Verse 5.20.24

Sanskrit text, transliteration and word-by-word meaning:

यावद् घनो मध्य-गतस् तद् उत्थितः
स्वं रूपम् अर्कं न हि दृक् प्रपश्यति
तावत् परात्मानम् असौ प्राधान-जैर्
गुणैस् तथा तेषु गतेषु पश्यति

yāvad ghano madhya-gatas tad utthitaḥ
svaṃ rūpam arkaṃ na hi dṛk prapaśyati
tāvat parātmānam asau prādhāna-jair
guṇais tathā teṣu gateṣu paśyati

yāvat—as; ghanaḥ—a cloud; madhya-gataḥ—in the midst; tat—that; utthitaḥ—risen; svam—own; rūpam—form; arkam—sun; na—not; hi—indeed; dṛk—eyes; prapaśyati—see; tāvat—so; parātmānam—the Supersoul; asau—He; prādhāna-jaiḥ—manifested from pradhana; guṇaiḥ—with the modes; tathā—so; teṣu—among them; gateṣu—gone; paśyati—sees.

English translation of verse 5.20.24:

As one cannot see the sun when there are clouds in the sky, so one cannot see the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead when one stands among the three modes of material nature.