Shloka 37

Devanagari script

सप्तर्षीणां तु यत् स्थानं स्मृतं तद् वै वनौकसाम् प्राजापत्यं गृहस्थानां ब्राह्मं संन्यासिनां स्मृतम्

Transliteration

saptarṣīṇāṃ tu yat sthānaṃ smṛtaṃ tad vai vanaukasām prājāpatyaṃ gṛhasthānāṃ brāhmaṃ saṃnyāsināṃ smṛtam

Translation

The realm remembered as belonging to the Seven Sages is indeed declared to be the destined station of forest-dwellers; for householders the Prajāpatya sphere is taught as their attainment, and for renunciants the Brahma-realm is remembered as their goal.

Word by Word

• सप्तर्षीणाम्: of the seven sages
• सप्तर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (सप्त ऋषयः)

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

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

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

• 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

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/assertion)

• वनौकसाम्: of forest-dwellers
• वनौकसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन-ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वने ओकः येषाम्/वने वसन्ति ये)

• प्राजापत्यम्: Prajāpatya
• प्राजापत्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्थानम् implied)

• गृहस्थानाम्: of householders
• गृहस्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मम्: Brahma/Brahmic
• ब्राह्मम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्थानम् implied)

• संन्यासिनाम्: of renunciants
• संन्यासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संन्यासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• 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 (elliptic: स्थानम् स्मृतम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Destinations corresponding to the four āśramas (vānaprastha, gṛhastha, saṃnyāsa) and their karmic/spiritual fruits

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āśrama-dharma is presented as a structured ladder, culminating in saṃnyāsa oriented toward Brahmaloka and the threshold of mokṣa.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Honor life-stages: build ethical stability as a householder, simplify and detach with age, and prioritize inner freedom and contemplation over accumulation.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is approached through disciplined life-ordering that matures into God-centered renunciation, preparing the jiva to abide near the Supreme reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati
• Vanaprastha (forest-dwellers)
• Grihastha (householders)
• Sannyasa (renunciants)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Saptarishis’ realm in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the Saptarṣi-sthāna as a defined cosmic destination, specifically linked to the disciplined life of forest-dwelling (vānaprastha), showing how dharma maps life-stages to lokas.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between āśrama-dharma and cosmic realms?

Parāśara frames the āśramas as spiritually consequential: vānaprasthas reach the Saptarṣis’ station, householders attain the Prajāpatya sphere, and renunciants are associated with Brahmaloka—an ordered ladder of attainments.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when specific lokas (Brahma, Prajāpati, Saptarṣis) are named, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology treats them as stations within a universe upheld by Vishnu as the Supreme Reality and ultimate ground of liberation.