Shloka 16

परमार्थ-निर्णयः—श्रेयस्-भेदः, कर्म-ध्यान-सीमा, एकात्मदर्शनम्

Devanagari script

श्रेयांस्य् एवम् अनेकानि शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः सन्त्य् अत्र परमार्थास् तु न त्व् एते श्रूयतां च मे

Transliteration

śreyāṃsy evam anekāni śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ santy atra paramārthās tu na tv ete śrūyatāṃ ca me

Translation

Thus there are hundreds—indeed thousands—of teachings that promise welfare and merit; yet their supreme purport, the paramārtha, is not truly grasped through them. Therefore listen to me, as I declare that highest meaning.

Word by Word

• श्रेयांसि: benefits/goods
• श्रेयांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुवचन-रूप (many goods/benefits)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying श्रेयांसि)

• शतशः: by hundreds
• शतशः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: by hundreds)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तर-अव्यय (conjunction: then/and)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• सहस्रशः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: by thousands)

• सन्ति: are/exist
• सन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; अस्ति-धातोः रूपम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• परमार्थाः: supreme aims/ultimate truths
• परमार्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: परमः अर्थः (कर्मधारय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• त्व्: but
• त्व्: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विसर्ग/व्यञ्जन-सन्ध्यन्तरगतं रूपम्; विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let (them) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): 'let them be heard'

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

• मे: of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of me)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: distinguishing many ‘welfare-teachings’ from the single supreme purport (paramārtha)

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Though innumerable teachings promise well-being, the ultimate purport (paramārtha) must be heard as a single, higher meaning beyond partial goods.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Evaluate practices by whether they lead to lasting liberation and God-centered realization, not merely merit or prosperity.

Vishishtadvaita: Subordinate goods (artha/dharma) are meaningful when ordered toward the supreme end—realization of the Lord as the highest purpose.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of paramārtha (ultimate purport) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse distinguishes countless meritorious teachings (śreyas) from the single highest purport (paramārtha), preparing the listener to receive the text’s central theological conclusion rather than remaining at the level of general virtue.

How does Sage Parāśara explain spiritual discernment to Maitreya here?

Parāśara frames the tradition as full of beneficial instructions, but insists that their deepest meaning is often missed—so he calls Maitreya to attentive listening for the distilled, supreme teaching.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in this line, the verse functions as a gateway to the Purana’s main claim: the ultimate purport of dharma and cosmology culminates in the Supreme Reality, understood in Vaishnava theology as Vishnu.