SB 1.8.18 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 18
Shri Kunti Uvacha Namaswe purusham tu adyam iswaram prakriteh parah Alksham sarva bhutanam antar bahir abasthitam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Shri Kunti Uvacha—Srimati Kunti said, Namaswe—let me bow down, Purusham—the supreme person, Tu—although, Adyam—the original, Iswaram—the Controller, Prakriteh—of the material cosmos, Parah—beyond, Alaksham—invisible, Sarva—all, Bhutanam—of living beings, Antar—within, Bahir—without. Absthitam—existing.
TRANSLATION
Srimati Kunti said, oh Krishna I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original Personality and are unaffected by the qualities of material world. You are existing both within and without of everything and still You are invisible for all.
PURPORT
Srimati Kunti Devee was quite aware of it that Krishna was the original Personality of Godhead although He was playing the part of her nephew. Such an enlightened Lady could not commit mistake by offering obeisances unto her nephew. Therefore, she addressed Him as the Original Purusha beyond the material cosmos. Although all living entities are also transcendental yet they are not original neither they are infallible. The living entities are apt to fall down under the clutches of material nature but the Lord is never like that. In the Vedas therefore He is described as the chief amongst all living entities (nitya nityanam cetana). Then again He is addressed as Iswara or the controller. The living entities or the demigods like Indra, Chandra, Surya, etc., they are also to some extent Iswara but none of them is the Supreme Iswara or the ultimate controller. As such He is the Parameswara or the Super Soul. He is both within and without also. Although He was present before Srimati Kunti as her nephew He was also within Her and everyone else. In the Bhagwat Geeta the Lord says (B.G. 15/15) "I am situated in everyone's heart and due to Me only one remembers, forgets and is cognisant etc. Through all the Vedas I am to be known because I am the compiler of the Vedas and I am the teacher of the Vedantas". Queen Kunti affirms it that the Lord although is both within and without of all living beings He is still invisible. The Lord is so to say a puzzle for the common man. Queen Kunti experienced it personally that Lord Krishna was present before her and yet He entered within the womb of Uttara to save her embryo from the attack of Brahmastra by Aswathama. Kunti herself was puzzled whether Shri Krishna is all pervasive or localised. But in fact He is both, but He reserves the right of not being exposed to persons who are not surrendered souls. This checking curtain is called Maya energy of the Supreme Lord which controls the limited vision of the rebelled soul. It is explained as follows:-