Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

अनेकजन्मसाहस्रीं संसारपदवीं व्रजन् मोहश्रमं प्रयातो ऽसौ वासनारेणुगुण्ठितः

Transliteration

anekajanmasāhasrīṃ saṃsārapadavīṃ vrajan mohaśramaṃ prayāto 'sau vāsanāreṇuguṇṭhitaḥ

Translation

Wandering the road of saṃsāra through thousands upon thousands of births, he grows weary with the toil of delusion, his being veiled by the dust of latent tendencies (vāsanās).

Word by Word

• अनेक-जन्म-साहस्रीम्: of many-birth-thousands
• अनेक-जन्म-साहस्रीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies पदवीम्): 'extending over thousands of many births'

• संसार-पदवीम्: the path of saṃsāra
• संसार-पदवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + पदवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'path/road of saṃsāra'

• व्रजन्: going
• व्रजन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'going/traversing' (participial, agrees with असौ)

• मोह-श्रमम्: delusion-fatigue
• मोह-श्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; मोहश्रमः = मोह एव श्रमः (fatigue that is delusion)

• प्रयातः: has reached
• प्रयातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'has gone/has reached' (with implied 'is')

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'that person/he'

• वासन-रेणु-गुण्ठितः: covered by the dust of impressions
• वासन-रेणु-गुण्ठितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासन (प्रातिपदिक) + रेणु (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण्ठित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from गुण्ठ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; वासनारेणुगुण्ठितः = वासनारूपेण रेणुना गुण्ठितः (covered/veiled by the dust of latent impressions)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The long fatigue of saṃsāra caused by delusion and vāsanā-dust

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The jīva wanders through innumerable births, exhausted by delusion, its perception obscured by the dust of vāsanās.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Identify recurring patterns (vāsanās) that drive choices; cultivate mindfulness, satsanga, and scriptural reflection to weaken them.

Vishishtadvaita: Vāsanā-veiling explains bondage without denying the real jīva; liberation is removal of obscuration, not annihilation of the self.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Jīva (individual soul)
• Vāsanā
• Saṃsāra
• Moha

FAQs

What is the significance of vāsanā (latent impressions) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse portrays vāsanās as a subtle “dust” that covers the being, sustaining delusion and keeping the soul moving through saṃsāra for countless births.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the experience of saṃsāra here?

He frames saṃsāra as a long road traveled over thousands of births, where the traveler becomes weary due to moha—ignorance reinforced by accumulated vāsanās.

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

By highlighting bondage through delusion and conditioning, the passage prepares for the Vaishnava conclusion: liberation requires turning from moha toward the Supreme Reality, Vishnu, who alone can dispel ignorance and grant release.