श्रीपरीक्षिदुवाच ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मण्यनिर्देश्ये निर्गुणे गुणवृत्तय: । कथं चरन्ति श्रुतय: साक्षात् सदसत: परे ॥ १ ॥
śrī-parīkṣid uvāca brahman brahmaṇy anirdeśye nirguṇe guṇa-vṛttayaḥ kathaṁ caranti śrutayaḥ sākṣāt sad-asataḥ pare
- śrī-parīkṣit uvāca
- Śrī Parīkṣit said
- brahman
- O brāhmaṇa (Śukadeva)
- brahmaṇi
- in the Absolute Truth
- anirdeśye
- which cannot be described in words
- nirguṇe
- which has no qualities
- guṇa
- the qualities of material nature
- vṛttayaḥ
- whose scope of action
- katham
- how
- caranti
- function (by referring)
- śrutayaḥ
- the Vedas
- sākṣāt
- directly
- sat
- to material substance
- asataḥ
- and its subtle causes
- pare
- in that which is transcendental
Śrī Parīkṣit said: O brāhmaṇa, how can the Vedas directly describe the Supreme Absolute Truth, who cannot be described in words? The Vedas are limited to describing the qualities of material nature, but the Supreme is devoid of these qualities, being transcendental to all material manifestations and their causes.