Shloka 40
सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता
Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All
यदा तु शुद्धं निजरूपि सर्वं कर्मक्षये ज्ञानम् अपास्तदोषम् तदा हि संकल्पतरोः फलानि भवन्ति नो वस्तुषु वस्तुभेदाः
yadā tu śuddhaṃ nijarūpi sarvaṃ karmakṣaye jñānam apāstadoṣam tadā hi saṃkalpataroḥ phalāni bhavanti no vastuṣu vastubhedāḥ
But when, with the exhaustion of karma, knowledge becomes pure—resting in its own essential nature, all-pervading, and free from every defect—then the fruits are like those of the wish-fulfilling tree: in reality there are no divisions of ‘thing’ and ‘thing’ within objects at all.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Purification of knowledge through karmakṣaya and the ultimate collapse of perceived divisions in objects
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: When karma is exhausted, knowledge becomes pure and defectless; then the apparent divisions among things are understood as unreal separations, like illusory distinctions within a single reality.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Pursue karmakṣaya through dharma, devotion, and disciplined living; pair it with contemplation to loosen rigid ‘I/other’ and ‘this/that’ reifications.
Vishishtadvaita: Liberating knowledge is ‘nijarūpa’—the self’s clarity arises by grace and purification; plurality is re-read as dependent modes rather than absolute separations.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)
Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)
FAQs
This verse links liberation to karma-kṣaya: when karmic residues are exhausted, knowledge becomes stainless and culminates in the direct realization where apparent divisions no longer bind.
Parāśara describes jñāna as śuddha, self-abiding (nija-rūpi), and free from defects; such knowledge naturally bears fruit—like a wish-fulfilling tree—without dependence on external distinctions.
The teaching implies a single supreme ground beneath all appearances; in the Vishnu Purana that ultimate reality is Vishnu, in whom perceived multiplicity is ultimately resolved.