Shloka 43

Devanagari script

योगिनो मुक्तिकामस्य प्राणायामादि साधनम् साध्यं च परमं ब्रह्म पुनर् नावर्तते यतः

Transliteration

yogino muktikāmasya prāṇāyāmādi sādhanam sādhyaṃ ca paramaṃ brahma punar nāvartate yataḥ

Translation

For the yogin who longs for liberation, disciplines beginning with breath-control are the means; and the goal to be realized is the Supreme Brahman—having attained That, one does not return again to worldly recurrence.

Word by Word

• योगिनः: of the yogin
• योगिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the yogin)

• मुक्ति-कामस्य: of one desiring liberation
• मुक्ति-कामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मुक्तिं कामयते इति) विशेषणम्

• प्राणायाम-आदि: beginning with prāṇāyāma, etc.
• प्राणायाम-आदि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ = ‘etc.’; समासेन विशेषणम् (prāṇāyāma etc.)

• साधनम्: means, practice
• साधनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• साध्यम्: the goal to be attained
• साध्यम्: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; लक्ष्य/उद्देश्य (that which is to be attained)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आवर्तते: returns, comes back
• आवर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यतः: because, from which
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: ‘because/whence’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Means to liberation for the yogin and the non-returning attainment of Supreme Brahman

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇāyāma and allied yogic disciplines serve as means, while realization of the Supreme Brahman is the goal after which there is no return to saṃsāra.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Adopt steady daily sādhanā (breath regulation, sense-restraint, meditation) oriented toward Brahman-realization rather than mere well-being.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is a definitive, irreversible state grounded in attaining the Supreme (Vishnu as Brahman), not a temporary yogic absorption.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (Supreme Reality)

FAQs

What is the significance of prāṇāyāma in the Vishnu Purana’s path to liberation?

This verse presents prāṇāyāma (and related yogic disciplines) as foundational sādhana for the seeker of moksha, preparing the mind for realization of the Supreme Brahman.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between sādhana and sādhya here?

Parāśara distinguishes the means (sādhana)—yogic practices beginning with breath-control—from the end (sādhya)—realization of the Supreme Brahman.

What is the theological importance of the ‘Supreme Brahman’ in this context?

The verse frames the Supreme Reality as the final, non-returning attainment: once the Highest Brahman is realized, the soul is no longer subject to repeated return to worldly existence.