Shloka 80

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

यस्यावताररूपाणि समर्चन्ति दिवौकसः अपश्यन्तः परं रूपं नमस् तस्मै महात्मने

Transliteration

yasyāvatārarūpāṇi samarcanti divaukasaḥ apaśyantaḥ paraṃ rūpaṃ namas tasmai mahātmane

Translation

Salutations to that Great-Souled Lord whose incarnate forms the dwellers of heaven duly worship; yet, unable to behold His supreme form, they adore only His descents.

Word by Word

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• अवताररूपाणि: incarnation-forms
• अवताररूपाणि: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (neut. nom./acc. pl.; 'forms of incarnation')

• समर्चन्ति: worship
• समर्चन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (laṭ, 3rd pl., Parasmaipada)

• दिवौकसः: the gods / heavenly beings
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (masc. nom. pl.; 'dwellers of heaven')

• अपश्यन्तः: not seeing
• अपश्यन्तः: Karta (Agent-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-पश्यत् (कृदन्त; पश्य् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. pl.)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karman (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neut. acc. sg.)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे (neut. nom. sg.)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (masc. dat. sg.)

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (masc. dat. sg.)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; part of a laudatory description of Vishnu’s supremacy)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why even devas worship avatāras and cannot behold the para-rūpa

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Avatara Context

Purpose: The verse states that devas worship the Lord through His avatāra-forms because His supreme form remains beyond their direct vision.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Continued protection and governance of the worlds through accessible manifestations

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāras are graciously accessible forms for worship, while His supreme nature surpasses even celestial perception.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Honor concrete forms of devotion (mūrti, nāma, līlā) without reducing the Divine to what the senses can grasp.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports arcā/avatāra accessibility central to Śrī-Vaiṣṇava praxis while maintaining the Lord’s unsurpassable para-tattva.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas (Divaukasaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of avatāra worship in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights that even the devas revere Vishnu through His avatāras, underscoring that divine descents are accessible manifestations of a Reality whose supreme nature surpasses ordinary perception.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between Vishnu’s forms and His supreme nature?

Parāśara implies a distinction between worshippable, manifest avatāra-rūpas and the paraṃ rūpa—Vishnu’s highest transcendence—which remains beyond the sight of even celestial beings.

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

Vishnu is presented as the ultimate sovereign: the devas depend on and worship Him, yet His supreme reality exceeds their vision—affirming Vishnu as the highest principle rather than merely one deity among others.