Shloka 4

प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुमयता, विष्णोः दर्शनं, वरदानं, तथा चरितश्रवण-फलम्

Devanagari script

योगप्रभावात् प्रह्लादे जाते विष्णुमये ऽसुरे चलत्य् उरगबन्धैस् तैर् मैत्रेय त्रुटितं क्षणात्

Transliteration

yogaprabhāvāt prahlāde jāte viṣṇumaye 'sure calaty uragabandhais tair maitreya truṭitaṃ kṣaṇāt

Translation

O Maitreya, by the sheer potency of yogic power, when Prahlada—though born among the Asuras—became wholly permeated by Vishnu, the serpent-bonds that bound him writhed and snapped apart in an instant.

Word by Word

• योगप्रभावात्: due to the power of yoga
• योगप्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग+प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; योगप्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—योगस्य प्रभावः (power/effect of yoga)

• प्रह्लादे: in Prahlada
• प्रह्लादे: Adhikarana (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• जाते: when (he) had become/arisen
• जाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले कृदन्तः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.), प्रह्लादे इति पदेन सह (locative absolute sense)

• विष्णुमये: pervaded by Vishnu
• विष्णुमये: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु+मय (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णुमय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—विष्णुमय (filled with Vishnu)

• असुरे: in the asura (Prahlada)
• असुरे: Adhikarana (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (loc. sg.); प्रह्लादस्य विशेषण-रूपेण (as “the asura”)

• चलति: was moving/shaking
• चलति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. present, active)

• उरगबन्धैः: by the serpent-bonds
• उरगबन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग+बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; उरगबन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (instr. pl.); तत्पुरुषः—उरगाणां बन्धाः (snake-bonds/serpent-nooses)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (pronoun, instr. pl.)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• त्रुटितम्: was broken
• त्रुटितम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रुट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.); (implicit subject: बन्धनम्/बन्धः)

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl. sg.); कालवाचक (time: “in an instant”)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Prahlāda’s steadfast devotion and miraculous protections despite asuric birth

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhakti-yoga can make the devotee ‘viṣṇumaya’; divine indwelling power shatters the bonds of persecution.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When facing coercion or pressure, anchor the mind in nāma-smaraṇa and trust that inner strength arises from the Lord within.

Vishishtadvaita: Even an asura-born devotee becomes pervaded by the Lord’s grace—showing the Lord’s accessible immanence and saving initiative toward the śaraṇāgata.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Divine-protection

Bhakti Quality: Unshakable single-minded devotion that makes him viṣṇumaya even in bondage

Persecution: Serpents

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Prahlada
• Vishnu
• Maitreya
• Asuras
• Serpents (uraga)

FAQs

What is the significance of Prahlāda becoming "Viṣṇu-maya" in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals total absorption in the Supreme Vishnu—so complete that worldly restraints cannot hold him, illustrating liberation-through-devotion even within an Asura context.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the breaking of the serpent-bonds?

He attributes it to yoga-prabhāva: the spiritual force generated when Prahlāda’s consciousness becomes wholly pervaded by Vishnu, causing the fetters to snap instantly.

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

Vishnu is presented as the supreme, all-pervading reality whose indwelling presence nullifies bondage—supporting a Vaishnava view where divine grace and devotion overpower material constraint.