Shloka 2

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

दृष्ट्वा च परमात्मानं प्रत्यक्षं विश्वरूपिणम् ।

विश्वपादशिरोग्रीवं विश्वेशं विश्वभावनम् ॥

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā ca paramātmānaṁ pratyakṣaṁ viśvarūpiṇam / viśvapādaśirogrīvaṁ viśveśaṁ viśvabhāvanam

Translation

ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਪਰਮ ਆਤਮਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਾਕਸ਼ਾਤ ਵੇਖਿਆ—ਜੋ ਜਗਤ-ਰੂਪ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਚਰਨ, ਸਿਰ ਅਤੇ ਗਰਦਨ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਜਗਤ ਹਨ; ਜੋ ਜਗਤ ਦਾ ਈਸ਼ਵਰ ਅਤੇ ਜਗਤ ਦੇ ਉਤਪੱਤ ਹੋਣ ਦਾ ਕਾਰਣ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/क्त्वान्त), ‘having seen’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• परमात्मानम्: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः आत्मा)

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly manifest, before one’s eyes
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Visheshana of Karma (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjectival to परमात्मानम्

• विश्वरूपिणम्: of universal form
• विश्वरूपिणम्: Visheshana of Karma (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वं रूपं यस्य = having the form of the universe)

• विश्वपादशिरोग्रीवम्: whose feet, head and neck are the universe
• विश्वपादशिरोग्रीवम्: Visheshana of Karma (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + पाद + शिरस् + ग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विश्वं पाद-शिरो-ग्रीवं यस्य = whose feet/head/neck are the universe)

• विश्वेशम्: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः = lord of the universe)

• विश्वभावनम्: creator/sustainer of the universe
• विश्वभावनम्: Visheshana of Karma (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व + भावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य भावनः/भावनम् = creator/sustainer of the universe)

Speakers

• Dattātreya (continuing instruction)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Paramātman (Brahman/Īśvara)

Key Themes

• Viśvarūpa
• Direct realization (pratyakṣa)
• Brahman/Īśvara contemplation
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The goal is not abstract belief but direct seeing (pratyakṣa) of the Divine as all-pervasive reality; ethically, this vision supports reverence toward all beings as expressions of the same ground.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A contemplative/theological teaching rather than pancalakṣaṇa content. It supplies the metaphysical object of meditation within the Purāṇic path to mokṣa.

What is the esoteric significance?

Viśvarūpa imagery collapses the inside/outside divide: the meditator’s body-world mapping is re-read as the body of Īśvara, enabling non-dual absorption where ‘world’ becomes a support rather than a distraction.