Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.14-15

aham mahendro nirritih pracetāh

somo 'gnir īśah pavano viriñcih

āditya-viśve vasavo 'tha sādhyā

marud-ganā rudra-ganāh sasiddhāh

anye ca ye viśva-srijo 'mareśā

bhrigv-ādayo 'sprishta-rajas-tamaskāh

yasyehitam na viduh sprishta-māyāh

sattva-pradhānā api kim tato 'nye

SYNONYMS

aham — I, Yamarāja; mahendrah — Indra, the King of heaven; nirritih — Nirriti; pracetāh — Varuna, the controller of water; somah — the moon; agnih — fire; īśah — Lord Śiva; pavanah — the demigod of the air; viriñcih — Lord Brahmā; āditya — the sun; viśve — Viśvāsu; vasavah — the eight Vasus; atha — also; sādhyāh — the demigods; marut-ganāh — masters of the wind; rudra-ganāh — the expansions of Lord Śiva; sa-siddhāh — with the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; anye — others; ca — and; ye — who; viśva-srijah — Marīci and the other creators of the universal affairs; amara-īśāh — the demigods like Brihaspati; bhrigu-ādayah — the great sages headed by Bhrigu; asprishta — who have not been contaminated; rajah-tamaskāh — by the lower modes of material nature (rajo-guna and tamo-guna); yasya — of whom; īhitam — the activity; na viduh — do not know; sprishta-māyāh — who are illusioned by the illusory energy; sattva-pradhānāh — chiefly in the mode of goodness; api — although; kim — what to speak of; tatah — than them; anye — others.

TRANSLATION

I, Yamarāja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirriti; Varuna; 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 rishis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brihaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhrigu 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?

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 rishis 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 [Bg. 18.55]). As stated by Bhīshmadeva to Mahārāja Yudhishthira in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.9.16):

na hy asya karhicid rājan

pumān veda vidhitsitam

yad-vijijñāsayā yuktā

muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi

"O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Krishna]. 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):

manushyānām sahasreshu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānām

kaścin mām vetti tattvatah

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 Krishna.

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