Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यो ऽन्तस् तिष्ठन्न् अशेषस्य पश्यतीशः शुभाशुभम् तं सर्वसाक्षिणं विष्णुं नमस्ये परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

yo 'ntas tiṣṭhann aśeṣasya paśyatīśaḥ śubhāśubham taṃ sarvasākṣiṇaṃ viṣṇuṃ namasye parameśvaram

Translation

I bow to Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, the all-witness: abiding within all without remainder, He beholds every being’s good and ill.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• अन्तः: within
• अन्तः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तिष्ठन्: standing / abiding
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Agent-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (pres. act. participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• अशेषस्य: of all, of the entire (world)
• अशेषस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्य् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (laṭ, 3rd sg., Parasmaipada)

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• शुभाशुभम्: good and evil
• शुभाशुभम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (neut. acc. sg.; 'good and evil')

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• सर्वसाक्षिणम्: the all-witnessing
• सर्वसाक्षिणम्: Karman (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (masc. acc. sg.; 'witness of all')

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• नमस्ये: I bow to
• नमस्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (laṭ, 1st sg., Ātmanepada)

• परमेश्वरम्: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (masc. acc. sg.; 'the supreme Lord')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya, in a devotional-philosophical declaration)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Viṣṇu as antaryāmin and sarva-sākṣin, witnessing all good and evil

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu abides within all beings as the inner ruler and universal witness, knowing every act as auspicious or inauspicious.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice integrity and compassion by remembering an inner divine witness; align choices with dharma even when unseen by others.

Vishishtadvaita: Explicit antaryāmin doctrine: the Lord indwells all selves and matter as controller (śeṣin), grounding ethics in divine immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Parameśvara (Supreme Lord)
• Sarvasākṣin (All-Witness)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu being described as the inner dweller (Antaryāmin) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as immanent—abiding within all beings—establishing Him as the inner governor of life and cosmos, not a distant deity.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s relation to good and evil (śubha and aśubha)?

Parāśara portrays Vishnu as the all-seeing witness who perceives every auspicious and inauspicious act, grounding the moral order that underlies karmic consequence.

What is the theological importance of calling Vishnu the Sarvasākṣin (all-witness) here?

It affirms Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty and omniscience: He knows all actions and intentions, supporting Vaishnava doctrine that the Supreme Lord oversees and sustains dharma and cosmic order.