Prabhupāda: You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but as soon as you become purified, He reveals Himself. It is not due to you that you can see. When Kṛṣṇa allows Himself to be seen by you, then you can see. So you have to become qualified to see Him, otherwise He is everywhere present. We can see Him. And without being qualified, if you want to see Him, that is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Find out this verse.
Amogha: Chapter Seven, verse 25.
Paramahaṁsa:
- nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
- yoga-māyā samāvṛtaḥ
- mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
- loko mām ajam avyayam
- (BG 7.25)
"I am never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them I am covered by My eternal creative potency, yoga-māyā. So the deluded world knows Me not, who am unborn and infallible."
Prabhupāda: It is explained there. He does not reveal Himself. Why He shall reveal Himself to an unqualified person? That is Kṛṣṇa's prerogative. If He likes, He will reveal. If He does not like, He will not reveal. You cannot by force see Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, first of all be qualified, then try to see Kṛṣṇa. He is not exposed. Even a big man, if you want to see him, he may refuse, "No, I cannot see him." What can you do? If you think that, "This man is third-class man, why shall I see him?" Even in ordinary human society that is going on. So why people are eager to see Kṛṣṇa without being qualified? Why these rascals say, "Can you show me God?" First of all you become fit to see God. They'll not become fit. They'll do all nonsense, and "We'll see God." Kṛṣṇa is addressed, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He is the supreme pure, and we are impure, and you want to see the supreme pure. You see? What audacity! I am not fire, I want to enter into the fire. You see? What will be the result? You'll be burned into ashes. First of all be fire. Increase your temperature to the same temperature, then it will automatically. He is Para-brahman, so you realize yourself as Brahman. You are realizing yourself as American, Indian, this, that, and you want to see Para-brahman? The foolish people will do like that. And one has to become purified, sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to be free from all designations. Everyone, we give more prominence to the designations: "I am this, I am this." So how can you see God like that? First of all you become designationless. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that "I am not a Brāhmiṇ. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya"—everything He denied.