Shloka 3
मैत्रेयप्रश्नः—पुराणसंहिताप्रतिज्ञा च
Maitreya’s Questions and Parāśara’s Resolve to Teach
त्वत्प्रसादान् मुनिश्रेष्ठ माम् अन्ये नाकृतश्रमम् वक्ष्यन्ति सर्वशास्त्रेषु प्रायशो ये ऽपि विद्विषः
tvatprasādān muniśreṣṭha mām anye nākṛtaśramam vakṣyanti sarvaśāstreṣu prāyaśo ye 'pi vidviṣaḥ
By your gracious favor, O best of sages, even though I have undertaken no arduous discipline, others will speak well of me in all the śāstras, even those mostly inclined to hostility.
Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)
Speaker: Maitreya
Topic: Acknowledges the transformative power of the guru’s grace—conferring esteem even among critics—despite his own limited austerity
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Guru-prasāda (grace) can elevate the disciple beyond personal effort, granting authority and acceptance even in contested intellectual spaces.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate humility and rely on authentic guidance; let integrity and blessing, not polemics, ground one’s learning and speech.
Vishishtadvaita: Emphasis on mediated grace aligns with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s stress on divine/guru-anugraha complementing effort (puruṣakāra and śeṣatva).
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse frames knowledge as sanctified by the teacher’s favor—suggesting that true authority in śāstra arises from a legitimate transmission, not merely personal effort.
Maitreya addresses Parāśara as the “best of sages,” positioning him as the authoritative narrator whose instruction will ground the forthcoming cosmology, cycles of time, and theological doctrine.
Vishnu is not named here; the verse prepares the reader for Vishnu-centered revelation by emphasizing the sanctity and credibility of the teaching lineage through which Vishnu’s supremacy will be explained.