Srimad Bhagavatam – 2.1.33 | HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj | ISKCON Chennai | Apr 07, 2026
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine
jaya sri-krishna-chaitanya
prabhu nityananda
sri-adwaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 1 Verse 33.
ŚB 2.1.33
नद्योऽस्य नाड्योऽथ तनूरुहाणि
महीरुहा विश्वतनोर्नृपेन्द्र ।
अनन्तवीर्य: श्वसितं मातरिश्वा
गतिर्वय: कर्म गुणप्रवाह: ॥ ३३ ॥
nadyo ’sya nāḍyo ’tha tanū-ruhāṇi
mahī-ruhā viśva-tanor nṛpendra
ananta-vīryaḥ śvasitaṁ mātariśvā
gatir vayaḥ karma guṇa-pravāhaḥ
Synonyms
nadyaḥ — the rivers; asya — of Him; nāḍyaḥ — veins; atha — and thereafter; tanū-ruhāṇi — hairs on the body; mahī-ruhāḥ — the plants and trees; viśva-tanoḥ — of the universal form; nṛpa-indra — O King; ananta-vīryaḥ — of the omnipotent; śvasitam — breathing; mātariśvā — air; gatiḥ — movement; vayaḥ — passing ages; karma — activity; guṇa-pravāhaḥ — reactions of the modes of nature.
Translation
O King, the rivers are the veins of the gigantic body, the trees are the hairs of His body, and the omnipotent air is His breath. The passing ages are His movements, and His activities are the reactions of the three modes of material nature.
Purport
The Personality of Godhead is not a dead stone, nor is He inactive, as is poorly thought by some schools. He moves with the progress of time, and therefore He knows all about the past and future, along with His present activities. There is nothing unknown to Him. The conditioned souls are driven by the reactions of the modes of material nature, which are the activities of the Lord. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.12), the modes of nature act under His direction only, and as such no natural functions are blind or automatic. The power behind the activities is the supervision of the Lord, and thus the Lord is never inactive as is wrongly conceived. The Vedas say that the Supreme Lord has nothing to do personally, as is always the case with superiors, but everything is done by His direction. As it is said, not a blade of grass moves without His sanction. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48), it is said that all the universes and the heads of them (the Brahmās) exist only for the duration of His breathing period. The same is confirmed here. The air on which the universes and the planets within the universes exist is nothing but a bit of the breath of the unchallengeable virāṭ-puruṣa. So even by studying the rivers, trees, air and passing ages, one can conceive of the Personality of Godhead without being misled by the formless conception of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā (12.5) it is stated that those who are much inclined to the formless conception of the Supreme Truth are more troubled than those who can intelligently conceive of the personal form.
HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj:
This section is all about the universal form or the Virat Purusha. This Virat Purusha is a description of all the components of the universe which are material as parts of the body of this Virat Purusha. We know that the Supreme Lord does not have a material body made of material elements, but here we have this Virat Purusha made out of material elements. And thus, our Acharyas conclude, ‘this is not an actual form of the Lord’.
We know that the universe and all of its elements are destructible, the Supreme Lord and His form is indestructible. Often in these descriptions of the Universal form, we see that it is created at a certain time. And at first, it does not have any life. Then the Supreme Lord enters and it comes to life. So what this means is that, the material elements and how they operate in this material world does not take place without the will of the Lord.
So, it is also described that this conception of the universal form is for less advanced Yogis. Less advanced because they are thinking of material elements as the form of the Lord. The more advanced Yogi meditates on the actual form of the Lord, that is Paramatma. So, that Paramatma form does not have any material elements. This verse describes how the rivers are the veins of his body. Paramatma does not have veins made out of rivers. It describes the trees as the hairs on his body, but Paramatma does not have any trees on his body. So, this form, this Virat Purusha or Universal form is a step towards recognizing a Spiritual form of the Lord. So, the Lord has a form with hands and feet and eyes etc. but material things. So this is a step towards accepting the Spiritual form of the Lord.
In the 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks, ‘How can I meditate on you in this material world.’ Of course, this is a rather foolish question, because Arjuna can see the Spiritual form of Krishna. However, other people cannot see that Spiritual form. So then Krishna explains, you can meditate on things of this material world as representing the Lord. So, the lion has bravery among the animals, so you can think of the lion as representing the bravery of the Supreme Lord. So, by meditating on material objects with their unique qualities, we can infer Spiritual qualities in the Supreme Lord. So, in this way, the universal form is a form of the Lord made up of material things like rivers and trees and planets. All of these different elements in the body co-operate together to produce that body which is alive.
So, how does the river co-operate with the trees and the clouds and the air etc.? Because of the Supreme Lord. So this again is a way of explaining the power of the Lord. We often give the example just to make a flower or a pine cone or whatever, it takes intelligence. So then we infer intelligence is behind this, so this must be Supreme Lord. Of course, this is a material example. And we cannot compare the intelligence of the Lord with the intelligence to make a flower etc., that’s material intelligence. But if we want to become more technical, we say that all of these things were formed by the intelligence of Lord Brahma. But Brahma gets his intelligence from the Supreme Lord.
Of course, in Bhagavad Gita, after explaining all of this Universal form or Vibhutis, Krishna says that all of this has this one little spark of my powers. So, by seeing and appreciating things in this world and appreciating the Universal form, we can realize how much greater is the power and intelligence of Supreme Lord. Because He has an eternal Spiritual form with inconceivable powers, He can do the most remarkable things. And the wonders and intricacy of the material world is material and is nothing compared to what happens in the Spiritual world. In any case, we will find that this Universal form is described about six times in the Second and third cantos. So it is repeatedly explained just to convince materialistic people that behind the material world, there is this higher intelligence.
So, in order to explain the Lord, we often have to use material examples. And in fact, even if we are describing the Spiritual form of the Lord, we often refer to material things. So we say Krishna has Lotus eyes Or Lotus feet. Obviously, Krishna has nothing to do with material Lotuses. Or Krishna’s colour is the complexion of a dark rain cloud. So when we hear these words, then of course we will think of a rain cloud or a Lotus that we know about, which is material. However, these words are used in order to give us some idea of Supreme Lord with His beautiful form. And eventually, by meditating on the form of the Lord with these descriptions, we will develop Spiritual eyes and we will see the Spiritual form of the Lord with His Spiritual colour and Spiritual eyes.
If on the other hand we say, oh, this is nonsense, how can I compare Krishna to a rain cloud or a Lotus, that’s all material. So, let us meditate upon an entity with no material qualities at all. So such people can attain Brahman. And those who accept the form of the Lord, then they can realize that Spiritual form of the Lord. So, scripture itself uses words and we can say well, these are material words. However, scripture itself says, no, scripture is not material word at all, it is Spiritual word. So when we read descriptions of Krishna, He has Lotus eyes, complexion of a rain cloud etc., it is actually a Spiritual description but unfortunately because we have material experience, we will impose material conceptions of Lotus and rain cloud etc. But when we become purified and we develop our Spiritual eyes, then we will actually see Krishna’s eyes and His complexion as they really are.
So, we should distinguish between material descriptions like the Universal form or the vibhutis of the Lord and the actual forms of the Lord as described in the scriptures.
Hare Krsna!
Q & A :
1.) Maharaj, this meditating on virata rupa, is for the neophyte devotee, the question is that, although this form is material, can it give spiritual result ? Because it is for the neophyte, and how do people will start worshipping the spiritual form?
Yeah. So it is a meditation on a material form of the Lord. In that, they accept the form of the Lord, that is good. And that they’re accepting material elements in that form – not good.
So they can advance to the spiritual form of the Lord, if they’re not too attached to that form. And of course, if they get association of devotees who tell them that, this is a material form and better to go to the spiritual form. If they get too attached to that material form, it is something like worshipping devatas and getting material results.
2.) In that virata rupa also, in the virat form, the Paramatma is there, Paramatma, but which is spiritual, It’s not mentioned here.
So, of course, yes, Paramatma gives life to that form, but the immature yogis will meditate on that gross form as the main element. If they [Laughs] get interested in the Paramatma, then they can switch and meditate simply on Paramatma and reject that form. That’s better, higher yogi.
3.) Hare Krishna Maharaj. Maharaj, in the Gita, Krishna says, like Arjuna can see Krishna, which means he had spiritual eyes. Before showing universal form, Krishna tells Arjuna that he needs a special eye. Is that material eye?
Yeah. So, Vishwanath Chakravarti explains that he’s given divya cakshu to see that form. But obviously, Arjuna has spiritual eyes to see the spiritual form of Krishna. So, to give him divya cakshu to see the universal form, it cannot be something higher in vision. It has to be something lower. So, therefore, the word divya is used for swargaloka, we say celestial or whatever [Laughs], material [Laughs], higher, sattvaguna vision. So, with that vision, then he could appreciate the lower form, that is, the universal form.
Devotees: Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!!! HH Bhanu Swami Maharaj ki jai!!! His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!! Nitai Gaura premanande Hari Haribol!!!