Text 8] |The Demigods Regain the Heavenly Planets 203

the Supersoul of all living entities, You are aware of everything,
and therefore You are certainly equal toward everyone. Nonethe-
less, You favor Your devotees. This is not partiality, however, for
Your characteristic is just like that of a desire tree, which yields
everything according to one’s desire.

PURPORT
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.29):

samo *ham sarva-bhitesu
na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah
ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya
mayi te tesu capy aham

“Tl envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever
renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a
friend to him.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly equal
toward all living entities, but a devotee who fully surrenders at the lotus
feet of the Lord is different from a nondevotee. In other words, everyone
can take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord to enjoy equal benedictions
from the Lord, but nondevotees do not do so, and therefore they suffer
the consequences created by the material energy. We can understand this
fact by a simple example. The king or government is equal to all citizens.
Therefore, if a citizen capable of receiving special favors from the
government is offered such favors, this does not mean that the govern-
ment is partial. One who knows how to receive favors from the authority
can receive them, but one who does not neglects these favors and does
not receive them. There are two classes of men—the demons and the
demigods. The demigods are fully aware of the Supreme Lord’s position,
and therefore they are obedient to Him, but even if demons know about
the supremacy of the Lord they purposely defy His authority. Therefore,
the Lord makes distinctions according to the mentality of the living
being, but otherwise He is equal to everyone. Like a desire tree, the Lord
fulfills the desires of one who takes shelter of Him, but one who does not
take such shelter is distinct from the surrendered soul. One who takes
shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord is favored by the Lord, regardless of
whether such a person is a demon or a demigod.
