सर्वभूतेषु य: पश्येद्भगवद्भावमात्मन: ।
भूतानि भगवत्यात्मन्येष भागवतोत्तम: ॥
sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyed bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ |
bhūtāni bhagavaty ātmany eṣa bhāgavatottamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.45)
[Translated according to Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīpāda’s kārikā and Śrī Cakravartīpāda’s commentary:] “One who can see the presence of one’s own Bhagavān [i.e., one’s Iṣṭadevatā] within all entities and [all] entities within the Bhagavān within oneself [i.e., within one’s Iṣṭadevatā] is a topmost bhāgavata.”
[Translated according to Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda’s commentary:] “One who can see one’s own manifestation of Bhagavān [i.e., one’s Iṣṭadevatā] within all entities and [all] entities within the Bhagavān within one’s self [i.e., within the shelter of the manifestation of Bhagavān who is manifest within one’s own mind] is an advanced bhāgavata.”
[Translated according to second meaning in Śrī Jīva Gosvāmīpāda commentary:] “One who can see one’s own bhāva [i.e., prema] for Bhagavān within all entities and [all] entities within the Bhagavān within one’s self is an advanced bhāgavata.”
[Translated according to second meaning in Śrī Cakravartīpāda’s commentary:] “One who can see one’s own bhāva [i.e., prema] for Bhagavān within all entities and [all] entities to be possessed of prema for Bhagavān [as he is manifest] within one’s self [i.e., mind] is an advanced bhāgavata.”
Commentary
sveṣṭadevasya bhāvaṁ yaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu paśyati |
bhāvayanti ca tāny asminn ity arthaḥ sammataḥ satām ||
(Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.72)
“‘One who sees the bhāva [i.e., presence] of one’s Iṣṭadeva in all entities and envisions them in him’ is the meaning [of SB 11.2.45] approved by the sat.”
tatra tat-tad-anubhava-dvārāvagamyena mānasa-liṅgena mahābhāgavataṁ lakṣayati—sarva-bhūteṣv ity-ādi | ‘evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ’ iti śrī-kavi-vākyokta-rītyā yaś citta-drava-hāsa-rodanādy-anubhāvakānurāga-vaśatvāt ‘khaṁ vāyum agnim’ ity-ādi-tad-ukta-prakāreṇaiva cetanācetaneṣu ‘sarva-bhūteṣu ātmano bhagavad-bhāvam’ ātmābhīṣṭo yo bhagavad-āvirbhāvaḥ, tam evety arthaḥ, atas tāni ca bhūtāni ātmani sva-citte tathā sphurati yo bhagavān tasminn eva tad-āśritatvenaiva anubhavati, eṣa bhāgavatottamo bhavati | ittham eva śrī-vraja-devībhir uktam—‘vana-latās tarava ātmani viṣṇuṁ vyañjayantya iva puṣpa-phalāḍhyāḥ’ ity-ādi | yad vā, ātmano yo bhagavati bhāvaḥ premā, tam eva cetanācetaneṣu bhūteṣu paśyati | śeṣaṁ pūrvavat | ata eva bhakta-rūpa-tad-adhiṣṭhāna-buddhi-jāta-bhaktyā tāni namaskarotīti khaṁ vāyum ity ādau pūrvam uktam iti bhāvaḥ | tathaiva coktaṁ tābhir eva—‘nadyas tadā tad upadhārya mukunda-gītam āvarta-lakṣita-manobhava-bhagna-vegāḥ ||’ ity-ādi | yad vā, śrī-paṭṭa-mahiṣībhir api ‘kurari vilapasi tvam’ ity-ādi |
(Excerpt from Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā; Bhakti Sandarbha: 188)
“Therein, he [i.e., Śrī Havi Yogendra] defines a great bhāgavata (mahābhāgavata) in accord with the distinguishing characteristic (liṅga) of his mind, which is intelligible by means of his various experiences (anubhavas): sarva-bhūteṣu … [i.e., he speaks SB 11.2.45]. ‘One [who] can see’ (paśyet), that is, one [who] experiences, one’s own (ātmanaḥ) ‘manifestation of Bhagavān’ (Bhagavad-bhāvam), that is, the appearance of Bhagavān which is desired by oneself, ‘within all entities’ (sarva-bhūteṣu), that is, in the conscious and the unconscious [entities throughout existence] specifically as per the manner stated in [SB 11.2.41], ‘One of one-pointed mind can offer obeisance to space, the air, fire, water, earth, the luminaries, living beings, the directions, trees and so forth, the rivers and oceans, and whatever else is existent,’ on account of [one’s] being captivated by anurāga [i.e., prema for Bhagavān] which is causative of anubhāvas such as melting of the heart, laughing, and crying, as per the demeanor described in the statement of Śrī Kavi [in SB 11.2.40], ‘One so avowed in whom anurāga [i.e., prema] has manifest by chanting the name of one’s Beloved, and who is [thus] of melted heart, laughs loudly, cries, shouts, sings, and dances as though mad, oblivious to the public,’ and who thus experiences those ‘entities’ (bhūtāni) only in him, that is, as being sheltered only in he the [appearance of] Bhagavān who manifests there ‘in oneself’ (ātmani), that is, in one’s own heart, is an advanced bhāgavata. There is a statement by the blessed devīs of Vraja of exactly this [in SB 10.35.9]: ‘The forest creepers and trees, abounding with fruits and flowers, their branches bowed under the weight [thereof], and their bodies delighted [i.e., horripilating] with prema, shower streams of nectar, as though manifesting Viṣṇu in their hearts.’ Alternately, [the first half of the verse can be interpreted as follows:] one who sees only one’s own bhāva, that is, prema, for Bhagavān in [all] conscious and unconscious entities. The remainder [in the case of this alternate interpretation] as [the same] as before [i.e., as was explained earlier]. Therefore, out of bhakti manifest from the perception of his [i.e., Bhagavān’s] dwelling place (adhiṣṭhāna) in the form of a bhakta [being present in all entities], one offers obeisances to them [i.e., to all entities] as stated previously in khaṁ vāyum … [i.e., in SB 11.2.41]. In exactly the same way, it is also stated by them [i.e., the Vraja-devīs] in particular [in SB 10.21.15], ‘Then, hearing that song of Mukunda, the rivers, their currents obstructed by [an upwelling of] love beheld in the form of whirlpools as they bear offerings of lotuses, clasped with the arms of their waves the two feet of Murāri [which had been] stopped by their embrace.’ Alternately, [it is stated] by the blessed city queens [of Dvārakā, in SB 10.90.15], ‘O Kurari [i.e., O lady Osprey], you wail, devoid of sleep, and do not rest while Īśvara, whose wakefulness is concealed, sleeps at night in this world. O friend, like us, has your heart been deeply pierced by the charming, playful glances and smiles of he of lotus eyes?’”
ātmanaḥ svasya upāsyo yo bhagavāṁs tasya bhāvaṁ vidyamānatāṁ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyet, yathā sa kva iti hiraṇyakaśipunā pṛṣṭaḥ prahlādaḥ sarvatraivety uktvā stambhe’pi mat-prabhur dṛśyata iti svopāsyaṁ bhagavantaṁ dṛṣṭavān evety arthaḥ | tathā ātmany ātmīye ātmopāsye bhagavati ca bhūtāni paśyet, yathā śrī-yaśodā kṛṣṇasya jaṭhara eva sarva-bhūtāny apaśyat | yad vā, ātmani sva-manasi sphurati yo bhagavāṁs tasminn eva bhūtāni tad-viṣayaka-premavanti yaḥ paśyet, yathā ‘vana-latās tarava ātmani viṣṇuṁ vyañjayantya iva puṣpa-phulāḍhyāḥ’ iti ‘nadyas tadā tad upadhārya mukunda-gītam’ ity-ādikaṁ vraja-sundaryaḥ, ‘kurari vilapasi tvaṁ’ iti ‘kṣiti-dhara cintayase stanair vidhartum’ ity-ādikaṁ paṭṭa-mahiṣyāś coktavatya eva | ata evātmano bhagavad-bhāvaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu paśyati bhāvayanti ca bhūtānīty asya ‘arthaḥ sammataḥ satām’ iti śrīmat-sanātana-caraṇānāṁ kārikā prasiddhā | atra paśyed iti tathā darśana-yogyataiva vivakṣitā, na tu tathā darśanasya sārvakālikatā | tathātve nārada-vyāsa-śukādāv apy avyāptiḥ syān, nahi te sarvadaiva sarvatra bhagavantaṁ paśyanti, kintu tad-didṛkṣādhikya eva | atas tad-darśanautkaṇṭhyam atyadhikaṁ yadā vardhate, tadaiva ‘kāmukāḥ kāminīmayam’ iti nyāyena sarva-jagad eva bhagavanmayaṁ paśyet | tathaiva ‘ātmavan manyate jagad’ iti nyāyena sarva-bhūtāny eva premautkaṇṭhya-vyākulāny eva paśyed iti jñeyam | atra dṛśer jñānārthatve vyākhyāte bhagavataḥ sarva-bhūtādheyatvādhāratva-jñānavataḥ śāstrajña-mātrasyaiva bhāgavatottamatvaṁ syād iti tan na vyākhyātam |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“One can see the bhāva, that is, the presence, of Bhagavān, he who is one’s own (ātmanaḥ), that is, one’s object of worship, in all entities, just as Prahlāda verily saw Bhagavān, his own object of worship [in a pillar] after being asked by Hiraṇyakaśipu, ‘Where is he?’ and having answered, ‘Indeed everywhere; my Prabhu is visible even in this pillar.’ This is the meaning. Similarly, one can also see [all] entities in Bhagavān, who is ‘one’s own’ (ātmani), that is, one’s object of worship, just as Śrī Yaśodā saw all entities right in Kṛṣṇa’s belly.
“Alternately, one who can see entities verily in him, that is, [to be] possessed of prema focused on him, Bhagavān, who manifests in one’s self (ātmani), that is, in one’s own mind [is the meaning], as the beauties of Vraja have certainly said [in SB 10.35.9], ‘The forest creepers and trees, abounding with fruits and flowers, their branches bowed under the weight [thereof], and their bodies delighted [i.e., horripilating] with prema, shower streams of nectar, as though manifesting Viṣṇu in their hearts,’ and [in SB 10.21.15], ‘Then, hearing that song of Mukunda, the rivers, their currents obstructed by [an upwelling of] love beheld in the form of whirlpools as they bear offerings of lotuses, clasped with the arms of their waves the two feet of Murāri [which had been] stopped by their embrace,’ and as the city queens [of Dvārakā] have [said] as well [in SB 10.90.15], ‘O Kurari [i.e., O lady Osprey], you wail, devoid of sleep, and do not rest while Īśvara, whose wakefulness is concealed, sleeps at night in this world. O friend, like us, has your heart been deeply pierced by the charming, playful glances and smiles of he of lotus eyes?’’ and [in SB 10.90.22], ‘You do not move, and you do not speak, O you of great intelligence! O mountain! You are thinking about some great object. Bata! Do you, like us, desire to hold the feet of the Son of Vasudeva on your breasts?’ Therefore, one sees the bhāva [i.e., presence] of one’s own (ātmanaḥ) Bhagavān in all entities and envisions [all] entities [in him is the meaning] as per the well known kārikā of Śrīmat Sanātanacaraṇa [which states the aforesaid meaning and then states], ‘This meaning thereof [i.e., of SB 11.2.45] is approved by the sat.’
“Here [i.e., in this verse] in [the verb] ‘can see’ (paśyet), only being capable of seeing so [i.e., of seeing as aforementioned] is intended, and not, rather, a constancy [at all times] of seeing so. In the case of such [i.e., if a constancy at all times of vision as aforementioned were intended], then a lack of pervasion (avyāpti) [i.e., excessive narrowness of the definition] would occur too in regard to Nārada, Vyāsa, Śuka, and so forth [i.e., the definition would exclude them] since they do not see Bhagavān everywhere at absolutely all times but rather [see him] only when [their having] a high degree of desire to see him occurs. Therefore, when longing for the sight of him increases to a very high degree, only then can one [such a Nārada, Vyāsa, or Śuka] see the entire world to be constituted of Bhagavān as per the principle, ‘The lustful [see the world to be] full of desirable women.’ In exactly the same way, as per the principle, ‘The world is seen like oneself’ (ātmavan manyate jagat), one can see all entities in total to be verily overwhelmed with the longing of prema. This is to be understood. [Lastly,] Here [i.e., in this verse], if [the root] dṛś [i.e., ‘to see’] is explained to have the meaning of knowing (jñāna), [then] just any knower of śāstra who has knowledge of Bhagavān’s being the support (ādhāra) of all entities, who are to be supported (ādheya) [by him], shall have the quality of being an advanced bhāgavata. Therefore, that is not to be explained [i.e., such an explanation should not be given because someone with only this knowledge is not actually fit to be accepted as an advanced bhāgavata].”