Shloka 30

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

पशुपाल्यं वणिज्यं च कृषिं च मनुजेश्वर वैश्याय जीविकां ब्रह्मा ददौ लोकपितामहः

Transliteration

paśupālyaṃ vaṇijyaṃ ca kṛṣiṃ ca manujeśvara vaiśyāya jīvikāṃ brahmā dadau lokapitāmahaḥ

Translation

O lord among men, Brahmā—the grandsire of the worlds—ordained for the Vaiśya his livelihood: the tending of cattle, the pursuit of trade, and the cultivation of the earth.

Word by Word

• पशुपाल्यम्: cattle-rearing
• पशुपाल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पशूनां पाल्यम्)

• वणिज्यम्: trade
• वणिज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• कृषिम्: agriculture
• कृषिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मनुजेश्वर: O lord of men
• मनुजेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मनुजानाम् ईश्वरः)

• वैश्याय: to the Vaiśya
• वैश्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• जीविकाम्: livelihood
• जीविकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the world
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य पितामहः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Varṇāśrama-dharma and the prescribed livelihoods/duties sustaining society

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahmā, as lokapitāmaha, assigns the Vaiśya a dharmic livelihood—cattle-tending, trade, and agriculture—so the social body is sustained by ordered duty.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose work that supports society without violating ethical restraints; treat livelihood as seva that upholds communal well-being.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is presented as a divinely instituted order within the Lord’s cosmos, where worldly functions serve the higher purpose of sustaining His embodied universe.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Vaiśya

FAQs

What is the significance of Vaiśya livelihood in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the Vaiśya’s social role as divinely ordained—agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade—supporting the material foundation of society in accordance with dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain social order in this context?

Parāśara presents varna functions as part of cosmic governance: Brahmā assigns distinct livelihoods so that human society operates harmoniously under an ordered moral framework.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this verse, the Vishnu Purana’s worldview treats such dharma-ordination as occurring within the supreme order upheld by Vishnu—where creation and social duties serve the stability of the cosmos.