Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 5
Nābhi’s Sacrifice and Lord Viṣṇu’s Promise to Appear as a Son (Ṛṣabhadeva’s Advent Prelude)
ऋत्विज ऊचु: अर्हसि मुहुरर्हत्तमार्हणमस्माकमनुपथानां नमो नम इत्येतावत्सदुपशिक्षितं कोऽर्हति पुमान् प्रकृतिगुणव्यतिकरमतिरनीश ईश्वरस्य परस्य प्रकृतिपुरुषयोरर्वाक्तनाभिर्नामरूपाकृतिभी रूपनिरूपणम् ॥ ४ ॥ सकलजननिकायवृजिननिरसनशिवतमप्रवरगुणगणैकदेशकथनादृते ॥ ५ ॥
ṛtvija ūcuḥ arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko ’rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-kathanād ṛte.
Les prêtres dirent : Ô Seigneur, le plus digne d’adoration, nous ne sommes que Tes serviteurs éternels. Bien que Tu sois pleinement accompli en Toi-même, daigne, par Ta miséricorde sans cause, accepter un peu de service de notre part. Nous ne connaissons pas réellement Ta forme transcendante ; selon l’enseignement des Veda et des ācārya autorisés, nous ne pouvons qu’offrir nos hommages encore et encore en disant : « namo namaḥ ». Les êtres attachés aux guṇa de la nature matérielle ne sont jamais parfaits, mais Toi, Tu es au-delà de toute conception matérielle. Ton nom, Ta forme et Tes qualités sont spirituels, au-delà du savoir expérimental ; qui pourrait Te concevoir ? Ainsi, nous ne pouvons que T’offrir nos prosternations et nos prières. Le chant de Tes qualités auspicious efface les péchés de tous ; c’est pour nous l’acte le plus béni, et par lui nous saisissons quelque peu Ta position merveilleuse.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has nothing to do with material perception. Even the impersonalist Śaṅkarācārya says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: “Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material conception.” We cannot concoct the form and attributes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We must simply accept the description given in Vedic literatures about the Lord’s form and activities. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29) :
FAQs
This verse says conditioned people, whose minds are shaped by material qualities and limited notions of name and form, cannot fully define the Supreme Lord; they can only offer repeated obeisance and speak partial glorification of His auspicious qualities.
Because as ritual specialists they admit their training is mainly formal worship and obeisances, and they recognize that the Supreme Lord is beyond the categories of prakṛti and puruṣa, making complete description impossible for materially conditioned intellect.
Approach God with humility, avoid reducing the Divine to rigid concepts, and focus on sincere glorification and remembrance of the Lord’s qualities, which purify the heart and remove sinful tendencies.