Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वदिष्याम्य् अनृतं ब्रह्मन् कथम् अत्र तवान्तिके विशेषेणाद्य भवता पृष्टा मार्गानुवर्तिना

Transliteration

vadiṣyāmy anṛtaṃ brahman katham atra tavāntike viśeṣeṇādya bhavatā pṛṣṭā mārgānuvartinā

Translation

“ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ, നിങ്ങളുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ ഇവിടെ ഞാൻ എങ്ങനെ അസത്യം പറയും? പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഇന്ന്, ധർമ്മമാർഗ്ഗാനുസാരിയായ നിങ്ങൾ ഇങ്ങനെ വ്യക്തമായി എന്നോട് ചോദിച്ചിരിക്കെ.”

Word by Word

• वदिष्यामि: I will speak
• वदिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनृतम्: falsehood; untruth
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक (how?)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्तिके: in the presence; near
• अन्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनं निपातवत् क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially): 'especially'

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• भवता: by you (sir)
• भवता: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• पृष्टा: (I) was asked
• पृष्टा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावे—'I (f.) was asked' (understood speaker)

• मार्ग-अनुवर्तिना: by (one) following the path; as a follower
• मार्ग-अनुवर्तिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अनु-वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (मार्गम् अनुवर्तते इति)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (responding to Maitreya in the primary Vishnu Purana dialogue frame)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Assertion of truthfulness before a dharmic brahman questioned precisely

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Satya (truthfulness) is upheld as a dharmic imperative, especially in the presence of a righteous seeker.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Commit to truthful speech and precise accountability, particularly when guiding or advising others.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is not arbitrary; it is a real mode of the Lord’s order that binds speaker and listener within a meaningful moral cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman (addressed sage)

FAQs

What is the significance of truthfulness (satya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse foregrounds satya as the ethical foundation of Purāṇic teaching—sacred cosmology and dharma are presented as trustworthy because the narrator refuses to speak falsely, especially before a worthy inquirer.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the authority of his narration to Maitreya?

By asserting that falsehood is impossible in the presence of a dharma-following questioner, Parāśara frames the discourse as accountable, disciplined speech within a guru–disciple setting.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even before explicit theology, the text establishes a truth-bound transmission of knowledge—preparing the ground for later teachings where Vishnu is presented as the supreme, orderly reality (para-tattva) governing cosmic law.