Shloka 60

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

त्वं परस् त्वं परस्याद्यः परं त्वत्तः परात्मकम् परस्मात् परमो यस् त्वं तस्य स्तोष्यामि किं न्व् अहम्

Transliteration

tvaṃ paras tvaṃ parasyādyaḥ paraṃ tvattaḥ parātmakam parasmāt paramo yas tvaṃ tasya stoṣyāmi kiṃ nv aham

Translation

You are the Supreme; You are the primal source even of what is called “the Supreme.” From You arises the highest reality whose very nature is transcendence. Higher than the highest—how can I truly praise You?

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परः: supreme, beyond
• परः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम्)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परस्य: of the supreme (one)
• परस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of the supreme/other’

• आद्यः: the first, primordial
• आद्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम्)

• परम्: the supreme
• परम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘the highest’

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परात्मकम्: having the nature of the supreme
• परात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परः आत्मा यस्य/परात्मकम्)

• परस्मात्: from the supreme (state/being)
• परस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; ‘from the supreme’

• परमः: the highest
• परमः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम्)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (यः ... त्वम्)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्तोष्यामि: I will praise
• स्तोष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• नु: pray, indeed
• नु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; प्रश्न/अनुनय)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Lord Vishnu; narrated to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: A metaphysical stuti asserting Vishnu’s unsurpassed transcendence as the source of the ‘highest’ itself.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative and revelatory

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He is identified as the transcendent source of all that is called ‘supreme,’ grounding the avatar in Para-brahman theology.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Metaphysical order: establishing the Lord as the ultimate ontological ground beyond all superlatives.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vishnu is ‘parama’ beyond the ‘parama’; all claims to ultimacy derive their reality from him, who is the highest ground of being.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the source behind every ‘highest’ value or concept you hold; let that inquiry mature into reverent devotion rather than mere abstraction.

Vishishtadvaita: Transcendence does not negate attributes; the Supreme is beyond all yet remains the personal Lord who can be praised and approached.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu both “the Supreme” and “beyond the supreme” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse asserts Vishnu’s unsurpassed transcendence—He is not merely the highest entity within the cosmos but the ultimate ground from which even the notion of “the highest” derives.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of human praise in this context?

By confessing “how can I praise Him?”, Parāśara highlights that language and intellect cannot fully encompass Vishnu’s absolute nature, making devotion and humility central to the hymn.

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

Vishnu is presented as the final, independent Supreme Reality (Para Brahman), supporting a strongly Vaishnava metaphysics where all higher principles and cosmic orders rest upon Him.