ahaṁ ca yogeśvaram ātma-tattva-
vidāṁ munīnāṁ paramaṁ guruṁ vai
praṣṭuṁ pravṛttaḥ kim ihāraṇaṁ tat
sākṣād dhariṁ jñāna-kalāvatīrṇam

ahamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaham

as far as I am concerned; as I am; egotism; false ego; false identification (in the bodily concept of life); false identity; I ("I am this body"); I (am); I (Kṛṣṇa); I (Lord Brahmā); I (Lord Śiva); I (Prahlāda Mahārāja); I (the person desiring release from material life); I (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); I; I am; I am everything; I am independent; I am the material body; I myself; I, Lord Kṛṣṇa; I, the Personality of Godhead; I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; I, Yamarāja; me; my existence ("I am something"); my humble self; myself (Brahmājī); Myself; the word aham; the wrong mental conception.—I; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—and; yogaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyoga

yoga practice; and mystic power; and of mystic yoga; and of the means; by bhakti-yoga, devotional service; by yoga; by yoga practice; by a conjunction; by devotional service; by mystic power; by mystic practice; by mysticism; by power of mystic yoga; by practice of yoga; by practice of devotion; by the process of linking with the Supreme by bhakti-yoga; concentration of the mind; connection; devotion; devotional service in karma-yoga; eightfold yoga; in the mystic yoga process; in the mystic yoga process; linking process; means; mystic haṭha-yoga; mystic yoga practices; mystic; mystic power; mystic powers; mystic yoga practice; mystic yogic meditation; of linking up; of mystic yoga; of mysticism; of the yoga system; of yogic perfections; practice of the mystic yoga system; the mystic yoga system; the practice of mystic yoga; the process of controlling the senses; the science of self-realization or bhakti-yoga; the yoga.-īśvaramplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigīśvaram

as the supreme controller, independent; Lord Śiva; master, controller; representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; Supersoul; the controller; the King; the Lord; the Personality of Godhead; the supreme authority; the supreme controller; the supreme controller, Lord Viṣṇu; the Supreme Lord; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; unto the supreme controller; unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.—the master of all mystic power; ātmaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigatma

and of the soul; and of the Supersoul (Paramātmā); and the mind; body; by a manifestation of Yourself; by the body and mind; by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; by themselves; by Yourself; heart; Himself; his; in Himself; in the body; in the living entities; into the self; living being; mind; of all living entities; of Himself; of one's self; of spiritual knowledge; of the mind; of the mind and senses; of the soul; of the Supreme; one's own; own; personal; self; self-realized; soul; spirit; Supersoul; the body and mind; the devotees are the Lord's heart and soul; the mind; the mind and body; the self; the spirit; the Supersoul; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supreme Self; the tree of work; to the body; upon the Supersoul; within; Yourself; ātmā.-tattvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtattva

Absolute Truth; basic principles; conclusions; in truth; knowledge; of the Absolute Truth; of the truth; of the ultimate principles; real nature; that truth; the Absolute Truth; the fundamental principles; the principle; the truth; to the truth; truth; truths.-vidāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvidam

of the knowers; of the learned; of the self-realized persons.—of the learned scholars who are aware of the spiritual science; munīnāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmunīnām

great saintly persons; in the presence of the sages; of great sages; of such saintly persons; of the great philosophers or mental speculators; of the great sages; of the sages; those four sages.—of such saintly persons; paramamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparamam

a supreme; divine; extreme; foremost; highest; is the supreme; most; supreme; the best (within the universe); the best; the Supreme; the ultimate; the ultimate goal; topmost; transcendental; ultimate; very; very great; very severe; with great.—the best; gurumplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biggurum

heavy; his spiritual master; his spiritual master, Vasiṣṭha; his spiritual master, Śukrācārya; most severe; most worshipable; preceptor; spiritual master; the instructor; the master; the perfect spiritual master; the preceptor; the spiritual master; the supreme spiritual master; the supreme spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa; the teacher or spiritual master; unto his guru; unto his spiritual master; unto the spiritual master; you who act as a good advisor to all fallen souls.—the preceptor; vaiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvai

actually; also; always; as a matter of course; as a matter of fact; as either; as I remember; as they are; but; by providence; certainly; duly; easily; either; even; even though; exactly; from whom everything is coming; generally; however; in fact; in particular; in that way; indeed; is certainly; of course; or; positively; undoubtedly; what else is there to say; without fail.—indeed; praṣṭumplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpraṣṭum

in order to inquire; to inquire.—to inquire; pravṛttaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpravrttah

engaged; so inclined; to engage.—engaged; kimplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkim

and what is the value of such happiness; anything; are you; either; how; how can he be; how much; is it; is it that; nothing; something; what; what benefit; what for; what is; what is that; what is the benefit; what is the difficulty; what is the meaning; what is the need; what is the use; what is the use of; what is the value; what is there; what is there to fear; what kind of; what need; what need is there; what sort of; what then; what to speak of; what use; where is the necessity; whether; who; who is there; why.—what; ihaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiha

as a matter of fact; at the present moment; at this place; by this; during this span of life; here (in this body); here (in this life); here (in this universe); here (on this water); here; here in Jagannātha Purī; here in the spiritual world; here in this world; here in Vṛndāvana; here, in this arena of sacrifice; herein; herewith; in material sense gratification; in the foolish species of life; in the material world; in the matter of this offense; in the sacrifice; in the universe; in this (material world); in this (the holy name); in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in this; in this battle; in this body; in this case; in this connection; in this existence; in this human society; in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; in this life; in this material world (especially in this pious land of Bhārata-varṣa, India); in this material world; in this matter of creation; in this millennium; in this narration; in this place; in this place, in this spot; in this situation; in this universe; in this very life; in this water; in this world; in this world of mortality; in this world or in this life; in Vaikuṇṭha; in which house; it; now; on this planet; on this subject; this; within the universe; within this life; within this material world; within this world.—in this world; araṇamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaraṇam

a person who can give shelter; shelter; the actual shelter of everyone; the most secure shelter; worthy to take shelter.—the most secure shelter; tatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtat

establishment of the statement tat tvam asi.—that which; sākṣātplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsākṣāt

clearly; direct; direct audience; direct experience; directly; directly or factually; in person; meeting; original; perceivable by hearing from the authorities and by direct perception; personally; without doubt. harimplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigharim

at Hari; Hari; Kṛṣṇa; Lord Hari (Śrī Kṛṣṇa); Lord Hari; Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; Lord Viṣṇu; Lord Śrī Hari; of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; on the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Lord; the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Personality of Godhead; the Supreme Lord; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; unto Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; unto the Lord; unto the Supreme Lord; unto the Supreme Lord, the controller; unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (the form of the Lord being identical with the Lord); Śrī Kṛṣṇa.—directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jñānaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigjñāna

and knowledge; as knowledge; by acquired knowledge; by knowledge; by the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Māyāvādīs; cultivation of knowledge; empiric knowledge; having full knowledge; knowledge; knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; knowledge, philosophical speculations; knowledge-acquiring; knowledge-acquiring senses; material knowledge; notion; of knowledge; of knowledge through Vedic scriptures; of perfect knowledge; of philosophical speculation; of real spiritual knowledge; of scriptural knowledge; perfect knowledge; philosophical speculation; speculative cultivation of knowledge; speculative knowledge; such a consideration; such knowledge; the knowledge; the path of knowledge; the path of philosophical speculation; the path of speculative knowledge; with knowledge.-kalāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkala

melodious.-avatīrṇamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavatīrṇam

descended; incarnated.—who has descended as the incarnation of complete knowledge in His plenary portion known as Kapiladeva.

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:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

“Of all yogīs, he who abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” (Bg. 6.47)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 6.47

And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.

Jaḍa Bharata was a perfect yogī. He was formerly the emperor Bharata Mahārāja, and he was now the most exalted personality among learned sages and the master of all mystic powers. Although Jaḍa Bharata was an ordinary living entity, he had inherited all the knowledge given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kapiladeva. He could therefore be taken directly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his stanzas to the spiritual master: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. An exalted personality like Jaḍa Bharata is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he fully represents the Lord by giving knowledge to others. Jaḍa Bharata is herein accepted as the direct representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he was imparting knowledge on behalf of the Supreme Lord. Therefore Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa concluded that it was appropriate to ask him about ātma-tattva, the spiritual science. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This Vedic injunction is also confirmed herein. If anyone is at all interested in knowing the spiritual science (brahma jijñāsā), he must approach a guru like Jaḍa Bharata.