Shloka 26

वेदव्यास-परम्परा तथा प्रणव-ब्रह्म-स्तुति

Devanagari script

सांख्यज्ञानवतां निष्ठा गतिः शमदमात्मनाम् यत् तद् अव्यक्तम् अमृतं प्रवृत्तिर् ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

sāṃkhyajñānavatāṃ niṣṭhā gatiḥ śamadamātmanām yat tad avyaktam amṛtaṃ pravṛttir brahma śāśvatam

Translation

That Reality is the steadfast culmination of those endowed with Sāṅkhya-knowledge, the final refuge of souls disciplined by tranquility and self-restraint—That is the Unmanifest: deathless, the ever-flowing ground of all manifestation, the eternal Brahman.

Word by Word

• सांख्य-ज्ञान-वताम्: of those possessing Sāṃkhya knowledge
• सांख्य-ज्ञान-वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सांख्यज्ञानं यस्य सः—वत्), तेषाम्

• निष्ठा: steadfastness, final resort
• निष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• गतिः: goal, refuge
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शम-दम-आत्मनाम्: of those whose nature is tranquility and self-control
• शम-दम-आत्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक) + दम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (शमदमौ यस्य आत्मा/स्वभावः—शमदमात्मन्), तेषाम्

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देश (correlative)

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अमृतम्: deathless, immortal
• अमृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रवृत्तिः: activity, manifestation
• प्रवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Definition of the unmanifest (avyakta) as the deathless ground and the telos of sāṃkhya-knowledge and self-discipline

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The unmanifest, deathless, eternal Brahman is the final resort of the tranquil and self-restrained and the culmination sought by sāṃkhya-based discernment.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate śama and dama (calm and restraint) and pair discernment with steady remembrance to orient life toward the imperishable ground.

Vishishtadvaita: Even when described as avyakta, the Supreme remains the sustaining ground of manifestation—supporting a qualified non-dual view of world as real dependence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the significance of Avyakta (the Unmanifest) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Avyakta as the deathless, eternal Brahman—the ultimate goal of realized knowledge and disciplined spiritual life, and the ground from which manifestation proceeds.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the spiritual qualifications for realizing the highest truth?

He links realization with sāṅkhya-jñāna (discriminative insight) and inner discipline—śama (tranquility) and dama (self-restraint)—which together lead to the final gati, the supreme refuge.

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

In the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava Vedānta framing, the eternal Brahman described here is ultimately identified with Vishnu as the Supreme Reality—immortal, foundational, and the source of cosmic manifestation.