Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.12.19

sa dadarśa vimānāgryaḿ

nabhaso 'vatarad dhruvaḥ

vibhrājayad daśa diśo

rākāpatim ivoditam

SYNONYMS

saḥ — he; dadarśa — saw; vimāna — an airplane; agryam — very beautiful; nabhasaḥ — from the sky; avatarat — descending; dhruvaḥ — Dhruva Mahārāja; vibhrājayat — illuminating; daśa — ten; diśaḥ — directions; rākā-patim — the full moon; iva — like; uditam — visible.

TRANSLATION

As soon as the symptoms of his liberation were manifest, he saw a very beautiful airplane coming down from the sky, as if the brilliant full moon were coming down, illuminating all the ten directions.

PURPORT

There are different levels of acquired knowledge — direct knowledge, knowledge received from authorities, transcendental knowledge, knowledge beyond the senses, and finally spiritual knowledge. When one surpasses the stage of acquiring knowledge by the descending process, he is immediately situated on the transcendental platform. Dhruva Mahārāja, being liberated from the material concept of life, was situated in transcendental knowledge and could perceive the presence of a transcendental airplane which was as brilliant as the full moonlight. This is not possible in the stages of direct or indirect perception of knowledge. Such knowledge is a special favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can, however, rise to this platform of knowledge by the gradual process of advancing in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness