Shloka 17

Devanagari script

भवतो यत् परं रूपं तन् न जानाति कश्चन अवतारेषु यद् रूपं तद् अर्चन्ति दिवौकसः

Transliteration

bhavato yat paraṃ rūpaṃ tan na jānāti kaścana avatāreṣu yad rūpaṃ tad arcanti divaukasaḥ

Translation

No one truly knows Your transcendent, supreme form. The gods worship the form You assume in Your avatāras—those manifested appearances in Your descents.

Word by Word

• भवतः: of you
• भवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular (honorific 'of you')

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Relative pronoun agreeing with रूपम्

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Adjective agreeing with रूपम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Correlative pronoun

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

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (निपात)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Indefinite pronoun nominative singular

• अवतारेषु: in the incarnations
• अवतारेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; Locative plural

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Relative pronoun agreeing with रूपम्

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Correlative pronoun

• अर्चन्ति: worship
• अर्चन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present indicative

• दिवौकसः: the gods (heaven-dwellers)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दिवि ओकः यस्य/दिव-ओकस्: 'dwelling in heaven'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Distinction between the Lord’s unknowable transcendent form and His worshipable avatāra-manifestations

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s supreme transcendent form is beyond full comprehension, while His avatāra-forms are the accessible manifestations worshiped even by the gods.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Approach the Supreme through revealed, worshipable forms (arcā/avatāra) with humility, accepting that ultimate essence exceeds conceptual grasp.

Vishishtadvaita: Holds together transcendence and accessibility: the same Supreme personally manifests in gracious forms for devotion without diminishing His para-svarūpa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas (Divaukasaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu’s “supreme form” (para-rūpa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse emphasizes that Vishnu’s ultimate, transcendent reality is beyond ordinary knowing; even the gods relate primarily to His manifest, worshippable forms in avatāras.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between the transcendent and the avatāra forms?

Parāśara distinguishes the unknowable supreme nature of Vishnu from the approachable forms He assumes in incarnations—those are the forms that become the focus of divine worship and narrative revelation.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the highest reality whose essence surpasses even the devas, while His avatāras function as compassionate, accessible manifestations that sustain and restore universal order.