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Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 36

Brahmā’s Boons, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Cosmic Tyranny, and Prahlāda’s Transcendental Qualities

गुणैरलमसङ्ख्येयैर्माहात्म्यं तस्य सूच्यते । वासुदेवे भगवति यस्य नैसर्गिकी रति: ॥ ३६ ॥

guṇair alam asaṅkhyeyair māhātmyaṁ tasya sūcyate vāsudeve bhagavati yasya naisargikī ratiḥ

Wer könnte die unzähligen transzendentalen Eigenschaften Prahlāda Mahārājas aufzählen? Er besaß eine natürliche Zuneigung zu Bhagavān Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, mit unerschütterlichem Glauben und reiner Bhakti. Auch wenn seine Tugenden nicht zu zählen sind, bezeugen sie doch, dass er wahrhaft ein Mahātmā war.

गुणैःby qualities
गुणैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन
अलम्enough; sufficiently
अलम्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअलम् (अव्यय)
Formपर्याप्ति-अव्यय (particle: enough/sufficiently)
असङ्ख्येयैःinnumerable
असङ्ख्येयैः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअसङ्ख्येय (कृदन्त/विशेषण; a+सङ्ख्येय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘innumerable’
माहात्म्यम्greatness
माहात्म्यम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमाहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन
तस्यof him
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन
सूच्यतेis indicated/shown
सूच्यते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√सूच् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), कर्मणि (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
वासुदेवेin Vāsudeva
वासुदेवे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootवासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन
भगवतिin the Lord
भगवति:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootभगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘वासुदेवे’
यस्यwhose
यस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
नैसर्गिकीinnate
नैसर्गिकी:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनैसर्गिक (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित -इक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘natural/innate’
रतिःlove/attachment
रतिः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootरति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

In his prayers to the ten incarnations, Jayadeva Gosvāmī says, keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagad-īśa hare. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee of Lord Nṛsiṁha, who is Keśava, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Therefore when this verse says vāsudeve bhagavati, one should understand that Prahlāda Mahārāja’s attachment for Nṛsiṁhadeva was attachment for Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva. Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, is described as a great mahātmā. As the Lord Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) :

V
Vāsudeva

FAQs

This verse says a devotee’s greatness is revealed by innumerable virtues, especially by an inborn, spontaneous loving attachment to Vāsudeva (the Supreme Lord).

Because in the Bhagavatam, all virtues culminate in bhakti; the clearest sign of true spiritual excellence is steady, natural attraction to the Supreme Lord.

Measure progress not merely by external achievements but by whether your heart increasingly and naturally turns toward remembrance, worship, and love of Vāsudeva in daily choices.