Verse 2.3.36

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.3.36:

“হস্ত পদ মুখ মোর নাহিক লোচন এই-মত বেদে মোরে করে বিডম্বন ॥ ৩৬ ॥

“हस्त पद मुख मोर नाहिक लोचन एइ-मत वेदे मोरे करे विडम्बन ॥ ३६ ॥

“hasta pada mukha mora nāhika locana ei-mata vede more kare viḍambana || 36 ||

“hasta pada mukha mora nahika locana ei-mata vede more kare vidambana (36)

English translation:

(36) “The Vedas mock Me by accusing Me of having no hands, legs, mouth, or eyes.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The impersonalists are unable to understand the eternal form of the Supreme Lord, and they accuse Him on the basis of the Vedas as having material hands, legs, mouth, etc. Thus they consider that the Supreme has neither form nor pastimes. But if one accepts vidvad-rūḍhi, the conventional meaning of words according to enlightened persons, for understanding the meaning of a word, then it is clearly understood that the Supreme Lord possesses spiritual hands, legs, mouth, and eyes rather than material hands, legs, mouth, and eyes. This is confirmed in the Vedas (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19) as follows: apāṇi-pādo javano

grahītā paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ—“Although the Supreme Lord has no hands and legs, He nonetheless accepts all sacrificial offerings; although He has no eyes, He sees everything; and although He has no ears, He hears everything.” In order to exhibit compassion on those who cannot understand the actual purpose of the Vedas and who are bewildered as a result, Śrī Gaurahari did not respect such persons’ understanding of the Vedas.