Shloka 66

आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः

Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

यत् तद् अव्यक्तम् अजरम् अचिन्त्यम् अजम् अव्ययम् अनिर्देश्यम् अरूपं च पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्

Transliteration

yat tad avyaktam ajaram acintyam ajam avyayam anirdeśyam arūpaṃ ca pāṇipādādyasaṃyutam

Translation

That Supreme Reality is unmanifest—unaging, unthinkable, unborn, and imperishable; beyond all description and without form, untouched by embodied conditions, for It is not constituted by hands, feet, and the like.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (relative)
• यत्: Visheshya (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तत्: that (correlative)
• तत्: Visheshya (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (correlative pronoun)

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √व्यज्/व्यक्त- ‘to manifest’ + अ-निषेध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अजरम्: ageless
• अजरम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + जर ‘aging’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अचिन्त्यम्: inconceivable
• अचिन्त्यम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; √चिन्त् (धातु) + य (प्रत्यय) with अ-निषेध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (य-प्रत्ययान्त), ‘unthinkable’

• अजम्: unborn
• अजम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + ज ‘born’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + व्यय ‘decay/expenditure’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अनिर्देश्यम्: indescribable
• अनिर्देश्यम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिर्देश्य (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + निर्देश्य, √दिश् (धातु) + ण्यत्/य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (ण्यत्/य-प्रत्ययार्थ), ‘not to be indicated/defined’

• अरूपम्: formless
• अरूपम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरूप (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्: not endowed with hands, feet, etc.
• पाणिपादाद्यसंयुतम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + असंयुत (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + संयुत, √युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पाणिपादादिभिः असंयुतम् = ‘not furnished with hands, feet, etc.’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The nature of the Supreme Reality and the mark of the highest principle in the context of dissolution and liberation.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is beyond sensory predicates—unmanifest, unborn, imperishable, and not limited by bodily attributes.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice neti-neti style contemplation: withdraw identification from body and mind and meditate on the unconditioned Self/Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms Vishnu’s transcendence (nirupādhika-svarūpa) while preparing for later statements of His causal immanence without reducing Him to matter.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of calling the Supreme 'avyakta' (unmanifest) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Vishnu as the ultimate reality that is not grasped by senses or ordinary cognition—prior to and beyond manifested creation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of the indescribable Supreme here?

Parāśara lists negations—unborn, imperishable, formless, and beyond designation—to show the Supreme cannot be limited by language or bodily attributes.

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

Vishnu is presented as the transcendent ground of all existence—supreme, immutable, and not confined to material form—supporting later Vaiṣṇava Vedāntic readings.