Shloka 78

Chandravamsa and Yadu Lineage: From Soma to the Vrishnis, Krishna’s Family, and the Transition to Puru

Devanagari script

वृर्षसेनस्तु कर्णस्य पुरुवंश्याञ्छणुष्व मे

Transliteration

vṛrṣasenastu karṇasya puruvaṃśyāñchaṇuṣva me

Translation

Nun höre mich an, wie ich Vṛṣasena, den Sohn Karṇas, und die Abstammung der Puru-Dynastie darlege.

Word by Word

• वृर्षसेनः: Vṛṣasena (proper name)
• वृर्षसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—वृषः सेनः/वृषसेन (कर्मधारय, नाम); पाठभेदः: वृषसेनः

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (particle)

• कर्णस्य: of Karṇa
• कर्णस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुरुवंश्यान्: the descendants of Puru (Pauravas)
• पुरुवंश्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुवंश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; (पुरुवंश-सम्बद्धाः/पुरुवंश्याः)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (शृणु + स्व)

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive) / Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (attentive listening) to dharmic history as a means of cultural transmission and moral formation.

Vedantic Theme: Śravaṇa as a foundational discipline (here in an itihasa-purana mode rather than strict Vedānta inquiry).

Application: Practice attentive listening/learning from exemplars and cautionary tales in tradition; use history to refine judgment.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.139 (continuation into Puru-vaṃśa narration)

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣasena
• Karṇa
• Puru dynasty (Puru-vaṁśa)

FAQs

What is the importance of the Puru dynasty (Puruvaṁśa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse signals a genealogical narration: the text preserves dharmic history by linking key figures (like Karṇa’s son Vṛṣasena) to the wider Puru lineage.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana?

It does not directly address the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it introduces a lineage account, a different sectional theme than the well-known preta/afterlife teachings.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to study dharmic history with attention and humility—“listen carefully” (śṛṇuṣva) encourages disciplined learning of sacred narratives.