Shloka 1

Devanagari script

एवं संचिन्तयन् विष्णुम् अभेदेनात्मनो द्विज तन्मयत्वम् अवापाग्र्यं मेने चात्मानम् अच्युतम्

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃcintayan viṣṇum abhedenātmano dvija tanmayatvam avāpāgryaṃ mene cātmānam acyutam

Translation

O twice-born, thus by ceaselessly contemplating Vishnu as non-different from his own Self, he attained the supreme state of complete absorption in Him, and came to regard his very self as Acyuta, the Imperishable.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• संचिन्तयन्: contemplating
• संचिन्तयन्: Karta (Agent/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (masc. nom. sg.)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• अभेदेन: by non-difference
• अभेदेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (instr. sg.); साधन/प्रकार (means/manner: “by non-difference”)

• आत्मनः: of himself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• तन्मयत्वम्: identity/absorption in Him
• तन्मयत्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्+मय+त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तन्मयत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.); समासः—तत्पुरुष (तद्-मय = “made of that/consisting of that”) + त्व-प्रत्यय (abstract noun)

• अवाप: attained
• अवाप: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect, active)

• अग्र्यम्: supreme
• अग्र्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifies तन्मयत्वम्)

• मेने: considered/thought
• मेने: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg. perfect, middle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• अच्युतम्: Acyuta (the unfailing Lord)
• अच्युतम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (acc. sg.); आत्मानम् इति पदस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Means and fruit of contemplation on Viṣṇu leading to liberation

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By unwavering contemplation of Viṣṇu as non-different from oneself, one attains tanmayatva—complete absorption in Acyuta.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Sustain daily japa/dhyāna with the sense that the Lord is the inner Self, reducing egoic separation.

Vishishtadvaita: Union is by intimate participation (tanmayatva) in the Lord while He remains the imperishable Acyuta, grounding devotion rather than mere identity-claim.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of tanmayatva (absorption) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents tanmayatva as the supreme attainment produced by sustained contemplation of Vishnu—where the meditator’s awareness becomes wholly oriented to and filled by the Lord, culminating in liberation-oriented realization.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the practice of seeing Vishnu as non-different from the self?

Here Parāśara frames it as a contemplative discipline: meditating on Vishnu with abheda-bhāva (non-separateness) yields the highest state, in which one recognizes the self only in relation to the Imperishable Lord.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being called Acyuta in this context?

Acyuta emphasizes Vishnu’s unfailing, imperishable sovereignty; the realization described is not mere self-deification but a theistic culmination where the self is understood in the light of the Eternal Lord.