Shloka 64

वंशस्मरण-फलम्, वैशालिका-प्रसङ्गः, रेवती-बलदेव-विवाहः, विष्णु-परतत्त्व-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

शक्रादिरूपी परिपाति विश्वम् अर्केन्दुरूपश् च तमो हिनस्ति पाकाय यो ऽग्नित्वम् उपेत्य लोकान् बिभर्ति पृथ्वीवपुर् अव्ययात्मा

Transliteration

śakrādirūpī paripāti viśvam arkendurūpaś ca tamo hinasti pākāya yo 'gnitvam upetya lokān bibharti pṛthvīvapur avyayātmā

Translation

Assuming the form of Śakra and the other gods, He protects the universe; as Sun and Moon, He dispels darkness. For the ripening of beings, He becomes Fire and sustains the worlds; and taking the very body of Earth, the imperishable Self upholds all that lives.

Word by Word

• शक्र: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• आदि: and others
• आदि: Sambandha (Etc.-marker within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन; ‘etc.’

• रूपी: having the form
• रूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having the form of’

• शक्रादिरूपी: appearing as Indra and others
• शक्रादिरूपी: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र + आदि + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: ‘शक्रादीनां रूपी’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परिपाति: protects/guards
• परिपाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अर्क: sun
• अर्क: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• इन्दु: moon
• इन्दु: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• रूपः: form
• रूपः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासोत्तरपदत्वेन

• अर्केन्दुरूपः: in the form of sun and moon
• अर्केन्दुरूपः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क + इन्दु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: ‘अर्केन्द्वोः रूपः/रूपी’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हिनस्ति: destroys
• हिनस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पाकाय: for cooking/ripening
• पाकाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (dative: for cooking/ripening)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अग्नित्वम्: the state of fire
• अग्नित्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-त्वान्त (state of being fire)

• उपेत्य: having assumed
• उपेत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having attained/assumed’

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• बिभर्ति: supports/bears
• बिभर्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पृथ्वी: earth
• पृथ्वी: Sambandha (Relation within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन

• वपुः: body/form
• वपुः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहौ उत्तरपदत्वेन

• पृथ्वीवपुः: whose form is the earth
• पृथ्वीवपुः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथ्वी + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः: ‘पृथ्वीवपुः यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अव्यय: imperishable
• अव्यय: Sambandha (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदत्वेन; ‘imperishable’

• आत्मा: self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहौ उत्तरपदत्वेन

• अव्ययात्मा: whose self is imperishable
• अव्ययात्मा: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः: ‘अव्यय आत्मा यस्य सः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Demonstrating the Lord’s immanence as devas, luminaries, fire, and earth sustaining the worlds and living beings.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Narayana protects as Indra and the gods, illumines as sun and moon, ripens life as fire, and bears beings as the very body of earth, remaining the imperishable Self.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice reverence toward nature’s sustaining powers (sun, fire, earth) as modes of the divine, fostering gratitude and dharmic stewardship.

Vishishtadvaita: The world and its sustaining deities are real, divine-supported modes (prakāra) of the imperishable Self, grounding devotion through cosmic immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Śakra (Indra)
• Sun (Arka/Sūrya)
• Moon (Indu/Candra)
• Agni (Fire)
• Pṛthvī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu taking the forms of Indra, Sun, Moon, Fire, and Earth in the Vishnu Purana?

It teaches divine immanence: the Supreme Vishnu operates the cosmos through the powers and offices of deities and elements, sustaining order, light, nourishment, and stability.

How does Sage Parāśara explain universal order in this verse?

Parāśara describes a functional theology: Vishnu protects as the gods, dispels darkness as Sun and Moon, ripens and sustains life as Fire, and bears all beings as Earth—one Lord expressed as many cosmic roles.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here for Vaishnava philosophy?

Vishnu is presented as the avyayātmā, the imperishable Supreme Reality, whose manifestations govern the universe—supporting a Vaishnava view where all cosmic powers depend on Him.