6.87
tomara nahika dosa, sastre ei kahe
pandityadye isvara-tattva-jnana kabhu nahe’
SYNONYMS
tomara—your; nahika—there is not; dosa—fault; sastre—the scriptures; ei—this; kahe—mention; panditya-adye—simply by scholarship, etc.; isvara-tattva-jnana—knowledge of the principles of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kabhu—ever; nahe—there is not “It is not your fault; it is the verdict of the scriptures.
You cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by scholarship.”
PURPORT
This is a very important verse.
Even big scholars cannot understand Krsna, yet they dare comment on the Bhagavad-gita.
Reading the Bhagavad-gita means understanding Krsna, yet we actually see many scholars making blunders in trying to understand Krsna.
Gopinatha Acarya’s statement is confirmed in many places in Vedic literature.
In the Katha Upanisad (1.2.23) it is stated:
nayam atma pravacanena labhyo
na medhaya na bahuna srutena
yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas
tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam It is also stated in Katha Upanisad (1.2.9):
naisa tarkena matir apaneya
proktanyenaiva sujnanaya prestha
yam tvam apah satya-dhrtir batasi
tvadrn no bhuyan naciketah prasta The fact is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, cannot be attained simply by explanations, logic and erudite scholarship.
One cannot understand Him simply by one’s brain substance.
Even by studying all Vedic literature, one cannot understand the Supreme Lord.
However, if one is slightly favored by the mercy of the Lord, if the Lord is pleased, one can understand Him.
But who are the candidates eligible to receive the mercy of the Lord? Only the devotees.
They alone can understand what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Lord reveals Himself to the sincere devotee when He is pleased with his service: svayam eva sphuraty adah.
One should not try to understand the Lord simply from the statements of the Vedas, nor should one uselessly attempt to decry these statements through reasoning and logic.