Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

ततः प्रयाति भगवान् ब्राह्मणैर् अभिरक्षितः वालखिल्यादिभिश् चैव जगतः पालनोद्यतः

Transliteration

tataḥ prayāti bhagavān brāhmaṇair abhirakṣitaḥ vālakhilyādibhiś caiva jagataḥ pālanodyataḥ

Translation

Thereafter the Blessed Lord proceeds forth—guarded and attended by the Brahman-sages, by the Vālakhilyas and others—fully intent upon the protection and righteous governance of the world.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: देश/काल-अधिकरण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम्; Ablatival adverb ‘then/from there’

• प्रयाति: goes forth/proceeds
• प्रयाति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Present 3sg

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Nom sg

• ब्राह्मणैः: by the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: करण (Instrument/Agent-associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Instrumental plural

• अभिरक्षितः: protected
• अभिरक्षितः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-रक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; PPP ‘protected’

• वालखिल्यादिभिः: by the Vālakhilyas and others
• वालखिल्यादिभिः: करण (Instrument/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘by Vālakhilyas and others’, Instr pl

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; Conjunction

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्; Emphatic particle

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Genitive singular

• पालनोद्यतः: intent on protecting
• पालनोद्यतः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘intent on protection’, Nom sg qualifying ‘भगवान्’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Sun is protected and proceeds for the world’s maintenance; role of sages and ritual power.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic governance (jagat-pālana) is sustained by divine agency working in concert with brahmarṣi power and disciplined worship.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Support social and inner order through steady practice, learning, and service; align personal routine with dharmic rhythms rather than impulse.

Vishishtadvaita: Cooperation of the Lord’s cosmic function with dependent beings (sages) illustrates śeṣa–śeṣi relation: all powers serve the divine administration.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahmanas
• Vālakhilya sages
• Sages (ṛṣis)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Vālakhilya sages in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the Vālakhilyas as exemplary ascetics who accompany and safeguard the Lord’s world-sustaining activity, symbolizing the power of tapas and dharma aligned with divine governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain universal order through this verse?

Parāśara depicts cosmic order as a joint reality: Vishnu as the supreme sustainer who actively protects the world, and the Brahmanical sages as attendants whose sanctity and discipline support that protection.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is shown as Bhagavān whose essential function is pālana—preserving the cosmos—affirming him as the Supreme Reality who upholds creation through sovereign yet dharma-saturated rule.