Shloka 26
प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः
The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu
भुज्यते ऽनुदिनं देवैः पितृभिश् च सुधात्मकः जीवभूतः समस्तस्य तस्मै सोमात्मने नमः
bhujyate 'nudinaṃ devaiḥ pitṛbhiś ca sudhātmakaḥ jīvabhūtaḥ samastasya tasmai somātmane namaḥ
Salutations to Him whose essence is Soma: day by day the gods and the ancestors partake of Him, for His nature is nectar; as the life-principle of all beings, He sustains the whole.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya, in a cosmological-theological description)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How the Supreme pervades the cosmos as luminaries and life-sustaining principles
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Secondary
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: The Lord, as Soma, is the nectar-like principle enjoyed by devas and pitṛs and is the life-force sustaining all beings.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: Offer food and water with gratitude (naivedya/anna-dāna) and remember the divine source of vitality in daily nourishment.
Vishishtadvaita: The same Supreme becomes the indwelling life (jīva-bhūta in the sense of life-principle) while remaining the object of worship.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse frames Soma as the amṛta-like sustainer enjoyed by Devas and Pitṛs, highlighting Soma’s role as a cosmic nourishment principle that maintains divine and ancestral orders.
Parāśara states Soma is “jīvabhūtaḥ samastasya”—present as the life-principle for all—so Soma is not only a celestial entity but also a pervasive sustaining power within the cosmos.
By presenting Soma as an all-sustaining principle worthy of reverence, the verse supports the Purāṇic vision of a divinely ordered universe where cosmic functions (like nourishment and vitality) are sacred and ultimately grounded in the Supreme Reality celebrated throughout the Vishnu Purana.