Shloka 14

Vasudeva Meets Nanda; Pūtanā’s Fall; Viṣṇu-Rakṣā (Protective Hymn) in Gokula

Devanagari script

रक्षतु त्वाम् अशेषाणां भूतानां प्रभवो हरिः यस्य नाभिसमुद्भूतपङ्कजाद् अभवज् जगत्

Transliteration

rakṣatu tvām aśeṣāṇāṃ bhūtānāṃ prabhavo hariḥ yasya nābhisamudbhūtapaṅkajād abhavaj jagat

Translation

May Hari—Vishnu Himself, the source of all beings—protect you; from His navel arose the lotus, and from that lotus the whole universe came forth.

Word by Word

• रक्षतु: may (he) protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• अशेषाणाम्: of all, without remainder
• अशेषाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (plural)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्रभवः: origin, source
• प्रभवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (singular)

• नाभि-समुद्भूत-पङ्कजात्: from the lotus arisen from (his) navel
• नाभि-समुद्भूत-पङ्कजात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भूत (कृदन्त; सम्+उद्+√भू) + पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; नाभौ समुद्भूतं पङ्कजम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (singular)

• अभवत्: came to be, arose
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya within the opening cosmogonic narration)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari, as the source of all beings, is the causal ground from whom the lotus-born creation unfolds.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the Lord as the ultimate origin and take refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Him for steadiness amid change.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu is affirmed as jagat-kāraṇa (both transcendent Lord and the causal basis from whom the universe manifests).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Lotus (nābhi-paṅkaja)
• Jagat (the universe)

FAQs

What is the significance of the navel-lotus (nābhi-paṅkaja) in the Vishnu Purana?

It symbolizes creation emerging from Vishnu’s own being—cosmos is not independent, but arises through the Lord’s sovereign power, with the lotus as the emblem of ordered manifestation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the universe’s origin in this passage?

He frames creation as proceeding from Hari, the source of all beings: the lotus springs from Vishnu’s navel, and from that lotus the world comes into existence—linking cosmology to divine causality.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as both prabhava (the ultimate origin) and rakṣaka (protector), grounding the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava vision of a universe sustained and governed by the Supreme Lord.