Shloka 47

Cosmic Appointments, Viṣṇu’s Vibhūtis, Fourfold Operation, and the Symbolism of Ornaments and Weapons

Devanagari script

ज्ञानत्रयस्य चैतस्य विशेषो यो महामुने तन् निराकरणद्वारदर्शितात्मस्वरूपवत्

Transliteration

jñānatrayasya caitasya viśeṣo yo mahāmune tan nirākaraṇadvāradarśitātmasvarūpavat

Translation

Oh gran sabio, el sentido distintivo de este triple conocimiento es éste: es como la verdadera naturaleza del Ser, hecha patente por la puerta de la negación, rechazando todo lo que no es el Sí mismo.

Word by Word

• ज्ञान-त्रयस्य: of the triad of knowledges
• ज्ञान-त्रयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ज्ञानानां त्रयम्)

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

• एतस्य: of this
• एतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विशेषः: distinction, special feature
• विशेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun: ‘which’)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मुनिः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• निराकरण-द्वार-दर्शित-आत्म-स्वरूप-वत्: like (something) whose self-nature is shown through the method of negation
• निराकरण-द्वार-दर्शित-आत्म-स्वरूप-वत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दृश्) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; ‘वत्’ = ‘possessing/like’; अर्थः—निराकरणरूपद्वारेण दर्शितं आत्मस्वरूपं यस्य/यत्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Self (Ātman)
• Maitreya
• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘threefold knowledge’ (jñāna-traya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames its distinctive aim as Self-realization: the threefold approach culminates in recognizing the Ātman by discarding what is not the Self.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the method of realizing the Self here?

He points to ‘nirākaraṇa’—a process of negation or elimination—through which the Self’s true nature becomes evident, as one rejects misidentifications and limiting adjuncts.

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

Even when described via negation and inner realization, the Vishnu Purana’s metaphysics ultimately supports Vishnu as the Supreme Reality—the highest principle to be known when false attributions are removed.