Shloka 74
प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)
एवं दुराशयाक्षिप्तमानसः पुरुषः सदा श्रेयसो ऽभिमुखं याति न कदाचित् पिपासितः
evaṃ durāśayākṣiptamānasaḥ puruṣaḥ sadā śreyaso 'bhimukhaṃ yāti na kadācit pipāsitaḥ
Ainsi, l’homme dont l’esprit est sans cesse entraîné par de vains espoirs ne se tourne jamais vers le Bien suprême ; tel l’assoiffé qui ne se dirige pas vers ce qui peut étancher sa soif.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How vain hopes (durāśā) perpetually distract the mind from turning toward śreyas, like thirst that never seeks true quenching.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: penetrating
Concept: A mind pulled by futile expectations fails to face the true Highest Good that alone satisfies, as water ends thirst.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Identify one recurring ‘durāśā’ (status, possession, validation) and replace it with a concrete bhakti practice and a simpler vow.
Vishishtadvaita: Positions ‘true satisfaction’ as found in the Supreme (not mere negation), aligning liberation with turning toward the Lord as the soul’s fulfillment.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse contrasts true welfare (śreyas) with the mind’s pursuit of vain hopes, teaching that liberation-oriented life begins when one turns away from unstable desires toward the highest aim.
Parāśara depicts durāśā as a force that “drags” the mind, preventing steady movement toward śreyas—implying that spiritual progress requires inner reorientation and restraint.
Even without naming Vishnu directly, the verse supports a Vaishnava framework where the Supreme Good ultimately culminates in turning toward Vishnu as the highest refuge and final fulfillment beyond worldly cravings.