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

Chapter Thirty-two

SB3.32.16

TEXT 16

ye tv ihasakta-manasah

karmasu sraddhayanvitah

kurvanty apratisiddhani

nityany api ca krtsnasah

SYNONYMS

ye—those who; tu—but; iha—in this world; asakta—addicted; manasah—whose minds; karmasu—to fruitive activities; sraddhaya—with faith; anvitah—endowed; kurvanti—perform; apratisiddhani—with attachment to the result; nityani—prescribed duties; api—certainly; ca—and; krtsnasah—repeatedly.

TRANSLATION

Persons who are too addicted to this material world execute their prescribed duties very nicely and with great faith. They daily perform all such prescribed duties with attachment to the fruitive result.

PURPORT

In this and the following six verses, the Srimad-Bhagavatam criticizes persons who are too materially attached. It is enjoined in the Vedic scriptures that those who are attached to the enjoyment of material facilities have to sacrifice and undergo certain ritualistic performances. They have to observe certain rules and regulations in their daily lives to be elevated to the heavenly planets. It is stated in this verse that such persons cannot be liberated at any time. Those who worship demigods with the consciousness that each and every demigod is a separate God cannot be elevated to the spiritual world, what to speak of persons who are simply attached to duties for the upliftment of their material condition.

SB3.32.17

TEXT 17

rajasa kuntha-manasah

kamatmano ’jitendriyah

pitrn yajanty anudinam

grhesv abhiratasayah

SYNONYMS

rajasa—by the mode of passion; kuntha—full of anxieties; manasah—their minds; kama-atmanah—aspiring for sense gratification; ajita—uncontrolled; indriyah—their senses; pitrn—the forefathers; yajanti—they worship; anudinam—every day; grhesu—in home life; abhirata—engaged; asayah—their minds.

TRANSLATION

Such persons, impelled by the mode of passion, are full of anxieties and always aspire for sense gratification due to uncontrolled senses. They worship the forefathers and are busy day and night improving the economic condition of their family, social or national life.

SB3.32.18

TEXT 18

trai-vargikas te purusa

vimukha hari-medhasah

kathayam kathaniyoru-

vikramasya madhudvisah

SYNONYMS

trai-vargikah—interested in the three elevating processes; te—those; purusah—persons; vimukhah—not interested; hari-medhasah—of Lord Hari; kathayam—in the pastimes; kathaniya—worth chanting of; uru-vikramasya—whose excellent prowess; madhu-dvisah—the killer of the Madhu demon.

TRANSLATION

Such persons are called trai-vargika because they are interested in the three elevating processes. They are averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can give relief to the conditioned soul. They are not interested in the Supreme Personality’s pastimes, which are worth hearing because of His transcendental prowess.

PURPORT

According to Vedic thought, there are four elevating principles, namely religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Persons who are simply interested in material enjoyment make plans to execute prescribed duties. They are interested in the three elevating processes of religious rituals, economic elevation and sense enjoyment. By developing their economic condition, they can enjoy material life. Materialistic persons, therefore, are interested in those elevating processes, which are called trai-vargika. Trai means “three”; vargika means “elevating processes.” Such materialistic persons are never attracted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, they are antagonistic towards Him.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is here described as hari-medhah, or “He who can deliver one from the cycle of birth and death.” Materialistic persons are never interested in hearing about the marvelous pastimes of the Lord. They think that they are fictions and stories and that the Supreme Godhead is also a man of material nature. They are not fit for advancing in devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. Such materialistic persons are interested in newspaper stories, novels and imaginary dramas. The factual activities of the Lord, such as Lord Krsna’s acting in the Battle of Kuruksetra, or the activities of the Pandavas, or the Lord’s activities in Vrndavana or Dvaraka, are related in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, which are full of the activities of the Lord. But materialistic persons who engage in elevating their position in the material world are not interested in such activities of the Lord. They may be interested in the activities of a great politician or a great rich man of this world, but they are not interested in the transcendental activities of the Supreme Lord.

SB3.32.19

TEXT 19

nunam daivena vihata

ye cacyuta-katha-sudham

hitva srnvanty asad-gathah

purisam iva vid-bhujah

SYNONYMS

nunam—certainly; daivena—by the order of the Lord; vihatah—condemned; ye—those who; ca—also; acyuta—of the infallible Lord; katha—stories; sudham—nectar; hitva—having given up; srnvanti—they hear; asat-gathah—stories about materialistic persons; purisam—stool; iva—like; vit-bhujah—stool-eaters (hogs).

TRANSLATION

Such persons are condemned by the supreme order of the Lord. Because they are averse to the nectar of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are compared to stool-eating hogs. They give up hearing the transcendental activities of the Lord and indulge in hearing of the abominable activities of materialistic persons.

PURPORT

Everyone is addicted to hearing of the activities of another person, whether a politician or a rich man or an imaginary character whose activities are created in a novel. There are so many nonsensical literatures, stories and books of speculative philosophy. Materialistic persons are very interested in reading such literature, but when they are presented with genuine books of knowledge like Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, Visnu Purana or other scriptures of the world, such as the Bible and Koran, they are not interested. These persons are condemned by the supreme order as much as a hog is condemned. The hog is interested in eating stool. If the hog is offered some nice preparation made of condensed milk or ghee, he won’t like it; he would prefer obnoxious, bad-smelling stool, which he finds very relishable. Materialistic persons are considered condemned because they are interested in hellish activities and not in transcendental activities. The message of the Lord’s activities is nectar, and besides that message, any information in which we may be interested is actually hellish.

SB3.32.20

TEXT 20

daksinena patharyamnah

pitr-lokam vrajanti te

prajam anu prajayante

smasananta-kriya-krtah

SYNONYMS

daksinena—southern; patha—by the path; aryamnah—of the sun; pitr-lokam—to Pitrloka; vrajanti—go; te—they; prajam—their families; anu—along with; prajayante—they take birth; smasana—the crematorium; anta—to the end; kriya—fruitive activities; krtah—performing.

TRANSLATION

Such materialistic persons are allowed to go to the planet called Pitrloka by the southern course of the sun, but they again come back to this planet and take birth in their own families, beginning again the same fruitive activities from birth to the end of life.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita, Ninth Chapter, verse 21, it is stated that such persons are elevated to the higher planetary systems. As soon as their lifetimes of fruitive activity are finished, they return to this planet, and thus they go up and come down. Those who are elevated to the higher planets again come back into the same family for which they had too much attachment; they are born, and the fruitive activities continue again until the end of life. There are different prescribed rituals from birth until the end of life, and they are very much attached to such activities.

SB3.32.21

TEXT 21

tatas te ksina-sukrtah

punar lokam imam sati

patanti vivasa devaih

sadyo vibhramsitodayah

SYNONYMS

tatah—then; te—they; ksina—exhausted; su-krtah—results of their pious activities; punah—again; lokam imam—to this planet; sati—O virtuous mother; patanti—fall; vivasah—helpless; devaih—by higher arrangement; sadyah—suddenly; vibhramsita—caused to fall; udayah—their prosperity.

TRANSLATION

When the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they fall down by higher arrangement and again come back to this planet, just as any person raised to a high position sometimes all of a sudden falls.

PURPORT

It is sometimes found that a person elevated to a very high position in government service falls down all of a sudden, and no one can check him. Similarly, after finishing their period of enjoyment, foolish persons who are very much interested in being elevated to the position of president in higher planets also fall down to this planet. The distinction between the elevated position of a devotee and that of an ordinary person attracted to fruitive activities is that when a devotee is elevated to the spiritual kingdom he never falls down, whereas an ordinary person falls, even if he is elevated to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka. It is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (abrahma-bhuvanal lokah) that even if one is elevated to a higher planet, he has to come down again. But Krsna confirms in Bhagavad-gita (8.16), mam upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate: “Anyone who attains My abode never comes back to this conditioned life of material existence.”

SB3.32.22

TEXT 22

tasmat tvam sarva-bhavena

bhajasva paramesthinam

tad-gunasrayaya bhaktya

bhajaniya-padambujam

SYNONYMS

tasmat—therefore; tvam—you (Devahuti); sarva-bhavena—with loving ecstasy; bhajasva—worship; paramesthinam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat-guna—the qualities of the Lord; asrayaya—connected with; bhaktya—by devotional service; bhajaniya—worshipable; pada-ambujam—whose lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

My dear mother, I therefore advise that you take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for His lotus feet are worth worshiping. Accept this with all devotion and love, for thus you can be situated in transcendental devotional service.

PURPORT

The word paramesthinam is sometimes used in connection with Brahma. paramesthi means “the supreme person.” As Brahma is the supreme person within this universe, Krsna is the Supreme Personality in the spiritual world. Lord Kapiladeva advises His mother that she should take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, because it is worthwhile. Taking shelter of demigods, even those in the highest positions, like Brahma and Siva, is not advised herein. One should take shelter of the Supreme Godhead.

Sarva-bhavena means “in all-loving ecstasy.” Bhava is the preliminary stage of elevation before the attainment of pure love of Godhead. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita, budha bhava-samanvitah: one who has attained the stage of bhava can accept the lotus feet of Lord Krsna as worshipable. This is also advised here by Lord Kapila to His mother. Also significant in this verse is the phrase tad-gunasrayaya bhaktya. This means that discharging devotional service unto Krsna is transcendental; it is not material activity. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: those who engage in devotional service are accepted to be situated in the spiritual kingdom. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate: they at once become situated in the transcendental kingdom.

Devotional service in full Krsna consciousness is the only means for attaining the highest perfection of life for the human being. This is recommended herein by Lord Kapila to His mother. Bhakti is therefore nirguna, free from all tinges of material qualities. Although the discharge of devotional service appears to be like material activities, it is never saguna, or contaminated by material qualities. Tad-gunasrayaya means that Lord Krsna’s transcendental qualities are so sublime that there is no need to divert one’s attention to any other activities. His behavior with the devotees is so exalted that a devotee need not try to divert his attention to any other worship. It is said that the demoniac Putana came to kill Krsna by poisoning Him, but because Krsna was pleased to suck her breast, she was given the same position as His mother. Devotees pray, therefore, that if a demon who wanted to kill Krsna gets such an exalted position, why should they go to anyone other than Krsna for their worshipful attachment? There are two kinds of religious activities: one for material advancement and the other for spiritual advancement. By taking shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, one is endowed with both kinds of prosperity, material and spiritual. Why then should one go to any demigod?

SB3.32.23

TEXT 23

vasudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogah prayojitah

janayaty asu vairagyam

jnanam yad brahma-darsanam

SYNONYMS

vasudeve—unto Krsna; bhagavati—the Personality of Godhead; bhakti-yogah—devotional service; prayojitah—discharged; janayati—produces; asu—very soon; vairagyam—detachment; jnanam—knowledge; yat—which; brahma-darsanam—self-realization.

TRANSLATION

Engagement in Krsna consciousness and application of devotional service unto Krsna make it possible to advance in knowledge and detachment, as well as in self-realization.

PURPORT

It is said by less intelligent men that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is meant for persons who are not advanced in transcendental knowledge and renunciation. But the fact is that if one engages in the devotional service of the Lord in full Krsna consciousness, he does not have to attempt separately to practice detachment or to wait for an awakening of transcendental knowledge. It is said that one who engages unflinchingly in the devotional service of the Lord actually has all the good qualities of the demigods develop in him automatically. One cannot discover how such good qualities develop in the body of a devotee, but actually it happens. There is one instance where a hunter was taking pleasure in killing animals, but after becoming a devotee he was not prepared to kill even an ant. Such is the quality of a devotee.

Those who are very eager to advance in transcendental knowledge can engage themselves in pure devotional service, without wasting time in mental speculation. For arriving at the positive conclusions of knowledge in the Absolute Truth, the word brahma-darsanam is significant in this verse. Brahma-darsanam means to realize or to understand the Transcendence. One who engages in the service of Vasudeva can actually realize what Brahman is. If Brahman is impersonal, then there is no question of darsanam, which means “seeing face to face.” Darsanam refers to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Unless the seer and the seen are persons, there is no darsanam. Brahma-darsanam means that as soon as one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can at once realize what impersonal Brahman is. A devotee does not need to make separate investigations to understand the nature of Brahman. Bhagavad-gita also confirms this. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate: a devotee at once becomes a self-realized soul in the Absolute Truth.

SB3.32.24

TEXT 24

yadasya cittam arthesu

samesv indriya-vrttibhih

na vigrhnati vaisamyam

priyam apriyam ity uta

SYNONYMS

yada—when; asya—of the devotee; cittam—the mind; arthesu—in the sense objects; samesu—same; indriya-vrttibhih—by the activities of the senses; na—not; vigrhnati—does perceive; vaisamyam—difference; priyam—agreeable; apriyam—not agreeable; iti—thus; uta—certainly.

TRANSLATION

The exalted devotee’s mind becomes equipoised in sensory activities, and he is transcendental to that which is agreeable and not agreeable.

PURPORT

The significance of advancement in transcendental knowledge and detachment from material attraction is exhibited in the personality of a highly advanced devotee. For him there is nothing agreeable or disagreeable because he does not act in any way for his personal sense gratification. Whatever he does, whatever he thinks, is for the satisfaction of the Personality of Godhead. Either in the material world or in the spiritual world, his equipoised mind is completely manifested. He can understand that in the material world there is nothing good; everything is bad due to its being contaminated by material nature. The materialists, conclusions of good and bad, moral and immoral, etc., are simply mental concoction or sentiment. Actually there is nothing good in the material world. In the spiritual field everything is absolutely good. There is no inebriety in the spiritual varieties. Because a devotee accepts everything in spiritual vision, he is equipoised; that is the symptom of his being elevated to the transcendental position. He automatically attains detachment, vairagya, then jnana, knowledge, and then actual transcendental knowledge. The conclusion is that an advanced devotee dovetails himself in the transcendental qualities of the Lord, and in that sense he becomes qualitatively one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB3.32.25

TEXT 25

sa tadaivatmanatmanam

nihsangam sama-darsanam

heyopadeya-rahitam

arudham padam iksate

SYNONYMS

sah—the pure devotee; tada—then; eva—certainly; atmana—by his transcendental intelligence; atmanam—himself; nihsangam—without material attachment; sama-darsanam—equipoised in vision; heya—to be rejected; upadeya—acceptable; rahitam—devoid of; arudham—elevated; padam—to the transcendental position; iksate—he sees.

TRANSLATION

Because of his transcendental intelligence, the pure devotee is equipoised in his vision and sees himself to be uncontaminated by matter. He does not see anything as superior or inferior, and he feels himself elevated to the transcendental platform of being equal in qualities with the Supreme Person.

PURPORT

Perception of the disagreeable arises from attachment. A devotee has no personal attachment to anything; therefore for him there is no question of agreeable or disagreeable. For the service of the Lord he can accept anything, even though it may be disagreeable to his personal interest. In fact, he is completely free from personal interest, and thus anything agreeable to the Lord is agreeable to him. For example, for Arjuna at first fighting was not agreeable, but when he understood that the fighting was agreeable to the Lord, he accepted the fighting as agreeable. That is the position of a pure devotee. For his personal interest there is nothing which is agreeable or disagreeable; everything is done for the Lord, and therefore he is free from attachment and detachment. That is the transcendental stage of neutrality. A pure devotee enjoys life in the pleasure of the Supreme Lord.

SB3.32.26

TEXT 26

jnana-matram param brahma

paramatmesvarah puman

drsy-adibhih prthag bhavair

bhagavan eka iyate

SYNONYMS

jnana—knowledge; matram—only; param—transcendental; brahma—Brahman; parama-atma—Paramatma; isvarah—the controller; puman—Supersoul; drsi-adibhih—by philosophical research and other processes; prthak bhavaih—according to different processes of understanding; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ekah—alone; iyate—is perceived.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead alone is complete transcendental knowledge, but according to the different processes of understanding He appears differently, either as impersonal Brahman, as Paramatma, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or as the purusa-avatara.

PURPORT

The word drsy-adibhih is significant. According to Jiva Gosvami, drsi means jnana, philosophical research. By different processes of philosophical research under different concepts, such as the process of jnana-yoga, the same Bhagavan, or Supreme Personality of Godhead, is understood as impersonal Brahman. Similarly, by the eightfold yoga system He appears as the Paramatma. But in pure Krsna consciousness, or knowledge in purity, when one tries to understand the Absolute Truth, one realizes Him as the Supreme Person. The Transcendence is realized simply on the basis of knowledge. The words used here, paramatmesvarah puman, are all transcendental, and they refer to Supersoul. Supersoul is also described as purusa, but the word Bhagavan directly refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is full of six opulences: wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. He is the Personality of Godhead in different spiritual skies. The various descriptions of paramatma, isvara and puman indicate that the expansions of the Supreme Godhead are unlimited.

Ultimately, to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead one has to accept bhakti-yoga. By executing jnana-yoga or dhyana-yoga one has to eventually approach the bhakti-yoga platform, and then Paramatma, isvara, puman, etc., are all clearly understood. It is recommended in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam that whether one is a devotee or fruitive actor or liberationist, if he is intelligent enough he should engage himself with all seriousness in the process of devotional service. It is also explained that whatever one desires which is obtainable by fruitive activities, even if one wants to be elevated to higher planets, can be achieved simply by execution of devotional service. Since the Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, He can bestow any one of them upon the worshiper.

The one Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals Himself to different thinkers as the Supreme person or impersonal Brahman or Paramatma. Impersonalists merge into the impersonal Brahman, but that is not achieved by worshiping the impersonal Brahman. If one takes to devotional service and at the same time desires to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord, he can achieve that. If someone desires at all to merge into the existence of the Supreme, he has to execute devotional service.

The devotee can see the Supreme Lord face to face, but the jnani, the empiric philosopher or yogi cannot. They cannot be elevated to the positions of associates of the Lord. There is no evidence in the scriptures stating that by cultivating knowledge or worshiping the impersonal Brahman one can become a personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nor by executing the yogic principles can one become an associate of the Supreme Godhead. Impersonal Brahman, being formless, is described as adrsya because the impersonal effulgence of brahmajyoti covers the face of the Supreme Lord. Some yogis see the four-handed Visnu sitting within the heart, and therefore in their case also the Supreme Lord is invisible. Only for the devotees is the Lord visible. Here the statement drsy-adibhih is significant. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is both invisible and visible, there are different features of the Lord. The Paramatma feature and Brahman feature are invisible, but the Bhagavan feature is visible. In the Visnu Purana this fact is very nicely explained. The universal form of the Lord and the formless Brahman effulgence of the Lord, being invisible, are inferior features. The concept of the universal form is material, and the concept of impersonal Brahman is spiritual, but the highest spiritual understanding is the Personality of Godhead. The Visnu Purana states, visnur brahma-svarupena svayam eva vyavasthitah: Brahman’s real feature is Visnu, or the Supreme Brahman is Visnu. Svayam eva: that is His personal feature. The supreme spiritual conception is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. That specific abode called paramam mama is the place from which, once one attains it, one does not return to this miserable, conditional life. Every place, every space and everything belongs to Visnu, but where He personally lives is tad dhama paramam, His supreme abode. One has to make one’s destination the supreme abode of the Lord.

SB3.32.27

TEXT 27

etavan eva yogena

samagreneha yoginah

yujyate ’bhimato hy artho

yad asangas tu krtsnasah

SYNONYMS

etavan—of such a measure; eva—just; yogena—by yoga practice; samagrena—all; iha—in this world; yoginah—of the yogi; yujyate—is achieved; abhimatah—desired; hi—certainly; arthah—purpose; yat—which; asangah—detachment; tu—indeed; krtsnasah—completely.

TRANSLATION

The greatest common understanding for all yogis is complete detachment from matter, which can be achieved by different kinds of yoga.

PURPORT

There are three kinds of yoga, namely bhakti-yoga, jnana-yoga and astanga-yoga. Devotees, jnanis and yogis all try to get out of the material entanglement. The jnanis try to detach their sensual activities from material engagement. The jnana-yogi thinks that matter is false and that Brahman is truth; he tries, therefore, by cultivation of knowledge, to detach the senses from material enjoyment. The astanga-yogis also try to control the senses. The devotees, however, try to engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Therefore it appears that the activities of the bhaktas, devotees, are better than those of the jnanis and yogis. The mystic yogis simply try to control the senses by practicing the eight divisions of yoga—yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, etc.—and the jnanis try by mental reasoning to understand that sense enjoyment is false. But the easiest and most direct process is to engage the senses in the service of the Lord.

The purpose of all yoga is to detach one’s sense activities from this material world. The final aims, however, are different. Jnanis want to become one with the Brahman effulgence, yogis want to realize Paramatma, and devotees want to develop Krsna consciousness and transcendental loving service to the Lord. That loving service is the perfect stage of sense control. The senses are actually active symptoms of life, and they cannot be stopped. They can be detached only if there is superior engagement. As it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, param drstva nivartate: the activities of the senses can be stopped if they are given superior engagements. The supreme engagement is engagement of the senses in the service of the Lord. That is the purpose of all yoga.

SB3.32.28

TEXT 28

jnanam ekam paracinair

indriyair brahma nirgunam

avabhaty artha-rupena

bhrantya sabdadi-dharmina

SYNONYMS

jnanam—knowledge; ekam—one; paracinaih—averse; indriyaih—by the senses; brahma—the Supreme Absolute Truth; nirgunam—beyond the material modes; avabhati—appears; artha-rupena—in the form of various objects; bhrantya—mistakenly; sabda-adi—sound and so on; dharmina—endowed with.

TRANSLATION

Those who are averse to the Transcendence realize the Supreme Absolute Truth differently through speculative sense perception, and therefore, because of mistaken speculation, everything appears to them to be relative.

PURPORT

The Supreme Absolute Truth, the personality of Godhead, is one, and He is spread everywhere by His impersonal feature. This is clearly expressed in Bhagavad-gita. Lord Krsna says, “Everything that is experienced is but an expansion of My energy.” Everything is sustained by Him, but that does not mean that He is in everything. Sense perceptions, such as aural perception of the sound of a drum, visual perception of a beautiful woman, or perception of the delicious taste of a milk preparation by the tongue, all come through different senses and are therefore differently understood. Therefore sensory knowledge is divided in different categories, although actually everything is one as a manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Similarly, the energies of fire are heat and illumination, and by these two energies fire can display itself in many varieties, or in diversified sense perception. Mayavadi philosophers declare this diversity to be false. But Vaisnava philosophers do not accept the different manifestations as false; they accept them as nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they are a display of His diverse energies.

The philosophy that the Absolute is true and this creation is false (brahma satyam jagan mithya) is not accepted by Vaisnava philosophers. The example is given that although all that glitters is not gold, this does not mean that a glittering object is false. For example, an oyster shell appears to be golden. This appearance of golden hue is due only to the perception of the eyes, but that does not mean that the oyster shell is false. Similarly, by seeing the form of Lord Krsna one cannot understand what He actually is, but this does not mean that He is false. The form of Krsna has to be understood as it is described in the books of knowledge such as Brahma-samhita. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]: Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has an eternal, blissful spiritual body. By our imperfect sense perception we cannot understand the form of the Lord. We have to acquire knowledge about Him. Therefore it is said here, jnanam ekam. Bhagavad-gita confirms that they are fools who, simply upon seeing Krsna, consider Him a common man. They do not know the unlimited knowledge, power and opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Material sense speculation leads to the conclusion that the Supreme is formless. It is because of such mental speculation that the conditioned soul remains in ignorance under the spell of illusory energy. The Supreme Person has to be understood by the transcendental sound vibrated by Him in Bhagavad-gita, wherein He says that there is nothing superior to Himself; the impersonal Brahman effulgence is resting on His personality. The purified, absolute vision of Bhagavad-gita is compared to the River Ganges. Ganges water is so pure that it can purify even the asses and cows. But anyone who, disregarding the pure Ganges, wishes to be purified instead by the filthy water flowing in a drain, cannot be successful. Similarly, one can successfully attain pure knowledge of the Absolute only by hearing from the pure Absolute Himself.

In this verse it is clearly said that those who are averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead speculate with their imperfect senses about the nature of the Absolute Truth. The formless Brahman conception, however, can be received only by aural reception and not by personal experience. Knowledge is therefore acquired by aural reception. It is confirmed in the Vedanta-sutra, sastra-yonitvat: one has to acquire pure knowledge from the authorized scriptures. So-called speculative arguments about the Absolute Truth are therefore useless. The actual identity of the living entity is his consciousness, which is always present while the living entity is awake, dreaming or in deep sleep. Even in deep sleep, he can perceive by consciousness whether he is happy or distressed. Thus when consciousness is displayed through the medium of the subtle and gross material bodies, it is covered, but when the consciousness is purified, in Krsna consciousness, one becomes free from the entanglement of repeated birth and death.

When uncontaminated pure knowledge is uncovered from the modes of material nature, the actual identity of the living entity is discovered: he is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The process of uncovering is like this: the rays of sunshine are luminous, and the sun itself is also luminous. In the presence of the sun, the rays illuminate just like the sun, but when the sunshine is covered by the spell of a cloud, or by maya, then darkness, the imperfection of perception, begins. Therefore, to get out of the entanglement of the spell of nescience, one has to awaken his spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, in terms of the authorized scriptures.

Next verse (SB3.32.29)