Shloka 38

कलौ धर्मसुलभता — व्यासोपाख्यानम् एवं संकीर्तन-प्रधानता

Devanagari script

ततः संपूज्य ते व्यासं प्रशशंसुः पुनः पुनः यथागतं द्विजा जग्मुर् व्यासोक्तिक्षतसंशयाः

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃpūjya te vyāsaṃ praśaśaṃsuḥ punaḥ punaḥ yathāgataṃ dvijā jagmur vyāsoktikṣatasaṃśayāḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അവർ വ്യാസനെ വിധിപൂർവം പൂജിച്ച് വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും പ്രശംസിച്ചു; വ്യാസവചനങ്ങൾ അവരുടെ സംശയങ്ങളെ മുറിച്ചുകളഞ്ഞതിനാൽ ആ ദ്വിജ മുനിമാർ തത്തത്ത സ്ഥാനങ്ങളിലേക്കു മടങ്ങിപ്പോയി।

Word by Word

ततःthen

संपूज्यhaving duly honored

तेthey

व्यासम्Vyāsa

प्रशशंसुःpraised

पुनःagain

यथागतम्as before, as they had come

द्विजाःthe twice-born (brahmins etc.)

जग्मुःwent

व्यासोक्तिक्षतसंशयाःwhose doubts were dispelled by Vyāsa’s words

Speaker

Sūta (narratorial voice) describing the sages’ response after Vyāsa’s discourse (frame-narration)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right teaching (śāstra transmitted by a realized teacher) removes doubt, leading to settled understanding and peaceful return to one’s duties.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Seek reliable instruction, then verify by consistent practice; let clarity reduce anxiety and indecision rather than fueling argumentation.

Vishishtadvaita: Epistemic dependence on trustworthy guru-śāstra is affirmed; knowledge that ‘cuts doubt’ supports prapatti/bhakti grounded in Vishnu-centered revelation.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

Vyasa

Dvijas (twice-born sages)

FAQs

What is the significance of doubts being ‘cut’ by Vyāsa’s words in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights saṃśaya-nivṛtti: authentic instruction from an authoritative teacher resolves spiritual uncertainty and restores clarity about dharma and the Vishnu-centered worldview.

How does the Vishnu Purana portray the role of Vyāsa in transmitting sacred knowledge?

Vyāsa is presented as a decisive transmitter whose teaching is not merely informative but transformative—leading listeners from questioning to settled understanding within the tradition.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context even though the verse mentions Vyāsa?

Vyāsa’s authority functions as a conduit for Vishnu-dharma: the text implies that certainty and order arise when the tradition’s teaching—ultimately oriented to Vishnu as Supreme Reality—is properly received.