Shloka 63

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

सदसद्रूपिणो यस्य ब्रह्माद्यास् त्रिदशोत्तमाः परमार्थं न जानन्ति तस्य स्तोष्यामि किं न्व् अहम्

Transliteration

sadasadrūpiṇo yasya brahmādyās tridaśottamāḥ paramārthaṃ na jānanti tasya stoṣyāmi kiṃ nv aham

Translation

Even Brahmā and the foremost of the gods do not know the highest reality of Him whose nature transcends both the manifest and the unmanifest—so what praise could I possibly offer Him?

Word by Word

• sat: real, existent
• sat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग), 'सत्' (real/existent)

• asat: unreal, non-existent
• asat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग), 'असत्' (unreal/non-existent)

• rūpiṇaḥ: of (him) who has the nature/form of both real and unreal
• rūpiṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—सत्-असत्-रूपिणः (द्वन्द्वपूर्वक तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः: 'having the form of both sat and asat')

• yasya: of whom/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• brahmādyāḥ: Brahmā and others
• brahmādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्रह्म-आद्याः (तत्पुरुष: 'Brahmā and others')

• tridaśottamāḥ: the foremost gods
• tridaśottamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—त्रिदश-उत्तमाः (कर्मधारय: 'the best among the gods')

• paramārtham: the ultimate truth
• paramārtham: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paramārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—परम-अर्थः (कर्मधारय: 'supreme truth/ultimate meaning')

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधाव्यय (negation particle)

• jānanti: they know
• jānanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• stoṣyāmi: I will praise
• stoṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person/उत्तम), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• kim: what
• kim: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (2nd/1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नसर्वनाम

• nu: indeed/then (emphatic)
• nu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), प्रश्न/अनुनयार्थ

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voicing humility within a stotra to Vishnu as Para Brahman)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme’s reality surpasses both ‘sat’ and ‘asat’ categories, and even the highest gods cannot fully know Him.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Hold doctrines with reverent restraint; combine study with devotion, recognizing that ultimate reality exceeds conceptual binaries.

Vishishtadvaita: Maintains God’s transcendence beyond categories while allowing meaningful worship—His essence is beyond full comprehension though His auspicious qualities are approachable.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Devas (Tridasha)

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘sat’ and ‘asat’ in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse asserts that Vishnu’s ultimate nature transcends ordinary categories of existence (sat) and non-existence/unmanifest (asat), emphasizing His supremacy over all ontological states.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the knowability of the Supreme in this chapter?

By stating that even Brahmā and the greatest devas do not know Vishnu’s paramārtha, Parāśara frames the Supreme as ultimately ineffable, approachable through reverent praise rather than complete conceptual grasp.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as Para Brahman—so transcendent that cosmic authorities like Brahmā cannot fully comprehend Him—supporting a Vaishnava view of Vishnu as the highest ground of reality and universal order.