Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

अमूर्तं मूर्तम् अथवा स्थूलं सूक्ष्मतरं स्थितम् तत् सर्वं त्वं जगत्कर्तर् नास्ति किंचित् त्वया विना

Transliteration

amūrtaṃ mūrtam athavā sthūlaṃ sūkṣmataraṃ sthitam tat sarvaṃ tvaṃ jagatkartar nāsti kiṃcit tvayā vinā

Translation

Whether as the formless or as the formed; whether abiding as the gross or established as the subtlest—O Maker of the world, all of that is You. Nothing whatsoever exists apart from You.

Word by Word

• अमूर्तम्: formless
• अमूर्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-मूर्त (मूर्च्/मूर्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मूर्तम्: with form
• मूर्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• स्थूलम्: gross
• स्थूलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सूक्ष्मतरम्: more subtle
• सूक्ष्मतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• स्थितम्: situated, existing
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त; स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगत्कर्तः: O maker of the world
• जगत्कर्तः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + कर्तृ (कृ धातु + तृच्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः कर्ता)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite pronoun)

• त्वया: by you / with you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha/Avyaya (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable)

Speaker

A devotee/praiser addressing Lord Vishnu within Parasara’s narration to Maitreya (stuti context)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: As Kṛṣṇa, the Lord is praised as the maker of the universe who alone exists as both subtle and gross, formed and formless.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Recognition of the Lord’s non-separateness from all existence, grounding dharma and devotion.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord alone is everything—formless and formed, gross and subtlest—and nothing exists apart from him.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: In daily life, offer every perception and action as service, seeing all things as belonging to and pervaded by the Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Strongly states divine immanence (‘nothing without You’) while retaining the Lord as ‘jagat-kartar’ (distinct sovereign cause), a hallmark of Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu being both formless and with form in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse affirms Vishnu’s transcendence (beyond form) and immanence (present in forms), presenting Him as the one reality who can be approached devotionally while also being the subtlest ground of existence.

How does Sage Parasara explain the idea that nothing exists without Vishnu?

In the stuti framework within Parasara’s teaching, the cosmos—gross and subtle—is described as entirely dependent on Vishnu, emphasizing that all entities and states of being exist only through His sustaining presence.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is identified as jagat-kartā and the all-inclusive reality: the universe is not independent of Him, reinforcing core Vaishnava metaphysics where the Supreme Lord is both the source and inner support of all.