Shloka 25
आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः
Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva
अज्ञानं तामसो भावः कार्यारम्भाप्रवृत्तयः अज्ञानिनां प्रवर्तन्ते कर्मलोपास् ततो द्विज
ajñānaṃ tāmaso bhāvaḥ kāryārambhāpravṛttayaḥ ajñānināṃ pravartante karmalopās tato dvija
Ignorance is the very disposition of tamas. From it arise the impulses that rush into undertaking actions; thus the unknowing are driven into beginnings of works, and from that, O twice-born, follows neglect and falling-away from true duty.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Avidyā as tāmasika disposition leading to impulsive action and dharma-lapse
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Avidyā, rooted in tamas, generates impulsive initiation of actions and culminates in neglect of true duty (karma-lopa).
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Before acting, pause for sattvic review—intention, dharmic fit, and offering of the act to the Lord—so activity becomes karma-yoga rather than bondage.
Vishishtadvaita: Guṇas condition the jīva’s agency, yet disciplined, God-oriented action purifies the antaḥkaraṇa, enabling grace and clearer knowledge of the Lord.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse defines tamas as the condition of ignorance that pushes beings into unreflective activity, which then results in the omission of rightful duties (karmalopa).
Parāśara states that ignorance generates propensities toward initiating actions, and that momentum—lacking discernment—causes people to abandon or neglect prescribed dharma.
By diagnosing the guṇas and their effects, the Purāṇa implies that liberation and right order depend on rising beyond tamas through right knowledge and alignment with the higher reality upheld by Vishnu.