Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्रधानं पुरुषं चापि प्रविश्यात्मेच्छया हरिः क्षोभयाम् आस संप्राप्ते सर्गकाले व्ययाव्ययौ

Transliteration

pradhānaṃ puruṣaṃ cāpi praviśyātmecchayā hariḥ kṣobhayām āsa saṃprāpte sargakāle vyayāvyayau

Translation

When the time for creation arrived, Hari—by His own sovereign will—entered both Pradhāna and Puruṣa and stirred those two: the perishable and the imperishable.

Word by Word

• प्रधानम्: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• पुरुषम्: Puruṣa (spirit/person)
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having entered’

• आत्मेच्छया: by his own will
• आत्मेच्छया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (आत्मनः इच्छा) करण/हेतु (by his own will)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• क्षोभयाम्: agitated/stirred
• क्षोभयाम्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षुभ् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; periphrastic perfect with ‘आस’ (क्षोभयाम् आस = caused to agitate)

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; सहायकक्रिया (auxiliary)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) had come/arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (it) had arrived’

• सर्गकाले: at the time of creation
• सर्गकाले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (सर्गस्य काले) अधिकरण

• व्ययाव्ययौ: the perishable and the imperishable
• व्ययाव्ययौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यय (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व; कर्म (objects of ‘entered’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Hari initiates creation by entering pradhāna and puruṣa and stirring them at the sarga-kāla

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At the destined moment of creation, Hari, by His own will, enters both pradhāna and puruṣa and agitates them, initiating emanation from the perishable and imperishable principles.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Recognize purposeful agency behind change; cultivate surrender to the divine will while acting responsibly within one’s duties.

Vishishtadvaita: Strongly supports the Lord as both efficient cause (nimitta) and inner material regulator (upādāna via entering/indwelling), a hallmark Viśiṣṭādvaita reading of creation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Pradhana (Prakriti)

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradhāna and Puruṣa in the Vishnu Purana?

They represent primordial Nature (Pradhāna) and the conscious principle (Puruṣa); creation begins when Vishnu, by His will, enters and agitates them so manifestation can proceed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the beginning of Sarga (creation)?

He presents creation as time-conditioned (sarga-kāla) and divinely initiated: Hari Himself activates the latent principles, making the cosmos emerge from potentiality into expression.

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

Vishnu is shown as the supreme, self-willed governor of cosmology—both immanent (entering principles) and transcendent (initiating by independent will), the ultimate source of order and creation.