Shloka 39

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

सामर्थ्ये सति तत् त्याज्यम् उभाभ्याम् अपि पार्थिव तद् एवापदि कर्तव्यं न कुर्यात् कर्मसंकरम्

Transliteration

sāmarthye sati tat tyājyam ubhābhyām api pārthiva tad evāpadi kartavyaṃ na kuryāt karmasaṃkaram

Translation

হে পাৰ্থিৱ! সামৰ্থ্য থাকিলে সেই পথ দুয়োফালে ত্যাগ কৰিব লাগে; কিন্তু আপদকালত সেই পথেই গ্ৰহণযোগ্য। কৰ্মসংকৰ নকৰিবা—ধৰ্ম নষ্ট কৰা কৰ্তব্য-গোলমাল সৃষ্টি নকৰিবা।

Word by Word

• सामर्थ्ये: when there is capability
• सामर्थ्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सति: being (present)
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अस् (धातु) → सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) — ‘सति’ इति सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• तत्: that (act/duty)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सन्दर्भानुसारं कर्म/निर्देश

• त्याज्यम्: should be abandoned
• त्याज्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु) → त्याज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विध्यर्थक कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्) — ‘to be abandoned’

• उभाभ्याम्: by both (of them)
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आपदि: in distress
• आपदि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यं: should be done
• कर्तव्यं: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विध्यर्थक कृदन्त (तव्यत्) — ‘to be done’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्मसंकरम्: mixing/confusion of duties
• कर्मसंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + संकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म-संकर इति तत्पुरुषसमासः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; framed as guidance addressing a kingly listener, 'pārthiva')

Characters & Entities

• Kings
• Dharma
• Āpaddharma (dharma in distress)

FAQs

What is the significance of āpaddharma (dharma in distress) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that certain actions are normally to be avoided when one is capable of following the standard rule, but may become permissible in emergencies—without collapsing the overall framework of dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of not creating karma-saṃkara?

He cautions that even when exceptions exist for crisis, one should not turn them into habitual practice; mixing or confusing duties erodes social and spiritual order.

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

The verse aligns ethical flexibility with the preservation of cosmic and social order—an order ultimately sustained by Vishnu as the Supreme regulator of dharma.