Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 8 Verse 40

Canto 7: The Science of God | Chapter 8: Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva Slays the King of the Demons

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.8.40

śrī-brahmovāca

nato 'smy anantāya duranta-śaktaye

vicitra-vīryāya pavitra-karmaṇe

viśvasya sarga-sthiti-saḿyamān guṇaiḥ

sva-līlayā sandadhate 'vyayātmane

SYNONYMS

śrī-brahmā uvāca — Lord Brahmā said; nataḥ — bowed down; asmi — I am; anantāya — unto the unlimited Lord; duranta — very difficult to find an end to; śaktaye — who possesses different potencies; vicitra-vīryāya — having varieties of prowess; pavitra-karmaṇe — whose actions have no reaction (even though doing contrary things, He remains without contamination by the material modes); viśvasya — of the universe; sarga — creation; sthiti — maintenance; saḿyamān — and annihilation; guṇaiḥ — by the material qualities; sva-līlayā — very easily; sandadhate — performs; avyaya-ātmane — whose personality never deteriorates.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā prayed: My Lord, You are unlimited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deterioration. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

The activities of the Lord are always wonderful. His personal servants Jaya and Vijaya were confidential friends, yet they were cursed, and they accepted bodies of demons. Again, in the family of one such demon, Prahlāda Mahārāja was caused to take birth to exhibit the behavior of an exalted devotee, and then the Lord accepted the body of Nṛsiḿhadeva to kill that same demon, who by the Lord's own will had taken birth in a demoniac family. Therefore, who can understand the Lord's transcendental activities? Not to speak of understanding the transcendental activities of the Lord, no one can understand even the activities of His servants. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 23.39) it is said, tāńra vākya, kriyā, mudrā vijñeha nā bhujhaya: no one can understand the activities of the Lord's servants. Therefore, what to speak of the activities of the Lord? Who can understand how Kṛṣṇa is benefiting the entire world? The Lord is addressed as duranta-śakti because no one can understand His potencies and how He acts.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness