Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute
Bg 7.3
TEXT 3
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
SYNONYMS
manuñyäëäm—of men; sahasreñu—out of many thousands; kaçcit—someone; yatati—endeavors; siddhaye—for perfection; yatatäm—of those so endeavoring; api—indeed; siddhänäm—of those who have achieved perfection; kaçcit—someone; mäm—Me; vetti—does know; tattvataù—in fact.
TRANSLATION
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
PURPORT
There are various grades of men, and out of many thousands one may be sufficiently interested in transcendental realization to try to know what is the self, what is the body, and what is the Absolute Truth. Generally mankind is simply engaged in the animal propensities, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, and hardly anyone is interested in transcendental knowledge. The first six chapters of the Gétä are meant for those who are interested in transcendental knowledge, in understanding the self, the Superself and the process of realization by jïäna-yoga, dhyäna-yoga, and discrimination of the self from matter. However, Kåñëa can only be known by persons who are in Kåñëa consciousness. Other transcendentalists may achieve impersonal Brahman realization, for this is easier than understanding Kåñëa. Kåñëa is the Supreme Person, but at the same time He is beyond the knowledge of Brahman and Paramätmä. The yogés and jïänés are confused in their attempts to understand Kåñëa, although the greatest of the impersonalists, Çrépäda Çaìkaräcärya, has admitted in his Gétä commentary that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But his followers do not accept Kåñëa as such, for it is very difficult to know Kåñëa, even though one has transcendental realization of impersonal Brahman.
Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the primeval Lord Govinda. Éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù anädir ädir govindaù sarva-käraëa-käraëam. It is very difficult for the nondevotees to know Him. Although nondevotees declare that the path of bhakti or devotional service is very easy, they cannot practice it. If the path of bhakti is so easy, as the nondevotee class of men proclaim, then why do they take up the difficult path? Actually the path of bhakti is not easy. The so-called path of bhakti practiced by unauthorized persons without knowledge of bhakti may be easy, but when it is practiced factually according to the rules and regulations, the speculative scholars and philosophers fall away from the path. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé writes in his Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu:
çruti-småti-puräëädi-païcarätra-vidhià vinä
aikäntiké harer bhaktir utpätäyaiva kalpate.
aikäntiké harer bhaktir utpätäyaiva kalpate.
"Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniñads, Puräëas, Närada-païcarätra, etc., is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society."
It is not possible for the Brahman realized impersonalist or the Paramätmä realized yogé to understand Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the son of mother Yaçodä or the charioteer of Arjuna. Even the great demigods are sometimes confused about Kåñëa: "muhyanti yat sürayaù," "mäà tu veda na kaçcana." "No one knows Me as I am," the Lord says. And if one does know Him, then "sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù." "Such a great soul is very rare." Therefore unless one practices devotional service to the Lord, he cannot know Kåñëa as He is (tattvataù), even though one is a great scholar or philosopher. Only the pure devotees can know something of the inconceivable transcendental qualities in Kåñëa, in the cause of all causes, in His omnipotence and opulence, and in His wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation, because Kåñëa is benevolently inclined to His devotees. He is the last word in Brahman realization, and the devotees alone can realize Him as He is. Therefore it is said:
ataù çré-kåñëa-nämädi na bhaved grähyam indriyäiù
sevonmukhe hi jihvädau svayam eva sphuraty adaù
sevonmukhe hi jihvädau svayam eva sphuraty adaù
"No one can understand Kåñëa as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him." (Padma Puräëa)
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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada