Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अपक्षयविनाशाभ्यां परिणामर्द्धिजन्मभिः वर्जितः शक्यते वक्तुं यः सदास्तीति केवलम्

Transliteration

apakṣayavināśābhyāṃ pariṇāmarddhijanmabhiḥ varjitaḥ śakyate vaktuṃ yaḥ sadāstīti kevalam

Translation

That Supreme can be spoken of only in this single way—“He ever is”—for He is untouched by decline or destruction, and free from transformation, increase, or birth.

Word by Word

• अपक्षय-विनाशाभ्याम्: by non-decay and destruction (i.e., by decay and destruction)
• अपक्षय-विनाशाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपक्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• परिणाम-ऋद्धि-जन्मभिः: by transformation, growth, and birth
• परिणाम-ऋद्धि-जन्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिणाम (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (परिणाम), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (ऋद्धि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (जन्मन्) — समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वार्थे; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वर्जितः: devoid (of)
• वर्जितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• शक्यते: is possible / can be
• शक्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• वक्तुम्: to say, to describe
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत्-शब्दः

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे/क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial use)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Supreme is properly spoken of—beyond change, birth, and destruction

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is describable only as ever-existent, being untouched by decay, destruction, transformation, increase, or birth.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use the ‘ever-is’ contemplation (sat) to steady the mind when confronting impermanence and change.

Vishishtadvaita: Distinguishes the unchanging Lord from mutable prakṛti and jīvas, supporting a qualified non-dual ontology where dependence does not erase difference.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Para Brahman (Supreme Reality)

FAQs

What is the significance of describing the Supreme as only “He always exists” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that the Supreme (Vishnu) transcends all temporal conditions—birth, growth, change, decline, and destruction—so language can only affirm His eternal being.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of the changeless Lord to Maitreya?

Parāśara distinguishes the Supreme from all created entities by listing what does not apply to Him—no decay, no destruction, no transformation, no increase, and no birth—thereby marking Vishnu as the ever-existent ground of reality.

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

Vishnu is presented as the imperishable Supreme Reality (Para Brahman): while worlds undergo creation and dissolution, He remains eternally the Lord whose being is unaffected by cosmic processes.