SB 1.9.16 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Na hi asya karhichit rajan puman veda bidhitsitam Yat vijijnasaya yukta muhyanti kavayopi hi.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Na—never, Hi—certainly, Asya—his, Karhichid—whatsoever, Rajan—oh the king, Puman—anyone, Veda—knows, Bividsitam—plan, Yat—which, Vijijnasaya—even after exhaustive enquiries, Yukta—being engaged in, Muhyanti—become bewildered, Kavayo—great philosophers, Api—even, Hi—certainly.
TRANSLATION
Oh the king, nobody can know the plan of the Lord (Sri Krishna) even it is exhaustively enquired by the great philosophers. They are certainly bewildered.
PURPORT
Bewilderment of Maharaj Yudhisthir about his past sinful act and the resultant sufferings etc. is completely negatived by a great authority like Bhisma (one of the twelve authorised persons). Bhisma Ji wanted to impress upon Maharaj Yudhisthir that since time immemorial nobody, including such demi-gods like Shiva and Brahma, could ascertain the real plan of the Lord. And what we can understand about it. It is useless also to enquire about it. Because even by exhaustive philosophical enquires by great rational sages nobody could ascertain the plan of the Lord. The best thing is simply to abide by the orders of the Lord without any faulty arguments. The sufferings of the Pandavas are never due to their past deeds. The Lord had to execute the plan of establishing the kingdom of virtue and therefore, His own devotees were put in to sufferings ephemerally in order to establish the conquest of virtue over sin. Bhisma Deva was certainly satisfied within himself by seeing the triumph of virtue over vice and he was glad to see King Yudhisthir on the throne although he himself fought against him. Even a great fighter like Bhisma could not win the battle of Kurukshetra because the Lord wanted to show that vice cannot conquer over virtue never mind who ever tries to execute it. Bhismadeva was a great devotee of the Lord but he choose to fight against the Pandavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord wanted to show it that a fighter like Bhisma also cannot win by the wrong side.