Shloka 77

अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः

Devanagari script

अन्ये तु पुरुषव्याघ्र चेतसो ये व्यपाश्रयाः अशुद्धास् ते समस्तास् तु देवाद्याः कर्मयोनयः

Transliteration

anye tu puruṣavyāghra cetaso ye vyapāśrayāḥ aśuddhās te samastās tu devādyāḥ karmayonayaḥ

Translation

然而，人中之虎啊，凡依心而住、以心为归依者，皆不清净；自诸天起，一切众生皆为业所生之趣。

Word by Word

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तु: but; however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• पुरुषव्याघ्र: O tiger among men
• पुरुषव्याघ्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + व्याघ्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पुरुषः एव व्याघ्रः)

• चेतसः: of the mind
• चेतसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• व्यपाश्रयाः: dependent (on); taking refuge
• व्यपाश्रयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-अप-आश्रय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि (श्रयणे) + क्त/आश्रितार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (आश्रिताः/अपाश्रिताः इत्यर्थे)

• अशुद्धाः: impure
• अशुद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ये)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• समस्ताः: all; entire
• समस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—पुनरुक्त-विशेषार्थक

• देवाद्याः: gods and the like
• देवाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-आद्य (प्रातिपदिक; देव + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवाः आद्याः येषाम्/देव-प्रभृतयः)

• कर्मयोनयः: having action as their source; born of karma
• कर्मयोनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; कर्म + योनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः योनिः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why reliance on mind-centered supports fails and why even gods remain within karmic birth.

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: admonitory

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Those who take the mind itself as refuge remain impure and continue in karmically conditioned births—even among the gods.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Shift practice from mind-as-ultimate to God-centered contemplation; treat thoughts as instruments, not as final authority.

Vishishtadvaita: Even exalted beings are jīvas bound by karma; purity comes through dependence on the Lord rather than autonomous mentation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling even the devas 'karmayonayaḥ' in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse stresses that even divine births are conditioned by karma; godhood is an exalted but still karmically produced state, not final liberation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dependence on the mind (cetas) here?

He contrasts those who take refuge in mental supports—thus remaining ‘aśuddha’—with the purifying path that transcends mental dependence and karmic conditioning.

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

By implying that all karmic states (even divine) are conditioned, the text points beyond them to Vishnu as the Supreme Reality, the ultimate ground of liberation beyond mind and karma.