Shloka 49

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

न समर्थाः सुराः स्तोतुं यम् अनन्यभवं प्रभुम् स्वरूपवर्णनं तस्य कथं योषित् करिष्यति

Transliteration

na samarthāḥ surāḥ stotuṃ yam ananyabhavaṃ prabhum svarūpavarṇanaṃ tasya kathaṃ yoṣit kariṣyati

Translation

He whom even the gods are not capable of praising—That Lord, the sovereign without any other source of being—how could a mere woman undertake to describe His true form and nature?

Word by Word

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

• समर्थाः: capable
• समर्थाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• स्तोतुम्: to praise
• स्तोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तः (Infinitive); प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (to praise)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यत् (relative pronoun) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• अनन्य-भवम्: of unique nature; without equal
• अनन्य-भवम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—अनन्यः भवः यस्य (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रभुम्: the Lord
• प्रभुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• स्वरूप-वर्णनम्: description of (his) true form
• स्वरूप-वर्णनम्: Karman (Object of 'will do'/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक; √वर्ण् (धातु) ल्युट्/भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—स्वरूपस्य वर्णनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Genitive, Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• योषित्: a woman
• योषित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (i-stem) (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (Future, 3rd person, singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: His incomparability is affirmed: even the gods cannot adequately praise him, underscoring the avatāra’s supreme divinity.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Humility in devotion and recognition of the Lord’s ananyabhava (self-existent sovereignty).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Because the Lord is ananyabhava and beyond full praise even by the devas, devotees should approach him with humility rather than presumption.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Offer simple, sincere prayers and service without ego; accept that divine reality exceeds conceptual description.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord’s svatantratva (absolute independence) while still inviting personal devotion—core to Viśiṣṭādvaita theism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu “ananyabhava” in the Vishnu Purana?

It emphasizes Vishnu’s absolute independence—His being is not derived from any other cause—supporting the Purana’s portrayal of Vishnu as the Supreme Reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of describing God in this passage?

He states that even devas cannot adequately praise the Lord; therefore any human attempt to fully describe His essential nature is necessarily limited.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the incomparable sovereign beyond complete verbal capture, reinforcing a devotional and metaphysical view of Him as Para Brahman.