Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

न त्वां करोम्य् अहं भस्म क्रोधतीव्रेण वह्निना सतां सप्तपदं मैत्रम् उषितो ऽहं त्वया सह

Transliteration

na tvāṃ karomy ahaṃ bhasma krodhatīvreṇa vahninā satāṃ saptapadaṃ maitram uṣito 'haṃ tvayā saha

Translation

I will not reduce you to ashes with the fire made fierce by my wrath; among the noble, friendship is sealed by seven steps, and I have dwelt with you as a companion.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• karomi: I make
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhasma: ashes
• bhasma: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• krodha-tīvreṇa: with (a) wrath-fierce
• krodha-tīvreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + tīvrá (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: ‘krodhena tīvreṇa’), नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग?—अत्र वह्निना इति पुल्लिङ्ग-तृतीया-एकवचनान्वयात्: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• vahninā: by fire
• vahninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• satām: of the good (people)
• satām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sapta-padam: seven-step (bond)
• sapta-padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• maitram: friendship
• maitram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uṣitaḥ: having dwelt / having lived
• uṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु) → uṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tvayā: with you / by you
• tvayā: Sahartha/Instrument (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahartha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable indicating association)

Speaker

A righteous protagonist in a lineage narrative (within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya), restraining anger due to the dharma of friendship

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even when anger is powerful, the noble restrain harm out of loyalty to the sanctity of friendship (saptapadī).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When provoked, recall prior bonds and commitments before speaking or acting, and choose restraint over retaliation.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is upheld through self-restraint and fidelity to relational duties, reflecting the ordered moral fabric sustained by the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Sat (the noble/virtuous)
• Saptapada (seven-step bond of friendship)

FAQs

What is the significance of saptapada (seven steps) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, saptapada marks a solemn, socially binding bond of friendship among the virtuous, strong enough to restrain even wrathful retaliation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the control of anger in lineage narratives?

Through exemplary speech like this, the narrative shows that true nobility is measured by restraint—dharma overrides impulse even when one has the power to destroy.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s broader framing treats dharma, moral order, and righteous restraint as expressions of the divine order sustained by Vishnu.