8

I want to know the actual meaning of Na tasya pratima asti (Yajurveda 32.3).

I am searching for the precise answer but unable to find it.

Improve this question
4
  • so you already know what is precise Answer?? – AADHinduism Jun 6 '15 at 5:09
  • 1
    He is transcendental/spiritual therefore 'He does not have a material form'(na tasya pratima asti.....).Brahma Samhita clearly states that His form is 'sat,chit ananda',that means,that He is made of eternality,knowledge and bliss'which means He is spiritual.Unlike us since we are made of matter(earth,water,fire,air and ether),panch bhuta. – user4766 Feb 1 '16 at 13:05
  • It means "of that Almighty God there is no pratima (image, painting,idol) " – user7010 Jun 28 '16 at 17:35
  • There is no likeness, thus all idols are false. He is beyond representation, thought, speech, description, imagination and conceptual fabrication. – PeterJ Jan 4 '19 at 12:27
7

What you're referring to is Book 32 Verse 3 of the Shukla Yajur Veda:

na tasya॑ prati॒mā a॑sti॒ yasya॒ nāma॑ ma॒hadyaśaḥ॑ ।

hi॑raṇyaga॒rbha itye॒ṣaḥ ।

mā mā॑ him̐sī॒ditye॒ṣā ।

yasmā॒nna jā॒ta itye॒ṣa ।।

There is no counterpart of him whose glory verily is great. In the beginning rose Hiranyagarbha, etc. Let not him harm me, etc. Than whom there is no other born, etc.

Verse 10 of the Mahanarayana Upanishad of the Krishna Yajur Veda contains a paraphrase of this:

nainamūrdhvaṃ na tiryañcaṃ na madhye parijagrabhat ।

na tasyeśe kaścana tasya nāma mahadyaśaḥ ॥

No person ever grasped by his understanding the upward limit of this Paramatman, nor His limit across, nor His middle portion. His name is ‘great glory’ for no one limits His nature by definition.

In essence the verse is about how Vishnu, described in Shukla Yajur Veda Book 32 as Purusha and described in the Mahanarayana Upanishad as Narayana, is so glorious that he can't even be compared to anything.

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    Is the devata of Purush Sukta Shukla Yajurveda Narayana?... Also Mahanaryanana Upanishad identifies Narayana Supreme only after 13.4... – Tejaswee Jun 28 '16 at 17:51
  • 1
    @Tezz The Devata of the Purusha Sukta of the Rig Veda is the Sahasrashirsha Purusha, who is Vishnu's Vyuha form Aniruddha. Also, the Purusha Sukta of the Yajur Veda describes Narayana as the husband of Hri and Lakshmi. – Keshav Srinivasan♦ Jun 28 '16 at 18:32
2

na tasya pratima asti There is no likeliness of him.

This can be understood in this sense.

SB 3.28.30: The yogi then meditates upon the beautiful face of the Lord, which is adorned with curly hair and decorated by lotuslike eyes and dancing eyebrows. A lotus surrounded by swarming bees and a pair of swimming fish would be put to shame by its elegance.

There are few comparisons in this verse:

The Lord’s face is compared to a lotus, and then His black hair is compared to humming bees swarming around the lotus, and His two eyes are compared to two fish swimming about. A lotus flower on the water is very beautiful when surrounded by humming bees and fish. The Lord’s face is self-sufficient and complete. His beauty defies the natural beauty of a lotus.

Whatever comparisons or descriptions found in scriptures are only just to give an idea and thus we can say 'There is no likeliness of him'

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .