Shloka 21

Gradations of Bliss and Knowledge; Lakṣmī’s Special Insight; The Rarity of Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Nīlā’s Vow and Śrīnivāsa Darśana

Devanagari script

वाणी विजानाति हरेर्गुणांश्च स्वयंभुवो नैव तावद्विशेषान् / त्रैगुण्यरूपात्परतः सदैव पश्येद्विष्णुं कृष्णरूपं खगेन्द्र

Transliteration

vāṇī vijānāti harerguṇāṃśca svayaṃbhuvo naiva tāvadviśeṣān / traiguṇyarūpātparataḥ sadaiva paśyedviṣṇuṃ kṛṣṇarūpaṃ khagendra

Translation

Aun Sarasvatī (Vāṇī) sólo puede conocer las cualidades del Señor Hari, mas no plenamente esos pormenores distintivos que ni siquiera Brahmā (Svayambhū) puede agotar. Por ello, oh Khagendra, rey de las aves, debe uno contemplar siempre a Viṣṇu como eternamente más allá de las tres guṇas, en la forma oscura (Kṛṣṇa) del Supremo.

Word by Word

• वाणी: Vāṇī (Sarasvatī)
• वाणी: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Sarasvatī/speech)

• विजानाति: knows
• विजानाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• गुणान्: qualities
• गुणान्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• स्वयंभुवः: of Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवः: सम्बन्ध (genitive of comparison/limitation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (of Svayambhū=Brahmā)

• न: not
• न: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तावत्: to that extent
• तावत्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (to that extent/so much)

• विशेषान्: distinctions, special aspects
• विशेषान्: कर्म (with implied verb: knows/understands)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• त्रैगुण्य-रूपात्: from the form of the three guṇas
• त्रैगुण्य-रूपात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• परतः: beyond
• परतः: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतः (अव्यय)
• Form: पञ्चम्यर्थक-अव्यय (beyond, further than)

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3sg

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• कृष्ण-रूपम्: the Kṛṣṇa-form
• कृष्ण-रूपम्: कर्म-विशेषण (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; in apposition/qualifier to विष्णुम्

• खगेन्द्र: O lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• खगेन्द्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu is ever beyond the three guṇas; one should continually behold Him as Kṛṣṇa-rūpa; even highest deities cannot fully delimit His viśeṣas.

Vedantic Theme: Nirguṇa (beyond prakṛti-guṇas) yet personal Bhagavān form; acintya-bhedābheda/Viśiṣṭādvaita compatible devotion to transcendent form.

Application: Adopt daily darśana-bhāvanā: meditate on Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu as beyond moods and material conditioning; practice nāma-smaraṇa and guṇa-kīrtana while remembering His transcendence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-nāma and bhakti supremacy passages (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Sarasvati (Vani)
• Brahma (Svayambhu)
• Garuda (Khagendra)
• Krishna

FAQs

What is the importance of seeing Vishnu beyond the three guṇas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that liberation-oriented devotion rests on recognizing Viṣṇu as transcendent to sattva, rajas, and tamas, not limited by material nature.

How does this verse explain the limits of knowledge even for divine beings?

It states that even Vāṇī (Sarasvatī) and Svayambhū (Brahmā) cannot fully encompass Hari’s distinctive greatness, emphasizing the Lord’s immeasurable supremacy.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice daily remembrance/meditation on Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa-rūpa) as beyond changing moods and circumstances, cultivating steady devotion and ethical clarity.