Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अहम् एवाक्षयो नित्यः परमात्मात्मसंश्रयः ब्रह्मसंज्ञो ऽहम् एवाग्रे तथान्ते च परः पुमान्

Transliteration

aham evākṣayo nityaḥ paramātmātmasaṃśrayaḥ brahmasaṃjño 'ham evāgre tathānte ca paraḥ pumān

Translation

I alone am imperishable and eternal—the Supreme Self, established in My own nature. I alone am known as Brahman: before all beginnings I am, and at the end as well I remain the transcendent Person.

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• akṣayaḥ: imperishable
• akṣayaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• nityaḥ: eternal
• nityaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• paramātma-ātma-saṃśrayaḥ: resting in the Supreme Self; having the Supreme Self as support
• paramātma-ātma-saṃśrayaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धप्रधान): “paramātmanaḥ ātma (स्वरूप) saṃśrayaḥ” = having one’s basis in the Supreme Self / resting in the Supreme Self; predicate to “aham”

• brahma-saṃjñaḥ: called ‘Brahman’
• brahma-saṃjñaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): “brahmaṇaḥ saṃjñā” = bearing the name ‘Brahman’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (repetition for emphasis)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• agre: in the beginning
• agre: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (कालवाचक अव्यय) “in the beginning/at first”

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक); adverb “so/likewise”

• ante: at the end
• ante: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (कालवाचक अव्यय) “at the end”

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• paraḥ: supreme; transcendent
• paraḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• pumān: Person; Being
• pumān: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voiced as the Supreme Lord’s self-declaration within the discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identity of the imperishable Supreme Self as Brahman—existing before creation and remaining after dissolution

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Person is akṣaya and nitya, self-established as Paramātman, designated ‘Brahman’, present prior to all beginnings and remaining transcendent at the end of cosmic dissolution.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Meditate daily on God as the unchanging ground across life’s changes—this steadies the mind and supports detachment and devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Identifies Brahman with the ‘paraḥ pumān’ (Supreme Person), central to Viśiṣṭādvaita’s personal Brahman who is both transcendent and the ultimate cause.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Paramatman
• Brahman
• Para Purusha (Supreme Person)

FAQs

What is the significance of Brahman being identified with the Supreme Person in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse equates Brahman with the transcendent Puruṣa, presenting the ultimate reality as personal and sovereign—eternal before creation and remaining after dissolution.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of the Supreme Self (Paramātman) here?

He presents the Paramātman as akṣaya (imperishable) and nitya (eternal), not dependent on anything else—‘self-established’ in its own nature—thereby grounding all cosmological cycles.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as the highest reality—Brahman and Para Puruṣa—who transcends time and change, existing prior to creation and persisting beyond cosmic dissolution.