Shloka 117

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

यज्ञविद्या महाविद्या गुह्यविद्या च शोभने आत्मविद्या च देवि त्वं विमुक्तिफलदायिनी

Transliteration

yajñavidyā mahāvidyā guhyavidyā ca śobhane ātmavidyā ca devi tvaṃ vimuktiphaladāyinī

Translation

O radiant Goddess, you are the wisdom of sacrifice, the great wisdom, and the secret wisdom; you are also the knowledge of the Self—O Devi, you are the bestower of the fruit of liberation.

Word by Word

• यज्ञविद्या: knowledge of sacrifice
• यज्ञविद्या: Predicate nominal (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—यज्ञस्य विद्या (knowledge of sacrifice)

• महाविद्या: great knowledge
• महाविद्या: Predicate nominal (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—महती विद्या (great knowledge)

• गुह्यविद्या: secret knowledge
• गुह्यविद्या: Predicate nominal (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गुह्या विद्या (secret knowledge)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शोभने: O beautiful one
• शोभने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• आत्मविद्या: knowledge of the Self
• आत्मविद्या: Predicate nominal (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—आत्मनः विद्या (knowledge of the Self)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विमुक्तिफलदायिनी: giver of the fruit of liberation
• विमुक्तिफलदायिनी: Predicate adjective (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति + फल + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—विमुक्तेः फलं ददाति इति (giver of the fruit of liberation)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue; verse framed as a hymn addressing Devī/Śrī as the divine power of Vishnu)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Śrī as vidyā culminating in ātma-vidyā and mokṣa-phala

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All sacred knowledges—ritual, great, secret, and especially self-knowledge—are rooted in the Goddess’s power, and their consummation is vimukti (liberation).

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Pursue study and contemplation not merely for skill but for ātma-vicāra and surrender, aiming at inner freedom rather than status.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberating knowledge is grace-enabled: vidyā is a divine endowment, harmonizing disciplined inquiry with dependence on the Lord and Śrī.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri (fortune)

Characters & Entities

• Atma-vidya (Self-knowledge)
• Vimukti (Liberation)
• Yajna (Sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the significance of yajñavidyā (knowledge of sacrifice) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats yajñavidyā as a divine form of wisdom upheld by the Goddess—sacrifice is not merely ritual, but a sacred order that supports dharma and becomes a step toward higher realization.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between secret knowledge (guhyavidyā) and liberation (vimukti)?

By calling the Goddess guhyavidyā and also the giver of liberation’s fruit, the teaching implies that inner, esoteric insight culminates in moksha when grounded in divine grace and right understanding.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even while addressing Devī, the Vishnu Purana typically presents her as inseparable from Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—her wisdom-forms (ritual, great, secret, and Self-knowledge) function as Vishnu’s saving power that leads beings to liberation.