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Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Bg 11.37
TEXT 37
kasmac ca te na nameran mahatman
gariyase brahmano 'py adi-kartre
ananta devesa jagan-nivasa
tvam aksaram sad-asat tat param yat
SYNONYMS
kasmat—why; ca—also; te—unto You; na—not; nameran—offer proper obeisances; mahatman—O great one; gariyase—You are better than; brahmanah—Brahma; api—although; adi-kartre—the supreme creator; ananta—unlimited; devesa-God of the gods; jagat-nivasa—O refuge of the universe; tvam—You are; aksaram—imperishable; sat-asat—cause and effect; tat-param—transcendental; yat—because.
TRANSLATION
O great one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.
PURPORT
By this offering of obeisances, Arjuna indicates that Krsna is worshipable by everyone. He is all-pervading, and He is the Soul of every soul. Arjuna is addressing Krsna as mahatma, which means that He is most magnanimous and unlimited. Ananta indicates that there is nothing which is not covered by the influence and energy of the Supreme Lord, and devesa means that He is the controller of all demigods and is above them all. He is the center of the whole universe. Arjuna also thought that it was fitting that all the perfect living entities and all powerful demigods offer their respectful obeisances unto Him because no one is greater than Him. He especially mentions that Krsna is greater than Brahma because Brahma is created by Him. Brahma is born out of the lotus stem grown from the navel abdomen of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is Krsna's plenary expansion; therefore Brahma and Lord Siva, who is born of Brahma, and all other demigods must offer their respectful obeisances. Thus the Lord is respected by Lord Siva and Brahma and similar other demigods. The word aksaram is very significant because this material creation is subject to destruction, but the Lord is above this material creation. He is the cause of all causes, and being so, He is superior to all the conditioned souls within this material nature as well as the material cosmic manifestation itself. He is therefore the all-great Supreme.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada