Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तृष्णा लक्ष्मीर् जगत्स्वामी लोभो नारायणः परः रतिरागौ च धर्मज्ञ लक्ष्मीर् गोविन्द एव च

Transliteration

tṛṣṇā lakṣmīr jagatsvāmī lobho nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ ratirāgau ca dharmajña lakṣmīr govinda eva ca

Translation

O knower of dharma, even craving is called “Lakṣmī”; the Lord of the worlds is the supreme Nārāyaṇa; greed, too, is that transcendent Nārāyaṇa. Likewise passion and attachment—even Lakṣmī herself—are none other than Govinda; all conditions are grounded in the One sovereign Reality.

Word by Word

• तृष्णा: thirst; craving
• तृष्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगत्स्वामी: lord of the world
• जगत्स्वामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: जगतः स्वामी

• लोभः: greed
• लोभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परः: supreme; transcendent
• परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• रति: love; pleasure
• रति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रागौ: passion (dual form)
• रागौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

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

• धर्मज्ञ: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: धर्मं जानाति (knower of dharma)

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोविन्दः: Govinda
• गोविन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How even inner impulses (tṛṣṇā, lobha, rati, rāga) are grounded in the supreme Lord and Śrī

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the psyche’s movements—craving, greed, passion, attachment—are not outside the Lord’s sovereignty; they arise within the one supreme reality (Nārāyaṇa/Govinda), though to be ethically purified and redirected.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Do not deny inner impulses; observe them, restrain harmful expression, and transmute them into God-centered longing through japa, satsanga, and disciplined desire (śubhecchā).

Vishishtadvaita: Maintains real plurality of modes (mental states) within the Lord’s all-pervading immanence—impulses are dependent realities (śeṣa) to be ordered toward Him, not independent substances.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri (fortune)

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Narayana/Govinda)
• Lakshmi

FAQs

What is the significance of identifying even desire and greed with Lakshmi and Narayana in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames all impulses—auspicious or troubling—as ultimately dependent on the Supreme Lord; nothing stands outside Vishnu’s sovereignty, and even worldly drives are encompassed within the cosmic order sustained by Narayana.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the all-pervasiveness of Vishnu here?

By equating diverse inner states (craving, greed, passion, attachment) and the Lakshmi-principle with Narayana/Govinda, Parāśara teaches that the Lord is the underlying reality in which all phenomena and functions find their basis.

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

Vishnu is presented as the supreme, transcendent ruler (paraḥ, jagatsvāmī) who contains and governs the entire spectrum of experience—affirming a strongly theistic vision where all powers and conditions rest in him.