Shloka 42

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

ऋग्यजुःसामभिर् मार्गैः प्रवृत्तैर् इज्यते ह्य् असौ यज्ञेश्वरो यज्ञपुमान् पुरुषैः पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

ṛgyajuḥsāmabhir mārgaiḥ pravṛttair ijyate hy asau yajñeśvaro yajñapumān puruṣaiḥ puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

He is worshipped through the established paths of Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman—Lord of sacrifice, the very Person within sacrifice; by all beings He is adored as Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person.

Word by Word

• ऋक्: Ṛg(-veda)
• ऋक्: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच्/ऋक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• यजुः: Yajus(-veda)
• यजुः: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• सामभिः: by (the paths of) Ṛg, Yajus and Sāman
• सामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (ऋक्+यजुः+साम) समाहार/समुच्चय; तृतीया-बहुवचन

• मार्गैः: by paths; by ways
• मार्गैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• प्रवृत्तैः: active; engaged (in ritual action)
• प्रवृत्तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त; √वृत्/√वृत्त् + प्र-; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; मार्गैः इति विशेषण; क्त-प्रत्यय

• इज्यते: is worshipped
• इज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यज्ञेश्वरः: lord of sacrifice
• यज्ञेश्वरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य ईश्वरः)

• यज्ञपुमान्: the person embodied in sacrifice
• यज्ञपुमान्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य पुमान्)

• पुरुषैः: by men; by persons
• पुरुषैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the सर्वोत्तम among persons; Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुरुषाणाम् उत्तमः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Vedic śruti-paths (Ṛg/Yajus/Sāman) culminate in worship of Puruṣottama as yajñeśvara and yajñapumān

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The three Vedic streams of ritual (Ṛg, Yajus, Sāman) worship the same Supreme—Viṣṇu as yajñeśvara and as the indwelling Person of sacrifice (yajñapumān).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When performing any religious duty, recollect the Lord as both the recipient and the inner power of the act, transforming ritual into God-centered offering.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms antaryāmitva: the Supreme Person is within the yajña as its ‘personhood,’ while remaining Puruṣottama beyond it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Yajna (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the significance of yajña (sacrifice) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu not only as the recipient of sacrificial worship but as the indwelling Person of yajña itself, presenting sacrifice as a cosmic and devotional principle rooted in the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Vedas as paths to Vishnu?

Parāśara states that the established Vedic ways—Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma—function as operative “paths” through which worship is directed to Vishnu, implying that Vedic ritual and praise culminate in Him.

What is the theological importance of calling Vishnu 'Puruṣottama' here?

Calling Him Puruṣottama asserts Vishnu’s supremacy as the highest personal reality—worshipped by all persons—supporting a theistic reading where the Supreme is a conscious Lord, not merely an abstract principle.