Shloka 55

अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः

Devanagari script

न तद् योगयुजा शक्यं नृप चिन्तयितुं यतः ततः स्थूलं हरे रूपं चिन्तयेद् विश्वगोचरम्

Transliteration

na tad yogayujā śakyaṃ nṛpa cintayituṃ yataḥ tataḥ sthūlaṃ hare rūpaṃ cintayed viśvagocaram

Translation

O King, since that subtle formless reality cannot be contemplated by one still harnessed to the discipline of yoga, let him instead meditate upon Lord Hari in a tangible, manifest form—accessible to the mind and supporting the whole universe.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (particle of negation)

• तत्: that (supreme form/knowledge)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• योगयुजा: by a yogin / by one united with yoga
• योगयुजा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + युज् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘युज्’ agent-noun)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘योगेन युज्’/‘योगयुक्तः’ इत्यर्थे

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Kriya-samarthya (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; √शक्, potential/gerundive)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

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

• चिन्तयितुम्: to contemplate
• चिन्तयितुम्: Prayojana/Anukriya (Infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (चिन्त्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to think/meditate’

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal adverb: because/for)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Nidana (Result/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• स्थूलम्: gross
• स्थूलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हरे: of Hari
• हरे: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (हरेः इत्यस्य वैदिक/काव्य-रूपेण ‘हरे’); ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should contemplate
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (चिन्त्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विश्वगोचरम्: within the range of the universe (cosmic/manifest)
• विश्वगोचरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘विश्वस्य गोचरः’ इति समासः; ‘रूपम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching, as narrator) addressing a king (nṛpa) within the instructional frame conveyed to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Practical instruction: meditation on manifest Hari when the formless is not yet graspable

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Because the subtle formless reality is not yet contemplable for the yogic practitioner in training, one should meditate on Hari in a tangible, manifest form accessible to the mind.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Adopt a concrete upāsanā: daily japa and dhyāna on a chosen form of Hari (arcā/mūrti or visualized rūpa), letting devotion stabilize attention and purify vāsanās.

Vishishtadvaita: Endorses graded practice central to Śrī-Vaiṣṇava upāsanā: saguṇa-bhakti as a valid means, with the same Supreme (Viṣṇu) approachable through auspicious form.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• King

FAQs

What is the significance of meditating on Vishnu’s ‘gross’ (sthūla) form in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents saguna meditation as a compassionate, practical support: when the subtle absolute is difficult to grasp, contemplation of Hari’s manifest form steadies the mind and becomes a valid doorway toward higher realization.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the progression from subtle contemplation to accessible worship?

He implies a graded path: if ‘that’ (the subtle reality) is not yet thinkable for the yogic practitioner, one should adopt a concrete, universe-pervading form of Hari as the immediate object of meditation.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is affirmed as the supreme, universal Lord who can be approached through a form within the cosmos—supporting Vaishnava theology where the Supreme Reality is both transcendent and mercifully accessible for devotion and yoga.