Shloka 12

अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः

Devanagari script

पञ्चभूतात्मके देहे देही मोहतमोवृतः अहम् एतद् इतीत्य् उच्चैः कुरुते कुमतिर् मतिम्

Transliteration

pañcabhūtātmake dehe dehī mohatamovṛtaḥ aham etad itīty uccaiḥ kurute kumatir matim

Translation

迷妄の濃き闇に覆われた内住の我は、本来別であるのに、五大より成る身に心を縛り、「我はこれなり、これは我がもの」と声高に言い立て、誤った確信を結ぶ。

Word by Word

पञ्चभूतात्मकेconsisting of the five elements

देहेin the body

देहीthe embodied one

मोहतमोवृतःcovered by the darkness of delusion

अहम्I

एतत्this

इतिthus

इतिthus (repeatedly)

उच्चैःaloud

कुरुतेdoes, makes

कुमतिःthe foolish notion

मतिम्an idea, thought

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of the five-element body in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses the pañcabhūta body to show that the physical form is material and changing; bondage arises when the self mistakes this elemental body for “I.”

How does Sage Parāśara explain the root of suffering here?

He points to moha (delusion) that makes the dehī identify with the deha, producing the loud certainty of “I am this” and “this is mine,” which fuels attachment and sorrow.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

By exposing false identification, the teaching implicitly directs the seeker toward Vishnu as the transcendent Supreme Reality, the refuge beyond elemental embodiment and ignorance.