Shloka 66

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

Devanagari script

तेभ्यो ऽपि नागगन्धर्वयक्षाद्या देवता नृप

Transliteration

tebhyo 'pi nāgagandharvayakṣādyā devatā nṛpa

Translation

O King, even above them are the divine classes such as the Nāgas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and others.

Word by Word

• तेभ्यः: from them / than them / to them
• तेभ्यः: अपादान/सम्प्रदान (Ablative/Dative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी (3/4/5), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (from them/to them/than them)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• नाग-गन्धर्व-यक्ष-आद्याः: Nāgas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas and others
• नाग-गन्धर्व-यक्ष-आद्याः: कर्ता/उद्देश्य (Subject-like apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—नागगन्धर्वयक्षादयः (ādi = 'and others')

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: सम्बोधन (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Hierarchy of beings and the graded divine classes above humans

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Existence is hierarchically populated by higher orders of divine beings beyond the human sphere.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate humility and widen one’s spiritual horizon beyond merely human concerns.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is a structured order of real, dependent beings within the Lord’s governance.

Characters & Entities

• Nagas
• Gandharvas
• Yakshas
• Devas
• King (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the significance of Nāgas, Gandharvas, and Yakṣas in the Vishnu Purana?

They represent distinct divine or semi-divine orders within the created cosmos, illustrating a graded hierarchy of beings beyond ordinary terrestrial life.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic hierarchy in this section?

He lists successive classes of beings in ascending order, showing how creation is structured into ranks—humans and other beings are situated within a broader divine ecology.

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

The ordered hierarchy implies a governing intelligence behind creation; in Vaishnava theology, this cosmic order ultimately rests on Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality.