Shloka 21

विष्ण्वाराधन-फलम् तथा वर्णधर्माः

Worship of Vishnu through Varṇa-dharma

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च यथाक्रमम् त्वम् एकाग्रमना भूत्वा शृणु धर्मान् मयोदितान्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca yathākramam tvam ekāgramanā bhūtvā śṛṇu dharmān mayoditān

Translation

ക്രമാനുസരിച്ച് ഞാൻ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ, ക്ഷത്രിയൻ, വൈശ്യൻ, ശൂദ്രൻ എന്നിവരുടെ പവിത്ര കർത്തവ്യങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്താവിക്കും. നീ മനസ്സിനെ ഏകാഗ്രമാക്കി ഞാൻ പറയുന്ന ധർമ്മങ്ങൾ കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām: of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas
• brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-viśām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक) + viś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (ब्राह्मणाश्च क्षत्रियाश्च विशश्च); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• śūdrāṇām: of śūdras
• śūdrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• yathā-kramam: in proper sequence
• yathā-kramam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb) — यथाक्रमम् (in due order)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ekāgra-manāḥ: with concentrated mind
• ekāgra-manāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (एकाग्रं मनो यस्य सः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of tvam)

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — भूत्वा (having become)

• śṛṇu: hear, listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharmān: duties, dharmas
• dharmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (by me)

• uditān: spoken/declared
• uditān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udita (उदित, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vad/√vac implied in sense ‘said’, but udita from √ud-i ‘risen/uttered’ used idiomatically)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of dharmān)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Varṇa-dharma and āśrama-dharma (requested by Maitreya)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative, structured

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right conduct is taught in ordered sequence, and the student must listen with ekāgratā (single-pointed attention).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate focused attention while studying ethical/religious duties; learn systematically rather than selectively.

Vishishtadvaita: Ekāgratā is a devotional discipline supporting surrender to the Lord’s ordinance, harmonizing personal will with divine law.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Brahmana
• Kshatriya

FAQs

What is the significance of varna-dharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames varna-dharma as an ordered teaching meant to uphold social and moral stability, presented as a structured path of duties to be heard with focused attention.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dharma to Maitreya here?

Parāśara begins by establishing sequence and method: he will enumerate duties varna by varna, and Maitreya is asked to cultivate ekāgratā (single-pointedness) to properly receive the instruction.

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

Even without naming Vishnu directly, the verse supports a core Purāṇic idea: dharma is part of the divinely sustained order of the world, ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s role as the preserver of cosmic harmony.