भवान् हि कारणं तत्र सर्वज्ञो जगदीश्वर: ।
अनुग्रहं निग्रहं वा मन्यसे तद् विधेहि न: ॥
bhavān hi kāraṇaṁ tatra sarva-jño jagad-īśvaraḥ |
anugrahaṁ nigrahaṁ vā manyase tad vidhehi naḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.16.59)
“Because you, the all-knowing Īśvara of the universe, are the cause in this regard [i.e., of one giving up your māyā], please give us mercy or punishment, as you think [fit].”
Commentary
hi yasmāt tatra tvan-māyā-tyāge bhavān eva kāraṇam ity anugrahaṁ vidhehi nigrahaṁ vā īśvaratvāt |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“‘Because’ (hi), that is, since, ‘in this regard‘ (tatra), that is, in regard to giving up your māyā, you alone are the cause, please give [us] mercy, or, punishment, on account of your being Īśvara.”
svayaṁ tyāgāśaktau hetur bhavān iti | tvayā hetunaiva sā tyājyā syād ity arthaḥ | … tatra sarvaṁ nija-māyā-vaibhavādikam asmākaṁ ca dainyādikaṁ jānāsīti sarvajñaḥ ity anugrahe hetuḥ—jagad-īśvaraḥ parama-svatantra iti ca nigrahe … | yad vā, sarvajña ity anugraha-nigrahayoḥ kāraṇaṁ vetsi | jagadīśvara iti—tayor ekaṁ vidhehīti vākyārthaḥ | tatra ca jagadīśvara iti—saty api nigraha-kāraṇe anugraham api kartuṁ śaknoṣīti bhāvaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“You are the cause of our inability on our own to give up [your māyā]. It [i.e., your māyā] can become able to be given up only by means of you [i.e., you are the only cause of a jīva giving up māyā]. … In this regard, you know everything—the power of your own māyā and our poor condition (dainya) and so forth. Thus you are ‘all-knowing’ (sarva-jñaḥ). This is the cause of your mercy, and that you are the ‘Īśvara of the universe’ (jagad-īśvaraḥ), that is, completely independent, is the cause of your punishment. … Alternately, ‘all-knowing’ (sarva-jñaḥ) implies you know the cause of mercy and punishment, and ‘Īśvara of the universe’ (jagad-īśvaraḥ) implies, ‘Please grant one of them.’ This is the meaning of the sentence. Here too, ‘Īśvara of the universe’ (jagad-īśvaraḥ) implies that although you are such, you are able to grant even mercy as a means of punishment. This is the purport.”
kāraṇam iti tvayā hetunaiva sā tyājyā syād iti bhāvaḥ | … tatra sarvaṁ nija-māyā-vaibhavādikam asmākaṁ ca dainyādikaṁ jānātīti sarvajña ity anugrahe hetuḥ, jagadīśvaraḥ parama-svatantra iti ca nigrahe … | yad vā, atas tatra mahad-aparādhe’pi bhavān eva kāraṇam … |
(Excerpt from the Bṛhad-Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“‘Cause’ (kāraṇam) implies that it [i.e., your māyā] can become able to be given up only by means of you [i.e., you are the only cause of a jīva giving up māyā]. This is the purport. … In this regard, you know everything—the power of your own māyā and our poor condition (dainya) and so forth. Thus you are ‘all-knowing’ (sarva-jñaḥ). This is the cause of your mercy, and that you are the ‘Īśvara of the universe’ (jagad-īśvaraḥ), that is, completely independent, is the cause of your punishment. … Alternately, thus in this regard, you alone are the cause even of [a jīva’s] aparādha against a great person.”