Shloka 28
लोकसंस्थानम्, ग्रहदूरी-प्रमाणम्, ब्रह्माण्डावरणानि, विष्णोः जगत्कारणत्वम्
दारुण्य् अग्निर् यथा तैलं तिले तद्वत् पुमान् अपि प्रधाने ऽवस्थितो व्यापी चेतनात्मात्मवेदनः
dāruṇy agnir yathā tailaṃ tile tadvat pumān api pradhāne 'vasthito vyāpī cetanātmātmavedanaḥ
As fire lies hidden in wood and oil abides within the sesame seed, so too does the Puruṣa dwell within Pradhāna: all-pervading, the conscious Self, self-luminous, and knowing itself.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How Puruṣa relates to Pradhāna: immanence, pervasion, and self-luminous consciousness
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: compassionate
Creation Stage: Primary
Concept: As fire in wood and oil in sesame, the conscious Puruṣa pervades Pradhāna as the indwelling, self-aware Self.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Practice inward recollection: seek the divine presence within mind and nature, cultivating steady devotion grounded in inner awareness.
Vishishtadvaita: Strong antaryāmin doctrine: the Lord is immanent within prakṛti and selves as their inner controller while remaining the supreme conscious principle.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
It illustrates that consciousness (Puruṣa) is present within Pradhāna in an unmanifest way—pervasive and real—even when not outwardly visible, supporting the doctrine of an immanent Supreme principle.
He presents Puruṣa as abiding within Pradhāna as the all-pervading, self-knowing conscious Self, indicating that matter’s unfolding is grounded in an indwelling spiritual reality.
Though the verse uses Sāṅkhya terms (Puruṣa/Pradhāna), the Purāṇic framework identifies the supreme, all-pervading conscious principle with Vishnu as Para Brahman—both transcendent and immanent in creation.