Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि मुनीनाम् ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम् स्मृतं तेषां तु यत् स्थानं तद् एव गुरुवासिनाम्

Transliteration

aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi munīnām ūrdhvaretasām smṛtaṃ teṣāṃ tu yat sthānaṃ tad eva guruvāsinām

Translation

Eighty-eight thousand sages, of uplifted seed and established in continence, are said to abide there; and that very region is also the abode of those who dwell with their spiritual preceptors.

Word by Word

• अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि: eighty-eight thousand
• अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टा-शीति-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (अष्टाशीति-सहस्र = 88,000)

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: of those with upward-retained semen (celibate ascetics)
• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व-रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ऊर्ध्वं रेतः येषाम्)

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya-visheshana/Predicate (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Pradhana (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• गुरुवासिनाम्: of those dwelling with the teacher
• गुरुवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गुरौ वसन्ति ये)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Destinations attained by ascetics and disciplined seekers (continence, guru-seva)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahmacarya, inner restraint, and sustained residence in service of the guru are portrayed as powerful qualifiers for exalted attainments.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate disciplined senses, adopt a steady study-practice routine, and seek long-term guidance through committed teacher-student accountability.

Vishishtadvaita: Guru-seva and brahmacarya are valued as preparatory purifications that dispose the jiva toward the Lord-realizing path.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Munis (Sages)
• Gurus (Spiritual preceptors)

FAQs

What is the significance of ūrdhvaretas sages in the Vishnu Purana?

They represent ascetics who preserve and sublimate vital energy through continence, and are therefore described as fit for exalted abodes within the Purāṇic cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the place of guru-vāsin (students living with the teacher)?

He equates their abode with that of the exalted sages, implying that disciplined discipleship and service to the guru is spiritually on par with austere ascetic attainment.

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

Even when discussing sages and their worlds, the Vishnu Purana frames such hierarchies as part of Vishnu’s ordered cosmos—where dharma, restraint, and right instruction align beings with the Supreme sustaining Reality.