Shloka 60
आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः
Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva
तस्मात् तत्प्राप्तये यत्नः कर्तव्यः पण्डितैर् नरैः तत्प्राप्तिहेतुर् ज्ञानं च कर्म चोक्तं महामुने
tasmāt tatprāptaye yatnaḥ kartavyaḥ paṇḍitair naraiḥ tatprāptihetur jñānaṃ ca karma coktaṃ mahāmune
Therefore, for the attainment of That Supreme Reality, wise men must exert themselves. And, O great sage, it has been declared that the causes leading to that attainment are both true knowledge and rightly performed action.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressing him as ‘mahāmune’)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: What are the means (sādhana) to attain the Supreme?
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Attainment of the Supreme requires deliberate effort; its stated causes are true knowledge (jñāna) and rightly performed action (karma).
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Integrate study and contemplation with ethical duty and service, aligning both toward Bhagavān rather than toward worldly gain.
Vishishtadvaita: Jñāna and karma function as auxiliaries that purify and orient the jīva; the culmination is Bhagavān-attainment consistent with a grace-centered, relational mokṣa.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse states that attainment of the Supreme is supported by both spiritual knowledge and properly performed action, presenting liberation as a disciplined, integrated path rather than mere theory or mere ritual.
Parāśara urges deliberate striving by the wise and identifies two practical causes—jñāna (realizing truth) and karma (right duty/action)—as the stated means that lead to attainment.
‘Tat’ points to the highest reality—understood in the Vishnu Purana as Vishnu’s supreme principle—indicating that liberation culminates in reaching the Lord through informed understanding and dharmic conduct.