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 ||
Er hat keine Gestalt, keine messbare Kraft und keine offenbarte Macht; Seine Taten sind nicht zu erfassen, und es gibt keinen Maßstab, durch den Er bewiesen werden könnte. Selbst die Götter—beginnend mit Brahmā, dem Lotosgeborenen—kennen Ihn nicht wahrhaft. Wie also könnte ich Den preisen, dessen Wesen das Selbst selbst ist?
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
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.