Shloka 1

Devanagari script

तारामयं भगवतः शिशुमाराकृति प्रभोः दिवि रूपं हरेर् यत् तु तस्य पुच्छे स्थितो ध्रुवः

Transliteration

tārāmayaṃ bhagavataḥ śiśumārākṛti prabhoḥ divi rūpaṃ harer yat tu tasya pucche sthito dhruvaḥ

Translation

In heaven shines the Lord Hari’s star-woven form, shaped as the Śiśumāra; upon the tip of its tail stands Dhruva, fixed and unmoving.

Word by Word

• तारामयम्: made of stars; starry
• तारामयम्: Modifier of Karma/Predicate (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित) → तारामय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; रूपम्-विशेषण

• भगवतः: of the Lord
• भगवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• शिशुमाराकृति: the form of a śiśumāra (porpoise/dolphin-like)
• शिशुमाराकृति: Apposition/Descriptor (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुमार (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिशुमारस्य आकृतिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; रूपम्-समनाधिकरण

• प्रभोः: of the master
• प्रभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• दिवि: in heaven; in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karta/Predicate (विषय/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Vishnu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Relative (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेष/विरोधार्थ (indeed/but)

• तस्य: of it/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पुच्छे: in the tail
• पुच्छे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्थितः: situated
• स्थितः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ध्रुवः-विशेषण

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva (Pole Star)
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Astral/cosmic mapping: the Śiśumāra form of Hari and Dhruva’s fixed position in the heavens.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The heavens are envisioned as the star-bodied form of Hari (Śiśumāra), with Dhruva fixed as a cosmic pivot within divine order.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate cosmic order as sacred—using night-sky meditation to cultivate steadiness and remembrance of the Lord as the support of all systems.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is the Lord’s body (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva): celestial structures are real, ordered modes dependent on Hari as their inner ruler and ground.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Śiśumāra (celestial constellation form)
• Dhruva (Pole Star)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Śiśumāra form in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents the starry heavens as a sacred body of Hari, mapping cosmic order onto a divine form to emphasize that the universe is upheld and intelligible through Vishnu’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Dhruva’s position in the cosmos?

Parāśara describes Dhruva as stationed at the tail of the celestial Śiśumāra-form of Hari, indicating Dhruva’s fixedness as the stabilizing point around which the heavens appear to revolve.

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

Vishnu is not merely within the cosmos but revealed as its very celestial form and ruler—making cosmic structure a manifestation of the Supreme Reality rather than an independent mechanism.