Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

अनाशी परमार्थश् च प्राज्ञैर् अभ्युपगम्यते तत् तु नाशि न संदेहो नाशिद्रव्योपपादितम्

Transliteration

anāśī paramārthaś ca prājñair abhyupagamyate tat tu nāśi na saṃdeho nāśidravyopapāditam

Translation

The wise acknowledge the Supreme Reality to be imperishable; but whatever is asserted to be perishable is, beyond doubt, only something inferred and constructed from perishing substances.

Word by Word

• अनाशी: imperishable
• अनाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• परमार्थः: the highest truth
• परमार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• प्राज्ञैः: by the wise
• प्राज्ञैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अभ्युपगम्यते: is accepted
• अभ्युपगम्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+उप+गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः—‘is accepted/acknowledged’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Topic/Anaphora (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: however
• तु: Connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (but/indeed)

• नाशि: perishable
• नाशि: Predicate Complement (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (perishable)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• संदेहः: doubt
• संदेहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाशि-द्रव्य-उपपादितम्: produced/established by perishable materials
• नाशि-द्रव्य-उपपादितम्: Hetu/Reason (कारण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपपादित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—नाशिद्रव्यैः उपपादितम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); कृदन्तः—उप+पद्/उप+पाद् (धातु) + क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How can the imperishable Supreme Reality be approached, and why perishable constructions cannot themselves be the Supreme?

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Reality is imperishable; whatever is deemed perishable is merely a construct inferred from perishable materials and cannot be that Supreme.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Distinguish the unchanging aim (God/ultimate reality) from changing supports (tools, rites, identities); keep the end constant while using means wisely.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms an imperishable Supreme (Viṣṇu as para-brahman) distinct from perishable ritual constructs, while allowing perishable means to be meaningful only when oriented to Him as jagat-kāraṇa and final end.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Paramārtha (Supreme Reality)

FAQs

What is the significance of the imperishable (anāśī) Supreme Reality in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames ultimate truth (paramārtha) as imperishable, implying that lasting cosmic order and liberation must rest on an eternal principle rather than transient material forms.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between the eternal and the perishable?

He states that the wise accept the Supreme as imperishable, while anything labeled “perishable” is only a conclusion derived from observing perishing substances—thus it lacks ultimate status.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in this single line, the Vishnu Purana’s teaching typically identifies the imperishable Supreme Reality with Vishnu as the ground of being, beyond the decay of material manifestations.