Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 39

The Greatness of Puruṣottama

Goloka-tattva and Rādhā–Kṛṣṇa Upāsanā

शास्त्रं नियामकं भद्रे सर्वेषां कर्मणां भवेत् । कर्मी तु जीवः कथित ईश्वरांशो विभुः स्वयम् ॥ ३९ ॥

śāstraṃ niyāmakaṃ bhadre sarveṣāṃ karmaṇāṃ bhavet | karmī tu jīvaḥ kathita īśvarāṃśo vibhuḥ svayam || 39 ||

Ô bienheureuse, le Śāstra est la règle qui gouverne toutes les actions. L’agent du karma est le jīva, dit être une parcelle du Seigneur (Īśvara), doté d’initiative et d’une présence étendue dans sa propre sphère.

śāstramscripture; authoritative treatise
śāstram:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st case), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
niyāmakamregulating; controlling
niyāmakam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootniyāmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन); śāstram-viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
bhadreO auspicious lady
bhadre:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbhadrā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Sambodhana (सम्बोधन), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
sarveṣāmof all
sarveṣām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग) (generic), Ṣaṣṭhī (षष्ठी/6th case), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)
karmaṇāmof actions
karmaṇām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī (षष्ठी/6th), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)
bhavetmay be; should be
bhavet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (भू धातु)
FormVidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
karmīthe doer (agent of action)
karmī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman + -in (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
tubut; indeed
tu:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध-बोधक)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; nipāta (निपात) adversative/emphatic particle
jīvaḥthe individual soul
jīvaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootjīva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)
kathitaḥsaid; declared
kathitaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Root√kath (कथ् धातु)
FormKṛdanta; bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle, क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; jīvaḥ-viśeṣaṇa
īśvara-aṃśaḥa portion of the Lord
īśvara-aṃśaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘īśvarasya aṃśaḥ’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; jīvaḥ-viśeṣaṇa
vibhuḥall-pervading; mighty
vibhuḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; jīvaḥ-viśeṣaṇa
svayamby oneself; itself
svayam:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsvayam (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in dialogue)

Vrata: none

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"A calm, instructional tone establishes śāstra as moral-cosmic order, then gently elevates the jīva as īśvara-aṃśa with responsible agency."}

I
Ishvara
J
Jiva
S
Shastra

FAQs

It establishes that dharmic life is not arbitrary: actions are to be guided by śāstra, while the jīva is affirmed as a responsible agent—linked to the Lord as īśvarāṃśa—thereby making ethical and spiritual progress through regulated karma possible.

By grounding practice in śāstra, it supports bhakti as disciplined devotion rather than mere emotion—devotional acts (pūjā, vrata, japa) become spiritually effective when performed according to scriptural rule, while the jīva’s īśvarāṃśa nature explains its innate capacity to turn toward the Lord.

It points to the need for correct procedure and interpretation—supported by Vedāṅgas like Vyākaraṇa (accurate understanding of śāstric statements) and Kalpa (ritual rules)—so that karma and rites are performed in the intended, regulated manner.