Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

एवं न परमार्थो ऽस्ति जगत्य् अस्मिंश् चराचरे परमार्थो हि कार्याणि कारणानाम् अशेषतः

Transliteration

evaṃ na paramārtho 'sti jagaty asmiṃś carācare paramārtho hi kāryāṇi kāraṇānām aśeṣataḥ

Translation

Thus, in this world of the moving and the unmoving, there is no ultimate reality as an independent thing; for what is called the Highest Truth is that all effects, without remainder, abide in their causes.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

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

• परमार्थः: ultimate aim
• परमार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: परमः अर्थः (कर्मधारय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्ति: exists/is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चराचरे: in the moving and unmoving (creation)
• चराचरे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर-अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: चरः च अचरः (द्वन्द्व); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; जगति इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (in the moving and unmoving [world])

• परमार्थः: the ultimate aim
• परमार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: परमः अर्थः (कर्मधारय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• कार्याणि: effects/works
• कार्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कारणानाम्: of causes
• कारणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अशेषतः: entirely
• अशेषतः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्ति/समग्रता-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: entirely/without remainder)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: the nature of paramārtha in the moving and unmoving world; cause-effect dependence

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: No independent ‘ultimate’ is found among effects in the world; the highest truth is the causal ground in which all effects inhere without remainder.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Train discernment to see dependencies behind experiences; seek the ultimate cause (the Lord) rather than clinging to transient effects.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the real dependence of all effects on their cause—supporting the doctrine that the universe and souls are modes (prakāra) of the Supreme, who is the inner ground and ultimate cause.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

FAQs

What is the significance of cause-and-effect (kāraṇa–kārya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the world as dependent reality: all manifested things (effects) have no standalone ultimacy, because they are contained within and grounded in their causes.

How does Sage Parāśara explain ultimate reality (paramārtha) here?

He defines the ‘highest truth’ not as any isolated object in the cosmos, but as the causal ground in which all effects are comprehensively included—pointing to a deeper, sustaining principle behind appearances.

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

Although not named in this line, the Vishnu Purana’s consistent teaching is that Vishnu is the supreme causal basis; the verse supports a theistic Vedāntic view where the universe is real as dependent upon the Supreme Cause.