Verse 2.2.178

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.178:

भगवांस् तु परं ब्रह्म परात्मा परमेश्वरः ।
सुसान्द्र-सच्-चिद्-आनन्द-विग्रहो महिमार्णवः ॥ १७८ ॥

bhagavāṃs tu paraṃ brahma parātmā parameśvaraḥ |
susāndra-sac-cid-ānanda-vigraho mahimārṇavaḥ || 178 ||

bhaga-vān–the Lord, possessor of six opulences in full; tu–rather; param brahma–the Supreme Spirit; para-ātmā–the Supersoul; paramaīśvaraḥ–the Supreme Controller; su-sāndra–sublime intense; satcit-ānanda–of eternality, cognizance, and felicity; vigrahaḥ–the form; mahimā-arṇavaḥ–an ocean of glories.

However, Śrī Bhagavān is Parabrahman (the Supreme Absolute Spirit), Paramātmā (the Supersoul), and Parameśvara (the Supreme Controller). His form is the concentrated essence of pure eternal reality, knowledge, and bliss, and He is an ocean of variegated glories.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Śrī Gopa-kumāra might ask, “How can one realize the true essence of happiness?”

In reply, the personified bhakti-śāstras say, “This is accomplished by the potency of bhagavad-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord in pure love.” This is explained in the four verses, beginning here with bhagavāṃs tu. “Śrī Bhagavān is the Supreme Spirit Parabrahman, and the Supersoul, Paramātmā. He is the controller of all, even of Brahmā, for He is the indwelling presiding Deity of the consciousness of all living beings. As the Lord of Śrī Vaikuṇṭha, His form is the ultimate embodiment of pure eternality, cognizance, and joy, and He is an ocean–a perpetual, boundlessly deep shelter–of myriad inconceivable astonishing splendors. In this way, the glorious Śrī Bhagavān is also sometimes addressed as Para, meaning ‘supreme,’ Brahman.

“For example, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.12): ‘paraṃ brahma paraṃ dhāma pavitraṃ paramaṃ bhavān–You are the Supreme Spirit and the ultimate abode. You alone are supremely pure.’ Generally, the words Brahman and Parabrahman are used in two ways. Parabrahman is used to mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, as in the phrase ‘parabrahma narākṛti–the Supreme Brahman in human form.’

Brahman is used to signify the Absolute Truth, ātma-tattva, as shown in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.87.1):

ब्रह्म ब्रह्मण्य् अनिर्देश्ये निर्गुणे गुण-वृत्तयः
कथं चरन्ति श्रुतयः साक्षात् सद्-असतः परे

brahma brahmaṇy anirdeśye nirguṇe guṇa-vṛttayaḥ
kathaṃ caranti śrutayaḥ sākṣāt sad-asataḥ pare

O brāhmaṇa, that which cannot be described directly is devoid of all material qualities (nirguṇa), beyond cause and effect, and untouched by the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. How will the Śrutis (Vedas) describe the nature of that Brahman that is devoid of material qualities?

“In addition, in the Bhagavad-gītā (14.27), Bhagavān personally states: ‘brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham–I am the basis of the all-cognizant Brahman.’ In other words, just as the concentrated embodiment of brilliance, the sun, is the source of the sunrays and illumination, similarly the concentrated embodiment of knowledge, Śrī Bhagavān, is the source of the all-cognizant Brahman.” In this last statement, only the word Brahman has been used. In some places, the adjective para (supreme) is used as a prefix, and the word becomes Parabrahman. This is to indicate an object that is even superior to Brahman. If Brahman who possesses a personal form is the object of reference, the adjective para is always used.