SB 1.8 – Queen Kuntī offers prayers to Kṛṣṇa, who is beyond Paramātmā

Thus saved by the radiation of the brahmāstra, Kuntī and her five sons and Draupadī addressed the Lord as He started for home. He reciprocates the dependence of the devotee, and thus one should not look for help from any imperfect living being or the demigods but should always depend on the Lord. A chaste devotee never asks the Lord for help, but the Lord out of His own accord is always anxious to render it.


Thus saved by the radiation of the brahmāstra, Kuntī and her five sons and Draupadī addressed the Lord as He started for home. He reciprocates the dependence of the devotee, and thus one should not look for help from any imperfect living being or the demigods but should always depend on the Lord. A chaste devotee never asks the Lord for help, but the Lord out of His own accord is always anxious to render it.

Kuntī offered her obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa because He is the original personality and unaffected by material qualities. Although existing within and without everything, He remains invisible to all. The Lord is the original puruṣa beyond material cosmos. Although all living beings are also transcendental, they are neither original nor infallible. The demigods are also controllers but not the supreme īśvara. Kuntī personally saw the Lord before her protecting the Pāṇḍavas with His cakra, yet He entered the womb of Uttarā to protect her embryo. Thus He is both all pervasive, being present within everything and at the same time localized. Kṛṣṇa is beyond the Paramātmā because the Paramātmā is subject to revelation by use of intelligence and other means, whereas Kṛṣṇa is imperceptible. He is beyond Brahman because of being situated internally and externally. He reserves the right to remain invisible and not be exposed to the un-surrendered souls by his curtain of māyā.