अदृष्टाय नमस्कृत्य नृपः सन्दर्शितात्मने ।
अव्यक्ताय च देवानां देवाय स्वपुरं ययौ ॥३८॥

adṛṣṭÄya namaská¹›tya
ná¹›paḥ sandarÅ›itÄtmane
avyaktÄya ca devÄnÄá¹
devÄya sva-puraá¹ yayau

 adṛṣṭÄya - unto one who is beyond the purview of material vision; namaḥ-ká¹›tya - offering obeisances; ná¹›paḥ - the King; sandarÅ›ita - revealed; Ätmane - unto the Supreme Soul; avyaktÄya - who is beyond the manifestation of the material world; ca - also; devÄnÄm - of the demigods; devÄya - unto the Supreme Lord; sva-puram - to his own house; yayau - returned.


Text

King Pá¹›thu then offered his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supreme Lord of all demigods. Although not an object of material vision, the Lord revealed Himself to the sight of MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu. After offering obeisances to the Lord, the King returned to his home.

Purport

The Supreme Lord is not visible to material eyes, but when the material senses are inclined to the transcendental loving service of the Lord and are thus purified, the Lord reveals Himself to the vision of the devotee. Avyakta means “unmanifested.†Although the material world is the creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is unmanifested to material eyes. MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu, however, developed spiritual eyes by his pure devotional service. Here, therefore, the Lord is described as sandarÅ›itÄtmÄ, for He reveals Himself to the vision of the devotee, although He is not visible to ordinary eyes.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Twentieth Chapter, of the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam, entitled “Lord Viṣṇu’s Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of MahÄrÄja Pá¹›thu.â€