Shloka 23
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
न विदुर्यस्थ भवनमादित्या: सूक्ष्मदर्शिन: । स कथ॑ नरमात्रेण शक््यो ज्ञातुं सतां गति:
na vidur yatra bhavanam ādityāḥ sūkṣma-darśinaḥ | sa kathaṁ nara-mātreṇa śakyo jñātuṁ satāṁ gatiḥ ||
Vāsudeva dijo: «Ni siquiera los Ādityas, de visión sutil, conocen la morada donde Él habita. ¿Cómo, entonces, podría un simple ser humano conocer de verdad a Aquel que es refugio y meta de los justos?»
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches epistemic humility: even exalted divine beings with subtle perception cannot fully know the Lord’s abode and nature, so humans should not claim complete comprehension. Ethically, it encourages reverence, restraint in judgment, and devotion rather than arrogance.
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) is speaking in praise of Śiva, emphasizing the inscrutability of Śiva’s true state and the difficulty of grasping the ‘gati’ (refuge/goal) of the righteous. The statement elevates Śiva’s transcendence within the discourse of Anuśāsana Parva.