Devanagari
यथा हिरण्यं स्वकृतं पुरस्तात्
पश्चाच्च सर्वस्य हिरण्मयस्य ।
तदेव मध्ये व्यवहार्यमाणं
नानापदेशैरहमस्य तद्वत् ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
yathā hiraṇyaṁ sv-akṛtaṁ purastāt
paścāc ca sarvasya hiraṇ-mayasya
tad eva madhye vyavahāryamāṇaṁ
nānāpadeśair aham asya tadvat
Synonyms
yathā
—
just as
;
hiraṇyam
—
gold
;
su
—
akṛtam — unmanifest as manufactured products
;
purastāt
—
previously
;
paścāt
—
subsequently
;
ca
—
and
;
sarvasya
—
of everything
;
hiraṇ
—
mayasya — that is made of gold
;
tat
—
that gold
;
eva
—
alone
;
madhye
—
in the middle
;
vyavahāryamāṇam
—
being utilized
;
nānā
—
various
;
apadeśaiḥ
—
in terms of designations
;
aham
—
I
;
asya
—
of this created universe
;
tadvat
—
in the same way .
Translation
Gold alone is present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone remains after the products’ destruction, and the gold alone is the essential reality while it is being utilized under various designations. Similarly, I alone exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and during its maintenance.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Gold alone is present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone remains after the products’ destruction, and the gold alone is the essential reality while it is utilized under various designations. Similarly, I alone exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and during its maintenance.
Gold is made into products like earrings etc. (svakṛtam). That which existed prior to the earrings and jewelry and will exist after they are destroyed and is known by many names such as earrings in the interim is actually only gold. Similarly I existed before the universe, I will exist after the universe and I exist while the universe is present.
Purport
Gold is manufactured into many types of jewelry, as well as into coins and other luxurious products. But at each stage — before manufacture, during manufacture, during utilization and afterward — the essential reality is gold. In the same way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essential reality — both the dynamic and the ingredient cause of everything. All throughout the material creation, the Lord is simply setting into motion His own potency, which is not different from Him.