SB 1.17.18 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 18
Na vayam kleshavijani yatah syu purusarsabha Purusham tam vijanimo vakyabheda vimohitah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Na—not, Vayam—we, Kleshavijani—the root cause of sufferings, Yatah—wherefrom, Syu—it so happens, Purusarsabha—oh the greatest of all human beings, Purusham—the person, Tam—that, Vijanimo—know, Vakyabheda—difference of opinion, Vimohitah—bewildered by.
TRANSLATION
Oh the greatest among the human beings, it is very difficult to ascertain the exact wrong doer who has caused our sufferings because we are bewildered by different opinions of theoretical philosophers.
PURPORT
There are many theoretical philosophers in the world who put forward their own theory of cause and effect specially in the matter of the cause of sufferings and the effect of it on different living beings. Generally there are six great philosophers like Kanada the author of Vaisesik Philosophy, Goutam the author of logic, Patanjali the author of mystic yoga, Kapila the author of Samkhya Philosophy, Jaimini the author Karma Mimana and Vyasadeva the author of Vedanta Darshan.
Although the bull or the Personality of religiosity and the cow the personality of earth knew it perfectly well that the Personality of Kali was the direct cause of their sufferings still as devotees of the Lord they knew it well also that without the sanction of the Lord nobody could inflict any trouble upon them. According to Padmapurana our present trouble is due to fructifying process of seedling sins but even that seedling sins also gradually do fade away by execution of pure devotional service. As such the devotees even they see the direct mischiefmonger still they do not accuse him for the sufferings inflicted by the miscreant. They take it for granted that the immediate mischiefmonger is made to do so by some indirect cause and therefore they tolerate the sufferings thinking it to be godgifted in small dose only otherwise the sufferings would have been greater by measure than actually felt.
Maharaj Parikshit wanted to get their statement of accusation on the direct mischiefmonger but they denied to do it on the above ground. Speculative philosophers however do not recognise the sanction of the Lord but they try to find out in their own way as will be described in the following verses, the cause of sufferings. According to Srila Jiva Goswami such speculators are themselves bewildered and thus they cannot know that the ultimate cause of all causes is the Supreme Lord The Personality of Godhead.