Text 152] The Liberation of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya 279

PURPORT
According to the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.19):

apani-pado javano grahita
pasyaty acaksuh sa srnoty akarnah

sa vetti vedyam na ca tasydasti vettd
tam dhur agryamm purusarn mahadntam

This Vedic mantra clearly states, purusamm mahdntam. The word purusa means
“person.” That person is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita by Arjuna when he addresses
Krsna, purusam saévatam: “You are the original person.” (Bg. 10.12) This purusarm
mahdntam is Sri Krsna. His hands and legs are not mundane, but are completely
transcendental. However, when He comes, fools take Him to be an ordinary per-
son (avajananti marh mddha manusim tanum dsritam). One who has no Vedic
knowledge, who has not studied the Vedas from the bona fide spiritual master,
does not know Krsna. Therefore he is a mudha. Such fools take Krsna to be an or-
dinary person (pararn bhavam ajanantah). They do not actually know what Krsna
is. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. It is not possible to understand
Krsna simply by studying the Vedas perfectly. One must have the mercy of a
devotee (yat padam). Unless one is favored by a devotee, he cannot understand
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna also confirms this in Bhagavad-gita:
“My Lord, it is very difficult to understand Your personality.” The less intelligent
class of men cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead without
being favored by His devotee. Therefore Bhagavad-gitd contains another injunc-
tion (Bg. 4.34):

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jfidnam
jfianinas tattva-darsinah

One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender to him. Only then
can one understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a person.

TEXT 152

aepaereftory-faare Set |
CRA-SATiCA Si SE frArHiA ? Sed ti

sad-aisvarya-pUrndnanda-vigraha yanhdara
hena-bhagavane tumi kaha nirdkdra?
