Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तद् इदं ते मनो दिष्ट्या विवेकैश्वर्यतां गतम् श्रूयतां चाप्य् अविद्यायाः स्वरूपं कुलनन्दन

Transliteration

tad idaṃ te mano diṣṭyā vivekaiśvaryatāṃ gatam śrūyatāṃ cāpy avidyāyāḥ svarūpaṃ kulanandana

Translation

Blessed indeed is this: your mind has, by good fortune, attained the sovereign power of discernment. Now then, O joy of your lineage, listen as well to the true nature of avidyā—ignorance itself.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Discourse/Deixis (निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular (pronoun; correlating)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular (pronoun)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular (your)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• दिष्ट्या: by good fortune
• दिष्ट्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular; सौभाग्य/अनुग्रह-अर्थे (by good fortune)

• विवेक: of discernment
• विवेक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular (as first member in compound)

• ऐश्वर्यताम्: to the state of mastery of discernment
• ऐश्वर्यताम्: Gati-goal (Destination with गत/प्राप्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विवेकस्य ऐश्वर्यता)

• गतम्: has gone/has attained
• गतम्: Kriya (Predicative/भूतकृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) agreeing with मनः

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — imperative middle 3rd sg

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Connector/Emphasis (समुच्चय/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• अविद्यायाः: of ignorance
• अविद्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• स्वरूपम्: true nature/form
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• कुलनन्दन: O delight of the family
• कुलनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलनन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलस्य नन्दनः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The ‘sovereign power’ worth attaining is viveka, and the next step is to understand avidyā’s nature as the root of bondage.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Cultivate discernment through study, reflection, and ethical self-audit; identify ignorance-patterns that masquerade as virtue.

Vishishtadvaita: Viveka matures into recognizing the self as dependent on the Supreme; ignorance is not mere absence of knowledge but misorientation of agency and ownership.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Viveka

Key Kings: Keśidhvaja, Khāṇḍikya-Janaka

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of viveka (discernment) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse marks viveka as an inner “sovereignty” that ripens the mind for higher teaching—specifically, the inquiry into avidyā, the root cause of bondage.

How does Sage Parāśara explain avidyā in the Vishnu Purana?

Here Parāśara transitions into a formal explanation of avidyā’s svarūpa (essential nature), indicating that ignorance is to be analyzed and understood once the listener’s mind is steady in discernment.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the instruction serves the Purana’s core aim: removing avidyā so the seeker realizes the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—as the ultimate ground beyond confusion and limitation.