Shloka 129

Devanagari script

सद्यो वैगुण्यम् आयान्ति शीलाद्याः सकला गुणाः पराङ्मुखी जगद्धात्री यस्य त्वं विष्णुवल्लभे

Transliteration

sadyo vaiguṇyam āyānti śīlādyāḥ sakalā guṇāḥ parāṅmukhī jagaddhātrī yasya tvaṃ viṣṇuvallabhe

Translation

O beloved of Viṣṇu, for that person from whom you—the Mother who upholds the worlds—turn your face away, all virtues, good conduct and the rest, at once fall into defect and lose their lustre.

Word by Word

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वैगुण्यम्: defectiveness/decline of merit
• वैगुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आयान्ति: come/attain
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada)

• शीलाद्याः: (qualities) beginning with good conduct
• शीलाद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (शीलम् आदिः येषां ते) (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• सकलाः: all
• सकलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पराङ्मुखी: turned away
• पराङ्मुखी: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• जगद्धात्री: the sustainer of the world
• जगद्धात्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + धात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः धात्री) (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; genitive tatpurusha)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular; relative pronoun)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

• विष्णुवल्लभे: O beloved of Vishnu
• विष्णुवल्लभे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः वल्लभा) (Feminine, Vocative, Singular; genitive tatpurusha)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Lakṣmī/Śrī in a devotional-theological passage within his discourse to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When Śrī, the sustainer of the worlds and beloved of Viṣṇu, turns away from a person, even established virtues immediately become flawed—signaling that goodness without divine orientation loses its stability and luster.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Regularly realign intentions toward God—through confession, renewal of vows, and service—so virtues remain luminous rather than pride-driven.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī as jagaddhātrī (world-sustainer) embodies the Lord’s gracious governance in the world; the jīva’s moral order depends on divine immanence and favor, not isolated agency.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Lakshmi Presence: Sri (fortune)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi (Sri)

FAQs

What is the significance of Lakṣmī (Śrī) being called jagaddhātrī in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Śrī as the sustaining power behind worldly stability and excellence—when her grace is absent, even established virtues deteriorate.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the decline of virtues in this context?

Parāśara frames virtue as not merely self-generated morality but as something that flourishes under divine favor; when Śrī turns away, qualities like śīla lose their effectiveness and shine.

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu here?

By addressing Śrī as “Viṣṇu’s beloved,” the verse underscores Vaishnava supremacy: Viṣṇu is the sovereign reality, and Śrī’s grace operates in inseparable relation to him, governing prosperity and virtue in the world.