SB 1.7.23

Synonyms

[Because Kṛṣṇa is the destroyer of saṁsāra, which is effected by māyā, His intrinsic potency must be distinct from māyā (māyā-hetukāyāḥ saṁsṛter nāśakatvena māyāto vilakṣanāṁ śaktim). This is shown in the present verse (darśayati tvam iti).⁹⁶]; tvam — You [are]; ādyaḥ — the Original Cause [kāraṇam⁹⁷]; sākṣāt puruṣaḥ — directly the Supreme Personal Transcendent [sākṣāt puruṣo bhagavān]; īśvaraḥ — [and] the Supreme Immanent Self [antaryāmy ākhyaḥ puruṣaḥ]; [who, in both of these manifestations (tad evam ubhayasmin api prakāśe)]; paraḥ — are beyond; prakṛteḥ — material nature [meaning that You have no contact with it (tad-asaṅgī)]; [So, by what medium is the experiential condition of transcending prakṛti actually effected even for Bhagavān, who is permanently established in the bliss of unalloyed experience, by which His ontological status of being Bhagavān is also defined? (nanu kathaṁ kevalānubhavānandasyāpi tad-anubhavitvaṁ yato bhagavatvam api lakṣyate). And how, in spite of being Īśvara and thus the Regulator of prakṛti, does He remain devoid of contact with it? (kathaṁ veśvaratvāt prakṛty adhiṣṭhātṛtve’pi tad-asaṅgitvaṁ). These questions are answered in the second line of the verse (tatrāha māyāṁ vyudasyeti)⁹⁸]; cit-śaktyā — by dint of Your ever-present intrinsic conscious potency [avyabhicāriṇyā svarūpa-śaktyā]; vyudasya — You have cast far aside [dūre vidhāya]; māyām — the shadow potency [tām ābhāsa-śaktim]; sthitaḥ — [and] are permanently situated in [or united with (saṅgitaḥ)]; ātmani — Your own Self [Your own essential being (svarūpe)]; kaivalye — which is of the nature of the bliss of unalloyed experience, known as kaivalya [(kaivalyākhye kevalānubhavānande), meaning that You are situated in the bliss of the experience of Your own Self (anubhūta-svarūpa-sukhe sthitaḥ ity arthaḥ)].

Translation