Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

प्रक्षाल्यते यदा सो ऽस्य रेणुर् ज्ञानोष्णवारिणा तदा संसारपान्थस्य याति मोहश्रमः शमम्

Transliteration

prakṣālyate yadā so 'sya reṇur jñānoṣṇavāriṇā tadā saṃsārapānthasya yāti mohaśramaḥ śamam

Translation

When the dust clinging to him is washed away by the warm water of true knowledge, then the weary toil of delusion borne by the traveller on the road of saṃsāra comes to rest.

Word by Word

• प्रक्षाल्यते: is washed off
• प्रक्षाल्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'is washed off/cleansed'

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal 'when')

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

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; 'of him/of this'

• रेणुः: dust
• रेणुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'dust' (subject of passive)

• ज्ञान-उष्ण-वारिणा: with the hot water of knowledge
• ज्ञान-उष्ण-वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ज्ञानोष्णवारिणा = ज्ञानरूपेण उष्णेन वारिणा (with the hot water of knowledge)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• संसार-पान्थस्य: of the saṃsāra-traveler
• संसार-पान्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + पान्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; 'of the traveler on the path of saṃsāra'

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'goes/attains'

• मोह-श्रमः: delusion-fatigue
• मोह-श्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; 'delusion-fatigue' (subject of याती)

• शमम्: to cessation
• शमम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; 'to calm/cessation'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How knowledge removes vāsanā-veiling and ends the fatigue of delusion for the saṃsāra-traveller

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When the dust of vāsanās is washed away by the warm water of true knowledge, the toil of delusion for the saṃsāra-traveller subsides.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Sustain steady study, contemplation, and ethical discipline so insight becomes ‘warm’ (living and transformative), dissolving habitual drives.

Vishishtadvaita: Knowledge here functions as removal of obscuration enabling the jīva’s natural orientation to the Lord; liberation is restful clarity, consistent with real selfhood and divine dependence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Samsara
• Jnana (spiritual knowledge)
• Moha (delusion)

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘dust’ (reṇu) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The ‘dust’ symbolizes the subtle grime of ignorance and attachment that accumulates on the soul; when removed by true knowledge, the burden of delusion naturally subsides.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of knowledge (jñāna) here?

Parāśara presents jñāna as a cleansing, heat-bearing water that purifies the inner condition—so the traveller in saṃsāra is freed from the exhausting labor of moha.

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

Though not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s framework treats liberating knowledge as grounded in the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—so inner purification culminates in peace through alignment with that highest truth.