SB 4.7.37 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

लोकपाला ऊचु: द‍ृष्ट: किं नो द‍ृग्भिरसद्ग्रहैस्त्वं प्रत्यग्द्रष्टा द‍ृश्यते येन विश्वम् । माया ह्येषा भवदीया हि भूमन् यस्त्वं षष्ठ: पञ्चभिर्भासि भूतै: ॥ ३७ ॥

Verse text

lokapālā ūcuḥ dṛṣṭaḥ kiṁ no dṛgbhir asad-grahais tvaṁ pratyag-draṣṭā dṛśyate yena viśvam māyā hy eṣā bhavadīyā hi bhūman yas tvaṁ ṣaṣṭhaḥ paṣcabhir bhāsi bhūtaiḥ

Synonyms

loka — pālāḥ — the governors of the different planets ; ūcuḥ — said ; dṛṣṭaḥ — seen ; kim — whether ; naḥ — by us ; dṛgbhiḥ — by the material senses ; asat — grahaiḥ — revealing the cosmic manifestation ; tvam — You ; pratyak — draṣṭā — inner witness ; dṛśyate — is seen ; yena — by whom ; viśvam — the universe ; māyā — material world ; hi — because ; eṣā — this ; bhavadīyā — Your ; hi — certainly ; bhūman — O possessor of the universe ; yaḥ — because ; tvam — You ; ṣaṣṭhaḥ — the sixth ; paṣcabhiḥ — with the five ; bhāsi — appear ; bhūtaiḥ — with the elements .

Translation

The governors of various planets spoke as follows: Dear Lord, we believe only in our direct perception, and therefore we see You as a creation of the material world. But under the circumstances we do not know whether we have actually seen You with our material senses. By our material senses we can simply perceive the cosmic manifestation, but You are beyond the five elements. You are the sixth.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The planetary protectors said: O Lord! You, the internal seer, by whom the universe is seen, and who can be directly seen, are not visible to us by material senses. That you appear to be made of the five elements is only your māyā. We cannot see you by senses which perceive material sense objects (asad-grahaiḥ). But you can be seen (pratyag draṣṭā) by your mercy. Asada-grahaiḥ stays in the masculine form as an adjective in this case. You, the sixth, beyond the five elements, seem to have a material body by means of the five elements. That is your māyā. Those who think that your form is material, such as Jarāsandha, do not see you, since they do not realize your sweetness. This is directed to dry jṣānīs, sages and devatās.

Purport

The governors of the various planets are certainly materially opulent and very puffed up. Such persons are unable to understand the transcendental, eternal form of the Lord. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that only persons who have anointed their eyes with love of Godhead can see the Personality of Godhead in every step of their activities. Also, in the prayers of Kuntī ( Bhāg. 1.8.26 ) it is stated that only those who are akiṣcana-gocaram, who are not materially puffed up, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead; others are bewildered and cannot even think of the Absolute Truth.