Shloka 25

Kālayavana’s Rise, Dvārakā’s Founding, and Muchukunda’s Awakening (Śaraṇāgati & Brahman-Stuti)

Devanagari script

संस्मृत्य प्रणिपत्यैनं सर्वं सर्वेश्वरं हरिम् प्राह ज्ञातो भवान् विष्णोर् अंशस् त्वं परमेश्वर

Transliteration

saṃsmṛtya praṇipatyainaṃ sarvaṃ sarveśvaraṃ harim prāha jñāto bhavān viṣṇor aṃśas tvaṃ parameśvara

Translation

Recollecting and bowing down to that Hari—who is all, the Lord of all—he said: “You are now known to me; you are indeed a portion of Viṣṇu, O Supreme Lord.”

Word by Word

• saṃsmṛtya: having remembered
• saṃsmṛtya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃsmṛtya (कृदन्त; √smṛ/स्मृ with sam-)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having remembered’

• praṇipatya: having prostrated
• praṇipatya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: praṇipatya (कृदन्त; √pat/पत् with praṇi-)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having bowed down’

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; एनदादेश (enam)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘all’

• sarveśvaram: Lord of all
• sarveśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; sarva + īśvara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘sarveṣām īśvaraḥ’ (lord of all)

• harim: Hari
• harim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jñātaḥ: known/recognized
• jñātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāta (कृदन्त; √jñā/ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण—‘known/recognized’

• bhavān: you (honorific)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम-प्रयोग

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

• aṃśaḥ: a portion/part
• aṃśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• parameśvara: O Supreme Lord
• parameśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक; parama + īśvara)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘paramaḥ īśvaraḥ’ (supreme lord)

Speaker

Narrative voice: Sage Parāśara (describing a character’s realization and speech within the episode)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To receive the surrender of the devotee-king and reveal Himself as Hari, the supreme Lord, within the human līlā.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Dharma of śaraṇāgati—humble bowing and right confession of the Lord’s supremacy.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True knowledge culminates in praṇipāta to Hari as the all and the Lord of all, even when He appears in a human form.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Let insight mature into practice: bow inwardly (humility), outwardly (service), and verbally (confession of dependence).

Vishishtadvaita: Affirmation of ‘sarvaṃ’—the world and selves as real modes of the Lord—supports Viśiṣṭādvaita’s qualified non-dualism and His jagat-kāraṇatva.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Hari ‘Sarveśvara’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It affirms Vishnu/Hari as the sovereign Lord over all beings and worlds, framing the episode as a recognition of the Supreme Reality behind the manifested form.

How does Sage Parāśara present the act of realization in this verse?

He depicts realization as remembrance followed by surrender—first ‘saṃsmṛtya’ (recalling the truth), then ‘praṇipatyā’ (prostration), culminating in verbal acknowledgment of Vishnu’s divinity.

What is the theological importance of identifying someone as an ‘aṃśa of Viṣṇu’ here?

It expresses the Purāṇic view that divine power can manifest through partial descents or empowered portions, while still maintaining Vishnu as the ultimate, supreme source (Parameśvara).