Shloka 21
परमार्थ-निर्णयः—श्रेयस्-भेदः, कर्म-ध्यान-सीमा, एकात्मदर्शनम्
ऋग्यजुःसामनिष्पाद्यं यज्ञकर्म मतं तव परमार्थभूतं तत्रापि श्रूयतां गदतो मम
ṛgyajuḥsāmaniṣpādyaṃ yajñakarma mataṃ tava paramārthabhūtaṃ tatrāpi śrūyatāṃ gadato mama
You regard the sacrificial rite—brought forth from the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman—as the highest path; yet even within that sacrifice there is a supreme inner purport. Hear it from me as I speak.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: You take Vedic sacrifice (from Ṛg-Yajus-Sāman) as the highest path; what is its inner, supreme purport beyond the external rite?
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: revealing
Concept: Even Vedic yajña has an inner, supreme intent that transcends mere ritual performance and points toward the highest reality.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Engage outer practices (ritual, service, discipline) while seeking their inner aim—purification and God-centeredness—rather than stopping at form alone.
Vishishtadvaita: Suggests that Vedic ritual is subordinate and teleological—its deepest meaning culminates in devotion/realization of the Supreme Person rather than autonomous ritual efficacy.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames yajña as Veda-born and important, but insists its highest value lies in its inner, supreme purport—not merely the external rite.
He signals that even within Vedic sacrificial procedure there is a deeper doctrinal meaning, which he will articulate directly as part of his instruction to Maitreya.
By pointing to a ‘supreme purport’ beyond ritual, the text steers the listener toward the ultimate divine reality that rituals serve—classically understood in the Vishnu Purana as culminating in Vishnu.