Shloka 33

अक्रूरस्य गोकुलगमनम्—दर्शन-लालसा, अंशावतार-बोधः, विष्णु-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

तस्माद् अहं भक्तिविनम्रचेता व्रजामि सर्वेश्वरम् ईश्वराणाम् अंशावतारं पुरुषोत्तमस्य अनादिमध्यान्तमयस्य विष्णोः

Transliteration

tasmād ahaṃ bhaktivinamracetā vrajāmi sarveśvaram īśvarāṇām aṃśāvatāraṃ puruṣottamasya anādimadhyāntamayasya viṣṇoḥ

Translation

Therefore, with a heart bowed down by devotion, I go for refuge to Viṣṇu—the Lord of all lords, the sovereign of the universe—who is the partial manifestation of the Supreme Person, and who, as the reality of beginning, middle, and end, is without origin, without limit, and without cessation.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-शब्दः; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचन-रूपेण प्रयुक्तः, हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that)

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

• bhakti-vinamra-cetāḥ: one whose mind is humbled by devotion
• bhakti-vinamra-cetāḥ: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + vinamra (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (भक्त्या विनम्रः चेताः यस्य)

• vrajāmi: I go/approach
• vrajāmi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sarva-īśvaram: the Lord of all
• sarva-īśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां ईश्वरः)

• īśvarāṇām: of (all) lords
• īśvarāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• aṃśa-avatāram: the partial incarnation
• aṃśa-avatāram: Karma (Object apposition/कर्मसमाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अंशस्य अवतारः)

• puruṣa-uttamasya: of the Supreme Person
• puruṣa-uttamasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमः पुरुषः)

• anādi-madhya-anta-mayasya: of the one without beginning, middle, or end
• anādi-madhya-anta-mayasya: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (आदि-मध्य-अन्त-रहित/तद्भाववाचक)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Primary narrator context: Sage Parāśara (within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue); this verse reads as a devotional declaration/summary within the narrative frame.

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Akrūra’s surrender and recognition of Viṣṇu’s supremacy

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He appears as the Lord of all to accept refuge-seeking devotees and to accomplish the protection of the world through His avatāra.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Refuge (śaraṇāgati) and the supremacy of Viṣṇu as īśvara of all īśvaras

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śaraṇāgati to Viṣṇu—beginningless and endless Lord, the ground of all temporal phases—is the devotee’s sure refuge.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Adopt daily acts of surrender: prayer of refuge, offering outcomes to the Lord, and cultivating humility in relationships and service.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms Viṣṇu as both transcendent (anādi/ananta) and the sustaining reality of ‘beginning–middle–end’, while remaining personally approachable for surrender.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Puruṣottama (Supreme Person)
• Īśvara (Lordship principle)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu 'sarveśvara īśvarāṇām' in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu’s absolute sovereignty: even other divine rulers derive authority from him, making him the final ground of cosmic governance and religious refuge.

How does Sage Parāśara frame devotion (bhakti) as an approach to the Supreme?

The verse presents bhakti as an inner humility that naturally culminates in going to Vishnu for refuge—devotion is not merely emotion, but a reorientation of consciousness toward the Supreme Lord.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being described as 'anādi-madhyānta' here?

It portrays Vishnu as the underlying reality of all phases of existence—origin, continuity, and dissolution—while himself remaining beginningless and unsurpassed, a key Vaishnava statement of the Supreme Reality.