Shloka 4

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

हत्वा च लवणं रक्षो मधुपुत्रं महाबलम् शत्रुघ्नो मधुरां नाम पुरीं यत्र चकार वै

Transliteration

hatvā ca lavaṇaṃ rakṣo madhuputraṃ mahābalam śatrughno madhurāṃ nāma purīṃ yatra cakāra vai

Translation

And having slain Lavaṇa—the mighty rākṣasa, the son of Madhu—Śatrughna established there a city famed as Madhurā.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

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

• लवणम्: Lavaṇa (proper name)
• लवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular masculine)

• रक्षः: the rākṣasa (demon)
• रक्षः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular neuter; ‘a rākṣasa’)

• मधुपुत्रम्: son of Madhu
• मधुपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular masculine)

• महाबलम्: very strong, mighty
• महाबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular masculine); विशेषणम् (to lavaṇam/rakṣaḥ/madhuputram)

• शत्रुघ्नः: Śatrughna
• शत्रुघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रुघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular masculine)

• मधुराम्: Mathurā
• मधुराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular feminine)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: ‘by name’)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular feminine)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative locative adverb: ‘where’)

• चकार: made, founded
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Madhurā was founded after the defeat of Lavaṇa

Teaching: Historical

Quality: matter-of-fact

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Righteous kingship protects society by removing violent adharma and establishing ordered civic life.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Uphold dharma through courageous protection of the vulnerable and institution-building rather than mere force.

Vishishtadvaita: World-order is sustained through divinely sanctioned dharma acting through embodied agents (kings) within the Lord’s domain.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: kṣātra-dharma (protective kingship)

Key Kings: Śatrughna

Characters & Entities

• Śatrughna
• Lavaṇa
• Madhu
• Madhurā

FAQs

What is the significance of Madhurā’s founding in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse links Madhurā’s origin to a dharmic act of kingship—Śatrughna removes a violent rākṣasa presence (Lavaṇa) and establishes an ordered city, anchoring sacred geography within the Solar dynasty narrative.

How does Sage Parāśara explain kingship and order in this episode?

Through concise genealogical storytelling: a righteous prince eliminates a disruptive force and then founds a stable polity, showing that royal sovereignty is validated by protection and restoration of dharma.

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

Even when not named in the verse, the Purana frames such victories and foundations as part of Vishnu’s overarching governance of cosmic and social order, expressed through His aligned dynasties and dharmic rulers.