23.77

jivesu ete vasanto ’pi

bindu-bindutaya kvacit

paripurnataya bhanti

tatraiva purusottame

SYNONYMS

jivesu—in the living entities; ete—these; vasantah—are residing; api—though; bindu-bindutaya—with a very minute quantity; kvacit—sometimes; paripurnataya—with fullness; bhanti—are manifest; tatra—in Him; eva—certainly; purusa-uttame—in the Supreme Personality of Godhead " ’These qualities are sometimes very minutely exhibited in living beings, but they are fully manifest in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

PURPORT

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.1.30).

Living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As stated in Bhagavad-gita:

mamaivamso jiva-loke

jiva-bhutah sanatanah

manah sasthanindriyani

prakrti-sthani karsati “The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts.

Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Bg.15.7) The qualities of Krsna are present in the living entity in minute, atomic quantities.

A small portion of gold is certainly gold, but it cannot be equal to a gold mine.

Similarly, the living entities have all the characteristics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in minute quantity, but the living entity is never equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

God is therefore described as the Supreme Being, and the living entity is described as a jiva.

God is the Supreme Being, the chief of all living beings-eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman.

The Mayavadis maintain that everyone is God, but even if this philosophy is accepted, no one can maintain that everyone is equal to the Supreme Godhead.

Only unintelligent men maintain that everyone is equal to God or that everyone is God.