Shloka 30

Devanagari script

यथा संनिधिमात्रेण गन्धः क्षोभाय जायते मनसो नोपकर्तृत्वात् तथासौ परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

yathā saṃnidhimātreṇa gandhaḥ kṣobhāya jāyate manaso nopakartṛtvāt tathāsau parameśvaraḥ

Translation

Just as mere proximity to a fragrance can stir and agitate the mind—though it does not intend to serve the mind—so the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara) sets the universe in motion simply by His presence.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/उदाहरणार्थ-सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative adverb: 'as/just as')

• संनिधि-मात्रेण: by mere proximity
• संनिधि-मात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मात्रेण = 'only by', संनिधेः मात्रम्)

• गन्धः: fragrance
• गन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• क्षोभाय: for agitation
• क्षोभाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• उपकर्तृत्वात्: because of (its) not being a helper/agent
• उपकर्तृत्वात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upakartṛtva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; -त्व प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप-सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative adverb: 'so/thus')

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (परमः ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Supreme, though actionless, initiates creation by mere presence (kṣobha).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Lord, without deliberate effort, becomes the occasion for cosmic activation merely through His proximity/presence, like fragrance affecting the mind.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Cultivate remembrance of the Lord (smaraṇa) and observe how attention and presence transform the mind without force.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu is the effortless efficient cause whose mere immanent presence (antaryāmitva) can initiate transformation in prakṛti and beings.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara

FAQs

What is the significance of “mere proximity” (saṃnidhimātra) in the Vishnu Purana?

It conveys that the Supreme Lord initiates cosmic movement and transformation effortlessly—creation unfolds because of His sovereign presence, not because He needs to exert labor or undergo change.

How does Sage Parāśara explain causality through this analogy?

Parāśara uses the example of fragrance affecting the mind to show that effects can arise without deliberate action—likewise, the Lord remains transcendent while the universe is stirred into activity in His presence.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as Parameśvara, the supreme ground of reality whose unopposed sovereignty sustains and activates the cosmos while remaining beyond limitation—central to Vaishnava metaphysics and cosmology.