Shloka 35

भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः

Devanagari script

शुष्कैस् तृणैस् तथा पर्णैः स कुर्वन्न् आत्मपोषणम् मृगत्वहेतुभूतस्य कर्मणो निष्कृतिं ययौ

Transliteration

śuṣkais tṛṇais tathā parṇaiḥ sa kurvann ātmapoṣaṇam mṛgatvahetubhūtasya karmaṇo niṣkṛtiṃ yayau

Translation

అతడు ఎండిన గడ్డి, రాలిన ఆకులనే ఆహారంగా చేసుకొని కఠిన తపస్సుతో స్వయంపోషణ చేశాడు; అలా జింకగా జన్మించడానికి కారణమైన ఆ కర్మకు ప్రాయశ్చిత్తాన్ని పొందాడు।

Word by Word

• शुष्कैः: with dry
• शुष्कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृणैः/पर्णैः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/सह), बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural)

• तृणैः: with grasses
• तृणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: likewise/also)

• पर्णैः: with leaves
• पर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Pronoun: nominative singular)

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (present active participle: doing)

• आत्मपोषणम्: nourishment of himself
• आत्मपोषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः पोषणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• मृगत्वहेतुभूतस्य: of that which had become the cause of (his) deerhood
• मृगत्वहेतुभूतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृगत्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: मृगत्वस्य हेतुर्भूतम् इति (तत्पुरुष); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणः इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Genitive singular)

• कर्मणः: of the act/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• निष्कृतिम्: expiation
• निष्कृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• ययौ: went/attained
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the associated exempla of conduct and karmic consequence (context of Bhārata-varṣa narrative)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Atoning austerity and self-restraint can exhaust the karmic remainder that produced a degraded birth.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt disciplined simplicity and conscious restraint to correct harmful habits and reduce karmic momentum.

Vishishtadvaita: Karmic law operates within Īśvara’s moral order; purification prepares the jīva for God-realization rather than negating the world’s reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of niṣkṛti (expiation) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames niṣkṛti as a corrective discipline: by deliberate austerity and restraint, one neutralizes the karmic residue that produced suffering (here, the condition of becoming a deer).

How does Sage Parāśara explain karmic consequence and remedy here?

Parāśara presents a clear sequence—deed → consequence (mṛgatva) → remedial practice (tapas and simple living) → expiation—showing that ethical repair is possible through sustained self-discipline.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview assumes a Vishnu-governed moral order: karma operates within His sovereignty, and dharmic expiation is a means of returning to harmony under that supreme cosmic governance.