Shloka 50

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

यस्याखिलं महीव्योमजलाग्निपवनात्मकम् ब्रह्माण्डम् अल्पकांशांशः स्तोष्यामस् तं कथं वयम्

Transliteration

yasyākhilaṃ mahīvyomajalāgnipavanātmakam brahmāṇḍam alpakāṃśāṃśaḥ stoṣyāmas taṃ kathaṃ vayam

Translation

When the entire cosmos—formed of earth, sky, water, fire, and wind—is but the tiniest fraction of a fraction of Him, how indeed can we presume to praise that One?

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यत् (relative pronoun) (Genitive, Singular)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Karta-predicative (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ब्रह्माण्डम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• मही-व्योम-जला-अग्नि-पवन-आत्मकम्: consisting of earth, sky, water, fire, and wind
• मही-व्योम-जला-अग्नि-पवन-आत्मकम्: Karta-predicative (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + व्योम (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + पवन (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—मही-व्योम-जल-अग्नि-पवन-आत्मकं (पञ्चतत्त्वात्मकम्) (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the universe (cosmic egg)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अल्पक-अंश-अंशः: a fraction of a fraction (a very small part)
• अल्पक-अंश-अंशः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पक (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—अल्पकस्य अंशस्य अंशः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• स्तोष्यामः: we shall praise
• स्तोष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (Future, 1st person, plural)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

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

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Nominative, Plural; pronoun)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya in the cosmological discourse)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He is praised as the transcendent source for whom the entire brahmāṇḍa of five elements is only an infinitesimal fraction, revealing the avatāra’s cosmic supremacy.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Re-establishing right vision of the Lord as infinitely greater than the cosmos and its elements.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The five-element cosmos (brahmāṇḍa) is only a minute fraction of the Lord, who transcends and contains all.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Use cosmic contemplation (stars, elements, nature) to deepen humility and devotion rather than ego or nihilism.

Vishishtadvaita: The universe is real as the Lord’s body/mode (prakāra) yet utterly dependent; his greatness surpasses it while pervading it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahmanda (Cosmic Egg)
• Pancha Mahabhutas (Earth, Space, Water, Fire, Wind)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Pañca Mahābhūtas in this Vishnu Purana verse?

They represent the entire manifest cosmos; the verse states that even this totality is only a minuscule portion of the Supreme (Vishnu), highlighting His transcendence over material elements.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of human language and praise here?

By declaring the universe itself to be only a tiny fraction of the Lord, Parāśara implies that finite speech cannot adequately encompass or describe the infinite Supreme Reality.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the all-encompassing Supreme (Para Brahman) whose greatness surpasses the cosmos, reinforcing Vaishnava cosmology and the devotional stance of reverent humility.