SB 1.5.37 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 37
Om namo bhagabate tubhyam vasudevaya dheemahi Pradyumnaya aniruddhyaya namah samk arshanaya cha
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Om—the sign of chanting transcendental glory of the Lord, Namo—offering obeisances unto the Lord, Bhagabate—unto the Personality of Godhead, Tubhyam—unto you, Vasudevaya—unto the Lord the son of Vasudeva, Dheemahi—let us chant, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samkarsha—all plenary expansions of Vasudeva.
TRANSLATION
Let us all chant the glories of the Vasudeva along with His plenary expansions Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Samkarshan.
PURPORT
According to Pancharatra, Narayana is the Primeval Cause of all expansions of Godhead. They are Vsudeva, Samkarsha, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Vasudeva and Samkarshan are in the middle left and right, Pradyumna is on the right of Samkarshana and Aniruddha is on the left of Vasudeva and thus the four deities are situated. They are known as the four aide-e-camp of Lord Sri Krishna.
This is a Vedic hymn or mantra beginning with Omkar pranava and as such the Mantra is established by the transcendental—chanting process namely Om Namo Dheemahi etc.
The purport is that any transaction, either in the field of fruitive work or emperic philosophy, which is not ultimately aimed at transcendental realisation of the Supreme Lord,—is considered as useless endeavours. Naradji has therefore explainded the nature of unalloyed devotional service by His personal experience in the development of intimacy between the Lord and the living entity by gradual process of progressive devotional activities. Such progressive march of transcendental devotion for the Lord culmiates in the attainment of loving service of the Lord which is called Prema in different transcendental variegatedness called Rasas (Mellows). Such devotional service is also executed in mixed forms namely mixed up with fruitive work or emperic philosophical speculations.
Now the question which was raised by the great Rishis headed by Sounaka about the confidential part of Suta's achievement through the spiritual masters,—is explained herein by chanting hymns consisting of thirty three letters. And this Mantra is addressed to the four deities or the Lord with His plenary expansions. The central figure is Lord Sri Krishna because the plenary portions are His aide-e-camps. The most confidential part of the instruction is that one should always chant and remember the glories of the Lord Shri Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead along with His different plenary portion expanded as Vasudeva Samkarshan Pradyumna and Anriruddha. These expansions are the original deities for all other truths namely either Vishnu Tatwa or Sakti Tatwas.