Chapter 4 · Caturtho’dhyāyaḥ (Fourth Chapter)
Verse 7
हेतुः समस्तजगतां त्रिगुणापि दोषै- र्न ज्ञायसे हरिहरादिभिरप्यपारा। सर्वाश्रयाखिलमिदं जगदंशभूत- मव्याकृता हि परमा प्रकृतिस्त्वमाद्या ॥ ७ ॥
hētuḥ samastajagatāṁ triguṇāpi dōṣai- rna jñāyasē hariharādibhirapyapārā | sarvāśrayākhilamidaṁ jagadaṁśabhūta- mavyākṛtā hi paramā prakṛtistvamādyā || 7 ||
Translation
'You are the cause of the entire universe. Although consisting of the three guṇas, you are boundless and cannot be known by Vishnu, Shiva, and others due to their limitations. You are the support of all; this entire universe has become but a part of you. Indeed, you are the supreme, primordial, unmanifest Prakṛti.'
Word by word
- hetuḥ
- the cause
- samastajagatām
- of the entire universe
- triguṇā
- consisting of the three guṇas
- api
- even
- doṣaiḥ
- by faults/limitations
- na
- not
- jñāyase
- are known
- hariharādibhiḥ
- by Vishnu, Shiva, and others
- apārā
- the boundless one
- sarvāśrayā
- the support of all
- akhilam
- entire
- idam
- this
- jagat
- universe
- aṁśabhūtam
- has become a part
- avyākṛtā
- the unmanifest
- hi
- indeed
- paramā
- the supreme
- prakṛtiḥ
- nature
- tvam
- you
- ādyā
- the primordial
Meaning
This verse delivers profound Vedantic philosophy. The gods identify the Goddess as: The Ultimate Cause (hetuḥ): The source of all existence. Beyond Comprehension: Even other gods (Hari, Hara) cannot fully know her because they are themselves products of her guṇas and thus limited. The All-Supporting (sarvāśrayā): The substratum in which the universe exists. The Unmanifest Prakṛti (avyākṛtā prakṛtiḥ): The primordial, undifferentiated material cause of creation, which is beyond name and form. She is both the material and efficient cause of everything.