Shloka 21

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

त्रिगुणं तज् जगद्योनिर् अनादिप्रभवाव्ययम् तेनाग्रे सर्वम् एवासीद् व्याप्तं वै प्रलयाद् अनु

Transliteration

triguṇaṃ taj jagadyonir anādiprabhavāvyayam tenāgre sarvam evāsīd vyāptaṃ vai pralayād anu

Translation

That Reality, constituted of the three guṇas and the womb of the universe, is beginningless, the source of all arising, and imperishable. By That, in the beginning after dissolution, everything existed, wholly pervaded.

Word by Word

• त्रिगुणम्: threefold (of three guṇas)
• त्रिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; dvigu: 'having three guṇas')

• तत्: that (principle)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; pronoun)

• जगद्योनिः: source/womb of the world
• जगद्योनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः योनि:) (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; genitive tatpurusha)

• अनादिप्रभवाव्ययम्: beginningless in origin, immutable
• अनादिप्रभवाव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समाहारः (अनादि-प्रभवम् च अव्ययम् च) (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; compound meaning 'beginningless in origin and undecaying')

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Instrumental Singular)

• अग्रे: at first, in the beginning
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-निपातवत्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (locative used adverbially: 'in the beginning')

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; pronoun)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Imperfect/Past, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि (Past passive participle; Neuter Nom/Acc Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रलयात्: from dissolution
• प्रलयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular)

• अनु: after, following
• अनु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; अन्वर्थक (postposition: 'after, following')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the guṇas and the universe arise and remain pervaded after dissolution

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The beginningless imperishable Reality, associated with the three guṇas as the womb of the cosmos, pervades all even after dissolution and before re-manifestation.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Contemplate cycles of change without anxiety by remembering an underlying pervading order; cultivate steadiness amid endings and beginnings.

Vishishtadvaita: Holds together transcendence and immanence: the Lord remains the inner pervader while prakṛti (guṇa-constituted) serves as his mode for manifestation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Guṇas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)
• Pralaya (cosmic dissolution)

FAQs

What is the significance of the three guṇas (triguṇa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the Supreme as associated with the three guṇas, indicating that the manifested cosmos and its qualities arise through these modes, while the Supreme remains the ultimate source and controller.

How does Sage Parāśara explain creation after pralaya (dissolution)?

He states that after pralaya, all existence is found pervaded by the same imperishable source—implying continuity of the Supreme presence even when the cosmos is unmanifest.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as beginningless, imperishable, and all-pervading—the womb of the universe—supporting a theistic metaphysics where the Supreme is both transcendent and immanent in cosmic processes.