Shloka 14

प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

श्रूयतां तात वक्ष्यामि सारभूतं तवाज्ञया समाहितमना भूत्वा यन् मे चेतस्य् अवस्थितम्

Transliteration

śrūyatāṃ tāta vakṣyāmi sārabhūtaṃ tavājñayā samāhitamanā bhūtvā yan me cetasy avasthitam

Translation

Listen, dear father: at your command I shall speak the very essence. With my mind made steady and collected, I will declare what stands firmly established within my heart and understanding.

Word by Word

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive action/विधिक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (let it be heard)

• तात: dear father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वक्ष्यामि: I will speak
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सारभूतम्: the essence
• सारभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारभूत (प्रातिपदिक; सार + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of वक्ष्यामि)

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

• आज्ञया: by (your) command/permission
• आज्ञया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; हेतौ/अनुमत्यर्थे (by/with permission, by command)

• समाहितमना: with concentrated mind
• समाहितमना: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहितमनस् (प्रातिपदिक; समाहित + मनस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to the speaker 'I')

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having become)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object of implied 'speak'/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• चेतसि: in (my) mind
• चेतसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अवस्थितम्: situated/established
• अवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-स्था (धातु) + अवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying यत्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True instruction arises from a mind made steady (samāhita) and from what is firmly established in the heart—devotion grounded in inner realization, not mere memorization.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Before speaking on spiritual matters, cultivate mental steadiness through japa, prayer, and reflective study; speak only what is assimilated.

Vishishtadvaita: Heart-established devotion implies the jīva’s real, personal relation to the Lord; knowledge ripens into loving surrender rather than dissolving individuality.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Teaching (Prahlada's schools)

Bhakti Quality: Samāhita-citta (collected mind) and inner certainty; readiness to proclaim the heart-established truth of devotion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of speaking the “essence” (sāra) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the teaching as a distilled core of the tradition—Parāśara promises not mere detail, but the most meaningful summary of what is doctrinally established.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of mental composure (samāhita-manas)?

He signals that true exposition of sacred knowledge arises from collected attention and inner certainty, aligning instruction with yogic steadiness rather than casual speech.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the verse introduces the authoritative mode of transmitting Vishnu-centered truth—presented as settled knowledge, not speculation, preparing for Vishnu’s supremacy as the ultimate reality in the ensuing discourse.