SB 7.9.49 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

नैते गुणा न गुणिनो महदादयो ये सर्वे मन: प्रभृतय: सहदेवमर्त्या: । आद्यन्तवन्त उरुगाय विदन्ति हि त्वा- मेवं विमृश्य सुधियो विरमन्ति शब्दात् ॥ ४९ ॥

Verse text

naite guṇā na guṇino mahad-ādayo ye sarve manaḥ prabhṛtayaḥ sahadeva-martyāḥ ādy-antavanta urugāya vidanti hi tvām evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt

Synonyms

na — neither ; ete — all these ; guṇāḥ — three qualities of material nature ; na — nor ; guṇinaḥ — the predominating deities of the three modes of material nature (namely Lord Brahmā, the predominating deity of passion, and Lord Śiva, the predominating deity of ignorance) ; mahat — ādayaḥ — the five elements, the senses and the sense objects ; ye — those which ; sarve — all ; manaḥ — the mind ; prabhṛtayaḥ — and so on ; saha — deva — martyāḥ — with the demigods and the mortal human beings ; ādi — anta — vantaḥ — who all have a beginning and end ; urugāya — O Supreme Lord, who are glorified by all saintly persons ; vidanti — understand ; hi — indeed ; tvām — Your Lordship ; evam — thus ; vimṛśya — considering ; sudhiyaḥ — all wise men ; viramanti — cease ; śabdāt — from studying or understanding the Vedas. .

Translation

Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods nor the human beings can understand Your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Neither the three guṇas, nor their predominating deities, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the devatās, nor the human being, all having a beginning and end, can understand you. Considering this, the wise have given up such study. Knowledge will manifest by bhakti to you and not by study of scriptures, intelligence and skill. If these persons do not know you, then how will the ordinary jīvas know you after considering all things by mind, intelligence, study and teachings of scripture? After considering this, the wise have given up all these methods. Śruti says kim arthā vayam adhyeṣyāmahe kim arthā vayaṁ vakṣyāmahe: What meaning will we understand and what meaning shall we speak? Nānudhyāyed bahūn śabdān vāco viglāpanaṁ hi tat: do not contemplate many words; it gives merely fatigue from speaking. (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.7.21) Smṛti says: yadā te mohakalilaṁ buddhirvyatitariṣyati tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrātavyasya śrutasya ca When your intelligence has completely crossed the denseness of illusion, you will be indifferent to all that has been heard and all that will be heard. BG 2.52

Purport

As stated in several places, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: only by devotional service can the Supreme Lord be understood. The intelligent person, the devotee, does not bother much about the practices mentioned in text 46 ( mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-’dhyayana-sva-dharma ). After understanding the Supreme Lord through devotional service, such devotees are no longer interested in studies of the Vedas. Indeed, this is confirmed in the Vedas also. The Vedas say, kim arthā vayam adhyeṣyāmahe kim arthā vayam vakṣyāmahe. What is the use of studying so many Vedic literatures? What is the use of explaining them in different ways? Vayam vakṣyāmahe. No one needs to study any more Vedic literatures, nor does anyone need to describe them by philosophical speculation. Bhagavad-gītā (2.52) also says: yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca When one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead by executing devotional service, one ceases the practice of studying the Vedic literature. Elsewhere it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in His service, there is no more need of severe austerities, penances and so on. However, if after performing severe austerities and penances one does not understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such practices are useless.