Shloka 48

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

एतद् विजानता सर्वं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् द्रष्टव्यम् आत्मवद् विष्णुर् यतो ऽयं विश्वरूपधृक्

Transliteration

etad vijānatā sarvaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam draṣṭavyam ātmavad viṣṇur yato 'yaṃ viśvarūpadhṛk

Translation

One who knows this should behold the entire universe—both the immovable and the moving—as one’s own Self; for Vishnu bears the universal form, the cosmic body of all that exists.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (truth/teaching)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विजानता: by one who knows/understands
• विजानता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विजानत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: (as) stationary and moving
• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक) + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; जगत्-विशेषण

• द्रष्टव्यम्: should be seen/recognized
• द्रष्टव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, तव्यत्/gerundive)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), विधिलिङ्गार्थः (ought to be)

• आत्मवत्: as oneself
• आत्मवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial), उपमानार्थे (in the sense of 'like oneself')

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/for')

• अयम्: this (he)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्व-रूप-धृक्: bearing the form of the universe
• विश्व-रूप-धृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक्/धृज् (प्रातिपदिक from धृ ‘to hold’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य रूपं धारयति इति)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How knowledge of Viṣṇu’s viśvarūpa transforms perception of the world

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowing Viṣṇu as the bearer of the universe-body, one should regard all moving and unmoving beings as one’s own self in reverent vision.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate compassion and non-violence by consciously seeing every encounter as contact with the Lord’s body.

Vishishtadvaita: The world is real and is Viṣṇu’s śarīra; thus ‘equal vision’ becomes devotional ethics rather than world-negation.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Teaching (Prahlada's schools)

Bhakti Quality: Ātma-vat sarva-bhūta-darśana: equal vision grounded in Hari as viśvarūpa

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of seeing the moving and unmoving world as one’s own Self in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches a sacred, non-hostile vision of reality: all beings are to be regarded with the intimacy of the Self because the entire cosmos is pervaded and borne as Vishnu’s universal form.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the right way to perceive the universe?

Parāśara frames correct perception as knowledge-based: when one understands the doctrine, one should view all existence—animate and inanimate—as grounded in Vishnu, the holder of the viśvarūpa.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality whose form is the universe itself; devotion and worldview converge in recognizing all existence as sustained by, and belonging to, Him.