Shloka 45

नग्न-परिभाषा तथा देव-स्तोत्रपूर्वक मायामोह-उत्पत्ति

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

Devanagari script

इत्य् उक्ताः प्रणिपत्यैनं ययुर् देवा यथागतम् मायामोहो ऽपि तैः सार्धं ययौ यत्र महासुराः

Transliteration

ity uktāḥ praṇipatyainaṃ yayur devā yathāgatam māyāmoho 'pi taiḥ sārdhaṃ yayau yatra mahāsurāḥ

Translation

Thus instructed, the gods bowed down to him and departed, returning by the very way they had come. And Māyāmoha too went along with them to the place where the mighty Asuras were, so that, by the Lord’s ordained delusion, their power might be turned away from the true order of dharma.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्ताः: having been addressed/told
• उक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘having been told’

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नि + √पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having bowed down’

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ययुः: went
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• आगतम्: as they had come
• आगतम्: Gati (Manner of motion/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ + √गम् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative adverbial) ‘as (they had) come’

• मायामोहः: Māyāmoha
• मायामोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (also/even)

• तैः: with them / by them
• तैः: Sahakaraka (Instrumental/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• महासुराः: the great Asuras
• महासुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः असुराः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: What happened after the gods received instruction, and how Māyāmoha was deployed against the Asuras.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s ordinance can employ even delusion as an instrument to redirect adharmic power away from the true order.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Recognize that not every persuasive doctrine is truth; cultivate discernment (viveka) and align with tested dharmic sources.

Vishishtadvaita: Even māyā/delusion operates as a dependent śakti under the supreme Lord, serving the protection of the world-order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Māyāmoha
• Asuras (Mahāsuras)

FAQs

What is the significance of Māyāmoha in the Vishnu Purana?

Māyāmoha represents divinely sanctioned delusion used to redirect the Asuras away from dharma, allowing cosmic balance to be restored under Vishnu’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of māyā in this episode?

Parāśara presents māyā as an instrument within the divine order: it can veil discernment when beings oppose dharma, showing that cosmic governance operates through both revelation and concealment.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the episode assumes his supreme governance: the gods act under higher command, and māyā functions as a means by which the Supreme Reality preserves dharma and universal order.