Shloka 46

सोमचक्रः, ग्रह-रथाः, ध्रुवबन्धनं, शिशुमारसंनिवेशः, विष्णु-सर्वात्मकता

Moon, Planets, Dhruva-Tethering, Śiśumāra, and Vishnu as All

Devanagari script

यज्ञः पशुर् वह्निर् अशेष-ऋत्विक् सोमः सुराः स्वर्गमयश् च कामः इत्यादिकर्माश्रितमार्गदृष्टं भूरादिभोगाश् च फलानि तेषाम्

Transliteration

yajñaḥ paśur vahnir aśeṣa-ṛtvik somaḥ surāḥ svargamayaś ca kāmaḥ ityādikarmāśritamārgadṛṣṭaṃ bhūrādibhogāś ca phalāni teṣām

Translation

การบูชายัญ สัตว์ที่ใช้บูชา ไฟ คณะปุโรหิตผู้ประกอบพิธี น้ำโสม เหล่าทวยเทพ สวรรค์ และความสมปรารถนา สิ่งเหล่านี้คือผลลัพธ์ที่ปรากฏบนหนทางแห่งกรรม (พิธีกรรม) และการเสวยสุขในภูลก (โลกมนุษย์) และโลกอื่นๆ ก็คือผลบุญที่ผู้ปฏิบัติตามหนทางนี้จะได้รับ

Word by Word

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पशुः: animal (victim)
• पशुः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अशेषऋत्विक्: all the priests (ṛtviks)
• अशेषऋत्विक्: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष + ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अशेषः ऋत्विक् = all officiating priests collectively)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुराः: gods; deities
• सुराः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वर्गमयः: heavenly; consisting of heaven
• स्वर्गमयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + मय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मयट्) / तत्पुरुषार्थ (स्वर्गमयः = consisting of heaven)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• कामः: desire; enjoyment
• कामः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Appender (समाहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; आद्यर्थक (etc., and so on)

• कर्माश्रितमार्गदृष्टम्: seen as a path dependent on ritual action
• कर्माश्रितमार्गदृष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म + आश्रित + मार्ग + दृष्ट (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) 'दृष्ट', नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (कर्माश्रितः मार्गः येन दृष्टः/दृष्टम्)

• भूरादिभोगाः: enjoyments beginning with (the world of) Bhū (earth) etc.
• भूरादिभोगाः: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूः + आदि + भोग (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भूः-आदि-लोकानां भोगाः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक

• फलानि: fruits; results
• फलानि: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of those (rites/people)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of the karma-mārga: constituents of yajña and the fruits (bhoga) across Bhū and higher worlds.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: descriptive, cautionary-neutral

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual action (yajña with its implements, priests, and deities) yields enjoyments and attainments—earthly and heavenly—as karmic fruits within the cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Perform duties without mistaking results (fame, heaven, desire-fulfillment) for the highest goal; use karma as preparation for higher knowledge and devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Maintains a real moral-cosmic economy where actions have ordered results across lokas under the Lord’s governance, fitting Vishishtadvaita’s emphasis on dharma and divine administration of karma.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Soma
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of yajña (sacrifice) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse lists yajña and its ritual constituents (fire, priests, Soma) as a valid karma-based path whose primary outputs are worldly and heavenly enjoyments—measurable “fruits” rather than final liberation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the karma-mārga here?

Parāśara frames ritual action as a structured path with predictable results: attainment of devas’ realms, fame, and fulfilled desires—benefits that remain within the cycle of experience across earth and higher worlds.

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

By emphasizing that ritual yields finite fruits (bhoga and svarga), the Purana implicitly points beyond karma to Vishnu as the supreme ground of ultimate freedom, where results are not merely temporary enjoyments but the highest end.