Shloka 13
The Churning of the Ocean
Samudra Manthana
सूत उवाच । इति श्रुत्वा ततो विष्णुर्ददौ चोद्दालकाय च । वेदवाक्यानुरूपेण ह्यलक्ष्मीं निर्जरैः सह
sūta uvāca | iti śrutvā tato viṣṇurdadau coddālakāya ca | vedavākyānurūpeṇa hyalakṣmīṃ nirjaraiḥ saha
Sūta said: Having heard this, Viṣṇu then granted it to Uddālaka as well; in accordance with the utterances of the Vedas, he assigned Alakṣmī together with the gods.
Sūta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णुर्ददौ = विष्णुः + ददौ (विसर्ग → र्). चोद्दालकाय = च + उद्दालकाय (च + उ → चो). ह्यलक्ष्मीम् = हि + अलक्ष्मीम् (इ + अ → य).
FAQs
The speaker is Sūta, who narrates the events to the listening sages, reporting what Viṣṇu did after hearing the preceding request or statement.
It emphasizes that Viṣṇu’s action is aligned with Vedic testimony, presenting the decision as grounded in śruti-authority rather than personal preference or mere narrative convenience.
By naming Alakṣmī (misfortune/inauspiciousness) and associating her handling with divine order, the verse suggests that prosperity and adversity are regulated within dharma, and that inauspicious forces are not ultimate but are placed under cosmic governance.