Shloka 41

देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्

Devanagari script

शृणोष्य् अकर्णः परिपश्यसि त्वम् अचक्षुर् एको बहुरूपरूपः अपादहस्तो जवनो ग्रहीता त्वं वेत्सि सर्वं न च सर्ववेद्यः

Transliteration

śṛṇoṣy akarṇaḥ paripaśyasi tvam acakṣur eko bahurūparūpaḥ apādahasto javano grahītā tvaṃ vetsi sarvaṃ na ca sarvavedyaḥ

Translation

Kahit walang tainga, Ikaw ay nakaririnig; kahit walang mata, Ikaw ay nakakikita sa lahat ng dako. Iisa lamang, Ikaw ay nag-aanyong walang bilang na uri. Kahit walang mga paa o kamay, Ikaw ay mabilis na nakararating at tiyak na nakahahawak. Alam Mo ang lahat—ngunit Ikaw ay hindi isang bagay na lubos na mauunawaan ng lahat.

Word by Word

• शृणोषि: you hear
• शृणोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular)

• अकर्णः: earless (without ears)
• अकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; कर्ण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नञ्-समास (negation)

• परिपश्यसि: you see all around
• परिपश्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: परि-

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अचक्षुः: eyeless (without eyes)
• अचक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक; चक्षुस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास

• एकः: one, single
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बहुरूपरूपः: whose form is of many forms
• बहुरूपरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-रूप-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + रूप + रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः अर्थः: बहूनि रूपाणि यस्य रूपम्

• अपादहस्तः: without feet and hands
• अपादहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पाद-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; पाद + हस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपद (without feet and hands)

• जवनः: swift
• जवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ग्रहीता: seizer, grasping one
• ग्रहीता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेत्सि: you know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्ववेद्यः: knowable by all / fully knowable
• सर्ववेद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-वेध्य (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + वेद्य [विद्+यत्])
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वेद्य = ज्ञेय (knowable)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya as an invocation to the Supreme Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is all-knowing and all-pervading, yet remains beyond full objectification by finite knowing.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the divine as immanent in all perception while accepting the limits of conceptual grasp; cultivate reverent humility in study and worship.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms a personal, omniscient Lord who transcends sensory limitation yet actively knows and governs—supporting the Lord’s immanence without reducing Him to a knowable object.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Vishnu as earless and eyeless in the Vishnu Purana?

It affirms Vishnu’s transcendence: His knowing and perceiving are not dependent on physical sense-organs, showing He is beyond material limitation while still all-aware.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of God acting without bodily organs?

Through devotional paradox: Vishnu has no material feet or hands, yet He is “swift” and “the grasping power,” indicating divine agency that operates directly as supreme will and presence.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being 'not fully knowable to all' here?

The verse teaches that Vishnu is the knower of all, but His full nature exceeds ordinary cognition; He is approached through revelation, devotion, and disciplined insight rather than sensory proof alone.