Shloka 40

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

विद्याबुद्धिर् अविद्यायाम् अज्ञानात् तात जायते बालो ऽग्निं किं न खद्योतम् असुरेश्वर मन्यते

Transliteration

vidyābuddhir avidyāyām ajñānāt tāta jāyate bālo 'gniṃ kiṃ na khadyotam asureśvara manyate

Translation

ହେ ପ୍ରିୟ, ଅଜ୍ଞାନରୁ ଅବିଦ୍ୟାରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ‘ବିଦ୍ୟା’ ବୋଲି ମିଥ୍ୟା ବୁଦ୍ଧି ଜନ୍ମେ। ହେ ଅସୁରେଶ୍ୱର, ଶିଶୁ କି ଅଗ୍ନିକୁ ଜୁଗନୁର ଆଲୋକ ଭାବେ ଭୁଲେନି?

Word by Word

विद्याबुद्धिःthe notion of knowledge

अविद्यायाम्in ignorance

अज्ञानात्from ignorance

तातO dear one

जायतेarises/is born

बालःa child

अग्निम्fire

किम्why/what

नnot

खद्योतम्a firefly

असुरेश्वरO lord of the Asuras

मन्यतेthinks/considers

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; the verse also contains a rhetorical address 'asureśvara' used as an illustrative vocative)

FAQs

What is the significance of the fire and firefly analogy in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates how ignorance can cause a person to misjudge greatness as something trivial—just as a child confuses blazing fire with a small firefly—pointing to the need for discernment when approaching the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between true knowledge and ignorance here?

He warns that even within ignorance one may develop a confident but mistaken sense of “knowing,” and that real understanding requires clarity (viveka), not mere assumption or partial perception.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

The verse supports the Vaishnava theme that the Supreme Reality is often underestimated by the ignorant; recognizing Vishnu’s supremacy requires purified understanding rather than superficial judgment.