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Shloka 21

Gradations of Bliss and Knowledge; Lakṣmī’s Special Insight; The Rarity of Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Nīlā’s Vow and Śrīnivāsa Darśana

Devanagari script

वाणी विजानाति हरेर्गुणांश्च स्वयंभुवो नैव तावद्विशेषान् / त्रैगुण्यरूपात्परतः सदैव पश्येद्विष्णुं कृष्णरूपं खगेन्द्र

Transliteration

vāṇī vijānāti harerguṇāṃśca svayaṃbhuvo naiva tāvadviśeṣān / traiguṇyarūpātparataḥ sadaiva paśyedviṣṇuṃ kṛṣṇarūpaṃ khagendra

Translation

Selbst Sarasvatī (Vāṇī) vermag nur die Eigenschaften des Herrn Hari zu erkennen, nicht aber vollständig jene besonderen Einzelheiten, die selbst Brahmā (Svayambhū) nicht auszuschöpfen vermag. Darum, o Khagendra, König der Vögel, soll man Viṣṇu stets schauen als ewig jenseits der drei Guṇas — in der dunklen Gestalt (Kṛṣṇa) des Höchsten.

Word by Word
वाणीVāṇī (Sarasvatī)
वाणी:
कर्ता
TypeNoun
Rootवाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Sarasvatī/speech)
विजानातिknows
विजानाति:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Rootवि+ज्ञा (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
हरेःof Hari
हरेः:
सम्बन्ध
TypeNoun
Rootहरि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular
गुणान्qualities
गुणान्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural
चand
च:
समुच्चय
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय
स्वयंभुवःof Svayambhū (Brahmā)
स्वयंभुवः:
सम्बन्ध (genitive of comparison/limitation)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (of Svayambhū=Brahmā)
नnot
न:
निपात
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
एवindeed/just
एव:
निपात
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
तावत्to that extent
तावत्:
क्रियाविशेषण
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
Formपरिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (to that extent/so much)
विशेषान्distinctions, special aspects
विशेषान्:
कर्म (with implied verb: knows/understands)
TypeNoun
Rootविशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural
त्रैगुण्य-रूपात्from the form of the three guṇas
त्रैगुण्य-रूपात्:
अपादान
TypeNoun
Rootत्रैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; Ablative singular
परतःbeyond
परतः:
क्रियाविशेषण
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपरतः (अव्यय)
Formपञ्चम्यर्थक-अव्यय (beyond, further than)
सदाalways
सदा:
क्रियाविशेषण
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय
एवindeed
एव:
निपात
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-अव्यय
पश्येत्should see
पश्येत्:
क्रिया
TypeVerb
Rootपश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3sg
विष्णुम्Viṣṇu
विष्णुम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular
कृष्ण-रूपम्the Kṛṣṇa-form
कृष्ण-रूपम्:
कर्म-विशेषण (appositional)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; in apposition/qualifier to विष्णुम्
खगेन्द्रO lord of birds (Garuḍa)
खगेन्द्र:
सम्बोधन (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootखग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu is ever beyond the three guṇas; one should continually behold Him as Kṛṣṇa-rūpa; even highest deities cannot fully delimit His viśeṣas.

Vedantic Theme: Nirguṇa (beyond prakṛti-guṇas) yet personal Bhagavān form; acintya-bhedābheda/Viśiṣṭādvaita compatible devotion to transcendent form.

Application: Adopt daily darśana-bhāvanā: meditate on Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu as beyond moods and material conditioning; practice nāma-smaraṇa and guṇa-kīrtana while remembering His transcendence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-nāma and bhakti supremacy passages (thematic)

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu (Hari)
S
Sarasvati (Vani)
B
Brahma (Svayambhu)
G
Garuda (Khagendra)
K
Krishna

FAQs

This verse teaches that liberation-oriented devotion rests on recognizing Viṣṇu as transcendent to sattva, rajas, and tamas, not limited by material nature.

It states that even Vāṇī (Sarasvatī) and Svayambhū (Brahmā) cannot fully encompass Hari’s distinctive greatness, emphasizing the Lord’s immeasurable supremacy.

Practice daily remembrance/meditation on Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa-rūpa) as beyond changing moods and circumstances, cultivating steady devotion and ethical clarity.

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