Shloka 16

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

प्रधानपुरुषव्यक्तकालानां परमं हि यत् पश्यन्ति सूरयः शुद्धं तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम्

Transliteration

pradhānapuruṣavyaktakālānāṃ paramaṃ hi yat paśyanti sūrayaḥ śuddhaṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam

Translation

That pure Reality which the seers behold as the Supreme—higher than Pradhāna, Puruṣa, the manifest, and even Time—this indeed is the highest station of Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• प्रधानपुरुषव्यक्तकालानाम्: of Pradhāna, Puruṣa, the Manifest, and Time
• प्रधानपुरुषव्यक्तकालानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समासः (चाराणां तत्त्वानां समुच्चयः)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; (पदम् इति अनुवर्तते)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (particle, causal/emphatic)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• सूरयः: sages; the wise
• सूरयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• शुद्धम्: pure
• शुद्धम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; (यत् इति विशेषणम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphoric/Predicate link (निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्; (पदम् इति विशेषणम्)

• पदम्: abode; state; position
• पदम्: Karma/Predicate (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in the Vishnu Purana’s opening cosmological discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: What is supreme beyond pradhāna, puruṣa, vyakta/avyakta, and kāla?

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The seers’ vision culminates in Vishnu’s supreme station, transcending pradhāna, puruṣa, manifestation/unmanifestation, and even time.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Shift meditation from changing categories (mind, matter, time) to the changeless ‘parama padam’ as the goal of contemplation and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: ‘Viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam’ affirms a personal highest reality that is beyond prakṛti and kāla yet attainable as the pure object of realization.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Kala
• Sages (Sūrayaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu’s “paramaṃ padam” in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse it denotes the supreme, pure state/abode of Vishnu—ultimate reality—beyond matter (pradhāna), individual spirit (puruṣa), the unmanifest (avyakta), and even time (kāla).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme beyond creation’s categories?

Parāśara frames the highest truth as something the seers directly apprehend: a purity that transcends the usual cosmological principles (matter, spirit, unmanifest nature, and time), identifying that transcendence with Vishnu.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the final ground of all cosmological principles—so creation and dissolution occur within His supremacy, supporting a Vaishnava view of Vishnu as Para Brahman.