Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वन्यस्नेहेन गात्राणाम् अभ्यङ्गश् चास्य शस्यते तपस्यतश् च राजेन्द्र शीतोष्णादिसहिष्णुता

Transliteration

vanyasnehena gātrāṇām abhyaṅgaś cāsya śasyate tapasyataś ca rājendra śītoṣṇādisahiṣṇutā

Translation

O king, for one engaged in austerity it is commended to anoint the limbs with oil obtained from the forest; and for the ascetic, endurance of cold, heat, and the like is also enjoined.

Word by Word

• वन्यस्नेहेन: with wild/natural oil
• वन्यस्नेहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular); कर्मधारय (wild/natural + oil/fat)

• गात्राणाम्: of the limbs
• गात्राणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (neuter, genitive plural)

• अभ्यङ्गः: anointing, oil-massage
• अभ्यङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

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

• अस्य: for him/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• शस्यते: is recommended
• शस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘is recommended’)

• तपस्यतः: of one practising austerity
• तपस्यतः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (धातु) → तपस्यत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (present participle; genitive singular)

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

• राजेन्द्र: O best of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Indra among kings)

• शीतोष्णादिसहिष्णुता: endurance of cold, heat, etc.
• शीतोष्णादिसहिष्णुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + सहिष्णुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular); तत्पुरुषसमास (tolerance with respect to cold/heat etc.)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya; addressing a kingly listener in the narrative as 'rājendra')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Ascetic disciplines supporting tapas: forest-oil anointing and endurance of cold/heat

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical and instructive

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tapas requires bodily discipline—measured care (anointing) alongside endurance of opposites (cold/heat).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice resilience through moderated comforts: simplify lifestyle while maintaining health to sustain long-term sādhana.

Vishishtadvaita: Body is treated as an instrument for God-oriented practice; disciplined care supports sustained devotion rather than rejecting embodiment.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sage Parasara
• Maitreya
• Kings
• Ascetics (tapasvins)

FAQs

What is the significance of endurance (śītoṣṇādi-sahiṣṇutā) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents endurance of opposites—cold, heat, and similar hardships—as a practical mark of tapas, strengthening steadiness and detachment required for sustained spiritual discipline.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of bodily practices like abhyaṅga for ascetics?

Parāśara treats the body as an instrument of dharma: even for austerity, a simple regimen such as anointing with forest-derived oil is recommended to support practice without indulgence.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this single line, the Purana’s framework places such disciplined tapas under dharma that ultimately steadies the seeker for devotion and realization of Vishnu as the supreme sustaining principle.