Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्य प्रभावम् अतुलं विष्णोर् भक्तिमतो मुने श्रोतुम् इच्छामि यस्यैतच् चरितं त्व् अमितौजसः

Transliteration

tasya prabhāvam atulaṃ viṣṇor bhaktimato mune śrotum icchāmi yasyaitac caritaṃ tv amitaujasaḥ

Translation

Oh sabio, deseo escuchar el poder espiritual incomparable de ese devoto de Viṣṇu—de aquel cuya vida tú, de esplendor sin medida, has comenzado a relatar.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• प्रभावम्: power, majesty
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular (qualifying प्रभावम्)

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• भक्तिमतः: of the devoted one
• भक्तिमतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (qualifying विष्णोः / or ‘of the devotee’)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); ‘to hear’

• इच्छामि: I wish, I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; 1st person singular present

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• चरितम्: conduct, story
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘deed/biography’

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय/विरोधबोधक अव्यय; particle

• अमितौजसः: of immeasurable vigor
• अमितौजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित + ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (qualifying यस्य)

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Request to hear Prahlāda’s full carita and the incomparable prabhāva arising from devotion to Viṣṇu.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa of a great devotee’s life is sought as a means to apprehend the Lord’s grace and the power of bhakti.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Regularly hear and reflect on saintly narratives to strengthen faith, courage, and ethical clarity in daily life.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti mediated through śravaṇa and bhakta-mahātmyam: the Lord’s grace is approached via loving engagement with His devotees.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Teaching

Bhakti Quality: Longing to hear (śravaṇa) and glorify the Lord’s devotee, treating bhakta-mahātmyam as spiritually transformative.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Maitreya
• Parasara

FAQs

What is the significance of a devotee’s “prabhāva” (spiritual power) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames devotion to Vishnu as a transformative potency—an incomparable efficacy that becomes evident through the devotee’s life and conduct.

How does Sage Parāśara explain sacred narratives to Maitreya in this section?

The Purana proceeds as a teacher–disciple dialogue: Maitreya asks to hear, and Parāśara responds by unfolding the devotee’s carita (life-story) as theological instruction.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the supreme object of devotion; the devotee’s greatness is meaningful precisely because it derives from steadfast bhakti to Vishnu’s sovereign reality.