Verse 7.24

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 7.24:

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिम् आपन्नं मन्यन्ते माम् अबुद्धयः ।
परं भावम् अजानन्तो ममाव्ययम् अनुत्तमम् ॥ २४ ॥

avyaktaṃ vyaktim āpannaṃ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ |
paraṃ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam || 24 ||

avyaktam–the unmanifest; vyaktim–a manifest form (personality); āpannam–one who has taken birth like an ordinary human being afflicted by the illusionary potency; manyante–consider; mām–Me; abuddhayaḥ–the unintelligent; param–supreme; bhāvam–form, birth and pastimes which are transcendental to material nature; ajānantaḥ–they do not understand; mama–of My; avyayam–imperishable; anuttamam–top most.

The unintelligent consider that I, who am unmanifest and beyond mundane existence, take birth like an ordinary human being. They do not know the supreme, excellent, immutable and transcendental nature of My form, birth, pastimes and qualities.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“Even those who know scriptures such as the Vedas do not know the truth about Me, what to speak of less intelligent worshippers of the demigods. Brahmā said to Me, ‘O Bhagavān! O Deva! Only those who have attained a particle of mercy from Your lotus feet are able to understand Your real glories. No one else will be able to understand You, even if they search for a very long time’ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.29). Therefore, everyone but My devotee lacks the necessary intelligence to understand My factual position.”

To convey this, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with avyaktam. “Those who are unintelligent consider Me to be the unmanifest nirviśeṣa-brahma, which is beyond the mundane plane. They think that I have no eternal form and that My manifest human-like svarūpa is illusory like that of mortals, because I took birth in the house of Vasudeva. This is because they do not know My para-bhāva, My transcendental form, birth, pastimes, etc. What is the nature of that bhāva? It is eternal and supreme.”

The Medinī [a Sanskrit dictionary] states that existence, nature, purpose, endeavour, birth, action, pastimes and objects are all bhāva. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Śrī Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta has established that Bhagavān’s form, qualities, birth, pastimes and so on are endless and therefore eternal. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “My para-bhāva, that is, My svarūpa, is immutable. It is eternal, supremely pure and composed of spiritual existence (viśuddha-sattva).”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Men who have fruitive desires are less intelligent. It is a matter of great surprise, however, that those who are expert in scriptures such as the Veda and Vedānta also disregard the omnipotent līlā-māyā-svarūpa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who takes birth, performs pastimes and so forth. Although He is the supreme objective established by the Vedas, they worship His featureless, immutable form of brahma, considering that to be supreme. This indicates that they lack intelligence.