Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 5
Nābhi’s Sacrifice and Lord Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as a Son (Ṛṣabhadeva’s Advent Prelude)
ऋत्विज ऊचु: अर्हसि मुहुरर्हत्तमार्हणमस्माकमनुपथानां नमो नम इत्येतावत्सदुपशिक्षितं कोऽर्हति पुमान् प्रकृतिगुणव्यतिकरमतिरनीश ईश्वरस्य परस्य प्रकृतिपुरुषयोरर्वाक्तनाभिर्नामरूपाकृतिभी रूपनिरूपणम् ॥ ४ ॥ सकलजननिकायवृजिननिरसनशिवतमप्रवरगुणगणैकदेशकथनादृते ॥ ५ ॥
ṛtvija ūcuḥ arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko ’rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-kathanād ṛte.
Die Priester sprachen: O höchst verehrungswürdiger Herr, wir sind lediglich Deine ewigen Diener. Obwohl Du in Dir selbst vollkommen bist, nimm aus grundloser Barmherzigkeit ein wenig Dienst von uns an. Wir kennen Deine transzendente Gestalt nicht wirklich; gemäß den Veden und den autorisierten ācāryas können wir nur immer wieder ehrfürchtig niederfallen und „namo namaḥ“ sprechen. Die materialistischen Lebewesen, von den guṇas der Natur angezogen, werden niemals vollkommen, doch Du stehst über allen materiellen Vorstellungen. Dein Name, Deine Form und Deine Eigenschaften sind transzendent, jenseits experimentellen Wissens; wer könnte Dich erfassen? Darum können wir Dir nur unsere Ehrerbietungen und Gebete darbringen. Das Singen Deiner glückverheißenden Eigenschaften tilgt die Sünden aller Menschen; das ist für uns die heilsamste Handlung, und dadurch verstehen wir ein wenig Deine wunderbare Stellung.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has nothing to do with material perception. Even the impersonalist Śaṅkarācārya says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: “Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material conception.” We cannot concoct the form and attributes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We must simply accept the description given in Vedic literatures about the Lord’s form and activities. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29) :
FAQs
This verse says conditioned people, whose minds are shaped by material qualities and limited notions of name and form, cannot fully define the Supreme Lord; they can only offer repeated obeisance and speak partial glorification of His auspicious qualities.
Because as ritual specialists they admit their training is mainly formal worship and obeisances, and they recognize that the Supreme Lord is beyond the categories of prakṛti and puruṣa, making complete description impossible for materially conditioned intellect.
Approach God with humility, avoid reducing the Divine to rigid concepts, and focus on sincere glorification and remembrance of the Lord’s qualities, which purify the heart and remove sinful tendencies.