Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvitiya Skandha, Shloka 20
Nārada’s Questions and Brahmā’s Reply: Vāsudeva as the Source; Sarga–Visarga; Virāṭ-rūpa Mapping
स एष भगवाल्लिंङ्गैस्त्रिभिरेतैरधोक्षज: । स्वलक्षितगतिर्ब्रह्मन् सर्वेषां मम चेश्वर: ॥ २० ॥
sa eṣa bhagavāḻ liṅgais tribhir etair adhokṣajaḥ svalakṣita-gatir brahman sarveṣāṁ mama ceśvaraḥ
Ô brāhmaṇa Nārada, le Seigneur Adhokṣaja, à cause de ces trois marques des guṇa, échappe aux sens des êtres; pourtant Il se révèle par Ses propres signes et Il est le Maître de tous, moi compris.
In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.24-25) the Lord has declared very clearly that the impersonalist, who gives more importance to the transcendental rays of the Lord as brahmajyoti and who concludes that the Absolute Truth is ultimately impersonal and only manifests a form at a time of necessity, is less intelligent than the personalist, however much the impersonalist may be engaged in studying the Vedānta. The fact is that such impersonalists are covered by the above-mentioned three modes of material nature; therefore, they are unable to approach the transcendental personality of the Lord. The Lord is not approachable by everyone because He is curtained by His yoga-māyā potency. But one should not wrongly conclude that the Lord was formerly unmanifested and has now manifested Himself in the human form. This misconception of the formlessness of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is due to the yoga-māyā curtain of the Lord and can be removed only by the Supreme Will, as soon as the conditioned soul surrenders unto Him. The devotees of the Lord who are transcendental to the above-mentioned three modes of material nature can see the all-blissful transcendental form of the Lord with their vision of love in the attitude of pure devotional service.
FAQs
Adhokṣaja refers to the Supreme Lord who cannot be fully grasped by material senses or ordinary reasoning; He is known by devotion and His own revelation.
Śukadeva emphasizes the Lord’s absolute supremacy: even the greatest sages and speakers of scripture remain under the Lord’s control, dependent on Him for knowledge and liberation.
It encourages humility and bhakti—rather than trying to reduce God to intellectual theories, one should approach Him through devotion, hearing, and sincere spiritual discipline.