Shloka 54
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
ब्रह्मपारं मुनेः श्रोतुम् इच्छामः परमं स्तवम् जपता कण्डुना देवो येनाराध्यत केशवः
brahmapāraṃ muneḥ śrotum icchāmaḥ paramaṃ stavam japatā kaṇḍunā devo yenārādhyata keśavaḥ
We wish to hear, O sage, that supreme hymn which carries one beyond Brahman itself—the highest praise—by whose recitation the venerable Kaṇḍu worshipped and perfectly propitiated Lord Keśava.
Listeners addressing the sage (contextually the inquiring disciple asks the narrator-sage to recite the hymn; commonly Maitreya addressing Parāśara).
Speaker: Maitreya
Topic: Request for the ‘parama stava’ (supreme hymn) that is said to carry one beyond Brahman and by which Keśava was worshipped
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: inquiring
Concept: A supreme stotra (praise-hymn) directed to Keśava is portrayed as a means of transcendence—carrying the devotee beyond even ‘Brahman’ as ordinarily conceived.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: Incorporate stotra-recitation into practice (with meaning), using praise as contemplative theology: let attributes of Keśava reshape one’s understanding of the Absolute and one’s daily conduct.
Vishishtadvaita: ‘Brahmapāra’ suggests that Bhagavān (Keśava) is not subordinate to an impersonal Brahman; rather, Brahman’s ‘far shore’ is the personal Lord—central to Vaiṣṇava Vedānta.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: shanta
FAQs
This verse frames the hymn as a spiritually paramount praise of Keśava—so potent that it is described as leading beyond even the conception of Brahman, emphasizing stotra as a direct devotional means to the Supreme.
By citing Kandu’s successful worship through recitation, the text highlights japa as an efficacious, disciplined devotion that culminates in the Lord’s propitiation rather than mere ritual performance.
Keśava is the ultimate recipient of worship and the supreme goal of praise; the verse implies that devotion directed to Vishnu is not secondary but the highest path to the Supreme Reality.