Shloka 12
ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यः शूद्रश् च पृथिवीपते स्वधर्मतत्परो विष्णुम् आराधयति नान्यथा
brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdraś ca pṛthivīpate svadharmatatparo viṣṇum ārādhayati nānyathā
O Herr der Erde, ob Brahmane, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya oder Śūdra: Nur durch Hingabe an die eigene Pflicht (svadharma) verehrt man Viṣṇu wahrhaft; anders geht es nicht.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction, traditionally to Maitreya; vocative suggests the teaching is framed for a king as well)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Whether all varṇas can worship Vishnu and by what means
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: directive
Concept: For all social stations, devotion to one’s own ordained duty is presented as the direct means of worshipping Vishnu.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Commit to your legitimate responsibilities with integrity and offer the results to Vishnu, avoiding envy of others’ roles.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord accepts service in diverse forms because all selves are His modes (prakāra) and all rightful action can be consecrated to Him.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse teaches that svadharma—faithful performance of one’s rightful duties—is itself a direct mode of worship of Vishnu, aligning personal life with cosmic order.
Parāśara frames worship as practical and embodied: each varna honors Vishnu by sincerely fulfilling its own dharma, rather than by abandoning one’s station for a different discipline.
Vishnu is presented as the supreme recipient and ground of dharma—devotion is validated not merely by ritual, but by living one’s ordained responsibilities as an offering to Him.