Shloka 26
भारतवर्षमहात्म्यम् — कर्मभूमित्वम्, नवभेदाः, कुलपर्वताः-नद्यः-जनपदाः, युगचक्रविशेषः, यज्ञपुरुषविष्णुपूजा
जानीम नैतत् क्व वयं विलीने स्वर्गप्रदे कर्मणि देहबन्धम् प्राप्स्याम धन्याः खलु ते मनुष्या ये भारते नेन्द्रियविप्रहीनाः
jānīma naitat kva vayaṃ vilīne svargaprade karmaṇi dehabandham prāpsyāma dhanyāḥ khalu te manuṣyā ye bhārate nendriyaviprahīnāḥ
We do not know where we go when we dissolve in death, nor when—after the merit that grants heaven is spent—we shall again obtain the bondage of a body. Blessed indeed are those humans in Bhārata who are not bereft of their faculties; such a life is rare, and its opportunity swiftly passes.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within the Vishnu Purana’s didactic narrative)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The rarity of embodied opportunity in Bhārata and uncertainty of rebirth after svarga-merit is exhausted
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Since post-heaven rebirth and bodily attainment are uncertain, one should value the present human life—especially with intact faculties—as a fleeting chance for dharma and liberation.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate urgency (saṃvega): reduce procrastination, keep daily sādhana, and use health and senses for service rather than distraction.
Vishishtadvaita: Implicitly supports prapatti/bhakti urgency: embodied agency is a grace-given means to approach the Lord before circumstances change.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse highlights Bhārata as the uniquely fortunate realm where humans, with unimpaired faculties, can pursue dharma and liberation—an opportunity not guaranteed after heavenly merit is spent.
He teaches that even “svarga-giving” karma is finite; once its results are exhausted, one returns to embodied existence, but the time, place, and conditions of that rebirth are unknown.
By stressing the rarity of a capable human life within karmic cycles, the Purana implicitly urges devotion and righteous living oriented toward Vishnu as the supreme refuge beyond samsāra.