Shloka 35

देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्

Devanagari script

द्वे विद्ये त्वम् अनाम्नाय परा चैवापरा तथा त एव भवतो रूपे मूर्तामूर्तात्मिके प्रभो

Transliteration

dve vidye tvam anāmnāya parā caivāparā tathā ta eva bhavato rūpe mūrtāmūrtātmike prabho

Translation

O Lord, You are declared to be the twofold knowledge—higher and lower; and these very two are also Your forms: the manifest and the unmanifest, O Master.

Word by Word

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (of विद्ये)

• विद्ये: knowledges
• विद्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Sambodhyamana/Karta (Addressed subject/सम्बोध्य-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनाम्नाय: O one beyond (ordinary) traditional teaching
• अनाम्नाय: Sambodhyamana (Vocative sense by context/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाम्नाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अनाम्नाय’ = (one) not taught/without traditional recitation (contextual epithet)

• परा: higher
• परा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of विद्या)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• अपरा: lower
• अपरा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of विद्या)

• तथा: likewise, thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक (thus/likewise)

• ते: those two
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘those (two)’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• भवतः: of you, your
• भवतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थक-प्रयोग (honorific ‘your’)

• रूपे: forms
• रूपे: Karta/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘two forms’

• मूर्तामूर्तात्मिके: consisting of the manifest and the unmanifest
• मूर्तामूर्तात्मिके: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त + अमूर्त + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (of रूपे); मूर्त-अमूर्त (manifest-unmanifest) + आत्मिक (consisting in)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is identified with both higher and lower knowledge, corresponding to His unmanifest and manifest modes—transcendent yet expressed as the entire field of knowing.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Integrate scriptural study (apara) with contemplative realization (para), treating both as sacred avenues that culminate in God-centered understanding.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is both nirguṇa in transcendence (mūrta/amūrta framing as unmanifest/manifest) and saguna in real manifestation—supporting a qualified non-dual unity of God and world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of para and apara vidya in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu as the foundation of both higher (spiritual, liberating) knowledge and lower (worldly/ritual, descriptive) knowledge, showing that all valid knowing ultimately rests in the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the manifest and unmanifest aspects of the Divine?

By equating para–apara vidya with mūrta–amūrta forms, Parāśara frames Vishnu as simultaneously accessible through names and forms in the cosmos and yet transcendent beyond all form.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality who encompasses both the immanent world (manifest) and the transcendent principle (unmanifest), aligning Vaishnava theology with a unified source of creation and liberation.