Shloka 15

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

वैखानसो वापि भवेत् परिव्राड् अथवेच्छया पूर्वसंकल्पितं यादृक् तादृक् कुर्यान् महीपते

Transliteration

vaikhānaso vāpi bhavet parivrāḍ athavecchayā pūrvasaṃkalpitaṃ yādṛk tādṛk kuryān mahīpate

Translation

He may become a Vaikhānasa, devoted to the forest-discipline, or he may become a wandering renunciant. Or else, O lord of the earth, according to his own resolve, he should carry out the course of life he had previously determined—just as he had envisioned it.

Word by Word

• वैखानसः: a Vaikhānasa (forest hermit)
• वैखानसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैखानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वैखानस-आश्रमस्थः (forest-dweller)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अवधारण)

• भवेत्: may become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परिव्राट्: a wandering mendicant
• परिव्राट्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिव्राज्/परिव्राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संन्यासी/परिव्राजकः

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय) + वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पसूचक): or else

• इच्छया: by (one’s) desire
• इच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे: by (one’s) wish

• पूर्व-संकल्पितम्: previously resolved (plan)
• पूर्व-संकल्पितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संकल्पित (कृदन्त; सम्-√कॢप्/√कॢप् (धातु), क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वं संकल्पितम्’ = previously resolved (plan)

• यादृक्: whatever (kind)
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण: of whatever kind

• तादृक्: of that kind
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; correl. pronoun-adjective: of that kind

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; phrased as counsel addressed to a king)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Options among āśramas: Vaikhānasa forest-discipline, wandering renunciation, and living according to prior saṃkalpa

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One may adopt forest-discipline (Vaikhānasa) or wandering renunciation, or follow the life-course earlier resolved upon, provided it accords with dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Choose a sustainable life-path intentionally (family life, service, contemplation, or renunciation) and live it consistently rather than reactively.

Vishishtadvaita: Renunciation is not denial of the world’s reality but reorientation of the self’s dependence (śeṣatva) toward the Lord through disciplined life-choice.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• King (Mahīpati)
• Vaikhānasa
• Parivrājaka

FAQs

What is the significance of Vaikhānasa and Parivrājaka paths in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse affirms legitimate dharmic options beyond household life—forest-discipline (Vaikhānasa) and wandering renunciation (Parivrājaka)—as recognized life-paths that support social and spiritual order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain personal choice (icchā) and prior resolve (saṃkalpa) here?

Parāśara allows discretion within dharma: a person may follow the path aligned with a prior vow or plan (pūrva-saṃkalpa), emphasizing steadiness and integrity rather than impulsive change.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of dharma and life-stages?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching reflects Vaishnava cosmology where dharma sustains the world-order under Vishnu’s sovereignty; orderly life-stages become a means to align individual conduct with the supreme governing principle.