Text 25] The First Step in God Realization 41

described in the Eleventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. This virata ripa
of the Lord was especially manifested, not for the benefit of Arjuna, but
for that unintelligent class of men who accept anyone and everyone as the
incarnation of the Lord and so mislead the general mass of people. For
them, the indication is that one should ask the cheap incarnation to exhibit
his virdta ripa and thus be established as an incarnation. The virata ritpa
manifestation of the Lord is simultaneously a challenge to the atheist and
a favor for the asuras who can think of the Lord as virdta and thus
gradually cleanse the dirty things in their hearts in order to become
qualified to actually see the transcendental form of the Lord in the near
future. This is a favor of the all-merciful Lord to the atheists and the gross
materialists.

TEXT 25

wea Tits aged |
FAVA FOUN ASAT AMY TWAT! RI

anda-koée sarire’smin
saptavarana-samyute

vairajah puruso yo’sau
bhagavan dharanasrayah

anda-k oge—within the universal shell; sartre—in the body of:asmin—this;
sapta—sevenfold; avarana—coverings; sanuyute—being so done; vairajah—
the gigantic universal; purusah—form of the Lord; yah—that; asau—He;
bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; dhadrana—conception; asrayah—
object of.

TRANSLATION
The gigantic universal form of the Personality of Godhead, within

the body of the universal shell, which is covered by sevenfold material
elements, is the subject for virata conception.

PURPORT

Simultaneously, the Lord has multifarious other forms, and all of them
F _ . ms . nee ia
are identical with the original fountainhead form of the Lord Sri Krsna.
