Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आश्रयश् चेतसो ब्रह्म द्विधा तच् च स्वरूपतः भूप मूर्तम् अमूर्तं च परं चापरम् एव च

Transliteration

āśrayaś cetaso brahma dvidhā tac ca svarūpataḥ bhūpa mūrtam amūrtaṃ ca paraṃ cāparam eva ca

Translation

Brahman is the very support on which the mind rests; and, O king, in its essential nature it is spoken of as twofold—both with form and without form, both supreme (para) and also the lower, accessible aspect (apara).

Word by Word

• आश्रयः: support, refuge
• आश्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन

• चेतसः: of the mind
• चेतसः: Sampradana/Adhikara (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; अत्र—आश्रयः ... ब्रह्म (predicate nominative)

• द्विधा: in two ways
• द्विधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); अर्थः—द्विप्रकारेण (in two ways)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuvada (Correlative/अनुवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; निर्देशः—तत् (that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्वरूपतः: by nature, intrinsically
• स्वरूपतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वरूप + तस् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb); अर्थः—स्वरूपेण/स्वभावतः (by its own nature)

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative) एकवचन

• मूर्तम्: manifest, embodied
• मूर्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्

• अमूर्तम्: unmanifest, formless
• अमूर्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• परम्: higher, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपरम्: lower, non-supreme
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nishchaya (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निश्चय/अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; the verse addresses a kingly hearer as 'bhūpa' in the poetic register)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identification of the mind’s auspicious refuge and its nature.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative, clarifying a subtle doctrine

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahman, the mind’s support, is taught as twofold: with form and without form, supreme and also ‘lower’ as immanent/accessible manifestation.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Balance nirguṇa contemplation (formless) with saguna upāsanā (formful) without contradiction—use form as an entry into the supreme.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms transcendence and immanence together: the supreme is beyond form yet can be approached in auspicious form—compatible with Vishnu as both para and antaryāmin.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of Brahman being called the 'support of the mind' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Brahman (understood in Vaishnava theology as Vishnu) as the ultimate basis of consciousness and cognition—without which the mind has no stable ground, whether in meditation or in understanding the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the twofold nature of Brahman here?

He presents Brahman as both mūrta and amūrta (manifest and unmanifest), and as para and apara (supreme/transcendent and lower/immanent), allowing devotion to divine form while affirming an ultimate reality beyond limiting attributes.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

The verse supports a Vaishnava Vedantic view in which Vishnu is the highest reality who can be approached as the personal Lord (manifest) while also being the transcendent Brahman (beyond form), integrating devotion with metaphysical supremacy.