14 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 1

This has nothing to do with partiality. When Krsna says tesdrm satata-
yuktanam bhajatam priti-pirvakam/ dadami buddhi-yogam tam, this
indicates that Krsna is prepared to give bhakti-yoga to everyone, but one
must be capable of receiving it. That is the secret. Thus when a person
exhibits wonderful devotional activities, a thoughtful man understands
that Krsna has been more favorable to this devotee.

This is not difficult to understand, but envious persons do not accept
that Krsna has bestowed His favor upon a particular devotee in accor-
dance with his advanced position. Such foolish persons become envious
and try to minimize an advanced devotee’s activities. That is not
Vaisnavism. A Vaisnava should appreciate the service rendered to the
Lord by other Vaisnavas. Therefore a Vaisnava is described in Srimad-
Bhagavatam as nirmatsara. Vaisnavas are never envious of other
Vaisnavas or of anyone else, and therefore they are called nirmat-
saradnam satam.

As Bhagavad-gita informs us, one can understand how one is satu-
rated with sattva-guna, rajo-guna or tamo-guna. In the examples given
herewith, fire represents the mode of goodness. One can understand the
constitution of a container for wood, petrol or other inflammable sub-
stances by the quantity of the fire. Similarly, water represents rajo-guna,
the mode of passion. A small skin and the vast Atlantic Ocean both con-
tain water, and by seeing the quantity of water in a container one can
understand the size of the container. The sky represents the mode of ig-
norance. The sky is present in a small earthen pot and also in outer space.
Thus by proper judgment one can see who is a devata, or demigod, and
who is an asura, Yaksa or Raksasa according to the quantities of sattva-
guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. One cannot judge whether a person is a
devata, an asura or a Raksasa by seeing him, but a sane man can under-
stand this by the activities such a person performs. A general description
is given in the Padma Purana: visnu-bhaktah smrto daiva dsuras tad-
viparyayah. A devotee of Lord Visnu is a demigod, whereas an asura or
Yaksa is just the opposite. An asura is not a devotee of Lord Visnu; in-
stead, for his sense gratification he is a devotee of the demigods, bhiitas,
pretas and so on. Thus one can judge who is a devatd, who is a Raksasa
and who is an asura by how they conduct their activities.

The word dtmdnam in this verse means paramétmanam. The
