Text 87]
The Liberation of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārva
237
SYNONYMS
yadyapi —although;  jagat-guru —a teacher of many disciples;  tumi —you;  śāstra-jñānavān —well versed in Vedic knowledge;  pṛthivīte —on this earth;  nāhi —there is not;  paṇḍita —a learned scholar;  tomāra —your;  samāna —equal;  īśvarera —of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  kṛpā —of mercy;  leśa —a bit;  nāhika —there is not;  tomāte —on you;  ataeva —therefore;  īśvara-tattva —the Absolute Truth (the Supreme Personality of Godhead);  nā pāra —are not able;  jānite —to know.
TRANSLATION
Gopīnātha Ācārya then addressed Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya:  “You are a great scholar and a teacher of many disciples. Indeed, there is no other scholar like you on earth. Nonetheless, because you are bereft of even a pinch of the Lord’s mercy, you cannot understand Him, even though He is present in your home.
TEXT 87
তোমার নাছিক দোষ, শাস্ত্রে এই কহে । 
পাণ্ডিত্যাত্বে ঈশ্বরতত্ত্ব-জ্ঞান কভু নহে ॥’ ৮৭ ॥
tomāra nāhika doṣa, śāstre ei kahe pāṇḍityādye īśvara-tattva-jñāna kabhu nahe'
SYNONYMS
tomāra —your;  nāhika —there is not;  doṣa —fault;  śāstre —the scriptures;  ei —this;  kahe —mention;  pāṇḍitya-ādye —simply by scholarship, etc.;  īśvara-tattva-jñāna —knowledge of the principles of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  kabhu —ever;  nahe —there is not.
TRANSLATION
“It is not your fault; it is the verdict of the scriptures. You cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by scholarship.”
PURPORT
This is a very important verse. Even big scholars cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, yet they dare comment on  Bhagavad-gītā . Reading  Bhagavad-gītā  means understanding Kṛṣṇa, yet we actually see many scholars making blunders in trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Copīnātha Ācārya’s statement is confirmed in many places in Vedic literature. In  Kaṭha Upaniṣad  it is stated ( Kaṭha Up.  1.2.23):