Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Five

SB3.5.26

TEXT 26

kala-vrttya tu mayayam

guna-mayyam adhoksajah

purusenatma-bhutena

viryam adhatta viryavan

SYNONYMS

kala—the eternal time; vrttya—by the influence of; tu—but; mayayam—in the external energy; guna-mayyam—in the qualitative modes of nature; adhoksajah—the Transcendence; purusena—by the purusa incarnation; atma-bhutena—who is the plenary expansion of the Lord; viryam—the seeds of the living entities; adhatta—impregnated; viryavan—the Supreme Living Being.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Living Being in His feature as the transcendental purusa incarnation, who is the Lord’s plenary expansion, impregnates the material nature of three modes, and thus by the influence of eternal time the living entities appear.

PURPORT

The offspring of any living being is born after the father impregnates the mother with semen, and the living entity floating in the semen of the father takes the shape of the mother’s form. Similarly, mother material nature cannot produce any living entity from her material elements unless and until she is impregnated with living entities by the Lord Himself. That is the mystery of the generation of the living entities. This impregnating process is performed by the first purusa incarnation, Karanarnavasayi Visnu. Simply by His glance over material nature, the whole matter is accomplished.

We should not understand the process of impregnation by the Personality of Godhead in terms of our conception of sex. The omnipotent Lord can impregnate just by His eyes, and therefore He is called all-potent. Each and every part of His transcendental body can perform each and every function of the other parts. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.32): angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. In Bhagavad-gita (14.3) also, the same principle is confirmed: mama yonir mahad-brahma tasmin garbham dadhamy aham. When the cosmic creation is manifested, the living entities are directly supplied from the Lord; they are never products of material nature. Thus, no scientific advancement of material science can ever produce a living being. That is the whole mystery of the material creation. The living entities are foreign to matter, and thus they cannot be happy unless they are situated in the same spiritual life as the Lord. The mistaken living being, out of forgetfulness of this original condition of life, unnecessarily wastes time trying to become happy in the material world. The whole Vedic process is to remind one of this essential feature of life. The Lord offers the conditioned soul a material body for his so-called enjoyment, but if one does not come to his senses and enter into spiritual consciousness, the Lord again puts him in the unmanifested condition as it existed in the beginning of the creation. The Lord is described here as viryavan, or the greatest potent being, because He impregnates material nature with innumerable living entities who are conditioned from time immemorial.

SB3.5.27

TEXT 27

tato ’bhavan mahat-tattvam

avyaktat kala-coditat

vijnanatmatma-deha-stham

visvam vyanjams tamo-nudah

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereafter; abhavat—came into existence; mahat—supreme; tattvam—sum total; avyaktat—from the unmanifested; kala-coditat—by the interaction of time; vijnana-atma—unalloyed goodness; atma-deha-stham—situated on the bodily self; visvam—complete universes; vyanjan—manifesting; tamah-nudah—the supreme light.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, influenced by the interactions of eternal time, the supreme sum total of matter called the mahat-tattva became manifested, and in this mahat-tattva the unalloyed goodness, the Supreme Lord, sowed the seeds of universal manifestation out of His own body.

PURPORT

In due course of time, the impregnated material energy was manifested first as the total material ingredients. Everything takes its own time to fructify, and therefore the word kala-coditat, “influenced by time,” is used herein. The mahat-tattva is the total consciousness because a portion of it is represented in everyone as the intellect. The mahat-tattva is directly connected with the supreme consciousness of the Supreme Being, but still it appears as matter. The mahat-tattva, or shadow of pure consciousness, is the germinating place of all creation. It is pure goodness with the slight addition of the material mode of passion, and therefore activity is generated from this point.

SB3.5.28

TEXT 28

so ’py amsa-guna-kalatma

bhagavad-drsti-gocarah

atmanam vyakarod atma

visvasyasya sisrksaya

SYNONYMS

sahmahat-tattva; api—also; amsapurusa plenary expansion; guna—chiefly the quality of ignorance; kala—the duration of time; atma—full consciousness; bhagavat—the Personality of Godhead; drsti-gocarah—range of sight; atmanam—many different forms; vyakarot—differentiated; atma—reservoir; visvasya—the would-be entities; asya—of this; sisrksaya—generates the false ego.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the mahat-tattva differentiated itself into many different forms as the reservoir of the would-be entities. The mahat-tattva is chiefly in the mode of ignorance, and it generates the false ego. It is a plenary expansion of the Personality of Godhead, with full consciousness of creative principles and time for fructification.

PURPORT

The mahat-tattva is the via medium between pure spirit and material existence. It is the junction of matter and spirit wherefrom the false ego of the living entity is generated. All living entities are differentiated parts and parcels of the Personality of Godhead. Under the pressure of false ego, the conditioned souls, although parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, claim to be the enjoyers of material nature. This false ego is the binding force of material existence. The Lord again and again gives a chance to the bewildered conditioned souls to get free from this false ego, and that is why the material creation takes place at intervals. He gives the conditioned souls all facilities for rectifying the activities of the false ego, but He does not interfere with their small independence as parts and parcels of the Lord.

SB3.5.29

TEXT 29

mahat-tattvad vikurvanad

aham-tattvam vyajayata

karya-karana-kartratma

bhutendriya-mano-mayah

vaikarikas taijasas ca

tamasas cety aham tridha

SYNONYMS

mahat—the great; tattvat—from the causal truth; vikurvanat—being transformed; aham—false ego; tattvam—material truth; vyajayata—became manifested; karya—effects; karana—cause; kartr—doer; atma—soul or source; bhuta—material ingredients; indriya—senses; manah-mayah—hovering on the mental plane; vaikarikah—the mode of goodness; taijasah—the mode of passion; ca—and; tamasah—the mode of ignorance; ca—and; iti—thus; aham—false ego; tridha—three kinds.

TRANSLATION

Mahat-tattva, or the great causal truth, transforms into false ego, which is manifested in three phases—cause, effect and the doer. All such activities are on the mental plane and are based on the material elements, gross senses and mental speculation. The false ego is represented in three different modes—goodness, passion and ignorance.

PURPORT

A pure living entity in his original spiritual existence is fully conscious of his constitutional position as an eternal servitor of the Lord. All souls who are situated in such pure consciousness are liberated, and therefore they eternally live in bliss and knowledge in the various Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky. When the material creation is manifested, it is not meant for them. The eternally liberated souls are called nitya-muktas, and they have nothing to do with the material creation. The material creation is meant for rebellious souls who are not prepared to accept subordination under the Supreme Lord. This spirit of false lordship is called false ego. It is manifested in three modes of material nature, and it exists in mental speculation only. Those who are in the mode of goodness think that each and every person is God, and thus they laugh at the pure devotees, who try to engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Those who are puffed up by the mode of passion try to lord it over material nature in various ways. Some of them engage in altruistic activities as if they were agents appointed to do good to others by their mental speculative plans. Such men accept the standard ways of mundane altruism, but their plans are made on the basis of false ego. This false ego extends to the limit of becoming one with the Lord. The last class of egoistic conditioned souls—those in the mode of ignorance—are misguided by identification of the gross body with the self. Thus, all their activities are centered around the body only. All these persons are given the chance to play with false egoistic ideas, but at the same time the Lord is kind enough to give them a chance to take help from scriptures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam so that they may understand the science of Krsna and thus make their lives successful. The entire material creation, therefore, is meant for the falsely egoistic living entities hovering on the mental plane under different illusions in the modes of material nature.

SB3.5.30

TEXT 30

aham-tattvad vikurvanan

mano vaikarikad abhut

vaikarikas ca ye deva

arthabhivyanjanam yatah

SYNONYMS

aham-tattvat—from the principle of false ego; vikurvanat—by transformation; manah—the mind; vaikarikat—by interaction with the mode of goodness; abhut—generated; vaikarikah—by interaction with goodness; ca—also; ye—all these; devah—demigods; artha—the phenomenon; abhivyanjanam—physical knowledge; yatah—the source.

TRANSLATION

The false ego is transformed into mind by interaction with the mode of goodness. All the demigods who control the phenomenal world are also products of the same principle, namely the interaction of false ego and the mode of goodness.

PURPORT

False ego interacting with the different modes of material nature is the source of all materials in the phenomenal world.

SB3.5.31

TEXT 31

taijasanindriyany eva

jnana-karma-mayani ca

SYNONYMS

taijasani—the mode of passion; indriyani—the senses; eva—certainly; jnana—knowledge, philosophical speculations; karma—fruitive activities; mayani—predominating; ca—also.

TRANSLATION

The senses are certainly products of the mode of passion in false ego, and therefore philosophical speculative knowledge and fruitive activities are predominantly products of the mode of passion.

PURPORT

The chief function of the false ego is godlessness. When a person forgets his constitutional position as an eternally subordinate part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and wants to be happy independently, he functions mainly in two ways. He first attempts to act fruitively for personal gain or sense gratification, and after attempting such fruitive activities for a considerable time, when he is frustrated he becomes a philosophical speculator and thinks himself to be on the same level as God. This false idea of becoming one with the Lord is the last snare of the illusory energy, which traps a living entity into the bondage of forgetfulness under the spell of false ego.

The best means of liberation from the clutches of false ego is to give up the habit of philosophical speculation regarding the Absolute Truth. One should know definitely that the Absolute Truth is never realized by the philosophical speculations of the imperfect egoistic person. The Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is realized by hearing about Him in all submission and love from a bona fide authority who is a representative of the twelve great authorities mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. By such an attempt only can one conquer the illusory energy of the Lord, although for others she is unsurpassable, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.14).

SB3.5.32

TEXT 32

tamaso bhuta-suksmadir

yatah kham lingam atmanah

SYNONYMS

tamasah—from the mode of passion; bhuta-suksma-adih—subtle sense objects; yatah—from which; kham—the sky; lingam—symbolic representation; atmanah—of the Supreme Soul.

TRANSLATION

The sky is a product of sound, and sound is the transformation of egoistic passion. In other words, the sky is the symbolic representation of the Supreme Soul.

PURPORT

In the Vedic hymns it is said, etasmad atmanah akasah sambhutah. The sky is the symbolic representation of the Supreme Soul. Those who are egoistic in passion and ignorance cannot conceive of the Personality of Godhead. For them the sky is the symbolic representation of the Supreme Soul.

SB3.5.33

TEXT 33

kala-mayamsa-yogena

bhagavad-viksitam nabhah

nabhaso ’nusrtam sparsam

vikurvan nirmame ’nilam

SYNONYMS

kala—time; maya—external energy; amsa-yogena—partly mixed; bhagavat—the Personality of Godhead; viksitam—glanced over; nabhah—the sky; nabhasah—from the sky; anusrtam—being so contacted; sparsam—touch; vikurvat—being transformed; nirmame—was created; anilam—the air.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the Personality of Godhead glanced over the sky, partly mixed with eternal time and external energy, and thus developed the touch sensation, from which the air in the sky was produced.

PURPORT

All material creations take place from subtle to gross. The entire universe has developed in that manner. From the sky developed the touch sensation, which is a mixture of eternal time, the external energy and the glance of the Personality of Godhead. The touch sensation developed into the air in the sky. Similarly, all other gross matter also developed from subtle to gross: sound developed into sky, touch developed into air, form developed into fire, taste developed into water, and smell developed into earth.

SB3.5.34

TEXT 34

anilo ’pi vikurvano

nabhasoru-balanvitah

sasarja rupa-tanmatram

jyotir lokasya locanam

SYNONYMS

anilah—air; api—also; vikurvanah—being transformed; nabhasa—sky; uru-bala-anvitah—extremely powerful; sasarja—created; rupa—form; tat-matram—sense perception; jyotih—electricity; lokasya—of the world; locanam—light to see.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the extremely powerful air, interacting with the sky, generated the form of sense perception, and the perception of form transformed into electricity, the light to see the world.

SB3.5.35

TEXT 35

anilenanvitam jyotir

vikurvat paraviksitam

adhattambho rasa-mayam

kala-mayamsa-yogatah

SYNONYMS

anilena—by the air; anvitam—interacted; jyotih—electricity; vikurvat—being transformed; paraviksitam—being glanced over by the Supreme; adhatta—created; ambhah rasa-mayam—water with taste; kala—of eternal time; maya-amsa—and external energy; yogatah—by a mixture.

TRANSLATION

When electricity was surcharged in the air and was glanced over by the Supreme, at that time, by a mixture of eternal time and external energy, there occurred the creation of water and taste.

SB3.5.36

TEXT 36

jyotisambho ’nusamsrstam

vikurvad brahma-viksitam

mahim gandha-gunam adhat

kala-mayamsa-yogatah

SYNONYMS

jyotisa—electricity; ambhah—water; anusamsrstam—thus created; vikurvat—due to transformation; brahma—the Supreme; viksitam—so glanced over; mahim—the earth; gandha—smell; gunam—qualification; adhat—was created; kala—eternal time; maya—external energy; amsa—partially; yogatah—by intermixture.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter the water produced from electricity was glanced over by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and mixed with eternal time and external energy. Thus it was transformed into the earth, which is qualified primarily by smell.

PURPORT

From the descriptions of the physical elements in the above verses it is clear that in all stages the glance of the Supreme is needed with the other additions and alterations. In every transformation, the last finishing touch is the glance of the Lord, who acts as a painter does when he mixes different colors to transform them into a particular color. When one element mixes with another, the number of its qualities increases. For example, the sky is the cause of air. The sky has only one quality, namely sound, but by the interaction of the sky with the glance of the Lord, mixed with eternal time and external nature, the air is produced, which has two qualities—sound and touch. Similarly after the air is created, interaction of sky and air, touched by time and the external energy of the Lord, produces electricity. And after the interaction of electricity with air and sky, mixed with time, external energy and the Lord’s glance over them, the water is produced. In the final stage of sky there is one quality, namely sound; in the air two qualities, sound and touch; in the electricity three qualities, namely sound, touch and form; in the water four qualities, sound, touch, form and taste; and in the last stage of physical development the result is earth, which has all five qualities—sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Although they are different mixtures of different materials, such mixtures do not take place automatically, just as a mixture of colors does not take place automatically without the touch of the living painter. The automatic system is factually activated by the glancing touch of the Lord. Living consciousness is the final word in all physical changes. This fact is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (9.10) as follows:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

The conclusion is that the physical elements may work very wonderfully to the laymen’s eyes, but their workings actually take place under the supervision of the Lord. Those who can mark only the changes of the physical elements and cannot perceive the hidden hands of the Lord behind them are certainly less intelligent persons, although they may be advertised as great material scientists.

SB3.5.37

TEXT 37

bhutanam nabha-adinam

yad yad bhavyavaravaram

tesam paranusamsargad

yatha sankhyam gunan viduh

SYNONYMS

bhutanam—of all the physical elements; nabhah—the sky; adinam—beginning from; yat—as; yat—and as; bhavya—O gentle one; avara—inferior; varam—superior; tesam—all of them; para—the Supreme; anusamsargat—last touch; yatha—as many; sankhyam—number; gunan—qualities; viduh—you may understand.

TRANSLATION

O gentle one, of all the physical elements, beginning from the sky down to the earth, all the inferior and superior qualities are due only to the final touch of the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB3.5.38

TEXT 38

ete devah kala visnoh

kala-mayamsa-linginah

nanatvat sva-kriyanisah

procuh pranjalayo vibhum

SYNONYMS

ete—of all these physical elements; devah—the controlling demigods; kalah—parts and parcels; visnoh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kala—time; maya—external energy; amsa—part and parcel; linginah—so embodied; nanatvat—because of various; sva-kriya—personal duties; anisah—not being able to perform; procuh—uttered; pranjalayah—fascinating; vibhum—unto the Lord.

TRANSLATION

The controlling deities of all the above-mentioned physical elements are empowered expansions of Lord Visnu. They are embodied by eternal time under the external energy, and they are His parts and parcels. Because they were entrusted with different functions of universal duties and were unable to perform them, they offered fascinating prayers to the Lord as follows.

PURPORT

The conception of various controlling demigods who inhabit the higher planetary systems for the management of universal affairs is not imaginary, as proposed by persons with a poor fund of knowledge. The demigods are expanded parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord Visnu, and they are embodied by time, external energy and partial consciousness of the Supreme. Human beings, animals, birds, etc., are also parts and parcels of the Lord and have different material bodies, but they are not the controlling deities of material affairs. They are, rather, controlled by such demigods. Such control is not superfluous; it is as necessary as the controlling departments in the affairs of a modern state. The demigods should not be despised by the controlled living beings. They are all great devotees of the Lord entrusted to execute certain functions of universal affairs. One may be angry with Yamaraja for his thankless task of punishing sinful souls, but Yamaraja is one of the authorized devotees of the Lord, and so are all the other demigods. A devotee of the Lord is never controlled by such deputed demigods, who function as assistants of the Lord, but he shows them all respects on account of the responsible positions to which they have been appointed by the Lord. At the same time, a devotee of the Lord does not foolishly mistake them to be the Supreme Lord. Only foolish persons accept the demigods as being on the same level as Visnu; actually they are all appointed as servants of Visnu.

Anyone who places the Lord and the demigods on the same level is called a pasandi, or atheist. The demigods are worshiped by persons who are more or less adherents of the processes of jnana, yoga and karma, i.e., the impersonalists, meditators and fruitive workers. The devotees, however, worship only the Supreme Lord Visnu. This worship is not for any material benefit, as desired by all the materialists, even up to the salvationists, mystics and fruitive workers. Devotees worship the Supreme Lord to attain unalloyed devotion to the Lord. The Lord, however, is not worshiped by others, who have no program for attaining love of God, which is the essential aim of human life. Persons averse to a loving relationship with God are more or less condemned by their own actions.

The Lord is equal to every living entity, just like the flowing Ganges. The Ganges water is meant for the purification of everyone, yet the trees on the banks of the Ganges have different values. A mango tree on the bank of the Ganges drinks the water, and the nimba tree also drinks the same water. But the fruits of both trees are different. One is celestially sweet, and the other is hellishly bitter. The condemned bitterness of the nimba is due to its own past work, just as the sweetness of the mango is also due to its own karma. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (16.19):

tan aham dvisatah kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu

“The envious, the mischievous, the lowest of mankind, these do I ever put back into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” Demigods like Yamaraja and other controllers are there for the unwanted conditioned souls who always engage in threatening the tranquillity of the kingdom of God. Since all the demigods are confidential devotee-servitors of the Lord, they are never to be condemned.

SB3.5.39

TEXT 39

deva ucuh

namama te deva padaravindam

prapanna-tapopasamatapatram

yan-mula-keta yatayo ’njasoru-

samsara-duhkham bahir utksipanti

SYNONYMS

devah ucuh—the demigods said; namama—we offer our respectful obeisances; te—Your; deva—O Lord; pada-aravindam—lotus feet; prapanna—surrendered; tapa—distress; upasama—suppresses; atapatram—umbrella; yat-mula-ketah—shelter of the lotus feet; yatayah—great sages; anjasa—totally; uru—great; samsara-duhkham—miseries of material existence; bahih—out; utksipanti—forcibly throw.

TRANSLATION

The demigods said: O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. All the sages under that shelter throw off all material miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet.

PURPORT

There are many sages and saints who engage in trying to conquer rebirth and all other material miseries. But of all of them, those who take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord can completely throw off all such miseries without difficulty. Others, who are engaged in transcendental activities in different ways, cannot do so. For them it is very difficult. They may artificially think of becoming liberated without accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, but that is not possible. One is sure to fall again to material existence from such false liberation, even though one may have undergone severe penances and austerities. This is the opinion of the demigods, who are not only well versed in Vedic knowledge but are also seers of the past, present and future. The opinions of the demigods are valuable because the demigods are authorized to hold positions in the affairs of universal management. They are appointed by the Lord as His confidential servants.

SB3.5.40

TEXT 40

dhatar yad asmin bhava isa jivas

tapa-trayenabhihata na sarma

atman labhante bhagavams tavanghri-

cchayam sa-vidyam ata asrayema

SYNONYMS

dhatah—O father; yat—because; asmin—in this; bhave—material world; isa—O Lord; jivah—the living entities; tapa—miseries; trayena—by the three; abhihatah—always embarrassed; na—never; sarma—in happiness; atman—self; labhante—do gain; bhagavan—O Personality of Godhead; tava—Your; anghri-chayam—shade of Your feet; sa-vidyam—full of knowledge; atah—obtain; asrayema—shelter.

TRANSLATION

O Father, O Lord, O Personality of Godhead, the living entities in the material world can never have any happiness because they are overwhelmed by the three kinds of miseries. Therefore they take shelter of the shade of Your lotus feet, which are full of knowledge, and we also thus take shelter of them.

PURPORT

The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries—miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence—whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird—must suffer from adhyatmika (bodily or mental) pains, adhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and adhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The argument that unless one has proper knowledge one cannot be freed from material miseries is undoubtedly true. But because the lotus feet of the Lord are full of transcendental knowledge, acceptance of His lotus feet completes that necessity. We have already discussed this point in the First Canto (1.2.7):

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

There is no want of knowledge in the devotional service of Vasudeva, the Personality of Godhead. He, the Lord, personally takes charge of dissipating the darkness of ignorance from the heart of a devotee. He confirms this in Bhagavad-gita (10.10):

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

Empiric philosophical speculation cannot give one relief from the threefold miseries of material existence. Simply to endeavor for knowledge without devoting oneself to the Lord is a waste of valuable time.

SB3.5.41

TEXT 41

marganti yat te mukha-padma-nidais

chandah-suparnair rsayo vivikte

yasyagha-marsoda-sarid-varayah

padam padam tirtha-padah prapannah

SYNONYMS

marganti—searching after; yat—as; te—Your; mukha-padma—lotuslike face; nidaih—by those who have taken shelter of such a lotus flower; chandah—Vedic hymns; suparnaih—by the wings; rsayah—the sages; vivikte—in clear mind; yasya—whose; agha-marsa-uda—that which offers freedom from all reactions to sin; sarit—rivers; varayah—in the best; padam padam—in every step; tirtha-padah—one whose lotus feet are as good as a place of pilgrimage; prapannah—taking shelter.

TRANSLATION

The lotus feet of the Lord are by themselves the shelter of all places of pilgrimage. The great clear-minded sages, carried by the wings of the Vedas, always search after the nest of Your lotuslike face. Some of them surrender to Your lotus feet at every step by taking shelter of the best of rivers [the Ganges], which can deliver one from all sinful reactions.

PURPORT

The paramahamsas are compared to royal swans who make their nests on the petals of the lotus flower. The Lord’s transcendental bodily parts are always compared to the lotus flower because in the material world the lotus flower is the last word in beauty. The most beautiful thing in the world is the Vedas, or Bhagavad-gita, because therein knowledge is imparted by the Personality of Godhead Himself. The paramahamsa makes his nest in the lotuslike face of the Lord and always seeks shelter at His lotus feet, which are reached by the wings of Vedic wisdom. Since the Lord is the original source of all emanations, intelligent persons, enlightened by Vedic knowledge, seek the shelter of the Lord, just as birds who leave the nest again search out the nest to take complete rest. All Vedic knowledge is meant for understanding the Supreme Lord, as stated by the Lord in Bhagavad-gita (15.15): vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Intelligent persons, who are like swans, take shelter of the Lord by all means and do not hover on the mental plane by fruitlessly speculating on different philosophies.

The Lord is so kind that He has spread the River Ganges throughout the universe so that by taking bath in that holy river everyone can get release from the reactions of sins, which occur at every step. There are many rivers in the world which are able to evoke one’s sense of God consciousness simply by one’s bathing in them, and the River Ganges is chief amongst them. In India there are five sacred rivers, but the Ganges is the most sacred. The River Ganges and Bhagavad-gita are chief sources of transcendental happiness for mankind, and intelligent persons can take shelter of them to go back home, back to Godhead. Even Sripada Sankaracarya recommends that a little knowledge in Bhagavad-gita and the drinking of a little quantity of Ganges water can save one from the punishment of Yamaraja.

Next verse (SB3.5.42)