Shloka 12

विषप्रयोगः कृत्योत्पादनं च (प्रह्लादस्य अवध्यता, कृत्याविनाशः, पुरोहितानां रक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

किं दैवैः किम् अनन्तेन किम् अन्येन तवाश्रयः पिता समस्तलोकानां त्वं तथैव भविष्यसि

Transliteration

kiṃ daivaiḥ kim anantena kim anyena tavāśrayaḥ pitā samastalokānāṃ tvaṃ tathaiva bhaviṣyasi

Translation

À quoi te servent les dieux? À quoi Ananta, ou quoi que ce soit d’autre? Tu as pris refuge en Celui qui est le Père de tous les mondes; et toi aussi tu seras établi dans ce même état suprême.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use/need)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• दैवैः: with/through the gods; by the gods
• दैवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• किम्: what (need)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अनन्तेन: with Ananta (Viṣṇu)
• अनन्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what (need)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अन्येन: with another (anyone else)
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आश्रयः: refuge, support
• आश्रयः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समस्त-लोकानाम्: of all the worlds
• समस्त-लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √अस् ‘सम्+अस्’/सम्+स्था भावे ‘समस्त’ = whole) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘समस्ताः लोकाः’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), अर्थे: ‘एवम्/तद्वत्’ (thus)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Kriya-vishesana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण), emphasis particle

• भविष्यसि: you will be/become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (instructing Maitreya; verse framed as assurance that refuge in the Supreme makes other supports unnecessary)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Prahlāda’s devotion and the attempts to turn him away from Viṣṇu

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Taking refuge in the supreme source and father of the worlds renders all lesser dependencies unnecessary.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice single-pointed devotion: reduce competing ‘supports’ (status, fear, social approval) and anchor daily prayer/ethics in the Lord as ultimate shelter.

Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu is affirmed as jagat-kāraṇa and jagat-pitā—transcendent yet the relational ground of all beings (śeṣa-śeṣi bhāva).

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Teaching (Prahlada's schools)

Bhakti Quality: Exclusive refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Viṣṇu/Ananta as jagat-pitā

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ananta (Śeṣa)

FAQs

What is the significance of taking refuge (āśraya) in Vishnu in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as the sole sufficient refuge: once one relies on the Father of all worlds, dependence on lesser divine agencies becomes unnecessary.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of devas and Ananta in relation to the Supreme?

Parāśara’s framing implies a hierarchy: devas (and even exalted cosmic figures like Ananta) do not replace the Supreme source; they are secondary to Vishnu, the ultimate ground of protection and being.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as Para-tattva—sovereign, all-parent, and the final support—aligning with Vaishnava thought where surrender to Vishnu leads toward the highest state (moksha).