Shloka 56

आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः

Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

कलत्रपुत्रमित्रार्थगृहक्षेत्रधनादिकैः क्रियते न तथा भूरि सुखं पुंसां यथासुखम्

Transliteration

kalatraputramitrārthagṛhakṣetradhanādikaiḥ kriyate na tathā bhūri sukhaṃ puṃsāṃ yathāsukham

Translation

بیوی، اولاد، دوست، نفع، گھر، زمین، مال و دولت وغیرہ سے انسان کو اتنی فراوان خوشی نہیں ملتی جتنی خود قناعت اور اطمینان سے ملتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• कलत्र: wife
• कलत्र: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (compound-member stem)

• पुत्र: son
• पुत्र: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• मित्र: friend
• मित्र: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अर्थ: wealth/means
• अर्थ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• गृह: house
• गृह: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• क्षेत्र: field/land
• क्षेत्र: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• धन: money/wealth
• धन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• आदिकैः: and the like; by etc. (things)
• आदिकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ = etc., समासोत्तरपद (compound-final)

• कलत्रपुत्रमित्रार्थगृहक्षेत्रधनादिकैः: by wife, son, friends, wealth, house, land, money, etc.
• कलत्रपुत्रमित्रार्थगृहक्षेत्रधनादिकैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र+पुत्र+मित्र+अर्थ+गृह+क्षेत्र+धन+आदि (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/collection sense), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• क्रियते: is produced/is done
• क्रियते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• तथा: so; in that way
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• भूरि: much; abundant
• भूरि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सुखम्’ विशेषण

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner)

• सुखम्: happily; with ease
• सुखम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासोत्तरपद

• यथासुखम्: as one pleases; comfortably
• यथासुखम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा+सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Means to lasting happiness and release amid saṃsāra

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External possessions and relations do not yield abundant happiness; contentment (santoṣa) does.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate daily contentment by limiting wants and practicing gratitude alongside steady sādhana.

Vishishtadvaita: Implied contrast between transient, dependent pleasures and the stable joy grounded in the Lord as the soul’s support.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of contentment (santoṣa) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that inner contentment yields greater and more reliable happiness than external supports like family, property, and wealth.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of worldly happiness?

He lists common sources of attachment—relations, possessions, and status—and states they cannot generate happiness as abundantly as inner ease, implying worldly sukha is dependent and unstable.

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

By devaluing material “supports” of happiness, the teaching redirects the seeker toward the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose remembrance and devotion ground lasting well-being beyond saṃsāra.