470 Srimad Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 9

devotional service. One should not, however, think himself on the level
of Brahma to be initiated directly by the Lord from inside because in the
present age no one can be accepted to be as pure as Brahma. The post
of Brahma to officiate in the creation in the universe is offered to the most
pure living being, and unless one is so qualified one cannot expect to be
treated like Brahmaji directly. But one can have the same facility through
unalloyed devotees of the Lord, and scriptural instructions (as revealed
in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam especially), and also the
bona fide spiritual master available to the sincere soul. The Lord Himself
appears as the spiritual master to a person who is sincere in heart to serve
the Lord. Therefore the bona fide spiritual master who happens to meet
the sincere devotee should be accepted as the most confidential and
beloved representative of the Lord. If a person is posted under the guidance
of such a bona fide spiritual master, it may be accepted without any
doubt that the desiring person has achieved the grace of the Lord.

TEXT 8

fet ReRTATIR aa
faartaora Afaaatsa: |
CTD CME LCC RAC TLL |
areata = aalfed: cll

divyam sahasrabdam amogha-darsano
jitanilatma vijitobhayendriyah

atapyata smakhila-loka -tapanam
tapas tapiyadms tapatam samahitah

divyam—pertaining to the demigods in the higher planets; sahasra—one
thousand; abdam—years; amogha—spotless, without a tinge of impurity;
darganah—one who has such a vision of life; jita—controlled; anila—life;
atma—mind; vijita—controlled over; ubhaya—both; indriyah—one who has
such senses; atapyata—executed penance; sma—in the past; akhila—all;
loka— planet; tapanam—enlightening ; tapah—penance; tapiyan—extremely
hard penance; tapatam—of all the executors of penances; samahitah—thus
situated.
