SB 01.08.30 janma karma ca visvatmann... cited

Expressions researched:
"You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics" |"You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn" |"ajasyakartur atmanah" |"janma karma ca visvatmann" |"tad atyanta-vidambanam" |"tiryan-nrsisu yadahsu"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "1.8.30" or "You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics" or "You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn" or "ajasyakartur atmanah" or "janma karma ca visvatmann" or "tad atyanta-vidambanam" or "tiryan-nrsisu yadahsu"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.8.30, Translation and Purport:

Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.

Teachings of Queen Kuntī,

Chapter 13: The Vital Force of the Universe

The transcendental pastimes of the Lord are not only bewildering but also apparently contradictory. In other words, they are all inconceivable to the limited thinking power of the human being. The Lord is the all-prevailing Supersoul of all existence, and yet He appears in the form of a boar amongst the animals, in the form of a human being as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, etc., in the form of a ṛṣi like Nārāyaṇa, and in the form of an aquatic like a fish. Yet it is said that He is unborn, and He has nothing to do. In the śruti mantra it is said that the Supreme Brahman has nothing to do. No one is equal to or greater than Him. He has manifold energies, and everything is performed by Him perfectly by automatic knowledge, strength and activity. All these statements prove without any question that the Lord's activities, forms and deeds are all inconceivable to our limited thinking power, and because He is inconceivably powerful, everything is possible in Him. Therefore no one can calculate Him exactly; every action of the Lord is bewildering to the common man. He cannot be understood by the Vedic knowledge, but He can be easily understood by the pure devotees because they are intimately related with Him. The devotees therefore know that although He appears amongst the animals, He is not an animal, nor a man, nor a ṛṣi, nor a fish. He is eternally the Supreme Lord, in all circumstances.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Devotee:

janma karma ca viśvātmann

ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ

tiryaṅ-nṟṣiṣu yādaḥsu

tad atyanta-viḍambanam

(SB 1.8.30)

"Of course it is bewildering, O Soul of the Universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages, and aquatics. Verily this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as Viśvātman, the vital force of the universe. Just like in my body, in your body, that there is a vital force. The vital force is the ātmā, the living being, living entity or soul. So because the vital force, the soul is there, the whole body is working.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

So these activities are going on not only in the human society. The animal society also. Animal society, aquatic, because everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, sons. So they are rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa has a plan, a big plan to deliver them. Personally He comes. Sometimes He sends His very confidential devotee. Sometimes He comes Himself. Sometimes He leaves instructions like Bhagavad-gītā. The whole propaganda is going on. Therefore it is said here: tiryaṅ nṛ, tiryaṅ nṛ ṛṣiṣu. Everywhere Kṛṣṇa's incarnation is there. Yādaḥsu. Aquatics also.

Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as the Fish Incarnation. Tad atyanta-viḍambanam (SB 1.8.30). So Kṛṣṇa's disappearance and appearance, His taking birth, these are all bewildering. It is not that... We are forced to take birth. We are, we are , we living entities, conditioned souls, we are transmigrating from one body to another, being forced by the laws of nature. But Kṛṣṇa does not appear by being forced by the laws of nature. That is the difference. Therefore those who are foolish rascals, they think that: "I have taken my birth in this world and Kṛṣṇa has also taken. Therefore I am also God." They, they do not know that you have to take birth by the force of laws of nature. You have been given the chance of very nice body, beautiful body, as American boys and girls, educated, with opulence.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

Nitāi: "Of course, it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst the animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda:

janma karma ca viśvātmann

ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ

tiryaṅ-nṟṣiṣu yādaḥsu

tat atyanta-viḍambanam

(SB 1.8.30)

This viḍambanam word, the English translation is almost similar—"bewildering." Viḍambanam, "bewildering."

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

The pāpīs, they are very much expert in committing sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, this holy name, once chanted, is so powerful that this expert sinful man cannot commit so many sinful activities. This is there. So some way or other, if we offenselessly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa name, it is so powerful.

So here Kuntī says, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya. Aja means who never takes birth. Ajasya. Aja, the living entities, they are also aja, but sometimes the living entity, being attracted by the material energy, they come to this material world. Then their quality of aja, or not to take birth, becomes vanquished, because in the material world one has to take birth. But actually spirit soul, or the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa, they are aja.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

So if we simply understand Kṛṣṇa, as explained in the śāstras, sādhu-śāstra, or saintly persons, devotees, if we try to understand, then we become liberated. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). As it is said, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya akartur ātmanaḥ, viḍambanam. Viḍambanam. They are all bewildering, bewildering. Therefore, if one understands properly, then the result is that he becomes liberated. That means he gets full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Then he understands that Kṛṣṇa is everything. He's the origin of everything. Viśvātman. This is to be understood.