Shloka 18

Devanagari script

हरिम् अमरगणार्चिताङ्घ्रिपद्मं प्रणमति यः परमार्थतो हि मर्त्यः तम् अपगतसमस्तपापबन्धं व्रज परिहृत्य यथाग्निम् आज्यसिक्तम्

Transliteration

harim amaragaṇārcitāṅghripadmaṃ praṇamati yaḥ paramārthato hi martyaḥ tam apagatasamastapāpabandhaṃ vraja parihṛtya yathāgnim ājyasiktam

Translation

That mortal who, in the highest truth, bows to Hari—whose lotus-feet are worshipped by the hosts of immortals—go to Him alone. Abandon all else: for on approaching Him, every bond of sin falls away, just as fire blazes forth when fed with clarified butter.

Word by Word

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अमरगणार्चिताङ्घ्रिपद्मम्: whose lotus-feet are worshipped by the hosts of immortals
• अमरगणार्चिताङ्घ्रिपद्मम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमरगण-अर्चित-अङ्घ्रिपद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हरिम्); समासः: अमरगणैः अर्चितम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + अङ्घ्रिपद्म (तत्पुरुष: अङ्घ्र्योः पद्मे) → ‘whose lotus-feet are worshipped by hosts of immortals’

• प्रणमति: bows to
• प्रणमति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय

• परमार्थतः: truly/in the highest sense
• परमार्थतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थतः (अव्यय) = परमार्थ + तस्
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण ‘in truth/according to the highest reality’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपगतसमस्तपापबन्धम्: free from all bonds of sin
• अपगतसमस्तपापबन्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपगत-समस्त-पाप-बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तम्); समासः: अपगत (कृदन्त) + समस्त (विशेषण) + पापबन्ध (तत्पुरुष: पापस्य बन्धः) → ‘whose all bonds of sin have departed’

• व्रज: go/approach
• व्रज: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परिहृत्य: having abandoned
• परिहृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-हृ (धातु) → परिहृत्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having abandoned/avoided’

• यथा: like
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय ‘as/like’

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आज्यसिक्तम्: sprinkled with ghee
• आज्यसिक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आज्य-सिक्त (प्रातिपदिक) = आज्य + सिक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अग्निम्); तत्पुरुष-समासः (आज्येन सिक्तः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within the moksha-teaching context)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The fruit of true prostration to Hari and the instruction to abandon all else for Him

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True surrender and reverent bowing to Hari—worshipped by the devas—burns away all sin-bonds, so one should seek Him alone as the sole refuge.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice daily praṇāma and nāma-smaraṇa with exclusive reliance on the Lord; reduce competing ‘refuges’ (ego, status, compulsions) and live in alignment with devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Śaraṇāgati and divine grace remove pāpa-bandha; liberation is attained by the Lord’s acceptance of the surrendered soul, not mere self-effort.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Devas (Amaragaṇa)

FAQs

What is the significance of bowing to Hari’s lotus feet in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents prostration to Hari—revered even by the devas—as an act rooted in ultimate truth, leading the devotee toward the supreme refuge and liberation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the removal of sin-bondage here?

He states that approaching Hari causes all pāpa-bandha to fall away, using the metaphor of fire that powerfully manifests when nourished with ghee.

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

Vishnu (Hari) is portrayed as the highest reality and the decisive liberator—worthy of exclusive refuge—aligning with strong Vaishnava emphasis on the Supreme Lord as the direct means to moksha.