Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 30: The Activities of the Pracetās |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.30.5
suparṇa-skandham ārūḍho
meru-śṛńgam ivāmbudaḥ
pīta-vāsā maṇi-grīvaḥ
kurvan vitimirā diśaḥ
SYNONYMS
suparṇa — of Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu; skandham — the shoulder; ārūḍhaḥ — sitting on; meru — of the mountain named Meru; śṛńgam — on the summit; iva — like; ambudaḥ — a cloud; pīta-vāsāḥ — wearing yellow garments; maṇi-grīvaḥ — His neck decorated with the Kaustubha jewel; kurvan — making; vitimirāḥ — free from darkness; diśaḥ — all directions.
TRANSLATION
The Personality of Godhead, appearing on the shoulder of Garuḍa, seemed like a cloud resting on the summit of the mountain known as Meru. The transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead was covered by attractive yellow garments, and His neck was decorated with the jewel known as Kaustubha-maṇi. The bodily effulgence of the Lord dissipated all the darkness of the universe.
PURPORT
As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.31):
kṛṣṇa — sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāń kṛṣṇa, tāhāń nāhi māyāra adhikāra
The Lord is just like the effulgent sun. Consequently, whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present, there cannot be darkness or ignorance. Actually this dark universe is illuminated by the sun, but the sun and moon simply reflect the bodily effulgence of the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.8) the Lord says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the illuminating energy of both the sun and the moon." The conclusion is that the origin of all life is the bodily effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Brahma-saḿhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Being illuminated by the bodily effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, everything is freed from all darkness.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness