Shloka 46
यज्ञः पशुर् वह्निर् अशेष-ऋत्विक् सोमः सुराः स्वर्गमयश् च कामः इत्यादिकर्माश्रितमार्गदृष्टं भूरादिभोगाश् च फलानि तेषाम्
yajñaḥ paśur vahnir aśeṣa-ṛtvik somaḥ surāḥ svargamayaś ca kāmaḥ ityādikarmāśritamārgadṛṣṭaṃ bhūrādibhogāś ca phalāni teṣām
Sacrifice, the victim, the fire, the full complement of officiating priests, Soma, the gods, heaven, fame, and the fulfillment of desire—such are the outcomes seen on the path that rests upon ritual action; and the enjoyments of Bhū (earth) and the other worlds are, indeed, the fruits that accrue to those who follow it.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Description of the karma-mārga: constituents of yajña and the fruits (bhoga) across Bhū and higher worlds.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: descriptive, cautionary-neutral
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: Ritual action (yajña with its implements, priests, and deities) yields enjoyments and attainments—earthly and heavenly—as karmic fruits within the cosmic order.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Perform duties without mistaking results (fame, heaven, desire-fulfillment) for the highest goal; use karma as preparation for higher knowledge and devotion.
Vishishtadvaita: Maintains a real moral-cosmic economy where actions have ordered results across lokas under the Lord’s governance, fitting Vishishtadvaita’s emphasis on dharma and divine administration of karma.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
FAQs
This verse lists yajña and its ritual constituents (fire, priests, Soma) as a valid karma-based path whose primary outputs are worldly and heavenly enjoyments—measurable “fruits” rather than final liberation.
Parāśara frames ritual action as a structured path with predictable results: attainment of devas’ realms, fame, and fulfilled desires—benefits that remain within the cycle of experience across earth and higher worlds.
By emphasizing that ritual yields finite fruits (bhoga and svarga), the Purana implicitly points beyond karma to Vishnu as the supreme ground of ultimate freedom, where results are not merely temporary enjoyments but the highest end.