Vishnu Purana — Amsha 2 - Sacred Geography, Shloka 38

भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः

Devanagari script

आत्मनो ऽधिगतज्ञानो देवादीनि महामुने सर्वभूतान्य् अभेदेन ददर्श स महामतिः

Transliteration

ātmano 'dhigatajñāno devādīni mahāmune sarvabhūtāny abhedena dadarśa sa mahāmatiḥ

Translation

真我の正知を得たのち、偉大なる聖者よ、その高邁なる者は、神々をはじめ一切の存在を差別なく観じ、遍くに一つの不二の実在のみを見た。

Word by Word

• आत्मनः: of the Self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• अधिगतज्ञानः: one who has attained knowledge
• अधिगतज्ञानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिगत (कृदन्त) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: अधिगतं ज्ञानं यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवादीनि: the gods and others
• देवादीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः: देवा आदयः येषां तानि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः: महान् मुनिः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Vocative singular)

• सर्वभूतानि: all beings
• सर्वभूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः: सर्वाणि भूतानि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• अभेदेन: with non-difference; as non-different
• अभेदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular; manner)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः: महती मतिः यस्य/महती मतिः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya as 'mahāmune')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Non-difference vision arising from Self-knowledge—seeing the one reality pervading gods and beings

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Self-knowledge yields a vision of unity—perceiving all beings, including devas, as pervaded by one undivided reality.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice equal regard (sama-darśana) in daily interactions, reducing egoic division and cultivating compassion grounded in metaphysical unity.

Vishishtadvaita: Unity is read as sarvātmya through the indwelling Lord (antaryāmin): diversity remains real as modes (prakāra) of the one Supreme, not as illusion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• All beings (sarvabhūtāni)
• Ātman (Self)

FAQs

What is the significance of abheda (non-difference) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It presents the realized vision where all beings—including the gods—are perceived as expressions of one underlying Self/Supreme reality, dissolving divisive perception.

How does Sage Parāśara explain spiritual realization here?

Parāśara frames realization as ātmanaḥ jñāna (knowledge of the Self) culminating in a transformed perception: the sage sees all beings without distinction, as one.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s theology supports that this unity is grounded in the Supreme Vishnu pervading all beings as their inner ruler, making non-difference a God-centered vision of reality.