is nothing except the Lord’s expansions and śaktis, it is impossible for him to give orders to anyone else. There is no necessity of his ordering his expansions or śaktis since they operate simply by his desire. Thus giving orders and taking orders is impossible for Brahman. This is what māyā means in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary. This is because you are Paramātmā, the soul of all beings. Since it is not proper to be deceptive with devotees, you are most merciful, making the impossible possible, by your will alone. You powers do not increase or decrease, but simply appear or disappear. This is like the rising and setting of the sun.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

This is because (hi) your power never increases or decreases, since you are everything—nothing is separate from you (brahmaṇasya), since no one is equal to you of the same time (ekasya), to order you, and nothing is different from you (advitīyasya), to give orders to. Or being paramātmā (brahmaṇaḥ), does satisfaction by your activities not increase? Yes, it does. Your devotees attained the highest bliss, singing your glories for the benefit of the world. Does your satisfaction decrease by lack of activities? Yes, it decreases. The devotee’s happiness is not nourished. An example is given. In the summer, by distribution of rays, the heat of the sun increases. In winder the heat decreases with restriction of rays. Since you are most merciful, it is proper that we meditate on your instructions.