Shloka 24

Pātra-Nirṇaya and Ritual Procedure: Who to Feed, Who to Avoid, and Step-by-Step Śrāddha Performance

Devanagari script

योगिनो विविधै रूपैर् नराणाम् उपकारिणः भ्रमन्ति पृथिवीम् एताम् अविज्ञातस्वरूपिणः

Transliteration

yogino vividhai rūpair narāṇām upakāriṇaḥ bhramanti pṛthivīm etām avijñātasvarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

Yogins—benefactors of humankind—wander upon this earth in many forms, their true nature remaining unknown to those who behold them.

Word by Word

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विविधैः: by various
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• रूपैः: forms
• रूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नराणाम्: of men/people
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• उपकारिणः: beneficial, helpful
• उपकारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• भ्रमन्ति: wander, roam
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• अविज्ञातस्वरूपिणः: whose true form is unknown/unrecognized
• अविज्ञातस्वरूपिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविज्ञात-स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक); अविज्ञात (कृदन्त/ppp from √ज्ञा) + स्वरूपिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Śrāddha and the proper honoring of guests and Brāhmaṇas; the unseen status of wandering yogins/atithis

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Because realized yogins may move through the world in concealed forms for the welfare of beings, one should treat all guests with reverence and caution against contempt.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice atithi-satkara: receive strangers respectfully, avoid quick judgments, and serve without demanding credentials.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s grace reaches beings through His devotees who may be outwardly unrecognized; honoring them becomes a concrete mode of bhakti expressed as dharma.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Humankind (narāḥ)
• Earth (Pṛthivī)

FAQs

What is the significance of yogins taking many forms in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents yogins as quiet instruments of dharma who may appear in ordinary or unexpected guises, emphasizing that spiritual power often operates without public recognition.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of hidden benefactors in society?

Parāśara frames them as upakārins—helpers of humanity—who move through the world anonymously, suggesting that the maintenance of order includes subtle, unseen support for the righteous.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse aligns with the Purana’s worldview that the Supreme Reality sustains the world through dharmic forces—often indirectly—via saints and disciplined yogins who serve creation.