Shloka 53

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च भूतादिर् आदिप्रकृतिर् यस्य रूपं नतो ऽस्मि तम्

Transliteration

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṃ mano buddhir eva ca bhūtādir ādiprakṛtir yasya rūpaṃ nato 'smi tam

Translation

I bow to Him whose very form is earth, water, fire, wind, and ether; whose form is also mind and intellect—He who is the origin of beings and the primal Nature itself.

Word by Word

• भूमिः: earth
• भूमिः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (pluralia tantum)

• अनलः: fire
• अनलः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• खम्: space, ether
• खम्: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here nominative as item in list)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here nominative)

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction/and)

• भूत-आदिः: the origin of beings/elements
• भूत-आदिः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• आदि-प्रकृतिः: the primordial nature
• आदि-प्रकृतिः: Visheshya (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative pronoun)

• रूपम्: form, manifestation
• रूपम्: Visheshya (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (here nominative: 'is the form')

• नतः: bowed
• नतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम् (धातु) → नत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (as 'I, bowed')

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: that one (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; संकेत (demonstrative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Lord is both the material manifestation and inner controller of the elements and inner instruments

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s ‘form’ encompasses the gross elements and also mind and intellect, indicating His immanence as the world’s inner reality.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the divine presence in nature and in one’s own mind to reduce alienation and cultivate reverent awareness.

Vishishtadvaita: Immanence without loss of transcendence: the universe and inner faculties are modes (prakāra) of the Lord, supporting qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Pancha Mahabhutas
• Manas

FAQs

What is the significance of the five elements and inner faculties in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies earth, water, fire, wind, ether, mind, and intellect as aspects of Vishnu’s manifested form, presenting the cosmos (outer and inner) as grounded in the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Prakriti in this context?

Parāśara frames primordial Prakriti and the origin of beings as belonging to Vishnu’s own form—indicating that Nature is not independent, but rests in and proceeds from the Supreme Reality.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is praised as all-pervading Brahman who becomes the universe without losing transcendence, supporting a Vaishnava Vedantic view where the world is real yet dependent on Him.