TEXT 10
naham parayur rsayo na marici-mukhya
jananti yad-viracitam khalu sattva-sargah
yan-mayaya musita-cetasa isa daitya-
martyadayah kim uta sasvad-abhadra-vrttah
SYNONYMS
naneither; ahamI; para-ayuhthat personality who lives for millions and millions of years (Lord Brahma); rsayahthe seven rsis of the seven planets; nanor; marici-mukhyahheaded by Marici Rsi; janantiknow; yatby whom (the Supreme Lord); viracitamthis universe, which has been created; khaluindeed; sattva-sargahalthough born in the mode of material goodness; yat-mayayaby the influence of whose energy; musita-cetasahtheir hearts are bewildered; isaO my Lord; daityathe demons; martya-adayahthe human beings and others; kim utawhat to speak of; sasvatalways; abhadra-vrttahinfluenced by the base qualities of material nature.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, I, who am considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahma and the great rsis, headed by Marici, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the demons and human beings, who are in the base modes of material nature [rajo-guna and tamo-guna]? How will they know You?
PURPORT
Factually speaking, even those who are situated in the material mode of goodness cannot understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What then is to be said of those who are situated in rajo-guna and tamo-guna, the base qualities of material nature? How can we even imagine the Supreme Personality of Godhead? There are so many philosophers trying to understand the Absolute Truth, but since they are situated in the base qualities of material nature and are addicted to so many bad habits, like drinking, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling, how can they conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? For them it is impossible. For the present day, the pancaratriki-vidhi as enunciated by Narada Muni is the only hope. Srila Rupa Gosvami, therefore, has quoted the following verse from the Brahma-yamala:
sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
[BRS
sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas and Narada-pancaratra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.1011.2.101]
Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, puranas and Narada-pancaratra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society. (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.101) Those who are very advanced in knowledge and are situated in the mode of goodness follow the Vedic instructions of the sruti and smrti and other religious scriptures, including the pancaratriki-vidhi. Without understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this way, one only creates a disturbance. In this age of Kali, so many gurus have sprung up, and because they do not refer to the sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratrika-vidhi [BRS
sruti-smrti-puranadi-
pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir
utpatayaiva kalpate
Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas and Narada-pancaratra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society. Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.1011.2.101], they are creating a great disturbance in the world in regard to understanding the Absolute Truth. However, those who follow the pancaratriki-vidhi under the guidance of a proper spiritual master can understand the Absolute Truth. It is said, pancaratrasya krtsnasya vakta tu bhagavan svayam: the pancaratra system is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like Bhagavad-gita. Vasudeva-sarana vidur anjasaiva: the truth can be understood only by one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Vasudeva.
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. (Bg. 7.19) Only those who have surrendered to the lotus feet of Vasudeva can understand the Absolute Truth.
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world. (Bhag. 1.2.7) Therefore, Vasudeva, Bhagavan Sri Krsna, personally teaches in Bhagavad-gita:
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. (Bg. 18.66)
One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. (Bg. 18.55) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not properly understood even by Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, what to speak of others, but He can be understood by the process of bhakti-yoga.
(Bg. 7.1)
If one practices bhakti-yoga by taking shelter of Vasudeva, Krsna, simply by hearing Vasudeva speak about Himself, one can understand everything about Him. Indeed, one can understand Him completely (samagram).

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