Shloka 21

मैत्रेयप्रश्नः—पुराणसंहिताप्रतिज्ञा च

Maitreya’s Questions and Parāśara’s Resolve to Teach

Devanagari script

एवं तातेन तेनाहम् अनुनीतो महात्मना उपसंहृतवान् सत्रं सद्यस् तद्वाक्यगौरवात्

Transliteration

evaṃ tātena tenāham anunīto mahātmanā upasaṃhṛtavān satraṃ sadyas tadvākyagauravāt

Translation

Vì được bậc trưởng thượng đại tâm ấy khuyên nhủ dịu dàng, kính trọng uy lực và trọng lượng lời nói của ngài, ta liền lập tức kết thúc kỳ hội tế lễ.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner-adverb)

• तातेन: by (my) father
• तातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• अनुनीतः: having been persuaded/conciliated
• अनुनीतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘अनुनी’ = to persuade/conciliate

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• उपसंहृतवान्: (I) concluded
• उपसंहृतवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सम्-हृ (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक कर्तरि कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘उपसंहृ’ = to conclude/bring to an end

• सत्रम्: the sacrificial session (satra)
• सत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time-adverb)

• तद्वाक्यगौरवात्: because of the authority of his words
• तद्वाक्यगौरवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Ablative singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तस्य वाक्यस्य गौरवम् = the weight/authority of his words)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking in first person within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue frame)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Parāśara came to impart Purāṇic knowledge—his deference to elders and the occasion for instruction

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Reverence for the guru/elder’s word and self-restraint (ending even a meritorious rite) is itself dharma-bearing.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Prioritize wise counsel and humility over ego-driven insistence on one’s own projects, even when those projects seem ‘religious’.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is fulfilled through śeṣatva (the posture of service and obedience) toward the divinely sanctioned teacher-lineage.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• a revered elder (tāta)
• satra (Vedic sacrificial session)

FAQs

What is the significance of concluding a satra in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It signals ethical restraint and obedience to higher counsel—showing that even powerful ritual action is subordinate to dharma and rightful authority.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of elders or teachers in guiding action?

He depicts himself as immediately complying out of reverence for the elder’s words, implying that spiritual authority and wise counsel can redirect even ongoing rites.

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

Though Vishnu is not named here, the Purana’s teaching method is established: disciplined tradition and dharmic submission become the vessel through which Vishnu’s supreme order is later articulated.