We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible

Expressions researched:
"We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot perceive God or His holy name, nāma, nāmādi. Because first of all you hear the name of God, either you call "Kṛṣṇa," or you call "Jehovah," or you call something else. So we hear first of all about God by the name.

710806 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - London

So . . . but everyone is trying to be very satisfied with the idea of his program. And the process he has accepted, you can take it as dharma. Just like the Nationalist, they have taken dharma as country's advancement, deśa-dharma, and somebody is manufacturing another dharma, somebody is manufacturing another dharma. Dharma means occupational duty. But Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6): that is first-class dharma, occupation, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, by which you can advance in your love for God. That is first class.

Everyone is advancing either for his love to the country or to the society or to the nation or to the humanity. There are different stages of dharma. But Bhāgavata says that is first-class occupation by which one can advance his love for God, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaja, another name of God. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge, and adha, adhakṛta, where experimental knowledge cannot reach. That is God.

We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot perceive God or His holy name, nāma, nāmādi. Because first of all you hear the name of God, either you call "Kṛṣṇa," or you call "Jehovah," or you call something else. So we hear first of all about God by the name.

In every religion they have got a particular type of name. But by our these senses we cannot understand God even by hearing His name. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ—this indriya, the senses. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, where experimental knowledge of perception fails. He is called Adhokṣaja.

But we have to render service to the Adhokṣaja. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaitukī. Ahaitukī means without any motive. We go to church or temple with some motive, for some material compensation: "God, give me this. God, give me this. God, give me that." But without motive. If we execute our dharma, or occupational duty, for attainment of the highest perfection of life, love of God, then it should be done without any motive: ahaituky apratihatā. If it is without any motive then it will never be checked by any material condition.