Shloka 3
Akrūra’s Prayers (Akrūra-stuti): The Lord as Cause of Causes, Virāṭ, and the Goal of All Paths
नैते स्वरूपं विदुरात्मनस्ते ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीता: । अजोऽनुबद्ध: स गुणैरजाया गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम् ॥ ३ ॥
naite svarūpaṁ vidur ātmanas te hy ajādayo ’nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ ajo ’nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā guṇāt paraṁ veda na te svarūpam
Prakṛti total dan unsur-unsur ciptaan lainnya tidak dapat mengenal hakikat diri-Mu, sebab semuanya termanifestasi dalam ranah materi yang tumpul. Walau Engkau melampaui tiga guṇa, bahkan Brahmā pun—terikat oleh guṇa-guna prakṛti—tidak mengetahui jati diri-Mu yang sejati.
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.
FAQs
This verse says that even exalted beings like Brahmā may not know Krishna’s true nature if they remain influenced by misidentification with the non-self; true knowledge arises by transcending the material modes.
In their womb-prayers to Krishna, the demigods confess that conditioned perception—shaped by the guṇas and bodily identity—limits understanding; only consciousness beyond the guṇas can perceive the Lord’s reality.
Cultivate sāttvika habits and, more importantly, steady bhakti—hearing and chanting about Krishna—so identity shifts from body-mind to service, weakening the grip of passion and ignorance.