378 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 9

beginning, therefore, without wasting time in bodily exercises, a devotee
searches out a pure devotee, and simply by his association becomes more
advanced in spiritual consciousness than any yogi. Because a devotee
knows that he is not the body, he is never affected by bodily happiness or
distress. He is not interested in bodily relationships with wife, children,
home, bank balance, etc., or in the distress or happiness which comes from
these things. This is the special advantage of being a devotee. This status
of life is possible only when a person is interested in associating with a
pure devotee who always enjoys the fragrance of the lotus feet of the
Lord.
TEXT 13

friganfasateyraacer-
aeaiata: oftfad acataary |
et eifisan a aerate
ara: Ft TEA Af A TA ATE 11231

tiryan-naga-dvija-sarisr pa-deva-daitya-
martyadibhih paricitam sad-asad-visesam

rupam sthavistham aja te mahad-ady-anekam
natah param parama vedmi na yatra vadah

tiryak—by animals; naga—trees; dvija—birds; sarisrpa—reptiles; deva—
demigods; daitya—demons; martya-ddibhih—by men, etc.; paricitam—per-
vaded; sat-asat-visesam—with varieties manifest and nonmanifest; ripam—
form; sthavistham—gross universal; aja—O unborn; te—Your; mahat-adi—
caused by the total material energy, etc.; anekam—various causes; na—not;
atah—from this; param—transcendental; parama—O Supreme; vedmi—
I know; na—not; yatra— where; vadah—various arguments.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, O Supreme Unborn, I know that the different varieties
of living entities, such as animals, trees, birds, reptiles, demigods and
human beings, are spread throughout the universe, which is caused by the
total material energy, and I know that they are sometimes manifest and
sometimes unmanifest; but I have never experienced the supreme form I
behold as I see You now. Now all kinds of theorizing processes are

finished. PURPORT

In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He has spread Himself through-
out the universe, but although everything is resting upon Him, He is aloof.
