The Absolute Truth

Vyasadeva says that he is meditating upon that individual regarding whom even the surayah or demigods are illusioned (muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ). We may be ignorant of the Supreme Lord, but Vyasadeva says that even the sūrayaḥ, the demigods who are far greater than us, are also illusioned about the Supreme. Thus no matter how great one is in the material world, he cannot know God by his material qualifications because God is completely autocratic and can never be intimidated. There is no one who can come even close to equality with God.

If the prime minister of an important foreign country wants to visit the United States, immediately the president must allow him to do so because the president and the prime minister are on equal terms. But if an ordinary, insignificant citizen wanted to see the president, he would be refused. Even if he threatened to cause trouble, the president would not even consider listening because he cannot be intimidated. However, although an ordinary politician may have an equal, there is no one who can equal God, not even the great demigods who are mightier than we. The demigods are also illusioned by His tri-sargaḥ or His threefold material energy, which consists of goodness, passion and ignorance. They have become illusioned by the amrsa, or the "almost reality." One may see a mirage of water in the desert, but that is an "almost reality." Actually there is water, and there is a desert, but the water does not exist in the desert. Similarly, the so-called happiness and distress that we experience in material life are not factual but "almost real." They are illusions conducted by the agency of tri-sargaḥ, the threefold aspects of the illusory energy of the Lord.

Vasudeva is He by whom even the greatest intellects, controllers and demigods are illusioned. Sometimes we see magicians who can perform sleight-of-hand tricks and bewilder us. We think that a card is in one place, but the magician produces it from another. In this way he creates an illusion by his dexterity. The Supreme Lord upon whom Vyasadeva is meditating is the supreme magician. His dexterity is so grand that He can trick anyone. That is a further item for meditation. God, however, is nirasta, or never illusioned, because He is the controller of illusion itself. This is another aspect of the Supreme Lord. He is never under the influence of maya (illusion) but is the controller of maya. Maya serves Him just as magic serves a magician. Therefore it is stated, sada nirasta-kuhakam: "God is eternally free from illusion."

Vyasadeva concludes by saying, satyam param dhimahi. Satyam means truth, param means the Supreme or the Absolute, and dhimahi means "I do meditate upon." Therefore Vyasadeva says, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Vasudeva, Krsna, who is the son of Vasudeva and Devaki." Satyam param dhimahi: "He is the Supreme Absolute Truth. Upon Him I meditate."