Shloka 25

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

प्रकृतौ च स्थितं व्यक्तम् अतीतप्रलये तु यत् तस्मात् प्राकृतसंज्ञो ऽयम् उच्यते प्रतिसंचरः

Transliteration

prakṛtau ca sthitaṃ vyaktam atītapralaye tu yat tasmāt prākṛtasaṃjño 'yam ucyate pratisaṃcaraḥ

Translation

That manifest universe which, at dissolution, passes beyond differentiation and comes to rest in Prakṛti—therefore this re-absorption is called the “Prākṛta” (material) return.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतौ: in Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place/state)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्थितम्: situated, abiding
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• व्यक्तम्: the manifest (entity)
• व्यक्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद (subject)

• अतीतप्रलये: in the past dissolution
• अतीतप्रलये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतीत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (अतीते प्रलये) अधिकरण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana/Hetu (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतु/अपादान (from that; therefore)

• प्राकृतसंज्ञः: having the designation ‘prākṛta’
• प्राकृतसंज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (प्राकृता संज्ञा यस्य) विशेषण

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्रतिसंचरः: re-absorption, return (involution)
• प्रतिसंचरः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-सम्-चर (धातु) + घञ्/अ (प्रातिपदिक: संचर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद/नाम (apposition)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in dialogue with Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Types of pralaya and the re-absorption (pratisaṃcara) of the manifest into prakṛti

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At dissolution the differentiated manifest (vyakta) resolves back into prakṛti; this is termed prākṛta-pratisaṃcara, the material re-absorption.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Contemplate impermanence of forms to cultivate detachment and steadiness amid change.

Vishishtadvaita: The world’s real transformations are governed as a dependent mode (prakāra) that can be withdrawn into its causal state under the Lord’s sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Pralaya
• Pratisaṃcara

FAQs

What is the significance of Pratisaṃcara (re-absorption) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse defines pratisaṃcara as the return of the manifest cosmos (vyakta) into Prakṛti during dissolution, marking the reversal of creation back to its material cause.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the term “Prākṛta” in this context?

He calls this dissolution “prākṛta” because the manifest world comes to rest in Prakṛti—hence the process is named after its locus and material ground.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Even while the verse speaks in Sāṅkhya terms (Prakṛti, vyakta), the Vishnu Purana frames cosmic cycles under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—Nature and dissolution operate within the order upheld by the Supreme Reality.