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 ||
ヴァースデーヴァは言った。「微細を見通すアーディティヤたちでさえ、彼の住まう御座所を知らぬ。ましてや、正しき者の帰依処にして究竟の目標であるその御方を、ただの人間が真に知り得ようか。」
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.