Shloka 58

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

Devanagari script

भूप भूतान्य् अशेषाणि भूतानां ये च हेतवः प्रधानादिविशेषान्तं चेतनाचेतनात्मकम्

Transliteration

bhūpa bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi bhūtānāṃ ye ca hetavaḥ pradhānādiviśeṣāntaṃ cetanācetanātmakam

Translation

O King, all beings without remainder—and also the causes from which beings arise—extending from Pradhāna to the last particularized forms: all this is of the nature of both the conscious and the non-conscious.

Word by Word

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

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

• अशेषाणि: without remainder; all
• अशेषाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to भूतानि)

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• हेतवः: causes
• हेतवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रधान-आदि-विशेष-अन्तम्: extending from Pradhāna onward up to the final differentiations
• प्रधान-आदि-विशेष-अन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (प्रधानादि ... विशेषान्तम् = 'from Pradhāna etc. up to the particularized end'); विशेषण (to चेतनाचेतनात्मकम्)

• चेतन-अचेतन-आत्मकम्: having the nature of the sentient and the insentient
• चेतन-अचेतन-आत्मकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चेतन (प्रातिपदिक) + अचेतन (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (चेतन + अचेतन) + आत्मक (having the nature of); विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; the verse addresses a 'king' as an honorific in some recensions)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The totality includes not only all entities but also their causal principles—from Pradhāna down to particular effects—comprising both conscious (cetana) and non-conscious (acetana) realities.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: When analyzing experience, trace effects back to causes and recognize both mind (conscious knower) and matter (known) as dependent on the Supreme ground.

Vishishtadvaita: Explicit cit–acit ontology: both are real categories sustained by the Lord, aligning with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s doctrine of the world as his body.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Chetana
• Achetana

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradhāna in the Vishnu Purana?

Here Pradhāna is presented as the primordial basis of material manifestation, the starting point in the causal series that culminates in specific, differentiated entities.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cetana and acetana?

He frames the totality of existence—from causes to effects—as comprising both the sentient principle (conscious beings) and the insentient principle (material nature and its products).

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

The verse supports the Purāṇic vision that all categories of reality—conscious and non-conscious—are encompassed within the Supreme order upheld by Vishnu, the ground of both cause and cosmos.