Shloka 34

प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः

The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu

Devanagari script

गृह्णाति विषयान् नित्यम् इन्द्रियात्मा क्षराक्षरः यस् तस्मै ज्ञानमूलाय नताः स्म हरिमेधसे

Transliteration

gṛhṇāti viṣayān nityam indriyātmā kṣarākṣaraḥ yas tasmai jñānamūlāya natāḥ sma harimedhase

Translation

He who ever apprehends the objects of sense—the Self within the senses, Lord of both the perishable and the imperishable—unto that Hari, root of true knowledge and all-wise, we bow in reverence.

Word by Word

• गृह्णाति: grasps; takes
• गृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विषयान्: objects (of sense)
• विषयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always/constantly)

• इन्द्रियात्मा: whose essence is the senses; the indweller of senses
• इन्द्रियात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणि आत्मा यस्य/इन्द्रिय-स्वरूपः)

• क्षराक्षरः: perishable and imperishable
• क्षराक्षरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षर + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (क्षरश्च अक्षरश्च)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानमूलाय: to the root/source of knowledge
• ज्ञानमूलाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य मूलम्/ज्ञान-हेतुः)

• नताः: bowed; having paid obeisance
• नताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नम् (धातु) → नत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (bowed)

• स्म: indeed; (particle)
• स्म: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/अनुस्मारक-निपात, लट्/लङ् इत्यादौ भूतार्थ-प्रबलक (particle)

• हरिमेधसे: to him of Hari-like wisdom; to the wise Hari
• हरिमेधसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हरेः मेधा यस्य/हरि-मेधस् = हरि-प्रज्ञ)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; doxological salutation within the discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Hari is the indwelling self of the senses, apprehending objects, and how He transcends both kṣara and akṣara as the root of knowledge

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari is the inner self of the senses who cognizes their objects, and He is the ground of knowledge transcending both the perishable (kṣara) and imperishable (akṣara).

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice discernment by noticing that awareness is prior to sense-objects; dedicate study and meditation to the ‘jñāna-mūla’ Lord rather than to mere information.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord as antaryāmin is the true knower within finite selves; individual cognition is real yet dependent, supporting qualified non-dual dependence (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Hari both kṣara and akṣara in the Vishnu Purana?

It affirms Vishnu as present in the changing, perishable cosmos (kṣara) while also being the imperishable, transcendent ground (akṣara), uniting immanence and transcendence in one Supreme Reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of Vishnu with respect to the senses here?

By naming him indriyātmā, Parāśara presents Vishnu as the inner Self and regulator behind sensory activity—sense-objects are grasped because the Supreme indwells and empowers the faculties.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being called jñānamūla (root of knowledge)?

The verse frames true knowledge as ultimately grounded in Hari: cognition, discernment, and spiritual realization are seen as deriving from the Supreme, supporting a devotional metaphysics central to Vaishnava schools.