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Shloka 68

विष्णु-ब्रह्म-विवाद-वर्णनम्

Description of the Viṣṇu–Brahmā Dispute and Brahmā’s Confusion

जानीवो न हि ते रूपं योऽसियोऽसि महाप्रभो । नमोऽस्तु ते महेशान रूपं दर्शय नौ त्वरन्

jānīvo na hi te rūpaṃ yo'siyo'si mahāprabho | namo'stu te maheśāna rūpaṃ darśaya nau tvaran

O Mahāprabhu, wahrlich kennen wir Deine Gestalt nicht—wie auch immer Du in Deinem Wesen bist. Verehrung sei Dir, o Maheśāna; offenbare uns rasch Deine Gestalt.

जानिवःwe two
जानिवः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootजानि (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual; pronoun-like form used for ‘we two’ (आवाम्)
not
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
तेof you/your
ते:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; enclitic pronoun
रूपम्form
रूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
यःwho
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun
असिare
असि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 2nd Person (मध्यम), Singular; ‘to be’
यःwho
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun (repeated)
असिare
असि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 2nd Person (मध्यम), Singular
महाप्रभोO great lord
महाप्रभो:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमहाप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक: महा + प्रभु)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
नमःsalutation
नमः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/utterance)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFixed indeclinable used in salutation (नमः-प्रयोग)
अस्तुmay there be
अस्तु:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 3rd Person (प्रथम), Singular; ‘let it be’
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormDative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; enclitic pronoun
महेशानO Maheśāna
महेशान:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमहेशान (प्रातिपदिक: महा + ईशान)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
रूपम्form
रूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
दर्शयshow
दर्शय:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यम), Singular; Causative sense (णिच्) ‘make (us) see/show’
नौto us two
नौ:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormDative (4th/चतुर्थी), Dual; enclitic ‘to us two’
त्वरन्hastening/quickly
त्वरन्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootत्वर् (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adverbial to the action ‘hastening’

Brahmā (addressing Lord Śiva/Rudra during the creation narrative)

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra: namo'stu te maheśāna rūpaṃ darśaya nau tvaran

Type: stotra

Cosmic Event: pre-creational theophany within the sṛṣṭi narrative; the Lord’s form remains concealed (tirodhāna) until revelation

S
Shiva

FAQs

It expresses the Shaiva insight that Śiva’s true nature surpasses conceptual grasp; the devotee admits limitation and seeks direct revelation (darśana) through surrender.

Since the Lord’s ultimate nature is difficult to define, devotees approach Him through a revealable, worship-worthy manifestation—such as the Liṅga or a chosen saguna form—requesting Śiva to ‘show’ Himself in a graspable way.

A simple takeaway is prayerful japa and devotion: repeat “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplate Śiva as both beyond form and kindly manifesting as form, and inwardly request His darśana with humility.