Shloka 20

लोकसंस्थानम्, ग्रहदूरी-प्रमाणम्, ब्रह्माण्डावरणानि, विष्णोः जगत्कारणत्वम्

Devanagari script

कृतकाकृतयोर् मध्ये महर्लोक इति स्मृतः शून्यो भवति कल्पान्ते यो ऽत्यन्तं न विनश्यति

Transliteration

kṛtakākṛtayor madhye maharloka iti smṛtaḥ śūnyo bhavati kalpānte yo 'tyantaṃ na vinaśyati

Translation

Between the kṛtaka and the akṛtaka is the region remembered as Maharloka; at the end of a kalpa it becomes empty, yet it is not utterly destroyed.

Word by Word

• कृतकाकृतयोः: of the created and the uncreated
• कृतकाकृतयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतक + अकृतक (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (कृतकं च अकृतकं च)

• मध्ये: in the middle, between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महर्लोकः: Maharloka
• महर्लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्लोक (प्रातिपदिक; महर् + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महरः लोकः)

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थक-निदर्शक (quotative particle)

• स्मृतः: is known/remembered (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ("is called/remembered")

• शून्यः: empty, void
• शून्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कल्पान्ते: at the end of a kalpa
• कल्पान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पान्त (प्रातिपदिक; कल्प + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कल्पस्य अन्ते)

• यः: which/who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अत्यन्तम्: completely, utterly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• विनश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• विनश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Placement and fate of Maharloka between kṛtaka and akṛtaka realms at the end of a kalpa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: clarifying

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Maharloka functions as an intermediate stratum: at the kalpa’s end it becomes vacant, indicating a partial dissolution without absolute annihilation.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Reflect on impermanence even in exalted states; use it to intensify sādhana aimed at what is truly enduring—service to the Lord and liberation.

Vishishtadvaita: Distinguishing vacating/withdrawal from total non-being aligns with the Lord’s governance: worlds are retracted into Him without negating His real, ordered manifestation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maharloka

FAQs

What is the significance of Maharloka in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse marks Maharloka as an intermediate realm that becomes vacant at the end of a kalpa, indicating its participation in periodic dissolution while not being totally annihilated.

How does Sage Parāśara explain what happens at the end of a kalpa?

He distinguishes between realms that become empty during the kalpa’s end and the notion of absolute destruction, emphasizing graded, cyclical pralaya rather than a single uniform end.

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

The teaching supports a Vaishnava view of cosmic order: the universe undergoes regulated cycles of manifestation and withdrawal under the supreme sovereignty of Vishnu, rather than random or final extinction.