Shloka 80

प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

तापत्रयेणाभिहतं यद् एतद् अखिलं जगत् तदा शोच्येषु भूतेषु द्वेषं प्राज्ञः करोति कः

Transliteration

tāpatrayeṇābhihataṃ yad etad akhilaṃ jagat tadā śocyeṣu bhūteṣu dveṣaṃ prājñaḥ karoti kaḥ

Translation

When this entire universe is smitten by the threefold afflictions, who among the truly wise would nurture hatred toward beings that are themselves objects of compassion?

Word by Word

• तापत्रयेण: by the threefold suffering
• तापत्रयेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः तापाः)

• अभिहतम्: afflicted, struck
• अभिहतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective of जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + हन् (धातु) → अभिहत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘struck/afflicted’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘जगत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (then)

• शोच्येषु: among those worthy of pity
• शोच्येषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; ‘भूतेषु’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (worthy of pity)

• भूतेषु: among beings
• भूतेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• द्वेषम्: hatred
• द्वेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राज्ञः: a wise person
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करोति: does, makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Interrogative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the wise should not hate beings who suffer under the threefold afflictions (tāpa-traya)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Since all beings are struck by the threefold afflictions, the wise respond with compassion rather than hatred.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When harmed or triggered, recall the universality of suffering (ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika) and choose kṣamā (forbearance) and helpful action over resentment.

Vishishtadvaita: Ethics flows from metaphysics: recognizing all jīvas as dependent on the Lord fosters compassion without erasing individual accountability.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Living beings (bhūtas)
• Threefold suffering (tāpatraya)

FAQs

What is the significance of the threefold suffering (tāpatraya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses tāpatraya to frame all beings as inherently afflicted in saṃsāra, making compassion—not hatred—the wise response.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the right attitude toward other beings?

He argues that since the whole world is struck by suffering, beings are ‘śocya’ (worthy of pity); therefore a prājña should not cultivate dveṣa.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the ethic of compassion aligns with Vaishnava dharma: recognizing the Lord’s sovereignty over a suffering-bound world and responding with non-hatred and moral clarity.