Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

ध्यानं चैवात्मनो भूप परमार्थार्थशब्दितम् भेदकारि परेभ्यस् तत् परमार्थो न भेदवान्

Transliteration

dhyānaṃ caivātmano bhūpa paramārthārthaśabditam bhedakāri parebhyas tat paramārtho na bhedavān

Translation

O King, contemplation of the Self is indeed called the pursuit of paramārtha. Yet when it is set apart as a distinct act or object, it becomes a maker of difference; for paramārtha itself is without division.

Word by Word

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

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

• आत्मनः: of the Self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case, genitive), एकवचन

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case, vocative), एकवचन

• परमार्थार्थशब्दितम्: is termed ‘the meaning of paramārtha’
• परमार्थार्थशब्दितम्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमार्थ-अर्थ-शब्दित (समास-प्रातिपदिक; शब्दित = √शब्द् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण, ‘called/termed as the meaning of paramārtha’

• भेदकारि: difference-making
• भेदकारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेद-कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (doing/causing difference)

• परेभ्यः: from others/from the supreme ones (contextual)
• परेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative), बहुवचन

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

• परमार्थः: paramārtha (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

• भेदवान्: possessing difference; differentiated
• भेदवान्: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेदवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-अन्त (possessive adjective)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; addressing a kingly listener as ‘bhūpa’ in the verse’s vocative style)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How meditation on the Self relates to paramārtha without reifying difference (bheda)

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dhyāna is called pursuit of paramārtha, but when treated as a separate object/act it manufactures duality, whereas paramārtha is beyond division.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Meditate without hardening ‘meditator/meditated’ into rigid duality; let practice mature into seamless God-centered awareness rather than objectification.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Supreme’s non-fragmented reality while allowing contemplative approach—difference is pedagogical, not ontological separation from the indwelling Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Atman (Self)
• Paramartha (Highest Reality)

FAQs

What is the significance of paramārtha in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Paramārtha is presented as the Highest Reality connected with contemplation of the Self, yet it is ultimately beyond all division—true reality is not something split into meditator, meditation, and object.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the problem of ‘difference’ (bheda) in meditation?

He notes that when meditation is conceived as distinct from other things, it functions as bheda-kāri (creating separateness), while the Supreme Reality itself is inherently non-differentiated.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Even when not named explicitly, the Vishnu Purana’s framework identifies the Supreme Reality with Vishnu as the undivided ground of being; the verse reinforces that the Highest cannot be essentially divided.