Text 23
taṁ tvāṁ ahaṁ jñāna-ghanaṁ svabhāva-
pradhvasta-māyā-guṇa-bheda-mohaiḥ
sanandanādyair munibhir vibhāvyaṁ
kathaṁ vimūḍhaḥ paribhāvayāmi
tam — that personality; tvām — unto You; aham — I; jñāna-ghanam — Your Lordship, who are concentrated knowledge; svabhāva — by spiritual nature; pradhvasta — free from contamination; māyā-guṇa — caused by the three modes of material nature; bheda-mohaiḥ — by exhibition of the bewilderment of differentiation; sanandana-ādyaiḥ — by such personalities as the four Kumāras (Sanat-kumāra, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanātana); munibhiḥ — by such great sages; vibhāvyam — worshipable; katham — how; vimūḍhaḥ — being fooled by the material nature; paribhāvayāmi — can I think of You.
O my Lord, sages freed from the influence of the three modes of material nature — sages such as the four Kumāras [Sanat, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanātana] — are able to think of You, who are concentrated knowledge. But how can an ignorant person like me think of You?
The word svabhāva refers to one’s own spiritual nature or original constitutional position. When situated in this original position, the living entity is unaffected by the modes of material nature. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (Bg. 14.26). As soon as one is freed from the influence of the three modes of material nature, he is situated on the Brahman platform. Vivid examples of personalities thus situated are the four Kumāras and Nārada. Such authorities can by nature understand the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but a conditioned soul not freed from the influence of material nature is unable to realize the Supreme. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.45), therefore, Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna: one must rise above the influence of the three modes of material nature. One who stays within the influence of the three material modes is unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.