Shloka 17

अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः

Devanagari script

मृण्मयं हि यथा गेहं लिप्यते वै मृदम्भसा पार्थिवो ऽयं तथा देहो मृदम्भोलेपनस्थितिः

Transliteration

mṛṇmayaṃ hi yathā gehaṃ lipyate vai mṛdambhasā pārthivo 'yaṃ tathā deho mṛdambholepanasthitiḥ

Translation

As a house of clay is plastered with a mixture of earth and water, so this body, made of earth, stands only by that same coating and support of mud and water.

Word by Word

• मृण्मयम्: made of clay
• मृण्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies गेहम्): 'made of clay'

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

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative: 'as/just as')

• गेहम्: a house
• गेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'house'

• लिप्यते: is plastered
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'is smeared/plastered'

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• मृद्-अम्भसा: with clay and water
• मृद्-अम्भसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; मृदम्भसा = मृदा च अम्भसा च (with clay and water; instrumental of means)

• पार्थिवः: earthly
• पार्थिवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies देहः): 'earthly/material'

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'this' (pronoun, points to body)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (correlative: 'so/in the same way')

• देहः: the body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'body'

• मृद्-अम्भः-लेपन-स्थितिः: a condition of clay-water plastering
• मृद्-अम्भः-लेपन-स्थितिः: Pradhana (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक) + लेपन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; मृदम्भोलेपनस्थितिः = मृदाम्भोः लेपनस्य स्थितिः (a state/condition of being plastered with clay-water)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The body’s elemental, composite nature and its dependence on material constituents

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body is an earthy construct sustained like a clay house by the same earth-and-water mixture, hence not fit to be mistaken for the self.

Vedantic Theme: Atman

Application: Practice pañca-bhūta-viveka: reflect daily that the body is a maintained compound, reducing vanity and fear.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms real difference between cit (self) and acit (body-matter) while both remain dependent modes of the Supreme (śeṣa–śeṣi relation).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Bhūta (earth element)

FAQs

What is the significance of the clay-house analogy in the Vishnu Purana?

It emphasizes that the body is materially constructed and maintained—like a clay house needing plaster—highlighting its dependence and impermanence within the cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the body’s composition here?

Parāśara frames the body as fundamentally ‘earthy’ (pārthiva) and sustained through earth-and-water (mud), aligning embodiment with elemental (bhūta) causality rather than an independent, permanent self.

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

By underscoring the body’s material dependence, the text implicitly redirects attention to Vishnu as the enduring Supreme Reality beyond perishable elemental forms.