178
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 8, Ch. 5]
beyond the creation. Therefore, not only does He control the conditioned souls through His external energy, but He also controls the external energy itself.  Bhagavad-gītā  clearly says that the strong material energy controls everyone and that getting out of her control is extremely difficult. That controlling energy belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and works under His control. The living entities, however, being subdued by the material energy, have forgotten the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 31
इमे वयं यत्प्रिययैव तन्वा 
    सत्त्वेन सृष्टा बहिरन्तराविः । 
    गतिं न छक्षमामृषयश्च विब्रहे 
    कुतोऽसुराद्या इतरप्रधानाः ॥३१॥
ime vayam yat-priyayaiva tanvā 
    sattvena sṛṣṭā bahir-antar-āviḥ 
    gatim na sūkṣmām ṛṣayaś ca vidmahe 
    kuto 'surādyā itara-pradhānāḥ
ime —these;  vayam —we (the demigods);  yat —to whom;  priyayā —appearing very near and dear;  eva —certainly;  tanvā —the material body;  sattvena —by the mode of goodness;  sṛṣṭāḥ —created;  bahiḥ-antaḥ-āviḥ —although fully aware, internally and externally;  gatim —destination;  na —not;  sūkṣmām —very subtle;  ṛṣayaḥ —great saintly persons;  ca —also;  vidmahe —understand;  kutaḥ —how;  asura-ādyāḥ —the demons and atheists;  itara —who are insignificant in their identities;  pradhānāḥ —although they are leaders of their own societies.
TRANSLATION
Since our bodies are made of sattva-guṇa, we, the demigods, are internally and externally situated in goodness. All the great saints are also situated in that way. Therefore, if even we cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is to be said of those who are most insignificant in their bodily constitutions, being situated in the modes of passion and ignorance? How can