Catur Sloki of Srimad Bhagavatam - The Four Essential verses of the Bhagavata Purana
These were Brahmā’s questions:
(1) What are the forms of the Lord both in matter and in transcendence?
(2) How are the different energies of the Lord working?
(3) How does the Lord play with His different energies?
(4) How may Brahmā be instructed to discharge the duty entrusted to Him?
(From the purport of SB 2.9.31)
“The essence of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam — our relationship with the Supreme Lord, our activities in that connection and the goal of life — is manifest in the four verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam known as the catuḥ-ślokī. Everything is explained in those verses. (From CC Madhya 25.102)
अहमेवासमेवाग्रे नान्यद् यत् सदसत् परम् ।
पश्चादहं यदेतच्च योऽवशिष्येत सोऽस्म्यहम् ॥ ३३ ॥
aham evāsam evāgre
nānyad yat sad-asat param
paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca
yo ’vaśiṣyeta so ’smy aham
Synonyms
aham — I, the Personality of Godhead; eva — certainly; āsam — existed; eva — only; agre — before the creation; na — never; anyat — anything else; yat — all those; sat — the effect; asat — the cause; param — the supreme; paścāt — at the end; aham — I, the Personality of Godhead; yat — all these; etat — creation; ca — also; yaḥ — everything; avaśiṣyeta — remains; saḥ — that; asmi — I am; aham — I, the Personality of Godhead.
Translation
Brahmā, it is I, the Personality of Godhead, who was existing before the creation, when there was nothing but Myself. Nor was there the material nature, the cause of this creation. That which you see now is also I, the Personality of Godhead, and after annihilation what remains will also be I, the Personality of Godhead.
ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि ।
तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाभासो यथा तम: ॥ ३४ ॥
ṛte ’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta
na pratīyeta cātmani
tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ
yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ
Synonyms
ṛte — without; artham — value; yat — that which; pratīyeta — appears to be; na — not; pratīyeta — appears to be; ca — and; ātmani — in relation to Me; tat — that; vidyāt — you must know; ātmanaḥ — My; māyām — illusory energy; yathā — just as; ābhāsaḥ — the reflection; yathā — as; tamaḥ — the darkness.
Translation
O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.
यथा महान्ति भूतानि भूतेषूच्चावचेष्वनु ।
प्रविष्टान्यप्रविष्टानि तथा तेषु न तेष्वहम् ॥ ३५ ॥
yathā mahānti bhūtāni
bhūteṣūccāvaceṣv anu
praviṣṭāny apraviṣṭāni
tathā teṣu na teṣv aham
Synonyms
yathā — just as; mahānti — the universal; bhūtāni — elements; bhūteṣu ucca-avaceṣu — in the minute and gigantic; anu — after; praviṣṭāni — entered; apraviṣṭāni — not entered; tathā — so; teṣu — in them; na — not; teṣu — in them; aham — Myself.
Translation
O Brahmā, please know that the universal elements enter into the cosmos and at the same time do not enter into the cosmos; similarly, I Myself also exist within everything created, and at the same time I am outside of everything.
एतावदेव जिज्ञास्यं तत्त्वजिज्ञासुनात्मन: ।
अन्वयव्यतिरेकाभ्यां यत् स्यात् सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ ३६ ॥
etāvad eva jijñāsyaṁ
tattva-jijñāsunātmanaḥ
anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṁ
yat syāt sarvatra sarvadā
Synonyms
etāvat — up to this; eva — certainly; jijñāsyam — is to be inquired; tattva — the Absolute Truth; jijñāsunā — by the student; ātmanaḥ — of the Self; anvaya — directly; vyatirekābhyām — indirectly; yat — whatever; syāt — it may be; sarvatra — in all space and time; sarvadā — in all circumstances.
Translation
A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.
Please also study Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter 25 from text 91 and onwards
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