Shloka 79

Devanagari script

लोकात्ममूर्तिः सर्वेषां पूर्वेषाम् अपि पूर्वजः आधारः सर्वविद्यानां स्वयम् एव हरिः स्थितः

Transliteration

lokātmamūrtiḥ sarveṣāṃ pūrveṣām api pūrvajaḥ ādhāraḥ sarvavidyānāṃ svayam eva hariḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Hari Himself abides as the very form of the world’s inner Self—older than all the ancients, the first progenitor even of those who came before; the sustaining ground of every branch of knowledge, He alone stands established as the ultimate support.

Word by Word

• लोकात्ममूर्तिः: the embodiment of the world-soul
• लोकात्ममूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: लोकस्य आत्मा इव/लोकात्मा; लोकात्मनः मूर्तिः)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पूर्वेषाम्: of the former ones
• पूर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (पूर्व = earlier/ancient)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• पूर्वजः: the progenitor of the ancients
• पूर्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक; √जन् (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पूर्वेभ्यः जातः)

• आधारः: support/basis
• आधारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वविद्यानाम्: of all knowledges/sciences
• सर्वविद्यानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी: सर्वाः विद्याः)

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (by oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अवधारण (indeed/only)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्थितः: abides/is established
• स्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—स्थित (abiding/standing)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of Hari as lokātman (inner Self of the world) and ultimate foundation of knowledge

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari is the world’s inner Self (antaryāmin), prior to all progenitors, and the ultimate support of all knowledges.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Shift identity from ego-centered agency to God-centered dependence: study, work, and worship as participation in the Lord who upholds all knowing.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms qualified non-dualism: the world and knowers are real, yet exist as the Lord’s body with Him as their inner ruler and support.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu being called the ‘Self of the world’ (lokātman) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as the indwelling reality of the cosmos—present within all beings as their inner ground, not merely as an external creator.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s priority over all beings and even the ‘ancients’?

By calling Hari the ‘pūrvajaḥ’ even of the ‘pūrveṣām,’ Parāśara asserts Vishnu’s absolute primacy: all prior beings and cosmic principles depend on Him as their source.

What is the theological importance of Hari being the foundation of all knowledge (sarvavidyānām ādhāraḥ)?

It frames all true knowledge—Vedic, spiritual, and worldly—as ultimately grounded in Vishnu, reinforcing Vaishnava Vedanta where the Supreme Lord is the support and goal of understanding.