Shloka 73

आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः

Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

संभर्तेति तथा भर्ता भकारो ऽर्थद्वयान्वितः नेता गमयिता स्रष्टा गकारार्थस् तथा मुने

Transliteration

saṃbharteti tathā bhartā bhakāro 'rthadvayānvitaḥ netā gamayitā sraṣṭā gakārārthas tathā mune

Translation

Die Silbe „bha“ hat einen zweifachen Sinn: der, welcher alles trägt und erhält, und der Herr, der nährt und stützt. Und, o Weiser, die Silbe „ga“ bedeutet ebenso: Führer und Leiter, der die Wesen ans Ziel geleitet, und der Schöpfer.

Word by Word

• संभर्ता: supporter/sustainer
• संभर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-भृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-सूचक निपात

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः—‘also/likewise’

• भर्ता: bearer/protector
• भर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भकारः: the letter ‘bha’
• भकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ-कार (प्रातिपदिक; भ + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अक्षरस्य नाम)

• अर्थद्वयान्वितः: endowed with two meanings
• अर्थद्वयान्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थ-द्वय-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; अर्थ + द्वय + अन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (‘द्वयस्य अर्थस्य’)+ उपपद-समासभावः; विशेषणम् (भकारस्य)

• नेता: leader/guide
• नेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गमयिता: one who causes (others) to go/lead
• गमयिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—णिच् (causative) + तृच् (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्रष्टा: creator
• स्रष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गकारार्थः: the meaning of the letter ‘ga’
• गकारार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग-कार-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; ग + कार + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘गकारस्य अर्थः’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Etymological unpacking of the syllables in ‘Bhagavān’ (bha/ga) to indicate divine functions.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The name ‘Bhagavān’ is justified through semantic/etymological analysis indicating the Lord’s sustaining, guiding, and creative powers.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Let divine names inform contemplation: meditate on God as sustainer, guide, and creator in daily dependence and ethical resolve.

Vishishtadvaita: Interprets the divine name as pointing to real auspicious attributes (kalyāṇa-guṇas), central to a personal Brahman.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of explaining Vishnu’s names through syllables like ‘bha’ and ‘ga’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Vishnu’s sovereignty as comprehensive—each sound-symbol is treated as a pointer to core divine functions: sustaining, guiding, and creating the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s role as ‘gamayitā’ in this verse?

Parāśara describes Vishnu as the one who leads beings onward—governing their movement through life and cosmic cycles toward their destined ends under divine order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here for later Vaishnava philosophy?

The verse frames Vishnu as the Supreme Lord who both originates and upholds the universe, aligning with Vishishtadvaita/Dvaita emphases on a personal, sovereign Brahman who creates and governs reality.