Shloka 65

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

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

Devanagari script

द्वे विद्ये वेदितव्ये वै इति चाथर्वणी श्रुतिः परया त्व् अक्षरप्राप्तिर् ऋग्वेदादिमयापरा

Transliteration

dve vidye veditavye vai iti cātharvaṇī śrutiḥ parayā tv akṣaraprāptir ṛgvedādimayāparā

Translation

The Atharvanic revelation declares: “Two kinds of knowledge are indeed to be known.” By the higher knowledge one attains the Imperishable; but the lower knowledge consists of the Ṛgveda and the rest (the Vedas and their auxiliaries).

Word by Word

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• विद्ये: knowledges
• विद्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• वेदितव्ये: to be known
• वेदितव्ये: Vidhyartha (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘to be known’

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

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

• आथर्वणी: Atharvan-related (of the Atharva Veda)
• आथर्वणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रुतिः)

• श्रुतिः: the śruti (scriptural statement)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परया: by the higher (knowledge)
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेष-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• अक्षरप्राप्तिः: attainment of the Imperishable
• अक्षरप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अक्षरस्य प्राप्तिः)

• ऋग्वेदादिमया: by the lower (knowledge) consisting of Ṛgveda etc.
• ऋग्वेदादिमया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋग्वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः (ऋग्वेद-आदि-मया = consisting of Ṛgveda etc.)

• अपरा: by the lower (knowledge)
• अपरा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the lower (knowledge)’ (elliptic with विद्या)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Śruti testimony (Atharvanic) on the two vidyās—higher leading to akṣara and lower consisting of Vedic corpus

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śruti teaches two vidyās: the higher (parā) grants attainment of the Imperishable (akṣara), while the lower (aparā) is the Ṛgveda and allied Vedic disciplines.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Treat learning and ritual competence as preparatory (aparā), and intentionally cultivate higher insight—through contemplation, devotion, and ethical purification—for liberation-oriented knowledge.

Vishishtadvaita: Echoes Muṇḍaka’s parā/aparā framework while allowing the Vedic corpus to function as a necessary preparatory means; in Viśiṣṭādvaita, parā-vidyā culminates in knowing and reaching the Imperishable Lord (akṣara as the Supreme/His abode), not mere abstraction.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Atharvaveda (Ātharvaṇī Śruti)
• Akṣara (the Imperishable Brahman)
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the significance of para and apara vidya in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse distinguishes scriptural and ritual learning (apara) from liberating realization (para) that leads to the Imperishable (Akṣara), framing knowledge as ultimately meant for moksha.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between higher and lower knowledge?

Parāśara cites Atharvanic śruti: higher knowledge is that by which Akṣara is attained, while lower knowledge is constituted by the Ṛgveda and the other Vedas—valuable, yet not final without realization.

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

In the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava Vedanta, the “Imperishable” ultimately aligns with the Supreme Reality—Vishnu as the highest principle—so para vidya culminates in realizing and reaching that supreme, unchanging ground.