Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्य प्रभावम् अतुलं विष्णोर् भक्तिमतो मुने श्रोतुम् इच्छामि यस्यैतच् चरितं त्व् अमितौजसः

Transliteration

tasya prabhāvam atulaṃ viṣṇor bhaktimato mune śrotum icchāmi yasyaitac caritaṃ tv amitaujasaḥ

Translation

O sage, I wish to hear of the incomparable spiritual power of that devotee of Lord Viṣṇu—he whose life-story you, of boundless splendor, have begun to relate.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रभावम्: power, majesty
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying प्रभावम्)

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• भक्तिमतः: of the devoted one
• भक्तिमतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (qualifying विष्णोः / or ‘of the devotee’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); ‘to hear’

• इच्छामि: I wish, I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular present

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• चरितम्: conduct, story
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘deed/biography’

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय/विरोधबोधक अव्यय; particle

• अमितौजसः: of immeasurable vigor
• अमितौजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (qualifying यस्य)

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Request to hear Prahlāda’s full carita and the incomparable prabhāva arising from devotion to Viṣṇu.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa of a great devotee’s life is sought as a means to apprehend the Lord’s grace and the power of bhakti.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Regularly hear and reflect on saintly narratives to strengthen faith, courage, and ethical clarity in daily life.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti mediated through śravaṇa and bhakta-mahātmyam: the Lord’s grace is approached via loving engagement with His devotees.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Teaching

Bhakti Quality: Longing to hear (śravaṇa) and glorify the Lord’s devotee, treating bhakta-mahātmyam as spiritually transformative.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Maitreya
• Parasara

FAQs

What is the significance of a devotee’s “prabhāva” (spiritual power) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames devotion to Vishnu as a transformative potency—an incomparable efficacy that becomes evident through the devotee’s life and conduct.

How does Sage Parāśara explain sacred narratives to Maitreya in this section?

The Purana proceeds as a teacher–disciple dialogue: Maitreya asks to hear, and Parāśara responds by unfolding the devotee’s carita (life-story) as theological instruction.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the supreme object of devotion; the devotee’s greatness is meaningful precisely because it derives from steadfast bhakti to Vishnu’s sovereign reality.