Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 396

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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The Most Confidential Knowledge
Chapter 9: Verse-11

avajänanti mäm müdhä mänusim tanum äsritam
param bhävam ajänanto mama bhüta-mahesvaram[1]

TRANSLATION

Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.


PURPORT

From the other explanations of the previous verses in this chapter, it is clear that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although appearing like a human being, is not a common man. The Personality of Godhead, who conducts the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the complete cosmic manifestation, cannot be a human being. Yet there are many foolish men who consider krsna to be merely a powerful man and nothing more. Actually, He is the original Supreme Personality, as is confirmed in the Brahma-samhitä (isvarah paramah krsnah); He is the Supreme Lord.

There are many isvaras, controllers, and one appears greater than another. In the ordinary management of affairs in the material world, we find some official or director, and above him there is a secretary, and above him a minister, and above him a president. Each of them is a controller, but one is controlled by another. In the Brahma-samhitä it is said that krsna is the supreme controller; there are many controllers undoubtedly, both in the material and spiritual world, but krsna is the supreme controller (isvarah). and His body is sac-cid-änanda, nonmaterial.Material bodies cannot perform the wonderful acts described in previous paramah krsnah verses. His body is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Although He is not a common man, the foolish deride Him and consider Him to be a man. His body is called here mänusim because He is acting just like a man, a friend of Arjuna’s, a politician involved in the Battle of Kuruksetra. In so many ways He is acting just like an ordinary man, but actually His body is sac-cid-änanda-vigraha [2] —eternal bliss and knowledge absolute. This is confirmed in the Vedic language also. Sac-cid-änanda-rüpäya krsnäya: “I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, who is the eternal blissful form of knowledge.” Gopäla-täpani Upanisad other descriptions in the Vedic language also. Tam ekam govindam: “You are [3] There are Govinda, the pleasure of the senses and the cows.” Sac-cid-änanda-vigraham: “And Your form is transcendental, full of knowledge, bliss and eternality.” [4]Despite the transcendental qualities of Lord Krsna’s body, its full bliss and knowledge, there are many so-called scholars and commentators of Bhagavad-gita who deride krsna as an ordinary man. The scholar may be born an extraordinary man due to his previous good work, but this conception of Sri Krsna is due to a poor fund of knowledge. Therefore he is called müdha. for only foolish persons consider krsna to be an ordinary human being. The foolish consider krsna an ordinary human being because they do not know the confidential activities of the Supreme Lord and His different energies.

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References

  1. avajänanti=deride; mäm=Me; müdhäh=foolish men; mänusim=in a human form; tanum=a body; äsritam=assuming; param=transcendental; bhävam=nature; ajänantah=not knowing; mama=My; bhüta=of everything that be; mahä-isvaram—the supreme proprietor.
  2. Bs. 5.1
  3. 1.1
  4. Gopäla-täpani Upanisad 1.35

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