Shloka 21

मेरु-प्रमाणम्, सप्त-पाताल-वर्णनम्, तथा अनन्त-शेष-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

तस्य वीर्यं प्रभावश् च स्वरूपं रूपम् एव च न हि वर्णयितुं शक्यं ज्ञातुं वा त्रिदशैर् अपि

Transliteration

tasya vīryaṃ prabhāvaś ca svarūpaṃ rūpam eva ca na hi varṇayituṃ śakyaṃ jñātuṃ vā tridaśair api

Translation

His might and sovereign majesty—His very essential nature and even His manifest form—cannot truly be described, nor can they be fully known, not even by the Thirty-three gods.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• वीर्यम्: power
• वीर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as subject (प्रथमा)

• प्रभावः: majesty/effect
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वरूपम्: true nature
• स्वरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as subject (प्रथमा)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as subject (प्रथमा)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• वर्णयितुम्: to describe
• वर्णयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (Infinitive/तुमन्त); ‘to describe’

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; √शक् + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्यय (Potential/योग्यतावाचक कृदन्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘possible’

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (Infinitive); ‘to know’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods (thirty)
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; ‘even/also’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The immeasurable greatness of Śeṣa (and by extension the Lord’s cosmic potency) beyond even the devas’ comprehension.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The essential nature, form, power, and majesty of this divine principle cannot be fully described or even known, not even by the gods.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Approach the divine with humility: prefer steady remembrance and reverent worship over claims of total conceptual mastery.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord’s (and his divine manifestations’) ananta-kalyāṇa-guṇas—attributes real and infinite—known truly through devotion and grace, not exhausted by finite intellect.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Tridaśa (the Thirty-three Devas)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Thirty-three gods (Tridaśas) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse uses the Tridaśas as the highest celestial benchmark to emphasize that even the foremost gods cannot fully know or describe Vishnu’s true nature and power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s nature in this context?

Parāśara presents Vishnu as transcendent—His might (vīrya), majesty (prabhāva), essential reality (svarūpa), and manifest form (rūpa) exceed the limits of speech and even divine comprehension.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is affirmed as the supreme, all-governing reality whose sovereignty and essence surpass all created beings, including the gods—supporting a strongly Vaishnava understanding of ultimate divinity.