Devanagari
वयांसि तद्व्याकरणं विचित्रं
मनुर्मनीषा मनुजो निवास: ।
गन्धर्वविद्याधरचारणाप्सर:
स्वरस्मृतीरसुरानीकवीर्य: ॥ ३६ ॥
Verse text
vayāṁsi tad-vyākaraṇaṁ vicitraṁ
manur manīṣā manujo nivāsaḥ
gandharva-vidyādhara-cāraṇāpsaraḥ
svara-smṛtīr asurānīka-vīryaḥ
Synonyms
vayāṁsi
—
varieties of birds
;
tat
—
vyākaraṇam — vocables
;
vicitram
—
artistic
;
manuḥ
—
the father of mankind
;
manīṣā
—
thoughts
;
manujaḥ
—
mankind (the sons of Manu)
;
nivāsaḥ
—
residence
;
gandharva
—
the human beings named Gandharvas
;
vidyādhara
—
the Vidyādharas
;
cāraṇa
—
the Cāraṇas
;
apsaraḥ
—
the angels
;
svara
—
musical rhythm
;
smṛtīḥ
—
remembrance
;
asura
—
anīka — the demoniac soldiers
;
vīryaḥ
—
prowess .
Translation
Varieties of birds are indications of His masterful artistic sense. Manu, the father of mankind, is the emblem of His standard intelligence, and humanity is His residence. The celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, Cāraṇas and angels, all represent His musical rhythm, and the demoniac soldiers are representations of His wonderful prowess.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The birds are his skill in crafts. Manu is his deliberating intelligence. Humans are his house. The Gandharvas, Vidyādharas and Apsarās are his musical ability. The armies of demons are his prowess.
Purport
The aesthetic sense of the Lord is manifested in the artistic, colorful creation of varieties of birds like the peacock, parrot and cuckoo. The celestial species of human beings, like the Gandharvas and Vidyādharas, can sing wonderfully and can entice even the minds of the heavenly demigods. Their musical rhythm represents the musical sense of the Lord. How then can He be impersonal? His musical taste, artistic sense and standard intelligence, which is never fallible, are different signs of His supreme personality. The
Manu-saṁhitā
is the standard lawbook for humanity, and every human being is advised to follow this great book of social knowledge. Human society is the residential quarters for the Lord. This means that the human being is meant for God realization and association with God. This life is a chance for the conditioned soul to regain his eternal God consciousness and thus fulfill the mission of life. Mahārāja Prahlāda is the right type of representative of the Lord in the family of
asuras.
None of the living beings is away from the Lord’s gigantic body. Each and every one has a particular duty in relation to the supreme body. Disruption in the matter of discharging the specific duty assigned to each and every living being is the cause of disharmony between one living being and another, but when the relation is reestablished in relation with the Supreme Lord, there is complete unity between all living beings, even up to the limit of the wild animals and human society. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed this living unity in the jungle of Madhya Pradesh, where even the tigers, elephants and many other ferocious animals perfectly cooperated in glorifying the Supreme Lord. That is the way to peace and amity all over the world.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The birds (vayāṁsi) are his transformation. This refers to transformations in name and form according to the śruti. This means his skill in craftsmanship.
yena śuklīkṛtā haṁsāḥ śukāś ca haritīkṛtāḥ |
mayūrāś citritā yena sa te vṛttiṁ vidhāsyati || iti |
The swans are white, the parrots are green, the peacocks are variegated in color. The Lord made their nature in this way.
Manu is his intelligence which deliberates (manīṣā). Man (manujaḥ) is his house, because the śruti says puruṣatve cāvistarām ātmā: the Lord resides in the humans in a manifest way. Gandharva-vidyādhara-cāraṇāpsaraḥ can be considered one dvandva compound. Svara refers to the seven notes of the scale. Memory is Prahlāda (if the version is asurānīka-varyaḥ). Otherwise asurānīka-vīryaḥ means “the armies of the demons are his prowess.”