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Shloka 17

Bhakti-māhātmya: The Marks of the Vaiṣṇava and the Liberating Power of Exclusive Devotion

Devanagari script

यो न सर्वेश्वरे भक्तस्तं विद्यात्पुरुषाधमम् / नाधीतवेदशास्त्रो ऽपि न कृतो ऽध्वरसम्भवः / यो भक्तिं वहते विष्णौ तेन सर्वं कृतं भवेत्

Transliteration

yo na sarveśvare bhaktastaṃ vidyātpuruṣādhamam / nādhītavedaśāstro 'pi na kṛto 'dhvarasambhavaḥ / yo bhaktiṃ vahate viṣṇau tena sarvaṃ kṛtaṃ bhavet

Translation

当知：不敬奉万有之主者，乃人中最下。纵使研习《吠陀》与诸论典，也如同未曾行祭坛所生之祭祀。然若有人怀持对毗湿奴之奉爱（bhakti），则由此人，一切皆算圆满成就。

Word by Word
यःwho (he who)
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
नnot
न:
Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
सर्वेश्वरेin the Lord of all
सर्वेश्वरे:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—सर्वस्य ईश्वरः (‘Lord of all’)
भक्तःa devotee
भक्तः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भज्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
तम्him
तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
विद्यात्should know/consider
विद्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘one should know/consider’
पुरुषाधमम्the lowest of men
पुरुषाधमम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष+अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—पुरुषेषु अधमः (‘lowest among men’)
नnot
न:
Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
अधीतवेदशास्त्रःone who has studied the Vedas and scriptures
अधीतवेदशास्त्रः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअधीत+वेद+शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक); अधीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अधि+√इ ‘to study’, क्त) + वेद + शास्त्र
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘one who has studied Veda and śāstra’
अपिeven
अपि:
Modifier (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअपवाद/समुच्चय-अव्यय (even)
नnot
न:
Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
कृतः(is) accomplished/done
कृतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘done/made’)
अध्वरसम्भवःthe fruit/merit arising from sacrifice
अध्वरसम्भवः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्वर+सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक); अध्वर (यज्ञ) + सम्भव (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√भू)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—अध्वरात् सम्भवः (‘arising from sacrifice’; i.e., sacrificial merit/fruit)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
भक्तिम्devotion
भक्तिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
वहतेcarries/bears
वहते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवह् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
विष्णौin Vishnu
विष्णौ:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन
तेनby him/thereby
तेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘by him/thereby’
सर्वम्everything
सर्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मसदृशं ‘everything’
कृतम्done/accomplished
कृतम्:
Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (‘done/accomplished’)
भवेत्would be/becomes
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without devotion to Sarveśvara, scholarship and ritual are spiritually barren; with Viṣṇu-bhakti, all is fulfilled.

Vedantic Theme: Bhagavad-āśraya as the essence of dharma; karma and jñāna become fruitful only when offered to the Supreme (īśvara-prādhānya).

Application: Evaluate religious practice by presence of devotion and surrender; integrate study and ritual as offerings to Viṣṇu rather than as identity or merit-accumulation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.227.16–20: bhakti contrasted with mere śāstra and yajña; Garuda Purana: frequent statements that nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇatā overrides other qualifications

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse states that devotion to Viṣṇu is the decisive spiritual qualification: it makes one’s life and religious effort “fully accomplished,” surpassing mere learning or ritual performance.

Here, Vedic and śāstric study (and sacrificial merit) are treated as incomplete when not rooted in devotion to the Supreme Lord; bhakti is presented as the integrating principle that gives them true value.

Prioritize sincere devotion and ethical living aligned with Viṣṇu-dharma; let study, chanting, worship, and any ritual be performed as expressions of bhakti rather than as mere formalities.

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