Shloka 74
प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)
एवं दुराशयाक्षिप्तमानसः पुरुषः सदा श्रेयसो ऽभिमुखं याति न कदाचित् पिपासितः
evaṃ durāśayākṣiptamānasaḥ puruṣaḥ sadā śreyaso 'bhimukhaṃ yāti na kadācit pipāsitaḥ
Thus, a person whose mind is continually dragged away by vain hopes never turns toward the Highest Good; like one tormented by thirst, he does not truly set his face toward what can quench it.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How vain hopes (durāśā) perpetually distract the mind from turning toward śreyas, like thirst that never seeks true quenching.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: penetrating
Concept: A mind pulled by futile expectations fails to face the true Highest Good that alone satisfies, as water ends thirst.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Identify one recurring ‘durāśā’ (status, possession, validation) and replace it with a concrete bhakti practice and a simpler vow.
Vishishtadvaita: Positions ‘true satisfaction’ as found in the Supreme (not mere negation), aligning liberation with turning toward the Lord as the soul’s fulfillment.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse contrasts true welfare (śreyas) with the mind’s pursuit of vain hopes, teaching that liberation-oriented life begins when one turns away from unstable desires toward the highest aim.
Parāśara depicts durāśā as a force that “drags” the mind, preventing steady movement toward śreyas—implying that spiritual progress requires inner reorientation and restraint.
Even without naming Vishnu directly, the verse supports a Vaishnava framework where the Supreme Good ultimately culminates in turning toward Vishnu as the highest refuge and final fulfillment beyond worldly cravings.