Shloka 49

प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः

The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu

Devanagari script

स चापि देवस् तं दत्त्वा यथाभिलषितं वरम् अन्तर्धानं जगामाशु ते च निश्चक्रमुर् जलात्

Transliteration

sa cāpi devas taṃ dattvā yathābhilaṣitaṃ varam antardhānaṃ jagāmāśu te ca niścakramur jalāt

Translation

And that Deity, having granted the boon they desired, swiftly vanished from sight; and they, in turn, emerged from the waters.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction) = 'and'

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) = 'also/indeed'

• देवः: the god (Lord)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (सः देवः)

• तम्: to them/that (boon)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (दत्त्वा)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दा (दाने)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) = 'having given'

• यथाभिलषितम्: as desired
• यथाभिलषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + अभिलषित (अभि-√लष्/लष् इच्छायाम् + क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (यथा + अभिलषितम् = 'as desired'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (वरम्)

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (दत्त्वा)

• अन्तर्धानम्: disappearance (invisibility)
• अन्तर्धानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर्धान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (जगाम) = 'disappearance/invisibility' (अन्तर्धानं जगाम = became invisible)

• जगाम: went, entered
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गतौ)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'quickly'

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता (प्रचेतसः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

• निश्चक्रमुः: came out, emerged
• निश्चक्रमुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्-√क्रम् (पादविक्षेपे/गमने)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• जलात्: from the water
• जलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान = 'from the water'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: matter-of-fact

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine presence may withdraw after granting grace, yet the boon remains; the devotee must carry the gift into action after returning from austerity.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: After peak spiritual experiences, re-enter daily duties with steadiness—translate insight into sustained ethical and devotional living.

Vishishtadvaita: God’s nearness and withdrawal are modes of grace, not absence of relation; the jīva continues as dependent recipient of His will.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Deva (the deity)

FAQs

What is the significance of antardhāna (divine disappearance) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals the deity’s transcendence: after bestowing grace, the divine withdraws from direct perception, emphasizing that the Lord is not bound to visible form.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the working of boons in this narrative?

Parāśara presents boons as precise fulfillments of intention—granted “as desired”—followed by immediate divine withdrawal, moving the story from divine encounter to human consequence.

What is the theological importance of the deity’s action here?

The verse highlights supreme lordship: the deity freely grants results and then remains beyond grasp, underscoring that grace and governance originate in a higher, sovereign reality.