ŚB 10.40.3
Devanagari
नैते स्वरूपं विदुरात्मनस्ते
ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीता: ।
अजोऽनुबद्ध: स गुणैरजाया
गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम् ॥ ३ ॥
ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीता: ।
अजोऽनुबद्ध: स गुणैरजाया
गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम् ॥ ३ ॥
Verse text
naite svarūpaṁ vidur ātmanas te
hy ajādayo ’nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ
ajo ’nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā
guṇāt paraṁ veda na te svarūpam
hy ajādayo ’nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ
ajo ’nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā
guṇāt paraṁ veda na te svarūpam
Synonyms
na — do not; ete — these (elements of creation); svarūpam — the true identity; viduḥ — know; ātmanaḥ — of the Supreme Soul; te — You; hi — indeed; ajā-ādayaḥ — headed by the total material nature; anātmatayā — by the status of being nonliving matter; gṛhītāḥ — seized; ajaḥ — Lord Brahmā; anubaddhaḥ — bound up; saḥ — he; guṇaiḥ — by the modes; ajāyāḥ — of material nature; guṇāt — to these modes; param — transcendental; veda na — he does not know; te — Your; svarūpam — true form.
Translation
The total material nature and these other elements of creation certainly cannot know You as You are, for they are manifested in the realm of dull matter. Since You are beyond the modes of nature, even Lord Brahmā, who is bound up in these modes, does not know Your true identity.
Purport
God is transcendental to material nature. Unless we also transcend the limited consciousness of material existence, we cannot know Him. Even the greatest living entity in the universe, Brahmā, cannot understand the Supreme unless he comes to the platform of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.