Shloka 44
नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्
Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman
ह्रस्वदीर्घप्लुतैर् यत् तु किंचिद् वस्त्व् अभिधीयते यच् च वाचाम् अविषये तत् सर्वं विष्णुर् अव्ययः
hrasvadīrghaplutair yat tu kiṃcid vastv abhidhīyate yac ca vācām aviṣaye tat sarvaṃ viṣṇur avyayaḥ
Whatever is denoted by speech through measures of sound—short, long, or protracted—and whatever lies beyond the reach of words: all of that, entirely, is the imperishable Viṣṇu.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Vishnu as the totality of the expressible (speech) and the inexpressible (beyond words)
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Primary
Concept: All that speech can denote through phonetic measures (short/long/protracted) and all that lies beyond speech are, in entirety, the imperishable Viṣṇu.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: Use scriptural language and mantra as pointers, then rest in contemplative silence recognizing the Lord beyond conceptual grasp.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is both accessible through nāma/śabda (scripture, mantra) and transcendent beyond vāc, preserving devotion with apophatic depth.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
The verse teaches that language can point to realities through sound and naming, but the Supreme also exceeds all verbal description; both the speakable and unspeakable are identified as Vishnu.
Parāśara frames Vishnu as the totality: whatever is captured by words and whatever remains beyond their domain—nothing lies outside the imperishable Vishnu.
Vishnu is presented as the unchanging Supreme Reality who is immanent in all that can be described and transcendent beyond all description, grounding later Vaishnava philosophical readings.