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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the
inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
PURPORT
Unlike the miscreants, these are adhere nts of the regulative principles of
the scriptures, and they are called sukåtinaù,  or those who obey the rules and
regulations of scriptures, the moral an d social laws, and are, more or less,
devoted to the Supreme Lo rd. Out of these there are four classes of
men—those who are sometimes distressed, those who are in need of money,
those who are sometimes inquisitive, and those who are sometimes searching
after knowledge of the Absolute Tr uth. These persons come to the S upreme
Lord for devotional service under different conditions. These are not pure
devotees, because they have some aspi ration to fulfill in exchange for
devotional service. Pure devotional service is without aspiration and without
desire for material profi t. The Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu  (1.1.11 ) defines pure
devotion thus:
anyäbhiläñitä-çünyaà
jïäna-karmädy-anävåtam
änukülyena kåñëänu-
çélanaà bhaktir uttamä
 [Madhya 19.167 ]
“One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord
Kåñëa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive
activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.”
When these four kinds of persons come  to the Supreme Lord for devotional
service and are completely purified by the association of a pure devotee, they
also become pure devotees. As far as the miscreants are concerned, for them
devotional service is very d ifficult because their lives are selfish, irregular and
without spiritual goals. But even some of them, by chance, when they come in
contact with a pure devotee, also become pure devotees.
Those who are always busy with fruiti ve activities come to the Lord in


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.material distress and at that time associate with pure devotees and become, in
their distress, devotees of the Lord. Th ose who are simply frustrated also come
sometimes to associate wit h the pure devotees and become inquisitive to know
about God. Similarly, when the dry philos ophers are frustrated in every field of
knowledge, they sometimes want to le arn of God, and they come to the
Supreme Lord to render devotional service and thus tran scend knowledge of
the impersonal Brahman and the loca lized Paramätmä and come to the
personal conception of Godhead by the grace of the Supreme Lord or His pure
devotee. On the whole, when the dist ressed, the inquisitive, the seekers of
knowledge, and tho se who are in need of money are free from all material
desires, and when they fully understa nd that material remuneration has
nothing to do with spiritual improvemen t, they become pure devotees. As long
as such a purified stage is not attained, devotees in  transcendental service to
the Lord are tainted with fruitive activities, the search for mundane
knowledge, etc. So one has to transcen d all this before one can come to the
stage of pure devotional service.
TEXT  17
Taeza& jaNaq iNaTYaYau¢- Wk->ai¢-ivRiXaZYaTae )
iPa[Yaae ih jaiNaNaae_TYaQaRMah& Sa c MaMa iPa[Ya" )) 17 ))
teñäà jïäné nitya-yukta
eka-bhaktir viçiñyate
priyo hi jïänino ’tyartham
ahaà sa ca mama priyaù
SYNONYMS
teñäm —out of them; jïäné —one in full knowledge; nitya-yuktaù —always
engaged; eka—only; bhaktiù —in devotional service; viçiñyate —is special;
priyaù —very dear; hi—certainly; jïäninaù —to the person in knowledge;
atyartham —highly; aham —I am; saù—he; ca—also; mama—to Me;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.priyaù —dear.
TRANSLATION
Of these, the one who is in full kn owledge and who is always engaged in
pure devotional service is the best. For I am  very dear to him, and he is dear to
Me.
PURPORT
Free from all contaminations of mate rial desires, the distressed, the
inquisitive, the penniless and the seeker after supreme knowledge can all
become pure devotees. But out of th em, he who is in knowledge of the
Absolute Truth and free from all material d esires becomes a really pure
devotee of the Lord. And of the four  orders, the devotee who is in full
knowledge and is at the same time enga ged in devotional service is, the Lord
says, the best. By searching after knowledge one realizes that his self is
different from his material body, and wh en further advanced he comes to the
knowledge of impersonal Brahman and Pa ramätmä. When one is fully purified,
he realizes that his constitutional positi on is to be the eternal servant of God.
So by association with pur e devotees the inquisitive, the distressed, the seeker
after material amelioration and the ma n in knowledge all become themselves
pure. But in the preparatory stage, th e man who is in full knowledge of the
Supreme Lord and is at the same time executing dev otional service is very dear
to the Lord. He who is situated in pure  knowledge of the transcendence of the
Supreme Personality of God is so protec ted in devotional service that material
contamination cannot touch him.
TEXT  18
odara" SavR WvETae jaNaq TvaTMaEv Mae MaTaMa( )
AaiSQaTa" Sa ih Yau¢-aTMaa MaaMaevaNautaMaa& GaiTaMa( )) 18 ))
udäräù sarva evaite


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.jïäné tv ätmaiva me matam
ästhitaù sa hi yuktätmä
mäm evänuttamäà gatim
SYNONYMS
udäräù —magnanimous; sarve —all; eva—certainly; ete—these; jïäné —one
who is in knowledge; tu—but; ätmä eva —just like Myself; me—My;
matam —opinion; ästhitaù —situated; saù—he; hi—certainly;
yukta-ätmä —engaged in devotional service; mäm —in Me; eva—certainly;
anuttamäm —the highest; gatim —destination.
TRANSLATION
All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is
situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being
engaged in My transcendental service, he  is sure to attain Me, the highest and
most perfect goal.
PURPORT
It is not that devotees who are less complete in knowledge are not dear to
the Lord. The Lord says that all are magnanimous because anyone who comes
to the Lord for any purpose is called a mahätmä,  or great soul. The devotees
who want some benefit out of d evotional service are accepted by the Lord
because there is an exchange of affect ion. Out of affection they ask the Lord
for some material benefit, and when they get it they become so satisfied that
they also advance in devotional service. But the devotee in full knowledge is
considered to be very dear to the Lord because his only purpose is to serve the
Supreme Lord with love and devotion . Such a devotee cannot live a second
without contacting or serving the Supr eme Lord. Similarly, the Supreme Lord
is ver y fond of His devotee and cannot be separated from him.
In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (9.4.68 ), the Lord says:
sädhavo hådayaà mahyaà


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.sädhünäà hådayaà tv aham
mad-anyat te na jänanti
nähaà tebhyo manäg api
“The devotees are always in My heart, and I am always in the hearts of the
devotees. The devotee does not know an ything beyond Me, and I also cannot
forget the devotee. There is a very intimate relationship between Me and the
pure devotees. Pure devotees i n full knowledge are never out of spiritual touch,
and therefore they are very much dear to Me.”
TEXT  19
bhUNaa& JaNMaNaaMaNTae jaNavaNMaa& Pa[PaÛTae )
vaSaudev" SavRiMaiTa Sa MahaTMaa SaudulR/>a" )) 19 ))
bahünäà janmanäm ante
jïänavän mäà prapadyate
väsudevaù sarvam iti
sa mahätmä su-durlabhaù
SYNONYMS
bahünäm —many; janmanäm —repeated births and deaths; ante—after;
jïäna-vän —one who is in full knowledge; mäm —unto Me;
prapadyate —surrenders; väsudevaù —the Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa;
sarvam —everything; iti—thus; saù—that; mahä-ätmä —great soul;
su-durlabha ù—very rare to see.
TRANSLATION
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders
unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great
soul is very rare.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
The living entity, while executing de votional service or transcendental
rituals after many, many births, may actually become situated in
transcendental pure knowledge that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
the ultimate goal of spiritual realization. In  the beginning of spiritual
realization, while one is trying to gi ve up one’s attachment to materialism,
there is some leaning towards impersonalism, but when one is further
advanced he can understand that there ar e activities in the spiritual life and
that these activities constitute devotional  service. Realizing this, he becomes
attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrenders to Him. At
such a time one can understand that Lord Çré Kåñëa’s mercy is everything, that
He is the cause of all caus es and that this material manifestation is not
independent from Him. He realizes th e material world to be a perverted
reflection of spiritual variegatedness and realizes that in everything there is a
relationship with the Supreme Lord Kåñëa. Thus he thinks  of everything in
relation to Väsudeva, or Çré Kåñëa. Such a universal vision of Väsudeva
precipitates one’s full surrender to the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa as the highest
goal. Such surrendered great souls are very rare.
This verse is very nicely explained in the Third Chapter (verses 14 and 15)
of the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad:
sahasra-çérñä puruñaù
sahasräkñaù sahasra-pät
sa bhümià viçvato våtvä-
tyätiñöhad daçäìgulam
puruña evedaà sarvaà
yad bhütaà yac ca bhavyam
utämåtatvasyeçäno
yad annenätirohati
In the Chändogya Upaniñad  (5.1.15 ) it is said, na vai väco na cakñüàñi na
çroträëi na manäàséty äcakñate präëa iti eväcakñate präëo hy evaitäni sarväëi


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.bhavanti:  “In the body of a living being ne ither the power to speak, nor the
power to see, nor the power  to hear, nor the power to think is the prime factor;
it is life which is the center of all ac tivities.” Similarly Lord Väsudeva, or the
Personality of Godhead, Lord Çré Kåñëa,  is the prime entity in everything. In
this body there are powers of speaking, o f seeing, of hearing, of mental
activities, etc. But these are not import ant if not related to the Supreme Lord.
And because Väsudeva is all-pervadin g and everything is Väsudeva, the
devotee surrenders in full knowledge (cf. Bhagavad-gétä  7.17 and 11.40 ).
TEXT  20
k-aMaESTaESTaEôRTajaNaa" Pa[PaÛNTae_NYadevTaa" )
Ta& Ta& iNaYaMaMaaSQaaYa Pa[k*-TYaa iNaYaTaa" SvYaa )) 20 ))
kämais tais tair håta-jïänäù
prapadyante ’nya-devatäù
taà taà niyamam ästhäya
prakåtyä niyatäù svayä
SYNONYMS
kämaiù —by desires; taiù taiù —various; håta—deprived of;
jïänäù —knowledge; prapadyante —surrender; anya —to other;
devatäù —demigods; tam tam —corresponding; niyamam —regulations;
ästhäya —following; prakåtyä —by nature; niyatäù —controlled; svayä —by their
own.
TRANSLATION
Those whose intelligence has been stolen  by material desires surrender unto
demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to
their own natures.
PURPORT


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Those who are freed from all material  contaminations surrender unto the
Supreme Lord and engage in His devotion al service. As long as the material
contamination is not completely washed off, they are by nature nondevotees.
But even those who have material desires and who resort to the Supreme Lord
are not so much attracted by external nature; because of approaching the right
goal, they soon become free from all material lust. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it
is recommended that whether one is a pure devotee and is free from all
material desires, or is full of material desires, or desires liberation from material
contamination, he should in all cases surrender to Väsudeva and worship Him.
As stated in the Bhägavatam  (2.3.10 ):
akämaù sarva-kämo vä
mokña-käma udära-dhéù
tévreëa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruñaà param
Less intelligent people who have lost their spiritual sense take shelter of
demigods for immediate fulfillment of material desires. Generally, such people
do not go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are in the
lower modes of nature (ignor ance and passion) and therefore worship various
demigods. Following the rules and regula tions of worship, they are satisfied.
The worshipers of demigods are motiva ted by small desires and do not know
how to reach the supreme goal , but a devotee of the Supr eme Lord is not
misguided. Because in Vedic literature there are recommendations for
worshiping different gods for differe nt purposes (e.g., a diseased man is
recommended to worship the sun), those who are not devotees of the Lord
think that for certain pu rposes demigods are better than the Supreme Lord.
But a pure devotee knows that the Supreme Lord Kåñëa is the master of all. In
the Caitanya-caritämåta  (Ädi 5.142 ) it is said, ekale éçvara kåñëa, ära saba
bhåtya:  only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kå ñëa, is master, and all
others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for
satisfaction of his material needs. He  depends on the Supreme Lord. And the
pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  21
Yaae Yaae Yaa& Yaa& TaNau& >a¢-" é[ÖYaaicRTauiMaC^iTa )
TaSYa TaSYaacl/a& é[Öa& TaaMaev ivdDaaMYahMa( )) 21 ))
yo yo yäà yäà tanuà bhaktaù
çraddhayärcitum icchati
tasya tasyäcaläà çraddhäà
täm eva vidadhämy aham
SYNONYMS
yaù yaù —whoever; yäm yäm —whichever; tanum —form of a demigod;
bhaktaù —devotee; çraddhayä —with faith; arcitum —to worship;
icchati —desires; tasya tasya —to him; acaläm —steady; çraddhäm —faith;
täm—that; eva—surely; vidadhämi —give; aham —I.
TRANSLATION
I am in everyone’s heart as the Supersou l. As soon as one desires to worship
some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that
particular deity.
PURPORT
God has given independence to everyone; therefore, if a person desires to
have material enjoyment and wants very sincerely to have such facilities from
the material demigods, the Supreme Lord, as Supersoul in everyone’s heart,
understands and gives facilit ies to such persons. As the supreme father of all
living entities, He does not interfere with their independence, but gives all
facilities so that they can fulfill thei r material desires. Some may ask why the
all-powerful God gives facilities to the living  entities for enjoying this material
world and so lets them fall into the trap  of the illusory energy. The answer is
that if the Supreme Lord as Supersoul do es not give such facilities, then there


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.is no meaning to independence. Therefore He gives everyone full
independence—whatever one likes—but His ultimate instruction we find in
the Bhagavad-gétä:  one should give up all other engagements and fully
surrender unto Him . That will make man happy.
Both the living entity and the demigo ds are subordinate to the will of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the living entity cannot worship
the demigod by his own desire, nor can the demigod bestow any benediction
without the supreme will. As it is said, not a blade of grass moves without the
will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally, persons who are
distressed in the material world go to th e demigods, as they are advised in the
Vedic literature. A person wanting some particular thing may worship such
and such a demigod. For example, a diseased person is recommended to
worship the sun-god; a person wantin g education may worship the goddess of
learning, Sarasvaté; and a person want ing a beautiful wife may worship the
goddess Umä, the wif e of Lord Çiva. In this way there are recommendations in
the çästras  (Vedic scriptures) for different modes of worship of different
demigods. And because a particular livi ng entity wants to enjoy a particular
material facility, the Lord inspires him with a  strong desire to achieve that
benediction from that particular demigo d, and so he successfully receives the
benediction. The particular mode of the devotional attitude of the living
entity toward a particular type of demigod is also arranged by the Suprem e
Lord. The demigods cannot infuse the living  entities with such an affinity, but
because He is the Supreme Lord, or the Supersoul who is present in the hearts
of all living entities, Kåñëa gives impetus to man to worship certain demigods.
The demigods are  actually different parts of th e universal body of the Supreme
Lord; therefore they have no independence . In the Vedic literature it is stated:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead as Supersoul is also present within the
heart of the demigod; therefore He a rranges through the demigod to fulfill the
desire of the living entity. But both the demigod and the living entity are
dependent on the supreme will. They are not independent.”
TEXT  22


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Sa TaYaa é[ÖYaa Yau¢-STaSYaaraDaNaMaqhTae )
l/>aTae c TaTa" k-aMaaNMaYaEv ivihTaaiNhTaaNa( )) 22 ))
sa tayä çraddhayä yuktas
tasyärädhanam éhate
labhate ca tataù kämän
mayaiva vihitän hi tän
SYNONYMS
saù—he; tayä—with that; çraddhayä —inspiration; yuktaù —endowed;
tasya —of that demigod; ärädhanam —for the worship; éhate —he aspires;
labhate —obtains; ca—and; tataù —from that; kämän —his desires; mayä —by
Me; eva—alone; vihitän —arranged; hi—certainly; tän—those .
TRANSLATION
Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod
and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me
alone.
PURPORT
The demigods cannot award benedictio ns to their devotees without the
permission of the Supreme Lord. The livi ng entity may forget that everything
is the property of the Supreme Lord, but the demigods do not forget. So the
worship of demigods and achievemen t of desired results are due not to the
demigods but to the Supreme Personalit y of Godhead, by arrangement. The
less intelligent living entity does not kn ow this, and therefore he foolishly goes
to the demigods for some benefit. But the pure devotee, when in need of
something, prays only to the Suprem e Lord. Asking for material benefit,
however, is not a sign of a pure devotee. A living entity goes to the demigods
usually because he is mad to fulfill his lust. This happens when something
undue is desired by  the living entity and the Lord Himself does not fulfill the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.desire. In the Caitanya-caritämåta  it is said that one who worships the Supreme
Lord and at the same time desires material enjoyment is contradictory in his
desires . Devotional service to the Sup reme Lord and the worship of a demigod
cannot be on the same platform, because worship of a demigod is material and
devotional service to the Supreme Lord is completely spiritual.
For the living entity who desires to return to Godhead, material desires are
impediments. A pure devotee of the Lord  is therefore not awarded the material
benefits desired by less intelligent living entities, who therefore prefer to
worship demigods of the  material world rather than engage in the devotional
service of the Supreme Lord.
TEXT  23
ANTavtau f-l&/ Taeza& TaÙvTYaLPaMaeDaSaaMa( )
devaNdevYaJaae YaaiNTa MaÙ¢-a YaaiNTa MaaMaiPa )) 23 ))
antavat tu phalaà teñäà
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasäm
devän deva-yajo yänti
mad-bhaktä yänti mäm api
SYNONYMS
anta-vat —perishable; tu—but; phalam —fruit; teñäm —their; tat—that;
bhavati —becomes; alpa-medhasäm —of those of small intelligence; devän —to
the demigods; deva-yajaù —the worshipers of the demigods; yänti —go;
mat—My; bhaktäù —devotees; yänti —go; mäm —to Me; api—also.
TRANSLATION
Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited
and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the
demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
Some commentators on the Bhagavad-gétä  say that one who worships a
demigod can reach the Supreme Lord, but here it is clearly stated that the
worshipers of demigods go to the di fferent planetary systems where various
demigods are situated, just as a worshi per of the sun achieves the sun or a
worshiper of the demigod of the moon achieves the moon. Similarly, if anyone
wants to worship a demigod like Indra, he can attain that particular god’s
planet. It is not that everyone, regardless of whatever demigod is worshiped,
will reach the Supreme Personality of Godh ead. That is denied here, for it is
clearly stated that the worshipers of de migods go to different planets in the
material world but the devotee of the Supreme Lord goes directly to the
supreme planet of  the Personality of Godhead.
Here the point may be raised that if the demigods are different parts of the
body of the Supreme Lord, then the same end should be achieved by
worshiping them. However, worshipers of the demigods are less intelligent
because they don’t know to what part of  the body food must be supplied. Some
of them are so foolish that they claim that there are many parts and many ways
to supply food. This isn’t very sanguine. Can anyone supply food to the body
through the ears or eyes? They do not know that these demigods  are different
parts of the universal body of the Su preme Lord, and in their ignorance they
believe that each and every demigod is a separate God and a competitor of the
Supreme Lord.
Not only are demigods parts of the Supreme Lord, but ordinary living
entities are also. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it is stated that the brähmaëas  are
the head of the Supreme Lord, the kñatriyas  are His arms, the vaiçyas  are His
waist, the çüdras  are His leg s, and all serve different functions. Regardless of
the situation, if one knows that both the demigods and himself are part and
parcel of the Supreme Lord, his knowledge is perfect. But if he does not
understand this, he achieves different planets where th e demigods reside. This
is not the same destination the devotee reaches.
The results achieved by the demigods’ benedictions are perishable because
within this material world the planets, the demigods and their worshipers are


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.all perishable. Therefore it is clearly stated in this verse that all results
achieved by worshiping dem igods are perishable, and therefore such worship is
performed by the less intelligent livi ng entity. Because the pure devotee
engaged in Kåñëa consciousness in devotional service of the Supreme Lord
achieves eternal blissful existence that is full of knowl edge, his achievements
and those of the common worshiper of  the demigods are different. The
Supreme Lord is unlimited; His favor is unlimited; His mercy is unlimited.
Therefore the mercy of the Supreme Lord upon His pure devotees is unlimited.
TEXT  24
AVYa¢&- VYai¢-MaaPaà& MaNYaNTae MaaMabuÖYa" )
Par& >aavMaJaaNaNTaae MaMaaVYaYaMaNautaMaMa( )) 24 ))
avyaktaà vyaktim äpannaà
manyante mäm abuddhayaù
paraà bhävam ajänanto
mamävyayam anuttamam
SYNONYMS
avyaktam —nonmanifested; vyaktim —personality; äpannam —achieved;
manyante —think; mäm —Me; abuddhayaù —less intelligent persons;
param —supreme; bhävam —existence; ajänantaù —without knowing;
mama —My; avyayam —imperishable; anuttamam —the finest.
TRANSLATION
Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa,  was impersonal before and have now
assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My
higher nature, which is imperishable an d supreme.
PURPORT


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Those who are worshipers of demigods have been described as less
intelligent persons, and here the impers onalists are similarly described. Lord
Kåñëa in His personal form is here sp eaking before Arjuna, and still, due to
ignorance, impersonalists argue tha t the Supreme Lord ultimately has no form.
Yämunäcärya, a great devotee of the Lord in the disciplic succession of
Rämänujäcärya, has written two very appropriate verses in this connection.
He says,
tväà çéla-rüpa-caritaiù parama-prakåñöaiù
sattvena sättvikatayä prabalaiç ca çästraiù
prakhyäta-daiva-paramärtha-vidäà mataiç ca
naiväsura-prakåtayaù prabhavanti boddhum
“My dear Lord, devotees like Vyäsad eva and Närada know You to be the
Personality of Godhead. By understanding different Vedic literatures, one can
come to know Your characteristics, Your form and Your activities, and one can
thus understand that You are th e Supreme Personality of Godhead. But those
who are in the modes of passion and ig norance, the demons, the nondevotees,
cannot understand You. They are unable to understand You. However expert
such nondevotees may be in discussing Vedänta  and the Upaniñads  and other
Vedic literatures, it is not possible fo r them to understand the Personality of
Godhead.” ( Stotra-ratna  12)
In the Brahma-saàhitä  it is stated that the Personality of Godhead cannot
be understood simply by study of the Vedänta  literature. Only by the mercy of
the Supreme Lord can the Personality of the Supreme be known. Therefore in
this verse it is clearly stat ed that not only are the worshipers of the demigods
less intelligent, but those nondevotees who are engaged in Vedänta  and
speculation on Vedic literature without any tinge of true Kåñëa consciousness
are also less intelligent, and for them it is not possi ble to understand God’s
personal nature. Persons who are unde r the impression that the Absolute
Truth is impersonal are described as abuddhayaù,  which means those who do
not know the ultimate feature of the Absolute Truth. In the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it is st ated that supreme realization begins from the
impersonal Brahman and then rises to the localized Supersoul—but the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.ultimate word in the Absolute Truth is the Personality of Godhead. Modern
impersonalists are still less intelligent, for they do not even fol low their great
predecessor Çaìkaräcärya, who has spec ifically stated that Kåñëa is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Impers onalists, therefore, not knowing the
Supreme Truth, think Kåñëa to be only the son of Devaké and Vasudeva, or a
prince, or a power ful living entity. This is also condemned in the
Bhagavad-gétä  (9.11). Avajänanti mäà müòhä mänuñéà tanum äçritam:  “Only
the fools regard Me as an ordinary person.”
The fact is that no one can understa nd Kåñëa without rendering devotional
service and without developing Kåñëa consciousness. The Bhägavatam
(10.14.29 ) confirms this:
athäpi te deva padämbuja-dvaya-
prasäda-leçänugåhéta eva hi
jänäti tattvaà bhagavan-mahimno
na cänya eko ’pi ciraà vicinvan
“My Lord, if one is favored by even a sl ight trace of the mercy of Your lotus
feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who
speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to
know You, even though they conti nue to study the Vedas  for many years.” One
cannot understand the Supreme Personalit y of Godhead, Kåñëa, or His form,
quality or name simply by mental specul ation or by discussing Vedic literature.
One must understand Him by devotional service. When one is  fully engaged in
Kåñëa consciousness, beginning by chanting the mahä-mantra —Hare Kåñëa,
Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma,
Hare Hare—then only can one understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Nondevotee impersonalis ts think that Kåñëa has a body made of this
material nature and that all His acti vities, His form and everything are mäyä.
These impersonalists are known as Mäyä vädés. They do not know the ultimate
truth.
The twentieth verse clearly states, kämais tais tair håta-jïänäù prapadyante
’nya-devatäù.  “Those who are blinded by lusty desires surrender unto the
different demigods.” It is accepted that besides the Supreme Personality of


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Godhead, there are demigods wh o have their different planets, and the Lord
also has a planet. As stated in the twenty-third verse, devän deva-yajo yänti
mad-bhaktä yänti mäm api : the worshipers of the demigods go to the different
planets of the demigods, and those who are devotees of L ord Kåñëa go to the
Kåñëaloka planet. Although this is cl early stated, the foolish impersonalists
still maintain that the Lord is formle ss and that these forms are impositions.
From the study of the Gétä does it appear that the demigods and their abodes
are impersonal? Clearly, neither the demigods nor Kåñëa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, are impersonal. They are all persons; Lord Kåñëa is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He has His own planet, and the
demigods have theirs.
Therefore the monistic contention that ultimate truth is formless and that
f o r m  i s  i m p o s e d  d o e s  n o t  h o l d  t r u e .  I t  is clearly stated here that it is not
imposed. From the Bhagavad-gétä  we can clearly understand that the forms of
the demigods and the form of  the Supreme Lord are simultaneously existing
and that Lord Kåñëa is sac-cid-änanda,  eternal blissful knowledge. The Vedas
also confirm that the Supreme Absolute Truth is änanda-mayo ’bhyäsät,  or by
nature full of blissful pleasure, and that He is the rese rvoir of unlimited
auspicious qualities. And in the Gétä the Lord says that although He is aja
(unborn), He still appears. These are th e facts that we should understand from
the Bhagavad-gétä.  We cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of
Godhead can  be impersonal; the imposition th eory of the impersonalist monist
is false as far as the statements of the Gétä are concerned. It is clear herein that
the Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord Kåñëa, has both form and personality.
TEXT  25
Naah& Pa[k-aXa" SavRSYa YaaeGaMaaYaaSaMaav*Ta" )
MaU!ae_Ya& Naai>aJaaNaaiTa l/aek-ae MaaMaJaMaVYaYaMa( )) 25 ))
nähaà prakäçaù sarvasya
yoga-mäyä-samävåtaù
müòho ’yaà näbhijänäti


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.loko mäm ajam avyayam
SYNONYMS
na—nor; aham —I; prakäçaù —manifest; sarvasya —to everyone;
yoga-mäyä —by internal potency; samävåtaù —covered; müòhaù —foolish;
ayam —these; na—not; abhijänäti —can understand; lokaù —persons;
mäm —Me; ajam —unborn; avyayam —inexhaustible.
TRANSLATION
I am never manifest to the foolish an d unintelligent. For them I am covered
by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that I am unborn and
infallible.
PURPORT
It may be argued that since Kåñëa was present on this earth and was visible
to everyone, then why isn’t He manifest to everyone now? But actually He was
not manifest to everyone. When Kåñë a was present there were only a few
people who could understand Him to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the assembly of Kurus, when Çiçupä la spoke against Kåñëa’s being elected
president of the assembly, Bhéñma su pported Him and proclaimed Him to be
the Supreme God. Similarly, the Pä ëòavas and a few others knew th at He was
the Supreme, but not everyone. He was not revealed to the nondevotees and
the common man. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gétä  Kåñëa says that but for His
pure devotees, all men consider Him to  be like themselves. He was manifest
only to His devotees a s the reservoir of all pleasure. But to others, to
unintelligent nondevotees, He was covered by His internal potency.
In the prayers of Kunté in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (1.8.19 ) it is said that the
Lord is covered by the curtain of yoga-mäyä  and thus ordinary people cannot
understand Him. This yoga-mäyä  curtain is also confirmed in the Éçopaniñad
(mantra  15), in which the d evotee prays:
hiraëmayena pätreëa


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.satyasyäpihitaà mukham
tat tvaà püñann apävåëu
satya-dharmäya dåñöaye
“O my Lord, You are the maintainer of  the entire universe, and devotional
service to You is the highest religious pr inciple. Therefore, I pray that You will
also maintain me. Your transcen dental form is covered by the yoga-mäyä.  The
brahmajyoti  is the cove ring of the internal potency. May You kindly remove
this glowing effulgence that impedes my seeing Your sac-cid-änanda-vigraha
[Bs. 5.1], Your eternal form of bliss and knowledge.” The Supreme Personality
of Godhead in His transcendental form of bliss and knowledge is covered by
the internal potency of the brahmajyoti,  and the less intelligent impersonalists
cannot see the Supreme on this account.
Also in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (10.14.7 ) there is this prayer by Brahmä: “O
Supreme Personality of Godhead, O Supe rsoul, O master of all mystery, who
can calculate Your potency and pastim es in this world? You are always
expanding Your internal potency, and therefore no one can understand You.
Learned scientists and learned scholars can examine the atomic constitution
of the material world or even the planets,  but still they are unable to calculate
Your energy and potency, although You are present before them .” The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa, is not only unborn but also
avyaya,  inexhaustible. His eternal form is bliss and knowledge, and His
energies are all inexhaustible.
TEXT  26
vedah& SaMaTaqTaaiNa vTaRMaaNaaiNa caJauRNa )
>aivZYaai<a c >aUTaaiNa Maa& Tau ved Na k-êNa )) 26 ))
vedähaà samatétäni
vartamänäni cärjuna
bhaviñyäëi ca bhütäni
mäà tu veda na kaçcana


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
veda—know; aham —I; samatétäni —completely past; vartamänäni —present;
ca—and; arjuna —O Arjuna; bhaviñyäëi —future; ca—also; bhütäni —all living
entities; mäm —Me; tu—but; veda—knows; na—not; kaçcana —anyone.
TRANSLATION
O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that
has happened in the past, all that is happe ning in the present, and all things that
are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.
PURPORT
Here the question of personality an d impersonality is clearly stated. If
Kåñëa, the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, were mäyä,  material,
as the impersonalists consider Him to be , then like the living entity He would
change His body and forget e verything about His past life. Anyone with a
material body cannot remember his past li fe, nor can he foretell his future life,
nor can he predict the outcome of his present life; therefore he cannot know
what is happening in past, present and future. Unles s one is liberated from
material contamination, he cannot know past, present and future.
Unlike the ordinary human being, Lord Kåñëa clearly says that He
completely knows what happened in th e past, what is happening in the
present, and what will happen in the future. In the Fourth Chapter we have
seen that Lord Kåñëa remembers instructing Viva svän, the sun-god, millions of
years ago. Kåñëa knows every living entity because He is situated in every
living being’s heart as the Supersoul. But despite His presence in every living
entity as Supersoul and His presence  as the Supreme Personality of God head,
the less intelligent, even if able to realize the impersonal Brahman, cannot
realize Çré Kåñëa as the Supreme Person . Certainly the transcendental body of
Çré Kåñëa is not perishable. He is just like the sun, and mäyä  is like a cloud. In
the material  world we can see that there is the sun and that there are clouds


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.and different stars and planets. The cl ouds may cover all these in the sky
temporarily, but this covering is only apparent to our limited vision. The sun,
moon and stars are not actually cov ered. Similarly, mäyä  cannot cover the
Supreme Lord. By His internal potenc y He is not manifest to the less
intelligent class of men. As it is stated in the third verse of this chapter , out of
millions and millions of men, some  try to become perfect in thi s human form
of life, and out of thousands and thousa nds of such perfected men, hardly one
can understand what Lord Kåñëa is. Even  if one is perfected by realization of
impersonal Brahman or localized Paramätmä, he cannot possibly understand
the Supreme Pe rsonality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, without being in Kåñëa
consciousness.
TEXT  27
wC^aÜezSaMauTQaeNa ÜNÜMaaeheNa >aarTa )
SavR>aUTaaiNa SaMMaaeh& SaGaeR YaaiNTa ParNTaPa )) 27 ))
icchä-dveña-samutthena
dvandva-mohena bhärata
sarva-bhütäni sammohaà
sarge yänti parantapa
SYNONYMS
icchä —desire; dveña —and hate; samutthena —arisen from; dvandva —of
duality; mohena —by the illusion; bhärata —O scion of Bharata; sarva —all;
bhütäni —living entities; sammoham —into delusion; sarge —while taking birth;
yänti —go; parantapa —O conqueror of enemies.
TRANSLATION
O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into
delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
The real constitutional position of the living entity is that of subordination
to the Supreme Lord, who is pure knowledge. When one is deluded into
separation from this pure knowledge, he becomes controlled by illusory energy
and cannot understand the Supr eme Personality of Godhead. The illusory
energy is manifested in the duality of desire and hate. Due to desire and hate,
the ignorant person wants to become one with the Supreme Lord and envies
Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pure devotees, wh o are not
deluded or contaminated by desire an d hate, can understand that Lord Çré
Kåñëa appears by His internal potencies, but those who are deluded by duality
and nescience think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is created by
material energies. Th is is their misfortune. Such deluded persons,
symptomatically, dwell in dualities of dishonor and honor, misery and
happiness, woman and man, good and bad, pleasure and pain, etc., thinking,
“This is my wife; this is my hous e; I am the master of this house ; I am the
husband of this wife.” These are the dualities of delusion. Those who are so
deluded by dualities are completely foolish and therefore cannot understand
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT  28
Yaeza& TvNTaGaTa& PaaPa& JaNaaNaa& Pau<Yak-MaR<aaMa( )
Tae ÜNÜMaaehiNaMauR¢-a >aJaNTae Maa& d*!v]Taa" )) 28 ))
yeñäà tv anta-gataà päpaà
janänäà puëya-karmaëäm
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktä
bhajante mäà dåòha-vratäù
SYNONYMS
yeñäm —whose; tu—but; anta-gatam —completely eradicated; päpam —sin;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.janänäm —of the persons; puëya —pious; karmaëäm —whose previous
activities; te—they; dvandva —of duality; moha —delusion; nirmuktäù —free
from; bhajante —engage in devotional service; mäm —to Me;
dåòha-vratäù —with determination.
TRANSLATION
Persons who have acted piously in previo us lives and in this life and whose
sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion,
and they engage themselves in My service with determination.
PURPORT
Those eligible for elevation to the tr anscendental position are mentioned in
this verse. For those who are sinful, athe istic, foolish and deceitful, it is very
difficult to transcend the duality of desire and hate. Only those who have
passed their lives in  practicing the regulative principles of religion, who have
acted piously and who have conquered si nful reactions can accept devotional
service and gradually rise to the pure knowledge of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Then, gradually, they can medita te in trance on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. That is the proc ess of being situated on the spiritual
platform. This elevation is possible in Kåñëa consciousness in the association of
pure devotees, for in the association of great devotees one can be delivered
from delusion.
It is stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (5.5.2 ) that if one actually wants to be
liberated he must render service to the devotees ( mahat-seväà dväram ähur
vimukteù ); but one who associates with ma terialistic people is on the path
leading to the darkest regio n of existence ( tamo-dväraà yoñitäà saìgi-saìgam ).
All the devotees of the Lord traverse this earth just to recover the conditioned
souls from their delusion. The impersonalis ts do not know that forgetting their
constitutional position as subordinate to th e Supreme Lord is the greatest
violation of God’s law. Unless one is reinstated in his own constitutional
position, it is not possible to understand the Supreme Personality or to be fully
engaged in His transcendental loving service with determination.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  29
JaraMar<aMaae+aaYa MaaMaaié[TYa YaTaiNTa Yae )
Tae b]ø TaiÜdu" k*-TòMaDYaaTMa& k-MaR cai%l/Ma( )) 29 ))
jarä-maraëa-mokñäya
mäm äçritya yatanti ye
te brahma tad viduù kåtsnam
adhyätmaà karma cäkhilam
SYNONYMS
jarä—from old age; maraëa —and death; mokñäya —for the purpose of
liberation; mäm —Me; äçritya —taking shelter of; yatanti —endeavor; ye—all
those who; te—such persons; brahma —Brahman; tat—actually that;
viduù —they know; kåtsnam —everything; adhyätmam —transcende ntal;
karma —activities; ca—also; akhilam —entirely.
TRANSLATION
Intelligent persons who are endeavoring for liberation from old age and death
take refuge in Me in devotional servic e. They are actually Brahman because
they entirely know everything about transcendental activities.
PURPORT
Birth, death, old age and diseases a ffect this material body, but not the
spiritual body. There is no birth, deat h, old age and disease for the spiritual
body, so one who attains a spiritual body , becomes one of the associates of the
Supreme Personality of  Godhead and engages in eternal devotional service is
really liberated. Ahaà brahmäsmi:  I am spirit. It is said that one should
understand that he is Brahman, spirit soul. This Brahman conception of life is
also in devotional service, as described in this verse. The pure devotees are


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.transcendentally situated on the Brah man platform, and they know everything
about transcendental activities.
Four kinds of impure devotees who engage themselves in the
transcendental service of the Lord achieve their respective goals, and by the
grace of the Supreme Lord, when they ar e fully Kåñëa conscious, they actually
enjoy spiritual association with the Supr eme Lord. But those who are
worshipers of demigods never reach the Supreme Lord in His supreme planet.
Even the less intelligent Brahman-real ized persons cannot reach the supreme
planet of Kåñëa known as Goloka Vå ndävana. Only persons who perform
activitie s in Kåñëa consciousness ( mäm äçritya ) are actually entitled to be
called Brahman, because they are actually endeavoring to reach the Kåñëa
planet. Such persons have no misgivin gs about Kåñëa, and thus they are
factually Brahman.
Those who are engaged in worshiping the form or arcä of the Lord, or who
are engaged in meditation on the Lord simply for liberation from material
bondage, also know, by the grace of  the Lord, the purports of Brahman,
adhibhüta,  etc., as explained by the L ord in the next chapter.
TEXT  30
SaaiDa>aUTaaiDadEv& Maa& SaaiDaYaj& c Yae ivdu" )
Pa[Yaa<ak-ale/_iPa c Maa& Tae ivduYauR¢-ceTaSa" )) 30 ))
sädhibhütädhidaivaà mäà
sädhiyajïaà ca ye viduù
prayäëa-käle ’pi ca mäà
te vidur yukta-cetasaù
SYNONYMS
sa-adhibhüta —and the governing principle of the material manifestation;
adhidaivam —governing all the demigods; mäm —Me; sa-adhiyajïam —and
governing all sacrifices; ca—also; ye—those who; viduù —know; prayäëa —of


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.death; käle—at the time; api—even; ca—and; mäm —Me; te—they;
viduù —know; yukta-cetasaù —their minds engaged in Me.
TRANSLATION
Those in full consciousness of Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be
the governing principle of the material ma nifestation, of the demigods, and of all
methods of sacrifice, can understand and know Me, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, even at the tim e of death.
PURPORT
Persons acting in Kåñëa consciousness are never deviated from the path of
entirely understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
transcendental association of Kåñëa co nsciousness, one can understand how
the Supreme Lord is the governing principl e of the material manifestation and
even of the demigods. Gradually, by su ch transcendental association, one
becomes convinced of the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, and at the time of
death such a Kåñëa conscious person can never forget Kåñëa. Naturally h e is
thus promoted to the planet of the Supreme Lord, Goloka Våndävana.
This Seventh Chapter particularly explains how one can become a fully
Kåñëa conscious person. The beginning of  Kåñëa consciousness is association
of persons who are Kåñëa conscious. Such  association is spiritual and puts one
directly in touch with the Supr eme Lord, and, by His grace, one can
understand Kåñëa to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the same
time one can really understand the constitutional position of the living entity
and how the living entity forgets Kåñëa and becomes entangled in mat erial
activities. By gradual development of Kåñëa consciousness in good association,
the living entity can understand that due to forgetfulness of Kåñëa he has
become conditioned by the laws of material nature. He can also understand
that this human form o f life is an opportunity to regain Kåñëa consciousness
and that it should be fully utilized to attain the causeless mercy of the Supreme
Lord.
Many subjects have been discussed in this chapter: the man in distress, the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.inquisitive man, the man in want of  material necessities, knowledge of
Brahman, knowledge of Paramätmä, liberation from birth, death and diseases,
and worship of the Supreme Lord. However, he who is actually elevated in
Kåñëa consciousness does not care for the different processes. He simply
directly engages himself in activities  of Kåñëa consciousness and thereby
factually attains his constitutional position as an eternal servitor of Lord
Kåñëa. In such a situation he takes pleasure in hearing and glorifying the
Supreme Lord in pure devotional service.  He is convinced that by his doing so,
all his objectives will be fulfilled. This determined faith is called dåòha-vrata,
and it is t he beginning of bhakti-yoga,  or transcendental loving service. That is
the verdict of all scriptures. This Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä  is the
substance of that conviction.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Seventh Chapter of the Çrémad
Bhagavad-gétä  in the matter of Knowledge of the Absolute.
- CHAPTER 8 -
Attaining the Supreme
TEXT  1
AJauRNa ovac
ik&- Tad(b]ø ik-MaDYaaTMa& ik&- k-MaR PauåzaetaMa )
AiDa>aUTa& c ik&- Pa[ae¢-MaiDadEv& ik-MauCYaTae )) 1 ))
arjuna uväca
kià tad brahma kim adhyätmaà


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.kià karma puruñottama
adhibhütaà ca kià proktam
adhidaivaà kim ucyate
SYNONYMS
arjunaù uväca —Arjuna said; kim—what; tat—that; brahma —Brahman;
kim—what; adhyätmam —the self; kim—what; karma —fruitive activities;
puruña-uttama —O Supreme Person; adhibhütam —the material manifestation;
ca—and; kim—what; proktam —is called; adhidaivam —the dem igods;
kim—what; ucyate —is called.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is
the self? What are fruitive activities? What  is this material manifestation? And
what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
PURPORT
In this chapter Lord Kåñëa answers different questions from Arjuna,
beginning with “What is Brahman?” The Lord also explains karma  (fruitive
activities), devotional service and yoga principles, and devotional service in its
pure form. The Çrémad-Bhägavatam  explains that the Supreme Absolute Truth
is known as Brahman, Paramätmä and Bhag avän. In addition, the living entity,
the individual soul, is also called Brahman. Arjuna also inquires about ätmä,
which refers to body, soul and mind. According to the Vedic  dictionary, ätmä
refers to the mind, soul, body and senses also.
Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Puruñottama, Supreme Person,
which means that he was putting these qu estions not simply to a friend but to
the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be  the supreme authority able to give
definitive answers.
TEXT  2


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.AiDaYaj" k-Qa& k-ae_}a dehe_iSMaNMaDauSaUdNa )
Pa[Yaa<ak-ale/ c k-Qa& jeYaae_iSa iNaYaTaaTMai>a" )) 2 ))
adhiyajïaù kathaà ko ’tra
dehe ’smin madhusüdana
prayäëa-käle ca kathaà
jïeyo ’si niyatätmabhiù
SYNONYMS
adhiyajïaù —the Lord of sacrifice; katham —how; kaù—who; atra—here;
dehe—in the body; asmin —this; madhusüdana —O Madhusüdana;
prayäëa-käle —at the time of death; ca—and; katham —how; jïeyaù asi —You
can be known; niyata-ätmabhiù —by the self-controlled.
TRANSLATION
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O
Madhusüdana? And how can those engaged  in devotional service know You at
the time of death?
PURPORT
“Lord of sacrifice” may refer to either Indra or Viñëu. Viñëu is the chief of
the primal demigods, including Brahmä an d Çiva, and Indra is the chief of the
administrative demigods. Both Indra and Viñëu are worshiped by yajïa
performances. But here Arjuna a sks who is actually the Lord of yajïa
(sacrifice) and how the Lord is residing within the body of the living entity.
Arjuna addresses the Lord as Madhusüdana because Kåñëa once killed a
demon named Madhu. Actually these questions, which are of the nature of
doubts, should not have arisen in the mind of Arjuna, because Arjuna is a
Kåñëa conscious devotee. Therefore these doubts are like demons. Since Kåñëa
is so expert in killing demons, Arjuna here addresses Him as Madhusüdana so


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.that Kåñëa might kill the demonic doubts that arise in Arjuna’s mind.
Now the word prayäëa-käle  in this verse is very significant because
whatever we do in life will be tested at the time of death. Arjuna is very
anxious to know of those who are constantly engaged in Kåñëa consciousness.
What should be their position at that  final moment? At the time of death all
the bodily functions are disrupted, and the mind is not in a proper condition.
Thus disturbed by the bodily situation,  one may not be able to remember the
Supreme Lord. Mahäräja Kulaçekhara, a great devotee, prays, “ My dear Lord,
just now I am quite healthy, and it is better that I die immediately so that the
swan of my mind can seek entrance at  the stem of Your lotus feet.” The
metaphor is used because the swan, a bird of the water, takes pleasure in
digging into the  lotus flowers; its sporting proclivity is to enter the lotus flower.
Mahäräja Kulaçekhara says to the Lord , “Now my mind is undisturbed, and I
am quite healthy. If I die immediately, thinking of Your lotus feet, then I am
sure that my performance of Your devotional service will become perfect. But
if I have to wait for my natural deat h, then I do not know what will happen,
because at that time the bodily functi ons will be disrupted, my throat will be
choked up, and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your name.
Better let me die immediately.” Arjuna  questions how a person can fix his
mind on Kåñëa’s lotus feet at such a time.
TEXT  3
é[q>aGavaNauvac
A+ar& b]ø ParMa& Sv>aavae_DYaaTMaMauCYaTae )
>aUTa>aavaeÙvk-rae ivSaGaR" k-MaRSa&ijTa" )) 3 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
akñaraà brahma paramaà
svabhävo ’dhyätmam ucyate
bhüta-bhävodbhava-karo
visargaù karma-saàjïitaù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
akñaram —indestructible; brahma —Brahman; paramam —transcendental;
svabhävaù —eternal nature; adhyätmam —the self; ucyate —is called;
bhüta-bhäva-udbhava-karaù —producing the material bodies of the livin g
entities; visargaù —creation; karma —fruitive activities; saàjïitaù —is called.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible,
transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called
adhyätma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the material bodies
of the living entities is called k arma, or fruitive activities.
PURPORT
Brahman is indestructible and eternally existing, and its constitution is not
changed at any time. But beyond Brahman there is Parabrahman. Brahman
refers to the living entity, and Parabrahman refers to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. The constitutiona l position of the living entity is different from
the position he takes in the material world. In material consciousness his
nature is to try to be the lord of ma tter, but in spiritual consciousness, Kåñëa
consciousness, his position is to serve the Suprem e. When the living entity is
in material consciousness, he has to take on various bodies in the material
world. That is called karma,  or varied creation by the force of material
consciousness.
In Vedic literature the living entity is called jévätmä  and Brahman, but he is
never called Parabrahman. The living entity ( jévätmä ) takes different
positions—sometimes he merges into th e dark material nature and identifies
himself with matter, and sometim es he identifies himself with the superior,
spiritual nature. Therefore he is calle d the Supreme Lord’s marginal energy.
According to his identification with mate rial or spiritual nature, he receives a


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.material or spiritual body. In material nature he may take a body from any of
the 8,400,000 species of life, but in spir itual nature he has only one body. In
material nature he is manifested some times as a man, demigod, animal, beast,
bird, etc., according to his karma.  To attain material heavenly planets and
enjoy their facilities, he sometimes performs sacrifices ( yajïa ), but when his
merit is exhausted he returns to earth ag ain in the form of a man. This process
is called karma.
The Chändogya Upaniñad  describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On the
sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings ar e made into five kinds of fire. The five
kinds of fire are conceived of as the he avenly planets, clouds, the earth, man
and woman, and the f ive kinds of sacrificial offerings are faith, the enjoyer on
the moon, rain, grains and semen.
In the process of sacrifice, the living  entity makes specific sacrifices to
attain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches them. When the
merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the livi ng entity descends to earth in the form
of rain, then takes on the  form of grains, and the grains are eaten by man and
transformed into semen, which impregnates a woman, and thus the living
entity once again attains the human fo rm to perform sacrifice and so repeat
the same cycle. In this way, the living entity perpetual ly comes and goes on the
material path. The Kåñëa conscious pers on, however, avoids such sacrifices. He
takes directly to Kåñëa consciousness and thereby prepares himself to return to
Godhead.
Impersonalist commentators on the Bhagavad-gétä  unreasonably assume
that Brahman takes the form of jéva in the material world, and to substantiate
this they refer to Chapter Fifteen, verse 7,  of the Gétä.  But in this verse the
Lord also speaks of the livin g entity as “an eternal fragment of Myself.” The
fragment of God, the living entity, may fall down into the material world, but
the Supreme Lord (Acyuta) never falls down. Therefore this assumption that
the Supreme Brahman assumes the form of jéva is not a cceptable. It is
important to remember that in Vedic li terature Brahman (the living entity) is
distinguished from Parabrahman (the Supreme Lord).
TEXT  4


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.AiDa>aUTa& +arae >aav" PauåzêaiDadEvTaMa( )
AiDaYajae_hMaeva}a dehe deh>a*Taa& vr )) 4 ))
adhibhütaà kñaro bhävaù
puruñaç cädhidaivatam
adhiyajïo ’ham evätra
dehe deha-bhåtäà vara
SYNONYMS
adhibhütam —the physical manifestation; kñaraù —constantly changing;
bhävaù —nature; puruñaù —the universal form, including all the demigods, like
the sun and moon; ca—and; adhidaivatam —called adhidaiva;  adhiyajïaù —the
Supersoul; aham —I (Kåñëa); eva—certainly;  atra—in this; dehe—body;
deha-bhåtäm —of the embodied; vara—O best.
TRANSLATION
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly
changing, is called adhibhüta [the material manifestation]. The universal form
of the Lord, which includes all the demi gods, like those of the sun and moon, is
called adhidaiva. And I,  the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the
heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajïa [the Lord of sacrifice].
PURPORT
The physical nature is constantly ch anging. Material bodies generally pass
through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration,
they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This
physical nature is called adhibh üta. It is created at a certain point and will be
annihilated at a certain point. The conc eption of the universal form of the
Supreme Lord, which includes all the demigods and their different planets, is
called adhidaivata.  And present in the body along wi th the individual soul is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.the Supersoul, a plenary representation of Lord Kåñëa. The Supersoul is called
the Paramätmä or adhiyajïa  and is situated in the heart. The word eva is
particularly important in the context of  this verse because by this word the
Lord stresses that the Paramätmä is no t different from Him. The Supersoul,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seat ed beside the individual soul, is the
witness of the individual soul’s activities  and is the source of the soul’s various
types of consciousne ss. The Supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity
to act freely and witnesses his activiti es. The functions of all these different
manifestations of the Supreme Lord au tomatically become clarified for the
pure Kåñëa conscious devotee engaged in tr anscendental service to the Lord.
The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata  is contemplated by
the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as
Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or
viräö-puruña,  whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose eyes are
considered the sun and moon, and wh ose head is considered the upper
planetary system.
TEXT  5
ANTak-ale/ c MaaMaev SMarNMau¤-a k-le/vrMa( )
Ya" Pa[YaaiTa Sa MaÙav& YaaiTa NaaSTYa}a Sa&XaYa" )) 5 ))
anta-käle ca mäm eva
smaran muktvä kalevaram
yaù prayäti sa mad-bhävaà
yäti nästy atra saàçayaù
SYNONYMS
anta-käle —at the end of life; ca—also; mäm —Me; eva—certainly;
smaran —remembering; muktvä —quitting; kalevaram —the body; yaù—he
who; prayäti —goes; saù—he; mat-bhävam —My nature; yäti—achieves;
na—not; asti—there is; atra—here; saàçayaù —doubt.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone,
at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT
In this verse the importance of Kå ñëa consciousness is stressed. Anyone
who quits his body in Kåñëa consciousness is at once transferred to the
transcendental nature of the Supreme Lo rd. The Supreme Lord is the purest of
the pure. Therefore anyone who is c onstantly Kåñëa conscious is also the
purest of the pure. The word smaran  (“remembering”) is important.
Remembrance of Kåñëa is not possible for the impure soul who has not
practiced Kåñëa consciousness in devotional service. Therefore one should
practice Kåñëa consciousness from the very beginning of life. If one wants to
achieve success at the end of his life , the process of remembering Kåñëa is
essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the
mahä-mantra —Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñ ëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma,
Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. Lord  Caitanya has advised that one be as
tolerant as a tree ( taror iva sahiñëunä ). There may be so many impediments for
a person who is chanting Hare Kåñëa. Nonetheless, tolerating all these
impedi ments, one should continue to chan t Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa
Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, so that at
the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Kåñëa consciousness.
TEXT  6
Ya& Ya& vaiPa SMarN>aav& TYaJaTYaNTae k-le/vrMa( )
Ta& TaMaevEiTa k-aENTaeYa Sada TaÙav>aaivTa" )) 6 ))
yaà yaà väpi smaran bhävaà
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taà tam evaiti kaunteya


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.sadä tad-bhäva-bhävitaù
SYNONYMS
yam yam —whatever; vä api —at all; smaran —remembering; bhävam —nature;
tyajati —gives up; ante—at the end; kalevaram —this body; tam tam —similar;
eva—certainly; eti—gets; kaunteya —O son of Kunté; sadä—always; tat—that;
bhäva —state of being; bhävitaù —remembering .
TRANSLATION
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of
Kunté, that state he will attain without fail.
PURPORT
The process of changing one’s nature at the critical moment of death is
here explained. A person who at the end of his life quits his body thinking of
Kåñëa attains the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord, but it is not true
that a person who thinks of something other than Kåñëa attains the same
transcendental state. This is a point we should note very carefully. How can
one die in the proper state of mind? Mahäräja Bharata, although a great
personality, thought of a deer at the end of his life, and s o in his next life he
was transferred into the body of a deer. Although as a deer he remembered his
past activities, he had to accept that  animal body. Of course, one’s thoughts
during the course of one’s life accumula te to influence one’s thoughts at the
moment of death, so this life creates one’ s next life. If in one’s present life one
lives in the mode of goodness and always thinks of Kåñëa, it is possible for one
to remember Kåñëa at the end of one’s li fe. That will help one be transferred to
the transc endental nature of Kåñëa. If one is transcendentally absorbed in
Kåñëa’s service, then his next body wi ll be transcendental (spiritual), not
material. Therefore the chanting of Ha re Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa,
Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma , Hare Hare is the best process
for successfully changing one’s state of being at the end of one’s life.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  7
TaSMaaTSaveRzu k-ale/zu MaaMaNauSMar YauDYa c )
MaYYaiPaRTaMaNaaebuiÖMaaRMaevEZYaSYaSa&XaYa" )) 7 ))
tasmät sarveñu käleñu
mäm anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mäm evaiñyasy asaàçayaù
SYNONYMS
tasmät —therefore; sarveñu —at all; käleñu —times; mäm —Me; anusmara —go
on remembering; yudhya —fight; ca—also; mayi —unto Me;
arpita —surrendering; manaù —mind; buddhiù —intellect; mäm —unto Me;
eva—surely; eñyasi —you will attain; asaàçayaù —beyond a doubt.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always th ink of Me in the form of Kåñëa and
at the same time carry out your prescribed  duty of fighting. With your activities
dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me
without doubt.
PURPORT
This instruction to Arjuna is ve ry important for all men engaged in
material activities. The Lord does no t say that one should give up his
prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same
time think of Kåñëa by chanting Hare Kåñëa. T his will free one from material
contamination and engage the mind and intelligence in Kåñëa. By chanting
Kåñëa’s names, one will be transferred to the supreme planet, Kåñëaloka,
without a doubt.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  8
A>YaaSaYaaeGaYau¢e-Na ceTaSaa NaaNYaGaaiMaNaa )
ParMa& Pauåz& idVYa& YaaiTa PaaQaaRNauicNTaYaNa( )) 8 ))
abhyäsa-yoga-yuktena
cetasä nänya-gäminä
paramaà puruñaà divyaà
yäti pärthänucintayan
SYNONYMS
abhyäsa-yoga —by practice; yuktena —being engaged in meditation; cetasä —by
the mind and intelligence; na anya-gäminä —without their being deviated;
paramam —the Supreme; puruñam —Personality of Godhead;
divyam —transcendental; yäti—one achieves; pärtha —O son of Påthä;
anucintayan —constantly thinking of.
TRANSLATION
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind
constantly engaged in remembering Me , undeviated from the path, he, O
Pärtha, is sure to reach Me.
PURPORT
In this verse Lord Kåñëa stresses the importance of remembering Him.
One’s memory of Kåñëa is revived by chanting the mahä-mantra,  Hare Kåñëa.
By this practice of chanting and hear ing the sound vibration of the Supreme
Lord, one’s ear, tongue and mind are engaged. This mystic meditation is very
easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme Lord. Puruñam  means
enjoyer. Although living entities belo ng to the marginal energy of the
Supreme Lord, they are in material contamination. They think themselves


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.enjoyers, but they are not the supreme en joyer. Here it is clearly stated that
the supreme enjoyer is the Supreme Pe rsonality of Godhead in His different
manifestations and plenary expansions as Näräyaëa, Väsudeva, etc.
The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme
Lord, in any of His features—Näräyaëa,  Kåñëa, Räma, etc.—by chanting Hare
Kåñëa. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his
constant chanting, he will be tran sferred to the kingdom of God. Yoga  practice
is meditation on the Supersoul within; similarly, by chanting Hare Kåñëa one
fixes his mind always on the Supreme Lo rd. The mind is fickle, and therefore
it is necessary to engage the mind by force to think of K åñëa. One example
often given is that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so
is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly
think of Kåñëa, it is certain that at the end of our lives we shall have the s ame
bodily constitution as Kåñëa.
TEXT  9
k-iv& Paura<aMaNauXaaiSaTaar‚
 Ma<aaer<aqYaa&SaMaNauSMareÛ" )
SavRSYa DaaTaarMaicNTYaæPa‚
 MaaidTYav<a| TaMaSa" ParSTaaTa( )) 9 ))
kavià puräëam anuçäsitäram
aëor aëéyäàsam anusmared yaù
sarvasya dhätäram acintya-rüpam
äditya-varëaà tamasaù parastät
SYNONYMS
kavim —the one who knows everything; puräëam —the oldest;
anuçäsitäram —the controller; aëoù —than the atom; aëéyäàsam —smaller;
anusmaret —always thinks of; yaù—one who; sarvasya —of everything;
dhätäram —the maintainer; acintya —inconceivable; rüpam —whose form;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.äditya-varëam —luminous like the sun; tamasaù —to darkness;
parastät —transcendental.
TRANSLATION
One should meditate upon the Supr eme Person as the one who knows
everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than
the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material
conception, who is inconceivable,  and who is always a person. He is luminous
like the sun, and He is transcende ntal, beyond this material nature.
PURPORT
The process of thinking of the Suprem e is mentioned in this verse. The
foremost point is that He is not impe rsonal or void. One cannot meditate on
something impersonal or void. That is ve ry difficult. The process of thinking of
Kåñëa, however, is very easy  and is factually stated herein. First of all, the Lord
is puruña,  a person—we think of the person Räma and the person Kåñëa. And
whether one thinks of Räma or of Kåñëa, what He is like is described in this
verse of Bhagavad-gétä.  The Lord is kavi;  that is , He knows past, present and
future and therefore knows everything.  He is the oldest personality because He
is the origin of everything; everything i s  b o r n  o u t  o f  H i m .  H e  i s  a l s o  t h e
supreme controller of the universe, an d He is the maintainer and instruct or of
humanity. He is smaller than the sm allest. The living entity is one
ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hai r, but the Lord is so inconceivably small
that He enters into the heart of this particle. Therefore He is called smaller
than the smallest. As the Supreme, He can enter into the atom and into the
heart of the smallest and control him as  the Supersoul. Although so small, He
is still all-pervading and is maintaining everything. By Him all these planetary
systems are sustained. We often wonder how t hese big planets are floating in
the air. It is stated here that the Supr eme Lord, by His inconceivable energy, is
sustaining all these big planets and systems of galaxies. The word acintya
(“inconceivable”) is very signific ant in this connection. God’s en ergy is
beyond our conception, beyond our thinking jurisdiction, and is therefore


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.called inconceivable ( acintya ). Who can argue this point? He pervades this
material world and yet is beyond it. We  cannot comprehend even this material
world, which is insign ificant compared to the spiritual world—so how can we
comprehend what is beyond? Acintya  means that which is beyond this material
world, that which our argument, logi c and philosophical speculation cannot
touch, that which is inconceivable. Therefore intel ligent persons, avoiding
useless argument and speculation, should  accept what is stated in scriptures
like the Vedas, Bhagavad-gétä  and Çrémad-Bhägavatam  and follow the
principles they set down. This will lead one to understanding.
TEXT  10
Pa[Yaa<ak-ale/ MaNaSaacle/Na
 >a¢-ya Yau¢-ae YaaeGable/Na cEv )
>a]uvaeMaRDYae Pa[a<aMaaveXYa SaMYa‚
 KSa Ta& Par& PauåzMauPaEiTa idVYaMa( )) 10 ))
prayäëa-käle manasäcalena
bhaktyä yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye präëam äveçya samyak
sa taà paraà puruñam upaiti divyam
SYNONYMS
prayäëa-käle —at the time of death; manasä —by the mind; acalena —without
its being deviated; bhaktyä —in full devotion; yuktaù —engaged;
yoga-balena —by the power of mystic yoga;  ca—also; eva—certainly;
bhruvoù —the two eyebrows; madhye —between; präëam —the life air;
äveçya —establishing; samyak —completely; saù—he; tam—that;
param —transcendental; puruñam —Personality of Godhead; upaiti —achieves;
divyam —in the spiritual kingdom.
TRANSLATION


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and,
by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in
remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be
fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those practiced
in yoga,  it is recommended that they rais e the life force between the eyebrows
(to the äjïä-cakra ). The practice of ñaö-cakra-yoga,  involving meditation on
the six cakras,  is suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga,
but because he is always engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, at death he can
remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Hi s grace. This is explained
in verse fourteen.
The particular use of the word yoga-balena  is significant in this verse
because without practice of yoga—whether ñaö-cakra-yoga  or bhakti-yoga —one
cannot come to this transcendental stat e of being at the time of death. One
cannot suddenly remember the Supr eme Lord at death; one must have
practiced some yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga.  Since one’s
mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through
yoga during one’s life.
TEXT  11
Yad+ar& vedivdae vdiNTa
 ivXaiNTa YaÛTaYaae vqTaraGaa" )
YaidC^NTaae b]øcYa| criNTa
 Tatae Pad& Sa°he<a Pa[v+Yae )) 11 ))
yad akñaraà veda-vido vadanti
viçanti yad yatayo véta-rägäù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yad icchanto brahmacaryaà caranti
tat te padaà saìgraheëa pravakñye
SYNONYMS
yat—that which; akñaram —syllable oà; veda-vidaù —persons conversant with
the Vedas;  vadanti —say; viçanti —enter; yat—in which; yatayaù —great sages;
véta-rägäù —in the renounced order of life; yat—that which;
icchantaù —desiring; brahmacaryam —celibacy; caranti —practice; tat—that;
te—unto you; padam —situation; saìgraheëa —in summary; pravakñye —I shall
explain.
TRANSLATION
Persons who are learned in the Vedas,  who utter oàkära and who are great
sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection, one
practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one
may attain salvation.
PURPORT
Lord Çré Kåñëa has recommended to Arjuna the practice of ñaö-cakra-yoga,
in which one places the air of life betw een the eyebrows. Taking it for granted
that Arjuna might not know how to practice ñaö-cakra-yoga,  the Lord explains
the process in the followi ng verses. The Lord says that Brahman, although one
without a second, has various manifestat ions and features. Especially for the
impersonalists, the akñara,  or oàkära —the syllable oà—is identical with
Brahman. Kåñëa here explains the impersonal Brahman, i n which the
renounced order of sages enter.
In the Vedic system of knowledge, st udents, from the very beginning, are
taught to vibrate oà and learn of the ultimate impersonal Brahman by living
with the spiritual master in complete celibacy. In this way they realize two of
Brahman’s features. This pr actice is very essential for the student’s
advancement in spiritual life, but at the moment such brahmacäré  (unmarried


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.celibate) life is not at all possible. The social construction of the world has
changed so much that there is no possibility of one’s pra cticing celibacy from
the beginning of student life. Th roughout the world there are many
institutions for different departments of knowledge, but there is no recognized
institution where students can be educated in the brahmacäré  principles.
Unless one pra ctices celibacy, advancement in sp iritual life is very difficult.
Therefore Lord Caitanya has announced, according to the scriptural
injunctions for this Age of Kali, that in  this age no process of realizing the
Supreme is possible except the chanting of t he holy names of Lord Kåñëa: Hare
Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma
Räma, Hare Hare.
TEXT  12
SavRÜarai<a Sa&YaMYa MaNaae ôid iNaåDYa c )
MaUDNYaaRDaaYaaTMaNa" Pa[a<aMaaiSQaTaae YaaeGaDaar<aaMa( )) 12 ))
sarva-dväräëi saàyamya
mano hådi nirudhya ca
mürdhny ädhäyätmanaù präëam
ästhito yoga-dhäraëäm
SYNONYMS
sarva-dväräëi —all the doors of the body; saàyamya —controlling; manaù —the
mind; hådi—in the heart; nirudhya —confining; ca—also; mürdhni —on the
head; ädhäya —fixing; ätmanaù —of the soul; präëam —the life air;
ästhitaù —situated in; yoga-dhäraëäm —the yogic situa tion.
TRANSLATION
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements.
Closing all the doors of the senses and fi xing the mind on the heart and the life
air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in yoga.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
To practice yoga as suggested here, one first has to close the doors of all
sense enjoyment. This practice is called pratyähära,  or withdrawing the senses
from the sense objects. The sense organs for acquiring knowledge—the eyes,
ears, nose, tongue and tou ch—should be fully controlled and should not be
allowed to engage in self-gratification . In this way the mind focuses on the
Supersoul in the heart, and the life force is raised to the top of the head. In the
Sixth Chapter this process is described in deta il. But as mentioned before, this
practice is not practical in this age. Th e best process is Kåñëa consciousness. If
one is always able to fix his mind on Kåñë a in devotional service, it is very easy
for him to remain in an undisturbed transcendental tranc e, or in samädhi.
TEXT  13
p wTYaek-a+ar& b]ø VYaahrNMaaMaNauSMarNa( )
Ya" Pa[YaaiTa TYaJaNdeh& Sa YaaiTa ParMaa& GaiTaMa( )) 13 ))
oà ity ekäkñaraà brahma
vyäharan mäm anusmaran
yaù prayäti tyajan dehaà
sa yäti paramäà gatim
SYNONYMS
oà—the combination of letters oà (oàkära ); iti—thus; eka-akñaram —the one
syllable; brahma —absolute; vyäharan —vibrating; mäm —Me (Kåñëa);
anusmaran —remembering; yaù—anyone who; prayäti —leaves;
tyajan —quitting; deham —this body; saù—he; yäti—achieves; paramäm —the
supreme; gatim —destination.
TRANSLATION


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.After being situated in this yoga pr actice and vibrating the sacred syllable
oà, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual
planets.
PURPORT
It is clearly stated here that oà, Brahman and Lord Kåñëa are not different.
The impersonal sound of Kåñëa is oà, but the sound Hare Kåñëa contains oà.
The chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mantra  is clearly recommended for this age.
So if one quits his body at t he end of life chanting Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, he
certainly reaches one of the spiritual planets, according to the mode of his
practice. The devotees of Kåñëa enter the Kåñëa planet, Golo ka Våndävana.
For the personalists there are also innumerable other planets, known as
Vaikuëöha planets, in the spiritual sky,  whereas the impersonalists remain in
the brahmajyoti.
TEXT  14
ANaNYaceTaa" SaTaTa& Yaae Maa& SMariTa iNaTYaXa" )
TaSYaah& Saul/>a" PaaQaR iNaTYaYau¢-SYa YaaeiGaNa" )) 14 ))
ananya-cetäù satataà
yo mäà smarati nityaçaù
tasyähaà sulabhaù pärtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaù
SYNONYMS
ananya-cetäù —without deviation of the mind; satatam —always; yaù—anyone
who; mäm —Me (Kåñëa); smarati —remembers; nityaçaù —regularly; tasya —to
him; aham —I am; su-labhaù —very easy to achieve; pärtha —O son of Påthä;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.nitya —regularly; yuktasya —engaged; yoginaù —fo r the devotee.
TRANSLATION
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O
son of Påthä, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
PURPORT
This verse especially describes the final destination attained by the
unalloyed devotees who serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
bhakti-yoga.  Previous verses have mentioned four different kinds of
devotees—the distressed, the inquisitive, those who  seek material gain, and
the speculative philosophers. Different processes of liberation have also been
described: karma-yoga, jïäna-yoga  and haöha-yoga.  The principles of these yoga
systems have some bhakti  added, but this verse particularly mentions pure
bhakti-yoga,  without any mixture of jïäna, karma  or haöha.  As indicated by the
word ananya-cetäù,  in pure bhakti-yoga  the devotee desires nothing but Kåñëa.
A pure devotee does not desire promot ion to heavenly planets, nor does he
seek oneness with the brahmajyoti  or salvation or liberation from material
entanglement. A pure devotee does not desire anything. In the
Caitanya-caritämåta  the pure devotee is called niñkäma,  which means he has
no desire for self-interest. Perfec t peace belongs to him alone, not  to them who
strive for personal gain. Whereas a jïäna-yogé, karma-yogé  or haöha-yogé  has his
own selfish interests, a perfect devotee ha s no desire other than to please the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefor e the Lord says that for anyone who
is unf linchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain.
A pure devotee always engages in devoti onal service to Kåñëa in one of His
various personal features. Kåñëa has various plenary expansions and
incarnations, such as Räma and Nåsiàh a, and a devotee can choose to fix his
mind in loving service to any of thes e transcendental forms of the Supreme
Lord. Such a devotee meets with none  of the problems that plague the
practitioners of other yogas.  Bhakti-yoga  is very simple and pure and easy to
perform. One can begin simply by chanting Hare Kåñëa. The Lord is merci ful


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.to all, but as we have already explained, He is especially inclined toward those
who always serve Him without deviatio n. The Lord helps such devotees in
various ways. As stated in the Vedas  (Kaöha Upaniñad  1.2.23 ), yam evaiña våëute
tena labhyas/ tasya iña ätmä vivåëute tanuà sväm:  one who is fully surrendered
and engaged in the devotional servic e of the Supreme Lord can understand
the Supreme Lord as He is. And as stated in Bhagavad-gétä  (10.10 ), dadämi
buddhi-yogaà tam:  the Lord gives such a devotee su fficient intelligence so that
ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom.
The special qualification of the pure devo tee is that he is always thinking of
Kåñëa without deviation and without considering the time or place. There
should be no impediments. He should be  able to carry out his service anywhere
and at any time. Some say that the devotee should remain in holy places like
Våndävana or some holy town where th e Lord lived, but a pure devotee can
live anywhere and create the atmosp here of Våndävana by his devotional
service. It was Çré Advaita who told Lord Caitanya, “Wherever  You are, O
Lord— there  is Våndävana.”
As indicated by the words satatam  and nityaçaù,  which mean “always,”
“regularly,” or “every day,” a pure devotee constantly remembers Kåñëa and
meditates upon Him. These are qualifications of the pure devotee for whom
the Lord is most easily attainable. Bhakti-yoga  is the system that the Gétä
recommends above all others. Generally, the bhakti-yogés  are engaged in five
different ways: (1) çänta-bhakta,  engaged in devotional service in neutrality;
(2) däsya-bhakta,  engaged in devotional service as servant; (3 ) säkhya-bhakta,
engaged as friend; (4) vätsalya-bhakta,  engaged as parent; and (5)
mädhurya-bhakta,  engaged as conjugal lover of the Supreme Lord. In any of
these ways, the pure devotee is always constantly engaged in the
transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord and cannot forget the
Supreme Lord, and so for him the Lord is easily attained. A pure devotee
cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord
cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment. This is the great bless ing of the
Kåñëa conscious process of chanting the mahä-mantra —Hare Kåñëa, Hare
Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare
Hare.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  15
MaaMauPaeTYa PauNaJaRNMa du"%al/YaMaXaaìTaMa( )
NaaPanuviNTa MahaTMaaNa" Sa&iSaiÖ& ParMaa& GaTaa" )) 15 ))
mäm upetya punar janma
duùkhälayam açäçvatam
näpnuvanti mahätmänaù
saàsiddhià paramäà gatäù
SYNONYMS
mäm —Me; upetya —achieving; punaù —again; janma —birth;
duùkha-älayam —place of miseries; açäçvatam —temporary; na—never;
äpnuvanti —attain; mahä-ätmänaù —the great souls; saàsiddhim —perfection;
paramäm —ultimate; gatäù —having achieved.
TRANSLATION
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogés in devotion, never return
to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained
the highest perfection.
PURPORT
Since this temporary material world is full of the miseries of birth, old age,
disease and death, naturally he who achieves the highest perfection and
attains the supreme planet, Kåñëaloka, Goloka Våndävana, does not wish to
return. The supreme planet is d escribed in Vedic literature as avyakta  and
akñara  and paramä gati;  in other words, that plan et is beyond our material
vision, and it is inexplicable, but it is  the highest goal, the destination for the
mahätmäs  (great souls). The mahätmäs  receive transcen dental messages from
the realized devotees and thus gradually  develop devotional service in Kåñëa


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.consciousness and become so absorbed in transcendental service that they no
longer desire elevation to any of the material planets, nor do they even want to
be transferred to any spiritual planet . They only want Kåñëa and Kåñëa’s
association, and nothing else. That is th e highest perfection of life. This verse
specifically mentions the personalist devotees of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.
These devotees in Kåñëa con sciousness achieve the highest perfection of life.
In other words, they are the supreme souls.
TEXT  16
Aab]ø>auvNaaçaek-a" PauNaraviTaRNaae_JauRNa )
MaaMauPaeTYa Tau k-aENTaeYa PauNaJaRNMa Na ivÛTae )) 16 ))
ä-brahma-bhuvanäl lokäù
punar ävartino ’rjuna
mäm upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
SYNONYMS
ä-brahma-bhuvanät —up to the Brahmaloka planet; lokäù —the planetary
systems; punaù —again; ävartinaù —returning; arjuna —O Arjuna; mäm —unto
Me; upetya —arriving; tu—but; kaunteya —O son of Kunté; punaù
janma —rebirth; na—never; vidyate —takes place.
TRANSLATION
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are
places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who
attains to My abode, O son of Kunté, never takes birth again.
PURPORT
All kinds of yogés—karma, jïäna, haöha,  etc.—eventually have to attain


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.devotional perfection in bhakti-yoga,  or Kåñëa consciousness, before they can
go to Kåñëa’s transcendental abode an d never return. Those who attain the
highest material planets, the pla nets of the demigods, are again subjected to
repeated birth and death. As persons on  earth are elevated to higher planets,
people on higher planets such as Brahmaloka, Candraloka and Indraloka fall
down to earth. The practice of sacrifice called païcägni-v idyä,  recommended in
the Chändogya Upaniñad,  enables one to achieve Brahmaloka, but if, on
Brahmaloka, one does not cultivate Kåñë a consciousness, then he must return
to earth. Those who progress in Kåñëa co nsciousness on the higher planets are
gradually e levated to higher and higher plan ets and at the time of universal
devastation are transferred to the eter nal spiritual kingdom. Çrédhara Svämé,
in his commentary on Bhagavad-gétä,  quotes this verse:
brahmaëä saha te sarve
sampräpte pratisaïcare
parasyänte kåtätmänaù
praviçanti paraà padam
“When there is devastation of this material universe, Brahmä and his
devotees, who are constantly engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, are all
transferred to the spiritual universe and to specific spiritual planets according
to their desires.”
TEXT  17
SahóYauGaPaYaRNTaMahYaRd(b]ø<aae ivdu" )
rai}a& YauGaSahóaNTaa& Tae_haera}aivdae JaNaa" )) 17 ))
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaëo viduù
rätrià yuga-sahasräntäà
te ’ho-rätra-vido janäù
SYNONYMS


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.sahasra —one thousand; yuga —millenniums; paryantam —including;
ahaù —day; yat—that which; brahmaëaù —of Brahmä; viduù —they know;
rätrim —night; yuga —millenniums; sahasra-antäm —similarly, ending after
one thousand; te—they; ahaù-rätra —day and night; vidaù —who un derstand;
janäù —people.
TRANSLATION
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of
Brahmä’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
PURPORT
The duration of the material universe is limited. It is manifested in cycles of
kalpas.  A kalpa  is a day of Brahmä, and one day of Brahmä consists of a
thousand cycles of four yugas,  or ages: Satya, Tretä, Dväpara and Kali. The
cycle of Satya is characteri zed by virtue, wisdom and religion, there being
practically no ignorance and vice, and the yuga  lasts 1,728,000 years. In the
Tretä-yuga vice is introduced, and this yuga  lasts 1,296,000 years. In the
Dväpara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue  and religion, vice
increasing, and this yuga  lasts 864,000 years. And finally in Kali-yuga (the
yuga  we have now been experiencing ov er the past 5,000 years) there is an
abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion  and vice, true virtue being practically
nonexistent, and this yuga  lasts 432,000 years. In Kali-yuga vice increases to
such a point that at the termination of the yuga  the Supreme Lord Himself
appears as the Kalki avatära,  vanquishes the demons, saves His devotees, and
commences another Satya-yuga . Then the process is set rolling again. These
four yugas,  rotating a thousand times, comp rise one day of Brahmä, and the
same number comprise one night. Brahmä lives one hundred of such “years”
and then dies. These “hundred years” by earth calculations to tal to 311 trillion
and 40 billion earth years. By these ca lculations the life of Brahmä seems
fantastic and interminable, but from the view point of eternity it is as brief as a
lightning flash. In the Causal Ocean there are innumerable Brahmäs rising
and disappearing like bubbles in the Atlantic. Brahmä and his creation are all


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.part of the material universe, and therefore they are in constant flux.
In the material universe not even Brah mä is free from the process of birth,
old age, disease and death. Brahmä, however, is directly engaged in the service
of the Supreme Lord in the management  of this universe—therefore he at
once attains liberation. Elev ated sannyäsés  are promoted to Brahmä’s particular
planet, Brahmaloka, which is the highest planet in the material universe and
which survives all the heavenly planets in the upper strata of the planetary
system, but in due course Brahmä and all the inhabi tants of Brahmaloka are
subject to death, according to the law of material nature.
TEXT  18
AVYa¢-aÜy¢-Ya" SavaR" Pa[>avNTYahraGaMae )
ra}YaaGaMae Pa[l/IYaNTae Ta}aEvaVYa¢-Sa&jke- )) 18 ))
avyaktäd vyaktayaù sarväù
prabhavanty ahar-ägame
rätry-ägame praléyante
tatraivävyakta-saàjïake
SYNONYMS
avyaktät —from the unmanifest; vyaktayaù —living entities; sarväù —all;
prabhavanti —become manifest; ahaù-ägame —at the beginning of the day;
rätri-ägame —at the fall of night; praléyante —are annihilated; tatra —into that;
eva—certainly; avyakta —the unmanifest; saàjïake —which is called.
TRANSLATION
At the beginning of Brahmä’s day, all living entities become manifest from
the unmanifest state, and thereafter, wh en the night falls, they are merged into
the unmanifest again.
TEXT  19


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.>aUTaGa]aMa" Sa WvaYa& >aUTva >aUTva Pa[l/IYaTae )
ra}YaaGaMae_vXa" PaaQaR Pa[>avTYahraGaMae )) 19 ))
bhüta-grämaù sa eväyaà
bhütvä bhütvä praléyate
rätry-ägame ’vaçaù pärtha
prabhavaty ahar-ägame
SYNONYMS
bhüta-grämaù —the aggregate of all living entities; saù—these; eva—certainly;
ayam —this; bhütvä bhütvä —repeatedly taking birth; praléyate —is annihilated;
rätri—of night; ägame —on the arrival; avaçaù —automatically; pärtha —O son
of Påthä; prabhavati —is manife st; ahaù —of daytime; ägame —on the arrival.
TRANSLATION
Again and again, when Brahmä’s day arrives, all living entities come into
being, and with the arrival of Brahmä’s night they are helplessly annihilated.
PURPORT
The less intelligent, who try to remain within this material world, may be
elevated to higher planets and then again must come down to this planet
earth. During the daytime of Brahmä they can exhibit their activities on
higher and lower planets within this  material world, but at the coming of
Brahmä’s night they are all annihilated. In the day they receive various bodies
for material activities, and at night th ey no longer have bodies but remain
compact in the body of Viñëu. Th en again they are manifest at the arrival of
Brahmä’s day. Bhütvä bhütvä praléyate:  during the day they become manifest,
and at night they are annihilated again . Ultimately, when Brahmä’s life is
finished, they are all annihilated and remain unmanifest for millions and
millions of year s. And when Brahmä is born again in another millennium they


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.are again manifest. In this way they are captivated by the spell of the material
world. But those intelligent persons wh o take to Kåñëa consciousness use the
human life fully in the devotional ser vice of the Lord, chanting Hare Kåñëa,
Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma,
Hare Hare. Thus they transfer themselves , even in this life, to the spiritual
planet of Kåñëa and become eternally blissful there, not being subject  to such
rebirths.
TEXT  20
ParSTaSMaatau >aavae_NYaae_V Ya¢-ae_VYa¢-aTSaNaaTaNa" )
Ya" Sa SaveRzu >aUTaezu NaXYaTSau Na ivNaXYaiTa )) 20 ))
paras tasmät tu bhävo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktät sanätanaù
yaù sa sarveñu bhüteñu
naçyatsu na vinaçyati
SYNONYMS
paraù —transcendental; tasmät —to that; tu—but; bhävaù —nature;
anyaù —another; avyaktaù —unmanifest; avyaktät —to the unmanifest;
sanätanaù —eternal; yaù saù —that which; sarveñu —all;
bhüteñu —manifestation; naçyatsu —being annihilated; na—never;
vinaçyati —is annih ilated.
TRANSLATION
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is
transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is
never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it
is.
PURPORT


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Kåñëa’s superior, spiritual energy is tr anscendental and eternal. It is beyond
all the changes of material nature, wh ich is manifest and annihilated during
the days and nights of Brahmä. Kåñëa’s superior energy is completely opposite
in quality to material  nature. Superior and inferior nature are explained in the
Seventh Chapter.
TEXT  21
AVYa¢-ae_+ar wTYau¢-STaMaahu" ParMaa& GaiTaMa( )
Ya& Pa[aPYa Na iNavTaRNTae TaÖaMa ParMa& MaMa )) 21 ))
avyakto ’kñara ity uktas
tam ähuù paramäà gatim
yaà präpya na nivartante
tad dhäma paramaà mama
SYNONYMS
avyaktaù —unmanifested; akñaraù —infallible; iti—thus; uktaù —is said;
tam—that; ähuù —is known; paramäm —the ultimate; gatim —destination;
yam—which; präpya —gaining; na—never; nivartante —come back; tat—that;
dhäma —abode; paramam —supreme; mama —My.
TRANSLATION
That which the Vedäntists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that which
is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having attained it,
one never returns—that is My supreme abode.
PURPORT
The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is described in
the Brahma-saàhitä  as cintämaëi-dhäma , a place where all desires are fulfilled.
The supreme abode of Lord Kåñëa, known as Goloka Våndävana, is full of


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.palaces made of touchstone. There  are also trees, called “desire trees,” that
supply any type of eatable upon de mand, and there are cows, known as surabhi
cows, which supply a limitless supply of mi lk. In this abode, the Lord is served
by hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune (Lak ñmés), and He is called
Govinda, the primal Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed
to blow His flute ( veëuà kvaëantam ). His transcendental form is the most
attractive in all the worlds—His eyes ar e like lotus petals, and the color of His
body is like the color of clouds. He is so attractive that His beauty excels that
of thousands of Cupids. He wears saffron cloth, a garland around His neck and
a peacock feather in His hair. In the Bhagavad-gétä  Lord Kåñëa gives only a
small hint of His pe rsonal abode, Goloka Våndävana, which is the supermost
planet in the spiritual kingdom. A vivid description is given in the
Brahma-saàhitä.  Vedic literatures ( Kaöha Upaniñad  1.3.11 ) state that there is
nothing superior to the abode of the Supreme Godhead, and that that abode is
the ultimate destination ( puruñän na paraà kiïcit sä käñöhä paramä gatiù ).
When one attains to it, he never returns to the material world. Kåñëa’s
supreme abode and Kåñëa Himself are nond ifferent, being of the same quality.
On this e arth, Våndävana, ninety miles southeast of Delhi, is a replica of that
supreme Goloka Våndävana located in  the spiritual sky. When Kåñëa
descended on this earth, He sported on that particular tract of land known as
Våndävana, comprising about eighty-four s quare miles in the district of
Mathurä, India.
TEXT  22
Pauåz" Sa Par" PaaQaR >a¢-ya l/>YaSTvNaNYaYaa )
YaSYaaNTa"SQaaiNa >aUTaaiNa YaeNa SavRiMad& TaTaMa( )) 22 ))
puruñaù sa paraù pärtha
bhaktyä labhyas tv ananyayä
yasyäntaù-sthäni bhütäni
yena sarvam idaà tatam


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
puruñaù —the Supreme Personality; saù—He; paraù —the Supreme, than
whom no one is greater; pärtha —O son of Påthä; bhaktyä —by devotional
service; labhyaù —can be achieved; tu—but; ananyayä —unalloyed,
undeviating; yasya —whom; antaù-sthäni —within; bhütäni —all of  this
material manifestation; yena —by whom; sarvam —all; idam —whatever we can
see; tatam —is pervaded.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, wh o is greater than all, is attainable
by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is
all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
PURPORT
It is here clearly stated that the supr eme destination, from which there is no
return, is the abode of Kåñëa, the Supreme Person. The Brahma-saàhitä
describes this supreme abode as änanda-cinmaya-rasa , a place where
everything is full of spiritual bliss. A ll the variegatedness manifest there is of
the quality of spiritual bliss—nothing th ere is material. That variegatedness is
expanded as the spiritual expansion of  the Supreme Godhead Himself, for the
manifestation there is totally of the spiritual energy, as explained in Chapter
Seven. As far as this material world is concerned, although the Lord is always
in His supreme abode, He is nonethele ss all-pervading by His material energy.
So by His spiritual and material ener gies He is present everywhere—both in
the material and in the spiritual universes. Yasyäntaù-sthäni  means that
everything is sustained within Him, wi thin either His spiritual or material
energy. The Lord is all-pervading by these two energies.
To enter Kåñëa’s supreme abode or the innumerable Vaikuëöha planets is
possible only by bhakti,  devotional service, as clearly indicated here by the
word bhaktyä.  No other process can help one attain that supreme abode. The


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Vedas  (Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad  3.2) also describe the supreme abode and the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko vaçé sarva-gaù kåñëaù.  In that abode
there is only one Supreme Personality of  Godhead, whose name is Kåñëa. He is
the supreme merciful Deity, and although situated there as one He has
expanded Himself into millions and millions of plenary expansions. The Vedas
compare the Lord to a tree standing sti ll yet bearing many varieties of fruits,
flowers and changing leaves. The plenar y expansions of the Lord who preside
over the Vaikuëö ha planets are four-armed, and they are known by a variety of
names—Puruñottama, Trivikrama, Keçava, Mädhava, Aniruddha, Håñékeça,
Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna, Çrédhara, Väsudeva, Dämodara, Janärdana,
Näräyaëa, Vämana, Padmanäbha, etc.
The Brahma-saàhitä  (5.37) also confirms that although the Lord is always
in the supreme abode, Goloka Våndävana, He is all-pervading, so that
everything is going on nicely ( goloka eva nivasaty akhilätma-bhütaù ). As stated
in the Vedas  (Çvetäçvatara Upaniña d 6.8), paräsya çaktir vividhaiva çrüyate/
sväbhäviké jïäna-bala-kriyä ca:  His energies are so expansive that they
systematically conduct everything in th e cosmic manifestation without a flaw,
although the Supreme Lord is far, far away.
TEXT  23
Ya}a k-ale/ TvNaav*itaMaav*ita& cEv YaaeiGaNa" )
Pa[YaaTaa YaaiNTa Ta& k-al&/ v+YaaiMa >arTazR>a )) 23 ))
yatra käle tv anävåttim
ävåttià caiva yoginaù
prayätä yänti taà kälaà
vakñyämi bharatarñabha
SYNONYMS
yatra —at which; käle—time; tu—and; anävåttim —no return; ävåttim —return;
ca—also; eva—certainly; yoginaù —different kinds of mystics;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.prayätäù —having departed; yänti —attain; tam—that; kälam —time;
vakñyämi —I shall describe; bharata-åñabha —O best of the Bhärat as.
TRANSLATION
O best of the Bhäratas, I shall now explain to you the different times at
which, passing away from this world, the yogé does or does not come back.
PURPORT
The unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are totally surrendered
souls, do not care when they leave thei r bodies or by what method. They leave
everything in Kåñëa’s hands and so easi ly and happily return to Godhead. But
those who are not unalloyed d evotees and who depend instead on such
methods of spiritual realization as karma-yoga, jïäna-yoga  and haöha-yoga  must
leave the body at a suitable time and thereby be assured whether or not they
will return to the world of birth and death.
If the yogé is perfect he can select the time and situation for leaving this
material world. But if he is not so expert his success depends on his
accidentally passing away at a certain suitable time. The suitable times at
which one passes away and does no t come back are explained by the Lord in
the next verse. According to Äcärya Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa, the Sanskrit
word käla used herein refers to the presiding deity of time.
TEXT  24
AiGanJYaaeRiTarh" éu©-" z<MaaSaa otaraYa<aMa( )
Ta}a Pa[YaaTaa GaC^iNTa b]ø b]øivdae JaNaa" )) 24 ))
agnir jyotir ahaù çuklaù
ñaë-mäsä uttaräyaëam
tatra prayätä gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janäù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
agniù —fire; jyotiù —light; ahaù —day; çuklaù —the white fortnight;
ñaö-mäsäù —the six months; uttara-ayanam —when the sun passes on the
northern side; tatra —there; prayätäù —those who pass away; gacchanti —go;
brahma —to the Absolute; brahma-vidaù —who know the Abs olute;
janäù —persons.
TRANSLATION
Those who know the Supreme Brahma n attain that Supreme by passing
away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an
auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or
during the six months when the sun tr avels in the north.
PURPORT
When fire, light, day and the fortnight of the moon are mentioned, it is to
be understood that over all of them there are various presiding deities who
make arrangements for the passage of th e soul. At the time of death, the mind
carries one on the path to  a new life. If one leaves the body at the time
designated above, either accidentally or  by arrangement, it is possible for him
to attain the impersonal brahmajyoti.  Mystics who are advanced in yoga
practice can arrange the time and place to leave the body . Others have no
control—if by accident they leave at an  auspicious moment, then they will not
return to the cycle of birth and death,  but otherwise there is every possibility
that they will have to return. Howe ver, for the pure devotee in Kåñëa
consciousn ess, there is no fear of returning,  whether he leaves the body at an
auspicious or inauspicious moment, by accident or arrangement.
TEXT  25
DaUMaae rai}aSTaQaa k*-Z<a" z<MaaSaa di+a<aaYaNaMa( )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Ta}a caNd]MaSa& JYaaeiTaYaaeRGaq Pa[aPYa iNavTaRTae )) 25 ))
dhümo rätris tathä kåñëaù
ñaë-mäsä dakñiëäyanam
tatra cändramasaà jyotir
yogé präpya nivartate
SYNONYMS
dhümaù —smoke; rätriù —night; tathä —also; kåñëaù —the fortnight of the dark
moon; ñaö-mäsäù —the six months; dakñiëa-ayanam —when the sun passes on
the southern side; tatra —there; cändra-masam —the moon planet; jyotiù —the
light; yogé—the mystic; präpya —achieving ; nivartate —comes back.
TRANSLATION
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night,
the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes to the
south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.
PURPORT
In the Third Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam  Kapila Muni mentions that
those who are expert in fruitive activities and sacrificial methods on earth
attain to the moon at death. These elev ated souls live on the moon for about
10,000 years (by demigod calculation s) and enjoy life by drinking soma-rasa.
They eventually return to earth. Th is means that on the moon there are
higher classes of living beings, though they may not be perceived by the gross
senses.
TEXT  26
éu©-k*-Z<ae GaTaq ùeTae JaGaTa" XaaìTae MaTae )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Wk-Yaa YaaTYaNaav*itaMaNYaYaavTaRTae PauNa" )) 26 ))
çukla-kåñëe gaté hy ete
jagataù çäçvate mate
ekayä yäty anävåttim
anyayävartate punaù
SYNONYMS
çukla —light; kåñëe —and darkness; gaté—ways of passing; hi—certainly;
ete—these two; jagataù —of the material world; çäçvate —of the Vedas;
mate —in the opinion; ekayä —by one; yäti—goes; anävåttim —to no return;
anyayä —by the other; ävartate —comes back; punaù —again.
TRANSLATION
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this
world—one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not
come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
PURPORT
The same description of departure and return is quoted by Äcärya Baladeva
Vidyäbhüñaëa from the Chändogya Upaniñad  (5.10.3–5 ). Those who are
fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are
constantly going and coming. Actually they  do not attain ultimate salvation,
for they do not surrender to Kåñëa.
TEXT  27
NaETae Sa*Taq PaaQaR JaaNaNYaaeGaq MauùiTa k-êNa )
TaSMaaTSaveRzu k-ale/zu YaaeGaYau¢-ae >avaJauRNa )) 27 ))
naite såté pärtha jänan


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yogé muhyati kaçcana
tasmät sarveñu käleñu
yoga-yukto bhavärjuna
SYNONYMS
na—never; ete—these two; såté—different paths; pärtha —O son of Påthä;
jänan —even if he knows; yogé—the devotee of the Lord; muhyati —is
bewildered; kaçcana —any; tasmät —therefore; sarveñu käleñu —always;
yoga-yuktaù —engaged in Kåñëa consciousness; bhava —just become;
arjuna —O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never
bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
PURPORT
Kåñëa is here advising Arjuna that he should not be disturbed by the
different paths the soul can take when leaving the material world. A devotee
of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart by arrangement
or by accident. The devotee should be firmly established in Kåñëa
consciousness and chant Hare Kåñëa. He should know that concern over
either of these two paths is troublesome.  The best way to be absorbed in Kåñëa
consciousness is to be always dovetailed  in His service, and this will make o ne’s
path to the spiritual kingdom sa fe, certain and direct. The word yoga-yukta  is
especially significant in this verse. One who is firm in yoga is constantly
engaged in Kåñëa consciousness in all hi s activities. Çré Rüpa Gosvämé advises,
anäsaktasya viña yän yathärham upayuïjataù:  one should be unattached in
material affairs and do everything in Kåñëa consciousness. By this system,
which is called yukta-vairägya , one attains perfection. Therefore the devotee is
not disturbed by these descriptions, because he knows that his passage to the
supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  28
vedezu Yajezu TaPa"Sau cEv
 daNaezu YaTPau<Yaf-l&/ Pa[idíMa( )
ATYaeiTa TaTSavRiMad& ividTva
 YaaeGaq Par& SQaaNaMauPaEiTa caÛMa( )) 28 ))
vedeñu yajïeñu tapaùsu caiva
däneñu yat puëya-phalaà pradiñöam
atyeti tat sarvam idaà viditvä
yogé paraà sthänam upaiti cädyam
SYNONYMS
vedeñu —in the study of the Vedas;  yajïeñu —in the performances of yajïa,
sacrifice; tapaùsu —in undergoing different types of austerities; ca—also;
eva—certainly; däneñu —in giving charities; yat—that which;
puëya-phalam —result of pious work; pradiñöam —indica ted; atyeti —surpasses;
tat sarvam —all those; idam —this; viditvä —knowing; yogé—the devotee;
param —supreme; sthänam —abode; upaiti —achieves; ca—also;
ädyam —original.
TRANSLATION
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the
results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving
charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing
devotional service, he a ttains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme
eternal abode.
PURPORT
This verse is the summation of the Seventh and Eighth chapters, which


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.particularly deal with Kåñëa consciousn ess and devotional service. One has to
study the Vedas  under the guidance of the spiritual master and undergo many
austerities and penances while l iving under his care. A brahmacäré  has to live
in the home of the spiritual master just  like a servant, and he must beg alms
from door to door and bring them to the spiritual master. He takes food only
under the master’s order, and if the master neglects t o call the student for food
that day, the student fasts. These ar e some of the Vedic principles for
observing brahmacarya.
After the student studies the Vedas  under the master for a period from five
to twenty years, he may become a ma n of perfect character. Study of the Vedas
is not meant for the recreation of armc hair speculators, but for the formation
of character. After thi s training, the brahmacäré  is allowed to enter into
household life and marry. When he is a householder, he has to perform many
sacrifices so that he may achieve furt her enlightenment. He must also give
charity according to the country, time and candidate, discriminating among
charity in goodness, in passion and in ignorance, as described in Bhagavad-gétä.
Then after retiring from household life, upon accepting the order of
vänaprastha,  he undergoes severe penances—living in forests, dressing with
tree bark,  not shaving, etc. By carrying out the orders of brahmacarya,
householder life, vänaprastha  and finally sannyäsa,  one becomes elevated to
the perfectional stage of life. Some  are then elevated to the heavenly
kingdoms, and when they become even more advanc ed they are liberated in
the spiritual sky, either in the impersonal brahmajyoti  or in the Vaikuëöha
planets or Kåñëaloka. This is the path outlined by Vedic literatures.
The beauty of Kåñëa consciousness, however, is that by one stroke, by
engaging in devotional service, one can surpass all the rituals of the different
orders of life.
The words idaà viditvä  indicate that one should understand the
instructions given by Çré Kåñëa in th is chapter and the Seventh Chapter of
Bhagavad-gétä.  One should try to understand these chapters not by scholarship
or mental speculation but by hearing the m in association with devotees.
Chapters Seven through Twelve are the essence of Bhagavad-gétä.  The first six
and the last six chapters are like cove rings for the middle six chapters, which


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.are especially protected by the Lord. If one is fortunate enough t o understand
Bhagavad-gétä —especially these middle six chapters—in the association of
devotees, then his life at once becomes glorified beyond all penances,
sacrifices, charities, speculations, etc ., for one can achieve all the results of
these activities simply by Kåñëa consciousness.
One who has a little faith in Bhagavad-gétä  should learn Bhagavad-gétä  from
a devotee, because in the beginning of th e Fourth Chapter it is stated clearly
that Bhagavad-gétä  can be understood only by devotees; no one else can
perfectly understand the purpo se of Bhagavad-gétä.  One should therefore learn
Bhagavad-gétä  from a devotee of Kåñëa, not from mental speculators. This is a
sign of faith. When one searches for a devotee and finally gets a devotee’s
association one actually begins to study and understan d Bhagavad-gétä.  By
advancement in the association of the devotee one is placed in devotional
service, and this service dispels all one’ s misgivings about Kåñëa, or God, and
Kåñëa’s activities, form, pastimes, name and other features. After these
misgiving s have been perfectly cleared away, one becomes fixed in one’s study.
Then one relishes the study of Bhagavad-gétä  and attains the state of feeling
always Kåñëa conscious. In the advanced stage, one falls completely in love
with Kåñëa. This highest perfect ional stage of life enables the devotee to be
transferred to Kåñëa’s abode in the spir itual sky, Goloka Våndävana, where the
devotee becomes eternally happy.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eighth Chapter of the Çrémad
Bhagavad-gétä  in the matter of Attaining the Supreme.
- CHAPTER 9 -
The Most Confidential Knowledge


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  1
é[q>aGavaNauvac
wd& Tau Tae GauùTaMa& Pa[v+YaaMYaNaSaUYave )
jaNa& ivjaNaSaihTa& YaJjaTva Maae+YaSae_éu>aaTa( )) 1 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
idaà tu te guhyatamaà
pravakñyämy anasüyave
jïänaà vijïäna-sahitaà
yaj jïätvä mokñyase ’çubhät
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; idam —this;
tu—but; te—unto you; guhya-tamam —the most confidential; pravakñyämi —I
am speaking; anasüyave —to the nonenvious; jïänam —knowledge;
vijïäna —realized knowledge; sahitam —with; yat—which; jïätvä—knowing;
mokñyase —you will be released; açubhät —from this miserable material
existence.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, because you are
never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and
realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material
existence.
PURPORT
As a devotee hears more and more about the Supreme Lord, he becomes
enlightened. This hearing process is recommended in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam:
“The messages of the Supreme Personal ity of Godhead are full of potencies,
and these potencies can be realized if  topics regarding the Supreme Godhead


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.are discussed amongst devotees. This ca nnot be achieved by the association of
mental speculators or academic scholars, for it is realized knowledge.”
The devotees are constantly engaged in the Supreme Lord’s service. The
Lord understands the mentality and sincer ity of a particular living entity who
is engaged in Kåñëa consciousne ss and gives him the intelligence to
understand the science of Kåñëa in the  association of devotees. Discussion of
Kåñëa is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to
assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward
spiritual realization. Lord Kåñëa, in order to encourage Arjuna to higher and
higher elevation in His potent service,  describes in this Ninth Chapter matters
more confidential than any He has already disclosed.
The very beginning of Bhagavad-gétä,  the First Chapter, is more or less an
introduction to the rest of the book; and in the Second and Third chapters,
the spiritual knowledge described is calle d confidential. Topics discussed in the
Seventh and Eighth chap ters are specifically related to devotional service, and
because they bring enlightenment in Kåñëa consciousness, they are called
more confidential. But the matters whic h are described in the Ninth Chapter
deal with unalloyed, pure devotion. Therefore this  is called the most
confidential. One who is situated in th e most confidential knowledge of Kåñëa
is naturally transcendental; he therefore has no material pangs, although he is
in the material world. In the Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu  it is said that although
one who has a sincere desire to render loving service to the Supreme Lord is
situated in the conditional state of material existence, he is to be considered
liberated. Similarly, we shall find in the Bhagavad-gétä,  Tenth Chapter, that
anyone who is engaged  in that way is a liberated person.
Now this first verse has specific significance. The words idaà jïänam  (“this
knowledge”) refer to pure devotional service, which consists of nine different
activities: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving, worshiping, praying,
obeying, maintaining frien dship and surrendering everything. By the practice
of these nine elements of devotional service one is elevated to spiritual
consciousness, Kåñëa consciousness. When one’s heart is thus cleared of
material contamination, one can understand this science of Kåñëa. Simply to
understand that a living entity is not material is not sufficient. That may be


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.the beginning of spiritual realization, but one should recognize the difference
between activities of the body and the spiritual activities of one who
understan ds that he is not the body.
In the Seventh Chapter we have alre ady discussed the opulent potency of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hi s different energies, the inferior and
superior natures, and all this material manifestation. Now in Chapter Nine the
glories of the Lord will be delineated.
The Sanskrit word anasüyave  in this verse is also very significant. Generally
the commentators, even if they are high ly scholarly, are all envious of Kåñëa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the most erudite scholars write on
Bhagavad-gétä  very inac curately. Because they are envious of Kåñëa, their
commentaries are useless. The commentarie s given by devotees of the Lord are
bona fide. No one can explain Bhagavad-gétä  or give perfect knowledge of
Kåñëa if he is envious. One who criticizes the characte r of Kåñëa without
knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries should be very carefully avoided.
For one who understands that Kåñëa is  the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be very beneficial.
TEXT  2
raJaivÛa raJaGauù& Paiv}aiMadMautaMaMa( )
Pa[TYa+aavGaMa& DaMYa| SauSau%& k-TauRMaVYaYaMa( )) 2 ))
räja-vidyä räja-guhyaà
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakñävagamaà dharmyaà
su-sukhaà kartum avyayam
SYNONYMS
räja-vidyä —the king of education; räja-guhyam —the king of confidential
knowledge; pavitram —the purest; idam —this; uttamam —transcendental;
pratyakña —by direct experience; avagamam —understood; dharmyam —the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.principle of religion; su-sukham —very happy; kartum —to execute;
avyayam —everlasting.
TRANSLATION
This knowledge is the king of education,  the most secret of all secrets. It is
the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by
realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully
performed.
PURPORT
This chapter of Bhagavad-gétä  is called the king of education because it is
the essence of all doctrines and phil osophies explained before. Among the
principal philosophers in India are Gautama, Kaëäda, Kapila, Yäjïavalkya,
Çäëòilya and Vaiçvänara. And fin ally there is Vyäsadeva, the author of the
Vedänta-sütra.  So there is no dearth of knowledge in the field of philosophy or
transcendental knowledge. Now the Lord says that this Ninth Chapter is the
king of all such knowledge, the essence of all knowledge t hat can be derived
from the study of the Vedas  and different kinds of philosophy. It is the most
confidential because confidential or  transcendental knowledge involves
understanding the difference between the soul and the body. And the king of
all confiden tial knowledge culminates in devotional service.
Generally, people are not educated in this confidential knowledge; they are
educated in external knowledge. As fa r as ordinary education is concerned,
people are involved with so many departments: politics, sociology, physics,
chemistry, mathematics, astro nomy, engineering, etc. There are so many
departments of knowledge all over the world and many huge universities, but
there is, unfortunately, no university  or educational institution where the
science of the spirit soul is instructed. Yet the soul is the most important part
of the body; without the presence of th e soul, the body has no value. Still
people are placing great stress on the bodily necessities of life, not caring for
the vital soul.
The Bhagavad-gétä,  especially from the Second Chapter on, stresses the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.importance of the soul. In the very begi nning, the Lord says that this body is
perishable and that the soul is not perishable ( antavanta ime dehä nityasyoktäù
çarériëaù ). That is a conf idential part of knowledge:  simply knowing that the
spirit soul is different from this body and that its nature is immutable,
indestructible and eternal. But that gi ves no positive information about the
soul. Sometimes people are under the impression that the soul is different from
the body and that when the body is fini shed, or one is liberated from the body,
the soul remains in a void and becomes im personal. But actually that is not the
fact. How can the soul, which is so active within this body, be inact ive after
being liberated from the body? It is always  active. If it is eternal, then it is
eternally active, and its activities in the spiritual kingdom are the most
confidential part of spiritual knowledge. These activities of the spirit soul are
therefor e indicated here as constituting the king of all knowledge, the most
confidential part of all knowledge.
This knowledge is the purest form of  all activities, as explained in Vedic
literature. In the Padma Puräëa,  man’s sinful activities have been analyzed and
are shown to be the results of sin afte r sin. Those who are engaged in fruitive
activities are entang led in different stages and forms of sinful reactions. For
instance, when the seed of a particular  tree is sown, the tree does not appear
immediately to grow; it takes some time. It  is first a small, sprouting plant, then
it assumes the form of a tree, the n it flowers and bears fruit, and, when it is
complete, the flowers and fruits are en joyed by persons who have sown the
seed of the tree. Similarly, a man performs  a sinful act, and like a seed it takes
time to fructify. There are different stages. The sin ful action may have already
stopped within the individual, but the resu lts or the fruit of that sinful action
are still to be enjoyed. There are sins wh ich are still in the form of a seed, and
there are others which are already fructified and are giving us  fruit, which we
are enjoying as distress and pain.
As explained in the twenty-eighth verse of the Seventh Chapter , a person
who has completely ended the reactions of  all sinful activities and who is fully
engaged in pious activities, being freed from the duality of this material world,
becomes engaged in d evotional service to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Kåñëa. In other words, th ose who are actually engaged in the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.devotional service of the Supreme Lord  are already freed from all reactions.
This statement is confirmed in the Padma Puräëa:
aprärabdha-phalaà päpaà
küöaà béjaà phalonmukham
krameëaiva praléyeta
viñëu-bhakti-ratätmanäm
For those who are engaged in the de votional service of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, all sinful reacti ons, whether fructified, in the stock, or
in the form of a seed, gradually vani sh. Therefore the purifying potency of
devotional service is very str ong, and it is called pavitram uttamam,  the purest.
Uttama  means transcendental. Tamas  means this material world or darkness,
and uttama  means that which is transcende ntal to material activities.
Devotional activities are never to be considered material, a lthough sometimes
it appears that devotees are engaged ju st like ordinary men. One who can see
and is familiar with devotional service will know that they are not material
activities. They are all spiritual an d devotional, uncontaminated by the
material mo des of nature.
It is said that the execution of devotional service is so perfect that one can
perceive the results directly. This direct  result is actually perceived, and we
have practical experience that any pers on who is chanting the holy names of
Kåñëa (Hare Kåñëa, Ha re Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare
Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare) in course of chanting without offenses feels
some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of all material
contamination. This is actually seen. Furthermore, if one engages not only in
hearing but in trying to broadcast the message of devotional activities as well,
or if he engages himself in helpin g the missionary activities of Kåñëa
consciousness, he gradually feels spiritual progress. This advancement in
spirit ual life does not depend on an y kind of previous education or
qualification. The method itself is so pu re that by simply engaging in it one
becomes pure.
In the Vedänta-sütra  (3.2.26 ) this is also described in the following words:
prakäçaç ca karmaëy abhyäsät.  “Devotional service is so potent that simply by


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.engaging in the activities of devoti onal service one becomes enlightened
without a doubt.” A practica l example of this can be seen in the previous life
of Närada, who in that life happened to  be the son of a maidservant. He had
no education, nor was he born into a high family. But when his mother was
engaged in serving great devotees, Närada also became e ngaged, and
sometimes, in the absence of his mother, he would serve the great devotees
himself. Närada personally says,
ucchiñöa-lepän anumodito dvijaiù
sakåt sma bhuïje tad-apästa-kilbiñaù
evaà pravåttasya viçuddha-cetasas
tad-dharma evätma-ruciù prajäyate
In this verse from Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (1.5.25 ) Närada describes his previous
life to his disciple Vyäsadeva. He says  that while engaged as a boy servant for
those purified devotees during the four months of their stay, he was intimately
associating with the m. Sometimes those sages left remnants of food on their
dishes, and the boy, who would wash their dishes, wanted to taste the
remnants. So he asked the great devotees for their permission, and when they
gave it Närada ate those remnants and consequently be came freed from all
sinful reactions. As he went on eating , he gradually became as pure-hearted as
the sages. The great devotees relished th e taste of unceasing devotional service
to the Lord by hearing and chanting, and Närada gradually developed the
same  taste. Närada says further,
tatränvahaà kåñëa-kathäù pragäyatäm
anugraheëäçåëavaà manoharäù
täù çraddhayä me ’nupadaà viçåëvataù
priyaçravasy aìga mamäbhavad ruciù
By associating with the sages, Närada got the taste for hearing and chanting
the glories of the Lord, and he developed a great desire for devotional service.
Therefore, as described in the Vedänta-sütra,  prakäçaç ca karmaëy abhyäsät:  if
one is engaged simp ly in the acts of devotional service, everything is revealed
to him automatically, and he can understand. This is called pratyakña,  directly


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.perceived.
The word dharmyam  means “the path of religion.” Närada was actually a
son of a maidservant. He had no opport unity to go to school. He was simply
assisting his mother, and fortunately his mother rendered some service to the
devotees. The child Närada also g ot the opportunity and simply by association
achieved the highest goal of all religi on. The highest goal of all religion is
devotional service, as stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (sa vai puàsäà paro
dharmo yato bhaktir adhokñaje ). Religious people generally do  not know that
the highest perfection of religion is th e attainment of devotional service. As
we have already discussed in regard to the last verse of Chapter Eight ( vedeñu
yajïeñu tapaùsu caiva ), generally Vedic knowledge is required for
self-realization.  But here, although Närada never went to the school of the
spiritual master and was not educated in  the Vedic principles, he acquired the
highest results of Vedic study. This pr ocess is so potent that even without
performing the religious process regularly , one can be raised to the highest
perfection. How is this possible? This is also confirmed in Vedic literature:
äcäryavän puruño veda.  One who is in association with great äcäryas,  even if he
is not educated or has never studied the Vedas,  can become fami liar with all
the knowledge necessary for realization.
The process of devotional se rvice is a very happy one ( susukham ). Why?
Devotional service consists of çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù [SB 7.5.23] , so one can
simply hear the chanting of the glories of the Lord or can attend philosophical
lectures on transcendenta l knowledge given by authorized äcäryas.  Simply by
sitting, one can learn; then one can ea t the remnants of the food offered to
God, nice palatable dishes. In every stat e devotional service is joyful. One can
execute devotional service even in the most pov erty-stricken condition. The
Lord says, patraà puñpaà phalaà toyam : H e  i s  r e a d y  t o  a c c e p t  f r o m  t h e
devotee any kind of offering, never mind what. Even a leaf, a flower, a bit of
fruit, or a little water, which are all av ailable in every part of the world, can be
offered by any person, regardless of social position, and will be accepted if
offered with love. There are many instan ces in history. Simply by tasting the
tulasé  leaves offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, great sages like Sanat-kumära
became gre at devotees. Therefore the devotional process is very nice, and it


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.can be executed in a happy mood. God a ccepts only the love with which things
are offered to Him.
It is said here that this devotional se rvice is eternally existing. It is not as
the Mäyävädé philosophers claim. Althou gh they sometimes take to so-called
devotional service, their idea is that as  long as they are not liberated they will
continue their de votional service, but at the end, when they become liberated,
they will “become one with God.” Such  temporary time-serving devotional
service is not accepted as pure devotion al service. Actual devotional service
continues even after liberation. When the de votee goes to the spiritual planet
in the kingdom of God, he is also en gaged there in serving the Supreme Lord.
He does not try to become one with the Supreme Lord.
As will be seen in Bhagavad-gétä,  actual devotional service begins after
liberation. After one is liberated, wh en one is situated in the Brahman
position ( brahma-bhüta ), one’s devotional service begins ( samaù sarveñu
bhüteñu mad-bhaktià labhate paräm ). No one can understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by executing karma-yoga, jïäna-yoga, añöäìga-yoga  or
any other yoga independently. By these yogic methods one may make a little
progress toward bhakti-yoga,  but without coming to the stage of devotional
service one cannot understand what is the Personality of Godhead. In the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it is also confirmed that when one becomes purified by
executing the process of devotional  service, especially by hearing
Çrémad-Bhägavatam  or Bhagavad-gétä  from re alized souls, then he can
understand the science of Kåñëa, or the science of God. Evaà
prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti yogataù . When one’s heart is cleared of all
nonsense, then one can understand what God is. Thus the process of
devotional service, of Kåñ ëa consciousness, is the king of all education and the
king of all confidential knowledge. It is  the purest form of religion, and it can
be executed joyfully without difficulty. Therefore one should adopt it.
TEXT  3
Aé[ÕDaaNaa" Pauåza DaMaRSYaaSYa ParNTaPa )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.APa[aPYa Maa& iNavTaRNTae Ma*TYauSa&SaarvTMaRiNa )) 3 ))
açraddadhänäù puruñä
dharmasyäsya parantapa
apräpya mäà nivartante
måtyu-saàsära-vartmani
SYNONYMS
açraddadhänäù —those who are faithless; puruñäù —such persons;
dharmasya —toward the process of religion; asya—this; parantapa —O killer of
the enemies; apräpya —without obtaining; mäm —Me; nivartante —come back;
måtyu —of death; saàsära —in material existence; vartmani —on the path.
TRANSLATION
Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O
conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in
this material world.
PURPORT
The faithless cannot accomplish this pr ocess of devotional service; that is
the purport of this verse. Faith is created by association with devotees.
Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the evidence of Vedic literature
from great personalities, stil l have no faith in God. They are hesitant and
cannot stay fixed in the devotional serv ice of the Lord. Thus faith is a most
important factor for progress in Kåñëa consciousness. In the
Caitanya-caritämåta  it is said that faith is the complete conviction th at simply
by serving the Supreme Lord, Çré Kåñëa, one can achieve all perfection. That is
called real faith. As stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (4.31.14 ),
yathä taror müla-niñecanena
tåpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaçäkhäù
präëopahäräc ca yathendriyäëäà


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.tathaiva sarvärhaëam acyutejyä
“By giving water to the root of a tree one satisfies its branches, twigs and
leaves, and by supplying food to the stom ach one satisfies all the senses of the
body. Similarly, by engaging in the transcendental service of the Supreme Lord
one automatically s atisfies all the demigods and all other living entities.”
Therefore, after reading Bhagavad-gétä  one should promptly come to the
conclusion of Bhagavad-gétä:  one should give up all other engagements and
adopt the service of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, the Per sonality of Godhead. If
one is convinced of this philosophy of life, that is faith.
Now, the development of that faith is the process of Kåñëa consciousness.
There are three divisions of Kåñëa consci ous men. In the third class are those
who have no faith. Even if they are officially engaged in devotional service,
they cannot achieve the h ighest perfectional stage. Most probably they will
slip, after some time. They may become  engaged, but because they haven’t
complete conviction and faith, it is very difficult for them to continue in
Kåñëa consciousness. We have practical experience in dis charging our
missionary activity that some people come and apply themselves to Kåñëa
consciousness with some hidden motive, and as soon as they are economically a
little well situated they give up this process and take to their old ways again. It
is only b y faith that one can advance in Kåñëa consciousness. As far as the
development of faith is concerned, one who is well versed in the literatures of
devotional service and has attained the st age of firm faith is called a first-class
person in Kåñëa conscious ness. And in the second class are those who are not
very advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures but who
automatically have firm faith that kåñëa-bhakti,  or service to Kåñëa, is the best
course and so in good faith ha ve taken it up. Thus they a re superior to the
third class, who have neither perfect knowledge of the scriptures nor good
faith but by association and simplicity are trying to follow. The third-class
person in Kåñëa consciousness may fall down, but when one is in the second
class he does not fall down, and for the first-class person in Kåñëa
consciousness there is no chance of fa lling down. One in the first class will
surely make progress and achieve the result  at the end. As far as the third-class
person in Kåñëa consciousness is con cerned, although he has faith in the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.conviction that devotional service to Kå ñëa is very good, he has not yet gained
adequate knowledge of Kåñëa through the scriptures like Çrémad-Bhägavatam
and Bhagavad-gétä.  Sometimes these third-class persons in Kåñëa c onsciousness
have some tendency toward karma-yoga  and jïäna-yoga,  and sometimes they
are disturbed, but as soon as the infection of karma-yoga  or jïäna-yoga  is
vanquished, they become second-class or first-class persons in Kåñëa
consciousness. Faith in Kåñ ëa is also divided into three stages and described in
Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  First-class attachment, second-class attachment and
third-class attachment are also explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam  in the
Eleventh Canto. Those who have no faith even after hearing ab out Kåñëa and
the excellence of devotional service, wh o think that it is simply eulogy, find
the path very difficult, even if they  are supposedly engaged in devotional
service. For them there is very little ho pe of gaining perfection. Thus faith is
very im portant in the discharge of devotional service.
TEXT  4
MaYaa TaTaiMad& Sav| JaGadVYa¢-MaUiTaRNaa )
MaTSQaaiNa SavR>aUTaaiNa Na cah& TaeZvviSQaTa" )) 4 ))
mayä tatam idaà sarvaà
jagad avyakta-mürtinä
mat-sthäni sarva-bhütäni
na cähaà teñv avasthitaù
SYNONYMS
mayä —by Me; tatam —pervaded; idam —this; sarvam —all; jagat —cosmic
manifestation; avyakta-mürtinä —by the unmanifested form; mat-sthäni —in
Me; sarva-bhütäni —all living entities; na—not; ca—also; aham —I; teñu—in
them; avasthitaù —situated.
TRANSLATION


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.By Me, in My unmanifested form, th is entire universe is pervaded. All
beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not perceivable through the gross
material senses. It is said,
ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi
na bhaved grähyam indriyaiù
sevonmukhe hi jihvädau
svayam eva sphuraty adaù
(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu  1.2.234 )
Lord Çré Kåñëa’s name, fame, pastim es, etc., cannot be understood by
material senses. Only to one who is engaged in pure devotional service under
proper guidance is He revealed. In the Brahma-saàhitä  (5.38) it is stated,
premäïjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocane na santaù sadaiva hådayeñu vilokayanti:  one
can see the Supreme Personality of Godh ead, Govinda, always within himself
and outside himself if one has develope d the transcendental loving attitude
towards Him. Thus for people in general He is not visible. He re it is said that
although He is all-pervading, everywhere  present, He is not conceivable by the
material senses. This is indicated here by the word avyakta-mürtinä.  But
actually, although we cannot see Him, everything is resting in Him. As we
have discus sed in the Seventh Chapter, the entire material cosmic
manifestation is only a combination of His two different energies—the
superior, spiritual energy and the inferio r, material energy. Just as the sunshine
is spread all over the universe, the energy of t he Lord is spread all over the
creation, and everything is resting in that energy.
Yet one should not conclude that becaus e He is spread all over He has lost
His personal existence. To refute su ch an argument the Lord says, “I am
everywhere, and everything is in Me, bu t still I am aloof.” For example, a king
heads a government which is b ut the manifestation of the king’s energy; the
different governmental departments are nothing but the energies of the king,


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.and each department is resting on the king’s power. But still one cannot
expect the king to be present in every department personall y. That is a crude
example. Similarly, all the manifestat ions that we see and everything that
exists, both in this material world and in  the spiritual world, are resting on the
energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The creation takes place by
the d iffusion of His different energies, and, as stated in the Bhagavad-gétä,
viñöabhyäham idaà kåtsnam : He is everywhere present by His personal
representation, the diffusion of His different energies.
TEXT  5
Na c MaTSQaaiNa >aUTaaiNa PaXYa Mae YaaeGaMaEìrMa( )
>aUTa>a*à c >aUTaSQaae MaMaaTMaa >aUTa>aavNa" )) 5 ))
na ca mat-sthäni bhütäni
paçya me yogam aiçvaram
bhüta-bhån na ca bhüta-stho
mamätmä bhüta-bhävanaù
SYNONYMS
na—never; ca—also; mat-sthäni —situated in Me; bhütäni —all creation;
paçya —just see; me—My; yogam aiçvaram —inconceivable mystic power;
bhüta-bhåt —the maintainer of all living entities; na—never; ca—also;
bhüta-sthaù —in the cosmic manifestation; mama —My; ätmä—Self;
bhüta-bhävanaù —the source of all manifestations.
TRANSLATION
And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic
opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am
everywhere, I am not a part of this cosmic manifestation, for My Self is the
very source of creation.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
The Lord says that everything is resting on Him ( mat-sthäni sarva-bhütäni ).
This should not be misunderstood. The Lo rd is not directly concerned with the
maintenance and sustenance of this mate rial manifestation. Sometimes we see
a picture of Atlas holding  the globe on his shoulders; he seems to be very tired,
holding this great earthly planet. Such an image should not be entertained in
connection with Kåñëa’s upholding th is created universe. He says that
although everything is resting on Him, He is aloof. The planetary systems are
floating in space, and this space is th e energy of the Supreme Lord. But He is
different from space. He is different ly situated. Therefore the Lord says,
“Although they are situated on My inconceivable energy, as the Supreme
Perso nality of Godhead I am aloof from them.” This is the inconceivable
opulence of the Lord.
In the Nirukti  Vedic dictionary it is said, yujyate ’nena durghaöeñu käryeñu:
“The Supreme Lord is performing inconceivably wonderful pastimes,
displaying His energy.” His person is fu ll of different potent energies, and His
determination is itself actual fact. In this way the Personality of Godhead is to
be understood. We may think of doin g something, but there are so many
impediments, and sometimes it is not possi ble to do as we like. But when Kåñëa
wants to do something, simply by His willing, everything  is performed so
perfectly that one cannot imagine how it  is being done. The Lord explains this
fact: although He is the maintainer and sustainer of the entire material
manifestation, He does not touch this material manifestation. Simply by His
supreme wil l, everything is created, everything is sustained, everything is
maintained, and everything is annihilate d. There is no difference between His
mind and Himself (as there is a difference between ourselves and our present
material mind) because He is absolut e spirit. Simultaneously the Lord is
present in everything; yet the common man cannot understand how He is also
present personally. He is different from this material manifestation, yet
everything is resting on Him. This is explained here as yogam aiçvaram , the
mystic power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  6
YaQaak-aXaiSQaTaae iNaTYa& vaYau" SavR}aGaae MahaNa( )
TaQaa SavaRi<a >aUTaaiNa MaTSQaaNaqTYauPaDaarYa )) 6 ))
yathäkäça-sthito nityaà
väyuù sarvatra-go mahän
tathä sarväëi bhütäni
mat-sthänéty upadhäraya
SYNONYMS
yathä —just as; äkäça-sthitaù —situated in the sky; nityam —always; väyuù —the
wind; sarvatra-gaù —blowing everywhere; mahän —great; tathä —similarly;
sarväëi bhütäni —all created beings; mat-sthäni —situated in Me; iti—thus;
upadhäraya —try to understand.
TRANSLATION
Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in
the sky, all created beings rest in Me.
PURPORT
For the ordinary person it is almost  inconceivable how the huge material
creation is resting in Him. But the Lo rd is giving an example which may help
us to understand. The sky may be the biggest manifestation we can conceive.
And in that sky the wind or ai r is the biggest manifestation in the cosmic
world. The movement of the air influe nces the movements of everything. But
although the wind is great, it is still situated within the sky; the wind is not
beyond the sky. Similarly, all the wonderful cosmic man ifestations are existing
by the supreme will of God, and all of them are subordinate to that supreme
will. As we generally say, not a blade of grass moves without the will of the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus everything is moving under His will:
by His will everything is being created, everything is being maintained, and
everything is being annihilated. Still He  is aloof from everything, as the sky is
always aloof from the activities of the wind.
In the Upaniñads  it is stated, yad-bhéñä vätaù pavate:  “It is out of the fear of
the Supreme Lord that the wind is blowing.” ( Taittiréya Upaniñad  2.8.1) In the
Båhad-äraëyaka Upaniñad  (3.8.9 ) it is stated, etasya vä akñarasya praçäsane gärgi
sürya-candrama sau vidhåtau tiñöhata etasya vä akñarasya praçäsane gärgi
dyäv-äpåthivyau vidhåtau tiñöhataù.  “By the supreme order, under the
superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the moon, the sun,
and the other great planets are moving.” In the Brahma- saàhitä  (5.52) also it is
stated,
yac-cakñur eña savitä sakala-grahäëäà
räjä samasta-sura-mürtir açeña-tejäù
yasyäjïayä bhramati sambhåta-käla-cakro
govindam ädi-puruñaà tam ahaà bhajämi
This is a description of the movement of  the sun. It is said that the sun is
considered to be one of the eyes of th e Supreme Lord and that it has immense
potency to diffuse heat and light. Still it is moving in its prescribed orbit by the
order and the sup reme will of Govinda. So, from the Vedic literature we can
find evidence that this material manife station, which appears to us to be very
wonderful and great, is under the complete control of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. This will be further explain ed in the later verses of this chapter.
TEXT  7
SavR>aUTaaiNa k-aENTaeYa Pa[k*-iTa& YaaiNTa MaaiMak-aMa( )
k-LPa+aYae PauNaSTaaiNa k-LPaadaE ivSa*JaaMYahMa( )) 7 ))
sarva-bhütäni kaunteya
prakåtià yänti mämikäm
kalpa-kñaye punas täni


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.kalpädau visåjämy aham
SYNONYMS
sarva-bhütäni —all created entities; kaunteya —O son of Kunté;
prakåtim —nature; yänti —enter; mämikäm —My; kalpa-kñaye —at the end of
the millennium; punaù —again; täni—all those; kalpa-ädau —in the beginning
of the millennium; visåjämi —create; aham —I.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunté, at the end of the millennium all material manifestations
enter into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My
potency, I create them again.
PURPORT
The creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material cosmic
manifestation are completely dependent on the supreme will of the Personality
of Godhead. “At the end of the millennium” means at the death of Brahmä.
Brahmä lives for one hundred years, an d his one day is calculated at
4,300,000,000 of our earthly years. His ni ght is of the same duration. His
month consists of thirty such days and nights, and his year of twelve months.
After one hundred such years, when  Brahmä dies, the devastation or
annih ilation takes place; this means th at the energy manifested by the
Supreme Lord is again wound up in Hims elf. Then again, when there is a need
to manifest the cosmic world, it is done by His will. Bahu syäm:  “Although I am
one, I shall become many.” This is  the Vedic aphorism ( Chändogya Upaniñad
6.2.3 ). He expands Himself in this ma terial energy, and the whole cosmic
manifestation again takes place.
TEXT  8
Pa[k*-iTa& SvaMaví>Ya ivSa*JaaiMa PauNa" PauNa" )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.>aUTaGa]aMaiMaMa& k*-TòMavXa& Pa[k*-TaevRXaaTa( )) 8 ))
prakåtià sväm avañöabhya
visåjämi punaù punaù
bhüta-grämam imaà kåtsnam
avaçaà prakåter vaçät
SYNONYMS
prakåtim —the material nature; sväm —of My personal Self;
avañöabhya —entering into; visåjämi —I create; punaù punaù —again and again;
bhüta-grämam —all the cosmic manifestations; imam —these; kåtsnam —in
total; avaçam —automatically; prakåteù —of the force of natur e; vaçät —under
obligation.
TRANSLATION
The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically
manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.
PURPORT
This material world is the manifestat ion of the inferior energy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. This  has already been explained several
times. At the creation, the material energy is let loose as the mahat-tattva,  into
which the Lord as His first Pu ruña incarnation, Mahä-Viñëu, enters. He lies
within the Causal Ocean and breathes out innumerable universes, and into
each universe the Lord again enters as Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu. Each universe is
in that way created. He still further manifests Himself as Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu,
and that Viñëu enters into everything —even into the minute atom. This fact
is explained here. He enters into everything.
Now, as far as the living entities are concerned, they are impregnated into
this material nature, and as a result of their past deeds they take different
positions. Thus the activities of this ma terial world begin. The activities of the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.different species o f living beings are begun from the very moment of the
creation. It is not that all is evolved. The different species of life are created
immediately along with the universe. Men, animals, beasts, birds—everything
is simultaneously created, because whatever  desires the living entities had at
the last annihilation are again manifested . It is clearly indicated here by the
word avaçam  that the living entities have nothing to do with this process. The
state of being in their past life  in the past creation is sim ply manifested again,
and all this is done simply by His will. This is the inconceivable potency of the
Supreme Personality of God. And after creating different species of life, He
has no connection with them. The crea tion takes place to accommodate the
inclinations of the various living entities, and so the Lord does not become
involved with it.
TEXT  9
Na c Maa& TaaiNa k-MaaRi<a iNabDNaiNTa DaNaÅYa )
odaSaqNavdaSaqNaMaSa¢&- Taezu k-MaRSau )) 9 ))
na ca mäà täni karmäëi
nibadhnanti dhanaïjaya
udäséna-vad äsénam
asaktaà teñu karmasu
SYNONYMS
na—never; ca—also; mäm —Me; täni—all those; karmäëi —activities;
nibadhnanti —bind; dhanaïjaya —O conqueror of riches; udäséna-vat —as
neutral; äsénam —situated; asaktam —without attraction; teñu—for those;
karmasu —activities.
TRANSLATION
O Dhanaïjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached from all
these material activities, seated as though neutral.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
One should not think, in this connect ion, that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead has no engagement. In His spir itual world He is always engaged. In
the Brahma-saàhitä  (5.6) it is stated, ätmärämasya tasyästi prakåtyä na
samägamaù:  “He is always involved i n His eternal, blissful, spiritual activities,
but He has nothing to do with these material activities.” Material activities are
being carried on by His different potencie s. The Lord is always neutral in the
material activities of the created world. This n eutrality is mentioned here with
the word udäséna-vat.  Although He has control ov er every minute detail of
material activities, He is sitting as if  neutral. The example can be given of a
high-court judge sitting on his benc h .  B y  h i s  o r d e r  s o  m a n y  t h i n g s  a r e
happening—someone is being hanged, some one is being put into jail, someone
is awarded a huge amount of wealth—but still he is neutral. He has nothing to
do with all that gain and loss. Similarl y, the Lord is always neutral, although
He has His hand in ev ery sphere of activity. In the Vedänta-sütra  (2.1.34 ) it is
stated, vaiñamya-nairghåëye na:  He is not situated in the dualities of this
material world. He is transcendental to  these dualities. Nor is He attached to
the creation and annihilation of this mat erial world. The living entities take
their different forms in the various specie s of life according to their past deeds,
and the Lord doesn’t interfere with them.
TEXT  10
MaYaaDYa+ae<a Pa[k*-iTa" SaUYaTae SacracrMa( )
heTauNaaNaeNa k-aENTaeYa JaGaiÜPairvTaRTae )) 10 ))
mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù
süyate sa-caräcaram
hetunänena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
mayä —by Me; adhyakñeëa —by superintendence; prakåtiù —material nature;
süyate —manifests; sa—both; cara-acaram —the moving and the nonmoving;
hetunä —for the reason; anena —this; kaunteya —O son of Kunté; jagat —the
cosmic manifestation; viparivartate —is working.
TRANSLATION
This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My
direction, O son of Kunté, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under
its rule this manifestation is crea ted and annihilated again and again.
PURPORT
It is clearly stated here that the Supreme Lord, although aloof from all the
activities of the material world, re mains the supreme director. The Supreme
Lord is the supreme will and the backgr ound of this material manifestation,
but the management is being  conducted by material nature. Kåñëa also states
in Bhagavad-gétä  that of all of the living entiti es in different forms and species,
“I am the father.” The father gives seeds to the womb of the mother for the
child, and similarly the Supreme Lord by His me re glance injects all the living
entities into the womb of material natu re, and they come out in their different
forms and species, according to their last  desires and activities. All these living
entities, although born under the glance of the Supreme Lor d, take their
different bodies according to their past deeds and desires. So the Lord is not
directly attached to this material creation. He simply glances over material
nature; material nature is thus activated, and everything is created
immediately. Beca use He glances over material nature, there is undoubtedly
activity on the part of the Supreme Lo rd, but He has nothing to do with the
manifestation of the material world di rectly. This example is given in the
småti:  when there is a fragrant flower before s omeone, the fragrance is touched
by the smelling power of the person, yet the smelling and the flower are


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.detached from one another. There is a similar connection between the
material world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; actually He has
nothing to  do with this material world, but He creates by His glance and
ordains. In summary, material nature , without the superintendence of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, ca nnot do anything. Yet the Supreme
Personality is detached from all material activities .
TEXT  11
AvJaaNaiNTa Maa& MaU!a MaaNauzq& TaNauMaaié[TaMa( )
Par& >aavMaJaaNaNTaae MaMa >aUTaMaheìrMa( )) 11 ))
avajänanti mäà müòhä
mänuñéà tanum äçritam
paraà bhävam ajänanto
mama bhüta-maheçvaram
SYNONYMS
avajänanti —deride; mäm —Me; müòhäù —foolish men; mänuñém —in a human
form; tanum —a body; äçritam —assuming; param —transcendental;
bhävam —nature; ajänantaù —not knowing; mama —My; bhüta —of everything
that be; mahä-éçvaram —the supreme proprietor.
TRANSLATION
Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My
transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
PURPORT
From the other explanations of the pr evious verses in this chapter, it is
clear that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although appearing like a
human being, is not a common man. The Personality of Godhead, who


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.conducts the creation, maintenance and anni hilation of the complete cosmic
manifestation, cannot be a human being. Yet there are many foolish men who
consider Kåñëa to be merely a powerful man and nothing more. Actually, He is
the original Supreme Personality, as is confirmed in the Brahma-saàhitä
(éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù ); He is the Supreme Lord.
There are many éçvaras,  controllers, and one appears greater than another.
In the ordinary management of affairs in the material world, we find some
official or director, and above him there is a secretary, and above him a
minister, and above him a preside nt. Each of them is a controller, but one is
controlled by another. In the Brahma-saàhitä  it is said that Kåñëa is the
supreme controller; there are many cont rollers undoubtedly, both in the
material and spiritual world, but Kåñëa is the supreme controller  (éçvaraù
paramaù kåñëaù ). and His body is sac-cid-änanda,  nonmaterial.
Material bodies cannot perform the wonderful acts described in previous
verses. His body is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Although He is not a
common man, the foolish deride Him and consider Him to be a man. His body
is called here mänuñém  becau se He is acting just like a man, a friend of
Arjuna’s, a politician involved in the Ba ttle of Kurukñetra. In so many ways He
is acting just like an ordinary man, but actually His body is
sac-cid-änanda-vigraha  [Bs. 5.1]—eternal bliss and knowledge absolute . This is
confirmed in the Vedic language also. Sac-cid-änanda-rüpäya kåñëäya:  “I offer
my obeisances unto the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, Kåñëa, who is the
eternal blissful form of knowledge.” ( Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad  1.1) There are
other descriptions in the Vedic language also. Tam ekaà govindam:  “You are
Govinda, the pleasure of the senses and the cows.” Sac-cid-änanda-vigraham:
“And Your form is transcendental, full of knowledge, bliss and eternality.”
(Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad  1.35)
Despite the transcendental qualities of  Lord Kåñëa’s body, its full bliss and
knowledge, there are many so-called scholars and commentators of
Bhagavad-gétä  who deride Kåñëa as an ordina ry man. The scholar may be born
an extraordinary man due to his previo us good work, but this conception of Çré
Kåñëa is due to a poor fund of knowledge. Therefore he is called müòha.  for
only foolish persons consider Kåñëa to  b e  a n  o r d i n a r y  h u m a n  b e i n g .  T h e


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.foolish consider Kåñëa an ordinary human being because they do not k now the
confidential activities of the Suprem e Lord and His different energies. They
do not know that Kåñëa’s body is a sy mbol of complete knowledge and bliss,
that He is the proprietor of everyt hing that be and that He can award
liberation to anyone. Beca use they do not know that Kåñëa has so many
transcendental qualifications, they deride Him.
Nor do they know that the appear ance of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in this material world is a mani festation of His internal energy. He is
the master of the material energy. As  has been explained in several places
(mama mäyä duratyayä ), He claims t hat the material energy, although very
powerful, is under His control, and wh oever surrenders unto Him can get out
of the control of this material energy. If a soul surrendered to Kåñëa can get
out of the influence of material energy, then how can the Supr eme Lord, who
conducts the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the whole cosmic
nature, have a material body like us? So  this conception of Kåñëa is complete
foolishness. Foolish persons, however, cannot conceive that the Personality of
Godhead, Kåñë a, appearing just like an ordinary man, can be the controller of
all the atoms and of the gigantic mani festation of the universal form. The
biggest and the minutest are beyond th eir conception, so they cannot imagine
that a form like that of a human being can simultaneously control the infinite
and the minute. Actually although He is controlling the infinite and the
finite, He is apart from all this manife station. It is clearly stated concerning
His yogam aiçvaram , His inconceivable transcendental energy, t hat He can
control the infinite and the finite si multaneously and that He can remain
aloof from them. Although the foolish cannot imagine how Kåñëa, who
appears just like a human being, can co ntrol the infinite and the finite, those
who are pure devotees a ccept this, for they know that Kåñëa is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Therefore they  completely surrender unto Him and
engage in Kåñëa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord.
There are many controversies between the impersonalists and the
personalists about the Lord’s appearance  as a human being. But if we consult
Bhagavad-gétä  and Çrémad-Bhägavatam,  the authoritative texts for
understanding the science of Kåñëa, then we can un derstand that Kåñëa is the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is not an ordinary man, although He
appeared on this earth as an ordinary human. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam,  First
Canto, First Chapter, when the sages he aded by Çaunaka inquired about the
activit ies of Kåñëa, they said:
kåtavän kila karmäëi
saha rämeëa keçavaù
ati-martyäni bhagavän
güòhaù kapaöa-mäëuñaù
“Lord Çré Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with
Balaräma, played like a human being, and so masked He performed many
superhuman acts.” ( Bhäg.  1.1.20 ) The Lord’s appearance as a man bewilders the
foolish. No human being could perform the won derful acts that Kåñëa
performed while He was present on this  earth. When Kåñëa appeared before
His father and mother, Vasudeva and Devaké, He appeared with four hands,
but after the prayers of the parents He  transformed Himself into an ordinary
child. As stated in the Bhägavatam  (10.3.46 ), babhüva präkåtaù çiçuù:  He
became just like an ordinary child, an  ordinary human being. Now, here again
it is indicated that the Lord’s appearan ce as an ordinary human being is one of
the features of His transcendental b ody. In the Eleventh Chapter of
Bhagavad-gétä  also it is stated that Arjuna prayed to see Kåñëa’s form of four
hands ( tenaiva rüpeëa catur-bhujena ). After revealing this form, Kåñëa, when
petitioned by Arjuna, again assumed His original humanlike form ( mänuñaà
rüpam ). These different features of the Supreme Lord are certainly not those
of an ordinary human being.
Some of those who deride Kåñëa and who are infected with the Mäyävädé
philosophy quote the following verse from the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (3.29.21 ) to
prove that Kåñëa is just an ordinary man. Ahaà sarveñu bhüteñu
bhütätmävasthitaù sadä:  “The Supreme is presen t in every living entity.” We
should better take note of this particular verse from the Vaiñëava äcäryas  like
Jéva Gosvämé and Viçvanätha Cakravar té Öhäkura instead of following the
interpretation of unauthorized pers ons who deride Kåñëa. Jéva Gosvämé,
commenting on this verse, says that Kåñëa, in His plenary expansion as


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Paramätmä, is situated in the moving  and the nonmoving entities as the
Supersoul, so any neophyte devotee who simply gives his attention to the
arcä-mürti,  the form of the Supreme Lord in the temple, and does not respect
other living entities is uselessly worshiping the form of the Lord in the temple.
There are three kinds of devotees of the Lord, and the neophyte is in the
lowest stage. The neophyte devot ee gives more attention to the Deit y in the
temple than to other devotees, so Vi çvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura warns that
this sort of mentality should be corre cted. A devotee should see that because
Kåñëa is present in everyone’s hear t as Paramätmä, every body is the
embodiment or the temple of the Supreme Lord; so as one offers respect to the
temple of the Lord, he should similarly properly respect each and every body in
which the Paramätmä dwells. Everyone  should therefore be given proper
respect and should not be neglected.
There are also many impersonalists who deride temple worship. They say
that since God is everywhere, why sh ould one restrict himself to temple
worship? But if God is everywhere, is He not in the temple or in the Deity?
Although the personalist and the impe rsonalist will fight with one another
perpetually, a perfect devotee in Kåñë a consciousness knows that although
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality, He is  all-pervading, as confirmed in the
Brahma-saàhitä . Although His personal abode is Goloka Våndävana and H e is
always staying there, by His different manifestations of energy and by His
plenary expansion He is present everywhe re in all parts of the material and
spiritual creation.
TEXT  12
MaaegaaXaa Maaegak-MaaR<aae MaaegajaNaa ivceTaSa" )
ra+aSaqMaaSaurq& cEv Pa[k*-iTa& MaaeihNaq& ié[Taa" )) 12 ))
moghäçä mogha-karmäëo
mogha-jïänä vicetasaù
räkñasém äsuréà caiva
prakåtià mohinéà çritäù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
mogha-äçäù —baffled in their hopes; mogha-karmäëaù —baffled in fruitive
activities; mogha-jïänäù —baffled in knowledge; vicetasaù —bewildered;
räkñasém —demonic; äsurém —atheistic; ca—and; eva—certainly;
prakåtim —nature; mohiném —bewildering; çritäù —taking shelte r of.
TRANSLATION
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views.
In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities,
and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.
PURPORT
There are many devotees who assume themselves to be in Kåñëa
consciousness and devotional service bu t at heart do not accept the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, as the Absolute Truth. For them, the fruit of
devotional service—going back to Godhead—w ill never be tasted. Similarly,
those who are engaged in fruitive pious activities and who are ultimately
hoping to be liberated from this mate rial entanglement will never be successful
either, because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa.  In
other words, persons who mock Kåñëa are to be understood to be demonic or
atheistic. As described in the Seventh Chapter  of Bhagavad-gétä,  such demonic
miscreants never surrender to Kåñëa. Therefore their mental speculations to
arrive at the Absolute T ruth bring them to the false conclusion that the
ordinary living entity and Kåñëa are one and the same. With such a false
conviction, they think that the body of any human being is now simply
covered by material nature and that as soon as one is liberated from this
material body there is no difference between God and himself. This attempt to
become one with Kåñëa will be baffled be cause of delusion. Such atheistic and
demoniac cultivation of spiritual kno wledge is always futile. That is the
indication of th is verse. For such persons, cultivation of the knowledge in the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Vedic literature, like the Vedänta-sütra  and the Upaniñads.  is always baffled.
It is a great offense, therefore, to consider Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality
o f  G o d h e a d ,  t o  b e  a n  o r d i n a r y  m a n .  Those who do so are certainly deluded
because they cannot understand the eternal form of Kåñëa. The
Båhad-viñëu-småti  clearly states:
yo vetti bhautikaà dehaà
kåñëasya paramätmanaù
sa sarvasmäd bahiñ-käryaù
çrauta-smärta-vidhänataù
mukhaà tasyävalokyäpi
sa-celaà snänam äcaret
“One who considers the body of Kåñëa to  be material should be driven out
from all rituals and activities of the çruti and the småti.  And if one by chance
sees his face, one should at once take  bath in the Ganges to rid himself of
infection. People jeer at Kåñëa because they are envious of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Their destiny is  certainly to take birth after birth in
the species of atheistic and demoniac life. Perpetually, their real knowledge
will remain under delusion, and gradually they will regress to the darkest
region of creation.”
TEXT  13
MahaTMaaNaSTau Maa& PaaQaR dEvq& Pa[k*-iTaMaaié[Taa" )
>aJaNTYaNaNYaMaNaSaae jaTva >aUTaaidMaVYaYaMa( )) 13 ))
mahätmänas tu mäà pärtha
daivéà prakåtim äçritäù
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jïätvä bhütädim avyayam
SYNONYMS
mahä-ätmänaù —the great souls; tu—but; mäm —unto Me; pärtha —O son of


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Påthä; daivém —divine; prakåtim —nature; äçritäù —having taken shelter of;
bhajanti —render service; ananya-manasaù —without deviation of the mind;
jïätvä —knowing; bhüta —of creation; ädim —the or igin;
avyayam —inexhaustible.
TRANSLATION
O son of Påthä, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the
protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service
because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and
inexhaustible.
PURPORT
In this verse the description of the mahätmä  is clearly given. The first sign
of the mahätmä  is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not
under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is
explained in the Seventh Cha pter: one who surrenders unto the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, at once becomes freed from the control of
material nature. That is the qualific ation. One can become free from the
control of material nature as s oon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal
potency, as soon as the living entity  is freed from the control of material
nature, he is put under the guidance of  the spiritual nature. The guidance of
the spiritual natu re is called daivé prakåti,  divine nature. So when one is
promoted in that way—by surrender ing to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead—one attains to the stage of great soul, mahätmä.
The mahätmä  does not divert his attention to anything outside Kåñëa,
because he knows perfectly well that Kåñë a is the original Supreme Person, the
cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a mahätmä,  or great soul,
develops through association  with other mahätmäs,  pure devotees. Pure
devotees are not even attracted by Kåñëa’s other features, such as the
four-armed Mahä-Viñëu. They are simply attracted by the two-armed form of
Kåñëa. They are not attracted to ot her features of Kåñëa, nor are the y


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.concerned with any form of a demigod or of a human being. They meditate
only upon Kåñëa in Kåñëa consciousne ss. They are always engaged in the
unswerving service of the Lord in Kåñëa consciousness.
TEXT  14
SaTaTa& k-ITaRYaNTaae Maa& YaTaNTaê d*!v]Taa" )
NaMaSYaNTaê Maa& >a¢-ya iNaTYaYau¢-a oPaaSaTae )) 14 ))
satataà kértayanto mäà
yatantaç ca dåòha-vratäù
namasyantaç ca mäà bhaktyä
nitya-yuktä upäsate
SYNONYMS
satatam —always; kértayantaù —chanting; mäm —about Me; yatantaù —fully
endeavoring; ca—also; dåòha-vratäù —with determination;
namasyantaù —offering obeisances; ca—and; mäm —Me; bhaktyä —in
devotion; nitya-yuktäù —perpetually engaged; upäsate —worship.
TRANSLATION
Always chanting My glories, endeavor ing with great determination, bowing
down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.
PURPORT
The mahätmä  cannot be manufactured by rubber-stamping an ordinary
man. His symptoms are described here: a mahätmä  is always engaged in
chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord Kåñëa, the Personality of Godhead.
He has no other business. He is always engage d in the glorification of the Lord.
In other words, he is not an impersonal ist. When the question of glorification
is there, one has to glorify the Supreme Lord, praising His holy name, His


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.eternal form, His transcendental qualities and His uncommon pastim es. One
has to glorify all these things; therefore a mahätmä  is attached to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
One who is attached to the imperson al feature of the Supreme Lord, the
brahmajyoti,  is not described as mahätmä  in the Bhagavad-gétä.  He is described
in a different way in the next verse. The mahätmä  is always engaged in
different activities of devotional service, as described in the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam,  hearing and chanting about Viñëu, not a demigod or
human being. That is devotion: çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù  and smaraëam ,
remembering Him. Such a mahätmä  has firm determination to achieve at the
ultimate end t he association of the Supreme Lord in any one of the five
transcendental rasas.  To achieve that success, he engages all
activities—mental, bodily and vocal, everything—in the service of the
Supreme Lord, Çré Kåñëa. That is called full Kåñëa consciousness.
In devotional service there are certain activities which are called
determined, such as fasting on certain da ys, like the eleventh day of the moon,
Ekädaçé, and on the appearance da y of the Lord. All these rules and
regulations are offered by the great äcäryas for those who are actually
interested in getting admission into th e association of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in the transcendental world. The mahätmäs,  great souls, strictly
observe all these rules and regulations, and therefore they are sure  to achieve
the desired result.
As described in the second verse of this chapter, not only is this devotional
service easy, but it can be performed in a happy mood. One does not need to
undergo any severe penance and austerity. He can live this life in devotional
service, guided by an ex pert spiritual master, and in any position, either as a
householder or a sannyäsé  or a brahmacäré;  in any position and anywhere in
the world, he can perform this devotion al service to the Supreme Personality
of Godhead and thus become actually mahätmä,  a great soul.
TEXT  15
jaNaYajeNa caPYaNYae YaJaNTaae MaaMauPaaSaTae )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Wk-TveNa Pa*Qa¤e-Na bhuDaa ivìTaaeMau%Ma( )) 15 ))
jïäna-yajïena cäpy anye
yajanto mäm upäsate
ekatvena påthaktvena
bahudhä viçvato-mukham
SYNONYMS
jïäna-yajïena —by cultivation of knowledge; ca—also; api—certainly;
anye —others; yajantaù —sacrificing; mäm —Me; upäsate —worship;
ekatvena —in oneness; påthaktvena —in duality; bahudhä —in diversity;
viçvataù-mukham —and in the universal form.
TRANSLATION
Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the
Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the
universal form.
PURPORT
This verse is the summary of the previo us verses. The Lord tells Arjuna that
those who are purely in Kåñëa consciou sness and do not know anything other
than Kåñëa are called mahätmä;  yet there are other persons who are not
exactly in the position of mahätm ä but who worship Kåñëa also, in different
w a y s .  S o m e  o f  t h e m  h a v e  a l r e a d y  b een described as the distressed, the
financially destitute, the inquisitiv e, and those who are engaged in the
cultivation of knowledge. But there are others who are still lower, an d these
are divided into three: (1) he who worships himself as one with the Supreme
Lord, (2) he who concocts some form of  the Supreme Lord and worships that,
and (3) he who accepts the universal form, the viçvarüpa  of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, a nd worships that. Out of the above three, the lowest,
those who worship themselves as the Su preme Lord, thinking themselves to be


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.monists, are most predominant. Such people think themselves to be the
Supreme Lord, and in this me ntality they worship themsel ves. This is also a
type of God worship, for they can understand that they are not the material
body but are actually spiritual soul; at least, such a sense is prominent.
Generally the impersonalists worship the Supreme Lord in this way. The
second class i ncludes the worshipers of the demigods, those who by
imagination consider any form to be the form of the Supreme Lord. And the
third class includes those who cannot conceive of anything beyond the
manifestation of this material universe. They consider the universe to be the
supreme organism or entity and worship that. The universe is also a form of
the Lord.
TEXT  16
Ah& §-Taurh& Yaj" SvDaahMahMaaEzDaMa( )
MaN}aae_hMahMaevaJYaMahMaiGanrh& huTaMa( )) 16 ))
ahaà kratur ahaà yajïaù
svadhäham aham auñadham
mantro ’ham aham eväjyam
aham agnir ahaà hutam
SYNONYMS
aham —I; kratuù —Vedic ritual; aham —I; yajïaù —småti  sacrifice;
svadhä —oblation; aham —I; aham —I; auñadham —healing herb;
mantraù —transcendental chant; aham —I; aham —I; eva—certainly;
äjyam —melted butter; aham —I; agniù —fire; aham —I; hutam —offering.
TRANSLATION
But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors,
the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the
offering.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
The Vedic sacrifice known as jyotiñöoma  is also Kåñëa, and He is also the
mahä-yajïa  mentioned in the småti.  The oblations offered to the Pitåloka or
the sacrifice performed to please the Pitå loka, considered as a kind of drug in
the form of clarified butt er, is also Kåñëa. The mantras  chanted in this
connection are also Kåñëa. And many other commodities made with milk
products for offering in the sacrifices are also Kåñëa. The fire is also Kåñëa
because fire is one of the five  material elements and is ther efore claimed as the
separated energy of Kåñëa. In other words, the Vedic sacrifices recommended
in the karma-käëòa  division of the Vedas  are in total also Kåñëa. Or, in other
words, those who are engaged in render ing devotional service unto Kåñëa are
to be understood to have performed all the sacrifices recommended in the
Vedas.
TEXT  17
iPaTaahMaSYa JaGaTaae MaaTaa DaaTaa iPaTaaMah" )
veÛ& Paiv}aMa( pk-ar ‰k(- SaaMa YaJaurev c )) 17 ))
pitäham asya jagato
mätä dhätä pitämahaù
vedyaà pavitram oàkära
åk säma yajur eva ca
SYNONYMS
pitä—father; aham —I; asya—of this; jagataù —universe; mätä —mother;
dhätä —supporter; pitämahaù —grandfather; vedyam —what is to be known;
pavitram —that which purifies; oà-kära —the syllable oà; åk—the Åg Veda;
säma —the Säma Veda;  yajuù —the Yajur Veda;  eva—certa inly; ca—and.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
I am the father of this universe, the mo ther, the support and the grandsire. I
am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oà. I am also the Åg,
the Säma and the Yajur Vedas.
PURPORT
The entire cosmic manifestations, mo ving and nonmoving, are manifested
by different activities of Kåñëa’s ener gy. In the material existence we create
different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but
Kåñëa’s marginal energy; under the creation of prakåti  some of them appear as
our father, mother, grandfather, creator, etc., but actually they are parts and
parcels of Kåñëa. As such, these living entities who appear to be our father,
mother, etc., are nothing but Kåñëa. In this verse the word dhätä  means
“creator.” Not only are our father and mother parts and parcels of Kåñëa, but
the creator, grandmother and grandfather, etc., are also Kåñëa. Actually any
living entity, being part and parcel of Kåñëa, is Kåñëa. All the Vedas,  therefor e,
aim only toward Kåñëa. Whatever  we want to know through the Vedas  is but a
progressive step toward understanding Kåñëa. That subject matter which helps
us purify our constitutional position is especially Kåñëa. Similarly, the living
entity who is inquis itive to understand all Vedic principles is also part and
parcel of Kåñëa and as such is also Kåñëa. In all the Vedic mantras  the word
oà, called praëava,  is a transcendental sound vibration and is also Kåñëa. And
because in all the hymns of the four Vedas —Säma, Yajur, Åg  and
Atharva —the praëava,  or oàkära,  is very prominent, it is understood to be
Kåñëa.
TEXT  18
GaiTa>aRTaaR Pa[>au" Saa+aq iNavaSa" Xar<a& SauôTa( )
Pa[>av" Pa[l/Ya" SQaaNa& iNaDaaNa& bqJaMaVYaYaMa( )) 18 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.gatir bhartä prabhuù säkñé
niväsaù çaraëaà suhåt
prabhavaù pralayaù sthänaà
nidhänaà béjam avyayam
SYNONYMS
gatiù —goal; bhartä —sustainer; prabhuù —Lord; säkñé —witness;
niväsaù —abode; çaraëam —refuge; su-håt —most intimate friend;
prabhavaù —creation; pralayaù —dissolution; sthänam —ground;
nidhänam —resting place; béjam —seed; avyayam —imperishable.
TRANSLATION
I am the goal, the sustainer, the mast er, the witness, the abode, the refuge,
and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of
everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
PURPORT
Gati  means the destination where we want  to go. But the ultimate goal is
Kåñëa, although people do not know  it. One who does not know Kåñëa is
misled, and his so-called progressive marc h is either partial or hallucinatory.
There are many who make as their destination different demigods, and by rigid
performance of the strict respective methods they reach different planets
known as Candraloka, Süryaloka, Indraloka, Maharloka, etc. But all such lokas,
or planets, being creations of Kåñëa, are simultaneously K åñëa and not Kåñëa.
Such planets, being manifestations of  Kåñëa’s energy, are also Kåñëa, but
actually they serve only as a step forward for realization of Kåñëa. To approach
the different energies of Kåñëa is to  approach Kåñëa indirectly. One should
direc tly approach Kåñëa, for that will save time and energy. For example, if
there is a possibility of going to the top of  a building by the help of an elevator,
why should one go by the staircase, st ep by step? Everything is resting on
Kåñëa’s energy; therefor e without Kåñëa’s shelter nothing can exist. Kåñëa is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.the supreme ruler because everything belongs to Him and everything exists on
His energy. Kåñëa, being situated in ev eryone’s heart, is the supreme witness.
The residences, countries or planets on which we live are also Kåñëa. Kåñëa is
the ultimate goal of shelter, and theref ore one should take shelter of Kåñëa
either for protection or for annihilation  of his distress. And whenever we have
to take protection, we should know that our protection must be a l iving force.
Kåñëa is the supreme living entity. And since Kåñëa is the source of our
generation, or the supreme father, no one can be a better friend than Kåñëa,
nor can anyone be a better well-wisher. Kå ñëa is the original source of creation
and the ulti mate rest after annihilation. Kåñëa is therefore the eternal cause of
all causes.
TEXT  19
TaPaaMYahMah& vz| iNaGa*õaMYauTSa*JaaiMa c )
AMa*Ta& cEv Ma*TYauê SadSaÀahMaJauRNa )) 19 ))
tapämy aham ahaà varñaà
nigåhëämy utsåjämi ca
amåtaà caiva måtyuç ca
sad asac cäham arjuna
SYNONYMS
tapämi —give heat; aham —I; aham —I; varñam —rain; nigåhëämi —withhold;
utsåjämi —send forth; ca—and; amåtam —immortality; ca—and;
eva—certainly; måtyuù —death; ca—and; sat—spirit; asat—matter; ca—and;
aham —I; arjuna —O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
O Arjuna, I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am
immortality, and I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
Kåñëa, by His different energies, diffu ses heat and light through the agency
of electricity and the sun. During summe r season it is Kåñëa who checks rain
from falling from the sky, and then duri ng the rainy season He gives unceasing
torrents of rain. The e nergy which sustains us by prolonging the duration of
our life is Kåñëa, and Kåñëa meets us at the end as death. By analyzing all these
different energies of Kåñëa, one can ascertain that for Kåñëa there is no
distinction between matter and spirit, or, in other words, He is both matter
and spirit. In the advanced stage of Kå ñëa consciousness, one therefore makes
no such distinctions. He sees only Kåñëa in everything.
Since Kåñëa is both matter and sp irit, the gigantic universal form
comprising all material manifestations  is also Kåñëa, and His pastimes in
Våndävana as two-handed Çyämasundara, playing on a flute, are those of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT  20
}aEivÛa Maa& SaaeMaPaa" PaUTaPaaPaa
 YajEirîa SvGaRiTa& Pa[aQaRYaNTae )
Tae Pau<YaMaaSaaÛ SaureNd]l/aek-‚
 MaéniNTa idVYaaiNdiv dev>aaeGaaNa( )) 20 ))
trai-vidyä mäà soma-päù püta-päpä
yajïair iñövä svar-gatià prärthayante
te puëyam äsädya surendra-lokam
açnanti divyän divi deva-bhogän
SYNONYMS
trai-vidyäù —the knowers of the three Vedas;  mäm —Me; soma-päù —drinkers
of soma  juice; püta—purified; päpäù —of sins; yajïaiù —with sacrifices;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.iñövä —worshiping; svaù-gatim —passage to heaven; prärthayante —pray for;
te—they; puëyam —pious; äsädya —attaining; sura-indra —of Indra;
lokam —the world; açnanti —enjoy; divyän —celestial; divi—in heaven;
deva-bhogän —the pleasures of the gods.
TRANSLATION
Those who study the Vedas and drink th e soma juice, seeking the heavenly
planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on
the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.
PURPORT
The word trai-vidyäù  refers to the three Vedas—Säma, Yajur  and Åg. A
brähmaëa  who has studied these three Vedas  is called a tri-vedé.  Anyone who is
very much attached to knowledge derived from these three Vedas  is respected
in society. Unfortunately, there  are many great scholars of the Vedas  who do
not know the ultimate purport of st udying them. Therefore Kåñëa herein
declares Himself to be the ultimate goal for the tri-vedés.  Actual tri-vedés  take
shelter under the lotus feet of  Kåñëa and engage in pure d evotional service to
satisfy the Lord. Devotional service be gins with the chanting of the Hare
Kåñëa mantra  and side by side trying to understand Kåñëa in truth.
Unfortunately those who are simply official students of the Vedas  become
more interested in of fering sacrifices to the different demigods like Indra and
Candra. By such endeavor, the worshipe rs of different demigods are certainly
purified of the contamination of the lo wer qualities of nature and are thereby
elevated to the higher planetary systems or heavenly planets known as
Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka, etc. Once  situated on those higher planetary
systems, one can satisfy his senses hund reds of thousands of times better than
on this planet.
TEXT  21
Tae Ta& >au¤-a SvGaRl/aek&- ivXaal&/


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved. +aq<ae Pau<Yae MaTYaRl/aek&- ivXaiNTa )
Wv& }aYaqDaMaRMaNauPa[Paàa
 GaTaaGaTa& k-aMak-aMaa l/>aNTae )) 21 ))
te taà bhuktvä svarga-lokaà viçälaà
kñéëe puëye martya-lokaà viçanti
evaà trayé-dharmam anuprapannä
gatägataà käma-kämä labhante
SYNONYMS
te—they; tam—that; bhuktvä —enjoying; svarga-lokam —heaven;
viçälam —vast; kñéëe —being exhausted; puëye —the results of their pious
activities; martya-lokam —to the mortal earth; viçanti —fall down; evam —thus;
trayé —of the three Vedas;  dharmam —doctrines; anuprap annäù —following;
gata-ägatam —death and birth; käma-kämäù —desiring sense enjoyments;
labhante —attain.
TRANSLATION
When they have thus enjoyed vast heav enly sense pleasure and the results of
their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again.
Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by ad hering to the principles of the three
Vedas achieve only rep eated birth and death.
PURPORT
One who is promoted to the higher planetary systems enjoys a longer
duration of life and better facilities for sense enjoyment, yet one is not allowed
to stay there forever. One is again sent back to this earth upon finishing the
resultant fruits of pious activities. He who has not attained perfection of
knowledge, as indicated in the Vedänta-sütra  (janmädy asya yataù ), or, in other
words, he who fails to understand Kåñëa, the cause of all causes, becomes
baffled about achieving the ultimate goal of life an d is thus subjected to the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.routine of being promoted to the higher  planets and then again coming down,
as if situated on a Ferris wheel which sometimes goes up and sometimes comes
down. The purport is that instead of be ing elevated to the spiritual world, from
which there is no longer any possibility  of coming down, one simply revolves
in the cycle of birth and death on hi gher and lower planetary systems. One
should better take to the spiritual world to  enjoy an eternal life full of bliss and
knowledge and never return to this miserable material existence.
TEXT  22
ANaNYaaiêNTaYaNTaae Maa& Yae JaNaa" PaYauRPaaSaTae
Taeza& iNaTYaai>aYau¢-aNaa& YaaeGa+aeMa& vhaMYahMa( )) 22 ))
ananyäç cintayanto mäà
ye janäù paryupäsate
teñäà nityäbhiyuktänäà
yoga-kñemaà vahämy aham
SYNONYMS
ananyäù —having no other object; cintayantaù —concentrating; mäm —on Me;
ye—those who; janäù —persons; paryupäsate —properly worship; teñäm —of
them; nitya —always; abhiyuktänäm —fixed in devotion; yoga—requirements;
kñemam —protection; vahämi —carry; aham —I.
TRANSLATION
But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on
My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what
they have.
PURPORT
One who is unable to live for a moment without Kåñëa consciousness


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.cannot but think of Kåñëa twenty-f our hours a day, being engaged in
devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers,
worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, r endering other services,
cultivating friendship and surrendering fu lly to the Lord. Such activities are
all auspicious and full of spiritual pote ncies, which make the devotee perfect in
self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the associatio n of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the
Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga.  By the mercy of the Lord, such a
devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Kñema  refers to the
merciful prot ection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Kåñëa
consciousness by yoga,  and when he becomes fully Kåñëa conscious the Lord
protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.
TEXT  23
Yae_PYaNYadevTaa>a¢-a YaJaNTae é[ÖYaaiNvTaa" )
Tae_iPa MaaMaev k-aENTaeYa YaJaNTYaiviDaPaUvRk-Ma( )) 23 ))
ye ’py anya-devatä-bhaktä
yajante çraddhayänvitäù
te ’pi mäm eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pürvakam
SYNONYMS
ye—those who; api—also; anya —of other; devatä —gods; bhaktäù —devotees;
yajante —worship; çraddhayä anvitäù —with faith; te—they; api—also;
mäm —Me; eva—only; kaunteya —O son of Kunté; yajanti —they worship;
avidhi-pürvakam —in a wrong way.
TRANSLATION
Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith
actually worship only Me, O son of Kunté, but they do so in a wrong way.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
“Persons who are engaged in the worship of demigods are not very
intelligent, although such worship is offered to Me indirectly,” Kåñëa says. For
example, when a man pours water on the leaves and branches of a tree without
pouring water on the root, he doe s so without sufficient knowledge or without
observing regulative principles. Similarly, the process of rendering service to
different parts of the body is to supply food to the stomach. The demigods are,
so to speak, different officers and directors in th e government of the Supreme
Lord. One has to follow the laws made by the government, not by the officers
or directors. Similarly, everyone is to offer his worship to the Supreme Lord
only. That will automatically satisfy the different officers and director s of the
Lord. The officers and directors are engaged as representatives of the
government, and to offer some bribe to th e officers and directors is illegal. This
is stated here as avidhi-pürvakam.  In other words, Kåñëa does not approve the
unnecessary wor ship of the demigods.
TEXT  24
Ah& ih SavRYajaNaa& >aae¢-a c Pa[>aurev c )
Na Tau MaaMai>aJaaNaiNTa TatveNaaTaXCYaviNTa Tae )) 24 ))
ahaà hi sarva-yajïänäà
bhoktä ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mäm abhijänanti
tattvenätaç cyavanti te
SYNONYMS
aham —I; hi—surely; sarva —of all; yajïänäm —sacrifices; bhoktä —the enjoyer;
ca—and; prabhuù —the Lord; eva—also; ca—and; na—not; tu—but;
mäm —Me; abhijänanti —they know; tattvena —in reality; ataù—therefore;
cyavanti —fall down; te—they.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
I am the only enjoyer and master of all sacrifices. Therefore, those who do
not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.
PURPORT
Here it is clearly stated th at there are many types of yajïa  performances
recommended in the Vedic literatures, bu t actually all of them are meant for
satisfying the Supreme Lord. Yajïa  means Viñëu. In the Third Chapter of
Bhagavad-gétä  it is clearly state d that one should only work for satisfying
Yajïa, or Viñëu. The perfectional form of human civilization, known as
varëäçrama-dharma,  is specifically meant for satisfying Viñëu. Therefore,
Kåñëa says in this verse , “I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices becaus e I am the
supreme master.” Less intelligent person s, however, without knowing this fact,
worship demigods for temporary benefit. Therefore they fall down to material
existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life. If, however, anyone has
any materi a l  d e s i r e  t o  b e  f u l f i l l e d ,  h e  h a d better pray for it to the Supreme
Lord (although that is not pure devotio n), and he will thus achieve the desired
result.
TEXT  25
YaaiNTa devv]Taa devaiNPaTa›NYaaiNTa iPaTa*v]Taa" )
>aUTaaiNa YaaiNTa >aUTaeJYaa YaaiNTa MaÛaiJaNaae_iPa MaaMa( )) 25 ))
yänti deva-vratä devän
pitèn yänti pitå-vratäù
bhütäni yänti bhütejyä
yänti mad-yäjino ’pi mäm
SYNONYMS


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yänti —go; deva-vratäù —worshipers of demigods; devän —to the demigods;
pitèn —to the ancestors; yänti —go; pitå-vratäù —worshipers of ancestors;
bhütäni —to the ghosts and spirits; yänti —go; bhüta-ijyäù —worshipers of
ghosts and spirits; yänti —go; mat—My; yäjinaù —devotees; api—but;
mäm —unto Me.
TRANSLATION
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those
who worship the ancestors go to the an cestors; those who worship ghosts and
spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live
with Me.
PURPORT
If one has any desire to go to the moon, the sun or any other planet, one
can attain the desired destination by  following specific Vedic principles
recommended for that purpose, such as the process technically known as
darça-paurëamäsé.  These are vividly d escribed in the fruitive activities portion
of the Vedas,  which recommends a specific worship of demigods situated on
different heavenly planets. Similarly,  one can attain the Pitä planets by
performing a specific yajïa.  Similarly, one can go to many ghost ly planets and
become a Yakña, Rakña or Piçäca. Piçäca worship is called “black arts” or “black
magic.” There are many men who practice this black art, and they think that it
is spiritualism, but such activities are completely materialistic. Similarly, a p ure
devotee, who worships the Supreme Pers onality of Godhead only, achieves the
planets of Vaikuëöha and Kåñëaloka without a doubt. It is very easy to
understand through this important verse that if by simply worshiping the
demigods one can achieve the hea venly planets, or by worshiping the Pitäs
achieve the Pitä planets, or by practi cing the black arts achieve the ghostly
planets, why can the pure devotee not achieve the planet of Kåñëa or Viñëu?
Unfortunately many people have no information of these subli me planets
where Kåñëa and Viñëu live, and because they do not know of them they fall
down. Even the impersonalists fall down from the brahmajyoti.  The Kåñëa


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.consciousness movement is therefore di stributing sublime information to the
entire human society t o the effect that by simply chanting the Hare Kåñëa
mantra  one can become perfect in this life and go back home, back to
Godhead.
TEXT  26
Pa}a& PauZPa& f-l&/ TaaeYa& Yaae Mae >a¢-ya Pa[YaC^iTa )
Tadh& >a¢-yuPaôTaMaénaiMa Pa[YaTaaTMaNa" )) 26 ))
patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà
yo me bhaktyä prayacchati
tad ahaà bhakty-upahåtam
açnämi prayatätmanaù
SYNONYMS
patram —a leaf; puñpam —a flower; phalam —a fruit; toyam —water;
yaù—whoever; me—unto Me; bhaktyä —with devotion; prayacchati —offers;
tat—that; aham —I; bhakti-upahåtam —offered in devotion; açnämi —accept;
prayata-ätmanaù —from one in pure consciousness.
TRANSLATION
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will
accept it.
PURPORT
For the intelligent person, it is essential to be in Kåñëa consciousness,
engaged in the transcendental loving serv ice of the Lord, in order to achieve a
permanent, blissful abode for eternal happiness. The process of achieving such
a marvelous result is v ery easy and can be attempted even by the poorest of the
poor, without any kind of qualification. The only qualification required in this


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.connection is to be a pure devotee of the Lord. It does not matter what one is
or where one is situated. The process i s so easy that even a leaf or a little water
or fruit can be offered to the Supreme Lord in genuine love and the Lord will
be pleased to accept it. No one, therefore, can be barred from Kåñëa
consciousness, because it is so easy and universal. Who is such a fool that he
does not want to be Kåñëa conscious by this simple method and thus attain the
highest perfectional life of eternity, bliss and knowledge? Kåñëa wants only
loving service and nothing more. Kåñëa accepts even a little flower from His
pure devo tee. He does not want any kind of  offering from a nondevotee. He is
not in need of anything from anyone, because He is self-sufficient, and yet He
accepts the offering of His devotee in an exchange of love and affection. To
develop Kåñëa consciousness is t he highest perfection of life. Bhakti  is
mentioned twice in this verse in order to declare more emphatically that
bhakti,  or devotional service, is the only means to approach Kåñëa. No other
condition, such as becoming a brähmaëa.  a learned scholar, a very  rich man or
a great philosopher, can induce Kåñëa to accept some offering. Without the
basic principle of bhakti,  nothing can induce the Lord to agree to accept
anything from anyone. Bhakti  is never causal. The process is eternal. It is
direct action in s ervice to the absolute whole.
Here Lord Kåñëa, having establishe d that He is the only enjoyer, the
primeval Lord and the real object of all sacrificial offerings, reveals what types
of sacrifices He desires to be offered.  If one wishes to engage in devotional
service to the Supreme in order to be purified and to reach the goal of
life—the transcendental loving servic e of God—then one should find out
what the Lord desires of him. One wh o loves Kåñëa will give Him whatever He
wants, and he avoids offering anything which is undesirable or unasked. Thus
meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Kåñëa. If He desired such things as
offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit,
flowers and water be given to Him, and He  says of this offering, “I will accept
it.” Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and
eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk an d water are the proper foods for human
beings and are prescribed by Lord Kåñë a Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot
be offered to Him, sin ce He will not accept it. Thus  we cannot be acting on the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.level of loving devotion if we offer such foods.
In the Third Chapter, verse thirteen , Çré Kåñëa explains that only the
remains of sacrifice are purified and fit for consumption by those who are
seeking advancement in life and releas e from the clutches of the material
entanglement. Those who do not make an offering of their food, He says in the
same verse, are eating only sin. In ot her words, their every mouthful is simply
deepening their involvement in the co mplexities of material nature. But
preparing nice, simple vegetable dishes, offering them before the picture or
Deity of Lord Kåñëa and bowing down and praying for Him to accept such a
humble offering enables one to advance steadily in life, to purify the body, and
to create fine brain tissues which will lead to clear thinking. Above all, the
offering  should be made with an attitude of love. Kåñëa has no need of food,
since He already possesses everything th at be, yet He will accept the offering
of one who desires to please Him in that way. The important element, in
preparation, in serving and in offer ing, is to act with love for Kåñëa.
The impersonalist philosophers, who wish to maintain that the Absolute
Truth is without senses, cannot comprehend this verse of Bhagavad-gétä.  To
them, it is either a metaphor or proof of the mundane character of Kåñëa, the
speaker of the Bhagavad-gétä.  But, in actuality, Kåñëa, the Supreme Godhead,
has senses, and it is stated that His se nses are interchangeable; in other words,
one sense can perform the function of an y other. This is what it means to say
that Kåñëa is absolute. Lacking senses, He could ha rdly be considered full in all
opulences. In the Seventh Chapter, Kåñë a has explained that He impregnates
the living entities into material natu re. This is done by His looking upon
material nature. And so in this instance, Kåñëa’s hearing the devotee’s wor ds
of love in offering foodstuffs is wholly  identical with His eating and actually
tasting. This point should be emphasized : because of His absolute position, His
hearing is wholly identical with His eati ng and tasting. Only the devotee, who
accepts Kåñëa as He describes Himself, without interpretation, can understand
that the Supreme Absolute Truth can eat food and enjoy it.
TEXT  27


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.YaTk-raeiz YadénaiSa YaÂuhaeiz ddaiSa YaTa( )
YataPaSYaiSa k-aENTaeYa TaTku-åZv MadPaR<aMa( )) 27 ))
yat karoñi yad açnäsi
yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruñva mad-arpaëam
SYNONYMS
yat—whatever; karoñi —you do; yat—whatever; açnäsi —you eat;
yat—whatever; juhoñi —you offer; dadäsi —you give away; yat—whatever;
yat—whatever; tapasyasi —austerities you perform; kaunteya —O son of Kunté;
tat—that; kuruñva —do; mat—unto Me; arpaëam —as an offeri ng.
TRANSLATION
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and
whatever austerities you perform—do that, O son of Kunté, as an offering to
Me.
PURPORT
Thus, it is the duty of everyone to mo ld his life in such a way that he will
not forget Kåñëa in any circumstance. Everyone has to work for maintenance
of his body and soul together, and Kå ñëa recommends herein that one should
work for Him. Everyone has to  eat something to live; therefore he should
accept the remnants of foodstuffs offe red to Kåñëa. Any civilized man has to
perform some religious ritualistic ceremonies; therefore Kåñëa recommends,
“Do it for Me,” and this is called arcana.  Everyone has a te ndency to give
something in charity; Kåñëa says, “Give it to Me,” and this means that all
surplus money accumulated should be utilized in furthering the Kåñëa
consciousness movement. Nowadays people are very much inclined to the
meditational process, which  is not practical in this age, but if anyone practices


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.meditating on Kåñëa twenty-four hour s a day by chanting the Hare Kåñëa
mantra  round his beads, he is surely th e greatest meditator and the greatest
yogé. as substantiated by the Sixth Chapter  of Bhagav ad-gétä .
TEXT  28
éu>aaéu>af-lE/rev& Maae+YaSae k-MaRbNDaNaE" )
SaNNYaaSaYaaeGaYau¢-aTMaa ivMau¢-ae MaaMauPaEZYaiSa )) 28 ))
çubhäçubha-phalair evaà
mokñyase karma-bandhanaiù
sannyäsa-yoga-yuktätmä
vimukto mäm upaiñyasi
SYNONYMS
çubha —from auspicious; açubha —and inauspicious; phalaiù —results;
evam —thus; mokñyase —you will become free; karma —of work;
bandhanaiù —from the bondage; sannyäsa —of renunciation; yoga—the yoga;
yukta-ätmä —having the mind firmly set on; vimuktaù —liberated; mäm—to
Me; upaiñyasi —you will attain.
TRANSLATION
In this way you will be freed from bondage to work and its auspicious and
inauspicious results. With your mind fixed on Me in this principle of
renunciation, you will be liberated and come to Me.
PURPORT
One who acts in Kåñëa consciousness under superior direction is called
yukta.  The technical term is yukta-vairagya.  This is further explained by Rüpa
Gosvämé as follows:
anäsaktasya viñayän


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yathärham upayuïjataù
nirbandhaù kåñëa-sambandhe
yuktaà vairägyam ucyate
(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu  2.255 )
Rüpa Gosvämé says that as long as we are in this material world we have to
act; we cannot cease acting. Therefore if actions are performed and the fruits
are given to Kåñëa, then that is called yukta-vairägya.  Actually situated in
renunciation, such activi ties clear the mirror of the mind, and as the actor
gradually makes progress in spiritual realization he becomes completely
surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore at the end he
becomes liberated, and this liberation is also specified.  By this liberation he
does not become one with the brahmajyoti,  but rather enters into the planet of
the Supreme Lord. It is clearly mentioned here: mäm upaiñyasi,  “he comes to
Me,” back home, back to Godhead. There are five different stages of liberation ,
and here it is specified that the devot ee who has always lived his lifetime here
under the direction of the Supreme Lord , as stated, has evolved to the point
where he can, after quitting this body, go back to Godhead and engage directly
in the associatio n of the Supreme Lord.
Anyone who has no interest but to dedi cate his life to the service of the
Lord is actually a sannyäsé.  Such a person always thinks of himself as an eternal
servant, dependent on the supreme will of the Lord. As such, whatever he
does, he does it for the be nefit of the Lord. Whatever  action he performs, he
performs it as service to the Lord. He does not give serious attention to the
fruitive activities or prescribed duties mentioned in the Vedas.  For ordinary
persons it is obligatory to execute the prescribe d duties mentioned in the
Vedas,  but although a pure devotee who is completely engaged in the service of
the Lord may sometimes appear to go against the prescribed Vedic duties,
actually it is not so.
It is said, therefore, by Vaiñëava authorities that even the most intelligent
person cannot understand the plans and activities of a pure devotee. The exact
words are täìra väkya, kriyä, mudrä vijïeha nä bujhaya  (Caitanya-caritämåta,
Madhya  23.39 ). A perso n who is thus always engage d in the service of the Lord
or is always thinking and planning how to serve the Lord is to be considered


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.completely liberated at present, and in the future his going back home, back to
Godhead, is guaranteed. He is above all mat erialistic criticism, just as Kåñëa is
above all criticism.
TEXT  29
SaMaae_h& SavR>aUTaezu Na Mae ÜeZYaae_iSTa Na iPa[Ya" )
Yae >aJaiNTa Tau Maa& >a¢-ya MaiYa Tae Taezu caPYahMa( )) 29 ))
samo ’haà sarva-bhüteñu
na me dveñyo ’sti na priyaù
ye bhajanti tu mäà bhaktyä
mayi te teñu cäpy aham
SYNONYMS
samaù —equally disposed; aham —I; sarva-bhüteñu —to all living entities;
na—no one; me—to Me; dveñyaù —hateful; asti—is; na—nor; priyaù —dear;
ye—those who; bhajanti —render transcendental service; tu—but; mäm —unto
Me; bhaktyä —in devotion; mayi —are in Me; te—suc h persons; teñu—in them;
ca—also; api—certainly; aham —I.
TRANSLATION
I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever
renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend
to him.
PURPORT
One may question here that if Kåñëa is  equal to everyone and no one is His
special friend, then why does He take a special interest in the devotees who are
always engaged in His transcendental serv ice? But this is not discrimination; it
is natural. Any man  in this material world may be very charitably disposed, yet


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.he has a special interest in his own ch ildren. The Lord claims that every living
entity—in whatever form—is His son, an d so He provides everyone with a
generous supply of the necessities of life.  He is just like a cloud which pours
rain all over, regardless of whether it falls  on rock or land or water. But for His
devotees, He gives specific attention. Such devotees are mentioned here: they
are always in Kåñëa consciousness, and therefore they are  always
transcendentally situated in Kåñëa. The very phrase “Kåñëa consciousness”
suggests that those who are in such cons ciousness are living transcendentalists,
s i t u a t e d  i n  H i m .  T h e  L o r d  s a y s  h e r e  d i s t i n c t l y ,  mayi te:  “They are in Me.”
Naturally, as a re sult, the Lord is also in them. This is reciprocal. This also
explains the words ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham :
“Whoever surrenders unto Me, proporti onately I take care of him.” This
transcendental reciprocation exists because both th e Lord and the devotee are
conscious. When a diamond is set in a golden ring, it looks very nice. The gold
is glorified, and at the same time the diamond is glorified. The Lord and the
living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes incli ned to the
service of the Supreme Lord he looks li ke gold. The Lord is a diamond, and so
this combination is very nice. Living  entities in a pure state are called
devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees. If a
reciprocal relationship is not present between the devotee and the Lord, then
there is no personalist philosophy. In the impersonal philosophy there is no
reciprocation between the Supreme an d the living entity, but in the
personalist philosophy there is.
The example is often given that the Lord  is like a desire tree, and whatever
one wants from this desire tree, the Lo rd supplies. But here the explanation is
more complete. The Lord is here stated to be partial to the devotees. This is
the manifestation of the Lord’s special mercy to the devotees. The Lord’s
reciprocation should not be considered to be under the law of karma.  It
belongs to the transcendental situatio n in which the Lord and His devotees
function. Devotional service to  the Lord is not an activ ity of this material
world; it is part of the spiritual wo rld, where eternity, bliss and knowledge
predominate.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  30
AiPa ceTSauduracarae >aJaTae MaaMaNaNYa>aak(- )
SaaDaurev Sa MaNTaVYa" SaMYaGVYaviSaTaae ih Sa" )) 30 ))
api cet su-duräcäro
bhajate mäm ananya-bhäk
sädhur eva sa mantavyaù
samyag vyavasito hi saù
SYNONYMS
api—even; cet—if; su-duräcäraù —one committing the most abominable
actions; bhajate —is engaged in devotional service; mäm —unto Me;
ananya-bhäk —without deviation; sädhuù —a saint; eva—certainly; saù—he;
mantavyaù —is to be considered; samyak —completely; vyavas itaù—situated in
determination; hi—certainly; saù—he.
TRANSLATION
Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in
devotional service he is to be considered  saintly because he is properly situated
in his determination.
PURPORT
The word su-duräcäraù  used in this verse is very significant, and we should
understand it properly. When a living entity is conditioned, he has two kinds
of activities: one is conditional, an d the other is constitutional. As for
protecting the body or abid ing by the rules of society and state, certainly there
are different activities, even for the devotees, in connection with the
conditional life, and such activities ar e called conditional. Besides these, the
living entity who is fully conscious of his spir itual nature and is engaged in
Kåñëa consciousness, or the devotional service of the Lord, has activities which


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.are called transcendental. Such activities are performed in his constitutional
position, and they are technically called devotional service. Now , in the
conditioned state, sometimes devotional  service and the conditional service in
relation to the body will parallel one another. But then again, sometimes these
activities become opposed to one another. As far as possible, a devotee is very
cautious  s o  t h a t  h e  d o e s  n o t  d o  a n y t h i n g  that could disrupt his wholesome
condition. He knows that perfection  in his activities depends on his
progressive realization of Kåñëa consci ousness. Sometimes, however, it may be
seen that a person in Kåñëa consciousness c ommits some act which may be
taken as most abominable socially or politically. But such a temporary falldown
does not disqualify him. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it is stated that if a person
falls down but is wholeheartedly engaged in the transcendental serv ice of the
Supreme Lord, the Lord, being situated within his heart, purifies him and
excuses him from that abomination. Th e material contamination is so strong
that even a yogé fully engaged in the service of the Lord sometimes becomes
ensnared; but Kåñëa consciousness is so strong that such an occasional
falldown is at once rectified. Therefor e the process of devotional service is
always a success. No one should deride a devotee for some accidental falldown
from the ideal path, for, as explained in the nex t verse, such occasional
falldowns will be stopped in due course, as soon as a devotee is completely
situated in Kåñëa consciousness.
Therefore a person who is situated in  Kåñëa consciousness and is engaged
with determination in the process of ch anting Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa
Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare should be
considered to be in the transcendent al position, even if by chance or accident
he is found to have fallen. The words sädhur eva,  “he is saintly,” are very
emphatic. They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an
accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still b e
considered saintly even if he has accidentally fallen down. And the word
mantavyaù  is still more emphatic. If one does  not follow this rule, and derides a
devotee for his accidental falldown, then  one is disobeying the order of the
Supreme Lord. The only  qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and
exclusively engaged in devotional service.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.In the Nåsiàha Puräëa  the following statement is given:
bhagavati ca haräv ananya-cetä
bhåça-malino ’pi viräjate manuñyaù
na hi çaça-kaluña-cchabiù kadäcit
timira-paräbhavatäm upaiti candraù
The meaning is that even if one fully  engaged in the devotional service of
the Lord is sometimes found engaged in abominable activities, these activities
should be considered to be like the sp ots that resemble the mark of a rabbit on
the moon. Such spots d o not become an impediment to the diffusion of
moonlight. Similarly, the accidental falldown of a devotee from the path of
saintly character does not make him abominable.
On the other hand, one should no t misunderstand that a devotee in
transcendental devotional service can ac t in all kinds of abominable ways; this
verse only refers to an accident due to the strong power of material
connections. Devotional service is more o r less a declaration of war against the
illusory energy. As long as one is no t strong enough to fight the illusory
energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he
is no longer subjected to such falldowns, as previously explaine d. No one
should take advantage of this verse an d commit nonsense and think that he is
still a devotee. If he does not improve in his character by devotional service,
then it is to be understood that he is not a high devotee.
TEXT  31
i+aPa[& >aviTa DaMaaRTMaa XaìC^aiNTa& iNaGaC^iTa )
k-aENTaeYa Pa[iTaJaaNaqih Na Mae >a¢-" Pa[<aXYaiTa )) 31 ))
kñipraà bhavati dharmätmä
çaçvac-chäntià nigacchati
kaunteya pratijänéhi
na me bhaktaù praëaçyati


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
kñipram —very soon; bhavati —becomes; dharma-ätmä —righteous;
çaçvat-çäntim —lasting peace; nigacchati —attains; kaunteya —O son of Kunté;
pratijänéhi —declare; na—never; me—My; bhaktaù —devotee;
praëaçyati —perishes.
TRANSLATION
He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunté,
declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
PURPORT
This should not be misunderstood. In the Seventh Chapter the Lord says
that one who is engaged in mischievous activities cannot become a devotee of
the Lord. One who is not a devotee of the Lord has no good qualifications
whatsoever . The question remains, then, How can a person engaged in
abominable activities—either by accident  or by intention—be a pure devotee?
This question may justly be raised. Th e miscreants, as stated in the Seventh
Chapter, who never come to the devoti onal service of the Lord, have n o good
qualifications, as is stated in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  Generally, a devotee who
is engaged in the nine kinds of devotion al activities is engaged in the process
of cleansing all material contamination from the heart. He puts the Supreme
Personality o f Godhead within his heart, and all sinful contaminations are
naturally washed away. Continuous thinking of the Supreme Lord makes him
pure by nature. According to the Vedas,  there is a certain regulation that if
one falls down from his exalted position he  has to undergo certain ritualistic
processes to purify himself. But here there is no such condition, because the
purifying process is already there in the heart of the devotee, due to his
remembering the Supreme Personalit y of Godhead constantly. Therefor e, the
chanting of Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma,
Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare sh ould be continued without stoppage.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.This will protect a devotee from all a ccidental falldowns. He will thus remain
perpetually free from all mat erial contaminations.
TEXT  32
Maa& ih PaaQaR VYaPaaié[TYa Yae_iPa SYau" PaaPaYaaeNaYa" )
iñYaae vEXYaaSTaQaa éUd]aSTae_iPa YaaiNTa Para& GaiTaMa( )) 32 ))
mäà hi pärtha vyapäçritya
ye ’pi syuù päpa-yonayaù
striyo vaiçyäs tathä çüdräs
te ’pi yänti paräà gatim
SYNONYMS
mäm —of Me; hi—certainly; pärtha —O son of Påthä; vyapäçritya —particularly
taking shelter; ye—those who; api—also; syuù—are; päpa-yonayaù —born of a
lower family; striyaù —women; vaiçyäù —mercantile people; tathä —also;
çüdräù —lower-class men; te api —even they; yänti —go; paräm —to the
supreme; gatim —destination.
TRANSLATION
O son of Påthä, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower
birth—women, vaiçyas [merchants] an d çüdras [workers]—can attain the
supreme destination.
PURPORT
It is clearly declared here by the Su preme Lord that in devotional service
there is no distinction between the lowe r and higher classes of people. In the
material conception of life there are su ch divisions, but for a person engaged in
transcendental devot ional service to the Lord there are not. Everyone is
eligible for the supreme destination. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (2.4.18 ) it is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.stated that even the lowest, who are called caëòälas  (dog-eaters), can be
purified by association with a pure devotee. Theref ore devotional service and
the guidance of a pure devotee are so strong that there is no discrimination
between the lower and higher classes of men; anyone can take to it. The most
simple man taking shelter of the pure devotee can be purified by proper
guidance. According to the different modes of material nature, men are
classified in the mode of goodness ( brähmaëas ), the mode of passion ( kñatriyas,
or administrators), the mixed modes of passion and ignorance ( vaiçyas,  or
merchants), and the mode of ignora nce ( çüdras,  or workers). Those lower than
them are called caëòälas,  and they are born in sinful families. Generally, the
association of those born in sinful fa milies is not accepted by the higher
classes. But the process of devotional service is so strong  that the pure devotee
of the Supreme Lord can enable people of all the lower classes to attain the
highest perfection of life. This is possi ble only when one takes shelter of Kåñëa.
As indicated here by the word vyapäçritya,  one has to take shelter comple tely
of Kåñëa. Then one can become much greater than great jïänés  and yogés.
TEXT  33
ik&- PauNab]aRø<aa" Pau<Yaa >a¢-a raJazRYaSTaQaa )
AiNaTYaMaSau%& l/aek-iMaMa& Pa[aPYa >aJaSv MaaMa( )) 33 ))
kià punar brähmaëäù puëyä
bhaktä räjarñayas tathä
anityam asukhaà lokam
imaà präpya bhajasva mäm
SYNONYMS
kim—how much; punaù —again; brähmaëäù —brähmaëas;  puëyäù —righteous;
bhaktäù —devotees; räja-åñayaù —saintly kings; tathä —also;
anityam —temporary; asukham —full of miseries; lokam —planet; imam —this;
präpya —gaining; bhajasva —be engaged in loving service; mäm —unto  Me.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
How much more this is so of the righ teous brähmaëas, the devotees and the
saintly kings. Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world,
engage in loving service unto Me.
PURPORT
In this material world there are classifi cations of people, but, after all, this
world is not a happy place for anyone. It is clearly stated here, anityam
asukhaà lokam:  this world is temporary and full of miseries, not habitable for
any sane gentleman. Th is world is declared by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead to be temporary and full of miseries. Some philosophers, especially
Mäyävädé philosophers, say that this worl d is false, but we can understand from
Bhagavad-gétä  that the world is not false; it is temporary. There is a difference
between temporary and false. This worl d is temporary, but there is another
world, which is eternal. This world is miserable, but the other world is eternal
and blissful.
Arjuna was born in a saintly royal family. To him also the Lord says, “ Take
to My devotional service and come quickly back to Godhead, back home .” No
one should remain in this temporary world, full as it is with miseries. Everyone
should attach himself to the bosom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead so
that he can be eternally happy. The devotional service of the Supreme Lord is
the only process  by which all problems of all classes of men can be solved.
Everyone should therefore take to Kåñëa consciousne ss and make his life
perfect.
TEXT  34
MaNMaNaa >av MaÙ¢-ae MaÛaJaq Maa& NaMaSku-å )
MaaMaevEZYaiSa Yau¤E-vMaaTMaaNa& MaTParaYa<a" )) 34 ))
man-manä bhava mad-bhakto


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru
mäm evaiñyasi yuktvaivam
ätmänaà mat-paräyaëaù
SYNONYMS
mat-manäù —always thinking of Me; bhava —become; mat—My;
bhaktaù —devotee; mat—My; yäjé—worshiper; mäm —unto Me;
namaskuru —offer obeisances; mäm —unto Me; eva—completely; eñyasi —you
will come; yuktvä —being absorbed; evam —thus; ätmänam —your soul;
mat-paräyaëaù —devoted to Me.
TRANSLATION
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer
obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you
will come to Me.
PURPORT
In this verse it is clearly indicated that Kåñëa consciousness is the only
means of being delivered from the clut ches of this contaminated material
world. Sometimes unscrupulous comment ators distort the meaning of what is
clearly stated here: that all devo tional service should be offered to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. Unfortunately, unscrupulous
commentators divert the mind of the reader to that which is not at all feasible.
Such commentators do not know that there is no difference between Kå ñëa’s
mind and Kåñëa. Kåñëa is not an ordina ry human being; He is Absolute Truth.
His body, His mind and He Himself are on e and absolute. It is stated in the
Kürma Puräëa.  as it is quoted by Bhaktisi ddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé in his
Anubhäñya  comments on Caitanya-caritämåta  (Fifth Chapter, Ädi-lélä,  verses
41–48 ), deha-dehi-vibhedo ’yaà neçvare vidyate kvacit.  This means that there is
no difference in Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, between Himself and His body. But
because the commentators do not know this science  of Kåñëa, they hide Kåñëa


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.and divide His personality from His mind or from His body. Although this is
sheer ignorance of the science of Kå ñëa, some men make profit out of
misleading people.
There are some who are demonic; they also think of Kåñëa, but enviously,
just like King Kaàsa, Kåñëa’s uncle. He was also thinking of Kåñëa always, but
he thought of Kåñëa as his enemy. He was always in anxiety, wondering when
Kåñëa would come to kill him.  That kind of thinking will not help us. One
should be thinking of Kåñëa in devotional love. That is bhakti.  One should
cultivate the knowledge of Kåñëa cont inuously. What is that favorable
cultivation? It is to learn from a bona fide teacher. Kåñëa is the  Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and we have several times explained that His body is
not material, but is eternal, blissful kn owledge. This kind of talk about Kåñëa
will help one become a devotee. Understanding Kåñëa otherwise, from the
wrong source, will  prove fruitless.
One should therefore engage his mind in the eternal form, the primal form
of Kåñëa; with conviction in his heart that Kåñëa is the Supreme, he should
engage himself in worship. There are hundreds of thousands of temples in
India for the worship of Kåñëa, a nd devotional service is practiced there.
When such practice is made, one has to  offer obeisances to Kåñëa. One should
lower his head before the Deity and engage his mind, his body, his
activities—everything. That will make one fully absorbed in Kåñëa with out
deviation. This will help one transfer  to the Kåñëaloka. One should not be
deviated by unscrupulous commentat ors. One must engage in the nine
different processes of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting
about Kåñëa. Pure devotional se rvice is the highest achievement of human
society.
The Seventh and Eighth chapters of Bhagavad-gétä  have explained pure
devotional service to the Lord that is  free from speculative knowledge, mystic
yoga and fruitive activities. Those who are not purely sanctified may be
attracted by different features of the Lord like the impersonal brahmajyoti  and
localized Paramätmä, but a pure devotee directly takes to the service of the
Supreme Lord.
There is a beautiful poem about Kåñëa in which it is clearly stated that any


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.person who is engaged in the worship of  demigods is most unintelligent and
cannot achieve at any time the supreme award of Kåñëa. The devotee, in the
beginning, may sometimes fall  from the standard, but still he should be
considered superior to all other philosophers and yogés.  One who always
engages in Kåñëa consciousness should be  understood to be a perfectly saintly
person. His accidental nondevot ional activities will diminish, and he will soon
be situated without any doubt in comple te perfection. The pure devotee has no
actual chance to fall down, because the Supreme Godhead personally takes
care of His pure devotees. Therefore,  the intelligent person should take
directly to the  process of Kåñëa consciousness and happily live in this material
world. He will eventually receive the supreme award of Kåñëa.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Ninth Chapter of the Çrémad
Bhagavad-gétä  in the matter of the Most Confidential Knowledge.
- CHAPTER 10 -
The Opulence of the Absolute
TEXT  1
é[q>aGavaNauvac
>aUYa Wv Mahabahae é*<au Mae ParMa& vc" )
Yatae_h& Pa[qYaMaa<aaYa v+YaaiMa ihTak-aMYaYaa )) 1 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
bhüya eva mahä-bäho
çåëu me paramaà vacaù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yat te ’haà préyamäëäya
vakñyämi hita-kämyayä
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
bhüyaù —again; eva—certainly; mahä-bäho —O mighty-armed; çåëu—just
hear; me—My; paramam —supreme; vacaù —instruction; yat—that which;
te—to you; aham —I; préyamäëäya —thinking you dear to Me; vakñyämi —say;
hita-kämyayä —for your benefit.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Listen again, O mighty-armed
Arjuna. Because you are My dear friend, for your benefit I shall speak to you
further, giving knowledge that is bette r than what I have already explained.
PURPORT
The word bhagavän  is explained thus by Paräçara Muni: one who is full in
six opulences, who has full strength, fu ll fame, wealth, knowledge, beauty and
renunciation, is Bhagavän, or the Su preme Personality of Godhead. While
Kåñëa was present on this earth,  He displayed all six opulences. Therefore
great sages like Paräçara Muni have all accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Now Kåñëa is in structing Arjuna in more confidential
knowledge of His opulences and His work. Previously, beginning wit h the
Seventh Chapter, the Lord has already explained His different energies and
how they are acting. Now in this chapte r He explains His specific opulences to
Arjuna. In the previous chapter He has clearly explained His different
energies to establish dev otion in firm conviction. Again in this chapter He
tells Arjuna about His manifestations and various opulences.
The more one hears about the Suprem e God, the more one becomes fixed
in devotional service. One should always hear about the Lord in the
association of devotees; that will enhanc e one’s devotional service. Discourses


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.in the society of devotees can take pla ce only among those who are really
anxious to be in Kåñëa consciousness. Others cannot take part in such
discourses. The Lord clearly tells Arjuna that because Arjuna is very dear to
Him, for his benefit such discourses are taking place.
TEXT  2
Na Mae ivdu" SaurGa<aa" Pa[>av& Na MahzRYa" )
AhMaaidihR devaNaa& Mahzs<aa& c SavRXa" )) 2 ))
na me viduù sura-gaëäù
prabhavaà na maharñayaù
aham ädir hi devänäà
maharñéëäà ca sarvaçaù
SYNONYMS
na—never; me—My; viduù —know; sura-gaëäù —the demigods;
prabhavam —origin, opulences; na—never; mahä-åñayaù —great sages; aham —I
am; ädiù—the origin; hi—certainly; devänäm —of the demigods;
mahä-åñéëäm —of the great sages; ca—also; sarvaçaù —in all respects.
TRANSLATION
Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin or
opulences, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and sages.
PURPORT
As stated in the Brahma-saàhitä,  Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord. No one
is greater than Him; He is the cause of a ll causes. Here it is also stated by the
Lord personally that He is the cause of all the demigods and sages. Even the
demigods and great sages cannot understand Kåñëa; they can understand
neither His name nor His personality, so what is the position of the so-called


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.s c h o l a r s  o f  t h i s  t i n y  p l a n e t ?  N o  o n e can understand why this Supreme God
comes to earth as an ordinary  human being and executes such  wonderful,
uncommon activities. One should know, then, that scholarship is not the
qualification necessary to understand Kå ñëa. Even the demigods and the great
sages have tried to understand Kåñëa by their mental speculation, and they
have failed to do so . In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  also it is clearly said that even
the great demigods are not able to understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. They can speculate to the limi ts of their imperfect senses and can
reach the opposite conclusion of impersonalism , of something not manifested
by the three qualities of material na ture, or they can imagine something by
mental speculation, but it is not possibl e to understand Kåñëa by such foolish
speculation.
Here the Lord indirectly says that if anyone wants to know the Absolute
Truth, “Here I am present as the Supr eme Personality of Godhead. I am the
Supreme.” One should know this. Al though one cannot understand the
inconceivable Lord who is personally presen t, He nonetheless exists. We can
actually understand Kåñëa, who is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge, simply
by studying His words in Bhagavad-gétä  and Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  The
conception of God as some ruling powe r or as the impersonal Brahman can be
reached by persons who are in the infe rior energy of the Lord, but the
Personality of Godhead cannot be conceived unless one is in the
transcendental position.
Because most men cannot understand Kåñëa in His actual situation, out of
His causeless mercy He descends to show favor to such speculators. Yet despite
the Supreme Lord’s uncommon activities, these speculators, due to
contamination in the material energy, still think that the impersonal Brahman
is the Supreme. Only the devotees who are fully surrendered unto the Supreme
Lord can understand, by the grace of the Supreme Personality, that He is
Kåñëa. The devotees of the Lord do not bother about the impersonal  Brahman
conception of God; their faith an d devotion bring them to surrender
immediately unto the Supreme Lord, and out of the causeless mercy of Kåñëa
they can understand Kåñëa. No one else  can understand Him. So even great
sages agree: What is ätmä,  what  i s  t h e  S u p r e m e ?  I t  i s  H e  w h o m  w e  h a v e  t o


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.worship.
TEXT  3
Yaae MaaMaJaMaNaaid& c veita l/aek-MaheìrMa( )
ASaMMaU!" Sa MaTYaeRzu SavRPaaPaE" Pa[MauCYaTae )) 3 ))
yo mäm ajam anädià ca
vetti loka-maheçvaram
asammüòhaù sa martyeñu
sarva-päpaiù pramucyate
SYNONYMS
yaù—anyone who; mäm —Me; ajam —unborn; anädim —without beginning;
ca—also; vetti—knows; loka—of the planets; mahä-éçvaram —the supreme
master; asammüòhaù —undeluded; saù—he; martyeñu —among those subject to
death; sarva-päpaiù —from all sinful reactions; pramucya te—is delivered.
TRANSLATION
He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme Lord
of all the worlds—he only, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins.
PURPORT
As stated in the Seventh Chapter ( 7.3), manuñyäëäà sahasreñu kaçcid yatati
siddhaye:  those who are trying to elevat e themselves to the platform of
spiritual realization are not ordinary me n; they are superior to millions and
millions of ordinary men who ha ve no knowledge of spiritual realization. But
out of those actually trying to unders tand their spiritual situation, one who
can come to the understanding that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the proprietor of ever ything, the unborn, is the mos t successful
spiritually realized person. In that st age only, when one has fully understood


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Kåñëa’s supreme position, can one be free completely from all sinful reactions.
Here the Lord is described by the word aja, meaning “unborn,” but He is
distinct from the living entities who are described in the Second Chapter as
aja. The Lord is different from the living entities who are taking birth and
dying due to material attachme nt. The conditioned souls are changing their
bodies, but His body is not changeable. Even when He comes to this material
world, He comes as the same unborn; ther efore in the Fourth Chapter it is said
that the Lord, by His internal  potency, is not under the  inferior, material
energy, but is always in the superior energy.
In this verse the words vetti loka-maheçvaram  indicate that one should know
that Lord Kåñëa is the supreme proprietor of the planetary systems of the
universe. He was existing before the creation, and He is different from His
creation. All the demigods wer e created within this material world, but as far
as Kåñëa is concerned, it is said that  He is not created; therefore Kåñëa is
different even from the great demigods  like Brahmä and Çiva. And because He
is the creator of Brahmä, Çiva and all the other demig ods, He is the Supreme
Person of all planets.
Çré Kåñëa is therefore different from ev erything that is created, and anyone
who knows Him as such immediately becomes liberated from all sinful
reactions. One must be liberated from all sinful activities to be in the
knowledge of the Supreme Lord. Only by  devotional service can He be known
and not by any other means, as stated in Bhagavad-gétä.
One should not try to understand Kåñëa as a human being. As stated
previously, only a foolish person thinks Him to be a human being. This is again
expressed here in a different way. A ma n who is not foolish, who is intelligent
enough to understand the cons titutional position of the Godhead, is always
free from all sinful reactions.
If Kåñëa is known as the son of Deva ké, then how can He be unborn? That
is also explained in Çrémad-Bhägavatam : When He appeared before Devaké
and Vasudeva, He was not born as an ordinary child; He appeared in His
original form, and then He transformed Him self into an ordinary child.
Anything done under the direction of Kåñëa is transcendental. It cannot be
contaminated by material reactions, wh ich may be auspicious or inauspicious.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.The conception that there are things auspicious and inauspicious in the
material world is more or less a  mental concoction because there is nothing
auspicious in the material world. Everything is inauspicious because the very
material nature is inauspicious. We simply imagine it to be auspicious. Real
auspiciousness depends on activities in Kåñëa consciousne ss in full devotion
and service. Therefore if we at all want our activities to be auspicious, then we
should work under the directions of the Supreme Lord. Such directions are
given in authoritative scriptures such as Çrémad-Bhägavatam  and
Bhagavad-gétä,  or from a bona fide spiritual master. Because the spiritual
master is the representative of the Supr eme Lord, his direction is directly the
direction of the Supreme Lord. The sp iritual master, saintly persons and
scriptures direct in the same way. There is no contradiction in these three
sources. All actions done under such direction are free from the reactions of
pious or impious activities of this mate rial world. The transcendental attitude
of the devotee in the performance of activities is actually that o f renunciation,
and this is called sannyäsa.  As stated in the first verse of the Sixth Chapter  of
Bhagavad-gétä,  one who acts as a matter of duty because he has been ordered to
do so by the Supreme Lord, and who does not seek shelter in the fruits of his
activities ( anäçritaù karma-phalam ), is a true renouncer. Anyone acting under
the direction of the Supreme Lord is actually a sannyäsé  and a yogé, and not the
man who has simply taken the dress of the sannyäsé,  or a pseudo yogé.
TEXTS  4–5
buiÖjaRNaMaSaMMaaeh" +aMaa SaTYa& dMa" XaMa" )
Sau%& du"%& >avae_>aavae >aYa& ca>aYaMaev c )) 4 ))
Aih&Saa SaMaTaa TauiíSTaPaae daNa& YaXaae_YaXa" )
>aviNTa >aava >aUTaaNaa& Mata Wv Pa*QaiGvDaa" )) 5 ))
buddhir jïänam asammohaù
kñamä satyaà damaù çamaù
sukhaà duùkhaà bhavo ’bhävo


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.bhayaà cäbhayam eva ca
ahiàsä samatä tuñöis
tapo dänaà yaço ’yaçaù
bhavanti bhävä bhütänäà
matta eva påthag-vidhäù
SYNONYMS
buddhiù —intelligence; jïänam —knowledge; asammohaù —freedom from
doubt; kñamä —forgiveness; satyam —truthfulness; damaù —control of the
senses; çamaù —control of the mind; sukham —happiness; duùkham —distress;
bhavaù —birth; abhävaù —death; bhayam —fear; ca—also;
abhayam —fearlessness; eva—also; ca—and; ahiàsä —nonviolence;
samatä —equilibrium; tuñöiù —satisfaction; tapaù —penance; dänam —charity;
yaçaù —fame; ayaçaù —infamy; bhavanti —come about; bhäväù —natures;
bhütänäm —of living entities; mattaù —from Me; eva—certainly;
påthak-vidhäù —variously arranged.
TRANSLATION
Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness,
truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness and distress,
birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonvio lence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity,
charity, fame and i nfamy—all these various qualities of living beings are created
by Me alone.
PURPORT
The different qualities of living entities, be they good or bad, are all created
by Kåñëa, and they are described here.
Intelligence refers to the power to  analyze things in their proper
perspective, and knowledge refers to un derstanding what is spirit and what is
matter. Ordinary knowledge obtained by a university education pertains only
to matter, and it is not accepted h ere as knowledge. Knowledge means


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.knowing the distinction between spirit and matter. In modern education there
is no knowledge about spirit; they are simply taking care of the material
elements and bodily needs. Therefore academic knowledge is not complete .
Asammoha,  freedom from doubt and delusion, can be achieved when one is
not hesitant and when he understands the transcendental philosophy. Slowly
but surely he becomes free from bewi lderment. Nothing should be accepted
blindly; everything should be accepte d with care and with caution. Kñamä,
tolerance and forgiveness, should be pr acticed; one should be tolerant and
excuse the minor offenses of others. Satyam,  truthfulness, means that facts
should be presented as they are, for the benefit of others. Facts sh ould not be
misrepresented. According to social conven tions, it is said that one can speak
the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The
truth should be spoken in a straightforw ard way, so that others will understand
actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he
is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one
should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be
presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth.
Control of the senses means that th e senses should not be used for
unnecessary personal enjoyment. There is no prohibition against meeting the
proper needs of the senses, but unnecessa ry sense enjoyment is detrimental for
spiritual advancement. Therefore t he senses should be restrained from
unnecessary use. Similarly, one should  restrain the mind from unnecessary
thoughts; that is called çama.  One should not spend one’s time pondering over
earning money. That is a misuse of the thinking power. The mind shou ld be
used to understand the prime necessity  of human beings, and that should be
presented authoritatively. The power of thought should be developed in
association with persons who are authorit ies in the scriptures, saintly persons
and spiritual masters an d those whose thinking is highly developed. Sukham,
pleasure or happiness, should always be in that which is favorable for the
cultivation of the spiritual knowledge of Kåñëa consciousness. And similarly,
that which is painful or which causes distress is t hat which is unfavorable for
the cultivation of Kåñëa consciousn ess. Anything favorable for the
development of Kåñëa consciousness should be accepted, and anything


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.unfavorable should be rejected.
Bhava,  birth, should be understood to refe r to the body. As far as the soul is
concerned, there is neither birth nor de ath; that we have discussed in the
beginning of Bhagavad-gétä.  Birth and death apply to one’s embodiment in the
material world. Fear is d ue to worrying about the future. A person in Kåñëa
consciousness has no fear because by his ac tivities he is sure to go back to the
spiritual sky, back home, back to Godhea d. Therefore his future is very bright.
Others, however, do not know what their futu re holds; they have no
knowledge of what the next life hold s. So they are therefore in constant
anxiety. If we want to get free from anxiety, then the best course is to
understand Kåñëa and be situated always  in Kåñëa consciousness. In that way
we will be free from all fear. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (11.2.37 ) it is stated,
bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù syät:  fear is caused by our absorption in the illusory
energy. But those who are free from the illusory energy, those who are
confident that they are not the ma terial body, that they are spiritual parts of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who are therefore engaged in the
transcendental service of the Supreme Godhead, have nothing to fear. Their
future is very bright. This fear  is a condition of persons who  are not in Kåñëa
consciousness. Abhayam,  fearlessness, is possible only for one in Kåñëa
consciousness.
Ahiàsä,  nonviolence, means that one sh ould not do anything which will
put others into misery or confusion. Mate rial activities that are promised by so
many politicians, sociologists, philanth ropists, etc., do not produce very good
results because the polit icians and philanthropists have no transcendental
vision; they do not know what is actually beneficial for human society. Ahiàsä
means that people should be trained in  such a way that the full utilization of
the human body can be achieved. The human body i s meant for spiritual
realization, so any movement or any commissions which do not further that
end commit violence on the human bo dy. That which furthers the future
spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.
Samatä,  equanimity, refers to freedom from attachment and aversion. To be
very much attached or to be very much  detached is not the best. This material
world should be accepted without attachment or aversion. That which is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.favorable for prosecuting Kåñëa c onsciousness should be accepted; that which
is unfavorable should be rejected. That is called samatä,  equanimity. A person
in Kåñëa consciousness has nothing to reject and nothing to accept save in
terms of its usefulness in the prosecution of Kåñëa consci ousness.
Tuñöi,  satisfaction, means that one should  not be eager to gather more and
more material goods by unnecessary ac tivity. One should be satisfied with
whatever is obtained by the grace of the Supreme Lord; that is called
satisfaction. Tapas  means austerity o r penance. There are many rules and
regulations in the Vedas  which apply here, like rising early in the morning and
taking a bath. Sometimes it is very tr oublesome to rise early in the morning,
but whatever voluntary trouble on e may suffer in this way is c alled penance.
Similarly, there are prescriptions for fast ing on certain days of the month. One
may not be inclined to practice such fasting, but because of his determination
to make advancement in the science of Kåñëa consciousness, he should accept
such bodily troubles when they are recommended. However, one should not
fast unnecessarily or against Vedic inju nctions. One should not fast for some
political purpose; that is described in Bhagavad-gétä  as fasting in ignorance,
and anything done in ignorance o r passion does not lead to spiritual
advancement. Everything done in th e mode of goodness does advance one,
however, and fasting done in terms of the Vedic injunctions enriches one in
spiritual knowledge.
As far as charity is concerned, one sh ould give fifty percent of his earnings
to some good cause. And what is a good cause? It is that which is conducted in
terms of Kåñëa consciousness. That is not only a good cause, but the best cause.
Because Kåñëa is g ood, His cause is also good. Thus charity should be given to a
person who is engaged in Kåñëa consciousness. According to Vedic literature,
it is enjoined that charit y should be given to the brähmaëas.  This practice is
still followed, although not very nic ely in terms of the Vedic injunction. But
still the injunction is that ch arity should be given to the brähmaëas.  Why?
Because they are engaged in higher cu ltivation of spiritual knowledge. A
brähmaëa  is supposed to devote his whole life to understanding Br ahman.
Brahma jänätéti brähmaëaù:  one who knows Brahman is called a brähmaëa.
Thus charity is offered to the brähmaëas  because they are always engaged in


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.higher spiritual service and have no time  to earn their livelihood. In the Vedic
literature, charity i s also to be awarded to one in the renounced order of life,
the sannyäsé.  The sannyäsés  beg from door to door, not for money but for
missionary purposes. The system is that they go from door to door to awaken
the householders from the slumber of ignorance.  Because the householders are
engaged in family affairs and have forgotten their actual purpose in
life—awakening their Kåñëa consciousness—it is the business of the sannyäsés
to go as beggars to the householde rs and encourage them to be Kåñëa
conscious. A s it is said in the Vedas,  one should awake and achieve what is due
him in this human form of life. This knowledge and method is distributed by
the sannyäsés;  hence charity is to be given to the renouncer of life, to the
brähmaëas,  and similar good causes,  not to any whimsical cause.
Yaças,  fame, should be according to Lord Caitanya, who said that a man is
famous when he is known as a great de votee. That is real fame. If one has
become a great man in Kåñëa consciousness and it is known, then he is truly
famous. One who does not have su ch fame is infamous.
All these qualities are manifest throug hout the universe in human society
and in the society of the demigods. There are many forms of humanity on
other planets, and these qualities ar e there. Now, for one who wants to
advance in Kåñëa consciousness, Kåñëa creates all these qualities, but the
person develops them himself from wi thin. One who engages in the devotional
service of the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities, as arranged by the
Supreme Lord.
Of whatever we find, good or bad, the origin is Kåñëa. Nothing can
manifest itself in this material world wh ich is not in Kåñëa. That is knowledge;
although we know that things are diffe rently situated, we should realize that
everything flows from Kåñëa.
TEXT  6
MahzRYa" Saá PaUveR cTvarae MaNavSTaQaa )
MaÙava MaaNaSaa JaaTaa Yaeza& l/aek- wMaa" Pa[Jaa" )) 6 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.maharñayaù sapta pürve
catväro manavas tathä
mad-bhävä mänasä jätä
yeñäà loka imäù prajäù
SYNONYMS
mahä-åñayaù —the great sages; sapta —seven; pürve —before; catväraù —four;
manavaù —Manus; tathä —also; mat-bhäväù —born of Me; mänasäù —from the
mind; jätäù —born; yeñäm —of them; loke—in the world; imäù —all this;
prajäù —population.
TRANSLATION
The seven great sages and before them  the four other great sages and the
Manus [progenitors of mankind] come from Me, born from My mind, and all
the living beings populating the various planets descend from them.
PURPORT
The Lord is giving a genealogical sy nopsis of the universal population.
Brahmä is the original creature born out of the energy of the Supreme Lord,
who is known as Hiraëyagarbha. And from Brahmä all the seven great sages,
and before them four other great s ages, named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanätana and
Sanat-kumära, and the Manus, are manifested. All these twenty-five great
sages are known as the patriarchs of the living entities all over the universe.
There are innumerable universes and innumerable planets withi n each
universe, and each planet is full of population of different varieties. All of
them are born of these twenty-five patriarchs. Brahmä underwent penance for
one thousand years of the demigods befo re he realized by the grace of Kåñëa
how to create. The n from Brahmä came Sanaka, Sananda, Sanätana and
Sanat-kumära, then Rudra, and then the seven sages, and in this way all the
brähmaëas  and kñatriyas  are born out of the energy of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Brahmä is known as Pitämaha, the grandfat her, and Kåñëa is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.known as Prapitämaha , the father of the grandfather. That is stated in the
Eleventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä  (11.39 ).
TEXT  7
WTaa& iv>aUiTa& YaaeGa& c MaMa Yaae veita TatvTa" )
Saae_ivk-LPaeNa YaaeGaeNa YauJYaTae Naa}a Sa&XaYa" )) 7 ))
etäà vibhütià yogaà ca
mama yo vetti tattvataù
so ’vikalpena yogena
yujyate nätra saàçayaù
SYNONYMS
etäm —all this; vibhütim —opulence; yogam —mystic power; ca—also;
mama —of Mine; yaù—anyone who; vetti—knows; tattvataù —factually;
saù—he; avikalpena —without division; yogena —in devotional service;
yujyate —is engaged; na—never; atra—here; saàçayaù —doubt.
TRANSLATION
One who is factually convinced of this opulence and mystic power of Mine
engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT
The highest summit of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Unless one is  firmly convinced of the different
opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional service.
Generally people know that God is great, b ut they do not know in detail how
God is great. Here are the details. If one knows factually how God is great,
then naturally he becomes a surrender ed soul and engages himself in the
devotional service of the Lord. When  one factually knows the opulences of  the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Supreme, there is no alternative but to surrender to Him. This factual
knowledge can be known from the descriptions in Çrémad-Bhägavatam  and
Bhagavad-gétä  and similar literatures.
In the administration of this universe there are many demigods distributed
throughout the planetary system, and th e chief of them are Brahmä, Lord Çiva
and the four great Kumäras and the other patriarchs. There are many
forefathers of the population of the  universe, and all of them are born of the
Supreme Lord, Kåñëa. The Supreme Pers onality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is the
original forefather of all forefathers.
These are some of the opulences of the Supreme Lord. When one is firmly
convinced of them, he accepts Kåñëa with great faith and without any doubt,
and he engages in devotional service. A ll this particular knowledge is required
in order to increase one’s i nterest in the loving devoti onal service of the Lord.
One should not neglect to understand fully how great Kåñëa is, for by knowing
the greatness of Kåñëa one will be able to be fixed in sincere devotional
service.
TEXT  8
Ah& SavRSYa Pa[>avae Mata" Sav| Pa[vTaRTae )
wiTa MaTva >aJaNTae Maa& buDaa >aavSaMaiNvTaa" )) 8 ))
ahaà sarvasya prabhavo
mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
SYNONYMS
aham —I; sarvasya —of all; prabhavaù —the source of generation;
mattaù —from Me; sarvam —everything; pravartate —emanates; iti—thus;
matvä —knowing; bhajante —become devoted; mäm —unto Me; budhäù —the
learned; bhäva-samanvitäù —with great attention.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates
from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service
and worship Me with all their hearts.
PURPORT
A learned scholar who has studied the Vedas  perfectly and has information
from authorities like Lord Caitanya  and who knows how to apply these
teachings can understand that Kåñëa is the origin of everything in both the
material and spiritual worlds, and be cause he knows this perfectly he becomes
firmly fixed in the devotional servic e of the Supreme Lord. He can never be
deviated by any amount of nonsensical commentaries or by fools. All Vedic
literature agrees that Kåñëa is the source of Brahmä, Çiva and al l other
demigods. In the Atharva Veda  (Gopäla-täpané Upaniñad  1.24) it is said, yo
brahmäëaà vidadhäti pürvaà yo vai vedäàç ca gäpayati sma kåñëaù:  “It was
Kåñëa who in the beginning instructed  Brahmä in Vedic knowledge and who
disseminated Vedic knowledge  in the past.” Then again the Näräyaëa
Upaniñad  (1) says, atha puruño ha vai näräyaëo ’kämayata prajäù såjeyeti:  “Then
the Supreme Personality Näräyaëa desire d to create living entities.” The
Upaniñad  continues, näräyaëäd brahmä jäyate, näräyaëäd prajäpati ù prajäyate,
näräyaëäd indro jäyate, näräyaëäd añöau vasavo jäyante, näräyaëäd ekädaça
rudrä jäyante, näräyaëäd dvädaçädityäù:  “From Näräyaëa, Brahmä is born, and
from Näräyaëa the patriarchs are also born. From Näräyaëa, Indra is born,
from Näräyaëa the e ight Vasus are born, from Närä yaëa the eleven Rudras are
born, from Näräyaëa the twelve Ädit yas are born.” This Näräyaëa is an
expansion of Kåñëa.
It is said in the same Vedas,  brahmaëyo devaké-putraù:  “The son of Devaké,
Kåñëa, is the Supreme Personality.” ( Näräyaëa Upaniñad  4) Then it is said, eko
vai näräyaëa äsén na brahmä na éçäno näpo nägni-samau neme dyäv-äpåthivé na
nakñaträëi na süryaù:  “In the beginning of the creation there was only the
Supreme Personality Näräyaëa. There was no Brahmä, no Çiva, no water, no


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun.” ( Mahä Upaniñad  1) In the Mahä
Upaniñad  it is also said that Lord  Ç i v a  w a s  b o r n  f r o m  t h e  f orehead of the
Supreme Lord. Thus the Vedas  say that it is the Supreme Lord, the creator of
Brahmä and Çiva, who is to be worshiped.
In the Mokña-dharma  Kåñëa also says,
prajäpatià ca rudraà cäpy
aham eva såjämi vai
tau hi mäà na vijänéto
mama mäyä-vimohitau
“The patriarchs, Çiva and others are created by Me, though they do not
know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory
energy.” In the Varäha Puräëa  it is also said,
näräyaëaù paro devas
tasmäj jätaç caturmukhaù
tasmäd rudro ’bhavad devaù
sa ca sarva-jïatäà gataù
“Näräyaëa is the Supreme Personalit y of Godhead, and from Him Brahmä
was born, from whom Çiva was born.”
Lord Kåñëa is the source of all ge nerations, and He is called the most
efficient cause of everything. He says,  “Because everything is born of Me, I am
the original source of all. Everything is under Me; no one is above Me.” There
is no supreme controller o ther than Kåñëa. One who understands Kåñëa in
such a way from a bona fide spiritual master, with references from Vedic
literature, engages all his energy in Kåñëa consciousness and becomes a truly
learned man. In comparison to him, all others, who do not k now Kåñëa
properly, are but fools. Only a fool would consider Kåñëa to be an ordinary
man. A Kåñëa conscious person should no t be bewildered by fools; he should
avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on Bhagavad-gétä  and
proceed in Kåñëa c onsciousness with determination and firmness.
TEXT  9


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.MaiÀtaa MaÓTaPa[a<aa baeDaYaNTa" ParSParMa( )
k-QaYaNTaê Maa& iNaTYa& TauZYaiNTa c rMaiNTa c )) 9 ))
mac-cittä mad-gata-präëä
bodhayantaù parasparam
kathayantaç ca mäà nityaà
tuñyanti ca ramanti ca
SYNONYMS
mat-cittäù —their minds fully engaged in Me; mat-gata-präëäù —their lives
devoted to Me; bodhayantaù —preaching; parasparam —among themselves;
kathayantaù —talking; ca—also; mäm —about Me; nityam —perpetually;
tuñyanti —become pleased; ca—also; ramanti —enjoy trans cendental bliss;
ca—also.
TRANSLATION
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwe ll in Me, their lives are fully devoted
to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always
enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
PURPORT
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves
fully in the transcendental loving se rvice of the Lord. Their minds cannot be
diverted from the lotus feet of Kå ñëa. Their talks are solely on the
transcendental subjects. The sympt oms of the pure devotees are described in
this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours
daily engaged in glorifying the qualit ies and pastimes of the Supreme Lord.
Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Kåñëa, and they take
pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
In the preliminary stage of devo tional service they relish the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.transcendental pleasure from the servic e itself, and in the mature stage they
are actually situated in love of God.  Once situated in that transcendental
position, they can relish the highest pe rfection which is exhibited by the Lord
in His abode. Lord Caitanya likens tr anscendental devotional service to the
sowing of a seed in the heart of the li ving entity. There are innumerable living
entities traveling throughout the different planets of the universe, and out of
them there are a few who are fortunate en ough to meet a pure devotee and get
the chance to understand devotional se rvice. This devotional service is just
like a seed, and if it is sown in the he art of a living entity, and if he goes on
hearing and chanting Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare
Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, that seed fructifies, just as the seed
of a tree fructifies with regular watering. The spiritual plant of devotional
service gradually grows a nd grows until it penetrates the covering of the
material universe and enters into the brahmajyoti  effulgence in the spiritual
sky. In the spiritual sky also that plan t grows more and more until it reaches
the highest planet, which is called Goloka Våndäva na, the supreme planet of
Kåñëa. Ultimately, the plant takes shel ter under the lotus feet of Kåñëa and
rests there. Gradually, as a plant grow s fruits and flowers, that plant of
devotional service also produces fruits, and the watering process in the form of
chanting and hearing goes on. This plant of devotional service is fully
described in the Caitanya-caritämåta  (Madhya-lélä,  Chapter Nineteen ). It is
explained there that when the complete  plant takes shelter under the lotus
feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he
cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme
Lord, just as a fish cannot live without water. In such a state, the devotee
actually attains the transcendental qualities in contact wit h the Supreme Lord.
The Çrémad-Bhägavatam  is also full of such narrations about the
relationship between the Supreme Lord and His devotees ; therefore the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam  is very dear to the devotees, as stated in the Bhägavatam
itself ( 12.13.18 ). Çrémad-bhägavataà puräëam a malaà yad vaiñëavänäà priyam.
In this narration there is nothing about material activities, economic
development, sense gratification or liberation. Çrémad-Bhägavatam  is the only
narration in which the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord and His


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.devo tees is fully described. Thus the real ized souls in Kåñëa consciousness take
continual pleasure in hearing such transc endental literatures, just as a young
boy and girl take pleasure in association.
TEXT  10
Taeza& SaTaTaYau¢-aNaa& >aJaTaa& Pa[qiTaPaUvRk-Ma( )
ddaiMa buiÖYaaeGa& Ta& YaeNa MaaMauPaYaaiNTa Tae )) 10 ))
teñäà satata-yuktänäà
bhajatäà préti-pürvakam
dadämi buddhi-yogaà taà
yena mäm upayänti te
SYNONYMS
teñäm —unto them; satata-yuktänäm —always engaged; bhajatäm —in
rendering devotional service; préti-pürvakam —in loving ecstasy; dadämi —I
give; buddhi-yogam —real intelligence; tam—that; yena —by which;
mäm —unto Me; upayänti —come; te—they.
TRANSLATION
To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the
understanding by which they can come to Me.
PURPORT
In this verse the word buddhi-yogam  is very significant. We may remember
that in the Second Chapter the Lord, instructing Arjuna, said that He had
spoken to him of many things and that  He would instruct him in the way of
buddhi-yoga.  Now buddhi-yoga  is exp lained. Buddhi-yoga  itself is action in
Kåñëa consciousness; that is the highest intelligence. Buddhi  means
intelligence, and yoga means mystic activities or mystic elevation. When one


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.tries to go back home, back to Godhead, and takes fully to Kåñëa consci ousness
in devotional service, his action is called buddhi yoga.  In other words,
buddhi-yoga  is the process by which one gets  out of the entanglement of this
material world. The ultimate goal of progress is Kåñëa. People do not know
this; therefore the ass ociation of devotees and a bona fide spiritual master are
important. One should know that the goal is Kåñëa, and when the goal is
assigned, then the path is slowly but progressively traversed, and the ultimate
goal is achieved.
When a person knows the goal of life  but is addicted to the fruits of
activities, he is acting in karma-yoga.  When he knows that the goal is Kåñëa
but he takes pleasure in mental speculat ions to understand Kåñëa, he is acting
in jïäna-yoga.  A n d  w h e n  h e  k n o ws the goal and seeks Kåñëa completely in
Kåñëa consciousness and devotional service, he is acting in bhakti-yoga,  or
buddhi-yoga,  which is the complete yoga.  This complete yoga is the highest
perfectional stage of life.
A person may have a bona fide spiritual master and may be attached to a
spiritual organization, but still, if he is  not intelligent enough to make progress,
then Kåñëa from within gives him instructions so that he may ultimately come
to Him without difficu lty. The qualification is that a person always engage
himself in Kåñëa consciousness and with love and devotion render all kinds of
services. He should perform some sort of work for Kåñëa, and that work should
be with love. If a devotee is not intelligent enough to make progress on the
path of self-realization but is sincere and devoted to the activities of
devotional service, the Lord gives him a chance to make progress and
ultimately attain to Him.
TEXT  11
TaezaMaevaNauk-MPaaQaRMahMajaNaJa& TaMa" )
NaaXaYaaMYaaTMa>aavSQaae jaNadqPaeNa >aaSvTaa )) 11 ))
teñäm evänukampärtham
aham ajïäna-jaà tamaù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.näçayämy ätma-bhäva-stho
jïäna-dépena bhäsvatä
SYNONYMS
teñäm —for them; eva—certainly; anukampä-artham —to show special mercy;
aham —I; ajïäna-jam —due to ignorance; tamaù —darkness; näçayämi —dispel;
ätma-bhäva —within their hearts; sthaù —situated; jïäna —of knowledge;
dépena —with the lamp; bhäsvatä —glowing.
TRANSLATION
To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the
shining lamp of knowledge th e darkness born of ignorance.
PURPORT
When Lord Caitanya was in Benares promulgating the chanting of Hare
Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma
Räma, Hare Hare, thousands of people were following Him. Prakäçänanda
Sarasvaté, a very influential and learned schola r in Benares at that time,
derided Lord Caitanya  for being a sentimentalist. Sometimes philosophers
criticize the devotees because they think that most of the devotees are in the
darkness of ignorance and are philosophi cally naive sentimentalists. Actually
that is not the fact. There are very, very learned scholars who have put
forward the philosophy of devotion. But even if a devotee does not take
advantage of their literatures or of his sp iritual master, if he is sincere in his
devotional service he is he lped by Kåñëa Himself within his heart. So the
sincere devotee engaged in Kåñëa consciousness cannot be without knowledge.
The only qualification is that one carry out devotional service in full Kåñëa
consciousness.
The modern philosophers think that without discriminating one cannot
h a v e  p u r e  k n o w l e d g e .  F o r  t h e m  t h i s  answer is given by the Supreme Lord:
those who are engaged in pure devoti onal service, even though they be


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.without sufficient education and even without  sufficient knowledge of the
Vedic principles, are still helped by the Supreme God, as stated in this verse.
The Lord tells Arjuna that basically th ere is no possibility of understanding
the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth,  the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
simply by speculating, for the Supreme Tr uth is so great that it is not possible
to understand Him or t o achieve Him simply by making a mental effort. Man
can go on speculating for several millions of years, and if he is not devoted, if
he is not a lover of the Supreme Truth, he will never understand Kåñëa, or the
Supreme Truth. Only by devotional service i s the Supreme Truth, Kåñëa,
pleased, and by His inconceivable energy  He can reveal Himself to the heart of
the pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Kåñëa within his heart; and
with the presence of Kåñëa, who is just like the sun, the darkness of ignor ance
is at once dissipated. This is the spec ial mercy rendered to the pure devotee by
Kåñëa.
Due to the contamination of material association, through many, many
millions of births, one’s heart is always  covered with the dust of materialism,
but when one engages in devotional serv ice and constantly chants Hare Kåñëa,
the dust quickly clears, and o ne is elevated to the platform of pure knowledge.
The ultimate goal, Viñëu, can be attained only by this chant and by devotional
service, and not by mental speculation or argument. The pure devotee does not
have to worry about the material necessities of l ife; he need not be anxious,
because when he removes the darkness from his heart, everything is provided
automatically by the Supreme Lord, who is pleased by the loving devotional
service of the devotee. This is the essence of the teachings of Bhagavad-gét ä. By
studying Bhagavad-gétä,  one can become a soul completely surrendered to the
Supreme Lord and engage himself in pure devotional service. As the Lord
takes charge, one becomes completely free from all kinds of materialistic
endeavors.
TEXTS  12–13
AJauRNa ovac
Par& b]ø Par& DaaMa Paiv}a& ParMa& >avaNa( )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Pauåz& XaaìTa& idVYaMaaiddevMaJa& iv>auMa( )) 12 ))
AahuSTvaMa*zYa" SaveR devizRNaaRrdSTaQaa )
AiSaTaae devl/ae VYaaSa" SvYa& cEv b]vqiz Mae )) 13 ))
arjuna uväca
paraà brahma paraà dhäma
pavitraà paramaà bhavän
puruñaà çäçvataà divyam
ädi-devam ajaà vibhum
ähus tväm åñayaù sarve
devarñir näradas tathä
asito devalo vyäsaù
svayaà caiva bravéñi me
SYNONYMS
arjunaù uväca —Arjuna said; param —supreme; brahma —truth;
param —supreme; dhäma —sustenance; pavitram —pure; paramam —supreme;
bhavän —You; puruñam —personality; çäçvatam —original;
divyam —transcendental; ädi-devam —the original Lord; ajam —unborn;
vibhum —greatest; ähuù—say; tväm —of You; åñayaù —sages; sarve —all;
deva-åñiù —the sage among the demigods; näradaù —Närada; tathä —also;
asitaù —Asita; devalaù —Devala; vyäsaù —Vyäsa; svayam —personally;
ca—also; eva—certainly; bravéñé —You are explaining; me—unto me.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate
abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth.  You are the eternal, transcendental,
original person, the unborn, the greatest . All the great sages such as Närada,
Asita, Devala and Vyäsa confirm  this truth about You, and now You Yourself
are declaring it to me.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
In these two verses the Supreme Lo rd gives a chance to the modern
philosopher, for here it is clear that  the Supreme is different from the
individual soul. Arjuna, after hearing the essential four verses of Bhagavad-gétä
[BG. 10.8-11]  in this chapter, beca me completely free from all doubts and
accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme Personal ity of Godhead. He at once boldly
declares, “You are paraà brahma,  the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” And
previously Kåñëa stated that He is the originator of everything and eve ryone.
Every demigod and every human being is dependent on Him. Men and
demigods, out of ignorance, think that  they are absolute and independent of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That ignorance is removed perfectly by
the discharge of devotional servi ce. This has already been explained in the
previous verse by the Lord. Now, by His grace, Arjuna is accepting Him as the
Supreme Truth, in concordance with the Vedic injunction. It is not that
because Kåñëa is Arjuna’s intimate friend Arjuna is flattering Him by calling
Him the Supreme Personality of Godh ead, the Absolute Truth. Whatever
Arjuna says in these two verses is conf irmed by Vedic truth. Vedic injunctions
affirm that only one who takes to devo tional service to the Supreme Lord can
understand Him, whereas others cannot. Each and every word of this verse
spoken by Arjuna is confirmed by Vedic injunction.
In the Kena Upaniñad  it is stated that the Supreme Brahman is the rest for
everything, and Kåñëa has already explained that everything is resting  on Him.
The Muëòaka Upaniñad  confirms that the Supreme Lord, in whom everything
is resting, can be realized on ly by those who engage constantly  in thinking of
Him. This constant thinking of Kåñëa is smaraëam,  one of the methods  of
devotional service. It is only by de votional service to Kåñëa that one can
understand his position and get rid of this material body .
In the Vedas  the Supreme Lord is accepted as the purest of the pure. One
who understands that Kåñëa is the purest of the pure  can become purified from
all sinful activities. One cannot be disinfected from sinful activities unless he
surrenders  unto the Sup reme Lord. Arjuna’s acceptance of Kåñëa as the
supreme pure complies with the injunctions of Vedic literature. This is also


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.confirmed by great personalities, of whom Närada  is the chief.
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should always
meditate upon Him and enjoy one’s tran scendental relationship with Him. He
is the supreme existence. He is free fr om bodily needs, birth and death. Not
only does Arjuna confirm this, but al l the Vedic literatures, the Puräëas  and
histories. In all Vedic literatures Kåñë a is thus described, and the Supreme
Lord Himself also says in the Fourth Chapter , “Although I am unborn, I appear
on this earth to establish religious principles. ” He is the supreme origin; He has
no cause, for He is the cause of all causes, and everything is emanating from
Him. This perfect knowledge can be had by the grace of the Supreme Lord.
Here Arjuna expresses himself through t h e  g r a c e  o f  K å ñ ë a .  I f  w e  w a n t  t o
understand Bhagavad-gétä,  we should accept the statements in these two
verses. This is called the paramparä  system, acceptance of the disciplic
succession. Unless one is in the discipl ic succession, he cannot understand
Bhagavad-gétä.  It is not possible by so-called academic education.
Unfortunately those proud of their ac ademic education, despite so much
evidence in Vedic literatures, stick to their obstinate conviction that Kåñëa is
an ordinary person .
TEXT  14
SavRMaeTad*Ta& MaNYae YaNMaa& vdiSa ke-Xav )
Na ih Tae >aGavNVYai¢&- ivdudeRva Na daNava" )) 14 ))
sarvam etad åtaà manye
yan mäà vadasi keçava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktià
vidur devä na dänaväù
SYNONYMS
sarvam —all; etat—this; åtam —truth; manye —I accept; yat—which;
mäm —unto me; vadasi —You tell; keçava —O Kåñëa; na—never; hi—certainly;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.te—Your; bhagavan —O Personality of Godhead; vyaktim —revelation;
viduù —can know; deväù —the demigods; na—nor; dänaväù —the demo ns.
TRANSLATION
O Kåñëa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the
demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.
PURPORT
Arjuna herein confirms that persons of faithless and demonic nature
cannot understand Kåñëa. He is not kn own even by the demigods, so what to
speak of the so-called scholars of this  modern world? By the grace of the
Supreme Lord, Arjuna has understood that  the Supreme Truth is Kåñëa and
that He is the perfect one. One should  therefore follow the path of Arjuna. He
received the authority of Bhagavad-gétä.  As described in the Fourth Chapter,
the paramparä  system of disciplic succession for the understanding o f
Bhagavad-gétä  was lost , and therefore Kåñëa reestablished that disciplic
succession with Arjuna because He considered Arjuna His intimate friend and
a great devotee. Therefore, as stated in our Introduction to Gétopaniñad,
Bhagavad-gétä  s h o u l d  b e  u n d e r s t ood in the paramparä  system. When the
paramparä  system was lost, Arjuna was selected to rejuvenate it. The
acceptance by Arjuna of all that Kåñëa says should be emulated; then we can
understand the essence of Bhagavad-gétä,  and then only can we understand
that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT  15
SvYaMaevaTMaNaaTMaaNa& veTQa Tv& PauåzaetaMa )
>aUTa>aavNa >aUTaeXa devdev JaGaTPaTae )) 15 ))
svayam evätmanätmänaà
vettha tvaà puruñottama
bhüta-bhävana bhüteça


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.deva-deva jagat-pate
SYNONYMS
svayam —personally; eva—certainly; ätmanä —by Yourself;
ätmänam —Yourself; vettha —know; tvam —You; puruña-uttama —O greatest of
all persons; bhüta-bhävana —O origin of everything; bhüta-éça —O Lord of
everything; deva-deva —O Lord of all demigods; jagat-pate —O Lor d of the
entire universe.
TRANSLATION
Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Your own internal potency, O Supreme
Person, origin of all, Lord of all bein gs, God of gods, Lord of the universe!
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, can be known by persons who are in a
relationship with Him through the discha rge of devotional service, like Arjuna
and his followers. Persons of demonic or atheistic mentality cannot know
Kåñëa. Mental speculation that leads one a way from the Supreme Lord is a
serious sin, and one who does not know  Kåñëa should not try to comment on
Bhagavad-gétä.  Bhagavad-gétä  is the statement of Kåñë a, and since it is the
science of Kåñëa, it should be understood from Kåñëa as Arjuna understood i t.
It should not be received from atheistic persons.
As stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam  (1.2.11 ):
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti
bhagavän iti çabdyate
The Supreme Truth is realized in th ree aspects: as impersonal Brahman,
localized Paramätmä and at last as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So at
the last stage of understanding the Abso lute Truth, one comes to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. A commo n man or even a liberated man who has


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.realized impersonal Brahman or localized Paramätmä may not understand
God’s personality. Such men, therefor e, may endeavor to understand the
Supreme Person from the verses of Bhagavad-gétä,  which are being spoken by
this person, Kåñëa. Sometimes the impers onalists accept Kåñëa as Bhagavän, or
they accept His authority. Yet many liberated persons cannot understand
Kåñëa as Puruñottama, the Supreme Person. Therefore Arjuna addresses Him
as Puruñottama. Yet one still may n ot understand that Kåñëa is the father of all
living entities. Therefore Arjuna addresses Him as Bhüta-bhävana . And if one
comes to know Him as the father of all the living entities, still one may not
know Him as the supreme controller; therefore He is add ressed here as
Bhüteça , the supreme controller of everyone. And even if one knows Kåñëa as
the supreme controller of all living enti ties, still one may not know that He is
the origin of all the demigods; therefore He is addressed herein as Devadeva ,
the wo rshipful God of all demigods. And even if one knows Him as the
worshipful God of all demigods, one ma y not know that He is the supreme
proprietor of everything; therefore He is addressed as Jagatpati. Thus the truth
about Kåñëa is established in this verse  by the realization of Arjuna, and we
should follow in the footsteps of Arjuna to understand Kåñëa as He is.
TEXT  16
v¢u-MahRSYaXaeze<a idVYaa ùaTMaiv>aUTaYa" )
Yaai>aivR>aUiTai>al/aeRk-aiNaMaa&STv& VYaaPYa iTaïiSa )) 16 ))
vaktum arhasy açeñeëa
divyä hy ätma-vibhütayaù
yäbhir vibhütibhir lokän
imäàs tvaà vyäpya tiñöhasi
SYNONYMS
vaktum —to say; arhasi —You deserve; açeñeëa —in detail; divyäù —divine;
hi—certainly; ätma —Your own; vibhütayaù —opulences; yäbhiù —by which;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.vibhütibhiù —opulences; lokän —all the planets; imän —these; tvam —You;
vyäpya —pervading; tiñöhasi —remain.
TRANSLATION
Please tell me  in detail of Your divine opulences by which You pervade all
these worlds.
PURPORT
In this verse it appears that Arjuna is already satisfied with his
understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. By Kåñëa’s
grace, Arjuna has personal experience, intelligence and knowledge and
whatever else a person may have through all thes e agencies, and he has
understood Kåñëa to be the Supreme Pe rsonality of Godhead. For him there is
no doubt, yet he is asking Kåñëa to explain His all-pervading  nature. People in
general and the impersonalists in particular concern themselves mainly with
the all-pervading nature of the Supreme. So Arjuna is asking Kåñëa how He
exists in His all-pervading aspect th rough His different energies. One should
know that this is being asked by Arjuna on behalf of the common people.
TEXT  17
k-Qa& ivÛaMah& YaaeiGa&STva& Sada PairicNTaYaNa( )
ke-zu ke-zu c >aavezu icNTYaae_iSa >aGavNMaYaa )) 17 ))
kathaà vidyäm ahaà yogiàs
tväà sadä paricintayan
keñu keñu ca bhäveñu
cintyo ’si bhagavan mayä
SYNONYMS
katham —how; vidyäm aham —shall I know; yogin —O supreme mystic;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.tväm —You; sadä—always; paricintayan —thinking of; keñu—in which;
keñu—in which; ca—also; bhäveñu —natures; cintyaù asi —You are to be
remembered; bhagavan —O Supreme; mayä —by me.
TRANSLATION
O Kåñëa, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how
shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O
Supreme Personality of Godhead?
PURPORT
As it is stated in the previous chap ter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is covered by His yoga-mäyä . Only surrendered souls and devotees can see
Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that His friend, Kåñëa, is the Supreme
Godhead, but he wants to know the gener al process by which the all-pervading
Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men , including the
demons and atheists, cannot know Kåñëa, because He is guarded by His
yoga-mäyä  energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their
benefit. T he superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding
but for the understanding of all mankind.  So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because
he is a Vaiñëava, a devotee, is open ing for the common man the understanding
of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses Kåñëa specifically
as yogin  because Çré Kåñëa is the master of the yoga-mäyä  energy, by which He
is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no
love for Kåñëa cannot always thin k of Kåñëa; therefore he has to think
materially. Arjuna is considering the mo de of thinking of the materialistic
persons of this world. The words keñu keñu ca bhäveñu  refer to material nature
(the word bhäva  means “physical things”). Because materialists cannot
understand Kåñëa spiri tually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on
physical things and try to see how Kåñëa is manifested by physical
representations.
TEXT  18


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.ivSTare<aaTMaNaae YaaeGa& iv>aUiTa& c JaNaadRNa )
>aUYa" k-QaYa Ta*iáihR é*<vTaae NaaiSTa Mae_Ma*TaMa( )) 18 ))
vistareëätmano yogaà
vibhütià ca janärdana
bhüyaù kathaya tåptir hi
çåëvato nästi me ’måtam
SYNONYMS
vistareëa —in detail; ätmanaù —Your; yogam —mystic power;
vibhütim —opulences; ca—also; jana-ardana —O killer of the atheists;
bhüyaù —again; kathaya —describe; tåptiù —satisfaction; hi—certainly;
çåëvataù —hearing; na asti —there is not; me—my; amåtam —nectar.
TRANSLATION
O Janärdana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your
opulences. I am never satiated in hearin g about You, for the more I hear the
more I want to taste the nectar of Your words.
PURPORT
A similar statement was made to Süta Gosvämé by the åñis of Naimiñäraëya,
headed by Çaunaka. That statement is:
vayaà tu na vitåpyäma
uttama-çloka-vikrame
yac chåëvatäà rasa-jïänäà
svädu svädu pade pade
“One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the
transcendental pastimes of Kåñëa, who is glorified by excellent prayers. Those
who have entered into a transcendental re lationship with Kåñëa relish at every


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.step the descriptions of the pas times of the Lord.” ( Çrémad-Bhägavatam  1.1.19 )
Thus Arjuna is interested in hearing about Kåñëa, and specifically how He
remains as the all-pervading Supreme Lord.
Now as far as amåtam,  nectar, is concerned, any narration or statement
concerning Kåñëa is just like nectar.  And this nectar can be perceived by
practical experience. Modern stories, fiction and histories are different from
the transcendental pastimes of t he Lord in that one will tire of hearing
mundane stories but one never tires of hearing about Kåñëa . It is for this
reason only that the history of the whol e universe is replete with references to
the pastimes of the incarnations of Godhead. The Puräëas  are histories of
bygone ages that relate the pastimes of  the various incarnations of the Lord. In
this way the reading matter remains forever fresh , despite repeated readings.
TEXT  19
é[q>aGavaNauvac
hNTa Tae k-QaiYaZYaaiMa idVYaa ùaTMaiv>aUTaYa" )
Pa[aDaaNYaTa" ku-åé[eï NaaSTYaNTaae ivSTarSYa Mae )) 19 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
hanta te kathayiñyämi
divyä hy ätma-vibhütayaù
prädhänyataù kuru-çreñöha
nästy anto vistarasya me
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; hanta —yes;
te—unto you; kathayiñyämi —I shall speak; divyäù —divine; hi—certainly;
ätma-vibhütayaù —personal opulences; prädhänyataù —which are principal;
kuru-çreñöha —O best of the Kurus; na asti —the re is not; antaù —limit;
vistarasya —to the extent; me—My.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Yes, I will tell you of My
splendorous manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna,
for My opulence is limitless.
PURPORT
It is not possible to comprehend the greatness of Kåñëa and His opulences.
The senses of the individual soul are limited and do not permit him to
understand the totality of Kåñëa’s affair s. Still the devotees try to understand
Kåñëa, but not on the princip le that they will be able to understand Kåñëa fully
at any specific time or in any state of life. Rather, the very topics of Kåñëa are
so relishable that they appear to the devotees as nectar . Thus the devotees
enjoy them. In discussing Kåñëa’s opulences a nd His diverse energies, the pure
devotees take transcendental pleasure. Therefore they want to hear and
discuss  them. Kåñëa knows that living entiti es do not understand the extent of
His opulences; He therefore agrees to  state only the principal manifesta tions of
His different energies. The word prädhänyataù  (“principal”) is very important
because we can understand only a few of  the principal details of the Supreme
Lord, for His features are unlimited . It is not possible to understand them all.
And vibhüti , as used in this verse, refers to the opulences  by which He controls
the whole manifestation. In the Amara-koça  dictionary it is stated that vibhüti
indicates an exceptional opulence.
The impersonalist or pantheist cannot understand the exceptional
opulences of the Supreme Lord nor the manifestations of His divine energies .
Both in the material world and in the spiritual world His energies are
distributed in every variety of manifestati on. Now Kåñëa is describing what
can be directly perceived by the commo n man; thus part of His variegated
energy is described in this way.
TEXT  20


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.AhMaaTMaa Gau@ake-Xa SavR>aUTaaXaYaiSQaTa" )
AhMaaidê MaDYa& c >aUTaaNaaMaNTa Wv c )) 20 ))
aham ätmä guòäkeça
sarva-bhütäçaya-sthitaù
aham ädiç ca madhyaà ca
bhütänäm anta eva ca
SYNONYMS
aham —I; ätmä —the soul; guòäkeça —O Arjuna; sarva-bhüta —of all living
entities; äçaya-sthitaù —situated within the heart; aham —I am; ädiù—the
origin; ca—also; madhyam —middle; ca—also; bhütänäm —of all living entities;
antaù —end; eva—certainly; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am
the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
PURPORT
In this verse Arjuna is addressed as  Guòäkeça, which means “one who has
conquered the darkness of sleep.” For th ose who are sleeping in the darkness of
ignorance, it is not possible to unde rstand how the Supreme Personality of
Godhead manifests Himself in various ways in the material and spiritual
worlds. Thus this address by Kåñëa to Arjuna is significant. Because Arjuna is
above such darkness, the Personality of Godhead agrees to describe His various
opulences.
Kåñëa first informs Arjuna that He is the soul of the entire cosmic
manifestation by dint of His primary ex pansion. Before the material creation,
the Supreme Lord, by His plenary expansion, accepts the puruña  incarnations,
and from Him everything begins. T herefore He is ätmä,  the soul of the
mahat-tattva,  the universal elements. The total material energy is not the cause


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.of the creation; actually the Mahä-Viñëu enters into the mahat-tattva,  the total
material energy. He is the soul. When Mahä-Viñëu enters i nto the manifested
universes, He again manifests Himself as the Supersoul in each and every
entity. We have experience that the personal body of the living entity exists
due to the presence of the spiritual spark. Without the existence of the
spiritual spa rk, the body cannot develop. Similarly, the material manifestation
cannot develop unless the Supreme Soul, Kåñëa, enters. As stated in the
Subala Upaniñad,  prakåty-ädi-sarva-bhütäntar-yämé sarva-çeñé ca näräyaëaù:
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is exi sting as the Supersoul in all
manifested universes.”
The three puruña-avatäras  are described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  They are
also described in the Sätvata-tantra.  Viñëos tu tréëi rüpäëi puruñäkhyäny atho
viduù : the Supreme Personality of Godh ead manifests three features—as
Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, Garbhodakaçäyé  Viñëu and Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu—in
this material manifestation. The Mahä-Viñëu, or Käraëodakaçäyé Viñëu, is
described in the Brahma-saàhitä  (5.47). Yaù käraëärëava-jale bhajati sma
yoga-nidräm:  the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, the cause of all causes, lies down in the
cosmic ocean as Mahä-Viñëu. Therefor e the Supreme Personality of Godhead
is the beginning of this universe, the maintainer of the universal
manifestations, and the end of all energy.
TEXT  21
AaidTYaaNaaMah& ivZ<auJYaaeRiTaza& rivr&éuMaaNa( )
MarqicMaRåTaaMaiSMa Na+a}aa<aaMah& XaXaq )) 21 ))
ädityänäm ahaà viñëur
jyotiñäà ravir aàçumän
marécir marutäm asmi
nakñaträëäm ahaà çaçé
SYNONYMS


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.ädityänäm —of the Ädityas; aham —I am; viñëuù —the Supreme Lord;
jyotiñäm —of all luminaries; raviù —the sun; aàçu-män —radiant;
maréciù —Maréci; marutäm —of the Maruts; asmi —I am; nakñaträëäm —of the
stars; aham —I am; çaçé—the moon.
TRANSLATION
Of the Ädityas I am Viñëu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I
am Maréci, and among the stars I am the moon.
PURPORT
There are twelve Ädityas, of which Kå ñëa is the principal. Among all the
luminaries twinkling in the sky, the sun is the chief, and in the
Brahma-saàhitä  the sun is accepted as the glowing eye of the Supreme Lord.
There are fifty varieties of wind blowing in space, and of these winds the
controlling deity, Maréci, represents Kåñëa.
Among the stars, the moon is the most  prominent at night, and thus the
moon represents Kåñëa. It appears from this verse that the moon is one of the
stars; therefore the stars that twinkle in  the sky also reflect the light of the
sun. The theory that there  are many suns within the universe is not accepted
by Vedic literature. The sun is one, an d as by the reflection of the sun the
moon illuminates, so also do the stars. Since Bhagavad-gétä  indicates herein
that the moon is one of the stars, the twinkling st ars are not suns but are
similar to the moon.
TEXT  22
vedaNaa& SaaMavedae_iSMa devaNaaMaiSMa vaSav" )
wiNd]Yaa<aa& MaNaêaiSMa >aUTaaNaaMaiSMa ceTaNaa )) 22 ))
vedänäà säma-vedo ’smi
devänäm asmi väsavaù
indriyäëäà manaç cäsmi


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.bhütänäm asmi cetanä
SYNONYMS
vedänäm —of all the Vedas;  säma-vedaù —the Säma Veda;  asmi —I am;
devänäm —of all the demigods; asmi —I am; väsavaù —the heavenly king;
indriyäëäm —of all the senses; manaù —the mind; ca—also; asmi —I am;
bhütänäm —of all living entities; asmi —I am; cetanä —the livin g force.
TRANSLATION
Of the Vedas I am the Säma Veda; of the demigods I am Indra, the king of
heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force
[consciousness].
PURPORT
The difference between matter and spirit is that matter has no
consciousness like the living entity; th erefore this consciousness is supreme
and eternal. Consciousness cannot be produced by a combination of matter.
TEXT  23
åd]a<aa& XaªrêaiSMa ivtaeXaae Ya+ar+aSaaMa( )
vSaUNaa& Paavk-êaiSMa Maeå" iXa%ir<aaMahMa( )) 23 ))
rudräëäà çaìkaraç cäsmi
vitteço yakña-rakñasäm
vasünäà pävakaç cäsmi
meruù çikhariëäm aham
SYNONYMS
rudräëäm —of all the Rudras; çaìkaraù —Lord Çiva; ca—also; asmi —I am;
vitta-éçaù —the lord of the treasury of the demigods; yakña-rakñasäm —of the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Yakñas and Räkñasas; vasünäm —of the Vasus; pävakaù —fire; ca—also; asmi —I
am; meruù —Meru; çikhariëäm —of all mounta ins; aham —I am.
TRANSLATION
Of all the Rudras I am Lord Çiva, of the Yakñas and Räkñasas I am the Lord
of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.
PURPORT
There are eleven Rudras, of whom Çaìk ara, Lord Çiva, is predominant. He
is the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the mode of ignorance in
the universe. The leader of the Yakñas and Räkñasas is Kuvera, the master
treasurer of the demigods, and he  is a representation of the Supreme Lord.
Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural resources.
TEXT  24
PauraeDaSaa& c Mau:Ya& Maa& iviÖ PaaQaR b*hSPaiTaMa( )
SaeNaaNaqNaaMah& Sk-Nd" SarSaaMaiSMa SaaGar" )) 24 ))
purodhasäà ca mukhyaà mäà
viddhi pärtha båhaspatim
senänénäm ahaà skandaù
sarasäm asmi sägaraù
SYNONYMS
purodhasäm —of all priests; ca—also; mukhyam —the chief; mäm —Me;
viddhi —understand; pärtha —O son of Påthä; båhaspatim —Båhaspati;
senänénäm —of all commanders; aham —I am; skandaù —Kärtikeya;
sarasäm —of all reservoirs of water; asmi —I am; sägaraù —the ocean.
TRANSLATION


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Båhaspati. Of generals I am
Kärtikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean.
PURPORT
Indra is the chief demigod of the heavenly planets and is known as the king
of the heavens. The planet on which he reigns is called Indraloka. Båhaspati is
Indra’s priest, and since Indra is the chie f of all kings, Båhaspati is the chief of
all priests. An d as Indra is the chief of all kings, similarly Skanda, or Kärtikeya,
the son of Pärvaté and Lord Çiva, is the chief of all military commanders. And
of all bodies of water, the ocean is the greatest. These representations of Kåñëa
only give hints of His gr eatness.
TEXT  25
Mahzs<aa& >a*Gaurh& iGaraMaSMYaek-Ma+arMa( )
YajaNaa& JaPaYajae_iSMa SQaavra<aa& ihMaal/Ya" )) 25 ))
maharñéëäà bhågur ahaà
giräm asmy ekam akñaram
yajïänäà japa-yajïo ’smi
sthävaräëäà himälayaù
SYNONYMS
mahä-åñéëäm —among the great sages; bhåguù —Bhågu; aham —I am; giräm —of
vibrations; asmi —I am; ekam akñaram —praëava;  yajïänäm —of sacrifices;
japa-yajïaù —chanting; asmi —I am; sthävaräëäm —of immovable things;
himälayaù —the Himälayan mountains.
TRANSLATION
Of the great sages I am Bhågu; of vibrations I am the transcendental oà. Of
sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa], and of immovable things I


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.am the Himälayas.
PURPORT
Brahmä, the first living creature within the universe, created several sons
for the propagation of various kinds of species. Among these sons, Bhågu is the
most powerful sage. Of all the transcendental vibrations, the oà (oàkära )
represents Kåñëa. Of all s acrifices, the chanting of Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa,
Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare is
the purest representation of Kåñëa.  Sometimes animal sacrifices are
recommended, but in the sacrifice of Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, there is no
question of violence. It is the simplest  and the purest. Whatever is sublime in
the worlds is a representation of Kåñëa. Therefore the Himälayas, the greatest
mountains in the world, also represen t Him. The mountain named Meru was
mentioned in a prev ious verse, but Meru is sometimes movable, whereas the
Himälayas are never movable. Thus the Himälayas are greater than Meru.
TEXT  26
AìTQa" SavRv*+aa<aa& devzs<aa& c Naard" )
GaNDavaR<aa& ic}arQa" iSaÖaNaa& k-iPal/ae MauiNa" )) 26 ))
açvatthaù sarva-våkñäëäà
devarñéëäà ca näradaù
gandharväëäà citrarathaù
siddhänäà kapilo muniù
SYNONYMS
açvatthaù —the banyan tree; sarva-våkñäëäm —of all trees; deva-åñéëäm —of all
the sages amongst the demigods; ca—and; näradaù —Närada;
gandharväëäm —of the citizens of the Gandharva planet;
citrarathaù —Citraratha; siddhänäm —of all those who are perfected; kapil aù
muniù —Kapila Muni.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
Of all trees I am the banyan tree, an d of the sages among the demigods I am
Närada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am
the sage Kapila.
PURPORT
The banyan tree ( açvattha ) is one of the highest and most beautiful trees,
and people in India often worship it as one of their daily morning rituals.
Amongst the demigods they also wors hip Närada, who is considered the
greatest devotee in the universe. Th us he is the representation of Kåñëa as a
devotee. The Gandharva planet is filled with entities who sing beautifully, and
among them the best singer is Citrarat ha. Amongst the perfect living entities,
Kapila, the son of Devahüti, is a representative of Kåñ ëa. He is considered an
incarnation of Kåñëa, and His philosophy  is mentioned in the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  Later on another Kapila became famous, but his
philosophy was atheistic. Thus there is a gulf of difference between them.
TEXT  27
oÀE"é[vSaMaìaNaa& iviÖ MaaMaMa*TaaeÙvMa( )
WeravTa& GaJaeNd]a<aa& Nara<aa& c NaraiDaPaMa( )) 27 ))
uccaiùçravasam açvänäà
viddhi mäm amåtodbhavam
airävataà gajendräëäà
naräëäà ca narädhipam
SYNONYMS
uccaiùçravasam —Uccaiùçravä; açvänäm —among horses; viddhi —know;
mäm —Me; amåta-udbhavam —produced from the churning of the ocean;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.airävatam —Airävata; gaja-indräëäm —of lordly elephants; naräëäm —among
human beings; ca—and; nara-adhipam —the king.
TRANSLATION
Of horses know Me to be Uccaiùçravä, produced during the churning of the
ocean for nectar. Of lordly elephants I am Airävata, and among men I am the
monarch.
PURPORT
The devotee demigods and the demons ( asuras ) once took part in churning
the sea. From this churning, nectar an d poison were produced, and Lord Çiva
drank the poison. From the nectar were  produced many entities, of which
there was a horse named Uccaiùçravä.  Another animal produced from the
nectar was an elephant named Airävata. Because these two animals were
produced from nectar, they have special significance, and they are
representatives of Kåñëa.
Amongst the human beings, the king is the representative of Kåñëa because
Kåñëa is the maintainer of the universe, and the kings, who are appointed on
account of their godly qualifications, ar e maintainers of their kingdoms. Kings
like Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira , Mahäräja Parékñit and Lord Räma were all highly
righteous kings who always thought of the citizens’ welfare. In Vedic literature,
the king is considered to be the repres entative of God. In this age, however,
with the corruption of the principles of relig ion, monarchy decayed and is now
finally abolished. It is to be underst ood that in the past, however, people were
more happy under righteous kings.
TEXT  28
AaYauDaaNaaMah& vJa]& DaeNaUNaaMaiSMa k-aMaDauk(- )
Pa[JaNaêaiSMa k-NdPaR" SaPaaR<aaMaiSMa vaSauik-" )) 28 ))
äyudhänäm ahaà vajraà


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.dhenünäm asmi kämadhuk
prajanaç cäsmi kandarpaù
sarpäëäm asmi väsukiù
SYNONYMS
äyudhänäm —of all weapons; aham —I am; vajram —the thunderbolt;
dhenünäm —of cows; asmi —I am; käma-dhuk —the surabhi  cow; prajanaù —the
cause for begetting children; ca—and; asmi —I am; kandarpaù —Cupid;
sarpäëäm —of serpents; asmi —I am; väsukiù —Väsuki.
TRANSLATION
Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi. Of causes
for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am Väsuki.
PURPORT
The thunderbolt, indeed a mighty weapon, represents Kåñëa’s power. In
Kåñëaloka in the spiritual sky there are cows which can be milked at any time,
and they give as much milk as one likes. Of course such cows do not exist in
this material world, but there  is mention of them in Kåñëaloka. The Lord keeps
many such cows, which are called surabhi.  It is stated that the Lord is engaged
in herding the surabhi  cows. Kandarpa is the sex desire for presenting good
sons; therefore Kandarpa is the representative of K åñëa. Sometimes sex is
engaged in only for sense gratification; such sex does not represent Kåñëa. But
sex for the generation of good childr en is called Kandarpa and represents
Kåñëa.
TEXT  29
ANaNTaêaiSMa NaaGaaNaa& vå<aae YaadSaaMahMa( )
iPaTa›<aaMaYaRMaa caiSMa YaMa" Sa&YaMaTaaMahMa( )) 29 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.anantaç cäsmi nägänäà
varuëo yädasäm aham
pitèëäm aryamä cäsmi
yamaù saàyamatäm aham
SYNONYMS
anantaù —Ananta; ca—also; asmi —I am; nägänäm —of the many-hooded
serpents; varuëaù —the demigod controlling the water; yädasäm —of all
aquatics; aham —I am; pitèëäm —of the ancestors; aryamä —Aryamä; ca—also;
asmi —I am; yamaù —the controller of death; saàyamatäm —of all regulators;
aham —I am.
TRANSLATION
Of the many-hooded Nägas I am Ananta , and among the aquatics I am the
demigod Varuëa. Of departed ancestors I am Aryamä, and among the dispensers
of law I am Yama, the lord of death.
PURPORT
Among the many-hooded Näga serpents, Ananta is the greatest, as is the
demigod Varuëa among the aquatics. They  both represent Kåñëa. There is also
a planet of Pitäs, ancestors, presided  over by Aryamä, who represents Kåñëa.
There are many living entities w ho give punishment to the miscreants, and
among them Yama is the chief. Yama is situated in a planet near this earthly
planet. After death those who are very  sinful are taken there, and Yama
arranges different kinds of punishments for them.
TEXT  30
Pa[úadêaiSMa dETYaaNaa& k-al/" k-l/YaTaaMahMa( )
Ma*Gaa<aa& c Ma*GaeNd]ae_h& vENaTaeYaê Pai+a<aaMa( )) 30 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.prahlädaç cäsmi daityänäà
kälaù kalayatäm aham
mågäëäà ca mågendro ’haà
vainateyaç ca pakñiëäm
SYNONYMS
prahlädaù —Prahläda; ca—also; asmi —I am; daityänäm —of the demons;
kälaù —time; kalayatäm —of subduers; aham —I am; mågäëäm —of animals;
ca—and; måga-indraù —the lion; aham —I am; vainateyaù —Garuòa; ca—also;
pakñiëäm —of birds.
TRANSLATION
Among the Daitya demons I am the de voted Prahläda, among subduers I am
time, among beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garuòa.
PURPORT
Diti and Aditi are two sisters. The sons  of Aditi are called Ädityas, and the
sons of Diti are called Daityas. All th e Ädityas are devotees of the Lord, and
all the Daityas are atheistic. Although Pr ahläda was born in the family of the
Daityas, he was a gr eat devotee from his childhood. Because of his devotional
service and godly nature, he is considered to be a representative of Kåñëa.
There are many subduing principles, but time wears down all things in the
material universe and so represents Kåñëa.  Of the many animals, the lion is the
most powerful and ferocious, and of the million varieties of birds, Garuòa, the
bearer of Lord Viñëu, is the greatest.
TEXT  31
PavNa" PavTaaMaiSMa raMa" Xañ>a*TaaMahMa( )
‡za<aa& Mak-rêaiSMa óaeTaSaaMaiSMa Jaaövq )) 31 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.pavanaù pavatäm asmi
rämaù çastra-bhåtäm aham
jhañäëäà makaraç cäsmi
srotasäm asmi jähnavé
SYNONYMS
pavanaù —the wind; pavatäm —of all that purifies; asmi —I am; rämaù —Räma;
çastra-bhåtäm —of the carriers of weapons; aham —I am; jhañäëäm —of all fish;
makaraù —the shark; ca—also; asmi —I am; srotasäm —of flowing rivers;
asmi —I am; jähnavé —the River Ganges.
TRANSLATION
Of purifiers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Räma, of fishes I
am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganges.
PURPORT
Of all the aquatics the shark is one of  the biggest and is certainly the most
dangerous to man. Thus the shark represents Kåñëa.
TEXT  32
SaGaaR<aaMaaidrNTaê MaDYa& cEvahMaJauRNa )
ADYaaTMaivÛa ivÛaNaa& vad" Pa[vdTaaMahMa( )) 32 ))
sargäëäm ädir antaç ca
madhyaà caiväham arjuna
adhyätma-vidyä vidyänäà
vädaù pravadatäm aham
SYNONYMS
sargäëäm —of all creations; ädiù—the beginning; antaù —end; ca—and;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.madhyam —middle; ca—also; eva—certainly; aham —I am; arjuna —O Arjuna;
adhyätma-vidyä —spiritual knowledge; vidyänäm —of all education; vädaù —the
natural conclusion; pravadatäm —of arguments; aham —I am.
TRANSLATION
Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O
Arjuna. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self, and among
logicians I am the conclusive truth.
PURPORT
Among the created manifestations, the first is the creation of the total
material elements. As explained before , the cosmic manifestation is created
and conducted by Mahä-Viñëu, Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu and Kñérodakaçäyé
Viñëu, and then again it is annihilated  by Lord Çiva. Brahmä is a secondary
creator. All these agents of creation, maintenance and annihilation are
incarnations of the material qualitie s of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is
the beginning, the middle and the end of all creation.
For advanced education there are variou s kinds of books of knowledge, such
as the four Vedas,  their six supplements, the Vedänta-sütra,  books of logic,
books of religiosity and the Puräëas.  So all together there are fourteen
divisions of books of education . Of these, the book which presents
adhyätma-vidyä,  spiritual knowledge—in particular, the
Vedänta-sütra —represents Kåñëa.
Among logicians there are different kinds of argument. Supporting one’s
argument with evidence that also supports the opposing side is called jalpa.
Merely trying to defeat one’s opponent is called vitaëòä . But the actual
conclusion is called väda.  This co nclusive truth is a representation of Kåñëa.
TEXT  33
A+ara<aaMak-arae_iSMa ÜNÜ" SaaMaaiSak-SYa c )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.AhMaeva+aYa" k-al/ae DaaTaah& ivìTaaeMau%" )) 33 ))
akñaräëäm a-käro ’smi
dvandvaù sämäsikasya ca
aham eväkñayaù kälo
dhätähaà viçvato-mukhaù
SYNONYMS
akñaräëäm —of letters; a-käraù —the first letter; asmi —I am; dvandvaù —the
dual; sämäsikasya —of compounds; ca—and; aham —I am; eva—certainly;
akñayaù —eternal; kälaù —time; dhätä —the creator; aham —I am;
viçvataù-mukhaù —Brahmä.
TRANSLATION
Of letters I am the letter A, and among compound words I am the dual
compound. I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators I am Brahmä.
PURPORT
A-kära,  the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet, is the beginning of the
Vedic literature. Without a-kära,  nothing can be sounded; therefore it is the
beginning of sound. In Sanskrit there are also many compound words, of which
the dual word, like räma-k åñëa,  is called dvandva.  In this compound, the words
räma  and kåñëa  have the same form, and therefore the compound is called
dual.
Among all kinds of killers, time is the ultimate because time kills
everything. Time is the representative of Kåñëa because in due course of time
there will be a great fire and everything will be annihilated.
Among the living entities who are creators, Brahmä, who has four heads, is
the chief. Therefore he is a representative of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.
TEXT  34


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Ma*TYau" SavRhrêahMauÙvê >aivZYaTaaMa( )
k-IiTaR" é[qvaRKc Naarq<aa& SMa*iTaMaeRDaa Da*iTa" +aMaa )) 34 ))
måtyuù sarva-haraç cäham
udbhavaç ca bhaviñyatäm
kértiù çrér väk ca näréëäà
småtir medhä dhåtiù kñamä
SYNONYMS
måtyuù —death; sarva-haraù —all-devouring; ca—also; aham —I am;
udbhavaù —generation; ca—also; bhaviñyatäm —of future manifestations;
kértiù —fame; çréù—opulence or beauty; väk—fine speech; ca—also;
näréëäm —of women; småtiù —memory; medhä —intelligence;
dhåtiù —fir mness; kñamä —patience.
TRANSLATION
I am all-devouring death, and I am the generating principle of all that is yet
to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence,
steadfastness and patience.
PURPORT
As soon as a man is born, he dies at  every moment. Thus death is devouring
every living entity at every moment, but the last stroke is called death itself.
That death is Kåñëa. As for future development, all living entities undergo six
basic changes. They are born, they grow, they remain for some time, they
reproduce, they dwindle, and finally they vanish. Of these changes, the first is
deliverance from the womb, and that is  Kåñëa. The first generation is the
beginning of all future activities.
The seven opulences listed—fame, fortune, fine speech, memory,
intelligence, steadfastness and patience—are considered feminine. If a person


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.possesses all of them or some of them he becomes glorious. If a man is famous
as a righteous man, that makes him gl orious. Sanskrit is a perfect language and
is therefore very glorious. If after st udying one can remember a subject matter,
h e  i s  g i f t e d  w i t h  a  g o o d  m e m o r y ,  o r  småti.  And the ability not only to read
many books on different subject matters but to understan d them and apply
them when necessary is intelligence ( medhä ), another opulence. The ability to
overcome unsteadiness is called firmness or steadfastness ( dhåti ). And when
one is fully qualified yet is humble and ge ntle, and when one is able to keep his
balance both in sorrow and in the ecstas y of joy, he has the opulence called
patience ( kñamä ).
TEXT  35
b*hTSaaMa TaQaa SaaMana& GaaYa}aq ^NdSaaMahMa( )
MaaSaaNaa& MaaGaRXaqzaeR_hMa*TaU Naa& ku-SauMaak-r" )) 35 ))
båhat-säma tathä sämnäà
gäyatré chandasäm aham
mäsänäà märga-çérño ’ham
åtünäà kusumäkaraù
SYNONYMS
båhat-säma —the Båhat-säma;  tathä —also; sämnäm —of the Säma Veda  songs;
gäyatré —the Gäyatré hymns; chandasäm —of all poetry; aham —I am;
mäsänäm —of months; märga-çérñaù —the month of November-December;
aham —I am; åtünäm —of all seasons; kusuma-äkaraù —spring.
TRANSLATION
Of the hymns in the Säma Veda I am th e Båhat-säma, and of poetry I am the
Gäyatré. Of months I am Märgaçérña [November-December], and of seasons I
am flower-bearing spring.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
It has already been explained by  the Lord that amongst all the Vedas,  He is
the Säma Veda.  The Säma Veda  is rich with beautiful songs played by the
various demigods. One of these songs is the Båhat-säma,  which has an exquisite
melody and is sung at midnigh t.
In Sanskrit, there are definite rules that regulate poetry; rhyme and meter
are not written whimsically, as in much  modern poetry. Amongst the regulated
poetry, the Gäyatré mantra,  which is chanted by the duly qualified brähmaëas,
is the most prominent. Th e Gäyatré mantra  is mentioned in the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam.  Because the Gäyatré mantra  is especially meant for God
realization, it represents the Supreme Lord. This mantra  is meant for
spiritually advanced people, and when one attains success in chanting it, h e
can enter into the transcendental positi on of the Lord. One must first acquire
the qualities of the perfectly situated person, the qualities of goodness
according to the laws of material nature, in order to chant the Gäyatré mantra.
The Gäyatré mantra  is very important in Vedic civilization and is considered
to be the sound incarnation of Brahma n. Brahmä is its initiator, and it is
passed down from him in disciplic succession.
The month of November-December is considered the best of all months
because in India grains are collected from the fields at this time and the people
become very happy. Of course spring is a season universally liked because it is
neither too hot nor too co ld and the flowers and trees blossom and flourish. In
spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating Kåñëa’s pastimes;
therefore this is considered to be the mo st joyful of all seasons, and it is the
representative of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.
TEXT  36
ÛUTa& ^l/YaTaaMaiSMa TaeJaSTaeJaiSvNaaMahMa( )
JaYaae_iSMa VYavSaaYaae_iSMa Satv& SatvvTaaMahMa( )) 36 ))


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.dyütaà chalayatäm asmi
tejas tejasvinäm aham
jayo ’smi vyavasäyo ’smi
sattvaà sattvavatäm aham
SYNONYMS
dyütam —gambling; chalayatäm —of all cheats; asmi —I am; tejaù —the
splendor; tejasvinäm —of everything splendid; aham —I am; jayaù —victory;
asmi —I am; vyavasäyaù —enterprise or adventure; asmi —I am; sattvam —the
strength; sattva-vatäm —of the strong; aham —I am.
TRANSLATION
I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am
victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.
PURPORT
There are many kinds of cheaters a ll over the universe. Of all cheating
processes, gambling stands supreme and therefore represents Kåñëa. As the
Supreme, Kåñëa can be more deceitful than any mere man. If Kåñëa chooses to
deceive a person, no one can surpa ss Him in His deceit. His greatness is not
simply one-sided—it is all-sided.
Among the victorious, He is victory. He is the splendor of the splendid.
Among the enterprising and industrious, He is the most enterprising, the most
industrious. Among adventurers He is the most adventurous, and among the
strong He is the strongest. When  Kåñëa was present on earth, no one could
surpass Him in strength. Even in His ch ildhood He lifted Govardhana Hill. No
one can surpass Him in cheating, no on e can surpass Him in splendor, no one
can surpass Him in victory, no one can surpass Him in enterpr ise, and no one
can surpass Him in strength.
TEXT  37


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.v*Z<aqNaa& vaSaudevae_iSMa Paa<@vaNaa& DaNaÅYa" )
MauNaqNaaMaPYah& VYaaSa" k-vqNaaMauXaNaa k-iv" )) 37 ))
våñëénäà väsudevo ’smi
päëòavänäà dhanaïjayaù
munénäm apy ahaà vyäsaù
kavénäm uçanä kaviù
SYNONYMS
våñëénäm —of the descendants of Våñëi; väsudevaù —Kåñëa in Dvärakä;
asmi —I am; päëòavänäm —of the Päëòavas; dhanaïjayaù —Arjuna;
munénäm —of the sages; api—also; aham —I am; vyäsaù —Vyäsa, the compiler
of all Vedic literature; kavénäm —of all great thinkers; uçanä —Uçanä;
kaviù —the thinker.
TRANSLATION
Of the descendants of Våñëi I am Väsudeva, and of the Päëòavas I am
Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyäsa, and among great thinkers I am Uçanä.
PURPORT
Kåñëa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is
Kåñëa’s immediate expansion. Both Lord Kåñëa and Baladeva appeared as sons
of Vasudeva, so both of Them may be  called Väsudeva. From another point of
view, because Kåñëa never leaves Vån dävana, all the forms of Kåñëa that
appear elsewhere are His expansions. Väsudeva is Kåñëa’s immediate
expansion, so Väsudeva is not different from Kåñëa. It is to be understood that
the Väsudeva referred to in this verse of Bhagavad-gétä  is Baladeva, or
Balaräma, because He is the original source of all incarnations and thus He is
the sole source of Väsudeva. The immed iate expansions of the Lord are called
sväàça  (personal expansions), and th ere are also expansions called
vibhinnäàça  (separated expansions) .


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Amongst the sons of Päëòu, Arjuna is famous as Dhanaïjaya. He is the best
of men and therefore represents Kåñëa. Among the munis,  or learned men
conversant in Vedic knowledge, Vyäsa is the greatest because he explained
Vedic knowledge in many different way s for the understanding of the common
mass of people in this Age of Kali. And Vyäsa is also known as an incarnation
of Kåñëa; therefore Vyäsa also represents Kåñëa. Kavis  are those who are
capable of thinking thoroughly on any subject matter. Among the kavis,
Uçanä, Çukräcärya, was the spiritual master of the demons; he was an
extremely intelligent and far-seeing politician. Thus Çukräcärya is another
representative of the opulence of Kåñëa.
TEXT  38
d<@ae dMaYaTaaMaiSMa NaqiTariSMa iJaGaqzTaaMa( )
MaaENa& cEvaiSMa GauùaNaa& jaNa& jaNavTaaMahMa( )) 38 ))
daëòo damayatäm asmi
nétir asmi jigéñatäm
maunaà caiväsmi guhyänäà
jïänaà jïänavatäm aham
SYNONYMS
daëòaù —punishment; damayatäm —of all means of suppression; asmi —I am;
nétiù —morality; asmi —I am; jigéñatäm —of those who seek victory;
maunam —silence; ca—and; eva—also; asmi —I am; guhyänäm —of secrets;
jïänam —knowledge; jïäna-vatäm —of the wise; aham —I am.
TRANSLATION
Among all means of suppressing lawlessness I am punishment, and of those
who seek victory I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I
am the wisdom.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
There are many suppressing agents, of which the most important are those
that cut down miscreants. When misc reants are punished, the agency of
chastisement represents Kåñëa. Among th ose who are trying to be victorious in
some field of activity, the most vi ctorious element is morality. Among the
confidential activities of hearing, thinking and meditating, silence is most
important because by silence one can make progress very quickly. The wise
man is he who can discriminate between matter and spirit, between  God’s
superior and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Kåñëa Himself.
TEXT  39
YaÀaiPa SavR>aUTaaNaa& bqJa& TadhMaJauRNa )
Na TadiSTa ivNaa YaTSYaaNMaYaa >aUTa& cracrMa( )) 39 ))
yac cäpi sarva-bhütänäà
béjaà tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vinä yat syän
mayä bhütaà caräcaram
SYNONYMS
yat—whatever; ca—also; api—may be; sarva-bhütänäm —of all creations;
béjam —seed; tat—that; aham —I am; arjuna —O Arjuna; na—not; tat—that;
asti—there is; vinä—without; yat—which; syät—exists; mayä —Me;
bhütam —created being; cara-acaram —moving and nonmoving.
TRANSLATION
Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the genera ting seed of all existences. There is
no being—moving or nonmoving—that can exist without Me.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
Everything has a cause, and that cause or seed of manifestation is Kåñëa.
Without Kåñëa’s energy, nothing can exis t; therefore He is called omnipotent.
Without His potency, neither the movable nor the immovable can exist.
Whatever existence is not founded on the energy of Kåñëa is called mäyä,
“that which is not.”
TEXT  40
NaaNTaae_iSTa MaMa idVYaaNaa& iv>aUTaqNaa& ParNTaPa )
Wz TaUÕeXaTa" Pa[ae¢-ae iv>aUTaeivRSTarae MaYaa )) 40 ))
nänto ’sti mama divyänäà
vibhüténäà parantapa
eña tüddeçataù prokto
vibhüter vistaro mayä
SYNONYMS
na—nor; antaù —a limit; asti—there is; mama —My; divyänäm —of the divine;
vibhüténäm —opulences; parantapa —O conqueror of the enemies; eñaù—all
this; tu—but; uddeçataù —as examples; proktaù —spoken; vibhüteù —of
opulences; vistaraù —the expanse; mayä —by Me.
TRANSLATION
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations.
What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedic literature, al though the opulences and energies of


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.the Supreme are understood in various ways, there is no limit to such
opulences; therefore not all the opul ences and energies can be explained.
Simply a few examples are being descri bed to Arjuna to pacify his
inquisitiveness.
TEXT  41
YaÛiÜ>aUiTaMaTSatv& é[qMadUiJaRTaMaev va )
TatadevavGaC^ Tv& MaMa TaeJaae_&XaSaM>avMa( )) 41 ))
yad yad vibhütimat sattvaà
çrémad ürjitam eva vä
tat tad evävagaccha tvaà
mama tejo-’àça-sambhavam
SYNONYMS
yat yat —whatever; vibhüti —opulences; mat—having; sattvam —existence;
çré-mat —beautiful; ürjitam —glorious; eva—certainly; vä—or; tat tat —all
those; eva—certainly; avagaccha —must know; tvam —you; mama —My;
tejaù —of the splendor; aàça —a part; sambhavam —born of.
TRANSLATION
Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a
spark of My splendor.
PURPORT
Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a
fragmental manifestation of Kåñëa’s opul ence, whether it be in the spiritual or
material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to
represent Kåñëa’s opulence.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  42
AQava bhuNaETaeNa ik&- jaTaeNa TavaJauRNa )
iví>YaahiMad& k*-TòMaek-a&XaeNa iSQaTaae JaGaTa( )) 42 ))
atha vä bahunaitena
kià jïätena tavärjuna
viñöabhyäham idaà kåtsnam
ekäàçena sthito jagat
SYNONYMS
atha vä —or; bahunä —many; etena —by this kind; kim—what; jïätena —by
knowing; tava—your; arjuna —O Arjuna; viñöabhya —pervading; aham —I;
idam —this; kåtsnam —entire; eka—by one; aàçena —part; sthitaù —am
situated; jagat —universe.
TRANSLATION
But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a
single fragment of Myself I pervad e and support this entire universe.
PURPORT
The Supreme Lord is represented throug hout the entire material universes
by His entering into all things as the Supersoul. The Lord here tells Arjuna
that there is no point in understand ing how things exist in their separate
opulence and grandeur. He shoul d know that all things are existing due to
Kåñëa’s entering them as Supersoul. Fr om Brahmä, the most gigantic entity, on
down to the smallest ant, all are exis ting because the Lord has entered each
and all and is sustaining them.
There is a Mission that regularly pr opounds that worship of any demigod
will lead one to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the supreme goal. But
worship of demigods is thoroughly discouraged herein because even the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.greatest demigods like Brahmä and Çi va represent only part of the opulence of
the Supreme Lord. He is the origin of everyone born, and no one is greater
than Him. He is asamaurdhva,  which means that no one is superior to Him and
t h a t  n o  o n e  i s  e q u a l  t o  H i m .  I n  t h e  Padma Puräëa  it is said tha t one who
considers the Supreme Lord Kåñëa in the same category with demigods—be
they even Brahmä or Çiva—becomes at  once an atheist. If, however, one
thoroughly studies the different descri ptions of the opulences and expansions
of Kåñëa’s energy, then one  can understand without any doubt the position of
Lord Çré Kåñëa and can fix his mind  in the worship of Kåñëa without
deviation. The Lord is all-pervad ing by the expansion of His partial
representation, the Supersoul, who en ters into everything that is. Pu re
devotees, therefore, concentrate their minds in Kåñëa consciousness in full
devotional service; therefore they are always situated in the transcendental
position. Devotional service and worship of Kåñëa are very clearly indicated in
this chapter in vers es eight  through eleven . That is the way of pure devotional
service. How one can attain the highest devotional perfection of association
with the Supreme Personality of Godh ead has been thoroughly explained in
this chapter. Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa, a g reat äcärya  in disciplic
succession from Kåñëa, concludes his commentary on this chapter by saying,
yac-chakti-leçät suryädyä
bhavanty aty-ugra-tejasaù
yad-aàçena dhåtaà viçvaà
sa kåñëo daçame ’rcyate
From Lord Kåñëa’s potent energy even  the powerful sun gets its power, and
by Kåñëa’s partial expansion the whol e world is maintained. Therefore Lord
Çré Kåñëa is worshipable .
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Tenth Chapter of the Çrémad
Bhagavad-gétä  in the matter of the Opulence of the Absolute.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.- CHAPTER 11 -
The Universal Form
TEXT  1
AJauRNa ovac
MadNauGa]haYa ParMa& GauùMaDYaaTMaSa&ijTaMa( )
YatvYaae¢&- vcSTaeNa Maaehae_Ya& ivGaTaae MaMa )) 1 ))
arjuna uväca
mad-anugrahäya paramaà
guhyam adhyätma-saàjïitam
yat tvayoktaà vacas tena
moho ’yaà vigato mama
SYNONYMS
arjunaù uväca —Arjuna said; mat-anugrahäya —just to show me favor;
paramam —supreme; guhyam —confidential subject; adhyätma —spiritual;
saàjïitam —in the matter of; yat—what; tvayä —by You; uktam —said;
vacaù —words; tena—by that; mohaù —illusion; ayam —this; vigataù —is
removed; mama —my.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about
these most confidential spiritual subjects , my illusion has now been dispelled.
PURPORT


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.This chapter reveals Kåñëa as the cause of all causes. He is even the cause of
the Mahä-Viñëu, from whom the material  universes emanate. Kåñëa is not an
incarnation; He is the source of all incarnations. That has been completely
explained in the last chapt er.
Now, as far as Arjuna is concerned, he says that his illusion is over. This
means that Arjuna no longer thinks of  Kåñëa as a mere human being, as a
friend of his, but as the source of everything. Arjuna is very enlightened and is
glad that he has such a gr eat friend as Kåñëa, but now he is thinking that
although he may accept Kåñëa as the source of everything, others may not. So
in order to establish Kåñëa’s divinity fo r all, he is requesting Kåñëa in this
chapter to show His universal form. Actually when o ne sees the universal form
of Kåñëa one becomes frightened, like Arjuna, but Kåñëa is so kind that after
showing it He converts Himself again in to His original form. Arjuna agrees to
what Kåñëa has several times said: Kåñëa is speaking to him just for his benefit.
So Arjuna acknowledges that all this is happening to him by Kåñëa’s grace. He
is now convinced that Kåñëa is the cause of all causes and is present in
everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.
TEXT  2
>avaPYaYaaE ih >aUTaaNaa& é[uTaaE ivSTarXaae MaYaa )
Tvta" k-Mal/Pa}aa+a MaahaTMYaMaiPa caVYaYaMa( )) 2 ))
bhaväpyayau hi bhütänäà
çrutau vistaraço mayä
tvattaù kamala-paträkña
mähätmyam api cävyayam
SYNONYMS
bhava —appearance; apyayau —disappearance; hi—certainly; bhütänäm —of all
living entities; çrutau —have been heard; vistaraçaù —in detail; mayä —by me;
tvattaù —from You; kamala-patra-akña —O lotus-eyed one;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.mähätmyam —glories; api—also; ca—and; avyayam —inexhaustib le.
TRANSLATION
O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and
disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible
glories.
PURPORT
Arjuna addresses Lord Kåñëa as “lotus-eyed” (Kåñëa’s eyes appear just like
the petals of a lotus flower) out of his joy, for Kåñëa has assured him, in the
previous chapter, ahaà kåtsnasya jagataù prabhavaù pralayas tathä : “I am the
source of the appearance  and disappearance of this entire material
manifestation.” Arjuna has heard of this from the Lord in detail. Arjuna
further knows that in spite of His being the source of all appearances and
disappearances, He is aloof from them. As the Lord has said in th e Ninth
Chapter, He is all-pervading, yet He is not personally present everywhere.
That is the inconceivable opulence of Kåñëa which Arjuna admits that he has
thoroughly understood.
TEXT  3
WvMaeTaÛQaaTQa TvMaaTMaaNa& ParMaeìr )
d]íuiMaC^aiMa Tae æPaMaEìr& PauåzaetaMa )) 3 ))
evam etad yathättha tvam
ätmänaà parameçvara
drañöum icchämi te rüpam
aiçvaraà puruñottama
SYNONYMS
evam —thus; etat—this; yathä —as it is; ättha —have spoken; tvam —You;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.ätmänam —Yourself; parama-éçvara —O Supreme Lord; drañöum —to see;
icchämi —I wish; te—Your; rüpam —form; aiçvaram —divine;
puruña-uttama —O best of personalities.
TRANSLATION
O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before
me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how
You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of
Yours.
PURPORT
The Lord said that because He entere d into the material universe by His
personal representation, the cosmic manifestation has been made possible and
is going on. Now as far as Arjuna is conc erned, he is inspired by the statements
of Kåñëa, but in order to convince others in the future who may think that
Kåñëa is an ordinary person, Arjuna desires to see Him actually in His
universal form, to see how He is acting from within the universe, although He
is apart from it. Arjuna’s addressing the Lord as puruñott ama is also significant.
Since the Lord is the Supreme Personal ity of Godhead, He is present within
Arjuna himself; therefore He knows the desire of Arjuna, and He can
understand that Arjuna has no special desire to see Him in His universal form,
for Arjun a is completely satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Kåñëa.
But the Lord can understand also that Arjuna wants to see the universal form
to convince others. Arjuna did not have any personal desire for confirmation.
Kåñëa also understands that Arjun a wants to see the universal form to set a
criterion, for in the future there woul d be so many imposters who would pose
themselves as incarnations of God. Th e people, therefore, should be careful;
one who claims to be Kåñëa should  be prepared to show his u niversal form to
confirm his claim to the people.
TEXT  4


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.MaNYaSae Yaid TaC^KYa& MaYaa d]íuiMaiTa Pa[>aae )
YaaeGaeìr TaTaae Mae Tv& dXaRYaaTMaaNaMaVYaYaMa( )) 4 ))
manyase yadi tac chakyaà
mayä drañöum iti prabho
yogeçvara tato me tvaà
darçayätmänam avyayam
SYNONYMS
manyase —You think; yadi—if; tat—that; çakyam —is able; mayä —by me;
drañöum —to be seen; iti—thus; prabho —O Lord; yoga-éçvara —O Lord of all
mystic power; tataù —then; me—unto me; tvam —You; darçaya —show;
ätmänam —Your Self; avyayam —eternal.
TRANSLATION
If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O
master of all mystic power, then kindly  show me that unlimited universal Self.
PURPORT
It is said that one can neither see, hear, understand nor perceive the
Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, by the material se nses. But if one is engaged in loving
transcendental service to the Lord fr om the beginning, then one can see the
Lord by revelation. Every living  entity is only a spiritual spark; therefore it is
not possible to see or to understand the Supreme Lord. Arjuna, as a devotee,
does not depend on his speculative strength; rather, he admits his limitations
as a living entity and acknowledges Kåñëa’s inest imable position. Arjuna could
understand that for a living entity it is not possible to understand the
unlimited infinite. If the infinite reveals Himself, then it is possible to
understand the nature of the infinite by the grace of the infinite. The word
yogeçvara  is also very significant here because the Lord has inconceivable
power. If He likes, He can reveal Hi mself by His grace, although He is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.unlimited. Therefore Arjuna pleads for the inconceivable grace of Kåñëa. He
does not give Kåñëa orders. Kåñëa is not obliged to reveal Himself unless one
surrenders fully in Kåñëa consciousne ss and engages in devotional service.
Thus it is not possible for persons who depend on the strength of their mental
speculations to see Kåñëa.
TEXT  5
é[q>aGavaNauvac
PaXYa Mae PaaQaR æPaai<a XaTaXaae_Qa SahóXa" )
NaaNaaivDaaiNa idVYaaiNa NaaNaav<aaRk*-TaqiNa c )) 5 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
paçya me pärtha rüpäëi
çataço ’tha sahasraçaù
nänä-vidhäni divyäni
nänä-varëäkåténi ca
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; paçya —just
see; me—My; pärtha —O son of Påthä; rüpäëi —forms; çataçaù —hundreds;
atha—also; sahasraçaù —thousands; nänä-vidhäni —variegated;
divyäni —divine; nänä —variegated; varëa —colors; äkåténi —forms ; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Påthä,
see now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored
forms.
PURPORT
Arjuna wanted to see Kåñëa in His universal form, which, although a


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.transcendental form, is just manifest ed for the cosmic manifestation and is
therefore subject to the temporary time  of this material nature. As the
material nature is manifested and not ma nifested, similarly this universal form
of Kåñëa is manifested and nonmanifested.  It is not eternally situated in the
spiritual sky like Kåñëa’s other forms. As  far as a devotee is concerned, he is
not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wa nted to see Kåñëa in
this way, Kåñëa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen
by any ordinary man. Kåñëa must give one the power to see it.
TEXT  6
PaXYaaidTYaaNvSaUNåd]aNaiìNaaE MaåTaSTaQaa )
bhUNYad*íPaUvaRi<a PaXYaaêYaaRi<a >aarTa )) 6 ))
paçyädityän vasün rudrän
açvinau marutas tathä
bahüny adåñöa-pürväëi
paçyäçcaryäëi bhärata
SYNONYMS
paçya —see; ädityän —the twelve sons of Aditi; vasün —the eight Vasus;
rudrän —the eleven forms of Rudra; açvinau —the two Açvinés; marutaù —the
forty-nine Maruts (demigods of the wind); tathä —also; bahüni —many;
adåñöa —that you have not seen; pürväëi —before; paçya—see; äçcaryäëi —all
the wonders; bhärata —O best of the Bhäratas.
TRANSLATION
O best of the Bhäratas, see here the different manifestations of Ädityas,
Vasus, Rudras, Açviné-kumäras and all the other demigods. Behold the many
wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before.
PURPORT


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Even though Arjuna was a personal fr iend of Kåñëa and the most advanced
of learned men, it was still not possible for him to know everything about
Kåñëa. Here it is stated that humans have neither heard nor known of all these
forms and manifestations. Now Kåñëa reveals these wonderful forms.
TEXT  7
whEk-SQa& JaGaTk*-Tò& PaXYaaÛ SacracrMa( )
MaMa dehe Gau@ake-Xa YaÀaNYad(d]íuiMaC^iSa )) 7 ))
ihaika-sthaà jagat kåtsnaà
paçyädya sa-caräcaram
mama dehe guòäkeça
yac cänyad drañöum icchasi
SYNONYMS
iha—in this; eka-stham —in one place; jagat —the universe;
kåtsnam —completely; paçya —see; adya —immediately; sa—with; cara—the
moving; acaram —and not moving; mama —My; dehe—in this body;
guòäkeça —O Arjuna; yat—that which; ca—also; anyat —other; drañöum —to
see; icchasi —you wish.
TRANSLATION
O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body of Mine!
This universal form can show you whatev er you now desire to see and whatever
you may want to see in the future. Everything—moving and nonmoving—is
here completely, in one place.
PURPORT
No one can see the entire universe wh ile sitting in one place. Even the
most advanced scientist cannot see what is going on in other parts of the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.universe. But a devotee like Arjuna can see everything that exists in any part
of the universe. Kåñëa gives hi m the power to see anything he wants to see,
past, present and future. Thus by the me rcy of Kåñëa, Arjuna is able to see
everything.
TEXT  8
Na Tau Maa& XaKYaSae d]íuMaNaeNaEv Svc+auza )
idVYa& ddaiMa Tae c+au" PaXYa Mae YaaeGaMaEìrMa( )) 8 ))
na tu mäà çakyase drañöum
anenaiva sva-cakñuñä
divyaà dadämi te cakñuù
paçya me yogam aiçvaram
SYNONYMS
na—never; tu—but; mäm —Me; çakyase —are able; drañöum —to see;
anena —with these; eva—certainly; sva-cakñuñä —your own eyes;
divyam —divine; dadämi —I give; te—to you; cakñuù —eyes; paçya —see;
me—My; yogam aiçvaram —inconceivable mystic power.
TRANSLATION
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine
eyes. Behold My mystic opulence!
PURPORT
A pure devotee does not like to see Kå ñëa in any form except His form with
two hands; a devotee must see His univer sal form by His grace, not with the
mind but with spiritual eyes. To see the universal form of Kåñëa, Arjuna is told
not to change his mind b ut his vision. The universal form of Kåñëa is not very
important; that will be clear in subseq uent verses. Yet because Arjuna wanted


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.to see it, the Lord gives him the particular  vision required to see that universal
form.
Devotees who are correctly situated in  a transcendental relationship with
Kåñëa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences.
The playmates of Kåñëa, the friends of  Kåñëa and the parents of Kåñëa never
want Kåñëa to show His opul ences. They are so immersed in pure love that
they do not even know that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In
their loving exchange they forget th at Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord. In the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam  it is stated that the boys who play with Kåñ ëa are all highly
pious souls and after many, many births th ey are able to play with Kåñëa. Such
boys do not know that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They
take Him as a personal friend. Therefore Çukadeva Gosvämé recites this verse:
itthaà satäà brahma-sukhänubhütyä
däsyaà gatänäà para-daivatena
mäyäçritänäà nara-därakeëa
säkaà vijahruù kåta-puëya-puïjäù
“Here is the Supreme Person, who is considered the impersonal Brahman by
great sages, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by devotees, and a product of
material nature by ordinary men. Now these boys, who have performed many,
many pious activities in their past lives, are playing with that Supreme
Personality of Godhead.” ( Çrémad-Bhägavatam  10.12.11 )
The fact is that the devotee is  not concerned with seeing the viçva-rüpa,  the
universal form, but Arjuna wanted to s ee it to substantiate Kåñëa’s statements
so that in the future people could understand that Kåñëa not only theoretically
or philosophically presented Himself as the Supreme but actually presented
Himself as such to Arjuna. Arjuna must  confirm this because Arjuna is the
beginning of the paramparä  system. Those who are actually interested in
understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñë a, and who follow in
the footsteps of Arjuna should unders tand that Kåñëa not only theoretically
presented Himself as the Supreme, but actually revealed Himself as the
Supreme.
The Lord gave Arjuna the necessary power to see His universal form


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.because He knew that Arjuna did not pa rticularly want to see it, as we have
already explained.
TEXT  9
SaÅYa ovac
WvMau¤-a TaTaae raJaNMahaYaaeGaeìrae hir" )
dXaRYaaMaaSa PaaQaaRYa ParMa& æPaMaEìrMa( )) 9 ))
saïjaya uväca
evam uktvä tato räjan
mahä-yogeçvaro hariù
darçayäm äsa pärthäya
paramaà rüpam aiçvaram
SYNONYMS
saïjayaù uväca —Saïjaya said; evam —thus; uktvä —saying; tataù —thereafter;
räjan —O King; mahä-yoga-éçvaraù —the most powerful mystic; hariù —the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa; darçayäm äsa —showed;
pärthäya —unto Arjuna; paramam —the divine; rüpam aiçvaram —universal
form.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord of all mystic
power, the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna.
TEXTS  10–11
ANaek-v£-NaYaNaMaNaek-ad(>auTadXaRNaMa( )
ANaek-idVYaa>ar<a& idVYaaNaek-aeÛTaaYauDaMa( )) 10 ))
idVYaMaaLYaaMbrDar& idVYaGaNDaaNaule/PaNaMa( )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SavaRêYaRMaYa& devMaNaNTa& ivìTaaeMau%Ma( )) 11 ))
aneka-vaktra-nayanam
anekädbhuta-darçanam
aneka-divyäbharaëaà
divyänekodyatäyudham
divya-mälyämbara-dharaà
divya-gandhänulepanam
sarväçcarya-mayaà devam
anantaà viçvato-mukham
SYNONYMS
aneka —various; vaktra —mouths; nayanam —eyes; aneka —various;
adbhuta —wonderful; darçanam —sights; aneka —many; divya —divine;
äbharaëam —ornaments; divya —divine; aneka —various; udyata —uplifted;
äyudham —weapons; divya —divine; mälya —garlands; ambara —dresses;
dhara m—wearing; divya —divine; gandha —fragrances; anulepanam —smeared
with; sarva —all; äçcarya-mayam —wonderful; devam —shining;
anantam —unlimited; viçvataù-mukham —all-pervading.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes,
unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial
ornaments and bore many divine upraised  weapons. He wore celestial garlands
and garments, and many divine scents wer e smeared over His body. All was
wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.
PURPORT
In these two verses the repeated use of the word many  indicates that there
was no limit to the number of hands,  mouths, legs and other manifestations
Arjuna was seeing. These manifestatio ns were distributed throughout the


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.universe, but by the grace of the Lord, Arjuna could see them while sitting in
one place. That was due to the inconceivable potency of Kåñëa.
TEXT  12
idiv SaUYaRSahóSYa >aveÛuGaPaduiTQaTaa )
Yaid >aa" Sad*Xaq Saa SYaaÙaSaSTaSYa MahaTMaNa" )) 12 ))
divi sürya-sahasrasya
bhaved yugapad utthitä
yadi bhäù sadåçé sä syäd
bhäsas tasya mahätmanaù
SYNONYMS
divi—in the sky; sürya —of suns; sahasrasya —of many thousands;
bhavet —there were; yugapat —simultaneously; utthitä —present; yadi—if;
bhäù —light; sadåçé —like that; sä—that; syät—might be; bhäsaù —effulgence;
tasya —of Him; mahä-ätmanaù —the great Lord.
TRANSLATION
If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their
radiance might resemble the effulgence of  the Supreme Person in that universal
form.
PURPORT
What Arjuna saw was indescribable, yet Saïjaya is trying to give a mental
picture of that great revelation to Dhåtaräñöra. Neither Saïjaya nor
Dhåtaräñöra was present, but Saïjaya, by the grace of Vyäsa, could see
whatever happened. Thus he now compares th e situation, as far as it can be
understood, to an imaginable phenomenon (i.e., thousands of suns).


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  13
Ta}aEk-SQa& JaGaTk*-Tò& Pa[iv>a¢-MaNaek-Daa )
APaXYaÕevdevSYa Xarqre Paa<@vSTada )) 13 ))
tatraika-sthaà jagat kåtsnaà
pravibhaktam anekadhä
apaçyad deva-devasya
çarére päëòavas tadä
SYNONYMS
tatra —there; eka-stham —in one place; jagat —the universe;
kåtsnam —complete; pravibhaktam —divided; anekadhä —into many;
apaçyat —could see; deva-devasya —of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
çarére —in the universal form; päëòavaù —Arjuna; tadä—at that time.
TRANSLATION
At that time Arjuna could see in th e universal form of the Lord the
unlimited expansions of the universe situ ated in one place although divided into
many, many thousands.
PURPORT
The word tatra  (“there”) is very significant. It indicates that both Arjuna
and Kåñëa were sitting on the chariot when Arjuna saw the universal form.
Others on the battlefield could not s ee this form, because Kåñëa gave the
vision only to Arjuna. Arjuna co uld see in the body of Kåñëa many thousands
of planets. As we learn from Vedic sc riptures, there are many universes and
many planets. Some of them are made of earth, some are made of gold, some
are made of jewels, some are very great, some are not so great , etc. Sitting on
his chariot, Arjuna could see all these.  But no one could understand what was
going on between Arjuna and Kåñëa.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  14
TaTa" Sa ivSMaYaaivíae ôíraeMaa DaNaÅYa" )
Pa[<aMYa iXarSaa dev& k*-TaaÅil/r>aazTa )) 14 ))
tataù sa vismayäviñöo
håñöa-romä dhanaïjayaù
praëamya çirasä devaà
kåtäïjalir abhäñata
SYNONYMS
tataù —thereafter; saù—he; vismaya-äviñöaù —being overwhelmed with
wonder; håñöa-romä —with his bodily hairs standing on end due to his great
ecstasy; dhanaïjayaù —Arjuna; praëamya —offering obeisances; çirasä —with
the head; devam —to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kåta-aïjaliù —with
folded hands; abhäñata —began to speak.
TRANSLATION
Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed
his head to offer obeisances and with folded hands began to pray to the Supreme
Lord.
PURPORT
Once the divine vision is revealed , the relationship between Kåñëa and
Arjuna changes immediately. Before, Kåñëa and Arjuna had a relationship
based on friendship, but here, after the revelation, Arjuna is offering
obeisances with great respect, and with f olded hands he is praying to Kåñëa.
He is praising the universal form. Thus  Arjuna’s relationship becomes one of
wonder rather than friendship. Great devo tees see Kåñëa as the reservoir of all
relationships. In the scriptures there are twelve basic kinds o f relationships


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.mentioned, and all of them are present in Kåñëa. It is said that He is the ocean
of all the relationships exchanged between two living entities, between the
gods, or between the Supreme Lord and His devotees.
Here Arjuna was inspired by the relationship of wonder, and in that
wonder, although he was by nature ve ry sober, calm and quiet, he became
ecstatic, his hair stood up, and he be gan to offer his obeisances unto the
Supreme Lord with folded hands. He was no t, of course, afraid. He was
affected by the wonders of the Su preme Lord. The immediate context is
wonder; his natural loving friendship  was overwhelmed by wonder, and thus
he reacted in this way.
TEXT  15
AJauRNa ovac
PaXYaaiMa deva&STav dev dehe
 Sava|STaQaa >aUTaivXaezSaºaNa( )
b]øa<aMaqXa& k-Mal/aSaNaSQa‚
 Ma*zq&ê SavaRNaurGaa&ê idVYaaNa( )) 15 ))
arjuna uväca
paçyämi deväàs tava deva dehe
sarväàs tathä bhüta-viçeña-saìghän
brahmäëam éçaà kamaläsana-stham
åñéàç ca sarvän uragäàç ca divyän
SYNONYMS
arjunaù uväca —Arjuna said; paçyämi —I see; devän —all the demigods;
tava—Your; deva—O Lord; dehe—in the body; sarvän —all; tathä —also;
bhüta —living entities; viçeña-saìghän —specifically assembled;
brahmäëam —Lord Brahmä; éçam —Lord Çiva; kamala-äsana-stham —sitt ing on
the lotus flower; åñén—great sages; ca—also; sarvän —all; uragän —serpents;
ca—also; divyän —divine.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kåñëa, I see assembled in Your body all the
demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmä sitting on the lotus
flower, as well as Lord Çiva and all the sages and divine serpents.
PURPORT
Arjuna sees everything in the univer se; therefore he sees Brahmä, who is
the first creature in the universe, an d the celestial serpent upon which the
Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu lies in the lower regions of the universe. This snake bed
is called Väsuki. There are  also other snakes known as Väsuki. Arjuna can see
from the Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu up to the topmost part of the universe on the
lotus-flower planet where Brahmä, the first creature of the universe, resides.
That means that from the beginning to the end, eve rything could be seen by
Arjuna, who was sitting in one place on his chariot. This was possible by the
grace of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa.
TEXT  16
ANaek-bahUdrv£-Nae}a&
 PaXYaaiMa Tva& SavRTaae_NaNTaæPaMa( )
NaaNTa& Na MaDYa& Na PauNaSTavaid&
 PaXYaaiMa ivìeìr ivìæPa )) 16 ))
aneka-bähüdara-vaktra-netraà
paçyämi tväà sarvato ’nanta-rüpam
näntaà na madhyaà na punas tavädià
paçyämi viçveçvara viçva-rüpa
SYNONYMS
aneka —many; bähu —arms; udara —bellies; vaktra —mouths; netram —eyes;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.paçyämi —I see; tväm —You; sarvataù —on all sides; ananta-rüpam —unlimited
form; na antam —no end; na madhyam —no middle; na punaù —nor again;
tava—Your; ädim —beginning; paçyämi —I see; viçva-éçvara —O Lord of the
universe; viçva-rüpa —in the form of the universe.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many
arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in
You no end, no middle and no beginning.
PURPORT
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of  Godhead and is unlimited; thus
through Him everything could be seen.
TEXT  17
ik-rqi$=Na& GaidNa& ci§-<a& c
 TaeJaaeraiXa& SavRTaae dqiáMaNTaMa( )
PaXYaaiMa Tva& duiNaRrq+Ya& SaMaNTaa‚
 ÕqáaNal/akR-ÛuiTaMaPa[MaeYaMa( )) 17 ))
kiréöinaà gadinaà cakriëaà ca
tejo-räçià sarvato déptimantam
paçyämi tväà durnirékñyaà samantäd
déptänalärka-dyutim aprameyam
SYNONYMS
kiréöinam —with helmets; gadinam —with maces; cakriëam —with discs;
ca—and; tejaù-räçim —effulgence; sarvataù —on all sides;
dépti-mantam —glowing; paçyämi —I see; tväm —You; durnirékñyam —difficult
to see; samantät —everywhere; dépta-anala —blazing fire; arka—of the  sun;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.dyutim —the sunshine; aprameyam —immeasurable.
TRANSLATION
Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading on all
sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. Yet I see this
glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs.
TEXT  18
TvMa+ar& ParMa& veidTaVYa&
 TvMaSYa ivìSYa Par& iNaDaaNaMa( )
TvMaVYaYa" XaaìTaDaMaRGaaeáa
 SaNaaTaNaSTv& Pauåzae MaTaae Mae )) 18 ))
tvam akñaraà paramaà veditavyaà
tvam asya viçvasya paraà nidhänam
tvam avyayaù çäçvata-dharma-goptä
sanätanas tvaà puruño mato me
SYNONYMS
tvam —You; akñaram —the infallible; paramam —supreme; veditavyam —to be
understood; tvam —You; asya—of this; viçvasya —universe; param —supreme;
nidhänam —basis; tvam —You; avyayaù —inexhaustible;
çäçvata-dharma-goptä —maintainer of the eternal religion; sanätanaù —et ernal;
tvam —You; puruñaù —the Supreme Personality; mataù me —this is my opinion.
TRANSLATION
You are the supreme primal objective.  You are the ultimate resting place of
all this universe. You are inexhaustible , and You are the oldest. You are the
maintainer of the eternal religion, th e Personality of Godhead. This is my
opinion.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  19
ANaaidMaDYaaNTaMaNaNTavqYaR‚
 MaNaNTabahu& XaiXaSaUYaRNae}aMa( )
PaXYaaiMa Tva& dqáhuTaaXav£&-
 SvTaeJaSaa ivìiMad& TaPaNTaMa( )) 19 ))
anädi-madhyäntam ananta-véryam
ananta-bähuà çaçi-sürya-netram
paçyämi tväà dépta-hutäça-vaktraà
sva-tejasä viçvam idaà tapantam
SYNONYMS
anädi —without beginning; madhya —middle; antam —or end;
ananta —unlimited; véryam —glories; ananta —unlimited; bähum —arms;
çaçi—the moon; sürya —and sun; netram —eyes; paçyämi —I see; tväm —You;
dépta —blazing; hutäça-vaktram —fire coming out of Your mouth;
sva-tejas ä—by Your radiance; viçvam —universe; idam —this;
tapantam —heating.
TRANSLATION
You are without origin, middle or end. Your glory is unlimited. You have
numberless arms, and the sun and moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing
fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe by Your own
radiance.
PURPORT
There is no limit to the extent of the six opulences of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Here and in many other places there is repetition, but
according to the scriptures, repetition of  the glories of Kåñëa is not a literary


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.weakness. It is said that a t a time of bewilderment or wonder or of great
ecstasy, statements are repeated over and over. That is not a flaw.
TEXT  20
ÛavaPa*iQaVYaaeirdMaNTar& ih
 VYaaá& TvYaEke-Na idXaê SavaR" )
d*îad(>auTa& æPaMauGa]& Taved&
 l/aek-}aYa& Pa[VYaiQaTa& MahaTMaNa( )) 20 ))
dyäv ä-påthivyor idam antaraà hi
vyäptaà tvayaikena diçaç ca sarväù
dåñövädbhutaà rüpam ugraà tavedaà
loka-trayaà pravyathitaà mahätman
SYNONYMS
dyau —from outer space; ä-påthivyoù —to the earth; idam —this;
antaram —between; hi—certainly; vyäptam —pervaded; tvayä —by You;
ekena —alone; diçaù —directions; ca—and; sarväù —all; dåñövä —by seeing;
adbhutam —wonderful; rüpam —form; ugram —terrible; tava—Your;
idam —this; loka—the planetary systems; trayam —three;
pravyathitam —perturbed; mahä-ätman —O great one.
TRANSLATION
Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and
all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the
planetary systems are perturbed.
PURPORT
Dyäv ä-påthivyoù  (“the space between heaven and earth”) and loka-trayam
(“the three worlds”) are significant word s in this verse because it appears that


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.not only did Arjuna see this universal form of the Lord, but others in other
planetary systems saw it a lso. Arjuna’s seeing of the universal form was not a
dream. All whom the Lord endowed with divine vision saw that universal form
on the battlefield.
TEXT  21
AMaq ih Tva& SaurSaºa ivXaiNTa
 ke-icÙqTaa" Pa[aÅl/Yaae Ga*<aiNTa )
SvSTaqTYau¤-a MahizRiSaÖSaºa"
 STauviNTa Tva& STauiTai>a" PauZk-l/ai>a" )) 21 ))
amé hi tväà sura-saìghä viçanti
kecid bhétäù präïjalayo gåëanti
svastéty uktvä maharñi-siddha-saìghäù
stuvanti tväà stutibhiù puñkaläbhiù
SYNONYMS
amé—all those; hi—certainly; tväm —You; sura-saìghäù —groups of demigods;
viçanti —are entering; kecit —some of them; bhétäù —out of fear;
präïjalayaù —with folded hands; gåëanti —are offering prayers; svasti —all
peace; iti—thus; uktvä —speaking; mahä-åñi —great sa ges;
siddha-saìghäù —perfect beings; stuvanti —are singing hymns; tväm —unto
You; stutibhiù —with prayers; puñkaläbhiù —Vedic hymns.
TRANSLATION
All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into
You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands.
Hosts of great sages and perfected bein gs, crying “All peace!” are praying to
You by singing the Vedic hymn s.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
The demigods in all the planetary syst ems feared the terrific manifestation
of the universal form and its glaring effulgence and so prayed for protection.
TEXT  22
åd]aidTYaa vSavae Yae c SaaDYaa
 ivìe_iìNaaE MaåTaêaeZMaPaaê )
GaNDavRYa+aaSauriSaÖSaºa
 vq+aNTae Tva& iviSMaTaaêEv SaveR )) 22 ))
rudrädityä vasavo ye ca sädhyä
viçve ’çvinau marutaç coñmapäç ca
gandharva-yakñäsura-siddha-saìghä
vékñante tväà vismitäç caiva sarve
SYNONYMS
rudra —manifestations of Lord Çiva; ädityäù —the Ädityas; vasavaù —the
Vasus; ye—all those; ca—and; sädhyäù —the Sädhyas; viçve —the Viçvedevas;
açvinau —the Açviné-kumäras; marutaù —the Maruts; ca—and; uñma-päù —the
forefathers; ca—and; gandharva —of the Gandharva s; yakña —the Yakñas;
asura —the demons; siddha —and the perfected demigods; saìghäù —the
assemblies; vékñante —are beholding; tväm —You; vismitäù —in wonder;
ca—also; eva—certainly; sarve —all.
TRANSLATION
All the various manifestations of Lord Çiva, the Ädityas, the Vasus, the
Sädhyas, the Viçvedevas, the two Açvés, the Maruts, the forefathers, the
Gandharvas, the Yakñas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding
You in wonder.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TEXT  23
æPa& Mahtae bhuv£-Nae}a&
 Mahabahae bhubahUåPaadMa( )
bhUdr& bhud&í\ak-ral&/
 d*îa l/aek-a" Pa[VYaiQaTaaSTaQaahMa( )) 23 ))
rüpaà mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraà
mahä-bäho bahu-bähüru-pädam
bahüdaraà bahu-daàñörä-karälaà
dåñövä lokäù pravyathitäs tathäham
SYNONYMS
rüpam —the form; mahat —very great; te—of You; bahu —many; vaktra —faces;
netram —and eyes; mahä-bäho —O mighty-armed one; bahu —many;
bähu —arms; üru—thighs; pädam —and legs; bahu-udaram —many bellies;
bahu-daàñörä —many teeth; karälam —horrible; dåñövä —seeing; lokäù —all the
planets; pravyathitäù —perturbed; tathä —similarly; aham —I.
TRANSLATION
O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at
seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs, and bellies
and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I.
TEXT  24
Na>a"SPa*Xa& dqáMaNaek-v<a|
 VYaataaNaNa& dqáivXaal/Nae}aMa( )
d*îa ih Tva& Pa[VYaiQaTaaNTaraTMaa


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved. Da*iTa& Na ivNdaiMa XaMa& c ivZ<aae )) 24 ))
nabhaù-spåçaà déptam aneka-varëaà
vyättänanaà dépta-viçäla-netram
dåñövä hi tväà pravyathitäntar-ätmä
dhåtià na vindämi çamaà ca viñëo
SYNONYMS
nabhaù-spåçam —touching the sky; déptam —glowing; aneka —many;
varëam —colors; vyätta —open; änanam —mouths; dépta —glowing;
viçäla —very great; netram —eyes; dåñövä —seeing; hi—certainly; tväm —You;
pravyathita —perturbed; antaù —within; ätmä —soul; dhåtim —steadiness;
na—not; vindämi —I have; çamam —mental tranquillity; ca—also; viñëo —O
Lord Viñëu.
TRANSLATION
O all-pervading Viñëu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching
the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is
perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of
mind.
TEXT  25
d&í\ak-ral/aiNa c Tae Mau%aiNa
 d*îEv k-al/aNal/Saià>aaiNa )
idXaae Na JaaNae Na l/>ae c XaMaR
 Pa[Saqd deveXa JaGaiàvaSa )) 25 ))
daàñörä-karäläni ca te mukhäni
dåñövaiva kälänala-sannibhäni
diço na jäne na labhe ca çarma


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.praséda deveça jagan-niväsa
SYNONYMS
daàñörä —teeth; karäläni —terrible; ca—also; te—Your; mukhäni —faces;
dåñövä —seeing; eva—thus; käla-anala —the fire of death; sannibhäni —as if;
diçaù —the directions; na—not; jäne—I know; na—not; labhe —I obtain;
ca—and; çarma —grace; praséda —be pleased; deva-éça —O Lord of all lords;
jagat-niväsa —O refuge of the worlds.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot
keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all
directions I am bewildered.
TEXTS  26–27
AMaq c Tva& Da*Taraí\SYa Pau}aa" SaveR SahEvaviNaPaal/SaºE" )
>aqZMaae d]ae<a" SaUTaPau}aSTaQaaSaaE SahaSMadqYaEriPa YaaeDaMau:YaE" )) 26 ))
v£-ai<a Tae TvrMaa<aa ivXaiNTa d&í\ak-ral/aiNa >aYaaNak-aiNa )
ke-iciÜl/Gana dXaNaaNTarezu SaNd*XYaNTae cUi<aRTaEåt aMaa®E" )) 27 ))
amé ca tväà dhåtaräñörasya puträù
sarve sahaivävani-päla-saìghaiù
bhéñmo droëaù süta-putras tathäsau
sahäsmadéyair api yodha-mukhyaiù
vakträëi te tvaramäëä viçanti
daàñörä-karäläni bhayänakäni
kecid vilagnä daçanäntareñu
sandåçyante cürëitair uttamäìgaiù


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
amé—these; ca—also; tväm —You; dhåtaräñörasya —of Dhåtaräñöra;
puträù —the sons; sarve —all; saha—with; eva—indeed; avani-päla —of warrior
kings; saìghaiù —the groups; bhéñmaù —Bhéñmadeva; droëaù —Droëäcärya;
süta-putraù —Karëa; tathä —also; asau —that; saha—with; asmadéyaiù —our;
api—also; yodha-mukhyaiù —chiefs among the warriors; vakträëi —mouths;
te—Your; tvaramäëäù —rushing; viçanti —are entering; daàñörä —teeth;
karäläni —terrible; bhayänakäni —very fearful; kecit —some of them;
vilagnäù —becoming attached; daçana-antareñ u—between the teeth;
sandåçyante —are seen; cürëitaiù —with smashed; uttama-aìgaiù —heads.
TRANSLATION
All the sons of Dhåtaräñöra, along with their allied kings, and Bhéñma,
Droëa, Karëa—and our chief soldiers also—are rushing into Your fearful
mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.
PURPORT
In a previous verse the Lord promised  to show Arjuna things he would be
very interested in seeing. Now Arjuna sees that the leaders of the opposite
party (Bhéñma, Droëa, Karëa and all the sons of Dhåtaräñöra) and their soldiers
and Arjuna’s own soldiers ar e all being annihilated. This is an indication that
after the death of nearly all the person s assembled at Kurukñetra, Arjuna will
emerge victorious. It is also mentioned here that Bhéñma, who is supposed to be
unconquerable, will also be smashed. So also Karëa. Not only will the great
warriors of the other party like Bhéñma be smashed, but some of the great
warriors of Arjuna’s side also.
TEXT  28
YaQaa NadqNaa& bhvae_MbuveGaa"  SaMaud]Maevai>aMau%a d]viNTa )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.TaQaa TavaMaq Narl/aek-vqra ivXaiNTa v£-a<Yai>aivJvl/iNTa )) 28 ))
yathä nadénäà bahavo ’mbu-vegäù
samudram eväbhimukhä dravanti
tathä tavämé nara-loka-vérä
viçanti vakträëy abhivijvalanti
SYNONYMS
yathä —as; nadénäm —of the rivers; bahavaù —the many; ambu-vegäù —waves
of the waters; samudram —the ocean; eva—certainly; abhimukhäù —towards;
dravanti —glide; tathä —similarly; tava—Your; amé—all these;
nara-loka-véräù —kings of human society; viçanti —are enterin g; vakträëi —the
mouths; abhivijvalanti —and are blazing.
TRANSLATION
As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great
warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.
TEXT  29
YaQaa Pa[dqá& Jvl/Na& PaTa®a ivXaiNTa NaaXaaYa SaMa*ÖveGaa" )
TaQaEv NaaXaaYa ivXaiNTa l/aek-a‚ ST avaiPa v£-ai<a SaMa*ÖveGaa" )) 29 ))
yathä pradéptaà jvalanaà pataìgä
viçanti näçäya samåddha-vegäù
tathaiva näçäya viçanti lokäs
taväpi vakträëi samåddha-vegäù
SYNONYMS
yathä —as; pradéptam —blazing; jvalanam —a fire; pataìgäù —moths;
viçanti —enter; näçäya —for destruction; samåddha —with full; vegäù —speed;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.tathä eva —similarly; näçäya —for destruction; viçanti —are entering;
lokäù —all people; tava—Your; api—also; vakträëi —mouths;
samåddha-vegäù —with full speed.
TRANSLATION
I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to
destruction in a blazing fire.
TEXT  30
le/il/ùSae Ga]SaMaaNa" SaMaNTaa‚ çaek-aNSaMaGa]aNvdNaEJvRl/iÙ" )
TaeJaaei>araPaUYaR JaGaTSaMaGa]& >aaSaSTavaeGa]a" Pa[TaPaiNTa ivZ<aae )) 30 ))
lelihyase grasamänaù samantäl
lokän samagrän vadanair jvaladbhiù
tejobhir äpürya jagat samagraà
bhäsas tavogräù pratapanti viñëo
SYNONYMS
lelihyase —You are licking; grasamänaù —devouring; samantät —from all
directions; lokän —people; samagrän —all; vadanaiù —by the mouths;
jvaladbhiù —blazing; tejobhiù —by effulgence; äpürya —covering; jagat —the
universe; samagram —all; bhäsaù —rays; tava—Your; ugräù —terrible;
pratapanti —are scorching; viñëo —O all-pervading Lord.
TRANSLATION
O Viñëu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming
mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with
terrible, scorching rays.
TEXT  31


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Aa:Yaaih Mae k-ae >avaNauGa]æPaae NaMaae_STau Tae devvr Pa[Saqd )
ivjaTauiMaC^aiMa >avNTaMaaÛ& Na ih Pa[JaaNaaiMa Tav Pa[v*itaMa( )) 31 ))
äkhyähi me ko bhavän ugra-rüpo
namo ’stu te deva-vara praséda
vijïätum icchämi bhavantam ädyaà
na hi prajänämi tava pravåttim
SYNONYMS
äkhyähi —please explain; me—unto me; kaù—who; bhavän —You;
ugra-rüpaù —fierce form; namaù astu —obeisances; te—unto You;
deva-vara —O great one amongst the demigods; praséda —be gracious;
vijïätum —to know; icchämi —I wish; bhavantam —You; ädyam —the original;
na—no t; hi—certainly; prajänämi —do I know; tava—Your;
pravåttim —mission.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my
obeisances unto You; please be gracious  to me. You are the primal Lord. I want
to know about You, for I do not know what Your mission is.
TEXT  32
é[q>aGavaNauvac )
k-al/ae_iSMa l/aek-+aYak*-TPa[v*Öae l/aek-aNSaMaahTauRiMah Pa[v*ta" )
‰Tae_iPa Tva& Na >aivZYaiNTa SaveR  Yae_viSQaTaa" Pa[TYaNaqke-zu YaaeDaa" )) 32 ))
çré-bhagavän uväca
kälo ’smi loka-kñaya-kåt pravåddho
lokän samähartum iha pravåttaù
åte ’pi tväà na bhaviñyanti sarve


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.ye ’vasthitäù pratyanékeñu yodhäù
SYNONYMS
çré-bhagavän uväca —the Personality of Godhead said; kälaù —time; asmi —I
am; loka—of the worlds; kñaya-kåt —the destroyer; pravåddhaù —great;
lokän —all people; samähartum —in destroying; iha—in this world;
pravåttaù —engaged; åte—without, except for; api—even; tväm—you;
na—never; bhaviñyanti —will be; sarve —all; ye—who; avasthitäù —situated;
prati-anékeñu —on the opposite sides; yodhäù —the soldiers.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of
the worlds, and I have come here to de stroy all people. With the exception of
you [the Päëòavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
PURPORT
Although Arjuna knew that Kåñëa was his friend and the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by
Kåñëa. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating
force. It is written in the Vedas  that th e Supreme Truth destroys everything,
even the brähmaëas.  As stated in the Kaöha Upaniñad  (1.2.25 ),
yasya brahma ca kñatraà ca
ubhe bhavata odanaù
måtyur yasyopasecanaà
ka itthä veda yatra saù
Eventually all the brähmaëas, kñatriyas  and everyone else are devoured like
a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring
giant, and here Kåñëa presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time.
Except for a few Päëòavas, ever yone who was present on that battlefield would
be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in  favor of the fight, and he thought it
was better not to fight; then there would be  no frustration. In reply, the Lord is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.saying that even if he did not fight, every one of  them would be destroyed, for
that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fi ghting, they would die in another way.
Death could not be checked, even if he di d not fight. In fact, they were already
dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquis hed by the
desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature.
TEXT  33
TaSMaatvMauitaï YaXaae l/>aSv iJaTva Xa}aUN>au&+v raJYa& SaMa*ÖMa( )
MaYaEvETae iNahTaa" PaUvRMaev iNai MataMaa}a& >av SaVYaSaaicNa( )) 33 ))
tasmät tvam uttiñöha yaço labhasva
jitvä çatrün bhuìkñva räjyaà samåddham
mayaivaite nihatäù pürvam eva
nimitta-mätraà bhava savya-säcin
SYNONYMS
tasmät —therefore; tvam —you; uttiñöha —get up; yaçaù —fame; labhasva —gain;
jitvä—conquering; çatrün —enemies; bhuìkñva —enjoy; räjyam —kingdom;
samåddham —flourishing; mayä —by Me; eva—certainly; ete—all these;
nihatäù —killed; pürvam eva —by previous arrangement; nimitta-mätram —just
the cause; bhava —become; savya-säcin —O Savyasäcé.
TRANSLATION
Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and
enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement,
and you, O Savyasäcé, can be but an instrument in the fight.
PURPORT
Savya-säcin  refers to one who can shoot arro ws very expertly in the field;
thus Arjuna is addressed as an expert warrior capable of delivering arrows to


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.kill his enemies. “Just become an instrument”: nimitta-mätram.  This word is
also very significant. The whole world is moving according to the plan of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Foolis h persons who do not have sufficient
knowledge think that nature is moving  without a plan and all manifestations
are but accidental formations. There are many so-calle d scientists who suggest
that perhaps it was like this, or maybe like that, but there is no question of
“perhaps” and “maybe.” There is a spec ific plan being carried out in this
material world. What is this plan? This  cosmic manifestation is a chance for
the conditioned souls to go back to Go dhead, back to home. As long as they
have the domineering mentality which make s them try to lord it over material
nature, they are conditioned. But anyone  who can understand the plan of the
Supreme Lord and cultivate Kå ñëa consciousness is most intelligent. The
creation and destruction of the cosmic  manifestation are under the superior
guidance of God. Thus the Battle of Kurukñetra was fought according to the
plan of God. Arjuna was refusing  to fight, but he was told tha t he should fight
in accordance with the desire of the Supreme Lord. Then he would be happy.
If one is in full Kåñëa consciousness and his life is devoted to the Lord’s
transcendental service, he is perfect.
TEXT  34
d]ae<a& c >aqZMa& c JaYad]Qa& c k-<a| TaQaaNYaaNaiPa YaaeDavqraNa( )
MaYaa hTaa&STv& Jaih MaaVYaiQaïa YauDYaSv JaeTaaiSa r<ae SaPaÒaNa( )) 34 ))
droëaà ca bhéñmaà ca jayadrathaà ca
karëaà tathänyän api yodha-vérän
mayä hatäàs tvaà jahi mä vyathiñöhä
yudhyasva jetäsi raëe sapatnän
SYNONYMS
droëam ca —also Droëa; bhéñmam ca —also Bhéñma; jayadratham ca —also
Jayadratha; karëam —Karëa; tathä —also; anyän —others; api—certainly;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.yodha-vérän —great warriors; mayä —by Me; hatän —already killed; tvam —you;
jahi—destroy; mä—do not; vyathiñöhäù —be disturbed; yudhyasva —just fight;
jetä asi —you will conquer; raëe—in the fight; sapatnän —enemies.
TRANSLATION
Droëa, Bhéñma, Jayadratha, Karëa and the other great warriors have already
been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply
fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.
PURPORT
Every plan is made by the Supreme Pe rsonality of Godhead, but He is so
kind and merciful to His devotees that  He wants to give the credit to His
devotees who carry out His plan according to His desire. Life should therefore
move in such a way that everyone  acts in Kåñëa consciousness and understands
the Supreme Personality of Godhead thro ugh the medium of a spiritual master.
The plans of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are understood by His
mercy, and the plans of the devotees are as good as His plans. O ne should
follow such plans and be victorious in the struggle for existence.
TEXT  35
SaÅYa ovac )
WTaC^]uuTva vcNa& ke-XavSYa k*-TaaÅil/veRPaMaaNa" ik-rqTaq )
NaMaSk*-Tva >aUYa Wvah k*-Z<a& SaGaÓd& >aqTa>aqTa" Pa[<aMYa )) 35 ))
saïjaya uväca
etac chrutvä vacanaà keçavasya
kåtäïjalir vepamänaù kirété
namaskåtvä bhüya eväha kåñëaà
sa-gadgadaà bhéta-bhétaù praëamya


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.SYNONYMS
saïjayaù uväca —Saïjaya said; etat—thus; çrutvä —hearing; vacanam —the
speech; keçavasya —of Kåñëa; kåta-aïjaliù —with folded hands;
vepamänaù —trembling; kirété —Arjuna; namaskåtvä —offering obeisances;
bhüyaù —again; eva—also; äha—said; kåñëam —unto Kåñëa;
sa-gadg adam —with a faltering voice; bhéta-bhétaù —fearful;
praëamya —offering obeisances.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said to Dhåtaräñöra: O King, after hearing these words from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trembling Arjuna offered obeisances with
folded hands again and again. He fearfully spoke to Lord Kåñëa in a faltering
voice, as follows.
PURPORT
As we have already explained, because of the situation created by the
universal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna became
bewildered in wonder; thus he began to offer his respectful obeisances to Kåñëa
again and again, and with faltering vo ice he began to pray, not as a friend, but
as a devotee in wonder.
TEXT  36
AJauRNa ovac )
SQaaNae ôzqke-Xa Tav Pa[k-ITYaaR JaGaTPa[ôZYaTYaNaurJYaTae c )
r+aa&iSa >aqTaaiNa idXaae d]viNTa SaveR NaMaSYaiNTa c iSaÖSaºa" )) 36 ))
arjuna uväca
sthäne håñékeça tava prakértyä
jagat prahåñyaty anurajyate ca


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.rakñäàsi bhétäni diço dravanti
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saìghäù
SYNONYMS
arjunaù uväca —Arjuna said; sthäne —rightly; håñéka-éça —O master of all
senses; tava—Your; prakértyä —by the glories; jagat —the entire world;
prahåñyati —is rejoicing; anurajyate —is becoming attached; ca—and;
rakñäàsi —the demons; bhétäni —out of fear; diçaù —in all directions;
dravanti —are fleeing; sarve —all; namasyanti —are offering respects; ca—also;
siddha-saìghäù —the perfect human beings.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing
Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the
perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and
they flee here and there. All this is rightly done.
PURPORT
Arjuna, after hearing from Kåñëa about the outcome of the Battle of
Kurukñetra, became enlightened, and as  a great devotee and friend of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead he said that everything done by Kåñëa is
quite fit. Arjuna confirmed that Kåñëa is t he maintainer and the object of
worship for the devotees and the destroye r of the undesirables. His actions are
equally good for all. Arjuna unders tood herein that when the Battle of
Kurukñetra was being concluded, in outer space there were present many
demigods, siddhas,  and the intelligentsia of the higher planets, and they were
observing the fight because Kåñëa was present there. When Arjuna saw the
universal form of the Lord, the demigods took pleasure in it, but others, who
were demons and atheists, co uld not stand it when the Lord was praised. Out
of their natural fear of the devastat ing form of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, they fled. Kåñëa’s treatment of the devotees and the atheists is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.praised by Arjuna. In all cases a devotee glorifies the Lo rd because he knows
that whatever He does is good for all.
TEXT  37
k-SMaaÀ Tae Na NaMaerNMahaTMaNa( GarqYaSae b]ø<aae_PYaaidk-}aeR )
ANaNTa deveXa JaGaiàvaSa TvMa+ar& SadSataTPar& YaTa( )) 37 ))
kasmäc ca te na nameran mahätman
garéyase brahmaëo ’py ädi-kartre
ananta deveça jagan-niväsa
tvam akñaraà sad-asat tat paraà yat
SYNONYMS
kasmät —why; ca—also; te—unto You; na—not; nameran —they should offer
proper obeisances; mahä-ätman —O great one; garéyase —who are better;
brahmaëaù —than Brahmä; api—although; ädi-kartre —to the supreme creator;
ananta —O unlimited; deva-éça —O God of the gods; jagat-niväsa —O refuge of
the universe; tvam —You are; akñaram —imperishable; sat-asat —to cause and
effect; tat param —transcendental; yat—because.
TRANSLATION
O great one, greater even than Brahmä , You are the original creator. Why
then should they not offer their respectful obeisances unto You? O limitless
one, God of gods, refuge of the univer se! You are the invincible source, the
cause of all causes, transcen dental to this material manifestation.
PURPORT
By this offering of obeisances, Arjuna indicates that Kåñëa is worshipable
by everyone. He is all-pervading, and He  is the Soul of every soul. Arjuna is
addressing Kåñëa as mahätmä,  which means that He is most magnanimous and


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.unlimited. Ananta  indicates th at there is nothing which is not covered by the
influence and energy of the Supreme Lord, and deveça  means that He is the
controller of all demigods and is above th em all. He is the shelter of the whole
universe. Arjuna also thought that it was fitting tha t all the perfect living
entities and powerful demigods offer their respectful obeisances unto Him,
because no one is greater than Him. Arjuna especially mentions that Kåñëa is
greater than Brahmä because Brahmä is created by Him. Brahmä is born out of
the lotus stem grown from the navel ab domen of Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu, who
is Kåñëa’s plenary expansion; therefore Brahmä and Lord Çiva, who is born of
Brahmä, and all other demigods must o ffer their respectful obeisances. It is
stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam  that  the Lord is respected by Lord Çiva and
Brahmä and similar other demigods. The word akñaram  is very significant
because this material creation is subjec t to destruction but the Lord is above
this material creation. He is the cause of all causes, and being so, He is superior
to all the conditioned souls within this material nature as well as the material
cosmic manifestation itself. He is therefore the all-great Supreme.
TEXT  38
TvMaaiddev" Pauåz" Paura<a‚ STvMaSYa ivìSYa Par& iNaDaaNaMa( )
vetaaiSa veÛ& c Par& c DaaMa TvYaa TaTa& ivìMaNaNTaæPa )) 38 ))
tvam ädi-devaù puruñaù puräëas
tvam asya viçvasya paraà nidhänam
vettäsi vedyaà ca paraà ca dhäma
tvayä tataà viçvam ananta-rüpa
SYNONYMS
tvam —You; ädi-devaù —the original Supreme God; puruñaù —personality;
puräëaù —old; tvam —You; asya—of this; viçvasya —universe;
param —transcendental; nidhänam —refuge; vettä —the knower; asi—You are;
vedyam —the knowable; ca—and; param —transcendental; ca—and;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.dhäm a—refuge; tvayä —by You; tatam —pervaded; viçvam —the universe;
ananta-rüpa —O unlimited form.
TRANSLATION
You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate
sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything,
and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the
material modes. O limitless form! Thi s whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded
by You!
PURPORT
Everything is resting on the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore He
is the ultimate rest. Nidhänam  means that everything, even the Brahman
effulgence, rests on the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, Kåñëa. He is the
knower of everything that is happenin g in this world, and if knowledge has
any end, He is the end of all knowledge; therefore He is the known and the
knowable. He is the object of knowledge because He is all-pervading. Because
He is the cause in the spiritual wo rld, He is transcendental. He i s also the chief
personality in the transcendental world.
TEXT  39
vaYauYaRMaae_iGanvRå<a" XaXaaª" Pa[JaaPaiTaSTv& Pa[iPaTaaMahê )
NaMaae NaMaSTae_STau Sahók*-Tv" PauNaê >aUYaae_iPa NaMaae NaMaSTae )) 39 ))
väyur yamo ’gnir varuëaù çaçäìkaù
prajäpatis tvaà prapitämahaç ca
namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kåtvaù
punaç ca bhüyo ’pi namo namas te
SYNONYMS


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.väyuù —air; yamaù —the controller; agniù —fire; varuëaù —water;
çaça-aìkaù —the moon; prajäpatiù —Brahmä; tvam —You; prapitämahaù —the
great-grandfather; ca—also; namaù —my respects; namaù —again my respects;
te—unto You; astu—let there be; sahasra-kåtvaù —a thousand  times; punaù
ca—and again; bhüyaù —again; api—also; namaù —offering my respects;
namaù te —offering my respects unto You.
TRANSLATION
You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are
water, and You are the moon! You are Brahmä, the first living creature, and
You are the great-grandfather. I therefor e offer my respectful obeisances unto
You a thousand times, and agai n and yet again!
PURPORT
The Lord is addressed here as air be cause the air is the most important
representation of all the demigods, bein g all-pervasive. Arjuna also addresses
Kåñëa as the great-grandfather because He is the father of Brahmä, the first
living creature in the unive rse.
TEXT  40
NaMa" PaurSTaadQa Pa*ïTaSTae NaMaae_STau Tae SavRTa Wv SavR )
ANaNTavqYaaRiMaTaiv§-MaSTv& Sav| SaM aaPanaeiz TaTaae_iSa SavR" )) 40 ))
namaù purastäd atha påñöhatas te
namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva
ananta-véryämita-vikramas tvaà
sarvaà samäpnoñi tato ’si sarvaù
SYNONYMS
namaù —offering obeisances; purastät —from the front; atha—also;


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.påñöhataù —from behind; te—unto You; namaù astu —I offer my respects;
te—unto You; sarvataù —from all sides; eva—indeed; sarva —because You are
everything; ananta-vérya —unlimited potency; amita-vik ramaù —and unlimited
force; tvam —You; sarvam —everything; samäpnoñi —You cover;
tataù —therefore; asi—You are; sarvaù —everything.
TRANSLATION
Obeisances to You from the front, from behind and from all sides! O
unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading,
and thus You are everything!
PURPORT
Out of loving ecstasy for Kåñëa, his friend, Arjuna is offering his respects
from all sides. He is accepting that He  is the master of all potencies and all
prowess and far superior to all the grea t warriors assembled on the battlefield.
It is said in the Viñëu Puräëa  (1.9.69 ):
yo ’yaà tavägato deva
samépaà devatä-gaëaù
sa tvam eva jagat-srañöä
yataù sarva-gato bhavän
“ W h o e v e r  c o m e s  b e f o r e  Y o u ,  b e  h e  a  d e m i g o d ,  i s  c r e a t e d  b y  Y o u ,  O
Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
TEXTS  41–42
Sa%eiTa MaTva Pa[Sa>a& Yadu¢&- he k*-Z<a he Yaadv he Sa%eiTa )
AJaaNaTaa MaihMaaNa& Taved& MaYaa Pa[MaadaTPa[<aYaeNa vaiPa )) 41 ))
YaÀavhaSaaQaRMaSaTk*-Taae_iSa ivharXaYYaaSaNa>aaeJaNaezu )


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.Wk-ae_QavaPYaCYauTa TaTSaMa+a& TaT+aaMaYae TvaMahMaPa[MaeYaMa( ))  42 ))
sakheti matvä prasabhaà yad uktaà
he kåñëa he yädava he sakheti
ajänatä mahimänaà tavedaà
mayä pramädät praëayena väpi
yac cävahäsärtham asat-kåto ’si
vihära-çayyäsana-bhojaneñu
eko ’tha väpy acyuta tat-samakñaà
tat kñämaye tväm aham aprameyam
SYNONYMS
sakhä —friend; iti—thus; matvä —thinking; prasabham —presumptuously;
yat—whatever; uktam —said; he kåñëa —O Kåñëa; he yädava —O Yädava; he
sakhe —O my dear friend; iti—thus; ajänatä —without knowing;
mahimänam —glories; tava—Your; idam —this; mayä —by me; pramädät —ou t
of foolishness; praëayena —out of love; vä api —either; yat—whatever;
ca—also; avahäsa-artham —for joking; asat-kåtaù —dishonored; asi—You have
been; vihära —in relaxation; çayyä —in lying down; äsana —in sitting;
bhojaneñu —or while eating together; ekaù —alone;  atha vä —or; api—also;
acyuta —O infallible one; tat-samakñam —among companions; tat—all those;
kñämaye —ask forgiveness; tväm —from You; aham —I;
aprameyam —immeasurable.
TRANSLATION
Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You “O Kåñëa,” “O
Yädava,” “O my friend,” not knowing Yo ur glories. Please forgive whatever I
may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times,
jesting as we relaxed, lay on the sam e bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes
alone and sometimes in front of many frie nds. O infallible one, please excuse me
for all those offenses.


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.PURPORT
Although Kåñëa is manifested before Arjuna in His universal form, Arjuna
remembers his friendly relationship with  Kåñëa and is therefore asking pardon
and requesting Kåñëa to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise
out of friendship. He is ad mitting that formerly he did not know that Kåñëa
could assume such a universal form, although Kåñëa explained it as his
intimate friend. Arjuna did not know how many times he may have
dishonored Kåñëa by addressing Him “O my friend,” “O Kåñëa,” “O Yädava,”
etc., without acknowledging His opulence. But Kåñëa is so kind and merciful
that in spite of such opulence He played with Arjuna as a friend. Such is the
transcendental loving reciprocation between the devotee and the Lord. The
relationship between the li ving entity and Kåñëa is fixed eternally; it cannot
be forgotten, as we can see from the be havior of Arjuna. Although Arjuna has
seen the opulence in the universal form, he cannot forget his friendly
relationship with Kåñëa.
TEXT  43
iPaTaaiSa l/aek-SYa cracrSYa TvMaSYa PaUJYaê GauåGaRrqYaaNa( )
Na TvTSaMaae_STYa>YaiDak-" ku-Taae_NYaae l/aek-}aYae_PYaPa[iTaMaPa[>aav )) 43 ))
pitäsi lokasya caräcarasya
tvam asya püjyaç ca gurur garéyän
na tvat-samo ’sty abhyadhikaù kuto ’nyo
loka-traye ’py apratima-prabhäva
SYNONYMS
pitä—the father; asi—You are; lokasya —of all the world; cara—moving;
acarasya —and nonmoving; tvam —You are; asya—of this;
püjyaù —worshipable; ca—also; guruù —master; garéyän —glorious; na—never;
tvat-samaù —equal to You; asti—there is; abhyadhikaù —greater; kutaù—how is


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.it possible; anyaù —other; loka-traye —in the three planetary systems;
api—also; apratima-prabhäva —O immeasurable power.
TRANSLATION
You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and
the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No
one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be
anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable
power?
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kå ñëa, is worshipable as a father is
worshipable for his son. He is the spiritual master because He originally gave
the Vedic instructions to Brahmä and presently He is also instructing
Bhagavad-gétä  to Arjuna; therefore  He is the original spiritual master, and any
bona fide spiritual master at the presen t moment must be a descendant in the
line of disciplic succession stemming from Kåñëa. Without being a
representative of Kåñëa, one cannot become a teacher or spiritual m aster of
transcendental subject matter.
The Lord is being paid obeisances in  all respects. He is of immeasurable
greatness. No one can be greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Kåñëa, because no one is equal to or higher than Kåñëa within any
manifestation, spiritual or material. Every one is below Him. No one can excel
Him. This is stated in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad  (6.8):
na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate
na tat-samaç cäbhyadhikaç ca dåçyate
The Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, has senses and a body like the ordinary man, but
for Him there is no difference between His senses, His body, His mind and
Himself. Foolish persons who do not perfectly know Him say that Kåñëa is
different from His soul, mind, hear t and everything else. Kåñëa is absolute;
therefore His activities and potencies are supreme. It is also stated that


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Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.although He does not have senses like ours, He can perform all sensory
activities; therefore His senses are neither imperfect nor limited. No one can
be greater than Him, no one can be eq ual to Him, and everyone is lower than
Him.
The knowledge, strength and activities  of the Supreme Personality are all
transcendental. As stated in Bhagavad-gétä  (4.9):
janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so ’rjuna
Whoever knows Kåñëa’s transcendental body, activities and perfection,
after quitting his body, returns to Hi m and doesn’t come back again to this
miserable world. Therefore one should know that Kåñëa’s activities are
different from others. The best policy is to follow the principles of Kåñëa; that
will make one perfect. It is also stated  that there is no one who is master of
Kåñëa; everyone is His servant. The Caitanya-caritämåta  (Ädi 5.142 ) confirms,
ekale éçvara kåñëa, ära saba bhåtya:  only Kåñëa is God, and everyone else is His
servant. Everyone is complying with His order. There is no one who can deny
His order. Everyone is acting accordin g to His direction, being under His
superintendence. As stated in the Brahma-saàhitä,  He is the cause of all
causes.
TEXT  44
TaSMaaTPa[<aMYa Pa[i<aDaaYa k-aYa& Pa[SaadYae TvaMahMaqXaMaq@yMa( )
iPaTaev Pau}aSYa Sa%ev Sa:Yau" iPa[Ya" iPa[YaaYaahRiSa dev Saae!uMa( )) 44 ))
tasmät praëamya praëidhäya käyaà
prasädaye tväm aham éçam éòyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuù
priyaù priyäyärhasi deva soòhum


