Shloka 10

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

यजन् यज्ञान् यजत्य् एनं जपत्य् एनं जपन् नृप घ्नंस् तथान्यान् हिनस्त्य् एनं सर्वभूतो यतो हरिः

Transliteration

yajan yajñān yajaty enaṃ japaty enaṃ japan nṛpa ghnaṃs tathānyān hinasty enaṃ sarvabhūto yato hariḥ

Translation

O king, he who performs sacrifices truly worships Him; he who repeats sacred formulas truly invokes Him. Even one who strikes down others strikes Him—for Hari is the very Self of all beings, indwelling everywhere.

Word by Word

• yajan: sacrificing
• yajan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (धातु) → yajat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (while sacrificing)

• yajñān: sacrifices (yajñas)
• yajñān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; द्वितीया (कर्म) बहुवचनम्

• yajati: worships/sacrifices to
• yajati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; द्वितीया एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• japati: recites (mutters)
• japati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• japan: reciting
• japan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु) → japat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (while reciting)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; सम्बोधन (आह्वान) एकवचनम्

• ghnaṃs: killing
• ghnaṃs: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) → ghnat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (घ्नन्/घ्नत्); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (while killing)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• anyān: others
• anyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; द्वितीया बहुवचनम्

• hinasti: harms/kills
• hinasti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

• enam: him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• sarvabhūtaḥ: the one who is all beings
• sarvabhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (sarvaḥ bhūtaḥ = all-beings/one who is all beings)

• yataḥ: because/from whom
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थे/यतः-शब्दः (from whom/because)

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching within a king-addressed exemplum in the narrative)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How all acts (ritual, japa, even violence) relate to worship given Hari as the Self of all beings

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Since Hari is the inner Self of all beings, worship is not confined to ritual but touches every act and every creature.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice reverence and non-cruelty by seeing the same Lord in others before speaking or acting.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu as antaryāmin pervades and owns all selves and bodies, grounding ethical restraint in real immanence rather than mere metaphor.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• King (nṛpa)
• All beings (sarvabhūta)

FAQs

What is the significance of yajña and japa in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse equates sacrifice (yajña) and mantra-recitation (japa) with direct worship of Hari, because Vishnu is the ultimate recipient and inner reality behind sacred action.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s presence in all beings here?

He states that Hari is sarvabhūta—present as the Self of all creatures—so every act toward others, even harm, ultimately touches the indwelling Lord.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality who pervades all life; devotion and ritual aim at Him, and ethics gains a metaphysical basis because all beings are grounded in His presence.