Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पूर्वम् एव महाभागं कपिलर्षिम् अहं द्विज प्रष्टुम् अभ्युद्यतो गत्वा श्रेयः किं न्व् इत्य् असंशयम्

Transliteration

pūrvam eva mahābhāgaṃ kapilarṣim ahaṃ dvija praṣṭum abhyudyato gatvā śreyaḥ kiṃ nv ity asaṃśayam

Translation

Earlier, O noble brāhmaṇa, I set out with firm resolve to question the illustrious sage Kapila—seeking without doubt to know: “What, indeed, is śreyas, the highest good?”

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kāla (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• महाभागम्: the greatly fortunate
• महाभागम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् भागः यस्य)

• कपिलर्षिम्: sage Kapila
• कपिलर्षिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (कपिलः ऋषिः)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• प्रष्टुम्: to ask
• प्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• अभ्युद्यतः: having set out; ready
• अभ्युद्यतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-उद्-यत (कृदन्त; √यत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (अहम्) विशेषणम्

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• श्रेयः: the good; the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नु: indeed? then?
• नु: Interrogative particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनुनयार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-अव्यय (quotative)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (adverbial accusative); तत्पुरुषसमासः (संशयः न)

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara as 'dvija')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Seeking śreyas by approaching Kapila Ṛṣi for definitive instruction

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: earnest

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The pursuit of śreyas (the highest good) requires deliberate inquiry and approaching a realized teacher.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Formulate a clear life-question (what is truly beneficial) and seek disciplined learning rather than drifting among pleasures and opinions.

Vishishtadvaita: Right inquiry (tattva-jijñāsā) is a preparatory limb of bhakti; śreyas culminates in knowing the Lord as the ultimate refuge.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Maitreya
• Parasara

FAQs

What is the significance of śreyas (the highest good) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the Purana as a quest for the ultimate welfare of the soul—setting up the teaching that true śreyas culminates in knowledge of and refuge in the Supreme, identified in the text’s theology with Lord Vishnu.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the seeker’s approach to ultimate truth in this dialogue structure?

Maitreya recounts approaching authoritative sages (here, Kapila) with decisive intent to ask about śreyas; this narrative device authorizes Parāśara’s subsequent exposition as a direct answer to the highest human question.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in this specific line, the verse initiates the Purana’s central movement: from the question of śreyas to the conclusion that the Supreme Reality governing cosmic order and liberation is Vishnu.