Shloka 66

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

न्यग्रोधः सुमहान् अल्पे यथा बीजे व्यवस्थितः संयमे विश्वम् अखिलं बीजभूते तथा त्वयि

Transliteration

nyagrodhaḥ sumahān alpe yathā bīje vyavasthitaḥ saṃyame viśvam akhilaṃ bījabhūte tathā tvayi

Translation

Just as the vast nyagrodha (banyan) tree abides, subtle and contained, within a tiny seed—so too, at the time of restraint and dissolution, the entire universe rests within You as seed, for You are its seed and causal ground.

Word by Word

• न्यग्रोधः: banyan tree
• न्यग्रोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• अल्पे: in a small (thing)
• अल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानार्थक (comparative adverb: as/just as)

• बीजे: in a seed
• बीजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थितः: is contained/established
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+अव+स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्था-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संयमे: at dissolution/withdrawal
• संयमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• बीजभूते: in (you) who are seed-like/seed-form
• बीजभूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भू-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (बीजं भूतो यः)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तद्वत्-अर्थक (correlative adverb: so/likewise)

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the universe is withdrawn and rests in the Supreme at dissolution

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: As a banyan tree lies potentially within a tiny seed, so the entire universe lies withdrawn within the Lord at saṃyama (restraint/dissolution).

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: In meditation, practice inward withdrawal (pratyāhāra) and rest the mind in the causal ground, reducing anxiety about change and loss.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is real yet dependent: it contracts into the Lord as its bīja (seed) without negating His transcendence or immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Universe (Jagat)

FAQs

What is the significance of the banyan-seed metaphor in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates subtle causality: the immense cosmos can remain unmanifest and contained within Vishnu, just as a huge banyan exists potentially within a tiny seed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic dissolution (pralaya) here?

He describes pralaya as a “saṁyama” or withdrawal, when the entire universe is gathered back into Vishnu, who remains the seed-form cause from which creation can arise again.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality and sustaining ground: all existence depends on Him, and at dissolution everything rests in Him as its ultimate source and support.