244 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 9
PURPORT

Lord Brahma, being completely pure, could see the original form of
the Lord as Visnu, having many thousands of faces and forms. This pro-
cess is called self-realization. Genuine self-realization consists not of per-
ceiving the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, but seeing face to face the
transcendental form of the Lord. As distinctly mentioned here, Lord
Brahma saw the Supreme Lord as mahd-purusa, the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. Arjuna also saw Krsna in this same way. Therefore
he told the Lord, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam
bhavan purusam sasvatam divyam: “You are the Supreme Brahman, the
ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the
eternal divine person.”” The Lord is parama-purusa, the supreme form.
Purusarn sasvatam: He is everlastingly the supreme enjoyer. It is not that
the impersonal Brahman assumes a form; on the contrary, the imper-
sonal Brahman effulgence is an emanation from the supreme form of the
Lord. Upon being purified, Brahma could see the supreme form of the
Lord. The impersonal Brahman cannot have heads, noses, ears, hands
and legs. This is not possible, for these are attributes of the Lord’s form.

The word ma@yamayam means “spiritual knowledge.” This is ex-
plained by Madhvacarya. Mayamayam jridana-svaripam. The word
mayamayam, describing the Lord’s form, should not be taken to mean
illusion. Rather, the Lord’s form is factual, and seeing this form is the
result of perfect knowledge. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:
bahinam janmanaém ante jridnavan mam prapadyate. The word
jndnavan refers to one who is perfectly in knowledge. Such a person can
see the Personality of Godhead, and therefore he surrenders unto the
Lord. The Lord’s being symptomized by a face, nose, ears and so on is
eternal. Without such a form, no one can be blissful. The Lord, however,
is sac-cid-dnanda-vigraha, as stated in the sdstra (isvarah paramah
krsnah sac-cid-dnanda-vigrahah). When one is in perfect transcenden-
tal bliss, he can see the Lord’s supreme form (vigraha). In this regard,
Srila Madhvacarya says:

gandhakhya devata yadvat
prthivim vyapya tisthati
evam vydptam jagad visnurm
brahmatma-stham dadarsa ha
