Shloka 51

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

निमित्तमात्रम् एवासौ सृज्यानां सर्गकर्मणि प्रधानकारणीभूता यतो वै सृज्यशक्तयः

Transliteration

nimittamātram evāsau sṛjyānāṃ sargakarmaṇi pradhānakāraṇībhūtā yato vai sṛjyaśaktayaḥ

Translation

ସୃଜ୍ୟ ବସ୍ତୁମାନଙ୍କ ସୃଷ୍ଟିକାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ସେ କେବଳ ନିମିତ୍ତମାତ୍ର; କାରଣ ଯେ ଶକ୍ତିମାନେ ଜୀବମାନଙ୍କୁ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ କରନ୍ତି, ସେମାନଙ୍କର ପ୍ରଧାନ କାରଣ ‘ପ୍ରଧାନ’ (ପ୍ରକୃତି) ଅଟେ।

Word by Word

• निमित्तमात्रम्: mere instrument/cause
• निमित्तमात्रम्: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('केवलं निमित्तम्'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अत्र विधेय-रूपे प्रथमा)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: only/indeed)

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सृज्यानाम्: of the created beings/things
• सृज्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; 'to be created'); षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; जन्यवाचक

• सर्गकर्मणि: in the act of creation
• सर्गकर्मणि: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('सर्गस्य कर्म'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रधानकारणीभूता: having become the primary cause
• प्रधानकारणीभूता: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान + कारणी + भू (धातु) → भूता (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('प्रधानं कारणं भूता'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सृज्यशक्तयः)

• यतः: from which, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (from which/because)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed, surely)

• सृज्यशक्तयः: creative powers/energies
• सृज्यशक्तयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृज्य + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('सृज्यस्य शक्तयः' / 'सृजन-शक्तयः'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Pradhana (Prakriti)

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradhāna in the Vishnu Purana’s creation doctrine?

This verse frames Pradhāna (Prakriti) as the material ground from which creative capacities emerge, while the Lord presides as the enabling instrument of Sarga.

How does Sage Parāśara explain causality in creation here?

He distinguishes the Lord as nimitta (instrumental cause) and Pradhāna as the source of sṛjya-śakti (productive power), presenting a layered model of cosmic origination.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Vishnu is portrayed as the supreme governor of the creative process—transcendent yet operative—whose sovereignty orders creation even when material potency is attributed to Prakriti.