Shloka 12
विषप्रयोगः कृत्योत्पादनं च (प्रह्लादस्य अवध्यता, कृत्याविनाशः, पुरोहितानां रक्षणम्)
किं दैवैः किम् अनन्तेन किम् अन्येन तवाश्रयः पिता समस्तलोकानां त्वं तथैव भविष्यसि
kiṃ daivaiḥ kim anantena kim anyena tavāśrayaḥ pitā samastalokānāṃ tvaṃ tathaiva bhaviṣyasi
What need have you of the gods? What need of Ananta, or of anything else? You have taken refuge in the Father of all worlds, and you too shall be established in that same supreme state.
Sage Parāśara (instructing Maitreya; verse framed as assurance that refuge in the Supreme makes other supports unnecessary)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Prahlāda’s devotion and the attempts to turn him away from Viṣṇu
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: revealing
Concept: Taking refuge in the supreme source and father of the worlds renders all lesser dependencies unnecessary.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice single-pointed devotion: reduce competing ‘supports’ (status, fear, social approval) and anchor daily prayer/ethics in the Lord as ultimate shelter.
Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu is affirmed as jagat-kāraṇa and jagat-pitā—transcendent yet the relational ground of all beings (śeṣa-śeṣi bhāva).
Phase: Teaching (Prahlada's schools)
Bhakti Quality: Exclusive refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Viṣṇu/Ananta as jagat-pitā
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse presents Vishnu as the sole sufficient refuge: once one relies on the Father of all worlds, dependence on lesser divine agencies becomes unnecessary.
Parāśara’s framing implies a hierarchy: devas (and even exalted cosmic figures like Ananta) do not replace the Supreme source; they are secondary to Vishnu, the ultimate ground of protection and being.
Vishnu is affirmed as Para-tattva—sovereign, all-parent, and the final support—aligning with Vaishnava thought where surrender to Vishnu leads toward the highest state (moksha).