Verse 3.9.310

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 3.9.310:

বিষ্ণু-তত্ত্ব যেন অভিজ্ঞাত বেদ-বাণী এই মত বৈষ্ণবেরো তত্ত্ব নাহি জানি ॥ ৩১০ ॥

विष्णु-तत्त्व येन अभिज्ञात वेद-वाणी एइ मत वैष्णवेरो तत्त्व नाहि जानि ॥ ३१० ॥

viṣṇu-tattva yena abhijñāta veda-vāṇī ei mata vaiṣṇavero tattva nāhi jāni || 310 ||

visnu-tattva yena abhijnata veda-vani ei mata vaisnavero tattva nahi jani (310)

English translation:

(310) Just as the science of Lord Viṣṇu described in the Vedas is difficult to understand, in the same way the science of the Vaiṣṇavas is also difficult to understand.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The science of the Supreme Lord is not known to ordinary people. The Vedic literatures reveal that Supreme Lord by mantras like:

oṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padaṃsadā paśyanti sūrayaḥdivīva cakṣur ātatam

“The Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu is the Absolute Truth, whose lotus feet all the demigods are always eager to see. Like the sun-god, He pervades everything by the rays of His energy. He appears impersonal to imperfect eyes.” One can understand the science of Lord Viṣṇu only on the strength of one’s sincere worship of Gaurasundara. The words of Gaurasundara are certainly equal to Vedic statements. Misunderstanding of the independent Vedic statements disturbs and misdirects the limited knowledge of humans. Just as the science of the Supreme Lord is incomprehensible, the science of the Vaiṣṇavas is incomprehensible to ordinary people.

In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.7) it is stated:

bṛhac ca tad divyam acintya-rūpaṃ sūkṣmāc ca tat sūkṣmataraṃ vibhāti dūrāt sa-dūre tad ihānti ke ca paśyatsv ihaiva nihitaṃ guhāyām

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the greatest. He is splendid and transcendental. His form is beyond the understanding of the material mind. He is more subtle than the most subtle. He stays far away from the impious. The devotees see Him in their hearts.”

In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.14) it is stated:

tad etad iti manyante ‘nirdeśyaṃ paramaṃ sukham

“(The wise) understand that He is (the embodiment of) indescribable,

supreme spiritual bliss.”

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (2.6.37) it is stated:

nāhaṃ na yūyaṃ yad-ṛtāṃ gatiṃ vidur na vāmadevaḥ kim utāpare surāḥ

tan-māyayā mohita-buddhayas tv idaṃ vinirmitaṃ cātma-samaṃ vicakṣmahe

“Since neither Lord Śiva nor you nor I could ascertain the limits of spiritual happiness, how can other demigods know it? And because all of us are bewildered by the illusory external energy of the Supreme Lord, we can see only this manifested cosmos according to our individual ability.”

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.17.32 and 35) it is stated:

nāhaṃ viriñco na kumāra-nāradau na brahma-putrā munayaḥ sureśāḥ vidāma yasyehitam aṃśakāṃśakā

na tat-svarūpaṃ pṛthag-īśa-māninaḥ

“Neither I [Lord Śiva], nor Brahmā, nor the Aśvinī-kumāras, nor Nārada or the other great sages who are Brahmās sons, nor even the demigods can understand the pastimes and personality of the Supreme Lord.

Although we are part of the Supreme Lord, we consider ourselves independent, separate controllers, and thus we cannot understand His identity.”

tasmān na vismayaḥ kāryaḥ puruṣeṣu mahātmasu mahāpuruṣa-bhakteṣu śānteṣu sama-darśiṣu

“Therefore, no one should be astonished to see the activities of the most exalted devotees of Nārāyaṇa, for they are free from attachment and envy. They are always peaceful, and they are equal to everyone.”