172 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 3

TRANSLATION
Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say
that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant

material bodily conceptions on the spirit self.

PURPORT
It is further confirmed herein that with our material eyes and senses we
cannot see the Lord, who is all spirit. We cannot even detect the spiritual
spark which exists within the material body of the living being. We look to
the outward covering of the body or subtle mind of the living being, but
we cannot see the spiritual spark within the body. So we have to accept
the living being’s presence by the presence of his gross body. Similarly,
those who want to see the Lord with their present material eyes or with
the material senses are advised to meditate on the gigantic external feature
called the virata-rijpa. For instance, when a particular gentleman goes in
his car, which can be seen very easily, we identify the car with the man
within the car. When the President goes out in his particular car, we say,
‘There is the President.” For the time being we identify the car with the
President. Similarly, less intelligent men who want to see God immediately
without necessary qualification are shown first the gigantic material
cosmos as the form of the Lord, although the Lord is within and without.
The clouds in the sky and the blue of the sky are better appreciated in this
connection. Although the bluish tint of the sky and the sky are different,
still we conceive of the color of the sky as blue. But that is a general
conception for the laymen only.
TEXT 32
a Te FerTequyfeay |
TMT stat ATT: 122M
atah param yad avyaktam
avyidha-guna-brmhitam
adrstasruta-vastutvat
sa jivo yat punarbhavah

atah—this; param—beyond; yat—which; avyaktam—unmanifested;
avyiidha—without formal shape; guna-brmhitam—affected by the qualities;
