Govindam ädi-purusam tam aham bhajämi
Yogis, desiring to attain the Supreme Absolute Truth, that lies beyond the realm of contemplation, follow the path of strictly regulating the breathing process. Sages who advocate the philosophy of the formless absolute follow the path of philosophical discussion to ascertain the formless, impersonal Brahman by the process of gradually eliminating the unreal. After pursuing these paths for hundreds of millions of years, they may reach only as far as the tips of the toes of His lotus feet. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
Potency and the possessor of potency are one undifferentiated principle. The potency by which billions of universes are created is situated inseparably within Him. All the universes are situated within Bhagavän, and by the influence of His inconceivable potency, Bhagavän is also fully present in every atom of all the universes. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
I worship the original personality, Govinda. Those human beings whose hearts are enthused with ecstatic devotion for Him attain their respective forms, seats, conveyances and ornaments, in accordance with their individual moods, and they glorify Him through the hymns renowned in the Vedas.
Govinda, who is all-pervading and who exists within the hearts of all, resides in His Goloka along with Rädhä, who is the embodiment of His pleasure potency and the counterpart of His own spiritual form. She is the epitome of transcendental rasa, and is expert in sixtyfour arts. They are also accompanied by the sakhis, who are expansions of Rädhä’s own transcendental body, and who are infused with blissful, spiritual rasa. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
Saintly persons whose eyes of devotion are smeared with the salve of love always behold Krsna within their hearts as Syämasundara, the embodiment of inconceivable qualities. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
I worship the original personality, Govinda, who manifests Himself in the material world as Rämachandra and many other incarnations who are His plenary portions and sub-portions, and who personally appears in the form of Krsna.
I worship the original personality, Govinda. The nondifferentiated, impersonal Brahman that has been described by the Upaniñads has originated from the radiance of His limbs. That effulgence is distinct from the majestic opulence of billions of worlds such as the Earth planet which comprise the mundane realm, and is perceived as the indivisible, unlimited, endless principle of truth.
Mäyä consists of the three material qualities of goodness, passion and ignorance and is His inferior energy. She propagates the Vedic knowledge that pertains to the material universe. I worship the original personality Govinda, who is the shelter of that mäyä, though His own existence is the embodiment of pure goodness untinged by passion and ignorance.
When living entities remember Govinda, He is reflected in their pure hearts, appearing in His original form, which is surcharged with blissful transcendental mellows. This form is the embodiment of the most resplendent, transcendental amorous rasa, which churns the heart of the god of love, Cupid himself, although he churns others’ hearts. Through His pastimes, Govinda is ever victorious over the three worlds. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
Devi-dhäma, the material world, consists of fourteen planetary systems. Above this lies Mahesa-dhäma, above that Hari-dhäma, and above all lies Goloka, the abode of Govinda. I worship the original personality Govinda, who regulates the characteristic influence pertaining to each individual abode.
The shadow of the transcendental potency is that great potency who creates, maintains and annihilates the material universe. She is worshiped throughout the world as Durgä. I worship the original personality, Govinda, in accordance with whose desire Durgä conducts her every endeavor.
Govinda attains the form of Sambhu to perform a specific function, just as milk is transformed into yogurt by contact with a particular transforming agent, although yogurt is not a different substance, independent of milk, which is its cause. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
I worship the original personality, Govinda.
Just as when the flame of one lamp is transmitted to another lamp, the second lamp illuminates in the same manner as the original flame, although it exists separately, so does Govinda accept the form of Mahä-Visnu reclining on the Causal Ocean. That Mahä-Visnu is the source of all the Visnu expansions and incarnations in this world.
I worship that original personality, Govinda. Having assumed His own most excellent form, Sesa, the embodiment of the all-accommodating potency, He enjoys mystic slumber while reclining in the Causal Ocean with innumerable universes within every hair-pore of His skin.
The lords of the universes, such as Brahmä, who emanate from the hair-pores of Mahä-Visnu’s skin, remain alive only for the duration of His one exhalation. I worship the original personality, Govinda, of whom Mahä-Visnu is a portion of a portion.
Just as the sun manifests his potency to a minute degree within jewels such as sürya-känta, and invests them with the power to burn, similarly Govinda also infuses His creative potency within the secondary creator of the universe, Brahmä. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
In order to obtain the power required to remove all the obstacles within the three worlds, Ganesa, the bestower of success, always holds the divine lotus feet of Govinda upon the pair of cranial mounds protruding from his elephant head. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
The three worlds have been created from nine elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, space, the directions, time, the mind and soul. I worship the original personality, Govinda, from whom the elements have originated, in whom they are situated after their manifestation, and into whom they enter at the time of the cosmic annihilation.
Sürya, the predominating deity of the sun, is the king of all the planets, and is likened to the eye of this world. I worship the original personality, Govinda, upon whose order the sun travels in his regular orbit, having mounted the wheel of time.
I worship that original personality, Govinda, whose power of endowment alone manifests the respective potencies in the principles of religious conduct, sinful activities, the Vedas, various austerities and all living entities from Brahmä down to the most insignificant insect.
Govinda impartially bestows the fruits of reaction upon all living entities who are wandering on the path of karma, from the insignificant indragopa insect to Indra, the monarch of the demigods, according to the bondage accrued from their respective individual actions.
Those who contemplate Him with feelings of lust, anger, the natural intimacy of friendship, fear, parental affection, bewilderment, reverence and servitude, attain bodies with various degrees of beauty and qualities corresponding to their individual meditations. I worship that original personality, Govinda.
I worship that supreme abode of Svetadvipa, where the beloved heroines are a host of transcendental goddesses of fortune, and the Supreme Personality Krsna is the only lover; where all the trees are spiritual desire-trees, and the earth is made of transcendental wish-fulfilling cintämani jewels; where the water is nectar, natural speaking is a melodious song, and walking to and fro is an artful dance; where the flute is the dearmost friend; where light is full of knowledge and bliss, and the supreme spiritual substance that comprises all things is relishable; where a vast transcendental ocean of milk is always flowing from millions upon millions of surabhi cows; and where time is not subject to passing away, even for half the blink of an eye, because it is not divided into past and future, but remains in the undivided eternal present. That divine abode, which is practically unknown in this world, is known by the name of Goloka to only a few, rare sädhus.
On hearing this prayer, which contains so many essential truths, Sri Krsna said to Brahmä, “O Brahmä! if you desire to create progeny by employing the transcendental realization of My glories, then My dear child, I will bestow upon you this knowledge, contained in five verses. You should take it up in practice.”
Krsna Uvaca: "When one realizes the transcendental subject through knowledge, and through devotion whose goal is affection for Krsna, there is an awakening of love for the GOD. That love is characterized by extremely elevated devotion in the form of transcendental rasa in relation to Krsna. One may attain incessant realization of one’s constitutional identity by continuously observing the codes of appropriate behavior, and by practicing the sädhana-bhajana prescribed by the authentic scriptures. Understanding oneself to be under the shelter of the Lord, one may offer oneself fully at His lotus feet. A sädhaka who does so attains highest-devotion. Love & devotion is the aim and object of life, and there is nothing more auspicious than this. The platform of supreme bliss is attained only through prema-bhakti. This prema-bhakti, which leads to Me, is only achieved through practice. O Brahmä! abandon all varieties of dharma and engage exclusively in My worship with unwavering determination and faith. Perfection is attained according to one’s faith. Human beings in this world are continuously engaged in occupational duties. They should desire to attain love & devotion by being absorbed in thoughts of Me through the performance of their respective duties. O Brahmä! listen to Me. I alone am the seed and the root principle of this universe of moving and non-moving entities. Only I am the unmanifest aggregate of the material elements. Only I am the predominated (prakrti) as well as the predominator (purusa). The brahminical power that is concealed within you has been given by Me. Therefore, employ this power in creating the universe of animate and inanimate entities."
