80 Sri Isopanisad

has to penetrate beyond the twenty-four material elements and
the glaring effulgence as well. Sri Isopanisad hints at this
direction, praying for removal of the hiranmaya-patra, the
dazzling covering. Unless this covering is removed, and unless
one can perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is,
factual realization of the Absolute Truth can never be achieved.

The Paramdtman feature of the Personality of Godhead is
one of three plenary expansions, collectively called Visnu-
tattva. The Visnu-tattva within the universe (one of the three
principal deities—Brahma, Visnu and Siva) is known as the
Ksirodaka-sayi Visnu. He is the all-pervading Paramatman in
each and every individual living entity. And the Garbhodaka-sayi
Visnu is the collective Supersoul of all living entities. Beyond
these two there is the Karanodaka-sayi Visnu lying in the Causal
Ocean. He is the Creator of all the universes. The yoga system
teaches the serious student to meet such Visnu-tattvas after
overcoming the twenty-four material elements of cosmic crea-
tion. The culture of empiric philosophy helps one to realize the
impersonal Brahma-jyoti, which is the glaring effulgence of the
transcendental body of Lord Sri Krsna. This is confirmed in the
Bhagavad-gita as well as in the Brahma-samhita (5/40):

In the millions and millions of universes, there are innu-

merable planets, each and every one of them different from

the others by cosmic constitution, and all of them
situated in a corner of the Brahma-jyoti. This Brahma-

Jyoti is the Personal ray of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, Whom I do worship.

This mantra of the Brahma-samhila is the position of factual
realization of the Absolute Truth, and the Sruti mantra of
Sri [sopanigad under discussion is a confirmation of this mantra
as a process of realization. It is a simple prayer to the Lord to
remove the Brahma-jyoti, so that one can see the real face
of God.
