Shloka 32
प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः
एतच् चान्यच् च सकलम् अधीतं भवता यथा तथा मे कथ्यतां ज्ञातुं तवेच्छामि मनोगतम्
etac cānyac ca sakalam adhītaṃ bhavatā yathā tathā me kathyatāṃ jñātuṃ tavecchāmi manogatam
All this—and whatever else besides—you have studied and understood as it truly is. Therefore, tell it to me exactly so, for I long to know what abides within your mind.
Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)
Concept: True knowledge is to be received as it is from the knower, through humble inquiry aimed at what lies in the teacher’s realized understanding.
Vedantic Theme: Atman
Application: Approach competent teachers with sincerity, ask for clarity ‘as it is,’ and verify understanding through disciplined study and reflection.
Vishishtadvaita: Epistemic humility and dependence on śāstra/ācārya aligns with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s emphasis on pramāṇa and grace-mediated knowledge of the Supreme.
FAQs
This verse highlights the Purāṇa’s authority structure: Maitreya requests that Parāśara teach “as it truly is,” establishing a faithful transmission of sacred knowledge.
The verse frames Parāśara’s role as a complete knower of the tradition; the ensuing teaching is presented as orderly, systematic instruction—cosmology, ages, and divine governance—given without distortion.
Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the request initiates the Vishnu Purana’s central exposition: Vishnu as the supreme ground of cosmic order and the ultimate referent of the teaching that follows.