Vishnu Purana — Amsha 2 - Sacred Geography, Shloka 50

भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः

Devanagari script

श्रेयः किम् अत्र संसारे दुःखप्राये नृणाम् इति प्रष्टुं तं मोक्षधर्मज्ञं कपिलाख्यं महामुनिम्

Transliteration

śreyaḥ kim atra saṃsāre duḥkhaprāye nṛṇām iti praṣṭuṃ taṃ mokṣadharmajñaṃ kapilākhyaṃ mahāmunim

Translation

Désireux de demander : «Quel est donc le bien suprême pour les hommes en ce monde si rempli de souffrance ?», il s’approcha du grand sage nommé Kapila, renommé pour connaître le dharma de la délivrance (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• श्रेयः: the good, welfare, highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (neuter abstract noun)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• अत्र: here, in this (context)
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• संसारे: in the world/cycle of existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दुःखप्राये: abounding in sorrow
• दुःखप्राये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'दुःख-प्राय' = दुःखबहुल (mostly sorrowful)

• नृणाम्: of men, of people
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• प्रष्टुम्: to ask
• प्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); अर्थः—प्रश्नं कर्तुम् (to ask)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• मोक्षधर्मज्ञम्: knowing the dharma of liberation
• मोक्षधर्मज्ञम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'मोक्षधर्म-ज्ञ' = मोक्षसम्बन्धिधर्मेषु ज्ञः (knower of the dharma of liberation)

• कपिलाख्यम्: named Kapila
• कपिलाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'कपिल-आख्य' = कपिल इति आख्या यस्य (named Kapila)

• महामुनिम्: the great sage
• महामुनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'महामुनि' = महान् मुनिः (great sage)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Recognizing saṃsāra as duḥkha-prāya prompts the inquiry into śreyas and the pursuit of mokṣa-dharma under a realized teacher.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Let clear-eyed awareness of recurring dissatisfaction motivate disciplined study and guidance under a competent guru rather than mere worldly optimization.

Vishishtadvaita: Mokṣa is sought through right knowledge and surrender to the Supreme who is the meaningful end (śreyas), not mere negation of the world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kapila
• Human beings (nṛṇām)
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the significance of śreyas (the highest good) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the central spiritual problem: since worldly life is predominantly marked by suffering, one should seek śreyas—true, lasting welfare—by turning toward mokṣa-dharma rather than temporary worldly aims.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the search for liberation in this context?

Parāśara presents liberation as a deliberate inquiry: recognizing saṃsāra’s duḥkha-prāya nature, the seeker approaches an accomplished authority (Kapila) who knows the dharma that leads to mokṣa.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Though Vishnu is not named in this verse, the Purana’s broader theology positions mokṣa-dharma as ultimately oriented to the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—so the turn toward liberation instruction implicitly aligns the seeker with Vishnu-centered ultimate good (parama-śreyas).