Shloka 48

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

ज्ञातो ऽसि देवदेवेश सर्वेशस् त्वम् अनुत्तमः परं ज्योतिर् अचिन्त्यं यत् तदंशः परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

jñāto 'si devadeveśa sarveśas tvam anuttamaḥ paraṃ jyotir acintyaṃ yat tadaṃśaḥ parameśvaraḥ

Translation

You are now known—O Lord of the lords of the gods, O Sovereign of all—unsurpassed. That Supreme Light, unthinkable and beyond conception: You are Its very portion, O Supreme Ruler.

Word by Word

• ज्ञातः: known
• ज्ञातः: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावः (Past passive participle; Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (Present, 2nd person, singular)

• देव-देव-ईश: O Lord of the god of gods
• देव-देव-ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—देवानां देवस्य ईशः (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• सर्व-ईशः: the Lord of all
• सर्व-ईशः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—सर्वेषाम् ईशः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• अनुत्तमः: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमः: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ज्योतिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• ज्योतिः: light, radiance
• ज्योतिः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अचिन्त्यम्: inconceivable
• अचिन्त्यम्: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; √चिन्त् (धातु) + अ- नञ् + यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; gerundive/यत्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यत् (relative pronoun) (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• तत्-अंशः: its portion
• तत्-अंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—तस्य अंशः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• परम-ईश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परम-ईश्वरः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—परमः ईश्वरः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

A devotee/praiser within the narrative (hymnic address to the Supreme Lord, as recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He is hailed as Devadeveśa and Sarveśa, revealing the avatāra as the unsurpassed supreme ruler beyond the gods.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Right knowledge of the Lord’s supremacy (paratva) and devotion grounded in true recognition.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is Devadeveśa and Sarveśa—anuttama—connected with the acintya supreme light beyond conception.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate divine transcendence (acintyatva) while cultivating reverent devotion, avoiding reduction of God to mere worldly categories.

Vishishtadvaita: The supreme light is personal and sovereign (Īśvara), not an impersonal abstraction; transcendence coexists with lordship and accessibility.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu 'Devadeveśa' and 'Sarveśa' in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu’s absolute sovereignty—He is not merely one god among many, but the supreme Lord over the devas and over all beings and principles.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the 'paraṃ jyotiḥ' (Supreme Light) in this context?

Through hymnic language within his teaching to Maitreya, Parāśara presents the Supreme as an inconceivable, transcendent Light—beyond ordinary thought—identified with the highest divine reality.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being linked to the 'inconceivable Supreme Light' here?

The verse frames Vishnu in relation to the ultimate metaphysical principle (para-tattva), reinforcing Vaishnava doctrine that the Supreme Reality is the source and ruler of all cosmic order.