SB 3.18.20
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 20
- daityasya yajñāvayavasya māyā-
- gṛhīta-vārāha-tanor mahātmanaḥ
- kauravya mahyāṁ dviṣator vimardanaṁ
- didṛkṣur āgād ṛṣibhir vṛtaḥ svarāṭ
SYNONYMS
daityasya — of the demon; yajña-avayavasya — of the Personality of Godhead (of whose body yajña is a part); māyā — through His potency; gṛhīta — was assumed; vārāha — of a boar; tanoḥ — whose form; mahā-ātmanaḥ — of the Supreme Lord; kauravya — O Vidura (descendant of Kuru); mahyām — for the sake of the world; dviṣatoḥ — of the two enemies; vimardanam — the fight; didṛkṣuḥ — desirous to see; āgāt — came; ṛṣibhiḥ — by the sages; vṛtaḥ — accompanied; svarāṭ — Brahmā.
TRANSLATION
O descendant of Kuru, Brahmā, the most independent demigod of the universe, accompanied by his followers, came to see the terrible fight for the sake of the world between the demon and the Personality of Godhead, who appeared in the form of a boar.
PURPORT
The fight between the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the demon is compared to a fight between bulls for the sake of a cow. The earth planet is also called go, or cow. As bulls fight between themselves to ascertain who will have union with a cow, there is always a constant fight between the demons and the Supreme Lord or His representative for supremacy over the earth. Here the Lord is significantly described as yajñāvayava. One should not consider the Lord to have the body of an ordinary boar. He can assume any form, and He possesses all such forms eternally. It is from Him that all other forms have emanated. This boar form is not to be considered the form of an ordinary hog; His body is actually full of yajña, or worshipful offerings. Yajña (sacrifices) are offered to Viṣṇu. Yajña means the body of Viṣṇu. His body is not material; therefore He should not be taken to be an ordinary boar.
Brahmā is described in this verse as svarāṭ. Actually, full independence is exclusive to the Lord Himself, but as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, every living entity has a minute quantity of independence. Each and every one of the living entities within this universe has this minute independence, but Brahmā, being the chief of all living entities, has a greater potential of independence than any other. He is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and has been assigned to preside over universal affairs. All other demigods work for him; therefore he is described here as svarāṭ. He is always accompanied by great sages and transcendentalists, all of whom came to see the bullfight between the demon and the Lord.