Shloka 28

उपसंहारः, वैष्णवपुराण-प्रशंसा, फलश्रुति, परम्परा-प्रवहः (पाठ-श्रवण-फलम्)

Devanagari script

यद् अश्वमेधावभृथे स्नातः प्राप्नोति वै फलम् सकलं तद् अवाप्नोति श्रुत्वैतन् मुनिसत्तम

Transliteration

yad aśvamedhāvabhṛthe snātaḥ prāpnoti vai phalam sakalaṃ tad avāpnoti śrutvaitan munisattama

Translation

Whatever complete reward is truly gained by one who bathes at the concluding ablution of the Aśvamedha sacrifice—O best of sages—one attains that entire merit simply by hearing this sacred teaching.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (correlative: 'that which/what')

• अश्वमेधावभृथे: at the concluding bath of the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधावभृथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + अवभृथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधस्य अवभृथः)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि—'having bathed' (agent-participle)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire/complete
• सकलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (फलम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम (correlative to यत्)

• अवाप्नोति: obtains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया ('having heard')

• एतत्: this (teaching)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत्तमः मुनिः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya as munisattama)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Phala-śruti: the merit of hearing this teaching equals great Vedic sacrifice merit

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The full merit of the Aśvamedha’s concluding ablution is attained simply by hearing this sacred discourse.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Prioritize śravaṇa (listening) to Purāṇic/Vedāntic teachings as a daily sādhana, especially when elaborate rituals are impractical.

Vishishtadvaita: Grace-accessible bhakti (śravaṇa) is presented as efficacious without denying Vedic ritual value—harmonizing karma and bhakti under the Lord’s supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Avabhṛtha
• Sage Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of hearing (śravaṇa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that attentive hearing of the Purāṇic teaching grants the full merit comparable to the grand Aśvamedha’s concluding rites, elevating śravaṇa as a direct, accessible spiritual means.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between ritual merit and Purāṇic listening?

Parāśara frames listening as equivalent to the highest Vedic-sacrificial reward, implying that inner receptivity to sacred narration can match or replace external ritual grandeur.

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

By glorifying the act of hearing the sacred account centered on Vishnu, the text underscores Vishnu as the supreme refuge whose remembrance and narrative contemplation confer the highest spiritual fruit.