Shloka 118

Devanagari script

यस्याम् इष्ट्वा महायज्ञैर् यज्ञेशं पुरुषोत्तमम् द्विजभूपाः पराम् ऋद्धिम् अवापुर् दिवि चेह च

Transliteration

yasyām iṣṭvā mahāyajñair yajñeśaṃ puruṣottamam dvijabhūpāḥ parām ṛddhim avāpur divi ceha ca

Translation

في ذلك الموضع المقدّس، بعدما عبد الملوكُ من ذوي الولادتين فيشنو—بوروشوتّما، ربّ القرابين—باليَجْنات العظمى، نالوا أسمى الازدهار في الدنيا وفي السماء معًا.

Word by Word

• यस्यम्: in which (river/place)
• यस्यम्: अधिकरण (Locative/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• इष्ट्वा: having worshipped
• इष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having worshipped/sacrificed’

• महायज्ञैः: with great sacrifices
• महायज्ञैः: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् यज्ञः)

• यज्ञेशम्: the Lord of sacrifices
• यज्ञेशम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञानाम् ईशः)

• पुरुषोत्तमम्: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयभावः — ‘the सर्वोत्तम पुरुष’ (epithet)

• द्विजभूपाः: brahmin-kings
• द्विजभूपाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (द्विजाः एव भूपाः)

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with ऋद्धिम्)

• ऋद्धिम्: prosperity/success
• ऋद्धिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अवापुः: obtained
• अवापुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः अव-
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: अधिकरण (Locative/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (नित्यस्त्रीलिङ्ग)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• इह: here
• इह: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘here’)

• च: also/and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Efficacy of performing great yajñas at the sacred place and worship of Yajñeśa

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When yajña is directed to Puruṣottama as Yajñeśa, it yields both worldly welfare and post-mortem heavenly fruition.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Offer work and ritual as God-centered service (īśvara-arpana), not mere transaction, aligning prosperity with dharma.

Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu as the inner recipient and lord of all sacrificial action (yajña-śeṣin), integrating ritual efficacy with divine sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Yajñeśa
• Dvija-kings (initiated Kṣatriyas)

FAQs

What is the significance of worshiping Vishnu as Yajñeśa in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu as the inner Lord and recipient of yajña; sacrifices become spiritually effective because they are offered to Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the results of mahāyajñas for kings?

Parāśara presents yajña as both a dharmic royal duty and a means of blessing: it yields prosperity in this life (iha) and elevated reward in heaven (divi).

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is portrayed not merely as a deity among others but as Puruṣottama—the supreme reality—who governs sacrificial order and dispenses fruits across both worldly and transcendent domains.