Shloka 49

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

नैवाहस् तस्य न निशा नित्यस्य परमात्मनः उपचारस् तथाप्य् एष तस्येशस्य द्विजोच्यते

Transliteration

naivāhas tasya na niśā nityasya paramātmanaḥ upacāras tathāpy eṣa tasyeśasya dvijocyate

Translation

For that Eternal Supreme Self there is truly neither “day” nor “night.” Yet this manner of speaking is employed, O twice-born, as a conventional expression with reference to that Sovereign Lord.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अहः: day
• अहः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: nor/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• निशा: night
• निशा: Karta (Co-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नित्यस्य: of the eternal
• नित्यस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—परमात्मनः इत्यस्य

• परम-आत्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परम-आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—परमः आत्मा

• उपचारः: conventional usage/figurative expression
• उपचारः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: nevertheless
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: nevertheless/also)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ईशस्य: of the Lord
• ईशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive), आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; addressing a 'dvija' in the didactic style)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Conventional language: 'day' and 'night' do not literally apply to the eternal Paramātman

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Terms like 'day' and 'night' are figurative (upacāra) when applied to the eternal Supreme Self, who transcends temporal alternation.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Hold scriptural cosmology with philosophical discernment: distinguish literal description from pedagogical convention without losing devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord’s transcendence of time while allowing meaningful relational discourse (upacāra) for teaching—transcendent yet speakable as īśa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Paramatman
• Ishvara (the Lord)

FAQs

What is the significance of 'no day and no night' in the Vishnu Purana?

It states that the Supreme Self is beyond temporal divisions; day/night language is only a conventional metaphor used for teaching.

How does Sage Parāśara explain figurative language (upacāra) about God?

He clarifies that descriptions like “day” and “night” do not literally apply to the Eternal Lord, but are adopted as explanatory convention for human understanding.

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

Vishnu is implied as the sovereign Supreme Reality (Īśvara/Paramātman) who transcends all limiting categories, including time and its dualities.