tatrodvahat paĹupa-vamĹa-ĹiĹutva-nÄášyaáš
brahmÄdvayaáš param anantam agÄdha-bodham
vatsÄn sakhÄŤn iva purÄ parito vicinvad
ekaáš sa-pÄáši-kavalaáš parameᚣášhy acaᚣáša
tatra - there (in VášndÄvana); udvahat - assuming; paĹupa-vamĹa-ĹiĹutva-nÄášyam - the play of being a child in a family of cowherd men (another of KášášŁáša's names is GopÄla, 'He who maintains the cows'); brahma - the Absolute Truth; advayam - without a second; param - the Supreme; anantam - unlimited; agÄdha-bodham - possessing unlimited knowledge; vatsÄn - the calves; sakhÄŤn - and His friends, the boys; iva purÄ - just as before; paritaḼ - everywhere; vicinvat - searching; ekam - alone, all by Himself; sa-pÄáši-kavalam - with a morsel of food in His hand; parameᚣášhÄŤ - Lord BrahmÄ; acaᚣáša - saw.
The word agÄdha-bodham, meaning âfull of unlimited knowledge,â is significant in this verse. The Lordâs knowledge is unlimited, and therefore one cannot touch where it ends, just as one cannot measure the ocean. What is the extent of our intelligence in comparison to the vast expanse of water in the ocean? On my passage to America, how insignificant the ship was, like a matchbox in the midst of the ocean. KášášŁášaâs intelligence resembles the ocean, for one cannot imagine how vast it is. The best course, therefore, is to surrender to KášášŁáša. Donât try to measure KášášŁáša.
The word advayam, meaning âone without a second,â is also significant. Because BrahmÄ was overcast by KášášŁášaâs mÄyÄ, he was thinking himself the Supreme. In the material world, everyone thinks, âI am the best man in this world. I know everything.â One thinks, âWhy should I read Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ? I know everything. I have my own interpretation.â BrahmÄ, however, was able to understand that the Supreme Personality is KášášŁáša. ÄŤĹvaraḼ paramaḼ kášášŁášaḼ. Another of KášášŁášaâs names, therefore, is parameĹvara.
Now BrahmÄ saw KášášŁáša, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing as a cowherd boy in VášndÄvana, not demonstrating His opulence but standing just like an innocent boy with some food in His hand, loitering with His cowherd boyfriends, calves and cows. BrahmÄ did not see KášášŁáša as catur-bhuja, the opulent NÄrÄyaáša; rather, he simply saw an innocent boy. Nonetheless, he could understand that although KášášŁáša was not demonstrating His power, He was the same Supreme Person. People generally do not appreciate someone unless he shows something wonderful, but here, although KášášŁáša did not manifest anything wonderful, BrahmÄ could understand that the same wonderful person was present like an ordinary child, although He was the master of the whole creation. Thus BrahmÄ prayed, govindam Ädi-puruᚣaáš tam ahaáš bhajÄmi: âYou are the original person, the cause of everything. I bow down to You.â This was his realization. Tam ahaáš bhajÄmi. This is what is wanted. Vedeᚣu durlabham: one cannot reach KášášŁáša merely by Vedic knowledge. Adurlabham Ätma-bhaktau: but when one becomes a devotee, then one can realize Him. BrahmÄ, therefore, became a devotee. In the beginning he was proud of being BrahmÄ, the lord of the universe, but now he understood, âHere is the Lord of the universe. I am simply an insignificant agent. Govindam Ädi-puruᚣaáš tam ahaáš bhajÄmi.â
KášášŁáša was playing like a dramatic actor. Because BrahmÄ had some false prestige, thinking that he had some power, KášášŁáša showed him his real position. A similar incident occurred when BrahmÄ went to see KášášŁáša in DvÄrakÄ. When KášášŁášaâs doorman informed Lord KášášŁáša that Lord BrahmÄ had arrived, KášášŁáša responded, âWhich BrahmÄ? Ask him which BrahmÄ.â The doorman relayed this question, and BrahmÄ was astonished. âIs there another BrahmÄ besides me?â he thought. When the doorman informed Lord KášášŁáša, âIt is four-headed BrahmÄ,â Lord KášášŁáša said, âOh, four-headed. Call others. Show him.â This is KášášŁášaâs position. For KášášŁáša the four-headed BrahmÄ is insignificant, to say nothing of âfour-headed scientists.â Materialistic scientists think that although this planet earth is full of opulence, all others are vacant. Because they simply speculate, this is their scientific conclusion. But from the BhÄgavatam we understand that the entire universe is full of living entities everywhere. Thus it is the folly of the scientists that although they do not know anything, they mislead people by presenting themselves as scientists, philosophers and men of knowledge.