Shloka 56

Devanagari script

सर्वेश सर्वभूतात्मन् सर्व सर्वाश्रयाच्युत प्रसीद विष्णो भक्तानां व्रज नो दृष्टिगोचरम्

Transliteration

sarveśa sarvabhūtātman sarva sarvāśrayācyuta prasīda viṣṇo bhaktānāṃ vraja no dṛṣṭigocaram

Translation

O Herr aller, Seele in allen Wesen—o All, Acyuta, Zuflucht des Universums—sei gnädig, o Viṣṇu; um deiner Bhaktas willen tritt in unseren Blickbereich und offenbare dich.

Word by Word

• सर्वेश: O Lord of all
• सर्वेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी): सर्वेषाम् ईशः

• सर्वभूतात्मन्: O Self of all beings
• सर्वभूतात्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: सर्वभूतानाम् आत्मा

• सर्व: O all (one) / O universal one
• सर्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वाश्रयाच्युत: O Acyuta, refuge of all
• सर्वाश्रयाच्युत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषाम् आश्रयः (who is refuge of all) + अच्युत (O Acyuta)

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्तानाम्: of (your) devotees
• भक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• व्रज: come, go (to)
• व्रज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नः: to us / for us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat. 6th/4th), बहुवचन (Plural); enclitic pronoun

• दृष्टिगोचरम्: within (our) sight, visible
• दृष्टिगोचरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: दृष्टेः गोचरः (within sight)

Speaker

Devotees (as voiced within Parasara’s narration to Maitreya) offering a direct supplication to Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is both sarvabhūtātman (indwelling Self) and sarvāśraya (universal refuge), approachable through humble prayer for His gracious self-revelation.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Adopt daily surrender (śaraṇāgati): address the Lord as inner guide, seek clarity and grace rather than mere control of outcomes.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms antaryāmitva—Viṣṇu indwells all beings while remaining the sovereign Lord, a key Viśiṣṭādvaita hallmark.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu 'Sarvabhutatman' in the Vishnu Purana?

It affirms Vishnu as the indwelling Self of all beings—God is not distant but present within every life, making devotion a direct relationship with the inner Lord.

How does Parasara’s narration frame this verse within the Vishnu Purana’s teaching style?

Parasara presents devotion as both theology and practice: the devotee addresses Vishnu with metaphysical titles (Lord of all, universal refuge) and then asks for experiential confirmation through darshan.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being asked to become 'dṛṣṭigocara' (visible) here?

The verse highlights grace: although Vishnu is the Supreme, He becomes perceivable to devotees, showing that divine revelation responds to bhakti rather than mere intellectual inquiry.