Shloka 31

चत्वारोऽाश्रमाः — ब्रह्मचर्यादि मोक्षाश्रमपर्यन्तम्

The Four Āśramas as a graded path to mokṣa

Devanagari script

अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा यश् चरते मुनिः न तस्य सर्वभूतेभ्यो भयम् उत्पद्यते क्वचित्

Transliteration

abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo dattvā yaś carate muniḥ na tasya sarvabhūtebhyo bhayam utpadyate kvacit

Translation

The sage who moves through the world having granted fearlessness to all beings—never, at any time, does fear arise for him from any being.

Word by Word

• अभयम्: fearlessness/safety
• अभयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: to/for all beings
• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: Sampradana/Apadana (To/From; here 'towards' in sense of dative-like)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय-भाव: 'all beings')

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; 'having given'

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धि-सर्वनाम (relative)

• चरते: practises/walks (lives)
• चरते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: from all beings
• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उत्पद्यते: arises
• उत्पद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• क्वचित्: ever/at any time
• क्वचित्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'ever/anywhere/at any time')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Renunciant/muni conduct and the fruits of ahiṃsā and moral restraint

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One who gives fearlessness to all beings through harmlessness is himself protected from fear, as dharma reciprocally safeguards the dhārmika.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate non-harm in speech, livelihood, and daily interactions; practice conscious de-escalation and compassionate presence as a spiritual discipline.

Vishishtadvaita: Ahiṃsā expresses the vision of all beings as belonging to the Lord; honoring them is honoring the Antaryāmin within them.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Sage (Muni)
• All beings (Sarvabhūta)

FAQs

What is the significance of granting fearlessness (abhaya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents abhaya as a core dharmic gift: when one ceases to threaten any being, reciprocal fear dissolves, reflecting the Purana’s moral-cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the protection gained through non-injury?

Parāśara frames it as a law of conduct: a muni who bestows safety on all creatures does not become an object of fear or retaliation, because his life is aligned with dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching assumes a universe governed by dharma under the Supreme; living without causing fear harmonizes one’s life with that sustaining sovereignty.