Shloka 65

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

यस्यावताररूपाणि देवराजः सदार्चति न वेत्ति परमं रूपं सो ऽर्च्यते वा कथं मया

Transliteration

yasyāvatārarūpāṇi devarājaḥ sadārcati na vetti paramaṃ rūpaṃ so 'rcyate vā kathaṃ mayā

Translation

Even Indra, king of the gods, ever worships His incarnate forms, yet does not truly know His supreme form. How could I possibly worship that Lord adequately?

Word by Word

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

• avatāra: incarnation, descent
• avatāra: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• rūpāṇi: incarnate forms
• rūpāṇi: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—अवतार-रूपाणि (तत्पुरुष: 'forms of incarnation')

• devarājaḥ: Indra (king of the gods)
• devarājaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—देव-राजः (तत्पुरुष: 'king of the gods', i.e., Indra)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• arcati: worships
• arcati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• vetti: knows
• vetti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; रूपम्—वेत्ति (अनिट्, द्वित्वादि)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (rūpam)

• rūpam: form, true nature
• rūpam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• 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

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya in the teaching narrative)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even Indra venerates the Lord’s avatāras yet cannot grasp His supreme form; therefore worship rests on grace and devotion, not on exhaustive knowledge.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Do not wait for ‘complete understanding’ before practicing; worship steadily, trusting that realization deepens through surrendered devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Distinguishes accessible avatāra forms from the incomprehensible parama-rūpa, aligning with Vishishtadvaita’s stress on the Lord’s infinite auspiciousness and gracious self-manifestation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Indra (Devaraja)

FAQs

What is the significance of Indra worshipping Vishnu’s avatāras in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights Vishnu’s universal sovereignty: even the king of the gods venerates Vishnu’s manifestations, showing that divine authority ultimately rests in Vishnu.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme Form beyond the avatāras?

By stressing that even exalted beings like Indra may worship Vishnu’s avatāras yet not fully know His parama-rūpa, Parāśara points to Vishnu’s transcendence beyond all limited forms.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality (para-tattva): avatāras are approachable manifestations, while His highest nature remains beyond complete comprehension, grounding devotion in reverence and humility.