FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.23.29

पारं महिम्न उरुविक्रमतो गृणानो य: पार्थिवानि विममे स रजांसि मर्त्य: । किं जायमान उत जात उपैति मर्त्य इत्याह मन्त्रद‍ृगृषि: पुरुषस्य यस्य ॥ २९ ॥
pāraṁ mahimna uruvikramato gṛṇāno
[paaram mahimna uruvikramato grinaano]
yaḥ pārthivāni vimame sa rajāṁsi martyaḥ
[yah paarthivaani vimame sa rajaamsi martyah]
kiṁ jāyamāna uta jāta upaiti martya
[kim jaayamaana uta jaata upaiti martya]
ity āha mantra-dṛg ṛṣiḥ puruṣasya yasya
[ity aaha mantra-drig rishih purushasya yasya]
Word-for-word
pāram — the measurement mahimnaḥ — of the glories uruvikramataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who acts wonderfully gṛṇānaḥ — can count yaḥ — a person who pārthivāni — of the whole planet earth vimame — can count saḥ — he rajāṁsi — the atoms martyaḥ — a human being who is subject to death kim — what jāyamānaḥ — one who will take birth in the future uta — either jātaḥ — one who is already born upaiti — can do martyaḥ — a person subject to death iti — thus āha — said mantra-dṛk — who could foresee the Vedic mantras ṛṣiḥ — the great saintly Vasiṣṭha Muni puruṣasya — of the supreme person yasya — of whom.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pāraṁ mahimna uruvikramato gṛṇāno
pāram
the measurement
mahimnaḥ
of the glories
uruvikramataḥ
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who acts wonderfully
gṛṇānaḥ
can count
yaḥ pārthivāni vimame sa rajāṁsi martyaḥ
yaḥ
a person who
pārthivāni
of the whole planet earth
vimame
can count
saḥ
he
rajāṁsi
the atoms
martyaḥ
a human being who is subject to death
kiṁ jāyamāna uta jāta upaiti martya
kim
what
jāyamānaḥ
one who will take birth in the future
uta
either
jātaḥ
one who is already born
upaiti
can do
martyaḥ
a person subject to death
ity āha mantra-dṛg ṛṣiḥ puruṣasya yasya
iti
thus
āha
said
mantra-dṛk
who could foresee the Vedic mantras
ṛṣiḥ
the great saintly Vasiṣṭha Muni
puruṣasya
of the supreme person
yasya
of whom.
One who is subject to death cannot measure the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Trivikrama, Lord Viṣṇu, any more than he can count the number of atoms on the entire planet earth. No one, whether born already or destined to take birth, is able to do this. This has been sung by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
Purport

Vasiṣṭha Muni has given a mantra about Lord Viṣṇu: na te viṣṇor jāyamāno na jāto mahimnaḥ pāram anantam āpa. No one can estimate the extent of the uncommonly glorious activities of Lord Viṣṇu. Unfortunately, there are so-called scientists who are subject to death at every moment but are trying to understand by speculation the wonderful creation of the cosmos. This is a foolish attempt. Long, long ago, Vasiṣṭha Muni said that no one in the past could measure the glories of the Lord and that no one can do so in the future. One must simply be satisfied with seeing the glorious activities of the Supreme Lord’s creation. The Lord therefore says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42) , viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat: “With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support this entire universe.” The material world consists of innumerable universes, each one full of innumerable planets, which are all considered to be products of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s material energy. Yet this is only one fourth of God’s creation. The other three fourths of creation constitute the spiritual world. Among the innumerable planets in only one universe, the so-called scientists cannot understand even the moon and Mars, but they try to defy the creation of the Supreme Lord and His uncommon energy. Such men have been described as crazy. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma ( Bhāg. 5.5.4 ). Such crazy men unnecessarily waste time, energy and money in attempting to defy the glorious activities of Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
One who is subject to death cannot measure the glories of Trivikrama any more than he can count the number of atoms on the entire earth. No one, whether born already or destined to take birth, is able to do this. This has been sung by the great sage Vaśiṣṭha. I have described the whole story of Urukrama a little bit (ā ākhyātam). I have told a little about the beginning, middle and end of the whole story. “You should tell this story completely.” The human who can recite the complete glories of Urukrama would be able to count the particles of dust in the universe. Just as it is impossible to count all the dust particles in the universe, it is impossible to fully glorify the qualities of Viṣṇu. Can any mortal living now or in the future find an end to the glories of complete Lord? No one can do this. The sage Vaśiṣṭha, seer of mantras, has said this. Viṣṇor nu kaṁ vīryāṇi prāvocam: I will describe the mighty deeds of Viṣṇu, who took three steps. (Ṛg-veda 1.154.1) Na te viṣṇor jāyamāno na jāto mahimnāḥ pāram antam āpa: anyone born or to be born cannot find an end to the glories of Viṣṇu. (Ṛg-veda 7.99.2)
Related values & verses
Related verses
SB 5.5.4
Personal Guidance
A mortal cannot measure the glories of Trivikrama any more than count atoms on earth. Past or future, none can do it. Vasiṣṭha sang this. Honest acknowledgment of incommensurability is part of worship.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I overestimate my capacity to understand the Lord, missing the worshipful posture of admitting I cannot?
  • What current quest of mine is the equivalent of counting atoms on earth?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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