SB 10.63.39

Devanāgarī

यथैव सूर्य: पिहितश्छायया स्वया छायां च रूपाणि च सञ्चकास्ति । एवं गुणेनापिहितो गुणांस्त्व- मात्मप्रदीपो गुणिनश्च भूमन् ॥ ३९ ॥

Text

yathaiva sūryaḥ pihitaś chāyayā svayā chāyāṁ ca rūpāṇi ca sañcakāsti evaṁ guṇenāpihito guṇāṁs tvam ātma-pradīpo guṇinaś ca bhūman

Synonyms

yathāeva—just as;sūryaḥ—the sun;pihitaḥ—covered;chāyayā—by the shade;svayā—its own;chāyām—the shade;ca—and;rūpāṇi—visible forms;ca—also;sañcakāsti—illuminates;evam—similarly;guṇena—by the material quality (of false ego);apihitaḥ—covered;guṇān—the qualities of matter;tvam—You;ātma-pradīpaḥ—self-luminous;guṇinaḥ—the possessors of these qualities (the living entities);ca—and;bhūman—O almighty one.

Translation

O almighty one, just as the sun, though hidden by a cloud, illuminates the cloud and all other visible forms as well, so You, although hidden by the material qualities, remain self-luminous and thus reveal all those qualities, along with the living entities who possess them.

Purport

Here Lord Śiva further clarifies the idea expressed in the final two lines of the previous verse. The analogy of the clouds and the sun is appropriate. With its energy the sun creates clouds, which cover our vision of the sun. Yet it is the sun that allows us to see the clouds and all other things as well. Similarly, the Lord expands His illusory potency and thus prevents us from directly seeing Him. Yet it is God alone who reveals to us His covering potency — namely, the material world — and thus the Lord is ātma-pradīpa, “self-luminous.” It is the reality of His existence that makes all things visible.

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