Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 19
Rahūgaṇa Meets Jaḍa Bharata: The Shaking Palanquin and the Teaching Beyond Body-Identity
अहं च योगेश्वरमात्मतत्त्व- विदां मुनीनां परमं गुरुं वै । प्रष्टुं प्रवृत्त: किमिहारणं तत् साक्षाद्धरिं ज्ञानकलावतीर्णम् ॥ १९ ॥
ahaṁ ca yogeśvaram ātma-tattva- vidāṁ munīnāṁ paramaṁ guruṁ vai praṣṭuṁ pravṛttaḥ kim ihāraṇaṁ tat sākṣād dhariṁ jñāna-kalāvatīrṇam
I consider your good self the most exalted master of mystic power. You know the spiritual science perfectly well. You are the most exalted of all learned sages, and you have descended for the benefit of all human society. You have come to give spiritual knowledge, and you are a direct representative of Kapiladeva, the incarnation of God and the plenary portion of knowledge. I am therefore asking you, O spiritual master, what is the most secure shelter in this world?
As Kṛṣṇa confirms in Bhagavad-gītā :
FAQs
This verse identifies Lord Hari Himself as the supreme guru of the munis who know ātma-tattva, because He is the direct source of spiritual knowledge.
He highlights that genuine understanding comes by sincerely questioning the highest authority—Hari, the master of yoga and knowledge—about the true cause behind one’s condition and experience.
Instead of guessing the meaning of life’s difficulties, cultivate humble inquiry into self-realization—seeking guidance from authentic spiritual sources centered on Hari and ātma-tattva.