Shloka 5

मैत्रेयप्रश्नः—पुराणसंहिताप्रतिज्ञा च

Maitreya’s Questions and Parāśara’s Resolve to Teach

Devanagari script

यन्मयं च जगद् ब्रह्मन् यतश् चैतच् चराचरम् लीनम् आसीद् यथा यत्र लयम् एष्यति यत्र च

Transliteration

yanmayaṃ ca jagad brahman yataś caitac carācaram līnam āsīd yathā yatra layam eṣyati yatra ca

Translation

ブラフマンよ、この全宇宙がいかなる実在によって成り立ち、またその実在によって動くもの・動かぬものの創造が存するのか。かつてそれがいかにして、どこで融け入ったのか、そして再びどこで、いかにしてプララヤ（大滅）へ入るのか——そのすべてをお説きください。

Word by Word

• यन्मयम्: consisting of which
• यन्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (येन मयम्/यद्-मयम् = made of which) विशेषणम् (जगत्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — conjunction

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Vocative Singular

• यतः: from which
• यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Ablative Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — conjunction

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative Singular

• चराचरम्: the moving and the unmoving (all beings)
• चराचरम्: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative Singular; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चरं च अचरं च)

• लीनम्: merged/dissolved
• लीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ली (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP, Neuter Nom. Singular; विशेषणम् (एतत् चराचरम्)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, Active, 3rd person singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारे) — indeclinable (as/how)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशे) — indeclinable adverb (where)

• लयम्: dissolution
• लयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एष्यति: will go/attain
• एष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Future, Active, 3rd person singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशे) — indeclinable adverb (where)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात — conjunction

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Seeks the ontological ground of the world: that of which it is made, by which it exists, and into which it dissolves—asking where and how dissolution occurs

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The universe is constituted of, sustained by, and finally reabsorbed into a single supreme Reality—the material and efficient cause—whose modes include the moving and unmoving world.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the source and end of experiences to cultivate detachment and devotion; see all beings as dependent modes of the Supreme.

Vishishtadvaita: Strongly supports satkārya-like causality and Brahman-as-substance: the jagat is ‘of that’ (yanmayaṃ), aligning with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s view of the world as real, Brahman’s body (śarīra) and supported by Him.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Jagat (the universe)
• Chara-achara (moving and unmoving beings)

FAQs

What is the significance of 'moving and unmoving' (चराचरम्) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals totality: all life and matter—mobile beings and immobile existence—are included in the single cosmic order whose source and dissolution Maitreya asks to be explained.

How does Sage Parāśara explain creation and dissolution in this opening context?

Maitreya frames the teaching by asking for the material cause (what the world is made of), the efficient cause (from whom it arises), and the mechanics and locus of dissolution (laya/pralaya), which Parāśara will answer by grounding cosmology in the Supreme Principle identified with Vishnu.

What is the theological importance of the Supreme Reality in this verse?

The verse treats the Supreme as the universe’s basis, source, and final resting-place—supporting a Vaishnava reading where Vishnu is the transcendent yet immanent Lord into whom creation is periodically reabsorbed.