Shloka 13

कामतृष्णावैराग्योपदेशः तथा राज्यविभागः

Teaching on Desire & Renunciation; Delegation of Kingdoms

Devanagari script

न जातु कामः कामानाम् उपभोगेन शाम्यति हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते

Transliteration

na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāmyati haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate

Translation

ਵਿਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਕਾਮਨਾ ਭੋਗ ਨਾਲ ਕਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੁੱਕਦੀ; ਆਹੁਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਪਾਲੀ ਅੱਗ ਵਾਂਗ ਉਹ ਹੋਰ ਭੜਕਦੀ ਤੇ ਵਧਦੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• jātu: ever
• jātu: Kālādhi karaṇa (Time adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jātu (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/नित्यत्वबोधक अव्यय (adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

• kāmaḥ: desire
• kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• kāmānām: of desires
• kāmānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• upabhogena: by enjoyment
• upabhogena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upabhoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• śāmyati: is pacified
• śāmyati: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• haviṣā: by oblation (ghee-offering)
• haviṣā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• kṛṣṇavartmā: the black path (fire)
• kṛṣṇavartmā: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + vartman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-sūcaka (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• bhūyaḥ: more
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘more, again’)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• abhivardhate: increases
• abhivardhate: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi√vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of the fire-and-oblations metaphor in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that indulgence does not extinguish craving; like fire that intensifies when fed, desire grows stronger when repeatedly gratified.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the problem of sense-enjoyment (upabhoga)?

Parāśara frames enjoyment as self-reinforcing: the mind learns to demand more, so restraint—not repeated consumption—is presented as the path to calm.

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

By exposing the instability of worldly pleasures, the teaching implicitly redirects the seeker toward Vishnu as the enduring, sovereign ground of peace beyond fleeting objects.