Shloka 23

Vyaktāvyakta-Viveka and Nivṛtti as Paramā Gati

Manifest–Unmanifest Discrimination and the Supreme Path of Withdrawal

Devanagari script

अनाट्य॑ तत्परं ब्रह्म न देवा नर्षयो विदुः । एकस्तदू वेद भगवान्‌ धाता नारायण: प्रभु:,वह परब्रह्म अनादि और सबसे परे है। उसे न देवता जानते हैं न ऋषि। उसे तो एकमात्र जगत्पालक नारायण ही जानते हैं

Transliteration

anāṭyaṁ tat-paraṁ brahma na devā na ṛṣayo viduḥ | ekas tad eva veda bhagavān dhātā nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: That supreme Brahman—beginningless, beyond all manifestation, utterly transcendent—is not known even to the gods or the seers. Only the Lord, the Creator and Protector of the world, Narayana, truly knows it.

Word by Word

• अनाट्यम्: not to be acted/imitated; beyond representation
• अनाट्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाट्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman (the Absolute)
• ब्रह्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: nor
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विदुः: know
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural

• एकः: one (alone)
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (Brahman)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उ: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ

• वेद: knows
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धाता: the Creator, Sustainer
• धाता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नारायणः: Narayana
• नारायणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the Lord, master
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahman
• Devas
• Rishis
• Dhata
• Narayana