Shloka 65
अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः
पतत्त्रिभ्यो मृगास् तेभ्यस् तच्छक्त्या पशवो ऽधिकाः पशुभ्यो मनुजाश् चापि शक्त्या पुंसः प्रभाविताः
patattribhyo mṛgās tebhyas tacchaktyā paśavo 'dhikāḥ paśubhyo manujāś cāpi śaktyā puṃsaḥ prabhāvitāḥ
Beyond the birds are the deer; beyond them, by that same measure of potency, are the beasts that surpass them. Beyond the beasts, too, are human beings—made eminent through the power that belongs to the human state.
Sage Parāśara
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation of gradation: birds → deer → beasts → humans, with human eminence by śakti.
Teaching: Philosophical
Quality: didactic
Concept: Human birth is marked by a higher manifestation of potency compared to other animals, implying greater capacity and responsibility for dharma and liberation-seeking.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Use human intelligence for self-inquiry, compassion, and devotion rather than merely sense-enjoyment; orient actions toward mokṣa.
Vishishtadvaita: Human uniqueness supports the Vaiṣṇava teleology of embodied life: jīvas, as real dependents of Viṣṇu, can consciously turn toward the Lord through bhakti and prapatti.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Antaryamin: Yes
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse presents a graded order of life based on śakti (capacity), framing creation as an ordered cosmos where different beings possess different degrees of capability and agency.
Parāśara grounds human distinction in śakti—humans are ‘prabhāvitāḥ’ (made eminent) because the human condition carries greater capacity for purposeful action, understanding, and dharmic responsibility.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching belongs to a Vishnu-centered cosmology: ordered gradations of beings imply a governed universe, ultimately sustained by the Supreme Reality who establishes and upholds cosmic order.