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Shloka 39

Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect

एता: कुरुश्रेष्ठ जगद्विधातु- र्नारायणस्याखिलसत्त्वधाम्न: । लीलाकथास्ते कथिता: समासत: कार्त्स्‍न्येन नाजोऽप्यभिधातुमीश: ॥ ३९ ॥

etāḥ kuru-śreṣṭha jagad-vidhātur nārāyaṇasyākhila-sattva-dhāmnaḥ līlā-kathās te kathitāḥ samāsataḥ kārtsnyena nājo ’py abhidhātum īśaḥ

Wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum Kuru, kisah-kisah lila Tuhan Nārāyaṇa—pencipta alam dan tempat bernaung segala kewujudan—telah aku sampaikan kepadamu secara ringkas; bahkan Brahmā sendiri pun tidak mampu menghuraikannya sepenuhnya.

etāḥthese
etāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम-रूप
kuru-śreṣṭhaO best of the Kurus
kuru-śreṣṭha:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootkuru + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कुरूणां श्रेष्ठः’
jagat-vidhātuḥof the creator of the universe
jagat-vidhātuḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootjagat + vidhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘जगतः विधाता’
nārāyaṇasyaof Nārāyaṇa
nārāyaṇasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootnārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन
akhila-sattva-dhāmnaḥof the abode of all beings
akhila-sattva-dhāmnaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootakhila + sattva + dhāman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘अखिलानां सत्त्वानां धाम’
līlā-kathāḥpastime-narratives
līlā-kathāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootlīlā + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थ-तत्पुरुषः ‘लीलानां कथाः/लीलारूपाः कथाः’
teyour
te:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative) वा षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; अत्र ‘तव/ते’ = ‘your’ (षष्ठी)
kathitāḥhave been narrated
kathitāḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Root√kath (कथ्) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘कथिताः’ = ‘(they) have been told’
samāsataḥbriefly, in summary
samāsataḥ:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsamāsatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
kārtsnyenain entirety, completely
kārtsnyena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkārtsnya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (न)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
ajaḥthe unborn (Brahmā)
ajaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootaja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अपि)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)
abhidhātumto describe
abhidhātum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootabhi-√dhā (धा) + tumun (तुमुन्)
Formतुमुनन्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव; ‘to describe/tell’
īśaḥis able / the Lord (as subject)
īśaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन
P
Parīkṣit (Kuru-śreṣṭha)
N
Nārāyaṇa
B
Brahmā (Aja)

FAQs

This verse says the Lord’s līlā-kathā is so limitless that even Brahmā (Aja) cannot describe it completely; what is spoken is only a summary.

Śukadeva reminds Parīkṣit that the narrations he has heard are condensed, emphasizing the Lord’s infinite greatness and encouraging continued faith in hearing Hari-kathā.

Approach spiritual study with humility: keep hearing and reflecting on Bhagavatam, knowing divine truth is vast and cannot be exhausted by one reading or one speaker.