Shloka 151

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

Devanagari script

विषाणभङ्गम् उन्मत्ता मदहानिं च दिग्गजाः यस्य वक्षःस्थले प्राप्ता दैत्येन्द्रपरिणामिताः

Transliteration

viṣāṇabhaṅgam unmattā madahāniṃ ca diggajāḥ yasya vakṣaḥsthale prāptā daityendrapariṇāmitāḥ

Translation

Those mighty elephants of the quarters—driven into frenzy and stripped of their pride—when hurled by the lord of the Daityas against the broad expanse of His chest, had their tusks shattered, their madness broken, and their intoxication undone.

Word by Word

• विषाणभङ्गम्: breaking of the tusk/horn
• विषाणभङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषाण (प्रातिपदिक) + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“विषाणस्य भङ्गम्”

• उन्मत्ताः: maddened
• उन्मत्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मदहानिम्: loss of rut/pride
• मदहानिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“मदस्य हानिम्”

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

• दिग्गजाः: the directional elephants
• दिग्गजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“दिशां गजाः” (elephants of the quarters)

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वक्षःस्थले: on the chest
• वक्षःस्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण—“वक्षसः स्थले” (on the chest)

• प्राप्ताः: having reached
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्र-आप् (धातु; प्राप्तौ)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; “having reached/arrived”

• दैत्येन्द्रपरिणामिताः: altered/affected by the demon-king
• दैत्येन्द्रपरिणामिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैत्येन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + परिणामित (कृदन्त; √णी/नम्? causative sense ‘to transform’; here PPP from √परि-√णम्/√नी, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“दैत्येन्द्रेण परिणामिताः” (transformed/affected by the demon-king)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How even the might of cosmic guardians (diggajas) becomes futile when turned against a Vishnu-bhakta.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Power driven by arrogance collapses; devotion aligned with the Lord’s order renders violent pride self-defeating.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When facing intimidation, respond without hatred; keep inner steadiness and let aggression exhaust itself against non-reactive dharmic resolve.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s protective sovereignty is expressed as a real moral order: adharma’s ‘mada’ is curtailed while the bhakta remains upheld.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Fearless equanimity; the devotee is untouched even when assaulted by massive forces.

Persecution: Elephants

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Diggajas (directional elephants)
• Daityendra (chief of the Daityas)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Diggajas in the Vishnu Purana?

They symbolize the stability of the cosmic directions; the verse shows that even such world-supporting powers become powerless when violently turned by demonic force, yet are ultimately subdued by contact with the Supreme.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the defeat of demonic power in this context?

By portraying the Daityendra’s might as capable of hurling even the Diggajas, yet emphasizing that the Supreme’s chest remains an unassailable ground where their frenzy and pride are shattered.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the sovereign reality whose mere presence dissolves arrogance and violence—His body becomes a metaphysical boundary where demonic force is neutralized.