Devanagari
यस्याखिलामीवहभि: सुमङ्गलै-
र्वाचो विमिश्रा गुणकर्मजन्मभि: ।
प्राणन्ति शुम्भन्ति पुनन्ति वै जगत्
यास्तद्विरक्ता: शवशोभना मता: ॥ १२ ॥
Verse text
yasyākhilāmīva-habhiḥ su-maṅgalaiḥ
vāco vimiśrā guṇa-karma-janmabhiḥ
prāṇanti śumbhanti punanti vai jagat
yās tad-viraktāḥ śava-śobhanā matāḥ
Synonyms
yasya
—
of whom
;
akhila
—
all
;
amīva
—
sins
;
habhiḥ
—
which destroy
;
su
—
maṅgalaiḥ — most auspicious
;
vācaḥ
—
words
;
vimiśrāḥ
—
joined
;
guṇa
—
with the qualities
;
karma
—
activities
;
janmabhiḥ
—
and incarnations
;
prāṇanti
—
they give life
;
śumbhanti
—
make beautiful
;
punanti
—
and purify
;
vai
—
indeed
;
jagat
—
the entire universe
;
yāḥ
—
which (words)
;
tat
—
of these
;
viraktāḥ
—
devoid
;
śava
—
of a corpse
;
śobhanāḥ
—
(like) the decorating
;
matāḥ
—
considered .
Translation
All sins are destroyed and all good fortune is created by the Supreme Lord’s qualities, activities and appearances, and words that describe these three things animate, beautify and purify the world. On the other hand, words bereft of His glories are like the decorations on a corpse.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
All sins are destroyed and all good fortune is created by the Supreme Lord's qualities, activities and appearances, and words that describe these three things animate, beautify and purify the world. On the other hand, words bereft of His glories are like the decorations on a corpse.
KB 10.38.12
Akrūra also considered the necessity of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. He thought that the transcendental activities, instructions, qualities and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are all for the good fortune of people in general. The people can remain constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by discussing the Lord’s transcendental form, qualities, pastimes and paraphernalia. By doing so, the whole universe can actually live auspiciously and advance peacefully. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, civilization is but a decorated dead body. A dead body may be decorated very nicely, but without consciousness such decorations are useless. Human society without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is useless and lifeless.
Purport
Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī brings up the following possible objection: How can one who is devoid of ordinary ego, who is fully self-satisfied, engage in pastimes? The answer is given here. Lord Kṛṣṇa acts on the pure, spiritual platform for the pleasure of His loving devotees, not for any kind of mundane gratification.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Glorification of the Lord delivers the world.
Topics of the Lord’s birth, qualities and activities, composed poetically, which destroy the sins of all people, give life to the reciter and listener, endow the person with good qualities such as mercy and freedom from illusion, and purify the person, freeing him from the fault of ignorance. On the other hand, those words, though decorated with ornaments and qualities, if devoid of the Lord’s qualities, activities and birth, are simply like a dead body with ornaments.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Having stated that realizing Paramātmā is difficult, Akrūra now criticizes the materialists who do accept the Lord who appears as various līlāvatāras for creating auspiciousness, even though he is easily attained. Words which describe (vimiśritāḥ) the Lord’s qualities, activities and birth give life to the universe. Without those words one is as if dead, like a bellows. (SB 2.3.18) Just by a relationship those words first make life fruitful. Then the words produce beauty in that person by revelation of the Lord’s qualities.
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ
The devatās constantly dwell with all good qualities in that person who has pure bhakti for the Lord. There are no good qualities in the non-devotee who chases after temporary material objects with desire for material pleasure. SB 5.18.12
Then the words purify everyone by destruction of bad desires including the desire for liberation. People develop the qualities of those words. The words purify the universe. This indicates no qualification is necessary. Anyone becomes purified. This is famous (vai). This happens because of the nature of the qualities, actions and birth of the Lord: they are auspicious—destroying all suffering and bestowing all the best qualities-- and destroy all sins. Words completely devoid of the Lord’s topics (viriktāḥ) are like corpses even though they may be ornamented. The corpse is useless, unable to give life to another being since it cannot produce sons; without any beauty since its very condition is so miserable; and completely impure by its nature, unable to purify others. Śrīdhara Svāmī accepts the version with viraktāḥ instead of viriktāḥ. That is a common version. This means attached (to material things). Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the Lord gives mercy to others, not the ātmārāmas, so they can see the pastimes. With that in mind, Akrūra speaks this verse. Though Kṛṣṇa appeared in that particular manner because he was attached to the people of Vraja because of their special prema, Akrūra felt the Lord would not reveal himself to him because of his lack of that prema.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Words mixed with his birth and activities destroy unlimited sins and vāsanas (amīvahabhiḥ). Thus all suffering is destroyed. This also generated the greatest piety (sumaṅgalaiḥ). By this the highest happiness is achieved. Su indicates that it is indestructible. Even if the talks are material or are mundane poetry, if mixed (vimiśrā) with some topics of the Lord, they have good effect. What to speak off the topics of the Lord unmixed with other topics. The affix vi indicates the mixture is deficient or totally mixed. Activities refers to killing Pūtanā etc. Birth indicates his appearance is included among the birth of the various avatāras. These topics give life to the world, since after birth, the forms of the Lord manifest. If living beings are devoid of auspicious qualities they are almost dead. These topics thus give beauty to the world. There is no auspiciousness in the presence of bad vāsanas or the desire for liberation. These words purify the universe, destroying the bad vāsanas. There is no qualification necessary. The words affect the whole world. Vai indicates all or means well known. Topics like the story of Ajāmila are meant.
Words completely devoid of the Lord are useless. If there is even a little inclusion of the Lord’s topics it becomes auspicious. Another version has viviktāḥ.
Another meaning is this. What can be said? He shows such great mercy to the jīvas. Lifeless words, though pleasing, if somehow related to the Lord’s birth and activities, become full of life
and most excellent. Those words bring the universe to life and make it devoid of ahaṅkāra, or make it glorious (śumbhanti). Those words even purify the universe. Corpses have no life, no auspiciousness or beauty and cannot purify anything. Words devoid of the Lord are worse than that. They are not auspicious, and by inspiring sinful acts, they take away life. This is what generally happens. The glory of the Lord’s topics remains everywhere.