Shloka 75

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

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

Devanagari script

वसन्ति तत्र भूतानि भूतात्मन्य् अखिलात्मनि स च भूतेष्व् अशेषेषु वकारार्थस् ततो ऽव्ययः

Transliteration

vasanti tatra bhūtāni bhūtātmany akhilātmani sa ca bhūteṣv aśeṣeṣu vakārārthas tato 'vyayaḥ

Translation

All beings dwell in Him—the indwelling Soul of beings, the Soul of all; and He, in turn, abides within every being without remainder. This all-pervading, indwelling sense is the meaning of the syllable “va”; therefore He is the Imperishable (Avyaya).

Word by Word

• वसन्ति: dwell/abide
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भूतात्मनि: in the soul of beings
• भूतात्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘भूतानाम् आत्मा’)

• अखिलात्मनि: in the all-self (universal self)
• अखिलात्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; अखिल + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘अखिलः आत्मा’)

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

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूतेषु: in beings
• भूतेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• अशेषेषु: in all, without remainder
• अशेषेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतेषु)

• वकारार्थः: the meaning of the letter ‘va’
• वकारार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व-कार-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; व + कार + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘वकारस्य अर्थः’)

• ततः: therefore/from that
• ततः: Adverbial (हेतु/निमित्तार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः—‘therefore/from that’

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Explaining ‘va’ in ‘Vāsudeva/Bhagavān’ as all-pervasive indwelling (beings in Him and He in beings), hence ‘Avyaya’.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All beings abide in the Lord as the inner Self, and He abides in all beings; this all-pervasive indwelling is signified by ‘va’, hence He is Avyaya (imperishable).

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice remembrance of the indwelling Lord in oneself and others to cultivate compassion, restraint, and steady devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Strong antaryāmin doctrine: the Supreme is immanent as the inner self of all while remaining imperishable—core to qualified non-dualism (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• All beings (bhūtāni)

FAQs

What is the significance of all beings dwelling in Vishnu in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches Vishnu’s immanence: every creature exists in Him as the universal Self, establishing Him as the sustaining ground of the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of the indwelling Lord here?

Parāśara states a two-way relationship: beings abide in Vishnu (as their inner Self), and Vishnu abides within all beings without exception—an antaryāmin teaching framed through name-etymology.

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

Avyaya highlights Vishnu’s unchanging supremacy: while beings arise and pass, the Lord remains imperishable, pervading and supporting all without undergoing decay.