SB 1.18.23 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 23
Aham hi pristo aryamanah bhavadbhir Achaksha atma abagama atra yavan Nabhah utpatanti atmasamam patatrin Samam vishnugatim bipaschitah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Aham—my humbleself, Hi—certainly, Pristah—asked by you, Aryamanah—as powerful as the sun, Bhavadbhir—by you, Achakska—may describe, Atmabagama—as far as my knowledge is concerned, Atra—herein, Yavan—so far, Nabhah—sky, Utpatanti—fly on, Atmasamam—as far as it can, Patatrin—the birds, Samam—similarly, Vishnugatim—knowledge of Vishnu, Vipaschitah—even though learned.
TRANSLATION
Oh the rishis who are as powerful as purity of the Sun, I shall try to describe before you all about the transcendental pastimes of Vishnu as far as my knowedge is concerned. As the birds do fly over the sky as far its capacity so also learned devotees also do describe about the Lord as far as their realisation.
PURPORT
The Supreme Absolute Truth is unlimited. No living being can know about the Unlimited by one's limited capacity. The Lord is both impersonal and personal also as well as localised. By His impersonal feature He is all pervading Brahman, by His localised feature He is present in everyone's heart as the Supreme Soul and by His ultimate Personal feature He is the object of transcendental loving service by His fortunate associates the pure devotees. As the birds can fly in the sky in part only similarly the pastimes of the Lord in different features can only be estimated partly by the great learned devotees. So Srila Suta Goswami has rightly taken his position in the matter of describing the pastimes of the Lord as far as he had had realised. Factually the Lord only Himself can describe about Himself and His learned devotee also can describe about Him as far as the Lord gives him the power of description.