FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.41

नान्तं विदाम्यहममी मुनयोऽग्रजास्ते मायाबलस्य पुरुषस्य कुतोऽवरा ये । गायन् गुणान् दशशतानन आदिदेव: शेषोऽधुनापि समवस्यति नास्य पारम् ॥ ४१ ॥
nāntaṁ vidāmy aham amī munayo ’gra-jās te
[naantam vidaamy aham amee munayo ’gra-jaas te]
māyā-balasya puruṣasya kuto ’varā ye
[maayaa-balasya purushasya kuto ’varaa ye]
gāyan guṇān daśa-śatānana ādi-devaḥ
[gaayan gunaan dasha-shataanana aadi-devah]
śeṣo ’dhunāpi samavasyati nāsya pāram
[shesho ’dhunaapi samavasyati naasya paaram]
na — never antam — end vidāmi — do I know aham — myself amī — and all those munayaḥ — great sages agra-jāḥ — born prior to you te — you māyā-balasya — of the omnipotent puruṣasya — of the Personality of Godhead kutaḥ — what to speak of others avarāḥ — born after us ye — those gāyan — by singing guṇān — the qualities daśa-śata-ānanaḥ — one who has ten hundred faces ādi-devaḥ — the first incarnation of the Lord śeṣaḥ — known as Śeṣa adhunā — until now api — even samavasyati — can achieve na — not asya — of Him pāram — limit.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāntaṁ vidāmy aham amī munayo ’gra-jās te
na
never
antam
end
vidāmi
do I know
aham
myself
amī
and all those
munayaḥ
great sages
agra-jāḥ
born prior to you
te
you
māyā-balasya puruṣasya kuto ’varā ye
māyā-balasya
of the omnipotent
puruṣasya
of the Personality of Godhead
kutaḥ
what to speak of others
gāyan guṇān daśa-śatānana ādi-devaḥ
śeṣo ’dhunāpi samavasyati nāsya pāram
avarāḥ
born after us
ye
those
gāyan
by singing
guṇān
the qualities
daśa-śata-ānanaḥ
one who has ten hundred faces
ādi-devaḥ
the first incarnation of the Lord
śeṣaḥ
known as Śeṣa
adhunā
until now
api
even
samavasyati
can achieve
na
not
asya
of Him
pāram
limit.
Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the omnipotent Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after us, know about Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely Śeṣa, has not been able to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing the qualities of the Lord with ten hundred faces.

The omnipotent Personality of Godhead has three primary potencies, namely the internal, external and marginal potencies, with unlimited expansions of these three energies. As such, the expansions of His potencies can never be calculated by anyone because even the Personality of God Himself, as the incarnation of Śeṣa, cannot estimate the potencies, although He has been describing them continuously with His one thousand faces.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I and the sages such as the Kumāras, who are your elder brothers, do not know the limit of the strength of the Lord’s material energy, what to speak of others. Even Śeṣa, who has been singing the glories of the Lord till the present with his thousand heads, has not been able to find an end to them.
Commentary

This is further explained. I do not know the end of the strength of his māyā-śakti, what to speak of his spiritual energy. Śeśa does not attain an end to singing his qualities pertaining to the material and spiritual worlds.

Even Brahmā and the ancient sages don't fully know the Lord, and even Śeṣa with His thousand mouths cannot finish describing Him. Spiritual knowledge is endlessly deep. Beware anyone who claims He has been fully figured out.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I quietly assumed I have figured spiritual life out?
  • What posture toward the Lord is honest given that even Śeṣa is still describing?
📝 My note

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