Shloka 15

भार्गवसर्गः, ऋषिवंशाः, वह्नयः (अग्निवंशः), पितृसृष्टिः

Devanagari script

पावकं पवमानं च शुचिं चापि जलाशिनम्

Transliteration

pāvakaṃ pavamānaṃ ca śuciṃ cāpi jalāśinam

Translation

He is called Pāvaka, and also Pavamāna; he is Śuci as well—indeed ‘Jalāśin’, the fire that receives and consumes the sacred oblations.

Word by Word

• पावकम्: Pāvaka
• पावकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (अग्नेः पुत्रनाम)

• पवमानम्: Pavamāna
• पवमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शुचिम्: Śuci
• शुचिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थ-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• जलाशिनम्: Jalāśin (water-eater; name)
• जलाशिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘जलम् आश्नाति’ (water-eater)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in a cosmological-ritual enumeration)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Names and functional aspects of Agni and his manifestations

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Agni’s many appellations indicate distinct functions—purifying, conveying offerings, and sustaining ṛta (cosmic order).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat daily work and worship as ‘offerings’—cultivate purity, disciplined speech, and consistency to support order in life.

Vishishtadvaita: The one divine governance expresses through functional plurality (many names/roles) without breaking unity, mirroring qualified non-dualism.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Fire)

FAQs

What is the significance of Pāvaka, Pavamāna, and Śuci in the Vishnu Purana?

They are epithets/forms of Agni used to classify fire’s purifying and sustaining roles in both ritual and cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain elemental powers like fire in this section?

He enumerates recognized names and functions, presenting them as ordered manifestations within the cosmos that operates under higher divine governance.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even while listing Agni’s forms, the Purāṇic frame treats such powers as functional expressions within a universe ultimately upheld by Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality.