Devanagari
इति द्वापर उर्वीश स्तुवन्ति जगदीश्वरम् ।
नानातन्त्रविधानेन कलावपि तथा शृणु ॥ ३१ ॥
Verse text
iti dvāpara urv-īśa
stuvanti jagad-īśvaram
nānā-tantra-vidhānena
kalāv api tathā śṛṇu
Synonyms
iti
—
thus
;
dvāpare
—
in the Dvāpara age
;
uru
—
īśa — O King
;
stuvanti
—
they praise
;
jagat
—
īśvaram — the Lord of the universe
;
nānā
—
various
;
tantra
—
of scriptures
;
vidhānena
—
by the regulations
;
kalau
—
in the Age of Kali
;
api
—
also
;
tathā
—
in which manner
;
śṛṇu
—
please hear .
Translation
O King, in this way people in Dvāpara-yuga glorified the Lord of the universe. In Kali-yuga also people worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead by following various regulations of the revealed scriptures. Now kindly hear of this from me.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
O King! In this way people in Dvāpara-yuga glorified the Lord of the universe. Now kindly hear about the form in Kali-yuga, worshipped through methods of worship explained in various Paṣcarātra scriptures.
Prahlāda has said:
itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair
lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān
dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ
channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam
In this way, by appearing in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a devatās, a fish or a tortoise, you maintain the worlds, kill those who cause disturbance and protect dharma in all the yugas. Great Lord! Since you will appear covered in Kali-yuga, you are called Tri-yuga. SB 7.9.38
From this it is understood that most people of Kali-yuga do not know the Lord, since he is covered in Kali-yuga. That statement is supported in the present verse by making a statement with a hidden meaning. The words nānā-tantra-vidhānena kalāu indicate the prominence of the methods mentioned in the Paṣcarātra scriptures (tantra) in Kali-yuga used in the Lord’s worship, but the phrase conceals another meaning.
The word api indicates the particular Kali-yuga after Dvāpara in the twenty-eighth cycle of Vaivasvata Manvantara, mentioned by Garga in the Tenth Canto.
āsan varṇās trayo hy asya gṛhṇato ’nuyugaṁ tanūḥ
śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ
Your son Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, he assumed three different colors—white, red and yellow—and now he has appeared in a blackish color. All such incarnations have now assembled in Kṛṣṇa. SB 10.8.13
The words tantra-vidhānena mean “by a secret method” or “using an esoteric means.” Just as śveto dhāvati could mean “The white animal (śvetaḥ) runs” or “The dog (śva) runs from here (itaḥ)” depending on the intention and context, so tantra-vidhānena indicates that following verse will have two meanings. Please listen. He speaks to the King who is already listening to inspire him to understand the secret which he will speak.
Purport
The words
kalāv api,
“in Kali-yuga also,” are very important in this verse. It is well known that Kali-yuga is an irreligious age. Thus it is surprising that in such a completely irreligious age the Supreme Lord is worshiped. Therefore it is stated
kalāv api,
“even in Kali-yuga.” In Kali-yuga the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead does not directly assert Himself to be the Personality of Godhead, but rather He is detected by expert devotees in accordance with the revealed Vedic scriptures. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja states in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(7.9.38)
:
itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair
lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān
dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaś
channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo ’tha sa tvam
“In this way, my Lord, You appear in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saintly demigod, a fish or a tortoise, thus maintaining the entire creation in different planetary systems and killing the demoniac principles. According to the age, O my Lord, You protect the principles of religion. In the Age of Kali, however, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who appears in three
yugas.
” Thus it is understood that it is difficult for common people in Kali-yuga to recognize the incarnation of the Lord since in this age the Lord’s appearance is slightly concealed.
According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura the word
nānā-tantra-vidhānena
indicates the importance in Kali-yuga of the Vaiṣṇava scriptures known as the
Paṣcarātras
or
Sātvata-paṣcarātras.
It is stated in the
Bhāgavatam,
strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā:
in Kali-yuga it is impossible for ordinary people to perform highly technical Vedic sacrifices or the unbearable penances of the mystic
yoga
system. Such standard Vedic processes are practically inaccessible for the spiritually retarded population of Kali-yuga. Therefore the simple process of glorifying the Personality of Godhead by chanting His holy names is essential in this age. Such devotional processes as chanting the holy names of the Lord and worshiping His Deity form are elaborately described in the Vaiṣṇava
śāstras
known as
Paṣcarātras.
Such tantric scriptures are referred to in this verse, and it is stated that in Kali-yuga these devotional processes, taught by great
ācāryas
such as Nārada Muni, are the only practical means for worshiping the Lord. This will be more clearly explained in the following verse.