Shloka 11

भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः

Devanagari script

समित्पुष्पकुशादानं चक्रे देवक्रियाकृते नान्यानि चक्रे कर्माणि निःसङ्गो योगतापसः

Transliteration

samitpuṣpakuśādānaṃ cakre devakriyākṛte nānyāni cakre karmāṇi niḥsaṅgo yogatāpasaḥ

Translation

For the rites owed to the gods, he gathered only fuel-sticks, flowers, and kuśa grass; beyond these, the ascetic—steadfast in yoga and wholly unattached—performed no other worldly acts.

Word by Word

• samit-puṣpa-kuśa-ādānam: collecting fuel, flowers, and kuśa grass
• samit-puṣpa-kuśa-ādānam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samit (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādāna (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collection: fuel, flowers, kuśa-grass) + ādānam (taking/collecting)

• cakre: did/performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• deva-kriyā-kṛte: for the purpose of divine rites
• deva-kriyā-kṛte: Sampradana (Purpose/Beneficiary)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु; क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (devānāṃ kriyā = divine rites) + कृत (for the sake of); प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• anyāni: other
• anyāni: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying karmāṇi)

• cakre: did/performed
• cakre: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• karmāṇi: actions/ritual acts
• karmāṇi: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• niḥsaṅgaḥ: detached
• niḥsaṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥsaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of yogatāpasaḥ)

• yoga-tāpasaḥ: the yogic ascetic
• yoga-tāpasaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (yogena tāpasaḥ = ascetic by yoga / yogic ascetic)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How an unattached yogic ascetic limits action to minimal deva-rites

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The yogic ascetic performs only the bare minimum of obligatory sacred duties, remaining unattached and refraining from worldly enterprises.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep essential duties (family/work/ritual) but simplify non-essentials; practice ‘minimum necessary action’ with inner non-attachment.

Vishishtadvaita: Karma is retained as dharma-anushṭhāna while inner dependence turns to the Lord; detachment refines the jīva’s service within the world rather than denying the world’s reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of gathering samit, flowers, and kuśa in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a life of disciplined simplicity: only the bare requisites for sacred rites are accepted, while all other worldly pursuits are set aside.

How does Sage Parāśara explain non-attachment (niḥsaṅga) through this verse?

By showing that even when ritual duty is maintained, the yogic ascetic avoids additional actions that bind the mind—acting only as required, without possessiveness or craving.

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

The verse supports a Vishnu-centered dharma where outward acts are subordinated to inner realization—non-attachment and yoga become means to align the self with the Supreme Reality upheld in Vaishnava thought.