Shloka 101

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

धर्मध्रुवाद्यास् तिष्ठन्ति यत्र ते लोकसाक्षिणः तत्सार्ष्ट्योत्पन्नयोगेद्धास् तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम्

Transliteration

dharmadhruvādyās tiṣṭhanti yatra te lokasākṣiṇaḥ tatsārṣṭyotpannayogeddhās tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam

Translation

That is Vishnu’s supreme station, where Dharma, Dhruva, and the rest abide as witnesses of the worlds; and where the perfected ones, awakened by yoga born of sharing in that divine sovereignty, stand firmly established.

Word by Word

• धर्मध्रुवाद्याः: Dharma-dhruva and others
• धर्मध्रुवाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मध्रुव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धर्मध्रुवादयः = धर्मध्रुव-आदि-समूहः)

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/abide
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक (relative adverb: 'where')

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोकसाक्षिणः: witnesses of the worlds
• लोकसाक्षिणः: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य साक्षिणः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya (Correlative/तद्-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सार्ष्ट्य: (state of) equal lordship
• सार्ष्ट्य: Hetu/Upapada (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्ष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (भाववाचक), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• उत्पन्न: arisen
• उत्पन्न: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु) → उत्पन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'arisen/produced'

• योग: in yoga/union
• योग: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (समासार्थे—'in/through yoga')

• इद्धाः: illumined
• इद्धाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्ध् (धातु) → इद्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'kindled/illumined'

• तद्: that
• तद्: Visheshya (Correlative/तद्-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पदम्: abode/state
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu’s parama-pada is the transcendent realm attained by perfected beings through yoga that culminates in participation in divine sovereignty (sārṣṭi).

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate steady devotion and contemplative discipline aimed at God-realization rather than transient worldly attainments.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is communion with the personal Supreme (Viṣṇu) in His supreme abode, while individual selves remain distinct participants in His lordship (sārṣṭi).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Dharma
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the significance of Dhruva in the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology?

This verse presents Dhruva as an enduring cosmic witness (loka-sākṣin), stationed in a supreme realm associated with Vishnu, emphasizing stability and divine order within the universe.

How does Sage Parāśara explain liberation here—what is sārṣṭi?

Parāśara hints that perfected beings attain an exalted state through yoga connected with sārṣṭi—participation in Vishnu’s divine sovereignty—framing liberation as nearness and share in the Lord’s glory rather than mere dissolution.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as the Supreme Reality whose “parama padam” is the ultimate abode; cosmic law (Dharma) and exemplary devotees like Dhruva are portrayed as established there under Vishnu’s transcendent sovereignty.