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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 37

The Greatness of Viṣṇu

Uttaṅka’s Hymn, Hari’s Manifestation, and the Boon of Bhakti

न यस्य रूपं न बलप्रभावे न यस्य कर्माणि न यत्प्रमाणम् । जानन्ति देवाः कमलोद्भवाद्याः स्तोष्याम्यहं तं कथमात्मरूपम् ॥ ३७ ॥

na yasya rūpaṃ na balaprabhāve na yasya karmāṇi na yatpramāṇam | jānanti devāḥ kamalodbhavādyāḥ stoṣyāmyahaṃ taṃ kathamātmarūpam || 37 ||

ليس له صورة، ولا قوة تُقاس ولا سلطانٌ ظاهر؛ وأفعاله لا تُدرك، ولا معيار يُثبت به. حتى الآلهة، بدءًا ببراهما المولود من اللوتس، لا يعرفونه حقّ المعرفة. فكيف أُسبّح ذاك الذي ماهيّتُه هي الذات عينُها؟

nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
yasyaof whom/whose
yasya:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन) — relative pronoun
rūpamform
rūpam:
Karma (कर्म/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootrūpa (रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd; प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
bala-prabhāvein (his) strength and power
bala-prabhāve:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative sphere)
TypeNoun
Rootbala (बल-प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रभाव-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Dual (द्विवचन) — dvandva compound in locative dual
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
yasyaof whom/whose
yasya:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन) — relative pronoun
karmāṇideeds
karmāṇi:
Karma (कर्म/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (कर्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd; प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
yat-pramāṇam(his) measure/extent
yat-pramāṇam:
Karma (कर्म/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + pramāṇa (प्रमाण-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd; प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'whose measure/standard'
jānantiknow
jānanti:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjñā (ज्ञा-धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
devāḥthe gods
devāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
kamalodbhava-ādyāḥbeginning with the lotus-born (Brahmā)
kamalodbhava-ādyāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkamala (कमल-प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (उद्भव-प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'lotus-born (Brahmā) etc.' used as apposition to devāḥ
stoṣyāmiI shall praise
stoṣyāmi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootstu (स्तु-धातु)
FormSimple future (लृट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
tamhim
tam:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — demonstrative pronoun
kathamhow
katham:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकार/ manner)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (कथम्-अव्यय)
FormInterrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)
ātma-rūpam(as) his true form
ātma-rūpam:
Karma (कर्म/object; appositional to tam)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (आत्मन्-प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (रूप-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'own form/true form'

Narada

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

B
Brahma
D
Devas
A
Atman (Supreme Self)

FAQs

It stresses the transcendence of the Supreme—beyond form, measurable power, and even ordinary pramāṇas—pointing the seeker toward direct realization of the Ātman rather than mere conceptual knowledge.

By admitting the inadequacy of words and concepts to capture the Supreme, the verse frames praise as humble surrender—Bhakti that recognizes God as beyond description, yet worthy of heartfelt stuti (devotional glorification).

It implicitly references pramāṇa (valid means of knowledge) and the limits of intellectual proof—useful for Vedānta-style inquiry—while indicating that realization ultimately surpasses purely analytical tools like logic and linguistic definition.