Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.1.34
Āśraya· The supreme shelterThe Lord’s Expansions Share His Potency
“May I inquire whether Aniruddha is doing well? He is the fulfiller of all the desires of the pure devotees and has been considered from yore to be the cause of the Ṛg Veda, the creator of the mind and the fourth plenary expansion of Viṣṇu.”
What the purport teaches
- Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are the original expansions from Baladeva. All are viṣṇu-tattvas, nondifferent Personalities of Godhead.
- Aniruddha fulfills the desires of pure devotees and is the creator of the mind. He is also the cause of Mahā-Viṣṇu, from whose breathing the Ṛg Veda appeared.
- The original Lord Kṛṣṇa never leaves Goloka Vṛndāvana. All His plenary expansions are the same viṣṇu-tattva, with no difference in Their potency.
Try this today
Write down the four expansions named in the purport and note that They are nondifferent Personalities of Godhead.
Ask yourself
How does knowing that the Lord’s expansions share His potency deepen my understanding of Him?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.