Shloka 22

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

दानं दद्याद् यजेद् देवान् यज्ञैः स्वाध्यायतत्परः नित्योदकी भवेद् विप्रः कुर्याच् चाग्निपरिग्रहम्

Transliteration

dānaṃ dadyād yajed devān yajñaiḥ svādhyāyatatparaḥ nityodakī bhaved vipraḥ kuryāc cāgniparigraham

Translation

Er soll Almosen geben, die Götter durch Opfer verehren und dem heiligen Studium hingegeben sein. Der Brāhmaṇa soll täglich die reinigenden Wasserhandlungen vollziehen und nach Vorschrift die heiligen Feuer unterhalten.

Word by Word

• dānam: gift, charity
• dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yajet: should worship/sacrifice
• yajet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devān: the gods
• devān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• yajñaiḥ: with sacrifices
• yajñaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental)

• svādhyāya-tat-paraḥ: devoted to self-study
• svādhyāya-tat-paraḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मिन् परः = तत्परः; स्वाध्याये तत्परः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vipraḥ)

• nitya-udakī: regular in water-rites (daily ablutions)
• nitya-udakī: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + udakin (उदकिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नित्यम् उदकं यस्य/उदकी = having water/performing daily ablutions); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of vipraḥ)

• bhavet: should be/become
• bhavet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kuryāt: should do/perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• agni-parigraham: the taking/maintaining of sacred fires
• agni-parigraham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + parigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्नेः परिग्रहः/अग्निपरिग्रहः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Varṇa-dharma (brāhmaṇa duties begin)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: prescriptive, ritual-technical

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brāhmaṇa-dharma is sustained through dāna, yajña, svādhyāya, daily purity rites, and maintaining sacred fires as disciplined offering to the divine order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice disciplined daily spiritual routine—study, generosity, and regular worship—treating action as consecration rather than self-advancement.

Vishishtadvaita: Ritual and study are framed as service within the Lord’s sovereignty: the world-order and its rites are meaningful because they are modes (prakāra) of Nārāyaṇa’s governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brāhmaṇa (Vipra)
• Sacred fires (Agni as ritual principle)

FAQs

What is the significance of charity (dāna) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents dāna as a core daily discipline that sustains dharma—an outward act of order and compassion that supports society and aligns the giver with sacred duty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the ideal brāhmaṇa conduct here?

Parāśara lists a practical dharma-sequence—charity, worship through yajña, devotion to Vedic study, daily water-rites, and maintenance of sacred fires—showing dharma as a lived routine rather than mere theory.

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

Even when describing ritual duties, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as part of the cosmic order upheld by Viṣṇu; these acts become meaningful as participation in the Supreme Lord’s sustaining governance of the world.