Shloka 29

ऋभु–निदाघ-संवादः—अद्वैत-उपदेशः, समता, वासुदेव-स्वरूप-एकत्वम्

Devanagari script

मृण्मयं हि गृहं यद्वन् मृदा लिप्तं स्थिरं भवेत् पार्थिवो ऽयं तथा देहः पार्थिवैः परमाणुभिः

Transliteration

mṛṇmayaṃ hi gṛhaṃ yadvan mṛdā liptaṃ sthiraṃ bhavet pārthivo 'yaṃ tathā dehaḥ pārthivaiḥ paramāṇubhiḥ

Translation

Just as a house made of clay becomes firm when it is plastered with earth, so too this body—of the earth element—appears solid, compacted by countless minute earthly particles.

Word by Word

• मृण्मयम्: made of clay
• मृण्मयम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् (मृण्) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (मृदा मयम् = made of clay)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये निपात (indeed/for)

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (just as)

• मृदा: with clay
• मृदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• लिप्तम्: smeared/plastered
• लिप्तम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिप् (धातु) → लिप्त (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (smeared/plastered)

• स्थिरम्: stable
• स्थिरम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पार्थिवः: earthly
• पार्थिवः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथिवी → पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; demonstrative (this)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पार्थिवैः: earthly
• पार्थिवैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying परमाणुभिः

• परमाणुभिः: by atoms/particles
• परमाणुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Constituents of the body and why bodily ‘solidity’ is a compounded appearance, supporting detachment.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: analytical, explanatory (bhuta-vicara)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body’s apparent firmness is like plastered clay—an aggregation of earth-particles—so identification with it is a cognitive error.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Use elemental analysis (bhuta-viveka) in meditation to reduce body-identification and re-center identity in the self and the Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: While the body is material and dependent, the self is a real mode (prakara) supported by the Supreme; discernment leads to surrender rather than nihilism.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of paramāṇu (atoms) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It explains that bodily “solidity” is not ultimate reality but an aggregate of minute earthly particles, encouraging discernment and non-attachment.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the body’s stability in this teaching?

He uses the analogy of a clay house plastered with earth: the body appears stable because elemental particles bind together, not because it is eternal.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By reducing the body to elemental components, the Purana implicitly directs attention beyond matter toward the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—as the enduring ground of existence.