Shloka 66

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

न्यग्रोधः सुमहान् अल्पे यथा बीजे व्यवस्थितः संयमे विश्वम् अखिलं बीजभूते तथा त्वयि

Transliteration

nyagrodhaḥ sumahān alpe yathā bīje vyavasthitaḥ saṃyame viśvam akhilaṃ bījabhūte tathā tvayi

Translation

正如广大无比的尼耶拘陀（榕）树，微细地安住于一粒小小的种子之中；同样，在收摄与坏灭之时，整个宇宙亦以种子之态安住于汝——因为汝即其种子与因地。

Word by Word

• न्यग्रोधः: banyan tree
• न्यग्रोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• अल्पे: in a small (thing)
• अल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानार्थक (comparative adverb: as/just as)

• बीजे: in a seed
• बीजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यवस्थितः: is contained/established
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+अव+स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्था-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संयमे: at dissolution/withdrawal
• संयमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• बीजभूते: in (you) who are seed-like/seed-form
• बीजभूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भू-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (बीजं भूतो यः)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तद्वत्-अर्थक (correlative adverb: so/likewise)

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the universe is withdrawn and rests in the Supreme at dissolution

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: As a banyan tree lies potentially within a tiny seed, so the entire universe lies withdrawn within the Lord at saṃyama (restraint/dissolution).

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: In meditation, practice inward withdrawal (pratyāhāra) and rest the mind in the causal ground, reducing anxiety about change and loss.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is real yet dependent: it contracts into the Lord as its bīja (seed) without negating His transcendence or immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Universe (Jagat)

FAQs

What is the significance of the banyan-seed metaphor in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates subtle causality: the immense cosmos can remain unmanifest and contained within Vishnu, just as a huge banyan exists potentially within a tiny seed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic dissolution (pralaya) here?

He describes pralaya as a “saṁyama” or withdrawal, when the entire universe is gathered back into Vishnu, who remains the seed-form cause from which creation can arise again.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality and sustaining ground: all existence depends on Him, and at dissolution everything rests in Him as its ultimate source and support.