Shloka 4

Devanagari script

को नग्नः किंसमाचारो नग्नसंज्ञां नरो लभेत् नग्नस्वरूपम् इच्छामि यथावत् गदितं त्वया

Transliteration

ko nagnaḥ kiṃsamācāro nagnasaṃjñāṃ naro labhet nagnasvarūpam icchāmi yathāvat gaditaṃ tvayā

Translation

Who, indeed, is to be called ‘naked’? What manner of conduct marks such a one? By what does a man obtain the designation ‘naked’? I wish to know, exactly as it is, the true nature of this ‘nakedness’—declare it fully.

Word by Word

• कः: who? / what person?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun)

• नग्नः: (is) naked / called ‘nagna’
• नग्नः: Pratijna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (as first member of compound)

• समाचारः: conduct/practice
• समाचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• किंसमाचारः: what conduct?
• किंसमाचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + समाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः—“कः समाचारः?”

• नग्नसंज्ञाम्: the designation/name ‘nagna’
• नग्नसंज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“नग्नस्य संज्ञा”

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain/receive
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नग्नस्वरूपम्: the nature/definition of ‘nagna’
• नग्नस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“नग्नस्य स्वरूपम्”

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथावत्: properly/as it really is
• यथावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• गदितम्: spoken/declared
• गदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गद् (धातु) → गदित (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्तप्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(that which is) said’—नग्नस्वरूपम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Criteria: who is 'nagna', what conduct defines him, and how one acquires the label; request for an exact definition (svarūpa).

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: methodical; dharma-analytic

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Sage Parāśara

FAQs

What is the significance of defining ‘nagna’ (nakedness) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames ‘nagna’ as a dharmic category needing a precise definition—implying that true religious identity is tied to conduct and principle, not merely external appearance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain such concepts in the Vishnu Purana?

The Purana advances through Maitreya’s pointed questions and Parāśara’s systematic replies; here, Maitreya requests a yathāvat (accurate) definition before judging a practice or label.

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

Even when discussing social conduct, the Vishnu Purana treats dharma as part of the cosmic order sustained by Vishnu; right definition and right conduct are implicitly aligned with that supreme sustaining principle.