Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 6.84

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-

prasada-lesanugrihita eva hi

janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno

na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

SYNONYMS

atha -- therefore; api -- indeed; te -- Your; deva -- my Lord; pada-ambuja-dvaya -- of the two lotus feet; prasada -- of the mercy; lesa -- by only a trace; anugrihitah -- favored; eva -- certainly; hi -- indeed; janati -- one knows; tattvam -- the truth; bhagavat -- of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahimnah -- of the greatness; na -- never; ca -- and; anyah -- another; ekah -- one; api -- although; ciram -- for a long period; vicinvan -- speculating.

TRANSLATION

"'My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your personality. But those who speculate in order to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to study the Vedas for many years.'"

PURPORT

The above verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.29). The Brahma-samhita states, vedeshu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is the ultimate goal of knowledge (vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]), one who is not a pure devotee and who is not engaged in the service of the Lord cannot understand Him. Lord Brahma therefore confirms this. Vedeshu durlabham: "It is very difficult to understand the Supreme Lord simply through one's studies." Adurlabham atma-bhaktau: "However, it is very easy for the devotees to capture the Lord." The Lord is known as ajita (unconquerable). No one can conquer the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Lord consents to be conquered by His devotees. That is His nature. As stated in the Padma Purana:

atah sri-krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah

[BRS. 1.2.234]

Being pleased by devotional activities, the Lord reveals Himself to His devotees. That is the way to understand Him.

The verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam quoted by Gopinatha Acarya was originally spoken by Lord Brahma when he was defeated by Lord Krishna. Lord Brahma had stolen all the calves and cowherd boys in order to test Krishna's power. Lord Brahma admitted that his own extraordinary powers within the universe were not in the least comparable to the unlimited powers of Lord Krishna. If Lord Brahma can make a mistake in understanding Krishna, what to speak of ordinary persons, who either misunderstand Krishna or falsely present a so-called incarnation of Krishna for their own sense gratification.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness