Shloka 90

Devanagari script

समस्तभूताद् अमलाद् अनन्तात् सर्वेश्वराद् अन्यद् अनादिमध्यात् यस्मान् न किंचित् तम् अहं गुरूणां परं गुरुं संश्रयम् एमि विष्णुम्

Transliteration

samastabhūtād amalād anantāt sarveśvarād anyad anādimadhyāt yasmān na kiṃcit tam ahaṃ gurūṇāṃ paraṃ guruṃ saṃśrayam emi viṣṇum

Translation

I take refuge in Vishnu—the supreme Guru of all teachers—who is stainless, infinite, Lord of all, beyond the totality of beings; without beginning or middle; and apart from whom nothing whatsoever exists.

Word by Word

• समस्तभूतात्: from all beings (collectively)
• समस्तभूतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समस्तानि भूतानि)

• अमलात्: from the stainless (one)
• अमलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णोः)

• अनन्तात्: from the infinite
• अनन्तात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वेश्वरात्: from the Lord of all
• सर्वेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् ईश्वरः)

• अन्यत्: other (anything else)
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘किंचित्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अनादिमध्यात्: from the beginningless-and-middleless (one)
• अनादिमध्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (अनादिः च मध्यं च—beginning and middle) / अर्थतः ‘अनादि-अनन्त’ भावः

• यस्मात्: from whom
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• किंचित्: anything at all
• किंचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गुरूणाम्: of teachers
• गुरूणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गुरुम् इति)

• गुरुम्: teacher
• गुरुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• संश्रयम्: refuge, shelter
• संश्रयम्: Gati/Goal (गति/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संश्रय (प्रातिपदिक) < सम् + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of goal)

• एमि: I go, I resort
• एमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya; opening invocation identifying Vishnu as the Supreme Reality)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu alone is the stainless, infinite Lord beyond all beings; as the supreme Guru, He is the sole refuge since nothing exists apart from Him.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Cultivate śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): daily acknowledge dependence on the Lord, offer actions to Him, and seek guidance through śāstra and sādhus as His instruments.

Vishishtadvaita: Strongly asserts Viṣṇu’s absolute supremacy and all-dependence (śeṣa-śeṣin relation): all beings exist as His modes, yet He transcends them—core Viśiṣṭādvaita metaphysics.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of taking refuge (śaraṇāgati) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames the entire Purana as grounded in surrender to Vishnu, declaring him the ultimate shelter and the highest authority (“guru of gurus”) for understanding dharma, creation, and liberation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme Reality here?

By describing Vishnu as amala (spotless), ananta (infinite), sarveśvara (Lord of all), and as that apart from whom nothing exists—placing Vishnu as the transcendent source beyond the manifested totality of beings.

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

Vishnu is presented as the supreme, independent reality and the ultimate cause and ruler; all existence is dependent on him, aligning the Purana’s cosmology with a strongly Vaishnava doctrine of divine sovereignty.