Shloka 35

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

वैश्यानां मारुतं स्थानं स्वधर्मनिरतात्मनाम् गान्धर्वं शूद्रजातीनां परिचर्यानुवर्तिनाम्

Transliteration

vaiśyānāṃ mārutaṃ sthānaṃ svadharmaniratātmanām gāndharvaṃ śūdrajātīnāṃ paricaryānuvartinām

Translation

For the Vaiśyas, whose minds are steadfast in their own svadharma, the region of Māruta is declared as their station; and for those born as Śūdras, who live by devoted attendance and faithful service, the Gandharva realm is appointed as their destined abode.

Word by Word

• वैश्यानाम्: of the Vaiśyas
• वैश्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• मारुतम्: of (the deity) Marut / airy
• मारुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (sthānam इत्यस्य)

• स्थानम्: abode, place
• स्थानम्: Karma/Pradhana (Object/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• स्वधर्मनिरतात्मनाम्: of those whose minds are devoted to their own duty
• स्वधर्मनिरतात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-धर्म-निरत-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक); स्व (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त, क्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वधर्मे निरताः आत्मानः येषाम्)

• गान्धर्वम्: Gāndharva (celestial-musical)
• गान्धर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (sthānam इत्यस्य)

• शूद्रजातीनाम्: of the Śūdra castes
• शूद्रजातीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र-जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शूद्राणां जातयः)

• परिचर्यानुवर्तिनाम्: of those who follow service/attendance
• परिचर्यानुवर्तिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिचर्या-अनुवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक); परिचर्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (परिचर्याम् अनुवर्तन्ति ये)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Mapping the post-mortem destinations (lokas) attained by beings according to varna/ashrama and conduct

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Steadfastness in one’s ordained duty (svadharma) and service-oriented conduct correspond to distinct karmic attainments in higher realms.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Perform one’s responsibilities with integrity and a spirit of service, treating work as disciplined sadhana rather than ego-display.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is meaningful as service under the Lord’s cosmic governance, with graded results within His ordered universe.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Māruta
• Gandharvas
• Vaiśyas

FAQs

What is the significance of sva-dharma in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse presents sva-dharma as the stabilizing principle of cosmic order: steadfast performance of one’s rightful duties becomes the basis for one’s posthumous station (gati) within the structured universe.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the afterlife destinations for different social duties here?

Parāśara maps ethical conduct to cosmological परिणाम (results): disciplined Vaiśya life aligned with duty leads to Māruta’s sphere, while Śūdra life characterized by faithful service leads to the Gandharva realm.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the framework assumes Vishnu as the supreme governor of ṛta/dharma—the ordered cosmos in which duties yield corresponding realms and destinies.