Shloka 72

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

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

Devanagari script

शुद्धे महाविभूत्याख्ये परे ब्रह्मणि वर्तते मैत्रेय भगवच्छब्दः सर्वकारणकारणे

Transliteration

śuddhe mahāvibhūtyākhye pare brahmaṇi vartate maitreya bhagavacchabdaḥ sarvakāraṇakāraṇe

Translation

O Maitreya, the word “Bhagavān” abides in the Supreme Brahman—pure, famed as the Great Sovereign Glory, the Cause of all causes.

Word by Word

• शुद्धे: in the pure
• शुद्धे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मणि)

• महाविभूत्याख्ये: in that called ‘great majesty’
• महाविभूत्याख्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाविभूति-आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; महा + विभूति + आख्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘महती विभूतिः’ + ‘आख्यः’ = ‘called great glory’)

• परे: in the supreme
• परे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मणि)

• ब्रह्मणि: in Brahman
• ब्रह्मणि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• वर्तते: exists/occurs
• वर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• भगवच्छब्दः: the word ‘Bhagavat’
• भगवच्छब्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्-शब्द (प्रातिपदिक; भगवत् + शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• सर्वकारणकारणे: in the cause of all causes
• सर्वकारणकारणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-कारण-कारण (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + कारण + कारण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वेषां कारणानां कारणम्’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Defining ‘Bhagavān’ as a name properly resting in the pure Supreme Brahman, the cause of all causes.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: ‘Bhagavān’ properly denotes the pure Supreme Brahman, the sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇa (cause of all causes).

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the Lord as the ultimate ground of all chains of causation, cultivating steadiness and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: Establishes the Supreme Person as both transcendent ‘para’ and the universal causal basis, aligning with Brahman as the substantive reality of all.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Bhagavān

FAQs

What is the significance of the word ‘Bhagavān’ in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that ‘Bhagavān’ properly denotes the Supreme Brahman—pure and supremely majestic—who stands as the ultimate source behind all causation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme Reality to Maitreya here?

Parāśara frames the teaching through definition: he links a key theological term (‘Bhagavān’) directly to Para Brahman, emphasizing transcendence (para), purity (śuddha), and absolute causality (sarvakāraṇakāraṇa).

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

Although the verse names Brahman and ‘Bhagavān,’ the Vishnu Purana’s doctrinal thrust identifies this Supreme Brahman with Vishnu—establishing him as the sovereign ground of the universe and the cause behind all causes.