Shloka 71

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

Devanagari script

समस्तशक्तिरूपाणि तत् करोति जनेश्वर देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्यादिचेष्टावन्ति स्वलीलया

Transliteration

samastaśaktirūpāṇi tat karoti janeśvara devatiryaṅmanuṣyādiceṣṭāvanti svalīlayā

Translation

O Lord of beings, He assumes the forms of all powers and, by His own divine līlā, sets the gods, animals, humans, and all others in motion in their respective functions.

Word by Word

• समस्त: all, entire
• समस्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural) — विशेषणम्

• शक्ति: power
• शक्ति: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (feminine stem; compound-member)

• रूपाणि: forms
• रूपाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• समस्तशक्तिरूपाणि: the forms of all powers
• समस्तशक्तिरूपाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त + शक्ति + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive-determinative: 'forms of all powers'); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (neuter pronoun, nominative/accusative, singular)

• करोति: does, makes
• करोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• जन-ईश्वर: O lord of men
• जन-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('lord of people'); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम् (vocative singular)

• देव: god
• देव: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member)

• तिर्यङ्: animal (non-human)
• तिर्यङ्: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यञ्च्/तिर्यङ् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member; 'animal')

• मनुष्य: human
• मनुष्य: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member)

• आदि: and so on
• आदि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable) — समुच्चयार्थे/प्रकारसूचकम् ('etc.')

• चेष्टा: activity, movement
• चेष्टा: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member)

• वन्ति: possessing
• वन्ति: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वत् (प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (agreeing with 'रूपाणि')

• देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्यादिचेष्टावन्ति: having the activities of gods, animals, humans, etc.
• देवतिर्यङ्मनुष्यादिचेष्टावन्ति: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + तिर्यङ् + मनुष्य + आदि + चेष्टा + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः समासः (collective determinative: 'having activities of gods, animals, humans, etc.'); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्

• स्व: own
• स्व: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member; reflexive 'own')

• लीलया: by (his) play, sport
• लीलया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)

• स्वलीलया: by his own sport
• स्वलीलया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः ('own play'); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord, as the totality of powers, inwardly impels all beings to perform their respective functions by His līlā.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate humility and surrender by seeing one’s capacities and actions as sustained and directed by the Lord within.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Supreme as immanent controller (antaryāmin) who empowers distinct souls and bodies while remaining their inner ruler.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas
• Humans
• Animals (Tiryak)

FAQs

What is the significance of divine śakti (power) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Vishnu as the one who manifests as all powers, making every class of beings capable of action and function.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the activity of gods, humans, and animals here?

He frames their activity as arising from the Supreme’s inner governance—Vishnu causes their respective movements and roles through His līlā.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as the supreme sovereign and inner controller whose manifested potencies sustain the cosmos and animate all beings.