Shloka 4

स्वाध्याय-योगोपदेशः तथा केशिध्वज-खाण्डिक्य-उपाख्यानम्

Yoga through Study and Restraint; The Keśidhvaja–Khāṇḍikya Narrative Frame

Devanagari script

भगवंस् तम् अहं योगं ज्ञातुम् इच्छामि तं वद ज्ञाते यत्राखिलाधारं पश्येयं परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

bhagavaṃs tam ahaṃ yogaṃ jñātum icchāmi taṃ vada jñāte yatrākhilādhāraṃ paśyeyaṃ parameśvaram

Translation

O Blessed One, I yearn to know that Yoga; declare it to me—by knowing it may I behold the Supreme Lord, the support of all that is.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Blessed Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine, vocative, singular

• तम्: that (him/that)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — masculine, accusative, singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, nominative, singular

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — masculine, accusative, singular

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana/Artha (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), परस्मैपदी-धातु ‘ज्ञा’ — infinitive “to know”

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — present indicative, 1st person singular

• तम्: that (it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — masculine, accusative, singular

• वद: tell (speak)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — imperative, 2nd person singular

• ज्ञाते: when it is known / upon knowing
• ज्ञाते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/परिणाम), सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — locative absolute sense “when known/after knowing”

• यत्र: wherein
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय/देशवाचक — relative adverb “where/wherein”

• अखिलाधारम्: the support of all
• अखिलाधारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘अखिलस्य आधारः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — masculine, accusative, singular

• पश्येयम्: may I see
• पश्येयम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्/पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/इच्छा), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — optative, 1st person singular

• परमेश्वरम्: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘परमः ईश्वरः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Request for the Yoga by which one beholds the Supreme Lord, the support of all.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: earnest, seeking

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowledge of the liberating Yoga culminates in direct vision of the Supreme Lord who is the ground of all beings.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Adopt a disciplined contemplative practice (japa/dhyana) oriented to the Lord as the inner support of all experience.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is both transcendent (Parameśvara) and the sustaining substratum of all (akhilādhāra), aligning devotion with metaphysical dependence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parameshvara (Vishnu as the Supreme Lord)
• Maitreya
• Sage Parāśara

FAQs

What is the significance of Yoga in Vishnu Purana Ansha 6?

Here Yoga is presented as the knowable discipline whose realization culminates in direct vision of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, described as the support of the entire cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the means to behold Parameśvara?

This verse frames the dialogue: Maitreya requests the specific Yoga whose true knowledge leads to perceiving the Lord as the universal foundation; Parāśara’s ensuing teaching answers this request.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being called “akhilādhāra” here?

It emphasizes Vishnu as the Supreme Reality and sustaining ground of all existence—supporting a Vaishnava view of God as both transcendent Lord (Parameśvara) and immanent cosmic basis.