Shloka 25

विषप्रयोगः कृत्योत्पादनं च (प्रह्लादस्य अवध्यता, कृत्याविनाशः, पुरोहितानां रक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

यतो धर्मार्थकामाख्यं विमुक्तिश् च फलं द्विजाः तेनापि हि किम् इत्य् एवम् अनन्तेन किम् उच्यते

Transliteration

yato dharmārthakāmākhyaṃ vimuktiś ca phalaṃ dvijāḥ tenāpi hi kim ity evam anantena kim ucyate

Translation

Wahai para dwija! Dari-Nya muncul buah yang disebut dharma, artha, dan kāma, bahkan buah terakhir yaitu moksha; maka bagi-Nya, apakah arti buah itu? Demikianlah, apa yang dapat dikatakan tentang Yang Tak Berhingga?

Word by Word

• yataḥ: because/whence
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/हेतु-अर्थे), ‘यतः’ = ‘because/whence’

• dharma-artha-kāma-ākhyam: called ‘dharma, artha, kāma’
• dharma-artha-kāma-ākhyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘धर्मार्थकाम’ इति आख्या यस्य तत्

• vimuktiḥ: liberation
• vimuktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma/Predicative (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), बहुवचन

• tena: by that/therefore
• tena: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-निपात (also/even)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/हेतु-निपात (indeed/for)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyartha-marker (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इति-उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative)

• evam: thus/in this manner
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this way)

• anantena: by Ananta
• anantena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• ucyate: is said
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya; addressing the learned as 'dvijāḥ')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Limits of speech and thought in describing the Infinite source of dharma-artha-kama and moksha

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: reverential, self-effacing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Infinite (Ananta/Brahman) is the source even of the four puruṣārthas, and thus ultimately beyond adequate verbal description.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use scriptural study to orient the mind toward the Supreme, then cultivate humility and contemplative silence where language fails.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu as the ultimate jagat-kāraṇa who grants all puruṣārthas, including mokṣa, while remaining unsurpassed and inexhaustible.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Moksha (Vimukti)
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kama
• Dvijas (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of the four puruṣārthas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents dharma, artha, kāma, and even mokṣa as fruits that ultimately arise from the Supreme (Vishnu), placing all human aims under His sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Infinite (Ananta) in this passage?

Parāśara suggests that since even liberation is merely a fruit proceeding from Him, ordinary categories and praise fall short—language cannot fully circumscribe the Infinite.

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

Vishnu is implied as the transcendent source of all goals and their fulfillment, affirming a Vaishnava view of the Supreme Reality as both the giver of results and beyond all results.