TEXT 47
rupe ime sad-asati tava veda-srste
bijankurav iva na canyad arupakasya
yuktah samaksam ubhayatra vicaksante tvam
yogena vahnim iva darusu nanyatah syat
SYNONYMS
rupein the forms; imethese two; sat-asatithe cause and the effect; tavaYour; veda-srsteexplained in the Vedas; bija-ankurauthe seed and the sprout; ivalike; nanever; caalso; anyatany other; arupakasyaof You, who possess no material form; yuktahthose engaged in Your devotional service; samaksambefore the very eyes; ubhayatrain both ways (spiritually and materially); vicaksantecan actually see; tvamYou; yogenasimply by the method of devotional service; vahnimfire; ivalike; darusuin wood; nanot; anyatahfrom any other means; syatit is possible.
TRANSLATION
By authorized Vedic knowledge one can see that the forms of cause and effect in the cosmic manifestation belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the cosmic manifestation is His energy. Both cause and effect are nothing but energies of the Lord. Therefore, O my Lord, just as a wise man, by considering cause and effect, can see how fire pervades wood, those engaged in devotional service understand how You are both the cause and effect.
PURPORT
As described in previous verses, many so-called students of spiritual understanding follow the ten different methods known as mauna-vrata-sruta-tapo-dhyayana-sva-dharma-vyakhya-raho japa-samadhayah. These may be very attractive, but by following such methods, one cannot actually understand the real cause and effect and the original cause of everything (janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]). The original source of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (sarva-karana-karanam [Bs. 5.1]). This original source of everything is Krsna, the supreme ruler. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. He has His eternal spiritual form. Indeed, He is the root of everything (bijam mam sarva-bhutanam). Whatever manifestations exist, their cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This cannot be understood by so-called silence or by any other hodgepodge method. The supreme cause can be understood only by devotional service, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]). Elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.14.21), the Supreme Godhead personally says, bhaktyaham ekaya grahyah: one can understand the original cause of all causes, the Supreme Person, only by devotional service, not by show-bottle exhibitionism.

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