| Canto 10: The Summum Bonum | Chapter 14: Brahma's Prayers to Lord Krishna |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.37
prapancam nishprapanco 'pi
prapanna-janatananda-
SYNONYMS
prapancam -- that which is material; nishprapancah -- completely transcendental to material existence; api -- although; vidambayasi -- You imitate; bhu-tale -- on the surface of the earth; prapanna -- who are surrendered; janata -- of people; ananda-sandoham -- the great variety of different kinds of ecstasies; prathitum -- in order to spread; prabho -- O master.
TRANSLATION
My dear master, although You have nothing to do with material existence, You come to this earth and imitate material life just to expand the varieties of ecstatic enjoyment for Your surrendered devotees.
PURPORT
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura points out that just as a lamp does not seem to shine as brightly in sunlight as it does in the shade, or as a diamond does not seem as brilliant on a silver platter as it does on a plate of blue glass, the Lord's pastimes as Govinda do not seem as amazing in the transcendental abode of Vaikuntha as they do within the material realm of Maya. Lord Krishna comes to the earth and acts toward His pure devotees exactly like a devoted son, boyfriend, husband, father, friend and so on, and within the darkness of material existence these brilliant, liberated pastimes give unlimited ecstasy to the surrendered devotees of the Lord.
In his Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada quotes Lord Brahma as follows: "I can also understand that Your appearance as a small cowherd boy, a child of the cowherd men, is not at all a material activity. You are so much obliged by their affection that You are here to enthuse them with more loving service by Your transcendental presence. "
Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari