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Shloka 6

Uddhava Recalls Kṛṣṇa’s Mission: Earth’s Burden, Royal Dharma, and the Prelude to Dvārakā’s Withdrawal

सुतं मृधे खं वपुषा ग्रसन्तं दृष्ट्वा सुनाभोन्मथितं धरित्र्या । आमन्त्रितस्तत्तनयाय शेषं दत्त्वा तदन्त:पुरमाविवेश ॥ ६ ॥

sutaṁ mṛdhe khaṁ vapuṣā grasantaṁ dṛṣṭvā sunābhonmathitaṁ dharitryā āmantritas tat-tanayāya śeṣaṁ dattvā tad-antaḥ-puram āviveśa

Narakāsura, the son of Dharitrī, sought to swallow the very sky, and thus the Lord slew him in battle. Then Mother Earth prayed to the Lord; He bestowed the remaining kingdom upon Narakāsura’s son and entered the demon’s inner palace.

सुतम्the son
सुतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन
मृधेin battle
मृधे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमृध्/मृधा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in battle’
खम्the sky
खम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
वपुषाwith (his) body/form
वपुषा:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन
ग्रसन्तम्devouring
ग्रसन्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootग्रस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘devouring’
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
Hetu/पूर्वक्रिया (हेतु/पूर्वक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘having seen’
सुनाभ-उन्मथितम्uprooted by Sunābha
सुनाभ-उन्मथितम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुनाभ (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्मथित (उन्मथ् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘by Sunābha’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘uprooted/churned’
धरित्र्याby the earth
धरित्र्या:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootधरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन
आमन्त्रितः(he) having been invited
आमन्त्रितः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been invited/addressed’
तत्-तनयायto his son
तत्-तनयाय:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘his son’); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन
शेषम्the remainder
शेषम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘the remainder/what was left’
दत्त्वाhaving given
दत्त्वा:
पूर्वक्रिया (पूर्वक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदा (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय; ‘having given’
तत्-अन्तःपुरम्his inner palace
तत्-अन्तःपुरम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘his inner apartments’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
आविवेशentered
आविवेश:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + विश् (धातु)
Formलिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

It is said in other Purāṇas that Narakāsura was the son of Dharitrī, the earth, by the Lord Himself. But he became a demon due to the bad association of Bāṇa, another demon. An atheist is called a demon, and it is a fact that even a person born of good parents can turn into a demon by bad association. Birth is not always the criterion of goodness; unless and until one is trained in the culture of good association, one cannot become good.

V
Viṣṇu (the Lord)
G
Garuḍa
G
Garuḍa’s son
S
Sudarśana (Sunābha)

FAQs

This verse depicts Sudarśana (Sunābha) as so forceful that its motion churns the earth itself, showing it as the Lord’s irresistible instrument for protecting dharma.

After witnessing the battle’s intensity, the Lord called Garuḍa’s son and entrusted him with what remained to be done—illustrating how divine service is delegated within the Lord’s personal associates.

Do your duty sincerely, but remember protection and final outcomes rest with the Supreme; when responsibility is rightly handed over, one can act without panic and with faith.