102 Srimad-Bhagavatam | Canto 4, Ch. 3
offer such respects to the Supersoul who is sitting within the body, not to
the person identified with the body.
PURPORT
It may be argued that since Daksa was the father-in-law of Lord Siva,
it was certainly the duty of Lord Siva to offer him respect. In answer to
that argument it is explained here that when a learned person stands up or
offers obeisances in welcome, he offers respect to the Supersoul, who is
sitting within everyone’s heart. It is seen, therefore, among Vaisnavas, that
even when a disciple offers obeisances to his spiritual master, the spiritual
master immediately returns the obeisances because they are mutually
offered not to the body but to the Supersoul. Therefore the spiritual master
also offers respect to the Supersoul situated in the body of the disciple.
The Lord says in Srimad-Bhagavatam that offering respect to His devotce
is more valuable than offering respect to Himself. Devotces do not
identify with the body, so offering respect to a Vaisnava means offering
respect to Visnu. It is stated also that, as a matter of etiquette, as soon as
one sees a Vaisnava he must immediately offer him respect, indicating the
Supersoul sitting within. A Vaisnava sees the body as a temple of Visnu.
Since Lord Siva had already offered respect to the Supersoul in Krsna
consciousness, offering respect to Daksa, who identified with his body,
was already performed. There was no need to offer respect to his body
because that is not directed by any Vedic injunction.
TEXT 23
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sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam
yad iyate tatra puman apaurtah
sattve ca tasmin bhagavan vasudevo
hyadhoksajo me namasa vidhiyate
sattvam—consciousness; visuddham—pure; vasudeva— Vasudeva; sabdi-
tam—known as; yat—because; iyate—is revealed; tatra—there; puman—the
Supreme Person; apavrtah—without any covering; sattve—in consciousness;
ca—and; tasmin—in that; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
