492 Srimad Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 9

go back home, back to Godhead, without any doubt. In other places also
the same order is there, that one should give up all other engagements and
fully surrender unto the Lord without any hesitation. And the Lord will
give such a devotce all protection. And these are the secrets of altaining the
highest perfectional stage. Lord Brahma exactly followed these principles
without any superiority complex, and thus he attained the highest per-
fectional stage of experiencing the abode of the Lord and the Lord Himself
with all [lis paraphernalia. Impersonal realization of the effulgence of the
body of the Lord is not the highest perfectional stage, nor is the stage of
Paramatmi realization. The word manisita is significant. Everyone is
falsely or factually proud of his so-called learning. But the Lord says that
the highest perfectional stage of learning is to know Him and His abode,
devoid of all illusion.

TEXT 23

wees AM aT caty Baaatea |
aT H Aa AAAAE TTAISAT 11231!

pratyadistam maya tatra
tvayi karma-vimohite

tapo me hrdayam saksad-
atmaham tapaso ’nagha

pratyadistam—ordered by; maya—by Me; tatra—because of; tvayi—unto
you; karma—duty; vimohite--being perplexed; tapah—penance; me—Mine;
hrdayam—heart; saksat—directly; dtma—life and soul; aham—Myself;
tapasah—of one who is engaged in penance; anagha—O sinless one.

TRANSLATION

O Brahma, the sinless, you may know from Me that it was I who
ordered you to undergo penance at first on your being perplexed in your
duty, because such penance is My heart and soul, and because of that,
penance and I are nondifferent.

PURPORT

The penance by which one can see the Personality of Godhead eye to
eye is to be understood as devotional service to the Lord and nothing else
