Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सूदयाम्य् एष दैत्येन्द्र पश्य मायाबलं मम सहस्रम् अत्र मायानां पश्य कोटिशतं तथा

Transliteration

sūdayāmy eṣa daityendra paśya māyābalaṃ mama sahasram atra māyānāṃ paśya koṭiśataṃ tathā

Translation

“I will strike him down, O lord of the Daityas—behold the might of my māyā. Here are a thousand of my illusions; and likewise, hundreds of crores besides.”

Word by Word

• sūdayāmi: I will kill / I kill
• sūdayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sūd (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• daityendra: O lord of the Daityas
• daityendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः = lord of the Daityas

• paśya: see, behold
• paśya: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• māyābalam: the power of magic
• māyābalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मायायाः बलम् = power of illusion

• mama: of me, my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (संख्यावाचक)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb) = 'here'

• māyānām: of (these) illusions
• māyānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• paśya: see
• paśya: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्ति)

• koṭiśatam: a hundred crores
• koṭiśatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: कोटिः शतम् = a hundred crores (ten million x 100)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक adverb) = 'thus, likewise'

Speaker

A supernatural combatant or magician-figure addressing the Daitya leader (quoted within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The proliferation of illusory powers can appear limitless, yet it remains finite and subordinate to the supreme Lord’s governance.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Do not be overawed by the ‘many’—anxiety, options, threats; return to a single-pointed anchor in the highest truth through disciplined remembrance.

Vishishtadvaita: Finite śaktis (including māyā) operate within the real cosmos as the Lord’s mode; their apparent infinity is only quantitative, not ontological supremacy.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Implied steadfastness: devotion stands against innumerable illusory assaults

Characters & Entities

• Daityendra (leader of the Daityas)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the significance of māyā (illusion-power) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights māyā as an instrument of dominance in conflict—an overwhelming display of manifested power meant to subdue a Daitya ruler and establish superiority.

How does Sage Parāśara frame such episodes when teaching Maitreya?

Parāśara typically embeds direct speech within lineage-and-episode narration, using dramatic confrontations to illustrate how power, pride, and dharma play out across dynastic history.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context even if he is not named in the verse?

The Vishnu Purana ultimately treats all powers—māyā included—as subordinate within the cosmic order upheld by Vishnu, whose supremacy relativizes even immense magical displays.