Shloka 49

वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्

Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth

Devanagari script

आपस् तस्तम्भिरे चास्य समुद्रम् अभियास्यतः पर्वताश् च ददुर् मार्गं ध्वजभङ्गश् च नाभवत्

Transliteration

āpas tastambhire cāsya samudram abhiyāsyataḥ parvatāś ca dadur mārgaṃ dhvajabhaṅgaś ca nābhavat

Translation

ولما تقدّم نحو البحر وقفت المياه له كأنها سُدّت؛ وفتحت الجبال طريقًا، ولم ينكسر لواؤه الملكي.

Word by Word

• आपः: the waters
• आपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रयोग), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• तस्तम्भिरे: stood still
• तस्तम्भिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• समुद्रम्: the ocean
• समुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (गमनस्य)

• अभियास्यतः: of (him) going toward
• अभियास्यतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-सम्बद्ध वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘(तस्य) अभियास्यतः’ = ‘of him who was going towards’

• पर्वताः: the mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• ददुः: gave
• ददुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मार्गम्: a path
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• ध्वजभङ्गः: breaking of the banner
• ध्वजभङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘ध्वजस्य भङ्गः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; कर्ता (नाभवत् इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• अभवत्: was/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Purpose: Nature itself yields before Pṛthu as Viṣṇu-empowered ruler, signaling divine support for his world-protecting mission.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Orderly sovereignty where even elements cooperate with dharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When the Lord supports dharma through His empowered agent, even the elements act in harmony, removing impediments.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Align intentions with dharma; inner coherence often reduces ‘resistance’ from circumstances and fosters steadiness.

Vishishtadvaita: Immanence: Nārāyaṇa as antaryāmin governs waters and mountains, coordinating prakṛti in service of dharma.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: Irresistible dharmic authority

Key Kings: Pṛthu

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Ocean (Samudra)
• Mountains (Parvata)
• Royal banner (Dhvaja)

FAQs

What is the significance of the waters standing still and mountains giving a path in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine sanction: nature aligns with dharma, indicating the king’s legitimacy and the higher cosmic order operating in his favor.

How does Sage Parāśara explain auspicious omens in royal narratives?

Through brief, vivid signs—like an unbroken banner and compliant elements—Parāśara marks a ruler’s divinely supported momentum within the lineage history.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse implies his supreme governance: the elements respond as instruments of the universal order sustained by the Highest Reality.