512
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 9]
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, and therefore this verse  aham eva  never indicates anything other than the Supreme Lord, and one should therefore follow the path of  Brahma-sampradāya , or the path of  Brahmājī  to Nārada, to Vyāsadeva, etc., and make it a point in life to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, or Lord Kṛṣṇa. This very confidential instruction to the pure devotees of the Lord was also given to Arjuna and to Brahmā in the beginning of the creation. The demigods like Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa are undoubtedly different forms of the Lord for execution of different functions; the different elemental ingredients of material creation, as well as the multifarious energies, also may be of the same Personality of Godhead, but the root of all of them is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and one should be attached to the root of everything rather than bewildered by the branches and leaves. That in the instruction given in this verse.
TEXT 34
ऋतेऽर्थं यत् प्रतीयेत न प्रतीयेत चात्मनि । तद्विद्यादात्मनो मायां यथाऽऽभासो यथा तमः ॥३४॥
ṛte'rtham yat pratīyeta   na pratīyeta cātmani   tad vidyād ātmano māyām   yathābhāsc yathā tamaḥ
ṛte —without;  artham —value;  yat —which;  pratīyeta —appears to be;  na —does not;  pratīyeta —appears to be;  ca —certainly;  ātmani —in My relation;  tat —that;  vidyāt —must you know;  ātmanaḥ —Mine;  māyām —illusory energy;  yathā —as much as;  ābhāsaḥ —in reflection;  yathā —as it is;  tamaḥ —darkness.
TRANSLATION
O Brahmā, whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.
PURPORT
In the previous verse it has already been concluded that in any stage of the cosmic manifestation—namely its appearance, its sustenance, its growth,