Shloka 49

ध्रुवस्य निर्वेदः — मन्त्रोपदेशः (ॐ नमो वासुदेवाय) तथा विष्ण्वाराधनविधिः

Devanagari script

आराध्यः कथितो देवो भवद्भिः प्रणतस्य मे मया तत्परितोषाय यज् जप्तव्यं तद् उच्यताम्

Transliteration

ārādhyaḥ kathito devo bhavadbhiḥ praṇatasya me mayā tatparitoṣāya yaj japtavyaṃ tad ucyatām

Translation

You have declared to me—who bows in reverence—the God who is truly worthy of worship. Now, to delight and satisfy Him, please tell me what sacred formula should be recited.

Word by Word

• आराध्यः: worthy to be worshipped
• आराध्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आराध् (धातु √आराध्)
• Form: कृदन्तः—ण्यत्/यत् (gerundive; ‘to be worshipped’), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (देवः)

• कथितः: has been described
• कथितः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु √कथ्)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (देवः)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• भवद्भिः: by you (all)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचनम्; आदरार्थे (honorific ‘you all’)

• प्रणतस्य: of me who am bowed down
• प्रणतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (मे)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) एकवचनम् (enclitic)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्

• तत्परितोषाय: for his satisfaction
• तत्परितोषाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + परितोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tasya paritoṣaḥ), चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनम् (purpose)

• यत्: what
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; यत्...तत् (correlative)

• जप्तव्यम्: to be recited (as japa)
• जप्तव्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु √जप्)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तव्यत् (gerundive; ‘to be recited’), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कर्म-भावः (thing to be done)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; अन्वयः—यत्...तत्

• उच्यताम्: let it be told
• उच्यताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु √वच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense: ‘let it be said’)

Speaker

Maitreya (the disciple), addressing Sage Parāśara

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Having known Viṣṇu as the proper object of worship, the devotee seeks the appropriate mantra-japa specifically to please Him.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Pair devotion with disciplined practice—learn and recite mantras under guidance with the intention of pleasing God, not mere display.

Vishishtadvaita: Upāya as bhakti with prescribed means (mantra/japa) directed to the personal Lord, consistent with Pāñcarātra-style worship.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Characters & Entities

• Deva (the worship-worthy Lord—implicitly Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the significance of japa (mantra-recitation) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames japa as a direct method for “tat-paritoṣa”—the satisfaction of the worship-worthy Lord—showing devotion expressed through repeated sacred recitation.

How does Sage Parāśara guide Maitreya’s spiritual inquiry here?

Maitreya first accepts the identification of the true object of worship, then requests the practical means—what should be recited—reflecting the Purana’s pattern of theology leading into sādhanā (practice).

What is the theological importance of the ‘worship-worthy Deva’ in this context?

The verse assumes a single supreme focus of worship (implicitly Vishnu) and treats pleasing Him as the aim of practice, aligning devotion and mantra with the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality.