Shloka 15

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

वैखानसो वापि भवेत् परिव्राड् अथवेच्छया पूर्वसंकल्पितं यादृक् तादृक् कुर्यान् महीपते

Transliteration

vaikhānaso vāpi bhavet parivrāḍ athavecchayā pūrvasaṃkalpitaṃ yādṛk tādṛk kuryān mahīpate

Translation

وہ ویکھانَس (جنگل کی ریاضت میں قائم) بھی بن سکتا ہے، یا پرِوراجک سنیاسی بھی؛ یا پھر، اے مہيپتے، اپنی خواہش کے مطابق پہلے جیسا عزم کیا تھا ویسا ہی زندگی کا راستہ اختیار کرے۔

Word by Word

• वैखानसः: a Vaikhānasa (forest hermit)
• वैखानसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैखानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वैखानस-आश्रमस्थः (forest-dweller)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अवधारण)

• भवेत्: may become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परिव्राट्: a wandering mendicant
• परिव्राट्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिव्राज्/परिव्राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संन्यासी/परिव्राजकः

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय) + वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पसूचक): or else

• इच्छया: by (one’s) desire
• इच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/करणे: by (one’s) wish

• पूर्व-संकल्पितम्: previously resolved (plan)
• पूर्व-संकल्पितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संकल्पित (कृदन्त; सम्-√कॢप्/√कॢप् (धातु), क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वं संकल्पितम्’ = previously resolved (plan)

• यादृक्: whatever (kind)
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण: of whatever kind

• तादृक्: of that kind
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; correl. pronoun-adjective: of that kind

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; phrased as counsel addressed to a king)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Options among āśramas: Vaikhānasa forest-discipline, wandering renunciation, and living according to prior saṃkalpa

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One may adopt forest-discipline (Vaikhānasa) or wandering renunciation, or follow the life-course earlier resolved upon, provided it accords with dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Choose a sustainable life-path intentionally (family life, service, contemplation, or renunciation) and live it consistently rather than reactively.

Vishishtadvaita: Renunciation is not denial of the world’s reality but reorientation of the self’s dependence (śeṣatva) toward the Lord through disciplined life-choice.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• King (Mahīpati)
• Vaikhānasa
• Parivrājaka

FAQs

What is the significance of Vaikhānasa and Parivrājaka paths in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse affirms legitimate dharmic options beyond household life—forest-discipline (Vaikhānasa) and wandering renunciation (Parivrājaka)—as recognized life-paths that support social and spiritual order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain personal choice (icchā) and prior resolve (saṃkalpa) here?

Parāśara allows discretion within dharma: a person may follow the path aligned with a prior vow or plan (pūrva-saṃkalpa), emphasizing steadiness and integrity rather than impulsive change.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of dharma and life-stages?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching reflects Vaishnava cosmology where dharma sustains the world-order under Vishnu’s sovereignty; orderly life-stages become a means to align individual conduct with the supreme governing principle.