Shloka 21

Uddhava’s Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and the Theology of the Lord’s Disappearance

Devanagari script

स्वयं त्वसाम्यातिशयस्त्र्यधीश: स्वाराज्यलक्ष्म्याप्तसमस्तकाम: । बलिं हरद्‍‌भिश्चिरलोकपालै: किरीटकोट्येडितपादपीठ: ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

svayaṁ tv asāmyātiśayas tryadhīśaḥ svārājya-lakṣmy-āpta-samasta-kāmaḥ baliṁ haradbhiś cira-loka-pālaiḥ kirīṭa-koṭyeḍita-pāda-pīṭhaḥ

Translation

Yet Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself is the sovereign Master of all triads, unequaled and independently supreme; by the fortune of His own kingship all desires are fulfilled. The eternal guardians of the worlds worship Him, offering the paraphernalia of devotion and touching His footstool with millions of crowns.

Synonyms

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic adverb (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात), contrastive

• असाम्य-अतिशयः: unsurpassed excellence
• असाम्य-अतिशयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asāmya (प्रातिपदिक) + atiśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: असाम्यः अतिशयः (unsurpassed excellence)

• त्र्यधीशः: lord of the three worlds
• त्र्यधीशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); समासः तत्पुरुष: त्रयाणाम् अधीशः (lord of the three)

• स्वाराज्य-लक्ष्मी-आप्त-समस्त-कामः: whose every desire is fulfilled by the prosperity of sovereignty
• स्वाराज्य-लक्ष्मी-आप्त-समस्त-कामः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svārājya (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + āpta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: स्वाराज्यलक्ष्म्या आप्ताः समस्तकामा यस्य (whose all desires are fulfilled by the fortune of sovereignty)

• बलिम्: tribute/offering
• बलिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• हरद्भिः: by (those) bringing
• हरद्भिः: Karana (करण/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ), Parasmaipada, Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन), Masculine/Neuter agreement with agent group

• चिर-लोक-पालैः: by the ancient guardians of the worlds
• चिर-लोक-पालैः: Karana (करण/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष: चिरं लोकान् पालयन्ति ये (long-standing world-protectors)

• किरीट-कोटि-ईडित-पाद-पीठः: whose footstool is lauded by millions of crowns
• किरीट-कोटि-ईडित-पाद-पीठः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kirīṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + īḍita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: किरीटकोटिभिः ईडितं पादपीठं यस्य (whose footstool is praised by millions of crowns)

Purport

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is so mild and merciful, as described in the above verses, and yet He is the Lord of all kinds of threes. He is the Supreme Lord of the three worlds, the three qualities of material nature and the three puruṣas (Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu). There are innumerable universes, and in each and every universe there are different manifestations of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra. Besides that, there is the Śeṣa-mūrti who bears all the universes on His hoods. And Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of all of them. As the incarnation of Manu, He is the original source of all Manus in innumerable universes. Each universe has manifestations of 504,000 Manus. He is the Lord of the three principal potencies, namely cit-śakti, māyā-śakti and taṭasthā-śakti, and He is the complete master of six kinds of fortune — wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. There is none who can excel Him in any matter of enjoyment, and certainly there is no one greater than Him. No one is equal to or greater than Him. It is the duty of everyone, whoever and wherever one may be, to surrender completely unto Him. It is not wonderful, therefore, that all the transcendental controllers surrender to Him and make all offerings of worship.

Characters & Entities

• Uddhava
• Vidura
• Lord Vishnu (the Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Supreme Lord being unequaled (asāmya)?

This verse declares the Lord to be asāmya—without any equal—and triadhīśa, the ruler of the three worlds, showing His unmatched supremacy.

Why are the loka-pālas (guardians of the worlds) described as bringing offerings to the Lord?

Even the highest cosmic administrators remain subordinate to the Supreme Lord; they honor Him with tribute and worship His lotus feet, acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty.

Practical application: What does worshiping the Lord’s lotus feet teach in modern life?

It teaches humility and right priorities—recognizing a higher center than ego, power, or status, and grounding one’s life in devotion and surrender.