Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

प्रयागे पुष्करे चैव कुरुक्षेत्रे तथार्बुदे कृतोपवासः प्राप्नोति तद् अस्य श्रवणान् नरः

Transliteration

prayāge puṣkare caiva kurukṣetre tathārbude kṛtopavāsaḥ prāpnoti tad asya śravaṇān naraḥ

Translation

Whatever merit is gained by fasting at Prayāga, Puṣkara, Kurukṣetra, and Arbuda, that very fruit a person attains simply by hearing this Purāṇa.

Word by Word

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — masculine locative singular

• पुष्करे: at Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — masculine locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction ‘and’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — particle ‘indeed/just’

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: at Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — neuter locative singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/तुल्यत्ववाचक) — indeclinable ‘likewise/also’

• अर्बुदे: at Arbuda
• अर्बुदे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — neuter locative singular (place-name Arbuda)

• कृतोपवासः: having observed a fast
• कृतोपवासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-उपवास (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कृतः उपवासः येन)

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular present

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — neuter accusative singular (pronoun)

• अस्य: of this (account/teaching)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive singular (pronoun)

• श्रवणात्: from hearing (it)
• श्रवणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — ablative singular; (IAST shows plural-like sandhi: śravaṇān = śravaṇāt + n- before naraḥ)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Phala-śruti of hearing the Viṣṇu Purāṇa; comparative merit of śravaṇa versus tīrtha-upavāsa

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (devout hearing) of the Purāṇa grants the same puṇya as fasting at renowned tīrthas, showing the primacy of bhakti over mere ritual exertion.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Regularly listen to/recite Purāṇic Hari-kathā with faith, even when travel or severe vows are impractical.

Vishishtadvaita: Grace mediated through śravaṇa: the Lord’s saving power is accessible via devotional means, not restricted to elite ritual capacity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Prayāga
• Puṣkara
• Kurukṣetra
• Arbuda (Mount Abu)

FAQs

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

This verse states that merely hearing the Purāṇa grants the same merit as fasting at renowned pilgrimage sites, elevating śravaṇa as a powerful dharmic practice.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the value of tīrthas and vows here?

He uses famous tīrthas and the act of upavāsa (fasting) as a benchmark of merit, then declares that attentive listening to the Purāṇa yields an equivalent result.

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

By praising the fruit of hearing the Purāṇa—whose purpose is to reveal Vishnu’s supremacy and cosmic order—the verse implies that devotion through listening and remembrance is a direct means to spiritual merit.