Shloka 34

प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः

The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu

Devanagari script

गृह्णाति विषयान् नित्यम् इन्द्रियात्मा क्षराक्षरः यस् तस्मै ज्ञानमूलाय नताः स्म हरिमेधसे

Transliteration

gṛhṇāti viṣayān nityam indriyātmā kṣarākṣaraḥ yas tasmai jñānamūlāya natāḥ sma harimedhase

Translation

Er, der stets die Gegenstände der Sinne erfasst, das Selbst in den Sinnen, Herr über Vergängliches und Unvergängliches—vor Hari, der Wurzel wahren Wissens, dem Allweisen, verneigen wir uns.

Word by Word

गृह्णातिgrasps; takes

विषयान्objects (of sense)

नित्यम्always

इन्द्रियात्माwhose essence is the senses; the indweller of senses

क्षराक्षरःperishable and imperishable

यःwho

तस्मैto him

ज्ञानमूलायto the root/source of knowledge

नताःbowed; having paid obeisance

स्मindeed; (particle)

हरिमेधसेto him of Hari-like wisdom; to the wise Hari

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; doxological salutation within the discourse)

Characters & Entities

Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Hari both kṣara and akṣara in the Vishnu Purana?

It affirms Vishnu as present in the changing, perishable cosmos (kṣara) while also being the imperishable, transcendent ground (akṣara), uniting immanence and transcendence in one Supreme Reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of Vishnu with respect to the senses here?

By naming him indriyātmā, Parāśara presents Vishnu as the inner Self and regulator behind sensory activity—sense-objects are grasped because the Supreme indwells and empowers the faculties.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being called jñānamūla (root of knowledge)?

The verse frames true knowledge as ultimately grounded in Hari: cognition, discernment, and spiritual realization are seen as deriving from the Supreme, supporting a devotional metaphysics central to Vaishnava schools.