Shloka 14

उपसंहारः, वैष्णवपुराण-प्रशंसा, फलश्रुति, परम्परा-प्रवहः (पाठ-श्रवण-फलम्)

Devanagari script

अत्र देवास् तथा दैत्या गन्धर्वोरगराक्षसाः यक्षा विद्याधराः सिद्धाः कथ्यन्ते ऽप्सरसस् तथा

Transliteration

atra devās tathā daityā gandharvoragarākṣasāḥ yakṣā vidyādharāḥ siddhāḥ kathyante 'psarasas tathā

Translation

Here are described, in due order, the diverse orders of beings—gods and Daityas; Gandharvas; serpentine races and Rākṣasas; Yakṣas; Vidyādharas; Siddhas; and likewise the Apsarases.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunctive adverb/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'also/likewise')

• दैत्याḥ: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याḥ: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• गन्धर्व-उरग-राक्षसाः: Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Rākṣasas
• गन्धर्व-उरग-राक्षसाः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उरग (प्रातिपदिक) + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर; 'gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यक्षाः: Yakṣas
• यक्षाः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विद्याधराः: Vidyādharas
• विद्याधराः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विद्यां धरन्ति = 'holders of knowledge'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सिद्धाः: Siddhas
• सिद्धाः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कथ्यन्ते: are described
• कथ्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (are spoken of)

• अप्सरसः: Apsarases
• अप्सरसः: Karta (Item in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अप्सरसः = nom. pl. of अप्सरस्)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunctive adverb/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Recap of the Purāṇa’s scope, including cosmic orders of beings

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Purāṇa describes the ordered taxonomy of beings—devas, daityas, gandharvas, nāgas, rākṣasas, yakṣas, vidyādharas, siddhas, and apsarases—within the cosmos.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate a widened moral imagination: recognize multiple orders of life and act with humility and dharma within a larger cosmic ecology.

Vishishtadvaita: A real, plural cosmos of sentient beings is affirmed as the Lord’s ordered body (śarīra), consistent with qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Daityas
• Gandharvas
• Uragas (Nāgas/serpents)
• Rākṣasas
• Yakṣas
• Vidyādharas
• Siddhas
• Apsarases

FAQs

What is the significance of listing Devas, Daityas, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and others in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse signals a systematic cosmology: the Purana maps the universe by enumerating its major classes of beings, showing that creation is an ordered whole with many ranks and functions.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cosmos to Maitreya in this chapter?

Parāśara teaches by classification—naming distinct orders (deities, anti-deities, celestial artists, serpent races, perfected beings, etc.) to present creation as structured and intelligible rather than random.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana frames these beings as existing within the cosmic order sustained by the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—who is the ground and governor of creation.