yathÄ hiraṇyaá¹ bahudhÄ samÄ«yate
ná¹›bhiḥ kriyÄbhir vyavahÄra-vartmasu
evaá¹ vacobhir bhagavÄn adhoká¹£ajo
vyÄkhyÄyate laukika-vaidikair janaiḥ
yathÄ - just as; hiraṇyam - gold; bahudhÄ - in many forms; samÄ«yate - appears; ná¹›bhiḥ - to men; kriyÄbhiḥ - in terms of different functions; vyavahÄra-vartmasu - in ordinary usage; evam - similarly; vacobhiḥ - in varying terms; bhagavÄn - the Personality of Godhead; adhoká¹£ajaḥ - the transcendental Lord, who is inconceivable to material senses; vyÄkhyÄyate - is described; laukika - mundane; vaidikaiḥ - and Vedic; janaiḥ - by men.
According to their different purposes, men utilize gold in various ways, and gold is therefore perceived in various forms. In the same way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is inaccessible to material senses, is described in various terms, both ordinary and Vedic, by different types of men.
All those who are not pure devotees of the Supreme Lord are basically trying to exploit the Lord and His energies. According to their strategy of exploitation, they conceive of and describe the Absolute Truth in various ways. In Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ and ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam the Absolute Truth presents Himself as He actually is for the benefit of sincere people who do not foolishly try to conceptually manipulate the Supreme Godhead.
