106 Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

those who are searching after Supersoul realization are also searching after
You. You have stated in the Bhagavad-gita that You Yourself, by Your
partial representation as the Supersoul, have entered into this material cos-
mic manifestation. You are present in everyone’s heart, and there is no need
to search out the Supersoul anywhere else. If someone does so, he is simply
in ignorance. One who is transcendental to such a position understands
that You are unlimited; You are both within and without. Your presence
is everywhere. Instead of searching for the Supersoul anywhere else, a
devotee only concentrates his mind on You within. Actually one who is
liberated from the material concept of life can search for You; others
cannot. The simile of thinking the rope to be a snake is applicable only to
those who are still in ignorance of You. Actually the existence of a snake
besides the rope is only within the mind. The existence of maya, similarly,
is only within the mind. Maya is nothing but ignorance of Your personality.
When one forgets Your personality, that is the conditional state of maya.
Therefore one who is fixed upon You both internally and externally is not
illusioned.

“One who has attained a little devotional service can understand Your
glories. Even one striving for Brahman realization or Paramatmi realiza-
tion cannot understand the different features of Your personality unless
he treads the devotional path. One may be the spiritual master of many
impersonalists, or he may go to the forest or to a cave or mountain and
meditate as a hermit for many, many years, but he cannot understand
Your glories without being favored by a slight degree of devotional service.
Brahman realization or Paramatma realization are also not possible even
after one searches for many, many years unless one is touched by the
wonderful effect of devotional service.

“My dear Lord, I pray that I may be so fortunate that, in this life or in
another life, wherever I may take my birth, I may be counted as one of
Your devotees. Wherever I may be, I pray that I may be engaged in Your
devotional service. I do not even care what form of life I get in the future,
because I can see that even in the form of cows and calves or cowherd
boys, the devotees are so fortunate to be always engaged in Your tran-
scendental loving service and association. Therefore I wish to be one of
them instead of such an exalted person as I am now, for I am full of
ignorance. The gopis and cows of Vrndavana are so fortunate that they
have been able to supply their breast milk to You. Persons who are
engaged in performing great sacrifices and offering many valuable goats in
the sacrifice cannot attain the perfection of understanding You, but sim-
ply by devotional service these innocent village women and cows are all
