Shloka 3

Devanagari script

एकानेकस्वरूपाय स्थूलसूक्ष्मात्मने नमः अव्यक्तव्यक्तरूपाय विष्णवे मुक्तिहेतवे

Transliteration

ekānekasvarūpāya sthūlasūkṣmātmane namaḥ avyaktavyaktarūpāya viṣṇave muktihetave

Translation

Salutations to Viṣṇu—whose being is at once one and many; who is the Self of both the gross and the subtle; who appears as the unmanifest and as the manifest; and who stands as the very cause of liberation.

Word by Word

• एक-अनेक-स्वरूपाय: to him of one and many forms
• एक-अनेक-स्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (एकश्च अनेकश्च) + तत्पुरुषः—‘यस्य स्वरूपम्’

• स्थूल-सूक्ष्म-आत्मने: to the Self that is gross and subtle
• स्थूल-सूक्ष्म-आत्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (स्थूलश्च सूक्ष्मश्च) + कर्मधारयः—‘स्थूलसूक्ष्मः आत्मा’

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Interjectional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थक

• अव्यक्त-व्यक्त-रूपाय: to him whose form is unmanifest and manifest
• अव्यक्त-व्यक्त-रूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (अव्यक्तं च व्यक्तं च) + तत्पुरुषः—‘यस्य रूपम्’

• विष्णवे: to Viṣṇu
• विष्णवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• मुक्ति-हेतवे: to the cause of liberation
• मुक्ति-हेतवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मुक्तेः हेतुः’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya; opening benediction to Vishnu)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Invocation describing Viṣṇu as one-and-many, gross-and-subtle Self, unmanifest-and-manifest, and the cause of liberation

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu is the inner Self of both subtle and gross realities, appearing as unmanifest and manifest, and is the ultimate cause of mokṣa.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice discernment of the Lord’s presence in both inner experience and outer phenomena, integrating devotion with contemplative inquiry.

Vishishtadvaita: Holds unity with real plurality: the one Lord pervades many forms as their Self without negating their dependent reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of the unmanifest (avyakta) and manifest (vyakta) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Vishnu as both the unmanifest ground of reality and the manifest universe, establishing that creation is an expression of the Supreme rather than something independent of Him.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of ‘one and many’ (eka-aneka) here?

Parāśara praises Vishnu as a single Supreme Reality who nevertheless appears as the plurality of forms and beings—supporting a theology where multiplicity depends on, and is pervaded by, the One.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being called ‘mukti-hetu’ (cause of liberation)?

It declares that liberation is ultimately rooted in Vishnu—knowing, approaching, and depending upon Him is presented as the decisive means and foundation for moksha.