Srimad Bhagavatham : 6.4.34.

Skandham-6.

Chapter-4.  ( The Hamsa-guhya  Prayers )

Slokam-34. { As the air carries various characteristics of the physical elements, like the aroma of a flower or colors resulting from a mixture of dust in the air, the Lord appears through lower systems of worship according to one’s desires, although He appears as the demigods and not in His original form. What is the use of these other forms? May the original Supreme Personality of Godhead please fulfill my desires. }

yah  prakrtair  jnana-pathair jananam

yathasayam  deha-gato vibhati,

yathanilah  parthivam asrito gunam

sa  isvaro  me  kurutam  manoratham.



yah  =  who;

prakrtaih  =  lower grade;

jnana-pathaih  =  by the paths of worship;

jananam  =  of all living entities;

yatha-asayam  =  according to the desire;

deha-gatah  =  situated within the core of the heart;

vibhati  =  manifests;

yatha  =  just as;

anilah  =  the air;

parthivam  =  earthly;

asritah  =  receiving;

gunam  =  the quality (like flavor and color);

sah  =  He;

isvarah  =  the Supreme Personality of Godhead;

me  =  my;

kurutam  =  may He fulfill;

manoratham  =  desire (for devotional service).



There are three classes of men—the lowest (adhama), those in the middle (madhyama), and the best (uttama).

The lowest (adhama) think that there is no difference between God and the living entity except that the living entity is under designations whereas the Absolute Truth has no designations.

In their opinion, as soon as the designations of the material body are dissolved, the jīva, the living entity, will mix with the Supreme.

They give the argument of ghatakasa-patakasa, in which the body is compared to a pot with the sky within and the sky without.

When the pot breaks, the sky inside becomes one with the sky outside, and so the impersonalists say that the living being becomes one with the Supreme.

This is their argument, but Sri Madhvacarya says that such an argument is put forward by the lowest class of men.

Another class of men cannot ascertain what the actual form of the Supreme is, but they agree that there is a Supreme who controls the activities of the ordinary living being.

Such philosophers are accepted as mediocre.

The best, however. are those who understand the Supreme Lord (sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]).

Purnanandadi-gunakam sarva jiva-vilakshanam:

His form is completely spiritual, full of bliss, and completely distinct from that of the conditioned soul or any other living entity.

Uttamas tu harim prahus taratamyena teshu ca:

such philosophers are the best because they know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals Himself differently to worshipers in various modes of material nature.

They know that there are thirty-three million demigods just to convince the conditioned soul that there is a supreme power and to induce him to agree to worship one of these demigods so that by the association of devotees he may be able to understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7]

“There is no truth superior to Me.”

Aham adir hi devanam:

“I am the origin of all the demigods.”

Aham sarvasya prabhavah:

“I am superior to everyone, even Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and the other demigods.”

These are the conclusions of the Sastra, and one who accepts these conclusions should be considered a first-class philosopher.

Such a philosopher knows that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Lord of the demigods (deva-devesvaram sutram anandam prana-vedinah).