Shloka 39

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

यद् एतद् दृश्यते मूर्तम् एतज् ज्ञानात्मनस् तव भ्रान्तिज्ञानेन पश्यन्ति जगद्रूपम् अयोगिनः

Transliteration

yad etad dṛśyate mūrtam etaj jñānātmanas tava bhrāntijñānena paśyanti jagadrūpam ayoginaḥ

Translation

What is seen here as formed and tangible is in truth of You, whose very essence is pure knowledge. Yet those not established in yoga, through deluded understanding, behold it as the world itself, taking appearance for reality.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen / appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is seen/appears’

• मूर्तम्: manifest / embodied
• मूर्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एतत्)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्ञानात्मनः: of you whose essence is knowledge
• ज्ञानात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य आत्मा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भ्रान्तिज्ञानेन: by deluded knowledge
• भ्रान्तिज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रान्ति + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—भ्रान्तेः ज्ञानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• जगद्रूपम्: the form of the world
• जगद्रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—जगतः रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अयोगिनः: non-yogins / those without yoga
• अयोगिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग-निषेधः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the formed world is misconstrued by non-yogins despite being rooted in the Lord’s jñāna-svarūpa

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The tangible, formed appearance is truly grounded in the Lord who is pure consciousness, but non-yogins misapprehend it as independently real through deluded cognition.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Practice viveka (discrimination) and steadiness of mind (yoga) to see phenomena as dependent on the Supreme rather than as self-subsistent realities.

Vishishtadvaita: Allows for real world-experience while locating its intelligibility and being in the Lord’s jñāna-nature, supporting dependence (śeṣatva) rather than absolute illusion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Non-yogins (ayoginaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of deluded perception (bhrāntijñāna) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the visible, formed world as an appearance misconstrued by non-yogins; the error is not in Vishnu, but in the observer’s cognition, which mistakes manifestation for independent reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between yogins and non-yogins here?

Parāśara contrasts yogic establishment in truth with the ayogin’s standpoint: the yogin discerns the Supreme Consciousness as the basis of what appears, while the non-yogin sees only “the world-form” through confusion.

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

Vishnu is presented as jñānātmā—Supreme Reality and Consciousness—so the cosmos is not outside Him; the verse supports a Vaishnava metaphysics where all forms depend upon Vishnu’s sovereign being.