Shloka 33
यथेन्द्रियै: पृथग्द्वारैरर्थो बहुगुणाश्रय: । एको नानेयते तद्वद्भगवान्शास्त्रवर्त्मभि: ॥ ३३ ॥
yathendriyaiḥ pṛthag-dvārair artho bahu-guṇāśrayaḥ eko nāneyate tadvad bhagavān śāstra-vartmabhiḥ
Just as one object, possessing many qualities, is appreciated differently through the separate gates of the senses, so the Supreme Lord is one; yet according to varied scriptural injunctions, He appears as though diverse.
It appears that by following the path of jñāna-yoga, or empiric philosophical speculation, one reaches the impersonal Brahman, whereas by executing devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one enriches his faith in and devotion to the Personality of Godhead. But it is stated here that both bhakti-yoga and jñāna-yoga are meant for reaching the same destination — the Personality of Godhead. By the process of jñāna-yoga the same Personality of Godhead appears to be impersonal. As the same object appears to be different when perceived by different senses, the same Supreme Lord appears to be impersonal by mental speculation. A hill appears cloudy from a distance, and one who does not know may speculate that the hill is a cloud. Actually, it is not a cloud; it is a big hill. One has to learn from authority that the sight of a cloud is not actually a cloud but a hill. If one makes a little more progress, then instead of a cloud he sees the hill and something green. When one actually approaches the hill, he will see many varieties. Another example is in perceiving milk. When we see milk, we see that it is white; when we taste it, it appears that milk is very palatable. When we touch milk, it appears very cold; when we smell milk, it appears to have a very good flavor; and when we hear, we understand that it is called milk. Perceiving milk with different senses, we say that it is something white, something very delicious, something very aromatic, and so on. Actually, it is milk. Similarly, those who are trying to find the Supreme Godhead by mental speculation may approach the bodily effulgence, or the impersonal Brahman, and those who are trying to find the Supreme Godhead by yoga practice may find Him as the localized Supersoul, but those who are directly trying to approach the Supreme Truth by practice of bhakti-yoga can see Him face to face as the Supreme Person.
FAQs
This verse explains that Bhagavān is one, but the scriptures speak of Him in various ways—just as one object is perceived differently through different senses—so diverse śāstric approaches still point to the same Supreme Reality.
Kapiladeva is instructing Devahūti in clear spiritual discernment: differences in scriptural descriptions do not imply multiple supreme truths; they are varied methods suited to different seekers, all meant to lead to realization of the one Bhagavān.
Respect authentic śāstric paths and teachers without becoming sectarian; focus on the essence—devotional service and realization of Bhagavān—while understanding that different explanations may be tailored to different minds and stages.