Shloka 3

प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुमयता, विष्णोः दर्शनं, वरदानं, तथा चरितश्रवण-फलम्

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्भावनायोगात् क्षीणपापस्य वै क्रमात् शुद्धे ऽन्तःकरणे विष्णुस् तस्थौ ज्ञानमयो ऽच्युतः

Transliteration

tasya tadbhāvanāyogāt kṣīṇapāpasya vai kramāt śuddhe 'ntaḥkaraṇe viṣṇus tasthau jñānamayo 'cyutaḥ

Translation

By the discipline of sustained contemplation upon That Supreme, his sins were gradually worn away; and when the inner instrument was purified, Vishnu—the unfailing Acyuta, of the very nature of knowledge—became firmly present within it.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (pronoun, gen. sg.)

• तद्भावना-योगात्: from the yoga of that contemplation
• तद्भावना-योगात्: Hetu (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्+भावना+योग (प्रातिपदिक; तद्भावनायोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—तद्भावना (that-meditation) + योग (union/discipline)

• क्षीणपापस्य: of (him) whose sins were destroyed
• क्षीणपापस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण+पाप (प्रातिपदिक; क्षीणपाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.); कर्मधारयः—क्षीणं पापं यस्य (one whose sin is exhausted)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/assurance particle)

• क्रमात्: gradually
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (abl. sg.); क्रमशः (by degrees)

• शुद्धे: pure
• शुद्धे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifies अन्तःकरणे)

• अन्तःकरणे: in the inner organ (mind)
• अन्तःकरणे: Adhikarana (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः+करण (प्रातिपदिक; अन्तःकरण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (neut. loc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—अन्तः (inner) + करण (instrument)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• तस्थौ: stood/abided
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. perfect, active)

• ज्ञानमयः: made of knowledge
• ज्ञानमयः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान+मय (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञानमय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.); तत्पुरुषः—ज्ञानमय (consisting of knowledge)

• अच्युतः: Acyuta
• अच्युतः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (nom. sg.); विष्णोः विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How purification through contemplation culminates in the Lord’s inner presence

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sustained bhāvanā burns away sin; when the antaḥkaraṇa is purified, Viṣṇu as jñāna-svarūpa becomes established within.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Combine ethical restraint with daily meditation so the mind becomes a fit ‘seat’ for the Lord’s presence.

Vishishtadvaita: Clear antaryāmin teaching: the Lord ‘stands within’ the purified mind, affirming immanent divine indwelling central to Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of antaḥkaraṇa purification in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents inner purification as the necessary condition for realizing Vishnu’s presence—when the mind-intellect complex becomes clean, the Lord, described as knowledge itself, is established there.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of bhāvanā (contemplation) in spiritual progress?

Parāśara emphasizes a gradual process: sustained contemplation (bhāvanā-yoga) steadily diminishes wrongdoing and mental impurity, culminating in direct inner establishment of Vishnu.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu being called jñānamaya and Acyuta here?

Calling Vishnu jñānamaya frames Him as the Supreme ground of true knowledge/consciousness, while Acyuta underscores His unfailing, sovereign reality—unchanged even as the seeker’s mind is transformed.