Vishnu Purana 5.30.18 — Krishna Avatara, Amsha 5, Adhyaya 30, Shloka 18

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

आराध्य त्वाम् अभीप्सन्ते कामान् आत्मभवक्षयम् यद् एते पुरुषा माया सैवेयं भगवंस् तव

Transliteration

ārādhya tvām abhīpsante kāmān ātmabhavakṣayam yad ete puruṣā māyā saiveyaṃ bhagavaṃs tava

Translation

O seliger Herr! Nachdem sie Dich verehrt haben, begehren diese Menschen die Dinge des Verlangens—ja sogar das Erlöschen ihres eigenen Werdens. Doch was immer sie erstreben, ist nur māyā; und diese māyā, o Bhagavān, ist die Deine.

Word by Word

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + राध् (धातु) + ल्यप्/य (कृदन्त; क्त्वार्थे)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having worshipped)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अभीप्सन्ते: they desire
• अभीप्सन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + आप्/ईप्स् (धातु; desiderative sense)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कामान्: desires, objects of desire
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आत्मभवक्षयम्: cessation of one’s own becoming (end of rebirth)
• आत्मभवक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + भव + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः भवः—तस्य क्षयः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: whereas/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुरुषाः: men, persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• माया: illusion, Māyā
• माया: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: only/indeed)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in the standard Vishnu Purana dialogue frame; this verse reads as an address to Bhagavān/Vishnu)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To receive the devotees’ worship and, through his grace, turn their desire-bound aims toward true knowledge and liberation.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Right discernment that all sought objects are dependent on the Lord and not independently real.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even desired ends (kāma and even self-extinction) are encompassed by the Lord’s māyā, which is not independent but belongs to Him.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Treat goals and outcomes as contingent and subordinate to God; cultivate viveka and offer results back to the Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Māyā is a real dependence-mode (prakāra) under the Lord’s sovereignty, not an autonomous principle; all pursuits rest on His will.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Maya

FAQs

What is the significance of māyā in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames māyā not as an independent principle but as the Lord’s own power—what people chase as “real” objects or even as “liberation” is still under Bhagavān’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain desire and liberation in this context?

He indicates that worshippers may seek worldly boons (kāmān) or even the ending of becoming (bhava-kṣaya), yet the entire field of seeking operates within māyā, which belongs to and is governed by Vishnu.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Lord (Bhagavān) whose mastery extends over māyā itself—supporting a theistic Vedanta where liberation is ultimately dependent on His reality and grace, not on an autonomous cosmic principle.