Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Brahma-samhitā 5.46

dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya

dīpāyate vivrita-hetu-samāna-dharmā

yas tādrig eva hi ca vishnutayā vibhāti

govindam ādi-purusham tam aham bhajāmi

SYNONYMS

dīpa-arcih — the flame of a lamp; eva — as; hi — certainly; daśā-antaram — another lamp; abhyupetya — expanding; dīpāyate — illuminates; vivrita-hetu — with its expanded cause; samāna-dharmā — equally powerful; yah — who; tādrik — similarly; eva — indeed; hi — certainly; ca — also; vishnutayā — by His expansion as Lord Vishnu; vibhāti — illuminates; govindam — Govinda; ādi-purusham — the original person; tam — Him; aham — I; bhajāmi — worship.

TRANSLATION

The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations.

PURPORT

The presiding Deities of Hari-dhāma, viz., Hari, Nārāyana, Vishnu, etc., the subjective portions of Krishna, are being described. The majestic manifestation of Krishna is Nārāyana, Lord of Vaikuntha, whose subjective portion is Kāranodakaśāyī Vishnu, the prime cause, whose portion is Garbhodakaśāyī. Kshīrodakaśāyī is again the subjective portion of Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu. The word "Vishnu" indicates all-pervading, omnipresent and omniscient personality. In this śloka the activities of the subjective portions of the Divinity are enunciated by the specification of the nature of Kshīrodakaśāyī Vishnu. The personality of Vishnu, the embodied form of the manifestive quality (sattva-guna) is quite distinct from that of Śambhu who is adulterated with mundane qualities. Vishnu's subjective personality is on a level with that of Govinda. Both consist of the unadulterated substantive principle. Vishnu in the form of the manifest causal principle is identical with Govinda as regards quality. The manifestive quality (sattva-guna) that is found to exist in the triple mundane quality, is an adulterated entity. being alloyed with the qualities of mundane activity and inertia. Brahmā is the dislocated portion of the Divinity. manifested in the principle of mundane action, endowed with the functional nature of His subjective portion; and Śambhu is the dislocated portion of the Divinity manifested in the principle of mundane inertia possessing similarly the functional nature of His subjective portion. The reason for their being dislocated portions is that the two principles of mundane action and inertia being altogether wanting in the spiritual essence any entities, that are manifested in them, are located at a great distance from the Divinity Himself or His facsimiles. Although the mundane manifestive quality is of the adulterated kind, Vishnu, the manifestation of the Divinity in the mundane manifestive quality. makes His appearance in the unadulterated manifestive principle which is a constituent of the mundane manifestive quality. Hence Vishnu is the full subjective portion and belongs to the category of the superior īśvaras. He is the Lord of the deluding potency and not alloyed with her. Vishnu is the agent of Govinda's own subjective nature in the form of the prime cause. All the majestic attributes of Govinda, aggregating sixty in number, are fully present in His majestic manifestation, Nārāyana. Brahmā and Śiva are entities adulterated with mundane qualities. Though Vishnu is also divine appearance in mundane quality (guna-avatāra), still He is not adulterated. The appearance of Nārāyana in the form of Mahā-Vishnu, the appearance of Mahā-Vishnu in the form of Garbhodakaśāyī and the appearance of Vishnu in the form of Kshīrodakaśāyī, are examples of the ubiquitous function of the Divinity. Vishnu is Godhead Himself, and the two other guna-avatāras and all the other gods are entities possessing authority in subordination to Him. From the subjective majestic manifestation of the supreme self-luminous Govinda emanate Kāranodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī, Kshīrodakaśāyī and all other derivative subjective divine descents (avatāras) such as Rāma, etc., analogous to communicated light appearing in different candles, shining by the operation of the spiritual potency of Govinda.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness