Shloka 64

प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अग्नेः शीतेन तोयस्य तृषा भक्तस्य च क्षुधा क्रियते सुखकर्तृत्वं तद्विलोमस्य चेतरैः

Transliteration

agneḥ śītena toyasya tṛṣā bhaktasya ca kṣudhā kriyate sukhakartṛtvaṃ tadvilomasya cetaraiḥ

Translation

آگ سے جھلسے ہوئے کے لیے ٹھنڈا پانی راحت بن جاتا ہے؛ بھوکے کے لیے کھانا خوشی کا سبب ہوتا ہے؛ اسی طرح دوسری چیزیں بھی اپنی ضدّ حالت کے سبب ہی لذّت کا باعث بنتی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• शीतेन: by cold (water/coolness)
• शीतेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• तोयस्य: of water
• तोयस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तृषा: thirst
• तृषा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भक्तस्य: of food
• भक्तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘भक्त’ = भोजन (food)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• क्षुधा: hunger
• क्षुधा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• क्रियते: is produced, is caused
• क्रियते: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): is produced/is made

• सुख-कर्तृत्वम्: the property of causing pleasure
• सुख-कर्तृत्वम्: कर्म (Object/complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः—सुखस्य कर्तृत्वम् (the capacity of producing pleasure)

• तत्-विलोमस्य: of the opposite of that
• तत्-विलोमस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः—तस्य विलोमम् (of its opposite)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• इतरैः: by other (factors/things)
• इतरैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental): by others (things)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Relativity of pleasure and pain based on opposing conditions

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pleasure arises from contrast with prior pain, showing that worldly sukha is conditional and not intrinsically satisfying.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Train equanimity by observing sensations as changing states; reduce compulsive seeking of ‘opposites’ and cultivate steadier inner devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Since worldly sukha is contingent, the stable refuge is the Lord; discernment supports surrender (prapatti) and bhakti as the enduring good.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of the relativity of pleasure and pain in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse explains that pleasure is often experienced only in contrast to suffering—cool water delights one who is burned, and food delights one who is hungry—showing worldly happiness to be conditional and dependent on opposites.

How does Sage Parāśara explain why the same object can feel pleasant or unpleasant?

He uses paired examples (heat/coolness, hunger/food) to show that an object becomes a cause of happiness due to a prior opposing condition; without the opposite state, the same object may not produce the same joy.

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

By highlighting the conditional nature of worldly sukha, the teaching implicitly directs the seeker toward the unconditioned Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose fullness is not dependent on opposites or changing circumstances.