Shloka 20

ब्राह्मणपूजायां व्युष्टिः — Vyuṣṭi (Merit-Outcome) of Honoring Brāhmaṇas: Kṛṣṇa and Durvāsā

Devanagari script

ततो विष्णुर्गिरिं दृष्टवा निर्दग्धमरिकर्शन: । सौम्यैर्दष्टिनिपातैस्तं पुनः प्रकृतिमानयत्‌

Transliteration

tato viṣṇur giriṃ dṛṣṭvā nirdagdham arikarṣaṇaḥ | saumyair dṛṣṭinipātaiḥ taṃ punaḥ prakṛtim ānayat |

Translation

Bhishma said: Then Vishnu, the subduer of foes, seeing the mountain burned to ashes, cast upon it His gentle, auspicious gaze and restored it to its natural state—making it once again as it had been before.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• विष्णुः: Vishnu (Krishna)
• विष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गिरिम्: mountain
• गिरिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• निर्दग्धम्: burnt, scorched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दग्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• अरि-करषणः: enemy-subduer (Krishna)
• अरि-करषणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि-करषण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सौम्यैः: with gentle, benign
• सौम्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• दृष्टि-निपातैः: with the casting/falling of (his) glance
• दृष्टि-निपातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि-निपात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तम्: that (mountain), it
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• प्रकृतिम्: natural state, original condition
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आनयत्: brought, restored
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (नय)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Viṣṇu
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• giri (mountain)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that true divine or righteous power is not merely destructive; it is guided by compassion and aims at restoring prakṛti (the proper, balanced state). After demonstrating might, the Lord re-establishes harmony, modeling restraint and benevolence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Viṣṇu (identified with Śrī Kṛṣṇa) sees a mountain that has been burned and, by casting a gentle glance, restores it to its former natural condition—green and whole again.