Shloka 12

नग्न-परिभाषा तथा देव-स्तोत्रपूर्वक मायामोह-उत्पत्ति

Defining ‘Nagna’ and the Devas’ Hymn Leading to Māyāmoha

Devanagari script

यतो भूतान्य् अशेषाणि प्रसूतानि महात्मनः यस्मिंश् च लयम् एष्यन्ति कस् तं संस्तोतुम् ईश्वरः

Transliteration

yato bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi prasūtāni mahātmanaḥ yasmiṃś ca layam eṣyanti kas taṃ saṃstotum īśvaraḥ

Translation

From that Great Self all beings, without remainder, are brought forth; and into Him again they pass at dissolution. Who, then, has the power to praise Him as He truly is?

Word by Word

• यतः: from whom/whence
• यतः: Hetu/Apadana (Source/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/सम्बन्धे अव्ययप्रयोगः; indeclinable relative (from whom/whence)

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

• अशेषाणि: all, without remainder
• अशेषाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Adjective agreeing with भूतानि, Neuter Nominative plural

• प्रसूतानि: produced/born forth
• प्रसूतानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रसू (धातु) → प्रसूत (क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Past passive participle, Neuter, Nominative plural

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive singular

• यस्मिन्: in whom
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, Locative singular

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

• लयम्: dissolution
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative singular

• एष्यन्ति: will go/enter
• एष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ + एष्य
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Simple future, 3rd person plural

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Interrogative pronoun, Masculine, Nominative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative singular

• संस्तोतुम्: to praise
• संस्तोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम् + संस्तोतुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive); infinitive of purpose/ability

• ईश्वरः: (is) capable/lord (i.e., who is able?)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative singular (predicate noun)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, in a theological-cosmological reflection)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The hymn’s theological ground: Viṣṇu as the source of emanation and the locus of dissolution, beyond adequate praise.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All beings arise from the Great Self and return to Him at dissolution, rendering Him ultimately beyond complete verbal praise.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Cultivate humility in theology and practice: use prayer as approach, while recognizing the Infinite exceeds concepts and language.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms Viṣṇu as jagat-kāraṇa (material and efficient cause) while remaining supremely transcendent—core to qualified non-dualism’s immanence-with-transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• All beings (bhūtāni)

FAQs

What is the significance of creation and dissolution (sarga and laya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames all existence as emerging from the Supreme (Vishnu as the Great Self) and returning to Him at dissolution, establishing cosmic cycles as expressions of divine sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of praising the Supreme?

By stating that all beings arise from and merge into Him, Parāśara implies the Lord’s nature is so all-encompassing that no finite speaker can fully describe Him.

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

Vishnu is presented as Para Brahman—the ultimate source and final refuge of all beings—supporting a devotional yet metaphysically supreme understanding central to later Vaishnava Vedanta.