jyeṣṭha-bhÄve amśīte haya prabhu-jñÄna
kaniṣṭha-bhÄve ÄpanÄte bhakta-abhimÄna

 jyeṣṭha-bhÄve - in the emotion of being superior; amśīte - in the original source of all incarnations; haya - there is; prabhu-jñÄna - knowledge as master; kaniṣṭha-bhÄve - in an inferior conception; ÄpanÄte - in Himself; bhakta-abhimÄna - the conception of being a devotee.


Text

The source of all incarnations has the emotions of a superior when He considers Himself the master, and He has the emotions of an inferior when He considers Himself a devotee.

Purport

A fraction of a particular thing is called a part, and that from which the fraction is distinguished is called the whole. Therefore the fraction, or part, is included within the whole. The Lord is the whole, and the devotee is the part or fractional part. That is the relationship between the Lord and the devotee. There are also gradations of devotees, who are calculated as greater or lesser. When a devotee is great he is called prabhu, and when he is lesser he is called bhakta, or a devotee. The supreme whole is Kṛṣṇa, and Baladeva and all Viṣṇu incarnations are His fractions. Lord Kṛṣṇa is therefore conscious of His superior position, and all Viṣṇu incarnations are conscious of Their positions as devotees.