Shloka 4
शैलैर् आक्रान्तदेहो ऽपि न ममार च यः पुरा त्वयैवातीव माहात्म्यं कथितं यस्य धीमतः
śailair ākrāntadeho 'pi na mamāra ca yaḥ purā tvayaivātīva māhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ yasya dhīmataḥ
He who, though his body was crushed beneath mountains, did not die—of that wise one, whose extraordinary greatness you yourself had formerly proclaimed.
Likely Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara, recalling an earlier narration about a renowned king/figure)
Speaker: Maitreya
Topic: Recalling previously stated greatness of the wise devotee who survived being crushed by mountains, to request the full account.
Teaching: Devotional
Quality: compassionate
Concept: The devotee’s apparent frailty is overcome by the Lord’s sustaining power, making even crushing adversity ineffective.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate inner steadiness through daily japa and remembrance so that external pressures do not break one’s dharmic resolve.
Vishishtadvaita: Emphasizes divine support of the jīva as śeṣa of the Lord—grace operates within embodied life, not apart from it.
Phase: Divine-protection
Bhakti Quality: Steadfastness (dhairya) and unwavering remembrance under extreme violence.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It signals an extraordinary, divinely-protected or merit-protected life, used by the Purana to highlight exemplary stature (mahātmya) within royal genealogies.
Typically by genealogical placement (vamsha), then a defining exploit or ordeal, and finally the moral/theological point—showing how greatness aligns with cosmic order under Vishnu’s sovereignty.
Even when a verse does not name Vishnu directly, the Purana frames extraordinary endurance and fame as ultimately resting on the Supreme Reality’s governance—Vishnu as the sustaining power behind dharma and destiny.