Srimad Bhagavatam — Ashtama Skandha, Shloka 31

Kūrma Supports Mandara; Hālahala Appears; Śiva Becomes Nīlakaṇṭha

Devanagari script

न ते गिरित्राखिललोकपाल- विरिञ्चवैकुण्ठसुरेन्द्रगम्यम् । ज्योति: परं यत्र रजस्तमश्च सत्त्वं न यद् ब्रह्म निरस्तभेदम् ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

na te giri-trākhila-loka-pāla- viriñca-vaikuṇṭha-surendra-gamyam jyotiḥ paraṁ yatra rajas tamaś ca sattvaṁ na yad brahma nirasta-bhedam

Translation

O Girīśa, where the supreme effulgence of Brahman abides, the modes—sattva, rajas, and tamas—do not reach; therefore the rulers of the worlds can neither know it nor attain it. That Brahman, free of all distinction, is not understood even by Brahmā, by Viṣṇu the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, or by Mahendra.

Synonyms

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• गिरि-त्र: O Giritrā (mountain-protector)
• गिरि-त्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (giriṇā trāyate iti/‘protector of the mountain’)

• अखिल-लोक-पाल-विरिञ्च-वैकुण्ठ-सुरेन्द्र-गम्यम्: reachable by all world-guardians, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Indra
• अखिल-लोक-पाल-विरिञ्च-वैकुण्ठ-सुरेन्द्र-गम्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + विरिञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + सुरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (गम्य = √गम् + यत्, ‘to be reached’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अखिललोकपालैः विरिञ्च-वैकुण्ठ-सुरेन्द्रैः गम्यम्)

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ज्योतिः इति विशेषणम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• रजः: rajas
• रजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तमः: tamas
• तमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• सत्त्वम्: sattva
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun: which)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निरस्त-भेदम्: with distinctions removed / non-dual
• निरस्त-भेदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरस्त (कृदन्त; √अस्/निर्+अस्/निरस् ‘to remove’) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः: ‘भेदः निरस्तः यस्मिन्’

Purport

The brahmajyoti is actually the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.40) :

Characters & Entities

• Giritrā (Śiva)
• Brahmā (Viriñca)
• Nārāyaṇa (Lord of Vaikuṇṭha)
• Indra (Surendra)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Lord being beyond the three gunas?

This verse says the Lord’s supreme effulgence is a realm where rajas, tamas, and even sattva do not exist—indicating His transcendence beyond material nature.

Why do the devas mention Śiva, Brahmā, Vaikuṇṭha’s Lord, and Indra in this verse?

They are cited as the highest cosmic authorities to emphasize that even the greatest beings cannot fully reach or comprehend the Lord’s supreme, undivided reality.

Practical application of being ‘beyond the modes’ in modern life?

Cultivate devotion and inner steadiness—acting without ego and attachment—so one gradually rises above reactive habits shaped by passion, ignorance, and even pride in goodness.