na brÄhmaṇÄn me dayitaá¹
rūpam etac catur-bhujam
sarva-veda-mayo vipraḥ
sarva-deva-mayo hy aham
na - not; brÄhmaṇÄt - than a brÄhmaṇa; me - to Me; dayitam - more dear; rÅ«pam - personal form; etat - this; catuḥ-bhujam - four-armed; sarva - all; veda - the Vedas; mayaḥ - comprising; vipraḥ - a learned brÄhmaṇa; sarva - all; deva - the demigods; mayaḥ - comprising; hi - indeed; aham - I.
Even My own four-armed form is no dearer to Me than a brÄhmaṇa. Within himself a learned brÄhmaṇa comprises all the Vedas, just as within Myself I comprise all the demigods.
It is understood from the Vedic science of epistemology, the NyÄya-Å›Ästra, that knowledge of an object (prameya) depends on a valid means of knowing (pramÄṇa). The Supreme Personality of Godhead can be known only by means of the Vedas, and thus He relies on the brÄhmaṇa sages, who are the Vedas personified, to reveal Him in this world. Even though Lord Kṛṣṇa embodies all the demigods and viṣṇu-tattva expansions of NÄrÄyaṇa, He considers Himself obliged to the brÄhmaṇas.
