Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

सूक्ष्मातिसूक्ष्मातिबृहत्प्रमाण गरीयसाम् अप्य् अतिगौरवात्मन् प्रधानबुद्धीन्द्रियवत्प्रधान मूलात् परात्मन् भगवन् प्रसीद

Transliteration

sūkṣmātisūkṣmātibṛhatpramāṇa garīyasām apy atigauravātman pradhānabuddhīndriyavatpradhāna mūlāt parātman bhagavan prasīda

Translation

O Bhagavān, whose measure is subtler than the subtlest and vaster than the vast; O innermost Self, weightier in majesty than the most weighty—O Supreme Soul, root of Pradhāna, Buddhi, and the senses, and even of that which transcends Pradhāna: be gracious; be pleased.

Word by Word

• sūkṣma-ati-sūkṣma-ati-bṛhat-pramāṇa: O one whose measure is (both) extremely subtle and extremely vast
• sūkṣma-ati-sūkṣma-ati-bṛhat-pramāṇa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक) + ati (अव्यय) + sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक) + ati (अव्यय) + bṛhat (प्रातिपदिक) + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विशेषणसमासः)

• garīyasām: of the greater (ones)
• garīyasām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garīyas (प्रातिपदिक; गुरु-तुल्यतर/तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘of the weightier/greater ones’

• api: even
• api: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) = ‘even/also’

• ati-gaurava-ātman: O one of exceedingly great weight/majesty
• ati-gaurava-ātman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + gaurava (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अतिगौरवः आत्मा यस्य)

• pradhāna-buddhi-indriya-vat-pradhāna: O primal one endowed with pradhāna, intellect, and senses
• pradhāna-buddhi-indriya-vat-pradhāna: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित प्रत्यय) + pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; ‘-वत्’ तद्धित = ‘possessing/characterized by’

• mūlāt: from the root/source
• mūlāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• parātman: O Supreme Self
• parātman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परः आत्मा)

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• prasīda: be gracious; show favor
• prasīda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sad (सद्/सीद् धातु; प्रसादे)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (invocatory address within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The gods’ supplication to the Supreme Lord as the ultimate cause and inner Self, preceding the descent to relieve Earth’s burden

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Bhagavān is simultaneously subtler than the subtlest and greater than the greatest, the inner Self and the root-cause even of Pradhāna, Buddhi, and the senses.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the Lord as the indwelling ruler of mind and senses, and turn to Him in humble prayer rather than self-sufficiency.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms Bhagavān as both transcendent (beyond Pradhāna) and immanent (Antaryāmin), the material and efficient cause of the cosmos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Paratman
• Indriyas

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Vishnu as both subtler than the subtlest and vaster than the vast in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as simultaneously transcendent (beyond all measure) and immanent (present as the innermost Self), framing creation as dependent on His supreme reality rather than on matter alone.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Pradhāna, Buddhi, and the senses in relation to the Supreme?

Parāśara invokes the Lord as the root-source of Pradhāna (primordial matter), Buddhi (cosmic intellect), and the indriyas (senses), indicating that these cosmological principles arise under Vishnu’s sovereignty.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as Parātman and Bhagavān—the ultimate cause and ruler—so cosmology and metaphysics are grounded in devotion and divine grace rather than an independent, self-sufficient prakṛti.