Shloka 28

नरकासुरवधः, अदीतिकुण्डल-प्रत्यर्पणम्, तथा भारावतरण-लीला

Devanagari script

परमात्मा त्वम् आत्मा च भूतात्मा चाव्ययो भवान् यदा तदा स्तुतिर् नास्ति किमर्था ते प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

paramātmā tvam ātmā ca bhūtātmā cāvyayo bhavān yadā tadā stutir nāsti kimarthā te pravartate

Translation

You are the Supreme Self; You are the inner Self; You are the Self in all beings—imperishable Lord. If You are ever complete and lack nothing, for what purpose does praise arise and move toward You?

Word by Word

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Masculine nominative singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Nominative singular pronoun)

• आत्मा: self
• आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Masculine nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• भूतात्मा: the self of beings
• भूतात्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Masculine nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine nominative singular adjective)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Honorific masculine nominative singular)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• स्तुतिः: praise
• स्तुतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Feminine nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

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

• किमर्था: for what purpose?
• किमर्था: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम्-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (Feminine nominative singular: 'for what purpose?')

• ते: for you/to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Dative singular pronoun)

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds/occurs
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara’s exposition by turning to the logic of praising the Supreme)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why praise is offered to the self-complete Lord who is Paramātman and the Self in all beings.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To remove the burden of adharma by subduing Naraka and safeguarding the afflicted, while revealing the Lord’s self-sufficiency and grace.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rightful protection of beings and restoration of moral order under divine sovereignty.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Though the Lord lacks nothing and is the Self of all, praise arises as a devotional movement of the dependent soul toward its indwelling master, not as a supply of something missing in God.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat prayer and praise as self-purification and alignment with the indwelling Lord; cultivate gratitude rather than transactional worship.

Vishishtadvaita: Emphasizes the Lord’s completeness (pūrṇatva) alongside real soul-dependence (śeṣatva), making stuti meaningful as an act of surrender rather than as adding merit to God.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu 'Paramatman' and 'Bhutatman' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu as both the transcendent Supreme Self (Paramatman) and the immanent indwelling Self in all beings (Bhutatman), framing devotion within a theology where God pervades and sustains all existence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the purpose of praise if the Supreme is complete?

The question anticipates Parāśara’s teaching that praise is not to supply anything lacking in God, but to purify and orient the devotee’s mind, establishing remembrance and right understanding of the Lord’s sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the imperishable, all-pervading reality—both beyond and within the world—so stuti becomes a devotional and contemplative act aligned with recognizing him as the ultimate ground of self and cosmos.