Direct chanting of Krishna's holy name transcends lifetimes of speculation, immediately connecting the devotee with the Absolute Truth.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.11 — October 22, 1972, Vṛndāvana 721022SB-VRNDAVAN [34:44 Minutes] SB-01.02.11_721022SB-VRNDAVAN Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] [break]
Prabhupāda: Next? Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms] [break] ...brahma iti—known as Brahman; paramātmā iti—known as Paramātmā; bhagavān iti—known as Bhagavān; śabdyate—it so sounded. [01:38] Translation: "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān." Prabhupāda: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] So, the Absolute Truth is realized in three different features, according to the capacity of realization of the person. Those who are trying to approach the Absolute Truth by exercise of the senses, they can reach up to the point of impersonal Brahman.
Those who are searching out the Absolute Truth by meditation, by mystic yogic practices, they can realize the Paramātmā feature of the Absolute Truth. And those who are engaged in devotional service, they realize the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually, we have to reach to the point of Personality of Godhead, person. Before that, Brahman realization and Paramātmā realization, that is partial realization of the Absolute Truth, because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā [Bg. 14.27]. The impersonal Brahman is resting on Kṛṣṇa.
Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is very all-embracing, wide, widely spread all over the universe, the sunshine. But the sunshine is resting on the sun globe. We see the sun globe, localized. It is floating in one corner of this universal sky.
But the sunshine is covering the whole universe. That does not mean the sunshine is more important than the sun globe. And if you can penetrate within the sun globe, then you'll find there is sun-god. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Kṛṣṇa says that "This yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, as they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, it was first explained to the sun-god, Vivasvān." The śāstra gives us the name of the predominating deity of the sun globe. Just like any gentleman can know or give the name of your president, Mr.
Nixon. He might not have seen, but he knows that the present president of USA is Mr. Nixon. Similarly, actually those who are in knowledge, they know who are the predominating deities of the different planet.
They know. Not to speak of others; Kṛṣṇa, who can know better than Him? Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. Kṛṣṇa knows past, present and future. So He's saying that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]: "This imperishable yoga system, bhakti-yoga..." It is imperishable, avyayam.