Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मो नैमित्तिकस् तत्र यच् छेते जगतः पतिः प्रयाति प्राकृते चैव ब्रह्माण्डं प्रकृतौ लयम्

Transliteration

brāhmo naimittikas tatra yac chete jagataḥ patiḥ prayāti prākṛte caiva brahmāṇḍaṃ prakṛtau layam

Translation

That dissolution is called the Brāhma (cosmic) and the Naimittika (occasional); there the Lord of the universe lies in yogic repose. And when the Prākṛta dissolution arrives, the whole cosmic egg (brahmāṇḍa) is absorbed into Prakṛti.

Word by Word

• brāhmaḥ: Brahmā-related (pertaining to Brahmā)
• brāhmaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

• naimittikaḥ: occasional, contingent (periodic)
• naimittikaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naimittika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable; locative adverb ‘there’)

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (neut. nom./acc. sg., relative pronoun)

• śete: lies, sleeps
• śete: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śī (शीङ्/धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (neut. gen. sg.)

• patiḥ: lord
• patiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• prayāti: goes, proceeds
• prayāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या/धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• prākṛte: in the Prākṛta (natural/material) [dissolution]
• prākṛte: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. loc. sg., adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (indeclinable conjunction)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (indeclinable particle of emphasis)

• brahmāṇḍam: the cosmic egg, universe
• brahmāṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (neut. nom./acc. sg.; genitive tatpuruṣa)

• prakṛtau: in Prakṛti (primordial nature)
• prakṛtau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

• layam: dissolution, absorption
• layam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kinds of pralaya (dissolution) and the Lord’s yogic repose; absorption of the brahmāṇḍa into Prakṛti.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Naimittika pralaya is the periodic dissolution at Brahmā’s night wherein the Lord rests, while in prākṛtika pralaya the entire brahmāṇḍa dissolves back into Prakṛti under Viṣṇu’s sovereignty.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Contemplate impermanence of cosmic cycles to cultivate vairāgya and steadiness in devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu remains the transcendent Lord (niyantṛ) over Prakṛti and the universe even as they are withdrawn into their causal state.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

What is the significance of Naimittika (occasional) dissolution in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Naimittika pralaya as a Brahmā-related cosmic pause in which the Lord of the universe rests, emphasizing that dissolution is a regulated phase within divine order rather than chaos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Prākṛta pralaya here?

Parāśara distinguishes a deeper dissolution—Prākṛta pralaya—where even the brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg) is absorbed back into Prakṛti, indicating a return of manifested cosmos to its primordial material ground under Vishnu’s sovereignty.

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

Vishnu is portrayed as Jagatpati, the governing Supreme who remains constant through creation and dissolution; even when the universe withdraws into Prakṛti, the cosmic process is shown as resting upon the Lord’s transcendent lordship.