Shloka 54

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

भूतानि सर्वाणि तथान्नम् एतद् अहं च विष्णुर् न यतो ऽन्यद् अस्ति तस्माद् अहं भूतनिकायभूतम् अन्नं प्रयच्छामि भवाय तेषाम्

Transliteration

bhūtāni sarvāṇi tathānnam etad ahaṃ ca viṣṇur na yato 'nyad asti tasmād ahaṃ bhūtanikāyabhūtam annaṃ prayacchāmi bhavāya teṣām

Translation

All beings, and this food as well—indeed I am Viṣṇu, for there exists nothing apart from Him. Therefore, becoming the very aggregate of beings, I bestow food upon them for their continuance and well-being.

Word by Word

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतानि)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्नम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/from which')

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः (ablative used adverbially) हेत्वर्थे; पञ्चमी-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूतनिकायभूतम्: pertaining to the multitude of beings
• भूतनिकायभूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत + निकाय + भूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूत-निकायस्य भूतम् = 'belonging to/constituting the host of beings'); विशेषणम् (अन्नम्)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रयच्छामि: I bestow
• प्रयच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भवाय: for the welfare
• भवाय: Sampradana/Purpose (Recipient-Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for welfare/existence)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The metaphysical basis for universal compassion: non-duality of all beings and food with Viṣṇu

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All beings and even food are not separate from Viṣṇu; as the indwelling Lord and cosmic body, He nourishes beings through the giver.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Before eating or giving, mentally offer the food to Viṣṇu and view feeding others as worship (seva), reducing ego and cultivating reverence.

Vishishtadvaita: Explicit śarīra–śarīrī insight: the Lord is the inner controller (antaryāmin) and the universe of beings is His body, enabling qualified non-dualism rather than sheer identity-collapse.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• All beings (bhūtāni)
• Food (anna)

FAQs

What is the significance of food (anna) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

Food is presented as a divine mode of preservation: the same Supreme (Viṣṇu) becomes nourishment and grants it so beings can continue to exist.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between beings and Viṣṇu here?

Parāśara frames beings and their sustenance as not separate from Viṣṇu—nothing exists independently—so the Lord is both immanent in the world and the giver who sustains it.

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

Viṣṇu is affirmed as the Supreme Reality and sustaining power: the cosmos lives by His presence, and preservation operates through His own manifestation as nourishment.