Here Vyāsadeva says that sa vai bhavān veda samasta-guhyam. "My dear Nārada, my dear spiritual master, you can answer why I am unhappy, because you know the presiding Deity of the whole creation, purāṇa-puruṣaḥ." Purāṇa means old, and puruṣa means the Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the oldest. He must be oldest, because He is the father of everything. So nobody can be older than Kṛṣṇa. Here it is said purāṇa-puruṣaḥ.
In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also described how is that purāṇa-puruṣaḥ, the oldest man, Kṛṣṇa. So it is described there:
- advaitam acyutam anAdim ananta-rūpam
- ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
- (Bs. 5.33)
That Purāṇa-puruṣa, that oldest man, Kṛṣṇa—not man, God—He is oldest. Advaitam acyutam, and He is infallible, and He is without any second. Nobody is greater than Him, nobody is equal than Him. Advaitam acyutam anAdim. And He has no origin. These are the description of God. He has no origin. Just like I have got my origin. I am generated by my father, you are generated by your father, your father is generated by his father, his father . . .
You go on. But the Supreme Lord, purāṇa-puruṣaḥ, He has no father. But in the . . . in His pastimes, as you see Nanda Mahārāja is His father or Vasudeva is His father. They are His devotees. When God comes, appears on this planet, He appears just like ordinary man. He's born, and He accepts His devotee as father. These are the intricate questions there.
So Vyāsadeva says that, "You know that oldest Supreme Personality, purāṇa-puruṣaḥ. Therefore you can answer." Indirectly, one who goes deeper and deeper into his spiritual understanding . . . the first understanding is the impersonal Brahman. The next spiritual understanding is Paramātmā, or the Supersoul.