Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

निरवद्यः परः शान्तो निरधिष्ठो ऽक्षरः क्रमः सर्वेश्वर पराधार धाम्नां धामात्मको ऽक्षयः

Transliteration

niravadyaḥ paraḥ śānto niradhiṣṭho 'kṣaraḥ kramaḥ sarveśvara parādhāra dhāmnāṃ dhāmātmako 'kṣayaḥ

Translation

He is flawless, supreme, and tranquil; without any governing superior, the imperishable ground of all orderly succession. The Lord of all, the highest support, He is the very essence of every abode—Himself the ultimate Abode—unchanging and undecaying.

Word by Word

• niravadyaḥ: faultless
• niravadyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-avadya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (nir = without; avadya = fault)

• paraḥ: supreme, beyond
• paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śāntaḥ: peaceful, tranquil
• śāntaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त (शम् धातोः क्त)

• niradhiṣṭhaḥ: without a support/seat
• niradhiṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-adhisṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (without support/abode)

• akṣaraḥ: imperishable
• akṣaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समास (imperishable)

• kramaḥ: order, succession
• kramaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sarveśvara: O Lord of all
• sarveśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (sarveṣām īśvaraḥ)

• parādhāra: O supreme support
• parādhāra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ādhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (paraḥ ādhāraḥ = supreme support)

• dhāmnām: of abodes/lights
• dhāmnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• dhāma-ātmakaḥ: whose essence is (the) abode/light
• dhāma-ātmakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhāman (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (dhāma-svarūpaḥ = consisting of/being the essence of abode/light)

• akṣayaḥ: inexhaustible
• akṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समास (inexhaustible)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya, in an opening eulogy/invocation describing the Supreme Vishnu)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The Lord as the imperishable support of all abodes and the ground of cosmic order (krama).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is flawless and supreme, dependent on none, the imperishable basis of orderly cosmic succession and the ultimate support and essence of all abodes.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: When facing change, recollect the unchanging support behind all stages of life and worship that steady ground through remembrance and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: ‘Dhāmnāṃ dhāma’ aligns with the Lord as both the transcendent abode (Vaikuṇṭha) and the sustaining inner reality of all lokas, consistent with qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (as the Supreme Lord/Para Brahman)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu “niradhiṣṭha” (without a superior) in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu’s absolute sovereignty: He is not governed by any higher principle, making Him the ultimate ground of reality and authority in the text’s theology.

How does Sage Parāśara explain “krama” (order/sequence) in relation to Vishnu here?

By naming Vishnu as “akṣaraḥ kramaḥ,” Parāśara presents Him as the imperishable basis behind all structured processes—cosmic cycles, causation, and the intelligible order of the universe.

What is the theological importance of describing Vishnu as “dhāmnāṃ dhāma” (the abode of abodes)?

It frames Vishnu as the final refuge and the metaphysical ‘home’ of all realms—supporting the Vaishnava view that liberation culminates in dependence on and nearness to the Supreme Lord.