510 Srimad Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 9

the existence of the Personality of Godhead is mentioned. For example,
Maharaja Pariksit asks, “Sa capi yatra puruso visva-sthity-udbhavapyayah
muktvdtma-mayam mdyesah sete sarva-guhdsayah?’’ How does the Per-
sonality of Godhead, the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation,
who is always freed from the influence of the illusory energy and is the
controller of the same, lie in everyone’s heart? Similar also is a question of
Vidura’s: “Tattvanam bhagavams tesam katidhd pratisankramah tatremam
ka upasiran ka usvid anuserata.”’ Sridhara Svami explains this in his notes:,
“During the annihilation of the creation, who serves the Lord lying on the
Sesa, etc.”” This means that the transcendental Lord with all His name,
fame, quality and paraphernalia exists eternally. The same confirma-
tion is also in the Kasi-Khanda in connection with Dhruva-carita. It is
said there, “Na cyavante’pi yad-bhakta mahatyam pralayapadi ato ‘cyuto-
khile loke sa ekah sarvago ‘vyayah.”’ Even the devotees of the Personality
of Godhead are not annihilated during the period of the entire annihilation
of the material world, not to speak of the Lord Himself. The Lord is ever-
existent in all three stages of material change.

The impersonalist adduces no activity in the Supreme, but in this dis-
cussion between Brahma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead the
Lord is said to have activities also, as He has His form and quality. The
activities of Brahma and other demigods during the time and maintenance
of the creation are to be understood as the activities of the Lord. The king,
or the head executive of a state, may not be seen in the government offices,
for he may be engaged in royal comforts. Yet it should be understood that
everything is being done under his direction, and everything is at his com-
mand. The Personality of Godhead is never formless. He may not be
visible in His personal form in the material world to the less intelligent
class of men, and therefore He may be sometimes called formless. But
actually He is always in His eternal form in His Vaikuntha planets as well
as in other planets of the universes as different incarnations. The example
of the sun is very appropriate in this connection. The sun in the night may
not be visible to the eyes of men in the darkness, but the sun is visible
wherever it has risen. Because the sun is not visible to the eyes of the in-
habitants of a particular part of the earth does not mean that the sun has
no form.

In the Aitareya Upanisad there is the hymn “atmaivedam agra sit
purusa-vidhah.” This mantra indicates the Supreme Personality of God-
head (Krsna) even before the appearance of the purusa incarnation. In the
Bhagavad-gita it is said (Bg. 15.18) that Lord Krsna is Purusottama because
He is the Supreme Purusa, transcendental even to the purusa aksara and the
