Shloka 61

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

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

Devanagari script

आगमोत्थं विवेकाच् च द्विधा ज्ञानं तथोच्यते शब्दब्रह्मागममयं परं ब्रह्म विवेकजम्

Transliteration

āgamotthaṃ vivekāc ca dvidhā jñānaṃ tathocyate śabdabrahmāgamamayaṃ paraṃ brahma vivekajam

Translation

Knowledge is declared to be twofold: that born of the Āgamas and that born of viveka, discerning insight. The Brahman that is “Word”—Shabda-brahman, made of scripture and sacred sound—arises from the Āgamas; but the Supreme Brahman is born of viveka.

Word by Word

• आगमोत्थम्: arisen from scripture/tradition
• आगमोत्थम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (कृदन्त, √स्था/उत्था)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (आगमात् उत्थम् = आगमोत्थम्)

• विवेकात्: from discernment
• विवेकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

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

• द्विधा: in two ways
• द्विधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शब्दब्रह्मागममयम्: consisting of the scriptural word-Brahman
• शब्दब्रह्मागममयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्दब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः (शब्दब्रह्म-आगम-मयम् = made of/consisting in scriptural word-Brahman)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Visheshya (Head noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• विवेकजम्: born of discernment
• विवेकजम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त, √जन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विवेकात् जातम् = विवेकजम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Distinction between scriptural knowledge (āgama/śabda) and discriminative realization (viveka) leading to supreme Brahman

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowledge is twofold—scripture-born (śabdabrahman) and viveka-born, wherein discriminative realization discloses the Supreme Brahman beyond mere word.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Study scripture as a disciplined foundation, then cultivate viveka through sustained reflection and meditation to move from conceptual to realized truth.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms a graded approach where śabda-pramāṇa (Vedic/āgamic revelation) culminates in direct realization of the Supreme, consistent with Vishnu as the knowable Para-Brahman accessed through both revelation and inner discernment.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Āgama (scripture)
• Śabda-brahma
• Para Brahman

FAQs

What is the significance of twofold knowledge (āgama and viveka) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse distinguishes between knowledge gained through revealed scripture (āgama) and knowledge gained through inner discrimination (viveka), implying that study must mature into realization of the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between śabda-brahma and para brahma?

Parāśara frames śabda-brahma as Brahman known through sacred word and scripture, while para brahma is the Supreme Brahman realized through viveka—discriminative insight that culminates in direct understanding.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

In the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava Vedanta, the teaching points beyond textual knowledge toward realization of the Supreme Reality—understood as Vishnu/Para Brahman—attained through purified discernment.