Shloka 7

Devanagari script

गृहीतग्राह्यवेदश् च ततो ऽनुज्ञाम् अवाप्य वै गार्हस्थ्यम् आवसेत् प्राज्ञो निष्पन्नगुरुनिष्कृतिः

Transliteration

gṛhītagrāhyavedaś ca tato 'nujñām avāpya vai gārhasthyam āvaset prājño niṣpannaguruniṣkṛtiḥ

Translation

Having duly received the Veda that is fit to be received, and then—after obtaining his teacher’s permission—let the wise one, who has fully completed what is owed to the guru, enter and dwell in the householder’s stage of life.

Word by Word

• गृहीत-ग्राह्य-वेदः: one who has mastered what is to be learned of the Veda
• गृहीत-ग्राह्य-वेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहीत (ग्रह् धातु + क्त) + ग्राह्य (ग्रह् धातु + ण्यत्/यत् कृदन्त) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (गृहीतः ग्राह्यः वेदः यस्य/गृहीतग्राह्यवेदः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण), ‘then/thereafter’

• अनुज्ञाम्: permission
• अनुज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप्य: having obtained
• अवाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having obtained’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: the householder stage
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आवसेत्: should dwell/enter (upon)
• आवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वास् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्राज्ञः: the wise man
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (wise person)

• निष्पन्न-गुरु-निष्कृतिः: whose obligations to the teacher are fulfilled
• निष्पन्न-गुरु-निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पन्न (निष्-पद् धातु + क्त) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गुरोः निष्कृतिः/ऋणमोचनं यस्य सा निष्पन्ना), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to प्राज्ञः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Completion of Vedic study and the dharmic transition from brahmacarya to gṛhastha with guru’s consent

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative and transitional

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowledge must be sealed by gratitude and fulfilled obligation to the guru, after which one may rightly enter household life.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Finish commitments to mentors and institutions before major life transitions; carry learning into responsible family and social duty.

Vishishtadvaita: The ‘permission’ motif underscores śāstra-guided freedom: individual agency operates within the Lord’s lawful order mediated by guru.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Guru
• Gṛhastha (householder āśrama)

FAQs

What is the significance of the guru’s permission (anujñā) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats the guru’s consent as the proper seal on education—only after sanctioned completion of study and duties does one legitimately transition into the next āśrama.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the transition from brahmacarya to gṛhastha here?

He frames it as a disciplined sequence: receive the Veda through rightful instruction, complete the obligations to the teacher, obtain permission, and then enter household life.

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

By upholding āśrama-dharma as sacred order, the text implies that righteous life-stages are part of Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty (sthiti)—social harmony becomes a mode of serving the Supreme.