Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 29

Akrūra’s Prayers (Akrūra-stuti): The Lord as Cause of Causes, Virāṭ, and the Goal of All Paths

Devanagari script

नमो विज्ञानमात्राय सर्वप्रत्ययहेतवे । पुरुषेशप्रधानाय ब्रह्मणेऽनन्तशक्तये ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

namo vijñāna-mātrāya sarva-pratyaya-hetave puruṣeśa-pradhānāya brahmaṇe ’nanta-śaktaye

Translation

顶礼至上梵、绝对真理，具无量神力；祂是清净超越智之体，一切觉知之因，亦为统御众生之自然诸力的主宰。

Synonyms

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), interjection/particle (सम्बोधन-नमस्कारार्थक) used with dative; form: namaḥ

• vijñāna-mātrāya: to (the one who is) pure consciousness alone
• vijñāna-mātrāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: vijñānasya mātram = ‘mere consciousness’

• sarva-pratyaya-hetave: to the cause of all perceptions/knowledge
• sarva-pratyaya-hetave: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pratyaya (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: sarveṣāṁ pratyayānāṁ hetuḥ = ‘cause of all cognitions/convictions’

• puruṣa-īśa-pradhānāya: to the supreme Lord, the foremost Person
• puruṣa-īśa-pradhānāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक) + pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: puruṣāṇām īśaḥ pradhānaḥ = ‘chief lord of persons’ (or ‘lord and chief’)

• brahmaṇe: to Brahman (the Absolute)
• brahmaṇe: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; (ब्रह्मन्-शब्द)

• ananta-śaktaye: to (the one of) infinite power
• ananta-śaktaye: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; कर्मधारय: anantā śaktiḥ = ‘infinite power’

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Brahman

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Krishna as pure consciousness (vijñāna-mātra)?

This verse praises Kṛṣṇa as vijñāna-mātra—pure awareness—implying He is the ultimate basis of all knowing and the inner cause behind every experience of certainty and understanding.

Why do the gopīs address Krishna as the Lord of puruṣa and pradhāna?

In their prayer the gopīs acknowledge Kṛṣṇa as supreme over both the conscious self (puruṣa/jīva) and material nature (pradhāna), showing that His divinity includes and transcends both spirit and matter.

How can this teaching be applied in modern life?

Remembering that all clarity and conviction ultimately depend on the Divine helps cultivate humility, steady devotion, and a habit of offering one’s intelligence and actions to God rather than ego.