Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यच् चाहं भवता पृष्टो जगताम् उपसंहृतिम् प्राकृताम् अन्तरालां च ताम् अप्य् एष वदामि ते

Transliteration

yac cāhaṃ bhavatā pṛṣṭo jagatām upasaṃhṛtim prākṛtām antarālāṃ ca tām apy eṣa vadāmi te

Translation

And since you have asked me about the re-absorption of the worlds—both the elemental (prākṛta) dissolution and the intermediate dissolution—I shall now explain that to you as well.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• bhavatā: by you
• bhavatā: Karana/Agent in passive (कर्तृ-भावे तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (भवत्)

• pṛṣṭaḥ: asked
• pṛṣṭaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (प्रच्छ्) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पृष्टः’ = asked (passive participle)

• jagatām: of the worlds/beings
• jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• upasaṃhṛtim: withdrawal/dissolution
• upasaṃhṛtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upa + saṃ + √hṛ (हृ) + ktin (क्तिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रत्यय (क्तिन्)

• prākṛtām: primordial/natural
• prākṛtām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘उपसंहृतिम्’ इति विशेषण

• antarālām: intermediate
• antarālām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antarāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘उपसंहृतिम्’ इति विशेषण (intermediate)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• tām: that (dissolution)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘उपसंहृतिम्’ प्रति निर्देश

• api: also
• api: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vadāmi: I tell/say
• vadāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Types of dissolution: prākṛta (elemental) and antarālā (intermediate) reabsorption of the worlds

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic dissolution includes distinct modes, including elemental (prākṛta) and an intermediate (antarālā) reabsorption of worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Use cosmological cycles as a contemplative aid for detachment and prioritizing liberation over transient achievements.

Vishishtadvaita: Jagat is real yet dependent—its dissolution underscores the Lord as sustaining and withdrawing cause (upādāna-nimitta in a qualified sense).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Jagat (the worlds)

FAQs

What is the significance of prākṛta (elemental) dissolution in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse signals Parāśara’s transition to explaining how the manifest cosmos is reabsorbed back into material nature (Prakṛti), framing dissolution as an orderly cosmic process under the Supreme principle.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of antarāla (intermediate) dissolution?

Here Parāśara explicitly includes an “intermediate” dissolution along with elemental dissolution, indicating that the Purana distinguishes multiple modes or phases of cosmic withdrawal between cycles that he will detail next.

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

Even when worlds undergo dissolution, the Vaishnava view upheld by the Vishnu Purana treats the Supreme Reality (Vishnu) as the sustaining ground of cosmic order, with creation and dissolution occurring within His sovereignty.