nivāsa-bhūtā nitarāṁ na reje
bhojendra-gehe 'gni-śikheva ruddhā
sarasvatī jñāna-khale yathā satī
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
SYNONYMS
sā devakī—that Devakīdevī; sarva-jagat-nivāsa—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the sustainer of all the universes (mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni); nivāsa-bhūtā—the womb of Devakī has now become the residence; nitarām—extensively; na—not; reje—became illuminated; bhojendra-gehe—within the limits of the house of Kaṁsa; agni-śikhā iva—like the flames of a fire; ruddhā—covered; sarasvatī—knowledge; jñāna-khale—in a person known as jñāna-khala, one who possesses knowledge but cannot distribute it; yathā—or just as; satī—so being.
TRANSLATION
Devakī then kept within herself the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the foundation of the entire cosmos, but because she was under arrest in the house of Kaṁsa, she was like the flames of a fire covered by the walls of a pot, or like a person who has knowledge but cannot distribute it to the world for the benefit of human society.
PURPORT
In this verse the word jñāna-khala is most significant. Knowledge is meant for distribution. Although there is already much scientific knowledge, whenever scientists or philosophers awaken to a particular type of knowledge, they try to distribute it throughout the world, for otherwise the knowledge gradually dries up and no one benefits from it. India has the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, but unfortunately, for some reason or other, this sublime knowledge of the science of God was not distributed throughout the world, although it is meant for all of human society. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and ordered all Indians to take up the cause of distributing the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā throughout the entire world.
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa