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Shloka 28

The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (Śruti-stuti) and the Indescribable Absolute

त्वमकरण: स्वराडखिलकारकशक्तिधर- स्तव बलिमुद्वहन्ति समदन्त्यजयानिमिषा: । वर्षभुजोऽखिलक्षितिपतेरिव विश्वसृजो विदधति यत्र ये त्वधिकृता भवतश्चकिता: ॥ २८ ॥

tvam akaraṇaḥ sva-rāḍ akhila-kāraka-śakti-dharas tava balim udvahanti samadanty ajayānimiṣāḥ varṣa-bhujo ’khila-kṣiti-pater iva viśva-sṛjo vidadhati yatra ye tv adhikṛtā bhavataś cakitāḥ

നീ ഭൗതിക ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളില്ലാത്തവനായിട്ടും സ്വയംപ്രകാശനായ സ്വരാട്ടും, എല്ലാവരുടെയും ഇന്ദ്രിയശക്തികളെ ധരിക്കുന്ന ശക്തിധരനും ആകുന്നു. ദേവന്മാരും മായാശക്തിയും നിനക്കു ബലി അർപ്പിക്കുന്നു; അതുപോലെ തങ്ങളുടെ ആരാധകരിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ബലിയും അവർ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു—രാജ്യത്തിലെ അധീന ഭരണാധികാരികൾ ഭൂമിയുടെ പരമാധിപനു കരം നൽകി തങ്ങളുടെ പ്രദേശം ഭോഗിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ. ഇങ്ങനെ വിശ്വസൃഷ്ടാക്കൾ നിന്റെ ഭയത്തിൽ ചകിതരായി നിയുക്ത സേവനങ്ങൾ നിർവ്വഹിക്കുന്നു.

tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम
akaraṇaḥwithout (material) instruments
akaraṇaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Roota-karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेध ‘without instruments/causation’
sva-rāṭself-sovereign
sva-rāṭ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय) ‘स्वः (स्वयम्) एव राजा’ = self-ruling
akhila-kāraka-śakti-dharaḥbearer of all causal powers
akhila-kāraka-śakti-dharaḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootakhila (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘अखिलकारकशक्तिं धरति’ = bearer of all causal/karaka powers
tavayour
tava:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th), एकवचन
balimtribute/offering
balim:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootbali (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘offering/tribute’
udvahanticarry/offer
udvahanti:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootud + vah (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √वह् ‘to carry/bear’ with उद्-
samadanticonsume/partake
samadanti:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootsam + ad (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √अद् ‘to eat’ with सम्-; ‘consume/partake’
ajayāḥunconquered
ajayāḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootajaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘unconquered’
animiṣāḥthe gods
animiṣāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootanimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘unblinking ones’ = gods
varṣa-bhujaḥregional rulers
varṣa-bhujaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootvarṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘वर्षाणां भुजः’ = rulers/enjoyers of regions
akhila-kṣiti-pateḥof the lord of all the earth
akhila-kṣiti-pateḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootakhila (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣiti-pati (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘अखिलक्षिति-पतिः’ = lord of all the earth
ivalike
iva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमा
viśva-sṛjaḥworld-creators
viśva-sṛjaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक) + sṛj (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘विश्वं सृजन्ति’ = creators of the universe
vidadhatiarrange/ordain
vidadhati:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootvi + dhā (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √धा ‘to place/arrange’ with वि-
yatrawhere
yatra:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyatra (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्ध (relative adverb ‘where’)
yewho
ye:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम
tubut/indeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)
adhikṛtāḥappointed
adhikṛtāḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootadhi + kṛ (धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त (PPP) from √कृ with अधि-; ‘appointed/authorized’
bhavataḥof you
bhavataḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; आदरार्थ द्वितीयपुरुषवाचक ‘of you’
cakitāḥawed/afraid
cakitāḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootcakita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त (PPP) from √चक्/√चकित् ‘to be startled’ (lexical); ‘awed/frightened’

All intelligent living beings should acknowledge the sovereignty of the Lord and willingly engage in devotional service to Him. Such is the consensus of the personified Vedas. But Lord Nārāyaṇa, while hearing these prayers, may have reasonably asked, “Since I also have a bodily form with sense organs and limbs, am I not just another doer and enjoyer? Especially since as the Supersoul in every being’s heart I supervise countless organs and limbs, how am I not implicated in the sum total of everyone’s sense gratification?” “No,” the assembled śrutis here rejoin, “You have no material senses, yet You are the absolute controller of all.” As expressed in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19):

Ś
Śrī Kṛṣṇa
D
Devas (unblinking gods)
V
Viśva-sṛjas (cosmic creators/administrators)
A
Akhila-kṣitipati (the universal sovereign—metaphor)

FAQs

This verse states that even the “unblinking” gods carry offerings to the Supreme Lord and administer the universe only within the authority He grants, showing their dependence on Him.

They affirm that the Lord does not need material instruments to act (akaraṇaḥ), yet all causal powers and agencies function because His śakti sustains and empowers them.

See your abilities as entrusted power: act responsibly within your role, remain humble, and offer the results back to the Supreme—like administrators serving a higher sovereign.