Shloka 21

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

तत् प्रसीदाखिलजगन्मायामोहकराव्यय अज्ञानं ज्ञानसद्भावभूतं भूतेश नाशय

Transliteration

tat prasīdākhilajaganmāyāmohakarāvyaya ajñānaṃ jñānasadbhāvabhūtaṃ bhūteśa nāśaya

Translation

Therefore be gracious. O imperishable Lord who, through Māyā, brings delusion upon the whole universe—O Lord of beings—destroy this ignorance and establish within me the true state of knowledge.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Accusative singular (object of implied ‘consider/know’ or as discourse marker ‘therefore/that’)

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सीद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; Imperative 2nd sg

• अखिल: entire
• अखिल: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद); ‘entire’

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• माया: illusion
• माया: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• मोह: delusion
• मोह: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• कर: O maker (of delusion)
• कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘maker/doer’)
• Form: समासः—अखिलजगत्-माया-मोह-कर (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘maker of delusion of the whole world through māyā’); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-एकवचनम् (अव्यय इति विशेषणेन सह)

• अव्यय: O imperishable one
• अव्यय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Vocative singular

• अज्ञानम्: ignorance
• अज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Accusative singular

• ज्ञान: knowledge
• ज्ञान: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• सद्भाव: true nature/existence
• सद्भाव: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• भूतम्: having the nature of (true) knowledge
• भूतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः—ज्ञानस्य सद्भावः (षष्ठी) तेन भूतम् (तत्पुरुष; ‘consisting of the true nature of knowledge’); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; agrees with अज्ञानम् (as qualifier)

• भूतेश: O lord of beings
• भूतेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—भूतानाम् ईशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Vocative singular

• नाशय: destroy/remove
• नाशय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) caus. नाशयति
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; Causative imperative 2nd sg

Speaker

A devotee/supplicant addressing Lord Viṣṇu (as narrated within Parāśara’s discourse to Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To bestow grace that destroys avidyā and establishes true knowledge in the devotee.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of right knowledge (jñāna) that aligns the soul with its dependence on the Lord.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Only the imperishable Lord can remove universe-wide māyā-born delusion by destroying ignorance and establishing the reality of true knowledge within the seeker.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Pray specifically for inner transformation (clarity, detachment, discernment) rather than only external outcomes; adopt study, contemplation, and disciplined devotion as supports.

Vishishtadvaita: Knowledge is ‘established’ by divine grace within the jīva; the Lord is both the transcendent controller and the indwelling bestower of jñāna (antaryāmin).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Maya

FAQs

What is the significance of Māyā and delusion (moha) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse treats Māyā as a divine power through which cosmic delusion operates, and it frames liberation as the Lord’s grace removing that delusion rather than mere intellectual effort.

How does the Vishnu Purana present the removal of ignorance (ajñāna) here?

Ignorance is addressed as a real obstruction to seeing truth (sadbhāva), and the devotee asks Viṣṇu—Lord of all beings—to destroy it and establish true knowledge through divine favor (prasāda).

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu in this context?

Viṣṇu is invoked as the imperishable sovereign (avyaya, bhūteśa) whose grace governs both bondage (through Māyā’s deluding function) and release (through granting true knowledge).