Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तस्यात्मपरदेहेषु सतो ऽप्य् एकमयं हि यत् विज्ञानं परमार्थो ऽसौ द्वैतिनो ऽतत्त्वदर्शिनः

Transliteration

tasyātmaparadeheṣu sato 'py ekamayaṃ hi yat vijñānaṃ paramārtho 'sau dvaitino 'tattvadarśinaḥ

Translation

That discerning knowledge by which—though the Self exists in one’s own body and in the bodies of others—it is realized as a single, undivided reality: that alone is the highest truth. Those who insist on duality, failing to behold the real, do not perceive this essence.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आत्मपरदेहेषु: in one’s own and others’ bodies
• आत्मपरदेहेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (आत्मदेह + परदेह)

• सतः: of the real/existent (one)
• सतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘existing/real’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘even/also’)

• एकमयम्: of one essence
• एकमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकेन मयम् = ‘of one essence’)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeclinable particle; emphasis/causal)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge/discriminative cognition
• विज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमार्थः: the highest truth
• परमार्थः: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमः अर्थः)

• असौ: that (he/this one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/एतद्-प्रकार (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: असौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ सर्वनाम

• द्वैतिनः: dualists
• द्वैतिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अतत्त्वदर्शिनः: non-seers of reality
• अतत्त्वदर्शिनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत्त्वं न पश्यन्ति ये)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True knowledge realizes the one undivided Self present in one’s own body and in others, while dualistic vision misses this highest truth.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Cultivate equal regard (sama-darśana) by consciously recognizing the same inner Self in self and others during conflict, service, and meditation.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports the antaryāmin motif—one inner ruler present in all bodies—while allowing diversity of embodied modes without compromising unity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Supreme Reality (Para-tattva)
• Dvaitins (dualists)

FAQs

What is the significance of realizing one Atman in all bodies in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse defines true vijñāna as seeing a single, undivided reality present in oneself and others, establishing inner unity as the text’s marker of the highest truth (paramārtha).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the error of a purely dualistic outlook here?

He states that those who treat duality as ultimate are a-tattva-darśin—unable to perceive the real—because they miss the single essence that underlies apparent difference.

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

In the Vishnu Purana’s framework, the one reality recognized through vijñāna aligns with Vishnu as the supreme ground of being; perceiving unity is thus a way of seeing the Lord’s all-pervasive sovereignty.