Shloka 49

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

भोक्तारं भोज्यभूतं च स्रष्टारं सृज्यम् एव च कार्यकर्तृस्वरूपं तं प्रणतो ऽस्मि परं पदम्

Transliteration

bhoktāraṃ bhojyabhūtaṃ ca sraṣṭāraṃ sṛjyam eva ca kāryakartṛsvarūpaṃ taṃ praṇato 'smi paraṃ padam

Translation

I bow to that Supreme Abode—He who is the experiencer and also what is experienced; the creator and also what is created; whose very nature is both the deed and the doer.

Word by Word

• भोक्तारम्: the enjoyer
• भोक्तारम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोक्तृ (तृच्, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• भोज्यभूतम्: having become the enjoyed (object)
• भोज्यभूतम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोज्य (भुज् धातु-यत्, कृदन्त) + भूत (भू धातु-क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारय (भोज्यं भूतम् = become the object of enjoyment)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्रष्टारम्: the creator
• स्रष्टारम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → स्रष्टृ (तृच्, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक

• सृज्यम्: that which is to be created / the created
• सृज्यम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृज्य (यत्, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मवाचक (to be created)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only/indeed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कार्यकर्तृस्वरूपम्: whose nature is that of the doer of effects
• कार्यकर्तृस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + कर्तृ (कृ धातु-तृच्) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य कर्तुः स्वरूपम् / कार्यकर्तृ-स्वरूपम्)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• प्रणतः: bowed down
• प्रणतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) → प्रणत (क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (वर्तमान), पुरुषः—उत्तम, वचनम्—एकवचनम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (पदम्)

• पदम्: abode / state
• पदम्: Karma (Object/complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; verse in the mode of reverential praise/stuti)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Non-duality of experiencer/experienced and creator/created in the Supreme; the Lord as both doer and deed

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is simultaneously subject and object—enjoyer and enjoyed, creator and created—thus all action and experience ultimately rest in Him, the ‘parama padam’.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Transform daily experience into worship by seeing both the experiencer and the experienced as dependent on the Lord; offer agency and outcomes back to Him.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports śarīra–śarīrī-bhāva: the world and selves are real as God’s body/modes, so He can be spoken of as ‘bhojya/sṛjya’ without losing transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu both the enjoyer (bhoktā) and the enjoyed (bhojya) in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu’s all-pervasiveness: the Lord is the inner witness and ruler of experience and also the manifested field of experience, indicating that nothing lies outside the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between creator (sraṣṭā) and created (sṛjya) here?

By pairing “creator” with “created,” the verse presents Vishnu as the ultimate cause who appears as the universe (effect) without losing transcendence—supporting a theology where the world depends on the Lord at every level.

What is the theological importance of “paraṃ padam” (Supreme Abode) in this context?

It identifies Vishnu as the highest reality and final refuge: beyond changing forms, the Supreme is the goal of surrender and the ground of cosmic sovereignty.