SB 10.48.23 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

त्वयोदितोऽयं जगतो हिताय यदा यदा वेदपथ: पुराण: । बाध्येत पाषण्डपथैरसद्भ‍ि- स्तदा भवान् सत्त्वगुणं बिभर्ति ॥ २३ ॥

Verse text

tvayodito ’yaṁ jagato hitāya yadā yadā veda-pathaḥ purāṇaḥ bādhyeta pāṣaṇḍa-pathair asadbhis tadā bhavān sattva-guṇaṁ bibharti

Synonyms

tvayā — by You ; uditaḥ — enunciated ; ayam — this ; jagataḥ — of the universe ; hitāya — for the benefit ; yadā yadā — whenever ; veda — of the Vedic scriptures ; pathaḥ — the path (of religiousness) ; purāṇaḥ — ancient ; bādhyeta — is obstructed ; pāṣaṇḍa — of atheism ; pathaiḥ — by those who follow the path ; asadbhiḥ — wicked persons ; tadā — at that time ; bhavān — You ; sattva — guṇam — the pure mode of goodness ; bibharti — assume .

Translation

You originally enunciated the ancient religious path of the Vedas for the benefit of the whole universe. Whenever that path becomes obstructed by wicked persons following the path of atheism, You assume one of Your incarnations, which are all in the transcendental mode of goodness.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

You originally enunciated the ancient religious path of the Vedas for the benefit of the whole universe. Whenever that path becomes obstructed by wicked persons following the path of atheism, You assume one of Your incarnations, which are all in the transcendental mode of goodness. KB 10.48.23 “When people deviate from the original knowledge of the Vedas, they try to identify the ordinary living entities with Your Lordship, who have appeared on this earth in Your original form to reestablish the real knowledge that the living entities are neither one with nor equal to the Supreme God. My dear Lord, You are always situated in uncontaminated goodness (śuddha-sattva). Your appearance is necessary to reestablish actual Vedic knowledge, as opposed to the atheistic philosophy which tries to establish that God and the living entities are one and the same.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"Though you are involved in pastimes beyond the material modes, as described in the previous verses, whenever this ancient (puranah) path of dharma (veda patah) enunciated by you (tvaya udita) is disturbed by the demons, you appear in the universe to increase sattva guna, in order to maintain the righteous by protecting the path of dharma."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Protecting the Vedas, whose ultimate conclusion is bhakti, the Lord nourishes sattva-guṇa, the place which reveals the Vedas. The Vedas are spoken by you (uditaḥ). Because they are free from the four faults like bhrama the Vedas must be protected by you and serve as authoritative proof. They are not insignificant since they are without beginning (purāṇaḥ). Since you are anādi the Vedas make their appearance repeatedly from you without beginning. When the Vedas are greatly afflicted by materialists because of their indifference to them, with the absence of devotees who give respect to you, one or many devotees appear and you appear personally to protect the Vedas. You nourish the path of the Vedas by increasing sattva-guṇa.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

You appear because of our desires and to benefit the world you protect the path of the Vedas. It arises from you and necessarily should be protected by you as proof. It is not manufactured. It is without beginning (purāṇah). Since you are without beginning, the scriptures are without beginning. Or because of you the Vedas manifest in this world, since they are not written by any human. When the path is obstructed by materialistic persons (asadbhiḥ), who oppose you, you nourish sattva-guṇa. When those in ignorance destroy the correct path and become powerful in time, you, personally appearing in the world, nourish those in sattva.