Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

तद् एवाफलदं कर्म परमार्थो मतस् तव मुक्तिसाधनभूतत्वात् परमार्थो न साधनम्

Transliteration

tad evāphaladaṃ karma paramārtho matas tava muktisādhanabhūtatvāt paramārtho na sādhanam

Translation

That very action is truly fruitless—thus you have understood the paramārtha. For the Supreme End is itself the ground of liberation and the reality that is the means; therefore it is not to be treated as a mere instrument.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya (Correlative/अन्वय-निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध-बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अफलदम्: not giving fruit; fruitless
• अफलदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-फल-द (प्रातिपदिक; फल + द with negation अ-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) कर्मणः

• कर्म: action/ritual act
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमार्थः: the highest truth/ultimate reality
• परमार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• मतः: is considered/held (to be)
• मतः: Vidhaya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), ‘considered/held’

• तव: by you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case, genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुक्ति: liberation
• मुक्ति: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (in compound), एकवचन (stem-form in samāsa)

• साधन: means/instrument
• साधन: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (in compound), एकवचन (stem-form in samāsa)

• भूतत्वात्: because of being (i.e., because it is)
• भूतत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (expressing cause)

• मुक्तिसाधनभूतत्वात्: because it has the nature of being a means to liberation
• मुक्तिसाधनभूतत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति-साधन-भूत-त्व (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः (determinative): ‘muktiyāḥ sādhanaṃ’ + ‘bhūta’ + ‘-tva’

• परमार्थः: the ultimate reality
• परमार्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• साधनम्: a means/instrument
• साधनम्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Distinguishing true paramārtha from action (karma) and means (sādhana) in the pursuit of mokṣa

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Paramārtha (the Supreme End) is not a mere instrument; regarding it as a means turns action into fruitless striving.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Use practices as supports, but do not reduce the goal (Brahman/Nārāyaṇa-realization) to a technique; cultivate non-instrumental contemplation and surrender of doership.

Vishishtadvaita: Mokṣa is grounded in the Supreme Reality itself; means are efficacious only by dependence on Him, not as independent instruments.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Mukti (Liberation)
• Karma
• Paramārtha (Supreme Reality)

FAQs

What is the significance of paramārtha in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames paramārtha as the ultimate reality and final end of life, not as a tool; liberation is grounded in realizing that highest truth rather than merely performing acts for results.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of karma here?

He implies that action pursued as an end in itself (or for reward) becomes “fruitless” regarding liberation; moksha rests on the Supreme Reality that underlies and transcends actions.

What is the theological importance in this context for Vaishnava philosophy?

The verse supports the idea that the Supreme (understood in Vaishnava reading as Vishnu, the Paramārtha) is not a mere means but the ultimate ground of liberation—aligning with Vedantic emphasis on the Supreme Reality as the final refuge.