Shloka 28

भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः

Devanagari script

इत्थं चिरगते तस्मिन् स चक्रे मानसं मुनिः प्रीतिप्रसन्नवदनः पार्श्वस्थे चाभवन् मृगे

Transliteration

itthaṃ ciragate tasmin sa cakre mānasaṃ muniḥ prītiprasannavadanaḥ pārśvasthe cābhavan mṛge

Translation

就这样，随着时间的流逝，这位圣人的心便系在了那只鹿身上；当鹿在他身边时，他的脸上洋溢着慈爱与满足。

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb of manner: thus)

• चिरगते: when (he) had been gone long
• चिरगते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिर-गत (प्रातिपदिक); चिर (long) + गत (gone)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तस्मिन्)

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/condition)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• चक्रे: made/formed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मानसम्: a mental (state)/in the mind (resolve)
• मानसम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रीतिप्रसन्नवदनः: with a face brightened by affection
• प्रीतिप्रसन्नवदनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीति-प्रसन्न-वदन (प्रातिपदिक); प्रीति (affection) + प्रसन्न (pleased) + वदन (face)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मुनिः)

• पार्श्वस्थे: being at (his) side/nearby
• पार्श्वस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मृगे)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अभवत्: was/became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मृगे: in/with regard to the deer
• मृगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Psychology of meditation: how repeated attention produces fixation (tad-bhāva) and redirects the mind

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sustained proximity and affection can ‘set’ the mind upon an object, subtly replacing the intended meditative focus.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Regularly audit one’s attention: if a secondary object occupies the heart, gently re-center on chosen iṣṭa/devotion or contemplative aim.

Vishishtadvaita: True steadiness comes when the mind’s affection is anchored in the Lord as the inner ruler, not in a finite upādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Sage (Muni)
• Deer (Mṛga)

FAQs

What is the significance of attachment (saṅga) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It shows that even a sage’s mind can become fixed through prolonged association, turning attention away from higher contemplation toward a dependent worldly bond.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the working of the mind (manas) here?

By depicting the mind as something that can be ‘made’ or ‘formed’ into a particular inclination—here, shaped by time and closeness into affectionate fixation.

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

The episode implicitly contrasts transient attachments with the stable refuge of Vishnu as the Supreme Reality—encouraging devotion and remembrance of the eternal over the perishable.