SB 6.3.14 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अहं महेन्द्रो निऋर्ति: प्रचेता: सोमोऽग्निरीश: पवनो विरिञ्चि: । आदित्यविश्वे वसवोऽथ साध्या मरुद्गणा रुद्रगणा: ससिद्धा: ॥ १४ ॥ अन्ये च ये विश्वसृजोऽमरेशा भृग्वादयोऽस्पृष्टरजस्तमस्का: । यस्येहितं न विदु: स्पृष्टमाया: सत्त्वप्रधाना अपि किं ततोऽन्ये ॥ १५ ॥

Verse text

ahaṁ mahendro nirṛtiḥ pracetāḥ somo ’gnir īśaḥ pavano viriṣciḥ āditya-viśve vasavo ’tha sādhyā marud-gaṇā rudra-gaṇāḥ sasiddhāḥ anye ca ye viśva-sṛjo ’mareśā bhṛgv-ādayo ’spṛṣṭa-rajas-tamaskāḥ yasyehitaṁ na viduḥ spṛṣṭa-māyāḥ sattva-pradhānā api kiṁ tato ’nye

Synonyms

aham — I, Yamarāja ; mahendraḥ — Indra, the King of heaven ; nirṛtiḥ — Nirṛti ; pracetāḥ — Varuṇa, the controller of water ; somaḥ — the moon ; agniḥ — fire ; īśaḥ — Lord Śiva ; pavanaḥ — the demigod of the air ; viriṣciḥ — Lord Brahmā ; āditya — the sun ; viśve — Viśvāsu ; vasavaḥ — the eight Vasus ; atha — also ; sādhyāḥ — the demigods ; marut — gaṇāḥ — masters of the wind ; rudra — gaṇāḥ — the expansions of Lord Śiva ; sa — siddhāḥ — with the inhabitants of Siddhaloka ; anye — others ; ca — and ; ye — who ; viśva — sṛjaḥ — Marīci and the other creators of the universal affairs ; amara — īśāḥ — the demigods like Bṛhaspati ; bhṛgu — ādayaḥ — the great sages headed by Bhṛgu ; aspṛṣṭa — who have not been contaminated ; rajaḥ — tamaskāḥ — by the lower modes of material nature ( rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa ) ; yasya — of whom ; īhitam — the activity ; na viduḥ — do not know ; spṛṣṭa — māyāḥ — who are illusioned by the illusory energy ; sattva — pradhānāḥ — chiefly in the mode of goodness ; api — although ; kim — what to speak of ; tataḥ — than them ; anye — others .

Translation

I, Yamarāja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirṛti; Varuṇa; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Śiva; Pavana; Lord Brahmā; Sūrya, the sun-god; Viśvāsu; the eight Vasus; the Sādhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marīci and the other great ṛṣis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Bṛhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhṛgu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

I, Yamarāja, Indra, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Candra, Agni, Lord Śiva, Vāyu, Lord Brahmā, Sūrya, the Viśvadevas, the eight Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Maruts, the Rudras, the Siddhas, Marīci and the other great sages engaged in maintaining the affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the devatās headed by Bṛhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhṛgu, all certainly freed from the influence of passion and ignorance, though situated in the mode of goodness, cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Lord, since we are touched by māyā. What, then, is to be said of others? The Lord is not only superior to me, but he is superior to everyone including Brahmā. Though we know everything, we do not know when or what the Lord will do. Īhitam means “what he wants to do.” Thus it is said: na hy asya karhicid rājan pumān veda vidhitsitam | yad vijijṣāsayā yuktā muhyanti kavayo’pi hi || O King! No one can understand the plan of Kṛṣṇa because even those engaged in reasoning and scripture are bewildered by that inquiry. SB 1.9.16 Though we are not influenced by rajas and tamas we are touched by sattva, which is also māyā.

Purport

The men and other living entities within this cosmic manifestation are controlled by the three modes of nature. For the living entities controlled by the base qualities of nature, passion and ignorance, there is no possibility of understanding God. Even those in the mode of goodness, like the many demigods and great ṛṣis described in these verses, cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, one who is situated in the devotional service of the Lord is transcendental to all the material qualities. Therefore the Lord personally says that no one can understand Him but the bhaktas, who are transcendental to all material qualities ( bhaktyā mām abhijānāti ). As stated by Bhīṣmadeva to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.16) : na hy asya karhicid rājan pumān veda vidhitsitam yad-vijijṣāsayā yuktā muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi “O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.” No one, therefore, can understand God by speculative knowledge. Indeed, by speculation one will be bewildered ( muhyanti ). This is also confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (7.3) : manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ Among many thousands of men, one may endeavor for perfection, and even among the siddhas, those who have already become perfect, only one who adopts the process of bhakti, devotional service, can understand Kṛṣṇa.