Shloka 17

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

ततः समसृजन् मायाः प्रह्लादे शम्बरो ऽसुरः विनाशम् इच्छन् दुर्बुद्धिः सर्वत्र समदर्शिनि

Transliteration

tataḥ samasṛjan māyāḥ prahlāde śambaro 'suraḥ vināśam icchan durbuddhiḥ sarvatra samadarśini

Translation

Then the asura Śambara, wicked-minded and intent on Prahlāda’s ruin, unleashed manifold māyā-illusions against him—against that equal-seeing seer who beheld the same Lord present everywhere.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thereupon/then'

• समसृजन्: created, produced
• समसृजन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: सृज्, उपसर्ग: सम्

• मायाः: illusions, magical creations
• मायाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• प्रह्लादे: in/against Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शम्बरः: Śambara
• शम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• असुरः: the demon
• असुरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; शम्बरस्य विशेषणम्

• विनाशम्: destruction
• विनाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• इच्छन्: desiring
• इच्छन्: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शम्बरस्य विशेषणम्

• दुर्बुद्धिः: evil-minded one
• दुर्बुद्धिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समास: दुर्(उपसर्ग/निपात) + बुद्धिः

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = 'everywhere'

• समदर्शिनि: in the impartial (one)
• समदर्शिनि: Adhikarana (Qualifier of locus/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समदर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; प्रह्लादे विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The perfected devotee, seeing the Lord equally present everywhere, is inwardly unshaken even when assaulted by illusion.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate daily īśvara-smaraṇa and practice non-reactivity (samadarśitā) amid hostility or fear.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-realism: the Lord is truly present within all beings and places, grounding the devotee’s equal vision.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Sarvatra-samadarśitā grounded in Viṣṇu-smṛti (seeing the Lord everywhere)

Persecution: Weapons

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Prahlada
• Shambara (Asura)

FAQs

What is the significance of māyā (illusion) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

Māyā here is asuric sorcery used to destabilize devotion; the verse contrasts manufactured illusion with Prahlāda’s steady, all-pervading vision rooted in the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Prahlāda’s character in this passage?

Parāśara depicts Prahlāda as a samadarśin—one who sees equally everywhere—implying spiritual steadiness and God-centered perception that resists fear and deception.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, Prahlāda’s ‘seeing the same everywhere’ points to Vishnu as the pervasive Supreme Reality, making devotion a protection against delusion.