The Absolute Truth is one, but realized as Brahman, Paramatma, or Bhagavan according to the surrendered devotee's level.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.11 — April 26, 1974, Tirupati 740426SB-TIRUPATI [39:49 Minutes] SB-01.02.11_740426SB-TIRUPATI Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda having discussion with devotee in background: "I will speak in English. Give him mic, mic. That's all right."] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] [break] [01:47] "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān." Prabhupāda: [aside:] I will speak, then you translate. [translated throughout by Mahāṁśa Swami] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] Yesterday we have been discussing the aim of life. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ.
Kāma... Lābho jīveta yāvatā [SB 1.2.10]. The purpose of life is not sense gratification. Kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ.
We have got this body and we have got some bodily demands, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, the bodily demands. We want to eat something, we want some resting place, we want to satisfy our senses, and we want to defend from dangers. These are bodily demands. But we should not be simply concerned with the bodily demands.
Then we shall become on the level of animals. Our real demand is self-realization. As it is stated in the Brahma-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā, similarly, here it is advised, kāmasya na indriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10] This is very important verse for understanding the aim of life. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Not that simply economic development for sense gratification.
Tattva-jijñāsā. What is the value of life? That is the main business. [aside:] Yes, you can translate.
But he decided, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders, social leaders, political leaders. So they gave up the company of the so-called aristocratic circle—tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat—as most insignificant. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau.
Just to give real service to the mass of people, they became mendicant, kaupīna-kanthāśritau, or accepted the sannyāsa order. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa order, all the ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī—they accepted for the greater benefit of the human society. tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau sadā vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau [Śrī Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 4] So they gave up this life of luxury, exuberance, but adopted sannyāsa order for greater benefit of the human society. So when Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become His disciple, he inquired from Him, tattva-jijñāsā. [to translator, Mahāṁśa Swami:] Shall I stop here? Mahāṁśa: Who is the disciple? Prabhupāda: Sanātana Gosvāmī. [break] So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, when approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu...