Shloka 23
ऋभु–निदाघ-संवादः—अद्वैत-उपदेशः, समता, वासुदेव-स्वरूप-एकत्वम्
क्व निवासस् तवेत्य् उक्तं क्व गन्तासि च यत् त्वया कुतश् चागम्यते तत्र त्रितये ऽपि निबोध मे
kva nivāsas tavety uktaṃ kva gantāsi ca yat tvayā kutaś cāgamyate tatra tritaye 'pi nibodha me
You have spoken of “where Your dwelling is,” and also of “where You go.” Tell me too—from where do You come to that place? In these three—abode, departure, and arrival—make me understand the truth.
Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara about the Supreme Lord’s transcendence)
Speaker: Maitreya
Topic: Clarification of the Supreme Person’s ‘abode’, ‘going’, and ‘coming’: how to understand divine movement and location.
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: inquiring
Concept: The disciple probes the apparent paradox of a Supreme Being described with ‘dwelling’, ‘departure’, and ‘arrival’, seeking a non-literal, metaphysical understanding.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: When scriptures speak anthropomorphically, interpret ‘place’ and ‘movement’ as modes of manifestation and relation, not physical limitation.
Vishishtadvaita: Invites the distinction between Bhagavān’s transcendence (not spatially confined) and His gracious accessibility (manifest ‘abodes’ for devotees).
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It probes whether the Supreme can be limited by space and movement, preparing the teaching that the Lord’s presence is not confined like a worldly being’s.
In this dialogue frame, Maitreya’s threefold question invites Parāśara to clarify that divine ‘going’ and ‘coming’ are figurative—expressing manifestation and withdrawal rather than physical relocation.
Vishnu is approached as the Supreme Reality whose sovereignty transcends ordinary spatial categories, aligning cosmology with devotional philosophy: the Lord pervades all while remaining beyond all.