Shloka 20

Adhyāya 302: Guṇa-vicāra, Gati-bheda, and the Imperishable State

Yājñavalkya–Janaka

Devanagari script

वृतं नैकात्मकं येन कृतं त्रैलोक्यमात्मना । तथैव बहुरूपत्वाद्‌ विश्वरूप इति स्मृत:

Transliteration

vṛtaṃ naikātmakaṃ yena kṛtaṃ trailokyam ātmanā | tathaiva bahurūpatvād viśvarūpa iti smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

ବସିଷ୍ଠ କହିଲେ—ଯିଏ ନିଜ ଆତ୍ମଶକ୍ତିରେ ତ୍ରିଲୋକକୁ ଗଢ଼ିଛନ୍ତି, ସେ ଏକମାତ୍ର ରୂପରେ ସୀମିତ ନୁହେଁ। ବହୁରୂପରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ ପାଇବାରୁ ସେ ‘ବିଶ୍ୱରୂପ’ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତ। ସେଇ ଏକ ତତ୍ତ୍ୱ ସୃଷ୍ଟିକର୍ତ୍ତା ମଧ୍ୟ, ସର୍ବବ୍ୟାପୀ ମଧ୍ୟ; ବହୁରୂପେ ଦେଖାଯାଏ, କିନ୍ତୁ ଅନ୍ତର୍ନିହିତ ଏକତା ଛାଡ଼େ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• वृतम्: pervaded/covered
• वृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत (√वृ/√वृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• एकात्मकम्: of single nature/one-formed
• एकात्मकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकात्मक
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• येन: by whom/with which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कृतम्: made/created
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (√कृ)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आत्मना: by (his) self; by himself
• आत्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तथा: thus; in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• बहुरूपत्वात्: because of manifoldness/many forms
• बहुरूपत्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुरूपत्व
• Form: नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• विश्व-रूपः: the all-formed one; Vishvarupa
• विश्व-रूपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वरूप
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• स्मृतः: is remembered/called
• स्मृतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (√स्मृ)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Trailokya (the three worlds)
• Viśvarūpa (the All-Form / cosmic form)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the ultimate principle that creates the three worlds is not limited to a single form; it manifests as many forms while remaining one. This supports an ethical vision of unity: seeing multiplicity as expressions of one reality reduces ego-driven division and encourages reverence toward all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing his listener in a philosophical discourse within Śānti Parva, explaining the cosmic creator-pervader as ‘Viśvarūpa’—so called because the one reality appears in countless forms and yet underlies and pervades the entire three-world cosmos.