Hare Krsna,
In the first part of their prayers (verses 26-28), the demigods glorifies the Supreme Lord’s opulence and power. They pray that Krsna is the cause of all causes and the truth of all truths. They, therefore, fully surrender unto Him. In the next part of the prayers (verses 29-33), the demigods glorify the Lord’s supreme merciful nature. They pray that Krsna is the supreme protector. He incarnates in this world in different forms to bring good fortune to all living entities, please the pious devotees and annihilate the non-devotees. They also pray that Krsna is so merciful to the suffering living entities that He provides His lotus feet as the boat to cross the material ocean.
In this set of prayers (verses 34-36), the demigods mention what the Lord possesses a purely spiritual body that is beyond the three modes of material nature. Why does the Lord appear in this way? He does so to bestow all good fortune upon the living entities? How does the Lord bestow such good fortune? By teaching them various Vedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga, austerities, penances, samādhi, and finally culminating to His worship according to Vedic principles. The main Vedic principle in the age of Kali is the chanting of the Holy Name. In this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and preached that in this age the Vedic activities cannot be systematically performed because people are so fallen.
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”
Verse 35 is a counter to the previous verse. What if some people conclude that the Lord’s form is not suddha-sattva but composed of material guna? The demigods respond by saying that if the Lord’s transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. The realization of Lord’s transcendental form is possible only for devotees who are bestowed with the Lord’s mercy. Only by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can one understand Him. Those who are in the modes of material nature cannot understand Him. The realization of the devotees is the proof of the Lord’s spiritual form. In other words, it is by the agency of suddha sattva that these qualities must manifest, not by the agency of matter.
According to the commentary of Srila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakura, if the Lord’s suddha sattva body were never to manifest, then the realization which destroys ignorance would not take place. If His body were material, then He could be inferred by the use of material intelligence. He who possesses matter, and by whose intelligence matter manifests would be called the Lord. This is totally against the conception of the Absolute Truth.
BG 18.55: One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
Because of his pure devotional service, a devotee can understand the transcendental qualities and the opulences of the Supreme Lord in truth.
On the other hand, the Lord says that He is never manifest to the foolish and unintelligent. For them He is covered by My internal potency, and therefore they do not know that He is unborn and infallible (BG 7.25)
I find verse 36 to be the best of the prayers. It says that not only the Lord’s form is suddha sattva but also His name. His transcendental name and form can be realized only by devotion. There is no other way. The Lord’s transcendental name and form are not ascertained by those who merely speculate on the path of imagination. Even by chanting His name or meditating on His form, the casual observer cannot discern or realize His sweetness, nor perceive His qualities, birth and activities. If one fails to realize the sweetness of His name or form, he has not attained any realization at all. It is like those afflicted with jaundice: though chewing sugar candy, they cannot taste the sweetness. Similarly, those devoid of devotion cannot realize the sweetness of His name and form. Therefore, His name and form must also be suddha sattva, purely spiritual.
“Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore said that by affection and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotees can express their mind to Him with their words. Others, however, cannot do this, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ).” (SB 10.2.36 Purport)
The key takeaway for us is that if we serve the sweet Lord by hearing and chanting His names with devotion, we will directly realize His spiritual name and form.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 