Shloka 19
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
उक्तस् तयैवं स मुनिर् उपगुह्यायतेक्षणाम् प्राहास्यतां क्षणं सुभ्रु चिरकालं गमिष्यसि
uktas tayaivaṃ sa munir upaguhyāyatekṣaṇām prāhāsyatāṃ kṣaṇaṃ subhru cirakālaṃ gamiṣyasi
Thus addressed by her, the sage—drawing close and gazing upon her—said: “Stay for a moment, fair-browed one; for you are about to depart for a very long time.”
A sage (muni) speaking to a woman described as 'long-eyed' (āyatīkṣaṇā) and 'fair-browed' (subhru); specific identification not explicit in the provided line
Concept: A ‘moment’ of delay is urged before a long separation, underscoring how choices at turning-points shape extended karmic trajectories.
Vedantic Theme: Karma
Application: Pause before major life-decisions driven by desire; create a reflective interval (japa, prayer, counsel) to avoid long-term regret.
Vishishtadvaita: The guru/ṛṣi’s compassionate restraint models guidance that redirects the jīva’s will without denying its agency.
FAQs
This verse uses imminent “long departure” to signal fate and time (kāla) shaping human lives—common in dynastic narratives where personal events become turning points in lineage history.
In the Vishnu Purana’s narrative style, time operates as a divine principle under Vishnu’s sovereignty; moments of parting like this compress a larger, inevitable course of events that follows.
Even when Vishnu is not named in a given line, the Purana frames worldly change—meeting and separation, rise and decline of houses—as unfolding within Vishnu’s supreme governance of kāla and dharma.