Shloka 144

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

दैत्येन्द्रदीपितो वह्निः सर्वाङ्गोपचितो द्विज न ददाह च यं पूर्वं वासुदेवे हृदि स्थिते

Transliteration

daityendradīpito vahniḥ sarvāṅgopacito dvija na dadāha ca yaṃ pūrvaṃ vāsudeve hṛdi sthite

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, the fire kindled by the lord of the Daityas and made to blaze over every limb could not burn him before, for Vāsudeva dwelt within his heart.

Word by Word

• दैत्येन्द्रदीपितः: kindled by the Daitya-king
• दैत्येन्द्रदीपितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैत्येन्द्र + दीपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘दैत्येन्द्रेण दीपितः’ (kindled by the lord of Daityas); कृदन्त (दीप्/दीपय् धातोः क्त)

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वाङ्गोपचितः: piled up over all (his) limbs
• सर्वाङ्गोपचितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अङ्ग + उपचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘सर्वैः अङ्गैः उपचितः’ (heaped/covered over all limbs); कृदन्त (चि धातोः उप-उपसर्ग, क्त)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ददाह: burned
• ददाह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘burned’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वासुदेवे: when Vāsudeva (was present)
• वासुदेवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘when/while Vāsudeva (was)’

• हृदि: in (his) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the heart’

• स्थिते: being present/situated
• स्थिते: Sati-saptami (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — सति-सप्तमी; कृदन्त (स्था धातोः क्त) ‘being situated’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When Vāsudeva abides in the heart, external afflictions lose their power over the devotee.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Strengthen inner recollection (smaraṇa) through steady practice so that adversity is met from a centered, God-indwelt awareness.

Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin doctrine: the Supreme personally indwells the jīva and protects; intimacy with the Lord is real, not merely metaphorical.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Antaryāmin-centered devotion: the Lord established in the heart makes the devotee fearless and unharmed.

Persecution: Fire

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Vishnu)
• Daityendra (lord of the Daityas)
• Agni (fire)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vāsudeva dwelling in the heart in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as the Antaryāmin: when Vāsudeva abides in one’s heart, elemental forces like fire cannot override divine protection.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the failure of demonic power here?

Parāśara frames the event as a theological principle: Daitya-driven force may intensify outwardly, but it becomes ineffective against a person inwardly established in Vishnu.

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

Vishnu is shown as the Supreme sustaining reality whose presence governs even the elements, affirming Vaishnava doctrine that the Lord’s grace transcends material causality.