Shloka 35

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

इत्य् एषा प्रकृतिः सर्वा व्यक्ताव्यक्तस्वरूपिणी व्यक्तस्वरूपम् अव्यक्ते तस्मिन् मैत्रेय लीयते

Transliteration

ity eṣā prakṛtiḥ sarvā vyaktāvyaktasvarūpiṇī vyaktasvarūpam avyakte tasmin maitreya līyate

Translation

Thus, this entire Prakṛti—whose nature is both the manifest and the unmanifest—has its manifest condition dissolved back into that very Unmanifest; and there, O Maitreya, it is reabsorbed.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; वाक्य-समाप्त्यर्थक-निपातः (thus)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (this)

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• सर्वा: entire, all
• सर्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• व्यक्ताव्यक्तस्वरूपिणी: having manifest-and-unmanifest nature
• व्यक्ताव्यक्तस्वरूपिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + -इनी (तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘व्यक्त-अव्यक्त-स्वरूपं यस्याः सा’ (having the nature of the manifest and unmanifest)

• व्यक्तस्वरूपम्: the manifest form
• व्यक्तस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘व्यक्तस्य स्वरूपम्’ (the manifest form)

• अव्यक्ते: in the unmanifest
• अव्यक्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (in the unmanifest)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे निर्देशः (in that)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• लीयते: dissolves, merges
• लीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is dissolved/merges)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the manifest (vyakta) returns into the unmanifest (avyakta) at dissolution

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All of Prakṛti, spanning manifest and unmanifest modes, resolves as the manifest condition merges back into the unmanifest root (avyakta) at pralaya.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice inward withdrawal (pratyāhāra) and contemplative stillness, letting ‘manifest’ thoughts subside into their quiet ground.

Vishishtadvaita: The manifest world can subside into unmanifest prakṛti, yet liberation (atyantika) requires turning beyond prakṛti to the Supreme Person who is distinct from and controller of it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of Avyakta (the Unmanifest) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, the Avyakta is presented as the state into which the manifest universe returns—Prakriti’s visible forms are reabsorbed there during dissolution.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dissolution (Pralaya) to Maitreya here?

Parāśara frames pralaya as a reversion: the manifest condition of Prakriti does not vanish into nothingness but merges back into its unmanifest ground.

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

Though not named in this line, the Vishnu Purana’s larger teaching treats such cosmic processes as governed by the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), under whose sovereignty manifestation and reabsorption occur.