Shloka 22

प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः

The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu

Devanagari script

शृणु मैत्रेय गोविन्दं यथापूर्वं प्रचेतसः तुष्टुवुस् तन्मयीभूताः समुद्रसलिलेशयाः

Transliteration

śṛṇu maitreya govindaṃ yathāpūrvaṃ pracetasaḥ tuṣṭuvus tanmayībhūtāḥ samudrasalileśayāḥ

Translation

Listen, Maitreya: just as before, the Pracetas praised Govinda; dwelling in the ocean’s waters, they had become wholly absorbed in Him.

Word by Word

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — ‘hear’

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — vocative

• गोविन्दम्: Govinda
• गोविन्दम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — accusative singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक) — ‘as/according to’

• पूर्वम्: before/previously
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘formerly/before’

• प्रचेतसः: the Pracetas
• प्रचेतसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• तुष्टुवुः: praised
• तुष्टुवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन — ‘they praised’

• तन्मयीभूताः: absorbed in Him
• तन्मयीभूताः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + मय (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘तन्मय’ + ‘भूत’ (क्तान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘having become absorbed in Him’

• समुद्र-सलिल-ईशयाः: lords of the ocean-waters
• समुद्र-सलिल-ईशयाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘समुद्रस्य सलिलस्य ईशयाः/ईशयः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — epithet qualifying ‘प्रचेतसः’ (lords/masters of ocean-waters)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Recitation of the Pracetās’ hymn to Govinda as requested by Maitreya.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative, compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True stuti arises from tanmayatā—becoming wholly absorbed in Govinda—so that praise is not merely verbal but a state of consciousness.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Before prayer, steady attention (ekāgratā) through breath/japa so devotion becomes continuous rather than occasional.

Vishishtadvaita: The jīva’s loving absorption in the personal Lord is real relational participation, not dissolution into an impersonal absolute.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Govinda (Vishnu)
• Pracetas

FAQs

What is the significance of the Pracetas praising Govinda in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents the Pracetas as ideal devotees whose austerity culminates in direct praise of Vishnu, showing that divine realization and cosmic harmony are grounded in devotion to Govinda.

How does Sage Parāśara explain devotional absorption (tanmayībhāva) here?

By describing the Pracetas as 'tanmayībhūtāḥ,' Parāśara frames their hymn as arising from single-pointed immersion in Vishnu, where praise flows from sustained contemplation rather than mere ritual.

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

Govinda is depicted as the supreme focus of sages’ praise—an ultimate reality and sovereign Lord—toward whom devotion leads to inner union and the right ordering of life and creation.