Shloka 23

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

वृत्त्यर्थं याजयेच् चान्यान् अन्यान् अध्यापयेत् तथा कुर्यात् प्रतिग्रहादानं गुर्वर्थं न्यायतो द्विजः

Transliteration

vṛttyarthaṃ yājayec cānyān anyān adhyāpayet tathā kuryāt pratigrahādānaṃ gurvarthaṃ nyāyato dvijaḥ

Translation

For the sake of rightful livelihood, a twice-born may officiate sacrifices for others and likewise teach others. He may also accept gifts, but only justly and in accordance with dharma, especially to serve and maintain his teacher.

Word by Word

• vṛtti-artham: for livelihood
• vṛtti-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb of purpose) — वृत्त्यर्थम् (for livelihood)

• yājayet: should cause (others) to perform sacrifice
• yājayet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: णिजन्त (causative) धातु; विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• anyān: others (people)
• anyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• anyān: other (people)
• anyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (repetition for parallelism)

• adhyāpayet: should teach
• adhyāpayet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√i (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: णिजन्त (causative) ‘to teach’; विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pratigraha-ādānam: accepting and taking (gifts)
• pratigraha-ādānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratigraha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (प्रतिग्रहश्च आदानं च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• guru-artham: for the sake of the teacher
• guru-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb of purpose) — गुर्वर्थम् (for the teacher’s sake)

• nyāyataḥ: rightfully
• nyāyataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — न्यायतः (according to justice/rightly)

• dvijaḥ: the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Varṇa-dharma (brāhmaṇa’s permissible means of livelihood)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: normative, cautionary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even permitted occupations (officiating and teaching) and accepting gifts must be governed by nyāya (justice), especially to support the guru and preserve purity of means.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Earn and receive support ethically; keep transparent motives, and prioritize sustaining teachers/lineages and genuine learning over accumulation.

Vishishtadvaita: Service to guru is treated as sacred obligation within the Lord’s economy of grace—knowledge and tradition are upheld as divine instruments, not private property.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Guru (teacher)

FAQs

What is the significance of accepting gifts (pratigraha) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames gift-acceptance as permissible only when it is done nyāyataḥ—ethically and according to dharma—highlighting restraint and purity in livelihood.

How does Sage Parāśara explain right livelihood for a dvija here?

He lists dharmic means—teaching and officiating sacrifices for others—and adds that receiving gifts is acceptable when governed by justice and proper intent, not greed.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching assumes dharma as Vishnu’s sustaining order: social conduct and livelihood are to mirror cosmic righteousness upheld by the Supreme.