Shloka 25

लोकसंस्थानम्, ग्रहदूरी-प्रमाणम्, ब्रह्माण्डावरणानि, विष्णोः जगत्कारणत्वम्

Devanagari script

महान्तं च समावृत्य प्रधानं समवस्थितम् अनन्तस्य न तस्यान्तः संख्यानं वापि विद्यते

Transliteration

mahāntaṃ ca samāvṛtya pradhānaṃ samavasthitam anantasya na tasyāntaḥ saṃkhyānaṃ vāpi vidyate

Translation

Pradhāna, the primordial unmanifest, abides—enfolding even Mahat. But of the Infinite, Ananta, there is no limit; neither His measure nor any counting of Him can ever be known.

Word by Word

• mahāntam: the Mahat (Great principle)
• mahāntam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• samāvṛtya: having covered/enveloped
• samāvṛtya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + vṛ (धातु) + lyap (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), √वृ (to cover) उपसर्गः सम्+आ

• pradhānam: the Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• pradhānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samavasthitam: situated/established
• samavasthitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ava + sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; √स्था (to stand) उपसर्गः सम्+अव

• anantasya: of the Infinite
• anantasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• tasya: of it/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• antaḥ: end/limit
• antaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• saṃkhyānam: counting/numbering
• saṃkhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; √विद् (to be found/exist)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: What lies beyond Mahat and how the unmanifest relates to the Infinite (Ananta/Vishnu)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even Pradhāna that envelops Mahat is still finite in principle, whereas Ananta (the Infinite Lord) is beyond limit and measure.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Shift meditation from measurable phenomena—even subtle principles—to the immeasurable divine ground beyond conceptual counting.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord as infinite and transcendent over Prakṛti while remaining its sovereign cause.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Ananta

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradhāna and Mahat in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse places Pradhāna as the unmanifest ground that can even envelop Mahat, framing creation as emerging from subtle cosmic principles while still being subordinate to the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Infinite (Ananta) here?

Parāśara emphasizes that the Infinite cannot be bounded by an “end” or captured by numerical measure, indicating a transcendent reality beyond cosmological categories.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

By identifying the Supreme as Ananta—beyond limit and enumeration—the verse underscores Vishnu’s absolute sovereignty over all principles of manifestation, supporting a Vaishnava view of the ultimate Reality as immeasurable and supreme.