Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तद् अस्माकं प्रसीदेश हृदयाच् छल्यम् उद्धर उत्तानपादतनयं तपसः संनिवर्तय

Transliteration

tad asmākaṃ prasīdeśa hṛdayāc chalyam uddhara uttānapādatanayaṃ tapasaḥ saṃnivartaya

Translation

Therefore, O Lord, be gracious to us. Pluck from our hearts the thorn of sorrow, and turn back Dhruva, the son of Uttānapāda, from his severe austerities.

Word by Word

• तत्: therefore/then
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/connector), पूर्वोक्त-प्रसङ्गसूचक (refers to what was said)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• प्रसीद: be gracious/please
• प्रसीद: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृदयात्: from the heart
• हृदयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शल्यम्: thorn/pain (as a thorn)
• शल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उद्धर: remove/pull out
• उद्धर: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + उद् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• उत्तानपादतनयम्: the son of Uttānapāda (Dhruva)
• उत्तानपादतनयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तानपाद (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘उत्तानपादस्य तनयः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपसः: from austerity/of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• संनिवर्तय: cause to return/withdraw
• संनिवर्तय: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद, णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

The assembled gods (Devas) petitioning the Supreme Lord (Vishnu) in the Dhruva narrative, as recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Dhruva’s tapas and the devas’ appeal to Bhagavān to relent.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sincere surrender (śaraṇāgati) moves the Lord to remove inner sorrow and redirect even extreme ascetic resolve.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When overwhelmed, turn grief into prayer and seek divine guidance rather than self-harmful extremes.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord responds personally to the devotee’s condition, showing compassionate governance over individual souls (jīvas) within His order.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: kṣānti (forbearance) sought through divine refuge

Key Kings: Uttānapāda, Dhruva

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Uttanapada
• Dhruva
• Devas

FAQs

What is the significance of Dhruva’s tapas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows that Dhruva’s austerities become so potent that even the Devas seek Vishnu’s intervention, highlighting tapas as powerful but ultimately governed by the Lord’s sovereign will.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine restraint over ascetic power?

Through the Devas’ plea—“turn him back from tapas”—the narrative frames Vishnu as the regulator of cosmic balance, ensuring that even righteous austerity does not destabilize universal order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is addressed as Īśa, the Supreme Reality whose grace removes inner suffering and whose authority harmonizes devotion, asceticism, and cosmic stability.