FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.13.14

कर्मणाकृतिभिर्वाचा लिङ्गैर्वर्णाश्रमादिभि: । न विदन्ति जना यं वै सोऽसाविति न वेति च ॥ १४ ॥
karmaṇākṛtibhir vācā
[karmanaakritibhir vaachaa]
liṅgair varṇāśramādibhiḥ
[lingair varnaashramaadibhih]
na vidanti janā yaṁ vai
[na vidanti janaa yam vai]
so ’sāv iti na veti ca
[so ’saav iti na veti cha]
Word-for-word
karmaṇā — by activities ākṛtibhiḥ — by bodily features vācā — by words liṅgaiḥ — by symptoms varṇa-āśrama — pertaining to the particular material and spiritual divisions of varṇa and āśrama ādibhiḥ — and by other symptoms na vidanti — could not understand janāḥ — people in general yam — whom vai — indeed saḥ — whether that person asau — was the same person iti — thus na — not vā — or iti — thus ca — also.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
karmaṇākṛtibhir vācā
karmaṇā
by activities
ākṛtibhiḥ
by bodily features
vācā
by words
liṅgair varṇāśramādibhiḥ
liṅgaiḥ
by symptoms
varṇa-āśrama
pertaining to the particular material and spiritual divisions of varṇa and āśrama
ādibhiḥ
and by other symptoms
na vidanti janā yaṁ vai
na vidanti
could not understand
janāḥ
people in general
yam
whom
vai
indeed
so ’sāv iti na veti ca
saḥ
whether that person
asau
was the same person
iti
thus
na
not
vā
or
iti
thus
ca
also.
Neither by that saintly person’s activities, by his bodily features, by his words nor by the symptoms of his varṇāśrama status could people understand whether he was the same person they had known.
Purport

The inhabitants of that particular place on the bank of the Kāverī in the valley of the mountain known as Sahya were unable to understand whether that saint was the same man they had known. It is therefore said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñe nā bhujhaya. A highly advanced Vaiṣṇava lives in such a way that no one can understand what he is or what he was. Nor should attempts be made to understand the past of a Vaiṣṇava. Without asking the saintly person about his previous life, Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately offered him respectful obeisances.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Neither by that saintly person's activities, by his bodily features, by his words nor by the symptoms of varṇāśrama status could people understand whether he was some person they knew.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Neither the saint's activity, body, words, nor āśrama-marks revealed his identity to the locals. Vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñe nā bhujhaya — the conduct of a Vaiṣṇava is not understandable by the worldly-wise. Real saintliness operates incognito.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose conduct in your life resists easy categorization, and how do you read them?
  • Where might your need to 'understand' a saint be the very block to recognizing one?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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