Shloka 27

नग्न-परिभाषा तथा देव-स्तोत्रपूर्वक मायामोह-उत्पत्ति

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

Devanagari script

प्रवृत्त्या रजसो यच् च कर्मणां कारणात्मकम् जनार्दन नमस् तस्मै त्वद्रूपाय नरात्मने

Transliteration

pravṛttyā rajaso yac ca karmaṇāṃ kāraṇātmakam janārdana namas tasmai tvadrūpāya narātmane

Translation

Salutations to You, Janārdana, in Your form as the human inner Self: through the outward-driving force of rajas You become the causal essence of actions and set embodied beings into activity.

Word by Word

• प्रवृत्त्या: by/through activity
• प्रवृत्त्या: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Feminine, Instrumental Singular)

• रजसः: of rajas (the passion quality)
• रजसः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Neuter, Genitive Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कर्मणाम्: of actions
• कर्मणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (Neuter, Genitive Plural)

• कारणात्मकम्: having the nature of a cause
• कारणात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular)

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana
• जनार्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Masculine, Vocative Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojaka/Formula (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात); दत्तिवाचक-प्रयोगः (used with dative)

• तस्मै: to that (one/form)
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Dative Singular)

• त्वद्रूपाय: to your form
• त्वद्रूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Neuter, Dative Singular)

• नरात्मने: to the man-natured one
• नरात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Masculine, Dative Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Janārdana/Vishnu within his teaching to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Janārdana as the human inner Self who, through rajas, becomes the causal basis of action and worldly engagement

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord as antaryāmin in the human self is the causal ground of actions, activating embodied life through the rājasic drive toward activity.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Observe rajas in daily life (restlessness, compulsion) and redirect action into offering (īśvara-arpana), cultivating sattva through restraint and devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmitva: Vishnu indwells the jīva and empowers agency while remaining the supreme controller—difference-in-unity central to Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Gunas (Rajas)

FAQs

What is the significance of rajas and pravṛtti in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse links rajas with pravṛtti (outward engagement), portraying it as the impulse that drives beings into action, while affirming Vishnu as the deeper causal ground behind that activity.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cause of karma here?

He frames karma as having a 'kāraṇātmakam' basis—its causal essence ultimately rooted in Janārdana—so actions are not independent but arise under divine sovereignty through the guṇas.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being called nara-ātman (the Self in humans) in this context?

It emphasizes Vishnu as the indwelling Lord (inner Self) present within embodied life, aligning with Vaiṣṇava metaphysics where the Supreme remains immanent while governing karma and cosmic order.