Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्वर्गस्थधर्मिसद्धर्मफलोपकरणं तव धर्माख्यं च तथा रूपं नमस् तस्मै जनार्दन

Transliteration

svargasthadharmisaddharmaphalopakaraṇaṃ tava dharmākhyaṃ ca tathā rūpaṃ namas tasmai janārdana

Translation

O Janārdana, even the means by which the righteous in heaven attain the fruits of true Dharma is Your own form, known as Dharma itself. To that form I bow.

Word by Word

• स्वर्गस्थधर्मिसद्धर्मफलोपकरणम्: the means to the fruit of true dharma for those in heaven
• स्वर्गस्थधर्मिसद्धर्मफलोपकरणम्: Visheshana/Visheṣya (Appositive qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः — स्वर्गस्थ-धर्मिणां सत्धर्म-फलस्य उपकरणम् (instrument/means for the fruit of true dharma for heaven-dwellers)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्माख्यम्: named ‘Dharma’
• धर्माख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या नामकरणे, क्त/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘आख्य’ = named)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (विशेषण) — धर्म-आख्य (called ‘Dharma’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-निपात)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma/Visheṣya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — नमः

• तस्मै: to that (one)
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जनार्दन: O Janārdana
• जनार्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; continuing a stotra describing Vishnu’s manifestations as cosmic principles)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why dharma and its fruits, even in svarga, depend upon the Supreme Lord

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is not merely a rule-system but a divine mode of Janārdana; therefore merit and its heavenly fruits are ultimately dependent on Him.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Perform duties as worship (ārādhana-buddhi), remembering that results come through the Lord who is Dharma itself.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is both transcendent and immanent as dharma-svarūpa, making ethical order a real expression of His governance (niyantṛtva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Dharma
• Svarga (heaven)

FAQs

What is the significance of Dharma being called a form of Vishnu in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Dharma not merely as an abstract rule but as Vishnu’s own manifestation—making righteous order and its operation dependent on the Supreme Lord.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the attainment of heavenly fruits (svarga-phala) here?

Parāśara states that the very ‘means’ by which the virtuous obtain the fruits of true dharma in heaven is Vishnu Himself, present as the principle and power called Dharma.

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

Vishnu is portrayed as sovereign over moral causality: He is the personal Supreme who becomes the governing order (Dharma) that grants results, reinforcing a theistic foundation for cosmic justice.