Study a Verse

• Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments as follows: “Although Lord Kṛṣṇa in His form of Haṁsa-avatāra has condemned the intelligence that sees duality and separate values within the material world, the Vedas themselves institute the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, by which the entire human society is divided into different castes, occupations and spiritual statuses.
• Since this world is the Lord’s creation, one cannot deny that its existence is also real; yet the living entity who identifies the creations of this world as belonging to himself is certainly in illusion.
• The example may be given that horns are real and rabbits are real, but if one imagines a rabbit’s horns, that is certainly illusion, though a rabbit’s horns may occur in a dream.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Uncertainty → Clarity. The coming separation makes the instruction personally urgent.

Chapters 10–20 of Canto 11: Kṛṣṇa's teachings on self, yoga and wisdom. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 13: The Haṁsa-avatāra Answers the Questions of the Sons of Brahmā

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In order to receive some insight into this matter, he took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereupon the Supreme Lord appeared before him in the form of the swan incarnation, Lord Haṁsa. Lord Haṁsa proceeded to give instructions about the categorical identity of the self, the different states of consciousness (wakeful awareness, sleep and deep sleep) and the means for conquering over material existence.