Priti Sandarbha 7.4: The Semblance of God's Appearance -- Sākṣātkārābhāsa
7.4 The Semblance of God's Appearance -- Sākṣātkārābhāsa atha yad-avatārādāv aśuddha-cittānām api tat-sākṣātkāraḥ śrūyate , tat khalu tad-ābhāsa eva jñeyaḥ | nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [gītā 7.25] iti śrī-gītopaniṣadbhyaḥ | When it is said that people of impure heart saw Bhagavān during His avatāra , it should be understood they they experienced a mere semblance of seeing Him ( sākṣātkāra-ābhāsa ). [It is not seeing Bhagavān in the real sense, thus these people do not attain the result of seeing Him, i.e., mukti ]. The Bhagavad-gītā says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam Being covered by My Yoga-māyā I am not revealed to everyone. And so this confused world does not know Me who am unborn and imperishable. (Gītā 9.11). And from the Uttara Khanda of Padma Purāṇa also: yogibhir dṛśyate bhaktyā nābhaktyā dṛśyate kvacit | draṣṭuṁ na śakyo roṣāc ca matsarād vā ...