SB 11.31.9 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.31.9

सौदामन्या यथाक्लाशे यान्त्या हित्वाभ्रमण्डलम् । गतिर्न लक्ष्यते मर्त्यैस्तथा कृष्णस्य दैवतै: ॥ ९ ॥

saudāmanyā yathākāśe

[saudaamanyaa yathaakaashe]

yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam

[yaantyaa hitvaabhra-mandalam]

gatir na lakṣyate martyais

[gatir na lakshyate martyais]

tathā kṛṣṇasya daivataiḥ

[tathaa krishnasya daivataih]

Word-for-word

saudāmanyāḥ — of lightning yathā — just as ākāśe — in the sky yāntyāḥ — which is traveling hitvā — having left abhra-maṇḍalam — the clouds gatiḥ — the movement na lakṣyate — cannot be ascertained martyaiḥ — by mortals tathā — similarly kṛṣṇasya — of Lord Kṛṣṇa daivataiḥ — by the demigods.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

saudāmanyā yathākāśe

saudāmanyāḥ

of lightning

yathā

just as

ākāśe

in the sky

yāntyā hitvābhra-maṇḍalam

yāntyāḥ

which is traveling

hitvā

having left

abhra-maṇḍalam

the clouds

gatir na lakṣyate martyais

gatiḥ

the movement

na lakṣyate

cannot be ascertained

martyaiḥ

by mortals

tathā kṛṣṇasya daivataiḥ

tathā

similarly

kṛṣṇasya

of Lord Kṛṣṇa

daivataiḥ

by the demigods.

Just as ordinary men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the demigods could not trace out the movements of Lord Kṛṣṇa as He returned to His abode.

Purport

The sudden movements of a lightning bolt are seen by the demigods but not by human beings. Similarly, the sudden departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa could be understood by the Lord’s intimate associates in the spiritual sky but not by the demigods.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Just as ordinary men cannot ascertain the path of a lightning bolt as it leaves a cloud, the devatās could not trace out the destination of Kṛṣṇa.

Personal Guidance

As ordinary men cannot trace a lightning bolt's path from a cloud, the demigods could not trace the Lord's return path. Even illumination's path is not always traceable.

Reflection Questions

Where am I trying to trace what is meant to remain mystery?
What does honoring mystery free?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io