FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.5.20

स एष भगवाल्लिंङ्गैस्त्रिभिरेतैरधोक्षज: । स्वलक्षितगतिर्ब्रह्मन् सर्वेषां मम चेश्वर: ॥ २० ॥
sa eṣa bhagavāḻ liṅgais
[sa esha bhagavaaḻ lingais]
tribhir etair adhokṣajaḥ
[tribhir etair adhokshajah]
svalakṣita-gatir brahman
[svalakshita-gatir brahman]
sarveṣāṁ mama ceśvaraḥ
[sarveshaam mama cheshvarah]
saḥ — He eṣaḥ — this bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead liṅgaiḥ — by the symptoms tribhiḥ — by the three etaiḥ — by all these adhokṣajaḥ — the Superseer Transcendence su-alakṣita — veritably unseen gatiḥ — movement brahman — O Nārada sarveṣām — of everyone mama — mine ca — as also īśvaraḥ — the controller.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sa eṣa bhagavāḻ liṅgais
saḥ
He
eṣaḥ
this
bhagavān
the Personality of Godhead
liṅgaiḥ
by the symptoms
tribhir etair adhokṣajaḥ
tribhiḥ
by the three
etaiḥ
by all these
adhokṣajaḥ
the Superseer Transcendence
su-alakṣita
veritably unseen
svalakṣita-gatir brahman
gatiḥ
movement
brahman
O Nārada
sarveṣāṁ mama ceśvaraḥ
sarveṣām
of everyone
mama
mine
ca
as also
īśvaraḥ
the controller.
O Brāhmaṇa Nārada, the Superseer, the transcendent Lord, is beyond the perception of the material senses of the living entities because of the above-mentioned three modes of nature. But He is the controller of everyone, including me.

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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The Lord, who is brahman, who is the controller of me and all beings, is not known because of the covering of the three guṇas on the jīva.
Commentary

The Lord is the possessor of māyā-śakti. His nature (gatiḥ) is not known (su alakṣita) because of the coverings of the three guṇas on the jīvas. Or he is not known by the three guṇas. However he is known by his devotees with knowledge.

sattvaṁ na ced dhātar idaṁ nijaṁ bhaved vijñānam ajñāna-bhidāpamārjanam guṇa-prakāśair anumīyate bhavān prakāśate yasya ca yena vā guṇaḥ

O Lord, cause of all causes, if your transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only by your presence can one understand the transcendental nature of your Lordship, who are the controller of material nature. Your transcendental nature is very difficult to understand unless one is influenced by the presence of your transcendental form. SB 10.2.35

Related verses
The Lord is veiled by His own yoga-māyā and so is hidden from ordinary perception. His form is not invented later for our convenience; it is always there, hidden by a curtain only surrender can lift. Senses alone won't find Him.
Reflection Questions
  • What in me wants the Lord to be only impersonal so I don't have to relate personally?
  • What 'curtain' in my own life is asking to be lifted by surrender rather than effort?
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