Shloka 53

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

तत्रैकाग्रमतिर् भूत्वा चकाराराधनं हरेः ब्रह्मपारमयं कुर्वञ् जपम् एकाग्रमानसः ऊर्ध्वबाहुर् महायोगी स्थित्वासौ भूपनन्दनाः

Transliteration

tatraikāgramatir bhūtvā cakārārādhanaṃ hareḥ brahmapāramayaṃ kurvañ japam ekāgramānasaḥ ūrdhvabāhur mahāyogī sthitvāsau bhūpanandanāḥ

Translation

There, with his mind made utterly one-pointed, the king’s son began the worship of Hari. With unwavering concentration he performed japa directed to the Supreme Brahman; and that royal child—become a great yogin—stood with arms raised aloft, steadfast in his vow.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• एकाग्रमतिḥ: one-pointed mind; focused intention
• एकाग्रमतिḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकाग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः ‘एकाग्रा मतिḥ’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययभावकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• चकार: did; performed
• चकार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आराधनम्: worship; propitiation
• आराधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मपारमयम्: consisting of the ‘Brahmapāra’ (mantra/hymn)
• ब्रह्मपारमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मपार (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (सम्बन्ध) ‘ब्रह्मपार-’ + मय (made of/consisting of); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आराधनं विशेषयति

• कुर्वन्: doing; performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जपम्: recitation; mantra-repetition
• जपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एकाग्रमानसः: with a concentrated mind
• एकाग्रमानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः ‘एकाग्रं मानसं यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कण्डुं विशेषयति

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: having arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘ऊर्ध्वौ बाहू यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महायोगी: the great yogi
• महायोगी: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः ‘महान् योगी’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थित्वा: having stood; having remained
• स्थित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययभावकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having stood/remained)

• असौ: that (person); he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूपनन्दनाः: son of the king
• भूपनन्दनाः: Karta (Appositional epithet/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भूपस्य नन्दनः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (पाठभेद/छन्दः); अर्थतः एकवचन-सम्बोधन/स्तुति-प्रयोगः सम्भाव्यः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Kaṇḍu worshipped Hari through concentrated japa aimed at the Supreme Brahman

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Single-minded worship of Hari through japa directed to the Supreme Brahman is a direct means to spiritual perfection.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Adopt a daily japa discipline with ekāgratā (single-tasking, fixed time/place), treating the mantra as personal approach to the Supreme Person rather than as mere mental repetition.

Vishishtadvaita: The verse fuses ‘Brahman’ with ‘Hari/Keśava’—a hallmark of Vaiṣṇava Vedānta where Brahman is the personal Viṣṇu, the ultimate cause and goal.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Supreme Brahman (Para Brahman)
• Dhruva (implied as the royal child)

FAQs

What is the significance of one-pointedness (ekāgratā) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

The verse presents ekāgratā as the inner condition that makes worship effective—Dhruva’s mind is gathered into a single focus on Hari, turning devotion into a direct yogic means of realization.

How does Sage Parāśara frame japa in the Dhruva narrative?

Parāśara describes Dhruva’s japa as “brahma-pāramaya”—oriented to the Supreme Brahman—showing that repeating the divine name/mantra is not merely ritual, but a contemplative practice aimed at the highest reality identified with Vishnu.

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

Hari is presented as the Supreme Brahman who is approached through devotion and yogic discipline; the verse aligns bhakti and yoga by making Vishnu the ultimate object and goal of meditation.