Shloka 17
यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्
Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati
क्षितिजलपरमाणवो ऽनिलान्ते पुनर् अपि यान्ति यथैकतां धरित्र्याः सुरपशुमनुजादयस् तथान्ते गुणकलुषेण सनातनेन तेन
kṣitijalaparamāṇavo 'nilānte punar api yānti yathaikatāṃ dharitryāḥ surapaśumanujādayas tathānte guṇakaluṣeṇa sanātanena tena
Just as the minute particles of earth and water, at the end of the wind’s course, again merge into a single unity with the mass of the earth, so too—at the final end—gods, beasts, humans, and the rest are gathered back into oneness by that eternal principle, made manifest through the obscuring impurity of the guṇas.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How multiplicity resolves into unity at the end, and the role of guṇas in manifestation
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Primary
Concept: At dissolution, differentiated beings and elements re-merge into unity under the eternal principle, while guṇas account for the apparent obscuration and variety during manifestation.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Contemplate impermanence and cultivate detachment; use this insight to prioritize liberation-oriented devotion over transient identities.
Vishishtadvaita: Guṇas and prakṛti explain real plurality as modes under the Lord’s governance; the eternal principle gathers all without negating His supremacy.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse frames pralaya as a return to unity: all classes of beings (gods, humans, animals) are re-absorbed, like scattered particles merging back into the earth, emphasizing cosmic order and periodic re-integration.
He indicates that manifestation and its ending occur through guṇa-conditioned reality (guṇa-kaluṣa): the guṇas veil and shape differentiated existence, and their conditioning is integral to how beings return to an undivided state.
Even when not named explicitly, the “eternal principle” (sanātana) aligns with Vishnu as the supreme ground into which multiplicity resolves, supporting Vaishnava metaphysics where all cycles culminate in the Supreme Reality.