Shloka 32

नग्न-परिभाषा तथा देव-स्तोत्रपूर्वक मायामोह-उत्पत्ति

Defining ‘Nagna’ and the Devas’ Hymn Leading to Māyāmoha

Devanagari script

शुक्लादिदीर्घादिघनादिहीनम् अगोचरे यच् च विशेषणानाम् शुद्धातिशुद्धं परमर्षिदृश्यं रूपाय तस्मै भगवन् नताः स्मः

Transliteration

śuklādidīrghādighanādihīnam agocare yac ca viśeṣaṇānām śuddhātiśuddhaṃ paramarṣidṛśyaṃ rūpāya tasmai bhagavan natāḥ smaḥ

Translation

O Bhagavān, we bow to that form of Yours—free from all descriptions such as “white,” “long,” “dense,” and the like; beyond the reach of qualifying attributes; purity itself, surpassing even the pure; and perceptible only to the highest seers.

Word by Word

• शुक्लादिदीर्घादिघनादिहीनम्: devoid of (attributes) like whiteness, length, density, etc.
• शुक्लादिदीर्घादिघनादिहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + घन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शुक्ल-आदि, दीर्घ-आदि, घन-आदि इत्येतैः हीनम् = devoid of whiteness etc., length etc., density etc.)

• अगोचरे: in/with respect to what is beyond perception
• अगोचरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अगोचरे = beyond the range)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• विशेषणानाम्: of attributes/qualifiers
• विशेषणानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• शुद्धातिशुद्धम्: pure, supremely pure
• शुद्धातिशुद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः कर्मधारयः (अतिशयेन शुद्धम्)

• परमर्षिदृश्यम्: visible to the supreme sages
• परमर्षिदृश्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दृश् (धातु) + य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्त-यत्/दृश्य (to be seen); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परमर्षिभिः दृश्यं)

• रूपाय: to the form
• रूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• नताः: bowed, prostrated
• नताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नत (कृदन्त; √नम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-क्त; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विशेषणम् (we are bowed)

• स्मः: we are
• स्मः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; √अस् (to be)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voiced as a reverential salutation to Bhagavān/Vishnu)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nirguṇa/trans-qualificatory description of Bhagavān, knowable only to highest ṛṣis

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s highest form is beyond sensory qualifiers and conceptual predicates—supremely pure and accessible only to the greatest seers.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: In meditation, let go of limiting labels and rest in reverent awareness; balance apophatic contemplation with devotion to Bhagavān as the transcendent reality.

Vishishtadvaita: Transcendence without denying auspicious attributes: the verse negates material qualifiers while preserving Bhagavān as knowable to ṛṣis and worthy of surrender.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Paramarshi (highest sages)

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Vishnu as beyond ‘white, long, dense’ and similar qualities in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts that the Supreme (Vishnu) cannot be confined to physical or material descriptors; such qualifiers belong to created things, while Bhagavān transcends them.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord as ‘agocara’ (beyond reach) in this context?

Parāśara frames Vishnu as beyond the grasp of ordinary speech, mind, and sense-based definitions—known fully only through higher realization as seen by the greatest sages.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here for Vaishnava philosophy?

The verse presents Vishnu as the supremely pure, transcendent ground of reality—supporting the view that devotion is directed to the highest Brahman, not a merely limited deity.