Shloka 14

परमार्थ-निर्णयः—श्रेयस्-भेदः, कर्म-ध्यान-सीमा, एकात्मदर्शनम्

Devanagari script

कर्म यज्ञात्मकं श्रेयः स्वर्लोकफलदायि यत् श्रेयः प्रधानं च फले तद् एवानभिसंहिते

Transliteration

karma yajñātmakaṃ śreyaḥ svarlokaphaladāyi yat śreyaḥ pradhānaṃ ca phale tad evānabhisaṃhite

Translation

యజ్ఞరూపమైన కర్మ కూడా శ్రేయస్సే, ఎందుకంటే అది స్వర్గఫలాన్ని ఇస్తుంది; అయినా అక్కడ కూడా ప్రధాన శ్రేయస్సు స్వర్గం కాదు, ఉద్దేశించిన ఫలానికి ఉన్న ప్రాధాన్యమే—దాచిన ఇతర ఆశయం లేకపోతే।

Word by Word

• कर्म: ritual action/karma
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यज्ञात्मकम्: of the nature of sacrifice
• यज्ञात्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (यज्ञः आत्मा यस्य/यज्ञरूपम्)

• श्रेयः: (is) good/welfare
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वर्लोकफलदायि: giving the fruit of heaven
• स्वर्लोकफलदायि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्लोक + फल + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वर्लोकस्य फलम् ददाति)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• श्रेयः: the good
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रधानम्: primary/chief
• प्रधानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• फले: in the result
• फले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अनभिसंहिते: when not intended (as the aim)
• अनभिसंहिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन- + अभिसंहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा/√सम्-धा? in sense 'to intend/aim at' with अभि-सम् + धा/हित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण (when not intended/when not aimed at)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yajña as ritual action yields heavenly results, but the worth of ‘good’ depends on the intended end; when free from ulterior motives, action is oriented toward a higher purpose than mere svarga.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Engage in duty and worship with transparent intention—reduce hidden bargaining and align actions with long-term spiritual liberation.

Vishishtadvaita: Karma is meaningful within God-ordered reality, yet its fruits are graded; purified intention can turn karma toward devotion and final dependence on Nārāyaṇa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of yajña-karma (sacrificial action) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse affirms yajña-based karma as beneficial because it yields svarga, while also implying that ritual merit is still a result-bound good, not the ultimate end.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of intention behind ritual action?

He indicates that the ‘good’ of an action is judged by its intended fruit; when one is not covertly aiming at additional gains, the declared result stands as the primary outcome.

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

By placing result-bound rewards like svarga in a lower tier of goals, the Purana’s broader teaching points beyond transient fruits toward the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—as the highest end.