SB 7.3.30 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

त्वं सप्ततन्तून् वितनोषि तन्वा त्रय्या चतुर्होत्रकविद्यया च । त्वमेक आत्मात्मवतामनादि- रनन्तपार: कविरन्तरात्मा ॥ ३० ॥

Verse text

tvaṁ sapta-tantūn vitanoṣi tanvā trayyā catur-hotraka-vidyayā ca tvam eka ātmātmavatām anādir ananta-pāraḥ kavir antarātmā

Synonyms

tvam — you ; sapta — tantūn — the seven kinds of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, beginning from the agniṣṭoma-yajṣa ; vitanoṣi — spread ; tanvā — by your body ; trayyā — the three Vedas ; catuḥ — hotraka — of the four kinds of Vedic priests, known as hotā, adhvaryu, brahma and udgātā ; vidyayā — by the necessary knowledge ; ca — also ; tvam — you ; ekaḥ — one ; ātmā — the Supersoul ; ātma — vatām — of all living entities ; anādiḥ — without beginning ; ananta — pāraḥ — without end ; kaviḥ — the supreme inspirer ; antaḥ — ātmā — the Supersoul within the core of the heart .

Translation

My dear lord, by your form as the Vedas personified and through knowledge relating to the activities of all the yajṣic brāhmaṇas, you spread the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of the seven kinds of sacrifices, headed by agniṣṭoma. Indeed, you inspire the yajṣic brāhmaṇas to perform the rituals mentioned in the three Vedas. Being the Supreme Soul, the Supersoul of all living entities, you are beginningless, endless and omniscient, beyond the limits of time and space.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

You propagate the seven forms of sacrifice by knowledge known to the four priests and by the three Vedas. You are the one ātmā of all beings, without beginning or end, omniscient, and the soul within all beings. You alone propagate the seven parts of sacrifice such as agniṣṭoma by the Vedas and by knowledge of the activities understood by the four priests--hotā, udghātā, adhvaryū and brahma. You are the jīva of all beings. You are the antaryāmī of all beings (antarātmā).

Purport

The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, the knowledge thereof, and the person who agrees to perform them are inspired by the Supreme Soul. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jṣānam apohanaṁ ca: from the Lord come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. The Supersoul is situated in everyone’s heart ( sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati ), and when one is advanced in Vedic knowledge, the Supersoul gives him directions. Acting as Supersoul, the Lord gives inspiration to a suitable person to perform the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. In this connection, four classes of priests, known as ṛtvik, are required. They are mentioned as hotā, adhvaryu, brahma and udgātā.