Shloka 88

Devanagari script

उपर्य् आक्रान्तवाञ् छैलं बृहद्रूपेण केशवः तथापरेण मैत्रेय यन् न दृष्टं सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

upary ākrāntavāñ chailaṃ bṛhadrūpeṇa keśavaḥ tathāpareṇa maitreya yan na dṛṣṭaṃ surāsuraiḥ

Translation

Then Keśava, expanding into a vast and immeasurable form, strode upon and subdued the mountain. And, O Maitreya, He revealed yet another marvel—such as had never been witnessed by gods or demons alike.

Word by Word

• उपरि: above/upon
• उपरि: देशाधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आक्रान्तवान्: having stepped upon/overrun
• आक्रान्तवान्: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु) → आक्रान्तवत् (क्तवत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकाले क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (केशवः)

• शैलम्: the mountain
• शैलम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• बृहत्-रूपेण: with a huge form
• बृहत्-रूपेण: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (बृहद् रूपम्)

• केशवः: Keśava (Vishnu)
• केशवः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: निपात (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• अपरेण: by another (form)
• अपरेण: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (रूपेण—अनुक्तम्)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक/यत्-तत्-सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: कर्म (Patient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (यत्)

• सुर-असुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुर-असुरैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (सुराश्च असुराश्च)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Further marvels of Keśava during the churning, beyond ordinary divine/asuric experience

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Kurma

Purpose: He enlarges into a vast form to subdue and stabilize Mandara, displaying unprecedented divine might to ensure the churning continues.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Stability of the cosmic enterprise that yields amṛta and restores devas’ order

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s greatness exceeds the perception of both gods and demons; His ‘measure’ is not bounded by created categories.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice humility before the divine—do not reduce God to one’s concepts; cultivate wonder through śravaṇa and meditation.

Vishishtadvaita: Keśava’s infinite greatness coexists with personal agency in history, supporting the Viśiṣṭādvaita view of Brahman as the supreme Person with auspicious attributes.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Keśava)
• Maitreya
• Devas (Suras)
• Asuras
• Mountain (Śaila)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu’s ‘expanded form’ (bṛhadrūpa) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals Vishnu’s supremacy as the transcendent Lord who can assume immeasurable form to uphold cosmic order, surpassing the limits of divine and demonic perception.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of marvels unseen by both devas and asuras?

By framing the event as beyond both camps, Parāśara emphasizes that Vishnu’s power is not merely greater than rivals, but categorically beyond ordinary cosmic hierarchies.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality whose manifestations govern and subdue the cosmos, reinforcing a Vaishnava vision where all beings—even devas—are secondary to Him.