SRI BRAHMA-SAMHITA

Verse 19

tattvani purvarudhani karanani parasparam
samavayaprayogach cha vibhinnani prthak prthak
chich-chhaktya sajjamano ’tha bhagavan adi-purusah
yojayan mayaya devo yoganidram akalpayat [19]

Translation: Prior to their amalgamation, the five predominant material elements remained in their crude state, separate in different forms. At this point, the process of combining them had not yet ensued. By associating with His divine potency, the primeval Personality of Godhead Maha-Vishnu moved Maya and united those separate elements by His process of amalgamating or harmonizing them, and executed the creation of the material world. And He remained absorbed in Yoganidra, which is His consorthood with His divine potency.

Purport: Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sacharacharam: “All moving and nonmoving beings are created by Mother Nature, according to My direction.” The purport of this statement in Sri Gita is as follows. Initially, Maya, the shadow of the chit potency, or divine potency, was inactive; also, the elements of her expanse of ingredients that would form the efficient cause of creation were separate and unamalgamated. By Krishna’s will, that is, by the agency of Maha-Vishnu’s power, the instrumental and efficient parts of Maya were united, and the effect in the form of the material world was manifest. Despite that, throughout that entire function the Supreme Lord Himself remained united with His divine potency, Yoganidra.

The word ‘Yoganidra’ or ‘Yogamaya’ should be understood as follows: the nature of the divine potency is illuminating or revelatory, while the nature of Her shadow potency is to manifest the darkness of mundane ignorance. When Krishna wishes to illuminate or reveal something in the affairs of the material world of darkness, He executes the task by contacting (yoga) the inert shadow of Maya with the Super-Power of His divine potency; and this is the constitution of ‘Yogamaya.’

Herein are two connotations—the Vaikuntha connotation and the worldly, ignorant connotation. Krishna, Krishna’s plenary expansions (svamsa), and those of His separated particles or souls (vibhinnamsa jivas) that are completely pure, experience the Vaikuntha connotation in that revelation, while the materially conditioned souls feel a mundane, ignorant connotation. A screen veils the spiritual experience in the perceptual faculties of the materially conditioned souls, and this screen goes by the name ‘Yoganidra’; this is also the influence of the potency of the Supreme Lord. This principle will be dealt with more elaborately later.

• For Reader's Appreciation
• Feelings of Appreciation
• Prologue
• Translator's Note
• Illumination
• Verse 1
• Verse 2
• Verse 3
• Verse 4
• Verse 5
• Verse 6
• Verse 7
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• Verse 19

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• Verse 27
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• Verse 32
• Verse 33
• Verse 34
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• Verse 39

• Verse 40
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• Verse 50
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• Verse 55
• Verse 56
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• Verse 58
• Verse 59

• Verse 60
• Verse 61
• Verse 62

• Verse Contents

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