Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ध्रुवम् एकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ओम् इत्य् एवं व्यवस्थितम् बृहत्वाद् बृंहणत्वाच् च तद् ब्रह्मेत्य् अभिधीयते

Transliteration

dhruvam ekākṣaraṃ brahma om ity evaṃ vyavasthitam bṛhatvād bṛṃhaṇatvāc ca tad brahmety abhidhīyate

Translation

The Imperishable Reality is the one-syllabled Brahman, established as “Oṁ”. And because It is vast in greatness and makes all things expand and grow, It is spoken of as “Brahman”.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवम्: fixed/constant
• ध्रुवम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (here predicative)

• एकाक्षरम्: one-syllabled
• एकाक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थ: एकम् अक्षरम् यस्य (one-syllabled)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ओम्: Om
• ओम्: Pratipadya-nama (Appositive name)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओम् (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रणव-शब्द (sacred syllable)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-suchaka (Quotative/इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणार्थक (quotative)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक (adverb: 'thus/in this manner')

• व्यवस्थितम्: established/settled
• व्यवस्थितम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (with ब्रह्म)

• बृहत्वात्: because of greatness
• बृहत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• बृंहणत्वात्: because of (its) expanding/nourishing nature
• बृंहणत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृंहणत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (as predicate)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-suchaka (Quotative/इत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणार्थक (quotative)

• अभिधीयते: is called
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of Brahman as the imperishable ekākṣara ‘Oṁ’ and why it is called Brahman

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahman is the imperishable one-syllable Oṁ, called ‘Brahman’ because it is supremely vast and the principle by which all grows and expands.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use Oṁ-japa with contemplative inquiry into the Lord as the all-pervading ground of being, letting the mind rest in the imperishable.

Vishishtadvaita: Interpretable as the Supreme (Nārāyaṇa) who is both transcendent (dhruva/akṣara) and the inner cause of cosmic ‘expansion’—the world as His mode (prakāra).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Om (Pranava)

FAQs

What is the significance of Om (Pranava) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Oṁ as the one-syllabled expression of the imperishable Brahman, a concise sonic designation for the Supreme Reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain why it is called “Brahman”?

He derives the name from two ideas: Brahman is “vast/great” (bṛhat) and it “expands or nourishes” all existence (bṛṁhaṇa), hence it is called Brahman.

What is the theological importance of the Supreme Reality in this context?

The verse frames the Supreme as unchanging and foundational, with Oṁ as its established sign—supporting a Vaishnava-Vedantic view of ultimate sovereignty behind cosmic order.