Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

अहम् अविद्यया मृत्युं तर्तुकामः करोमि वै राज्यं यागांश् च विविधान् भोगैः पुण्यक्षयं तथा

Transliteration

aham avidyayā mṛtyuṃ tartukāmaḥ karomi vai rājyaṃ yāgāṃś ca vividhān bhogaiḥ puṇyakṣayaṃ tathā

Translation

Blinded by ignorance, I sought to cross over death; and so I pursued kingship, performed many kinds of sacrifices, and indulged in enjoyments—only to bring about the wasting away of my accumulated merit.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular (pronoun)

• अविद्यया: by ignorance
• अविद्यया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• तर्तुकामः: desiring to cross over
• तर्तुकामः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √तॄ (धातु) + तुमुन् (तुम्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (तर्तुम् कामः)

• करोमि: I do/perform
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — present active 1st sg

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/assertive particle)

• राज्यम्: kingdom/rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• यागान्: sacrifices
• यागान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विविधान्: various
• विविधान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन — accusative plural; विशेषण (qualifies यागान्)

• भोगैः: by enjoyments
• भोगैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• पुण्य: of merit
• पुण्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular (as first member in compound)

• क्षयम्: exhaustion (of merit)
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य क्षयः)

• तथा: and likewise/also
• तथा: Connector/Adverbial (प्रकार/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

A king (a royal narrator in the lineage discourse) confessing the limits of worldly sovereignty; framed within Parasara’s narration to Maitreya

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Actions pursued under ignorance—kingship, sacrifice, and enjoyment—can deplete merit and fail to grant transcendence over death.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Perform duty and ritual without bhoga-driven motives; prioritize inner transformation over status and consumption.

Vishishtadvaita: Merit (puṇya) is finite when sought for enjoyment; liberation requires knowledge and God-centered orientation beyond karmic accounting.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kingship
• Death (Mṛtyu)
• Avidyā (Ignorance)
• Yajña (Sacrifice)
• Puṇya (Merit)

FAQs

What is the significance of overcoming death (mṛtyu) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows that trying to conquer death through power, ritual prestige, or pleasure is rooted in avidyā; true transcendence of death is implied to lie in higher knowledge and devotion oriented to Vishnu.

How does the Vishnu Purana frame sacrifices (yajñas) when pursued for worldly ends?

Here, sacrifices are depicted as part of a misguided strategy for security and immortality; when tied to desire and enjoyment, they do not free one from mortality and can even exhaust accumulated merit.

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

By contrasting mortal strategies (rājya, yajña, bhoga) with the quest to transcend death, the verse aligns with the Purana’s Vaishnava thrust: lasting refuge from saṃsāra is found in turning toward Vishnu as the Supreme Reality, not in worldly sovereignty.