Adi-lila, Chapter 5 395

PURPORT

In the Ramanuja and Madhva sects of Vaisnavism there are extensive descriptions
of the sri, bhd and nild energies. In Bengal the ni/d energy is sometimes called the
liid energy. These three energies are employed in the service of four-handed Narayana
in Vaikuptha. Relating how three of the Alvaras, namely Bhuta-yogi, Sara-yogi and
Bhranta-yogi, saw Narayana in person when they took shelter at the house of a
brahmana in the village of Gehali, the Prapannamrta of the Sri-sampradaya describes
Narayana as follows:

tarksyadhiriidham tadid-ambudabharh
laksmi-dhararh vaksasi panikajaksam

hasta-dvaye Sobhita-Sanikha-cakram
visnum dadrsur bhagavantam Gdyam

ajanu-bahurm kamaniya-gatram
parsva-dvaye Sobhita-bhimi-nilam

pitambaram bhisana-bhisitangam
catur-bhujam candana-rusitangam

“They saw the lotus-eyed Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, mounted
on Garuda and holding Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, to His chest. He resembled
a bluish raincloud with flashing lightning, and in two of His four hands He held a
conchshell and disc. His arms stretched down to His knees, and all His beautiful
limbs were smeared with sandalwood and decorated with glittering ornaments.
He wore yellow clothes, and by either side stood His energies Bhami and Nila.”

There is the following reference to the Sr7, bhi and nild energies in the Sitopanisad:
mahd-laksmir devesasya bhinndbhinna-ripd cetandcetanadtmikd. sd devi tri-vidha
bhavati—Sakt y-Gtmana_iccha-Saktih kriyd-Saktih saksac-chaktir iti. iccha-Saktis tri-
vidhé bhavati—Sri-bhimi-nilatmika. ‘“Maha-Laksmi, the supreme energy of the
Lord, is experienced in different ways. It is divided into material and spiritual
potencies, and in both features it acts as the willing energy, creative energy and
the internal energy. The willing energy is again divided into three, namely $ri7, bha
and nild.”’

Quoting from the revealed scriptures in his commentary on Bhagavad-gita (4.6),
Madhvacarya has stated that mother material nature, which is conceived of as the
illusory energy, Durga, has three divisions, namely $r7, bha@ and nila. She is the
illusory energy for those who are weak in spiritual strength because such energies
are created energies of Lord Visnu. Although each energy has no direct relationship
with the unlimited, they are subordinate to the Lord because the Lord is the
master of all energies.

In his Bhagavat-sandarbha (verse 80) Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhu states: ‘The
Padma Purana refers to the eternally auspicious abode of Godhead, which is full in
all opulences, including the energies $r7, bhi and nila. The Mahd-samhitd, which
discusses the transcendental name and form of Godhead, also mentions Durga as
