Adi-iila, Chapter 2 99

they are never equal to the Lord or one with Him. The Lord who associates with
the living being is the Paramatma or supreme living being. No one, therefore, should
view the tiny living beings and supreme living being to be on an equal level.

The all-pervading truth which exists eternally during the creation, maintenance
and annihilation of the material world and in which the living beings rest in trance
is called the impersonal Brahman.

TEXT 11

anise SoA, W BAA |
BealS AANICAPS SratPars aes bss A

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jiadnam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate

SYNONYMS

vadanti—they say; tat—that; tattva-vidah—learned souls; tattvam—the Absolute
Truth; yat—which; jianam— knowledge; advayam—nondual; brahma— Brahman; iti—
thus; paramatma—Paramatma; /ti—thus; bhagavan— Bhagavan; /ti—thus; sabdyate—is
known.
TRANSLATION

“‘Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth say that it is nondual
knowledge and is called impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and the Person-
ality of Godhead.”

PURPORT

This Sanskrit verse appears as the eleventh verse of the First Canto, Second
Chapter, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, where Sita Gosvami answers the questions of the
sages headed by Saunaka Rsi concerning the essence of all scriptural instructions.
Tattva-vidah refers to persons who have knowledge of the Absolute Truth. They can
certainly understand knowledge without duality because they are on the spiritual
platform. The Absolute Truth is known sometimes as Brahman, sometimes as
Paramatma and sometimes as Bhagavan. Persons who are in knowledge of the truth
know that one who tries to approach the Absolute simply by mental speculation
will ultimately realize the impersonal Brahman, and one who tries to approach the
Absolute through yoga practice will be able to realize Paramatma, but one who has
complete knowledge and spiritual understanding realizes the spiritual form of
Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead.

Devotees of the Personality of Godhead know that Sri Krsna, the son of the King
of Vraja, is the Absolute Truth. They do not discriminate between Sri Krsna’s name,
form, quality and pastimes. One who wants to separate the Lord’s absolute name,
form and qualities must be understood to be lacking in absolute knowledge. A pure
