SB 8.16.20
upatisthasva purusam
bhagavantam janardanam
sarva-bhuta-guha-vasam
vasudevam jagad-gurum
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
My dear Aditi, engage in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of everything, who can subdue everyone’s enemies, and who sits within everyone’s heart. Only that Supreme Person — Krsna, or Vasudeva — can bestow all auspicious benedictions upon everyone, for He is the spiritual master of the universe.
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
With these words, Kasyapa Muni tried to pacify his wife. Aditi made her appeal to her material husband. Of course, that is nice, but actually a material relative cannot do anything good for anyone. If anything good can be done, it is done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Therefore, Kasyapa Muni advised his wife, Aditi, to begin worshiping Lord Vasudeva, who is situated in everyone’s heart. He is the friend of everyone and is known as Janardana because He can kill all enemies. There are three modes of material nature — goodness, passion and ignorance — and above material nature, transcendental to material nature, is another existence, which is called suddha-sattva. In the material world, the mode of goodness is considered the best, but because of material contamination, even the mode of goodness is sometimes overpowered by the modes of passion and ignorance. But when one transcends the competition between these modes and engages himself in devotional service, he rises above the three modes of material nature. In that transcendental position, one is situated in pure consciousness. Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam (Bhag. 4.3.23). Above material nature is the position called vasudeva, or freedom from material contamination. Only in that position can one perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Thus the vasudeva condition fulfills a spiritual necessity. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. When one realizes Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes most exalted.
Paramatma (Vasudeva) is situated in everyone’s heart, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. The Lord says:
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
“To those who are constantly devoted and who worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Bg. 10.10)
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna.” (Bg. 18.61)
bhoktaram yajña-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jñatva mam santim rcchati
“The sage who knows Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bg. 5.29)
Whenever one is perplexed, let him take shelter of the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Krsna, who will give the devotee intelligence to help him surpass all difficulties and return home, back to Godhead. Kasyapa Muni advised his wife to seek shelter at the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Krsna, so that all her problems would be very easily solved. Thus Kasyapa Muni was an ideal spiritual master. He was not so foolish that he would present himself as an exalted personality, as good as God. He was actually a bona fide guru because he advised his wife to seek shelter at the lotus feet of Vasudeva. One who trains his subordinate or disciple to worship Vasudeva is the truly bona fide spiritual master. The word jagad-gurum is very important in this regard. Kasyapa Muni did not falsely declare himself to be jagad-guru, although he actually was jagad-guru because he advocated the cause of Vasudeva. Actually, Vasudeva is jagad-guru, as clearly stated here (vasudevam jagad-gurum). One who teaches the instructions of Vasudeva, Bhagavad-gita, is as good as vasudevam jagad-gurum. But when one who does not teach this instruction — as it is — declares himself jagad-guru, he simply cheats the public. Krsna is jagad-guru, and one who teaches the instruction of Krsna as it is, on behalf of Krsna, may be accepted as jagad-guru. One who manufactures his own theories cannot be accepted; he becomes jagad-guru falsely.