Shloka 4

मैत्रेयप्रश्नः—पुराणसंहिताप्रतिज्ञा च

Maitreya’s Questions and Parāśara’s Resolve to Teach

Devanagari script

सो ऽहम् इच्छामि धर्मज्ञ श्रोतुं त्वत्तो यथा जगत् बभूव भूयश् च यथा महाभाग भविष्यति

Transliteration

so 'ham icchāmi dharmajña śrotuṃ tvatto yathā jagat babhūva bhūyaś ca yathā mahābhāga bhaviṣyati

Translation

Therefore, O knower of dharma, I wish to hear from you how this universe came into being—and, O greatly fortunate one, how it shall come to be again in the future.

Word by Word

• सः: that (I)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• इच्छामि: wish/desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Active, 1st person singular

• धर्मज्ञ: O knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (ज्ञा धातु, क्त; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Vocative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मं जानाति)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive) — infinitive (to hear)

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Ablative Singular (from you)

• यथा: how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार) — indeclinable (how/as)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• बभूव: came to be
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्ण भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, Active, 3rd person singular

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरर्थे) — adverb (again/further)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — conjunction

• यथा: how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — indeclinable (how/as)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Vocative Singular; कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Future, Active, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Requests an account of how the universe arose and how it will arise again in the future (cyclical cosmology)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmos is intelligible through a cyclical account of origination and re-origination under a stable dharmic order governed by the Supreme.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Reflect on impermanence and recurrence to reduce anxiety about change; align life with dharma within larger cycles.

Vishishtadvaita: Points toward a Supreme governor whose will orders repeated creation—supporting the view of Brahman (Viṣṇu) as purposeful, personal cause, not an impersonal accident.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Sage Parāśara
• Jagat (Universe)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the significance of Sarga and Pratisarga in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse explicitly asks for both how the universe arose and how it will arise again, pointing to the Purana’s core teaching of cyclic creation and re-creation under divine order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the universe’s origin in response to Maitreya?

Maitreya’s inquiry sets the dialogue framework: Parāśara will answer by describing cosmogenesis as a structured, dharma-consistent process, traditionally grounded in Vishnu as the ultimate cause and sustainer.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even before Vishnu is named in this line, the requested account of cosmic becoming implies a supreme governing principle; in the Vishnu Purana this sovereignty is identified with Vishnu as the highest reality behind creation and its cycles.