Shloka 60

वंशस्मरण-फलम्, वैशालिका-प्रसङ्गः, रेवती-बलदेव-विवाहः, विष्णु-परतत्त्व-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

न ह्य् आदिमध्यान्तम् अजस्य यस्य विद्मो वयं सर्वमयस्य धातुः न च स्वरूपं न परं स्वभावं न चैव सारं परमेश्वरस्य

Transliteration

na hy ādimadhyāntam ajasya yasya vidmo vayaṃ sarvamayasya dhātuḥ na ca svarūpaṃ na paraṃ svabhāvaṃ na caiva sāraṃ parameśvarasya

Translation

For we do not truly know the beginning, the middle, or the end of that Unborn One, the sustaining ground of all. Nor do we fully grasp His form, His highest nature, or the innermost essence of the Supreme Lord.

Word by Word

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) — ‘indeed/for’

• आदिमध्यान्तम्: beginning, middle, and end
• आदिमध्यान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘beginning, middle, and end’ (समाहार-द्वन्द्व)

• अजस्य: of the unborn (Lord)
• अजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of the unborn’

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘whose’

• विद्मः: we know
• विद्मः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन — ‘we know’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘we’

• सर्वमयस्य: of the all-pervading
• सर्वमयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of the all-pervading/all-constituted’

• धातुः: the source/essence
• धातुः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘essence/source’

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• स्वरूपम्: (his) true form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘own form’

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘supreme/other’

• स्वभावम्: nature
• स्वभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘nature’

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle) — ‘indeed/just’

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘essence’

• परमेश्वरस्य: of the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of the Supreme Lord’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The nature of the Supreme (Parameśvara) as beyond full comprehension, even while being the substratum of all.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Unborn is the sustaining ground of all, yet His beginning–middle–end, form, highest nature, and innermost essence are not fully graspable by ordinary cognition.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Hold theological humility: study and contemplate, but temper claims of certainty with reverence and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord as the dhātu (support/ground) of all (immanence) while declaring His nature finally inexhaustible (transcendence), a hallmark of qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of describing the Supreme as without beginning, middle, or end in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse stresses Vishnu’s transcendence over time and cosmic processes, establishing Him as the eternal ground of creation rather than a being within creation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of human knowledge about God here?

Parāśara states that even the wise cannot fully comprehend the Lord’s true form, highest nature, or essential reality, signaling that scripture guides devotion and understanding but does not exhaust the Infinite.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as Parameśvara—unborn, all-pervading, and foundational—supporting later Vishnu Purana teachings where creation and cosmic order proceed from Him while He remains beyond complete definition.