Shloka 28

नग्न-परिभाषा तथा देव-स्तोत्रपूर्वक मायामोह-उत्पत्ति

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

Devanagari script

अष्टाविंशद्वधोपेतं यद् रूपं तामसं तव उन्मार्गगामि सर्वात्मंस् तस्मै पश्वात्मने नमः

Transliteration

aṣṭāviṃśadvadhopetaṃ yad rūpaṃ tāmasaṃ tava unmārgagāmi sarvātmaṃs tasmai paśvātmane namaḥ

Translation

O All-Indwelling Self, salutations to that Tamas-born form of Yours, endowed with the twenty-eight powers of destruction, moving upon the trackless way; to that Lord who abides as the very soul even in beasts, I bow.

Word by Word

• अष्टाविंशद्वधोपेतम्: endowed with twenty-eight slayings (destructive acts)
• अष्टाविंशद्वधोपेतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टाविंशत् (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (कृदन्त, √इ (धातु) उपसर्ग-उप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणरूपेण; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टाविंशद्वधैः उपेतम् = endowed with twenty-eight slayings)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma/Pradhana (Object/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तामसम्: tamasic, dark
• तामसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उन्मार्गगामि: going on a wrong path, aberrant
• उन्मार्गगामि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् (धातु) + इन् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (उन्मार्गं गच्छति इति)

• सर्वात्मन्: O all-self (all-pervading one)
• सर्वात्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वः आत्मा यस्य/सर्वात्मा)

• तस्मै: to him/that (one)
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पश्वात्मने: to the soul of beasts (animal-self)
• पश्वात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पशूनाम् आत्मा/पश्वात्मा)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Vishnu while teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of the Supreme as the indwelling Self across all states of being and guṇas

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is the Sarvātman who pervades even tamasic and animal embodiments, transcending ordinary paths and categories.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice equal regard and compassion toward all beings while sustaining inward remembrance of the indwelling Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin-pervasion: all sentient and insentient forms are His modes while He remains the inner ruler.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu being called 'Sarvātman' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse emphasizes Vishnu as the inner Self of all beings, grounding the Purana’s theology that the Supreme pervades and sustains every life-form, not merely the divine realms.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of tamas in relation to Vishnu?

Here tamas is presented as one of Vishnu’s functional modes—linked with restraint, dissolution, and destructive power—showing that even cosmic ending and limitation operate under the Supreme’s sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being 'paśvātman' (indweller of beasts) in this context?

It asserts Vishnu’s absolute immanence: the same Supreme Reality resides in all creatures, reinforcing a devotional and metaphysical vision where no realm of existence lies outside Vishnu.