Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 9.8.22

ye deha-bhajas tri-guna-pradhana

gunan vipasyanty uta va tamas ca

yan-mayaya mohita-cetasas tvam

viduh sva-samstham na bahih-prakasah

SYNONYMS

ye -- those persons who; deha-bhajah -- have accepted the material body; tri-guna-pradhanah -- influenced by the three modes of material nature; gunan -- the manifestation of the three modes of material nature; vipasyanti -- can see only; uta -- it is so said; va -- either; tamah -- the mode of ignorance; ca -- and; yat-mayaya -- by the illusory energy of whom; mohita -- has been bewildered; cetasah -- the core of whose heart; tvam -- Your Lordship; viduh -- know; sva-samstham -- situated in one's own body; na -- not; bahih-prakasah -- those who can see only the products of external energy.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, You are fully situated in everyone's heart, but the living entities, covered by the material body, cannot see You, for they are influenced by the external energy, conducted by the three modes of material nature. Their intelligence being covered by sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they can see only the actions and reactions of these three modes of material nature. Because of the actions and reactions of the mode of ignorance, whether the living entities are awake or sleeping, they can see only the workings of material nature; they cannot see Your Lordship.

PURPORT

Unless one is situated in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, one is unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is situated in everyone's heart. However, because the conditioned souls are influenced by material nature, they can see only the actions and reactions of material nature, but not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One therefore must purify himself internally and externally:

apavitrah pavitro va

sarvavastham gato 'pi va

yah smaret pundarikaksam

sa bahyabhyantarah sucih

To keep ourselves externally clean we should bathe three times daily, and for internal cleanliness we must cleanse the heart by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. The members of the Krsna consciousness movement must always follow this principle (bahyabhyantarah sucih). Then it will one day be possible to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face.

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