Shloka 5

सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

तमो मोहो महामोहस् तामिस्रो ह्य् अन्धसंज्ञितः अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः

Transliteration

tamo moho mahāmohas tāmisro hy andhasaṃjñitaḥ avidyā pañcaparvaiṣā prādurbhūtā mahātmanaḥ

Translation

De esa fuente magnánima surgió la Avidyā con cinco articulaciones: oscuridad (tamas), ilusión (moha), gran ilusión (mahāmoha), tiniebla cegadora (tāmisra) y lo llamado ceguera absoluta (andha).

Word by Word

• तमः: darkness (tamas)
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• मोहः: delusion
• मोहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• महामोहः: great delusion
• महामोहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः; पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• तामिस्रः: tāmisra (a form of darkness)
• तामिस्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामिस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; अवधारण/हेतुवाचकः (particle: indeed/for)

• अन्धसंज्ञितः: called ‘andha’ (blind)
• अन्धसंज्ञितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा with सम्)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (अन्ध-संज्ञितः = ‘called blind’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying तामिस्रः)

• अविद्या: ignorance
• अविद्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-तत्पुरुषः; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• पञ्चपर्वा: having five joints/sections
• पञ्चपर्वा: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying अविद्या)

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• प्रादुर्भूता: manifested, arose
• प्रादुर्भूता: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रादुस् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: भूता); स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; विधेय (with अविद्या)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महा+आत्मन्); पुंलिङ्गः; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The first manifestation of avidyā and its fivefold structure (pañca-parvan) within the early stages of creation.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Avidyā manifests in five progressive modes—tamas, moha, mahāmoha, tāmisra, and andha—constituting the layered obscuration that binds beings.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Diagnose one’s confusion: name the form of ignorance operating (inertia, delusion, obsession, fear, blindness) and counter it with study, devotion, and ethical clarity.

Vishishtadvaita: Bondage is a real condition of the jīva under guṇic obscuration; liberation comes not by denying the world but by removing avidyā through the Lord’s grace and right knowledge.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

FAQs

What is the significance of the fivefold avidyā described in the Vishnu Purana?

It maps how bondage operates in creation: ignorance manifests as graded darkness and delusion, explaining why beings misperceive reality and become entangled in desire and fear.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of ignorance (avidyā)?

He presents avidyā as having five ‘joints’—tamas, moha, mahāmoha, tāmisra, and andha—showing a progressive thickening from basic obscurity to total blindness.

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

Even when describing ignorance within creation, the Purāṇa frames the cosmos as ordered under the Supreme Reality; liberation is implied as returning to clear knowledge grounded in the highest principle identified with Vishnu.