Shloka 88

Devanagari script

देवर्षिपितृगन्धर्वयक्षादीनां च संभवम् भवन्ति शृण्वतः पुंसो देवाद्या वरदा मुने

Transliteration

devarṣipitṛgandharvayakṣādīnāṃ ca saṃbhavam bhavanti śṛṇvataḥ puṃso devādyā varadā mune

Translation

O sage, for the person who listens with faith, the origins of the deva‑ṛṣis, the Pitṛs, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, and the rest are made manifest; and the Devas and other celestial orders become bestowers of boons to such a hearer.

Word by Word

• देवर्षि-पितृ-गन्धर्व-यक्ष-आदीनाम्: of the gods, sages, ancestors, gandharvas, yakṣas, and others
• देवर्षि-पितृ-गन्धर्व-यक्ष-आदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समाहार/सूची-निर्देशः), ‘आदि’प्रत्ययेन ‘आदीनाम्’

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

• संभवम्: origin; coming into being
• संभवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भवन्ति: arise; come to be
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृण्वतः: of (one) who is listening
• शृण्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘शृण्वत्’

• पुंसः: of the man/person
• पुंसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देव-आद्याः: the gods and others
• देव-आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘देवाः आद्याः’ = gods and the rest/starting with gods)

• वरदाः: granting boons
• वरदाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘देव-आद्याः’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Origins/manifestation of various celestial orders and the fruit of śravaṇa (hearing)

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Faithful listening to Purāṇic cosmology and divine origins yields manifest understanding and attracts the benevolence of celestial beings.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice regular śravaṇa of śāstra with reverence and reflect on it, cultivating steadiness and gratitude rather than mere curiosity.

Vishishtadvaita: Śravaṇa is a means of grace within a real, ordered cosmos where higher beings respond to devotion under the Lord’s governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devarishis
• Pitrs
• Gandharvas
• Yakshas
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of sacred listening (śravaṇa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents śravaṇa as spiritually efficacious: attentive hearing reveals cosmic origins and attracts the grace of divine beings, who become “boon-givers” to the listener.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cosmic orders like Devarishis, Pitrs, Gandharvas, and Yakshas?

Here Parāśara frames them as structured classes of beings with definite “saṃbhava” (origins/manifestations) within creation, and he links knowledge of their arising to the merit of hearing the Purāṇic account.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the teaching belongs to Ansha 1’s creation theology: the ordered emergence of beings and the bestowal of grace operate within Vishnu’s supreme governance of the cosmos.