Shloka 19

प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुमयता, विष्णोः दर्शनं, वरदानं, तथा चरितश्रवण-फलम्

Devanagari script

या प्रीतिर् अविवेकानां विषयेष्व् अनपायिनी त्वाम् अनुस्मरतः सा मे हृदयान् मापसर्पतु

Transliteration

yā prītir avivekānāṃ viṣayeṣv anapāyinī tvām anusmarataḥ sā me hṛdayān māpasarpatu

Translation

Nawa’y ang pag-ibig na sa mga walang pag-unawa ay di-nawawala sa mga bagay ng pandama—ay maging akin habang patuloy kitang inaalala; nawa’y hindi ito lumisan sa aking puso.

Word by Word

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• प्रीतिः: affection, attachment
• प्रीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• अविवेकानाम्: of the undiscerning
• अविवेकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविवेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), बहुवचन — locative plural

• अनपायिनी: not departing, constant
• अनपायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनपायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषणम् ‘प्रीतिः’

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular

• अनुस्मरतः: of (me) remembering
• अनुस्मरतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → अनुस्मरत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — genitive singular; ‘(मम) अनुस्मरतः’ = of me remembering

• सा: that (attachment)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular; ‘सा (प्रीतिः)’

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — genitive singular

• हृदयान्: from (my) hearts/mind
• हृदयान्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), बहुवचन — ablative plural (वैकल्पिकं: द्वितीया बहुवचन)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेधार्थक कण (prohibitive particle)

• अपसर्पतु: let it depart, move away
• अपसर्पतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् (धातु) उपसर्ग: अप-
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — imperative, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Prahlada (as quoted within the Vishnu Purana’s devotional narrative, recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The nature of pure devotion as transformed desire

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Narasimha

Purpose: He redirects the devotee’s love from fleeting sense-objects to constant remembrance of the Lord.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Reorientation of desire toward the divine (bhakti as purified attachment)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The same tenacity with which the undiscerning cling to sense-objects should be redirected into unwavering remembrance of the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Notice habitual attachments and consciously ‘swap the object’: replace compulsive scrolling/consumption with brief, frequent acts of nāma-smaraṇa.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti is not negation of affect but its sanctification—love finds its proper object in the Supreme Person.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Triumph

Bhakti Quality: Ekāgratā (single-mindedness) and transformation of rāga into bhakti

Narasimha: Prahlāda asks that the tenacious attachment seen in worldly people toward objects become his tenacious love in remembrance of the Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of constant remembrance (anusmriti) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents anusmriti as a practical spiritual method: the same intensity of worldly attachment is redirected into uninterrupted remembrance of Vishnu, making devotion steady and liberating.

How does the Vishnu Purana frame the shift from worldly desire to devotion?

It does not merely condemn attachment; it teaches transposition—turning the mind’s persistent clinging to objects into persistent clinging to Vishnu through repeated remembrance.

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

Vishnu is treated as the Supreme and worthy of the heart’s unwavering love; devotion to Him is portrayed as the highest, purifying form of attachment that leads beyond sense-bound existence.