Shloka 33

Devanagari script

एकत्वं रूपभेदश् च बाह्यकर्मप्रवृत्तिजः देवादिभेदे ऽपध्वस्ते नास्त्य् एवावरणो हि सः

Transliteration

ekatvaṃ rūpabhedaś ca bāhyakarmapravṛttijaḥ devādibhede 'padhvaste nāsty evāvaraṇo hi saḥ

Translation

Einheit—und selbst der Schein verschiedener Formen—entsteht aus dem Sich-Einlassen auf äußeres Tun. Wenn die Unterscheidung von „Göttern und anderem“ schwindet, bleibt wahrhaft kein Schleier zurück; denn jene höchste Wirklichkeit ist nichts, was man bedecken könnte.

Word by Word

• एकत्वम्: oneness
• एकत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रूपभेदः: difference of forms
• रूपभेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (रूपस्य भेदः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बाह्यकर्मप्रवृत्तिजः: arising from external activity
• बाह्यकर्मप्रवृत्तिजः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बाह्यकर्मणः प्रवृत्तिः तस्याः जातः)

• देवादिभेदे: when the distinction of gods etc. (is present)
• देवादिभेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवादीनां भेदे)

• अपध्वस्ते: when (it is) destroyed/removed
• अपध्वस्ते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपध्वस्त (कृदन्त; अप + √ध्वंस् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (destroyed/removed)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• आवरणः: covering/veil
• आवरणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Apparent unity and difference arise from external activity; when distinctions like ‘gods and others’ are dissolved, no veil remains because the Supreme cannot truly be covered.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Reduce outward-driven identification (role/status comparison) through mindfulness and devotional remembrance, letting social/cosmic hierarchies not obscure inner reality.

Vishishtadvaita: Negates ignorance as a ‘covering’ of the Lord while allowing functional distinctions to arise from karma and activity—unity remains foundational.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of “no veil (āvaraṇa) remains” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that obscuration is tied to outward karmic engagement and categorizing reality into separate classes; when these divisions fall away, the Supreme is realized as inherently unobscurable.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the appearance of many forms from one Reality?

He attributes perceived form-differences to bāhya-karma-pravṛtti—outer activity and its momentum—so multiplicity is experiential and functional, not ultimate.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Vishnu is implied as the Supreme Reality that remains unchanged behind all categories (devas, beings, worlds); realizing Him dissolves divisive perception and leads toward liberation.