Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथापि ते देव पदाम्बुजद्वय- प्रसादलेशानुगृहीत एव हि । जानाति तत्त्वं भगवन् महिम्नो न चान्य एकोऽपि चिरं विचिन्वन् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya- prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno na cānya eko ’pi ciraṁ vicinvan

Translation

My Lord, one who is blessed by even a slight trace of mercy from Your two lotus feet can know the truth of Your greatness. But those who try to grasp the Supreme Personality by speculation cannot know You, even if they study the Vedas for many years.

Synonyms

• atha: yet/then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Discourse particle (निपात) ‘then/however’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘even/also’

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Second person pronoun, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• deva: O Lord
• deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśa-anugṛhītaḥ: favored by a tiny trace of the grace of (your) two lotus feet
• padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśa-anugṛhītaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक) + ambuja (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक) + leśa (प्रातिपदिक) + anu√grah (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; long तत्पुरुष: ‘one who has been favored (क्त PPP) by a mere trace of the grace of (your) two lotus-feet’

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) emphasis

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘indeed’

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (√jñā, धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• tattvam: the truth/reality
• tattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• bhagavan: O Bhagavān
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• mahimnaḥ: of (your) glory
• mahimnaḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular; dependent on ‘tattvam’ (truth of the glory)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय)

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ekaḥ: single/one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying ‘anyaḥ’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘even’

• ciram: for long
• ciram: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपे द्वितीया) ‘for a long time’

• vicinvan: inquiring/searching
• vicinvan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√ci (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agreeing with ‘anyaḥ ekaḥ’

Purport

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Six, text 84.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

How can one truly understand Krishna according to Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.29?

This verse says Krishna’s greatness is known only by one who receives even a trace of mercy from His lotus feet; prolonged speculation alone cannot reveal Him.

Why does Brahmā say only Krishna’s mercy reveals His glory in Canto 10 Chapter 14?

After being humbled by Krishna’s Vraja-līlā and his own inability to measure the Lord, Brahmā admits that realization depends on divine grace, not intellectual effort.

What is the practical application of “mercy over speculation” in daily life?

Prioritize sincere devotion—prayer, humble service, and hearing about Krishna—rather than relying only on argument or analysis to access spiritual understanding.