Shloka 37

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

न सन्ति यत्र सर्वेशे नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः सत्तामात्रात्मके ज्ञेये ज्ञानात्मन्य् आत्मनः परे

Transliteration

na santi yatra sarveśe nāmajātyādikalpanāḥ sattāmātrātmake jñeye jñānātmany ātmanaḥ pare

Translation

In the Supreme Lord, the Lord of all, there are no fabrications of name, caste, and the like. He is to be known as pure Being alone, the very essence of Consciousness—beyond the individual self, the transcendent Self.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• सर्वेशे: in the Lord of all
• सर्वेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वस्य ईशः (Lord of all)

• नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः: conceptions of name, class, etc.
• नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम + जाति + आदि + कल्पना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—नाम-जाति-आदि-विषयाः कल्पनाः (conceptualizations such as name, class, etc.)

• सत्तामात्रात्मके: in (that which is) of the nature of mere existence
• सत्तामात्रात्मके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्ता + मात्र + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—सत्तामात्रं आत्मा यस्य (having mere existence as essence)

• ज्ञेये: in the knowable (reality)
• ज्ञेये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (gerundive/‘to be known’) used substantively

• ज्ञानात्मनि: in the self whose nature is knowledge
• ज्ञानात्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानम् एव आत्मा (whose essence is knowledge)

• आत्मनः: of the Self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परे: in the supreme (transcendent)
• परे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Transcendence of the Supreme beyond nāma-jāti and conceptual superimpositions

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In the Supreme Lord there are no conceptual fabrications such as name or class; He is pure being and consciousness beyond the individual self.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice discernment by dropping limiting labels and meditating on the Lord as sheer sat-cit (being-consciousness) beyond mental constructs.

Vishishtadvaita: Negates limiting upādhis while preserving a knowable Supreme (sarveśa) who transcends categories yet remains the object of realization.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of being beyond “name and class” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse asserts that the Supreme Lord is not limited by human conceptual categories (nāma, jāti, etc.); such labels apply to conditioned beings, not to Vishnu as the transcendent ground of reality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the knowable nature of the Supreme?

Parāśara describes the Lord as “sattā-mātra” (pure existence) and “jñānātmā” (essence of consciousness), indicating that the highest knowledge is realization of Vishnu as Being-Consciousness beyond the individual self.

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

Vishnu is presented as Sarveśa and Para—supreme over the jīva and untouched by limiting attributes—supporting a strong Vaishnava metaphysics where Vishnu is the ultimate reality to be known.