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Shloka 3

Akrūra’s Prayers (Akrūra-stuti): The Lord as Cause of Causes, Virāṭ, and the Goal of All Paths

नैते स्वरूपं विदुरात्मनस्ते ह्यजादयोऽनात्मतया गृहीता: । अजोऽनुबद्ध: स गुणैरजाया गुणात् परं वेद न ते स्वरूपम् ॥ ३ ॥

naite svarūpaṁ vidur ātmanas te hy ajādayo ’nātmatayā gṛhītaḥ ajo ’nubaddhaḥ sa guṇair ajāyā guṇāt paraṁ veda na te svarūpam

Die gesamte materielle Natur und die übrigen Elemente der Schöpfung können Dich nicht erkennen, wie Du wirklich bist, denn sie sind im Bereich stumpfer Materie manifest. Obwohl Du jenseits der Guṇas stehst, kennt selbst Brahmā, der an die Guṇas der Prakṛti gebunden ist, Deine wahre Identität nicht.

not
:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध (negation)
एतेthese
एते:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘these’
स्वरूपम्true nature
स्वरूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of विदुः
विदुःknow
विदुः:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √विद् ‘know’
आत्मनःof you (the Self)
आत्मनः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of the Self/yourself’
तेyour
ते:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘your’ (genitive)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘indeed/for’
अज-आदयःAja and others
अज-आदयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘Aja and others’
अनात्मतयाby (taking it as) non-self
अनात्मतया:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअनात्मता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘as non-self / by the notion of non-self’
गृहीताःhaving misconceived
गृहीताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootगृहीत (प्रातिपदिक; √ग्रह् धातु से क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘seized/accepted/understood’ (here: ‘misconceived’)
अजःthe Unborn
अजः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘the unborn’ (Lord)
अनुबद्धःassociated
अनुबद्धः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअनुबद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; अनु-√बन्ध् धातु से क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘connected/associated’
सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘he’ (refers to अजः)
गुणैःby the qualities (guṇas)
गुणैः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; instrumental ‘with/by the guṇas’
अजायाःof Ajā (Prakṛti)
अजायाः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअजा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of Ajā’ (Prakṛti/Māyā)
गुणात्beyond the guṇa(s)
गुणात्:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative ‘from/beyond the guṇa’
परम्the transcendent
परम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (object complement) ‘the supreme/beyond’
वेदknows
वेद:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √विद् ‘knows’
not
:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध
तेyour
ते:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘your’
स्वरूपम्true nature
स्वरूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of (understood) ‘know’ in second clause

God is transcendental to material nature. Unless we also transcend the limited consciousness of material existence, we cannot know Him. Even the greatest living entity in the universe, Brahmā, cannot understand the Supreme unless he comes to the platform of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

B
Brahma
D
Demigods
K
Krishna

FAQs

This verse says that even exalted beings like Brahmā may not know Krishna’s true nature if they remain influenced by misidentification with the non-self; true knowledge arises by transcending the material modes.

In their womb-prayers to Krishna, the demigods confess that conditioned perception—shaped by the guṇas and bodily identity—limits understanding; only consciousness beyond the guṇas can perceive the Lord’s reality.

Cultivate sāttvika habits and, more importantly, steady bhakti—hearing and chanting about Krishna—so identity shifts from body-mind to service, weakening the grip of passion and ignorance.