Shloka 67

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्ससंस्थानधरम् अनन्ते च समाश्रितम् प्रधानं बुद्धिर् अप्य् आस्ते गदारूपेण माधवे

Transliteration

śrīvatsasaṃsthānadharam anante ca samāśritam pradhānaṃ buddhir apy āste gadārūpeṇa mādhave

Translation

In Mādhava—who bears the sacred Śrīvatsa mark upon His chest and rests upon Ananta—even Pradhāna (primordial Nature) and Buddhi (cosmic Intellect) abide, assuming the form of His mace.

Word by Word

• श्रीवत्ससंस्थानधरम्: bearing the mark/form of Śrīvatsa
• श्रीवत्ससंस्थानधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीवत्स (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थान (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (श्रीवत्सस्य संस्थानं यः धरति)

• अनन्ते: in/with Ananta (Śeṣa)
• अनन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

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

• समाश्रितम्: resting upon, resorted to
• समाश्रितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रधानम् इत्यादीनां विशेषणम् (resting upon)

• प्रधानम्: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ (with आस्ते)

• बुद्धिः: intellect (Buddhi)
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ (with आस्ते)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (also, even)

• आस्ते: abides, remains
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गदारूपेण: in the form of the mace
• गदारूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गदायाः रूपेण = in the form of a mace)

• माधवे: in Mādhava (Vishnu)
• माधवे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in/with Mādhava)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Mapping of tattvas onto Viṣṇu’s iconography: Pradhāna and Buddhi abiding in Mādhava as the form of His mace; Śrīvatsa and Ananta mentioned

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mādhava, marked by Śrīvatsa and resting on Ananta, contains within Himself the primordial Pradhāna and even Buddhi, which are portrayed as His gadā—showing all tattvas as dependent powers of the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Use icon-meditation (arcā-dhyāna) to remember that mind/intellect and nature are instruments under divine governance, encouraging disciplined thought and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: Pāñcarātra-friendly reading: the Lord (Vāsudeva) is the āśraya; Prakṛti and its evolutes are real yet wholly dependent modes (prakāra) of Bhagavān, consistent with Śrīvatsa (Śrī’s presence) and Ananta (endless support).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Mādhava)
• Ananta (Śeṣa)
• Gadā (mace)
• Pradhāna (Prakṛti)
• Buddhi (Mahat)

FAQs

What is the significance of the mace (gadā) in the Vishnu Purana?

Here the gadā is not merely a weapon; it is a theological symbol in which Pradhāna (primordial Nature) and Buddhi (cosmic Intellect) are said to “abide,” showing that the very building blocks of creation rest under Vishnu’s sovereign form.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Pradhāna and Buddhi in relation to Vishnu?

Parāśara presents them as dependent realities: even the foundational Sāṃkhya principles—Pradhāna and Buddhi—exist within Vishnu’s order and can be represented as His emblems, emphasizing Vishnu as the ultimate ground of cosmology.

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

The verse asserts Vishnu’s supremacy over both matter (Pradhāna) and intellect (Buddhi): creation’s causes are not independent, but are contained and governed by the Supreme Reality, Mādhava, who sustains the universe while reclining on Ananta.