FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.3.4-5

ఋత్విజ ఊచు: అర్హసి ముహురర్హత్తమార్హణమస్మాకమనుపథానాం నమో నమ ఇత్యేతావత్సదుపశిక్షితం కోఽర్హతి పుమాన్ ప్రకృతిగుణవ్యతికరమతిరనీశ ఈశ్వరస్య పరస్య ప్రకృతిపురుషయోరర్వాక్తనాభిర్నామరూపాకృతిభీ రూపనిరూపణమ్ ॥ ౪ ॥ సకలజననికాయవృజిననిరసనశివతమప్రవరగుణగణైకదేశకథనాద‍ృతే ॥ ౫ ॥
ṛtvija ūcuḥ
[ritvija oochuh]
arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko ’rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-kathanād ṛte.
[arhasi muhur arhattamaarhanam asmaakam anupathaanaam namo nama ity etaavat sad-upashikshitam ko ’rhati pumaan prakriti-guna-vyatikara-matir aneesha eeshvarasya parasya prakriti-purushayor arvaaktanaabhir naama-roopaakritibhee roopa-niroopanam; sakala-jana-nikaaya-vrijina-nirasana-shivatama-pravara-guna-ganaika-desha-kathanaad rite.]
Word-for-word
ṛtvijaḥ ūcuḥ — the priests said arhasi — please (accept) muhuḥ — again and again arhat-tama — O most exalted, worshipable person arhaṇam — offering of worship asmākam — of us anupathānām — who are Your servants namaḥ — respectful obeisances namaḥ — respectful obeisances iti — thus etāvat — so far sat — by exalted personalities upaśikṣitam — instructed kaḥ — what arhati — is able (to make) pumān — man prakṛti — of material nature guṇa — of the modes vyatikara — in the transformations matiḥ — whose mind (is absorbed) anīśaḥ — who is most incapable īśvarasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead parasya — beyond prakṛti-puruṣayoḥ — the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature arvāktanābhiḥ — which do not reach up to, or which are of this material world nāma-rūpa-ākṛtibhiḥ — by names, forms and qualities rūpa — of Your nature or position nirūpaṇam — ascertainment, perception sakala — all jana-nikāya — of mankind vṛjina — sinful actions nirasana — which wipe out śivatama — most auspicious pravara — excellent guṇa-gaṇa — of the transcendental qualities eka-deśa — one part kathanāt — by speaking ṛte — except.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ṛtvija ūcuḥ
ṛtvijaḥ ūcuḥ
the priests said
arhasi muhur arhattamārhaṇam asmākam anupathānāṁ namo nama ity etāvat sad-upaśikṣitaṁ ko ’rhati pumān prakṛti-guṇa-vyatikara-matir anīśa īśvarasya parasya prakṛti-puruṣayor arvāktanābhir nāma-rūpākṛtibhī rūpa-nirūpaṇam; sakala-jana-nikāya-vṛjina-nirasana-śivatama-pravara-guṇa-gaṇaika-deśa-kathanād ṛte.
arhasi
please (accept)
muhuḥ
again and again
arhat-tama
O most exalted, worshipable person
arhaṇam
offering of worship
asmākam
of us
anupathānām
who are Your servants
namaḥ
respectful obeisances
namaḥ
respectful obeisances
iti
thus
etāvat
so far
sat
by exalted personalities
upaśikṣitam
instructed
kaḥ
what
arhati
is able (to make)
pumān
man
prakṛti
of material nature
guṇa
of the modes
vyatikara
in the transformations
matiḥ
whose mind (is absorbed)
anīśaḥ
who is most incapable
īśvarasya
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
parasya
beyond
prakṛti-puruṣayoḥ
the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature
arvāktanābhiḥ
which do not reach up to, or which are of this material world
nāma-rūpa-ākṛtibhiḥ
by names, forms and qualities
rūpa
of Your nature or position
nirūpaṇam
ascertainment, perception
sakala
all
jana-nikāya
of mankind
vṛjina
sinful actions
nirasana
which wipe out
śivatama
most auspicious
pravara
excellent
guṇa-gaṇa
of the transcendental qualities
eka-deśa
one part
kathanāt
by speaking
ṛte
except.
The priests began to offer prayers to the Lord, saying: O most worshipable one, we are simply Your servants. Although You are full in Yourself, please, out of Your causeless mercy, accept a little service from us, Your eternal servants. We are not actually aware of Your transcendental form, but we can simply offer our respectful obeisances again and again, as instructed by the Vedic literatures and authorized ācāryas. Materialistic living entities are very much attracted to the modes of material nature, and therefore they are never perfect, but You are above the jurisdiction of all material conceptions. Your name, form and qualities are all transcendental and beyond the conception of experimental knowledge. Indeed, who can conceive of You? In the material world we can perceive only material names and qualities. We have no other power than to offer our respectful obeisances and prayers unto You, the transcendental person. The chanting of Your auspicious transcendental qualities will wipe out the sins of all mankind. That is the most auspicious activity for us, and we can thus partially understand Your supernatural position.
Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has nothing to do with material perception. Even the impersonalist Śaṅkarācārya says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: “Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material conception.” We cannot concoct the form and attributes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We must simply accept the description given in Vedic literatures about the Lord’s form and activities. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.29) :

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.” We can have some conception of the Absolute Truth, His form and His attributes simply by reading the descriptions given in Vedic literatures and authoritative statements given by exalted personalities like Brahmā, Nārada, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and others. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: “We cannot conceive the name, form and qualities of Śrī Kṛṣṇa through our material senses.” Because of this, other names for the Lord are adhokṣaja and aprākṛta, which indicate that He is beyond any material senses. Out of His causeless mercy upon His devotees, the Lord appeared before Mahārāja Nābhi. Similarly, when we are engaged in the Lord’s devotional service, the Lord reveals Himself to us. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. This is the only way to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service. There is no other way. We have to hear from the authorities and from the śāstras and consider the Supreme Lord in terms of their statements. We cannot imagine or concoct forms and attributes of the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The priests said: O most exalted Lord! Since we are your followers, you should accept our offering of repeated respects, following the instructions of the great devotees. The incapable man, whose mind is affected the guṇas of prakṛti, cannot describe the form of the Supreme Lord who is beyond both prakṛti and puruṣa by limited names, colors and forms, except by describing a portion of your auspicious qualities which even then destroy the sins of all people. The praises in prose continue till verse sixteen. Though you are complete, you should accept our offerings, since we are following the path of bhakti-yoga (anupathānām). Though we do not request to attain you directly, since we have material desires to fulfill, we have a trace of bhakti. Therefore out of affection accept our offering. We are following your path. This much we have and not more. Thus we repeatedly offer you respects. This has been taught by the devotees to us. We do not know the methods of worship and glorification. “But you are my learned devotees. You know everything. Why do you hesitate to praise me?” They reply. In the material world there are praises making comparisons between your face and the moon. But who can describe your form by using material words, mentioning colors like the sapphire and forms which are blackish? What then to speak of actually making verses of praise from these material components! You are beyond (parasya) prakṛti and puruṣa. We cannot produce (or factually describe) a form which is beyond prakṛti and puruṣa out of material sapphire and other material components. “Then you can describe my form by using spiritual objects.” Our minds are absorbed in the world made of guṇas. It is impossible for the intelligence of the jīva in the material world to comprehend spiritual objects. Therefore one should only glorify you partially for your qualities such as affection for your devotees. Because the Lord is affectionate to his devotees he destroys all their sins, even by partial glorification.
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Source: vedabase.io

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