Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यद् भूतं यच् च वै भव्यं पुरुषोत्तम तद् भवान् त्वत्तो विराट् स्वराट् सम्राट् त्वत्तश् चाप्य् अधिपूरुषः

Transliteration

yad bhūtaṃ yac ca vai bhavyaṃ puruṣottama tad bhavān tvatto virāṭ svarāṭ samrāṭ tvattaś cāpy adhipūruṣaḥ

Translation

Whatever has been, and whatever shall be, O Puruṣottama—That is You. From You arise the Cosmic Form (Virāṭ), the Self-sovereign Lord (Svarāṭ), the Universal Emperor (Samrāṭ), and from You also proceeds the Primal Over-Person (Adhipūruṣa).

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय

• भूतम्: the past/what has been
• भूतम्: Visheshya (Correlative set)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (कृदन्त; √भू (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तान्त—‘that which has been’

• यत्: and whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भव्यम्: the future/what will be
• भव्यम्: Visheshya (Correlative set)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव्य (कृदन्त/विशेषण; √भू (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be/that will be’

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of persons
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma/Pratijna (Correlative ‘that’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• भवान्: you
• भवान्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)

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

• विराट्: Virāṭ (the cosmic form)
• विराट्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराज्/विराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम

• स्वराट्: self-ruler
• स्वराट्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वराट् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + राट्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्राट्: universal sovereign
• सम्राट्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्राट् (प्रातिपदिक; सम् + राट्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अधिपूरुषः: the supreme person/overlord
• अधिपूरुषः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya; verse voiced as a praise describing Vishnu’s supremacy)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Puruṣottama as the totality of past and future; all cosmic sovereignties and the Virāṭ arise from Him

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Puruṣottama alone is the ground of all time (past/future) and the source of every cosmic ruler-form, including the Virāṭ.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the Divine as the stable source behind changing roles, powers, and historical cycles; reduce egoic attachment to status and control.

Vishishtadvaita: Supremacy of Puruṣottama over all derivative lordships supports a hierarchy of dependent realities within one ultimate Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Virāṭ
• Svarāṭ
• Samrāṭ
• Adhipūruṣa

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu the past and the future (bhūta-bhavya) in the Vishnu Purana?

It declares Vishnu as the all-encompassing Supreme Reality—time and all events are contained in Him, not merely governed by Him.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic sovereignty through terms like Virāṭ, Svarāṭ, and Samrāṭ?

He presents all levels of manifested authority—cosmic totality (Virāṭ), independent lordship (Svarāṭ), and universal emperorship (Samrāṭ)—as arising from Vishnu, making sovereignty derivative of the Supreme.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being called Adhipūruṣa here?

It affirms Vishnu as the primal, supreme Person from whom even exalted cosmic principles proceed, aligning the Purana’s cosmology with a personal Supreme (central to Vaishnava Vedanta).