Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

शब्दादिभिश् च सहितं ब्रह्माण्डम् अखिलं द्विज मेरोर् इवाणुर् यस्यैतद् यन्मयं च द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

śabdādibhiś ca sahitaṃ brahmāṇḍam akhilaṃ dvija meror ivāṇur yasyaitad yanmayaṃ ca dvijottama

Translation

O twice-born, this entire cosmic egg—together with sound and the rest of the subtle elements—is but an atom when set against Him, as Mount Meru is to a mere speck; and indeed, O best of Brahmins, this whole universe is of His very nature, made of Him and pervaded by Him.

Word by Word

• शब्दादिभिः: by sound etc.
• शब्दादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शब्द-आदि = 'sound and the rest')

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

• सहितम्: accompanied/combined
• सहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) → सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with ब्रह्माण्डम्)

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्माण्डम्)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (particle of comparison 'like/as')

• अणुः: a tiny particle
• अणुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• यन्मयम्: made of that
• यन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एतत्/ब्रह्माण्डम्); तत्पुरुषः (यद्-मय = 'consisting of which/that')

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

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः द्विजः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Supremacy of the Lord over the brahmāṇḍa and His pervasion as the universe’s very substance

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The entire brahmāṇḍa with the subtle elements (sound etc.) is infinitesimal compared to Him, and the universe is constituted of Him and pervaded by Him.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Meditate on the Lord as both transcendent beyond the cosmos and immanent within it, reducing ego and deepening surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms real universe as the Lord’s body (made of Him and pervaded by Him) while preserving His transcendence—core to qualified non-dualism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Mount Meru
• Brahmanda (cosmic egg)
• Tanmatras (sound and subtle elements)
• Supreme Lord (Vishnu implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of the universe being described as ‘an atom’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It emphasizes the immeasurable supremacy of the Lord: even the total cosmos (brahmāṇḍa) is negligible when compared to His infinitude.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea that the world is ‘made of Him’ (yanmaya)?

Parāśara presents the Lord as both transcendent and all-pervading—everything exists within Him and is constituted by His power, so the cosmos is not independent of the Supreme.

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

The verse supports a Vaishnava metaphysics where Vishnu is the ultimate ground of being—greater than the universe yet present as its inner essence and sustaining reality.