Shloka 18

Devanagari script

इत्य् एवम् उक्तास् ते पित्रा पुत्राः प्रचेतसो दश मग्नाः पयोधिसलिले तपस् तेपुः समाहिताः

Transliteration

ity evam uktās te pitrā putrāḥ pracetaso daśa magnāḥ payodhisalile tapas tepuḥ samāhitāḥ

Translation

یوں باپ کی ہدایت سن کر، پرچیتس نامی وہ دس بیٹے سمندر کے پانی میں غوطہ زن ہو گئے اور یکسوئی کے ساتھ تپسیا کرنے لگے۔

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• उक्ताः: (having been) instructed
• उक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘having been told’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• पित्रा: by the father
• पित्रा: Karana (Agent-instrumental/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ते इति सर्वनामस्य अपपद-समनाधिकरण

• प्रचेतसः: the Pracetas (princes named Pracetas)
• प्रचेतसः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (proper name)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे (indeclinable-like numeral usage)

• मग्नाः: submerged
• मग्नाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मज्ज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘submerged’

• पयोधि-सलिले: in the ocean-water
• पयोधि-सलिले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयोधि (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘पयोधेः सलिलम्’

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तेपुः: they performed (austerity)
• तेपुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• समाहिताः: composed; concentrated
• समाहिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘collected, concentrated (in mind)’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: narrative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True spiritual effort is sustained tapas performed with a collected mind (samāhita), undertaken in obedience to dharmic instruction.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt disciplined practice (japa, vrata, meditation) with steady attention, minimizing distraction and cultivating long-term consistency.

Vishishtadvaita: Austerity is meaningful when directed toward the Lord and performed as dependent service, not as self-powered absolutism.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pracetas
• their father (Prajāpati/Pracetā)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Pracetas performing tapas in the ocean in the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays tapas as a creative-cosmic force: by disciplined concentration in a liminal space (the ocean), the Pracetas become fit instruments for sustaining lineage and restoring order within creation.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the role of discipline and concentration (samāhita) here?

Parāśara emphasizes that austerity is not merely physical hardship; it is gathered consciousness—samāhita—through which beings align with the higher governance of the cosmos and become capable of fulfilling progenitive and dharmic duties.

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

Even when not named in the verse, the narrative assumes Vishnu as the supreme ground of order: the efficacy of tapas and the continuity of creation ultimately operate within Vishnu’s sovereign cosmic framework.