Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतात्मके तात जगन्नाथे जगन्मये परमात्मनि गोविन्दे मित्रामित्रकथा कुतः

Transliteration

sarvabhūtātmake tāta jagannāthe jaganmaye paramātmani govinde mitrāmitrakathā kutaḥ

Translation

O dear one, when Govinda—the Supreme Self, Lord of the universe, the essence pervading the world—abides as the Self of all beings, how can there be any talk of “friend” and “enemy”?.

Word by Word

• सर्वभूतात्मके: in (the one) whose nature is the Self of all beings
• सर्वभूतात्मके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-भूत-आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + भूत + आत्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• तात: O dear (father/son)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• जगन्नाथे: in the Lord of the world
• जगन्नाथे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• जगन्मये: in the one pervaded by/consisting of the world
• जगन्मये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत्-मय (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• परमात्मनि: in the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; परम + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• गोविन्दे: in Govinda
• गोविन्दे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• मित्रामित्रकथा: talk of friend and foe
• मित्रामित्रकथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र-अमित्र-कथा (प्रातिपदिक; मित्र + अमित्र + कथा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Sambandha/Prashna (Interrogative relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative indeclinable: 'whence/how')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When Govinda is realized as the inner Self of all beings, the duality of friend and enemy collapses.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice seeing the same indwelling Lord in others to reduce reactive aversion/attachment in daily relations.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu as antaryāmin of all selves grounds universal compassion without denying distinct jīvas.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Govinda

FAQs

What is the significance of “friend and enemy” being denied in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

Because Govinda is declared the Self of all beings, the verse frames social oppositions like friend/foe as products of limited perception rather than ultimate truth.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the removal of duality in this teaching?

He points to Vishnu as Jagannātha and Paramātman—both transcendent and immanent—so recognizing Him in all beings naturally dissolves divisive categories.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu (Govinda) is presented as the Supreme Reality pervading the cosmos; this supports a Vaishnava metaphysics where devotion and wisdom lead to equanimity and universal regard.