Shloka 3

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

यद् एतद् उक्तं भवता नित्यनैमित्तिकाश्रितम् तद् अहं कथयिष्यामि शृणुष्वैकमना नृप

Transliteration

yad etad uktaṃ bhavatā nityanaimittikāśritam tad ahaṃ kathayiṣyāmi śṛṇuṣvaikamanā nṛpa

Translation

What you have asked, grounded in the nitya and naimittika duties, I shall now declare. Listen with a single, undistracted mind, O king.

Word by Word

• यत्: which, that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सन्दर्भानुसार)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Predicate/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवता: by you (sir)
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• नित्यनैमित्तिकाश्रितम्: based on the daily and occasional (rites)
• नित्यनैमित्तिकाश्रितम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य + नैमित्तिक + आश्रित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—(नित्यनैमित्तिकयोः आश्रितम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथयिष्यामि: I will explain
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• एकमनाः: with single-minded attention
• एकमनाः: Sambodhana/Qualifier (सम्बोधन/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं मनः यस्य)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Explanation of disciplines grounded in nitya and naimittika duties (in response to the prior request)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative, methodical

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma-teaching requires ekāgratā (one-pointed attention) from the listener and orderly exposition by the teacher.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Study dharma texts with sustained attention and implement practices stepwise rather than sporadically.

Vishishtadvaita: The guru’s upadeśa functions as divine grace-channel, aligning the jīva’s actions with service to the Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• King (nṛpa)

FAQs

What is the significance of nitya and naimittika duties in the Vishnu Purana?

They define the daily and occasion-based disciplines that sustain dharma, aligning personal conduct with cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara introduce his explanation of ritual duties here?

He directly responds to the listener’s query and asks for one-pointed attention, framing the teaching as an authoritative, structured exposition.

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

Even when discussing rites, the Vishnu Purana treats dharma as part of the divine order upheld by Vishnu—the supreme sustaining reality behind worldly and ritual law.