Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यथोक्तकर्मकर्तृत्वात् स्वाधिकारक्षयाय ते तत्र ते तु कुशद्वीपे ब्रह्मरूपं जनार्दनम् यजन्तः क्षपयन्त्य् उग्रम् अधिकारफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

yathoktakarmakartṛtvāt svādhikārakṣayāya te tatra te tu kuśadvīpe brahmarūpaṃ janārdanam yajantaḥ kṣapayanty ugram adhikāraphalapradam

Translation

Because they perform the rites exactly as enjoined, they do so to exhaust their own limited entitlement to results. There, in Kuśadvīpa, they worship Janārdana in the form of Brahmā; and by that worship they burn away the fierce force that dispenses the fruits of worldly qualification and karmic privilege.

Word by Word

• यथोक्तकर्मकर्तृत्वात्: because of performing the duties as prescribed
• यथोक्तकर्मकर्तृत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा + उक्त + कर्म + कर्तृत्व (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: यथा, उक्त, कर्म, कर्तृत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (यथोक्तस्य कर्मणः कर्तृत्वात् = because of performing the duties as stated)

• स्वाधिकारक्षयाय: for the exhaustion of their own entitlement (karmic claim)
• स्वाधिकारक्षयाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अधिकार + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: स्व, अधिकार, क्षय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य अधिकारस्य क्षयः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• कुशद्वीपे: in Kuśadvīpa
• कुशद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: कुश, द्वीप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुशानां द्वीपः/कुशनामकः द्वीपः)

• ब्रह्मरूपम्: having the form of Brahman
• ब्रह्मरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: ब्रह्मन्, रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः रूपम्)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; देवता-नाम

• यजन्तः: worshipping/sacrificing to
• यजन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-प्रयोग

• क्षपयन्ति: they destroy/exhaust
• क्षपयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय् (धातु; √क्षि/क्षयार्थे causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative (णिच्)

• उग्रम्: fierce/terrible
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मविशेषण)

• अधिकारफलप्रदम्: granting the fruit of (ritual) entitlement
• अधिकारफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिकार + फल + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: अधिकार, फल, प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अधिकारस्य फलस्य प्रदम् = giver of the fruit of entitlement)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How inhabitants worship the Lord in Kuśadvīpa and the karmic rationale of their rites

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas (continents)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By performing enjoined rites and worshiping Janārdana, one can exhaust entitlement to results and weaken the binding force that dispenses karmic fruits.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Do obligatory duties with precision and reduced possessiveness; offer actions to the Lord to lessen egoic claim over outcomes.

Vishishtadvaita: Karma becomes purificatory when offered to the Supreme Person; the Lord grants fruits yet also enables their transcendence through surrender and worship, affirming both divine causality and real moral order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Janārdana)
• Brahmā (as a form/manifestation honored in worship)
• Kuśadvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of worshipping Janārdana as Brahmā-rūpa in Kuśadvīpa in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows that the inhabitants recognize Vishnu (Janārdana) as the supreme foundation who can be worshipped through different cosmic forms; here, Brahmā-form aligns with their ritual orientation while still directing worship to Vishnu.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the exhaustion of adhikāra (entitlement to results) in this verse?

He indicates that strict performance of prescribed duties can be undertaken not merely for rewards but to wear down attachment to karmic privilege—diminishing the binding power of result-oriented qualification.

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

Vishnu is presented as the ultimate recipient and inner reality of worship, even when approached in a specific divine form; the verse emphasizes moving beyond fruit-granting karma toward a higher, Vishnu-centered aim.