Shloka 99

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

निर्धूतदोषपङ्कानां यतीनां संयतात्मनाम् स्थानं तत् परमं विप्र पुण्यपापपरिक्षये

Transliteration

nirdhūtadoṣapaṅkānāṃ yatīnāṃ saṃyatātmanām sthānaṃ tat paramaṃ vipra puṇyapāpaparikṣaye

Translation

O Brahmin, that is the supreme abode of the self-restrained ascetics who have shaken off the mire of faults; there, with the exhaustion of both merit and sin, all karmic reckoning comes to its end.

Word by Word

• निर्धूत-दोष-पङ्कानाम्: of those whose mire of faults has been shaken off
• निर्धूत-दोष-पङ्कानाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + धूत (धू धातु, क्त) + दोष + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः—निर्धूतः दोषपङ्कः येषाम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

• यतीनाम्: of ascetics
• यतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• संयत-आत्मनाम्: of the self-controlled
• संयत-आत्मनाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + यत (यम् धातु, क्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (संयतः आत्मा येषाम्)

• स्थानम्: the place/abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• पुण्य-पाप-परिक्षये: at the complete exhaustion of merit and sin
• पुण्य-पाप-परिक्षये: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + पाप + परि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पुण्यं च पापं च) + परिक्षय (परि-उपसर्गपूर्वकः क्षयः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Who attains the highest station associated with Viṣṇupada—ascetics whose puṇya and pāpa are exhausted

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The supreme state is for the self-controlled ascetic who has cleansed faults and reached the exhaustion of both merit and sin, ending karmic bookkeeping.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice ethical discipline, meditation, and non-attachment so that even ‘spiritual pride’ in merit yields to God-centered surrender and inner purity.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is not merely a negation of karma; it is entry into the Lord’s supreme domain attained through purification and grace-aligned discipline.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ascetics (Yatis)
• Brahmin (Vipra)

FAQs

What is the significance of the 'exhaustion of merit and sin' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames liberation as a state where both puṇya and pāpa are fully spent, meaning the soul is no longer bound by karmic results and does not return to conditioned existence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the path of the self-controlled renunciant here?

Parāśara highlights inner restraint and the removal of moral impurities ('mire of faults') as the defining marks of the yati who becomes fit for the supreme abode.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in the line, the 'supreme abode' in the Vishnu Purana is ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the highest reality and final refuge attained when karmic bondage ends.