Canto 3: The Status QuoChapter 33: Activities of Kapila

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 3.33.8

tam tvam aham brahma param pumamsam

pratyak-srotasy atmani samvibhavyam

sva-tejasa dhvasta-guna-pravaham

vande vishnum kapilam veda-garbham

SYNONYMS

tam -- unto Him; tvam -- You; aham -- I; brahma -- Brahman; param -- supreme; pumamsam -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratyak-srotasi -- turned inwards; atmani -- in the mind; samvibhavyam -- meditated upon, perceived; sva-tejasa -- by Your own potency; dhvasta -- vanished; guna-pravaham -- the influence of the modes of material nature; vande -- I offer obeisances; vishnum -- unto Lord Vishnu; kapilam -- named Kapila; veda-garbham -- the repository of the Vedas.

TRANSLATION

I believe, my Lord, that You are Lord Vishnu Himself under the name of Kapila, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahman! The saints and sages, being freed from all the disturbances of the senses and mind, meditate upon You, for by Your mercy only can one become free from the clutches of the three modes of material nature. At the time of dissolution, all the Vedas are sustained in You only.

PURPORT

Devahuti, the mother of Kapila, instead of prolonging her prayers, summarized that Lord Kapila was none other than Vishnu and that since she was a woman it was not possible for her to worship Him properly simply by prayer. It was her intention that the Lord be satisfied. The word pratyak is significant. In yogic practice, the eight divisions are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. pratyahara means to wind up the activities of the senses. The level of realization of the Supreme Lord evidenced by Devahuti is possible when one is able to withdraw the senses from material activities. When one is engaged in devotional service, there is no scope for his senses to be engaged otherwise. In such full Krishna consciousness, one can understand the Supreme Lord as He is.

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