Shloka 51

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

यतन्तो न विदुर् नित्यं यत्स्वरूपम् अयोगिनः परमार्थम् अणोर् अल्पं स्थूलात् स्थूलं नताः स्म तम्

Transliteration

yatanto na vidur nityaṃ yatsvarūpam ayoginaḥ paramārtham aṇor alpaṃ sthūlāt sthūlaṃ natāḥ sma tam

Translation

Though they strive, the non-yogins do not truly know, at any time, the real nature of That. We bow to Him—the Supreme Reality—subtler than the subtlest atom, yet greater than the greatest of the gross.

Word by Word

• यतन्तः: striving (ones)
• यतन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √यत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि (Present active participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

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

• विदुः: they know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (Perfect, 3rd person, plural)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adverbial/काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारः; काल-अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• यत्-स्वरूपम्: whose true form
• यत्-स्वरूपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—यस्य स्वरूपम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; relative compound)

• अयोगिनः: non-yogins
• अयोगिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक; अ- नञ् + योगिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; न-योगिनः (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• परम-अर्थम्: the highest truth
• परम-अर्थम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—परमः अर्थः (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• अणोः: of the atom; of the subtle
• अणोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तुलना/सम्बन्ध (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• अल्पम्: small, subtle
• अल्पम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (परमार्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्/विधेय-विशेषणम्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• स्थूलात्: than the gross
• स्थूलात्: Apadana (Comparative source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तुलना-अपादान (Neuter, Ablative, Singular; comparative source)

• स्थूलम्: gross, vast
• स्थूलम्: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (परमार्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• नताः: bowed down
• नताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि (Past active participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• स्म: indeed; (past marker)
• स्म: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपातः; भूतार्थ/स्मरणार्थे, लिट्/लङ्-आदिषु सह (particle indicating past/continuity)

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He is adored as the Supreme Reality, unknowable to the non-yogins, subtler than the subtlest and greater than the greatest—affirming the avatāra as the transcendent Lord.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Yoga-buddhi: turning from mere effort without discipline to true contemplative realization and surrender.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s true nature is not grasped by non-yogins; he is simultaneously subtler than the atom and greater than the greatest, the paramārtha to whom one should bow.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Cultivate disciplined inner practice (dhyāna, ethical restraint) and humility; pair inquiry with devotion rather than mere intellectual striving.

Vishishtadvaita: Transcendence (beyond grasp) and immanence (subtle indweller) are harmonized: the Supreme is both infinitely great and intimately present.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Supreme Reality (Paramārtha)
• Non-yogins (Ayoginaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Vishnu as 'smaller than the atom and greater than the gross' in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu’s transcendence and immanence: He pervades the minutest reality while also surpassing all cosmic magnitude, establishing Him as the all-encompassing Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain why non-yogins fail to know the true nature of the Supreme?

He implies that mere effort without yogic discipline and contemplative realization cannot grasp the Supreme’s svarūpa; true knowledge requires inner integration, not only external striving.

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

Vishnu is presented as Paramārtha itself—the ultimate object of reverence and realization—supporting Vaishnava Vedanta where liberation culminates in knowing and surrendering to the Supreme Lord.