Devanagari
श्रीभगवानुवाच
ज्ञानं परमगुह्यं मे यद् विज्ञानसमन्वितम् ।
सरहस्यं तदङ्गं च गृहाण गदितं मया ॥ ३१ ॥
Verse text
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
jṣānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me
yad vijṣāna-samanvitam
sarahasyaṁ tad-aṅgaṁ ca
gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā
Synonyms
śrī
—
bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said
;
jṣānam
—
knowledge acquired
;
parama
—
extremely
;
guhyam
—
confidential
;
me
—
of Me
;
yat
—
which is
;
vijṣāna
—
realization
;
samanvitam
—
coordinated
;
sa
—
rahasyam — with devotional service
;
tat
—
of that
;
aṅgam ca
—
necessary paraphernalia
;
gṛhāṇa
—
just try to take up
;
gaditam
—
explained
;
mayā
—
by Me .
Translation
The Personality of Godhead said: Knowledge about Me as described in the scriptures is very confidential, and it has to be realized in conjunction with devotional service. The necessary paraphernalia for that process is being explained by Me. You may take it up carefully.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Lord said: Please understand the most secret knowledge of my form, along with realization of that form, and also understand about prema-bhakti and sādhana-bhakti which will be spoken by me.
Purport
Lord Brahmā is the topmost devotee of the Lord within the universe, and therefore the Personality of Godhead replied to his four principal inquiries in four important statements, which are known as the original
Bhāgavatam
in four verses. These were Brahmā’s questions: (1) What are the forms of the Lord both in matter and in transcendence? (2) How are the different energies of the Lord working? (3) How does the Lord play with His different energies? (4) How may Brahmā be instructed to discharge the duty entrusted to Him? The prelude to the answers is this verse under discussion, wherein the Lord informs Brahmā that knowledge of Him, the Supreme Absolute Truth, as it is stated in the revealed scriptures, is very subtle and cannot be understood unless one is self-realized by the grace of the Lord. The Lord says that Brahmā may take the answers as He explains them. This means that transcendental knowledge of the absolute Supreme Being can be known if it is made known by the Lord Himself. By the mental speculation of the greatest mundane thinkers, the Absolute Truth cannot be understood. The mental speculators can reach up to the standard of impersonal Brahman realization, but, factually, complete knowledge of transcendence is beyond the knowledge of impersonal Brahman. Thus it is called the supreme confidential wisdom. Out of many liberated souls, someone may be qualified to know the Personality of Godhead. In the
Bhagavad-gītā
it is also said by the Lord Himself that out of many hundreds of thousands of people, one may try for perfection in human life, and out of many liberated souls, one may know Him as He is. Therefore, the knowledge of the Personality of Godhead may be attained by devotional service only.
Rahasyam
means devotional service. Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna in the
Bhagavad-gītā
because He found Arjuna to be a devotee and friend. Without such qualifications, one cannot enter into the mystery of the
Bhagavad-gītā.
Therefore, one cannot understand the Personality of Godhead unless one becomes a devotee and discharges devotional service. This mystery is
love of Godhead.
Therein lies the main qualification for knowing the mystery of the Personality of Godhead. And to attain the stage of transcendental love of Godhead, regulative principles of devotional service must be followed. The regulative principles are called
vidhi-bhakti,
or the devotional service of the Lord, and they can be practiced by a neophyte with his present senses. Such regulative principles are mainly based on hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord. And such hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord can be made possible in the association of devotees only. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended five main principles for attaining perfection in the devotional service of the Lord. The first is association with devotees (hearing); second is chanting the glories of the Lord; third, hearing
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
from the pure devotee; fourth, residing in a holy place connected with the Lord; and fifth, worshiping the Deity of the Lord with devotion. Such rules and regulations are parts of devotional service. So, as requested by Lord Brahmā, the Personality of Godhead will explain all about the four questions put forward by Brahmā, and others also which are parts and parcels of the same questions.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Brahmā has asked four questions. In verse 26 he asked about the spiritual and material forms of the Lord. In verse 27 he asked about māyā and yoga-māyā. In verse 28, he asked how the Lord carries out pastimes in relation to māyā and yoga-māyā. In verse 29, he asked for instructions for attaining his desired goal. The Lord promises in the present verse to answer these questions in order with four verses.
The Bhāgavatam, composed of these four verses given as answers by the Lord, is famous since itis spoken by the Lord himself. That is expressed in this verse. Not only will I give you knowledge of my form, but also realization as well. Moreover, this form is rarely understood (paramam guhyam), much superior to knowledge of the impersonal brahman. I will explain what is intimate (rahasyam), prema bhakti. Realize prema-bhakti which is accomplished by that knowledge of my form (sa). Prema is well known as rahasya from statements such as sugopyam api vak?y?mi: I will speak to you the most secret knowledge. (SB 11.11.49) I will also explain by my mercy about sādhana-bhakti, an aṅga of prema, though you did not ask. Thus I will explain three things: my form, prema-bhakti and sādhana-bhakti. Moreover, though you asked about these three through instructions from me (verse 29) I will explain this in four verses so that materialistic people do not understand, since it is confidential. By mention of prema and sādhana-bhakti it should be understood that the Lord also teaches about chanting the name of the Lord which is explained in the First Canto and which is more secret and more excellent than the most secret knowledge of the Lord’s forms. The Lord will especially give understanding to Brahmā, and therefore he instructs him to try to understand, even though he is already attentive (mayā grḥāṇa).