Purport

The Sun and the Sun's rays are one and the same qualitatively. Similarly, the Lord and the living entities are one and the same in quality. The Sun is one, but the molecules of the Sun's rays are innumerable. The Sun's rays constitute part of the Sun; the Sun and the rays conjointly are the complete Sun. Within the Sun planet there is the Sun god, and similarly within the supreme spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban, from which the effulgent Brahmajyoti is emanating, there is the eternal Lord, as is stated in the Brahma Samhita:

The transcendental Abode of Lord Krishna is the land of touchstones, of which the houses are built, shaded by desire trees. The Lord is engaged there in herding the surabhi cows, and is always served and surrounded by thousands of Goddesses of Fortune, who wait upon Him with all respect.

The description of this transcendental Abode of Lord Krishna is in the Brahma Samhita, and the Brahmajyoti is described there as the supreme rays from that planet, just as the Sun's rays come from the Sun globe. Unless one surpasses the Brahmajyoti glare, one cannot have any information of the land of the Lord. The impersonalist philosopher, being blinded by the dazzling Brahmajyoti, cannot realize the factual Abode of the Lord, nor His transcendental form. Affected by such a poor fund of knowledge, the thinkers cannot understand the all-blissful transcendental form of Lord Krishna. Sri Ishopanishad, therefore, offers this prayer to the Lord to remove the effulgent rays of the Brahmajyoti, so that the pure devotee can see His all-blissful transcendental form.

By realization of the impersonal Brahmajyoti, one experiences the auspicious aspect of the Supreme; by experience of the Paramatman, or all-pervading feature of the Supreme, one experiences a still more auspicious enlightenment, and by meeting the Personality of Godhead face to face, the devotee experiences the most auspicious feature of the Supreme. Being addressed as the Philosopher, the Maintainer, the Well-wisher, and so forth, the Supreme Truth cannot be considered impersonal. That is the indication of Sri Ishopanishad. The word Maintainer is especially significant: The Lord maintains His devotees specifically, although He is the Maintainer of one and all beings. By surpassing the impersonal Brahmajyoti, when the devotee sees the personal aspect of the Lord and His most auspicious eternal form, then the devotee realizes the Absolute Truth in full. Srila Jiva Goswami says in his Bhagwat Sandharva as follows:

The Lord fully maintains His unalloyed devotees, and He guides such devotees progressively on the path of devotional perfection. As Leader of His devotees, He ultimately awards the desired result of devotional service by giving Himself to His devotees. The devotees of the Lord see the Lord eye to eye by the causeless mercy of the Lord, and thus the Lord helps His devotees to reach the supermost spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindaban. As Creator, He can create all the necessary qualifications in His devotee so that the devotee can ultimately reach Him. The Lord is the Cause of all causes, and there is no cause of Him, for He is the Original Cause. As such He enjoys His own Self by manifesting His own internal potency.

The external potency is manifested not exactly by Himself, for He expands Himself as the "Purushas," and it is in these forms that He maintains the features of the material manifestation. By such expansions does He create, maintain and annihilate the cosmic manifestation.

The living entities are also differentiated expansions of His Self, and because some of the living entities desire to be lord, imitating the Supreme Lord, He allows them to enter into the cosmic creation, with the option of fully utilizing their propensity for lording it over. On account of the presence of His parts and parcels, the living entities, the whole phenomenal world is stirred into action and reaction. The living entities are given full facility to lord it over material Nature, but the ultimate controller is the Lord Himself in His plenary feature of Paramatman, the Supersoul, which is one of the Purushas.

Therefore, there is a gulf of difference between the living entity known as "Atman," and the controlling Lord, known as "Paramatman"-the soul and the Supersoul. Paramatman is the controller, and Atman is controlled; therefore they cannot be on the same level. The Paramatman fully cooperates with the Atman, and thus He is known as the constant companion of the living being.

This all-pervading feature of the Lord, Which exists in all circumstances of waking and sleeping, and also in potential states, and from Which the Jiva-Shakti (living force) is generated-as both the conditioned and the liberated souls-is known as Brahman.

Thus the Lord is the Origin of both Paramatman and Brahman, and therefore He is the Origin of all living entitles, and all else that exists. One who knows this engages himself at once in the devotional service of the Lord. Such a pure and fully cognizant devotee of the Lord is fully attached to Him in heart and soul, and whenever such a devotee assembles with similar devotees, they have no other engagement but to glorify the Lord in terms of His transcendental activities. Those who are not as perfect as the pure devotees, those who have realized only the Brahman feature or the Paramatman feature of the Lord, cannot appreciate the activities of such perfect devotees. But the Lord always helps such pure devotees by supplying necessary knowledge within their hearts, and by His special favor He dissipates all the darkness of ignorance. This the philosophers and yogis cannot imagine, because they more or less depend on their own strength. As is stated in the Katha Upanishad, the Lord can be known only to those whom He favors, and not to anyone else. And such special favors are bestowed upon His pure devotees only. Sri Ishopanishad here indicates such favor of the Lord, beyond the purview of the Brahmajyoti.