Shloka 86

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

अहम् एवाक्षयो नित्यः परमात्मात्मसंश्रयः ब्रह्मसंज्ञो ऽहम् एवाग्रे तथान्ते च परः पुमान्

Transliteration

aham evākṣayo nityaḥ paramātmātmasaṃśrayaḥ brahmasaṃjño 'ham evāgre tathānte ca paraḥ pumān

Translation

Chính Ta là Đấng Bất Hoại và Vĩnh Cửu—Paramātman, tự nương nơi bản tính của Ta. Chính Ta được gọi là Brahman; trước mọi khởi đầu Ta đã hiện hữu, và đến tận cùng Ta vẫn là Đấng Siêu Việt, Purusha tối thượng còn lại.

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• akṣayaḥ: imperishable
• akṣayaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• nityaḥ: eternal
• nityaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• paramātma-ātma-saṃśrayaḥ: resting in the Supreme Self; having the Supreme Self as support
• paramātma-ātma-saṃśrayaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धप्रधान): “paramātmanaḥ ātma (स्वरूप) saṃśrayaḥ” = having one’s basis in the Supreme Self / resting in the Supreme Self; predicate to “aham”

• brahma-saṃjñaḥ: called ‘Brahman’
• brahma-saṃjñaḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): “brahmaṇaḥ saṃjñā” = bearing the name ‘Brahman’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (repetition for emphasis)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• agre: in the beginning
• agre: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (कालवाचक अव्यय) “in the beginning/at first”

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक); adverb “so/likewise”

• ante: at the end
• ante: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (कालवाचक अव्यय) “at the end”

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• paraḥ: supreme; transcendent
• paraḥ: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• pumān: Person; Being
• pumān: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; voiced as the Supreme Lord’s self-declaration within the discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Paramatman
• Brahman
• Para Purusha (Supreme Person)

FAQs

What is the significance of Brahman being identified with the Supreme Person in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse equates Brahman with the transcendent Puruṣa, presenting the ultimate reality as personal and sovereign—eternal before creation and remaining after dissolution.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the concept of the Supreme Self (Paramātman) here?

He presents the Paramātman as akṣaya (imperishable) and nitya (eternal), not dependent on anything else—‘self-established’ in its own nature—thereby grounding all cosmological cycles.

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

Vishnu is affirmed as the highest reality—Brahman and Para Puruṣa—who transcends time and change, existing prior to creation and persisting beyond cosmic dissolution.