Shloka 45

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

व्यक्तं स एव चाव्यक्तं स एव पुरुषो ऽव्ययः परमात्मा च विश्वात्मा विश्वरूपधरो हरिः

Transliteration

vyaktaṃ sa eva cāvyaktaṃ sa eva puruṣo 'vyayaḥ paramātmā ca viśvātmā viśvarūpadharo hariḥ

Translation

He alone is the manifest, and He alone the unmanifest; He alone is the imperishable Puruṣa—the Supreme Self and the Soul of the universe. Hari bears the cosmos as His all-encompassing form.

Word by Word

• व्यक्तम्: the manifest
• व्यक्तम्: Karma/Pradhana (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यक्त (कृदन्त; √व्यञ्ज्/√व्यज्?; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भाववाचक (the manifest)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karma/Pradhana (Complement/पूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (व्यक्तम् न)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पुरुषः: the Person
• पुरुषः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; पुरुषस्य विशेषण

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः आत्मा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विश्वात्मा: the Self of the universe
• विश्वात्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य आत्मा)

• विश्वरूपधरः: bearer of the universal form
• विश्वरूपधरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + रूप + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वं रूपम्) + उपपद-तत्पुरुष (रूपं धरति)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identity of the manifest/unmanifest, Paramātman/Viśvātmā, and Hari as the bearer of the viśvarūpa

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The one imperishable Puruṣa is both the manifest and unmanifest, the Paramātman and the Soul of the universe; Hari bears the cosmos as His universal form.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Train perception to see the Lord in both visible life and the unseen causes (mind, time, nature), fostering reverence and steadiness amid change.

Vishishtadvaita: Classic Viśiṣṭādvaita synthesis: the universe (cit and acit) is real as His body (viśvarūpa/viśvātmā), while He remains the transcendent Paramātman and the imperishable Puruṣa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Vishvatman

FAQs

What is the significance of the manifest and unmanifest (vyakta and avyakta) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu as the basis of both the visible cosmos and its subtle, causal ground—showing that creation and its source are not independent of Hari.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme Self (Paramātman) here?

Parāśara states that the imperishable Puruṣa is Paramātman and also Viśvātmā, meaning Vishnu is the inner Self of all beings and the sustaining consciousness of the universe.

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

Vishnu is presented as the all-inclusive Supreme Reality—both transcendent (unmanifest) and immanent (manifest), with the cosmos as His universal form—supporting core Vaishnava metaphysics.