Shloka 55

Genealogies from Purūravas to the Haihayas; Jayadhvaja’s Vaiṣṇava Resolve, Sage-Adjudication, and the Slaying of Videha

Devanagari script

शूरो ऽस्त्रं प्राहिणोद् रौद्रं शूरसेनस्तु वारुणम् / प्राजापत्यं तथा कृष्णो वायव्यं धृष्ण एव च

Transliteration

śūro 'straṃ prāhiṇod raudraṃ śūrasenastu vāruṇam / prājāpatyaṃ tathā kṛṣṇo vāyavyaṃ dhṛṣṇa eva ca

Translation

أطلق شُورا سلاحَ رودرا (رودراأسترا)، وأطلق شُوراسينا سلاحَ فارونا (فاروناأسترا). وكذلك أخرج كريشنا سلاحَ براجاباتي (براجاباتيأسترا)، وأرسل دْهْرِشْنا سلاحَ فايُو (فايَفيأسترا).

Word by Word

• शूरः: Śūra
• शूरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्त्रम्: a weapon/missile
• अस्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राहिणोत्: sent/shot forth
• प्राहिणोत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हि (धातु; √हि)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रौद्रम्: Rudra-related (Raudra)
• रौद्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अस्त्रस्य विशेषण

• शूरसेनः: Śūrasena
• शूरसेनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूरसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• वारुणम्: Varuṇa’s (weapon)
• वारुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (वारुणम् अस्त्रम्)

• प्राजापत्यम्: Prajāpati’s (weapon)
• प्राजापत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (प्राजापत्यम् अस्त्रम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (in like manner/also)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वायव्यम्: Vāyu’s (weapon)
• वायव्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (वायव्यम् अस्त्रम्)

• धृष्णः: Dhṛṣṇa
• धृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (the Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle sequence

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Śūra
• Śūrasena
• Kṛṣṇa
• Dhṛṣṇa
• Rudra
• Varuṇa
• Prajāpati
• Vāyu

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: by showing multiple deity-astras (Rudra, Varuṇa, Prajāpati, Vāyu) operating within one cosmic order, the Purāṇic frame points to a single governing Reality that coordinates diverse divine powers—an implicit unity behind many names and functions.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; however, astra-prayoga traditionally presumes mantra-dhāraṇā (focused retention of sacred formulae), disciplined mind-control, and ritual purity—skills aligned with yogic concentration (dhāraṇā) as understood in Purāṇic and Yoga-śāstra culture.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Kṛṣṇa’s action is narrated alongside the Rudra-astra, placing Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva powers in a shared, non-competitive field of dharma—typical of the Kūrma Purāṇa’s integrative theology where Rudra and Nārāyaṇa function harmoniously within one sacred cosmos.