Text 49] The Dynasty of Amsuman 45
bhagavan vasudeveti
yam grnanti hi satvatah
yat—that which; tat—such; brahma param—Parabrahman, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna; siiksmam—spiritual, beyond
all material conceptions; asinyam—not impersonal or void; siénya-
kalpitam—imagined to be void by less intelligent men; bhagavan—the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; vdsudeva—Krsna; iti—thus; yam—
whom; grnanti—sing about; hi—indeed; sdtvatah—pure devotees.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, Krsna, is ex-
tremely difficult to understand for unintelligent men who accept
Him as impersonal or void, which He is not. The Lord is therefore
understood and sung about by pure devotees.
PURPORT
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvarh yaj jidnam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti Sabdyate
The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases—as Brahman,
Paramatma and Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the origin of everything. Brah-
man is a partial representation of Bhagavan, and Vasudeva, the Super-
soul living everywhere and in everyone’s heart, is also an advanced
realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But when one comes
to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vdsudevah sarvam
iti), when one realizes that Vasudeva is both Paramatma and the imper-
sonal Brahman, he is then in perfect knowledge. Krsna is therefore de-
scribed by Arjuna as param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam
bhavan. The words param brahma refer to the shelter of the impersonal
Brahman and also of the all-pervading Supersoul. When Krsna says
tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mdm eti, this means that the perfect
