Vishnu Purana — Amsha 5 - Krishna Avatara, Shloka 16

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

यैः स्वधर्मपरैर् नाथ नरैर् आराधितो भवान् ते तरन्त्य् अखिलाम् एतां मायाम् आत्मविमुक्तये

Transliteration

yaiḥ svadharmaparair nātha narair ārādhito bhavān te taranty akhilām etāṃ māyām ātmavimuktaye

Translation

ಓ ನಾಥ, ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿರರಾಗಿ ನಿಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಆರಾಧಿಸುವವರು—ಆತ್ಮವಿಮುಕ್ತಿಗಾಗಿ ಈ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಮಾಯೆಯನ್ನು ದಾಟುತ್ತಾರೆ।

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्वधर्मपरैः: devoted to their own duty
• स्वधर्मपरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वधर्म + पर (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (svadharme paraḥ) विशेषणम्

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आराधितः: worshipped
• आराधितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-राधित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-राध् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); विशेषणम् (भवान्)

• भवान्: you (honored one)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोगः

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• तरन्ति: cross over
• तरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अखिलाम्: entire
• अखिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एताम् मायाम्)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मायाम्)

• मायाम्: māyā, illusion
• मायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मविमुक्तये: for liberation of the self
• आत्मविमुक्तये: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ātmanaḥ vimuktiḥ) प्रयोजन-चतुर्थी

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Those who adhere to svadharma and worship the Lord cross māyā and attain release of the Self.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Integrate daily duty (work, family, social responsibility) with regular worship—japa, pūjā, and offering of results—to make life a vehicle for liberation.

Vishishtadvaita: Liberation is attained by the Lord’s grace through devoted worship while living dharmically; the jīva is freed from māyā without negating its real dependence on Viṣṇu.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devotees (naras)

FAQs

What is the significance of svadharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents svadharma (one’s rightful duty) as a stabilizing foundation for worship; when duty and devotion unite, a person becomes fit to transcend māyā and attain liberation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain liberation from māyā here?

Parāśara states that those who worship Vishnu while remaining devoted to their proper dharma ‘cross’ māyā—implying that liberation is not mere withdrawal, but a grace-enabled transcendence through faithful practice.

What is Vishnu’s theological role in this context?

Vishnu is addressed as Nātha, the sovereign Lord whose worship enables the devotee to overcome māyā and realize ātma-vimukti, underscoring Vishnu as the supreme, liberating reality.