na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣhayaḥ
aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣhīṇāṁ cha sarvaśhaḥ
na — neither;
me — my;
viduḥ — know;
sura-gaṇāḥ — the celestial gods;
prabhavam — origin;
na — nor;
mahā-ṛiṣhayaḥ — the great sages;
aham — I;
ādiḥ — the source;
hi — certainly;
devānām — of the celestial gods;
mahā-ṛiṣhīṇām — of the great seers;
cha — also;
sarvaśhaḥ — in every way
In this verse, Lord Krishna is explaining something very important about Himself: He is the ultimate source of everything, including the demigods (who are like divine beings in charge of different aspects of the universe) and the great sages (who are wise and learned individuals). This means that even these powerful beings, who are usually knowledgeable and have a lot of abilities, do not truly understand where Krishna comes from or what His true nature is.
Think about it this way: imagine someone who creates a big, beautiful painting. People may admire the painting and think about its colors and shapes, but they might not truly understand the feelings and intentions behind it, especially if they have never painted themselves. In a similar way, Krishna is like the artist of the universe, and those who try to figure Him out only scratch the surface of His reality.
Krishna is saying that even the strongest and wisest beings—like the demigods and the great sages—cannot fully comprehend Him. They can guess and make theories (which is like when people have different opinions about a complicated work of art), but that doesn’t mean they really understand Him. They might think about Him in many ways, but they often miss His true essence and simply end up with incomplete or incorrect ideas.
For us, this verse is a reminder that understanding Krishna or any great spiritual truth isn’t just about studying books or getting degrees. It’s not something you can just learn through books; it goes deeper. It highlights that our own understanding is limited. Sometimes, people get caught up in their own knowledge and forget that true understanding, especially of someone as profound as Krishna, involves more than just intellect. It involves a deeper level of insight and realization—something that can’t easily be grasped through ordinary reasoning or scholarly knowledge.
This also means that if celestial beings can't understand Him fully, we shouldn't feel disheartened if we find it challenging too. Instead, this verse encourages humility. It tells us that real wisdom comes from recognizing our limitations and being open to divine guidance and devotion rather than relying solely on our own understanding.