Shloka 36

कालियदमना: यमुनाशुद्धिः, करुणा-निग्रहः, स्तुति-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

त्वम् अस्य जगतो नाभिर् अराणाम् इव संश्रयः कर्तापहर्ता पाता च त्रैलोक्ये त्वं त्रयीमयः

Transliteration

tvam asya jagato nābhir arāṇām iva saṃśrayaḥ kartāpahartā pātā ca trailokye tvaṃ trayīmayaḥ

Translation

You are the navel of this universe—the central support on which it rests, as the hub is the refuge of the spokes. You are its maker, its withdrawer, and its protector; throughout the three worlds, You are the very embodiment of the Vedic triad.

Word by Word

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

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• नाभिः: the navel/hub
• नाभिः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (predicate nominative)

• अराणाम्: of spokes
• अराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• संश्रयः: support/refuge
• संश्रयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (predicate nominative)

• कर्ता: creator
• कर्ता: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अपहर्ता: remover/taker away
• अपहर्ता: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप-√हृ (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• पाता: protector
• पाता: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √पा (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रैलोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास ('त्रीणि लोकानि'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (re-emphasis)

• त्रयीमयः: consisting of the three Vedas
• त्रयीमयः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयी + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मयट्-भाव: 'त्रयीमय' = consisting of the Vedic triad), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular qualifying त्वम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voiced as a hymn of praise to Vishnu)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (three worlds)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To reveal that the very Supreme who creates, sustains, and withdraws the cosmos is present in Vraja as Krishna, worthy of total surrender.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Re-centering all cosmic functions (creation-preservation-dissolution) in Vishnu alone as the ground of order

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vishnu is the hub-like support of the universe and the single Lord who creates, sustains, and withdraws all, identical with the essence of the Vedic triad.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the Lord as the stable center of life’s changes; let daily practice (japa, study, service) return the mind to that ‘hub’ rather than the restless ‘spokes’.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms Vishnu as both efficient and material cause (jagat-kāraṇa) while remaining the inner ground of the world’s ordered plurality (real dependence of cit and acit).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Three Worlds (Trailokya)
• Three Vedas (Trayī)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu being called the “navel/hub” of the universe in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as the central pivot on which the cosmos depends—like spokes relying on a hub—highlighting his role as the sustaining ground of all worlds.

How does Sage Parāśara explain creation, preservation, and dissolution here?

By naming Vishnu as kartā (creator), apahartā (withdrawer at dissolution), and pātā (protector), Parāśara compresses the full cosmic cycle into the Lord’s single sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of calling Vishnu “trayīmaya” in this context?

“Trayīmaya” asserts that Vishnu is not merely praised by the Vedas but is their very essence—grounding Vaishnava philosophy in Vedic authority and portraying him as the Supreme Reality known through revelation.