Shloka 25

Devanagari script

जृम्भाभिभूतस् तु हरो रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् न शशाक तदा योद्धुं कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा

Transliteration

jṛmbhābhibhūtas tu haro rathopastha upāviśat na śaśāka tadā yoddhuṃ kṛṣṇenākliṣṭakarmaṇā

Translation

Von Gähnen und Benommenheit überwältigt, setzte sich Hara (Śiva) auf den Sitz seines Wagens; und in jener Stunde vermochte er den Kampf gegen Kṛṣṇa, dessen Wirken unermüdlich ist, nicht fortzusetzen.

Word by Word

• जृम्भा-अभिभूतः: overpowered by yawning (spell)
• जृम्भा-अभिभूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जृम्भा (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि-भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) ‘अभिभूत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (जृम्भया अभिभूतः)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रथ-उपस्थे: on the chariot-seat
• रथ-उपस्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रथस्य उपस्थः)

• उपाविशत्: sat down
• उपाविशत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• शशाक: was able
• शशाक: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल-क्रियाविशेषण (then/at that time)

• योद्धुम्: to fight
• योद्धुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव (क्रियार्थ)

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Sahakari (Agent-instrument/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अक्लिष्ट-कर्मणा: by the one of unwearied deeds
• अक्लिष्ट-कर्मणा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्लिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (अक्लिष्टं कर्म यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa neutralizes Śiva’s capacity to fight, ensuring the victory that protects his people and completes the checking of Bāṇa’s rebellion.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Rightful subordination of all divine agencies to Bhagavān’s will; safeguarding devotees from deva-backed obstruction

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s līlā is ‘akliṣṭa-karma’—His acts do not exhaust Him—whereas all other powers are limited and can be checked.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice devotion with confidence that the Lord’s help is not constrained by fatigue or circumstance; avoid absolutizing worldly or even celestial authorities.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s unsurpassed, effortless agency (svābhāvika-śakti) distinguishes Him as the supreme Person while other gods remain real but dependent.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Hara (Shiva)

FAQs

What is the significance of Hara being ‘overpowered by yawning’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a divinely induced incapacity—an episode device used to show that even great deities can be restrained within Vishnu’s sovereign will during Krishna’s avatara-lila.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Krishna’s power in this scene?

By describing Krishna as akliṣṭa-karman—one whose deeds are effortless—Parāśara frames the event as an expression of transcendent mastery rather than mere physical prowess.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

The verse underscores Vishnu’s supremacy manifested through Krishna: divine action remains unimpeded, establishing universal order even when interacting with other major divine powers.