saṁvatsara-sahasrānte

ātmano ’vasito vatsa

mahimā kavinādinā

saṁvatsara-sahasrānte

dhiyā yoga-vipakkayā

O Vidura! Even Brahmā did not comprehend the powers of the Lord for a thousand years by mature yoga.

 

Not even by intense knowledge can one gain complete knowledge of the Lord, since it is difficult even for Brahmā to understand the Lord. Can the powers of the Lord (ātmanaḥ) be known (avasitaḥ) by Lord Brahmā (kavinā adinā) after a thousand years? This is a statement of lamentation. Even after so long he cannot realize! Or avasita can be a negative of vasita (penetrated). The glories were not penetrated by Brahmā. Or there is another meaning. After a thousand years the Lord’s glories were understood (avasitaḥ) as impossible to understand since they were inconceivable and infinite. He attained this realization of the Lord’s glories. This was the knowledge he attained. Śruti says yasyāmataṁ tasya mataṁ mataṁ yasya na veda sa: the Lord is known to he who does not think the Lord is limited; he who thinks the Lord is limited does not know him.  (Kena Upaniṣad 2.3)

 

|| 3.6.39 ||

ato bhagavato māyā

māyinām api mohinī

yat svayaṁ cātma-vartmātmā

na veda kim utāpare

Thus, the Lord’s māyā bewilders all lower creatures, who are experts at enjoying māyā. Because the Lord himself does not know his own glories, what can be said of others?

 

“But one can see many persons who have seen the Lord, who can reveal it others.” For this reason (ataḥ), the Lord’s māyā bewilders those who have offered themselves completely to māyā (māyinām), becoming her students, and supposedly being able to give knowledge about her. Māyā certainly throws them constantly into the material realm. Because the Supreme Lord (svayam ātmā) does not know his own form (ātma-vartma), how can others then know him?

 

 

|| 3.6.40 ||