Devanagari
एतद्भगवतो रूपं ब्रह्मण: परमात्मन: ।
परं प्रधानं पुरुषं दैवं कर्मविचेष्टितम् ॥ ३६ ॥
Verse text
etad bhagavato rūpaṁ
brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ
paraṁ pradhānaṁ puruṣaṁ
daivaṁ karma-viceṣṭitam
Synonyms
etat
—
this
;
bhagavataḥ
—
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
;
rūpam
—
form
;
brahmaṇaḥ
—
of Brahman
;
parama
—
ātmanaḥ — of Paramātmā
;
param
—
transcendental
;
pradhānam
—
chief
;
puruṣam
—
personality
;
daivam
—
spiritual
;
karma
—
viceṣṭitam — whose activities .
Translation
This puruṣa whom the individual soul must approach is the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Brahman and Paramātmā. He is the transcendental chief personality, and His activities are all spiritual.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
I am this form of Bhagavān who also appears as Brahman and Paramātmā, beyond material nature, and who am also defined as prakṛti, jīva, karma and astonishing time--the cause of transformation of material objects, from which fear arises for living beings with material bodies in ignorance.
“You have said that one attains the Supreme Lord by either process. You do not say ‘One attains me, the Supreme Lord.’ Who is that person?” In response Kapila puts his forefinger on his chest and clarifies the point. The meaning is this. He who becomes Bhagavān to the devotees becomes Brahman to the jṣānīs and Paramāṭmā to the yogīs. That also is a form beyond prakṛti (param). The meaning is “I, your son, am that Supreme Lord.” Not only that, but prakṛti, the jīva (puruṣa), fate and time are my form. I am pradhāna and its instigator the jīva (puruṣa). I am the fate or karma of the jīva (daiva)--the various reactions (viceṣṭitam) arising by pious or sinful actions. I am time, my form which has astonishing influence (divyam), which is the cause (āspadam) of objects transforming (rūpa-bheda). It has already been said:
kālād guṇa-vyatikaraḥ pariṇāmaḥ svabhāvataḥ
karmaṇo janma mahataḥ puruṣādhiṣṭhitād abhūt
The guṇas are agitated from a state of equilibrium by time. They are transformed into another state by svabhāva. The mahat-tattva appears by karma of the jīvas. All this is under the direction of the Lord. SB 2.5.22
Kapila begins to explain about the qualities of time previously explained, since Devahūti asked. The jīvas who identify with mahat-tattva (mahat) and other elements, whose identities have a creation (adi), middle and end, who are covered with ignorance (bhinna-dṛśām) develop fear of time.
Purport
In order to distinguish the personality whom the individual soul must approach, it is described herein that this
puruṣa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the chief amongst all living entities and is the ultimate form of the impersonal Brahman effulgence and Paramātmā manifestation. Since He is the origin of the Brahman effulgence and Paramātmā manifestation, He is described herewith as the chief personality. It is confirmed in the
Kaṭha Upaniṣad, nityo nityānām:
there are many eternal living entities, but He is the chief maintainer. This is confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā
also, where Lord Kṛṣṇa says,
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ:
“I am the origin of everything, including the Brahman effulgence and Paramātmā manifestation.” His activities are transcendental, as confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā.
Janma karma ca me divyam:
the activities and the appearance and disappearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are transcendental; they are not to be considered material. Anyone who knows this fact — that the appearance, disappearance and activities of the Lord are beyond material activities or material conception — is liberated.
Yo vetti tattvataḥ/ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma:
such a person, after quitting his body, does not come back again to this material world, but goes to the Supreme Person. It is confirmed here,
puruṣaḥ puruṣaṁ vrajet:
the living entity goes to the Supreme Personality simply by understanding His transcendental nature and activities.