SB 1.11.38 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 38
Etad ishanam ishasya prakritistho api tadgunaih Na yujyate sadatmasthair yatha buddhis tad ashraya.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Etad—this, Ishanam—divinity, Ishasya—of the Personality of Godhead, Prakritastha—being in contact with material nature, Api—inspite of, Tadgunaih—by the qualities, Na—never, Yujyate—becomes affected, Sudatmasihair—by those who are situated in eternity, Yatha—as is, Buddhis—intelligence, Tad—the Lord, Ashraya—those who are in the shelter of.
TRANSLATION
This is the divinity of the Personality of Godhead that He is not affected by the qualities of the material nature even though He is in contact with her as the devotees who have taken the shelter of the lord do not become influenced by such qualities.
PURPORT
In the Vedas and Vedic literatures (Sruti and Smriti) bothwise it is affirmed that in the Divinity there is nothing like material modes and He is transcendental (nirguna) withness only; the Supreme cognisant. Hari or the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme transcendental Person situated beyond the range of material affection. These statements are also confirmed even by Acharya Sankara (See Page 513). One may argue that His relation with the Goddess of Fortune may be transcendental but what about His relation with Yadu dynasty being born in that family, or in the matter of His killing the non-believers like Jarasandha and other Asuras directly in contact with the modes of material nature. The answer is there that the Divinity of the Personality of Godhead is that He is never in contact with the qualities of material nature at any circumstances. Actually He is in contact with such qualities because He is the ultimate source of everything and still He is above the actions of such qualities. He is known, therefore, as Yogeswara or the master of mystic power or in other words the All-powerful. What to speak of the Lord even His learned devotees also are not affected by the influence of the material modes. The great six Goswamins of Vrindaban all hailed from great rich and aristocratic family of the then India but when they adopted this life of a mendicant at Vrindaban, superficially they appeared to be in wreched condition of life but factually they were richest of all in spiritual values. Such Mahabhagawatas or the first grade devotees although they move amongst us still they are not contaminated by honour or insult, hunger or satisfaction, by sleep or awakeness, which are all resultant actions of the three modes of material nature. Similarly some of them are engaged in worldly dealings and still they are unaffected. Unless these neutralities of life are there one cannot be called situated in transcendence. The Divinity and His associates are on the same transcendental plane and their glories are always sanctified by the action of Yogamaya or the internal potency of the Lord. The devotees of the Lord are always transcendental even if they are sometimes found to have fallen, in their behaviour. The Lord emphatically declares in the Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 9/30) that even an unalloyed devotee is found to be fallen due to previous material contamination, still He is to be accepted fully transcendental on account of his being engaged cent per cent in the devotional service of the Lord. The Lord protects him always on account of rendering service unto Him and the fallen conditions are to be considered as accidental and temporary for being vanished in no time.