Shloka 72

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

Devanagari script

जगताम् उपकाराय न सा कर्मनिमित्तजा चेष्टा तस्याप्रमेयस्य व्यापिन्य् अव्याहतात्मिका

Transliteration

jagatām upakārāya na sā karmanimittajā ceṣṭā tasyāprameyasya vyāpiny avyāhatātmikā

Translation

For the welfare of all worlds, His activity is not born of karma as a motive; it is the action of the immeasurable Lord—all-pervading, unobstructed, and free by nature.

Word by Word

• जगताम्: of the worlds/beings
• जगताम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम् (genitive plural)

• उपकाराय: for the benefit
• उपकाराय: Sampradāna (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम् (dative singular)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• सा: that (activity)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (feminine pronoun, nominative singular)

• कर्म: action, karma
• कर्म: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member)

• निमित्त: cause, motive
• निमित्त: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member)

• जा: arising from
• जा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज (धातु) + क्त/ज (प्रत्यय; 'ज' = 'born of')
• Form: ज-प्रत्ययान्त (born from); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (agreeing with चेष्टा)

• कर्मनिमित्तजा: caused by karma
• कर्मनिमित्तजा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म + निमित्त + ज (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः ('arising from karma as cause'); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• चेष्टा: activity
• चेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• अप्रमेयस्य: of the immeasurable
• अप्रमेयस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्रमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (genitive singular) — विशेषणम्

• तस्याप्रमेयस्य: of that immeasurable one
• तस्याप्रमेयस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्य + अप्रमेयस्य (सर्वनाम + विशेषण)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (genitive singular phrase)

• व्यापिनी: all-pervading
• व्यापिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (nominative singular) — विशेषणम्

• अव्याहत: unobstructed
• अव्याहत: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + व्याहत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिकम् (compound-member; 'unobstructed')

• आत्मिका: of the nature of
• आत्मिका: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (nominative singular) — विशेषणम्

• अव्याहतात्मिका: of unobstructed nature
• अव्याहतात्मिका: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्याहत + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः ('unobstructed in nature'); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s activity is not karma-driven; it is spontaneous, all-pervading, unobstructed divine operation for the good of all worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Reduce anxiety about divine ‘motives’ and practice trust: interpret providence as welfare-oriented even when opaque, while aligning one’s actions with loka-saṅgraha.

Vishishtadvaita: Distinguishes the Lord’s free, non-karmic agency from bound jīvas, while maintaining His immanence and governance over the worlds.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of saying the Lord’s action is not caused by karma in the Vishnu Purana?

It distinguishes Vishnu’s governance from bound souls: His activity arises from sovereign will for the good of the worlds, not from karmic necessity.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine agency in this context?

Parāśara presents the Lord as aprameya and vyāpin—immeasurable and all-pervading—whose action remains unobstructed, indicating supreme freedom rather than compulsion.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is affirmed as the Supreme Reality whose providential activity sustains cosmic order while remaining untouched by karmic causation, supporting a strong Vaishnava Vedantic view of divine sovereignty.