Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.40.3

naite svarūpaḿ vidur ātmanas te

hy ajādayo 'nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ

ajo 'nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā

guṇāt paraḿ veda na te svarūpam

SYNONYMS

na — do not; ete — these (elements of creation); svarūpam — the true identity; viduḥ — know; ātmanaḥ — of the Supreme Soul; te — You; hi — indeed; ajā-ādayaḥ — headed by the total material nature; anātmatayā — by the status of being nonliving matter; gṛhītāḥ — seized; ajaḥ — Lord Brahmā; anubaddhaḥ — bound up; saḥ — he; guṇaiḥ — by the modes; ajāyāḥ — of material nature; guṇāt — to these modes; param — transcendental; veda na — he does not know; te — Your; svarūpam — true form.

TRANSLATION

The total material nature and these other elements of creation certainly cannot know You as You are, for they are manifested in the realm of dull matter. Since You are beyond the modes of nature, even Lord Brahma, who is bound up in these modes, does not know Your true identity.

PURPORT

God is transcendental to material nature. Unless we also transcend the limited consciousness of material existence, we cannot know Him. Even the greatest living entity in the universe, Brahmā, cannot understand the Supreme unless he comes to the platform of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari