Devanagari
अत: परं सूक्ष्मतममव्यक्तं निर्विशेषणम् ।
अनादिमध्यनिधनं नित्यं वाङ्मनस: परम् ॥ ३४ ॥
Verse text
ataḥ paraṁ sūkṣmatamam
avyaktaṁ nirviśeṣaṇam
anādi-madhya-nidhanaṁ
nityaṁ vāṅ-manasaḥ param
Synonyms
ataḥ
—
therefore
;
param
—
transcendental
;
sūkṣmatamam
—
finer than the finest
;
avyaktam
—
unmanifested
;
nirviśeṣaṇam
—
without material features
;
anādi
—
without beginning
;
madhya
—
without an intermediate stage
;
nidhanam
—
without end
;
nityam
—
eternal
;
vāk
—
words
;
manasaḥ
—
of the mind
;
param
—
transcendental .
Translation
Therefore beyond this [gross manifestation] is a transcendental manifestation finer than the finest form. It has no beginning, no intermediate stage and no end; therefore it is beyond the limits of expression or mental speculation and is distinct from the material conception.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Besides this there is the very subtle invisible form, without qualities or form, which has no beginning or end, remains eternally in one form and which is beyond words and mind.
Purport
The gross external body of the Supreme is manifested at certain intervals, and thus the external feature or form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not the eternal form of the Lord, which has no beginning, no intermediate stage and no end. Anything which has a beginning, interim and end is called material. The material world is begun from the Lord, and thus the form of the Lord, before the beginning of the material world, is certainly transcendental to the finest, or the finer material conception. The ether in the material world is considered to be the finest. Finer than the ether is mind, intelligence and false ego. But all eight of the outward coverings are explained as outer coverings of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is therefore beyond the expression and speculation of the material conception. He is certainly transcendental to all material conceptions. This is called
nirviśeṣaṇam.
One should not, however, misunderstand
nirviśeṣaṇam
as being without any transcendental qualifications.
Viśeṣaṇam
means qualities. Therefore
nir
added to it means that he has no material qualities or variegatedness. This nullifying expression is described in four transcendental qualifications, namely unmanifested, transcendental, eternal, and beyond the conception of mind or word. Beyond the limits of words means negation of the material conception. Unless one is transcendentally situated, it is not possible to know the transcendental form of the Lord.
Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Having described the gross form, now the subtle form of the universe is described. When the most subtle is mentioned, it means very subtle. The subtle body (of the universe), a form of māyā, is described by four phrases.