Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

वैष्णवो ऽंशः परः सूर्यो यो ऽन्तर्ज्योतिर् असंप्लवम् अभिधायक ओंकारस् तस्य स प्रेरकः परः

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavo 'ṃśaḥ paraḥ sūryo yo 'ntarjyotir asaṃplavam abhidhāyaka oṃkāras tasya sa prerakaḥ paraḥ

Translation

That Supreme Sun is the Vaishnava portion itself—the imperishable inner Light that never sinks beneath the flood of change. The syllable Oṃ is the name that denotes Him; and He, the Supreme, is the One who impels even that sacred utterance.

Word by Word

• वैष्णवः: of Vishnu; Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (अंशः/सूर्यः)

• अंशः: portion; part
• अंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परः: supreme; highest
• परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (सूर्यः)

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (अंशः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अन्तर्ज्योतिः: inner light
• अन्तर्ज्योतिः: Karma/Predicate (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antar (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'inner light'

• असंप्लवम्: unfailing; not subject to decline
• असंप्लवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + saṃplava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्तर्ज्योतिः)

• अभिधायकः: denoting; expressing
• अभिधायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-√dhā (धातु) + -aka (प्रत्यय) / abhidhāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (ओंकारः) — 'denoter/expressor'

• ओंकारः: Oṃkāra
• ओंकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रेरकः: impeller; instigator
• प्रेरकः: Predicate (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preraka (प्रातिपदिक; from causative √īr/√prī?)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रेरकः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The Sun as Vaiṣṇava aṃśa (portion) and Oṃ as His denotative name; the Lord as the ultimate impeller of mantra

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Sun’s supreme radiance is a Vaiṣṇava emanation, while the imperishable inner Light is ultimately the Lord who even impels the utterance of Oṃ.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Contemplate the ‘inner light’ as the Lord’s presence guiding cognition and conscience; let mantra-practice be grounded in surrender rather than mere technique.

Vishishtadvaita: Strong antaryāmin logic: the Lord is the inner controller (impeller) of both cosmic luminaries and the practitioner’s speech—immanent yet supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Surya (as the Supreme Sun principle)
• Om (Omkara)

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘inner light’ (antarjyotis) in the Vishnu Purana?

Here it identifies the Supreme as the unfailing Light within all beings—transcendent, not drowned by worldly change—pointing to Vishnu as the indwelling, sustaining reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Om (Oṃkāra) in this context?

Parāśara presents Oṃ as the sacred designator of the Supreme; yet the Supreme Vishnu is described as the ultimate impeller behind even that mantra’s power and utterance.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as Para—the supreme principle—both the cosmic ‘Sun’ of consciousness and the sovereign source that empowers sacred sound (Oṃ), aligning with Vaishnava Vedanta’s emphasis on a personal-yet-transcendent Absolute.