Shloka 42

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

संभवन्ति ततो ऽम्भांसि रसाधाराणि तानि च रसमात्राणि चाम्भांसि रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्

Transliteration

saṃbhavanti tato 'mbhāṃsi rasādhārāṇi tāni ca rasamātrāṇi cāmbhāṃsi rūpamātraṃ samāvṛṇot

Translation

Thereafter the Waters came into being, as the support of taste; and the Waters themselves are of the nature of taste alone (rasa-tanmātra). Then the mere principle of Form (rūpa-mātra) enveloped them.

Word by Word

• संभवन्ति: come into being, arise
• संभवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद = Present, 3rd person, plural, active

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘then/from that’

• अम्भांसि: waters
• अम्भांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• रसाधाराणि: supporting taste
• रसाधाराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रसस्य आधारः = support of taste), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अम्भांसि) = Neuter nom pl adjective

• तानि: those (they)
• तानि: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन = Pronoun, neut nom/acc pl

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = conjunction ‘and’

• रसमात्राणि: consisting of mere taste
• रसमात्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अम्भांसि) = Neuter nom/acc pl adjective

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) = ‘and’

• अम्भांसि: waters
• अम्भांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन = Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural

• रूपमात्रम्: mere form
• रूपमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• समावृणोत्: covered, enveloped
• समावृणोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + वृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Imperfect, 3rd person, singular, active

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Emergence of waters (āpas) as the support of taste and their being enveloped by rūpa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: From the prior subtle principle arises āpas (waters) as the locus/support of rasa, while the sequence retains ‘covering’ by earlier tanmātras such as rūpa.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Reflect on water as a living reminder of rasa—practice gratitude and restraint in consumption, cultivating purity (śauca) and balance.

Vishishtadvaita: Material elements are meaningful manifestations within the Lord’s body (śarīra-bhāva), not independent realities.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Ap (Waters)
• Rasa-tanmātra
• Rūpa-tanmātra

FAQs

What is the significance of Waters (Ap) being called the support of taste (rasa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse links the water element with the sense-quality of taste, presenting waters as the experiential basis where rasa predominates in the cosmic unfolding.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the sequence of subtle elements (tanmātras) here?

Parāśara describes a layered manifestation: waters arise characterized by taste, and then the subtle principle of form (rūpa-mātra) is said to envelop them, indicating successive coverings/transformations in creation.

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

Even when the verse speaks in elemental terms, the Vishnu Purana frames such emergence as operating under Vishnu’s supreme causality—creation unfolds as an ordered manifestation grounded in the Highest Reality.