Shloka 27

Devanagari script

परमात्मात्मनोर् योगः परमार्थ इतीष्यते मिथ्यैतद् अन्यद्रव्यं हि नैति तद्द्रव्यतां यतः

Transliteration

paramātmātmanor yogaḥ paramārtha itīṣyate mithyaitad anyadravyaṃ hi naiti taddravyatāṃ yataḥ

Translation

Paramārtha is declared to be the yoga—union—of the Supreme Self and the individual self. Whatever is grasped as a separate “other substance” is false, for it can never become that very Reality.

Word by Word

• परमात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case, genitive), एकवचन (in dual-genitive compound context)

• आत्मनः: of the self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (paired in द्वन्द्व-भाव of two genitives)

• परमात्मात्मनोः: of the Supreme Self and the individual self
• परमात्मात्मनोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमात्मन् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (two-member copulative)

• योगः: union
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परमार्थः: (is) the ultimate truth
• परमार्थः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ईष्यते: is accepted/considered
• ईष्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘is held/accepted’

• मिथ्या: falsely/incorrectly
• मिथ्या: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्यद्रव्यम्: another substance (as different)
• अन्यद्रव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य-द्रव्य (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other substance/entity’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

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

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नैति: does not attain
• नैति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: न + एति (इ धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; न-पूर्वक (negated)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्रव्यताम्: the state of being a substance/identity
• द्रव्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्यता (प्रातिपदिक; -ता abstract)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: ‘because/since’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Defining paramārtha as yoga (union) of Paramātman and ātman; refuting ‘other-substance’ dualism

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Paramārtha is the ‘yoga’ of the Supreme Self and the individual self; positing an ultimately separate ‘other substance’ is false because it can never become that Reality.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Notice and release the habit of treating God and self as ultimately unrelated; cultivate surrender and contemplative union where all ‘otherness’ is seen as dependent reality.

Vishishtadvaita: Union is not identity by erasing the soul, but inseparability through dependence (śeṣa–śeṣi / body–soul relation): the jīva is real yet never an independent substance apart from the Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Paramatma
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of paramārtha (highest truth) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, paramārtha is defined as realization of union between the individual self and the Supreme Self—ultimate truth is measured by direct relation to the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), not by separate, independent categories.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of an 'other substance' (anyadravya)?

He states that what is imagined as a reality independent from the Supreme is mithyā (false), because it cannot become or stand as that ultimate Substance; true reality is grounded in the Supreme alone.

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

Vishnu is implied as the Paramātman—the final ontological ground—so liberation and truth culminate in relation to Him, aligning the Purana’s cosmology and soteriology with Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty.