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.
祭司たちは祈って言った。「最も礼拝に値する至上主よ、私たちはただあなたの永遠の僕にすぎません。あなたは自ら完全であられるのに、無因の慈悲によって私たちのわずかな奉仕をお受けください。私たちはあなたの超越的なお姿を真に知りません。ヴェーダと正統なアーチャーリヤの教えに従い、ただ『ナモー・ナマハ』と唱えて幾度も礼拝するのみです。物質自然のグナに惹かれる者は決して完全になれませんが、あなたはあらゆる物質的観念を超えておられます。あなたの御名・御姿・御徳はすべて超越的で、経験的知識の及ぶところではありません。誰があなたを思量できましょう。ゆえに私たちは、ただ敬礼と祈りを捧げます。あなたの吉祥なる徳を讃えることは万人の罪を拭い去り、私たちにとって最も吉祥な行いであり、それによってあなたの不思議な御位をわずかに悟ります。」
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.