Shloka 77

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

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

Devanagari script

तत्र पूज्यपदार्थोक्तिपरिभाषासमन्वितः शब्दो ऽयं नोपचारेण अन्यत्र ह्य् उपचारतः

Transliteration

tatra pūjyapadārthoktiparibhāṣāsamanvitaḥ śabdo 'yaṃ nopacāreṇa anyatra hy upacārataḥ

Translation

In that context, this word—qualified by the rule that it denotes a venerable and worthy referent—is not to be taken in a figurative sense; elsewhere it is applied only by figurative usage.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there/in that (term)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: “there/in that context”)

• पूज्यपदार्थोक्तिपरिभाषासमन्वितः: endowed with the definitional usage denoting the worship-worthy entity
• पूज्यपदार्थोक्तिपरिभाषासमन्वितः: Karta (Predicate adjective to śabdaḥ/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पदार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परिभाषा (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; विशेषण (endowed with the definition/technical sense expressing the venerable referent)

• शब्दः: the word/term
• शब्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• उपचारेण: by figurative/secondary usage
• उपचारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-निर्देश (by figurative usage)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/विषयवाचक (elsewhere/otherwise)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle: “indeed/for”)

• उपचारतः: by way of figurative usage
• उपचारतः: Sambandha (Adverbial qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): “from/according to figurative usage”

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How “Bhagavān” should be understood as primary (non-figurative) only for the truly venerable supreme referent

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: analytical

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: “Bhagavān” is to be taken in its primary sense only for the supremely worship-worthy reality; elsewhere it is merely figurative usage.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use discernment in theological language—reserve ultimate predicates for the Supreme, while honoring others without conflating levels of divinity.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports graded ontology: the Supreme Person uniquely bears absolute lordship, while other ‘lords’ are so only by upacāra (dependent designation).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

FAQs

What is the significance of upacāra (figurative usage) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse sets a hermeneutic rule: in the given doctrinal context, the key term must be taken in its primary sense, while in other contexts it may be applied only figuratively.

How does Sage Parāśara explain correct interpretation of sacred terms here?

He indicates that a technical definition (paribhāṣā) governs the word’s meaning—especially when it points to a worship-worthy referent—so the reader should avoid forcing a secondary, metaphorical reading.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By insisting on primary denotation for the worship-worthy referent, the text supports a theologically “real” Supreme—consistent with Vaiṣṇava schools that treat the Lord’s supremacy as literal, not merely metaphorical.