Shloka 48

अक्रूर-सत्कारः, मथुरायात्रा-विरहः, यमुनातटे दिव्यदर्शनम्, चतुर्व्यूह-नमस्कारः

Devanagari script

सन्मात्ररूपिणे ऽचिन्त्यमहिम्ने परमात्मने व्यापिने नैकरूपैकस्वरूपाय नमो नमः

Transliteration

sanmātrarūpiṇe 'cintyamahimne paramātmane vyāpine naikarūpaikasvarūpāya namo namaḥ

Translation

Salutations—again and again—to Him whose very nature is pure Being; whose majesty is beyond thought; the Supreme Self who pervades all; who appears in many forms, yet is in essence one and the same Reality.

Word by Word

• सन्मात्ररूपिणे: to the one whose form is pure being alone
• सन्मात्ररूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—सन्मात्रम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थ) + रूपिन् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

• अचिन्त्यमहिम्ने: to (him) of inconceivable greatness
• अचिन्त्यमहिम्ने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—अचिन्त्यः महिमा यस्य/अचिन्त्यः महिमा (कर्मधारय)

• परमात्मने: to the Supreme Self
• परमात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—परमः आत्मा (कर्मधारय)

• व्यापिने: to the all-pervading one
• व्यापिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √व्याप् धातुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• नैकरूपैकस्वरूपाय: to the one who is one in essence though of many forms
• नैकरूपैकस्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न-एक (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—नैकरूपः (नञ्-तत्पुरुष) + एकस्वरूपः (कर्मधारय) → नैकरूपैकस्वरूपः (तत्पुरुष)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojaka/Discourse (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/उपचारार्थ), नमस्कारार्थे

• नमः: salutation (again)
• नमः: Prayojaka/Discourse (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/उपचारार्थ), पुनरुक्त्या आदरार्थम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voiced as a devotional salutation within the discourse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Self is pure Being, inconceivable, all-pervading, and one essence appearing as many forms.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice contemplative remembrance (smaraṇa) of the one Reality in all names and forms, reducing sectarian or egoic division.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms one Supreme Person who pervades all and manifests multiple forms without losing essential unity (abheda with real modes).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of 'many forms, one essence' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that Vishnu manifests as countless forms in the cosmos while remaining one, undivided Supreme Reality—supporting a theistic non-dual vision central to later Vaishnava Vedanta.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme in this chapter’s hymn?

He praises Vishnu as pure Being, inconceivable in greatness, the Supreme Self, and all-pervading—framing creation and cosmic order as grounded in one sovereign divine principle.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is identified as Paramātman: transcendent yet immanent, manifesting the universe without losing unity—establishing Him as the ultimate object of devotion and the source of universal order.