Shloka 50

कलियुग-प्रवृत्तिः, सप्तर्षि-गणना, धरणीगीताः, च वंश-समाप्तिः

Kali-yuga onset, Saptarṣi reckoning, Dharaṇī-gītā, and closure of the dynastic account

Devanagari script

समुद्रावरणं याति मन्मण्डलम् अथो वशम् कियद् आत्मजयाद् एतन् मुक्तिर् आत्मजये फलम्

Transliteration

samudrāvaraṇaṃ yāti manmaṇḍalam atho vaśam kiyad ātmajayād etan muktir ātmajaye phalam

Translation

ด้วยชัยชนะเหนือใจตน แม้ขอบเขตทั้งมวลของจิต—ที่ถูกล้อมด้วยมหาสมุทรแห่งอารมณ์ทางอินทรีย์—ก็อยู่ในอำนาจ แต่ชัยชนะเหนืออัตตานี้วัดอย่างไร? ผลแท้แห่งการข่มตนคือโมกษะ

Word by Word

• समुद्रावरणम्: ocean-encircled (region)
• समुद्रावरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आवरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य आवरणम्)

• याति: goes/comes to
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मत्: of me/my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मण्डलम्: domain/circle/realm
• मण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• अथो: and then/indeed
• अथो: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय) + उ (निपात)
• Form: निपात/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle; 'and then/indeed')

• वशम्: control/subjection
• वशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• कियत्: how much/what extent
• कियत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• आत्मजयात्: from self-conquest
• आत्मजयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः जयः)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• आत्मजये: in self-conquest
• आत्मजये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः जयः)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The futility of external conquest versus conquest of the self, and the true fruit of self-mastery.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mastery over the mind and senses is meaningful only insofar as it culminates in mokṣa, which is the true fruit of conquering oneself.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Treat meditation, restraint, and discipline as means toward freedom from identification and craving, not as ends in themselves.

Vishishtadvaita: Mokṣa is not mere mental control but release from bondage through right knowledge and surrender to the Supreme who grants liberation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parasara
• Maitreya
• Mukti (Liberation)

FAQs

What is the significance of self-conquest (ātma-jaya) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames self-conquest as the mastery of the mind’s domain, but insists that its highest significance is not control itself—rather, it culminates in moksha (liberation).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the goal of discipline and mind-control here?

Parāśara treats mind-control as a meaningful attainment, yet immediately relativizes it: the real “fruit” of conquering the self is freedom from bondage—mukti.

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

In the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava framework, liberation is ultimately grounded in the Supreme Reality (Vishnu); self-mastery is presented as the inward preparation whose true completion is release into that highest state.