daśame daśamaṠlakṣyam
ÄÅ›ritÄÅ›raya-vigraham
Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇÄkhyaá¹ paraá¹ dhÄma
jagad-dhÄma namÄmi tat
daÅ›ame - in the Tenth Canto; daÅ›amam - the tenth subject matter; laká¹£yam - to be seen; ÄÅ›rita - of the sheltered; ÄÅ›raya - of the shelter; vigraham - who is the form; Å›rÄ«-kṛṣṇa-Äkhyam - known as Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa; param - supreme; dhÄma - abode; jagat-dhÄma - the abode of the universes; namÄmi - I offer my obeisances; tat - to Him.
“ ‘The Tenth Canto of ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam reveals the tenth object, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the shelter of all surrendered souls. He is known as ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, and He is the ultimate source of all the universes. Let me offer my obeisances unto Him.’
This is a quotation from the BhÄvÄrtha-dÄ«pikÄ, ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmī’s commentary on ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (10.1.1). In the Tenth Canto of ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam there is a description of the ÄÅ›raya-tattva, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. There are two tattvas — ÄÅ›raya-tattva and ÄÅ›rita-tattva. Āśraya-tattva is the objective, and ÄÅ›rita-tattva is the subjective. Since the lotus feet of Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa are the shelter of all devotees, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa is called paraá¹ dhÄma. In the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (10.12) it is stated, paraá¹ brahma paraá¹ dhÄma pavitraá¹ paramaá¹ bhavÄn. Everything is resting under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. In ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (10.14.58) it is stated:
samÄÅ›ritÄ ye pada-pallava-plavaá¹
mahat-padaá¹ puṇya-yaÅ›o murÄreḥ
Under the lotus feet of ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa, the entire mahat-tattva is existing. Since everything is under ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa’s protection, ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa is called ÄÅ›raya-tattva. Everything else is called ÄÅ›rita-tattva. The material creation is also called ÄÅ›rita-tattva. Liberation from material bondage and the attainment of the spiritual platform are also ÄÅ›rita-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is the only ÄÅ›raya-tattva. In the beginning of the creation there are MahÄ-Viṣṇu, GarbhodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu and KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu. They are also ÄÅ›raya-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes (sarva-kÄraṇa-kÄraṇam). To understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly, one has to make an analytical study of ÄÅ›raya-tattva and ÄÅ›rita-tattva.
