Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन् परमार्थज्ञ मम श्रोत्रपथं गते मनो विह्वलताम् एति परमार्थार्थितां गतम्

Transliteration

etasmin paramārthajña mama śrotrapathaṃ gate mano vihvalatām eti paramārthārthitāṃ gatam

Translation

O knower of the highest truth: when this teaching entered the pathway of my hearing, my mind grew overwhelmed, turning wholly toward the longing for the Supreme Meaning.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in/when this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परमार्थज्ञ: O knower of the highest truth
• परमार्थज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (परमार्थं जानाति)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रोत्रपथम्: the path of hearing; earshot
• श्रोत्रपथम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्र-पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (श्रोत्रस्य पथः)

• गते: having come (to)
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विह्वलताम्: bewilderment; agitation
• विह्वलताम्: Karma (Object/State attained)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विह्वलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एति: goes to; attains
• एति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• परमार्थार्थिताम्: desire for the highest truth
• परमार्थार्थिताम्: Karma (Object/State)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-अर्थ-अर्थिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (परमार्थस्य अर्थिता = इच्छा/अर्थना)

• गतम्: having gone; having reached
• गतम्: Karma (Complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (मनः ... गतम्) क्रियाविशेषणवत्/पूरक

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Effect of hearing paramārtha teaching and the arising of intense longing for ultimate meaning

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: receptive

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa of paramārtha awakens a transformative inner longing that dislodges ordinary mental restlessness.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Sustain regular listening/reading of śāstra with a teacher; note the mind’s shift toward higher aims and nurture it with reflection and practice.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberating knowledge is mediated through grace-filled instruction; longing for the Supreme is a bhakti-sādhana that culminates in dependence on the Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of Paramārtha (supreme meaning) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Paramārtha as the highest aim that, once heard and understood, redirects the mind toward ultimate reality and liberation-oriented seeking.

How does Sage Parāśara’s teaching affect Maitreya in this passage?

Maitreya says that merely receiving the teaching through hearing stirs his mind into an intense, almost trembling absorption—an awakened desire to know and attain the highest truth.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s Paramārtha discourse typically culminates in Vishnu as the Supreme Reality; the verse captures the seeker’s inner transformation toward that ultimate principle.