Text 39] Creation of the Universal Form 257

mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso jratva bhutadim avyayam

satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah
na ma syantas ca mam bhaktya nitya-yukta upasate. (Bg. 9.13 -14)

The pure devotees of the Lord take shelter of the para-prakrti, the
internal potency of the Lord called Laksmidevi, Sitadevi, Srimati
Radharani or Srimati Rukminidevi, and thus they become actual mahat-
mas or great souls. Mahatmas are not fond of indulging in mental specu-
lations, but they actually take to the devotional service of the Lord,
without the slightest deviation. Devotional service is manifested by the
primary process of hearing and chanting about the activities of the Lord.
This transcendental method practiced by the mahatmas gives them suffi-
cient knowledge of the Lord because if the Lord can at all be known to
some extent, it is only through the means of devotional service and no
other way. One may go on speculating and waste the valuable time of his
human life, but that will not help anyone to enter into the precincts of the
Lord. The mahatmas, however, are not concerned with knowing the Lord
by mental speculation because they enjoy hearing about His glorious
activities in His transcendental dealings with His devotees or with the
demons. The devotees take pleasure in both and are happy in this life and
the life after.

TEXT 39

HA ATT AM AAT ATA
Teas ATA TAT FATA 1281

ato bhagavato maya
mayinam api mohini

yat svayam catma-vartmatma
na veda kim-utapare

atah—therefore; bhagavatah—godly ; maya—potencies; mayinam—of the
jugglers; api—even; mohini—enchanting; yat—that which; svayam—person-
ally; ca—also; atma-vartma—self-sufficient; atma—self;na—does not; veda—
know; kim—what; uta—to speak of; apare— others.

TRANSLATION

The wonderful potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is
bewildering even to the jugglers. That potential power is unknown even
to the self-sufficient Lord, so it is certainlyu nknown to others.
