Shloka 64

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माद्यैर् अर्च्यते दिव्यैर् यश् च पुष्पानुलेपनैः नन्दनादिसमुद्भूतैः सो ऽर्च्यते वा कथं मया

Transliteration

brahmādyair arcyate divyair yaś ca puṣpānulepanaiḥ nandanādisamudbhūtaiḥ so 'rcyate vā kathaṃ mayā

Translation

He is adored by Brahmā and the other gods with celestial flowers and fragrant unguents born of Nandana and the gardens of heaven—how, then, could one like me truly worship Him?

Word by Word

• brahmādyaiḥ: by Brahmā and others
• brahmādyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्रह्म-आद्यैः (तत्पुरुष: 'by Brahmā and others')

• arcyate: is worshipped
• arcyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपदम्

• divyaiḥ: divine
• divyaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (brahmādyaiḥ)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयाव्यय (conjunction)

• puṣpa: flower
• puṣpa: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• anulepanaiḥ: with flowers and anointments
• anulepanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anulepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—पुष्प-अनुलेपनैः (द्वन्द्व: 'with flowers and unguents/anointments')

• nandana: Nandana (celestial grove)
• nandana: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग), 'नन्दन' (Nandana-grove)

• ādi: and others
• ādi: Sambandha (Compound element/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग 'आदि' (etc.)—अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (as 'and the like')

• samudbhūtaiḥ: arisen/produced from (Nandana etc.)
• samudbhūtaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samudbhūta (सम्+उद्+√bhū, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), विशेषणम् (puṣpānulepanaiḥ) ; समासः—नन्दन-आदि-समुद्भूतैः (तत्पुरुष: 'arisen from Nandana etc.')

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• arcyate: is worshipped
• arcyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपदम्

• vā: or/indeed
• vā: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive/optional particle)

• katham: how
• katham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Maitreya (expressing humility and the inadequacy of material offerings before the Supreme)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: If the gods worship the Lord with heavenly flowers and fragrances, the devotee feels unfit—yet this humility itself becomes the doorway to true devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Offer what you can with sincerity; let humility purify intention rather than becoming an excuse for inaction in worship.

Vishishtadvaita: Highlights arcā/ārādhana accessibility: the Lord accepts devotion beyond material opulence, consistent with His gracious relation to finite selves.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Devas
• Vishnu
• Nandana (heavenly garden)

FAQs

What is the significance of Nandana flowers in the Vishnu Purana?

They symbolize the highest celestial standard of ritual beauty—yet the verse implies that even such divine offerings are secondary to sincere devotion when approaching Vishnu.

How does Sage Parasara explain the right approach to worship in this dialogue?

Through Maitreya’s humility, the text frames worship as grounded in reverence and inner devotion, not in the external grandeur of offerings available only to gods.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Lord whom even Brahmā worships; therefore, His greatness exceeds all material means, making devotion the most fitting offering.