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Shloka 16

Maṅgalācaraṇa, the Sages’ Inquiry, and Hari as Supreme with an Avatāra-Outline

Devanagari script

तृतीयमृषिसर्गं तु देवर्षित्वमुपेत्य सः / तन्त्रं सात्वतमाचष्टे नैष्कर्म्यं कर्मणां यतः

Transliteration

tṛtīyamṛṣisargaṃ tu devarṣitvamupetya saḥ / tantraṃ sātvatamācaṣṭe naiṣkarmyaṃ karmaṇāṃ yataḥ

Translation

ثمّ في الخلق الثالث—خلقُ الرِّشِيّين—لما نال مرتبةَ الدِّيفَرشي (الناسك الإلهي)، شرح «ساطڤَتا تَنْترا»، التي بها يُنال «نَيْشْكَرْمْيَ»؛ أي حالُ عدم التعلّق بالفعل في خضمّ الأفعال.

Word by Word
तृतीयम्third
तृतीयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootतृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (ordinal)
ऋषिसर्गम्the creation/emanation of sages
ऋषिसर्गम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ऋषीणां सर्गः)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha/Discourse particle
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)
देवर्षित्वम्the state of being a divine sage
देवर्षित्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त भाववाचक (त्व); तत्पुरुष (देवर्षेः भावः)
उपेत्यhaving attained
उपेत्य:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootउप-इ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); उपसर्ग: उप; अर्थ: having attained
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
तन्त्रम्treatise/system
तन्त्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
सात्वतम्Sātvata (pertaining to Sātvatas/Vaiṣṇava)
सात्वतम्:
Karma (Object-qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसात्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तन्त्रस्य)
आचष्टेdeclares/teaches
आचष्टे:
Kriya (Main action)
TypeVerb
Rootआ-चक्ष् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
नैष्कर्म्यम्freedom from action (non-action)
नैष्कर्म्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनिः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + य (तद्धित/प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of non-action/inaction)
कर्मणाम्of actions
कर्मणाम्:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन
यतःbecause/from which
यतः:
Hetu (Cause marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अव्ययीभाव/सम्बन्धबोधक (causal-relative adverb)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (to Garuda/Vainateya), in the introductory narration

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Naiṣkarmya—freedom from binding agency while actions continue, attained through Sātvata Tantra (bhakti-yoga/pañcarātra orientation).

Vedantic Theme: Karma performed without ahaṅkāra and phala-āśā; inner renunciation leading toward jīvanmukti-like steadiness.

Application: Perform duties as worship (īśvara-arpana), cultivate non-attachment to results, and stabilize the witness-attitude through disciplined sādhana.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): mokṣa-dharma and Viṣṇu-bhakti passages where niṣkāma-karma and nāma-smaraṇa are praised (sectional parallels vary by recension)

Characters & Entities
R
Rishis
D
Devarshis
S
Sātvata (Pāñcarātra/Vaiṣṇava Tantra)

FAQs

This verse frames the Sātvata (Vaiṣṇava/Pāñcarātra) teaching as a means to transcend karmic bondage—guiding a practitioner to act without accruing binding karma (naiṣkarmya).

It points to naiṣkarmya: not the absence of work, but the absence of karmic attachment and binding results—achieved through a disciplined spiritual doctrine (tantra) aligned with devotion and right knowledge.

Perform duties responsibly while reducing ego and attachment to outcomes; anchor actions in devotion, ethical restraint, and steady practice so work becomes purifying rather than binding.

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