Shloka 1

आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः

Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

आध्यात्मिकादि मैत्रेय ज्ञात्वा तापत्रयं बुधः उत्पन्नज्ञानवैराग्यः प्राप्नोत्य् आत्यन्तिकं लयम्

Transliteration

ādhyātmikādi maitreya jñātvā tāpatrayaṃ budhaḥ utpannajñānavairāgyaḥ prāpnoty ātyantikaṃ layam

Translation

O Maitreya, having understood the threefold affliction—beginning with the inward, spiritual suffering—the wise one, in whom true knowledge and dispassion have arisen, attains the utter, final dissolution: liberation in the Supreme.

Word by Word

• आध्यात्मिकादि: spiritual and the like
• आध्यात्मिकादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आध्यात्मिक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—आध्यात्मिक-आदि (आध्यात्मिकम् इत्यादि = ‘spiritual etc.’)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having known’

• तापत्रयम्: the threefold suffering
• तापत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तापानां त्रयम् (threefold suffering)

• बुधः: the wise person
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उत्पन्नज्ञानवैराग्यः: one whose knowledge and dispassion have arisen
• उत्पन्नज्ञानवैराग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, √पद्/पद्-उत् + क्त) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—यस्य ज्ञानं वैराग्यं च उत्पन्ने (one in whom knowledge and dispassion have arisen)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आत्यन्तिकम्: ultimate, final
• आत्यन्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्यन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘लयम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• लयम्: dissolution/absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Means to transcend the threefold afflictions (tāpatraya) and attain final liberation (ātyantika laya)

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowing the threefold misery and cultivating knowledge with dispassion leads to ātyantika-laya, i.e., mokṣa in the Supreme.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice discernment of suffering’s causes, cultivate vairāgya, and stabilize jñāna through daily study and contemplation.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is attained by the jīva through awakened jñāna-vairāgya culminating in dependence upon the Supreme (Viṣṇu) as the final refuge/goal, preserving real distinction within ultimate union.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of the threefold affliction (tāpatraya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames liberation as beginning with clear discernment of suffering in three domains—internal, external-beings, and divine/cosmic forces—so that the seeker turns toward the highest release beyond all conditioned pain.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of jñāna and vairāgya here?

Parāśara presents knowledge and dispassion as the twin inner transformations that arise after understanding suffering; together they mature into freedom from attachment and culminate in the ultimate state (ātyantika laya).

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

Even when not named explicitly, the Moksha teaching of the Vishnu Purana assumes the Supreme Reality as the final ground of liberation—attaining “ultimate dissolution” signifies reaching the highest, transcendent refuge identified with Vishnu.