Shloka 11

यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्

Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati

Devanagari script

स पृष्टश् च मया भूयः श्रद्दधानेन वै द्विजः यद् यद् आह न तद् दृष्टम् अन्यथा हि मया क्वचित्

Transliteration

sa pṛṣṭaś ca mayā bhūyaḥ śraddadhānena vai dvijaḥ yad yad āha na tad dṛṣṭam anyathā hi mayā kvacit

Translation

And questioned again and again by me with trusting faith, that twice-born sage spoke as he willed; for never did I find any of his words to be otherwise, at any time.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पृष्टः: (was) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṛcch (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय अव्यय (conjunction)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: repetition/degree)

• श्रद्दधानेन: by (me) having faith
• श्रद्दधानेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śraddadhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—शतृ/शानच् (present participle, आत्मनेपद-प्रायः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘having faith’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• द्विजः: the Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (yad yad = whatever)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति

• आह: he said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध अव्यय (negation particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: was seen/found
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘seen/observed’

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Time/Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: at any time/anywhere)

Speaker

Maitreya (narrating his trust in the sage’s words; within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue frame)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The reliability of a sage’s utterances, confirmed through repeated inquiry with śraddhā.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śraddhā combined with repeated inquiry (paripraśna) yields clarity, and truth proves itself by consistent non-contradiction in experience.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Ask sincere questions repeatedly, test guidance over time, and cultivate trust rooted in observed integrity.

Vishishtadvaita: Balances śraddhā with lived confirmation, aligning with Viśiṣṭādvaita’s emphasis on pramāṇas and the Lord-governed moral order.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Dvija (sage, i.e., Parāśara)

FAQs

What is the significance of śraddhā (faith) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents śraddhā as the inner qualification that allows the disciple to repeatedly inquire and steadily receive the sage’s account as dependable sacred testimony.

How does the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue establish authority in the Vishnu Purana?

By depicting Maitreya’s repeated questioning and his consistent experience that the sage’s words are never contradicted, the text frames the narration as trustworthy and tradition-grounded.

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

Even before explicit theology unfolds, the Purana secures the reliability of the teacher-disciple transmission through which Vishnu’s supremacy, cosmic order, and dharma will be taught.