148 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 9
$ri-bhagavan uvdca
prito "ham vah sura-srestha
mad-upasthana-vidyaya
Gtmaisvarya-smrtih pumsam
bhaktis caiva yaya mayi
Sri-bhagavaén uvéca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
pritah—pleased; aham—I; vah—of you; sura-sresthah—O best of the
demigods; mat-upasthana-vidyaya—by the highly advanced knowledge
and prayers offered unto Me; atma-aisvarya-smrtih—remembrance of
the exalted transcendental position of Me, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; purtsdm—of men; bhaktih—devotional service; ca—and;
eva—certainly; yaya—by which; mayi—unto Me.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O beloved demigods,
you have offered your prayers to Me with great knowledge, and I
am certainly most pleased with you. A person is liberated by such
knowledge, and thus he remembers My exalted position, which is
above the conditions of material life. Such a devotee is fully
purified by offering prayers in full knowledge. This is the source
of devotional service to Me.
PURPORT
Another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Uttamasloka,
which means that He is offered prayers with selected verses. Bhakti
means sravanam kirtanam visnoh, chanting and hearing about Lord
Visnu. Impersonalists cannot be purified, for they do not offer personal
prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though they some-
times offer prayers, the prayers are not directed toward the Supreme
Person. Impersonalists sometimes show their incomplete knowledge by
addressing the Lord as being nameless. They always offer prayers in-
directly, saying, “You are this, You are that,” but they do not know to
whom they are praying. A devotee, however, always offers personal
prayers. A devotee says, govindam ddi-purusam tam aham bhajami: “I
offer my respectful obeisances unto Govinda, unto Krsna.”” That is the
